The new Holywell School had a change of headmaster when Mr Dixon replaced Mr Andrews who retired in January 1980. Mrs Tidmus continued as Head of Infants. Church organist Doris Rider also retired to be replaced by Douglas Moutrie. Later in 1981 the Crown publican Bill Cockhill and his wife Jean retired and moved away from the village. They were succeeded by former famous boxing champion Terry Spinks who had the pub completely refurbished then Keith and Linda Banfield replaced him. Just down the road in Horsham Lane long term landlords Eric and Pat Funnell successfully continued to manage the Brown Jug which attracted a small group of regular drinkers in a very small and friendly pub.
E C Gransden Ltd and R J Barnes & Sons continued as the principal village building companies, although not so many houses were constructed in the village compared with the previous two decades.
Cliff Wanstall still worked as the village sub-postmaster until he retired after a thirty year term in 1982 then Derek Edwards took over. Mrs Hudson managed the Upchurch Stores in The Street, June Smith managed the Wool Shop in Forge Lane, Mike Westwood worked as the village butcher, and an antique shop named ‘One Step Behind’ occupied the building that became ‘Terrys’ in 1982. Terry and Tina Honeyman who came from South London then became long term fruit and veg suppliers for village residents.
The village post office moved to the newsagents owned by Fred Clemons and where Geraldine Rowlands became the first female sub-post mistress in 1984. The former post office building then became ‘Snaffles’ that sold equestrian equipment. The Co-operative Stores continued as always although a little smaller than the present day Co-op.
Keith Chare served as the village vicar but he left and moved to Ulcombe in 1982. Reverend John Lefroy replaced him and occupied the new vicarage in Oak Lane with his family. Reverend Lefroy became the last full time resident Upchurch vicar.
John Ardley and Roger Pocock served as churchwardens. John Ardley also worked as a borough councillor. Bryan Veale continued as chairman of the parish council and when he stepped down in 1984 Joyce Gilbert took over.
The parish council continued to be active in village affairs. In September 1980 letters from residents suggested the construction of a children’s play area on The Paddock. An estimate of the cost showed it to be possible, so plans were made for a children’s play area to be constructed. A 21 year lease was also obtained for the Recreation Ground and the allotments.
When permission was eventually granted for a children’s play area on The Paddock, new fencing was placed around the area, new gates were fitted and 1,000 plants were planted to make the locality appear more attractive. The old trees were treated for preservation purposes, litter bins were placed on the site, and football and dogs were discouraged with warning signs. The Paddock then emerged with a new look.
Very soon the play area became established with seats, swings, and a slide. Plans were also made to have new sporting facilities placed on the Recreation Ground. These included two cricket strips, a rounders pitch, and a football pitch with goalposts.
Today's children's play area in the Paddock and goalposts on the Recreation Ground.
The parish council had to deal with rubbish being dumped on the allotments and trees being damaged in The Paddock in 1981. This resulted in a meeting between the parish council, youths, and parents. The youths promised to rectify the damage after a discussion and this affected the appearance of the village centre so much that Upchurch came runner-up in the Best Kept Village competition for two successive years. The Best Kept Garden Competition which became a popular annual village competition was won by Cyril and Audrey Robinson from Drakes Close in 1981.
The Neighbourhood Watch Scheme was set up during this period because of growing crime in the village which became a matter of great concern.
Some important changes took place in village sport when Upchurch Cricket Club obtained a new ground after Mrs Stevens had sold the club four acres of land adjacent to Holywell Lane. The club had lost its old Poot Lane ground which became Colts Field Farm owned by Charles Barling. Without a ground, the club had to play home matches at the King George Playing Fields in Sittingbourne until the new ground became available for use.
Upchurch Cricket Club eventually moved to its new ground at Holywell in 1987 then money raising events took place enabling the club to have a new brick clubhouse constructed. This gave them a firm base which attracted more players and lifted the status of the club.
Other village clubs experienced success when George Friend of the Horticultural Society won the National Chrysanthemum Silver Medal in 1980 and Denis Allen from Drakes Close won nine out of ten awards at the chrysanthemum section of the Sittingbourne Chrysanthemum and Dahlia Society show. The Horticultural Society had about 100 exhibits in its 1980 show. The number of exhibits increased during the 1980s with 250 exhibits in the 1983 show in what became a successful period for the society.
The Women’s Institute flourished and celebrated its 50th anniversary at Holywell School in March 1981. Pat New served as president during the first part of the 1980s then Joyce Gilbert took over. The organisation did its bit for the community when it had a clock fitted to the village hall wall in 1984.
The Darby and Joan Club which no longer exists thrived during the 1980s. It celebrated its thirtieth birthday in 1980 with a formal tea. Members travelled to different areas as a group to such places as Weston-Super-Mare in 1982 and Scotland in 1984. Some of the original club members such as Edith Colvin, Grace Eastwood, and Rose Humphreys still attended meetings and outings.
A few years later in 1986, Bernard Sketchley formed Upchurch Boy’s Football Club, the first village boy’s football club since Upchurch United in 1967. Mark Veale and Garry Lewis tried to revive the former Saturday Upchurch Football Club but the club did not re-form until 1999.
Tanya Uglow fulfilled her dream of owning her own riding school when she set up the Tanzor Riding Stables in Poot Lane in 1986. This became a very popular location for young horse enthusiasts to ride horses which became available for hire seven days a week and led to large numbers of riders hacking around the Ham Green peninsular which has continued to the present day.
The village fete and the annual carnival both ended during the early 1980s. The two events ended due to a lack of organisers and the unavailability of lorries to operate as floats in the carnival procession. The final carnival ended in 1982 after thirty years as the most popular annual village event, although the fete became re-established for a few years more recently.
A country fair with a 19th century theme took place in aid of the Church Repair Fund in 1983. It’s remembered for an exhibition of old Upchurch photos organised by Helen Osborne. The fair raised about £1,800 but this was just a one off event. However, the Upchurch Festival of Music which began in 1988 became a popular annual event in the church and the village hall. With music from Tuesday to Sunday,’ Upchurch Night’ included performances by Upchurch groups such as Holywell School, the Choral Society, and the church choir. Groups and musicians attended from all over Kent and the festival became an immediate success which continued until 2016.
Residents who lived through the 1980s will never forget the Great Hurricane of October 1987. It struck during the night and early morning hours of October 16th and 17th when most people were asleep in bed but some who were awakened described it as ‘very frightening.’
Although Upchurch did not suffer as badly as some other villages, tiles were blown off roofs, electricity cables were blown down or severed and the chimney stack on the Co-op crashed through the roof putting the shop out of action for a while. The hurricane caused some roads to be blocked by fallen trees and it partly destroyed Hilda’s Cottage occupied by Tony Witherden and his mother Dolly in Poot Lane. Eventually, the cottage had to be demolished.
Other big losers were local farmers with thousands of fruit trees damaged or uprooted and farm buildings blown and strewn across the landscape. The powerful wind gusted up to 138 miles per hour, the most powerful recorded in Britain for about 300 years.
The 1980s experienced changes that have had a big effect on the village today. The children’s play area has become established as a very good facility for young children and The Paddock is in a better condition than previously and is a pleasant place for residents to walk, while the Recreation Ground continues as an open space for residents to walk their dogs and for teenagers to use the sports facilities. Upchurch Cricket Club has advanced from being a small village club in Swale to being a major force in the Kent County League with greatly improved facilities and ground. Most other clubs from the 1980s are still flourishing such as the Women’s Institute, the Scout Movement, and the Horticultural Society.
Overall, the village emerged from the 1980s as a better place to live with improved facilities, while another hurricane has so far stayed away.
David Wood
About David
David was born and raised at Ham Green and still lives there today. He writes from personal experience about Upchurch village life and the changes that have taken place over the years.
David's book, Memories of Upchurch, is a very readable and detailed historical study of the village and is available direct from David at: david3702001@yahoo.co.uk price £12 + postage and packing.
