“Some sort of periodical is an essential life-line in village such as ours”

Welcome to West Farleigh’s own

LIFELINE
Distributed freely in April 2018 Edition no 498
Editors: Stephen Norman, Helen Swan and Jacky Taylor
Website: www.thefarleighs.co.uk Email: editor@thefarleighs.co.uk Upcoming Events:
See back page
WEST FARLEIGH IN BLOOM
Yes, we’ve entered! Now what?
We want everyone to have fun and create
a colourful impact for our friends & In this Lifeline
neighbours (and through traffic, ho-hum) to
enjoy. Pastoral newsletter……….. 2
Parish Council report….… 3
We are launching 2 Sunflower growing competitions which we very much
All Saints repairs update… 3
hope as many houses will join in as possible:
Plastic: a personal view…. 4
1. Tallest Sunflower – can you grow the tallest sunflower in West Farleigh? View from the Garden…… 5
Plant them in your front garden or bobbing over a garden wall. Multiple Farleigh Feathers…………. 6
entries per household welcome! Judging in July. View from the Scoreboard..7
2. Best Sunflower display – Sunflowers come in many varieties, not just the Organisations ………………. 7
giant kind. We are sure that many smiles will be created when passing Events………………………. 8
these potential displays. Judging will again occur in July.
Don’t forget to look at our
As we will hopefully have lots of sunflowers in the website for much more
village this summer, if anyone has any good recipes information about our village
that use this sunny ingredient please do share them www.thefarleighs.co.uk
with editor@thefarleighs.com.
Please contact the editors if you
See full colour report and blog on
would like an article in Lifeline or
www.thefarleigh.co.uk/fauna_flora.html
on the Website – Email
editor@thefarleighs.co.uk

The editor’s lament 

Follow us on Facebook
Believe me, we try! But we just can’t! We can’t show Ed Boyd’s lovely
photo of a snowy cricket pitch, or the lambs gamboling at the Martins’
Lambing Day, or get your feedback on fly-tipping. We can’t show the
CCTV photo of a would-be thief on Charlton Lane. There isn’t room in
Lifeline for Brian Cushing’s yarns about Yemen and how to load 50 tons of
oil machinery onto a giant aircraft. Fun recipes, gardening tips, the new
Fauna and Flora pages. For these things, connect to the website AND the
Farleighs Facebook page AND … subscribe to our monthly email to be Do look at our website and
look at weekly activities.
reminded what’s new.
You will amazed what goes
Congratulations to Geoff, Candy, Ollie and our Parish Councillors for on.
another stunning Lambing event. 300 visitors, almost £1,000 for
village funds.

Deadline for May issue of LIFELINE: 20th APRIL 2018

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PASTORAL NEWSLETTER
Recently Coxheath featured on the TV programme “Village of the Year”, and
the programme focussed largely around the World Custard Pie
Championships as an example of the eccentric traditions that sometimes
spring up. In its 50th year, some traditions have been going on for much
longer. For example, Easter has some strange traditions in the way it is
celebrated around the world.

On the holiday island of Corfu the strangest event takes place at noon on
Saturday. As soon as the church bells toll, residents hurl giant water-filled
earthenware pots from balconies to much cheering from those gathered (at
an unsafe distance) below. Not everyone agrees about the ritual’s origins.
Some believe the tradition dates back 400 years, to when Venetian rulers would throw away the old to
make room for the new. Others say the custom has a Biblical basis relating to the resurrection and it’s also
suggested that all the noise is designed to scare away the devil. Once the spectacle is over, onlookers hurry
past shards of terracotta to the parade route, where marching bands are tuning up and spit-roasted lamb is
falling off the bone. Food often features – our own hot cross buns (reminding us of the crucifixion), Simnel
cakes (fruit cake topped with eleven marzipan balls to represent the eleven apostles of Christ, minus Judas),
and Easter eggs (symbolising new life and the rolling away of the stone in front of Jesus’ tomb) all have
connections to the season.

Other less wholesome traditions include spanking young ladies with branches of willow branches in the
Czech Republic – supposedly symbolising fertility; the handing out of packets of cigarettes and tobacco
after the church service in Papua New Guinea (don’t ask – I have no idea!); having nails driven through
hands and feet in the Philippines to echo Christ’s crucifixion; and Penance processions featuring floats
adorned with religious statues carried through the streets for hours on end by privileged bearers in
Andalusia. On a lighter note the citizens of Bermuda are busy flying their kites. The story goes that a teacher,
who was looking for a visually effective way to demonstrate the ascension of Christ into heaven, made a
kite and decorated it with an image of Jesus.

As we look to the future here in the benefice with a fresh vision for the future, I pray that your Easter,
however you celebrate it, is full of joy, life and hope.

Many blessings and a Happy Resurrection Sunday to all.

Peter Callway

Rector.

Pastoral newsletter
Services at All Saints
Sunday 1st April 8.00 am (Easter Day) Holy Communion (Traditional)
Sunday 8th April 11.00 am Morning Prayer (Modern)
Sunday 15th April 9.30 am Morning Prayer (Traditional)
Sunday 22nd April 9.30 am Holy Communion (Modern)
Sunday 29th April 10.30 am Benefice Service at Coxheath

Our Ministry Team

Rev Peter Callway, Rector: 01622 747570 Call for Baptisms, Weddings & Funerals, not Fridays
Rev David Jones, Hon. Associate Rector 01622 741474. Not Fridays
Rev Eileen Doyle, Associate Rector 01622 204241. Not Mondays and Tuesdays
Becky Parnham, Children and Families Worker 07949 646885

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UPDATE ON ALL SAINTS REPAIRS
Thanks to the generosity of its Friends and supporters, the repair fund for All Saints has reached over 80% of
its target! Which means that the actual work can begin.

The work will start on April 3rd with scaffolding being erected around the tower and along the sides of the
building. This will enable a close-up inspection of the damaged and eroded ragstone. New stone will be
ordered from a local quarry. Obtaining and dressing this new stone will take about 8 weeks, so the
stonemasons will not be back on the tower until June. But in the meantime, the main roof will be repaired
(there are at least 150 damaged tiles, maybe more) and the vestry roof will be renewed.

If it goes according to plan, this 900 year old building will be “as good as new” by the end of August.

PS. We still need financial help to complete the work. Our Churchwarden Val Grainger or Treasurer
Stephen Norman would love to hear from you (editor@thefarleighs.co.uk will get there).

WEST FARLEIGH PARISH COUNCIL REPORT

Five members of the public attended the Parish Council meeting this month, who expressed their thanks
for the Lambing Day.

The report from the Community Warden advised that people selling at the door, unsolicited should turned
away. He could be contacted to ascertain their validity (Adam.McKinley2@kent.gov.uk). The only crime
last month was a parcel of plants stolen from a front step. However there were concerns that fly tipping is
on the increase and the use of portable CCTV is to be investigated.

Damaged posts around the green have been replaced and when the weather improves further jobs on
the green will be done. The council were a little concerned that some planting for SE In Bloom might
interfere with sight lines and maintenance of verges etc. Otherwise they have the councils support.

A new tree warden has been appointed: Ed Boyd, who lives in Charlton Lane. Mick Merritt will walk him
round the village.

An MBC planning officer thinks that there will not be a problem with extending the Sports Club hut, to
provide a village Meeting Room. The money raised at the Lambing Day will go towards the cost of building
this. The consent of the Sports Club has been given but the landowner’s consent is also required.

Grants were given to the Evergreens, the church (specifically for the churchyard) and the WI (towards the
upgrading of the kitchen).

A 7.5 ton limit sign is to be put up a the Smiths Hill end of Hunt Street, to deter articulated lorries going that
way and getting stuck at the other end.

The next Parish Council Meeting will be on Monday 21st May. 6.30pm in the Good Intent, followed by the
Annual Parish meeting. Refreshments will be served! The next coffee morning will be Saturday 16th June at
the Good Intent 10-12pm.

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Let’s all say “NO” to plastic bags
A personal point of view by Jacky Taylor

We have all seen the impact that plastic has on wildlife and the
environment on TV documentaries and in the media. We know that
plastic bags are not biodegradable. They fly off rubbish heaps, get
thrown from the windows of passing vehicles and are dropped on
the floor by passers-by. They clog water infrastructures, float down
waterways, and spoil the landscape. If all goes well, they end up in
proper landfills where they may take 1,000 years or more to break
down into ever smaller particles that continue to pollute the soil and
water.

Look at what West Farleigh’s

litter pickers collect on a
monthly basis - quite incredible!

Plastic bags exposed to sunlight for long enough become brittle,

breaking into ever smaller pieces. The small fragments then mix with
soil, lake sediments, are picked up by streams, or end up contributing
to oceanic trash deposits. Endangering and often killing our wildlife
and marine mammals

Finally, producing plastic bags, transporting them to stores, and

bringing the used ones to landfills and recycling facilities require
millions of gallons of petroleum, a non-renewable resource which can arguably be better used for more
beneficial activities like transportation or heating.

The charge for a plastic bag was implemented in 2015, and has had a dramatic effect. Just google
“government carrier bag research” to see what a difference 5p makes to our collective behaviour. But
we still used 2,100 million carrier bags in the year to March 2017.

But what can we do individually and what difference will it make?

Apart from lobbying shops, supermarkets etc to provide paper bags we can consider a personal ban on
plastic bags.

I have made the decision to stop using plastic bags where possible and over a course of 12 months I
believe I will have avoided using at least 500 plastic bags. Think how many we can avoid using if we all
adopt a ban? Ok so it’s a bit fiddly at the check-out ensuring all the fruit and veg are together but I am
sure it’s worth it – it’s how we used to shop. You could go to a farm shop or green-grocers who use paper
bags.

You can also:

1. Switch to reusable shopping bags made from renewable materials. Make sure you wash them
regularly.
2. Recycle whatever you do end up using
3. Make your own

You can make pure 100% muslin bags, using 100% cotton you can knit, crochet or buy (or ask someone to
do it for you) cotton dishcloths, scrubbers and washcloths. You will find a full article, patterns and
instructions on the village website: http://www.thefarleighs.co.uk/monthly_feature.html?post_id=27648

Let’s all do our bit and help save this wonderful planet for generations to come.

Jacky Taylor

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View from the Garden by Jon Fenlon

Let’s hope the snow has passed and the weather will warm up so we can start to
enjoy the garden once again. You will see lots of your plants starting to spring in
to life and put on new young growth. There is still time to mulch your beds or add
organic matter to give your plants a good start to the season.

Prune Penstemons when

you see the new growth
start to appear at the base
of the plant. The older
growth should be left on to
protect the base of the
plant from the harshest of the frost.

It’s a good time of year to split and divide Hostas

1The rose garden carpeted with blue scilla siberica when you see the new growth appear and also
primroses as their flowers fade.

If you are planning on moving any evergreens or planting new topiary now is
the time as the soil warms and April showers help water the plants in so they
establish well.

You can now sow hardy annuals outdoors

and annual wildflower meadows. Make
sure you check for weeds during the
germination process as they can
outcompete your flowers very quickly.

In the glasshouse, check for pests and

diseases and clean the glass if you
haven't done already. If your glasshouse is
heated you can start off your hanging baskets, ready to put out once
the frosts have passed or the plants are more established.

Don't forget
your lawn! Sow
over bare
patches and
fertilize
established
lawns with a
high nitrogen
feed. Make sure
to edge the
lawn as this little touch can make the entire lawn
look a lot smarter.

See Jon’s blog in full colour on www.thefarleighs.com

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Farleigh Feathers by Ray Morris
Does the early bird get the worm?
Possibly. But as I write this on 15th March, I’ve heard that the first chiffchaffs have
arrived in Kent – as predicted in last month’s Lifeline. Tiny, 7g scraps of flesh and
feather that have flown from central Africa to make the most of our spring and
summer. One seen near Luddesdown had a ‘pollen horn’ – visit my Farleigh
Feathers blog on www.thefarleighs.co.uk for an explanation! These birds are
taking a gamble though, as we have snow forecast for 2 days at the weekend.
They will be hard pressed to find the tiny insects they feed on, let alone a worm.

But it must be worth their while as

their numbers have been increasing
in recent years along with just a few other small birds –
blackcaps and long-tailed tits included. As the latter don’t
winter in Africa or around the Mediterranean, it is likely that
their numbers will have suffered in the recent weeks of
freezing snow. Although you may have daffodils and
crocuses blossoming, all birds will struggle to find enough to
eat in our food-impoverished countryside for some time yet.

As I’ve written before, enlightened farmers now plant special

crops that are left specifically through the winter to support
wildlife. Sunflowers often form part of, or even all, the crop.
The large, oil-rich seeds are nutritious for both us and birds,
and are a favourite of chaffinches and greenfinches in particular, both species that are declining in the
UK. They also attract bramblings, close relatives of chaffinches that come here to avoid harsh
Scandinavian winters. A small sunflower field in nearby Marden has attracted up to a thousand birds at
a time – a wonderful spectacle, especially when the local sparrowhawk skips over the hedge and they
all take to the air in panic.

It would be an interesting activity for children

(or older villagers enjoying an extended
childhood) to select some sunflower seeds from
their bird feeders and plant them up for the
sunflower display this summer. As well as
brightening up the village. the giant flowers
would attract beneficial insects and the ripe
seed heads could be left for the birds.

Meanwhile, please keep your garden feeders

topped-up while listening out for the first
cuckoo. In recent years I have heard my first in
East Farleigh round about April 17th. At the
moment, cuckoos being satellite-tracked by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) are just preparing to
cross the Sahara, so they still have a lot of flying to do! You can see them here:

https://www.bto.org/science/migration/tracking-studies/cuckoo-tracking

See Ray’s article in full colour on www.thefarleighs.co.uk

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View from the Scoreboard by Terry Baines

Football: This month’s fixtures were devastated by the snowy conditions. However the games that have
been played have been largely successful.

The 1st XI played only one game, away to Rusthall. Despite the icy conditions, we came away with an
excellent 3-1 victory. The 2nd XI have played twice and another two victories, keeping up our push for
promotion. But it wasn’t without a scare or two! We made heavy weather against Paddock Wood,
eventually winning 5-4 and yet another tight game versus Woodlands, coming home 2-1. The only blot on
our copy book was our Vets fixture away to Belvedere. It was a good game but we narrowly lost, 3-2.

Cricket: Although you may not think it in our snow covered countryside, the season is fast approaching and
as ever we are looking for new blood to bolster our squad. Please get in touch if you or anyone you know
might be interested (815267)

Club News
Our annual quiz night will be held on Saturday 21st April at West Farleigh church, 7.30pm kick-off. Please
come along to this enjoyable evening and help support your local Sports Club. Even if (like me) general
knowledge is not your strong point it’s still a really good social event and a good excuse for a beer!

Our lucky Ton-Up winners for March were:

Elizabeth Major £30 Ted French £20 Keith Dalton £10

Yours in sport, Tel

Evergreens

In March the Evergreens were given a talk by Clare Oirschott, from the
Big Cat Sanctury at Marden. Most had a vague idea it was there but
had no idea of the size of the place and the number and variety of
cats there. Some of them are really beautiful. It was enjoyed so much
that a visit is being planned for July. The Evergreens had better behave
or they will be thown to the lions!

We have also had lunch at the Walled Nursery at Hawkhurst. If you have not
been, you must. A magical place with a full set of Victorian Glasshouses. Lunch
was taken in the Vinery, yes, the vine is still there!

In April we will have a musical quiz on Tuesday 10th April, followed by

afternoon tea and on the 24th we will enjoy a fish and chips lunch on the
Kentish Lady as we sail from Maidstone to Teston and back. If you are by the
river we will wave. If you would like to join us ring Helen 814445 or Terry 814561.

Page 7 of 8
 We had a really inspiring speaker this month. Anna Astin talked about women in WW1.
We all hear about the men fighting in France and how terrible their lives were, but never
about the women left behind. They had to cover all jobs left by the men, and still look
after their families. They worked in farming, factories, driving and nursing to name but a
few. It was an enlightening talk and a lovely slide show, combining humour and
humanity.

Cannot wait for next month when we have the Kettle Bridge Clogs to entertain us and a Murder Mystery on
24th March. We also have a Craft morning, Art morning, singing, drama, darts, theatre trips and a summer
Prom to name a few. Tickets from Ann 01622 814561.

We have a meeting every second Wednesday at 7.15pm at Farleigh Hall Forge Lane ME15 0HA. Come
and join us all welcome any age, ring me Pam 01622 726337, or to hire the Hall phone Karen 01622 920258.

Pam Lindon

JOIN THE LITTLE ANGELS

Are you looking after a baby or and under 5? Are you about on Friday lunchtime from1pm - 2.30 pm?
Come on down to All Saints Church and meet other mums and toddlers. Mums, Dads, Grans, Grandads,
carers – you will all be warmly welcomed. For more information contact Becky on 07949 646865

Events

Date and time Event and venue

Sunday 1st April FARMERS MARKET at the Old School East Farleigh
10am – 1pm The first of the year after the snow! Local meat and products.
Café serving hot food and teas and coffees.
Sunday 8th April Litterpick at West Farleigh
9am onwards Again, twice delayed by weather.
Lots of litter to pick and bacon butties afterwards

Friday 20th April FOLK EVENING at the White House pub

7.30pm onwards Enjoy a local beer and listen to the band!

Saturday 21st April Sports Club QUIZ NIGHT at All Saints

7.30pm onwards A fun evening – all welcome - come and support your sports club

Saturday 12th May Dandelion Time May Fair at Elmscroft

12noon to 3pm Traditional games and activities. Wander in the garden or have a donkey ride.
BBQ and tearoom

Sunday 13th May CHURCH PLANT SALE AND EXHIBITION

10.30am – 4pm The annual Plant Sale will be held at All Saints this year.
There will be an historical exhibition, coffee and cake in the morning and
Cream Teas in the afternoon.
.

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