Salehurst & Parish Council

Volumel. lssue3 Autumn2005

Autumn is now upon us and with the They have also recently carried We are very grateful to the out small band of volunteerswho recent rain residents minds will practice runs to see that all equipment deliver the newsletter. But, we naturally turn to the events of 2000 and etc. is in place. still needsome help, particu- the flooding of the village. Since then, larly in Rother View/ Early in the new year we hope to of course, there have been extensive 'drop-in' Coronation Cottages/Andrews arrange a morning when Closeareas. These areas are flood defences installed and whilst residentscan discussthe defencesand currently deliveredby a volun- thankfully these have not been tested teer who doesn't live there and planswith membersof the EA. if we don't get an offer from practically we know that the someonefrom the area we may Environment Agency is well prepared Whilst we hope that no one will suffer not be able to continue deliverv in its planning. Much clearance work from flooding, please remember that there. Can you help? has been done on the rivers and the parish Council still holds some If so, pleasecontact the drainage ditches and this should help funds to help in an emergency. parish office. any water get away faster.

What's happening at the Mill? - will now continue for the fore- Datesfor your diary Rother DC Planning Project Manager seeable future with an amended timeta- 2006 is putting together a scheme to try to ble. raise grant money to purchase a large The new timetableserving Robertsbridge proportion of the site to create a Cul- is: Tuesday Council Meeting 9th ture and Enterprise centre. 10.45 Robertsbridge January Hackwoods Hall If successful,this would mean that not 10.50 Railway station only would jobs be created but.there 10.55 George Hotel Planning Meeting 2nd would be space for arts creation pro- Youth Centre February via Mountfield arriving Battle 1L.15 jects and performances;small business Return from Battle 13.10 from Abbey Council Meeting I3th units and workshops enabling new Green, via Mountfield, arriving Roberts- Robertsbridge March business start ups and educational fa- Hall bridge 13.30pm. cilities enabling young people to get Fridays-the same as Tuesdays except Planning Meeting 6th practical work experience. returning from Battle at 13.00 Youth Centre April Time is short for putting in the grant The bus also runs out to Burwash via application and we, and Rother, want Hurst Green on Fridays. The fare is Parish Assembly I)th to know your thoughtson this project. f2.50p return Robertsbridge April or f.1.25p with a County Hall There will be consultationwith inter- Card (that's cheaper than the parking! ested parties over the months aheadbut Ed.). County Cards are availablefree of we are holding an initial consultation charge if you are a Rother resident or AIL meetings start at 7.30 pm for village residentson Friday 9th De- over 60 and can be obtained from Rother and a period of up to 15 cember during the Late Night Shop- Help & Advice Centre, Market Square, minutes is allowed at the start ping evening. The venue will be an- Battle. You will need to take proof of of the meeting for public commentor questions. nouncedlater but why not drop in and identity and a passportsized photo. Agendas .for meetings are see what is proposedand give us your The future of the Community Bus service posted on the parish notice views and enjoy somerefreshments. relies on it being usedand also for volun- boards and web site at least 3 teer drivers. The service can use your days before the meeting- B.A.C.T. Bus Service Continues planning applications are help even if you can give only half a day After severaluncertain 'phone available for inspection at the weeks when the a week! Please the BACT office parish ffice during normal funding was cut and the future of the 01424772001for details of this and ser- opening times or on the Rother service was in doubt, the Community vices and also if you need to be picked District Council web site. Bus servicebetween Battle and up other than at the detailedstops.

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What is the Parish Council doing about...... ? In eachissue of the newsletterwe will try to focus on one aspectof the parishcouncil responsibilities.

unhappy about the prospect of foreign marble, refused to sell it, and the land was eventually acquired under 'The East (Salehurst Burial Ground) Compul- sory PurchaseOrder 1951' and conveyedto Salehurst ParishCouncil on 7'nOctober 1953 for fl5. Several years of prepdrationsfollowed, including formation of plans, setting of fees and rules and regu- Salehurst Cemetery - not to be confused with the lations, home office approvals,planning applications churchyard!!The parish cemeteryis situatedin Beech and of course, ground preparation and boundary House Lane, approximately 600 yards NW of Sale- fences and gates etc. It was agreed that the Burial 'Lawn hurst Church. It covers just under an acre, with ap- Ground should be of the Cemetery Type', proximately600 grave spaces. meaningno grave mounds,no grave curbs or edgings 'Stone The land, formerly known as Rock Croft' and headstoneslimited in sizeand type. was originally freely given to the Vicar of Salehurstin Part of the Cemetery(Division B) was consecrated 1933,in exerciseof powerscontained in the Consecra- by the Bishop of on Wednesday1Oth September tion of ChurchyardsAct 1867. However, it was sub- 1958, and the first interment took place on 28'nJuly ject to a restriction on the use of foreign marble for 1960, in grave number l, Division B; Neville Sher- curbs and headstones,and it was eventually decided wood died in a road accidentin Station Road, age 18 that the Bishop would be unableto consecratethe land years. There have now been 405 interments(burials with this restrictionin place. When the donor refused and crematedremains), with approximately300 grave to lift it, the land was conveyedback to him and the spacesremaining. If intermentscontinue at the same conveyanceendorsed as cancelledon 28thMay 1949. averagerate as the last 45 years,and barring outbreaks This left the Church with a serious problem. The of plague(or Bird Flu!!) this preciousresource should churchyardwas almost full, with only sufficient grave last for another45 years or so! A further section (in spacesfor a few more years.Having alreadyextended Divisio_nA) was consecratedby the Bishop on Satur- the churchyard in 1927 and again in 1931 they were day l4th December2002. unable to identify any other suitable piece of land in All parishionersof Salehurstand Robertsbridgehave the vicinity to extend it further. When the churchyard a right of burial in the Cemetery,on payment of the was full, the responsibilityfor providing grave spaces appropriatefee. Non parishionersmay, at the discre- 'Battle would fall to the then District Council.. The tion of the Cemetery Committee, be buried subject to Church was reluctant for that to happen,believing it the paymentof double the standardfee. This is in or- preferable for the provision to remain within local der to preservethe limited spacefor our own residents, control, so they approachedthe ParishCouncil to ask but allow for discretionfor those with very close ties them to adoptthe Burial Acts of 1852to 1906. to the village, one examplebeing residentswho have SalehurstParish Council was constitutedas the Bur- spenttheir last few yearsin a nursinghome. ial Authority, under the Local GovernmentAct 1894 If you have never visited the cemetery,why not take Section 7(1)(c), by resolution of a Parish Meeting a walk up there? It is a very tranquil and lovely spot, held on 5'n May 1950. It then fell to them to find a particularly on a sunny day and has very spectacular suitable piece of land within the parish for a burial views acrossthe village. 'tidy ground. After much research and several possible We hope to arrangea up' day early in the New sites being dismissed(there are strict rules relating to Year, so if you are interestedin taking part pleasecon- proximity of housing,distance from roads,direction of tact the Clerk. land drainage,liability to flooding etc) the only piece Full copies of the rules and regulationsand fees 'Stone are of land identified as suitablewas... Rock Croft' on display at the cemetery,on our website, or avail- in Beech House Lane! The owner, presumablystill able from the Clerk at the Parish Office.

I j Bngtandexpects... the parish joined many others Touch' given by David Clark, followed by refresh- i aroundthe country in commemoratingthe 200th anni- ments(prepared by the W.I. Members)which raised versary of the Battle of Trafalgar and the death of Ad- f 186for the seaman'scharity, SeafarersUK. Thanks miral Nelson.On Friday 2lst October,the anniversary to all who helpedto make this event so successfulOn date,the churchbells were rung at midday and in the Sunday23rd, a specialservice of commemorationwas 'The eveningthere was an illustratedtalk Nelson held at St. Mary's church,Salehurst. VOLUMEI. ISSUE3 PAGE3

Age Concern - Age Concern Monday Club meets quality of life through recreational movement training every Monday (exceptBank Holidays) in the Village with rhythmic musical accompaniment. Extend is Hall from 10:30-2:30(cost f4.00). A well stocked- useful not only for thosewishing to maintainmobility stall sells various items including books, bric-a-brac, but also as a part of a rehabilitation process after ill- cards, plants and wool. The baked goods stall has ness and is readily adaptedto meet all needs. A new been a very popular recent addition. Biscuits, cakes, instructorwill take over this favoured activity on 9th chutney, jam, marmalade, and pies are for sale one January. Monday a month - exactdate is postedin the hall. Additional services:the club has a wheelchairavail- Coffee and biscuits are served on arrival and lunch is able for short-term loan - donations gratefully ac- "apetito". offered from a servicerun by One Monday cepted. A chiropodist visits at regular intervals for "home a month is set aside to provide cooking", which she chargesa fee. courtesy of two volunteers who have been doing this from their own homesfor at least 10 years. Roberts- To date, the club has taken coach trips to Middle "shopping bridge WI provides a local service" each Farm and ShorehamAirport. At the time of this writ week to pick up items of need from the shops in the ing, other trips are planned for a pub lunch at Lympne village. A 20p raffle is held giving members the (September)and a ride to ParadisePark Garden Cen- chanceto win a small useful item. Birthdays are re- tre at Newhaven(October). The annualshopping trip membered at the appropriate time with a card, flow- to Eastbournewith lunch at the Wish Tower will be ers and a hearty rendition of Happy Birthday sung by on 2l't November and a few weeks later, on the 12th all. This past July we not only celebratedthe club's December, the much-looked forward to Christmas birthday (18 this year!) but also the 80ft birthday of party will be held in the Village Hall, when members one of the founding members, Miss Margaret Bry- will be entertainedby the studentsof SalehurstPri- son. mary School singing .Christmas Carols. The last meetingthis year is 19tnDecember. Meetingsresume After lunch, a hot cup of tea is servedduring which on 9thJanuary 2006. members break off into little groups to play cards, Dominoes, Scrabble,or perhapsjust sit and chat or The Monday Club's successcan be attributedto the look at the selectionof magazines. wonderful members who attend each week, many of "regulars" whom have been for years. Prospective EXTEND (Exercise Training for the Elderly and membersare invited to stop by the Village Hall on Disabled) EXERCISES have been provided since the Mondays for a coffee and a chat and are also wel- club's inception 18 years ago. Extend doesnot pro- come to stay for dinner. For further information, vide treatment but trains its teachers to promote the contactPat (880095) or Margaret (880121).

Jubilee Garden Saturday 25th June saw the official parish owned the land and had reached maturity. opening of the garden which had Over the next few yearsmore will disappear,so the been largely funded and parish is starting a replacementprogramme but with designed by Southern Water & more variety. This winter we are planting some SE Water as an environmental Black Poplarswhich also like wet places;are fairly mitigation project in connection fast growing and have good autumn colours and with the Bewl Transferpipeline. summer scents. As the remaining willows are Margaret Devlin, M.D., of SE removedwe will plant other species. Water performed the short ceremony. The wooden carving HOMECALL - This year Homecall celebrates20 by artist Sue Nunn was commissioned by years of providing a free service to people with Robertsbridge Arts Partnership and was donated to varying degrees of sight loss. All volunteers are the parish to mark the completion of the flood trained and matched one to one with clients and defences. provide help by reading letters, going for a walk It is good to seethat this pleasantspot hasbecome together,helping with phonecalls - but not cooking, a popular place for people to sit and enjoy the personal care or domestic work. If you know peacefulsurroundings. someonewho is visually impairedwho would like to Across the road in Piper's Field, which also use the servicesor if you have the time to visit a belongs to the parish, you may have noticed that client for even one hour per week then please several trees were cut down in the summer. These contact Barbara Balkham. the Rural Rother were willows planted by Gray Nicolls before the Coordinatortel:01424 75503,or SALEHURST & ROBERTSBRIDGE Increased Police Presence for village - a new initiative by PARISH COUNCIL SussexPolice should see an increasein the number of police and Community Support Officers seen in the village. It was Clerk to the Council: hoped to set up a police base in the One Stop shop thanks to Mrs Karen Ripley the ownersof the building (Owen & Doreen who ran the shop before One Stop). This would mean that officers will not al- The ParishOffice ways have to return to Battle. The Parish Council is working RobertsbridgeYouth Centre closely with Inspector Franklin on this project which will The Grove, George Hill hopefully be up and running in the near future. Robertsbridge, TN32 5AP The One Stop location has run into some,problems, hopefully Phone:01580882066 not insuperable,but if any one knows of other possible sites Fax:01580882066 pleaseget in touch. Email:[email protected] Similar facilities are being proposedfor other villages Web address: such as Burwash if suitable premises www.salehurst-pc.org.ukor can be found and this should www. robertsbridge-pc.org.uk mean that the police coveragefor the rural areaswill be much improved. Another improvement is the installation of CCTV The ParishOffice is open to the public at the camerasoutside One Stop and the SevenStars. followingtimes: Tuesday 9am to I lam Thursday 2pm to 4pm Walks in Salehurst & Robertsbridge - It is more than l0 years since this book was first publishedand a new, fully re- CounciI vised edition has now beenpublished. 8 walks, 3 to 5 miles in Web address: length,covering much of the parishare described. www.rother.gov.uk The book is now on sale,price f,l.50p, from the Post Office or the Parish Office.

Worker's Educational Association - the WEA has tee and were thankedfor their dedicatedservice over beenin existencefor over 100 yearsand is the largest many years. independentprovider of adult education in the coun- A new committeewas formed with the post of Treas- try; it is recognised and supported by central and lo- urer being filled by Nigel Lockwood and that of Sec- cal government. A branch has been running in retaryby Philip Underhill. New memberscame for- Robertsbridgeon and off for over 20 years. ward for the committee and at their first meeting David Chandlerwas electedas Chairman. The WEA is unusual in that the courses are deter- In July, Jill Woodgateretired from her position as mined by local members who decide what course BookingsOfficer and this post was filled by Serena they want and the Area Course Coordinator then tries Colvin. For bookings,Serena can be contactedon to find a tutor to run it for us! Robertsbridgehas a 01580 882075:e-mail:[email protected]. fairly eclectic group and over the years we have had More informationabout the hall and booking fees courses on history, literature, art, architecture and can be found at the web site www.robertsbridsehall. cosmology! During this current term we have a 'All co.uk courseon aspectsof Opera' and in the New Year It is good to seethat the hall will continue to pro- therewill be a courseon Renaissanceart. vide a good venue for village events under its new The group is small, friendly and informal and you committee. don't need any specialqualifications or knowledgeto Any news? - we are always happy to report news join a class;if you want to seeif a courseis right for from local groups - pleasesend any items to the Par- you, you are welcome to come to the first meeting ish Clerk either as hard copy or electronically. without obligation.Courses normally cost f39 for 10 two hour meetingsbut there are some concessions. STOP PRESS!! Christmas & New Year - The par- For more information please contact the group Secre- ish office will be open from 9 - l lam (NOT the after- tary, MargaretAllen on 01580 881056 noon as usual) on Thursday22nd Decemberand will then be closed until Tuesday 3rd January9 - llam. Robertsbridge Hall - At the Community Association Urgent enquiries can be left on the parish answer AGM in June, the Chairman, Gail Amies and the phoneservice. TreasurerDavid Allen both retired from the commit-

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