The Beacon August 2013 - Beacon Parish of Ditchling, Streat ...

Getting Ready To Remember – Ditchling History Project
To mark next year’s centenary of the outbreak of the First World War, Ditchling
History Project will join the Royal British Legion and others in a weekend of
commemoration to take place at the end of September 2014.
So much has been published about the First World yet there remain many, often
eloquent, accounts written by ordinary men thrust into extraordinary and
unimaginable circumstances - many who did not return. We are planning to
mount an exhibition in the church which will tell the personal stories both of
men who left this village to fight and of relatives of present local residents and in
preparation for this are making an appeal for letters, diaries, photographs,
anecdotes and memorabilia. We would also like to show how this loss or
absence affected families and communities through the letters and diaries of
those left at home.
We will hold an event in November 2013, around Remembrance Sunday, inviting
people to bring along items that they might be willing to lend and so please look
among your family memorabilia in desks and drawers and perhaps in boxes and
trunks in your attic. In the meantime if you can help with this WW1 research
and would like to get in touch we meet in the White Horse on the second
Wednesday of the month 2pm to 5pm or email us at
history.project@btinternet.com or contact me on 01273 845383.
More details of the November event will be in next month’s Beacon.
Janet Cragg
Nature Corner
Nature Notes
As this most unusual year progressed some very interesting and unexpected
facts have emerged. Following the very late spring, growth of plants and much
wildlife has caught up and many young birds are on the wing.
I earlier noted that Swallows seemed erratic and indeed they are having a very
strange breeding season. The first nest of these migrant birds, in Streat,
contained five fully feathered young before the end of May while some of the
resident Blue Tits were still incubating eggs. These very early Swallows now in
the second week of July are close to hatching their second broods whereas
others are still site hunting for first nests. The spread of these in the locality is
erratic. They generally breed in small colonies and in Streat and East Chiltington
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