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

Welcome to West Farleigh’s own

LIFELINe
Distributed freely in November 2019 Edition no 516
Editors: Stephen Norman, Helen Swan and Jacky Taylor
Website: www.thefarleighs.co.uk Email: editor@thefarleighs.co.uk Upcoming Events:
See back page

SARAH AT EVEREST BASE CAMP In this Lifeline

Pastoral newsletter…. 2
Village in Bloom……… 3
The Detectorist ……... 4
In the Garden…………5
Farleigh Feathers ….… 6
Organisations……….. 7
Events…………………. 8

Visit our website for articles,


events and much more.

Please contact the editors if


you would like an article in
Lifeline or on the Website –
Sarah Hunter of Charlton Lane has been fundraising in the village this year, so
Email
she could trek to Everest Base Camp. Many of you will have supported her
editor@thefarleighs.co.uk
fundraising! Here’s what she says:
Follow us on Facebook
I did it! 5,364m above sea level, I made it to Everest Base Camp! And with your
support, I managed to raise an amazing £3000.08 for Action Against Hunger
while doing so, enough to save the lives of over 70 children, just myself! I’d like to
thank you all so much for supporting the various events I’ve held this year, as I
would never have been able to do it without you.

The trip itself was probably the hardest thing I have ever done, both physically
and mentally. I met some incredible people and were lucky enough to experience Do look at our website
some once-in-a-lifetime moments, including a surprising helicopter ride back to and look at weekly
Kathmandu, but that’s another story altogether! activities.

PS. More about my trip coming on the website if you that are interested. You will be amazed what
goes on.

WEST FARLEIGH FIREWORKS December press deadline:


22nd November
Tickets are going fast. Get yours NOW. Only available on line.
Go to www.farleighevents.com to buy yours.
There will be no tickets on the gate.
Bigger and better this year. Don’t miss it, Friday 1st Nov.

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PASTORAL LETTER

Dear Friends

Well, here we are almost at the close of another year. November is the last month
of Autumn and we will soon move on to winter. I have to say I am one of those
people who really loves the season of Autumn. The landscape takes on those
beautiful autumnal colours, red, brown and orange. I love the crisp sound of
walking on the frosty and fallen leaves, the nights drawing in rapidly and the call of
a warm fire to snuggle up to.

Of course there are things that we leave behind until 2020. The warm sun on our
backs, the beauty of the emerging flowers in spring, the trees filling out as their new
growth turns skinny branches into well rounded foliage and the cool summer
evenings to sit and enjoy a well earned refreshing drink.

I wonder which of the seasons are your favourite and why?

I know that as I look at the changing seasons I am in awe of their diversity, their beauty and the pleasure that each
can bring. I am also in awe of the hand of the creator who planned in detail the changing seasons, each necessary
for sustaining the planet and indeed all living things.
Traditionally November is the time we tend to look back and remember, which is important. Our memories and
experiences are part of not only our past, but also who we are today. This November may I suggest we spend some
time, not only remembering and looking back, but also spend some time appreciating our present, savouring each
day and look for the signs of beauty that surround us. Yes we need to look back, but watch out that you don’t blink
and miss the blessings and beauty of the present given by God daily to us.

May God bless your moments, each and every day.

Rev. Eileen Doyle

HARVEST SUPPER
There was an excellent buffet supper, including a whole enormous salmon! A donations bar, serving quality wine,
no wonder there was a great atmosphere, In the church.
Entertainment was provided by Pete and Co, always enjoyable. A London themed sing song was appreciated,
judging by the singing and applause.
The Tickled Trout kindly donated a token for a meal for 2, which was won by Ann Ayears. We are grateful for their
support. A big thank you to all those who donated Raffle prizes and brought along gifts of dry food for MADM
(Making a Difference in Maidstone) which runs a food bank.

REMEMBRANCE SERVICE
On Sunday 10th November we will be holding a service of Remembrance in the church. Village
organisations will lay wreaths at the War Memorial in the Church. Everyone is welcome. Do come
along and share in 2 minutes silence to respect and thank those who lost their lives. The Service will
be led by Laura Faulkner, our new curate, assisted by Hugh Grainger.

WE WILL REMEMBER THEM


SERVICES AT ALL SAINTS
Sunday 3rd November 8.00 am Holy Communion (Traditional)
Sunday 10th November 10.45 am REMEMBRANCE SERVICE
Sunday 24th November 9.30 am Holy Communion

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HERE’S HOPE FOR THE FUTURE!
Meet Hope Ann Morley, a sister for Isaac. Hope was very keen to come into this
world, a very speedy delivery meant there was not time for planned childcare to
arrive, (Isaac was passed over the fence to Sarah next door!) She weighed in at
6lbs 9 oz.

Clare and Ian chose Ann as a middle name as it has many family connections.
Congratulations to Clare and Ian of Charlton Lane.
If you have a new arrival, or have recently moved into the village and would
like to be introduced, Email the editors.
Jungle drums not always reliable!!

WEST FARLEIGH IN BLOOM

The West Farleigh in Bloom team have been hard at work over the past month in preparation for next
year’s competition. With 2 silver medals this year our hopes of further success are high in 2020.
At the start of the month we worked on the triangle at the bottom of Ewell Lane. A new planter
underneath the road sign was filled with Skimmia and ornamental grasses and the middle section dug
over in preparation for wild flowers. The area does look much neater, however a car has already driven right across
it. This is a regular occurrence but we will keep on trying.
We also had a working party on the bank next to Goulston bungalows that leads down to the Hollow. It was
thoroughly weeded and planted up with daffodils for spring. We would like to add some shrubs there too for all
yearround interest. At the same time, we planted many more daffodils by the bus stop and around the village
noticeboard. We look forward to the colour these will bring next year.

Both the bank by Goulston Bungalows and the Daffodil planting round the bus stop and notice board were ideas
sent us to by neighbours in the village. If anyone else has any ideas for us please do let us know via the email
address 'Bloom@TheFarleighs.co.uk'. We would especially like to plant some fruit trees but would appreciate
suggestions where!
To keep up to date with our progress do 'like' TheFarleighs on Facebook where we always post pictures and
progress updates.
The next meeting is at 7:30pm on 30th October at the Good Intent. Please do come along and join us

PARISH COUNCIL REPORT


At the last meeting it was reported that the Men of the Trees judge had been shown round and our new Tree
warden received good feedback. Congratulations to the Farleigh in Bloom team for the two silver medals. Adam
McKinley, Community Warden, is moving to Swale. No replacement as yet. The PCSO reported on 10 crimes in 12
days in July. (How-ever some of these may have been in neighbouring villages.)
There will be a traffic survey done on Lower Road, without evidence, little can be done.
Cllr Pritchard has investigated and part of the village may be eligible for the Broadband top up scheme.

Next meeting 18th November in the Good Intent 7.30.

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FARLEIGHS DETECTORISTS

Happy rainy October Treasure Hunters,


Welcome to my monthly update.

News:
Registration: We have applied to the National Council for Metal Detecting to register
The Farleighs Detectorists as an affiliate member of the council. This puts us on the
map, hopefully encourages new members and ensures that our members abide by
the organisations code of conduct.

A new lease of life.


Do you remember the little artillery gun that we found back in April? I had the
pleasure of renovating it. I reconstructed the firing mechanism in brass and
used some oak to create a little plinth. It’s a lovely thought that a lost, treasured
toy, may one day be enjoyed by another child some 100 years later. I will return
this to the landowner who kindly allows the club to treasure hunt their land.

Cheats don’t prosper.


2 Nighthawkers (this is what we call the people who shame the name of metal detecting) were heavily fined this
month. Hoorah. They discovered £3M worth of Anglo-Saxon coins and jewellery but hid the discovery from the
landowner and the authorities. It is an obligation to first declare any finds of value to the local Finds Liaison Officer
and share the finds 50/50 with the landowner or equally share the finders if it is deemed treasure under the Portable
Antiquities Scheme legislation.

Find of the month:


It’s beginners’ luck again! Come all of you
out there contact metal@thefarleighs.co.uk
and come and join us, we have equipment
you can borrow to see if detecting is for you.
We’re a mostly civilised bunch. 😊😊 A friend
of mine, Danny, joined me for a brief hunt in
some of our woodland and hit a big target. I
speculated that it may be ‘trash’ but he
decided to dig it anyway!!
What do I know, he uncovered a Victorian rifle
bayonet and inches from it an Edward the VII
accession medal? Well done Danny you are
this month’s worthy winner of “find of the month”.

Helpline
A detecting friend of mine contacted me late one night with a very distressing tale. “Hi, I need your advice on a
serious problem, I’ve suspected for some time now that my wife has been cheating on me. The usual signs: If the
phone rings and I answer, the caller hangs up. She goes out with ‘the girls’ a lot, and lets me go detecting whenever I
want. I try to stay awake to look out for her when she comes home, but I usually fall asleep. Anyway, last night about
midnight, I hid in the garage behind the car. When she came home, she got out of someone’s motor, adjusted her
dress and proceeded to walk nonchalantly to the front door. It was at that moment, crouched behind the car and in
amongst my detectors, that I noticed a hairline crack in the detectors coil. Is that something I can weld with some
kind of Epoxy resin, or do I need to replace the whole unit? Please advise.”

Happy hunting folks


Pete
metal@thefarleighs.co.uk

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THIS MONTH IN THE GARDEN by Jon Fenlon

Leaves, Leaves everywhere


It is the season of the leaf for most garden owners now. You go out in to the garden on
Saturday morning and rake up all the leaves and look back at a job well done. Ten minutes
later you look out the window and they are all back...The best advice I can give you is to
change your thinking process about this job, instead of simply tidying the garden, you are
feeding the compost heap to create a better healthier garden over the years to come.
There are many methods and processes that can be done to make a nice compost, it’s
best to do an online search to see what method will suit your needs.
As the wind generally picks up over November you should take a look at any plants that
have stakes and make sure they are secure. Roses will also need to be looked over to make sure there is not too
much wind rock. If you are pruning your roses over December it would be best to temporarily tie down the new
growth now so it doesn't snap out in the wind, where the younger growth is yet to become woody it is easily broken
if it is flexed too much in high winds.
Now is a good time to put out the bird feeders to help the birds. Get a good bird seed
mix and place your feeders somewhere you can still see it from the house. This way you
can see what birds are visiting your garden. Birds can be a great source of pest control
keeping all manner of pests at bay.
As the weather is now changing and getting colder it’s time to protect your tender
plants. A general rule I use myself, is: if the temperature has dropped below 5°C more
than twice it’s time to make sure everything that
needs protection is ready. We use a variety of
methods here consisting of greenhouse, cold
frames, fleece, cloches, heavy mulch (over
Dahlias). We have some banana trees we leave
out all winter, these have the leaves cut off and
laid at the base to channel water away whilst the
stem is wrapped in bubble wrap and covered in
hessian, simply because bubble wrap in unsightly
in the garden. Banana tree wrapped!
For making your own Christmas wreaths this year
keep an eye on your holly berries and rose hips,
these combined with some nice red autumnal leaves can create a very
attractive wreath. Once you find your material you can store them
somewhere cool and dry, apart from holly branches I would leave in a bucket
of water which will keep the shine on the leaves longer.
Holly berries

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FARLEIGH FEATHERS by Ray Morris
What would HE have done about the birds?
In the wake of the recently published State of Nature 2019 report – a summary of how
wildlife is faring on our island, and one that shows a continuing decline – I decided to
look at my own records for my garden birdwatching. Although I’ve lived in The
Farleighs thirty-seven years it was only on retirement that I found the time to keep
regular records, so I compared totals from the last three months in 2019 with the same
months in 2012.
To my surprise, the numbers of species recorded were identical: thirty. But closer
examination revealed small changes, and reflected those in the national report.

I no longer see spotted flycatchers making their circular, loop-the-loop forays to catch insects from my garden
trees; being long-distance migrants their numbers have dropped catastrophically as a result of a warming climate
(they can’t evolve fast enough to cope with the changing weather patterns) and lack of insects (overuse of
chemical insecticides is largely to blame). Sadly, there is a strong likelihood of their imminent extinction in the UK.

On the other hand, there has been an increase in predators recorded: kestrels, for example, normally associated
with open fields and motorway verges, and the woodland specialist sparrowhawk, while still declining nationally
are coming to my garden more frequently. But is this because gardens support more birds for the predators to
hunt than the countryside? For some species, such as goldfinch, there is clear evidence that garden feeding has
helped their population increase and I rarely record fewer than four individuals at a time on my feeder.
But, overall, the consensus is that we are now rapidly changing our climate and destroying the natural
environment on which humans depend. We
aren’t destroying the planet of course, it will
continue spinning through space whatever
happens – it’s just that we won’t be on it!
Had He been alive today, would Jesus have
joined the group of The Farleighs villagers at
the Extinction Rebellion protests? It seems He
wasn’t one to shy away from controversial
action where moneylenders and tax collectors
were concerned, so would He also be rebelling
against the destruction of His creation by
inconveniencing their modern day equivalents
in Westminster and The City.

Answers on a postcard please ......

A plea from local dog walkers……to all dog walkers


Please clean up after your dog
The sheep fields in Charlton Lane have long been a facility for the Sport Club and local dog walkers, as dog
walkers we are extremely grateful to those allowing us to walk our dogs here. Our dogs can run freely and safely,
and we feel safe due to the visibility and security of the fields. Dog walking is a great social activity and many of
us in West Farleigh have got to know one another by exercising our dogs.
Unfortunately, there are a small minority of dog owners who do not clear up after their dogs. As dogs are
carnivores unlike sheep which are herbivores, their faeces carry bacteria and parasites that may cause illness in
humans and sheep, as well as being unpleasant to tread in!
In response to reports by the Sports Club of dog waste on the football field, local dog walkers met to discuss the
issue. It was agreed unanimously that the disposal of bagged dog waste should not be the responsibility of a
member of the Sports Club. Back to the plea…….It is a great spot to walk dogs, but now we must pick it up and
take it home, or we all lose the facility. So, please help…..

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PS. See the SPECIAL FEATURE ON www.thefarleighs.co.uk for the complete article about DOG POO!

The October meeting was very hectic but enjoyable. We had a competition for the members,
we gave them 5 categories: poem, cakes, flowers, knitted chicks and something unusual, we
were overwhelmed with the turnout. Whilst the produce was being judged we had arranged
for tables to put out for the members to make Christmas crafts. There was a buzz in the hall
that night with everyone enjoying the evening. Our winner of the shield was Linda Bolton and
photo has been put on our Facebook page. Please visit our Facebook page W.I. Farleighs and
see what is happening. We had our Macmillan Coffee Morning and made £302.50 thank you
to all who came along to make it a success. If anyone wishes to join us please come along on the second
Wednesday in the month to the W.I. Hall in Forge Lane, East Farleigh at about 7.15, We will make you very welcome.

EVERGREENS We had lunch at the Sage and Thyme café at Kenward House. We were
given a warm welcome and they had set up one of their beautiful meeting rooms for us.
Great décor and a fantastic view towards the Medway, although not visible!
We were to have a light lunch, or that is what we thought. Members had a choice of Jacket
potatoes, with a vast selection of toppings. Also, on offer were sandwiches plain or
toasted, with salad and crisps. Some of us chose a salad thinking it would be the lightest
option. The portions were very generous-too much for some! Members enjoyed browsing round the shop and
many came away with “bargains”. If you have not been we recommend it.
We have also had Peter Callway, our rector, who came along with many artefacts from Biblical times. He uses
photos of the Holy Land and references to Bible stories to add history to his coins and pottery artefacts. Mostly
genuine, but he lit a reproduction Roman oil lamp for demonstration. He was very entertaining and his talk was
much enjoyed as was the afternoon tea which followed.
We will be enjoying Afternoon tea on the 12th November and a luncheon the 26th. The charity which raises money
for school in Gambia will be coming along to tell us about their work and bringing along their trade store. Your
Christmas shopping starts here!
Unfortunately, we are unable to accept any more members at present. But, if you would like to go on a waiting list,
phone Terry 814561 or Helen 814445

VIEW FROM THE SCOREBOARD by Terry Baines


FOOTBALL:
A mixed bag of results for our 1st X1 last month, with plenty of goals as well. Firstly we lost 2-1 to Cuxton
conceding a goal in the last minute. Next came Canterbury and a much needed 3-1 away victory.
Next a cup versus Hildenborough, although they were from a higher division we did not see a 9-0 defeat
coming to us! Finally, what better way to respond, after that, was a 4-3 win away to Larkfield.
Meanwhile our 2nd X1 have continued their fine start to the season. We began with 4-2 victory over Five Oak
Green, next a remarkable 5-2 victory over Tatsfield in the cup, we were 2-0 down with 5 minutes to go, forced extra
time, then winning easily. Our only defeat came the following week unluckily going down 1-0 to Wilderpark. Finally
another astonishing result against Nomads, in the cup. We were 3-0 up but by half time it was 3-3, then we were 4-3
down but eventually won 6-4.
Our Vets have only had one fixture since last month and unfortunately lost 2-0 home to Farnborough.

NETBALL:
Our new Farleigh Swifts have continued to compete in every game so far this season picking up at least a
point in every game. Last months results were two defeats, one draw and our first ever win.

Our lucky TON UP WINNERS last month were


Graham Sinden £30 Will Morgan £20 Rachel Pearce £10

Yours in Sport
Tel (815267)
PS. If anyone has spare timber/wood you don’t want, I hope to build the BEST bonfire this year. Give me a ring!

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LITTER PICKING Sunday 3rd November – come and join us!
Meet on the Green at 9am . Bacon butties and coffee at 10am.
All equipment provided. If you have not been before, do go and join them, they are an
interesting bunch.
The village is very grateful for all that they do to keep our very special village clean and tidy.

VILLAGE EVENTS
Friday Nov 1st Village Fireworks Party organised by the West Farleigh Sports Club
Gates open 6pm Fab fireworks, bonfire, extensive refreshments and entertainments.

Saturday Nov 2nd Halloween party at the Good Intent


Music from 8.30pm Music by Pete n’ Co. Charity collection, Fancy dress optional.

Saturday Nov 2nd Concertina Workshop


10-4 Kettle Bridge Concertinas are holding a concertina workshop in the WI Hall
Forge Lane East Farleigh. Go along and have ago, instruction available or just listen.

Sunday Nov 3rd Litter Pick


9 am Meet on the Green. Equipment etc provided. Bacon butties and coffee at 10.

Sunday Nov 3rd East Farleigh Farmers Market


10-1 Lots of amazing stalls in the Old School East Farleigh.

Thursday Nov 7th Kits Coty Morris taster session


8pm Go along to the WI Hall Forge Lane East Farleigh and give Morris dancing a try.
Or just go and watch. You will be made welcome.

Sunday Nov 10th Service of Remembrance and laying of wreaths


10.45 All Saints Church West Farleigh

Monday Nov 18th Parish Council Meeting


7.30pm Good Intent. Villagers welcome.

Sunday Dec 15th Carol Service.


6pm Mulled wine and mince pies after the service.

Sat Dec 21st The Promise and the Gift contemporary worship for Christmas 6.45 West Farleigh Church

Do you have a local business?

Would you like to advertise here?

Contact the editors. :

editor@thefarleighs.co.uk

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