Tsunami victims remembered

Rother chairman Cllr David Vereker, accompanied by Deputy Mayor Cllr Joy Hughes and chief executive Derek Stevens led public observance from the Town Hall steps at noon on Wednesday.

Staff and members gathered in the Town Hall car park as a maroon boomed out the start of the nation's moment of contemplation of the awful fate which has befallen countless communities devastated by the giant tidal wave.

Prayers were offered in Bexhill churches on Sunday for the victims of the tsunami. Churches were open on Bank Holiday Monday morning for private prayer.

Typical of the response to the ocean-wide calamity which has now claimed 150,000 lives was the collection taken at Sackville Road Methodist Church on Sunday when a congregation of 45 gave 250.

Prayer at Sackville Road on Monday morning was introduced by the Minister, the Rev Roger Cresswell.

At Beulah Baptist Church on Monday individual members of the congregation offered their own prayers out loud, some with voices breaking with emotion. In the parish church of St Peter, people sat bowed in private prayer.

There was good news as well as bad.

Travel agency PST said late last week that the two Bexhill holidaymakers feared missing on Sri Lanka had been located.

Traditional clog-dancing group Spinning Jenny dedicated their customary New Year's Day dancing session on the seafront to the disaster appeal.

Nineteen years ago, on January 1, 1986, Sussex Spinning Jenny first danced on the seafront. Every New Year's Day since then the girls have turned out to entertain the promenade strollers.

Secretary Judy Mann said: "This year we were fortunate to have bright sunshine and a large audience around the Colonnade.

"Fortunate, because two members of the side had just returned from Indonesia, and felt it would be an excellent idea to collect for the disaster relief.

"The generosity of Bexhill's public was quite humbling, and in a very short time we had collected 40.

"The girls decided to add the proceeds from their last paid engagement (an hour before at Grosvenor House), and the Spinning Jenny Band round the sum up to 100 from their funds.

"Little did we think, on that first day 19 years ago, that we would still be going strong well into the new millennium and contributing to such a worthwhile cause.

"Amazingly, there are still some of the original members in the picture, little changed with the passage of time - yes, clogging does keep you fit and the sea air is brilliant for the complexion!

"So, a big thank you to all those who contributed, and also thank you for staying to watch and enjoy our performance."

Members Elaine and Colin Underhill were on a cruise from Phuket when the tsunami struck. They were unaffected and did not hear of the disaster until 12 hours later.

Customers and staff at The Sportsman pub in Sackville Road raised nearly 280 with a collection in aid of the disaster appeal on New Year's Eve.

The Bexhill Giants Basketball Team will be playing a friendly fund-raising match against a Hastings Select Team at Bexhill Leisure Centre tonight at 8.30 to raise funds for the tsunami appeal, featuring shoot-out competitions, raffle prizes, collections and a donation from the Bexhill Giants towards the appeal.