Iden

A CROSS WORD OVER THE CROSSWORD: “Have you been at this crossword”, my husband will say. He knows I have, because he has to sort it out. I do tend to charge at it willy nilly. Just wait, he says to see if a word fits in [but patience was never my virtue], and another thing I know I do is put the ‘across’, in the ‘down’ bit quite often. However , it’s something we can do together, and I always think doing a crossword tells so much about another person .Marvelling at another person’s knowledge of a word I’ve never heard of , sends me into a tailspin of respect and reverence. I look at my husband sometimes and think that our earlier lives have panned out so differently, just because he may happen to know the name of a type of rope, say, or an animal I’ve never heard of. I suddenly realise that he has experienced things I haven’t, and vice versa. Vocabulary tells us so much about where a person has been, and how and why we cling to some words, and let others float out of our heads, as something of no consequence .The words we use are as much creatures of circumstance as we are. My mother used to say that you should look up a word in the dictionary every day, and when I told my grandson that if I’m stumped, I sometimes looked up crossword clues on line, or in the ‘Thesaurus’, he said that was quite okay because it doesn’t really matter the way in which you learn. [out of the mouths of babes!]. Life, is not so much about what a person has learnt, it’s more what we haven’t learnt, the wastefulness that allows us to throw away facts like so many used tissues. “I won’t be needing that’, we think, but we do, or we will at some stage, if only to confound our other half, and get the crossword done and dusted.!
By Gill Griffin
Published 21st Aug 2015, 00:00 BST

THOSE WILD BOAR AGAIN: A wild boar was sited in Church Lane last week. They are all around this vicinity aren’t they, if not in droves, there always seems to be someone who has seen one here and there. We saw a pair of wild boar crossing a road late at night near Beckley last year, looking as nonchalant as if they’d just popped out to the pub. We were aghast. There are not sufficient of them [yet!], not to warrant an element of surprise at seeing a great big old hairy pig cross your path. Personally, I find them a bit creepy, and are they reproducing somewhere at the rate of knots? I take my hat off to David Attenborough, being able to pal–up to various animals, [and where is he when you need him] It’s quite put me off blackberrying !

RAISING BRASS: On Saturday 5th September, ‘Cranbrook Town Band’ are presenting ‘Raising Brass’, at Rye College. [situated in Love Lane Rye] This is a showy, fanfare of pieces, which will allow us to trip down memory lane, and enjoy a wonderful brass band. The show starts at 7.30pm. Tickets cost £10 [ £12 at the door], and include a light supper.[For more info., and to buy tickets, please contact Dave, telephone , 01797-223467, or email, [email protected] All proceeds go to Rye And District Day Centre. I went to the last one, and I must say, it was good fun. Besides the foot-tapping music, the Cranbrook Town Band were such a laugh!

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A SERVICE OF HOLY COMMUNION: There will be a service of Holy Communion in Iden Parish Church, on Sunday 23rd August at 9.30 am

THE POP-IN: What is the Pop-in? Well, it is, as most already know, a glorified coffee morning, where people can meet, and share a coffee, biscuits and a chat, and peruse some books and bric-a- brac. Everyone is welcome, and it’s lovely to see Iden folk exchanging banter---Do join us!The next pop-in is at 11am, on Monday 31st August, at 11am, in Iden village hall.

BINGO: The next Bingo session is in Iden village hall, on Thursday 3rd September. Doors open at 2pm, eyes down at 2.30 pm. There is a raffle, a light tea, a flier, a jackpot [and Uncle Tom Cobley and all, you might say] at Iden bingo sessions . Everyone from Rye and district is welcome.

W.E.A COURSES: There are three W.E.A courses for the Autumn term., and you can join, by contacting Andrew Stuart[telephone-01797-223-831], or e.mail [ [email protected] ]

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Courses cost £85.05p each, and they are—‘Practical Gardening’, for beginners and experienced gardeners. [A 10 week course with Jackie White, starts Friday, 2nd October, in Udimore Village Hall.] There will be coffee and cake available-----or, a 7 week course, on ‘The Unfolding Story Of China’ with Karen Chang., who will enlighten you on social, political and cultural aspects of China. The course starts on Monday, 5th October [2pm-5pm at St. Mary’s Centre, Rye]--- and the third course is ‘Burning Issues’, with David Alfred, which will consist of discussions on local, national, and global events. This is a chance to share views, on important subjects .The course starts on Thursday 8th October,[ from1.30pm-4.30pm, in St. Mary’s Centre, Rye.]

THE DOG IS HERE AGAIN: We are baby-sitting my son’s dog Jenson once again. He came on Thursday, with his cage, and food, and more toys than ‘Mothercare’. “No need to show me around old son”, he said to my husband. [in dog language of course] I recognise the aroma, floor polish and fried onions. [you’d think these humans would maybe open a window or something]. Grandad, he isn’t my real Grandad, [don’t they know you can’t mix the species], keeps throwing a ball up and down the garden saying “ fetch it boy”[does he realise that I’m only four months old, and in human terms I should be taking a nap right now, gazing up at one of those over-cot mobiles] Don’t look now, but, here comes Grandma Gill[ oh my giddy aunt], she’s started in with the baby talk. “who’s Granny’s sweetie pops then”[ I’ve gotta smile here or I won’t get fed] “You”, she says [presumably she means me], are going on a lovely walk, all around Iden”. Now here she’s being presumptuous [ the woman thinks she has everything in the bag] how does she know I’m going to love walking around Iden. I may hate walking around Iden, I may even loathe walking around Iden . I may get as far as Grove Lane and start dragging my sorry little behind on the ground and refuse to budge. Then what’s Grandpa going to do eh? I suppose I’ll have to humour him, [talk about the whole world’s a stage], the poor guy is there champing at the bit with his pooper- scooper bags and my extendable lead, looking so hopeful. Yup!, I’d better show willing. It’ll be me taking him for a walk anyhow [he looks as though he could do with one of my Bob Martin’s] “Come on old boy!”

CONTACT ME: If anyone has anything to add to Iden Village Voice, please ring Gill Griffin [telephone 01-797 280311], and I will gladly include it.

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Related topics:David Attenborough