Issue 118 - the Pembury Village Website

PEMBURY VILLAGENEWSISSUE 118SUMMER 2004

CONTENTSWinner Takes All! 3 & 5Pembury Set to Bloom Again! 7Roads and Things . . . 9Calling All Groups and Clubs . . . 9Pembury Quiz Night 11Beach Party in Pembury 11Environmental Improvement AroundPembury 133rd Pembury Brownies 13Hospice in the Weald 15Pembury Short Mat Bowls Club 15TWBC Summer Activities for YoungPeople 2004 16Rev. Stephen Sealey 161st Pembury Brownies on Holiday 16A Pembury Society Event 17Snippets 19, 23 & 25A Big Thank You! 20/21Compaid 24Pembury Cricket Club Ladies 2004Calendar 24My Plot 25Pembury in the Past 27/28Pembury Youth Club 28Church Times 29Pembury People – James Webb 30Jan’s Garden Views 33Rosie’s Recipe Corner 34For Your Diary 35Your Representatives 36Crime in Pembury 37Village Fete on the Green 38Village Organisations 39Cover photograph by Leslie GregoryEditorial Working Group:Alison Morton (Editor), Paul Barrington-King, Leslie Gregory,Rosemary Latter, Steve Morton and Ann OwenPlease note: The Editor’s decision is final on whether or not to publish any itemsubmitted. The Editor reserves the right to edit (that is to cut, précis, alter, correctgrammar and spelling) any item published.PEMBURY VILLAGE NEWSEditor: Mrs Alison Morton2 The Coppice, Pembury TN2 4EYTel: 824938 Fax: 825134Distribution enquiries: Parish Clerk 823193Email: pvn@pembury.orgWebsite:www.pembury.orgPembury Village News is publishedfour times a year by the ParishCouncil, but the views expressedin the magazine do not necessarilyrepresent official council opinionor policy.Typeset and printed byTMH, Tunbridge Wells.2

WINNER TAKES ALL!PEMBURY-BASED groupshad terrific success in thecommunity grants awarded on22 April 2004.Eighty-four guests gathered at theRamada Jarvis Hotel in Pemburyto celebrate the winners of theKent & Sussex Courier’s andAXA PPP Healthcare’s Heart ofthe Community Awards. Morethan 80 applications werereceived for a slice of the£10,000 available.Pembury winners included thePembury Athletic (Youth)Football Club (£2,000 towardsa new pavilion), Hospice in theWeald (£1,000 to buy anintravenous machine),Compaid Trust (£1,000towards a professionalfolding machine),Pembury Scouts andGuides (£500 for a newcooker) and Headway(£1,000 to run a series ofdrumming workshops).PAYFC with Pembury Parish Clerk Barbara Russell,Cllr Hugh Boorman, Cllr Keith Farley, Kevin Edser,David Gow and other PAYFC representativesJanet Ditchett (left) andother members of thePembury Scouts and GuidesManagement TeamCOPY FOR NEXT ISSUEAny news items or articles for possible inclusion in the next issueof this magazine must be forwarded to the Editor before10 August 2004.If you use a computer to type your article, it would be extremely helpfulif you could send it in on disk or by e-mail. If you do not have a disk,we can supply you with one.3

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WINNER TAKES ALL! continuedHeadway Trust team with formerMayor Dennis Smith (right)Hospice in the Weald team withChief Executive John Ashelford(right)Photographs courtesy ofCourier NewspapersCompaid Trust team5

Interior - ExteriorPainting & DecoratingPembury (01892) 823813Brian V ToogoodCARPETS & VINYLS SUPPLIED & FITTEDCARPETS & UPHOLSTERY CLEANEDStain protection treatment for carpets and upholsteryFOR PERSONAL & PROFESSIONAL SERVICEOVER 28 YEARS’ experience.EST 1977Any make of carpet available.Pattern books brought to your home.Carpet and upholstery cleaning, also rugsand orientals.Carpets adapted and repaired.TEL: PEMBURY 824252JULIE ROBINSON IHBC, BABTACProfessional Beauty TherapistFULL RANGE OF PROFESSIONAL BEAUTY TREATMENTS AVAILABLEWITHIN COMFORTABLE AND PRIVATE SURROUNDINGSSPECIALISED DERMALOGICA FACIALS ❃ MAVALA MANICURES/PEDICURESWAXING ❃ TOP-TO-TOE TREATMENTSPlease telephone for a list of treatment details. PEMBURY (01892) 824059KEITH RABBITTAMIMIVAUXHALL SPECIALIST31 years’ experience at Renny’s of TonbridgeMost makes serviced and repairedWhy go to a franchised dealership when you can havea personalised service on a one-to-one.For quality, reliability and a friendly service call Keith on01892 723362 or 07790 436109 M.O.T. TESTS6

PEMBURY ALL SET TO BLOOM AGAIN!HANGING BASKET champion Sarah Burnham of Heskett Park helped ParishCouncillor Gill Pavely and Notcutts plants manager, Nick Lucker, launch this year’sPembury in Bloom competition by inviting them along to see her greenhouse packed full ofbaby plants, ready to take on all comers in this year’s Pembury In Bloom.So dig out your spades, shovel into action and share your floral feats with the rest of thecommunity for a chance to win some super prizes. The competition is sponsored byNotcutts Garden Centre and run in partnership with Pembury Parish Council.“Pembury in Bloom is a popular community based competition,” says Jon Kemp, GardenCentre manager. “The competition brightens up the village each year and it would be greatto see even more people entering this year. Gardeners can either enter their own gardens orothers can enter them on their behalf. Do not be daunted by Sarah’s fabulous entry lastyear because there are chancesfor everyone to win a prize.”With gardening vouchers to bewon, this year’s categories are:● The Notcutts Best FrontGarden;● The Best ResidentialHanging Basket;● The Best Container Plantedand Maintained by a Childor Group of Children;● The Notcutts Rose Bowl forthe Most AttractiveCommercial Frontage;● The Notcutts Shield for theBest Allotment.The closing date for allcategories is Monday, 12 July2004. Judging takes placeshortly afterwards and thewinners’ names will beannounced at a specialpresentation tea to be held atNotcutts. Entry forms areenclosed with this VillageNews, available from PemburyParish Council (contact detailspage 36) and from NotcuttsGarden Centre, TonbridgeRoad, Pembury.Left to right Sarah Burnham, Nick Lucker, Plantaria Managerat Notcutts, and Cllr Gill Pavely from Pembury Parish Council7

STURGEON’SROAD, DRIVE & CIVIL ENGINEERSCOAL MERCHANTSPEMBURY 822221/2/3WALROND FULLERCHARTERED BUILDING SURVEYORS01892 709600STRUCTURAL SURVEYS AND ADVICE ON LISTEDAND PERIOD PROPERTIESPEMBURYVILLAGE HALLAvailable for hire.Facilities include Main Hall, Meeting Room, Stage,Kitchen, Changing Rooms and Services.Ideal for Club Meetings, Weddings, Anniversaries,Corporate Functions, Shows, Dances, Musical Events, etc.Contact Bookings Manager – Rachel Windus on 8228378

ROADS AND THINGS . . .AFTER A LOT of pushing and shoving in a collective effort by Pembury Parish Council, ourBorough Councillors and County Councillor, not to mention Pembury residents, we are pleasedto let you know that we will be getting some road improvements over the next few months.Apart from a resurfacing programme (details below), safety and parking schemes are beingintroduced to make life more pleasant for all residents. A scheme to reduce speed near PemburySchool and make the junction with Church Road safer is scheduled to be done in the summerholidays (subject to a satisfactory safety audit).At the top of the village near Camden Avenue, new pavements with some parking spaces in frontwill ensure that pedestrians will no longer feel vulnerable walking from the Camden Arms bus stopto the Pelican crossing.In order to stop the dangerous parking on the Catholic Hall side of the Village Green on LowerGreen Road, double-yellow lines have been requested. Your Editor is only one amongst many whohas narrowly escaped an accident caused by inconsiderate parking at that junction.New ‘gateways’ with coloured road markings and larger 30 mph signs will be placed on theentrances to the village on the High Street, by Bo-Peep corner and on Maidstone Road whichshould lead to everybody being quite clear about the proper speed limit that is acceptable insidePembury.Road re-surfacingA road closure order will be in place from 12th July (but work will probably not start on that datebecause it is an order covering many parts of the Borough) to close Lower Green Road from itsjunction with the High Street to its junction with Polley Close. Work should take 1-2 days.A second road closure order will be in place from 1st August for the following roads to bere-surfaced: Amberleaze Drive, Highfield Close, Woodsgate Way, Woodhill Park, HenwoodsCrescent, The Glebe, Forest Way, The Coppice, Knights Close, The Grove.CALLING ALL GROUPS AND CLUBS, ORGANISATIONSAND SOCIETIES OR CLUSTERS OF ANY ILK . . .YOU MAY HAVE seen in last edition’s‘Snippets’ that your Editor had a moanabout the various clashes of dates of events inthe village. Well, to stop this happening as muchas possible in the future, the Parish Council hasrevived the idea of a Pembury Diary, but with adifference!The diary will be accessed via a link on thePembury website (look under the section‘Pembury Village Life’), printed off and kept inthe Library in a paper version. Those on-line cancheck the diary using their computer at home orthe public access ones in the library. The papercopy can be viewed in a loose leaf folder, also atthe Library.The hero who has volunteered to co-ordinatethis is Janet Ditchett, a familiar villagepersonality. There can be few who have notbought their pills, potions, creams and coughmedicine at Janet’s (and Peter’s) shop before thecouple retired.So here is how it will work . . .If you want to hold an event, check the diaryfirst.As soon as you have your event(s) date(s)decided, contact Janet with the details.Janet will need date, time, venue, organisationand contact name and address. She can becontacted by:● post at 7 Cornford Park, Pembury TN2 4PW● telephone on 01892 822586● email jmditchett@freebone.netSo let’s try and avoid having multiple events.Despite recent advances in cloning technology,we still haven't found a way to be at more thanone place at a time!Editor9

Kent College PemburyIndependent day and boarding school for girls aged 11-18.A Methodist school founded in 1886.♦♦♦♦♦♦♦A happy, forward-thinking school offering an excellent learning environment for girls.High academic standards and excellent public examination results.Small teaching groups enabling a high level of individual attention and support.Modern facilities: 400-seater theatre, indoor-heated swimming pool, music school,sports hall, new multi-media laboratory for modern languages .Academic, music and drama scholarships at 11+, 13+ and 16+. Art and PEscholarships at 13+ and 16+. All worth up to 50% of tuition fees.Busy extra-curricular programme with 60 clubs and activities.Caring, Christian community with resident Methodist Chaplain.Kent College PemburyOld Church Road, PemburyTN2 4AXTel: 01892 822006www.kent-college.co.uk10

PEMBURY QUIZ NIGHTALIVELY QUIZ NIGHT was enjoyed by all those present at the Village Hall on Friday14 May. As before, it was very well organised by Pembury Scouts and Guides units.Twenty-two teams of six from a wide range of village groups and organisations took partand the rivalry was strong, but very friendly. Keith Merrin, the Pembury Communitycorrespondent for the Courier, took over as quizmaster this year, maintaining order in afriendly and confident manner.The winning team representing the Pembury Footpath Walkers was presented with the ParishCouncil Cup by Parish Council Chairman, Sarah Clarke, and received a cheque for £200 todonate to the charity of their choice, in this case, £100 to the Pembury Scouts and Guides and£100 to the Kent Air Ambulance. Runners up were: 2nd The Brains Trust, 3rd The Willans,4th The Big Dippers, 5th Muts, joint 6th Jaded C, Brainstormers and Pembury ParishCouncil. The Maltcheesers in last place were very sporting winners of the wooden spoon.Full results can be found on the PemburyVillage News website athttp://www.pembury.org/quiz04.htmMany thanks must go to the Scouts who ranthe bar and the Guides who organised theevening and the raffle.BEACH PARTY IN PEMBURY!Saturday 3rd July1.30pmOK, SO WE HAVEN’T got the sea andthere will be very little sand but we willhave everything else! There will beice creams, candyfloss, pony rides,bouncy castle and barbeque togive the Pembury School Fete aseaside theme this year.SUN – Yes, please!If the weather is like it was lastyear it will be a marvellous day.SEA – A lot of water will be thrown at thevolunteers in the stocks and sloshed aroundby the panning for gold. A lot of liquidrefreshment will be available at the tea andbeer tents!The winning team: left to right KathrynFranklin (receiving the cup), BarbaraBallantine, Neil Franklin, (partially hidden),Parish Council Chairman Sarah Clarke(presenting the cup), Brian Toseland, PeterParfitt, Martha Toseland.SAND – The under 5s can have a lovelytime in the sand pit and play area. We have achance for you to get silly with the wellythrowing, slippery polecompetition, knobbly kneescompetition and seaside postcards.There will be a street dancingdisplay, a tug of war competition,Punch & Judy, and school orchestrato entertain.There will be a huge range of stalls to entertainincluding; plant, coconut shy, tombolas, craftstalls, teas, cakes, white elephant and manymore! So make a date in your diary.Linda Bowen, Pembury School Association11

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ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENT AROUND PEMBURYIN THE WINTER 2003 News (page 4),we wrote about hedge-laying. Well hereare some results!December 2003February 20043RD PEMBURY BROWNIES3RD PEMBURY BROWNIESspent a very busy holiday atBroadstone Warren this Easter.Twenty five brownies enjoyed theextensive grounds with egg/hedgehog(!) hunts, picnics, games and longwalks. New brownies made theirPromise in the woods followed by aBBQ tea. Craft badges were earned –not only for gluing, painting, cuttingand collage but also knitting andsewing which proved to be bothinteresting and fun. All twenty fivebrownies were returned to parentstired but most looking forward to thenext Brownie holiday.May 2004Growing madly!13

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HOSPICE IN THE WEALDAFTER NINE AND a halfyears as FundraisingDirector, Richard Snow leftthe Pembury-based charityHospice in the Weald inearly May.Richard joined the Hospicein 1994 at the start of thecampaign to raise £4.3 millionto build the new Hospice toinclude an In-Patient facilityin Maidstone Road, Pembury,which opened in 1998. Inthe five years since the firstpatient was admitted to the In-Patient Unitthe charity has extended its range ofservices and facilities to help more peoplein its 400 sq mile catchment area of WestKent and East Sussex.Hospice in the Weald now has to raise closeto £3 million each year to meet thedemands for its vital services with onlyaround 10% core funding coming from theNHS. As the charity looks forward to its25th Jubilee year in 2005,Richard Snow feels that it istime for the challenge ofraising such a large sum to begiven fresh eyes and newideas. He adds, “I havethoroughly enjoyed my time withthe Hospice and both Chris andI have met so many wonderfulpeople who are so committed toits work. We both wish theHospice continued success for thefuture.” Richard’s wife Chrisresigned earlier this month asVoluntary Link Co-ordinator for Pemburydue to other commitments.John Ashelford, Chief Executive, Hospice inthe Weald commented, “The charity has beenvery fortunate to have both Richard and Chrishelping to raise funds for us for such a long time.Most charities see their fundraisers move onwithin five years. We will always be grateful forall their hard work and wish them every success,good health and happiness for the future.”PEMBURY SHORT MAT BOWLS CLUBPEMBURY SHORT Mat Bowls Club closed their season with their finals evening onFriday 23 April. The first match was the drawn pairs, Pat Jackson and Bill Squiresagainst Tim Whitmore and Bob Kilbey, with the winners trophy going to Pat and Bill.We then enjoyed the final of the arranged pairs between Geoff and Celia Wickenden whowere the winning pair with David and Mary Taylor as runners-up.There was a brief interval for refreshments supplied by Sandra Squires and Pauline Kilbeywhich gave a party atmosphere to the evening. The last final was a singles match betweenJanette Thomson and Bill Squires. This was a very thrilling match with Janette just beatingBill by one shot on the last end. Lesley Brown and Arthur Storey won the Captain’s Cup,which is an afternoon competition played through the season. Sandra Squires and DavidTaylor were runners-up.The club had an unsuccessful season with the five league teams but had better results in theKent County Competitions with one pair, two triples and two single players all reaching thefinal knock-out stages. The two single players reached the last sixteen with one player losingto the Kent Captain and the other one lost to the Kent number one player.Arthur Storey15

REV. STEPHEN SEALYTHE REVD. STEPHEN SEALY, St Peter’s Upper and Old Churchvicar, is leaving Pembury later this year for a new challenge in thesuburban fringe of London. After eight years here, Stephen is taking onthe church of St John the Evangelist, a town centre church in Sidcup witha parish of around 10,000 people.He says that it will be a wrench to leave the good friends he has made hereand he will miss the beautiful countryside around Pembury. He hasenjoyed village life here in Pembury with its strong sense of community.After a spell of study leave in North Wales, Rome and Iona between Julyand October which will give him time for reflection and refreshment,Stephen will be back in Pembury for about a month and will take formal leave in early November.Whilst personally sad to see him move away from Pembury we would like to wish him the very bestof luck for his new challenge in Sidcup.TWBC SUMMER ACTIVITIES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE 2004DURING THE SUMMER holiday period there will be a range of sport and art activities onoffer for young people, including in Pembury Recreation Ground. Tunbridge Wells BoroughCouncil Leisure Services will be distributing the ‘Summer Activities for Young People 2004’ brochure atthe beginning of July. The brochure will contain details of various courses, some of which are coordinatedby Leisure Services in partnership with local clubs and coaches, others are organiseddirectly by sports clubs or local organisations.Sports activities on offer will include tennis and football camps, judo classes, indoor and outdoorclimbing, athletics courses and in addition there will be an exciting range of activities on offer at theWeald Sports Centre, Cranbrook; Putlands Sports and Leisure Centre, Paddock Wood; and theTunbridge Wells Sports and Indoor Tennis Centre.Arts activities will take place at various venues, including Tunbridge Wells Museum and Art Galleryand Trinity. Also, the Borough Councils Multi-Activity sessions will be back again this summer,combining the skills of professional artists working with clay and crafts and experienced sportsleaders will deliver parachute games, mini sports and general playground fun.The brochure will be distributed to all schools in the borough, sports centres, libraries, the touristinformation centre, Trinity and Tunbridge Wells Museum and Art Gallery. All schools are providedwith enough brochures for one copy per family, so keep your eye out for your copy in your child’sbook bag at the beginning of July!Editor: The Borough did not have the exact timings for sports in Pembury as we went to press. We will tryand publicise the timings on the Parish notice boards, via the Community News column in the Courier, etc.Football sessions are being offered in August by SAFA – see ‘SNIPPETS’ on page 23.1ST PEMBURY BROWNIES ON HOLIDAYIN OUR 60th Anniversary Year wedecided to be bold and go further afieldfor our Pack Holiday. A coach journey toKingsdown International Scout Centre atDeal lead to great excitement for twentybrave Brownies.We stayed in a bungalow with wooden floors– lovely to look at but very noisy at 1.30am.The weather was great and we spent lots oftime outside. The Brownies went on go-cartsand grass sledges; they climbed trees andpractised their skipping; they baked biscuitsand swept up the flour. After four busy daysthey slept on the bus on the way home!Thank you to everyone who helped.Moira Allan 1st Pembury Brownies16

A PEMBURY SOCIETY EVENTALL THE MEETINGS of the Society are friendly affairs with good speakers. Some areextra good, when everything clicks, and some have that little bit more that makes themspecial. The Spring Meeting was just that – special. And it was the easy and relaxedpersonality of Kaddy Lee-Preston, the weather forecasterfrom BBC South East, thatbound it all together and drove itto its success.Kaddy told the audience – whichnumbered nearly one hundred –about how her interest inweather early in her life guidedher towards a career in thedirection of the science of qualityforecasting. We all now knowthat she has achieved recognitionas the engaging lady who mostlygets the predictions oftomorrow’s sun and showersright and it was great having herwith us to tell us about the highsand lows of her path towards her success. It is always a pleasure to see her on our televisionscreens and it was interesting to learn how the information on ambient weather conditionsis gathered from land, sea, air and satellite sources and collated to create what is now anincreasingly reliable forecast of things to come. The talk was, well, atmospheric!Parish Council Chairman Sarah Clarke in discussion withKaddy Lee-PrestonCycling is her hobby and shetravels considerable distanceseach year in aid of a charity,which is Macmillan Nurses forCancer Relief. In the not-toodistantfuture she plans to takean adventurous cycling journeyin Brazil to raise funds for thissame cause and has promised toreturn to tell us about herexperiences.During the evening apresentation was made to KenWatts, the Membership Secretaryof the Society, as a thank-you forall the work he has done over theyears. It is easy to take forgranted the efforts of those who do much to ensure the smooth operation of a Society suchas ours and this was a small gesture of the appreciation of the members.Derek JohnsonKaddy Lee-Preston with Derek Johnson, Chairman of ThePembury Society17

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SNIPPETSFete on the Green 2 - 5pm Saturday 10 July– NOT TO BE MISSED!Following the Musical Picnic on 12 June, theParish Council is organising the next of itsannual events – the Fete on the Green. All theusual attractions (live music, strawberries, teas,cakes, games, a grand draw raffle, barbeque, icecream van, children’s rides, stalls, competitions)plus Gemma Humphries, the weather forecasterfrom Meridian Television, will be there to openthe fete at 2pm. Profits will be split betweenlocal charities. A great afternoon for all thefamily and a chance to meet up with friends andneighbours and catch up on village gossip! It’s allhappening on the village green ...If you are a local business and would like to getsome publicity by giving a raffle prize, ParishClerk Barbara Russell will be very pleased tohear from you (tel. 823193 9am-1pm oranswerphone; email pemburypc@pembury.org).Bruce BallantineSome of you may know that Bruce Ballantine,one of Pembury’s Borough Councillors, has beenill and is now recovering from a seriousoperation. We wish Bruce all the very best andhope he is back to full health soon. In themeantime, his Liberal Democrat councillorcolleague David Mills (tel. 825577) andConservative councillor Paul Barrington-King(tel. 825144) will be very happy to continuelooking into questions, complaints and issues onbehalf of Pembury residents.Pembury Flower FestivalThe festival will be held in the Old Church overthe Patronal weekend of 26/27 June. Exhibitorswill be able to prepare displays all day on Friday25 June; the church will then be open from10.30am on Saturday 26 June until 4pm (thereis a wedding in the church at 4.30pm). Notsurprisingly, the theme of the festival this year is“A Country Wedding”! The church will be openfor Matins on Sunday 27 June at about 11.30amand will remain open afterwards until theevensong service at 6.30pm.Refreshments will be available all weekend andany funds raised will go towards the continuingcost of the upkeep of the church. The FlowerFestivals have in the past produced the mostbeautiful displays of flowers and hopefully thisyear will be no exception.New services and businesses in PemburyFiona Fennell, a qualified therapist, has startedproviding reflexology, massage and thermoauriculartherapy at the Headmasters salon inPembury High Street (tel 822879). Sam’sProfessional Ironing Services can be contactedon 825914 and the Pembury Handyman(decorating, carpentry, plumbing, electrical,gardening, etc.) also on 825914.We wish them all good luck in their ventures andare glad to see new commercial ventures startingup in Pembury.... which leads us nicely on to . . .Pembury Small Business ExhibitionFollowing the success of the Village Exhibitionlast September which showcased clubs, groupsand voluntary organisations, Pembury ParishCouncil is proposing to hold a similar eventpurely for small businesses, typically sole tradersand small family businesses, often based in a homeoffice or small workshop. A lot of commercialactivity goes on in Pembury and we would like totell the whole village about it! It will probably beheld in October on a Sunday (businesses are toobusy working at other times of the week!).The Parish Office will be sending round a letterinviting interest from those it knows about, but ifin the meantime you would like to tell us aboutyour business, please contact the office (tel.823193 9am-1pm or answerphone; emailpemburypc@pembury.org; post 6, The Grove,Pembury TN2 4BU).Downingbury PlaceMelvyn Cole contacted us about this and writes:“In the spring edition of the village newsletter onpage 21, “Mary Standen’s Archive”, a questionwas asked as to the location of DowningburyPlace. Downingbury Place was council housing,built between the wars and situated on the righthand side of Church Road after leaving thejunction with Maidstone Road. I don‘t knowwhen they were changed to become part ofChurch Road, but they were calledDowningbury Place in the early 1950s”.continued on page 2319

A BIG THANK YOU!In the Spring News, we featured an article fromPembury residents Rachel and Stewart Hodson whowere planning a Sahara trek to raise money forMacmillan Cancer Relief. They’re back and writehere about their experience.Thank you very much for your support of ourrecent 100km trek across the Sahara Desertin order to raise funds for Macmillan CancerRelief. This has to be one of our bestexperiences yet! It was challenging, yetwonderful and enjoyable at the same time!There were 57 participants from all over theUK, supported by a Macmillan representative,5 tour operator leaders, including a doctor, aswell as local Berbers and cameleers (with theircamels!). As at the end of the trip, the group asa whole had raised over £153,000 forMacmillan which should help to pay for somemuch needed nurses as well as funding new buildings and generally helping people and theirfamilies after the diagnosis of cancer.The group worked well together; this truly was a team effort! Those more able helped those thatstruggled and everyone offered encouragement (and sweets and tracker bars!) to each other.We met some lovely and interesting people and passed many hours chatting which turned whatotherwise could have been a hard trudge through some difficult terrain into something moremanageable.We met up with the rest of the group and tour operator leaders at Heathrow Terminal 1 onSaturday 13th March, which is where our adventure began.After a rather rowdy five hour flight we arrived at Marrakech. With no time difference, wecouldn’t use jet lag as one of our tiredness excuses! We loaded onto a coach and minibus andstarted what was supposed to be a 4-5 hour transfer to a hotel in Ouarzazate. Part of thistransfer included crossing the Atlas Mountains, which proved to be our first challenge! Ourcoach got stuck in a snow storm! At one point in order to get the coach going again, we all hadto get out and huddle like penguins to keep warm whilst the blizzard was blowing all around us– and we were hardly dressed for arctic conditions!!We finally arrived at the hotel at 5.45am, 3 /4 hour before we were supposed to be getting up tocontinue our journey by coach to the starting point of the trek!We started our trek in the afternoon of 14th March after very little sleep, but we were all still ingood spirits. The trek started across a flat open plain before we had our first taste of sand dunes.We arrived at our first night’s camp after about three hours, which had been set up by the localBerbers accompanying the trip. This happened on a daily basis and it was lovely every night tocome into camp, being greeted by their happy faces and to a cup of mint tea.We all found a spot in a 10-12 man tent before checking out the facilities!! There was a messtent and a cook’s tent. Most importantly, there were four latrines, covered by little tents to add adegree of privacy!Every night we spent under the stars. Although it was cold, about 6-7ºC, we were snug in oursleeping bags, just looking up at the stars before drifting off to sleep. What a wonderfulexperience!20

Each morning we were up by about 6am with the sunrise and were having breakfast by 7am – afeast of porridge and bread! We all helped to break camp before slapping on the sun cream anddoing about 10-15 minutes of warm up exercises, coordinated by one of the leaders.The camels were loaded with our big rucksacks and we were off! We all had to walk through apeople gate, which was to become a routine every time we stopped - just to make sure no onewas missing. The days grew hotter and hotter as we crossed spectacular landscapes – firstlyacross some dunes and then onto a flat rocky plateau, before more dunes, again!We generally lunched under a tree – salad with a banana or orange and then relaxed before theafternoon trek.The scenery was changing all the time, and we were extremely lucky because it had rained a fewweeks before our trip, the first time in 10 years, so a lot of vegetation had sprung up fromnowhere and at times, if you forgot where you were and forgot about the heat and suddenlylooked up, you could have been in a meadow in the UK!All 6 days took a similar format – arriving back at camp between 4 and 6 pm depending on theday’s walk. We had time to chill out in our tent and have a “wet wipe wash” before we ate.Our evening meal took the form of soup, followed by a meat or vegetables, with rice, pasta orcouscous followed by tinned fruit.Every evening we had a briefing fromthe group leaders – talking about whatwe had achieved and preparing us forwhat was still to come. Most evenings,our Berber guides and cameleersentertained us with singing and dancingand there were occasions when we triedto join in too!Hygiene was important and before everymeal we held our hands out (like littleschool children!) for a squirt of alcoholhandwash!Over the course of the 6 days, weencountered temperatures of up to 48ºCand walked over a variety of terrain –ranging from hamada (flat stony ground) to small sand dunes of soft sand, to firmer sand and tothe top of a 120m sand dune – Erg Chegaga.On the last day, just before the final 500m of the trek, we stopped and had an emotional coupleof minutes when we thought about what we had achieved and why we were there. The guidesleft us at that point in preparation to meet us at the finishing line. We trekkers decided that itwould be appropriate to come through the finish together – all 57 of us in a long line holdinghands - an experience we will never forget and one which apparently bought tears to the eyes ofour guides.After the six days some of us chose to do a further 15km sunrise walk before jumping onto cattletrucks to take us back to the main road where the coach was waiting. Back at the hotel, we weremet by singers and dancers to celebrate our return – we felt so special!After a celebratory meal and ‘thank yous’ all round, we managed to get a few hours sleep beforethe journey back to Marrakech – much less eventful than our first experience of this route!Overall, we had such a wonderful experience, one which we shall keep close in our hearts formany years to come.Rachel and Stewart Hodson21

SNIPPETS continued from page 19Speeding in Pembury(Dr.) Peter Pattisson contacted us in reply toDerek Johnson’s paragraph about speeding inPembury in the Pembury Society section of thelast issue of Pembury Village News.“For the last fifteen years I have made a point ofdriving at not more than 30 mph within thebounds of Pembury (with occasional lapses!).I can only think of two or three occasions whendrivers behind have been visibly angered by this(and that doesn’t worry me). If those of us whofeel strongly about this (and I think this isprobably the majority of resident drivers inPembury) stuck to our convictions the problemwould be resolved. It does mean allowingenough time – about 5 minutes to get from oneend of the village to the other.”Editor adds: “I couldn’t agree more! I, too, am quitedeliberate at sticking to 30 mph. Sure, it’s a bitboring, but worth doing in order to make it safer foreverybody.”Pembury author Russell SmallwoodRussell Smallwood of Romford Road has justpublished his book ‘Muddling Through’describing pre-war Germany and Egypt,Sandhurst Military College, the retreat fromDunkirk, victory in Italian East Africa, governingpost-war Berlin, farming in Kenya and the returnto England. For more information contactRussell on tel. 822069.A sad sign . . .We were contacted by an (anonymous) residentreporting that the steps on the doorway to theVillage Pharmacy (formerly Ditchetts) had hadracially offensive graffiti written on them over theEaster weekend. Your Editor spotted similar onthe Pelican crossing control box nearby and on afence along the High Street. With the 60thanniversary of D-Day on us, it is anembarrassment to us as a community and anation that anti-Semitic daubs are still appearingin the 21st century.Hospice in the WealdCEO John Ashelford would like to hear from anymembers of the community who would like tobecome involved in the Charity’s localFundraising Link Group. Following theretirement of some long serving members John iskeen to find new volunteers who would beinterested to play a part in fundraising for theHospice and helping to raise its profile. Thereare many ways to help so please call Judy on820531 to fix up a chat.Football Sessions in AugustFollowing their success at Easter, the SouthernAssociation Football Academy will be runningmore coaching sessions for primary school agechildren in August. Times are 10am-3pmbetween 23 and 27 August. Email Lloyd Biggs atlloyd_b@planet-safa.com or telephone on 01424433726 or 07711 588272 to find out moreand/or book a place.Twinning with Lompret projectThe first meeting will have taken place by thetime you read this and we’ll report to you aboutwhat was discussed in the next News. Aroundten people expressed an interest in exploring theproject further. If you would like to be involved,do contact Barbara Russell, the Parish Clerk (tel.823193 9am-1pm or answerphone; emailpemburypc@pembury.org; post 6, The Grove,Pembury TN2 4BU).Kent & Medway Biological Records CentreThe KMBRC was established in May last yearand it is based at Tyland Barn, Maidstone, alongwith the Kent Wildlife Trust. However, it is aseparate organization but the Kent WildlifeTrust is one of its partners, along with EnglishNature, Kent County Council, Medway Counciland the Environment Agency. The centre aimsto provide a focus for Kent’s wildlife and habitatinformation. We are currently trying to build upa comprehensive database of wildlifeinformation, which will be available to anyonewith an interest, including conservationorganizations, developers, academics and thegeneral public.At this stage, we are still trying to get as muchdata in as possible, so any records of wildlife arevery welcome. We’re interested in records ofliterally anything, not just the rare or threatenedspecies, including birds, frogs, foxes, mice, etc.Many people regularly see wildlife in theirgardens or on their daily stroll with the dog andcontinued on page 2523

COMPAIDWHEN YOU think ofCOMPAID Trust, it isusually because of the distinctiveSpecial Needs Transport oftenseen around the village andwhich provides such a valuableservice in the Community.But I wonder how many of youknow about our other facilities,including the busy Day Centre,located in the Pembury HospitalGrounds and based around avariety of computer activities to assist in the rehabilitation of people living with a wide range ofdisabilities? Or the Office Bureau offering local companies and individuals a variety of servicesincluding professional small run printing services such as business and wedding stationery? Orthe advice on accessing computers, appropriate softwares and outreach help that is available?Last summer, Pembury Parish Council generously donated half the proceeds of the Village fete toCOMPAID Trust (who also had a stall there). We’d like to thank them and also our wonderfulcore of volunteers who are an essential part of the COMPAID Trust family. However, we needmore help! If you can spare just a few hours a week and are interested in activities such asdriving, passenger escorting, helping others use computers (if you like Scrabble, desk toppublishing or art, you’ll LOVE COMPAID Trust!), computer maintenance, gardening,handicrafts or have office skills – we need YOU!Phone Betty Howell on 824060 to visit COMPAID Trust for a chat.PEMBURY CRICKET LADIES 2004 CALENDARFOLLOWING THEsuccess of thePembury Cricket ClubLadies 2004 Calendars,more than £1,000 wasraised for the CricketClub. Equipment hasbeen purchased for theClub kitchen and adonation of £407 waspresented to the Hospicein the Weald in Pemburyon 4 May. The CalendarLadies thank everyonefor their help andsupport.Pictured with Richard Snow from Hospice in the Weald are (from left to right) Julie Moxon(June), Rebecca Eastwood (July), Jean Smith (February) and Heather Purdy (August)24

SNIPPETS continued from page 23these are just the kind of records we would liketo hear about.Lorinda Jewsbury Support OfficerEmail: lorinda.jewsbury@kmbrc.org.ukTelephone: 01622 685646/685780Farmers’ MarketPembury Parish Council is warmly supportingthe idea proposed by the landlord of theCamden Arms to hold a Farmers’ Market(probably quarterly) on the Village Green. TheTunbridge Wells Farmers’ Market has been agreat success and the Council very muchwelcomes this type of additional facility for theresidents of Pembury.Advance Notice –Coffee Morning and SaleThe friends of Pembury Parish Church will holdtheir annual Coffee Morning and sale onSaturday 4 September 2004 between 10am andnoon on the Village Green or, if wet, in theUpper Church.There will be many attractive stalls includingcakes, handicrafts, gifts, paperbacks, posh junk,preserves, plants, FPPC items, a tombola andrefreshments.Do please put this date in your diaries and comeand support us.Biddy Willson on 822029 can always collect‘non perishables’.MY PLOTI am so behind!Every time I’m free, it rains/snows/hails and when thesun comes out I’m stuck at work. Disaster – I knowthere’s always ‘next year’ but at this rate we’re goingto go hungry (well OK, we’ll have to buy it allinstead).I have got a greenhouse full of beans of many coloursthat hopefully by the time this is read, will betransplanted into open ground. And I’ve got acardboard box full of bags of potatoes sprouting in mykitchen that will hopefully also be planted soon. They are already really late so there will be noearly new spuds for me. (Altogether now – aaaaaaah!).At times like these I am glad that one of my plots is permanently planted with fruit. Even if I didnothing, I would still get a crop of strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, currants andgooseberries. My Victoria plum had plenty of blossom this spring so a good crop should follow.Last year there was almost none. The pattern for the past few years seems to be two years ‘on’,one year ‘off’. I’d be interested to know whether other people notice the same.Thank you to the artichoke fans and non-fans that contacted me about globe and Jerusalemartichokes. Loads of gems of information emerged that revolved significantly around thewindiness factor! That aside, it turns out that they may even be poised to become an alternativemedicine ...If only a use could be found for horsetails. Horsetails are one of the main weeds on theallotments and they are practically invincible. When the nuclear holocaust hits and onlycockroaches are left, it’ll be horsetails that they are living amongst. The only good thing I’vefound is that if you leave them to die in a barrow (away from anywhere where they could rootback into the ground) they are the quickest plants to rot down that I ever knew. Horsetails makethe most crumbly, lovely compost ever. Really!Caroline Mazzey25

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PEMBURY IN THE PASTBrian Aylard from Highfield Close wrote to us by email about making telephone calls in the 1950sAS PER OUR telephone chat just now, and after reading Mary Standen’s splendid BackIn Time booklet, I can (nearly) remember the old telephone exchange at Pembury.In 1950 it was in the old Post Office building next to E R Walker, Drapers, at the top ofLower Green Road.“The building is now the NatWest Bank branch and Walker’s is now the Chinese take-away.I had started working as a ‘Youth in Training’ with the Post Office Telephones and was withthe local linesman who looked after the Pembury exchange. This exchange was one of thelast still functioning in the country with the old local battery system. This meant that eachhousehold lucky enough to have a telephone needed a rechargeable accumulator batterystanding alongside the phone.To make a call there was a wooden box containing an electric generator with a handlewhich had to be turned to send a voltage back to the exchange to drop down a flap whichdisplayed the caller’s number and sounded a buzzer to alert the operator. The linesman hadto visit each subscriber regularly to change the accumulators and recharge them at theexchange. This he did on his bicycle with the accumulators (I think they were calledLaclanché cells) carried in a box on the carrier frame over the back wheel. Shortly after thisa new exchange was installed in a first floor room at 31 High Street. I remember having togo in the door at the side of the building and up to what is now living accommodation towork in the new exchange. This facility remained for several years until an automaticexchange was built in Hastings Road. This building is still used by BT but is not thePembury exchange which is now a section of the Tunbridge Wells exchange.”Pembury Post Office at an earlier time. At the top left you can see the bell sign indicating thattelephone service was available from the Post Office27

PEMBURY IN THE PASTTwo Pembury boys get together in New Zealand after 60 years of friendshipROGER GORRINGE, who lived at 38 Elmhurst Avenue, and Tony Pomfrett from 14(now 2) The Grove, played together as boys and both attended Pembury School underthe then headmaster, Mr A H Fenner. On leaving school they both became apprentices atG&FPenn, in the High Street, Pembury. Roger as a plumber and Tony as acarpenter/joiner.Tony completed his apprenticeship, went offto play soldiers under National Service andthen joined the Metropolitan Police.Roger was not so fortunate and after aserious accident at work, spent a long timein hospital after which he had to retrain asan instrument maker. During this period oftime their relationship drifted apart, until byaccident Roger saw Tony on duty inCroydon, where he had been posted as a PC.The friendship has continued since that timeand also includes their wives. This hascontinued even though Tony and Pam emigrated to New Zealand in December 1964.The photograph shows Roger and Tony enjoying a ‘Wee Dram’ whilst talking over old timeswhen Roger and Margaret joined Tony and Pam in New Zealand who were celebratingtheir Golden Wedding Anniversary on January 30th 2004.PEMBURY YOUTH CLUBSINCE THE last issue of the PemburyVillage News things have movedquickly!One evening in March the Youth Club metat the Baptist Church because of a brokenlock at Woodside! The young people lovedit – the warmth and the toilets worked!They asked if they could meet therepermanently.Consequently an arrangement was madebetween the Church Leadership, KentCounty Council and the Parish Council tomake a fresh start for the Club in May. Thefirst night was a great success. Twenty fouryoung people came and two new volunteershave committed their time to be thereregularly.The KCC involvement is two paid youthworkers, Yvonne Powell who has considerableexperience as a detached youth worker andJemma Alexander who has worked with thegroup at Woodside for the past year.The aim of the club is to enable the youngpeople from the beginning ‘to own theirclub and to recognise its success is up tothem.’ The Youth Leaders will be workingto enable and equip the young people torun and to lead the club themselves.It is intended to establish ‘The Friends ofPembury Youth’, an umbrella organisationwith wide representation which will look atstrategic development for youth work inPembury.Jemma Alexander(Discussions are in hand about an alternative usefor the YMCA building on the Woodside site.)28

Pre-School Creative Movement Classes for Boys and GirlsBallet, Modern and Tap Dancing Classes for all ages.ISTD Grades and ExaminationsPlease Contact: Margaret King AISTD – Pembury 822574THE HEALING ART OFREFLEXOLOGYReflexology has been shown to be effective for:Back painHormonal imbalancesMigraineSports InjuriesArthritisDigestive disordersSleep disorders Stress related conditionsCELIA PRICE 01892 824333 (Member of AoR)15 Henwood Green Road, PemburyCHURCH TIMESST. PETER’SCHURCH SERVICESUpper Church8.00am Holy Communion9.45am The ParishEucharistand Junior Church10.00am HolyCommunion(Wednesdays)Old Church11.30am Matins (exceptfirst Sunday, HolyCommunion)Evening services asadvertised on ChurchnoticeboardsCATHOLIC CHAPELOF ST. ANSELM –PEMBURYSunday Mass 10.30amHoly Days – Vigil Mass7.30pmConfessions:Sunday 10.15amWeekday Service:Wednesday – Mass 7pmPEMBURY BAPTISTCHURCHWe praise God and hearhisword on Sunday at 10amand 1st, 3rd and 5thSundays at 6.30pm.We have many activitiesduring the week formums, toddlers, youngpeople andsenior citizens. Ring thechurch office 825590 fordetails.29

PEMBURY PEOPLEJames Webb – A Champion in the MakingMANY OF US might not be aware that wehave a prodigious sporting talent withinour community. The motorsport arena hasalready recognized that fourteen year old JamesWebb is developing into a futurestar on two wheels. Recentexposure on both terrestrial andsatellite television has reflectedthe considerable elevation of thistalented Pembury youngster.It gives me great pleasure tooffer our readers some insightinto James’s awards and whatmakes him a ‘Pembury Person’.It was only a matter of timebefore the young James, and hisbrother Daniel, becameenthused with their fatherJimmy’s passion for motorbikes.Jim had a successful career onthe track behind him and waskeen to support his children’s sportingambitions. He recounts "This was never a caseof me living out my dreams through my kids.The boys were keen from the start and as aparent it was natural to support theirambitions".With a considerable investment of time andmoney and with the ethos that the only placethat ‘success’ comes before ‘work’ is in thedictionary, the Webb family entered James intothe Junior Motocross discipline in 1997.Results soon followed in competition atnational level. As part of the East Kent team hegained a championship 4th place. Moving up tothe 80 class he then finished 6th in anotherchampionship on his Honda. The followingyears saw impressive performances at BrandsHatch, Mallory Park and Silverstone with manytop ten finishes on his Honda GP 125. Thisclass is highly competitive and is televised onfive different television channels. James wasinterviewed on ‘Men and Motors’ on ‘2 Wheels2003’ and further media exposure seems certain.In 2003, as a result of his efforts, James wasselected to be a student of the 16 Auto CycleUnion Academy. Victories followed and Jameswas soon on top of the podium at the BemseeKing of Clubs Championship at Silverstone.At fourteen years old he was not only theyoungest rider ever to win this but also with adouble victory and a club lap record! Inaddition, our young aspirant finished aremarkable 4th in theMotorcycle Racing UnionChampionship competing againstmany British Superbike RS175contenders. As a result of thisimpressive debut James wasrewarded with the ‘MinnieGrenfell Award’ for the mostpromising future rider. It shouldbe noted that previous recipientsof this award included MikeHailwood, Geoff Duke, PhilRead, and Dave Potter – finecompany indeed!The Webb family are keen toexpress gratitude for the supportof our community in James’ssuccess. Local sponsors have included JohnMears, The Royal Oak and AllSigns whocollectively have once again proven thatPembury people are there when it matters.Younger brother Dan is already impressing withhis exploits on two wheels and any extrasponsorship would be welcomed. I am sure thatsome of you might be wondering what mumLibby thinks about all this and she states: “Thisdiscipline is much safer on the race track. Itmight come as a surprise but I am not so happyabout the dangers of riding a bike on the publichighways”. James adds: “I am really grateful forthe incredible support from Pembury and thesurrounding area, not only from sponsors andfriends but also from my school. I aim to keeptrying my best and one day hope to compete inthe World Superbike Championships”.The great Mohammed Ali once said “It’s a lackof faith that makes people afraid of meetingchallenges, and I believe in myself”. JamesWebb appears to have demonstrated belief andfaith when faced with the challenges of hischosen sport. We could have a WorldChampion in the making and on behalf of us allmay I wish him every success.Paul Barrington-King30

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GENUINEFREE RANGE EGGSALL HENS GIVEN FULL DAYLIGHT ACCESS TO PASTURE.FULL RANGE OF SIZES AVAILABLE.IT’S THE FRESHNESS THAT MAKES THE DIFFERENCE!LITTLE HAWKWELL FARMMAIDSTONE ROADPEMBURY(top of Colts Hill)Telephone: 01892 824184‘The family Nurseryand terracotta importerson your doorstep’HIGHEST QUALITYAT THE LOWEST PRICE!KINGS TOLL NURSERYMaidstone Road on B2160Tel: 01892 824474Bedding/Patio Plant Growers : Shrubs & Perennials : Trees : Bulbs :Bare rooted hedging : Loose seed potatoes, onion & shallot sets :Specialist in Citrus, Olive Trees & Hardy Palms : Vegetable & Herb Plants :Hanging Baskets & Pots planted to order or ready made – always available :Fresh flowers – weekly : Large range of houseplants.Over 1,000 varieties of terracotta and glazed pots, urns, novelties andornaments imported directly from all over the world.Helpful advice – Carry to car service – Local deliveries – Garden ServicesOPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK32

JAN’S GARDEN VIEWSHERE WE ARE in the lazy, hazy, crazy daysof SUMMER – and long may it last. We allwant to relax in our gardens and enjoy thewarmer days so for most of us less gardenmaintenance is desirable. With forethought andplanning this can be achieved and also produce awell kept garden that is a delight to the eye. Onegood idea is to make a plan of work that wouldtake a limit of one hour perhaps twice a week,especially now we have lighter evenings.For your lawns, make sure your mower isadequate for the job and regularly sharpened.Consider eliminating small grass areas and coverthem with gravel, cobbles or informal pavingwith spaces left for carpeting plants or smallherbs which make an attractive and usefulalternative.Weeding can be a time consuming job, but usingyour hoe to catch weeds while they are tiny isinvaluable. They don’t have a chance to set seedand can be hoed out and returned to the soil.Weeds rob the garden of water and nutrients andalso harbour many pests and diseases. Groundcoverplants and evergreen dwarf Juniperssmother weeds and reduce maintenance.Mulching borders is gaining in popularity. Forestbark is attractive and breaks down slowly, helpsto prevent weeds and reduces watering. Theinitial expense can justify the considerable savingin labour.Many gardeners are retired and while they maybe keen, many find they need to reduce jobs thatrequire bending. Raised beds help considerablyand look attractive – strategically arranged.A raised sink garden standing on bricks can giveendless pleasure to grow alpines, miniature rosesor any small plants of your choice. An old stonesink (these are still about) or a second-handglazed one would be ideal with a waste outlet fordrainage. Cover the bottom with a layer ofcrocks and gravel and fill with a good pottingcompost to within an inch of the top. Onceplanted up apply gravel or stone chippings for anattractive finish and to help conserve moistureround the plants.Low maintenance evergreen shrubs have becomeincreasingly popular. While evergreens are auseful framework they should be usedmoderately, as flowers and seasonal changesprevent the garden from looking soulless. Shrubscan be mixedsuccessfully withherbaceous plants.Many have a sturdyhabit and do notrequire staking suchas phlox, penstemons,lupins, alliums, irises and hardy fuchsias to namebut a few. The joy of the wonderful flowers theyproduce surely outweighs the work of a littlepruning they require and they reward you byreturning year after year!With the children’s summer holidaysapproaching it is a good time to encouragechildren of all ages to take interest in the garden.Give them a patch of soil of their own with atrowel and some easy seeds such as sunflowersor nasturtiums. These are quite fast to germinateand grow. Buy a few tomato plants to growsomething edible and they will love the wateringbit and watching small tomatoes appear. Theywill get wet feet and make a muddy mess butdon’t worry, it is that first inkling of interest thatis all-important and will stay with them. Anotheridea they may take to is to make a miniaturegarden in any old tray. Moss is best to line thetray, pressed down firmly then they need to lookoutdoors for a list of things such as small stones,old tree bark, twigs, pine cones, leaves, acorns.Then indoors, for any beads, string, plasticanimals, a small mirror, marbles, building blocksand anything else that appeals. Leave them touse their imagination and energy, and then seewhat emerges.A brief run-down of some essential summer jobs:● Keep deadheading for continuous flowers onyour annuals and perennials.● Roses need their second fertilizer feed duringJune or early July and watch for those aphids.● Take action immediately against pests anddiseases as they can build up at an alarmingrate.● During droughts, don’t cut the lawn too shortand vary the direction in which you cut it.● Keep your greenhouse well aired and free ofwhitefly. Crushed garlic placed around helps alot or grow Tagetes (Marigolds) among plants.Have a wonderful summer. Happy gardening!Jan Davies33

ROSIE’S RECIPE CORNERWITH THE summer months coming upon us Ithought I would concentrate on recipes thatlend themselves to outside entertaining. The first oneis an alternative to meat barbecues but with atropical favour.CALYPSO KEBABSIngredients for 4 Kebabs2 courgettes1 red pepper2 pineapple slices2 apricots4 oz (100g) smallbutton mushrooms2 oz (50g) butter2 tsp chilli sauce2 tsp ground coriander4 tsp desiccatedcoconutPreparationCut courgettes into fairly thin slices. Cut pepper,pineapple and apricots in chunks. Thread fruit andvegetables onto long skewers with mushrooms. Meltbutter in an old saucepan on barbecue. Stir in chillisauce and coriander. Brush kebabs with spiced butterand cook on barbecue for 5-8 minutes. Turnoccasionally and brush with butter. Sprinkle withcoconut before serving. Good served with Rice andbean salads.Note: Courgettes take longer to cook than the otherkebab ingredients so cut into slices rather thanchunks for even cooking. This is also a good recipeif you are watching your weight, as they are only130 calories per kebab.My second choice is a dish you can make ahead oftime. You can use any variety of pasta shapes thatyou like.MEDITERRANEAN PASTA SALADIngredients8 oz (225g) pasta twists1 large tomato, chopped into large pieces6 slices salami, cut into halves12 stuffed pimiento olives, sliced4 oz (100g) frozen peas, thawed1 green pepper, seeded and cut into strips2 oz (50g) diced Cheddar cheeseDressing3 tbsp oil1 tbsp each wine vinegar and lemon juice2 tbsp chopped parsley1 tsp garlic salt3 /4 tsp dried oregano1 /4 tsp black pepperPreparationCook pasta twists inboiling salted wateraccording to packetdirections – the pastashould be al dente(firm to the bite).Drain well andreserve. Meanwhile, ina large bowl, combine remaining salad ingredients,mixing well. Stir in pasta twists. In a small bowl,combine all the dressing ingredients, mixing well.Pour over pasta. Toss, cover and chill for 2 hours.Add cheese. Adjust seasoning, toss and serve.Note: Good served with plenty of crisp French breador wholemeal rolls. If you prefer you can replace thesalami with ham or for a vegetarian option just omit.Last but not least a quick easy dessert.CHERRY TRIFLEIngredients for 4 servings4 slices Madeira or sponge cake, diced15 oz (425g) can cherries3 tbsp orange juice or Kirsch1 /4 pint (150 ml) double cream1 /2 pint (300 ml) canned custardwhipped cream and fresh cherries (optional),to decoratePreparationDivide cake between 4 individual serving dishes.Drain cherries, reserving juice, and remove stones,if wished. Mix 6 tsp reserved cherry juice withorange juice or Kirschand drizzle over cake.Top with cherries.Whip cream to softpeaks and mix evenlywith custard. Spooncustard mixture overtrifles. Decorate eachtrifle with a rosette ofwhipped cream andfresh cherries, if using.Chill for at least 1 hourbefore serving.Note: For a healthy alternative use thick yoghurtinstead of cream, if preferred, and fold lightly intocustard. Use Kirsch only for special occasions.Enjoy the summer months and please send me yourrecipes so that I can include them in the column.81 Beagles Wood Road, Pembury, TN2 4HZEmail: rosielatter@yahoo.co.uk. Tel: 822059Rosie Latter34

FOR YOUR DIARYVillage Coffee Morning – Village Hall Tuesdays 9.30am – 12 noon, full market last Tuesday ofthe month same times.WRVS Lunch Club – every Wednesday at 11.45am in the Pembury Village Hall during theschool term timeJune17 – 19 Pembury Players Summer Production – 2 One Act Plays – Village Hall – 8pm23 Pembury Village Hall Management Committee AGM – Village Hall – 8pm26/ 27 Flower Festival – Old Church – open 10.30am-4pm (Sat) and 12.30pm-6.30pm (Sun)(all times approximate)27 Pembury Garden Tour – 1.30pm – details from 822030July1 Pembury Afternoon WI: Eden Entertainers – Village Hall – 2.15pm2 Pembury Evening WI: I Bought it at an Auction – Village Hall – 7.45pm3 Pembury Footpath Walkers – Stonecourt Lane – 2.15pm3 Pembury Gardeners: Summer Show – Village Hall – 2.30pm5 Parish Council Meeting – Village Hall – 8pm7 St Peter’s Mothers’ Union: ‘How does your garden grow?’ – Upper Church MeetingRoom – 8pm10 VILLAGE FETE ON THE GREEN – 2 to 5pm12 Pembury in Bloom closing date – see enclosed leaflet21 Floral Art – Village Hall – 8pmAugust4 St Peter’s Mothers’ Union: Members’ garden party – contact Secretary for details 8231235 Pembury Afternoon WI: Members’ meeting6 Pembury Evening WI: Members’ meeting7 Pembury Footpath Walkers – Bo Peep Corner – 2.15pm18 Floral Art – Village Hall – 8pm23-27 SAFA: Football coaching sessions for children – Recreation ground – 10am-3pm –call 01424 433726 for informationSeptember2 Pembury Afternoon WI: Rudyard Kipling – His Life & Work – Village Hall – 2.15pm3 Pembury Evening WI: The Crown Jewels – Village Hall – 7.45pm4 Friends of Pembury Parish Church: Coffee morning and sale – Village Green – 10 am4 Pembury Footpath Walkers – Stonecourt Lane – 2.15pm8 St Peter’s Mothers’ Union: ‘Not only in Church’ – Upper Church Meeting Room – 8pm9 Walk the Weald – starting from the Hospice at 9am13 Parish Council Meeting – Village Hall – 8pm13 St Peter’s Photographic Club – Upper Church 8pm – details from 82203015 Floral Art – Village Hall – 8pm35

YOUR REPRESENTATIVESCounty CouncilMr Kevin Lynes, 5 Downs Cottages, The Down, Lamberhurst, Kent TN3 8EX. Tel:890922Borough CouncilMr Bruce Ballantine, 6 Maidstone Road TN2 4DD. Tel: 822156Mr Paul Barrington-King, 22 The Coppice TN2 4EY. Tel: 825144Mr David Mills, 125 Ridgeway TN2 4ET. Tel: 825577Parish CouncilCllr Mrs Sarah ClarkeLittle Stanton, Romford RoadTN2 4AYTel: 823932Chairman of Parish CouncilCllr David Coleman22 Ridgeway TN2 4ERTel: 823402Vice Chairman of Parish CouncilChairman of Planning Working GroupCllr Mrs Margaret Armitage2 Cornford ParkTN2 4PNTel: 824208Cllr Richard Crouch17 Highfields CloseTN2 4HGTel: 823164Cllr Hugh Boorman, 52 HenwoodGreen Road TN2 4LH. Tel: 823068Chairman, Burials Amenities and AllotmentsWorking Group. Chairman EnvironmentalImprovement Working GroupCllr Keith Farley3 Beagles Wood RoadTN2 4HXTel: 823440Cllr Leslie Gregory47 High Street TN2 4PHTel: 822343Chairman, Public RelationsWorking GroupCllr Steve Morton2 The Coppice TN2 4EYTel: 824938Chairman, Finance & AuditWorking GroupCllr Mrs Gillian Pavely52 Maidstone Road TN2 4DETel: 822605Chairman, Christmas Lights &Pembury in Bloom Working GroupCllr Mrs Alison Morton2 The Coppice TN2 4EYTel: 824938Chairman, Pembury Village NewsEditorial Working GroupCllr Mrs Sally Osborn34 Canterbury RoadTN2 4JTTel: 822726Clerk to the Pembury ParishCouncilMrs Barbara Russell, 6 The GroveTN2 4BU. Tel: 823193.Email: PemburyPC@pembury.orgCllr Mrs June Crowhurst, 44 Elmhurst AvenueTN2 4DA Tel: 824873Cllr Graham Lewis, 16 The Coppice TNB24EY Tel: 82345936

CRIME IN PEMBURYALTHOUGH ONLY a small increase overall from 46 in the previous quarter to 47 forthe quarter Jan-March 2004, the figures for crime reported to the police aredisappointing in as much that the highest figure – 13 – is for criminal damage, most ofwhich I suspect is committed by people who live amongst us. Most of the damage takesplace on Friday or Saturday nights, at a time when most people are in bed.Unfortunately, in the last week of March, a spate of burglaries in one day stunned severalhouseholds into realising how vulnerable we can be and I do ask that if you trust yourneighbours, every now and then bring them into your confidence and let them know yourmovements.In the summer the Parish Council will be spending some of your money on new children’splay equipment and we ask for your support in helping to protect these items from the antisocialwho continually strive to wreck anything that is good.Full marks to Pembury Baptist Church for providing a youth centre and I say to all theyoungsters, support it, it’s good and it’s for you. Kevin Lynes, our County Councillor alsodeserves a pat on the back for his tireless efforts on behalf of the Pembury youth.Please support the police in any way you can but also let me know of any difficulty incommunicating with them.Remember, don’t make it easy for the criminal fraternity.Hugh BoormanMONTHAssaultBurglaryDwellingBurglary OtherCriminalDamageFraud andDeceptionDrugsTheft fromMotor VehicleTheft of MotorVehicleVehicleInterferenceTheft OffencesTOTALJanuary 2004February 2004March 2004TOTAL123347112454131247116219111121319111747ROADBeagles Wood RoadBrickfieldsHastings RoadHenwood Green RoadHenwoods MountHigh StreetKings Toll RoadLower Green RoadMaidstone RoadPetersfieldRomford RoadTonbridge RoadWoodhill ParkTOTAL1231411711212321211136171112211291111123116821212132534737

VILLA GE FETEON THE GREEN10 JulyJ2004 2-5pmTo be opened by Gemma HumphriesITV Meridian weather forecasterPlants, bric-a-brac, books, local souvenirs andpreserves, bottle & tin mine, candy floss andchildren's roundabout plus games and competitionsfor all ages, home-made cakes, a tea tent (run bythe WI), ice-cream van and a barbecue courtesy ofSpeaights Butchers.GRAND RAFFLELIVE MUSIC BY LOCAL SINGER RICHARD REYNAll profits go to local charitiesSee your yfriends, catcatch up on gossipsip,win a prize, chill out…. . . It’s all happening on the Green . . .38

VILLAGE ORGANISATIONSAGE CONCERNMrs Sandra Springett. Tel:. 522591ALZHEIMERS DISEASE SOCIETYSimon Rooksby, Pineview Day HospitalPembury Hospital. Tel: 823535, Ext 3515BEAVERS, CUBS AND SCOUTSMike Cartwright, 16 Cornford Park, Pembury.Tel: 823235BLACK & WHITE MARCHING MILITAIRETel: Louise 823097BOWLS CLUBLen Birnie. Tel: 01892 681222BROWNIES AND RAINBOWSMrs J. Fichtmüller, 19 Belfield Road. Tel: 825032CATHOLIC CHURCHDeacon Bill Eason. Tel: 824133COMMUNITY WORKING GROUPHugh Boorman. Tel: 823068COMPAID TRUSTComputer Aid for Disabled People. Tel: 824060Transport for Special Needs. Tel: 823488CONSERVATIVE PARTYTerry Cload, 56 Herons Way. Tel: 823966CRICKET CLUBHon. Secretary: Andy Weaver. Tel: 824362DARBY & JOAN CLUBJim Woodhams. Tel: 823990FRIENDS OF PEMBURY HOSPITALc/o Pembury Hospital. Tel: 823535FRIENDS OF PEMBURY PARISH CHURCHChairman: Mrs S. Clarke, Little Stanton,Romford Road. Tel: 823932GIRL GUIDERS1st Pembury Company: Mrs A. Baker,Tel: 0771 264 3946HEADWAYLibby Slattery. Tel: 823120HOSPICE IN THE WEALDMaidstone Road. Tel: 820500KENT COLLEGEHeadmistress: Anne Upton. Tel: 822006KENT COLLEGE JUNIOR SCHOOL & NURSERYHeadmistress: Anne Lawson. Tel: 820204LABOUR PARTYDave & Sally Osborn, 34 Canterbury Rd. Tel: 822726LARKFIELDPrincipal: Mr Roger Gibson, Cornford Lane. Tel: 822168LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC PARTYBruce Ballantine. Tel: 822156LITTLE RASCALS (formerly ‘Meet–a–Mum’)Alison Burgess. Tel: 515714NATIONAL CHILDBIRTH TRUSTCo–ordinator: Helen Dunkerley. Tel: 822529NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND, UKMichael Coggles. Tel: 822705NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCHGill Pavely. Tel: 822605PEMBURY ATHLETIC (YOUTH) FOOTBALL CLUBDavid Gow. Tel: 824119PEMBURY BAPTIST CHURCHPastor David Graham. Assoc Pastor Wayne AlexanderChurch Office. Tel: 825590PEMBURY BRIDGE CLUBGeoff Plummer. Tel: 824652PEMBURY F.C. SATURDAYMick Waterman, 26 The Coppice. Tel. 824137PEMBURY F.C. SUNDAYPhil Craxton, 34 Woodhill Park. Tel: 823928PEMBURY FOOTPATH WALKERSN. & K. Franklin, 11 The Meadow. Tel: 823212PEMBURY GARDENERSAnn Purton. Tel: 824223PEMBURY PHOENIX TWIRLERSDave or Chris Brett. Tel: 824233PEMBURY PLAYERSChairman: John Hawker. Tel: 824327PEMBURY PRE–SCHOOL NURSERYMrs C. Hughes. Tel: 668514PEMBURY SCHOOLHeadteacher – Mrs C. Thewlis. Tel: 822259PEMBURY SCHOOL ASSOCIATIONLinda Bowen. Tel: 825536PEMBURY SCHOOL HOUSE NURSERYTeacher in charge: Rosemary Rich. Tel: 825580PEMBURY SEQUENCE DANCE CLUBSecretary: Mrs Marion Warren. Tel: 547617PEMBURY SHORT MAT BOWLING CLUBArthur Storey. Tel: 822509PEMBURY SOCIETYDerek Johnson. Tel: 823150PEMBURY STOOLBALL CLUBMrs Sandy Rice–Tucker. Tel: 822483PEMBURY TENNIS CLUBMrs S. Smith, 2 Ridgeway. Tel: 822405PEMBURY UPPER AND OLD CHURCHRev. Stephen Sealy. Tel: 824761PEMBURY VILLAGE MARKETSue Boreham Tel: 824385Eve Fiddimore Tel: 518277ROTARY CLUB OF SOUTHBOROUGH & PEMBURYSecretary: Mike Raper. Tel: 822095ROYAL NATIONAL LIFEBOAT INSTITUTIONPeter Chartres, 54 Woodhill Park. Tel: 823759SANDRA’S HOUSEPre–School Nursery, Mrs S. Toogood, Queens Folly,64 Lower Green Road. Tel: 824252SCOUT & GUIDE HQ MANAGEMENT TEAMMike Cartwright, 16 Cornford Park, Pembury.Tel: 823235 and Jackie Fichtmüller, 19 Bellfield Road,Pembury. Tel 825032ST. PETER’S MOTHERS’ UNIONSecretary: Mrs J. Tompkins. Tel: 823123ST. PETER’S PHOTOGRAPHIC CLUBEvents Secretary, Carol Wakeford. Tel: 822030TABLE TENNIS CLUB. John Burleton. Tel: 823250TREE WARDEN. Caroline Mazzey Tel: 822493TUNBRIDGE WELLS ACCESS GROUPGill Paveley Tel: 822605TUNBRIDGE WELLS & DISTRICT VICTIM SUPPORTSCHEME. Tel: 513969VILLAGE HALLManager (bookings): Rachel Windus.Tel: 822837WOMEN’S INSTITUTESAfternoon: Mrs Edna Morris. Tel: 822267Evening: Mrs Chris Johnson. Tel. 823150WRVS LUNCH CLUBContact: Mrs Amanda Everett. Tel: 823280YMCASimon Stanley. Tel: 53444439

Kent College Junior School & NurseryIndependent school for girls aged 3-11. A Methodist school established in 1945.♦ A happy, lively and caring learning environment where young girls thrive.♦ Main intakes are to the Nursery ( aged 3) and Reception (aged 4).♦ Nursery grant accepted.♦ From aged 3 our pupils have specialist teachers for dance, music, drama,swimming and gym.♦ Small teaching groups with highly qualified, experienced staff.♦ After school care facilities.♦ Housed in a modern building with excellent facilities including spaciousplaygrounds, indoor swimming pool, theatre and sports hall.Kent College Junior School,Old Church Road, PemburyTN2 4AXTel: 01892 820204www.kent-college.co.uk