Supported by Rusthall Parish Council
local happenings
Final farewell to Post Office ladies
Front cover: Good times at Rusthall Fete. Photography by Tunbridge Wells Sea Cadets
Contact Rusthall
Life magazine!
The magazine is a celebration of life in Rusthall and is published 6 times a year. It is delivered door to door to the 2000-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 October 2024.
Advertising: Rob Mauduit advertising@rusthalllife.com
Editor: Jayne Sharratt Tel: 07532 339434 editor@rusthalllife.com
Director: Ed Langridge
Residents bid a sad goodbye to the five ladies of Rusthall Post O ce on 27th June, when the dedicated post o ce space in the store closed. It has been replaced by post o ce counters at the front of the shop, serviced by the One Stop retail sta . The new arrangements mean that the women who have worked in Rusthall Post O ce for a combined total of over 100 years no longer work there – and the loss of their knowledge, expertise and patience will be keenly felt by many in the community. On their last day Janet, Judy, Karen, Nicky and Juliette gathered as a team one last time, planning to have a rest before considering what they would do next. The many good wishes sent their way are testament to how valued these five women have been to the local community, beyond their own village. Artist Sophie Cook said, “Ladies, you are the best and quite frankly o er the best postal service I have ever known. You always have a smile and impeccable customer service. Thank you for everything, love Sophie, the poster of paintings!” A Langton Green resident said, “It was always lovely to see you interacting with the elderly, as you showed compassion and patience and clearly knew your customers. You will be missed.” At Rusthall Life we wish Janet, Judy, Karen, Nicky and Juliette all the very best for whatever they do next.
“Rusthall Roadies” ride again
On the 16th of June, three Rusthall Cyclists set o to take part in the London to Brighton Bike ride in aid of the British Heart Foundation.
The team was called “The Rusthall Roadies”, and was comprised of Richard Mackintosh, Andy Isbell and Mark Howden.
The ride, for them, started at London Bridge Station to the O cial start at Clapham Common, and from there through the London Suburbs and leafy lanes and closed roads of Surrey and Sussex to finally finish on Madeira Drive, in Brighton, having conquered Ditchling Beacon on the way.
On the route the team passed crowds of well-wishers and on arriving in Brighton were presented with medals, not to mention a well-deserved cold beer from their families who had braved the Brighton tra c to greet them at the finish.
They raised £1,203 for the British Heart Foundation, rode 60.7 miles, in four hours and forty-seven minutes, an average of 12.7mph, and reaching a maximum speed of 59.5mph descending Ditchling!
“We would like to thank everyone who sponsored us for their generosity. The ride was hard work, especially the Beacon, but we were inspired by our sponsors knowing that every turn of the pedals was raising money for a very good cause. We are doing it again next year, this time for the charity Children with Cancer and would like to invite cyclists of any ability to join us.”
For more details contact Mark on 07968 606407.
Mark Howden
Rusthall resident’s hit Beatles podcast
Rusthall Resident Chris Shaw staged his last Podcast Live from Opera Holland Park on the 6th of July.
Chris’ podcasts are called I am the Egg Pod and are themed on The Beatles. The format is usually to discuss a particular Beatles album or film with a celebrity or two as they “take a stroll through Pepper Land.”
After 100 podcasts, Chris has decided to quit on a high and to discuss ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ on its 60th Anniversary, with guests Mark Lewinsohn (The worlds leading Beatles Historian), Samira Ahmed (who recently discovered a hitherto unknown Beatles recording), actor Laurence Rickard (Ghosts, Horrible Histories etc), Stuart Maconie (BBC Radio 6 presenter of the weekend breakfast show) David Quantick (Novelist, Comedy writer and Critic) and David Janson (who acted in the original film).
At the end Chris was joined on stage by his guests from previous
Junior’s bike
Two years ago, I interviewed artist Nette Browne about the murals she had painted in the Fine Grind café in The Amelia Scott in Tunbridge Wells, and I was impressed by her creative, generous and resilient spirit. She is a resident of Langon Green, and she often volunteers her time at Playtime at St Paul’s Parent and Toddler Group. She told me about her son Junior, who was born with a rare neurological condition called Hemimegalecephaly, which has led to to severe disabilities as well as thousands of seizures since birth.
When he was born, Nette was told that her son might never walk, talk or even breathe independently, but amazingly, age six, Junior defied all odds and walked. At the age of nine he stopped using his frame to walk at school, and now walks
podcasts. Well done to Chris for creating such a popular and creative podcast - readers can listen to the archive at https://iamtheeggpod. com/page/2/
independently. “Despite his challenges, Junior is always smiling and laughing, has his mum’s adventurous spirit and determination, and anyone who meets him totally falls in love,” family friend Coco, organiser of the Tunbridge Wells Soap Box Race in Dunorlan Park, tells me.
Nette has been saving and fundraising for a bike that has been specially adapted for his disabilities for some time. The Tandem Pino, by Hase, costs £10,561 with the adaptations Junior needs. It can be extended and adapted for years and years into adulthood but has so far been out of the families reach.
What would it mean to have one, I ask?
“Riding a bike is a life experience most of us take for granted, but Junior is ten now and has never been able to do this. For a little boy who needs constant care and attention,
it would bring him some independence and adventure. It would also allow his nine-yearold sister Savannah to ride alongside him,” Nette tells me.
Coco is one of many friends who want to help Nette and her family with the fundraising for Junior’s bike. “Nette is one of the most resilient women I know,” she says of what motivated her. “She never asks for help – yet is the first to help others and has been there for me and so many of her friends without hesitation. She has lots of creativity and talent, but her biggest passion is for her three children and grandchild.”
So far, the family are still over £8000 short of their target. If you would like to support the fundraising for Junior’s bike, you can find out more by emailing Nette at lillettebrowne@hotmail.com
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Happy valley accessible to all
On 27th June the path from St Paul’s Church in Rusthall to The Beacon along the ridge of Happy Valley was reopened, after being resurfaced as an accessible route. The fundraising and project management was the combined e ort of John Barber and Tunbridge Wells and Rusthall Commons. At the opening ceremony, John Barber thanked the Tunbridge Wells Access Group, Greg Clark, Tunbridge Wells Health Improvement Team, Rev Ronnie and his church, and the Parish Council, as well as Kate Sander, who had the idea of making the path accessible for all originally. Lizzie Gripper was one of the people who cut the ribbon to formally open the path. “It has such an impact to be able to go back to a place that is so special to me and my family. No words can express the gratitude and joy I have - making the path accessible to mobility scooters and wheelchairs so that I can see the views of Happy Valley again has given me back a part of my life that I had lost.”
The fight for accessibility is by no means over, however. At the moment it is dangerous for people with mobility limitations and young children to cross the A264 to reach Happy Valley because of the speed of the tra c and the lack of a safe crossing. The path is therefore still o limits to many people who don’t have a car. For this reason, there was a protest after the opening ceremony in support
of the speed limit on this section of the A264 being reduced. If you would like to sign the petition to support the speed reduction from 40mph to 30mph you can use the QR code to take you to the petition.
Playtime parent and toddler
The Playtime at St Paul’s parent and toddler group has been continuing to flourish over the summer months. Helpers Liz, Jayne, Nette, Nikita, Lucy and Maddie along with a brilliant rota of volunteers who come in each week to do tea, co ee, cake and biscuits for everyone have kept the group open during the school summer holidays and opened it up to primary school aged siblings as well.
The group runs each Wednesday morning from 9am-11am at Rusthall St Paul’s Church Centre on the High Street near the Pharmacy. All parents or carers with pre-school aged children are welcome. The group ends just before 11 with a story and singing. As an added bonus, on some rainy Bank Holiday Mondays, Nikita Hope has organised extra sessions for primary school aged children to come and play in a bigger space than their homes, and great fun has been had by all.
September means a return to school, fresh starts, and new routines – we would love to welcome you at Playtime if you are looking after a baby or small child on Wednesday mornings, and we are always ready with a cup of tea and a warm welcome. Get in
group
touch with Jayne on 07532 339434 or Liz on 07840 837968 for more information.
A special birthday celebration
Friends and neighbours came together on 13th July to throw a birthday garden party for Ruth Appleton in her beautiful garden. Ruth has been a valued part of the Rusthall community over many years, particularly by those who took their children to parent and toddler groups where she used to volunteer, holding babies on her
knee while their parents enjoyed a peaceful cup of tea. The garden party was organised by Ruth’s friends Joy, Kate and Sophie, with flowers, cake, prosecco and delicious food. Luckily the weather was perfect, and Ruth very much enjoyed her party and loved seeing everyone together.
Winning for wildlife Earth School Play Day
In August I was lucky to visit Suzanne French at her home, where her front garden was humming with pollinators. The garden has been entered for the Tunbridge Wells in Bloom Wildlife Garden category, in which she has won medals in previous years. It’s easy to see why - every part of the space is full and thriving with wildlife attracting plants and flowers. Suzanne also took me to see her chemical free allotment, where she grows plants from seeds, rescues plants past their best, and makes everything flourish with sustainable circularity.
During the Summer holidays the Tunbridge Wells and Rusthall Commons were host to two free forest school sessions for children. Facilitated by Ruth Gray of Nature Makers, they were held at Rusthall St Paul’s Primary School’s Forest School site on Rusthall Common, and saw children able to participate in three hours of free flow activities with an environmental and nature theme. Thank you to Rusthall resident Jenni Matthews who took this fantastic photograph of the event.
The Molyneux Almshouses at Rusthall
Recruiting
New Trustees
The Molyneux Almshouses is a small charity, established in 1922, which provides social housing accommodation for people of limited financial means who have long term connections withTunbridge Wells. Our vision, as a charity, is “to provide convenient, comfortable and secure accommodation to those in need, within a friendly and supportive setting and the local community”.
Eight Trustees currently make up the Trustee Board and they are supported by a part-time Administrator who looks after the day to day administration of the Charity . A number of our current Trustees will be retiring within the next 6 to 18 months and we are looking for new Trustees to join our Board.
Our new Trustees should ideally be people from the local area who are involved with the community, prepared to take responsibility for specific aspects of the Charity’s work, can commit to regular meetings and activities, and will bring experience to compl ement the existing Trustee Board. Good people skills, the ability to communicate, and empathy, understanding and patience are essential Most importantly, they should be someone who is enthusiastic and has the time and energy to be actively involved.
The work of the Charity covers many spheres and we need a TrusteeBoard made up of people who, together, have experience, skills and backgrounds in:
• Financial Management and Accounting
• Law
• Housing Maintenance andManagement
• Project Management
• Welfare System
• Marketing and Communication
• Resident Welfare
• Charity Work
• ICT and GDPR
• Fundraising
If you think that you have what it takes to become a Trustee and want to find out more, please contact Gill Prater, Chair of the Trustees, at gill.prater@molyneux-almshouses.co.uk and ask for our Trustee Information Pack which will give you more information.
Closing date: 30th September 2024
Parish Council
News from
CORRECTION to the article in July’s edition.
Annual Meeting of the Parish Council
It should have been reported that Cllr Liz Ellicott was voted in as Vice Chair for the forthcoming year.
Recent Changes to the Council
Doug Smith retired as councillor after twenty-eight years of outstanding public service on district, town and parish councils. He has been an incredibly hard working and dedicated Rusthall parish councillor over the last eight years playing a prominent role in overseeing the parish council’s three allotment sites and fostering a superb community spirit amongst plot holders. We wish him well in his retirement.
Kevin Watson, the Allotment Manager, has decided to step down from his role. Kevin has been very professional, e ective and empathetic in his varied duties of sorting out and looking after tenants and dealing with contractors to carry out necessary works.
Policing of Rusthall.
We have a dedicated Police O cer who visits the village regularly. She is sometimes in plain clothes and sometimes in uniform, so may not always be noticed. She has asked us to reinforce that If you need to report anything to the police, please use this link. www.MyCommunityVoiceKent.co.uk Reports are monitored in real time and not ignored as urban myth would have us all believe.
‘My Community Voice’ Is also an online two-way engagement tool through which you can find out what is happening in your area, receive alerts about local o enders, and tell the police what matters to you.
Allotment BBQ/ Awards
On Saturday 6th July we were delighted to once again hold a summer BBQ and present the allotment competition winners with their certificates and prizes.
The prizes were announced by Councillor Doug Smith – Chairman of Allotment Committee and were presented by Councillor Paul Gripper –Chairman of Rusthall Parish Council.
The prizes awarded were as follows.
SOUTHWOOD ROAD ALLOTMENTS:
Winner Terry Glynn
Runner up Alison Greenfield
Best NewcomerLisa Knight
Best ScarecrowVal Wilson
SOUTHWOOD ROAD (EXTENSION)
Winner Pam Travis
Runner Up John Tapp
Best NewcomerRyan Sands
Best ScarecrowTerry Coulthard
WICKHAM GARDENS
Winner Robert Cobuz
Runner Up Sue Harte and friends
Best NewcomerSaj Rahman
Best ScarecrowSue Harte and friends
Well done and congratulations to all concerned!
Vacancies
Parish Councillor: Vacancy to be filled by co-option.
Being a councillor is all about giving back to your community by bringing your energy, passion, and hard-working attitude. You can make a real di erence to the local community and wider society in many ways as a councillor. For example, you could be representing the views of local people to ensure the community gets the right services, supporting a resident with an issue, or helping to shape the community by driving new ideas.
Being a councillor is a varied and highly fulfilling role. You don’t need any experience or special qualifications, and you’ll gain lots of new skills, experience, knowledge, and confidence.
If you would like to be considered for co-option, please complete the Cooption Application Form ensuring that you have confirmed your eligibility for co-option as a parish councillor in Rusthall. Once complete, please return the form to Mrs Claire Reed, Clerk to Rusthall Parish Council, via email: clerk@rusthallparishcouncil.org.uk or by post to: The Rackli Centre, 26 Lower Green Road, Rusthall, TN4 8TE.
Closing date for applications will be NOON on Friday 13th September 2024
Co-option will take place at the meeting of the council due to be held on Monday 14th October 2024.
Allotment Manager: - for more information please contact The Clerk clerk@rusthallparishcouncil.org.uk
Dates for your diary:-
a. Full Council Meeting 9th September 2024
b. Environment Committee meeting16th September 2024
c. Allotment Committee meeting23rd September 2024 TBC d. Full Council Meeting 14th October 2024
For more details about the Parish Council and the many Clubs and Associations in the village please have a look on our website https://www.rusthallparishcouncil.org.uk
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First Rusthall Scarecrow Trail coming soon
You asked, and we are excited to announce that the first Rusthall Scarecrow trail will be happening between 19th October and the 2nd November. If you would like to register a scarecrow, please use this link https://forms. gle/JGrpxpV7eqxQC5xc6, and complete the form before the 14th October, or email rusthallbonfirefetegroup@gmail.com to be sent the link to the form.
Trail maps will be available from Community Co ee on the 19th October at the URC Hall on Manor Road, or look out for posters around the village with information about more places to get the map.
Rusthall Bonfire and Fete Committee
The Black and White Shop, Groombridge Hill, Groombridge, TN3 9QH
local happenings
Good times at Rusthall Fete
The weather was kind at Rusthall Fete, gifting an afternoon of sunshine on Saturday 29th June – other nearby villages were not so lucky on the dates they picked! The day was a huge success and great credit to the Bonfire and Fete Committee who put so much work into organising it.
Highlights included stalls, entertainment, cakes, and a beer tent. I have to give a mention to the candy floss stall, where Rebecca Leach and I turned out 170 candy flosses, certainly a new skill to add to our CVs! Judging by all the happy smiley faces who passed by our stall,
there was plenty of fun at Rusthall Fete.
Taking part were the Tunbridge Wells town crier and the Royal Marines Tunbridge Wells Cadet band, who also take part in the torchlight procession that marks the bonfire in October.
Chair of the committee Lisa Coghlan said, “Days like yesterday remind all of us why we do what we do…. Rusthall rocks again! Thank you to all of our volunteers that made the event happen and thank you to all of the community who came out and made the fete what it was yesterday. We hope you all had a fab time.”
local happenings
Farewell to the class of 2024
Rusthall St Paul’s School bade farewell to Year 6 pupils who are moving onto secondary school this September. They will be much missed by their teachers and fellow pupils in the other years, but they are excited about the new opportunities, lessons and activities secondary school will bring.
Before leaving, they put on a brilliant production of Grease, the musical, full of catchy songs we all know. Michael Harrison, who played Danny, said, “I really enjoyed it and can’t believe I actually sang a solo.”
His mum told us, “He was really proud of himself.” Flora Moodley, who played Jan, said, “I just really liked acting. I loved the thrill of learning a bit more each time we practiced, and it getting better each time.”
Classmate Jack said, “I really enjoyed taking part in Grease, especially wearing the leather jacket and slicking my hair back to look cool!” They all did so well and deserve to be proud of themselves. At Rusthall Life we send all children starting a new school this month the very best of good wishes.
• PITCHED ROOFING
• FLAT ROOFING
• NEW ROOFS
• LEAD WORK
• CHIMNEY WORK
• DRONE SURVEYS
• FULLY INSURED
• GUTTER VACUMMING
• FASCIAS, SOFFITS & GUTTERING
• PROFESSIONAL ROOF CLEANING
A tribute to Paul Goldsmith
It was with great sadness that we heard of the death of Paul Goldsmith in July. He was a great friend of our community, and his loss will be felt deeply by many. We are grateful to his wife Elaine, who shared some details of his life with us. Paul moved to Rusthall in the late 1980s, and soon became a member of Rusthall Working Men’s Club. As a new supporter of the Working Men’s Club Football team he made a rude gesture towards the ref and the team lost a point. Paul wrote a letter of apology to the Working Men’s Club Football Team and was invited to be their Secretary.. He had a lifelong love of football along with many other sports and played a couple of times for the Rusthall Veterans side.
The 1990s saw him taking on the role of Father Christmas at Manor Road Pre-school, attending Christmas parties and Christmas Co ee Mornings. As he grew older, he discovered a love of allotments, and on and o became a dedicated allotmenteer. He attended all the meetings. He had his current allotment for about four years, and when he first took it over, it was totally overgrown with fruit trees and brambles. It wasn’t long before it was totally transformed, however, described as ‘a little piece of heaven’ by an allotment judge, and winning Gold and Best Allotment over a couple of years in Tunbridge Wells in Bloom.
“He keeps Bantam hens, his pride and joy. He was one the founders of the allotment community plot where he was the instigator of sociable curry evenings and barbeques,” Elaine told us. “I think you could ask any of his fellow allotmenteers and they would describe him as having a very dry sense of humour but always willing to lend a hand, helping to put up a shed, sharing plants or giving advice. He enjoyed a chinwag and a cup of tea or diet coke providing it didn’t hinder his gardening chores.”
He started following Rusthall FC about three years ago. He had plenty of banter and wasn’t shy about sharing his advice with the ref. A few weeks ago, he could be found helping to prepare the stands and signage for this season.
He was a keen bus spotter and a keen model bus maker often buying old models from ebay to strip them down and repaint. He has won the Area Federation Model Bus Shield in the past. In the winter he’d spend his Saturday riding buses around London or Brighton with a small group of friends he named The Jolly Boys, that was until the football season started.
Paul loved to make and upcycle things; chicken coops, a table for his allotment, hedgehog hotel, bird houses and tables, bug hotels. He was never happier than when he was outside in nature.
Neighbour, friend and fellow allotmenteer Suzanne French told us, “I knew him for twenty-six years. He turned a wilderness into a haven on his allotment.” At the time of talking to her she was busy looking after Paul’s hens alongside her own and keeping up his allotment - clearly a labour of love both on her own behalf and as a tribute to Paul. “For me, being on the allotment is good for my mental health, it has always relaxed me,” she says. Paul is much missed, by her and everyone else on the allotments. “He was the first person to do anything,” she explains. “He cut the communal grass ready for a communal BBQ a few days before he died. He would give you a bit of advice, and if you mentioned wanting something grown or built, the next time you came back it would be done. He’d make no song or dance about it, he just did it. He built lots of things for me – he was building me a hen house for my chicks. He liked a project, and he liked to reuse things rather than buy new. There was an old box of hinges, and he said oh yes, I’ll use them and soaked them in oil.” Suzanne took me to visit Paul’s allotment, where the bird feeders are still filled by another allotment holder, and Paul’s list of birds spotted are chalked on his shed, and then her own nearby where she introduced me to Paul’s Bantams. “Everywhere you look, Paul is here,” she says. “He helped me build a log store, the base of a shed, planted flowers from seed. He was a good mate.”
Cllr Paul Gripper, Chair of the Parish Council said, “Paul was a top man – a very dry sense of humour and always up for some leg pulling. He supported all things Rusthall and was a staunch supporter of the Rustics, but perhaps his most significant legacy was his contribution to the allotment community over a number of decadesknowledgeable, kind, always willing to go above and beyond to help other plot holders- a lovely man who was so highly thought of by so many in the village and a great loss.”
Rusthall Guide Group etc. Daphne Pilcher 01892 521691
Allotments
Allotments Manager – Vacant allotments@rusthallparishcouncil.org.uk
Bonfire, Fete and Community Coffee lisatoes@yahoo.co.uk
ParishChair
Paul Gripper
Paul.gripper@rusthallparishcouncil.org.uk
Parish Clerk
Claire Reed 01892 520161 / 07398 715468 clerk@rusthallparishcouncil.org.uk
Manor Road Pre-School 07972 739852
St Paul’s Church Parish Office 01892 521447
Rusthall United Reformed Church Church Secretary – Mary Nolze 01892 536727
Rusthall and Tunbridge Wells Commons Ranger Daniel Colborne 07860 750597
The Molyneux Almshouses info@molyneux-almshouses.co.uk 07504 839548
Rusthall Football Club Jockey Farm 07897427522
Rusthall St Paul’s School 01892 520582 office@rusthall-cep.kent.sch.uk
Rusthall Scout Group Beavers, cubs and scouts rusthallscoutgroupwaitinglist@yahoo.co.uk
Rusthall Medical Centre 01892 515142 Out of hours medical service 111 Emergency Services 999 Samaritans 116 123
Commons Conservators 01892 554250 Police (Non-emergency) 101 Rusthall Cinema Club
Eugene Gardner eugene@Rusthallcinema.club
Rusthall Lunch Club Mrs Ros Rodwell 01892 618538
Harmony Children’s Centre 03000 418059
tunbridgewellscc@kent.gov.uk
Sunnyside Pre-school 07534 810779
Rusthall Library rusthalllibrary@kent.gov.uk
If you represent a community service or organisation that you would like to be listed here, please email the name of the organisation, a contact name and either telephone number or email address to rusthalllife@gmail.com
local church
News from Rusthall St Paul’s Parish Church
Warm greeting to you all. I hope that you’ve been able to have some time of rest and relaxation. Unfortunately, I have been rather busy, with one thing and the other, and hardly watched Wimbledon or the Olympics to rest and relax. I should, however, be able to watch them on IPlayer.
We have been busy in the Church as we continue to plan and prepare for the year-long celebration of the 175th anniversary of the Parish Church. We were recently treated to a musical extravaganza by members of the junior choir at the Parish in their Junior Choir Concert. This concert was the culmination of their annual weeklong Junior Choir Camp organised by Fiona, the Choir leader, and her team. One of the renditions and performances was Hard-Knock Life from Annie, the 1982 Musical. Needless to state that they sang and performed it beautifully, but I couldn’t help but reflect on the lyrics. Yes, I know that it is a musical and intended to inject fun and humour but the lyrics of this song are stating the reality for so many people. For so many people, it is easier for them to ‘throw the towel in’ than ‘puttin’ up a fight’. In some communities around the UK, we recently saw what happens when people become very disgruntled and feel unheard or listened to: they choose a di erent, divisive and destructive mode of communication – violence.
As a community, we need to make every member feel and believe that it matters if they ‘grow’ or ‘shrink’. We need to inject hope and a sense of oneness and belonging through our interactions. I experienced this first hand when I was attempting to clear some greenery at the church Centre, in time for the Community Larder. Many people spoke words of encouragement as they went past and a few people stopped and gave me a hand – and someone quietly took the remaining bags of greenery to the recycling centre. A big thank-you to everyone who helped. I really appreciated it. Your assistance made the saying ‘many hands make light work’ come true. For me, this was a clear demonstration of what a healthy community looks like: everyone is willing to contribute - overtly or covertly, in word or deed to promote and bring about a positive outcome. Long may it continue.
In my previous letter, I stated that we were soon to have the bees in the church yard. They were delivered and are busy getting to know their new environment and making themselves comfortable.
Rev Ronnie
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St Paul’s Church Choir sings in St Paul’s Cathedral
On the weekend of 3rd and 4th August, Rusthall St Paul’s Church Choir made a special trip to St Paul’s Cathedral to sing in the services. Those singing included Junior Choir members from Year 5 and older, alongside adult choir members. On the Saturday they sang Evensong at 5pm including Dyson in D, and O Thou, the Central Orb, and on Sunday they sang at the Eucharist service in the morning, followed by another Evensong, this time featuring Stanford in A. “We have all had a fabulous time and hope to visit again soon!”
There was no rest for Choir leader Fiona Johnson and her team of wonderful volunteers – on Monday 5th August Choir Camp week began. The children of Junior Choir spent the full week at the church practicing singing alongside other fun activities, including Olympic themed competitive sports, and a trip to Hever Castle where everyone enjoyed the water maze. “I’ve had the best day ever, I can’t wait to come again tomorrow,” said one young chorister at the end of the first day. Well done to all involved – we are very lucky to have this choir in the community.
‘Follow the sun for a brighter smile’
