Thank You for visiting Rostrum Wateringbury Village Free Magazine
Some find it easier to read the magazine in the Past Issues section
ROSTRUM NOVEMBER 2026
Welcome to the November edition of Rostrum
When you use any of our advertisers, please let them know you read their advert in Rostrum
Village Diary
NOVEMBER
1 Footpaths Walk – 2pm (earlier start) – outside village Hall
4 Coffee Break – 10.30am - 12.30pm - Church
8 Parish Act of Remembrance – 10am - Church
11 WI – Christmas Crafting - 7.30pm - Hall
15 Village Christmas Market – 10am-1pm - Hall
17 Parish Council Meeting - 7.30pm – hall upper room
18 Macmillan Coffee Morning – 10.30am-noon - Church
18 History Soc – Bob Ogley 20thC Kent talk – 8pm - Hall
18 Flower Club – With Rings workshop - 7pm – N’stead Hall
21 Christmas Craft Bazaar – 11.30am-2.30pm - Church
DECEMBER
2 Coffee Break – 10.30am - 12.30pm - Church
6 Footpaths Walk - 2pm – outside village hall
7 WPC Christmas Meal – 1pm – The Railway Pub
9 WI – Christmas Get together - 7.30pm - Hall
15 Parish Council Meeting - 7.30pm – hall upper room
16 History Society Christmas Social evening – 8pm - Hall
17 Carols by Candlelight – 8pm - Church
20 Christmas Market – 10am-1pm – Hall
WATERINGBURY VILLAGE MARKET
The market goes from strength to strength with 26 sellers this month. We welcomed a new seller Curd and Rennet. So together with regulars: Finesse Farm, Independent Trotters, Buzz Apiary, Marianne’s Kitchen and JoJo’s Cupcakes we are attracting more local produce. Our usual arts, crafts, beauty and jewellery sellers from surrounding villages continue to support our friendly market. Do pop in for a drink, a snack and you may even be tempted to start Christmas shopping!
Early Christmas Market 15th November
Last chance Christmas Market 20th December.
See you there! Sue
THE OAST THEATRE, TONBRIDGE
“Educating Rita” by Willy Russell
14th – 21stNovember 2026
This brilliant and much-loved play is about education and choice Performances: 7.30 pm. (Sunday Matinee 3.00 pm.)
Tickets: £14 Book online at 
www.oasttheatre.com
Macmillan Coffee Morning
WEDNESDAY18th NOVEMBER
10.30 – NOON IN THE CHURCH
Home-made Cakes & Coffee
White Elephant Sales Table
Raffle
DO COME ALONG AND SUPPORT THE WORK OF MACMILLAN CANCER SUPPORT
The Coffee Morning is being organised by the Wednesday Coffee Break Group who meet fortnightly in the church
PARISH CHRISTMAS LUNCH
There are still some places available for senior village residents who are invited to come and enjoy a festive Christmas Lunch at the modest cost of £17 on Monday 7th December at 1pm at The Railway Pub. Those wishing to come should contact
the Parish Clerk by 2nd November on 07943 937694
or email clerk@wateringburyparish.gov.uk
VILLAGE PEOPLE
Please let us have your news and tributes by 17th November for our December 2026/January2027 magazine.
Entries are free. Email rostrum2@hotmail.com
Congratulations
to Steve and Daryl Jessop on the arrival of granddaughter Alice Yada and to proud first-time parents Adam and Belle. Alice was born in Pembury Hospital on 25th August weighing 8lb 5oz.
R
Yvonne Marie Marks 22.9.51 - 28.08.26
Yvonne Marie Marks passed away peacefully on 29th August. A much loved and beautiful wife and mother who had lived in Wateringbury since 2004 who had fought Parkinsons disease for 15 years and dementia for over 5 years. She was an avid gardener who won a major gardening award in the Kent Garden of the Year Award 2017. Many residents in Wateringbury would have been to her wonderful garden during the period when she arranged organised visits with wine, tea and cakes! She chose to live in Wateringbury after visiting in 2002 to arrange the location and care of her father-in -law who had moved to the village and she fell in love with it. She had been an active member of St John the Baptist congregation and leaves her husband David who remains in the village. Rest in peace Yvonne.
John Anderson who looks after the living wall and crossroads gardens has reached the finals of the TMBC Community Awards for his incredible dedication and positive impact on our community. The awards ceremony, with the announcement of the winner, takes place on 22nd October.
VolunteerS NEEDED!
Two of Rostrum’s longstanding distributors’ move from the village prompt this appeal for volunteers to distribute Rostrum once a month to households in Redhill and another one for Leney Road.
It is a great way to have a walk and to meet neighbours. If you are able to help, please email rostrum2@hotmail.com or call 07817 918834
or 01622 812023.
Your help will be greatly appreciated.
CRAFT CHRISTMAS BAZAAR
SATURDAY 21ST NOVEMBER
11.30am-2.30pm
CHRISTMA CRAFT BAZAAR
SATURDAY 21 NOVEMBER
11.30am-2.30pm
at the Church - Entry Free
Lots of local craft stalls to browse
Books and DVDs - Cards, - Jewellery
Stock up your larder with Sheena’s jams and Gordon’s pickles.
Enjoy a cup of tea or coffee plus delicious home-made cakes.
or a glass of mulled wine and a mince pie.
Come for delicious lunch time home-made soup.
There will also be the traditional Cake Stall and Tombola.
General Raffle and Christmas Cake Raffle.
COFFEE BREAK Wednesdays 4th November and
2nd December
This friendly group meets on alternate Wednesdays from 10.30am-12.30pm in the church social area to enjoy tea, coffee and home-made cake and of course a chat. Suggested donation £1. Our Coffee Break on Wednesday 18th November will be a MacMillian Coffee Morning with a Bring and buy stall. So do save the date and come along to the church between 10.30am and 12.30pm and support this valued charity.
Gillian Sessions
CHURCH THANKS
Jazz Advocates concert - thank you to all who came for this enjoyable afternoon of jazz which raised £157 for church funds.
Harvest Festival - thank you to our school for coming to church to celebrate the Harvest and for all their gifts. Thank you too to all who came to the Harvest Festival Morning Praise and brought gifts. These were distributed within the village and the surplus was given to Maidstone Homeless Care. For many in our village the need was not an economic one so they were given plants and little treats to show we are thinking of them as they journey through life.
RAF WEST MALLING AND WATERINGBURY
IN WORLD WAR 2
Rostrum’s front cover is a photo of a memorial to RAF West Malling, located in Gibson Drive, Kings Hill. A nearby plaque commemorates an incident in 1943 during WW2 when 3 German aircraft landed there by accident. The presence of the RAF here had a great impact on Wateringbury during WW2.
The West Malling Flying Club was disbanded in 1939, with the RAF taking possession and extending the airfield and related buildings. However, during the Battle of Britain, in mid-1940, the use of the airfield was limited, but still, nevertheless, subject to multiple German attacks. It was not until 1941 that West Malling became fully operational as a fighter base, particularly night fighters with early air-based radar.
Two individuals who served at West Malling subsequently became well known. Guy Gibson served as leader of a fighter squadron at West Malling for much of 1941. Later, in 1943, he led from RAF Scrampton, Lincolnshire the bombers of 617 squadron in the successful bouncing bomb attack on the Ruhr dams. Peter Townsend, the station commander in 1943, who became known for his romance with Princess Margaret.
When the German V1 (doodlebug) campaign started in 1944 West Malling became the main base for the dealing with these early drones. There were two main options for RAF pilots: shooting them down, while avoiding the risk of being hit by the resulting explosion; or flying alongside the V1 and tipping its wing over. West Malling destroyed some 278 V1s.
Unfortunately, the tipping procedure caused the death of one Wateringbury resident, Albert Spittles, when he was killed by a falling V1 while working in a field at Manor Farm (now Westbery Manor). He is buried in the Wateringbury Cemetery. Albert was the only civilian casualty from Wateringbury of WW2, but there are 13 military casualties recorded on the village war memorial. The presence of the West Malling airfield caused off-target German bombs to fall on Wateringbury: between the airfield and Westbury Cottage on the Tonbridge Road; near to where Waterside Mews is today; and a V1 fell in the grounds of Wateringbury Place causing damage to the palm house and the church’s stained-glass windows.
Guy Gibson when serving at RAF West Malling in 1941 said “Of all the airfields in Great Britain, here, many say, including myself we have the most pleasant.”
This article is based on Robin Brooks’ book “From Moths to Merlins” for the information about RAF West Malling and Rostrum’s Christine Byron’s
“Lest We Forget. Wateringbury in World War II”, still available for sale (£5) by contacting rostrum2@hotmail.com
Terry Bird
Gardening for Wildlife
Many of the fields around our village have now been ploughed and this has attracted a different range of wildlife. The day after the field at the top of Mill Lane was done, a small flock of Canada Geese flew in to presumably take advantage of a new food source. This group started calling in trumpet-like honking and within minutes, more geese flew in to join the party. This continued throughout the morning and there must have been over 100 eventually, spread across the field. Quite an impressive sight.
Canada Geese were first introduced in the 17th century mainly as an ornamental addition to country estates. Since then, their numbers have grown to over 150,000. Most are sedentary and don’t migrate due to our mild winters and abundant food supply.
Now is a good time to clean out existing bird boxes as they may be used for shelter in the Winter and be more likely to be used in the Spring. If you haven’t got any in your garden, maybe consider putting them on your Christmas list?
Looking even further ahead, this is also the right time to sow cobnuts, acorns and horse chestnuts in pots outdoors, as they need a cold period of two to three months to germinate. Hopefully, your efforts will be rewarded in the Spring by the first signs of growth.
Pauline Knutton
TESTON AND WATERINGBURY PRESCHOOL
November has arrived, marking the start of Term 2 and the countdown to our exciting Christmas activities.
This term, we’ll explore our all-time favourite, Stick Man by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler. Activities will include making our own Stick Men, baking Stick Man biscuits, shell-printing in clay and leaf printing.
Our pre-school photographer will visit on 9th November to photograph the children and their siblings. Parents will be able to purchase the photographs, which make lovely gifts for the family.
Our lending library will continue this term, allowing children to choose a book to take home and enjoy with their families. We’ll also continue visiting the local library bus, which stops just outside the pre-school. These visits give children the exciting opportunity to climb aboard and choose from its wide selection of books.
Children leaving for school next year will begin phonics sessions this term to help prepare them for school. This is always a popular time with the children, feeling special to be chosen to join the group.
We still have a few places available for January. To find out more about joining our wonderful pre-school family, please contact:
Tina Driver 07805 796353
testonpreschooladmissions@gmail.com Also find us on Facebook too!
Wateringbury WI meets on the 2nd Wednesday of the month 7.30 to 9.30pm at the village hall.
As we are coming into the Winter months, we need to focus more on our Mental Health and overall well-being. So, for our October meeting we invited Chloe Fitzsimons as our speaker. Chloe is a REIKI Master and helped us understand the benefits we can achieve from REIKI and living in the moment. Our members had lots of questions for her and she was able to stay and chat with us after her talk while we tucked into coffee and cake.
For our next meeting on 11th November Annette Friend will be coming along to do some Christmas Crafting with us. This is a relaxed fun evening with lots of chatting while Annette creates things from paper, string, glue and anything else she thinks will go together. We never know until the day what's going to happen but it's always good fun.
We also have our first Winter Workshop in November. Painting on Silk with Miranda. We all enjoyed this so much last time she's doing it all again! This is a small group available just for members. We get together in one of the small rooms at the hall during the Winter months for a bit of Crafting.
Our meeting on 11thDecember will be a Christmas get together in the hall. There will be wine, mince pies and possibly a vol au vent or two. It will be here before we know it.
Visitors welcome £3, refreshments £1, raffle £1.
For more information email us on Wateringbury@wkfwi.org.uk
Sharon Goshawk - President
WATERINGBURY SURGERY
The Menopause Club
for patients of Thornhills, West Malling, Wateringbury, Phoenix and Snodland GP Surgeries.
Wednesday 18th November 2026 - 6pm to 8pm
at Church Farm Hall, New Hythe Lane, ME20 6ST.
This month’s special guest speakers will be a menopause nurse and a medical herbalist. Free refreshments.
For further information or to register your interest in attending, please call 0333 332 6700 or email jeanettesaunders@nhs.net.
The Silent Symptoms of Endometriosis
Friday 6th November 2026 - 2pm to 3pm
Online Webinar. Register your free place at kims.org.uk/events
Discover the lesser-known symptoms of endometriosis, why they can be overlooked, and when it may be time to seek specialist advice.
Mr Ahmed El Gohari, Endometriosis Specialist, will discuss what symptoms to look out for, why endometriosis can sometimes be difficult to recognise and when it may be appropriate to seek further assessment.
This webinar offers an opportunity to learn more and ask questions in an informative and supportive setting.
Suzanne Large , Practice Manager
NETTLESTEAD AND WATERINGBURY PRESCHOOL
In Term 2 we started to explore Autumn further, taking the children on walks so they could take in and talk about the season changes. On the walks the children enjoyed collecting natural resources like sticks, pinecones, conkers and some lovely colourful leaves to bring back to the setting to use for crafts or in their play in our outdoor mud kitchen area.
With the natural resources the children have been creative and made their own version of autumn trees, wreaths, leaf printing and little bird’s nests for our outdoor bug hut, exploring what hibernation means for some of the animals. Some children have even used the sticks to create stick families using maths language to describe the sticks they collected. With the children we have made our own bird feeders for the birds to enjoy as the weather gets colder.
If you would like to join our preschool (government funding accepted for 2, 3- and 4-year-olds – 15/30hrs and Free for 2 years old) or wrap around care, please email enquiries@nwps.org.uk for more information
WATERINGBURY FOOTPATH GROUP
Judy led us on a lovely walk in October. We went over Bow Bridge and then, mainly on public footpaths but also on Hunt Street to the Tickled Trout at West Farleigh. After admiring the view while some of us sat on a well located seat just before the pub, we took the footpath downhill to Teston Lane and the approach to Teston Bridge. On that narrow bit of road we took the permissive footpath that runs parallel to the road, thereby staying away from the traffic on the busy approach road until right by the bridge. We crossed the bridge and then took the riverside walk back to Bow Bridge. A walk of more than four and a half miles in lovely weather, enjoyed by our group of over a dozen people.
For future walks we will be leaving the Village Hall at:
· 2pm on Sunday 1st November
· 2pm on Sunday 6th December.
We have a WhatsApp group that I use to remind walkers when and where we are going to meet, usually with another meeting point near the beginning. I can also text people who don’t use WhatsApp. If you think you’d like to join us, please contact me for more information, or simply turn up at the start. Everyone is very welcome to join our sociable group walks. It is a great way to get to know the local area and a few local people!
Lisa Dean 07759 539032
HISTORY SOCIETY
At our meeting on Wednesday 18th November we have a change of plan and welcome Bob Ogley whose topic is Kent in the 20th Century. (Bob had to postpone his visit in September).
On 16th December we have our Christmas Social evening with quiz and seasonal readings.
Talks planned for 2027 are QEII A Lifetime of Service, The Defence of England in WW2, Medway Muddies, Titanic the ship that never sank! and The London of Charles Dickens. Talks are free to members and visitors are welcome at £7 (cash) an evening. Membership for the year to June 2027 is good value at £20. A welcome awaits you at our meetings which are held in Wateringbury Village Hall with free tea or coffee from 7.40pm and the talk starting at 8pm. Our evenings end at 9pm.
We will also have on sale various of the Society’s books on local topics most priced at £3.50 and Lest We Forget – Wateringbury in WWII at £5. These all make easy to send gifts for those with Wateringbury connections and interesting reading if you live locally. Christine Byron
Wateringbury Flower Club
At the October meeting we welcomed Sheila Abdy back to entertain us with her presentation title Halloween. It really was a spooky affair with her designs all on an Autumn theme and colours to match. Each of Sheila's designs was accompanied by a cake to match the theme, needless to say, the members always love when Sheila visits as they get treats as well! I can honestly say that everyone had a fabulous time and raffle tickets were in great demand for a £1 to try and win one of her magnificent arrangements.
There is a workshop being run in Nettlestead Village Hall by Sue Shaw, National Speaker, on how to Stand up and Speak – It is for those who wish to gain confidence in public speaking, whether it be a vote of thanks or speaking at work. If you are interested, contact Jean Schofield on 01622-814264
On Wednesday the 4th November Kent Floral Art has its annual AGM at Ditton Village Hall. Once business is dealt with, we have a short break for a picnic lunch and then we have Arnold Metairie, International demonstrator and teacher. This is bound to be a fabulous day; tickets are £25 for members and £28 for visitors.
On Wednesday, 18th November our workshop will be by Pat and Karen, With Rings, teaching us how to cover and decorate rings for use in our seasonal arrangements.
Visitors are always welcome at our small friendly club for an evening of fun, friendship and flowers. We meet at 7 for 7-30 (visitors £10) in Nettlestead Village Hall. Jean Schofield
WATERINGBURY GUIDES
The highlight of this month has been our trip to Big Gig at Wembley Arena. There we joined thousands of other Girlguiding members to see among others, JLS, Aston Merrygold, Kerry Ellis and The Wanted 2.0. A great time was had by all although some may have been a little harder of hearing afterwards!!
We were delighted to join Wateringbury School for their 50th birthday party and ran the teas and cakes stall. Guides, leaders and mums had done a lot of baking and initially we wondered if we had too many cakes but the offer of a ‘takeaway’ tempted many. It was lovely to catch up with former guides, some of whom were a guide with me back in the 70’s and 80’s!
At the request of the guides, we had a tutor visit from the British Sign Language organisation. I’ve never known the girls be so quiet and it was lovely to see the concentration while learning the basics. At the end of the evening, we always thank our speaker and I was delighted to see that instead of clapping, they all signed thank you and good bye.
We’ll be at the Remembrance service at Wateringbury church proudly parading our flag as well as taking part in the commemorations. The new Young Leaders’ flag will be unveiled and carried by our super group of young leaders.
If you have a daughter who would love to join these activities, there are still spaces in brownies (aged 7-10), and guides (aged 10-15) in Wateringbury so please register your daughter on -a-child https://www.girlguiding.org.uk/information-for-parents/register /
We encourage girls to come and visit for a week or two before deciding if they want to join us.
Sheena Stewart and team.
Rainbows
We recently welcomed our 15th member to Rainbows which means we are full for now. However, there are some others waiting in the wings for when our older ones move to Brownies next year. We've had fun this term developing skills for our future with various activities including following instructions and money. That needs a bit more practice. We also created some great underwater fireworks, perfect with no loud bangs. We are excited to be out and about a lot this term. Look out for us, you might even spot some superheroes. We are visiting the church for our meeting and hosting an Elevenses for our Winter Warm up as part of the region's Guiding for Good challenge. We are also having our flag blessed in church ahead of attending our very first Remembrance parade. Our flag was kindly sponsored by Kings Hill Rotary Club with a Community Chest grant. For more information about us, contact WateringburyRainbows@outlook.com
Tiffany
Next Parish Council meeting is on Tuesday 17thNovember at 7.30pm
in the Hall Upper Room
A Visit to Kent Air Ambulance HQ –
An Incredible Service Saving Lives
As Deputy Mayor, it was a real privilege to visit the Kent Air Ambulance headquarters and learn more about the incredible work they carry out every single day to save lives across Kent and the surrounding areas. It costs £48,000 every day to keep this service operational, and the majority of that money comes from fundraising, as they are not part of the NHS.
The visit provided a valuable insight into the dedication, professionalism and compassion of the teams who respond to some of the most challenging and life-threatening emergencies. From highly skilled pilots and doctors to paramedics and support staff, every member of the team plays a vital role in delivering this essential service when people need it most.
Kent Air Ambulance provides far more than just rapid transport. Their specialist crews bring critical care directly to patients at the scene, often making a life-changing difference in those crucial first minutes following a serious accident or medical emergency. It was inspiring to hear about the training, teamwork and commitment required to deliver such an outstanding service, often in incredibly difficult circumstances.
As Deputy Mayor, I am immensely proud of the organisations that work tirelessly to protect and support our communities. Kent Air Ambulance is a shining example of this commitment, and its work deserves our recognition, gratitude and continued support.
Thank you to everyone at Kent Air Ambulance for the warm welcome and for the amazing work you do. You truly make a difference when it matters most.
Sarah Hudson
TMBC Borough Councillor for East & West Peckham, Mereworth & Wateringbury
TONBRIDGE AND MALLING RAMBLERS
are organising a 6.5 mile walk on Sunday 29th November starting at 10am at Teston Bridge. The Medway Valley walk is from Teston Country Park to Barming and returns past East Farleigh Lock and Bridge, Barming Bridge and Teston Bridge. Moderate difficulty and no stiles. Advance booking is not required; you can just turn up on the day.
For details of this and other walks check Tonbridge and Malling Ramblers on Facebook or www.tonbridgeandmallingramblers.org.uk.
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THE STRAWBERRY TEA PARTY
A huge thank you to everyone who joined us for the Friends of Wateringbury Church Strawberry Tea Party on Sunday 20th September. We were blessed with glorious sunshine and it was wonderful to see so many people enjoying an afternoon in the gardens of Westbery Manor. Together we raised a fantastic £1,151 for the Friends of Wateringbury Church, which will go towards our work supporting the preservation and upkeep of St John the Baptist Church.
Our particular thanks go to William English for once again allowing us to use the beautiful grounds of Westbery Manor, Hugh Lowe Farms for their very generous donation of strawberries and Carys Hughes for providing the perfect soundtrack to the afternoon with her harp.
There was plenty of friendly competition too. The traditional rounders match proved as popular as ever and more than 20 teams put their catching skills to the test in the ‘World Famous Egg Catching Competition’!
Finally, thank you to everyone who donated cakes, helped set up and run the event, bought raffle tickets, played the games or simply came along to enjoy the afternoon. Your support made it another very special village event and helped raise funds for the Friends. We look forward to doing it all again next year!
Jeremy Burgess Chair, Friends of Wateringbury Church
IN OUR JOYS AND SORROWS –
FROM THE PARISH REGISTERS
Baptism – Kaiden Tony Kingsley (4th October)
Funeral – Yvonne Marie [CB1] Marks followed by committal in the cemetery (13th October)
REV GARY WRITES
The Rectory, 72 The Street, Mereworth ME18 5NA gary.rev@outlook.com ( 01622 813178
website – mwwpchurches.org
And they shall beat their swords into ploughshares … Isaiah 2:4
Beat your ploughshares into swords … Joel 3:10. [CB2]
Recycling is no new thing as the two quotes above show. The words are from two prophetical books in the Old Testament and I suspect they were well-known sayings in ancient Israel: the one indicative of peace and the other of war. The same metal (perhaps more precious then than it is now) could be fashioned and re-fashioned into implements for sustaining human life or destroying it.
The history of the human race shows the almost limitless capacity of man to develop ever new ways of destroying life or nurturing it. The First World War marked the beginning of a different way of fighting with the use of the newly invented machine gun, barbed wire -which stopped cavalry charges - aeroplanes, tanks and canned food - which made it possible to keep men on the battlefield for months. All highly ingenious. On the other hand, the last one hundred years have seen the development of new strains of wheat which produce higher yields, are resistant to some of the old pests and can be harvested more easily because of their small size. Again, so ingenious. Doubtless you could think of other contrasting examples of technological advancement in the fields of life or death.
But what no-one seems to be able to come up with is lasting peace, and an end to all hostility. We’re nowhere near looking back on the last war and saying, “That was the last!”
But as I said at the beginning, ‘recycling is no new thing.’ Man used a felled tree to make a cross but God used that instrument of torture to reveal his great love for the human race. It is His will that none should perish and all should come to a knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4). And as we think of God’s Son hanging on that cross for the sins of the world, we see God’s response to all the hatred and brutality of which we as a race seem capable of turning out again and again. It is a response of limitless love working with all the usual stuff of his creation: wood and metal, sweat and blood, the free use of human will; so often used by man for destruction but all used by God for salvation. The line from a hymn often sung on Remembrance Sunday springs to mind: ‘All our hope on God is founded.’
Gary Townsend
Rector of Mereworth, Wateringbury and West Peckham.[CB3]
WATERINGBURY CHURCH SERVICES IN NOVEMBER
Benefice website www.mwwpchurches.org
A friendly welcome awaits you at all Sunday Services which start at 10am and last for about an hour.
Each service has an easy to follow booklet.
Refreshments are served after these services please stay for a chat if you are able.
Sunday 1st - 10am – Matins with Barry Fisher
Tuesday 3rd - 10am - Prayer and Praise Service at Meadow View Court led by Rev Gary Townsend
Saturday 7th - 3-5pm - Messy Church (for young children and their carers).
Sunday 8th – 10am – Parish Act of Remembrance
The service concludes at the Village War Memorial with the laying of wreaths and the 2-minute Silence
Sunday 15th - 10am - All Age Worship led by David Garland
A less formal service of praise and prayer with well-known hymns
Sunday 22nd - 10am – Benefice Communion with Rev Gary with your choice of receiving individual healing prayer in the side aisles.
REFRESH – Praise, Prayer and Discussion
Sunday 22nd - 5-6pm in Mereworth Church
An informal service in which we explore some fundamental questions about the Christian Faith. The topic will be Christian Behaviour Faith from C S Lewis’ book Mere Christianity
Advent Sunday 29th – 10am
Benefice Communion in Mereworth
This being the fifth Sunday in the month we take the opportunity to worship in one of the other churches in our Benefice. This month the only service in the Benefice today will be in Mereworth.
Let’s celebrate Christmas together
Dates for your Diary
CAROLS BY CANDLELIGHT
Thursday 17th December at 8pm
CRIB SERVICE
Christmas Eve at the earlier time of 4pm
OCTOBER MAGAZINE
OCTOBER
4 Footpaths Walk – 2.30pm – outside village hall
14 WI – introduction to Reike talk – 7.30pm - hall
8 Village Market – 10am-1pm - hall
20 Parish Council Meeting - 7.30pm – hall upper room
21 History Soc – Malling Poor Law Union talk – 8pm - hall
21 Flower Club – Halloween demo – 7pm – N’stead hall
NOVEMBER
1 Footpaths Walk – 2pm (earlier start)– outside village hall
8 Parish Act of Remembrance – 10am - church
11 WI – Christmas Crafting- 7.30pm - hall
15 Village Christmas Market – 10am-1pm - hall
17 Parish Council Meeting - 7.30pm – hall upper room
18 Macmillan Coffee Morning – 10.30am- 12.30pm - church
18 History Soc – Bob Ogley 20thC Kent talk – 8pm - hall
21 Christmas Craft Bazaar – 11.30am-2.30pm - church
Older village residents are invited to come and enjoy a Christmas Meal at the modest cost of £17.
Monday 7th December at 1pm at The Railway
Those wishing to come should contact the Parish Clerk by 2nd November phone 079 43 937694
Or email clerk@wateringburyparish.gov.uk
CHRISTMAS CRAFT BAZAAR
SATURDAY 21ST NOVEMBER
11.30am-2.30pm
at the Church - Entry Free
Lots of local craft stalls to browse
Books and DVDs - Cards, - Jewellery
Stock up your larder with Sheena’s jams and Gordon’s pickles.
Enjoy a cup of tea or coffee plus delicious home-made cakes.
or a glass of mulled wine and a mince pie.
Come for delicious lunch time home-made soup.
There will also be the traditional Cake Stall and Tombola.
General Raffle and Christmas Cake Raffle.
COFFEE BREAK Wednesdays 21st October and
4th November
This friendly group meets on alternate Wednesdays from 10.30am-12.30pm in the church social area to enjoy tea, coffee and home-made cake and of course a chat. Suggested donation £1.
On Wednesday 7th October there will be no meeting as it is the church’s Harvest celebration lunch. Numbers are limited because of logistics so this is a ticket only event. If you would like to come, please phone Gillian who has the tickets (01622 813076).
Our Coffee Break on Wednesday 18th November will also be different. We are planning a MacMillian Coffee Morning with a bring and buy stall. So do save the date and come along to the church between 10.30am and 12.30pm and support this valued charity. Gillian Sessions
VILLAGE PEOPLE Please let us have your news and tributes by 17th October for our November magazine. Entries are free.
Email www.rostrum2@hotmail.com
Best wishes to Guy and Rostrum distributor Carol Bowden as they leave Wateringbury after 57 years (17 years in Allington Gardens and 40 years in Red Hill). We are now looking for a new Rostrum distributor for Red Hill, if you are able to take on this task please email rostrum2@hotmail.com.
Bob Edmunds’ Life in Wateringbury
We moved into our house on 25th September 1976 50 years ago. It was my mum’s birthday.
Sandra and I married in April 1973, had we married the year before we would have had enough to put down on a three bed house but the following year it went crazy with price increases. We ended up buying a 2 bed maisonette in Lordswood Chatham which had been built one year before and sold for £4000, the following year when we bought it was £8100. I know people think us boomers had it easy but my wages didn’t increase by 100% unlike the property. The following year mortgage rates were 11% and bank interest rates were 12%.
We started looking to move to a house in early 1976, we had a place lined up in East Peckham, turned out the seller spent his time putting the houses the market and then pulling out which cost us money we could ill afford. As we we heading home we passed an estate agent in school rd East Peckham called Nyes. They said we have just had a property come in in Wateringbury, to which we said where’s that.
On our way into the village we noticed a railway station which East Peckham didn’t have. As we both worked in London that was very useful, popped into speak to Ken the station master, ticket seller and only member of staff.
When we saw the house the climbing roses were in full bloom and the view we still have was to die for. We arranged a viewing and we’re happy with the £13000 price even tho the house was about 5 years old and first sold for about £4000 I believe.
Not simple though, we were in a contract race and also to get a mortgage we had to have an endowment one which only paid off interest and made more Money for the mortgage company and commission for the sales man.
Anyway we got it and moved in on the 25th. Sandra was soon pregnant and before she left her job with Homes and Gardens magazine, bought home our first cat Ben from a work colleague.
Philip was born on the 11th of August 1977, Stuart followed three years later, five years after that David arrived, and then in under 2 years Lucy surprised us as we wondered if we would ever have a girl. We were Lucky being on the end plot as we were able to add 4 extensions and a garage to the house or we would have had to move.
In 1979 interest rates climbed to 17% and the mortgage rate was up to 15%. Can you imagine those rates now.
I got fed up travelling to London on the 6.34 train and getting home after 7pm most nights so when I was about 45 I started my own little heating business which I only retired from when I was 70. For the last 10 years of working I had knee surgery and was struggling a bit. I got Tony Goodwin who lives in the road to come and help me for a short while or so I thought. He was such a quick learner and a real asset he was with me until I retired. He passed his gas safe exams quickly and became part of the renamed Ba and T heating.
He has his own business now so if you need any heating work he’s your man.
I enjoyed helping run a boys club with Christine Byron and John Lindsey in the 80s.
We have had great neighbours and we are only the 4th longest residents in Allington Gardens, Rita and Dennis Stones, Sue and Mike Witts are original from when the houses were built, Jenny and Cliff Hickmott have been here about a year or so longer than us. Many of our neighbours have been here 30-40 years. Sadly we lost three neighbours this year, Doreen Parks, George and Jane Bryant.
I was lucky enough to play cricket for the village team for several years and we went on several tours which were great fun.
I joined the parish council about 3 years ago which after an interesting start has been very rewarding. I was also a trustee for the WRSA which ran the playing fields for years but now is back in house with the parish council.
Sandra and I are loving our time with our 4 granddaughters and 2 grand sons whose ages range from 15 to 10 months.
We are hoping our children will attend the schools 50th anniversary celebrations as we did our bit to keep it going.
Sandra has a good group of friends and also attends the History Society meetings and goes on several of Claire’s days out trips.
I enjoy fishing and am very lucky as there are plenty of lakes locally.
Wateringbury is certainly a great place to live. So, here’s to the next 50 years! Bob Edmunds
Allotment at the end of our garden in Pizien Well Wateringbury available for cultivation . Retainer fee for the year £70 Please ring 01622 817842
WATERINGBURY TODDLER GROUP
We are a friendly group that welcomes all parents, carers, grandparents, childminders etc with children from 0 - 5. We run every Wednesday 10am-Noon during school term time. The cost is £3.50 for the first child and adult and then £1 for every additional child 8+ months.
The large hall is set up with lots of toys for free play, a craft session is included and then snack and drink for the children. We finish with a music session and lots of footballs. Adult's drinks and biscuits are also included. We also have a baby area for younger children. Like our Facebook Page (Wateringbury Toddler Group) for any important information/messages. We return from our summer break on Wednesday 9th September. We then run ever Wednesday until 21st October and break for one week on Wednesday 28th October for half term. Email:wateringburytoddlergroup@gmail.com
HISTORY SOCIETY
The speaker at our meeting in the village hall at 8pm on Wednesday 21st October is Deborah Collins who will speak about Malling Poor Law Union (The changing role of the workhouse).
Then on 18th November we have a change of plan and welcome Bob Ogley speaking about Kent in the 20th Century (Bob had to postpone his planned visit in September). Other speakers booked are: Dean Caston QEII A lifetime of Service, Simon Waterfield The Defence of England in WW2, Adam Taylor Medway Muddies, Tony Harris Titanic – the ship that never sank, and Stuart Robinson The London of Charles Dickens.
Our talks are free to members and visitors are welcome at £7 (cash) an evening. It’s still worthwhile becoming a member for our 2026/27 series of talks. There are 7 talks and our Christmas Social evening remaining all for £20. We look forward to seeing you.
Christine Byron
UKRAINE FOUR YEARS ON – STILL A NEED
Unfortunately there is still a desperate need for donations: human medical and animal even part used. Clean winter clothes and shoes. Blankets, torches unwanted tools much needed.
I’m also appealing for clean soft toys for a Christmas tombola. This is to finance neutering costs to enable small independent local animal rescues and sanctuaries to ensure the animals they take in can then be rehomed with no risk of indeterminate breeding of more unwanted pets.
All the above can be dropped off to me. Sue Collins - 07875 262659
WATERINGBURY FOOTPATHS GROUP
I am hoping to get back to leading walks again soon, we will be leaving the Village Hall at:
ü 2.30pm on Sunday 4th October (Judy to lead)
ü 2.00pm on Sunday 1st November.
(The hour will have changed by the time of the November walk and in the winter we go out earlier to ensure we get home before it is dark.)
We have a WhatsApp group that I use to remind walkers when and where we are going to meet. I can also text people who don’t use WhatsApp. If you think you’d like to join us, please contact me for more information, or simply turn up at the start. Everyone is very welcome to join our sociable group walks.
Thanks to Jane, who led our September walk. She took the group down to Bow Bridge, then along the riverside footpath upstream, turning uphill to cross the stiles and railway and continue up through Yalding churchyard. They carried on in the same direction, up Gibbs Hill, turning right at the top to walk along the footpath that has great views and leads down to the waterfall bridge and on to Old Road. There a right turn and another one took them by the pond before following the bridleway back to Bow Road. Along the way they were told about a nuthatch that they did their best to rescue. It was an enjoyable walk and there was a good turnout in excellent walking weather.
Lisa Dean 077 5953 9032
WATERINGBURY WI
meets 2nd Wednesday of every month
7.30 to 9.30 pm at the village hall.
We had a great Welcome back to September. Meritxell From MCM travels in Paddock Wood came along to tell us about River Cruising. There are so many beautiful places to visit in the world and a river cruise sounds a great way to do some of it. We had a lot of time after her presentation to chat and catch up on our Summer news with coffee and a selection of cakes. It was lovely to see a few new faces joining us.
Some of our ladies have also been busy during the summer knitting bears for the Buddy Bag Foundation which have gone off in the post to Children in emergency care.
On the 14th September we had a coach trip to Sissinghurst Castle and Gardens. The weather was good to us, just a light breeze and lots of sunshine. It was good to meet some of the friends of our members who came along to enjoy the day with us. Coming Up..... in October we have another trip on the river Medway on the Kingfisher boat .
Our meeting ion 14th October. A nice relaxing evening where we can focus on our mind and body with an introduction into REIKI with Chloe Fitzsimons. Please come along if you fancy something different.
Visitors £3 Refreshments £1 Raffle £1.00
email Wateringbury@wkfwi.org.uk
Sharon Goshawk President
BOROUGH COUNCILLORS MATT BOUGHTON AND SARAH HUDSON
There is not enough drinking water to supply the number of new homes the Government wishes to see built in Tonbridge and Malling.
That is the view of South East Water, our water provider. Our water infrastructure can cope with an extra 317 homes a year across the borough. Yet the Government has mandated 1,117 homes a year be built.
Consequently, at a meeting on 3rd September Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council felt it could not proceed with its Local Plan – the document which plans where future development will be. We considered it irresponsible to pursue a plan which was so unrealistic in terms of our water infrastructure.
Yet less than 24 hours later, the Government intervened. Citing rarely used powers under Section 27 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, the Government overruled the decision of your Councillors and have forced the Local Plan to proceed. Despite knowing there isn’t enough water to cope. Worse still, the Council is legally required to comply with this direction – regardless of whether it agrees or not. Needless to say, we don’t agree. We think it is irresponsible to plan for more houses than our infrastructure can cope with. It is counterproductive to progress a plan for which the majority of houses within it cannot actually be delivered.
Yet the Government cannot see beyond its determination to see 1,117 homes a year built here – giving no regard to current or even potential infrastructure. The proposed solutions to improve the water infrastructure haven’t been fully costed or planned yet. There is no guarantee they will actually happen and be able to tolerate the level of development the Government wishes.
Then there is also the question of ‘devolution’. The new Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, likes to speak about giving more power to local communities. Isn’t reversing a decision of a democratically elected council the very opposite of this? The outcome of this is that the Local Plan is now out to consultation again, and we have until 25th October to have our views heard. This is a much more technical consultation than before but the good news is that no new sites have been added, and the previous allocation for 30 homes on the east of Red Hill has been removed.
There will be an online public meeting on Monday 5th October, please e-mail matt.boughton@tmbc.gov.uk if you would like to dial in and here more about this process.
Please visit www.tmbc.gov.uk/local-plan to have your say.
WATERINGBURY SURGERY UPDATE
We are delighted to welcome Dr Roxanna Chung to Wateringbury Surgery. Dr Chung will take on some of the GP sessions previously covered by Dr Sohanpal. We are continuing to recruit for the remaining GP hours and hope to share further updates soon.
As we move into the autumn and winter months, we encourage all eligible patients to have their annual flu vaccination. The flu vaccine helps protect against serious illness and is available to:
· People aged 65 and over, · Adults with certain long-term health conditions
· Pregnant women, · Care home residents,· Eligible children
· Carers and those living with someone who is immunocompromised
Please book your vaccination when invited.
To help improve our services, we will be introducing GP Automate from 22nd September 2026. This NHS-approved system helps our team manage routine tasks more efficiently, reducing delays and allowing staff to spend more time supporting patients.
From October 2026, clinicians will also begin using Lexacom Ambient AI Scribe during consultations. This technology helps create draft consultation notes from the conversation. All notes are checked and approved by the clinician before being added to your medical record.
For more information about GP Automate or Lexacom Ambient AI Scribe, please ask for a copy of our privacy notice.
TESTON AND WATERINGBURY PRE SCHOOL
This term, we are continuing to enjoy our featured book, Whatever Next by Jill Murphy, while exploring space through a range of activities. We will build rockets and learn about the planets and the world around us. In our role-play area, children can create a space station and dress as astronauts, just like Baby Bear in the story. We will also make space biscuits for snack time and sing ‘Zoom, Zoom, Zoom, We’re Going to the Moon’, helping children practise counting backwards.
Our pre-school lending library is now up and running, offering a variety of books to choose from and take home to share with their siblings and parents. We are also encouraging our families to join their local libraries as this is a great place to take your children on a wet and windy day. Books can support children's creative development and imaginative thinking, as well as spending that quality bonding time with your child.
This term, the pre-school is organising a "bags to school" collection for unwanted clothes to be reused and recycled. The collection will take place at 9:00am on Friday 2nd October. Anyone wishing to recycle unwanted clothes, bags, shoes, or towels is asked to place items in a bag and bring them in any day week commencing Monday 28th September between 9:00am and 3:00pm. Please ring the doorbell at the back of the village hall upon arrival. All monies raised will go towards buying craft material for the children.
If you would like your child to be part of this amazing pre-school family please contact Tina Driver: 07805796353
testonpreschooladmissions@gmail.com Find us on Facebook too!
GROUP WALKS WITH TONBRIDGE AND MALLING RAMBLERS
Thursday 22nd October a 5 mile circular walk from Offham through woods across fields to Offham Church, then onto Church. Return through West Malling Meadows. Mostly flat with one stile. Moderate difficulty. Full details of all October walks www.tonbridgeandmallingramblers.org.uk or our Facebook page.
PROTECT OUR MEDWAY VALLEY
Fields Lane refusal of development: Thank you, everyone
Great news!! — the planning application for Fields Lane has been refused, and it's a result our whole community can be proud of.
Thank you to all the locals who backed the campaign in ways big and small — whether it was financing a second independent Land Valuation assessment from their own pockets, signing an objection, donation to the Crowdfunder, spreading the word, or simply cheering on from the sidelines. Protect Our Medway Valley (POMV) held many meetings following advice from a planning expert. Behind the scenes, volunteers put in countless hours researching planning law and working through documents and finding ways to support the planning committee members in their decision for a refusal. The POMV crowdfunder raised an incredible £3,000, which paid for leaflets, banners (many thanks to Lee at the wood yard, who gave us space for one of them), a Land Valuation Assessment, and two rounds of printing onto A3 sheets so it could be hand-delivered to every member of the planning committee. Thank you to everyone who donated, and to the volunteers who carried out leaflet drops. Many thanks go to Matt Boughton, Sarah Hudson, Wateringbury Parish Council and Peter Coulling (Teston Parish Council) for their support and hard work during this lengthy process. This was a true group effort, and it shows what we can achieve when we pull together. Thank you all.
WATERINGBURY GUIDES
We’ve been busy over the summer holidays planning fun and challenging activities. We’ve got cake baking, some pioneering – ropes and poles to build climbing apparatus, a first aid evening in aid of the Kent, Surry and Sussex air ambulance, and of course our trip to Big Gig. This is an event for Girlguiding members only at Wembley arena and such acts as The Wanted 2.0, Kerry Ellis, and Aston Merrygold are confirmed with more to come. We’re off to Chatham Ski Centre to go tobogganing and on the snow tubes and we also have a very popular trip to see Paddington in London.
We’ll be at the Remembrance service at Wateringbury church proudly parading our flag as well as taking part in the commemorations. In readiness for Christmas, we’re making mini-Christmas cakes, decorating baubles and making sweets to sell at the Christmas bazaar at Wateringbury church. We’re hoping to have another go at our cardboard ovens – yes, we did manage to cook fairy cakes in them last time before they went up in smoke, as well as trying to cook pancakes over a colander! Finally, we end the year with a trip to ten pin bowling in Maidstone. A very busy term and it will be hugely enjoyable. If you have a daughter who would love to join these activities, there are still spaces in brownies (aged 7-10), and guides (aged 10-15) in Wateringbury so please register your daughter on https://www.girlguiding.org.uk/information-for-parents/register-a-child/ We encourage girls to come and visit for a week or more before deciding if they want to join us. Sheena Stewart
GARDENING FOR WILDLIFE
I’ve really missed feeding the birds through the Summer, but the RSPB’s recent advice is that we can now start offering high-fat, energy foods like sunflower seeds, suet and peanuts to help them store fuel for migration or colder weather. The food should be in feeders rather than on flat surfaces as they’re less likely to spread disease and cleaned weekly. Another way to support our native birds is to plant a fruiting tree and now is a good time as the soil is still warm and moist. Some of the best berries for birds are holly, hawthorn, rowan or crab apple.
I currently have two rescue hedgehogs in my garden that I’m feeding up for a couple of weeks prior to release. Once free, they’ll be relying on natural food and will need to travel further afield to find it. If you can ensure that you have a clear highway from your garden to any safe, surrounding area, then our local hedgehogs should be able to feed up in readiness for their hibernation.
Now is a good time to gather seeds from your favourite flowering plants and either sew them directly into well-prepared soil or dry them out and sow them into trays of peat-free compost, pricking them out when large enough to handle. Alternatively, you can store them somewhere frost-free and dry and sow them in the Spring. Pauline Knutton
NETTLESTEAD AND WATERINGBURY PRE-SCHOOL
A busy term 1 with our new and old families starting back. It’s been great catching up with everyone and hearing about the children’s summer adventures! The children have enjoyed coming back, building new friendships, and seamlessly falling into preschool life.
We have also had some amazing feedback from our leaving families saying how wonderfully well their children have transitioned into primary school life. Showing great independence through the whole experience, something we promote strongly within the setting. It is important to us to help the children develop skills they can take away with them to use as they progress further into their journeys.
The children have been getting to know each other using our family board pointing out family, friends and pets, building great communications and social skills. Through this we have extended the children’s learning by making family trees/pictures using natural resources to talk about people that are special to them.
We are looking forward to exploring autumn with the children and to see what natural treasures we can find around us as the season turns.
‘The best classroom and the richest cupboard is roofed only by the sky’, by Margaret Macmillan. We are looking forward to exploring this quote further with our children through our Curiosity Approach Accreditation J Come and join us on journey!
26th September: some spaces still available in our wrap around and preschool sessions (Government funding accepted).
Please email enquiries@nwps.org.uk for more information
WATERINGBURY VILLAGE MARKET
18th October and Christmas Market on
15th November
September’s market had 25 sellers – including 3 new stalls. This market is well established and a great asset to the village. We have a wide range of items on offer. As well as JoJo’s Cupcakes and Marianne’s Kitchen offering delicious home bakery and coffees, Independent Trotters local meats and pies. Also bespoke jewellery, prints, cards and unique handcrafts. Do pop along even if just for a chat with friends and neighbours. No pressure to buy and entry is free. See you there.
Sue Collins
RAINBOWS
Rainbows restarted after the summer break with tales of holiday adventures, badge work activities and for many of our girls, news of their very first few days of big school. Rainbows can join at 4 years old and stay until they are 7. We have one girl now wearing the brand new uniform which you might have heard about in the media over the summer. We had some fruity fun with making fruit salads and learning about blue plaques to remember important people and places. A few experienced their first taste of kiwi fruit after the challenge of firstly peeling and cutting it. Not the easiest fruit to handle and prompted lots of conversations.
This term we are looking at developing skills for our future with various activities and will be taking part in the region's Guiding for Good challenge. Look out for us in the village, as we hope to venture out into the community this month. For more information about us, contact WateringburyRainbows@outlook.com Tiffany Allen
TOM TUGENDHAT MP
September often brings surprises and new beginnings. For me, that has meant taking on a new role as shadow Foreign Secretary. Working alongside Kemi Badenoch, the Leader of the Conservative Party, I will be helping shape our foreign policy, working to make Britain safer and more prosperous, and boosting our role in the world.
Iran have targeted our infrastructure at home; Russia has sailed unregistered ships through our waters and China intimidates dissidents in Britain. It is clear that events overseas can threaten our security, but those threats are not limited to conventional war. They also affect our food supplies, energy security and cybersecurity. Keeping our country safe requires Britain to stand up for its interests on the world stage. After serving in uniform and in government, I want to see our country use every skill and talent to make us stronger and happier. All that to defend what we love at home.
I will continue responding to residents’ concerns, supporting local businesses, charities and community groups. From improving phone signal to ensuring that upgrades are made to local water infrastructure, I am working for the people of Wateringbury. As always, I’m here to serve you. If you have a concern, suggestion or question, please email me at tom.tugendhat.mp@parliament.uk.
Litter danger to wildlife While I was delivering Rostrums in Canon Lane earlier in the year I stopped to pick up a bottle which had been thrown in the hedgerow. It had some liquid in it and as I shook it to empty out the contents a dead field mouse came out tail first, then sadly two more. All must have been attracted into the bottle and become trapped. So please don’t discard bottles, cans and even crisp packets they can be a danger to wildlife. Christine Byron
REV GARY WRITES
The Rectory, 72 The Street, Mereworth ME18 5NA
gary.rev@outlook.com ( 01622 813178
website – mwwpchurches.org
Harvest Thanks
As ever the Harvest Festival services in our churches provide an opportunity for us to gather and give thanks to God for all His goodness and also remember the farmers and their helpers who work closely with God’s provision through nature in the fields of our parishes.
And as we show our gratitude for human effort, I want to acknowledge my thankfulness to all those who over the last few months have worked hard at events that have brought much needed funds for the upkeep of our church buildings. Those buildings are first and foremost places of Christian witness, worship and prayer but they also stand as important parts of the history of our parishes and they get many visitors. They are also used by those who are not regular worshippers who come wanting funerals and weddings and places in which to remember their departed loved ones. So, the upkeep of those buildings in our parishes is important to more people than just those believers in the Lord Jesus who worship in them regularly.
Some of the money raised at the fetes in Mereworth and West Peckham was given to the churches there. The Cream Teas in Mereworth raised a lot of money for St Lawrence’s and the recent Ride ‘n Stride event at Mereworth, Wateringbury and West Peckham brought in even more donations. Also, Wateringbury Church benefits from all the funds raised at the FOWC (Friends of Wateringbury Church) Strawberry Tea Party. So, my thanks go to all those who gave their time, energies and talents to these events. My thanks go too to all those who supported these events and I hope you enjoyed them.
I try and remember to thank individuals as and when I see them but, across three parishes, you can imagine it’s easy to overlook a few. Hence this general expression of thanks here: well done and thank you to you all.
As well as our Harvest Festival services coming up soon there are also a Harvest Quiz at Mereworth and a Harvest Supper at West Peckham. Visit our website mwwpchurches.org for details.
Gary Townsend Rector of Mereworth, Wateringbury and
West Peckham.
WATERINGBURY CHURCH SERVICES IN OCTOBER Benefice website www.mwwpchurches.org
A friendly welcome awaits you at all Sunday Services which start at 10am and last for about an hour.
Each service has an easy to follow booklet.
Refreshments are served after these services please stay for a chat if you are able.
Friday 2nd – 2pm – School Harvest Celebration Service
Sunday 4th - 10am – Morning Praise for Harvest
led by Barry Fisher
Tuesday 6th October - 10am - Prayer and Praise Service at Meadow View Court led by Rev Gary Townsend
Saturday 10th - 3-5pm - Messy Church (for young children and their carers).
Sunday 11th - Holy Communion with Rev Gary Townsend
Sunday 18th - 10am - All Age Worship led by David Garland
A less formal service of praise and prayer with well-known hymns
Sunday 25th - 10am – Benefice Communion with Rev Gary with your choice of receiving individual healing prayer in the side aisles.
REFRESH – Praise, Prayer and Discussion
Sunday 25th - 5-6pm in Mereworth Church
An informal service in which we explore some fundamental questions about the Christian Faith. The topic will be Christian Behaviour Part 6 – Faith from C S Lewis’ book Mere Christianity
Sunday 1st November - 10am – Matins with Barry Fisher
Sunday 8th November – 10am – Parish Act of Remembrance
In our Joys and Sorrows – From the Parish Registers
Baptism – Isabelle Ryan (19th July)
Funeral – John Steven Pattinson (10th September)
CHURCH THANKS
Thank you to Wateringbury Players who recently donated £500 from the proceeds of their 2026 Pantomime for the upkeep of our ancient church building. Forty plus years ago church members put on a pantomime, Cinderella, to raise funds. They were not convinced that people would want to watch so the show was accompanied by a meal. Gradually the annual pantomime cast became Wateringbury Players and now their shows are highly professional and great entertainment. Watch out for the 2027 show details.
SEPTEMBER PARISH COUNCIL NOTES
Allotments – Councillors agreed to purchase two compost bins for use by allotmenteers. All will be reminded of the regulation that they dispose of there own waste. There is still some work to be done to encourage some plot holders to maintain their plots to the required standard. There are three vacant plots, rental charges vary according to plot size from £30-£90 a year.
Borough Councillor’s Report - Matt Boughton reported that two recent changes in Central Government policies would have major impacts locally. The proposed changes to amalgamate Borough and County Councils to eliminate duplications of effort have now been put on hold. This is frustrating since officials have been working towards the amalgamation for 2 years. Secondly T&M Borough councillors voted to reject the local plan which required the building of 20,000 homes by 2042 since SE Water have said they can supply water for just under 7,000 homes. However Central Government swiftly overruled the decision (more details in Matt’s article in this issue of Rostrum).
Cemetery – the work to map all burials on the new software programme continues. To do this the cemetery has been divided into zones. Zones 1, 4 and the cremation ashes area had been completed and areas 2, 3 and 5 are partially completed, it is a long job. There are 385 vacant plots. Councillors agreed that all plots would be leased for 100 years. The topple tests on all grave stones had been completed and 28 stones need attention. The cost of stabilising an individual stone is £230. The clerk will attempt to contact relatives. In the event that relatives cannot be found or do not reply within a given timescale the headstones will be laid flat. It was suggested that where graves have not been tended for many years and become totally overgrown these are maintained by cemetery volunteers.
Crime – The Police report for Wateringbury for August showed 24 calls were made during the month. The main problems were reports of E bikes riding at high speeds on roads with pillion passengers not wearing helmets. Reports of nuisance youths down by the Riverside Restaurant riding quad bikes and refusing to leave. If anyone has any information regarding the people involved in these incidents, please email 14473@kent.police.uk
It was suggested that residents keep up with local issues and receive alerts by signing up to My Community Voice (www.mycommunityvoicekent.co.uk)
Finance – Rebecca, the Finance Officer joined the meeting on-line. She reported that there were no concerns or queries regarding payments and procedures. The next internal audit was scheduled for 15th December. Councillors formally approved payments made during August and some payments to be made in September. The Parish council will meet the cost of replacing the fencing between the school and the QEII playing fields.
Playing Fields - The steps by the sports pavilion are in need of repair and quotes will be obtained. Although 5 companies had been approached to quote for repairs to the track from Fields Lane only one quote had been received. The use of the grant from T & M for Multi Use Equipment was discussed and how best this could be utilised.
Roads – Double Yellow Line proposals in Fields Lane and Glebe Meadow were causing concerns. Residents are asked to visit the T&M planning website and express their views Councillors felt the length of the double yellow lines was far too long. They are only needed at the junctions for safety. Lengthy lines will only cause parking problems further into these roads. The speed sign at the junction of Canon Lane and Tonbridge Road had been taken way for repair as it is still under warranty there will be no charge. The cost of upgrading of the zebra crossing by the school will be met jointly by the parish council (for the belisha beacons) and KCC for the markings.
Speedwatch – twelve hours of observations had been carried out during which time 6,133 vehicles passed the checkpoint. 297 vehicles were exceeding the 30mph speed limit. The police had sent 50 letters to repeat offenders 5 of which were travelling in excess of 45mph. 5 vehicles had no MOT, 3 no road tax and 2 vehicles neither MOT or road tax.
Next meeting of the Parish Council will be held on 17th November at 7.30pm in the upper room in the Village Hall. Members of the public are welcome to attend the meeting. Approved minutes of council meetings are published on the Parish Council website www.wateringburypc.org.