Playden Village Voice

Damp, drizzly, gloomy, beginning to be foggy; what an inspiring Monday morning.

The most important date to remind you about is this Sunday, 14th October, when the Friends of Playden Car Treasure Hunt takes place. Meet at the church gate at 2.30 pm £5 per car and 2 people, (driver and passenger) each extra passenger £2. hopefully the weather will be much brighter and we shall all have a lovely time, as we have before. Ring me if you think I can supply any more details.22 26 15.

The Quiz Night with Supper is to be on 27th October. Details next week.

I’m so sorry I got the Bring and Share lunch all wrong last week. I had been told !! It is on 4th November.

At Christmas, the Charity ‘Link Romania’ organises the collection of Shoeboxes filled with gifts for very poor families and elderly people living alone in Romania, Moldova, Albania, Bulgaria and the Ukraine. These people live in terrible conditions in shanty towns, and even disused containers, often with no electricity or running water. These gifts are everyday items such as soap, toothpaste, shampoo, combs, socks, crayons and colouring books etc. Your gift of a Shoebox would bring such happiness to the people who receive them.

If you would like to support the Link Romania appeal this year, then please collect a leaflet from Church or contact Sue Cavilla on 230 431. Playden School are also supporting this Charity.

Shoeboxes must be delivered to the church by Sunday 28th October. Any problems, please contact Sue.

The Mobile Library will be at Poppy field on Monday from 11.30 to 11.50 am.

The Parish Council met last week. All councillors were present, plus Cllr. Keith Glazier, ESCC; Cllrs. Nick Ramus and Paul Osborne, RDC and me. I do wish the rest of the parish would show a bit of interest !

Among the subjects discussed were the following items. I again raised the matter of leaves obstructing the water flow to the land drains in New England Lane. Most of the water at the top end comes off the main road, by-passing the drain up there. Cll.Glazier will speak to the highways authority about it.

Cllr. Dearden is to meet PCSO Dan Bevan to talk about the Neighbourhood Watch and Cold Calling scheme. The licence has been applied for, signs will be ordered also door stickers.

ESCC will give backing to the plans for a hall at Playden school. It will be for community use as well as the school.

The road up to Iden from the junction with A268 should be resurfaced at the end of the month. It will necessitate a road closure while the work is done.

The priorities remain the same, and funding is difficult. There are financial cuts, so some services will have to be curtailed. There is £20m less available: are services to be cut or does the Council tax increase? Efficiencies are already apparent with the liaison with other councils.

ESCC has been ‘savingup’ for capital works projects such as Broadband and Sports halls.

Cllr. Ramus reported that the most recent meetings had been dominated by questions about Bexhill. Car parking charges are going up. Pay awards are frozen. The Bowling Club in Bexhill is to close and a retail outlet built on the site.

He suggested that the school hall project should think about match - funding. Money might be available from the Wind Farm.

A discussion took place about improving the Houghton Green. A proposal was put forward that the Council takes responsibility for its maintenance and organises the grass cutting. This would cost £210 for it to be cut 6 times p.a. The vote was 3 in favour, one against.

The Here to Help scheme offers 6 weeks help to people home from hospital, with such things as prescription collection, shopping, dog walking and pet care, driving to appointments, recently bereaved etc. all run by a group of volunteers. A valuation form will be delivered to all houses. If you need help, or know someone who does, please ring 01797 224 044. Answer phone messages will be picked up daily.

Chairman Mrs. Sam Stone has been in contact with Richard Watson at the Energy Advice centre in Bexhill. There is free insulation on offer and Playden might become a pilot scheme for renewable resources, insulation, cutting electricity costs, using wood burners etc. etc.. It is hoped to have an Open Meeting with residents to raise awareness.

Items to be discussed at the next meeting are Footpaths, a cycle track from Iden to Rye, and the election in November.

The next meeting will be on 1st November at 7.30 in the W. I. Hall.

Tomorrow, 13th, you are invited to join the Warden of Rye Harbour Nature Reserve in a search for warblers in the bushes, waders on the islands and wagtails overhead. Meet at 9am at Brede Lock. The walk is about 3 miles. Donations would be appreciated.

The mid-week services are 9.30 am for Morning prayer and 3.30 pm for Evening Prayer on Tuesday.

The 11 am service for the 19th Sunday after Trinity will be Parish Communion led by the Rev. Paddy Buxton.