October 29th AGM rounds off another year of success for Hayling's BEST!

- Tue 21st Oct 2008

With a highly successful summer of events now drawing to a close, and two nationally recognised awards safely ‘in the bag’ for the second year running, you could be forgiven for thinking that that the volunteers of the Hayling’s BEST M.T.I. would be happy to rest on their laurels and enjoy a quiet winter. Nothing however could be further from the truth!

The hugely successful Hayling Scarecrow Festival, which doubled in size in this its second year will be a tough act to follow, but Team Leaders Colin & Marie Telford assure us the challenge is already well in hand. While Dale Norman and her team are already busily pencilling in dates for a new season of Eastoke Corner’s innovative Playing on the Plaza free live music events, with an eclectic mix of musical entertainment already being lined up for 2009.

Neither is Hayling’s history being neglected, with three more Discover Hayling local history booklets already being written by the inimitable Robin Walton and his hard working historical researchers, provisionally titled ‘Natural Hayling’, ‘The Lifeboats’ and ‘Langstone - Gateway to Hayling’.

Ongoing research following their recent World War 2 booklet, looks set to produce a number of spin-off events, following hot on the heels of this summer’s Medieval Stocks Rededication. These include a photographic display in Hayling Library throughout October, and a lighthearted ‘Hayling at War’ theatrical presentation in conjunction with HIADS, provisionally booked for April.

Still to come this year we have the Christmas Window Spotting Competition, organised by a dedicated team ably led by Rosemary Satchwell. A sort of Christmas version of the Scarecrow Festival, in which traders across the Island hide an item of incongruity amongst their Yuletide displays, which you can track down with the aid of a suitably festive ‘trail sheet’.

All of these exciting events share but one thing in common - not one of them would ever happen, were it not for a team of hard working local volunteers, willing to give their spare time to create and promote them!

Anyone wanting to find out more about Hayling’s BEST M.T.I. and how they can join the team and help organise these and other forthcoming events currently in the pipeline, are invited to come along to the group’s Annual General Meeting. This takes place from 7.30pm on Wednesday 29 October in the main hall of the United Reform Church, Hollow Lane, Mengham.

Alternatively they can contact Chairman Tony Higham on 023 92 464723, email higham123@googlemail.com, write to Hayling’s BEST, PO Box 30, Hayling Island PO11 9UD, visit http://www.haylingsbest.co.uk/ , drop in to see Colin and Marie at the Hayling Island Bookshop in Mengham, or Rosemary at the Terracotta Pot Shop at Eastoke Corner.

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