Lenham Focus | November ’15

NOVEMBER 2015 IN THIS EDITION

Can you help the focus?

See Editorial

Volunteers Needed for the Christmas Lights

Tracey Smith Shaves head for Charity

Local Young Magician Jim Myers Interviews

SEE PAGE 4

SEE PAGE 10

SEE PAGE 22

SEE PAGE 28

PAGE 2 NOV 2015

GB LISTER Produce you can trust

lenhamfocus.co.uk

@lenhamfocus

Lenham’s Traditional Family Butcher & Greengrocer

Locally sourced meat which hasn’t had to travel thousands of miles before it reaches you.

10% DISCOUNT and FREE DELIVERY for senior citizens on Tuesdays.

Adverts

Tel: 01622 858220 Email: gblister@live.com 13 The Square, Lenham, Maidstone, ME17 2PQ

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Troubleshooting & Repair Installation, Setup & Networking Upgrades & Maintenance Need some advice? Get in touch!

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PAGE 4 NOV 2015

Welcome to the November edition of the Lenham Focus. This month we have a couple of great articles from Jim Myers.

James Collett Editor

lenhamfocus.co.uk

@lenhamfocus

07927 308740 editorialslf@gmail. com

One is on Tracey Smith from the Barbers in the Square who recently had her hair cut for charity. The other article is on Charlie Hewish, an excellent young magician who is available for weddings and other events and can perform both stage shows and close up magic. Thanks again to Jim for these great pieces, please keep them coming.

There are a number of our regular contributors including Amy Myers with her article on the War and GB Lister with an article on pork cuts. We also have articles from new contributors including Chris Tempest who has written about osteopathy, which he practices in the village square.

I would like to start with a plea for additional help and support with the magazine. We need help across the whole magazine including the following:

Distribution – A volunteer to carry out the main distribution which involves taking delivery of all the magazines and delivering small batches to the local distributors.

Social Media – A volunteer to update the various social media sites and help develop the new website content.

Advertising – A volunteer to deal with new and existing advertising and to look for new advertisers for the magazine and help develop the web site content.

Editorial – A volunteer to work on editorial including finding new and interesting articles and to help develop web site content.

Editorial: James Collett 07927 308740 | editorialslf@gmail.com

Distribution: Gez Clark 07784 447200

Social: Jemma Cockell, Liz Webb

Advertising: Annie Drylie 07593 340744 | advertslf@gmail.com

Proofing: Jayne Hewish, Katy Bennett

Printed by: Gemini Print

Finance: Mark Dunbar 07808863227 | lenhamfocusinvoices@gmail.com

Interviews: Jim Myers

Welcome

Focus is Distributed by Volunteers to: Lenham Village, Lenham Heath, Platts Heath, Sandway, West Street, Woodside Green and Warren Street.

Volume 17 Edition 11 (November 2015) Circulation 2000 Copy Deadline: 5pm 7th of the preceding month.

Please leave copy at 24 Maidstone Road, or contact us.

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For ‘Out of Town’ Readers Distribution: Lenham Community Centre, Chequers Fish Bar, Lenham Post Office, Len Valley Newsagents and Harrietsham Post Office.

Published by Lenham Focus Lenham Focus is published by the Lenham Focus Team. Any

opinions expressed are those of the contributors and not the publishers.

Every care is taken in compiling the contents of the magazine to ensure that they are correct and accurate at the time of printing and the publishers accept no responsibility for any errors or omissions. The publication of advertisements does not constitute an endorsement by the publishers.

Authors of articles and advertisements in Focus take full responsibility to ensure they obtain any prior permission for use of copyright materials.

Advertising Rates (May 2015)

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Print & Deliver Single Sided A5 Insert Double Sided A5 Insert

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Advert Formats If artwork is not supplied as a PDF we cannot guarantee the correct reproduction of the advert.

Online Advertising The Lenham Focus will soon be be launching a new website.

Advertisers will be able to place

adverts and be listed on the site.

Contact us for more details.

Creative Team

Photography: Andy Flood Andy has been providing photography to the focus since the launch of the new design.

Consistently he has provided amazing shots, especially the front covers.

Check out his website! www.andyfloodphotography.co.uk

Welly Walk Sunday 29th November 2015

Registration between 9am and 11am Kent Showground, Maidstone, ME14 3JF • Fun for all the family and dog friendly

Design: FALCON We design brands and digital experiences that strategically connect people and companies for clients across the world from our studio in the heart of Kent. If you’d like to get in touch, give us a bell on 01233 624664 or send us a message at hey@madebyfalcon.co.uk Alternatively visit our website at: madebyfalcon.co.uk Article Filler Photos: PicJumbo / Unsplash www.picjumbo.com / www.unsplash.com

• 5 or 6 mile circular route • Welly Tossing and Best Dressed Welly Competition • Treasure Trail • Hog roast and hot and cold refreshments available • All proceeds to Heart of Kent Hospice

£7 per adult / £3 per child (Under 18) Family of four (2 adults, 2 children): £18 Family of five (2 adults, 3 children): £21

To register call 01622 790 195 or visit www.hokh.org

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COMPLETE THE FORM OVERLEAF

»

Borough Council Corner PAGE 6 NOV 2015

F

ollowing on from contact with Helen Whately MP during the summer regarding Operation Stack we have received information from her about the work she is doing to try and resolve the issue. We have passed this on to the Parish council and would be happy to share with residents.

Council Corner

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@lenhamfocus

On smaller issues we have dealt with residents’ concerns with benefit claims, and where more specific advice is needed sent a number of our older residents to talk to CROP in the High Street.

We are endeavouring to improve access from Robins Avenue to

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Lenham Gardening Society

T

he sun is shining as we enjoy an Indian Summer, but unlikely to last so I’m told. Never mind, only six months to Spring.

Our speaker in September, Philip Johnson, gave us a very informative talk on sweet peas; how to grow and show them.

There were some great pictures of the flowers, if only we could grow them like that, still hopefully we were able to pick up some useful hints.

Our next meeting will be November 19th which will be our AGM followed by a Cheese and Wine evening, tickets are still available from Pat (859084) priced £6 per person. As it’s our AGM this will be a members’ only evening. The competition will be a ‘Xmas Table Decoration’ and/or ‘Five Mince Pies’. The AGM will be your chance to find out what we have being doing during the year and plans for 2016, including

the station for one of our active disabled younger residents and this is going to be one of those mini battles with South Eastern Rail.

27th October is the deadline for the submission of further resident representations on the appeal to the planning inspectorate.

At the Council meetings we have sought clarification regarding the process about the AONB and how this was dealt with by council.

All earlier comments from residents have already been submitted to the planning inspectorate. The public inquiry is likely to take place in March/April 2016.

Hopefully the consultation with MBC regarding the local plan will, by the time Focus is delivered, include all the concerns and issues from Lenham residents

Thank you again to all those in the community who give up their time for others.

We are in discussion with council officers regarding street traders’ licenses and the issues this has raised about further consultation.

We do our best to be available for residents and can be contacted by email on janettasamscllr@ gmail.com or tomsamscllr7@ gmail.com or by phone on 01622 859412.

The appeal for Ham Lane has now been allocated an officer. The

letting us know the outings you would like us to arrange. The other important aspect of the AGM is the election of officers and committee. Fresh blood & ideas are needed so that we can move forward and not stand still, a new chair person would be a great start, so please, please have a think!!

There will be no meeting in December. Our first meeting in 2016 will be January 21st at which the competition will be a ‘Jar of Pickled Onions’ and/or ‘A Bunch

of Snowdrops’.

February 18th will be our Winter Social; details to follow.

Happy Gardening Keith Chair LGS

Dates for your Diary Keep up-to-date with the latest goings on in and around Lenham.

22 November Kent Group Plant Heritage Talk ‘The History of Plant Hunting and Plant Hunters’ Hollingbourne Village Hall at 2pm 26 November Lenham Family Festival Meeting Come and get involved in organising this great event, Community Centre 7:15pm

Forthcoming Events 14 Nov 12 Dec 19 Dec

Race night Children’s Christmas Party Shakin’ Stevens Tribute

Outside Bar, Marque, BBQ & Bouncy Castle for Hire Bingo:Hire. every Tuesday andand Sunday Night Private very Tuesday Sunday Night Quiz Night: first Tuesday of every month New members always welcome, apply to club Members and Guests Only. All events start at 8pm.

26 November The London Klezmer Quartet Concert Egerton’s Millennium Hall 7:30pm.

27 November Heart of Kent Christmas Party Night Ditton Community Centre 7:30pm, restricted to over 18s only.

29 November Heart of Kent Welly Walk Kent Showground. Registration from 9am.

BALLROOM & LATIN CLASSES Have we missed an event, or do you know about something coming up?

Let us know by emailing editorialslf@gmail.com and we’ll include it in the next edition, or on our social media.

WEEKLY GROUP CLASSES £5/person

Monday 5.45 - 6.45 : Children’s Ballroom & Latin (8-16yrs) 7.30 - 8.15 : Adult’s Ballroom & Latin (Beginners)

GDC School of Dancing Lenham Dance Studios 8 Faversham Road Lenham Kent ME17 2PN Tel: 01622 850 800 Mob: 07831 718 628 Follow us: Twitter@GDCdancing Facebook/GDCSchoolofDancing www.gdcschoolofdancing.co.uk

8.15 - 9.00 : Adult’s Ballroom & Latin (Intermediate) Wednesday 4.30 - 5.15 : Under 8’s Ballroom & Latin (4-8yrs)

PLUS Wednesday Zumba Classes £5/person 8.15 - 9.00 : Zumba Fitness (12yrs+ only) Private lessons also available for individuals and couples, please contact the Studio for more information

Lenham Heritage

by Lesley Feakes PAGE 8 NOV 2015

S

ept meeting was an interesting talk from David May from Cuxton who had found numerous Mesolithic worked flints in an area of woodland. It was intriguing to discover how this “flint factory” produced all these remarkable tools. Very similar to an area of Sandway that was

The End of Season Report from Lenham Cricket Club

Clubs & Soc.

lenhamfocus.co.uk

@lenhamfocus

by Mat Revitt

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Sat 5th September (a) Lenham vs Gravesend 5ths (won by 47runs) A friendly 30 over match- Lenham batted first and scored at a steady rate putting on 174 runs; P Humphries with 41 and J Nurden with 36. Despite two of the Gravesend batsmen making runs in the 50s the Lenham bowlers kept the rate low. Pick of the bowling was D Bunch 2 for 21 off 6 overs and D Gardner 10 runs off 6 overs.

Sun 6th Sept (h) Lenham vs Bodiam (lost by 7 wickets) Lenham batted first putting on 101 runs with skipper Dan Russell topping the scores with 26. In response Bodiam chased down the score with 16 overs remaining.

Tom Curtis did try to stem the runs taking 2 for 17 off 6 but unfortunately not enough wickets fell this day.

Sun 13th Sept (a) Harrietsham (won by 8 wickets) Harrietsham batted first despite being short of 2 players.

They set a score of 94 runs off the weather-impacted 27 over game. S Russell, D Seales and J Humphrey all took 2 wickets each, restricting any partnerships

found on the Channel Tunnel Rail link.

Our next meeting at the end of Oct. will be a workshop, sorting and labelling some of the historical finds from our parish.

Nov. 25th is our annual talk from Keith Parfitt on recent discoveries in Kent.

Dec 30th is our social, “bring and eat” a plate of goodies per person makes for a very nice evening meal and a chance to get together with a quiz and chat.

Jan 27th AGM with a few short

talks from members Then it really is up to you what happens next?

For three years now I have asked for someone to take over the meetings.

Because I find I cannot walk properly now (only with two sticks) I find everything a strain, losing impetus …it’s now up to you if you want the group to continue.

to develop. In response Lenham started a little tentatively being 2 wickets down for 2 runs in the second over. T Curtis and A Longley however continued good seasons with the bat and saw Lenham home to the win in the 22 over. Tom ended on 51 and Ade on 36.

per Dan Russell whose Sunday team may not have won all their games but had a good season and great fun. In total, this season saw 32 matches played with a quick add-up totalling 23 wins.

As hoped for there has been plenty of runs, plenty of wickets and lots of entertainment for all our spectators. In closing for the season I would like to thank the people who have assisted the club in its day-to-day operation including the wonderful teas provided by a multitude of mums, wives and friends, to the tireless hours put in to prepare and maintain the pitch, outfield and clubhouse, to our sponsors who have helped improve facilities, to the local pubs for the warm welcomes after matches, to the youth coaches for bringing on the next generations of Lenham cricketers. Details of the Annual Dinner are on display in the pubs and around the village; if you are interested in attending on Sat 14th Nov please use the contact displayed on these leaflets. Winter well and see you all next season.

Sun 20th Sept (a) Smarden (won by 60 runs) Lenham batted first and set 169 runs with the main contributors being Nick Rutledge 34 and D Gardner 24. In response good bowling held the run rate up for Smarden in the early overs and the loss of some key wickets took the score out of reach.

Bowling honours to D Seaman 3 for 14 off 8 and S Russell 2 for 14 off 9.

26th Sept (h) Sissinghurst (lost by 18 runs) The last game of the season Sissinghurst batted first and steadily on this end of season difficult wicket. D Seaman took 3 wickets for 27, S Russell 2 for 16 and D Seales 2 for 17. Unusually for Lenham runs did not flow this day with the highest score for Lenham being extras at 37 and highest scores with a bat being P Humphries 10 and T Ambrose 14.

In summary however it was a good season. Big congratulations to skipper Ade Longley and his Saturday League side who topped their division and have gained promotion for next season. Congrats also to skip-

Lesley Feakes 8502745

Royal British Legion Women’s Section

We meet this month on the 22nd in the Community Centre at 2.30pm.

This is the Members’ Meeting so do come along with suggestions and ideas for future gatherings.

We do hope you all enjoyed the cheese and wine meeting when the Men’s Branch joined us.

Young At Heart 60+

very mixed weather. It cannot seem to decide if its summer or autumn.

Let’s hope the good weather continues.

Our next meeting is November 19/11/15 at the Community Centre

2.00-4.00pm. We will be playing Oy. Thank you to all who help. We are very grateful.

the sun and managed to miss the rain.

Our next meeting is November - 05/11/15 at the Social Club 2.004.00pm. We have a return visit of Colin Breed, a former Kent Police Royal Liaison Officer. Hopefully there

will be more photos and unusual comments.

ham were represented at the District Meeting in Kingswood Village Hall where the speaker introduced us to the adventure of ‘Trekking in Borneo’. Great for us ‘armchair travellers’!!

At the November meeting we will be instructed in ‘Foraging for Food’ and the December meeting brings a return of the popular Barbara Stevenson telling us about her olive oil production.

I can’t believe how quickly this year has flown by. We have gained several new members and many

people have been lucky enough to receive bursaries both for Denman, and educational courses held locally. (Thanks to the hard work of the catering committee, who work so hard to generate the money to keep us solvent. Thank you ladies.)

Don’t forget, we are always happy to welcome new members. You can come along and see what we get up to with no obligation to join.

and listen to an inspiring speaker.

This month it will be Gwyn McPherson who volunteers with Street Pastors in Maidstone.

Maidstone is the clubbing capital of Kent with up to 10,000 party goers on a Saturday night. Street Pastors work closely alongside the police,

paramedics and the “Urban Blue” bus project to provide emotional, spiritual and practical support to those who need help.

To book your place, please ring or email the church office on 850604 or churchoffice@lvb.org.uk

Hello everyone, we have had some

Len Valley Community Hub Club Hi everyone hope you have enjoyed

Lenham W.I.

by Gill Simes

Our first meeting after the summer break proved to be a very relaxing evening listening to the music of guitarist Jeff Smith, tunes that we all knew and could hum along to! Our October meeting has Lesley Gould telling us all about ‘Japanese festivals’. At the end of October several of our members will be going for a cream tea in Tenterden.

At the beginning of October, Len-

Len Valley Churches Ladies Breakfast A chance to enjoy a cooked or continental breakfast, meet new friends

Enid La Plain

Olive, Sue, Jacky, Kathy, Jackie, Fred, Martin, Jenny and Nina

Thank you to one and all who help.

It is much appreciated.

Martin, Fred, John, Jenny and Nina

Lenham Surgery Tel: 858341 Mondays to Fridays 8:30am6:30pm. Closed 1-2pm Dispensary 8:30am-6:30pm Closed 12:30-2pm Urgent matters out of hours telephone. 0845 1450121 (6-6.30pm only) IC24. 111 (from 6.30pm)

Lenham Family Festival

PAGE 10 NOV 2015

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everal months have passed since the last Lenham Family Festival and the Festival Committee has now started planning for the 2016 event.

The committee have lots of ideas for improvements to make next year’s event even bigger and better than last year’s. They have listened to feedback and considered what worked well and what could be improved upon.

Festival

lenhamfocus.co.uk

@lenhamfocus

If you are new to the village and haven’t heard of the Lenham Family Festival before, this is an annual event that takes place over a weekend in June. The

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Lenham Christmas Lights

I

t’s that time of year again and the usual handful of volunteers will soon be braving the elements on Sunday mornings to put up the Christmas lights around our village, bringing some cheer to the dark nights and to hasten the arrival of the festive season once again.

This is a lovely tradition that would be sorely missed if it were to disappear.

However, us hardy few who have been willing & able to arrange this event for you every year, have come to the end of our tenure and unless people are prepared to take over, this will be the last year it happens.

Our current team have ensured that the lights have shone brightly for 12 years, but are not able to continue into next year.

So, come on Lenham; there are over two thousand of us living here & it’s always the

main aims of the Festival are to provide a fun event that brings the whole community together, is affordable for families, and will raise funds for the chosen charities that are selected each year.

A raffle in support of the Lenham Family Festival will be held at the annual switch-on of the Christmas Lights in the Square on 6th December so don’t forget to look out for, and buy, tickets to support this event.

As in previous years, there will be a range of events on the Thursday and Friday evenings and on the Sunday during the market. The main day will be the Saturday, with a large variety of stalls to visit in the Community Centre car park, refreshments for sale, and music from local bands on the main stage throughout the day and evening. In addition, there will be performances from various local groups, including dance and theatricals, throughout the day taking place in the Community Centre.

The next meeting of the Festival Committee will take place on 29th October at 7.15pm in the Appleton Room at the Community Centre. If you are interested in getting involved, you will be very welcome.

same half a dozen that make things happen!

You can find us somewhere around the square on Sunday mornings from October the 11th, so come and see us, or contact us at brianjones123@live.co.uk We will e-mail all interested parties & arrange a meeting to pass the baton to the future organisers.

Come on Lenham - Your Village Needs YOU!

Look out for further details in each month’s edition of the Lenham Focus but most importantly...

Make sure you put these dates in your diaries now!!! You don’t want to miss this exciting event.

Osteopath in Lenham Square Chris Tempest of “Tempest healthcare ltd” explains how regular trips to the osteopath can help maintain good health & mobility A few questions I get asked every day in practice are...

Do I need to see an Osteopath? The answer is yes of course! Followed by...

What do you treat?

I predominantly focus on muscle and joint problems & general acute or chronic back pain, but I also treat a lot more than that : headaches (migraine prevention)/ frozen shoulder/ sciatica/ arthritic aches & pains/ stress/ fibromyalgia/ cramp/ digestion problems/ inability to relax/ muscle spasms/ minor sports injuries and tensions to name a few.

Is it good to see an Osteopath regularly?

Yes: >75% of patients go to an osteopath for “Maintenance” treatment, this type of treatment is performed every 3/4/6/12 weeks etc and this can be easily described as an “MOT” style treatment as performed on a car. If we look at this analogy, running a car is ok providing the regular maintenance is upheld, exactly the same as our bodies. If you imagine a company car travelling thousands of miles a year the servicing interval is going to be far sooner than lets say that of my nan’s car which goes to the local supermarket 3 miles away and back once a week, If we abuse our bodies (i.e. from intense exercise, stressful jobs, hectic lifestyles) it needs that Osteopathic treatment more often.

What is the typical age of a patient?

I treat patients of all ages, my youngest patient is 3 weeks old, my eldest is 97 years old! Everyone of any age can benefit from treatment, each from varied backgrounds. One patient may be a 24st bodybuilder, the next a 3 week old baby and the next a 90 year old grandparent.

How does an Osteopath differ from a Chiropractor or Physiotherapist?

Classically an Osteopath will look at patient more holistically, therefore we look at the whole body versus a local region. Take for example a shoulder injury, the local aspects of the shoulder joint will most definitely be injured or inflamed but this also will cause a cascade of issues across the upper part of the back, potentially to the opposing shoulder/ the neck/ the mid-low thoracic spine creating compensatory patterns as it travels. Thus leading onto more problems i.e. headaches/ muscle spams/ a predisposition to injure the opposing shoulder.

If we dont look at the whole body you miss these associated factors.

A Physiotherapist and Chiropractor will work slightly different by treating more local and using different techniques.

Do Osteopaths just “Pop/Crunch” bones?!

Many people believe we do a lot of “Bone Crunching!” We can do that...but we also have a lot more to offer, we can perform very gentle treatment too, this helps us accommodate patients of all shapes and sizes. Osteopaths can be split into 3 categories: 1-Structural: This will focus on a lot of stretching, soft tissue, spinal decompression techniques, massage, joint realignment, bone manipulation and mobilisation.

Generally a firmer treatment!

2-Visceral: More of a gentle approach, helping to ease tension

and restore balance within the bodies organs, helping in certain conditions such as IBS. 3- Cranial: This style I find works amazingly for newborns, very elderly and the very fragile, a gentle treatment helping to realign the bones of the cranium (these house the nerves that supply the majority of our senses and digestive system, if these are out of alignment or under stress/strain it’ll have a direct effect on the system it supplies), whilst removing any physiological strains and compensatory patterns that shouldn’t be there.

I am trained in all 3 aspects and my associates are also, although we each have our set styles we prefer to treat within, this adds diversity to the practice a real benefit for our patients!

The practice is open currently Mon/Tue/Thu/Fri all day with late appointments to 9pm, and Sat (AM appointments only) with very competitive treatment rates. We also accept most major healthcare providers insurance. We can be found next door to Pippa’s tea rooms in the square. For an informal chat or to discuss wether we may be able to help you call 07749980096 or drop in for a discussion about your condition.

To book an appointment visit: www. chris-tempest.co.uk

Return of Klezmer Music to Egerton

PAGE 12 NOV 2015

T

he London Klezmer Quartet returns to Egerton’s Millennium Hall on Saturday 26th November for another concert of this unique style of Eastern European Jewish music.

Klezmer Music

lenhamfocus.co.uk

@lenhamfocus

The London Klezmer Quartet brings fresh life to an almost-lost folk tradition, with old and new melodies on violin, clarinet, accordion and double bass, and colourful stories about musicians’ lives and times which take you on a journey from the Baltic to the Black Sea - and beyond.

Their music captures the spirit of eastern European life of a bygone age, including songs with themes ranging from food and love to conscription and exile.

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Formed in 2009 by four London-based klezmorim (pl. Jewish folk musicians) with a shared interest in the traditional playing style, the band is one of a handful in the world that also leads the dances that this music would traditionally accompany. The quartet has performed around the UK at a wide variety of venues and festivals, including Kings Place and the South Bank, and recently completed a fourth tour in Australia. Media appearances

Heart of Kent Christmas Party Night Join Chicory Tip and kick your festive season off with a bang at Heart of Kent Hospice Christmas Party Night to be held on Friday 27th November at Ditton Community Centre, Kilnbarn Road, Ditton ME20 6AH. The fun, which starts at 7.30 p.m. and

have included live sessions for BBC Radio 3 & 6, ABC Australia national and local radio, and Latvian national television. Their 2015 schedule includes festivals in Switzerland, Germany and the UK, and a winter tour, which includes a visit to Egerton. The performance starts at 7.30pm and tickets are available from Egerton Village Stores, or tele-

phone 01233 756254/259.

ends at midnight, is restricted to over 18s.

To book your place contact fundraising on 01622 790195, visit our website www.hokh.org or complete and return a form available from our shops or the Hospice.

Tickets are only £12.50 and you will be guaranteed a fantastic evening. Fully licensed bar will be available but please bring your own snacks.

This is an advance ticket-only event with limited space available so please book now to avoid disappointment as tickets will not be available at the door.

“A fantastic sound with inventive arrangements, virtuosity, exciting original tunes and soulful playing.” (Songlines Magazine).

“With artistry like this, the music doesn’t have to be reinvented.”

(Evening Standard.) An evening not to be missed.

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Our Satnav Through Weald and Downs and seaside towns On outward trips we drive From central Kent on pleasure bent; It’s good to feel alive

PAGE 14

Our Vera guides, and more, besides; She warns us if we’re speeding For O A P’s to drive with ease This kind of help we need

NOV 2015

Would you like to advertise in the Focus?

This could be your advert from just £21 per month!

So when we’re done then home we run Through Tonbridge, Ticehurst, Teynham And now at last, the day has passed, She’s brought us back to Lenham.

By Clive Lennard

Adverts

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@lenhamfocus

To Camber, Wye, New Romney, Rye Or Margate, Matfield, Marden While Vera guides us in our rides We tour through England’s garden

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Do you have an article or story that you would like published?

Let us know by emailing editorialslf@gmail. com and we’ll try and include it in the next edition!

One Hundered Years Ago...

W

inter was closing in on the Western Front but that didn’t mean fighting stopped; offensives drew to a close but fighting continued from the trenches. At Gallipoli terrible heat followed by freezing cold, lack of sanitation, constant thirst and dysentery, coupled with a foe that fought fiercely to defend its homeland, led to evacuation plans being put into effect.

Lenham’s Lt Richard Rutland Webster was one of the thousands safely evacuated to Egypt.

On 9th November my father became 18 years old, and though he seldom mentioned his wartime experiences on the Western Front, I am fairly sure that he attested under the Derby Scheme, as being willing to serve, as did many Lenham men this month – men such as George Post, a 22-year-old butcher and 20-year-old Edward Fisher of Honywood Charity Farm; and at Boughton Malherbe Robert Wickens who later worked at the forge in Grafty Green and Gowers Garage.

Women too were on the march. July had seen 30,000 women marching through London demanding the right to work. The Government at last began to take notice and before long as well as women working in munitions factories and many other areas, 4,500 women were employed in London alone as postwomen. Lenham wasn’t going to be left behind and it too had a woman delivering the post.

Change didn’t take place overnight though. The traditional role of women wasn’t yet over. In Windlesham, the wife of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was advertising in the South Eastern Gazette for a kitchen-maid to work under a ‘nice young cook’. Nor did the new fashions suit everybody. An elderly lady who like many thousands of other women went to work in munitions factories wearing trousers reluctantly agreed to follow suit – but only for one day because His Majesty King George V was coming to inspect them. She put them on, she said, to ‘please the King, but I’ll take ’em off again tomorrer’.

Amy Myers

FOOT CLINIC Mrs. Afstaneh Smith Foot Health Professional MCFHP MAFHP Flexible surgery hours Home visits undertaken Hubbards Farm, Lenham Heath, ME17 2BX

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Christian Message June

by Jaon Drury PAGE 16 NOV 2015

I

can still hear her voice. “Will ya listen to me now?” A Belfast mother talking to her little girls during a stay in Kent at the height of the troubles.

Church

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We all want to be listened to; to be heard. Often it seems that no one is interested in what we have to say.

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Maybe this feeling of being ignored explains the popularity of change.org on the internet.

Signing a petition provides an opportunity to express an opinion, confident that it will be read by someone with responsibility for the cause.

Similarly, it is possible that the enthusiasm for voting in the Scottish referendum last year and the interest in the recent election of the Labour party leader stem from the same source.

No one wants to be silenced; to feel that their view doesn’t matter. Cynicism is widespread.

Votes are solicited but often it seems that those in Parliament or on County, Borough and Parish councils have not listened to the views of the electorate but have pursued their own programmes. As a result they are judged to have betrayed those they were elected to serve.

2000 years ago crowds flocked to see Jesus. In him they discovered someone who listened and who was genuinely interested in them.

I pray every day. I know that God listens. This assurance is based on his words recorded in the Bible. When the people of Israel were ill-treated slaves in Egypt God said to Moses, “I have seen the misery of my people. I have heard them crying out. I am concerned about their suffering.”

(Exodus 3:7) No one has to say, “Will you listen to me?” The Bible assures us that God does and in the life of Jesus who became human like us, he listens, guides, loves and cares. We are not unimportant and we find security in the Lord who has said that he will never leave us or abandon us.

Messy Church November’s Messy Church will be packing shoeboxes full of goodies to send overseas to children who wouldn’t otherwise get any Christmas presents. I imagine many this year will be going to refugee camps in Turkey, Lebanon and similar places. If you and your family are coming, or if you would like to support us in any way, these are the things we are collecting to pack: small toys, school supplies, hygiene items, and small things like hats, caps, gloves or scarf, sunglasses, hair accessories, jewellery sets, a wind up torch, wrapped sweets (but no chocolate). Also, each shoebox needs £3 to cover the cost of transport.

Messy Church team to give your gifts to, please ring Helen Venn on 01622 858195.

St Mary’s Church Flowers and Brass cleaning Flowers for November November 7 British Legion Poppies for Remembrance Sunday November 14/21 Mrs Jones November 28

No flowers for Advent December 19

Flowers for Christmas Brass cleaning Mrs Greenwood

Sue Greenwood

November Messy Church is on Sat 14th at Harrietsham Primary School from 4 – 6 pm, tea included. If you want to support this but can’t come along, and you don’t know anyone on the

Village & Country Homes Residential Sales & Lettings

Moving on this autumn…

T: 01622 858241 | E: homes@philipjarvis.co.uk | A: 1 The Square, Lenham ME17 2PH | W: philipjarvis.co.uk

Len Valley Churches Service Times Sunday 1st November 9.30am Lenham: Breakfast service 9.30am Boughton Malherbe: Holy Communion (Prayer Book) 10.45am Ulcombe: Family Worship 11.00am Lenham: Holy Communion 3.30pm Harrietsham: GIFT Family Worship

Sunday 8th November 8.00am Lenham: Holy Communion (Prayer Book) 10.15am Harrietsham: Remembrance Service 10.15am Ulcombe: Remembrance Service 10.15am Lenham: Remembrance Service 10.15am Boughton Malherbe: Remembrance Service Saturday 14th November 4.00 – 6.00pm Messy Church – Harrietsham School Sunday 15th November 9.30am Lenham: Breakfast Service 9.30am Harrietsham: Morning Worship 9.30am Boughton Malherbe: Holy Communion 10.45am Ulcombe: Morning Worship 11.00am Lenham: Holy Communion

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Family Breakfast Service SHORT INFORMAL SERVICE SUNDAYS AT 9.30am St Mary’s Church, Lenham

Wednesday 18th November 10.30am Holy Communion: Chippendayle Lodge FOR EVERYONE! WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING YOU!

Sunday 22nd November 8.00am Lenham: Holy Communion (Prayer Book) 9.30am Harrietsham: Holy Communion 9.30am Boughton Malherbe: Family Worship 10.45am Ulcombe: Holy Communion 11.00am Lenham: Family Worship Saturday 28th November 5.00pm Harrietsham: Prayer and Praise Saturday 28th November 8.00am Dog & Bear, Lenham: Men’s breakfast Sunday 29th November 10.00am Combined Len Valley Churches Service at Lenham Community Centre

Lenham Parish Council Clerk: Margo McFarlane 13 Mercer Drive Harrietsham ME17 1AY Telephone 01622 859682

hello@lenhamparish.org.uk

Vacancies on Parish Council (North Ward)

Following the uncontested Parish Council elections there are four vacancies on the North Ward.

Which must be filled by co-option.

Anyone wishing their name to be put forward for co-option should contact the Clerk details as above

Weekly & Regular Events Daily

Activate Fitness Facilites

Activate Sports Swadelands

Monday

St Johns Ambulance

St Johns Hall, Ham Lane

Badminton (Feathers) Bell Ring Monday Music Mayhem Parent & Toddlers Group Harr & Lenham Cubs Lenham Badminton Club Lenham Youth Club H/sham&Lenham Beavers St Johns Ambulance Lenham Youth Club Pilates classes

Community Centre St Mary’s Church Community Centre Community Centre (8-11 years) Community Centre Swadelands Ham Lane Harrietsham Scout Hut Cadets (10-18) Swadelands Ham Lane Community Centre

Messy Mums Babies + Toddlers Line Dancing LenARA Brownies 2nd Lenham Pilates classes Line Dancing Redbacks Explorer Scouts Guides 1st Lenham H/sham&Lenham Scouts Judo Club Lenham Youth Club

St Mary’s Church Community Centre Lenham Primary Sch Community Centre St Edmunds Platts Hth Kingswood Scout Hut Community Centre Harrietsham Scout Hut Community Centre Swadelands Ham Lane Activate Sports Hall Swadelands Harrietsham Primary School St Mary’s Church see separate church services page

8am-5pm 9.30-11.30am 10.00-12.00

Sunday

Activate Fitness Facilites French Books for Children Tea/Coffee/Cakes Sunday Schools

2nd Tuesday 1st Tuesday 1st Wednesday 4th Wednesday Last Wednesday 1st Thursday 2nd Thursday 3rd Thursday 2nd Sunday

Royal British Legion Lenham Valley Parish Council Meeting LenARA (active retired) Archaeology Club Reading Group Women’s Institute Lenham Gardening Soc. Lenham Country Market

Lenham Social Club Business Association Community Centre Community Centre Community Centre Lenham Library Community Centre Community Centre The Village Square

8pm 6-8pm 7.30pm 2pm 7.30pm 4.45-5.45pm 7.30pm 7.30pm 9-1.00pm

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Mrs Manley Linda Bird Neil Rouse Lyn Fuller Andrea French Gail Kelly Keith Varney Mrs J Thomsett Mrs Pat Abson Lesley Feakes Sarah Siddons Janet Moll Steve Campbell Club Events Duncan Keenan Nick Still Mrs A Seales Mrs J Thomsett Vivien Elcomb Mark Horlock Mr W Peter Mrs Bond Mrs C Toner Karen Yardley Jan Haines Alan Reading

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Borough Councillors:

Tom Sams Janetta Sams (Roads, Pavements)

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‘Sweeney Todd Gets the Chop!’

Text & Photos by Jim Myers PAGE 22 NOV 2015

T

he garden of the Red Lion pub was the setting for a charity auction to raise funds for the Kent Surrey Sussex Air Ambulance on Sunday afternoon, 13th September.

Sweeney Todd

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There was an extra dimension to the auction programme as Tracey Smith, owner of the Sweeney Todd barbershop, made a special appearance in order to be ‘shaved’ for the benefit of Macmillan Trust and the Little Princess Trust charities. Her shaved locks were auctioned and this operation raised £631.00. In all she’s raised £4,437 since her campaign began on the 8th of September.

Tracey has a special reason for raising these funds. She had breast cancer five years ago and understandably has a strong motivation to raise funds for these charities.

All in all it was quite a good day for charity with the Red Lion reporting that nearly £7,000 had been raised from the auction.

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Bishop Of Dover To Re-Dedicate Harrietsham War Memorial

A

t 2:00 p.m. on Saturday 7th November 2015 the Bishop of Dover will re-dedicate the War Memorial at Harrietsham.

A generous grant from Kent County Council Member Jenny Whittle initiated the fundraising with the remaining being donated from individuals, community groups, events within the community and Harrietsham Parish Council. This provided the necessary funds to renovate the memorial and fit 7 new plaques containing all 49 names of the men, women and children that lost their lives during the two world wars.

Security and Electrical Services

Guests will include relatives of those named on the Memorial and residents; also in attendance will be Mayor of Maidstone, the local Royal British Legion, and the Scout and Guide movement who will be parading their standards.

l Alarm systems l CCTV l PAT testing l Fire alarms l Automated gates l Video/audio entry systems l Existing systems maintained & repaired l All electrical work undertaken l Domestic & Commercial installations

Members of The Queens Own Royal West Kent Living History Group will be on hand with authentic First World War uniforms and equipment. The Re-dedication ceremony will be followed by refreshments in St John the Baptist Church including a themed display and the book launch of the second Harrietsham History Society book regarding the men and women who lost their lives in World War 1.

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Further information please contact: Mike Bishop 01622 850921 E-mail: michael.bishop17@btinternet. com.

V AM A

MEMBER

Bu

Mike Bishop, one of the prime movers in this project, commented “the Re-dedication comes at the end of a two year project to research those originally named on the Memorial and track and add the details of those missed when the Memorial was first unveiled in 1920. At the start of the project the Memorial included 23 names, 14 from the First World War and 9 from the Second World War. A further 26 individuals have now been identified, researched and their details added, along with cleaning and some minor repair work”

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Guide to Cuts of Pork

by GB Lister PAGE 24 NOV 2015

P

ork is a big part of the British diet for many of us; from ham, bacon and sausages to pork chops and roast pork with crackling, there’s so much variety. With all the choice and differ-ent cuts to choose from we’ve put together this guide to help you select the right cut of pork for your meal, whatever your budget.

@lenhamfocus

Belly An understated cut of pork, this is one of the cheaper cuts as it’s from the fattier part of the pig.

It makes a fantastically tender roasting joint if slow cooked as the fat dissolves, leaving meat full of flavour.

wonderfully distinct flavour of ham hock. It’s very versatile and can be used in stews, roasts or, even when cooled, added to a salad.

Shoulder

Our pork sausages consist of forequarter and belly meat which helps to give them their awardwinning flavour. Some of the popular flavours of sausages we make include honey and mustard, Italian herb and cherry tomato, and hop and Spitfire ale as well as gluten-free.

As with pork belly, this is another great slow roasting joint that’s perfect for a Sunday lunch.

Shoulder steaks are also very tasty if cooked under the grill.

Cuts of Pork

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Hand

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This is a cheaper and fattier cut of pork that’s from just below the pig’s shoulder and makes a great roasting joint when slow cooked.

Ham Hock Everyone recognises the

Sausages

Loin Loin is a slightly more expensive cut of pork and can be rolled and then cooked as a roasting joint, or cut into chops and grilled.

Loin is a very lean cut and extremely tender.

Leg Pork leg is predominately a roasting joint but we can also take the topside off of the pork leg for lean and tender escalopes that can be diced or grilled individually.

For a slightly different twist on your pork, we have some great new marinades that can be added or perhaps you could make a delicious apple sauce with some of our local fresh ap-ples. If you’re unsure about which cut of pork you need or would like some advice about how to cook it, please speak to us as we’re always very happy to give you our expert advice.

Alternatively take a look at our website, www.lenham-butchers. co.uk, for more information on all different types of meat.

Do you have an article or story that you would like published?

Let us know by emailing editorialslf@gmail.com and we’ll try and include it in the next edition!

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Focus on Nature

by Derek Budge PAGE 26 NOV 2015

There are certain wild plants which many of us have come to regard as unwelcome intruders when they appear in our gardens, and when their presence in our life is a particularly common occurrence, then the sheer beauty of their colour and form can go virtually unnoticed and even when seen, somehow there is little sense of appreciation.

Surely the prime example of this is the Dandelion ... Taraxacum officinale.

“How like a prodigal doth nature seem When thou, for all thy gold, so common art!”

Nature

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To the Dandelion: J.R.Lowell It is a remarkably persistent plant and attempts to dig it up from the flower beds or from the lawn usually result in at least a small portion of root being left behind, in which case a callus quickly forms over the scarred tissue and within a matter of a few days, adventitious shoots appear, each one capable of generating a new plant. The dandelion is also very flexible in adjusting the height of its leaves and flowering stem to suit the conditions in which it is growing, ranging from a tiny 2cm in a frequently cut grass lawn, to over 20cm when competing with long grass and other plants.

The common name derives from mediaeval Latin, dens leonis, which became the French dent de lion, i.e. lion’s tooth and although most texts state that this refers to the dentate form of the leaves, I don’t find this to be a completely satisfactory explanation, but who cares?

The lion is a noble beast and a follower of the sun, just as the dandelion blooms echo the golden radiance of that same life-giving star.

“Star-disked dandelions, just as we see them lying in the grass, Like sparks that have leaped from V17 E11

the kindling suns of fire.”

O. Wendell Holmes The whole plant contains a milky white juice or latex, similar to members of the Euphorbiaceae family of plants, and there are records of certain species of Taraxacum being grown in Russia from which small quantities of rubber were produced.

The dried root was once popular as a coffee substitute and you can still find various brands of dandelion coffee in health food shops, an Edinburgh physician once describing it as “possessing all the fine flavour and exhilarating properties of coffee, without any of its deleterious effects. The plant being of a soporific nature produces a tendency to sleep instead of exciting wakefulness and with such a fine flavour, may be safely used as a substitute” ... he sounds a very enthusiastic supporter!

Inevitably when writing about this plant, childhood memories arise of the warnings given that picking the flowers would bring a serious risk of wetting the bed that same night, and many of the old local names refer in a very uninhibited way to this characteristic, so it is interesting to look at the various constituents found in dandelions which have an effect on the human body.

The root contains a number of bitter principles, sterols, inulin, glycosides, vitamins and potassium. The leaves in addition have the presence of caratenoids, Vitamins A, B, C and D (a particularly rich

source of Vitamin A), and iron, again potassium is present in significant quantity.

Extracts of the root have been used as a mild laxative and as a digestive which stimulates the flow of bile. Preparations from leaf material demonstrate very significant diuretic properties, so here is the source of all those bed-wetting tales. It is interesting that certain modern drugs used as diuretics, have a side effect of reducing the natural level of potassium within the body, whereas the dandelion possesses a rich source of the same essential ingredient.

In case any reassurance is needed, you would need to consume very large quantities of plant material to have such an effect, so it need not deter you from enjoying the addition of young fresh leaves to your spring salads and soups, or cooked like spinach as a tasty vegetable.

For me, the study of this ubiquitous wild flower has provided another source of inspiration, not just from the rich colour of its blooms, but from the miraculous mechanical design and visual perfection of the fully formed seed-head, poised invitingly for me to release the seeds with my breath, perhaps to tell the time or to verify whether “she loves me” or “loves me not”, then to watch the delicately graceful airborne journey of those precious seeds as they drift towards a new location on Mother Earth, where new suns will be created to energise and enhance the landscape with their golden light.

Light Up A Life Appeal We would appreciate your help in promoting our annual Light Up a Life appeal.

Light Up a Life provides you with an opportunity to celebrate, reflect and remember your loved ones. It is also an opportunity to show your support for Heart of Kent Hospice and the care and support we provide to patients with life-limiting illnesses in the local community and their families.

Each year our Light Up a Life Appeal

Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPA), Wills, prepaid funeral plans We come to you – ask for a free no obligation quote LPAs: These are essential – everyone should have one. If someone loses capacity the partner has to apply to the Court to manage things but it can take ages and cost £’000s. All this could be avoided with a LPA. Wills: Everyone needs one. It’ll take just 40 minutes of your time and we do the rest – why not include a Property Trust to help protect the value of your home?

Prepaid funeral plans: “lock in” at today’s prices & will cover the funeral cost whenever it’s needed. Guaranteed acceptance. The most competitively priced plan available and the only one endorsed by the National Federation of Funeral Directors

Maidstone Wills & Trusts Freephone 0800 612 7459 Low cost. Fully insured. Work underwritten by our legal team. www.maidstonewills.com

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provides a special opportunity for families and friends to dedicate a star in memory of a loved one, to honour their names in the Book of Remembrance and to join in one of the Remembrance Services during which the stars will be blessed.

This year’s services will be held on: Sunday 29th November at 4.30 p.m. at Sutton Valence School Chapel (ME17 3HW) Sunday 6th December at 4.30 p.m. at the Friars, Aylesford (ME20 7BX) Please note that there is only limited seating available at the outdoor

service at the Friars and you may wish to bring a chair if you are unable to stand for the service.

To make a dedication please complete a form and return it with your star and donation by 20th November. Forms can be obtained at Heart of Kent shops, Hospice Reception or can be downloaded from our website www.hokh.org.

For further information please contact Fundraising on 01622 790195.

Charlie Hewish, Magician Extraordinaire!

PAGE 28

Magician

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NOV 2015

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by Jim Myers

M

eet Charlie Hewish, son of Jayne and Paul. At twelve years old Charlie is already marching along the path to a truly magical career. He travels to London once a month to attend the Magic Circle’s youth initiative workshop, and has already won a ‘magician of the month’ award, chosen from amongst 90 student magicians. When he is eighteen Charlie will be eligible to become a full member of the Magic Circle and intends to be a full-time magician upon leaving Oakwood Park School.

Meanwhile he already has his own website (http:// charliehewish.wix.com/ magician) and business cards and is available for private parties and weddings. His first live performance was at the Dog & Bear when he was five and since then he has performed at a number of local events such as the Christmas Fayre at Lenham Primary School, and at the Lenham Family Festival.

What first set his magical fingers twitching at such a young age?

His father Paul had bought him a magic kit for Christmas and he took to it like a duck to water.

I asked him what his favourite trick was and what he was aiming to develop? ‘I love sleight of hand and close up tricks,’ he told me, ‘so I want to develop

Kent Group Plant Heritage Invite you to come to a talk

by Stephen Harmer

my skills at coin sleight of hand and using everyday objects in my magic.’ When I asked him what he liked most about magic he replied, ‘Seeing people’s reactions when I perform.’

Lenham is in luck. Many residents will have already been astounded by his sleight of hand with a deck of cards and if you haven’t yet been one of them then seize the

first opportunity to do so. He will be appearing at the Sweeney Todd barber shop for three days this coming Christmas (Saturday 19th, Monday 21st and Tuesday 22nd December).

‘The History of Plant Hunting & Plant Hunters’ Hollingbourne Village Hall ME17 1TR Sunday 22nd November 2015 2.00 pm

Admission free

And in case he plans any vanishing acts, make sure you don’t vanish yourself from Lenham, Charlie!

Plant stall, homemade teas.

Jean Talboys (01622 880349) Kent Plant Heritage Publicity Secretary

OSTEOPATH

Helping relieve symptoms of: Back,Hip & Neck Pain Arthritis Sciatica Frozen shoulder Headaches Fibromyalgia & More…

Festive Winter Menu Saturday 21st November to Wednesday 23rd December 2015 Served daily 12pm to 9.30pm

Lunch 3 course £25pp (2 course available Monday to Thursday £20pp) 3 course Dinner Mon-Thu £28pp, Fri & Sat £30pp

MR C. R. TEMPEST D.O. M.Ost. GOsC Registered Osteopath

Early Christmas offer

Late appointments available & Free parking

£20 per person, 3 courses, lunch or dinner

No.8 The Square,Lenham, ME17 2PQ

07749 980096 www.chris-tempest.co.uk

Saturday 21st November to Saturday 5th December

T H E

D I R T Y H A B I T

Upper Street, Hollingbourne, Kent ME17 1UW 01622 880 880 www.thedirtyhabit.net

LENHAM PARISH COUNCIL Meetings are held at the Lenham Community Centre at 7.30pm. Members of the public are welcome to attend.

Parish Council first Wednesday of the month (except September)

The Cardamom Pod BANGLADESHI/INDIAN CUISINE

Home cooked evening meals served in a takeaway pot

£4.00

Choice of chicken curries & vegetarian dishes (Including rice and a naan bread) At Old Ashford Road Nr. Lenham Square

Every Thursday 5.30pm to 7.30pm

Planning Committee first Monday of the month (except Bank Holiday) Planning Committee third Wednesday of the month followed by Finance and General Purposes Committee meeting.

For more details contact the Parish Clerk 01622 859682 (during office hours)

hello@lenhamparish.org.uk lenhamparish.org.uk

Paul Grant Roofing Contractors All aspects of roofing work undertaken.

Listed Building Specialist Strip / Re-tile / Kent Peg / Slating / Leadwork 35 years experience All work fully guaranteed For a free quotation and friendly advice on any roofing matter.

Office: 01622 296843 Mobile: 07850740637 paulgrant747@gmail.com www.paulgrantroofingcontractors.co.uk Card payments accepted

Lenham Wanderers Under 11s

PAGE 30 NOV 2015

T

he Lenham Wanderers U11s start the 2015 /2016 season with a brand new kit sponsored

by Travis Perkins of Maidstone on the Parkwood Industrial Estate.

This includes both Home and Away kits plus rain jackets for those cold winter mornings at the William Pitt Field. Dan Barnes the Branch Manager at Travis Perkins said he wanted to give

something back to the local community and really enjoyed watching kids’ football. To see the boys’ smiles was amazing when they put on their new shirts and they looked very professional.

generations of kids that come through the club”.

If you would like to help LWFC as a sponsor, coach, administrator etc then please contact the club – www.lenhamwanderersfc

Mike Kingsman the LWFC U11s manager said “we always welcome new sponsors to the club as it’s a huge expense to supply kit to all our teams. As a non-profit making club we have to rely on companies like Travis Perkins to help us out and we make sure that all our kits are passed on to the next

Parkwood Industrial Estate Bircholt Rd Maidstone ME15 9XT 01622 688809 parkwood@travisperkins.co.uk

RBL Women’s Section

@lenhamfocus

On the 26th November we shall be holding our Seasonal Tea in the Community Centre 3pm for 3.30pm. Tickets £6 available from Eve 858478.

This will be a fun afternoon with plenty of chat. Do come along and join us.

Wanderers

lenhamfocus.co.uk

Enid La Plain

1000’S OF PRODUCTS AVAILABLE NEXT DAY TOOL-HIRE NOW AVAILABLE FROM OUR BRANCH Visit our website today www.travisperkins.co.uk

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Do you have an article or story that you would like published?

Let us know by emailing editorialslf@ gmail.com and we’ll try and include it in the next edition!

Down With the Kids – Around the World A local childcare company is claiming a national first with their latest venture; providing downloadable dramas for kids.

Pennies’ Day Nurseries which is involved in childcare from 3 months to 11 years of age and also has a nanny agency have pioneered a series of 13 podcast style stories with actors, music and sound effects and placed their work on Bandcamp (a site commonly used by musicians to offer their work to the public).

Pennies’ Media Officer Neil Nixon wrote most of the scripts and managed the production which involved hiring actors and musicians.

The tracks are all now available for 50 pence each. Neil says: “This is really exciting for us and it takes us from Maidstone to a global audience. The stories are aimed at early-years children and those in their first years of school. We did a lot of research and – so far as we can see – we’re the first UK childcare company to set up our own little record label online. I’m sure we won’t be the last. The stories are classic kids adventures about days out, fun and finding things out.

We tried them with some children to check they were entertaining. The files are tagged on Bandcamp and amongst the tags for every one of our files is a tag for Maidstone, so in our own way we have put the local area on the global map.”

Bandcamp is best known as the home of musicians, many of them looking for a break by being signed to national or international labels, but in recent years a range of creative work has appeared on the site and a growing niche market concerns children’s stories and other work aimed at the very young. The move may mark another new venture for Pennies but the company has been innovative in getting involved in a range of media in the past. During one Holiday Club a number of years ago the company invited in Kevin F. Sutherland - the principal artist involved in drawing the Bash Street Kids strip for The Beano – and staged a Comic Art Masterclass in which Holiday Club children wrote, drew and copied

their own comic. On another occasion PKC (Pennies’ Kids Club) Holiday Club held a theme day in which children came dressed as their favourite film characters, imagined stories for their own perfect film and then had themselves photographed in a studio set up for the day. The resulting photographs and story ideas were placed in a book called PKC Stars which was made available as a print-on-demand title for their parents.

Neil Nixon says: “The great thing about us getting involved in media projects is the fun this offers to the children in our care, they love being involved and that makes the projects special to us.”

Prize Crossword

PAGE 32

Crossword

lenhamfocus.co.uk

@lenhamfocus

NOV 2015

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ACROSS 1. Tracer put out for this 16d. (6) 4. One on medication, legally or illegally. (4,4) 10. Incomplete character of friend, of course. (9) 11. Going back inside I am about the current 16d. (5) 12. Get profit. (7) 13. Hit girl with a plate. (7) 14. Guide an ox. (5) 15. Bird veers off left to reach this Dorset town. (8) 18. Got rid of annoyance. It is a happy state to be in. (4,4) 20. Hairless symbol of America. (5) 23. Knowledge to deny changing a 16d.

(7) 25. States selection process for a ‘hope to be’ 16d. (7) 26. Did a hole conceal this place across the pond? (5) 27. The shortest way to express your opinion. Indeed! (2,3,4) 28. Fellow journalist was a senior nurse.

(8) 29. Turn vaster? Not if you do this. (6) DOWN 1. Two years of power here for legal people across the pond. (8) 2. Run at people in this busy way of life.

(3,4) 3. Before working? Certainly before.

(7,2) 5. Did the Beetles perform with this orchestra? (5,9) 6. Make smart but melancholy when hands are swapped. (5) 7. A little queen will inevitably be this. (7) 8. 16d who was up with the stars once. (6) 9. Church official fruit drink.

(10,4) 16. Uncontrolled pride sent him to the top. (9) 17. So lazy! Indeed. (4,4) 19. Plant magazines. (7) 21. Half glad lover is beauty. (7) 22. Flying geese have coverings over the eyes to start with. (6) 24. Excite girl who is happy inside. (5)

Last months solution.

Last months winner: Tony Fenwick, of Lenham.

Please leave your completed crossword entry at Lenham Library on or before the 15th of the month.

Beauty Nails

Contact Ping 07460 393777

by Appointment Parties welcome

Cash only

Lenham, Maidstone, Kent

Beauty Nails Acrylic Tips Full Set In-fill French Manicure Single Nail Tip Take off & Full Set Take off Acrylic

£23 £15 £13 £3 £28 £10

Pedicures will take off all hard skin on your heels and help to fix ingrowing toe nails.

Overlay Full Set Manicure Pedicure Manicure & Pedicure Polish Change Nail Repairs

£23 £10 £20 £30 £6 £2 each

Shellac File & Paints File & Paint White Tips Manicure & Shellac Pedicure & Shellac Acrylic Fullset Acrylic Infuse Take off Fullset Take off

£20 £20 £25 £32 £33 £25 £40 £5 each

Friends of St Maryʼs Church, Lenham -Do you care about our heritage and the preservation of an ancient and beautiful building?

The Annual Village Barn Dance – 3rd successful year This event just keeps getting better and better…………. We had over 200 energetic dancers showing their moves and shapes in the Tithe Barn, on the 26 September; (venue kindly donated by Valarie and John Arthur, thank you). Dancerʼs ages ranged from 8 – 80; which shows how a fiddle, an accordion, a guitar and a caller can bring the generations together on the dance floor.

The proceeds from the dance go into the funds for the maintenance and preservation of St Maryʼs Church. We are in the process of finalising the last details to start the repairs to the East Window, at long last. The proceeds from the dance, £1900 will help towards to the overall budget needed of £150,000 to complete all the repairs and preservation required to our ancient and beautiful church.

So, thank you all who attended the event and made it such a great night. Thank you also to all the local shops and organisations who donated those fantastic raffle prizes. Without all your support we could not continue to carry out these necessary works.

Pencil in your 2016 diaries……….. Friends of St Maryʼs, Barn Dance - September.

LEN VALLEY PRACTICE FLU VACCINATION PAGE 34 NOV 2015

Itʼs not too late to get your flu vaccination. Len Valley Practice is proud that each year we achieve all Department of Health targets, so if you havenʼt already done so, we hope that you will support your GP practice and come to the surgery for your vaccination so that we can do this again this year and help our patients to stay well.

We have walk-in clinics from 6pm each evening from Monday to Friday (just turn up before 6.15pm), when your GP will be available to vaccinate you. Eligible patients can also have the pneumococcal or shingles vaccination at the same time. If you prefer to come during the day, just telephone us to make an appointment.

Flu vaccination is provided to: • everyone aged 65 and over

Flu Vacc.

lenhamfocus.co.uk

@lenhamfocus

• everyone under 65 years of age who has:

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 a heart problem  a chest complaint or breathing difficulties, including bronchitis, emphysema or severe asthma  a kidney disease  lowered immunity due to disease or treatment (such as steroid medication or cancer treatment)  liver disease  had a stroke or a transient ischaemic attack (TIA)  diabetes  a neurological condition, eg multiple sclerosis (MS), cerebral palsy or learning disability  a problem with your spleen, eg sickle cell disease, or you have had your spleen removed. or who is       

living in a residential or nursing home the main carer of an older or disabled person seriously overweight a household contact of an immunocompromised person a frontline health or social care worker pregnant 2, 3 or 4 year-olds

The Red Lion - Lenham 01622 858531 www.redlionlenham.co.uk

A Traditional 14th Century Inn located in the Medieval Village of Lenham Home Cooked food served daily.

Mon-Fri 12-2:30pm & 6-9pm Sat & Sun 12-9pm including bank holidays Senior Citizens Specials Hot Stone Dining Experience Traditional Log Fires Cask Marque Awarded Real Ales Function Room Available Monthly Quiz & Theme Nights Mobile Bars & Catering service available for hire

Lenham Parish Council Clerk: Margo McFarlane 13 Mercer Drive Harrietsham ME17 1AY Telephone 01622 859682

hello@lenhamparish.org.uk

Vacancies on Parish Council (South Ward)

Following the uncontested Parish Council elections there are three vacancies on the South Ward.

Which must be filled by co-option.

Anyone wishing their name to be put forward for co-option should contact the Clerk details as above

Success comes from working together.

Business Networking is about . . . meeting the best people!

Tuesday 1 December. Another big annual get together with South Maidstone Business Association coming up soon at Chilston Park Hotel, Lenham. Our speaker will be Hiliary Steel, Editor of Kent Women in Business Magazine.

“The power of predicting personality”. An interactive look in to understanding what makes people respond and behave in the way they do in the world of business.

Tuesday 5 January 2016. Town Planner Peter Court will tell us about some of the pitfalls of running a business from home. Venue to be confirmed.

2016 events. Continuing with business networking meetings at the most convenient time for attendees - on the way home from work - 5.45pm on the first Tuesday of every month (with the exception of June).

LVBA has something for everyone. Aimed at people in business (big and small) looking to increase their contact list for rural customers, clients and suppliers. Venues are all local to this area from Harrietsham to Charing to Ulcombe. Structure of meetings has been created to maximise the two hours. 20 minutes of speaker presentation, 20 seconds of each attendee around the room (individually optional) followed by 60 minutes of networking.

Relaxed, friendly, beneficial and fun. If you haven’t yet tried it you are missing out on a good opportunity for your business.

Check out the LVBA website www.lenhambusiness.co.uk

! t i e k i l t h g i m t s u j u o y t i y Tr New members and one off visitors welcome, you can try it out for FREE - we are sure you’ll like networking with LVBA. Events start at 17:45. Register on our website, on registration page.

Events are organised by Alan Reading, Custom Marketing Resources, design and marketing, online and printed. One Call does it All! Keep up to date (& to join) www.lenhambusiness.co.uk or call 01622 820841