Notice Board

Thursday, 5 July 2018

Upchurch Scouts Receive a Community Award from The Royal British Legion

On 12^th June 2018 the 1st Upchurch Scout Troop received a Community Award from the RBL County Chairman at a ceremony held at the Capel Morris Centre of The Royal British Legion in Aylesford.

Their nomination read -

This Scout Group, last year, completed its first five years’ service of house-to-house collections for the annual Poppy Appeal in the village of Upchurch.

Such activity supports the development of each Scout taking part, through their engagement with the local community. This aim is fully supported by their Scout Leaders.

In recent years the Scouts undertaking the supervised house-to-house collections have made their own poppies from the packs provided by The Royal British Legion – and look forward to doing so!

The Troops most recent trip, made during the May bank holiday, took them to Ypres where they visited some of the surrounding cemeteries.

They also attended the Last Post Ceremony at the Menin Gate during which two of their number formally laid a wreath on behalf of the 1st Upchurch Scout Troop.

Tonight’s Poppy Appeal Community Award to the 1^st Upchurch Scout Troop will help them better understand the importance of the continuing role Remembrance.

My Royal British Legion thanks to the 1^st Upchurch Scout Troop.

WE WILL REMEMBER THEM

Gerry Lewin Upchurch Poppy Appeal Organiser

Tel: 01634 366113

Email: lewing135@btinternet.com

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Upchurch Post Office - Reopening Postponed

The reopening of Upchurch Post Office and Costcutter has been postponed until Saturday the 14th of July at 9:00am.

The store has undergone a major refurbishment and will operate as one of the Post Office's new-style local branches.

Residents are invited to come for a look around the new store on Saturday morning.

Website: www.postoffice.co.uk

Upchurch Matters

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Monday, 2 July 2018

Newington History Group

Have you a memory or story about village life in Newington? Share it with members of Newington History Group (NHG) at their Newington Village Festival stall on the school field on Saturday (July 7) from Noon until 6pm.

Have a chat with members and find out more about the group and its varied activities, including the Heritage Open Days (Sept 8-9) and WWI centenary commemorations (Nov 11). Members will also be able to give you advice about genealogical research.

NHG will be visiting the Gunpowder Mills in Faversham on Thursday, July 12. This visit is limited to members.

Join us in unearthing, preserving and promoting the history of the village and neighbouring areas. The group meets monthly on the second Thursday, except January and August, in the Methodist Hall, Church Lane and an annual subscription is £15. Guests (£3) are welcome at the regular meetings.

For more details contact Thelma Dudley on 01795 842711 or
Email: thelma@newingtonhistory.co.uk
View the website: www.newingtonhistorygroup.btck.co.uk or follow the History Group on Twitter: @newingtonhg

Richard Thompstone - Newington History Group

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July News from Upchurch Horticultural Society - From the Potting Shed

Sponsored by Upchurch River Valley Golf Course Ltd

The year is marching on and we have arrived at July. Most of the hard work is done and you have probably hit all the deadlines to get your garden up and running. I am a bit behind this year and still need to plant out my leeks and tomatoes which are now late, but everything else is going well. The weeds are also proving a problem and I really need to find some time to tidy the borders. However, gardening is meant to be fun, not a chore and everything will slow down if we get dry hot weather. If it does all prove too much to maintain, never mind, you get the chance to start again every year. My fruit trees also took a bashing during the wintry weather in spring and not a single apple. Also at the last count I only had 4 plums and one of those has just dropped off. The good news is that the pears are fine so it will be pear crumble this winter. For a comprehensive list of gardening tips for July look at www.thompson-morgan.com/in-the-garden-this-month

One thing I am certain of now that we have reached July is that the pests and diseases that seem to plague everything that grows will have made themselves evident by now. Aphids are usually the first to appear as they love the fresh succulent new growth on plants and infest shoot tips. The first counter measure is to pick out the shoot tips particularly on broad beans that suffer badly with blackfly at this time of year. Autumn planting also helps as you would have harvested by now and missed the worst of it. Greenfly have also set about the apple tree and the leaves are starting to curl and shrivel. The climbing beans and runner beans have yet to come under attack but it won’t be long before they do. The apple is also susceptible to woolly aphid that spins wool type threads to protect itself while feasting on the sap of the plant. The only really effective option to deal with an infestation is to resort to pesticides. There are a number of organic pesticides available but I have not always found them very good so at the risk of public outcry I do resort to chemical attack.

My insecticide of choice is Provado by Bayer which controls a wide range of pests that attack fruit and vegetables including caterpillars and is effective for up to 4 weeks. The best way to apply it, is to dilute in water in a 5L pump sprayer which when pressurised produces a fine mist. Spray all over the plant, especially under the leaves and around the shoot tips. Always follow the instructions on the packaging as most insecticides have a limit on the amount to be used and the number of applications. A lot of products can be purchased pre-diluted in a 1L container, but this is the expensive way of doing it. It is far more cost effective to buy the concentrate and dilute yourself.

Another pest that attacks fruit trees is scale. It starts off as a small mobile nymph but settles down to feed on the sap and forms a hard shell over itself for protection against predators. The most common variety is called Oystershell Scale as it resembles shellfish clinging to a rock. By the time you realise you have it, it is too late to spray. The best thing is to get an old stiff brush and vigorously rub the scale off or just crush it with your thumb. It’s a bit messy but very effective.

There are so many pests and diseases that can set about your plants that it is too much to deal with in a single article. The internet is a good way to identify and treat them or just get a good book.

But the time has come to enjoy your garden and to embrace outdoor living. Spark up the BBQ, get some friends round, light the chiminea, eat, drink and take satisfaction in your labours.

Cheers!

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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