Cuckmere News April 2021
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CUCKMERE NEWS APRIL 2021 £1 THE CUCKMERE CHURCHES Rector Revd Prebendary Stephen Stuckes The Rector’s day of rest The Rectory, Sloe Lane, Alfriston, BN26 5UP 871042 is Friday [email protected] Associate Priest Reverend Christyan James [email protected] 07595 910443 Pastoral Minister Kelly Ellis [email protected] 07903 687705 Parish Administrator Pauline Kennard, The Parish Office, St Andrew’s Church, 871093 The Tye, Alfriston, BN26 5TL [email protected] Website www.cuckmerechurches.org.uk Facebook St Andrew's Church, Alfriston, Sussex ST ANDREW, ALFRISTON WITH LULLINGTON Churchwardens Diana Monteath-Wilson 871143 Bill Rendall [email protected] 870057 Secretary to the PCC c/o Benefice Administrator [email protected] 871093 Organist Vacant Bell Tower Captain Pauline Kennard [email protected] 07792 948709 Director of Music & 07412 526671 Events Co-ordinator Kathryn Maulkin [email protected] ST MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL, LITLINGTON Churchwardens Richard Hayward - Lavenders, Litlington, BN26 5RA 870383 Rosie Beddows - Pipers Cottage, Litlington, BN26 5RA 870139 Secretary to the PCC Claire Hayward - Lavenders, Litlington 870383 ALL SAINTS, WEST DEAN Churchwardens Brian Paterson - 1 Woodland Cottages, Seaford 897065 Susan De Angeli 870466 Secretary to the PCC Trish Bullivent, [email protected] 07927 411032 ST PETER ad VINCULA, FOLKINGTON Churchwardens Sabrina Harcourt-Smith 482036 Alan Best Secretary to the PCC Julia Caffyn 01435 862830 CUCKMERE NEWS Editorial The Parish Office, St Andrew’s Church, The Tye, Alfriston, 871093 BN26 5TL [email protected] Advertisements Heather Hurst 07880 723947 We reserve the right to edit any contributions to this magazine with regard to length and content All material for inclusion in the Cuckmere News to be received by the 10th of each month please. Stephen writes……Recovering our song A report on the BBC News thread this week told of the Regent honeyeater, a bird so threatened that is has started to lose its song. A resident of south-eastern Australia there are now just 300 individual birds remaining and the Regent honeyeater is considered critically endangered. With numbers so sparse and living across an area 10 times the size of the UK they are often not in sufficiently close proximity to learn their song from each other and so a scientist, Dr Ross Crates is now teaching the song to captive honeyeaters so that they can pass it on! One of the consequences of the pandemic in this past year has been a ban on communal singing in church. We know that music and singing is integral to Anglican life and worship but its loss has been significant. What we sing and the way that we sing tells a lot about our life and expresses our hope. Singing is known to be good for our mental well-being (in Sweden over 50% of the entire population sing in choirs). I recall Rowan Williams visiting sub-saharan Africa one Lent and being struck by the fact that you could not stop people there singing ‘Alleluia’ even in that solemn season. Somehow the harder life is the more we need to sing. The season of Eastertide, living life in the light of the resurrection of Christ, is a long Alleluia sung in the face of all that seeks to crush life and love in the world. As we recover our song in the days and weeks to come we might think of these words from a song of Leonard Cohen ‘I’ll stand right here before the Lord of song with nothing, nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah.’ Stephen. CUCKMERE NEWS - 3 - April 2021 CHRISTIAN AID WEEK 10-16 MAY 2021 Enclosed with this edition of Cuckmere News is an envelope in which we invite you to make a donation to the work of Christian Aid. If you need it to be collected then please let us know. Christian Aid work around the world with some of the poorest communities. Read more about their work at christianaid.org.uk This year we will be running around our valley churches to raise funds and would be grateful if you felt able to sponsor us to do this using the envelope provided. Or you may wish to run with us! Stephen. ALFRISTON PRE-SCHOOL The Charity 'Alfriston Emergency group' who keep Alfriston and Cuckmere Valley moving in times of bad weather and traffic incidents or based in Alfriston. Many times over the past years the Pre-School has been able to remain open thanks to the roads being clear. As a charity ourselves, the Pre-School wanted to contribute to the group to help support the use of the fire vehicle's running costs. For a week our children aged from 1 - 5 years took part in a transporting water challenge, running up and down the Tye filling a big bucket with water! We have raised an amazing £150.00 for the group. Sally Gasson - Pre School Manager CUCKMERE NEWS - 5 - April 2021 Collectibles and Antiques sought Nick-nacks, memorabilia, cameras, china, vintage toys, jewellery, musical instruments, postcards and photographs … also purchased Fair prices paid to you in cash Furniture also considered Please call Joanne or Martin to discuss your requirements 07780 704659 and 07493 394193 Professional, discreet and efficient service with a £10 donation made to St Andrew’s Church Alfriston Restoration Fund with each house call WHAT’S HAPPENING IN YOUR GARDEN? As the weather is starting to improve we like playing in the garden and keep looking to see if the birds have chosen our garden to make their nests. Last year we had bees in one of our bird boxes! We are wondering if they will ‘bee’ there again! Now our Mother’s Day celebrations are over we will think about decorating our house for Easter. We particularly like our cute bunny decorations! Although we are really pleased to be back at school after a long time home schooling, the Easter break is always exciting. We are really looking forward to an Easter egg hunt and egg and spoon races that my mum does in our garden. We also love doing some Easter art but the best part about Easter is EATING EASTER EGGS! Yum! Darcey and Eliza Porter (Aged 8 & 6) ANNUAL PAROCHIAL CHURCH MEETINGS Thursday 15th April at 10am - Alfriston with Lullington - via Zoom Tuesday 20th April at 7.15pm - Litlington Meetings for Folkington and West Dean are to be arranged. Full details of these meetings including Zoom links will be sent out nearer the time via email. If you are not already on our email list and would like to receive regular updates on the services and events in our churches please send your email address to [email protected]. CUCKMERE NEWS - 7 - April 2021 THE PATH TO STEPS BRIDGE Earth bankt grey stones encased in moss, The softest quilt for granite rock Entwined with ancient roots and briars; Deep set, eternal home to countless myriad things which creep All furry, or with blue-glass wings hover in warm Spring air, Which wakes the scaly lizard to match her so-dry skin to last year’s bracken. A spider spins twixt ivy stems in hope Whilst underneath and unconcerned the armour’d beetles in their black and green Run on to seek a cooler stone Beneath the which to set up home. Primrose, sharp gorse and violet provide A jewelled enrichment for the eye Whilst birds pour out their song to open sky. Richard Hayward. CUCKMERE NEWS - 9 - April 2021 The yeast in the hot cross buns transforms the dough and makes them rise, Lord, whenever we see these familiar symbols of your glorious resurrection during this season of Eastertide, Help us to remember how you transformed the world by rising victorious on Easter day. Amen (Helena Smalman-Smith) A Clean Sweep Ross Atabey & Son Chimney sweeping - including smoke test and certification. 01435 812 153 07941 315214 Fiind us on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/acleansweephoram [email protected] Member of Association of Professional Independent Chimney Sweeps. LOONY GARDENING Gardeners that are guided by the moon are following the principles of biodynamics. They believe that the new and full moon pull on groundwater deep beneath the earth, causing moisture levels in the soil to fluctuate at the surface. This gives rise to some basic lunar gardening principles. When the moon is furthest away (i.e. a new moon) gravity can pull down and away from the garden. This is a good time to mulch beds with nutrients and minerals that are drawn down into the soil. It’s also a good time to lift root crops because the soil at the surface is lighter and the root crop will have absorbed maximum moisture from the surrounding soil and foliage above. Tree pruning can take place because the sap is being pulled downwards so there is less chance of prune marks bleeding. Those working in forestry often believe that ‘moon wood’ harvested at this time seasons more evenly and consistently because it has a lower moisture content. Louis XIV passed a royal forest order that wood only be felled at a waning moon for exactly these reasons. When the moon is nearest to earth (i.e. a full moon) its magnetic pull is at its strongest. This is the best time to sow seeds as there is maximum moisture available at soil level. It is also a good time to harvest above ground crops when the moisture is being pulled up into the leaves making them tastier. Pliny the Elder advised Roman farmers to pick fruit for market when the moon was waxing because it would weigh more, but he recommended picking at a new moon if the fruit was to be stored.