Cobham and Luddesdown WI

PARISH of COBHAM & LUDDESDOWNE with DODE

Rev Angela Walker Church Office (01474) 813495 The Vicarage, Battle Street, Cobham, DAl2 3DB (01474) 814332 Pastoral Assistant Janet Weaver, 36 Highview, Vigo Village, DA13 ORR (01732) 823936

SUBMISSIONS Cobham and Luddesdowne News is a community magazine that is produced by and for the residents of Cobham, Sole Street and Luddesdown. We welcome all contributions of local interest. Please send material for inclusion by the 15th of the month preceding publication to [email protected]

Good news - we are easing out of lockdown, hoorah. We’re nervously venturing in to the gardens of family and friends, boldly going to places we haven’t been for some time. Who would have thought we could get so excited by a visit to a non-essential shop! Let’s hope that the number of new infections continue to fall and we can enjoy all those things we had previously taken for granted and businesses can start to make up for lost time. Like many of you I have family living abroad where the numbers are climbing and the vaccine roll out is far from successful, let’s just hope things start to improve for those countries that are still struggling with the latest wave and variants. I hope that we might, once again, visit with our loved ones soon. Keep safe, enjoy the spring, and the occasional trips to the beer gardens of Kent! Tina Services during May

Sunday 2nd May - Fifth Sunday of Easter 10:30am Holy Communion, Luddesdowne

Sunday 9th May – Sixth Sunday of Easter 10:30am Holy Communion, Cobham

Sunday 16th May – Sunday after Ascension Day 10:30am Holy Communion, Luddesdowne (followed by APCM)

Sunday 23rd May - Pentecost 10:30am Holy Communion, Cobham (followed by APCM)

Sunday 30th May – Trinity Sunday 10:30am Holy Communion, Luddesdowne

Cobham church open for private prayer Wednesdays 10am to 12 noon Need a Plumber?

Your local plumber is Graham Hickson

Reliable, prompt and reasonable prices 20% discount on labour with this magazine Graham Hickson

07968 551 562 [email protected]

VAT Sole Free Trader

Fundraising Success!

A few of the ladies who reside at Cobham College decided after Christmas they needed a project. With dark nights and cold days it was decided to make Easter Chicks and Easter bunnies to while away the time and, with the help of the Community Shop, Sevie and her amazing team, to sell them to raise money for the Ellenor Hospice. They started to sell around six weeks before Easter, each with a small egg inside, and, to our amazement raised £400 which has duly been delivered to Ellenor who were speechless and so thankful for our efforts. We would like to convey our thanks to all who supported this fundraiser and hope it put a smile on your faces. Regards

Janet SOLE STREE T WI

Sole Street WI members celebrated the joy of Easter by sending each other an anony- mous hand-made gift. Variously these could be plants, cakes, biscuits, sewn, knitted or other handcrafted gifts. Our President Yvonne photographed part of the “Secret Easter Bunny Gifts” before distribu- tion. I was the proud recipient of 5 tea- light holders crafted to highlight name “Molly”.

During lockdown Committee and Open Main Meetings have again been conducted virtually via Zoom. Weekly walks in restricted number have continued every Tuesday at Jeskyns. Several members registered to take part in May Time Walk with other WIs at Hopehill on 18th May. However, with lifting of restrictions, everyone was excitedly looking forward to meeting up in President Yvonne’s lovely garden on 25th May for a very sociable time !

Green fingered members have been busy preparing our Institute’s entry for National Federation’s Huxley Cup Competition 2021 - the crea- tion of a raised plant bed to draw on the gardening skills within our WI which we are hoping can be displayed locally for our community. Everyone watch out too for Sole Street WI Produce Pop-Up Sale to be held at the end of May/early part of June in grounds of St Mary’s Church Room. For further information on this and other events, please contact Yvonne 01474 813455. Molly Isaacs Cobham and Luddesdown WI

C&L WI Programme of Events We are currently working on our programme for the period July 2021 to June 2022. If members have any suggestions for speakers etc. please do let Jenny know, especially if you have contacts. The committee would welcome ideas for activities, outings, fundraising etc., once we are permitted to get together again. Again, please send your ideas to Jenny. It is unlikely that meetings will resume until at least 7th July and even then, it will need to be outdoors. One suggestion is a picnic, with members bringing their own food and drink and sitting in groups of up to 6, socially distanced. This would be an opportunity for us all to meet again but would obviously rely on good weather and a suitable venue. Members can find further information in future WI newsletters, by which time we will be able to make firmer arrangements and issue a finalised programme to everyone. Because of Covid-19 restrictions, our Annual Meet- ing, which usually takes place in May, will need to be postponed until later in the year (probably in October).

Group Update Craft - At the moment it is unknown when the craft group can meet again. Added into the problem is there is currently no parking near the NT Barn. Art- because this is a small group, it may be possible to hold garden meetings, depending on the weather. For all other group activities, watch this space but it is good to know that there will be two new groups (gardening and Wellbeing) that have emerged.

If you have any spare time on your hands You may have heard of a company called Innocent Drinks. They have had a campaign running since 2003 called the Innocent Big Knit. Tiny knitted or crocheted hats are being made by volunteers all over the country, to go on top of the Innocent smoothie bottles. Innocent will donate 25p to Age UK for each behatted bottle sold. Go to their website at www.thebigknit.co.uk to find out more. They have a number of patterns and even if you don’t want to donate your little hat, you can use it to keep your boiled egg warm!

For further info please contact our Secretary Jenny [email protected]

LUDDESDOWN PARISH COUNCIL

Proposed Meeting Dates for 2021-2022

Monday 17th May 2021

Monday 19th July 2021

Monday 20th September 2021

Monday 18th October 2021 – Budget Meeting

Monday 15th November 2021

Monday 17th January 2022

Monday 21st March 2022 - APM

COBHAM PARISH COUNCIL MEETING DATES 2021

All starting at 7.30pm and on Zoom until further notice If you wish to attend a meeting please contact the clerk for joining instructions. [email protected]

Monday 10th May 2021 Annual Parish Meeting Monday 7th June 2021 Monday 5th July 2021 Monday 6th September 2021 Monday 4th October 2021 Monday 8th November 2021 Monday 6th December 2021

Venues depend on Covid 19 restrictions at that time

BRITAIN IN BLOOM COBHAM PARISH COUNCIL FRONT OF HOUSE GARDEN COMPETITION 2021

Dear Parishioners, We hope that the Covid restrictions have kept you well and you are now ready to exert extra energies into your gardens. Gardening has certainly been an even more popular hobby during the lockdown. The theme this year is Ride and Stride with the colour theme of mauve (purple) and yellow, so let’s see how you can incorporate a bicycle or boot into your display! We hope you have admired the mauve and yellow pansies that are looking magnificent at the moment in the village troughs. There are two periods for judging this year, Britain in Bloom - that involves you all – is 28th June to 16th July. Front of House to judge your front garden, flower troughs, baskets and if you have included them -boot and bicycle- will be in the week beginning 19th July. Please contact Rosemary Dymond if you intend to enter the Front of House competition; phone 01474 814143 or email rose- [email protected] or complete and deliver the application form be- low to 25 The Street, Cobham. DA12 3BX Name………………………………….. Tel no……………………………………. Address………………………………………………………………………..… Email…………………………………………………………………………….

Remember we won Silver Gilt last year so let’s go for Gold this year!

Oakwood Garden Care

Your reliable gardening service Does your garden need some TLC? Would you like to sit back and enjoy your garden without having to do all the hard work?

Your garden is precisely that “yours” - we listen to our customers and tailor each project to their individual needs and requirements. We are a small, family run business who pride ourselves on offering a high quality garden service - whether you need us for a one - off job, or would like to book us for a regular maintenance program, the choice is yours.

Competitive rates with prices starting from as little as £20 per hour All work undertaken including: And much more - no job is considered too small For a free quote, please call 07709 328 979 We are available week days, weekends and even Bank Holidays Email: [email protected] www.oakwoodgardencare.co.uk Smile Lines

Sportsmanlike

During a game, the coach asked one of his young players: "Do you understand what cooperation is? What a team is?" The little boy nodded yes. "Do you understand that what matters is winning together as a team?" The little boy nodded yes. "So," the coach continued, "when a strike is called, or you are out at first, you don't argue or curse or at- tack the umpire. Do you understand all that?" Again, the boy nodded yes.

"Good," said the coach. "Now go over there and explain it to your mother."

The puppies

A client brought a litter of Golden Retriever puppies to the local veteri- nary clinic for inoculations and worming. As the look-alike pups tumbled over and under one another in their box, the experienced vet realised it would be difficult to tell which had been treated and which hadn't. So, the vet turned on the water tap, wet her fingers and gently moistened each dog's head as she finished giving it the necessary shots.

After the fourth puppy, the vet noticed her hitherto talkative client had grown silent and was looking rather reverent. As the animal doctor sprinkled the last pup's head, the owner leaned forward and whispered, "Thank you so much. I hadn’t realised you baptised them, too.”

Chicken run Idealistic politician: "I dream of a better tomorrow where chickens can cross the road and not have their motives questioned." THE MEADOW ROOM For Hire COBHAM AVAILABLE FOR HIRE Hire rates start at £36.50 for a session St Mary’s Contact us or visit the website for full details Church Room Discount for parish residents Sole Street For bookings, call Debbie on £6 per hour Use of 01474 814879, leave a message and she will get back to you. small Kitchen Or email [email protected] www.meadowroom.org.uk Bookings and Enquiries Registered Charity No 228007 01474 814560 North Kent Embroiderers’ Guild Hello everyone, This has been quite an exciting month for us for several reasons. The Embroiderers’ Guild of which we were a branch has had a major restructure and as a result we are now an independent stitch group with the new name you see above. Our website has been updated and you can see all our activities and contacts there. Another excitement is that we have had our first Zoom speaker- Isobel Moore with her talk entitled ‘Evolutions’. Isobel is a well-respected textile artist with a great love of colour. She told us how her early life had led to her current interest in stitching. She said that she had learnt to sew from her Grandmother and had always been interested in creating pictures and painting. You can see some of her work in the pictures here. Isobel is planning to run a Zoom day school for us in June. We have also had our usual monthly Zoom chat which is a lovely way to keep in touch with each other and to see what we have each been doing in the way of stitching. Sue D has finished a piece with beautiful ducks on it, Evelyn has made a quilted cushion cover, Karen has made cushion covers for her garden chairs and Wendy has worked a piece using the Blackwork technique.

If you are interested in joining us or coming just for a visit, whether real (or by Zoom until September), then please look at our website. We have a new QR code which gives speedy access if you have a QR reader app on your phone. https://northkentembroiderers.co.uk/ or email us at: [email protected] or contact our Chairman, Eileen Tuff on 01474 324734 Happy stitching, Karen (All links and photographs used with permission)

With the Government’s Roadmap out of lockdown Cobham Gardeners’ Society have been adding to their Garden Path out of lockdown!

They have rearranged dates and speakers and now have an event every month, for 6 months, from June 2021!

The revised schedule is; Saturday 24th June – Summer Show Wednesday 14th July – Tour of Potash Farm – charges apply details to fol- low Wednesday 11th August – Gardening at St Johns Jerusalem, Suton At Hone by Caroline Halfpenny – one of her new talks Wednesday 8th September – How to Grow Fuchsias by Nick Dobson Saturday 11th September – Autumn Show Wednesday 13th October – Herbs For Every Use by Susan Scrivens Wednesday 10th November – All Things Nutty by Alexander Hunt of Pot- ash Farm Wednesday 1st December – AGM ; Christmas Get Together. If you would like to join it is only a modest £8 for the year – money you get back from free entry into all Gardeners’ expert speaker talks and mas- sive savings of up to 50% on quality plants at local garden centres. To join email [email protected]

Here’s the RHS Top 10 Jobs for May. 1 Watch out for late frosts. Protect tender plants 2 Earth up potatoes, and promptly plant any still remaining 3 Plant out summer bedding at the end of the month (not in cold areas) 4 Collect rainwater and investigate ways to recycle water for irrigation 5 Regularly hoe off weeds 6 Open greenhouse vents and doors on warm days 7 Mow lawns weekly 8 Check for nesting birds before clipping hedges 9 Lift and divide overcrowded clumps of daffodils and other spring- flowering bulbs 10 Watch out for viburnum beetle and lily beetle grubs

COBHAM TREE SURGERY IT Solutions Kent Ltd All aspects of work undertaken Tall & Dangerous Trees IT Support – Hedge trimming £5 million Public liability insurance CCTV - Networking Most waste organically recycled 0333 050 2446 Call for a free quotation: 07789261474 [email protected] [email protected]

WWW.COBHAMTREESURGERY.CO.UK

KCC TRADING STANDARDS APPROVED My Garden?

I thought I owned a garden A lovely place to be A bird said, “Beg your pardon, “This land belongs to me!”

A squirrel dropped a nut on me Which wasn’t what I’d planned “Get lost!”, said he, “for can’t you see “You trespass on my land?”

A pheasant flapped and squawked so loud I scarce could hear me think! “Get off my ground, for two’s a crowd!” He kicked up such a stink!

The wild-life around me So loudly do protest! They growl and screech till I can see That I am just a guest!

By Nigel Beeton

Stephen P Gay MEDWAY METALS LTD Memorials Inc. Horlocks Buyers of all scrap metal & car batteries

QUICK PAYMENT

SPECIALISTS IN MONUMENTAL 01634 297423 MASONRY

120 Old Road West Gravesend UNIT 6 SHAMEL PARK, MEDWAY CENTRE EST. COMMISSIONERS ROAD, STROOD Kent, DA11 0LR ME2 4HQ Tel: 01474 321003 Sadly, during the past year the parishes of Cobham and Luddesdown have witnessed the passing of many, much loved, local people. May they rest in peace and may their memory be a blessing.

Funeral

Sheila Elesia BAKER was born on the 6th August 1925 and died on the 12th April 2020 aged 94 years old. Sheila’s funeral took place on the 6th May 2020 at Thames View Crematorium; the service was conducted by Celebrant – Trevor Donnelly. Our sympathy and prayers go to Sheila’s daughter Christine, granddaughters Zoe and Lyn, and other family members and friends.

Joan Annie Marie DUTTON was born on the 1st March 1926 and died on the 25th April 2020 aged 93 years old. Joan’s funeral took place on the 22nd May 2020 at Medway Crematorium; the service was conducted by Mrs Alison Harding, C of E Reader at Ash. Our sympathy and prayers go to Joan’s daughter Sandra, son-in-law Roy, and other family members and friends.

Esme PEARCE was born on the 31st July 1927 and died on the 7th May 2020 aged 92 years old. Esme’s funeral took place on the 28th May 2020 at Thames View Crematorium; the service was conducted by Mrs Marion Fielder-White, C of E Reader at Northfleet and Rosherville. Our sympathy and prayers go to Esme’s children David (Paddy) and Susan, and their families and friends.

Rex Brian HUSSEY (known to many as Brian) was born on the 30th Au- gust 1931 and died on the 6th December 2020 aged 88 years old. Brian’s funeral took place on the 5th January 2021 at Thames View Crematorium; the service was conducted by Rev’d Angela Walker. Our sympathy and prayers go to Brian’s wife Jill, their daughters Jane and Sarah and their families and friends.

Cobham’s Register - please see next page Continued from previous page……

Funeral

Stanley Michael GRAHAM was born on the 9th May 1937 and died on the 24th January 2020 aged 82 years old. Stanley’s funeral took place in Cobham church on the 10th March 2020 followed by burial in the churchyard; the service was conducted by Rev’d David Scott, Clergy with PTO in Gravesend Deanery. Our sympathy and prayers go to Stanley’s wife Bren- da, their children, Julie, Paul, June and Stewart and their families and friends.

Funeral Linda Joy CHAMBERLAIN was born on the 24th November 1946 and died on the 11th February 2020 aged 73 years old. Linda’s funeral took place in Cobham church on the 18th March 2020 followed by burial in the churchyard; the service was conducted by Rev’d Angela Walker. Our sympathy and prayers go to Linda’s husband Ron and family and friends.

Funeral Alan Edward HOLLAND was born on the 5th November 1932 and died on the 24th December 2020 aged 88 years old. Alan’s funeral took place at Cobham church on the 8th January 2021, followed by burial in the churchyard; the service was conducted by Reverend Canon Chris Stone, Clergy with PTO in Cobham Deanery. Our sympathy and prayers go to Alan’s wife Elizabeth and their children Duncan and Claire, their family and friends.

Luddesdowne’s Register

Interment of Ashes Jill Elizabeth MINISTER, who died on the 6th November 2019 at the age of 64 years old, had her ashes interred in Luddesdowne’s Garden of Re- membrance on the 17th September 2020. The service was conducted by Rev’d Andrew Vaughan, who was Vicar of Istead Rise.

Funeral Brian James HAYWARD was born on the 26th June 1939 and died on the 27th February 2021 aged 81 years old. Brian’s funeral took place at Luddesdowne church on the 26th March 2021 followed by burial in the churchyard; the service was conducted by Rev’d Angela Walker. Our sympathy and prayers go to Brain’s wife Rita, their children Carl, Kaye and Jane, their families and friends.

Worth thinking about…. What will happen to our offices in the future? There will be less of them – a lot less. In fact, one recent study warns that the pandemic will mean office space in the UK shrinks by a fifth, which is 18 million square ft.

Certainly, the current flexibility of working from home, brought on by the pandemic, seems set to bring in permanent changes, according to the risk management and insurance broker Gallagher.

In the future, office will be mainly for collaborating or attending meetings, or for storing vital equipment and IT. Working in an office five days a week will become a thing of the past. And of course, that, in turn, will have a pro- found impact on the look and shape of our cities.

Always worth remembering…. 100 years of the British Legion One hundred years ago, on 15th May 1921, the British Legion was founded in the aftermath of the First World War, to provide support to veterans of the British Armed Forces, their families and dependants.

It was created at a time when two million people were unemployed. More than six million had served in the war: of those who came back, 1.75 million had suffered some kind of disability, and half of those were disabled perma- nently.

Four organisations came together at the instigation of Lancastrian Lance Bombardier Tom Lister, who was angered at the Government’s unwilling- ness to help, and Field Marshal Earl Haig, who had been Commander in Chief of the British Forces. The Legion campaigned for fair treatment of those who have given everything for their country, and it continues this work today.

In 1922, the Legion’s poppy factory opened in the Old Kent Road, London, with 40 disabled men manufacturing 1000 poppies a week. The first Poppy Day was held that same year. The Festival of Remembrance began in 1927, and the Legion became ‘Royal’ in 1971 – 50 years ago – on its golden anni- versary. At first membership of the Legion was confined to ex-Service per- sonnel, but it was expanded to include serving members of the Forces in 1981. All Seasons garden Maintenance Local and reliable service Grass and Hedge cutting Border Maintenance Pruning Pressure washing Full public liability insurance References available from existing customers No job too small Contact John - Home: 01322 423063 (Based in Gravesend) Mobile: 07951 429175 Email: [email protected]

AtTENTively Yours…..

Here to provide you with a fully personalised service

Catering for garden parties, corporate and sporting events High specification - best quality equipment used Site survey and no obligation quotation

Freephone 0800 389 8298

Office 01474 815150 Mobile 07766 681151 Can you colour in the socially distanced choir? Hoorah! On Good Friday I went in the car to visit some of my family in their garden. I was so excited to see them I hadn’t seen them for soooooooooooo long! I know I was naughty but I could not keep my distance and I just had to cover them with loads of licks and slobbery kisses! I enjoyed all the fuss they made of me too.

I do hope that you, too, have had a chance to see and have fun with the family and friends you have been missing for so long. Love and Licks Harvey

Wordsearch Clues and Answers - Rogation Sunday The first Sunday in May is Rogation Sunday. This is when many parishes still ‘beat the bounds’. Rogation means an asking of God - for blessing on the seed and land. The practice began with the Romans, who processed around the cornfields each Spring, singing and dancing, sacrificing animals, in order to get rid of evil. About 465 AD the Western world was suffer- ing from earthquake and storm. Mamertius, Bishop of Vienne, aware of the pagan custom, ordered that prayers should be said in the ruined or neglected fields. Thus ‘beating the bounds’ became a Christian ceremonial. It arrived in England early in the eighth century. Each Spring, led by the priest, a little party from the parish would set out with a Cross to trace the boundaries of the parish. They’d implore God to keep their corn and roots and boughs in good health, and bring them to harvest. In the days when maps were scarce, ‘beating the bounds’ helped remind everyone just where the boundaries were. Do you know yours today?

Sunday May Rogation Beat Bounds Asking Blessing Seed Land Romans Processed Cornfields Spring Earthquake Storm Prayer Cross Boundaries Crops Harvest maps