What’s happening where you live...
nity centre, join Paula Thursday in term time, lessons at 9.45am and 10.45am, fun and interactive music and movement classes for toddlers six months upwards. £4 each time you attend. For details of these, other classes, and children’s parties, call 07901 712510 or email musicalplaytime@aol.com Correspondent: Rosa Sams, Uplands Hogbarn Lane, Harrietsham, Maidstone, ME17 1NZ Tel: 01622 859412 rosa.sams@ googlemail.com Playscheme: Registration forms are available at Harrietsham School and the parish office or by phoning Janetta on 01622 859412 or email sams_uplands@yahoo. co.uk The scheme for school aged children will run from Monday, July 27 to Friday, August 7, 9ampm weekdays at the village hall. The cost is £4.50 if booked or £5 on the day. Correspondent: Mike Bennett Mob: 07979 672985 Tel: 01580 761943 mikebennettkm@ tiscali. co.uk Advice offer: Headcorn Surgery practice manager Anne Bristow has announced that a series of informal sessions are to be held on health issues in the village. All residents are invited to the first which will focus on Dementia and its implications for both the person, their family and friends, from 10am-noon on Saturday, June 27. There will be speakers from The Alzheimer’s Society and Admiral Nurses to explain the latest thinking and to share thoughts on this challenging subject. The session will be held in the Grigg Lane Surgery. School fete: The village primary school holds its annual summer fete from noon-4pm on Saturday, June 27, with a selection of displays and stalls for all ages. Hall closed: Users are reminded that both the Andred and Longmeadow facilities at the village hall will be closed from July 27-30 for essential floor maintenance work. Garden date: Planning a garden sa
fari next June, the parish church is calling all green fingered residents to consider opening their grounds to raise funds. Anyone interested should contact churchwardeen Anne-Marie Trustram on 01622 892480 for details. Boot fair: The next major fundraising event planned by the village Scout Group to pay off outstanding building loans on their new headquarters will be a boot fair at Headcorn Aerodrome on Sunday, August 30. Go along and find a bargain and at the same time support the group. Lavender trip: Members of the village active retirement club will be travelling on a trip to the Lavender Fields on Monday, June 29. Although outings are always popular with members to check if late space is available contact Marie Martin on 01622 890114. Guest speakers: At the June meeting of the WI, Chris O’Donoghue spoke about being Behind the scenes at Chelsea. Having won medals at the famous Flower Show, he talked about the design, construction and potential problems of a show garden with an accompanying slide show and proved to be an interesting speaker. Marjorie Swannell gave a report of the annual meeting at the Royal Albert Hall, and also of the Buckingham Palace garden party, both of which she had recently attended. There was a display of floral art in a teacup. At the Wednesday, July 15 meeting, Dennis Chambers will talk on Reported to or by the Police and there will be a competition for the best limerick including the word ‘law’, plus a bring and buy stall for anything coloured blue. Guests are always welcome to the meetings in the village hall. Film treat: Doors open at 6pm for the next big screen showing by the village film society. It will be Testament of Youth starring Hayley Atwell and Emily Watson being shown in the village hall on Saturday, June 27. Tickets are available from Paul Dickins on 01622 890207. Correspondent: Liz Willy , 108 Eyhorne Street, Hollingbourne, ME17 1UA Mob: 07928668924 elizabethwilly@ btinternet.com Summer fete: A meeting to review the annual summer fete and exemption dog show held on June 13 and to consider options for the 2016 event, will be held on Monday, June 29 from 7.30-9pm at the Cardwell Pavilion. All are welcome. a steam organ. Refreshments available. Sunday, July 5 from 10.30am-5pm. Warren Wood is beyond the top of Hollingbourne Hill towards Sittingbourne. RBLI: The monthly meeting of the Leeds and Hollingbourne branch of the Royal British Legion is on Tuesday, July 7 from 8-10pm at the village hall. New members welcome to the branch, which incorporates the Bearsted and Thurnham branch. Reading Group: Meets on Thursday, July 9 from 7.45-9.30pm. For details contact Sarah Fletcher on 880495 or Barbara Lloyd on 880282. Correspondent: Helen Ward Tel: 01622 820810 herald@hunton.org.uk Sunday service: There will be a service of Holy Communion at St Mary’s Church on Sunday, June 28 at 11am taken by the Rev David Jones. Pavilion opening: In a short ceremony at the beginning of the Fete, parish council chairman Gary Thomas and County Cllr Paulina Stockell officially handed over the keys to the new cricket pavilion to cricket club chairman Simon Taylor. Work is still needed to complete the interior but visitors to the fete were invited inside to see what has been achieved so far. Hair raising event: More than £200 was raised to support the work of Pukka Ponies Equine Rescue with a charity head shave at the village fete. John Brown, who helped to found the charity and is a committee member, bravely volunteered to allow local hairdresser Sharon Parnell to shave off his beard and hair, which had not been cut for six years. Fun at the fete: The village fete on June 20 was well attended and had a wonderful atmosphere. Dr Jazz provided a superb musical backdrop to the afternoon with their Dixieland jazz while visitors browsed an array of stalls, enjoyed the fun and games or just sat back and relaxed. The star of the fete was undoubtedly Michael Imerson with his fabulous Giant Balloon Show. A funny and talented performer of the kind you would expect to find in Covent Garden, Michael brought us much hilarity, silliness and audience participation before finally inflating and climbing inside his eagerly anticipated and very impressive giant balloon. In the arena the fun dog show attracted so many furry entrants that it was an almost impossible task for the judges, Gilly Devas, Lynda Desmarais and David Jones, to identify the waggiest tail or to choose between all those pairs of very appealing eyes. There were traditional games for the children with the boys beating the girls in the tug-of-war (but only just) and some determined faces in the egg and spoon race. In the baking contest the winner of best chocolate cake was Claire Taylor, Ali Adams impressed with her Victoria sandwich, and James Redman was crowned Hunton’s Best Baker. WI amused: The members were thoroughly entertained at their June meeting by Marianne Martin with It’s Good to Laugh, causing much laughter amongst the members with her amusing poetry taking a wry look at issues we all face everyday – fashion, food, weight and men. Liz Oliver had won the draw to attend the WI Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace and managed to hot foot it from the palace to give an amusing account of her preparations, travel and the party itself. She was particularly impressed by the immaculate gardens and just how far some WI members had travelled to take part. A week later 16 members took a coach from the village hall to London to see Jersey Boys, taking in lunch at Covent Garden before the show. Delia Taylor will be the speaker at next month’s meeting on Tuesday, July 7 to talk on Victorian Street Life. Guests and new members most welcome. School Fair: Hunton School will hold its summer fair in the school grounds on Saturday, July 4 from noon-4pm. Highlights include a hawk display at 12.30pm and 1.30pm. All welcome. Correspondent: Martin Hider Tel: 01622 736327 mhider5@ gmail.com
Concert: See the Otham column. Correspondent: Mike Brine Tel: 01732 845825 mbriney.yoda@ hotmail.com School fair: Leeds and Broomfield School will be holding its Summer Fair on Sunday, July 5 from noon3pm. Entry is free. Attractions will include face painting, pony ride, tractors, beer tent and Thai curry. Choral society: See the Bearsted column for details of a concert being held in the church. Correspondent: Janetta Sams, Uplands Hogbarn Lane, Harrietsham, ME17 1NZ Tel: 01622 859412 sams_uplands@yahoo.co.uk Hospice support: The hospice shop in Lenham Square invites supporters to the new Hospice garden at the Heart of Kent Hospice. On Saturday July 11 from 10am-4pm, the hospice is opening its own garden to visitors for a suggested donation of £4. The hospice garden is a treasured space providing a tranquil and peaceful environment for both patients and their visitors. The garden, which is lovingly and regularly tended by dedicated volunteers, allows patients wonderful views of plants and trees, not to mention the inquisitive squirrels from their own individual rooms. Children are welcome but must be supervised and only assistance dogs can enter. Refreshments will be available . Family Fun Day: On Sunday, July 5, the cricket ground will be open at 11am for the annual rounder’s tournament to start at 11.30am. Squads of 10 mixed players, unlimited under 12 years. Entry fee is £25. Registration before or on the day, part team or individuals welcome teams will be made up. For information call Pixie on 07760132803 or