Notice Board

Tuesday, 10 April 2012

Heating Oil Stolen - Poot Lane

[Reference: CB22]

This is a joint message, from Swale Neighbourhood Watch, and Kent Police.

Between 20th March and 7th April 2012, 220 gallons of heating oil were stolen from a Farm in Poot Lane.

If you have any information, please contact Kent police, on telephone number: 1 O 1, and state you are a member of Neighbourhood Watch.

Thank you,

That was message: 4 4 3.

Kent Police Neighbourhood Watch

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Upchurch Choral Society seeks new Music Director

This 40 strong mixed voice non-auditioned, friendly choir, established since 1968, is looking for a Music Director to rehearse and conduct the 3 concerts it usually performs for charity each year.

Rehearsals take place weekly in St. Mary’s Church, Upchurch from 8:00 – 9:30 pm on Fridays. The repertoire includes both sacred and secular music.

For further details please contact the secretary, Liz Walters, on: 01634 361897

Liz Walters

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Saturday, 7 April 2012

Upchurch Scouts - Appeal for help

Parents can you help us on Sat 14th April between 9am and about 10am ?

Every month we have a fantastic band of supporters that help to keep the hut running and the cost of scouting for your kids as low as possible by helping us collect recycled paper. This month other commitments mean our usual team of helpers is going to be very depleted.

We are usually collecting between about 9am and 10am. We then need help to empty carrier bags full of paper into the trailer and other people to collect any remaining paper. No special skills required lol.... Everyone welcome. Please pass this on to friends and relatives...the more the merrier. It would be great to see some of the kids helping with their parents as well.

Thanks for any support you can give.

Baloo

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The Upchurch War Memorial Project - New war dead names published for the first time

David Hughes has researched Kents war dead for over 50 years.

Historian David Hughes has compiled a complete new list of Upchurch war dead. All the new names he has found have now been published for the first time on a new Page on Upchurch Matters: Here

A comments section has been added to this page so those wanting to can post their thoughts and opinions about David's new list of names and a possible new Upchurch War Memorial to remember them all.

Upchurch Matters

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Thursday, 5 April 2012

A life in Upchurch

The late Win Wraight’s memories of Upchurch

Win Wraight from The Street died in her mid nineties about six years ago as one of the oldest residents in Upchurch. In her later years she enjoyed recalling her life in the village which began in 1918.

Born in 1910, Win didn’t come to Upchurch until she was eight years old. She remembered those early years clearly, particularly at Holywell School where she walked from her home at Gore Farm dressed in a white starched pinafore and dress. She once turned up in other clothes and was immediately sent home for being improperly dressed. She recalled first writing with a slate and chalk, attending the school assembly given by Revd Dicker and having her plaits dipped in the inkwells by the boys. She described her school days as happy times.

Win’s three teachers at Holywell were Mrs. Wraight who later became her mother-in-law, Mrs. Witherden and most of all Mr. J. E. Maltravers, the school headmaster. She described him as being very strict but generally well liked and respected. He regularly administered the cane and if a child who was told to remain for detention after school failed to attend he would go outside, ring a bell and every child on the way home had to stand still until the guilty culprit returned. Mr. Maltravers gained the respect of parents because he worked hard on behalf of Upchurch residents in many aspects of village affairs. A stained glass window is dedicated to him in the church.

Of her experiences at school Win remembered the crowning of the May Queen ceremony which took place in The Paddock on Ascension Day every year when children had the day free from lessons. She remembered being marched from school to the church where Revd Dicker took a service followed by hymns. From church the children were marched into The Paddock in the presence of waiting parents where they sang patriotic songs like ‘Rule Britannia’ and watched the raising of the Union Jack on a flagpole followed by the singing of the national anthem. After this the crowning ceremony began when the appointed ‘Best Boy’ in the school presented a crown to the May Queen. The May Queen maids dressed in white then performed the ‘Dance of the Babes’ and children from the Infants school danced around the Maypole followed by a display of bell ringing. In her first three years at Holywell Edith Robinson, Ella Tress and Winifred Hollands were May Queens while Ted Tress became the first ‘Best Boy.’

Win also suffered her share of tragedy as a child beginning with her father being gored to death by a bull at Gore Farm where he worked as a shepherd and stockman. The following day Win and her mother were forced out of their house at the farm to make way for a new stockman. Soon after this her mother died committing fifteen year old Win to go into domestic service in order to obtain accommodation.

When Win returned to Upchurch she met her future husband Cyril while attending a sports event on Rainham Recreation Ground and they soon got married. Win was sixteen and Cyril seventeen. "It was the thing to do at the time", she said. They went on to celebrate their Golden Wedding Anniversary in 1985 and their Diamond Anniversary in 1995.

How was village life in Upchurch during the early days? Win recalled that everybody knew each other because the village was much smaller with more community spirit, there wasn't a village policeman, public transport still didn't exist and many people walked to and from Rainham. Motor cars were rarely seen and Win’s husband became the first person in the village to obtain a vehicle when he purchased a bread van for the family bakery business in Forge Lane.

David Wood.

Many women went fruit picking during the summer months and Win recalled falling out of a tree while cherry picking at Street Farm. She rested for several days then returned. While in her eighties she had a scan on the leg bone which she had injured years earlier and the bone was found to be cracked in several places. Win had lived with this for decades.

Win also remembered well known village characters like milkman Joe Durrant who lived in Forge Lane and became known as ‘Milky Bill’ while her neighbour Ellen Boast became known as ‘Old Ellen.’ A craggy faced old woman who wore a beret and glasses, ‘Old Ellen’ spent much of her time standing in The Street directing traffic. Emily Wigley from Chaffes Lane, also remembered by Win, was often transported home to Chaffes Lane in a baby’s pram by members of her family after an evening out in The Crown pub. Emily gained her moment of fame when she won first prize as Lady Docker; the best dressed woman in Upchurch at the 1956 village carnival fancy dress competition.

Win always had a connection with the church which played an important part in her life and she took Holy Communion with Revd John Lefroy once a month right up to her death when housebound. In the early days she attended Sunday school with her friend Winifred Shipp, she got confirmed as a teenager and regularly decorated the church with flowers until her later years when she was physically unable to continue the job.

Win belonged to many village organisations, including the Girl Guides and Girl’s Friendly Society held in the vicarage rooms when she was a young girl. Later, she became a member of the Women’s Institute where she served as president during the 1940s, the WVS during World War Two then the Darby and Joan Club where she remained a member until her death. She also regularly participated in events like village fetes organising the tea tent and in the carnival on various floats.

What did Win like about Upchurch? She felt that better facilities had become available during her later adult years with more things for people to do than in the past, she was also happy that the church continued to flourish and that a village hall eventually became reality. On the other hand, she felt that the community spirit had declined. She recalled that when she once fell ill her neighbour Ellen Boast, who was sometimes ridiculed because of her peculiarities, had no hesitation about looking after her and her three boys at a time of crisis, an act which Win remembers as one of unselfish kindness.

Win had a long and rich experience of Upchurch village life and just before her death she was the last resident who could recall village life as far back as World War One.

David Wood, who was born and raised in Upchurch and is able to write from personal experience about many people and aspects of the village and of changes that have taken place over the years making ‘Memories of Upchurch’ a very readable book and a detailed historical study of the village.

David's book ‘Memories of Upchurch’ is available direct from David on: david3702001@yahoo.co.uk price £12 + p+p £2.

David Wood
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