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| Come along and sing your favourite ! |
Roy Player brings his famous Karaoke to the Crown on Saturday the 17th of December. It all starts at 9pm and all are welcome.
Upchurch Matters
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Sunday 27 November 2011
Saturday 26 November 2011
Upchurch Twinning Group News - December
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Upchurch is twinned with Ferques-Elinghen in Pas de Calais, France. |
Happy Christmas ! Joyeux Noël !
Saturday 4th February 2012 – Quiz night in Holywell School, 7:30 pm start. Tables of up to 8 (you can have 4 or 6 or whatever!), £4 each, bookable with Mike Johnson on: 01634 234226. Bring your own drinks, nibbles and glasses etc. There will also be a raffle on the night.
March 2012 – Anniversary of the signing of the Twinning Charter in Upchurch – we’re planning an outing, possibly to the Historic Dockyard and some of the Ferques residents will be joining us.
Sunday 15th April 2012 – Upchurch Choral Society will be performing in the church at Ferques – the concert will start at 6pm. The choir will be going by coach and we hope some of you will come along and listen !
Jim Harman (Chairman) 01634 235420 & Sue Rossiter (Secretary) 01634 234780
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Tuesday 22 November 2011
Mr. Bridger
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| From left to right: Colin Wood, Dave Hursell and Mark Neilson. |
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| Mr. Bridger are now signed to Paisley Archive. |
Mr. Bridger a three piece band comprising of vocalist and lead guitarist, Dave Hursell, Colin Wood bassist and vocalist from Upchurch and Mark Neilson on the drums formed in April 2009. The band gig regularly right across the country.
Dave was the hinge pin in getting it up and running. He and Colin were already involved in musical projects but wanted to move things forward. Dave and Mark used to play in a band some 10 years before called The Spirals. So a meeting of minds was arranged. After weeks of deciding what to call the band, they chose the name Mr. Bridger.” An iconic character played by Noel Coward in 1969 film The Italian Job, Bridger was typically English, patriotic, had good values that represent the bands feelings perfectly.
In no time at all they had written and recorded their first album a 28 minuet 12 track album named “Change of Term” in two days recording time at Ranscome studios in Rochester there sound and influences were clear from their high energy and rawness compared to The Jam, The Who, Buzcocks and Small Faces.
After a gig filled summer they were contacted by 208 Records an independent label offering sales and distribution. Management came from the Help of Rob Holmes creator of the Underground Groove who projected the band forward to secure gigs with iconic bands such as The Purple Hearts, DC Fontanna and The Lambrettas .During this time a single was released “Got To Know Your Name” B/W Get Away.
The live musical experience is one not to be missed both Dave and Colin sing while Marks rhythms fuel aggression. Since they formed they have performed on stages where many of our great and legendary artists have at some of our greatest music venues across the country.
At this year’s Underground Groove they sold albums and merchandise, signed photographs and albums they were often seen talking to fans in the audience and was interviewed by Mark Sergent of Scootering Magazine for an article. This was a long way from their first gig in 2009 playing in Colin’s garden to friends and family.
A second album now completed Was released on 1st September 2011 “Out For Tea” ,available from “Paisley Archive” part of Detour records, slightly more refined and has been a working progression the band say, gigs are now being booked for a national 2012 tour to promote this.
Mr. Bridger is now pleased to announce that as from January 2012 all bookings and band related enquiries will now be taken care of by Hipster Lee at “Heavy Ears Promotions”.
For more information on the band, please go to:
Website: mrbridger.com
Facebook: Their Page
YouTube: Watch the video to "GET AWAY"
Amazon: The CD "OUT FOR TEA" for sale on Amazon
The OFFICIAL Mr. Bridger Fan Club: On Facebook
iTunes: Download tracks here
Colin Wood
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Thursday 17 November 2011
Upchurch Poppy Appeal 2011
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| “WE WILL REMEMBER THEM” |
The house-to-house Poppy Appeal collection in Upchurch was undertaken in all areas of the village by seventeen collectors.
The total collection in Upchurch in 2011 was £2,390. Of this amount £983 was collected in business or retail outlets and the pupils and staff of Holywell School donated £50.
St Mary the Virgin had a large congregation of all ages for the Remembrance Sunday service conducted by Reverend Jacky Davis. Five wreaths were laid below the memorial tablet in the Lady Chapel. After the service Reverend Davis led the choir and congregation in the autumnal sunshine to the burial ground were wooden crosses were laid at the five war commission graves. We were mindful of recent and current losses in Afghanistan suffered by our Armed Forces.
The need for the Poppy Appeal continues and the money donated will be used by the Royal British Legion entirely for welfare work including its Battle Back and Personnel Recovery Centres. It supports those who have served in the Armed Forces and their loved ones when they find themselves in need through bereavement, injury or other circumstances. On behalf of the Royal British Legion thank you for your generosity.
Cllr Gerry Lewin – Upchurch Poppy Day Appeal Organiser
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The Old Days of Hop Picking in Upchurch
Hop picking dates back hundreds of years in Upchurch with hop gardens and oasthouses once scattered around the parish. Although all have disappeared, 91 year old Marj Lacy from Bradshaw Close still has vivid memories of the hop picking season on those damp and misty autumn days of eighty years ago.
The last day of the season was usually a fun day when pickers arrived in fancy dress, had a good laugh and played tricks on each other. On one occasion my mother was put into a sack which was then tied up. I really miss hop picking, it was marvellous.”
“I started when I was ten years old back in the 1930s and went hop picking with my brother and two cousins at Wakeleys’ hop garden in Hartlip. We shared a bin between us and picked into half bushel baskets which we tipped into the bin. I went picking to buy a new school uniform for myself each year. I earned about fifteen shillings a week and picked for the whole season which lasted for about five weeks starting in September. I worked in the Hartlip hop garden for four years and remember Seymour Wakeley from Rainham inspecting the picking and overseeing the payment of wages at the end of each week.
I worked at ‘Seventeen Acres’ hop garden in Oak Lane during the 1940s. Pickers from Upchurch brought their own equipment consisting of a stool and picking basket. Some pickers brought their equipment in a baby’s pram while others visited the workplace the night before to see which row they had been allocated.
Many Upchurch residents worked in ‘Seventeen Acres’ like Ellen Boast and Win Wraight from The Street, Mrs Goodall and Elsie Waters from Oak Lane and Win Edmonds and Molly Bass from Drakes Close. Mrs Neame from The Street Stores also came with volunteers to raise money for the Darby and Joan Club. Meanwhile, Mr Oldland, the foreman from Rainham, organised the pickers who came by bus from Chatham and brought their children with them while Brian Wakeley from Forge Lane often inspected the picking. Other visitors included a man with a basket of doughnuts and another on a horse and cart selling sweets. The pickers brought tins which were hung on a wire with a hook above a fire for making tea which they drank while they worked. Official tea breaks didn’t exist.
The pickers were paid per basket and chose the hours they worked although the usual working day began at 7 a.m. and finished at 4 p.m. A lunch break took place for one hour. The work was pleasant but the hops that dropped on the ground had to be picked up. This was the hardest work. I didn’t only do picking, I also did stringing and training. The hop bins were collected early afternoon by horse and cart and taken to Moor Street oasthouse situated nearby or to the Station Road oasthouse in Rainham for drying. At the end of a working day I returned home, did the cooking and housework and looked after my two daughters. I thought nothing of it in those days.
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| David Wood. |
David Wood, who was born and raised in Upchurch, 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.
David Wood's book ‘Memories of Upchurch’ is available direct from David on: david3702001@yahoo.co.uk price £12 + p+p £2.
David Wood
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Tuesday 15 November 2011
Christmas Crafts and Produce Sale at St. Margaret's
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| Come along to St. Margaret's on the 3rd. |
Saturday the 3rd of December from 2:00pm to 4:00pm.
Come and join us for a wide variety of local crafts including cards, calendars, jewellery, wood turned gifts and toys, traditional Advent calendars, African art, home made and home grown produce and refreshments.
The Reed Bed Studio is also open as is the delightful tea room on the Thames Sailing Barge, the Edtih May.
Come and spend the afternoon at arguably the prettiest location around !
Liz Mouland
The Reed Bed Studio is also open as is the delightful tea room on the Thames Sailing Barge, the Edtih May.
Come and spend the afternoon at arguably the prettiest location around !
Liz Mouland
Friends of St. Margaret's Church, Lower Halstow
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