There’s still time for Otford residents to have their say on the future of traffic in the village
OTFORD TRAFFIC GROUP: Large crowds packed the village memorial hall recently for the Traffic Public Meeting. It proved to be a great success with plenty of positive feedback from the audience and the Traffic Group would like to thank all those who took part. The public consultation on the proposals is now underway and will run until midnight on Saturday 1 December and residents are being reminded to complete the Traffic Questionnaire which is being circulated in this month’s Parish Newsletter. Alternatively the questionnaire is online at: www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/L9C67T6
Details on the Traffic Proposals can be found on the Otford Parish Council website at: www.otfordpc.kentparishes.gov.uk under ‘Traffic Management’. For a paper copy of the report or more copies of the questionnaire please contact the Parish Council Office 01959 524808.
CHRISTMAS POST: Stamps for Otford’s Christmas Post 2018 go on sale on 20 November for the 36th year running and will be available until Friday 21 December. 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 (see times below) 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 divided between Embrace Ability, a charity working with disabled children and their families in Cambodia and for whom one of their leaders is currently volunteering in Cambodia, and Sevenoaks Community First Responders. Library opening hours: Monday and Thursday 9am – 1pm, Tuesday 9am – 5pm, Wednesday Closed, Friday 1pm – 5pm and Saturday 10am – 2pm. Parish Council Office opening hours – Monday to Friday 8am – 12.30pm.
OTFORD OAST WI met on Thursday in the Memorial Hall for a talk by Sarah Rogers on Nursing Through the Years: Care and Compassion at the Royal London Hospital. New members are always welcome and the first meeting is free. For further information email: otfordoastwi@mail.com.
OTFORD AND DISTRICT HISTORICAL SOCIETY is meeting at 7.30pm on 21 November in the Memorial Hall to hear Imogen Corrigan give a talk entitled ‘Put that light out’ about the 93rd (Searchlight) Regiment, Royal Artillery, an all female Regiment in WW11. Refreshments will be available from 7.30pm and the talk will begin at 8pm. Visitors are very welcome at a cost of £3 and you can join the Society at the meetings.
SEVENOAKS RSPB enjoyed an informative and entertaining talk from Mary Braddock recently about her trips to Finland and Norway. A tour around the northern part of Finland into the most northerly part of Norway showing the birds of the artic with their grey, orange and yellow colour schemes that help to camouflage them in the lichen and trees in the area.
Their next meeting at 7.45pm on Thursday 6 December in the Otford Memorial Hall will celebrate 25 years of the Sevenoaks Local Group and they will welcome back one of their favourite speakers, Simon Ginnaw, who will be presenting My Patch (Mote Park), with the photographic competition results, wine and Christmas nibbles. Admission is £2.50 for group members and £3.50 for non-members. Outdoor meetings for the month are at Sevenoaks Nature Reserve and Bough Beech on Wednesday 5 December, (contact Ann McGregor 01732 454304 to book a place) and Rye Harbour Nature Reserve on Sunday 9 December, (contact John Waterman 07935 206618 to book a place). For more information see www.rspb.org.uk/groups/sevenoaks/events
OTFORD YARN CRAFTERS meet and inspire one another twice a month so if you knit, crochet, spin, weave or otherwise use yarn, why not join them to share your projects, skills and knowledge and to find help and support when your project just isn’t going right. If you would like to learn any of the yarn crafts the group would love to help you.
The group meets on the second Tuesday of the month in the morning between 10 and 11am at the Hospice of Hope Tea Rooms in Otford High Street, and the fourth Tuesday of the month in the evening between 6 and 8pm in The Woodman. The next meeting is 27 November. You are welcome to go along to either one or both meetings. You don’t need to book, there are no joining fees, but they do ask that you purchase a hot or cold drink at the venue.
STAN’S PICNIC BENCH. The picnic bench being presented to former Otford barber Stan Miles will be unveiled on the High Street Recreation Ground at noon on Sunday 25 November and all his old customers and contributors are invited to the ceremony. Please do go along on the day to once again thank Stan for his contribution to village life. The bench is situated just behind the children’s play area, adjacent to the allotments.
MEET THE MAKER DAY is taking place in Otford Saturday 1 December. Otford has a diverse range of independent shops in the village and this is an opportunity for customers to get a sneak peek behind the scenes. There will be signs in the windows of participating shops. Those involved are Otford Interiors, Denise Thompson – 11am Wreath making, 2pm Christmas arrangement – Sally’s Cake Emporium, Howlers, The Studio, Hall & Co, Bill Skinner, and Mille Fleurs which is offering pre-booked 45-minute millinery tasters throughout the day. To book, email millefleurshats@gmail.com or call into the shop. Ann Bridges will be the event’s Artist in Residence, recording the day’s activities in a series of sketchbook drawings.
