The Cake - Summer 2022

Tasty local stories, published by Cranbrook and Sissinghurst Parish Council 

Summer 2022 | FREE 

All Creatures 

Great and Small 

Herendon Vets 

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

Care Workers 

FULL TIME & PART TIME CARE WORKERS 

REQUIRED IN TENTERDEN, CRANBROOK, STAPLEHURST 

AND MOST OF THE SURROUNDING VILLAGES 

Could be your main income, or just a few hours to supplement your Furlough Pay 

(subject to your contract with employer) 

We have Mornings, Lunchtimes, Teatimes, Evenings and Weekend 

calls available. Also some Domestic Calls & Sleep-Ins to cover. 

NVQ Trained Worker 

Travel Time - Now paid at £8.91 per hour 

Mileage - 15p per mile 

Hourly Rate - £10.00 p.h Mon - Fri and £11.00 p.h at W/E 

Holiday Pay - 5.6 weeks paid seperately 

Non NVQ 

£8.91 per hour 

15p per mile 

£9.50 & £10.50 

Same 

Any experience is beneficial such as raising children, looking after elderly 

parents/grand children. But, FULL TRAINING will be provided to all applicants 

Why not contact us to discuss more about the 

work and what hours you are looking for? 

Call Natalie or Chloe 01580 762244 

These positions are exempt from the rehabilitation of offenders act

Published by Cranbrook and 

Sissinghurst Parish Council 

EDITOR 

Trisha Fermor 

ADVERTISING SALES 

David Hobden - 01892 677741 

davidh@spacemarketing.co.uk 

ADMIN SUPPORT 

Graham Holmes - gpholmes@hotmail.co.uk 

PRODUCED BY 

Tally Rix - Coffee Shop Media Ltd - 01580 848555 

tally@coffeeshopmedia.com 

PUBLISHED BY 

Cranbrook and Sissinghurst Parish Council 

01580 713112 

www.cranbrookandsissinghurstpc.co.uk 

Whilst every effort is made to ensure accuracy, the 

Cranbrook and Sissinghurst Parish Council, editor and 

authors cannot be held responsible for published errors. 

The views or opinions expressed do not 

necessarily reflect views of the Cranbrook 

and Sissinghurst Parish Council. Inclusion 

of any advertising material does not 

constitute a guarantee or endorsement of 

any products or services or claims made. 

SOMETHING FOR THE CAKE? 

We love to hear from you. Please send all ideas for 

contributions to The Cake to 

clerk@cranbrookandsissinghurstpc.co.uk by 

1st August 2022 

welcome 

It is with sadness that I write my last 

contribution to The Cake. 

After a career in journalism spanning 

more than 30 years, recognised in 2003 with 

the Kent Journalist of the Year award, I was 

delighted when the founder of this magazine, 

the late Brian Clifford, asked me to join him 

to launch the magazine. Little did I know I 

would pick up the reins when he sadly died. 

I have felt very privileged to write for the 

people of Cranbrook and Sissinghurst, not 

only about the parish council, but other 

stories of interest, reminding me so much of 

my time with the Courier newspaper. It has 

also been a privilege to be a parish councillor 

and its tree warden. 

Before I sign off for the last time, I must say a huge thank you to the 

wonderful team of voluntary contributors who help make The Cake such a 

wonderful publication. I will miss them and the magazine. 

Do enjoy the latest edition and long may it continue to drop through your 

letter boxes! 

Trisha Fermor, editor 

FRONT COVER 

Heronden Vets is an 

independent veterinary 

practice, owned and 

run by a local family. 

We already offer orthopaedic and soft-tissue surgery, 

ultrasonography, radiology, full laboratory analysis, 

even acupuncture. And now we’re expanding our 

Nurse Clinics. These can be booked free of charge for 

any little worries you might have, as well as weight 

and dental checks or advice on diet and nutrition. 

Heronden takes in-patient care extremely seriously 

and the practice has excellent facilities and staff for 

overnight monitoring and critical care on site. Please 

do come and say hi and introduce yourselves and 

extended family members... there is always a treat 

to hand! 

01580 763303 / info@herondenvets.co.uk 

www.herondenvets.co.uk 

Inside this issue 

REGULARS 

5 Directory 

7 Chairman’s Comment 

8 Letters 

11 Development News 

12 Local News 

14 Club News 

16 Event News 

19 Local Comment – Cllr. Sean 

Holden, Hon. Mayor Linda 

Page, Guy Pullen 

30 Kids’ Corner 

32 Kitchen & Garden 

35 Badger’s Plot 

41 Parish Council Update 

FEATURES 

22 Bloody Baker – a 

Sissinghurst horror story 

25 Joy of Sex – discover the 

Cranbrook grave of its 

authors 

27 Airfield – researching the 

Sissinghurst village airstrip 

29 Museum Matters – when 

cleaning out the store 

cupboard… 

37 Arts – South East Open 

Studios celebrates 25 years 

39 Legal – welcome news for 

leasehold homeowners! 

42 The Cake Chats with… 

Gaynor Hatch, Hospice in 

the Weald Charity Shop 

The Cake • Summer 2022 3

In Pictures 

Cranbrook's Union Mill showing 

support for Ukraine 

ALAN FORD 

4 The Cake • Summer 2022

directory 

A list of useful contacts in 

Cranbrook and Sissinghurst 


Parish Council 

The Old Fire Station, Stone Street, 

Cranbrook, KENT TN17 3HF 

Clerk – Mrs. L. Ham 

Deputy Clerk – Mrs. L. Thirkell 

Deputy Clerk - Mrs. C. Bezuidenhout 

01580 713112 / clerk@ 

cranbrookandsissinghurstpc.co.uk 

BOROUGH & COUNTY 

COUNCILS 

Tunbridge Wells Borough Council 

01892 526121 

www.tunbridgewells.gov.uk 

Kent County Council 

03000 41 41 41 / www.kent.gov.uk 

USEFUL NUMBERS 

UTILITIES 

Electricity: 0800 727282 (24 hrs) 

Gas: 0800 111 999 

Water: South East Water (drinking 

water) 0800 0283399, Southern 

Water (waste water) 0800 820999 (24 

hrs), Emergency leak 0800 0283399, 

Floodline 0845 9881188 (24 hrs) 

CRIME 

Non-Emergency Police: 101 

Crime Stoppers: 0800 555111 

KCC Community Warden: Adam 

Osborn - 07813 695741 

PCSO: Simon Humphreys - 

simon.humphreys@kent.police.uk 

Neighbourhood Watch Area 

Co-ordinator: 01622 604395 

In an emergency i.e. if life is in danger 

or a crime is in progress call 999. To 

request non urgent police assistance, 

to report crime or to make enquiry 

call 101. Non urgent correspondence 

and crime can be reported via the Live 

Chat icon at www.kent.police.uk 

ROOMS & HALLS TO HIRE 

St George’s Institute, Sissinghurst: 

Ursula O’Connor 01580 713938 

The Parish Room, Sissinghurst: Sue 

Crowe 01580 712567 

ts.crowe74@gmail.com 

The Vestry Hall, Council Chamber and 

Addison VC Room, Cranbrook: 

01580 713112 (10am-12pm weekdays). 

A full list of over 30 venues for hire in the 

parish is available from the parish office 

USEFUL CONTACTS 

CHURCHES 

Congregational Church, 

Cranbrook: 01580 388070 

St. Dunstan’s, Cranbrook: 

01580 715861 

St. Theodore’s RC, Cranbrook: 

01580 713364 

Strict Baptist Church, Cranbrook: 

01580 713212 

Trinity Church, Sissinghurst: 

01580 852275 

Vine Church, Cranbrook: 01580 712620 

SCHOOLS AND PRE SCHOOLS 

Colliers Green CE Primary: 

01580 211335 

Cranbrook CE Primary: 01580 713249 

Cranbrook Children’s Centre: 

03000 41 10 35 

Cranbrook School: 01580 711800 

Dulwich Preparatory School: 

01580 712179 

High Weald Academy: 01580 712754 

Rainbow Pre School, Cranbrook: 

01580 715570 

Sissinghurst CE Primary: 01580 713895 

Woodpeckers Pre School, Cranbrook: 

01580 720195 

DOCTORS 

Old School Surgery, Cranbrook: 

01580 712476 

Orchard End Surgery, Cranbrook: 

01580 713622 

The Crane Surgery, Cranbrook 

01580 712260 

DEFIBRILLATORS 

Cramp Club, Cranbrook 

Cranbrook Fire Station 

Cranbrook Medical Centre, Cranbrook 

Cricket Club, Sissinghurst 

Parish Council office 

Sissinghurst Castle Garden 

St. George’s Institute, Sissinghurst 

Tennis Club, Sissinghurst 

The George Hotel, Cranbrook 

The Milkhouse, Sissinghurst 

POET’S CORNER 

We welcome again Jacob, a pupil at Belle 

Vue School, with a huge talent for poetry 

which he is delighted to share with our 

readers. 

The Wonders of Spring 

The sun wins the battle, its 

rays shine and shimmer past 

the clouds 

Seas glimmer like gilded gold, 

while beaches regain their 

heat. 

The trees, previously 

surreptitious, now stand tall 

and proud 

As new life flourishes in their 

wizened branches. 

The wildlife awakens from its 

collective slumber 

Creatures, both the 

magnificent and the miniscule, 

start to make their moves. 

The great beasts of the prairie 

and savannah begin their 

prowl 

While the smaller animals 

start to scavenge for 

sustenance. 

DIRECTORY 

Flowers break out their shells 

and begin to bloom, marking 

this new season 

Their colours inaugurate the 

spring with their splendour. 

Limitless, labyrinthine 

kingdoms of industrious insects 

rise to prominence 

Bringing the beauty of spring 

to even the most distant lands. 

And as we revel in the glory of 

the season, we must stop and 

remember 

Each animal has a purpose, 

a place in the magnificence of 

nature. 

Every being has a task in life’s 

wrapping web 

So we must use this season 

to figure out the place of our 

thread. 


COMMENT 

CLLR KIM FLETCHER 

Chairman’s 

Message 

The outlook for the coming 

couple of years is looking bleak, 

particularly for people with few 

savings to fall back on. The eyewatering 

increases in food and 

energy bills mean life is changing and we 

need to look ahead to bring the community 

together and increase resilience. 

Looking forward to next autumn, the 

parish council wants to support organisations 

supporting families deciding to ‘heat or 

eat’. We are exploring a community kitchen 

in the Vestry Hall to run once a week from 

September until April 2023. 

Already Wellbeing in the Weald, Age 

Concern, Messy Church and the primary 

school are exploring ways to run a coffee 

morning, then soup and a roll for adults at 

lunchtime, and then a warm meal for children 

after school. An add-on may run cooking 

lessons to show how to feed a family very 

cheaply. 

This will require many volunteers with 

various skills to spread the considerable 

workload. People with catering expertise 

(chefs and management) as well as washersup, 

helpers and organisers will be needed. We 

may need access to a professional kitchen 

once a week. 

The Vestry Hall will be a warm place for 

people to meet and share a warm meal in a 

cold climate. We hope to raise a budget of 

£10,000, through charitable grants or some 

local philanthropists. 

This is a brave initiative and if you think 

you can help please contact the organisations 

mentioned, or me, chairman@cspc.org.uk 

We have been leading and supporting other 

initiatives to create community cohesion and 

show that all sections of the community can 

live together. 

The reopening of the public toilets in 

May improves our offer to tourists, as well 

as supporting our elderly. Two cubicles are 

labelled for men and two for women and 

we ask that all ages respect the sensitivities 

The new shelter in the Crane Valley sponsored by our Kent county councillor Cllr Sean Holden and 

erected by Messrs Dunn of Prestige Fencing. 

around unisex toilets. 

Notices will be put in the public WCs asking 

people to meet in the field shelter in the 

Crane Valley instead of the public toilets. 

The shelter, sponsored by our Kent county 

councillor Cllr Sean Holden, has been erected 

by Messrs Dunn of Prestige Fencing, and has 

been well received by all the passers-by. We 

are also indebted to Travis Perkins for its 

support. It needs some seating if anyone has a 

bench or two to spare. 

At the top of the Ball Field, by the new 

spinney, the wild flower meadow has been 

seeded successfully by Cranbrook in Bloom, 

following a lot of hard work shifting turf to 

prepare the land. Special thanks go to Fred 

Page for his unstinting work on the project. 

I hope the summer treats you well. 

Cllr Kim Fletcher, chairman of Cranbrook 

and Sissinghurst Parish Council 

Since writing my column I have been 

informed of Trisha Fermor’s resignation 

as editor of ‘Cake’. 

As a founder member of Cake, she 

has been instrumental in its success, 

carrying on her award winning 

journalistic career with interviews and 

articles of local interest. I would like to 

publicly thank her for her dedication to 

the task 

She will be a very hard act to follow, 

but I am now appealing for anyone who 

would like to help write, research or edit 

the next edition, to contact me or the 

Parish Office. 

If you have a local story (not fiction), 

please write it down and send it to us for 

inclusion. 

Kim Fletcher, chairman@CSPC.org.uk 


letters 

www.bussmurton.co.uk | T: 01580 712 215 

Among the Strawberries 

I just have to share with fellow readers these pictures of a 

clever little robin who chose to make her nest among the 

strawberry plants at Bumbles Plant Centre, Cranbrook. She 

is wheeled in and out of the main building on her plant 

rack each morning and evening and has laid five eggs, all of 

which have hatched. The team tell me that the baby birds 

are growing well and they have even put up a ‘mind the 

robin’ sign to warn unsuspecting strawberry shoppers! 

Tally Rix 

No Time to Mow 

What a lovely way to celebrate the Jubilee – tree and wildflower planting in 

the Ball Field. It beggars belief that while this nature-first activity undertaken 

by the parish council is going on, KCC is massacring habitats by mowing 

verges that would otherwise be abundant with the wild grasses and flowers we 

have been told are so important to our pollinators. And even in places where 

visibility isn’t an issue. Seriously, who makes these decisions?! 

By email 

Please send 

your letters to: 

clerk@cranbrookandsissinghurst 

pc.co.uk or by post to The Cake, 


Parish Council, The Old Fire Station, 

Stone Street, Cranbrook, TN17 3HF. 

Please note, letters may be published 

in a shortened form at the 

discretion of the editor. 

In Defence of the Play Equipment 

I know there has been some controversy over the introduction of up to the minute play equipment at the park by the Ball Field but I 

have to say I am impressed. My grandchildren are regular users and enjoy the puzzles the structure in question offers and have not 

yet tired of finding ways to navigate it. The novelty of the slide element and the sheer height of the thing make for some adrenaline 

fuelled play, and I can personally vouch for the thrill of the zip slide (and its sturdiness!). 

Colin Greenaway 


We have been providing expert and 

trusted legal advice to individuals and 

businesses for generations. 

STAR SHOP 

Congratulations to The Glasshouse on Stone 

Street, Cranbrook – this issue’s Star Shop. We 

love your quirky sophistication and fun, seasonal 

window designs. The Cake Star Shop trophy will be 

winging its way to you shortly! 

Working WITH YOU, not just FOR YOU 

Tax planning 

Profit improvement strategies 

Business development advice 

Inheritance tax advice 

Succession planning 

Payroll 

Tel: 01233 630000 

www.mageegammon.com 


SUMMER ADVENTURES 

FULL STEAM AHEAD FOR 

A REAL FAMILY TREAT THIS SUMMER 

FREE on-board nature activities for the family. For dates, train times and fares 

BOOK ONLINE AND SAVE. 

www.kesr.org.uk 

1072 KESR SUMMER THE CAKE HALF PAGE AD_FAW 186x113.indd 1 29/04/2022 17:11 

LOOK & FEEL YOUR BEST 

Beauty and well-being is our passion, and our passion shows on every client 

that walks out of our doors. Through ongoing education and continued 

training, our beauticians and aestheticians stay up to date on the latest 

treatments and techniques to bring you the very best. 

Permanent make up 

*Including 6 week top up 

Hairstroke, powder & 

combination brows - £300 

Eyeliner - £250 

Injectables 

Dermal filler 1ml - £160 for treating 

the nasolabial, marionette lines or lips 

Anti-wrinkle injections - £165 for 1 

area £50 for each additional area 

Aqualyx fat dissolving - £125-£200 

Profhilo skin boosters - £250 

Meso skin needling facial - £55 

Brows & lashes 

Lash lift - £35 

Lash tint - £13 

Lash extensions - £50-£80 

Brow lamination, wax & tint - £33 

Accredited lash training courses - 

from £399 

Nails 

Acrylic nail extensions - £40 

Acrylic nail extension infill - £25 

Gel manicure - £25 

Luxury pedicure - £35 

Nail art - £5 

Holistic wellness 

Holistic massage, reiki, hot stone & 

Indian head massage - from £55 

B 

ISABELLE SZUMNIAK 

Carriers Road, Cranbrook, TN17 3JX | 01580 438003 

V Isabelleszumniak@hotmail.co.uk | www.issyszumniak.co.uk 


DEVELOPMENT NEWS 

No to Homes on 

Controversial Site 

Plans to build 

42 houses 

on land off 

Mill Lane, 

Sissinghurst, 

have been refused 

following a public 

inquiry. 

The application 

had originally been 

turned down by TWBC 

on highways grounds. 

Dandara, the developers, 

had argued that the 

number of homes in a 

“reasonably accessible 

location” would make a 

significant contribution 

to the council’s housing 

land supply. 

However, the inspector 

concluded that the 

adverse impacts would 

significantly outweigh 

the benefits. The 

proposed access to the 

site from the narrow Mill 

Lane would give rise to 

“considerable harm” to 

highway safety, a view 

supported at the inquiry 

by Kent County Council. 

TF 

TWBC PLANNING PORTAL / DANDARA 

TWBC PLANNING PORTAL / DANDARA 

The Latest on 

your Community 

and Medical 

Centre 

As you are aware, 

we have suffered 

delay due to 

the pandemic 

and now the 

economic 

situation is 

proving difficult to 

predict accurate cost 

outcomes for our proposals. 

However, we have pressed on 

and currently have consultant 

surveyors undertaking a full 

topographical survey of our land 

where the proposed buildings will be 

constructed. Boreholes have been dug 

and soil samples taken for analysis. 

Once we have the report on the 

outcome of this survey we will be 

in a position to know, with some 

certainty, the type of foundations 

that will be necessary for the 

buildings. This in turn will enable 

us to predict the cost of these 

foundations which has been up to 

now a large unknown. 

We will keep you posted as to 

our progress on the update of our 

business plan. 

So, just a reminder there is still 

time for more ideas and suggestions 

from you as to what you would like to 

see in your community centre. Please 

let us know. Cllr Colin Gilbert 


NEWS 

News 

Everyone’s Toilets 

Townspeople have praised the work 

of the parish council and school 

children who joined together to reopen 

the public loos in Crane Lane. 

After thousands of pounds 

were spent over the years repairing repeated 

vandalism, Tunbridge Wells Borough Council said 

there was no more money available for further 

work and closed the toilets, responsibility being 

handed to the parish council. This move led 

townspeople, including shopkeepers, to complain 

that there were no facilities for shoppers and 

tourists who could be put off visiting the town. 

About £8,000 has been spent by the council 

on refurbishing the unisex loos which re-opened 

last month. Children from Belle Vue School have 

brightened up the outside with colourful murals. 

Their head teacher Mary McKeeman told The 

Cake they would not be put off by the possibility 

of more vandalism and would remorselessly and 

happily replace their colourful artwork until the 

vandals gave up. A notice has also been put on 

the front wall appealing for people to respect the 

building. 

Chairman Kim Fletcher painting over a small 

section of old graffiti which was left from 

previous vandalism 

Cllr Colin Gilbert, who has led the council’s 

plan to get the conveniences re-opened, said he 

would like to see a message on the building to 

saying “everyone’s toilets”. TF 

Special Thanks 

for Conservation 

Work 

The hard work and commitment 

given by Peter Allen to Cranbrook 

Conservation Area Advisory 

Committee has been recognised 

with its community award from the 

Kent Association of Local Councils. 

A former teacher, who had a long 

association with Cranbrook School, 

Mr Allen was secretary of the 

committee for many years until he 

retired in 2021. He was instrumental 

in writing three conservation area 

appraisals, Cranbrook, Wilsley and 

Sissinghurst. He worked tirelessly 

representing CCAAC on other 

organisations and has written many 

booklets about Cranbrook. TF 

Don’t Let The Vandals Win 

The mindless vandalism which led to the removal of the mobile breast clinic in Cranbrook could 

result in avoidable deaths of women. Parish council clerk Lori Ham fears that many, who cannot 

drive or find it difficult to travel to Maidstone or Tunbridge Wells hospitals, could be harbouring a 

potentially life-threatening medical condition. 

Lori has every reason to be concerned for others. Following a routine mammogram, she was found 

to be suffering from atypical ductal hyperplasia, which can lead to cancer if untreated. There are none 

of the usual symptoms, such as lumps or pain which lead women to consult their doctors. In her case, 

it was picked up when she had her routine mammogram and she has since undergone treatment. 

Lori was full of praise for the staff at the Peggy Wood Breast Centre at Maidstone, who were, 

“without exception amazing”. She said: “I want to encourage women to continue to have their 

mammograms. The damage to the breast clinic has meant it has been withdrawn and we don’t know 

if it is permanent. 

“It has left people having to travel to Maidstone or Tunbridge Wells which is not always easy for 

some if they don’t drive. I am lucky that I can work flexibly but what worries me is that there are 

a lot of women in this area who were served by the clinic who perhaps cannot find ways of going 

elsewhere. 

“I feel so lucky that it was picked up. If I hadn’t gone for the mammogram I would never have 

known I had the condition which I had never even heard of. Don’t let the vandals win.” TF 


NEWS 

Thank You Roni! 

In March, Cranbrook said a big Thank 

You to Roni Summers for nearly 40 years’ 

tireless service to its town’s elderly 

residents. 

Since the 1980s, Mrs Summers has 

been the lynchpin of Cranbrook and 

District Age Concern and volunteers, 

guests and friends joined her at the 

charity’s weekly coffee morning in the 

Vestry Hall to chat and listen to speeches 

and tributes from the honorary mayor 

Linda Page, the parish council and her 

husband, David. 

There was a celebration cake and Mrs 

Summers was decorated with camellias, 

her favourite flower. Everyone had a 

story to tell of her kindness and how she 

made it her mission to provide services, 

support, friendship and unlimited 

kindness to countless elderly people and, 

in doing so, improve the quality of so 

many lives. 

In 2008, her selfless service to the 

elderly was recognised when she was presented with an MBE by Prince Charles. She 

has now retired from the charity and has recruited new trustees to take it forward. 

Everyone is welcome to join in the charity’s coffee mornings each Tuesday at the 

Vestry Hall between 10.15 and 11.45am. Anyone wishing to volunteer can call in for 

a chat or email info@cranbrookdistrictageconcern.org 

Juliet Mellor 

Members of the Stag Owners Club visited the Cranbrook Union windmill in May as part 

of a rally around Kent which included a visit to a local vineyard. The Cake photographer 

Alan Ford captured the cars in front of the Grade 1 building which is the tallest smock mill 

in the UK. TF 

CUP CAKES 

• With Covid-19 forcing the 

postponement of Fairport Convention’s 

concert at St Dunstan’s Church more 

than a year ago, fans are delighted to hear 

the legendary group will be back there 

on Friday 3 June. Tickets are available 

at wmwcranbrook.co.uk or in person at 

Larkins’ Alehouse in the High Street. 

• Cranbrook is again looking to add to 

its collection of gold medals when the 

South and South East in Bloom judges 

visit the town on June 28. For two hours, 

they will be looking at environmental, 

horticultural and community issues. 

Cranbrook in Bloom chair Linda Page said 

litter and graffiti are a bit “no-no” and 

urges everyone to keep the town clean. 

• Become a “Pillar of the Community” 

and buy a brick or donate time to help 

the Hands of Hope charity restore the 

historic ornate wall which surrounds its 

organic grounds in Hawkhurst. It needs 

12,000 bricks and volunteers to help. 

Anyone interested? Email james.doran@ 

hohcharity.co.uk 

• The spring 

plant sale 

organised 

by Cranbrook 

in Bloom in 

April raised 

an amazing 

£700. Held 

outside 

the garden 

of keen 

supporter 

Marian 

Cumberland, 

the plants on 

offer included 

Linda Page and Alison 

Bunyan at the Cranbrook in 

Bloom plant fair 

trees for sale to mark the Queen’s Platinum 

Jubilee. 

• Sissinghurst Open Gardens kicked off 

on 7 May and will run weekly on Saturdays 

until 30 July. Money raised with go to the 

Friends of Sissinghurst Church. For a list of 

gardens and other information contact sue. 

mcauley@rocketmail.com 


CLUB NEWS 

Wildcats Landed 

In Cranbrook! 

Cranbrook Juniors FC is super excited to bring the 

Wildcats programme to our town and we already 

have upwards of 15 girls coming every week! 

So, what exactly is Wildcats? Well, it’s non- 

competitive football for girls who want to give it a go 

for the very first time or want to play with other girls their own 

age. All girls aged five to 11, of any ability, are invited to come 

along and join us to have fun, make friends and play football! 

Led by FA qualified and DBS checked coaches, there's no 

pressure for girls to play in matches or do anything they feel 

uncomfortable with. Activities vary weekly but could include 

assault courses, no-contact bulldog, drills with and without a 

ball, pretending to be animals, hula hoop challenges and much 

more. 

Sessions are held at the Weald Sports Centre on Fridays 

(term-time only) 17.30-18.30 and cost £3 per session. For more 

information email wildcats@cranbrookjuniorsfc.co.uk 

Ant Tomlinson 

Never too Late 

to Celebrate! 

Due to the pandemic, part of the 

centenary celebrations to mark the 

reformation of Cranbrook Bowls Club 

following the Great War of 1914-18, had 

to be cancelled. 

One was a game against the royal household at Windsor Castle and 

the other a visit to the Chelsea pensioners to play against them. 

Despite the cancellations, stalwart player Tony Platts said the 

members had their own celebration at the club a year later. The guests 

of honour were our honorary mayor, Linda Page, and dress shop owner 

Gemma Humphries. 

The club is looking for new playing members, whether they are 

new to bowls, coming back to the sport after a time away or perhaps 

thinking of changing clubs. Cranbrook has its own teams in the Weald 

League and Maidstone Men’s Friday evening league if potential 

members want to play competitive bowls. 

To find out more about the club go to Facebook or www.cranbrookbowls. 

co.uk. You can also contact Tony on 07866 250765. TF 


Caring for heads, shoulders… 

Knees 

Toes 

PODIATRY 

Biomechanics 

Gait analysis 

Orthotics 

Insoles 

CHIROPODY 

Corns 

Callus 

Blisters 

Verucaes 

SHOE FITTINGS 

Running 

Walking 

Trail 

Back to school 

MASSAGE THERAPY 

Tight muscles 

Stress relief 

Improve mobility 

Promote healing 

PHYSIOTHERAPY 

Manage pain 

Rehab 

Injury diagnosis 

Posture assessment 

Julie Rose Stadium, Ashford, TN24 9QX CALL 01233 660851 31 High Street, Cranbrook, TN17 3EE CALL 01580 715904 


EVENT NEWS 

Queen Elizabeth’s 

Platinum Jubilee 

Parties 

Festivities to celebrate the Queen’s record 

70 years on the British throne are expected 

to draw big crowds to Cranbrook and 

Sissinghurst. 

On Saturday 4 June, from 1-4pm, the 

aptly named Jubilee Field in Sissinghurst 

will be the venue for fun and games at the 

Big Village Picnic Celebration. 

People are being urged to take along 

their tables and chairs and picnics to be 

entertained with live music, traditional 

games and “some ale” for the adults. There 

will also be a crown and tiara competition 

with prizes. 

In Cranbrook, the High Street will be 

closed to traffic from 11am to 4pm on 

Sunday 5 June when “lots of entertainment 

for the kids” will be on offer as well as the 

group Box of Frogs playing in the White 

Horse. It is expected the street will be lined 

with tables and chairs as people enjoy their 

picnics or buy from the food and drink 

stalls. TF 

Cranbrook Music Festival is Back! 

Following the huge success of CRANFEST 2021, the musical 

extravaganza will return to the town on Friday 9 and Saturday 

10 September, writes Keith Stockman 

CRANFEST 2022 events will 

be hosted in several venues, 

ranging from small, intimate 

places, such as The Hive and 

Larkins’ Alehouse, to a large 

open-air stage in The George Hotel. We aim 

to make use of St Dunstan’s Church again, 

as well as the Vestry Hall, and this year we 

hope to utilise the excellent Queen’s Hall 

Theatre as an extra venue. 

As with last year, we aim to showcase 

a wide variety of music genres across the 

various venues so that there is something 

for everyone to enjoy. With an extended 

programme on Friday evening, we will have 

nearly 40 different artists playing during 

the two days. Returning favourites include 

Southern rockers Melonheadman, soul-funk 

outfit Unit 48 and the delightful folk duo 

Red, Green & Blue. 

New artists this year include folk-punkrockers 

The Outcast Band, fine Americana 

from Naomi Bedford and her band, jazz 

giant Paul Malsom and trio, and Kent 

reggae stars The Liberators. Other genres 

featured are blues, from Jinda Biant, the 

Ben Hemmings Band and Dave Ferra, fine 

folk-rock from Wildwood Jack, Watergrain 

and Touchstone, plus some good old 

rock’n’roll from The Varlies, Dirty Lexi and 

Common Buzzards. With many more fine 

artists playing as well, you can be sure there 

will be something for everyone! 

In addition to all the contemporary 

music, there will be a programme of 

classical music in St Dunstan’s Church, 

music workshops and other surprises in the 

Vestry Hall and, we hope, a Battle of the 

Bands in the Queen’s Hall Theatre. 

With food and craft stalls, plus a Buskers’ 

Corner and street entertainment, it is going 

to be a very busy couple of days! 

A Must Date 

for your 

Diaries! 

Cranbrook on the Green will be held on 

the Ball Field, Cranbrook, on 31 July. 

Among the attractions will be a classic car 

show, charity fun dog show, bands, food 

and drink stalls plus lots of entertainment. 

It will run from 11am to 6pm. TF 


EVENT NEWS 

Sissinghurst Flower 

Show – For Real! 

It was back to normal for the village on Saturday 26 March when people were able to meet 

face to face for the spring show which saw plenty of entries. 

For some, it was the first time they had entered and were delighted to find themselves 

among the winners. All the classes were well supported and as usual there were tasty treats 

on offer. Among the winners was youngster Juniper, the first recipient of the Denis Hemsted 

Youth Cup, presented in his memory by his family. TF 

Jan Seymour won the David Martin trophy 

for her double narcissi (pictured below) 

Juniper, the first recipient of the Denis Hemsted 

Youth Cup 

Welcome Back CODS 

Cranbrook 

Operatic and 

Dramatic Society 

is back in the 

theatre – hurrah! 

This Easter we produced our 

first play since the pandemic 

with roaring success. 

Our modern take on The 

Vicar of Dibley pleased 

actors and audiences alike 

and it was wonderful to 

see so many people back to 

support live, local theatre. 

Never have hula hoops been 

so amusing. 

Our next exciting 

production is now cast and 

we begin rehearsals shortly. 

Is Cranbrook ready for the 

flamboyant and fabulous 

‘Priscilla, Queen of the 

Desert – The Musical’? 

We shall see. This 

colourful and entertaining 

musical is crammed full of 

nostalgic pop songs which 

will have you up on your feet 

and dancing in the aisles. 

If you enjoyed The Vicar 

of Dibley or if you think 

Priscilla sounds like fun, 

why not join us? Whether 

you crave the limelight, 

want to help backstage, 

or are a budding techie, 

we are here in the heart of 

Cranbrook. It is not too late 

to get involved with the 

show, on or off stage, and we 

are always looking for new 

members, so try something 

new or revisit a past love. 

Contact annie.hatch33@ 

gmail.com 

Why not join us for a 

journey to the heart of 

fabulous! Annie Hatcher 

Sponsors: Cranbrook Farmshop and Nursery and Peter Jones (Opticians) Ltd 

CRANBROOK OPERATIC AND DRAMATIC SOCIETY 

26 – 29 OCTOBER 2022 

QUEEN’S HALL THEATRE 

CRANBROOK 

Presented through special arrangement with and all authorised performance materials are supplied by TRW 

Theatrical Rights Worldwide, 122-124 Regent Street, 5 th floor, London W1B 5SA. www.theatricalrights.co.uk 


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LOCAL COMMENT 

SEAN'S COLUMN 

Parallel Problems 

For PMs a Century 

Apart 

Imagine a Prime Minister who 

magically appeals to voters, an orator, 

partial to a bit of fun, especially with 

women, who faced a giant European 

problem and got it done; whose chief 

opponent said, after his election victory, 

he could be Prime Minister for life if he 

wanted. 

No, not Boris Johnson in better days, 

but David Lloyd George, the great Liberal 

leader of World War One, “the man who won 

the war” but whose downfall exactly 100 

years ago, resonates with the trials of Boris 

Johnson. 

Four years after his 1918 blazing ‘Khaki’ 

election victory (albeit in coalition with 

the Conservatives), the “Welsh Wizard” 

- the only Welshman to be PM - left 

Downing Street, in 1922, amid scandal 

and disillusionment. The scandal was not 

wallpapering his flat, or illicit parties but 

selling peerages, even to a notorious tax 

evader. His lively, adulterous, sex life (he 

was known as The Goat) shocked post-war 

propriety. A sometimes uneasy relationship 

with truth was challenged, even during the 

war, by a General Maurice who publicly 

accused him of misleading Parliament over 

army numbers. But everyone knew that was 

DLG and hey! he got the Great War done. 

The gloss dimmed as the war’s colossal 

cost became a growing economic shadow, 

darker even than the vast price of victory 

over Covid. Lloyd George’s version of Boris’ 

levelling up, the election slogan “homes fit 

for heroes” for returning servicemen, went 

largely unfulfilled. Instead ‘heroes’ felt the 

bite not of inflation but of deflation, as 

prices fell, economic growth slowed and 

unemployment rose. 

The coalition’s Conservative majority 

stuck with DLG because, like Boris, he was a 

David Lloyd George 

“A sometimes uneasy relationship with truth was 

challenged, even during the war, by a General Maurice 

who publicly accused him of misleading Parliament over 

army numbers. But everyone knew that was DLG and 

hey! he got the Great War done” 

vote winner but as crises grew around him 

his appeal and their faith, faded. By 1922 

Lloyd George had overseen the fracture 

of the Union when Ireland, except for the 

North, rose up and, in 1921, broke away 

from the United Kingdom, as Scotland now 

threatens. It left a troublesome settlement, 

which continues as Boris wrestles with the 

post-Brexit fallout of the Northern Ireland 

protocol. 

Risky foreign policy finally did for Lloyd 

George. A still writhing, dismembered 

Boris Johnson 

empire, not the Russian but the Turkish, 

sought to annex Greek enclaves in what is 

now Turkey. Lloyd George nearly dragged 

Britain into a war for them which finally 

cost him his parliamentary support, both 

his Liberal rump and the Conservatives. I’m 

not superstitious about these parallels of 

history or history repeating itself but it’s 

fascinating to note the more it changes the 

more it stays the same – certainly we, as 

humans, do. 

Cllr Sean Holden 


LOCAL COMMENT 

Hon. Mayor 

Linda Page’s 

June message 

It’s great to see the public 

toilets in Crane Lane open 

again. Many thanks to the 

parish council. Hopefully, 

the tired mosaic seat will 

be moved soon to a temporary 

place for repair and TLC, with it 

then being found a place to be 

displayed in the long term. It is a 

lovely piece of art that needs to 

be saved. 

Please get involved again this 

year by helping the bees and 

supporting my two important 

and well deserving charities, the 

Sam West Foundation and Motor 

Neurone Disease Association. 

Donations can be made at 

Cranbrook Farm Shop, Larkins 

Ale House, Anderson’s Butchers, 

Cranbrook DIY, TN17 Food & 

Wine, Cranbrook Service Station 

and Pages Newsagents. You 

can pick up sunflower seeds, 

wildflower seeds and bee bombs. 

It’s not too late to sow your 

sunflower or wildflower seeds, 

or you may prefer to keep your 

wildflower seeds for autumn 

sowing and an early spring 

display. 

I’m sure most gardeners can 

already identify a pollinator 

plant in their borders, tubs, 

planters or maybe your lawn, 

so please go online and register 

your postcode. Be included 

on the bee corridor map of 

Cranbrook & Sissinghurst. The 

local maps will be updated 

throughout the summer 

showing where the butterflies 

and bees will travel through 

our parish. Please visit www. 

bringonthebees.uk to find out 

more. 

We are very fortunate to have 

so many events organised in the 

town over the next few months. 

Please support them and enjoy 

everything that’s thrown at us. 

Have a great summer! 

Guy's Column 

Hands of Hope sets the standard for healthy soil 

There can be few more idyllic 

settings for a vegetable garden 

than the new growing field at 

Hope Farm Community Garden in 

Hawkhurst. Right now we garden 

to the bleat of lambs and the cry of buzzards 

above, while the orchard next door sends 

flurries of blossom onto the newly-made beds. 

We garden our acre of vegetables by hand, 

using no-dig methods which don’t disturb 

the soil so all the life within stays intact and 

functioning. Our soil is heavy clay, but it is 

also full of bacteria, protozoa, fungi, viruses 

and millions of other life forms, most of which 

are too small to see, but all of which play a 

vital role in the functioning of good soil. 

All the minerals and nutrients that a plant 

needs to grow can be found in our heavy 

mineral clay, but to become available to the 

plant, the web of life needs to eat and excrete, 

to live and die. Only when that life flourishes 

will plants thrive and over time our soil will 

get more nutrient-rich as these symbiotic 

relationships get stronger. 

We feed our soil with green waste compost 

made from council garden waste collections. 

It is not great quality for putting in pots, but 

it has all the organic matter that the soil web 

needs to thrive. We also aim to have plants in 

the soil at all times as plants and their roots 

are a vital part of the soil’s web of life. 

During the past 70 years or so, we have 

ploughed and dug land on an industrial scale 

which has destroyed its life force. Naturallyoccurring 

nutrient levels are decreasing in 

industrially farmed fields, so farmers need 

to add more and more chemical fertilizers 

to keep the plants growing. This isn’t just 

the fault of farmers. As a society, we have 

benefited from cheap food without wondering 

at the cost to the earth, our health or to the 

long-term viability of production. 

At Hands of Hope, we believe that healthy 

soil = healthy plants = healthy humans. With 

the help of our army of volunteers, we grow 

vegetables for food banks, lunch clubs and 

community projects as well as for our own 

veg box scheme. Our organic vegetables come 

powered by the soil and are full of nutrients. 

They’re also delicious! 

Guy Pullen, HoH head of horticulture 


CRANBROOK 

In Bloom 

See our PLATINUM list 

of 12 gardens 

For our 16 th Glorious 

GARDEN SAFARI 

Sunday 19 th June 10.30am – 5pm 

Tickets £5 available from13th June at Pages Newsagent, 

or on the day from any garden 

Open gardens are marked with balloons & signs 

NO Dogs Preferred 

Homemade cakes and plants for sale 

Email marian.cumberland@hotmail.com 

Trees available for the Queen’s Green Canopy 

£10 each, contact Linda in Pages 

Supported by 


LOCAL HISTORY 

Model displayed at Sissinghurst depicting Sir 

Richard Baker's house circa 1560 

Bloody Baker of 

Sissinghurst 

Ann Historian tells the tale of a wicked lord whose name is linked to Baker’s Cross 

Many locals, like me, were told 

as children the tale of the 

Bloody Baker of Sissinghurst 

as a bedtime story; the fable 

of our very own wicked 

lord in the local castle bearing down on our 

ancestors. 

And, like all good stories, it needs to be 

taken with a big pinch of salt. So, apologies to 

the present incumbents at Sissinghurst Castle 

and those who heard a different version, 

which there are, I am sure, quite a few. So, 

here is the one I was first told: 

In the 1800s a woman known only as F.L, 

visiting Cranbrook, reported she was being 

shown around St Dunstan’s Church by an 

old lady when her attention was caught by 

a monument in the chancel to Sir Richard 

Baker. His gauntlet, gloves, spurs and helmet 

were suspended over the tomb. 

F.L. remarked how vividly red the gloves 

were. “Aye, miss”, her guide replied: “Those 

are Bloody Baker’s gloves; their red colour 

comes from all the blood he shed”. 

The young Richard was known to have a 

“Jekyll and Hyde” character; prone to extreme 

outbursts of love and emotion, showing 

a terribly violent character, bordering on 

sadistic! The guide then told her the tale of 

the Lord of Sissinghurst. 

A local beauty, Jane Chester, the widow 

of a recently diseased soldier, caught his 

lordship’s eye one summer. He became charm 

personified and wooed her into Angley Woods 

for an evening stroll. 

Her boyfriend, one Henry Dartmouth from 

Goddards Green, followed them, worried for 

his lover’s safety. Sir Richard charmed, sang 

and recited poetry to Jane to the point where 

she very nearly succumbed to his advances. 

Suddenly he went mad, turning into a wild 

uncontrollable fiend! Henry ran to protect her, 

his sword drawn, but Sir Richard made short 

work of him, nearly to the death, ran back to 

the castle then fled to France. 

Some years later, Jane’s daughter Mary and 

a companion decided to taunt Sir Richard by 

popping in unannounced at the castle, the 

lord having returned and, up to his old tricks, 

had taken a shine to the younger Miss Chester 

along with many other young local girls, some 

of whom had gone missing! 

As the main door was open, they entered, 

shouting for him. They stumbled into a 


LOCAL HISTORY 

darkened room with a foul odour, just as 

they heard Sir Richard and his groundsman 

returning, carrying the body of a beautiful, 

dead woman. 

The men tried to get the corpse up some 

steps but her hand caught in the turret 

window frame. Sir Richard, frustrated that he 

couldn’t free it, took out his knife and cut it 

off! It landed in the lap of Mary’s dress, as she 

hid below stairs. 

When the men had gone, the girls realising 

the room had more bodies than the one they 

had just witnessed, fled back to Cranbrook. 

(Rumour has it that the actual window 

bleeds on the anniversary of this woman’s 

death, and there is a secret tunnel from the 

castle to Cranbrook that took Bloody Baker’s 

carriage underground into town!) 

Back in the safety of her fine house in the 

High Street, Mary decided to lay a trap. She 

would throw a dinner party for the great and 

good in the town; Sir Richard was at the top of 

the guest list. 

Days later, they arrived and much beer, 

wine, food and merriment was made all 

evening until Sir Richard asked her why he 

hadn’t seen her for so long? 

She replied that she had actually visited 

him just days earlier, only to find a room 

full of corpses of local missing girls! Sir 

Richard laughed and demanded proof of 

her outrageous accusation. Only then was 

the hand brought out, still wearing the 

engagement ring that had been given to the 

deceased girl by one of the other guests! 

Sir Richard, realising his peril, jumped 

for his sword, but not quickly enough. The 

servants and gentlemen drew their knives 

and swords and forced “Bloody Baker” to 

the cell above the entrance to St Dunstan’s 

Church (still there), thereby stopping 

his reign of terror: “So perish the deeds 

of Bloody Baker! So perish the Lord of 

Sissinghurst!” 

SIDE NOTE 

The other Sir Richard Baker of Sissinghurst 

Castle (born 1488) was a very important 

man. He became Chancellor of the 

Exchequer, not only to King Henry VIII, but 

also to King Edward VI then briefly Lady Jane Grey and 

finally Queen Mary. It was he who rounded up protestants for execution by “Bloody Mary” right up 

until her death. It was while on his way to Cranbrook that a messenger rode up to inform him of 

the Queen’s death. At that very spot, he turned his soldiers round to return to Sissinghurst Castle 

without their intended prisoners. That place is still caller Baker’s Cross, after that very event. 

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FEATURE 

Joy of Sex 

Authors’ 

Gravestone 

The Joy of Sex was an 

international bestseller 

when it was first published 

in 1972, written by Dr Alex 

Comfort and his wife, Jane 

Few people know that 

Cranbrook has a strong 

link to the couple, as 

there is a wood off the 

Swattenden Road, called 

Comfort Wood, owned and run by 

the Woodland Trust. 

Near the centre, is the double 

gravestone of Jane and Alex 

Comfort, who were buried there 

in 1991 and 2000, having enabled 

the trust to purchase it. There 

are several footpaths through 

the wood, as the Woodland Trust 

has extended its woodland up 

to Freight Lane. The map shows 

where the gravestone lies, down 

an unmarked small cul de sac 

path. 

The wood was planted in 1991 

but unfortunately the ashes are 

being ravaged by die back. This 

leaves woodland spaces that are 

ideal for the Bluebells, Wood 

Anenomes and Stitchwort that 

have been wonderful this year. 

Throughout the summer it is a 

great place to see butterflies such 

as Orange Tips, Meadow Browns, 

Commas, Ringlets and Speckled 

Woods. 

Last year, Barn Owls could be 

seen hunting the hedges, and 

often Buzzards are mobbed by 

Crows and Kestrels can be seen 

hunting the fields adjacent. 

The entrance for footpaths is 

from Swattenden Lane or from 

Freight Lane. 

Cllr Kim Fletcher, chairman 


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FEATURE 

Researching 

the Village 

Airstrip 

Graham Holmes and Peter Mellor investigate 

Visitors to the 

wider estate at 

Sissinghurst 

Castle Garden 

would be unaware 

that the footpath leading to the 

Bird Hide and Dig Dog Lane, 

passes quite close to what was 

once a World War II airfield. It 

hardly seems possible, given 

the restricted nature of the 

field, enclosed as it is by native 

hedgerows. 

For a brief spell in 1943 it 

was indeed a grass airstrip, in 

use by No.653 Squadron, Royal 

Air Force. However, its aircraft 

were not the iconic fighters of 

the period but the Taylorcraft 

Austers of an Air Observation 

Post squadron. These aircraft 

were small, rather flimsy 

looking machines that carried a 

pilot and two observers whose 

responsibility it was to note 

and correct the accuracy of 

fire from the artillery on the 

ground. The Army provided 

the pilots and observers and 

the RAF, the ground crews. 

The Auster was the ideal 

aircraft for the job, having the 

ability to take off and land in 

confined areas like the airstrip 

at Sissinghurst. 

No.653 had formed at 

RAF Old Sarum, Wiltshire 

on the 20 June 1942 and its 

first deployment was to RAF 

Penshurst on the 7 September 

of that year. On the 17 August 

1943 the squadron moved 

to the temporary base at 

Sissinghurst, coming under 

the orders of the British Army 

12 Corps and participating in 

Exercise Peacock. It is believed 

that this exercise aimed at 

further improving the role of 

the Air Observation Posts and 

would ultimately culminate 

in their use following the 

Normandy landings in June 

1944. The exercise complete, 

the Squadron returned to 

Penshurst on the 17 September 

1943. 

The Sissinghurst airstrip was 

located in a field called “The 

Large Field” that contained 

low hedges and a SW to NE 

orientation – ideal for take 

offs and landings – the only 

hazard being an oak tree on 

the western hedge boundary! 

Due to its temporary nature, 

no buildings were erected 

and personnel would have 

worked and slept under canvas. 

Officers may well have been 

billeted in the area. Today, 

there is no trace whatsoever 

to remind us of what had been 

taking place in 1943. 

I am indebted to Peter 

Mellor for his valuable help 

in producing this article, 

condensed from his detailed 

research in 2017 – now in the 

Castle Archives. 


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LOCAL HISTORY 

MUSEUM MATTERS 

Thousands of horses… 

During the closure of the 

museum due to Covid, 

we were able to catch up 

on many tasks and it was 

while we were checking 

the contents of a store cupboard that 

we came across a box of photographs - 

800 in total. 

They are official images passed 

by the War Office for transmission 

abroad, depicting every aspect of 

the horrors between 1914-1918 and 

include many of the Western Front in 

France, Mesopotamia, Belgium, naval 

activities, nursing and much, much 

more. I was staggered at the number of 

horses in the pictures – thousands and 

thousands. 

The photographs needed some 

conservation work and we were able 

to secure a grant from the Museums 

Association. This has allowed us to 

store them in acid free sleeves and 

storage boxes. A group of volunteers 

packaged each photograph individually 

recording all the information known 

about it. Enquiries at the Imperial War 

Museum suggest our collection is not 

ABOVE: Cavalry in training on the British 

Western Front in France. 

unique but well worth conserving as a 

collection of Official WWI images. 

I will just mention that while talking 

to the museum, someone dropped into 

the conversation that their collection 

consists of 11 million photographs! 

When we get to November this year 

and the Remembrance Day Parade to 

the War Memorial, the photographs 

will be on display for the public to 

view in the Vestry Hall from 10am – 

3pm. Please do make a note to come 

and have a look at this extraordinary 

collection which we have been able to 

rescue and conserve. 

Mike Huxley 


Kids' Corner 

Colour 

me in 


Spot 10 

Puzzle 

time 

WORD 

SEARCH 

Hello Summer 

differences 

Dulwich Spirit 

Encouraging innovation and independence, 

building confidence and resilience 

dulwichprepcranbrook.org 


HOME & GARDEN 

IN THE 

GARDEN 

“Nature never was nor should be tidy” 

says writes Penny Royal 

It was great to see that last 

month was celebrated by 

some as No Mow May in 

an effort to bring some 

relief to our beleaguered 

flora and fauna. 

But obviously the message 

to leave the mowers in the 

shed to allow the flora to grow 

had not got through to our 

councils. Why are they so hell 

bent on ridding the roadsides, 

roundabouts and any other 

public areas of flowers or 

grasses that had the nerve 

to put their heads above the 

earth’s parapet? 

Perhaps the most horrendous 

sight was the mowing of an 

entire verge of bluebells, in 

full bloom, on a Goudhurst 

Road, ironically not far from 

Bedgebury Pinetum. 

Local social media was full of 

condemnation and rightly so. 

The sloping verge had been a 

glorious site until the arrival of 

the (council?) contractor and 

his machine. 

With wildlife and wild plants 

under threat as never before, 

we are constantly being urged 

to make life better for birds, 

bees, hedgehogs all the other 

creatures, despite their habitats 

disappearing at an alarming 

rate. 

Councils across Kent are 

wasting hundreds of thousands 

of pounds on ridding our verges 

of wildlife habitat, money 

which could be better spent 

helping nature to claim back 

land for so many threatened 

species. The same could also be 

said for those responsible for 

maintaining churchyards. 

Obviously, for safety reasons, 

“Why are they so hell bent on ridding the 

roadsides, roundabouts and any other public 

areas of flowers or grasses that had the 

nerve to put their heads above the earth’s 

parapet?” 

plants can’t be allowed to block 

sightlines at road junctions 

but the verge outside my own 

home has been scythed to bare 

earth more than four times this 

year and we don’t even have a 

driveway and live on a straight 

road! 

We should take a leaf out 

of the book used in France. 

All along their motorways are 

unfettered wild plants and trees. 

The central reservations are 

filled with Amelanchier lamarkii 

trees, full of white blossom in 

the spring; the verges a sight 

to behold with mile upon mile 

of millions of cowslips. These 

give way to summer flowers 

and there is not a strimmer or 

a grass cutter to be seen. Every 

village seems to covet plants, 

whether growing wild or in 

delightful hanging baskets, 

tubs and even old rowing boats. 

We are being asked to help 

our wildlife while agricultural 

land is being built on, habitat 

for wildlife is shrinking and 

what little is left is being 

scythed for no other reason 

than to make our countryside 

look tidy. Nature never was nor 

should be “tidy”. Penny Royal 


HOME & GARDEN 

Let’s Cook 

Special Chicken 

Pithivier 

I have often pondered why the 

names for some French foods 

always sound more inviting, 

particularly the wonderful word 

Pithivier – so much nicer than 

pie! But whatever you call my 

latest offering, delicious is the 

word I would use. I ate this at a 

dinner party and just had to add 

it to my recipe collection. I hope 

you like it as much as I do. 

4tbsp pink peppercorns, crushed 

300g chicken thighs skin removed 

cubed 

200g Brie cheese 

100g dried cranberries 

2 egg yolks beaten 

WHAT TO DO 

1. Roll out two circles of puff pastry, 

one 25cm and the other 30cm. 

Leave to chill on two trays. 

2. Add oil to frying pan and fry the 

onion and garlic, taking care not 

to brown them. Add the salt and 

peppercorns and mix. 

3. Add the chicken and cranberries 

and cook for about seven minutes 

then cool. 

4. Slice off the top and base of 

the brie and place in the centre of 

the smaller pastry round. Add the 

chicken mix all round the cheese 

making sure to keep the edges of 

the pastry clear before brushing 

with the egg yolk. Take the second 

circle and put on top, smoothing 

it down as you go and then seal it 

INGREDIENTS 

Serves 2-3 

2 x packs puff pasty 

2tbps olive oil 

1 onion finely chopped 

4 cloves garlic grated or finely 

chopped 

1tsp salt 

firmly, crimping the edge. Brush the 

top with egg mix and chill for 30 

minutes. 

5. With a knife, score the top and 

make a small hole in the centre to 

allow steam to escape. Heat the 

oven to 200C/ fan 180C/ Gas 6 and 

put in the tray to heat up. When 

at temperature, place the pithivier 

on the tray and cook for about 25 

minutes or until golden brown. 

Bon appetite! 

Emma Fraser 

Buy delicious grass fed meat. Reared to the highest welfare and nutritional standards. 

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BADGER’S PLOT 

Summer Harvests 

Summer time on the plot or in the 

kitchen garden is a culmination of 

all the hard work and preparation 

undertaken earlier in the year. It 

is, hopefully, going to be a time to 

harvest and enjoy the fruits of your labours. 

Once again, the forthcoming period has 

been split into early, mid and late summer. 

EARLY SUMMER 

Sow outside: French and runner beans, 

beetroot, carrots, courgettes, cucumber, kohl 

rabi, lettuce, marrow, spring onions, pak 

choi, peas, pumpkins, radish, salad rocket, 

swede, sweetcorn and turnips – quite a list! 

Planting outside from seed trays or pots: 

Brussels sprouts, leek and beans. 

Harvesting: First harvest of early beetroot, 

carrots, potatoes, lettuce, broad bean, garlic 

and peas. If you are fortunate enough to 

have an asparagus bed, harvesting the 

delicious spears can continue until the end 

of June 

Preparing ground: Clear away any 

overwintered cabbage. Weed all beds where 

sowing or planting is yet to take place. 

MID SUMMER 

Sow outside: Lettuce (for harvesting in the 

autumn) and winter salads such as endive 

and chicory. 

Planting outside: Kale, swede, savoy 

cabbage, cauliflower, purple sprouting 

broccoli. 

Harvesting: July can be a time of 

abundance. Potatoes, peas, broad beans, 

courgettes and early salad plants should all 

be ready. At the same time lift and store your 

onions, garlic and shallots to enable them to 

dry out. 

Preparing ground: Some of the early 

harvests are now coming to an end and the 

opportunity should be taken to clear the 

site of any debris and weeds. As explained 

in previous issues, the beds can be used 

for second cropping, especially if you are a 

no-dig gardener. A gentle hoe to loosen the 

soil and you are ready to plant – provided 

you have had the foresight to sow some 

lettuce or brassica seed back in April! The 

alternative is to direct-sow things like beans, 

carrots and swede making sure that you thin 

out the plants as they appear. 

LATE SUMMER 

Sowing outside or in the greenhouse: 

Spinach and chard for overwintering. Late 

sowings of salad crops 

such as spring onions 

and radish. 

Harvesting: This 

is the time when 

everyone offers 

you their surplus 

runner beans! 

Tomatoes, peppers 

and cucumbers 

should also now be in 

plentiful supply. It’s 

a good time to check 

those potatoes and 

onions that have been 

in storage. 

JOBS ON THE PLOT 

HEN HOUSE 

POULTRY 

Quality Point of Lay Chickens 

Excellent choice available, fully 

vaccinated, laying lovely fresh 

eggs in a variety of shell colours 

Hopefully, you will not have neglected 

the all-important task of weeding. This 

period will see many weeds setting 

seed and if you ignore the signs you are 

storing up trouble for later. Whenever 

you are on the plot, why not set aside a 

“10 minute weed” session? If you rent 

an allotment, remember unwanted 

weed seeds will drift on to your 

neighbour’s plot. 

A word here about watering. Your 

soil type will determine how to manage 

watering you plants. Much of the soil in 

the parish is made up of Wealden Clay 

which, despite its appearance, actually 

retains moisture exceedingly well 

reducing the frequency of watering. In 

other areas you will find the sandstone 

of the Hastings Beds. This can be very 

porous and not at all water retentive, so 

regular watering is needed. Whatever 

your soil, regularly incorporating wellrotted 

organic matter will increase its 

moisture retaining capacity. 

There are critical periods when 

watering is necessary; water helps 

seeds to germinate, it is also beneficial 

when seedlings have been transplanted 

into the soil and later, it will help the 

swelling of peas beans and tomatoes. As 

a rough guide, when watering it is best 

to water thoroughly rather than merely 

wetting the surface. If you have a 

greenhouse or shed, get yourself water 

butts to capture rainwater – it contains 

nitrates, one of the key elements that 

plants need. Badger 

Country living at its best! 

www.henhousepoultry.co.uk 

01622 843649 (Sutton Valence) 


High Street, Cranbrook, 

Kent, TN173RB 

Telephone: 01580 715008 

reception@hammondoptical.co.uk 

hammondoptical.co.uk 

Holly’s Funerals 

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Funeral Choices 

We provide a highly flexible & personal 

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funeral for you and your family 

Please call for a friendly, informal chat or 

to make an appointment 

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Hartley Dyke, Cranbrook 


South East Open Studios 

Celebrates 25 Years 

South East Open Studios (SEOS) is a not-for-profit, artist-led organisation that depends on 

the participation and engagement of both artists and makers – experienced and new! 

ART 

This year SEOS celebrates its 25th year 

of helping artists celebrate and exhibit 

art and craft. A true milestone. With 

refreshed branding and recognising the 

need to connect with artists from all types 

of backgrounds and all genres support, it’s all set to 

celebrate another 25 years. 

Artists and makers of all genres sign up and people are 

invited to visit the artists in their studios from 3-19 June. 

Some artists team up with each other and small groups 

get together, others choose to exhibit alone. 

Visitors can see the artists demonstrating their 

art, maybe some are just working, others will actively 

promote individual demonstrations. Whichever, it’s a joy 

to see the artist in their environs 

and to visit so many lovely studios 

and venues. Some large, some 

tiny, but all loved, and all visitors 

are welcome! Artists will talk to 

you about their processes, their 

passion, their philosophy. Learn 

how they create, and most work is 

for sale. 

This is a wonderful opportunity 

to see so much different art, meet 

the people behind the art and to 

see so much of our beautiful Kent 

countryside. 

Cranbrook and environs are 

well served with exhibiting artists 

and Grierson Galleries, based 

in Cranbrook, is delighted to be working 

with SEOS this year to help celebrate 

its anniversary. Visit the gallery to pick 

up your free SEOS brochure and see the 

works of 23 local artists, from ceramics to 

oils, watercolours, award winning garden 

sculptures, photography, abstracts, works 

inspired by the local countryside, mixed 

media. You name it it’ll be in the gallery for 

everyone to admire! 

Each artist will be exhibiting one piece 

and the visitor can then chose which 

studios to visit. Please do visit. It’s a great 

opportunity to see and appreciate so many 

talented local artists in one place! 

Annie Watsham 

Flow Lines 4 by Karen 

Birchwood 

Nicola Colbran 

Urbane Jungle by 

Christine Hopwood 

Urchin Bowl by Dizzy 

Pragnell 

EXHIBITING 

ARTISTS 

Caroline Anderson, 

Louise Pettifer, Jane 

Gray, Jemimah Patterson, 

Jeremy Westgate, Nicky 

Colbran, Clive Dand, 

Dizzy Pragnell, Liz Betts, 

David West, Susie Vittay, 

Claire Dominic, Christine 

Hopwood, Kate Schuricht, 

Jade Taylor, Lenka Kalafut, 

Kristin Watt-Bonar, Clare 

Winchester, Rosemary 

Houghton, Liz Bewley, 

Karen Birchwood, Phil 

Auden and Rowena 

McWilliams. 

Daisy by 

Claire Dominic 

Mother Love by 

Caroline Anderson 

Watching by 

Jade Taylor 


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LEGAL ADVICE 

Residential Leasehold 

Ground Rent 

Welcoming news for 

leasehold homeowners 

We welcome the 

major changes 

to residential 

lease ground 

rents 

following the Leasehold 

Reform (Ground Rent) Act 2022 

which was passed through the 

commons without opposition. 

For far too long, leaseholders 

have encountered difficulties and 

high fees regarding the issues 

with unreasonably high annual 

ground rents and in some cases, 

rents escalating greatly over a 

short period of time. This has 

caused problems for re-sale of 

property due to mortgage lenders 

not accepting the position of 

the terms of the rent charged 

by the landlord/freeholder for 

the property. The Competition 

Authority (CMA) secured 

commitments with major 

homebuilders to cease the terms 

of leases which included the 

doubling of ground rent charges 

to homeowners. 

Historically, the terms of 

residential leases included 

clauses for the increase of 

ground rent, which had to align 

with the Council for Mortgage 

Lenders (now UK Finance 

Lenders). Landlords/freeholders 

continued to create new 

residential leases with escalating 

rent clauses. Increasing annual 

rent was not only a financial 

burden for the leaseholder but 

became unacceptable to the 

mortgage lenders. Leaseholders 

have therefore been left with 

no choice than to agree costly 

variations to the terms of 

the registered lease when 

progressing a sale transaction. 

The government’s ban on 

landlords charging ground 

rent on residential leases in 

England and Wales comes into 

force on the 30 June 2022 and 

anyone buying a new home with 

a long lease will be free of the 

ground rent annul charge. The 

act will mean that ground rents 

on new residential homes and 

flats granted for a term of over 

21 years will be charged at a 

‘peppercorn’ per year. Effectively, 

this means, nothing to pay in 

respect of rent! 

The changes in legislation 

have been proposed for some 

time to consider the ground rent 

terms, which were unfair for 

leaseholders. The provisions of 

the 2002 act will not take place 

immediately but generally will 

commence within six months 

of the Royal Assent. The act 

will bring homeownership of 

residential leasehold property a 

fairer and financially beneficial 

position. 

For existing leaseholders with 

problematic leases, who choose 

to extend the term of their 

lease, through the non-statutory 

(voluntary) action, they will also 

benefit from the changes of the 

legislation under the new act. 

The extension of the lease (Deed 

of Variation of the original lease) 

will restrict ground rent to ‘a 

peppercorn rent’. Many existing 

MAURICE PULLIN 

landlords are already taking steps 

to procure the position of the 

new changes. 

There are special provisions 

and some exceptions included 

within the provisions of the 

new Act which need to be 

considered, to include shared 

ownership leases and retirement 

accommodation leases. Such 

provisions will not come into 

effect until April 2023. 

This is an important milestone 

in the system for homeownership 

and affordability of residential 

leases for the next generation. 

If you are in the process of 

purchase a new build leasehold 

property, please ensure that 

the developer has taken into 

consideration the changes of 

legislation contained in the 

new Leasehold Reform (Ground 

Rent) Act 2022. 

PAULA SAVAGE 

Buss Murton can provide professional advice and 

assistance to new and existing homebuyers of 

leasehold property. Please do not hesitate to call 

Paula Savage on 01892 502358 / 01892 510222 or 

email psavage@bussmurton.co.uk quoting 

Cake Magazine. 

Clermont House, High Street, 

Cranbrook, TN17 3DN 

01580 712 215 or info@ 

bussmurton.co.uk 

www.bussmurton.co.uk 


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Update 

Two New 

Members 

for Parish 

Council 

With two 

councillors 

having 

resigned 

from the 

parish council but no call for 

an election, Ant Tomlinson and 

Julie Simpson were co-opted to 

fill the vacancies. 

Mr Tomlinson is well known 

for being a co-founder of the 

popular Cranbrook Junior 

Football Club. In a professional 

capacity, he helps local people, 

charities and small businesses 

develop their websites. 

An active member of the 

community, he is a volunteer 

at the windmill, involved in 

Wellbeing in the Weald and has 

become the development officer 

at Cranbrook School. 

A father himself, he believes 

he is as a good representative 

for a younger generation. He is 

keen to be involved in ensuring 

that children have the best 

possible future while retaining 

classic, community values. 

The other newcomer is Julie 

Simpson who offered “energy, 

enthusiasm, time and 39 years 

of local knowledge” having lived 

all that time in Sissinghurst 

with her publisher husband 

Peter and four children. 

She is particularly known 

as the founder of the Wealden 

Times, and the Surrey Homes 

magazines. She trained as a 

drama teacher but worked in 

recruitment and went on to 

sell books to schools before 

founding the WT magazine. 

She is a trustee of the 

Cranbrook and District 

Age Concern and her other 

- interests include the 

environment, conservation, 

child welfare and schooling. 

Five of her eight 

grandchildren – seven boys and 

one girl – are at school which 

has turned her attention to 

education. 

She and her husband have 

recently made half their home 

a safe haven for a Ukrainian 

family. A grandmother, two 

daughters and a two-year-old 

grandson fled Kyiv, leaving a 

father and brother to face the 

fighting. TF 

Ant Tomlinson 

Julie Simpson 


THE CAKE CHATS WITH… 

Gaynor Hatch 

Trisha Fermor talks to Gaynor Hatch who has overseen the sale of thousands 

of pounds worth of goodies in a charity shop 

For Gaynor Hatch every day was 

“like Christmas” when she and her 

“fantastic team” sorted through 

donated bags at the Hospice in the 

Weald shop in Cranbrook. 

For more than 10 years, she was responsible 

for everything that arrived at the Stone Street 

outlet, from amazing costume jewellery to 

handbags and clothes and china to books and 

CDs. 

But on 20 May, she celebrated her 

retirement with her volunteer staff, just a 

week after putting her last price tag on a 

donated item. 

Gaynor, 57, who lives in Northiam with her 

husband, Tony, a retired plumber, has spent 

nearly all her working life helping others, 

including time with Cancer Research and 

Barnardo’s. She was also head house keeper at 

the Spa Hotel in Tunbridge Wells where she 

met her then husband-to-be who was head of 

maintenance. 

After a “full on” spell with a Crowborough 

cleaning company, which offered a 24-hour 

service, she decided it was time to move on. 

She was looking for a job in the charity sector 

A Hermes scarf raised £400 in May's 

silent auction 

and soon found herself working for Hospice in 

the Weald. 

Speaking just days before her retirement 

party, Gaynor said: “Every day is like 

Christmas. You don’t know what’s in that 

bag. We get a lot of brand new clothes coming 

in still with their tags and the standard of 

clothes we sell is very high. I only put the best 

of what we get on sale and people like us for 

the quality.” 

The silent auctions held occasionally at 

the shop are hugely successful, the May one 

raising a record £2,105. Top of the bidding 

was £400 for a Hermes scarf while a cheese 

dish went for £75. A group called the Welly 

Walkers, who each donate £1 for each walk, 

recently handed over £70 to the charity. 

Gaynor said: “The auctions are really 

successful and people are very generous with 

their bidding.” 

While much of her life has involved helping 

others, she has been the recipient of muchneeded 

care when she had part of a kidney 

removed due to cancer. 

She said: “Six years ago, I had packed up 

smoking then began to get pains. If I hadn’t 

packed up the cancer would not have been 

found. Smoking saved my life. I had keyhole 

surgery and three months off. Hospice were 

brilliant.” 

Gaynor was full of praise for her team 

of volunteers, from Audrey, 92, to younger 

members of the team, including the Three 

Degrees (Marian, Benice and Pam) who are 

responsible for the “time consuming” window 

dressing. In all, there are about 27 people who 

give up their time to man the shop. 

Gaynor was keen to point out that dogs are 

allowed in too and are given a treat. On the 

day The Cake visited, everyone was delighted 

that a robin had taken up residence and 

would eat out of Gaynor’s hand. 


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Property Conveyancing 

Family, Children & Divorce 

Employment law 

Wills, Trusts and Probate 

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Company & Commercial law 

Our Cranbrook Office: 

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High Street 

Cranbrook 

Kent TN17 3DN 

T: 01580 712 215 

E: info@bussmurton.co.uk 

www.bussmurton.co.uk 

CRANBROOK | TUNBRIDGE WELLS | EAST GRINSTEAD 

Buss Murton Law LLP is a Limited Liability Partnership No. OC345994 and is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority

The Cake - Summer 2022

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