INSIDE: ASH WITH MEET THE PARISH MAGAZINE ASH SEPTEMBER 2018 60p ‘BASHERS’!

Part of the Canonry Benefice of Ash – – – Goodnestone – Preston – – Wingham

Welcome to the September magazine Inside this issue Contacts Useful Contacts 4 Clergy The Parish Letter 5 Rev’d David Moulden Church Services 7 The Vicarage, Queen’s Road, Ash 01304 812296 Onlooker 10 Rev’d Nigel Hale Saturday Socials 13 01304 813161 Give Guiding a Go 14 Rev’d Chris Brewer Rare Bible Returned 17 01227 721530 Meet the Bashers 19 800 Years of God’s Acre 22 Review – Earth, Sea and Sky 25

September Festivals 26 Email copy for the next edition by Recipe for Rosehip Syrup 27 Wednesday 12 September to

It’s all in a name 30 Rebecca Smith at [email protected] or Quiz Answers 31 post to Pat Coles at 116 The And much more… Street, Ash CT3 2AA.

This magazine is produced by St.

Nicholas Parish Church. We welcome items from individuals and Magazine Subscription village organisations. All items should come with a note of the

Never miss an edition of your contributor’s name. The editor favourite parish magazine! reserves the right both to edit and To arrange to a subscription not to publish anything she receives. Items on church matters including magazine delivery to do not represent the official position your door (within the parish) of the Church of . phone Rosemary Lines on 01304 812524. Products and services advertised

have not been tested and are not Front cover illustration: endorsed by the Parish Church.

Hedgerow Harvest by Pat Coles Send advertising enquiries to [email protected]

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What’s On

ASH GUIDES AND RANGERS are hosting the regular Saturday Social coffee morning at Ash Village Hall on September 2nd from 10am to noon. There will be cakes for sale, a raffle and other activities.

ASH PARISH COUNCIL will meet at 7.30pm on Monday 3rd and 18th (to be confirmed) September, 7.30pm. The Library, Ash Village Hall, Queens Road, Ash. Visit www.ashpc.kentparishes.gov.uk for details.

THE FRIENDS OF ST NICOLAS CHURCH AGM and talk is on Thursday 6th September at 7.30pm in the church. For more details, see article page 9. ASH GOOD COMPANIONS meet at the Village Hall on Tuesdays 4th and 18th September from 2-4pm.

RIDE AND STRIDE 2018 is on Saturday 8th September raising funds for local churches and the Friends of Churches. Sponsorship forms from [email protected] or 01304 814359.

CHURCHYARD BASH takes place on Saturday 22nd September, starting at 9am in the parish churchyard at St Nicholas Church with a delicious lunch provided at midday. See feature, from page 19. ASH SCOUTS are holding a quiz in the village hall on 22nd September. Tables of up to 8. £10. Please bring your own food and drink. Families are welcome. 6.30 for 7pm start. Please contact 07930 846206 to book.

SANDWICH ARTS WEEK from September 15th to 22nd includes the art exhibition at St Peter’s Church, a town art trail, poetry at The Kings Arms, tours of the newly refurbished Guildhall Museum to view the newly acquired Sandwich Magna Carta and other artefacts. For full listings, pick up a programme in Sandwich or go to sandwichevents.org.uk/artsweek

A BEER FESTIVAL is being run by Ash Sports Pavilion Management Committee on Friday 28th, Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th September at the pavilion on the recreation ground. There will be a number of different beers, including the seasonal "green hop beer" from at least 3 East Kent breweries all at £3 a pint. Opening hours are Friday, 6pm until 10pm, Saturday, 2pm until 10pm and Sunday, 12pm until 4pm or earlier if the beer runs out.

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Useful Contacts Service Organisation/Name Contact Emergencies Gas Emergency (24hrs) 0800 111 999 999 UK Power Networks (24hrs) 105 Water Leak Line (24hrs) 0800 820 999 Community PCSO Emma Carmichael 101 or email [email protected] Non-urgent and other enquiries 101 Community Warden Team 07811 271 299 Neighbourhood Watch Martin Porter - email [email protected] Crime Stoppers 0800 555111 Community Safety 01304 872220 Consumer Direct 01845 4040506 Childline 0800 1111 Kent County Council 08458 247247 Council 01304 821199 Craig Mackinlay MP 01843 589266 Ash Parish Council Clerk 01304 832909 Citizens Advice (Dover area) 0844 8487978 Social Services 01304 204915 Ash Village Hall Enquiries 01304 851967 Environmental Health 01304 872215 Trading Standards 0845 4040506 Ash Library 01304 812440 Healthcare NHS Medical Helpline (24hrs) 111 or www.nhs.uk Out of Hours Doctor Service 0844 8001234 Ash Surgery 01304 812227 Hospitals - Kent and 01227 766877 QEQM Margate 01843 225544 William Harvey 01233 633331 Pharmacy - Ash (Boots) 01304 812242 Education KCC Area Office 03000 414141 Cartwright and Kelsey School 01304 812539 St Faith’s School 01304 813409 Sandwich Technology School 01304 610000 Sir Roger Manwood’s School 01304 613286 Transport National Rail TrainTracker™ 0871 2004950 Stagecoach East Kent Ltd 0845 6002299 ~ If an error is noted please inform the editors ~

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The Parish Letter

What do we make of the road not taken? The romance that does not lead to a long term relationship; the job we didn’t get; the house that falls through; the career that doesn’t materialise. We cannot control other people – the friend, the interviewer, the seller – and these incidents can happen to us many times in the course of a life. And the way we interpret outcomes depends a lot on the way we think about the world. For some, luck is the only explanation. If you don’t believe in God, luck is a kinder way of looking at events than a cold, reductionist view of life that is no more than the random interaction of atoms. Luck feels shinier and is accessible to all. She even has a name, Lady Luck. But no-one knows what this means and when you begin to unpack it, there are usually other factors at work. Napoleon used to ask the question about aspiring generals: is he lucky? Behind this lies the hint that people are lucky for a reason. So perhaps there is no such thing as luck at all. The faithful usually believe that God is at work in circumstances and that nothing really happens by chance. We remind ourselves of Romans 8:28: all things work together for good for those who love God. This mysterious saying of Paul has been a consolation to generations of believers, but it is important we do not become fatalistic about God’s will. We are called to work out our own salvation; God has given us freedom to express who we are and the call to follow Christ is not coercive, telling us what to do at every point of our lives. If we are not fatalistic about God’s will, we have to accept that God’s will does not always get done. This idea sometimes makes people afraid. But logic tells us this is true. How can it be God’s will that people are trafficked as slaves, or children are blown up by cluster bombs? The very reason we are given the Lord’s Prayer is because God’s will is not always done on earth and we must intercede that it is. Though God’s will is not done in every case, he does not desert those who suffer, or are perplexed at life’s outcomes. One of the things we find hardest is when our desires aren’t realised even when we were sure God was in them. Does this mean we were wrong to have the desire in the first place? Or that the desire was of God, but his will was frustrated in some way? Acts chapter one contains the story of the replacement of the twelfth Apostle. Curiously, this is the only incident recorded in scripture of what happened between Jesus’ ascension and the Day of Pentecost. Of course lots of other things would have happened, but Luke does not think to record them. Why was this incident so noteworthy? For the disciples, 5 the words of Jesus about sitting on twelve thrones, judging the tribes of Israel, may have been uppermost in their minds. There was an absence in one seat as palpable as the empty chair at the Christmas dinner table. They had been told to wait in one place by Jesus, and the absence was all the more pronounced. Without a replacement, the memory of Judas would have played all the more on their minds. Two people were shortlisted for the role. We don’t know how many there were initially, or why only two were put forward, but Joseph and Matthias were the last men standing in an election to choose who joined the most important team in the world’s history. The disciples prayed to God in words reminiscent of Samuel’s choosing of David, where the determining factor was the nature of the heart, not the appearance of the man. It is not just today that we are in danger of being deceived by superficial outward indicators like looks, height and voice. As God alone sifts the human heart, we need him to direct us as we make

appointments in his name. And then the disciples drew lots. It feels a little bit like an interview process that lasts a day and includes lots of clever psychometric tests, only for the final candidates to fight it out with stone, paper, scissors. Why trust lots when they could have debated each man’s merits and found a consensus? In the end, a combination of God and luck seems to have been at work: prayer and lots. But the disciples clearly believed that God could work through chance processes if they asked him to. And, if we’re honest, this is often what we pray today when things seem to be out of our control. We ask God to overrule in the circumstances we face. Most of us use the language of doors opening for God. Through the eyes of faith, a door opening is a work of God. Without the eyes of faith, it is luck. What would be the best response ‘for the road not taken’? The only appropriate response to disappointment, even apparent rejection and failure, we can make is to open our lives afresh to God. Route one is often a human preoccupation. God has more routes than this in his divine map. Sometimes the longer routes have the better scenery - and the safer arrival.

Reverend David Moulden

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Church Services

Benefice Service Sunday 30th September 10.30am, St Mary’s Church, Wingham.

Services in September at St Nicholas’ Church. September 2nd 8am, Holy Communion, 10.30am All Age Service with Holy Communion September 9th 8am, Holy Communion, 10.30am Holy Communion September 16th 8am, Holy Communion, 10.30am Holy Communion September 23th 8am, Holy Communion, 10.30am Holy Communion September 30th 8am, Holy Communion

Please note that we have two weddings taking place on Saturday 1st September, at midday and 2.30pm.

Services around the Benefice in September

September 2nd Family Service, 11am, St Mary’s, Wingham Holy Communion, 9am, All Saints, Chillenden Holy Communion, 9.30am, Elmstone church Holy Communion, 10.30am, St Mary’s, Nonington

September 9th Holy Communion, 11am, St Mary’s, Wingham Holy Communion, 9am, Holy Cross, Goodnestone Family Service, 9.30am, St Mildred’s, Preston

September 16th Morning Worship, 11am, St Mary’s Wingham Holy Communion, 9am, All Saints, Chillenden Holy Communion, 9.30am, St Mildred’s, Preston September 23rd Holy Communion, 11am, St Mary’s, Wingham

Holy Communion, 9am, Holy Cross, Goodnestone Holy Communion, 9.30am, St Mildred’s, Preston Evensong, and Harvest Festival 6.30pm, Stourmouth

September 30th Holy Communion, 11am, St Mary’s, Wingham Holy Communion, 9am, Holy Cross, Goodnestone Holy Communion, 9.30am, St Mildred’s, Preston

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Harvest Festival

On Sunday 7th October at 10.30am St Nicholas Church will celebrate Harvest Festival with a traditional service followed by a Harvest Lunch in church. The church will be providing ham and cheese and there will be a sheet in the church porch from the middle of September where you can sign-up to attend the lunch and say if you can bring along a salad or a dessert. There is no set charge for the lunch, but there will be a donation plate. Once expenses have been accounted for, the surplus will be donated to the Church Urban Fund. Hope to see you there!

Kent Centenary Service

The Kent Centenary Service, to be held at The Spitfire Ground in Canterbury on Sunday 23rd September, commemorates the First World War. Viscount De L’Isle, the Lord-Lieutenant of Kent, will host the occasion and The Dean of Canterbury, The Very Reverend Robert Willis, will lead the multi-faith service. The Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment will parade with its band. The service is from 2pm to 4.15pm. Registration for individuals or groups is required. For more information and to register for free tickets visit www.kentcentenary.co.uk

Parish Register

Baptism Henry George Prince Dibb-Fuller baptised August 5th 2018. Marriage Daisy Louise May Greaves to Thomas Peter Armston-Clarke July 28th 2018.

Support the Serpentine Swimmers! A Canonry Benefice Film, Quiz, Music, Buffet and Drink night will be held at St Nicholas Church on Saturday 15th September to support the Serpentine swimmers. The free event starts at 7pm and includes the Lansdowne Singers. To make a donation online, visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/canonry-benefice For more details see poster page 29.

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SNICS 10th Anniversary SNICS - the St Nicholas’ Church after-school club for primary-school children - celebrated its 10th anniversary in July; to celebrate the occasion we enjoyed a party with games in the churchyard, and a special birthday tea. The club meets on alternate Wednesday afternoons during term time in St Nicholas’ Church, and a walking bus operates from Cartwright and Kelsey School. The children enjoy eating tea together, playing games, creating craft work (the latest poster depicting the ‘Good Shepherd’ is currently on display in the church) and a period of quiet reflection around a bible story. A number of people have helped at SNICS over the past 10 years and we are very grateful to them for their loyalty and support. At the moment there are a few places available for the new term starting in September. If you are interested in your child joining please contact Maggie Vennart ( 01304 812628).

Messy Church

Due to declining numbers, Messy Church will be taking a break for the time being.

Church Cafe

The Church Cafe is open every Wednesday morning in St Nicholas church porch from 10am to 11.30am with tea, coffee and homemade

cake. A warm welcome and good conversation guaranteed.

Friends of St Nicholas Church We are holding our AGM on Thursday 6th September at 7.30pm in the church. The talk by Andrew Clague, our church architect, is entitled ‘St Nicholas Church; What has been achieved over the last 15 years, and before that with my father.’ A glass of wine and nibbles will be served at the end of the meeting. Everyone is welcome.

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Church and Community Seminars about Spirituality and Well-being 2018

Seminars on Spirituality and Well-being are arranged by hospital chaplain, Rev Pam Beckinsale, bringing people together from all walks of life and all faiths or none. September 15: Mental health: spirituality and well-being of all concerned. £6. All seminars are from 1.45pm for 2pm start until 5pm at St Michael's Church House, High Street, Sittingbourne. For more information or to book a place contact Rev Beckinsale on 07762 100543 or [email protected] using subject: “C&C Seminars”.

Deal Foodbank

Although St Nicholas’ Church is no longer a depot, we are delighted to collect any items you wish to donate to our local foodbank. The ‘bin’ is still in its usual position inside the church, next to the kitchen. In fact, we have heard Deal Foodbank are extremely short of the following items: instant mashed potato, tinned vegetables & toiletries. If you can, please bear them in mind as you do your weekly shop. Thank you for your continued support. Jenny Taylor Onlooker

A councillor’s view of the Ash Parish Council meeting held on Monday 6nd August 2018 Most unusually there were no members of the public attending the meeting. Parishioners are, of course, most welcome to attend our meetings and make their contributions. But, as there were no such contributions this month, it gave our hard working councillors (all volunteers) the benefit of the meeting ending at 9.20pm as opposed to 10pm as is usually the case! Talking of volunteers, there has been a vacancy for a councillor to be filled by co-option. This position has been filled by Mrs Jacqueline Wilkinson. Mrs Wilkinson is a qualified nurse and has lived in the parish for most of her life. We welcome her on board and are pleased that female representation on the council has been enhanced. Dover District Councillor, Mike Conolly, gave his report. Repairs, including replacing the decking and seats to Deal pier, have been taking place and

10 new tenants have taken over the restaurant at the end of the pier. Although it was hoped to complete the work earlier in the summer, the refurbished pier should be open by the time you read this. The Parish Council has been given a defibrillator and this will be sited outside the Village Hall. Another defibrillator has been given to St Nicholas Church. Speaking as someone who has had a heart attack and bypass, I welcome these gifts (if you’ll forgive the pun) whole heartedly! Dr Lodge is looking at training and she will be attending the September parish council meeting. Several things have deteriorated due wear and tear and have had to be replaced. Of these, the Jack Foat Trust has kindly offered to pay for the artificial surface in front of the kick wall on the recreation ground. The Historic Village signs in Ash and Westmarsh have been painted and the display panels changed for new updated ones. The New Street dog waste bin was removed and has been replaced, and it was agreed to replace other dog waste bins with larger waste bins which can be used for both dog and general waste. A wooden bollard on the rec has been replaced, a back rest on the outdoor gym has been broken, probably by someone climbing on it, and the rec toilets were blocked by excessive tissues on 27th July The very hot weather has not been kind to the planters at Pound Corner and they have been replanted. The very hot weather also encouraged a family to have a barbeque on the football pitch! The disposable barbeque was positioned directly on the turf! The scorched turf has been repaired and it was agreed to put up “No Unauthorised Barbeques” signs. I hope the above paragraphs will give you an idea of where some of your council tax is spent in just one month! The annual litter pick was very successful and the Girl Guides worked extremely hard. The village looks better and I challenge the Scouts to “do their best” next year. Onlooker Ash with Westmarsh WI

After the summer break, the September meeting of the Ash with Westmarsh WI will be held at Ash Village Hall on Thursday 13th September at 7.30pm. Sheila Boyd will talk to us about Victoria's Terrible Uncles. All ladies will be made most welcome. For further information please contact our president on 01304 241774. Pam Mawson

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The Cartwright, Godfrey & Kelsey Charity – last call The Trustees of the above charity have funds available to enable them to offer a Book Grant to any young people who live in the parish of Ash, and who intend to start a full time university academic course beginning in the autumn of 2017. This also applies to those who may be starting a full time vocational training course. The amount of each grant will depend upon how many applications the trustees receive. The Trustees invite applications for the coming academic year by September 17th. Please write with your full name, address, telephone number, and a copy of the offer from your intended university/college, to The Clerk to the Trustees, The Cartwright Godfrey & Kelsey Charity, Little Ware Nursery, Ware, Ash, CT3 2NB.

Saturday Socials in the Village Hall

Do you want to raise money for your club/ society or your favourite charity? Why not run one of the Social Saturdays on the first Saturday of the month (except January and August)? This year causes have included Pilgrims Hospices, the Chequermates, Christian Aid, Guides, the WI and the Friends of St Nic’s, the Hort Soc and Demelza. All you have to do is sell the refreshments (the famous bacon sandwiches and tea/coffee/biscuits/cakes), organise the raffle and pay the (much reduced) village hall fee of £17. To make it easier, there is a supply of tea, coffee and sugar, raffle tickets, paper napkins and disposable gloves for handling food, tomato ketchup and mustard, for which we charge £3, but you can always bring your own supplies if you prefer. And of course, you can have stalls in the hall too. You don’t have exclusive rights to the Hall – anybody can have a stall at the Saturday Socials – the more the merrier – but they must make a donation or give a prize to the raffle (or both). (If you want to have exclusive use of the hall, then of course you can hire it on any other day at the full rate.) We are now taking bookings for 2019. To run a Social Saturday, or to get further information, please e-mail Liz Rath [email protected] or telephone 01304 814273. Liz Rath

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Ash Heritage Group The autumn talk will be given by Dr David Cave on Thursday 4th October in Ash Village Hall at 7.30pm. It is entitled The Hoy – Sea-bourne trade in East Kent. Entry £3. Refreshments provided. All welcome.

1st Ash Next Sandwich Guides/Rangers

1st Ash Guides and Rangers offer lots of opportunities for girls aged 10 - 18 yrs old. Guides is 10-14yrs old and then girls can move up to Rangers which is 14-18yrs old. We have had an international theme this year with the Guides planning and leading their own international evening to achieve their World Traveller Badge. We also had a trip to Pax Lodge, the London World Guiding centre, where we met guides from other countries and enjoyed an international experience. Some Guides have been planning events as part of their Baden Powell challenges and we have enjoyed Chinese New Year and met the most gorgeous guide dog. The weather could not have been better for our Guide and Ranger Camp in May, where the Guides learnt to light fires, cook outdoors, try some orienteering and take part in “I’m a Guide, get me out of here!”. The Rangers have worked hard and two Rangers have now achieved their Camp Permits which is the highest camping award, giving them permission to run their own patrol camps. They survived a county wide sleepover at Dover Castle on one of the coldest nights of the year. The Rangers also volunteered at Farm Sunday at Chandler & Dunn as part of their community service and learnt the art of car parking! We would like to thank Chandler & Dunn for their kind donation to the Rangers There is still lots to come in the year ahead with a Christmas show to prepare for and a Guide sleepover at SOAR Trampoline centre, where they will be trampolining through the night and we will see who will be the last man standing! If anyone is interested in being part of Guiding, just take a look at the Girl Guiding UK website: www.girlguiding.org.uk and get in contact. Madelaine Lambie

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Ash and District Horticultural and Cottage Gardeners' Society

Summer Show 2018 On Saturday 21st July we were treated to a wonderful display of produce, cookery items and photographs at our Summer Show. In particular, a wide range of fruit and vegetables were on display, including some really cool cucumbers and one very prolific hot chilli plant. It has been a very challenging time for gardeners this summer - lots of sun and very little rain, so it was lovely to see such a good variety of entries. The George Hill Cup for the best exhibit of vegetables was awarded to Simon Tickner, who also won the John Beer Cup for the best-dressed onions. Helen Bradshaw won the Society Cup for the best exhibit of fruit. The White Cup for the best exhibit of roses went to Ray Cooper. Alison Stone was awarded the Bates Cup for her beautiful gladioli. Alison also won the Salutation Cup for her dahlias. The Charles Petley Rose Bowl for the best flower arrangement was awarded to Janet Giles, who was also awarded the Grenfell Medal for the highest combined number of points in the flower classes. The Jean Grugeon award for the best pot plant went to Sue Marston. The prize for the best photograph was awarded to Brian Marston for his entry entitled "Over The Hedge", which was most amusing. Unfortunately there were no entries in the Open Class this year but we look forward to plenty of entries next time. I'm sure everyone involved will agree that the end result has merited all the hard work and we all look forward to the next show. Suzy Rowe

Could you give life-saving…

First Aid to Family, Friend or Stranger??

Resuscitation & Defibrillator Training

Monday 29th October 2018 St Nicholas Church, Ash Starts: 7.30pm Doors open: 7.15pm

Free professional training!

All Welcome! Have a go!

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Anyone for Tennis?

Ash Tennis Club welcomes members from all surrounding villages, as well as farther afield. Nestled in Ash Recreation Ground, our club offers a warm welcome to all ages and standards of play with a varied programme of tennis throughout the year, encouraging play and fun for all ages, as well as tournaments for the more competitive amongst us. We have a weekly club night on a Thursday which is a popular turn-up- and-play session, as well as junior coaching. Membership fees are just £30 for adult membership and less for juniors, with excellent rates also offered for couple or family membership. We are always happy to welcome new members. For more information please contact our secretary, Julie on 01304 813603 or at [email protected]

Painting for Pleasure

Eastry Painting for Pleasure will be holding an Art Exhibition on Saturday 20th October at the Scout Hall, Wilmot Place in . Opening times are 10am-4pm. There will be tea and coffee available. The paintings are available for sale and there will also be Christmas cards, and other cards and bookmarks. If you would like to join our group, which meet on Friday mornings from 9.30am-11.30am, please contact Anne Haith (secretary) on 01304 614585 or just come along.

Strawberry Tea in aid of Breast Cancer Care

Many thanks to everyone who made their way down to Westmarsh Village Hall on Thursday 19 July. The afternoon was a huge success and we raised, thanks to your generosity £352.20 for Breast Cancer Care. We would like to thank everyone for coming and supporting us and to Ash with Westmarsh WI who donated cakes. Sarah Stephenson and Jean Ryan

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Rare Bible Returns to Cathedral

Ash resident, Cressida Williams, has played a key role in saving a rare medieval bible for the nation. Head of Archives and Library at Canterbury Cathedral, Mrs Williams, helped to raise public funds to ensure that the bible was returned to Canterbury Cathedral 500 years after it disappeared from the Cathedral’s monastic book collection at the time of the Reformation. Now known as the Lyghfield Bible, after the 16th century Cathedral monk who once owned it, the 690-leaf volume was purchased at auction from a private seller at a specialist sale of manuscripts in London in July. The £100,000 purchase was made possible with a grant of almost £96,000 from the National Heritage Memorial Fund and further funding from the Friends of the National Libraries, the Friends of Canterbury Cathedral and a private donation. The Lyghfield Bible was written in the latter 13th century on high quality parchment or vellum. The fine Latin script and extensive illumination was probably produced in Paris, one of the medieval centres for this type of work. The Bible is pocket-sized and as such was designed for personal use, possibly whilst travelling. The volume formed part of the collection of the medieval monastery of the Cathedral in the 16th century, but may well have been in Canterbury well before that time. As the Cathedral’s monastic community was disbanded during the Reformation, the library and book collection of Canterbury Cathedral were dispersed with many volumes destroyed or taken apart for the reuse of their materials. The Lyghfield Bible is the only complete Bible from the medieval book collection which is now at the Cathedral and is part of a collection which is inscribed on the UNESCO UK Memory of the World Register. It is planned that it will be displayed in the new exhibition area being developed at the Cathedral as part of The Canterbury Journey.

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Feature: Your Parish Churchyard

It’s Saturday morning and St Nicholas churchyard is buzzing with activity. The sounds of grass strimmers and lawnmowers in action, here and there backs are bent over gravestones and weeds are being uprooted with vigour; wheelbarrows are trundled along paths; brooms are strategically deployed. Yet, despite the bustle there is a tranquillity – a calm sense of peace which nothing could disturb. This is the monthly Churchyard Bash. On the third Saturday in every month, and often between times, a small but dedicated group of volunteers congregate on the parish churchyard – the largest, it is said, in the East Bridge Deanery – to weed, prune, mow, sweep, generally maintain and care for this beautiful space at the heart of the village. There are 24 names on the ‘regulars’ list which is kept by Denis Blaxland, the genial organiser of the Bash. Usually a dozen or so volunteers attend. Some are keen gardeners, some not. Some are churchgoers, some not. The volunteers come from all walks of life, sharing a simple desire to give something back, to preserve and enhance the last resting place of so many. Brian is a regular and has been involved for more than a decade. “It’s so satisfying,” he says. “I started out at the front of the church, and it went from there. It keeps me busy, and fit.” Mike has been involved for seven years (he thinks). He got involved after being shocked by the state of the churchyard on a visit with his wife. He indicates the weeds were at chest height, whole swathes of the churchyard lost to nature. Indeed at that time there were formal complaints about the state of the churchyard, letters written to local papers… “It took seven months to clear,” Mike recalls “People come from all over to see their family graves. Now they can see them.” It is not just the relatives of those who have passed away who visit the churchyard and its garden of remembrance. It’s a popular spot for walkers – with and without dogs – and for others a place to pause and reflect, connect with the history of the parish, admire the softly sloping south- facing view across the Staple. Back at the Bash, and the volunteers have stopped for some well-earned refreshments – tea and biscuits brought out by Marian, who also provides the famously delicious lunch. There’s the chance to chat with banter over who has the ‘best’ of the somewhat vintage mowers and a little light-hearted. Continued overleaf

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Photographs: Robert Hudson

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Some regulars take on responsibility for particular parts of the churchyard, others focus more generally clearing them of weeds and ivy from gravestones, sweeping and tidying. It’s soon back to work. The heap of grass and weeds for the bonfire grows bigger and bigger as the morning wears on, a visible sign that although it feels a little like painting the Forth Road Bridge, progress is being made. The challenge of maintaining the churchyard is huge, and it is not just a physical one. Denis: “The volunteers are wonderful. It’s super that they do it, but this is the parish graveyard – although it’s the responsibility of the vicar and churchwardens – it belongs to all the people of the parish. Anyone on the electoral roll is entitled to be buried here, but the cost of maintaining the churchyard – which is considerable – is largely left to the church.” The parish council grants £700, which, just about, pays for the petrol for the mowers, never mind the maintenance of the machinery. Volunteers do as much as they can, but can only do so much. Insurance demands that the 63 mature trees - are regularly checked for health and safety reasons and where necessary a professional tree surgeon must be brought in. How the ongoing needs of the churchyard will be met is clearly a worry, but for the volunteers today the mission is to keep the churchyard in as good a condition as possible. At noon, or thereabouts, lunch is set out in the church porch. Ham, cheese, bread salad (soup in winter). Volunteers can choose to sit down together at the tables. There is a real sense of achievement and satisfaction at having given something back. Country Life phrases the importance of graveyards in this way: “Graveyards across the world, look very different; each culture and society shaping these settlements of the dead according to their own sensibilities and beliefs. “The serene and melancholy beauty, so distinctive of the British countryside churchyard, with its yew trees and tombstones has long been celebrated. To rest in such tranquil beauty makes even the prospect of death seem a degree less terrible.” And, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: “The grave itself is but a covered bridge, leading from to light, through a brief darkness.” Rebecca Smith To find out more about the ‘bash’ or supporting churchyard maintenance, see poster page 24.

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Eight Centuries of God's Acre

The monthly "churchyard bash" in which Ash residents from all parts of the village and from all walks of life spend a few generous hours contributing to the maintenance of the churchyard - their churchyard - merely reflects reality. The beautiful burial ground surrounding the parish church belongs to everyone here in Ash, not just to those connected with the church itself. And Ash is not a small parish - from the beautiful Coombe Lane all the way to distant Pluck's Gutter, from historic Castle right across to the orchards of Nash, or Walmestone, we live in a vast parish containing a large, rural population, each one of whom can claim the churchyard as their own. There's nothing new, of course, about the "bash." Vegetation has always had to be kept in check during the middle months of the year and generations of Ash people have done this for centuries. And it has never been cheap! In 1892, for instance, the churchwardens became rather concerned after running up a debt of £17 arising from their attempts at "keeping the grass down" and urged the parish to organise a special fund- raising effort to recoup these funds. It seems they'd been rather overtaken by events, as the churchyard had been considerably extended only a couple of years earlier. And not before time, too - as far back as 1870 the Rural Dean had made his views clear: "... the churchyard is becoming very crowded and, to economise what little spare ground remains for burials, I have recommended that all graves should be made deep enough for two coffins." This measure proved to be insufficient. By 1884, matters had deteriorated further and the decision was made to seek an urgent extension southwards. Five years later Mr Ingram Godfrey, of Brooke House, generously offered to buy half an acre of adjoining land to enable expansion, a suggestion welcomed by the Vestry, who were grateful for having to finance only the cost of new fencing. The consecration of this extension on 24th January 1890 was an impressive affair. Following a special Friday morning service, several local clergy (including Henry Jenner, the controversial Vicar of Preston and former Bishop of Dunedin, NZ) were led by Bishop Mitcheson, representing the Archbishop, and joined by the Ash clergy and choir and several prominent parishioners in solemnly perambulating the new ground. Yet another addition was required by 1913, however, bringing us to where we are today. When one considers an even earlier extension of 1826, before which date the burial ground did not extend very far south of the church itself, one can visualise the rapid growth in burials during the 19th century, as well as the pressure on space in a very limited area for several centuries previously!

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Other Victorian alterations included the removal, in 1880, of a gate leading from the rear of the Ship Inn into the churchyard, and the bricking up of the opening. The long, brick wall dividing the northern edge of the churchyard and public pathway from the steep drop into the Street was, for the most part, erected in 1774, with certain stretches probably added in the first half of the 19th century. Closely surrounding the entire church is an attractive collection of picturesque 18th century headstones, replete with the usual depictions of cherubs, hourglasses, skulls and crossbones peering from beneath the lichen, not only evoking all that we traditionally associate with "God's Acre" and the English country churchyard, but reminding us - as these carvings are precisely intended to do - that "our time is a very shadow that passeth away." Only rarely does one see a churchyard memorial anywhere dating from before the 18th century, for the simple reason that graves were not marked in such a way before then. Considerably smaller than today but presenting a much more open aspect, the burial ground contained very few markers three centuries ago. Who knows when the earliest burials were begun here, and whether interments took place on this spot before our 13th century church replaced any earlier chapel? Certainly it was filling up long before John Lyon, Richard John, Katherine Martin, Thomas Mayhew, Gilbert Mayne, Henry Mussared, Laurence Omer and other parishioners specifically asked in their wills of the 1470s, '80 and '90s to be laid to rest in the churchyard. Despite many burial grounds being periodically "cleared" to accommodate interments of later generations, there can be little doubt that the ground in Ash's churchyard had, nevertheless, become much higher by the 18th century. Although most were never marked by any memorial, an average of 40 burials a year took place in Georgian times, with around 2,000 between 1750 and 1800 alone. Readers are left to their own calculations as to how many Ash parishioners, therefore, have been laid to rest here over seven or eight centuries! Today, no-one is around who can recall the 1913 extension, although the burial of two German airmen at the height of the Battle of Britain in August 1940 is not quite lost to memory, even if accounts differ as to whether Rev'd Charles Magraw laid them to rest inside or outside the boundary. Their stay was short. In 1961 came instructions for their disinterment and transfer to the German war cemetery at Cannock Chase. Fortunately, precise locations of others who have been laid to rest can usually be determined, even when no stone has been erected. Down there in the south-west or south-east corner is surely one of the most peaceful spots in the whole parish, and looking back towards the church itself presents a beautiful view at all times of year. The southern aspect, across rolling farmland, is equally pleasant. As in many

23 other rural parishes, our own version of God's Acre certainly lies in a most enchanting place - but we have nearly 800 years of care by the people of Ash to thank for this gem we've all inherited. Peter Ewart

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Earth, Sea and Sky

This detailed study of “The changing environment of Sandwich, Ash, and Worth” by the local environmental study group certainly succeeds it its stated objective: “To stimulate people’s interest in their environment.” It takes as its ‘motto’ “Think globally, act locally”. The study looks at every aspect of the area: The history of the land and its management, its geology, weather, the variety of its habitats, plant and wildlife, the built environment and focuses on the current environmental issues, including water management, air quality and traffic. The River Little Stour just east of the Stourmouth Pumping Station. Copyright N. Chadwick In an appendix there is a list of projects that might be undertaken by community groups or schools. The A2-size paperback of 150 pages has over 30 maps (mostly in colour) and over 150 photographs, both from the present day and from the past, but this is not coffee-table book. It is a valuable and unique collection of well-researched and presented information about every aspect of the area covered… from details of what apples have been and are now grown here, how the people of Sandwich travel to work (58% by car or van: 5.5% by bus), to the variety of buildings and building materials and so on, and so on… For some readers its greatest value will be as a workbook or manual to help preserve the environment it studies. P O’Halloran

Earth, Sea and Sky is available in Sandwich it’s available from the Visitor Information Centre at the Guildhall, the Salutation coffee and gift shop, the Card Shop in King Street, and the Bird Observatory in Sandwich Bay. The cost of a book is £12 for softback and £25 for hardback.

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September Festivals

As Lia Leendertz (the Almanac 2018) suggests: “There is a new-broom feel about September, a sense that it is time to stop mucking about and get down to business.” Perhaps a better month for resolutions; the start of the new school year with new beginnings and serious good intentions. September was called Haligmonarth by the Anglo-Saxons, a holy month to give offerings for the harvest. This year many crops have already been brought in during August, but many of us will still be gathering, bottling and preserving throughout September. Though our Harvest Festival at St Nicholas won’t take place until October. For wildlife, this is often the start of migration, or frantic storing up for hibernation. While I was lucky enough to live in one of the school boarding houses at Manwood’s in Sandwich, the squirrels caused much amusement as they would be hiding nuts in the mole hills, then after the groundsman had mown the lawn, frantically running round trying to find them again!

1st The start of meteorological autumn. 10th The start of both the Jewish and Islamic new year. The former is Rosh Hashanah, like our Easter, the date can fluctuate from year to year. It’s the start of their financial year, but on a personal level, a time for spiritual self-examination and repentance. This is much more like the Christian Advent leading up to Christmas. More on that in December! The Islamic festival is called Muharram and is linked to the new moon, which rises on the 12th this year. 12th Hindus celebrate the birth of Ganesh – the elephant-headed god; patron of the arts and sciences; diva of intellect and wisdom, but also the god of beginnings and protector of spirituality. Buddhists also celebrate Ganesh as representing the first chakra, or energy wheel, in meditation; standing for conservation, survival and material well-being. This is invoked before any new task to aid with success, prosperity and to protect against adversity. However, Ganesh also destroys vanity and pride. 19th Yom Kipper, a Jewish holiday that ends the period set apart from Rosh Hashanah, when any new contracts or resolutions become binding. 23rd Autumnal equinox, matches the spring one in March, when day and night are the same length. Though we may get autumn gales and storms, this month often has calm, mellow days with misty early evenings and mornings, with the harvest moon hanging low in the sky, large and golden. The full moon will be on the 25th. 26

29th Michaelmas day. The feast of St Michael and all angels, celebrated in the Catholic church, but Henry VIII put a stop to it as a big festival in the Anglican church. Michaelmas celebrations are often linked to the end of harvest; preparing a special loaf from the last sheaves and weaving corn dolls. Both these customs are linked to much older pagan practices. This was the time, in mediaeval Britain that the next year’s farming cycle would begin; children were released from their farming duties and could go back to school, in the private educational sector, and this term may still be called the Michaelmas term. Accounts were balanced, annual dues were paid to the local guilds, new Reeves were elected to make sure the serfs were giving their due to the land owners and Hiring or Mop Fairs were held all over the country for agricultural workers to be taken on for new jobs. One of the oldest fairs began in Sherborne in Dorset in 1490. It eventually became known as the Pack Fair and was finally banned in 1964 due to riotous behaviour! Traditionally, St Michael is known as the angel who threw Lucifer out of heaven and in one folk tale, landed in a blackberry bush. So, the devil spits or stamps on blackberry bushes on this day, so that the berries turn bad. Make sure you’ve picked yours before then! A holiday goose was also given to landowners on this day, having been fattened up by grazing amongst the stubble for dropped grain, like the wood pigeons do now! St Michael is also associated with courage and is the patron saint of sailors. Pat Coles

Rosehip syrup

When I drew the garden rosehip (overleaf), the wild hedgerow ones were just tight green buds. These are a native fruit and rich in vitamins A and C. During the Second World War, rosehips were gathered by volunteers, often children, who were paid 3d (about 1p now, I remember 3d bits!) for each pound (450g) of berries, to be made into the syrup which was diluted to feed babies and young children as a dietary supplement. This recipe is one issued by the Ministry of Defence during the war. (I have it from the River Cottage Handbook, No 2, by Pam Corbin. 500g rosehips 650g granulated sugar

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It should make about 1.5 litres Note: rosehips must not be eaten raw as they contain tiny irritant hairs.

Put 800ml water in a pan and bring to the boil. Meanwhile wash the hips and remove stalks and any damaged bits. Give them a quick blast in a food processor (or mincer) then add the boiling water. Cover. Bring back to the boil, take off the heat and leave for about 15 minutes until cool. Strain through a jelly bag into a large bowl. Leave to drip for an hour, then put the bowl to one side, tip the pulp back into the saucepan and add a fresh 800mls and repeat the boiling process. Discard the pulp (though chickens or pigs might enjoy it) there should be about 1 litre. Pour into a large pan; add the sugar and heat, stirring until all the sugar has dissolved. Boil for 2/3 minutes, then pour into warm sterilised bottles and cap them. It should keep about 4 months. Keep in the fridge once the bottle is opened. If you want to be sure and preserve it longer, use the water bath method. This is a lovely syrup. It can be diluted with, hot or sparkling water. Use neat over ice cream or to colour and flavour icing. It was still available when my children were babies and we all enjoyed it. For me it is a taste of childhood and I now enjoy making it for my granddaughter. River Cottage also suggests a cocktail version, so have fun! Though fiddly to harvest, I feel worth the effort. Pat Coles

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It’s all in a name…

Having thought about the name of our village in the June magazine, let's travel along the main street to Canterbury and consider the place-name Guilton. The fact that there is a house called Guilton Rectory might suggest that Guilton is a parish in its own right. However, Guilton is a hamlet, so a small settlement, within the parish of Ash. Guilton Rectory seems to have been used as the residence for the priest of Ash in the 17th and 18th centuries, before a house in Chequer Lane became the residence. The current vicarage is of course in Queen’s Road. The earliest known references to Guilton occur in the early 13th century. The place-name seems to come from the Old English words 'gylden' and 'tun', meaning golden farmstead or settlement. The term golden was probably used because of the colour of crops or flowers in the area. The name of the city of Guildford in Surrey is similarly thought to come from golden flowers. In the case of Guildford, marsh marigolds have been suggested; they were called 'gylde' in Old English. Might these have also been growing in medieval Guilton? Or buttercups or daffodils? Guilton was inhabited well before the 13th century. An Anglo-Saxon (or Jutish) burial ground was excavated in the 18th century by the Rev Bryan Faussett with very significant artefacts found, some dating from the early 7th century. The finds are now in Liverpool Museum. See below for details of a visit to Liverpool to see the ‘Guilton Hoard’, organised by the Ash Heritage Group. A place with a similar name is also within the parish: Goldstone. There are references to Goldstone in the Domesday Book of 1086. Goldstone doesn't derive from 'gylden', but rather from the male name Goldstan, after whom the settlement (‘tun’) was named. Goldstone was a manor, so a farm or estate with particular rights associated with it. We will explore some of the names of other Ash manors in later articles. Cressida Williams

A visit to Liverpool is proposed for April 2019 to see the Anglo Saxon jewellery and antiquities excavated by Rev Faussett. The trip will include a visit to the Ashmolean museum in Oxford on the way to Liverpool and the Birmingham museum on the way home to see the Staffordshire hoard of Anglo Saxon gold. Please contact Sarah Miller as soon as possible at [email protected]

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Quiz Answers: In the countryside with Ash Horticultural Society

Last month we challenged you to find the answers to questions set by Ash Horticultural Society. They were all things that you might find in the countryside. Here are the answers.

A computer accessory (5) MOUSE Famous dance troupe (8) BLUEBELL Glorious to Flanders and Swann (3) MUD Great in China (4) WALL Together in a carol (5&3) HOLLY & IVY May be resting on a snooker table (6) BRIDGE or SPIDER Glues (6) STICKS Ice cream holders (5) CONES Animal and winter warmers (9) FOXGLOVES Chinese soup ingredient (5,4) BIRDS NEST Tales of the (9) RIVERBANK One of Titania’s fairies (6) COBWEB And another (4) MOTH Give me your answer do (5) DAISY Do this to your bets (5 HEDGE Don’t make a mountain from this (8) MOLEHILL Turn over a new one (4) LEAF A VW car (6) BEETLE To bother someone (6) BADGER or NETTLE Dairy item and an insect (9) BUTTERFLY An animal stumbles (8) COWSLIPS Comes from the French for lion’s tooth (9) DANDELION Half the donkey’s call (3) HAW Sounds like a musical (4) HARE Edith Piaf’s nickname (7) SPARROW Worse than his bite (4) BARK Needs taming (5) SHREW Large case (5) TRUNK Gather in May (4) NUTS A Wednesday in the Church calendar (3) ASH

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Poetry Corner

In July’s magazine, we published a poem by P O’Halloran the last word was of which not correctly transcribed. He has asked that we reprint the poem in its entirety.

Flora Vulgaris

Wild flowers I love the most (Though some have called them weeds) As much, I fancy for their names As for their colour or their scent: Yarrow, Pimpernel, Heartsease, Lad’s Love Amaranth, Bridget-in-her Bravery. Tansy with her yellow buttons bright Fumitory, Creeping-Jenny close clinging to the ground. The promised cures of Woundwart, Feverfew and Balm, And Ragged Robin, Butcher’s Broom, Lords and Ladies: All these and more, whose simple names Tell us they were loved, Named for themselves, not the botanist’s list Whose Latin tags their homely beauty missed.

Illustrations for the Magazine We would like to invite artists from Ash or other parishes in the Benefice to submit illustrations for use in the magazine, and especially for the cover. These might be linked to parish or village vents, or to the seasons or month the

magazine will be distributed. I know we have some very talented people in the village from the amazing annual art exhibition. So, if inspiration strikes please send us your drawings (suitable for A5 or smaller space – just black and white for the moment please) or good-quality photocopies of them to Rebecca or me and we will do our best to include them throughout the year. Pat Coles

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