July 18 2014.
The second Sunday in the month of July is Sea Sunday, when seafarers are remembered throughout the country. Bishopstone arranged its own commemoration at St. Andrews Church in the village on Sunday the 13th of July. It was organised by Captain Christopher Laycock, a retired Merchant Navy Captain. The service was led by the Rector of the United Benefice of St. Peter’s Blatchington and St. Andrew’s Bishopstone, the Revd. Canon Dr. Andrew Mayes. The guest preacher was the Revd. Colin Noyce OCM(RN) from Portsmouth, who is also a chaplain to the Mission to Seafarers.The Mayors of Newhaven and Seaford were in attendance as well as a group of Royal Naval personnel from HMS Sutherland. Following the fund raising lunch, which was held in the Village Hall after the service, the Mayor of Seaford, Cllr. Mark Brown, presented a cheque for £820 to the Mission to Seafarers. This consisted of the proceeds from the recent Veterans and Armed Forces Day together with a donation from the Seahaven Branch of The Royal Society of St. George.
In his address, the Mayor of Seaford congratulated Bishopstone on a splendid occasion.
Chairman of the joint Veterans and Armed Forces Day Committee, Major Bob Peedle MBE explained how the money had been raised and that the chosen charity of this year's event was the Mission to Seafarers. The Armed Forces Day had been financed with grants from Newhaven and Peacehaven Town Councils with administrative support with personnel, printing and publicity from Seaford Town Council. The refreshments for invited guests and all veterans on parade was financed jointly by the Seaford Branch of The Royal British Legion and the Seahaven Branch of The Royal Society of St. George, and the funds of many local charities had benefited from the stalls they had in the Martello Fields.
In receiving the cheque on behalf of the Mission to Seafarers, Revd. Colin Noyce thanked everyone for the effort and explained where the money will be used. He also welcomed the fact that raising the donation had been a joint effort.
Pictured above: The Presentation of the Cheque (left to right): Ken Jupp, Chairman of Seaford Royal British Legion and former Merchant Navy Officer; the Revd. Colin Noyce, receiving the cheque; Captain Christopher Laycock, organiser of Sea Sunday; Cllr. Mark Brown Mayor of Seaford who had presented the cheque; and Bob Peedle MBE, Chairman Seahaven Branch The Royal Society of St. George.