Udimore Village Voice

For the “All Our Yesterdays” tea party in St Mary’s Community Hall at 3pm tomorrow (Saturday) the Friends of St Mary’s have invited quite a number of people whose memories of Udimore go back to the war years, and some indeed who remember the pre-war years too.

We hope our guests will enjoy meeting one another again, and swopping reminiscences. On this unique occasion all of us there will have an opportunity of hearing fascinating recollections and stories about life in farmhouses and cottages, on football and cricket fields, in the School, the Church, the old Church Room, the King’s Head and the Plough, and on the wartime “home front”, a glimpse of what it was like to live in Udimore in years gone by.

We hope many of today’s residents will come along to this unrepeatable event. The tea and cake alone will be good value at £5: some of the stories we’ll hear will be beyond price! There will be some old photographs on show, and another chance to see the WI Book compiled to mark the Millennium.

62 people sat down to an excellent Harvest Supper in the Hall last Friday. Although we weren’t able to be there, Matty and I have heard that it was a most enjoyable occasion. Thanks are due to the organizers, to donors of raffle prizes and food, and to everyone involved in cooking and serving the meal. The proceeds from the sale of tickets, the raffle and the bar seem to have raised a good sum for Church funds, the final amount not yet known.

When I advertised the Overseas Group tea party in this column last week, I wasn’t aware that the date had been changed. I was glad to hear that noone had a wasted journey last Sunday: the revised date is this coming Sunday (October 14) from 3 till 5pm, when Rosemary Crouch looks forward to welcoming you to her home, Hayesland Cottage, Hayes Lane. Please ring her first (01424 882567) to let her know you’re hoping to come. This is an important fundraising event for the four missionary charities supported by the group.

This coming Wednesday (October 17) at 11am in the Hall the celebrated local chef, Emma Ainslie, will be giving an exclusive cookery demonstration entitled “Tempting Tastes of Autumn Made Easy”. Limited tickets cost £15, to include recipes and a glass of wine, and should be booked in advance by ringing Rachel Dunn (01797 2235440) or Nan Hacking (01424 882348). All proceeds will be in aid of Hall funds.

With an encouraging level of support, the yoga class is due to continue in the Hall on Wednesday evenings, 7 till 8.30pm. The fee is £7 a session, payable on the evening. If you’re interested in joining the class, please ring Elaine Fletcher (01797 224682) for further details.