Brown Owl Karen Elliott has issued an urgent appeal for a volunteer (or two jobsharing) to help run Purleigh Brownies, on a permanent basis.

Help is needed on Thursday evenings 5.45pm to 7.15pm in term time. If no-one comes forward, Purleigh Brownies will have to close at Easter.

Please don't let this happen - Purleigh has lost the Guides and the Scouts in recent years. Ring Karen on 01621 828512 and support her in keeping the Brownies active in the village.

PURLEIGH GARDENERS

On the evening of Wednesday January 23, Peter Webb regaled members with the hilarious tale of how he and his long-suffering but equally enthusiastic wife, Mary, progressed from townies to smallholders in their search for "the Good Life".

A Ferguson tractor saw Peter barred from his allotments and sent him looking for a country life, eventually settling down at a derelict mink farm in Tolleshunt D'Arcy.

Ambitious projects to add further livestock to their collection started with a visit to Tiptree library to read up on the species. Nevertheless, acquiring and breeding animals was always fraught with difficulties resulting in lots of comic situations.

Fourteen years on, Peter and Mary have become successful smallholders and love their country life, enjoying looking after all their animals.

The next meeting is on Wednesday February 27 at 8pm in Purleigh village Hall, when Neil Catchpole will give an illustrated talk on trees. Visitors and new members will be welcome.

MOBILE LIBRARY

The service's next fortnightly visit is on Wednesday March 27, at New Hall from 10.55am to 11.20am then Snows Corner between 11.25am and midday, and then at The Bell from 12.05pm to 12.15pm.

Please support this service, or we will be in danger of losing it completely.

EASTERN ANGLES

The spring production by the Eastern Angles Theatre Company is The Cuckoo Clock.

It will come to Purleigh Village Hall on April 17 and tickets, at £7.50 (£6.50 concessions), are available by calling 850739.

TABLE-TOP SALES

There will be a table-top sale in Purleigh village hall on Saturday March 1 at noon, in aid of All Saints' church funds. To book a table, please ring 850739.

The Parent Teacher Association at Purleigh Primary School is also holding a table-top sale, in the school on Saturday March 8, from 9.30am to 11.30am. Tables are still available - please contact the school office on 828282 for details.

CHURCH SERVICES

On Sunday February 24 there will be a joint Family Eucharist in All Saints Church, Purleigh, at 10am, with Canon Peter Hartley as president and preacher.

WI

Purleigh WI president Sue McEwen welcomed two visitors, Margaret and Pam, to the February meeting.

The Maldonian Spring Group meeting will be held on April 14 and Purleigh WI, in charge of the bottle tombola, appealed for members to bring bottles of all sizes to the March meeting and also toilet rolls and washing powder for the next George Mills delivery to Chernobyl.

A day of "Dealing with Deafness" will take place on May 16 at the WI centre, to show what aids are available to help people who are hard of hearing, including the use of hearing dogs.

The speaker, Kay Beighton, gave a most interesting illustrated talk on her holiday in India. She was thanked by Gill Crosby.

The competition for an article influenced by India was won by Margaret Rolls with a brooch of scarab beetles, followed by Barbara Smithies with an Egyptian charm necklace from the 1920s, followed by Sue Capp with a statue of an Egyptian god.

FELT-MAKING DAY

Ten members of the Purleigh Stitch and Craft group thoroughly enjoyed getting to grips with modern felt making at the Day School tutored by Martine Farrant on Friday February 15.

All produced an embellished panel and a small seamless felt bag. The variety of the finished articles was astonishing considering they were all made by the same basic method.

RUMMAGE SALE

It was another successful rummage sale, thanks to support from many people donating goods for sale and from our customers.

We hope to have made about £170. Thanks to everybody involved.