“Some sort of periodical is an essential life-line in village such as ours”

Welcome to West Farleigh’s own

LIFELINE
Distributed freely in October 2018 Edition no 504 Upcoming Events:
Editors: Stephen Norman, Helen Swan and Jacky Taylor See back page
Website: www.thefarleighs.co.uk Email: editor@thefarleighs.co.uk

Christmas Carol Service – All Saints,

West Farleigh, Sunday 16 December In this Lifeline
at 6.00 pm
Pastoral newsletter……….. 2
There will be a candle-lit procession, Parish Council report..…… .3
singing by The Farleighs Choir Repairs to our church …… 4
followed by mince pies and a glass Farleigh Feathers…………. 5
of mulled wine Memories of E Burkart 6
View from the Scoreboard..7
Organisations ………………. 7
Events………………………. 8
Christmas 100 years ago
Don’t forget to look at our
In December 1918 many troops
website for much more
had still not been de-mobbed,
information about our village
although the troops had
Christmas dinner as the picture www.thefarleighs.co.uk
below shows them plucking
turkeys. Please contact the editors if you
would like an article in Lifeline or
on the Website – Email
editor@thefarleighs.co.uk

Children’s Christmas lists were far Follow us on Facebook

different from the high tech lists of today
as can be seen from Edna’s list. Good to
see some things don’t change like fruit
and chocolates in the stocking!

Christmas trees were adorned much the

same as today with baubles, tinsels and
topped with a star, Do look at our website and
look at weekly activities.

You will be amazed what

goes on.
Supplement
There will be a short summary
This year the Editors have put together a supplement show-casing the of the upcoming year in
events that have been held in the village since the beginning of the year. January. The next full Lifeline
will be publishing in February
If you would like to get involved or find out more about what is happening in Deadline 20th January 2019
the village, please visit the website or email us at editors@thefarleighs.com

Page 1 of 8
Pastoral Newsletter

As you read this, Christmas is approaching fast, and Carol services will be springing up
all around. Carols were first sung in Europe thousands of years ago, but these were
not Christmas Carols. They were pag an songs, sung at the Winter Solstice
celebrations as people danced around stone circles. The word Carol is a derivative of
the French word caroler, the interpretation of which means dancing around in a
circle. Carol and carols, eventually came to mean not only to dance but included
music and lyrics to become a song of praise and joy! Carols used to be written and
sung during all four seasons, but only the tradition of singing them at Christmas has
really survived.

Early Christians took over the pagan solstice celebrations for Christmas and gave people Christian songs to
sing instead of pagan ones. However, not many people liked them as they were all written and sung in Latin,
a language that the normal people couldn't understand. By the time of the Middles Ages (the 1200s), most
people had lost interest in celebrating Christmas altogether. Then St Francis of Assisi got permission from Pope
Honorious III to set up a manger with hay and two live animals—an ox and an ass—in a cave in the Italian
village of Grecio, and so the first of many nativity play came into being. The people in the plays sang songs or
'canticles' that told the Christmas story. Sometimes, the choruses of these new carols were in Latin; but mostly
they were in a language that the people watching the play could understand and join in! Later carols from
Elizabethan period are untrue stories, very loosely based on the Christmas story about the holy family, and
were seen as entertaining rather than religious songs. They were usually sung in homes rather than in
churches!

When Oliver Cromwell and the Puritans came to power in England in 1647, the celebration of Christmas and
singing carols was banned. However, the carols survived as people still sang them in secret. Carols remained
mainly unsung in public until Victorian times, when there was a resurgence in popularity.

There are plenty of opportunities to sing carols in the benefice this year, from carols in The Bull, Linton (Dec
14th) and the White House, West Farleigh (Dec 21), around trees in Coxheath (Dec 2) and East Farleigh (Dec
8), and in our five churches on December 16th (see www.unitedbenefice.church for times)

Happy Caroling, and God’s blessing in this Christmas season.

Peter Callway
Rector
Some material thanks to James Cooper (whychristmas.com)

Services at All Saints

Sunday 2nd December 8.00 am Holy Communion (Traditional)
Sunday 9th December 9.30 am Morning Prayer
Sunday 16th December 6.00 pm Christmas Carol Service
Sunday 23 December 9.30 am Holy Communion
Christmas Eve 9.30 PM Holy Communion
Sunday 29th December 9.30 am Morning Prayer

The attached leaflet lists the events across the Benefice throughout December

Our Ministry Team

Rev Peter Callway, Rector: 01622 747570 Call for Baptisms, Weddings & Funerals, not Fridays
Rev David Jones, Hon. Associate Rector 01622 741474. Not Fridays
Rev Eileen Doyle, Associate Rector 01622 204241. Not Mondays and Tuesdays
Becky Parnham, Children and Families Worker 07949 646885

Page 2 of 8
Parish Council Report

12 parishioners attended to hear that no crimes had been reported in West Farleigh during the last few
months. However, there were concerns regarding articulated lorries about the village especially in Ewell Lane.
There was a request for some “Caution Horses” signs to be put up, as they are some blind junctions.

A complaint had been received regarding the hedge cutting in Kettle Lane, but the councillors on inspection
did not think there were grounds for complaint to the contractors. The problem of flooding at the bottom of
Smiths Hill is still not resolved. Remedial action needs to be taken, but Highways are not in a position to do the
work (too expensive). They do however put out flood signs!

At a meeting attended by one of the Councillors it was reported that Kent

Highways are massively underfunded, due to government cuts. They are only
going to repair a small proportion of the jobs needing doing., prioritising A
roads. An example: - a small selection of smaller potholes and a small
proportion of a larger pothole in Kettle Lane have been filled. There are still
some huge holes and consequentially deep puddles at the top of Kettle
Lane.

There have been attempts to start Speedwatch in the village, but there has been a very slow response from
the Police and those volunteers who have gone to the trouble of training, have become disillusioned. another
plan has been suggested. It is the purchase of a SID (Speed Indicator Device) like those in use in East Farleigh.
They flash up the driver’s speed, and record registration no etc. which can be used as evidence. This is to be
investigated further.

The finger post on the Green, which has fallen over due to a rotting post, is to be reinstated and new bye law
signs are to be purchased and put up.

At a meeting attended by a councillor, it was suggested that parishes should have an Emergency plan, should
there be an emergency that the main emergency services might need help with. The clerk will be enquiring
into what other Parishes do.

WEST FARLEIGH COMMUNITY CENTRE TRUST.

There was a further meeting to discuss the charity. The Parish council have been in discussion with Rookery
Estates and the Sports Club about the possibility of building a Parish room onto the football changing rooms.

They have finally had notification that the Sports Club

and Rookery Estates are happy for this to go ahead.
However, there are several logistical hoops to jump
through. It is the intention of closing the charity after
the money has been spent on funding for the building
of the room.

There was some concerns that this might affect the

church, as many functions are now held there, but these were allayed as the hall is of a modest size and not
suitable for bigger events. The lease will state that the room cannot be used for commercial activities.
There will be an update on progress at every Parish Council meeting to keep parishioners informed.

Thinking about where to get a Christmas Tree? Look no further….

The Sports Club are again selling Christmas Trees in aid of the Club. Anyone who would like one please
give Terry a call on 01622 815267 and he will be happy to deliver (within reason). Prices this year are:

5ft = £10 6ft = £34 7ft = £44 8ft to be arranged – you may even get a mince pie

Page 3 of 8
A stonemason’s journey

Down at All Saints in 1100 AD when the church was under construction, or
1523 when the tower was built, or 1875 when the new bells were added, you
would have seen a small group of industrious craftsmen, hewing and
chiselling stone, standing on scaffolding, lifting the new blocks and
cementing them in. And this last summer, the same thing! Fundamental
repairs have been made to the stonework by Steve Hill and his Pinnacle
Stonemasons. We interviewed Steve down at the church
Q: Steve, is it hard to become a stonemason?
A: When I left school, I got a youth opportunity job at York Minster. There
were 15 masons and 15 carpenters permanently employed there,
maintaining the building. I stayed there 7 years. And then I got a chance to
study in Venice, at the San Cervolo Centre for craftsmen. I studied there for
6 months.
Q: And that was it? You were an expert then?
A: Not exactly. Then I came back to England and worked as a banker. Steve Hill, Pinnacle Stonemasons
Q: A banker?!
A: It's the term for a self-employed stonemason. You have your own tools, hammer and chisel. And you
move around from site to site, wherever there is work. I did that for years.
Q: I see. And what about Pinnacle? When did you start that?
A: That was 3 years ago.
Q: Is this one of the biggest jobs you've done?
A: No. We do a lot of work on churches. Recently, St Mary at Dover. And St Mary the Virgin at Stanted, where
we rebuild some of the buttresses. St Margeret at Dover, lots of stonework there. And next door, we did a lot
of work at St Peter and St Paul at Yalding
Q: What was the hardest thing about this job?
A: Well, the tower of All Saints is Kent ragstone. Candidly, it's a horrible stone to work with, much harder than
the British limestones like Portland. It's hard and dense. And chips.
Q: It's amazing to me that the original builders were able to work it at all!
A: In those days a stone yard would have had full time blacksmiths on site. The chisels and saws would
become blunt in 5 to 10 minutes. Then back to the blacksmiths for sharpening.
Q: And nowadays?
A: Nowadays we have diamond tipped angle grinders, the edge lasts longer.
Q: So the ragstone was the most difficult thing about the job?
A: No. The most difficult thing was the render. The coating of small stones, sand and lime which protects the
stonework. The walls themselves are made of stone, almost rubble in places, with bits of flint stuck in as
well. The render is absolutely necessary to protect the materials behind. Otherwise it would erode the soft tufa
stone of the main walls, rapidly
Q: Is tufa stone with render better than cut stone blocks?
A: No, it's just a lot cheaper to build!
Q: So what was hard about replacing it?
A: We don't have the original recipe for it. And we have no records about how they put it on. Right from the
beginning, I was convinced they filled rectangular panels. You put the little stones in panel first and then the
lime mix. We had to recreate their technique and their mixture. And our new render starts out being a
different colour from the original.
Q: But wouldn't you expect that? The old render is a hundred years old. Or more.
A. That's right. So the new render should probably be a different colour, to start with, even if we've got it
right. We think we've got close. It's been a journey and a lot of rework.

Well, Steve, the church looks wonderful now. Thank you and your Pinnacle craftsmen so much for what you've
done.

You can see a longer COLOUR ILLUSTRATED version of the interview on www.thefarleighs.co.uk
Select Special Feature from the left hand menu

Page 4 of 8
Farleigh Feathers by Ray Morris
Under the Mistletoe

The Farleighs boasts at least one splendid display of mistletoe – high up in a

tree at the junction of Priory Close and Lower Road in East Farleigh. At that
height it must be frustrating for villagers wishing to harvest a sprig for a
Christmas kiss. The position of this particular plant indicates the sprigs weren’t
‘planted’ by man, as cultivated mistletoe is found, often in apple trees, at a
pickable height. Mistletoe is a partial parasite, it can produce its own
chlorophyll, but relies on a host plant to provide minerals necessary for
growth. A pre-Christian symbol of fertility, it is presumably this reason it is still
associated with Christmas

The Farleigh plant will almost certainly have been seeded in the crown of
the tree by a mistle thrush – a more heavily spotted, greyer version of our
familiar song thrush. If you are lucky enough to see both species in a local
field you will instantly see the difference. It is the larger, more heavily
spotted and more aggressive mistle thrush that eats the mistletoe berries – it
will often ‘defend’ a tree with mistletoe, or indeed, a tree or bush heavily
laden with berries of any kind, from other hungry birds. Mistle thrushes also
gather in family groups in the autumn and winter; I’ve frequently seen a
dozen or more foraging together in fields around the villages.

The white mistletoe seeds are nutritious and the flesh of the
berry is high in protein. The flesh, though, is very sticky and
viscous (hence the plant’s scientific name is Viscum album,
and that of the mistle thrush Turdus viscivorus), so the bird
continually wipes its bill on a nearby twig to get it off. As it
does so, it may leave the seed in a crevice where it can
germinate and so start another sprig growing.
The seeds are also spread through the thrush’s droppings.
But, as the festive sprig hovers inches above you, try not to
think about that during your passionate Christmas kiss!
Ray Morris

For an extended and illustrated version visit www.thefarleighs.co.uk

Page 5 of 8
 Edward Francis Burkart
25th March 1924 – 14th October 2018

Edward and Sheila, his wife of 47 years, lived in West Farleigh for all of their married life.
Edward had 4 stepchildren, 6 step grandchildren and 8 step great grandchildren.

A few of my memories of Edward Burkart – the Motor Trader by David Baldock

We first met the early 60s when he kept a line of cars for sale in front of a small workshop on the A20 at
Wrotham Heath. Someone in the workshop kept an eye open for potential customers when Edward was
looking for further stock.

His great interest was always Rolls Royce and Bentleys although I have seen him with a large variety of other
motor vehicles – Bugatti, Ferrari, Alvis, Lagona, Hispano, Pegaso, bubblecars – in fact all sorts!

The first Rolls I bought from Edward was in 1967 just after I had bought a small garage and during the next
five years I bought over 30 Rolls and Bentleys from him – many more later. By this time he was keeping his
stock in buildings at home at Lawn Farm.

Edward would buy and sell his cars within the London Trade, also buying through advertisements and
auctions. I went to many auctions with him, thereby learning how auctions worked. Sometimes I bought a
car myself, other times I drove a car home for him.

For a long time he still maintained his father’s greetings card business wih a London office manned by Barker
with whom I used to leave messages, I helped move some of his greetings cards stock on occasions.

One day delivering a Rolls to Sussex with him he took me to see his latest acquisition – a huge hole in the
ground, a former sandpit that he hoped to develop. I think he eventually just sold it!

For a long time Edward kept three Rolls Royces for his own amusement, his favourite was always his Phantom
Two Continental.

Knowing I was born two days before D-day, Lieutenant Burkart 2nd Glosters would ring me every year to
remind me that on that date he loaded his jeep at Bucklers Hard en route for Normandy and Gold Beach.

I subsquently help him apply for his Legion D’honneur award that he finally receive in 2016.

For over 55 years of good advice and friendship – THANK YOU EDDIE

Welcome to Oliver Penman

Stuart and Helen Penman, residents of St Helens Lane, married in
September 2016 in All Saints West Farleigh. Little Oliver was born
on !9th April 2018.

Stuart is an accountant working for BAE Systems on Rochester

Airfield. Helen is a Children’s’ Physiotherapist working with under-
fives, and is planning to return to work part time in May next year.

Her experience with young children may be the reason why Oliver
is such a contented cheery baby! They go along to Little Angels,
the baby and toddler group in the church.
Oliver is to be baptised in December in All Saints Church and will
be entertaining their guests to refreshments in the church,
afterwards.

Page 6 of 8
View from the Scoreboard by Terry Baines

FOOTBALL A real mixed bag of results for all our teams last month including two
disappointing losses on penalties.

Our 1st XI started their campaign losing 6-2 to Faversham; the following week we again lost this
time to Tenterden in the cup, after conceding a very late goal for the to equalize 1-1 and after
normal time we went down 5-3 on penalties. Lastly a much needed boost when we beat
Rusthall in a very close encounter 1-0. Our 2nd XI struggle last month although it started well beating Wildespark
6-0! Sadly, we lost all of our games since - losing to Pembury 5-1, Ide Hill 2-1, then Roselawns in the cup where
we again conceded a very late equalizing goal and then we eventually lost an amazing 10-9 score line on
penalties! Finally, we lost again to Pembury 3-1.

Meanwhile our vets started poorly losing our first three games to Riverhead 6-0, Whitstable 6-3 and Hythe 4-1.
However, we finished strongly last week beating Inter-Viagra 1-0 and secured a 4-2 victory over old Tamps’

Club news: Many congratulations and thanks to all those who helped to organise our recent bonfire/firework
party on 2nd November. It was another successful evening and I hope everyone enjoyed themselves, even the
weather was good!

Our lucky TON UP WINNERS Mick Back - £30 (no. 43) - Karim Habibi - £20 (no. 88) - Mick Back - £10 (no 77)

Yours in sport, Tel (815267)

Well we are nearing Christmas and what a time to have our speaker Charlotte from
Charlotte's Cakes and Chocolate Making Parties. She brought along 5 different deserts for
us to try, the samples were in small shot glasses but they were delicious. It makes a
difference when the presentation of the dessert looks so tempting, She is an experienced
pastry chef who has worked at various locations including the House of Commons. We
attended remembrance services last week at both East and West Farleigh churches and we laid handmade
poppy wreaths at both churches. The craft club are busy making Christmas tree donations for the East Farleigh
School Christmas Fair held at the school, Saturday 1st December 1pm to 4pm. In January we have the Dogs
Trust visiting bringing a four-legged friend. Please come and join us we will make you very welcome. If you
need more information, then please ring Pam 01622 726337.

Evergreens
The Evergreens enjoyed an afternoon of Bingo. Not something we do often, bit it was fun. We also had a Beetle
Drive ate next meeting. In December the will only be one meeting on the 11th December 2.30 in the WI Hall.
The lunch meeting scheduled for the 4th Tuesday falls on Christmas Day.
We have a full an interesting program for next year The first meeting will be on the 8th January in the WI Hall at
2.30.
If you would like to join us, we can provide transport, call Helen 814445 or Terry 814561.

Something in the air?

In the last few years we have had more babies born than we have had in a long time.
Some have been featured in Lifeline and there are more to come. Strange that they are predominantly boys!
We have had a few deaths also but most have lived to a ripe old age. We still have villagers in their nineties
and Pippa Wakefield is 103.

Also interesting that people move into the village and stay for a long time. Is this because it is a very mixed
village. The housing stock ranges from one bedroom flats to grand mansions, and the occupants are a cross
section of society. No Executive Ghettos or no go areas!
The villagers are very friendly and look out for their neighbours. Keep it up West Farleigh, we are a great village.

Page 7 of 8
Village Events

Sunday 2nd Dandelion Christmas Fair

December
11am to 3 pm There will be crafts (including workshops for adults which should be booked in advance), gifts,
music and a Christmas Cafe. Free Christmas crafting for Children.
To book visit www.dandeliontime.org.uk
Sunday 16th Carol Service
December from 6pm
The village carol service will be held in the church. Holy and candlelight and all the traditional
Carols.
The Farleighs' choir will sing and the organ will thunder! Everyone is welcome.
Sunday 18th Carols at the Good Intent
December from 8pm
The Farleighs Choir will be leading the annual carol singing in the Good Intent – come and get
that festive feeling
Monday 24th Christmas Eve Mass
December at 9.30 pm
Come along to All Saints West Farleigh to celebrate the beginning of Christmas.
Candlelight and well-loved carols.
Sunday17th March Lambing Day
2019 Smiths Hill Farm will once again hold their annual lambing day – more information to follow

Anglo Global states this is also good for external

Christmas Decorations

Page 8 of 8