Clubbercise at Upchurch Village Hall

Clubbercise with Bodyfitforever starts on Wednesday the 13th of April from 7:30pm - 8:30pm for £5 per person.

Suitable for everyone 16 and over, it's a super fun aerobics workout to club music in the dark with glowsticks!

You can pay on the evening but the advice is to book online here: http://bit.ly/1Ux5hx3 and secure a space because the classes get pretty full.

For more info please contact Kelly. Tel: 07908 266238 or Email: Kelly.brickland@sky.com

Kelly Brickland

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Holywell School Welcome Children from Ferques

On Tuesday the 22nd of March, Holywell, our village primary school played hosts to 37 children together with their Headteacher, 2 other teachers and 11 adult ‘helpers’.

This included Mme. Marian Bohling an English lady who lives in Ferques. There might have been more children if their parents had not held them back because of the problems at the time in Brussels.

Photographs courtesy of Elizabeth Shorthouse.

The day began by welcoming our French visitors with some songs by our children. They were then shown to their seats and deliberately mixed up with English and French seated together. The visitors were told the location of Fire Exits and Toilets, (in French).

After scoffing bacon rolls and fruit juice (provided by the twinning group) all the children were sent out to the field to run about and generally “let off steam”.

Our teachers had organised various activities for the mixed up groups to encourage working together. This appeared to be based loosely on a competition and was highly successful.

After lunch there were more sports outside as the weather was fine. At about 2:30 all were brought back into the school hall.

To round off the day Holywell performed two songs accompanied by Mr Callaghan, our Headteacher, on the guitar with all others invited to join in.

All too soon it was time to say au-revoir to their French guests but not before Mr Kemsley (the Chairman of the governors) and Mr Callaghan addressed the assembled Schools. This was translated by Mme. Bohling.

At about 3:00pm The French staff and children were then each given a small gift and bade ‘farewell’ and a safe journey.

You can read more about Upchurch Twinning Group at the link: here

Mike Johnson Chairmam

Upchurch Jumelage

Email: mikeinupchurch@gmail.com

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Burglary - Upchurch Village Hall

Hartlip Newington & Upchurch Ward

Crime Number: XY/011227/16

At 6:00pm on Thursday the 24th of March damage was caused during a burglary at Upchurch Village Hall.

If you have any information that could help investigators please contact Kent Police on telephone number 101 and quote the relevant crime number above.

For more information on crime prevention visit: www.kent.police.uk

Kent Police Neighbourhood Watch

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Wendy Fiddyment 1942 - 2016

Wendy Fiddyment.

Wendy was very well known to local people, having lived in the village for over 45 years - regretfully she recently passed away.

Her cremation has been arranged for Tuesday the 5th of April at The Garden of England Crematorium, Bobbing (Map) at 1:00pm - preceded by a service of thanksgiving in St. Mary’s Church, Upchurch at 12 noon - to which all are invited.

Thank you

Ann and Jim Harman

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Newington History Group - April Meeting

Though satnavs and online formats have replaced the printed map, many of us will remember the detailed Ordnance Survey maps showing contour lines and landmarks such as post offices and churches.

Take a look at any printed town map and you'll see the credit: Based upon the Ordnance Survey Map with the sanction of the Controller of HM Stationery Office.

Have you ever stopped to think why Ordnance Survey maps carry a Crown copyright or why they were published?

While the name hints at how it all began, less obvious is why Kent figured prominently in the early years.

Colin Brown, manager of the National Map Centre's Rainham branch, will be able to give the answers and explain the history at Newington History Group's meeting on Thursday, April 14, (7:30pm) in the Methodist Hall, Church Lane.

Colin supplies location plans and maps for referencing, insurance claims, conveyancing, presentations and reports from the Centre, which has been selling maps for more than 150 years.

The Centre re-located to Kent in September 2011 after its shop in Victoria, central London, closed under the pressure of online competition.

Newington History Group welcomes guests (£3) and new members (£15 pa) to its monthly meetings.

The group also organises community events to unearth, preserve and promote the history of the village and neighbouring areas.

For more details contact: thelma@newingtonhistory.co.uk or call: 01795 842711.

Richard Thompstone
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Newington Festival - Villages Urged to Flex Their Muscles for Charity

Newington Village Festival will be held on Saturday, July 16, on the school field (noon-7pm) and surrounding villages are being encouraged to enter the annual tug-of-war tournament.

Gather your mates together and form a team of 8-10 people for the tournament. Apart from having some fun taking part, you could win the trophy that is currently held by the Three Tuns, Lower Halstow.

With a little help from you, this year's festival can be even more successful and raise even more money for Demelza Children's Hospice and the village school.

Among the other attractions will be a medieval re-enactment camp and fight display, live bands, dance displays, funfair, sideshows and stalls.

Newington is now one of the largest festivals of its kind in Swale, but that means it needs a lot of people to help retain its continued success.
 

The family friendly festival is organised by parish councillors and willing helpers, but it could do with more people to volunteer an hour, two or three on the day.

To find out how you can help or to offer your services contact Tony Mould at: tonymould1@sky.com

or call: 07590 464700.

For more details about the tug-of-war or to enter a team contact Richard at: sepr@hotmail.co.uk

or call: 07967 332866.

Richard Thompstone
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