Fairlight village voice - March 30

Thursday, April 5 is Maundy Thursday, and it will be marked by Holy Communion at 7.30pm in St Peters. This is a Benefice service with Pett, remembering The Last Supper, and the service is to be led by the Rev. Kay Burnett

And then, the following morning being Good Friday, there is to be a Meditative Service, remembering Jesus’ crucifixion on the Cross. This is at St Andrews at 10.30 am, again with Rev Kay Burnett.

Last Saturday’s Spring Fayre… of the local branch of the RSPCA was a pleasant event, enjoyed by all who attended. It raised much needed funds for the branch, which has an amazing record in the re-homing of rescue animals.

As an early notification, the local branch will be running a Fun Dog Show during the coming Fairfest afternoon at the end of August. Watch this space for details of how to enter your own pooch. Re-homed and rescue dogs will, of course, be especially welcome!

Quizlings enjoyed their evening… There were more than 70 in attendance for the Players’ Quiz and Supper evening, which went down well last Saturday, despite running almost as long as an uncut production of Hamlet. Now the group will be concentrating its efforts fully on polishing up the hilariously entertaining The Murder of Maria Marten, which will be up and running four weeks from yesterday. Tickets will go on sale at the Post Office very shortly now.

A half marathon… is 13 miles, 192 yards, 1 foot and 6 inches – as any fule kno. I mention this out of respect for all those remarkable souls who ran this distance last weekend round Hastings in aid of all manner of charities and pet projects, and also because the distance, without the miles, would probably be about enough for me. But it was not so for Alice Tigwell, who ran her half-marathon to raise funds for the Activate Youth Club. She completed her task in a mere 2 hours 33 minutes, and by so doing swelled the club’s finances by £200. Very well done, Alice!

Nine days ago… the Literary Society were entertained by Colin Page, from Harborough Nurseries and also an a highly accomplished and artistic photographer, whose illustrated talk Moods of the Marsh was much appreciated by the goodly show of members present. Part of the Society’s treat for members is the supply of recycled books from donors, and there were several ‘new’ books on display, but not for long! I understand that more of the same are promised!

The Floral Club… held their AGM eight days ago, with the attendance disappointingly modest. The officers and the committee were re-elected for another year, with the exception of the Treasurer who has had to resign for personal reasons. Shirley Lancaster was duly nominated and elected as the new Treasurer, while Valerie Wood was voted in as a Committee Member.

The club is getting very concerned about its future. The Chairman/Secretary’s term of office finishes at the next AGM, and so if the club is to carry on under the umbrella of NAFAS they need to find both a new Chairman and a new Secretary. Without being affiliated to their national association, the club would not be able to book Area and National Demonstrators, a sad state of affairs as these talented and imaginative people give so much pleasure when they come to the meetings. Not only do demonstrators keep everyone amused with their chat whilst making beautiful floral arrangements, there is also a great deal to be learnt from them.

On Monday, April 23 at 10.30 am members of the committee and a few other wise heads will be doing a Design Set-Up for this year’s Flower Festival, entitled Tempus Fugit. The festival will be held on July 21 and 22 in the Village Hall.

The club’s next meeting will be on April 26 at 2.30 pm, and will consist of a demonstration by Debbie Dann entitled Particularly Floral. Everyone will be welcome, with visitors admission only £4.

The Gardening Club’s AGM… is this coming Monday in St Peter’s Church at 2.30. This will be a Bring and Share Social, replacing the one that was missed in the New Year due to the weather. So get along and have your say in the running of the Club and enjoy a cup of tea and a little something to eat with your fellow gardeners! You may pay your subscriptions at the meeting if you wish.

An important coffee morning… is being held in the village hall tomorrow, Saturday, March 31 from 10 am to 12 noon in the Village Hall. The object is to raise much needed funds for the Acorn Project in Zambia. This project is run by Ann Rudy, who was born in Hastings, but moved to Zambia in 1965 now spends her time between there and the UK. The Project was established in 2003 to assist highly vulnerably members of the local community, including babies, orphans, (some of whom have been HIV positive from birth), widows and extended families trying to care for orphans and adults who, due to HIV or AIDS related illnesses, are unable to care for themselves, and the elderly who are often the only adults left to care for orphaned grandchildren.

The main work of the Project centres on the children who attend learning sessions from Monday to Friday eleven months of the year. All teaching is based on Christian principles and starts with an hour of assembly, when the children learn hymns, songs, poetry and rhyme, which they greatly enjoy. The entire operation is dependent on donations, so this coffee morning is vital to its continuing success.