509

“Some sort of periodical is an essential life-line in village such as ours”

Welcome to West Farleigh’s own

LIFELINe

Distributed freely in April 2019 Edition no 509 Editors: Stephen Norman, Helen Swan and Jacky Taylor Website: www.thefarleighs.co.uk Email: [email protected]

Around the village in March we had a birth and a marriage Welcome to the newest member of our village – look, he’s waving at us ! Isaac Thomas Michael, was born in Kings College Hospital, Denmark Hill, to Alex of Elmscroft Cottages on Tuesday 12th March at 05.44am. This lucky boy will be living in an all-girl household with his mum, Nanna Billie and Auntie Emilie. Billie has lived in the village all her life so Isaac will be the 4th generation of the family. We look forward to seeing them around the village very soon.

Congratulations

George Baines of Charlton Lane, married Alex Nelson of Houston, Texas in Dallas on 23rd March. They met whilst George was working in the USA for Hawk-Eye, the sports technology company. Over 40 family and friends from the UK made the trip to celebrate their amazing wedding, including Richard Ward, whose best man’s speech will not quickly be forgotten! George and Alex begin their new lives together, setting up their new home in Atlanta, Georgia.

Upcoming Events:

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In this Lifeline Pastoral newsletter…. 2 Parish Council Report 3 Village in Bloom 4 Guardians of the Church Yard …… 5 Farleigh Feathers … 6 View from the 7 scoreboard. Organisations ……. 7 Events…………………. 8 Do visit our website for articles, events and much more. Have you seen the wonderful video on our website by Ed Boyd entitled Quarry Wood - a brief moment in time? www.thefarleighs.co.uk Please contact the editors if you would like an article in Lifeline or on the Website – Email [email protected]

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And now…step back in time to a Victorian evening at Smiths Hall. Songs you know and can sing along to, and other party pieces from the Farleighs’ Choir. It all happens on Saturday 13th April from 7.30 pm. Tickets (£15) include a delicious Victorian Buffet supper. A donations Bar will be available. There are just a few tickets left! Call Helen 01622 814445 or email [email protected]

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Pastoral Newsletter On 1st April, many of you may be planning to be mischievous and play pranks on your friends and family. There is surprisingly little known about the origins of April Fools' Day. Some have argued that a story told by early English poet Geoffrey Chaucer in the 14th century where a fox plays a prank on a rooster (who is almost eaten because of it) - is the first reference to pranks taking place on the first of April. The poet doesn't actually directly refer to April 1st though. In the poem, he says 32 days "syn March began", which people have said is "32 days since March began" which would be April 1st. Some believe the tradition started because of events in the calendar. Renewal festivals date back to Roman times. These were a celebration at the start of a new year or season, when things went a bit topsy-turvy. Servants could control masters or children could control their parents. There is another calendar theory that when people started celebrating New Year at the beginning of January, instead of the end of March, those who continued to celebrate it at the end of March, rather than on 1st January like we do today, were considered to be fools and had jokes played on them. In some parts of Europe, an April Fools' prank is to stick a fish to someone's back. It is actually known as April Fish Day in some areas of Europe. So it appears we don't actually know for sure where April Fools' Day officially started. But one thing's for sure - people have been playing jokes on April 1st for a very long time. It all seems as a bit unsophisticated for the modern generation. You couldn’t say that, though, about probably the most famous April Fool’s effort of all time. In the 1960’s BBC TV broadcast a feature on the spaghetti farms of Italy. Italian farmers explained their work and the progress of the spaghetti plants was carefully filmed, from planting to reaping. And all in the BBC’s most serious documentary manner. St. Paul writes in his letter to the Corinthian church that we are to be “fools for Christ”. Worldly wisdom is turned upside down by the message of the gospel, and he writes "for the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight” and “the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." So this April, maybe we could ponder the foolishness of the message of the cross – life offered to all through the death of one. Many Blessings and Happy Easter. Peter Callway Rector Services at All Saints Sunday 7th April Sunday 14th April Sunday 21st April Sunday 28th April

8.00 am 9.30 am 11.00 am 9.30 am

Holy Communion (Traditional) Morning Prayer Easter Sunday (Holy Communion) Morning Prayer

Our Ministry Team Rev Peter Callway, Rector: 01622 747570 Call for Baptisms, Weddings & Funerals, not Fridays Rev David Jones, Hon. Associate Rector 01622 741474. Not Fridays Rev Eileen Doyle, Associate Rector 01622 204241. Not Mondays and Tuesdays Becky Parnham, Children and Families Worker 07949 646885

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Parish Council Report There was a discussion before the meeting with Tim Knowles, who as part of the Village in Bloom Team, has offered to maintain the benches around the village. The Parish Council were not happy with the colour of the bench opposite Smiths Hall and put it to Tim that it would be better to use a natural coloured wood preservative on them. Tim is also making some more planters for around the village. Unfortunately, it was reported that the Cricket Pavilion were broken into, although nothing seems to have been stolen. No other crimes had been reported. As there were still problems when turning right at the bottom of Charlton Lane into Lower Road, painting double yellow lines is to be investigated, as nothing else has worked to prevent cars obscuring the sightlines. Kent Highways have removed tree roots and silt from the culvert that carries the river Ewell under Smiths Hill. It did not flood after the last heavy rainfall, so it is hoped that all is well for a while. Kettle Lane has a lot of deep holes which form puddles the full width of the lane in very wet weather, it is hoped that they can be filled in. However, it is not the intention of putting down a proper surface, as it is not suitable for traffic. East Farleigh is installing some traffic calming and there may be a disruption to traffic while this is done - be careful! The problem of congestion on the bridges was aired again and a one-way system has been deemed not viable. A pre-planning application meeting has been booked with MBC, to discuss the addition of a Parish room to the football hut. If they are happy, we will need to also review leases etc. The play equipment has been professionally examined and deemed in good shape. However the frame of the swings need a closer investigation and repainting, as rust is appearing at the joints. Lambing Day was a great success, many of the villagers attended despite the cold and hail. Final profit not available to date, but in excess of £1,000, which will go to enhance the village. The Kent Crime Commissioner has offered to come to a Coffee Morning, to talk to villagers. Date to be arranged. Donations were made to Evergreens-£750. Churchyard £350. The churchyard is a public burial ground. You do not have to be a churchgoer or even a Christian to be buried there. If you have a proven connection with the village, you can be buried there. We are fortunate that there is still space in our churchyard, unlike many, when a burial ground has to found away from the church e.g. Wateringbury.

Lambing Day at Smiths Hill Farm There was a great turn out for Lambing Day on 17th March. Children were thrilled to be able to pet new born lambs, Parish Councillors were everywhere, obviously Geoff and his family looking after the sheep and their babies, woodturning by Mick, cakes by Jill and Larry’s hot dogs were a great success. We are lucky to have such a hands-on parish council in West Farleigh and to see them all gathered together for this annual event, which raised over £1,000 for the Village. Well done EWE lot !

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Spring is Blooming in West Farleigh During the past month the WF in Bloom team have been busy on the triangle at the top of Teston Lane. Our aim is to promote this as a welcoming view of the village and an actively managed wildlife area - whilst ensuring that visibility remains clear for all traffic on the roads.

The team tidied up brambles and planted new bulbs and colourful plants – many divided from our own gardens, then all enjoyed a well-earned cuppa and tasty snack. In addition to the ‘Bug Hutch’ there are also 5 new bird boxes that our Farleigh Feathers feature writer Ray has built. He plans to give us all updates on their prospective inhabitants in his monthly column here in Lifeline and on www.thefarleighs.co.uk Thank-you to everyone who answered our call for pallets on the Farleigh’s Facebook page. They are perfect for making Bird Boxes and another 2 have been strapped to trees in the Churchyard.

Proud owners of the Big Bug Hutch

We plan to have a sale of more new bird boxes at the Plant Fair being held at the church on Sunday 12th May, 11am – 4pm, these would make great gifts or worthwhile additions to any garden. The Bloom team will also be making cream teas and would love to see as many people as possible come along. They will also be able to appreciate the hard work that is going into the Churchyard as that too is being entered into a separate category of South and South East in Bloom this year as well.

Simon and Gabby make it look easy

Our next meeting is 7:30pm Thursday 28th March at Dandelion Time, Charlton Lane.

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Jon Fenlon is on holiday, so there is no ‘From the Garden’ this month. Stephen Norman provided us with the following article (see colour version on Garden page in www.thefarleighs.co.uk). Guardians of the Churchyard Keeping a churchyard tidy is hard work. Think of the uneven ground, the gravestones and the trees. And there are lots of corners. So next time you are passing, stop by All Saints churchyard and admire the work of Martyn Jones and his assistants. The Village in Bloom committee was so impressed, they decided to have a go at the special “Churchyard of the Year” award this year. I talked to Martyn as we walked around the other day. Martyn’s roots here go back a long way – his parents moved to West Farleigh from Snodland when he was 11, and he lived in Chequers Cottage (as it then was), next door to the Tickled Trout. He remembers as a boy sitting on John Day’s combine harvester, shooting at rabbits, pigeons and crows as the wheat was harvested. As a lad, he started work at Tesco in Tovil, and then joined an engineering company down in Paddock Wood, machining brake disks and camshafts. The auto industry is an uncertain employer (as we see today!). 15 years later, having survived 9 rounds of cutbacks, he decided to jump ship. He used his redundancy money to get the qualifications he needed to work outdoors, doing landscaping, tree work and gardening. Starting the business was hard. He went door to door, dropping leaflets. His first customer was Pip Wakefield on Lower Road (and she is still a customer today!) But he persisted, and he got work all round Maidstone. In 2016, MJ Garden and Property Care won the tender to look after All Saints churchyard. Since he took over, the grass has been cut, there are no brambles and nettles and the yew bushes look as tidy as guardsmen on parade.

Martyn Jones: teenage years in W. Farleigh

With Village in Bloom in mind, work has accelerated. Donating several days of labour, Martyn and his crew have cleared the spaces under the trees, planted meadow flowers by the gate, and removed piles of old tiles and debris. Even the old bonfire site has been planted with wild flowers. The work has exposed graves and memorials that haven’t been seen for a generation (see picture right ) Landscape gardening is not Martyn’s only passion. He is a historian, and fascinated by the marks that the Romans left on our landscape (quarries for example). Recently he bought a metal detector and has been prospecting along the river banks. The very first object he found was a mediaeval purse bar. We owe MJ and his wife Teresa, (who is an enthusiastic supporter of all these initiatives), a big thank you for their efforts and feel confident that the Village in Bloom judges will be just as impressed. Come and see the churchyard for yourself at the annual plant sale on Sunday, 12th May 2019, 11am to 5pm. This year, it’s a joint venture with the PCC and Village in Bloom. You can enjoy Kentish Cream Tea and buy a wide variety bedding plants and more exotic things for your garden. And bird boxes (which can be personalised to give as presents)! The full article and photos can be seen on our website thefarleighs.co.uk

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Farleigh Feathers by Ray Morris Spot the Difference If you feed the birds in your garden you may notice that the starlings busily barging other birds out of the way at the feeders are looking smarter than usual. This is because they are now in their breeding plumage and probably building a nest in your eaves, or a hole in a nearby tree. Although you may think they all look the same, take a closer look. As well as the beautiful iridescent sheen in their feathers, the spots look a little clearer than usual – and the subtle difference in size and shape of these is one way of telling males from females. But you need to have the bird in your hand to see it! An easier way is to look at the area around the base of their bill. Nature has very conveniently colourcoded their gender: males are now pale blue, and females pale pink. By the end of the month their eggs will have hatched and the queue-jumping at your feeders will increase as they struggle to find sufficient food to fill the four gaping mouths waiting for them back at the nest. Your feeders, however, are only their convenient neighbourhood fast-food outlet. If the adults can find them, leatherjackets (the larvae of daddy-longlegs) extracted from untreated lawns and rough grass are preferred. Although starlings are a species many people love to hate, Mozart kept one as a pet, and I’ll write more about him – and starlings in general – in my April Farleigh Feathers blog. http://www.thefarleighs.co.uk/ I’ll include some photos too to help you ‘spot the difference’. Observant visitors to All Saints church will also spot the difference in the holly tree on the right as you approach the church door – there is now a nest box on the trunk, just above head height. A second box has been added to the cedar tree beyond the chancel. The churchyard already has myriad niches in which small birds can nest in its many magnificent old trees, but there may be a pair that prefers new-build! There is certainly a variety of species there – it was good to note the greenfinches, a species that has seen its population tumble in recent years due to a parasite that makes their throat swell and stops them from eating. Goldfinches were there a-plenty, along with mistle thrush and nuthatch – the former already in full song and possibly sitting on eggs in a nest hidden in a tree canopy. An old country name for them is ‘storm-cock’ because of their habit of singing into the teeth of gale from a tree top – just what one was doing on a blustery mid-March morning when I was there!

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View from the Scoreboard by Terry Baines FOOTBALL Not many games played last month from all our teams. Just as well as there hasn’t been one victory in all of them! Our 1st XI kicked off with a defeat against Southborough 3-1, another loss to Rusthall 4-0, and to round off a disappointing month a 2-1 defeat to Ashford. Unfortunately, our 2nd XI hardly fared better. We started with a creditable defeat 2-1 in the cup against Halls Utd who were two divisions higher. However we were bought down to earth the following week when we lost 6-1 to Roselands. Happily in our final fixture we got a result albeit a draw over St Lawrence 1-1. Meanwhile our Vets haven’t done any better losing their two games against Chislehurst 9-1 and Charter Standard 3-0. Over all to sum up last months results, “we have had better”!

CRICKET Obviously no games yet although our first match will be played at the end of April, so not long to go.

Nets are in full swing, anyone interested in joining please get in contact.

NETBALL There is a feeling in the club of possibly making up a netball team. If it goes ahead we are looking to put a team in the winter league which starts in September. If there are any budding players out there please contact Sharona on email at [email protected] But just to say, all standards are welcome, the aim of the team is to enjoy the game and have fun. . Our lucky TON UP WINNERS last month 114 Bee Habibi £30 – 57 Gary Reid £20 – 89 Terry Baines £10 (no fix!) Yours in sport, Tel

Our monthly report for March. The meeting was opened as usual with Jerusalem and then followed with information for members regarding future events and federation news. Then the clever craft ladies set up different tables to teach members to make unusual crafts. All members were eager to try these crafts, and it was so enjoyable that before we knew it we had ran out of time. We will ask the craft ladies if we can arrange another day. The next meeting is with Blooming Green who are a local nursery which was started by two young ladies, and they have turned it into a great success. They grow their own flowers for their customers so that when they visit they can pick and choose what they require from the many flowers on offer. We are looking forward to their visit. We are always open to visitors who would like to see what we do and would make you very welcome. We have a Barn Dance on the 6th April with a live band and tickets are only £8. Please ring Pam Lindon 01622 726337 if you want to buy a ticket. Our hall is for hire and if you would like a visit then please contact me.

Evergreens We had Spaghetti Bolognese for lunch followed by a lady from Barking Mad, who told us about the company she works for. It is a scheme where you dog is looked after in a domestic situation, while you are on holiday. Many dogs don’t do well in kennels. Anyone can volunteer to be a dog carer, you can just do a few weeks a year or more, you choose. We had a DIY afternoon, when members brought along things that had a story or reminded them of something they had done. It was a fascinating and lively afternoon. Souvenirs from a trip to Peru, a small sporran that a certain small boy used to show to Edinburgh ladies, who would put money in it, musical boxes from trips abroad and many more things. It was a great afternoon, we also celebrated a member’s birthday 80, with cake and giant candle. The Evergreens will be meeting in the WI Hall Forge Lane East Farleigh on 9th April of afternoon tea and some reminiscing, at 2.30 and on 23rd April we will be meeting at 12.30 for a light lunch and musical entertainment by Pete and Co. They play music we will all know. Do come and join us, if you need more information or a lift, contact Helen 814445 or Terry 814561.

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Village Events Saturday 6th April

from 19.30

WI Barn Dance Everyone is welcome to come along to the WI Hall East Farleigh. If you don't want to dance, come along and listen to the music. Tickets £8 from Pam Lindon 726337 to include refreshments, bring your own drink

Saturday 13th April

from 19.30

Victorian Evening with The Farleighs’ Choir The Farleighs Choir will be singing songs that you know and can sing along to. Some of the choir will performing party pieces. A Victorian style buffet will be served in the interval, with a Donations Bar. To be held in the Grand Entrance Hall of Smiths Hall, courtesy of Stephen Norman. Tickets £15 from Helen 814445 or [email protected]

Sunday 14th April

12 noon onwards

from 12 noon CAR RALLY \TREASURE HUNT Sarah Hunter is organising a Car Treasure Hunt. Starting point Football Hut Car Park, Charlton Lane West Farleigh ME15 0NY. Tickets £20 per car (Max 4 people in a car) You will need to take drinks and nibbles to keep you going.

Sunday 12th May

11 am to

Plants Sale and Teas in the Church

4pm

West Farleigh Church will be holding its annual Plant sale in the grounds of the church. Many of the plants are locally grown and fantastic value. West Farleigh in Bloom will be serving tea and cake in the church.

19.30 pm to

Quiz Night There will be Quiz night at the WI Hall Forge Lane East Farleigh ME15 0HG Start time 7.30. Tickets from Pam Lindon £5 per person teams of 6-8. Bring your own drinks and nibbles

Saturday 11th May

West Farleigh litter pick: Sunday 7 April 2019 If you plan to join us, please congregate on the Green by the “Good Intent”, at 9:00 a.m. on the day, when we’ll make up our teams. Just an hour’s litter picking will be rewarded with hot coffee and a bacon buttie! Please phone Tel on 815267 or Brian on 812341 ([email protected]) or just turn up on the day. We hope you can make it and look forward to seeing you!.

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