February News from Upchurch Horticultural Society - From the Potting Shed

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That time of year is coming round again to start giving some thought to the garden. February is only the beginning and still a quiet month, but things get going in earnest in March. In the end Boris pooped the party at Christmas and hopefully you were all able to make something of it. We were planning to visit family and they had the food and we had the wine, so you can guess what our Christmas was like. The Duchess shot off in search of Christmas Dinner but we decided against the “last turkey in the shop” and settled for a pork joint and a long walk... oh, and I did rake up some leaves.

It’s roughly a year since Wuflu struck and we appear to be in a more difficult position than back then, although vaccines offer hope for the year ahead. For those of you who are struggling to find things to do, why not turn to the garden and grow your own. It gets you out in the fresh air, is good exercise, it can become an absorbing hobby, the garden compliments the house and you can eat well.

Aquadulce Claudia Broad Beans can be planted in February and can cope with winter conditions to get ahead a bit, but I will plant in March and go for a variety that produces a bigger crop albeit later in the year. Longbow is the Leek of choice this year and apparently has a long blanch length. This is the white section of the Leek which is best for cooking although all the leaf can be eaten. It’s just that through the winter months the green leaf on the plant starts to deteriorate and is normally cut off and put in the compost. They have been sowed in a tray of compost, placed in a warm spot and have just started to germinate. Leeks take a long time to grow to a decent size and they will be ready to eat, or exhibit if we get the chance, in October. The old maxim is “40 weeks from sow to show” This is also a good time to get onion seed going and after they germinate they like a lot of light and warmth.

Exhibition Leeks - “really serious stuff”.

Personally, I will hold off until March before really sowing seeds. If you have cold frames and can get the seedlings hardened off, then it is not too early to start, if not they can get too leggy before they can be hardened off outdoors. You can also purchase seed potatoes this month and encourage them to start sprouting (chitting) by placing them in egg trays in a warm sunny spot. B&Q do a good range and I get my Rocket (Early) and Picasso (Maincrop) from there.

Hopefully you have now pruned all your fruit trees and bare root fruit can go in this month. Also give the borders a good tidy up to show off the spring bulbs which will be showing soon. Otherwise that’s it for me, a gentle start in preparation for what comes next month. I will sharpen the hatchet and keep cutting kindling and enjoy some more time by the fire.

Now, I still have one bottle of Alborino left over from Christmas and some parsnips in the garden that have been well frosted. So it looks like a casserole and a cook’s glass. Somebody once asked “How much should you spend on a bottle of wine?” the answer, of course, is about half an hour.

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

Swale Borough Council - Local Plan Review Going to Consultation

Councillors have this week (Wednesday, 3rd February) agreed to go out to consultation on the draft Local Plan Review.

The review of the existing Local Plan Bearing Fruits will help guide the development of the borough until 2038 and, if adopted, will set the basis for future planning decisions.

The local plan creates a blueprint for when and where major developments can take place, and where they shouldn’t.

It takes account of the feedback from earlier consultations that have taken place since 2018, including the “Looking Ahead” consultation on proposals for garden communities, which had the largest response of any Local Plan consultation in the borough.

Cllr Mike Baldock, cabinet member for planning at the council, said:

“Many people - myself included - disagree with the excessive housing targets the Government continues to impose on us.

“Unfortunately, we have to make sure we have a local plan that can meet these targets, or we risk losing the ability to decide what is built in the borough for ourselves.

“Previous consultations raised concerns about new garden communities, traffic congestion, air quality, our town centres, the lack of infrastructure and affordable housing and the need for quality jobs.

“We’ve listened to these, removed the contentious garden communities, and worked to put together proposals that I believe makes the best out of the impositions made by government.

“This is a package of ambitious and innovative policies reflecting the priorities of this council towards climate change, bio-diversity, affordable housing and regenerating our town centres.

“We will now go to the public to get their views on the draft, take stock of the comments submitted and consider our submissions to the inspector. This will then become the focus of the independent examination, the next stage in the process, which is expected to take place in 2022.”

The plan will be available for public viewing on the council’s website from Monday 8th February until Tuesday 23rd March 2021.

With libraries and council offices closed due to the pandemic, it won’t be possible to provide physical copies of the plans at these locations. Hard copies, or extracts from documents, may be made available at cost on request from: LPcomments@swale.gov.uk or by calling: 01795 417 014.

The meeting agenda and full report including the proposed local plan can be viewed here

Swale Borough Council

Free Virtual Training For New Flood Wardens

For more information on being a Flood Warden, visit: www.kentprepared.org.uk/flood-wardens

To register for training, visit: https://bit.ly/2LohGar

The training will be delivered via Zoom and is free to access via smartphone, tablet or computer. Full guidance for easy access provided.

Kent Community Messaging

Swale Borough Council - Transport to Covid-19 Vaccinations for the Clinically Extremely Vulnerable

Swale Borough Council is working with local volunteers to provide free essential transport to covid-19 vaccination sites in the borough.

Working with Swale Community and Voluntary Services (Swale CVS), Swale council can help the clinically extremely vulnerable in the community to access their vital vaccinations.

Anyone who is clinically extremely vulnerable simply needs to call the council’s helpline and they will then make a referral on their behalf to Swale CVS. They will then match them up with a volunteer driver who will take them to and from their vaccination appointment for free.

Cllr Angela Harrison, cabinet member for health and wellbeing at the council, said:

“We know that many people in Swale are greatly anticipating their coronavirus vaccinations, but something as essential as transport can potentially be a barrier for some in the borough.

“That is why we are working with Swale CVS to provide free essential transportation to and from the vaccination sites so that we can help ensure as many people as possible are getting their vaccine.

“The NHS is working hard on the fast roll out of the vaccine, and we want to ensure that those who are unable to travel still have a way to get their vaccine safely. This vaccine is the first step towards us moving back to some form of normality.”

Transportation will be covid secure to ensure the safety of both the passenger and the driver. It is being fully funded by Swale council and is being supplied by volunteer drivers from Swale CVS.

To arrange transportation, please call the Swale council community support line on: 01795 417525, for a referral to Swale CVS.

Swale Borough Council

Gill Gay Will Be Collecting For Swale Foodbank Again

Hi everyone,

I would like to thank you all for the tremendous support we have received on behalf of Swale Foodbank so far.

My husband Ron and I will be collecting again in the bus stop lay-by opposite the Church in Horsham Lane on Wednesday the 10th of February between 10:30am and 11:30am.

Please come along with your donations (in carrier bags would be helpful) and put them into our open car boot while we remain at a safe distance.

We will then deliver your donations to the Swale Foodbank Warehouse, part of the Trussell Trust.

The items they are most in need of are:

Squash

Tinned Fruit

Tinned Fish

Tinned Meats

Tinned Potatoes

Instant Mash

Dry Cat Food

Nappies - specifically size 3, 6 and 7

They are also in desperate need of some “Bags for Life” type bags for the warehouse. They have been double-bagging every food parcel in much thinner bags, which is proving very time consuming and frustrating.

Thanks so much for every single donation we receive - we are deeply grateful!

Thank you

Gill Gay - Foodbank Co-ordinator

Email: gilliangay99@yahoo.co.uk

Who Do You Recognise - Do You Know the Year?

Click the photograph to enlarge.

Thanks to Elaine Hare for sharing this family photograph, believed to have been taken at Holywell School during the early 1900s.

Eliane believes it is her grandmother Ethel Wraight (nee Croucher) sitting at the front holding the board with “Upchurch No II” written on it.

Holywell School in Holywell Lane opened in 1847.

Who do you recognise?

Do you know the year?

Upchurch Matters