Issue 122 - the Pembury Village Website

PEMBURY VILLAGENEWSISSUE 122SUMMER 2005PEMBURY IN BLOOMENTRY FORMWITH THISEDITION

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BRUCE BALLANTINE 1942-2005HIGHLY RESPECTED,unstinting in hisfriendship, clear-sighted,intellectual yet practical,cultured, civilised andcourteous; these are a fewof the tributes made aboutPembury BoroughCouncillor BruceBallantine who died inMarch after a feisty battleagainst cancer.David Mills, fellow LiberalDemocrat Councillor,remembers: “It’s been saidthat if you want somethingdone you should ask a busy man! Thatseems to me to encapsulate Bruce’sapproach to life. He was a man of so manyand such varied aspects. He had anextraordinarily successful business career, heworked in Europe, he devoted a great dealof time to his work for charity, for youngpeople, for the arts, on the BoroughCouncil – not to speak of his passion forgolf ...! He gave everything to each ofthese but he could still always find the timeto help someone who needed him.“I first met Bruce towards the end of 1995.I had been elected to Tunbridge WellsBorough Council earlier that year and anumber of mutual friends thought he andI could work well together. Busy as he was,he agreed to let his name go forward as acandidate for the following year’s election.“Having done that, of course, he becameenthusiastic. I think he’s the only candidatefor election I’ve ever seen running fromhouse to house when canvassing! That wasthe thing he enjoyed – going out and talkingto people. By then he’d lived in Pemburyfor 25 years. The village knew him andtrusted him. He’d been involved incommunity affairs for a long time already(he’d been a leading campaigner for theby-pass, for instance,and had been a ParishCouncillor for a time inthe 1970s). So, he wonthe election in May 1996and held the seat throughseveral further electionsuntil his death.“So, he was a BoroughCouncillor for just undernine years. Not anunusually long period buthe made a considerableimpact in that time.He held important andresponsible positions insuch areas as ‘Best Value’; he was Chairmanof the Scrutiny Committee, one of the mostimportant elements of the ‘checks andbalances’ structure designed to monitor theCouncil’s procedures. He was one of thefew who thoroughly understood theintricacies of local government finance.He ‘networked’ very effectively, developinggood relationships with other Councillorsand Council staff. He followed this patternin the community, too, he was alwayssensitive to Pembury opinion, and was ableto achieve much for individuals, for thisvillage and for the Borough.During all this time he was as busy as everin other fields. He would go to Brussels forthe day on business and be back in timefor a Council meeting. As a schoolgovernor (Tunbridge Wells High Schooland Tunbridge Wells Girls’ GrammarSchool), he not only brought his expertiseto serve the schools but helped withmentoring individual students. He was apatron of the Tunbridge Wells InternationalYoung Concert Artists Competition, aTrustee of Hospice in the Weald ...onecould go on, and on.continued on page 75

BRUCE BALLANTINE 1942-2005 continuedAbove all, he was a man concerned withpeople, who loved working with people andfor people. A community-minded man.An esteemed and admired colleague. To somany of us and to our village of Pembury,a good and valued friend.”Paul Barrington-King, Pembury’s other(Conservative) Borough Councillor adds:“As a fellow Borough Councillor I cameto recognize that Bruce was not only arespected politician but also a fine humanbeing. This was reinforced last year, as aresult of the tragic loss of my youngbrother-in-law, Bruce took the time andtrouble to convey not only his condolencesto my wife and myself but also hisunconditional support in the days thatfollowed. The cruel way that he was takenfrom us has left many of us with a feeling ofinjustice and great loss. The great fortitudeand dignity that his wife Barbara and theirfamily displayed was an example to us all.Rest in peace Bruce, your efforts will longbe remembered and you will always havea place in our hearts.”Sarah Clarke, Pembury Parish CouncilChairman until May 2005, recalls: “Brucewas a most supportive and outspokenrepresentative for Pembury and I thinkthat the representation at his funeral spokevolumes. He was concerned with thepolitical process but at a local level hewanted always to do what was right forthe village and for the very many peoplehe looked after. He was wise and witty,a pleasure to be with and to work with.”Born in Edinburgh 62 years ago, Brucegraduated from Edinburgh University thenfrom the Manchester Business School withan MBA. He worked for BP for more than30 years, in a wide range of jobs, finishingas a General Manager in BP Oil and BPChemicals.Bruce then worked in Brussels for manyyears and was strongly connected with theprestigious European Policy Centre thereuntil his death. Bruce was Rapporteur oftheir Risk Forum and Director of theirBetter Regulation Programme. He was theauthor of many EPC Papers on Europeangovernance development, the role andpoliticisation of science and the precautionaryprinciple. His particular strengths centredon the concepts of regulatory impactanalysis, particularly relating to EUregulatory activities and the quality of riskmanagement in the European Union. Hiscontribution to these issues was pioneering.He was a special adviser to various groupson issues affecting the competitiveness ofbusinesses, with particular reference tosmall and medium sized businesses,regulatory reform and risk analysis. He alsoadvised the OECD on regulatory reform aswell as the Competitiveness AdvisoryGroup, the European Commission and theEconomic and Social Committee on a rangeof subjects related to improving thecompetitiveness of industry.Bruce was the author of a number of reportsand lectures on business strategy,entrepreneurship, information technologyand innovation at leading Europeanbusiness schools and Senior Visiting ResearchFellow at Kingston Business School.“Bruce had an exceptional array of qualities– a strategic thinker, a fine intellect,technical expertise and a lucid writer. Hewas both a leader and a team player. Aboveall, he was a fine man. He will be sorelymissed by us all." (Hans Martens, ChiefExecutive, and Stanley Crossick, FoundingChairman, The European Policy Centre).Bruce is survived by Barbara, his wife of 40years, (active in Pembury particularly in theEvening WI and Pembury Tennis Club)and by their daughter, Alex, and son, Mark.7

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VILLAGE QUIZ MAY 2005THE ANNUAL Village Quizis now an established eventon our busy social calendar.Superbly organized by thePembury Scouts and Guidesmembers, this year’s event didnot disappoint. The Master ofCeremonies, Keith Merrin whowas ably supported by his sonAdam, excelled himself bycombining the qualities ofMagnus Magnusson withLeonard Sachs! The ‘Master ofthe Mike’ kept us entertainedthroughout the evening withcanny expertise.Janet Ditchett’s hard work in theprovision of the questions waswell-rewarded as we were tested across a broad spectrum of knowledge. The endeavours ofthe kitchen team kept us fed and watered as we fought our way through several rounds withmuch good humour and competitive banter. With twenty-six teams battling up to the finalminutes we reached the climax with the worthy winners, the Pembury Footpath Walkers,retaining their title. They won a cheque for £200.00 to be donated to the charity of theirchoice. For those who have not experienced the great enjoyment and good organization ofthis function, I would recommend that you sign up for next year at the earliest opportunity.Paul Barrington-KingPEMBURY MILLENNIUM RECORD GOESTO PEMBURY LIBRARYDEREK JOHNSON,immediate Past Chairman ofthe Pembury Society and SimonGalwey, last Chairman of theMillennium Committee, recentlypresented Pembury Library withthe official copy of the village’srecord of the Millennium year inPembury. The original PemburyMillennium Book went to theCounty Archive in Maidstone inNovember 2004 (see PemburyVillage News, Winter 2004edition).Left to right, Peter Parfitt, Brian Toseland, David Coleman(Pembury Parish Council Chairman), Neil Franklin,Kathryn Franklin, Martha Toseland and Margaret Petttitt.9

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PEMBURY 2005?THIS IS what remained of the YMCA building at Woodside playing fields in April as pieceby piece it was demolished by children too young to be called vandals.It had served the village well asa youth club and local socialcentre and was in the processof moving to the football clubuse. But children, apparentlyuncontrolled by family orfriends (or even ‘authority’),decidedotherwise.David ColemanEditor’s postscript: As thebuilding was a health and safetyhazard, the Parish Council hasnow had it demolished andcleared.PARISH BREAK-IN – A BLIPTHE BURNT-OUT shell of a truck, smoking and still warm, was discovered in front of theWoodside Road Parish depot by an allotment holder on the morning of 19 March. Parishofficials were called out and were shocked to discover that it was the remains of the PemburyParish Council Hilux work truck. Thieves had broken into the depot during the night, stolena trailer with mower and, perhaps frustrated in that they could not move the truck, they set fireto it.Police attended and after advice from thecrime prevention team, the depot was securedand other minor damage remedied. However,the loss of the truck meant that a replacementvehicle had to be hired so that Parish Staff,already stretched by their increasing workload, could at least carry on with their basicduties.Our aim in reporting this unhappy incident isnot to cast a shadow over good communityengagement or to cause depression to the‘good guys’ who work hard to make Pemburya great place to live. Rather, it is to illustrate our resilience to cope with such things and to praisethe resourcefulness of our groundstaff, our clerk and deputy clerk who worked hard to geteverything back to normal.On the positive side of the scales in Pembury are all the clubs, societies, youth groups, thecommunity partnership, churches, the active school association, and village events like the quiz,musical picnic and fete, not to mention all the charity fundraising, community environmentalwork and all those little touches that most individuals bring like colourful gardens, politeness andfriendliness in the streets and shops. So all in all, not a bad place to be ...11

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SNIPPETSVacancy for Parish CouncillorsDue to the retirement of Sarah Clarke andRichard Crouch from Pembury Parish Counciltwo casual vacancies have arisen. Anybodyinterested in applying for the positions shouldcontact the Clerk of the Council, 6 The Grove,Pembury TN2 4BU, tel/fax 823193,email pemburypc@pembury.org as soonas possible for an information pack andapplication. A formal notice will be posted onParish notice boards on 17 June.Local electionFollowing the death of Borough CouncillorBruce Ballantine, an election is to be held on30 June for a third Borough Councillor forPembury, joining Paul Barrington-King andDavid Mills, our other representatives.Nominations closed on 3 June. Votingin elections is important; it is your chance toexpress an opinion so please think seriouslyabout taking part. Polling stations will be atPembury School and the Village Hall 8am to9pm. Applications for postal votes must bewith the Returning Officer at Tunbridge WellsTown Hall by 5pm on 22 June 2005.Folk Music EveningThe Friends of Pembury Parish Church areholding an evening of folk music at 7.30pmin the Upper Church on Saturday 25 June.No tickets are required but donations in aidof the Organ Restoration Fund would be verywelcome. Light refreshments will be available.We look forward to seeing you.Having a Burn-Up ...A little gentle reminder now that the growingseason is in full throttle to people whoregularly burn garden rubbish. Please consideryour neighbours who may be relaxing on aquiet Sunday afternoon in our very elusiveBritish summer, or have just put their niceclean washing out in the morning. Often it justrequires a little thought, a bit of give and take.Tunbridge Wells Borough Council gives thefollowing advice: “Bonfires are permitted ifthey do not give off black smoke or causenuisance to neighbours, so please beconsiderate. If you wish to complain about abonfire please call the EnvironmentalProtection Team on 554235 or e-mailenvprotection@tunbridgewells.gov.uk”’Nuff said!Pembury in BloomThe closing date for all categories is Monday,11 July 2004. Judging takes places shortlyafterwards and the winners’ names will beannounced at a special presentation tea to beheld at Notcutts. Entry forms are enclosedwith this Village News, also available fromPembury Parish Council (contact detailspage 38) and from Notcutts Garden Centre,Tonbridge Road, Pembury.A load of old rubbish . . .I received an email recently with the followinginteresting comment: “With the advent ofbrown bins and green paper boxes, I havenoticed that while the vast majority of residentsare considerate and do not leave their binsoutside on the street except on collection day,there are some homes, particularly aroundsome of the public rights of way at the edge ofthe village, where individuals just simply leavetheir bins and green boxes outside their housespermanently.While there was just one green bin, this wasnot too bad, although there was still the issueof someone interfering and emptying thecontents all over the place if they took a mindto. However, with two bins and a paper box,this is unsightly to say the least.”It probably hasn’t occurred to those leavingtheir bins out permanently that it could be aproblem for others. Has to be worth a quickcheck to see if your bin collection is impedingthe public rights of way or just looking a bitgrim to other residents and visitors ...Doggy doo-dooMost people would not relish having a publiclavatory for humans on the verge in front oftheir house with the attendant mess and smell.Neither should householders have to put upcontinued on page 1513

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SNIPPETS continued from page 13with the equivalent from dogs. Now, dogs arenot toilet-trained like humans, but their ownerscan be. A Pembury resident has asked us toask all dog owners to be responsible by usingplastic bags and clearing up after their owndogs. She is fed up with picking up droppingsand spending huge amounts on disinfectantoutside her house.The Parish provides special bins for the filledbags at the Lower Green Recreational Groundand Woodhill Park entrances and in the laneby Pembury School to the burial ground.From Larkfield to PepenburyFrom 1 May 2005 Larkfield changed itstrading name to PEPENBURY.Find out more on page 25.Printer’s errorOur esteemed publisher, Laurie Frowde ofTMH, has held his hand up to a (very rare)printing error in the last edition. TheChairman of Pembury Cricket Club is DenisCole not David Cole as stated on page 21.A Lost FriendWe were emailed from Australia with thisquery: “I am not sure if you can help me ornot but I am hoping you may help me locatea dear friend. She is Lucia, daughter of theElliston Family who lived at The Oast, PastHeap Farm, Pembury TN2 4BL.I have a feeling her mother may have been adoctor ... can’t be too sure. I met Lucia16 years ago in Airlie Beach, Australia and sawher last in 1994 when she visited me again withher son Shannon, then aged approx 12 monthsold. I am hoping that maybe someone willknow of her parents or their whereaboutswhich may lead me to Lucia. – Tristin Tyler(formerly Green)”Any helpful replies please to eitherwebmaster@pembury.org or to the Editor bypost (see page 2 for details)Coffee morning – advance noticeThe Friends of Pembury Parish Church will beholding their annual coffee morning on theVillage Green on Saturday 3 Septemberbetween 10am and 12 noon. If wet, then inSt Peter’s Upper Church.There will be many attractive stalls includingcakes, handicrafts, gifts, books, ‘posh junk’,preserves, plants FPPC items, a tombola and,of course, refreshments. Do put this date inyour diaries and come along and support us.For more details, contact Biddy Wilson on822029 who can also collect any nonperishableitems.The FRED ClubFun, Recreation, Endeavour, Determination –these are the aims of the club which is forpeople with physical disabilities from 16 to theyoung at heart. Members meet on Wednesdaysat the YMCA Centre in Sherwood between10am and 14.45pm.The FRED Club is looking for a newco-ordinator, ideally somebody or a couplenearing retirement who could spend some timerunning this lively and extremely rewardingclub. Contact Mrs Daisy Fletcher on 540618for more information.PEMBURY COMMUNITY WARDEN SURGERIESTOM YOUNGER, our new Community Warden (featured on page 3), will beholding regular fortnightly surgeries in conjunction with High Weald HousingAssociation.He will be at Camden Court between 1pm and 3pm every other week with effect from6 June. He will be happy to discuss any village issues or to chat generally.Do call Tom on 07813 694138 for more information.15

FOUR MORE YEARS – THANK YOU PEMBURY!AS I WRITE this piece, the County andParliamentary elections are over foranother four years. Our new Member ofParliament is Greg Clark who takes overfrom Archie Norman.For me, it wasa hard foughtcampaign. Onethird of myconstituency –St James’ ward– is brand newto me, and myopponent hasbeen BoroughCouncillorthere forseventeenyears!Nevertheless,the people ofPembury andSherwood have thankfully returned meonce more as County Councillor, and I cancontinue to do my best for you all.Kevin Lynes, County Councillor for Pembury andGreg Clark, new MP for Tunbridge WellsMy first four years saw a great deal ofaction – the youth facility, a major roadmaintenance programme, a new KCCCommunity Warden, new classrooms atPembury Primary School – the list goes on,and most if not all of these initiatives are ata crucial stage.Many of you will have seen the red tarmac‘bands’ at the key entry and exit points tothe village. These contain speed limitroundels, and they will shortly beaugmented by giant picket screens holdingfurther speed limit signs. These ‘villagegateways’ have been installed with greatsuccess in Five Oak Green and elsewhereacross the County, and it is hoped thatspeeds will decrease once they are installedin Pembury. However, just in case furtherpersuasion is required, you will recall the‘SpeedWatch’ initiative. KCC funding isnow with the Parish Council, and KentPolice are organising training for our bandof resident volunteers. Whatever else mightoccur in Pembury, we hope all speedingtraffic will pass by!You may haveseen in thelocal papers,news ofPembury’sCommunityWarden, TomYounger. Oneor two of youhavementionedseeing Tomwith NigelBond, his‘shadow’ fromHawkhurst,patrolling thevillage. At this stage, Tom’s job is to get toknow the area, and meet the variousorganisations in Pembury, picking upsnippets of information and intelligenceas he begins to integrate into village life.If you see Tom in his green and blackKCC Community Warden uniform,please say hello!As I begin my next four year term asCounty Councillor for Pembury, I’d like toclose by giving you my contact details – I’mhere to help, and if there’s anything you’dlike to discuss with me, or anything I canassist with, please feel free to make contact:Telephone (Home) – 01892 890922Telephone (County Hall) – 01622 694101Telephone (Mobile) – 07834 308015eMail: kevin.lynes@kent.gov.ukwebsite: www.kevinlynes.comThanks again for putting your faith in me –I promise I won’t let Pembury down.Kevin16

“WHEELIE” FOR TSUNAMILIKE MANY people, the Rangers in Pembury wereshocked by the Asian Tsunami and wanted to dosomething to help.In true Guiding spirit they organised somethingdifferent – a sponsored “Wheelie” Appeal, five laps ofa circuit on any form of wheels. The event was held atLongmead, the Tunbridge Angels football ground onSaturday 5 February. There were over 30 girls, and avery strange selection of wheels: bikes, scooters, rollerblades, prams, a Tesco trolley, a wheelbarrow, awheelchair . . . You get the idea.We had great fun and raised over £700 for theTsunami Appeal. Thank you to the parents who stoodand laughed with us and to the Guiders who gave theirtime once again.Moira Allan, District CommissionerAngela Baker and Vicky Penfoldstarting one of their five lapsPEMBURY ATHLETIC YOUTH FOOTBALLCLUB UNDER 9’sTHE UNDER 9s team is part of the incredibly successful PAYFC, which involves nearly300 youngsters. This young team has had a remarkable season with its many victoriesbeing gained by an inclusive and non-selective approach. This was ably demonstrated whenI accompanied them to a series of matches in Holland where they triumphed against somevery high-class opposition from Rotterdam and Amsterdam (4 wins, 2 draws and 2 losses).The officials and parents involved with this team have worked tirelessly; the coaches areexcellent (contact Steve Dunkerley for more info 07834 841192).I have worked with Mark Brunton from VitalNuts of the Little Hawkwell Business Centre,Pembury (third from the left, back row, in light blue shirt) to assist securing a three yearsponsorship for the team and was very pleased to attend the official launch with Mark.James Cunningham, landlord of theCamden Arms in Pembury kindlysupported the launch by providing freefood and refreshments.With our community efforts nowhopefully coming to fruition to improveour village recreational facilities, we arenow beginning to offer our youngsters thefacilities they deserve and all of us inPembury can share in the support andsuccess of our youth.Paul Barrington-King17

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THE PEMBURY SOCIETY SPRING MEETINGMANY PEOPLE knowChristine Sayell through herwork with Pembury BaptistChurch, but a packed villagehall learnt a lot more about heron the evening of 7 April.Christine was the guest speakerat the Pembury Society SpringMeeting and her impassionedtalk was thought provoking.After a visit to Maputo inMozambique Christine and a group offriends were so shocked by the livingconditions of some of the orphans that theyembarked on fund raising to ensure that thechildrens’ lives would change. There is nowa school, fresh water and much better livingconditions. Christine also sponsors twochildren from the orphanage.The talk was illustrated with aseries of slides whichemphasised how happy thechildren were in their newsurroundings. I think thateveryone came away fromthe hall that night full ofadmiration for Christine and herteam and also perhaps thinking howlucky we are with our lives.It was encouraging to see so many peopleat the meeting and look forward to seeingyou at the Village Fete.Jan HoveyPEMBURY SCHOOL FETE – SATURDAY 2 JULYTHE BEER will be cold, the BBQ hot, and the entertainment totally traditional. Thisyear promises to be a fun-packed day for everyone. The brave can tackle the megaassaultcourse, whilst the less adventurous can browse the many stalls – including sweetmine, coconut shy, white elephant etc. For our entertainment, we have Amberside DanceStudio, as well as traditional maypole dancing and tug-of-war. The young ones will love thebouncy castle, Punch & Judy and under-5s play area.Add the date to your diary now – gates open at 1.30pm.JOANY BONES RETIREMENT CONCERTTWENTY YEARS ago, Joan Bruno went to a guidemeeting with her daughter. She stayed to help andnow after 18 years as a qualified leader she has hungup her hat (and that changed several times over theyears). She doesn’t regret any of it, “I have done somany things with the girls I would never have done if itwasn’t for the Guides,” she says.‘A Trip Down Memory Lane’ was the title of theexcellent concert put on in her honour. It was amagnificent achievement organised by ‘Jay’ with hertwo noble assistants who will continue runningthe1st Pembury Guides for many years to come.Janet DitchettJoan, left, with Jay19

PEMBURY ONLINE COMMUNITY FORUMPEMBURY HAS had an online email group since March 2001, it was created following acomment at the Annual Parish meeting that year. It has had its ups and downs over theyears. Some months there have been lots of messages, other months hardly anything at all.The group has had one failing in that some of the topics have been a turn off for somepeople. Any message sent to the group ended up in everyone’s inbox whether the subjectinterested them or not.Enter the new Pembury Online Community Forum. This is similar to the email group inthat people can register on the Forum and view the messages and reply to the messages.But it is different in that the messages are not sent out as email into your inbox, so whenyou visit the forum you can choose which messages to read and which ones to ignore.If you are looking for a comparison, listening to the news on the radio is like the emailgroup, to get to the story that interested you; you have to listen to all of the stories. Whereas with, say, a newspaper or the Pembury Village News you can pick out the stories thatinterest you, which is like our new Forum.There is a link to the Forum on the Pembury Village News website www.pembury.org Onceon the forum, click on the Register icon, it will then present you with a form to fill in, theminimum information required is a username, password and your email address. Your emailaddress is not made public. There are also fields for details about yourself, but filling thesein is optional. Use of the Forum is free, and is open to everybody.Once you log in you will be able to see the topics that we have set up to start off with.These have been created based on subjects that have been discussed over the years on thePembury email group. New topics are being added all the time and there is a specific areafor requesting and discussing new topics. Andvirtually anything goes as far as subject matteris concerned ... as long as it’s legal, of course!At the time of writing there are about 24people registered on the forum and thenumber of articles posted to the forum is about240 but increasing on a daily/weekly basis,with a spread of subjects across all topics.The new forum has encouraged new peoplein the village to join in, people that were notpreviously on the email group.Jody Lloyd, one of the new forum members,said “This forum is achieving opencommunications for the whole communityboth informative information for all to shareand the added ability to feel activelyinvolved”.If you would like more details then contact meSteve Morton – stevemorton@pembury.org20

PEMBURY PEOPLE – BETTY HOWELLBETTY HOWELL, long-time resident ofPembury and Chief Executive of thePembury-based charity – Compaid Trust.Many of us in the village are aware of theexcellent work undertaken by our many localcharities. The Compaid Trust,based at Pembury Hospital, isone such charitableorganization and it is theirChief Executive, BettyHowell, whom I have featuredas this edition’s PemburyPerson. I recently had theopportunity to visit theheadquarters of the Trust and,apart from recognizing manyfamiliar faces, I wasastonished to see the breadthof inclusive computer-basedactivity being facilitated byBetty’s devoted team.Everything from computerbasedlearning programmes tofull scale production ofmaterials such as celebratory cards is provided.Betty began her working life as a tracer but herabilities were soon recognised and she becameone of the first female draughtsmen in thecountry, working for the GPO and later forHunting’s at Bedford. “In those days”, recountsBetty, “women did not wear trousers to work and Iwas not allowed on the GPO tower constructionsite.” Later, a suggestion by Betty led to allutility vehicles and operators in the UK beingidentified with Day-Glo yellow paint. Bettyadded “They tried pink but the men refused towear the jackets!”.Betty with her late husband, Eric, moved intothe house in Pembury she still lives in today as aresult of Eric’s company being relocated toTunbridge Wells in 1972. Betty, who wasbrought up in Essex, remembers how quietPembury seemed in the early 1970s eventhough the A21 ran through the village andthere were no traffic lights. Despite beingdiagnosed as having progressive rheumatoidarthritis in 1974, Betty began volunteering forlocal charities such as Meals on Wheels and theWRVS Luncheon Club. “I got told off by my GPwhen he discovered I was carrying the heavy boxescontaining the hot meals”, says Betty. “He saidthat most of the elderly people I was serving werefitter than me!” In addition to this considerableworkload she also helped run the local Pemburyvillage Cubs and still gets recognised bymembers of her old pack.Betty first met LornaRidgway, the founder ofCOMPAID Trust, at theSeven Springs LeonardCheshire Home in thelate1970s and in 1986 foundherself ‘promoted’ to beingbook-keeper for the newcharity. As Betty states:“I’m a quick learner and Lornacertainly kept us on our toes”.COMPAID Trust, which nowhelps disabled adults throughthe use of computers fortherapy, education andrecreation, began as an advicecentre but quickly changedwhen it was realised what a powerful toolcomputers can be in helping disabled peopledevelop new skills.When Lorna Ridgway died in 1994 Betty tookon the responsibility of running COMPAIDTrust, by then based in two temporary buildingsin the grounds of Pembury Hospital. Betty adds“We now have a fleet of nine special needs-adaptedvehicles that we use to bring clients to our DayCentre and we run a dial-a-ride service takingelderly and disabled people to shops and amenities”.Not content with one ‘social enterprise’, Bettyand her staff have developed the highlysuccessful Office Bureau service, offering shortrun,specialist printing for weddings, specialoccasions, etc. The Office Bureau is responsiblefor COMPAID’s unique range of greetingscards, using artwork created in the Day Centre.The distinctive cards provide additional incomeand also promote the charity. I am sure that allof us in Pembury accord with Betty when sheconcludes that “I’m proud of what COMPAIDTrust has been able to achieve and the support thelocal community gives us”. So say all of us!Paul Barrington-King21

BENTINCKS FARM AND THE CASE OF THEPHANTOM SIGN REMOVER!ONE SATURDAY morning in Februarywe drove out of our farm to find thatsomeone had removed all four signs bearingthe name of the farm at the main entrance.Two of the signs we had carved out of woodand two were made from those “stick on”letters that are reflective at night.Suddenly we were nameless . . . the sign onthe secondary entrance disappeared atChristmas even more dramatically when thegates were stolen. The sign on that occasionwas a minor loss although curiously half thesign reappeared in the road side ditchbetween Matfield and Brenchley in earlyApril. So we were completely nameless apartfrom the one sign that was left . . . that wasthe original sign for the farm before wechanged the name.This was not vandalism as we are all used toin the area. This was done so that all the signswere removed unscrewing the wooden signfrom on top of the old sign so as not todamage it – the lost letters are now roamingaround somewhere and have still not beenrecovered.Why did we change the name of the farm?The access to the farm had been altered in the1980s, separating Herring Mill Farmhousefrom Herrings Mill Farm. In 1995 HerringsMill farm and Three Towns Farm weremerged together and the name of the farm forthe farming community and postal purposesbecame Herring Mill Farm. The separation ofHerring Mill Farmhouse and Herring MillFarm had, by the time we bought the farm in2003, started to cause a lot of confusion.Herrings Mill Farm is not actually shown onthe Ordnance Survey map but Three TownsFarm is, as is Herring Mill House on BrambleReed Lane. This didn’t help for people tryingto deliver things to the farm! Often theHerring Mill farmhouse would have toredirect delivery men back up Romford road.Some of them would end up half way up theirgarden before they could be stopped!!So we decided, as we moved in, to change thename of the farm to make it clear goingforward that the farm entrance wasn’t nextto Herring Mill farmhouse. Once we haddecided to do this we had to think of a name.We wanted to follow farming tradition anduse a family name – “Bentinck” is a familyname and therefore has strong connectionsfor all of us.We love the farm and the name change meansthat everyone knows where we are and howto find us and hopefully Bentinck Farm willreplace Three Towns Farm on the nextupdate of the ordinance survey map. In themeantime, we have put up new signs butwould love our old ones back.Please give them back!!Kate Lindsay-Bayley and familyBentinck Farm, Romford Road, PemburyPEMBURY SEQUENCE DANCE CLUBWE MEET every Monday evening, except Bank Holidays, in the Catholic Hall from7.45pm until 10pm practicing and learning new dances. Admission is £2 whichincludes tea or coffee and biscuits.Our Saturday dances, which are more formal are held in the Village Hall on alternatemonths i.e. our next dances will be 13 August, 8 October and 10 December which is ourannual Dinner Dance. Cost of admission here is £3. Contact Mrs Marion Warren 01892547617 for more details.23

PEMBURY IN THE PASTHop Picking 1950sOur regular correspondent Eileen Hicks has sentin a photo of hop pickers at the Cedric ForbesFarm, Kippings Cross.Left: Peggy Brooks with daughter Brenda;middle: Kitty Stewart;right, Jack Brown and Dolly Brown,all of whom lived in Bulls Place, Pembury.Margaret Gritten (maiden name Francis)lived in Pembury from 1936-1958, marriedand moved to the West Country and after38 years retired to Spain.“This is a treasured photo as I was luckyenough to win the show. Photo taken, I think,July-Aug 1937.Hopefully the unknown names will beavailable from a member of the village.Photo taken July-Aug 1937 in the PemburyRecreation ground. It was the annual BabyShow for the Pembury Fête. I have tried toname as many as I can.Back Row (left to right): Mrs Duke withdaughter Milly; Mrs Foord with Daphney;Mrs Francis with Margaret – (my mother);Next four – unknown.The nurse – Nurse Smith – was for manyyears the Pembury midwife who deliveredmany a Pembury person!Front Row: Mrs Lawrence with June; Nextthree – unknown; Mrs Flynn with Eileen;Mrs Woodhams with Shirley; Next one –unknown.I hope this photo etc., will be of some interest.My daughter sends me the magazine as I amstill very interested in the village. I had manyhappy years in the village. My mother passedaway two years ago – she was 90 and hadlived in Pembury since 1935. My fatherCharlie Francis died in 1985, a real villagemember and is known by many people whoare still alive.”24

PEMBURY VILLAGE TREASURE HUNTSUNDAY 28TH August will see therunning of a Pembury Village TreasureHunt, starting and finishing at the CamdenCar Park.The first team will be set off at or just after2pm for a course of about three to fourmiles on foot around the village. A map willbe included to ensure that you don’t get loston the way round.Clues will not be particularly difficult ormentally taxing, with the main object of theafternoon’s amble is to give you theopportunity to see some of the lesser knownparts of the village which can often beoverlooked. For those in dire need ofrefreshment at the end of the walk, you canvisit the Camden Arms, where Steve willmark your answer sheets.If you would like to take part pleasecontact Steve Morton (email:stevemorton@pembury.orgor tel: 824938) so that Steve can prepareenough question and answer sheets, theclosing date for entries will be25 August.Steve MortonPEMBURY ATHLETIC (YOUTH) FC UNDER 14sTHE YOUTH Football Club Under 14 squad recently enjoyed cup success in theCrowborough and District Junior Football League cup for their age group.Having successfully made their way through the earlier rounds Pembury were faced with afinal against a very strong team from Hastings, which had not lost a League or Cup match forabout three years. We had narrowly lost to Hastings in the 2004 final but, having suffered twoheavy defeats to Hastings during the season, players and supporters travelled in hope morethan expectation to the final at Ringmer on 24 April. Team manager Jon Everest had assuredthe boys he was confident of victory, however the boys were clearly not so sure.Despite starting promisingly, we were trailing 2-0 at half-time, even though Pembury had moreof the attempts on goal. For the first 20 minutes of the second half Pembury playedtremendously and scored three goals to lead 3-2. Was the dream of beating Hastings about tobecome a reality? Hastings exerted pressure but failed to threaten a goal. About 10 minutesfrom the end Hastings were awarded a dubious free kick25 yards from goal. A speculative shot found its way into thegoal – chins of spectators and players hit the floor.The match finished 3-3 with no further goals during extratime leading to the agony or ecstasy of a penalty shoot out.Pembury players kept their nerve to win the cup, leading tojoyful celebrations by players, club officials and supporters.The cup win was the highlight of the season for this age groupwho also finished runners up behind Hastings in the League.It is a real village success with 11 of the 14 players at the finalliving in Pembury. Congratulations to everyone associatedwith this age group.The club continues to grow from strength to strength andwe look forward to further success in future years.Kevin Edser25

Member of the National Association of Estate AgentsESTATE AGENTSRESIDENTIAL LETTINGSDiscuss your property requirements with our qualified friendly staff incomfortable relaxed surroundings✮ ✮ OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK ✮ ✮16 High Street, Pembury TN2 4NYTel: 01892 822880 Fax: 01892 825250 email: pembury@denisebarnes.co.ukAlso at: Tunbridge Wells: 01892 527733 Sevenoaks: 01732 450866Prestige & Country Homes: 01892 618181 Brenchley: 01892 724000Residential Lettings: 01732 500400 Tonbridge: 01732 77161626

THE PLIGHT OF THE MAIDSTONE & TUNBRIDGEWELLS NHS SPORTS & SOCIAL CLUBTHE MAIDSTONE & Tunbridge WellsNHS Trust – Sports & Social ClubProjects Committee has been asked to find asolution to the housing of the Sports & SocialClub when the new PFI build starts.Unfortunately, the Sports & Social Clubcurrently has no part to play in the new PFIbuild as all space is allocated to clinical needs.Since we have been part of the Pembury sitefor 30 years it is a shame to lose such assetsfor the staff and families of the Trust.The Sports & Social Club Projects Committeehas recently met Rose Gibb, Chief Executiveof the Maidstone & Tunbridge Wells NHSTrust to negotiate our position. Rose Gibbgave us some key points she wants us topursue to allow a new build and to evolve thebusiness. She recommended the following:1. To involve the local community;2. To involve local business in a possible newbuild;3. Partnerships with the community;4. Allocation of space outside of the PFIfootprint.To date we have the backing of the Rt HonAnn Widdecombe, MP for Maidstone andThe Weald, and Greg Clark, MP forTunbridge Wells, who are working proactivelyin our favour. The next steps are thecommunity involvement to assist with asolution and how we and the Trust can worktogether to rebuild our resources and benefiteveryone.I am requesting that anyone who reads thisand can offer some help, advice or feelsimpelled to involve themselves with ourprojects committee to please feel free tocontact me via our website http://www.mtwssc.co.ukor NHS discussion forum accessedthrough our website.Our website is now split into three sections,NHS Discussion Forum, Sports & SocialClub pages and the Sports & Social ClubProjects Committee. On our site you will beable to find the next meeting dates and readour progress so far.Thank you; I look forward to any communityinvolvement.Jody M. Lloyd, Chairman Projects CommitteePEPENBURY, FORMERLY KNOWN AS LARKFIELD (HALL)MANY WILL have heard of us, many will not. Many will have driven past in CornfordLane, been aware, but not really taken much notice of Larkfield, now known as Pepenbury.Some will know that we sell quality plants at competitive prices and fewer will have seen our craftshop and it will be news to nearly everybody that we will be opening a Charity Shop in HoldenPark Road, Southborough in April or May.For those who don’t know, Pepenbury is home to 70 adults with learning difficulties; though nodoubt you will have met some of our residents in the village or at Tesco.It would be good if more locals visited us and bought from our good range of plants (especiallyfrom spring onwards) and looked in on our craft shop. In fact, we want to do more to encouragepeople to come down to see us and there are a number of exciting ideas that we have and that wewould be pleased to share with you. If anybody is interested in knowing more, or, maybe, cominground in a group to be shown around, please contact (Nikki Richardson) on 822168 to arrangesomething. Anyway, you will have a chance to visit us on 18 September for our ‘Taste of Kent’Autumn Fair.Finally, any golfers amongst you might like to enquire about our Golf Day on 11 July.Just telephone Brenda Luff on 822168 for details and an application form.Roy Brazier, Business Manager27

JAN’S GARDEN VIEWSOUR MOST favourite season of the yearmust surely be SUMMER. Of course, theweather is unpredictable, but we hope for longwarm sunny days and balmy evenings to sitout and enjoy our gardens. June is one of thebest months when all plants should beshowing signs of renewed vigour, a time ofexpectancy for glorious blooms to come. Wehave enjoyed the first flush of May flowers asour spring bounty died away, and some ofthese can be encouraged to bloom a secondtime, such as the early hardy Geraniums. Cutthem back to the base and water well, they willsoon bounce back with fresh new growth andmore flowers. The same can be done withseveral other perennials over the course of theseason. Alchemilla mollis will produce freshlime-green flowers with their delightfulspangled foliage. Lupins, Delphiniums andearly Heleniums will all give you extra bloomsand do better still with a sprinkle of fish, bloodand bone to boost their performance.We really ought to wait till now to plant tenderperennials such as Penstemons, Coreopsis andhalf-hardy Fuchsias, especially from cuttingsyou have taken last year. The young plants willhave needed to harden off before planting intosoil that has been improved with eithercompost or well-rotted manure/leaf-mould.Annuals are very useful for filling spacesbesides early flowering perennials that areover. They carry on until the first frosts andbring a blaze of colour where it is neededmost. Don’t forget to deadhead regularly for acontinuous show of blooms. Do watch out forthose beastly slugs and snails, they will destroyyour efforts over night. Catch them with overturnedempty halves of orange and grapefruitpeel or our old favourite, small containers ofbeer – they can’t resist it!Staking and tying is necessary for your tallerplants that need support, and prolongs thedisplay. Any twiggy branches pushed into theground will help and soon become disguisedwith foliage. Garden centres have supports forplants to grow through which are a good idea.Some, like Hollyhocks and Delphiniums, arebest tied individuallyto tall canes. Pass thetie loosely round theplant first, thentightly to the cane.Water is a veryprecious commodityand needs to be usedsparingly. In times ofdrought there are ways to prevent drying out.Plenty of organic matter worked into theground and a thick mulch laid will help a lot.Always water in the evening, as in the daytimeit evaporates fast. Water plants that benefitwell from regular watering, such as Roses.Water butts retain rainwater placedstrategically by guttering that gives acontinuous flow. There are drip systems madefrom porous piping which enables water toooze evenly into the soil when placed aroundthe plants. These are environmentally friendly,virtually invisible and can be taken up andstored during winter.Wind as well as heat induces water loss, somove containers to a shady sheltered spot ifplanning a holiday. A garden left unattendedfor a week or two will survive, with a bit ofplanning and extra gardening. Shrubs willneed to be cut back that have finishedflowering. Remove all flower heads and weeds.Mow lawns as the last job before you leave.Some essential summer jobs:● Tulips that need lifting must be dried andstored when their foliage has yellowed andshrivelled.● Feed your perennials every two weeks with apotash rich plant food.● Roses need their second fertilizer feedduring June or early July.● Pests and diseases need to be dealt withpromptly.Enjoy your summer garden.Happy gardening!Jan Davies28

PEMBURYDENTAL SURGERYNelis du Plessis B.Ch.D. (Pret)67 Hastings RoadPemburyTunbridge WellsKent TN2 4JSTel: (01892) 823044Committed toQuality DentistrySFG Business ServicesAn Accountancy Service aimed at the individual and smaller enterprise.• Accounts Preparation • Book-keeping • VAT• Personal Tax Returns • PayrollFor a first class service at very competitive rates please do not hesitate to callTel: 01732 355962 / 07736 938411Dawn Hodgson MSSCh MBChAChiropodist■ Professional Advice and Friendly Care■ Diabetic Assessment & Maintenance■ Verruca Treatment, Natural Remediesor Chemical■ Ingrowing Toenail Care■ Treatment for Fungal Infections■ Day and Evening appointmentsavailable67 Hastings Road, PemburyTel: 07761 583 75601892 824916Full range ofFootcare products,including 100% Naturaland Diabetic FriendlyDiscounts for overover 70sHSA 50% refund available29

‘ALL THE WORLD’S A STAGE’ . . .. . . AND WE ALL HAVE OUR PARTSTO PLAY, whether or not we areconscious of its significance. You too canact ... read the following and askyourself if it reminds you of a situationwith which you can identify.1. You come in from a shopping tripwearing a brand new pair of JimmyChoo sling backs ... “No darling,I only paid a two-figure sum forthem. They were ever such abargain.” And you scuttleupstairs, hide the receiptand pray that he doesn’tscrutinise the creditcard bill too closely.2. Late for dinneragain, you bowl inthrough the frontdoor, try to ignorethe fact thatthere is anempty plate bythe bin andanatmospheresliceable with aspatula ... “Okay, I did popinto the pub for a quick one, but Ipromise it was only a half.”3. Realising that you have fierce MissPlummer for maths today, and youhaven’t done your homework (again!) ...“Mum, I’ve got the most dreadfulstomach ache, it’s so agonising, I don’tthink I’ll even make it to the front gatewithout doubling over.”Yes, admit it or not, EVERYONE can act– we all do it every day. Only it’s so muchmore fun to do it legitimately, dressed upas someone else!Even if you simply have a penchant forsinging in the bath, regaling your friendswith awful jokes or generally showing off,what you need is a forum to do it all thetime ... and Pembury Players needpeople like YOU.Currently we are a small (but perfectlyformed?!) band of 14, enthusiastic butrather stretched when it comes toperforming material that requires ...well, more than 14!If you’ve recentlymoved to the village,retired or decidedthat you wantto expand yourhorizons in acreative andsociable way, weare the solutionyou have beenlooking for ...right on yourdoorstep.We meet everyThursday 8pm to10pm in the Village Hall.Come along, join in, and findout what we’re all about.And look out for details of ourforthcoming production, a comedywhodunit: Inspector Drake’s Last Case.If you’ve any questions, or justwant a chat, ring me,Maggie Weaver – 824362 orRachel Bennett – 824421.Everyone has a part to playWhat’s yours?30

● Specialist in cutting and creative colouringto suit you.● Open Tues to Sat – Late night Thursday.● Beauty Treatments available –Massage, Reflexology, Hopi EarCandles and Waxing.Our Therapist isFIONA FENNELL Dip.ITEZ A.P.M .& R.Dip T.A.Th.TIGI® BEDHEAD,CATWALK PRODUCTS.Tel: 01892 82287925-27 High Street, Pembury, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN2 4PHGENUINEFREE 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 82418432

1ST PEMBURY SCOUT GROUP NEWS10 FACTS YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUTSCOUTING● Scouting is the UK's largestco-educational youthorganisation.● There are 30 millionmembers of the Scoutingmovement around the world.● There are only a few countriesin which Scouting does not exist.● With support from the World Organisationof the Scout Movement, Scouting isgradually being introduced to Iraq.● Over 100,000 people take part in Scoutingevery night of the week.● An estimated 500million people have beenScouts since Scouting was formed.● World Scout Jamborees (the next is inChelmsford in 2007) involve participantsfrom more countries than the OlympicGames.● There are currently more members of theScouting movement than at any time in themovements near 100-year history.● The Scout Association's youth programmefor young people – male and female –aged 6 to 25.BROWNIESON 27 MARCH, 3rd PemburyBrownies set off for Carrotty Wood inTonbridge for their annual holiday. Sixteenbrownies enjoyed activities includingswimming, craft, cooking and a low-ropecourse complete with ‘swamp area’ with lotsof mud!!!! They achieved their agility badgewith the help of young leaders Nicola andLianne. Kestrel and Barney also helpedwith the cook’s badge and kept us all fedand watered throughout the four days.Many thanks to all the helpers as we all hada terrific week.● DYB DYB DYB DOB DOB DOB [notethe spelling] hasn't been used in Scoutingsince 1967. But, when it was used,it was an acronym for Do YourBest and Do Our Best.We are now urgently lookingfor new leaders/adults forour Scout Troop in order tokeep Scouting going inPembury. If you are interested injoining the local Scout Group and be one ofthe facts above then please ring 01892511383 and leave a message or emailpembury@tunbridgewellsscouts.org.ukScoutsReunited is a service that aims tohelp current and former Scouts from theUnited Kingdom and around the world meetup with old friends. Registration is free.● ScoutsReunited allows you to find outwhat your old Scout friends are doing now;● ScoutsReunited is supported byThe Scout Association's official database.The site can help you contact the millionsof people who have been in Scouting sinceit was founded in 1907;The ScoutsReunited website iswww.scoutsreunited.co.ukOur Activity Day on 7 April proved to beboth interesting and fun with 11 Browniescompleting their Science InvestigatorBadge. Some experiments being messy andsome tuneful! Teddies were bandaged andplastered but sent home intact – theBrownies having tried their hand at FirstAid. A busy fun day was achieved by all.Thanks to Laura, Nicola and Elizabeth forall their help.Brown Owl Wendy3rd Pembury Brownies33

RECIPESSUMMER IS the time to get out thebarbecue and get cooking out of doors sowhy don’t you make your own burgers?1lb minced beef1 large red onion,finely chopped1 egg1 handful freshbreadcrumbs1 tsp corianderseeds, crushedPinch cumin seeds,crushedSalt and pepperMix ingredients together. Form into four ballsand flatten into burger shape. Pre-cook in theoven for about 20 minutes.Cook when required on barbecue and servewith a grilled bun, lettuce, onion and tomato.Add ketchup if required.BARBECUED BABY CORNFor 4 servings350g (12oz) baby cornSauce1 small onion chopped1 tbsp vegetable oil2 tbsp tomato ketchup1 tsp white wine vinegar1 tbsp Demerara sugar1 tsp made English mustard2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce2 tbsp watersalt and pepper to taste.PreparationCook corn in boiling water for 3 mins, drainwellFry onion in oil until soft, add remainingsauce ingredients, bring to boil, stirring well,boil up for 3-5 mins until mixture is syrupy.Put corn onto a double thickness of foil.Pour sauce over. Wrap foil up to make aparcel, sealing edges well.Cook on a barbecue rack above medium tolow coals for 15-20 mins.Serve with charcoal grilled kebabs, steaks orchops – or on their own.SUMMER PUDDING6 slices cut bread with the crusts removedFresh soft fruit as available: (blackcurrants,redcurrants, raspberries, strawberries andapple are suitable) stewed together, sufficientto fill a two-pint basin.Add sugar and any other flavouring ifrequired.Line the basin with the bread and fill with thefruit. Add the last piece of bread to seal thetop and place a small plate over the top topress the mixture into the basin. Leaveovernight in the refrigerator and serve with agarnish of fresh fruit, ice cream or custard.Enjoy!Janet Ditchett and Rosemary Latter34

FOR YOUR DIARYVillage Coffee Morning – Village Hall Tuesdays 9.30am-12 noon, full market last Tuesday of themonth same times. WRVS Lunch Club – every Wednesday at 11.45am in the Pembury VillageHall during the school term time.June30 Local election – Village Hall and Pembury School – 8am to 9pmJuly1 Pembury Evening WI: Operation Knicker – Don Webster – Village Hall – 7.45pm2 Farmers’ Market on the Green – 8am to 12noon2 Pembury School Association Fete: Pembury School – 1.30pm2 Pembury Footpath Walkers – Camden Arms – 2.15pm2 Kent College Prep School: Summer fair – 12noon to 3pm2 St Peter’s Photographic Club: Trip to Dunorlan Park – details 8220306 St Peter’s Mothers’ Union: Outing – River trip to Bodiam Castle – details 8227697 Pembury Afternoon WI: Reflections Past and Present – Village Hall – 2pm9 VILLAGE FETE ON THE GREEN – 2 to 5pm9 Pembury Gardeners: Summer Show – Village Hall – 2.30pm9 Hospice in the Weald: Silver Anniversary Ball – Hop Farm, Paddock Wood – details 82050011 Pembury in Bloom closing date – see enclosed leaflet11 Floral Art – Village Hall – 8pm16 Pembury Hospital BBQ and Games – 12 noon to 3pm18* Parish Council Meeting – Village Hall – 8pm. Change from previously published date30 Rhythm Dance Club – Details from Laurie and Pauline 01892 654867August3 St Peter’s Mothers’ Union: Members’ garden party – contact Secretary for details 8227694 Pembury Afternoon WI: Members’ meeting. For details contact 8222675 Pembury Evening WI: Members’ meeting. For details contact 8249696 Farmers’ Market on the Green – 8am to 12noon6 Pembury Footpath Walkers – Stonecourt Lane – 2.15pm8 Floral Art – Village Hall – 8pm13 St Peter’s Photographic Club: Trip to Lewes – details 82203013 Pembury Sequence Dance Club: Saturday Dance – details Mrs Marion Warren 54761715-19 Tunbridge Wells Borough Council: Multi-sports for children – Lower Green RecreationGround – 9.45am to 12.15pm – call Elsie Rendall on 01892 52612120 Rhythm Dance Club – Details from Laurie and Pauline 01892 654867September1 Pembury Afternoon WI: Venice – Village Hall – 2pm2 Pembury Evening WI: Homeopathy, Alternative Medicine – Village Hall – 7.45pm3 Friends of Pembury Parish Church: Coffee morning & sale – Village Green – 10am3 Pembury Footpath Walkers – Bo-Peep Corner – 2.15pm7 St Peter’s Mothers’ Union: ‘Growing up in Pembury’ – Upper Church Meeting Room – 8pm10 PAYFC: Bike Ride to France – details 82402210 Pembury Gardeners: Autumn Show – Village Hall – 2.30pm10-11 ‘The Noise in Pembury’ Community projects, teaching, worship, celebration – PemburyBaptist Church – Contact Jemma 825590 for details12 Parish Council Meeting – Village Hall – 8pm12 Floral Art – Village Hall – 8pm17 Dragon Boat Racing – Bewl Water – details of Compaid sponsored lake rescue 82406018 Pepenbury (previously Larkfield): ‘Taste of Kent’ Autumn Fair – details 82216824 Barn Dance: British Heart Foundation fundraiser – Village Hall – 7.30pm. Tickets 82425035

CRIME IN PEMBURYIN THE LAST issue of the parishmagazine, I stated that there should be anoticeable reduction in the next figures to bepublished, i.e. Jan, Feb, and March 2005. Icouldn’t have been more wrong. The figureactually rose to 74 and I cannot find an equalto that in the records I have kept.Many thanks to the people who took the timeand trouble to contact the police and obtainincident numbers, that is the only way we canget a picture of what is really happening onour streets. Whilst I do not like criticisingpolice at local level, unfortunately a recentincident tells me that there is no improvementin communication facilities and response.Certain local people, who had had enough ofcontinual night-time yob harassment, foullanguage, emptying of rubbish bins, bottlesbeing thrown at their houses, sometimes at2.30am, contacted me because of their lack ofconfidence in the police system. So I took iton board to contact the police myself anddespite telling them CCTV footage wasavailable, 70 hours later no contact had beenmade with the complainant.Regardless of what our three main partyleaders tell us, whose endless rhetoric atelection time would have us believe that theyare all members of the Magic Circle, i.e. oneMONTHJanuary 2005February 2005March 2005TOTALROADA21BBeagles Wood RoadBellfield RoadBrickfieldsBulls PlaceElmhurst AvenueHastings RoadHenwood Green RoadHenwoods MountHigh StreetLower Green RoadMaidstone RoadOld Church RoadRomford RoadTonbridge RoadWoodhill ParkTOTALAssault54110222111110BurglaryDwelling1231113Burglary Other112112CriminalDamageFraud andDeception9652011125126120213666Drugs1111can produce 10,000 more police, another25,000 and so on, it is time they stopped thewaffle and collectively produced some positiveaction. They are fortunate in as much thatthey are provided with round the clockprotection paid for by us, the taxpayer.We should then ask ourselves when does ayoungster become a nuisance, a bully, a pettycriminal, a serious criminal? Does it start athome, with parents foul mouthing in front oftheir children and showing a total disregardfor any discipline or law and order? Do thesechildren then go to school and foul mouthteachers and disrupt classes? Do otherchildren then follow suit? How many parentsgive the teachers, who are actually trying toprovide a future for their children, a hardtime, and so on?Collectively, because we allowed it to happen,teachers’ hands are very much tied and itmust be extremely frustrating for teachers andgood parents alike. How many parents areaware that their fourteen and fifteen yearolds, sometimes younger are out on the streetat 11.30 at night and what they are up to.They’re certainly not waiting for the chippy toopen! I would also say to some of the parents,when your children join a school, they join aclub. Live by its rules.Theft fromMotor VehicleTheft of MotorVehicleVehicleInterference2371211111211211221311131111Theft Offences7531522117215Other Offences1111TOTAL30222274122132810115111725374One last word goes toMr Mike Fuller, ChiefConstable of Kent.I attended the meetingat Tunbridge WellsBorough Council lastyear with many otherparish representativesand, Mr Fuller, despitemany promises, localpeople have yet to seeany reduction in thelevel of local crime andharrassment asdiscussed at thatmeeting.Hugh Boorman36

REMOVAL OF UNWANTED VEHICLESTUNBRIDGE WELLS Borough Councilhas reduced the cost of its service toremove and dispose of residents’ unwantedcars to £15 until September 2005.Unwanted vehicles that are abandonedillegally by their owners have a negativeimpact on the local street scene, can attractanti-social behaviour and be a target fordeliberate fires. Their removal also has asignificant resource implication for theCouncil.To make the borough a cleaner and saferplace the Council is keen to continue toreduce the number of cars abandoned in thearea and by reducing the charge we hope toencourage more residents to use the serviceto dispose of their unwanted vehicles in aresponsible manner.When a car is taken all the pollutants andparts that can be recycled will be removedbefore the rest is disposed of. This is ofgreater benefit to the environment than justCHURCH TIMESdumping it and will also make sure theowner is not prosecuted. New legislationmeans that the last Registered Keeper isresponsible for proper disposal and if theowner fails to ensure the old vehicle isproperly dealt with they are committing acriminal offence and can be fined up to£2,500 or three months imprisonment, orboth.Cllr Paul Oliver-Smith, Portfolio Holder forHealth and Housing, said: “Residents canhelp us to keep our borough a cleaner, saferplace by using the unwanted vehicle disposalservice. It benefits the environment becauseparts of the cars can be recycled. Abandonedcars are often subject to vandalism so thiswill reduce the amount of car fires which area real hazard to residents and will saveunnecessary calls to the fire service”.If you have an unwanted vehicle to disposeof please ring Environmental Services on01892 554246 or 554178 and we will bepleased to help.ST. 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 hearhis word on Sunday at10am and 1st, 3rd and 5thSundays at 6.30pm. Otherevenings to be announced.We have many activitiesduring the week formums, toddlers, youngpeople and senior citizens.Ring the church office825590 for details.37

YOUR REPRESENTATIVESCOUNTY COUNCILMr Kevin Lynes, 5 Downs Cottages, The Down, Lamberhurst, Kent TN3 8EX. Tel: 890922BOROUGH COUNCILPaul Barrington-King, 22 The Coppice, TN2 4EY. Tel: 825144David Mills, 125 Ridgeway, TN2 4ET. Tel: 825577PARISH COUNCILCllr David Coleman22 Ridgeway TN2 4ERTel: 823402Chairman of Parish CouncilChairman of Planning & HighwaysWorking GroupCllr Jennifer Ayres21 High StreetTN2 4PHTel: 824922Cllr Keith Farley3 Beagles Wood RoadTN2 4HXTel: 823440Cllr Mrs Alison Morton2 The Coppice TN2 4EYTel: 824938Chairman, Pembury Village NewsEditorial Working GroupCllr Roger Parrett27 Canterbury RoadTN2 4JTTel: 825948Cllr Steve Morton2 The Coppice TN2 4EYTel: 824938Vice Chairman of Parish CouncilChairman, Finance, Audit &Personnel Working GroupCllr Mrs June Crowhurst,44 Elmhurst Avenue TN2 4DATel: 824873Chairman, Amenities, ChristmasLights and Pembury in BloomCllr Leslie Gregory47 High Street TN2 4PHTel: 822343Chairman, Public RelationsWorking GroupCllr Mrs Sally Osborn34 Canterbury RoadTN2 4JT. Tel: 822726Chairman, Allotments, Burials,Environemt & EnvironmentalImprovement Working GroupCllr Norman Starkey71 Henwood Green RoadTN2 4LWTel: 823227Cllr Lisa Vanns7 Penns YardHigh StreetTN2 4XYTel: 824138Clerk to the Pembury ParishCouncilMrs Barbara Russell, 6 The GroveTN2 4BU. Tel: 823193Email: pemburypc@pembury.orgDeputy Clerk to the PemburyParish CouncilRichard Parsons, 6 The GroveTN2 4BU. Tel: 823193Email: pemburydc@pembury.org38

VILLAGE ORGANISATIONSAGE CONCERNMrs Sandra Springett. Tel:. 522591ALZHEIMERS DISEASE SOCIETYSimon Rooksby, Pineview Day HospitalPembury Hospital. Tel: 823535, Ext 3515BLACK & WHITE MARCHING MILITAIRETel: Louise 823097BOWLS CLUBLen Birnie. Tel: 01892 681222CATHOLIC CHURCHDeacon Bill Eason. Tel: 824133COMPAID TRUSTComputer Aid for Disabled People. Tel: 824060Transport for Special Needs. Tel: 823488CONSERVATIVE PARTYTerry Cload, 56 Herons Way. Tel: 823966CRICKET CLUBHon. Secretary: Andy Weaver. Tel: 824362FRIENDS OF PEMBURY HOSPITALc/o Pembury Hospital. Tel: 823535FRIENDS OF PEMBURY PARISH CHURCHChairman: Mrs S. Clarke, Little Stanton,Romford Road. Tel: 823932GUIDES, BROWNIES AND RAINBOWSMrs M. Allan, 9 Henwood Green Road. Tel: 822373HEADWAYLibby Slattery. Tel: 823120HOSPICE IN THE WEALDMaidstone Road. Tel: 820500KENT COLLEGEHeadmistress: Ann Upton. Tel: 822006KENT COLLEGE PREP SCHOOL & NURSERYHeadmistress: Anne Lawson. Tel: 820204LABOUR PARTYDave & Sally Osborn, 34 Canterbury Rd. Tel: 822726LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC PARTYDavid Mills. Tel: 825577LITTLE RASCALS (formerly ‘Meet–a–Mum’)c/o PBC Office. Tel: 825590NATIONAL 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 CHURCHAssoc Pastor Wayne AlexanderChurch Office. Tel: 825590PEMBURY BRIDGE CLUBGeoff Plummer. Tel: 824652PEMBURY COMMUNITY WORKING PARTNERSHIPRichard Parsons. Tel: 823193PEMBURY 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 ASSOCIATIONTracey Perrett. Tel: 823334PEMBURY SCHOOL HOUSE NURSERYTeacher in charge: Rosemary Rich. Tel: 825580PEMBURY SEQUENCE DANCE CLUBSecretary: Mrs Marion Warren. Tel: 547617PEMBURY SHORT MAT BOWLING CLUBArthur Storey. Tel: 822509PEMBURY SOCIETYSteve Morton. Tel: 824938PEMBURY TENNIS CLUBMrs S. Smith, 2 Ridgeway. Tel: 822405PEMBURY UPPER AND OLD CHURCHRevd. Heather Hughes. Tel: 824761PEMBURY VILLAGE MARKETSue Boreham Tel: 824385Eve Fiddimore Tel: 518277PEPENBURY (formerly Larkfield)Principal: Mr Roger Gibson, Cornford Lane. Tel: 822168ROTARY CLUB OF SOUTHBOROUGH & PEMBURYSecretary: Mike Raper. Tel: 01892 520171ROYAL NATIONAL LIFEBOAT INSTITUTIONPeter Chartres, 54 Woodhill Park. Tel: 823759SANDRA’S HOUSEPre–School Nursery, Mrs S. Toogood, Queens Folly,64 Lower Green Road. Tel: 824252SCOUTS, CUBS AND BEAVERSMike Cartwright, 16 Cornford Park, Pembury.Tel: 823235SCOUT & GUIDE HQ MANAGEMENT TEAMMike Cartwright, 16 Cornford Park, Pembury.Tel: 823235 and Moira Allan, 9 Henwood Green Road.Tel 822373ST. PETER’S MOTHERS’ UNIONSecretary: Mrs M. Adams. Tel: 822769ST. 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 Elizabeth Bellchamber. Tel. 824969WRVS LUNCH CLUBContact: Mrs Amanda Everett. Tel: 823280YMCASimon Stanley. Tel: 53444439