Staplecross

EWHURST & STAPLECROSS BONFIRE SOCIETY: A successful 2016 season drew to a close on Saturday, as members held their annual carol service at St Marks Church, Staplecross. This is always a popular event as seen by the large crowd of over 50 members and supporters which gathered at the War Memorial in Staplecross before being ‘escorted’ to St. Mark’s church to begin this amazing Carol Service with a difference. The short walk along Northiam Road to the quaint little village church, was made all the more special by the illuminations of the iconic burning torches of the Bonfire Society. The church was packed with members and supporters who all thoroughly enjoyed an excellent traditional Christmas Carol Service. After the service, cheques totalling £2500 were presented to local charities and good causes. The fact that a small village bonfire society can donate such a large amount is testament to all the continued support and ongoing hard work of members throughout the year. Several healthy servings of Mulled Wine, sandwiches and minced pies helped keep the evening supporters in good cheer and a wonderful time was enjoyed by all who attended. The Bonfire Society would like to extend their most grateful thanks to everyone involved with the society, together with all their supporters and members of the public who attend their events. Without their support and generosity, we would not be able to continue to make these donations, and we thank you most sincerely.

REDUCED TRAIN SERVICES- Many residents within our parish have to use the train services on a regular basis, for a number of reasons - and sadly I have been informed of a number of additional disruptions and which I must pass on to you. Many of you are already aware of the Strike Action which took place recently and sad to say, much more is set to come as ASLEF have announced further dates to add to those already agreed by their members. The additional dates are now on 13th - 14th - and 16th December 2016. The agreed dates of 22nd- 24th December have now been changed to occur on 19th - 20th December with continued action 31st December 2016 to 2nd January 2017 with additional disruptions from 9th - 14th January. Unfortunately rail passengers are advised to expect a severely reduced and disrupted service on EVERY DAY whilst this industrial action is in place. Please check your own timetables for any disruptions which may effect your own journey

SUSSEX POLICE: Two Public Information Notices (P.I.N.) this week, both rather simple, but both rather important. P.I.N. No:1 -SCAMS- Scams effect the lives of millions of people across the UK. Those who unfortunately have been caught out in this hateful crime, through no fault of their own often experience loneliness, shame and social isolation. “Friends Against Scams” is a National Trading Stands (NS) Scam Team initiative which aims to protect and prevent people from becoming victims of scams by empowering communities to “Take a Stand Against Scams”.”Friends Against Scams” was created to tackle the lack of scam awareness by providing information about scams and those who fall victim to them. This information enables communities and organisations to understand them, to talk about them and cascade messages throughout communities about scams prevention and protection. This unit encourages communities and organisations to take the knowledge learnt here and turn it into actions. Anyone can join “Friends Against Scams” and make a difference in their own way. For all advice on scams please contact the Citizen Advice Consumer Helpline on 03454~040506 and to become a ‘Friend’ and to be more involved, either complete a simple on-line learning via National Trading Standards (NTS) or join in an organised local session. The next one will take place at the Bexhill Library, Western Road, Brighton on Monday January 16th at 11.00am.

P.I.N. No:2 - Keep your gifts and gadgets safe this Christmas: Protect your home from burglary. ~ Police are reminding residents to be extra security conscious around the Christmas period, when homes can be more at risk of burglary.

Follow these safety tips to prevent your home from being targeted:

1. Make it as difficult as possible for criminals to gain entry to your property! Ensure doors and windows are locked at all times and remember to use your alarm if you have one.

2. Keys, money and phones are a burglar’s dream. Keep all such items well out of sight and reach of doors, windows and letterboxes. Intruders use rods to reach bags and keys and use them to enter your home with ease. In one third of burglaries, the thief didn’t have to force entry into the home.

3. If you like to display your Christmas tree in your window remember to keep the presents away from prying eyes. Just like anyone else, thieves like to window shop before obtaining their goods. Remember to draw curtains and lower blinds.

4. Make your home look occupied by using timer switches on your lights and radios so people think you are in. If you don’t have them, ask your neighbours to keep an eye on your home and draw your curtains if you are away.

5. Dispose of packaging carefully. Empty boxes awaiting collection and bins full of packaging are a perfect advert for burglars.

6. Make use of free and secure registration websites, such as www.immobilise.com to register items of value such as computers and laptops, mobile phones, cycles, electrical items such as TVs, and games consoles.

For further security advice please contact your local Police Centre, contact them on-line at sussex.police.uk/advice/protect-your-home-and-belongings/burglary or telephone 101. - Be Safe.

ROTHER RAMBLERS: Regardless of whatever weather this county throws at us, those members of the popular walking group, the Rother Ramblers still manage to get outside and enjoy it. This week is no exception as the group have lined up two more walks for us all to enjoy. Walk No: 1 is slightly longer than usual, being an 11 mile trip ‘North from Cranbrook, via Sissinghurst Castle and village’. Arranged for Sunday December 11th, the meeting point is at the Cranbrook car park, near the Co-op shop. OS EXP136. TQ775359. (SatNav TN17 3DQ) at 10.00am. There is the possibility of a refreshment stop but a picnic lunch is, as always suggested. Heather is to be your ‘walk leader’ for this outing and you may contact her on 01580~752652 or mobile: 07968~294038 for more details. Walk No:2 is of a slightly less mileage for your feet being an 8.5 mile ‘Downland Walk’. Planned to take place on Wednesday December 14th. the meeting place is to be the car park in the village of East Dean. OS EXP123. TV558978. (SatNav BN20 0DL) again at 10.00am. The walking notes infer that this will be easy walking with few stiles to worry about. Naturally, a picnic lunch is once more, suggested. Adrian will be your ‘walk leader’ for this excursion and you may contact him on 01273~514336 or mobile: 07729~861854 for all further information.

EWHURST,STAPLECROSS & BODIAM GARDEN SOCIETY: CHRISTMAS PARTY. ~ It’s THAT time of the year, when family and friends are gathering together to celebrate Christmas with fun and festivities . That’s exactly what the members of the Ewhurst, Staplecross & Bodiam Garden Society are also hoping to achieve when they invite you to join them in celebrating this Festive Season at their CHRISTMAS PARTY. This is planned to take place on Friday December 16th at 7.00pm in the Village Hall, Northiam Road, Staplecross. The buffet table will be groaning under the weight of a huge array of seasonal culinary delights to suit most palates and diets, and with specially prepared Mulled Wine for you to also enjoy, why not give into temptation and indulge yourself?. As well as being amongst family, and friends, old and new, the members of this friendly local horticultural society will all be on hand to ensure you have a wonderful evening, in pleasant surroundings and congenial company, and enjoy once more, the light-hearted fun that this party night has arranged for you. Members are free, but all guests are welcomed at a miserly cost of just £3:00 per person and you don’t have to live in the parish to be a part of these festivities. This Christmas Party promises to be yet another great event in their 2016 Programme of Events. - So please do come along and share in the fun. We are always happy to welcome new members and if you’d like to know more of what’s in store for next year, please contact any member of the group or contact Chairman Maggie Whitaker on 01580~830041 or check out the Parish website ~ ewhurst.info or on facebook ~ Ewhurst, Staplecross and Bodiam Garden Society

STAPLECROSS LUNCHEON CLUB: Once more the members of this lovely little Dining Group will be meeting on Wednesday December 21st. for this month only, at 1.00pm. in the Village Hall, Northiam Road, Staplecross. As stated before, new members (of 50 years young and over!) are still desperately needed to help keep this very friendly and happy social group from becoming just another sad village reminder of yet another lost activity. On the menu this month, and in keeping with the festive season, will be a full Christmas Lunch, consisting of Roast Turkey with all fresh seasonal vegetables and the trimmings followed by a choice of three (3) delicious desserts to choose from ~ either Christmas Pudding with a yummy brandy sauce,- Fruit Salad, - or Cheese and Biscuits. followed by tea or coffee and a mint. To accompany all this amazing repast, we hope you will enjoy a glass of wine, a traditional courteous gesture from Ewhurst Parish Council. All this, for the miserly sum of £6:00 per person. If this is not to your taste - or dietary needs - then please let the organisers know, and an alternative meal can be provided for you. In view of the larger than normal financial outlay and numbers of those attending to be catered for, on this occasion, places will need to be booked, so please reserve your place as soon as possible. When doing so, will you please state your choice of dessert also. The monthly menu’s are always very varied, delicious, plentiful, reasonable and freshly cooked and with no clearing up or washing up involved, there’s really no reason for you not to come & be a part of it. -- so no excuses. ‘Rules’ are few & far between, - you have to be ‘of a certain age’,- and promise, whenever possible to attend each month - this avoids unnecessary wastage in food, time, money and energy - so important in this day and age, when economy matters. You don’t even have to live within the parish as many of our valued diners come from outside our villages. Also, you don’t have to have lived in the community for a generation or more, before you are ‘entitled’ to join. This means that if you have recently moved into the parish, in any of our three villages, then this could be just the opportunity you need to make new contacts, colleagues and of course, new friends. So please, just give the two organisers a ring - Sally on 01580~830000 or Dennis on 01580~830816 for all further details and to make your reservation. Please come along and support us, and you’ll soon be a very welcome and much valued member of this lovely, sociable dining group.

ROTHER DISTRICT COUNCIL: ‘ Christmas Car Parking Cheer’ - Just a reminder ~ and just to prove that all is not doom & gloom throughout our region,~ on a par with last year, Rother District Council have agreed to suspend ‘Pay & Display’ charges on selected Saturdays on the run up to the Christmas Festive season. R.D.C. have announced dates when the usual parking charges in it’s off- street pay & display car parks in Battle, Bexhill & Rye will be waived. These charges will be suspended in Battle on December 10th and 17th - and in Bexhill and Rye on December 3rd. 10th & 17th. - that’s TOMORROW and NEXT FRIDAY - Rother District Council leader Cllr Carl Maynard says “ As is now customary, we like to offer shoppers the chance to park without charge as the Festive Season gets into full swing. Hopefully, this initiative will encourage more people to support local businesses and to enjoy the special atmosphere which exists in our town centres at this time of the year”. Concession parking days have been set in conjunction with Chambers of Commerce, Town Teams, Coastal Community Groups and Traders Associations. Please be aware though, - parking rules ~ including time limits on spaces will still apply and anyone NOT complying with these conditions, will still be liable for the standard charge. More information is available at http://www.rother.gov.uk/carparks

CHURCH SERVICES: Church services for the parish of Ewhurst will commence at St. James the Great, Ewhurst Green, on Sunday December 11th. Advent 3. at 9.30am. This service will include Holy Communion (BCP) There will be NO SERVICE today at St. Giles church, Bodiam, but a Morning Praise service which will also include Holy Communion will follow directly afterwards at 11.15am at St. Mark’s church, Northiam Road, Staplecross.

On Saturday December 17th a special treat is promised us in the form of ‘Carols by Candlelight’ This little event will also include the very well known Tongswood Choir. The venue will be St. James the Great church, Ewhurst Green and will begin at 6.00pm. Please do come along and share with us, this beautiful event at this special time of the year.

If there is any church matter on which you feel you may need further assistance, especially Baptisms, Weddings and sadly Funerals, then for the time being, do please get in touch with the appropriate Churchwardens: ~ For all Bodiam matters, please contact Graham Peters - email at [email protected] or telephone number 01580~830203. For all Ewhurst Parish matters please contact Jo Goodwin - email [email protected] or telephone number 01580~830601. Help in some way is always at hand and always so generously given, so do please contact them.

PLEASE CONTACT ME: If you are arranging an event in the foreseeable future, --- whatever the nature of the event and however large or small, if you’d like some extra coverage for it, then please get in touch. If it’s of interest to you, - it’s of interest to us.

it’s never too early to send in any of the details and to tell us what you are planning, - Christmas is creeping ever closer and is just around the corner, - so please do contact

me, as I’d love to hear from you and to help ‘spread the word’ on your behalf...............

Thank You.

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