The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Celebrations - Update

Weekend of 2^nd – 4^th June 2012 – It’s nearly here! We’re hoping you’ll all come and join in with the Village’s efforts to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.  It’s an amazing thing for our Queen to have been on the throne for 60 years and none of us will probably see this happen again.  So let’s make a fuss about it with a weekend to remember!  Put up your flags, get out some bunting ...

Saturday 2^nd June 2012 – Jubilee Concert

Featuring local artists and groups and

excerpts from Lionel Bart's 'Oliver'

performed by the children of Holywell School and local actors

7:30pm in Upchurch Village Hall Tickets £3

Get your tickets NOW from Sue Rossiter on: 01634 234780 or  suerossiter@waitrose.com

There are still a few tickets left – don’t miss out!

All monies raised will be put towards the weekend’s costs

Sunday 3^rd June –  Parade

Service of Thanksgiving

Jubilee Jolly

                       

Parade – 10:30am from Scout Hut to Church

Service of Thanksgiving – 11:00am in the Church – all welcome!

Jubilee Jolly – 12:00 noon at the Village Hall – fun for all!

All day – exhibition in St Mary’s church of Coronation Day 1953 memorabilia.

12.00noon – Jubilee Jolly at the Village Hall – stalls, games, fancy dress, bouncy castle – something for all and for organisations to run stalls etc.  Entry is free and you can bring along a picnic although there will be refreshments available to purchase from local organisations’ volunteers.

Monday 4^th June – Street parties (privately arranged), bonfire/beacon lighting at about 10pm on the Recreation Ground.  This will coincide with beacon lighting all over the country.  The beacon lighting will be organised by our Scout Group who will serve hot chocolate to anyone that turns up!

The Parish Council plans for a commemorative tree and a gift of a Jubilee mug for all children of primary school age are progressing and there will be also be mugs for sale at the Jolly on Sunday 3^rd June and afterwards. In respect of the mugs, need the names of all children of primary school age who live in Upchurch, but do not attend Holywell School.  Please let one of the committee know so that these children will also receive a beautiful bone china Jubilee mug, to commemorate this special occasion.

Sara Tucker tel: 01634 388971   Pat New tel: 01634 374220   Sue Rossiter tel: 01634 234780

Sue Rossiter

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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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