IT’S your last chance to buy tickets for our
comedy thriller “The Riddle Of The Sands.”
Pay on the door or pre-book on 751926.
This Tuesday,
March 17,
at
Boughton Monchelsea
Village Hall
Valley Conservation Society
Holder of the KCC Award for Volunteering Excellence
Supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund
Now walk
the Walk
THE Loose Valley Conservation Area Partnership (LVCAP) is inviting everyone to join its
Walk the Valley Day
To celebrate the completion of its Heritage Lottery Project – the installation of way markers, information boards and the publishing of walk leaflets - the partnership invites everyone to slip on their hiking boots and join them in a circular walk of the Loose Valley this Saturday, March 21.
There will be two simultaneous guided tours, leaving at approximately 10.30am, from both the Tovil and Loose ends of the Valley.
Join the walk in Tovil at Crisbrook, in Cave Hill, (by our ponds) for a stroll led by Ann King. Alternatively meet Roger Thornburgh who will lead the Loose walk starting at The Chequers.
If you can’t make either of these walks, do your own thing! Pick up one of the walk leaflets from Ali Barbers hairdressers in Cripple Street, or from Loose Post Office, or from the Tourist Centre in Maidstone Town Hall, and use that as your guide.
Let’s see scores of people walking the Valley all day!
RIDDLE of the Sands
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IT’S your last chance to buy tickets for our comedy thriller “The Riddle Of The Sands.” Pay on the door or pre-book on 751926. |
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This Tuesday,
March 17,
at
Boughton Monchelsea
Village Hall
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| A still from the 1979 movie |
Annual meeting
OUR annual meeting, held at Eling Court Community Room, on Valentine’s Day, was well attended with about 50 members present.
A presentation was made to retiring Ann King of Hayle Mill Road, a founding member of the Society, who has served on our executive committee throughout. Ann expects to be moving out of the area later this year. The chairman, Bryn Cornwell, expressed his thanks for her dedicated support, particularly representing the Society on LVCAP and for her many fund-raising activities. He gave her a framed photograph of the Valley and - appropriately in view of the date – a dozen red roses.
Elections were held for this year’s committee. New member Paul Amner was elected as Ann’s replacement. Your committee now comprises:
Chairman Bryn Cornwell 4 Stockett Lane 746514
Vice Chairman Jane Holman 3, The Manor, Hayle Place 673491
Secretary Alan Smith Bockingford House 751926
Treasurer Maggie Davis 27 Hayle Mill House 674001
Committee members
Paul Amner 33 De Went Mews 691560
Joy Creasey 8 The Headrace, Tovil 758381
Toni Gilbert 31 Gleneagles Drive 753551
David Hill Orchard End, Cripple Street 671911
Jill Lee 30 Gleneagles Drive 664643
Gary Stead Upper Crisbrook Mill 679856
Dennis Usmar 8 The Laxey, Tovil 764430
Jim Williams Mount Ararat, Tovil 755022
AT a member’s suggestion a discussion was held about whether the Society should raise its subscription fee to a “sensible” level – say £5 per person instead of the current £2.
It was felt that such a move could have an adverse effect on membership levels. A family where there were perhaps four adults would have to fork out £20 and might instead decide to register just one member.
It was felt important to retain a large membership base – 2008 was a record 511 members. Although £2 is a very small amount, people had the opportunity of a making a donation with their membership subscription if they wished, and many did so.
The issue was put to a vote and the majority felt the subscription should stay at £2.
Extra help
ALTHOUGH this year’s committee has been appointed, there is always room for others to lend a hand as co-opted members on a sub-committee. In particular the Society would like to hear from a computer-literate volunteer willing to identify and prepare grant-funding opportunities.
We would also like somebody to take on the responsibility of organising a programme of talks – we have a list of potential speakers, but need someone to arrange the venues and bookings.
Volunteers should ring Alan on 751926 (evenings).
LVCAP looking to the future
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The new information Board at Great Ivy – With Ann King, Andy, Mark Pritchard, David Hill and Bryn Cornwell
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MEMBERS of the Loose Valley Conservation Area Partnership held their annual meeting at the Loose Swiss Scouts HQ last month (February), with South Ward councillor John Wilson in attendance. The various groups reported on their progress during the past year and on LVCAP’s heritage lottery project for the valley.
The aim of the coming year will be to broaden the membership of the partnership – it is particularly hoped that Boughton Monchelsea Parish Council may be persuaded to rejoin – they were one of the founding members but subsequently left. The partnership also wants to involve the large landowners in the Valley to a greater extent and is still hopeful that Loose Amenities Association may be persuaded to join.
The next meeting of the partnership is in the Swiss Scouts HQ in Pickering Street on Wednesday, March 18, at 7.30pm. All welcome. For more details visit www.loosevalley.org
NLRA
THE North Loose Residents Association does an important job representing the interests of people who live in Maidstone Borough‘s South Ward, but outside the parish of Tovil.
One of the heaviest topics concerning them at present is the construction currently underway at the former Oldborough Manor School site, where NLRA is attempting to ensure the distruption and inconvenience caused by the builders is kept to a minimum.
The association holds it AGM in Eling Court Community Room – where our own AGM was held – on Saturday, March 28, at 11am. All qualifying residents welcome. Further details from Jacquie Day on 676810.
EMAIL: THE secretary – Alan Smith – has a new email address. He can be reached on a128smith@btinternet.com
Mystery solved?
AS chairman of the Society, Bryn Cornwell receives many phone calls asking for help on all sorts of issues - from dogs’ mess to quadbikes, escaped steers to planning problems. But it is not often he receives one that tests his extensive knowledge of fine art…..
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The heirloom painting
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Bryn was contacted by a lady from Hertfordshire who had found his number on our website after searching the Internet.
Carolyn Noble said she had recently inherited the picture above from her parents, who she believed had purchased it at a farmers market in Devon in the 1950s. The Victorian-style oil painting measures 60cm x 40cm, sits in a gilt frame and is labelled “Loose Valley”. The artist’s initials are AGC.
Mrs Noble said she had always admired the painting, saying it was “very relaxing to contemplate this tranquil scene.“ She longed to know more about the picture’s orgins and asked for Bryn’s help.
Bryn believes he has found the location of the scene - see facing page. He said: “Once you allow for a little artistic licence on the part of the painter, I think it is Heron Pond, which used to be known as Braddicks Pond, on the Swiss Scout land.”
But does anyone know who AGC was? Answers to Bryn please on 01622 746514 or email bryncornwell@yahoo.co.uk
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Heron Pond today |
Council Tax precepts
WE SHALL all shortly enjoy the pleasure of receiving our Council Tax bills for the coming year. As well as the contributions to MBC, KCC. Police and Fire Authority, many of us will also pay a parish precept – the amount requested by our parish councils. The precept can vary from year to year – sometimes going down as well as up, depending on the particular projects the parish councils have in mind. This is what our local parishes are charging this year:
Village total precept Band D house (the “average”)
Boughton Monchelsea £32,862 £27.97
Coxheath £49,140 £32.28
East Farleigh £17,000 £24.75
Langley £18,406 £35.48
Loose £33,586 £31.47
Tovil £43,440 £36.97
Residents in “North Loose” do not have a parish council and escape the extra charge.
| Wall collapse | |
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WE are unhappy with the “repairs” to the collapsed wall in Hayle Mill Road – and so is Maidstone Borough Council, which has launched an investigation into the “alleged breach”.
Enforcement officer Hardeep Matharoo has promised a report within eight weeks (from February 23).
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Lessons in walling
THE Society has successfully secured a £1,855 Grassroots Grant via the Kent Community Foundation scheme to enable us to benefit from a stone-walling course. A tutor will visit the Valley and give lessons on rebuilding ragstone walls to Bryn and his team, one day a week for three weeks.
The first two tutorials will be on Saturday April 18 and Saturday April 25. There are 10 places available on the course. Bryn has some names already, but if you are interested in learning the skill – and are willing to put it to use helping to repair ragstone walls in the Valley later on - contact him on 746514.
Work Party
THE Tuesday work party team have already been exercising their building skills – recreating the wall alongside the ponds at Crisbrook with stone recovered from the water.
There is always room for more to join the work party. They meet every week at 11am. Call Bryn on 746514 for details.
The big round-up
IT WAS all hands to the saddles when a steer escaped from Pympes Court Farm and made a break for freedom. The beast was seen first at the top of the so-called “40 Steps” and then later put in an appearance in Hayle Mill Road where Ann King and Maggie Davies, headed it off as it made for Tovil. Joined by a lad working at Teasaucer Stables they managed to shoo it up Bockingford Lane while emergency calls where made for reinforcements. The cavalry duly arrived in the shape of Bryn Cornwell and Pip Terry and between them the rescue party managed to drive the reluctant animal up Stockett Lane and back to its field.
Website
YOU can visit the Society’s website on www.valleyconservation.org.uk
You can email the chairman on bryncornwell@yahoo.co.uk or phone him on 01622 746514.
Next meeting
All meetings of the Society are open to all members to attend. The next meeting of the executive committee will be on Wednesday, April 1, starting at 7.30pm at Bockingford House, Cripple Street, Maidstone. Call 751926 for directions.
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Printed and published by Alan Smith, Bockingford House, Cripple Street, Maidstone, ME15 6DN.
