Every Spring, the cows are turned out into green pasture for the first time after spending the winter indoors. This is your chance to visit the farm and watch the cows run and leap around the field. There will be a BBQ, refreshments, market stalls and tractor-and-trailer rides across the marsh. Tickets are £12 adult, under 16s free, available at www.hookandson.co.uk/turn-out-day or on the gate on both card or cash. There will be a field for parking. Dogs are unfortunately not allowed at the event. The first cows are due to be turned out at approximately 10.45 to 11am. As well as a range of other market stalls, there will be a Hook & Son stall selling their full range of raw and pasteurised products as well as their dairy beef.
SIR CHARLIE CHAPLIN is the subject of a talk to the U3A by Bill McNaught on Tuesday 22 April at 2pm. The venue on this occasion has changed to the Methodist Church, High Street, Hailsham - opposite The Grenadier pub rather than its usual venue in the Civic Community Hall. Visitors are very welcome for £2 at the door. The U3A is for people who are retired, semi retired or not in full time work. There are lots of interest groups and a monthly whole Club talk or get together. Visit the website at https://hailsham.u3asite.uk for more information.
DOODLEBUGS OVER HAILSHAM is the subject of the talk at the 7 May meeting of Hailsham Historical and Natural History Society at the Charles Hunt Centre, Vicarage Field. Doors open at 7pm for 7.30 start. Andy Saunders will be talking about Doodlebugs over Hailsham 1939-45. The April talk was on The Wonders of Bird Migration given by James Duncan. There were 91 members and 4 visitors in attendance. Members learned that migration is seasonal. Aristotle was the first to note seasonal migration and, in 1703, it was generally thought that birds flew to the moon. Gilbert White was the first to perceive the value in the study of migration (then a disputed fact) and of banding or ringing birds, though it was Audubon who first performed the experiment. No professional ornithologist ever did so much to widen interest in birds. In 1822 a German Count spotted a White Stork with a Zulu arrow through its neck, confirming a route migrating birds travelled. By 1899 bird ringing was introduced to monitor bird movement across England. GPS tagging was first fitted in 2011 showing the routes of migration being East Atlantic flyway, Adriatic flyway and Black Sea and Mediterranean flyways. The food source of the cuckoo declined in England until only 60 resident and 50 Summer visitors remained. Food of insects and seed is available to birds in the north through spring and summer, with their food supply being available in the south through the Winter. Bird migration has evolved from the Ice Age. During migration birds burn fat and have genetically innate programming for both direction and time. The Hailsham Historical & Natural History Society meet here on the first Wednesday of every month. Access is from Vicarage Field East Car Park (next to Waitrose). Visitors welcome to pay £3 on the door. Members attend talks free. Membership is £15 annually to January. Enquiries 01323 843102 or 07850 893997 or email chair@hailshamhistoricalsociety.co.uk
THE VILLAGES MUSIC FESTIVAL will take place between 28 June and 5 July. This is its 7th year and promises a varied and exciting programme of events in Chalvington, Ripe and Laughton. The programme includes La Boheme at Lime Kiln Farm, the Mistral Woodwind Quartet, Cream Teas and Guitars with Los Twangueros, Music: What is the future? with Richard Morrison, The Times, Professor Georgina Born, Will Hancox and music, The Andy Williams Trio jazz, Joanna MacGregor piano recital and Handel's Dixit Dominus. For more information and ticketing options visit the website villagesmusicfestival.org/2025-programme.
VE DAY 80TH ANNIVERSARY celebrations will see eye-catching window displays across the town as a competition is launched for the best dressed window to mark 80 years since the end of World War II in Europe. The winner will be presented with a plaque by the Mayor. The Town celebration is on Saturday 10 May from 9am to 2.30pm for remembrance, reflection and celebration. This will be in Vicarage Field and there will be stalls and live entertainment with seating area and 1940s-style music to dance to and a classic vehicle display, wartime photos and memorabilia. Hailsham Parish Church will be open between 11am and 1pm on the day. Event organisers are looking for guest speakers to give a brief talk on Hailsham FM (either live at the event or pre-recorded) about their shared VE Day experiences. For further details, please email kaylee.butcher@hailsham-tc.gov.uk. The Royal British Legion is encouraging the raising of VE Day flags at 9am on Thursday 8 May.
COMMUNITY GROUPS FORUM is a networking group for local charities, clubs and other organisations that people can join, for organisers to get together and benefit from sharing experience and ideas with other local groups. If your group would benefit from these get togethers and collaborations to the benefit of all then come along to the next forum on Tuesday 6 May at the Hailsham Parish Church lounge from 6 to 7pm.
LAWN BOWLS OPEN DAY for Hailsham Club is on Saturday 3 May from 10am to 12 noon. If you are interested in giving lawn bowls a try, just turn up and try lawn bowls for free with a hands-on taster session. Equipment provided, just wear flat-soled shoes. A friendly and social club where all ages and abilities are welcome. This is an affiliated club with a 6-rink green located in the heart of Hailsham (at the bottom of Vicarage Lane car park, behind the leisure centre). Full details hailshambowlingclub.co.uk.
OUR PAVEMENTS ARE DISGRACEFUL was case put forward in a motion brought to the Hailsham Full Council meeting on 26 March. Hailsham Town Council noted that generally roads in Hailsham are disgraceful, full of potholes and patch fixes which makes them uneven and dangerous to all road users. However, the Council also notes that our pavements are often overlooked as dangerous and poorly managed surfaces. Hailsham Town Council further notes: Pavements are used by all, unlike roads, but the condition of disrepair of pavements disproportionately affects the most vulnerable, those in wheelchairs, mobility scooters and those with push chairs and buggies. The most vulnerable are less able to complain to the Council as there is only online access to report ‘non-emergency’ footway issues and none of East Sussex County Council road improvement plans include improving pavements. There are no proposals to address the numerous lumps, bumps, potholes and cracks under East Sussex County Council. Hailsham Town Council proposed to write to East Sussex County Council to call on them and the proposed Unitary Authority of Sussex to include in strategic plans proposals to renew pavement surfaces across Hailsham and the County as a whole. Calls on Hailsham Town Councillors to conduct a survey amongst elected members to identify pavements in their wards where the conditions are unacceptable. Write to East Sussex County Council to request a public consultation on the state of our pavements and to ask East Sussex County Council to include strategic proposals for resurfacing of pavement surfaces across our town.