May 2025

Kilndown Freecycle Hub on Facebook

Community group to request something you’re in need of or to find new homes for unwanted or surplus items in Kilndown and surrounding districts, for free. Anything new, surplus to requirements or that you feel has life left in it but is no longer useful to you could be just the thing a neighbour needs.

Kilndown Gardening Club

Our Spring Show held in the Village Hall on 29 March, we had 163 entries, which considering the weather was not at all bad. Apart from entrants and their relatives/friends, spectators were thin on the ground, with just six or so from the village popping in. Such a pity, a lot of work goes into preparing and showing. We would like to see a few ‘new names’ on the prize tickets, the next show to ‘have a go’ in is the Summer Evening Show on 3 July.

Special Awards at Spring Show

ISABEL BARTLETT CHALLENGE CUP – Best Exhibit of Daffodils – Richard Heaton

THE GARDEN CUP – Best Exhibit Classes 16- 24. Lynn Wood (3 stems Spring Flowers)

FISHERLIZER CHALLENGE CUP – Winner Class 19. Not awarded, no entries.

HOUGHTON TROPHY – Best Exhibit in Cookery Section.  Vanessa Albertini

ELLIOT VASE – Winner of Class 25 - Lynda Shepherd. (arrangement in a jug).

NURSERY CHALLENGE CUP – Winner of Class 28. Mary Ensor. (arrangement of daffodils) *

 *First time entrant Mary was unable to receive the Nursery Challenge Cup as it has gone AWOL- KGC show entrants from 2023/24 please check your cupboards!

 We had a reasonable turnout for the talk on The Gardens at Scotney Castle, presented by Senior Gardener, Andrea Bennett. Several pertinent questions were asked about the grounds and gardens. An evening visit to the gardens is being planned for Thursday 7 August. Details at the Quarry Centre Saturday Shop. The next Evening Meeting is on Thursday 1 May, with a showing of Ration Books & Rabbit Pies, a selection of short films from the Ministry of Information during WW11. In the Quarry Centre at 7.30pm. After the Seed Swap in February, there were several packs of seed remaining, quite a lot of these have been sown, with germination somewhat erratic, as many were old/opened/self-saved. If all goes to plan a good many of these plants will be available at the Plant Sale on 17 May, outside the QC. This is the main fund raiser the Club organises during the year.

 At the Quarry Centre, there is a raffle to win a Chiltern Seeds Voucher (no use by date) only £1 a go.

Round Up of dates:

• Thursday 5 June – The Gardens at Painshill – Stephen Harmer – 7.30pm Quarry Centre

• Thursday 3 July – Summer Evening Show – 7.30pm Quarry Centre

• Thursday 4 September – Arranging for the Show Bench – Veronica Harmer – 7.30pm Quarry Centre

• Thursday 7 August – Visit to Scotney 7pm.

• Saturday 27 September – Autumn Show – 2.30pm – Kilndown Village Hall

• Thursday 2 October – Life at Rapkyns Nursery – Morag Hockin – 7.30pm Quarry Centre

• Thursday 6 November – AGM & Mini Quiz – 7.30pm Quarry Centre

• Thursday 4 December – Myrrh, Mistletoe & Magic - Sophie Leathart.

Kilndown Village Hall

Ready, set, race! Thrilling race night at Kilndown Village Hall

“Thank you to everyone who came along to our first ever Race Night (Saturday 22/03) in aid of the Millennium Green.  It was a lot of fun!  There was much cheering, whooping from the winners and sighing from the losers as we watched the races unfold.  A very informal evening gave everyone a chance to catch up with friends and meet new people between races.  Thank you to Caroline and Jason from Weeks Bakery in Goudhurst for preparing a feast to accompany drinks poured by our able committee members!  As well as having a fun evening, we raised just over £1000 to put towards ongoing maintenance of the play equipment on the Green.  Thank You for your generosity.  If you have any other ideas for social events, please do let us know!”

        Christ Church Flowers

The Have a Go morning on 12 April, brought forth three people, two from Kilndown and one from St Mary’s, Goudhurst. (St Mary’s is also suffering from lack of arrangers) There are still numerous spaces on the 2025 rota. At present, we have 4/5 arrangers to cover the year and Festivals. Thank you to those that arranged the flowers for Easter and to Barney & Henrietta, for allowing us to raid their garden.

There will be a small display of flowers in Church to commemorate VE80.

The Quilting Group

Still Stitching! Not many in the group these days – we could do with more stitchers! Join on Tuesdays 10am – 12 noon. Plenty of projects that need to be finished!.

The Goudhurst and Kilndown Local History Society

Meetings are held at the Goudhurst Club at 7.30pm (doors open at 7.15pm) and normally end at around 9.15pm. Membership for a year, giving free entry to all the season’s meetings, is an annual subscription of £15. Our subscription year runs from October to September. Visitors are always welcomed at our meetings. A charge of £3 is made for each visitor per meeting

6th May 2025

Gaudeamus Re-visited - marking the 25th anniversary of the Village drama telling the history of Goudhurst through time

3rd June 2025

The Battle of Britain - Guy Bartlett recounts the battle that raged over Kent in 1940.

The Quarry Centre

At present we are seeking estimates for the repainting and replacement of timbers on the exterior of the building. It would appear that whole of the end near the ‘telephone box will need restoring. We are bracing ourselves for a rather large figure – as in several thousand!  Whether, or not we can obtain a grant(s) is something to be looked into, as painting is a ‘routine’ job, but replacing the end of a building might just be called a project, perhaps?

The last box of used ink cartridges sent for recycling raised £43.50. Thank you to all who donate. This is an ongoing fundraiser. This year we have introduced Saturday Extras – small happenings, raising awareness of the Shop, the Quarry Centre and the village in general. Next in the Saturday Extras at the QC will be the Gardening Club Plant Sale on 17 May, this always generates a good deal of interest, so hopefully there will be a few extra customers to the Saturday Shop. A Bring & Buy Coffee Morning was held on 26 April  £45…. More was brought in than bought!  Thanks to all who supported the event. In the pipeline for later in the year Puzzles/Board Games Sale, maybe a Good as New Clothes Sale, the Quilters Sale and dare I mention it – Christmas!

Winner of our Easter Raffle was Clive Roberts. This raised £35, thank you to those that donated the prizes.

Buy a Bag! Now on sale hessian shopping bags with the Quarry Centre logo £5.50 each.

We get asked many questions at the QC Saturday Shop…..most usually about groceries or borrowing the furniture, the other week we were asked if one of our Laura Ashley tablecloths could be borrowed by GADS for a play. We have several of these, so there were plenty of designs to choose from! These were saved, along with several other useful odds & ends, when the Music Museum at Finchcocks closed a few years ago.

The selection of deli goods at the Saturday Shop is to be reduced – much of it ends up in either in the freezer, being sold at half price or in the case of ‘use by’ dated items disposed of or given away, not good for the coffers! There will be a range of ‘basics’, but don’t forget, we can take orders for items.

We still have a range of Eco-Friendly cleaning products – bring a bottle for a refill.

After much negotiation we have been able to reduce the minimum orders for a couple of our wholesalers – they cannot get to grips with a ‘shop’ only being open for three hours a week!  It is not normal…….well, it’s been that way for over 40 years!! Over time, we used to do ‘trips’ to wholesalers, farm outlets and various odd places to get goods, now to have stuff delivered is a lot easier on the legs/car/ purse strings!

In December the Quarry Centre will be 45 years old……..and some of us have been there since the beginning. An injection of new blood is needed.

** Just had an estimate for the work needed – in the region of £16/18k.    We need to raise Money!!

The Quarry Centre is a non-profit making Registered Charity. No. 1167410

Kilndown Education Trust

Kilndown Education Trust is a charity formed in 1994 after the closure of Kilndown Primary School. The Trust has funds available for young people up to the age of 25 living in the parish of Kilndown who might benefit from financial support for any aspect of their education. Grants are not means-tested. We continue to support our two local primary schools where Kilndown children are taught. Grants towards various educational extra-curricula activities, including university textbooks, music and swimming lessons, can be made.  If you are not sure if you qualify, please feel free to contact the Secretary.

The next round of grants will be awarded in September 2025; the closing date for applications is September 1st, 2025).

Hilary Bird (Secretary), Rogers Rough, Chicks Lane, Kilndown, Kent TN17 2RP

Telephone: 01892 890554  e-mail: hilarybird7@gmail.com

Kilndown Community Choir

Meet in Christ Church at 7.30pm every Monday during term times. During the year they perform at various events in and around the parish.

For details email Tina on Tinagallagher22@aol.com

Looking back

Notes from Kent War Diaries –

28th August 1940 – High explosive & unexploded bomb a mile south of Kilndown

13th September 1940 – 19 High Explosives, between Finchcocks and Twyssenden

15th September 1940 – Dornier shot down, crashed landed at Rogers Rough

27th September 1940 – 2 Barrage Balloons fell into hop garden at Three Chimneys

4th October 1940 – High Explosive in Bedgebury Park Wood

14th October 1940 – 3 High Explosives and 1 Oil Bomb, Pattenden Manor

30th October 1940 – 1 High Explosive, near Kilndown Church

2nd January 1941 – Incendiary Bombs, near Marlingate

22nd January 1944 – 2 Unexploded Bombs, Incendiary Bombs, 3 Phosphorus Bombs & 1 Unexploded container – Combwell Woods

Between 16th June 1944 and 13th August 1944 – at least 12 Flying Bombs were brought down in and around Kilndown – including one at Bedgebury Park, which at the time was being used as a KCC Emergency Hospital

Previous Newsletters

• May 2025

• February 2025