Fizzlebert Stump makes a stop at Otford Memorial Hall and promises fun for all the family
FIZZLEBERT STUMP – the boy who ran away from the Circus to join the Library is being performed in Otford Village Memorial Hall at 4pm on Saturday 29 December. This professional performance sponsored by The Arts Council and Applause Rural Touring Company is especially suitable for families with children between the ages of 5 and 12 years old. It has received rave reviews wherever performed. Great for children and grandchildren. Doors open at 3.30pm for 4pm, refreshments available. Tickets on sale at: http://www.wegottickets.com/event/452373 or from Denise (Florists), Otford Parish Council, High Street, Yvonne’s (Shop), Telston Lane, prices: adult £10, 5 to 16 years old £5, under 5’s free.
LIBRARY CONSULTATION. Kent County Council is holding a Consultation Questionnaire on its Libraries, Registration and Archives (LRA) draft strategy until 29 January. Paper copies are available in Otford Library or complete the questionnaire online by CLICKING HERE. KCC is seeking your views on proposals to introduce a tiering model for their 99 libraries and is also hosting 20 consultation drop-in events across the county where you can speak to members of the LRA team. Visit their website or libraries for more information. A brief snapshot from their documentation shows their proposal to amend the current hours from 24 to 23 for Otford but for Sevenoaks from 55 to 42, and Riverhead 25 to 15. As you can see from these figures it is necessary for every resident to have their say as its once again a question of use it of lose it. Adult reader numbers in Otford are declining so unless it can be demonstrated that the Library is well used by both adult and child readers there will be every opportunity to cut opening hours yet again.
VISIT OTFORD WEBSITE. Visitors can now plan their time in Otford, which is a Heritage Village using the Visit Otford website – www.visitotford.org – which was launched in mid-November.
The website, which was developed with the support of the Otford Sustainable Tourism Working Group, provides detailed information on the many interesting buildings and places including the 16th century Archbishop’s Palace, the Grade II listed pond, St Bartholomew’s Church and the Otford Solar System – the largest scale model in the world. It also includes information on places to eat and drink and lists 13 walks around the village.
QR tags around the Village enable visitors to access the website with smartphones to get information on the buildings in front of them and directions for their chosen walk.
The project to develop the website was undertaken by the Archbishop’s Palace Conservation Trust, on behalf of the Darent Valley Landscape Partnership Scheme with funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
OTFORD Parish Council office will be closed until 8.30am on Wednesday 2 January 2019, and full details can be found on the office window. The next meeting of Otford Parish Council takes place at 7.30pm on 14 January in the Club Room of the Memorial Hall and you are welcome to attend. For those interested in all the activities of OPC the Minutes of the meetings are available in the Library and also via the web.
PAUL, Otford’s Community Warden, holds his weekly surgery, to discuss any problems and community issues, at the School House on Tuesdays between 11am and noon. He can also be contacted on 07813 713366.
KAY DRAKE, who complies the Otford community news, would like to thank all contributors to this column in 2018 and wish everyone a happy and healthy New Year.
