Spring 2024

Tasty local stories, published by Cranbrook and Sissinghurst Parish Council 

Spring 2024 | FREE 

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Sissinghurst Parish Council 

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01580 713112 

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Cranbrook and 

Sissinghurst Parish 

Council, editor and 

authors cannot be 

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SOMETHING FOR THE CAKE? 

We love to hear from you. Please 

send all ideas for contributions to 

The Cake to clerk@cspc.org.uk by 29 

April 2024 

Chairman’s Message 

Determined and Optimistic 

The world seems in a bit of a state, with uncertainty, doom and 

gloom at every corner. We, in our little corner of the world, 

bear the brunt of decisions by centralised government and 

bean counters who think they know best, the cost of everything 

but the value of nothing. Luckily, your parish councillors and 

local folk are an optimistic lot who are determined to do their best for the 

community. 

The reaction to the proposed sale of the Union Windmill, an icon of 

Cranbrook, has been marvellous. The long path to a ratified Neighbourhood 

Development Plan has come to fruition, hopefully giving people who live 

here more say in planning matters. The planning application for 34 houses 

Cllr. Kim Fletcher, 

chairman, Cranbrook & 


on the Long Field has received a deluge of negative comment, particularly from people who see it as a 

potential site for a school. It is designated as a green space in the NDP. It is interesting to see a number of 

neighbouring parishes also commenting, as we try to get some ‘solidarity across the rural areas.’ 

We hope to relaunch the plans for the community centre in the Crane Valley in March. KCC’s plans to 

close libraries certainly hit a nerve. We are planning to have a new library in the centre, but it will now 

take in the children’s centre as well. 

We await NHS requirements for space now that Dr Hindmarsh has retired after giving so much to 

our community. We wish him well. The parish has always wanted to have a larger medical centre, with 

specialist clinics and more healthcare delivery to take the pressure off people travelling to hospitals. If we 

are to prevent illness, having a community centre will hopefully encourage more healthy lifestyles. 

There is a new group that has formed to continue the argument for a new non-selective secondary 

school in the area. Looking at the new properties flooding onto the market, there will be increasing 

demand for school places. This group are collecting data to take to the Department for Education and 

KCC. Please contact clerk@CSPC.org,uk if you want to be part of this. 

The parish has not increased the precept this year – this is the part of council tax that comes to the 

parish to run the streetlights, toilets, grass cutting, play equipment etc. I think KCC will be increasing 

their part by 4.99 per cent, and the Police want another 5+ per cent. I believe we should provide the 

services we need and this means the parish investing in the future. We know KCC are desperate for 

cash as services they have to deliver by law, adult social care and special needs education, swallow any 

discretionary funding. The parish will need funds in the future so this may be the last year the precept 

does not go up. 

Cllr Kim Fletcher, chairman, Cranbrook & Sissinghurst Parish Council 

Inside this issue 

21 Mayor’s Message 

22 St Dunstan’s 

32 Kids Corner / Let’s Cook 

33 Book Corner 

34 Badger’s Plot 

37 Farming & Agriculture 

39 Legal Matters 

40 Parish Council Update 

remembering the demolished 

Sissinghurst icon 

26 Wellbeing in the Weald – 

activities for all 

28 Museum Matters – mystery of 

a battlefield photo solved 

30 Town v. Gown –friendly 

rivalry between Cranbrook’s 

schools 

42 Cake Meets… David Clark, 

new head at Cranbrook 

School 

GETTY IMAGES 

REGULARS 

5 What’s on & Directory 

6 Letters 

8 Development News 

10 Local News 

12 Club News 

16 Events News 

18 Schools News 

FEATURES 

24 St George’s Institute – 

The Cake • Spring 2024 3

Independently run and family owned, the Golden Boot is a proud 

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take away with you, so you and your little one are in good hands.

directory 

A list of useful contacts in 

Cranbrook and Sissinghurst 

Cranbrook and Sissinghurst 

Parish Council 

The Old Fire Station, Stone Street, 

Cranbrook, KENT TN17 3HF 

Clerk – Mrs. C. Bezuidenhout 

Deputy Clerk - Mrs. L. Ham 

Deputy Clerk – Mrs. L. Thirkell 

01580 713112 / clerk@CSPC.org.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 

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 

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). 

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 

Belle Vue School, Cranbrook: 

01580 854641 

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 

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 

Cricket Club, Sissinghurst 

Parish Council office 

Sissinghurst Castle Garden 

Public Toilets, The Street 

Tennis Club, Sissinghurst 

The George Hotel, Cranbrook 

The Milkhouse, Sissinghurst 

WHAT’S ON 

March 

2 March – Rumble Wrestling, actionpacked 

family friendly show, The 

Queen’s Hall Theatre, Cranbrook, 

7.30pm, www.queenshalltheatre.co.uk 

9 March – Rachel McShane & The 

Cartographers, traditional folk and 

contemporary sounds, The Vestry 

Hall, Cranbrook, 7.30pm, www. 

wmwcranbrook.co.uk 

22 March – Sissinghurst Spring Flower 

Show, Sissinghurst Primary School, 

2.30pm, www.sissinghurstflowershow. 

wordpress.com 

22 March – Liam Vincent & The 

Odd Foxes, folk-rock, St Dunstan’s 

Church, Cranbrook, 7.30, www. 


April 

4–6 April –Twelve, Presented by CODS, 

The Queen’s Hall Theatre, Cranbrook, 

7.30pm, www.cranbrookods.org.uk 

5 April – Show of Hands, acoustic 

roots/folk duo, St Dunstan’s 

Church, Cranbrook, 7.30pm, www. 


12 April – Sam Brothers with Ian 

Roland, folk/blues/roots music, The 

Vestry Hall, Cranbrook, 7.30pm, www. 


13 April – Bootleg Blondie, official No.1 

Blondie tribute band, The Queen’s Hall 

Theatre, Cranbrook, 7.30pm, www. 

queenshalltheatre.co.uk & www. 


20 April – The Cranbrook Comedy 

Club presents Mitch Benn, Ray Badran, 

Justin Panks & Kate Lucas, The Queen’s 

Hall Theatre, Cranbrook, 8.00pm, 

www.queenshalltheatre.co.uk 

26 April – Annie Dressner, singer/ 

songwriter from NYC, The Vestry 



BE IN THE KNOW 

Scan the QR code to 

receive Cranbrook and 

Sissinghurst Parish 

Council newsletters. 

DIRECTORY 

May 

11 May – Michell & Vincent, folk duo, 

The Vestry Hall, Cranbrook, 7.30pm, 

www.wmwcranbrook.co.uk 

16 May - Cranbrook School Presents, 

Battle of The Bands, The Queen’s Hall 


queenshalltheatre.co.uk 

25 May – The Total Who Show, hits and 

classics from a wonderful tribute act, 

The Queen’s Hall Theatre, Cranbrook, 

7.30pm, www.queenshalltheatre.co.uk 

& www.wmwcranbrook.co.uk 

26 May – Cranbrook Goes Nuts in 

May, Cranbrook High Street, 

10.00am–4.00pm, 

www.cranbrookgoesnutsinmay.co.uk 

June 

8 June – The Time of Our Lives, a 

cocktail of the best 80s music and 

movie soundtracks, Queen’s Hall 

Theatre, Cranbrook, 7.30pm www. 


15 June – Counterfeit Quo, the UK’s 

premier Quo tribute band, The Vestry 



21 June – The Cranbrook Comedy 

Club, The Queen’s Hall Theatre, 

Cranbrook, 8.00pm, www. 


22 June – Brave Rival with the 

Mark Harrison Trio, soulful rock 

and blues music, The Queen’s Hall 


queenshalltheatre.co.uk & www. 


28 June – A Celebration of Father Ted 

with Joe Rooney, 7.30pm, The Queen’s 

Hall Theatre, Cranbrook, www. 


If you would like to add your event to 

the ‘What’s On’ in Cranbrook calendar, 

please email: hulland-rumleyk@ 

cranbrook.kent.sch.uk 


letters 

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

What is 

Going on 

with South 

East Water? 

I live on Hartley Road in Cranbrook 

and the water supply issues we have 

faced in the last 12 months have been 

completely unacceptable. There have 

been at least three outages (no water 

for almost two weeks in total) and 

several hosepipe bans. This is bad 

enough for our household and I am 

sure much worse for the staff at the 

residential care home down the road. 

The arrangements for water collection 

points/washing facilities and so on, 

though welcome, have been slow, 

chaotic and disorganised. 

I was astonished to receive a text in 

January from SE Water saying, ‘More 

water is being used locally than normal. 

The changing weather has caused 

more pipes to burst in homes and in 

our network than normal.’ Really? I 

would suggest that more water ‘than 

normal’ is being used because SE 

Water have taken no account of the 

increased demand of dozens of new 

houses in the area. In addition, rather 

than changing weather I suggest that 

the increase in burst pipes is because 

the grid is old and out-of-date due to 

lack of investment. An upgrade, though 

well overdue, would be costly and there 

is little money available because of 

shareholder dividends and executive 

bonuses! Next thing, they’ll probably 

be charging us for fixing the problem. 

Friends and family have reported 

similar problems in the surrounding 

parishes. SE Water needs to get its act 

together, quickly. 

A householder, Cranbrook 

Keep Those Bells Ringing! 

As you all know St Dunstan’s Church in Cranbrook has a long tradition of bellringing. The 

bells have been ringing out for midweek practice, weddings and national celebrations since 

before their special peal in honour of Queen Elizabeth’s visit to the town in 1573. 

I am writing this letter to let everyone know that St Dunstan’s urgently needs bell 

ringers. You don’t need to be strong, you don’t need to be musical, you don’t need to go 

to church. All you need to do is climb the stairs! If you are interested in having a go then 

please contact Dave Beeken on 01580 712561. No experience necessary. 

Rehearsals are held at St Dunstan’s on Wednesday evenings from 7.30pm–9pm. Please 

check with Dave Beeken first as rehearsals are dependent on numbers attending. 

Parking and Traffic in Cranbrook 

The Wild West has descended on Cranbrook at school time. The town is nearing gridlock on 

the roads and in the car parks as our little darlings are picked up from school. We all think our 

children are the most important, but why does this involve such thoughtless parking? Come on 

folks, wake up to the chaos you are causing! 

By email 

6 The Cake • Spring 2024

We have been providing expert and 

trusted legal advice to individuals and 

businesses for generations. 

D-Day 80 

On Thursday 6 June, the UK, the country will unite in 

celebration of the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings, 

giving local communities the opportunity to pay tribute to the 

many thousands that sacrificed so much in helping secure the 

freedom we all enjoy today. 

Events will start at 8am with readings of the D-Day 

Proclamation. There will be activities in all our schools. It will 

also be National Fish and Chip Day, in honour those who toiled 

to keep the nation fed during the war. Why not have some 

for lunch? For each portion sold, £1 will be donated and split 

equally between the four service charities involved. 

At 6.30pm, it is hoped that every cathedral and church in the 

UK will ring their bells for peace. After dark beacons, bonfires 

and lamps will be lit in tribute to those who died in Operation 

Overlord and to symbolise the ‘light of peace’ that emerged 

from the darkness of the Second World War. 

For full details of the day and how you can be involved, see 

www.d-day80beacons.co.uk 

BE IN THE KNOW 

Scan the QR code to receive 

Cranbrook and Sissinghurst Parish 

Council newsletters. 

Please send your letters to: 

clerk@cspc.org.uk or by post to The Cake, Cranbrook 

and Sissinghurst 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. 

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DEVELOPMENT NEWS 

Community Centre Update – Taking Action 

The parish has applied 

for an ‘Accelerator 

grant’ of £150,000 

from central 

government to kick 

start our Community Centre 

project. The grant would enable 

the NHS, KCC, the parish and 

other players to work together to 

make a fully costed plan with all 

the partners engaged, to get to 

final plans, planning permission 

and ready to start building 

within 18 months. 

The full application with the 

‘who, what, why, when, where 

and how’ is now on the parish 

council website, on the first 

page, under ‘Projects’. We will 

hear if we are successful in the 

last week of February. 

This is the only project put 

forward in Kent, so its unique 

merits have already been 

recognised. If we are successful, 

we would like to do a ‘Big Build’ 

project involving all members of 

the community who have skills 

relevant to the building and 

decorating trades. It works on TV 

why can’t it work in Cranbrook. 

Would YOU be willing to help? 

Please contact clerk@cspc.co.uk 

Hartley 

Berkeley Homes is selling its phase 1 houses, and the parish 

council believes it will restart the planning application for Phase 2. 

Hill Development has launched its new houses at Hartley Acres 

(Brick Kiln Farm to us locals!). Clarion Housing will be managing 

the 62 new Social houses, and these are all being built first. 

There are two new houses opposite the Hartley Dyke Farm shop. 

The Fernham Homes Development 

Sissinghurst 

The new houses in Common Road, the Oaks, are now on the 

market. 

Fernham Homes is building a collection of 19, three- and fourbedroom 

homes and a new village hall adjacent to Jubilee Playing 

Fields. The hall set for completion in summer 2024 with the houses 

due to complete in winter 2024. Infrastructure and services are 

almost finished after four months of construction, including new 

roads and a tarmac path for easy access to the playing fields and 

tennis courts. To register your interest in these homes, launching 

this summer with a show home, please visit fernham-homes.co.uk/ 

developments/sissinghurst 

Cranbrook 

Roddy Homes has started work on the 28 homes on the Cranbrook Engineering site. There are two new houses in Rectory Lane. 

If you are looking for a new home, go to rightmove.com and search Cranbrook, Kent. 


Educa-shun! 

Parishioners will know that a 

long-running theme in The Cake 

has been the loss of pre-schools, 

the primary school awaiting 

expansion and the loss of our 

non-selective secondary school. 

We had a meeting last October 

with representatives from our 

schools, parents, delegates from 

other parishes and the KCC 

Education Department. 

Since then, we have been 

trying to meet with the Head 

of Education at KCC to explain 

that our children are being 

disadvantaged since their school 

became the Special Needs 

School, Snowfields. The housing 

developments in the surrounding 

13 parishes that used to send 

students to High Weald, are 

causing an acute shortage of 

school places. KCC will, one day, 

have the funds to build a new 

school, and we need to protect our 

children’s future. 

‘No’ to the Longfield 

Planning Application 

The parish council, and many activists in the 

community, are fighting a planning application 

for 34 new houses on the Longfield (which is 

owned by KCC) as this is not only designated a 

green space by the NDP, but also the sensible 

place to put a new school for 650 students when 

KCC have the money. Perhaps this is why they 

are shunning us? 

We are getting support from many of the 

surrounding schools and parishes and a new 

group, headed by councillor David Selby, is 

collating information which impacts on school 

places. This includes the number of new houses 

being built, where children travel to on leaving 

primary school, hours spent travelling, an 

estimate of the carbon footprint of transporting 

a thousand pupils across Kent every day and 

the chaos of 50 coaches arriving at the start of 

a school day in Tenterden, Paddock Wood or 

Maidstone. 

The Parish Council has been successful in 

having the old Sixth Form Centre accepted as an 

DEVELOPMENT NEWS 

Asset of Community Value (ACV), which means 

that we could get government grants towards 

the cost of transforming it, for example, into a 

pre-school if Leigh Academy Trust (LAT) ever let 

it go. 

LAT were gifted all the land that made up 

the High Weald Academy by the Department 

of Education at no cost. The parish council 

has tried hard to open a dialogue with them 

to try to find out their plans for the land that 

sits outside the fenced area of the Snowfields 

Campus, including the disused tennis courts 

beside the Sports Centre. We would also like this 

land accepted as an ACV but LAT have employed 

a legal team to oppose our request, so we have 

asked Helen Grant to intervene. 

We feel shunned by LAT and KCC currently, 

but we intend to keep going as education is so 

important. 

Cllr Kim Fletcher, chairman Cranbrook & 


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LOCAL NEWS 

OBITUARY 

Peter Allen 

It was with deep 

sadness that 

Cranbrook 

School 

announced 

the passing 

of Peter Allen, 

our former 

teacher, 

deputy 

headmaster and 

honorary archivist. 

A wonderful teacher 

of History, English, Economics and Russian 

– PRA as he was popularly known – served 

the school community over several decades. 

Outside school hours he played and coached 

squash and his door was always open for 

those in search of his sage advice. He has left 

an indelible mark on the hearts and minds of 

countless students and staff. 

Peter’s commitment to education was 

evident in his dedication to both teaching 

and administrative excellence. His knowledge 

of history and love for Cranbrook School 

culminated in his book, Cranbrook School 

– The First Five Centuries, that eloquently 

captures the rich tapestry of the school’s 

history. 

As we mourn the loss of a true pillar 

of our community, we also celebrate 

his extraordinary life and the countless 

contributions he made to our school. Current 

OCA Chairman Rich Scully (2006–2011) 

said of him: ‘Peter Allen had an unrivalled 

involvement in Cranbrook School across 

a variety of roles, departments, widercommunities 

and legacy projects – the 

OCA included. The OCA are sharing in the 

sadness as we remember such a legend of the 

Cranbrook community and an amazing leader 

during so many years.’ 

We extend our heartfelt condolences to 

Peter’s wife Valerie, his children Tom, Sarah, 

Mark and Judy, his friends and all who knew 

him. He will be profoundly missed but his 

spirit will forever remain a part of Cranbrook 

School. In remembrance of Peter, there will 

be a memorial service at St Dunstan’s at 3pm 

on Monday 1 April. We welcome all those 

who wish to pay their respects and celebrate 

Peter’s remarkable life. 

News 

Windmill 

for Sale, 25p 

Cranbrook’s Union Mill is one of eight 

historic windmills owned by KCC. All are 

around 200 years old and were bought 

between 40 and 60 years ago. All are listed 

buildings, nationally recognised as being 

of historic significance. 

KCC bought Union Mill for one shilling 

(5p) in 1961 with the commitment to 

maintain it in good condition. This they 

have done this for over 60 years. Without 

maintenance, water soon gets into the 

wood, causes rot and the mill becomes a 

safety hazard. 

In 1935, Union Mill received a 

prestigious award for its fine condition, 

but the war and post-war years made 

it impossible to acquire the materials 

needed for its upkeep. After just 20 years 

the mill was almost derelict. 

FINANCES 

KCC figures show that its windmills cost 

each household just 25p total per annum. 

Most people would consider 25p to be a 

bargain but some councillors believe that 

the money should be saved by selling off 

the windmills. The new owners would 

then pay for maintenance. 

Heritage laws mean that a Public 

Consultation must be held before the KCC 

policy can be changed from the current 

‘retain and maintain the windmills’ to ‘sell 

them and forget them’. 

WHY DOES IT MATTER IF UNION MILL 

HAS ANOTHER OWNER? 

1. Maintenance: Heritage laws say that the 

appearance of the mill cannot be altered 

and that it must be kept in good condition. 

But what if the owner is unwilling or 

unable to afford the cost, around £35,000 

p.a? The condition of Providence Chapel 

in Cranbrook shows that for 25 years 

enforcement has been ineffective so the 

windmill could gradually rot away to 

AFP 

become a sad but prominent eyesore as it 

did before. 

2. Visitors: There could be no guarantee 

that the windmill would remain open to 

visitors. 

It is wholly unrealistic to expect the 

volunteers who run the windmill to 

raise 10 times the current £3,500 from 

donations. The only certainty for the 

future of Union Mill is for it to remain 

with KCC. 

We are grateful to the many local people 

who completed the KCC questionnaire 

recently and made it clear that they 

strongly disagreed with KCC’s proposal to 

change their current policy. The responses 

to the consultation will be analysed 

independently and then considered at the 

next KCC Cabinet committee meeting, 

either on 7 March or 21 May. We must not 

risk Kent’s windmill heritage for the sake 

of 25p per household. 

Nick Vinall, chair, Cranbrook Windmill 

Association 


LOCAL NEWS 

Why we are Recommending Refusal 

for New Houses in the Parish 

The following letter from Alison Bunyan to 

Carlos Hone, head of planning at Tunbridge 

Wells Borough Council, explains the Parish 

Council’s stance on new house building in 

the local area. 

Dear Mr Hone, I chair the Planning 

Committee at Cranbrook and Sissinghurst 

Parish Council. We want to expand on and 

explain to you, some of the recommendations 

that we have been making in the last few 

months. 

We have been recommending REFUSAL for 

all new dwellings for the following reasons: 

1. The lack of a non-selective secondary 

school. As I am sure you are aware High 

Weald Academy – the non-selective 

secondary school on Angley Road in 

Cranbrook which served 13 primary schools 

in the area – was closed in 2022 without 

meaningful consultation. It has become a 

Special Needs School which unfortunately 

only meets the special needs of one or two 

local children. As a result, Cranbrook is at 

the centre of a 300-square-mile black hole 

for non-selective education. Now all children 

not gaining entry to Cranbrook School (a 

grammar school) have to spend at least an 

extra hour twice a day to get to and from 

other schools – one in East Sussex, one in 

Paddock Wood, one in Tenterden and others 

in Tunbridge Wells, Maidstone and Ashford. 

(I would add that from the number of 

children one sees out of school on weekdays 

some obviously don’t attend school at all any 

more). 

This movement of children, including 

the taxied movement to the Snowfields 

Special Needs School, is seriously bad for 

the environment, traffic congestion and the 

parents’ pockets as well as KCC’s finances as 

they pay for the taxis. On top of the above, 

Mascalls in Paddock Wood has announced 

that they will no longer be able to offer 

places to pupils from this area, Homewood 

in Tenterden is reducing their intake and 

getting to the other schools by bus is difficult 

and takes even longer. 

2. South East Water’s inability to guarantee 

water supplies. Cranbrook, Sissinghurst and 

all other local villages have suffered from 

SEW’s inability to keep water flowing. When 

developers enquire about water supplies, 

the answer always seems to be ‘no problem’ 

which is just not the case. 

3. The parish is also seriously in need of 

space for another pre-school. We lost one of 

only two in the summer because the primary 

school needed the space. The government 

offers increased free hours to parents of 

pre-school-aged children but the availability 

of places is reducing. (I notice that one of 

the pre-schools in Staplehurst is having 

problems). 

4. The other ‘must have’ is a new Medical 

Centre before our doctors reach retirement 

age and we find ourselves unable to attract 

new ones because of the lack of facilities. 

Until we feel that the town can cope with, 

and provide for, new inhabitants moving 

into the proposed new dwellings, we will not 

be able to support any development. Our 

priority is to ensure that the infrastructure 

is in place first. We hope that you and 

your officers will take our concerns into 

consideration when making your decision. 

CUP CAKES 

Kent & East Sussex Railway 

Environmental surveys have been taking 

place on the Rother Valley section of the 

proposed new link. Work on bat surveys 

began in August and more recently surveys 

of dormice have been going on. It is hoped 

that reconstruction of the two-mile long 

missing link from Robertsbridge to Udiam 

might begin this year, subject to satisfactory 

completion and acceptance of the 

environmental surveys. 

Hop Pickers Line Heritage Group 

It is now 63 years since the railway closed. 

For readers interested in seeing what it used 

to look like, go the group’s website at www. 

hoppickersline.org and look for the Gallery 

page. Here you will find a selection of archive 

photographs covering the length of the line. 

Sissinghurst Castle Garden 

When visiting the property and planning 

to explore the wider estate, the vegetable 

garden is a must. For anyone interested in 

growing their own produce there is much to 

see and learn on the two-acre site, which is 

just 500 metres from the main gardens. The 

vegetable garden supplies fresh fruit and 

vegetables to the kitchen and featured in a 

recent edition of Kitchen Garden magazine. 

Sign in Need of 

Repair 

The Sissinghurst 

village sign is in 

need of some 

TLC. The parish 

warden has 

rescued the sign 

and it is currently 

in a safe place 

while we 

arrange repairs. 

Your Local, Award Winning, Independent 

Travel Agent 

Cranbrook: 01580 714411 

Tenterden: 01580 764344 

Holidays - Cruises - Tours - Flights 

Tailor Made Itineraries - Car Hire 

Business Travel - Hotels - Travel Insurance 

To view our branch list, please visit 

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NEWS 

CUP CAKES 

Upcoming Tree Works 

The Parish Council routinely undertakes 

safety reports for the trees on parish 

council-owned land. The most recent 

survey was carried out at the end of 

2023 and identified various trees that 

needed work. Once Tunbridge Wells 

Borough Council have given the goahead, 

tree works will take place in the 

Crane Valley, the Regal car park, Golford 

Cemetery, Jockey Lane car park, the 

Ball Field, Jubilee Field and St Dunstan’s 

churchyard. 

When Bargain Hunt Came to Cranbrook 

Antique experts were out in number on 2 December last year, when Bargain Hunt was filmed in 

Bentley’s auction rooms. Honorary Mayor Raj Bisram was raising the profile of the town as the 

experts John Cameron (above right), Stephanie Connell, Nick Hall gave their advice, and presenter 

Charlie Ross controlled affairs. The Repair Shop’s Brenton West popped in as well. 

Bentley’s antiques and fine art sales are held at 10am on the first Saturday of each month at their 

premises on Waterloo Road with viewing days on the Thursday and Friday before each sale (9.30am 

to 5.30pm). Make a note in your diary, there are always interesting articles to be found at Bentley’s. 

Menopause Café 

A Menopause Café, aimed at breaking down the stigma 

around menopause and increasing awareness of the impact 

of the menopause on those experiencing it, their family, 

friends and their colleagues will be held in Cranbrook library, 

on the second Friday of every month from 2:30- 3:30pm. 

It is a discussion group, open to all ages and genders: no 

talks, no experts, topics are chosen by participants. 

The Menopause Café movement started in Perth , 

Scotland, in 2017 and has spread worldwide, with volunteers 

now hosting pop-up events in the UK, Bahrain, Mexico, 

USA, Austria and India. The charity also organise an annual 

Menopause Festival, #FlushFest. 

Rachel Weiss, founder of the Menopause Café charity, 

says, “The Menopause Café is for everyone who wants to talk 

about the menopause, to share their stories, experiences and 

questions - all made that little bit easier with tea and cake. 

“Unfortunately, many people feel that they should just 

‘get on with’ the menopause, with some never talking to 

their friends or family about it. People can come along and 

just listen, or join in the discussions, hopefully leaving with 

a clearer sense of the impact of the menopause on those 

who are experiencing it, alongside their families, friends and 

colleagues.” 

Willow 

& Sage 

Chloe Kenny, owner of 

Willow & Sage, is hoping 

that local groups will use 

her new Cranbrook bistro 

as a creative hub for music, 

art displays, poetry and 

author events. Chloe sources 

ingredients locally and is 

training young chefs. Her 

husband James is head of art 

at Cranbrook School and will 

help out with the planned 

‘Painting and Prosecco’ 

evenings. 

Welcome Warmth 

The Vestry Hall windows are being 

double glazed as this magazine goes to 

press. This was part funded by a grant 

the parish council applied for from 

central government. 

Demolition of the Dental Surgery in 

the Tanyard 

Thanks to several local people, UK Power 

Networks finally provided the certificate 

that enabled us to go ahead with the 

demolition of this eyesore. It should by 

now have been completed. 

Christmas Tree chipping 

After the brilliant illuminated Tractor run, 

the Young Farmers were busy in the Coop 

car park collecting Christmas trees for 

chipping on Sunday 7 January. Thanks 

guys, great recycling initiative! 

White Horse Repairs 

Parishioners were shocked to see the 

pavement outside the White Horse Pub 

restored to paving only 13 months after 

it was the scene of an accident! We are 

still waiting for the replacement litter 

bin. 

‘The Pudding Club’ is Back 

Cranbrook solicitors Buss Murton are 

restarting their business lunches, ‘The 

Pudding Club’, so far scheduled for 

Wednesday 13 March and Wednesday 10 

April. They are open to anyone wanting 

to widen their business network. Please 

contact marketing@bussmurton.co.uk 

Attention! 

The German Howitzer, a ‘war trophy’, 

that sits beside Cranbrook War Memorial 

needs maintenance and attention. If you 

would like to help research and restore 

it, please contact the clerk clerk@cspc. 

org.uk 


CLUB NEWS 

Cranbrook Sports Club: Busy as Ever! 

RUGBY SECTION: MEN 

The 2023–24 rugby season, which started 

in September, has seen both our men’s 

squads competing well in their respective 

RFU leagues, with new and returning players 

welcomed and bolstering the squads in what 

is a difficult time for community rugby across 

the country. It has been great to see a number 

of the club’s Colts players from last season 

making the move into adult rugby this year. 

Ours Colts section (under 17s and 18s) 

has seen a great number of lads committing 

to weekly training sessions and matches, 

leading some very pleasing match results. 

The Junior Section (under 12s–16s) has been 

extremely busy since the start of the season 

with training, friendly fixtures and Kent 

League and Waterfall competition matches. A 

couple of the age groups are looking forward 

to rugby tours to the West Country towards 

the end of the season, as well as welcoming a 

few touring sides to the Tomlin Ground. 

RUGBY SECTION: LADIES 

Our Ladies section continues to build and 

to help with this, they held a successful RFU 

Inner Warrior recruitment evening at the club 

a few weeks ago, and have also formed a link 

with Maidstone Ladies which enables both 

clubs, and most importantly, all the ladies 

involved, to enjoy a good level of regular 

competitive rugby. The Girls Section (under 

12s–18s) continues to grow, with our girls 

being important contributors to the West 

Kent teams. 

From the beginning of March, the club 

will be starting Walking Rugby sessions 

on a Friday afternoon. These will be run 

in conjunction with the local WI, but any 

women within the local community would be 

most welcome. 

RUGBY SECTION: MINIS 

The club’s youngest members, the Minis 

section (under 6s–under 11s), go from 

strength to strength! With joint training and 

matches with other clubs and festivals, our 

young rugby players are enjoying learning 

and developing their skills in a safe and fun 

environment. They had a surprise visit from 

Father Christmas at their Christmas party 

and are very much looking forward to the 

Minis’ tour to Leicester in April. At the end 

of December, a large group of players and 

The broad smiles of the U9s on the Twickenham pitch after 

playing in front of more than 76,000 fans in December 2023 

their families were invited to Twickenham 

Stadium for Harlequins’ Big Game 15, 

where the U9 age group had the memorable 

experience of playing on the hallowed turf 

during the half-time-break – something the 

players, and coaches, will never forget! 

All sections of the club are always 

welcoming to new players, so please do come 

and ‘Give us a Try’! 

CRICKET SECTION 

Our cricketers are looking forward to the 

warmer, sunnier weather to get their season 

underway. New players are always welcome 

so please get in touch if you are, or have, a 

budding cricketer looking to get out on the 

pitch. 

OFF THE PITCHES 

The club has held a number of successful 

club lunches, including our Christmas 

lunch which saw over 150 members and 

guests enjoying a delicious four-course 

meal followed by an enjoyable rugby match. 

The club continues to host a number of 

community groups, and are pleased that 

the Cranbrook Men’s Shed group are in the 

process of establishing their new home at the 

Tomlin Ground. 

While the rugby pitches are holding up 

well to the continued weekly use by over 

400 members, we are very grateful to have 

received some Section 106 monies from 

Tunbridge Wells Borough Council, allocated 

for pitch drainage and improvement works. 

I am pleased to report that these works will 

The award-winning Steen 

Mickelborg 

start in April and will have a really positive 

impact on pitch availability throughout the 

whole season moving forward. 

Momentum continues on the proposed 

clubhouse redevelopment, which when built, 

will provide modern, flexible facilities for 

members and guests, as well as the wider 

community. As the largest sports club in the 

area, we recognise the significant impact 

the club has within Cranbrook and the local 

vicinity, and we would like to see this expand 

further and the importance of the club as a 

community asset grow over the years. The 

clubhouse development does depend on the 

club obtaining the necessary funds, as such 

we are in search of a fundraiser to lead the 

fundraising efforts. If you are that person 

or know of someone that could help the 

club with this exciting development, then 

please do get in touch to discuss further 

michelleforknallcrfc@gmail.com 

As a club run by a few volunteers, it 

is truly fantastic that one of our valued 

volunteers has been recognised by England 

Rugby for their work over the years. Steen 

Mickelborg has held many roles at the 

club, and continues to do so, putting in 

many hours of hard work to help make 

the club a better place for everyone. Steen 

has received an RFU Presidents Value the 

Volunteer Outstanding Contribution Award, 

and he and his wife were hosted by the 

RFU at Twickenham in February for the 

England v Wales Six Nations game. Massive 

congratulations to Steen from everyone at 

the club – well deserved! 


EVENT NEWS 

CJFC is Looking for Teens 

to Join the Team 

Are you a teenager looking for a 

rewarding way to spend your free 

time? Do you have a passion for 

football or an interest in gaining 

valuable hands-on experience as 

a coach or a referee? Cranbrook 

Juniors Football Club is calling on 

young individuals like you to join 

our vibrant team. 

WHY VOLUNTEER WITH US? 

Volunteering at CJFC is not just 

about being part of a football 

club; it’s about building skills, 

contributing to your community 

and making new friends. Whether 

you’re looking to enhance 

your CV, complete your Duke 

of Edinburgh (DofE) award 

requirements or simply have 

a love for the beautiful game, 

there’s a place for you with us. 

ROLES TAILORED FOR YOU 

• Support coaches: assist in 

coaching our junior teams, 

learn from experienced 

mentors and develop your 

leadership and teamwork skills. 

• Trainee referees: get involved 

in the heart of the action, learn 

the rules of the game, hone 

your decision-making abilities 

and get paid for your time. 

• Behind-the-scenes helpers: 

play a crucial role in club 

operations, from organising 

events to managing equipment. 

• Create your own role: we value 

creativity and initiative. If you 

have a unique idea or a specific 

skill set you’d like to explore, 

let us know. 

HOW TO GET INVOLVED 

Ready to kick-start your 

volunteering journey with CJFC? 

We’d love to hear from you. No 

previous experience is necessary 

– just bring your enthusiasm and 

a willingness to learn. To express 

your interest or find out more, 

please contact Ant onchair@ 

cranbrookjuniorsfc.co.uk 

Join us at Cranbrook Juniors 

Football Club and be part of 

something bigger. Let’s work 

together to support young talent 

and foster a love for football in 

our community. 

A Pipedream has 

Become Reality 

Wealden Men’s Shed, Cranbrook would like 

to say a huge THANK YOU to everyone in 

and around Cranbrook who has supported 

us throughout 2023. Firstly, to our sponsors: 

Cllr Sean Holden at KCC, Diana Brooks, Josh 

Talbot at SE Car Keys, who all donated funds enabling us to purchase 

containers and tools. We are also very grateful thanks to other 

individuals who have contacted us and donated machinery and tools 

in preparation for our new workshop. 

Our Monday morning social group continues to go from strength 

to strength and we have welcomed a lot of new members to the 

group in the past year. We’re a lively group and there is a lot of banter 

and laughter! 

As well as participating in local events in and around Cranbrook, 

to raise much needed funds and to raise awareness of the group, we 

have been helping out at the Community Kitchen in Cranbrook and 

at the Sissinghurst Trinity Lunch too. We have helped to renovate 

garden furniture at Hartley House and painted the gallery at 

Cranbrook Library. Additionally, we continue to host social events, 

evening dinners/lunches and health talks. 

Our main event of 2023 was our Christmas Day dinner in the 

Vestry Hall in Cranbrook for local residents who faced the day 

on their own. Numbers were up from last year and we received 

wonderful feedback from those who came along. Of course, none 

of this would have been possible without the generosity of local 

businesses and individuals who provided everything from food and 

drink to gifts and goodies and our band of volunteers who gave up 

their time on the day. 

We held two very successful raffles at Easter and again at 

Christmas and the support from local businesses and every 

individual has been paramount in raising sufficient funds to help 

progress our workshop at Cranbrook Rugby Club. In particular our 

thanks go to the Cranbrook Co-op, Larkins Ale House, The George 

Hotel and The Bell & Jorrocks in Frittenden, who provided us with the 

opportunities for selling tickets. 

Our workshop project is now really taking shape. Our first 

container was installed last year and we are now looking at 

purchasing further containers and then installing electrics. What 

started off as a pipedream is definitely becoming reality! 

If you would like further information on our group, please contact 

Paul Chapman on 07702 842585. Liz McLaren, Secretary, Wealden 

Men’s Shed, Cranbrook 

Write Back! 

The Cranbrook Creative Writers group is back. Following a lull after Covid, the group is now 

meeting monthly in The George in Cranbrook and the first meeting took place on 16 January. 

The aim of the group is to bring together like-minded people who want to start or already enjoy 

writing creatively. Meet new friends, chat about what you want to write and what you’re writing. 

If you are a first-time writer, find out about story starters, take part in our writing exercises 

and discuss with others any of your inspirational ideas. The next two meetings will take place on 

Tuesday 19 March and Tuesday 16 April in The George, Cranbrook starting at 7.30pm. For more 

information about the group please email Christine Newman at christine902@hotmail.co.uk 


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EVENT NEWS 

Cranbrook in Bloom 

We have been keeping a 

close eye on the High 

Street and Angley Road 

junction, as we are very 

keen to see more than just 

a grassed area at the entrance to Cranbrook. 

This, and all entrances to the town, are 

very important. The new junction layout 

lends itself to shrubs and low maintenance 

roses, which will make the area interesting 

and welcoming, showing we care about 

Cranbrook. 

We are hoping to speak with Kent County 

Council and Hill Development soon to ask 

that they not only replace the thousands 

of bulbs we planted in previous years, 

but also agree to undertake the ongoing 

enhancement and maintenance of the area. 

LIBRARY POND AND SEATING AREA 

Kevin and Marian have met with KCC and 

library representatives to work towards 

the area being reopened on a regular basis. 

This is such a relaxing spot that it should 

be available to everyone for eating your 

lunch, reading a book, chatting or just 

contemplating. We were very disappointed 

when the area was locked and consequently 

out of bounds, but thanks to Kevin’s 

persistence, things are looking promising 

for the spring. 

CRANBROOK GOES 

NUTS IN MAY 

Behind the scenes, we 

are busy organising 

the very popular 

Cranbrook Goes 

Nuts in May, which 

will take place on 

26 May this year, 

celebrating all things 

that grow. Make sure the 

date is in everyone’s diary, as 

it’s a great day out for all the family. Look 

out for details of how children can get 

involved, with our crafty tent, and adults 

with the beer and the bands. 

CRANBROOK’S GARDEN SAFARI 

Our famous Garden Safari will take place 

on Sunday 16 June. Don’t be shy, sign up 

to open your garden! It’s great fun meeting 

like-minded people and it helps raise funds 

to keep the town looking so good. 

Cranbrook in Bloom will enter the 

regional South & South East in Bloom 

competition this year and judging will be in 

June. Our front garden competition will be 

judged in the week commencing 17 June. 

This gives you plenty of advance notice 

to have your gardens and the surrounding 

areas in tip-top condition for both judging 

days. Please let us know if there is an 

area in Cranbrook that is gardened by 

a group of neighbours or friends, as it 

could be entered in a category such as the 

‘It’s Your Neighbourhood’. Parks, Church 

Yards, Businesses and Allotments also 

have separate categories in the regional 

competition. 

ABOVE: Pond dippers enjoying themselves 

before the area was locked up. 

The second 

Big Help Out 

Coming in April/May; look out for the 

posters and help out with the ongoing 

maintenance of the Ball Field trees and 

wildflower area. 


EVENT NEWS 

CODS Production of Twelve 

I am really excited to be directing CODS Easter production of Twelve, which 

I have adapted from Reginald Roses’ 1954 teleplay, 12 Angry Men, for CBS 

studios. Part of the thrilling genre of courtroom dramas, it’s set in the 

suffocating environment of a single room with twelve disparate people forced 

to come to one unanimous decision. 

Although this is dramatic fiction, just like To Kill a Mockingbird and Kramer 

versus Kramer, the play’s timeless observation of the human condition is 

relevant to all ages with the moral dilemma being recognisable to any audience. 

We have a wonderful cast taking up the cudgel to bring to life this exciting 

story. Our production is dramatic, funny and excruciatingly uncomfortable 

for each person holed up in the room. You won’t want to miss this riveting 

play with some of the best actors in Kent. Tickets are available from www. 

ticketsource.co.uk/cods 

Louisa Nelson Chambers, director 

‘Creative Connections’ – a 

New Event for St Dunstan’s 

St Dunstan’s has had a significant profile within the historic 

town of Cranbrook for almost a thousand years. The church 

continues as an important centre for worship and reflection 

but it also acts as a venue for the community to host a range of 

events and concerts for a wide number of organisations. 

In order to build on the provision of St Dunstan’s-led 

community events, we are launching a ‘St Dunstan’s Creative 

Connections’ project, which we hope will lead to artwork 

being displayed at our St Dunstan’s Summer Exhibition. School 

students will be encouraged to engage with the work of the 

Cranbrook Colony of artists, the sculptor Hamo Thorneycroft, 

the Arts and Crafts stained glass windows, particularly those 

by C.E. Kemp, the green man carved bosses and the many 

other wonders of Medieval Gothic architecture evident within 

St Dunstan’s. Hopefully, a new generation of artists or a new 

2024 colony will come together for this shared showcase over 

two weeks over two weeks in August. There will be several 

drop-in creative days in advance of the exhibition where artists 

can create live artwork around or within St Dunstan’s. For 

more information on the ‘Creative Connections’ 2024 Summer 

Exhibition project, please e-mail: 

EventsStDunstan@btinternet.com 

Janette Lloyd, Social Committee St Dunstan’s PCC 

 

 

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SCHOOLS NEWS 

Cranbrook 

Primary School 

Litter Pickers Raise over £700 

At the start of the year, Cranbrook Primary School 

PTA challenged pupils to think of creative ways 

they could use the number 24 to raise money 

for the school in 2024. A group of children from 

Emerald Class (year one) decided to undertake a 

sponsored litter pick where they would each pick up at least 24 

pieces of litter, helping to keep Cranbrook tidy. 

Arthur, Baya, Freya, Hugo, Hugo, Matilda and Polly – with a 

little help from younger siblings Jenson and Otis – completed 

their litter pick on Saturday 27 January. They collected over 

300 pieces of rubbish from the Crane Valley, the Tanyard car 

park and the High Street. 

The children initially aimed to raise £141.68 for their 

efforts – equivalent to £20.24 per child. However, they have 

now raised over £725 thanks to donations from family, friends 

and people in the community, many of whom read about their 

litter pick on the Cranbrook and Sissinghurst Chat Facebook 

group. 

The children are continuing to collect sponsorship until the 

end of March. If you would like to donate, you can use the QR 

code right to access their fundraising page. 

Woodpeckers 

Preschool 

Community 

Events 

Woodpeckers will be holding two 

community events over the coming 

weeks, both of which will raise funds for 

the preschool. 

The first is a brand-new event – the 

High Street Easter Hunt – on Saturday 

30 March (Easter Saturday). Secret clues 

will be hidden in shop windows up and 

down the High Street and Stone Street. 

Anyone who finds them all and fills out 

their activity sheet will get an Easter 

treat! Entry costs £2 per person and you 

can collect your Easter Hunt activity 

sheet from The George (Cranbrook Bar) 

between 10am and 2pm. There will also 

be Easter crafts available in The George 

to keep your little ones entertained once 

they’ve completed the trail. 

In addition, Woodpeckers is getting 

ready for the return of the Cranbrook 

Jumble Safari on Sunday 2 June. The 

Jumble Safari is similar to a car boot 

fair – except families use their own front 

garden or driveway to set up their stall. 

Buyers can pick up a map with the list 

of houses taking part, and sellers get to 

keep any money they make on the day. 

Last year’s Cranbrook Jumble Safari 

was a roaring success, attracting people 

from as far as Hastings and Faversham! 

The event raised over £600 for the 

preschool and the Woodpeckers team 

hope this year’s safari will be even bigger 

and better. 

Sellers’ pitches cost £10 per address 

and must be pre-booked by Friday 31 

May. If you don’t have a driveway or 

garden, there are a limited number of 

pitches available in Woodpeckers’ car 

park on a first come, first served basis. 

Buyers’ maps cost £1 each and will be 

available on the day of the Jumble Safari 

from Woodpeckers Preschool. 

Want to book a pitch at this year’s 

Cranbrook Jumble Safari on Sunday 2 June? 

Email cranbrookjumblesafari@gmail.com or 

visit www.cranbrookjumblesafari.com 


SCHOOLS NEWS 

Sissinghurst Primary School News 

As the new Year 6 Events Team we 

are very proud of our special role in 

the school and love organising and 

creating special days and memories 

for children here. Our first event 

was one of two planned non-uniform days. In 

January, we held a day to raise money for iPads 

so we can have a trolley full for classes to use 

across the curriculum – at the moment we have 

five! Children were able to wear whatever they 

liked as so many children have different ideas of 

what they would like to wear to school. Some wore 

pyjamas, some dressing-up clothes and some their 

favourite clothes. Our amazing FoSS (Friends of 

Sissinghurst School) also donated some of their 

fundraising to us to help with this project. 

At another event, in February, we celebrated 

difference. Our SENCO led a neurodiversity 

assembly in which we explored what it means 

to be neurodiverse and how we can support 

neurodiversity even more in our school. 

In March, it is World Book Day and this year we 

will be focusing on developing our vocabulary by 

having a Vocabulary Parade during which we dress 

up as different words. This will help the whole 

school learn hundreds of new words on this fun 

day. You can Google ‘Vocabulary Parade’ to get 

some ideas and see the kind of costumes we hope 

for – we cannot wait! 

Part of our curriculum means we visit the 

local area for geography and history learning. 

This term Year 4 are swimming in the local pool 

in Cranbrook as part of our PE curriculum. All 

children in schools in England need to be able to 

try to swim 25 metres, so we look forward to our 

lessons. 

As a church school we love our close links with 

Trinity Church and Rev Pete. Rev Pete leads a 

group from the churches who come in regularly 

to lead assemblies with us. Everyone really enjoys 

hearing the Bible stories. 

Thank you so much for reading our information. 

If you would like to see our school in real time, 

please follow our X account so you can see some 

of the great things we are doing: https://twitter. 

com/sissinghurstVA 

Caspar, Poppy, Olivia, Sienna O, the Year 6 

Events Team 

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Larchmere House is set in the pretty 

Wealden village of Frittenden providing 

24-hour nursing Care. Our team of friendly, 

qualified Nurses and Care Staff are 

committed to providing the highest 

standards of nursing care for up to 30 

residents in a safe & caring environment. 

• Delicious home cooked food, all dietary 

needs catered for • Daily activities, 

entertainment & regular outings • 

Consistently ‘Good’ CQC Inspections. 

Please feel free to contact the home on the 

number below if you have any questions 

and take a look at our Face Book page for 

an insight of activities at Larchmere House 

BIDDENDEN ROAD, FRITTENDEN, KENT TN17 2EN 

Find us on Face Book • www.larchmere.co.uk 

Please contact Nikki (Manager) on 

01580 852335 OR 

admin@larchmere.co.uk 

GALLERY 35 

35 High Street, Cranbrook 

TN17 3DN 

United Kingdom 

01580 715704 

gallery35highstreet@gmail.com 

HOURS 

10:00 - 17:00 

Closed for for lunch 1-2pm 


Message from the New 

Mayor of Cranbrook 

MAYOR’S MESSAGE 

Hi Everybody, my name is Raj Bisram and I have 

either lived or worked in the parish for over 40 

years. It has been a great privilege to be asked to 

be Honorary Mayor of Cranbrook and Sissinghurst 

and I will do my best to promote the town and 

bring a bit of joy to our parish. With this in 

mind I would like to set out my plans for 

a Mayor’s Day in Cranbrook, the date 

for which has now been confirmed: The 

Mayor’s Day, 17 August 2024. 

The day will comprise of a 

children’s show at the Queen’s Hall 

where all the children in the parish 

aged 11 and under will be invited to 

a two-hour children’s entertainment 

show at 11am. At 3pm there will 

be a sumptuous cream tea served 

to the elderly of the parish in the 

Vestry Hall. 

During the course of the day there 

will be giveaways in the town for visitors and locals 

alike. The day will end with a raffle to be held at 

The George Hotel at 7pm where every member of 

the parish will be put into a grand draw. 

That seems to be the easy bit, in order to raise 

the funds for the day I will be asking individuals 

and businesses for donations. These can be made 

either by putting money into the collection boxes, 

which will be in most of the shops soon, or sending 

money to the Mayor’s Day Fund. Bank details for 

this will be published in the next issue of Cake 

Magazine. So far, the response has been amazing – 

so keep it coming. 

Since my appointment it has come to my 

notice that there is talk of KCC closing down our 

windmill. In my view, this beautiful building is an 

essential part of the town’s identity and we should 

do all in our power to keep it that way. Any ideas 

anyone? 

Kind regards, Raj Bisram. 

“A proper, traditional prep that’s also impressively forward 

looking, as well as nurturing and family-oriented.” 

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ST DUNSTAN’S 

Graham and the 

Chocolate Orange 

Chocolate Oranges! I love them; I really do. So, I was 

very happy when I once heard a dear friend of mine 

use a chocolate orange to illustrate God’s love for us 

revealed at Christmas time. His name was Graham. 

He died while I was in Canada. I miss him. But it 

was that memory of Graham’s use of a chocolate orange that 

popped into my mind when I began to receive invitations to 

speak at the carol services and concerts of our town’s schools. 

I explained how the chocolate orange is not very special 

when you look at the box. One must get inside to appreciate 

it properly. The true meaning of Christmas is also deeper than 

a first glance might suggest. It’s more than just turkey and 

tinsel. Once we get inside the box, we see this beautiful orange 

wrapping. This reminds us of the kings who paid homage to 

this infant child. Why? Jesus is the Lord of all and his birth is 

the amazing truth that our God enters into our world. He knows 

what our life is like. At Christmas we remember he comes to be 

with us: ‘And his name shall be Emmanuel’ – which means ‘God 

with us’. A chocolate orange is also designed for sharing, in the 

same way God shares his love for us. So, together we eat a slice; 

and how we enjoy that tangy, sweet taste! 

What a privilege it was to be here with the schools and also 

at the numerous other Christmas events we had last year. Just 

as we rejoice in God being with us, so it’s been a joy to be here 

with you as your new vicar. ‘Being with’ each other, in love, joy 

and support when times are hard, is part of reflecting the image 

of God in us all. 

Lunchtime Concerts in Cranbrook 

On the first Thursday 

of each month, in 

the warmer weather 

(March to October) 

there is a free 

concert in St Dunstan’s Church 

at 1.00pm. These are fundraising 

events presented by the Friends 

of St Dunstan’s, who try to keep 

our magnificent church building 

in good order. We try not to 

spend too much on publicity, 

which can be expensive, time 

consuming and not always 

effective. Consequently, not 

everyone from the area may 

know of the recitals’ existence, 

and what a treat they are 

missing. Not only is there a free 

concert, but listeners can pick up 

lunch in the church beforehand, 

at a very reasonable price. 

In 2023, the concerts included 

recitals given by students at our 

own Cranbrook and Benenden 

Schools. These will be repeated 

this year. Both schools have 

boarding facilities, and there are 

many gifted instrumentalists 

among the students, often from 

Hong Kong and Singapore, where 

standards of performance are 

quite amazing, from an early 

age. Several pupils already hold 

performance diplomas from the 

Conservatoires. 

Other concerts last year also 

included a wonderful song recital 

given by local student Matilda 

Dawes, who studies at one of 

the London music colleges, a 

virtuosic violin recital by Joseph 

Wolfe, songs composed and sung 

by Frances Yonge (accompanist 

for Cranbrook Choral, Wealden 

Consort, and Melody in Mind 

choirs), a piano recital by Arran 

Keith and Mark Bromley – 

together with their friends Steve 

Hollamby, Lynne Conway, Aileen 

Lehos, Malcolm Riley, Louisa 

Fuller and Paul Ripley, and the 

quite outstanding Trio Bohémo, 

first prize winners in the 

International Chamber Music 

Competition in Vienna last year. 

All free! 

There were also two 

memorable occasions when 

the Friends of St Dunstan’s 

Choir sang: Fauré’s Requiem 

on Remembrance Sunday 

evening and a selection of sacred 

music on Good Friday. We also 

welcomed our own splendid 

Cranbrook Town Band, once 

again. 

This year, as well as seeing 

the return of Joseph Wolfe, 

Arran Keith and her friends, 

there are fresh faces, too. We 

welcome Francesca Massey, 


ST DUNSTAN’S 

the new conductor of Cranbrook 

Choral, who will give an organ 

recital on the fine instrument in St 

Dunstan’s (its opening recital after 

the 1980 rebuild was broadcast 

on BBC Radio 3). Francesca was 

previously assistant organist at 

Durham Cathedral, and organist of 

Rochester Cathedral, and performs 

regularly as a recitalist on the radio, 

throughout the UK and abroad. 

She has four solo recordings to her 

name and is an accompanist for the 

BBC Singers. 

We also welcome Mark Butler, 

together with Iva Fleischhansova. 

Mark was a founder member of 

the Chilingirian String Quartet, 

making over 30 recordings, and 

he also plays with the Academy of 

St Martin-in-the-Fields. Last, but 

certainly not least, Roy Green and 

Phil Jinks play Jazz, Blues, Folk 

and Irish on guitar and harmonica. 

Please support them all, and enjoy 

an uplifting hour with friends old 

and new, in glorious surroundings. 

John Williams 

Friends of St Dunstan’s Concert 

Season 2024, at St Dunstan’s Church 

• Friday 29 March, 6.00pm: Words and Music for Good 

Friday presented by the Friends of St Dunstan’s Singers 

with soloists Matilda Dawes (soprano) and Christopher 

Gabbitas (baritone). 

• Sunday 19 May, 3.00pm: Cranbrook Town Band in 

Concert. 

LUNCHTIME CONCERTS 

First Thursday of the month at 1.00pm. Admission free with 

retiring collection. All welcome. Lunch from 12.30pm. 

• Thursday 7 March: Music Scholars from Cranbrook 

School. 

• Thursday 4 April: Francesca Massey (organ). Francesca is 

Musical Director of Cranbrook Choral Society. 

• Thursday 2 May: Music Scholars from Benenden School. 

• Thursday 6 June: Roy Green and Phil Jinks (jazz, blues, 

folk, Irish). 

• Thursday 4 July: Joseph Wolfe (violin) accompanied by 

Madeleine Brown (piano). 

• No Lunchtime Concert in August. 

• Thursday 5 September: Arran Keith and Mark Bromley 

(piano duo). 

• Thursday 3 October: Mark Butler and Iva Fleischhansova 

(violin duo). 

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FEATURE 

Sissinghurst’s Old ‘Tin Hut’ 

The demolition of St 

George’s Institute at 

Sissinghurst is the 

perfect time to reflect 

on the origins and 

history of a building that stood as 

the village hall for so many years. 

The St George’s Institute 

Foundation was founded and 

regulated by an indenture dated 

10 September 1914, following 

the purchase of the land for the 

sum of £45 by Captain Robert 

Alexander and his committee 

members. The building (really 

a tin hut) was believed to have 

been donated by the Alexander 

family of Great Swifts at Wilsley 

Green, who had been using it as 

a family museum that housed, 

among other things, the stuffed 

bird collection now in the 

Cranbrook Museum. 

The building was transported 

from Cranbrook and erected in 

Sissinghurst in 1914. During 

the First World War, The Street 

rang with the sound of marching 

feet as soldiers were regularly 

billeted there. After the war, 

the hall was used as a Returned 

Serviceman’s Club and a Men’s 

Institute. However, interest in the 

hall appeared to decline in the 

1920s, when several committee 

members had died. As a result, 

on 2 April 1930, an agreement 

was made between the Men’s 

Institute Committee and the 

Sissinghurst Women’s Institute, 

allowing the WI to have the 

building rent-free for three years. 

Legend has it that the WI took 

over the building during the war, 

when it was also used as a base 

for Red Cross volunteers and 

a billet for troops prior to the 

D-Day landings. After the war, 

the WI just continued to occupy 

the building as its own. 

In the 1960s, the popularity 

of the WI declined and a revised 

scheme for managing the hall 

was registered with the Secretary 

of State under the Charities Act. 

The object of the Foundation was 

‘the provision and maintenance 

of a village hall for the use of 

the inhabitants of Sissinghurst 

and the neighbourhood, without 

distinction of political, religious 

or other opinions, including use 

for meetings, lectures and classes 

and for other forms of recreation 

and leisure-time occupation, 

with the object of improving the 

conditions of life for the said 

inhabitants.’ 

THE ST GEORGE’S CLUB 

The St George’s Club is even 

older than the hall and I have 

the membership card of my 

grandfather, John Bridgland, who 

joined in 1902 when he was 19 

years old. Although the club’s 

beginnings are lost in the mists 

of time, it seems likely that it 

was set up for local working men 

with the help of wealthy local 

patrons, such as George Neve, 

Esq,. of Sissinghurst Castle Farm, 

who is said to have ‘taken an 

earnest interest in the place, in 

conjunction with the Vicar and 

the energetic Secretary.’ The 

object of the club was ‘to afford 

the members the means of social 

intercourse, moral and mental 

improvement and innocent 

recreation.’ 

The club was managed by a 

committee of seven ordinary 

members, who had powers to 

make ‘bye-laws’. Rules included 

allowing them to suspend 

for the evening, any member 

whose conduct may appear to 

be harmful for the institute, to 

remove membership from anyone 

gambling, betting or being 

intoxicated. 

Among the bye-laws was 

that no loud talking shall be 

allowed in the Reading Room 

and members having played two 

games shall give place to another 

member, if asked to do so. Those 

games might have included 

popular indoor Victorian 

pastimes such as, Chess, 

Draughts, Halma, Ludo, Pick-up 

Sticks and Tiddlywinks! 

See Development News on 

page 8 for an update on the 

new village hall. Alan Bringloe, 

former resident of Sissinghurst 


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FEATURE 

Wellbeing 

in the Weald 

Can you believe it’s 

FIVE years since our 

community charity 

was established? 

It came about 

due to my concern over the 

rising numbers of patients 

experiencing loneliness. I was 

aware that people’s mental and 

physical health was suffering yet 

medication was often not the 

answer. An open meeting was 

held in early 2019 and several 

enthusiastic individuals came 

forward to set up Wellbeing in 

the Weald. 

We started with our hugely 

popular Wellbeing Walks 

that run throughout the year, 

whatever the weather, in 

Cranbrook and Benenden. A 

great low-key way of socialising. 

The allotment came next; with 

grateful thanks to the Parish 

Council for their support. 

We have a thriving team of 

volunteers ranging from 3 to 

93 years, learning skills and 

meeting new people with the 

satisfaction of growing great 

veg. 

As we all know, Covid 

hit in March 2020 and the 

wonderful activities we had just 

established were curtailed. But 

our volunteers were undaunted, 

creating weekly online groups 

for those who were shielding 

while others met on the Ball 

Field. Many people have told 

us that our weekly sessions 

were a lifeline and we still meet 

regularly. 

Since the pandemic we have 

flourished with the setting up 

of more groups (see below). We 

are proud to have facilitated 

the training of over 75 people 

to become Dementia Friends. 

Our fruit-picking parties have 

become annual events thanks 

to the generous donation of 

local orchards. Look out for 

our delicious pear juice on sale 

around the town! 

We would be nothing without 

the team of dedicated volunteers 

who lead our weekly activities or 

help when needed. There are too 

many people and organisations 

to thank individually for their 

support over our first five years 

– but you know who you are. 

FUTURE PLANS 

Our vision has always been 

to support activities that are 

inclusive and free of charge. 

There are several areas of focus 

for the future. Evening activities, 

social opportunities for carers, 

doing more in surrounding 

villages and support for an afterschool 

drop-in. 

This is your local charity 

working towards a happy and 

resilient community. Please get 

involved either as a volunteer 

or with ideas – we’d love to hear 

from you. 

Here’s to the next five years! 

Dr Dineli Charlesworth 

ACTIVITIES 

• Allotments, Oatfield Drive, Cranbrook: Sundays, 10am–12.30pm. 

• Book Club, every second Tuesday of the month: via GoogleMeet, 

6.30pm. 

• Craft Group and Drop-in, St Dunstan’s Church, Cranbrook: 

Wednesdays, 2pm–3.30pm. 

• Men’s Cookery Classes, Cranbrook School, Waterloo Road, 

Cranbrook: Wednesday afternoon fortnightly during term time. 

Limited places so please apply via Wellbeing in the Weald email 

or phone number below. 

• Wellbeing Walks, Cranbrook: Tuesdays, (three start time options: 

9am, 9.30am and 10am and various routes). Meet by the play area 

on the Ball Field, Cranbrook TN17 3JN. (9am and 9.30am walks 

take approximately 90 minutes, 10am walk lasts approximately 

60 minutes). Benenden: Thursdays, 11am, Hemsted Forest. Meet 

at Goddards Green Road car park. (Walk lasts approximately 90 

minutes). No pre-booking required. Please arrive 10 minutes 

before start time as walks will start promptly. 

• Words for Wellbeing, first Tuesday of the month, Cranbrook 

Library, Carriers Road, Cranbrook: 2pm–3pm. 

• Jigsaw Library, contact us via the website below to borrow one of 

100+ jigsaws. 

For more details contact us: hello@wellbeingintheweald.co.uk or 

visit www.wellbeingintheweald.com 


MUSEUM MATTERS 

Mystery of a 

Photograph Found 

on the Somme in 

1918 Solved! 

The photograph of Mabel 

Dryden picked out of the 

blood-soaked mud of the 

Somme in 1918. 

On 3 April 1918 in 

the small village of 

Hénencourt in the 

Somme in France, 

Private Charles J.H. 

Evernden, a 19-year-old from 

Cranbrook serving as a gunner 

in the West Surrey Regiment, 

was on manoeuvres in the 

scarred battlefield. The scene of a 

recent three-week-long German 

offensive, now known as the 

Second Battle of the Somme, it 

is likely his task was to recover 

lost weapons, ammunition and 

anything that could be reused. 

Among the debris something 

else caught Charles’s eye. There 

in the mud was a postcard-sized 

sepia photograph of a young 

girl, perhaps eight or nine years 

old, wearing a smart dress with 

her hair tied in a headband. 

Handwritten on the reverse of 

the photo was the name Mable 

Dryden. This was a precious 

photograph to someone, perhaps 

a fellow soldier who lost the 

photo before dying in battle? 

Charles carefully put it in his 

pocket. 

Charles himself was wounded 

and gassed a few weeks later and 

his recovery to a field hospital 

in France was the start of a long 

road to hospitalisation and 

recuperation in England, where 

he was demobbed at the end of 

the war. The physical injuries 

healed in time, but the mental 

scars stayed with him for many 

years. 

However, he kept Mable’s 

photograph safely in his personal 

possessions and attached a label 

to it stating where and when he 

had found it. After his recovery 

he worked in his father’s harnessmaking 

business in Stone Street 

in Cranbrook, eventually taking 

over the business himself. 

This later became Evernden’s 

hardware and ironmongery shop 

after the decline in demand for 

leather horse-related goods. 

THE PUZZLE BEGINS 

After Charles’ death in 1989, 

Mable’s photograph and some 

of his possessions were passed 

to Cranbrook Museum where 

Charles had been curator from 

1981 to 1985. In 2023, the photo 

was rediscovered in a museum 

file 105 years after being found 

on the Somme battlefield. As a 

museum volunteer and someone 

who enjoys genealogical puzzles, 

I took it upon myself to find out 

more about Mable Dryden. 

My research involved the 

use of various genealogical 

websites and took about four 

evenings of intense internet 

searches, thankfully resulting 

LEFT: Carol Rutherford viewing the long-lost photo of her grandmother 

Mable Dryden.

MUSEUM MATTERS 

‘I was curious to find out if Mable had 

herself married and perhaps had descendants 

who might find this story interesting’ 

in the positive identification of 

Mable and her parents found 

to be living in Gateshead in the 

1911 and 1921 census returns. 

Furthermore, from Army records, 

Mable’s father Thomas Dryden 

was identified as serving in 

France during the Great War. The 

fact that Thomas appeared in 

the 1921 census for Gateshead 

confirmed that he had survived 

the war and was reunited with 

Mable and his wife Mary Jane. 

Perhaps it was he who lost 

Mable’s photo on the battlefield 

in 1918? 

I was curious to find out if 

Mable had herself married and 

perhaps had descendants who 

might find this story interesting. 

A search for her on Ancestry 

family trees found two references, 

one was in a private tree prepared 

and owned by Carol Rutherford 

who lives in Northumberland. I 

was able to contact Carol through 

the website’s internal message 

facility and was delighted when 

she replied to say that Mable 

Dryden was her grandmother! 

She pointed out that the 

handwriting on the reverse side 

of the photograph, together with 

the unusual spelling of Mable, 

was an identical match to the 

handwriting on the 1911 and 

1921 census returns. As head of 

the household, these had been 

completed by Thomas Dryden, 

thus confirming that I had solved 

the mystery! Carol also told me 

that Mable later married and 

had eight children and many 

grandchildren. 

Michael Lester, Cranbrook 

Museum, January 2024 

Charles Evernden, 

pictured in 

uniform soon 

after he joined 

up in 1916. 

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LOCAL HISTORY 

CRANBROOK: 

TOWN VS. GOWN 

For those of us lucky 

enough to remember 

our local education 

here in Cranbrook, a 

few images come to 

mind that sum up what those 

days were really like: very cold 

in winter, the summer of 76, 

mad hair, great music and the 

realisation that we were SO 

different from city kids. 

In the 1970s, Cranbrook had 

a plethora of small primary 

schools (mine had only 50 pupils 

in total), Dulwich Prep (DCPS) 

and three secondary education 

facilities: Mary Sheafe (the girls’ 

school), Swattenden (the boys’ 

school) and Cranbrook Grammar 

School (at first boys only, then 

gradually co-ed). During these 

times the two state schools 

merged at the Mary Sheafe site 

to form Angley School, a coeducational 

facility, which taught 

our local kids right up to recent 

times, before morphing into the 

Weald Academy, then being shut 

down – just after an expensive 

re-fit – then opening up as a 

special needs school, closing 

shop to regular students. 

For us kids born in the 1960s, 

the rivalry between the state and 

grammar schools was legendary. 

There was not always pleasant 

but generally good-humoured 

banter between teams. The two 

sides couldn’t have been more 

different, yet were strangely 

similar to each other. I know, I 

knew both sides well. My two 

brothers went to Cranbrook while 

my sister (who won an EMMY 

award for being the Editor on 

Stanley Tucci’s Italy programme 

recently) and I stayed with 

Angley (I experienced, briefly, 

Swattenden in the early days 

of transition. My claim to fame 

was winning first prize in the 

egg and spoon race, but I don’t 

like banging on about it). It was 

great fun for all in those days; 

haymaking in the summer while 

avoiding a Kes-like experience, 

which comprehensive education 

seemed to excel at. ‘There are 

three kinds of people in this 

world: those that can do maths 

and those that can’t.’ The 

teachers were mostly good and 

had an Under Milk Woodian 

tendency to be named according 

to their subjects. Mr Head, the 

headmaster; Mrs French, the 

French teacher; Mr English, the 

English teacher; Mr Wood, Mr 

Field, Mrs Home-Economics etc. 

I remember at Colliers Green 

Primary School our wonderful 

dinner lady was named Mrs 

Oneoclock! 

Cranbrook School was for 

ALAMY 

boarding and day pupils, 20 per 

cent coming after spending two 

years at Angley and passing 

their 13+ exams, which made it 

a fascinating exclusive club for 

local kids. Cranbrook Grammar 

was SO different to what we were 

used to at Angley back then. 

They had to wear uniforms and 

straw boaters and had to go to 

school on Saturday mornings. 

Speech Day was like Ascot in the 

town: top hats and tails and big 


fancy summer dresses parading 

around and loads of posh cars. 

We got our cheap blazers from 

Bridgeland’s in Sissinghurst. 

They played rugby and cricket; 

we played truant and drinking in 

Dino’s. The good characters from 

both sides got on fine, we were 

all in the same boat really, no 

money, crap food and tank-top 

dress sense immortalised by Top 

of the Pops. 

The town only had the Youth 

Wing (now the library) to save us 

from a boring adolescence in the 

country till we were allowed in 

pubs. It wasn’t at all bad, in fact 

for many it was the best days of 

their lives, apart from putting up 

with acne, smoking, the cane and 

the horrors of mixing with the 

opposite sex while listening to 

Slade, Mud, ABBA, Led Zep, ‘Yes 

Sir I Can Boogie’, T-Rex, ‘Smoke 

on the Water’ and Peters & Lee. 

On the box, there was Dr Who, 

Blake’s 7, The Two Ronnies and 

Fanny Craddock (‘I hope your 

doughnuts turn out to look just 

like Fannies’). 

Even after all that reminiscing, 

I can’t help feeling terribly sorry 

for local kids these days they 

have to travel many miles before 

getting the chance to have a hard 

time at school. We didn’t know 

how lucky we were back then. 

Our local community leaders are 

trying hard to create a school 

in Cranbrook up at Angley and 

deserve our full support but they 

have the system to contend with. 

It’s like KCC have a problem 

with our town of Cranbrook 

these days. Not only do we get 

nothing from them, they seem 

determined to take what little 

we have left away from us! I will 

be supporting the school plan, 

and fighting to keep the windmill 

open. I will also try and find out 

what’s happening in Wilkes Field, 

the White Horse Inn plan and 

finally where they intend to build 

even more houses in Cranbrook. 

Ann Historian 

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KIDS' CORNER 

Colour 

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Butter or oil for frying 

Orange or other fruit 

segments for the mouth 

METHOD 

1 Mix the egg, flour and 

buttermilk along with the 

optional tablespoon of caster 

sugar into a bowl and whisk. 

Set aside. 

2 Heat a knob of butter or 

spoonful of oil a frying pan over 

medium heat. Drop a dessert 

spoonful of the batter into the 

hot fat and cook, flipping over 

to brown both sides. 

3 Remove the pancake from the 

pan using a slice and place on 

a plate. 

4 Cook one more pancake and 

cut this in half to make the 

bunny ears. Now arrange the 

whole round pancake on the 

plate with the ears above. 

5 Take a small dollop of yoghurt 

and shape two eyes, placing a 

blueberry on top of each eye. 

Cut up the orange into mouth 

shaped segments and place 

below the eyes to complete the 

bunny face. 

Hey presto! Fun Easter bunnies 

for breakfast! 

Let’s Cook 

Easter 

WORD SEARCH 

GETTY IMAGES 

Easter Bunny 

Pancakes 

There are many traditional 

Easter recipes and every family 

will have their favourites, some 

of which have been handed 

down over the years. For our 

family, breakfast on Easter 

Sunday was always the same 

– magic eggs! This consisted 

of boiled eggs and soldiers 

but with a generous teaspoon 

of cochineal food colouring 

added to the boiling water, 

which changed the eggs to a 

magical pink! Somehow my 

father always managed to hide 

the saucepan out of sight to 

keep the magical illusion alive. 

Now, breakfast ingredients 

have changed and the full 

English has been replaced 

with healthy options such as 

yoghurt, granola, blueberries 

and pancakes. So here is a 

simple and fun Easter recipe, 

which everyone, including 

the children, can create on 

Easter Sunday. 

GETTY IMAGES 

INGREDIENTS 

1 egg 

1 cup of self-raising flour 

1 cup of buttermilk 

Blueberries for the eyes 

Natural set yoghurt 

1tbsp caster sugar 

(optional) 


LITERATURE 

Spring Reading 

Four fascinating novels for March 

and onwards recommended by our 

literary expert Christine Newman 

DEMON COPPERHEAD BY 

BARBARA KINGSOLVER 

A very modern 

take on 

Dickens’ David 

Copperfield 

and a story 

that will stay 

with you long 

after you’ve 

finished 

reading. 

Demon’s 

story begins with his traumatic 

birth to a single mother in a 

single-wide trailer, looking ‘like 

a little blue prize-fighter.’ For the 

life ahead of him he would need 

all that fighting spirit, along with 

buckets of charm, a quick wit and 

some unexpected talents, legal 

and otherwise. 

In the southern Appalachian 

Mountains of Virginia, poverty 

isn’t an idea, it’s as natural 

as the grass that grows. For a 

generation growing up in this 

world, at the heart of the modern 

opioid crisis, addiction isn’t 

an abstraction, its neighbours, 

parents and friends. ‘Family’ 

could mean love, or reluctant 

foster care. For Demon, born 

on the wrong side of luck, the 

affection and safety he craves is 

as remote as the sea he dreams 

of seeing one day. The wonder is 

in how far he’s willing to travel 

to try and get there. 

THE WHALEBONE THEATRE 

BY JOANNA 

QUINN 

This is the 

story of an old 

English manor 

house by the 

sea, with 

crumbling 

chimneys, 

draping ivy 

and a library 

full of dusty hardbacks. It’s 

the story of the three children 

who grow up there, and the 

adventures they create for 

themselves while the grownups 

entertain endless party 

guests. This is also the tale of 

a whale that washes up on a 

beach, whose bones are claimed 

by a 12-year-old girl with big 

ambitions and an even bigger 

imagination. An unwanted 

orphan who grows into an 

unmarriageable young woman, 

fiercely determined to do things 

differently. But as the children 

grow to adulthood, another 

story has been unfolding in the 

wings. And when the war finally 

takes centre stage, they find 

themselves cast, unrehearsed, 

into roles they never expected 

to play. 

DEADLAND BY WILLIAM 

SHAW 

In this murder 

thriller set in 

and around 

Dungeness, 

William Shaw 

captures the 

atmosphere 

of the area 

brilliantly. 

Two misfit 

boys, 17, 

the worst age, have nothing 

to do but look for trouble. The 

day they speed off on a moped 

with a stolen mobile, they’re 

ready to celebrate their luck at 

last. Until their victim comes 

looking for what’s his – and is 

ready to kill for it. On the other 

side of Kent’s wealth divide, 

DS Alexandra Cupidi faces the 

strangest murder investigation 

of her career. A severed limb is 

found hidden inside a modern 

sculpture in Margate’s Turner 

Contemporary. As the case 

becomes ever more sinister, 

Cupidi wrangles with police 

politics and personal dilemmas 

and can’t help worrying about 

those runaway boys. Seventeen, 

the same age as her own 

headstrong daughter. Alone, on 

the marshes, they’re pawns in 

someone else’s game. 

LONDON LIES BENEATH BY 

STELLA DUFFY 

This brilliant 

historical 

novel, rich 

with life 

and full of 

wisdom, is 

based on a 

true story. 

In August 

1912, three friends set out on an 

adventure but only two of them 

come home. Tom, Jimmy and 

Itzhak have grown up together in 

the crowded slums of Walworth. 

All three boys are expected to 

follow their fathers’ trades and 

stay close to home. But Tom 

has wider dreams. When he 

hears of a Scouts trip, sailing 

from Waterloo to Sheppey and 

the mouth of the Thames, he 

is determined to go and Itzhak 

and Jimmy go with him. This 

is the story of three friends, 

and a tragedy that will change 

them for ever. It is also a song of 

south London, of working-class 

families with hidden histories, of 

a bright and complex world long 

neglected. 


BADGER’S PLOT 

Spring Awakening 

The arrival of 

spring heralds a 

particularly busy 

time of the year in 

the kitchen garden 

or on the allotment. Although 

the days are getting longer and 

the sun, when it emerges, is 

starting to warm the soil, we 

know that the risk of frost still 

lurks and our unpredictable 

weather can suddenly unleash 

downpours. 

Hopefully, you have been able 

to find a bit of time during the 

winter months to decide what 

you are going to grow this year 

and to draw up a planting and 

sowing plan. Having done that, 

ordering or buying your seeds 

is next. Outside, most of the 

ground preparation should be 

complete. Perhaps your garlic 

and broad beans will already 

be in the ground. If you are 

fortunate to have a greenhouse, 

the first trays of seeds should 

also be in place. This is how the 

next few months should look. 

EARLY SPRING 

Sowing in the greenhouse: 

Tomatoes, peas, celery, beetroot 

and onions from seed. 

Sowing outdoors: Parsnips and 

radish. 

Planting outdoors: Early 

potatoes, onion sets, shallots and 

broad beans. 

MID-SPRING 

Sowing in the greenhouse: As 

per early spring plus courgettes, 

squashes, cucumbers and leeks. 

LATE SPRING 

Sowing in the greenhouse: 

Sprouts, autumn cabbage, 

sweetcorn, French beans and 

runner beans. 

Planting: Provided they are 

ready, tomatoes can be planted in 

the greenhouse. 

In addition to all those 

vegetable seeds, you might 

consider planting certain flowers 

that can be used as companion 

plants that will help to produce 

healthier crops. Here are some 

ideas and the vegetables that will 

benefit: nasturtiums (beans), 

nicotiana (brassicas), 

poached egg plant 

(will attract 

pollinators) 

and 

calendula 

(courgettes – the flowers will 

also attract pollinators). Many of 

these plants bear a strong scent 

that helps mask the smell of 

the vegetable or attract insects 

that prey on the less-welcome 

visitors like aphids or blackfly. In 

fact, spring onions grown among 

carrots will deter carrot root fly. 


BADGER’S PLOT 

JOBS ON THE PLOT 

Fruit Project 

An early spring project could be the creation of an area for 

soft fruit. Unlike rotating your vegetables, soft fruit will have a 

permanent home. There is much to choose from, but strawberries, 

raspberries and blackcurrants are probably the most popular. 

The area selected will already have been cleared, weeded 

and composted. 

Strawberries 

These delicious fruits can be purchased at reputable 

garden centres as what are known as ‘bare root 

runners’. There are many varieties and they will 

bear fruit at different times so check first. The site 

chosen should be sheltered and get plenty of sun 

for best results. Each plant should be placed 30–45cm 

apart in rows 75cm apart, with just the roots set in the 

soil. They will need to be watered regularly for the first few 

weeks. Be ready to protect your crop from the attention of birds, 

squirrels and mice. Netting is probably the best method, using a 

mesh that is large enough to allow access by pollinators. 

Raspberries 

There are two types of raspberry – summer fruiting and autumn 

fruiting, so make sure you know what you’ve purchased! The canes 

can be bought either from nurseries or online and planted 45cm 

apart in rows, allowing 1.8m between rows. The canes will also 

need supporting on wires held by stout posts about 1.8m high. 

Summer fruiting canes should be tied to the wires, but autumn 

fruiters will need to be pruned to a point just above the level of 

the soil as they will commence growing before requiring to be 

tied. A good dressing of compost or well-rotted manure will 

be required but it is essential to avoid it coming into 

contact with the canes as it can cause rotting. The 

site should provide full sun, although raspberries 

tolerate partial shade. Blackbirds, in particular, like 

raspberries so netting should be considered but do 

check it regularly in case birds become trapped or 

entangled. 

Blackcurrants 

Blackcurrants are full of vitamin C and therefore good 

for your health. They like full sun, but will tolerate a 

partially shaded site. Blackcurrants are sold as two-year-old 

plants and those sold in pots are generally considered better for 

spring planting. Of all soft fruits they are probably the easiest to 

grow and if you are planning on more than one plant, they should 

be spaced about 1.8m apart. Composting can be the same as 

raspberries. Initially, water regularly around the base of the plant 

and once firmly established, provide netting against birds. 

Hopefully, you will enjoy the fruits of your labour! Badger 


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Solar Farms 

Demand for green 

energy in the UK 

and elsewhere has 

become an intense 

and contentious 

issue as we try to replace our 

old power systems with climatefriendly 

alternatives. The current 

green supply of electricity in the 

UK is completely inadequate, 

particularly with the demand 

from electric vehicles. 

Solar energy, once considered 

a relatively ineffective energy 

source on a small scale, has been 

harnessed and modernised to 

create really effective large-scale 

electricity production. Travelling 

the UK, you will have seen the 

impressive and eerily silent 

wind turbines in rural areas 

and on shoreline cliffs and hills 

producing energy for local towns 

and villages and now fields of 

solar panels are joining them to 

provide even more electricity 

that links into our National Grid. 

According to 2020 figures, 

there are over 500 solar 

farms in operation in the UK, 

particularly in such areas as the 

south west and south east of 

England, Yorkshire and Wales. 

‘There is concern 

among some farmers 

that land should 

be used to produce 

food, so the quality of 

the land needs to be 

considered carefully’ 

Their output of electricity is 

remarkably significant with a 

couple of large fields providing 

enough energy for a whole town. 

The solar field is technically 

land dedicated to the installation 

of solar panels or photovoltaic 

systems to capture solar 

radiation and transform it into 

renewable electrical energy. With 

our farmers struggling to make 

a living there is an opportunity 

for them to set aside a couple of 

fields for solar energy production 

and earn some much-needed 

income while providing a 

great service for our towns and 

villages. There is concern among 

some farmers that land should 

be used to produce food, so the 

quality of the land needs to be 

Be warned! 

FARMING & AGRICULTURE 

considered carefully. Farmland 

that is barren and unsuitable for 

agriculture is perfect for solar 

farms. 

The ground-based panels do 

not intrude on neighbouring 

properties, in comparison to the 

new housing developments, and 

farming activities can continue 

on low quality agricultural land. 

In fact, animals are quite content 

to graze around the panels or 

indeed use them as shade. 

Planning permission is needed 

for these solar fields, however, 

and the cost of setting up the 

farm and installing the panels 

is significant for the farmer but 

once established solar farms 

provide so many benefits not 

only for our community but for 

the whole country to help us 

produce clean, affordable energy 

and reduce our carbon emissions. 

Carol Summers 

The Asian Hornet is trying to make its home in UK. There were two nests 

found in Benenden last year, both destroyed by DEFRA. 

If you see one, PLEASE REPORT IT, as they eat any other insect, but 

love honey bees. Look out for a hornet with YELLOW legs. 


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Burfields House Wealth Management Ltd is an Appointed Representative of and represents only St. James’s Place 

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used to describe St.James’s Place representatives. 

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LEGAL ADVICE 

Ask our Friendly 

Experts 

Would family mediation work for me? 

Relationship 

breakdown can be 

very difficult for all 

parties concerned, 

not just the partners, 

but for children and wider 

family. These days people 

are looking to resolve things 

quickly with as little acrimony 

as possible in these difficult 

times, inexpensively. Couples 

hope to make things as easy 

as possible for themselves and 

their children, seeking a sensible 

alternative dispute resolution 

option. Most couples also wish 

to avoid Court proceedings, 

which can take months if not 

years to resolve and prove costly. 

Mediation can offer an answer. 

When couples separate, they 

may have a host of things to sort 

out, including but not limited to: 

• What arrangements should be 

made for children? 

• When will the children be told 

about the separation? 

• Should there be a divorce if 

they are married, and when 

should this happen? 

• How will you divide the family 

finances? 

• If there is a property, what is 

to be done about this? 

• Who will live in the property 

and so forth? 

It is daunting when a 

relationship breaks down and 

each party has to consider these 

things, there is uncertainty and 

worry about the future and it is 

difficult to know where to start. 

Some couples find that 

Mediation is useful to sort 

out knotty issues when they 

remain in a relationship and to 

help them to resolve these in 

a healthy way. Mediation can 

‘Mediation can also be helpful for extended 

family members to come terms with things, 

particularly grandparents’ 

also be helpful for extended 

family members to come 

terms with things, particularly 

grandparents. 

Many couples hope to sort 

things out between themselves, 

but this can prove challenging on 

their own without professional 

assistance. Mediation can 

provide the answer, offering a 

safe environment where couples 

can meet to discuss matters in a 

confidential, neutral safe space. 

The mediator will facilitate 

the process, enabling couples 

to talk to one another and air 

their views in a balanced way, 

ensuring they are both heard. 

The mediator will always be 

neutral in approach and can 

offer options and information to 

assist the process if parties get 

stuck. 

When looking at finances, 

each party will provide the other 

with a clear picture, meaning 

that informed decisions can be 

made. Couples will be making 

their own decisions so these 

can be tailored to their needs 

and wishes. As their financial 

arrangements are curated by 

the couple, it makes them more 

likely to be lasting. Where 

children are concerned, the 

process will hopefully mean 

any acrimony is dispersed and 

they are able to remain on good 

terms, which many couples aim 

for. 

All meetings are confidential 

(other than when there are 

safeguarding exceptions), 

leading to parties being able 

to fully express themselves, 

whilst the mediator ensures 

the proceedings are balanced. 

Any financial disclosure will be 

open, so it can be passed onto 

individual’s solicitors should 

they seek legal advice alongside 

the Mediation process. If a 

financial arrangement is agreed, 

it will be without prejudice, 

so that legal advice can be 

taken by the parties. Other 

professionals such as financial 

advisors or pension experts can 

be involved, meaning all issues 

may be addressed. Parties can 

be signposted for support to 

divorce coaches/counsellors 

offering a holistic approach. If 

arrangement for children are 

sorted, couples can enter into a 

Parenting Plan to record these, 

this helps to provide certainty 

for the future. 

Matters are usually settled 

after three or four meetings. 

Meetings will be at your pace 

and can be either remote or 

face-to-face from our offices. 

Documents will be prepared to 

record arrangements, meaning 

you know exactly where you 

stand. 

To answer the question of 

whether Mediation might 

work for you, if there are two 

willing participants who wish 

to resolve their problems for 

themselves then this could be 

the right forum for you. It will 

almost certainly be cheaper 

and importantly, quicker than 

the route of the Court. It will 

also hopefully provide the right 

solutions for both parties. 

Margaret Sculpher is a 

resolution trained mediator 

and looks forward to your 

enquiry. Please contact her at 

msculpher@bussmurton.co.uk 

Clermont House, High Street, 

Cranbrook, TN17 3DN 

01580 712 215 or info@ 

bussmurton.co.uk 

www.bussmurton.co.uk 


Update 

Annual Parish 

Meeting 

SAVE THE DATE 

The annual parish meeting will be held in 

the Vestry Hall, Cranbrook, on Wednesday 24 

April at 7pm. Look out for the agenda nearer 

the time. 

WHAT IS AN ANNUAL PARISH MEETING? 

All town and parish councils throughout 

England are required by law to hold an 

Annual Parish Meeting, which must take 

place between 1 March and 1 June (inclusive). 

Meetings should not commence before 6pm 

(LGA 1972, section 14 (4)). 

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE ANNUAL 

PARISH MEETING? 

The purpose of the meeting is to give the 

parish council and other local organisations 

an opportunity to let local residents know 

what they have been doing over the past 

year. The meeting is also an opportunity 

for electors to have a say on anything they 

consider valuable to the people of the parish. 

WHAT ELSE HAPPENS AT THE MEETING? 

The meeting can also be an opportunity 

for local groups, clubs, societies and other 

voluntary and statutory organisations 

to provide an exhibition and/or have 

representatives from the group address those 

present at the meeting about the work they do 

and what they are involved in. 

WHO CAN ATTEND THE MEETING? 

The annual parish meeting is for all electors 

of the parish. It is not a meeting of the parish 

council. Anyone is welcome to attend the 

meeting, however, only registered electors 

of the parish may speak and vote during the 

meeting. 

COUNCILLOR SURGERIES 

Cranbrook & Sissinghurst Parish Council 

holds a monthly surgery to provide an 

opportunity for local residents to meet 

with their Parish Councillors in person. 

Each month, Parish Councillors will be 

present to answer questions and discuss 

local issues. Dates of these surgeries in the 

first half of 2024 are as follows: 

Tuesday 26 March – Parish Rooms, 

Sissinghurst 9.15am–11.00am 

Tuesday 30 April – Addison Room, 

Cranbrook 9.15am–11.00am 

Tuesday 28 May – Addison Room, 

Cranbrook 9.15am–11.00am 

Tuesday 25 June – Parish Rooms, 

Sissinghurst 7.00pm–8.30pm 

Tuesday 30 July – Addison Room, 

Cranbrook 7.00pm–8.30pm 


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THE CAKE MEETS… 

David Clark 

The Cake meets David Clark, the new headmaster at Cranbrook School 

David took over as 

head of Cranbrook 

School in September 

2023, having 

previously been 

head at Battle Abbey School 

and before that deputy head at 

Caterham School. His wife, Lisa, 

is a nurse and they have three 

boys. 

David has a degree in History 

from Exeter, and left school 

knowing he did not want to 

be a banker or an accountant. 

He worked his way round the 

world for two years and while 

‘hitchhiking around Australia’ 

decided that he wanted to be a 

teacher. Returning to the UK, 

he did his teacher training in 

Cambridge and for the next 

eight years taught in large state 

schools around the city. 

As an educator new to the 

profession in the early 1990s, 

he was surprised to discover 

that many students spent six 

weeks away from school picking 

the harvest on the local farms, 

working alongside their parents 

and grandparents. However, 

what he found was that these 

children developed key skills and 

disciplines and soon had ideas 

of what they wanted to do, and 

therefore applied themselves 

to achieving that. It is easy to 

forget that the ‘dignity of labour’, 

earning money by the sweat of 

one’s brow, shapes our lives at an 

early age. 

Studying for a Master’s degree 

led David, by default, into the 

private sector, where he lived 

in boarding to help pay off his 

student debt. We discussed at 

length how easily credit and 

interest payments blight young 

people’s lives and sentence 

them to years of poverty. He 

even wrote to Gordon Brown as 

Chancellor saying that giving 

university students credit cards 

when they had no income was 

irresponsible and reckless. 

He has high hopes for 

Cranbrook, which he describes 

as a quasi-independent 

international school, where all 

the overseas boarders, though 

British passport holders, bring 

a different set of values to a 

community, increasing the 

diversity and helping to better 

prepare all of the students for a 

global future. 

His aspirations for the school 

are to turn out students who are 

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“He is keen to work with local primary 

schools to increase the opportunities for 

local children and those on pupil premium” 

more than hothouse academics, 

but have soul, soft skills, work 

in teams and are pleasant and 

engaging company. Covid did 

untold damage to this generation 

of children but accelerated the 

use of technology in teaching, so 

teachers picked up new skills. 

He is keen to work with local 

primary schools to increase the 

opportunities for local children 

and those on pupil premium. He 

recounts how his father was due 

to leave school at 13 to work on 

the docks until being evacuated 

to a place with a grammar 

school, from where he went to 

university. So much young talent 

misses the opportunity of being 

educated. 

Founder’s Day at Cranbrook 

has been re-configured with the 

school having a ‘Giving Back 

Day’ instead and a big push is 

underway to engage students 

more with the community and 

with local charity projects. 

Our fascinating discussion was 

cut short as he had to go to teach, 

but David has ‘been around the 

block’ and the school seems to be 

in a safe pair of hands. 


Local firm of solicitors for all your personal 

and business needs 

Property Conveyancing 

Family, Children & Divorce 

Employment law 

Wills, Trusts and Probate 

Litigation & Dispute Resolution 

Company & Commercial law 

Our Cranbrook Office: 

Clermont House 

High street 

Cranbrook 

Kent TN17 3DN 

T: 01580 712 215 

E: info@bussmurton.co.uk 

www.bussmurton.co.uk 

TUNBRIDGE WELLS | CRANBROOK | EAST GRINSTEAD 

Buss Murton Law is a trading name of Buss Murton Law (South East) Limited, (registered no. 14106070 in England & Wales) 

and which is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

Spring 2024

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