Richard Thompstone
Newington Festival
Email: sepr@hotmail.co.uk
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Thursday, 7 June 2018
Wednesday, 6 June 2018
Crowd Funding Donations Welcomed Towards The Modernisation of the Church Clock at Saint Mary the Virgin, Upchurch
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Click image to enlarge. |
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Upchurch Parish Council have modernised the clock at Saint Mary the Virgin, Upchurch - now if you wish, you can help...
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Pictured above: State of the art changes make clock fit for the 21st century. Click image to enlarge. |
Upchurch Parish Council, who look after the clock, (which is a war memorial) on behalf of the residents of the Parish, have used Parish funds to upgrade and modernise the clock and winding mechanisms in the tower of Saint Mary the Virgin, Upchurch, to mark the centenary of the end of the Great War.
Local residents and visitors to the village have expressed their desire to make a contribution to the work as a way of saying 'thank you' for the sacrifice of those in the First World War, in the same way it was originally funded. The Parish Council are providing this crowd funding opportunity to those who wish to make a personal and lasting act of Remembrance in helping preserve our War Memorial for future generations of villagers and visitors to enjoy.
The Church Tower and Spire
The church of Saint Mary the Virgin, Upchurch has stood as the focus of the village for the past 900 years. The dominant feature which breaks the skyline and can be seen for miles is the six-sided, oak-shingled “candle-snuffer” spire.
The Tower beneath the spire is constructed of split flints. The upper part was constructed in the 16th century and re-designed late in the 19th century. There are six bells in the tower, which are still rung regularly and 5 of which sound the chimes and strike of the clock.
The Tower beneath the spire is constructed of split flints. The upper part was constructed in the 16th century and re-designed late in the 19th century. There are six bells in the tower, which are still rung regularly and 5 of which sound the chimes and strike of the clock.
100 Years of the Church Clock
On June the 3rd 1919 a village referendum took place in which villagers voted for their preferred war memorial to remember all those who lost their life during the First World War. A clock for the church tower won the vote and was installed in the church on Christmas Day 1920.
The church clock was made by Gillett & Johnston, Croydon. Clockmakers & Bellfounders to H.M. King George V. The clock has three faces, on the north, south and west sides of the tower. A plaque outside the south door reads: “The Clock and Chimes were erected by the people of Upchurch as a Thanksgiving for Victory and Peace Christmas 1918”.
National commemorations to mark the centenary of the end of the First World War will take place this throughout this year. The highlight will be a national event taking place on November 11th named ‘A Nation’s Tribute - Battle’s Over’, which Upchurch will mark with the construction and lighting of a village beacon and accompany with the peeling of our church bells.
National commemorations to mark the centenary of the end of the First World War will take place this throughout this year. The highlight will be a national event taking place on November 11th named ‘A Nation’s Tribute - Battle’s Over’, which Upchurch will mark with the construction and lighting of a village beacon and accompany with the peeling of our church bells.
Upchurch Parish Council, (who look after the war memorial on behalf of the residents of the Parish), have decided that the centenary of the end of the Great War is the perfect opportunity to upgrade, modernise and preserve our clock for future generations of villagers to enjoy. This will complete the works started in 2011 when the 3 clock faces were refurbished as part of the project to renovate the church tower.
The Modernisation of the Church Clock
The regular peel of the Westminster Chimes and the distinctive strike each hour have been a constant in villagers lives for 100 years, and are sorely missed when the clock stops, something that has been happening more and more frequently in recent months.
The clock is a mechanical marvel, and is in outstanding condition, easily set to do another century or two. The clock is designed to strike each hour including overnight whilst the chimes sound throughout the day from 7:15am until 11:00pm. Interestingly the clock runs at different speeds throughout the year because the parts expand and contract with the seasons, the small variations have been managed (until now) by lengthening and shortening the pendulum once or twice a month.
The clock is a mechanical marvel, and is in outstanding condition, easily set to do another century or two. The clock is designed to strike each hour including overnight whilst the chimes sound throughout the day from 7:15am until 11:00pm. Interestingly the clock runs at different speeds throughout the year because the parts expand and contract with the seasons, the small variations have been managed (until now) by lengthening and shortening the pendulum once or twice a month.
The original clock mechanism was driven by falling weights, which had to be wound up to the top of the tower by hand twice a week. This system was replaced (probably in the 1970’s) by a set of three electric motors which drive the clock, the strike and the chimes, sadly this winding system has come to the end of its life and needs modernisation.
Upchurch Parish Council have commissioned Clockwise Restorations to complete the modernisation which includes innovations to continually monitor and adjust the clock’s timekeeping and make the changes for daylight saving in the Spring and Autumn and last but by no means least keep the clock working through a power cut, which we know are all too frequent in the village.
The total cost of this exciting project is just over £8500
Fundraising - The Hands of Time
The village clock was provided by the residents of the village 100 years ago as a War Memorial to those who lost their lives defending our freedom and the Parish Council wish to offer the residents today the opportunity to show their thanks and appreciation by taking part in the restoration project in a personal way. Residents are invited to ‘buy time’ on the clock face, our target is to raise an hour, or put another way 3600 seconds, to say thank you!
Please donate what you can, to reach our target, we would like each second on the face to sell for £2.35, (less than a cup of coffee), we hope you will agree this is a lovely and lasting way to personally say thank you from our generation, to those in an earlier generation who sacrificed their lives for our freedom.
An online crowd funding page has been launched to make it easy and convenient for those who would like to make a donation.
Please visit the link here to donate >> www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/the-modernisation-of-the-church-clock-at-saint-mary-the-virgin-upchurch
Thank you
Upchurch Parish Council
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June News from Upchurch Horticultural Society - From the Potting Shed
Sponsored by Upchurch River Valley Golf Course Ltd
June is here and it offers a bit of relief after a hectic May trying to cope with billowing borders, rampant weeds and all the planting out required for vegetables, new perennials and annuals. It would not be surprising if you are still working on all this as you go into June as it has been a cold spring and personally I have experienced problems with poor germination and slow growth. My tomato seedlings will be some time yet before they can go outside. One curious observation over the last few weeks is that the blue tits have disappeared. A pair had started nesting in the box and numerous birds were constantly visiting the garden. However, the box has now been abandoned and the birds have vanished. Remember to visit: www.thompson-morgan.com/in-the-garden-this-month if you want a comprehensive list of jobs for June.
The main thing to keep in mind is to stay on top of what you have achieved with watering, fertilising, treating pests and diseases, weeding and tidying. Having got this far it is heartbreaking to lose healthy seedlings due to a sudden heatwave or see pests and disease devastate your plants. That is why it is always a good idea to constantly propagate from your favourite plants as the year progresses so there is a supply of replacements for casualties.
Last month we looked at basal cuttings to replenish stocks in spring. As perennials start to get going and produce new stems, the next opportunity to propagate is to take stem tip (softwood) cuttings. Cuttings are taken with a sharp knife from the tips of new stems on non-flowering shoots. This is an ideal way to propagate fuchsia, pelargonium and penstemon. A slight variation on this can also be used for shrubs. The best time is to take cuttings in the morning when plants are well hydrated and cut just below a leaf node taking the top 5” of a healthy stem. Remove the leaves from the bottom of the cutting, trim the upper leaves and insert into a propagator or pot with a mix of compost and sharp sand. Rooting compound will help the cutting to get going but is not essential. Keep the cuttings covered to create a warm humid environment but watch for fungus.
The same method can be used for a wide range of shrubs, except take a longer cutting, remove the stem tip and upper leaves and definitely use rooting compound. Shrubs take longer to root and the tips can die back before the roots have a chance to get going. Remember to keep the lower leaves above the compost and if you have a number of cuttings in a pot or propagator ensure that they are not in contact.
Further opportunities arise later in the year to propagate new plants through a variety of different methods for taking cuttings, but the combination of division, basal cuttings and stem tip cuttings should cover most of your needs to fully replenish your borders.
Talking about replenishment I think I will take the top of something in the fridge.
We are always looking for new members and try to encourage a fun attitude towards friendly competition. So if you want to grow your own fruit, vegetables and flowers or even enter any of the 3 shows we hold each year, then please get in touch, we would be happy to hear from you.
If you are interested in becoming a new member, (all ages are welcome), please contact Rosey on: 01634 377812 (evenings) or Email: rosemary@ringwoodaccounting.co.uk
Sean Barry - Upchurch Horticultural Society
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Tuesday, 5 June 2018
Upchurch Post Office is Changing
As a further change to the publicised closure times, the Post Office and Newsagents will not reopen on Wednesday the 6th of June.
We will hopefully be able to bring you the new reopening date soon.
Customers requiring Post Office services during the closure can visit:
Newington Post Office - 42a High Street, Newington ME9 7JL
Rainham Post Office - 119 High Street, Rainham ME8 8AN
Upchurch Newsagents: 01634 230046
Website: www.postoffice.co.uk
Newington Post Office - 42a High Street, Newington ME9 7JL
Rainham Post Office - 119 High Street, Rainham ME8 8AN
Upchurch Newsagents: 01634 230046
Website: www.postoffice.co.uk
Upchurch Matters
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Monday, 4 June 2018
Burglary, Upchurch - Handbag Stolen, Newington
Hartlip, Newington & Upchurch Ward
Crime Number: XY/032841/18
Between midnight and 7:17am on Friday the 1st of June, a burglary occurred in Forge Lane, Upchurch.
Crime Number: XY/033202/18
Between 9:45 and 12 on Sunday the 3rd of June, a handbag was stolen from Sittingbourne & Milton Regis Golf Club, Wormdale Hill, Newington. It was later found in the Ladies toilets minus any cash.
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
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