News

As a village citizen, a teacher and the parent of 3 grown children I find Councillor George Hodgson's remarks about the "beer tent" (in reality an open air bar run by Hawkinge Cricket Club) at the Hawkinge Fun Day ironic and misleading.

The fun day is run by volunteers who give up a lot of their own time to provide a very good fun day for families in the village. Most of these volunteers have children who are grown up and realize the need for some sort of cohesion in this growing village. Without these few ( and I reiterate few) volunteers the Fun Day would not exist. The last two years it has been a big success and a lot of hard work. There has been very little if any unruly behaviour and none caused by excessive drinking. The bar has been well managed and as far I could see there was no underage drinking. Also there was no one drinking to excess perhaps because adults were with their families and actually were responsible..

It is better to have managed drinking then children will see how to drink sensibly. Also has it occurred to Councillor Hodgson that perhaps smoking should also be banned. Smoking is a much more serious health risk in young people than drinking and is also showing a worrying increase. Perhaps we should go back to puritan times and have a smoke free field as well!

I was at the meeting and felt that Counsillor Hodgson's remarks were part of his own agenda where he refused to see the good of the Fun Day. I am also not sure his comments were representative of those who elected him to his position as councillor, and that is something he should consider. What else is offered in the village that includes everyone? Nothing as far I can see and I have lived here for the past 5 years.