OCTOBER 2017 Tatsfield Parish Magazine

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One of the winning photographs in the Autumn Show – by Sybil Yates

Tatsfield in Bloom result on page 37 £1 – one copy FREE to each household www.tatsfield.org.uk Material for the next magazine should be sent to [email protected] or left at Linda’s Stores by 16th October. 2

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During these difficult times it makes sense to check that you are getting the best value for money from all your financial products, pensions, protection and life assurance.

As Independent Financial Advisers we provide unbiased advice on a wide range of financial options. Our initial 45 minute meeting is free at either our offices or your home, so what do you have to lose, other than a preconception that because we offer financial advice, we’re naturally dull and uninteresting!

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IQ Wealth Management IQ Wealth Management is a trading name of Philip Clarke who is an appointed representative Aileen McHugo Building of Paradigm Financial Advisers Ltd. Paradigm House, Brooke Court, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 3ND Westmore Green Tatsfield which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. Kent TN16 2AG Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on a mortgage. •The FSA does not regulate tax planning. ‘Equity Release - this is a lifetime mortgage Tel: 01959 571300 to understand the features and risks ask for a personalised illustration’. Fax: 01732 866622 [email protected]

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Tatsfield Village School of Dance ballettapmodernjazzstreetpre-schoolmusicaltheatregymnasticszumbakids

ballettapmodernjazzstreetpre-schoolmusicaltheatregymnasticszumbakids

Situated in the heart of the village, we offer a wide spectrum of dance classes in a friendly and nurturing Free environment. Classes for children 3 years and above. Taster Come along and join in! Sessions e: emily@dancefirst.co.uk m: 07734 543464

For full details of all classes go to: www.dancefirst.co.uk

Pilates Classes Adult Ballet Fitness Fridays 10.00 - 11.00 am & 11.15 - 12.15pm Tatsfield WI Hall Fully qualified Pilates Instructor Suitable for all ages & fitness levels No previous experience necessary

Tatsfield Primary School Mondays 7.15pm to 8.15pm A total body workout that targets core strength, flexibility, posture, balance, co-ordination & alignment Everyone welcome! [email protected] Contact Emily for more details: m: 07734 543464 [email protected] www.dancefirst.co.uk m: 07734 543464 www.dancefirst.co.uk

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Produced for the Village by the Parish Magazine Committee under the authority of Tatsfield Church. Managing Editor • Vacant Chairman • Revd Vince Short Treasurer • Madie Langford (577114) Distribution Manager • Terry Cartwright (577749) Advertising Manager • Maureen Perrin (577679) Production Team Ian Mitchell• Sule Morley • Christine Stainer Carole Swetenham • Margaret Watson • Ruth Yeeles

CHURCH CONTACTS ST MARY’S CHURCH, Church Lane, Tatsfield Anglican • Team Vicar: Revd Vince Short. The Rectory, Ricketts Hill Road, Tatsfield, TN16 2NA (577289; [email protected]) Wardens • Marjory Broughton (541059), Chris Hancock (577622)

COUNCIL CONTACTS Parish Council Clerk • Mrs Samantha Head, 33 Alexandra Road, Warlingham CR6 9DW (07920 772880) Chairman • Nichola Stokoe - Meadowside, Paynesfield Road, Tatsfield TN16 2BG (576443) Parish Council website www.surreycommunity.info/tatsfield • email [email protected]

Tandridge District Councillor • Martin Allen, 38 Paynesfield Road, Tatsfield TN16 2BG (577201) Surrey County Councillor • David Hodge, 30 Harestone Valley Road, Caterham CR3 6HD (01883 337881)

OTHER CONTACTS St. Mary’s Church Hall - Bookings • Sheila Cook (577443) Village Hall - Bookings Secretary • Helena Garcia ([email protected]) (07983 011028) W.I. Hall - Bookings • Sheila Cook (577443) Parish Room - Bookings •) Tatsfield Primary School - Head • Kevin Bellinger (577356) Tatsfield Village Club - (577330) Furze Corner Sports Pavilion - Bookings (07533 033325) Doctors • Stock Hill Surgery (580011) • Westerham Surgery (564949) Surrey Police - (101) Tatsfield Helpline - (577749) • Pet Register - Val Moore (574810) Village Web site: www.tatsfield.org.uk

MAGAZINE CONTRIBUTIONS We welcome contributions from village organisations and individual residents but reserve all editorial rights. Copy date for the Magazine is 16th of the preceding month. Ideally contributions should be sent as a Word attachment in an email to: [email protected], alternatively they may be left at Linda’s Stores or posted to: Tatsfield Parish Mag, The Rectory, Ricketts Hill Road, Tatsfield, Westerham, TN16 2NA. Enquiries concerning advertising or loose Inserts should be made to our Advertising Manager Maureen Perrin (Tel: 577679 email: [email protected]) Small Ads These are accepted only from Tatsfield or Titsey residents (No Trade) and are free of charge (Max 10 words plus phone number.) We will include them in the next issue space permitting. Calendar Dates Our calendar usually covers 6 weeks or more from publication so please give us your dates in good time. If you don’t want your event to clash with others why not check with us early? Ideas/Opinions/Articles We are always looking for news of interest - please contact the Editorial team on [email protected]. Correspondence We welcome letters commenting on items in previous issues or on anything else. Advertisements We take no responsibility for the goods and services advertised in the magazine. 16 REGULAR TATSFIELD EVENTS These events, weekly unless stated otherwise, normally take place at the times given below, but there can be variations e.g. in school holidays. Please check with the organisers if necessary. Sun 10.00 am Church service – StM Mon 9.30 am Tots on Top – CH 10.00 am WI Exercises - WIH 1.30 pm Bridge Club – WIH 7.15 pm Adult Ballet - TPS 7.30 pm Art Group – VH [Term time] 8.15 pm Bingo – TVC Tue 5.45 pm Beavers – SH 7.00 pm Scouts - SH Wed 10.00 am WI Pop In – WIH 1.30 pm Short Mat Bowls –VH 6.00 pm Cubs – SH 8.00 pm Yoga – VH Thu 9.15 am Said Communion Service – StM [3rd Thursday only] 10.00 am Over 50s Yoga – WIH 3.00 pm WI Darts – WIH various Martial Arts - SH 7.30 pm Duplicate Bridge – WIH 7.30 pm Tatsfield Singers - TPS 8.00 pm Table Tennis – VH Fri 10.00 am Pilates – WIH 10.30 am Forget Me Not Café - AMB 11.00 am Pilates – WIH 1.30 pm Short Mat Bowls –VH 5.30 pm Badminton club for Juniors - VH 8.00 pm Badminton Club - VH Sat 10.00 am Composting site open (to noon) - TACG Martial Arts - SH 11.00 am Parish Council Café -The Bakery [to noon]

If you organise regular events in the village that you would like included in this calendar, please email [email protected].

17 EDITORIAL This time last year, as we received the first full colour edition, Gerald South, our Managing Editor over the last three years, reminded us that there has been a parish magazine in Tatsfield for over a century. Last month, in his final contribution to this editorial, Gerald celebrated the community spirit in Tatsfield and issued a plea for additional help with the magazine. I am pleased that we are able to bring you this edition through the combined efforts of Gerald (prior to moving to the Cotswolds) and the Parish Magazine Committee with some valuable additional support. Further help would be welcome as we look to the future. The Village and Church together thanked Gerald and Jennie for their contribution to village life at a special farewell event in the Village Hall on Saturday 2nd September. In this harvest season, we are grateful for all that we enjoy and are mindful of the need to share with those who are less fortunate than ourselves. Many thanks to those who contributed to this year’s celebration of harvest at the School and in Church and the gifts of food that are now being distributed to food banks and individuals who will be very grateful for them. This year, I have been especially conscious of the continuous cycle in which our farmers are involved, whereby one harvest is soon followed by the initial preparation for the next. Perhaps we should be mindful of a similar process in our lives. What will we begin or sow into now that may yield fruit in future? How will we invest our time and talents for the benefit of our loved ones, our community and the wider world? In the Bible, creation and harvest are celebrated, just as we might do, but the theme of harvest also speaks of relationship with God, thus challenging us to think through what we believe and how that might influence our priorities. As I draw this short contribution to a close, I am very conscious that much is going on in the world with natural disasters and tensions between nations and so I do pray for peace and healing in our lives, in our homes and in the world. Vince Short

From the Magazine Committee As there has, as yet, been no volunteer to take on the oversight and editorship of this magazine the layout this month is somewhat different from usual. This has slightly simplified the production process for those who are trying to keep the magazine going. As has been mentioned before, further help and expertise is needed. Are there any budding journalists out there? This may be a great way for some of our younger residents looking at a future career in media to gain some valuable work experience.

18 LETTERS Dear Editor, Jennie and I would like to thank all those who wished us well as we left the village, not least those who attended the farewell gathering in the Village Hall on 2nd September. For us this was a most moving event and an amazing trip down memory lane. Many thanks to all those involved in organising it and in speaking from the stage. The gifts we received are very generous indeed and our sincere thanks go to those who contributed. Some of these gifts are already in use and as we get used to our new surroundings we will be thinking how best to use the very substantial sum that you gave to us. Gerald and Jennie South (5 Orchard Field, Avening, Glos GL8 8PE. 01453 834884)

Dear Editor, Remembrance Service on Saturday November 11th 2017 Last January I was approached by two of Tatsfield’s ex- servicemen to see what could be done about having a Remembrance Day plaque placed somewhere in Tatsfield’s village centre to remember those who have given their all. The trough that is on the triangle outside the Ship pub seemed the best place for such a request. For some years I have reported that a wreath had been laid at 8 am in the trough by an unknown and it was two years ago that I discovered that it was put there by Ted Bonwick, an ex-military man who had Remembrance 2016 served and seen action with the Royal West Kent Regiment. Ted was joined by an ex RAF Tatsfielder, Dennis Tapsell. Both had researched many villages and found out that every one of them bar Tatsfield had a memorial stone to remember the fallen in their village centre. Well the news is very good because after a lot of talking and meetings, the parish council has come up trumps with the wonderful news that a proper memorial stone is going to be designed and built by Brian Ling’s company that will be positioned by the cattle trough in time for this year’s Remembrance Service, on Saturday November 11th. It will all take place on the Ship triangle from 10.30 onwards which is the same place as for the annual Christmas Carol Singalong (which this year can be put in your diaries for Friday December 15th starting at 7pm.) This Remembrance event gets better with the news that the super Revd. Vince Short will conduct the service along with some singers forming a choir, and a brass band will be playing to complete the atmosphere. So far there are 17 wreaths that will be laid by people representing some of the many organisations that we have in Tatsfield and we will have a Union Flag on display as well. Chairs will be provided for those people who have any difficulties that make a seat a 19 necessity and a printed running order of the whole event will be distributed for everyone there to follow what is happening from start to finish. There will be two or three hymns which are (1) Oh God our help in ages past, and (2) Abide with me, and if time allows we will have (3) The day thou gavest Lord is ended. We will end at around 11.15am with the first verse of the National Anthem. During the service there will be some prayers and a Roll of Honour read by Martyn Saines. The wreath layers will be named and the associations they are representing will be read out by Trevor Smith. All of this will be amplified by my DB Sound amplifiers and microphones. A recording of Big Ben will strike eleven and then the Last Post played on a trumpet. After a two minutes silence the reveille will be played on a trumpet by a soloist who normally plays at the Royal Albert Hall. We have so many generous people and associations who have kindly helped to make this first ever event at Tatsfield a special one and all that is needed is your good selves to come along and pay your respects to the fallen of Tatsfield on that Saturday morning November 11th, starting at 10.30am please? Whatever the weather, let us all do our best to make this Tatsfield Remembrance Service, something special. Dave Bishop

THE BRIGITTE TRUST The Brigitte Trust offers a free volunteer service of emotional support and practical help in the home when there has been a diagnosis of a life-threatening illness. When a family is faced with serious illness it can be devastating, and practical issues like driving, shopping and getting to hospital for treatment can sometimes be hard to manage.

Working alongside the medical teams and in partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support, the Trust offers a volunteer who will visit weekly and build up a relationship with the patient and carer offering company and time to listen without judgement.

Taster sessions for potential volunteers are running on 14th and 28th November with the follow-on free training course in January 2018. We are particularly keen to reach out to the Tatsfield community to recruit volunteers.

Contact Ingrid in the office on 01306 881816 or find out more on www.brigittetrust.org

20 TATSFIELD PARISH COUNCIL The parish council has now returned from its break. Over the summer we received, and continue to receive, complaints regarding overgrown hedges along pavements and roads. If your property, or any land that you own, does abut either please ensure that hedges are cut back to enable all users to pass freely. We have been advised by Surrey County Council that there are to be more cuts to the services it provides with regards grass cutting, weed killing and the like. We will be reviewing this to see if the parish council needs to take on some of these works so that Tatsfield continues to be a pleasant and safe place to live. With safety in mind and following a meeting Martin Allen and I had with Inspector Gutierrez, we discussed the possibility of installing CCTV in the village. We feel that a few well-placed cameras could capture most of the activity that takes place. Burstow Parish Council has just gone through the process and we have agreed to get in touch to find out more details. This would be quite an enormous undertaking and we would consult properly with the village before taking any firm steps to progress the matter. We are also delighted to report that following a number of meetings between the parish council and a group of residents we have agreed to a war memorial being erected next to the trough on the village green in time for the inaugural Remembrance Service on 11th November. Brian Ling's son, Peter, has very kindly agreed to build the memorial free of charge and therefore only materials will have to be paid for. A very generous offer and we are most grateful to the Lings for helping with this project. We will shortly be setting the budget for the year 2018/19 so if any group you are part of would like a grant next year please do get in touch. Finally, we were all sad to hear the news that Gerald and Jennie South are leaving the village but very much enjoyed their leaving do at the beginning of the month. Gerald was a parish councillor for eight years from 1983 to 1991 and was chairman in 1986/87. We wish them both well for the future and are grateful to them for all the years they have been involved with voluntary work in the community.

The next meetings of the parish council will be held at the Aileen McHugo Building at 8.00 pm on Monday 9th October and then on Monday 23rd October 2017 - also at 8.00 pm. As always, the agenda will be made available on village notice boards and at: www.surreycommunity.info/tatsfield/

Nichola Stokoe, Chairman (Tel: 576443 Email: [email protected])

21 TANDRIDGE DISTRICT COUNCIL The council has appointed Sevenoaks District Council to manage its off-street parking enforcement service within the district. The new contract, awarded following a tender process, started on 1st September and will run for two years. At present, Tandridge District Council owns and manages around 700 parking spaces across 14 car parks in Oxted, Hurst Green, Caterham, Warlingham, Woldingham and Lingfield. Sevenoaks District Council has over 20 years’ experience of civil parking enforcement with highly trained staff. The new contract will allow for greater flexibility so the level of enforcement can be adjusted up or down as operational requirements dictate. A new ticketless barrier system for the council’s Ellice Road car park in Oxted will be introduced this month, but don’t worry; there will be a gradual learning curve at the site before fines and enforcement are undertaken. On-street parking enforcement in Tandridge will continue to be carried out by Reigate and Banstead District Council on behalf of Surrey County Council as the highway authority. It is hoped that in Oxted improved parking enforcement will help support the delivery of additional parking capacity. As you are aware, TDC is currently working on a Local Plan which has included ‘Garden Villages’ drop-in consultations. I have attended two of these which have proved both useful and helpful to the residents who will be affected by any final decision as to the ‘where’. There is much opposition to these proposals but in the time that I was present at the meetings there was not an overwhelming attendance nor were there even great protests. I wonder whether that means that the residents who did not bother to attend are in favour of the proposals, or whether they just hope development will not be in their back yard. As part of the consultation, TDC has put information on its website (http://tinyurl.com/yadbn9dx) where the documents can be viewed and commented on. We have not set up any other websites. A couple of housing development companies have set up their own websites about the consultation, including Bonnar Allan which has set up one for the South Godstone proposal (http://www.southgodstone.co.uk. I need to make it clear this site has not been set up by the district council. Fly tipping: I know I keep repeating the message about fly tipping but it is worth it as I have reported no fewer than six different instances over the past few weeks. All have been dealt with by TDC in a timely manner to maintain the beauty of the countryside rather than have a blot on the landscape. It was unfortunate for us and fortunate for them that the cameras in place at the time were unable to give clear pictures of the offenders. However their time is coming. 22 Further I am particularly pleased to advise you that on Wednesday 13th a team from TDC went to the site off Clarks Lane. With the co-operation and assistance of Mr Philip Skinner, the farmer, and with additional machinery in the form of a tractor/loader and trailer from our parks department, the whole site was cleared of waste that had been there for more than 10 years and was gradually increasing in size. I have sent our thanks to the people involved and assured them that we will be vigilant with our own waste disposal in the future and will watch out and report any fly tipping that is seen. How are you getting on without the Old Ship recycling centre? Remember, we in Tatsfield can still recycle plastic carrier bags full of textiles, clothes and paired shoes from our homes every week using the collection service. Crossways and Crossways Court – Parking issues: I held an on-site meeting with officials from TDC and our parish council to try to work out a few ways forward to relieve the parking issues that have developed both in Crossways Court and in the overflow onto Crossways itself. The officials have gone away to look at the feasibility and, of course, the cost of any alleviation measures. When this has been done, the residents will have the opportunity through a consultation to give their views on the proposals put forward. After the meeting I did have an outdoor consultation of my own with some of the residents of Crossways Court and assured them that nothing would happen prior to the consultation taking place. Consultations: Later this month, the parish council Chairman and I will hold a formal meeting with our Surrey County Councillor, David Hodge, to raise issues and seek information about outstanding matters relevant to Tatsfield and Titsey. If you have a matter which you wish to have raised please contact me, even if you have done so before, and I will have it put on the agenda for discussion. If you think I can help you with anything to do with the Tandridge District Council or anything else please do not hesitate to contact me. Cllr Martin Allen (01959 577201 [email protected] or [email protected])

23 MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT Welcome to the first of what are going to be regular ‘Constituency Round-Ups’. I know that lots of you are in regular contact with me and my office about particular campaigns and issues we are working on, but this should give a quick update on just five things that I have been working on, or have been brought to my attention in the past few weeks. Oxted Quarry & Chalkpit Lane Like many Oxted residents, I too am concerned about the daily volume of lorries proposed to be allowed along Chalkpit Lane from the Oxted quarry. The sheer number of lorries proposed is unacceptable and I have been lobbying hard on your behalf to bring this number down to a more sensible level. I recently met Julie Foley, Area Manager at the Environment Agency, and I have arranged a meeting with representatives from both Surrey and Tandridge Councils to visit the site and make further representations. I will update you all soon on any developments. A22/A264 Congestion An issue that was raised during one of my surgeries was the increasing congestion on the A22 at the junction with the A264 at Felbridge. I am keen to help resolve this if possible, and so I have written to Surrey Highways requesting a meeting to discuss this issue and try to find out further if anything can be done to alleviate this. Surgeries After a brief break for the election, my regular constituency surgeries are back on. My August surgeries were fully booked, and I was able to meet many of you to discuss problems you are facing. Employment support allowance, support for people with learning disabilities, immigration, planning, local charities and environmental policy were just a few of the things discussed. Should you ever wish to come and see me at a surgery, please don’t hesitate to contact me at [email protected], or phone the office on 020 7219 3504. Southern Rail I know that the summer has given very little respite for long suffering commuters on Southern Rail, with unions continually threatening disruptive and disproportionate strike action on the network. The Gibb report published back in June was clear that the unions were “the primary cause for the failure of the system integrity” last year and strike action continues to threaten the improvements being made by Govia. I urge all sides to get back round the table to find a way to make long overdue progress in this long running dispute. That said, I am still concerned about Govia’s performance. In the coming weeks I will be meeting CEO Charles Horton again to discuss the service on Southern and the Gibb 24 recommendations in detail, as well as Southern’s plans to implement them. Given August’s announcement of a 3.6% increase in regulated fares next year, it is even more vital that passengers have a good and reliable service. Warlingham Recycling Centre Many of you contacted me regarding the proposed closure of the Bond Road recycling centre in Warlingham. Like many of you, I submitted my views on the consultation, and met Cllr Cindy Steer to ensure your views were being heard regarding the closure. I wrote to the Council (my letter can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/GyimahforEastSurrey/photos/a.206714942815768.107374 1827.204388219715107/887200851433837/?type=3&theater) asking that it reconsiders the decision to close the site given how important it is locally. If you would like any further information on any of the points raised, do contact me on [email protected]. Best wishes, Sam Gyimah MP

25 CAROL MILLER

A letter has been received from Margaret Miller now living in Swansea, bearing the sad news that her sister Carol had passed away at the age of 74 on Monday 7th August after a brief illness.

Carol’s funeral took place at the Morriston Crematorium in Swansea on Monday 21st August attended by her loving family and friends. It was a wonderful send off for a wonderful lady. A wreath was received from Tatsfield Village Club and their kind remembrances of Carol are much appreciated.

Both girls were born in Tatsfield and went to Tatsfield Primary School and then to Warlingham County Secondary Modern. Carol left school at 15 and worked for many years at Mullard the valve factory in Whyteleafe. One of her local workmates at the factory was Enid Gerrard. Carol was eventually made redundant and then went to work in the laundry in Westerham with her mother.

In her youth in the 1950s, Carol was a regular attendee at the Tatsfield St Mary’s Church Youth Club and also a supporter of the village football team, travelling to watch them on away games. Around the age of 12 she made a decision to make Manchester United her team and it was a lifelong commitment. She was a member of the ladies darts team at the Tatsfield Working Men’s Club, again travelling to away games throughout the South East. She was an incredibly good darts player despite her lack of height. (Carol was the same stature as the film star Warwick Davis who appeared in the films of Star Wars; she was popular with everyone in Tatsfield and everyone loved her happy smiling face - DB.) She loved Tatsfield and all her friends there but in 2000 because of increased disability Carol moved to Swansea South Wales to be near her sister Margaret and the family. In 2012, another move was needed into a Care Home where she at once became a very popular resident. When Swansea City got promoted to the Premier League, little did they know of the importance of that to a lifelong Man U supporter from a little village in the South East of England? For three successive seasons she was able to go the Liberty Stadium and watch when Man U came to town. How she loved it. Carol died peacefully with members of her family with her all of the time. Her sister Margaret will at some point, bring back her ashes to Tatsfield to join her mother and granddad in St Mary’s churchyard.

Margaret she finishes her letter with “thank you all for being lifelong friends of Carol; she never forgot any of you”.

David Bishop

26 LINDA’S STORES AND POST OFFICE CLOSING ON 28th OCTOBER 2017 It was 40 years ago, in 1977, that Linda Dance took over what is now Linda’s Stores. Then in 2001 she took over Tatsfield Post Office. This is how it was reported in the March 2001 Parish Magazine which included this photo: “It is 10 months since Tatsfield Post Office closed and we have all been inconvenienced since then, especially those without their own transport. Hopefully, we can put that behind us. It has just been confirmed that Linda Dance has been appointed as Sub-postmaster and will operate Tatsfield Post Office from her shop in The Parade. Linda has issued an invitation to all in the village to come to the grand opening at 1pm on 19th March.” Sadly, we have now reached the end of that chapter as Linda is having to close the shop and Post Office on 28th October and she will be leaving the village later. A buyer has been found and the usual negotiations are proceeding but these will not be completed in time for the new owners to re-open the shop and Post Office by that date. So there will be a gap and we all hope that this will be as short as possible. Meanwhile, the nearest Post Offices are in Biggin Hill, Oxted and Westerham. We will be giving Linda a great send off and information about that will be given later. We are also aiming to raise £2,000 to buy Linda a kiln through donations to Lorraine Maddison’s JustGiving Crowdfunding page and donation boxes at Tatsfield Village Club and the Bakery restaurant, details of which are elsewhere in this magazine. Bob David (Tel: 577357)

To donate towards Linda’s gift via the JustGiving page, please visit https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/a-kiln-for-linda, or please see more information on page 42 of this issue.

27 POLICE REPORT Greetings Tatsfield residents / businesses / visitors / anyone else around: Firstly, it has to be acknowledged that Gerald South will be greatly missed by all those around the village who appreciate the massive contribution he has made to the magazine over the years. Well, it’s definitely a new season now, with more coats and hats being worn around the village, fallen leaves, log fires, and that lovely ‘snug’ feeling that such things bring to the autumn. Sadly, a new season fails to bring a new change of habits for criminals (everywhere), with no snug feelings (or any feelings) shared amongst them it seems. Thankfully, around these parts those coming here with intent have largely left us alone lately. There are always exceptions of course, with a total of three crimes reported in the past month. Firstly, in August, a break-in was attempted at a property in Old Lane. The resident was in, and heard a loud noise on the front door. Noticing a male was attempting to tamper with the lock, the female resident shouted at the male, who ran away. A police dog unit attempted to track the scent of the male, without success. Also, forensic examination of the door came back negative. Also in August a property on Greenway was broken into, the offenders taking three sets of vehicle keys and stealing a vehicle from the driveway. CCTV from a neighbour was found, but not of evidential use. Thankfully the vehicle has now been found and recovered in London. Forensic examination of it came back negative. Lastly, a rear number plate was removed from a vehicle parked in a car park off Approach Road. There are no lines of enquiry regarding this. Apologies if my police surgeries in recent times have been a little random. I love seeing everyone on a Monday morning, having a chat and finding out about ‘local issues’…….. (ok, gossip). These days a mixture of mostly operational requirements (and a bit of sickness), have meant I cannot predict when I’m available, but I get there when I can. Never fear, Rupe is still here!! Needless to say, please keep your eyes/ears/nose open for anything/anyone suspicious around you in your road. It’s never too early for thieves to start thieving for Christmas (yep, said the word). Lastly, hopefully (this time) by the time you read these words, I should have moved house to East Sussex. Sellers have been messing us about. I’m sure some of you have got similar stories……. Take care……see you around the village, Rupert

28 COUNTRYSIDE ACCESS

Surrey has over 2,100 miles of public rights of way and Tatsfield residents are fortunate to have an extensive network to enable them to access the countryside for walking, cycling and horse riding. There are 11.5 miles of public footpaths, bridleways and byways in the parish and responsibility for maintenance is shared. Surrey County Council holds and maintains the definitive map which is the legal record of all rights of way in the county, investigates obstructions, arranges signage and maintains the surface and bridges. Landholders must ensure their stiles and gates are easily accessible and their hedges are cut back from the edge of the path.

Footpaths are for pedestrians only and bridleways can be used by walkers, cyclists and equestrians. Public byways are accessible to all including motorised vehicles. When using a public right of way, you must stay within the width of the path and not allow your dog to stray from the path or foul it. Dogs should always be kept under close control, and it is advisable to keep them on a lead around livestock. Always follow signage - rights of way are signed from the roadside with a fingerpost and en-route with fingerposts, waymark posts or discs. Do not damage fences or other property and please respect requests from landowners to not trespass onto their private land. There is no general ‘right to roam’ but you may wander at will across Open Access land which in Tatsfield applies to areas designated as Common. We always recommend that you take a map if you are not familiar with the area. Do wear appropriate clothing and don’t be surprised if you meet muddy patches or some overgrown vegetation as this is to be expected occasionally when using rural paths.

There’s lots more information on our website (link below) where you will also find our interactive map. If you encounter problems while you’re out use ‘report a problem’ to let us know so we can investigate. http://www.surreycc.gov.uk/environment-housing-and- planning/countryside/footpaths-byways-and-bridleways

Email: [email protected] Phone: 03302 001003 Surrey County Council Countryside Access

29 ART GROUP EXHIBITION 2017 The rhythm and flow of the year in Tatsfield would be incomplete without the annual art exhibition. An occasion where a wide range of the village’s artists exhibit – this year seeing 21 artists exhibiting 239 pieces of work in their own designated areas. With welcome refreshments overseen by Sheila Alexander, the exhibition in the Village Hall buzzed with both artists and art lovers alike. This year’s decision to arrange the exhibition by artist rather than theme worked extremely well, as it was easier to get to know each artist, their strengths and personal themes, much more easily. Further to this, the ‘Introduction to Artists’ provided a useful pen portrait of each artist. The members of TAG, as it is known, have benefitted from excellent tuition over the years, but most significantly from the support and encouragement they provide one another towards their collective endeavour. Many artists join as complete beginners and soon develop their innate skills and talents to impressive levels alongside the more experienced members. Under this year’s arrangement of 21 individual shows, John and Margaret Kenyon- Roberts (60 years married!) exhibited side-by-side, revealing the similarities and differences in their work. Where John’s work evokes a sense of history and place, Margaret brings out the abstract qualities in nature in her painting. Although Ros Gregg’s atmospheric collage ‘London’ was one of many cityscapes, perhaps unsurprisingly for an art group working amid the rolling North Downs, nature in all of its variety and glory featured prominently. Julie Leversedge harmonised collage and watercolour (no mean feat) in her beautiful rendition of a rose ‘Moody Blue’, while the expressive ‘I am Hare’ by Helen Brett was one of many depictions of animals – two of many artists that have held a long standing love for art. With influences from across the world of art, ranging from Maggie Garstang’s striking Fauvist palette to Brian Ling’s amusing animal sculptures, reminiscent of Flanagan’s leaping hares, the quality and range of work was striking. Many, such as Sue Brown, have experimented successfully with a range of media, being both technically accomplished and at times highly expressive. Combining materials with invention and sensitivity, the mixed media works by Carol Pearson, Wendy Maddison and Sue White also demonstrated the technical proficiency typical across the exhibition. On the other hand, some displayed their love of a specific medium. Sandra Shury – one of several that only started creating art on joining TAG, and in her case, just two years ago – displayed beautiful and accomplished pastel paintings, for example. There were notable works by each artist on display. In addition to those already mentioned, I particularly enjoyed Nigel Shaw’s bold semi-figurative ‘Morning Light’; Jackie Copeman’s beautifully painted botanical studies and particularly ‘Pink Hellebore’; the invention of Stevie Hawtin’s mixed-media ’12 Winkles’; Ann Cootes’ technical accomplishment across a range of media, but particularly her tiny pencil drawing ‘Hedgehog’; Sheila Alexander’s vibrant collage ‘Tea Time’; Gill Manners’ experimental ‘Cow Parsley’; the striking watercolour ‘Autumn Wood’ by Linda Lambert; Carol 30 Gaskell’s free and bold ‘A Rose by any other name’; and Christine Stainer’s acrylic ‘Lemons and Limes’, reminiscent of still-life paintings as diverse as those of Cezanne and Uglo. Well done and thank you to all 21 exhibitors and the organisers of TAG for your hard work! If you missed this excellent exhibition this year you missed a treat and make sure you take in this vital event in the life of the village in 2018! Tom Coop

TATTY KNITTERS

‘Behind every great knitter is a huge pile of yarn’

In my case this is so very true, I have so much yarn, I could probably start a small wool shop. The trouble is I see, I like, I buy!!!

And, next month it’s the Alexandra Palace Knitting show …… more yarn, more temptations. Oh well……

It seems unbelievable but we are already talking Christmas meals, Christmas projects etc. Tatty Knitters are participating in a village event in November and we are busy knitting and crocheting poppies

Octobers meet up is in the Bakery on the 10th from 7.30 until 9.30ish. Cake supplied, buy your own drinks.

Be good to see you.

Val Quick (Tel: 07761 571071)

ALLOTMENTS

On Sunday, 20th August, a beautiful sunny day – we had our annual allotment BBQ – slightly later than usual but Alan had the brilliant idea to coincide it with the Biggin Hill Air Show. We had a massive turnout, over 50 turned up with their sausages and burgers, salads and bread, etc. keeping the men busy with the flames. We sat in glorious sunshine, watching the Spitfires turning acrobatically and then a Typhoon jet shot past. Several bi-planes and tri- planes made an unusual appearance, high in the sky, so quiet and graceful, a lovely sight. The Red Arrows gave us 31 a splendid display – the view from up there is quite spectacular. We ate and drank, chatted and laughed a lot. We cheered the planes “Ooh-ing” and “Ahh-ing” as required. At the end of the day, our lovely, generous Carole Cudden, - always the hostess, came around with platters of fruit, cheeses and biscuits and home-made cake for everybody. Mmmm.

Forming a circle – ready and waiting for the Air What can I get you to drink? Or is he Show telling a fishing tale – was it really that big???

Seems to be more drinking that eating???

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Carole has also worked with the boys to build flower troughs which are ready and waiting to be planted and tended by a dementia group and their carers who often enjoy gardening.

We even managed to get the kids to clear up!!! On to more mundane things ... several of the guys (the ones with a misspent “yoof”, obviously!), have been breaking up some of the water containers as they need replacing due to wear and tear. So this was not a case of vandalism or middle-aged men-gone-mad with machetes! The new ones will be installed soon.

You may also have noticed some smart new holding bays at various points on the site. These are to accommodate the ever increasing donations of raw materials that kindly folk offer us for free – often for mutually beneficial reasons. Allotment bartering is strongly encouraged on all levels!

Liz Armitage

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TATSFIELD HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY GARDENING CLUB 7.30pm on Tuesday 10 October At the WI Hall A TALK BY NICK HAGON, MANAGER OF TILGATE PARK, CRAWLEY on AUTUMN COLOUR, SHRUBS, TREES, BULBS AND THE BEAUTIFUL TILGATE PARK

Entrance £1 including light refreshments

ALL WELCOME!

TATSFIELD HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY

8pm on Tuesday 7 November

At Tatsfield Village Hall

A TALK BY TIM PARKER, GARDENS AND COUNTRYSIDE MANAGER, CHARTWELL

on

MY JOURNEY AS A GARDENER AND MY LOVE OF CHARTWELL GARDEN

Entrance £5 including light refreshments

Tickets from any committee member or Linda’s Stores

Preceded by the Society’s AGM at 7.30pm

ALL WELCOME! LITTLE ACORNS PRESCHOOL

34 This half term…We welcomed back all of our younger children at the start of the new term and were excited to see all of the items they had collected in their summer holiday treasure boxes! There were train tickets, shells from a trip to the seaside and photographs of the children enjoying their summers; it was lovely to see that everyone had had so much fun! This term we’ve been looking at ‘all about me’ where we’ve made family tree paintings, shared photos of our families and talked about the pets that we have at home.

Beer Festival Cake Stall: Our first fundraiser of the new academic year was our popular cake stall at the Tatsfield beer festival. Thank you to all of our keen bakers who provide us with some amazing cake creations and to those who volunteered their time to run the stall of the day.

New Committee: As a registered charity we rely heavily on our committee and team of volunteers to help us to manage and make decisions for the preschool, as well as organise our fundraising events during the year which allows us to continue to provide excellent equipment and resources for the preschool. On Tuesday 12th September we held our AGM where we said a sad goodbye to our Chair for the last two years, Natalie Ruggins, as well as some long-serving committee members who have worked so hard for our preschool over the years - a huge thank you to all of you! We were very grateful to be able to welcome our fantastic new committee lead by our new Chair, Jenny Bradshaw - we’re excited to see all of the fresh ideas and input from the new committee and are looking forward to working together with you all.

Volunteers: We are always extremely grateful for any willing volunteers to help within our committee or to organise our fundraisers - if you would like to volunteer please contact the preschool. New Children: We have spaces for new children to start with us at Little Acorns Preschool. If you would like some more information or to register your interest please call 01959 540775 or email [email protected] to arrange a visit. We also have lots of information about the preschool on our website www.littleacornstatsfield.co.uk

Breakfast Club: For both younger children and older children at Tatsfield School, please remember that we offer our breakfast club service from the Village Hall every term- time morning from 7.15am, which includes a healthy breakfast and walking children to Tatsfield School. Please contact us for more information where we’ll be happy to help. Thank you for reading! Mareka Newberry, Office Manager at Little Acorns Preschool ([email protected])

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36 TATSFIELD WINS GOLD!

We have been waiting with great anticipation for the results of the South & South-East in Bloom competition that were announced on Wednesday 20th September at the Awards Ceremony at the Copthorne Hotel. Tatsfield in Bloom representatives heard that Tatsfield had won a Gold Award but had come second to Limpsfield in the Large Village category – a reversal of the 2016 result. Well done to the village again!

Whilst waiting for the results, the volunteers have been continuing to look after the displays and have taken down some of the mangers where the plants had already died. The rest of the baskets and mangers will shortly be taken down to be recycled for next year and autumn planting will replace the summer annuals in the beds and containers during October. The committee will then be meeting to discuss plans for 2018 – any suggestions would be gratefully received!

We are still in need of more volunteers to help on a Saturday morning so if you could spare an hour to join us, we’d love to see you. Just turn up outside The Bakery at 10.00 am – all equipment will be provided.

Jill Hancock (577622)

37 WOMEN ARE FICKLE … or La Donna e Mobile, from Rigoletto by Giuseppe Verdi, is probably the best known and most loved of all tenor arias. It will be sung, along with other delights, by Davide Sorrentino at the next NDS concert on Saturday November 11th at 7.30pm as usual. Among the delights will also be ‘Una Furtiva Lagrima’ (A Secret Tear) by Donizetti (L’Elisir d’Amore) and arguably the greatest operatic tenor aria ever written, Nessun Dorma (Puccini, Turandot). Davide will be our first tenor soloist, but I suspect not our last! Also in the programme will be Weber’s powerful overture ‘Der Freischutz’ and Dvorak Symphony 7, an impassioned expression of classical music in its most glorious form – an evening not to be missed! Tickets would normally of course be available from Linda’s, but with the imminent closure of her shop, they will now be available by speaking to Jan or Peter on 01959 577659, or by emailing [email protected] at the usual price of £9 for adults or £7 for concessions. Peter Maynard

TATSFIELD CRAFT FAIR 26 NOVEMBER 11.00 – 4.00 We are looking for crafty people to have stalls at this event, raising funds for the Gynaecological Cancer Fund. Stalls are £15 for a 6ft. size. Interested? Then contact: KIM JENNINGS 01959 577328 or [email protected]

FOR SALE Yeoman wood/solid fuel stove plus flues and protective guard when doors are open. Maximum output 14 kW. £500 o.n.o telephone 01959 577661

38 ST MARY’S ‘HOLIDAY AT HOME’ This was another good year for holidaying in Tatsfield! The ‘holiday month’ of August can seem a bit dull for those with nothing planned. This was not the case in Tatsfield. There were nearly ninety bookings from thirty-seven different people over the four days of St Mary’s “Holiday at Home” in Tatsfield. To start the week, the church hall was transformed into the Tatsfield Ritz. The most delicious afternoon tea was served by a wonderful team of waitresses suitably dressed for the part. Good food was an enduring theme for the week with a hearty ploughman's lunch, fish and chips and indulgent desserts enjoyed along the way. On Tuesday, a taste of the ‘South Pacific’ came to Tatsfield. The fruit kebabs served during the interval, in keeping with a South Seas theme were very popular. A team of core planners had worked out the holiday programme but the whole enterprise was very well supported by a team of twenty volunteers in all, who contributed behind the scenes with bookings, baking, and on the day by serving, washing up and preparing activities. The wonderful Tatsfield Helpline, co-ordinated by Hazel Cartwright, ensured that all those holidaymakers who needed transport were looked after. Holidaymakers also enjoyed the company of Tatsfield’s District Councillor, Martin Allen, who came to help again this year and as usual was ready to lend a hand wherever it was needed. Pat Walsh had prepared a card-making activity and with her careful guidance many of the guests discovered a hidden talent taking the finished product home with great pride. For some, the chance to switch off and relax in the sun, with a lovely view and an endless supply of coffee, the daily newspaper and a bit of conversation was just the ticket! It was a busy week for all involved and a holiday to remember with lots of laughter and many new friendships made. Many holidaymakers left saying that they were already looking forward to next year! Jennie South

39 FAREWELL, BUT NOT FOREVER… (Visit Report from Lynne and Tina - Fisherman’s Rest Volunteers 2017) On Thursday 29th May we arrived for our third visit to Fisherman's Rest, and hit the ground running… Friday consisted of a revisit to Ntayamwana Primary School to see what had changed since we spent three weeks there in October 2015. We were thrilled to see new classrooms being built, a 60% increase in teaching staff and a new headmaster. So each standard now has a teacher, plus a Fisherman’s Rest monitor/librarian, Symos, to manage the reading room we had set up. We spent a week at Ntayamwana, adding to the reading room and organising hundreds of UN readers that provide a termly Chichewa/English reading scheme. One of the most exciting aspects of our return visit to Ntayamwana was the continued enthusiasm of the learners. Enhancing the reading room further was therefore very rewarding. By the end of the week Symos said that he felt empowered, and like a preacher with a growing congregation, in that, “the more the learners enthusiasm grows, the more my own appetite increases”. There were of course challenges during our stay too. There was a sit-in by the teachers because they hadn't received their leave grant from the government. This did have the benefit of freeing us to work with the learners, as much as we were able, reading stories, doing craft, singing songs, playing games and teaching. We also sponsored and supported Esnatt and Tisundo in delivering a second ‘My Girl Project’, much to the delight of the Ntayamwana learners and mothers. And we returned one evening to screen ‘Shaun the Sheep the Movie’, a surreal experience to share under the stars, in the middle of rural Malawi. We had to pinch ourselves: we were in the Great Rift Valley…watching Shaun the Sheep! Whilst at Fisherman’s Rest there is often the opportunity to share experiences with other volunteers. On one such occasion we accompanied a group repairing two bore holes. In the UK (and the rest of the developed world) we take clean running water for granted. In the villages of rural Malawi all water needs to be carried, usually in buckets on the ladies’ heads, from source, which isn’t always clean. Working bore holes provide clean water and in this instance the repairs reduced the carry time by half, significantly improving the quality of life and health of surrounding villagers. The repairs took approximately 45-90 minutes and cost only a few pounds, with the right skills and expertise. The ensuing celebration was a delight to share in.

40 Another outstanding experience was when Kestin took us to a village and demonstrated how to make a fuel efficient stove for a family. This Fisherman’s Rest initiative halves fuel consumption, which is not insignificant in an area significantly affected by deforestation. Within minutes of our arrival there was a large audience of enthusiastic 2-12 year olds. When the stove was complete everyone came to admire Kestin’s handiwork and pose for photos. In the middle of our stay a container of books needed sorting, tagging and stamping in readiness for Nankufi II Primary School. We installed them in their lovely new library before the paint was dry, and spent the day training the librarians and introducing them to alphabetical order on authors surname for the harder readers. We have fond memories of marching, American GI style, whilst singing “A, B, C…D,E,F,G…” In our final week we went to Namaera Primary School with Esnatt and Tisundo to deliver another ‘My Girl Project’. It was a delight and a joy for us to spend two days with the mothers’ group. There was much laughter, singing and dancing, particularly upon the award of end-of-course reusable sanitary packs. We also popped in to the boys’ training to award the end-of-course BRAVE (Boys Respect And Value Equality) bands. On many afternoons we visited Tilitonse Community Centre, to read and play games with the children and work with Flossie and the ladies in the adult literacy programme. This was a thoroughly enjoyable experience. The ladies displayed such tenacity and determination to learn and always with such good humour. We have such fond memories of the fun and laughter of learning times tables, English prepositions, etc together. As the ladies’ English improved so did our Chichewa! It was a most rewarding time, greatly helped by our monitors, Banes and Shann, and our drivers. It was a delight to work with them again, and we are continually impressed with their dedication, enthusiasm and sheer hard work. It is impossible to convey the full extent of the reward and satisfaction that we get out of the privilege of volunteering. We hope we have given a flavour of our experience, and shared a little of our enthusiasm. We also hope that you can see how your donations, no matter how big or small, really can make a difference to the lives of others in rural Malawi. As was said to us, on the 29th June, as our time at Fisherman’s Rest ended, “It is farewell, but not forever…” Tina Rhoda (576354)

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42 ALZHEIMER’S RESEARCH CHARITY SUCCESS LONDON TO PARIS CYCLE RIDE “Thank You” to all those kind and thoughtful members of the village community who supported the Exeter Researcher’s Team on their recent charity ride in July to raise additional funds for the Alzheimer’s Society. I felt you would be pleased to read that five of the initial team were successful in their attempt to complete the challenge. One of the initial team of 6 had to pull out of the cycle ride because he was knocked off his cycle by a pedestrian and unfortunately broke his wrist. The JustGiving website advises that the team raised 96% of its target achieving a total of £11,560. Whilst the team were cycling to Paris our granddaughter Poppy was making arrangements to raise further funds to add to the Just Giving website. Together we planned a Pop-in Breakfast at our home in Parkwood Road and invited family, friends and neighbours along with passing dog walkers to come and enjoy the buffet breakfast. The final total in the donation bucket was a surprising £470 which was added to the JustGiving site. We approached a few local supermarkets for assistance with perhaps a discount on the cost of buying the necessary food for the breakfast and I am pleased to advise that Waitrose responded with an offer of a Gift Card to use when buying in Biggin Hill. A really big “Thank You” goes to Waitrose for offering their help with this initiative. The Pop-in Breakfast was such an enjoyable and sociable event that I will be planning another date in support of the Alzheimer’s Society during the spring when the bluebells can be enjoyed along with some early morning refreshment. Thank you all again, Marion and David Randall

43 DAY NURSERY RECEIVES OUTSTANDING ON ITS FIRST INSPECTION A Tatsfield day nursery is celebrating a glowing Ofsted report where it was judged to be outstanding in all areas. Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery Tatsfield in Church Hill was given the highest ranking by Ofsted. The day nursery’s ranking was outstanding in all four categories it was measured against; effectiveness of leadership and management, quality of teaching, learning and assessment, personal development, behaviour and welfare and outcomes for children. The nursery, which opened in June 2015, has 60 children aged seven months to four and a half years. "We are absolutely delighted with the outcome, especially since it is our first inspection. It is gratifying that all of our hard work has paid off," said Jane Martin, Nursery Manager. The Ofsted Report noted: “Staff provide a challenging and stimulating environment, and they consistently encourage children to lead their own play and learning.” “Children are extremely independent and enjoy a range of responsibilities. For example, they show extreme confidence in preparing their own snacks and enthusiastically wash up after snack from a very young age.” “Support to children who have special educational needs is exceptional.” The inspirational leadership and children's behaviour was also highly praised throughout the report. When asked, Jane had this to say about the nursery, “Monkey Puzzle Tatsfield is really quite a special place. We offer all round excellent childcare delivered by passionate staff who are prepared to go the extra mile for our children. We have high expectations of what our children can achieve and give them the support they need to reach their goals.” She further mentioned: “We have excellent relationships with our parents; we listen to them and take account of their individual needs and wishes. We never take for granted the faith they put in us when they entrust us with their children.” We, as management couldn’t be more proud of our children, parent community and amazing staff team. If you would like further information, please visit www.monkeypuzzletatsfield.co.uk or email: [email protected]. Sharene Menteath 44 NEW BLOOD AND BUILDERS’ BAGS This is about the Community Composting Scheme - but please read on! Starting with the builders’ bags: we are delighted that so many people use the site but, recently, we have become the victims of our own success and have been somewhat overwhelmed by the amount of waste we are receiving. At the old site we used to have a “no-builders’-bag” policy. We let that lapse when we got the new, big shredder and we don’t want to reintroduce a total ban. However, we feel we need to ask people to moderate the amount of waste they bring to the site and to use builders’ bags only on a very occasional basis. This will take effect at the beginning of the season next year. Next – the new blood! We have a core of about seven permanent volunteers. Some have been involved for 12- 15 years and none of us is getting any younger. If the scheme is to continue we really need to get some more people involved. When the scheme started we had about thirty volunteers to draw on and, consequently, most people were only required to do one Saturday per month. We would like to get back to that scenario so if you feel you could do one Saturday morning a month we would love to hear from you. There are a whole range of jobs to suit most levels of physical ability. We realise we might appear to be a rather unapproachable, enclosed as we are in our compound, busy on our respective tasks, but in fact the opposite is true. We are a very friendly and welcoming group and there is always tea, coffee and biscuits and quite often cake at 11 o’clock! As well as providing a service for the community, the scheme is also supposed to be a fun activity for the volunteers. The fun element can diminish if the workload becomes too much so please consider all of the above and if you feel you can help please let me know at the email address below. I am very happy to give people a tour of the site to give a better idea of what we do. Philip Brett ([email protected])

45 HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY Thank you everyone for all your hard work in making the autumn show an absolute success. We had the best show for seven years and nearly topped 400 entries. Behind the scenes we had Des Bishop putting up the info boards two weeks before in the village centre, and up on the main road. Then it was on to writing up the entry cards on Friday morning with Angela Sawyers, Pam Draper, Kay Longley, Christine Stainer and myself and registering everyone on a spreadsheet. Friday evening it was all go with the committee Peter Maynard, Martin Allen, Bob David, Jon Allbutt, Christine Stainer, Carol Gaskell, Angela Sawyers, Roy Bell, and volunteers Gerald South, Neil Warren, Ian Longley, Paul Stainer and Roger Sawyers, collecting the tables and arranging them ready for the show the following morning. A job that was to take less than an hour due to a ‘Team Effort’! Thank you to Alan Armitage for printing the class titles so clearly. Saturday morning dawned and the hall was opened at 8.30am by Peter and Angela. Exhibits began arriving and soon the Village Hall was transformed into a show of excellence. We also had the biggest pumpkin so far which was far too heavy for the tables so I used it to greet everyone by the entrance on the floor….thank you Britta for bringing it. It took two people to lift it. The judges arrived at 10.30am. They were Rhod Jones, the head gardener from Titsey Place, and Richard Dering from Sanderstead. Both judged the vegetables and flowers independently, and were stewarded by Jon Allbutt and Martin Allen. Jan Ling judged the crafts sections and was stewarded by Carol and then Jan helped steward the vegetable judge. Nigel Shaw judged the art, stewarded also by Carol – wow we had 39 masterpieces - and the junior sections as well! We really could do with more entries, so watch this space!?! Zoe Woodward judged the flower arranging and what a job she had with 16 exhibits this time. Gina Sheenan judged the domestic section stewarded by Peter Maynard and the photography sections were judged by Ray Collins, and stewarded by Angela, who kindly supplied the attached photos. Martin and Gerald had the laptop out, working hard on spreadsheets totting up the points. Judging finished and then it was up to the Millennium Church Hall for a well-deserved delicious lunch cooked by the WI ladies. Thanks go to Pat Walsh, Doreen Harper, Barbara Piggott, Sue Smale, Margaret Bishop, Sandra Shury, and Stevie Hawtin. VIP guests and vice presidents included David and Ann Hodge, Dave and Jan Bishop, Vice Presidents Alan and Liz Armitage, Kay and Ian Longley, Melvyn Murgatroyd, Pam Draper, and Phil and Helen Brett plus all the helpers named before.

46 At 3pm it was back in the hall and all systems go. Pam, Kay and Lorna were on the raffle raising £134. Ken Munday stepped in and helped on door duty collecting £112. Volunteer tea ladies, Sue Brown, Sybil Yates, Helen Brett and Jan Maynard helped both Angela and Carol raising £105. Martin and Chris Rowson ran the auction raising £32. Prize monies were collected from our ‘Banker’ Christine. Dave Bishop spent an hour in the hall on Friday setting up the sound system, so I was ready for welcoming each and every one of you, then calling the raffle with over a dozen raffle prizes. Thank you for your donations too. Then David Hodge gave a speech congratulating the society for all the splendid entries and thanked everyone for coming. David then presented the cups, trophies and medals to 15 different prize winners and super photo moments were had thanks to Dave Bishop. Then the big clean up began. It really helps having non-committee helpers to put the tables away and clear up as by now we are all feeling somewhat weary. Thanks must go to Stuart Payne, Neil Warren, Ian Longley, Paul Stainer and Roger Sawyers plus all the committee. Thanks Carol for the final ‘sweep’. The winners were: Presidents Challenge Cup - Bob David most points in horti sections Club Challenge Cup – Bob David most points in vegetable sections Elizabeth Challenge Cup – Alan Armitage most points in flower sections The McHugo Trophy – Rita McKay most points in flower arrangement sections Slatter Trophy – Carol Pearson most points in the crafts sections Peter Warner Trophy – Carol Gaskell most points in the art sections Jeff Bloxham Trophy – George Hadden most points in the photography sections Tom Black Cup – Lerryn Rowson most points in the domestic sections Tatsfield School Cup – Betty Barker aged three most points in the junior sections Trophies awarded to the best exhibit in the show: Harry Shrubb Memorial Trophy – Dahlia - Bob David Ron Draper Award – Best vegetable tomatoes - Angela Sawyers Clark Cup - Best flower arrangement – Kay Longley Tony Erbes Cup – Best onion exhibit – Peter Maynard Allotment trophy – Best vegetable from the allotments - Carol Cuddon – Annual Awards: RHS Banksian Medal – Most points in both shows for horticultural sections - Sue Warren RHS Grenfell Medal – Most points in both shows for flower arranging sections – Rita McKay

47 The Betty Henton Memorial trophy- most points in both shows in the novice flower arranging sections – Christine Stainer The Godard trophy – The most points in both shows for a parent and child entries - the Hadden Family The sunflower competitions were both won by brothers Lewis Longley aged 10 and Ben Longley aged 8 in the two categories.

More committee members and volunteers would be really welcome in the future. If you wish to join the ‘team’ please contact me soon on 542892. Going forward to 2020…we need younger people to join us. I look forward to seeing you at our next event – The Garden Club on October 11th with Nick Hagon. (See advert in the magazine on page ?) Then there’s our AGM in November with the Head Gardener from Chartwell. Watch this space!!! Sue Warren, Chairman

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Friday Mornings 10.30 until noon The Meeting Room, Aileen McHugo Building The Forget-me-not café is now well settled in our new venue and we welcome between 10 and 15 people each week. By the time you read this we will all have enjoyed many Friday mornings together tackling crosswords and quizzes, drinking numerous cups of tea and coffee, munching through biscuits and cakes, visiting the allotment (weather permitting) planting bulbs, decorating a large tablecloth with patterns chosen by each of us, sharing news and thoughts, and laughing……lots of laughing. In the future weeks we will be looking forward to trying our hand at flower arrangements, creating some bespoke creams and lotions using wonderful essential oils, giving needlecraft a go and creating some decorations for the Special Care Baby Unit and trying to make some bird feeders and finally cracking the crossword!! If this appeals to you or you would like to find out more about us please come and join us. There is no need to book, just pop in. We look forward to welcoming you. If you want any further information please call Sandra on: 01959 573338 or email [email protected] Carys Long

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ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO THIS MONTH Two men from Tatsfield died in action in October 1917.

On the 14th October, John Standing of the 7th Battalion Rifle Brigade was posted missing during the third battle of Ypres. His death is commemorated at the Tyne Cot Passchendaele Memorial in Belgium.

The Third Battle of Ypres offensive was mounted to divert German attention from a weakened French front. The main assault began at the end of July but quickly became a dogged struggle against determined opposition and the rapidly worsening weather. The campaign finally came to a close in November with the capture of Passchendaele. The memorial on which Rifleman Standing’s death is recorded bears the names of almost 35,000 officers and men whose graves are not known.

John Standing was born in Tatsfield in 1889 and was the son of James and Emma Standing (née Burkin) of "Sunnybank", Old Lane. He was the brother of Thomas Walter Standing, born in Tatsfield in 1897, a member of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve who died in 1919. Both names appear on the memorial plaque in St Mary’s Church. Thomas Walter is buried in St Mary’s churchyard.

Twelve days after Rifleman Standing had been reported missing news was received that Corporal Norman Beagley of the Queens Own Royal West Kent Regiment had also not been heard from. He too died at Passchendaele and is buried at Tyne Cot - The largest Commonwealth war cemetery in the world.

Norman Beagley was the son of William John and Annie Beagley (née Blake) of 1 Grove Road, Tatsfield. He was born in Cudham in 1894 and worked for the Post Office. His name also appears on the memorial plaque in St Mary’s Church.

Ian Mitchell, Tatsfield History Project: Email: [email protected] Tel: 577376

50 ST MARY’S MATTERS

The September OTB (All Age service) considered “new opportunities for the new term”, and then on October 1st we link in with the celebration of Harvest Festival. Looking ahead, at our next OTB on November 5th we’ll take a look at The Beatitudes – various promises of blessing given by Jesus. All Souls’ Service Sunday 29th October 3.30pm This gentle service offers a time to remember those we have loved and see no more. There is the opportunity to remember them by name and to light a candle in their memory. Over the years many people have found this a particularly valuable time as we gather together to share our sadness and also to give thanks for the lives that have meant so much to us. The service will be followed by tea and cake in the hall. Notes from the St Mary’s Parochial Church Council (PCC) meeting on Wednesday 6th September The Church Council noted that Remembrance Sunday (12th November) will be a normal 10am service with a Remembrance theme, including observation of the two minutes silence at 11am and the reading of the Roll of Honour. The 9.15am Holy Communion on the third Thursday of the month is to be discontinued with effect from 1st October in the light of the very small numbers attending. The PCC noted that Christmas Eve falls on the 4th Sunday of Advent. It was decided to follow the normal pattern for Christmas Eve by offering a 4.30pm Christingle Service (venue to be confirmed) and an 11.30pm Midnight Communion. There will be no morning service at St Mary’s on that day but a 10am service to mark the 4th Sunday of Advent is likely to be offered within the Team at St Peter’s, Limpsfield. In 2018 Sunday teas will run from Sunday 6th May to Sunday 30th September inclusive. Harvest Festival All Age Service 10am 1st October Thank you to all who contributed to decoration of the church and harvest gifts – we hope to include a report in the November magazine. Flower rota for October 1st October: Harvest 8th October: Jan Maynard 15th October: Christine Rosenbaum 22nd October: Christine Rosenbaum 29th October: Anne Vatcher 100 Club results September. 19. S Vine £25 32. K Munday £15 3. D Vale £10 St Mary’s Church £50

51 Churchyard The area immediately round the church and the trimming of the last piece of the hedge was the focus of our tidy-up session in September and, thanks to Peter Maynard, Kay and Keith Roberts, Dickon Poole and Veronica Short, it became an attractive background for an imminent wedding. There is still much to be done before the winter – our last planned tidy-up is on October 6th but, weather permitting, we may manage a further session in November. Mary Smith Westminster Abbey Parish Pass The parish has a pass enabling free access for up to four adults or young people up to the age of 18yrs to Westminster Abbey - a total saving for two adults and two children would be £45. Children up to age of five are admitted free to the Abbey if accompanied by an adult. A free audio guide is available. If you would like to borrow this pass please phone The Rectory on 577289 An Invitation St Mary’s Church is open to all. We welcome visitors to our services, groups and events, as well as enquiries from Tatsfield residents concerning matters of faith, baptism, confirmation, weddings, funerals, burials, interment of ashes. Please do contact us via the Church Office (01959 577289), if we might be able to help. Records 9th September Marriage of Paul Goodridge and Julia Ward 10th September Baptism of Fox Banks

52 SAVE FAIRTRADE TEA On Saturday 16th September the Tatsfield Fairtrade group had another of their Tea Tent mornings outside Linda's. We are the big green gazebo tent! Our aim with our tea/coffee mornings is to raise awareness of Fairtrade by offering, free of charge, Fairtrade tea, coffee, hot chocolate and bakes. This time we also wanted to also voice our concern about Sainsbury’s move to ditch the Fairtrade Mark from some of their own-brand tea and to replace it with a ‘Fairly Traded’ label. Sainsbury’s have decided to abandon Fairtrade and pilot their own scheme. Over 220,000 tea farmers are affected by this decision and they will no longer be able to decide for themselves how to spend the money that they have earned through the Fairtrade Premium. The move is also very likely to mislead customers, like you and me, who may think ‘Fairly Traded’ is the same as independent Fairtrade certification. It's not. The change.org petition, Sainsbury’s: don’t ditch Fairtrade! Has been signed by more than 98,000 people. Please add your signature. Meanwhile, the good news is that Waitrose has recently announced that it is strengthening its commitment to Fairtrade – all own-brand tea will now carry the Fairtrade mark!

As many of you are aware, Jennie South has now moved away from the village and so we have a vacancy on our committee. It is not an onerous job, so if you feel enthusiastic about Fairtrade please give Barbara Hester a call to ask her any questions, tel: 01959 439439.

Alizon Mooney Tatsfield Fairtrade Group

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TATSFIELD ART GROUP Village Hall Westmore Green Tatsfield TN16 2AG

Come and join us for a Painting Evening or two “In the Style of Van Gogh” with PIPPA DOIG 20th & 27th November 7.30 – 10.00 pm £15 per evening and/or Watch a Demonstration by SHARON HURST “Fantasy Artist” in watercolour 12th March 2018 7.30 – 10.00 p.m. £10 Please ring Carol Gaskell 577724 or Christine Stainer 577803 for further details

TPFA Congratulations to the winners of the Tatsfield PFA 100 Club for August 2017: 1st Prize: Michael Wiggins £45.00 2nd Prize: M Budgen £30.00 3rd Prize: Richard Olive £15.00 Thank you for supporting sport in Tatsfield.

Les Eames

54 GERALD AND JENNIE SOUTH For many years Doctor Gerald South and his wife Jennie have served the Village in so many ways and they are now saying goodbye to Tatsfield to go to pastures new in the West Country. So to thank them for their hard work over many years villagers organised a party at the Village Hall on the afternoon of Saturday, 2nd September from 4 – 6pm. By 4pm the Village Hall had been decorated with heavily-laden tables set out with lots of tasty food and drink all arranged by a team of people that had worked hard to make the whole place look absolutely super. By the starting time the whole hall was packed with so many people that there was standing room only. There was a “running order” in operation that invited representatives to speak on behalf of their organisations into two microphones. The comperes for the event were the Revd. Vince Short and Martin Allen. To welcome everyone to this auspicious occasion the Revd. Vince Short opened the speeches with; “a warm welcome as we gather as a community to say farewell to Jennie and Gerald. I am very aware that as we thank them for their contribution to Tatsfield and beyond over the last 37 years, we are also celebrating the quality of our community life as a whole, so thank you for being here. Apologies for absence include the following (and we apologise for any omissions!): Alan Allchorne – Phil and Helen Brett – Fiona and Mike Pendleton, Rob and Sue Saunders - Hugh Corrance and Ann Vatcher – Andrew Bond - Neil Warren – Howard Such – Michael and Ruth Rainbird – Richard Carey – Thelma and Derek Coop – Catherine Wood – Peter & Lynne Atkinson – Bob and Carole Evans – Tim Maton – Brian and Janet Spicer.” Apologies for absence (and letters from them) were read out from Brian Spicer and Revd. Catherine Wood, the Very Revd Peter Atkinson, Dean of Worcester Cathedral, who was here in Tatsfield from 1983-1990. The Revd. Vince Short later went on “And now for my brief contribution, thank you Gerald and Jennie, for supporting me and helping me (and Veronica) to settle in to life in Tatsfield – it seems like you are leaving all too soon. As a newcomer of less than one year in the village, I want to say a big “amen” to all that has already been said…which means “I agree”. I’m sure you won’t mind if we have forgotten to include or elaborate upon one or two things but before I go on, thank you, Jennie, for your part in setting up and running Hear, Here, our local hearing aid aftercare service. Thank you, Gerald, for your contribution to the work of Churches Together in Oxted and District, including your past service as chairperson and your more recent roles as clergy representative on the executive and as publicity officer. Thanks also for the part you played in the Green Fair that was held in Tatsfield some years ago. The address ended with “As I said at the beginning, we are celebrating community today and you have both contributed a great deal to the way in which people and organisations work together locally. In addition, I 55 know that you have touched many individual lives through your love and practical support, which I see as a quiet testimony to your faith in God and the outworking of the well-known command or maxim ‘love your neighbour as yourself’.” There were a number of speakers called to the stage microphone that followed including Ian Mitchell who spoke on behalf of the Parish Council, Jennifer Evans followed on behalf of Tatsfield Primary School, Chris Hancock and Marjory Broughton on behalf of church wardens (Marjory was extremely amusing and her presentation was really enjoyed by all present). Bob David on behalf of the parish magazine (another witty and brilliant speech), Jan Maynard whose magical team of flower arrangers at St Mary’s church is enjoyed by so many visitors, the Ricketts Hill Neighbourhood Watch by Ken Munday, the Tatsfield Village Appraisal by Sue Smale, the Team Rector by the Revd. James Percival (very amusing), the Tatsfield Horticultural Society, by the chairman Sue Warren, the Tatsfield in Bloom group by Jon Albutt. There was a short break where Dawn Forrester Groom gave a speech on behalf of the Tatsfield Singers and what followed was a show-stopping performance of those talented Tatsfield Singers conducted by a lady with total charisma - Alex Deterding. They sang a wonderful song specially written for Gerald and Jennie South. No microphone was needed for this lady conductor, she has it all. Then the speeches continued with Hilary Harber on behalf of the Tatsfield Fair Trade group, the Area Dean by the Revd. Kathryn Percival, the Dementia Café by Sandra Shury, the previous vicar – the popular Revd. Louise Ellis, the Tatsfield Community composting, by the witty and brilliant, Martin Allen. Both Gerald and Jennie South gave a thank you to everyone present which was quite moving. Cards and presents were given to the leaving pair and a general toast called by the two comperes the Revd. Vince Short and Martin Allen, to “wish them good luck in their new venture”. There must be a huge thank you due to the team that put so much into making this special event the success that it turned out to be. The working group who prepared the "goodbye" event (L - R) Madie Langford, Marjory Broughton, Mary Bull, Heather Leaves, Julie Jewell, Martin Allen, Vince and Veronica Short, Chris Hancock, Cecily Bateman, Harry Boys and Nathaniel Bateman. Dave Bishop

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57 RAILWAY HISTORY Between the 1860s and the 1920s no fewer than nine railway schemes were proposed which would have involved Tatsfield. The prospect of such schemes encouraged landowners to sell off plots for building and it is this which profoundly affected the growth of the village. Nevertheless, only two proposals provided for a station in Tatsfield. The first scheme was for an extension to the Surrey and Sussex Railway from South Croydon to East Grinstead, proposed in 1863. It would have provided a branch line to Westerham, but crucially for Tatsfield, it was never built. Three more schemes followed in fairly short order. All would have entered the parish from the north near Gorsey Down Farm, gone into a 2,000 yard tunnel near the northern end of Old Lane and emerged south of Clarks Lane. The fifth – the Westerham Valley Railway – was put forward in 1875. This was to run from Dunton Green via Westerham to Oxted, crossing the extreme south of the parish. In 1882 the London and Eastbourne Railway would have gone into a tunnel north of Tatsfield and then passed under Limehouse Bottom (generally known as Ship Wood), before emerging north of Pilgrims Way, and continuing across Limpsfield Common. The seventh proposal merely renewed the lapsed powers of the uncompleted Westerham Valley line. The eighth and last 19th century scheme would have given Tatsfield a station. The Orpington Cudham and Tatsfield Light Railway, for which application was made in 1898, would have crossed Rag Hill, passed behind the old school, crossed Church Lane, and terminated near the site of the Village Hall and the present school. In 1901 a joint committee to promote the railway was set up by Tatsfield and Cudham parish councils, but the finance could not be raised. An embankment to the west of Rag Hill about 100 yards north of Parkwood Road may be a relic of some exploratory work. The ninth and final proposal for a railway through Tatsfield was launched in 1925. The Southern Heights Light Railway was to have run from a junction with the Southern Railway at Orpington to another at Sanderstead. Tatsfield would have its own station. The Southern Railway planned to run the service on a loop from Charing Cross back to Charing Cross. The parish council was in favour from the start, but the promoter, who was still trying to raise the finance, died and with him so did the project. The effect it might have had on Tatsfield if built can hardly be imagined. [Based on a chapter from ‘Tatsfield, the First 2,000 Years’ contributed by Denis Hayes in 1999]. Ian Mitchell, Tatsfield History Project: (Email: [email protected] Tel: 577376)

58 THE NIGHT SKY IN TATSFIELD – OCTOBER 2017 Anyone who is unlucky enough to have an early morning alarm call may feel compensated to some extent by seeing the brilliant planet Venus low down in the east just before sunrise. If you have the chance to look for it, do so sooner rather than later as it is moving back into the twilight and will soon be lost to view until it re-appears in the evening sky around March next year. The other advantage, astronomically speaking, of being up early is that you get to see the winter constellations before all those people who have to wait until they appear in the evening skies. This gradual cycle of the constellations changing with the time of year is caused solely by our journey around the Sun. The stars rise a few minutes earlier each day because we have moved on a little in our orbit and so are looking in a very slightly different direction. Everything is in fact in motion. The Earth is spinning on its axis and of course is at the same time circling the Sun. While this is happening, the entire solar system is moving as our Galaxy (The Milky Way) rotates about its centre of gravity. If all that wasn’t enough we have to remember that the expansion of the universe means that our galaxy is moving away from all other galaxies (with one or two exceptions). Of course we all think of the Earth as a globe, apart from a tiny number of people who still believe that it is flat, but the word “globe” does not fully describe its shape. To be more precise we should refer to it as an “oblate spheroid” which roughly translated means it is a sphere that is slightly flattened at the poles. This means that if we were to measure it we would find that the distance around the equator is 43 kilometres longer thanks to the effects of centrifugal force. The Moon though also has a hand in the Earth’s shape. Most of us are aware that the Moon (and to a much lesser extent the Sun) cause tides on the Earth, but it isn’t generally understood that the pull of our satellite also causes a bulge in the Earth’s solid surface as well as in its oceans. Also, did you know for example that, when the tide comes in the weight of the water causes the land in that area to sink slightly? One of the effects of the gravitational interaction between the Earth and Moon is to slow the Earth’s rotation very slightly which has the outcome of promoting the Moon into a slightly higher orbit. This means that a day on Earth is lengthening by approximately two milliseconds per century and the Moon is moving away from Earth at the rate of 3.8 cm per year. The Moon always keeps the same face towards us which means that its “day” is the same length as its “year”. In other words it rotates on its axis in the same time that it takes to orbit the Earth once. This is known as “captured rotation” or “tidal locking” and is reasonably common elsewhere in the Solar System. Brian Mills FRAS

59 NIGEL’S NATURE NOTES

Correspondence:

We have lots of news to catch up on, so let’s get cracking. Our first report arrived from Martin Allen and Julie Jewell in Paynesfield Road (15.06.17):

‘We seem to have lost our female blackbird, and possibly our male, as we have no one coming to the back door for currants like we have for the last four years. In one year we saw four sets of youngsters from them, this year - nothing. But we have had an increase in (house) sparrows nesting in the roof space, under the tiles, and we see some going into the hedge at regular intervals. We have four nest boxes around the garden but the only one that produced fledglings was the one outside our back door. It contained a family of blue tits. We were extremely lucky one morning to see one of the young ‘fledge’ from the box to a nearby hedge where it stayed for a few hours before we lost sight of it. We have seen the young of dunnock, greenfinch, sparrow and goldfinch so things are looking good at No.38, and to make it even better, just yesterday we had a bullfinch on the nijer seeds. It looked magnificent in the sunlight. Jays and magpies continue to feed on the fat balls, robins follow us around as we garden but we have not had our spotted woodpecker back since last year, although we did see one climbing up a telegraph pole outside No.42. We continue to see the red kites along and around the area of the Limpsfield Road, along with buzzards and a kestrel.’

I’m sure those blackbirds will be replaced later in the year, Martin; as soon as this year’s fledglings feel their territorial urge. In the meantime, what a great variety of species you have managed to attract, including house sparrows. We’ve had three or four visiting our garden for the first time in several years. Perhaps it’s time to renovate the block of flats I built them? Who would have thought when we were younger, that sparrows would cause excitement?

A more recent report from No.38 is truly heart-warming (although if you’re a keen gardener, battling with nature, you may disagree!) (08.09.17):

‘(Please find attached) a photo of the latest ‘nature’ being nurtured at No.38 – whether we like it or not! These are the (large white) caterpillars that ‘did’ for our Brussel plants. As it was too late to save the plants, we let the caterpillars live and they got bigger and not long after, they just disappeared.’

60 Probably like yourself, Martin, I remember a time when white butterflies were commonplace, and indeed there do appear to be a good number around this summer. Perhaps there are others locally who, like yourself, are happy to sacrifice a plant or two in order to allow our small and large whites to flourish. That’s good, practical conservation. To you and those unknown others I say, ‘well done and thank you’. Surely, gardening should be in balance with nature, not a battle against it?

Our next report comes from Peter Maynard (29.06.17):

‘I have seen a couple of ‘unusual’ birds recently in which you may be interested. I saw a cock pheasant up at the allotments two days ago, but it did not have the usual chestnut, spotted black breast. Instead, it had a very dark green breast. This is, of course, a known variant, as is the common one around here with a white neck stripe, but I have not seen the green one before. The other bird was a female great spotted woodpecker – red under the tail, no red on the head – which was on our nut feeder yesterday. It did, however, have red on its back and between the wings - something that I have never seen or heard of before. Any information on this one?’

I have yet to spot the ‘green’ pheasant variant, Peter, but I guess it could be the same one that Nicola Reeves reported a few months ago. Although hers was described as dark blue, I think the direction of the sun’s light could explain the difference. As for the odd red markings on the woodpecker - well, no explanation and no other reports, I’m afraid. I wish I could blind you with knowledge, but I can’t. It’s these little anomalies that keep us on our toes. Of course, during spring and summer there are lots of juveniles around that display confusing plumage, such as the blackbird that Nicola reported as being half black and half brown, but that wouldn’t seem to apply in your case. Perhaps you’ll be able to snap a photo, should it re-appear.

Black bees: Well, no sooner do we have a report from John of black bees at ‘The Andrew’s House’ (Greenway) than a report appears on ‘Country File’ (10.09.17). I call that good timing. I must confess that I missed the programme but have since watched it using the BBC’s ‘iPlayer’ facility. It turns out that these bees are very rare, making up less than 1% of the native honey-bee population. They are known as either ‘dark’ or ‘black’ honey-bees and tend to be calmer and less aggressive than the ‘normal’ honey- bee. Cross fertilisation is, however, a problem, so very few hives are genetically pure. I wonder how pure yours are, John. And what about the honey? Time to get up that ladder again!

We already have some great reports lined up for November, but your contribution will be most welcome. Go on, give it a go – Nature Notes needs YOU!

Any news or views? Contact: [email protected] Alternatively, drop a note in to ‘Linda’s Stores’, or to ‘Primrose Ridge’, Greenway.

61 THE TATSFIELD GARDENER IN OCTOBER The desirability of hedges seems to be in the news lately with lots of tips on the best species to plant but not enough information on care and management so here are a few helpful hints. The owner of a hedge is responsible for keeping it within the boundaries of the garden, this is especially important if it is adjacent to a path or road; if you are not sure whether the hedge belongs to you, speak to your neighbour just to be sure. If your hedge is causing an obstruction, or is interfering with sight-lines you may be contacted by letter requiring you to take action. In general, a hedge should be narrower at the top for better stability and to allow light and moisture to reach the roots. A wide weak top is also very vulnerable to splitting apart in high winds and/or wet snow. After years of regular clipping some hedges can become very woody, misshapen and lose vigour. In this situation, some types will benefit from ‘a good haircut’, by cutting back harder into older wood to re-shape and re-invigorate them. Laurel, beech, hornbeam and privet are good examples but beware of cutting some evergreens and conifers too hard! It is also important to remember that large bushes and hedges are vital habitats for a lot of species, not just birds. Depending on the season some bird species will start nesting in early spring and can continue with second, or more, broods into July and sometimes August. You must not disturb nesting birds so make sure to carry out a careful inspection before cutting, better still, time your cutting to between September and January. Many species of mouse, shrews, hedgehogs and more depend upon large bushes and hedges for protection, this is particularly so of the leaf litter on the ground – don’t be a tidy gardener and rake it all out please! This is the month to plant pansies, wallflowers, violas, bellis (daisies), myosotis (forget me nots), spring flowering bulbs and other plants to give you a super display next spring. The soil is warm enough to encourage root growth that will help them survive any cold winter weather. We can expect some wild autumn weather this month and into November so take care to secure your climbing plants and cut back any tall roses that have finished flowering to reduce the risks of wind damage. Check any supporting stakes you may have for trees making sure you ‘ease’ the ties to allow for good growth this year. Jon Allbutt

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FILMS IN TATSFIELD IN OCTOBER Several people have asked if we could show the new Churchill film at the Village Hall. For a variety of reasons, we often cannot meet a request for a particular film but in this case we are very glad to be able to do so, with Curzon Country Cinema showing “Churchill” on the evening of Saturday 21st October. It is a popular choice and we are looking forward to a good crowd enjoying the film on the big screen at the Village Hall. Don’t be misled: this is not a film about the life of Churchill. The film concentrates on the days as D-Day nears in June 1944. The beleaguered Prime Minister Churchill, fearful of repeating past mistakes, is reluctant to embark on the large scale campaign on which the entire war effort hinges. Clashing with his political opponents, the troubled leader receives unwavering support from his devoted wife, Clementine. One critic said Brian Cox’s “towering performance as Churchill is worthy of the great man himself” and Miranda Richardson is similarly praised for her performance as Clemmie. It is going to be an enjoyable and stimulating evening.

Showing in the afternoon is “Rango”, a computer-animated comedy-western film about a domesticated chameleon who assumes the role of a sheriff in a frontier town populated by desert creatures. It features the voices of Johnny Depp, Bill Nighy, Ray Winstone and Alfred Molina among others. It is suitable for adults and children. Tickets are just £5 and you can pay at the door. Details of times etc. are elsewhere in this magazine. Bob David

63 TATSFIELD RAMBLERS Details of walks in the surrounding area for October 2017 are as follows. Everyone welcome including your dogs. Sunday 1st October 2017 Leader: Sue Hyder and Maggie Amos Start Point: 10.45am By the Green, Chiddingstone Map Ref: TQ501451 Postcode: TN8 7AH Description: A walk to Bough Beech, stopping there at The Wheatsheaf for refreshments before returning via a different route. One short hill on the return leg. Total distance approx five miles three hours. Sunday 15th October 2017 Leader: Tony and Christine Thomsit Start Point: 10.30am Keston Ponds Car Park, on main road from Biggin Hill to Bromley Common, halfway between Heathfield Road and Fishponds Road. Map Ref: TQ419639 Postcode: BR2 6AT Description: To Downe via Furze Bottom, Leaves Green and the northern perimeter of Biggin Hill airport. We return via Holwood Farm and the Wilberforce Oak. There is one steep hill, and two lesser hills - but otherwise fairly flat. Total distance approx six miles 3.5 hours. Sunday 22nd October 2017 – 70’s Saunter Leader: Carol Vening Start Point: 11.00am Staffhurst Woods Car Park. Drive south from Limpsfield Traffic lights. After just over 2½ miles, turn left onto C85 (signposted Lingfield), then immediately left into Staffhurst Woods Road. The car park is a few yards along on the left. Map Ref: TQ410487 Postcode: RH8 0RR Description: A gentle walk around Staffhurst Woods. Approximate distance two miles 1.5 hours. At the end of the walk for those who would like, we will adjourn to the Royal Oak in Caterfield Lane for refreshments. Sunday 29th October 2017 Leader: Richard Gadd Start Point 10.30am Westerham Green Map Ref: TQ 446540 Postcode: TN16 1AS Description: To Limpsfield Chart via Hosey Common, Chartwell and the Greensand Way. We will stop for refreshment at The Carpenters Arms, Limpsfield Chart. Returning by a more direct route down Goodley Stock. Some hills. Predominately woodland. Total distance approx. 6.5 miles four hours. Walks can be subject to change at very short notice. Please either telephone or check the website. www.westerhamramblers.org.uk. The Ramblers do not carry insurance. They started as an informal group and never felt it necessary, so everyone is responsible for themselves (and their dogs). Angela and Roger Sawyers (Tel: 577434 Email [email protected])

64 ANTIQUES, AIR AMBULANCE, SUFFRAGETTES AND SHAKESPEARE … Details of Westerham U3A’s latest programme of meetings and upcoming outings have been released. The charity runs monthly talks (free of charge) and a wide variety of interest groups and social activities for those no longer in full time employment. Westerham U3A’s Tina Rhoda commented: ‘We have a really diverse line up of speakers and subjects for the year ahead. Janie Ramsey returns by popular demand, this time talking about Valuing Antiques (12th October), while January’s talk will be about the life-saving work of the Air Ambulance. Non-members are welcome to attend.” As well as the monthly talks, there is a choice of some 40 study groups, on subjects as diverse as bridge and books, local studies and languages, available to U3A members. Groups Co-Ordinator, Stuart Barnes explains: “Our Wine Appreciation groups have tasted wines from around the world – as far away as India and Russia! The Mahjong Group is learning the Chinese game, while the Walking group stays a bit nearer home around the North Downs. Membership lets you widen horizons - meet new friends, learn new things and visit new places.” More details about Westerham U3A can be found on the website www.westerhamU3A.org where there is also information on how to join – annual membership costs just £20 (£35 for a joint membership). Open Meetings are held on the second Thursday of the month at 2pm at Westerham Hall – non members are welcome on up to three occasions. A list of the 2018 meetings can be found here (outings planned) and there are regular outings to places of interest. Westerham U3A is an educational charity that promotes life-long learning for those retired/no longer in full-time employment in Westerham and the surrounding area – there are no lower age limits, no exams and no entry requirements. There are around 40 different study groups - all led by volunteers - open to members. A small charge is sometimes levied towards venue hire or consumables and some groups limit numbers. Members can join as many available groups as they want. More about the U3A movement can be found at www.U3A.org.uk

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“Busy little bees come to Honeys Nursery”

• Centrally located in Church Road, Biggin Hill, Safe secure enclosed building and grounds

• Established in 1995, Accredited and Ofsted rated “Outstanding”

• Flexible hours between 7.30 am and 5.55pm

• From Birth to 11 years in our Nursery, Pre School and Kids club settings

• Term time or all year options, 15 hours free government funding for 3 year olds

• Small friendly, long standing fully qualified and CRB checked staff team

• Freshly cooked lunches. Traditional values, stimulating environment

• Large outdoor play area and its very own Forest School sessions

Telephone: 01959 540366 Email: [email protected] Website: www.honeysnursery.co.uk

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88Printed by Bishops Printers Ltd, Walton Road, Farlington, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO6 1TR