Notices

Peter Hayman

Anyone who has lived in Northiam for any length of time will be sorry to hear that Peter Hayman has died. Peter was often the first person people met when they came to Northiam, as he would be delivering their breakfast eggs or setting up meetings in the Village Hall or welcoming people into church. Peter’s life was devoted to serving the church and community and he was never known to take a holiday – we all needed him too much! Peter’s many roles included Chairman of the Parish Council, Churchwarden and Chairman of the Village Hall Trust and his dedicated service to Northiam was recognised by the Queen who awarded him the BEM in 2015.

 

Peter was a great lover of the countryside, and his monthly Country Call in the Parish Magazine was always eagerly anticipated with its mix of old sayings (some of which he may have made up!), tips on what to look out for in the fields and hedgerows and favourite poems, which unsurprisingly were always grounded in the natural world.

 

There wasn’t a village event that didn’t have Peter fully involved – and he wasn’t the sort of chairman to leave things to minions, it was Peter who would load up his trailer and shift whatever was needed, and was always there right until the last bag of rubbish had been disposed of.

 

Peter’s interests were wide-ranging and his knowledge of the people and place has been invaluable to all.  He was always active in preserving and conserving the village he loved.  It is impossible to remember Peter without smiling – he always brought a little light into the room, a touch of endearing eccentricity and a love of God and his fellow man.