Upchurch Twinning Group News

Upchurch is twinned with Ferques-Elinghen in Pas de Calais, France.

Try the Holywell School website:  www.holywell.kent.sch.uk  or  www.ferques.fr  for interesting stuff! 


Sunday 3^rd June – Queen’s Jubilee Jolly at the Village Hall – find our bacon and sausages in rolls stall – you’ll love them!


Sunday 1^st July – School Fete – we’ll be there!

Saturday 14^th July – Bastille Day in Ferques – We’ll be having a stall at the street fair in Ferques as usual this year.  We will be plying everyone with English food and beverages, plus we will sell good quality, donated items to raise some funds.  This event is well worth a visit as part of a day out and to see if you can pick up any bargains on the other stalls!   If you have any items that would be suitable for our stall, do let us know – we can collect if required.  See you there, hopefully!


Saturday 25^th August. 2012 – Sports Day – this year, the Sports Day will be held in Ferques.   We will be arranging a coach so think about a day out with lots of sporty fun in France that day, plus food will be available.  Cost of a seat on the coach will only be £10 and people are already booking their places!

Jim Harman (Chairman) 01634 235420                      Sue Rossiter (Secretary) 01634 234780

Sue Rossiter

Holywell Primary School - A musical Evening

Holywell Primary School - A musical Evening in St. Mary’s Church, Upchurch on Saturday the 21st of July, at 7:00 pm.

PERFORMERS include:

Matthew Crane [Baritone]

Andrew Keeping [Classical Guitar]

Force Five Wind Quintet

Jill Rothery

Katherine Forbes

Tickets are £5.00 per person, Children Under 12 yrs FREE.

Available from: Brian Evans on ~ 07770 780839  or  Ray Kemsley on ~ 01634 231585.

Ray Kemsley

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Upchurch Farmers Market « URGENT «

URGENT « URGENT « URGENT « URGENT

NEXT MARKET ~ THIS SUNDAY 27^th MAY ~ 10:00am.

YOUR SUPPORT IS URGENTLY REQUIRED IF THE MARKET IS TO SURVIVE.

Many of our established stallholders (ie butcher, baker, cheese supplier) have recently indicated that they are withdrawing from the market. The reason given in each case is the same – “no longer cost effective due to lack of customer support”. Fortunately the Committee has been able to recruit some new stallholders who are scheduled to appear in May or June but this will only go some way to filling the gap.

After a highly successful and well-supported start last June it appeared to the Committee that this community project could look forward to a long and healthy future. Disappointingly, this has not been maintained and attendances, along with sales, have gradually dwindled.

The Management Committee remains convinced that there is a place for such a market in this village and it is committed to its continuation. Accordingly,

PLEASE SUPPORT THIS SUNDAY’S MARKET WITH YOUR TIME AND MONEY AND SPREAD THE WORD TO FAMILY AND FRIENDS.

WE NEED YOU TO BE THERE !

Dave Candy

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Hits, Flicks & Broadway

Glenn Atkinson

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Childhood Memories of Fruit Picking in Upchurch

Memories of Upchurch.

The smell of newly mown grass and early morning dew heralded the summer fruit picking season on our farm during the 1950s and my whole family, including my parents and grandparents would be up and ready for an 8 a.m. start.

My father collected the local pickers from The Street in his green lorry and transported them into one of four orchards that we owned at Ham Green. Wooden boxes and ladders were ready for use in the orchard as the pickers began their day. In those days fruit trees were taller requiring long ladders and the pickers used wicker picking baskets with a hook attached. The season began with Early River plums and ended with Comice pears but everyone eagerly looked forward to damson picking because filling up a basket took longer with less walking to empty. Pear picking in the tallest trees during strong winds became hazardous with both tree and ladder swaying precariously. Accidents rarely occurred but Mrs Duncalf from Oak Lane once had a nasty fall when her ladder tipped over and Cliff Wanstall from Chaffes Lane also went sprawling when his ladder snapped.

Local pickers included Lily Wanstall from Horsham Lane and Dora Mountford from Oak Lane, regulars for many years. Mr Jarman from Ham Green, although more than eighty years old, could jump a high fence wearing wellington boots while Elsie Waters from Oak Lane strapped a hot water bottle to her body in chilly weather to keep warm. Ellen Boast from The Street regularly had other pickers in fits of laughter with lively and amusing conversation while Derek Wraight from The Street became an efficient and long serving packer. The pickers, whose faces were sometimes burnt red by the sun at the end of a roasting hot working day, picked in all conditions with the exception of heavy rain and rarely complained. Many had picked fruit on local farms all their lives and were accustomed to working in orchards.

Gigantic farmer Harry Witherden sometimes peered over the fence of Sharp’s orchard in Poot Lane to have a chat. As we passed along the rough track to Bayford Field, Charles Barling and his son Philip often waved from a nearby field while resident dogs Bruce and Laddie chased us along the track barking.

In Four Acres Field, a little farther along the road, the pickers occasionally threw damaged fruit to our flock of geese that wandered around the orchard or peeked at owl chicks in the hollow trunk of an apple tree while at break time everyone sat on half bushel boxes and drank tea from flasks under the shade of the big old fruit trees.

Finally, the end of the day was signalled by Chatham Dockyard’s whistle which sounded at 4 p.m. then after a rush to finish the packing of fruit and gathering up of equipment, the pickers were transported back to the village in the old green lorry and sat under a tarpaulin to keep dry in rain. Meanwhile, Ernie Nicholls and his father usually arrived in their red lorry from Rainham to load and transport the fruit to Covent Garden market in London. With the passing of more than half a century those days seem far off as the whole nature of local fruit production and the village characters involved have disappeared for ever.

About the author:
David Wood 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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New Date For The Upchurch Charity Doo

Unfortunately yesterdays Charity Doo had to be postponed due to really bad rain causing the field to flood, but the new date is set for September the 8th 2012 !


All tickets purchased for last night (14th of July) are valid for the 8th and we still have a few tickets left if anyone can make it.


For tickets contact either Lucy Boakes or Helen Freeman, on: 07854 145014 or 07731 71308.

Donations of £15.00 per adult, £3.00 for 3 - 12yrs, £5.00 for 13 - 17yrs.

Please bring your own drink and something to drink out of.

All proceeds going to Clic Sargeant, Emily Ash Trust and Rainbow Trust who have supported a little 4 year old boy Jenson who is fighting Leukaemia.

Thanks everyone

Lucy Boakes
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