Icklesham

CHURCH NEWS: The 9.30am service on this coming Sunday will be Matins led by lay reader George Ford. This is for the tenth Sunday after Trinity. Monday being August 1, what, already? is Lammas Day. Lammas means Loaf Mass, the Feast of First Fruits, marking the beginning of harvest. In some rural parishes the tradition of taking bread, made from the first ripened corn, to church to be blessed, still survives.

WEATHER: Apart from a very high humidity one day, I have been enjoying the summer. Last Saturday my visitor got up and went onto the beach at about 6.30am to enjoy the early morning sun. Unfortunately there was a sea fret which didn’t burn off until about 10am. On June 30 sunrise was at 0444 and sunset at 2115. On July 30 it will be sunrise at 0520 and sunset at 2045. See how the days are shortening?

CRICKET MATCH: The proposed cricket match between the Icklesham New Pavilion XI and Icklesham Casuals Football Club will take place on the Icklesham Recreation Ground on Sunday August 21, 1.30pm start. It is £10 per player which includes tea. Stuart Baker is putting the Pavilion XI together. It is intended to keep this team Icklesham based as far as possible. Therefore any new cricketers to the village would be made welcome to play. It should be emphasised that ability is not important, just your support. If this is successful it may be a stepping stone to getting cricket back to Icklesham. It is purely a friendly match. If any businesses would like to sponsor the match, we in return will include you in all pre and post match reports. All profit from the day will go towards the New Pavilion Fund. Contact Stuart at [email protected]

NEW PAVILION FUND RAISER: A remarkable lady named Dorit Oliver-Wolff will come to Icklesham to tell the story of her life. Born a Hungarian Jew, she danced in front of the future king of Yugoslavia aged just four years old, by the age of six she was hiding from the German soldiers who were rounding up and transporting Jews to concentration camps around Europe. In her first book, From Yellow Star to how she and her mother survived years of terror, with narrow escapes from capture and bombing raids plus being betrayed by those she thought were her friends. The Holocaust is just part of Dorit’s incredible story. After the war, stateless and without papers, she joined a touring dance group in order to be permitted to leave the country. She studied by day and sang and danced in seedy night clubs by night until her life was turned around when a talent scout spotted her and she got a record deal. Almost overnight she found herself on stage singing to the very German soldiers who were a threat to her survival just a few years previously. This is a fundraiser with a difference. How many people would be interested? If an evening could be arranged it would cost £5 per person. Contact [email protected] and definitely count me in.

PARISH COUNCIL: On Friday July 22 the parish council held a public meeting at the Icklesham Memorial Hall to discuss the way forward with the Local Needs Housing Project. The hall was at capacity with standing room only, attracting residents from all parts of Icklesham Parish. Councillor Peter Turner chaired the meeting and was supported by Tom Warder from Action in Rural Sussex who presented the background to the project and outlined what needs to happen next. Following a housing needs survey of the entire parish, it was established that there was a need for local housing. As part of the survey, residents were asked to suggest sites suitable for rural exception site development to be considered by the parish and district council. This would be for local needs housing. The feel of the meeting was that residents wanted to know as soon as possible what sites where being considered and for how many units. The decision that now needs to be made is about how the project is managed. There are three options, manage it solely through a housing association, manage it through a Community Land Trust or a combination of them both. The overwhelming feedback from the meeting was that it should be taken forward via a Community Land Trust. Residents volunteered to be part of the Trust and the Parish Council will discuss this at their full council meeting.

The parish council will release as much information about the results of the survey and the sites under consideration as soon as possible. The Council would like to thank those who attended the meeting and who volunteered to be part of the Trust. Please keep an eye on the parish website www.ickleshampc.org for more information as soon as it becomes available.

QUEEN’S HEAD: The live music between 4pm and 6 pm on Sunday will be Gypsy Jazz from France, music as it says. It is not too late to make a donation for Ian’s Bike ride of 100 miles on Sunday, raising funds for Macmillan Nurses. Good luck, Ian and enjoy the ride.

FETE AND FLOWER SHOW: Not long now until the fun packed afternoon on August 6, 1pm to 4pm. Brass Band, Rye Dance performance, Dog Show, country games and the mysterious roving octopot, plus all the usual stalls and attractions. There will be a licensed bar, a barbecue and teas and coffees in the hall. Raffle tickets £1 each with many prizes available from the Trust Treasurer Iain McLean at Ruby Moon, 17 Oast House Road. Entries for the Flower Show need to be delivered to 22 High Fords by Wednesday evening.

QUEEN’S AWARD FOR ENTERPRISE: Icklesham man recognised with a Queen’s Award for Enterprise. Chris Hill who grew up in High Fords was at a reception in Buckingham Palace last Thursday evening (14/7) which was given for this year’s recipients of the Queen’s Award for Enterprise. Chris was representing Spinlock who are the world’s leading lifejacket & rope holding technology brand and are based in Cowes, IOW. He joined the company when he left University and has since risen through the ranks to become their CEO.

Chris said: ‘We’re delighted with the Queen’s award for Enterprise. We have won many awards over the years for innovation but this recognises our ability to turn successfully designed products into a commercial success on a global scale.’

Chris’ proud parents Rosemary and Joe Hill who still live in Icklesham expressed their delight at their youngest son’s achievement by saying: ‘We are so proud of Chris for getting this award. Many villagers will doubtless remember him & his elder brother waiting twice a week at the village bus stop on their Sea Cadet uniforms on their way to meetings. Chris rang us after the reception and told us that the whole Royal Family was at the reception & he had spoken to the Duke of Edinburgh who congratulated him and promised to visit the factory to meet the whole team in August.’

CONTACT: Thank you for all the information received. Please keep it coming. Happy to pass it all on for you.

AND FINALLY: There are lots of things to do locally. Who needs to go away on holiday? It’s only the weather which is unpredictable, but it’s been lovely just lately. Long may it last. Enjoy.

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