ST BART’S Burns Night is on January 25 with a Burns night supper in the Church Centre. You are invited along to a 3-course Scottish meal with traditional toasts, readings, songs and a table quiz. Make up a table of 8 or apply individually and they will join you with others. Take along your own drink and advise of any dietary requirements. Tickets from Vicki Howie vickiehowie@btopenworld.com or 01959 522413. Suggested donation on the night £20 in aid of church funds and please wear something Scottish if only a token tartan ribbon. FAIR Feast 2020 February 25. Falling within Fairtrade Fortnight 2020, where the emphasis is again on ensuring that all farmers are paid fairly for their work, Fair Feast 2020 (pancakes, etc, and quiz) is on Shrove Tuesday "Pancake Day" February 25 in Otford Methodist Church Hall. All receipts from ticket sales and any donations will be sent to All We Can, the Methodist relief and development fund. This year, as All We Can has suggested, the money raised by Fair Feast 2020 will be used to support communities in Ethiopia which have been affected by their rapidly changing climate, making it increasingly difficult to grow crops and earn a living. All We Can are supporting vulnerable families in these communities with crops that are better adapted to the climate as well as arranging, as necessary, training in farming and business management. Tickets are £7, or £3.50 for students, and they may be bought now, although payment need not be made until the night. Tables seat 8 people, but everyone is welcome and reservations may be made for any number from one upwards. To reserve places please contact Glen Cable 01732 457842 glen-chris.cable@sky.com. OTFORD Folk Dance Club next meet at 8pm on Thursday January 30 at Walthamstow Hall Junior School with Colin Butson calling. All kinds of mixed folk dances are on offer and all are welcome. Whether you have little or no knowledge, the caller will give help and your fellow dancers will also assist you. The emphasis is on friendly enjoyment rather than perfection If you would like more information ring Mary Butson, 01732 458356. OTFORD Station Foot Bridge. Network Rail are again trying to close the level crossing in order to build a 62 step footbridge. Two years ago a KCC enquiry into the closure unanimously voted to retain the level crossing instead of building a footbridge but Network Rail are making a final appeal to the Secretary of State. The Parish Council will be providing an update in a future edition of their Newsletter. OTFORD’s Traffic Management Plans are now available on the Parish Council website at www.otfordpc.kentparishes.gov.uk, select ‘Traffic Management’. Paper copies are available in the Parish Council Office. The traffic plans are also on display in the Heritage Centre between January 2-10 open from 8.00am to 12.30pm. If you wish to comment on the drawings please email: clerk@otfordpc.co.uk - deadline for comments has been extended by 2 weeks to Sunday January 26 2020. THREE history groups meet regularly in the village Memorial Hall, the Otford and District Historical Society (ODHS), the 1940s Society and the North-West Kent Family History Society (NWKFHS). Meetings of all societies are open to the public. ODHS annual membership for nine meetings is £10 per adult, or £3 per meeting. The 1940s Society has six meetings per year and admission is £3 per meeting. Annual membership for the NWKFHS is £10 and visitors are asked for a contribution. Refreshments are available at all meetings. Doors open at 7.30pm and the talks generally start at 8pm. ON Friday January 31 the 1940’s Society meet in the Memorial Hall, doors open at 7.30pm for an 8pm start, for a talk by Ian Thomson, entitled Bletchley Park and the breaking of the German codes in World War Two. Refreshments will be available during the interval. Visitor admission to the meeting is £3. DIARY date: Saturday June 6. The Field of the Cloth of Gold event 'Not waving but drowning' (with apologies to Stevie Smith!) The re-enactment of the visit of King Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon to Otford on their way to the Field of the Cloth of Gold has sparked the community’s imagination. The play (being written and performed by the Kemsing Players) is taking shape nicely, the Morris dancing has expanded into a ‘Day of Dance’ with up to five Morris sides, there will be Tudor Music played by an early music consort, we are hoping to include a Mummers Play, there will be activities for children of all ages, and so it grows. The invitations to the various chairs of parish councils and mayors in the Darent Valley have been accepted with enthusiasm. The result is Nick Rushby is drowning in a sea of event management and seriously needs some assistance to share the load. There are a number of sub-projects (such as arranging the stage, security, sound systems, etc) that could be handled by an enthusiastic individual. Please contact him to let him know what you can do to help secretary@otfordpalace.org 07968 721 958. THERE is still time for Sevenoaks District Council to collect and recycle your real Christmas tree for free. The Council will collect trees with a trunk of up to 90mm (3.5inches) in diameter with its Garden Waste Collection Service until the end of January. Simply leave your tree by the boundary of your property where you’d usually put your refuse and recycling sacks by 7am on the day the Council’s Garden Waste Collection service visits your road. If your tree is too big for this service you can take it to one of Kent County Councils Household Waste Recycling sites, call KCC 03000 417373 for locations and opening times or visit www.kent.gov.uk.
