Cranbrook & Sissinghurst Parish Council December Councillor s Contact Numbers. Councillor Alison Bunyan Tel:

Transcription

1 Cranbrook & Sissinghurst Parish Council December 2015 Councillor s Contact Numbers Councillor Alison Bunyan Tel: Councillor Brian Clifford Tel: Councillor David Cook Tel: Councillor Andy Fairweather Tel: Councillor Trisha Fermor Tel: Councillor Bradley Franks Tel: Councillor Peter Goodchild Tel: Councillor Linda Hall Tel: Councillor Matt Hartley Tel: Councillor Graham Holmes Tel: Councillor Tim Kemp Tel: Councillor Francis Rook Vice Chairman Tel: Councillor John Smith Tel: Councillor Brian Swann Tel: Councillor Bridget Veitch Chairman Tel: Tunbridge Wells Borough Council: Councillor Linda Hall (Benenden & Cranbrook) Tel: Councillor James Hannam (Frittenden & Sissinghurst) Tel: Councillor Sean Holden (Benenden & Cranbrook) Tel: Councillor Tom Dawlings (Benenden & Cranbrook) Tel: Kent County Council: Councillor Sean Holden Tel:

2 CHAIRMAN S REPORT: Chairman Cllr. Bridget Veitch The Christmas trees are now up in Cranbrook, and looking as good as usual. Many thanks to all those who make this possible. People comment that it is so nice to have real trees being used, and the decorations are enjoyed by everyone. Cranbrook in Bloom are rightly very pleased with their award of Silver Gilt in the Britain in Bloom contest. Their celebrations in the Vestry Hall were attended by the Mayor of Tunbridge Wells and it was a very happy occasion. Many congratulations to all involved. It will have to be Gold next year! I am sure you all enjoyed the Apple Fayre in October. Certainly it was unusual to see so many boats in Cranbrook High Street. Luckily the weather was kind, and so they were not afloat. This event does take a considerable amount of organisation, so again many thanks and congratulations to everyone. The new vicar of St Dunstan s (the Rev Ann Pollington) was installed at a lovely service in November. It was very well attended, and she was given a good welcome. There were celebrations in the church afterwards, with a huge range of delicious food. The NHS Breast Clinic is now parked in the lower end of the Regal Car Park. It will be there until February. If you have been invited to attend, please take advantage of this opportunity for your health check. The annual Cranbrook Art Show was held in the Vestry Hall in November. The artists displayed a wide range of interesting work. I hope many of you were able to come and admire, and buy, the art works. The British Legion organised the Remembrance Day service and parade up to the War Memorial. This is an important event, and I was delighted how many people, young and old, attended and paraded. I was also pleased that the weather was kind, and that it did not rain on the parade. Thank you to the British Legion, and all the groups who came, too many to name all of you. You may be aware that the Appledore accommodation at Swattenden is being used as an Assessment Centre for refugees who are children. Up to 40 young men between the ages of 16 and 18 years are there, and the assessment lasts for 6-8 weeks before they are moved to more permanent homes, sometimes out of Kent. Myself, Cllrs Cook and Goodchild together with Cllr Holden, visited the centre in October, and were impressed with the amount of care and attention being given to these young men. The managers were very appreciative of the offers of help and donations, and the welcome given generally to their charges. We wish them well. 2

3 The Cranbrook Engineering site with the Hospice in the Weald Furniture store buildings has been in the news in November. As expected, the buildings were added to Tunbridge Wells Borough Council s Local Heritage Asset Register. The Planning Application for their demolition was considered by the Tunbridge Wells Planning Committee in November. After much discussion their decision was to approve the application for demolition, but with several conditions attached, and Tunbridge Wells Borough Council must be satisfied that these conditions are met before demolition can start. Two of these conditions are that the planning application for the replacement development must be approved, and that the contract for the construction of the redevelopment must be signed. (For further information refer to the Tunbridge Wells Borough Council website). Our Member of Parliament, Helen Grant, conducted a survey of resident s opinions on this topic, and her office announced the results in a press release. For your interest, of those responses for which the address was identified, a 34% response rate, 94% were in favour of demolition. A very similar figure of 93.3% were in favour when the responses for which the addresses were not known were included (38 responses). The survey was sent out to 1968 addresses. Finally I wish you all a very Happy Christmas, and send you every good wish for 2016 REPORTS FROM COMMITTEES: COMMUNITY CENTRE COMMITTEE: Chairman Cllr. Bridget Veitch The Committee Centre Committee has been discontinued for the present, as all the decisions that are expected over the next months are major ones that need to be discussed by the full Parish Council. One decision will include approval of the resubmission of the planning application for the Community Centre. The planning application for the Community Centre will be part of the planning application for the combined Cranbrook Engineering/Wilkes Field site. This is in now in preparation, and I anticipate that there will be an opportunity for the public to view the whole application and ask questions. The Community Centre part of the application will substantially be as previously submitted, with some extra details on external aspects such as landscaping and refuse collection points, and an updated Business Plan. 3

4 POLICY & RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT: Chairman Cllr. Peter Goodchild With a seasonal flavour By the time you read this the lights may well be on again with the Christmas Trees appearing in the High Street and similar decorations around the town. The festive season beckons, and as well as the Christmas Good News the churches herald together, there comes good cheer from many a merry shop window and doorway too. We hear: Behold good tiding of great joy! A Star is born It s Cranbrook in Bloom! Yes, big congratulations to everyone involved! Once again we walked away with the impressive Gold & Silver trophies from strong competition, so sincere and heartfelt thanks are due to the wonderful organisers and the splendid team of workers, as well as all those secret litter clearers and anonymous citizens who believe that every little helps. Thank you all! Plenty of agreeable comments regarding the new Horsley Place which is beginning to look like a natural piece of the landscape, as if it s always been there. A planning achievement from wise men indeed! And one must also mention the new flats at Major Clarkes - which are also well appreciated. We wait patiently and hopefully to see the planned changes to the Wilsley Green junction. But caution and counsel teach us to temper our anticipation, until the signs of contractors appear from afar. It is hoped that signs too will appear in the east, to keep traffic moving in the right direction, keeping the town centre just a little bit freer for local vehicles. Don t get the hump if progress is slow. No room in the car parks, no room in the High Street and sometimes no room to park even where there is no permission to steer. Hence the continuing need for the traffic enforcement officer to patrol the streets and parking places. That is now secured for the next five years, and one never knows when they may appear, but one will surely pay if permission is not clear! Do keep a lookout, and please help to make our streets safe for all to use, whether on foot or driving your car. It is always a privilege, as a committee of decision, to be able to assist various charities, organisations and clubs in some specific ways to encourage them and help with their causes. Whether it is for special days of community activity such as the recent Cranbrook Apple Regatta or for more private charities such as The Hospice in The Weald, it is good to resource good things for all. It was good to see the Cranbrook Art Show well attended recently boasting a fine display of a rich variety of local talent. 4

5 It is perhaps appropriate here to express thanks to this committee, and others, who quietly, faithfully and often sacrificially continue on with unseen helpful responsibilities in the background contributing to the smooth running of a community in so many and different ways. We have the ability to forget or even be unaware of the many necessary functions of an organisation all the while it works but then, if we find a breakdown somewhere, all sorts of chain reactions can begin So sincere thanks to those who do the work, carry the can and surely help to keep the town on course. Not least of course to those to whom you may turn if ever you need advice, an answer, or just someone to talk to about something that needs to be mentioned! Thanks to our great clerks for being there. We wish Cranbrook a happy and peaceful Christmas. Find contentment, enjoyment and yes, even a little sentiment that will bring joy to someone else and make this a happier town to spend Christmas in and then step into the New Year. Best wishes from us to you. BURIAL GROUNDS AND PROPERTIES: Vice Chairman Cllr. Alison Bunyan I would firstly like to wish our Chairman, Brian Clifford a speedy recovery we re all looking forward to his taking back the reins. The burial grounds and cemeteries are all looking good at the moment we have planned some repair work on the footpaths at Golford. Winter is a time to catch up with lots of work that gets left when it is all that the contractors can do to keep up with the growing grass. We are now the proud owners of one red telephone box (disconnected from the telephone system) and we have another on the way. It is nice to know that these icons will still be around albeit in a different use. Any suggestion what they could be used for? Don t forget to visit the Chapel at Golford it will be open at various times over Christmas I m sure the details appear elsewhere in this publication. A Very Happy Christmas to all. 5

6 ECONOMIC & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT: Chairman Cllr. Graham Holmes The Committee have agreed to concentrate on a number of projects and initiatives that it is hoped will firstly, provide useful information and a basis for future planning and secondly, to update some of the existing literature used by the Council as promotional tools. The Council issued what were termed, Welcome Packs, to all new residents who had moved to the Parish. These packs hopefully provided a lot of useful information to enable newcomers to quickly find their feet. The Committee considered that these packs were in need of updating in terms of content and images. Work is now in progress to complete the project and further discussions will take place on how to effectively distribute the packs. Previously the Council had enlisted the help of estate agents who active in selling properties within the Parish. Helping to promote our wonderful heritage makes a valuable contribution towards increasing the visitor experience to the Town and to this end the Committee are currently working to improve the old Shopping & Heritage leaflet. They were in need of a considerable amount of updating, but are now well on the way to completion in time for the 2016 season. The leaflets have also been designed to enable them to be easily inserted on the Borough website, within the section covering tourism. The Committee considered that it is essential to continually monitor the mood of the local population from residents, through businesses to visitors and it was decided to embark on a market research project, hopefully with the help of students from both Cranbrook School and the High Weald Academy. The results of this research will, again, provide the Council with useful information that might be used to determine future policy affecting both the economy and the community. The September Newsletter hinted that the Committee were keen to obtain feedback from businesses in the Town and this project has now commenced and some of you may have already had a visit. We obviously cannot talk to everybody but we are determined that the results will offer a useful insight into what businesses feel is needed. Speaking of businesses, we would like to welcome Bramley & Teal and Kingsfords, holiday cottage lettings and solicitors respectively. Thank you for choosing Cranbrook as a location for your business. 6

7 We were all delighted to hear the news that Cranbrook in Bloom had won the Silver Gilt Award for the Britain in Bloom competition. This is a remarkable achievement and a tribute to the dedication and hard work of a group of volunteers. This should be an inspiration to anybody with an interest in gardening and Cranbrook in Bloom are always looking to expand their team. If you think that you could give a little of your spare time to help, it would most certainly be welcome. Contact Linda Page at Page s Newsagents in the High Street if you are interested. As we approach the Christmas and New Year period, please take some time to consider those in the Parish who are either elderly, infirm of living alone. Help with the shopping or a Christmas card might make such a difference for somebody. Let us continue working to create and sustain a caring community. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT: Chairman Cllr. Francis Rook For the first time in my memory we had members of the general public attend the committee meeting, admittedly they were only concerned with one item on the agenda, but it s a start. The item that was causing so much interest was the proposed realignment of the Wilsley Junction, put forward by KCC Councillor Holden. The proposal is nowhere near a full redesign but it goes a long way towards discouraging Hawkhurst bound HGVs from coming down Waterloo Road and staying on the Angley Road. This will be achieved with proper signage and a small build out that will change the natural direction of traffic flow to be towards Angley Road rather than Waterloo Road. Hopefully this will have the effect of slowing the traffic which was the main concern of the residents living in that area. Everyone present seemed happy with this solution. The Parish Council has completed an application for funding from TWBC for some replacement play equipment for the Jubilee Field in Sissinghurst to go with the generous donation of 5,000 plus money from reserves that we put a side every year for such a purpose. Cllr. Swann had inspected the Allotments and reported that they are generally in good order with hedge cutting taking place and the cuttings being burnt on an overgrown plot before handing it over to the new holder. If you wish to have an allotment please call in the Parish office and ask the Clerk to put your name on the waiting list. The Ball Field was reported by Cllr. Goodchild, to be in good order although some of the play equipment was nearing the end of its life. The missing bench is to be replaced with a new one donated by Anne Marley in memory of her husband. The new network of land drains in the Crane Valley seems to be working although Cllr. Swann reported the emergence of another spring and the water in the Skate Board area is going to need some serious engineering to mitigate the effect of the spring in that area. 7

8 With regard to Car Parks, Cllr. Veitch reported that they were in good order and a resolution was made to get a quote for the repair of the central section in the Regal Car Park. However the demand for car parking space is forever increasing and as it has been many years since any have been created we are seriously looking at ways to improve the situation even to the extent of buying land to accommodate the ever increasing population. With regard to the refuse amenity vehicle, your Parish Council is fighting hard to keep this retained and not to have its attendance reduced. However this may mean that the Parish Council may have to pay a subsidy towards it. This would mean an element of double taxation which I strongly fought against at TWBC. Their argument is a saving of about 28,000 borough-wide a year however I believe the increase in resultant fly tipping will quickly diminish any saving whatsoever and possibly put on extra costs as a result for as on average it costs about 500 to clear up a fly-tipping incident, only one extra a week would destroy their argument on cost saving. The committee members agreed on a continuing programme of upgrading the street lights, that it owns, to LED lighting so four more would soon be replaced. The initial stages replacing damaged or redundant columns. This will in the long term represent a saving in electricity costs. We have received a good news letter confirming the public right of way across Angley Woods after councillors had given evidence that it existed. Finally the committee s budget was discussed and set for 2015 as well as rents and these will go before Full Council before setting the precept for 2016/17. Wishing you all a Very Happy Christmas and an incredibly prosperous New Year GOLFORD CHAPEL The Chapel will be open on the following days from 10.00am to 4.00pm: Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day 24 th, 25 th and 26 th December New Year s Day 1 st January 2016 For private openings please contact the Clerk, who will be happy to arrange this for you. 8

9 PLANNING & PRESERVATION MANAGEMENT: Chairman Cllr. Alison Bunyan The Gladman Appeal. In January the enquiry will be heard on the appeal against refusal of 65 dwellings in Common Road Sissinghurst. This may or may not include the refusal of the subsequent application for 60 homes. An application for 62 dwellings in Hawkhurst was recently approved at appeal mainly because the Borough Council cannot prove that they have sufficient homes due to be built to cover the five year supply particularly since the 300 per annum looks as if it will be doubled. Hawkhurst was expected to take a couple of hundred houses, Sissinghurst was not expected to take any. We hope that the fact that Sissinghurst is a village, with very little infrastructure which makes the position unsustainable, will win the day. I have talked about the proposed Neighbourhood Plan. One of our new councillors, Tim Kemp has been appointed as Chairman and we will be holding our first meeting either just before or just after Christmas. We will be looking for volunteers from all areas and all walks of life to assist with the production and its contents. This will be the Neighbourhood Plan for the Parish and although the Parish Council will co-ordinate it it is YOUR PLAN. PLEASE GET INVOLVED. The Planning Committee wish everyone a happy Christmas and New Year. It is reassuring to note that the next report will be in March when winter will hopefully be over. Winter Strategy It is the individual responsibility of every parishioner to take due care and attention in adverse weather conditions. The Cranbrook & Sissinghurst Parish Council have made no arrangements this winter for snow and ice clearance, salting or gritting of the Regal, Tanyard or Jockey Lane Car Parks. Cranbrook & Sissinghurst Parish Council will not undertake clearance of pavements within the parish. Residents and businesses are encouraged to clear the areas in front of their own property, although this will be entirely at their own risk. There are salt and grit bins throughout the Cranbrook and Sissinghurst parish for use by parishioners. Spreaders are available from the Parish Office at the corner of Stone Street, under the Vestry Hall. There is also one available from Ropemaker s Barn, The Street, Sissinghurst. Throughout the winter season all residents and visitors to Cranbrook and Sissinghurst must use the roads, car parks and pavements with due care and attention. It must be clearly understood that all users of the car parks do so at their own risk. 9

10 MORE PARISH NEWS High Weald Academy News We have had an extremely busy but rewarding start to the school year here at High Weald Academy. No sooner had we welcomed our new year 7 students than we were into the rounds of open events preparing for applications for We had the largest group of students move from year 11, GCSE year, into our growing sixth form. All this on the back of our highest set of results this summer at both GCSE and A level. Students and staff work extremely hard to ensure that every young person leaves High Weald, when the time comes, with the best set of qualifications they can achieve to open as many doors as they can to future education and careers. We have a growing partnership with Plumpton College which is enabling us to expand the range of courses we offer in the sixth form to include such subjects as forestry and animal care. We are also growing, excuse the pun, the work we are doing around horticulture right across the academy alongside the work of our award winning, outstanding farm. We were honoured to take part this term in the Cranbrook Remembrance Service and to lay a wreath side by side with other community groups at the war memorial. We were also proud to be part of the service that welcomed the new vicar to St Dunstan s; we wish Ann all the very best in her service here in Cranbrook. For the second year we shall be holding our final assembly and carol service at the Church on the last day of term. Carrie Beech Principal - November 2015 Please do look at our website for other news and events 10

11 KENT COUNTY COUNCIL/KENT COUNTY CONSTABULARY RURAL PARTNERSHIP Emergency Services Police, Fire & Ambulance Service 999 (or 112) For calls where Life and Property are in danger. When a crime is being committed. When there is a Road Traffic Collision and there is serious injury. Crime Stoppers If you have any information about any crime. Calls are free and totally anonymous and you could be eligible for an award. Police Community Support Officer PCSO Lee Jules Mobile KCC Community Warden Cranbrook & Sissinghurst Adam Osbourn Mobile Neighbourhood Watch Area Co-Ordinator For information on setting up a Neighbourhood Watch Scheme please contact Jacqui Blake on the above number. 11

12 CRANBROOK VOLUNTARY CAR SERVICE AN URGENT APPEAL FOR DRIVERS This service is available to transport people who are unable to drive or use public transport to attend appointments to local hospitals, doctors, opticians, dentists or clinics. If you can spare an hour or two occasionally (you are always free to say no if it is inconvenient) we would love to hear from you. Fuel expenses will be covered. To find out more please contact: Dave Campbell on or Evelyn Fishenden on Cranbrook WI Cranbrook WI meet on the first Tuesday of each month at the Sixth Form Centre at Cranbrook School. The meeting starts at 7.30 pm until 9.30 pm and all age groups are welcome. New members can join the Cranbrook WI at the January 2016 meeting which is being held on the 5 th January. Bun Penny News The Christmas Lunch is on Tuesday, December 8 th in the Village Hall, Sissinghurst 12

13 LASHENDEN AT WAR Cllr.Graham Holmes Although the history of the airfield on the edge of the village of Headcorn dates back to the 1920 s, it will always be remembered as a World War Two Advanced Landing Ground. It was first used for private general aviation in 1927 and remained so until 1942 when it was requisitioned by the Airfields Board and prepared for military use, as RAF Lashenden. The original intention, however, was to create a light bomber base for the proposed Operation Roundup which was the code name for an American led invasion of Northern France in the spring of At the time, the other Allies had little appetite for such an operation and eventually it was dropped in favour of Operation Torch the invasion of French North Africa in As was customary, the military airfield took its name from the nearest human settlement and so it became Lashenden, rather than Headcorn and was subsequently prepared for use as an Advanced Landing Ground, to operate fighter aircraft in accordance with the Air Staff s plans to support the proposed invasion of occupied Europe during the summer of The main runway was some 4,200ft long, whilst the secondary runway (which crossed a minor road!), was of 4,800ft. Similar Advanced Landing Grounds were created at Staplehurst, Egerton (confusingly called Headcorn!), Ashford, Brenzett, High Halden, Kingsnorth, Lydd, Newchurch, New Romney and Woodchurch. It was on the 7 th August 1943, that 127 Wing Royal Canadian Air Force, comprising No s 403 and 421 Squadrons arrived from RAF Kenley with their Spitfire IXb s under the command of Wing Commander Johnny Johnson. The following day, the Wing undertook its first sortie from Lashenden, coded, Ramrod 190. Ramrods being the escort of medium or heavy daylight bombers. This particular mission involved escorting 36, B26 Marauders that had been detailed to bomb Poix and then sweep the Pas de Calais area. Similar missions continued for the Wing until the 20 th August when the Spitfires took off for a short flight to their new base at Headcorn which, as previously stated, was actually situated at Egerton. During the winter months of 1943, Lashenden became the responsibility of the U.S. 9 th Air Force and work began to upgrade it with the laying of Sommerfeld Tracking, a steel based matting that gave a load bearing capacity and allowed operations to continue on the runways in all but the most atrocious conditions. A total of 70 concrete hardstandings to hold aircraft were also constructed around the perimeter. Accommodation for the aircrew and maintenance personnel was basic, to say the least. All but a select few lived and slept under canvas. One or two wooden buildings were erected, one of which became known as Steve s Cosy Diner, where men could enjoy some relaxation. Remarkably, this building still exists today, but now trades under the name of the Holding Point Cafe and is the focal point for those attending the nearby parachute club. 13

14 The other building served as the mess room for aircrew and that too, still exists and now serves as a lounge and briefing room for civilian pilots using the aerodrome. Whilst awaiting the arrival of the first fighters an unscheduled visitor flew in on the 29 th January 1944 in the shape of a P47 Thunderbolt, flown by Capt. David A.van Epps of the 334 th Fighter Squadron, 4 th Fighter Group. As a result of his aircraft losing power van Epps needed to find somewhere suitable to land and successfully chose the newly upgraded airstrip at Lashenden. On the 15 th April 1944, Lashenden became the responsibility of the 100 th Fighter Wing XIX Tactical Air Command and Headquarters were set up in Shenley House adjacent to the airfield, which also took on the title of Station 410. The 100 th comprised four Fighter Groups, the 363 rd at Staplehurst, 358 th at High Halden, 362 nd at Headcorn and the 354 th at Lashenden. Two days later, Lashenden reverberated to the sound of P51B Mustangs as aircraft of the 353 rd, 355 th and 356 th Fighter Squadrons, 354 th Fighter Group, flew in from Boxted in Essex, under the command of Lt.Col. George R.Bickell. The 354 th had already achieved fame as their Mustangs were the first to be equipped with the wellknown Merlin engine. Initially, the aircraft had blue painted noses to ease identification but this was eventually superseded by individual colour schemes for each of the squadrons. The following day the 354 th were airborne undertaking their first mission from Lashenden, when they were tasked with supporting the withdrawal of bombers that had been attacking Brandenberg. Whilst this was going on, personnel spent much of the day digging slit trenches around the airfield and many had opted for an early night under canvas. However, they were awoken in the early hours by an air raid warning which, according to the diary of one man, consisted of two men dashing madly about in a Jeep sounding a rather small siren. Those that responded were treated to, a sight they had long waited to witness that of an enemy plane being shot down. Away to the south, a Mosquito of No.96 Squadron, based at West Malling, had attacked a Junkers 88A-4 belonging to the 6 th Staffel of Kampfgeschwader 6 which was returning from a largely unsuccessful bombing mission on Central London. The pilot of the Ju88, Uffz.Helmut Harbauer and his crew were taken completely by surprise by the nightfighter s sudden attack and immediately abandoned the stricken aircraft as it came down in flames, crashing on the outskirts of Cranbrook. Only two of the four man crew survived. This incident was covered in an earlier story entitled, First and Last Mission. There was another unscheduled arrival at Lashenden in the early hours of the 26 th April 1944, when an Avro Lancaster of No.83 Squadron carried out an emergency landing after losing two of its four engines to anti-aircraft fire whilst over Munich. The landing was quite a remarkable feat, given that the runways were not considered long enough to cope with an aircraft the size of a Lancaster. 14

15 It would have been difficult enough to land a Lancaster using all four engines and for his courage and skill bringing the aircraft and its crew safely back from Munich, the pilot, Warrant Officer Kenneth Lane was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. This has also been covered by a story entitled, Striking at the Heart. The 354 th were now carrying out escort missions on a regular basis and as a result of contacts with the Luftwaffe, some of the pilots were beginning to increase their scores of enemy aircraft destroyed in combat. Sadly the casualty rate also started to rise as pilots failed to return from operations. On the 27 th April, the first dive bombing attacks on ground targets, usually railway installations began, with each Mustang carrying two 250lb or a single 500lb bomb. The 1 st May 1944 heralded the visit to Lashenden of King Peter of Yugoslavia accompanied by an entourage of senior 9 th Air Force top brass. The residents of Headcorn were now used to the sights and sounds of a busy airfield, but were not perhaps expecting parts of an aircraft to drop from the sky! It happened when a house in the village appeared to have been struck by an external fuel tank which may have fallen from an aircraft taking off from one of the other Advanced Landing Grounds in the area. The house caught fire and had it not been for the timely intervention of an Army Liaison Officer attached to the 354 th, who happened to be passing in his Jeep and used its fire extinguisher to good effect, the house would have been destroyed. The occupants of the house suffered minor burns and were treated by medical staff at the airfield. As May turned to June, the 354 th assisted with D-day operations on the 6 th June, providing fighter escort to the Douglas C47 glider tugs as they headed for the Cherbourg Peninsular, a duty that was repeated the following day. With the establishment of the Allied beachhead in Normandy, thoughts now turned to transferring the 354 th to France. Late on the 21 st June the first P51 s left Lashenden for Criqueville and over the next few days the remaining aircraft followed them, leaving behind the officers and men of the Ground Echelon to complete the packing of equipment. Orders arrived that they were to depart Lashenden for Southampton at 13.00hrs, for onward travel to Criqueville via Omaha beach. By September 1944, Station 410 had been de requisitioned and by January of the following year the site had been returned to agricultural use. Civilian flying began again in the early 1960 s, with the encouragement of the owner, Chris Freeman. A second hand wartime hangar was acquired and erected and later, a blister hangar appeared. Over the following 40 years, the aerodrome went from strength to strength and is now under the guidance of Chris s son, Jamie. The aerodrome now boasts a number of aviation businesses, an air warfare museum, a parachute club and a considerable number of privately owned light aircraft. To continue the link with its past, Lashenden now sees regular visits during the summer months by such iconic aircraft as the Spitfire and occasionally, the Hurricane. Once again, the area resounds to the unmistakable sound of the Rolls Royce Merlin. 15

16 PARISH WARDEN: Ivor Hatcher I see myself extremely fortunate to be looking after the little chapel at Golford Cemetery. It is a place of peace; somewhere for reflection. When I first had the responsibility of the chapel, it was bleak with no electricity, therefore no heating. The windows were plain and a large coconut mat stretched from the door to the altar. A single bell, which was off key, occupied the external bell tower. A dismal place which was used very occasionally for private funerals. In the early nineties, the Parish Council decided that something needed to be done with the chapel before it became even more run down. The first thing that happened was that an electricity supply was put into the brick building and the cable was laid from Dulwich School, along the path to the rear of the chapel. Electricity meant lights and a chandelier was hung in the main chapel with spotlights located on the arched wooden roof beams. Heating was installed in the chapel where previously, an open fire in the vestry provided the only source of heat. The chapel was painted inside and out, giving it a new lease of life; more welcoming. The chapel did become used a little more but I personally felt that perhaps more people would benefit from using it for a place of reflection and solace, as it had become for me. Being the key holder, I could enter the chapel whenever I wanted and felt privileged to do so. I suggested to the Parish Council that maybe the chapel should be opened on certain days of the year for those visiting the cemetery so that they too could experience the tranquility that I myself experienced. I believed that as people didn t attend church as much as they used to, the chapel might provide a place to go, to pray and reflect without pressure, providing privacy for folk that were not members of a particular church. They agreed and so began the tradition of opening the chapel on high days and holidays as well as for private funerals. In later years, the chapel has been open on Wednesdays from April until October, which are in line with the opening times of Cranbrook Museum and Cranbrook Windmill. It is also open on some Sundays and Bank Holidays. A tremendous boost to the aesthetics of the chapel was the installation of the beautiful stained glass windows. The main window depicts the four seasons with the sun set at differing heights for each season in each section. The pictures are very much modern art and were designed by Michael Woodford, the former caretaker of Cranbrook Primary School, a very talented artist whose paintings are admired by many. Mike s work was interpreted by Isobel Ackery who cut the glass and transformed it into the beauty of the windows that we see today. 16

17 Scenes portray the countryside that surrounds us with the themes of hops and apples running through. One of the side windows depicts some of the landmarks of the town and includes a crane, the bird that has become the emblem of Cranbrook. The windows have been viewed by people from all around the world and have even been compared to the windows decorated by the great artist, Russian born Marc Chagall, in All Saint s Church, Tudeley, Kent. If you want to visit this welcoming little chapel, it will be open during the Christmas period with dates and times as are listed on the noticeboard in the cemetery. Private viewing can be arranged through the Parish office. THOUGHTS AND IDEAS FROM THE CLERK: Christmas is rushing towards us and there are many events taking place in the Parish during this festive season. I have included some of the December Parish Church Services for your information. St. Dunstan s Church, Cranbrook: Christmas Eve 4.00 p.m. Crib Service Christmas Eve p.m. Midnight Mass Christmas Day a.m. Christmas Family Service Trinity Church, Sissinghurst: Sunday 6th 11 a.m. Christingle Service Sunday 20th 5.00 p.m. Carols by Candlelight Service Christmas Eve 4.00 p.m. Crib Service p.m. Midnight Communion WE WOULD TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO WISH YOU A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY AND HEALTHY NEW YEAR Clerk: Mrs. Coral Kirkaldie Deputy Clerk: Mrs. Lori Ham Newsletter Published by Cranbrook & Sissinghurst Parish Council The Old Fire Station, Stone Street, Cranbrook, Kent TN17 3HF Telephone Fax address: clerk@cranbrookandsissinghurstpc.co.uk 17