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A Letter from the Rector
Dear All
As we step into a new year, it’s a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the recent Christmas season and the ever-changing seasons of our lives. The joy of Christmas lingers in our hearts, reminding us of the hope and light that Jesus brings into our world.
This past Christmas, we celebrated the birth of Jesus who truly is the Saviour of the earth. As we reflect on this fact each, just for a moment, consider the significance in God of new beginnings, His love, and the promise of redemption. As we lit our candles and sang familiar carols, we were reminded of the humble manger and the profound truth that God chose to enter our world in such an ordinary, yet extraordinary way.
Christmas is not just about receiving gifts; it’s a time to give and share. Whether through acts of kindness, donations to those in need, or simply offering a listening ear, we embody Christ’s love when we serve others.
Our gatherings during the Christmas season were a testament to the strength of our community. The joy of fellowship, the warmth of shared meals, and the laughter of children remind us that we are never alone on this journey of faith.
As we transition into January, we are reminded that life is filled with seasons—each with its own purpose and beauty.
Winter is a season that represents dormancy and rest. Just as nature takes a break, we too are called to reflect, recharge, and seek God’s guidance for the year ahead. It’s a time for focus on our own wellbeing and prayer, allowing ourselves to be still and listen for God’s voice.
In Spring we will see signs of new life emerging. This is a metaphor for growth and renewal. Just as flowers bloom after the cold, we are invited to embrace the new opportunities and challenges that God places before us.
Summer and Autumn seasons bring their own joys and trials. Summer represents the vibrancy of life, while fall reminds us of the beauty in letting go. Each season teaches us valuable lessons about faith, resilience, and trust in God’s plan.
As we embark on this new year, let’s carry the light of Christmas in our hearts and be open to what God has in store. Consider setting spiritual goals for the year. Whether it’s committing to regular prayer, studying Scripture, or participating in church activities, intentionality can deepen our faith. Let’s continue to support one another in our journeys. Join us for upcoming events and service projects that foster community and reflect Christ’s love.
In this season of new beginnings, let us remember that God is with us through every season of life. May we find joy in the journey, comfort in His presence, and strength in our community.
Wishing you and your families a blessed and fulfilling New Year!
Rev Barry
Diary: St Peter & St Paul, Saltwood
Our regular pattern of worship includes a service every Sunday at 10am. Usually this is Holy Communion (to which all are welcome, whether or not you choose to receive communion) with a Family Service on the fourth Sunday of each month. Other services of Holy Communion, including ‘Book of Common Prayer’ services at Saltwood and Pedlinge, are shown on the website calendar, along with all services and events for the month.
Bubble Church, for families with Toddlers, is held in the Lads’ Club at 10am on the first Sunday of the month; Sunday Club, for children aged 3 – 10 is held at 10am in the Lads’ Club, on the third Sundays in term time.
Some extra dates to note in your diary:-
Thursdays – 18.00 – Bell Ringing Practice
Thursdays – 19.00 – Choir Practice
Fridays – N.B. – Carol Eastell’s day off
Fridays – 9.00 Prayer Group in the church
Saturday 3rd – 10.00 – Book fair in the Lads’ Club
Monday 5th – 14.00 – Monday Chats in the Lads’ Club – and each following Monday
Tuesday 6th – NB – Our Rector’s Day off – and each following Tuesday
Wednesday 7th – 10.00 – Toddler Group in the lads’ Club
Wednesday 7th – 14.00 Afternoon Prayer Group at 34 Harpswood Lane
Sunday 11th – 16.00 – Bonfire and bangers at Saltwood Church
Wednesday 14th – 14.00 Cinema Club in the Lads’ Club
Saturday 17th – 18.00 Quiz Night in the Lads’ Club
Sunday 25th – 16.00- Taize Service at Lympne church
Useful Contacts
Rector – Rev Barry Knott: Telephone: 01303 883243 email: rev.barry@icloud.com
Church website: www.lympneandsaltwoodchurches.org.uk
Community Support Hub: 01303 269602
Parish Pastoral Support: 0300 030 1330
Children & Families Ministry (including weddings and baptisms) – Christine Clover:
Telephone: 0300 030 1662 email: christineclover@lympneandsaltwoodchurches.uk
Lads’ Club Bookings: Jan Heard 01303 266945 email: jan.entendu@gmail com
Parish Magazine: Beth Lewsey 01303 264577 email: parishmagazine@saltwoodchurch.org
Items for the February Magazine
If you have any items for the February edition of the magazine, please forward to Beth Lewsey, by the 24th January
by email if possible, to: parishmagazine@saltwoodchurch.org
or deliver to 20 Castle Avenue. (Tel 01303 264577).
Saltwood Church Pastoral Group
Caring for One Another
‘And let us look out for one another to provoke love and good works’ (Hebrews 10:24)
Our Pastoral Group meet monthly to seek ways of offering support to those who are going through difficult or challenging times. If you know someone you are concerned about, or if you have concerns yourself, please contact us. You will always find a friendly voice and a listening ear at the end of the line. Caring for others is at the heart of Christian life and you can help us by being our eyes and ears, letting us know of anyone who is in need.
Contacts: 01303 266454 01303 883243
A Prayer for the month of January
Heavenly Father,
As the dawn of 2026 unfolds, we pause to thank You for the gift of life, the lessons of the past, and the promise of what lies ahead.
Bless this year with peace in our hearts, clarity in our minds, and strength in our spirit.
Guide our steps so they align with
Your purpose, and let kindness flow through our words and actions.
Protect our loved ones, heal the broken, and bring light to places shadowed by fear or doubt.
May this year be filled with growth, joy, and opportunities to serve others with love.
May we place every plan, dream, and challenge into Your hands, putting our trust in You,
Through Jesus Christ our Lord,
Amen.
Intercessions for January
Today we pray especially for:-
1 Those who live in Bartholomew Close and Lea Close
2 Those who protect us – the emergency services
3 All who worship at St Peter & St Paul and at Pedlinge
4 Saltwood school, at the start of a new term
5 The lonely, thinking particularly of those known to you
6 Those who live in Bartholomew Lane and St John’s Road
7 Those who visit our church and those who make use of it
8 Holy Trinity Folkestone, St George Folkestone, and St. Paul Sandgate
9 Our organists and choir
10 Canterbury Cathedral, Diocesan House and their staffs
11 Those who live in Hillcrest Road and Quarry Lane
12 Those who care for the church and churchyard and make them beautiful
13 The national role of the Church of England
14 St John the Baptist Folkestone
15 Our neighbours
16 Those who live in Holly Close and Mulberry Court
17 Those unsure of their future, thinking particularly of those known to you
18 St Augustine’s Primary School – staff and pupils
19 The Pilgrims Hospice
20 Families going through difficult times, thinking particularly of those known to you
21 Those who live in North Road West, North Road and Barrack Hill
22 Those parts of the world where there is war or political strife and those who suffer as a result
23 Our own benefice with St Stephen Lympne
24 His Majesty’s Government and Members of Parliament
25 Compassion UK
26 Those who live in Pedlinge and Sandling
27 The terminally ill and their families, thinking particularly of those known to you
28 Our study groups
29 Other, non-Anglican, churches in the local area
30 Folkestone Rainbow Centre
31 Those who live in Sandling Road and Highfield Close
Quote
Life is too short for us to do everything we want to do; but it is long enough for us to do everything God wants us to do.
– Anon
Used Stamps
A reminder that any stamps you have from post received can be used to raise funds for charity. It would be helpful if you could separate the UK ones from the overseas ones and trim the borders to 1 cm. Melissa Russell will be pleased to receive them from you. Thank you!
Saltwood Cinema Club
will be showing
THE THURSDAY MURDER CLUB
On Wednesday 14th January
at 2pm in the Lads’ Club
Four irrepressible retirees spend their time solving cold case murders for fun, but their casual sleuthing takes a thrilling turn when they find themselves with a real whodunit on their hands
Cost £5 per person to include tea and cake
All proceeds to the Lads’ Club Funds
Notes from the Choir
Happy New Year everyone, festivities over for 2025, we now look forward to new beginnings, new resolutions, and most of all hopes for peace and tranquillity in 2026.
Here are some lyrics to a song our little Music Group used to sing most years in January. The song is called ‘Candlemas Eve’ and based on an old poem about the passing of the seasons and how new things succeed the old:-
“Down with the rosemary and bay, down with the mistletoe
Instead of holly now upraise the greener box to show
The holly hitherto did sway, let box now domineer
Until the dancing Easter Day on Easter eve appear
Now youthful box which now has grace your houses to renew
Grown old surrender just it’s place unto the freshened yew
When yew is out then birch comes in and many the flowers besides
Both of a fresh and fragrant kin to honour Whitsuntide.
Thus times do shift, thus times do shift, each thing its time doth hold
New things succeed, new things succeed as former things grow old.”
We also look forward to a new term in our choir, there are Evensong services to rehearse for and it really is not that long until Easter on 5th April. We will be singing some of the most moving hymns and anthems during Passiontide, so please do come and share these with us, they are too beautiful to keep to ourselves.
All of us in the choir would like to pay tribute to our dear Richard Baulch, who recently passed away. He was a true friend and inspiration to so many people, and touched so many lives with his warmth, humour, and incredible musical talent.
In the absence of a musical director, he gave so much of his time to the choir – although he was the first to admit that he was more an entertainer than choir master – taking us most Thursday evenings without one murmur of complaint, in fact he rather enjoyed himself. On several occasions we would finish our hymns and he would go straight into band music or play Rachmaninov, just straight off, no music, just pure talent, and the smile on his face was utter joy. We shall all miss him so much. Thank you, Richard, for the music.
Fran Dyer
BOOK FAIR
Wild West Supper & Quiz Night
Tickets are going fast, approx. two-thirds sold, so book your places now to avoid disappointment. Also, like last time, I need tickets to be paid for in advance (either with cash or the plastic bank cards machine) and by latest Sunday 4th January please.
A reminder -the Wild West themed Supper & Quiz Night is on Saturday 17th January 2026 at 6pm in Saltwood Lads’ Club. Tickets are £10. All proceeds go to St Peter & St Paul church funds.
Sadly, it’s not possible for the Lads’ Club to provide a hot supper. But we won’t be put off by this and we will still have a Wild West Supper together although it will have to be a bring-your-own supper (please bring your own plates & cutlery but glasses provided). Wine and soft drinks available! We ask that you don’t bring your own drinks and support the bar by donations.
The evening starts with some short games and supper followed by the quiz with prizes for winning teams. During the evening there are more games (for which please bring some £1 coins), more prizes and a raffle.
Wild West being the theme, please dress up in cowboy/cowgirl and rancher outfits, and dig out those checked shirts, neckerchiefs, jeans/gingham dresses and cowboy/cowgirl hats (just suggestions!) – anything that goes with the Wild West! Prizes for the best outfits!
To make a team table booking (max 6 per table) or to just come as a couple or as an individual (and a table will be assigned), please contact me at pkent.email@gmail.com or on 01303-266140 or see me at the back of the church (Saltwood) after Sunday 10am services where I will be most weeks. Anyone can come, it’s not just for Saltwood and Lympne churches and you don’t have to be a churchgoer so bring your friends and neighbours! The last quiz was a great success and a sell-out. The Lads’ Club has a finite capacity, so it’s first come first served, don’t wait to the last minute!
An evening of fun and fellowship – cowboy style! Look forward to seeing you!
Peter Kent
Resolutions
A new year is traditionally a time to reflect on how we might do better – and many of us make New Year’s Resolutions, though how long we manage to keep them is another matter altogether … Perhaps that’s because we try to do things in our own strength, rather than asking for God’s help!
Here are a few things we might consider as we make plans and resolutions for this new year:-
From the Parish Magazine – JANUARY 2006
January 2006 was a quiet month in Saltwood, so instead of ‘news’ here is a thoughtful page from twenty years ago:-
Wardens’ Corner
From John Campbell: –
Elham Deanery Matters:
As well as being Churchwarden, I am also one of your deanery representatives and Co-Lay Chair of the Deanery Synod. Over the past few months there has been a quiet but very encouraging stirring across the deanery, as people from different parishes have begun meeting, listening, praying, and getting to know one another a little better. It has not been about programmes or plans, but about making space for God to speak and for relationships to grow. This sits within a wider, quiet awakening that is becoming visible across society — a sovereign work of God, drawing people back into relationship with Him, often in simple and unexpected ways: a desire to come into church, to open a Bible, or to read one for the first time. We sense that our call, in this season, is to be ready for that work through hospitality — first towards one another, then between churches, and from there outward to every stranger God brings across our path.
As Reverend Barry has written and said so clearly, our openness and readiness matter deeply. As we move forward, we would really value your prayers for the whole deanery, and we would love more people simply to come along to deanery synods, share a cup of tea, meet others from neighbouring churches, and be part of discerning what the Lord is showing us together. And very deliberately, we are asking for ideas — imaginative, prayerful, simple or bold ways of offering hospitality, ideas that can be shared, shaped, and taken forward together across churches, well beyond benefice boundaries. Nothing will be dismissed out of hand. There is no pressure and no expectation — just an open invitation to walk, listen, pray, and imagine alongside one another.
Quinquennial Inspection
2026 is a quinquennial year for Saltwood. Every five years, all Church of England buildings undergo what is known as a quinquennial inspection. This is a thorough but routine review carried out by a suitably qualified inspecting architect or surveyor, who looks carefully at the fabric of the church — roofs, walls, stonework, rainwater goods, timber, and other key elements — to assess their condition and identify any maintenance or repairs that may be needed. The purpose is not to find fault, but to help us care well for the building that has been entrusted to us, plan sensibly for the future, and address small issues before they become larger and more costly problems.
Bible Gem 1 – The First Christmas Message — Hidden in Eden
Last month, I promised that I would try, each month, to share a few Bible gems — little treasures that are sometimes easy to miss, but which reward a closer look. And as we find ourselves at the beginning of a new year, it seemed especially fitting to begin right at the beginning of the Bible itself.
What may surprise some is that within the first three pages of Scripture — long before kings, prophets, or even Israel itself — the Gospel is already there. Not explained in detail, of course, but revealed with certainty. God makes it clear from the outset that evil will not have the final word, and that a deliverer will come.
“And I will put enmity between thee and the woman,
and between thy seed and her seed;
it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”
Genesis 3:15 (KJV)
What is striking is that God speaks these words not to Adam or Eve, but directly to the serpent. And that is worth pausing over. The serpent first appears here in the third chapter from the beginning of the Bible with little explanation, but in a lovely piece of biblical symmetry, in the third chapter from the end of the Bible we are told plainly who he is — “that old serpent, which is the Devil” (Revelation 20:2).
Before God even addresses humanity, He announces that evil will one day be defeated. The Gospel is declared at the moment things look darkest. Adam and Eve are simply bystanders, receiving grace before they hear anything of judgment on them.
Then comes the unusual phrase, “between thy seed and her seed.” Everywhere else in the Bible, family lines are traced through the father, never the mother — except here. The serpent’s seed follows the ordinary human line, passed on from father to child. But “her seed” is spoken of differently. It is set apart, preserved, and not treated as a carrier of that same inheritance. Long before Isaiah speaks of a virgin conceiving, Genesis has already planted the idea that this birth will be different.
Christians speak of Original Sin — the brokenness we all inherit from the fall. Every human being shares it, but Scripture consistently traces its transmission through Adam, the father of the human race, not through Eve. The mother is no less human and no less sinful, but the brokenness of the race is passed on through the father. That is why the phrase “her seed” is quietly significant: it points to a birth in which that ordinary line of inheritance is bypassed altogether.
And this is why the virgin birth matters. Christ is fully human through Mary, yet free from Adam’s fallen inheritance. Mary is indeed “favoured among women,” but the miracle lies not in her nature, but in God’s preserving work. Any faithful woman could have been chosen, at any time. God is beginning something entirely new.
The promise then focuses on one Person: “He shall bruise your head.” The serpent will wound Him, but He will win. In one sentence we glimpse the cross and the resurrection.
So perhaps the wonder of Genesis 3:15 is that the story of both Christmas and Easter is first spoken not in Bethlehem, but in Eden. At the very moment everything seems lost, God promises that a Child will come who will suffer, yet prevail, undo the serpent’s work, and bring new life.
Christmas, it turns out, begins far earlier than we think — and its light shines from the garden all the way to the manger, and onwards to the cross.
From Carol Eastell: –
Monday Chats:
We all enjoyed being at the Castle pub for our Christmas lunch. Jackie, Morag and Jess made us very welcome and they had decorated the pub so nicely with the log fire burning. We are looking forward to future gatherings there. Jackie has lots of ideas some of which will be right up our street. Senior lunches and Friday mornings for breakfast, coffee etc. Monday Chatterers will be spoilt for choice as we are also hoping to meet in the pub once a month for a leisurely lunch, though not on Mondays as that is the pub’s day off!
Following the Christmas break, our weekly meetings begin again on Monday 5 January in the Lads’ Club from 2 pm to 4. Come and join us – you will be most welcome.
Monthly Afternoon Prayer Group:
We have such a lot to pray for and we would love more of you to join us at Penny’s home, 34 Harpswood Lane. We usually pray for up to an hour and then Penny puts the kettle on for a welcome cup of tea. The next meeting is on Wednesday 7 January at 2 pm.
Lent Lunches:
(Lent begins with Ash Wednesday on 18 February through to Holy Week and Palm Sunday on 29 March)
At this late stage we are still hoping the Lent lunches will happen. These will be on four Saturdays during Lent but the dates have not been confirmed yet. I expect we could use some extra hands to help the various groups and we most certainly will need your help in making some soup. However, if you have a burning desire to take the whole of this organising on please give Carol a ring on 07795 100 441. Otherwise please make yourselves available to help and also to come to the lunches.
From Rachel Cornish (Warden at Lympne):
Sunday Night at the Palladium…
Who remembers this? Certainly not the Lympne churchwardens — they’re far too young!
This was a live variety show broadcast by ITV from 1955 to 1967. It became a cultural phenomenon, regularly drawing massive audiences, sometimes reaching up to 22 million viewers – nearly half the UK population at the time. It had a significant impact on Sunday evening habits across the country. Many churches even changed service times to allow congregations to get home in time to watch.
Today, younger generations don’t watch television in the same way. Instead, they watch content on their own schedule, on their own devices — via YouTube, Netflix, Amazon Prime, TikTok, Instagram, Twitch, podcasts, and more.
Over the past 60 years there has been a huge shift from “What’s on tonight?” to “What do I feel like watching right now?” The pressure on evening services from TV schedules has largely disappeared — first through video recorders, and more recently through catch-up services and a move towards other forms of content altogether.
But what about Sunday mornings? For many families, Sunday morning is now sports time, with football, rugby and cricket training and matches, as well as swimming, dancing, gymnastics clubs, and competitions. How is the church responding to the habits of much of the country today?
If Sunday Night at the Palladium prompted a shift in church service times 60 years ago, perhaps the church should again consider how it might offer something for the sportsmen and women in our communities. Late afternoon or evening services might be an option.
Late Afternoon Taizé Service. On Sunday 25th January at 4pm there will be another Taizé style service at Lympne church. A chance to join in a quiet, contemplative service, singing simple chants, accompanied by cello and piano. Candles and some art or a picture to focus on, maybe a short reading but no sermon.
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
The week of prayer for Christian Unity is traditionally held from 18th – 25th January, This year the theme is:
One Body, One Spirit
For 2026, the prayers and reflections for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity have been prepared by the faithful of the Armenian Apostolic Church, along with their brothers and sisters of the Armenian Catholic and Evangelical Churches.
These resources draw upon centuries-old traditions of prayer and petitions used by the Armenian people, along with hymns that originated in the ancient monasteries and churches of Armenia, some of which date as far back as the fourth century.
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2026 extends an invitation to draw upon this shared Christian heritage and to delve more deeply into our fellowship in Christ, which unites Christians worldwide.
Paul’s epistles stress the importance of unity within the Church, urging us to live lives worthy of our calling with humility, gentleness, patience and love (Ephesians 4:1-3). Ephesians 4:4 summarises the teachings of Paul about unity, emphasising here, too, that the followers of Christ represent ‘one body and one Spirit’, united in a single hope. This metaphor signifies the Church as a unified entity transcending barriers of geography, nationality, ethnicity and tradition. Paul uses the metaphor of the Church being the Body of Christ to describe its unity within the diversity of its members.
St. Stephen’s Church, Lympne
Services and Events in January
Sunday 4th Jan 11am Holy Communion
Sunday 11th Jan 11am Family Service
Sunday 18th Jan 11am Holy Communion
Sunday 25th Jan 11am Holy Communion
4pm Taizé Service
Regular Events:
Mondays 12:-30-1pm (every other week) – Prayer Meeting
Mondays 5pm (every other week) – Home Group – Speak to Valerie or Rachel
Mondays 19:30-21:30 – Bell ringing Practice (each week)
Friday mornings (every other week) – Home Group – Speak to Monica or Peter
Saturday mornings 10:30 – 12:30 Eco group working churchyard (when dry)
Lympne Fellowship
Our December meeting saw us enjoying our Christmas Party with plenty of bring and share food, mulled wine, while trying to match up photos of young children with their adult selves – quite a challenge! Now all the Christmas festivities are over and we are settling down into yet another New Year, with a packed programme to look forward to. In January we will be playing Bingo with a Difference – last year’s was great fun, always allowing for time to socialise and catch up with what’s going on.
Lympne Fellowship normally meets at 1.15pm in the Harry Margary Hall on the 2nd Thursday of the month, with a programme of interesting and informative talks and activities.
For further information about our group, please contact Jill Page on 07846 819693.
ST STEPHEN’S CHURCH, LYMPNE – Coffee Morning
SATURDAY 17th January
10.30 am – 12.30pm
Join us for coffee, cakes & bakes
Bring the family, friends and neighbours
Catch up with old friends and new
(well-behaved dogs welcome)
Proceeds to maintenance of the church plus
a donation to the month’s nominated charity
Home Farm Trust, Lympne Place
Supporting adults with learning difficulties
SHAL: Studying History and Archaeology in Lympne
SHAL’s Beacon Field Shell Finds by Greg Campbell – self-styled ‘Naïve Chemist’
Greg Campbell, a specialist marine shell archaeologist, spent a day examining shells from this year’s dig. His initial report (summary follows) gives a fascinating insight into some of the eating and food production habits of Roman-period occupants of Beacon Field, Lympne. They ate oysters primarily from fully managed beds along with ‘wild’ oysters and common whelks as by-catch. They also consumed mussels from well-managed or regularly harvested beds, supplemented by digging or raking of intertidal mud (cockles, spiny cockles, Baltic tellins) and gathering on rocky shores (limpets, periwinkles, dogwhelks) possibly along the high tide line which was considerably more marine and estuarine than the present day. All of these could have come from the nearby coast and what is now known as Romney Marsh.
Analysis of shells There are 1,016 shells, most well preserved, and structurally sound with little flakes or chips. 10 shell types were identified, all native to the British Isles, namely common oysters (75%), mussels (13%), common whelks (5%), edible cockles (5%), and small quantities of others. Two badly broken spiny cockles found may have been harvested with the edible cockles. Approximately 2% of the shells were large, well preserved common limpets. There was one dog whelk, one periwinkle (both common on rocky shores) one Baltic tellin and one cuttlefish bone, the latter being a rare find in archaeological digs. The common oysters colonized stable surfaces from low tide to 80 metres depth. Preservation was good, with about one in four shells complete enough to measure and almost all were of a good size (4-6 inches) for eating. Greg’s analysis indicated that whole oysters had been transported to the site and the shells’ appearance and attached organisms suggest they lived in silt-free waters.
Many well-preserved terrestrial shells were also found, the majority being common garden snails and a small number of other snails widespread in southern England. They were all large, but it is not certain whether or not they were for eating. They will, however, be a valuable future contribution to our understanding of Roman activity in Lympne and local ecology.
Greg stressed the importance of always sieving on future digs to provide information not previously known. Apparently, it appears that Great Britain is the only English-speaking country that does not routinely sieve excavated material. In Canada, the United States and Australia, sieving is effectively mandatory for professional credibility, as information is often lost when hand digging alone. However, sieving should be selective, depending on context and material (e.g. building debris may not require full sieving). Samples should be recorded by volume, and statistically useful counts of approximately 200–600 items are considered acceptable for analysis. To prevent confusion between excavation areas or contexts, no more than one cubic metre (1 m³) of soil should be processed at a time. All recovered finds and fragments must be placed in clearly labelled trays corresponding to their context and unit. Wet sieving can be used for heavy clay type soils, but great care must be taken if water-soluble material, metal or glass are expected to be found. Pre-treatment with washing soda in a bucket of water overnight allows such soils to be sieved. SHAL thanks Greg for his analysis and advice. We are looking forward to reading his final report, our next year’s excavations, and of course more sieving, that will add to our growing knowledge.
Next meeting: 7.30 pm on 20th January 2026 at the Harry Margary Hall, Lympne – ‘Memories of Lympne and Brockhill Schools’. If you would like to become a member of SHAL please email Rosemary Stutchbury at rosemary@stutchbury.myzen.co.uk.
Castle Green WI
President Christine Farquhar welcomed thirty-five members and six guests to the December meeting. The Lads’ Club was looking suitably festive as were members. The record of the last meeting was approved and signed.
Mary W was thanked for her Christmas floral arrangement and Christine B; Kate D and Julia M were thanked for organising the refreshments.
Future events. The committee had been working on the 2026/27 programme, and it is on the website.
Subgroups. Please see website for details of future meetings
Our Annual Meeting will be on 13th February 2026, and Christine asked members to consider joining the committee as several long-standing committee members will be standing down.
As it was Christmas we then enjoyed mulled wine, mince pies, ginger cake; coffee, tea and chat were also available as usual.
We then settled down to listen to Tony Harris whose illustrated talk was entitled My Life as a Film Star. Tony was secretary of the Baptist Church in Whitstable when he was approached by a film company which was looking for locations for an episode of a BBC series about the evacuation of Dunkirk. Whitstable was to become Leigh-on-Sea. Tony took us through the process of filming, the people involved, not forgetting the catering truck, and how he became a 1940s Methodist Minister. His “film” of these events was excellent and amusing. In the second part of his talk Tony told us of the three men from Leigh on-Sea who were the subjects of the BBC film. Frank Osborne, Leslie Osborne, and Harold Potter were fishermen who volunteered to take their “little ship” to Dunkirk and lost their lives on the return journey. There is a memorial to them in Leigh. This was an amusing and yet thought-provoking talk.
Marjorie Mitchel gave the vote of thanks which was heartily endorsed by the members.
The next meeting will be on 10th January 2026 when we will discuss and vote on the resolutions for the NFWI Annual Meeting in June. Our speaker will be Brian Russell with a talk entitled Getting Paid for Seeing Amazing Things.
Margaret Alcock
Finishing with a Smile …
…A clergyman was walking down the street when he came upon a group of about a dozen boys, surrounding a small puppy. Concerned lest the boys were hurting it, he went to investigate. One boy explained, “We just found this puppy, and we all want him. So, we’ve decided that whichever one of us can tell the biggest lie will get to take him home.”
The minister was taken aback. “Don’t you boys know it’s a sin to lie? Why, when I was your age, I never told a lie.” There was dead silence for a moment. The minister thought he had got through to them.
Then the smallest boy gave a deep sigh and said, “All right, give him the dog.”
