Hollingbourne & Hucking January 2021 Happy New Year Church & Village News www.hollingbournepc.kentparishes.gov.uk Parish Directory The Clergy Team Churchwardens Val Lurcock, 1 Tilefields 880694 Christine Jones 688830 Bellringers Nigel Baker (Tower Captain) 07778 691 343 Pam Nash 880309 Borough Councillor Patrik Garten, Kingswood House, Pitt Orad, ME17 3NR 807907 Bourne Musicians Beccy Stroud, 1 Musket Lane 880377 Cardwell Pavilion 07932 164839 Cricket Club Ian Gutteridge 730388 Cubs Jane Newsome 862558 Doctor Yeomans Lane : Repeat Prescriptions 630415 / Appointments, etc. 737326 Downs Mail Editor 734735 Football Club Mike Bedwell 880353 Garden Society John Ross 737080 Hospitals: Maidstone 729000 Eye, Ear & Mouth Unit 729000 Preston Hall 710161 9am – 5 pm Kent Messenger Correspondent Vacant Maidstone Volunteer Bureau 01622 756662 Meadows Trust Ben Williams 07968.123165 or880584 Neighbourhood Contacts June Pockett [email protected]/07767.367611 Parish Council Chairman Adam Ward [email protected] Vice Chairman Simon Hulme 07808 300 840 Parish Clerk Vickie Smith [email protected] 07856.180003/880526 Pre-School Christine Judges 07864 065753 Police PCSO Ryan Waring 101 Railway Enquiries 0845 748 4950 Reading Group Barbara Lloyd 880282 Dawn Perry 880634 Royal British Legion Derek Davison 880650 School Mrs. Helen Bradley-Wyatt, Headteacher 880270 Scout Group Alan Poulton 843019 Short Mat Bowls Peter Lee 880580 Village Hall Barbara Tremble 880216 Village Shop Julie & Martin Woods 880338 Women’s Institute Barbara Gibbs 880652 Sue Roberts 07867.691393 Hucking WI Sharon Lee 07714.756354 Kate Blacker 07760.905416 Magazine Contributions should be in by the 10 th of the month latest to the Editor : Carole Findlay, 1 Pimpernel Close, Bearsted, Kent ME14 4QQ. 01622.583636 Email: [email protected] Magazine Subscriptions for the year £6.00 were due by 1 st April, 2020. (suspended) Subscriptions are usually collected by Magazine Distributors. For advertising please contact Phil Smith at [email protected] Single Copies 60p available from Woods of Hollingbourne (when available) and in All Saints Church Magazine available on line at Hollingbourne Parish Council website 2 HOPES AND DREAMS I remember that when my three children were born, I hoped they would grow up to be healthy and happy. When they were older, I hoped they would have a good career. I suppose I secretly hoped they would want to work for the church like their dad, but no, they certainly had different ideas! My eldest, Naomi, wanted to be a vet. She read animal books and planned to start a business with her cousin. Then her hopes were dashed when we found out she was allergic to most furry animals. Not exactly a good qualification and certainly not recommended. I am pleased to say she re- focussed and trained to be a sports coach and is doing very well in her birthplace, Blackpool. Sometimes things don’t work out in the way we expected. St Paul says in Romans 8:24-25, “…. Hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.” There is a lot of hope in that little passage! But what is the meaning of hope? Hope is something that you want to happen, like your hope that good things will come this year, or that life can get better for everybody in the world in 2021, with the massive job of distributing the coronavirus vaccine to everyone in the world. Hope can also be a verb that means "strive or aim for or wish." Right through the Bible, God was there for his people. Some turned away from him, others struggled when things went against them, some complained a lot, some continued to trust him and follow his ways even though it was tough. Even when the Israelites were taken captive, they had a hope that God would rescue them; even when they were travelling through the wilderness, God gave his people leaders who would give them hope that God would lead them. And so it went on…… Even today, people worship God even when they live in countries where there’s war, no water, no food and not much hope . So, as we start this most anticipated and hoped-for year, let us pray for that hope of a healthy, peaceful and fruitful year for all of humanity, for our communities and our churches; for our families, friends and neighbours. Oh yes, for ourselves too! A Happy, Hope-filled New Year to you all. Captain Graham Bibby Team Missioner, North Downs Team 3 SERVICES 2020/21 (YEAR B) JANUARY 2021 3rd January Epiphany Service Hollingbourne 11.00 am Eucharist 10th January Baptism of Christ Service Hollingbourne 11.00 am Eucharist 17 th January 2nd Sunday of Epiphany Service Hollingbourne 11.00 am Eucharist 24 th January 3rd Sunday of Epiphany/Week of Prayer for Christian Unity Service Hollingbourne 11.00 am Eucharist 31 st January 4th Sunday of Epiphany Service Hollingbourne 11.00 am Eucharist (It is hoped that these services will take place, but further consultation is being conducted). If you wish to attend a church service at All Saints Church you MUST register in advance with the Churchwardens – Val Lurcock - 880694 or Christine Jones - 688830. The Church will be open for Private Prayer between 10.00 am and 3 pm on Wednesday and Sunday. Revd. Mark Pavey will be conducting a service online at 10.00 am each Sunday. The following links are the links for Mark Pavey's services - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4KnCwLrj4ACApkv_UEyXvg or if you are on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/northdownschurches/ Further information will be posted when arrangements become clearer. LEEDS SERVICES 3rd January Leeds 11.00 am Eucharist 10 th January Broomfield 3.30 pm Communion 17 th January Leeds 11.00 am Eucharist 24 th January Kingswood 11.00 am Family Communion 31 st January Langley 11.00 am Joint Area Communion 4 EDITOR’S NOTES As I try to put the magazine together for the beginning of a new (and, we hope) and more normal year, there are many things that will influence the coming months. Covid, vaccination, new Brexit rules, fluctuating jobs and the economy are but a few of the subjects that will dominate the headlines. It is to be hoped that, with a more ‘normal’ life (out of upper Tiers) the life in the village with spring up again with our organisations full of innovative ideas (like the Christmas competitions) to keep us all busy and amused. Christmas was, no doubt, quiet and New Year may not have its usual festive appearance, but both celebrations point the way to new birth and life in the future. Let us pray that our hopes will be fulfilled. If you have spare time on your hands, perhaps you would consider the appeal by the Scouts for Leaders and Helpers for this wonderful organisation, that contributes so much for the young members of the village. Our own daughter benefitted from being in Brownies and our son went all the way through Beavers, Cubs and into Scouts. A long time ago. The Meadows announces its AGM on 23 rd February (Covid allowing). If you enjoy walking the Meadows or just having a marvellous green open space in the middle of the village, please consider supporting the organisation financially. Like all village societies it is run by volunteers, who struggle to keep up with legislation, red tape and (I regret to say) the occasional vandalism. Their constant efforts to improve the life of the village is more than commendable. Please note that I have moved, but am still continuing as Editor, and have a new phone number, but the same email. I still need information for the magazine. Carole Findlay 01622.583636 HATCHES MATCHES & DESPATCHES It is with great sadness that Carole & Jim Findlay record the sudden and unexpected death of their beloved grand-daughter, Elara, in Texas at the age of three and a half months on 27 th December, 2020. We saw her on WhatsApp on Christmas Day but, with all the Covid restrictions, we never had the opportunity of seeing her in person. Peter Brown, of Upper Street Cottages, beloved partner of Barbara Tremble, died of Covid 19 on 10 th December. Peter and Barbara had tended the church porch garden for several years. 5 Country Notes for January 2021 What a year all of us have just experienced – and one that I imagine we hope we will never see again. Coronavirus and Brexit have dominated our lives, and the virus, in particular, has caused us to behave and do things in a way we would have thought unimaginable only a year ago. I am sure that for many of us this has been deeply unsettling and we are longing for normality to return to our lives once again. The wonderful thing is that, through all of this, our countryside, our gardens and nature itself has remained constant. I am sure that we were all grateful that, in the early stages of lockdown, the weather was wonderful and enabled us to get out and about for walks in the country. It also gave us the opportunity to enjoy our gardens to the full. What a blessing this was. As I wandered about our villages, I found it really consoling to see everything behaving as usual – and for the creatures in our landscape there was no knowledge of the turmoil going on in the world. Bracken, my dog, had no idea that anything was different as we walked the byways of our villages and neither did the blackbird in the hedge or the swallow returning from its winter break in Africa.