Upchurch Guides Strawberry Tea

Upchurch Guides are holding another Strawberry Tea on Wednesday the 10th July at Upchurch Scout Hut, 7:00pm til 8:30pm.

The proceeds will be split 50/50 between Breast Cancer Care and Upchurch Guides equipment fund.

Raffle prizes include:

Family ticket to Windsor castle
2 x Family tickets to go ice skating at the Ice bBowl
2 x 2 games of bowling at Hollywood Bowl- Rochester
1 week Roko health club membership
Several Splashes tickets available
2 adult tickets for The Rare Breeds Centre
And lots more smaller prizes

All welcome, please come along and support us.

Tracey Snellings

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Upchurch Parish Council - Paddock Project Update Public Drop In

The Parish Council are holding an informal drop in session in the village hall on Thursday 27^th June, 7pm – 9pm to meet with residents who are interested in the plans being drawn up for rejuvenating the Paddock now the lease has finally been renewed.

Areas Under Consideration

• • Work to enhance the vegetation in and around the Paddock
• • Play equipment for children of all ages
• • Provision of seating area(s)

Traffic Calming and Parking Problems

Also for information and discussion we will have the newly acquired Speedwatch Equipment on display and would like to hear from residents about ideas for traffic calming and parking solutions.

If anyone is interested in working with the Council on either of the above, please either pop in and chat to us and give us your contact details or if you are unable to make it, contact the Clerk on: 01634 363906 or Email: clerk@upchurchpc.kentparishes.gov.uk

ALL RESIDENTS ARE WELCOME

Upchurch Parish Council

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Upchurch in the 1950s

In the last decade where Upchurch retained a small rural village character and where most people knew each other, the 1951 census showed that the population numbered 1,400 compared with 2,398 today. Only Drakes Close, built just after World War Two, existed as a housing estate until more appeared during the early 1960s. The Labour Hall, the Vicarage Rooms, the Old Forge and the Infant’s School were used for social events while oasthouses fields or orchards were located on the sites of Marstan Close, Crosier Court, Church Farm Road, The Poles and Bishop Lane. Thatched cottages still existed at Wetham Green and Ham Green and Wakeley Brother’s seventeen acre hop garden stood on the site of the present golf course and offered employment to local women during the hop picking season. Farms offered fruit picking during the summer months.

With a village centre a little different to today but without so many parked cars, a row of shops opposite ‘The Crown’ included Fred Clemons newspaper sorting business and W.H. Hales butcher’s, managed by Dick Hales. A grocery store owned by E.A. Lock & Son, now ‘Terry’s’, stood opposite while Albert and Kitty Stewart managed ‘The Crown.’ The Upchurch Stores owned by E. G. Neame was located in The Street opposite the church. Teddy Neame initially managed the post office later followed by Cliff Wanstall. Opposite the post office the Co-op came into existence as a grocery store and provided work for village girls while on the top right of Forge Lane stood an oasthouse, an Elizabethan barn, a forge, Church Farm Cottages and an orchard with a pond. These were replaced by the Church Farm Housing estate during the early 1960s.

Several people brought goods to the village for sale which included Mrs Barling who supplied milk from Bayford Dairy Farm, Ethel Barnes who delivered groceries from her Otterham Quay grocery store, a mobile fish and chip shop, a Betabake van with bread and cakes and a Corona lemonade truck. Ernie Hart from Lower Rainham sold fruit and vegetables from a horse and cart and a council refuse truck toured the village every week with a group of dustmen including well known locals Fred Carlton and George Bond who collected the village trash.

David Wood.

Reverend Hugh Clark served as village vicar for most of the decade followed by Reverend Bradshaw in 1959. During the same period Eric Gransden played the church organ and continued as the main village builder and captain of the cricket club, while his father Charles Gransden and Mr A. Costen served as church-wardens. Police constable Murray regularly patrolled the village on his bicycle, Miss Roberts and Miss Broughton served as headmistresses of the Infant’s School and Holywell School respectively while school governors included Cecil Bishop, Cliff Wanstall and Teddy Neame. Cecil Bishop from Horsham Lane continued to play a major role in local council affairs. 

The village carnival took place for the first time in 1952 with Inys Hales as Carnival Queen and the Upchurch Marathon started in the same year with Trevor Sifleet and Pat Atkinson winning the men’s and women’s events respectively. Coronation celebrations also took place in 1953 while the Great Flood submerged parts of the Ham Green peninsular and Twinney in February 1953. Upchurch Football Club shared Piwit field with Upchurch Cricket Club in Poot Lane but moved to the recreation ground in 1957. 

Well known village characters included Ellen Boast, Alice Ball and Tom Sifleet from the Street, Queenie South from Horsham Lane, Milky Bill from Forge Lane, Podgy Edmonds from Twinney, Elsie Waters from Oak Lane, Charlie Clark, Thelma Hepton and Annie Bronger from Gore Bank and Johnny Boast and his grandmother Emily Wigley from Chaffes Lane.

Car owners in the village were far fewer than today so many people had to rely on the 39 bus service which functioned from early morning until late at night between Lower Halstow and the Medway Towns. This allowed residents a social life outside the village.

Plans were made to construct a village hall for the first time and meetings took place throughout the decade to discuss this. The Village Hall Committee met in February 1956 to view plans to convert an Upchurch oasthouse into a village hall but the cost proved too expensive so the plans were shelved. It wasn’t until 1961 that the building finally appeared. 

Overall, Upchurch remained a small and pleasant village during the 1950s, much more rural, quieter and smaller than today.

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  or from us here at Upchurch Matters.

price £12 + p+p £2.

David Wood

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Kent Police Open Day

Click Poster to Enlarge

Upchurch Matters
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Kids Days Holiday Clubs - Summer 2013

This summer we have put together lots of really exciting themes and skills for our holiday clubs.

We are running a huge variety of sports so your children will be learning new skills at the same time as enjoying themselves.

We've have listened to your feedback and have reviewed our prices to meet your requests.

We are now exceptionally good value... £20 a day, 10% off for second child, and if you book 5 days by June the 1st you only pay for 4 !

Please ask us about the activities.

We are really proud of what we are offering this year. It is going to be amazing !

MAIN EVENTS !

5 SKILLS SPORTS

Every week we will be doing a different sport with the main event of the week when we learn 5 new skills.

• Week 1 - Football 5 skills 29th of July.

• Week 2 - Badminton 5 skills 7th of August.

• Week 3 - Cricket 5 skills 14th of August.

• Week 4 - Tennis 5 skills 22nd of August.

• Week 5 - Volleyball 30th of August.

Master the skills and get a certificate !

Are you up to the challenge ?

GOLF DAYS

Come and join us for a bucket of balls on the Driving Range at Upchurch River Valley Golf Course.

• 25th of July, 5th of August, 21st of August and 3rd of September.

MESSY DAYS

Come and get messy with paints, gloop, jelly play and so much more. Remember spare clothes you don't mind getting messy in !

• 31st of July, 13th of August and 4th of September.

GORE FARM TRIPS

• 1st of August, 23rd of August and 5th of September.

KIDS DAYS FUN DAY ! - Friday 16th of August

Back by popular demand ! Help us get ready for the fun on the 15th of August for the big Day.

Further details to follow.

AMG FREDOM DANCE - Dance for all

Dance sessions! Every Tuesday 2:30pm - 3:30pm, throughout July and August.

Come and join Alix from AMG Freedom Dance to learn the latest moves in street, hip hop and more !

WHEELIE DAYS

Bring a bike, trike, scooter, roller blades or anything with wheels. Dont forget your safety gear !

• 26th of July, 8th of August.

WOODWORK

• 2nd of August, 29th of August.

WATER FUN !

As the good old British summer weather is unpredictable, the paddling pool and water fights will be spontaneous, so pleas bring swimming costumes or clothes you are happy to get wet and a towel if you want to join in.

Plus all the usual fun actives offered at Kids Days - Xbox, Wii, Tablet/iPad, arts and crafts, walks around the village, physical games, home corner and so much more !

For more details please contact: 0743 5975138 or 01634 263896 Upchurch village Hall, 8:00am - 6:00pm Monday to Friday.

Nursery Days

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Forthcoming Entertainment at the Three Sisters

Friday 31st May - Karaoke with Luke.

The First Tuesday of Every Month - Quiz Night (starting 4th June).

Sally and George

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