Rodmell and Southease

THE QUEEN: Having reached the great age of ninety, our Queen has yet again touched the hearts of her people, judging by the amount who helped her celebrate. Whether you are for or against royalty, one has to admire her stamina and loyalty to her country and its people. As I sat with my feet up knitting and watching TV on the evening of her birthday, I couldn't help but think, this woman of 90 has probably got up early, prepared for her day, spent the day walking around appreciating what her people have done to help her celebrate plus meeting and greeting, then celebrating with her family in the evening. That takes some stamina at 90, also determination.

ICE CREAM: Can any readers tell me where I can buy a carton of coffee ice cream? I love coffee ice cream but cannot find it in any of the supermarkets. Maybe it’s just not popular.

TOUR: I recently had an invitation to do a tour of Lewes Castle and Anne of Cleves House Museum with afternoon tea in the company of the Mayor of Lewes, Cllr Susan Murray. I wanted to accept but there was only a website on the invitation so I had to phone Anne of Cleves House to get the phone number of the marketing officer so that I could accept. For those of us that don’t have computers (and there are many) please can phone numbers be put on documents of all sorts. Some of the older generation actually have money to spend, but in many cases don’t spend it, they are unable to because of problems with technology. They are an untapped source of income for those who have the foresight to see it. There are many people who still think in pounds and ounces, miles and old currency no matter who tries to change them. The saying ‘Sussex won’t be Druv’ applies to the British me thinks.

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WI: The WI talk by Ray Hale was most interesting and there were some lovely photographs. It’s so good that we have so much going on in the village, especially for people like me, who can’t drive at night and who are carers so cannot be away from home for too long. Village events are much appreciated as are the people who put them on. I do wish we had a film club like Piddinghoe though.

HEALTH CLASS: A new health class to improve balance has started in our village hall, run by Emma from Wave Leisure. It costs £2 per session and runs for five sessions. It’s on a Wednesday morning from 11am to noon. The first class was well attended.

PLANT SALE: Don’t forget the spring Plant Sale at Southease on Monday from noon to 4.30pm, plus the open garden. Entrance £2.

SUMMER SHOW: So many people have said how pleased they are that Romdell is holding its summer show in August this year. The date is August 20 and I noticed people are already working hard on their gardens.

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WI TEAS: There will be WI teas in Rodmell Village Hall on May 1 from 2pm to 4pm. Do come along and enjoy the lovely cakes that our WI are well-known for.

KEEP IN TOUCH: I keep in touch with a lot of people who have left the village and this week I met up with Janet, who used to live in the old shop. She is very well and very happy and certainly gets around a lot, here and abroad. Andrew Hanbury and wife Susie are staying with me in May as they are returning from living in Switzerland to live back in their old cottage, which is being brought up to scratch at the moment. Jude Bovington who now lives in Ditchling and who I phone and visit frequently, still wishes she lived in Rodmell and remembers many Rodmellians. Jude lived next to the pub for many years. Unfortunately Jude does not have good health but still smiles a loot and is a lovely person.

ACCIDENTS: Every time I listen to the news on the radio early in the morning, I hear that the A23 and the A27 has accidents. It’s a time when people are rushing to work speeding and take chances. It’s best to concentrate, drive carefully and think of your loved ones who want you home in one piece.

LUNCH: I love going to country pubs for lunch and recently went to the Anchor at Ringmer, which has been refurbished and is under new management. We had a lovely lunch but were glad we got there early as it was so busy. It’s nice to see pubs making a go of it and ours certainly does.

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COLD CALLERS: I do object to cold callers calling at midnight when I’m in bed. My heart always goes with a thump as my mother is not in good health in her care home and my first thoughts are about her, plus I have to go down a flight of stairs to the phone only to find it’s gone off when I get there. These calls must be distressing to many and I wish they could be stopped.

TRAIN DRIVERS: I’m with the train drivers who still want a guard on the trains and I hope they get their way. Too many people are losing their jobs to technology and, like many others, I want to talk face to face with a person, not a machine. Many people have told me that they hat the machines at stations which hat times go wrong, cause queues and just confuse people. I found in the past it was far better for me and my friends to go on coach holidays where you were looked after, didn’t have to lug luggage around, but could still do as you pleased when at a destination so kept your independence and did not have to be one of a crowd.

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