LANGTON LIFE Issue 132

December 2024 - January 2025 | Issue 132

We hope all our readers and advertisers have a wonderful festive time - see you in 2025!

Distributed FREE throughout the village

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local happenings Brownie raises money for Royal British Legion Contents Local happenings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 We shall remember them . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Looking forward to our jubilee year 2025 . . 11 Editors letter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Kicking off Christmas at the Langton Hub . . 15 Langton Council . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Local church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Village contacts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Property watch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Cover photo: Christmas Fair at Langton Pavilion 22nd November.

View Langton Life online at www.langtonlife.co.uk

Contact Langton Life magazine!

The magazine is a celebration of life in Langton Green and is published 6 times a year. It is delivered door to door to the 1200-plus houses in the village, and is available at local shops and in some surrounding villages.

Please submit editorial and advertisements (pre-paid) for the next edition by 11th January 2025.

Advertising: Rob Mauduit Tel: 07941 117423 advertising@langtonlife.com Editor: Jayne Sharratt Tel: 07532 339434 editor@langtonlife.com

A young Langton Green resident has raised £200 for the Royal British Legion. We asked Phoebe to tell us more about it in her own words.

“I am learning about World War 1 and 2 at school and as part of my topic I made a poppy to go on the school wreath for Remembrance Day. Then I was inspired to make mini ones to sell and donate money to the royal British legion. Every poppy is made from 63 Hamma beads which are special plastic beads that I put on a board and then iron to melt them together. I then use a hot glue gun (with my mum's help!) to add a brooch pin. I am a member of the 2nd Langton Green Brownies, and this project will contribute to my Charities badge. Each poppy is £2 and so far I have raised £200 which I will send to the royal British legion after Remembrance Day. They provide lifelong support to serving and ex-serving armed forces and their families. We hand delivered all the poppies and I have seen my fair share of village dogs at the windows!

Thank you to everybody who bought a poppy and supported this brilliant cause.”

Phoebe was asked to lay a wreath at the Langton Green War Memorial on Remembrance Sunday. Well done to her for all her hard work and successful fundraising.

Paws for Coffee!

Langton Green resident Lucy Newman has been successfully fundraising for the charity Guide Dogs for the Blind this Autumn and Winter, by hosting coffee mornings in Speldhurst Village Hall. "I know very well the challenges a sensory impaired person can face in everyday life. These amazing dogs not only help with getting out and about safely, but bring attention to what can be hidden disabilities, helping a person feel safer too.

Having a sensory impairment affects every aspect of life including mental health. A service dog is an amazing companion - what could be better than a furry friend for company!" Lucy tells me. For a £5 entrance fee, there is unlimited coffee, tea and cake baked by Lucy and her talented neighbour on offer, alongside a toy corner and an outside play area - when the weather is good! The next coffee morning will be on Wednesday 18th December from 8.45am till 10.45am. Lucy is also going to run the London Marathon next April for the charity - in total she wants to raise £2000. Her Just Giving page should anyone want to donate is www.justgiving.com/page/lucysmarathon2025

Director: Ed Langridge Registered in England 8709597 The publishers cannot be held responsible for the content of the editorial in this publication.

Follow us on Social Media @LangtonLife

Langton Life

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local happenings Good community spirit For several years, the undergrowth near The Grange has started to intrude into the pathway. It comes from land where a dispute over ownership has led to a lack of maintenance.

This year the undergrowth extended so much that it was taking up over 50% of the path width and was forcing pedestrians to walk close to the road edge. On several occasions, the large wing mirrors of passing vans were seen to overhang the pavement and so present a risk to those on the path.

This triggered the “residents committee” of The Grange, led

by Sue Brimlow, to act. A working party of Sue, and Kay and Mark Dooley, together with Ed Langridge and Lyn and Lawrence Dollimore got out their hedge cutters, spades and brooms and cleared it themselves. A nice little sandstone wall was found beneath the foliage. The photos show it before and after. What a difference and what a worthwhile initiative.

Lawrence Dollimore

Village Society award for Mark Dooley Every year, the Village Society puts up hanging baskets to help make the village as attractive as possible. The baskets are arranged by Lyn Dollimore, but once the baskets are in place they need to be kept watered throughout the season. This relies on the much-valued services of neighbouring residents. For the past several years, one resident, Mark Dooley, has done an exceptional job of watering and caring-for the baskets by The Grange. Here we see him being presented with a special award by Lyn, on behalf of the Village Society. The award is a framed aerial photograph of the village. Even in November the baskets are still showing signs of flowering. Well done, Mark.

Christmas tree recycling?

Have your unwanted Christmas tree collected from your home and recycled, courtesy of Hospice in the Weald.

This popular service is offered to residents covering twenty postcodes in West Kent and East Sussex, from Westerham in the Northwest of Kent to Mayfield in East Sussex, including the Langton and Rusthall TN3 and TN4 postcodes. In fact, anyone living in any of the postcodes TN1 -TN20 can take advantage of this service, so pass the message on to friends in the area. It will save time while raising funds to provide free care for those facing terminal illness and their loved ones.

In exchange for a donation of £20, the Hospice’s elves will collect and recycle your Christmas tree. No hassle, no waste, and no needles in your car!

The team of amazing volunteers will be collecting trees from 12th-14th January.

More than £40,000 was raised last year with tree chippings donated for use in the community.

Please register via the Hospice’s website hospiceintheweald.org.uk.

Registration closes on 7th January.

All proceeds help to fund the free care and support Hospice in the Weald offers to adults and children in our community facing lifelimiting illness.

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Langton Life

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local happenings

Local charities can benefit from Airport Community Trust While there are disadvantages as well as advantages to our village being located close to Gatwick Airport, local charities and organisations should note that applications are open to the Gatwick Airport Community Trust, and the airport is urging them to apply for funding.

Around £250,000 will be made available to worthy causes across parts of Kent, Surrey and West and East Sussex.

The deadline for community groups to apply to the Trust, which has been running for more than 20 years, is 31 March 2025. Last year The Gatwick Airport Community Trust, which is funded exclusively

by London Gatwick, provided much-needed support for more than 100 charities and groups across the region. Funding available to community groups will be linked to passenger numbers during 2024 and the final amount available will be confirmed in 2025.

One of the previous recipients was 1st Edenbridge Brownies, which received £1,704 to put towards its uniform fund and very first residential adventure.

Steph Harrison, Brownie Leader, 1st Edenbridge Brownies, said: “Being able to offer financial support to families to purchase uniform means that we can be inclusive and remove financial barriers to joining our group. We will also be going on a weekend away, where the Brownies will experience outdoor adventures, form friendships, and develop the confidence to try new things. For some girls, this will be the first time they have stayed away from home, and we are able to offer this experience by keeping costs low and inclusive to all.”

Earlier this year St Mary's Ukrainian School in Tunbridge Wells received £1,197 to buy sports and arts equipment for displaced

Ukrainian children. Rimma Tertytska, settings manager at St Mary's Ukrainian School, said: “St Mary's has become a safe haven for these children. We are incredibly thankful for this support and will use the funding to enhance the learning environment.

The Gatwick Airport Community Trust was originally set up in 2002 as part of the legal arrangements between West Sussex County Council, Crawley Borough Council and London Gatwick following the publication of the airport’s Sustainable Development Strategy. It aims to make a positive contribution to the quality of life of the communities affected by the airport and its continuing growth.

For more information about the Gatwick Airport Community Trust and to find out how to apply for the next round, visit: https://gact.org.uk/

Flourishing Anglo-French relations in Langton Green Kadi Wyke, who lives with her husband and two daughters on the border of Langton Green and Rusthall, told me more about why her family find hosting French students so rewarding.

“We started hosting French students because our eldest daughter Lili was going into year nine and she was interested in a foreign language.

French seemed the easiest one to learn because we live so close to France, and then we thought we would start having French students to stay, so she could have daily conversation. We thought the interaction with other youngsters in Europe would be enriching. Lili went to stay in an exchange for a week in France and she loved it, so it made us think that hosting would be a nice thing to do,” Kadi explains.

The family have now been hosting French students for about six or seven years, organised by local Tunbridge Wells resident Stephanie Heymer, who allocates groups of students to hosts each week. The trips normally last Monday to Thursday or Friday, and host families are paid. The students are secondary school age and spend the days on trips with their school.

“There was a break for Covid, of course,” Kadi says. “Overall it’s been very rewarding and the girls normally stay in touch afterwards through their Snapchat and Instagram account, so they’re still buddies, in communication, and find out what they’re up to – they can still be sending messages to each other even years later, so it’s a way of them extending a friendship group outside people they would normally meet.”

The Wyke family recently had the opportunity to visit the family of one of the students they hosted in France. “She came and stayed with us in April of this year. Her parents got in touch with us and said she loved staying with us – they asked if she could come back and stay on her own during the summer holidays, so we agreed, exchanged details and she came and stayed with us for a week. After that we

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were invited to go and stay with them during the summer so as we were going to France, we ended up spending two days with them. It was in the South of France, and they are an absolutely beautiful family.

We had such a good time. They pulled out all the stops for us. I’m so grateful this door was opened for us by hosting French students, and I think we’ve kind of created a friendship there, because they are coming to visit us in the run up to Christmas and we’ve also been invited to go and spend a week with them in their beach house in the north of France.

Langton Life

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local happenings

We shall remember them On Remembrance Sunday, the 10th November, a service of Remembrance took place at All Saints’ Church and poppy wreaths were placed at the war memorial. Thank you to all who took part.

Langton Life

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Langton Life

local happenings

Looking forward to our jubilee year 2025 Grant Programme, ‘My little boy and I had an amazing time, it really helped our bonding. Joel actually started talking more to me and even started eating.

I can’t thank you enough for your help and generosity.’ Joel’s mum.

The

TeensPLUS. ‘We just wanted to say a huge THANKS to you all at the 3H Foundation for the Challenge Box you sent. Jem loved the baking and happily participated in the gardening related activities. As a family, it has created some wonderful memories and given us the confidence to try more activities.’

Carers Hampers. ‘We received the carers hamper and OMG we are blown away by your kindness and generosity. A wonderful box filled with wonderful items, which included a voucher to buy Cook meals which is such a lovely treat for us as a family.’ Hannah’s father.

We are totally self-funding and rely on Trusts, businesses and individuals for our income. The more we receive, the more people we can help. It’s as simple as that. Demand always far exceeds what we can physically supply.

The 3H Foundation is a charity which was founded in 1975 and every year helps over a thousand children and adults with disabilities to get a break away from their restrictive circumstances.

To many, 3H is a lifesaver.

The charity started its life in Camden Road, Tunbridge Wells fifty years ago next year and is now based on the Langton Green and Speldhurst Road at Went Farm. Initially, they had a shop – thought to be one of the first, if not the first, charity shop in the town. Now they are a significant contributor to help those in need – physically and mentally. 3H arrange sailing holidays on masted ships; activity centre breaks; support hampers for those to enjoy at home; trips to theatres and theme parks – and for those people who are carers (did you know there are seven million carers in the UK?), pamper days are organised at hotels where they can enjoy a break to recharge their batteries.

A crucial period of relief.

So, 2025 will be a very special year for us. A Golden Year. Four guests who have enjoyed time away with 3H had this to say – Sailing holiday 2023. ‘I came into it thinking it would just be a short break away from home but soon realised that it was more than just that. It was an opportunity to make good friends, learn how to work and function as a team and to develop skills that may well carry on far into the future….’ Toby

If you would like to donate or become a volunteer helper, please get in touch.

The 3H Foundation. B2, Speldhurst Business Park, Langton Road.

Speldhurst, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. TN3 0AQ Registered Charity number 286306 Our Patron is Dr Karen Darke MBE – Olympic Gold and Silver paraplegic champion in hand-cycling, a geologist, an adventurer and writer! We are delighted to have the support of such an inspirational person.

Wellbeing event success at Pavilion Hub A wellbeing event was held at the Langton Pavilion Hub on Friday 8th November, bringing together practitioners who offer support with children’s wellbeing. Organiser Kathryn Allen, a reflexologist, said she wanted to do it to bring therapists together.

“We’re independent, but it’s so helpful for us to meet each other, and share knowledge and forge friendships,” she said. “It’s about letting parents know that there are a range of options out there that can help if their child is struggling with anxiety or other health and wellbeing related issues. “It’s always great if we can add to parents’ toolkit for helping their children,” she said. Kathryn hopes that she will be able to repeat the event, and there are lots of other things going on at the Langton Pavilion Community Hub too – drop into the café for more information.

Langton Life

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Langton Life

local happenings Editor’s letter

Thank you to our readers and advertisers throughout the year It certainly feels like the bleak mid-winter just now, and I’m looking forward to Christmas more than I usually do, for the chance to slow down and appreciate the timeless and simple rituals - the singing, the lights in the darkness.

I’m especially looking forward to Christmas services in churches and Abby Page’s concert on 7th December at 6pm looks like it will be a beautiful evening, with extracts from Handel’s Messiah.

Don’t miss the traditional church services either - the dates are on page 24. Another nice event to support will be the Hospice in the Weald Carols in the Chapel of St Augustine at Tonbridge School, raising money for the charity. Tickets are available on their website hospiceintheweald.org.uk As 2024 draws to a close, the Langton Life team wants to thank everyone who supports the magazine, and allows us to continue to serve the community. A reader recently wrote to me that she had kept her old copies of Langton Life, “They are too good and informative to throw away, and a credit to you and your contributors.” The truth is these magazines would not be possible without the support of Langton Green residents, who share their stories and photographs with us, and read the magazine avidly. It’s been said that our village magazine helps bring the community together, reaching all residents, not just those on social media - if we do achieve a tiny part of this, we are very privileged. It would not be possible without our advertisers,

whose support enables us to keep the magazine free of charge to the community, and of course, our amazing volunteer delivery army, who street by street, put the magazine through letterboxes each time an issue comes out.

If you would like to share a story with Langton readers, advertise with us, or help deliver the magazine, we are always happy to hear from you - our contact details are on page 3.

Finally, let me wish you and your families a very merry Christmas season, and all good wishes for 2025.

Best wishes, Jayne Sharratt editor@langtonlife.com

Your Langton Life team

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Langton Life

7th of December at 6pm All Saints’ Church, Langton Green References available.

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Free entry with donations to Thrive Langton

5/5 stars by the Which Magazine website 'Which Local'

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Langton Life

Kicking off Christmas at the Langton Hub On Friday 22nd November there was a fabulous Christmas Fair at the Langton Pavilion, held in partnership with the Langton Green Village Society and the Langton Pavilion Cafe.

It offered an array of Christmas delights from cake to coffee and gifts galore - a wonderful chance to get into the Christmas spirit with five weeks to go before the big day, and support local businesses at the same time.

Jane Pye likes to embroider while listening to books on audible.

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Langton resident Carol raised £1600 last year knitt ing for Hospice in the Weald

Local author Alex Clarke

Langton Life

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Langton Life

local happenings News from Thrive Langton

Thrive Langton has had a busy end to the year, which I thought might be of interest to your readers.

James Marples, a Thrive Langton volunteer, launched Talk Club in November. As has been featured in the October issue of Langton LIfe, this is a dedicated space for men to check in on their own mental health, and to support others with theirs. It asks the question 'How are you out of 10?' and allows men to be curious as to how they're feeling and maybe explore what they can do to help themselves if the number they give is low. James says it was a good first session - it's heartening that the village has provision for men to prioritise their own mental wellbeing. Talk Club Langton Green will meet up monthly - anyone interested should check out www.talkclub.org/clubs/ langton-green for specific dates and locations.

We held our second Thrive Talk in November on the topic of diabetes (you might remember the first was about menopause). This free event proved very popular, with participants being able to ask Dr Dennis Barnes specific questions about preventing diabetes, or limiting complications in the case of living with diabetes.

We also continue to support people by encouraging artistic endeavours. We have a monthly Art Adventure session at the Langton Pavilion Community Hub where people can be inspired to try something new, or crack on with a creative project of their own that they love. This might be printing, discovering the joy of watercolour paints, knitting, bead work, or art journaling to list just a few of the things people have done. Everyone is welcome to attend and connect with happy creators!

Louise Dean also ran a Christmas in a Bottle workshop - showing people how to convert a lowly wine bottle into a festive centrepiece, complete with twinkly fairy lights! This was a beautifully festive - and incredibly popular - gathering.

We launch the new year with Jade Dickens running a couple of Dance Fit sessions for Thrive Langton. Jade, who lives in the village, is a qualified music instructor. These sessions will be held in January to help people shake off any lethargy and find their mojo for 2025!

Details will be on the website www.thrivelangton.org We also hope to have some activities to help children with their mental health, to coincide with Children's Mental Health Week (3-9 February 2025).

Find out more about Thrive Langton at their website www.thrivelangton.org or email hello@thrivelangton.org

Langton Life

Folly Wildlife needs our help I have lived in Rusthall for thirty-three years and since 2001 have been involved with Folly Wildlife. Folly is very local to us in the village – just ten minutes away in Fairview Lane just past the High Rocks.

Folly is in trouble. Grants and legacies have become fewer and fewer, and they are struggling to make ends meet.

Running Folly costs between £20-£30,000 a month depending on the time of year. There are limited paid staff and many volunteers, so most of the money is ploughed directly back into the very much needed care of the animals and birds that pass through the doors every year.

We are lucky in Rusthall to be surrounded by Commons, woodlands and parks. Wildlife needs our help now more than ever and we couldn't do without the fantastic work that Folly does.

Please donate if you can, to save this amazing charity. Visit their website www.follywildliferescue.org.uk and view the How to Help section or Donate Now. If you're thinking of donating to charity instead of sending Christmas cards, please consider this small, local and very worthwhile charity, or maybe adopt a hedgehog for a Christmas gift - or donate just because you can.

They began in 1987 and have come so far, let's keep them going!

Aimee Taylor

Award for Langton Green footballer

Emily Bowen, who plays football with Langton Green Football Club and is managed by Langton Green Community Sports Association’s Chris Allen, won the Tunbridge Wells Borough Council Young Sports Achiever of the Year at the Love Where We Live Awards in November.

She was announced as the winner for her achievements as an avid footballer, coach of Under-5s and Under-6s teams, qualified referee and sitting on Kent FA Youth Council. Accepting the award, Emily said that she wanted to thank “my family and friends, particularly my dad, who drives me all over the country, my past and current coaches for helping me be the best version of myself both on and off the pitch, but lastly one of my biggest thank yous goes to my manager, Chris Allen. He’s put so much effort into making me the best player I can be, and this award is a testament to Langton Green, for everything they do for children in the local area.”

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local council

NEWS from

Speldhurst Parish Council

PURCHASE OF SPELDHURST CHAPEL At our full council meeting on Monday 4th November, councillors voted unanimously to go ahead with the purchase of Speldhurst Chapel and to grant a lease to Speldhurst Community Shop once the purchase is completed.

We have applied to the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to draw down a loan for £325,000 which had been approved earlier this year. It is envisaged the purchase will complete towards the end of November 2024.

The Chapel Project has raised money for refurbishments to the chapel and once these are finished the shop and post office counter will move from their current premises on Barden Road into their new home just across the road. If you’d like to know more about this, there is an information board outside the shop with all the latest updates. You can also follow the shop on Facebook – search for Speldhurst's Community Shop and Post Office.

PARISH COUNCILLORS – HELLOS, GOODBYES AND VACANCIES Another point of business at our November full council was the co-option of Giles Littlefield as a parish councillor.

Giles lives in Speldhurst with his wife, daughters, cat and dog. He is a Sound Mixer/ Designer for television and internet, working between his home and London.

Giles cares about protecting all that makes our parish special, and is keen to see taxpayers getting what they ask for. As a parish councillor he is looking to help improve roads, public transport and infrastructure.

Giles counts running, motorbikes and drinking in local pubs among his interests - here he is shown pictured outside the Crown at Old Groombridge.

As we welcomed Giles, we said goodbye to Councillor Ian Muress who has stepped down from the parish council to focus on professional commitments. We would like to say a big thank you to Ian for all his hard work and the wise contributions he made. Ian put in many miles walking our parish footpaths and worked with our Assistant Clerk to help coordinate footpath maintenance, and he has agreed to stay involved as a ‘footpath adopter’, keeping an eye on the footpaths around Langton Green. Ian, it has been a pleasure working with you - you will be missed.

With Ian stepping down, we will be advertising to co-opt a new parish councillor at the beginning of December if an election is not called.

If you are interested in getting involved in your local community and want to have your say on how we tackle local environmental issues, the increase in air traffic, problems with local roads, speeding in the parish and planning applications to name but a few, we want to hear from you.

The parish councillor’s role typically takes up a few hours a week to help action local change in areas they are particularly interested in.

If you would like a chat to discuss what the role would involve with absolutely no commitment, please get in contact in the first place with our Clerk, Katie Neve (contact details at the end of the article).

TACKLING CLIMATE CHANGE Tunbridge Wells Borough Council has dedicated 8 pages to its climate change strategy in the latest edition of Local Magazine. After listening to

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A CASUAL VACANCY Has occured on Speldhurst Parish Council See Council notice boards for more information or contact the Parish Clerk May on 862927 David Scully, theChris borough’s or email Landscape & Biodiversity Officer clerk@speldhurstparishcouncil.gov.uk

speak at our last Environment Working Group meeting, we www.speldhurstparishcouncil.gov.uk are looking at ways to align our activities with this strategy.

We are already active with biodiversity initiatives, an energy efficiency audit of Langton Green Pavilion, and the installation of EV charge points, and we plan to add a new page dedicated to environmental projects to our website soon. We hope you find it helpful.

For now, though, we’d like to ask you to do just one thing to help our efforts and switch off your car engine when you’re stationary. As the weather gets colder it can be tempting to keep your engine running and your heater on, but did you know that every minute a car is left idling it creates enough pollution to fill 150 balloons? So next time you are idling in your car on the school run, over a takeaway coffee, or after a dog walk, picture those pollution-filled balloons and SWITCH OFF! CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR The council office will be closed over Christmas from (and including) Friday 20th December, returning on Friday 3rd January. We will check the clerk’s email inbox and pick up mobile phone messages periodically during this time, should you need to contact us.

We wish you all a well-deserved festive break, and here’s to a happy and healthy New Year.

PUBLIC MEETINGS – EVERYONE WELCOME Full Council: 7.00 pm, Monday 2nd December, Committee Room Speldhurst Village Hall Full Council: 7.30 pm, Monday 6th January 2025, Palmer Room Langton Green Village Hall THE COUNCIL OFFICE AND HOW TO CONTACT US If you’d like to contact the parish council, call the Clerk, Katie Neve on 01892 862927/07760 769513 or email clerk@speldhurstparishcouncil.gov.uk For helpful information about Speldhurst Parish Council, and to sign up for news alerts, visit www.speldhurstparishcouncil.gov.uk or follow us on Facebook as ‘Speldhurst Parish Council’.

Speldhurst parish covers the villages of Ashurst, Langton Green, Old Groombridge and Speldhurst. The Councillors representing these villages are: Paul Curry (Chair); Katrina Lyle (Vice-Chair); Hugh Cleaver; Caroline Davies; Jade Dickens; Richard Ellery; Rebecca Leach; Giles Littlefield; Simon Norton; Alan Rowe; Domenico Tarricone; John Turner

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local happenings Joyful celebrancy Local mum of three Joy Neal has been working as an Independent Celebrant since 2022.

I asked her to tell me a bit more about why she is so passionate about her work.

“I think it’s the best job in the world, as I get to be a ‘storykeeper’ - hearing and then retelling the personal stories of people from all different walks of life,” Joy tells me. “My business tagline is ‘ceremonies for every season’ because I work alongside individuals, couples or families to co-create ceremonies which celebrate whichever season of life they are in! That might be a relationship ceremony (like a wedding, vow renewal or hand-tying), an end of life ceremony (like a funeral, memorial or even a living funeral), or a family ceremony (such as a baby naming, adoption, transition or blended family ceremony).”

Joy says that she has always loved ritual and ceremony. “I think there’s something in all of us that yearns to mark life’s changes and rites of passage in a meaningful way. Historically that has been done through religious ceremonies - but as people increasingly feel less aligned with religious institutions, there is a need to honour these important moments in our lives in different ways. I love the fact that as an independent celebrant I get to deliver beautiful and meaningful ceremonies that can include elements of faith and spirituality if that feels important to the people at the heart of them, or not!”

Much of Joy’s work is as a funeral celebrant, and people sometimes joke that ‘Joy’ isn’t a very good name for a funeral celebrant! Joy disagrees. “I think ‘joy’ and ‘happiness’ aren’t the same thing – and I believe that even at the bleakest of times, there is joy and hope to be found,” she says. “Supporting and journeying alongside families and helping them to give their loved ones a final ceremony that is loving and personal is one of my greatest privileges. I feel passionate about helping people to understand the options and choices around honouring the end of life.”

This can even mean working with people before they die. “Recently, I have started working with people who know they are in their final season of life, to plan their own memorials and capture their stories in their own words,” Joy explains. “It might sound morbid, but actually can give people a sense of agency and control, and is even (dare I say it!) quite fun! I wish more people knew they could do that! I think that normalising tender conversations about death and dying and beliefs about the afterlife is so important, and I feel very lucky to be part of some of those conversations!”

Visiting Angels come to Langton Green Dutch sailor, Maxine Maters, and English lawn bowler, Gillian Douglass, have joined forces in a new care service called Visiting Angels. “We pride ourselves on being carer centric,” says Maxine.

“I wanted to start a business that makes a positive contribution to society and I think Visiting Angels really does. We want to lead the UK care sector as an Employer of Choice by 2030, creating an environment where our caregivers (angels) can care more, clients can live better and families can feel assured. We want to redefine the role of carers in society and by so doing deliver a new standard of personcentred care.”

“It’s long been my belief,” Gillian agreed, “That well cared-for employees are the centre of any business and it is particularly important that those delivering emotional, social and physical support are well supported so that they can build the resilience necessary to continue to care for others.”

Maxine and Gillian both have extensive curricula vitae. Apart from sailing in three or four oceans and several more seas, Maxine used

to be the publisher of The Moscow Times, an independent newspaper in Russia and Gillian has lived on the west coast of North America and been involved in marketing and public relations as well as social care.

“We look forward to working with people in Langton Green,” said Maxine, “and we hope to be able to provide companionship as well as some practical support to those who need it. By putting our angels at the heart of the business, we are able to offer a genuinely lovely service.”

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Joy Neal Joyful Celebrancy Ceremonies for every season

A local, experienced and empathetic Independent Celebrant – working with you to co-create and deliver unique and heartfelt ceremonies for every season of life.

As a Celebrant, the most important part of my job isn’t actually the ceremony itself - it is taking the time to listen deeply, ask good questions, and collaborate with clients to create ceremonies that reflect the values & stories of the people at the centre of them.

Some of the services I offer:

Funerals and Memorials (Traditional or alternative - bringing warmth, empathy and care to the most difficult occasions)

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End of Life Planning (facilitating tender and important conversations. Support to plan your own memorial and tell your life story in your own words) Weddings, Vow Renewals & Commitments (Creating unique and meaningful ceremonies to celebrate love)

Ceremonies for Baby Showers, Hen Parties, and Special Birthdays (marking life’s significant milestones with personalised ritual and ceremony) Baby Naming, Adoption & Family Unity Ceremonies (Celebrating the changing shape of your family) Get in touch if you’d like to know more. I’d love to have a cuppa with you and discuss how I can help you to honour and celebrate your different seasons!

Joy@joyfulcelebrancy.com www.joyfulcelebrancy.com

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local happenings Laser lights over Langton Green Primary School On Friday 15th November Langton Green Primary School’s PTA held a Laser Light show at the school. It was the first time they had held the event, and it was a great success. “The show was amazing. We were so lucky with the weather and the whole event was enjoyed by all. On the night, we had a BBQ, a bar and a stall selling sweet treats and novelty lights,” said Chair of the PTA, Tasha.

The School PTA hope to be able to host the event again next year.

Langton Green community archaeology news Whilst the archaeological dig season is currently on hold at Rusthall, research continues at Langton Green. Of note is the growing significance of a stretch of the A264 running from Bishops Down to Langton Green. Evidence for a series of potential prehistoric earthworks has been considered based on previous finds and LiDAR imagery (Light Detection & Ranging). Whilst still very much speculative, a more robust focus on landscape analysis is currently underway. Evidence for human activity has already been identified and certainly covers the Bronze Age, Neolithic and Mesolithic periods, a span of several thousand years. However, during the laying of a new water pipe in 2008, a much older Palaeolithic flint tool was also discovered and possibly in excess of 12,000 years old! This would certainly be the oldest evidence of human activity in Langton Green.

Important discovery Moving forward to the post-Roman period, I’m sure many of you have heard about the discovery of an early Saxon ‘Fransica’, or throwing axe this summer. The object is of high status and probably dates to around the 5 th or 6 th century CE. However, the context is rather more intriguing as it was found close to an old trackway leading down to the river Grom, along with a small knife and possible sword or dagger hilt. Such objects are often associated within a burial context and mostly relate to the ‘warrior’ class. On the same stretch of track previous excavations revealed the remains of some type of structure with evidence of timber beam slots. Finds included primitive wall plaster and a sherd of pottery believed to be similar to ‘E-Ware’ – a late Roman to early Saxon ceramic of 5th - 6th century CE date! One theory developing is that the trackway may have lead to an ancient river crossing, at the Grom, and into Sussex. This perhaps challenges the idea that Groombridge was so named after a Saxon noble and ‘The Gromen men joining hands over the River Grom uniting the old settlement in Kent with the new one in Sussex’ – https://www. geograph.org.uk/photo/173574, when in fact it may have been further upstream in Langton Green. Certainly not conclusive but sure it will stir up some heated debate!

In the meantime, other research continues to suggest that an

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extensive ‘Celtic Field System’ survives on the southern banks of the Grom. It appears to start at the western edge of Tunbridge Wells Common and continues as far as Broom Lane. Evidence for a middle Bronze Age date (1,500 BCE) was previously recovered from a pit cut into the high banks of one of the fields, which included pottery and flint. It would seem likely it was the agricultural landscape of the settlers at High Rocks probably lasting from at least the Bronze Age to the Romano-British period. However, it is also quite likely many of the field were re-established in the early medieval period and into modern times.

We look forward to a series of community research projects in 2025 covering Langton Green, Rusthall, Speldhurst and Southborough.

Speldhurst Parish History Society – working with archaeologist Nigel Stapple

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23

local church News from All Saints’ Church Advent is upon us and we start our journey towards Christmas. It is a brilliant time of year to get people together and make plans for the future.

For our village church, this past year has been all about planning for the future and our part in what will be a multi parish benefice. It is one we are very much hoping is becoming more tangible. The closing date in the early part of December for our latest advert in the Church Times and Pathways, looking for our new vicar (incumbent) is nearly upon us. Let us be positive that January will offer the right person for the role when we interview.

In November we had the opportunity of joining St Mary’s Speldhurst for their Confirmation Service. A service filled with hope and positive opportunities for working more closely together in the future and being all about new Christian belief, confirmation; it was very inspiring.

This year we are starting Advent with our Teddy Mayor’s Toy Appeal on the 1st December when we will be supporting this very worthy cause in collecting new toys for the disadvantaged children in care locally. If you would like to help us, you can leave the gifts at the back of church during the last week of November and we will collect them all together on the 1st and take them down to the Tunbridge Wells collection point. At the same service we are going to bless all our Christmas trees both in church and within the village. If you would like to get involved with decorating a mini potted Christmas tree to display in church please contact Sally-Anne Gathern (sallyannegathern@gmail.com) or Emma Stevens (contact@langtongreenchurch.com) for more details or look on our website.

Wishing Everyone a Very Happy Christmas and a Peaceful New Year.

Sally-Anne Gathern, Church Warden

Speldhurst Chapel project Plans to relocate the Speldhurst Community Shop and Post Office to the disused Chapel across the road, continue to make progress. We are getting very close to the day when the Chapel is purchased

by Speldhurst Parish Council and Speldhurst Community Shop will sign a lease over the property. All the key documents are agreed. The Parish Council is aiming to complete the purchase by late November, and we aim to commence building works by March 2025. All being well we hope to have the works completed and Speldhurst’s Shop and Post Office relocated to the extended and refurbished Chapel by the end of next year.

The planning permission application can now be viewed on the TWBC planning portal, ref 24/02097/FULL. If you wish to support the application, please don't hesitate to make a comment online.

Thank you to everyone who has enabled the project to get to this point including Speldhurst Parish Council, residents of the Parish, our dedicated staff, volunteers and management committee.

Edward Pinnell, speldhurstcommunityshop@gmail.com

Services at All Saints Church There is a warm welcome awaiting for you if you would like to join us at all or any of these services to celebrate the birth of our saviour, Jesus Christ 1st December – 10.30am Toy Service Appeal 22nd December – 5.00pm Carol Service 24th December – 4.00pm Crib Service 24th December – 11.30pm Midnight Mass 25th December – 9.00am Christmas Day Morning Family Holy Communion

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VILLAGE CONTACTS Allotment Society

Simon Heller 077112 24053

Langton Green Village Hall

Sally-Ann Gathern 822261

You can now book online at

Emma Stevens 861213

Brownies

Church (admin)

Sally-Ann Gathern 822261

www.langtongreenvillagehall.org.uk

Church Hall Bookings

Jacqui Avery jacqui.avery@btinternet.com

or email us at langtongreenvillagehall@outlook.com

Friends of All Saints' Church

or call

Jenny Greenaway 01342 850727

07581 471147

Hospice Link / Langton Ladybirds Daphne Streeter 863753

Langton Green Cricket Club

www.henrypaulfunerals.co.uk

James Marples 07966 131471 langtongreencc@gmail.com

www.langtongreen.play-cricket.com/home Langton Green Allotments Chris Pullen 07931 311925 Langton Green Car Club Ed Langridge 862006

edlangridge@yahoo.co.uk Langton Life Editor

Jayne Sharratt 07532 339434 Langton Life Distribution

John Preston 07964 897049 Little Saints Parent and Toddler Group, All Saints’ Church Hall

Cordelia.nevill@gmail.com Mothers’ Union

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Sally-Ann Gathern 822261 Village Hall Bookings

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25

local happenings

Property Watch

Langton Road, Langton Green. £14,000,000.

High View is a detached nine bedroom house set in 45 acres and enjoying breathtaking views.

The estate includes two further properties, The Lodge and The Roundel.

Broom Lane, Langton Green. £1,650,000.

A detached five bedroom lodge house in a country lane, with South West facing garden.

Langton Green General Stores

Stonewall Park Road, Langton Green. £725,000.

Detached bungalow in immaculate condition with three double bedrooms and driveway.

Langton Road, Langton Green. £625,000.

Three bedroom terraced house with open plan kitchen and dining room, bi-fold doors to a courtyard garden, and parking for one car.

Join a painting group I have been heading a painting group for ten years under a different regime and have now made it open to anyone who is interested. Would it be possible to make my group known to the Langton folk? It is a very friendly group who choose their own subjects to paint and bring their own materials. We meet on the second Monday of the month between 10 and 12 with a break mid-way for coffee and a chat! The group meets at my house in 3rd Street. All welcome! £1 donation goes to Hospice in the Weald Rosemary Lee tel. 01892862762

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