Two Spires

THE PARISH MAGAZINE FOR ST MARY LANGLEY AND ST NICHOLAS OTHAM, SERVING LANGLEY, LANGLEY PARK, , MADGINFORD AND OTHAM JANUARY 2020 80p

CONTACT NUMBERS

TEAM VICAR REV MARK PAVEY 394757 ASSOCIATE PRIEST REV DAVID BOND 202239 TEAM MISSIONER GRAHAM BIBBY 632411 CHURCHWARDENS STEVE CHRISTMAS 843761 MARIA MACKELDEN 861783 DAVID MITCHELL 739129

PARISH GROUPS & CONNECTED ORGANISATIONS

PCC SECRETARY GILL GYMER 737117 [email protected] PCC TREASURER DAVID BLAKE 861382

SAFEGUARDING OFFICERS STEVE CHRISTMAS 843761 BERYL CHARLTON 862235

GIFT AID SECRETARY DIANE MITCHELL 739129 11 Spur Way, READERS & SIDESPEOPLE JOAN PALMER 202239 MESSY CHURCH LYNN BLAKE 861382 OTHAM BELL RINGERS MALWYN WILLIAMS 861143 OTHAM

CHURCH CLEANING MICHAEL LADDS 861029 OTHAM BERYL CHARLTON 862235 LANGLEY CHURCH FLOWERS DIANE MITCHELL 739129 OTHAM MARIA MACKELDEN 861783 LANGLEY

PARISH MAGAZINE EDITOR, MALCOLM KERSEY 07501 250 851 PARISH DIARY AND WEBSITE [email protected] www.othamlangley.org

FRIENDS OF OTHAM CHURCH HUGH VAUX 861245

OTHAM HISTORY SOCIETY SYLVIA WADESON 745848 MADGINFORD SENIORS CLUB DAPHNE BOWER 734829 Madginford Hall - Wednesday 12 noon - 3.30 pm during term time LANGLEY OVER 60 CLUB MARIA MACKELDEN 861783 Langley Village Hall - 2nd & 4th Tuesday each month 2.00 pm

BEARSTED SCOUT GROUP NICK ROSS 07720 061 958

Please inform the Editor of any changes, or other contacts to be included

2 WORSHIP IN OUR CHURCHES FOR JANUARY and early FEBRUARY

Thursday 2 January 9.30 OTHAM Holy Communion

Sunday 5 January 9.30 OTHAM Holy Communion Epiphany 11.00 LANGLEY Holy Communion 11.00 LEEDS Eucharist

Thursday 9 January 9.30 OTHAM Holy Communion

Sunday 12 January 9.30 OTHAM Holy Communion Baptism of Christ 11.00 LANGLEY All Age Worship 15.30 BROOMFIELD Holy Communion

Thursday 16 January 9.30 OTHAM Holy Communion

Sunday 19 January 9.30 OTHAM Family Worship Epiphany 2 11.00 LANGLEY Holy Communion 11.00 LEEDS Eucharist 15.30 LEEDS In/spire

Thursday 23 January 9.30 OTHAM Holy Communion

Sunday 26 January 9.30 OTHAM Holy Communion Epiphany 3 11.00 LANGLEY Holy Communion 11.00 KINGSWOOD Family Communion

Thursday 30 January 9.30 OTHAM Holy Communion

Sunday 2 February 9.30 OTHAM Holy Communion Candlemas 11.00 LANGLEY Holy Communion 11.00 LEEDS Eucharist

Thursday 6 February 9.30 LANGLEY Holy Communion

Please note that changes to services and events may occur after the magazine goes to print. Where possible, alterations will be shown on the website. If you would like to enquire about Baptisms, Weddings or Funerals, or you wish to inform the Clergy about someone in the parish who is ill or in hospital please contact: Mark Pavey (01622 394 757) or David Bond (01622 202 239)

3 Letter from the Vicarage

New beginnings

Happy New year to one and all!! I hope you had a joyous Christmas. I’m actually writing this on the day before the general election and therefore have no idea about the result. Whatever the result, it means uncertainty about our futures, perhaps even new beginnings for some of us. I guess for some it will offer hope whilst for others it will offer fear and trepidation… I wonder how you feel? On a personal level, the new year offers us all an opportunity for a fresh start despite what’s happening nationally. The Christian faith always offers new beginnings. Every time we fall short, we come to God in confession and we trust in his grace and mercy, that we have been forgiven and we start again. There’s a great moment in scripture when Jesus is out on the sea of Galilee and he calls on one of the disciples named Peter. He steps out of the boat and experiences the joy of walking on water too. I have to tell you I visited Galilee and went kayaking on the lake. For a moment I tried walking on water - needless to say I got very wet! Peter though seems to have had a moment before getting distracted. He takes his eyes off Jesus and he cries out to be saved. Jesus immediately takes his hand and returns him to the boat. I sometimes wonder if Peter fancied trying it again at that point but perhaps not. I guess new beginnings don’t always mean trying the same thing again. Last year held a new beginning for me and my family as we moved across town to the North Downs Deanery. If I’m honest, it was a daunting prospect due to the number of churches, but Tansye and I both strongly felt that two truths came to light in the exploration process. First, when we visited each of the churches, we felt that God was present; we felt encouraged by signs of the life in the buildings and more importantly by the people we met. Second, through prayer, we believed that this was something that we were being called to do. In that moment we weren’t entirely sure what

4 the future would look like, so far, it’s been hugely encouraging! I am sure that I will feel like I’m sinking at various points in the future, but I’ve chosen to keep trusting. So why do I share this? The beauty of Luke’s account of Peter walking on water is that he wasn’t rebuked for messing it up - Jesus said ‘you of little faith, why did you doubt?’ in other words why did you stop looking to me? The disciples’ response was to worship - re-directing their gaze to Jesus! For all of us there are question marks over our futures; stepping out the boat can be scary. Please know this, I believe that if we can fix our eyes on the goal, regardless of the storms around us. We may know what it’s like to walk on water and to do what others thought was not possible. For the Christian, the focus is no less than God himself who goes before us and reaches out to us whenever we fall. This new year I hope it will be full of amazing experiences and full of success. Dare I say that you have the courage to step out when you feel you are being called. Wishing you all the very best for this year, Mark

News from St Mary We trust that you all had a peaceful and enjoyable Christmas and we wish you all a very happy and healthy 2020. Hopefully you managed to get to at least one service in December at St Mary's to see the beautifully decorated tree and church. The weather may not be great at the moment but there's always our first Open Days to look forward to - 'Soup and Snowdrops' on Saturday 15 February and Saturday 14 March at which there will be lots of delicious homemade soups, bread and cakes and, of course a very warm welcome whatever the weather.

Maria Mackelden and Steve Christmas

5 Feast of St Nicholas On Sunday 8 December we celebrated the feast of St Nicholas of Myra, Otham’s Patron Saint, by collecting presents for the clients of Homeless Care [ Day Centre for the homeless and vulnerable] and the residents of Kenward House which provides support to those with complex substance misuse issues. A generous number of gifts from parishioners were placed on the altar steps in front of the wooden statue of St Nicholas.

Poppy Appeal Despite the wet weather, we managed an excellent collection, thanks to those who collected door-to-door. My daughter, with a dozen willing helpers helped me in the western part of the parish. Teresa Irving, our Parish Clerk, came over from Aylesford to do the centre, and Harold Knotley tackled the new estate to the south. Tim and Helen Chambers put us to shame doing the eastern part in the pouring rain. On behalf of the Royal British Legion, I would also like to thank the Pharmacy, White Horse, Rumwood Nurseries, and our two Parish Councils, all of whom helped to boost our total to £552.17. An excellent turnout on the Green on Remembrance Sunday saw ten wreaths laid at the War Memorial with a short act of remembrance led by Rev. Mark Pavey. Many young people helped on the day, but special thanks are due to Hannah Green for the cornet solos. Afterwards we retired to the village hall for refreshments provided under Susan Vaux's expert supervision. Finally, on Monday 11 November, Zoe our Community Officer joined me in holding two minutes silence at the War Memorial. David Marchant 6 Langley Parish Council Langley Village Hall - Sadly the exterior of the hall has suffered from some mindless vandalism by some individuals. Fully functioning operational CCTV cameras with excellent night imaging are now in place and anyone causing damage to the hall or recreation field will be identified and reported. The hall is this village’s main amenity and does not operate for profit, therefore any repairs caused by vandalism does have a significant effect. It takes away necessary funds to help run and maintain this asset for community use. If you witness any incidents, then please do report them immediately to one of the Village Halls Management Team. Parish Councillor Vacancy - We still have one vacancy to fill. If you are interested, please do contact our Parish Clerk whose details are listed below. January is the month in which the Parish Council decides its budget and precept for the new financial year (2020/2021). A number of projects have been identified in preliminary discussions and these are currently being costed out for possible inclusion. Potholes or any other matter relating to Highways can be reported via the KCC Report a Fault website at www..gov.uk/roads-and-travel/report-a-problem. Our next Parish Council meeting will be held on Tuesday 21 January 2020 at 7.45pm in the Committee Room of Langley Village Hall. Helen Anderson Parish Clerk Telephone: 07944 668 802; email: [email protected] Visit our website www.langleypc.kentparishes.gov.uk

Quiz Nights at St Nicholas There will be no quiz in January or February, so the next one will be on Wednesday 11 March at 7.30 pm in the church. We can accommodate teams of up to eight people, but if you are on your own, you will be very welcome to join others to make up a team. For more information contact Diane Mitchell (739129) or Peter Bodycombe (746462) 7 Otham Fete 2020

Plans are already well under way for this year’s summer fete on Otham Village Green, which will take place on Saturday 20 June. The organisers were delighted with the success of last year’s fete. The weather was fine and there was a healthy turnout of visitors. There were many willing stallholders and even more assisted with setting up on the village green and clearing up afterwards. Once again, many of those who enjoyed the event attributed its success to the wonderful setting and the traditional stalls. We are always encouraged to retain this time-honoured approach to the fete. With these thoughts in mind, the committee has already had two meetings to plan for our 2020 fete. As ever, we are keen to introduce some new games and stalls whilst continuing with the usual favourites. However, as the years roll by some of our regular stallholders find that aches and pains are getting the better of them and are forced to step down from their past duties. This year, we are in much need of some new blood to come and help us. The commitment is not onerous - the committee does the planning in advance. Although we would welcome new ideas and new members on the committee, we really need additional help on the day to help to set up and run the stalls. More assistance to clear up, at the end of the afternoon would also be appreciated. Those who get involved every year get so much out of the day, not only meeting and greeting old friends, but enjoying fun and laughter along the way. Once you have volunteered, you won’t regret it and we can assure you of a warm welcome from all the regular helpers. If you can help us in setting up, in running a stall or helping out with the central arena, please do contact the committee through Scott or Anne. Their contact details are:

Scott Raffle: Tel 01622 863089 email [email protected] Anne Salmon: Tel 01622 532029 email [email protected].

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Christmas Bazaar A HUGE thank you to everyone who helped with the 2019 Christmas Bazaar Whether you donated items, ran a stall or sideshow, knitted, sewed, baked, served refreshments, helped with the set up and clearing away, or stored piles of items around your house in advance of the event. Whatever your contribution, without you we could not have rolled out such a great event. Very special thanks to everyone who came to the working parties during October and November – without you the Bazaar would not have happened! It was a brilliant afternoon, the Mayor, Councillor Marion Ring came along and opened the Bazaar, chatted to the stall holders and stayed for a cuppa. Lots of people turned up and spent lots of money (huge thanks to the customers too!). We raised £1,963.78, a fantastic result. So, thank you once again, in the immortal words of old Mr Grace “You’ve all done very well”!!! Whitstable Castle Christmas Market The weekend after the Bazaar we went to the Christmas Market well supplied with jams, marmalade, chutney, pickles and sweets that had not sold at the Bazaar. We raised £439.30. So many thanks to my helpers (Anne, Lynn and Dave). We had a very busy and very successful day. Gill Gymer 9 Editorial Notes

Gill Gymer is too self-effacing to add to her report that, prior to the start of the Bazaar, the mayor presented her with a Certificate of Recognition “for Fundraising and Voluntary Service in the ”.

On a separate matter, please may I thank those who distributed the December edition of Two Spires to every home in the Parish. I would also like to thank the members of the Magazine Group who joined me in delivering copies to every home in Langley Park. When it is time to deliver the June edition the weather should be warmer, but there will be more houses in Langley Park and in the new development at Wood. If you feel that you could join us for an hour or two (including coffee), please make a note in your diary. Provisionally the distribution date will be Saturday 23 May 2020. Thank you Malcolm Kersey 10

MADGINFORD WI REPORT

Our December meeting was our Christmas party and we all had an enjoyable evening - delicious food and drink, some very funny games and we had a sing- along to some Christmas songs. The garden group have got some great ideas for garden visits next year and are looking forward to the warmer weather. The craft group are still very busy making the patchwork quilt which is coming on nicely, and will be raffled for charity. The WI Carol Service was held at Holy Cross church and was a beautiful service as usual, and one of our members did a lovely reading. Our next meeting is Thursday 9 January and will be a games evening, with time for a chat and a catch-up with friends.

Meetings are held on the second Thursday of the month (except August) at Madginford Hall, Egremont Road, Bearsted from 8.00 pm to 10.00 pm. For more information telephone 01622 737 500.

WEALD SCHOOL OF DANCE

Classes held at Langley & for children and adults

R.A.D. Ballet & I.S.T.D. Tap, Modern & Street Dance Annual Show and students entered for examinations

Carole Gould L.R.A.D. A.R.A.D.

Tel. 07983 266 793 www.wealdschoolofdance.co.uk

Copy for the FEBRUARY edition needed to be with the Editor before 10 JANUARY Please send contributions for later editions to [email protected] or call 07501 250 851

11 Open Churches Project - Update St Nicholas was always notoriously cold in winter, despite costly electricity charges as we tried to keep the congregation warm! A review was undertaken almost fifteen years ago which ultimately led to the Open Church Project. An application was made to the Diocese under their Funding Mission Initiative Scheme and the project was envisaged as having three distinct phases. The first was to provide heating and flexible seating; the second was to add a glazed prayer / meeting / crèche space in the Lady Chapel; the third was to re-open the fourteenth century north door of the church to create access to a new kitchen extension. A grant was obtained from the Diocese and fund-raising was undertaken locally. The Friends of Otham Church offered financial support and paid for a new organ. The work on phases one and two was completed in 2009, and has proved to be very successful. Phase three included not only a kitchen, but also possibly adding another meeting room. The parish lost its one parish meeting room when the former Rectory was sold during the last interregnum. This phase proved to be financially unattainable with projected costs well in excess of £100,000 and it was therefore cancelled. However, since then, although our financial position is no better, we have been able to access a ring-fenced sum of £30,000 from the Diocese in compensation for the loss of the parish room. The decision was taken to expand the project to cover both Langley and Otham, and it was felt that they should both benefit from some sort of 'kitchen'. This proved relatively simple for St Mary's; we were able to purchase the equipment for a new updated kitchen, which was fitted without charge by generous parishioners. The work was finished in 2018. With the remaining £25,000 a kitchen station is planned for St Nicholas. After much discussion and consultation with the architect and church authorities a design has been agreed. It will be housed in the cupboard which is at present used to store the tables and chairs. A similar, very successful kitchen station was installed at John the Baptist, Bredgar. It is larger than the one we are planning, but this picture shows its full size. (The bin in the foreground has since been replaced by a microwave on a shelf under the worktop!)

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New provision for the tables and chairs will be built towards the back of the church. We are now waiting for the planning process (faculty) to be granted and the work will then take place, hopefully during the first half of 2020. The object in both cases is to make the churches more user-friendly, and available for a wider range of functions beyond the normal pattern of Sunday and other services, along with regular and occasional events. We wish, in Langley and in Otham, to have the church at the heart of the community and the community at the heart of the church. We hope to have the churches open and available for community use as much as possible. Steve Christmas

From the registers October 2019 Funeral Eve Ivory (85 years)

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The Cleaning Team at St Nicholas needs additional volunteers. The duties are light and involve only a few sessions each year. Mike Ladds 01622 861 029 (Team Co-ordinator) is happy to provide further details to anyone able to offer some time.

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Need a Good AMH Plasterer? Carpentry & Joinery

Plastering – Reskim over Artex Painting & Decorating Decorating – Coving and cornice UPVC-Facias & Soffits Free Estimates T HIGHSTED T: 01622 661 780 53 Spot Lane M: 07971 919 694 Bearsted Email: Maidstone [email protected] Kent ME15 8NX www.davidterry -plastering.co.uk

David Terry City & Guilds 17 Farleigh Court and CSCS Scheme

Farleigh Lane 01622 734 254

MaidstoneME16 7BJ 07500 231 289

The White Horse Inn White Horse Lane, Otham ME15 8RG

All Day Breakfast with free tea and coffee Prices from £5.99

Lunch served daily from 12.30 pm Traditional Irish food and fresh vegetables

Traditional Sunday lunch carvery £9.95 Choice of meats, Yorkshire puddings, stuffing & fresh vegetables

Bed & Breakfast - en suite rooms

REAL ALES £3.00

For more information: Contact 01622 862 069 Mobile 07521 012 315

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17 Sarah Willsey MCFHP MAFHP Foot Health Professional

Mobile Foot Health Professional service in the comfort of your own home

TREATMENTS • Corns & calluses PRICES • Hard skin £38 first appointment • Verrucas £35 follow up • Ingrown toe nails • Thickened fungal nails Over 65: • Cracked heels £33 first appointment • Toe nail cutting and care £30 follow up • Diabetic, High Risk Foot Care & Advice

Clinic: 01622 438 550 Mobile: 07500 041 535 Email: [email protected] Web: www.yourhealthyfeet.co.uk

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Compassionate and caring service for the bereaved day or night (24-hour telephones)

Michael Lawrence Funeral Director

4 Cavendish Way, Bearsted, Maidstone, Kent ME15 8PW [email protected] 01622 260 200

6 Marlborough Parade, Beverley Road, , Maidstone, Kent ME16 9JN [email protected] 01622 260 210

www.familyfuneralservice.net

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21 Useful Numbers

Non-emergency police 101 Non-emergency medical (NHS) 111

Samaritans (24-hour FREE call) 116 123 Samaritans Maidstone 01622 674 444 NSPCC 0800 800 5000

Action on Elder Abuse 0808 808 8141 Domestic Violence Helpline 0808 2000 247 Victim Supportline 0808 1689 111

Relate Maidstone 01892 529 927 Age UK Maidstone 01622 753 618 Alzheimer’s Society 01622 747 181

CarersUK Adviceline 0808 808 7777 Citizens Advice Bureau Maidstone 01622 752 420 National Debtline 0808 808 4000

Action Fraud (Fraud and Cyber Crime) 0300 123 2040

Kent County Council 03000 414 141 Maidstone Borough Council 01622 602 000

Civil Parish Clerks: Otham & Downswood 01622 717 466 Teresa Irving Langley 01622 891 945 Helen Anderson Bearsted 01622 630 165 Sarah Lewis 01622 744 969

Kent Messenger Correspondent 07736 592 918 Tim Mumford Otham, Langley & Downswood [email protected]

Utility company emergencies: Gas 0800 111 999 (Leaks and interrupted supply) Electricity 0800 783 8838 Water 0333 000 0365 Magazine Production Team

Editor Malcolm Kersey 07501 250 851 Publisher Dot Hooker 01622 746 571 Advertising Maggie Chainey 01622 201 231 Production & distribution David Shirley 01622 737 684 Subscriptions Jill Barratt 01622 862 471 Parish-wide distribution David Blake 01622 861 382

22 Parish Diary JANUARY 7 Tue 9.45am The Arts Society Church Recording Bruce Rylands 840165 Group, St Mary 8 Wed 2.30pm Bellringing Practice, St Nicholas Mal Williams 861143 9 Thu 7.00pm Novice Bellringing Practice, St Nicholas Mal Williams 861143 13 Mon 3.30pm Messy Church, St Nicholas Lynn Blake 861382 13 Mon 7.45pm Otham Parish Council meeting, Teresa Irving 717466 Otham Village Hall 15 Wed 2.30pm Bellringing Practice, St Nicholas Mal Williams 861143 16 Thu 7.00pm Novice Bellringing Practice, St Nicholas Mal Williams 861143 20 Mon 8.00pm Magazine Group Meeting, 30 Spot Lane Maggie Chainey 201231 21 Tue 9.45am The Arts Society Church Recording Bruce Rylands 840165 Group, St Mary 21 Tue 7.45pm Langley Parish Council meeting, Helen Anderson 891945 Committee Room, Langley Village Hall 22 Wed 2.30pm Bellringing Practice, St Nicholas Mal Williams 861143 23 Thu 3.00pm Tea Party, St Nicholas Joan Palmer 202239 23 Thu 7.00pm Novice Bellringing Practice, St Nicholas Mal Williams 861143 23 Thu 7.30pm Parochial Church Council, St Nicholas Gill Gymer 737117 29 Wed 2.30pm Bellringing Practice, St Nicholas Mal Williams 861143 30 Thu 7.00pm Novice Bellringing Practice, St Nicholas Mal Williams 861143 FEBRUARY 4 Tue 9.45am The Arts Society Church Recording Bruce Rylands 840165 Group, St Mary 4 Tue 8.00pm Downswood Parish Council meeting, Teresa Irving 717466 Downswood Community Centre 5 Wed 2.30pm Bellringing Practice, St Nicholas Mal Williams 861143 6 Thu 7.00pm Novice Bellringing Practice, St Nicholas Mal Williams 861143 10 Mon 3.30pm Messy Church, St Nicholas Lynn Blake 861382 12 Wed 2.30pm Bellringing Practice, St Nicholas Mal Williams 861143 13 Thu 7.00pm Novice Bellringing Practice, St Nicholas Mal Williams 861143 15 Sat 11.00am Soup and Snowdrops, St Mary Maria Mackelden 861783

Please send any additions/amendments to the Editor, Malcolm Kersey [email protected] (07501 250 851) as soon as you have a date. When organising an event in one of the churches, please ensure that the building is available. For St Nicholas, contact the Editor. For St Mary, please contact Maria Mackelden: [email protected] (01622 861 783) 23

St Mary’s church, Langley

Soup and Snowdrops

Saturday 15 February and Saturday 14 March

11.00 am to 2.00 pm

Come to see the snowdrops and sample the soup