May News from Upchurch Horticultural Society - From the Potting Shed

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I hope that everyone is coping with the lockdown and staying well. Maybe you are making the most of the single exercise session per day or using up the half empties in the drinks cabinet on a varied range of cocktails and punches. Alternatively you could be marching on in the garden with a single minded determination to produce as much fruit and vegetables as possible this year. I have pushed ahead and hardened everything off outdoors and started planting out. A small ground frost at the end of April cost me a few seedlings and the forecast for Monday is worrying. So…..do not plant out yet, I have been too impetuous and may pay for it on Tuesday morning as there is still a chance of frost and the climbing beans are tender.

The first lettuces are potted up and a second sowing is poking their heads through. I will also do a second sowing of beetroot and work out where to plant it later. The sweetcorn is in and planted in a rectangular pattern 6 x 3 as it is pollinated by the wind which can blow from any direction. I have a lot of surplus and they will go in the herbaceous border in a 2 x 2 arrangement along with the bush French beans. The maincrop potatoes (Picasso) are also planted out and just starting to show and the earlies (Rocket) are well under way and will be ready in 5 weeks.

All the fruit is setting with a good show of Apples (Braeburn) and Pears (Beurre Hardy) and a small crop of Plums (Victoria). The plum tree is prone to biennial bearing giving one bumper year followed by a sparse year. Let the small fruits bulk up a little so that you can identify the big healthy ones and then start thinning out the small ones. Apples store quite well so I will let 50 grow to full size after the June drop. Pears need to be picked a little early and eaten when ripe, so too many will just feed the birds and the wasps. As for plums, I will take as many as I can get and they can be de-stoned and frozen. Similarly the rhubarb, what can’t be eaten can be frozen.

This attitude of “Dig for Victory” has provided me with a great excuse for ignoring the weeds in the borders, although I have made good progress in the back garden. The front garden is an ever thickening jungle of weed, Tulips and Spanish Bluebells. Once the important job of dealing with the food supply has been dealt with I will get on with the weeds… although there is bad news of a recession to come next, which might cause a delay!

We have a small frog pond in the garden that used to see some hot nocturnal action in March, but over the years the population of the resident frog colony has diminished, while the newts have flourished. So the Duchess has investigated the matter on the internet and discovered that newts predate small tadpoles. So in the spirit of conservation she has collected the spawn from the pond this year and put it in a clear plastic filing box, with oxygenating weed, a rock and a protective mesh on the top. The tadpoles are thriving well and need a bit of fresh weed from the pond to provide the algae that they feed on and some fresh water. Some will turn into little froglets after 10 weeks when the legs appear and at this point they become carnivorous. Daphnia is available from the internet but those that a slow to mature will start to get eaten, so I think that is the time to net the froglets and return them to the pond to provide much happy ribbeting next March.

Meanwhile I still have a few half empties in the drinks cabinet and my favourite punch is 1 part Bacardi, 1 part Malibu, 2 parts Orange Juice, 2 parts Pineapple Juice, 4 parts Lemonade, ice and sliced oranges and lemons. Just sit in the sun and dream of the Caribbean… this lockdown won’t last forever.

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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VE Day in Upchurch by David Wood

With the planned official Upchurch VE (Victory in Europe) Day 75th anniversary celebrations in the village hall cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak, we can reflect on how residents celebrated the first event in May 1945.

VE Day in Upchurch took place on Tuesday May 15th and not on the official day May 8th. A patriotic mass of red, white and blue bunting decorated the village centre, Union Jack flags flew in many parts of the parish and the church bells were rung by the bellringers as the event, directed by Cecil Bishop on behalf of the parish council, progressed through the day.

A decorated trolley which patrolled the village became the main feature of the event for spectators. On the trolley Upchurch resident Joan Latter played tunes on a piano and well-known village characters such as postmaster Teddy Neame appeared with his family in fancy dress. At the same time Messrs Grigg and Higgins made a collection for the Upchurch Welcome Home Fund. In total they collected £14/13/1d from spectators. Later in the day reverend Lightburne conducted a service in the church at which Roy Rogers played the organ and a small orchestra participated. Members of the parish council, the village home guard and the police attended a packed service.

Children’s parties and teas were held in different parts of the parish. About sixty children attended a party in The Three Sisters pub where entertainment with music and games was provided. After this every child received a beaker bearing the flags of the allied nations and the famous V sign. They also received a red, white and blue bag containing sweets and a new sixpence.

In The Street 58 children attended a party at the Infant’s School while in Oak Lane 24 children were served with iced cakes and tea on Mrs Burton’s lawn. After this they participated in races and games held in councillor Ted Tress’s orchard. Finally, all the children were presented with a book, a pencil, a rubber, a shilling and a threepenny piece.

At Gore Bank about 40 children sat down in Mr Boakes’s orchard for tea. After this races took place and a cockerel and eggs were presented to winners. Every child received a token and sweets. Babies received a ball and money, older girls received a china beaker and money while older boys received a knife and money. Mrs Boakes presented the prizes. A bonfire and fireworks followed this to end the day.

At Ham Green a victory tea took place in Mr Hinge’s meadow attended by about 40 children. Messers Hinge, Holloway, Starns and Howland gave gifts and money. Mrs Witherden gave strawberries and Mrs Moon contributed cherries. Meanwhile, Pat Atkinson from Webb’s Cottages organised children’s competitions. After games and races a bonfire with figures of Nazi leaders Adolf Hitler and Hermann Goering placed on top was lit and accompanied by fireworks.

Street parties were held in many parts of the parish where residents sang, ate and drank at decorated tables and danced on the roads to celebrate the end of the war.

War leader Winston Churchill summed up national feelings and jubilation in a patriotic speech when speaking in London on VE Day.

“My dear friends, this is your hour. In all our history, we have never seen a greater day. This is not victory of a party or of any class. It’s the victory of the great British nation as a whole…”

Hopefully, the 75th anniversary celebrations will still take place in Upchurch as we join in national commemorations and celebrate safely together at home with our families.

David Wood

About David

David Wood was born, raised and still lives in Upchurch today. He is able to write from personal experience about village life and the changes that have taken place over the years, making ‘Memories of Upchurch’ a very readable and detailed historical study of the village.

David's book is available from David at david3702001@yahoo.co.uk or from us here at Upchurch Matters. Price £12 + postage and packing.

Talked About Upchurch Landmark will be Restored to Commemorate VE Day 75

To commemorate the 75th Anniversary of VE Day, a sadly neglected phone box standing in a field at the end of Crosier Court is now under restoration to once again become worthy of this great British icon of the era.

Stood in the same spot for 30 years, it has become the most photographed landmark in Upchurch other than St. Mary's Church and has prompted many a small child to ask their parents “what is it and why is it there?”

This type K6 phone box was designed to commemorate the silver jubilee of King George V in 1935 and was sometimes known as the “Jubilee Kiosk” when it went into production in 1936. 

The K6 was the first red telephone kiosk to be extensively used outside of London and many thousands were eventually commissioned in nearly every town and city across Britain, replacing most of the existing kiosks and establishing thousands of new sites.

In 1935 there were 19,000 public telephones across Britain, by 1940, thanks to the K6, there were 35,000. They survived the bombing during WW2 and served as a focal point in many towns and villages. Alas due to mobile phones only a few remain in place today.

Jim McAlpin

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Swale Borough Council Urges Motorbike Users to Ride Responsibly

The small minority of motorbike users who are riding irresponsibly are being reminded by Swale Borough Council that they risk having their bikes seized by police.

Despite most people staying safe at home, local police have seen an increase in section 59 warnings being issued as some motorbike users are riding dangerously through parks and green spaces.

Cllr Richard Palmer, cabinet member for community at the council, said:

“While most youths have been staying safe at home and being a credit to the community, there are unfortunately a minority group that are behaving in a way that is not only unlawful but irresponsible.

Joyriding in our green spaces is selfish antisocial behaviour that puts people’s lives at risk.

People who are enjoying their daily exercise do not want to be intimidated or harassed by irresponsible and unlawful motorbike use.

Police have issued a number of section 59 warnings recently, so if these motorbike users are found riding recklessly again, their vehicle can be seized and impounded.

The country is banding together to support one another and it’s a shame that the reckless few are endangering their own and others’ lives.

I urge anyone who encounters this antisocial behaviour to report them to the police.”

To report the incident call 101 or visit: www.kent.police.uk/ro/report/asb/af/antisocial-behaviour to use the online reporting tool or live chat portal.

Swale Borough Council

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UPDATE from SGN - Gas Network Upgrade in A2/High Street, Newington - Thursday 7th May

Good afternoon

We are continuing to replace our old gas mains with new plastic pipe along the A2, Newington to ensure a safe and reliable gas supply.

I’m pleased to share we have completed our phase of work in Keycol Hill at Key Street roundabout and have safely re-opened the A2 to all motorists including HGV’s.

Over the coming three weeks our engineers will be replacing our gas main along the A2 outside property No.102 High Street and Eden Meadows.

For everyone’s safety we have installed temporary traffic lights around our work area at Eden Meadows. We have also employed ‘give and take’ traffic management for everyone’s safety around our site outside No.102 High Street.

We continue to plan the final phases of our work in consultation with Kent County Council. All being well we plan complete all the necessary upgrades by the end of June 2020.

I’ll provide details of our plans once confirmed. In the meantime I would like to thank residents, businesses and road users for their continued patience and understanding while we carry out this essential work.

If you have any further queries please let me know.

Kind regards

Paige Roberts

Stakeholder and Community Manager

SGN Gas

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Medway Council Household Waste & Recycling Centres to Reopen

Plans are underway to safely reopen Household Waste and Recycling Centres (HWRCs) across Kent and Medway for essential use.

HWRCs were closed in March in line with government guidelines to encourage people to stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives as part of its response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Medway Council has developed a new online booking system in preparation for its HWRCs at Capstone and Hoath Way in Gillingham to reopen from Friday, 15th May - the online booking system will be the only way to access a waste centre. Further plans will be put in place for the site at Cuxton to safely reopen as soon as possible at a later date.

This will enable residents who have booked an appointment to dispose of waste that is presenting a hazard and cannot reasonably be disposed of in other ways. The booking system will enable the council to both manage demand and meet essential social distancing requirements, which are being introduced to ensure the protection of customers and staff.

Cuxton HWRC will remain closed when Capstone and Hoath Way reopens on 15th May. 

Social distancing measures include:

• Every other parking bay will be blocked off.

• Number of visitors limited: 10 at Capstone and 5 at Gillingham.

• Members of staff will not assist customers with lifting their waste to reduce the risk of infection. To assist, two people per vehicle is permitted. However, where assistance is not required we ask that only one person leaves the vehicle to dispose of the waste.

• Customers must bring and wear gloves whilst on site.

• Customers must attend the site within their booking slot, if they miss the slot, they may not be permitted to use the site.

The same system is being implemented across all Kent County Council waste disposal sites at the same time.

Medway’s Portfolio Holder for Front Line Services and covering waste disposal, Cllr Phil Filmer, said:

“Medway Council has been busy working on plans to allow our Household Waste and Recycling Centres to safely reopen in line with government guidelines for essential use only. I am pleased our centres will be reopened soon for residents who have no other means to securely store or dispose of waste.

Although the council has maintained an excellent weekly household waste and recycling collection throughout the lockdown, we know there is demand for these much-appreciated and additional facilities to be reopened. However, it is essential that we do so in a way that keeps people safe and avoids customers having to wait in long queues. Implementing a booking only system is the best way to achieve this.”

To ensure all customers get fair access to a site to dispose of waste, households can only book 1 visit per calendar month. All waste items usually accepted at each HWRC can be disposed of during this time, but please only book a visit if the journey is essential. Initially only the sites at Capstone and Hoath Way in Gillingham will be reopened - the HWRC at Cuxton will remain closed until plans have been put in place for it to be safely reopened.

Customers will be asked to show their booking reference on arrival - either on a device such as a phone or a print out. The online booking system is anticipated to go live from Wednesday, 13th May - further details on how to access the system in Medway and Kent will be released nearer the time.

Cllr Filmer added:

“Thank you to residents for your patience during this difficult time. To reduce the risk to both residents and our staff, we ask that everyone carefully considers whether a trip to a HWRC is essential or if the visit can wait until restrictions are lifted. Please only book an appointment if you absolutely need to visit a HWRC and if you do, remember to stay two metres apart.”

Medway’s weekly household waste and recycling collections have continued throughout the pandemic, with crews collecting 26 per cent more during April compared with the same period last year due to more people being at home.

Speaking about the tremendous efforts from the household waste crews, Cllr Filmer said: 

“I’d personally like to thank the crews and all the staff who have maintained our excellent weekly service during these challenging and busy times. Thank you also to Medway residents for your cooperation during this time. I am pleased that Medway residents continue to receive one of the best weekly collection services in the country. Please do continue to recycle and dispose of the appropriate waste on your household collection day or make use of our bulky collection service for larger goods to ensure you can stay home and stay safe.”

Medway Council

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