Kilndown Village Hall

Diary dates around the Parish

Saturday February 8th– Jumble Sale – Scout Hut Goudhurst – Starts at 12 noon

Saturday February 8th – Pre -School Clothing/Toys/Books – Church Rooms Goudhurst – 10am – 12 noon

Saturday 1st March – Jumble Sale – Village Hall Goudhurst 10am – 12 noon

Saturday June 14th – Goudhurst Fete & Dog Show

Plenty of Classes to choose from at the Village Hall –

Adult Tap & Ballet, Yoga, Pilates, Tip Top Toes (for Tinies!),

Senior Exercise

www.kilndownvillagehall.org

Kilndown Gardening Club

Our first evening meeting is on Thursday 6 March in the Quarry Centre at 7.30pm. Guest speaker, Sophie Leathart will tell all about Constance Spry. 2025 schedules should be available, don’t forget the subscription is now £15. Advance dates for the diary – put them in now! – Spring Show 29 March – Summer Evening Show 3 July – Autumn Show 27 September.

 Seed Swap Saturday

Bring old/unwanted/ opened/ self-gathered seeds to swap for something else

Quarry Centre Saturday 22 February

9am – 12 noon

        Christ Church Flowers

The 2025 rota is in the church, along with a separate chart for Festivals. We could do with a few new arrangers. All you need is a pair of scissors, flowers and foliage but most of all enthusiasm. Ask Angie or Lynda for details.

The Quilting Group

We have several quilts/throws in ‘kit form’ in the Quarry Centre drawers/cupboards that are ready to be stitched together. Any offers of help?

Would you like to learn to knit/crochet? We have the knowhow – pop in and see us.

The group meets in the QC every Tuesday from 10am – 12 noon. No charge for coffee or chat!

Have a go!

Saturday 12 April in Christ Church at 10am

Come along and have a go at flowering arranging in the church, Angie & Lynda will be on hand to give tips and advice on “How to do the Church Flowers”.

Bring flower scissors.

The Goudhurst and Kilndown Local History Society

Meetings are held at the Goudhurst Club at 7.30pm. Members free, visitors £3.

4th March 2025

The Husseys of Scotney - Helen Davis from the National Trust

1st April 2025
The Hop Pickers’ Line - How it brought the workers to Goudhurst during the height of the hop harvest

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

In December this year the building now known as the Quarry Centre will be 145 years old. It has a chequered history, which is well documented. What happens next is what we need to focus on. The Saturday Shop has earned its keep in recent years; (especially when villagers are snowed in), however, time is moving on and so are/have many of our customers, and they are not being replaced. We cannot compete with supermarkets (and neither do we want to for many reasons!). Those that have known the QC for the 45 years it has been in existence, have become used to the ‘shop in a glorified shed’, with all its oddities. What next? That is a burning question…None of us are getting any younger… a fact that is somewhat difficult to think of at times! This needs some thoughts and suggestions. Commitment possibly being the most important factor surrounding anything that involves volunteering.

Don’t forget the Centre is available to hire for other ventures, on Mondays, Tuesdays (not AM), Wednesdays and most Thursdays. It is the ideal size for smaller meetings (the village hall can be a bit cavernous for a small number!)

Another £30 has been raised from the collection of used printer cartridges. Thank you to all who bring them to the QC. More thanks, to, all who donated prizes for our Christmas Raffle, especially The Smallholding, we raised £217 in total. We are contemplating the forthcoming exterior repaint and repairs to the building, and how to raise funds, several suggestions as to a ‘big’ fundraiser have been put forward, including a Quiz, Auction of Promises, Jumble Sales, all these are being ruminated on. As a start a few small events are in the pipeline, they may not all be for the QC, but anything that encourages visitors to the Saturday Shop all helps in the long run. The first of these was Baubles, Bangles, Beads & Bags, on 25 January, which raised £85. Next is a Kilndown Gardening Club event, Seed Swap Saturday on 22 February. Other events will definitely include Cake Sales, the rest are scribbles on bits of paper at present!

Sales at the Saturday Shop of our ‘Bring a Bottle’ Eco Friendly cleaning products go well, we have, laundry liquid, washing up liquid, fabric conditioner, toilet cleaner and hand wash, all on a refill basis – just bring a bottle. Also, we have, Eco Friendly dishwasher tablets. There’s always a selection of Park Farm (Hawkhurst) meats in the freezer, fresh bread from Rye Bakery, eggs, and of course the extensive range fresh fruit and vegetables. There’s a good range of greeting cards; we have stamps, and the post box is just outside!

 We do try at the Saturday Shop to cover most things, without filling up ‘the bargain basket’ at the end of the month! To that end, the range of dry goods and to some extent the Deli products, may have to be trimmed a little over the coming months. We may be a Registered non– profit making Charity, but we have to pay for utilities and the insurance fee is eye watering – however there are limits to what goes in the ‘bargain basket’ and keeping enough in the coffers to be a sustainable enterprise.

Did you know that you can place orders for fruit & vegetables, bread, eggs & milk and have it all boxed up ready for you to collect on a Saturday morning?

Ask at the Saturday Shop

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

GK Church Community Lunch/Cupboard/Care fund

These are held every Tuesday in St Mary’s, Goudhurst, between 11.30am and 1pm. Free light lunch and hot drink. Open to everyone.

Kilndown Community Choir

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

For details email Tina on Tinagallagher22@aol.com

Millennium Green Play Equipment

 Thanks to the success of our two fundraising events last year, we are now working on improvements to the play equipment on the green.  The first project, now complete is the installation of two new cradle swings for infants.  The new seats are clean and colourful and have proven longevity so should keep our younger children happy for many years to come. The next project is the removal of the kick wall which has become dangerous, and the subsequent reinforcement of the basketball hoop as a free-standing unit.  In addition, we will be replacing several posts on the infant multiplay equipment, and some of the ropes on the senior climbing frame.  Alongside this will be some general maintenance such as replacing missing caps and giving everything a good clean.

There will be another fundraising event in the spring so that we can continue with this work.

Looking back

The name Monty Don is well known in gardening circles around the world, but did you know he has a (loose) family connection to Kilndown.

Monty is distantly related to a George Don (a Botanist, with quite a story), who was born in 1764 in Doo Hillock, Forfar, Scotland. George marries Caroline Clementina Stuart. Dying in 1814, leaving his wife to bring up the six surviving children out of fifteen, in abject poverty. Amelia Anna Sophia Oliphantina b 1794, George b 1797, David b 1799, James Edward Smith b 1807, Patrick Neill b 1806 and Charles Lyell Linneus b 1810, George (1797) was principal gardener at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh in 1802. He also worked at the Chelsea Physic Garden, London. He travelled the world, starting in 1821 collecting specimens for the Royal Horticultural Society. George ‘fell out’ with the RHS. It is thought that he was angry his salary matched that of a horticulturalist doing the same job back in safe England. Matters were made worse when he gave a newly found specimen of a pine tree to his brother Davids employers.  George was supposed to write solely for the RHS, but had work published in Sierra Leone. The RHS cut all ties with him. He continued to publish work in Scotland. (that’s a long story cut short!)

George’s brother David (1799) Professor of Botany at Kings College, London he was also a librarian at the Linnean Society of London -another of the Don Family with a notable story. Brother James was a gardener at Knowle Park, Sevenoaks. James was a bachelor, and when he died left his effects to brother Patrick.

In 1851 Charles Lyell Linneus Don was Head Gardener at Bedgebury Park, however in August 1857 he met with a nasty accident, involving a horse and cart and died from his injuries a few days later. Lady Mildred Hope visited him many times and Lord Hope was a mourner at his funeral at Kilndown. He and wife Anne had five children. His brother, Patrick Neill Don took over the position. He and his wife Margaret had four children; one died in infancy. Patrick died on 19 August 1876 and Margaret on 26 May 1886, they are both buried in Kilndown Churchyard.  Their son George Alexander is shown on the 1881 Census as being a Gardener Domestic Servant and living at Bedgebury Farm Buildings. In 1878 he was a judge for the Open Classes at the Hawkhurst Summer Show, a very prestigious affair. “Thevisitors comprised alike the fashion and beauty of Hawkhurst and the rustic population of the neighbouring villages.” In the 1901, Census, he was in lodging with the Pope family at ‘Piles Heath’ his occupation given as Domestic Gardener. He dies on 26 May 1902; he also is buried in Kilndown Churchyard

Kilndown Film Club

Kilndown Film Club is taking a short break at present but should be back to showing films fairly soon. Watch out for details on Social Media!

Millennium Green Tidy Up

Sunday 6th April Millennium Green Tidy – bring along your gardening tools and help with some maintenance jobs on and around the Millenium Green.