24
Church and Community News www.stjohnshildenborough.co.uk www.hildenboroughpc.kentparishes.gov.uk 2017 HILDENBOROUGH PARISH MAGAZINE Distributed free to over 2000 households February
Church and Community News www.stjohnshildenborough.co.uk
www.hildenboroughpc.kentparishes.gov.uk
2017
HILDENBOROUGH PARISH MAGAZINE Distributed free to over 2000 households
February
2
February Services ST JOHN’S CHURCH
Sunday 5 February 9.30 a.m. Kidz Service
11.00 a.m. Holy Communion
6.30 p.m. Contemporary Service
Sunday 12 February 8.00 a.m. Holy Communion BCP
10.00 a.m. Morning Worship
Sunday 19 February 8.00 a.m. Holy Communion
10.00 a.m. All Age Service
Sunday 26 February
8.00 a.m. Holy Communion BCP
10.00 a.m. Morning Worship
WHO’S WHO IN THE CHURCH
CLERGY: Vicar: Revd. Tim Saiet Tel: 833 596 or Mobile: 07973 136 968
CHILDREN’S CO-ORDINATOR
READER:
CHURCH WEBSITE:
Associate vicar: Revd. Simon Braid (01892 871 453) Revd. Andrew Wooding Jones (667 099) Revd. Elizabeth Toy (833 886) Markus Hockley (07800 887 938)
Sue Trowbridge (833 848)
www.stjohnshildenborough.co.uk
WARDENS:
ARCHIVIST:
Peter Thomas (833 518), Chris Mileham (833 472)
Terry Barton (832 207)
PCC SECRETARY: Amanda Willmont (350 565) (NB Parish Council tel. is on p 47)
TREASURER: David Wood (506 241)
“KEYS” Magazine [email protected]
Editor: David Haugh (832 869) Deputy Editors: Claire Rawlinson (834 896) Caroline Candler (834 867) Distribution: Stewart Tapsell (832 850) Advertising: Pieter Kooiman (833 340)
CHURCH CENTRE BOOKINGS:
Cynthia Fawcus (833 397) Email: [email protected]
PARISH ADMINISTRATOR:
Sal Hamlyn, Church Office, St John's Church Centre, Foxbush, TN11 9HT, (833 596) Email: [email protected] (Term time - Mon 8.30 - 2.30, Tues 10 - 1, Thurs 10 - 1) (School Holidays - Mon 10 - 12, Tues 9 - 11, Thurs 10 - 12)
YOUTH WORK: See organisations list inside cover at back and page 4
Keys is printed by St. Mary’s Church, Leigh tel: 01732 833 470
Contact us for printing of leaflets, booklets, etc.
47
ORGANISATIONS
Community Groups AFTERNOON WI Mrs Betty Mackay (832 549) EVENING WI Mrs Christine Gray (833 845) GARDENERS SOCIETY Secretary .……………………………David Haugh (832 869) GUIDES (Hildenborough) ............................................................Louise Neale (361 759) SCOUT GROUP………………………………………………… [email protected] BEAVERS (Ages 6-8 Thursdays 4.30-5.30 p.m.) …………… …Andy Hay (833 384) HILDENBOROUGH CONSERVATION GROUP Mrs Lynne Flower (355 080) HILDENBOROUGH HISTORY SOCIETY ..................................Judith McQuillan (834 610) HILDENBOROUGH YOUTH CLUB .............................................Temporarily suspended HOSPICE IN THE WEALD Thelma Fairs (832 475) PARISH COUNCIL 01732 832 367 HILDENBOROUGH C OF E PRIMARY SCHOOL……..........…www.hildenborough.kent.sch.uk (833 394) FOR THE STOCKS GREEN PRE-SCHOOL DETAILS SEE AD ON PAGE 42 MUSICAL BUMPS Margaret Lewin (07736 244 142) VILLAGE HALL BOOKINGS Mrs Anne Davies (833 092) VILLAGE PRESERVATION ASSOCIATION David Vanns (838 027) KENT POLICE (Non-emergency calls) 101 PCSO TONI MATTHEW 07772 226 146 PCSO KIM HOCKEY 07969 584 194
Church Groups TUESDAY MORNING TEA AND COFFEE CORNER Church Centre (833 596)
HOUSE GROUPS ……………………..…………………………Tim Saiet (833 596) HILDENBOROUGH MEN’S GROUP Keith Dyer (833 689) PRAYER CHAIN Cynthia Fawcus (833 397) SUNBEAMS (Mums and Babies) ………………...........................Sue Gorham (832 898) WEDNESDAY FOCUS SPARKLERS: 3-7 (Y2 at school) Amy Bean (833 357) TRAILBLAZERS: (7-11 year) ………………………………… Emma Challis (368 531) PATHFINDERS: (11-14 years) ………………………………… Charlie Sinclair (07548 652 549) NEW GENERATION (14 plus) .......................................................Mark Packer (832 670) or Margaret Wooding-Jones (667 099) CRECHE: (0-3 years) …………………………………………… Anita Parkes (832 026)
Hildenborough Sports BADMINTON: Kathryn Stewart (07809 299 553) HILDENBOROUGH INDOOR (SHORT MAT) BOWLS CLUB David Chambers (833 612) HILDENBOROUGH CRICKET CLUB Barry Webb (838 422) HILDENBOROUGH FRIENDLY BADMINTON CLUB .................Ivan Kirkpatrick (07730 888 429) HILDENBOROUGH SHORT MAT BOWLS CLUB (SUNDAYS) Pat King (833 160) ROSEBANK BADMINTON CLUB Nick Aldridge (832 163) STOOLBALL CLUB Bill Richardson (838 903) TENNIS CLUB (membership) Jo Garrett (832 393) HILDENBOROUGH SPORTS ASSOCIATION (Running Races) …Mark Taylor (832 948) KENT & SUSSEX SPORTS MOTOR CYCLE CLUB …………… Paul Lane (832 438) THE OAKS BRIDGE CLUB ................................................................Marilyn Starkey (832 449)
The Keys Magazine needs your input; please contact:
David Haugh (Editor), (832 869) or [email protected]
Deputy Editors - Caroline Candler (834 867) and Claire Rawlinson (834 896)
The deadline for an entry is the 13th of the previous month for typed or legibly handwritten entries and the 15th for email contributions.
For all ADVERTISING contact Pieter Kooiman on 833 340
KEYS ADVERTISING
Please note that the PCC cannot be held responsible for the quality of the services on offer. For any serious complaint, contact our advertising co-ordinator, Pieter Kooiman.
46
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REMEMBER EVERY TUESDAY
TO COME TO
at St. John’s Church Centre
9 – 11 a.m.
Fresh seasonal food from
dedicated local producers.
Enjoy shopping in a relaxed
friendly atmosphere;
meet friends for coffee;
and share our special events.
Contact: Janet Richardson 838 903
3
Dear Friends,
100 years ago this month Russia was in
a state of turmoil. What came to be
known as ‘the February Revolution’
resulted in the abdication of the Tsar
and the establishing of a new govern-
ment. But the turmoil continued and a
second revolution in October brought
Lenin and the Bolsheviks to power and
the first communist regime in history.
As they say, ‘the rest is history’. Far
from inaugurating utopia, communism
gave birth to a terrifying regime. It is
estimated that nearly 30 million Rus-
sians perished from civil war and under
Stalin.
Communism is avowedly atheist and
many religious minorities were perse-
cuted in Communist Russia and else-
where, such as China, Cambodia and
parts of Eastern Europe.
But nowadays it is religion that gets a
bad name, particularly in the Middle
East. Although Christians are often on
the receiving end of violence, the histo-
ry of Christianity is not always a good
one; the Crusades being a prime exam-
ple.
Although he lived in an era of religious
violence, Jesus was its most vocal oppo-
nent and its most high profile victim.
For example, the first time he spoke in a
synagogue in Nazareth, the congrega-
tion tried to kill him (Luke 4:14-30).
Jesus often upset people because he
diagnosed the heart of the human prob-
lem. He told some of the leading reli-
gious thinkers of the first century that
they were hypocrites who ‘honour me
with their lips but their hearts are far
from me.’ (Mark 7:6) Like many after
them, they used religious language to
hide their evil thoughts.
When Jesus’ disciples suggested he zap
some Samaritans who had rejected him,
by calling down fire from heaven, Jesus
rebuked them (Luke 9:51-56). When
Jesus was arrested in Gethsemane, he
forbade his followers to resist his cruci-
fiers and he prayed for the soldiers who
nailed him to the cross. The apostle Pe-
ter records: ‘When they hurled their
insults at him, he did not retaliate; when
he suffered, he made no threats…’
Yet today Jesus is the most famous man
in history. More songs have been sung
about him, more books have been in-
spired by him and more movies have
been made about him than anyone else,
ever. Jesus has shown us what happens
when we surrender our agenda to God
and stop telling him what to do. He
doesn’t just answer the question about
religious violence, He personifies the
answer.
So if you are troubled by the violence in
the world, isn’t it time to discover genu-
ine religion as taught by Jesus. That’s
the message for 2017 our violent world
desperately needs to hear.
God bless Simon
4
SUNBEAMS
"It is as easy as ABC to come along with your pre-school child. A for Adults, B for
Babies and C for Children."
Every Monday 2-4 p.m. during term time. Contact: Tina Lewis 833 867
TEA & COFFEE CORNER
"Meeting friends and making new ones"
Weekly - Tuesdays 8.45- 11.30 a.m.
Contact: Church Centre - 833 596
HILDENBOROUGH FARMERS’
MARKET
Tuesdays 9.00-11.00 a.m at Church Centre@St John’s.
Contact: Janet Richardson 838 903
WEDNESDAY FOCUS
"Meeting women in the love of God for friendship, fellowship and fun.”
Every second Wednesday in the month at 10.30 a.m. @ The Church Centre
Temporarily suspended
H.O.P.S
Hildenborough Old People’s Society
Not currently active
MONTHLY DIARY OF SOME OF THE ACTIVITIES@The Church Centre
"OPEN TO EVERYBODY”
MEN’S GROUP
"Wine, cheese , fellowship, discourse and
discovery all at our monthly meeting. All
Hildenborough men welcome."
There will be no meeting in February.
Contact: George Gorham 832 898
PLUS: once a term, at 8 a.m. on a Sat, a
Men’s Breakfast with a guest speaker.
Baptisms:
27th Nov.
Florence Williams
Samuel Williams 11th Dec.
Thomas Collier
Harry Collier
Frank Stothard
Marriages: n/r
Deaths:
1st Oct. Paul King
24th Oct. Joyce Plowman
8th Nov. Liam Livermore
29th Nov. Michael Trowbridge
25 Dec. Joan Osborne
From the Registers
WHO LET THE DADS OUT ?
For Dads and young children.
Hildenborough Church Centre
Second Saturday of the month 10am
HILDENBOROUGH YOUTH
CLUB
Temporarily suspended pending
recruitment of a new leader
45
144 Tonbridge Road, Hildenborough, TN11 9HJ, 01732 832 390
UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT
Why not pop in and see our newly refurbished bar and conservatory?
Families welcome. Kitchen now open for hot and cold snacks.
Check our Facebook page for live entertainment details or call:
Vince - 07518 391 948, Kim - 07549 156 900, Rocky - 07950 267 373
LOCAL INDEPENDENT ESTATE AGENT Selling and renting all types of property in Hildenborough and sur-
rounding villages. With 35 years’ experience Simon Homes has been running West Kent Estates for over 2 years to provide a bespoke ser-vice to meet the needs of each individual client. Let Simon guide you
through the house moving process. Please call
01732 832 116 email:[email protected] or visit our website at
www.wkestates.co.uk 156 Tonbridge Road Hildenborough TN11 9HW
Receive a 10% discount if you mention this KEYS advert.
44
AT THE WHITE ROCK INN UNDERRIVER ( FREE HOUSE )
A traditional, family run Pub & Restaurant, just 2 miles outside of Hildenborough
towards Sevenoaks. We have a large & varied selection of local real ales, and our
Chefs offer a wide selection of food ranging from home cooked traditional pub food to
our popular A La Carte Restaurant. Booking is advised. Also, why not try our new
“Poundstretcher” Menu, available Monday to Thursday am/pm and Friday a.m. in bar
areas. The pub games of Petanque and Bat & Trap can be played in our large garden.
Christenings, Weddings, Birthdays & any other social functions are regularly catered
for. Frank, Maria and Staff look forward to welcoming you at The White Rock Inn.
Tel: 01732 833 112 www.thewhiterockinn.co.uk
Indian Bar & Restaurant
Alongside Hildenborough Station
Reservations & Take-away: 01732 832 944 TheCinnamonSquare.com
Your Local Family Pub
Everyone welcome including Children and Dogs. Serving Seasonal Food and Local Ales
Opening Times: Wednesday to Friday 12-11pm,
Saturday 12-3pm and 6-11pm, Sunday 12-9pm, food served until 7pm
For weddings and events our barn is available any day of the week.
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @the plough at Leigh
for up to date information and photos
[email protected] or phone Hazel & Mick on 01732 832 149
5
St Valentine’s Day There are two confusing things about this day of romance and anonymous love-cards
strewn with lace, cupids and ribbon: firstly, there seem to have been two different Val-
entines in the 4th century - one a priest martyred on the Flaminian Way, under the em-
peror Claudius, the other a bishop of Terni martyred at Rome. And neither seems to
have had any clear connection with lovers or courting couples.
So why has Valentine become the patron saint of romantic love? By Chaucer’s time
the link was assumed to be because on these saints’ day -14 February - the birds are
supposed to pair. Or perhaps the custom of seeking a partner on St Valentine’s Day is
a surviving scrap of the old Roman Lupercalia festival, which took place in the middle
of February. One of the Roman gods honoured during this Festival was Pan, the god of
nature. Another was Juno, the goddess of women and marriage. During the Lupercalia
it was a popular custom for young men to draw the name of a young unmarried woman
from a name-box. The two would then be partners or ‘sweethearts’ during the time of
the celebrations. Even modern Valentine decorations bear an ancient symbol of love -
Roman cupids with their bows and love-arrows.
There are no churches in England dedicated to Valentine, but since 1835 his relics
have been claimed by the Carmelite church in Dublin.
Valentine’s Day reminds us of the importance of expressing our love to those close to
us. But how can we go beyond simply flowers and a card? Jesus says: ‘A new com-
mand I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one an-
other’ (John 13:34). How can we express love in our everyday relationships like Je-
sus?
Listening We need to listen to others, just as Jesus did. He asked questions of people and waited for them to process their answer. How well do we listen to others? When with some-body, do we find ourselves already thinking of what we want to say before they’ve finished speaking. Listening takes time; you can’t rush it! Touching Jesus reached out to touch the untouchables in his world, including lepers, the sick and children. One survey has suggested that we all need at least 8-10 meaningful touches a day to maintain emotional health! A warm handshake, touch on the arm or hug can be of real value. Of course, it should be appropriate touch – helpful for the other person not just for ourselves. Speaking Jesus’ conversation was always full of grace and truth (John 1:14). Do we speak words of grace, by offering comfort, giving encouragement or expressing care and concern? However, we should also be ready to speak words of truth, in asking for forgiveness, seeking reconciliation or addressing conflict. Where is the challenge for us in expressing love this Valentine’s Day?
6
Afternoon: Next meeting is on Feb 1st
Evening: We started 2017 with
a relaxed evening of Beetle
Drive and quiz. Perhaps relaxed
is not quite the word, judging
from the furious rattling of dice
and shouts of “got a body”, “got a leg”
and “this dice is loaded!” The intellectual
part of the evening followed with a quiz
on types of sweets, taxing members’ mem-
ories of liquorice allsorts
and dolly mixtures amongst
others. At our next meeting
on 14th February one of our
members will be talking to
us about Hardwick. Visitors are always
welcome in the Family Room of the
Church Hall at 7.30pm.
at 2.30 p.m. in the Church Family Room
Non Sunday-service Church events in February/early March
February
Wed 1st Bereavement Group 10.30 am at Hilden Manor
Fri 3rd Over 60s Youth Group 10 - 12 am Family Room
Mon 6th PCC meeting 8pm
Sat 11th Who let the dads out 10 - 11.30 am
Mon 20th Mission Committee meeting
March
Wed 1st (Ash Wednesday) Bereavement Group 10.30 am Hilden Manor
Fri 3rd Over 60s Youth Group 10-12 am Family Room
Sat 4th Ladies Breakfast
GRAND JUMBLE SALE
SATURDAY 18th MARCH 2p.m.
ST. JOHN’S CHURCH CENTRE
Admission 50p in aid of
TONBRIDGE CHILDREN’S WORKSHOP
Further info 01732 838 903/355 035
Donations of Jumble gratefully received on the day.
Kent Wildlife Trust
Monday 20th February, 8.00 p.m.
“Wonderful Swifts” – a talk by Edward Mayer
St. John’s Church Centre, Hildenborough
Do what we can to help...
Several women in the church prayer group were visiting an elderly friend who was ill. After a while, they rose to leave and told her; "We'll do what we can to help. We promise to keep you in our prayers." "Thank you,” she said. “But, really, I can do my own praying. The thing I can’t do is the dishes in the sink in the kitchen....”
43
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we can also take special orders
for any occasion
Telephone Rob on
07860 537 673
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OPENING TIMES
Tuesday 9am-4pm
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Thursday 9am-4pm
Saturday 9am-4pm
HUGE RANGE OF DISCOUNTED NEW TOYS AND GARDEN
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Children’s small group & individual lessons Term time lessons; weekdays & weekends
Baby & Toddler Parent & Child lessons Pre-School lessons 3yrs + (no parents in water) Half term, Easter & Summer holiday courses
at Fosse Bank School ‘Mountains’ Hildenborough
Swimming lessons
Alison Marks Swim School Telephone: 01732 365 440 www.alisonmarksswimschool.co.uk Email: [email protected]
Mummy and me drop in ballet
classes for toddlers aged 18
months & over in Hildenborough
Village Hall. Come & join us!
See our website for class times &
prices: www.tinytutus.co.uk or
call 07966 398 224
7
Memories of Michael Trowbridge. 1931-2016
My first memory of a conversation with Michael
was about his expectation of a forthcoming hos-
pital visit. His concern was the size of the con-
sultant’s hands, not what might be found during
the examination. Even in the indignity of a hos-
pital examination, Michael could find humour.
Mike, as I was to discover, always had a practi-
cal answer to a problem, often added with a twist
of humour. He was off for one of his many MRI
scans, and one felt that if the machine had the
audacity to break down while Mike was on the
table, then he would get up, strip the thing down, put it right and get back on the table.
Not so far-fetched for someone who had the engineering skill to build a TV from
scratch so that his family could watch the Queen’s Coronation. Michael was a
‘Grammar School Boy’, the first step to ‘Graduate Engineer’ aged 19 and ‘Chartered
Engineer’ aged 25.
Mike was a founder member of the group of mature men who meet at “The happy
grumpy old men’s” table at the Farmers’ Market on Tuesdays. Over the years we learnt
that he had an extensive knowledge of the construction industry from supervising the
building of major roads and power stations. With his wide experience as ‘Engineer’,
‘Counsellor’, ‘Prison Visitor’, ‘Lecturer’ and ‘Consultant’, he made valuable contribu-
tions to any conversation, often to “de bunk “ urban myths. To Mike most of us were
mere youngsters.
In my conversations I found that Michael could be relied on to find a down to earth
answer to a problem. He took the same unfussy approach to religion as he did to all
other aspects of everyday life. When listening to his family giving us the story of
Michael’s life you could see the solid foundation of his northern upbringing. He had
worked in tough environments with tough men and tough projects. Machines were not
a mystery to Michael and his body had to fit that same format. If a bit went wrong it
needed to be fixed. He liked to know what the surgeons were up to, although there
were some who might have wished for less details of how the machinery was to be
fixed. It was this practical approach to life and his strong basic faith in the Lord that
kept him going, even when others might wonder how. He came back to his faith after a
period of absence during which his first wife and then his son had died. This faith
helped Michael to enjoy the simple pleasures of life - the wonder of waves lapping on
the sea shore, the delight of grandchildren, a good meal and a glass of wine. My lasting
memory is of the twinkle in his eye as he made a comment that might provoke a de-
bate. He had no fear of dying, only the inconvenience of the journey to meet his Lord.
8
Here we are at the start of another year for our Farmers’ Market, bringing our usual
great selection of fresh local food for you to enjoy each week, and special events to
make your market extra special. We hope you have noticed our new Banners and
Boards in a cheery yellow around the area, bringing your Farmers’ Market even more
to the fore.
We start the year with all the wrong vibes. First of all Sir John, who brings us that
great selection of plants, managed to fall and break not only a leg, but an arm as well
at the beginning of December. Happily he is now mending well, and, knowing him,
guess he will be back very soon. Then Annie Hawkins, one of our ‘Team’ managed to
slip over and break her hip on Christmas Eve (too much revelry?) and, poor thing, was
in hospital for Christmas. She came home the following week and has made great pro-
gress. Last, but not least, Wendy, the stallholder who brings us pies, game, etc. man-
aged to fall at the beginning of January and she, too, has had a spell in hospital and a
quiet January. We wish them all well and hope that this run of bad luck is over.
Now is the time to indulge in warming soul foods and my calendar tells me that we
should make the most of cauliflower, leeks, and good old cabbage. So why not try
cauliflower cheese with fried onions, creamed leeks with sausage and mash or won-
derful cabbage thinly sliced, steamed with plenty of butter and black pepper – as good
as a bowl of strawberries for me. Not for you? Well, let’s try something new each
month – starting with Jerusalem artichokes. Never tried? These little knobbly wonders,
cooked and mashed or made into the most delicious soup, are indeed a well-kept secret
(though their wind-inducing properties mean that you need to eat them when you don’t
have visitors!) but the taste is just divine.
You will no doubt have seen the photograph recently of many of the winners of the
£50 Tonbridge Loyalty Card winners since the scheme started. We are pleased to say
that this included two of the three winners from Hildenborough already – so remember
to always ask for your stamps when buying at the Market. Don’t forget also, that they
had already previously won £10 in our own draw, making £60 apiece!
Representatives of Tonbridge Lions’ Club, which does such a lot for our community,
will be at the Market on Tuesday 7th February to promote the ‘Message in a Bottle’
Scheme which helps to keep us safe in times of emergency. Please take the time to
have a look, talk to the Lions and at least learn what it is all about.
41
40
D. Sands Services Plumbing and Heating
Free estimates and design
Discounted rates for Hildenborough residents
Mob: 07721 057 680 Tel: 01732 354 771
Reg. No. 221997
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All domestic plumbing undertaken
Advice/estimates given
without obligation
Tel: 01732 832 478
Mob: 07956 478 627
Email: [email protected]
IAN HOLLOBON HEATING & PLUMBING
All Domestic Plumbing
Full Heating Design & Installation
Landlord certificates & safety inspections
Unvented Cylinders and
Accumulators
Tel: 07887 726 275
M Yeoman Plumbing
Above All Bathrooms
07837 168 978
01732 367 336
Bathroom Installations
Emergencies…Repairs
www.aboveallbathrooms.co.uk
9
For your diary, we will be holding a surprise cooking demonstration on 14th February.
(A surprise to us as well as you!)
The 28th February, Shrove Tuesday, will see us once again holding our Annual Pan-
cake Races. We welcome teams from schools in the village to take part in the obstacle
run, and we hope that mums and little ones, together with customers, stallholders and
helpers, will all help to make this a really fun morning. The reward of a bespoke medal
from the Mayor, Cllr Mark Rhodes and his wife, Julie, and free pancake certainly can’t
be resisted!
We would plead with everyone who reads this to make sure you come and buy your Hi
Viz waistcoat for travelling in our lanes, walking (especially where there is no pave-
ment), cycling or riding. Ditch your inhibitions and make them trendy and be seen for
your own safety and peace of mind for drivers. These are sold at the Market at a ‘no
profit’ price of only £2.50 – a very sound investment.
Hildenborough Farmers’ Market is held EVERY Tuesday 9.00-11.00 at St. John’s
Church Centre. The 402 bus stops outside. Info. Janet Richardson 838903.
www.hildenboroughfarmersmarket.co.uk
Farmers’ Market Recipe for February
A warming recipe which can be used with a selection of vegetables of your choice, but
leek and mushroom with cheese is always good. For a hungry family, this would be
equally good with a pie crust over the top but omitting the breadcrumbs.
6 large leeks, washed and sliced Large pinch cayenne pepper
150g Chestnut mushrooms 25g parsley - chopped
100g Fresh white breadcrumbs 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
A little olive oil.
You will also need about 350g cheese sauce which can either be bought or home-
made (if home-made you will need 15g butter; 15g plain flour; 300g milk and 50g
cheese; salt and pepper). Preheat the oven to 200C, gas mark 6. Cook the leeks in a
large pan of boiling water or in the microwave until just tender, then drain thoroughly.
Arrange in a shallow ovenproof dish and spoon over the cheese sauce to cover them.
Meanwhile, heat the oil and fry the mushrooms for several minutes over a medium-
high heat until lightly browned. Add the breadcrumbs and cayenne and cook for 2-3
minutes until starting to crisp. Stir in the herbs then scatter the mixture over the
cheese sauce. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the sauce is bubbling and the top is golden
and crisp then all you need is some mash potato to serve.
A Waitrose recipe from the past.
No God - No Peace. Know God - Know Peace.
10
A picture for you to colour in—have fun!
39
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38
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Welding, Metalwork and
General Handyman
Gates, Railings and Repairs
Neil Davies
01892 740 432
For all your electrical requirements large or small:
Consult your local established experts without obligation
‘Your satisfaction is our business’ 61 Mount Pleasant Road
Weald, Sevenoaks TN14 6QB
Mob: 07956 962 428 Tel: 01732 742 144
Mr Shaun Simmons
FREE LOCAL CALL OUT COMPETITIVE PRICES
Alistair Colenutt
Repairs to Washing Machines, Tumble Dryers, Dishwashers,
Electric Cookers, Fridges and Freezers
Evening and Weekend Calls Welcome
Mobile 07748 857 161 Landline 01732 355 697
Local Chimney Sweep
* Traditional Brush &
HEPA Vacuum
* Smoke Testing & Insurance
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* Installation Advice Given
Call: E. Coleman on 01732 810 053
S. L. HAZELL Ltd. DOMESTIC - INDUSTRIAL - COMMERCIAL
Mark Hazell ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR - Part P Registered
11 Foxbush, Hildenborough, Kent TN11 9HT
Tel: 01732 834 843 Mobile: 07774 607 800
Email: [email protected]
HALES CONSTRUCTION LTD Local reliable building company
Extensions, refurbishments, new builds, garage conversions, kitchens,
bathrooms, fascias/soffits & gutters, roofing & glazing
FREE ESTIMATES
Tel 01732 838 180
Dan Hales 07765 222 246
11
12
GREEN MATTERS
Who would be a gardener?
In 2016 my runner beans provided more food for the slugs than for us. I was not alone
- many others had the same problem. I had not realised how far up the stems the slugs
would eat. Yet the potatoes did well and we had enough fresh new potatoes and salad
potatoes for us to enjoy all summer. The broad beans that were planted the previous
November grew well towards the end of the year and looked to survive the winter un-
der their netting to keep off the pigeons. No such luck - the slugs felt safe enough to
nibble away at the plants, and by the spring they were in a sorry state. I decided to give
them another chance, and they rewarded me with a burst of growth and lots of flowers
which the bees enjoyed. I’m happy for the bees but not so happy about the slugs - you
can’t have everything. With the bees having done their job, there were lots of young
tender beans early in the year. We managed to eat two or three pickings of small young
broad beans. They are good to eat whole when they are young. Then the weather
changed and the slugs returned to eat the beans from the pods. There looked to be
healthy plants but the pods were empty - eaten away underneath. A mixed blessing
with the broad beans, but I have already prepared the soil and will try again. Last year I
tried a bean that I had not grown before - Italian Borlotti Bean. In case the slugs were
going to eat these, we picked them young before they could get a taste. That worked
very well. That’s the thing about the garden - you do not know what is going to grow.
One year there is a splendid display of blossom on the apple tree but a chill wind
comes and there is no fruit. The next year all goes well and you have so many apples
that you cannot give them away. It would be nice if things levelled themselves out a
bit, but life is not like that.
What will happen next year? We do not know, so we plant a mixture of seeds in differ-
ent parts of the garden and hope that some will come up and survive the weather, the
slugs, the pigeons and the assistance of the grandchildren. I am writing this in Decem-
ber and as I dig, I think about my garden in the summer. I hope that by exposing the
soil for the robin to feed, he will eat the snail eggs. The blackbird has been shouting at
me to get out of his way so that he can help himself to the worms, and I hope he will
also take his share of the pests. Feeding the birds does help clean the soil. Some things
will grow and this is something to look forward to. Not knowing what will grow does
make it interesting. It’s probably no coincidence that the Bible starts in a garden. It’s a
good reminder of how unpredictable life can be. One year a plant will do well and the
next it will fail. You do your best with it but it does not respond. You never know
which, so you try all the options and see which bears fruit. In life, not everything that
you start works out as expected - anything can go wrong. It is the unexpected that
keeps life interesting and I will try some new different seeds this year as well as my
usual tried and tested selection.
George Gorham
37
GLASS EXCHANGE Double Glazing Repairs
Having problems with condensation between your double glazed units?
We replace just the glass - not the frames We specialize in all types of repairs
Door Locks, Door Handles, Letter Boxes Window Hinges, Cat Flaps, Window Keys, Double Glazing, Patio Rollers
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277 London Road, West Malling, ME19 5AE
D.R.WARD BUILDERS
Your local builder Est. since 1965
Roof work - Guttering - Chimneys
Brickwork - Pointing - Extensions
Plastering - Carpentry - Painting
Tel: 01732 838 638
E-mail: [email protected]
GORDON PATERSON PROPERTY MAINTENANCE
Celebrating 40 years in business
Glass replacement inc. broken/misted DG units
Maintenance of PVC windows, doors, locks, handles. General property maintenance, painting
& decorating. Kitchen refurbishments, DIY SOS inc. flat pack assy.
Contact Gordon Paterson for quotations on: 07836 262 833 or 01732 832 079
Email: [email protected]
Gaza Timber Gaza Trading Estate, Hildenborough
Timber, Sheet Materials, Doors, Ironmongery, Decking, Fencing, Paint Mixer, Power Tools, Tools,
Trade and DIY Welcome.
Prompt delivery can be arranged
Phone 01732 463 245 or Fax 01732 743 200
Radiator Cabinets
Made to measure from
Woodtec.
Please ring for prices and information.
Telephone/Fax:- 01732 469 090
email: [email protected]
Unit 9 Gaza Trading Estate,
Hildenborough, Kent TN11 8PL
EUGENIA’S DECORATING
SERVICES
THE LADY DECORATOR
Tel: 07887 936 846
36
Your local Roofer Specialists in flat roofing works,Upvc fascias,gutters, tiling works,Chimney flashings / Repointing. High Performance Elastomeric felt & DRYSEAL fibre-glass system with up to 20 years guarantee
(01732)373 572 Email:[email protected]
www.aquaguardroofing.co.uk
C & K Services Painting and Decorating
For new builds and extensions we can also offer a full paint spraying
service that gives an excellent finish on ceilings and walls or just a mist
coat application
General Household Maintenance For a Free Estimate call Colin Harris
on 07566 219 616 or 01732 835 599
BUILD AND LANDSCAPE
√ Driveways/Patios Block and Stone
√ Full Landscape and Design
√ Fencing - Panel and Close Board
√ Complete Property Maintenance
Free Estimates & Free Advice
Tel: 01732 834 161 07787 765 657
For a more professional finish
In business in Hildenborough since 1880
P.W.STURMER ROOFING
TILING SLATING MOSS CLEARING
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AGRICULTURAL AND INDUSTRIAL ROOFING
Phone PAUL on: 01732 833 401 or mobile: 07860 483 355
aquaguard
Hildenborough Decorators Interior & exterior decorating
Michael Common
Painter decorator
07746 511 803
63 Riding Park
Hildenborough
McDonnell Plastering & Decorating Ltd
Skimming over artex Re-skims All interior and exterior decorating Coving General property maintenance New Ceilings
Contact us for a free estimate on: 01732 300 284 or 07770 677 915
Email: [email protected]
13
From your local MP
Enough is enough. That’s the feeling I get as I write this column again, on Southern
Rail’s service, or the lack of it. For months we have been held to account by a group
of Union bosses, intent on using 600,000 Southern commuters to bring down the dem-
ocratically elected Government. They are playing politics with our lives and liveli-
hoods. At the time of writing we have still yet to find a solution.
We all know the impact. It means our crucial connections are lost, and many people
we know are forced to spend time away from work, losing income, and children are
unable to get to school. This is all taking place because of a dispute where no jobs will
be lost and no employee will lose money. Indeed, the independent rail regulator has
confirmed that Driver Only Operations are safe – so it’s not about safety either.
That’s why I’ve written directly to the unions to tell them about the impact it is having
on us. The Government have thrown a number of possible options at them, but each
time union bosses will not accept. You can see the letter on my website –
www.tomtugendhat.org.uk. The impact on us here in Hildenborough is noticeable, as
passengers travel from the west to use our Southeastern service to get to and from
work.
I appreciate the impact it has on everyone reliant on our trains. I’ve had to drive here
or to Tonbridge, countless times when going to the Houses of Parliament, because of
the strikes stopping my commute on the Uckfield line. But let’s remember who is at
fault here. Yes, Network Rail let us down and Southern’s service can be diabolical,
but at least it’s a train. The union bosses are denying us the right to travel. This has got
to stop and I’m determined to ensure it does.
Tom Tugendhat
Hildenborough Gardeners’ Society
The January talk in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support was well attended and enjoyed
by those who were there. Our next event is the ever-popular Spring Social evening, on
Feb 13th, where good conversation mixes with a bit of brain searching to find the an-
swers to the quiz questions. The March talk on Monday 13th is by David Spencer on
“daffodils”, which will form the heart of our Spring Show on Saturday 25th March.
If you are not a member, why not join and enjoy the benefits. You can buy your gar-
dening requirements at the garden store in Riding Lane at very competitive prices and
get useful knowledge from experienced gardeners. Now that Tonbridge has no DIY
garden chain stores, this will save you time as well as money. Membership costs only
£5 per year and gives access to talks, shows, outings and of course, the store. You can
join at the store on Saturday mornings from the 28th January onwards, or else give me
a call on 832869. You will be warmly welcomed into the largest society in the village.
David Haugh (Secretary)
14
Local Transport Plan for Kent – Consultation The Local Transport Plan for Kent (LTP4) consultation document is the culmination of collaborative working between KCC and each of the 12 Districts and Medway Unitary Authority. It sets out strategic ambitions for the county, as well as the local schemes which are vital for support-ing economic growth. The Kent and Med-way Growth and Infrastructure Frame-work (GIF) provide the evidence base for LTP4. It has identified (as far as possible) the scale of growth expected in Kent to 2031 and therefore what infrastructure investment is required to support it and help grow the Kent economy. The overall ambition for Kent is “to deliver safe and effective transport, ensuring that all Kent’s communities and businesses benefit, the environment is enhanced and economic growth is supported.” There are subse-quently five outcomes and policies to achieve this ambition. They are: Economic growth and minimised congestion, Afford-able and accessible door-to-door journeys, Safer travel, Enhanced environment and Better health and wellbeing. There are nine strategic priorities in addition to the priorities for each specific district. These are; Enabling Growth in the Thames Gate-way, New Lower Thames Crossing, Port Expansion, A Solution to Operation Stack, Bifurcation of Port Traffic, Provision for Overnight Lorry Parking, Ashford Interna-tional Stations Signalling (Ashford Spurs), Journey Time Improvements and Thanet Parkway Railway Station, Rail and Bus Improvements. TMBC supports these stra-tegic priorities and welcomes the benefits they will bring to Tonbridge & Malling and to the wider area. However, there are concerns regarding the new Lower Thames Crossing without the inclusion of
the C Variant (improvements to the A229 and M2 junction 3) or other alter-natives to provide a suitable link be-tween the M2 and M20. These concerns are shared by KCC and have been ex-pressed to Highways England as part of the consultation on the preferred route for the LTC that took place earlier this year by both TMBC and KCC. Fly-Tipping Fly tipping is a very serious offence that can have far reaching consequences. In addition to the obvious visual blight on an area, it can be a hazard to road users, children and others in the community. It can make people feel less safe in the area and encourage further deposits and other anti-social activity. So this is a reminder that if you leave ‘small scale material’ e.g. builders rubble, ripped out kitchens/bathrooms and furniture anywhere on Highway land (footways, verges and the road) it can, and will be considered as Fly-Tipping, with the possibility of a Fixed Penalty Notice being issued. TMBC are to implement the maximum of £400 as the penalty with no reduction for early payment. Therefore please en-sure you store any material for collection on Private Land. Children’s Holiday Activities Programme Despite significant changes, including the transition to external providers, the holiday activity programme in 2016 re-mained popular. Attendance levels were encouraging for the first year of the new arrangements and hopefully the partners can build on that success this year. No complaints over the new arrangements have been received, and a number of compliments were made regarding the professional approach adapted by the providers. Please contact TMBC for
35
RWE TREE
SURGERY All Aspects of Tree Care WE ARE SMALL ENOUGH TO BE ECONOMICAL, YET LARGE ENOUGH TO UNDERTAKE ALL TREE WORK
Reductions & Removals however large or small
Hedge Cutting & Stump Grinding
Fencing and Digger Work For Free Quotes call 01732 746 281
Email: [email protected]
Garden design & hard landscaping
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01892 870 988 or 07793 292 673
www.abbeygardendesign.co.uk
ABBEY GARDEN DESIGN & BUILD Passionate about gardens…
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HEVER LANDSCAPES LTD. Year-round garden management, regular maintenance or a one-off
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please phone Karl on 01892
740 133 or 07909 916 909 www.heverlandscapes.co.uk
Adam’s Gardens Let your garden be mine too
Professional Gardener Studied at Hadlow (Distinction in Horticulture)
General Maintenance Plant advice/supply
One off tidy-ups Expert Pruning
Tel: 846 796 or 07957 461 958 Fully Insured
34
P J Richardson’s Carpenter / General
Property Maintenance
01732 833 873 07739 932 043
Tonbridge Joinery
———- Windows Doors Bifold Doors Mouldings
Supplied and fitted tonbridgejoinery.co.uk
01732 316 317
T RICHARDSON TREE SERVICES ALL ASPECTS OF TREE CARE
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15
Cllr Mark Rhodes
details of activities for children during 2017. Mayor’s Report Finishing off last year, I attended Hillview School’s prize giving held at St Stephens Church. Entertainment was provided by the students. In the evening I was present at the Kent Police Divisional Command-er’s Certificate of Merit Ceremony, held at Aylesford Priory which recognised worthy actions of members of the Police and sup-port staff. The carol concert held by Ton-bridge Philharmonic at Tonbridge School was excellent. Julie and I attended a Thank You lunch for helpers at Age UK in Bradford Street, and we both attended the
Tonbridge Grammar School’s Carol Concert, again held at Tonbridge School; some fine singing including the Motet Choir. Julie and I helped at the Age UK Christmas lunch in the Day Centre at Lockside. The first event of this year was the Annual Blessing of the Seas ceremony held at Margate. Kent Mayors paraded to the beach from the Greek Orthodox Church behind a band, with members of the church following; we assembled on the beach, the seas were blessed and a youth retrieved a cross from the sea pool a number of times.
Borough Councillors Chris Smith 01732 833 742 43 Knowsley Way, Hildenborough [email protected]
Mark Rhodes 01732 833 125 27 Hawden Close, Hildenborough [email protected]
TMBC - 01732 844 522 County Councillor Valerie Dagger 01732 810 222 [email protected]
Contact the Parish Council via: [email protected] parishes.gov.uk or 01732 832 367.
From your County Councillor
A new five-year strategy is set to be launched, bringing together agencies across Kent to tackle drug and alcohol abuse. It is estimated that nearly 264,000 Kent people are drinking at increasing and high risk levels. It is believed that of the 53,000 alcohol-dependent individuals in the county who require treatment services, only around half (50%) were in treatment services in 2014/15. Although there has been a long-term decline in the use of drugs, and use is now at its lowest figure for ten years, those aged 16 to 24 years are more likely to use drugs com-pared with any other age group. The decline in the use of drugs has not been seen in older adults, who have maintained their drug use into older age, and this group has the highest level of drug-related mortality. Treatment services in Kent currently perform well overall and often exceed national performance benchmarks. Future planned work includes partnerships with schools to provide good quality drug and alcohol education, particularly around New Psychoactive substances (NPSs). Protecting children and young people from alcohol harm was one of the key pledges from the last alcohol strategy, and figures show that hospital admissions for children and young people have declined across Kent, and for the first time are better than the South East regional rate (and similar to the national one). Kent Police have led work that targeted and specified operations to address identified issues in licensed premises, supporting Trading Standards with test purchasing operations and supporting other licensing initiatives. Local housing authorities will support vulnerable people in hous-ing with strategies to address housing need and homelessness. With best wishes,
Valerie Dagger
16
Discover and Celebrate Art
This year, Hospice in the Weald will be hosting its very first art exhibition: Art for
Arts Sake. The two-day event will feature up to 300 paintings from around 100 local
artists and will give guests the opportunity to chat with exhibitors and purchase any
piece of work on display, whilst helping to raise funds for Hospice in the Weald. The
exhibition is being held at the Hospice on the 4th and 5th of March between 10.30am
and 4.00pm and entry for adults is only £3 and children can come along for free.
On both Saturday and Sunday we will be offering you the chance to exercise your
artistry skills learning from professionals in our workshop. Saturday will be Family
Day – the perfect family day out which will include a children’s workshop. Children
of all ages will have the opportunity to express themselves and have a go at creating
their very own masterpiece!
For more information please visit the Hospice in the Weald Website:
www.hospiceintheweald.org.uk or contact
Ben Greenstreet at [email protected] or on 01892 820528.
Hildenborough Road Races - Monday 1st May 2017
2016 proved to be another highly successful year for the road races and we are hop-
ing this year will see even more runners for our three road races (2.5, 5 and 10
miles). All these races start at 2.30pm from Hildenborough recreation ground.
Entry is via the website (www.hildenboroughraces.com) and the number of entries is
restricted to 300 across all races - so don’t delay that entry if you want to take part!
We will again be holding the children's races within the recreation ground, and are
hoping to better last year’s entries again.
Finally there will again be the Family Fun Day alongside the races, comprising stalls,
entertainment and refreshments, so even if you are not a runner there will still be
something to do while you cheer everyone on. Details, regularly updated, will also
appear on the website. For any race enquiries or if you are interested in having a stall
please email [email protected] . All proceeds from this fantastic day go
towards supporting the various village schools and clubs so please put it in your diary
now.
Have you downloaded the St. John’s app for your phone or tablet? Just search for St
Johns Hildenborough to find it. You will have easy access to everything concerning
the church - services, groups, messages, events, information, etc. You will even find
the latest issue of Keys! Make the most of modern technology and try it out.
33
The Pharmacy 50 years Service to Hildenborough Village
NHS + Private prescriptions dispensed Home deliveries by arrangement
Open Mon-Fri 8.45-6.30, Sat 9.00-5.30
Smoking cessation support available from trained assistants. Equine and other
veterinary products supplied. Thompsons Pharmacy, 1a Riding Lane.
Tel: 833 433 E-mail: [email protected]
Live-In Home Care
We are an independent, family run
agency with many years experience.
We provide clients with one to one
live-in care in their own home.
Tunbridge Wells 01892 518 400
www.bespokecarecompany.co.uk
Foot Care Alice Neale (nee Hannan)
BSc (Hons) MChS
Health & Care Professions Council registered
Chiropodist / Podiatrist
Tel: 01732 832 524 Local resident
A caring and gentle approach to your feet
32
High Hilden Residential Home for the Elderly
Established 1946
Tel: 01732 353 070
* Outstanding value, 24 hour personal care
* Fine Edwardian house in beautiful grounds
* 38 single bedrooms, some en suite
* Warm, friendly atmosphere * Freshly prepared, nutritious meals
* Extensive activities programme
* Pre-bookable respite care available
High Hilden Close, Tonbridge, Kent TN10 3DB
Registered Charity Number: 1107818
www.highhilden.co.uk
Residential Home for the Elderly Established 1965
Nine en suite bedrooms Spacious Living Areas
Cooked Lunch & Evening Meals Peaceful Garden
Security & Privacy Care & Companionship
Non-profit making The Abbeyfield Tonbridge Society Limited Bentall House, 7 Dry Hill Park Crescent Tonbridge TN10 3BJ Tel: 01732 356 910 www.abbeyfieldtonbridge.org
We Purchase Single Items
and Complete House Contents
Collectables, Antiques &
Bric-a-Brac Bought & Sold
Environment Agency Licensed Waste carriers
Tel: 366 460 Mob: 07789 888 862
20 Barden Road, Tonbridge
17
Hildenborough History Society
In 2017 we have in our village only a few retail shops remaining. If we go back 70
years there were so many more. For instance, where Cooper the hairdresser is now
situated, there used to be Rex Tea Stores, which relocated from Church Road. Where
Kelly is now enhancing the village with her great coffee shop, we had Ben’s “Fags and
Mags”, which prior to that was the newsagents and confectioners “Midgely’s”. We
also had Palmer’s, and before that even, Balcombe’s general store on the corner of
Mount Pleasant and Church Road. Then there was Laurie Crouch the butcher, The
Bow Window was a sweet shop, Leyton House a greengrocers. We also boasted a fish
and chip shop, a haberdashery cum wool shop and others in the centre of the village. A
pottery shop was situated near the Flying Dutchman. Lower down in the village in the
craft cast part of Brookmead, we had a cake and cake decorating shop and Bill Cuss’s
bike shop. Even further down across Hilden Park Road from the BP garage there was
the dairy shop, and just another hundred yards further along Tonbridge Road was Hil-
den Post Office and general stores. I know we now have much more choice from su-
permarkets, etc. but I do miss the atmosphere and service once provided by these local
shops.
The Historical Society is undertaking to fully document all the shops that have existed
and those that still exist in the village from just post Second World War up to now. If
you have any recollections of the shops mentioned above or indeed have knowledge of
any shops I may have missed, I would love to hear from you with your reminiscences
and photos, (which I will return to you). You can contact me, Joy Dolling, by email at
[email protected] or write to me at 1 Derby Close TN11 9JU.
One item for your diary is the Society’s AGM, which will take place on 21sth April
2017 in the Margery Finzi Room of the Village Hall at 7.30 p.m. - members and visi-
tors alike will be welcome. The AGM will be followed by a talk, details of which will
appear in subsequent issues of Keys.
Jane Austen – well worth her weight in coins and bank-notes!
The much-loved novelist Jane Austen is about to make history. 200 years after her death, she will appear simultaneously on a British coin and a British bank note. That means that only the Queen, who as head of state must be depicted on British currency, will be more prevalent. The Royal Mint has chosen Jane Austen as the new image for its commemorative £2 coin. About five million will be released into mass circulation sometime this Spring. At about the same time, the Bank of England will release its new, plastic, unrippable £10 note, with Jane Austen replacing Charles Darwin. Historians cannot recall the last time a figure other than the reigning monarch ap-peared on both coins and notes at the same time. The release of both coins and notes will be in step with the 200th anniversary of Jane Austen’s death, in the summer of 1817, at the age of just 41.
18
Mesopotamia 1915 to 1917 This month we remember the death 100 years ago of 29 year old Thomas Card, a Private with the 1st/5th Battalion (Weald of Kent) The Buffs, The East Kent Regiment. His death is recorded as being the 15th Feb-ruary 1917. We do not know how he died, but it cannot have been pleasant. The events leading to his death had begun back in 1914 and had their own momentum. Then, as now, it was oil from the Middle East - a vital import. Oil from the Basra oilfields was needed by the navy, but this was within the territory of the Ottoman Empire. When war broke out, it was decided to send a small force to protect the oilfield. This force from the Indian Army landed in November 1914 to protect Basra and the surrounding oil fields. From this small force developed a long history of problems that are still with us today. Thomas Card was a Private with the 1st/5th Battalion (Weald of Kent) The Buffs, the
East Kent Regiment that was part of General Town-send’s Army, with most of his troops from the Indian Army. Having defeated an Ottoman Army at Basra with very little resistance, the decision was taken by the Foreign Secretary back in London in April 1915, that the army should advance and capture Baghdad. With no extra troops and very little supplies, General Townsend showed considerable skill in overcoming obstacles, and his small army made steady progress pushing the Ottoman Troops ahead of him. On 22nd November, when they were just 25 miles from Bagh-dad, the Ottoman Troops rallied. General Townsend decided to retreat to a position that was easier to defend. Then things went wrong. On the last part of march back from Baghdad, they
became surrounded by a superior force and cut off from any line of retreat at Kut, a town on the River Tigris. The conditions can’t have been easy. They were march-ing through hostile territory, not only against opposition, but against difficult terrain and weather. The enemy had all the advantages; they knew the area and they
were used to the environ-ment. They might not have been well organised but they were fighting for their homeland and they were now under the command of a German General who was a professional solder. From the 7th December 1915 the British Army was under siege, and despite attempts to resupply the troops from the river and even from the air, General Townsend was forced to
Timeline. 1913 New Naval ships need fuel oil not coal. 6.11.14. Navy bombards Forts on Persian Gulf. Small Indian Force landed to protect oil fields 22.11.14 British occupy Basra 12.4.15 Ottoman Troops attack Basra garrison. They are defeated and retreat. 07.12.15 Siege of Kut began. British troops sent to relieve Townsend’s Army 07.01.16 Guy Talbot Baker killed 20.01.16 British receive supply by air drops. 29.4.16 General Townsend surrenders his army. Nov. 16 Mrs. Card told Thomas was a POW 15.2.17 Thomas Card recorded as dead
31
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W ealden
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David Vanns - director BSc, Dip Bldg Cons (RICS), P.G.Dip
01732 835 289 07813 160 902
4 Fairfield Way, Hildenborough,
TN11 9ET
30
HELEN BOUCHER BSc(Hons), SRP,
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Specialising in the treatment of:
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fractures. Arthritic pain. The Hawthorns, Powder Mill Lane,
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Tel: 833 297 Mob: 07939 646 030
Registered Hildenborough Chiropractor
Dr Andrew Nurcombe-Thorne M.Chiro (SA)
Effective treatment for back pain, neck pain,
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Find us at: V02Maximum, The Walled Garden, Noble Tree Road, Hildenborough TN11 9ND
Tel: 07506 737 633 [email protected] www.hildenchiro.co.uk
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19
surrender. They were out of food, medical supplies and ammunition. They were suffering from cholera - a water-borne disease that affected both armies. The Turks built a defensive ring round the British positions and stopped relief troops, sent in January 1916 to break the siege, from getting near. With this relief force was a young officer from Matfield, Lieutenant Guy Talbot Baker, also of the 1st/5th Battalion of the Buffs. He had been sent with his platoon as part of the relief column to rescue these trapped men. The rescue mission was hastily assembled and poorly prepared. Due to a lack of transport they had no heavy guns; they had only limited food and water. This was a big disadvantage in a desert campaign. Worse was to follow because they came up against a well prepared force with well placed heavy guns. The enemy was ready for them before they got as far as Kut at Sheikh Sa’ad, a new, well prepared, defence on the road to Baghdad. There was huge loss of life and many casualties. On 7th January 1916 Guy and his platoon rushed forward to attack the trenches of the enemy positions. All of them fell under a hail of bullets. To quote the official record, “these were the lucky ones”. One of the many essentials that was lacking, due to the lack of planning and transport, was first aid supplies. The wounded lay where they had fallen untended for days. Eventually, after huge loss of life, the British Army surrendered on 29th April 1916. 70% of those who were taken into captivity died. Thomas Card was one of these. Initially he was listed as missing in action. His widowed mother would have been very relieved when she received notification in November 1916 that he was safe as a prisoner of war. She was so pleased that she took space in the Tonbridge Free Press to give thanks. A few weeks after this letter appeared in the papers, she was notified that he had died on 15th February 1917. In the aftermath, some 12,000 British and Indian servicemen were taken prisoner. Exhausted, and with many suffering from malnutrition and illness, they were forced to march from Kut to Baghdad, then some 500 miles onwards to prisoner of war camps in Anatolia (Istanbul), Turkey. Of those taken prisoner, around 4,000 are reported to have died whilst in captivity. This was the fate of Thomas Card. The first attempt to capture Baghdad, the Siege of Kut, and the battles fought to relieve the garrison, resulted in casualties of some 40,000 killed, missing, wounded or cap-tured. News of the surrender shocked the British public, and resulted in a parlia-mentary enquiry into the campaign, with changes in leadership and organisation. The official report blamed General Townsend, but he had been sent on a poorly planned mission with minimal resources under orders from politicians far away in Whitehall, whose only concern was to distract attention from the failure at Gallipoli. Later in 1917 a far better prepared relief army got through to Baghdad and beyond. These exploits are recorded in “With Lawrence in Arabia” by T.E.Lawrence and were made into a film.
George Gorham
Why is there uncertainty about the date of Thomas’ death? *We know from a letter received by Thomas’ mother that he survived to reach a POW camp in Turkey. *The prisoners were marched across the desert to Baghdad, then to a camp 1600 miles away. *They were short of food and had no medical treatment. Many died on the way. *The Turkish soldiers were not well educated and records of the captives were poorly kept. *Only when the British Army HQ were notified
of a death could they inform the next of kin.
This could be many months after the soldier had
died.
20
The Night Sky in Hildenborough – February 2017 As I mentioned last month, there are bright planets to see in the morning and evening skies, although Jupiter, which initially can only be seen in the early hours, will soon become an evening object. The giant planet rises around mid-night at the start of the month and remains visible through until 7.00am when it will be in the south west. As the month passes, Jupiter rises progressively ear-lier, until by the end of February it becomes visible low down in the east around 10.00pm. Earlier in the evening sky Venus outshines everything bar the Moon, and coin-cidentally on the first of the month, the two appear to be near neighbours around 6.00pm in the south west. On that night a crescent Moon lies a little to the east (left) and slightly north of, the brilliant Venus. If you look carefully, you will see a fainter object that lies between these two, but is slightly closer to Ve-nus; this is the “red planet” Mars. Venus is one of the inner planets, the other being Mercury, both of which ex-hibit phases that look very much like those we see on the Moon, though our view of them is slightly different. In the case of the Moon, we see its phase change as it circles us, gradually revealing varying amounts of its illuminated face. Its size is always the same, apart from slight changes due to the eccen-tricity of its orbit. With the inner planets, we are looking in and watching the process from outside, as the planets move around the Sun. Of course, as with the Moon, half of the planet is always illuminated, it’s just that we can only see a portion of it. What is different though, is that the apparent size of the two planets changes as their phase changes, because sometimes they are on the same side of the Sun as us and sometimes on the other side. This is particular-ly noticeable with Venus, whose apparent size can vary enormously. You can see from the diagram, which is drawn looking down on the solar system from above, that when one of the inner planets lies between us and the Sun it is at inferior conjunction and much closer to us. At this time it is invisible, because not only is it lost in the solar glare, but it has its illuminated face, of course, turned towards the Sun. When it is on the opposite side of the Sun (at superior conjunc-tion) it is very much further away from us alt-hough once again it is invisible in the Sun’s glare. On February 11th there will be a penumbral eclipse of the Moon beginning at 10.34pm. This is where the Moon passes through the outer part of the shadow that the Earth always casts out into space. The change in brightness of the Moon is so subtle that it is easy to miss that an eclipse is under way at all. Sadly, it is not as spectacular as a regular lunar eclipse where the Earth passes into the central (umbral) shadow. However, if it is clear, it is worth looking to see if you can spot any change in the full Moon.
Brian Mills FRAS
29
Local Country Cottage
For two people Central heating
Off Street Parking
Wi-Fi available
No Smoking or Pets
Holiday or short term rental
Telephone 01732 832 081
www.courtlodgecottage.co.uk
Sarah’s Paintbox TAILOR MADE
CURTAINS & BLINDS
Contact SHARON on 835 522 or Mobile 07810 084 406
Shop at 1 Riding Lane, Hildenborough
Email: [email protected]
Lucinda Lewis 07742 665 572 01732 463 409
Beautiful Hand Sewn Curtains and Blinds Competitively Priced
Locally Based
BA (HONS) TEXTILES
Cromer Beachcomber Guest House We offer twin, double and family en-suite rooms for your stay in this lively, unspoilt seaside town. Look forward to a wonderful break in a peaceful guest house that is just a minutes' walk from the beach and near the town centre. Owner: Jill Boyle Phone: 01263 513 398
www.cromer-beachcomber.co.uk [email protected]
28
Hildenborough Butchers MARKET GARDENS, RIDING LANE,
TN11 9LH, 01732 668 160 OPENING TIMES.
TUES - 12.00 - 5.00
WED - FRI - 9.00 - 5.00
SAT - 9.00 - 4.00
Or meet us at Hildenborough farmers’ mar-
ket. Specialising in home grown and locally
produced meat
FRESH CUT MEAT ALL WEEK.
Wasp Treatment
Taking the sting out of summer
andy.wasp
Wasp & Wasp nest treatment
Fast, Efficient & Reliable Mobile: 07833 558 773 Email: [email protected]
Tonbridge area
Postcodes
TN9, 10, 11
SPECIALIST IN COMMERCIAL & DOMESTIC FLOORINGS,
WINDOW BLINDS & CARPET CLEANING SERVICE
Woodies is a passionate and creative catering company offering quality catering at competitive prices. Excellent service and customer satisfaction is our main goal.
Our team are on hand to help you plan your event whether you need chefs, wait-resses or the food just delivered we can provide to your requirements.
For more information please visit our web-site, www.woodiescatering.co.uk or con-tact Victoria on 07534 744 716 or by email at [email protected]
LIVERY HILDENBOROUGH
SMALL FRIENDLY YARD
CLOSE TO TOLL RIDES
OWNER RUN / ON SITE
FLOODLIT MENAGE
SECURITY
DETAILS 07795 550 716
21
Dreaming of Gerontius
A choral workshop led by Matthew Willis 11 February 2017 1pm-5pm
Tonbridge School Recital Room Learn more about how to perform Elgar’s choral classic
“The Dream of Gerontius”
With a short performance at the end to friends and family.
Tickets £25 including hire of the score, tea and cake
Application forms available to download at www.tonphil.org.uk/workshop or
email [email protected]. For further information visit the Tonbridge
Philharmonic website at: www.tonphil.org.uk.
ORCHESTRAL CONCERT
18 February 2017 7.30pm St Peter & St Paul Parish Church, Tonbridge
Conductor Matthew Willis Debussy: Nocturnes
Arutunian: Trumpet Concerto Soloist Matilda Lloyd winner of the BBC Young Musician of the Year
(brass section) Chausson: Symphony in B flat
Tickets: £15 Adults, £14 Senior citizens over 60, £7 students
Tickets from box office www.tonphil.org.uk/tickets
Tickets are also available to purchase from local businesses:
Brittens Music, Grove Hill Road, Tunbridge Wells
Country Garden Florist, 191 High Street, Tonbridge
Wolfit Pet Shop, 10 High Street, Tonbridge
Six ethics of life
Before you pray – believe
Before you speak – listen
Before you spend – earn
Before you write – think
Before you quit – try
Before you die - live
22
The opportunity to subscribe to the Parish Council’s forthcoming publication
TALES FROM A KENT VILLAGE - HILDENBOROUGH
as seen through the Parish Council’s Archives
closes on Monday 13th February 2017. If you would like to subscribe in advance of
publication but do not have a subscription form, please apply to the Parish Council
c/o 60 Knowsley Way Hildenborough TN11 9LQ
or
c/o 6 Riding Lane Hildenborough TN11 9HX
Give the following details:
Name, address including post code, telephone no. (in case of query);
If you wish to be listed amongst the subscribers, please give details of the name(s)
to appear on the list;
Please indicate if you are a member of the Hildenborough History Society as £1 for
each copy bought by members pre-publication will be donated to the Society;
Number of copies @ £10 – please add £1.50 p. and p. per order from addresses
outside the village.
Payment by cash or cheque payable to HILDENBOROUGH PARISH COUNCIL
New for 2017 at Ightham Mote
Looking ahead to our new exciting season in 2017, Ightham Mote will have a new
exhibition in the house and plenty of events and activities to entertain our visitors.
Join us this year!
Volunteering can be a great way to meet new people, so come and join us at Ightham
Mote! There are a wide variety of roles, from Room Guiding in the house, sharing the
property’s history with our visitors, to leading outdoor tours of our historic gardens,
helping in the shop or welcoming our visitors at reception.
Call 01732 810 378, extension 130, or email [email protected] for
details of our open sessions in February when you can come and find out more.
New exhibition – Queen of Ightham: An American Interlude - Queen Palmer,
John Singer Sargent and their Circle
4 March – 23 December 11am – 5pm (last entry 4.30pm)
A beautiful Singer Sargent portrait, on loan from the Fine Arts Centre in Colorado
Springs goes on display at the Mote this year, returning close to the spot in which it
was painted over a century ago.
27
Clay Shooting Lessons for Beginners & Experienced Shots
Pre-Stag/Hen parties - Corporate events -
Mobile facilities. Located at Eridge Green
(3m Tunbridge Wells)
Vouchers for The Perfect Present
Also Monthly Open Competition Shoot
Fletching (3m Uckfield). Call for details:
01732 838 564 [email protected]
www.clayshoots.co.uk
Want a 2nd income you can bank on?
Earn an increasing ongoing commission with a Major British Plc, which could be life changing. Part time,
flexible hours. Free training and support. Help people to save money.
www.just3minutes.info call Heather
07765 437 360 / 01732 440 400
Enjoy learning to drive with Dee
For friendly, patient and reliable
instruction
Beginner, refresher, Pass Plus, motorway tuition, night driving and
intensive courses
Call Denise Stewart on 07886 553 145 or 01732 838 871
T
A
X
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Carriage Private
Hire
PRIVATELY OWNED
Punctual Pre-booked Service
Estate and Six-Seater Vehicles
Airport and Seaport Transfers
Hospital Travel
Waiting Service
Long Distance Trips
Contact:
07711 779 417
07935 656 327
THE BRILLIANT CAR
CLEANING CO. LTD.
Keith Walters
07887 60 11 44
www.brilliantcarcleaning.com
WATERCOLOURS Painting Classes with
Professional Artist Please contact Hazel Kelly
Tel: 01732 834 011
Mobile: 07957 418 481 www.hazelk.co.uk
26
r/o Texaco Petrol Station, London Road Hildenborough TN11 9ND
T: 01732 833 214 M: 07748 662 272
www.hildenboroughbodyworx.com
All types of bodywork catered for:- Full spraybake facilities - Full resprays Accident damage repairs Paintless dent removal Custom airbrush art Courtesy car available
Tel: 01732 838 655
MOT Test Centre @ Alba Transport Services, Mechanical Repairs,
Air Conditioning Services Rear of Texaco Petrol Station, London Road,
Hildenborough
C R S Travel Services
Airports / Theatre / Weddings
Any Occasion Social or Business
4 & 8 Seaters
Tel: 07760 276 735 Email: [email protected]
www.crs-services.co.uk
Tonbridge
23
From the Editor Have you changed your energy supplier lately? Have you noticed that energy costs
are rising quite rapidly this year? If you are on a standard tariff from one of the big
suppliers, you do need to look at choosing either a better tariff from your existing
supplier, or selecting an alternative energy provider. You will need to know how
much you spent on energy in the last year, or the actual amount you used. There are
masses of options available to you, many of which will have unfamiliar names. How-
ever, amongst the cheapest options are companies such as the Co-operative, Npower
and Utility Warehouse (plus others). There are on-line switching web sites who will
arrange to have your provider changed with a minimum of involvement from your-
self. Savings of several hundred pounds per year are quite achievable with no risk to
yourself. Give it a try – you have nothing to lose. Companies rely on customers not
changing their tariffs to make the enormous profits that they do.
Did you get your flu’ jab this winter? Don’t forget next time that you can get it done
at our local chemists in Riding Lane—this could save time and effort in getting an
appointment at the medical surgery, and free up some time for them too.
Probably the biggest issue that affects many people in our village is car parking. Any-
one who has driven down Riding Lane during the day will have had to negotiate nu-
merous cars parked on the road, as the two free council car parks are already full. The
improved utilisation of the village hall is partly responsible, as is the influx of parents
delivering and removing young children to and from the school. There is no easy
answer to this problem, which can only get worse if nothing is done. TMBC have
been undertaking a review of car parking, but it is not known if anything concrete
will transpire. The Parish Council does not have the reserves to fund a larger car
parking area without raising the precept for a special one-off task. Any bright ideas?
Don’t forget that you can look at all recent issues of Keys on the St. John’s web site
as noted on the front page.
Emergency telephone numbers
Hildenborough Parish Council 01732 832 367
Environment Agency 0345 988 1188
Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council 01732 844 522
Kent County Council 0300 41 41 41
South East Water (leaks) 0333 000 3330
Southern Water (drains) 0330 303 0368
UK Power Networks (electricity power cuts) 0800 316 3105 or just 105
Southern Gas Networks (gas) 0800 111 999
24
The first signs of Spring have appeared as the snowdrops and primroses are strug-gling through the snow and ice to brighten up our gardens. The current low tempera-tures forced us into wrapping up warm to attend the first Parish Council Meeting of the year on 18 January. Fortunately when we arrived, we were welcomed by a beau-tifully warm Finzi Room, which was much appreciated.
It was a busy meeting with preparations for the year ahead. One of the important items this month was the final confirming of the budget and setting of the precept. This coming year sees heavy expenditure for the Parish Council, combined with new financial arrangements with the Borough Council.
The new financial arrangements result in a reorganisation of the way Parish Councils are funded, which has been well aired in the National Press and on television. The Borough Council has withdrawn the al-lowances given to parishes in previous years, which included a basic allowance based on the number of residents, and al-lowances for the maintenance of open churchyards, lighting etc. This amounted to over £10,000 for Hildenborough, and consequently this year the Parish Council will need to collect this amount via the precept – that is the amount that each household pays which is listed on their Council Tax Bill under Hildenborough Parish Council. This year it will be in-creased to £30.39 for each Band D house-hold and pro rata for all other bands. It is to be hoped that when combined with oth-er claims on the Council Tax Bill, this will not result in a large increase, as the Parish Council’s increased contribution should be balanced by a reduction in the claim of the Borough Council.
Expenditure has been set aside to pay for the conversion of the Parish Council street lighting to LED, to bring it into line with the rest of the village. The council currently maintains twenty-six lighting columns. It is suggested that the lighting columns in Riding Lane around Vines Lane and Garlands are not con-verted, but as the current bulbs fail they are decommissioned. Please let us have your views on this if you live in these areas. The Parish Council felt that nowa-days these lights were not necessary, as the road is used by few pedestrian after dark.
Another item of heavy expenditure is that of the refurbishment of the Pavilion kitchen. The facilities in the kitchen are now in a very dilapidated state and do not meet current hygiene standards. The Council also proposed to set aside a small amount for future expenditure on the car park in Riding Lane.
There continues, at this time, to be one outstanding item to be rectified in the new Activity Zone, which has been well used and is a great success. This is the Trinity Cycle in the fitness area, which we are promised will very shortly be addressed. The new play equipment is well used by children of all ages. The replacement platform on the zip wire is now in place. The Council did receive a query on whether the platform had been fitted the right way round, which they took up with the manufacturers, who confirmed that this was the correct lay-out. They said the current platform is less than a metre high and the risk of falls is therefore minimised compared to accidents which could occur through the introduction of a rail at the back of the platform. They said a rail could be mis-
25
Pam Gow
used as an elevated take off on the zip wire which in turn could lead to serious accidents. It is also hoped to have the roundabout repaired in the near future.
There is good and bad news about the War Memorial; the first is it is now listed by Heritage England in their Buildings of Special Architectural and Historic Interest Grade II. In their report they say “Hildenborough War Memorial is an elegant and ornate memorial de-signed by Henry Philip Burke Downing FRIBA, with intricate carvings decorat-ing the front face, incorporating sensi-tive and distinctive figures of Christ flanked by St Mary and St John. The memorial displays a high level of crafts-manship and good quality materials, and serves as a striking and evocative memo-rial to the fallen local men”.
The bad news is that there has been no progress reported from KCC, who are responsible for the repairs that are neces-sary to the Memorial. The Parish Coun-cil will continue to pursue this.
If you are able to access the Parish Council Minutes on our website or visit the Library, you will notice that we con-tinue to look to make improvements to the Recreation Ground, giving encour-agement for increased use. This month they looked at the possibility of provid-ing, at a future date, refreshments at pop-ular times and also of providing an all-weather path around the perimeter in order that runners (and others) could use the area throughout the year. Do let us have your comments on both these is-sues – you can ring me, email, write in, see members at the Farmers’ Market or attend the Parish Council Meeting to do so.
Another matter on which you may like to express a view has to do with parking and community facilities. Dame Kelly Holmes is looking into providing park-
ing facilities for the village and she has approached the landowners of the field opposite the café in order to help allevi-ate the problems of parking in the vicini-ty. The owners of the field concerned are also looking into the possibility of im-proving the footpath running beside the field from the B245 to Stock’s Green Road, and also into allocating part of the field for community use. What commu-nity use would you like to see? It could be sports orientated, environmental, maybe a wildflower meadow; there is an established pond, preservation of the iconic trees which have been decimated in recent years due to disease, etc.
Other matters covered at the meeting included a review of the Parish Council assets and Financial Regulations both of which had been updated. The internal auditor had submitted his report which found no problems. A resolution to the meter reading dispute with EDF was found. Grounds maintenance and insur-ance cover were agreed for the year ahead, as was the addition of a further camera on our CCTV system, to give better coverage of the new Activity Zone.
Subscribers have been sending in their forms to be included in the list at the back of the forthcoming publication of ‘Tales from a Kent Village, Hildenbor-ough, as seen through the Parish Council Archives’. Details of how to obtain your copy are included elsewhere in this edi-tion of Keys or on the leaflet distributed with the January edition.
Don’t forget you can meet with mem-bers on Tuesday 14 February at the Farmers’ Market (10am to 11am), phone us on 01732 832 367, email on [email protected] or write to the usual address.
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