Staplecross

It would appear to be all quiet on the ‘Ewhurst Front’ this week, so this will be, unusually perhaps, rather a short offering.

A quick reminder that the ever popular and hugely supported Staplecross Torchlight Procession & Firework Display takes place once again this SATURDAY. OCTOBER 26th. Organised by the Ewhurst & Staplecross Bonfire Society, this evenings’ entertainment promises to be a really superb and exciting event. The procession with all the various other Bonfire Societies supporting them, with all the torches blazing and the music blaring will be a magical sight to see and hear. Leaving the Cross Inn at 7.15pm sharp for the short journey to Cripps Corner and back, the procession will return to the Bonfire Field for the lighting of the gigantic Bonfire and the Firework Display. A £1:00 entry fee is charged and this together with other monies raised will all go to worthwhile local charitable causes. Remember that all arterial roads around the village will be closed between 7pm and 10.pm (ish) so if you are planning on attending, please come early to find a parking space. This will be the first of many such fantastic torchlight events throughout this county and as always will be very busy with lots going on all around, very crowded, and very noisy with sudden and unexpected whizz bangs occurring. Members of the Sussex Police Force and the Ambulance Service will be on hand for any help or assistance needed throughout the evening. Try to remember to bring a torch, as this is a very rural area with NO streetlights and few pavements and you may not remember where you parked your vehicle. Do take a bit more care of the wee ones and have an enjoyable, safe, and magical evening.

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Out and about this weekend, regardless of the cold or rain,~ unless we really do get monsoons, as predicted by some, will be those ‘Fellows of the Footpaths’, the Rother Ramblers. This week they have arranged another three delightful walks for those interested in this increasingly popular past-time. The first will take place on SUNDAY OCTOBER 27th where the group will gather at 10.am on Horsmonden village green for a 10 mile ramble of Horsmonden via Brenchley. A pub or a picnic lunch is suggested and again dogs are allowed to stroll along with you, to complete the days enjoyment. Please contact David on 01580~852432 for all further details. The second walk arranged for our enjoyment is for WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 30th. This time the group are meeting at Hawhurst Moor, long ago haunt of the smuggling gangs, at 10.0am.for a slightly shorter stretch of only 6 miles. The walk entails a circular tour around Hawhurst with lovely scenery for all to enjoy. A short refreshment stop is organised for all and once more our four footed friends are encouraged to join us. All those interested in participating in this stroll please do telephone Lionel on 01424~752452 who will be pleased to give you more information. Lionel is also the man to contact for more details of our third stroll out. This last but certainly not least, which will take place on SUNDAY NOVEMBER 3rd. This will be an 8 mile circular tour around Brenchley. For this trip, the group will meet outside the church in Brenchley at 10.30 am.There is ‘on street parking’ and a picnic lunch is advised. Our dogs will be welcome to join us and enjoy a lovely stroll in this part of the countryside.

Church Services for the parish of Ewhurst will begin on SUNDAY OCTOBER 27th. Trinity 22

Reverend Gordon Winchester will commence the service at St. James the Great, Ewhurst Green, at 9.30am Holy Communion (BCP) He will then travel to Staplecross to take the service at St. Marks church, Northiam Road, beginning at 11.15am. Holy Communion. (BCP) If you need to contact Gordon for any matter whatsoever, please telephone him on 01580~830268. He’ll always do what he can to be of help.

A few ‘Bulletins from the Back Room’ now to keep you up to date with recent events that have occured within our parish. Along with hundreds ( or hopefully thousands,) of other caring communities, a MacMillan Coffee Morning was held on Friday September 27th. to raise much needed funds and awareness for this magnificent and much loved charity. Many, many people have cause to be grateful for the loving and dignified care that these nurses give to our precious family members or our close friends when effected by cancer in any shape or form. Guiding them through, what can be a traumatic period of their illness, these kind,gentle and compassionate nursing staff are not only of great help to the patients, but encompasses all those closely concerned throughout this difficult and heartbreaking time. I am proud to report that this little village coffee morning raised a very respectful amount of £850:00 + gift aid. This offering together with all other donations raised throughout the country, will go a long, long way to help provide more nursing staff and medical care for those in need and who we love and care about. So a great big THANK YOU to all those who gave, made, bought, baked, helped and hindered. You did, and will, make a difference.

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The recent Jumble Sale organised by Staplecross Bowls Club on Sat October 12th. was a great success. A wonderful contribution of £635:00 was made to the club’s much needed funds. The Club would like to thank all who came and supported their Jumble Sale, and in particular all those who manned the stalls, on the day. Without their help it would not have been the success it was. The Bowls Club Green has now been put to bed for the winter. It will have a well earned rest from the very busy months and active matches that this club have played here. The pristine lawn will still be taken great care of throughout the ‘dormant period’ by the greenskeeper, ready to be brought back into play when the new 2014 calendar begins. However, there may not be any actual bowls matches being played but this friendly and lively little group will still be being kept busy as during the Winter months, there will be some Quiz Nights and Darts Evenings to look forward to. If you would like to join this sociable group of people, please contact Brian Scowen on: 01580~830570 or Margaret (the Secretary) at [email protected] for more details.

An announcement of great importance has been issued by the Staplecross Village Hall Committee. Their current Treasurer is retiring after a goodly number of years, and although we are loathe to let him go as he has done such a sterling job, we appreciate that it’s only fair that we should let him enjoy his retirement fully. Therefore, I have been requested to advertise this position to those within the parish, or any residents close by, who feel that they may be interested in taking on this voluntary position. All applicants will be considered and the closing date is JANUARY 2014. It is not a strenuous, mind boggling position, and you don’t have to be an accountant for this job, or a high flying whizz kid, but an interest in numbers would be of help. The Committee are a good bunch of friendly people with the interest of the community at it’s heart and not in the least stuffy or boring. If you feel that you would like to join in and help the committee in keeping their books ‘in the black’, then please get in touch with either Dennis Farnsworth on 01580~830816 or Hilary Ganly on 01580~830704. They’d love to hear from you.

As always, do contact me if there is any event you are planning and would like more people to know about. Perhaps you are organising a “do”, or a celebration of somekind, a charity event, or an exhibition. Don’t forget that Christmas is creeping ever closer, so don’t be overlooked. It doesn’t matter how early you tell me, the earlier the better in fact, ~ just tell me.

One last little thing, ~ Don’t forget to put your clocks BACK ONE HOUR on SATURDAY OCTOBER 26th as that’s when British Summer Time officially ends. It also means that we get to enjoy an extra hour in bed...........Bliss!.