Winchelsea

On Saturday June 14th Dr Craig Lambert will be giving a talk on: The Naval Role of the Cinque Ports. The event is organised by Winchelsea Archaeological Society and will begin at 3pm in St Thomas’ Church. In 1155 the main obligation for each of the Ports was to provide fifty-seven ships for fifteen days service to the king annually. For these services the towns were exempt from taxes, allowed to self-govern and execute criminals but in due course became a law unto themselves.

Winchelsea Archaeological Society has also arranged a guided Cellar Tour for Sunday June 15th at 2pm from Castle Street. WAS can be contacted on [email protected] for bookings and the cost is £5 per person.

The second in the series of eleven Garden Talks, by the Garden Society, is on Thursday June 19th at Cleveland House, Back Lane. Sarah Jempson will be giving gardening tips on: The challenge of making a wild flower meadow. You may already have a natural wild flower garden as the weather has been ideal for abundant growth but come along and find out how it is best achieved.

The Literary Society’s monthly meeting is next Friday June 20th at 7 for 7.30pm in the Court Hall. Gillian Southgate will be giving the talk entitled: Chaucer Evening, on Geoffrey Chaucer who was considered the ‘Father of Literature’. His famous book was The Canterbury Tales but he also wrote the intriguing poem, The Legend of Good Women, as well as Troilus and Criseyde and, The House of Fame, amongst other works.

The main Open Gardens event is held in June every year in support of charities. Beginning on Saturday June 21st from 1 till 5.30pm the garden visits will be for the NGS (National Gardens Scheme). A second opening will be on Monday June 23rd from 2 till 5.30pm to raise money for ARRCC. On both days there will be teas in the New Hall and Friary Gardeners will be selling plants in Castle Street on the Saturday.

The Rother Responders are holding two training sessions on the use of defibrillators and their role. It is on Wednesday June 25th in Brede Village Hall. One session starts at 7pm and the next at 8pm. Also it is worth noting that there is a defibrillator on the wall outside the Fire Station.

There seems to be a great deal of confusion at Rother over the collection of garden waste from households without brown wheelie bins, as is the case in Winchelsea. This is due to the widespread lack of access to the rear of many properties in these historic areas. The current official line at Rother is that the collection of bags in the past, containing garden waste, was a mistake which has been corrected. They now say that bagged collections of garden waste will not continue after Monday June 30th 2014. Although special provision was made a few years ago to collect garden waste in bags it seems that Rother has forgotten to include this special provision in the contract with the new provider which is why they have to stop it. As a way round this perplexity Rother is suggesting that residents, including the elderly and infirm, have the option to compost or recycle garden waste at the nearest recycling centre which is either Battle or St Leonards. If you are a householder affected by Rother’s response to the garden waste problem and would like to speak to somebody you could contact Cllr Ramus on 01797 227253 or Cllr Osborne on 222415. In the meantime you will have to continue putting your garden waste out in bags.

Winchelsea Beach

This Sunday June 15th St Richard’s Church is holding its own Patronal Service in honour St Richard of Chichester, Patron Saint of Sussex. St Richard was also known as Richard de Wych due to being born at Wych, now Droitwich near Worcester and he was canonised in 1262. The Patronal Eucharist will begin at 9.15am with Canon Whitehead.

‘Eyes Down’ for the Cash Bingo evening on Wednesday June 18th in the Community Hall. All are welcome to come along, have fun and hope to win and doors are open as usual at 7 for 7.30pm.

Cindi Cogswell

31 Highfords, Icklesham