Fairlight

Incidentally, there will be no Sunday Live at St Peter’s, which is cancelled this month because people will be on holiday and sharing family time.

Changes at St Nicholas, Pett Level: A church note asks ‘Have you been to visit St Nicholas recently?’ You’ll find the church open every day, with free tea and coffee-making facilities and a

lending library. There is also a display of information and publicity. Many people are taking a look around the church and signing the visitors book as a result. If you haven’t been inside yet, have a look! There are beach treasure hunt cards available for children.

Today at MOPPs, and next week, too: Friday, August 26, the entertainment will be by Pete Prescott. Pete is extremely well-known in the district as a singer and guitarist, and he was a founder of Hastings’ charitable Beatles Day in 2000. He has been a vital part since then, and is still the Chairman of the organising committee. There’s also free hearing-aid maintenance from 11 am to 12 noon, and this is available not only to MOPP’s members. Lunch will consist of roast beef and then fruit jelly and cream. Next Friday, September 2, the entertainer will be Keith Osbourne with his Music for Health. There will be a Star Prize for the Raffle, too. Next Friday’s lunch will be Coronation Chicken, jacket potato and salad, followed by meringue butterscotch and apple.

A Stables outlook: Thursday to Saturday this week will see the Fairlight Players in action at the Stables Theatre in town, ‘on tour’ with their production of The Vicar of Dibley, which they sold out last November in the village hall. With the Stables holding even fewer than our village hall, tickets are once again of the hen’s teeth variety. We wish cast and crew a happy run, and look forward to seeing them all back in Fairlight for November’s Ghost Train, the Arnold Ridley scary classic.

Fairlight Art Club helps the Pett Boat: The Club will be featuring an Art Show and Sale of Work in aid of Pett Level Inshore Rescue Boat this Sunday, August 28 from 11 am until 4 pm. It’s just behind the Smugglers pub. This is an attractive event which has been well patronised in the past. On offer will be a wide variety of original works by local artists at affordable prices.

The Pett Level Inshore Rescue Boat’s Open Day last Sunday raised over £2245 on the day itself which, when added to various forthcoming cheques and donations, brought a grand total to this worthiest of causes of over £3,403. Unsupported by grants and the like, the Rescue Boat depends entirely on what used to be called public subscription, and last weekend’s excellent figure demonstrates the high regard in which the organisation is held locally.

Darn! Missed it: A notice arrived about a sampler session for Step in Time, but the class in question took place yesterday, so deadlines were missed. Nevertheless, Step in Time will be re-commencing in September, on Tuesday 27 between 10 and 11.30 am, and if you’ve missed the introductory session, why not give organiser Dale Bowen a call on 812037 to get all the details? class on Thursday 25th August in the Village Hall between 10 am and 11.30 am.

Dylan’s tale: One day in the week, a sad little email arrived from the FRA. It concerned Dylan, an almost impossibly cute puppy, who had appropriated his home’s cat flap and done a runner, wandering without concern across Battery Hill. Was he emulating his namesake, Blowin’ in the Wind, Like a Rolling Stone, or even, God forbid, Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door? No, there was a happy ending as, with one bark the following day, he was Bringing It All Back Home…!

Talking of Battery Hill: It is reported that the surface of Battery Hill will be receiving attention ‘before the end of the year’. Those whose cars are struggling to cope with the terminal shaking the Hill gives them every time they ascend must be hoping fervently that the County Roads Dept. means the end of the Calendar Year, not the financial one!

A likeable Cove: Rumours about the future of our village pub have been circulating for some time now, sometimes with closure imminent, sometimes with the bank wanting to clear some debts immediately. Now it is actually closed and I am fairly sure who has bought it, and what they are going to do with it. Not that I’m going to share it with you, because ‘fairly sure’ is hardly rock solid information. But I promise that you’ll get the news as soon as it is confirmed, and if it’s what I believed all along, I shall crow about it!

Help for the Hard of Hearing: The East Sussex Hearing Resource Centre mobile unit will be in the village hall car park from 1.30 to 3.30 pm on Thursday, September 1. Usually very well patronised, each Fairlight visit is highly regarded by those in the village who have hearing difficulties. They are, however, never so busy that people don’t get seen and receive the attention they need. Take your little brown book if you’ve got one!

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