Notice Board

Friday, 5 August 2022

Cyril Boakes 1927 - 2022

Cyril and Margaret Boakes on their wedding day,

Saturday the 3rd of April 1948.

Following a short period of ill health, my father, Cyril Boakes of 103 Chaffes Lane, passed away peacefully on Friday the 29th of July 2022, aged 95.

Born on the 27th of April 1927, Cyril was a resident of Upchurch his entire life, living as a child first in Chaffes Lane, then later in Wallbridge Lane, before returning to Chaffes Lane in the early 1960's.

He also worked in the village, spending his entire working life tending the family market garden on two sites off Chaffes Lane.

Now reunited with my mother, Margaret.

God bless them both.

Colin Boakes

New U13’s Players Wanted for Upchurch Colts FC

NEW PLAYERS WANTED ⚽️ 🏃🏻

Upchurch Colts FC - U13’s is looking for new players.

Currently training: Thursday at 7:30pm / Saturday at 9:00am.

Please contact Andy: 07921 267296

Lisa Dighton - Upchurch Colts FC

Fence Damaged - Hartlip

Hartlip, Newington & Upchurch Ward

Crime Number: 46/149245/22

On Tuesday the 2nd of August, somebody drove a green vehicle around a field and damaged a fence in Spade Lane, Hartlip.

If you have any information that could help investigators please contact Kent Police on telephone number 101 and quote the relevant crime number above.

For more information on crime prevention visit: www.kent.police.uk

Kent Community Messaging

Thursday, 4 August 2022

August News from Upchurch Horticultural Society - From the Potting Shed

Sponsored by Upchurch River Valley Golf Course Ltd

Well, Summer has definitely arrived with a vengeance and temperatures soared into the 30s in July. All going well you are on top of the garden doing gentle maintenance, albeit a lot of watering and enjoying outdoor living. Sun loungers should be getting good use with evening meals and BBQs on the patio. There have been mutterings of 2022 matching the Summer of 1976, but it needs to keep going for another couple of months yet.

Hopefully, the lawn managed to get a second weed and feed in early July. If not, hold off until we get some rain unless, of course, you are regularly watering the lawn. I have chosen to stop watering mine and let it go. It has taken on a curious marbled appearance as the old meadow grass from the original lawn has turned brown, and the Canada Green is holding its colour. To get a fully drought resistant lawn would require a complete re-seed. Lawns will green up again when the rain returns but will need a lot of scarifying… if you can be bothered. Dead thatch at the roots can allow disease to get established, so it is a good idea to get it all out.

The early Potato crop has been excellent this year with very little scab on the skins which indicates dry weather. Scab isn’t a problem as it easily peels off, but for those who like to exhibit their produce it is a nuisance. That is why exhibition growers cultivate their exhibits in bags rather than in the soil. I am old fashioned and like to grow in the ground. My main motivation is for the kitchen, but on show day, I have to stand back and make way for the winners.

The Broad Beans are harvested and the ground can be re-utilised, and normally I would plant a crop of Turnips to be ready by the end of October. The Beans were spaced out more this year and not so badly affected by Chocolate Spot which is a fungal infection. The Climbing Beans are flowering, and the first pick is very close. A number of Marrows have self-seeded, and the small fruits are starting to swell. It will be interesting to see what variety they are because the crop has failed for the last two years, and I do not know where the seeds have come from. The last Marrows to be grown successfully were Tiger Cross which is a very large Marrow, and I would love to take some seed to the new house. It’s also a good time to think about sowing winter vegetables with a number of new varieties available as well as old favourites like Durham Earlies. This will provide Spring Greens and then provide Cabbage in April/May.

Tiger Cross Marrows.

The Braeburn Apples have been thinned out further to take the load off the branches, and the remainder will be allowed to swell and should be ready for picking by late October. The amount of effort that goes into hybridising new varieties of Apples is amazing. The Braeburn is a cross between Granny Smith and Lady Hamilton and combines the tart crunch of a Granny Smith with the red colour of Hamilton as green apples are not highly popular. It was a great commercial success, but things moved on to Gala, a cross between Kidds Orange Red and Golden Delicious and then Jazz, a cross between Braeburn and Royal Gala. Cripps Pink, also called Pink Lady, is probably the next big thing in the UK now that restrictions are lifting. It is also being grown in Upchurch!

If you are looking for an active hobby, horticulture is a good option, and there is just so much to it. Commercially it was always regarded as a low value business, but that has changed in more recent years, and it never ceases to amaze me what people are prepared to pay for plants that can be grown from seeds and cuttings. But as I have always said, gardening is to be enjoyed otherwise you are doing it wrong.

All this talk of Apples has put me in the mood for a chilled Cider. Cider can be made from any of the varieties mentioned, but probably the best Cider Apple is Dabinett which is not a culinary Apple and is grown mainly in Somerset… to answer your question… Thatcher’s!

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

Tuesday, 2 August 2022

Catalytic Converters Stolen - Newington

Hartlip, Newington & Upchurch Ward

Crime Number: 46/147482/22

Between 01:45 and 02:45 on Friday the 29th of July, somebody stole the catalytic converters from a Honda, BMW and a Toyota parked at a commercial property in High Street, Newington.

If you have any information that could help investigators please contact Kent Police on telephone number 101 and quote the relevant crime number above.

For more information on crime prevention visit: www.kent.police.uk

Kent Community Messaging

Monday, 1 August 2022

UpARA - August 2022 Newsletter

Hello UpARA members,

Our fundraising support for 2022/23

The committee have chosen the Church Bell Tower Restoration Fund as the project to support for UpARA this year.

It is an important project for Upchurch, basically, the roof and internal floors of the bell tower are in a very poor state and will become dangerous if not attended to soon. Bats and birds have got in and made a dreadful mess and the bells are no longer usable. The roof needs to be waterproofed and re-timbered as necessary, and the timber floors need to be replaced completely.

The estimate for works is currently £50,000, and the project is being led by one of our members, Elspeth.

We hope that everyone will assist in our efforts to support this project, more details to follow...

The thoughts of Chairman John

Hi everyone,

It could only happen to UpARA, to go on a Mystery Coach Trip on the hottest day ever recorded! The mystery was a little less when we drove down the M23, with Brighton as the destination; unbeknown at the time, the temperature in Brighton was 4 degrees less than that of Upchurch, and a refreshing sea breeze as a bonus, - a thoroughly enjoyable day, thanks once again to Malcolm and Brenda.

Bryn has mentioned our charity for the next year. As you know, we are quite good at raising money for charity, our last being the Village Hall refurbishment and the defibrillator, and just recently, a one-off fundraising day for the DEC Ukraine Appeal. Now we have returned much closer to home, (you can't get much closer to our meetings than the Church!). All our good wishes to Elspeth and we look forward to helping her with her latest project.

Finally, after a slow start, the Evening Boules seems to have "Taken Off" literally, although any purist would probably despair at our skills, but more to the point everyone had an enjoyable evening, which is the philosophy of all ARA's.

By the time you read this, our hardy walkers will (might!) have completed the Crab and Winkle walk from Canterbury to Whitstable, the August walk will retrace the boat trip we did in 2015 from Little Venice along the Regents Canal in hearing distance of the Zoo, and underneath the aviary.

John W

Badminton

There have been expressions of interest in running a Badminton trial, likely to take place once or twice a month on Monday afternoons. If you feel you may be interested in participating, please let Bryn know at uparaupchurch@gmail.com

London Walk

We will be taking on another London Walk, on 19th August, from Little Venice to London’s latest space at Granary Square, King’s X, along the Regents Canal, with a lunch stop at Camden Lock. If you are interested, please let Bryn know, to receive further details nearer the time, at uparaupchurch@gmail.com

Brenda and Malcolm... will not be at the August Friday meeting to take bookings, payments and menu choices for the August lunch at The Crown, but will be at the Coffee mornings, or alternatively can be contacted via uparaupchurch@gmail.com

Brenda will also be taking the balance for the Turkey and Tinsel holiday. There are still limited spaces available for both twin and double rooms.

Our September meeting

Please note that our September monthly meeting will be held on the 3rd Friday of the month, September 16th, and not the second Friday that we normally hold it.

August Calendar

Mondays August 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd at 10:00am - Short Tennis

Please note: No Short Tennis on 29th August - Bank Holiday

Monday, August 1st at 2:00pm - Kurling

Tuesday, August 2nd at 9:30am - Coffee Morning and Art

Tuesday, August 2nd at 2:00pm - Table Tennis

Wednesdays August 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th, 31st at 10:15am - Line Dancing

Friday, August 5th at 10:00am - Village Walk

Friday, August 12th at 2:00pm - Monthly Meeting

Chris Stewart 'Hop Pickers of Kent'

Tuesday, August 16th at 2:00pm - Petanque

Friday, August 19th, London Walk - Grand Union Canal