January 12 2013.


On behalf of my fellow Councillors can I wish all readers a happy and healthy New Year and my sincere apologies for the blog being a little late. This was because the Mayoress and I enjoyed the week after Christmas in the sunshine of Andalusia in southern Spain as we had no official duties.

December's events had started with the Newhaven and Peacehaven Rotary Lunch for pensioners at Tyedean Hall, followed the same evening with a dinner and fundraising auction for the Newhaven ATC at Blatchington Golf Club.

A few days later it was the Mayors Carol Concert at St Michaels Church and a big thank you to all those that turned out and braved the wet weather. A big thank you must also go to Rev. Martin Miller, Jackie Cole from Newhaven Town Council, Rick Sharpe and all the school children who took part. The event raised several hundred pounds for the Breakout Centre and the Haydens Wish charity.

We then attended the Mayor of Seaford's Carol Concert, which was made even more enjoyable because the service was taken by my colleague from Searchlight days, the Reverend Paul Owen. Next day it was off to Peacehaven to present the prizes for literature and art at the Newhaven and Peacehaven U3A afternoon tea party. I had judged the entries a few weeks before, and it never ceases to amaze me the hidden talent we have in the Seahaven area.

At the weekend we went to the Homelink service at the St Thomas Moore Church in Seaford and we should have been at the Peacehaven Carol Concert but it was the AGM of Newhaven Community Development Association and our Young Mayor very kindly deputised instead.

Next it was a very enjoyable evening at the Drove with the Twinning Association, followed by a weekend when I visited the Denton Island Nursery and then Sainsburys to present the prizes to the children who had been successful in the Christmas card competition.

Finally, Norman Baker and I visited Newhaven sorting office to thank our marvellous postmen and women for the wonderful job they do. Not many of us could battle through the wind and rain day after day which has been their fate this year.

I hope everyone had a good Christmas and once again all the very best for 2013. January looks to be a quiet month for Mayoral duties at present so it will give me an opportunity to concentrate on some fundraising initiatives which I will tell you about next month.

Graham Amy.