Staplecross

Anne Reed, Forge House, Cripps Corner

Just when you thought it was safe to venture out without a brolly, ~ Mother Nature sent the rain to prove you could’nt, ... but in true English style, this didn’t deter us from enjoying the many activities that were on offer around and about our parish of Ewhurst.

Staplecross Stoolball Club played a fine match against Pett at the Staplecross Playing Field, on Thursday evening last and won the match, but sadly, they lost their previous game to Catsfield, which, I’m reliably informed, is the only time this year. How lovely to see this truly unique, very Sussex sport, being played on a village playing field. How lucky we are that this game is still popular and well supported throughout the County. So, well done to all you players. The next tournament for the Staplecross Stoolballers, will be on SUNDAY.30th, JUNE once more on the Staplecross Playing field. Please contact Pauline on 01580~830570 for times of start. Also for future fixtures or enquiries of ‘having a go’ or even becoming a member yourself.!

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Also just recently the Staplecross Village Hall held a Table Sale which was well attended and as a result over £200:00 will be going into the Village Hall Funds. The Ewhurst, Staplecross & Bodiam Garden Society held the Annual Rose Show, which included the Flower, Fruit and Vegetable Show at the Village Hall in Staplecross last Saturday. Whether it was due to the adverse weather conditions or just entrants waiting until the last possible moment, before making their decision to enter or not, but this year, there were more late entries (39) than standard entries (33) There were only 21 entries to the Rose entries whereas last year there were 47. and rhododendrons, made an unusual appearance in the Flowering Shrub Class. Nevertheless, a well supported turn-out was achieved, with some beautiful specimens being lovingly displayed for all to admire.

The results were as follows: Rose Classes= Class 1~ Jennie Lynam; Class 2~ Ella Wood, 2nd~Barbara Fox & 3rd ~Jan Barnard.

Class 3 ~Jennie Lynam. Class 4~ Joan Butler. 2nd~Pam Dance. Class 5~ Chris Stevens. 2nd ~ Jennie Lynam & 3rd was Joan Gilson.

Flower Arranging= Class 6 ~Pam Dance and 2nd was Sandy Collins. Class 7~ Winner was Jan Barnard with Barbara Fox in 2nd place. Class 8 was won by Pam Dance and 2nd was Sandy Collins. Class 9 ~ Evelyn Goodsell. Other Classes.=Class 10 1st ~ Sue Wideman, 2nd ~ Maggie Whitaker and 3rd Sandy Collins. Class 11 was won by Pam Dance. Class 12 ~1st Jennie Lynam. 2nd ~Sandy Collins and 3rd ~Kathleen Pettitt. Class 13~ 1st Rosemary Stevens. 2nd~ Chris Stevens and 3rd~ Sandy Collins. Class 14 ~1st Maggie Whitaker.2nd~Chris Stevens and 3rd Joan Gilson. Class 15~ Winner~ Pam Dance 2nd~Maggie Whitaker and 3rd~Rosemary Stevens.Class 16~Sandy Collins won this with Richard Biggs in 2nd place followed by Chris Stevens in 3rd place.Class 17~ Winner Pam Dance with 2nd place being taken by Joan Gilson. Class18~No entries. In Class 19 ~Sue Kelly claimed a success with her entry gaining her 2nd place and Pam Dance claimed 3rd place. Class 20 Pam Dance notched up another win with Maggie Whitaker taking 2nd place and Barbara Fox taking 3rd. Maggie Whitaker was a worthy winner with her tall and straight delphinium in Class 21. Not easy with the winds of late.!

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Competition was strong in Class 22 between Peter and Jennie Lynam but Peter edged into the lead, nudging Jennie into 2nd. Maggie Whitaker claimed 3rd place. The Young Peoples Classes showed what our little ones could do with card; glue; sparkles and lots of imagination.In the Playschool Section, ~ Class 23 ~ A Birthday Card was won by Cherry Craig with Daisy Owse in 2nd place and Margot (?) in 3rd place. Pasta and pretzells took on a whole new dimension when disguised as An Edible Necklace in Class 24 for the Primary School,Reception, Year 1.This was won by Julia Taveras, Luke Simmons was placed 2nd with Edward O’Connor gaining 3rd place. Class 25, Years 2,3 & 4 ~A Decorated Pot. In 1st Place was Harry Brown, ~2nd place went to Lucy Barber and Haydn Kid-Carter taking 3rd place.Class 26~Years 5 & 6~ A Card of Pressed Flowers & Leaves was won by Amira MacDonald with Jonjo Murphy in 2nd and Adam Marsh a worthy 3rd. The Best Rose Exhibit in show was won by Jennie Lynam as was the Roseleen Bowl. The runners up for this trophy were: Joan Butler; Ella Wood; and Chris Stevens. Pam Dance won the Rose Show Cup with runner up being: Jennie Lynam and Maggie Whitaker.The Peggy Duncan Cup was won by Harry Brown with the Sunderland Cup being won by Amira MacDonald, both entrants hailing from the local Staplecross Primary School. With the provision of allotments within the parish, now firmly on the road to completion, let’s hope that next years’ classes will be bursting at the seams, with additional entrants exhibiting the fruits of their labour for all to see and enjoy.

Wednesday afternoon further along the road at St. Marks Church Room.in Staplecross, gentle Chair Exercises Classes are held for all and sundry who feel they may benefit . This class is run by Celia King,so from 3pm and for just £2:00 per session you can enjoy a moderate form of excercise, in quiet surroundings and in a friendly atmosphere.You can contact Celia via her email which is mailto:[email protected]. You’ll be made very welcome.

Back at the Staplecross Village Hall from 7pm, every Wednesday evening, the lively game of Bingo is played. This weekly popular form of entertainment is brought about by the Staplecross Bonfire Society who subsidise it for the benefit of the local community. Cards can be purchased for a mere 50p each, but how much better to become a fully paid up member of that very worthwhile charity, East Sussex Bonfire Society for only £1:50 . ‘Eyes Down,

for a great night out!. Contact [email protected] for further details.Don’t forget that this SATURDAY 22nd JUNE the Staplecross Bonfire Society will be hosting a Bar-B-Q and Band event at the Cross Inn, Staplecross. Starting at 7pm, with food being served from 7~ 8.30pm. Following on will be music for all to enjoy.The weather promises to be fabulous, so what better way to enjoy a lovely, long English summer evening amongst convivial company than by supporting this charitable event. Please telephone Brian on 01580~830570 or contact [email protected] for costs & ticket availability.

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Look out for the Mobile Library Service on Thursdays. This very worthwhile service will visit each of our villages, arriving first at Cripps Corner, parking on the White Hart Pub car park between 10.15am and 10.40am. The library then moves onto Staplecross village and this will be parked in Cricketers Field, indirectly opposite the Village Hall, where it will serve all the residents who wish to make use of this facility between 11.50am and 12.20pm. After wending it’s way through other parishes, it will resurface in Ewhurst Green between 3.40pm and 4.10pm. This wonderful service which is still free, unless you don’t return your books on time, is committed to providing an excellent service to those people of our parish and beyond. It allows residents who may not be able to get to the nearest Public Library easily or conveniently to still enjoy the love of books. The Mobile Library offer not only books for both adults and children, but can provide DVDs, audiobooks, reference materials and energy monitors. The Mobile Libraries also have wheelchair lifts which enable the less mobile easy access to the wonderful world within its portals. They also deliver some services for people with disabilities. The staff are kind, helpful, knowledgeable and patient.You can also join the library if you are not already a member, you can also reserve and collect items and get help using computers on their mobile office. The Mobile Library doesn’t just mean books.!

Are you interested in learning to paint? Have you ever fancied yourself as another Picasso, or Turner or Constable ? Or do you just fancy having a dabble? If this is the case, another very friendly and popular group to consider trying out, is the Staplecross Art Group.This lovely little group meet every Thursday morning from 10am until 12.30pm in the Village Hall in Staplecross. Under the supportive and kindly tuition of the founder, Hilary Ganly, this activity could open up a whole new world for you in this absorbing and most pleasant of pastimes. Young or old, a master of the art or a complete beginner, a warm and friendly welcome will be offered to one and all. Come and enjoy trying out watercolours or acrylics, find your own medium.But be warned,This could become addictive. Ring Hilary on 01580~830704.for all further details and information.

Following the encouraging interest shown at the Annual Parish Assembly, in early April of this year, the Parish Council has set up a working group to explore the practicalities of setting up bulk energy purchase schemes within the parish. These could include electricity, gas and heating oil. Ewhurst Parish Council is seeking interested members of the community to join the working group. If this sounds like you, please contact the Parish Clerk, Richard Farhall on 07775~333096 or via [email protected] Another concept, the Parish Council is considering whether to explore, is the creation of a suitable path for off~road Horse Riding. However, it firstly needs to confirm that there is sufficient demand for such a facility. If you live within the parish and would ride on such a path for recreation, please register your interest with the Parish Clerk, Richard Farhall on 07775~333096 or again by emailing him at [email protected]

Out and about once more at Brede High Woods situated along the road at Cripps Corner,on SUNDAY 30th. JUNE will be the continuing Volunteer Conservation Task Days. These take place on the Last Sunday of every month and additional help is always gratefully accepted.Please contact Sue on her email at: [email protected] for further information and details of times and meeting place. Don’t forget, without Sue and her band of stalwart supporters, these beautiful high woods would not be as accessible, attractive and well cared for, or so enjoyable for each and everyone of us to be able to roam about in, as freely as we do.

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Church Services continue this month at St, James the Great in Ewhurst Green with Reverend Simon Gurd on Sunday 23rd June. Trinity 4. at 9.30am.with Holy Communion (BCP) and following on, at St. Mark Church in Staplecross at 11.15am Holy Communion (BCP). The following Sunday 30th June. Trinity 5.again at St. James the Great in Ewhurst Green, the service will be taken by Reverend Graham Atfield. 9.30am Holy Communion. There will be no service in St. Mark Church in Staplecross for the remainder of this month.

It is being reported that we are all living longer, and that our current life styles allow us to enjoy better health, with more comfort and security. This is certainly the case for one relatively new resident in Cripps Corner. Mrs. MARJORIE ALECOCK will be celebrating her 100th birthday on SATURDAY 22nd June. A special birthday lunch, shared with and surrounded by all her family, to mark this happy occasion, will be held at the Brickwall Hotel, in Sedlescombe, on that day. Although, now not so robust as she once was, Marjorie still manages to knit items for all of her 5 Great~Grandchildren and 3 Step Great~Grandchildren. As well as managing to finish her daily crossword, she reads a lot and still deals with her own correspondence and affairs.She also still organises her own hairdresser and podiatrist. Having lived in Westfield Lane, St.Leonards, for over 65 years, she not only brought up two children, she also helped her beloved husband, Robert with the running of the successful building company of Robert Alecock (Builders) Ltd. They both enjoyed their retirement and found plenty to fill their days, and although she has been a widow for over 25 years,fond memories of those days are still often talked about. At the grand old age of 98~ Marjorie was still running her own home living completely by herself and putting many of us younger ones to shame.She recently had her hip replacement, replaced.and following on from that, moved in with her son, Stephen and his family in Cripps Corner. She gets frustrated when unable to do things for herself, as much as she once did, but being surrounded by her noisy and energetic Great~Grandchildren as often as she is, certainly helps to keep her active and involved in whats going on within the family. She has seen an awful lot of changes in the area and lived through some amazing times, some wonderful, like watching the 1st man land on the moon, and some not so wonderful, like living through 2 world wars. She still enjoys relatively good health in one so young, enjoys nothing more than the company of her family.~treats her son, sometimes, as though he is still 8years old ( he’s nearly 65 himself !) gets her own way in everything (almost) and still manages to keep her sense of humour.Marjorie, you are an inspiration to us all. Have a truly wonderful birthday, God Bless You Mum, ~ We all love you.