SILENCE is golden... And it certainly was last month when silent bids in the barn, in the Whitewater parishes' very first silent auction, raised nearly £3,500 for the refurbishment of Rotherwick church.

Special thanks are due to our sponsors, all those who offered promises to be auctioned, the 80 to 100 people who came and bid, and the huge team that helped organise the evening and the preparation leading up to it, including the catering corps of Margaret Gray, Anthea Cordery and Doreen Spiers, Andrew and Jill Soundy's wonderful hospitality (again!), Rupert Wiggin, our auctioneer, and, of course, our own Tony Hall, who kick-started the event.

The new kitchenette under the bell tower is up and running and now we have funds to tackle some of the other jobs needing attention to keep our medieval church in tip-top condition.