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Coronation Celebration at St Mary's Church
Sunday 7th May at 10:30am
St Mary's and Uplift join together for this family-friendly service of praise and thanksgiving for King Charles III.
The celebration continues after the service with strawberries and cream. And there may even be a glass of fizz to enjoy with tea and coffee.
Everyone is welcome - We would love for you to join us.
Gill Gay
Hartlip, Newington & Upchurch Ward
Crime Number: 46/73365/23
Between 15:00 and 15:25 on Friday the 21st of April, somebody damaged a bench and a tree in a communal area at Watling Drive, Newington.
If you have any information that could help investigators, please contact Kent Police on telephone number 101 and quote the relevant crime number above.
For more information on crime prevention visit: www.kent.police.uk
Kent Community Messaging
Click photographs to enlarge.
Congratulations to Gerry Lewin, this year's worthy winner of the Kent Association of Local Councils Community Awards Scheme 2023 in the community of Upchurch.
Councillor Alan Horton presented Gerry with his award at this year's Annual Parish Meeting, held in Upchurch Village Hall on Thursday the 27th of April 2023.
The Kent Association of Local Councils (KALC) Community Award acknowledges and recognises a resident or group that has made a significant contribution to their local community over a period of years.
Gerry's certificate reads:
Hon. Alderman Gerald Lewin
In the community of: Upchurch
Awarded for: To acknowledge and give recognition to the significant contribution and dedication to the community, Upchurch Parish Council and Swale Borough Council as well as the many other local community organisations.
Thank you, Gerry, for everything you have done for our village 👏🏼
Upchurch Matters
Swale Foodbank Collection
Dear people of Upchurch,
You certainly outdid your usual generosity last month - it was amazing!
The Trussell Trust says they have helped 33% more people this year.
Together we can help keep them going.
I will be collecting your wonderful foodbank donations at the bus stop opposite the church again on Wednesday the 3rd of May, between 10:30am and 11:30am.
Please bring your items in carrier bags. We will then deliver them to the Swale Foodbank Warehouse, part of the Trussell Trust.
All donations are helpful, providing the food is long life and well within date.
Swale Foodbank is short of most items, but especially the following:
Soups
Jar Sauces
Tinned Tomatoes
Tinned Vegetables - Peas, Carrots, Sweetcorn, Potatoes (They don't need Pulses)
Tinned Meats
Tinned Fish
Long-life Milk
Custard
Tinned Fruit
Jars of Coffee
Bottles of Squash
Thank you, and may God bless you 🙏🏼
A Cuppa and a Chat
While you are there, why not call into the church for A Cuppa and a Chat in the Lady Chapel.
We will have the kettle on from 10:00am until 12:00pm.
There will be a warm welcome and there will be cake!
Followed by a prayer for our village from 12:00pm.
Is there someone or something you would like a prayer for?
Pop in and join us or leave a note.
It will be necessary to close part of The Street, Lower Halstow from Monday 5th June 2023, with estimated completion by 9th June 2023.
The Street, Lower Halstow will be closed in the vicinity of the cricket ground, to the extent indicated by signs and barriers on site.
The alternative route is The Street, Breach Lane, Holywell Lane, Halstow Lane and vice versa.
The closure is required for the safety of the public and workforce while new installation works are undertaken by UK Power Networks.
For information regarding this closure: please contact UK Power Networks on: 0800 029 4285, who will be able to assist with the scope of these works.
KCC 24hr Contact Centre: 03000 418181
For details of roadworks see: https://one.network
Kent County Council - Highways, Transportation & Waste
It will be necessary to close part of The Street & Mount Lane, Hartlip from Wednesday 31st May 2023, for up to one day, between the hours of 09:30 and 15:30.
The Street will be closed in the vicinity of Mount Place, to the extent indicated by signs and barriers on site.
Mount Lane will be closed between the junctions with The Street and Lower Hartlip Road, to the extent indicated by signs and barriers on site.
The alternative route for any through traffic is via Place Lane, Meresborough Lane, Spade Lane, A2 London Road, Mill Lane, Munns Lane, The Street, Hollow Lane, Lower Hartlip Road and vice versa.
The closures are required for the safety of the public and workforce while overhead cabling works are undertaken by Openreach.
For information regarding these closures, please contact Openreach on: 0800 023 2023, who will be able to assist with the scope of these works.
KCC 24hr Contact Centre: 03000 418181
For details of roadworks see: https://one.network
Kent County Council - Highways, Transportation & Waste
The stories of local men left in France during the Dunkirk evacuation in May 1940 will be told at Newington History Group's meeting in the Village Hall on Thursday (27th) at 7:00pm.
In his talk, The Men They Left Behind, Terry Matson will detail the fate of thousands of British troops abandoned on the Dunkirk beaches.
Winston Churchill called the evacuation of 338,000 troops 'a miracle', but 41,000 were left behind. Terry will explain what happened to them.
Admission is £3 for non-NHG members. It includes refreshments and there is free parking at the hall.
The history group, which actively seeks to unearth, preserve and promote the heritage of the village and neighbouring areas, meets monthly on the fourth Thursday (7:00pm).
Richard Thompstone
Newington History Group
Click the photo montage to enlarge.
The 3-day Photographic Exhibition at St Mary’s Church, Upchurch, with all proceeds towards the Bell Tower Restoration Fund, opened on Friday the 21st of April and runs until 4:00pm on Sunday the 23rd.
The exhibition features photographs from local photographers and camera clubs - with many photos available to buy.
Admission is £5 on the door, and children accompanied by an adult are free.
Entry includes a hot drink with a slip to vote for your favourite photo and a programme of exhibits.
Please come along and support this very worthy cause.
Upchurch Matters
It will be necessary to close part of Breach Lane, Lower Halstow from Wednesday 17th May 2023, for up to one day, between the hours of 09:30 and 15:30.
Breach Lane, Lower Halstow will be closed from the junction of Boxted Lane, for approximately 100 metres northbound, to the extent indicated by signs and barriers on site.
The alternative route is Breach Lane, A2 London Road, A2 Moor Street, Otterham Quay Lane, Horsham Lane, Forge Lane, Breach Lane and vice versa.
The closure is required for the safety of the public and workforce while overhead structure works are undertaken by Openreach.
For information regarding this closure, please contact Openreach on: 0800 023 2023, who will be able to assist with the scope of these works.
KCC 24hr Contact Centre: 03000 418181
For details of roadworks see: https://one.network
Kent County Council - Highways, Transportation & Waste
Hartlip, Newington & Upchurch Ward
Crime Number: 46/69964/23
Between 00:01 on Tuesday the 4th of April and 05:33 on Thursday the 13th of April, somebody stole a vehicle from Playstool Close, Newington.
Crime Number: 46/69968/23
Between 21:00 on Sunday the 16th of April and 06:15 on Monday the 17th of April, somebody stole a white Jaguar F-pace All, MR09*** from Station Road, Newington.
If you have any information that could help investigators, please contact Kent Police on telephone number 101 and quote the relevant crime number above.
For more information on crime prevention visit: www.kent.police.uk
Kent Community Messaging
Ray Kemsley has served a long career in the police force and spent much of his time in Upchurch as the resident policeman, where he continues to live today as a retiree.
Ray began duty as a police cadet based at Canterbury, Whitstable, Herne Bay and Nackington in March 1964. On becoming a police constable, Ray was posted to Gillingham first, where he met his future wife, Brenda, who served as a policewoman.
His duty as the resident Upchurch policeman began on 9th March 1965. Ray also served in Hartlip and Lower Halstow on a rota basis. When on duty, he was required to turn up anywhere within the Sittingbourne area, so he had a very full schedule.
What were Ray’s early impressions of Upchurch? Ray explains: “I was used to village life as I was brought up in the country at Badlesmere near Faversham… I spent most of my childhood on a local farm. The farmer had a son six months younger than me, but we were treated the same, and we worked hard from an early age harvesting and feeding the animals.”
During his time as the village policeman, Ray had to deal with a variety of crimes, such as the theft of fruit during the picking season, stolen turkeys at Christmas and sometimes the theft of a vehicle or caravan. Ray says: “Local people were the best source of information for solving these crimes.”
Ray Kemsley in police uniform - 1968.
In March 1973, a siege took place at 90 Chaffes Lane, where an armed and dangerous criminal held a family hostage. Ray did not have much involvement in this. Although he was kept informed of developments. Other police arrived at the scene, and Ray stayed in his office making cups of tea for the officers who were involved. Eventually, the criminal holding the hostages was overpowered and arrested, which brought the siege to an end.
Ray’s worst experience as a local policeman was at Kingsdown near Milstead when a light aircraft crashed, killing four people. Ray says: “In those days, one was not sent to see a psychiatrist - you just had to live with it. The smell of burning flesh lasted with me for about ten years.”
He also remembers funny experiences, particularly when shotgun certificates were first introduced. These had to be renewed every three years, but some people would forget and face prosecution. Ray explains: “Eventually, we were instructed to report people for not having a shotgun certificate, and I would have to confiscate their gun. The first person I reported was a well-known local businessman. I duly reported him and confiscated his gun one Sunday. The next morning, I went to Sittingbourne Police Station, where the station sergeant demanded to know what I had been up to because every local farmer had been in to get their shotgun renewal forms, but the police station had run out of them. Obviously, my reporting the local businessman had the desired effect, and from then on, everyone wanted to renew on time! The businessman I reported was given a conditional discharge by the local magistrate.”
What does Ray think about the village today? “It has changed immensely with the increase in population. Our local school is one of two centres of activity, which I have been part of for many years, first as a police officer organising cycling proficiency and giving talks about the highway code to children and for almost 40 years as a school governor. The other is the village hall, which is used a great deal these days. During the 1960s, I made the odd appearance at the youth club held at the village hall every Sunday evening. I also got involved with the village carnival and served on the carnival committee for a while.”
Ray did not always work alone in the village, he was often assisted by part-time Upchurch policemen Fred Wilson and Cecil Maxted at larger village events during the 1960s, such as the carnival. Outside of Upchurch, Ray was sometimes assisted by a rural sergeant and a police constable based in Newington. There were also rural officers in Bapchild and Tunstall.
After reaching the rank of Detective Sergeant, Ray eventually retired from the police on 31st December 1995 after completing 32 years of service, which included time in the cadets. After this, Ray worked for a security company for six months, then returned to work for Kent Police as a Duties Planning Officer and then as an Assistant Business Manager specialising in health and safety for Swale.
Ray enjoyed his time as a policeman in the village. He says: “I knew several local farmers before I came to Upchurch because my family owned a haulage business and would deliver to them.”
He continued to live in the village after 1973 when rural policing finished, and he was given the opportunity to buy the police house situated opposite the present doctor’s surgery in Oak Lane. Ray finally retired completely from the police in April 2008.
Now happily spending his retirement in the village with his wife, Brenda. Ray says: “I would like to think the village community of today would still pull together at a time of crisis as villagers did during the winter of 1987 and the hurricane of October 1987.”
Ray and Brenda Kemsley have been long-serving and active members of the Upchurch village community since the 1960s and have no plans to move 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.
Hartlip, Newington & Upchurch Ward
Crime Number: 46/67145/23
Between 00:01 on Saturday the 8th of April and 23:59 on Sunday the 9th of April, somebody damaged the northeastern corner light in the recreation ground in Orchard Drive, Newington.
Crime Number: 46/66338/23
Between 00:01 on Saturday the 1st of April and 23:59 on Friday the 7th of April, somebody smashed a window of a residential property in Drakes Close, Upchurch.
If you have any information that could help investigators, please contact Kent Police on telephone number 101 and quote the relevant crime number above.
For more information on crime prevention visit: www.kent.police.uk
Kent Community Messaging
More than a million people will be eligible for a spring Covid-19 jab in the south east, as the NHS begins to roll out the next phase of the vaccination programme.
People aged 75 and over, those with a weakened immune system and older adult care home residents, will be eligible. This follows advice from the Joint Committee of Vaccination and Immunisation.
The first appointments are available from 17th April.
Text messages and letters will be sent to those eligible.
The last spring vaccination appointments will be offered on 30th June.
Timeline:
• 17th April: The NHS will begin to vaccinate eligible members of the public in the spring booster campaign.
• 5th May: Last chance to get a first dose to receive full primary course during spring for not-at-risk adults aged 18 and over.
• 29th June: The last date for the public to book spring boosters.
• 30th June: The last date for the public to get vaccinated outside of seasonal booster campaigns.
Upchurch Matters
The exhibition opens this Friday at 10:00am.
Entry includes a hot drink and a slip to vote for your favourite photograph.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Thank you
Elspeth Baecke
Upchurch Players present The Gingerbread Man, Launch Night.
From 7:00pm - 9:00pm on Monday the 15th of May at Upchurch Village Hall.
Come and find out how you can be involved on or off the stage!
Keep an eye out for audition information coming soon.
Upchurch Players present The Gingerbread Man, their 32nd pantomime.
A new and original story inspired by the classic fairy tale.
Think you know the story? Think again.
Keep an eye out for the launch night and audition information coming soon!
Performance dates and times at Upchurch Village Hall - TBA.
The Coronation Weekend
Their Majesties King Charles III and Camilla The Queen Consort.
Photograph: Hugo Burnand.
The Coronation of The King and The Queen Consort will be marked with events across the country and a concert at Windsor Castle.
Their Majesties want to encourage people to spend the Coronation Weekend celebrating with friends, families and their communities.
The Coronation Procession
On the morning of Saturday the 6th of May, Their Majesties will travel from Buckingham Palace in The King’s Procession to Westminster Abbey in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach. Created for Queen Elizabeth II to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Her late Majesty’s reign in 2012, the coach has only ever conveyed the Sovereign, occasionally accompanied by the consort or a visiting Head of State.
The Coronation Service
The Coronation of The King and The Queen Consort will take place at Westminster Abbey on Saturday the 6th of May 2023.
The Service will be conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury and will reflect the Monarch’s role today and look towards the future, while being rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry.
Their Majesties will arrive at Westminster Abbey in procession from Buckingham Palace, known as ‘The King’s Procession’.
After the Service, Their Majesties will return to Buckingham Palace in a larger ceremonial procession, known as ‘The Coronation Procession’. Their Majesties will be joined in this procession by other Members of the Royal Family.
At Buckingham Palace, The King and The Queen Consort, accompanied by Members of the Royal Family, will appear on the balcony to conclude the day’s ceremonial events.
The Coronation Concert
On Sunday the 7th of May 2023, a special Coronation Concert will be staged and broadcast live at Windsor Castle by the BBC.
The Coronation Big Lunch
The Coronation Big Lunch, at which neighbours and communities are invited to share food and fun together, will take place across the country on Sunday the 7th of May 2023.
The Big Help Out
On Monday the 8th of May 2023, members of the public will be invited to take part in The Big Help Out, which will encourage people to try volunteering for themselves and join the work being undertaken to support their local areas.
The Coronation Emblem
The Coronation Emblem, which will feature throughout May's historic celebrations, pays tribute to The King’s love of the natural world, depicting the flora of the four nations in the shape of St Edward’s Crown.
Created by the internationally revered designer Sir Jony Ive KBE and his creative collective, LoveFrom, the emblem symbolises and celebrates the historic beginning of the new Reign.
For more information about the Coronation, visit: www.royal.uk
Upchurch Matters
