GOUDHURST PARISH & PARISH COUNCIL NEWS - July 2022
Issue 19
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Next up, an important diary date, the Goudhurst Open Day on Saturday July 16th from 11.00 to 16.00 when we can look forward to our second Summer Open-day with stalls, food, teas and events, on and around the Plain, the Parish Hall, The Club, St Mary’s Church and shops and pubs between. Let’s hope for a warm and sunny day, as in 2021, and we can all enjoy another lovely day to remember. Having sponsored the ‘21 and ‘22 events, climbing out of lockdown, Goudhurst Parish Council hopes that these community events will, as in many villages, become community led, bringing all the community groups and innovative individuals together under “Goudhurst Festivities and Events”, where hopefully everyone can work together and deliver throughout the year, great events during 2023 and onwards. For the Jubilee wonderful things happened because we had a great effort by a lot of people and we may be looking for more volunteers for the future, more about this in coming months. (Our Goudhurst Annual Fete will be held this year on Saturday September 24th and the Christmas Fair on Saturday November 26th).
What a wonderful time we had in Goudhurst, Kilndown and Curtisden Green with The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. Commencing with our torchlight procession to the beaco n, the amazing fireworks, the Flower Festival, Services of Celebration, Film show, teas, BBQ’s, children’s fun-day sport, Platinum Party & 50’s dance, Gaudeamus, 70 years of motoring, Cream teas, Pimm’s, fun at the Club, the Star & Eagle, The Vine and Ladysden Farm and finally … the Big Lunch/street parties from Curtisden Green in the north to Kilndown in the south, around the pond and others between, an amazing Pond Flotilla (afloat or not) and the Community Choir Concert in Kilndown. What a wonderful four days, villages at their best, and the rain that was threatened daily by forecasters held off (or mainly just in the small hours). Wonderful events, special memories and all those amazing people who worked so hard to deliver those events each day.
Thank you all ….. Becky Addis, Craig Broom, Richard Bushrod, Pamela Boniface, Jacqui Clarke, the Dawes family, Maggie Day, David Denton, Colin Draper, Sue Fallon, Annie Fellows, Alan Foster, Michele Found, Karen Gillett, Olly Gillett, Tina Gallagher, Shiona Gardner, Sarah Heaton, Richard Hillier, Sarah Lynch, Suzie Kember, David Knight, Clyde and Daniel Mackay, Janie Nicholson, Josie Parsley, Claire Reed, Dan Robertson, Rachel Robertson, Donald Sargent, Marion Sargent, Georgie Sargent, Lynda Shepherd, Adrian Smith, John Sparrow, Stuart family, Pam Stubbs, Liz Trapper, Richard and Sarah Tennant, Lisa Thompson, Louise Vickerman, Richard Vinton and the Vinton family, Gill Wallis-Hosken, Alison Webster, Julian Wells, Colin Willis, Phil Wright, and all those front and back supporting The Club, The Hall, The Star & Eagle, The Vine, Ladysden Farm, St Mary’s and the Tower Team, The Flower Show, the PTA and sports event, GADS, The Concert Choir, the BBQ’s, the teas, and many others. A huge and fantastic village team effort …. and a huge cheer for Her Majesty - catalyst for us all.
Some families from the Ukraine finally made it to Tunbridge Wells (a town with nearly the highest offers of hospitality in the SE) and indeed to Goudhurst where our first three families arrived safely in May. Thank you again to all those who have made their homes available and to everyone who has offered their help. War brings great change and trauma to those involved, uprooted from their home, their loved ones, their way of life, airlifted to a strange country far away with different food, culture and language. We wish all involved, visitors and hosts, all our support and understanding with the challenges this may bring.
At its June meeting Council began to implement changes to its meeting format to help councillors focus more effectively on what matters and provide time for discussion. Accordingly, and like many other parishes, Council Committees will be given delegated authority to act within the remit of their committee (as agreed under council Standing Orders) and will be able to approve detailed expenditure, if already included in the council annual budget. This means that councillors can focus on the issues raised for discussion and needing approval at the council meetings. It is hoped that this will allow council to progress matters more effectively. In the coming weeks Councillors will review priorities to agree what we can realistically achieve over the rest of our year to April 2023 selecting which projects can be taken forward from funds currently available. This may not be easy, as our wish list significantly exceeds our resources unless supplemented by fundraising (by seeking grants or by funding from the community).
As reported last month Jayne Russell sadly stepped down from the parish council in May and we urgently sought to fill the vacancy. We had an excellent response from members of the public leaving councillors the difficult task of deciding who to co-opt on to council, from a fantastic four. Council co-opted Jill Andrew for the remainder of our term till next elections May 2023. We are hoping the remaining three candidates may be willing to join our Committees and working groups meanwhile.
Your Parish Councillors: David Boniface, Craig Broom, Chris Ditton, Alan Foster, Antony Harris (Chairman), Phil Kirkby, David Knight, Barry Noakes, Caroline Richards, Guy Sutton and Alison Webster.
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Parish Council Meetings in July
Monday 4th, 6.30pm in the Social Club
Policy Committee Meeting View the Agenda
Tuesday 5th, 6.30pm in the Village Hall
Finance Committee View the Agenda
Monday 11th, 7.30pm in the Village Hall
Parish Council Meeting View the Agenda published 06.07.22
Tuesday 12th, 6.30pm in the Village Hall
Planning Committee View the Agenda published 07.07.22
7.30pm in the Village Hall
Business & Communications Committee View the Agenda published 07.07.22
Tuesday 19th, 5.00pm at St Mary's Church
Burial Authority View the Agenda
Tuesday 26th, 6.30pm in the Village Hall
Planning Committee View the Agenda published 21.07.22
7.30pm in the Village Hall
Amenities Committee View the Agenda published 21.07.22
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Goudhurst Open Day 16th July
Following the success of last year's event, the Parish Council will once again be hosting Goudhurst Open Day, a celebration of life in the parish. The event will take place on Saturday 16th July between 11am and 4pm. There will be a variety of artisan food, crafts, and local group stalls on and around The Plain and in the Village Hall and Social Club. There will also be a barbecue, bar, crepes and ice creams. We look forward to seeing you there!
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Follow us on Facebook
Did you know the Parish Council has a Facebook page? It is used to quickly share information which might be of interest to residents such as emergency road closures, changes to bin collections, event information, and alerts from Kent Police. Click on the Facebook logo to follow our page and stay in the know!
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Jubilee Mugs for Children
To celebrate HM the Queen's Platinum Jubilee, the Parish Council has had commemorative mugs produced for the children of the parish. Many of the mugs have already been distributed via schools and local groups but there are still a number left. If you have a child (aged 16 or under) who has not yet received a mug, please email the Clerk who will be happy to put one aside for you. The parish council will have a stall at the Open Day and mugs can be collected there or from our offices at Risebride Farm.
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Finchcocks Festival 2022
Following the success of last year’s Finchcocks Festival, Finchcocks will be running two open air concerts this July.
The two events will be hosted in the gardens and grounds of the grade 1 listed manor. On Saturday 16th July, there will be a Jazz trio in the 18th century Walled Garden, and on Sunday 17th July, concert pianist Warren Mailley Smith will be hosting “Chopin and Champagne” on the outdoor stage on the rear lawn.
Both events will take place at 3pm, with guests welcome to bring picnics. A donations bar will also be available. Tickets are available at www.finchcocks.com, with full refunds available in the event of inclement weather!
All profits will be donated to local good causes and musical charities. The events are expected to sell out, so please book early to avoid disappointment.
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Old Parsonage Surgery
Update from Patient Participation Group
New GP at the Surgery: as previously reported, Dr Anna Langridge will be joining the Practice from July 1st and be working on Monday and Wednesday mornings plus all day on Friday. By way of introduction to patients, Dr Langridge has kindly submitted a brief autobiography which is reproduced here:
‘I am local to the area, having grown up in Groombridge and now live in Curtisden Green with my husband and three young daughters. I attended Tonbridge Grammar School before doing an undergraduate degree at Queen’s College, Cambridge. I then went on to Postgraduate Medicine at the University of Wales which included experience in hospitals and surgeries all around Wales. I have worked at several different hospitals in Kent and Essex as a Junior Doctor, then as a GP Trainee. For the past few years I have been a GP in Tunbridge Wells and am now very pleased to be joining the team at the wonderful, friendly Old Parsonage Surgery’
On behalf of all patients, the PPG would like to extend a very warm welcome to Dr Langridge and trust she will enjoy her time here both professionally and personally.
Design a Logo Competition: although the overall response to this was a little disappointing, we thank those who submitted entries and will be announcing a winner soon.
Upgrade to Surgery Glazing: recent visitors to the Surgery will have noted the replacement/upgrade to the windows and doors. This should give a greater degree of privacy to patients in the waiting area.
Car Parking at the Surgery: yet again it is necessary to remind residents and visitors that the Surgery Car Park is private and only for the use of patients and others on Surgery business. This situation has been abused recently via inappropriate daytime parking and if this continues the Surgery and PPG may find it necessary to explore a more formal solution.
Goudhurst Open Day: the PPG is planning to have a stall at this event on July 16th, selling plants, cakes, preserves etc. All proceeds will go to the PPG and be used to enhance patient and staff facilities at the Surgery. Please come and see us!
Colin Samuell
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Starting a new school or college this autumn?
Goudhurst Educational Foundation
The Foundation is a small local charity which was founded to support young people of the Goudhurst Parish that are in education.
Modest grants may be available, for example for books or the need for a new uniform.
Applications must be made in writing explaining the reason or reasons for seeking help so that the Trustees may consider the application fully.
In some cases the completion of an application form may be necessary.
Applications must be made before the 4th July 2022.
Further information may be sought from:
R. D. Bushrod.
Clerk to the Trustees.
Goudhurst Educational Foundation
c/o Beech Cottage, Lidwells Lane, Goudhurst TN17 1EP.
email r.bushrod@btinternet.com
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Tunbridge Wells Ukrainian Support Website
Supporting Ukrainian guests in the borough of Tunbridge Wells, the website has been created by the community. The site coordinates our response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and provides resources for guests coming to the borough, and those hosting them. The site is available in three languages.
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Management of Green Spaces
As reported in the last newsletter, the Council is progressing with it's new approach to management of green spaces. The latest change is to the mowing schedule for St Mary's churchyard and the Victorian Cemetery (to the south of Back Lane). The bank to the south of St Mary's church and a small section in the south east corner of the Victorian Cemetery will now only be mown in the autumn to support and encourage biodiversity. This is already having a positive impact with wild flowers already appearing! The remainder of St Mary's churchyard will be mown with a higher setting to prevent the scorching of the grass as seen in previous dry weather. Additionally, the Burial Authority is working with families to return the burial ground to a lawned cemetery.
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Jubilee Shields
 
Would you like to own your own piece of Goudhurst Jubilee history? There are a number of decorative shields left over from the Jubilee celebrations that can be purchased for a donation to the Weald Family Hub. If you are interested in purchasing a shield please email the clerk.
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Footpath walk - Winchet Hill, the River Teise and Harpers Farm (Sunday 10 July at 10am)
This interesting walk starts at 10am at Curtisden Green.
Park your car opposite the main entrance to Bethany School (TN17 1LB) on the hard verge beside Jarvis Lane.
The walk route goes NW, past a high point with views towards the North. It crosses the Lesser Teise and then the Teise, on an old stone bridge, then heads SW past School House Farm on to a hill with a view towards Goudhurst.
This circular route continues downhill to re-cross the Teise on a wooden footbridge to emerge on to North Rd at Harpers Farm. After a short walk along the road, we take the little-used footpath (WC4) through meadows to the grounds of Bethany School to arrive back at the start point by 12 noon.
Expect a few stiles and some muddy stretches. The main path numbers (from the Goudhurst Walkers map) are: WC1, KM263, WT355, WT324, WT344, WC4.
If you would like a lift or have questions about the walk, please contact d.boniface@hotmail.co.uk or by telephone at 01580 211430 or mobile on the day 07518 894 915. The Goudhurst Walker’s Map has the key to all footpaths in the area and is available from the walk organiser or from Goudhurst Newsagent.
David and Pamela Boniface
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CRANBROOK MUSEUM
Cranbrook – a small town with a fascinating past. A market town since 1290, Cranbrook has been known for centuries as the Capital of the Weald.
Cranbrook Museum is located down Carriers Road in the 15th century rectory, set in a beautiful garden which is also the location of the old ‘town lockup’. Visitors are invited to wander through the museum which is based on three floors; each of the fifteen rooms offering wide ranging displays. The town owes its prosperity, in the late Middle Ages and Tudor times, to the broadcloth industry. A large display area is devoted to the production of this cloth, and dye plants grow in the museum garden.
Another important industry was hop growing – hence the many oast houses in the locality converted into private houses. A hop press is displayed in the museum together with many other artefacts relating to this industry.
One of the most exciting exhibits is the Colony Room. In the 1800s the Cranbrook Colony consisted of the Hardys, Horsley, Mulready and Webster, artists living in the town who portrayed the way of poor, rural families. The museum is fortunate to have a growing number of originals on display, including the Chimney Sweep by F D Hardy painted in 1862 recognisably in the Colony Room when it was part of one of the small cottages.
Cranbrook Museum is a participant in Wheels of Time – an initiative for children to encourage them to visit museums and historic sites of interest in Kent. There are currently over fifty other participants.
Come and visit:
Opening Times, April to October, Tuesday to Saturday, 2.00 to 4.30, and also Sunday in August.
Website: www.cranbrookmuseum.org
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Welcome Booklet – Have you got a new neighbour?
The Parish Council is delighted to support an initiative by some local residents who thought that it would be a good idea to put together a Welcome Booklet to give to people who move into Goudhurst, so that they feel part of the local community. It has details of health services, education, local shops, local societies etc. Also in the bag will be a leaflet with details of refuse collections, the church booklet and a gift of chocolate. This has kindly been provided by Goupie. (Goupie hand-make uniquely textured vegan friendly chocolate confectionery to an old family recipe in Goudhurst, Kent.)
If you have a new neighbour please contact one of the team below who will provide you with a bag to take round or they can deliver direct to your new neighbour if you prefer.
Chris 07952 545472; Linda 07485 727656; Sue 07905 791627
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Goudhurst Scout Group needs a new Treasurer - Can you help?
Main tasks:
- Maintain the accounting records on a regular basis
- Act as contact for some suppliers, utility companies, etc
- Set up or authorise payment of bills
- Pay cash received into bank
- Liaise with section leaders about subscriptions and activities involving payments and receipts
- Maintaining a file of Gift Aid forms
- Produce receipts and payments accounts for Committee meetings, with notes/ explanations and at the year end
- Attending committee meetings
- Liaising with the Independent Examiners and presenting the accounts at the AGM
- Submitting Gift Aid claim to HMRC
Time Commitment needed:
- Once a month entering bank transactions onto the spreadsheet, liaising with leaders/ committee about queries, subscriptions, etc and sending accounts by email to the committee – 3 hours typically, maybe a bit longer for the start of a term
- Adhoc matters, paying bills, dealing with suppliers/utilities, etc - perhaps 1 hour a week
- Attending committee meetings and the AGM – 8 times per annum - 2 or 3 hours each time
Handover: the present treasurer will provide whatever level of support is needed to guide a new treasurer in the role.
If you are interested in discussing the role, please email: Nick Hayward: n.hayward958@gmail.com
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Goudhurst Junior Parkrun
Hi everyone! We’re Goudhurst Junior parkrun. You may have heard of us already, because lots of local children come to enjoy a run with us every Sunday morning! If you’d like to come join in you’ll be made very welcome!
We meet at 09:30 on Goudhurst Village Green, where we have a timed 2km run. You can go at your own pace (it’s a run, not a race!) and we welcome all children aged 4 - 14 years old.
We have a wide variety of runners. Many of our youngest runners start by going around holding hands with their mum/dad/carer until they feel confident to run unaccompanied (or they get fed up with mum/dad going too slow!)
We also have runners who compete at schools, county and national level, and use parkrun as part of their training program. So, whatever level you want to start running at, Goudhurst Junior parkrun is a great place to start!
Interested? Want to know how much it costs? …… It’s absolutely FREE!! There is no charge, no monthly subscription, parkrun is absolutely free! We are run by a team of volunteers who all love running and want to help young people get into a healthy, friendly, regular exercise.
If you haven’t done it already, please just visit our webpage, register to get your personal barcode (you show that to get timed when you finish the run), and come and join us Sunday mornings. It’s that easy!
Something new for Goudhurst Junior parkrun is that we’ve recently got a VI Guide Runner. This means that if there is a child who has a visual impairment who would like to join in our run but feels they would like some extra support, we can now offer a fully qualified guide runner to run with them. So if that applies to you or someone you know, please contact us and we’ll welcome you to join in the running experience!
A further note regarding visually impaired runners: although Goudhurst Junior parkrun is for children between the ages of 4 - 14, if you are (or you know) an adult with a visual impairment, our VI Guides may be able to offer you assistance too. Please drop us an email if you’d like to know more.
Paul
Event Director
Goudhurst Junior parkrun
GoudhurstJuniors@parkrun.com
https://www.parkrun.org.uk/goudhurst-juniors/
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Problems on the road or pavement
Problems on the road or pavement such as;
- street light faults
- potholes
- drainage
- traffic signal faults
- overgrown vegetation (including hedges and grass).
can be reported quickly and easily to Kent Highways via their online reporting tool.
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Struggling with living costs?
- You might be able to increase your income by:
- claiming benefits or government grants
- checking you are being paid the right wage
- getting help from charities
- renting out a room
- getting child maintenance
You might be able to get help with your child’s school costs, for example free school meals.
There are grants, benefits or other help from the government or energy suppliers available. You might be able to get extra money from a charity. Some of these grants are open to everyone, others might be available to you based on your job or health.
Local councils might give you vouchers or a prepaid card to help pay for essentials like food or fuel. You could also get household appliances like a fridge or a cooker. If you get Housing Benefit or the housing costs part of Universal Credit and still can’t afford your rent, you could apply for a discretionary housing payment (DHP). There is also help for those struggling with their council tax liability.
If you have a spare room you might want to rent it out as a source of income. There are things you should check before renting out a room including:
- if you need permission from your landlord or mortgage lender
- how any extra income might affect the benefits you receive
- if you'll lose the 25% single person discount on your council tax
We are always looking for new volunteers who can commit to at least one morning a week for six months. If you would like to volunteer with us, please contact us. Full training will be provided, good IT skills useful.
PWCAC, supported by Goudhurst Parish Council, is OPEN for face-to-face advice (appointments and drop-ins) Monday to Friday, 9:30 – 1:30. If you need advice about the above or about housing and homelessness, debt, welfare benefits or anything else, please get in touch with us:
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Temporary Road Closure - Jarvis Lane & Ladham Road, Goudhurst - From 4th July 2022
Jarvis Lane will be closed between Mile Lane and B2084 Chequers Road from 4th July 2022 until 8th July 2022.
Jarvis Lane will be closed between Mile Lane and Woodfield House from 11th July 2022 until 15th July 2022.
Ladham Road will be closed for the entire length from 18th July 2022 until 29th July 2022.
The alternative route is via Jarvis Lane, B2084 Chequers Road, Ladham Road and vice versa.
The closure is required for the safety of the public and workforce while works are undertaken by Openreach.
For the most up to date information on these works please visit: https://one.network/?tm=128328286
For information regarding this closure please contact Openreach, who will able to assist with the scope of these works.
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Temporary Road Closure - Smiths Lane, Goudhurst - 25th July 2022 for 5 days between 09.30hrs and 15.30hrs
The road will be closed for the entire length.
The alternative route is via Lidwells Lane, Blind Lane, B2079 North Road, A262 West Road/Clayhill and vice versa.
The closure is required for the safety of the public and workforce while works are undertaken by Openreach.
For the most up to date information on these works please visit: https://one.network/?tm=128580095
For information regarding this closure please contact Openreach, who will able to assist with the scope of these works.
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Temporary Road Closure - Lidwells Lane, Goudhurst - 31st July 2022 for 1 day between 08.00hrs and 18.00hrs
The road will be closed outside Little Orchard.
The alternative route is via Lidwells Lane, Blind Lane, North Road and vice versa.
The closure is required for the safety of the public and workforce while works are undertaken by Openreach.
For the most up to date information on these works please visit: https://one.network/?tm=128512919
For information regarding this closure please contact Openreach, who will able to assist with the scope of these works.
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Temporary Road Closure - A262 Cranbrook Road, Goudhurst - 31st July 2022 for 1 day between 09.30hrs and 15.30hrs
The road will be closed outside Kent House.
The alternative route is via A262 Cranbrook Road/Goudhurst Road, A229 Angley Road/Hartley Road/Hawkhurst Road/Cranbrook Road, A268 High Street/Hawkhurst Road, A21 London Road/Lamberhurst Bypass, A262 Station Road/Clayhill/West Road/Church Road/Cranbrook Road and vice versa.
The closure is required for the safety of the public and workforce while works are undertaken by Openreach.
For the most up to date information on these works please visit: https://one.network/?tm=128585676
For information regarding this closure please contact Openreach, who will able to assist with the scope of these works.
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Vacancies
Goudhurst Parish Council is looking for a reliable part time cleaner to take responsibility for the public conveniences on Balcombes Hill. Please contact the Clerk on 01580 212552 for more information.
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Help spread the word!
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