Winchelsea

Conservation AGM: Winchelsea Conservation Society is holding its Annual General Meeting on Saturday May 6th at 10am in the Lower Court Hall. All members should attend and the agenda will include an election of members to the committee for the year ahead along with all other business.

Last Post at sunset: A wreath will be laid and the Last Post will sound at the War Memorial by St Thomas’ Church on Saturday May 6th at 8.30pm. This is to mark the centenary of the death of Private George Snashall of the 6th Battalion, The East Kent Regiment, 12th Division whose name is on the War Memorial along with many other local servicemen killed in the two World Wars. Born in Horsmonden, Kent he was the son of William and Susannah Snashall of 3 Strand Terrace, Winchelsea and he enlisted in Cranbrook, Kent. On May 6th 1917 he was killed in action in France at the Battle of Arras on the Western Front during the long-drawn-out trench warfare. The ceremony is organised by the Bonfire Boyes as part of the town’s Great War commemoration and all are invited to join in this time of remembrance.

Archaeology AGM: The Archaeology Society is holding its Annual General Meeting tomorrow, May 6th at 10am in the New Hall. If anyone is interested in joining the group, please come along as WAS is keen to recruit new committee members and increase numbers.

WAS Cellars: To discover more about the history of Winchelsea, tours of the town’s ancient cellars have been arranged by the Archaeological Society for the month of May. These will be on Monday 8th at 1pm and Sunday 28th at 2pm and the meeting place is by the Town Well in Castle Street. It is helpful to book in advance by ringing 01797 224446 and the cost is £5 p.p. which includes a guidebook to the cellars. For all cellars tours you are advised to wear sensible footwear.

WCC matches: The Winchelsea Cricket Club season has recently begun and on Sundays for the month of May there will be home matches against Crowhurst on 7th and Netherfield on 28th. Away matches are against Tenterden on 14th and Beckley Park on 21st and spectators are always welcome. The home matches are held in the Cricket Field next to the New Hall and all fixtures start at 2pm.

Lights out: The Second Wednesday Society will be meeting on Wednesday May 10th at 2.30pm in the New Hall. All are invited and non-members pay £4 which includes the homemade tea following the talk. ‘Put out that light’ is the theme of the talk given by Imogen Corrigan which refers to the unsung and poignant story of the world’s only female regiment to be deployed on active duty.

String Quartets: On Saturday May 20th the leading string players in the Junior Department from the Royal College of Music in London will be performing in St Thomas’ Church at 7.30pm. Their repertoire will contain stirring music by Haydn, Brahms, Mendelssohn and Beethoven. Tickets are £13 each or £6.50 for under 18s and can be purchased from the Farm Kitchen or online at winchelsea-arts.org.uk. The concert will also include the winning entry in the Winchelsea Arts Composition Competition

Museum opens: The town’s museum which is located in the Upper Court Hall has recently opened its doors for the season from May until October. Opening hours are 12 noon till 4pm Tuesday to Saturday and 1.30 till 4.30pm on Sundays and Bank Holidays. The museum is relaunching a special exhibition which will be redisplaying the attractive silk embroidered waistcoat worn by the Mayor during the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. There is also a new display of cinque port ships which were donated to the museum last season. These ships were made by Ms Jennifer Barton who won a silver medal at a ceremony held in the Science Museum in the 1960s. Everybody is most welcome to come and view the town’s extensive history.

Winchelsea Beach

Wader Watch: If you feel like an early start come along to the Rye Harbour Nature Reserve on Sunday May 7th at 4.30am till 8am to celebrate International Dawn Chorus Day. This is a worldwide celebration of ‘nature’s daily miracle’ celebrated on the first Sunday of May. As the story goes, this special day began in the 1980s when broadcaster Chris Baines invited everyone to attend his birthday party at 4am to enjoy the dawn chorus. Since then these events have been held as far afield as Antarctica. The event at the Nature Reserve will involve an early morning walk to listen to the variety of birdsong and also watch for the many different wading birds such as gannets, kittiwakes and fulmars. Please meet at Rye Harbour village car park and donations towards the Nature Reserve would be greatly appreciated.

Social lunch opportunity: There are places available for the next Fellowship Lunch on Friday May 26th at 12 for 12.30pm in the Community Hall. Booking in advance is essential for the caterers and the number to ring is 01797 227168. These are popular lunches that include a selection of home-made dishes, a speaker and a chance to meet together socially.

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