Staplecross

STAPLECROSS M.C.P.SCHOOL: Another little announcement -but more of an appeal - from our lovely little village school, and this time we are asking if somewhere lurking within the four walls of your home, you may be hoarding some old pieces of ‘Lego’. The reason for this request is the ‘After School Club’ is being used consistently and Dee Littler is building up a bank of different activities for the children, so there is always something to play, or make or do !. So please, have a rummage in all the nooks & crannies, cubby holes & glory holes, the ‘might come in handy’ holes and ‘I’ll save it for the kiddies’ holes for this much loved creative play icon. ‘Lego’ is not defined by age groups or by gender and is only limited by our own imagination and that is why we all love it. - so please ask everyone you know, friends, family, neighbours, social group members, in fact anyone at all, if they may have any spare or leftover ‘Lego’ pieces. Nobody ‘plays’ with Lego, - or not that they admit to it, - but we all ‘create’ with it. It can be anything we want it to be, - so let’s find some more pieces for our wee ones to enjoy during their ‘After School Club’. ~~~ Another invitation from the school, is made to you to come along and share in the School’s ‘Easter Celebration’ as everyone is welcome to join in their Easter Service. This year, this will take place on Thursday March 24th, at 9.15am in our beautiful little church of St. Marks, Northiam Road, Staplecross. To round the day off perfectly, in readiness for the eagerly awaited Easter holidays, the children will enjoy the school’s annual Easter Egg Hunt during the afternoon. The school asks if parents could talk to their child’s teachers -in good time- if an alternative treat to chocolate eggs is needed. What a well deserved treat is in store for them all.

STAPLECROSS VILLAGE HALL: A gentle, last minute reminder that the Village Hall Committee have arranged the first of our Annual Mammoth Jumble Sales and this will be held at the Village Hall on Saturday March 19th at 2.00pm.- THAT’S TOMORROW - ‘Jumble’ donations will always be accepted most gratefully, and this can be left at the village hall from 9.30am onwards. If you do have any jumble and cannot deliver it to the hall, then do please contact Hilary on 01580~830704 or Pauline on 01580~830570 who will do what they can to help arrange for the collection. Any and many, willing helpers - the more the merrier - will also be received with open arms, as many hands help make big jumble sale so much easier to deal with !. - On another note; - the Village Hall Committee are pleased to announce that following the Staplecross Village Hall AGM of last week,- Mrs. Hilary Ganly was re-elected as Chairperson of the Village Hall Committee. Our long awaited, new Village Hall Treasurer is Mrs. Amy Hammond and the new Village Hall Booking Clerk is Mrs Pauline Munier. Both ladies were welcomed to the new committee. Therefore, to make an enquiry or a reservation for our lovely Village Hall, please contact Pauline on 01580~831986 or email her at [email protected] - Grateful thanks are extended to each and everyone on the Village Hall Committee for giving their time, energy and dedication to ensure that our parish continues to benefit from having such a superb and much praised Village Hall in their midst. Many fundraising events are always plotted and planned to run the village hall and to help aid the repairs and maintenance fund that sadly, is always necessary to keep this lovely village hall in the pristine condition that it enjoys- with thanks in no small part to our fantastic invisible ‘caretaker’ and cleaner, Mrs Pauline Scowen. So please, support your local village hall whenever you can.

ROTHER RAMBLERS: Making sure the grass doesn’t grow under their feet will be the members of the Rother Ramblers, as with the amount of walks they have planned this year, the seed won’t have a chance to take hold. Two (2) more walks are planned for our enjoyment and Walk No: 1 begins with an 8 mile circular stroll around Rye. Arranged to take place on Sunday March 20th the meeting place for this excursion is at Winchelsea Station, Winchelsea. OS EXP124. TQ900184. (SatNavTN36 4JX) at 10.00am. As usual, a picnic lunch is suggested. Rita and Clive will be your ‘walk leaders’ for this meander and you may contact them on 01424~882674 or mobile no: 07969~446867 for all further details. Walk No: 2 is another 8 mile meander and is a Broad Oak, - Hawksden Park Wood circular. Planned for Wednesday March 23rd The group will meet at Street End Lane, Broad Oak. OS EXP136. TQ603225. (SatNavTN21 8RY) again at 10.0am. Park in Street End Lane, close to junction with Margreed Lane. And as normally is the case, a picnic lunch is suggested. Your ‘walk leader’ for today will be Adrian and you can contact him on 01273~514336 or mobile 07729~861854 for all other information.

MOBILE LIBRARY SERVICE: That brilliant little Mobile Library van will be back trundling along our country lanes once more, as it continues with it’s 2016 schedule. This time the white van will be visiting Ewhurst Green on Thursday March 24th. but at the now earlier time of arriving between 10.40am and departing at 11.10am. (this was the original time for arriving here, so please ensure you put this new earlier time on your calendar.) There are many things of interest within the portals of this wonderful, free, Library Service vehicle. As I have said many times before, ‘Libraries are about more than just books’ !, -so please come along, pop inside and find out for yourself.

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. 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.

DATES FOR YOUR DIARIES: Events and ‘happenings’ are now being planned throughout the parish, especially as we edge ever nearer to Easter, - so with that in mind, here are just a few of the nearest dates for your consideration.

STAPLECROSS ART GROUP: Diary Date No: 1 - We are very lucky to have on our doorstep, so to speak, our own talented, instructive and very friendly art group, very ably lead by a superb 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 will be displayed over the weekend of 1st - 3rd April, and will be held in the Village Hall, Northiam Road, Staplecross. 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. More details and information can be obtained by contacting Hilary on 01580~830704.

STAPLECROSS & EWHURST GREEN W.I.: Diary Date No: 2 - Another date for the ladies to put in their diaries is that of Tuesday April 5th, from 2.30pm in St. Mark’s church room, Northiam Road, Staplecross. Booked to come along to woo and wow us, - enlighten and enthral us, is yet another very interesting speaker in the form of Mr. Ken Brookes, who will enliven us all with a fascinating history of St. Leonards (on-Sea)- how and why it came about, and by whom !. Plus, of course, the renowned W.I. afternoon tea, plus the friendly, cheery, lovely lady members and yet another great afternoon amongst congenial company, is almost (!) guaranteed. Why not come along and join us ?, - you’ll always be sure of a very warm welcome. To find out more of what’s planned, just ring Ann on 01580~831944 for more details.

E.S.B.GARDEN SOCIETY: Diary Date No: 3 - This is the first of several of our local ‘Horticultural Shows’ and comes in the form of our ‘Spring Flower Show’ This is booked to take place at the Village Hall, Northiam Road, Staplecross on Thursday April 7th, and is a fabulous part of the Ewhurst, Staplecross & Bodiam’s Garden Society’s April meeting which will begin at 7.30pm. Together with a very interesting speaker in the person of Joanna Pope, from the ‘Perfect Tree Company’, who will give us an “Enthusiast’s Guide to Olive Oil”, - the sight and scent of all the stunning and beautiful spring flowers adorning the tables and filling the hall with their heady and uplifting perfume, will make you really believe that winter has truly gone and brighter days are just around the corner !. Another superb enticement to take part in this little spring show, is that there are NO fees to pay and NO forms to fill in. There won’t be prize money, but points gained at this show WILL count towards the Hughes Silver Challenge Cup; the Hurley Challenge Cup; the Norma Stringer Memorial Cup and the Parva Cup. There is a lovely selection of simple but various classes to consider taking part in. Exhibits should be staged from 7.00pm to 7.30pm so for more details of what to do, how to do it and what to expect, please contact either of the garden society’s ‘Show Secretaries’ - Pam Underhill on 01580~881839 or Maggie Whitaker on 01580~830041. They will give you the guidelines of exhibiting, as well as all the help, support and encouragement you’ll ever need.

STAPLECROSS VILLAGE HALL: Date No: 4 - Is the advance notice of another Fund-Raising event promoted by the Village Hall Committee. This promises to be a light-hearted and fun filled evening entertainment in the form of a superb ‘Quiz Night’,- comprising of all round General Knowledge questions, which together with a great raffle with great prizes, a delicious hot supper (including a vegetarian option) all enjoyed amongst congenial company is set to be a popular event in the busy calendar for the dedicated supporters of the village hall. This event is booked for Saturday April 9th. 7.00pm for commencing at 7.30pm. Mr. Peter Hook will be the ‘Quizmaster’ and you are encouraged to bring along your own choice of drinks. Why not get up a team of 4 and come along and have a really great night out !. What’s a little rivalry amongst family and friends ?. Please look out for the posters & flyers and contact Hilary on 01580830704 or Pauline on 01580~830570 or even me on 01580~831881 for all further information. - Any event that benefits our Village Hall, ultimately benefits us all, so please do what you can to support it,

EWHURST PARISH COUNCIL. - ANNUAL PARISH ASSEMBLY: Date No: 5. Is the advance notice for the Ewhurst Parish Council’s ‘Annual Parish Assembly’. This will take place once again in the Village Hall, Northiam road, Staplecross on Tuesday April 12th. from 6.45pm -to allow for ‘mingling’.This is when all of the residents from all three parish’s are cordially invited to come along and ‘meet your Councillors’ - on ALL three levels - and hear the summary of the Council’s forecast incomings and outgoings for the past year. As in previous years, there will be guest speakers from other organisations, talking on matters, which we feel may be of interest to our residents. There will be opportunities for you to raise any concerns you may have which are relevant to the parish and to make suggestions. A delicious buffet style refreshment table, kindly provided by our own local W.I. ladies, for your convenience, will be available together with tea/coffee and soft drinks. This meeting also gives you the chance to visit the many charming table displays, ably promoting many of our local groups interests and activities which abound throughout our parish. The Annual Report, on behalf of Ewhurst Parish Council, will be dropping through your letterboxes in the very near future, so please make sure this date is also added to your diary and calendar and make sure you keep that date free. It’s always a friendly, interesting and worthwhile evening, so do please come along and join us.

HASTINGS HALF MARATHON: This very popular annual event is due to take place on Sunday March 20th. This notification is to remind you that several roads will be closed during the few hours of this annual road run, mainly along The Ridge, Queensway, London Road, Ore and the A259. Please be aware that because of this, there will be rather long delays and several diversions. When the road closures are finally lifted, please be aware of ‘stragglers’. As more and more people take part in this strenuous form of exercise, and at various levels of fitness, there will always be those who will lag behind and get left behind. Please look out for these people still on the road. - they will be tired, thirsty and possibly struggling to complete this charitable event. Please don’t give them a jeer, instead give them a cheer !. They soooo deserve it ! - Please, slow down, be courteous, be aware of their situation and give them some extra room. -- and of course, you could always give them a toot and a wave to signal “Well Done” !.

EASTER LILIES at ST. JAMES: Easter is a special time of the year for many people, and for many reasons. An appeal has been made via Ana West for donations towards the Easter Lilies which will be placed under the altar of St. James the Great, at Ewhurst Green at Easter. - Good Friday, March 25th to Easter Day, March 27th. - By tradition, they are given in memory of a loved one. We will have a basket on the altar in the side chapel (St. Stephen’s) together with a small arrangement for anyone who would like to place a card with names of those they wish to be remembered

A £5:00 donation would be very welcome and so very gratefully received. Please give donations to either Jo Goodwin or Ana West, or pop it into our letterboxes, in an envelope with your name, at 3, Snaggs Hall, Ewhurst Green or Rother View, Ewhurst Green, respectively. Thank you.

CHURCH SERVICES: Church services for the parish of Ewhurst will commence at St. James the Great, Ewhurst Green on Sunday March 20th. Palm Sunday. at 9.30am This service will also include Holy Communion. Reverend Robin Tree, from Bexhill, will conduct this service . There will be NO SERVICE at St. Giles church, Bodiam today, but a service at St. Mark’s church, Northiam Road, Staplecross will take place directly after at 11.15am. which will also include Holy Communion. Reverend Robin Tree, will also officiate at this service. May I remind you of the additional church services that will be taking place on Friday March 25th. Good Friday. 9.30am. at St James the Great, Ewhurst Green. John Barnes will take this service whilst Jennie Liverton will take the service that will follow directly after at 11.15am. at St. Giles church, in Bodiam. There will be NO SERVICE on this day at St. Mark’s church, in Staplecross.

We are all very grateful to all of our parish friends, for stepping in to help out at this difficult time and we hope you all know how much we truly appreciate your services. All enquiries regarding Baptisms, Weddings and Funerals should, for the time being, be made, in the first instance, to the appropriate Churchwardens who are: Bodiam Parish ~ Graham Peters: Telephone no: 01580~830203 -email [email protected] and Ewhurst Parish ~ Jo Goodwin: Telephone no: 01580~830601- email [email protected] They would both be pleased to help in any way they can, so just get in touch. On a sad, but necessary note, Gordon and Judy would like to say that they appreciate all the prayers and messages of love and support which they have received, and we ask they continue to be remembered in your prayers as our much loved Reverend, Gordon with a smile on his face and faith in his heart, also continues with his ongoing treatment.

PLEASE CONTACT ME: If you are arranging an event in the near future, --- however large or small and 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 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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