The season starts this month when six Winchelsea Gardens open for the National Garden Scheme. The event takes place on Saturday 14th April 2018 and the gardens will be open from 1pm to 5.30pm. The money raised goes, as always, to the nursing charities that the NGS supports. This Spring, teas in the New Hall will be provided by the Friends of the Conquest Hospital and the money they raise will go to the hospital’s scanner appeal. Six gardens will be open: King’s Leap, Rye View, The Well House, Cleveland House, Cleveland Place and Periteau House.

On Tuesday 1st May, several of these gardens and some others will open for St Michael’s Hospice.

The main NGS opening of the summer comes on Saturday and Sunday 16th and 17th June.

Country Living are promising us an article in their June edition.

It was a record year for East Sussex NGS with over £160,000 raised from garden openings around the county in 2017.

Winchelsea Guy Fawkes Society, are delighted to announce the return of local folk band ‘The Sea Road Scratch Band’

They will be playing again at the New Inn, on Saturday evening, 7th April between 6.30 and 8.30 pm.
This is a free social event, and all are welcome.

Hope to see you there.

Ruth Eichenseher cello, and Luis Castillo Briceño piano, will be playing pieces by Beethoven, Schubert, Brahms and Dvořák at the next Winchelsea Arts Concert on Saturday 24th March 2018 at 7.30pm at St Thomas’ Church.


Ruth has been learning the cello since the age of seven. At the age of twelve she performed the Elgar Cello Concerto and the Rococo Variations by Tchaikovsky as a soloist in Prague and Budapest, Roccastrada, Boston and Michigan. She is currently studying with Prof. Orfeo Mandozzi at the Zurich University of Arts. Her accompanist, Luis, is also currently studying music in Zurich. He has won several competitions and attended many master classes with renowned pianists, as well as performing in a large number of high profile venues, including the Weill Recital Hall, Carnegie Hall, New York. Ruth is the winner of the Winchelsea Arts prize in the New Stars International Music Competition. Winchelsea Arts is delighted to be supporting this exciting competition for young musicians in its inaugural year.

Tickets are available at Winchelsea Farm Kitchen – £14 (£7 for children) – and online here

Cynthia Feast writes: As many of you will know, my period of office as Mayor comes to an end on 2nd April and my final duty will be to preside over the Mayoring event in the Court Hall on that day. I just wanted to take this opportunity of publicly thanking everyone in the Town for their friendship and support throughout the year.

Cynthia and Richard Feast

It has been a great privilege for me not only to hold the office of Mayor, but also to have become so much more involved with, and aware of, all the good things that go on in the Town, thanks to the dedication and commitment of so many people. Richard and I have been grateful for all the invitations we have received to attend events in the Town and I think we have managed to attend almost all of them. It would be quite impossible and wrong to try to pick out highlights; it has all been great fun.

Away from the Town, it has been an honour to keep Winchelsea’s flag flying at events in the other Cinque Ports and towns that are part of the Cinque Ports Confederation. We are looking forward to having a little more time for the garden, but will miss the excitement of office as well.

John Rodley, my deputy for the past year, has been selected to hold the office of Mayor next and I wish him every enjoyment of it, but again, my thanks to all of you.