Notice Board

Friday, 29 August 2014

Upchurch Horticultural Society - 2014 Show Dates

If you wish to join or enter a class contact Steve the society Secretary on:

07703 339290 / 01634 373723 or Email: slaming@tycoint.com for more information.

Steve Laming

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Tuesday, 26 August 2014

The Gullands Guide to Contesting a Will

Sadly not everyone keeps their financial affairs up to date and for a variety of reasons I increasingly receive inquires from clients who want to challenge a Will. If a loved one has died and the contents of their Will come as a surprise, what should you do?

With an increase in the divorce rate amongst the over 55’s and many people subsequently remarrying or cohabiting with a new partner, it is important to make a new Will or review an existing Will as your life changes.

Occasionally people make Wills that do not provide for people who they should arguably have had in mind at the time of making their Will. A claim may be considered under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act, which enables those who qualify to bring a claim against an estate if they consider that they have been inadequately provided for or excluded altogether.

People who can bring claims under this Act include spouses, former spouses, co-habitees, children, stepchildren and anyone who was being "maintained" by the deceased immediately before their death. When considering these claims, the court will take into account the size of the estate, the circumstances of the person who is making the claim and the circumstances of the people who will otherwise inherit. They will take into account whether there are any special circumstances, such as the Claimant's physical or mental condition. A claim under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act must be brought within 6 months of the Grant of Probate being issued.

A second reason why Wills are often challenged is because of changes which have been made or a new Will written, which excludes previous beneficiaries or when the person’s mental capacity is called into question.

When a person makes their Will they must be able to understand the nature of the act of making a Will, who they should consider leaving their property, possessions and money to and what property, possessions and money are theirs to bequeath. They must not be suffering from any disorder of the mind at the time of making their Will that might cause them to be delusional and incapable of being rational, fair and just in all of the circumstances.

If there is evidence to show that at the time of making their Will a person was incapable of fulfilling these requirements then it might be argued that they lacked testamentary capacity.

Your solicitor can enter a Caveat at the Probate Registry to stop the Estate from being administered in reliance upon the Will, which is being challenged.

Other valid reasons for disputing a Will might include a claim that the deceased was subject to duress when they made their Will. Whilst such claims do succeed, it is often difficult to provide sufficient evidence of duress to satisfy the Court and so claims of duress should be approached with caution.

A solicitor with the necessary expertise can assist you if you consider that you need to challenge a Will. If you wish to minimise the risk of your own Estate being challenged upon your death then you should ensure that you instruct a solicitor to prepare your Will for you, setting out your wishes clearly and in appropriate cases enabling a note to be prepared explaining why particular dispositions have been made or potential beneficiaries omitted.

Anna Golding.

If you think you may wish to challenge a Will contact Anna Golding by email at:

a.golding@gullands.com or call: 01622 678341 or visit: www.gullands.com for details about how to make a Will. Anna Golding is an Associate Member of ACTAPS (Association of Contentious Trust and Probate Specialists).

Gullands Solicitors

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Monday, 18 August 2014

Upchurch Best Kept Garden 2014 - The Winners

This years overall winners again were Mr. and Mrs. Panter with
their beautiful Garden in Wilks Close.

Despite challenging weather conditions leading up to and including a violent electric storm on the night before judging on July 19th, those gardens that were well maintained and prepared remained in good condition for the judging.

In the 'Flowers' category the winner was Mrs. Joan Lewin of 21 Drakes Close.

In the 'Mixed Flowers and Shrubs' category the winner was Mr. and Mrs. Panter of 16 Wilkes Close. Highly commended were 19 The Poles and 25 Oak Lane.

In the 'Small Garden' category the winners was Mr. and Mrs. Friend of 56 Beckenham Park. Highly commended were 6 Beckenham Park and 11 Chaffes Terrace.

The overall winning garden was adjudged to be 16 Wilks Close and Mr. and Mrs. Panter will retain the Barbara Webb Memorial Trophy for a year.

This year is the 50th anniversary of the tragic death of Barbara Webb during the village carnival - the family are commemorating this in this competition by gifting the Barbara Webb Rose Bowl which will be awarded to Mrs Joan Lewin as winner in the 'Flowers' category.

The prize-giving will take place during the Upchurch Horticultural Show on 13th September in the village hall. Mrs Christine Madden, Barbara Webb's sister has kindly agreed to award the prizes. The show is open to the public from 2 to 4 p.m. and the above prizes will be awarded around 3.30 p.m.

The competition is organised by representatives of the Parish Council and the Horticultural Society. This year prizes were sponsored by the Parish Council.

Gerry Lewin on behalf of the organising committee.

Tel: 01634 366113 or Email: lewing135@btinternet.com

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Saturday, 16 August 2014

Bastille Day Trip to Ferques

Joanne Harrell travelled to Ferques for the Bastille Day celebrations
in July along with members of the Twinning Group.

Every year on 14th July our twin village of Ferques, and indeed the whole of France take a day off and celebrate Bastille Day. This is always a happy occasion and a wonderful atmosphere exists right throughout the village.

This year, as usual, a group from Upchurch went over including Joanne who put on her usual excellent display of home produced jams and preserves.

Le President (chairman) of their twinning committee, Christian Finance, arranged for us to have a table in front of the Marie (village hall) but was late in coming to see us, as, not only was it his 60th birthday but he happened to be in Calais collecting a Medal, - modest chap!

The sun shone brightly all day and we met many of our old friends and made a few new ones. In fact we had "la canicule" (look it up!). Link Here

We look forward to our next visit and if you would like to join us next year just let me know.

By the way - keep an eye on Upchurch Matters to download a new quiz sheet to see what you know about our twin village. There may even be a prize to win.

Joanne's Preserves on Upchurch Matters Link Here

Mike Johnson

Chairmain Upchurch Twinning Group

Tel: 01634 234226
Email: mikeinupchurch@gmail.com

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Tuesday, 12 August 2014

UpARA - Latest Schedule of Events

Upchurch Active Retirement Association

Our membership is 137, against our limit of 150. July saw our outing to Oliver at the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury, which was a resounding success. In August we have our day trip to Brighton, which will be another success story, whatever the English summer weather holds for us!

Our next events are: -

Monthly Meetings (2^nd Friday of the month)

(Members Free; Guests £2.00)

Friday 12^th September 2014 - 2:00pm

Friday 10^th October 2014

Coffee Mornings (4^th Tuesday of the month)

(Members £1.50; Guests £2.00)

Tuesday 26^th August 2014 - 09:30am until 12:30pm

Tuesday 23^rd September 2014

Village Walks (Every other Friday)

Friday 15^th August 2014 - 10:00am

Friday 29^th August 2014 - 6:00pm