Parish Cake Autumn 2017

IN ASSOCIATION WITH 

Parish 

AUTUMN 2017 

Cake 

YOUR SLICE OF CRANBROOK & SISSINGHURST LIFE 

FREE 

PUBLISHED BY CRANBROOK AND SISSINGHURST PARISH COUNCIL

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Parish Cake 

YOUR SLICE OF CRANBROOK & SISSINGHURST LIFE 

EDITOR: 

Cllr. Brian Clifford 

brian@parishcake.co.uk 

FEATURES EDITOR & CHIEF 

FEATURES WRITER: 

Cllr. Trisha Fermor 

trisha@parishcake.co.uk 

ADVERTISING SALES: 

Nemone Goodman 

nemone@parishcake.co.uk 

Cllr. Nancy Warne 

nancy@parishcake.co.uk 

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT: 

Cllr. Graham Holmes 

graham@parishcake.co.uk 

PUBLISHED BY: 

Cranbrook and Sissinghurst Parish Council 

01580 713112 

www.cranbrookandsissinghurstpc.co.uk 

PRODUCED BY: 

Tally Wade 

Coffee Shop Media Ltd 

01580 848555 

www.coffeeshopmedia.com 

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Whilst every effort is made 

to ensure accuracy, the 

Cranbrook and Sissinghurst 

Parish Council, editor and 

authors cannot be held 

responsible for published errors. The views 

or opinions expressed do not necessarily 

reflect views of the Cranbrook and 

Sissinghurst Parish Council. Inclusion of any 

advertising material does not constitute a 

guarantee or endorsement of any products 

or services or claims made. 

welcome 

Applause for Parish Cake and our Vibrant Parish! 

HOW DELIGHTED we have all been by the 

numerous congratulatory comments we 

have received on the first issue of Parish 

Cake. Readers have liked the size, the layout, 

presentation and content. The idea to send 

it to every household in Cranbrook and 

Sissinghurst has also been warmly 

welcomed. 

I hope the magazine will make 

the community more aware 

of the wide range of activities 

in which the parish council 

is involved and the variety of 

interests and happenings in the 

wider communities. 

Examples include the council’s 

Neighbourhood Development Plan working 

groups in Cranbrook and Sissinghurst, which 

are both doing excellent work, and traffic 

observations in the parish. During the summer, 

Cranbrook in Bloom (CiB) made our town 

beautiful with experts from the South and 

South East in Bloom competition judging 

contents 

REGULARS 

4 Through the Lens 

5 Directory & What’s On 

7 Chairman’s View 

8 Letters 

10 Parish News 

12 Club News 

16 Events 

40 Parish Council Round-Up 

FEATURES 

21 Tarot Rats – a Cranbrook 

band doing great things 

23 Windmill and Museum – 

the sweeps are back, and 

can you name these folk? 

helpers’ efforts in July. 

We were going for gold! Many of you will have 

also enjoyed the private gardens lovingly 

tended by their owners for the CiB Garden 

Safari. We will have more on CiB in the next 

issue! 

Nuts in May, a Chelsea Fringe spinoff, 

was an enormous success and 

encouraged many people to visit 

Cranbrook and view the town from 

the top of St. Dunstan’s Church. 

Other popular events include the 

annual Sissinghurst fête, Cranbrook 

Art Show, the Apple Fair and the 

Cranbrook Literature Festival. One 

must not forget the shows by the Cranbrook 

Operatic and Dramatic Society (CODS), which 

are staged in the Queen’s Hall. 

We are a very lucky to have such a vibrant 

parish. 

Cllr. Bridget Veitch 

Chairman, Cranbrook and Sissinghurst 

Parish Council 

ISSUE 2 AUTUMN 2017 

24 The Mini Racers – 

husband and wife hot-rod 

racers 

27 Academy New Build – 

the High Weald Academy 

building plans 

29 Defib Saves a Life – how 

a Sissinghurst resident 

was saved 

31 A229 Speeding – Trisha 

Fermor comments on the 

problem 

33 Kitchen & Garden – 

‘tuplipmania’ and spiced 

apples 

35 Stone Street Traffic – 

let’s be more considerate 

says Phil Mummery 

37 A Word From our 

Sponsor – meet the 

team at Buss Murton Law, 

Cranbrook 

39 Business – Emma Wood 

on harnessing the World 

Wide Web 

42 Local Legend – an 

interview with Linda Page 

Parish Cake • Autumn 2017 3

through 

the lens 

❶ 

Can you spot where in the parish these 

were taken? Answers below. 

❷ 

❸ 

THANKS TO JEREMY BOXALL, BRIAN CLIFFORD AND TRISHA FERMOR FOR THE PHOTOS 

❹ 

❺ 

ANSWERS: 1. Golford Chapel, Cranbrook Cemetery (the Four Seasons Windows were designed by the late Cranbrook artist Michael Woodford); 2. Cranbrook War Memorial (this 

Ransomes plough was used in the local hop gardens during the First World War); 3. Sissinghurst Castle Garden, south side of the lower lake (graves for Vita Sackville-West’s dogs); 

4. This Old Wesleyan Chapel is now a private house in The Street, Sissinghurst; 5. The Union Mill, Cranbrook 

4 Parish Cake • Autumn 2017

what’son 

The 

Parish Cake guide to events 

in Cranbrook and Sissinghurst 

• The Cranbrook Union 

Windmill is open every 

Saturday and Sunday 

throughout September from 

2.30-5.00pm 

• The mobile library is at the 

Milkhouse, Sissinghurst, every 

Friday from 11.40am-12.05pm 

• The Children’s Centre, 

Cranbrook, offers free sessions 

for parents and children 

throughout the week. Call 

03000 41 10 35 for a timetable 

• Cranbrook Museum is open 

Tuesday to Saturday 2.00- 

4.00pm until mid-October 

• St. Dunstan’s Church Tower 

is open on Saturdays from 

11.00am-1.00pm until 

mid-October, £3 donation 

SEPTEMBER 

MONDAY 11 

Messy Church Children’s Group, Vestry 

Hall, 3.30-5.30pm 

FRIDAY 15 

Cranbrook U3A, Vestry Hall, 2.30pm 

SATURDAY 16 

Sissinghurst Flower Show Society Autumn 

Show, Sissinghurst CE Primary School, 

2.30pm 

SATURDAY 23 

Farmer’s Market, Vestry Hall, 9.30am- 

1.00pm 

WEDNESDAY 27 

Q&A with author Alison Weir, Vestry Hall, 

7.30-9.30pm (tickets from 

www.cranbrookliteraturefestival.com) 

FRIDAY 29 

Cranbrook In Bloom presentation, Vestry 

Hall, 6.00pm 

SATURDAY 30 

Weald Beekeepers Show, Vestry Hall, 

10.00am-3.30pm, free admission 

OCTOBER 

SATURDAY 7 

Cranbrook Apple Fair, High Street, 

10.00am-4.00pm 

MONDAY 9 


Hall, 3.30-5.30pm 

SATURDAY 14 

Kitsch & Stitch Vintage & Makers Fair, 

Vestry Hall, 10.00am-3.00pm 

FRIDAY 20 

Cranbrook U3A with speaker Prof. John 

Done on Understanding Carbon Materials 

for the layman, Vestry Hall, 2.15pm 

SATURDAY 28 

Farmer’s Market, Vestry Hall, 

9.30am-1.00pm 

NOVEMBER 

MONDAY 13 


Hall, 3.30-5.30pm 

FRIDAY 17 

Cranbrook U3A with speaker Dr Mike 

Heeley on Lord Lister, father of surgery 

and Kentish links, Vestry Hall, 2.15pm 

SATURDAY 25 

Farmer’s Market, Vestry Hall, 9.30am- 

1.00pm 

DECEMBER 

MONDAY 11 


Hall, 3.30-5.30pm 

FRIDAY 15 

Cranbrook U3A, Vestry Hall, 2.15pm 

SATURDAY 23 

Farmers’ Market, Vestry Hall, 9.30am- 

1.00pm 

While every effort is made to ensure 

accuracy, dates and times may change. If 

you are organising an event in the parish 

why not drop us a line and we might be able 

to include you in the listings too – editorial@ 

parishcake.co.uk 

directory 


Parish Council 

The Old Fire Station 

Stone Street, Cranbrook 

KENT TN17 3HF 

Clerk – Mrs. L. Ham 

Deputy Clerk – Mrs. L. Larkin 

01580 713112 / clerk@ 

cranbrookandsissinghurstpc.co.uk 

BOROUGH & COUNTY 

COUNCILS 

Tunbridge Wells Borough Council 

01892 526121 

www.tunbridgewells.gov.uk 

Kent County Council 

03000 41 41 41 

www.kent.gov.uk 

USEFUL NUMBERS 

UTILITIES 

Electricity: 0800 727282 (24 hrs) 

Gas: 0800 111 999 

Water: South East Water (drinking 

water) 0800 0283399, Southern 

Water (waste water) 0800 820999 (24 

hrs), Emergency leak 0800 0283399, 

Floodline 0845 9881188 (24 hrs) 

CRIME 

Non-Emergency Police: 101 

Crime Stoppers: 0800 555111 

KCC Community Warden: Adam 

Osbourn 07813 695741 

PCSO: Lee Jules 07772 226045 

Neighbourhood Watch Area 

Co-ordinator: 01622 604395 

ROOMS & HALLS TO HIRE 

St George’s Institute, Sissinghurst: 

Ursula O’Connor 01580 713938 

The Parish Room, Sissinghurst: Sue 

Crowe 01580 712901 

ts.crowe@sky.com 

The Vestry Hall, Council Chamber and 

Addison VC Room, Cranbrook: 

01580 713112 (10am-12pm 

weekdays). 

USEFUL CONTACTS 

CHURCHES 

Congregational Church, 

Cranbrook: 01580 388070 

St. Dunstan’s, Cranbrook: 

01580 715861 

St. Theodore’s RC, Cranbrook: 

01580 713364 

Strict Baptist Church, Cranbrook: 

01580 713212 

Trinity Church, Sissinghurst: 

01580 852275 

Vine Church, Cranbrook: 

01580 712505 

SCHOOLS AND PRE SCHOOLS 

Colliers Green CE Primary: 

01580 211335 

Cranbrook CE Primary: 

01580 713249 

Cranbrook Children’s Centre: 

03000 41 10 35 

Cranbrook School: 01580 711800 

Dulwich Preparatory School: 

01580 712179 

High Weald Academy: 

01580 712754 

Rainbow Pre School, Cranbrook: 

01580 715570 

Sissinghurst CE Primary: 

01580 713895 

Woodpeckers Pre School, Cranbrook: 

01580 720195 

DOCTORS 

Jockey Lane Surgery, Cranbrook: 

01580 713032 

Old School Surgery, Cranbrook: 01580 

712476 

Orchard End Surgery, Cranbrook: 

01580 713622 

DEFIBRILLATORS 

Cranbrook Medical Centre, Cranbrook 

Cricket Club, Sissinghurst 

Sissinghurst Castle Garden, 

Sissinghurst 

St. George’s Institute, Sissinghurst 

Tennis Club, Sissinghurst 

The George Hotel, Cranbrook 

The Milkhouse, Sissinghurst 


See potential. 

Realise the vision. 

Open Morning 

Come and see the difference 

Thursday 5th October 

9.00 am –12 noon 

Contact our Registrar for details: 

registrar@dulwichprepcranbrook.org 

dulwichprepcranbrook.org 

“Teaching in the early years continues to be 

outstanding. Both inside and outside areas provide 

excellent opportunities for children to explore, be 

DPC-AdvertArt-ParishCake-HalfPage-210x128.indd 1 02/08/2017 17:06 

creative “Teaching and in delight the early in years their learning.” continues to be 

(Ofsted, “Teaching 2017) in the early years continues to be 



excellent opportunities for children to explore, be 

Cranbrook excellent opportunities Primary for children to School 

explore, be 

creative and delight in their learning.” 

creative and delight in their learning.” 

(Ofsted, 2017) 

(Ofsted, 2017) 

Cranbrook Primary School 

Prospective Parents 

OPEN Prospective Parents 

DAY 

OPEN DAY 

Wednesday 8 th November 2017 

Wednesday 8 th November 2017 

Come and see our outdoor area and enhanced classroom 

provision, as well as meeting the teachers. Find out about 

the changes we have made and our vision for the future 

of Cranbrook Primary School. 

Come and see our outdoor area and enhanced classroom 

provision, as well as meeting the teachers. Find out about 

the changes we have made and our vision for the future 

of Cranbrook Primary School. 

Tours at 10am, 1.30pm and 5pm 

For more information, or to book onto a 

tour, call Cranbrook Primary School on: 

01580 713249 

Tours at 10am, 1.30pm and 5pm 

For more information, or to book onto a 

tour, call Cranbrook Primary School on: 

01580 713249 


Is it Goodbye to 

our Public Loos? 

FOR MANY months 

Cranbrook has been 

without its public 

lavatories, thanks to the 

efforts of a handful of 

vandals who have forced 

the closure of a vital 

amenity. 

The ladies and gents, 

tucked along Crane 

Lane off the High 

Street, were a constant 

target resulting in the 

owners, Tunbridge Wells 

Borough Council, closing 

them. 

Despite appeals 

from townspeople 

and Cranbrook and 

Sissinghurst Parish 

Council, instead of 

repairs being made the 

building was boarded 

up, the borough saying 

repairs would cost up to 

£7,000. 

I now know that people 

in Cranbrook feel 

strongly about the 

conveniences. Vandalism 

is such a waste of effort 

and money. We must find 

other activities for the 

youth of this parish. 

As well as the lavatories, 

the once-beautiful 

mosaic seat covered in 

scenes of Cranbrook, 

just feet from the loos, 

has also been attacked. 

Large chunks have been 

prised out, leaving it 

a shadow of its former 

self. It was designed 

by renowned mosaicist 

Nigel Budd and made 

with the help of students 

from the former Angley 

School, now High Weald 

Academy. 

Speaking at July’s 

parish council meeting, 

borough councillor 

Tom Dawlings said: 

“The money previously 

spent on the loos in 

Cranbrook last year was 

more than that spent on 

all the other toilets put 

together.” 

He said there were 

suggestions that 

responsibility for public 

lavatories in the borough 

should be handed over 

to parish councils, which 

has already happened in 

Benenden. 

Cllr. Dawlings suggested 

that councillors visit the 

ABOVE: Cranbrook 

public toilets 

what do you 

think? 

conveniences in Paddock 

Wood which were part 

steel to deter vandalism. 

If the Cranbrook 

lavatories are not reopened 

it is hoped that 

commercial outlets in 

the town, such as cafes, 

might offer to allow 

the public to use their 

facilities. They would 

receive payment from 

out chairman’s & about 

view 

the borough council to 

cover costs. 

I am exploring 

suggestions for 

other sites for new 

conveniences, perhaps 

closer to the coach park 

in the Regal Car Park. 

Cllr. Bridget Veitch 

Chairman, Cranbrook 

and Sissinghurst Parish 

Council 

Should Cranbrook have public conveniences or should 

retail outlets provide the service? Let us have your views 

by emailing clerk@cranbrookandsissinghurstpc.co.uk 

or writing to CSPC, The Old Fire Station, Stone Street, 

Cranbrook, Kent, TN17 3HF 


Letters 

www.bussmurton.co.uk | T: 01580 712 215 

Star Letter 

Putting the ‘Cran’ back 

in Cranbrook 

I was taken with the article 

by Trisha Fermor in your 

Summer 2017 issue on the 

avian etymology of Cranbrook. 

I am a resident of the town and 

an academic specialising in 

ornithology of the Middle Ages, 

so I thought I might offer a 

further thought on the matter. 

Mr Massini is by no means 

incorrect when he remarks that 

Cranbrook may not be named 

after the bird we refer to today 

as the Cran. The Anglo-Saxons 

certainly knew what cranes 

were because these large, noisy 

birds were widespread across 

the country. 

It is possible that Old English 

cran was used to describe all 

heron-looking birds, but it may 

well be that this generalisation 

only occurred once cranes had 

become extinct in the 17th 

century. The Anglo-Saxons 

were excellent observers of 

birds. Tellingly they had a 

separate name for the heron 

(hragra), and 

there are English 

places specifically 

named after the 

heron (Rawreth in Essex 

for instance, meaning Heron 

Stream), which implies an 

intentional distinction. Even in 

the Tudor period, the species 

were told apart: the household 

accounts for one noble banquet 

note that ‘A young Heron is 

lighter of digestion than a 

Crane’. So Nancy Warne should 

not lose heart - it is a credible 

possibility that our town was 

indeed named after the elegant 

crane. 

Michael Warren, Cranbrook 

Who are these Hooligans? 

I was delighted to read in Parish Cake (Summer edition, page 11) that 

thanks to a residents’ campaign new play equipment has been installed 

on the Jubilee Field in Sissinghurst. Well, already panels have been 

kicked out of the construction making it unsafe for children to play. 

Who are these hooligans who must have got some pleasure causing 

damage that will have to be paid for to repair? 

sent by e-mail 

Star Letter 

The author will receive 

a voucher for a hot drink 

and slice of cake from 

Cranbrook café Cocolicious! 

www.cocolicious.co.uk 

Can we Have a Crier? 

Can Parish Cake campaign to 

have the Town Crier returned to 

Cranbrook, which is supposed to 

be a historic market town? 

Historic market towns always 

had a Town Crier. Why can’t 

Cranbrook? It was only a few 

years ago that we had one in 

Cranbrook; where’s he gone? 

Andy Slay, Cranbrook 

Solving the Crane Problem 

I read with interest Trisha’s interview with 

Nancy on the name of Cranbrook. Well I think 

I can solve the problem of bringing Cranes 

back to Cranebrook! 

Firstly flood the Crane Valley, plant huge 

trees in the front gardens of the bordering 

houses to deaden the sound from occupants. 

Only allow electric cars in the Co-op and 

Tanyard carparks, no street lights in four 

hundred yards of the valley and lastly only 

allow deliveries to the Co-oP between 3-4pm 

on Fridays. Also, all plastic shopping trolleys. 

Hey presto the Cranes will be back. 

The Village Eccentric (address supplied) 

NICK UPTON (RSPB-IMAGES.COM) 


We have been providing expert and 

trusted legal advice to individuals and 

businesses for generations. 

out & about 

How to use an Apostrophe 

I noticed a mistake in the use of an 

apostrophe on the parish council’s poster 

regarding the defibrillation session at 

Sissinghurst Primary school, which was 

on the wall at the Co-oP store. The plural 

defibrillators included an apostrophe. 

Because there is often confusion on this 

point, I am taking the liberty of pointing 

out the error in case you wish to correct it 

in the future, and summarising the rules of 

apostrophe use. 

An apostrophe is needed only to indicate 

possession or missing letters, as in the 

following examples: I can’t instead of I 

cannot, and It’s instead of it is or it has (it’s 

can never be used as a possessive). 

The singular possessive is indicated by ‘s 

and the plural by s’. For example: 

• The dog’s bone (a bone belonging to one 

dog 

• The dogs’ bone (a bone belonging to 

several dogs) 

• Mr. Jones’s shop (a shop belonging to Mr. 

Jones) 

• The Joneses’ shop (a shop belonging to 

several people called Jones) 

• The company’s logo (the logo identifying 

one company) 

• The companies’ logo (the logo 

identifying several companies). 

If the word is already plural as in 

“children”, “people” or “men” the 

possessive is indicated by ‘s, as in: We sell 

children’s clothes and men’s shoes”. 

Apostrophes are never used in plurals. 

Bananas instead of Banana’s or “100s of 

books” instead of “100’s of books” or “Mind 

your ps and qs” instead of “Mind your p’s 

and q’s”. 

I hope this has been helpful and would 

thank you for your courtesy in reading this 

far. You might like to see some examples 

on our web page www.apostrophe.org.uk 

Carolyn Rolfe, Sissinghurst 

ABOVE: 

Cranbrook Town 

Band 

A Call for Members 

I would like to draw readers’ 

attention to the Cranbrook 

Town Band, a group that can 

trace its roots in the local 

community back to 1924. 

Over the years the band has 

contributed greatly to the local 

area by providing free tuition 

to young and old alike with 

its learner band. We have a 

thriving youth section and, as 

a result of this approach, local 

parents have benefited to the 

tune of over £30,000 through 

not having to pay for tuition 

Please send your 

letters to editorial@parishcake. 

co.uk or by post to Parish Cake, 

Cranbrook and Sissinghurst Parish Council, 

The Old Fire Station, Stone Street, 

Cranbrook, TN17 3HF. Please note, letters 

may be published in a shortened form at 

the discretion of the editor. 

costs, instrument and music 

hire. 

The band also supports 

charities both locally and 

nationally having raised 

£10,996 for Children in Need 

between 2003 and 2013 and 

since 2014, £4,350 for the local 

Demelza Hospice which cares 

for terminally ill children. 

The band is very active in 

the local area throughout 

the year and has completed 

a hugely successful first for 

itself and the academy stage 

school in Tenterden with a 

joint concert in February 2017. 

We also takes part in the local 

contest scene and are ranked 

in the scaba 2nd section where 

we have gained numerous first 

places and awards for best 

instrumentalist, section and 

MD. 

We would be delighted to 

welcome new members and 

also bookings to play. Visit 

www. cranbrooktownband.org. 

uk for more on us! 

David Newsom, 

Collier Street 


newsbites 

News 

and views from 


Join the 

Hospice 

Herd 

DEER AND wild boar may well 

be a problem throughout the 

Weald but a herd of horses 

has been greeted with delight. 

Twenty-four life-sized 

sculptures are on show in places 

throughout West Kent and East 

Sussex in a bid to raise money 

for Hospice in the Weald. 

Designed and painted by 

local artists and sponsored 

by businesses, the stunning 

horses have already created 

a stampede of interest in the 

parks and other places where 

they are grazing or generally 

ambling about. 

To find them you can 

download a special map from 

herdofthehospice.co.uk. There 

is also special Herd of the 

Hospice merchandise for sale 

in Royal Victoria Place (RVP) 

where visitors can add their 

hand print to an unpainted 

sculpture. 

The herd will stay on show 

until the beginning of October 

when they will be rounded 

up and taken to RVP to be 

auctioned off. 

To donate £3 text HERD to 

70660; 90p in every £1 goes 

straight to patient care. 

YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD 

PLAN MAKES EXCELLENT 

PROGRESS 

THROUGH THE Neighbourhood Plan process we have been 

given an amazing opportunity to help shape how our local 

community can develop over the next 20 years or so. 

During this year, several public engagement events took 

place where residents in Cranbrook and Sissinghurst, and 

other participants, 

had the opportunity 

to express what they 

most value about our 

parish and what causes 

them most concern. 

Tasks Groups are now being formed to work on the 

many actions points identified. 

We would like as many of you as possible to participate 

in the creation of the Neighbourhood Plan. If you have 

a particular interest or skill in any of the areas that have 

been identified, please get in touch. You could also help by 

gathering the views of your friends and neighbours. 

The areas that have been identified include looking at 

Community & Culture, Heritage, Landscape, Education 

& Employment, Land Use & Social Infrastructure, 

Development Opportunity Sites, and Access & Movement. 

To have your say, as well as the views you may 

have acquired from those you have spoken to so 

far, please complete our short questionnaire by 

September 22, which is available both online at www. 

cranbrookandsissinghurstndp.co.uk and from the Parish 

Office, where the results of the work so far are also on 

display. Cllr. Nancy Warne 

Health & Wellness Consultant 

07734 714391 

All I ask for in return is honest feedback 

Skincare, Haircare, Supplements, Sports & Weight Management, 

Health & General Wellbeing, Pet care & Home products 

aloelana730@gmail.com 

Cranbrook Secretarial Services 

Don’t use a computer? Let me help 

• Typing letters, documents, manuscripts etc 

• One off jobs or long term 

• Working from my 

home or yours 

Catherine Fowler 

t 01580 713395 or 07899 861291 e cbksec@hotmail.co.uk 


Record Numbers at Summer Run 

NEARLY 200 people took part 

in the Cranbrook 10k and 5k 

run in July to raise money for 

the primary school’s Parent 

Teacher Association. 

Starting at the High Weald 

Academy, the race attracted 

about 40 children in the 

kids’ fun runs and some serious 

runners fighting for first place in the longer events. 

The prizes were some special chopping boards made by 

local kitchen manufacturer, Mounts Hill, who were one of the 

sponsors. 

Barry Hopkins from organisers Sporting Events UK said: “We 

specialise in creating great running events which have something 

for everyone, young and old, beginners and more experienced 

club runners. 

“We sold out on entries and hit record numbers. We have lots 

of plans for next year to make the event bigger 

and better than ever.” 

The 2018 event is on Sunday July 15. 

Book a Talk with the 

Air Ambulance 

THE KENT, Surrey & Sussex Air Ambulance is inviting 

local groups, clubs, societies and other organisations 

to book a talk (free of charge) to find our more about 

its work. 

By inviting one of its volunteer speakers to your 

group, you will be helping to raise awareness of the 

charity, ensuring it can be there for those who need its 

services, now and in the future. 

For more information or to book a talk, please 

contact 01622 833 833 / talks@kssairambulance.org.uk 

Petition Over 

Town’s Car Parks 

A PETITION signed by 60 people claims 

shoppers are being turned away from 

Cranbrook because of insufficient parking 

spaces. 

At the August meeting of the parish 

council, chairman Bridget Veitch said the 

petitioners, who included shopkeepers 

and business people, had asked for an 

independent parking expert to review the 

situation. 

They claim the free car parks - the 

Tanyard, Jockey Lane and the Regal - are 

frequently full leading to loss of business 

because people go elsewhere. 

It was agreed to set up a working group to 

look at all aspects of parking in the town. 

Hop on the Bus to the Seaside 

FOLLOWING A local campaign, Cranbrook now has 

a Sunday bus service to Hastings. The Stagecoach 

Bus company is operating the service for a period 

of 12 months in order to evaluate public support. 

Timetables are available in the Weald 

Information Centre in Cranbrook, or you can 

view them online at www.stagecoachbus.com/ 

timetables 

It goes without saying that unless the service is 

supported it may well be cancelled. 

Goodbye – Sorry 

to see you go 

IT WAS sad to see the closure in July 

of Millstone, the dress shop in Stone 

Street, after more than 40 years’ 

business. 

Proprietor Caz King, whose mother 

had also worked there, told Parish 

Cake that the lease was up for renewal 

and she had decided, very reluctantly, 

not to renew it. 

But enthusiasts of her woollen 

garments need not worry. Caz said 

she will continue knitting and doing 

business at craft fairs. 

We Have a Winner! 

CONGRATULATIONS TO Mrs Elizabeth 

Dobson of Cranbrook, the winner 

of the Wealden Knowledge of the 

Worldwide Web competition sponsored 

by Hothouse Wealden Growth Agency. 

57 people answered the three questions 

correctly (Tim Berners-Lee invented 

the World Wide Web. He was born in 

London. It became publicly available 

on 5 August 1991) and will soon be in 

ownership of a £1,000 website. 

Turn to page 39 for more on why 

websites are so important in business. 


clubnews 

A round-up of news from 

Cranbrook and Sissinghurst clubs, 

groups and associations 

MINI RUGBY 

MINI RUGBY can be the start of 

a long-term development of a 

successful rugby player or, for 

some, simply the beginning of an 

enjoyable and healthy fulfilling 

lifestyle. 

Mini rugby is an active, fun 

start to being part of a real team 

through the joy of rugby. By 

developing the principles for the 

love of physical activity, team 

work, and the skills of rugby 

at early ages, we are aiming to 

develop strong values and skills 

that can be used throughout a 

lifetime and career. 

Although the main 

focus of mini rugby is fun 

and participation, we also 

want children to have the 

opportunity to develop strong 

‘FUNdamentals’, through 

knowledgeable coaching and 

support. 

Unlike some other sports 

rugby is a true team sport. At any 

level, rarely can one player take 

over or control a game. Rugby 

needs everyone’s participation, 

dedication and team work 

for a team to succeed. So the 

requirements of rugby mean that 

rarely is a player standing still or 

waiting for something to happen. 

Every player must move with 

and follow the play in order to be 

part of it and support their team 

mates to come out tops. Rugby’s 

values of teamwork, respect, 

enjoyment, discipline and 

sportsmanship are what make 

the game special for those who 

enjoy the culture they create. 

They define the game and define 

England rugby. Terry O’Brien 

For more information call 

01580 712777 or visit www. 

cranbrookrugby.com(PIC – U3A) 

Sing Like A Crow! 

THE ARTS are part of what makes us human, 

helping us give expression to our deepest 

emotions. Whether it’s thousands gathering with 

Ariana Grande to remember those affected by 

terrorism, or a foot-stomping Last Night of the 

Proms, there are songs for every occasion. 

Over the summer holidays The Vine has taken 

time to focus on Psalms, sometimes called “the 

songbook of the Bible”. Written thousands of 

years ago, the lyricists certainly didn’t hold back 

in expressing their emotions to God as they 

experienced many of the same troubles and 

triumphs we face today. 

Each week different Vine members led us in 

appreciating psalms that have been significant for 

them. Some in times of joy, others in times of great 

stress and sadness. 

Music helps us move beyond the superficial 

“I’m-fine-thanks-how-are-you?” to a deeper level 

of connection. From the desperate cry of, “Life’s 

not fair!” in Psalm 73, to the rapturous praise of 

Psalm 150, God is not afraid of our emotion. As 

Pastor David encouraged us, “whether you sing like 

a lark or a crow, prefer drumstep or a philharmonic 

symphony, use a song to reach out and tell God 

how you’re feeling.” Chris Goodchild 

For more information on The Vine Church 

call 01580 712505 or visit vinechurch.org.uk 


club news 

Cranbrook U3A 

THE CRANBROOK branch of the ‘University of the Third 

Age’ is for anyone at that stage in life where you are 

no longer working or are semi-retired. There is no age 

restriction on becoming a member. 

In the UK the national U3A organisation supports 

development of local U3As which are self-managed by 

volunteers with a democratically appointed committee 

of members, who run the local organisation. 

There are currently over 1,000 U3As in the UK and 

more than 385,000 members. Cranbrook U3A supports 

and encourages its members to join interest groups 

hosted and run by other members with a particular 

interest, life skill or sporting activity which they would 

like to share. Over 160 members and more than 25 

interest groups offer a diversity of subject matter such 

as bridge, pottery, languages, play reading, walking, 

gardening, local history and wine appreciation – 

activities that appeal to most people. 

On the social side there are regular coffee mornings, 

a lunch club and outings to the theatre and museums. 

Sharing educational, creative and leisure experiences 

the lives of all who participate are significantly 

enhanced. 

Cranbrook U3A meets monthly (except for August) 

in the Vestry Hall, to enjoy a chat, a coffee or tea and 

listen to an invited speaker. Topics are wide and various 

including life in Kent School during the war years, how 

a group of young men in the 70s took a double-decker 

bus around the world and about Charles Dickens and his 

love of magic. 

Members receive a National U3A magazine and a 

quarterly Cranbrook Matters which provides a real 

insight into our activities. Jane Pugh 

To join Cranbrook U3A please visit the website www. 

u3asites.org.uk/cranbrook, pick up a leaflet in the Vestry 

Hall or pop along to a Monthly Meeting. Look out for 

notices in the Market Cross notice board. 

FROM VILLAGE 

LUNCH TO 

CHURCH REPAIRS 

WHILE TRINITY Church cannot 

boast a history going back to the 

11th century, it can be proud of 

its supporters who belong to the 

Friends of Sissinghurst Church. 

The group was formed by the 

late and much-missed Canon Doug 

Redman who was keen to see the 

fabric of the Victorian church 

safeguarded for the future. 

For years, he headed the 

committee which organised 

everything from a popular village 

lunch with well-known personalities 

as speakers to the book stall at the 

annual fête. 

Money raised has gone to a 

variety of projects including 

bespoke oak cupboards at the 

back of the church, the painting of 

the church interior and extensive 

repairs to the parish rooms. 

The Friends are still pursuing 

Canon Redman’s wish for a 

memorial plaque at Sissinghurst 

Castle to commemorate the many 

French prisoners of war who were 

incarcerated and died, most without 

graves, during the seven years’ war 

1756-63. The Friends, who have 

been promised a donation of £500 

by the National Trust, have separate 

fundraising for this project. 

Anyone interested in joining the 

Friends should contact membership 

secretary Peter Mellor on 

01580 715860. 


club news 

Jam and Jerusalem join Chi Gung! 

RELAUNCHED JUST four years ago, the Cranbrook 

Women’s Institute is making quite a name for 

itself. 

While jam and Jerusalem is still there, it is more 

likely that members will be participating in Chi 

Gung (an ancient Chinese health care system) or 

Sloe Seduction, tasting an exquisite selection of 

sloe gin products! 

While there are still very traditional themes 

on offer - such as making a Christmas wreath 

with well-known Cranbrook florist Nita Chandler 

- the 30-strong membership has enjoyed 

archery lessons, theatre visits and a talk on 

“undergarments through the ages”. 

Founding member Sharon Pickles said: “We 

would love to attract more members. We had 

about 80 people to the first meeting 

when we relaunched but the number 

has now whittled down to a group of 

about 30 signed-up members. 

“We have had talks ranging from a 

local solicitor giving advice on wills to 

creative writing, jewellery making and 

knitting. Christmas time will be very 

traditional with things like Christmas cake making.” 

The group meets at 7.30pm on the first Tuesday of the month 

at Cranbrook School’s sixth form centre. People can attend three 

meetings for free before they need to pay £3.50 a session. Annual 

membership is just £39. 

Meetings include refreshments, with the WI’s traditional 

home-made cakes, and there is a raffle with profits going to local 

community funds. 

Mrs Pickles added: “We are a very friendly group and people 

can choose what they want to do. There are several spin-off 

groups including Knitting Natter and whatever people want to do 

they will be sure of a friendly welcome.” Trisha Fermor 

Contact Cranbrook WI at cranbrookwi.sec@hotmail.co.uk 

Singing 

Workshops 

CRANBROOK CHORAL Society is 

holding a singing workshop on 

Saturday 23 September from 2.00 to 

6.00pm. It is designed to be suitable 

for experienced as well as inquisitive 

new singers. If you belong to a choir, 

or are thinking of joining one, this 

is the perfect introduction to the 

Choral Society. 

For more information visit 

www.cranbrookchoral.org.uk or 

telephone 01580 714828. 

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eventnewswe are 

Some of the great events 

rightly proud of! 

Popular Novelist at 

Literature Festival 

WRITER ALISON Weir will be in 

Cranbrook this month to speak 

about her best-selling novel 

Innocent Traitor. 

Her appearance at the Vestry 

Hall at 7.30pm on September 

27 is the latest offering from Cranbrook Literature 

Festival. Book groups in and around the town are 

being encouraged to read the book in advance. 

She will also be talking about her two new 

novels, A King’s Obsession, and The True Queen. 

Members of the audience can take part in a Q and 

A session and there will be a book signing. 

Apple Fayre Time is Nearly Upon us 

THOSE OF us who over the years have seen the anarchic goings on before 

will remember the Red Barrows thundering down the High Street at 

incredible speeds, Concorde flying down the High Street at ground level, 

the country crafts, Morris men, bands, military vehicles, all types of cider, 

and of course the famous Kentish apple in many forms. 

This year will be no exception; on October 7 the theme is ‘Cowboys and 

Aliens’ so be prepared to visit the Wild West and the awful unknown. 

Free fun for all ages 10am to 4pm. Phil Mummery 

Contact Phil at pv.mummery@btinternet.com or Stuart at stuart.cleary@ 

cranden.com. Updates will also be posted on Facebook. 

Tickets are £5 each and available from Buss Murton 

or online via www.cranbrookliteraturefestival.com 

Buzz Along to the Bee Show 

THE WEALD of Kent Beekeepers will be giving the 

public a chance to “spot the queen bee” in a hive at an 

exhibition in Cranbrook. 

On Saturday September 30 the Vestry Hall will 

be a hive of activity as members explain how their 

aim is to protect honey bees, and other bees, which 

are responsible for pollinating one in every three 

mouthfuls of food people eat. The event will run from 

10am to 3.30pm. 

Recruiting Nail & Brow Technicians 

New Nail Salon, Benenden 

Maison Manicure is opening a luxury nail 

and brow salon on The Street in Benenden 

You will have a professional and friendly approach, solid 

experience & qualifications covering manicures, pedicures, 

Shellac or BioSculpture and/or brow and lash equivalent. 

Extremely competitive rates of pay, paid annual leave 

and bonuses, and a new approach. 

Email Billie@Maisonmanicure.co.uk introducing 

yourself and your skills, and we’ll be in touch 

Serving 

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areas since 1921 

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BUTCHERS 

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Opening times: 

Monday-Saturday 9.30am - 5.00pm 

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out & events about 

25th Anniversary for 

Cranbrook Art Show 

IT IS hard to believe that it is 25 years since the 

Vestry Hall opened its doors to welcome this 

popular exhibition to the town. 

This artist-led show aims to provide an 

atmosphere where visitors can enjoy browsing 

through a variety of art and creative styles while 

meeting many of the artists. Four women make 

up the committee and are available to help and 

advise. They hope visitors will find the perfect 

piece to buy for their home or as Christmas 

presents. 

The art show is celebrating by looking to the 

past and planning for the future. Alongside 

those selected from open submission, there 

will be a feature of work by artists who took 

part in the early years of the show. There will 

also be a community award of Cranbrook 

students’ work sponsored by Dulwich Prep 

School, Cranbrook. 

Felicity Flutter 

The show runs from 9-11 November and 

entry is free. For more details visit 

www.cranbrookartshow.org.uk 

98 Years Later and Still Performing 

IN THE summer of 1919, 

young Daisy Allen was 

walking down the hill in 

Cranbrook when she met 

newcomer to the town, 

Eva Campbell, an amateur 

theatre enthusiast who 

asked Daisy if she could 

sing. 

With a musical 

background, Daisy popped 

into Eva’s home to sing and 

delighted with the sound, 

they both thought that it 

would be a good idea to 

stage a musical. This chance 

meeting led to the start of 

the Cranbrook Operatic and 

Dramatic Society with its 

production of the Gilbert 

and Sullivan musical, 

The Mikado. 

Rehearsals are now well 

underway for the latest 

CODS offering, the musical 

Scrooge written by Leslie 

Bricusse, which will be 

staged in the Queen’s 

Theatre at the end of 

October. 

Playing the title role is 

parish councillor Andy 

Fairweather and the 

show is directed by Lisa 

Ferris and Rachel Croft 

Golding. Tickets are now 

on sale at the George 

Hotel, Cranbrook, for 

performances on 26-28 

October, with a matinee on 

the Saturday. 

Brian Clifford 

rural family 

fun! 

Fun for all 

the Family 

THIS YEAR’S Weald of Kent 

Ploughing Match will be held 

on Saturday September 16 

at Gatehouse Farm, Marden, 

TN12 9SG. 

Among the attractions will be 

ploughing classes for modern 

and vintage tractors as well 

as horses, a farmers’ market, 

Thelwell-type gymkhana, trade 

stands, clay pigeon shooting 

and terrier racing. 


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events 

We’re Predicting 

Great Things! 

Trisha Fermor talks to Cranbrook-based band 

about its name, sound and upcoming gigs 

PERHAPS THE Weald is 

not the first place you 

would link with hardened 

blues rock but Cranbrook 

can pride itself on 

spawning a band with a 

brilliant future. 

Think Led Zeppelin, 

think Bowie, think Black 

Sabbath and add the fiveman 

Tarot Rats who are 

fast-tracking their way to 

joining the best. 

The eclectic bunch of 

music-makers are riff 

wizard, much tattooed 

father of four, Johnny 

Hammond, 36; guitar lord 

Chris Sansom, 39, also 

father of four; Adrian 

Smithers, 32, rhythm 

glue; Alex Ribchester, 33, 

stickman, and the baby 

of the band, singer Tim 

Hill, 29. 

Where did their 

unusual name come 

from? Johnny explained: 

“We kept picking names 

and found they had 

already been taken. Then 

we had a eureka moment 

and thought of Tarot Rats 

because we write some 

songs with reference to 

tarot cards, which are not 

all gloomy.” 

The band has just 

completed an EP of their 

work which is being 

released on September 

1. Entitled 3.0, Johnny 

explained: “It refers to 

the third full line-up of 

the group, rather like the 

Phoenix rising from the 

ashes. Now is such an 

exciting time for us and 

we are looking to next 

year for more festivals 

and perhaps the year after 

a tour of UK and after 

that Europe. Glastonbury 

is not happening next 

year but we would love to 

play there in 2019.” 

The Rats were eager to 

sing the praises of record 

producer Guy Denning 

who runs the Granary 

Studio in Lamberhurst. 

Looking to the sounds 

“IT JUST FEELS RIGHT AT THE 

MOMENT. OUR SOUND HAS 

MATURED AND OUR PROFILE 

WILL GO UP AND UP” 

of the past, he recorded 

the band using old 

technology – reel-to-reel 

analogue tape – and Chris 

said: “It is very expensive 

but the sound is just 

amazing.” 

WIN, WIN, 

WIN... 

Johnny said: “It just 

feels right at the moment. 

Our sound has matured 

and our profile will go 

up and up. We will be 

supporting some big acts 

and aim to release our 

first full LP album next 

year.” 

The band has been 

signed by Rock People 

Management and will 

be at The Forum in 

Tunbridge Wells on Friday 

September 22. Following 

a tradition, Tarot Rats will 

be at The George, Stone 

Street, Cranbrook, for a 

Halloween night gig on 

October 28. 

Sign up to the Ratpacks’ website 

www.tarotrats.com/signup and try 

your luck at winning two tickets for 

their gig at The Forum, Tunbridge 

Wells, on Friday September 22 plus a 

copy of their brand new EP. 


British-made gifts, art exhibitions & 

creative workshops in Cranbrook 

www.happyglorious.co.uk 

47b High Street, Cranbrook, Kent TN17 3EE 


Hurrah! They are Back 

feature 

Cranbrook’s Union Mill is reunited with its sweeps 

GREAT EXCITEMENT in June as 

the Cranbrook windmill was 

reunited with its huge sweeps 

after more than a year’s 

separation. 

Hurrah! The windmill is able 

to produce stoneground flour 

again. Kent County Council 

owns the landmark which will 

be painted as soon as possible. 

Cranbrook Windmill 

Association volunteers open 

the mill to the public and 

operate it to produce flour 

which is sold. 

Joy Temple 

Come and join us! 

Email volunteering@ 

unionmill.org. 

uk or visit www. 

unionmill.org. 

uk for more 

information. 

At a recent parish council meeting, our county councillor 

Sean Holden said: “It has taken more than a year for the sweeps 

to come back. I hope it won’t take that long for KCC to do the muchneeded 

painting.” 

He was referring to the fact that one side of the mill is green, 

possibly due to the long, hot summer. This phenomenon occurred 

several years ago before the mill was given a fresh coat of paint. 

FROM THE 

ARCHIVES 

IN THE last issue of Parish Cake we 

asked for help in putting names to 

faces in a 1924 photo of Cranbrook 

Town Band. Within a few hours of 

its delivery we had a call from local 

resident Mrs Hadaway 

who has a copy of the 

same photo with every 

name. Thank you; the 

photograph in the 

museum now means so 

much more to us. 

In this issue we 

follow a similar theme 

but this time it is a 

1928 photograph of 

the Cranbrook cubs. We know it’s 

Lesley Bangham in the back row on 

the right but can you name anyone 

else? Perhaps spot your father or 

grandfather? 

If you can help our email address 

is cranbrookmuseum@gmail. 

com or we are there to answer the 

phone on Wednesday mornings 

(only) between 9am and 12 noon 

on 01580 712929. 

As for the 

Town Band, 

here are the 

names! Many 

of you will 

be familiar 

with the 

surnames. 

Back row, left to right; 

H.W.Hills, C.Honess, G.Leeves, H.G.Hatcher, H.Hatcher, 

J.C.Parker, H.S.Cayzer. 

Middle row, left to right; A.E.Bangham,A Bangham, 

A.W.Hatcher, L.C.Piper, J.Elvin, H.W.Hinkley, C.V.Norris. 

Front row, left to right; S.W.West, A Boniface, 

A.T.Slingsby, T.A.W.Slingsby, H.J.Hinkley, S.Stone, E. 

Osborne, W.Butler. 

Cranbrook Museum Curator 

In the last edition we described Mike Huxley as 

Curator of Cranbrook’s Museum. We made a 

mistake – the Curator is of course Rod Dann. The 

error was mine and I apologise – ed. 


feature 

No Rivalry 

in this Team 

A life long passion for minis makes this couple a 

team to be reckoned with writes Trisha Fermor 

JOKES ABOUT women 

drivers would probably go 

down like a lead balloon 

in one Weald household. 

Pete Berry, 41, and his 

fiancée Zoe Atkins, 35, are 

two of the country’s top 

hot-rod racers, travelling 

the length and breadth of 

the UK to compete in their 

iconic Minis. 

Pete, who works at his 

father John’s garage, 

Cranbrook Cars, 

Sissinghurst, is suitably 

proud of Zoe who has left 

the ladies-only classes 

to join the men. She is 

currently lying in third 

place against 40 rivals. 

Her fiancé is the leading 

points champion of the 

6,000-member Invicta 

Kent club – the largest of 

its kind in the UK – based 

at Ivychurch, Romney 

Marsh. 

Their beloved Minis are 

Pete’s much-rebuilt green 

pick-up with a Cooper 

S 1071cc engine and 

Zoe’s white model with a 

1000cc engine. 

Surprisingly, using only 

first and second gear, 

Pete can achieve 89mph 

in second while Zoe can 

reach 70 plus in hers. 

The races are usually run 

clock-wise on an oval 

grass track and their 

cars’ tracking is altered, 

making them look 

lopsided when stationery. 

Mr Berry snr was one of 

the first people in the 

1970s to race on the 

stock-rod grass track in 

Frittenden and Pete said: 

“When I was in a pram I 

used to be taken to the 

track. I was two years old 

when I helped my Dad 

change the wheel nuts on 

a racer. 

“When I was 12 and tall 

for my age I was allowed 

to take part racing cars 

although the minimum 

age was 13. They said if 

“THEY 

SAID IF 

I COULD 

REACH 

THE 

PEDALS 

AND SEE 

OVER THE 

STEERING 

WHEEL I 

WAS OK.” 

I could reach the pedals 

and see over the steering 

wheel I was OK.” 

Pete is not alone in 

getting help from a 

parent. Zoe’s Mum, 

Glenys Atkins, who lives 

at Knoxbridge, raced 

Minis at Brands Hatch. 

Zoe said: “I did karting 

for six years before 

racing Minis. Pete was 

always going on at me to 

join him racing and one 

Christmas he bought me 

a Mini. I went on to be a 

ladies’ champion which is 

why I joined the men.” 

Although hot-rod racing 

is supposed to be a 

non-contact sport both 

their minis have suffered 

damage in collisions and 

both have rolled their 

cars – Pete reckoning to 

have somersaulted up to 

20 times in one incident. 

Fortunately they have 

avoided serious injuries. 

While Zoe’s car is 

trailered to events, 

Pete built his own lorry, 

complete with living 

quarters, to carry his 

Mini. 

He said: “We are like a 

travelling circus. We take 

our two dogs, a Staffie 

and a Staffie x Lab, with 

us wherever we go.” 

Speaking just before the 

National Championships 

in Herefordshire at the 

beginning of August, Pete 

said: “Zoe and I have a 

real partnership, we do 

everything together and 

are a great team.” 


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Academy to 

Share £10 

Million Pot 

feature 

The new High Weald Academy building 

will be state-of-the-art, writes 

Trisha Fermor 

THE HIGH Weald Academy 

is to receive a large slice 

of government money for 

the construction of a new 

building on its Cranbrook 

campus. 

The project will deliver 

state-of-the-art specialist 

science facilities, a suite 

of art rooms, a dance 

studio, library, IT rooms 

and numerous generalpurpose 

classrooms along 

with a new dining area. 

The construction work is 

due to start in December 

or January on the current 

site in Angley Road. It is 

anticipated there will be 

minimal disruption to 

the students’ working day 

as the new development 

will be on unused campus 

land. 

It is also planned to 

demolish old buildings 

no longer required and 

landscape the area. 

Ruth Murphy, executive 

support officer for the 

Brook Learning Trust 

which is in overall charge 

of running the school, 

said: “We are the first 

school within our batch 

of four in Kent to be given 

money by the Department 

for Education. The trust 

has been working closely 

with bidders and the 

Education and Skills 

ABOVE: Prefect Team 

examine new plans 

INSET: Artists 

impression of the new 

building. 

Funding Agency to find 

the right contractor.” 

The public has also been 

asked to participate in 

a consultation process. 

The project is hoped to be 

completed by September 

2019. 

Caroline Longhurst 

and Nicola Taylor, coprincipals 

of the academy, 

said in a joint statement: 

“We are extremely 

pleased and proud of the 

involvement staff and 

students have had in 

shaping the design of our 

new buildings. 

“This is an incredibly 

exciting time for us all 

and we eagerly await 

the start of the works to 

transform our learning 

environment. 

“The students of High 

Weald and the community 

of Cranbrook deserve 

school buildings of which 

we can be proud.” 

This saying by 

Mahatma Gandhi 

is on the school’s 

website: “Live as if you 

were to die tomorrow. 

Learn as if you were to 

live forever.” 

SPONJEM UK Limited 

Capital Allowances Consultants 

Helping people in the area save money upon 

their commercial buildings such as offices, 

shops, restaurants, hotels and holiday let cottages 

For Information contact Paul Jempson on 

Tel: 0800 954 5081 

Mob: 07957 822110 


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Defibrillator 

Saves a Life 

feature 

Quick thinking and easy access to 

the right equipment saves a 

Sissinghurst resident 

FOR GEOFF Cunningham what should have been just 

a stroll from the village pub to his home turned into a 

night that changed his life for ever. 

The 86-year-old was not far from his home in Hop 

Pocket Close, Sissinghurst, when he suddenly collapsed 

in The Street and could easily have died had it not been 

for quick-thinking people. 

One in particular, John Smith, a parish councillor 

for the village, used the defibrillator, mounted on the 

outside of the nearby St George’s Institute, to try to 

revive the unconscious Mr Cunningham. 

Soon, first responder medics, Georgie Watford and 

Sarah Crouch, under team leader Andy Parks, were 

on the scene. With the help of the defibrillator, they 

treated him before he was rushed to hospital where he 

stayed for a month and was fitted with a pacemaker. 

Mr Cunningham said: “I can’t remember anything 

about my collapsing. It was really fortunate that it 

happened in the street because my wife was out. If I 

had collapsed at home I wouldn’t be here now.” 

In July, Mr Cunningham had a chance to meet his 

first responders at a defibrillator awareness evening at 

the village primary school. 

He said to them: “Thank you all for giving me a new 

lease of life.” 

During the evening villagers were given the chance 

to learn how to use a defibrillator and also CPR to 

save someone’s life. They learned that a heart attack 

ABOVE: The responder 

medics team with 

Geoff Cunningham 

is different from a cardiac arrest and the machine will 

not save someone who has had a stroke. Training is not 

necessary to use a defibrillator as the machine gives 

clear and concise verbal instructions on how to use it. 

The earlier a defibrillator can be used the greater the 

chance of saving someone. 

As Mr Parks said: “You won’t kill people using a 

defibrillator, you will only save them.” Trisha Fermor 

DEFIBRILLATOR LOCATIONS 

There are four defibrillators in Sissinghurst but the only one which is 

available 24 hours a day is outside St. George’s institute. The others can be 

found at the cricket club, tennis club and the Milk House pub. 

In Cranbrook, one is situated at the George Hotel, the other on the 

outside of Cranbrook Fire Station at the top of the High Street – available 

24 hours a day. 

FENCING • GROUNDWORK 

FORESTRY • FARMING 

Call Stuart Mason on 01580 212198 or 07710 180381 

stuart_mason19@btinternet.com 


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out & about 

Why Do We Have 

SPEED LIMITS? 

Sissinghurst Speedwatch member Trisha Fermor draws 

attention to ineffective signage on the A229 

NO-ONE could have been 

happier to hear that reduced 

speed limits were to be 

introduced along the A229 than 

the people whose homes are 

alongside it. 

But the euphoria was shortlived. 

It would appear that at 

the same time the few and 

somewhat randomly scattered 

speed limit signs were installed, 

a large majority of road users 

began to treat the A229 as their 

own Brands Hatch. 

Sean Holden, our Kent 

County Council member 

for Cranbrook, was rightly 

pleased that after battling for 

months, the limits between the 

roundabout at Sissinghurst and 

Knoxbridge, would be reduced 

to 40 or 50mph. 

But instead of slowing down 

traffic those of us whose homes 

line the road are faced with 

faster and faster vehicles – the 

40 from the roundabout to close 

to Mill Lane being ignored by 

everything from HGVs to motor 

cycles. 

High speed overtaking at 50, 

60, or more, especially 70+ if 

you are a motorcyclist heading 

north towards Staplehurst, is 

frequently done in the straight 

between the roundabout, 

past the Shell Garage and 

beyond Mill Lane. Certainly 

motorcyclists, whichever 

direction they are going, use 

this stretch of road to show 

off the versatility of their 

machines, either on one wheel 

or two. 

Despite the junctions and 

numerous driveways, for some 

inexplicable reason, the 40 then 

becomes 50 before, in a few 

yards time, dropping again to 

40 at the start of Rocks Hill. 

Why didn’t the powers that 

be – Kent Highways – make it 

40mph all the way from Angley 

Road to the bottom of Rocks 

Hill instead of chopping and 

changing? 

We all know that KCC is 

strapped for cash, as are many 

local authorities, but why 

so few signs? Between the 

roundabout and Mill Lane there 

is a lone short 40mph sign on 

the right (heading towards 

Staplehurst) but nothing on the 

left. Some of the signs are even 

being partially obscured by 

growing trees. 

But I suspect that no 

matter how many signs we 

have reckless drivers will 

always speed. As a member 

of Speedwatch I frequently 

see drivers speeding into 

Sissinghurst ignoring the 

30 limit signs and slowing 

down only when they see our 

presence. 

But perhaps 

the most 

aggravating 

problem of all 

is the increased 

noise from hoards 

of highly-tuned motorbikes 

going to and from Hastings at 

weekends and Bank Holidays. 

The excessive noise, which I 

believe is illegal, is horrendous 

when, on a warm summer’s 

day, literally hundreds of bikes 

scream along the A229, the 

riders seemingly oblivious as 

to how much they spoil others’ 

enjoyment of the countryside. 

I have always believed that 

there is little point in having 

laws of any kind unless they are 

policed. We rarely see police 

in the town and I have 

never seen traffic 

police operating 

speed checks. 

I appreciate 

Kent Police are 

overstretched but 

the impression 

is being given to 

those of us in rural 

areas that speeding is 

not a problem and neither 

are exceptionally noisy motor 

bikes. 

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In the 

Garden 

Tulipmania 

A brief history of tulips 

with Penny Royal 

THE SEASON of mists and 

mellow fruitfulness is 

almost in full swing and 

for us gardeners our 

thoughts are turning to 

the spring and bulbs. 

What shall we plant? 

The choice is almost 

endless but 600 years ago in 

Holland there was just one musthave 

bulb – the tulip. 

It originated in Turkey and Persia 

and it is believed its name came from 

the Persian for turban “toliban” which, 

changed into Latin, become tulipa. 

Its appearance in Holland dates back 

to 1593 when botanist Carolus Clusius 

became head of the new botanical 

garden at the University of Leiden 

where he planted the first known bulbs. 

Growing them purely with a scientific 

eye, others saw them as floral gold. Part 

of his meagre collection was stolen 

and so began a multi-million guilder 

industry. 

The tulip became a status symbol 

and in 1624 the craze had reached 

fever pitch. The white and maroon 

Rembrandt-type Semper Augustus 

commanded 3,000 guilders each, the 

equivalent to £1,500 today. 

Tulipmania reached its peak in the 

1630s. Bulbs were sold in the same way 

as gold and the price of one bulb could 

have bought five swine, 12 sheep, one 

complete bed, 1,000lbs of cheese or a 

silver tankard. 

But 1637 saw the tulip bubble 

burst with people turning 

into paupers overnight. Its 

demise was on a par with 

the Stock Market crash 

of the 1920s. 

Thanks to Herr 

Clusius, the Dutch 

now cover a staggering 

24,000 acres of land with 

three billion tulips each 

year. 

Fortunately, for most of us it is a 

case of planting some in beds or pots. 

But which variety to choose from the 

thousands on sale? The red and white 

Clusiana Peppermintstick; the spidery 

looking Acuminata; fringed, peonyflowered 

or parrots? 

Among my favourites are the 

magenta pink Doll’s Minuet, a true 

perennial; Burgundy, the lily flowered 

purple variety and its cousin White 

Triumphator and the red and white 

Estella Rijnveld, a very old parrot 

variety. 

Don’t be in a hurry to plant your 

bulbs. Leave it until October or even 

better November, as long as the ground 

is not frozen. Plant at least 20cm deep 

and if you have heavy soil dig a trench 

and line with grit or washed sharp sand 

for drainage. 

Then, stoke the fire put your feet 

up and start looking through plant 

catalogues to plan your garden for 2018! 

Let’s Cook! 

GINGER AND STAR 

ANISE SPICED 

APPLES 

It’s that time of year 

again when the Weald 

is alive with the sound 

of apple pickers! I 

believe the English 

apple is the finest and 

most versatile top 

fruit. Having a fruit-farming mother-in-law I am 

more than happy to share her recipe for these 

autumn delights. 

INGREDIENTS 

Serves 4 

200ml white wine 

200ml ginger wine 

200g granulated sugar 

2 broad strips of orange rind 

2 star anise 

3cm of root ginger, peeled and finely sliced 

4 eating apples or 8 small ones 

Juice of 2 large lemons 

WHAT TO DO 

1 Mix everything together, except apples and 

lemon juice, in a saucepan with 200ml water. 

Slowly bring to the boil. Stir occasionally to 

dissolve sugar. 

2 If the apples are small halve and core them. 

If bigger cut into quarters, coring each piece. 

If apples have attractive skin leave on. Drop 

pieces into a bowl with lemon juice. 

3 Bring the liquid back to a very gentle simmer, 

add apples and poach until tender. Be careful 

not to overcook. Take each piece out as they 

become cooked. Cool on a plate. 

4 Boil the liquid until it has reduced to about 

a third. It should be syrupy and will thicken as 

it cools to room temperature. Strain, pick out 

the star anise and add to the apples. Pour syrup 

over the apples and chill briefly. 

5 Serve with thick cream, Greek yoghurt or 

crème fraiche. 

Bon appetite! 

Emma Fraser 


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Stone Street Traffic Hazards 

comment 

Phil Mummery shares his thoughts on why unthinking drivers are making Stone Street so dangerous 

LIKE THE Grand Canyon in the US of 

A it is full of hazards, though ours 

are man, and dare I say it, woman 

made. 

I am amazed by the stupidity of 

a minority of drivers. Firstly, those 

who don’t know the width of their 

own vehicles; two 4X4s can pass in 

Stone Street, I’ve checked. 

I find it amazing how shortsighted 

many (dare I say it, local) 

drivers are. They can’t see beyond 

the end of their noses. There’s a bus 

coming through, so some idiot tries 

to beat it. This ends up blocking the 

street so everybody is stuck, or even more seriously mounting 

the pavement causing problems for all pedestrians with or 

without prams. 

Your wheels are illegally on the pavement, there’s nothing in 

sight but what about the little child who is about to dash out of 

the aptly named Morts Alley! 

Your wheels have run over it just 

because you had no patience (too 

late to be sorry now). 

Then there is parking: Once 

again I keep seeing things. Are 

they yellow lines in Stone Street? 

They can’t be because I see vehicles 

parked there every day. If you 

are coming from the High Street, 

trying to negotiate the parked cars 

because their owners are too lazy 

to use the car parks, there is usually 

chaos. 

Why spend money on enforcing 

solutions like traffic lights (costly 

and unsightly), wardens and cameras? How much pleasanter 

and safer if we all used common sense and consideration for 

others. 

I’ve stated the obvious I know, but if that minority of drivers 

don’t reform there will be a fatality. There are no excuses. Let us 

all remember it is our town, we make it what it is. 

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Meet the Team 

Meet the legal team at Buss Murton Law, sponsors of Parish Cake 

legal 

WITH 11 members of staff in the Cranbrook office, you 

can always be guaranteed a warm welcome when you 

come through our door on the High Street. 

KERRY CARTER 

Partner and head of the Cranbrook 

office, Kerry joined the firm in 

April 2016. Kerry has worked 

locally for a number of years and 

specialises in property and private 

client matters. In short Kerry helps 

people buying and selling houses 

whether for their personal use or for commercial use. 

From the private client aspect Kerry specialises in 

Wills, trusts, probate and lasting powers of attorney 

(LPAs). 

Kerry lives locally and has links with the Cranbrook 

Rugby Club where her son plays and husband helps 

coach. Kerry loves to spend time with her family and 

friends and to travel, a particular favourite being Italy. 

CLAIRE SHIREBY 

Claire is an experienced solicitor 

who has been with the firm’s 

Cranbrook office for a number 

of years. Claire specialises 

in the private client work of 

the administration of estates, 

probate, Wills and lasting powers 

of attorney. Claire also has a wealth of experience in 

residential property conveyancing and is sensitive to 

the needs of people going through the stresses and 

strains of buying and selling their homes. 

CORINNE BROWNE 

Corinne has been with Buss 

Murton since 1977 and has many 

years’ experience of all types of 

property work acting for a variety 

of personal and commercial 

clients across a wide geographical 

area. She has also worked 

for house builders in the acquisition of land for 

development and its eventual disposal as completed 

units. She has acted for commercial landlords and 

tenants in respect of leases of offices, retail, industrial 

units and land. 

further 

info 

JULIE TAYLOR 

Julie is a solicitor who has worked 

in our Cranbrook office since 

joining the firm in 2015. Julie 

acts for clients in all areas of 

family law and divorce. She is a 

member of the national family 

law organisation Resolution 

and understands the complex emotional processes 

involved in family law matters and divorce. Julie is 

also an experienced employment lawyer, advising on 

business restructures, settlement agreements and 

tribunal claims. 

Julie lives in Cranbrook where her son attends 

a local school. She is Membership Secretary for 

Cranbrook Rugby Club, a committee member of 

the Cranbrook Literature Festival and Secretary to 

The Cranbrook Experience. Julie also organises the 

Cranbrook Pudding Club, a monthly business and 

community networking lunch at The George Hotel. 

RICHARD PIPER 

Richard joined the Wealden firm 

of Murton, Clark and Murton- 

Neale in 1968 as an articled clerk. 

After qualifying as a solicitor, he 

became a Partner in 1975, and 

was involved in the merger that 

created Buss Murton in 1985. 

Throughout his working life he has lived and worked 

in the Weald of Kent, servicing the legal requirements 

of his many clients acquired over the last 50 years. 

Since his retirement as a Partner in 2000, he has 

worked with the firm as a Consultant, dealing mainly 

with conveyancing work, both residential and 

commercial, as well as providing other general legal 

advice. 

Find Buss Murton Law at 

31 High Street, Cranbrook. 

01580 712215 

info@bussmurton.co.uk 

www.bussmurton.co.uk 



usiness 

Harnessing the 

Power of the 

Web in theWeald 

You don’t need to rely on customers walking past 

your shop or office door, writes Emma Wood of 

Hothouse - Wealden Growth Agency 

I WANT to share with you just how important a website 

and the internet is to any business, particularly in 

rural areas such as ours. The World Wide Web has 

transformed the way that businesses trade 

regardless of just how remote some might be. 

Whilst numerous businesses have risen to 

the challenge of harnessing the web, there 

is often apathy from some small and even 

large business owners to having a website 

and putting their business online. Here are 

my reasons why it is so critical to do so. 

i. Potential customers are searching for you 

and you aren’t there. Consumers use the 

internet to search for products and services, as 

well as to do research about products and services 

that they need. Your competitors are putting their 

goods online and so should you. 

ii. With a mobile-responsive, optimised website to 

direct traffic to your products and services giving the 

customer what they need, you can compete. 

iii. Online traffic is trackable: Smaller businesses, 

particularly rural ones, do have smaller budgets. 

With online marketing, you can start by investing 

small amounts and be able to measure the results. By 

utilising direct response messaging on your offline 

advertising you can drive potential customers to 

dedicated landing pages on your website, enabling 

you to better monitor return from your investment 

in publications, television, radio or other media. 

iv. Because digital marketing is trackable from day one, 

this means that you can measure which channel or 

message is getting better sales conversions. You can 

adapt your messaging, change your promotions and 

alter your products along the way. 

v. When you have a website you convert more business. 

People will search for a product or service, or name 

of your business, and go to your website. In today’s 

world, most searches are conducted on a mobile 

telephone rather than going, for example, to a 

printed directory. 

BELOW: Emma 

Wood is founder of 

INTOtheWeald.co.uk 

more info 

vi. With various advertising tools available you can 

reach a global audience. It is easy to run a campaign 

across the globe. If your product or service is 

transportable you can increase your turnover and 

profits from international customers and not be 

reliant purely on visitors to your locality, or those 

residing in Cranbrook or Sissinghurst and the 

surrounding area. 

And of course with local customers in mind it is also 

important to remember that according to Google 

statistics: 

• 72% of customers that do a local search visit a store 

within five miles 

• Local searches lead to 50% of mobile visitors to visit 

stores within a day 

• 78% of mobile searches result in offline purchases. 

So no matter what size, nature or location of your 

enterprise in the Weald, I cannot emphasise enough 

how important is it that you harness the World Wide 

Web by having a website to promote your business. 

If you would like to discuss how you can make the most 

of trading on the World Wide Web call Emma on 

01580 715772. 

Emma Wood is founder of INTOtheWeald.co.uk – the 

community and enterprise portal that supports and 

promotes all things local, managing director of Wealden 

Growth Agency - HotHouseGrowth.co.uk and strategy & 

business development director at MaxMediaGlobal.com – 

International Expansion Specialists. 


update 

News and views from Cranbrook 

& Sissinghurst Parish Council, 

compiled by Kim Fletcher 

What is a Parish Council 

for and How Does it Work? 

THE CRANBROOK and 

Sissinghurst Parish Council is 

the first level of getting things 

done in the community. Elected 

councillors take decisions that 

affect everyone’s lives in a 

small way. 

Tunbridge Wells Borough 

Council (TWBC) makes bigger 

decisions, Kent County Council 

(KCC) takes bigger ones still, 

and eventually the buck stops 

with Helen Grant, our member 

of parliament. 

The ‘glue’ that makes all this 

happen is the work of the 

committees in the parish 

council, the monthly parish 

meeting, and the clerks who 

sit in the Weald Information 

Centre, at the bottom of the 

church steps. 

PARISH COUNCIL 

There are 15 elected members 

of our parish council, who are 

elected for four years, including 

chairman Cllr. Bridget Veitch. 

The parish council has a 

monthly meeting to which 

all members of the parish are 

welcome. Reports are given 

from the various committees 

and a vote taken on their 

decisions to make them 

binding and for your precept 

money to be spent. Questions 

from members of the parish 

can be asked at the end of the 

meeting. 

We have the following 

committees: 

Planning and Preservation – 

chaired by Cllr. Alison Bunyan 

This committee meets every 

fortnight to give feedback to 

TWBC on the local view on 

any planning applications. As 


have so many listed buildings, 

the planning committee 

work with local groups and 

individuals to try to maintain a 

balance between modern living 

and the historic character of the 

town. 

The committee can only advise 

the TWBC planning department, 

not instruct it. 

Environmental Management 

– chaired by Cllr. Andy 

Fairweather 

This committee looks after 

playground equipment, the 

allotments, the car parks and 

street lights. The countryside 

in the parish is an Area of 

Outstanding Natural Beauty 

(AONB) so it balances the 

modern way of living with the 

rural nature of the parish 

Burial Grounds and Properties 

– chaired by Cllr. Brian 

Clifford 

The parish own buildings 

and land so this committee 

looks after the cemeteries, 

grass cutting, grave allocation 

and properties such as the 

Vestry Hall. It ensures that 

maintenance is done in a timely 

manner and that the buildings 

are safe. 

Policy and Resources 

– chaired by Cllr. Peter 

Goodchild 

Each sub committee has a 

chairman and they all sit on 

this committee with the parish 

council chairman, deputy and 

finance member. 

Members ensure the left and 

right hands know what is going 

on. It is this committee that 

works out finances and give the 

sub committees their budgets 

for the year. Each sub committee 

has a five year forward plan for 

expenditure, so we put money 

aside to pay for major projects 

which may occur in the future, 

such as painting the outside 

of the Vestry Hall or renewing 

some play equipment (each 

piece costs about £6,000). 

A reserve is also held for 

emergencies. 

Policy and Resources also looks 

after our most valuable assets, 

the parish clerks, Lori and Laura. 

The clerks act as the ‘do-ers’ for 

the parish – they report issues 

to TWBC, contact suppliers 

and contractors, and act as the 

front line in communication 

for parishioners. They work 

alongside Lynn from Tunbridge 

Wells in the Weald Information 

Centre, and if one doesn’t know 

the answer, one of the others 

probably does! 

Neighbourhood Development 

Plan (NDP) – chaired by Cllr. 

Nancy Warne 

The Parish Council is 

responsible for the delivery 

of the NDP. Led by Cllr. Nancy 

Warne, the NDP Steering Group 

is made up of councillors 

and non-councillors. 

Through public engagement 

events and questionnaires, 

parishioners are helping to 

create a shared vision for 

the future development 

of the parish. Details of 

how to get involved can be 

found on the website www. 

cranbrookandsissinghurstndp. 

co.uk 

The final plan will include a set 

of policies specific to the parish, 

against which future planning 

decisions will be determined. 

Parishioners get to vote on the 

plan in a referendum, which 

will take place in late 2018/ 

early 2019. 


Issues Facing 

the Parish 

FANTASTIC EVENTS BY FANTASTIC 

PEOPLE 

Nuts in May, Cranbrook in Bloom, 

Sissinghurst Fête, Sissinghurst boot 

fairs, Cranbrook Apple Fair - how can 

we, as a community, encourage people to 

keep creating the events that define the 

parish? Such energy and creativity can 

be nurtured by the parish, but it is the 

individuals in the community who make 

these things happen, so thank you! 

The parish council has funds that can be 

applied for as ‘seed corn’ for events (eg. 

the 5K and 10K runs organised by the 

Primary School), but we also hear that the 

Co-op now has local funds for supporting 

local organisations – a big thank you to 

the Co-op – ask in store for details! 

PUBLIC TOILETS 

We cannot be a tourist destination unless 

people can get off a coach and go to the 

loo. Unfortunately, the public toilets have 

been vandalised time and again by the 

youth of the town, to the point that TWBC 

has spent more money on the Cranbrook 

WCs than all the others in the borough put 

together. The issue is being debated with 

the borough council to find a solution. 

VANDALISM 

Some of the parish’s new play equipment 

has been vandalised, and if we get new 

WCs we need to protect them too. If you 

see (or hear) vandalism taking place, 

please call 101 immediately. If fire is 

involved, 999 is the number. 

COMMUNITY CENTRE 

The future community centre will need 

to be redesigned as the first plan is 

unaffordable. The NDP Steering Group 

is assembling views, and we still need 

information and evidence of what it will 

be used for. 

There is a split in the community between 

people who say ‘There is no need for one’ 

and the other camp who say ‘Build it and 

they will come’. 

HOUSING 

We do not know how many new houses 

TWBC has to build, and how many it will 

put in our parish. The NDP is crucial to 

enabling us to have a say on where they 

go and what they look like, so please 

get involved or have your say. There are 

decisions about to be made that will 

change the parish, and you do have an 

option to influence them. 

BUSINESS PREMISES 

With new housing comes the need for 

places to work, and so often businesses are 

not considered as they do not have a vote 

– they pay huge commercial rates, but 

have no say in the democratic process. The 

NDP is also considering where and what 

type of premises are needed – businesses 

need to tell us! 

PETKEN 

CONSTRUCTION LTD 

www.petkenconstructionltd.co.uk 

Undertaking all aspects of residential and commercial building works. 

Please contact us to discuss your building requirements. 

Mob. 07834 952 965 Office. 01580 441336 

Email. info@petkenconstructionltd.co.uk 


local legend 

LINDA PAGE 

Cranbrook In Bloom champion and much more 

WHERE WERE YOU BORN AND BRED? 

Bexleyheath, then we moved a couple 

of times before living in Iden Green. We 

then went to Apple Pie Farm in Benenden 

where my husband-to-be Fred worked. We 

met when I was 15 and waiting for a bus to 

Cranbrook. When I got to the town he was 

waiting for me and asked me out. Three 

years later we were married! 

WHERE DID YOU GO TO SCHOOL? 

Benenden Primary and then to the 

Tonbridge Tech which is now the Weald of 

Kent Grammar School. 

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST JOB? 

I went into the police as a cadet for a year 

but Fred did not want me to carry on with 

that so I worked in an insurance company 

in Maidstone. We married when I was 18 

and we had three children, Chris, Simon 

and Teresa. 

WHICH THREE WORDS DESCRIBE YOU? 

Enthusiastic, positive, cheerful. I am a half 

glass full person! 

WHAT’S THE HISTORY OF PAGES? 

We took over 21 High Street, Cranbrook, 

which was a sweet shop and newsagents 

but it soon became too small so we moved 

into what was Dykes’ newsagents when 

the owner retired. Our son Chris is now 

working in the shop. 

WHAT MAKES YOU TICK? 

I like seeing results. I get 

a lot of pleasure out of 

organising things 

in the town. One 

of my four sisters 

says I am the one 

who lights the 

touch paper and 

goes away! 

YOU ARE VERY 

INVOLVED IN THE 

COMMUNITY. 

WHAT ARE YOUR 

HIGHLIGHTS? 

I am very proud 

of being chairman of Cranbrook in Bloom 

which was set up in 1994 but really got 

going in 2000. I am so lucky to have so many 

people in the group who work so hard. We 

have won gold twice in the South and South 

East in Bloom competition. On the strength 

of that we were one of only five small towns 

to be invited to take part in Britain in Bloom 

and won silver gilt in 2014 and 2015. 

WHAT MAKES CRANBROOK SUCH A 

SPECIAL PLACE TO WORK? 

I am a people person. I just like to be able to 

see people every day and see what is going 

on. It is such a friendly town. I step outside 

the door and look up and down the High 

Street and say to myself “aren’t we lucky?” 

WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT `MUST WATCH’ TV 

PROGRAMME? 

I don’t do soaps, I don’t do the news! I read 

a paper instead. I did like Broadchurch and 

Silent Witness. 

YOUR PET PREFERENCES – CATS OR DOGS? 

Neither! I don’t like cats and Fred is allergic 

to animals. 

FAVOURITE CAKE? 

Cream is more important than the cake! I 

do like a Pavlova and I have cream on my 

porridge! 

WHAT DO YOU DO TO UNWIND? 

I do like to read novels. I like Pillars of the 

Earth by Ken Follet set in medieval times. I 

also like a gin and tonic! 

WHAT DAILY PAPER DO YOU READ? 

I read the I Daily newspaper. I used to be a 

Mail reader but there is too much drivel in it 

now. The I is very concise and only 50p! 


R 

CHURC 

R 

RI 

HILL SECURI 

TY 

C 

T 

SYSTEMS 

DETER.DETECT.DEFEND

Parish Cake Autumn 2017

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