Fairlight

Brookfield, Broadway

Worship this Sunday, July 14 starts with Holy Communion at St Peter’s at 8 am, and then, this being Sea Sunday, the 10.30am service will be at the Pett Level Rescue Boat Station. Naturally, this is to be a united service with our friends from Pett.

At MOPPs today, July 12, you’ll be able to enjoy roast lamb, then Angel Delight and fruit, and for your entertainment it’s Hobbies Day. And there are two reminders, too. Next Friday, July 19, it’s turkey and ham pie followed by fruit flan, with the entertainment by the ever popular Keith Osborne and then, for your diary, MOPPs’ AGM will take place the next Friday, July 26 at 2.30pm.

Let’s make it the biggest one yet… that’s the Gardening Club’s annual summer show on Saturday, July 20. The show schedule lists no fewer that 50 separate categories for which you can enter, and you can post your entries either in the box in the Post Office, or deliver them to Carol Ardley at Mistral, on the Circle. Time to start polishing up your horticultural gems, and caring for your cakes!

Starters Orders… two garlic mushrooms and one prawn cocktail, please. No, now you’re just being silly, for what we’re talking about here is coming up on Saturday, July 20. At 7.30pm, obviously in the village hall, the Fairlight Residents’ Association is running a Race Night, organised by our own answer to telly’s John McCririck, Frank James. It’ll only cost you £3 to get in, leaving you with plenty of readies for a little flutter. You are invited to take along your own food, drinks and glasses, though those who would prefer to sit in the Royal Enclosure should make sure they have Fortnum’s Hampers, full of champers.

Not to be missed… how many times do we have an event in the village that is crying out ‘not to be missed’, only for a quick count (number of legs divided by two) to reveal that, while many may have read and even marked my plea, by no means everyone has learnt and inwardly digested the information. Come on now; really make the effort for the Fairfest Summer Bash, which will be taking place on Wood Field Recreation Ground on Sunday, July 28, officially from 4pm until 10pm. Get there earlier if you like, put your blanket on the ground (you can borrow one from Billie Jo Spears!) and tuck in to a picnic, or bring your Fortnum’s Hamper from the Race Night (above). There’s to be a bar and a barbecue throughout, and from 7pm the immensely popular local band the Kytes will be bringing you live music. Early on, the afternoon will kick off with organized games including cricket, mini golf, boules, splat the rat, plus a bouncing castle.

The Tuesday Ladies Club… meets next, er, Tuesday, July 16 at 2.15pm in the village hall, when beauty therapist, Susannah Harvey, will be their speaker. Visitors are very welcome at £2 each, a fee which includes tea and cakes. Gentlemen are just as welcome as the ladies, and what’s on offer would probably do them more good than those on the distaff side.

Do you fancy afternoon tea…? There’s a special one being organised in aid of Hearing Dogs for Deaf People next Tuesday, July 16 from 2.30pm to 5pm at Tombrec, in Briar Close. There you will find cream teas and home-made cakes. It’s only £3 each, and there are to be stalls and a raffle, too. Tuesday Ladies Club members (see note above) are welcome to go along after their meeting. Also welcome will be well-behaved dogs on leads. You’ll find somewhere to park, too.

Two Royal British Legion fund-raisers... Firstly, a couple of Sundays ago, the cream tea event organised by Margaret Pulfer at her home, Calais View, attracted 25 people and raised a remarkable £240.90. All this despite the heavy sea mist rendering Calais View more Edge of the Cliff View, if you were lucky. Indoors, however, was conducive to a happy, food-packed afternoon!

And then, last Saturday, they held another much appreciated event with a Pimm’s and wine barbecue at Pett Level Rescue Boat boathouse. Saturday is, of course, far harder to fill with people than a Sunday, but the barbecue barely reflected this.

Activate Mother’s Night… was held last Saturday evening. This is not about the female parents of offspring, but the insects that are attracted to lights at night-time, and Wood Field had several lights to enable participants to attract, study and log their findings. Apparently, no fewer than 50 species were recorded during the exercise, together with a set of specimen jars, for the younger hunters, of a number of species that had ‘been prepared earlier’. There’s a great deal more to this hobby than meets the eye, and those interested should have a look at the website Sussex Moth Group to whet their appetites further.

An exquisite evening… was how one delighted audience member described the classical recital given by Valerie Tryon, the renowned international pianist, at St Andrew’s Church last Saturday. Ms Tryon’s experience and ability are almost beyond compare, and she demonstrated her full range in a widely varied programme. It was slightly disappointing to realise that this recital, of the highest class, was not a total sell-out. Nevertheless, those who did attend were amply rewarded, and our thanks and congratulations go to Geoff Wyatt for his vision and organisation of an event to be treasured in the memory.

Don’t forget… there is still a vacancy on our Parish Council, which is to be filled by co-option. If you would like it to be you, please let the parish clerk, John Edmunds, know, either by phone to 722226, or by email to [email protected] One person has already indicated an interest, but it is important that everyone has a fair chance to be considered. The Council Chairman or any of the councillors, or the clerk, would be very happy to talk over the responsibilities with you. There is more information about what the Council actually does on the Fairlight Village Website, which can be found at Fairlight Parish Council. There is also a contact list of councillors on Parish Council notice boards.

The next parish council meeting is on Tuesday, July 23 at 7.15pm in the village hall, and it would be helpful if any expressions of interest could be in by then.

Council chairman Andrew Mier would also be interested to hear of anyone who would be prepared to give informal voluntary advice or assistance to the parish council, short of actually being a councillor. Professional experience on legal, planning or land matters would be particularly useful.

Activate Youth Club is seldom far from this column… because of the invaluable work with and support for young people in our village. Now it needs our support more than ever before. The Club has recently lost the grant they received to pay the salary for a professional Youth Worker amounting to £2,800 per annum.The Parish Council has agreed to donate the sum of £500 but on a match funded basis, so the Club is asking as many residents as possible to support this very worthwhile cause.

If you feel you would like to give a sum towards the Youth Club, would you please donate as follows: Cheques should be made payable to Activate – Fairlight Youth Club, and sent or delivered to Geoff Smith, Hunters Moon, Waites Lane, Fairlight.

There are two sessions remaining… of Tai Chi Qigong, in Hastings Country Park Nature Reserve, for the next two Thursdays at 12.30 pm. This slow and graceful exercise regime was developed over two thousand years ago in China. The sessions are for adults only, and are free thanks to the sponsorship by Active Hastings. If you would like further information, call Catherine Burnett on 815128.

Also in the Country Park… Ben ‘Fairlight’ Edwards will be leading participants on a Herbal Walk tomorrow, Saturday, July 13, starting from the Park Information Centre at 10.30am. Fee for non-members of the Park is a mere £2. Sorry, no dogs allowed on the walk. Jan Armour has further details should you need them, and she is on 715556.

Last chance before the summer break… to go along to the Knit and Natter morning on Wednesday, July 17, between 10.30 am and 12.30 pm, at Kingsdown, Channel Way. After this meeting, the next will be on Wednesday, September 18.

The Bowls Club’s Open Day… is always one of the highlights of their season’s activities, and this year was no exception, with over £1,200 being raised in support of the Prostate Cancer charity. Congratulations to all who made both the day and the fund-raising so very successful once again.

Missed from our parish council round-up was the fact that was mentioned, almost en passant, that East Sussex Highways have repaired 33,000 potholes since January. Not always able to hear the fine detail of some council discussions, I was not sure whether this was in East Sussex, or Rother, or even, possibly, just in Fairlight. On reflection, though, it was said the holes were in 2,000 miles of roads, so they can’t have been just in our village. Anyway, the figures equate to a pothole repaired every 107 yards. As there are stretches of road like the A259 with multifarious holes even within each 107 yards, one does not envy the authorities the magnitude of their task. I think someone should examine a pothole’s DNA. They are sure to find that they are related to the Hydra – you fill one in, and immediately, two more appear. If you don’t believe me, take a drive down Fairlight Avenue, which was comprehensively repaired earlier, and is now just as bad, or worse.