Otford churches invite residents to the Christmas celebrations

ST BARTHOLEMEW’S CHURCH is holding a service of nine lessons and carols by candlelight, followed by refreshments in the church centre at 6.30pm on 22 December. On Christmas Eve, there will be a Crib Service at 4pm and Carols at 11.10pm followed at 11.30pm by Midnight Choral Christmas Communion.

On Christmas Day there will be Holy Communion at 9am and an All Together Christmas Worship service 10.30a.m. All are welcome.

OTFORD METHODIST CHURCH invites you to its special Christmas events: Carol Service 6.30pm Sunday 22 December, Christingle 5pm Tuesday 24 December, and their Christmas Morning Service at 10am. The churchs look forward to welcoming you all to these events and exploring the real reason for celebrating the Christmas story in 2019.

OTFORD EVANGELICAL FREE CHURCH: There will be a Family Carol Service from 5pm to 6pm on Sunday 22 December followed by light refreshments and on Christmas Day you are invited to the church’s celebrations which begin at 10am. The church is located at 81 Pilgrims Way West. For more information: Tel: 07510 909035, email: otfordefc@gmail.com, or log onto: www.otfordefc.org.uk

LAST POST: The next couple of days are the last time you can buy stamps for Girlguiding Otford’s Christmas Post Service as it closes tomorrow (Friday 20 December) so that the cards can be sorted and delivered over the weekend. The special charity post service, which is one of the longest running in the country, delivers Christmas cards with the scheme’s special stamps to addresses in Otford village.

Stamps cost 30p and are available to purchase in Otford library during normal opening hours or in the Parish Council office every weekday morning. Christmas cards can be posted in the special post boxes located in the same places. Otford’s Brownies and Guides will collect, sort, frank and then deliver the cards over the two weekends before Christmas. This year the money raised from the sale of the stamps will be donated to SERV Kent Bloodrunners, a charity that provides emergency courier services transporting blood products, samples and other essential items for major hospitals and hospices in Kent out of normal working hours.

Please support this service by purchasing the special stamps and posting your cards early. Library opening hours are Monday 9am – 1pm, Tuesday 9am – 1pm, 2pm- 5pm, Wednesday Closed, Thursday 9am – 1pm, Friday 1pm – 5pm, Saturday 10am – 2pm. Parish Council opening hours Monday to Friday 8am – 12:30pm.

OTFORD FOLK DANCE CLUB meets tonight (Thursday 19 December) at Walthamstow Hall Junior School with Club Callers. The cost is £3. 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 contact Mary Butson on 01732 458356. 

OTFORD PARISH COUNCIL: The December/January Newsletter has an in-depth article on the Otford Traffic Management Plan which will be of interest to residents, especially those who have attended Parish Council meetings to ‘have their say’. You will be given the opportunity to view the details on the traffic measures and comment before the final plans are drawn up and finalised, but in the meantime the plans are now available on the Parish Council website at: www.otfordpc.kentparishes.gov.uk

Once on the website, select ‘Traffic Management’.

Paper copies are available in the Parish Council Office. The traffic plans are also on display in the Otford Heritage Centre between 2- 19 December, then 2-10 January. The centre is open from 8am to 12.30pm and on Saturdays 14 & 21 December from 2pm to 4pm. If you wish to comment on the drawings email: clerk@otfordpc.co.uk

The deadline for comments is Friday 10 January 2020.

NEW LOOK HALL: The Opening Event to show off the new refurbished main hall of Otford Village Memorial Hall is on18 January, 2020. The Hall will be open from noon until 4pm and you are invited to meet the Trustees, see the extent of the refurbishment and have a glass of Bucks Fizz or Orange Juice with some nibbles. This is a drop-in event and is free to Otford Residents.

BURNS NIGHT: St Bartholemew’s Church is holding a Burns Night on 25 January when there will be a supper in the Church Centre. You can look forward to a hearty meal, a tot of Whiskey, traditional readings, a table quiz and some Scottish themed entertainment. More details in the New Year.

RSPB SEVENOAKS: Group Field Trips in the company of experienced birders are the best way of learning about the variety of birds to be found in Kent. The next Sevenoaks RSPB group trip is New Year’s Day, an afternoon trip to Bough Beech Reservoir led by John Waterman, for further details ring 07935 206618.

The Sevenoaks Local RSPB group wound up its 2019 evening meetings with a captivating presentation by Maidstone ornithologist Simon Ginnaw giving insights into the coastal birds of the UK. Indoor meetings continue at 7.45pm in Otford Memorial Hall on 2 January with the Biking Birder Gary Prescott giving a talk which mentions a Tapir at the door. A Tapir is a pig like creature from the Jungles of South America where Gary has explored by bike whilst observing birds there. Gary has cycled to every RSPB reserve in the UK as well as throughout Europe and his presentation promises to definitely not be run of the mill. The charge for non local group members is £3.50 and £2.50 for group members.

Details of all local group activities can be found at https://ww2.rspb.org.uk/groups/sevenoaks

Other news can be found on Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/RSPBSevenoaks

THANK YOU to all contributors during 2019 and I would like to wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year. Details of events can be sent to me at drake_kay@hotmail.com making sure you enter Community News in the subject heading box, or call 01959 522727. This is a brilliant way of getting your event, club, organisation publicity. Please let me have your details as early as possible to ensure inclusion.

The Otford village news is compiled by Kay Drake. If you have any news or events you would like her to consider for the My Sevenoaks Community village column you can email her at: drake_kay@hotmail.com