Cooksbridge, Offham & Hamsey

CHURCH SERVICES: Sunday at St Peter's Church, 10.15am Sunday School in the church hall, 10.30am Family Communion followed by coffee in the hall.

MONDAY CLUB: The Monday Afternoon Club meet on Monday at 2pm in Offham Church Hall. Members will be able to sing and dance with Patsy and keep fit at the same time, followed by tea and home-made cakes. Lifts are available by ringing either Judith on 07889 281214 or Caroline 01273 477151.

ADVANCE NOTICE: As time passes so quickly the following are advance notices, which I have been asked to mention in plenty of time. Friday October 5 is the Harvest Supper in St Peter’s Church Hall at 7pm. Tickets are £8 per head. Please let Chris Glover (01273 400981) or Angela Spinks (01273 890805) know if you wish to attend as places are limited. The church will be decorated for Harvest Festival on Saturday October 6 Caroline Featherstone and her team of arrangers do an amazing job of decorating the church with flowers, not only on special occasions, but also every week. But she could always use more help. She particularly needs someone for the first two weeks of October. If you are able to help please call her on 01273 477151. The Harvest Festival church service at St Peter’s Church is on Sunday October 7 which will be Family Communion at 10.30am. October 15 in Offham Church Hall at 2pm the Monday Afternoon Club meet and it should be a very interesting meeting as the speaker will be Ian Everest with a talk and film about the Women’s Land Army. Reminders about the above nearer the time.

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OFFHAM CHURCH HALL: As well as the usual church activities, the hall also hosts a number of village activities such as Yoga, Pilates and Monday Club. It is available to hire at a very reasonable rate for small events, maximum seating around 40 people. It has a fully equipped kitchen and toilet facilities. Contact Caroline Featherstone 01273 477151 or email [email protected] for more information.

YOGA AND PILATES: There is now a Slow Yoga class on Tuesday mornings in the hall from 9.15am to 10.15am. For more details contact Amber Ward 01273 891595 or 07795 170803. The Pilates class is at 7.30pm on Tuesday in term time.

HAMSEY HARMONY: Is an informal, friendly and fun monthly singing group to which anyone, local and beyond, is welcome. They meet on Sunday in St Peter’s Church Hall, Offham from 5.30pm to 7.30pm. Cost £6. Dates for autumn as follows: Sunday October 14, Sunday November 4. December 8 to be confirmed. They also sing at Hamsey Church for the annual Carol Service in December. No auditions or note-reading requirements. All welcome. For further information contact Julie Nye on 07972 191932 or see www.julienye.org

BEFORE AND AFTER: When my grandson told us he was going to the Reading Festival and camping there with friends, I was a bit anxious as there is so much in the news these days about what happens at some of these events. I then saw the picture in my daily newspaper of the vast campsite where hundreds of early-bird campers had pitched their tents on the Wednesday in order to get the best spots ahead of a weekend of music. The following Wednesday I then saw a bigger picture in my newspaper of the awful mess left behind, not just tens of thousands of tents and equipment, but also masses of other rubbish. It was reported that 90 percent of all that left behind goes into landfill which is shocking. I have saved the pictures and reports to show him when he next visits and have a bit of fun by asking if he is likely to be going back to help clear up the mess. I think not.

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FUNDS FOR FARMERS: The Sussex Flower Initiative (SFI) in the River Ouse catchment is helping farmers and landowners to make their land more water resilient and wildlife friendly. The six-year-old initiative is a natural flood management project (NFM) that is now being rolled out across the whole of the East Sussex catchment. SFI advises on a host of measures, such as woodland and hedgerow planting, creating ponds and wildlife scrapes, restoring natural woodland along steams and reconnecting rivers to their floodplain. These activities provide multiple benefits that include reduced soil erosion, shade and water for livestock and wildlife habitats (including natural predators of agricultural pests). Communities downstream also benefit as water flow is slowed and temporarily stored on land. This year the initiative has planted more than 17,900 trees, which help with soil structure and store carbon. At Ashurst Organics, the project reactivated an ancient stream course, creating scrapes for waders and drinking areas for sheep. More than a million litres of extra water is now stored in times of flood. By NFU British Farmer and Grower always has a wealth of information, especially for the South East.

NATIONAL PARK PLANS: The NFU will be engaging with the review of AONBs and National parks. It is chaired by Julian Glover who will make recommendations later this year before any announcement in 2019. The NFU will emphasise that farming is a key driver of protected landscapes. NFU members are urged to write to their MPs giving views on plans for National parks. Give your MP your view on the future of your local AONB and call for formal representation on boards www.gov.uk/government/news/national-parks-review-launched

PARISH COUNCIL: Although the agenda for the next East Chiltington PC meeting puts Thursday September 12, it should read Wednesday September 12. The meeting is from 7pm in the small meeting room in Plumpton Village Hall.

HAMSEY PARISH COUNCIL: Meet on Thursday September 13 at 7.15pm at the village hall, Beechwood Lane, Cooksbridge. Agenda item 1 will consider co-option to fill the vacancy that has arisen.