We want to hear about your village news and events
The best way to tell us is through the contact form
here
Sponsored by Upchurch River Valley Golf Course Ltd
I didn’t manage to get a May article written last month as the economic challenge distracted me, but given one of the coldest April’s for a while, I imagine progress in the garden was quite slow. Although some days have been wonderfully sunny we have been hindered by a persistent cold wind. A pub garden was a good alternative but it was necessary to dress for the occasion! Despite the wind, the seeds were sown, although a bit late this year. Germination has been good and the seedlings are hardening off… just need to get planted out.
The scratch and patch with Canada Green grass seed (available from Amazon) was completed and starting to come up, so hoping this will be the cure for the persistent droughts we get these days. I will give it a bit of time to get going and then give the lawn a cut.
The fine fellows from the Hideaway Nursery have erected a greenhouse for me so it’s time to get serious about propagation. It’s a bit too late for basal cuttings, but plenty of opportunity for stem tip cuttings and hardwood cuttings later in the year. Although hardwood cuttings can often go straight into the ground without needing a greenhouse. What is good is that even on a cool day, it is lovely and warm with the door closed and I can see myself spending a lot of time in there. One worrying development, though, is that the Duchess has started putting the laundry in there when it rains!
Exochorda “Pearl Bush” suitable for stem tip cuttings in summer.
We picked up some fantastic White Delphiniums, Penstemons and Tomato Plants from the Shoregate Nursery. The perennials have gone into the ground and the Tomato Plants are racing away in the greenhouse. I also noticed that the Leek seedlings planted in January are struggling in B&Q General Compost so picked up a few bags of seedling compost from Josephine which I am sure will be better.
The fruit has blossomed in time to avoid the April frost and the small fruits are forming. It is best to wait for the June drop and see what is left before thinning out. Branches on plum trees can be ripped off due to overbearing as the fruits swell and dwarf rootstock apple trees need to be supported. It is tempting to hang on to as much fruit as possible but young trees may not be able to support the weight and a bumper crop can exhaust the plant. Alternatively, simply prune back fruit trees and remove half the crop, although this is more indiscriminate. Personally, I like to pick off the small ones and let the big ones develop.
There was not much happy ribbetting from the frog pond this year, but we did get a couple of clumps of spawn. This has been collected into a separate container to allow the tadpoles to develop unhindered by predators. We tried this last year but with no apparent improvement in frog numbers… but worth another go.
June is the month when you go into maintenance routine and keep the garden looking at its best through the summer and start to enjoy outdoor living. But having said that, I am sitting here hoping that the weather will pick up as nothing much has happened yet. Definitely looking forward to restaurants and pubs opening for indoor activity. In fact, I have drawn up a list of my favourite country pubs to visit during the summer. In fact, I have decided to take up woodwork…so the first one will be the Carpenters Arms.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.
Sean Barry - Upchurch Horticultural Society
Jenny Giles - Upchurch River Valley Golf CourseTelephone: 01634 360626
People are being asked to have their say on how Swale Borough Council deals with breaches of planning permission.
The council has launched a consultation on a new strategy and service charter for its planning enforcement service.
The strategy sets out how the council wants to protect the borough’s built and natural environment from unlawful developments. It includes identifying priority issues for the service and explains what action can be taken.
The charter explains how the planning enforcement process works, to help people and partners like parish councils understand how investigations are carried out.
Cllr Mike Baldock, cabinet member for planning at the council, said:
“It’s important to us that the services we offer meet the public’s expectations, so we want to know what people think of the strategy.
“We have made some suggestions for how it can be improved, but we want to know what people would like to see from our planning enforcement services and how we can improve them.”
The consultation on the planning enforcement strategy and charter are running until Monday, 5th July.
Planning Technicians
Swale House
East Street
Sittingbourne
Kent
ME10 3HT
Swale Borough Council
This week is national Patient Participation Group (PPG) Awareness Week (31st May - 6th June) and we’d like to say a huge thanks to you and your group for helping us to improve health services.
Your feedback is extremely valuable to tell us what’s working well and what we need to improve and we’re lucky enough to have a huge network of local people to engage regularly with, including PPGs and local area patient groups.
PPG Awareness Week aims to promote the role and importance of engaging with PPGs to patients, the public and health professionals.
In celebration of PPG Awareness Week, we would like to extend our thanks to all PPG members across Kent and Medway for your help and feedback during what has been a difficult year.
During the last 12 months, your support has been invaluable in designing services such as:
• End of life care
• Dementia
• Long Covid support
Thanks again for your commitment to improving health services.
Ray Kemsley via NHS Kent and Medway CCG
Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) has a message for anyone thinking about starting fires deliberately in the county - ‘We’re watching you’.
In a bid to crack down on acts of arson across Kent and Medway, the service has joined the national initiative, FireStoppers, inviting local people to join in the anonymous fight against deadly fire setting.
FireStoppers encourages residents to share intelligence about people they suspect are responsible for incidents of arson, anonymously, 24/7, 365 days a year.
As part of the initiative, areas identified as arson hotspots will be honed in on by KFRS, with signage and targeted social media campaigning used to educate and deter arsonists, or those considering setting fires.
In the last five years, crews have attended 8,988 deliberate fires, involving buildings, vehicles and outdoor areas.
Colin King, Assistant Director for Customer Engagement and Safety, said:
“Not only do arsonists put their lives and the lives of others at risk, but they take firefighters away from other emergencies unnecessarily. It’s a criminal offence to start a fire deliberately, and we want arsonists to know that the fire service, together with the residents of Kent and Medway, are watching and will report them.
“By joining FireStoppers, we hope members of the public can help us to reduce the number of deliberate fire incidents, by sharing valuable information completely anonymously.
“The reporting service is available both online and over the phone and is free to use at all times of the day, all-year-round.
“Ongoing emergencies should still be reported by calling 999.”
It’s a criminal offence when someone intentionally starts a fire in order to destroy or damage something, whether that’s a building or outdoor areas such as grasslands and woodlands.
Call FireStoppers on 0800 169 5558 or report online - it’s always free and always anonymous.
Kent Fire and Rescue Service
With travel outside the UK remaining ever uncertain this half term and summer, residents in Medway and Kent are being reminded that there’s so much to discover and enjoy on our own doorsteps, including the unusual.
Alpaca trekking, glamping in a church or driving an electric go-kart around an indoor track are just some of the things on offer to add to the range of fabulous activities and events to enjoy through the summer months.
Medway Council’s #WhoKnew campaign is highlighting Medway’s hidden gems, unique attractions, independent shops, fantastic restaurants and stunning landscapes to encourage residents, and visitors, to rediscover Medway and invite friends and family to enjoy the best that Medway has to offer.
By encouraging people to stay local this summer, the aim is also to encourage people to become local heroes and show their support to local businesses that have suffered so badly through the pandemic. With the rich variety of shops and independent retailers and the superb range of cafes, bars, restaurants and pubs across Medway, there is plenty to tempt people out.
The campaign puts the spotlight on all the attractions which make Medway a unique and exciting destination to visit for both residents and tourists, whether it’s a wide range of family attractions, our thriving cultural scene, stunning natural landscapes, or the adventures on offer both on and off the water.
Medway has a rich cultural heritage and boasts historic gems including Rochester Castle, the finest and tallest Norman castle keep in the country, Rochester Cathedral, the second oldest cathedral in England, Chatham’s Historic Dockyard and Fort Amherst. Our wonderful range of museums and galleries are also places to explore and enjoy. Children and adults can even ride, drive and operate real diggers and dumpers at Diggerland as well as enjoy many play areas, and for the more adventurous, the wonderful BMX pump track in Gillingham.
With the emphasis on enjoying the great outdoors this summer, Medway’s stunning riverside walks and eight award-winning green flag parks offer space to roam, picnic and meet up with others. For those wanting to be active on two wheels, there are 80 miles of cycle routes across Medway to explore and enjoy. Whether you’re a demon road cyclist or out for a family peddle around, there are routes to suit all abilities.
An exciting alternative festival and events programme for the summer in Medway is being developed, which can be COVID-19 safe if needed. The council is teaming up with local organisations to celebrate Medway’s culture and communities, past, present and future. From the River Medway to Fort Amherst, artists, drag queens, musicians, scientists and of course, Dickens will fill Medway’s high streets and parks with colour and noise creating a brilliant summer of live and online entertainment for residents and visitors.
As well as the Estuary Festival taking place at the moment across Medway and the Thames Estuary, some fantastic events have already been announced for this summer including the most unique gaming festival the UK has ever seen, Medway Rapture Gaming and Creative Festival, which is due to be held at the Historic Dockyard Chatham on Saturday, 3rd and Sunday, 4th July. The weekend family-fun festival, which is being supported by a multitude of incredible show stakeholders, will have something for everyone - from gaming pros to novices. There will be plenty of gaming fun and interactive exhibitions for people of all ages to get involved in, including children, families and students.
The programme will shine a light on Medway’s creative spirit as it prepares to bid for UK City of Culture 2025. Becoming UK City of Culture 2025 would create a legacy of opportunities for local people and bring significant economic benefits to the area. The events also support Medway’s aspiration to become a Child-Friendly City, putting children and young people at the heart of everything it does.
More information about the events programme will be announced soon, so keep an eye out on visitmedway.org and on the council’s social media channels.
Leader of Medway Council, Cllr Alan Jarrett, said:
“We are all looking forward to this summer and half term, and our newfound freedoms. There’s so much to enjoy right here on our doorsteps this year and we want people to come out and try new and different things, as well as our much-loved attractions and the fantastic hospitality venues and shops we have here. We want people to 'Do it for Medway' this summer – invite your friends and family to come and see what’s going on and to enjoy the best that Medway has to offer.”
Medway has fantastic connectivity with good motorway links and high-speed services to London.
If you’re planning on making lots of memories in Medway this summer, tag @VisitMedway in your pictures and use #WhoKnew
