The Golden Green Association Newsletter
Issue No. 316
Facebook: Golden Green Association.
Send items for inclusion to Anne Waddingham (gghamlet@outlook.com) or Alec Pelmore (alecpelmore@btinternet.com).
Mission Hall Bookings
Website: www.goldengreenhall.com
The Golden Green Hall is available for bookings. Contact Nicky Whapshott goldengreenhall@gmail.com or 07702 212317. Ideal for children’s parties.
The Hall refurbishment: we have sorted the electrics after the squirrels ate the cables. The cherry picker did a good job of cleaning back the tin roof and the roof is now painted and looking good – the sides are going to have to wait for gaps in the weather. But in trying to paint the windows, we have found that they are all extensively rotted. Patched for the moment (a big shout out to Pete Hilborn for using his weekends to sort it all out) but it means we will have to get new windows made. Since the hall is listed, that may not be cheap! The saga continues and it may be that at some stage we will be looking for donations to finish the job [AP]
What’s on in Golden Green?
Weekly Classes in the Mission Hall
Mondays (except bank holidays) – Steady Steps: 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 – Life Drawing – Hall – 8-10pm
Contact: Peter Muller 07948 367240
Wednesdays – Waggy Tails Social Club – Hall – 2-3pm
Contact Sue Harriman 07759 904677, spaces available
Fridays – Boxfit (women only) – Hall – 9.30am
Contact Bryony Knight 07399 533518
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This Month in Golden Green
Thursday 11 Jun – Coffee Morning – Hall – 10.30am-12 noon
Contact: Alec Pelmore 01732 850739
Saturday 13 Jun – Afternoon Tea (booking required) – Bell Inn – 1-4pm
Contact: The Bell Inn 01732 605352
Saturday 20 Jun – Trained by Gee Summer Fit Fest – The Bell – 12-6pm
Contact: trainedbygee@gmail.com or 07493989690
Friday 26 Jun – GG Summer Fete Meeting – The Bell – 6pm
Sunday 28 Jun – Golden Green Summer Fete – Signpost Field – 1-3.30pm
Golden Green Fete
Sunday 28 June 1-3.30pm Signpost Field
Join us for the highlight of the GG year! Tug-of-war, Egg & spoon, Pratt’s sack races, Home-made cakes, Books, Puzzles, ‘Antiques of tomorrow’, Tombola, Coconut shy, Wheel of fortune, Piggy races, Hook-a-duck, Buzzer game, Giant jigsaw, Raffle, Bar & BBQ, Cream teas, Strawberries & Cherries (if ready) and more! As always, it can’t happen without Helpers!
Where we need help:
Meeting – It would be great to see as many as possible in The Bell on Friday 26 June at 6pm so we can chat through final arrangements
Tombola – donations welcome: bottles and cans (must be in date!). Our collectors will be coming round – probably Wednesday evening 24 June. If you don’t get contacted by one of our collectors, please leave any donations for Helen in the box at 5 Signpost Field Cottages, Three Elm Lane by 5.30pm Wednesday 24 June.
On the day
Tent team – help with setting up from 9am – More hands make light work! Any large vehicles to transport tables/chairs etc appreciated. Help also needed with breaking everything down at 3.30pm.
Raffle prizes – please donate bottles, unwanted presents etc. on the day
Cake stall – Looking for lovely bakers out there willing to whip up some contributions? It’s always been a popular stall, so whoever runs it (you?) probably won’t be needed for long!
‘Antique’ stall – please bring items for sale on the day … good quality bric-a-brac only please – we don’t want to be just a way to get stuff taken to the tip!
Books, DVDs, CDs, vinyl (no VHS), toys, puzzles – Bring to Signpost Field after 11am on the day.
Plant & Produce Stall – gardeners always have too many beans, tomatoes and courgettes! Bring them along for sale.
Teas, stalls, races, children’s games – can you help manage a stall? Ideas of new, different things to do always welcome (especially if you can run it)
Contact Alec 850739; alecpelmore@btinternet.com
Golden Green 250 Club Winners
The winners of £25 each for May were:
190 Louise Gardner
78 Jane Kellett
246 Jeanetta Charnock
Golden Green Coffee Morning
Thursday 11 June 10.30am-12 noon Mission Hall
All ages are welcome to join us for hot drinks and homemade bakes. Just turn up or contact Alec 01732 850739 for more details.
Golden Green Family Fun Day
Sunday 6 September Signpost Field
Hosted by the Golden Green Association, our first Family Fun Day is going to be an afternoon filled with entertainment and activities for all ages. There will of course be food and drink too but it won’t be like the fete – this will be a Special Day for all residents. Over the past few years, the success of our summer fetes and the GGA lottery – all down to your support and contributions – has resulted in a healthy bank balance, and we now want to give something back by spending some of it on you. Make sure you have the date in your calendar and look out for more details in The Hamlet as plans progress!
The Bell News
Clare, Justin & Nigel
Tel: 01732 605352 or 07881 816227
Email: queensowntaverns@hotmail.com
Facebook: The Bell – Golden Green
Food available every Thursday 12 noon to 4pm; Friday 12 noon to 8pm and Saturday 12 noon to 6pm. No need to book – just come on in.
Saturday 13 Jun – Afternoon Tea (booking required) – Bell Inn – 1-4pm
Contact: The Bell Inn 01732 605352
And as well as Afternoon Tea, we are now offering delicious cream teas! Enjoy a relaxing afternoon treat with freshly baked scones, jam and cream, now with a gluten-free option available. Served Thursday to Saturday 12-4pm.
Trained By Gee Summer Fit Fest – Saturday 20 June 12-6pm – Various fitness classes, DJ and live music as well as food and drinks served throughout the day. For ticket options please contact: trainedbygee@gmail.com or 07493989690
Free Pool Table – all day every Friday.
Successful MacMillan Charity Fun Day
Tina Brown is delighted to say that Donna’s Charity Fun Day in East Peckham last month raised an amazing £12,173 for Macmillan Cancer Support. Well done all!
Hadlow Village Fete
Sunday 14 June 2-4.30pm St. Mary’s Church and Church Street
Fun for all the family! cream teas, side stalls and games, fun dog show and bar. If you would like a stall (cost £20), please contact Kirsty at stmarysfete2026@gmail.com
Road Closures and Works
As reported on the Golden Green Association Facebook page, following enquiries about the scheduled closures of Three Elm Lane, Hartlake Road and Victoria Road over the summer, Gary Stone, Streetworks Coordinator at KCC responded:
“You are correct that SGN were at this location recently and were hoping to complete all off the required mains replacement works under a two-way traffic light set up.
“Unfortunately, as they began their works it became apparent that their mapping of the main was incorrect and as they progressed it became obvious that they were going to be unable to maintain the minimum required carriageway widths for passing vehicles, especially HGVs.
“During this last period they had to have two emergency closures as it was the only way they could get some customers in that section back on gas as the feeds to their properties were in the centre of the carriageway. Following the second closure it became apparent that if we allowed them to continue their works they would end up needing more emergency closures each time they found their feed too close to the centre of the road; it was decided that this was a completely unsustainable approach and would have resulted in closures being in place when schools returned. They were advised to cease their remaining work and replan for the summer holidays when they already had a closure of Hartlake Road booked and could complete the final mains connection into there.
“The new works program is as follows:
22nd Jul – 9th Aug – Full closure of Hartlake Road
22nd Jul – 31st Aug – Full closure of Three Elm Lane/ Tonbridge Road
28th Jul – 9th Aug – Full closure of Victoria Road
“SGN are aware of how impactive these closures will be to the local area but there is no other way of achieving the completion of the replacement mains without this being in place and it’s better this is a planned closure rather than ad-hoc closures with no notice.
“My understanding is that although some of the above dates overlap on paper every effort will be made to ensure that not all closures will be in place at the same time.”
At last the A21 southbound off-ramp to the Vauxhall roundabout (after being closed for 28 weeks) has been reopened!
A21 Roadworks and overnight closures will continue on various dates. (See the traffic map at https://one.network/ for more details).
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.
You can report non-urgent problems with roads and pavements to KCC online at https://www.kent.gov.uk/roads-and-travel/report-a-problem. This includes street light faults, potholes, drainage, traffic signal faults and overgrown vegetation (including hedges and grass).
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
admin@hadlowpc.co.uk or 01732 851878
www.hadlowpc.co.uk
facebook.com/HadlowParishCouncil
X: @HadlowParish
Parish Council Office open Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9.30am until 12 noon.
Next Parish Council Meeting – 8 June – 7.30pm Old School Hall, Hadlow.
More people to join the parish council urgently needed – contact the Parish Clerk.
Hadlow Community Breakfast
Sunday 14 June 9-11am Old School Hall
Please contact the parish office admin@hadlowpc.co.uk or 01732 851878 to book.
Golden Green Parish Councillors
Nick Collins: 850968 nicolins@btinternet.com
Ed Bright: 850590 ed.bright@talk21.com
St Mary’s Church, Hadlow
Please see the Hadlow newsletter for details of services, including Easter services
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.
Tonbridge and Malling Ramblers
Enjoy the Kent countryside. Visit the Tonbridge and Malling Ramblers website or their Facebook page to find out more about their walks.
Compiled by Anne Waddingham and Alec Pelmore ©2026