Winchelsea village voice

Today is the day that most school children look forward to all year.

It the last day of school before the summer holidays, when there is time to relax and have fun, come wind or weather.

Winchelsea Bonfire Boyes are holding their annual Hog Roast tomorrow (Saturday) in the New Hall. The event begins at 7.30 pm and all are welcome to join in the evening.

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The services for this Sunday at St Thomas’s Church begin with the Holy Eucharist at 8 am; followed by the 10.30 am Choral Eucharist with the Junior Choir leading the worship and the preacher will be the Rev’d Paddy Buxton. At 6 pm there will be the monthly Evening Prayer service.

A visit from the Mobile Library will take place on Wednesday 25th July in Castle Street at 1.40 to 2.10 pm.

The next Pub Quiz at the New Inn will be on Thursday 26th July at 8.30 pm and you don’t have to be Einstein to win; cash prizes available to those that do.

This year’s Summer Tea and Family Fun at Backfield Place, Rectory Lane is on Wednesday 1st August from 2 till 5 pm. If you would like to donate a gift towards the tombola prizes, cakes and bric-a-brac all will be gratefully received (contact 01797 226516/226262). The proceeds from the event are for the local branch of the Multiple Sclerosis Society.

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Tickets are currently on sale for Shakespeare’s As You Like It performed by the Rain or Shine Theatre Company. The show will be held in the garden of Cleveland House on Friday 24th August at 7 pm. To purchase your tickets which cost £13.50 adults and £6 under 16s please call 01797 225333. The proceeds are in aid of the Winchelsea Bonfire Boyes.

The Patronal Festival last weekend which was attended by the Mayor and Corporation successfully raised £1,274 for church funds. A big thank you to the Pegasus Choir for their outstanding performances in the church and to all who helped: Peter and Nigel, the hosts/hostesses, cooks, washer-uppers, sidesmen, church cleaners and for the support of the congregation.

There has been a lot of talk about water in the last few months, from parched ground and hosepipe bans to flooding. Unlike in 2011, the rain held off this year at the ‘Wesley’ tree for the 227th anniversary of Winchelsea Methodist Chapel. The Mayor and Mayoress Roger and Tina Neaves and a good number of people met at the tree last Sunday to sing some rousing hymns that included favourites from Charles Wesley and John Newton. Barry Turnbull who helped organised the event and has never missed an anniversary since they began in the last 15 years, arrived this time on crutches due to a replacement knee operation of which we ask God’s blessings for his full recovery. The Rev Malcolm Hope gave his sermon for the first and last time from the pulpit where John Wesley once preached. Malcolm will soon be leaving the local circuit and retiring to Somerset with his wife in August. In his sermon he referred to John 7:38 ‘He that believes on me, as the scripture has said, out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water’ that is, in believing in Jesus they shall be the instruments by which the Holy Spirit is poured on the world through the gospel. After this reviving sermon there was a genuine thirst for more; tea and biscuits were then served and a collection was taken to support the chapel funds.

Last week on Oast House Road in Icklesham some paving stones had been removed for repairs to an underground pipe. However the pipe had not been properly sealed. As a result several gallons of water gushed rapidly from the ground pouring onto the A259 where traffic splashed by as if in a rain storm. This continued unabated for about 24 hours (from information received). On seeing the leak the following day I promptly rang Southern Water’s emergency number and within 2 hours someone came to undertake the vital repairs. Thankfully this does not often happen. However although water is not at present in short supply it should never be wasted like that; so if you see a leak do report it and help keep water costs down.

Cindi Cogswell, 31 Highfords, Icklesham