Westfield village voice

Services at the Parish Church of St John the Baptist this Sunday, March 11th, The third Sunday of Lent, 8.00 Holy Communion (1662), 9.30 am Nine Thirty Start (All-age Service)with Holy Communion, 10.30 am Matins

This Week:

WednESDAY, 9.30 am Holy Communion, 7.30 pm Bible Study Group – Lent Course : Holyoak, Workhouse Lane 7.30 pm, Westfield Community Choir (Community Hall Dining Room), FRIDAY 12.45 pm Community Lunch 2.30 pm Bible Study Group – Lent Course : Holyoak, Workhouse Lane.

Pray with Me. At St John’s there are always a couple of people available at the back of the North aisle after the 9.30am service and after the 10.30am Family Service to pray confidentially with anyone who wants someone to pray with them. If you would like someone to pray with you just go and ask.

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Wednesday Bible Study - Lent Course. We are running a Lent Course on each of the five weeks of Lent, so that we can learn, discuss and pray together. The evening sessions start on Wednesday 29th February at 7.30pm. If you prefer an afternoon meeting they are being held on Friday’s at 2.30pm. Both meetings will be at Holyoak, Workhouse Lane. Do give it a try: no expertise or prior knowledge is required, only open hearts and minds to learn together. For further details please ask Helen or Michael Patten.

Westfield Messenger. Any items for the April / May edition of the parish magazine should be given to Nicholas Wilde by 15th March.

Church Finances. We continue to work hard to balance the books and thank every member of the congregation for their continued financial support. We are more than aware of the precarious financial climate in which we live, but thank God for the generosity of our congregation.  As always throughout the year it is inevitable that we lose a few regular contributors to parish funds. Due to the snow and other matters recent Sunday collections at St John’s have been much less than we might have normally expected and we remind everyone that even without a Vicar we still have to pay our contribution to the Diocese as well as all the other regular parish expenses. Any increase in regular giving is always welcome and there are ways to increase the funds that we receive without necessarily increasing the amount you give. If you are a UK tax payer then the Gift Aid scheme allows us to claim back the tax on every pound donated to us. For further details please speak to Peter Aubrey or Brian Collins.

Westfield Community Choir is starting this week (£5) from 7.30-9pm on Wednesday, March 14in the Community Dining Hall.  All ages and musical abilities are welcome, and you do not need to be able to read music.  All those who expressed an interest should have been contacted with details, but there is space for lots more singers – you can turn up on the night, or ring 01424 753684 for more information.  Please support this exciting project. 

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Advance notice of forthcoming events. Further details will appear in the weekly notices and parish magazine.

22nd March 7.30pm F3. (St John’s Parish Hall)

31st March 2.30pm Westfield Horticultural Society – Spring Show (Community Hall)

6th April 10.00am Good Friday workshop (St John’s Parish Hall)

19th April 7.45pm Annual Parochial Church Meeting – (St John’s Parish Hall).

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May 7th (Bank Holiday Monday) Loaf Project - May Day Cycle Ride from Canterbury to Hastings or for those who prefer to walk, Join one of the Loaf Walks. A choice of 4, 9 or 18 mile routes exploring country footpaths and beautiful areas between Rye and Hastings. (Please see church noticeboard for further details).

Westfield Football Club hosted their Quiz Night last Saturday. A successful fun evening was enjoyed by a “full house” & raised funds for the club. Did you know that the cost of just the officials for a first team home game is usually around £150!.You also may not know that everyone involved in playing, coaching & helping at Westfield FC do so unpaid. The clubs first team (playing in Senior Football County League Division 2) are one of if not the only team playing at that standard with unpaid players. Their next fundraising event is a Greyhound Race Night on April 14. at 7:30 in the Clubhouse. It is free to enter & hot food (eg sausage & chips, pizza & chips etc) will be available at a reduced rate of £2.

The Westfield Horticultural Society Spring Show will take place on Saturday, March 31 in the Community Hall. Show schedules are available from Archers, Westfield News and the Hub, or can be downloaded from our website www.WestfieldHorticulturalSociety.org.uk. You do not have to be an experienced gardener to enter as there are plenty of suitable classes for beginners, the young, and young at heart. As well as horticultural classes we also have classes including photography, art, home produce, floral art and handicrafts. Why not give it a try?

The Westfield HUB is open as usual at The Old Courthouse on Fridays from 10am – 12 noon. Their next event is the Easter Bonnet Parade on Friday, March 30 with judging at 11am. Entry fee is £1 on the day to support Hub funds, so use your imagination to create an individual Easter Bonnet. There will be prizes for best traditional, creative and under 12’s entries.

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Westfield Rollerbooting Club meets at Westfield Community Hall every Friday from 4.30-6pm. It costs £1.50 per child and there is a tuck shop available. Very small children younger than about 3 must be accompanied by an adult. Organisers are CRB checked and first aid trained. There are some spare boots available to borrow. Further information is available from Rachel Pritchard 07866 894397.

Westfield Community Hall is now available for hire on Monday evenings from 7.15pm. It also has a Facebook page. Ring 01424 754446 to book the hall.

Westfield resident author Nick Brown continues his guided walks in the area, all carry a charge of £3 per person. All walks are circular and start at 10.30am, and dogs are welcome. Please check his website www.spanglefish.com/1066routes for more detailed information. It is advisable to book in advance by ringing Nick on 07918 907265. Nick’s book ‘The 1066 Country Walk’ is recommended by the 1066 Tourist Board and signed copies are available from him.

Future guided walks include :

Saturday 17th March @ Alfriston

Saturday 31st March @ Rushlake Green

Good Friday 6th April @ Herstmonceux Castle

Saturday 14th April @ Alfriston

Saturday 26th May @ Guestling

Saturday 9th June @ Brede

Wednesday 13th June @ Great Dixter, Northiam

Thursday 21st June @ Battle

Sunday 8th July @ Firle

Wednesday 15th July @ Queens Head, Icklesham

Saturday 28th July @ Bodiam Castle

Sunday 26th August @ Pevensey

Saturday 8th September @ Alfriston

Wednesday 19th September @ Ticehurst/Bewl Water

Nick is also the organiser of the 1066 Relay. The second staging of the 1066 Relay takes place on Sunday, May 6, with 50 - 60 teams from the South East expected to take part. The 33.25 mile course follows the 1066 Country Walk, starting in the grounds of Pevensey Castle. The route passes such iconic landmarks as Herstmonceux Castle and Battle Abbey, before going through some breathtaking countryside between Westfield, Icklesham and Winchelsea to finish in Rye. The event raised over £1600 for local charities last year.  Nick is looking for volunteers to marshal in the Westfield, Doleham and Icklesham areas; ring him on 07918 907265 or visit the race website: www.spanglefish.com/1066relay.

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The Westfield Wildlife website is worth a visit. Go to http://westfieldwildlife.wordpress.com to share wildlife observations. Any wildlife observation whether mammal, bird, insect, or flower may be posted on the website, and photos are particularly welcome. Have you seen a hedgehog recently? Westfield Wildlife is appealing for all hedgehog sightings, including any road casualties, because their numbers have declined so drastically over the last few years

Just a quick mention of a local person, Katie Chapman, running the Hastings Half Marathon on March 25th on behalf of the East Sussex Wildlife Rescue & Ambulance. WRAS (Charity Registration No. 1108880) was established as a voluntary group in 1996, but founder Trevor Weeks has been rescuing wildlife since 1985. The charity was set up to provide a front-line rescue & hospital service for people finding wildlife casualties as well as offering advice and information. If you would like to support Katie, please follow http://www.justgiving.com/Katie-Chapman3

Westfield Golf Fellowship’s first fixture of 2012 is full, but there is a day booked at Chart Hills on April 26. The £50 entry includes is coffee & bacon roll, 18 holes, a hot meal and prizes. For more information please contact Nick or [email protected]

Rye & District Lions welcome enquiries from anyone who would like to join them for fun with fundraising. Ring 01797 252921 or visit their website at www.e-clubhouse.org/sites/ryedistrict/ for information. As well as the recent £1000 towards the new Macmillan Cancer Support Centre for Sussex, they have agreed make substantial donations to local charities. The Lions now have a video; just type in ‘The Lions Story’ on Youtube to find out all about the Lions.

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The Rye and District Association of the National Trust holds many events. Forthcoming ones include a talk on Thursday, 15th March on ‘My childhood in Holland under German Occupation’ presented by Bill van Draat. Please note that this talk will be held at Beckley Village Hall commencing at 2.30 pm. The entrance fee of £2 (members) and £3 (non-members) includes refreshments after the talk. On Thursday 22nd March there is a walk which starts at 10.30 am at the New Inn Winchelsea. A Circular 3.5 or 7 Mile walk with lunch to be taken in Rye. If you wish to take part in the walk please confirm at least 24hrs before by email [email protected] or phone: 01797 260637. 

For information and news about Westfield, please see the village website www.westfieldvillage.co.uk.

To send information for the Westfield Village Voice, please email [email protected]

George ‘Sunderland’, Heathlands

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