Herstmonceux and Wartling Village News

SUNDAY SERVICES THIS WEEK are at All Saints, Herstmonceux: 10am Holy Communion. St Mary Magdalene, Wartling: No Service.

Morning Prayer weekdays 9am to 9.20am alternating weekly between All Saints and St Mary Magdalene. The Quakers meet at 10.45 worship and reflection at the Friends Meeting House, West End, Herstmonceux BN27 4NR.

Coming up at Herstmonceux Free Church: Sunday 29 November joint churches tea and service at 5pm at the Free Church. Tea will be served at 5pm followed by a short service.

 HERSTMONCEUX WALKING GROUP next meets on Sunday 15 November at 10am at Hailsham Leisure Centre for a 4 mile circular walk between Bishopstone and Norton with Dawn 07436 772509. Please register with the walk leader if you would like to come along.

Their last walk was from Buxted and Lita Allistone reports: Our Buxted walk started in the car park near the Scout group from where we walked along Framfield Road towards Mascalls Farm, taking a right turn onto a footpath heading to Culver Wood crossing the railway line on the way. Turning right again into Buxted Park and crossing the river Uck and with lakes on either side of us, we turned left heading for Manor Park. All around us the trees were truly showing their full Autumn colours and there were chestnuts on the ground through the woods and we were blessed with probably one the last warm sunny days before Autumn gives way to Winter.

Completing a loop in Views Wood, we walked along the Wealdway path and stopped at the Hotel to marvel at the assortment of trees and their colours leading to the church. Weaving our way through the churchyard we stopped for a photo opportunity before heading downhill with others out enjoying the weather and back to Station Road where we headed back to the car park.

 QUIZZING FOR BADGER FANS is an opportunity to help raise much needed funds for the South Wealden Badger Group to be held at Reid Hall, Boreham Street, BN27 4SD on Saturday 14 November. There will be a fun quiz and raffle with doors opening at 7pm for 7.30pm start. Bring your own drinks and nibbles. Tickets are £10 bookable through the [email protected]. Great raffle prizes are promised.

 VILLAGE HALL SOLAR PANELS are on their way and Stage One of the installation of 45 of them on the roof of the hall will commence very soon. Stage One is funded by the immensely generous grant of £19900 from the National Lottery Community Fund. The held they are giving now and for the future of the hall is brilliant. The hall, once State Two is completed, will see its energy cost for electricity, halve. The benefit is to the hall, its users and the community in general as it will be green energy and reduce the environmental effect of carbon emission.

The cost savings in the reduced electricity bills will enable the hall Trustees to look at other energy saving projects at the hall for heating and lighting and pay for these with the bill reduction.

The hall is of immense benefit to the Parish and the general community from the pre-school to the visually disabled at Viewcraft and the various dance and exercise classes.

The installation of the panels and system is being carried out by the extremely helpful Herstmonceux firm Zephyr Tech Limited. They are working to ensure that during the external work in Stage One, there is little or no disruption to hall users.

 HERSTMONCEUX WI will meet on Wednesday 18 November in the Herstmonceux Village Hall at 7.30pm. The speaker this month is Barbara Hibbert with her talk entitled Fragments of Glass. She is an amazing jeweller and will not only talk about her craft but will also bring samples of what she makes, maybe you will find something you would like to buy.

If you are not a member come along as a visitor for £3 you are very welcome and you get tea and buffet supper. For further details contact Janet 01323 833669 see you there.

 VITALITY VILLAGES COFFEE MORNING will be held on Wednesday 18 November at the Friends Meeting House in West End Herstmonceux between 10am and 12noon. This Month the talk will be by Ken Pollock entitled Christmases Around the World. There will be a fun quiz. Go along for a cup of tea or coffee. It is a chance to meet up with friends old and new for a chat.

 COWBEECH BONFIRE SOCIETY has produced a tea towel with a cow pat on it. You may not think this is a particularly good selling point but look a little closer and you will discover it is just one of the many quirky details packed into this very special Cowbeech tea towel. From colourful guinea fowl and sheep to a Spitfire soaring over the South Downs, the illustration is packed with local landmarks, wildlife and a generous helping of countryside humour.

The tea towel has its origins in Cowbeech in Colour, a community art project organised by the Cowbeech Bonfire Society Charitable Trust as part of this year’s 30th anniversary Cowbeech Dig for Victory Flower Show and Summer Fete.

Cowbeech in Colour invited visitors young and old to pick up a pen and add their own splash of colour to an original design created by village resident, Robert Smith.

Hundreds attended the event and plenty joined in the colouring. Sheep acquired some rather unconventional coats, guinea fowl became positively flamboyant and the whole picture came alive with the imagination and enthusiasm of the community. The activity proved so popular that it inspired an idea to turn the artwork into something everyone could enjoy at home.

These premium linen union tea towels, made in England, are available now, priced at £12 each or two for £20, from the Merrie Harriers pub and Rushlake Green Stores. All proceeds go to the Cowbeech Bonfire Society Charitable Trust, which organises events throughout the year, raising thousands of pounds for good causes in our local community. A huge thank you to everyone who picked up a pen and helped bring Cowbeech in Colour to life.

A tea towel featuring a cow pat could become this Christmas’ most coveted gift.

To keep up with Society events and fundraising activities, follow Cowbeech Bonfire Society on Facebook, Instagram, or www.cowbeechcharitabletrust.org.

 VITALITY VILLAGES CHOIR led by Rosie Page is doing well and there now seventeen members with a regular attendance of 14 members. The Choir meets from 7 to 8pm on Mondays in the Free Church Hall, Church Road, Herstmonceux. If you know anyone who is interested just tell them to pop in on a Monday night to meet us. The choir together with Herstmonceux Children’s choir, Rosie Page and her student singers recently sang at Herstmonceux Church. The varied programme included songs from musical theatre, to pop and classical. The choir has invitations to sing at other local events and the 80th Heathfield Agricultural Show on 29 May 2028.