Notice Board

Sunday, 12 May 2019

Spitfire over The Oak Grove

Click image to enlarge - photos courtesy of Dave Dodd Photography.

Airshow

Wedding guests at The Oak Grove in Susans Lane enjoyed a rare and spectacular airshow recently, courtesy of newlyweds Ally & Dave Pratt and family from Luton.

Iconic Spitfire RR232 - City of Exeter took off from Biggin Hill Airport on Saturday afternoon, May 4th 2019 to perform loops, rolls and chandelle in the beautiful blue skies over the secluded woodland wedding venue, close to the Medway Estuary.

The unique sound of the plane's Rolls Royce V12 Merlin engine and D-Day invasion stripes soon caught the attention of delighted residents in Upchurch and Lower Halstow who were able to enjoy the amazing airshow from their own gardens.

History

Supermarine Spitfire HF Mk.IX RR232 ‘City of Exeter’ (G-BRSF)

• Aircraft Type: Supermarine Spitfire HF Mk.IX RR232

• Operator: Boultbee Flight Academy.

• Year of Manufacture: 1943

• Powered by: V12 Rolls Royce Merlin 70 ‘high altitude’ engine, 1,710hp at 11,000ft

• Colour scheme: 335 Sqn. RAF (City Of Exeter)

RR232 was built in Castle Bromwich by Vickers Armstrong and delivered to the RAF in October 1944 as an 'HF.IX' high altitude fighter where it was allocated to an anti-aircraft co-operation Squadron. It was then sold to the South African Air Force (SAAF) in 1948 with designation '5632' and was last flown there by Lt. Ron Beamish of 2 Sqdn. It was then stored derelict at Salt River after being 'ground looped' in 1954. In 1976 it was bought by Australian collector Peter Sledge and restored to static display standard.

Spitfire RR232 finally made it back to Britain in 1986 when purchased by Charles Church, who in turn sold the airframe to Jim Pearce of Sussex Spraying Services. But it was not until 2001 that current owner Martin Phillips bought the aircraft and began in earnest a full restoration to airworthy condition that would take nearly 13 years, having been challenged by friends on his 40th birthday to produce a Spitfire from the single rivet with which they presented him!

With parts having been sourced from myriad locations around the world, this Spitfire is a story in itself of an epic restoration project that saw parts contributed, sold and scavenged from across the globe, and one man's dogged determination to return an iconic fighter to the skies above Britain. Some parts were found very close to home however; one of the wings for example being salvaged from a hedge outside a pub near Exeter. With a fully rebuilt Merlin engine installed and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) happy that all had been done to the highest standards, in December 2012 Spitfire RR232 took to the skies again, becoming the last aircraft to be assembled at Filton Aerodrome (home of Concorde) before its closure for redevelopment.

She is now known as the 'City of Exeter' in honour of a presentation Spitfire donated to the war effort as a result of local fundraising. That aircraft was presented to the Royal Air Force at RAF Westhampnett almost 75 years to the day before RR232 arrived at its present operating base where she flies off the very same grass runways, now known as Goodwood Aerodrome.

RR232 is operated by Boultbee Flight Academy in association with their friends at Tool Care Hire in Exeter, Devon.

Links - find out more

Thank you to Dave Dodd Photography - Milton Keynes for kindly letting us use the stunning photos he captured of the Spitfire on the day. Also to Ally & Dave and Sam & Paul at The Oak Grove.

Boultbee Flight Academy Ltd: www.boultbeeflightacademy.co.uk

Dave Dodd Photography: www.davedoddphotography.co.uk

The Oak Grove: www.theoakgrove.uk

Upchurch Matters

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Friday, 10 May 2019

Speeding in Horsham Lane

Upchurch resident, Karen Weller contacted us recently about her tabby cat, Rosie who went missing from their family home in Horsham Lane on Wednesday 1st May 2019. After an appeal on our pages, the same day, the family were sadly contacted by a resident telling them they had found Rosie dead on their driveway, close to the brow of Horsham Hill, on the morning of Saturday 4th May 2019, probably as a result of a road traffic accident.

Remarkably, the stretch of Horsham Lane running between the Three Sisters roundabout up to the brow of Horsham Hill is still a 60mph speed limit. 30mph roundels (pictured) then warn drivers they are entering the built up centre of the village where they should not be travelling at more than 30mph.

Problems with speeding vehicles and selfish driving on all sections of Horsham Lane remains a problem unfortunately, not just within the section between the brow of Horsham and Hill and the junction with The Street.

Problems include, amongst others:

• Drivers using Horsham Lane regularly approach and accelerate away too fast from the tight bend near Plantation Cottages, meaning by the time they are at Woodruff Close they are travelling too fast to safely navigate the narrow section where the footpath ends.

• Instead of keeping left, many drivers leaving the village drive straight down the middle of Horsham Hill, for fear of scratching their cars. This is dangerous when they meet vehicles at the bottom of the hill, travelling into the village (the same thing seems to happen on Chapel Hill, Lower Halstow).

• Drivers turning into Horsham Lane from The Street regularly drive too fast round the corner by St. Mary's Church, meaning pedestrians forced to walk in the road on the stretch where there is no footpath (near St. Mary's Mews) are put at greater risk from speeding vehicles.

Upchurch Parish Council has been looking at speeding in Horsham Lane and we await what action will be taken.

In the meantime, Karen has asked us to post this below on her behalf:

“I just wanted to let you know that someone has contacted us this morning with regards to Rosie. Unfortunately she was run over on Saturday morning and was found dead on a ladies driveway.

We have now collected her from the Council and have brought her home to bury her. Now comes the job of telling our children! She was found at the top of the Hill in Horsham Lane, where the speed limit goes down to 30mph, as you enter the centre of the village.

Unfortunately many drivers either don’t see or choose not to see that the speed limit has changed and continue to speed till they get to the junction by the Church, where they have to stop.

I know our cat is not the first to be run over on this section of road, and unfortunately I’m sure she won’t be the last. Someone hit her and didn’t bother to see if she was OK or required veterinary attention, but just sped on past.

I believe something needs to change before it’s not just our pets who pay the price but our children!”

Upchurch Matters

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Thursday, 9 May 2019

UpARA - May 2019 Newsletter & Latest Schedule of Events

John Wishart - Chairman

Tel: 07971 511956

Email: john@togthedog.co.uk

Website: www.upara.club

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Upchurch Village Hall Management Committee - Vacancy for a Chairperson

Upchurch Village Hall Management Committee help maintain and run our local village hall. Without this team of committed members many local groups would have nowhere to meet.

The village hall has been used for over 50 years. The hall is currently used for the local pantomime, UpARA meetings, W I meetings, bowls and many other great organisations.

Now they need help from villagers

Meeting on every second Wednesday of the month, the Committee still needs to find a Chairperson. No experience is necessary (although experience volunteering in other Committees would be helpful). The Committee is pleased to report that the vacancy for Secretary has now been filled.

If you have some spare time and care about our village hall, please consider volunteering for this role

Helping out with village organisations is a great way to meet new people and feel like you are doing some good for our community.

If you are interested in the role of Chairperson, please contact us via our

website: https://upchurchvillagehall.weebly.com or our

Facebook page: www.facebook.com/Upchurchvillagehall

Thank you for your support.

Rosalind Dyett

Upchurch Village Hall Management Committee

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Upchurch Players - Auditions for Aladdin

Sunday 12th May - 10:00am to 2:00pm

For our production of

Aladdin

At Upchurch Village Hall

On 5th, 6th and 7th December

Why not come and give it a try?

For more details or if you are interested but can’t make the auditions, please contact
Rozz Dyett Email: upchurchplayers@gmail.com Tel: 07787 878839

Regrettably

Due to factors beyond our control, the minimum age for membership is 10 years. Children not attending secondary school need to be accompanied by an adult.

Remember, Daniel Craig and Olivia Colman had to start somewhere!

Upchurch Players

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