Staplecross

Is there ever a better time of year than Autumn, especially the early part of the Season, to get outside and enjoy a little nature, or go for a bike ride, a hike, a run, or just an amble ? “Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree”, wrote Emily Bronte, and if you’ve ever gone out and about on an invigorating autumn day, you’ll probably understand exactly what she meant. ~~ So what if Summer is over? Families with children of all ages should just be getting started when it comes to outdoor fitness and fun. Get out there and enjoy that refreshing free autumn air. There are many wonderful places to visit which will charm you with their striking magnificent colour changes, local parks and gardens or consider forests or woods a bit further afield for a great few hours strolling around outside. Jump in a pile of freshly raked leaves, pick your own pumpkin, ready for those spooky or funny decorations, collect blackberries from the hedgerows and use them in a super pud, or yummy jams that will bring back memories whenever you use it. Have you ever wondered where the best places in the country are for seeing the leaves change from green, through, red, yellow,orange to eventual brown. How about the foliage in your own garden or neighbourhood? Just enjoy the beauty.

Taking advantage, I’m sure, of all this super, free fresh air are those happy healthy members of the Rother Ramblers. They have two more lovely walks lined up over the next few days. The first is on TUESDAY OCTOBER 8th where the group will be meeting at 10.am at Benenden Church. Park around the village green and bring your faithful four footed friend and a picnic lunch with you, as todays offering is a 9 mile High Weald circular walk starting from Benenden. For more details please call Carol on 01580 852432. The next outing arranged for your enjoyment will take place on SATURDAY OCTOBER 12th where you and your companions for the duration of this treat, will meet and park, opposite “ The Smugglers Inn” and the ‘Beach Club’. at 9.30am. This is going to be a shorter walk of only 6.5 miles and will be a delightful circular walk around Pett. As with the majority of these walks dogs are permitted to accompany you, and on this occasion a refreshment stop is promised midway. Please contact Lionel on 01424~752452 for more details.

Taking place on WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 9th - and EVERY Wednesday after that, is the little friendly Staplecross social group which offer sessions of extend/exercise. These are chair based exercises, set to music. Mostly designed to benefit older people but anyone may join in. Launched last year and continuing it’s good work this group meet at St. Marks Church Room, Northiam Road, Staplecross between 3.15pm & 4.15pm under the careful guidance of Celia King. For a measly fee of £2:00 per session which does include tea & chat after, this small friendly group could be just what the doctor ordered so do come along and join in the fun. For all further information please telephone Sue on 01580~830849 or Celia on 01797~227858. Everyone’s welcome ~ the more the merrier!.

The next event to take part at St. Marks Church Room will be the Ewhurst Parish Council meeting, which will take place the following evening THURSDAY OCTOBER 10th. These meetings usually occur on the 2nd Thursday of each month. Commencing at 7.30pm -NOT 7pm- as previously reported, these meetings are open to both the public and the press and gives everyone the opportunity to air their points of view or bring to our attention any items of concern. It is also the best time to pose a question directly, during ‘Public Question Time’ to any of the Councillors at all levels, as R.D.C. & E.S.C.C. representatives are almost always in attendance. Many matters. all of interest and importance are discussed and dealt with at these meetings, so come along and see what transpires on your behalf. Look out for the big banner displayed outside and there’s usually parking available directly outside.

It’s that caring and generous time of the year when one & all are drawn into giving something back into the community. I’m refering to the yearly Harvest Festivals. This year, those lovely people at the Staplecross Methodist Primary School are holding their annual celebration of this event on FRIDAY OCTOBER 11th. Held in the small but much loved church of St. Marks, Northiam Road,Staplecross, the elderly residents of the parish, including the grandparents of the school children, are invited to come along and to share in a harvest tea afterwards. This event, together with some of the older children, acting as waiters & waitresses, and loving every moment of it I might add, only serves to make this a very happy and successful annual sociable event and which is always looked forward to by our ‘not so young’ residents .

Moving up the road, to the location of the Village Hall in Staplecross. The following day; SATURDAY OCTOBER 12th. finds the Staplecross Bowls Club taking their turn to hold their annual Jumble Sale in these premises. If you have any items for donation, these can be brought to the Village Hall from 9am onwards. After paying a paltry admission charge of 20p the doors will open at 2pm and the frantic rush will commence. Bargains are to be had in all departments and when you’ve bagged your own bargains, treat yourself to a lovely cuppa with an inexpensive tasty cake from the adjoining cake stall, you’ll have earned it !

An advance notice has been received from the Ewhurst & Staplecross Bonfire Society stating that this years’ Bonfire Celebrations will take place on SATURDAY OCTOBER 26TH. The members of this popular, social group have been very busy raising funds for good causes in and around the parish all year.However, they do have a problem! They ask these questions ~ Do you enjoy the Bonfire Night Celebrations that are put on in Staplecross, every year ? Do you, or your family benefit from one of the organisations which this society support ? They really need some new and fresh support to help put on the fundraising events and carry on the good work of the Society. Please, - Can you help for a couple of hours, to put up or take down a marquee.? Can you provide a raffle prize donation for any one of their events.? Could you (or your business) provide a sponsorship donation of £50-£100.? Will you bring friends and family along to support one of their fundraising events.? If the answer is yes, or indeed if you have any other time or help or ideas to offer, this Society really need to hear from you. They have a small number of active members who are finding it increasingly hard to put on all of the events and raise the £7000:00 needed each year to carry on their very special local tradition. So lets not see them struggle on alone, ~ after all, we all enjoy these wonderful celebrations don’t we.~ so if anyone is out there who can help relieve some of their burdens, now’s the time to come forward. John Lederer is the man to contact as he is the Publicity Officer for this Society. please contact him on 01580~830 744 or you can email him at: [email protected] or contact; [email protected] ~ as the saying goes, “every little helps”.

Church services for the parish of Ewhurst will take place on SUNDAY OCTOBER 6th. Trinity 19. beginning at 9.30am Holy Communion. The service will be conducted by Reverend Gordon Winchester at St. James the Great in Ewhurst Green. There will be no services taking place this Sunday at St. Marks Church in Staplecross. Don’t forget to contact Gordon on 01580~830268 with any questions about baptisms, weddings or other matters. You can also contact him via his email at: [email protected]

Once again, if there is any occasion that you are planning and you’d like any extra coverage, please do get in touch. I’ll always be happy to spread the word and help get additional publicity for you and your event.