Brede

Amongst all the dismal weather of late, one bright spot has emerged in that the Post Office is giving Broad Oak Stores a trial period offering most of their services to see how they get on. The times are not very long to start with being just Fridays from 11.00 am to 1.00 pm, roughly the same as the Farmers’ Market, but if it proves to be used by local people, and there is demand for more, then perhaps we shall see longer hours. Services being offered are Benefits, Pensions, POCA cards, personal banking with all banks except HSBC, E-top ups, paying all bills except TV licences, parcel services, travel items including insurance and currency requests and savings such as Premium Bonds. Car Licences cannot be issued nor can Passports be dealt with. It will be up to us to use the services on offer and hang on to them now they has been re-started..

Tomorrow, Saturday, February 2, there is another Village Dance from 7.30 pm at the Village Hall. The programme as usual will include favourite dances from ballroom, sequence, Latin and line dancing. Entrance is £3.00. Also there is the monthly opening of the Brede Giants Pumping Engines at Brede Waterworks from 10 am to 4.00 pm. Parking is free, refreshments and souvenir items are available. New members for the Society are welcome as is anyone who likes working with heritage machinery

The Annual General Meeting of Brede Mothers’ Union will take place at the Rectory next Wednesday, February 6, at 2.30 pm. The New Year’s Lunch organised by the Rye & District Association of the National Trust had to be postponed last week and will now be held next Saturday, February 9, at 12.30 for 1.00 pm at the Powdermills Hotel, Battle. Early booking is advised and can be done through Ros Adkins on 01797-253763, the cost being £24.50 per person.

The Mobile Library calls again next week on Tuesday, February 5, from 3.00 to 3.40 pm in Oakhill Drive and 3.50 to 4.25 pm in Reedswood Road. It will also be at the Village Hall on Thursday, February 7, from 1.25 to 1.55 pm. Apart from reading books, the Library has a number of other facilities available.

It has not been a practice of mine to include personal information during the ten years or so that I have been writing the Village Voice but with the sudden sad loss of my wife Betty I feel that my unwritten rule should be broken. At her funeral service last week, the rector, Father Martin Harper, said in his opening words that he had never seen so many people in the church during his time in Brede. To the family this came as a wonderful gesture by our many friends and I am sure those that were there felt it was a fitting tribute to a person who had devoted her entire life to the village. We have received around a hundred messages of sympathy and it was quite obvious that she was much loved and respected by everyone she was acquainted with and the phrase oft repeated was that ‘she was such a lovely lady’ Having just received this month’s Parish Magazine and read the wonderful comments on her life, it is without doubt that she will certainly be missed in the village as time goes by, and I would like to thank all those friends who rallied round and provided such a splendid reception for so many of the congregation when they returned to the Village Hall after the funeral service. It was typical of the village to do this as they have done on so many occasions before but this time, regrettably, one of their number was missing I am sorry to say.

Services at St. George’s Church during the coming week are the Sung Eucharist at 9.30 am, Evensong at 4.30 pm and the Deanery Candlemas Service at 6.00 pm on Sunday, February 3, with Holy Communion on Tuesday, February 5 and Thursday, 8, at 9.00 am and Wednesday, February 6, at 10.00 am.

Trinity Methodist Church continues with their normal Service on Sunday, February 3 at Broad Oak at 10.30 am. The service will be conducted by the Revd. Robin Roberts..

Activities for the coming week at the Village Hall:

Saturday, February 2: Village Dance (7.30 pm); Monday, 4: Age UK (10.30 am), Rainbows (4.00 pm), Brownies (5.30 pm), Whist Drive (7.30 pm); Tuesday, 5: Painting for Pleasure (9.30 am); Thursday, 7: Stretch and Tone (9.30 am); Friday, 8: Farmers’ Market (10.00 am).

Scout Hut, Stubb Lane: Monday, February 4: Beavers (5.30-6.30 pm), Cubs (6.30-8.00 pm).

If you have anything to be put in the column it can be sent e-mail to: [email protected]