Upchurch 50 Years Ago in August 1962

Memories of Upchurch.

The carnival had become the biggest village event of the year since 1952 and dominated August as eleven floats lined up at the recreation ground.

Before the carnival procession started a two mile route around the village, Swale council chairman Mr. D W Morgan-Kirby and farmer William Wakeley and his wife from Hartlip judged the competitions. The Youth Club won the best float competition with a nautical scene in which Miss Youth Club Pauline Ward posed with a lighthouse, rocks, sea and sailors. The Fremlin’s Brewery vehicle won the best decorated vehicle competition and Laurel Clegg from Horsham Lane dressed as Eliza Doolittle with baskets of flowers won the best decorated bicycle competition. Meanwhile, the annual fancy dress competition had a variety of entrants. Mandy Dawson won the ‘Up to Five’ competition, Steve Parker the Up to Seven competition and Janice Todd the ‘Up to Eleven’ competition.

The carnival procession led by the St John’s Ambulance Brigade Band took off from the recreation ground with Carnival Queen Barbara Webb from Drakes Close and her attendants on the first float. Miss Upchurch Muriel Clemons followed on the second float and the Youth Club Queen Pauline Ward on the third. Other floats depicting different scenes followed including the Women’s Institute entry ‘Brewers and Boozers’ which showed a raucous scene from a medieval tavern. On a two mile route the procession moved along Oak Lane, Horsham Lane, Windmill Hill then up Wallbridge Lane and into Chaffes Lane.

After the procession a fete and dog show took place in The Paddock. The Dog show, organised by Bert Millen from Jasmil Kennels, proved particularly successful with entries from all over Kent. With a punch and judy show, a variety of games such as throwing the sponge, a coconut shy, handicrafts and darts, a lot of activities kept people amused and interested. Overall, the event raised £220 for the Village Hall Fund while Revd Bradshaw writing in the village magazine several weeks later praised the effort and also urged parishioners to send in envelopes with contributions to help maintain the church.

The cricket club had several good victories with the highlight being a surprising crushing defeat of Torry Hill which contained Gore Court First XI players. Alan Auger took 6-8 off only eight overs as Torry Hill were dismissed for 18 allowing Upchurch to cruise to a nine wicket victory. Meanwhile, the scouts led by Scoutmaster Peter Bowden suffered rain on their one week summer camp at Lyndhurst in the New Forest but managed to last the distance.

During August birthdays were celebrated by Tina Harris aged three from Twinney Cottages, Carol Button aged 10 from Drakes Close, Adrian Wood aged 13 from Wallbridge Lane and Keith Vole aged 12 from Breach Lane. Marriages included Jean Elizabeth Bodley Scott from Wallbridge Lane with Brian Lindsey and Anna Diddams from Oak Lane with Mr G Foster from Rainham. The only recorded burial was that of Jessie Bissell of Alfred Cottages aged 70 but as in previous years the carnival stood out as the main highlight of the month.


About David:
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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Diamond Jubilee Mugs

The Parish Council still has a few special commemorative Diamond Jubilee Mugs left for general sale.

The Mugs are good quality bone china and make a wonderful souvenir of our Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and of our celebrations here in Upchurch.

Price £2.70 from Sue Rossiter. Do contact her if you would like one on: 01634 234780 or Email:  suerossiter@waitrose.com  114 Chaffes Lane.

Will your child be starting primary School in September ? Either at Holywell School, or another local primary School ? They would be eligible for a Jubilee mug as a gift from the Parish Council. Just contact Sue Rossiter.

Sue Rossiter

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Joy Calver 1945 - 2012

Joy Calver - 9/12/45 - 19/7/12

A much loved Wife of almost 50 years, a very special Mum and Grandmother Joy spent most of her life living in Upchurch.

Sadly Joy lost her battle with cancer in the early hours of this morning ( the 19th of July 2012 ).

She will be sadly missed by all her friends and family.

Joy's family would welcome any of her friends at The Garden Of England Crematorium, Bobbing, at 10:00am on Friday the 27th July.

( Map )

Wayne Calver

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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  for our news as well. In addition, visit:  www.ferques.fr  for interesting stuff !


Saturday 14th July – Bastille Day in Ferques – This was cancelled due to torrential rain. Their weather was as bad as ours !  So no go this year. C’est la vie !


Saturday 25th August. 2012 – Sports Day  CANCELLED – Due to circumstances beyond our control this event has been cancelled for this year. Sorry if you were looking forward to a good day out, as we were, but an alternative date could not be found that would be sensible.


Sunday 7th October – Anniversary Event – An outing to Chatham Historic Dockyard is planned to include a meal at their restaurant.  A coach load of Ferques residents will be coming over the water to join us.  Watch this space !  More details next month, but we think the cost of entry + a 2-course lunch in the Wheelwrights’ restaurant will be about £23-£25.  Do contact us for more details or to book a place. Numbers may be limited, so ring us now !

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


Sue Rossiter

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Burglary in Crosier Court

[Reference: CB22]

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

A property in Crosier Court, Upchurch was burgled between 8:55 am and 4:00pm on Friday the 13th of July.

A Gentlemen's Titanium and Ladies Titanium watch was stolen with other items and access was gained by breaking a back window.

If you have any information please contact Kent Police on telephone number 1O1 and state you are a member of Neighbourhood Watch. 

Thank you that was Message: 911

Kent Police Neighbourhood Watch

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Upchurch Film Star and Extrovert of the 1940s

James Robertson Justice.

David Wood.

Although more than half a century has passed since he lived in the area, actor James Robertson Justice is still remembered by older parishioners as an out of the ordinary resident of Upchurch. Well known as Doctor Sir Lancelot Spratt in the classic 1950s and 1960s ‘Doctor at Large’ films, Justice starred in over eighty British films after being spotted by an Ealing Studios writer at the Players Theatre Club in London during the 1940s. He appeared in box office hits like ‘The Guns of Navarone’, ‘Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines’ and ‘Moby Dick’. He also starred alongside 1960s sex symbols Diana Dors and Bridget Bardot.

Educated at Marlborough College and a science student at University College London, Justice held two doctorates and was a big man of six feet two inches with a beard and a booming well spoken accent. Amongst his early experiences he worked as a lumberjack and English teacher in Canada, a policeman in Germany, a journalist for Reuters, he managed the British ice hockey team, he fought in the Spanish Civil War in 1936 and he got wounded while serving in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve in 1943. After getting discharged from the navy he arrived at Ham Green in Upchurch and resided in a farm worker’s cottage known today as ‘Greylag.’

A larger than life character who loved nature, Justice was also an expert falconer, a keen ornithologist and spent time bird watching on the sea wall and saltings, sometimes accompanied by well known contemporary TV wildlife presenter Sir Peter Scott. He later became a member of the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust and invented the rocket propelled net for catching wildfowl. He was also a keen naturalist and often swam naked in the river with lady friends visiting him from London. Marj Davies from Horsham Lane informed me that her father, Charles Barling from Bayford Farm, warned her to keep away from the river when Justice was there with his female companions, although the actor sometimes joined the Barling family for a meal and a chat in Bayford farmhouse when not otherwise engaged. Several times he was spotted walking the Ham Green peninsular in a kilt playing a set of bagpipes and became a regular in ‘The Crown’ where he joined locals for a drink and a yarn.

Known as ‘Crackerbarrel’ to the village children because of his appearance in cheese adverts, Justice caused controversy in 1944 when a flashing light was spotted coming from his bedroom window during the wartime blackout. This led to rumours that he was a German spy and after several police warnings about breaking the blackout law he was cautioned at Sittingbourne Magistrates Court.
At the end of the Second World War Justice left the area and became a well known film actor. He also taught Prince Charles falconry while living in Scotland and became a personal friend of Prince Philip. He served as rector of Edinburgh University and also contested the Scottish constituency of North Angus and Mearns for the Labour Party in 1950. He died penniless after a series of strokes in 1975 but is still remembered in Upchurch as a great character of the parish.

About David:
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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