Hardres And Stelling News June 2020

Sussex Cattle on Common

Contents Page Introduction ...... 2 Church news ...... 3 Parish Priests’ Message ...... 3 News from Church ...... 4 Celebration of Life ...... 5 St Mary’s Stelling ...... 5 Parish Visits ...... 6 County Council ...... 7 Kent Together ...... 8 Upper Hardres Parish Council ...... 9 Stelling Minnis Parish Council ...... 10 Stelling Minnis Email Communication & Updates ...... 11 Stelling Minnis Stores ...... 12 Minnis Managers ...... 13 Helen The Vet says ...... 13 Farmers Notebook June 2020 ...... 15 Baillie’s Literature Quiz ...... 16

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Weather Report for Area ...... 17 Local help in & Hythe during Covid19 pandemic ...... 17 Support from City Council ...... 18 War Time Memories ...... 18 Baillie’s Literature Quiz - Answers ...... 19 Walk Church In The Pandemic ...... 20 Lord Whisky Tea Room & Low Cost Vets ...... 21 Out And About ...... 22 Friendly Singing Group ...... 22 A Question For Children ...... 23 Deadline and Disclaimer ...... 23 And Finally ...... 24

Introduction

During the Coronavirus restrictions the decision had to be made to cease distribution of hard copies of the Hardres and Stelling News and switch to a downloadable PDF file version to protect readers, distributors and the staff in Stelling Minnis Stores from any possible infection from contamination. Unfortunately this won’t catch all readers, but is the best that the team could offer under these difficult circumstances.

Unused subscription months will be credited when the annual subscription charges are levied in January 2021. The same applies to our loyal advertisers, without whom there just would not have been a magazine.

Please keep a copy of an earlier magazine for contact phone numbers and trades you may wish to employ. The adverts will not be printed in these “on-line” magazines to avoid any personal information protection complications as advertisers have not given specific permission for their details to be made available in that way. Article contributors have been asked not to include any information that they would not want to be made available on the public internet domain.

The cover photo was taken by John Haffenden. There is a web page on the Stelling Minnis web site (www.stelling-minnis.co.uk) which shows which of the 5 areas the cattle are currently grazing.

Upper Hardres Parish Council has very kindly made a grant of £250 towards the running costs of the printed version of the magazine – when the magazine distributors feel it safe to resume their voluntary work, then production of the printed magazine will resume. Increases in costs will, unfortunately, mean a small increase in both subscriptions and advertising costs. The UHPC grant (a similar request was made of Stelling Minnis Parish Council, but not yet decided) will reduce the anticipated increase – full details will be published in the autumn and of course a discount will be given to both subscription and advertisement renewals to take account of the months that the printed version the magazine has not been published.

Stay Alert – Control The Virus - save lives.

Follow Government instructions so that the Country can fight the virus in the best possible way.

Keep Safe

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Church news

Parish Priests’ Message

Dear Friends,

As the lockdown is partially relaxed and we are reminded again and again of the need for social distancing we’re probably sick and tired of being reminded that we live in uncertain and difficult times.

Of course, it’s been a difficult time for all of us, but even so it’s a blessing that we live in an area where we can enjoy all the signs of spring. The sky is so blue and the night sky filled with stars as we hear the song of the birds without so much of the background traffic noise.

I dread to think how so many people in our cities are coping in high rise flats and bedsits.

And yet, there are the Psalms of the Bible that speak of the beauty of creation. Psalm 8 invites us to consider the heavens; the moon and the stars as part of God’s creation, and speak of the majesty of a creator who cares about what happens to his creation. On the other hand there are those psalms that come from a place of darkness, as a desperate cry out to God in times of great distress and helplessness,

Answer me when I call to you, my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; have mercy on me and hear my prayer Psalm 4

And those words from Psalm 42 that Jesus cried out in agony on the cross ‘My God, why have you forsaken me’

But through it all, the Psalms encourage us to look to God as our help, whatever the situation or our feelings.

Psalm 42 ends, Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Saviour and my God.

Throughout history there have been times of plague, war, famine and much uncertainty. This is the reality of many people’s lives. God doesn’t wrap us up in cotton wool and make everything nice in an unreal fairyland sort of way, but he promises to be with us in all things and all times.

As Christians we remember Jesus didn’t promise his followers an easy ride. We follow the man who died on a cross.

But beyond the cross we see resurrection and the demonstration of God’s power of love, even over death.

Even in the worst of times, God can bring good to us.

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This is not to make light of the pain and suffering so many are going through right now, but we have also seen care and comfort, courage and conviction in so many people’s lives as, although we are apart, we work together for the good of all.

Please pray for those who have lost love ones, for those who are vulnerable and for those who are working often at risk to themselves, for the good of all, and that God will bring us through this to a new understanding of our need for Him and our need for each other.

May God bless you, keep you in good health and in good spirits and grant us patience and courage in Jesus name.

Phil

Holy Communion online every Sunday. Phone Rev Phil on 01227 730141 for further details or if you need support.

News from Upper Hardres Church

First of all I hope that you are well and are continuing to cope at this difficult time. I know that this might sound repetitive but just to confirm that although the church doors are closed the Christian spirit lives on and as a result of this we have established a wide network of support which is available to the whole community. Thank you to everyone involved in this. If you need any help or just a friendly phone call please telephone Angela on 01227 700700 or Anne on 01227 709312.

As far as use of the church is concerned we have had some relatively good news. We are now able to appoint one designated person who is entitled to enter the church building. As Angela has been carrying out a weekly inspection under the terms of our insurance she is willing to be this designated person and to pray in church especially for this community, at the same time continuing to check the fabric of the building. Very many thanks to Angela for undertaking this on behalf of the PCC. It is such a blessing that the building work was completed before these restrictions came into place.

We all send our condolences to the Family of Mrs Pat Mountain who lived in Upper Hardres. Her husband’s ashes are buried in our Garden of Remembrance.

Phil has now officially retired although we are delighted he had been granted Permission to Officiate throughout our benefice. On the 6th May the Churchwardens of , Stelling and Upper Hardres attended a Zoom meeting with the Archdeacon of Canterbury. The vacancy for our three churches will be advertised at the end of July by which time hopefully some of the current restrictions will have been lifted.

We had planned to hold a celebration of VE Day on Sunday the 3rd May but sadly this was not to be, however we are delighted that Evelyn and Peter Crouch put pen to paper and have written their individual fascinating memories which are published in this online News on page 18. Maybe the VE Day celebrations brought back memories to more of you and we would very much like to receive these and use them later in the year. They do not have to be local memories, just wherever you were at that time.

Many people are joining the Zoom services organised by Phil but for anyone who does not use a computer Angela will print off and post prayers and service sheets - please pass this on. As well as

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the two Zoom services Phil is offering online, some members of the congregation are praying each day at 1pm - on their own but knowing they are not alone.

Finally I am often asked if I have heard from Lynne and Jeff. Lynne and I recently had a long chat and they are both well. Lynne is helping out at the five churches in her Benefice where they have five Zoom services each week, Lynne takes her turn to preach and says that, like ours, these services are very popular. Jeff is well and I gather still producing delicious meals. I felt quite envious as while Lynne and I were speaking he was putting the finishing touches to a Sunday Roast! They send their best wishes to everyone.

Anne Barlow, Churchwarden 01227 709312.

Celebration of Life

After the crisis Upper Hardres and Stelling Churches will be happy to offer a Celebration of Life service to any Family which has lost a loved one during this time. We hope it will help the family to plan the celebration together with us whilst they are grieving and will provide some comfort. Please contact Angela on 01227 700700 if you would like to know more.

Anne Barlow, Churchwarden 01227 709312,

St Mary’s Stelling

First of all I hope that everyone is keeping healthy. We live in not only a beautiful area but one that has had very few cases of Covid-19. Most people are respecting the 2 metre recommended distance and we are getting very used to chatting with others across the road. All of us need some sort of contact and I do hope that you are remembering those who live alone and are less mobile and can’t get out to have a chat.

One thing that is very evident during the lockdown is the friendliness and helpfulness of not only family and friends but others. This was very evident in the spontaneous celebrations of VE Day. I do hope this continues and we don’t immediately start rushing about and forgetting the lovely, if spaced, contacts we have are enjoying.

Although our Priest Phil was supposed to be retired at the end of April, he continues to organise things during lock-down running the excellent ZOOM virtual church services, which are great at keeping our communities together. If you would like to check them out and join in, please contact Phil on [email protected] for the link which he sends out for each service.

St. Mary’s is still locked up but I understand that Colin with some assistance is keeping part of the grass under control and as Ros Browne put it “no plans for haymaking yet”. I’m sure that the wildlife will be enjoying and making the most of the extra peace and quiet of the churchyards.

Home Group

The Home Group, led by Julia and Geoff Wright, has stayed together since the beginning of the lock- down by means of e-mail, phone calls and Zoom meetings. The group is focusing on our Christian

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hope and is actively offering prayer, support and encouragement. If you would like to be part of this, please contact Julia or Geoff on 01227 709635.

Walk Church

Walk Church is a great way to experience God by walking in our beautiful local countryside – a chance to explore questions of faith, including how faith can help us better value our natural world. Walk Church is currently suspended due to the lock-down, and Geoff and Julia will look to re- commence the walks as soon as possible.

Church Roof Repairs

The essential roof repairs are now fully completed, and Stelling Church is again water-tight. The roof repairs were wide-ranging, and included replacement of the defective barge-boarding at the east end of the nave roof, replacement of roof tiles across both elevations of the nave roof, tile fillet replacement adjacent to the tower and the north wall, various re-pointing, and repair of the leaded valley sections. The total cost of repairs amounted to £7,814, of which £6,244 was provided by grant awards, and the balance of £1,570 from Stelling Church funds. We are very grateful to the Friends of Kent Churches who awarded a generous grant of £5,000 towards the cost. We give thanks to God for His provision.

We have had wonderfully warm and sunny days and now some much needed rain and the growth rate in the fields and gardens will be taking off. When picking fruit and vegetables, please remember to make some jam or chutney to sell at church when it is once again allowed to open. I managed to purchase some super strawberries at a great price and the first of this seasons jam has been made.

One of these days, I look forward to the Pop in Breakfasts restarting, the smell of bacon and eggs and seeing everyone’s smiling face again. I’m sure Nick Smith will be putting something on the website as soon as lock-down eases.

It will be lovely to be back at church, meet with friends again and see how the churchyards have enjoyed much of spring without us…..hopefully in the not too distant future.

If you would like a chat or need contact, please call our Churchwardens

Ros Browne – 01227 709263 Pam Burgess – 01227 709418 or for a visit, Angela Hirst on 01227 700700

Take care,

Ros Shefford

Parish Visits

If anyone in the villages of Stelling Minnis, Bossingham or Upper Hardres would welcome a visitor from either Stelling or Upper Hardres churches please call Angela Hirst on 01227 700700. Also if

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anyone would like help getting to one of our churches or to any events please call us to see if a lift can be arranged.

Kent County Council

It has been a very intense time at the County Council as with our responsibility for the most vulnerable in Kent we have had to adapt services at top speed so they can still be delivered safely. This has meant KCC has become a massive buyer and distributor of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) to our own staff, our partners and the NHS. Between 3rd and 23rd April, we had supplied over 1.4 million pieces of PPE in over 700 separate deliveries – all of it essential to support the safe provision of services.

KCC has also continued with road repairs and resurfacing projects, the call centre has remained open and we have set up Kent Together which acts as a ‘catch all’ contact point for people needing help. Between the launch of Kent Together on 1st April to midnight on 25th April there have been 4,293 requests for help which are then referred to the community hubs funded from the District Councils and run by them, charities and volunteers. It has been remarkable and cheering to see how many people want to help others.

As Cabinet Member for Environment at KCC I’ve been working with the officers and my cabinet colleagues on the Covid-19 response including such things as an emergency mortuary which we hope will not be needed. Waste management falls in my area of responsibility and, whilst it’s been good to see how appreciated the bin men have been, they could not do their work without the KCC staff who receive the recyclables and residual waste. KCC has given priority to this work and with sickness and self-isolation reducing numbers we have reinforced some of the district workforce to help with kerbside collections. (This was not needed in Folkestone & Hythe but some parts of Kent have suffered sickness levels of up to 85 %.). Editor’s note: Since Susan wrote this piece the household waste sites have re-opened; full details of the booking system and restrictions are on the Kent County Council web site – www.kent.gov.uk

The libraries remain closed but you can still join the library online and borrow e-books and magazines. Schools are open for the children of key workers. Council offices are closed but all our office-based staff are able to work remotely. Our Brexit contingency plans meant we were prepared for some of the disruption that has happened.

So much changes day by day that it’s always best to check the website for the latest news and www.kent.gov.uk brings together a lot of useful information which is regularly updated.

Some people are chafing at the current restrictions on normal life and we should not underestimate either the human suffering or the damage to our economy that the lockdown brings. However, it is still the case that by staying at home we can all help stop the spread of the virus. Please keep supporting one another whether directly or through a friendly phone call and stay safe.

Susan Carey – Kent County Council Member – Elham Valley

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Kent Together

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Upper Hardres Parish Council

Online meetings

We held our first online meeting via Zoom on 12th May and it was a great success. We were joined on screen by CCC Cllr Robert Thomas and three members of the public.

Our next meeting on 14th July will also be held online. An Agenda will be published a week before, and anyone wishing to attend is invited to contact the Clerk for log-in details.

Vacancy for a Parish Councillor

Janice Rosen resigned as Councillor on 12th May and Councillors wish to thank Janice for her long service on the Parish Council and the Bossingham Village Hall Management Committee.

In normal circumstances, a notice of vacancy for a Parish Councillor would be issued straight away by Canterbury City Council, but this is delayed at present. Once the notice is published, any candidates will have 14 days to express their interest in becoming a Parish Councillor to CCC.

Planning applications

There have been inevitable delays at CCC in assessing planning applications, but we are assured the back-log will begin to be cleared shortly.

Bossingham Playing Field

Following the government announcement on 10th May of some easing of the lockdown, the playing field must remain closed for now. We look forward to further announcements and will reopen the field as soon as it is considered safe to do so.

Defibrillator

The Upper Hardres defibrillator is located in the lobby at the side of Bossingham Village Hall. Clear signs will be fitted when it is safe to do so.

Upper Hardres PC Newsletter

In the absence of an Annual Parish Meeting this year, we are preparing a Newsletter to review events of the past year and present the annual accounts. This will be available to view on the website and will be emailed to parishioners on our Email List.

Join our Email List

In order to be kept in touch with useful local and county information from CCC and KCC, and to be informed of planning applications and parish council meeting Agendas and Minutes, we invite those of you who haven't already done so to register for our Email List. Electronic communication is more important than ever in these lockdown times and we don't want anyone to miss out on information.

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To join the list, please contact Clare.

UHPC website upperhardrespc.co.uk

The new website is updated regularly with Health & Safety information under the Community tab, and with local planning applications, Agendas and Minutes.

Do have a look at the local photographs supplied by parishioners at the bottom of the Home page.

Next meeting

As mentioned above, the next meeting will be on Tuesday 14th July, online via Zoom.

Stay safe everyone.

Paul Gordon Chairman [email protected] Clare Hamilton Clerk & RFO [email protected] 01303 257321 upperhardrespc.co.uk

Stelling Minnis Parish Council

Parish Council Meetings:

All parish council meetings are suspended until further notice. Councillors continue to communicate via email and phone to keep business as normal as possible.

We are currently checking new regulations on holding parish council meetings online.

The Annual Meeting of the Parish Council has been deferred until May 2021, which means that there will be no change in Chairman or other offices held by members.

The Annual Parish Meeting has also been cancelled for this year. The Chairman’s report for 2019/20 will be published on the website.

General Health of Stelling Minnis Village:

During this very anxious period four volunteers have taken upon themselves to collect grocery orders from the village shop and deliver them around the village plus Bodsham, Upper Hardres and . This service has been gratefully received by the householders and it is a pleasure to be ‘useful’.

Kent Together:

03000 41 92 92 Is a 24 hour helpline set up to support vulnerable people in Kent who need urgent help, supplies or medications.

It provides a single, convenient point of contact for anyone in the county who is in urgent need of help during the Coronavirus outbreak. It is collaboration between KCC, central Government, District,

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Borough and local councils, the voluntary and community sector, the NHS, emergency services and other partners to ensure help is at hand for vulnerable people.

It is also the place to report your concerns about the welfare of someone else.

New app for carers:

On the 11th May the Help to Care app was launched, the app aims to support carers and care workers to look after the health and wellbeing of themselves and the people they care for: The KCC press release is here: https://kccmediahub.net/nhs-and-social-care-launch-app-to-support-people-who-care-for- others745

Report a problem on a road or pavement: https://www.kent.gov.uk/roads-and-travel/report-a-problem You can report non-urgent issues online including: street light faults; potholes; drainage; traffic signal faults; overgrown vegetation (including hedges and grass).

Please use this service as any problems reported are automatically logged for the attention of the Highways Steward. You will be given an incident number and you can log in again to see the progress.

Highways Updates:

Please make sure to check the noticeboard and the website for the latest updates on road closures that may affect Stelling Minnis. https://www.stelling-minnis.co.uk/sm-council.htm

Robert J Hubble – Chairman 01227 709315 e-mail: [email protected] Irene Bowie – Clerk/RFO E-mail: [email protected]

Stelling Minnis Email Communication & Updates

Looking to the future, the Parish Council would like to keep in contact with you by email so that we can send out any urgent information during this virus pandemic. Looking ahead we can keep you posted on important notices, meetings and social events in and around the village. This method of communication is now becoming very popular in many other Parishes Councils.

The Parish Council have secured a dedicated email address for this purpose. Please email the address below if you wish to be added to our mailing list.

To sign-up for Stelling Minnis Parish Council mailing list please email; [email protected]

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A heartfelt message from Stelling Minnis Parish Council and the residents of the village

Stelling Minnis Stores

Dear all

On behalf of everyone at Stelling Minnis Stores, we would like to thank the whole community for making our place as accessible and safe as can be, by following the government guidance and our temporary store rules.

Recently, there has been a shortage in flour and in order to help resolve this matter, we would like to introduce a method that will meet the people’s needs. By bringing your own container into the store, we will then serve the flour into your container on a price-per-kg basis.

During this difficult time, we would like to shed light on a generous member of our village for hand- making countless cloth masks for everyone. We are greatly moved by this individual’s selfless action, who prefers to remain unnamed. Their thoughtfulness has been recognised and we are all truly grateful for their efforts.

Xinjang and Sijia

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Minnis Managers

We are enjoying some beautiful sunny days, even though sometimes the wind is keen and chilly. The Minnis looks at its spring best, with a whole range colours, dominated by the fresh greens of new growth.

In these unusual times that we live in we are so lucky to have the Common on our doorstep. A perfect place to take exercise and maintain the required social distancing. For some it is the first time that they have walked on the Minnis and used local footpaths…

Now that the ground has dried out – it is easy to forget how horribly wet the winter was – there are still areas which need clearing up from the last FOSM work parties. As soon as the guidance allows the last of the brushwood will be cleared up. This is mainly in the area of Butts Farm along Pony Cart Lane, but there are smaller piles nearer Minnis End. Once burnt and tided up we will then endeavour to level out the ruts around the bonfires.

The cattle have been back on the Minnis for a couple of weeks and are already munching their way through the second compartment. There are five adult cows and three calves. The plan is to keep them in each area for about a week before moving them on.

The first area grazed was the north eastern compartment. The grazing lines adjacent to the invisible fence are very apparent. Before the next rotation we intend to re-route the fence to get more of the grass grazed. Pretty much all the way along Bossingham road the fence is 20 or so metres from the roadside. As with the compartment to the east of Bossingham road, the “trial area”, the intention is to move the fence to the roadside.

Both the and Natural are very keen to extend the area grazed by the cattle. If time allows, an additional area to the south of the existing compartments will be created. This new grazing area would run along the Bossingham road, around Richard Baker’s house, up to Minnis Lane and then cut back north from opposite Nutshell. This would then leave one final area to be brought in to the invisible fencing at a future date. There is no intention to increase the number of cattle from that of the last few years, but it will allow more of the Minnis to be managed by grazing and continue the practice of “little and often” light grazing.

On a different note… Not only are we fortunate to have the Minnis for our air and exercise, we are also very lucky to have such a fantastic village shop. It has remained open throughout the current health crisis and been very well stocked with pretty much everything that we have required including a fine selection of fresh vegetables. The Rose and Crown, too, despite having to remain closed is doing a great trade in take away meals, Thursdays-Fish and Chips, Saturday-Curries and Sunday lunches (all by prior order). Well done both and everyone else doing their bit.

John Haffenden

Helen The Vet says

Remote consultations

All of our daily lives have certainly changed out of all recognition over the last few months. There can’t be many occupations where little has had to be adjusted and it still remains to be seen what our new long term normality will look like. In most developed

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countries, technology has been both a boon and a burden in dealing with this pandemic compared to any others in the past.

As someone who is still ‘shielding’, working from home, conducting telephone consultations has meant that I have been able to provide some services to my patients and help reduce the numbers of patients travelling to the practice and the infection risk to their owners and my colleagues which this brings.

Remote consulting by video or telephone was in its infancy before the pandemic. Many issues and concerns to do with subjects such as safety (of patients, owners, drug use etc.), duty and standards of care to name but a few, were yet to be ironed out. Some of the standards which we have to work by are difficult or impossible to comply with remotely. For example, in normal times it could be a disciplinary matter if you were found to have dispensed prescription medicines to an animal you had not seen or examined. In these extraordinary times, the Royal College has temporarily relaxed some of the regulations but we have to justify each time why we have breached the Code of Conduct. It does feel weird to be doing things which a short time ago could have landed me in front of the Investigation Committee!

Using this technology has been a steep learning curve for vets and clients alike. My employer prefers telephone consults, though will likely introduce video capability in the future. There are some quite good platforms available already but I’ve heard many stories of colleagues having a good view of the client’s ear throughout and not seeing the patient at all. More importantly, image quality and buffering can limit its usefulness too. Having been quite used to phoning people to give patient updates and discuss things like test results, it was a reality check to find just how different it was when you hadn’t seen the patient at all. The important non-verbal side of communication is gone, so you have to be extra careful to try and make sure that both sides understand each other. It takes a lot longer to give and receive clinical information and you have to be much more precise with your questions and beware of how your client’s interpretation may be different to your own. Just asking what colour something is can be misleading if you’re not seeing it yourself. Personally, I think that it is asking a lot of people to do much in the way of detailed physical examination of their pets and them reporting findings back to you. I always ask whether they feel confident that they can do it safely as what a pet will tolerate out of their territory may not match well with what they allow at home. I don’t want anyone to get bitten because I asked them to check gum colour and moistness! It’s also rather mean to expect non-medical people to take a load of medical data all of a sudden. After all, it takes vets and vet nurses plenty of time to learn these skills at college. In one particularly sobering consultation early on, a ‘constipated’ dog turned out to have a blocked bladder which would have been very easy to miss, with potentially fatal results. That said, most people have been pretty realistic about what they feel they can manage and many of the photos and videos uploaded have been excellent and very useful.

Uptake of remote consulting in human and veterinary medicine has been greatly sped up by the Coronavirus pandemic. It is here to stay and looks as though it will be an increasing part of practice. There are some definite advantages, such as not having to put a nervous pet through the stress of a clinic visit and seeing them in their normal environment at home. However, both sides will need to remain vigilant to the real limitations involved and there will always be a place for face to face consultations.

Helen Groves-de-Milleret BVM&S Cert AVP MRCVS Newnham Court Veterinary Hospital

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Farmers Notebook June 2020

May is always a spectacular month.

The farm is a patchwork of colour. Trees and hedgerows are resplendent in the verdant green of their new leaves. The yellow of oilseed rape in full flower. The rich brown of the newly tilled soils of the potato fields. The wheat crops, a dark green as a contrast to the lighter hues of the pastures and newly emerging spring beans. Beautiful.

We have finished potato planting after a slight delay. About to complete the job ahead of a forecast wet weekend, we spotted that one of the bags of input seed that had come direct from the breeder was the wrong variety. It was supposed to be Melody, a white oval potato. The delivery note said Melody. The bag said Melody. The invoice was for Melody. But it most certainly was not Melody. It transpired that it was in fact another variety called Lady Rosetta. Thank goodness it was immediately spotted and none were planted. I spent a morning removing close to 60,000 tubers from the planter by hand. The seeds were “thirds” which means less than 35mm in diameter – very small, but a lot of them! The breeder immediately despatched some replacement Melody from Scotland, before making frantic phone calls to find out which customer had a rogue bag of Melody in their Lady Rosetta!

The very welcome rain arrived at the same time as the seed delivery. It was nearly a week before planting was completed.

It is the first time in over 30 years of growing seed potatoes that we have had this sort of mix-up. We are now looking at what systems we can put in place to avoid the issue in future. For our seed production we are now colour coding our varieties from input seed right through to the point of sale. The colour given to a variety appears on the planting map. At harvest time every box going into store will have two coloured labels on which will be the year of harvest, variety and the field from which the crop came. Potatoes being graded for final dispatch will have a coloured label inserted into the clear plastic pocket of each 1.25tonne bag. It is quite common that we will have to grade several varieties for dispatch on the same day. The coloured labels will make it much easier to differentiate varieties from the seat of the forklift and thus, hopefully, avoid mistakes from our end.

Calving too has almost come to an end with the added bonus that one of the last cows to calve had twins! She had looked ready to calve for days, but nothing happened. Surely it must be soon… Eventually there were signs that calving had begun. So, after a couple of hours we got her into a pen for a quick check up. Sure enough, there were two front feet and a nose. We decided, as the cow was penned and calving was imminent, to assist the delivery. It was a very easy calving and our help was not really needed. A fine bull calf. The mother was very maternal but seemed unusually agitated. We decided to leave her with her new born so that the mum could settle, lick the calf clean and bond with her baby. Returning later to check that the calf had fed and all was well we were very surprised to see the cow with TWO calves. Both calves were warm, dry and had full tummies. The cow was munching on some hay.

The sprayer has been busy over recent weeks. It is a key time to keep the rapidly growing crops clear of disease and pests, as well as applying growth regulators. The latter, applied to the wheat crops, helps to shorten and stiffen the stems of the plant so that they can bear the weight of the ear when it ripens. This will help keep the crop standing and thus ease harvest and maintain quality.

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The biggest pest at the moment is the pea and bean weevil. This tiny insect leaves characteristic notches around the leaves of the newly emerged bean plants. As the adults munch the leaves, and lay their eggs the larvae burrow down into the roots and cause further havoc. The combination can be devastating if left unchecked.

Despite the warm sunny days, mid-May is deadline day. Not only do I have to have this article finished and with the editor by the 14th of the month, but I must also complete my BPS application to the Rural Payments Agency by the same day. The form is on line and pre-populated with all my fields. In theory all I have to do is change the cropping codes to correspond with what is growing in each field. In practice, I have to check every single entry to ensure that each field has the correct area, correct map reference, parcel number and hedges in linear metres. The latter took me days to correct last year, and this year has taken almost as long because some of the information is missing or wrong. I do wonder if a gremlin from Mars is responsible for the errors. Or perhaps it is the 5G mobile network to blame… Happily, it has now been submitted and I have a certified paper record that confirms the information that I have entered. All I have left to do now is submit my application to DEFRA Plant Health to register my seed potato crops for 2020. This too is done on line and should be very straight forward. Variety, grade, field generation, field, area, plant population, and drill width of our crop. Variety, stock number, grade, field generation, and country of origin of the parent stock. Simple… No, not simple! One of the fields is missing off the DEFRA records, and I cannot enter the crops. They are looking in to it!

Despite all the restrictions we found ways to join in the VE day celebrations. The sprayer is still looking very colourful decked in bunting. Also, Thursday night will have us outside ringing our Swiss cowbells as thanks to all the carers in our community – clapping does not make enough noise at the end of our lane…

Take care, stay safe and let’s hope the beauty of our surroundings helps to lift our spirits.

John Haffenden

Baillie’s Literature Quiz

1. Whose autobiography is entitled “Dear Fatty”? 2. Who wrote The Bourne Identity? 3. What was Captain Hook’s ship called in Peter Pan? 4. Who wrote The Gruffalo? 5. What is the name of Charles Dickens first novel? 6. Who is the author of “The Constant Gardener”? 7. What is the title of Herman Melville’s most famous book? 8. What is the first line of Daphne Du Maurier’s Rebecca? 9. Which play begins “Two households, both alike in dignity” 10. O my luve’s like a red, red rose the first line of a poem by _____

Answers on page 19

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Weather Report for Bossingham Area

April rainfall 44mm 1.8ins. A very dry month with rain on only 5 days. The total rainfall for the year 357mm 14ins.

Highest daytime temperature 23ºc 73ºf on the 11th & 12th. Lowest night time temperature -2.0ºc. 28ºf on the 1st.

On the 13th day time temperature dropped rapidly from 23ºc 73ºf to 12ºc 53ºf, then gradually recovered for the rest of the month

3 slight frosts .

David Port

Local help in Folkestone & Hythe during Covid19 pandemic

No one should feel as though they are alone during this challenging time. Folkestone, Hythe & Romney Marsh are pulling together and your community is here to help to:  Provide food for those not able to get or prepare it themselves  Assist with the collection and delivery of food orders  Collect and deliver medical supplies  Walk dogs  Offer someone to talk to for advice and reassurance Assistance is not limited to the above - we will try and assist our vulnerable residents in any way we can.

Anyone who cannot go out (whether self-isolating, immobile or unwell) and who does not have support networks (friends, family, neighbours) to do this for them should contact the Community Hub in their area, which is run by volunteers and supported by Folkestone & Hythe District staff and resources.

Our thanks to Age UK for taking the lead For Hythe, , , , , , Elmsted and points between Email [email protected] Call 01303 269602 Every day 9am – 4pm

There is also a general helpline for COVID-19 matters Email [email protected] Call 01303 761 116 Every day9am to 5pm every day

There is also information on the District Council website at folkestone-hythe.gov.uk/coronavirus

There is also a helpline set up by Kent County Council that covers the whole of Kent and is available 24/7 at 03000 41 92 92 or www.kent.gov.uk/KentTogether

It doesn’t matter which number you choose to make contact as your County and District Council are working closely together with the NHS, emergency services and the Community Hubs to ensure people get the support they need, when they need it.

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You can volunteer to help if you are not one of the at risk group who should be self-isolating (although anyone can volunteer to make phone calls). There’s more information available at www.folkestone-hythe.gov.uk/community-hub

Council Services Council offices are closed to personal callers but most staff are still working and contactable on the usual email and telephone numbers. Formal council meetings are cancelled but much work is still continuing by email and tele/video conferencing. You can also still contact your local councillor by phone or email (see the council website). The kerbside waste and recycling services are running as normal. The Household Waste Recycling Centres are now open – booking via the KCC web site www.kent.gov.uk

Libraries are closed but you can still borrow e-books and e-magazines. We have given priority in our services to supporting the most vulnerable and our staff are coping with a reduction in numbers because of sickness and the need for some to self-isolate. At this exceptional time, please make allowances and be patient when you contact us for ‘normal’ business. We thank all those helping our community during the pandemic and ask you all to continue to take care of yourselves and each other.

Susan Carey and Jenny Hollingsbee

Support from Canterbury City Council https://www.canterbury.gov.uk/

The CCC website has advice on changes to council services, advice and support for residents and businesses, how to register to get help from the community, and a list of organisations offering support.

There is also a helpline set up by Kent County Council that covers the whole of Kent and is available 24/7 at 03000 41 92 92 or www.kent.gov.uk/KentTogether

War Time Memories

I was born in Dover in 1933 so I was 6½ years old when war was declared. I lived there with my parents and elder brother during the first part of the war when Dover was subjected to cross- channel shelling by the Germans. This was very frightening because you never knew when a shell would land and explode – my Uncle Bill was killed by one such incident. I became one of the many school children evacuated to South Wales, staying in a number of locations before finishing up in Ebbw Vale, which was then a rather grimy town dominated by the steel works. Of the rail journey from Dover I can recall very little except one thing that has always stuck in my mind and that is seeing station platforms as we neared the end of the long journey lined with families armed with baths of drinking water handing out mugs of it to us hot and thirsty youngsters – no buffet cars on the trains in those days!

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Of the education we received whilst evacuated I remember very little except that we had to attend Sunday School in the local “Tin-Tab” (a corrugated iron chapel similar to that in Stade Street, Hythe, near the canal) and made to learn the Apostles’ Creed and recite it in front of the other children. Those words have stuck with me all my life, so some good resulted from that rather sad time. Peter Crouch

Living on a farm in at the time – although only 6½ years old, I do remember the day World War II broke out – immediately on hearing the news my father went to great trouble to hollow out a space in the midst of sheaves of corn in his barn for us to shelter if the aeroplanes started to cross via Dover – not the best protection, but the men folk in the village soon made a dug out in the bank above the School, with seats and two exits and with neighbours we rushed to it as soon as the siren went – including our dog. Later we had a Morrison shelter, in the kitchen, where we spent many nights whilst my father was outside sheltering under a sheet of galvanised iron leant against a wall watching for incendiary bombs. There were many troops around billeted in Mount Pleasant and Heppington – the latter became a venue for E.N.S.A. Concerts which I recall being taken to as a treat. One of the saddest memories for me is the cart horses being out to graze in a meadow at Harmansole and my father’s favourite ‘Jack’ suffered a piece of shrapnel penetrating his face – they managed to remove it and he recovered. I also recall being in K & C Hospital following a tonsils operation at the time of an air raid on Canterbury and being taken down to the basements and how scary it was until my father drove in and took me home. My other clear memory is the great concern when we heard of the Hurricane crashing on to the roof of Cherry Garden Bungalow on Stelling Minnis killing Elizabeth Boughton (not the only plane to crash nearby) for I had several relations farming in that area. Thank God they and my immediate family survived. Evelyn Crouch

Baillie’s Literature Quiz - Answers

1. Dawn French 2. Robert Ludlum 3. The Jolly Roger 4. Julia Donaldson 5. The Pickwick Papers 6. John Le Carre 7. Moby Dick 8. Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again. 9. Romeo & Juliet 10. Robert Burns

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Walk Church In The Pandemic

Some readers may already be familiar with the monthly Walk Church adventures which have taken place over the last 12 months, pre-lockdown. The participants are a group of people, some with and some without any faith, who enjoy walking in the countryside and sharing fellowship. Part of the experience is to train ourselves to keep our senses open to appreciate our environment, and for some it is an opportunity to work out how faith could help us to value and protect our natural world. Meeting together as a group is

clearly not possible at the moment, but during the period of restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic, many of us have taken the opportunity to walk more frequently in this beautiful area, and to acknowledge how privileged we are to have so much beauty on our doorstep. It was recently suggested to us that, although we can’t walk together, individuals or families who have not previously been involved, might like to follow in their own time some of the walks which we have shared.

The following walk on The Minnis is not too challenging for most people and is relatively easy to follow. It is no more than 2 miles long and there are no stiles to negotiate, so it is suitable for families with children and dogs. The countryside is looking very beautiful at the moment and the climate perfect for walking. It is also a great opportunity to improve fitness levels, so we do hope that you will accept the challenge and get walking!

This walk sets off from Stelling Minnis Stores. From here, turn left towards The Rose and Crown and then turn left again along Pony Cart Lane and continue to the end. It’s interesting to note the trees which have been felled and the areas which have been cleared. Sometimes it’s necessary to get rid of things to make space for other things to flourish, and it’s quite likely that this area will be the home to many more wild-flowers next spring.

At the end of Pony Cart Lane, continue in a straight line across The Minnis to join Harvest Lane. Watch out for the many different species of wild flowers including red campion, stitch wort and cow parsley. The bluebells are now past their best, but as the beauty of each species fades, there seems to be a new one ready to replace it. All your senses can come into play, as you smell the May blossom, listen to the birdsong, and probably also encounter the grazing cattle. © Crown copyright and database rights 2020. Ordnance Survey licence number 100051856

Continue to the old Ebenezer Chapel and then left turn and follow the road to the bottom of the hill. The Chapel is a reminder of the generations of Christians of all denominations who have worshipped in this area over the centuries. There must have been so many changes over the years, but some

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things do remain constant, and hopefully our sense of care and respect for our neighbours is one of them. Many examples of this have been evident during the current troubled times.

At the bottom of the hill on the right there is a Public Footpath sign. Follow the clearly visible pathway up through the field which brings you out onto Bossingham Road by the bus shelter. Last year this field was planted with wheat and when the group walked through it in the summer it was ripe and ready for harvesting. This year it is planted with broad beans. You may like to take a moment to reflect on the production of our food, and how fortunate we are to have so many good things to eat. It was only a few weeks ago that some people were panic buying causing shortages in our shops. Many people in the world know the true meaning of hunger, and in our own country the dependence on help from Food Banks has increased dramatically. Might you be able to donate something to the Canterbury Food Bank collection bin outside our village shop?

Continue walking on the track behind the bus shelter, cross Harvest Lane and continue across The Minnis until you arrive back at Stelling Minnis Stores.

We do hope that you have enjoyed this walk and that it has raised a few thoughts and questions. We don’t know when we will be able to walk together again as a group, but when we do we would love you to join us. If you have any ideas for future walks or would like to share your local knowledge of nature, we would love to hear from you. For now, keep safe and continue to enjoy God’s amazing creation.

“God saw all that he had made, and it was very good” (Genesis 1:31)

Julia and Geoff Wright (01227 709635)

Lord Whisky Tea Room & Low Cost Vets

Our Lord Whisky Tea Rooms (5 star) will be re-opening on Saturday 4th July every day from 10am – 4pm. We have tables outside on the green, and there will be social distancing measures inside.

Breakfast, lunches, cakes and desserts, and roasts. We also have a room to seat up to 20 people available for wakes, meetings etc. at times to suit you.

To book or to find out more, phone 01303 862349 or 01303 862622 or email [email protected]

Our low income vets clinics:  (next to the tea rooms) are on Tuesday and Thursday from 2-3pm  Wealden Forest Park Friday only from 2-3 pm  Macknades, Faversham Monday 11th July 2-3 pm

Our charity shop in Hythe will open on Saturday 4th July

We look forward to meeting you all.

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Out And About

The Green Alkanet, (Pentaglottis sempervirens, Evergreen Bugloss or Alkanet, is a bristly, perennial plant native to Western Europe. It grows to approximately 60 cm to 90 cm, usually in damp or shaded places and often close to buildings. It has brilliant blue flowers, and retains its green leaves through the winter.

Withstands cutting right down, so should survive grazing or browsing.

Used as a dyers blue.

Other plants to be seen now include Pig Nut, Tormentil (a small yellow creeping Potentilla plant) and Bed Straw to name just a few. On your lock-down walks, take a few moments to stand and observe – you might be surprised what you will see.

Butterlies are beginning to increase in numbers as the season progresses – Orange Tip (only the male has the orange tips to its wings) and Green Veined White are just two of the varieties to be seen.

Friendly Singing Group

Friends of the Cathedral have set up a monthly Friendly singing group led by Adrian Bawtree who is the assistant organist at the Cathedral. A few of us from the village started to attend and it was great fun. No musical ability or knowledge needed.

Adrian is wanting more people to know and use this at this lonely time and has said that he wants to extend an invitation to people who would like to have been in a choir but never had the confidence or skills to join one. He plays well known tunes and the words are displayed so anyone can sing along with him. His wife, who is a teacher and professional singer, in the second one sings "Somewhere over the Rainbow" and in the first one "We'll meet again" flags attached to the piano!

Adrian is now releasing these sessions on YouTube - https://youtu.be/LnOR1pHOiGc

There are now 2 available.

Valerie Morrell

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A Question For Children

The picture above shows a yellow bracket fungi. Where do Bracket Fungi grow and what is the common name of this yellow one? (Clue it’s named after a farmyard creature combined with where it is usually found).

Answer:

it). identified

has expert an unless it try (don’t chicken like taste to said is it because – Wood the of Chicken is name common shown’s one yellow The trees. dying or dead on grow normally fungi Bracket

Deadline and Disclaimer

DEADLINE: Material for inclusion in the July edition of the NEWS must reach the Editor by e-mail to [email protected] by June 17th. Material submitted after that date may not be able to be included. Please note that only material e-mailed can be accepted.

DISCLAIMER: The Editor and members of the H&S News Committee disclaim any responsibility for inaccuracies submitted in advertisement, announcements and articles in this voluntarily-run

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magazine. Whilst all information is received in good faith, we reserve the right to refuse items sent to us and will only publish items whose authors identify themselves to us. Publication will be at the Editors' discretion and does not imply editorial agreement with the content. Any written complaints received by the Editor and committee members will be considered public property.

And Finally

The sign at the junction of Mill Lane and Curtis Lane now has a sibling. Well done to whoever is the sign writer – every little helps.

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