Rodmell and Southease

GOOD NEIGHBOUR SCHEME: Our village has a very good Good Neighbour Scheme. It helps people a lot and has taken over 100 calls for assistance and had held its second AGM in October. I have used it several times and it makes me feel very secure knowing that I can get help on endless issues by making a phone call. People can be very secular in villages and keep themselves to themselves as the saying goes, but we all need help at times and one should not be afraid, or too proud, to ask for it. Who knows it may save your life, or your sanity, to make that phone call in times of need, so give it a go. People do care and give up their time for you, so please support them and let them help support you. Use it or lose it.

WARM HOME CHECK: The East Sussex Warm Home Check Service has now been launched to provide advice and support for anyone finding it difficult to keep warm at home. It offers a home visit for eligible vulnerable people on low income. Their advice line is 03444 111444. As Rodmell is not on gas and we have to rely on electricity and oil, it can be expensive to warm your house. Before moving in to your idyllic cottage home in a rural village, it’s always best to check what amenities it has, as so many of these villages have lost bus services, schools, shops etc. This is why our Good Neighbour Scheme is so important and helps us feel protected and nurtured.

NEWSLETTER: The Rodmell Round-Up, our local newsletter, gives us information on what’s going on in the village, plus, who has died and who has newly come to live in the village. We appreciate all concerned in keeping us in touch especially Christine Isitt who took it upon herself to keep us in touch for so many years, but now has help with it. These things take dedication. Once upon a time, we all knew each other in the village, but now as people come and go, it’s difficult to keep up with the who’s who. At village meetings, us old timers are often heard asking each other ‘Who’s that and where do they live?’ The Rodmell Round-Up helps this situation, especially when tradespeople ask where so-and-so’s house is and it’s found they’ve changed the house name and we don’t have a clue. I now say whose name is on the parcel etc and check Rodmell Round-Up to see if I can help.

SPORT INJURIES: Having had a bit of a twinge in my hip recently, I can appreciate how Andy Murray must be feeling. However, I have at least had a long life without hip pain, whilst he is only 31 and has a young family to think of and he also has obviously a very competitive spirit, which I have not. When I was at University, I was often asked to join in with various sporting activities, but declined because I’ve never liked competitive sports. Ice skating, swimming, walking or horse riding were my limits, as I could do them at my pace and on my own. The number of people I know, and friends of mine, who were sport competitive have long since had knee replacements, hip replacements, ankle, shoulder, wrists and back problems for years, simply in many cases caused by wear and tear and their competitive spirits.

C7: We are still having people walking and cycling along this road (C7) which is a winding dangerous unlit road and they are not wearing the appropriate gear such as helmets, hi-viz jackets or at least one of those fluorescent arm bands at dusk or at night. It is accident time just waiting to happen. There have been a number of accidents recently, you only need to look at damaged fences, holes in hedges which landowners have to repair, and cars way out in fields because they have lost it on bends especially the bend near Northease, where I went off the road on black ice covered by snow one Christmas Eve, over 50 years ago and was trapped in my car on my own. Not an experience I would recommend. The C7 needs respect and careful driving.

PANTO: Don’t forget tickets for the Rodmell Panto are on sale from the Abergavenny pub. The Panto will be performed at the village hall on January 25, 26 and 27.