Prayer Day for Eva - Thank You

Dear Upchurch,

We received this message from Jenny (Eva’s Mum); The surgeons were really pleased with how it all went. The sarcoma was the size of a small melon but came out intact. Recovery time will be quite lengthy, but it seems like a miracle after all our warnings.

The power of prayer - thank you for your support and prayers, and thank God 🙏🏻❤️🙏🏼

Thank you for joining us in prayer for Eva. Please don't stop she still needs our prayers as she recovers from the huge battering her young body has taken.

We thank God for his love and generous kindness and we pray for ongoing wisdom for all the medical staff. We pray that God continues to surround Eva and her family with his love and we pray that they feel the full comfort of his presence in their lives. Amen.

Gill Gay

Swale Borough Council - Member Grants Available to Support Projects that Benefit the Local Community

Culture, sport, recreation, health, environment and community safety projects that benefit the local community could receive funding from Swale Borough Council’s member grants.

Every year, the council provides each of Swale’s 47 councillors with £2,400 to spend on small-scale local projects that benefit their community.

Local voluntary and community groups can apply to one or more councillors for funding and could have all, or part, of their project funded, and this year the council is welcoming any projects that address the challenges caused by the cost of living crisis.

Last year, Sunny Bank Primary School in Sittingbourne received £1,210 for outdoor cooking equipment, Brogdale CIC received £200 towards the restoration of a walled garden in Faversham, and Faversham Pools received £2,200 towards a robotic pool cleaner.

Queenborough and District Naval Ensign Association also received £750 for the Wildfire 3 memorial parade, and Minster Cricket Club received £1,150 towards a new equipment store.

Member grants are available every year from July to January.

For more information including how to apply visit: www.swale.gov.uk/member-grants

Swale Borough Council

St Mary's Church Fundraising Sale

Saturday 9th July between 10:00am - 11:30am

Homemade Cakes, Jams, Pickles, Scones and Savouries

Also Puzzles, Books, Bric-à-brac and sometimes Plants

Refreshments

Something for everyone!

Please help support this ancient building - Thank you

🍰 🍓 🧩 📚 🎨 🪴 ☕️ ➕

Upchurch Matters

Andrea (Andy) Candy

Andrea (Andy) Candy

20th October 1950 - 26th June 2022

Dave, Simon, Sally, Beth, Joshua and Maisie would like to thank all of our friends and neighbours for the overwhelming number of messages of support and offers of help we have received since Andy’s passing. It only serves to confirm my belief in Upchurch as the loving and caring community we have always found it to be.

Andy’s funeral is scheduled for Tuesday 26th July, beginning with a Thanksgiving Service in St Mary’s Church at 1:00pm, followed by the Committal at The Garden of England Crematorium, Bobbing, at 2:00pm. All are welcome but family flowers only, please. Donations to Breast Cancer Care via the John Weir website are welcome.

Thank you

Dave Candy

Operation Brock Returns for the Summer

Operation Brock is to be activated this weekend ahead of the Summer peak

The Operation Brock moveable barrier system on the M20 in Kent will be deployed from Monday 11th July ahead of the Summer peak period and high passenger numbers, Kent Resilience Forum confirmed today.

Operation Brock is part of a series of measures to improve Kent’s resilience and ensure the smooth flow of traffic through the region in the event of disruption to services across the English Channel.

To ensure safe deployment of the contraflow system, the following closures will be needed:

• 2300 Saturday 9th July to 0500 Sunday 10th July - M20 London bound carriageway between j9-8 will be closed to complete Operation Brock preparation work. This includes vegetation clearance and reinstatement of white lines. 

• 2000 Sunday 10th July to 0600 Monday 11th July - M20 London bound carriageway between j9-8 and M20 coast bound carriageway between j7-9 will be closed to install Operation Brock.

A fully signed diversion route will be in place while the M20 is closed overnight.

The Operation Brock contraflow will be deployed overnight on Sunday 10th July.

These times have been chosen to minimise disruption to road users.

Once the barrier is in place, all HGVs heading for the Port of Dover or Eurotunnel must follow the signs to join Operation Brock at M20 junction 8.

Any EU-bound HGVs not complying with signage and trying to use another route to Eurotunnel or the Port of Dover risk a fine of £300. They will also be sent to the back of the queue by Police or enforcement agents, wasting time, fuel and money. This includes trying to bypass the M20 by using the M2/A2 at Brenley Corner.

All other coast-bound traffic - including local freight and car drivers headed for the continent - should follow the signs and cross over to enter the contraflow on the M20 London bound carriageway.

Anyone planning to use Eurotunnel and the Port of Dover is advised to plan their journeys and check with the travel operator before setting out. They should also allow more time for their journeys and make sure they have food and drink with them in case of delays.

The planned west-bound closure of the M2 between junctions 7 and 5 which was scheduled for 15th -18th July has been cancelled.

Simple vehicle checks can help drivers avoid breakdowns, have a safer journey, and save time and money. More information can be found by visiting: nationalhighways.co.uk/road-safety/how-to-check-your-vehicle

As a member of the Kent Resilience Forum (KRF), National Highways is working in partnership with other bodies across Kent to keep the roads moving and minimise disruption to local residents, businesses and communities. The KRF will regularly review if the Operation Brock barrier is still required.

About Operation Brock

Operation Brock is part of a series of measures which crucially keep the M20 open in both directions using a contraflow system.

When Operation Brock is in force it is a legal requirement to use the signed routes only for HGV journeys to Port of Dover and Eurotunnel.

For more information on Operation Brock and other travel advice visit: nationalhighways.co.uk/travel-updates/operation-brock

National Highways: South-East

July News from Upchurch Horticultural Society - From the Potting Shed

Sponsored by Upchurch River Valley Golf Course Ltd

Summer has now arrived, and at the time of writing it is proving to be a bit wet. It was an excellent Spring, especially April, but not turning into a scorcher. Hopefully, by the time this article is published, things will have improved. However, the daytime temperatures are warm with sunny spells so we were able to have lunch on the patio while the evenings are still a bit cool.

The lawn can have a second high Nitrogen weed and feed to keep it in top condition although avoid this if the weather turns very hot and dry. Raise the height of the mower blades a little, and the longer grass will retain moisture at the roots and make the most of any rainfall and heavy dews. If you have the energy, continue to scarify the lawn and rake out any dead thatch after each cut. It is an effort and a job for a perfectionist, but the lawn will look better for it through the Summer.

We have a little Hedgehog hole in a fence panel, which is meant to allow the prickly little fellas to move around more easily. However, it also allows the Rabbits to move around more easily, and my Beetroot and Lettuce have been severely nibbled. I have a second crop coming along, so I will keep these in pots and see how well they do.

Seedlings need to grow faster than they get eaten!

The Aphids have suddenly appeared in large numbers, so I started using the Provanto. Last year it got so bad I found an old bottle of Picket in the shed which belonged to my Father. One dose of that on the Apple sorted the whole problem out. However, I looked at the bottle again and noticed it was manufactured by ICI who became defunct in 2008 and my father died in 1998. I checked it out, and Picket is still suitable for use, although Murphy’s Malathion has been banned and there is a bottle of that in the shed. If you have old chemicals hanging around, check to see if they are suitable for use, but even if they are, the effectiveness may diminish with time.

The June Drop has accounted for about 20% of my Apples, and it is quite amazing how the plant manages to eject the weaker fruit. When it stops, I will look at what is left and thin it out even further. The Pear crop this year is quite meagre, which is unusual, but the trees are left over from the old Vicarage garden and are very old. Hopefully, it is not the end as they are Beurre Hardy Pears which are a lovely dessert pear when pealed. The Victoria Plum blossomed well this year, but the Pigeons took a lot of the small fruits. Attracting wildlife to the garden is a good thing, but it can backfire on you!

Borders and containers need maintenance through the Summer as some plants finish for the year and others come into flower. Some flowers are very short-lived, like Azaleas and Irises but give such a good display and are worth their place in the border. Others start flowering now and go all the way through to the Autumn like Dahlias. However, good deadheading and pruning will make the most of all plants, and there is plenty of advice available on the internet so you can specialise in your favourite varieties. Also, cut flowers are lovely in the house and cheer up any room.

The Blue Tit Box has been successful again this year, and the chicks fledged at the beginning of June. There are usually one or two casualties each year, but when the box was opened and cleaned none had been left behind. The Tadpoles that were removed from the pond as spawn in March have been allowed to grow to a reasonable size and now returned. Hopefully, that will give them a good head start over the predators and help increase the Frog and Toad numbers, which have dwindled.

I do hope you are enjoying your garden, whether you are a keen gardener or not. I particularly get a lot of satisfaction out of growing fruit and vegetables especially as prices are increasing so rapidly. A kitchen garden can be a good asset to the household, especially in retirement and I am giving some thought to propagating from my own seed so that it becomes fully sustainable. All that is required then is to provide the labour and let nature do the rest. Unfortunately, I will still have to go to the Co-op to get the beer.

UHS is always looking for new members and tries 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 shows we hold each year, 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