Offham Parish

Annual Review

Chairman’s Report

New Council

2011 was an election year for the Parish Council and, although there was no actual contest, it has resulted in a significant change to composition of your Council. I would like therefore to start this review by paying tribute to the efforts of the outgoing Councillors and thanking them, on your behalf, for the significant amount of work put by them in managing, maintaining and improving the resources in the Village during the past four years.

Retiring from the Council in 2011 were: Cllr. George Rothschild [Vice-Chair]; Cllr. Clare Innes [Chair, Planning Group]; Cllr. Caroline Dyer [Tree Warden]; Cllr. Chris Parker; Cllr. Ian Robertson.

The new Council includes four members who were involved with our meetings prior to the elections, together with three newly co-opted members. From May 2011, I was re-elected as Chair, Cllr. Paul Nelson was elected as Vice-Chair, Cllr. David Frankling was elected as Chair of the Planning Group, Cllr Wendy Williams accepted responsibility for managing the Teston Road Recreation Ground, whilst Cllrs Barry Oliver, William Pierce and Martyn Begbey have been adding their collective experience to our deliberations.

Cllr. Barry Oliver

Clare Innes has kindly agreed to act as a Planning Consultant on major

planning issues and Caroline Dyer remained as Tree Warden pro tem. The new Council reflects a wide range of experience and expertise and has made a determined effort to progress the various issues that impact on our Village. Details of a number of these are included in the following reports.

New Clerk

Lynne Mackie

Yet one other change in personnel needs mention in that our parish clerk, Jo Usher has had to leave us following her husband’s new employment in Guernsey. This sounds an idyllic place to bring up their young family and we wish them well in their new environment. We are fortunate to have found a talented replacement, in the form of Lynne Mackie, who is also the Clerk to Ryarsh Parish Council. Her experience there has led to a virtually seamless transition between Clerkships and will hopefully provide some longer term synergistic benefits to both Villages.

PCSO Kim Hockey

We have just learned that Kim will be leaving us in the near future for her new post in Tonbridge. Kim has regularly attended our meetings [although we have normally tried to give her time off for good behaviour, by moving the Police Report as high as possible on our agenda!]. Kim has given us valuable insight into crime patterns in the area and also been most proactive in dealing with any queries that we may have had. She

has reassured us that a direct replacement will be appointed, but, at the time of writing, we do not have a name to give you, but will announce it a.s.a.p. We thank Kim for her efforts on our behalf and wish her all the best in her future career.

Joan Phipps

Whilst on the subject of village personalities, we are all no doubt sorry to lose Joan Phipps to the village, although her relocation to Gravesend, where she will be near her daughter, will be of great benefit to Joan and her family. Joan was the Parish Clerk at the point that I first joined the Council and she continued to be so active in the Village, particularly with her memorable organization of the Millennium party on the Green. I am aware that she has since returned for a number of gatherings in the village and hope that we may see her at the forthcoming Jubilee Celebrations. I am sure that we all send her our best wishes for her life in new surroundings.

Jubilee Celebrations

Having just mentioned these, I have been made aware that the committee organizing the event are currently finalizing the details and are hoping to get a small grant from Tonbridge & Malling to make things go with a little extra swing. After the promising

2011 - 2012

David Stretton, Chairman

feedback from the questionnaire that was sent out, it would appear that the expected attendance will be at capacity levels, so be sure to get your tickets early on – these will be available in the next few weeks. The event, on Saturday June 2

nd, starting

at lunchtime, will include a Hog Roast and entertainment by a Jazz Band. Three marquees will be made available to ensure that inclement weather will not disrupt the event, but don’t worry, it wouldn’t dare to rain on the Queen’s parade – at least let us hope not!

Finance

Your Parish Council have managed to complete a number of projects this year, principally the refurbishment of the entrance and Play Area in Teston Recreation ground and the installation of additional salt bins. However, there are still matters to settle, including ownership of the “pond”, traffic calming devices, smartening the Village Gateways and the possible establishment of a Trust Fund to gain ownership of parcels of land in key areas of the village. To these ends we have set aside monies in the budget for 2012 and begun to build a contingency fund for possible progress on the latter development. Despite the cut back of 16% in the monies allocated to us by Tonbridge & Malling for maintenance of “green spaces”, we have decided to maintain the requested Precept at the current level. Thus the so-called penny rate should remain the same for 2012. This should still provide sufficient funds to progress projects to hand.

Maintenance Contracts

These have just been agreed. There have been a few problems and subsequent comments about state of The Green this year. The unseasonably cold weather early in the season meant that cutting could not commence until early April. This was followed by a dry summer and a preponderance of wispy, long grass, which was not cut cleanly by the cylinder mower used by our contractor. We are now investigating whether it is possible to use different equipment to better effect, including the option of collecting and /or mulching cuttings periodically.

WRG/Infinis Landfill Liaison Group.

This group has met regularly during the year, although we now plan to reduce the frequency of the meeting to twice yearly from quarterly. Activity

on site has been much reduced, despite the continuing concern about its potential “volatility”; there are frequent meetings between the site managers and both the Environment Agency and KCC Planners to ensure that the area is properly monitored.

Since last year, there has been some success in reducing the impact of the “hot spots” in the site, with new technology being used to force moisture into the surrounding areas to cool the over-heating waste. Gas migration is also still a major cause for concern, but the vast majority of test points have shown very little escape this year. The main exception to this has been the “Dry Valley”, where sophisticated analysis has now revealed how “channels” in the substructure act as conduits for the gas. Having pinpointed these, it should be possible for additional extraction pipes to be placed with greater accuracy and effectiveness. These will then be added to the vacuum suction system around the site to limit further escape.

Infinis is obviously still converting the gas to electricity in the compound to the rear of White Ladies, but we have recently been assured that this operation has now peaked and that the number of generators in operation has reduced from four to three. Having said this, gas will be extracted from the site for many years to come and improved technology will also enable the operators to generate electricity from “poorer quality” gas.

The Parish Council has expressed concerns that site maintenance has appeared to slacken off during the year, allowing excessive weed growth to not only look unsightly but also provide a nuisance to local landowners via seed migration. Organized site walks during the year often precede the Liaison meetings and give us a first hand opportunity to view the scale of the problem. If there is sufficient interest, it may be possible to arrange such a visit for members of the local community. Although WRG have a reduced budget for site management, we have been supported by KCC in our attempt to ensure that more frequent mowing and/or weed-killing operations better protect the site. Hopefully, agreement on this will be reached at our next Liaison Meeting, which will be held before WRG sets its budget for the forthcoming year.

Annual Parish Meeting

2011’s meeting was again well attended and provided us with the opportunities to quiz some key

people on issues affecting our village. Alan Cansdale represented the Environment Agency and faced a seemingly sterner inquisition than the two directors of NES regarding the odour problems that beset us during much of the previous year. The NES presentation tried to reassure us that changes to operational procedures would soon sort the problems out, but although improvements have occurred, events of last autumn demonstrated that there was still much to be done. Mark Worrall, leader of Tonbridge and Malling Council and Sarah Hohler from KCC also provided us with interesting insights on a wide range of matters in response to questions from the floor.

As 2012 is a very special Olympic year for the UK, we have themed the Parish Meeting “Sport and Leisure in the Community”. We have invited representatives from a wide range of Clubs and Groups associated with sport and keep fit activities for all age groups. Each will give a brief resume of the activities on offer and some will provide displays for added entertainment. We have also invited a select group of panellists to answer any questions you may have. Amongst these will be Miss Sue Chandler, a former Ladies England Hockey Captain, who travelled with the team to the Sydney Olympics. Sue was a pupil at Tonbridge Girls Grammar School and is still coaching, whilst currently employed as an Assistant Head at a leading Independent Co-educational School. More details of participants will be made available on the “flyers” and notice board displays later. It would be helpful if you could send some questions for the panellists, in advance, to our Clerk in order that they can prepare themselves for the evening. It will of course be possible to ask many others during the meeting.

We hope to attract a large audience from all generations to this year’s meeting which is to be held on Friday, March 23

rd in the Village Hall.

Doors will open at 7.20 p.m.

As usual, refreshments will be available. We look forward to seeing you there!

Blaise Farm

The Liaison Group has met quarterly throughout the year. Various changes to personnel involved with site management have led to a much more proactive approach in dealing

with odour issues at the site. The Group now has an independent Chair [from Tonbridge & Malling B. C.] and the Environment Agency has upped its profile in dealing with the issues. The latter change was most probably instigated as a result of last years Annual Parish Meeting! Offham residents that are most affected by the problems regularly attend the meetings and are involved in maintaining a log of odour related incidents experienced within the village. I am glad to report that both King’s Hill and West Malling are now also more actively involved in monitoring and reporting any problems.

Key communication links for all of the parties involved are published later in this Review.

It is worth noting however that one of the key irritations in dealing with the organizations involved is that the centralized reporting systems used insist on going through recognition procedures for each complaint. We hope that the EA, in particular, has taken note of the comments made at the meetings and that this problem can be effectively addressed. We have also requested that feedback, after a complaint is made and attempted resolution activated, is properly provided to all of the interested parties. Although the official route for complaint is designated as the Environment Agency, it now seems clear that it is much more productive to contact NES directly. There is a Freephone Number which will pass messages on to key personnel who are in a position to take action asap. If you use this number, please identify the location at which you noticed the problem, as otherwise your home address will be taken as the location – which may not be helpful! The number is 0800 0214014.

More information about the operational changes made at Blaise during 2011 can be accessed via OPC’s website or directly from our Clerk.

Of course, NES occupies only a small part of the Blaise Farm site. Quarrying still takes place, with Gallaghers operating the site which is still owned by Hanson, [itself is a now subsidiary of Heidelberg Cement]. Blasting takes place intermittently and this can cause a nuisance. OPC have resisted attempts by the operators to increase the magnitude of these blasts, but some trials have gone ahead despite our opposition. The notification procedure has not always been adhered to either, leaving some residents, who have previously been on the notification

list, without forewarning. Recent complaints about this have lead to a promise that all who have registered to receive the information will be contacted before blasting occurs.

Joint Parish Council Transport Consultation Group

This group has also met quarterly throughout the year. Most Parish Councils within the MAP area are now represented and our views are put forward to key KCC members and staff as a result.

Much discussion about the inadequacies of Kent’s Winter Plan, which was sorely tested at the end of 2010, has taken place and we now hope that changes have been put in place to improve responses to such situations. Fortunately, the current season has, to the end of January, been much more benign and the improvements have yet to be tested – although more recently conditions have become more wintery. However, it was encouraging to see snowploughs operating on a Sunday, even in the lanes around the village. Additional salt bins have now been acquired by the village and their use, by local volunteers, should hopefully improve access and egress from lanes not previously covered by KCC’s plans.

Speedwatch has begun to lose support from its users, who feel that there is inadequate back up from the Police. It must be frustrating for volunteers who give up their time to monitor speeding traffic, either to find that the approved sites used seem un-productive or that reported speed violations are not progressed adequately by the authorities.

The Parish Council have recently met with the new Highways Liaison team at Tonbridge and Malling to advise on possible traffic calming measures that could be used in the village. Speedhumps and chicanes were almost immediately ruled out because Teston Road is on a snowplough route. Road width, noise impact and cost implications were also factors that counted against this type of solution. Kent Highway Services is currently preparing a feasibility study and providing costings for the installation of Speed Indicator Devices at the Village gateways and rationalizing speed limits on the main approaches to the Village. This initiative has been prompted by opportunities now provided under the “Localism” principle, whereby we may be able to choose what we consider to be the best approach for our Village and use

a variety of sources of finance to implement it. - Cllr David Stretton

Planning and the Parish Council

Offham Parish Council, as with all Parish Councils, has a role in the County and Borough Council’s planning applications decision process. OPC is a ‘Statutory Consultee’ for all planning applications within the Parish. Tonbridge and Malling refer all applications to OPC and the Council has 21 days to comment on the application. Within Offham PC, there is a planning group that consists of four councillors; the committee meets monthly and reviews all applications sent to it by Tonbridge and Malling CC. Parishioners are more than welcome to discuss their own plans, or those they may have concerns about, with the group members who are:

David Frankling, Paul Nelson, Barry Oliver and Martyn Begbey

OPC, in part, acts as the local eyes and ears in respect of planning for both the Borough and the County and will look at all applications concerning:

• The general impact on the village of the proposed development: will it be positive and enhancing or could it be negative?

• What the impact will be on traffic volumes and vehicle access.

• Whether the design, appearance and materials being proposed ‘fit in’ with the village.

• Whether loss of privacy and/or loss of light for neighbours could be a problem.

• Whether the scale of the development is suitable for a small village.

• What the impact will be on our open spaces and the village facilities.

• Whether there will be associated noise, smells and general disturbance issues.

The Parish will also give local knowledge input to the County and Borough on things such as: drainage, soil, traffic access problems and other pertinent information that the County may not necessarily be aware of.

Overall though, the Parish Council looks to protect and enhance the historic village we have and to keep its charm and character, not just for its current residents, but for future generations as well.

– Cllr David Frankling, Chair, OPC Planning Group

Planning and the future

The Government are proposing to make quite substantial changes to planning regulations in the UK, under their ‘draft national planning policy framework’ and the ‘localism act’ which, as well as simplifying the planning process, could also make it much easier for developers, and in turn lead to more developments. Should these changes happen, then local communities and parishes will have far more say in local development, but conversely, there is likely to be more development. So overall we are likely to need to play a far more active part in planning to ensure our village retains its character and grows as we would wish it to. – Cllr. David Frankling

Offham Village Green, Cosgrave Field and the Teston Road Recreation Ground

The Green has been well used as normal this year, with May Day celebrations, Steam Rally and Christmas carols around the Tree. All have been well supported and enjoyed by most villagers – its just the car drivers that seem to get upset!

The descriptive plaque for the Quintain has been cleaned and the inscription will be repainted in the better weather.

Cosgrave field is a nice peaceful area of Offham, perhaps because we don’t advertise it very well and some villagers don’t even know that it exists! Hopefully, a new sign at the pathway entrance will encourage greater use. It is an attractive area to watch the cricket from.

Teston Road Recreation Field

Teston Road Recreation Field is well used by villagers of all ages, I have seen children with scooters, bicycles and roller-skates whizzing round at high speed on the track whilst the older generation, perhaps recovering after a hip or knee replacement operation exercising at a more sedate pace.

Cllr Wendy Williams

The play equipment had various repair works carried out during the winter including improvement to the soft pour surfaces and replacement of the floor platforms, which had started to rot. We have also hung a new large metal entrance gate to the Rec., improving both safety and appearance. Hopefully, by the time you read this, the new fencing by the car park will be in place and the trees will have been attended to by a tree surgeon.

– Cllr Wendy Williams

May Day

The annual Offham May Day was held on 7th May 2011. As ever, this was a great success with many visitors during the day and we were fortunate to enjoy wonderful sunny weather.

May Queen Procession

The May Queen and her attendants left in a procession from the village hall, followed by children from Year 5 at Offham Primary School. They travelled through the village to The Green and were joined by many others along the route. There was a fantastic maypole display which was enjoyed by everyone, and showed

how much practice and skill is needed to perform this traditional dance. We also enjoyed other displays, including an exciting one from the local gymnastics club and a Morris Men group. There was a wide range of stalls and stands, selling tea and cakes, raffle tickets and tombola, sports cars, books and fairground activities. Villagers and visitors joined together to celebrate this wonderful occasion.

The date has now been set for this year's May Day Celebration on May 5th and the committee is busy

organizing the details.

May Pole Dancing

The celebration this year will have an Olympics theme but otherwise will be pretty much the same as previous years, including May Pole dancing, a gymnastics display, a dog show, children's races, the fun fair, a bouncy castle, various side stalls, guess the weight of the pig, hot dogs & hamburgers, and tea and cakes tent.

– Lynne Mackie, Richard Dyer

Trees in Offham

Offham Parish Council is responsible for the maintenance of trees growing on the Green, Teston Road Playing Field, the Cosgrave Field and along a short section of Church Road. The Parish Council receives expert advice on the tree maintenance programme from Liz Guthrie, Landscape Officer for Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council. Where the trees are in a conservation area such as the Green the Parish Council has the same duty as a householder to apply to TMBC for permission to cut, lop or top.

Our fine Wellingtonia tree standing in a corner of the Green is a member of the Sequoiadendron family closely related to the giant American Redwoods. Beloved of the Victorians, in Britain the tree was named Wellingtonia gigantea after the Duke of Wellington, who died in 1852. Our Wellingtonia is relatively youthful as they can live for more than three thousand years and, in their natural state, can reach a height of over 100 metres! They are covered in a beautiful, soft spongy bark – you can

punch them quite hard and feel no pain.

The ivy that is smothering our Wellingtonia will be removed early this year before the birds start to nest. Ivy makes a tree more susceptible to canopy failure, wind stress and disease. With a little help, the Wellingtonia should continue to provide pleasure to humans and a home to a host of wild life for many years to come.

– Caroline Dyer

Carols on the Green

This event has fast become a village fixture. Over 50 people joined in the singing around the brazier this year, ably led by Christine Halliday Sadler and accompanied by Pam Begbey and members of the Bart choir. Gary Briley very kindly set up the sound system and a big thank you also goes to The King’s Arms for delicious mince pies, mulled wine and a very welcome open fire. Thanks also to Offham Primary School’s PTA who lent a marquee and the Parish Council for agreeing to include the event on its insurance cover.

We hope that everyone enjoyed themselves and we look forward to welcoming you all again next year – with or without snow!

– Jane Jordan, Rachel Godfrey & Phil Airey [Carols on the Green Committee]

Offham School

The past year at Offham School has proven to be one of the most eventful periods in a quarter of a century. In January 2011, I proudly took over the reins from Mr Webster, who had guided the school for twenty five very successful years. It is always exciting taking charge at a new school, but when your predecessor has achieved so much it is especially nerve wracking. Mr Webster gave me a very supportive and encouraging hand-over, for which I am extremely grateful.

As is often the case, a change at the top inspires others to take the plunge and accept new challenges. Mrs Cook, the deputy head, stepped up to the challenge of a much bigger school at New Ash Green. Mrs Metcalf, the SENCO, made an even more dramatic move, away from education and into the movie special-effects industry. There were more than a few envious faces when she popped in over Christmas and regaled us with tales of working with Brad Pitt!

As one door closes another opens. Offham School has been extremely lucky to secure the services of Mrs Powell, who has taken on the important combined role of Deputy Headteacher and Inclusion Manager. The move away from having a SENCO to having an Inclusion Manager was a very deliberate one for the school leadership team. Whereas a traditional SENCO supported children who found aspects of their learning difficult, Mrs Powell has the much broader role of identifying and supporting all children who are not making the progress that they had been, or are capable of. This applies to all children, even if they happen to be the brightest in the school! By moving the focus to progress rather than outcomes, the school is now better equipped to support every child in reaching their full potential.

To succeed in this, the school has implemented new systems where every teacher meets with the Deputy Head every six weeks to discuss all children in their class, analyse the progress they are making and identify any intervention that might be needed for individual children who have hit a plateau with their learning. Teachers and parents alike are excited by the extra support that this provides.

Changes at Offham have not been limited to the school staff; the governing body has also undergone significant updates in the past year. Mr Martyn Begbey has passed on the baton after more than twenty years as Chair of Governors; Mr Gary Nerdrum has accepted the challenge of replacing him. At the same time, Mr Mark Worrall has stepped down as Vice Chair and is replaced by Mrs Jane Jordan. I am delighted however, that Mr Worrall is staying on as a governor. Mrs Christina Rogerson has stepped down as Clerk to the Governors after almost 23 years loyal service, but thankfully remains a central part of school life with her key role in the office. The voluntary role of school governor is a huge undertaking, with a great deal of responsibility. I am very grateful to Gary and the rest of the team for all their hard work and dedication, and the support that they offer me. I would like to say a very special thank you to Martyn Begbey for the role he played in my recruitment and the unswerving support and

encouragement he has given me.

Cllr. Martyn Begbey

You will be relieved to hear that, throughout all of these changes, old traditions remain strong at Offham School. We continue to value our close ties with the local church. Here again, a new face has big shoes to fill, this time it is Rev. David Green, our new vicar of Offham. He has been a regular visitor in school since taking up his post at the church. I enjoy our chats, value his opinion and look forward to his continued participation in school life. The core values of the church mirror those of our school, together we give the children of Offham a sense of the community that they belong to.

Favourite Offham traditions continue, such as the Easter bonnet parade and egg hunt, the Christmas fair, which the school hosted in December, the Year 6 ski trip (a very rare opportunity for children of this age group) and not forgetting the fabulous ‘Special Assemblies’ which each class puts on for parents and friends.

Visitors to the school in the past twelve months may have noticed subtle changes to the electronic locks on school doors. Together with the new ID tags and branded lanyards, which make adults who work in school easily identifiable, and locks fitted to the gates onto Church Road, we have improved the safeguarding of children in school. This is such an important part of our job that there are plans afoot to re-organise some of the school’s perimeter fencing so that visitors are no longer directed straight onto the playground. Instead, visitors will be guided towards the office where they can be identified and signed in before they have access to children.

Despite the doom and gloom surrounding the economy at the moment, the school leadership has overcome budget cuts to find significant resources for improving learning in classrooms. A class set of thirty new laptop computers, plus a secure mobile storage trolley will

enable the teachers to plan I.T. use into any lesson in their classroom, without the need to take the children across school, to the computer room. To fully exploit these new laptops with on-line learning, we are installing a high performance wi-fi network that will allow thirty people to get online at once. This will compliment the interactive whiteboards, funded by our wonderful PTA, to ensure Offham is at the cutting edge of learning technology.

It has undoubtedly been an eventful year at the school. New people have arrived and many new things have been introduced, but the values and ethos of a caring and nurturing learning environment will never change. Offham School remains an inspirational place to work and a proud part of our local community.

– Phillip Hunter. Headteacher.

Borough Report 2012

Despite the continuing difficult economic climate Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council remains committed to maintaining the high quality and range of frontline services that our residents have come to expect. This is against the background of the Borough’s government grant being reduced by some 28% over the last two years to £35.49 per resident compared with an average for comparable districts of £53.71 and the lowest in Kent.

The Borough has made considerable savings by, for example, employing some 20% fewer people than other districts in Kent and by sharing many of our backroom functions with other local councils, the most significant being the sharing of our Chief Executive with Gravesham. Changing and improving the way in which residents are able to contact the Borough, particularly through updating the website, should also provide further savings.

What the Borough has not done is reduce any of its front line services or the quality of those services. An example of this commitment to maintaining services is that all three of our leisure facilities have been rated as “Excellent”, the only such rating given to any public or private facilities in Kent.

We have also used the new government grant for new homes built in the borough to set up the Community Enhancement Fund to help Parish Councils and local organizations with capital expenditure to enhance their communities and to award small grants towards community projects to celebrate the

Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the Olympic Games.

As we are all aware, there are fundamental changes being brought forward by the Coalition Government. The Localism Act is beginning to show its teeth and the Borough Council will be looking carefully at the proposals for more local input into planning decisions and advising parishes though, to date, there seems little local enthusiasm to get involved.

Cllr Anne Kemp

Of particular importance will be the National Planning Policy Framework, the final draft of which is due for publication soon. The aim of the NPPF is to condense the current 15,000 odd pages of planning law and guidance to a mere 50 or 60 pages and inevitably many groups, such as the National Trust, have voiced their concerns over the proposal and, in particular, the presumption towards allowing development without the current controls. In fact, the NPPF is designed to pass most current national policies and controls over development to the local planning authority and we are fortunate that the Borough’s current planning documents are robust.

We are, as ever, greatly concerned with the various planning problems that can be of such concerns to residents and we will continue to do the best for our communities and maintain the very special nature of our villages

– Ann Kemp and Matthew Balfour

Cllr Matthew Balfour

KCC Members Annual Report to Parish and Town Councils - March 2012

This last year has been demanding, difficult and tough, with growing uncertainty in the economy, uncertainty in Europe and the Euro, and uncertainties in job security. All in all, a demanding year!

KCC has faced the biggest financial challenge ever imposed upon local government, through the Comprehensive Spending Review. This has left no choice but to take 25% out of base budgets and reduce staffing levels by some 10%. This has involved a considerable re-structuring of the organisation.

There has been a need to define a new role for local government in education, following changes in national policy and the move towards more academies. The withdrawal of substantial resources for the necessary support services for schools remains a significant challenge. Schools are working together in the new Association of Kent Schools and have more money delegated to them, giving them the freedom to buy back the services they choose.

For children starting secondary school in September 2012, some of the concessionary transport for those attending selective and denominational schools will be withdrawn but the Freedom Pass remains (for an annual one off payment this allows children up to the age of 16 unlimited any time transport on public buses). We are also looking at introducing travel concessions for those in education post 16.

Cllr Sarah Hohler

Whilst accepting that there is still much to be done, Children’s Services is now out of intensive care in record time, with the OFSTED unannounced inspection concluding that there are now ‘no priority areas’ for action.

There are also huge changes in the new health reform agenda, with an increased role for County Councils. We are planning to work with general practitioners, initially focusing on the Dover and Shepway Clinical Commissioning Group, to develop ways of improving the patient journey and patient experience by joining up health and social care budgets to deliver exemplar community health programmes which will lead to reduced hospitalisation, better patient care and better patient outcomes, as well as much better use of public money.

Better transport access to the fantastic new hospital at Pembury remains a high priority and KCC are working with the local borough councils and the hospital to find solutions. The use of volunteer drivers and mini buses is also on the agenda. It is worth remembering that the Oncology unit at Maidstone hospital remains one of the very best in the country and that most facilities will still be available there.

We have also launched the Big Society Fund - £3m of which will support both existing and new third sector organisations and social enterprises linked to this.

Supporting the Kent economy and creating an environment conducive to business growth will continue as a major priority and we have achieved much success in the last year. We are well on our way to achieving superfast broadband coverage across the county, by 2015. To achieve this, Kent County Council will be match funding the recent £9.87m government grant.

The government’s autumn statement endorsed our objective of a new Third Thames Crossing. We are also making good progress in getting the A21 dualling at Castle Hill included in the Department for Transport’s priority list.

Turner Contemporary in Margate, with which I have been closely involved, is now completed (to time and to budget) and was opened in April and enjoyed a visit from the Queen and Prince Philip in the summer. Within a few months the visitor targets for the whole year were exceeded – a first step towards the fulfilment of our regeneration ambitions for Thanet and the whole area. The new exhibition of works of over 95 works by Turner is now open and runs until 13

th May – do take time

to visit and enjoy a meal in the coffee shop while you are there.

Member grants

Despite budget constraints, these are still available. Some of the local highway schemes I have funded and which have either been completed or are still in the pipeline are: salt bins in Birling and Offham; interactive signs in Birling Road, Ryarsh and Birling Road, Snodland; priority markings in Castle Way, Leybourne; dog bone markings in London Road, Leybourne, to prevent inconsiderate parking and tidying up the car park area – parking restrictions awaited to prevent all-day commuter parking; painting of street furniture in Snodland; traffic calming in Bull Road, Birling; verge protection for the green in Trottiscliffe.

My local member grant has gone towards play equipment for Nevill Park in Snodland, for changing rooms at Townsend Hook, for Christmas in Snodland and solar panels; for baby changing and disabled toilets at Offham village hall and for Pilgrims; for a safety access gate at Trottiscliffe; and others.

– Sarah Hohler Member for Malling North

History of the Offham “Steam Up”

When Richard Pierce lived at Mid Comp he used to hold an end of season ‘Steam Up’ with engines travelling around the yard before putting them away for the winter.

Later, a trip to the Blue Anchor at Platt for lunch seemed like a good idea. This led to a longer trip along the A20 from Wrotham Heath to West Malling and back through Offham to the Kings Arms for a lunchtime pint.

The first visit to Offham was about 1980 and inevitably a pint or two at the pub grew to be an annual lunchtime stop. In due course, the North Kent Vintage Motor Cycle Club asked if they could join in as they did a similar road run.

And so the years rolled by with the event getting larger as more commercials, motor bikes and cars young and old joined in.

Classic Cars at the Steam Rally

Today, as we know, it has become a major event for the classic and vintage vehicle clubs and their supporters to the extent that, unfortunately, some of the original steam engine owners do not now give it their support.

Concern has been expressed as to the condition of the Green should it be wet, but I am sure it provides a very welcome boost for our local pub and other groups in the village.

- Cllr William Pierce

This year’s Steam Rally displayed a very varied range of steam driven vehicles, vintage and veteran cars and a huge selection of motor cycles, scooters and tricycles. There were some rare specimens on show, of which the owners and restorers must be very proud. The numbers involved seem to grow each year and with the glorious weather this time around, many onlookers were in evidence as well. As William has said, local businesses have learned to benefit from the event as has the Village Hall, which now runs its Tabletop

One of the early Steam Rallies

Sale on the same day and provides another welcome source of refreshment – including a place for the leg weary - to sit down! One visitor remarked that there were more vehicles exhibited in Offham than in many organized and advertised events that charge admission!

– David Stretton

St. Michael and All Angels, Offham Annual Report to Parish Meeting

St Michael’s Church continued its extension of Mission in the Community of Offham and extended a warm welcome to parishioners to join in the worship at a series of Family Services with a special format for the occasion on Mothering Sunday, Harvest and Christmas festivals. These were well attended with participation from members of the congregation.

At our service of Matins using the Book of Common Prayer on Sunday, 29

th May the lessons from Acts and

John’s Gospel were read using the King James Lectern Bible presented in 1926 to St Michael’s by Dr and Mrs Cosgrave, local benefactors, who lived at the Manor House. This celebrated 400 years of the King James Bible which has impacted millions of people, influenced culture, and transcended numerous generations. In her sermon, Mrs Margaret Moore, our Lay Reader, talked about the Authorised Version, its history and its lasting influence on the English Language.

There was a good congregation representing the whole community for the seventh Offham Village Service on Sunday, 26

th June with this year’s

theme “Changing Places, Changing Faces”. David Godfrey welcomed the congregation and then Pupils from Offham School Choir performed a musical introduction. Eileen Rowe, representing the Offham School Governors read a piece entitled “A Changing Rural Community”. Revd Pam Rink from the Pilsdon Community gave the Greeting followed by the hymn “Give me joy in my heart”. Offham Sunday School performed a drama on the theme of the Loaves and Fishes and then John Pavis of Offham Methodist Church gave a reading from the Acts of the Apostles on the “Fellowship of Believers”. In her sermon, Revd Pam Rink talked about the history and origins of the Pilsdon Community and the importance of village community spirit. There then followed the hymn “When I needed a neighbour” and a reading by Borough Cllr Matthew Balfour entitled “A Peculiar Incident in Offham Church” (reported in the Times of 1895). After the hymn

“Love Divine all loves Excelling” Mike Rowe taxed the congregation with a “Community Countdown” of questions – one for each of the last ten years of village life. Prayers were then said, including the Lords Prayer in Romanian by students from Church Farm, prayers of thanksgiving, and the closing hymn “Guide me O thou great redeemer”. We all retired to the churchyard for drinks and refreshments as the sun set on another memorable evening.

The retiring collection was split between donations to the Pilsdon Malling Community, Rochester Diocesan Hope Fund and St Michael’s Church.

St Michael’s Sunday School meets

every Sunday during school term time (including the first Sunday in the month), except when there is a Special Family Service and aims to cater for children from as young as 2 ½ years to early teens. The Sunday School is lead by Sarah Raggett, Jane Jordan and Linda Graham, with additional support from parents of attending children. Through craft activities, story telling, dramatic productions and having fun together, our aim is to give the children attending Sunday School an appreciation of Christian values and bible stories.

The Churches in Offham once again delivered cards to each house outlining the services over the Christmas period. Members of the congregation also took part in events organised by Churches Together in Malling, particularly the Good Friday Walk of Witness in West Malling

During Lent, study groups on five weekly evenings were arranged in collaboration with the Methodist Church using the tape recorded York Course. This was very successful, and was well attended.

Rev. David Green lighting Advent candles at the Christingle Service

In May we successfully completed the process of appointing a new Priest in Charge for West Malling and Offham and Revd David Green was welcomed and licensed at a marvellous service in St Mary’s West Malling on Monday, 19

th September

by the Bishop of Tonbridge. David was formerly Assistant Curate at St Philip & St James’ Church, Chatham; he is 37, married to Kerry and they have three young children aged three, four and six. He trained for the ministry at Ridley Hall in Cambridge and prior to ordination worked for ten years in publishing, primarily with new media. Originally David comes from Paddock Wood and his wife Kerry grew up in Yalding; he said "We are very sad to be leaving Walderslade and so many friends there, but we are also excited to accept this invitation and to become part of the next chapter of the story for St Mary's, St Michael's and the

Anglican congregation on Kings Hill. I see positive times ahead for all the churches and localities. West Malling, including Kings Hill, and Offham are an exciting challenge and a great opportunity to do things that I am passionate about.”

- Mike Rowe

Offham Methodist Church

The Church was built in 1898 on land that was originally a raspberry field; it was sponsored by the Maidstone Methodist Circuit of that time. It was indicated at this time last year, as part of Methodist Church strategy, that we would become part of a larger Circuit, under the heading of North Kent.

As from 1st September 2012 we will

move into the newly formed Weald in Kent Circuit, which brings together Sevenoaks, Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells Circuits.

As a Church, we have been in conversations with the Sevenoaks representatives over the last 2 to 3 years to examine the possibilities of joining their Circuit. Within our worship pattern we have been led by Lay Preachers from Sevenoaks on a once a month basis, so it appeared the right time to transfer when the new Weald was formed. The ministerial responsibility remains with Rev. Gary Watt of Larkfield until the change takes place, subject to Methodist Conference approval.

A change, but no change for our Sunday Morning Worship, which remains at 11:00 a.m. in our “free” Methodist Church style led by both Ministerial and Lay Preachers as planned, with coffee after the service once a month, which is open for all to join with us. Our “Tea & Chat” has remained a success during the last twelve months, meeting on the first Tuesday of the month from 2:00 till 4:00pm. This gives the opportunity to meet old friends and to make new ones over a cup of tea. We continue with our Coffee Mornings for Heart of Kent Hospice & Maidstone Christian Care, with our Annual Plant Sale each October in aid of Church funds. All of these events are well supported by the village. We still seek opportunities to increase our hall usage, as an amenity to village.

We continue to work in co-operation with our friends at St. Michael’s both in sending out Christmas cards, in the joint Lent York course and other ventures together.

Morning Worship: each Sunday at 11:00am.

March 17th - Coffee Morning for Heart

of Kent Hospice; 10 to noon.

April 14th – Coffee Morning for

Christian care for Homeless; 10 to noon. – Colin Wolfe

Offham Village Hall

The Village Hall is a great venue for meetings and private parties at reasonable prices. It is licensed for dancing and live music. For further information and/or to make a booking please contact Phyllis Jones – Tel: 01732 843946

Cake Sale at the Village Hall

The Village Hall Management Committee is looking for new members to join our small, friendly group of local residents.

The current Committee members are Val Taylor (Chair), Phyllis Jones, Fiona Lloyd-Williams, George Rothschild, Philomena Wright,

Christina O'Sullivan and Caroline Dyer. We manage the Hall on behalf of local residents and Hall users, meeting for a couple of hours every month. We have a wonderful team of helpers who support our regular fund-raising events and perform some of the routine maintenance. We have a lot of fun and enjoy the satisfaction of contributing to the life of our Community. You don’t need any special skills – just a sense of humour and a few hours to spare. If you are interested, please contact one of the Committee members or 'phone Val on 01732 521708.

During 2010 and 2011, £29,182 was raised by the Village Hall Management Committee through fund-raising events, grants and donations. As a result of this, the toilet facilities were modernised and much improved. The new toilets were opened formally by Kent County Councillor Sarah Hohler, with a

Regular Clubs and Classes at Offham Village Hall

MONDAY

3.45 pm to 7.30 pm Kings Hill Gymnastics Academy Debbie Willard (tel. 07716 029586)

8.00 pm to 9.00 pm Badminton/Table Tennis Pam Begbey (tel. 01732 841347)

TUESDAY

5.00 pm to 8.00 pm Scottish Dancing Fiona Rae (tel 01732 321494)

8.15 pm to 9.15 pm (Oct-March)

Badminton Phyllis Jones (tel. 01732 843946)

7.30 pm (1st Tuesday every month)

Offham Parish Council (Committee Room)

WEDNESDAY

9.30 am to 11.30 am Mother and Toddlers Laura Dixon (tel. 07956 831311)

5.30 pm to 6.45 pm Beavers Jackie Nicholls (tel. 01622 726512)

7.30 pm to 10.00 pm Bridge Terry Bird (tel. 01622 812566)

THURSDAY

9.30 am Zumba Lisette Flint (tel. 07581 261244)

10.30 am Zumba Gold Lisette Flint (tel. 07581 261244)

11.30 am to 2.00 pm WRVS Lunch Club Phyllis Jones (tel. 01732 843946)

3.45 pm to 7.30 pm Kings Hill Gymnastics Academy Debbie Willard (tel. 07716 029586)

8.00 pm to 10.00 pm (Last Thursday in every month)

Malling Art Club Norman Jenner (tel. 01732 842674)

FRIDAY

4.00 pm to 6.00 pm Kings Hill Gymnastics Academy Debbie Willard (tel. 07716 029586)

6.15 pm to 7.45 pm Cubs Richard Matthews (tel. 01732 843162)

7.45 pm to 9.00 pm Scouts Paul Gladwell (tel. 01634 241376)

SATURDAY

9.30 am to 4.00 pm Kings Hill Gymnastics Academy Debbie Willard (tel. 07716 029586)

ribbon cutting ceremony and of course some bubbly.

During 2012 we hope to upgrade the access to the main entrance to the building and we have already been successful in applying for a grant towards the cost.

Dates for your diary

Saturday, 15 September 2012 – Old Tarts Night

Sunday, 21 October 2012 (the day of the Steam Rally)

KCC Cllr Sarah Hohler opening the new toilets at the Village Hall

We are hoping to hold a home-grown Murder Mystery Evening next winter using a script specially commissioned from a local author.

The Village Hall Committee welcome suggestions for further fundraising events.

-Phyllis Jones, Valerie Taylor

The objects of the Offham Society are to stimulate interest in Offham by encouraging high standards of planning and architecture, the preservation of features of general public amenity or historical interest and by co-operating with our local authorities, other village societies and voluntary organizations with aims similar to those of the Society. The Society is intended to be a focus for everyone who has the interests of our beautiful village and its surrounding countryside at heart and wishes to keep it a good place to live in.

The Programme of Events in 2011 included a fascinating talk by local farmer, Richard Pierce “Steam in the Blood” in which he related his life long love of steam traction engines and the restoration and use of his own collection. At the AGM local medic, Dr Charles Unter, entertained us with tales of his work and career as a consultant and manager at Maidstone Hospital. There followed our usual visit to local gardens

ending with tea and cakes at the Manor House, courtesy of the Society’s Chairman, John Hancox. In the run up to the Charles Dickens celebrations were fortunate to have a Walking Tour of Historic Rochester with the added bonus of transport on Roger Stagg’s vintage red London bus. The year rounded off with the ever popular quiz “Offham Trivial Pursuits”.

The Committee has been working hard on the Offham Society programme for 2012 which includes a talk on the Olympic Park and its development (Tues 3

rd April), in the

context of the social history of what used to be one of the worst places to live in the whole country, looking forward to the Legacy from the Olympic Games this summer. We will also have a talk by a former Detective Chief Superintendent (Thurs 24

th May) who worked with the

Serious Crime Team who will tell us of how the police investigated a number of major cases, such as the tragic death of 58 Chinese immigrants at Dover in the back of a sealed container lorry. Planned for the autumn by popular request is the return of Master of Wine, Erica Martin for a Wine Tasting on Sat 6

th

October and then our Annual Trivial Pursuits on Sat 17

th November.

During the year the Committee has kept a constant watch on local planning issues and has made several representations to local authorities on matters important to the preservation of the rural character of our beautiful village. - Mike Rowe

The Malling Action Partnership [MAP]?

The Malling Action Partnership (MAP) is a partnership of local groups, organisations, businesses, local

authorities and individual volunteers working together to promote business and community life within the ten parishes of the Malling area, so that our communities can continue to thrive and offer a vibrant quality of life for all residents.

The Malling Action Partnership programme consists of a number of initiatives, including:

• creating a community website for visitors and residents which will promote local news, services and information about where we live.

• publishing ‘Malling Mail’ as a bi-monthly insert to Downs Mail. This is a community magazine contains local news, events and local information and all parishes are encouraged to contribute.

• helping grow the monthly West Malling Farmers’ Market.

• producing a calendar of all existing local events, setting up new events and encouraging everyone to take part.

• working with local councils and transport authorities/providers to improve public transport services and parking facilities.

• supporting and promoting local businesses via a range of printed and electronic material, training courses and the local Chambers of Commerce. .

- Cllr Paul Nelson

Neighbourhood Watch in Offham

The police are getting a lot of publicity at the moment as they review the way forward to meet public needs. One feature frequently mentioned is the importance of Neighbourhood Watch in helping them to keep informed on local incidents and concerns. While the police cannot be patrolling the village all the time, we can be the ‘eyes and ears’ 24-hours a day.

Offham’s Neighbourhood Watch Area Co-ordinator and team of sixteen Road Co-ordinators between them cover every household in the village. Most have computers and receive the bi-weekly police reports of all the break-ins, theft, damage and vandalism going on in the area around us – as well as warnings which usually involve traders cold-calling or making extremely convincing telephone or e-mail ‘scams’. Each of us can be grateful to our own Road Co-ordinator for being involved on our behalf and for

Offham is one of the ten villages in the Malling area that together, make up the ‘Malling Action Partnership’ or MAP.

-Cllr Paul Nelson

passing on any warnings which might affect you as an Offham resident.

Some Road Co-ordinators have gathered the e-mail addresses and/or the telephone numbers of the residents in their own area. Most cover about a dozen houses near to their own while others have a wider area which means they can either ring or deliver any news of concern to the most vulnerable. Alternatively they can jot a quick e-mail outlining the problem and at the touch of a button everyone is made aware. This system works particularly well in Aldon Lane for example which is a lengthy stretch of road with a lot houses spaced apart.

Offham has suffered a variety of unconnected incidents this year, the most recent being being the theft of the money container from the telephone box and a cold-caller who tried to convince residents on The Green they had faulty tiles on the roof needing repair. He even produced a calling card with his name and a telephone number. When tested it was ‘not recognised’!

Break-ins to sheds, a dealer collecting scrap metal as well as drivers parked suspiciously in unusual spots for no obvious reason were reported. A visitor to Offham during daytime parked her cycle out of sight but returned to find both tyres and its lights had been stolen. Most serious of all, jewellery was stolen from a house after the intruder forced a patio door to gain entry. The resident was back within 45 minutes so the property must have been watched.

Car number plates stolen locally are being used elsewhere on get-away cars and at petrol stations where CCTV can observe the culprits driving off without paying. You can have non-removable screws fitted to the plates to avoid this nuisance.

Once again ‘scams’ continue to be a worrying aspect of everyday life either by phone or e-mail. The all-important message remains – NEVER GIVE YOUR BANK DETAILS TO ANYONE however official the request may sound.

Metal theft continues to be a major concern countrywide and the police have launched an operation in the West Malling area targeting metal and cable thieves. We can do a lot to save our own property by fixing removable metal gates, keeping copper, lead and iron items under lock and key and removing bicycles from car mountings when parked in our drive-ways.

This year we have seen the welcome introduction of the much easier to remember telephone number 1-0-1 to contact Kent Police when reporting incidents which have happened such as theft, break-ins or vandalism. The national 999 remains for a crime while it is happening or if life is in danger. - Village Neighbourhood Watch Coordinator

Hedgehog Productions

Hedgehog Productions is a Christian group of performers based at St Margaret’s church in Addington, but drawing in people from all of the BART parish churches and also from outside of the church. The group was started in 1995 by Martyn Begbey and Jim Hayman, who put on a production called Chimneys, a story about the plight of chimney sweep children in the 1850’s. This was followed by A Christmas Carol in 1998, Hopes and Dreams in 2000 and Not Negotiating God in 2001 which were all Christian based stories. We then had a break until 2004 when Martyn wrote a story line around the Blitz in London which was written up as a script by Jim, this format continued at the pace of one a year and although these were everyday stories, they all had a Christian theme or message. This format continued until 2011 when we performed a supper theatre, The Connoisseurs, followed later in the year by a variety stage show. Our home base is Addington village hall, although we have performed in provincial theatres in Maidstone, Sevenoaks and Oxted; local village halls and community centres including Aylesford, Snodland and Kings Hill; and also local churches, with some as far away as Orpington and Chichester. We are lucky to own our own stage, lighting gantry, lights and set & scenery, as well as having an in-house scriptwriter in Jim Hayman and a song writer/director in Christine Halliday-Saddler. We support various charities, last year’s being, M.S. cystic fibrosis, Christian aid and St Margaret’s church. We are always looking for new members, especially the younger ones who often join us as timid little things and leave us full of confidence. This year, we will be performing a two act play, “Moving with the Times”, a story about the conflict between a variety theatre and a moving picture cinema in the early 1920’s, which will be our usual lively colourful affair. Later in the year we have been invited to perform a murder mystery at Offham village hall which sounds like fun. Hope to see you there.

– Graham Halliday-Saddler

Offham Lunch Club

"Offham Lunch Club is a small friendly get together lunch held every Thursday (school term time only) at Offham Village Hall. It is for the benefit of elderly citizens who live locally and it allows them a 2 course lunch, a cup of tea and a friendly chat. A small charge is made to cover rent of the hall, heating etc. A pick up and return service is provided if needed by volunteers. These volunteers help with serving the food and clearing away. We normally start around 12.30 and finish around 2.00.

When funds are available, which are donated locally, we use such funds to take them out for say a pub lunch or a fish and chip restaurant.

We currently have 12 members but are always keen to have new members join us, as indeed volunteers.

We have been running a Lunch Club at Offham for many years and all members seem to enjoy it immensely. If you are interested in joining us as a member or volunteer, please give Phyllis Jones a call on 01732 843946" – Phyllis Jones

The King’s Arms

I have been asked to include a few words about the King’s Arms just to let you know that Alex is the new landlord and has recently agreed to a permanent contract with the owners, Enterprise Inns, after a successful period on a temporary basis. He reports that the barrelage has risen back to levels of some ten years ago.

Cask ales now account for some 30% of beer sales and Alex is keen to learn of customer views on alternative brews. He is also keen to include products from local micro breweries alongside traditional ranges. Significant expenditure has been planned to upgrade the facilities and fabric of the establishment [subject to planning consent], and although this might mean temporary disruption to normal service, there are plans to improve the variety of food on offer, with as much of it as possible sourced from local suppliers. Even cake and coffee mornings are on the agenda!

Apparently, the King’s Arms has had six different landlords in the past ten years. Alex clearly intends to slow that particular rate of turnover and is also be keen to reverse the trend for new custom to come from outside of the Village rather than from Offham itself. Communication

Broadband speeds in Offham.

Having just received this item from KALC, I thought it worth encouraging readers to sign up and press for improvements in the Village. I am aware that many households are experiencing a slow service, which would be greatly enhanced if the “Infinity” link was to be extended from King Hill into Offham.

Kent Association of Local Councils is working with Kent County Council to encourage people to register their demand for better broadband through the ‘Make Kent Quicker’ campaign.

It only takes five minutes so please:

• sign up to register your demand at www.makekentquicker.com

• encourage your neighbours to register their demand

• consider whether you can display a poster to raise awareness in your community

• contact Action with Communities in Rural Kent on 01303 813790 if you are interested in becoming a local broadband champion to encourage greater sign up in your area.

If you have no broadband access, please register at a KCC library or Gateway or contact the Kent County Council Contact Centre on 08458 247 247.

-- David Stretton

It has been a year of change and progress for Offham based charity, Spadework. The charity, in Teston Road, is a leading provider of skills training and work experience for over 80 adults with learning and other disabilities. The aim of Spadework is to enable the Trainees to develop their personal skills through social interaction with the community through its nursery and garden centre, gardening services, farm shop, café, woodwork shop and IT suite.

In the summer of last year Camilla Medhurst joined as General Manager taking over from Norman Davidson, who retired after 3 years. Camilla said “Spadework is a fantastic place to work. Our key role is to provide a supportive environment for our trainees to learn new skills and get real experience of working life”.

With government funding being squeezed, Spadework is reliant on increasing the income it generates from its commercial activities and the charitable donations it receives.

Richard Perton will be joining the team as a Team Leader responsible for the Farm Shop and Café. Richard comes to Spadework with a strong background in high end foods and he will be using this experience to work with the staff and trainees to further improve the food offered in the Café and Farm Shop through developing the menu and creating wider links with local quality suppliers.

If you have popped into the Farm Shop recently you will see that we have started to stock the ‘COOK’ range. The award winning food products are prepared by hand at its kitchen in Kent using exactly the same ingredients and techniques you would use at home. In the last three months the popularity of the ‘COOK’ range has been proven and Spadework is looking to extend its offering over the coming months.

We have begun to develop the fallow land at the bottom of the site, which will enable us to start vegetable and fruit production. Planting has now begun and we anticipate that the produce will be available for sale in the Farm Shop and Café from early May.

So if you haven’t been to Spadework for a while, please come and see the changes, by doing so you will be supporting Spadework’s long term vision. – Camilla Medhurst

OFFHAM OPEN HOUSE Programme 2012/13

March 1 Short talk by Margaret Webb on ‘The trials and tribulations of putting together Fine Art Tours’ 10am Inas Al-Murrani’s house Blue Hills, North Meadow

Saturday March 3 Coffee morning and bring and buy in aid of TESO 10am Hazel Watson’s house, Zebulun, Church Road

April 5 Talk by Kenwynne Barber ‘Ultra Running’ for charity 10am Ann Baldock’s house Chimneys, Teston Rd

May 3 Garden Visit to Parsonage Oasts, Yalding (behind Anchor pub) ME18 6HG £5 includes coffee and cake 9.45 am meet on the green, car share if possible – limited parking

MAY DAY Saturday 5 Cakes very welcome for the tea tent

June 7 Coffee morning 10am Chris Butler’s house Oast View, Teston Road

Summer Event July 7

Trip to France, deposit by 27th April, friends welcome

August 2 Visit Joan Bygraves and the Addington Neolithic Tombs Coffee at Margaret Webb’s The Lodge, Park Road, Addington followed by short walk to Joan’s arriving there at 10.45 Meet on the Green at 9.50

September 6 MacMillan coffee morning – Bring and Buy 10am Hazel Watson’s house Zebulun, Church Road October 4 Demonstration by West Malling Flowers, buy a raffle ticket for a chance to win the arrangement 10am Ann Frost’s house Amberly Lodge, Teston Road

Sunday October 21 Table Top Sale in Village Hall, cakes very welcome TBC

November 1 Talk by John Mills on ‘Life Inside’ an insight into Prison life having worked in the Prison Service for many years 10am Wendy William’s house 19, Pepingstraw, Close

December 6 Shipbourne Market, coffee after in the Chaser Inn 9.30am meet on the green to drive to Shipbourne

Christmas event Dec/Jan Dinner/Lunch to be decided

January 3 AGM 10am Paddy’s house, St Faiths Cottage, The Green February 7 TBC 10am Jackie Hart’s house 11,

Pepingstraw Close

Committee members

Barbara Bowler 848944

Margaret Webb 845503 Jackie Hart 845337 Sonia Wilson 842070

Important Telephone Numbers Landfill Site – Roger Homersham –Closed site supervisor – 07968 319199

Landfill Site - Dave Harling – Site Business Manager 07966 127930 dave.harling@wrg.co.uk

Landfill Site – Out of Hours – Environment Agency 0800 80 70 60

WRG - Head Office - 01604 826200

Blaise Farm Quarry – Hanson 0845 601 6642

Blaise Farm Quarry Composting Site– New Earth Solutions – 01202 583 700 / 01202 812300 www.newearthsolutions.co.uk Kent Highways Services – reporting of highways problems – 08458 247 800

Police – non emergency – 101

Tonbridge & Malling B.C. - 01732 844522

Parish Council Communication: Lynne Mackie, Offham Parish Clerk

Phone: 01732 521303 E-mail: offham.pc@hotmail.co.uk