August 2013

High Halstow

Home of the Heron

TIMES

Fly Tipping

There appears to be a spate of fly tippingoccurring in the Village with a number of fridgesbeing dumped down Britannia Road. We aregrateful that Medway Council do take people tocourt if there is sufficient evidence of fly tippingas happened in July to someone who dumpedrubbish in High Halstow. He was ordered to pay£1215 in fines and costs. Money spent either byMedway Council or the Parish Council is moneythat could have been spent on improvingservices and facilities rather than clearing upthe mess fly tippers leave behind. If you seeanything please contact Medway Council on333333 or by email tocustomer.first@medway.gov.uk

Friends of St Margaret's Church

Christmas Tree Festival

The first project to help maintain the fabric ofthe Church has been agreed with the Friendsof St Margaret's providing £1000 towards arepointing project as highlighted in the surveycarried out on the Church. Along with a further£1000 from the Parochial Parish Church weare awaiting to see how much of the work canbe carried out

Subscriptions are starting to come in and it isnot too late to make a monthly donation.Details can be found athttp://thefriendsofstmargarets.org.uk/how-to-join

I know we are in the middle of a heatwave buta date for your diaries is the 14th December forthe second Christmas Tree Festival. Details willfollow in later HHT and organisations will beasked again to participate. Look forward toseeing you there.

2013 Photographic Competition

The High Halstow Photographic Competitionhas been running now for the past 4 years andwe have had pictures submitted by young andold, complete novices and experiencedphotographers. All we ask is that the picture istaken within the boundaries of High Halstow.

Pictures can now be sent to- all entries should

be submitted by the 9th September 2013.

If you are a member of a group in HighHalstow, why not send photos from an eventyou organised, i.e. Dramarama Summer Show,the Gardening Club, High Halstow Hikers etc.They would make great additions to thecalendar produced at the end of the year, andyou may win a prize for your efforts.

There are no restrictions this year with regardsto previous winners, and the categories areremaining the same i.e. Flora & Fauna, People& Places, 18’s & Under. If you are submittingpictures of children, please supply parentspermission (although large public events do notrequire such permission).

Prizes are awarded for 1st, 2nd and 3rd placeswithin each category, and an overall winner ischosen. Winning pictures are used in the HighHalstow Calendar and an exhibition of all thewinning pictures and some of those that didn’twin are shown at the October Parish Councilmeeting.

HH Parish Council

photos@highhalstow.org.uk

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High Halstow & District Gardening Club

Steve Weller from Kent Chilli Farm gave aninteresting and entertaining talk at our Julymeeting. He described how he had turned hishobby of growing chillies into a business andadvised of the history and uses of chillies. Heshowed examples of different varieties of chilliplants and provided samples of his chutneysand jams.

The outings have now been completed for thisyear which in July included trips to the beautifulgarden at Merriments in West Sussex andconcluded with a sunny day at SalutationHouse at Sandwich enjoying the garden andfolk festival.

We look forward to seeing you all at our AnnualShow on Saturday 24th August in theRecreational Hall. Non-members are verywelcome to exhibit. In addition, to vegetables,fruit and flower sections there are classes forbaking, preserves, flower arrangements andarts and crafts. The theme for photographs thisyear is 'Reflections'. We have two classes forchildren to exhibit, for children aged 5 to 7years, an animal model made from fruit and/orvegetables. For age group 8 to 11, there willbe a prize for the highest number of items to fitinto a standard size matchbox (a numbered listof all the items should be included). Showentries are to be benched between 9.30 to11.20. The show will be open to the publicfrom 3.00pm with the presentation of prizes at3.45pm. Refreshments will be available with araffle and tombola. We hope that you will beable to join us.

Laurie Manser will be speaking to us on 10September on 'Growing and Showing Daffodils'usual starting time of 8.00pm.

Ingrid

Allotments

As you may be aware the Parish Council havea number of allotments which are rented outeach year. Although there are currently novacant allotments, there is also no one on thewaiting list. Should you wish to be put on thewaiting list please can you contact me (ChrisWatson) on 256529 or email me atchris.watson123@btinternet.com.

Lord Fosters Estuary Airport Proposal

The Foster plan for a new hub airport on Grainhas been formally submitted to the AirportsCommission. For further details please visitwww.highhalstow.org.uk/

In today's climate of austerity the focus is andhas to be on jobs and the economy.. We mustnot however lose sight of the big picture .... Ourfuture!!

The Thames Estuary and Marshes areprotected by international law, sweeping thatprotection aside to build a new hub airportwould be an act of unprecedentedenvironmental vandalism that would send amessage to third world countries thatdestroying our environment is of noconsequence!!

Join with the RSPB in sending government aclear message that we must “GIVE NATURE AHOME.. By saying NO to estuary airport”.

We Have Done It Again

A trip to Ryarsh and a quick win, 2 games to nil,and we are through to the next round of the WICounty darts tournament. We are always theaway team this year, so our next match is inEast Farleigh. We had a minibus to Greenwichlast month (a very hot day) where we split upand did our own thing. Coffee of course,shopping, the Cutty Sark and the Fan Museum,and lunch together to name a few. In August wedo not have a meeting, but we are going toRestoration House in Rochester for a guidedtour followed by afternoon tea.We meet next on 4th September, all visitors arevery welcome.Margaret Whitebread

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Many of you provided information for the 2011 Census and below is a brief summary of the findings.For more detailed information please visithttp://www.medway.gov.uk/environmentandplanning/developmentplan/factsandfigures.aspx

2011 Census

Kings Kitchen

A Coffee and Cake Caféfor the Whole Village.

Open 10.00am - 1.00pmevery Tuesday

in the Memorial Hall.

Why not come in and enjoy a cuppaand a chat.

A warm welcome awaits you.

VINYASA YOGA IN HIGH HALSTOW –5.30pm – EVERY WEDNESDAY

Memorial Hall, beginners and intermediate verywelcome. £5, no need to prebook. Pleasecome along in your comfortable loose clothingand enjoy an hour just for you, mats andequipment provided.

Often starting with a joint warm up and then onto Sun Salutations (a sequence of set poseswhich flow from one to the next and arerepeated), moving on to standing poses, hipopeners, and balance. Then introducing corework and back strengthening, followed byseated poses and hamstring stretches beforerelaxation.

The word Vinyasa means breath-synchronizedmovement. So do expect movement, not juststretching. The class is energetic and dynamicand is also alignment orientated with eachasana or posture being completed with aninhale or exhale. Given this, it is more fitnessbased and can be handy with weight loss.

Vinyasa brings a sense of calm, revitalising thebody and mind with graceful movement andpowerful postures, building strength, flexibilityand increased energy levels.

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Medway Parent and Carers Forum –Information Event

Following a very successful previous event,Medway Parent and Carers Forum are holdingan Information Event for parent/carers andfamily members with children and youngpeople with any type of disability, from birth to25 who live across Medway. There will be funand creative activities to keep your youngpeople occupied whilst we talk to you aboutyour issues and concerns and parents can findout more information about things that mayhelp them in their day to day lives in supportingyoung people and families affected bydisability.The event is being held on Saturday 14thSeptember at The Pilkington Building,University of Greenwich, Central Avenue,Chatham Maritime, ME4 4TB and runs from10am to 3pm.Admission is free and there will be informationabout Direct Payments and Personal Budgets,activities, support groups, fire and policeservices, adapted bicycles and there will be anopportunity for parent/carers to join discussiongroups on the Local Offer and Short Breaks.There will also be refreshments available.Please note that parent/carers will beresponsible for their children whilst at theevent.To find out more visit our websitewww.medwaypcf.org.uk or e-mail:medwaypcf@googlemail.com.

Dog Owners

We all know that dogs bark - nothing we cando about that, but please, if shutting your dogout in the garden, be mindful of people that livearound you and that they may either worknight-shift or like to enjoy the peacefulness oftheir own garden. A barking dog can be a realirritation at anytime of the day, it may be worthchecking with your neighbour if your dog ishowling whilst you are away or if he sitspatiently waiting for your return. Please beconsiderate to those around you.

High Halstow Parish Council

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Village Hall Refurbishment – Phase Two

This is the second update since the builders; BW May arrived on site.

Works to the roof well under way and the newbrickwork to the front is finished. Electricianshave been in and working on the wiring that isrequired. Changes have been made at the lastminute to accommodate additionalrequirements for both the Doctors and BuildingControl which will delay completion by a coupleof weeks.

Ray Collins has been very instrumental inliaising with the Builders, the NHS and ourArchitects, Clay Architecture Ltd, to ensureissues are raised as quickly as possible andresolved so that any delay is kept to aminimum. Ray has also got the working partyready and primed to go in for the painting thatwe will need to do before the finishing touchesare carried out. The paint and gear has beenordered and by carrying out so much of thework ourselves this has saved thousands fromthe budget and the Hall Committee areextremely grateful for all volunteers time andefforts. It really is appreciated.

Remember you can see the plans athttp://highhalstow.org.uk/halls/village-hall-plans

This work has only been possible with majorfunding gratefully received from the following

Veolia Environmental TrustKent Downs and Marshes Leader Programme(RDPE)High Halstow Parish CouncilGarfield Weston Foundation

Photos can be viewed athttp://highhalstow.org.uk/halls/village-hall-refurshment-update-on-phase-two-july-2013

The Village Shop

Opening HoursMonday – Saturday 7am – 8pm

Sunday 8am – 2pmTelephone number: 01634 254561

High Halstow Relief in Need Charity

This charity exists to assist those in the Villagewho are in need, especially widows andwidowers. The trustees wish to remind thepeople of the parish that they will giveconsideration to any request for a particularneed, at during the year. If you, or anelderly relative would feel safer at home with atelephone ‘Lifeline’ the Charity could help withthis. All requests are dealt with in completeconfidence and there is no need to wait for theOctober form..The trustees are:

Rev. S. Gwilt - The RectoryMrs L. Munday - 22 Willowbank DriveMr S. Bailey - 27 Cooling RoadMrs J. Gillies - 22 Leaman CloseMr J. Myatt - Decoy Hill RoadMrs C. Peek - 2 Willowbank DriveMrs J. Collins - 6 Marsh Crescent

any time

High Halstow Charity Fun Day

21st September 2013

We are planning to hold a ‘Mad Hatters TeaParty’ for the children on the 21st September.Details are yet to be finalised but we areplanning to hold the tea party in the newlyrefurbished village hall. Tickets will go on salebefore the event and will need to be purchasedfrom the Village Shop.

We will be laying onentertainment during theparty and will supplyplenty of sandwiches,cakes, crisps, biscuits andsoft drinks. The ticketswill be £2.00 per child andthere will be limitedavailability - please keepan eye out at the villageshop, village noticeboards and the website forwhen they go on sale.

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Nightingales at Lodge Hill

RSPB has been given a preview of a report,which re-enforces evidence that the proposeddevelopment site at Lodge Hill is nationallyimportant for nightingales. The draft report isprepared by the British Trust for Ornithology(BTO) who have counted the number ofnightingales at Lodge Hill during the 2013breeding season. This report shows that therewere 65 singing male nightingales detectedbetween late April and early June of this year.The figures re-enforce the evidence that theChattenden Woods and Lodge Hill SSSI (muchof which covers the proposed development siteat Lodge Hill) is nationally important fornightingales, holding at least 1% of the UKnightingale population. Medway Council hasbeen fighting against the notification of the siteas a Site of Special Scientific Interest. TheCouncil is seeking the redevelopment of theformer military training site for 5,000 houses;but last week, an independent PlanningInspector wrote to the Council to tell them thatthe policy, which earmarked Lodge Hill fordevelopment, is not consistent with nationalpolicy and that the "only reasonable course ofaction" is for the Council to now withdraw itsplan. Samantha Dawes, RSPB ConservationManager for South East England, said:"TheRSPB now calls on Medway Council to stopopposing the notification of the ChattendenWoods and Lodge Hill SSSI. It is clear that thissite is nationally important for nightingales. TheCouncil also need to listen to the PlanningInspector and withdraw the Medway CoreStrategy. The Inspector has said that the plansare inconsistent with the rules, which apply toevery planning authority in England.Continuing to push for the development of thesite is wasting time and taxpayers' money. TheCouncil need to come up with a new plan whichwill provide homes and jobs for the people ofthe Medway, whilst protecting the environmentfor those people and for future generations".Whilst the figure of 65 singing males representsa decrease on the number of nightingalesdetected in 2012 (85), the smaller number ofbirds this year may well be a result of the poorbreeding season in 2012, possibly caused bythe unusually cold and wet spring. The figurestill represents around 1% of the UK nightingalepopulation, which is a key indication of thesite's national importance, and the site remainsone of the most important places in the countryfor nightingales.Rolf Williams, RSPB

High Halstow Hikers

The Hikers' July walk was a local one from thechurch in Upper Stoke. About 15 of us madeour way from there across public footpaths that,in the main do not appear to be well used, toShakespeare Farm Road looking out acrossthe marshes to the Thames; then along toCoombe Farm and to Moat Farm and Hall Farmin St Mary's Hoo. The path between Coombeand Moat Farms runs between 2 overhanginghedges making a long tunnel-like structure. Athank you to those that had recently clearedthis to make the walking easy and attractive -otherwise it can be a very difficult route. Ourway back to Stoke through the orchards wasmade "interesting" by the absence of ananticipated ditch crossing. Fortunately saidditch was dry and a path was cleared for all tocross with little problem. The day was one ofthe first of our hot spell so drinks in the WhiteHorse close to our starting point wereexceptionally welcome.

Our August walk will be a bit further afieldstarting at 10.00 on Sunday 11th August fromthe car park at the Quay in the centre ofSandwich (postcode: CT13 9EF). The walk willgo along a short stretch of the Stour and crossRoyal St Georges golf links where the Openchampionship was played 2 years ago. We willthen walk along the seawall towards Deal withgreat views along the coast in both directionsand if clear across to France. The route is veryflat and generally dry and on good paths.Any questions please contact Mitchell onmitch.dowsett@btopenworld.com or01634254428.

Project 90

The main task carried out last month was theclearance of the last vacant allotment plotwhich is now to be tendered. In addition rubbishthat had been dumped in the trees near thetoilet block was also cleared.

There will be no Project 90 in August so seeyou again in September.

Parish Council

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High Halstow Open

The Village Hall Committee would like to thank the many sponsors, donations, DeangateGolf course and of course the competitors who turned out for the first High Halstow Open.Glorious weather greeted the competitors and the competition was close. Just under £225was raised which will be going towards the painting of the hall once the builders finishPhase Two.

Winners as follows:

1 prize Anthony Coxedge2 prize Peter Barclay

3 Prize John Crisp

Nearest the Pin John CrispLongest Drive Dave DoddBooby Prize Wes Hollands

Team Prize:Peter Barclay, Dave Dodd

Len Gordon, Dave Williams

Plans are underway for next year so watch this space. More pictures available on the HighHalstow website (www.highhalstow.org.uk).

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High Halstow Charity Fun Day – 21 September 2013st

With the help of many of the village's clubs and organisations, the little seed of an idea to raise money forJDRF through a one day cricket competition has developed into the major event that you have read andheard about in recent weeks. You will see and hear a lot more in the build up to 21 September, when wehope that everyone will come out to enjoy themselves throughout the day, in addition to supporting localgroups and the main charity.

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Apart from the Grand Draw, tickets for which will be available shortly from various outlets in the community,one of the highlights will be an auction of sports related items which will be held at the cricket pavilionbetween the end of the cricket and the start of the evening entertainment. Lots already to hand include a golfday for four at the prestigious Bearwood Club in Berkshire, and a similar event at the London Club. Playersneed to have a handicap of 24 or better. Opportunities to play on these championship courses do not arisevery often, so we are expecting a high level of interest. There will be a wide range of lots with a range ofvalues. One of the joys of an auction is that anyone can pick up a bargain, in the knowledge that, in thisinstance, every penny of the money will be going to JDRF. Full details of the lots will be available in advanceof the auction.

Anyone requiring a supply of tickets for the Draw to sell within their own circle of connections, please contactme at 9, Marsh Crescent or on 250334.

David Lapthorn

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Come and Meet Your Parish Councillors

Chris Watson and GaryJerreat, two of your ParishCouncillors will be at KingsKitchen in the Memorial Hallon: Tuesday 13th Augustfrom 10.30 – 12.00pm andevery 2nd Tuesday in themonth.

Come and tell us your problems or find out aboutprojects we are undertaking. If we can't answeryour questions there and then we will get back toyou.

High Halstow Parish Council

High Halstow Cookery Book

Dear Mums, Dads, Cooks, Chefs, anyone whocooks! We have only received a few recipes forthe second edition of the village recipe book.There is still time to get your entries in, andshare your culinary expertise, or not as thecase may be! Entries from all age groups arewelcome, young and old, maybe a wartimerecipe which has been passed down or a

Parking on Kerbs

Vegetation

Thefts from Sheds and Outhouses

Complaints have been received by the ParishCouncil on the number of cars parked on thekerb, which is causing issues for pedestrians.Medway Council is aware of the issue on thepeninsula as a whole and are consideringrandom patrols of the smart car to issue tickets.We would prefer no penalties are issued so theParish Council is asking people to park properlyin order to avoid the issues.

The Parish Council is asking people who haveshrubs/trees overhanging on to publicwalkways if they would mind cutting back inorder for people to walk unhindered. Thank youfor your cooperation.

Please be aware that thefts from sheds andouthouses have been reported recently on thepeninsula and the Parish Council have beenasked to remind people to lock up securely tomake it more difficult for would be thieves.

HH Parish Council

High Halstow Cricket Club – July 2013

The poor results of the two Saturday teamshave continued, although there have beensome good individual performances, notablyChris Lally's 122 for the 2 XI againstRodmersham. The big downfall has been thelack of penetration with the ball on the goodpitches that this summer's weather has givenus. The Sunday XI has fared better, winningfour of their last six games. We hope that someof this better form crosses over to Saturdayperformances.

As reported last month, the stars in thefirmament are the U11s and U13s. The U11swon their division of the Medway Youth CricketLeague and then beat Rainham in the final ofthe MYCL Cup. In that game, wickets camefrom Archie Lally and Joshua Regan, whilstHarvey White and Clarke Dockwray saw the“Herons” home with the bat. The U13s alsowon their division, progressing to the play-offswhere the East and West divisions cometogether. Here, they progressed to the final,where the only defeat of the season wassuffered at the hands of Borstal. A week earlierthe U13s had joined their younger counterpartsat The Mote, Maidstone for their age group CupFinal in which they beat Borstal by 10 runs.Congratulations go to all those who played, thecoaches and supporters – particularly thosewho ferried the teams to games and helpedwith refreshments.The U15s made no progress in their cupcompetition, however they won MYCL U15(West) and progressed to the playoffs, wherethey lost to Old Williamsonians.We have a very successful record at colts levelin recent years, and long may it continue.Consistency on the field at this age provides afirm foundation for the future of the individualsand the Club as a whole.Many of the colts will be “on duty”, in theircricket whites, for the Charity Fun Day on 21September, providing help and assistance toall. It is a day we all look forward to withenthusiasm, and hope the Cricket 6'scompetition will be the first of what becomes anannual event.

David LapthornLife President

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nouveau cuisine concoctionto blow us all away. I lookforward to receiving yourentries, if you prefer to leavethe photo of yourself out thenthat's fine! Please send to:Jeanette.dowsett@btopenworld.com

Due to the refurbishment of thehall the postponed summershow will now be on Thursday12th, Friday 13th and Saturday14th September 2013. Thisyears’ show will feature extracts’from the musical Cats, acondensed Chitty Chitty BangBang, and lots of comedy sketches, songs anddances, ticket details will be available in nextmonths HHT, but please reserve the date.

Dramarama Late Summer Show

Share your Thoughts, Ideasand Comments.

Do you have a story about the history of theVillage, did you go to or know anything aboutthe old school, can you tell us a story about apicture in the Memorial Hall? Would you like topromote an event or club within the village. Isthere something concerning High Halstow thatyou would like to share with everyone. Thenplease write to the editor (address as shown onthe back page) or e.mail your article/letter andwe will share your thoughts with thevillage/world.

Need to Hire a Hall

If you are interested in hiring either of thehalls in the village for a party, function or

meeting please contact:

Memorial Hall - Angela Forward 251756

Village Hall - Crystal Wakefield 251849

Please do not call on a Sunday.

The Friendly Club

High Halstow has it's own monthly club for menand women aged 40 and over. We meet on the4th Wednesday in the Memorial Hall at 2pmuntil 4pm. There is a small annual membershipfee and then just 50p when you attend ameeting. Meetings vary with a speaker,entertainment or activity and very often outings,by minibus. The most recent being last month toHastings. If you are interested and want toknow more, please contact me on 250677.Margaret Whitebread

Afternoon Tea in Memory ofGrace Milner

Grace Milner sadly passed away recently.Grace was a supporter of village activitiessuch as the Farmers Market and all charityfundraising for the Memorial Hall, especiallythe Macmillan Coffee morning, and had livedin High Halstow for most of her 93 years.Grace's family were sorry not to be able tospend time with her village friends whoattended her funeral, so would like to take thisopportunity to invite them and anyone elsewho knew Grace to join them for afternoon teain the Memorial Hall on Sunday 18th Augustat 3 pm. If you have any photographsincluding Grace please bring them along.

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HH Village Website

Please visit the Parish Council website foreverything about our village. You can see theminutes of your Parish Council or look up localgroups in the village, past copies of the HighHalstow Times, and pictures of recent events.Please note that there is now an RSS feed onthe Parish Website where you can getautomatic updates when the site is updated.Please visit and followthe instructions on the right hand side.

If yourdetails need updating with either dates ordetails of events please let us know by emailing

. This can be used tokeep your members informed and possiblyattract new members to your group.

Local Groups and the Website

Local Businesses

www.highhalstow.org.uk

gary@highhalstow.org.uk

http://highhalstow.org.uk/business-page

You can advertise your activities free of chargeon this site just let us have the details.

The Parish Council is pleased to announce thatthe Business Page is back on the website.Should you wish to advertise your businessplease visit

where you can find all the details of howto put your business on the site.

L.W.P.T. PLUMBING AND HEATING

Domestic and Commercial

Gas or Oil

Boiler Replacement, System Upgrades,

Fires, Cookers and Hobs

Landlords Gas Safety Checks

Based in High Halstow

Tel: 07501 089323

leetrott@btinternet.com

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Speed Limits

Please can I remind people to observe the speedlimits through the Village. We should all be mindfulthat High Halstow is a nice place to live wherechildren, older residents and walkers should feelsafe. Some may not be as aware of the traffic asthey might otherwise be. Please be careful.

George Crozer, HH Parish Council

BOB GEE

DECORATOR

Interior / Exterior Decorator

Approved Contractor

Public Liability Cover

Clean, Tidy, Professional Work

20 Years Experience

No Job Too Small

Dates for Diary

Every Tuesday:

Every Wednesday:

Every Thursday:

Every Friday:

Every Saturday:

Other Dates:

King’s Kitchen10:00 Memorial HallBell Ringers19:30 St Margaret’s Church

Tai Chi10:30 Memorial HallYoga17:30 Memorial Hall

Mother and Toddler's09.00 Memorial HallSugar Babes19.00 Memorial Hall

Pilates with Joy14:15 Memorial Hall

Karmann Dancers Memorial Hall09.00

Local groups, please let us know the dates of yourmeetings/events for the coming year so we can includethem in the HHT and on the website.

Sunday 4th: Family Service09:00 St. Margaret’s Church

Sunday 11th: High Halstow Hikers

Sunday 18th: Family Service09:00 St. Margaret’s Church

Sunday 18th: Grace Milner15:00 Remembrance Tea

Memorial Hall

September 12th/13th/14th DramaramaSummer Show

September 21st: High Halstow CharityFun Day

September 27th: Macmillan Coffee09:30 Onwards Morning

Memorial Hall

December 14th: Christmas Tree FestivalVillage Hall

Details in HHT

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Your Parish Councillors

George Crozer, Chair 01634 250286e.mail: george@highhalstow.org.ukGary Thomas, Vice Chair 01634 252812e.mail: gary@highhalstow.org.ukMartin AndrewsRay Collins 01634 250105Stuart Bailey 01634 255537Josh Gordon 07753 212179Gary Jerreat 01634 253999Lesley Munday 01634 250276Christine Watson 01634 256529

Your councillors may also be contactedthrough the Parish Clerk:

Mrs Roxana Brammer 01474 871269

07984 791029

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Note from the Editor

The High Halstow Times is a friendly point ofcontact and all views expressed are those of theindividual. No letter will be published without thename and address of the writer being supplied tothe editor, which will be published alongside theletter. If you have a matter for complaint, it shouldbe brought to the attention of the Parish Council,which meets on the second Wednesday of everymonth, at 8pm in the Memorial Hall. Members ofthe public are always welcome.

Advertising rates are £15 per quarter page peredition; £30 per half page per edition. Items shouldbe sent to editor@highhalstow.org.uk

Disclaimer Please note High Halstow ParishCouncil: 1. makes no endorsement of any of thebusinesses listed in the High Halstow Times 2. isnot responsible for the content of external websites.3. the information is offered 'as is' with the wish tobe helpful.

Invitation to participate in a discussion about later life in rural England.

At: Lower Stoke Village Hall, Mallard Way, Lower Stoke, Rochester, ME3 9ST.

At: 11:00am 23 August 2013

Lunch ProvidedTransport bursary available if required

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Residents of the Hoo Peninsula are invited to attend a presentation anddiscussion about the challenges that older people face living in a ruralcommunity.

Join us to share your experiences of rural life and put forward suggestions about how the situationcould be improved.

Age UK wants to see a balance between Government and Community action. This is why we haveinvited our local MP Mark Reckless to attend the event to hear our concerns.

Before the event, please can you prepare by thinking about the following questions:

What are the biggest challenges that older people living in your area face?

What are your personal experiences?

How can this situation be improved?

Your voice will support our call for all levels of government to take steps to make the whole ofEngland a place where older people can thrive.

I very much hope you will be able to participate, if you would like to attend please could you respondto Karen at Age UK Medway, The Mackenney Centre, Woodlands Road, Gillingham, ME7 2BX by the

15 August 2013 or call me on 01634 578085 or 01634 572616.

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Take a snooze on the wild side... ... join in the RSPB's Big Wild Sleepoutwww.rspb.org.uk/sleepout

On 9-11 August, we're encouraging people to spend a night in nature's home. From building yourown dens and midnight feasts to torch light safaris and bug hunting, we've got lots of ideas andactivities to help people enjoy their sleepout. We're asking people to fundraise for the UK's wildlife,as part of our giving nature a home campaign, by getting their sleepoutssponsored.

Don't have a garden, but still want to take part? Then join us at one of our Big Wild Sleepout events.With special night-time activities from food and stories around the campfire to a night time stroll, thisis the ultimate summer sleepout experience. So grab your friends and family and make a day (andnight!) of it.

www.rspb.org.uk/homes

High Halstow Charity Fun Dayin aid of

Saturday 21st September 2013

An extravaganza to equal lastyear’s Jubilee Celebrations

Mad Hatter’s Tea Party for Children

Stalls / Barbecue / Cricket / Prizes

Live Music / Licensed Bar / Hat Parade

Childrens’ Games / Dancing / Competitions

and much much more.....

Put the date in the diary and watch outfor further details in next month’s HHT.

Next edition September 2013; Contributions for September should be sentby 24th August to:

Carl Mitchell, 8 Marsh Crescent, High Halstow ME3 8TJor e.mail to editor@highhalstow.org.uk

Published by High Halstow Parish CouncilPrinted by Cousins Copy Centre (01634) 727215

Save the DateMACMILLAN COFFEE MORNING

27TH September 20139:30 Onwards

Nearly everyone knows someone who needs,or has needed help and support from‘Macmillan Cancer Care’, and this is why I andmy group of helpers over the last 9 yearshave (with your help) raised £4156, which hasbeen gratefully received by Macmillan fromHigh Halstow.

Last year you raised over £800 and our hopeis that this year we can do similar and breakthrough the £5000 overall target.

2004 £330.702005 £400.002006 £355.002007 £474.002008 £152.002009 £206.002010 £608.002011 £787.002012 £843.30

Total £4156.00

Please come and join us in the Memorial Hall,where you can enjoy Tea, Coffee, Cake,Scones and beautiful cupcakes, allhomemade. Also Jams, Marmalades,Bespoke Cards, Jewellery and a Raffle - notforgetting our ‘Pick-a-Duck’ tombola. Acushion corner and a name the Teddy (hereally is beautiful).

If you are unable to join us but would like todonate we can arrange a delivery of a box ofcakes to your door for £5. I’ll remind youagain in the September High Halstow Timeswith the telephone number for orders.

We look forward to seeing you on the 27thSeptember.Ann Smith