The Cake - Spring 2022

Tasty local stories, published by Cranbrook and Sissinghurst Parish Council 

Spring 2022 | FREE 

Truly Natural Living 

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These positions are exempt from the rehabilitation of offenders act

Published by Cranbrook and 

Sissinghurst Parish Council 

EDITOR 

Trisha Fermor - rt.fermor@googlemail.com 

ADVERTISING SALES 

David Hobden - 01892 677741 

davidh@spacemarketing.co.uk 

ADMIN SUPPORT 

Graham Holmes - gpholmes@hotmail.co.uk 

PRODUCED BY 

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tally@coffeeshopmedia.com 

PUBLISHED BY 

Cranbrook and Sissinghurst Parish Council 

01580 713112 

www.cranbrookandsissinghurstpc.co.uk 

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. 

SOMETHING FOR THE CAKE? 

We love to hear from you. Please send all ideas for 

contributions to The Cake to 

rt.fermor@googlemail.com by 2 May 2022. 

welcome 

The Cake team is delighted to announce the 

fifth birthday of this much-praised magazine 

and is happy to share with you the 20th 

edition! 

Launched by the late Brian Clifford, it has 

evolved into a quarterly magazine which 

keeps its readers up to date with news so 

often ignored by local newspapers. 

This month, we are sadly reporting the 

resignation of two councillors, Nancy Warne 

and John Smith, who have both given years of 

service to the parish. We wish them well. 

We are saddened that our vicar, the Rev 

Ann Pollington, has taken her final service 

and left the vicarage. We thank her for 

devoting herself to our beautiful church and to the town and wish her well in 

her retirement. 

Again, The Cake is outlining the very real fears for the future of St 

Dunstan’s Church, the fight to re-open the former High Weald Academy and 

our chairman’s view on how YOU can help Cranbrook to thrive in years to 

come. 

We very much hope that parishioners will all receive their copy of The Cake, 

via Royal Mail, but if not please let us know. 

Cllr. Trisha Fermor, editor 

FRONT COVER 

Buy delicious grass fed meat reared 

to the highest welfare and nutritional 

standards from Paley Farm, Cranbrook. 

Sustainably farmed from pasture to 

plate, truly natural living. Order online 

or visit the new onsite butchery at Paley 

Farm, Paley Lane, Cranbrook TN17 2LX. 

www.paleyfarm.co.uk 

Inside this issue 

REGULARS 

5 Directory 

7 Chairman’s Comment 

8 Letters 

10 Development 

12 Local News 

14 Club News 

15 Event News 

16 Support Local – spotlight 

on food and drink; advice 

on health and wellbeing 

18 Local Comment – Helen 

Grant MP, Rev Ann, parish 

warden Ivor Hatcher 

30 Kids’ Corner 

32 Kitchen & Garden 

35 Badger’s Plot 

41 Parish Council Update 

FEATURES 

11 High Weald Academy – an 

update and an appeal 

20 Local Health – Everyday 

Active Champion and 

Hands of Hope 

25 Save St Dunstan’s – just 

£12 a year could make all 

the difference 

27 Wildlife Champion – Nigel 

Witham and his passion for 

nature 

29 Museum Matters – a new 

painting joins the collection 

37 Arts – local artists illustrate 

storytelling in different 

mediums 

39 Legal Advice – divorce law 

changes 

42 The Cake Chats With… 

Troy Scott-Smith, head 

gardener, Sissinghurst 

Castle Garden 

The Cake • Spring 2022 3

In Pictures 

Send us your snaps from in and around Cranbrook and Sissinghurst for inclusion in the next 

issue. Email the editor at rt.fermor@googlemail.com 

Busy bee, captured 

by Alan Ford 

"Dinner time!" captured 

by Alan Ford 

Red sky in Sissinghurst, 

captured by Trisha Fermor 

4 The Cake • Spring 2022

DIRECTORY 

directory 

A list of useful contacts in 

Cranbrook and Sissinghurst 

POET’S CORNER 

An ode to his school, this poem is written 

by a pupil of the new Belle Vue School, 

Cranbrook 


Parish Council 

The Old Fire Station, Stone Street, 

Cranbrook, KENT TN17 3HF 

Clerk – Mrs. L. Ham 

Deputy Clerk – Mrs. L. Thirkell 

Deputy Clerk - Mrs. C. Bezuidenhout 

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 

01580 713112 (10am-12pm weekdays). 

A full list of over 30 venues for hire in the 

parish is available from the parish office 

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 712620 

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 

Osborn - 07813 695741 

PCSO: Simon Humphreys - 

simon.humphreys@kent.police.uk 

Neighbourhood Watch Area 

Co-ordinator: 01622 604395 

In an emergency i.e. if life is in danger 

or a crime is in progress call 999. To 

request non urgent police assistance, 

to report crime or to make enquiry 

call 101. Non urgent correspondence 

and crime can be reported via the Live 

Chat icon at www.kent.police.uk 

ROOMS & HALLS TO HIRE 

St George’s Institute, Sissinghurst: 

Ursula O’Connor 01580 713938 

The Parish Room, Sissinghurst: Sue 

Crowe 01580 712567 

ts.crowe74@gmail.com 

The Vestry Hall, Council Chamber and 

Addison VC Room, Cranbrook: 

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 

Old School Surgery, Cranbrook: 

01580 712476 

Orchard End Surgery, Cranbrook: 

01580 713622 

The Crane Surgery, Cranbrook 

01580 712260 

DEFIBRILLATORS 

Cramp Club, Cranbrook 

Cranbrook Fire Station 

Cranbrook Medical Centre, Cranbrook 

Cricket Club, Sissinghurst 

Parish Council office 

Sissinghurst Castle Garden 

St. George’s Institute, Sissinghurst 

Tennis Club, Sissinghurst 

The George Hotel, Cranbrook 

The Milkhouse, Sissinghurst 

Beautiful View 

At Belle Vue, we don’t judge. 

We don’t preconceive, we never 

hold a grudge. 

Instead, we build up diligence 

and resilience. 

We don’t stagnate, we 

encourage brilliance. 

The building. 

A perfect manifestation of our 

foremost goal. 

To give each of our students a 

place in society, whatever the 

role. Along the way we will 

nurture and inspire to reach 

our final goal. 

To help our learners achieve 

whatever they desire. 

Here community is of upmost 

paramounce. 

The solipsistic and indolent we 

most definitely denounce. Belle 

Vue is happily partnered with 

many other groups, whatever 

they do, we welcome them into 

the loop. 

So welcome to our school. 

To get where you want, we will 

give you the fuel. Good grades, 

we will get you earning. 

Belle Vue, a different way of 

learning. 

By Jacob 


COMMENT 

CLLR KIM FLETCHER 

Chairman’s 

Message 

Sadly, we have had to 

say goodbye to two 

councillors, Nancy 

Warne, who has 

done sterling work 

heading up the Neighbourhood 

Development Plan, and John 

Smith, who led planning and 

been a mainstay of Sissinghurst 

activities. They have devoted 

so much time and energy to 

making the parish a better place 

and deserve your thanks. 

Our community is built on 

people connecting with one 

another and finding common 

interests that create a glue that 

makes a strong community. 

Mostly this is based on giving 

time to your interests which 

also benefits others. In this 

edition of The Cake you will see 

many opportunities to share 

your experiences and energies 

to create a stronger community 

and add to your own well-being. 

Many of us are concerned 

that the closure of High Weald 

Academy will weaken our 

community, and elsewhere in 

The Cake, you will read about 

the parish council’s initiative to 

get it reopened. 

The closure of the public 

toilets has been a source of 

frustration since the continued 

vandalism caused TWBC to gift 

the building to the parish. There 

is good news on the horizon, 

thanks to Cllr Colin Gilbert who 

has put enormous time and 

effort into re-opening them 

soon. 

Hopefully, this will prevent 

fouling of footpaths around the 

town. We will put a new wooden 

Cllr Colin Gilbert has put enormous time and effort into the re-opening of the public toilets in Cranbrook. 

See page 19 for more. 

youth shelter in the Crane 

Valley for youngsters to have 

somewhere to meet, and not 

wreck the WCs. 

This is a huge risk with your 

council tax money to try to stop 

the vandalism of the toilets. 

The damage cost most of all 

TWBC’s budget for WC repairs. 

Hopefully, the fast-food outlets 

will publicise the 24/7 aspect of 

their being open. 

The new children’s play 

equipment on the Ball Field and 

Jubilee Field has caused some 

upset as it is different and raised 

some concerns. Councillors had 

diligently sought new, exciting 

equipment for the sites. They 

are your elected representatives 

who devote their time to the 

common good, using their 

expertise and contacts to come 

up with the best overall solution 

for the long term. Decisions are 

made, not everyone is pleased, 

but hopefully the majority will 

be. 

Parishioners could be working 

together to create wider use of 

our sports’ facilities. It is good 

to report that the Weald Sports 

Centre, run by Fusion, is to 

spend £1.17m on improvements. 

Nearby, is the Weald 

Cranbrook Sports Club, 

previously the rugby club, which 

has burgeoning membership 

and needs room to expand. It 

also has extensive parking. 

The parish owns and manages 

the Ball Field, while Cranbrook 

School shares Jaeger’s field 

with the sports club for rugby. 

I salute Mark Lawrence and 

Wellbeing in the Weald for their 

efforts to increase the access to 

activities. 

Are you making the most of 

the facilities? 

Cllr Kim Fletcher, chairman 

of Cranbrook and Sissinghurst 


ROGER FERMOR 


letters 

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

Cranbrook in 

Bloom 

I moved to Cranbrook last 

February and was keen to 

get involved in the local 

community and make some 

new friends locally. I found 

Cranbrook in Bloom whilst 

searching online for local 

activities and events. It was 

easy to make contact, a quick 

email, and I soon found myself 

chatting on the phone with 

Marian Cumberland who was 

very welcoming and informed 

me of all upcoming events. 

Since then I have met some 

lovely people and become 

involved in various activities 

such as planting flowers in the 

High Street planters, tidying up 

the plants on the roundabout 

and making holly wreaths for 

the Christmas fair. I particularly 

enjoyed serving tea and cakes 

at the Garden Safari in June in a 

beautiful Cranbrook garden. 

My experience of 

volunteering with Cranbrook in 

Bloom has been very positive. 

I have discovered more about 

Cranbrook and made some 

new friends and would highly 

recommend to other local 

people that they give it a try. 

Debbie Batstone 

Playground 

disappointment 

I understand the parish 

council has come in for 

some criticism regarding 

the amount spent and 

the choice made on the 

behalf of children on the 

new play equipment at 

the Ball Field, Cranbrook. 

As a regular user of the 

playground with my 

children, I agree that 

the previous wooden 

structure needed to be 

removed, but the play 

value that piece had was 

enormous. There was an 

area to climb, an area to 

navigate, a place to hide, 

a place to strive to reach, 

a place to build strength, 

a place to be high, a place 

to be low, and the bark was 

just a joy in itself – tower 

building, potion making, 

creatures to create etc. 

While I appreciate there 

was long ‘consultation’ 

with suppliers of 

equipment, where was the 

consultation with the end 

users, the kids?! I know 

Goudhurst Parish Council 

made an awesome effort 

when they replaced their 

equipment, with three 

alternatives drawn up 

and circulated and a 

vote taken. Surely 

this could have 

been achieved here. 

Having Googled 

around, it seems this 

is pretty standard 

practice… 

While I understand 

this metal structure will 

be here for decades, next 

time, please, please your 

common sense. 

Henrietta Cox 

Please send 

your letters to: 

rt.fermor@googlemail.com 

or by post to The 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. 

A Street Party to Remember 

Thanks once again to the talents of sisters Wendy Waters and Julie Sales, Cranbrook will be in celebration mode on 5 June, this time to 

celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. 

The pair are organising a massive street party in the High Street (which will be closed!) and we are all urged to go along and turn it 

into a grand celebration for the Queen – the first monarch on the planet to have celebrated 70 years on the throne. 

Bring your tables and chairs, some bunting and Union flags. There will be bands, food outlets and face painting but you can bring 

your own fun as well! 

Make it a day everyone, especially our children, will remember for a very long time! 

Monty Woods 


We have been providing expert and 

trusted legal advice to individuals and 

businesses for generations. 

SHOP OF THE SEASON 

The Cake is launching a special competition, judged by the 

team, to find the best shop design in town and there will be a 

trophy for the winner! 

Each quarter, we will pick the winner and picture it in The 

Cake. Congratulations to Mrs T Potts Sweet Shoppe at 35 Stone 

Street, Cranbrook, for leading the pack this spring. A triumph 

of nostalgia and fun. A trophy will be winging its way to you 

shortly! TF 

Caring for heads, shoulders… 

Knees 

Toes 

PODIATRY 

Biomechanics 

Gait analysis 

Orthotics 

Insoles 

CHIROPODY 

Corns 

Callus 

Blisters 

Verucaes 

SHOE FITTINGS 

Running 

Walking 

Trail 

Back to school 

MASSAGE THERAPY 

Tight muscles 

Stress relief 

Improve mobility 

Promote healing 

PHYSIOTHERAPY 

Manage pain 

Rehab 

Injury diagnosis 

Posture assessment 

Julie Rose Stadium, Ashford, TN24 9QX CALL 01233 660851 31 High Street, Cranbrook, TN17 3EE CALL 01580 715904

Dungeys 

1 

1 

2 

2 

Oliver's 

Cottages 

v 

v 

v 

3 3 4 4 

v 

9 

5 

4 

5 

10 

6 

7 

5 

11 

8 

1 

1 

10 

10 

9 

9 

Thorntons 

12 

6 

6 

7 

7 

8 

8 

13 

13 

12 

12 

13 

19 

18 

Co tage 

19 

18 

17 

Alpine 

19 

17 

16 

18 

15 

14 

16 

17 

15 

14 

15 

14 

The Ga lery 

Galleons 

Lap 

Stapley 

House 

NOTES: 

Report all discrepancies, errors and omissions. 

Verify all dimensions on site before commencing any work on site or 

preparing shop drawings. 

All materials, components and workmanship are to comply with the 

relevant British Standards, Codes of Practice, and appropriate 

manufacturers recommendations that from time to time shall apply. 

For all specialist work, see relevant drawings. 

This drawing and design are copyright of Clague LLP 

Registration number OC335948. 

Rev 

Project Title 

Drawing Description 

Scale 

Date 

Date 

62 Burgate, Canterbury 

Drawing Number 

Description 

2 Kinsbourne Court, Luton Road, 

Harpenden, Hertfordshire Al5 3BL 

8, Disney Street 

Drawn by 

Checked by 

01582 765102 

Revision 

DEVELOPMENT 

Community and 

Medical Centre Latest 

I updated you last year on progress with our Community and Medical 

Centre and I’m pleased to report the latest. 

Just to recap, the project at the 

moment will contain the new 

library, multi-use rooms, seating, 

a large teaching kitchen, WCs, 

some quiet office spaces, storage, 

a plant room and bin space. Also, 

the site is situated on a sloping piece 

of land, so the design will use the 

topography to utilise this to the best 

advantage. 

We are still open for ideas on usage 

and would welcome suggestions from 

you all so that we can give as full 

a brief to the professional team as 

possible. 

As you are aware there has been 

a delay to the project due to Covid 

distractions and lockdowns. 

However, our GPs have been 

working on suitable specifications for 

the Medical centre. They have been 

putting together details like the space 

needed and the number of consulting/ 

treatment rooms. I am pleased to 

report that the doctors have now 

completed their specifications which is 

great news. At the time of writing this, 

the document was going through its 

final sign off process. 

On receipt of this document our 

project manager will re-run the 

numbers in the Business Case and was 

endeavouring to complete this by the 

end of February. He can begin to put 

together the brief for the designer/ 

architect/constructor. 

At last, we have the chance to push 

on with your project and we are very 

much looking forward to seeing it take 

shape. 

So, just a reminder, there is still 

time for more ideas and suggestions 

from you, as to what you would like to 

see in your community centre. Please 

let us know. 

Cllr. Colin Gilbert 

Fernham Homes 

Recreation Ground 

Play Area 

2 1 

Tennis 

Courts 

The Street 

Proposed Mixed Use Development, The Street, Sissinghurst 

Houses “too crammed” 

say critics of village 

development 

Farnol Co t 

3 16 

Although Sissinghurst would benefit from a 

brand new village hall if Fernham Homes was 

allowed to build houses in the village, the 

parish council has voted against the plan. 

Fernham included the attractive hall as part 

of its plan for two four-bed, 15 three-bed and 

two two-bed homes on the Bringloe land in 

The Street. 

However, the council’s planning committee 

members agreed that 19 homes on the land 

looked “crammed”. There was also concern 

that the hall car park could be used by people 

visiting the new homes. Parking is already a 

big problem in the village as there is very little 

off-street parking. 

The proposed site is currently home to the 

old village hall which many people believe 

is a landmark and should be taken down and 

put up elsewhere in the village. One objector 

Old Star Co t 

Co tage 

Phoenix 

Robin Co tage 

Cats Co tage 

Wyndhurst 

Scale 1:500 

N 

0 5 10 15 20 25 50m 

Proposed Mixed Use Development 

The Street 

Sissinghurst 

Proposed Site Layout Plan 

1:500@A2 

July 2021 

Kent CT1 2BH 01227 762060 

London SE1 1JF 0203 597 6112 

CANTERBURY 

30153A / 10 

EE 

TWM 

LONDON 

HARPENDEN 

described the tin building, built more than a 

century ago, as a “treasure” which should be 

saved. 

The site backs onto a row of listed 

properties, none of which has its own parking, 

and committee members would like to see 

Fernham providing areas for the residents as 

part of the development, as was shown on a 

previous plan. 

The independent watchdog, Cranbrook 

Conservation Area Advisory Committee, has 

also spoken out against the plan as being 

“too dense” and a terraced block of three 

dwellings “particularly unattractive”. Parking 

arrangements are not ideal and show the 

buildings, access and parking “so tight” there 

is little room for additional landscaping 

anywhere, particularly the boundaries. All 

these concerns would have an adverse effect 

on the High Weald Area of Outstanding 

Natural Beauty as well as the adjacent 

Sissinghurst conservation area. 

The final decision rests with Tunbridge 

Wells Borough Council. TF 

TWBC PLANNING PORTAL / FERNHAM HOMES 


A Challenge to the 

Department of Education 

Your children will all sit on a bus for up to two hours a day to go to school unless we 

get High Weald reopened. Is this what you want? 

EDUCATION 

Since the announced 

closure, 514 people 

from the 300 square 

mile catchment 

area have created a 

Facebook page sharing their pain 

and anger over the closure: see 

‘Save High Weald Academy’ on 

Facebook. 

It appears that the school will 

close, so a fresh start will be 

required. Any new school needs 

150 new students every year to 

make it viable and preferably 

have it run by an Academy 

Trust so the administration costs 

are minimised. 

Our vision is: A reopened 

free school, with a new ethos 

and a new start, with the 

support of Cranbrook School, to 

educate both the academic and 

the vocational, with relevant 

certificates to give students a 

strong start in life, either to 

work locally or go on to higher 

education. 

Co-ordinated community 

action across the region, in each 

primary and pre-primary school 

and parish council, is needed to 

create a compulsive argument 

to put to the Department of 

Education based on: 

• High Weald was a poor 

performing school that was 

not tackled by the Department 

of Education until it was 

summarily closed 

• The slow decline of standards 

of education and behaviour 

that caused people to choose 

other schools 

• The lack of a forum for parents 

and the wider community to 

be involved in the direction of 

the school 

• The future lack of community 

cohesion caused by generations 

of children attending schools 

out of their neighbourhood 

• The economic and 

environmental cost of bussing 

700 children out, every day for 

the next few generations 

• The under-utilisation of the 

new school buildings, built for 

1,050 pupils, now planned for 

about 100 pupils. 

COULD YOU BE A LOCAL SPOKESPERSON? 

Can you be the local catalyst who can pull together the 

information and, if necessary, be the local spokesperson? Would 

you support a local co-ordinator? 

Please email reopenwealdenschool@gmail.com with your 

offer and discuss with your friends, other parents, grandparents 

and organisations as this will need people power and strong 

arguments to change the Department of Education’s mind. We 

will then co-ordinate local groups to gather the information we 

need. 

Cllr Kim Fletcher, Chairman, Cranbrook and Sissinghurst 



NEWS 

News 

Goodbye and thank you Mr Smith 

After devoting more than 20 

years to local government 

– much of it representing 

Sissinghurst – John Smith has 

chaired his last parish council 

committee meeting. 

Mr Smith, 57, who was 

elected for a second time to 


Parish Council in 2015, 

had to vacate his seat in 

February after moving from 

the village where he was well 

known for supporting many 

organisations. 

He told The Cake it had 

been his home for 28 years 

and he really enjoyed his time 

representing parishioners 

at both levels. He cited his 

year as mayor in 2012 as the 

highlight of his time in local 

government, particularly 

entertaining Prince Edward 

and his wife to lunch at the 

Brew House in Tunbridge 

Wells to celebrate the Queen’s 

diamond jubilee. 

Mr Smith, the managing 

director of Weald Granary, 

the largest arable co-op in 

the south east, paid tribute to 

his wife Rebecca, adding: “I 

couldn’t have done what I did 

without her support.” 

The couple, who had 

lived in the village for 28 

years, are well known for 

supporting numerous local 

events including the village 

fete and his setting up of the 

Sissinghurst boys’ football 

club in 2000. Rebecca is 

renowned for her charity “K9 

Angels”, which finds homes 

for unwanted dogs from 

Romania, and also for judging 

John Smith, cookery teacher Rosemary 

Shrager and wife Rebecca 

the dog shows at the fete and 

the Cranbrook on the Green 

event. 

Mr Smith, who was born 

in Cardiff, the son of a coal 

miner, described himself as a 

“boots on the ground man”, 

preferring to “get my hands 

dirty helping the village litter 

pick or organising a fete”. 

Although having moved 

from Sissinghurst, Mr 

Smith will continue to head 

the committee which is 

supporting plans for a new 

village hall. TF 

Could you 

be a Parish 

Councillor? 

With the resignation of two councillors, 

two seats have become available. If an 

election has not been requested, vacancies 

can be filled by co-opting new people. 

Any person is legally qualified to hold 

such office and who is willing to serve 

provided they are a British citizen, or 

a citizen of the Commonwealth or the 

European Union, and are neither the 

subject of a bankruptcy restriction order 

or interim order or have, within five years 

before the day of the co-option, been 

convicted in the UK of any offence and 

have had a prison sentence (whether 

suspended or not) for a period of over 

three months without the option of a fine. 

Provided the person also satisfies at least 

one of the following: 

• Registered as a local government elector 

for the parish 

• During the whole of the preceding 12 

months occupied as owner or tenant, 

any land or premises in the parish 

• Principal or only place of work during 

the preceding 12 months has been in the 

parish 

• Have during the whole of the preceding 

12 months resided in the parish or 

within 4.8km of it 

• Must also be 18 years or older on the day 

they take office. 

Please contact the parish office by 31 

March to register an interest. 

Tel: 01580 713112. 

Men’s Shed Opens in Cranbrook 

An inaugural meeting of the Wealden Men’s Shed has been held at its new home at Cranbrook 

School. 

Thanks to headteacher Will Chuter, members will be able to meet in a building on the 

campus in Waterloo Road. Wellbeing in the Weald administrator Liz McLaren, who initiated 

the group, welcomed about 25 potential “shedders” which, at present, are “men only”. The 

organisation was founded in Australia in the 1980s and there are now more than 500 sheds in 

the UK. 

It was set up to help men’s health and wellbeing and to counteract isolation and loneliness. 

Mrs McLaren said she had been amazed at the overwhelming number of men who had shown 

interest in joining. 

For further information email Liz at hello@wellbgingintheweald.co.uk or call 07921 809161. 


Plant a Tree for the Jubilee 

– with Cranbrook in Bloom 

We want to encourage the planting of trees 

in and around Cranbrook to support The 

Queen`s Green Canopy which has been 

launched to commemorate her Platinum 

Jubilee in 2022. 

A variety of 15 different trees are for 

sale from Cranbrook in Bloom, and will be 

available at events throughout the year. 

They are potted up and can be planted out 

later in the year. 

The trees you plant can be recorded 

online at www.queensgreencanopy.org 

and will provide a legacy in honour of the 

Queen, appreciated by future generations 

for years to come. 

If you do not have room in your garden, 

please contact Cranbrook in Bloom who 

will help you source a place in or near the 

town. cranbrookinbloom@outlook.com 

Pictured Right from L 

to R: Susan Hooper, Viv 

Lowe and Jill Hooper. 

How about a nice cup 

of tea? The Saturday 

morning drop in café 

at St Dunstan's Church 

has re-opened. Do 

drop in! 

From L to R: Cllr Colin Gilbert, hon. mayor 

Linda Page and parish council chairman Cllr 

Kim Fletcher. 

“Iron Horse” blessed 

in St Dunstan’s 

“We plough the fields and scatter….” was the hymn 

aptly sung in St Dunstan’s Church when a 74-year old 

piece of farm machinery was blessed in January. 

A few years ago, the vicar the Rev Ann Pollington, 

revived the age-old tradition of celebrating Plough 

Sunday by ensuring a plough was centre stage for 

the blessing which dates back centuries. Worshippers 

were invited to bring tools such as garden forks and 

secateurs to be blessed by her to ensure a good harvest. 

Roger Fermor, whose family farms near Maidstone, 

had previously managed to get larger ploughs into the 

Cathedral of the Weald. However, this year life was a 

little easier when he brought along the British Anzani 

Iron Horse which caused a lot of interest at the service 

the following day. TF 

CUP CAKES 

NEWS 

• CHAPEL FOR SALE 

The joint owner of the Providence Chapel, in 

Cranbrook, parish councillor Matt Hartley, 

has told fellow members he is putting the 

dilapidated building up for sale. 

The idea is a test to see if a potential buyer is 

willing to take on the listed building without 

alterations compromising its heritage. In the 

past, there were several stumbling blocks to 

changes, including the removal of the pews. 

• NO TO GOLF COURSE DEVELOPMENT 

Controversial plans by Cedardrive Ltd to 

develop Hawkhurst Golf Club, including 

demolishing the clubhouse and squash 

courts to build houses, a care home, a 

possible community hall/doctors’ surgery 

and a new relief road, have been quashed 

following a Department of the Environment 

hearing. 

• DEVELOPMENT DECISION SOON 

A Department of the Environment inspector 

has overseen an appeal by developers 

Dandara Homes which was refused 

permission to build 42 homes on land off 

Mill Lane, Sissinghurst. Among the strong 

objections was Kent Highways’ concern at 

the narrowness of the road. The hearing 

started on 1 February and a decision is 

expected shortly. 

• NEW SISSINGHURST FLOWER SHOW 

TROPHIES 

To mark the death of well-respected 

Sissinghurst villager and former parish 

councillor, Denis Hemsted, his family have 

presented three new youth trophies – one 

for each of the three annual shows – to those 

who enter the new under 16s photography 

class. The shows are on 26 March, 18 June, 

and 10 September. 

• THANK YOU RONI 

The Cranbrook and Sissinghurst Age Concern 

coffee mornings will begin again on Tuesday 

8 March from 10.15-11.45am at the Vestry 

Hall, Cranbrook. Everyone is welcome. A 

Big Thank You to Roni Summers for her 

many years of support for the charity will be 

held at the hall on Tuesday 29 March from 

10.15-11.45am. Organisers are urging people 

to attend to show their appreciation for her 

many years of hard work. 


CLUB NEWS 

Great Goals 

for Young Club 

Footie-mad youngsters 

in Cranbrook are going 

from strength to strength, 

thanks to support 

from a large number of 

organisations. 

Girls and boys from the Cranbrook 

Junior FC have been told their club 

has achieved England Football 

Accredited status, which co-founder 

Ant Tomlinson described as “quite 

special”. 

The club has also received 

approval as a Weetabix Wildcat 

Centre and will be starting girlsonly, 

five to 11 year olds, football 

next month. Sponsorship has also 

been secured for Little Trackers 

which has allowed the club to move 

indoors at the Weald Sports Centre. 

The club also trialled its first football 

camp during half term in February 

with plans to offer more during all 

school holidays. TF 

Weald 

District 

Scouts 

Young people are the future. 

They’re the doers, the dreamers 

and give-it-a-goers. 

Everything we do in Scouting 

is shaped by our young people, 

working in partnership with the 

adult volunteers. They learn 

valuable life skills by taking part 

in games and activities, exploring 

the outdoors and helping to plan 

the programme. 

The Weald District is currently 

comprised of eight Scout Groups 

in the area: Brenchley and 

Matfield, Cranbrook, Goudhurst, 

Hawkhurst, Headcorn, 

Sissinghurst, Staplehurst and 

Tenterden, with an approximate 

membership of 400 young people 

aged between four and 25. 

Sissinghurst recently opened a 

new Squirrels section, the first in 

our district, which is for earlyyears 

children aged four and 

five. Our other groups all have 

Beavers (six to eight years), Cubs 

(eight to 10½ years) and Scouts 

(10½-14 years), with Explorers 

(14-18 years) at Goudhurst 

and Tenterden, and Network 

members (18-25 years) spread 

throughout. 

The district also owns its own 

campsite in Horsmonden which 

each group can access whenever 

they choose, for outdoor 

activities or camping. 

However, we do need 

more volunteers at all of our 

groups, both in leadership 

roles and behind the scenes 

as administrators, trustees 

and supporters. In particular, 

we would love to reopen our 

Benenden group if we can form a 

committee to run it. 

We also really need some 

leaders for our Explorer Scout 

units at Goudhurst and Headcorn. 

The young people in this age 

group are a real pleasure to work 

with as they are very independent 

and proactive. 

As a volunteer, you’ll learn 

career-friendly skills, boost your 

The Big Night Out, 

Weald District Scouts 

wellbeing, and make new friends. 

Because volunteering at Scouts 

is a two-way street – good for 

young people, and good for you 

too. 

Tell us what you’re interested 

in, and we’ll help you find 

something that matches your 

skills (and the time you have 

available). 

Contact us today. We’d love to 

chat about what’s good for you! 

dc@wealdscoutdistrict.org.uk, 

www.wealdscoutdistrict.org.uk 


EVENTS 

Cranbrook in Bloom Events 

We look 

forward 

to hearing 

from all 

you keen 

volunteers and gardeners 

wanting to showcase our 

amazing town in 2022 and 

beyond. 

GARDEN SAFARI ENTRIES 

Would you like to include 

your garden in the 

Cranbrook in Bloom annual 

garden safari on 19 June? 

We are seeking new 

gardens for people to 

visit and enjoy during our 

annual safari. Small or large, 

traditional or quirky. We all 

know, that come June, our 

current, rather bare looking 

gardens, will be full of colour 

and bursting with blooms. 

Why not share it? Contact 

Marian on 07780 526766. 

SHOW OFF OUR TOWN! 

Cranbrook in Bloom will 

be entering the South 

and South East in Bloom 

competition again this year. 

This involves the whole 

town, nooks, crannies and 

all! 

Whilst we do our best to 

keep Cranbrook looking full 

of colour, help from you 

will make the streets clean 

and colourful as well. Front 

gardens, communal areas 

and public spaces are all 

considered and judged on 

the day in mid-June. Please 

help us aim for and achieve 

another GOLD award again. 

SHOW OFF YOUR 

COMMUNITY/ 

NEIGHBOURHOOD SPACE! 

If there is an area in or 

around the town that has 

been tidied, tended or 

planted up by locals please 

let us know. There is a SSEIB 

competition category that 

we would encourage/help 

you to enter. 

SHOW OFF YOUR FRONT 

GARDEN 

Cranbrook in Bloom’s front 

garden competition will be 

judged week commencing 20 

June. Please enter. We have 

five different categories, 

including planters and 

wildlife. 

Entry forms available from 

Pages Newsagents or www. 

cranbrookinbloom.co.uk from 

30 May or contact Marian on 

07780 526766. 

FEAST OF FUN 

FOR QUEEN’S 

JUBILEE DAY 

As I write about plans for Cranbrook to 

host a street party to celebrate the Queen’s 

platinum jubilee, it is Monday February 7, 

exactly 70 years ago that she succeeded to 

the throne. 

It is no surprise to hear that sisters, 

Wendy Waters and Julie Sales, are drawing 

up a list of events for a fun-packed day of 

celebrations to be held in Cranbrook on 

Sunday June 5. 

Running from 11am to about 5pm, people 

can bring their own picnic or buy from the 

street food outlets. It is hoped a children’s 

entertainer will be keeping everyone in 

the party mood and there will be face 

painting and hook the duck, as well as other 

attractions. 

There will be an ice cream seller with 

a 1960 traditional work trike. The Box of 

Frogs will be playing at the White Horse, 

the first at 2pm and then later in the day. 

There will also be plenty of popcorn and 

candyfloss as well as a big selection of food 

and drinks stalls. TF 

Cranbrook 

Goes Nuts! 

Nuts in May is back in 

Cranbrook High 

Street on Sunday 

29 May after a 

two- year Covid 

absence. 

The theme will be 

trees and recognising the 

Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. 

Founder Gwenneth Bransby-Zachary 

is looking forward to welcoming 

exhibitors who reflect the permanent 

theme of celebrating “anything that 

grows and what you can do with it”. 

There will also be a food court and 

music, including the ever-popular 

cover band Marvellous Mo and the 

Backline Ferrets. People who would 

like to help on the day are asked to call 

Gwenneth on 07721 672348. TF 


SUPPORT LOCAL 

SPOTLIGHT 

Food & Drink 

QUALITY COOKING FOR KIDS 

Gulliver’s Play Café 

23 Stone Street, Cranbrook 

01233 510315 

www.gulliversplaycafe.com 

Our friendly chefs love cooking from scratch 

with fresh ingredients, and definitely don’t 

do ‘pop and ping’ frozen microwave meals. 

Where possible, we buy our ingredients from 

local farmers and suppliers because freshness 

makes a difference and we love to support local 

businesses. When you support your friends, they 

look after you too – that’s our principle. We’re 

lucky to get all our meat from our neighbours on 

Stone Street, EC Wilkes and Sons, and our coffee 

comes from local supplier Bean Smitten. 

Keeping kids safe around food is also one of 

our main priorities. We have a detailed allergen 

and food safety policy, meaning grown-ups can 

relax during their stay. If you or your little one has 

a particular dietary requirement, don’t be afraid 

to ask. We’re also proud to have been recently 

nominated for Best Café in the Taste of Kent 

awards! 

SANDWICHES MADE WITH LOVE 

Aldo’s Sandwiches 

7 Stone Street, Cranbrook 

07812 787307 

www.aldossandwiches.com 

Sandwiches made with love right in the heart 

of Cranbrook. Freshly made, just for you, visit us 

and create your own personal sandwich. Choose 

from a variety of breads, pick your fillings, salads, 

sauces and chutneys or choose from our specials 

board. We also offer soup, toasties and paninis 

if you fancy a warm option. Gluten-free bread is 

available too. 

People are also raving about our coffee. We 

use award-winning coffee beans from local 

coffee roasters, Bean Smitten. Coupled with our 

Italian made Sanremo coffee machine, you’re 

guaranteed the perfect cup. 

If hot chocolate is more your thing then you’ll 

love ours with cream, marshmallows, chocolate/ 

caramel sauce and more chocolate! 

Born and raised in North London and now settled 

in the beautiful Kent countryside, Aldo is a 

husband and dad to three daughters. He trained 

at the prestigious Leith’s School of Food & Wine 

and is looking forward to welcoming you to his 

shop on Stone Street. 

SUSTAINABLE AND ETHICAL MEAT 

Paley Farm 

Paley Lane, Cranbrook TN17 2LX 

01580 891046 

info@paleyfarm.co.uk 

www.paleyfarm.co.uk 

Paley Farm is home to an 800-acre mixed 

livestock farming business providing sustainable, 

ethical and grass fed meat. Located just north of 

Cranbrook, we work with sustainable mentality 

and regenerative practices. 

From our pasture to your plate, a delicious range 

of meat all bred and reared at our farm to the 

highest welfare and nutritional standards. Our 

methods ensure you will experience some of the 

best tasting meat you will ever buy. 

Our meat is expertly prepared by Peter onsite 

at the farm, so not only do you get to see where 

your meat comes from, your food also has the 

lowest possible food miles. As part of our team 

at the farm, Peter is one of very few butchers that 

is aware of the careful planning that goes into 

rearing and managing livestock to ensure that 

their diet is transformed into the very best meat. 

We offer free local delivery and national courier 

service, just order online. Better still come along 

to our farm and recently expanded butchery to 

say hello and see what’s on offer! 


SUPPORT LOCAL 

ADVICE 

Health & Wellbeing 

Correct Posture 

Through Pilates 

Mary-Therese O'Connell 

Achieve Health 

07447 426243 

hello@achieve-health.co.uk 

www.achieve-health.co.uk 

West Road, Goudhurst, TN17 1AA 

Pilates is for everyone. It’s not 

about pulling out a mat and 

doing an hour everyday – mind 

you that would be great, but 

rather making small changes 

throughout your day. This helps 

improve your posture and bring 

awareness to how you move and 

hold yourself. 

The most important 

thing in pilates is to 

improve your core. 

To do this, you 

must pull in your 

abdominal muscles 

(your tummy). Imagine 

a string pulling you 

from the crown of your head 

and lengthening through your 

spine. As you walk articulate 

through your foot and swing 

your arms. 

Pilates is about gently reeducating 

your body to the 

correct posture for you. We 

all have different body types 

and our bodies are amazing 

at adapting when we injure 

ourselves or if a woman has a 

baby. It’s extraordinary what 

we demand and expect of our 

bodies and then we are shocked 

when they let us down. But with 

a little TLC we can get them 

back functioning properly once 

we get the right muscles firing 

correctly, in the right order and 

getting the body to realign itself 

again. 

To find out more contact Mary- 

Therese ex-nurse, radiographer 

and Stott pilates instructor using 

the details above. 

Setting Goals for 

Self-Improvement 

Issy Szumniak 

Issy Szumniak PMU & Aesthetics 

07990 015103 

Isabelleszumniak@hotmail.co.uk 

www.issyszumniak.co.uk 

Carriers Road, Cranbrook, TN17 3JX 

Self-improvement is an 

empowering thing. It’s limitless, 

as are we. When we set ourselves 

goals and begin achieving them 

we soon realise our endless 

potential. 

Setting goals for me is one 

of the most effective tools for 

self-improvement. Whether 

it be small changes or big 

achievements. 

We are so lucky to have 

amazing resources at our 

fingertips, from books and the 

internet to empowering podcasts, 

and if you’re lucky enough, 

encouraging and positive people 

around you. 

Not sure where to start? Begin 

by identifying your goals, be 

personal, business, health or 

relationships, and ask yourself 

where do you see yourself in six 

months, one year or five years? 

Once you have a clear idea you 

can begin thinking about how 

this can be achieved by setting 

out a plan. This to me really 

is putting pen to paper. Set 

yourself realistic and achievable 

timeframes and begin actioning. 

Lastly and importantly is 

gratitude. So often we forget 

to celebrate the wins or really 

take the time to be proud of our 

achievements however big or 

small. We so often quickly move 

onto the next or want more 

forgetting how far we’ve come or 

how much we’ve achieved. 

For help and advice on how to 

look and feel great, contact Issy, 

permanent makeup artist and 

aesthetician, using the details 

above. 


MP’S COMMENT 

Setting a National 

Standard in Cancer Care 

Pembury and Maidstone hospitals leading the way 

on NHS backlog, says our MP Helen Grant 

The Prime Minister, 

Boris Johnson, and 

Chancellor Rishi 

Sunak, visited Kent 

Oncology Centre at 

Maidstone Hospital in February, 

marking World Cancer Day. 

I was pleased to join the tour 

and was delighted to see the 

progress that the Maidstone 

and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust 

(MTW) is making on addressing 

the Covid backlog. Lockdowns, 

and fear of infection at hospital, 

prevented many patients with 

non-Covid medical conditions, 

from presenting themselves for 

diagnosis and treatment. Those 

people are now coming forward 

and one of the areas hardest-hit 

has been in cancer treatment. 

I am delighted to report that 

MTW is setting the national 

standard – with cancer patients 

receiving treatment within 

62 days of diagnosis – for 29 

months in a row. Our trust is 

one of the most efficient cancer 

units in the UK and the Prime 

Minister remarked upon this 

achievement saying: “I want 

the whole country to be able to 

meet these standards”. 

The trust’s chief executive, 

Miles Scott, explained to us 

the enormous efforts they are 

making in staff, services and 

facilities are paying off. MTW 

has invested over £10m in 

new buildings and provided 12 

additional cancer consultants 

for specialist care in the past 

three years, with consultant 

availability now seven days a 

week. 

“Maidstone Hospital also has one of Kent’s three newly-elevated 

46 bed hyper-acute stroke units. That means local stroke 

patients are being admitted and treated faster than ever before, 

which is so critical for this condition” 

During the visit, Miles 

and I took an opportunistic 

moment to make a pitch to 

the Chancellor about money 

– £31.3 million pounds to be 

exact. It is for a new theatre 

block which would significantly 

increase the trust’s orthopaedic 

surgical capacity with four 

state-of-the-art operating 

theatres, a 20-bed inpatient 

ward and a 16-bed day case 

ward. Let’s see. 

Maidstone Hospital also has 

one of Kent’s three newlyelevated 

46 bed hyper-acute 

stroke units. That means local 

stroke patients are being 

admitted and treated faster 

than ever before, which is so 

critical for this condition. 

As we emerge from the 

pandemic, the progress being 

made across the MTW Trust 

for residents in Cranbrook 

and Sissinghurst is significant. 

I will continue to work with 

Miles, and his excellent teams 

in Pembury and Maidstone, to 

deliver the best health services 

possible for the people of 

Maidstone and The Weald. 


LOCAL COMMENT 

IVOR'S COLUMN 

The Rich History 

of the Crane Brook 

Ivor Hatcher, our long-time parish warden, takes a look at the 

meandering path taken by the town’s pretty stream 

Often, when I am picking cans, 

bottles, bikes, and other rubbish 

out of the Crane Brook, I think 

of its rich history, powering 

industries past. 

Who would believe that the stream that 

runs through the Crane Valley, from which 

the name of Cranbrook derives, used to play 

such an important part in the industry of the 

town in yesteryear? 

The stream rises at Hartley, winding its way 

through field and woodland to the Tanyard, 

where surface water from other areas of the 

town flow into it. The Crane Brook, which 

becomes Hammer Stream at Hammer Mill on 

the outskirts of Sissinghurst, is a tributary to 

the River Beult winding its way from Ashford 

through Headcorn and on to Yalding, where it 

joins the River Medway. 

The Crane once had tributaries that 

powered the town’s watermills at the Freight 

and Baker’s Cross. These were probably 

‘fulling mills’, which formed 

part of the woollen industry. 

In the Tanyard, John 

Tooth, a hat maker, used the 

power of the water to power 

his hat factory. Hard to 

believe that there was enough water to power 

a water mill. As it flowed, it once powered 

several watermills, including one at Moat 

Farm, and the Sissinghurst watermill, which 

was on the site of Lake Chad. 

It is surprising how much the river does 

rise when there is heavy rainfall. The grid 

in the Tanyard prevents the river blocking 

under the car park, as has happened in the 

past, flooding the Old Bakery several times. I 

once saw a mini car float across the car park 

because the water was so high! 

Toilets to Re-Open with Children’s Murals! 

As you are most likely aware, we have been without public toilets in 

Cranbrook for some while. This is not acceptable in such a vibrant 

place. 

The parish council took over responsibility for the toilets from 

Tunbridge Wells Borough Council after they had expended almost 

all of their funding trying to maintain the building due to repeated 

vandalism, leading to their closure. 

The parish council looked at several sites in the town for suitable 

temporary toilet facilities but, due to varying factors, none of these 

sites proved viable. 

We have decided to take the risk of opening the toilets again by 

refurbishing the Ladies, making them Unisex and available 24/7. The 

disabled facilities will also be opening, accessed by key. To keep costs 

down, it was agreed to keep the old gents’ space closed. 

We had not envisaged spending any money on the externals but 

we were contacted by the Belle Vue School, whose headteacher and 

pupils had commented on the poor state of toilets. 

The children came up with the 

idea of murals they would paint on 

the outside walls and doors. They are 

aware of vandalism but are happy to 

make good any damage by looking at 

the building on a weekly basis. 

We are very pleased by their kind 

offer and applaud their willingness 

to support our community in such 

a way. 

We have decided to invest some 

of your money on doing something different by 

providing and having constructed a timber shelter for youngsters to 

gather in the Crane Valley. This will, hopefully, distract them from 

further damage to the loos. Any other constructive ideas are very 

welcome. 

Cllr Colin Gilbert, chairman Burial Grounds and Properties 


LOCAL COMMENT 

Vicar says goodbye to 

her beloved chickens! 

Farewell with love 

from Revd Ann 

In the words of Peter Cook 

and Dudley Moore: 

‘Now is the time to say 

goodbye. 

(Goodbye) 

Now is the time to yield a sigh. 

(Yield it, yield it) 

Now is the time to wend our 

way-eee 

Until we meet again 

Some sunny day’. 

And so, six years and three 

months after I became Vicar of 

Cranbrook, it’s time for me to say 

goodbye to all you lovely people 

of this parish. I am retiring on 

5 March after nearly 20 years of 

ordained ministry. 

“I will miss you all, I have really enjoyed 

my stay here and loved the house and 

garden, but as I was told at theological 

college, vicars are in a way ‘resident aliens’ 

in the parish they serve” 

It has been a great privilege to 

enter into your lives at sad and 

happy times and to enter into 

the life of the community and 

town of Cranbrook. I will miss 

you all, I have really enjoyed my 

stay here and loved the house 

and garden, but as I was told at 

theological college, vicars are in a 

way ‘resident aliens’ in the parish 

they serve. We come and reside 

amongst you, for a few years or 

for many, and we go and make 

way for someone else to enter 

that role. 

The word Goodbye is, I seem to 

remember reading somewhere, a 

shortening of the phrase God Be 

With You, and this is my prayer 

for all of you, whether you have 

faith or not. God be with you in 

all you do in your community, 

school, church and business 

here in this wonderful town 

of Cranbrook in the Garden of 

England, sometimes called Kent! 

Over the time I have been here, 

I rather hope I have built bridges, 

encouraged us ‘churchy folk’ to 

get out of the church building 

and get on with the community 

building, by being a presence 

in the High Street and at 

community events with our stalls 

selling cakes, books and plants, 

and by inviting community 


LOCAL COMMENT 

organisations to come inside 

the wonderful building we know 

to be St Dunstan’s church for 

concerts and Saturday ‘coffee 

and cake time’, and much more 

besides. 

There is much more to be 

done, but at nearly 66-years-old I 

will retire and pass on the baton 

to the next vicar. I hope, like any 

good gardener, I have prepared 

the soil well and possibly sown 

some seeds of faith amongst 

you. Sometimes we don’t see 

the results of our planting, 

but preparing the ground and 

sowing the seed is always done 

in the hope that, when the right 

conditions come along, blossom 

and fruit will follow. 

To all you lovely parishioners 

I look forward to reading about 

your blossoming and fruit, and 

do take care of your next vicar, 

resident alien that he or she may 

be. 

May God bless you all, 

Goodbye and love from Revd Ann 

A note from Revd Ann while 

Cranbrook is without a vicar 

The vacancy may be a long one, so in the 

meantime there are four names to share with you. 

If you need a priest for any reason, then please ring 

Revd John Tapper on 01580 713836. If you would 

like to receive Communion at home please ring 

John Mulrenan, one of St Dunstan’s Readers, on 

01580 714756. If you need to ask for a referral to 

Nourish, our local foodbank, please contact Wes 

Sargent, the minister at Cranbrook Congregational 

church, who is taking over this duty. Sad to say 

this is still needed as families and individuals 

have their finances squeezed even more as the 

year progresses. Last but not least, if you need to 

book the church for a concert or event, or wish to 

enquire about a wedding, baptism or funeral, then 

please ring Julie Warman in the church office on 

01580 715861. 

St Dunstan’s Parochial Church Council (PCC) will 

be meeting during the vacancy, putting together 

a profile they hope will attract the right person to 

feel that God is calling them to serve as the next 

vicar of Cranbrook. 

I do know that one of the stumbling blocks that 

may mean the vacancy is longer than the normal 

nine months or so, is whether the PCC can show 

that St Dunstan’s is a sustainable church, able to 

afford a vicar. 

It does cost us all to have a vicar. We vicars 

don’t come out of thin air, we have been selected 

for training, trained and then housed and paid a 

stipend. St Dunstan’s contribution to the Church of 

England finances amounts to well over £60,000 per 

annum. 

Please don’t think vicars get paid that much, 

but with employers’ National Insurance, clergy 

pensions, housing and training etc. it all mounts up. 

JUST 50P A WEEK… 

If you think Cranbrook should continue to have 

a vicar, and I sincerely hope you do, please think 

about making a donation to St Dunstan’s PCC. 

Julie in the office (01580 715861) can tell you 

the church bank account details. If 3,000 adults 

in Cranbrook could commit to giving just £20 a 

year (less than 50p per week) then that would 

almost cover it, and the PCC could then tell the 

Archdeacon that St Dunstan’s is a sustainable 

parish. 

I do think that vicars are worth more than 50p 

a week, I like to think you will do too. 

A Veterinary 

Practice Like 

No Other! 

Small, family owned, 

independent 

21a Stone St, Cranbrook TN17 3HF | 01580 763303 

info@herondenvets.co.uk | www.herondenvets.co.uk 


HEALTH & WELLBEING 

Guy's Column 

Welcome to Guy Pullen, head of horticulture at the charity Hands of 

Hope in Hawkhurst. He will be writing a regular column on all aspects 

of his job from helping people’s well-being to growing everything 

from fruit to flowers 

When you look beyond life’s 

essentials, what sustains 

you as a human being? 

Friendship and human 

contact; good physical 

and mental health; a sense of use and 

purpose? We often take these for granted, 

but whether it’s through bereavement, ill 

health, redundancy, family breakdown or just 

plain old bad luck, living without them can be 

tough. 

At Hands of Hope we aim to tackle some of 

life’s thorny issues by connecting people with 

nature and each other. We offer opportunities 

to carry out meaningful work in a beautiful 

location and amongst friendly faces and in 

doing so, we tackle food poverty, loneliness 

and rural isolation as well as improving 

physical and mental health. 

Set within 23 acres of AONB land in 

Hawkhurst, Hope Farm Garden is a no-dig, 

organic market garden growing for food 

banks, lunch 

clubs and 

to tackle 

holiday 

hunger, 

“We garden using the 

no-dig system which aims 

to preserve the incredible 

life force that is soil.” 

as well as providing produce for our own veg 

box scheme. With only two paid gardeners 

working the land, we rely on volunteers to 

help us take the produce from seed to harvest 

and beyond. In return we offer a life affirming 

experience that you just can’t get in any other 

way. 

This winter, we have expanded our 

vegetable garden from 64 beds to 180 beds 

and this has taken some effort. Luckily our 

hardy volunteers have been keen to get stuck 

in and with a relatively dry winter, the work 

has run smoothly. We garden using the no-dig 

system which aims to preserve the incredible 

life force that is soil. For too long, it has been 

seen as something that can be bagged up and 

shunted around. We assume it will always just 

be there for us, but as with any living system, 

soil must be nurtured and protected. 

No-dig gardening does just this whilst 

reducing the need for watering and fertilizers. 

Digging on our heavy clay is hard work, so it’s 

good to demonstrate a better way. 

Beyond the vegetable garden, we have an 

orchard, beehives, woodland, fields, meadows 

and ponds, all of which need our attention. 

Every winter we lay some of the hedges in the 

traditional way and this has been one of our 

most popular events this year. Hedge-laying 

is an art, taking many years to perfect, but the 

learning has to start somewhere. After only 

one day, some of our volunteers felt confident 

enough to take on their own wayward hedges. 

Over the next issues of The Cake, I will 

focus on some of our core activities – the 

joys of volunteering, learning traditional 

countryside skills and more. 


Getting Active in 

Cranbrook and 

Sissinghurst 

You may be 

surprised about 

the wide variety 

of opportunities 

available to you 

locally, but as the area’s Everyday 

Active Champion, I have had the 

pleasure of meeting many of the 

people who run these clubs and 

classes. The enthusiasm of the 

instructors and coaches makes 

me feel really positive about the 

future health and happiness of 

our community. 

Although most of my focus 

remains on finding opportunities 

for people who are not currently 

as active as they would like to 

be – such as Wellbeing Walks 

– I have also been chairing a 

forum for sports clubs, in order 

to ensure we can offer the best 

service possible to our residents. 

Now that spring is here, it’s a 

great time to start thinking about 

getting out to try a new activity 

or sport, writes Mark Lawrence 

Another big part of my role 

is promoting the available 

activities through the Tunbridge 

Wells page of the Everyday 

Active website, which also 

hosts a wealth of advice for 

anyone looking to make a 

key lifestyle change: www. 

everydayactivekent.org.uk/ 

communities/tunbridge-wells 

However, if you feel you need 

more support in setting goals for 

a healthier lifestyle, one of my 

colleagues in the One You service 

will be waiting to take your call. 

The service offers help on things 

such as weight loss, getting more 

active, drinking less and stopping 

smoking, and we are hoping to 

re-open the Cranbrook clinic 

soon. 

You can call 01892 554411 or email 

health@tunbridgewells.gov.uk 

SPORTS CLUBS 

Cranbrook Bowls Club, Ball Field 

TN17 3JN 

garry.pethurst@gmail.com, 

07970 875069 

Cranbrook Juniors Football Club, 

Rammel Field TN17 3JW 

info@cranbrookjuniorsfc.co.uk 

Cranbrook Sports Club, Tomlin 

Ground, Angley Road TN17 2PN 

webmaster@cranbrookrugby.com, 

01580 712777 

Men’s Hockey (Newenden 

Nomads) Cranbrook School, 

TN17 3JD 

www.newendennomadshc.co.uk 

Sissinghurst Tennis Club, Jubilee 

Field TN17 2JA 

paul_tully@btinternet.com 

Weald Tri Club 

wealdtriclub.membership@gmail.com 

ACTIVITY PROVIDERS 

Begginers2Runners, Tenterden – 

www.beginners2runners.co.uk/ 

Cranbrook Joggers – 

LOCAL HEALTH 

info@cranbrookjoggers.co.uk, 

07908 320058 

Cranbrook Pickleball 

07702 126571 

Fitness Boxing, Wellbeing 

in the Weald 

hello@wellbeingintheweald.co.uk, 

07961 669 575 

Weald Sports Centre, Angley 

Road TN17 2PN 

01580 710720 

And if you want to be added 

to my list of providers, drop 

me an email: mark.lawrence@ 

tunbridgewells.gov.uk 


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FEATURE 

Can you be a Friend 

to St Dunstan’s? 

A question posed to us all in Cranbrook by John Williams, 

membership secretary of the church’s friends’ group; 

“How would you feel if you found St Dunstan’s Church 

in the same dilapidated state as the Providence Chapel?” 

Why, I wonder, 

should the 

relatively few 

worshippers 

who regularly 

attend the church bear the brunt 

of the considerable expenditure 

involved in keeping such a 

magnificent building in a good 

state of repair? 

Indeed, some Christians might 

argue that they would be freer 

to celebrate their faith without 

the encumbrance of having to 

maintain any church building. 

St Dunstan’s, together with the 

windmill, must be of considerable 

help in contributing to the 

significant level of tourism 

within the town. I think that 

most of us like to know that the 

building is there, even if we do 

not go through the doors very 

often. Many of us like to look at 

the time on the clock, hear the 

bells ringing in the tower, attend 

the occasional wedding, funeral, 

memorial service or baptism, or 

the annual Remembrance Day 

service. We take it for granted 

that the church will always be 

there. 

I know that our vicar would 

like to open up the building even 

more, so that it can be a real 

focal point for all the Cranbrook 

community, as it would have been 

centuries ago. 

HOW TO HELP 

How can we help? We could all 

become Friends of St Dunstan’s 

(FOSTD)! We are not committing 

ourselves to spending hours in 

church, but simply wanting to 

help keep the building safe, clean, 

dry and open, and to be ever more 

beautiful for generations to come. 

A minimum donation of £12 per 

person per year would really 

encourage the small committee 

of trustees to continue their 

work, helping keep the church 

building open and available to 

the wider community. 

In recent years, FOSTD 

have, amongst other projects, 

contributed money to the 

various projects of St Dunstan’s 

Parochial Church Council. They 

include maintaining the fabric 

of the building, helping to aid 

the recent restoration of the 

tower, and the renewal of the 

lighting and rewiring. FOSTD 

have also helped with funding 

for the restoration of windows 

and memorials, repairs to the 

roof, stonework and noticeboards. 

Funds have helped to pay for 

the overhaul of the clock, create 

the Millennium Book, maintain 

the organ, purchase a grand 

piano, install CCTV, repair the 

heating, refurbish a chapel and 

porch, provide pew cushions, 

and published church guides and 

histories. 

The trustees organise concerts 

during warmer weather at 1pm on 

the first Thursday of each month 

from March to October, this year 

starting on March 3rd, to which 

all are welcome without charge. 

There is a retiring collection for 

the friends’ work. 

If you could help, please chat to 

one of the trustees (on the Friends’ 

website) or contact; FOSTD 

Membership Secretary, Church 

House, Stone Street, Cranbrook, 

TN17 3HA. John Williams 


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FEATURE 

A Call To Stand 

Up For Nature 

“A strimmer is to a butterfly what a chain 

saw is to an orangutan” – says wildlife 

saviour Nigel Witham 

The 59-year-old 

Battersea-born 

animal crusader 

has turned his 

Weald garden into 

a sanctuary for wildlife and 

happily shares his delightful 

videos and stills with a 

multitude of followers on the 

Nextdoor site. 

His garden has become home 

to a vast number of animals, 

from foxes to rare butterflies 

and owls to sparrowhawks, and 

he despairs at the way wildlife 

globally is being obliterated by 

“social inertia”. 

He does not believe the 

problem is just down to 

governments and added: “We all 

need to respect all life.” 

A keen prize-winning angler, 

Nigel has contributed to many 

fishing books and had his first 

article in Angling Times when 

he was just 18. He was even 

featured on ITN news after 

saving the life of a canoeist 

who had capsized in the River 

Medway. 

His love of wildlife was 

kindled in his childhood when 

the family moved to the country 

where he soon became intrigued 

by the vast array of wildlife. He 

recalled: “When I was about 

seven or eight I went with a 

friend to some grass land and 

it was just full of butterflies, 

there were so many of them.” It 

“When I was about 

seven or eight I went 

with a friend to some 

grass land and it was 

just full of butterflies, 

there were so many 

of them.” 

was not until this year that he 

recorded seeing his first-ever 

Purple Emperor butterfly. 

A commercial interior 

designer, Nigel would love to 

devote his entire time to saving 

wildlife but also getting the 

message across to everyone 

that they too can help to 

understand the importance of 

wildlife and saving habitats, 

whether gardens, fields, verges 

or churchyards. 

He despairs that his 

efforts to re-wild Goudhurst 

churchyard have failed. He also 

battles against the concerts, 

Christmas lights, and other 

commercialisation at nearby 

Bedgebury Pinetum, believing 

they seriously damage wildlife 

in an area which was originally 

devoted to special trees from 

around the planet, grassland and 

ponds. 

He said: “It would be easy to 

think my message is like pushing 

water uphill but I take succour 

from people supporting me.” 

TF 


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LOCAL HISTORY 

MUSEUM MATTERS 

This Spring finds us 

all optimistic (at 

the time of writing!) 

that the museum 

will be open for 

a full season this year. Our 

first exhibition – “Unfinished 

Business” – will examine some 

of the changes that have taken 

place over the years to the face 

of Stone Street and the High 

Street. Do come and see the 

social history of our town that 

is evident in how shops and 

businesses have come and gone 

over the past two centuries. 

The museum opens on Friday 

1 April, 2pm to 4.30pm, and 

thereafter Tuesdays – Saturdays 

and Bank Holiday Mondays. We 

will also be open for Nuts in 

May, The Garden Safari and any 

other events in the town. We 

look forward to welcoming you! 

Despite Covid and the 

winter, we have been very busy. 

One of our main ambitions 

is to develop our Cranbrook 

Colony collection and several 

new works have been added 

since we were last open. The 

most recent is a wonderful 

F.D. Hardy oil painting which 

was purchased with support 

from Arts4Kent. Along with a 

delightful Mulready watercolour 

and a couple of small Webster 

paintings, the collection will be 

well worth a visit from anyone 

interested in art, the history of 

art or Cranbrook’s nationally 

important heritage in this area. 

Another fascinating addition 

to the collection is the discovery 

of a long lost stack of 800 

photographs from World War I. 

Currently undergoing essential 

conservation, they will be 

displayed publicly in due course. 

More to follow on this in a 

future edition of The Cake. 

The fabric of the museum 

“Despite Covid and the winter, we have been very busy. One of our 

main ambitions is to develop our Cranbrook Colony collection and 

several new works have been added since we were last open” 

which is, as you may know, 

Grade II listed and dates back 

in places to the 15th century, 

has been undergoing some 

major work with specialist 

stonemasons dealing with the 

issues. This will be completed 

before we reopen. Furthermore, 

we have been delighted to 

welcome several new volunteers 

this winter, who have taken on 

specific research and curatorial 

tasks. We are always keen to 

welcome new volunteers and 

have many roles from research 

to care and maintenance so do 

get in touch if you would like 

to be involved in any way. You 

don’t need to know anything 

about the town’s history to join 

us as you will quickly discover 

that Cranbrook is a place where 

its rich past is ever present. 

Mike Huxley 

WHEELS OF TIME 

Don’t forget the museum (along with the windmill) is part of the 

hugely successful Wheels of Time – a heritage trail through Kent for 

children and their families with badges to collect! 

Great fun for the Easter Holidays! More information on our website 

www.cranbrookmuseum.org 


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HOME & GARDEN 

IN THE 

GARDEN 

Dahlias 

According to the 

much-admired 

plantsman 

Christopher Lloyd: 

“Some people are 

rather repelled by dahlias but it 

is the types that are chosen and 

the way they are grown…that are 

repulsive rather than the dahlia 

itself”. 

For many years, I just couldn’t 

understand why people grew these 

often gaudy flowers but, having 

been persuaded in the past few 

years, I would not be without 

them. 

According to the late owner 

of Great Dixter in his invaluable 

book, The Well-Tempered Garden, 

Mr Lloyd wrote: “…there is such a 

variety of flower form and colour 

that there must surely be dahlias 

to suit every taste”. 

Indeed there are! They come in 

every colour, except blue, can be 

bold to the point of garishness, but 

also petite and intriguing like the 

orchid-flowered Honka varieties 

with their single, eight florets 

(mistakenly called petals) flowers. 

There are ball and pompom 

shaped blooms, dinner plate-sized 

ones with more petals than you 

can count and paeony-flowered 

ones in eye popping colours. If 

that wasn’t enough choice, there 

are also anemone flowered types 

and collarette dahlias… 

It is surprising, when looking 

at the bold and brassy varieties 

that, in the language of flowers, 

dahlias stand for “dignity” and 

“my gratitude exceeds your care”, 

an ideal choice when looking for 

a present for someone. Oddly 

enough, the flower also has other 

meanings, including, “warning 

“There must surely 

be dahlias to suit 

every taste…” 

someone about a potential 

betrayal” and “staying 

graceful under pressure”. 

Natives of Mexico, where 

they were declared the 

country’s national flower in 

1963, the flowers’ relatives 

include sunflowers, daisies, 

chrysanthemums and 

zinnias. Stem length ranges 

from a mere 12ins to 8ft 

so be prepared to allow 

plenty of space, and some 

staking for the more vigorous 

ones. It is interesting to note that 

the Aztecs used to grow the tubers 

as a food crop but it never caught 

on in Europe. 

Deciding which dahlia to 

grow has never been easy! 

There are literally hundreds of 

different varieties to choose 

from. Café au Lait, a delicate 

creamy peachy, ivory, is a stunner 

with blooms growing to nine 

inches in diameter. In the cactus 

dinner plate range Hollyhill 

Spiderwoman takes some beating 

with its shaggy red and white 

florets which scream “look at me”. 

Other stunners are the decorative 

dark red Arabian Night, the similar 

Thomas A Edison and the red 

and white dinner plate, Avignon. 

The choice is mind-blowing and 

it is easy to get carried away with 

a catalogue or a visit to a plant 

centre but once you have grown 

dahlias you will be hooked! 

HERE ARE A FEW TIPS TO 

GROWING AND CUTTING 

YOUR DAHLIAS: 

1. March is the ideal time to buy tubers 

which will flower until the first frosts. 

Pick fat, healthy-looking tubers from a 

reputable supplier. 

2. Wait until all risk of frost has passed before 

planting in full sun in rich soil. 

4. Make sure your plants are well-watered. 

Feed once a month and deadhead 

regularly for continuous flowers. 

5. When the leaves start to turn brown in the 

autumn, dig up the tubers, carefully clean 

off the soil and store in a box of dry sand 

or sawdust in a frost-free place. 

6. To keep your cut dahlias looking good, 

put in a vase in a cool, shady spot. Add 

flower food or substitute with a teaspoon 

of sugar, two or three drops of bleach and 

a dessert spoon of vinegar. Trim the stems 

regularly. 

Penny Royal 


HOME & GARDEN 

Let’s Cook 

Sweet Pepper Pots 

Sweet peppers are a great vegetable – so 

versatile and delicious – and mixed with a 

few every-day store cupboard ingredients 

make a fabulous dish which never fails 

to please. It is delicious on its own (a 

great starter) as a main course with some 

warm, crusty bread or served alongside 

fish. I guarantee once you have made this, 

it will become a go-to favourite! 

INGREDIENTS 

Serves 2-3 

250g of butter 

1 large red pepper, deseeded and chopped 

1 onion chopped 

1 garlic clove, grated 

225g plump tomatoes 

Half a tsp of sugar 

2 tsps of capers 

4 tbs double cream or crème fraiche 

Grated Parmesan 

Salt and cayenne pepper 

WHAT TO DO 

1. Melt the butter and add the pepper, 

onion and garlic. Cook over a gentle heat, 

stirring often, until the peppers are soft. 

2. Put the tomatoes in a bowl, pour over 

boiling water and leave for a few seconds 

until the skins start peeling off. Remove 

the skins. Cut the tomatoes in half, scoop 

out the seeds and discard then chop the 

flesh. 

3. Add to the pan and cook slowly for 

15 minutes until they are thick and 

mushy. Stir in the sugar, salt and a pinch 

of cayenne pepper. Spoon into small 

ovenproof dishes and leave to cool. 

4. If the capers are salty, rinse and soak 

for at least an hour, then squeeze dry. 

Capers in vinegar need to be rinsed and 

dried before chopping. Mix the capers 

and the cream/crème fraiche, spoon 

over the pepper mixture and sprinkle 

with Parmesan. Bake in a hot oven 210C 

(fan) 400F, Gas 9 or grill until speckled 

with brown. 

Bon appetite! 

Emma Fraser 

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BADGER’S PLOT 

Spring MusingsJOBS ON 

We are entering an exciting 

and busy time of the year 

in the kitchen garden or 

on the plot. The days are 

getting longer and the 

sun is warming the soil. But there is still the 

risk of late frosts and cold northerly winds 

which act as reminders that summer has not 

arrived yet. 

I have previously suggested the possibility 

of creating a herb garden. There are many 

clever ideas on the subject but this is going 

to be a little more basic, serving to supply 

only the kitchen with the more popular 

herbs. 

Choice of site is important as most 

common herbs originated in the 

Mediterranean, so plenty of sun is preferred. 

The size of the bed will be determined by 

what you want to grow and about eight 

feet by four feet would be just right for a 

beginner. Fork in some well-rotted organic 

compost and rake it to a fine tilth. Avoid 

using manure or artificial fertilizer. If you 

your soil is clay based, try to improve the 

drainage with gravel or grit. 

There are many varieties of herb and 

you may have personal favourites but 

try to include sage, thyme, chive, parsley 

and rosemary. Mints are also a must but 

beware! They are very invasive and spread 

everywhere if not controlled. Try setting 

a large pot in the soil and filling it with 

compost which will help confine the roots. 

Garden centres always have a good selection 

of plants if you don’t have time to sow seeds. 

I have split this period into three: early 

spring, mid spring and late spring. 

EARLY SPRING 

Sowing under glass or greenhouse: 

Tomatoes, courgettes, squashes, chilli, 

aubergines, peppers, peas, broccoli, celery 

and beetroot. 

Sowing or planting outside: Sow parsnips, 

radishes, early carrots and potatoes. Plant 

out onion sets and shallots. Asparagus 

crowns can be planted but remember they 

won’t produce edible spears for at least two 

years. It’s not too late to plant out garlic and 

broad beans. 

MID SPRING 

Sowing under glass or greenhouse: Brussels 

sprouts, autumn cabbage and sweetcorn 

followed by runner and French beans and 

cucumber. 

Sowing or planting outdoors: Provided 

all risk of frost has passed, plant courgettes, 

celery and celeriac. 

LATE SPRING 

Sowing under glass/greenhouse or outdoors: 

Kale, purple sprouting broccoli, savoy 

cabbage, swede and lettuce, with carrots and 

beetroot towards the end of spring. Leeks 

can also be planted out if grown from seed. 

Top Tip! 

Almost all vegetable seeds stand a better 

chance of germination if sown in plug trays. 

Planting out the seedlings in their “plugs” 

gives them a much better chance of survival. 

THE PLOT 

With warmer weather and longer 

daylight hours, your plot will show 

signs of weed growth and it’s important 

to weed regularly otherwise all the hard 

work of sowing and planting will be 

lost if your plants have to compete with 

weeds for nutrients. 

It is worthwhile familiarising yourself 

with the following weeds: couch grass, 

dock, creeping thistle, bindweed, 

buttercup, dandelion, mare’s tail, 

nettle, chickweed and bramble. None is 

welcome and don’t put any of them on 

your compost heap. 

After clearing away the remains of 

last season’s crops, prepare the ground 

for immediate composting so that it 

will be in the right condition when this 

season’s plants are ready for the soil. 

In earlier columns I referred to 

companion planting where certain 

plants can be grown among vegetables 

to encourage growth or deter pests. 

In some cases, the flowers are used 

as sacrificial plants to protect the 

vegetables. Since the use of chemicals 

for these activities is being discouraged, 

now might be the time to conduct a 

trial of your own. Generally speaking, 

the companions should be planted at 

the end of rows and removed in the 

late autumn. There are a great many 

combinations currently in use. Here are 

a few suggestions: 

• Beans: Nasturtium – attracts blackfly 

– sacrificial plant 

• Carrots: Spring onions amongst crop 

discourages carrot root fly 

• Cucumbers: Nasturtium attracts 

blackfly and improves flavour of 

cucumber 

• Potatoes: Chamomile enhances 

flavour and attract pollinators 

• Tomatoes: Basil improves growth and 

deters pests 

• Squash: Borage improves growth and 

flavour, attracts pollinators 

• Brassica’s: Chamomile aids growth 

and enhances flavour 

As can be seen, some of the 

companion plants can also be harvested 

for the kitchen. Badger 

Badger 


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Art Comes in Many Forms 

and Always Tells a Story 

Annie Watsham presents the numerous ways people can express themselves through art 

ART 

Whether we’re 

creating art 

ourselves 

or viewing 

the work of 

others, it is a medium through 

which we can communicate and 

express our inner feelings and 

our creativity. Art knows no 

boundaries and essentially always 

tells a story – it’s a true form of 

communication, and humans are 

wired to enjoy stories! 

Whether you’re an existing 

artist or a budding artist here’s a 

brief precis: 

Stillness in Spring by Hannah 

Buchanan 

PAINTINGS 

Painting come in many different 

formats in different media. 

Still life, landscapes, seascapes, 

abstract, portraiture and pop 

art are types of painting genres 

using oil, acrylics, watercolours 

or indeed mixed media, including 

collage. The surface that’s used 

e.g. canvas, board, paper and 

even wood, has a bearing on how 

the finished painting will look. 

This peaceful piece by local artist 

Hannah Buchanan is executed in 

oil on canvas board. 

SCULPTURES 

Sculptures are three-dimensional 

art forms using materials such 

as clay, stone or wood and are 

essentially formed bit by bit into 

a particular shape and structure, 

as in the case of a clay sculpture, 

or chiselled and carved from a 

block of wood or a piece of stone/ 

marble. 

PHOTOGRAPHY 

Photography is the art of 

producing an image of an 

object on a photographic 

film. The way the image is 

captured with the use of light 

differs from photographer to 

photographer and can be used 

for fashion photography, wildlife 

photography, food photography, 

wedding photography and 

portraiture. 

JEWELLERY DESIGN 

Jewellery design involves the 

design of intricate pieces of 

jewellery from metals, wood, 

glass or plastic. Metals that are 

primarily used for designing 

jewellery are gold, silver, 

platinum and copper. Jewellery 

design also incorporates precious 

and semi-precious stones for its 

execution. 

Art glass by Beverley Bunn 

ART GLASS 

Kent artist Beverley Bunn 

creates kiln-formed glass art for 

both domestic and commercial 

interiors and outdoor spaces, 

from decorative wall panels 

to practical light sconces and 

splashbacks, garden wall art to 

sculpture. With a background 

in engineering, Beverley enjoys 

pushing the boundaries of this 

fascinating medium to achieve a 

variety of textures, illusions and 

movement in her work. 

PRINTMAKING 

Printmaking is an artistic 

process based on the principle of 

transferring images from a matrix 

onto another surface, most 

often paper or fabric. Traditional 

printmaking techniques include 

woodcut, etching, engraving, and 

lithography. Modern artists have 

expanded available techniques to 

include screen printing. 

Feeding the Ducks by Carole Aston 

LINOCUT 

Linocut is a printmaking 

technique, a variant of woodcut 

in which a sheet of linoleum is 

used for a relief surface. A design 

is cut into the lino surface with 

a sharp knife, V-shaped chisel 

or gouge, with the raised areas 

representing a reversal (mirror 

image) of the parts to show 

printed. The lino sheet is inked 

with a roller and then impressed 

onto paper or fabric. The actual 

printing can be done by hand or 

with a printing press. Local artist 

Carole Aston uses this technique 

to great effect! 

CERAMICS 

Ceramics cover any of the various 

hard, brittle, heat-resistant and 

corrosion-resistant materials 

made by shaping and then firing 

an inorganic, non-metallic 

material, such as clay, at a high 

temperature. Common examples 

are earthenware, porcelain, and 

brick. 

Lace Emulsion 

Etching on 

Corrugated 

Iron by Scarlett 

Woodman 

OTHER 

MEDIUMS 

Basically, an 

imaginative 

artist can use 

just about 

any medium 

for their art. Local artist 

Scarlett Woodman often uses a 

combination of constructive and 

destructive processes including 

painting, drawing, scratching and 

burning and works mostly with 

reclaimed building materials. 

Whichever art form you choose 

to use or view – there are no 

boundaries – enjoy! 


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LEGAL ADVICE 

Ask our 

Friendly Experts 

No fault divorce, what does this mean for me? 

For many years complainers have 

argued that divorcing couples 

should be able to divorce without 

apportioning blame. Resolution, 

the body of family lawyers 

committed to resolving family dispute in an 

amicable way, have championed for a long 

time for there to be no fault divorce. The 

government has decided this is the right way 

forward and the approach was made law by 

the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 

2020. 

Whilst it was thought the new 

arrangements would come into practice this 

autumn it is now understood no fault divorce 

will start on 6 April 2022. 

The benefits of the new system are that 

you will no longer need to find a reason to 

divorce your spouse, and this will remove 

the need for there to be “blame” but that the 

divorce process will start on the sole ground 

of irretrievable breakdown. 

It’s a commonly held misconception that 

if one party is seen to have behaved badly 

in the marriage that this will affect the 

resolution of the finances, but this is in fact 

rarely the case. It is fair to say “conduct” will 

only be taken into account by the Court in a 

very small number of cases. Removing blame 

perhaps removes the need one party might 

feel to focus on the future in a more positive 

way rather than be backwards looking. 

If the couple are agreed they can present 

a joint application, which may be seen by 

many to be a fairer approach. Even where 

there is not agreement one party can apply 

but the other will not be able to stand in 

their way and try to prevent the divorce as 

may have occurred in the past. This means 

that the new process will be more certain and 

straight forward for both parties. 

There will be new terminology: 

• The Petitioner will become the Applicant 

• The Decree Nisi will be replaced by the 

Conditional Order 

• The Decree Absolute will become the Final 

Order. 

The timetable for the divorce will also 

change in that there will be a six month 

“cooling off” period between the date the 

proceedings are started and the grant of the 

Conditional Order. The idea behind this is to 

allow the parties time to: 

• Reflect on the marriage and whether it can 

be repaired 

• Agree a financial settlement 

• Sort out arrangements for children. 

There will still be a period of six weeks 

between the Conditional Order and applying 

for the Final Order which will dissolve the 

marriage. 

I AM CONSIDERING A DIVORCE NOW, 

SHOULD I WAIT UNTIL APRIL 2022? 

There really is no need to wait as in most 

cases, even now, and particularly with online 

applications the process is straight forward. 

Moreover, under the current system there 

is no lengthy cooling off period. Once the 

Decree Nisi is granted the Petitioner can 

apply for the Decree Absolute six weeks 

thereafter, albeit there may be reasons why 

your solicitor may suggest you wait. 

However, if you think your spouse will 

try to contest the proceedings or you do 

not have a reason to start the proceedings 

now (adultery, behaviour etc.) and would 

otherwise have to wait two or five years then 

it might be advisable to wait until the new 

law comes into effect. 

MARGARET SCULPHER 

Associate Solicitor 

Margaret Sculpher at 

our Cranbrook office 

is happy to help. She 

offers 30 minute no 

obligation, confidential, 

initial meetings – please 

do email her to make enquiries. As a 

collaborative lawyer and member of 

Resolution, Margaret will ensure your 

matter is handled in a caring and sensitive 

way, offering sensible practical advice. 

T: 01892 502354 or E: msculpher@ 

bussmurton.co.uk – quote ‘Cake Magazine’ 

Clermont House, High Street, 

Cranbrook, TN17 3DN 

01580 712 215 or info@bussmurton.co.uk 

www.bussmurton.co.uk 


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The Parish 

Council’s 

Budget Precept 

For 2022-23 

Cllr Robin Beck, chairman of Policy and 

Resources Committee, explains where your 

money goes 

Update 

It’s that time of year again 

when I have the privilege 

of reporting to you the 

budget that has been set 

for the period to April 

2023. 

No doubt, you will recall 

that last year CSPC managed 

to reduce our element of your 

council tax by 0.09%. 

Unfortunately, I cannot report 

such good news this year. We 

have had to raise the precept 

by 3.71% which equates to 

£4.99 per annum for a Band D 

property which will pay £139.34 

this year. 

The total budget has 

increased from £351,000 last 

year to £372,000, a rise of 

£21,000 is mainly attributable 

to the Policy & Resources sector 

which is responsible for 75% of 

the total expenditure. 

The principal costs can be 

summarised as follows: 

· Administrative costs 52% 

· Contractual Obligations 24% 

· Medical and Community 

project 18% 

· Other miscellaneous costs 

and contingency 6% 

It is important to highlight 

that the professional costs 

associated with the medical 

and community centre are 

now beginning to be incurred 

and must be accrued for as the 

project evolves 

Sixty new houses have 

been built in the parish last 

year, which have contributed 

approximately £8,000k 

towards our income, and as 

other projects are completed, 

significant revenue will be 

generated to contribute toward 

costs. 

I must acknowledge once 

again the expertise of former 

councillor, Brian Swann, whose 

experience has been invaluable 

“I must acknowledge once again the 

expertise of former councillor, Brian 

Swann, whose experience has been 

invaluable in preparing the figures” 

in preparing the figures. 

To make the subject a 

little more interesting, the 

colourful chart above reflects 

the expenditure of the various 

committees. 

The detailed information 

relating to the figures can be 

seen on the parish council’s 

website. Obviously, should you 

have any observations or wish 

to discuss any particular aspect 

please contact me through the 

clerks at the parish office. 


THE CAKE CHATS WITH… 

Troy Scott-Smith 

Trisha Fermor talks to returning head gardener at Sissinghurst Castle 

It is clear for all to see that 

he loves Sissinghurst Castle 

and its stunning garden set 

around the tranquillity of a 

500-year-old property. 

So much so, that he came back 

for a third time to take up the 

role of head gardener. 

He told The Cake: “It is nice 

to be back. I always feel so 

comfortable here, it is so much 

more than just a garden.” 

Asked why he returned, Troy 

said: “My successor had left and 

Juliet Nicolson, [granddaughter 

of Harold Nicolson and Vita 

Sackville-West who made the 

garden], asked if I would come 

back and I couldn’t say no.” 

His devotion to gardening and 

plants was fired by a childhood 

love of nature. Born and bred in 

Yorkshire, he studied horticulture 

at Askham Bryan College in York, 

joining the team at Sissinghurst 

eight years later in 1992. 

As well as Sissinghurst, he 

has gained experience at the 

much-loved Bodnant 

Garden in Wales and 

at Courts Garden 

in Wiltshire. 

Before moving 

back to Kent 

“There is a bond you get 

with a garden when you 

give so much time and 

energy, you become very 

entwined with it.” 

last autumn, Troy was head 

gardener at Iford Manor Gardens 

in Wiltshire. Mainly created 

by Harold Peto who lived at 

Iford from 1899 to 1933, he 

designed gardens for royalty and 

aristocracy around the world. 

Troy and his partner, Anne, and 

children Rowan, 14, and Maiwen 

12, both born at Bodnant, now 

have a new home in part of the 

castle. Before, they lived in one of 

the cottages on the estate. 

Their current home is just 

a stone’s throw away from the 

Delos garden, originally created 

by Harold and Vita, which lost 

its identity over the years. A 

few years ago, Troy’s friend and 

world-renowned garden designer, 

Dan Pearson, offered to re-design 

the Greek-inspired garden. The 

huge scheme, involving the 

removal of trees, shrubs and 

plants and the installation of tons 

of Kentish rag stone, is greatly 

admired by Troy. 

While his heart is definitely 

in the garden - “I get a feeling 

of real closeness to Vita and 

Harold” - the family has bought 

a small farm in Cumbria and is 

converting an old barn into a 

house, “for the long term”. 

So what is next? He said: “I am 

planning to tackle the conflict 

between conservation and access 

together with historical integrity, 

garden management with a 

recipe for each area and organic 

status for the vegetable garden. 

“There is a bond you get with 

a garden when you give so much 

time and energy, you become 

very entwined with it.” 

His favourite plant? “It would 

have to be a rose. The Gallica rose 

‘Sissinghurst Castle’ is the best.” 

Delighted to be back he added: 

“It is probably the best job in 

gardening.” 


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The Cake - Spring 2022

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