Nicky Bishop

Hearty congratulations to Katrina Turner and Adam Ratcliffe on the birth of Charlie Robin Ratcliffe  who was born at home on Saturday 12th of November, weighing 7lbs 3oz.  Adam says “you just have to look at him to love him”.  Aah…

Stuck for seasonal gift ideas? A gift subscription to the 100 Club for 2017 is the ideal solution to all your gift dilemmas!

Gift vouchers will be on sale at the Christmas Coffee Morning or from Robin Ratcliffe on 01424 892674.

And of course you can still buy a subscription for yourself …

For just £12 per year, you can help support the New Village Hall project and be in with a chance of winning a cash prize!

Adam Ratcliffe’s win in November’s 100 Club Draw is perfectly timed for the imminent arrival of a new member of the family. Watch this space…

Congratulations to Ollie Phillips, who is the lucky winner of October’s 100 Club draw.

Last Saturday’s Coffee Morning for Macmillan Cancer Care raised a whopping £852!! As always, the cakes, sausage rolls and cheese scones (see photo) were to die for and there was an amazing selection of produce and raffle prizes. A great result for a great cause! Well done to everyone involved.

Congratulations to Cynthia Sinden who won September’s 100 Club draw – a second win for the Sinden household. A delighted Cynthia says “it’s a really nice surprise; champagne all round! “

105 is a new number that you can call to report or get information about a power cut. It will put you through to your local electricity network operator – the company that manages the cables, wires and substations that bring electricity into homes and businesses in your area.

105 is a free service for people in England, Scotland and Wales, and you can call the number from most landlines and mobile phones. It doesn’t matter who you buy your electricity from – anyone can call 105.

You can also call 105 if you spot damage to electricity power lines and substations which could put someone in danger. If there’s a serious immediate risk, call the emergency services too.

To find out more, visit powercut105.com

What should I do during a power cut?

• Switch off all electrical appliances that shouldn’t be left unattended, ready for when the power comes back on.
• Leave a light on so you know when the power cut has been resolved.
• Check to see if your neighbours are okay.
• Wrap up warm.
• Contact your electricity network operator to report the power cut by calling 105.Traditional corded phones will work, and mobile phones will work in most cases  if they are charged.

How can I prepare for a power cut?

• Keep a torch handy – it’s much safer than using candles.
• Get a battery-powered or wind-up radio (useful for keeping up to date with relevant local news).
• Keep warm – keep a blanket and warm clothing handy, and fill a vacuum flask or hot water bottle.
• Stock your cupboard with food and drink that doesn’t require electricity to prepare it.
• Keep your mobile phone and laptop fully charged.  You might want to keep a traditional corded phone handy so you can plug it in and make phone calls if you have a power cut.
• Check your network operator’s website or social media channels for updates.

We’re proud to announce that the profit from the Flower Show, Country Fair, Dog Show and evening entertainment on 30th July was a grand total of £2,550. All the profits will go towards the new village hall project. Very well done to all who helped to make the day’s events such a resounding success.

The August winner of the 100 Club draw (which takes place at the pub quiz every month) is Richard Hann. Richard says he will put his winnings into “buying another share in the Ash”!

Membership of the 100 Club is now just £4 for the remainder of the year; just contact Robin Ratcliffe on (01424) 892674.

On Sunday 31 July we had a very different type of service. We met in a
marquee on the Sports Ground and sat on bales of hay to worship together. The idea was that, following the wonderful village fair the day before, we would celebrate together the community of our villages in which we live.

John and Tina French and Jan Lambird acted out a sketch which humorously explained to us the surprising number and quality of events and activities which are held in our villages every week. John Cormode explained how our churches pray for our community and can give support to those in pastoral need. Matthew Jones, our bell tower captain, opened our eyes to the rich history of bell ringing in our land and at St Peter’s Ashburnham.

During the course of the service everybody contributed to the paper chain you can see in the photograph. It helped to remind us that we are all links in the chain of the active community of our villages. We might pause to thank God for the privilege of living in this fine area of East Sussex.

Rev Paul McVeagh
Vicar of Ashburnham