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ASH WITH WESTMARSH PARISH MAGAZINE
JUNE 2017
60p
Part of the Canonry Benefice of
Ash – Chillenden – Elmstone – Goodnestone
Preston – Stourmouth – Wingham
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Useful Contacts
Service Organisation/Name Contact
Emergencies Gas Emergency (24hrs) 0800 111 999 999 UK Power Networks (24hrs) 105 Water Leak Line (24hrs) 0800 820 999
Community PCSO Amy Youden 101 or email [email protected]
Non-urgent and other enquiries 101 Community Warden Team 07811 271 299 Neighbourhood Watch Martin Porter - email [email protected]
Crime Stoppers 0800 555111 Community Safety Dover 01304 872220 Consumer Direct 01845 4040506 Childline 0800 1111
Kent County Council 08458 247247 Dover District Council 01304 821199 Craig Mackinlay MP 01843 589266 Ash Parish Council Clerk 01304 832909 Citizens Advice (Dover area) 0844 8487978 Social Services 01304 204915 Ash Village Hall Enquiries 01304 851967
Environmental Health 01304 872215 Trading Standards 0845 4040506
Ash Library 01304 812440
Healthcare NHS Medical Helpline (24hrs) 111 or www.nhs.uk Out of Hours Doctor Service 0844 8001234 Ash Surgery 01304 812227 Hospitals - Kent and Canterbury 01227 766877 QEQM Margate 01843 225544 William Harvey 01233 633331 Pharmacy - Ash (Boots) 01304 812242
Education KCC Area Office 03000 414141 Cartwright and Kelsey School 01304 812539 St Faith’s School 01304 813409 Sandwich Technology School 01304 610000 Sir Roger Manwood’s School 01304 613286
Transport National Rail TrainTracker™ 0871 2004950 Stagecoach East Kent Ltd 0845 6002299
~ If an error is noted please inform the editor ~
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Welcome to the June magazine
Inside this issue
Church Services and Events
Messy Church
The Parish Letter
What’s On
Vision Morning
Churchyard Maintenance
Charity Book Grant
Art Exhibition & Sale
KM Newspapers Item
Goodnestone News
Good Companions Fete
New Ash Players Appeal
Chequer Inn Share Offer
Welcome from Wrens
Medieval Day News
Staple British Legion Branch
Cold War Warriors Cricket
Red Cross Courses
Horticultural Society
Parish Registers
The Column
Onlooker
Mindfulness
Staple Country & Craft Fayre
Ash Surgery Newsletter
The WestMartians
Twinning with Templemars
Age Concern Sandwich
… and more
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Contacts
Clergy
Rev’d David Moulden The Vicarage, Queen’s Road, Ash 01304 812296
Rev’d Nigel Hale 01304 813161
Rev’d Chris Brewer 01227 721530
Benefice Administrator
Shannon Pemberton 07505 331832
This magazine is produced by St. Nicholas Parish Church. We
welcome items from individuals and village organisations. All items
should come with a note of the contributor’s name. The
editor reserves the right both to edit and not to publish anything he receives. Items on church matters
do not represent the official position of the Church of England.
Copy for the next edition of the magazine should be sent to
Eddie Newall, 17 Guilton, Ash, or [email protected] by
Monday 12 June.
Products and services advertised have not been tested and are not endorsed by the Parish Church.
Send advertising enquiries to [email protected] .
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Church Services and Events
St Nicholas’ Parish Church www.s8nicholas.org.uk
Every Sunday 8.00am Holy Communion First Sunday of Month 10.30am All Age Worship Other Sundays 10.30am Holy Communion Second Sunday of Month 3.00pm Messy Church Fourth Sunday of Month 4.00pm Contemporary Worship Service Wednesdays 10.00am Holy Communion Tuesdays to Fridays 8.00am Morning Prayer
Sunday Services during June (apart from 8.00am Holy Communion)
Sunday 4 10.30am All Age Family Service Sunday 11 10.30am Holy Communion Sunday 11 3.00pm Messy Church Sunday 18 10.30am Holy Communion Sunday 25 10.30am Holy Communion Sunday 25 4.00pm Contemporary Worship Service
Messy Church
What a busy time was had at Messy Church this month! Our theme was based on 1Kings 19 verses 11-18, which tells us about Elijah talking with God on Mount Sinai. We learnt that God doesn’t communicate with us through large and violent events like earthquakes, fires and mighty winds but as a still, small voice. Our activities reflected our theme – we made our own seismographs (earthquakes were replaced with some violent table shaking!) and we thought about how scared Elijah must have felt when the earthquake came. We made our own telephones with plastic cups and string to see if we could hear the message down the line and thought how it’s much easier to speak to God than listen to what he has to say and that we must always be alert for when the message comes through. We also thought about how scared and vulnerable Elijah must have felt when the earthquake and strong winds came but that God kept him safe throughout it all.
We enjoyed a short informal worship and as Anne read the story we participated by doing the sound effects (the angelic hosts were particularly impressive!) We then enjoyed some relay races in the church grounds to build up our appetites for our ‘bring and share’ tea. We will meet again at 3pm on Sunday 11 June, why not come along and join us?
Jenny Taylor
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The Parish Letter
News of a global cyber-attack involving ransom-ware is current as I write this article. In the UK, this attack has severely dented the efficiency of 40 NHS bodies and dwarfs the cyber-attack in October last year which temporarily overwhelmed such platforms as Twitter, PayPal and the New York Times. We have become so reliant on the internet and this reliance is becoming even greater. The so-called ‘Internet of Things’, whereby our lives become dependent on cheap, wired devices that can remotely turn on things like kettles, heating systems and lights, is potentially putting us at great risk. These are often highly insecure and may be hacked and joined to a huge army of devices to launch a distributed denial of service attack on parts of the internet.
Confused? I am too; I just pretend I know what this means.
The tech thinker John Naughton has said of the internet: We’ve been remarkably incurious about its meaning, significance or cultural implications. Most people have no idea how the network works, nor any conception of its architecture; and few can explain why it has been – and continues to be – so uniquely disruptive in social, economic, and cultural contexts. In other words, our society has become dependent on a utility that it doesn’t really understand.
Put simply, we are simply not keeping pace with the technology and its impacts on us.
Online safety remains the number one concern and the protection of children and young people should be paramount. Strangely, in a culture which has become very focussed on safeguarding, the protection of children online is minimal. Most parents do not know, or understand, what is at stake. They are far more concerned about their children playing outdoors unsupervised than they are allowing them access to the internet. If a child is in the house, the assumption is they are safe; but they may not be. The duty of protection lies not just with parents, but with wider society. If it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a village to protect one too. No responsible parent would allow their child the unfettered freedom to play in a park known for crime, drug-dealing and predatory adults, but without proper online supervision, this is the risk we expose them to. This is the view of the world’s best cyber-psychologists, such as Dr Mary Aiken. It is not just tech-illiteracy that leads adults to make this mistake; it is also a shared failure of imagination. Until we see cyberspace as a place in itself, we will continue to under-regulate.
Policy needs to be in place to safeguard the internet. This is proving an uphill task, thanks to a combination of vested interests. On one side is a libertarian community which believes the internet should be entirely free of regulation. This community was an early adopter of the internet and is highly tech-savvy.
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Incidentally, hackers are predominantly found in it. On the other side are the Silicon Valley entrepreneurs whose profit margins are at risk from greater regulation.
Thus, a strange alliance of anarchists and capitalists has emerged. These are the people best equipped to defend themselves online, but they are resisting the changes necessary to protect the most vulnerable people who log on.
The appeal to freedom on our culture finds traction with many in our post-modern culture, but the concept of freedom has been largely emptied of meaning through over-use. There is little freedom when there are no rules in place to protect those who cannot help themselves. Perhaps, liberty is a better idea, though it feels as antiquated as the Founding Fathers now. It describes a world where freedom is obtained because we regulate against our worst instincts as human beings. If this simple premise had been embraced, the banking crash may not have happened, but for years we have been indoctrinated with the belief that regulation is somehow immoral.
The rules we find in the early books of the Bible, known as the Law of Moses, look oddly archaic, even irrelevant to us, from the vantage point of our era. I would be the first to admit that it is sometimes hard to know what lay behind some of its thinking. But nevertheless, it was a code which embraced deep dignity and respect, enabling people to live in community and primarily concerned about maintaining right relationships across all areas of life – not just about worship – but about such relationships as migration, property ownership, employment, the economy, social responsibility and international relations. Moreover, it describes something of the character of God and, no more so, in the provisions which sought to protect the neediest and most vulnerable. The code demonstrates realism over the human condition. Sadly, some are tempted to exploit others if they can see a way of gaining an advantage over them. Good laws, rules in the image of God, not only enable and inform right relationships across society, but offer protection and afford a special value to the weakest and the vulnerable.
This is the ethic we are losing sight of in our relationship with the internet. The internet has been described as the Wild West. Some would like it to stay that way. If we are serious about mastering runaway technology, there needs to be a new order to it. The creator of the internet, Tim Berners-Lee has called for a digital Magna Carta, for starters. He knows better than most what is at stake.
Reverend David Moulden
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What’s On
ASH COMMUNITY COFFEE MORNING The community coffee morning from 10am -12 noon in Ash Village Hall on Saturday 3 June will be run by the League of Friends of the Kent and Canterbury Hospital – Ash Branch. Do come along and support this worthy cause – the NHS needs all the friends it can get. As well as the usual delights, raffle tickets for the League’s Grand Summer Draw will be on sale – first prize £1,000. The Mayor of Canterbury will be attending. If anybody has any spare empty jam jars could they please let Liz Allen have them at 88 New Street, Ash.
ASH GOOD COMPANIONS will meet from 2 to 4pm on Tuesday 13 and 27 June at Ash Village Hall; all are welcome. The Summer Fete is on Saturday 8 July; see page 11 for details.
ASH HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY On Thursday 8 June members will be visiting the gardens at Watergate House, Fiona & Patrick Cadwallader’s home in Fordwich. On Saturday 10 June members are invited to visit Sheila Drew’s lovely garden at Each End. On Sunday 18 June the garden tour to Chester begins. On Thursday 29 June we will be holding our Rose Show for members at Val and Maggie McCulloch’s award-winning garden in Cop Street.
ASH PARISH COUNCIL will meet at 7.30pm on Monday 5 June at Ash Village Hall Library. Visit www.ashpc.kentparishes.gov.uk/ for details.
ASH WITH WESTMARSH W I The next meeting will be at 7.30pm on Thursday 15 June at Ash Village Hall. Please note that this is a week later than normal. The speaker has yet to be confirmed. For any further information please contact the president on 01304 241774.
STAPLE BRANCH OF THE ROYAL BRITISH LEGION is holding a Cold War Warriors Cricket 20/20 Match, Navy v Army vets, at 17:00 hrs, Friday 23 June at Ash Recreation Ground; see page 15 for details.
STAPLE COUNTRY AND CRAFT FAYRE begins at 11am on Sunday 25 June at staple Recreation Ground; see page 20 for details.
WESTMARSH VILLAGE HALL is holding a Quiz Night on Saturday 8 July at 7:30pm (bring your own food & drink); see page 23 for details.
Please submit articles for the next magazine by Monday 12 June.
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How would you like to see our church grow and develop over the coming year? Come along to a Vision Morning on Saturday 10th June from 10am to midday at St Nicholas’ Church and have your say! Light refreshments will be provided.
Jenny Taylor ~ Churchwarden
Churchyard Maintenance
A reminder that the next churchyard ‘bash’ is on Saturday 17 June. We start at 9am and helpers spend as much time as they are able. We are hoping for a good turnout of the faithful regulars and anyone else who would like to join the team. Lunch is provided to reward the worthy labour!
The Cartwright, Godfrey & Kelsey Charity
The Trustees of the above charity have funds available to enable them to offer a Book Grant to any young people who live in the parish of Ash, and who intend to start a full time university academic course beginning in the autumn of 2017. This also applies to those who may be starting a full time vocational training course. The amount of each grant will depend upon how many applications the trustees receive.
The Trustees invite applications for the coming academic year by Sunday September 17th. Please write with your full name, address, telephone number, and a copy of the offer from your intended university/college, to The Clerk to the Trustees, The Cartwright Godfrey & Kelsey Charity, Little Ware Nursery, Ware, Ash, CT3 2NB.
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Art Exhibition & Sale
Due to a hard-working committee and with the help of very many others, the fifteenth exhibition was again successful financially and socially.
Number of visitors 867 Number of exhibits 577 from 108 artists
Number of exhibits sold 128
The Treasure Hunt around the village was this year won by Willow Kemp. Chris Burnside says there still forms available if anyone would like to take up the challenge in their own time, and Chris will provide the answers; phone 01304 813138.
The results of the Children’s Art Competition were as follows:
Under fives
1st William Lee 2nd Ashmita Palanasamy 3rd Etta Jones
8 to 11 years
1st Charlotte Lee 2nd Felix Simms 3rd Niamh Belsey
Highly commended: Naomi Williams & Emily Pain
5 to 7 years
1st Daniel Fuller 2nd Amelie Radix 3rd Matilda Henderson
12 to 15 years
1st Angus Lambie 2nd Madelin Gater
The Committee of The Friends of St Nicholas’ Church wish to emphasise that without the participation of all the stewards, the cake-makers, the bell-ringers, the artists and many others, this event over the Bank Holiday week-end just would not happen. THANK YOU.
Village News Section of KM Newspapers
Please note that if you or your organisation wish me to put in information for the East Kent Mercury and the Kentish Gazette, my copy deadline has been altered to 9am every Monday morning, for the following Wednesday and Thursday. Unfortunately I am barely awake at that hour and certainly not up for typing information onto their website, especially now KM Papers is no longer even paying expenses, so we’re all doing it for love!
Please send in copy as early as possible – at the latest by the Sunday teatime to [email protected].
Jean Ryan
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Goodnestone News
Goodnestone Music
The concert by the Choristers of Canterbury Cathedral was a great success, an audience of 120 enjoyed a fantastic concert with the church filled by the magnificent sound of the Choristers, many thanks to Dr David Flood for bringing the Choristers to Goodnestone. The concerts at Goodnestone continue with: Saturday June 3rd 7.30 pm The Burleigh Trio
Sarah Pateman-Violin, Diane Tisdall –Viola, Molly Parsons-Gurr-Cello Trio Sonata in Bb for Two Violins and Cello - J.S. Bach Trio in Bb for Violin, Viola and Cello - Franz Schubert Trio in G minor on Russian Folk Song 'Chem tebya ya ogorchila' - Alexander Borodin Trio in G Opus 9 No. 1 - Ludwig van Beethoven Retiring Collection Saturday July 22nd 8.00pm Daniela Gajdosova and Benjamin Scott
A recital of music composed for the unusual combination of clarinet and organ. With repertoire dating from 1900 this program is a fresh modern look at both instruments within a generous yet intimate acoustic. This will be interwoven with solos from both instruments tailored to suit the venue and particularly the colourful specification of the organ.
Daniela and Benjamin are two local professional musicians and we are very grateful to them for staging this concert at Goodnestone.
Tickets £10 Under 18 free Details of all concerts www.goodnestonemusic.com Services at Holy Cross
Sunday June 11th 09.00 Choral Eucharist Harris in F Communion Setting Sicut Cervus-Palestrina Sunday June 25th 09.00 Holy Communion.
D Kittle
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NEW ASH PLAYERS NEEDS YOU!
Do you fancy making new friends and having fun?
Are you good at making things, singing, dancing, bossing people about or mucking in?
We need actors, stage hands, front of house, wardrobe designers, techies and enthusiastic helpers for next year’s Panto “Cinderalla”.
If so, please contact Tony Jones on 01304 812076/ [email protected].
The Chequer Inn Ash Society Share Offer
This offer to subscribe to the Community Share offer so that the Pub can be purchased for the Village is now closed. If you require any information about the purchase of shares please contact us on [email protected]
Jane Greaves
A Warm Welcome from Wrens Classroom
Mrs Ervine and the staff in Wrens Reception Class at Ash Cartwright and Kelsey Church of England Primary School would like you to know about how they have been working hard to create an inspiring Early Years environment. A new routine for Wrens has been devised to best meet the needs of the children and this includes ‘Bike Group’ playtime, snack time together and utilising the Nature Garden and outside space to its full potential.
In line with best Early Years practice, time is also set aside both morning and afternoons for ‘Child Initiated Play’ when the children are ‘in charge of their own learning’ and will be allowed to access the resources and equipment both inside and outside freely. This approach complements the activities and ‘enhancements’ set up for the children to take part in to progress their learning.
The EYFS staff are working together with an Early Years specialist to enhance the development of activities and ‘next steps’. Children will be sent home with certificates and stickers to celebrate good choices in school, so parents/carers will be able to see how well their children are getting on. To improve the provision of resources in Wrens, a generous contribution from the PTFA has enabled them to update the furniture, resources and equipment.
Penny Bernard
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Medieval Day News
On Monday 27th March, Robins class had a Medieval Day to conclude their learning on castles. The morning began with an array of princesses, knights and medieval servants entering the classroom. The first activity of the day was to write an invitation to our banquet to thank Erik the knight for helping us with our learning about castles. We looked at the decoration of invitations, including letter formation for capital letters and creating our own seal. After that, our day continued by learning medieval games such as quoits and juggling - this was slightly challenging! We even learnt a medieval dance and performed it in two groups which was a lot of fun!
Before lunch, Robins shared their castle homework projects which they had worked very hard on. There was a plethora of castle models, cakes and even a teddy bear knight! After lunch, it was time for our medieval banquet. The food on offer included chicken drumsticks, apple juice, bread and apple pie to finish! In order to bring the day to a close, Robins were knighted as a Knight of the Realm of Ash and presented with their own certificate as a reward for having worked so hard throughout the past two terms.
Robins Class at their Medieval Day
Miss C. O’Brien
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STAPLE BRANCH
THE ROYAL BRITISH LEGION
Currently meeting at the Five Bells, Eastry on the second Thursday of each month. We welcome new members. You do not have to have served in the Armed Forces to become a member. Please contact Chris
Sterba, Secretary, for more details on 01304 812348 or email at: [email protected]. Do have a look at our website on: https://rblstaple.wix.com/rblstaple where there is much of interest, including Lost Sons of Staple profiles and pictures of the construction of the Remembrance Garden.
The monthly meeting was held at the Five Bells, Eastry, on Thursday 13th April. In the absence of the Chairman, Vice Chairman Roy Richards chaired the meeting. Best wishes for a speedy recovery were sent to John Newing who is unwell.
Some members, together with members of Eastry Branch, attended a Games Night held at the Five Bells. This was good fun with members digging deep to remember how to play Shove Ha’penny, Bar Skittles and Cribbage as well as Darts and Dominoes. An excellent buffet helped!
The Army v. Navy Cricket Match, organised by member Russ Timpson, will this year be in support of the Poppy Appeal. Members will assist in running the BBQ. This will be held at Ash Recreation Ground on 23rd June. More details of this exciting event later.
The secretary reported the launch of the Veterans Gateway service on the 3rd April. This aims to be the first point of contact for veterans or their families seeking information, advice or support. It will serve as the Gateway to a network of expert partners both within and outside the Armed Forces sector. The full public launch is on 25th May but it is up and running now and can be accessed on 0808 802 1212 or online at https://www.veteransgateway.org.uk.
Due to the cost of a double pitch and a lack of sponsorship, County have decided to withdraw their information and recruiting stand from the Staple Country Fayre this year. The Legion will, therefore, not be represented at the Country Fayre.
Branch members continue to support their community by visits, telephone calls, errands and lifts etc. for vulnerable members of the local community. Details of these are sent up to County by all branches so that the Legion can collate and assess the impact of members nationally on welfare in the community.
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A Nonington member reported that one of the four War Graves in Nonington churchyard had been damaged. She was heartened by the speed and efficiency of the War Graves Commission in effecting repairs.
Dates for your Diary
Thursday 8th June RBL Dinner at the Black Pig (to be confirmed)
Friday 23rd June Army v Navy Cricket Match @ Ash Recreation Ground in aid of the Poppy Appeal (see below).
Thursday 10th Aug Visit to RNLI Dover followed by lunch at the Hythe Boat Restaurant.
Chris Sterba – Secretary for the Staple Branch
Go-fer for Cold War Warriors Cricket 20/20 Match, Navy v Army vets
17:00 hrs, Friday 23rd June 2017, Ash Recreation Ground, Sandwich, Kent.
All monies raised will go to Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal. Please come along and support the match. Picnics, sun loungers – all welcome.
Red Cross Courses
Having recently become grandparents and envisaging future baby-sitting responsibilities, we thought it would be sensible to do a first aid course for babies and young children.
We discovered that the British Red Cross offer a huge variety of courses ranging from the relatively basic to those which give accreditation to professional carers.
The Red Cross will come to your chosen venue if there are a minimum of six attendees (up to a maximum of fifteen). The more attendees there are, the cheaper it becomes pro rata.
For those interested in attending courses in Canterbury, the venue is close to the traffic lights near Waitrose (Bradbury House, Lower Chancery Lane, CT1 1US). More information can be found on the Red Cross website (www.redcross.org.uk). Search for First Aid under the heading “What We Do” or call 0845 527 7743.
Susan Hudson
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Ash Horticultural Society
At the end of April we had an excellent talk from Caroline Halfpenny on Seasonal Tasks in the Garden. Caroline lectured at Hadlow College, but more interestingly, also was a gardener at Giverney, Monet’s famous garden in France. A speaker we will definitely be asking back.
June is a busy time in the garden (why do we always say that? It’s always as busy as you make it), but it’s also the time to enjoy the fruits of your labours earlier in the year. Or even better, enjoy the fruits of other people’s labours, which is demonstrated by our programme for June. We are so lucky to have so many members willing to invite the Society into their gardens and to have such enthusiastic committee members organising our garden visits. Our visit to Watergate House will take place only a week after the Chelsea Flower Show where Fiona Cadwallader’s garden design ‘The Poetry Lover’s Garden’ will be on display. So Fiona will go straight from talking to the grandees at Chelsea to talking to Ash Horticultural Society. And Val and Maggie McCulloch are hosting the Rose Show only days after returning from the garden tour to Chester, organised by Val. No pressure there then. I do hope they will leave a few weeds growing to give some hope to the rest of us.
Some of you may remember the talk given by Francine Raymond, who writes for The Telegraph, telling us about developing her Kitchen Garden in Whitstable. You may also remember her telling us that the Society had the WORST web pages ever. Stung by her (accurate) comments, we are now developing a new web site, on which you will be able to find up-to-date information on the Society’s activities. Watch this space. Well, not this space exactly.
Mid-May and the house martins are back. But alas, so are the lily beetles. Perhaps we should have a talk on seasonal pests in the garden.
Liz Rath
From the Parish Registers
Baptism We welcome into the Lord’s family
13 May Teddie Madeleine Drake
Please submit articles for the next magazine by Monday 12 June.
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The Column - a personal view of village life
If any of you were lucky enough to see the New Ash Players recent Murder and Mystery Production you will have noted that it covered some of the topical issues that are around in actual village life in Ash at the moment.
The story revolved around a rare bird visiting the village, a pub being developed into houses/flats and the threat of the pub being closed down because of this, not to mention general housing development in the village ….. Sound familiar?? This was all debated at an emergency meeting of the Ash Ornithological Society. There were sound arguments in both the “for” and “against” camps for each of the issues. The Chairman of the Ornithological Society didn’t want the pub to be developed as the “rare bird” – known as the “Little Hairy Twit” was nesting in the pub garden and the development would disturb the bird during the gestation period therefore the chicks would be lost. The Secretary of the Society on the other hand seemed to be in favour of the development. She felt that the development could still be carried out as long as the “little hairy twit” was protected and this would then bring “twitchers” from all over the country (especially Sandwich) to Ash wanting to buy houses, which would in turn put up the value of houses in Ash in general. Hmm… seems a bit suspicious to me. The lady who lived next door to the pub, who was also at the meeting, was definitely in favour of the development as she had a dodgy pergola which would get repaired in the process, plus she felt the need to keep a good “watering hole” in Ash – she seemed to be having too much “sauce” in her tea as it was!! The librarian seemed to be a bit of a boring old soul really and was more interested in bus spotting and what his wife was up to with the Chairman of the birdwatchers than he was in whether the development happened or not. The Estate Agent was there also, and we can all guess what she wanted and the same for the property developer himself. They were all arguments well put, but sadly the vote was never taken as when the Chairman stood up to count the “yays” and the “nays” he fell to the floor having been murdered by eating a poisoned satsuma – courtesy of the secretary who it turns out was about to run off with the property developer.
What does this have to do with real life in Ash you may ask? Well we may not have the rare bird nesting, or thankfully a murderer in our midst, but we do have the threat of losing the Chequer Inn and the development of large areas of housing in the fields around the village. The Chequer Mates are doing a grand job raising the profile of the pub and attempting to sell enough shares to put in an acceptable offer to the current owner and for this they should be highly applauded. I can’t imagine that anyone can be against this idea, although I am aware there are a few sceptics around
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as to the long-term viability – but let’s not put people down for the sterling efforts to date.
The other matter of the proposed housing developments is far more controversial. Yes, it would be a shame to have houses built and spoil our otherwise uninterrupted views of the countryside, but we do have a responsibility to the next generation who are finding it harder and harder to find suitable housing. Most of us reading this love living in Ash – is it time that we shared some of the pleasures of living in this delightful village with others? We all want homes for our children in safe, secure and pleasant areas near to suitable employment. I ask “Do we as a village need to make some sacrifices for this to happen?” Ash is already far bigger than it was when I used to catch the bus to school by the Chequer Inn. Is it time to let it evolve further, but keeping a close eye on ensuring that any development is tastefully carried out with care and commitment to the existing community of Ash? My understanding is that the Government’s ideal would be for every village to take a share of development for the future. Is it maybe our responsibility to make sure our energies are not directed against this development, but instead used to ensure the correct infrastructures are in place for what appears to be inevitable for the future? A contentious opinion yes, but maybe realistic ……
Onlooker
A Councillor’s personal view of the Ash Parish Council meeting held on Monday 8 May 2017.
Some 14 parishioners attended the meeting and most of them were objecting to a planning application to build a detached dwelling on land south of Cooks Farmhouse in Westmarsh. Several questions were raised including whether the land was classed as agricultural or residential as it had apparently been part of a garden, and its position being in or outside village confines. Both the landowners and the objectors’ comments were noted and the council agreed to gain clarification on the questions raised from D.D.C. in time for our next meeting on 22nd May.
As this was also the A.G.M. all positions on the council, including Chairman, Vice Chairman, Standing and Sub Committees and representatives to outside bodies were due for election. With only slight variances all existing holders were re-elected. The Neighbourhood Development Plan committee are appealing for 8-10 more members and volunteers to join them.
Over the last year a lot of time has been given to the Neighbourhood Development Plan. As part of this work a Housing Needs Survey questionnaire will have dropped through your letter box recently. This
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survey is NOT about recent applications to build large housing estates in Ash. It IS to see if there is a need for affordable housing in the parish so that parishioners who cannot afford to rent or buy locally would not be forced to move away. We also want to know if there are older parishioners who would like to downsize or move to housing more suited to their needs. Depending on the results of the survey we may try to find a suitable site within the parish. Even if you do not need affordable housing yourself, I would urge you to complete and return the questionnaire as this gives a true picture of the needs of the parish.
Bollards have been put into the pavements around Pound Corner and by the toilets opposite. These are to perform two functions. Firstly to protect the lives of children and other pedestrians from the thoughtless actions of car and van driver who think that they own the pavement as well as the road. Secondly, to deter the same inconsiderate drivers from illegally parking on the yellow double lines at these sites. The absurd situation of east bound and west bound school buses trying to pass each other when the road is blocked by vehicles parked stupidly and illegally has been a regular sight for far too long. Dare I say it, but the bollards seem to be working. However they have only been there a few days. Let us hope that they solve the problem.
Talking of problems, the surface of the kick wall on the recreation ground has been damaged with an 8" square hole made over the 15-16th. April weekend and an attempt made to lift the rubber pathway by the Queens Road gate. Petty vandalism, but annoying and costly. Perhaps their parents could not see what their daughters and sons were doing as they were parked on Pound Corner!
Anyone wishing to contact the Parish Council can do so via Christine Haggart, clerk to Ash Parish Council: phone 01304 832909 or email [email protected] or visit the Parish Council website at www.ashpc.kentparishes.gov.uk .
Onlooker
Wondering what Mindfulness can do for you?
Come and discover at a Sunday mindfulness taster session with Adrienne Ayres. Venue - Ash Village Hall on June 4th from 10am to 12.00. The cost is £10 per person. Please wear warm, layered clothing. Places are limited; to book and for directions or questions please ring 07962 221693 or e-mail [email protected]. Also on Facebook: Mindfulness Events East Kent.
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Ash Surgery Newsletter - June 2017
I am often asked “is my cholesterol level satisfactory?” This is not as easy a question as it looks. For those that have never looked into this in more detail, I will endeavour to explain why.
A cholesterol blood test is done in order to help assess a person’s future risk of cardiovascular disease. It will not, in itself, give the answer- but can be used, together with other information (eg age, sex and more) to calculate the, so called, cardiovascular (CV) risk.
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) includes diseases of the heart and blood vessels which are characterized by narrowing of the blood vessels and/or blockage of those vessels with clots. The results include such diseases as angina, heart attacks, and strokes.
Various calculators have been used to assess CV risk. In Ash Surgery we use the Q Risk calculator (as recommended by National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence NICE) which is incorporated into our clinical system.
When the lab report cholesterol results they report on the different types of cholesterol in the blood. Broadly speaking we have the “good” one - High Density, HDL, cholesterol, and the “bad” one - Low Density, LDL, cholesterol. In the past the lab could not directly measure the bad, LDL, and so they report the Cholesterol Ratio - the HDL cholesterol divided into the total cholesterol result. This gives us an indirect view of how much bad stuff there is around. Although the point of this article is to explain that the result, in itself, is not the answer - it is generally felt that a ratio of 3.5 or less is the “optimal” level.
So you might think that, if you have your bloods done, and your ratio comes back under 3.5, then your doctor will congratulate you and reassure you that all is well. Sadly, this is not the case.
First and foremost. If you have already suffered CV disease (eg a past heart attack, or stroke), then whatever your cholesterol result is, it is deemed to be too high for you. In such circumstances, we know that, by reducing your cholesterol further (whatever it is to start with) we can reduce the risk of recurrent CV disease. So such cases do not form part of the further discussion.
If you have no relevant past history, the decision as to whether your cholesterol is ok or not is made by making an assessment of your CV risk. The Q risk calculator of 10 year CV risk uses a number of patient characteristics in its calculation. These include age, sex, body mass index (BMI), cholesterol ratio, BP, smoking habits and ethnicity/deprivation. NICE guidance suggests that we should be considering using statins to reduce cholesterol for those with a 10 year CV risk of >10%.
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As you can see, cholesterol is only part, and not the biggest part, of the calculation. Age is by far the biggest mover of CV risk and so a cholesterol reading done at the age of 40, which would be deemed OK at that age might put one in a treatment bracket when rechecked aged 60. Smoking too, is a big mover of CV risk and smoking cessation would doubtless lead to a greater risk reduction than cholesterol medication. That does not mean that the cholesterol should not be tackled at the same time as attempts at giving up.
I will leave with a few examples of cholesterol and Q risk calculations. All of the following being male, living in Ash, with a normal BP and a cholesterol ratio of 3.5 (so called “ideal”) - but you can see that by the age of 60 they are all hitting the 10% figure at which management of cholesterol is recommended.
Age 40 Age 50 Age 60
• Non Smoker, BMI 25 (upper normal) 1.5% 4.4% 10%
• Moderate smoker, BMI 25 3.1% 7.8% 15.1%
• Non Smoker, BMI 30 (upper end 1.7% 4.8% 10.5% overweight)
In the absence of any potion for eternal youth… the next best thing seems to be to try all methods to stop smoking.
Why not try it out for yourself… ask your doctor for your cholesterol ratio result and you can access the CV risk calculator on line (https://qrisk.org/2016/index.php). But please note for those under the age of 40, the GP is unlikely to recommend a cholesterol blood test unless there is a strong family history or other indication.
I have received feedback from a local solicitor regarding the article on
LPAs. Generally the feedback was very positive, but there were a couple of corrections that needed to be made.
• I am sorry if it read as if the LPA for health and welfare could be used before a person had lost capacity. I meant it to be clear that it is only relevant if and when the person loses capacity. However, the LPA does take some weeks to draw up, so the ideal situation is to draw one up when one does have capacity (in fact, it is only possible to do so when one has capacity).
• I did not know that the cost of drawing up LPA had dropped (to £82.00) on 1/4/17. I am very pleased to hear this - as I do think they are a very important part of forward planning.
Helene Armstrong - GP
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The WestMartians are coming! (An Update from Westmarsh Village Hall)
Last year saw many positive changes for Westmarsh Village Hall. In August a new committee took over the operation of the Hall made up of Westmarsh residents: Andrew Rowley as Chair; Rob Milton as Treasurer; Derek Richford as Secretary; Alison Stone as Bookings Secretary and Nikki Larkin supporting events.
The committee has undertaken a thorough review of the general operation of the Hall and implemented a number of much needed improvements including audited accounts, a new website and online booking form, upgraded signage, security lighting and locks, and checking and upgrading all hall electrics and other various changes. They have also worked with the Kent Fire Brigade to bring the hall up to the correct fire safety standards.
The Westmarsh Village Hall has regular bookings for Pilates and Fencing. A series of key-note events has also been planned. Last year’s events celebrating the Queen’s Birthday and a Spooky Children’s Halloween, were both very successful.
The Hall really is a wonderful resource with a good kitchen, ample parking and outdoor space that can be used for many functions and is open and available for bookings by the hour or day. We hope to see everyone using it in the coming year. To find out more and share your ideas for the Hall please join us for our Annual General Meeting at 8pm on Wednesday 28th June at the Hall.
Upcoming events planned to date include a Quiz Night on Saturday 8th July at 7:30pm (bring your own food & drink), a Caleidh on 7th October (bring your own food and drink) and a Spooky Halloween on 29th October (food and drink supplied). Full details will be available on the Westmarsh Village Hall website (www.WestmarshVillageHall.org.uk). See page 39 for our advert.
If you would like to book the hall for an event or to reserve a table at the 8th July Quiz Night please telephone Alison on 07740 185327 or contact [email protected].
Twinning with Templemars
On Saturday 29th May the village of Ash was twinned with the small French village of Templemars. Nearly sixty people from Templemars came by coach to witness the signing in St Nicholas Church, followed by a short tour of the village and the two schools. They were most taken with the Art Exhibition (and the lovely cakes and coffee thanks to the Friends of the
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Church!), the beautiful countryside and charming English buildings, as well and the friendliness of everyone they met in Ash.
Templemars is a small village just outside of Lille. It has a long history. Like our village it was a Roman settlement, hence the name Templemars. It is a very busy place with many social clubs and good sporting and creative facilities. It even figures in Alexander Dumas' "Three Musketeers"!
Now that the Twinning has been signed and is official we hope to start an active Twinning Association to organise Francophile events in the village and visits to Lille and Templemars - for all of us, and especially for the schools. For example, we have been invited by the people of Templemars to the annual Beer festival in September, one of the largest in the world and a gourmet experience as Lille is the home of the best waffles, beer and chocolate in France!
If you would like to join the Twinning Association then please contact Penny Bernard on 01304 812177 or [email protected].
Age Concern Sandwich Registered Charity number 1109346
At Age Concern Sandwich we have a vision for
Sandwich town centre to become a dementia friendly place to visit. So people with dementia, (and their accompanying friends and families) are helped and supported when they visit. Ideally we would like staff in shops, restaurants, cafes etc, to become Dementia Friends and become better informed about the difficulties people living with dementia encounter when they go out. Also to understand how to help and how to reduce any stress or anxiety people living with dementia may be feeling.
Often if people don’t know how to respond in a situation they are likely to get it wrong, so becoming a Dementia Friend will help people become better informed about people living with dementia. We run regular Dementia Friend sessions at our centre, we can also come out and visit an organisation, group, or business to do Dementia Friends sessions on your premises if that is more convenient. Please contact Sally on 01304 614237 and select option 4 (Sunflower Centre) to find out more.
Alternatively if you have a little free time and would like to find out about volunteering with us, please contact Gill Ball on 07735556811 or email [email protected]. We are looking for a volunteer to assist Sally with our Sandwich dementia friendly project, volunteers to assist in our charity shop, with sorting, merchandising and serving customers, volunteers to assist with art and craft, quizzes and activities, as well as musicians to encourage additional music activities at the centre.
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Pilgrims Hospices: Divas on Wheels Sunday 18th June, 8.30am – 5pm
Together you can make a difference as you cycle through the picturesque Kent countryside. Enjoy a great atmosphere, support along the route and plenty of pampering afterwards, as you take part in the county’s only ladies bike ride for charity. Choose to ride either a 25 mile or 50 mile route on quiet roads. If you’re new to cycling have no fear, dozens of our special Bike Heroes will join you, leading small groups and offering roadside repairs to anybody who needs it.
As you cross the finish line you’ll receive a hero’s welcome at our exclusive Divas Village. Enjoy a complimentary sports massage or visit our hairdressing team to re-style your helmet-flattened hair. Then there’s a barbecue, refreshments and lots of retail therapy with some very special cycling boutique stalls and our Divas raffle with luxury prizes.
Advance £25 per person - closes on Sunday 11 June On the day - £35 per person
http://www.pilgrimshospices.org/supporting-pilgrims-hospices/events/cycling/divas-on-wheels-2017/
Sophie Douch - Community Fundraising Officer
01227 812621 or 07909 335622
New Editor Required for the Parish Magazine
Are you familiar with using Microsoft Word ® or similar and have
a couple of days per month to spare?
The current editor will step down on November 30 after editing the December magazine. Therefore a new editor will be needed, starting with the January 2018 magazine, if the magazine is to continue. This needs to be edited and printed in December. Although published by St Nicholas’ Church, the magazine is aimed at a wide readership and provides an important means of sharing church and village news and information. Various individuals and village organisations submit items each month; the main role of the editor is to collate this material. A possible option is for two new editors to job-share.
To find out more contact the current editor on 812943 or [email protected].
Ed.
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