Hello!
We were so busy in the run-up to the Platinum Jubilee weekend that I am afraid I did not manage to write a letter for May. Hopefully, the celebrations more than made up for the absence of a Chairman’s Letter!
It was a wonderful weekend with so much going on across the village and so many opportunities for us all to get together and celebrate. After the last couple of years, I think we definitely deserved it.
Thank you to everyone who attended HPC’s Lanterns on the Moor to kick off the Jubilee weekend. This was the first event of this kind that HPC has organised, and we were absolutely delighted by the turnout. Of course, the incredible weather was on our side. I have never seen The Moor so crowded. Why not check out the video on our YouTube channel – just be careful to search for Hawkhurst Parish Council, not HPC or you will get Jackie Weaver!
A huge thank you to everyone who contributed to this event: Artysans Band for an amazing performance, Cymba Events for the sound system, Hawkhurst Primary School for the stage, The Eight Bells for the bar, Lisa Ridley for the food, Jem Kite for the trumpet fanfare, Tina, Harvey and Colin from the Fête Committee for the loan of the marquee and the beacon lighting, and Robin from Wizard Fireworks.
Thank you to all the entrants in our Jubilee Tray competition. We were extremely impressed by the inventiveness and the quality of the designs. We are also grateful to everyone who helped us choose the winners by voting for their favourites. I certainly would not have wanted to have to make that decision! Congratulations to our top three: Holly H (1st), Ophelia M (2nd) and Tracey and the WRAP Day Centre.
We received a lot of thoughtful suggestions for the location of the Platinum Jubilee Bench. Suggestions fell into two broad themes: somewhere central where everyone would benefit or located on a footpath to allow walkers to rest their legs and appreciate the views. We still need to make a final decision, but we’re hoping to do both, with the restored Coronation Bench in the centre of the village and the Jubilee Bench on a footpath. Keep an eye out for future updates.
Sadly, Richard, our clerk, is off to pastures new. We are grateful for all that he has done to support not only the Parish Council but also Hawkhurst residents over the past few years. I am sure you will join me in wishing him the very best of luck for the future.
Clare Escombe
Chairman, Hawkhurst Parish Council