Icklesham

CHURCH SERVICE: The 10.30 am service on Sunday 15th February will be Parish Eucharist on the Sunday before Lent. Ash Wednesday is on 18th February with a special Ashing service at 11 am.

QUEEN’S HEAD: Live music this coming Sunday will be played by Martin Blackman playing covers.

MARATHON: Hopefully you are already popping change into the collection boxes at the Queen’s Head or the Royal Oak to support Ian when he goes “ambling round Hastings “ in the Hastings Half Marathon in aid of St. Michael’s Hospice. This takes place on Sunday 22nd March. So there is a little more time to make your donations if you haven’t yet had the opportunity.

WEATHER: The sun is shining again. It seems that it often does on a Monday. That old jet stream has now wandered off north to Scandinavia, and we are in an area of high pressure. I am told that last Sunday was a really nice spring day here. It wasn’t in Cumbria where I was visiting. There was very nasty freezing fog, not a day to be out of doors at all. And yet generally it has been milder there than here. And I even saw lambs in the fields.

FLOWERS: I have now added wallflowers to the list of pretty things. In Cumbria there are carpets of snowdrops in gardens, woodland and on roadside verges. The soil must be different.

FLOWER CLUB: There will be a Coffee morning in the Memorial Hall on Saturday 14th February from 10.30 am until 12 noon. This is to raise funds for flowers to support the Church Flower Festival at the beginning of July. The title for the flower festival this year is “My Favourite ------”. and Christine Overy is hoping that this might inspire people to come and help with the flower arrangements. Please consider helping as you do not have to be a flower arranger, only have a little bit of imagination.Christine will be available at the coffee morning with a suggestion list for those who need it and to discuss anything you may wish to know.There will be the usual home made cakes and jams for sale, and a few plants. So even if you do not wish to be involved with the flowers it should be a good social morning with coffee, biscuits and friendly conversation.

PANTOMIME: Tickets are on sale at the Icklesham Stores for The Sleeping Beauty of Icklesham, costing £6.50 for adults and £4.50 for children. This pantomime has been written by our very own Nicky Harris and Josie Body. It involves lots of princess, princesses, barons and baronesses, wicked and white witches, sons and daughters, servants and suitors, a good fairy and, of course, a dame. Performances are on Thursday 26th, Friday 27th and Saturday 28th February at 7.30 pm. There will also be a matinee on Saturday at 2.30 pm. If you want to book a ticket now that you have just read about it, you could phone Nicky on 01424 812 996.

SCHOOL NEWS: The school is very proud of their Learning Ambassadors and Prefect Team for the way in which they organised the event at school, when eleven members from both Primary and Secondary schools and Academies spent a morning visiting Icklesham. They were also joined by Amber Rudd MP. The Bring and Buy Sale raised £92.50 Ed Boxall will be in school on Friday for an Arts Day.T Spring Break begins on Monday 16th for a week. Hope the sun shines for the holiday.

CONTACT: Please let me know about any news items, reports or announcements which you would like included in the Village Voice column. You could ring 01424 815 247 or pop round. I have an email address which I will tell you if you ask. Copy by Sunday please.

AND FINALLY: May I wish you a pleasant week. Enjoy the holiday with the children if you have some of them at home.

Marion Lovell

7 Oast House Field