Whatlington village voice

Whatlington Diamond Jubilee street party was held on Monday 4th June which was attended by the most people I have ever seen in the village. It was a great event for the village and we must thank the team of organisers for this event. The party went on late into the evening and was enjoyed by all. The vision of children running and cycling carefree down the Whatlington Road to Battle will stay with people a along time I am sure.

Whatlington village fete will be held on Saturday the 30th June from 1.30 pm on the field next door to the village hall car park.

Among the matters discussed at the recent Parish Council meeting were - The date of the 20th June for the re-siting of the telegraph pole at Woodmans Oak. Contact with Southern Water to remedy the problem of smells being emitted from their sewage treatment plant. Refusal for planters to be sited along the grass verge on the A.21. The Whatlington name sign now sited. The East Sussex maintenance team have carried out clearance of brambles along the verges on the C.293 and washed all the road signs in the village plus they will be returning to complete the work.

An order for the purchase of Jubilee mugs is ahead and arrangements to rod through the village spring are to be made. The next parish council meeting is on the 16th August.

Whilst going round the village last week it was good to hear how everyone who attended the Jubilee street party enjoyed it and for this we need to thank Angie and Alex for all the organising also those who helped on the day. It just goes to show that the village does come together for an event, with the next one being the fete on the 30th June.

Not only was it sports day at the local school this week but the the whole week was themed “mini Olympics” with a mini marathon and also prizes for the best “Olympic mascots” made by the pupils. I only have the results from the start of the week as this is still going on as I write but I know that some of the children were running a long way round the track with some completing many dozen laps of the track. The results will be given to parents at a special assembly today Friday 15th June.

A big thank-you to Hazel for leading our wine tasting evening at The Royal Oak last Saturday. We tasted five very unusual wines form around the world, with the favourite being the South African Viognier from the Lourensford vineyard. We will arrange another wine tasting in July, details to follow in this column next week.

We hold a Pub Quiz at The Royal Oak every Thursday evening from 8pm for teams of up to six people. It’s a friendly evening of good humoured rivalry, so if you like a bit of trivia and the thrill of competition come and join us!

The next live music event at The Royal Oak is our regular Traditional Irish Tunes session on Friday 29th June from 8.30pm. If you’ve not experienced this unique foot tapping experience, then be assured that it’s well worth the visit! Booking is advisable on 01424 870492.

If you’re interested in seeing Nicky’s photos from the Jubilee Street Party that really captured the jolly mood of the day, then visit The Royal Oak facebook page where there is an album that you can view.

The Whatlington Village Fete is fast approaching! On Saturday 30th June the field by the Village Hall will be host to an exciting range of activities and events from 1.30pm. For the first time we will have performances from “The Galloping Cuckoos”, plus the children from Whatlington and Mountfield School will be dancing round the Maypole which was a huge success last year as was the vintage and classic car display which will return this year. If you have a bit of anger to vent, the new plate smashing stall may be the ideal opportunity, but if you’re feeling relaxed and chilled out maybe the live English folk music by “Glashin” will be the order of the day! There will be a variety of other traditional stalls plus games to play and prizes to win for all the family, and then in the afternoon there will be a stool ball competition for those that are still feeling energetic! Help is always appreciated in the morning to set up all the stalls, and then at the end of the afternoon to clear up. If you have any old crockery that you don’t want, or if you would like to donate a raffle prize, or have any other suggestions or would like to help or get involved, please contact Angie on 01424 870087.

Andrew Ratcliffe, Oakview