Village voices: Winchelsea - November 26, 2010

There will be plenty of stalls, gifts and goodies as well as a grand raffle, tombola, coffee, tea, creamy hot chocolate, and hot mince pies all on offer by the Winchelsea New Hall Society. Any contributions of cakes, biscuits and gifts etc will be gratefully received on the day at the New Hall. During the Fayre the Hand Quilted Coverlet made by members of the Winchelsea Art Group is to be auctioned for the Mayoress’ Charity ‘Help for Heroes’ and sold to the highest bidder.

Icklesham Parish Council meets on Monday 29th November in the Court Hall. This will be for the Planning Committee which is due to start at 6.15 pm.

The Mobile Library will be in Castle Street from 2.25 to 3.10 pm on Wednesday 1st December.

The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde will be performed by the Rain and Shine Theatre touring Company in Winchelsea. This will be in St Thomas’ Church on Friday 3rd December at 7 pm. A bar is available and proceeds are in aid of the Winchelsea Bonfire Boyes. The tickets are £9 adults and £5.50 under 16s and to book please contact 225333 or email [email protected] Next Saturday 4th December there is the monthly Church Market at St Thomas’ Church from 10.30 am to 12 noon. If you would like to donate any home-made/baked or grown produce all will be gratefully received in aid of Church Funds. Please contact Sue Hargreaves (226262) or Tessa Potts (223050) to arrange collection.

A very impressive but scared looking ram with coiled horns came running along Tanyard Lane last week. He was followed by a line of slowly moving traffic and was clearly at risk of being run over. With traffic passing in the opposite direction and not seeing him until the last minute it was an anxious state of affairs. Thankfully a man with an open top Land Rover stopped. Leaving his car he seized the ram as it ran by and heaved him onto the back of his vehicle. The dog inside the car looked somewhat sheepish while his master had to decide what to do with the ram. Fortunately there was someone waiting at the bus stop who was able to provide some advice on returning the ram to its fold. However it is not the first time that the local sheep have attempted to escape onto the roads, so drivers always beware. They are good at finding gaps in fences, can jump over walls of at least 4 ft and run fast when in a panic.

Last Saturday morning writer Malcolm Pratt told us about ‘The Winchelsea Wesley Knew’ at the Methodist Chapel. Malcolm is very meticulous in his researching through archives and parish records for relevant details on the subject of his choice. At the same time he combines the all important human interpretation to the facts and figures. During Wesley’s time in the 1750s there was great poverty in Winchelsea, mainly due to a wheat famine which led to the closure of businesses. The population was about 600 (similar to nowadays) and had to rely on the support of the parish which often meant the workhouse at the bottom of Winchlesea hill (now Strand House Hotel). Wesley referred to that ‘accursed smuggling’ which he knew was the only form of revenue for many; despite the risks of flogging or imprisonment by the excise men who had their headquarters in the town. Many of the captured smugglers were forced into the navy as they made good sailors. Malcolm referred to the two real-life villains, a.k.a. brothers George & Joseph Weston who lived where Greyfriars is now located. These men were the subject of Thackeray’s unfinished novel ‘Denis Duval’ and made their fortune as smugglers, blackmailers, and highwaymen amongst other underhand dealings.

One of the brothers (actual name Johnson) befriended the Rector of St Thomas’ Church at the time and to his satisfaction was made the church warden. However their luck eventually ran out and the Weston’s were brought to trial and sent to the gallows. Malcolm is now writing another book which is a collection of cases studies on the Winchelsea poor since the 1801 census, for the Parish Records. It is for historical documentation rather than general publication and will be out in 2012. Also on the 9th December Malcolm will be going to Buckingham Palace to collect his MBE and we look forward to hearing all about it. As from the beginning of December many of the local pubs in the Winchelsea area will be serving Christmas dinners on their menus at reasonable prices. Bookings are being taken for families/groups but if you feel like a night off from cooking just turn up and celebrate. The traditional Christmas dinner will be served or there is a vegetarian option as well as a chance to relax in the friendly atmosphere of your olde worlde pub with its glowing log fire.

Cindi Cogswell

31, High Fords, Icklesham