Westfield village voice

This Sunday is the first Sunday of the month, and we have the opportunity to donate gifts of non-perishable food to be used by the diocesan Family Support Work Outreach Team in Hollington.

There will be Holy Communion as usual on Wednesday at 9.30am. The Prayer Group meets at 7.30pm at 59 Heathlands on Tuesday, and the Bible Study Group Lent Courses continue at 7.30pm on Wednesday and 2.30pm on Friday at Holyoak, Workhouse Lane.

Remember that there are always 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.

If you would like your name added to the church’s Electoral Roll before the annual meeting, please complete a form and return it to Nicholas Wilde.

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

On March 17 you are invited to help with tree planting at Guestling Playing Fields at 10.30am, to celebrate the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee. Please wear suitable clothing and bring a spade. Further details from Neil Perry.

You are invited to the ‘Justice and Joy’ day arranged by Christian Aid next Friday, March 9. This is from10am-4.15pm at Bore Place, Edenbridge, and the cost is £15 including lunch. The day itself will include some prayer and quiet reflection, a pilgrimage around Bore Place and a talk about the work of Haiti Survie before and after the Haiti earthquake. The venue is a beautiful organic farm with a sustainable conference centre and the lunches there are delicious! Contact [email protected] or ring 020 7523 2069.

Looking ahead, the Loaf Project events on May 7 (Bank Holiday Monday) include the Cycle Ride from Canterbury to Hastings and a choice of 4, 9 or 18 mile Loaf Walks with routes exploring country footpaths and beautiful areas between Rye and Hastings. Westfield Scout Group holds a Jumble Sale at 2pm tomorrow, Saturday March 3 in Westfield Community Hall.  They would be very grateful for donations of jumble at the Hall from 12.15pm, but please note that they cannot accept televisions, computer monitors, or items larger than a chair.

Westfield Community Choir is starting next week! Juliet Russell (see http://www.vocalexplosion.co.uk) will run a taster session (£5) from 7.30-9pm on Wednesday, March 7 in the Parish Hall. It will then meet approximately fortnightly on Wednesdays with a block of 4 sessions starting on March 14 in 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 received 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 exiting project.

Westfield Football Club hosts a Fun Quiz tomorrow Saturday, March 3 at 7:30 pm. This is for teams of 5 and costs £4 person including a sausage and chips supper. The new date for the Greyhound Race Night is April 14.

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. Last week’s Sloe Gin competition was well supported. Irene Almandras had the onerous task of tasting all the entries and promised that she would walk home! The winner was Patricia Marsden, with Marion Eaton and Christopher Chinnery second and third. Hub members then obligingly helped clear up by polishing off the remains of the tasters - just to see if they agreed with the judging, of course. The 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.

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. The next walk is on Saturday, March 31 from Rushlake Green, starting at 10.30am at the village green, with 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.

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.

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

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.

The Rye and District Association of the National Trust holds many events. For more details please email [email protected] or telephone 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