Staplecross

FREE FLU’ JABS: Are you eligible for a free flu jab ?. The flu season is now upon us but people can still help to protect themselves by having a flu jab. Many residents are eligible for a free jab, such as those over 65, - anyone in clinical risk groups and pregnant women. Sadly, but cleverly, the flu viruses are constantly changing, so the health advise is to get vaccinated every year. For more information please visit www.nhs.uk/flu

EAST SUSSEX COUNTY COUNCIL: East Sussex County Council are once again offering their Winter Home Check Service to help you get advice and support to keep your home warm. If you are an older or disabled person, - or if anyone in your household is disabled, or if you are a family with children and on a low income, you may qualify for this service. It includes: - A full assessment of your home and how to keep it warm. - Small preventative works, such as improving insulation, repairing boilers, cleaning gutters or chimneys. - Providing emergency temporary heating. - Advice on getting help with the cost of heating your home. For more information of this service please either telephone Social Care Direct on: 03456~080191 or email socialcaredirect@eastsussex.gov.uk or contact Keep Well Keep Warm at www.nhs.uk/livewellwinterhealth You may also contact the Energy Saving Advice Service on 03001~231234 or email them at www.energysavingtrust.co.uk or contact Met Office Get Ready for Winter via their email www.metoffice.gov.uk/getreadyforwinter Gone are the days when we sat shivering in our homes swaddled in blankets clutching a mug of cocoa, there are solutions to all problems, so please get in touch with these departments and find out how to keep warm & well

STAPLECROSS M.C.P.SCHOOL: Just a little update for those who may have missed these exciting bits of news; That amazing group of people - the PTFA raised the fantastic amount of £866 for their funds following the superb Christmas Fayre. Some of this was used via a contribution to the pantomime tickets for the Cinderella production which every pupil of this wonderful little village school attended and thoroughly enjoyed and every class have also received a donation to enable them to choose more up-to-date free choice reading books. Two more events over the recent Christmas period undertaken by the staff, PTFA and the pupils realised great results. That fabulous School performance of the Nativity raised a very generous amount of £212:73 which went to ‘ Cancer Research’ charity and the ‘Sponsored Spell’ money of last year, has now all been totted up and a grand total of £208:69 was achieved by this event. This was a fun and helpful way of assisting the children with not only the learning of their spelling but in the correct use of these common words in everyday use through their writing. This time, the glad recipient was ‘Shelter’, another very worthwhile charity. It is always a wonderful thing to be able to help those less fortunate than ourselves and to see this being taught to our younger generation bodes well for a brighter future for us all. The school are also pleased to announce the appointments of three (3) new members of staff, - Mrs Beccy Gurney has now joined as a Teaching Assistant in the Reception /Year 1 class and Mrs Tracey Ash alongside Mrs Sam Gardner will task-share and take on the role of School Secretary/Bursar between them. Very grateful thanks must go to Mrs Hemsley who valiantly stepped in and ran this role on a temporary basis until these new staff were found. We welcome them all and hope that their time spent among us will be long, happy and fruitful for one and all.

EWHURST, STAPLECROSS & BODIAM GARDEN SOCIETY: A really delightful and fun-filled evening occurred on Saturday last (16th) when members of the society and members of the public came together to battle it out in the Garden Society’s Annual Quiz Night. Finding the answers to some hard, some easy & some just downright - “ !@+#*? “ - questions from a wide variety of topics was the order of the day with many grunts & groans coming from all sides when the answers were announced at the end of each round. Gentle heckling were heard in some quarters but this was all taken in very good part proving that friendly rivalry can work wonders. The team on Table 1 consisting of Maggie Whitaker, Linda Jones and Nick and Linda Jenner were the eventual winners. All the guests who took part in this evenings entertainments, enjoyed a variety of yummy and delicious home made soup - cleverly made by generous committee members Maggie, Pam, Ruth and Susie ~ accompanied by an abundance of quality, tasty bread from The Lighthouse Bakery.~ some guests even came back for second helpings ! This fine repast was brought to a close with a variety of ‘choccies’ for dessert. Following the supper break, a light-hearted game “Heads & Tails” was played and after a hilarious few rounds of this, - the ‘final man standing’ was well known, local man, Brian Scowen, a very worthy winner, who joyfully took home the winner’s prize of a lovely welcome bottle of whisky. A superb raffle also added to the coffers for this great little village horticultural society. Special thanks must go to Maxine Hammond who was a Star Quizmaster and helped to make this evening another great success for this brilliant village garden society. Last, but most certainly NOT least,~ additional and most grateful thanks must also go to our super chefs of the evening, Joe Dance and Steve Alecock, who not only helped set up the hall and then put it to bed after everyone had gone home, but they both put on their master chef’s hats and cooked up a storm in the kitchen with all the soups etc under control, under their pinny’s - so to speak ! We couldn’t have done it without any one of you, so - to one and all - many grateful thanks, for all the help in whatever capacity, so generously given, that helped make this event the happy, friendly and successful occasion it turned out to be. The next date to look forward to with this group is on Thursday February 4th when the guest speaker will be Stephen Harmer and he’ll be telling us all about ‘Gardening through the Ages’. Make a note of the date now & we look forward to welcoming you again at the second of our very friendly monthly meetings.

STAPLECROSS VILLAGE HALL: Those hard working, cheery chaps who look after our village hall, - known as the committee, are in a bit of a quandary. Regrettably, their current treasurer, Andy, has decided to put away his abacus-cum-calculator and therefore the committee are now sadly, seeking a volunteer replacement to fill this role. You do not need to be a banker, or an accountant to take on this task, ~ as although it does seem to be a rather serious position this is also a fairly simple role to play and definitely nothing to be frightened of. The new treasurer just needs to be competent, numerate and willing to give up a few hours a month to help run this vibrant and popular venue. Help will always be on hand from other members of the Village Hall Committee to guide you along the way. This role is open to any gender, any age and ability - this may be of particular appeal perhaps, to a newcomer to our parish as a way of becoming part of our lovely community. The A.G.M. of this group will be in early March 2016 when the applicant will be decided and named & welcomed on board. Would any prospective candidate, please contact the Village Hall Chair. Hilary Ganly as soon as possible, for all details of just what is involved in this position. This is such a worthwhile little job, which will give great satisfaction to whoever takes it on, - whilst knowing that you will always be greatly appreciated for doing so. Also, we have a new lady who is due to take over the role of the Village Hall Booking Clerk in the very near future, but until she does, would any-one who wishes to make a reservation for our lovely hall, be it a morning, an afternoon or an evening hire, please do so - again, via Hilary. You may contact this lady on 01580~830704 or via her email which is: h.ganly@btinternet.com

MOBILE LIBRARY SERVICE: 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 January 28th 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 (- courtesy of the very kind landlady) at the NEW TIME of 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”.

ROTHER RAMBLERS: Once more those intrepid travellers of our countryside pathways have arranged two (2) more delightful walks for our enjoyment. Walk no: 1 is an 8 mile circular tour from Hurst Green via The Moor, Hawkhurst and is planned for Sunday January 24th. The meeting point is the Hurst Green car park, 100yards west of the junction of A21 with A265. OS EXP 136. TQ731272. (SatNav TN19 7QF) at 10.30am. A picnic lunch is as usual, suggested. Tim will be your ‘walk leader’ for today, and you may contact him on: 01424~272459 or mobile: 07831~768588 for all further details. Walk No: 2 is another 8 mile meander, but in a completely different direction, and this one is booked to take place on Wednesday January 27th. where it will be a delightful circular stroll from Maresfield to Fletchling. The meeting point is the Maresfield Recreation Ground car park. OS EXP 135. TQ466238. (SatNav TN22 2EH) at 10.0am. Please note :- the recreation ground is on the left, just before the church, on the road from A26 to village centre. Once more a picnic lunch is suggested and your ‘walk leader’ for this outing will be Adrian. You may contact him for more information on: 01273~514336 or mobile: 07729~861854. Please do make yourselves known to the ‘Walk Leaders’, to enable them to welcome you to their group and explain more of what to expect of these voyages of discoveries.

CHURCH SERVICES: Church services for the parish of Ewhurst will commence at St. James the Great, Ewhurst Green on Sunday January 24th Septuagesima. at 9.30am. This service will include Holy Communion (BCP) This service will be taken by (possibly) James Wesson. There will be NO SERVICE at St. Giles church, Bodiam today, but a service at St. Mark’s church, Northiam Road, Staplecross will follow directly after at 11.15am. This service will also include Holy Communion. In view of our much loved Reverend Gordon Winchester still being poorly, both these services and others in the immediate future will be undertaken by other worthies, both male and female, and if there is any church matter in which you would like more guidance, then please do still get in touch. You may contact either: The Rectory, Ewhurst Green or by telephone: 01580 ~ 830268. Help in some form or another, is always at hand, there to be of assistance, guidance and support for you.

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, 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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