What’s happening where you live...

at Arundel Castle, and will come along with weapons and armoury of the period. All welcome. Litter pick: On Saturday, March 18, the annual litter pick will take place. Contact Alison at the parish office for details and to express an interest on 01622 832305. You will be given a picker and bags and probably a hi viz jacket (take along your own just in case). You will be covered by insurance. This is also part of the Marden in Bloom remit. You can also email mardenpc@ btconnect.com Walking group: The group are litter picking so contact Catherine on 01622 832455 to register your interest. 9am on Saturday, March 18. Breakfast and speaker, all welcome. Correspondent: Andrew Watson, 9 Barn Meadow, Staplehurst, TN12 0SY Mob: 07715 572772 Tel: 01580 891986 Horticultural society: At the meeting at 8pm on Tuesday, March 21 in the village centre south hall, Jeff and Sylvia Wagner will be talking about Phantasmagoria. All are welcome. The society strives to engage with the local community and, in particular, with local children in order to promote an interest in gardening and rural matters in general. The society holds monthly meetings in the village centre with illustrated talks, raffles, refreshments etc as well as a number of annual events. Contact Sue de St-Jorre (893922) for details, or go to www.staplehurstvillage.org.uk/ Staplehurst_Horticultural_Society. aspx Author visits school: The KS2 children enjoyed a fantastic day with the author Daniel Blythe, who has written 21 books including Doctor Who titles; the Shadow Runner and Emerald Green series. The children were excited to create their own mythical creatures and made a start on their own stories. Thanks to the PTA which funded this event. Village 10K Run: This will be our village’s ninth year and the run has become one of the most popular 10ks in Kent, with a regular 400+ finishers. It is also one of the county’s fastest courses with genuine personal-best potential. The course is rural, using the wide, fast and virtually flat country lanes outside the village. The race features chip timing, and medals will be awarded to all the finishers. The race will be run on Sunday, June 11 starting at 10am. For information and to book your place go to www.nice-work. org.uk/ The event is sponsored by the local Lions Club. Jazz night: There will be a jazz and big band night with the Invicta Jazz Orchestra on Friday, March 24 at Matfield Village Hall starting at 7.30pm. Tickets cost £7 each available from Bob Ham on 01580 892742, email tickets@paddockwoodlions. co.uk or pay on the door. Junior tennis: Young people from ages three to 12, of all abilities, are invited to the cricket and tennis club on Easter Monday, April 17, to try out their tennis skills in coaching sessions and play in the club’s free tennis talent ID. Ages three to six from 9.30-10.30am, seven to 10 from 11am-noon, and 11 plus from 12.30-1.30pm. No previous experience is necessary and all equipment is provided. This is a fun introductory session that might just put your child on the road to Wimbledon. Places are limited so booking is essential: email enquiries@se-tennis.co.uk or text ‘SGT’ to 07974 815387. Junior cricket: The junior cricket season for youngsters aged five-16 begins in earnest straight after Easter. Registration sessions at the club are on Thursday, April 20 from 6.30-7pm, and Saturday, April 22 from 10.30-11.30am. Sunday morning training starts on April 23. With significant changes to the way it will operate this year, it is critical that parent(s) attend one of these sessions. For the first time the club will be running a dedicated girls programme in partnership with ex-England international Lydia Greenway and her GirlsForCricket team. The club is also the local centre for an exciting new England & Wales Cricket Board centrally administered programme, All Stars Cricket, aimed at five to seven year olds who have no previous cricket experience. For information see www.staplehurstcricket.com or email: info@staplehurstcricket. com Weald Disabled Club: The club meets at the McCabe Day Centre every Friday from 9.30am-2pm. A recent increase in membership has resulted in a desperate need for escort and helpers to ride in the mini-bus collecting and returning members from and to their homes, and to assist at the club with lunch service. The work is on a rota basis and is flexible, plus and a free lunch is provided. If you could spare a few hours on a Friday morning contact Maggie Weller on 01580 891870. This additional help is needed to enable the club to continue to provide the service the disabled members require. For information contact Diane Bone (secretary) on 01622 851387 or diane-b@fsmail.net or wealdclubfordisabled@gmail.com Help team volunteers: Last Saturday, more than 30 residents provided their details so they could be contacted in the event of an emergency leaving people in need of shelter and food and drink. The post office fire back in 2011, which forced several families to evacuate from their homes, triggered the formation of the village’s Emergency Help Team, when some 40 residents agreed to be contacted should another emergency occur. Over time, interest has dwindled, until last Saturday’s ‘Volunteer for a mug of Leakie Cockie soup’ (it was wonderfully warm and tasty) campaign on the Parade revived their numbers. The ‘team’ (there is no official membership) attend meetings once a quarter (although everyone is welcome) – who, in the event of a call for action would open up one of the village’s halls and organise appropriate food and drink. The team does not set out to provide an A&E type service (responding only to calls from Kent’s Resilience Team) and does not replace the emergency services so no special skills or experience are required. The next meeting (it’s the AGM) of the Team is at 7.30pm on Thursday March 23 in the Free Church in Station Road. All are welcome. For any additional information contact myself, Andrew Watson, using the details at the top of the column. Correspondent: Eileen Riden Tel: 01622 844953 Music Society: The society is giving a concert on Friday, March 17 at 7.30pm at Sutton Valence School. Michael Petrov, cello and Alexander Ullman, piano will play a selection of music by Prokofiev, Janacek, Elliott Carter and Chopin. Michael and Alexander are a very talented pair of young musicians. Tickets on the door £12.50, full-time students £6, children under 18 free. There will be refreshments available in the interval. British Legion: The Sutton Valence and District Branch meeting is on Monday, March 20 at Sutton Valence school, in the school cafe, starting at 7pm. If you are interesting in joining the local branch of the British Legion and becoming part of a network of people who care about British Armed Forces Personnel, ex service men and women and their families, phone Mike Fitzgerald, the local chairman on 01622 743270. Correspondent: Dawn Page Tel:

01622 812691 Sold out: The Testonites will present their 2017 Revue this week in the village hall. All tickets are sold. All proceeds go towards church funds.