The Village Magazine of the Chiddingstones

www.achurchnearyou.com/church/16937/benefice

60 Pence December 2020 USEFUL CONTACT NUMBERS

Churches Associate Priest Bill MacDougall 01892 870442 Licensed Lay Minister Sally Musson 07713 352017 Churchwardens (St Mary’s Bob Golds 01892 870429 Chiddingstone Village) Chris Bell 01732 866222 Verger (St Mary’s) Christine Roberts 01892 870437 Churchwardens (St Luke’s Paul Allen 01732 463382 ) Vacancy Pastoral Assistant Carol Benton 01892 870483 Pastoral Help (Causeway) Helen Barnes 01732 838855 Pastoral Help (Hoath) Jane-Ann Golds 01892 870429 Bell Ringers Stella Wooldridge 01892 870323 Choir Paul Allen 01732 463382 Parochial Parish Administrator Louise Sanders Ch urch Council [email protected]

Local Chiddingstone Sports Assoc Martin Keeler 01732 700516 Organisations Chiddingstone Football Club Martin Keeler 01732 700516 Chiddingstone Cricket Club Mark Streatfeild 01892 870851 Stonewall Park Cricket Club Andy Batchelder 07903 830142 Causeway Stoolball Club Rosa Gower 01892 870644 Stonewall Park Stoolball Club Pauline Hodge 01892 524783 Chiddingstones Tennis Club Richard Sinclair 07771 912108 Chiddingstone Real Football Katie Ashworth 07730 331800 Chiddingstone W.I. Elaine King 01892 871536 Chiddingstone Causeway W.I Carol Benton 01892 870483 Chiddingstone Over 60’s Elizabeth Fleming 01892 870224 Alice Peterkin 01892 870503 Tuesday Group (pre-school) Sam Day 01892 871570 Edenbridge Voluntary Transport Service 01732 865353 Chiddingstone Castle 01892 870347 CHAPS Kenton Ward 07881 957800 Res. Assoc. Trust Steen Carndorf 01732 700585

Youth Youth Club Chris Pounds 07725 563636 Organisations Scout Group Lorna Baker 01732 750178

School Head teacher Rachel Streatfeild 01892 870339 Nursery School Leader Jill McCoy 01892 871315

Village Hall Chiddingstone Jane Ann Golds 01892 870429 Bookings Chiddingstone Causeway Elaine Ewer 07597 271974 St. Luke’s Parish Room Diane Heasman 01892 870794

Sevenoaks District Council Councillors James Osborne-Jackson 01732 227000 Sue Coleman 01892 870435

Parish Councils Chiddingstone - Chairman Jonathan Roper 07798 734271 - Clerk Louise Kleinschmidt 01892 740753 Leigh - Chairman Joe Kaye 01732 835897 - Clerk Louise Kleinschmidt 01892 740753

Magazine Editor and ‘’For Sale ads’’ Jenny Chettle 01342 850827 [email protected] Commercial advertising Robert Hunt and advertising copy [email protected] [email protected]

A14 A15 A16 CAUSEWAY STORES & POST OFFICE Jodie and Vickie 01892 871527 [email protected]

Freshly filled rolls and mixed platters to order Local cheeses, ham, greengrocery, traditional family bakery. Why not ask about delivery Opening Hours: Mon-Fri 7:30-6pm Saturday 8:00-2pm Sunday 9:00-1pm

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To advertise in the Village Magazine please contact Robert Hunt [email protected]

A17 DECEMBER 2020 Forthcoming Events Saturday 5th December Farmers’ Christmas Market see page 9 Sunday 6th December Family Service in St Mary’s churchyard see page 2 Tuesday 8th December Parish Council Meeting by Zoom see page 7 Wednesday 9th December MAGAZINE COPY BY 12 NOON PLEASE! see page 7

FROM THE RECTORY “It’s a baby!” So often this cry is met with joy and celebration, usually followed by “What is it? What is its name?” Abandoned babies are given a name by nurses as soon as they are found. Names are important. They signify our identity, and perhaps link us with a particular place. Often, they connect us with our ancestors - our ethnic group or our clan. They can help us locate our personal story within a wider history. Across the world, different people groups have cultural reasons for the names that parents can choose for their children. When we lived in Argentina, we could only choose names for our children that were on the official list, which included all Bible names. Historically, in many places in the world, the names that children were given indicated the character that parents wanted to bestow on their children. You may have read recently about a man called Hamden Dali who fought a decade-long campaign to have “atig” removed from his name. ‘Atig – means “liberated by” – and having this in his name was a painful reminder of his family’s heritage as former slaves. My name includes my father’s maternal and paternal clan name. It is interesting to think about our own name and what it means to us. This month we remember the birth of Jesus as we prepare to celebrate Christmas. You may remember that his father Joseph was instructed to call him Jesus, which means ‘saviour’. At this time of year, we recall Jesus’ humble start in a stable or shed. We remember the call for a census which meant that his parents had to make a long journey when Mary was heavily pregnant. We are reminded through cards and images that shepherds, outcasts in their society, were the first to be told about the birth and were the first visitors to see the baby. And as we approach Epiphany, we remember that an insecure king was afraid that he would be toppled from his throne and ordered the killing of all the baby boys in Bethlehem. Cont/…

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The Christmas story can help us to reflect on life today in our own world. We have heard about heavily pregnant women, travelling as refugees, trying to find a place of safety. We also know that there are increasing numbers of people living in poverty and becoming unemployed, and we have heard a fair amount about insecure leaders exercising power over others unjustly. Perhaps life today is not so different from that of the original Christmas story. But there are other, more hopeful connections. What about the generosity of the innkeeper, which mirrors the generosity of so many supermarkets and shopkeepers in supplying food to Community Larders and individual families across the country? What about the kindness of strangers as armies of volunteers care for people in their local community? What about the money that the government has provided for furlough schemes and businesses? The message of the first Christmas is essentially a message of love and hope. As we come towards the end of the toughest year that many of us have lived through, let us work together to bring love and hope into our community. However, we are able to celebrate Christmas this year, whether it is with our families or under further Covid restrictions, let us share joy, love and hope for the future with each other. May God bless you and your family and friends this Christmas, Bill

ADVENT AND CHRISTMAS SERVICES At the time of going to press, we are in the midst of a second national lockdown. The current lockdown restrictions are in place until Wednesday 2nd December and, as we have all experienced so far this year, what happens next nobody can predict. However, we are planning with optimism so that if our Churches are permitted to open in December, we are ready with a plan! The December services we are hoping to hold are listed below. However, please note that these are subject to change depending on what restrictions are thrown at us next! Sunday 6th December 10am – Holy Communion (St Luke’s) 4pm – Family Service (St Mary’s – hopefully outside) Sunday 13th December From 6am – Discoverers Online 10am – Morning Prayer (St Luke’s) Sunday 20th December 10am – Christingle (St Mary’s) (** Booking necessary) 6pm – Nine Lessons and Carols (St Luke’s) (** Booking necessary) Christmas Eve Please note that, regrettably, we are unable to hold the Carols by Candlelight service this year 11.30pm – Midnight Eucharist (St Mary’s) (** Booking necessary) Cont/… 2 Christmas Day 10.30am – Family Service (St Luke’s) (** Booking necessary) Sunday 27th December From 6am – Discoverers Online 10am – Morning Prayer (St Luke’s) Carols by Candlelight – cancelled It is with great sadness that the PCC has taken the decision to cancel the ever-popular ‘Carols by Candlelight’ on Christmas Eve this year due to safety reasons owing to the virus. We know this will be a disappointment to many people but, unfortunately, it is beyond our control. As well as being a source of Christmas joy, this service is usually a big source of income for us which we will sorely miss this year. If you feel able to make a donation, we’d be especially grateful. You can do so by following this link: https://givealittle.co/campaigns/a277edc2-1382-4fb3-8d02-ecf9059d9c86 or by sending a cheque, payable to either St Mary’s Chiddingstone or St Luke’s Chiddingstone Causeway, to Ian Coleman (Treasurer) at The Old Rectory, Chiddingstone, TN8 7AH. Booking for Christmas services Much as we love seeing a packed church, this year we need to carefully control numbers attending our Christmas services and have therefore decided that, in order for us all to remain safe, we require you to book in advance for the popular services (asterisked above), ie Christingle, Nine Lessons and Carols, Midnight Eucharist and the Christmas Morning Family Service. You can book your place by either emailing Louise (Parish Administrator) at [email protected] or by calling the Parish Mobile on 07471 185462. Please give your name, email address, telephone number, which service you are booking for and how many seats you require. You may only sit with people in your ‘support bubble’ (as defined by the Government guidance). Much as we hate the idea of booking for a Church service, it will be necessary to take bookings on a ‘first come first served basis’ for fairness purposes until capacity is reached with social distancing measures in place. We therefore strongly advise booking early and by Sunday 13th December at the latest so that we can assess the numbers. (It will be difficult to plan exactly how many we can fit into each Church before knowing how many there will be in each ‘bubble’. Hope this makes sense!) If you book and then are subsequently unable to attend for any reason, please let Louise know as soon as you are able so that we can offer your place to someone else. Keeping up-to-date Please keep an eye on our website: www.chiddingstonechurches.org.uk and our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/St-Lukes-Chiddingstone-Causeway-St- Marys-Chiddingstone-654997188658429/ to keep up-to-date with any changes we need to make to the above depending on new Government announcements. Cont/... 3 We also have an email mailing list for news and announcements concerning ‘The Chiddingstone Churches’. Please email Louise on [email protected] if you would like to be added to this mailing list. Thank you. Louise

SCHOOL NEWS I am writing this on the first day of our national lockdown. Life at school will not change too much from last term as the systems and procedures to keep the children and staff safe are in place and have been tried and tested. One of the procedures that we changed initially is the collection of children at the end of the day. We now run a ‘pick up and go’ system, which is run in a similar way to the ‘drop and go’ system that we have run for many years. The parents approach the village from the Triangle Oast end and drive past the school to collect their children. Staff are stationed at various points along the front of the school building to safely deliver the children to the cars. We have fine-tuned this process to last for 20 minutes between 3.10pm and 3.30pm instead of the original half an hour. For those of you who are not parents at the school, thank you for your patience and understanding in these challenging times. Each term, every class has a new topic for the Creative Curriculum: This term, Year R’s topic is 'Once Upon a Time' and so far, we have enjoyed listening to and acting out the story of Goldilocks and The Three Bears and Little Red Riding Hood. On their return to school, YR seemed to have grown both physically and in confidence. It's been lovely to find out what the children have been up to in half term during ‘Show and Tell’ and it sounds like they've been very creative in finding ways to enjoy Halloween. Year 1 have been learning about The Queen and the work she does for charities, as well as her family and favourite animals (corgis and horses). Through this term's topic, 'Bright Lights Big City', the children will also learn about British values and about 's great fire. Using their ideas in design technology and art, the children will enjoy recreating some of London's famous landmarks such as Tower Bridge, The Monument and Buckingham Palace. Some of the parishioners may have spotted Class 2 practising their road crossing skills last week. This term our class book is ‘The Hodgeheg’ by Dick King Smith. In the story, Max, a hedgehog and his family dream of reaching the park, but no one has ever found a safe way of crossing the very busy road before. Max is determined to solve the problem. We thought it was important that we also had good road crossing skills - even in a quiet village like Chiddingstone! Cont/…

4 Year 3 have been very busy enjoying their new topic 'Predator' this term. We have been investigating the most deadly creatures on the planet including animals, birds and plants. The children have enjoyed exploring the different food groups and creating food chains. We commemorated Remembrance Day in class by making our own beautiful poppy brooch. We also wrote a piece of creative writing to accompany the clip 'Poppies' that illustrates the war ending. Year 4’s latest topic work is based on the Vikings. Children have already equipped themselves with colourful circular shields and are looking forward to tales of pillage and plunder. They are eager to become acquainted with the Norse gods Odin, Thor and Loki who are currently better-known as superheroes in the Marvel Movies! There are longships and weapons and runes and rituals to explore. Oh, and we’re all aiming to have learned our times tables by Christmas. Year 5 have been busy creating their own wonderful and exotic potions at home during the holidays. They have been presenting their wares to the class. As part of their topic ‘Alchemy Island’, they have also been carrying out a number of different science experiments. As part of their topic ‘Frozen Kingdom’, Year 6 has been studying the sinking of the Titanic. Here are extracts from newspaper articles that the class has produced. The first is written by Tilly B: The Unsinkable Sinks In the early hours of yesterday morning, the 'unsinkable' ship, RMS Titanic sank in the Atlantic Ocean following a collision with an iceberg. Ava S continues: Shortly after the crash, the ship turned slowly on her nose and, as people started to panic, passengers were reported to have jumped overboard owing to a lack of available lifeboats. Tragically about 1,500 people are thought to have perished in this disaster. Zac O goes on: Andrew Biggington, 42, who lost his two sons to the Atlantic, told us: “It was such a calm night - it almost seemed impossible for anything bad to happen. Yet, now my two boys are gone.” Due to the current restrictions, we are unable to arrange some of the normal Christmas festivities for the children. Unfortunately, there will be no Christmas Fair or KS2 London Theatre trip this year. We are, however, still very much celebrating the season. We are having a pantomime for KS1 in the village hall (a separate show for each bubble of course), and a Christmas Jumper Day. At the time of writing, we are still planning to hold our traditional Nativity and Carol Concert but these will be socially distanced services on the Astro and unfortunately, we will not be able to welcome parents or other members of the community. Cont/….

5 I wish all students, parents, staff and members of the community a wonderful Christmas and New Year and hope that 2021 will bring us some solutions to the challenges that we are all currently facing.

CHIDDINGSTONE PARISH COUNCIL 1. Planning: the following application has been approved by District Council: SE/20/02701/LBCALT: Cobham House, 4 The Village, Chiddingstone - installation of a rock wool fire barrier within the loft/attic. 2. New Coronavirus Testing Site: a new testing site became operational in Sevenoaks on Monday 16th November giving local people the opportunity to seek a test much closer to home. The Sevenoaks test centre, located in the former park and ride site in Road, provides both drive-through and walk-in testing and must be booked in advance through the NHS Test and Trace service. If you or anyone you know are displaying symptoms of Covid-19 and wish to book a test, visit www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test 3. Our area PCSO has changed to PCSO Samuel Rustrick, taking over from PCSO Joseph Cain and PCSO Amy Best who have moved on to different roles within . 4. Kent Police: a large amount of our police officers’ time is now being spent on Covid-19 related calls, patrolling in the district to deal with any regulation breaches and to provide advice and reassurance to all. There has been a reduction in other types of crime and antisocial behaviour, but there has been a rise in cases of scams and fraud. There is more information on the Kent Police website and any incidents can be reported to Action Fraud - www.actionfraud.police.uk For more information on what Kent Police are doing with regards to Covid-19, please see www.kent.police.uk/advice/advice-and-informatiion/c19/ coronavirus-covid-19 5. Aviation: despite record drops in air travel and uncertainty around the pace and scale of recovery from the pandemic, many UK airports continue to press ahead with their expansion plans. Heathrow Airport was at the Supreme Court in October challenging February’s ruling that the Airports National Policy Statement, which supported its expansion, was unlawful on climate change grounds. The verdict is expected in January 2021. Gatwick Airport still expects to take forward in 2021 the planning process to bring its emergency runway into routine use, despite an overall decline in passenger numbers of 66% for the six months to 30th June 2020. Cont/… 6 6. Christmas and New Year Refuse Collections: see your Christmas refuse collection arrangements at www.sevenoaks.gov.uk/collectiondays 7. Christmas Tree Recycling: Council will collect your tree if the trunk is less than 90mm (3.5 inches) in diameter with its Garden Waste Collection Service. See www.sevenoaks.gov.uk/collectiondays to see when the service is scheduled for your area. 8. Garden Waste sacks are available by contacting the Clerk. The bags cost 55p each as normal. 9. Parish Council meetings: the Parish Council continues to meet remotely via Zoom. All meetings are listed on our website, together with agendas and minutes. If you would like to remotely attend a Parish Council meeting, or if you need any help or advice, please contact the Clerk who will send you an invitation to the meeting. The next Parish Council Meeting will be held on Tuesday 8th December at 7.30pm remotely via Zoom. On behalf of Chiddingstone Parish Council, may I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy 2021

Louise Kleinschmidt, Parish Clerk Salehurst Barn, Oak Lane, Blackham, Kent. TN3 9UB. Tel: 01892 740753. Email: [email protected] www.chiddingstone.org NEXT EDITION All contributions for the January 2021 edition of the magazine by 12 noon on WEDNESDAY 9th December. IT IS VERY EARLY! PLEASE PUT THE DATE IN YOUR DIARIES IMMEDIATELY SO THAT I DON'T HAVE TO CHASE PEOPLE! Copy can be left in Chiddingstone Village Shop, posted to me at 6a High Street, , Edenbridge, Kent TN8 7JB or: [email protected]

NURSERY NEWS We now turn our attention to Christmas and an exciting end to our term with our virtual Nursery nativity ‘Our First Nativity’. We are busy learning new songs, dancing, dressing up, and playing instruments and we will finish the term by turning the role play area into a stable and a Santa’s grotto. Diwali candles have been decorated and Christmas hats, cards and presents are in full production spreading sparkles liberally. We hope to end our term with a Christmas party. Mrs J McCoy, Chiddingstone Nursery Tel: 01892 871315 [email protected] 7 THE CAUSEWAY HALL Following Government guidelines, the hall will be closed until lockdown restrictions are lifted. To keep up to date with what is going on at the hall please take a look at our Facebook page. We hope to resume the range of classes on offer at the hall again soon. In the meantime, a mobility strength and balance class on Zoom has been set up by Sue Larken of Age UK. For anyone who would benefit from this free service with health and wellness tips, please contact Sue: [email protected] or call her Tel: Mobile 07867 648667 or Office: 01732 454108 for more information. Zoom may seem daunting so they have step by step instructions to help. It will be every Tuesday at 10.30am to 11am.

CHIDDINGSTONE CAUSEWAY VILLAGE HALL AGM Thursday 14th January, 2021 at 8pm Chiddingstone Causeway Village Hall Due to the Covid-19 Rules this will only be open to Trustees If, however, you would like details on the Hall and its progress or have any questions/points you would like raised, please email them to: [email protected] before 9th January, 2021

Further details from either Sue Kibblewhite Tel: 01892 870933 or Rowland Pocock Tel: 01892 870743

THE TULIP TREE Another month, another lockdown. This hasn’t stopped us at The Tulip Tree though - the Tea room has remained open and is proving very popular. What could be nicer than a Winter walk followed by a glass of mulled wine and a mince pie? Takeaway of course. The shop has also remained open as we are considered an essential service selling food and drink as well as offering a Post Office service. Maybe not so essential (unless you happen to be an elf), is our wonderful Christmas range of decorations and gifts. We also have an online shop where you can either have items sent out to you or your loved ones or select a pick-up. There are literally hundreds of items to choose from. Have a look at our website for more information www.thetuliptree.biz Cont/… 8 So, despite us getting terribly excited about a ‘November 20’ madness with 20% off all items over £100, the lockdown quickly put a stop to that. As a result, we will be extending this offer for the month of December. If you haven’t been in the ‘attic’ before, we have some fabulous sofas, coffee tables, ceiling lights, dining chairs, dining tables and much more! Do come and take a look - you might be surprised. We’re doing a Christmas themed Afternoon Tea which you can have either as a takeaway (pre 2/12), or why not book one to eat in for post 2/12? We are open every day except Christmas Day. The Tea room will be open from 9am on Boxing Day and the Shop open from 10am – 4pm on Boxing Day. Don’t forget we also do gift vouchers which can be used in the shop or the Tea room and can be any monetary value or tailored specifically for something like an Afternoon Tea. This is a great gift and it seems is always well received, from the feedback we get. Please take care and Warmest Seasons Greetings to you all. Nicoletta and team Shop 01892 870326 Tea Room 01892 871504 [email protected] www.thetuliptree.biz T: @TheTulipTreeTea I:@thetuliptreetea F:facebook.com/thetuliptreetea

Visit Penshurst Farmers’ Market this Christmas for the very best local seasonal food and drink Saturday 5th December 9.30am – 12pm Penshurst Place Visitor Car Park However you plan to celebrate Christmas this year, don’t miss our festive market on Saturday 5th December where you’ll find us and our stallholders in the car park at Penshurst Place as usual. We'll have everything you need for the tastiest, locally-sourced Christmas, from free- range turkeys and geese to order, to homemade mince pies and Christmas puds, award-winning cheeses to wonderful fresh fish and locally raised meat and game, bacon and sausages to chutneys and jams, all perfect for getting ahead and filling the freezer. Pop a bottle or two of local craft cider and some Sussex sparkling wine into your basket and you’ll be all set for celebrating. Because of the Covid restrictions, we ask you to come prepared to queue, shop alone or in couples, and keep to our socially distanced guidelines. For details of ordering in advance and any Christmas specials, check on social media or our web site at www.kfma.org.uk/penshurst Xmas trees and wreaths will be on sale from the Penshurst Place shop. Parking is plentiful, free and close by. Facebook PenshurstFarmersMarket Follow us on Twitter@PenshurstFmMrkt www.kfma.org.uk/Penshurst 9 BLACKHAM VILLAGE MARKET Suspended until further notice

Hildenborough Farmers’ Market is held every Tuesday 9am - 11am at St John’s Church Centre, . 402 bus stops outside. Contact: Janet Richardson, Manager Tel: 01732 838903. www.hildenboroughfarmersmarket.co.uk Find us on Facebook and Twitter too.

CHRISTMAS AT FALCONHURST FARM SHOP! It’s coming up to our first year of business – opening the doors on 18th December 2019 seems a lifetime ago and so much has changed! We have been so well supported by local shoppers looking for a safe and enjoyable shopping experience. We have increased our stock range to the extent that we have opened up a new “Veg and Bread Marquee” to the side of the shop and this will stay up until at least the New Year to give everyone as much space as possible. Our Christmas offering is concentrated in the main shop with shelves jammed packed with treats galore – whether it’s to give Father Christmas some stocking ideas or to choose one of our hampers to give the perfect foodie gift for a loved one. At the time of writing we have started taking turkey orders through Kent Turkeys Kelly Bronze Turkeys, so if you have not ordered your bird this year and would like to, please get in contact today! Christmas trees from Hole Park are on offer in the marquee. Please note this year we are not offering a wrapping service but hopefully enough options to choose the perfect tree! We will continue our usual opening hours (Monday - Friday 10am - 5pm, Saturday 10am - 3pm) until Christmas Eve when we will close at 1pm. We will reopen on Tuesday 29th December and then be closed from the 1st - 5th January. Keep an eye on our Facebook and Instagram for regular updates, new products and general bits and bobs! Dan and Charlie at the Falconhurst Farm Shop

10 CHIDDINGSTONE WI With the shelving of plans due to Lockdown2, the WI are having to find alternative ways to keep in touch and support one another during these difficult times. The value of the WI is, utmost, about friendship and many of our members have been friends for many, many years having met through the WI in the first instance. Keeping in touch is therefore something that comes naturally to us. Regrettably, whilst we have been unable to meet up in person, we have been ringing each other and keeping our spirits up as well as having the odd Zoom meet up as well. However, before Lockdown2 was called upon us, several of us did manage a meet up in person for our Autumn walk and witter. We drove to Hayesden Country Park and we were led by one of our members on an excellent walk around the park, alongside the lake and back round in a large circle back to our cars. We were extremely fortunate that the weather was good to us and we were able to sit, afterwards, outside the park café and have a coffee together before heading off home. We had planned to repeat it again in November of course, but this was not to be. Where will this all end, we ask ourselves? Sadly, our Knit and Natter and our Christmas Card Making sessions were also cancelled but it hasn’t stopped our members! They have continued to make and share their crafts and we hope to be able to have an amazing stall next year at our village fete (if it is able to go ahead of course). Until then we will continue to remain in touch and would welcome any new members that would like to join us? You would be made very welcome and we can be a lifeline for those alone and finding the current situation difficult. ********************************************** For your information, we usually meet in Chiddingstone Village Hall every first Tuesday, at 7pm for 7.30pm and have a variety of speakers, workshops and demonstrations, as well as social evenings. Although these are cancelled for the foreseeable future, if you would like to know more about us, please contact Elaine King Tel: 01892 871536.

*********************************************** 11 SERVICES FOR DECEMBER 2020

Sunday 6th December – The Second Sunday of Advent 10am Holy Communion St Luke’s Readers – Dennis Ward and Jo Allwood Intercessor – Paul Allen 4pm Family Service St Mary’s outside

Sunday 13th December – The Third Sunday of Advent 6am onwards Discoverers Online Online 10am Morning Prayer St Luke’s Readers – Chris Bell and Mark Streatfeild Intercessor – Carol Benton

Sunday 20th December – The Fourth Sunday of Advent 10am Christingle St Mary’s Readers – Children TBC Intercessor – Carol Benton 6pm Nine Lessons and Carols St Luke’s Readers – TBC Intercessor – Carol Benton

Thursday 24th December – Christmas Eve 11.30pm Midnight Eucharist St Mary’s Reader – Chris Bell Intercessor – Izzie MacDougall

Friday 25th December – Christmas Day 10.30am Family Service St Luke’s Reader – Logan Rich Intercessor – Carol Benton

Sunday 27th December – The First Sunday of Christmas 6am onwards Discoverers Online Online 10am Morning Prayer St Luke’s Readers – Fiona Leathers and Chloe Phillips Intercessor – Dennis Ward

Sunday 3rd January – The Second Sunday of Christmas 10am Holy Communion St Luke’s Readers – Izzie MacDougall and Logan Rich Intercessor – Paul Allen

12 THE VILLAGE MAGAZINE OF THE CHIDDINGSTONES It is time to renew your subscription for the Village Magazine for 2021. We have many volunteers who cheerfully deliver around their local patch. If you wish to start subscribing, do contact either Rita Ibbotson Tel: 01892 870597 or Maggie Hanwell Tel: 01892 871070 who will ask your nearest distributor to add you to their round. Our magazine is a village magazine for all residents. Please use it to promote your charitable events, sell your goods and publish articles of news or interest. We are very grateful to the two village shops, who sell our magazine and to all the volunteers who work very hard to edit, print and deliver every month. The cost of delivering your magazine for 2021 will be £7.50. Your subscription should be paid to your distributor as soon as possible please and can be paid by cash or cheque. Cheques should be made payable to Chiddingstone PCC St Mary’s. If you have difficulty in making payment to your distributor, you can send/deliver your cheque/cash to Christine Roberts at 2 The Village, High Street, Chiddingstone, Kent TN8 7AH. Please indicate who you are and your address, as we will need to advise your distributor that you have paid. Many thanks. To continue receiving your postal copy of the Chiddingstone Parish Magazine, please send a cheque for £15.50 made payable to "Chiddingstone PCC St Mary’s" to Christine Roberts at 2 The Village, High Street, Chiddingstone, Kent TN8 7AH. Please write “Postal Magazine” on the back of the cheque. Electronic payment is also an option and the website – https://www.achurchnearyou.com/church/16936/page/53184/view/ provides payment information. Please use “Postal Mag” as the reference for BACS payments. CAROL SINGING If we are able to go Carol Singing around the villages as we usually do, (I have been doing so since 1985!) could you please contact me and let me know if you would like to join us? Jenny Chettle Tel: 01342 850827/07860 472445

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DECEMBER What’s Coming Up in December Enjoy the Castle Grounds Throughout the winter, our grounds are perfect for strolling and rambling - bring a flask and discover our lovely views, woodlands, Victorian Orangery and lake where you can fish for £10 a visit. Your kind donations in our car park honesty box help us to take care of the grounds and keep them open throughout the year. More details at https://www.chiddingstonecastle.org.uk Call for Garden and Grounds Volunteers Please join our friendly band of volunteers to help us maintain the garden and grounds. Email us at [email protected] and we will be in touch.

Celebrate With Us We are thrilled that many families and friends are contacting us to arrange celebrations. The house and grounds will be available for your special events throughout the year in line with COVID-19 government guidelines. Contact us for a chat at [email protected] For a quick view of opportunities, take a look at our Instagram page @chiddingstonecastlewedding and our Pinterest boards. www.pinterest.co.uk/chiddingstoneca/boards/

Find us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TripAdvisor Due to COVID-19 we are unable to host our usual popular fairs and public events through the winter, but please follow us on Facebook and Instagram in case things change. https://www.facebook.com/ChiddingstoneCastle

Note from our Curator, Naomi Throughout the winter, we will be working hard to prepare for re-opening in 2021 with new objects on display. The Library books will be dusted, the displays updated, and objects which have been in store for the last few years brought back out. We are also preparing an exciting programme of cultural events for the community. Watch this space for Japan-themed activities in celebration of our amazing Japanese art collection. Our volunteers will return to work on the grounds, the collections, and to help with our re-opening. We will be welcoming visitors back to the Castle and Tea Room in the Spring and we are looking forward to seeing you all again.

For upcoming events and announcements, please check our Instagram and Facebook pages. www.facebook.com/ChiddingstoneCastle https://www.instagram.com/chidd_castle/

Local history | Japanese, Egyptian, Buddhist and Jacobite collections | Tudor origins Victorian rooms | 35 acres of woodland, lawns and fishing lake | Take away Tea Room

Year-round availability for weddings, parties, corporate events, groups and school visits. We follow COVID-19 government guidelines to respect visitor and staff well-being.

www.chiddingstonecastle.org.uk Chiddingstone, Kent TN8 7AD - 01892 870347 - [email protected] 14 STONEWALL PARK CRICKET CLUB After the balmy weather of early September, it was probably to be expected that the final game of the season was going to require players to wear several layers. Luckily, we dodged the showers but there was no let up from the wind all day. In truth it was a rather uneventful game against Groombridge, who only reached 107- 5 chasing 187 to win. Matt Miller carried his bat for 85* but in his eagerness to reach 3 figures he actually started mis-timing the ball and by the end of his innings you would never have known he had batted all 35 overs! There may have been another reason that he stayed out in the middle so long... With the changing rooms out of action this season due to the restrictions, we have all had to either arrive in whites, change in our cars or indeed strip off al fresco. Matt made use of the back of Marc Harvey’s work van to store his kit bag and, despite a clearly audible reminder from Marc about the central locking, as he locked his driver’s door, Matt proceeded to slam the rear door shut before walking out to the middle to join Marc. Several overs later, Marc glanced over at his van from the non-strikers end to see in horror that all the doors were closed. He was less than impressed to say the least and this was compounded a few minutes later when he was out. Marc spent longer retrieving his spare key than batting and Matt stayed out in the middle just about long enough for Marc to cool off! The weekend before, we played our penultimate game of the season against OD Cuaco. A confident 61* from Jo Bradley, his second senior 50, and a swashbuckling 25* from Max Smith, including three fours and a six, took us to 185-7 in our 35 overs. In their innings, just as we seemed to be getting the upper hand, a catch was dropped or a new partnership developed and it was close throughout. It came down to the final ball with OD Cuaco needing 6 from the final ball to win but a run out meant a victory for SPCC by 5 runs. The ground was put to bed in October. A huge thank you to Tim May, Matt and Marc (now best of friends again!) for their work in advance of the ground work day, as well as throughout the season. The hours that Tim put in during the lockdown allowed us to have a ground that was ready to play on, once restrictions were lifted and we are all so grateful for this. Matt has also been instrumental in improving the irrigation and equipment for the square which will hopefully lead to a batters paradise next summer! It has been the strangest season that we have all known. We’ve missed our delicious teas, our warm-up and debrief beers in The Rock and competitive league cricket but our club spirit remains strong and we have not only welcomed some new faces but also seen great progress from our younger members. We look forward to next summer and hope the whole community stays safe and well during the winter months. FQ

15 SUE’S COLUMN Last month I reported Covid infection rates were rising locally and this has continued; across the district we now have 209 active cases (a rate of 140/100,000 population, up from 73/100,00 last month but still approximately half the national rate). Hospitalisations are much lower and at the time of writing, Pembury has plenty of capacity to meet normal health requirements - so please continue to go for your appointments! When we come out of second lockdown, SDC is arguing for restrictions to be tiered by district rather than county, to ensure we are not impacted unnecessarily by Swale and Thanet where infection rates are higher. Meanwhile volunteer support groups have been reactivated, so if the lockdown continues beyond 2nd December and you are clinically vulnerable, have to self-isolate or otherwise need help with errands, then do call your village co-ordinator (me for Chiddingstone). More gloomy news I’m afraid. As I reported earlier in the year, SDC appealed the Planning Inspector’s decision to reject our Local Area Plan (which minimised new Green Belt development), citing inadequate co-operation with neighbouring councils to meet elsewhere our unmet forecast housing need. The Council argued that many conversations with neighbouring authorities had taken place and we knew they were unable to accept ‘spill-over’ into their districts but the Judicial Review judgement (on Friday 13th November - fateful timing!) was that even if the outcome of discussion is known, formal duties cannot be avoided. Form over substance and a victory for stupidity I’m afraid, which just proves the adage ‘the law is an ass’. We will now have to have another two rounds of public consultation, calls for sites, updated housing needs analyses, further inspection costs and at least another 3 years of SDC staff time that could be more usefully spent serving residents! The underlying thrust of the Planning Inspector’s issue with our plan remains. We simply can’t meet our forecast housing needs without destroying the Green Belt; although this is something and Malling have decided to do (at a cost of 450 acres of green space). We fight on! On a completely different note, I was recently invited to a Local Government Association ‘Digital Civility’ course for Councillors on how to deal with online abuse and reflected that this was not a problem I’ve encountered….so thank-you everyone for being polite and courteous in your dealings with me. I appreciate it. Like me, you are probably hoping that Christmas isn’t cancelled by Covid but if we do manage to gather our families together, I want to close by wishing you a lovely Festive break and a healthier 2021! Sue Coleman Tel: 01892 870435 District Councillor for Penshurst, and Chiddingstone

16 A NOTE FROM YOUR MP I try and make sure my columns are as topical as possible, knowing that by the time you read this it may be a week or two after I’ve written. In today’s world, news and restrictions change so fast that I cannot be sure that everything I say here will still be the case when you read this! As I write we are just a few days into our new national restrictions, limiting where we can go and who we can see. This is a tricky time for so many and I am grateful for all the hard work everyone is doing to help those in need. The decision to ask us to follow these restrictions wasn’t one the Government took lightly. In fact, we had much fewer cases across Tonbridge and Malling than many other parts of the country. However, there was a worrying increase across our community in the past few weeks. In Sevenoaks District, the rate of infection grew from 22.7 cases per 100,000 people at the start of October, to 90 at the end of the month. There was no evidence this was decreasing, so clearly something had to be done. That’s why I, very reluctantly, supported the measures in Parliament, though my concerns about the impact of further restrictions remain and I will be looking for any signs that we can bring this to a close sooner. The promise of a vaccine seems to be closer now than before but we must make sure we get this right. While our hospitals can cope at the time of writing, there was a concern that if this trend continued, they would not be able to. But we need more information about the impact of further restrictions on those with existing illnesses. If the restrictions are to be extended, this information needs to be available for us all to see. It is a fine balance to get the restrictions right without causing so much damage to our wellbeing and economy. I am here to help anyone affected by the current national restrictions. Whether it is support getting supplies, financial help or simply concerns about the way the virus is being handled, please be in touch. My phone number is 01732 441563 and e-mail address is [email protected]. I look forward to hearing back from you. Matt Boughton Office of Tom Tugendhat, Member of Parliament for Tonbridge and Malling 130 Vale Road Tonbridge Kent TN9 1SP Tel: 01732 441563/07795 192042

17 CASTLE – TRIATHLON, MULTISPORT, RUN, SWIM AND CYCLE We are currently offering everyone 25% off all races and all venues in 2021. Need extra motivation through winter training? Why not book a race place to one, two or all three of the Castle Virtual Series Winter Races taking place in January, February and March? Go on, add a bit of community and competition to the colder months! The Castle Series races are for absolute beginners to grizzled athletes. The Castle Series offers a wealth of race distances to suit all multisport and individual discipline abilities. No other series in the UK or Europe comes close to the variety they offer. Castle Series events are hosted at a selection of stunning and iconic castles across the UK, Ireland and France, and promise an inspiration and memorable race experience. The Festival of Endurance at Hever Castle will host the Triathlon Middle Distance Triathlon National Championship, on Sunday 4th July 2021 and the September Hever Castle event includes the ITU Standard Distance Duathlon World Championship Qualifier. Links Website: www.castletriathlonseries.co.uk Venues: www.castletriathlonseries.co.uk/the-series Races: www.castletriathlonseries.co.uk/races Castle Virtual Series: www.castletriathlonseries.co.uk/the-series/castle-virtual- series/ Castle Race Date Venue Series Virtual Race 22-24 January Online Virtual Race 19-21 Online February Virtual Race 19-21 March Online Live Race 29/30 May Lough Cutra Castle, Galway, Ireland Live Race 19/20 June Cholmondeley Castle, Cheshire Live Race 3/4 July Festival of Endurance, Hever Castle, Kent Live Race 24/25 July Castle Howard, North Yorkshire Live Race 28/29 July Château de Chantilly, France Live Race 25/26 Hever Castle, Kent September

18 WELCOME We belatedly welcome James and Abbie Miller to Garden Cottage, Hill Hoath Road, Chiddingstone and wish them every happiness in their new home.

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY Thursday 14th January The Causeway Hall AGM see page 8 Saturday 3rd to Sunday 4th July Festival of Endurance at Hever Castle see page 18 Saturday 25th to Sunday 26th September Hever Castle Triathlon see page 18

If any organisation has any further dates to add to this diary, please contact the editor. Hopefully, by publishing and keeping an ongoing list of planned events, we can avoid a clash of interests!

Professional Foot Care Julie Jones-Ellis MCFHP MAFHP Member of The British Chiropody & Podiatry Association Ingrown nails, Nail cutting, Nail thinning, Corn removal, Hard skin removal. Home Visits Chiddingstone Causeway 01892 870931

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Physiotherapy & Pilates Emma Roper BSc PgDip MCSP HPC Daren Wood Experienced Chartered Physiotherapist Sports injuries, neck and back pain, Chimney ante / postnatal, arthritis and mobility problems, post-op rehab Pilates classes, small groups and 1-2-1 Sweep 4 Pipers Green Road, Chart 07771 925346 , Kent TN16 1ND [email protected] Telephone: 01959 564263

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David James 9 Dukes Meadow, Chiddingstone Causeway, Tonbridge, TN11 8LW

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Steel Framed Buildings Farm Construction Work

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