We want to hear about your village news and events
The best way to tell us is through the contact form
here
Antisocial Behaviour Survey
Kent Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Scott would like to know if antisocial behaviour is a problem in your area.
According to police statistics, antisocial behaviour is falling across the county, but is that your experience?
The Kent PCC wants to know what you see where you live, what sort of crimes and how bad they are.
Have you reported it to the police or the council? Many people don't report antisocial behaviour, so Mr Scott is asking you to fill in this anonymous survey, so he can try to address the problem and understand how antisocial behaviour affects you.
It will only take a few minutes.
Upchurch Matters
Sponsored by Upchurch River Valley Golf Course LtdApril is upon us and there is nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. As the temperatures warm up and spring takes a hold, everything gets going. I miss the Kent orchards which are spectacular when the buds burst and the blossom starts to show. I haven’t seen a single orchard up here in Suffolk, which is more Sugar Beet and Swede. Nothing wrong with that of course, just not so pretty! The weather has turned wet and cold again and slowed down progress. It is very manly clearing brambles (without gloves of course) with rain and sleet lashing your face… but also very stupid. I have made some progress on the southern boundary, clearing the undergrowth and discovering all sorts of old tools and discarded bottles. Apparently, the previous owner was a publican who had a local pub and quite clearly had some good parties in the back garden.
I have yet to make a start on the lawn, and the recent cold snap appears to have slowed it down a bit and bought a bit of time. It is pleasing to see the birds gathering up the moss for nesting material, although it is leaving large bare patches where there is very little grass. At least moss is green. April is the month to give the lawn its first Weed & Feed. High Nitrogen to get it going and green it up, and if possible two weed killers to start clearing all the weeds. Weed killers vary in effectiveness, so it is best to find a product that has two or even three to help eradicate all the weeds. Cutting will also clear most annual weeds, so lower the blades a little and aim to cut every two weeks. Seed can be sown into bare patches, but wait a few days after applying the Weed & Feed.
Now is the time to get the seedlings going, so dig out the trays and give them a good rinse, unless, of course, you did it when you planted out last year… ? Use a good compost for seedlings. A lot of cheap, poor-quality compost has appeared in the garden centres in recent years. The seeds will germinate naturally but then struggle to generate much growth and are too tender for fertilisers. Some seed is best going straight into the ground, like Parsnip, which doesn’t like being transplanted, so follow the instructions on the packet. Most will germinate within 7-14 days, except Parsnip, which seems to take weeks. When they do show it is hard to differentiate them from the weeds. Seedlings in trays should be uncovered once the leaves start to show or else they are prone to fungus infection, which kills them off.
Leek seedlings ready to pot on.
Tidy up the borders and clear out the weeds unless you have already done so. I like to turn the soil over with a hand fork which makes short work of the weeds and looks so good afterwards. The Snowdrops have gone over now, but collect the seed heads and plant them about 1” deep and they should come up next year. That helps to spread them out into drifts rather than tight clumps. The Daffodils are in full force and just what you need in early spring to cheer things up. The Tulips will follow but are not so long-lasting. Personally, I like strong vivid colours in spring and go for bold yellows and reds. However, there is a myriad of colours available these days for those who prefer contrasting pastel shades rather than clashing primaries.
There is a lot to do now, and it can seem a bit daunting, but by the end of May, you can take your leisure and enjoy outdoor living. It is good to invite family and friends around for a BBQ and completely show off all the work you have done while maintaining extreme modesty and pretending that it is nothing.
There is nothing wrong in taking satisfaction in your labours, and it is a great pleasure at the end of the day to prepare a meal, pull a cork and see where you have been. Also, the sleep of a labouring man is sweet even though his back may hurt in the morning. Another good thing is that the Laithwaites wine box has arrived, so I need to get the Gruner Vetliner in the fridge in time for the evening entertainment.
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 Tracy Wells: tracywells0312@gmail.com
Sean Barry
The below works have now been postponed until Wednesday 12th April 2023, with estimated completion by 14th April 2023.
It will be necessary to close part of Old House Lane, Hartlip from Wednesday 12th April 2023, with estimated completion by 14th April 2023.
Old House Lane, Hartlip will be closed in the vicinity of Lodge Farm, to the extent indicated by signs and barriers on site.
The alternative route is via Bull Lane, Cowstead Road, Lower Hartlip Road, Old House Lane and vice versa.
The closure is required for the safety of the public and workforce while connection works are undertaken by Southern Water.
For information regarding this closure, please contact Southern Water on: 0330 303 0368, who will be able to assist with the scope of these works.
KCC 24hr Contact Centre: 03000 418181
Kent County Council - Highways, Transportation & Waste
As well as other Holy Week services at St Mary’s, Upchurch, the Church Choir, augmented by Upchurch Choral Society members, is leading an act of worship on Good Friday entitled “There is a Green Hill”.
All are welcome.
Sue Rossiter
Thanks for stopping by 🙏🏼
Our busy Notice Board page has lots of community news on it every month.
Visit Upchurch Matters to:
✅ Read the latest village news 🗞
✅ Sign up for our Email news service 📥
✅ Read about Upchurch village history 📜
✅ Contact village groups and organisations📱
✅ Browse our classified advertisements to find trusted local businesses 🤝
It's what's going on where we live 🏠 👨👩👧👦
Upchurch Matters
Hello UpARA members,
Birthday Party... come and join us for our Birthday Party on the evening of Friday the 19th of May, from 7:00pm.
It is BYO food and drink, and you are sure to have a great time with entertainment from the very talented Nick Boswell.
Don't delay and reserve your places in the usual way, by Email to: uparaupchurch@gmail.com, or by text to: 07802 250773.
Tickets are just £5.
Please... turn your phones to ‘silent’ during our Friday meetings. At the last couple of meetings, it has become something akin to a ‘mobile symphonic orchestra’ at times. Whilst not intentional, it is very distracting to our speakers and audience alike. We will try and remind everyone at the start of the meeting (if we remember)!
Membership cards are available for collection from the hall.
Now you’ve renewed, why not purchase one of our last remaining UpARA T-Shirts, only about 10 remaining, in various sizes, and for just £15!
Note that Kurling times have reverted to 2:00pm for the period of BST.
The thoughts of Chairman John
Hi everyone,
As usual, when we change the clocks to summertime, the weather proves to us winter hasn't passed, proving many old sayings still ring true "Don't shed a clout until May is out" still rings very true even in this Hi-Tec age!
At UpARA we still continue regardless; we had just recovered from our week in Bournemouth, only to then enjoy an entertaining evening ‘facing the music’, along with everyone's favourite- Bonnie Langford showing us all we are only as old as we feel, (I personally will pass on doing the splits though!) once again, we all had a terrific evening at the wonderful Royal Albert Hall.
Later in the month, all enjoyed another one of our "Winter Warmer Friday Afternoons" the guest speaker from Kent Road Safety managed to remind us how much we had forgotten about the Highway Code, but in all fairness when some of us passed our driving tests, motorways were only just being planned! By the way, how many of you have found the hidden message in the freebie pen?
Enjoy the forthcoming month, it's so good to see so many of our new members joining in all of our activities, welcome.
John W
Payments
At the next meeting, Brenda and Malcolm will be taking any money due for the lunch at the golf course on the 26th of April.
There are still places for the Frankie Valli Tribute & Lunch at the Inn on the Lake on the 7th of June, and potential places for Llandudno in November, (subject to hotel availability). Waiting lists are in place for everything else, contact Brenda or Malcom if you are interested.
Any queries on availability above, (also open to non-members), please Email: uparaupchurch@gmail.com
Pick-up times for the Marlowe on 11th April
The performance starts at 7:30pm.
• Upchurch (opposite the Church) 16:15
• Otterham Quay (near Canterbury Lane) 16:20
• Rainham (The Cricketers) 16:25
• Rainham (opposite Pump Lane) 16:30
Thank you
Thank you for your generosity with the impromptu collections at the Social Afternoon & Lunch Club. £182.79 was raised for the Malawi cyclone appeal.
A date for your diary
Watch this space as, for the first time, we have booked the village hall, together with some great entertainment on NYE to see us into 2024 and our 10th anniversary year.
April Calendar
Mondays April 3rd, 17th, 24th at 10:00am - Short Tennis**No Tennis on April 10th
Monday, April 3rd at 2:00pm - Kurling
Tuesday, April 4th at 9:30am - Coffee Morning and Art
Tuesday, April 4th at 2:00pm - Table Tennis
Wednesdays April 5th, 12th, 19th, 26th at 10:15am - Line Dancing
Tuesday, April 11th - ‘Buddy’ at the Marlowe
Friday, April 14th at 2:00pm - Monthly Meeting
David Bowdler, ‘Instrumentals of the 50’sand 60’s’
Friday, April 21st at 10:00am - Village Walk
Tuesday, April 18th at 2:00pm - Petanque*
*Please note the new summer times
Tuesday, April 25th at 9:30am - Coffee Morning and Art
Tuesday, April 25th at 2:00pm - Table Tennis
Wednesday, April 26th - Lunch Club at Upchurch River Valley Golf Club
Please note no Tennis on Easter Monday, no walk on Good Friday, and no Ten Pin Bowling this month due to the school holidays.
Hopefully, see you all soon - your UpARA Committee.
