St Barthlolomew’s church hosts quiz night to help raise funds for community transformation

QUIZ NIGHT WITH SUPPER: There will be a quiz night starting at 7.30pm tonight (Thursday 25 July) at the St Bartholomew’s Church centre to raise funds for Pursue, a charity set up to support community transformation in Kenya. Put together your own team of up to six or just go along and join a team. Tickets are £15 and include a welcome drink and supper. There will also be a bar. You can sign up in advance by going to: https://www.pursue.org.uk/quiz

OTFORD FOLK DANCE CLUB meets at 8pm tonight (Thursday July 25) in Walthamstow Hall Junior School with Peter Nixon calling and the cost is £3 per person per session.    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.

1940s SOCIETY: Women Artists of World War Two will be the subject of a talk by Carol Harris to members of the 1940s Society during their next meeting at 8pm on Friday (26 July) in the Otford Memorial Hall. Carol makes a welcome return to the village to talk about the important role played by women war artists during the conflict in producing a unique and influential record of life in Britain and elsewhere during the war years. Visitors are welcome at meetings for a small charge and refreshments are available. You can find out more about the 1940s Society via its website at www.1940.co.uk/ where you can also subscribe to the Society free magazine.

OTFORD Heritage Centre is open between 2.30 and 4.30pm on Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holiday afternoons until mid-December offering visitors to our village the opportunity to see Otford’s continuous habitation over 4,000 years with changing displays of recent history, village life, natural history and models of Otford Palace, and the interior of an Oast House as well as many others.  It is free to enter, although donations are gratefully received.  If you are interested in becoming a steward then extra help is always welcome. 

READING CHALLENGE: Kent Libraries Summer Reading Challenge, which is running until Saturday 14 September, is designed to encourage children aged 4-11 years to read six books during the school summer holidays. Children collect stickers and other incentives along the way and get a medal and a certificate when they finish reading all six books.

The challenge for 2019 is called ‘Space Chase’ and has been inspired by the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. Lorraine, the Otford Librarian, welcomes all primary school aged children to go and join Otford library, if they haven’t already done so, and participate in the Summer Reading Challenge. Over the years she has seen many children thoroughly enjoy taking part in this event and as a result they have developed a love of reading.

Otford Art Group members are producing ‘space themed’ paintings to complement the children’s summer reading challenge. The paintings will be ‘hanging from the ceiling’, so do pop into the library over the summer and take a look.

FAMILY HISTORY: The North West Kent Family History Society (NWKFHS) will be holding their regular meetings in the memorial hall, joining the popular Otford and District Historical Society and 1940s Society at this venue and details of their future meetings will be listed in this column. You can find out more about the NWKFHS at its website at: www.nwkfhs.org.uk/

NEW LOOK FOR TEA GARDEN: The Otford-based Hospice of Hope charity has just renovated their delightful patio tea garden at the rear of their premises in the High Street. Here you can enjoy morning coffee, light lunches and afternoon teas seven days a week. Their scones are legendary and have received praise from all corners of the globe. In the shop there is an opportunity to buy clothes, toys, bric-a-brac, books, jewellery, china, glass and furniture so you can browse, and then you can enjoy refreshments while supporting the charity, which is largely staffed by volunteers, at the same time. If you would like to volunteer and could spare three or more hours a week to help. please speak to Julie or Cornel by phoning 01959 524322. Or to help with administrative tasks in their offices call 01959 525110. Alternatively, you can email: office@hospiceofhope.co.uk

ROCKDALE SENIOR LIVING is the Waitrose Green Coin Community Scheme’s chosen charity this month so please remember to collect your coin when you are shopping and insert it into the Rockdale box to help raise funds.

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