Mountfield

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We start with a few final reminders. Tomorrow morning (July 27) is Brightling market from 10.00 to 12.00. Then in the afternoon, it’s the Flower Show in Mountfield Village Hall from 2.30. And this is the final weekend of Barbara Valentine’s exhibition at Mountfield Park Farm. With the Glottenham Stream running between the farmhouse and the studio, it is one of the prettiest places to visit on a summer’s day. So, why not call in, have a look at the exhibition, and support St Michael’s Hospice.

The next date for your diaries is Saturday August 3 when the Mountfield Club is holding a BBQ and Darts Night. The BBQ starts at 6pm and the darts competition at 7.30 pm. There is £3 entry for the darts with cash prizes to be won. The members invite everyone to go along and join them for a great summer’s evening in the village. Non members will be very welcome.

Talking of the Club, it organises its own annual tournaments for snooker, darts and shove and enters a snooker team in the Hurst Green and District summer and winter leagues. It also has a shove team and two darts teams which play in the Robertsbridge darts league. The Club regularly hosts quiz nights and fund-raising events, live music evenings and much more. Located at the side of the Village Hall, the Mountfield Club can also offer a licensed bar for wedding receptions, birthday parties and other events. For more info on booking for events, or if there is anything you would like to know about the Club, just call in on one of its open nights — Wednesday, Friday or Saturday.

At the Parish Council meeting last week, the main topic was the threat to Mountfield and Whatlington School. As expected, at the crucial Children’s Services meeting on July 8, County decided to go ahead with the process of closing the school in 2014. This process starts with a “statutory consultation” which will begin on September 12. County officials held a meeting for parents on the July 18 from which the Rev Kevin Mepham, Valerie Bennett, Jacqueline Kemp and Jackie Spriggs were unceremoniously ejected! Mountfield Parish Council voted to set up some form of joint committee with Whatlington Parish Council to see what can be done. We (your village voicers) have also been talking again to the local press to ensure that the appropriate coverage is given to this issue. No doubt more about this next week.

The DACS exhibition of photographs of the old farms round the Ressie travelled to Brightling last weekend where, again, it was much enjoyed by visitors to the Flower Show. Which reminds us, we have for sale a few copies of a booklet called Darwell: Valley, Stream and Lake by George Coleman. It’s a 50-page account of the building of the Darwell Reservoir. It doesn’t have many exciting car chases but it does have a hero in the shape of an extraordinary engineer called Sidney Little. The book costs a tenner. If you’re interested, give us a call (880614, evenings please).

Finally, many people have said nice things about the Village Voice over the last 6 weeks or so which makes it all worthwhile. Now that we have found our voice again, please spread the message. What with the issue of the school, the rows over the Link Road, all the other local news and a Mountfield Village Voice, it’s worth the price of the Battle Observer and/or a subscription to The Messenger. As always, if you have anything for us — let us know: via email or 01580 880614 (evenings).