Lovely Charing - Kent

Activities Calender

Check what is going on in Charing, where and when:

FREE Health & Fitness Community Drop in Clinic

Charing's Green Health Club is about to run

a FREE Health & Fitness Community Drop in Clinic on Wednesday 17th March at the Church Barn between 7pm-9pm:

• Free Opportunity to speak to friendly, highly qualified experts about your health and fitness.
• Enjoy two Free short presentations on how to improve your health and fitness:-
  7.30pm 'Exercise as the Fountain of Youth" by Dr Warrilow of Charing Surgery
  8.15pm 'Lower back Pain' by Ed Craske
  
• Free postural assessments, blood pressure checks and movement analysis.

Pop in at any time between 7pm and 9pm to learn how very small changes to your lifestyle can lead to vast improvements in your health and quality of life. We look forward to seeing you.

SALE - in aid of Charing Christmas Lights

From "the Ladies of the Light":

The Sale is on at Charing Church Barn on Saturday 10th April 2010

New and Nearly New:

• Adults & Children's clothing
• Handbags
• Shoes
• Jewellery
• Scarves & Belts

Sale starts at 10am until 4pm and refreshments are available all day.

Table or space for a clothes rail £10.00 - places still available,
contact Anita (01233 - 714068) or Ann (01233 - 713035)

Charing retailer about to spill the beans

Wood You Like Ltd - retailer in wooden flooring from Charing - is about to "spill the beans" and will publish a 160 pages paperback on 19.03.10 which reveals all the "tricks of the trade" to DIY-ers on how to install a wooden floor like a pro!"

Wood You Like's Wooden Floor Installation Manual is first in its kind: written by experts who deal with wooden flooring and all the different situations imaginable on a daily basis, situations and circumstances you can encounter too but with the Manual at hand are no longer an obstacle for diy-ers.

"How do I install the last row?"..... "My room is part chipboard, part concrete. What do I do?".... "Can I install a wood floor in a kitchen?".... “I've got underfloor heating, can I have wood flooring?".... "Do I glue or float my wood floor?".... . "The pack says to glue it, the supplier says nail it. Now what?".... "I've got two dogs and four kids, my wife likes wood flooring, what do you suggest?".... "How do I know how much wood to buy?".... "There are Marley tiles, can I glue a wood floor on them?”....

Just a small collection of questions that has found its way to Wood You Like's inbox over the last 5 years. After answering all questions individually the owners/directors have now turned these Q&A's in a comprehensive manual (160 pages) on installing natural wooden floorboards for diy-ers based on real circumstances you can encounter - and solve - too.

Installing a wood floor isn't rocket science - all it needs is some common sense, patience, the right preparations at the right time and of course quality materials and the right tools. Wood You Like's Installation Manual for Wooden Flooring covers it all: including tricks of the trade to install your own floor like a professional! More information can be found at www.woodmanual.co.uk

(Book is already listed on Amazon.co.uk too)

Charing Races Easter Saterday

Charing has been associated with Point to Point races since the 1930's when Barnfield was the venue and the Hunt Race was wan in 1937 by a young Stanley Homewood with his horse, Goldflake. Another Charing farmer, Percy Hickman, also competed and there is a perpetual Percy Hickman trophy. The Point to Point was started many years ago by farmers when they rode from Steeple to Steeple, hence the name Point to Point Steeplechases.

Six races will be held during the annual Easter Saturday meeting, organised by the Ashford Valley Hunt, at the "Palace Farm" on the A20/Charing by-pass.
All races are run over 3 miles with 19 fences, every fence has a steward. There are of curse professional paramedics, veterinary surgeons, farriers all on site and the event is under the rules of racing laid down by the Jockey Club who also send their own representative to inspect the course and to ensure it is up to safety standards.
One race will be confined to men, one to ladies and the remainder are mixed for both sexes. Charing was the first course to hold a mixed race.

Pony Races - another item first introduced at Charing - are run over 6 furlongs, on for 9-15 years, ponies 138cm and 9-15 years, 148cm and under.
The pony races produce the stars of the future and manu bevome professional jockeys.

During the races you can buy almost everything you need from trade stands: from a car, stable, all types of clothes, a new hat, a plant for the garden ro a jar of honey. There is a bouncy castle, slides and many attractions for the family children.
There will be tea, coffee, lemonde, beer, champagne and food is in abundance too: homemade cakes, burges, chips etc all available from various stands or you can bring your own family picknick.

Gates open at 10.30 (entrance from A252 Nothern By-Pass/Charing Hill), first race at 12.45
Pony racing starts at 12:45, Horse racing from 2:00pm.
Car parking including all occupants: £20 on course, £30 on hill side. Foot gate £5

For more information, contact Ashford Valley Hunt.

Easter Sunday: WORKING TERRIER/LURCHER SHOW & RACING

4th APRIL 2010 at 12 noon sharp (TERRIERS/LURCHERS) and 1 pm sharp (FUN DOG SHOW) PLUS lurcher and terrier racing after showing classes have finished. At CHARING POINT-to-POINT Course, Ashford, Kent (opposite The Swan A20)
Qualifiers applied for: Countryman's Weekly E.A.J.R. & LC Pride of the Peak National Working Terrier Federation NL&RC Refreshments available. Enquiries: Ron 01233 712358 Sue 01233 756266

Charing Scottish Dancing Beginners Club

The recently formed club meets at 7.30pm-9.30pm on Fridays in Charing Parish Hall, and welcomes new members especially at this early stage of the activities.

An enjoyable evening in guaranteed!

Contact Evelyn or John Voller on 713758 for more details

Thank you Allan

From the village

A BIG Thank you to Charing Stores

The recent snow affected all of us in one way or another. I had 14" of it in my garden and, as I write, it has only just melted and disappeared. I was one of quite a few people in Charing who were snowed in, so I needed extra help.

There is one person who I believe deserves our extra thanks. Allan Dixon of Charing Stores normally has an early start to his day, but during the snow this was lengthened quite considerable. With a 3.30am start he delivered the milk, returned to base and sorted the newspapers and magazines for delivery, returning again to sort out groceries for delivery. He did this mostly on his own, using his van and a sledge. This took him much longer than usual and he helped so many people like myself, who could not go out. He literally went that extra mile to help so many of us.

So many thanks Allan for pulling more than your own weight to help us all where you could.

From all the snowed in folk of Charing: Thank you Allan!

Fashionable success

From Charing's Primary School PTFA:

"Thank you to everyone who supported the recent fashion show at Charing School.

Bargain-bagging fashionistas were out in force; enjoying light refreshments, a catwalk show & the exciting hunt for high quality, great value clothing. Several of the audience left with many more bags than they arrived with, & there is going to have to be some serious planning if we are to avoid everyone who bought the black sleeveless top wearing it at the same time!!

 

The raffle of the hamper full of chocolate was extremely popular, raising £141 alone- well done Mrs Dorothy Burdick who bought the winning ticket! Overall, we raised £427 towards redesigning the school's outdoor spaces, a valuable asset which we are trying to maximise the potential of.

A special thank you to our brave models, not all of whom were sure they could cut it on the catwalk- you all did a fantastic job (& saved the PTFA from having to strut their stuff!)."

 
Joanna Astbury for PTFA - Charing Primary School

Going to the flicks - Charing in motion

On Friday 19th and Saturday 20th March you can watch various (old) films about Charing, Charing events and some of Charing's well-know inhabitants (from past and present) during

Harold Trill's Film Show in Charing Church Barn

Want to learn about the village history and support both the Air-ambulance and the Starlight charity in one go then buy your tickets (Adults £6.00, children under 11 £3.00) from 19th February onwards at

Alan Hogben Butchers or Dixons Charing Stores.

On both evenings the door opens at 7.00pm with a 7.30pm start. During the break at 8.30pm for light refreshments there will be a raffle too. The evening ends around 10.00pm.

All proceeds will go to the Air-ambulance and the Starlight charity.

For enquiries, contact Harold Trill on 712687

Treasure Island

Last week's performances of Treasure Island by the Charing guild of Players has been a great success! (Have you been, send in your review or impressions!)

A whole bunch of pictures from the play can be viewed in the Gallery - have fun reminiscing.

Lovely greetings from Spain

Received in the inbox:

Hello:

My family and I were spending New Year Holidays in a cottage very close to Charing. We are from Spain and we enjoyed a lot with the landscape of the surroundings and also with the village. I would like to share some photos of Charing snowed.

Also, I would like to thank:

• A taxi driver who take us from Ashford to Charing Station (the train was cancelled because of the snowed)
• Some boys (I think from Charing) who helped us towing our car to Charing Hill one with snow and ice on the road in the same night.

We are looking forward to come but and see Charing and also my nephew that born 2th of this year.

Congratulations, you have a very beautiful village in spite of goose that didn't allow to approach to the farm near the church and the snow that did not allow to enjoy with the market.

Best regards,
Cristina