Notice Board

Sunday, 11 March 2018

March News from Upchurch Horticultural Society - From the Potting Shed

Sponsored by Upchurch River Valley Golf Club - www.rivervalleygolf.co.uk

March is the month when things start to get going and take a look at www.thompson-morgan.com for a list of jobs to do this month. The main things to remember are to have a good spring tidy up, prepare the borders and vegetable patch and apply a balanced fertiliser (eg Growmore N:P:K 7:7:7). Get the chitted early potatoes planted by the end of the month (I'm sticking with Rocket), sow any perennial flower seeds, put hardy annual seed straight into the ground and prune the roses.

There are several different types of rose and spring pruning applies mainly to what are called the bush roses or more specifically hybrid tea roses and floribundas. It's best to wait until after the winter when the plant is coming out of the dormant period and the buds are visible. Climbing and rambling roses and roses that are not repeat flowering (remonant) can be pruned after flowering has finished in the autumn.

The purpose of pruning is to encourage strong new growth which produces better flowering and maintains a balanced shape. Older wood loses vigour and produces fewer flowers and is more prone to disease. So the first priority is to cut out any dead, diseased or damaged wood which naturally dies back to a new shoot, bud or even to the grafting point which should be just above the surface of the soil. Next prune out any weak stems which will not produce good flowers and crossings stems which can chaff against each other and become diseased. Old wood can be pruned back to a healthy new green shoot and long shoots pruned back to a healthy bud.

A lot of gardeners shy away from hard pruning roses and do little more than deadhead but this will result in a lot of tangled thin stems which will not produce much flower. Hard pruning will produce the vigorous fresh green growth that the plant needs. Remember to try and open up the centre of the plant and cut out some of the inward growing wood and when pruning cut back to an outward facing stem or bud. Make an angled cut with sharp secateurs with the cut sloping away from the stem or bud so that water can run off.

Apply a slow release rose fertiliser and mulch with well rotted manure avoiding contact with the stems. Fertilise again in the summer after the first flush of flowers. That should keep your roses in good shape. Another point is to keep yourself in good shape and wear gloves when pruning.

Hopefully you are ready to start implementing your plans for this year and itching for the spring to arrive. April and May are the really busy months but a lot of preparation can be done in March. I did get my broad beans in, the leeks sown and made a start on weeding and tidying although still trying to get the last of the spring bulbs planted. One other thing I would like to do in March is to sow a tray of lettuce and repeat through the summer. This will be a lot of lettuce but will start lifting them when they have a few small fresh leaves which are great in a sandwich. As they heart up the bigger leaves can be used in salads. My favourite are Little Gem and well worth trying.

Still a bit cold and wet out there, so another log on the fire and let me see if I have a can of something in the fridge.

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

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Upchurch Parish Council Report - March 2018

Report of the Parish Council March 2018

The March meeting of the Parish Council was cancelled due to inclement weather conditions.

The village Spring Clean also had to be cancelled due to weather and the Parish Council would like to thank all those who had signed up to take part in the event.

Vacancy

Councillors were sorry to hear of the resignation of Louis Newbery from the Parish Council. Mr Newbery has been a very active member of the Council with a wealth of local knowledge and outstanding skills. Cllr Ripley extended his thanks to Mr Newbery for his sterling contribution to the Council.

The vacancy is currently being advertised and anyone interested in becoming a Councillor should contact the Clerk for further information.

Planning

Ref: 17/506569/FULL Address: Breach Farm Paddocks Land North-east of Breach Farm Bungalow Breach Lane Upchurch Kent ME9 7PE

Proposal: Change of use of land to single gypsy pitch and associated development (alternative to 15/502716)

Councillors considered the application and that Swale has exceeded its statutory requirement for Gypsy and Traveller sites. It was agreed to objection to the proposal.

Paddock and Recreation Ground

Parking permits for the Recreation Ground have been delivered and a sign will be put on the gate warning the gates will be closed outside of surgery hours.

The new litter bins have been installed in the Paddock and the old ones, which had been vandalism, have been removed.

Emergency tree work has taken place on the plane tree at the entrance to the Paddock.

Councillors are considering a quote to refurbish the play area, there may be grants available to help with the project.

Allotments

There are currently a few plots available at the allotments and anyone interested in having a plot should contact the Clerk. There is a preferential rate for residents of the parish.

Burial Ground and Churchyard

A compost bin has been delivered and Swale Borough Council have agreed to provide the Council with a rubbish bin for non-compostable items.

Highways and Street lighting

The street light in Windmill Hill was damaged following a vehicular collision with the pole. The damage has been reported to the Police and insurance company. There are two lights with all day burners which are beyond repair and there are other light which need repairing or replacing and quotes are being obtained.

It was reported that there are a lot of pot holes in the village and these have been reported to KCC.

Defibrillators

The Council is still waiting to receive a report from SECAMB regarding the code for the defibrillator being unavailable when needed. SECAMB have assured the Parish Council that codes and locations of the defibrillators in Upchurch are listed on their system and details will be given to callers.

Date of next meetings:

Full Council - Thursday 5th April 2018 at 7:30pm in Upchurch Village Hall

Annual Parish Meeting - Thursday 12th April at 7:00pm in the Scout Hut

The Planning Committee and General Purposes Committee - Wednesday 18th April at 7:30pm in the Committee Room of the Village Hall.

All residents are welcome to attend the meetings and there is a time for members of the public to comment, raise concerns or ask questions.

Wendy Licence - Clerk to the Parish Council

Tel: 01634 363906

Email: clerkupc@outlook.com
Website: www.upchurchpc.kentparishes.gov.uk

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Friday, 9 March 2018

Upchurch Fifty Years Ago in March 1968 by David Wood

The most important news of the month involved former Upchurch resident Rowland Baker who received a knighthood in the New Year’s Honours List. He obtained the award for the part he had played in the development of the British nuclear submarine programme as technical and chief executive of the Dreadnought project. He had earlier developed a frigate for the Canadian navy and a tank landing craft used in the D Day landings. For this he had been awarded an OBE by the king and the Medal of Freedom and a silver palm by the US government in 1946. Upchurch residents remembered him for his contribution to village football and cricket. His parents continued to live in the village.

In club affairs the Women’s Institute held a one minute silence in memory of former president Ethel Stevens from Holywell Farm who had passed away aged 69. After this Mrs Langford gave a talk and slide show about her native country Holland. A competition for a hand sewn article was won by Mrs Thompson with Mrs Rider second and Mrs Kew third. Meanwhile, at the Darby and Joan Club Mrs Swan made and sold marmalade which raised £5 and a whist drive was organised by Mrs Bronger and her committee.

The football club had a poor month with both teams struggling second from bottom in divisions two and five of the Rochester & District League. The first team only recorded one success with a 3-0 win at Brimar while the reserves lost every match. Both teams played home matches on the recreation ground where a wooden hut served as a clubhouse for changing purposes without showers and with a separate urinal.

Reports were made by the Village Hall Management Committee about children using the roof of the village hall as a slide creating a safety problem which had to be addressed. Another worrying problem concerned the wooden shingles at the tip of the church spire that had worn away and £500 had to be raised to fix the problem. The church authorities in Canterbury contributed £200 and the council £50 but the village had to raise a further £250. A ‘Spire Day’ allowed villagers to give money and a jumble sale took place in the Labour Hall.

In church affairs Upchurch vicar Reverend Bradshaw became Rural Dean for the area. A dedicated clergyman of great presence, he gained respect in the village for always visiting those in hospital or at home suffering from health problems and gave spiritual and moral support. He also attended most village functions, played a big part in forming the village scout movement and regularly visited the two village schools.

According to the parish registers marriages in the village included Brian Boakes from Chaffes Lane with Carol Edmonds from Holywell Schoolhouse, Michael Noons from Newington with Marion Murr from Drakes Close and Edward Jarvis from Twydall with Karen Busby from Wallbridge Lane. David Dodgeson from Church Farm Road, Paul and Diane, Marion and Martin Finn from Drakes Close were all baptised in the church. Deaths included Charles Glover aged 17 from Oak Lane, Jack Simmonds aged 64 from Horsham Lane and Ethel Stevens aged 69 from Holywell Farm.

The death of Charles Glover, the only child of Dick and Emily Glover from Oak Lane, was the most tragic event of the month as he had led a healthy life working with his father on the family land and had trained himself in photography, doing jobs around the village. From being a fit and healthy teenager he suddenly contracted meningitis and tragically died within days. Years earlier as a four year old he had narrowly escaped death after he fell into a deep and open sewer just off The Street and was lucky to have been saved by village resident Morris Germaine who happened to see the incident. Acting quickly Morris dived in, went under the sludge and pulled Charles out. Morris later received a certificate for bravery from the Royal Humane Society for his action.

The search for a children’s play area continued without success meaning that children continued to illegally encroach into The Paddock to play. This ended an interesting month in Upchurch.

About David

David Wood was born and raised in Upchurch and is able to write from personal experience about many people and aspects of the village and of changes that have taken place over the years, making ‘Memories of Upchurch’ a very readable book and a detailed historical study of the village.

Memories of Upchurch is available direct from David

Email: david3702001@yahoo.co.uk or from us here at

Upchurch Matters. Price £12 + £3.50 postage and packing.

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