Ninfield

• Many of you throughout the village over the last few years have organised fund raising events or donated hard earned money for the Memorial Hall. On Saturday, the Hall Committee started the essential work by clearing away years of accumulated soil and debris from around the walls and repaired the down pipes to help stop damp penetrating. In July the hall will be closed for a while so that they can seal and insulate the walls and roof, replace the old central heating pipes and radiators, add new electrical sockets and generally improve the comfort for the users of the hall. Once essential works are completed the committee hope to be able to raise enough funds to upgrade the toilet and kitchen facilities. They need, as well as money, willing volunteers to help with some of the work, especially if you have a specific trade or skill, if you could loan equipment or donate materials. If you think you could help, please phone Pete Holland 01424 893326 (Project Manager) or Adrian Dommersen 07732 475209 (Hall Chairman). Their next fund raising event will be the quiz on April 20, followed by a dinner dance on May 18 – Please see below for further information of either event.

• Ninfield Local History Group are currently updating the Deeprose map, hopefully in time for copies to be available for sale at their Carnival Exhibition and to present to the Parish Council. They urgently need someone with good drawing skills and if you have any suggestions of important village ‘characters’ for inclusion, please get in touch with Jan Cooper 893381 or Corinne Gibbons 892612.

• Is your daughter in year six and a resident of Ninfield? Would they like to be 2013 Carnival Queen? To nominate your child, please see Linda Scott at the Village Stores, Ninfield. She is also taking nominations for the Carnival Princesses, this is for girls who are attending primary school in September.

• The next meeting of the Hooe Open Group is this afternoon, Friday April 12. The invited speaker is the skipper of the new Eastbourne Diamond Jubilee lifeboat, who will illustrate its operation and the sophistication of its advanced design. As the next meeting will be near to Easter, members will be treated to hot cross buns with their afternoon tea. The meeting will commence as usual at 2.30pm at Hooe Village Hall. If you would like to receive details of the club’s future program, contact Edna Wallis on 01424 842591.

• The East Sussex County Council Mobile Library service will next be in the villages tomorrow, April 13 and 27 at: Hooe, opposite Denbigh Court, 1.50pm - 2.35pm; Ninfield, Millfield (off Manchester Road), 2.50pm - 3.25pm; Ninfield, Downsview (off Church Lane), 3.40pm - 4.05pm.

• Hooe Sports Football Club are playing away tomorrow, April 13, in the East Sussex Football League against Rock A Nore at Tilekiln Three ground. Kick off is at 1.30pm. All are welcome to support their local team. If you would like to keep track of the club’s progress you can online: www.pitchero.com/clubs/hooesportsfc

•St Oswald’s Church, Hooe, is having a churchyard and spring clean tomorrow, April 13 10am-4pm. Any help that you can offer would be greatly appreciated, even if it is just making the tea to keep the workforce hydrated! The Church Council looks forward to seeing you.

• Ninfield Bowls Club are holding an Open Day on April 14 from 2.30pm onwards. The club is located adjacent to the Kings Arms. If anyone is interested in bowls, please go along and have a “BOWL”. Who knows you might find that you enjoy it!. The group are all very friendly and they would love to see some more locals at this event and join them.

• Ninfield Horticultural Society is meeting on April 15. Harry Townsend, formerly of Kew, will give a talk entitled Kew Through The Looking Glass at 7.30pm in the Memorial Hall.

• Battle and Ninfield Wesley Guild is meeting on Wednesday April 17 at the Methodist Church Hall, 2.30pm. There will be a talk by Mrs V Cook entitled A Visit To Romania.

• Ninfield Local History Group is meeting on April 18, 7.30pm at the Reading Room. It is the AGM followed by Brian Purdey on Sussex Customs and Cures. The group now has a website and facebook page for you to keep up to date with all what is going on with the group: www.ninfieldhistorygroup.org / http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ninfield-Local-History-Group/206758869459743 Annual membership only costs £10 per person, but everyone is welcome. There is a charge of £1 for members (and £2 for non-members) at each meeting to help towards the cost of refreshments and guest speakers. For further information, please contact Rod Ffoulkes, Acting Chairman, NLHG 01424 893635 or email [email protected]

• Ninfield Clean Up Day - a village-wide litter picking, is on April 20, organised by Ninfield Village Society. Meet at the Methodist Hall, Church Lane at 10am. You are invited to help the Village Society to tidy YOUR part of our Village. Litter pickers, bags, gloves and hi-vis jackets will be supplied by Wealden District Council. Earn your reward of free refreshments courtesy of Ninfield Parish Council. For more details contact: Martin Wood T:892895 or: Robin Goldsmith T:892778.

• The Ninfield Memorial Hall Committee is holding a quiz night on Saturday April 20 in the Hall starting at 7-30pm. Tables maximum of six. Tickets £5 per person to include a ploughman’s supper bring your own drink. There will be a raffle and all proceeds will go towards the hall’s refurbishment funds. To book a table please contact Jennifer 01424 892878 or Jim 01424 892682.

• There will be a joint service of St Mary’s, Ninfield and St Oswald’s, Hooe at St Oswald’s on April 21, 11.15am.

• Hooe Parish Council is meeting on April 23, 7.45pm in the Village Hall. All Hooe residents are invited to attend.

• There is a coffee morning on Wednesday April 24, 10.30am -12pm at the Reading Room, Ninfield. All funds raised will go to the Bexhill Foodbank. There will also be a raffle and a cake stall. All are welcome to attend and take a friend for this local charity.

• The 1st Ninfield Scout Group invites you to join members for a fun family evening of bingo on Saturday April 27, 7pm-9pm at Ninfield Memorial Hall. Prices are £3 per adult/£2 per child, to include a bingo book. Refreshments will be available on the night as well as a raffle. For further information or to purchase your tickets, please contact Lorna Tomasetti on 893644.

• Ninfield Neighbourhood Watch are holding their AGM in the Reading Room on Tuesday April 30, 7.30pm. All members are requested to try and attend. Everybody is welcome, to find out what Neighbourhood Watch is all about. Our local PCSO, Daryl Holter, will also be there to provide information and answer questions. Tea / coffee and biscuits are provided and there is no charge!

• The next Policing Panel meeting is on April 30, 7.0pm at the Reading Room, Ninfield. Members of all villages covered by PSCO Daryl Holter are invited: Ninfield, Hooe, Catsfied, Crowhurst, Ashburnham and Penhurst. This is your opportunity to raise concerns or find out what the local policing team are doing in your area.

• Ninfield Horticultural Society is holding its annual plant sale on April 27 from 9-11am at the Memorial Hall. Members welcome regular and new customers to buy their wide selection of sensibly priced plants. If you have any plants to donate, please take them to the hall from 8.30am that morning.

• A dinner dance is being held on May 18 at the Memorial Hall to raise money for the hall repairs which commence in July. There will be a 3 course meal (two choices per course) plus coffee and mints, dancing, and a floor show cabaret featuring Les Belles Burlesques and other local performers. Tickets are limited to 80 and are £20 per person. There will also be a pay bar - wines, champagne, beer and lager, plus a small raffle Dress code is formal. For further information or to book your place, please contact Sami Guard on 893699 / Email: [email protected].

• Ninfield Carnival will be on Saturday July 13. The theme of the Carnival is James Bond (it is the 50th anniversary of the Bond films). Preparations are already underway to organise the Carnival. The committee has a committed core of people organising the day, but they are keen to welcome any new members, especially people to give up an hour or so of their time on the day of the Carnival. This year, they have decided to raise money purely for projects in the village. All monies raised will be put back into our local community. Essential projects identified include updating the children’s play area, rebuilding Sparke’s Pavilion and the Memorial Hall fund. If you could help in any way, please either ring Andy on 892196. If you would be willing to sponsor an event or provide a raffle prize please contact Steve Fleming on 07717451303.

• Don’t forget that you can find out more community information from both villages and Wealden District Council on our district councillor’s (Pam Doodes) website or the Ninfield Parish Council website: www.pamdoodes.com / www.ninfield.webplus.net.

• Church Services for Ninfield and Hooe (www.ninfield.org.uk): St Mary’s Services (Church of England, Ninfield) - Sundays - 9.30am Parish Eucharist (Family Service on first Sunday of the month) Wednesdays - 10am Holy Communion. St Oswald’s Services (Church of England, Hooe):

Sundays - 11.15am Parish Eucharist (Family Service on first Sunday of the month) PLEASE NOTE JOINT SERVICE APRIL 21. Please see above for further details. Ninfield Methodist Church - all services at 2.30pm (unless otherwise indicated) - April 14, Worship and Praise with Rev Peter Timms; April 21, Worship and Praise with Mrs D. Novis; April 28, Worship and Communion with Rev Ian H Wales.

• Anything that you would like included in the Village Voice for Ninfield or Hooe, please email the details to me: [email protected].

Rachel Feeley, 17 Smith Close