Staplecross

COMMUNITY NEWS & REVIEWS: East Sussex Libraries ~Just a short notification of some changes to our local libraries. Although we are privileged to still be able to receive the East Sussex Mobile Library service, ~ see further down this column ~ did you know that your local library now has Wi-Fi ?. Upon Wi-Fi being installed in Crowborough Library ( sometime in March) all of the libraries throughout East Sussex will be able to offer free Wi-Fi to library customers. Using your library card and PIN you will be able to log in on your own Wi-Fi enabled device and access the internet within the library buildings. To find out more about library Wi-Fi check out eastsussex.gov.uk/libraries - East Sussex Libraries would also like to have your views on library opening hours. To have your say on proposals to change library opening hours in East Sussex, visit ~ have your say- by Monday April 3rd. Copies of the consultation are also available in your local library. The suggestions are one of a number of measures under consideration by East Sussex County Council as part of our target to cut £2 million from the running costs of our libraries over the next three (3) years. The proposed 25% reduction to opening hours would save about £500,000, but would not affect the e-library service, which allows members to access e-books, e-audiobooks and reference material 24 hours a day. To leave your comment on these proposals please contact www.eastsussex.gov.uk/haveyoursay

STAPLECROSS MCP SCHOOL: Huge congratulations must be handed to all those in both Year 3 and Year 4 Football and Netball teams, who won the local cluster tournaments the last 2 consecutive Wednesdays. The teams played so well together, showed great teamwork, enthusiasm and clearly loved every minute of the matches. The Year 5/6 teams also took part in two tournaments; netball at St. Leonards Academy and both football and netball at the Vinehall Tournament. Both teams played well and had a mixture of wins, draws and losses. All had a thoroughly super time and clearly loved every moment of their time playing a sport they so enjoy. The football team won the Vinehall Trophy for ‘Good Sportsmanship’ and whether the teams won, drew or lost their own matches, - to win an award with this title, together with the accolade and pride it resembles - well it doesn’t get any better than this !. WELL DONE, ALL of you, in whatever role you played, - we are all so very proud of you.

EASTER EGG HUNTS: These fun and exciting events are becoming increasingly popular as more and more venues introduce them as part of the attractions on offer over the Easter Holiday weekend. Within a few miles of the parish there are a number of lovely places to visit which also include a great ‘Easter Egg Hunt’. Here a just a few,~ all within the Easter period, but some extending beyond it, so you can still visit & enjoy a few hours having fun outdoors.~~’ Bodiam Castle’, Opening 10.am - 5.pm, charges £3:00 per child.~ ‘Batemans’, Opening 10.am 5pm. charges £2:50 per child.~ ‘Smallhythe Place’, Opening 11.am - 4.pm. charges £2:00 per child. ~ ‘Sissinghurst Castle’ Opening 11.am - 5.30pm. charges £2:50 per child. ~ ‘Scotney Castle’, Opening 10.am - 5.pm. charges £2:50 per child. In all instances, normal admission charges will apply to all visitors, including parking charges - but what price memories of family fun ?

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ROTHER RAMBLERS: Continuing with their love of fresh air and our glorious countryside, the members of the Rother Ramblers walking group have arranged two more walks for us to enjoy with them, over this Easter holiday period. Walk No: 1 is a 10 mile circular meander around Stonegate, via Wadhurst Park. Arranged to take place on Sunday March 27th - Easter Sunday - the meeting place is the Stonegate Village Hall. OS EXP136. TQ667285 (SatNav TN5 7EQ) at 10.00am. I’m informed that the walk and route will be ‘undulating’ but that should make the trip and the views even more worthwhile. As usual, a picnic lunch is suggested and David will be your ‘walk leader’ for this excursion and so for all further details, please contact him on 01580~852432. Walk No: 2 - although a little less strenuous in mileage is still just as beautiful to gaze upon. This is a 7.5 circular stroll around Darwell reservoir, - lovely at any time of the year ! . This walk has been planned to take place on Monday March 28th.- Easter Monday - and the meeting point is Darwell Wood car park. OS EXP124. TQ695195. (SatNav TN32 5JB) at 10.30am. A picnic lunch is once more the order of the day and Rita and Lionel are to be your ‘walk leaders’ for this outing. You may contact them on 01424~752452 for all further information.

THE CROSS INN: Another entertaining evening is promised for Saturday March 26th at this popular and friendly village pub right in the heart of Staplecross. This time, it’s in the form of a music event, as the pub is proud to announce that they have a live band - “The Soulhounds” - booked to come along and play for your enjoyment, beginning at 9.00pm.If ‘Soul’ and ‘Funk’ (!) is your beat,- as the saying went, then this could be a real treat for you. Another event that is sure to please noise lovers (and makers!) of a much younger age is the exciting “Easter Egg Hunt”. If the “wee folk” have not had enough of choccy eggs or sugar rush, then this activity will be right up their street! Arranged for Tuesday March 29th, from 2.00pm until 4.00pm, this promises to be a fun-filled event, not just for our wee ones, but adults also, who are sure to enjoy helping them source their ‘treasure’. PLUS - there will be Easter crafts to enjoy, - AND there is to be an ‘Easter Bonnet’ competition, so don’t forget to bring this along ! All of these activities are FREE to enter, and adding to this is the bonus of delicious food being served from 12.00 Noon until 9.00pm all over the Easter Holiday period. This also includes, of course, the yummy, traditional English Sunday Roast. What more could you ask for ?. Please contact Robin or any of the staff at The Cross Inn on 01580~830217 for all further information of this ‘gig’ and other events in the pipeline and add them to your calendar.

MOBILE LIBRARY SERVICES: Back it comes again, and aren’t we glad to see it ? With many services now being cut back and in some cases disposed of altogether, it’s so lovely to see the white van, depicting the East Sussex Mobile Library Service wending it’s way to our villages as it makes it’s way on Thursday March 31st. to it’s first port of call, - that of Staplecross. It will arrive and park in Cricketer’s Field at the new time of 1.40pm and depart again at 2.10pm where it will trundle down to Cripps Corner and park on the car park of The White Hart Inn pub.at 2.20pm. After serving the residents of this hamlet, it will depart at 2.45pm for pastures new. This amazing service and one that is still free to one and all, is so vital to members of our community especially those who live in outlying areas. So please do make good use of this surprising service, - as stated before,- Libraries are always “ More than just Books” If possible, please make your views about the proposed changes to the library opening hours known, by contacting www.eastsussex.gov.uk/haveyoursay - Your comments will be gratefully received as these changes will effect so many residents in a great number of areas, so please tell them what you think !.

STAPLECROSS ART GROUP: We are very lucky to have on our own doorstep, so to speak, our own talented, instructive and very friendly art group, which is very ably led by a superb local tutor, Hilary Ganly. Fantastic art exhibitions are held every so often and early next month is one of those times!. This is a delightful opportunity to go along and easily lose an hour or so of your time, strolling along and viewing the artistic creations of others laid out for us all to enjoy. Art through a variety of mediums such as water colour; acrylic, oils etc. will be displayed over the weekend of 1st - 3rd April, and will be held in the Village Hall, Northiam Road, Staplecross.(SatNav TN32 5QG) from Friday April 1st during the evening between 7.00pm and 9.00pm. and will continue on both Saturday April 2nd. and Sunday April 3rd.- during the day between 10.00am and 4.00pm. Many of these artworks will be available for sale, so why not treat yourself to a beautiful memento to display on your wall. The range of subject matter is amazing, so there is bound to be something displayed that catches your eye!. More details and information can be obtained by contacting Hilary on 01580~830704.

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BRITISH SUMMER TIME: The idea of summer-time, or ‘daylight saving time’ was first suggested in a whimsical article by Benjamin Franklyn in 1784 but it was first seriously proposed in1907, in Britain, by a keen horse rider, William Willett, who was incensed at the ‘waste’ of useful daylight first thing in the morning, during summer. The year following Willett’s death, the Germans adopted daylight saving time and, not to be disadvantaged at a time of war, within a few weeks, so did the U.K. Summer time was first defined in an Act of Parliament in 1916, that stated for a certain period during the year, legal time should be one hour in advance of Greenwich Mean Time. (GMT) From 1916 up to the Second World War, clocks were put in advance of G.M.T. by I hour from the Spring to the Autumn. During WW2. British Double Summer Time ( 2 hours in advance of GMT) was introduced temporarily. During a brief period between 1968 and 1971, a trial when the clocks went forward but did not go back was carried out, but this was deemed unsuccessful and was duly abandoned. The duration of British Summer Time was changed in 1998 to bring the date of the start of summer time into line with that used in the rest of the European Community. Officially on Sunday March 27th 2016 at 01:00:00 clocks are turned forward one (1) hour to 02:00:00. This signals the end of winter time and sunrise and sunset will be I hour later. This time phrase continues until the last Sunday in October ( 30th October this year) when we do this procedure all over again, -- but in reverse!. Most people don’t wait up until the wee small hours of Sunday to alter their clocks, preferring to do this when they retire for the night on Saturday, but whenever it suits you to do so, -- Don’t forget to alter ALL your own time-pieces before Sunday 27th March, - or you may lose out !

CHURCH SERVICES: Church services for the parish of Ewhurst will commence at St, James the Great, Ewhurst Green on Friday March 25th. Good Friday.with a special service beginning at 9.30am.This service will be taken by Mr. John W. Barnes. in lieu of Gordon Winchester, who although still very poorly, with his new medication and the ongoing love and prayers of all his many friends and well-wishers, continues to do battle with his illness and faces the future with evermore hope and fortitude. A service which will follow directly after at St. Giles church, Bodiam at 11.15 am. will be taken by Jennie Liverton. There will be NO SERVICE at St. Mark’s church, Staplecross today. Church services continue on Sunday March 27th. Easter Day. at 9.30am. with a service at St. James the Great, Ewhurst Green, this service will also include Holy Communion. A note for families bringing children to this service, please come and let the little ones search the nooks and crannies of our beautiful church after this service for choccy treats ! Once more a service, which will also feature Holy Communion, will again follow directly after at 11.15am. at St. Giles church, Bodiam. We are pleased to welcome back once again, Reverend Graham Atfield to our parish community, as he will kindly be officiating in both of these services today. There will again be NO SERVICE today, at St. Mark’s church, Staplecross. If there is any church matter on which you feel you may need further assistance, then do please get in touch. You may contact either of the churchwardens ~ Graham Peters -on [email protected] and telephone no: 01580~830203 for Bodiam church matters and for Ewhurst Parish church matters, please contact Jo Goodwin-on [email protected] and telephone no: 01580~830601. Help in some form or another, is always at hand, so do please contact them.

PLEASE CONTACT ME: If you are arranging an event in the near future, --- however large or small and you’d like some (FREE) extra coverage for it,~ courtesy of the Observer Newspaper, 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 your details and to tell us what you are planning, 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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