LANGTON LIFE Issue 133

February - March 2025 | Issue 133

Distributed FREE throughout the village

Produced by Langton Life Ltd | Tel: 07532 339434 | Email: editor@langtonlife.com

How to protect your family’s financial future

Protecting your family from financial difficulties isn’t just about having money to provide for the long term. It’s also about ensuring your loved ones are provided for should the worst happen.

When it comes to financial protection, the options can seem overwhelming. However, consulting a financial adviser can help you choose the right cover for your personal circumstances.

Life insurance Life insurance pays out a lump sum on death, which could be used to pay off the mortgage and provide a cash buffer. The cost of the cover will depend on factors like your age and health.

If you have children or an outstanding mortgage, you should consider a life insurance policy. There are several different types of policy to choose from: whole of life insurance, level term insurance, and decreasing term insurance. An adviser can help you decide on the right one for you.

Income protection Income protection can provide a tax-free income if you are unable to work because of an accident or illness.

You can choose when the payments start, such as six or 12 months, with longer deferral periods resulting in lower premiums.

Income protection can be particularly valuable for the selfemployed who do not have any cover through an employer.

You can choose from short-term cover to pay an income over one or two years and long-term cover to run until retirement, or when the policy ends, whichever is sooner.

Critical illness Critical illness cover pays out a lump sum on diagnosis of critical illnesses covered by the policy, such as heart attack, stroke and cancer. The sum could be used to pay off debts, cover outgoings such as school fees, or to adapt living arrangements.

You might want to consider this cover if you don’t have enough savings to cover you if you were to become seriously ill, or you don’t have an employee benefits package.

Family income benefit Instead of paying out a single lump sum, this policy provides a regular, tax-free income for a set period, such as 20 years. It’s considered a relatively inexpensive form of life cover.

Private medical insurance Private medical insurance (PMI) will pay for the cost of private healthcare and could enable you to see a specialist more quickly than under the NHS. If you don’t have PMI through work, you can pay monthly or annual premiums for a policy.

We live and work local to you. We would be delighted to help you and your family achieve financial clarity and stability.

Louise Shaw Investment Manager Divisional Director E: louise.shaw@brewin.co.uk Evelyn Iriajen Financial Planner Assistant Director E: evelyn.iriajen@brewin.co.uk RBC Brewin Dolphin, 16 Lonsdale Gardens, Tunbridge Wells, TN1 1NU T: 01892 739580 W: brewin.co.uk/royal-tunbridge-wells

The value of investments, and any income from them, can fall and you may get back less than you invested. This does not constitute tax or legal advice. Tax treatment depends on the individual circumstances of each client and may be subject to change in the future. Information is provided only as an example and is not a recommendation to pursue a particular strategy. Information contained in this document is believed to be reliable and accurate, but without further investigation cannot be warranted as to accuracy or completeness.

RBC Brewin Dolphin is a trading name of RBC Europe Limited. RBC Europe Limited is registered in England and Wales No. 995939. Registered Address: 100 Bishopsgate, London EC2N 4AA. Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. ® / ™ Trademark(s) of Royal Bank of Canada. Used under licence.

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local happenings

Community lunch offers help Contents Local happenings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Editor's letter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Don’t be Koi, Shaun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Remembering Audrey Sturley. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Lily’s memories of Rusthall Beacon . . . . . . . . 11 Property watch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Langton Council . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Happy 100th birthday to Dorothy . . . . . . . . . 18 Local church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Village contacts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Over forty people attended the Pavilion for a Community Christmas Lunch in December. Emma and her team provided local residents including Langton Ladybirds and members of the Langton Green Indoor Bowls Club with an excellent Christmas Dinner, a chocolate dessert and coffee and mince pies to follow!

Emma prepared two huge baskets of goods and toys donated by those attending, for the benefit of families from Fordcombe who had recently suffered the loss of their house contents following a major fire.

The next Community Lunches will be on Monday February 10th and Monday 10th March. Contact the Community Hub at langtonpavilioncafe@gmail.com

Cover photo: Enjoying the Commons photographed by Mark Howden.

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 March 2025.

Advertising: Rob Mauduit advertising@langtonlife.com Editor: Jayne Sharratt Tel: 07532 339434 editor@langtonlife.com Director: Ed Langridge Registered in England 8709597 The publishers cannot be held responsible for the content of the editorial in this publication.

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Local car club – alive and motoring!

The Langton Green Classic Car Club was founded twelve years ago by Ed Langridge and grew quickly in the early days to well over thirty members – and then came Covid! This basically put a stop to car events nationwide, but he is pleased to say that interest has recently been reactivated with twenty attending a Christmas Dinner at our local hostelry, The Hare.

There are already events planned for the coming year including a regular visit to the Marden Car Show in May, which will be the start of the season. We normally send around ten to twelve cars to this event – it is a really great way to kick-off the year. A friendly gathering of around two hundred cars is on show with lots to do and see. And the best value ‘99’s in Kent!

Other trips we hope to make will be to Sissinghurst Castle - a pub lunch to the White Dog at Bodiam and in addition a trip to Lullingstone Castle and the Roman Ruins nearby.

Well worth a visit!

Interested in joining with an historic, classic or ‘interesting’ car? Please get in touch with Ed at edlangridge@yahoo.co.uk or Lawrence Dollimore lawrence.dollimore@btinternet.com

@LangtonLife

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local happenings Langton Ladybirds news Thank you for giving me this opportunity to share the details of Langton Ladybirds meetings amongst our community. Our meetings are held on the second Thursday of the month, and we charge £3 per meeting to cover costs, and £20 membership annually should you wish to join.

The next meeting is on Thursday 13th February and our speaker will be Bob Egerton whom I met at the Hawkenbury Bowls Club.

In conversation he spoke about his incredible career after leaving School rising from the stockroom to Area Manager of Woolworths, a position he held for over 35 years. He is a 'larger than life' character and despite his advancing years (he is in his 90's and just celebrated 69 years married to his childhood sweetheart Patsy) he is extremely switched on and enjoying life to the full. I am delighted he agreed to come and talk, with slides to give more accuracy and understanding. The following meeting is on Thursday 13th March when local resident and fitness coach Clare Brockman will be putting us through our paces with Armchair Yoga which should be fun to watch at least. Please do feel free to come along. Bob Ogley is speaking about twentieth century Kent on April 10th. We like to vary the talks and have found the formula works and our ladies enjoy the company too. Daphne Pilcher

Editor’s letter

Hello, welcome to the February issue of Langton Life.

At this point in the year, I’m ready to shake off wintery thoughts and start thinking about Spring – even if it is still cold. It’s therefore been good to read Alan Ford’s excellent Nature Notes again and remember that soon we will see early Spring flowers and a bit more sunshine!

It’s always a pleasure to edit this magazine for a community that has so much going on, and we really do think of this as your magazine. If there are issues or stories you think we should be covering, please do get in touch with me at editor@langtonlife.com. If you have a business and would like to be part of the Langton Life community through advertising, we would also love to hear from you – please get in touch with advertising@ langtonlife.com Jayne Sharratt – Editor

Children’s writer Alex Brooks Alex Brooks is a passionate, awardwinning children’s author who firmly believes in the power of picture books to inspire, educate, and entertain young readers. Her books include Why, Oh Why, Am I a Crocodile? Why, Oh Why, Was I Born a Fly?, and Insects, Bugs & Rock ‘n’ Roll. These stories are filled with relatable characters, humour, and meaningful messages for both children and adults to enjoy.

I first met Alex at the start of her selfpublishing journey, when she had just published her first book.

It was great to catch up with her at the Langton Hub Christmas Fair and see that she is thriving.

Her most recent project, Mrs Claus: The Heart of Christmas, is a charming Christmas audiobook narrated by the talented actress Bethan Walker. At just nine minutes long, it’s a heartwarming tale of love and courage—perfect for bedtime listening throughout December.

In addition to her books, Alex has partnered with the incredible charity Demelza to create stories for their Trail with a Tail, which is set to take place in Tunbridge Wells from June to September 2025.

As a self-published author, Alex is proud of the success she has achieved so far. Her books are stocked in libraries and bookshops across the UK, including select Waterstones and WHSmiths, and have received glowing reviews. Why, Oh Why, Am I a Crocodile? was shortlisted for the SPARK! Book Awards 2023, while Insects, Bugs & Rock ‘n’ Roll won The Children’s Literature Festivals Award 2024.

Alex lives in Tunbridge Wells, and is often in Langton Green and Speldhurst, because her children are at Speldhurst School, and she has local connections. With a proven track record of captivating storytelling, Alex continues to inspire children through her books, school visits, and author events. Learn more at www.alexbrooksauthor.com

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The Langton Life team at The Hare.

Amazing what you can find on Ebay!

A virgin copy of Subbuteo Classic Pictorial booklet – produced over twenty years ago when the table soccer game had just ceased production, was recently found and bought on ebay for a fiver!

Conceived and manufactured in Langton Green in 1949, Subbuteo went on to be a world-wide success. One interesting statistic – the world champion in the late 1970’s was an Italian, Andrea Piccaluga who, during a tour in the UK played over 400 matches, didn’t lose a single game, scored over 2000 goals and conceded just four! Italy was represented at the Subbuteo World Championships held in Tunbridge Wells last year.

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If you would like to be part of incredible things with community-minded people then we would love to hear from you. langtongreenvsociety

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local happenings

Don’t be Koi, Shaun Earlier this year specialist Koi Carp and Tropical Marine fish artist, Keith Siddle of Langton Green, was chosen to create a design for one of the Shaun the Sheep sculptures to raise awareness and money for the Heart of Kent hospice in Maidstone.

‘I was asked to produce a design based on my general style and subject matter. I submitted sketches of a Shaun the Sheep as a pond scene, with ten varieties of Koi Carp, lily pads and flowers for shoes, 5 different British Butterflies and other insects and wildlife.

The overall effect was quite abstract, so I was a little surprised (and thrilled) that it was accepted!’

Keith worked on the sculpture over a 2-month period, before Shaun’s journey to Maidstone. ‘Don’t be Koi, Shaun’ was then placed on a plinth on the walkway by the lake at Maidstone’s Mote Park for public display.

Shaun the Sheep in the Heart of Kent was an exciting free art trail that had over fifty individually decorated large Shaun the Sheep sculptures placed around the parks, town centre and river walks in Maidstone and the surrounding areas from 29 June – 30 August 2024. Each Shaun the Sheep sculpture was

Nature watch February 2025 already, so let’s look back a bit on the last year, a wet year but not cold. Butterflies generally had a poor year and moth numbers on common species were also on the low side. It was good growing weather for plants and grasses. Hopefully this year is a bit drier throughout the summer.

Now is a good time to decide what to plant in the garden to give as much benefit to wildlife as possible, to provide you with flowers and fruit and not to use pesticides if at all possible. Bank voles, though you might expect them to hibernate, stay active throughout winter. They are very active, agile animals and are frequently seen - they even visit bird tables. They eat fruit, nuts and small insects, but are particularly keen on hazelnuts and blackberries. They always look a warmer brown colour than the very similar Field vole.

If you are walking through Pocket Park in Speldhurst this month keep an eye on the nest boxes to see what birds show an interest in them for this breeding season. Blue Tits and Great Tits are most likely and will the new trees flower and bear any fruit this year.

My last moth of the year was found on the 1st of December, the

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designed and painted by local and national artists. The trail also included 55 little Shaun sculptures, each designed and painted by local schools, community organisations, charities and care homes from Maidstone and the surrounding areas. One special Shaun had been created by children who are supported by the Hospice. Little Shaun’s were located in flocks around the trail.

During the summer, the trail attracted thousands of visitors who had downloaded the app to find and collect the 109 big and small sculptures of TV duo Wallace and Gromit’s fleecy friend Shaun the Sheep. The sculptures were sited at streets, parks and public areas across Maidstone.

On Thursday 26 September 2024, all of the beautiful Shaun sculptures were auctioned in aid of the Heart of Kent Hospice. The sculptures went under the hammer at the Clive Emson Conference centre, auctioned

by Auction Partners Clive Emson Land and Property Auctioneers.

Keith’s ‘Don’t be Koi, Shaun’ was sold for £3,000 and the Shaun the Sheep in the Heart of Kent trail raised over £265,000 for the Heart of Kent Hospice charity. Sheeptastic! www.keithsiddleart.com

aptly named December Moth (pictured) and I had 5, 1 male and 4 Females. The fluffy body is dark brown, with a creamy white head.

Males are smaller than females and have feathery antennae. The picture is of a female.

As I am writing this, I have just seen on Facebook that a Humpback Whale has been seen breaching off Hastings, the world is changing and there will be winners and losers in the animal kingdom.

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local happenings

Remembering Audrey Sturley I was sorry to hear of the death of Audrey Sturley on 14th December 2024, a resident of Langton Green and former Mayor of the Borough of Tunbridge Wells. She died two weeks before her 103rd birthday.

I met Audrey in her home to interview her on the occasion of her 100th birthday in January 2022. What struck me then was her clarity about what she thought and what she wanted, and her positivity – she had no complaints! For anyone who missed it the first time around, I think the full interview with Audrey is worth your time.

was on one of the little boats that came back. It’s quite something to be commissioned in the field I expect. My first date with him was at his commissioning dinner. I got married in 1942 just before he went over to North Africa in the King’s African Rifles. We were married for seventy-five years.

You had a long and happy life together.

Oh yes, rather! I’d only known him two or three days when we were married.

What is it like to have your birthday on New Year’s Day?

That’s extraordinary.

It’s a good day to start a life!

He said to my father, as soon as he met me, he wanted to marry me, and I remember when we were walking out one day he said ‘I think we should be married, don’t you? I said I haven’t given it any thought; I don’t know you well enough. He said ‘oh I knew you as soon as I saw you and knew I wanted to marry you.’

Did you get a letter from the Queen?

I certainly did! I was sent a beautiful photograph of her – the best I’ve ever seen. Beautiful fluffy curly hair. She looked lovely.

How did you spend the day?

I had visitors and all my professional friends (from her time as a Borough Councillor) came. I was in bed and suddenly one person appeared in the room and then before I knew where I was there were half a dozen of them, so I said we had better go downstairs. Greg Clark visited too, he’s a friend and he visited me when my husband died in 2017 as well.

That’s wonderful.

Indeed, it is, and he was absolutely faithful.

It’s a great love story.

It was, really, yes. I said to him you’ll have to ask Father first, and he said okay I’ll ask him tonight and my father said I suppose I might as well say yes because you’ll get there in the end. We were married at St Augustine’s Church in Grove Park, where my parents were living. He was off to East Africa so we couldn’t wait. He was called Leonard Augustus, but he was nicknamed Bob. He stayed in the army after the war, and we went to lots of different countries together. Our three children were each born somewhere different. We came back to the UK in 1959 when Bob was posted back to Bordon in Hampshire.

Where did you grow up?

I was born in Bromley - at an early age! A little later we went to live in Orpington. Father was a grocer, but he wouldn’t have me help in the shop. Certainly not. He was very strict; we had to be on time. I belonged to a Tennis Club, and I was an athlete. I ran races at White City.

When did you move to Langton Green?

Was that before the war?

Yes, it couldn’t have been after because White City was bombed.

What were you doing when war broke out in 1939?

I was about eighteen and I worked at Boots. I had started work in the Regent Street store in the makeup salon, but the day war broke out they closed it down and sent us all out to the branches. They sent me to Catford, just outside Lewisham where I lived. I actually became their window dresser, and I enjoyed that. The joy of working in Boots was it was a very nice place to work, they treated us very well. On the cosmetics side we had to wear tailored jackets. The girls on the chemist side, well they were chemists. You might have to do both sides when they were busy, and Catford was a very busy branch - and very well bombed. The shop kept open, the bombing didn’t make any difference to us at all, we still went to work. I used to help in the air raid shelters in Lewisham at that time too. Only giving them tea and what not.

It was Christmas 1968 when we moved into this house. I was a Parish Councillor in Langton Green and a school governor. I was chair of the Parish Council. Later I stood to become a Tunbridge Wells Borough Councillor.

They rang up one evening and asked would I stand, and I said I’d think about it. I was there for fifteen years. I retired when I was seventy because I thought that was old enough, and then the person who took over from me I think was seventy-two!

You were the Mayor of Tunbridge Wells in 1992-1993?

I’m on the Civic List now. It all started for me when I joined the Women’s Institute in Langton Green. I was there for a little while and was asked to join the committee, and then I became the president and from there I was asked if I’d become a councillor. It’s a good organisation.

In Rusthall there is an Audrey Sturley Court named after you?

I remember them attacking Biggin Hill airfield too.

Yes, it is. I was chair of the housing committee, and we sat down to one committee meeting, and they asked me if I’d leave the room and while I was away, they decided to name it after me. I had another name for it, but they gave it my name.

When did you meet your husband?

Do you have any hobbies?

It was during the war in Shrewsbury, where we were both stationed. I was in the army too. We had to join up. I used to do ciphers. Decoding messages from the Germans. He had been at Dunkirk. He was commissioned in the field. I didn’t know that until I was going through his papers. He went out a sapper and came back a subaltern. He went as an engineer because he was training to be an architect. He

I like people. I’m gregarious.

I’m sure they were grateful.

I’m sure they were if they liked tea – I don’t!

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What are you most proud of?

It was all very nice, thank you!

I have had a wonderful life.

Jayne Sharratt

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local happenings

Lily’s memories of Rusthall Beacon

Holocaust Memorial Day is marked each year on 27th January, and this year marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the concentration camps.

Locally there are older residents who remember the Kindertransport children who stayed at The Beacon in Tea Garden Lane and became part of the community.

I was interested to read on the Association of Jewish Refugees Voices the memories of Lily Lampert, and I asked the Associations permission to share this story with local readers.

Lily came to England from Vienna on a Kindertransport in 1939.

“I wanted to come to England to be with my sister Gertie. I didn’t know I wasn’t going to see my parents again, because they landed up in Theresienstadt (a camp-ghetto in German occupied Czechoslovakia).

Gertie got somebody to guarantee me, because in those days you couldn’t’ just come to England. She had a hell of a job to get somebody to put £50 forward. I was always doing things. Playing with my dolls, making dolls clothes. Television stops all that, a lot of things I used to do. I brought clothes and one doll. You know, you can’t just bring things to England. It had to be a certain weight only.

When Hitler marched in, they welcomed him with open arms, didn’t they, the Viennese? That’s all l really remember. Things were hidden from me, because I was a little girl. Now all the young kids, they know everything. But in those days, anything not nice was sheltered. My parents were going to follow me. My sister tried desperately to find somebody to – for my mother to be a cook somewhere and my father, a gardener, which he'd never done his life before. But somebody had to say, ‘Yes, he can come and do my garden,’ just to get out. But war came.

The train ride was at nighttime. We left on the 13th. I always tell people 13 must be lucky for me, otherwise I wouldn’t be alive. I would be dead like the rest of my family. It was just a normal journey. I was

9. My sister met me at the station. She took me back to her place, one room somewhere. She went to Bloomsbury House. They managed to find a place in The Beacon in Rusthall. A girls’ hostel. She put me on the train, and someone met me on the other side.

I must have been quite nervous. You don’t know the language. You don’t know where you are. Terrible, but I survived. We had three lakes. It was a lovely place we lived in. Five days after I arrived someone I knew from Vienna came there, Mela.

She was thrilled to see me. We became good friends until she died.

Most of the children there were either German or Austrian, with one of two from Czechoslovakia. They discouraged us to speak German.

They wanted us to speak English. We were quite happy there. I stayed till I came to London in 1947. It was a lovely place, and they were nice to us. Most of them. We had snakes in the garden. Mainly grass snakes, apparently. But a snake is a snake, isn’t it?

I couldn’t write letters to my parents anymore under normal postage, it had to go through the Red Cross. Only a certain number of words. I had to write in an office in Tunbridge Wells. They wrote them down. All I was allowed to do is sign my name, I wasn’t allowed to even write it myself.

Send it to Vienna and my parents answered on the same bit of paper.

It's like a boarding school, only a bit rougher. No luxuries. It was quite impersonal, because the staff really, I think they did it just for money. They didn’t care for us. There was one matron we quite liked, Mrs Fisher. She was nice because she had her own daughter there.

They squashed us in, about eight in a room. It’s not nice sleeping with so many people, squashed in very close to each other. It’s hard to remember VE Day because I’ve wiped those memories out. It’s a different world.

After the war, in 1946, I got a letter from my mother. She wrote that letter in 1943 and gave it to an aunt of mine who was in the concentration camp with her. This aunt survived, went to America and she sent me the letter that my mother wrote. My father was already dead. It says she’s now all alone and would bear anything if she could just see me for a second. She must have been very, very, very low. It hurts when you read a thing like that. You should never know anything like that again happening. But it still goes on. That’s all I can tell you.”

Find out more about the AHR Refugee Voices Archive at www.ajrrefugeevoices.org.uk

Celebrate at The Hare With Spring just around the corner, it's a good time to get ahead and plan to treat the special people in your life - and what nicer setting is there than The Hare on our beautiful Green? Take a look at what's on offer at The Hare for Valentine's Day on 14th February, and Mother's Day on Sunday 30th March 2025 at www.brunningandprice.co.uk.

Why not book a table now, too?

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local happenings

Speedwatch – helping to make our village a safer place to live.

For more than fifteen years now, Speedwatch has been operating in Langton Green and the rest of Speldhurst Parish. In that time, many motorists have been reported to Kent Police Speedwatch for speeding in excess of the 30mph speed limit. Consistent offenders and serious ‘speeders’ were written to which in turn led to a fine and points on the licence.

Last year, the Speedwatch Team who operate on locations selected

by Kent Police, reported 541 motorists (that’s ten a week on average!) in Langton Green for exceeding the speed limit by more than 10%. In some cases, by considerably more than that. Particularly worrying are motorists who speed in vulnerable situations such as outside of the school, where motorists continue to ignore the speed restrictions. In one early morning session by The Hare, 26% of drivers entering our village in a 45-minute period were exceeding the speed limit by 5 mph, or more. One car in four. And a third of these were either ‘second offenders’ or a ‘fast offender’ – someone driving at 50% over the speed limit. In one case at 60 mph in a 30-mph speed limit.

Most residents are probably not aware that under the auspices of Kent Police, a band of trained volunteers turn out in their own time to operate the Speedwatch system and do make a considerable difference in reducing speed through our parish. Making it a safer place to live.

So please, consider your speed at all times when entering and leaving our village. Thank you.

Langton Green Speedwatch Team

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Thrive news for 2025 We have lots of exciting events and activities to help ‘nurture wellbeing together’ in Langton this Spring.

We are thrilled to have been successful in receiving a National Lottery Fund award, which will enable us to increase our calendar of events and encourage people to improve their emotional and physical health, in line with the NHS’s Five Ways to Well-being. These include connecting with others, learning new skills, giving to others, staying mindful and being physically active.

Our new activities include some Dance Fit sessions with Jade Dickens in February/ March. Getting moving and raising your heart rate is important, and Jade’s expert guidance will ensure you stay safe while having fun.

We are also teaming up again with qualified psychotherapist, physiotherapist and yoga teacher, Pip Tuppen, to recognise Children’s Mental Health Week (3-9 February). Pip created some fantastic workshops last year to give children the tools they need to cope with the ups and downs of life. The theme this year is “Know Yourself, Grow Yourself” and we’re excited to be working with the teachers and some of the students at Langton Green Primary to bring this to life.

We have another film offering to share with the village on the evening of Tuesday 18th March which looks at the mental well-being of our young people entitled “Our Kids, Our Lives”. The film explores the pressures children and adolescents are under and how we can help them become more mentally robust.

We will follow this up with a dedicated workshop on the evening of Tuesday 29th April, designed to give parents ideas and resource them with information that will be helpful with the challenge of raising a family.

Please check out our website (www.thrivelangton.com) for confirmation of times and locations of all our events.

While the days are still short we’re happy to huddle together in the

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warmth of both the Langton Pavilion Community Hub as well as Grace Space for our endeavours. We are so lucky to have these spaces and would like to thank both the Langton Green Village Society and All Saints’ Church for their ongoing support.

We continue to hold our monthly Art Adventures on the first Thursday of every month, where you can craft in company, or learn a new skill.

The endlessly-patient Joan Armstrong has taught us lots of art skills, from how to use watercolour to crochet and patch working.

James Marples continues to run Talk Club on the second Tuesday of every month. This supportive community encourages men to check in on their mental fitness and is a positive and vibrant resource.

We also have our community coffee mornings run by Lesley Adshead, on the second Wednesday of every month. These are open to all but offer particular support to anyone suffering with memory challenges, and respite to those who look after them. Lesley is also our head gardener at the Community Garden and is brimming with ideas - and the jobs required to support them- for the new growing season!

If you have any ideas you’d like to share, exploring how the young and old (and everyone in between) of Langton can support our well-being, we would LOVE to hear from you. Simply email hello@thrivelangton.org.

Langton Life

local property

Property watch A selection of properties in and around Langton Green currently available or recently sold - prices for guidance.

Holmewood Ridge, Langton Green. £4,000,000. An impressive detached home with seven bedrooms, 6 bathrooms, and a swimming pool.

Dornden Drive, Langton Green. £1,250,000. Detached family home with four bedrooms and four bathrooms.

Mercers, Langton Green. £1,000,000. Four bedroom detached family home in a quiet residential street.

Asher Reeds, Langton Green. £865,000. Detached four bedroom family home with potential to reconfigure and extend, with established well-presented garden.

Lampington Row, Langton Green. £600,000. Well presented three bedroom family home close to primary school, with garage and bi-fold doors to the garden.

Langton Road, Langton Green. £350,000. Two bedroom terraced home

Langton Road, Langton Green. £250,000. Well presented apartment, with two bedrooms and one bathroom.

The Grange, Langton Green. £245,000. One bedroom ground floor maisonette with a parking space.

Langton Life

15

local council

NEWS from

Speldhurst Parish Council

Speldhurst Chapel Purchase – Good News!

Out and About in Speldhurst Parish – Things to Do with Young Children

We are pleased to announce that we completed the purchase of the Speldhurst Chapel property on 3rd December 2024. At the same time, we signed a lease with Speldhurst Community Shop so that they will now have exclusive use of the chapel.

Keeping your pre-schoolers active and entertained can be a challenge at this time of the year. So, it’s fortunate there are some super places to pass the time here in Speldhurst Parish without having to go too far from home – some of which are owned and maintained by us!

The lease runs for 25 years, allowing the Community Shop to operate as a shop and post office, and provide a community hub meeting space. As part of the lease, the Community Shop will be responsible for all operating costs including council tax, utility costs, insurance and security as well as normal repair and maintenance obligations. The lease does have break clause provisions that either party can exercise including specific break options to take account of exceptional circumstances.

Speldhurst Community Shop has received planning permission to renovate and extend the chapel building at their own cost. As some of you will be aware they have raised over £400,000 to cover the cost of this work which is planned to commence towards the end of Quarter 1 2025 and to last for approximately 9 months.

To ensure these works are undertaken in accordance with the commitments that Speldhurst Community Shop has made to the parish council, a Licence for Alteration Agreement has also been signed between both parties.

Acquiring the chapel property protects an important community asset in the Parish and safeguards the long-term future of Speldhurst Community Shop and Post Office. We look forward to a successful relationship with all involved.

You can follow Speldhurst shop on Facebook; search ‘Speldhurst's Community Shop and Post Office’ to find them.

Visit www.speldhurstparishcouncil.gov.uk For Emergency Planning Advice We have updated our Community Safety & Police webpage to include information resources about how to plan for an emergency. From infectious diseases to security incidents and extreme weather conditions, it is worth looking at the guidance given by the Kent Resilience Forum to help you think about what you might need to do to keep yourself and family members safe.

And with the winter season well and truly here, the advice on floods, high winds, cold weather and snow is timely!

Look Out For… An update on the 2025-26 precept – the portion of your council tax allocated to us – and a breakdown of how it will be spent in our next article.

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If you have visited Langton Green Recreation Ground recently you may have noticed that we’ve replaced the rubber matting in the junior playground. Not only do the coloured patches brighten up a play session on a wintry day, but they are also made from extra high-impact material designed to protect little ones if they have a tumble.

A CASUAL VACANCY Has occured on Speldhurst Parish Council See Council notice boards for more information or contact the Parish Clerk Chris May on 862927 or email clerk@speldhurstparishcouncil.gov.uk www.speldhurstparishcouncil.gov.uk

Also at the recreation ground, Langton Pavilion Community Hub is open weekdays from Tuesday to Friday. Here, you can join in toddler-focused activities such as ‘Sing with Ellie’ and enjoy food and drink from The Pavilion Café. If you haven’t been yet it’s a relaxed, family-friendly setting with toys for children and excellent coffee for grown-ups. Langton Green Village Society runs the Community Hub in association with Thrive Langton.

Alternatively, if you’re looking for a nature walk that’s manageable for small legs, we also own a small ‘pocket’ of land in Roopers, Speldhurst (which we call Pocket Park). We have been carrying out a project to encourage biodiversity in Pocket Park for over 3 years now and have recently planted some Crab Apple and Rowan Trees. This little park is a lovely place to kick some leaves around in your welly boots, pick up sticks and have a look at what’s starting to grow as February turns into March.

We recently installed a notice board in the park which tells you more about what we’re doing and gives tips on encouraging biodiversity in your own garden. It also includes photos of interesting plants and wildlife to spot in the park – a nice way to start teaching your children about the natural world. You’ll find Pocket Park just across the road from Little Court Nursing Home.

Finally, a big thank you to all who lead and help at the baby and toddler groups in Langton Green and Speldhurst. With last year’s county council funding cuts which saw the closure of the Harmony Centre in Rusthall, these volunteer-led groups are more important than ever for young families living in our community.

Public Meetings – Everyone Welcome Monday 3rd February, 7.30 pm at Speldhurst Village Hall Monday 3rd March, 7.30 pm at 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

Langton Life

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Would you like to be a bellringer?

Emma Tamkin is a local resident known by many of us as ‘the foot lady’ because of her trusted, friendly and qualified at home footcare services. In the New Year she told us about her other passion, bellringing. “Tonight, as usual, the bells of St Mary’s in Speldhurst will ring out 2024 and ring in 2025. We will be ringing from around 11.30pm to 12.20am. If you are thinking of taking up a new hobby or challenge in 2025, why not try bell ringing! The only physical demand is climbing the steps. The rest is mentally stimulating, sociable, and fun and quirky.

If you’re aged 11 upwards, I’d be very happy to teach you this ancient art.

Pop in and see us on a Sunday morning or Tuesday evening when you hear us ringing or call me on 07759 476912.

Langton Life

17

local happenings

Happy 100th birthday to Dorothy

Former Langton Green resident Dorothy Goode celebrated her 100th birthday at the end of November. Born and brought up in Kilcot, Gloucester she had a rural childhood and only left during World War Two to join the ATS. After training in Wrexham, she was allocated to the Army Ordinance Service Corps based at Aqualate Park, Shropshire. Her role there was to prepare and ferry vehicles up to Liverpool docks. At the time of her demob Dorothy was acting sergeant. Marriage followed with life as a naval wife in Portsmouth, where her son Graham was born, and then on to Malta. After the Navy the family lived in Grimsby and Gloucester. In her fifties Dorothy trained as a nurse at Gloucester Hospital and then came to Rusthall as assistant matron at Middlefield, a home for the elderly.

She shared this role with her good friend Elma Piper. Over the fifteen odd years she was there Dorothy endeavoured to make it as

interesting and homely as possible for the residents and made good friends in the process. Leisure time was spent on regular trips to visit her two grandsons and holidays abroad. On retirement she came to live in Farnham Close, Langton. She helped set up and run the local branch of KARF for retired council workers. A keen gardener and crafter, she held weekly craft nights while at Middlefield and in her flat at Langton. Friends would come and try their hands at sewing, patchwork and various other handicrafts, not forgetting the homemade tea and cakes on offer. Many a person could be seen about town with one of her colourful patchwork bags. These activities only ended nine years ago when she moved to Ruislip to live with her son. Now a great-grandmother of two girls. Dorothy still retains her links with the area through her many friends.

Looking forward to the Hendy half marathon Sunday 23rd February 2025 will see the latest edition of the Hendy Tunbridge Wells Half Marathon, which sees the runners passing through Langton Green, as they head back towards town and the finish.

Please look out for the signage along Langton Road, in the run up to the event, which will advise of the Sunday morning road closures necessary for the event to take place. Full details of the route, how to enter the race and details of the Harriers activities can be found at www.twharriers.org.uk The race, which is organised by local running club, Tunbridge Wells Harriers, is manned by volunteers and is a not-for-profit event, with all surplus funds from entry fees going to local organisations and charities - last year the Langton Green Village Society and the Commons

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Conservators both benefitted, having provided a number of race day marshals. The Village Society received a four-figure donation and the Commons Conservators received an £800 donation in recognition of their help in providing race day marshals last year and they are planning on providing the same help again. The Harriers hope to be able to support local village initiatives, who support the race, again this year. The organisers also extend thanks to The Hare, who have offered the use of their toilet facilities to runners, as part of one of a number of new initiatives for this year’s race.

The patience and understanding of everyone in the village is, once again, much appreciated.

Andrew Deighton, Tunbridge Wells Harriers

Langton Life

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Langton Life

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local church News from All Saints’ Church What do you do at 8am on a Sunday? Well, many will say have a lie in but for a growing number of people in Langton Green, church is the place to be. Our informal Holy Communion or Service of the Word at 8am is a wonderful experience. We are one of the only churches in the area who have an actively growing congregation at 8am. Many families now find 8am a good time to worship because they can go and play sport or other clubs afterwards or just enjoy family time together.

In December we had a fantastic 59 people to our Cabin Worship band service, and we are planning more services with them. Build A Faith is our newest venture and great fun. We have combined a Godly Play style Bible story with building Lego style bricks, model making our stories. This is for all school aged children and is run in Gracespace, our hall attached to the church, while the 8am service is on.

For anyone who is wanting to go to a faith school the 8am services may well be a great starting place, welcoming, informal and fun. It’s a very friendly congregation who are delighted to see a new face.

We are readvertising for our new priest in charge in the spring and hope that the timing of this ad will be perfect for a vicar with a young family who might not have been able previously due to school year times. We are continuing to work closely with our sister churches St Mary’s Speldhurst and Ashurst and Groombridge, forging a positive way forward for the future.

If you would like more information do have a look at our website www.langtongreenchurch.com or join our Facebook All Saints Church – Langton Green page they are full of up-and-coming information.

Wishing you all God’s Blessings this Springtime.

Sally-Anne Gathern, Church Warden

Rainbows and Brownies news We have had a busy term at Rainbows and Brownies and enjoyed some wonderful fun along the way. From the Swiss Challenge Badge to the Celebration of 50 Years of Girlguiding Kent Weald County. We have taken part in Harvest and Remembrance Sunday activities and finished our term with a trip to Temper Temper Chocolate with help from the Village Society.

Sally-Anne Gathern (Unit Leader)

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Langton Life

VILLAGE CONTACTS Allotment Society Simon Heller 077112 24053 Brownies Sally-Ann Gathern 822261

Langton Green Village Hall

Church (admin) Sally-Ann Gathern 822261 Emma Stevens 861213

You can now book online at

Church Hall Bookings Jacqui Avery jacqui.avery@btinternet.com

www.langtongreenvillagehall.org.uk

or email us at

Friends of All Saints' Church Jenny Greenaway 01342 850727

langtongreenvillagehall@outlook.com

or call

Hospice Link / Langton Ladybirds Daphne Streeter 863753

07581 471147

Langton Green Cricket Club James Marples 07966 131471 langtongreencc@gmail.com www.langtongreen.play-cricket.com/home

www.henrypaulfunerals.co.uk

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 Ed Langridge 07711 627492 Little Saints Parent and Toddler Group, All Saints’ Church Hall Cordelia.nevill@gmail.com Mothers’ Union Penny Woodford 862562 Netball Laura Kerr-Sheppard 07718 333813

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Nursery School Nikki Lanchester 01892 862943 Painting Group Rosemary Lee - 01892 862762 Parish Clerk Katie Neve 862927 clerk@speldhurstparishcouncil.gov.uk PCSO www.mycommunityvoicekent.co.uk/ Rainbows Sunday School Sally-Ann Gathern 822261 Speldhurst Parish History Society Ed Langridge 07711 627492

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Langton Life

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Village Hall Bookings Adrian Moss www.langtongreenvillagehall.org.uk LGV committee langtonfete@gmail.com Talk Club (men’s mental health) james.marples1@btinternet.com

21

local happenings

Big change ahead for local government Late last year, the government published plans to make some big changes to the way local government is structured in its English Devolution White Paper. You may be wondering what it will mean practically for us as residents in our local area – and you won’t be alone in wondering!

It’s an evolving process – but this is what we know so far.

Elected Mayors When people talk about devolution, they mean giving some powers that currently sit in Westminster to regions through an elected Mayor.

Many regions in England already have regional Mayors, such as Greater Manchester, Birmingham and West Yorkshire, and the idea is to make sure that every region in England can benefit in the same way. Powers over net zero, transport, skills, health, local renewable energy, and retrofit funding for homes to make them more energy efficient might all go to Mayors which could attract more funding, speed up delivery and make for some innovative solutions. However, it’s an extra layer of government we’re not used to so not everyone is keen!

When will this happen? At the time of going to press the government’s priority list for the first wave of regions to go through the devolution process has not been published, but we do know that Kent County Council have asked to be on the list. By the time you read this magazine you may already know the answer! If Kent and Medway are on the priority list the Mayoral election could happen as quickly as 2026.

live in the twenty-first century and attracts a wider range of people to run to be councillors, to better represent society. What it will mean is that electoral areas get bigger, which might make it harder for people to feel a local connection to the people representing them. This means that Parish and Town Councils will likely become more important and play a bigger role in connecting residents to democracy.

When will this happen? Local government reorganisation is going to happen alongside the Mayoralty so if we find out that we are on the priority list, then this will be happening faster too, and it may mean that the Kent County Council elections due in May this year are cancelled at their own request. The argument in favour of cancelling elections is that electing councillors to a body soon to be disbanded seems wasteful. On the other hand, there are those who argue that democracy is not being served if elections are delayed too long, and voters should get their say sooner rather than later.

Who will decide?

In Kent and Medway talks are taking place between the Leaders of the twelve district and borough councils, Medway Council and Kent County Council, who put forward their proposals to government.

Incidentally, this means fourteen men and no women in the room!

While the forms local government take in the future are still being shaped, ultimately it will be voters like you who get to decide who represents you in the new councils – let’s hope that means more power to the people to make things better in their areas.

Local Government Reorganisation Separate to elected Mayors, but happening alongside, will be a reorganisation of the local government structures that will sit below the Mayoralty. That means KCC and twelve district and borough councils ceasing to exist and making way for a number of unitary councils which would combine many of the functions the previous councils were responsible for. While the exact formation of the unitary council Tunbridge Wells might be part is not decided yet, one possibility is that we would be part of a West Kent Unitary Council.

The advantages are that it should be simpler for residents to understand – if you have ever scratched your head trying to remember whether it’s the Borough or County Council who are responsible for drains, or potholes, or street cleaning or parking enforcement, then you might welcome that! There is potential for efficiencies and better value for taxpayers’ money. It’s also a chance for local government to be organised in a way that suits the way we

Day out on the Spa Valley Railway On one of the coldest days in January I went on a trip on the Spa Valley Railway. Fortunately, the day was bright and blue skied, so we saw the scenery at its best – it’s lovely to see the view of the countryside outside Tunbridge Wells and Groombridge from the train, and wave at the people walking near High Rocks and Harrison’s Rocks. We rode to Eridge on a Diesel but came back to Groombridge on a glorious steam train. After a stop off to take in the views from the recreation ground and the footpath to Groombridge Place, get some snacks from the bakers and a warming drink by the fire at the Junction Inn, we had the nice sight of the steam train coming into Groombridge Station, before riding back to Tunbridge Wells.

At the moment the Spa Valley Railway are fundraising to maintain a bridge over Broom Lane in Langton Green – if you would like to find out more or donate, have a look at their website www.spavalleyrailway.co.uk Jayne Sharratt

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