Village festival is a huge success
Harrietsham Music Festival raised more than £2,400 to support a modernisation project for the village hall. Around 300 people went to Booth Field to see bands played live music and enjoy a hog roast and barbecue. For youngsters there were fun fair rides as well as face-painting and henna tattooing. Organiser Susie Jack said: “Support from residents has been incredible. I don’t think I could pin-point my favourite highlight of the day, the whole event was great. “The music was fantastic and to see everyone having such a good time and raising money for the hall is the icing on the cake,” Everyone that came along had a really nice time and we can’t wait to do it again.” It was sponsored by AW Funeral Directors, Triple A Events and Paige and Wells. 3-7 Lower Fant Road will be closed from August 15 for up to five days to enable a new electric supply to be carried out by UK Power Networks. The alternative route is via Bower Lane, Upper Fant Road and Lower Fant Road. Fant Lane, from August 29 for up to five days to enable gas main replacement works to be carried out by Southern Gas Networks, will have no access for through traffic between the junctions with Gatland Lane and Abbots Field. The alternative route is via Hackney Road, Hartnup Street, Western Road, Beaumont Road and Fant Lane. Move along, please: Copy for the September issue of The Anvil, St Andrew’s Church magazine is wanted no later than 7pm on Tuesday, August 16 by Tony Deane, its editor. Have a word (or two) with him on 01622 204569 or email anvil. mag@btinternet.com the July meeting, Sara Jane Ladbrooke-Hutt entertained members with tales of her hobby as a Mudlark. It is first necessary to apply for a licence from the Port of London Authority which comes with a map of the areas Mudlarks are allowed to explore, then to buy an essential tide timetable, rubber gloves, a sturdy pair of boots with thick soles and 2-3 essential tools. Sara works using hand tools, bending over all the time so a few hours a day is her limit. She has found such diverse treasures as bones (near the site of an old abattoir); chalk which indicated barge beds; nails; musket balls; buttons; pins; marbles; clay pipes; a Pilgrims badge; a ring valued at £1;300; several Roman rings; a gun that was an adjusted starter pistol; fossils; Edward VI hammered coins which were beaten from silver; a William III milled coin; a coin depicting the Battle of Jenkins Ear; traders tokens; a silver spoon thought to be a child’s toy; many buckles; Bronze Age pins from 500 BC and a wheel from a cart; plus the more common cutlery; lead fishing weights and shopping trolleys. The competition for something you have found was won by Margaret Brown. The basket competition was won by Sandra Gordon who made an excellent job of turning an old bra into a hanging basket. The next meeting is on Wednesday, August 31. Jackie Simmonds will speak on My Life as a Tiller Girl.