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

Welcome to West Farleigh’s own

LIFELINE

Distributed freely in March 2021 Edition 530. Editors Stephen Norman, Helen Swan and Jacky Taylor.
Website www.thefarleighs.co.uk Email editor@thefarleighs.co.uk Cover photo Ed Boyd
Deadline for next edition 20th March. 2021 See article on page 6

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 HELP!
WE NEED A NEW PLATFORM
Our website thefarleighs.co.uk is built
on a basic freeola platform.
We need more power.
We’re looking for web-literate
volunteers who can help us choose
and migrate to a new platform…
Email editor@thefarleighs.co.uk

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PASTORAL LETTER

Do you sometimes feel you’re caught in some kind of time warp? Or living the
experience of ‘Groundhog Day’? How do we experience time, particularly when
our normal routines have been disrupted? Has our sense of time somehow
collapsed? With fewer ‘landmarks’ in our lives, it’s sometimes even difficult to
remember which day of the week it is.
In our Western culture we tend to view time as linear, with a definitive beginning
and end. We talk about wasting, spending and saving time, so as time is viewed as
limited in supply, we structure our lives by milestones and deadlines. We think of
time as a road along which we proceed, with life referred to as a ‘journey’, and
death as the ‘end of the road’. We imagine ourselves as having travelled along the
part of the road that is behind us (the past) and we see the untrodden path of the
future stretching out in front of us.
Our culture is also predominantly ‘monochronic’; that is, we prefer to do only one
thing at a time, to concentrate on it and do it within a fixed schedule. This is how
we think we get more things done — and more efficiently. Others perceive time differently. More importance is
placed on doing things in the right way and maintaining harmony, rather than worrying about getting things done
‘on time’. The driving forces are not schedules or punctuality, but the view of the present reality being more
important than appointments. Priority is given to the relative excitement or significance of each human encounter as
this is seen as the best use of time.
In some Eastern cultures, time is viewed neither as linear nor relationship related, but as cyclic. Each day the sun
rises and sets, the seasons follow one another, people grow old and die, but their children reconstitute the process.
This cycle has gone on for 100,000 years and more, so cyclical time is not a scarce commodity. There’s a saying
‘when God made time, He made plenty of it’.
Where does God fit into our perceptions of time? As Christians we believe that God is eternal – a challenging
concept, and personally I find the ‘always has been’ aspect harder than the ‘always will be’ part. But God is also
‘temporal’ in that he exists at each moment in time. He also intervenes in our time. Many stories in the Bible point to
this, most specifically the pivotal event of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.
Whatever challenges we currently face as we struggle with using our time, worrying about our future, or regretting
the past, we can believe that God is alongside us, sharing our time here on earth, and beyond.

Alison Callway

Current Church Services

All worship in our churches is suspended. We will continue to hold online (Zoom) services each Sunday at
10.30am: http://bit.ly/UnitedBenefice.

*** STOP PRESS *** There will be a service at All Saints on Easter Sunday. More details to follow or see the
benefice website: https://unitedbenefice.church/

World Day of Prayer 7.30pm zoom service On Friday 5th March 2021.
The service is entitled ‘Build on a Strong Foundation’ and has been prepared by Christian Women of Vanuatu.
http://bit.ly/VanuatuDayofPrayer
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81619142059?pwd=dXZ3cTBMUDhuOU9QTXQxdVorSi9mZz09

Meeting ID: 816 1914 2059

Passcode: 316

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 WELCOME TO WEST FARLEIGH

Michael and Susanne

Michael (Tonkin, 65) and Susanne (Knuth,57) had been looking for a house for three
years, and are happy that they found Greenwood (the former home of Alf Board and
his family).
By trade Michael is a toolmaker and engineer who ran a shop fitting company for 30
years in Croydon. He loves working on property is keen to repair and update their new
home. Susanne is from Germany living in England with Michael for the last 8 years. She
loves gardening and is a student and practitioner of Jin Shin Jyutsu for over 20 years.

William and Alex

William and Alex Norman are very pleased to have moved into Elmscroft House
at last. Renovation of the house started in April and for the last few months
they have been the painters and decorators. William is no stranger to West
Farleigh as Smiths Hall is his family home. Alex is also a Kent girl living in
Sevenoaks as a child. They have spent the last decade living and working in
London, Alex as an antique dealer and upholsterer.
They have recently acquired a Dalmatian puppy, Roxy, and soon will be
collecting a Golden Retriever puppy. To add even more fun, they are expecting
their first child in August.

Julia Large

Julia has moved into Peacehaven, with her three dogs. She supports two young women
with special needs. You may meet them when out for a walk with the dogs, when
lockdown is eased. Julia enjoys walking in the countryside and also cycling. There are
plenty of lovely places to walk and ride locally so we hope she enjoys her new home
and environment.

Sharon and Ross

Sharon and Ross married back in 2007. They had been living in
Chatham before moving to our village. They have moved into the
house previously own by Dave and Nickie Cheeseman, (who have
now moved to Hampshire to be nearer to their son Matthew).
They are or “were” both heavily into fitness, having both
completed the London Marathon as well as taking on numerous
other challenges throughout the years. They are both animal
lovers and the family is complete with cat Lucy and dog Bucky,
both of which are rescues and will enjoy their new environment.

We wish our new neighbours much happiness in their new homes and we look forward to seeing them at village
events. Once we able to meet again!

If you have moved into the village recently and have not been contacted by one of the editorial team and would like
a welcome, do contact them editor@thefarleighs.co.uk . We will be pleased to welcome you. Jungle drums
sometimes beat quietly and we don’t always hear the message.

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 BOB CAUDWELL
1920-2021

Bob Caudwell celebrated his 100th birthday in June last

year. Sadly, we were not able to celebrate with him due
to lockdown.

It is with much sadness that we report that he died at

home on 27th January, from prostate cancer.

When he moved to Kent at the age of 76, to be nearer

his son, he became the organist and choirmaster at
Linton Church, where he became a well-loved member
of the church. He also played at other churches in the
Benefice to help out. We will all remember, fondly, his
introduction to We Three Kings “full of eastern promise”
and his impromptu rendering of secular Christmas songs
at the end of our Carols Services.

He liked the organ at West Farleigh as it has a theatre

organ setting. He entertained the Evergreens, playing
anything and everything without music, while the
Evergreens enjoyed afternoon tea. He also used to play
when Linton church had their Strawberry teas.
Latterly Bob had to endure deafness and poor eyesight,
playing hymns from memory, and with Margaret
prodding him to tell him the vicar was ready to start the
service etc.

“Ready to play” at All Saints

Bob served with the Liverpool Welsh tank Regiment in

WW11. He served in Egypt, North Africa. Sicily, Italy and
Greece, where he was a frontline infantryman. He
conducted the regimental choir and his concerts were
broadcast by the BBC.
He later enrolled as a teacher and taught Maths, Science
and music. He gained the Licentiateship of the Royal
Academy of Music and became a Fellow of the Royal
College of Organists. At the summit of Mt Etna, Sicily, 1944

He will be missed by many and our condolences go to his family and close friend Margaret, with whom he enjoyed
many holidays.

His funeral is on Tuesday 9th March, invitations only. However, it is being live streamed from the Crematorium so
that we can all attend. We will send out the link in a village Info Email, nearer the time.

Do look at the website www.thefarleighs.co.uk where, there is a short clip of Bob playing the West Farleigh organ.

STOP PRESS
We are sorry to report that Lottie Henty died in her sleep at home. Our condolences go to her family.
We are also sad to report that Pat Wilmshurst, from East Farleigh, but known to many of us, has also died.
More news in the April edition.

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 TUTSHAM MILL
Many Lifeline readers will have seen Tutsham Mill on the bank
of the Medway from the weir in Teston Country Park. (See front
cover) Perhaps, you have heard rumours of its mysterious
underground tunnels, verified recently by Kent Archaeological
Society’s underground group. The mill is on privately owned
land in Tutsham, West Farleigh and recent owners have cleared
much of the ivy that long concealed it. If you have not looked
across in the last 5 years it is worth a visit to the weir. This is a
brief summary of the mill’s history.
The first evidence of a mill at West Farleigh comes from
Domesday Book. It is possible that it was on the same site as
now, where the Ewell stream enters the Medway. During the
13th century it was owned jointly by a local landowner, James,
son of Gilbert de Tutesham, and Leeds Priory.
The mill then disappears from the historical record until the famous engineer, John Rennie, working for Teston’s
Charles Middleton, the first Lord Barham, was the project engineer who extended the then existing mill. Charles had
obtained the Barham title after being called from retirement by William Pitt to be the First Sea Lord at a critical time
in the Napoleonic Wars. He was Nelson’s boss in 1805 when there was a small naval battle at a place called Trafalgar.
Despite the reputations of both Rennie and Middleton they encountered much resistance in extending the mill, from
the Medway Navigation Company, which had controlled the Medway since it was made navigable in the mid-18th
century.
The mill changed hands frequently after Middleton’s death until it reverted back to Barham Court and was extended
again in 1880 by Roger Leigh, using the very latest machinery. This was the subject of articles in The Engineer and
across the Atlantic in Scientific American. However, it was not a commercial success even before it burnt down in
1885.

In its heyday the mill’s sheer scale would have dominated the scene, and have generated considerable activity on the
river with barges arriving and leaving. The noise of its machinery would have been intrusive, 24 hours a day at some
times. When it burnt down the noise of 100 tonnes of oil exploding must have been terrific, and local villagers
assembled in large numbers “to witness the grand and exciting spectacle”.
Like at least 18 other mills in Kent, Tutsham was an oil mill. Not petroleum but linseed oil. It imported linseed, the
seed of the flax plant, crushed it and converted it to oil and cake. The oil was used in soaps, candles, paints,
lubricants and, after 1870, in margarine. The cake was mainly fed to cattle, particularly in winter, but also used as a
fertiliser. The commercial failure of the mill was probably due to its location: competition in Strood, with deep water
facilities, could import the raw material in large ships at a lower cost.
Since the 1885 fire, the mill has decayed gracefully and romantically. Thank you, Terry Bird.

For a fuller account and more pictures and plans, go to the website www.thefarleighs.co.uk in the history section.
A book about the mill is also available from Teston Community shop.

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NESTING TIME by Ray Morris

As milder weather returns, birds begin gathering nest material in the garden - small
twigs, bits of grass, or pulling moss from the lawn. Blue and great tits can use a
prodigious volume of moss for the foundations of their nests, especially if it’s in a large
nest box. Blackbirds and thrushes weave grass and fine twiglets into a cup shape
before lining it with grass, in the case of the blackbird, or a layer of mud (there’s no
shortage of that) if it’s a song thrush. How thrushes do it without plastering
themselves with mud I don’t know!

What I find truly remarkable is the construction

skills of the pair of crows who have nested right
at the tip of a mature chestnut tree in our
garden for almost ten years. On the top of the
ridge, the crown of this tree is rarely still for
long, yet our two intrepid builders managed to
construct a nest of sturdy twigs that has stood
the test of time, needing only an annual bit of
DIY to knock it into shape again for each new
clutch. But how did they manage to get the very
first twig to stay put while they went off to
collect the subsequent ones?

We’ve named our pair Russel and Sheryl Crow. I doubt it’s the same pair after ten years, but every summer they, or
their successors, have managed to fledge young. It’s fascinating to watch their courtship as it’s about the only time
you can work out who is Russel and who is Sheryl. Sexes are identical, so can only be told apart in the breeding
season. Males are slightly larger than females, but to use that method you need to catch them to take the
measurements of wings, legs and depth of bill. That’s not easy - I’ve tried setting a special trap, but they are always
one step ahead of me!
So, for yet another year, I will have to study them closely while eating my breakfast, hoping to catch the moment
when their behaviour will demonstrate who is who. Not that it will be a lot of good as, being identical in appearance,
as soon as they separate, I’ll be none the wiser again!

Returning to the tits. I’m often asked if it’s helpful to put

out nest material for them. It’s something I did for many
years, until I started to check the progress of nesting
attempts of swallows in stables. They made use of the
plentiful horsehair to line their nests and it was not unusual
to find chicks tangled in it. On two occasions when a brood
had fledged, I found a pathetic corpse hanging by its neck
on horsehair. Tits in nests with sheep’s wool can also get
entangled. So, I leave nature to its own devices. If birds
can’t find enough nesting material in your garden or
nearby, they almost certainly won’t be able to find enough
food for their chicks.

Fortunately, Russel and Sheryl make do with leaves.

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Evergreens
The leaders, have been ringing the members regularly to keep in touch. Two of the members
have had falls and quite by chance they ended up in Sevenoaks hospital in adjacent beds! We
hope that they will be home soon. Others are waiting for operations that are required, but not
lifesaving, so they are having a frustrating time waiting for dates etc.
All are waiting patiently and impatiently for lockdown to be lifted and we can start having
meetings again. It has emphasised the value and need of groups like the Evergreens. Hopefully
by the summer we may be able to meet, if not go on a few trips, but we are not banking on this,
we just don’t know what the future will bring.

We were lucky to have a Zoom Meeting in February with a lady, Jane Napper who makes
chocolate. She showed how to make chocolate with salted caramel fillings, they turned
out to look like marble. It was such a shame that we could not taste any of the chocolates,
but they did make our mouths water. We will certainly invite her back when we return to
the hall for our meetings. Have you ever thought about joining us at our WI, why not
come along to our meeting as our guest, of course when we return, meet and talk to the
members, and chat, while enjoying our refreshments. We will let you know when we will
be able to resume our meetings. If you would like just to have a chat then please ring me Pam on 07711590402.

Sports Report
That’s right! There isn’t one!
All our Football Cricket and Netball teams are still waiting for the day, when they can start playing again.

Club News
Our latest lucky winners

115 Alan Smith £30

73 David Swan £20
64 Kevin Shilling £10

Yours in sport Tel

Tel

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Page 9 of 12
LOCAL TRADES LISTINGS (neighbours who can help you)

Business Business service Contact

name (40 chars max) Website name phone no email
Firefly
Payroll Jason 01622
Services Payroll www.fireflypayroll.com Hart 934110 enquiries@fireflypayroll.com
Professional &
No Muck'in affordable Sarah 0788
About cleaning services Dunn 5634559 nomuckinabout@outlook.com
Electrical
Heathside Installation and Mr 07976
Electrical maintenance www.heathsideelectrical.co.uk Sephton 895001 enquiries@heathsideelectricals.co.uk
01622
842481 or
Richard 07758
Pest Purge Pest Control www.pestpurge.co.uk Lee 615101 richard@pestpurge.co.uk
Plumbing & Darren 01622 darren@dward.biz
D Ward Heating Services Ward 814178
Top Dog Fencing and Sam 07708 Topdogmaintenance@icloud.com
Fencing Gates Morton 530166

It’s amazing how much talent there is just next door!

YOU TOO can list your product or service here for just £20 a year, that’s less than £2 a month.

Contact space@thefarleighs.co.uk for more details.

LITTER PICKING

Seventeen volunteers turned out to our

postponed Litter pick on 21st March.

What a great community we live in!

NEXT PICK

SUNDAY 7TH MARCH

Meet on the Green at 9 am.

Equipment will be provided.

Don’t miss it!

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IN THE GARDEN with Jon Fenlon

So, as I write this the ground is covered in snow, the temperature is

-2 and the wind is howling. Yet the garden persists, it doesn’t falter
it just keeps on going, the Aconites, Witch Hazel and Hellebores are
all flowering. The tulips are already on their way!

If like a lot of people in lockdown you find yourself gazing out

of the window at the garden, now is your time to shine. Take
some of this time to look at your garden and decide what
you really want from it. Your garden is full of endless
possibility whether that be an outdoor entertaining area,
wildflower meadow, tropical paradise or even an outdoor
gym. Take the time to really consider your gardens variety of
uses for the entire family and come up with a plan, if you
struggle with inspiration there is plenty of information online
or consider hiring a local qualified gardener/ designer.
Chances are most of us are unlikely to be going away on a
summer holiday, so are gardens this year could be getting a
lot of use. Make it the best it can be for you and your family!

In the garden at Smiths Hall we have been busy finishing off the winter rounds consisting of weeding, pruning,
training climbers and clearing off every bed. We have planted some new climbing roses that will come into their own
in the next 3 years. We plant our roses with mycorrhizal fungi on the root system in a well composted hole. The RHS
say “Mycorrhizas are beneficial fungi growing in association with plant roots and exist by taking sugars from plants
‘in exchange for moisture and nutrients gathered from the soil by the fungal strands. The mycorrhizas greatly
increase the absorptive area of a plant, acting as extensions to the root system.” Next time your planting roses or
shrubs give it a go. You might find your plants establish quicker than without it.

During March we will finish off the pruning of shrubs such as buddleia, wisteria and hydrangea. All these plants have
a woody framework so depending on how you wish to have the plant will depend on how you prune it. Our buddleia
for example, have a good framework so we will be
cutting them down to 2 or 3 buds per structural stem.

Hope everyone continues to stay safe and happy

planning!

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