Winchelsea

Mayoring 2017: Since 1295 when Edward I permitted Winchelsea a mayor and corporation there has been a mayor in the town. The town preserves this tradition which involves the annual mayor-making ritual taking place every Easter Monday at 11am in the Upper Court Hall. Entry to the ceremony is usually by invite only and guests include local dignitaries and the Mayors of the Cinque Ports. This year Cynthia Feast will be sworn in as Mayor for 2017-18 which will mean playing a ceremonial part in the life of the Confederation of the Cinque Ports for Winchelsea and ensuring that the town’s ancient monuments are kept in good repair. In the last few years the number of male jurats (aldermen) has decreased from its established twelve, mainly through retirement from the corporation. Consequently 2017 marks a significant development in the course of Winchelsea’s history with the first female mayor taking office.

Crime Fiction: When the Literary Society meets next Friday April 21st please note that this meeting will now be the talk by Guy Fraser-Sampson on “British Crime Fiction”. Originally this meeting was scheduled for May but the Members’ play reading of A Man for All Seasons will be rescheduled. As usual meet at 7 for 7.30pm in the Court Hall and light refreshments will be available before the talk. Guy works in private equity in London and is also an established writer of not only fiction but books on finance, investment and cricket. His book ‘The Mess We’re In’ is a timely evaluation of the negative state of the economy. The crime thriller ‘Death in Profile’ was the start of his Hampstead Murders series and reflects the Golden Age of detective stories.

FOAM Cellars: Tours in April of Winchelsea’s ancient cellars take place on Saturday 15th and the 22nd. (The latter during the National Gardens Scheme Open Gardens.) Also on Saturday and Sunday 29th and 30th of the month. If you would like to reserve your place on one of these 90 minute history tours the phone number to contact is 07596 182874 or email [email protected] The cost is £5 p.p. and proceeds will be used by the charity, the Friends of the Ancient Monuments and Museum of the town. You are advised to wear sensible footwear and carry a torch on these tours. On arrival please meet at the Town Well in Castle Street at 10.50am for 11am.

NGS Open Gardens: On Saturday April 22nd Winchelsea’s Spring Gardens will be open to visitors from 1 to 5.30pm. Six attractive gardens will be open in aid of the National Gardens Scheme Charities and teas will be served with proceeds going to the New Hall. The combined entry cost is £6 p.p. and the gardens are Cleveland House, Cleveland Place, Periteau House, The Well House, The Armoury and Rye View.

Spring show results: The Winchelsea Garden Society held its annual spring flower show on Saturday April 8th in the New Hall with a stunning array of flowers, plants, arrangements and mouthwatering cooking. The committee were delighted with the increased amount of entries and the standards to match. Inevitably because of the time of year there was a dominant Easter feel to it all especially in the cooking department featuring simnel cakes, hot cross buns and iced Easter biscuits. The day coincided with the Grand National, as well as Sunniest day of the year so all were very happy to see those visitors that had torn themselves away from their television sets as well as their own gardens, to come and enjoy the display and have a cuppa. Hopefully the inspiration given made it worthwhile and congratulations go to the victors. The cup winners were: The society’s cup for flowers. - John Dunk; The society’s cup for floral art. -Alice Kenyon; The Society’s cup for pot plants. - Gilly Tugman; The society’s bowl for cookery. - Maureen Pemble; Overall winner’s salver for flowers, vegetables, pot plants and floral art. - John Dunk.

Winchelsea Beach

Table Sale: Tomorrow April 15th there will be a variety of goods to purchase at this month’s Table Sale commencing at 2pm in the Community Hall. A tombola with great prizes is available and the entrance cost is 50p which includes biscuits and a cup of tea.

Easter service: St Richard’s Church invites all to its Easter Holy Communion service on Sunday April 16th. The service commemorates Jesus Christ’s conquering return from the dead and begins at 9.30am.

Water current update: During recent wet weather in early March 2017 Southern Water (SA) deployed tankers in the village to prevent sewer flooding and maintain an effective wastewater service. These tankers only operate between 8am and 8pm for the convenience of local residents. The monitoring of water levels is carried out routinely at the Regional Control Centre to prevent flooding and tankers are taken away once levels have dropped. In addition to using CCTV a survey of the sewer leading into the wastewater pumping station at Morlais Ridge was undertaken with the new electroscan technology. The investigation revealed an opening in the piping which had caused groundwater to enter the system. This leak together with another gap in a manhole chamber is scheduled for repair as soon as possible. SA continues to work closely with the caravan site which has now improved its on-site surface water drainage to minimise the amount of run-off water entering the system. In order to maintain communication, the Infiltration Reduction Plan which gives details of the actions taken to avoid flooding has been updated and is currently available on SA’s website. SA is also interested in attending future parish council meetings to keep residents informed of progress.

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