Can you help with Otford’s Girl Guides? Plus more dates for your diaries
OTFORD GARDENERS Rose and Summer Show opens to the public at 2.15pm on Saturday (23 June). This show brings together beautiful flowers and tasty fruit and vegetables from the early Summer garden. There will also be flower arrangement, cookery and photographic classes to be won. Admission is 50p and teas will be served until 4pm.
ART IN JUNE, Open Studios, runs until Sunday (June 24), with 52 Sevenoaks and Edenbridge artists opening their studios/homes to show their work to the public. Two Otford artists are participating this year and both Barbara Darby and Julian Cheswick will be displaying their work at Hope Church, The Mill Lane Centre, Mill Lane, Sevenoaks TN14 5BX between 3pm and 6pm on Friday 22 and Sunday 24. Visit www.artinjune.org. for more information.
STAN THE BARBER: There is still time to donate to Stan the Barbers retirement gift by taking your contribution along to the Parish Council Offices in the High Street, opposite Stan’s, which are open between 8.30am and 12.30pm Monday to Friday. Stan will be hosting an ‘Open House’ at his High Street outlet between 10am and 5pm on Saturday June 30 and you are invited to go along and wish him well.
OTFORD PRIMARY SCHOOL’S PTFA Summer Fete will take place from noon until 3pm on Saturday, July 7, in the school grounds and buildings. You are invited to go along and join them for a fun afternoon of music and entertainment, summer shopping, a BBQ and beer tent, as well as a prize draw and auction. There will also be a miniature garden competition, a large dragon bouncy castle and inflatable slide, face painting, and lots of fun games for the children to play.
OTFORD UNITED JUNIOR FOOTBALL CLUB is currently looking for under 13 football players to join their team for the 2018/2019 season. The team are an U12 side playing up an age group in the Ashford A League where they finished as runners up this season. Home games are played on Saturdays at Hale Lane Recreation Ground. The club is interested in hearing from current school Year 7 or 8 boys looking to play at a good standard in a successful team and for an inclusive friendly, club. They are looking for different positions but specially a goalkeeper and defender. For more details contact Paul 07747 762703 or email paul.schooley@oujfc.com.
OTFORD FOLK DANCE CLUB meets at 8pm every Thursday throughout the year in the Otford church hall, High Street, opposite ‘The Bull’ and on Thursday, June 29, Cliff Hayward and Peter Nixon will be calling. The cost is £1.50. which includes tea or coffee. 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.
GIRLGUIDING OTFORD: Do something amazing and help give girls in the local community more opportunities for fun, friendship, challenge and adventure by volunteering to help Girlguiding. Girlguiding Otford are looking for new volunteers and have immediate vacancies for regular unit helpers to assist their uniformed leaders, particularly for Brownies and Rangers. A unit administrator is also urgently needed for the Seal St Lawrence Brownies. If you need more information please email ggkemsingotforddistrict@gmail.com, or you can register your interest at www.girlguiding.org.uk/interested or call 0800 169 5901. You can also see what they get up to by liking them on Facebook at Girlguiding Knole Division.
TWINNING ASSOCIATION: Otford-Neufchatel-Hardelot Twinning Association is holding its next Social Gathering at the Woodman Pub from 7.30 on Monday 25 June). Some of Otford’s French twins from Hardelot will be visiting between 6-8 July and will be welcomed at 4pm on Friday (6 July) in the Club Room of the Memorial Hall. Residents are invited to join them. More details available from Jane Lawrey – clerk@otfordpc.co.uk.
GARDEN SAFARI: Seal is holding its first Garden Safari on Sunday 1 July between 1-4pm. There are 10 gardens to visit around the village, some very small – a secret Courtyard garden measuring 4m x 5m with many pots and plants up to a large garden of many acres with a lake. The oldest resident gardener is 97-years-old and she still enjoys pottering around her garden. If you would like to be involved, you will need to buy an Event programme. They are £5 before the day and £6 on the day. They can be bought from the Seal Supermarket in the High street or from Frances Fish 01732 760007. The money raised will be going to the Kenward Trust Charity which is based in Yalding and this is their 50th Anniversary year. There is also a Grand Prize Draw at 2 Zambra Way which will be drawn at 4pm and plants will be on sale. On the day visitors are invited to start their safari at 2 Zambra Way, Seal. TN15 0DJ.
SEAL CHURCH, St Peter and St Paul, is hosting a display of 30 ‘Then and Now’ photos of places around the village, a selection of historical documents relating to businesses and properties, and a 7th centenary Exhibition of life in Seal through the ages on Sunday 1 July. David Williams as their local historian will be available for questions and selling his book ‘The history of the Parish / Seal’ for half price at £10. On the same day Seal Vicarage is the venue for the annual Strawberry Tea between 4pm and 6pm. Places need to be booked in advance via Marion Gilchrist on 01732 763727 – £6 per person £3 children and a family ticket of 2 x adults 2 x children £15. Sunday 1 July is also Seal’s Patronal Sunday.