Fairlight Village Voice

We start this week with a quick report from last Tuesday’s FAIRLIGHT PARISH COUNCIL meeting, where Southern Water and United Infrastructure gave a joint presentation on progress so far and their plans for completing the work around the village. Without going into too much detail, the good news is that all work already underway should be completed by Christmas. The new works, including the Lower Waites Lane area, are scheduled to start in January, with completion pencilled in for Easter. If you fancy watching the presentation for yourself, it’s available on YouTube, along with the rest of the meeting. It may not have quite the nail-biting tension of the Celebrity Traitors final, but there are certainly a few interesting moments, and it’s well worth a look. We’re now roughly halfway through the water pipe replacement programme, with eight months behind us and another four to go. In other words, the second half needs to be completed in half the time it took to do the first! Southern Water are optimistic they can achieve this, although not everyone on the Parish Council appears entirely convinced. Still, it was encouraging to see relations between the Council and Southern Water seemingly back on a much more cordial footing. As for the rest of the meeting, all the usual essential Parish Council business went ahead. Hardly headline-grabbing stuff, perhaps, but necessary nonetheless. However, one item did catch my attention. It was brought to the Council’s attention that our friends at Rother District Council, the very people we pay our council tax to in return for all those wonderful services we enjoy here in Fairlight, are proposing to reduce their contribution towards maintaining the pumps that help protect our cliffs from erosion. How reassuring to know that those responsible for looking after our interests have their priorities firmly in order. After all, what could possibly be more sensible than cutting back on the maintenance of something that helps stop the village disappearing into the sea? Still, I’m sure there’s a perfectly good explanation. There usually is.

CHRISTMAS is very much in the air, and no sooner have we taken down the Halloween decorations than we’re being encouraged to put up our festive lights. It’s been confirmed that our now-traditional Christmas lights competition will be going ahead, and there’s some really good news to report. Southern Water and United Infrastructure, yes, them again, have very kindly agreed to donate a ten-foot Christmas tree, complete with lights, to the village. Well done, chaps! Full credit to you both. It’s a lovely gesture and one that deserves a proper thank-you. Exactly where our new arboreal attraction will be installed remains to be seen. Can anyone remember where last year’s tree was situated? No? Let’s just say it was rather shy and retiring, preferring to keep a low profile rather than thrust itself into the limelight. In fact, it was so discreet that I suspect quite a few villagers never knew it was there at all! So, if anyone has any suggestions for a suitable location for this year’s ten-foot festive landmark, please pass them on to our friends at the Parish Council, who seem to be getting more than their fair share of publicity in this week’s column. With a bit of luck, this year’s tree will be rather easier to find than last year’s, unless, of course, the intention is to organise a village-wide game of Christmas hide-and-seek! Now, there’s something to keep the kids occupied over the festive season. Over to you, Activate!

I do like to bring good news in my weekly reports, so I was delighted to hear this week that the Post Office will be returning to our VILLAGE STORE in the New Year. Initially, I assumed this was perhaps just another village rumour, but having checked with the store itself, I’m pleased to report that it’s true, with February hopefully being the target date. It will be wonderful to have our Post Office back where it belongs, saving us the inconvenience of travelling elsewhere to carry out those everyday postal errands. I’m not sure how much influence the petition had on the decision, but it certainly can’t have done any harm. And if nothing else, it proves that occasionally, all that signing of paper can actually achieve something!

A couple of quick reminders of events I’ve already mentioned over the past few weeks, but I wouldn’t want you to forget them. First, this Saturday, November 7th, it’s Tina’s ART AND CRAFT SALE in the Village Hall, running from 10.30am to 4.30pm. There’ll be all sorts of handmade delights to tempt you, along with refreshments. So, if you fancy a spot of early Christmas shopping, or simply an excuse for a cuppa and a browse, pop along.

Then, the following weekend, from Thursday 12th to Saturday 14th November, the FAIRLIGHT PLAYERS present A Month of Sundays. The last time I looked, there were still plenty of tickets available for all four performances, but things can change quickly, so don’t hang about. It would be a shame to miss out and then spend the next month complaining that there’s nothing going on in the village!

And while we’re on the subject of village entertainment, the PANTOMIME GROUP has announced that this year’s panto, or next year’s, depending on how you look at it, will be Alice in Wonderland. Performances will run from 28th to 30th January, with tickets going on sale from 1st December. I’ll bring you more details nearer the time, but if you fancy getting involved, there’s still time to volunteer, either backstage or front of house. You don’t need to be able to act, sing or dance, although a little enthusiasm and the ability to cope with the occasional White Rabbit might help! For more information, contact Jennifer at [email protected].

It’s Remembrance Sunday this weekend, November 8th, which means slightly different service times at our local churches. At St Andrew’s, it’s an earlier start of 10.15am, while the Pett Methodists are getting going even earlier, at 10am in their chapel, ready to observe the two-minute silence at 11am.

Meanwhile, St Peter’s are refusing to be left out and are holding their ADVENT CRAFT AND CAKE FAIR on Saturday, November 14th, between 10am and 3pm. There’ll be all the usual goodies you’d expect from a Christmas fair, but let’s be honest, we all know why we’re really going. THE CAKE! And not just any old cake, either. We’re talking homemade delights smothered in butter icing, oozing with cream and dripping with chocolate, not forgetting the ever-popular coffee and walnut, and possibly carrot cake. Carrot cake? Surely that counts as one of your five a day, so technically it’s health food! Such is the anticipated demand that the Village Hall has kindly agreed to let them use its car park until 1pm.

And if that wasn’t enough, there’s another Christmas fair taking place on exactly the same day, at exactly the same time! This one is organised by the PETT WI and takes place at Pett Village Hall, also on Saturday, November 14th, from 10am to 3pm. No, you’re not seeing double, and please don’t blame me. I don’t make the news, I just report it! I’m sure both organisations will have plenty of wonderful things on offer, so why not make a day of it? Spend an hour browsing at one, enjoy a slice of cake, pop over to the other for a bit more shopping and, naturally, another slice of cake. You can then head home safe in the knowledge that you’ve done your bit to support both organisations. It’s called being community-minded, although I suspect the cake may have something to do with it too! And before anyone asks, no, I’m not taking sides. I shall be visiting both, purely in the interests of fair and balanced reporting, of course!

The FRIDAY LUNCH CLUB has an array of singers lined up over the next few weeks, including Joe Phillips, The Tilmore Duo and Ray Marchant. Meanwhile, Jim Saphin will be stepping into Annette’s shoes this Friday. It might be a bit of a tight squeeze, but I’m sure he’ll manage to fill them! Fear not, though, as Annette will be back next week, no doubt ready to reclaim her territory. Meanwhile, on December 4th and 11th, the club is holding open days for anyone who fancies popping along to see what it’s all about. There’ll be hot drinks, mince pies and entertainment, so plenty of reasons to pay a visit. And who knows, you might even catch Jim wearing his own shoes for a change!

And finally, on the pub front this week, Belfast-based band Arborist will be performing at THE COVE on Thursday evening, November 12th, at 7pm, while at THE ROYAL OAK on Sunday, November 8th, at 4.30pm, local band The Willis Duo will be doing their thing.

Until next time, have a great week

Bob Scattergood – fairlightvillagevoice@gmail,com