Focus On Rainham

Celebrating the local community at a FREE family fun day in Rainham

Residents are invited to a jam packed FREE family day out to celebrate living in Medway.

Medway Council organised four new local festival days in 2018 to mark 20 years since the founding of Medway and to celebrate community identities. The Focus On events are designed for local people and highlight all that is great about each area.

This year’s first Focus On Festival will be held at Cozenton Park, Rainham, on Saturday, 18th May, from 10:30am to 4:30pm.

Visitors can watch top class in-line skating, scooter, skateboard and BMX demonstrations and get involved in coaching and competitions with Team Extreme. People of all ages can also have-a-go with balance bikes and mountain bikes with Action Wheels.

There will also be a flower fair with stalls offering a range of plants, flowers, garden necessities and ornaments.

The popular climbing wall will also return this year as well as the bandstand with live music and performances.

The Strolling Gardeners twin brothers Bob and Tom will be out and about greeting visitors at Cozenton Park. On their travels they will help the balding to sprout hair, help children bloom and treat others to a ‘fun filled five a day’.

Test your uni-cycling skills in the Big Top Hullaballoo with circus workshops including tightrope walking and juggling. There will also be live circus shows and crafts.

Dawn Hudd, Assistant Director of Physical and Cultural Regeneration at Medway Council, said:

“Focus On Rainham will be a FREE fun day out for all the family with plenty of activities for residents of all ages to enjoy. I would encourage residents to come along and celebrate their local communities.”

Other Focus On festivals will be held in Walderslade, Strood and Hoo later on in the year.

For more information visit >> www.medway.gov.uk/focuson

Getting there

Parking on site costs £5 (limited spaces available) via Birling Avenue car park. Parking will be aimed primarily at blue badge holders, who can park for FREE.

Bus services include: 132 and 116

These services and more can be found on the Arriva website >> www.arrivabus.co.uk

Medway Council

KCC’s Collection of Parish Registers Goes Online for The First Time

More than 2.6 million records have been digitised, fully indexed and are now available to search online.

New additions join Findmypast’s existing Kent collections to form the most comprehensive online archive of Kent parish registers.

Leading family history website, Findmypast, has announced the online publication of thousands of original parish registers in partnership with Kent County Council.

The new records have been created from more than 3,000 handwritten registers currently held at the Kent History and Library Centre in Maidstone.

These registers have been scanned and digitised in full colour to ensure the highest possible image quality.

More than 2.6 million fully-indexed baptism, wedding banns, marriage and burial records spanning more than 400 years of Kent history are now available to search online exclusively.

By improving access to these rich documents and making them searchable for the first time, Findmypast will provide family historians from around the world with even more opportunities to discover their Kent ancestors.

Researchers can now uncover details of their families past and add new generations to their family tree with greater ease than ever before.

The new release builds on an existing partnership between Findmypast and KCC Archives that has already resulted in the online publication of more than 2.5 million Canterbury Archdeaconry records held by the Canterbury Cathedral Archives.

These new additions join Findmypast’s Canterbury collection and existing collections of Kent Family History Society records to form the most comprehensive online repository of Kent parish registers in the word.

Findmypast’s UK Data Strategy Manager, Paul Nixon, said:

“Now with more than 5 million indexed parish register entries for Kent, Findmypast really is the only show in town if your ancestors put down roots in the Garden of England. We’re thrilled to be working with the Kent History & Library Centre.”

Mike Hill, KCC’s Cabinet Member for Community and Regulatory Services, said:

“We are delighted that the majority of the parish registers held by the Kent Archives service will now be available to view and search around the world for the first time, through the publication of images and indexes on FindMyPast.

We are able to offer free access to FindMyPast in all Kent County Council libraries enabling Kent residents to use these fascinating records without cost and close to their homes.”

Find out more about Findmypast’s collections of Kent records at >> www.kentarchives.org.uk

Upchurch Matters

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Bonnet Stolen - Newington

Hartlip, Newington & Upchurch Ward

Crime Number: 46/66424/19

Between Saturday the 30th of March and Monday the 1st of April, the bonnet of a Landrover, property of The Environment Agency was stolen from Playstool Road Newington.

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 Community Messaging

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Raffles Style Afternoon Cream Tea at Upchurch Village Hall

Friends of Upchurch Village Hall invite you to a special event on Saturday the 8th of June, from 4:00pm until 7:00pm in our own Village Hall.

Featuring for our enjoyment:

Delicate selection of sandwiches, consisting of smoked salmon, cucumber, cheese and ham.

Delicious selection of small cakes, scones with strawberry jam and clotted cream and spectacular large exhibition cakes.

All the above served with as much tea, coffee you may need.

And for your entertainment the ever popular Rich Phillips.

Tickets - £7.50 are on sale now, available from any UpARA meeting and from any Village Hall committee member.

John Tutt

Friends of Upchurch Village Hall

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April News from Upchurch Horticultural Society - From the Potting Shed

Sponsored by Upchurch River Valley Golf Course Ltd

April is here and Spring does appear to have come early. March was a mix of lion and lamb but at least we didn’t get a return of winter. So unless April brings a very unexpected surprise we can really take to the garden this month and get the year going in earnest.

If you got going on lawn repairs last month you will be off to a flying start but if not April is also a good time to get this job done so that you have an even lawn again in time for the summer. If you have sown seed avoid those areas when applying a weed and feed, if not do the weed and feed first then wait a week or so before sowing seed. Remember that a lawn requires a high nitrogen feed in the Spring to get it greened up and growing. Use a garden fork to aerate the soil by digging the tynes 6” into the ground and slightly lifting the soil to break it up under the surface. This will allow air into the soil and provide drainage in the event of April showers. The soil will quickly settle back into place due to normal foot traffic. Get into a cutting routine but avoid the new growth from seed. Let this grow and get established before cutting it for the first time in June. When it is growing vigorously after this, apply a weed and feed to get rid of any weeds that have become established amongst the new grass.

Lift and divide perennial plants to improve vigour and increase numbers, particularly primroses as soon as they finish flowering. Divide hostas before they come into leaf. Pinch out the tops of sweet peas and fuchsia to encourage the plants to get bushy. Any perennials showing good basal growth like penstemons, phlox and chrysanthemums can be pruned back to the base and basal cuttings can be taken if required. Deadhead daffodils and tulips and let them die back naturally. Also prune forsythia as soon as the flowers fade and ensure that there is no wood more than 3 years old left in the plant as this will not produce much flower next year

Finish preparing the vegetable plot and fill up the bean trench with any left over compost before raking the soil level. Mark the corners of the trench with canes so that you will know where to erect the frame in May. Continue sowing seed either in trays or individual pots but do not over water, just keep the compost moist to avoid damping off or larger seeds rotting before they have chance to germinate. Once germination has taken place remove tops to allow air to get to the seedlings. Carrots, parsnips and salad crops can go straight into the soil. If you are lucky enough to have an asparagus patch, harvest the spears while they are still short (12” - 18”) and tender as the stems harden up quickly. Also aim to get your maincrop potatoes in the ground by the end of the month and they should be ready in September. I will stick with the allotment favourite, Cara, because it is such a good all round spud, but there are so many varieties available that we are simply spoilt for choice.

Apply a slow release fertiliser to your fruit trees, shrubs and roses and water in. Check that containers are not getting dry and keep an eye out for the unexpected hot day that can cause havoc with seedlings. It is hard work this time of year and May is another busy month but come June you can start to enjoy the garden with outdoor living and a cold beer in the evening. But I don’t think I am going to wait that long.

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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The Great British Spring Clean - Upchurch - Thank you

Upchurch Parish Council once again pledged its support for this year’s Great British Spring Clean, organised by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy and supported locally by Swale Borough Council and Biffa.

The Great British Spring Clean is the country’s biggest mass-action environmental campaign and aims to bring together individuals, community organisations, businesses and councils to make a difference to the environment on our doorstep.

The campaign was first run in 2017. In 2018, despite the Beast from the East, more than 371,566 litter heroes (including more than 126,651 school children) collected over 630,000 bags of rubbish. In total 13,500 events were held over the campaign period and 300 local authorities took part.

All set to Spring clean Upchurch!

Heading off along Chaffes Lane.

Looking for litter on the Recreation Ground. 

Busy filling sacks.

Litter pickers at the ready.

Cleaning up in Chaffes Lane.

Well done Holywell. Look at all that rubbish you collected!

Sunday's volunteers.

Another huge pile of rubbish was collected again this year.
You wouldn't believe some of the things we found!

2019

Our Great British Spring Clean in Upchurch took place this year on Friday the 5th and Saturday the 6th of April.

Friday 5th

Young people from Holywell School went out litter picking around the village, accompanied by their teachers and members of staff. Sittingbourne and Sheppey MP, Gordon Henderson came to the school to help too, along with Councillor's Tyrone Ripley, Alan Horton and teacher, Mr Ball. Upchurch super litter pickers, Helen and Eddie Tydeman collected a dozen sacks between them. Regular volunteer, Margaret Packer and Dave Warren helped as well. Cliff our village caretaker also went out litter picking.

Saturday 6th

Rain didn't stop volunteers setting off from the Recreation Ground car park in Oak Lane shortly after 10:30am, to litter pick the planned routes around the village. 1st Upchurch Brownies and Guides were there in force, accompanied by their parents and leaders, Tracey and Sophie Snellings. Helen and Eddie Tydeman joined the litter pick for a second day as did Margaret Packer and Dave Warren. Jan Bunting came to help as well. Councillor Richard Palmer litter picked, helping organisers, Councillor's Tyrone Ripley and Alan Horton who drove around the routes collecting the full sacks and large items of rubbish, before dropping them to the Recreation Ground car park to be collected later by waste contractor, Biffa.

Another tremendous village effort resulted in dozens of sacks of litter and large items of rubbish being picked from our public spaces and the surrounding country lanes. 

Well done everyone. The village looks lovely!

Thanks to Swale Borough Council for the loan of the equipment again, and to Biffa for collecting all the rubbish.

To find out more, visit >> www.keepbritaintidy.org

#GBSpringClean

Upchurch Matters

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