The Golden Green Association Newsletter
Issue No. 298
Facebook: Golden Green Association.
Send items for inclusion to Anne Waddingham (gghamlet@outlook.com) or Alec Pelmore (alecpelmore@btinternet.com).
Mission Hall Bookings
The Golden Green Hall is available for bookings. Contact Nicky Whapshott goldengreenhall@gmail.com or 07702 212317. Ideal for children’s parties.
What’s on in Golden Green?
Weekly Classes in the Mission Hall
Mondays – Strength, Mobility and Balance Class – 10.30am-12 noon
Contact: Pat 01732 850739
Tuesdays – Line Dancing – Hall – 10.30-11.45am
Contact: Wendy Langley 07833 079213
Tuesdays – Colin’s Art – Hall – 8-10pm
Contact: Colin Obray 01732 464187
Wednesdays – Waggy Tails Social Club – Hall – 2-3pm
Now fully subscribed. If you want to go on the waiting list, contact: Sue Harriman 07759 904677
*******************
This Month in Golden Green
Monday 9 Dec – GGA Extraordinary Meeting – Bell Inn – 7pm (More details below)
Contact: Alec Pelmore 01732 850739
Thursday 12 Dec – Coffee Morning – Hall – 10.30am-12 noon
Contact: Alec Pelmore 01732 850739
Saturday 14 Dec – Afternoon Tea (booking required) – Bell Inn – 1-4pm
Contact: The Bell Inn 01732 605352
Monday 16 Dec – Bingo! – Hall – 7-9pm
Contact Nicky Whapshott 07702 212317
Sunday 17 Dec – Golden Green Carol Service – Hall – 4pm
Contact: Alec Pelmore 01732 850739
Saturday 21 Dec – Christmas Jumper Party – Bell Inn – 8pm-late
Contact: The Bell Inn 01732 605352
Tuesday 31 Dec – New Year’s Eve Karaoke & Disco – Bell Inn – 8pm-late
Contact: The Bell Inn 01732 605352
Total Body Tuesdays – Bell Inn weekly 6.30-7.15pm
Contact: 07493 989600 trainedbygee@gmail.com
Coming Up Next Month
Wednesday 15 January – Golden Green Annual Residents’ Lunch – Hall – 12.15 for 12.30pm sit-down. See details below
Contact: Linda Daker 01732 851969 after 2 January
Golden Green Association Extraordinary Meeting
Monday 9 December 7pm The Bell
The meeting is called to decide whether the Golden Green Association reapply to Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council to include The Bell public house on the register of Assets of Community Value for a further five years. (The GGA decided to apply to add The Bell to the register 10 years ago during a period of great uncertainty about its future as a local pub. The application was successful and entry on the register lasted five years. We reapplied in December 2019.) Another five years has passed and the entry expires on 19 December this year. We need to hold a further meeting before we can reapply. There is no financial cost in making an application. All residents of Golden Green are members of the Association and are welcome to attend, speak and vote on the proposal. We have invited The Bell team to attend and help with our decision.
Christmas in Golden Green
Golden Green Carol Service
Sunday 22 December from 3.45pm Mission Hall
Carols this year will be accompanied by a brass group in a change from Pat’s clarinet group. They will start playing festive music from 3.45pm so get there early. Alec is always on the look-out for people to read (and ideas of what to read), so please get in touch
Golden Green Annual Residents’ Lunch
Wednesday 15 January 12.15 for 12.30pm sit-down Mission Hall
The perfect antidote to the post-Christmas doldrums, our annual residents’ lunch features home-baked pies and scrumptious desserts, served with wine or a soft drink, all courtesy of the Golden Green Association. There’s also a raffle for charity (prize donations welcome). GG residents of all ages are welcome – a good opportunity if you are new to the hamlet to meet others, find out more about the community and make friends.
Booking essential – contact: Linda Daker 01732 851969 after 2 January, stating number of places, your names(s), phone number and any special dietary requirements or food intolerances. Volunteer cooks and helpers, please apply to Linda.
Golden Green 250 Club Winners
November
154 Chris Cadell
55 Verena Lester
31 Nicky Whapshott
December
44 Andrew Deckers
88 Dean Parsons
78 Jane Kellett
Next month we will be asking everybody to renew their numbers – £6 per number for the year. Watch this space
The Bell News
Clare, Justin & Nigel
Tel: 01732 605352 or 07881 816227
Email: queensowntaverns@hotmail.com
Facebook: The Bell – Golden Green
Christmas Day: open 12-2pm, Boxing Day: closed
Christmas Fair & Santa’s Grotto Sunday 8 December – 11am-4pm. Sadly this had to be cancelled because of Storm Darragh
Afternoon Tea (booking required) – Saturday 14 December 1-4pm
Christmas Jumper Party – Saturday 21 December – 8pm-late
New Year’s Eve Karaoke & Disco – Tuesday 31 December 8pm-late – Hosted by Dave Tanner
West Malling Spitfires’ Scooter Club Darts Marathon – Saturday 4 January – 12 noon
Total Body Tuesdays – weekly workout sessions 6.30-7.15pm. All ages and fitness levels welcomed. £7 a session (cash preferred) Contact 07493 989600 trainedbygee@gmail.com
Bye to Bernie
We’ve come to the end of an era when Bernie McGawley drops the mike for the final time as Quizmaster for the monthly quiz in The Bell. For many years he has challenged teams with brain teasers, anagrams, Dingbats, spot-the-connection rounds etc. and the notorious Bonus round, in which no one has ever managed to win the jackpot! There’s been plenty of laughs, good craic and passionate arguments – but it’s indisputable that the QM is always right. Bernie will be greatly missed but he and his partner Cathy will always be welcome at GG events, so we hope to see them often.
2024 RBL Poppy Appeal
Thank you to everyone who donated to this year’s RBL Poppy Appeal in Golden Green, Hadlow, Plaxtol and Shipbourne. Special thanks to our dedicated house-to-house collectors: in GG – Alan, Howard, Pete, Linda and June; and Stephen and Ed who manned stalls at the Esso garage and Poult Wood respectively. Our communities raised over £9000 to help the RBL continue its important work supporting veterans and their families. More information about what the RBL do at https://www.britishlegion.org.uk/get-support/who-we-help. Sean Waddingham.
Road Closures
Blackmans Lane will be closed from 6 January for approximately four weeks owing to gas network upgrades by SGN contractors. After this, upgrading will resume on Three Elm Lane, with temporary traffic lights, for a further 9-10 weeks (oh dear)
More information including diversion routes can be found on the traffic map at https://one.network/ though we can’t guarantee that it’s up to date! Any deviation from the dates given are down to the contractor(s) concerned.
Hadlow Historical Society
The HHS has launched a Facebook group to encourage an interest in Hadlow and Golden Green’s history by sharing stories, pictures and family history. Do check it out and join at https://www.facebook.com/groups/1256790542145558. Contact HHS Chair Patricia Richardson at hadlowhistory@gmail.com
TMBC Bourne Ward Councillors
Cllr James Lark james.lark@tmbc.gov.uk; mob 07812 596194
Cllr Steve Crisp Steve.Crisp@tmbc.gov.uk or c/o TMBC, Gibson Building, Gibson Drive, Kings Hill ME19 4LZ
Hadlow Parish Council
clerk@hadlowpc.co.uk or 01732 851878
www.hadlowpc.co.uk
facebook.com/HadlowParishCouncil
X (formerly Twitter) @HadlowParish
Parish Council Office open – Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9.30am until 12 noon.
Please note the parish office will be closed from noon on Tuesday 24 December and will re-open at 9.30am Thursday 2 January 2025.
Next Parish Council Meeting – 9 December – 7.30pm Old School Hall, Hadlow.
Vacancies for Councillors – if you are interested in joining the Council please do pop into the office or email for further information.
Golden Green Parish Councillors
Nick Collins: 850968 nicolins@btinternet.com
Ed Bright: 850590 ed.bright@talk21.com
Hadlow Parish Christmas Lunch for 65’s and Over
Sunday 15 December Old School Hall, Hadlow
Drinks at 12.30pm, Meal and entertainment from 1pm
Please book at the Parish Office or call 01732 851878.
Golden Green residents: please let the parish office know if you would like to be collected and returned home in the community minibus (admin@hadlowpc.co.uk or 01732 851878).
St Mary’s Church, Hadlow
Christmas Services Please see the Hadlow newsletter for details.
St Peter’s RC Chapel, Maidstone Rd, Hadlow
For service times, please see
catholicclocks.com/mass-times/england/kent/hadlow/saint-peters-chapel
Hospital Transport Service
Residents of Hadlow and Golden Green who need help to get to clinic appointments can contact Mike Harvey (tel 01732 851881, mob 07464 548448).
Anti-Social Behaviour Team
If you want to report anti-social behaviour, please either call TMBC’s Community Safety Partnership Team on 01732 844522 or email: csp@tmbc.gov.uk
Community Warden
Community wardens’ aims are to foster community wellbeing, support the elderly and vulnerable and help with accessing community services.
Our Community Warden for East Peckham and Hadlow (including Golden Green) is Diane Wakeling. Contact her on 07813 713740 diane.wakeling@kent.gov.uk
Wishing all Golden Green residents a very Happy Christmas from the Golden Green Association!
Compiled by Anne Waddingham and Alec Pelmore ©2024
