Otford, the village in Kent, South East England

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the village in Kent, South East England

Otford Village News [post your own Otford Village News item]
26 AUG	VILLAGE REPORT - KAY DRAKE 522727 Roads will be closed from now until the end of September to allow for water ducting work. The first closure after Row Dow will be Pilgrims Way East which will be closed for 1 week from Wednesday 25th August between Tudor Drive and Row Dow followed by Shoreham Road to Tudor Drive for 1 week from Wednesday 1st September and divisions will be in operation via Bat and Ball and Seal. Individual households will also have received notification of interruptions or cessation of water supply to their properties while this work is in operation.
26 AUG	VILLAGE REPORT - KAY DRAKE 522727 Sevenoaks Mayor, Mr. Paul Allen, will be attending the East European Buffet in the Memorial Hall at 12.30p.m. on Saturday 4th September to raise funds for Hospice in the Weald. The buffet will be provided by the Sevenoaks U3A cookery group and if you would like to attend please ring Joyce Course 01732 761606 or Gilly Moysey 01732 463272. Tickets cost £15 each and you are requested to take your own drinks and glasses. Joyce would also like to hear from you if you can volunteer some help at this event. She is looking for 2 or 3 people to replace some of her dedicated team who are away on holiday.
26 AUG	VILLAGE REPORT - KAY DRAKE 522727 Antiques and Collectibles Fair in the Memorial Hall on Bank Holiday Monday 30th August between 10.00a.m. and 4.00p.m. There will be an entrance fee of £1 and a donation will be made to Hospice in the Wealdfrom the proceeds. Please ring Eileen Smith 01732 451064 for further details.
26 AUG	VILLAGE REPORT - KAY DRAKE 522727 Otford Folk Dance club meet tonight (Thursday) at 8.00p.m. in the Church Hall to dance to the music of Roger Letley and Jack Hamilton. You are invited to go along and join this friendly group. First visit free, subsequent visits £1.50 to include tea/coffee and biscuits.
26 AUG	VILLAGE REPORT - KAY DRAKE 522727 Kemsing Youth Hostel will be open to the public from 12.00noon until 5.00p.m. over the weekend of 11th/12th September and you are invited to go along and see how comfortable life is for today’s Youth Hostellers. Phone Brian Buttifant 01732 761440 for further details.
26 AUG	VILLAGE REPORT - KAY DRAKE 522727 West Kent has 8 Parish Special Constables and would like to recruit more. Special Constables are unpaid volunteers and give their time for the benefit of the public in support of the regular police service. They are people who have chosen to work in their own communities and provide a visible presence in order to prevent and detect crime, as well as support for the victims of crime. Every special constable is given the same officer safety training as their regular counterparts and training is also given in recognising criminal offences and how to deal with them, As a Parish Special Constable your duty hours can be whenever you choose to fit in with your own lifestyle, so if you have a few hours each week to give in service to your community, are between 18 and 55 years of age and would like to volunteer please contact WPC Jane Greenwood or WPC Samantha Elrick, the West Kent Specials Co-ordinators, on 01892 502045.
20 AUG	HOLY TRINITY Holy Trinity Church Otford is holding a coffee morning after its 09:30 Mass Sunday 12th September 2004. It will be a chance for those new to the Parish to meet people in this friendly church. the Parish Priest for Holy Trinity church is Father Richard Harvey Tel 01732 454 177.
19 AUG	VILLAGE REPORT - KAY DRAKE 522727 Otford and District Historical Society will be visiting Hall Place, Bexley, on Wednesday, September 8th, and a coach will leave Otford Pond at 1.15p.m. This fine black and white mansion has recently been restored and it is in a landscaped estate on the River Cray that has been in existence since at least Norman times with interesting gardens including a fine rockery. A guided tour of the mansion will be provided, plus a cream tea, for £15.75 per head. To book please telephone 01959 522384.
19 AUG	VILLAGE REPORT - KAY DRAKE 522727 SDC will be providing their youth van and a mobile skateboard park on Thursday 26th August between 1.00a.m. and 3.30p.m. at Hale Lane Recreation Ground free for children over 8 years of age. Children aged under 8 years must be accompanied by a parent or guardian at all times and skaters under 16 years must get a permission form signed by a parent or guardian. Permission forms will be available on the day or go to www.baseline-promotions.co.uk. Activities include drama workshops, circus skills, arts and crafts, face painting, team games and sports and the Parish Council will provide squash and biscuits.
19 AUG	VILLAGE REPORT - KAY DRAKE 522727 Otford Allotments Association Open Day, celebrating their Golden Jubilee, last Saturday was an overwhelming success with Cllr. Eric Dilley officially opening their new shed/equipment store in brilliant sunshine watched by a crowd of over 50 people. A reception in the Methodist Hall followed the ceremony with displays of freshly picked vegetables, photographs and memorabilia and paintings by local artists of horticultural scenes, the allotments, fruit and vegetables. Cream teas were served during the afternoon and copies of the Jubilee Newsletter were on sale with over £190 being raised for the shed fund. Thanks go to everyone involved particularly the Shoreham Allotment Association and the Otford Gardeners’ Society who gave generous donations and to everyone who supported this event.
19 AUG	VILLAGE REPORT - KAY DRAKE 522727 Otford Folk Dance Clubs Thursday night special this month is on the 26th August in the Church Hall with Roger Letley from Rochester playing with Jack Hamilton, who celebrated his 85th birthday recently, drumming. Their range of dances cover English, American, Scottish, Irish, Folk, Square and Barn dances and enjoyment takes precedence over skill. The club meets every Thursday at 8.00p.m. but the first Thursday of each month is particularly geared to beginners. Your first visit is free with subsequent visits costing £1.50 to include tea/coffee and biscuits. For more details ring 01959 522355.
19 AUG	VILLAGE REPORT - KAY DRAKE 522727 Ellenor's volunteers are giving up their August Bank Holiday to keep the popular charity antique shop and tea room open for the benefit of walkers, visitors and residents in the Darenth Valley. The shop at 11a High Street, Otford, which is run by the Ellenor Foundation on behalf of people with terminal illnesses in Romania, was featured recently in Time Out for its good food and ambience and its success is largely down to the team of volunteers who regularly give up their time to work in the shop.
17 AUG	ST. BARTHOLOMEW'S The August edition of the Parish Magazine is now on-line, including church news, a special concert: 'A Very British Summer' on 28th August and the next Super Summer Sale on Bank Holiday Monday, August 30th. St. Barts Church Office and the Vicar, Rev. Pat Hopkins, can be contacted at st.bartholomews@otford.net or 01959 523185.
17 AUG	PARISH COUNCIL - JULY / AUGUST NEWSLETTER The July / August edition of the newsletter is now on-line, with many items, including details of the Youth Van / Skateboard Park coming to Hale Lane on Thursday, 26th August, the road closure due to start Monday 16th on Pilgrims Way West and the latest from the many clubs and societies in Otford. Also, details of new Planning Applications and recent results received.
12 AUG	VILLAGE REPORT - KAY DRAKE 522727 Hale Lane Recreation Ground will host the SDC youth van and mobile skateboard park between 11.00a.m. and 3.30p.m. on Thursday 26th August. Free activities including drama workshops, by the Sevenoaks Playhouse, circus skills, arts and crafts, face painting, team games and sports will be on offer free to young people aged 8 and above. Children aged under 8 years must be accompanied by a parent or guardian at all times and skaters under 16 years must get a permission form signed by a parent or guardian. Permission forms will be available on the day or go to www.baseline-promotions.co.uk. The Parish Council will be providing squash and biscuits but take a packed lunch if you are going to stay all day.
12 AUG	VILLAGE REPORT - KAY DRAKE 522727 Otford Allotments Association Open Day, celebrating their Golden Jubilee year starts at 10.00a.m. this Saturday (14th ) and at 10.45 Cllr. Eric Dilley, a one time Secretary of the OAA, will officially open their new shed/equipment store followed by a free cup of coffee in the Methodist Hall. Enjoy a guided tour around the site, view the allotment associated art and photographic exhibition, and partake of afternoon tea for a small charge. A special newsletter, charting the history of the Allotment movement, will also be on sale.
12 AUG	VILLAGE REPORT - KAY DRAKE 522727 An 8 year old resident of 22 Telston Lane is asking local people to collect the hard plastic tops from bottles in order to save sufficient weight to swop for a wheelchair. If you can help please wait until you have a sizeable amount and then drop them into this address.
12 AUG	VILLAGE REPORT - KAY DRAKE 522727 Otford Parish Council, in conjunction with the Otford Gardeners’ Society, are holding their annual Front Garden Competition and will be viewing front gardens in the village during August before presentation of the Parish Cup at the Autumn Flower and Craft Show of the Gardeners’ Society on Saturday 11th September. The Gardeners’ Society show will feature fruit and vegetable classes as well as chrysanthemums, Dahlias and other summer flowers, and there will also be flower arrangement, cookery, handicraft, photographic and junior classes.
12 AUG	VILLAGE REPORT - KAY DRAKE 522727 Otford Tennis Club are holding a ‘New Members Evening’ from 6.00p.m. until dark on Thursday 19th August. They are inviting all the new members who have joined recently and would also be pleased to see anyone-else who might be interested to have a game of tennis or just a cup of coffee and a view of what facilities they have available. For more details ring Joyce Shaw 01959 522736.
5 AUG	VILLAGE REPORT - KAY DRAKE 522727 Congratulations to Annabelle Hicks and her friend Amelia Lewis, both aged 6, who last Friday held a stall in Beechy Lees Road selling their own home-baked cakes and biscuits, books, toys and various other goodies they managed to collect. They decided to do this just for fun but when they started to collect in money, they talked to their parents about where the proceeds should go. After a long discussion, and explanations of what ‘charity’ meant, they decided to give the proceeds of their sale to the homeless charity Crisis. They would like to thank all those who supported their stall, especially the Sense driver who bought lots of cakes and biscuits. Well done girls it is lovely to hear of such a positive act.
5 AUG	VILLAGE REPORT - KAY DRAKE 522727 St. Bartholomew's church are holding a special concert entitled ‘A Very British Summer’ at 7.30p.m. on Saturday 28th August in the church by the Orpheus Singers, a group of ex-Oxbridge students. Among those performing will be Christopher Ward, grandson of the late Revd Christopher Bunch, and the concert will include works by Britten, Tippett, MacMillan, Taverner and Dove and music by the Renaissance English Madrigalists. The concert is in aid of the charity ‘Care and Comfort Romania’ , with which Christopher’s mother Ross works, and tickets cost £8 (£6 concessions, children free) to include a glass of wine or fruit juice in the interval. The churches Super Summer Sale takes place on Bank Holiday Monday, August 30th in the Church Hall between 11.00a.m. and 2.30p.m. with stalls for books, plants, cakes, jams, bric-a-brac and a craft medley. If you can help on the day or would like further information please contact Sally Woestmann 01959 523392.
5 AUG	VILLAGE REPORT - KAY DRAKE 522727 Help is still being sought by the Otford Brownies who are looking for new leaders. Would you like to lead or help for a few hours a week with girls aged 7 to 10. This could be two or more friends, or possibly someone with previous connections with Girlguiding. Full support and friendship from local Guiders will be given. Please contact Caroline Scales on 01959 523200.
5 AUG	VILLAGE REPORT - KAY DRAKE 522727 The committee for St. Bartholomew’s Fair are seeking one more practical man to join their first class group, all of whom play a full part both in the preparations for the Fair and on the day itself. If you are fit, a keen ‘DIY’ enthusiast, or could help in any way please contact Colin Fleetwood 01959 523582.
5 AUG	VILLAGE REPORT - KAY DRAKE 522727 Otford Allotments Association Open Day starts at 10.00a.m. on Saturday 14th August, off the Recreation Ground, and you can enjoy a guided tour around the site to see the achievements of the plot holders. Teas will be served in the afternoon to help raise funds for the new allotment shed and a special newsletter, charting the history of the Allotment movement, will be available to buy. If you would like more details please contact Barbara Hine 01959 525468.
VILLAGE NEWS ARCHIVE 2004 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 2003 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 2002

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