Category: News

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Country Night at St Mark’s Church

Beer, boots, good food… and a little line dancing!

St Mark’s has stood at the heart of Hadlow Down for generations — marking our weddings and christenings, our Christmases and Easters, and providing a beautiful and familiar place for the village to gather.

But, like many rural churches, St Mark’s needs our support. The congregation may be smaller than it once was, but this lovely old building still needs just as much care and TLC. So this September, there’s a rather enjoyable way to help…

Pull on your boots and join us in the church for Country Night!

On Friday 18th September from 7pm, St Mark’s will be transformed for an autumn evening celebrating all things Country, with music, dancing, beer, delicious food and plenty of good company.

And we have some brilliant news. The hugely popular Ashdown Line Dancing are supporting the evening and will be leading a set of the dancing.

So, if you’ve always rather fancied having a go at line dancing but never quite had the courage — this could be your night! No experience required, no need to know your heel-toe from your grapevine, and certainly no expectation that you’ll get every step right. Just come along, join in and have some fun. Boyce Entertainment will also be helping to keep the Country Night atmosphere going.

Supper is included in your ticket, with a choice of Chilli Con Carne, Southern Fried Chicken or a Vegan Falafel dish — and, naturally, there’ll be beer to go with it.

Tickets are £20, with funds raised going towards supporting St Mark’s and helping to care for this very special village building.

There are just a few tickets remaining, so gather some friends, find your boots and come and join us. You’ll be supporting our village church while enjoying what promises to be a wonderfully fun night.

Friday 18th September 2026 | From 7pm | St Mark’s Church, School Lane, Hadlow Down | Tickets £20 including food

Call Dee on 07795 451976 to secure your tickets.

Come for the food. Stay for the dancing. Help keep St Mark’s at the heart of Hadlow Down.

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New Reviews from Hadlow Down Book Club

For those of you who enjoy following the Hadlow Down Book Club reviews, we have two new reads to share with you.

Head over to our Book Club pages to discover what our reviewers made of Capital (2012) by John Lanchester and The Correspondent (2025) by Virginia Evans.

And perhaps their reviews will inspire your own autumn reading list!

The Book Club is a friendly and enthusiastic group of local readers who meet monthly to discuss an impressively wide range of books — from contemporary fiction and classics to the occasional thriller or biography. New members are very welcome.

If you would like to join, please contact Heather Mines on 07974 204231 or email heathermines2@hotmail.com.

Our next read will be –

The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout

 

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Can You Spare an Hour or two to Help Raise the Marquee?

It really is the heart of the Big Village Party. Before the music starts, before the bunting flutters and the burgers sizzle, there’s one very important job to do…

Putting up the marquee!

Every year it’s one of those wonderful community moments where neighbours come together, sleeves are rolled up, laughter is shared and, in just a few  hours, the Playing Field is transformed into the centre of our village celebration.

This year we need a few more willing hands.

If you’re free this Thursday at 3pm, we’d love to see you at the Playing Field, School Lane. No specialist skills are needed – just enthusiasm, sensible footwear and a willingness to muck in. Whether you can stay for half an hour or the whole afternoon, every pair of hands makes a real difference.

The Big Village Party is organised entirely by volunteers. The more people who help with the set-up, the quicker it’s done and the sooner we can all stand back and admire what’s been achieved together.

If you’ve ever enjoyed the Village Party, this is a wonderful way to give something back and become part of making it happen.

📍 Playing Field, School Lane
🕒 Thursday, 3pm

We genuinely can’t do it without you. Come along and help us raise the roof on another fantastic Hadlow Down Big Village Party! 🎪

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Big Village Party This Saturday!

There’s something rather special about a summer afternoon when the whole village comes together.

On Saturday 4th July, the Playing Field will once again be filled with music, laughter, good food and familiar faces as we celebrate our
Hadlow Down Big Village Party.

Whether you’re planning to dance in front of the stage, catch up with neighbours over tea and homemade cake, enjoy a burger from the BBQ, or simply relax with a drink and listen to some fantastic live music, there’s something for everyone. We’re delighted to welcome performances from Phoenix Fires, INDI and Midnight Cannonball, promising an afternoon packed with great entertainment.

Bring a chair or a picnic blanket, gather your friends and family, and come and enjoy one of the highlights of our village summer. New residents, old friends and visitors alike are all assured of a warm Hadlow Down welcome.

Free entry • Saturday 4th July • 2pm–6pm
Hadlow Down Playing Field, School Lane

We can’t wait to see you there!

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What Does Hadlow Down Mean to You?

The Hadlow Down Community Association warmly invites residents of all ages to take part in our 2027 Village Calendar Photography Competition.

This year’s theme is:

“What Does Hadlow Down Mean to You?”

Perhaps it’s a misty lane at dawn, the cricket field in summer, ancient hedgerows bursting with cow parsley, a treasured pet, favourite view, community gathering, garden gate or quiet woodland path. Maybe it’s simply the people who make this village feel like home.

We would love to see Hadlow Down through your eyes.

Entry is completely free and open to everyone, with three age categories:

  • 5–10 years
  • 11–17 years
  • Over 18s

Winning photographs will be featured in the Hadlow Down Village Calendar 2027, with winners announced at the Art Exhibition in St Mark’s Church on Saturday 11th July 2026.

Entries open on 25th April 2026 and close on 1st July 2026.

To request an entry form please email: hadlowdown@mail.com

Whether you’re a keen photographer or simply enjoy capturing moments on your phone, we encourage everyone to have a go. Sometimes the simplest images tell the richest stories.

We very much look forward to seeing your photographs — and celebrating the beauty, character and spirit of our small but mighty village.

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Hadlow Down Arts and Craft Exhibition

An exciting opportunity to view the work of some of our Hadlow Down and East Sussex artists

The Hadlow Down Community Association is proud to bring you a wonderful new community event this summer — the Hadlow Down Arts & Crafts Exhibition in beautiful St Mark’s Church.

Join us for our Opening Evening with Cheese & Wine on Friday 10th July 2026, before the exhibition opens to all visitors on Saturday 11th July.

We can’t wait to celebrate and showcase the extraordinary creativity that exists right here within our community — artists, makers, craftspeople, photographers, textile artists, ceramicists, painters and creatives of every kind.

And what better setting could there be than St Mark’s itself? One of Sussex’s most enchanting Arts & Crafts churches, filled with beautiful handcrafted details, rich textures and a spirit of artistry woven into its very fabric. From its warm timber interior and finely worked stone to the thoughtful craftsmanship and gentle light that fills the building, St Mark’s feels like the perfect home for an exhibition celebrating making, creativity and community.

This event is about bringing people together, championing local talent and filling the heart of the village with colour, imagination and inspiration.

For more details, or to express an interest in exhibiting your work, please email:

hadlowdown@mail.com

We very much look forward to hearing from you — and to creating something truly special together.

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Celebrate May Day at Wilderness Wood 🌸

Welcome the beauty of spring with a joyful community gathering at Wilderness Wood!

Do come along on Saturday 2nd May from 4pm for the annual May Day celebration set in the heart of the woodland. There’ll be something for everyone to enjoy, including a traditional woodland procession, delicious pop-up food, a bar, music, and plenty of dancing to bring in the season in style.

This special event is open to Hadlow Down parishioners of all ages, so bring along family and friends, dress for “Spring” and be part of this cheerful springtime tradition.

What to expect:

  • 🌿 Woodland Procession from 4pm
  • 🍴 Pop-up Food from 5pm
  • 🍻 Bar from 5pm
  • 🎶 Music & Dancing from 5pm

This is a free event, but please bring cash for food, bar and musicians.
RSVP to Emily at emilyanddan@wildernesswood.org to let them know you’re coming, so they know how many people to expect.

Here’s to celebrating spring together!