Rodmell and Southease

OPEN GARDENS: Southease Open Gardens Fair is on Saturday and Sunday, June 3 and 4. Come and see the delights of five or six English village country gardens, centred around the ancient round towered church and village green. Open each day from 12.30pm to 5pm. Cost £6 per person, with free entrance for accompanied children under 11 years. There will be free car parking, Seaford Silver Band and other good musicians, food, cakes, teas, coffee and soft drinks. Variety of stalls, including plants/flower sales, Pimms and Children’s Sunprinting (£5), I have no idea what that is. All proceeds to the Southease Church fabric repair and general funds. The church is 1,000 years old this year and is going to have a new roof.

ITFORD HILL: I read in our Parish Magazine that 34 people walked up Itford Hill at 7am for a full Communion Service taken by Rector Geoff Dawes on Easter Day. That’s a good number of people don’t you think?

ELECTIONS: Well, the local elections are over and it all seemed pretty quiet really. At one time, we would have had all those waiting to be elected coming around the village, but I only saw the Lib Dem’s candidate this time.

WI: On Tuesday WI members will discuss and vote on two resolutions to be considered at the AGM for the whole WI

SEEDLING SALE/SWAP: Saturday May 20, Seedling Sale/Swap in the village hall in the morning, with a secondhand book stall in aid of the Rodmell Good Neighbour Scheme. I’m pleased to hear that people are turning back to proper books and giving up the electronic reading devices. Vinyl is making a comeback with records also. Maybe we should have a record stall at the next village event. Friends of mine have sold some of their old records and it’s quite profitable.

CRICKET: Rodmell Cricket Club has an exciting season of 10 home fixtures this summer. They play on Sunday afternoons, starting at 2.30pm, apart from the traditional T20 evening game against Harvey’s Brewery on a Thursday evening. The full list of fixtures is on the Rodmell website (www.rodmell.net).

POWER OF THE PRESS: The power of the press works again. I put in the column last week that the lady knitters of the village are fast running out of wool to knit squares to make blankets for cats and dogs at Raystede Animal Centre. I’ve had a good response so the ladies’ fingers will be busy again soon. People are so kind when I ask for help, and over the years I’ve received many gifts in reply to a quest, my favourite being a lady who turned up at my door with a tub of coffee ice cream which I’d found hard to get.

SUMMER TEAS: I see from our Parish Magazine that Iford are doing Summer Teas in and around the church on Saturday June 3. They also have a Community Cafe in the church, which is held on the first Saturday afternoon of each month, which I believe is very successful. Must try it sometime. The Youth Hostel at Itford is busy all the time and it’s so good to see people enjoying walking the South Downs Way. It was a really good idea to locate where it is, with a station on its doorstep.

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