Staplecross

SPORTS EVENTS & CONGRATULATIONS: Three cheers, and more, must be given to our local Snooker Team Staplecross A. on their great achievement recently in the Hurst Green Snooker & Billiards League round up. Current leaders, Battle, have lost their first 2 league games of the year and have had their lead cut to seven (7) points by Staplecross A, - who also have a game in hand. Staplecross A closed the gap at the top with a 4 - 1 win at Cramp and the following night secured their place in the Don Blinks Cup semi-finals with a 3 - 0 win over Battle B. Staplecross remain 3rd after winning the derby match with their B side 3 - 2. Also, huge congratulations must be handed to Emma Cooper, a resident of Staplecross , who was victorious at the Sussex County Junior Girls’ Finals. as she went on to retain the Under 25 Cup at Egerton Park Indoor Bowls Club last Sunday. After the group games, Emma,- still only a mere 18 - defeated Joanna Watt (8 - 5) in the semi-final which sent her into the finals against Alice Phillimore. Emma then went on to win the match with a 10 - 1 victory. As well as winning the drawing competition, Emma also helped Egerton Park storm into the quarter finals of a national ladies team competition on the previous day, so clearly pressure is not a problem for her. Emma who represents Battle Bowls Club outdoors, during the summer, has enjoyed a great deal of success both indoors & outdoors in recent years. Formally a pupil of Claverham Community College, Emma was part of the winning England team, at the British Isles Women’s Bowls Council Junior International Series. -- Watch this space for more details of the progress of both these sports and the amazing people that play them. Well Done to you all.

ACTIVE ROTHER: Did you know that 9th to 16th February is Seniors Activity Week? Well - Active Rother in partnership with Active Hastings have arranged an enormous variety of sports and activities for ‘Senior Citizens’ across Hastings, St. Leonards, Bexhill and Sidley during this week. By doing so, they are hoping to encourage those of a certain age, to make the most of the years ahead, and that by trying out an activity or a new sport, - nothing too rash foolhardy, or beyond reach - it will improve your fitness & health and hopefully, make new friends all round. A wide and varied amount of classes are available for you to choose from and the fees are also very reasonable. For more information on what leisure activities are planned for your enjoyment please call Active Rother on 07817~790003 or Active Hastings on 01424~451051. Get up a group of friends and have some fun whilst taking some exercise

ADVANCE SPORTS NOTICES: More sport news in the form of an announcement from the E.C.B. Association of Cricket Officials. A Level 1 Umpires Course over eight (8) evenings is being run at Crowhurst Park Manor, in the Crowhurst Park Holiday Village. The course starts on Monday February 23rd from 7.30pm - 9.30pm and is open to any potential umpires or club players who would like to learn about the Laws of Cricket. Please contact Paul Fuller via any of the following contacts: [email protected] by telephone 01424~853037 or text 07708~953841. --- Notice No: 2. -There is still time to enter the Hastings Half Marathon. Enthusiastic - and some may say even mad,- runners from all over the country and some from even further afield, will be congregating on Hastings seafront on Sunday March 22nd to be a part of this very popular and ever growing event. Organised by the well known local charity group, the Hastings Lions Club, this year will be the 31st annual staging of this well known and well supported half marathon. Anyone wishing to enter this mad dash around the streets of Hastings, - up hills and down dales included, and become part of the several thousand strong on the start line at Sea Road, St. Leonards-on-Sea, can enter on-line at www.hastings-half.co.uk

ROTHER RAMBLERS: Two more walks have been arranged in the hope, I’m sure of beating the ominous weather forecast. Walk No: 1 is arranged for Sunday February 8th and will be a 9 mile Sedlescombe to Brede circular. This is quite close by, and easy parking and those interested will be meeting in the Sedlescombe village car park, in Brede Lane, (Behind the doctors’ surgery) at 10.0am.OS.EXP 123.TQ782180 (SatNavTN330PW) A picnic lunch/pub stop is suggested and with beautiful scenery to help you on your way, this walk promises to be a step in the right direction for all those taking part. Richard is the ‘Walk Leader’ for today, so please contact him on: 01424~892865 for further details. Walk No: 2 is just as good, - but in another direction. Again of a distance of 9 miles this is a circular walk of Waldron & Blackboys. As in most walks around our part of the world, the scenery is superb, but due to very bad weather last year, when previously planned as part of the 2014 “MarjorieFest” , this walk was poorly attended, but is still well worth repeating, so do please do your best to support this ramble. For those taking part in this walk, please meet in the car park adjacent to Waldron Recreation Ground. OS EXP 123. TQ547195. (SatNav TN210RB) at 10.0am. on Wednesday February 11th. A picnic lunch is also suggested. The ‘Walk Leader’ on this occasion is Adrian so please contact him on: 01273~514336 or Mobile:07729~861854 for all further information.

EWHURST PARISH COUNCIL: The February meeting for this parish council will take place on Thursday February 12th in the usual meeting place of St. Marks Church Room, Northiam Road, Staplecross at 7pm. The meeting is open to the public and press alike and gives all residents of the parish the perfect opportunity to come along and have your say. Together with your own Parish Councillors, there are normally representatives from the Police, via our PCSO, and both Rother District Council ( Mr. Tony Ganly) and East Sussex County Council (Mrs Angharad Davies) You’ll be able to question, query, comment or complain on any or all things going on within our parish. We are here to listen to what you have to say, and more importantly, to what you want to happen (or not !) within this community. We are all working on your behalf, to make our community a better, safer and happier place to live, work and enjoy being in. Look for the big banner outside, -- there’s usually sufficient parking and all will be most warmly welcomed.

HERDMAN ASSOCIATION INVITES: A short and gentle reminder of two very exciting and very different events that will be taking place over the weekend of 13th & 14th February. Both of these ‘activities’ will be taking place at the superb Arthur Herdman Pavilion in Ewhurst Green. Beginning on Friday 13th February, there will be a very interesting talk by a near local resident Geoff Allum. He, together with his cousin, were the first to row across the Atlantic Ocean, from East to West in 1971. This was undertaken at a time when Sat. Nav hadn’t been invented and without the use of a radio or a life raft !. This record was held for 26 years, something they must both be very proud of. This talk will begin at 7pm and there will be light refreshments during the interval. Tickets are only £5:00 per person and it does promise to be an interesting and informative evening. ~~ Event No: 2 is back by popular demand as seen by his previous session last year. This will be held in the Pavilion on the following day, Saturday February 14th between 10.30am and 12.30pm.and is a demonstration by Phil Harrison of- “Baking Better Bread”. Phil will be showing us the techniques for using sourdough in a range of baking and with a variety of loaves and all are designed to be used by you in a normal kitchen. He will also cover other options,- adding flavours,- common problems and their solutions and - tips and tricks. Tickets are £20:00 per person and will include soup and bread, following the demonstration. It is said, by those that know, - that the way to a man’s heart ( or in this age of equality, - a woman’s.) is through his stomach, and it being Valentine’s Day, - it could be better than choccies or flowers, or you could do all three and go together and share the fun and experience. ! For more information and to book your tickets for both events, please contact Glenys on 01580~830491 or [email protected]

CANDLELIT VALENTINES DINNER: Just in case you may have forgotten, which with all the media hype surrounding it, it’s not very likely,- you may like to consider treating your loved one to an St. Valentine Celebration with a difference ! Imagine enjoying a glass of champagne in the delightful and sentimental surroundings of Bodiam Castle after dark, with a talk from one of the medieval characters that abound this unique and charismatic place, followed by a romantic candlelit dinner in their Terrace Room. Tickets for this unusual and long remembered event are just £30:00 per person, There is limited availability, so please call 01580~831324 to book your table for two.

BONFIRE SOCIETY NEWS: Staplecross Bonfire Society would like to remind the parish community - and any other residents who may be interested, that the Bonfire Society A.G.M. will take place on Monday February 16th. This meeting will be held at the Cross Inn, Staplecross, at 7.30pm. If there are any officers who wish to resign or anyone who would like to stand for a position in the Bonfire Society, please contact Louise ( or Mark) in advance of this meeting. The usual monthly meeting will follow immediately after the AGM has been completed. New members are always encouraged to come forward and consider becoming part of this sociable and charitable group. naturally, everyone will be very warmly welcomed and it’s a great way to discover what this super, historical and friendly Society gets up to and what we need in terms of volunteers and support for the exciting and fun filled events that are planned to take place throughout the coming months. For all further information please contact Louise at [email protected] or Jon at [email protected] - Date for Your Diary: A Wassailing Event is proposed for Friday February 27th and will take place at Quarry Farm, Bodiam. This promises to be an exciting and fun filled evening for all the family. Full details are on the ESBS website~ www.esbs.org.uk/wassailing.php Help is going to be needed at this event in a variety of roles, and if you feel you may be able to lend a hand, please let Eric know on [email protected] or his mobile 07796~957435. They’d very much appreciate your support.

NATIONAL TRUST VOLUNTEERS: People from all walks of life and with various personalities have a chance to work on the film set of the BBC’s recent production of the Mapp & Lucia series as the National Trust seek volunteers for “Lamb House”. The house is situated in West Street, Rye and was the former home of E.F.Benson, who wrote the very popular ‘Mapp & Lucia’ books, it was also home to the famous author Henry James. Scenes from the BBC series were filmed in the garden of Lamb House. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer for this fascinating house, and you like more information, please contact [email protected] or call 01580~762334.

SCHOOL - HALF TERM: If you are looking for somewhere to take your wee ones for a ‘treat’ at half term, then why not consider this “Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs” is on at the De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill on Sunday February 22nd with two performances 4.0pm and 6.0pm. Based on the award winning book by Giles Andreae and Russell Ayto this production is sure to ignite your child’s imagination through the magic of theatre and story-telling. Join Flinn, as he discovers a Pirate hiding in a cupboard. Hold on tight as the cupboard falls away and together we tumble into a real life adventure. It’s all aboard for a non-stop action packed theatrical experience with live music, puppetry, physical performance and dastardly dinosaurs. This internationally acclaimed theatre company Les Enfants Terribles present their exciting new childrens theatre, Les Petits’. Tickets are £12:00 each and for booking and all further information please telephone 01424~229111.

CHURCH SERVICES: Church services for the parish of Ewhurst will commence at St.James the Great, Ewhurst Green on Sunday February 8th .Sexagesima. at 9.30am. This service will include Holy Communion (BCP) A Morning Praise service at St.Mark’s church, Northiam Road, Staplecross, will follow directly after at 11.15am. There will be NO SERVICE held today at St. Giles, church, Bodiam. Both services will be conducted by Reverend Gordon Winchester and if he can be of any help in any church matter, please don’t hesitate to contact him. You’ll find him at The Rectory, Ewhurst Green, or by telephoning 01580~830268 or at [email protected] If he’s not in, and he frequently isn’t, please leave a message and he’ll get back to you very shortly. He’ll always be glad to help you in any way he can.

PLEASE CONTACT ME: If you are planning an event or celebration of any kind and you’d like more people to know about it, please contact me and we’ll spread the word on your behalf Thank You

Anne Reed

[email protected]