Winchelsea

31 Highfords, Icklesham

Friday 16th November, This evening (Friday) the Literary Society is meeting in the Court Hall at 7 for 7.30 pm. John Davison is giving the talk which is on Tennyson and is well-timed for 2012, as his quote suggests: ‘Ring out the old, ring in the new, Ring, happy bells, across the snow: The year is going, let him go; Ring out the false, ring in the true.

Don’t forget that the Merry Widow presented by the Winchelsea Singers is this weekend in the New Hall starting with a performance today at 2 pm with refreshments. The second performance is tomorrow evening at 7 pm and a bar will be available. If you would like to buy tickets (£10 per person) please visit Winchelsea Post Office.

A Jubilee event is to be held tomorrow from 11 am to 12.30 pm in the New Inn. It is the last fund-raiser for Jubilee year and profits will go towards a Jubilee tree and other commemorative projects. One of the best-remembered projects to receive funds is the exceptional Winchelsea Diamond Jubilee Project which supported the local youth vocational training charity, Entertainment Workshops, by commissioning a film of Jubilee Year in Winchelsea. The event tomorrow is the Chocolate Morning which is like a coffee morning but all about chocolate. There will be lots of hot chocolate to drink and plenty of chocolatey things to eat/melt in to your drink. You will also have the chance to Play the Chocolate Tombola while seated by the roaring log fire. What could be better than this? The Diamond Jubilee Committee is also asking for donations and if you have something chocolatey that you could contribute (e.g. cake, sweets, biscuits)? Please call 226388 or Richard on 224446.

Also tomorrow at 10 for 10.30 am in Winchelsea Methodist Chapel there will be a talk by John Troughton, circuit local preacher. John will be describing the local charity ‘Snowflake’ which gives night shelter to the homeless and explaining how he came to be involved.

There will be a Service of Welcome for the new Bishop Martin Warner of Chichester which will be held at St Thomas’ Church on Sunday 18th November at 10.30 am. Refreshments will be served after the service. This is one of several services being organised for those unable to attend Bishop Martin’s Enthronement in Chichester Cathedral on Sunday 25th November. On Saturday 17th November at 11 am he will be attending the Deanery service in St Mary’s Church Rye and you are very welcome to support this event. The enthronement is a ceremony of inauguration whereby the person (monarch/religious leader) is formally seated for the first time upon their throne which is seen as a symbol of authority to teach.

The next, weekly Pub Quiz at the New Inn is on Tuesday 20th November at 8.30 pm. Suppers will once again be served during the Quiz and should help sharpen the brain cells and get the right answers.

The Garden Society is presenting Winchelsea Gardener’s Question Time on Thursday 22nd November at 7.30pm in the Court Hall. Admission is free and you are invited to come along, enjoy a glass of wine plus an evening of entertainment. As part of the fun you are also requested to pick the brains of their panel of Winchelsea Gardeners who are: Alice Kenyon, Chris Mears, John Dunk and Julia Cooper with Howard Norton in the chair. Do come prepared with your questions on the night. However, if they are more difficult ones that might call for a bit of homework please send in advance to Howard via:  [email protected]  or 01797 226524.

With Christmas less than six weeks away the Rye and District Association of the National Trust has arranged an outing to Blue water for a shopping trip. This will be on Monday 19th November and if you would like to book your place Ros Adkins (contact 01797 253763) has the details.

This year the Advent Windows organisers with Cynthia Feast are raising money and goods for a Family Support Centre in Hollington, Hastings run by the Chichester Diocesan Association (Reg. Charity No 285337; see www.familysupportwork.org.uk). The Centre assists needy and troubled families, runs a food bank and teaches family cooking skills.   Advent Windows is seeking sponsors for the event and the windows map, along with badges, will be on sale at the Little Shop and New Inn.   There will be a launch for this charity event to find out more at the Christmas Fair in the New Hall on Saturday 24th November.

The annual Christmas Fair, arranged by the New Hall Society, is on Saturday 24th November from 10 am to 12.30 pm in the New Hall. There will be a variety of stalls which include pottery, jewellery, cards, handicrafts, homemade produce, plants, paintings and bric-a-brac, plus more. When you are ready for refreshments, coffee, tea and hot mince pies will be available as well as a Fantastic Raffle and tombola to get you in the winning mood. For tombola donations of bottles and chocolates please contact 01797 222629 and contributions for the stalls will be gratefully received on the day. The raffle will be held around 12 noon and all proceeds are in aid of the New Hall Refurbishments. After the Fair there will be a Jubilee Tree Planting Ceremony by the Lord Lieutenant of East Sussex, Mr Peter Field. This event is in conjunction with the National Trust and Winchelsea Corporation and the tree which is a Field Maple will be planted in the Cricket Field behind the New Hall.

The November Church Market raised the useful sum of £354.96 for church funds and thanks to all who helped and supported the event. A date for your diary is Saturday 1st December when the next Church Market is held in St Thomas’ Church.

Winchelsea Beach

The Friends of Rye Harbour Nature Reserve are meeting in the Community Hall tomorrow (Saturday) at 2.30 pm. There will be an illustrated talk on ‘The Birds of Norfolk’ which is given by John Buckingham and is open to all. Admission is free but donations would be appreciated.

For just this Sunday 18th November there will not be a service at St Richard’s Church. This is because everyone is invited to attend the 10.30 am service at St Thomas’ Church where the new Bishop Martin Warner will be presiding.

Icklesham Parish Council will soon be erecting signs at Winchelsea Beach and Rye Harbour to point the way to the Lifeboat House. The building serves as a continuing reminder of the seventeen brave lifeboat men from Rye Harbour who were drowned during a rescue mission in 1928. This tragic episode is still the biggest loss of life to the RNLI in a single boat.