Winchelsea

Theatre Intrigue: Spite & Smut & Tales & Lies will be performed at the Barn Theatre in Smallhythe on Saturday September 20th at 7pm. Tickets cost £10 p.p. and are on sale at the National Trust Office (0844 2491895). During the reign of King George II 1737 proves to be a bad year for the Royal Family.

AGM & Stones talk: The Friends of Winchelsea Church are holding their Annual General Meeting tomorrow (Saturday) at 10.30 for 11am in St Thomas’ Church. Election of the Council will take place at the meeting and members of the present Council will be standing. Once the business of the AGM is completed wine and refreshments will be available. After the meeting which is open to all there will be an illustrated talk by Mr Richard Crook who is the Architect to St Thomas’ Church and Winchelsea Corporation. Richard plans to show some intriguing and lesser known pieces of the skilled masonry found in the town.

Craft Group: The New Hall Society Craft Group is having a meeting on Thursday September 25th from 2 to 4pm in the New Hall. This is a continuation of making different items for the Christmas Fair in two months time. If you have any materials that can be put to good use please do bring them along.

Music for Wellbeing: The Patient Participation Group of the Ferry Road Health Centre is holding a coffee morning on Friday September 26th from 10am to noon, in the Surgery in aid of the Macmillan Nurses. They are also running a joint event with Rye Medical Centre at Rye Primary School on Wednesday October 1st at 6 for 6.30pm when Liz Butt will be telling everyone about ‘Music for Wellbeing ... how music can support you through many different health problems’. All are welcome and refreshments will be provided. Parking is available round the back of the school off Love Lane.

Healthcare Inspection: The Care Quality Commission will be inspecting the East Sussex Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust from 9 September 2014. The Trust provides hospital and community services throughout East Sussex. Amongst the many health care sites to be inspected which include the Conquest Hospital and Bexhill Hospital is the local Rye, Winchelsea and District Memorial Hospital. To find out how to give feedback on high quality care the website address is: http://bit.ly/1ukrjml as the inspection team is interested to hear from anyone who has used the services. After the inspection a report will be published on the CQC website.

Advent Windows 2014: For the last four Christmases, Winchelsea has put on twenty four Advent Window displays around the town which are revealed every day throughout December. If any residents would like to host a Christmas-themed window this year the number to contact is 01797 226062, by the end of September. Originally the themes were based on the titles of carols and there will be a list for anyone who would like to take part, or a mid-winter subject of your choice is also welcome.

Remembering Donald Sinden: Before he died on September 11th 2014 at the age of ninety famous actor Donald Sinden, from nearby Ebony, made one of his last public appearances on Sunday August 19th 2012. This was at the filming of the Red Slipper in Winchelsea which concerned two young girls watching a procession of troops marching through the High Street in 1899 on their way to embark for South Africa. In the excitement one of the girls throws a red slipper which a passing soldier catches and keeps. The girl who threw the slipper often wondered what happened to the slipper and hoped it had brought the soldier luck in faraway South Africa. Filming was carried out by young people from the vocational training charity Entertainment Workshops and all the actors in the film were volunteers. Everybody was thrilled that local man Sir Donald Sinden had kindly agreed to play Sir Henry Irving. In the film Sir Henry (Donald Sinden) is visiting Ellen Terry at Tower Cottage and they have an agreeable time waving at the troops marching past. This larger than life character died in peaceful surrounds at his home in Romney Marsh.

Autumn Flower Show Results: Last Saturday’s Autumn Show in the New Hall went very well so thank you to the Garden Society and all who supported the Show. Congratulations also to the winners who are as follows: The society’s challenge cup for flowers. - Howard Norton; The Cleveland challenge bowl for vegetables

& fruit. - Tony Davis; The Veness award for Dahlias. - Sue Davis & Howard Norton; The Challenge cup for floral art.- Julia Cooper & Howard Norton; Armoury Challenge Cup for handicrafts.- Helen Redmond; Armoury challenge bowl for the fun class (largest pumpkin).- John Dunk; The Society’s challenge cup for the best Exhibit in show. - Helen Redmond; The David & Margaret Bowen memorial cup for exhibitor gaining most points in the show. - Howard Norton; Winchelsea cup for children’s classes (9-14 years). - Alexander Redmond.

Morning Worship: The next Holy Communion service at St Richard’s Church, Winchelsea Beach, is this Sunday September 21st at 9.15am. Canon Robin Whitehead will be leading the service and friends and visitors are invited to attend.

Cash Bingo: Every other week there is an evening of Bingo in the Community Hall, Winchelsea Beach, with light refreshments. The next session which welcomes all is on Wednesday September 24th at 7, for eyes down at 7.30pm.

A week to go: Don’t forget that there is only one week to go to the next Winchelsea Beach Fellowship Lunch on Friday September 26th. This is at the usual time of 12 for 12.30pm in the Community Hall and you do have to book soon on 01797 227168 as the Winchelsea Beach Community Association need to know numbers.

Cindi Cogswell

31 Highfords, Icklesham