Rotary Club of Seaford

www.seafordrotary.org.uk

Newsmonger

September/October 2014

CONTENTS President’s Dispatches

Seahaven Para Games

Presentations by Rotary Club of Seaford

Vigil in Westmin-ster Abbey

Young Musicians Competition

Association of Carers

Bootiful Record-breaking Day!

Tour of Britain, Seaford

Rathfinny Estate

Inner Wheel

Photo Gallery

What’s On

President’s Dispatches

Sunday 10 August dawned grey, windy and wet. I was smug in the thought that I would be kept dry in the Downs Sports Centre rather than have to stand in the open on the Martello field. The Car boot fair was unfortunately cancelled, as it happened.

When I arrived, it sounded as if bedlam had been let loose in the sports hall; laughing, clap-ping and shouting. It was obvious that all 28 competitors were fully engaged with what was going on.

Kurling, indoor bowls, table tennis and a wheel-chair slalom were totally engaging. New this year, was archery supplied by Blind Veterans UK. Some had tried this sport before, but those new to the practice were enthralled and went away with fresh confidence.

Special guest of the day was Adam Field, who ranks 14 in world wheel-chair tennis, and who took part in the Para Olympics last year.

The Rotary Club of Seaford was one of several contributors who made the day possible. It is so worthwhile to see the benefits of this event and long may we continue to support this very worthy cause.

Social evening - or the ‘Case of a Packet of Spaghetti’! It proved an enjoyable evening when 18 of our club members and their wives met up with members of the Martello Rotary Club for an evening of fellowship, skittles and darts. The Royal Oak at Barcombe laid on a much enjoyed buffet before we set to. Teams consisted of three members from each club, so no rivalry!

Two of we Seaford Rotarians were awarded a packet of spaghetti at the prize giving, more appetising, I suppose, than a wooden spoon. But I am still trying to work out any double en-tendre – any answers on a postcard, please.

Attendance at our Wednesday lunch-time meetings has kept up well, despite grand-parental duties and summer holidays. We have logged some surprising numbers – please read on!

Our speaker on 10th September was Richard James of Rathfinny Wine Estate, who attracted 54 Rotarians and their guests. He gave an entertaining and informative talk about the vine-yard. There were many facts and figures covering the number of hectares converted to tak-ing the vines, whose numbers were in the tens of thousands. Some 750 miles of wire sup-ported the vines.

Most impressive was how the farm matched its surroundings, buildings blending in with local architecture, local materials, local labour and educational opportunities for schools.

Sunday 7 September saw a record run at the monthly car boot fair. Some 77 stalls were set up, the sun shone and the mood was one of relaxed shopping. John Owen erected a table and announced his wares – Grand Raffle tickets, of which he sold £150 worth.

The Tour of Britain cycle race was a matter of ‘if you blink, you will have missed them’ as they swept by. The competitors sounded like a fizzy bottle being opened, pursued by support cars and motor bikes travelling at an alarming speed to keep up!

Rotarians, who had volunteered to help, were not kept that busy at the car parks but played a role in providing marshals and keeping the name of Rotary visible.

Ray

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Seahaven Para Games

By Paul Vaesen

On Sunday 10th August the fourth Seaha-

ven Para Games were held at the Downs

Leisure Centre. 28 participants took part in

Kurling in the morning then, after lunch,

there was a new event, Archery, which

was very popular, alongside Table Tennis

and Bowls (held in a separate room from

the Archery for fairly obvious reasons!).

The afternoon concluded with the now

famous Wheelchair Slalom, which was fol-

lowed by presentation of certificates and

medals to all the participants by our Presi-

dent Ray Hazan, Seaford Mayor Mark

Brown, Angus Murray from Sainsbury’s

and visiting paralympian Adam Field. As

usual it was an excellent day - strictly non-

competitive and there was a great feeling

of friendship and goodwill.

A big thank you to all the hard work from Sarah Pearce and her team at Wave Leisure to

make this all happen, and to all the carers, helpers and supporters for their good work. It

was a truly memorable day. See you all next year!

Presentations by Rotary Club of Seaford. Photo and story by the Editor

On Wednesday 13 August 2014 Past President Michael Logan presented cheques of £650 each to Seaford Lifeguards, Newhaven & District Lifeboat Society, and the Newhaven Sta-tion of National Coastwatch Institution. The members of the Club were pleased to receive a brief letter of thanks for the donations from each representative which are reproduced be-low. Several years ago Seaford Lifeguards suffered a burglary which saw a vital piece of train-ing equipment stolen. Seaford Rotary Club came to our rescue then, and provided a re-placement. Once again Seaford Rotary Club has come to the rescue, by making a considera-ble donation to replace an essential item of equipment that has been found to be beyond

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economical repair. The generosity and continued support received from the Rotary Club enables us at Seaford Lifeguards to maintain our service to the community and continue to offer personal development for our young people.

Thank you Rotarians, you are always there when we need you!

Peter Gwilliam

Chairman

www.seafordlifeguards.org

On behalf of the R.N.L.I. and in particular the Newhaven Lifeboat station, I would like to express our most grateful and sincere thanks for the magnificent donation of £650 presented to me at the Seaford Rotary Club lunch yesterday. Such generous donations really do help out with the development and maintenance of the local lifesaving work in this area. The continued support from Rotary club members is very much valued and ap-preciated. May I take this opportunity to wish you and all your Club members every suc-cess in the future.

Once again with many thanks.

Derek Payne,

Newhaven & District Lifeboat Society (Committee)

Thank you to you and your very friendly colleagues at Seaford Rotary Club for your kind and generous hospitality this lunchtime.

Thank you, also, for your generous and very welcome cheque in support of the work we do at Newhaven NCI. The money will help greatly towards the replacement of the roof, and addition of safety measures, at our lookout on Castle Hill, Newhaven.

The lookout building was erected in the 1960s and is in use 365 days a year by our team in keeping watch over our inshore waters and local coastline. The fabric of the building does need regular maintenance and, occasionally, replacement as well. Your generosity will aid us in continuing our valuable work.

Kindest wishes,

David Crozier

Station Manager

Newhaven NCI

www.nci.org.uk/newhaven

Photos left to right Pete Gwilliam,

Derek Payne, Michael Logan, and

David Crozier

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Vigil in Westminster Abbey

By President Ray Hazan

Young Musicians Competition

From Paul Vaesen

Centenary events are, by their very nature, rare, so it was a privilege and a thrill to be able to take part in such a happening on Monday 4 August. It was an honour to repre-sent Blind Veterans UK at the Vigil in Westminster Abbey, commemorating the declara-tion of war in 1914.

Representing Her Majesty The Queen was HRH The Duchess of Cornwall.

The solemnity of the occasion was heightened by the harmonious singing of the choir, the majesty of the Abbey and the readings by dignitaries and actors. The magic touch was a candle held by every member of the congregation. At points throughout the ser-vice, a quarter of the congregation blew out their candles. One by one, a candle held at each corner of the tomb of the Unknown Warrior was also extinguished. The final act of the service of commemoration was the light held by HRH being blown out.

It was just after 11pm when we left the Abbey on a warm evening. Uppermost in my mind was the memory of one particular reading – a diary extract. A soldier expressing how relieved he was to be getting on with the business of war. He made no promise about coming home. The knowledge of hindsight made me want to shout to the author to go back as he was unaware of what he was letting himself in for!

The next Seaford Young Musician of the Year competition will take place at Seaford Head School (Arundel Road site) on Sunday 16th November. Entrants (vocalists and instrumen-talists) will be required to perform a piece of music of their own choosing and lasting not more than five minutes. Entry, which is free, is open to students aged eleven to seven-teen who either live or go to school in Seaford, and closes on 24th October. Full details may be obtained from the Rotary Club of Seaford’s website www.seafordrotary.org.uk, or email youngmusicians@seafordrotary.org.uk for more information.

The Rotary Club will also be running competitions for Young Chefs and Young Photogra-phers during the autumn and winter. The age limits for the Young Chefs will be the same as for Young Musicians while the Young Photographers will have three groups, age from seven to ten, eleven to thirteen, and fourteen to seventeen. Full details of how to enter either of these will be announced shortly and will also be on the Club website

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Association of Carers

By the Editor, from Nadia’s information

On Wednesday 3 September Nadia Bodle came along to a Lunch meeting of the Rotary Club of Sea-ford where she explained to members the role of the Association of Carers. This organisation was originally set up in the Hastings area, but now supports unpaid Carers in all of East Sussex - a meas-ure of the success and need of this initiative. The mission of the Association is "Supporting unpaid Carers in East Sussex to continue in their caring role by providing free, high quality, volunteer-led services that encourage independence and reduce isolation".

Some facts about Carers nationally include ;

Carers save the economy £119 billion per year

1 in 8 adults is a Carer

3 in 5 people become Carers at some point in their life.

More locally;

There are 60,000 unpaid Carers in East Sussex

13,000 unpaid Carers in East Sussex provide more than 50 hours of care each week

Many people don’t receive the support they need because they don’t see themselves as Carers.

The services provided by the Association are dependent upon volunteers who give regular respite breaks to Carers, enabling the opportunity to have some time to themselves. As well as that, the Association offers Talk and Support, providing Carers with a listening ear and the opportunity to discuss their caring role in confidence. Some of the volunteers use their skills teaching Carers how to use their computer in ways that will support them in their caring role, helping them to have more time to themselves and reducing their isolation. Others give Young Carers the opportunity to take a break from their caring role and/or supporting them with their studies.

Our volunteers come from all walks of life and give their time for free. They are often rewarded by the difference they make to people's lives.

The Association of Carers is funded by;

East Sussex County Council

Grants from trusts & foundations

Donations from individuals & charitable organisations

Corporate sponsors

Fundraising events

Collections

Legacies & gifts in Memoriam.

Find out more from;

Association of Carers

Jackson Hall

Portland Place

Hastings

TN34 1QN

Phone 0300 330 9848 or www.associationofcarers.org.uk

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Photo of Nadia by Mike Hemmings

A Bootiful Record-breaking Day!

By Bill Pierce at Martello Fields

Records tumbled as the Rotary Club of Seaford presented its September Car Boot, Craft and Produce Fair at Martello Fields on the first Sunday of the month, with an impressive 77 pitches sold and the punters coming out in abundance. We raised £859 for charities and worthy causes to boot!

The Club has known nothing like it since the early days of the Boot Fair project a few years ago when one August event raised nearly £1,000 for our charitable causes.

This time, the sun shone on our efforts (possibly to make up for the complete wash-out in August!) with the ice cream man selling just as much as the hot food truck. And there was even a rush on our Grand Charity Raffle tickets which will be sold again at the next Boot Fair on Sunday October 5 before Morrisons Store takes over as host the following week, starting Thursday 9th.

Incidentally, it is the last Boot Fair until next April, so clear the decks at home and come and take a stall. You will be surprised at what people will buy if you don’t ask too much.

Here’s hoping for another sunshine morning. After all, the forecasters tell us to expect it dry and warm right up to November. You have got to believe it.

Library photo by Mike Hemmings

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Tour of Britain, Seaford

From the Editor at the scene

A brave crew of eleven Rotarians set forth on Saturday 13 September, some to undertake car parking duties at the Martello Fields while others marshalled along parts of the cycle route. They were a credit to the Rotary Club of Seaford in their resplendent, bright tabards, anxious as always to serve the local community.

Your correspondent was thrilled to be allocated to the 13:00 to 15:00 slot car parking slot and arrived early to cope with high demand as the cyclists would come through the town at around 14:00. Upon arrival there were 5 cars parked. They consisted of four car parkers' cars and one "paying customer".

At 13:00 two car parkers departed and one arrived leaving only 4 cars in total. We had peaked. One lady with her dog kindly put her small change into our collecting box, as did one of the car parking team. Several passers by enquired "Where are the cyclists?" and they were given useful directions.

It was a peaceful afternoon ….

Oh, and we raised £3.66 for local charities.

Photo by Annie Hemmings from where the action was!

The Rathfinny Wine Estate By the Editor with information from Richard James

On 10 September 2014 ecologist Richard James visited the Rotary Club of Seaford to describe some of the hap-penings and plans for the Rathfinny Wine Estate in Alfris-ton.

The Estate was acquired in 2010 by owners Mark and Sarah Driver and has the first purpose built winery in the UK. Other key staff, apart from Richard himself, are the Vineyard Manager, New Zealander Cameron Roucher and Winemaker, Frenchman Jonathan Medard.

The Rathfinny aim is to produce a distinctive, award winning Sussex Sparkling wine. Some still wine will be offered as well, but the majority of the production will be sparkling crafted using method champenoise, i.e. secondary fermentation in bottle, aging on lees for a minimum of 3 years after bottling.

The first harvest is in 2014, and by 2020 it is planned to have 700,000 vines planted with a har-vest of 1200 tons. This will mean one million bottles by 2021 from the largest single site vineyard in the UK with a size of 350 acres (140ha).

Both the Winery and the Flint Barns are solar powered and both are served by a Bio-bubble which recycles all the grey water, and the winery roof is sown with wildflower plugs and seed replicating the rolling downland landscape.

There are Estate Tours on the last weekend of the month running from April – October only, and the Rathfinny Trail, a permissive footpath taking in a section of the vineyard and passing the Flint Barn, will be opening shortly.

The Gun Room, said to have been the gun store for the Duke of Wellington, is situated on the Tye in the historic and picturesque village of Alfriston. Beautifully restored, it is now the retail outlet for Rathfinny Wine Estate and the Heritage Centre for Alfriston and the Cuckmere Valley. Special-ising in locally sourced wine related products, it will ultimately be the ‘Cellar Door’ for the Estate.

All photos taken by Viv Blakey

Above; the converted flint barn which accommodates 48 people with en-suite facilities for ‘pickers and prun-ers’ and out of season as a resource for education in its widest sense

Below left; purpose built winery

Below right; some of the vines, 190,000 approx in the ground so far

For more information visit

www.rathfinnyestate.com/

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Jean Vine welcomed us to a luxury homemade cake tea party on 20th August. The weath-

er was marvellous in line with the outstanding catering. Like so many days this summer

we enjoyed a warm and sunny chat together.

At our meeting on 9th September President Mary Morris

introduced The Chief Executive of Headway, Michele Flem-

ing, who explained the work of the charity and its organisa-

tion. She was accompanied by a young mother who gave

an extremely moving account of the effect her husband’s

brain injury had him and the whole family. They had stayed

together as a unit with help from Headway. Her moving

talk revealed the bravery and love within the family. Mary was delighted to present a

token cheque (pictured) with more to come from the proceeds of our Silent Auction.

It is a joy to invite MARK STACEY back to Seaford. MARK STACEY

(pictured) is a well-known expert on “Flog It” and “Antiques

Road Trip”. He will be at The Over 60s Club (in the grounds of

the Downs Leisure Centre) on Saturday 1st November 2 to 7pm.

We shall be charging £2.50 per item and all proceeds are in aid

of “Mercy Hospital Ships”. Do come along and have a cuppa

with us and find out the value of some of your treasures!

From Val Wagstaffe

Inner Wheel

Photo Gallery On 25 September Mike and Tricia Allen expertly guided a group of Rotarians, spouses, dogs and friends on a 4 mile walk starting and finishing at the Cricketers Arms at Berwick. Well done and thanks! There are more images on our website at

http://www.seafordrotary.org.uk/pictures.php?SelgalleryID=154

What’s On Items for the November

edition should be with the

editor by 24 October to

ensure inclusion

Calendar Events

Start date

Finish date

Start time

Location

Fellowship 01/10/14 13:00 Seaford Golf Club

District 1250 Conference 2014 03/10/14 05/10/14 Bembridge, IOW

Boot, Craft & Produce Fair 05/10/14 09:00 Martello Fields

Dr George Deutsch: New MacMillan Cancer Support Centre in Brighton

08/10/14 13:00 Seaford Golf Club

Grand Charity Raffle 09/10/14 11/10/14 Morrisons

Fellowship 15/10/14 13:00 Seaford Golf Club

Grand Charity Raffle 16/10/14 18/10/14 Morrisons

Seaford Bonfire Night 18/10/14

Business meeting 22/10/14 13:00 Seaford Golf Club

Evening meeting with partners and Guests 29/10/14 19:00 Seaford Golf Club

Peter Carson: Shale Gas Fracking 05/11/14 13:00

Club discussion: Christmas Collection 12/11/14 13:00 Seaford Golf Club

Young Chef of the Year Competition 15/11/14 10:00 Seaford Head School, Ar-undel Road site

Young Musician of the Year Competition 16/11/14 18:00 Seaford Head School, Ar-undel Road site

Fellowship 19/11/14 13:00 Seaford Golf Club

Business meeting 26/11/14 13:00 Seaford Golf Club

Senior Citizens Party 27/11/14 14:00 St James' Trust

Special General Meeting 03/12/14 12:45 Seaford Golf Club

Fellowship 10/12/14 13:00 Seaford Golf Club

Christmas lunch 17/12/14 13:00 Seaford Golf Club

No Meeting: Christmas Eve 24/12/14

Christmas Day 25/12/14

Boxing Day 26/12/14

No Meeting: New Year's Eve 31/12/14

New Year's Day 01/01/15

Miss Saigon 12/03/15 09:00 London

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