Treasure Hunt - Pictures and Results

The Vine was packed as usual!

Fraser was hard at work behind the bar.

Some really natty dressers in town.

The KM photographer showed up to snap us.

Rosie did her best to help.

Mum was trying to answer the questions.

Alright people - here they are. The results, and the answers.

The winner of the adult prize was Jean Sugden with an impressive 27 out of 28 points! She wins a meal for two at The Vine.

The under-16s winner was Lily Bromfield with a very respectable 22 points. She wins a Waterstone's Gift Card!

A special mention to the Crotty family for an ingenious but incorrect answer to the cryptic 'penniless fellows'!

Now... the answers!

Answers

1. What do the following have in common? Winchelsea, Hope,
   

Playwright, Theatre and Honey? Cottages in Bells Lane

2. Could this be the King of Pop's Street? Jacksons Lane
   
3. Not so much of the hula, more the cross-stitch! Hoop
   
4. Outfitters for the rainy season? Monsoon
   
5. Does one visit the toilet wearing grassy footwear? Moshulu (MOW_SHOE_LOO)
   
6. Which buildings in Tenterden used to be cinemas? M&Co. Was the Embassy Cinema and The Fairings was The Picture Palace
   
7. Which three businesses in the High Street have recently been
   

affected by fire? Webb's, Cafe Rouge, Waterstones

8. Rolvenden's Old Dairy brewery is moving to Tenterden, but
   

Tenterden's last brewery, Obadiah Edwards & Sons, closed in 1922.
Where was it located? Rear of The Vine

9. Writers might drop anchor here. Quill House
   
10. Travel arrangements for our man in Havana? Voyager
    
11. Knight to bishop 3. Your Move
    
12. The town's smallest listed building. Milestone
    
13. Penniless fellows? Ladbrokes
    
14. Long Eaton Cable. No.88 B&B
    
15. Charles Steel was born when? 1916 – bench outside museum
    
16. Barbours next to the hairstylist? Tackle & Gun Shop
    
17. Place to have your wedding reception perhaps? Honeymoon
    
18. Have a double espresso while Rome burns. Caffe Nero
    
19. Fix your motor in the middle of town. Central Garage
    
20. Britain's Got Talent near The Woolpack. Rising Star
    
21. Where is OSBM S5935? Town Hall (flush bracket)
    
22. MHCF 001? Lamppost outside Boots
    
23. Who donated the Rotary Club Christmas tree? Hole Park Estate
    
24. Father and Son business with a royal connection, perhaps. William Charles
    

Where are these located?

Cancer Research UK

 Factory Shop

Nat West 

 Outside Junior School & Ivy Court

Hope you all had fun!

Boxing Day Treasure Hunt

Lights For Bikes

Hi all, just a quickie to let you know about Lights For Bikes. KCC has

5,000 sets of lights, reflectors, armbands etc. to give away to bike

owners in order to help them be safer on the road. This is designed to

coincide with National Road Safety Week. Our local warden Jo Vos will

be at the following locations at the following times to give away

these sets.

Monday 18/11/13 4:30pm - 6pm, Next Generation Youth Cafe, Highbury

Hall, Tenterden

Wednesday 20/11/13  15.30-17.00, St. Michaels School, Ashford Road

Thursday 21/11/13  15.00-17.00,  Tenterden Junior School, Recreation Ground Road.

There will also be free safety checks, free security marking, the KCC

Youth Bus and a Bike Safety Quiz with prizes! Please come along, and

spread the word to anyone (adult or child) who could benefit from a

free set of lights!

Here are the posters if you'd like to right-click, save and print or share them. Thanks!

Rain Stopped Cleanup

When I saw the weather yesterday morning I wasn't really very hopeful about the cleanup. It was bucketing down.

We loaded up the car with all the kit kindly loaned to us by ABC's Street Scene dept. and headed to the Rec.... on the way it became apparent that the weather was extremely foul and we wondered whether we oughtn't just sit in the car and wait to see if anyone showed up. We'd already had emails from several people saying that they couldn't make it for one reason or another, so we weren't expecting a huge turnout, but after half an hour it was just us and Jo Vos the Community Warden, so we sent out a series of tweets to the effect that we were going to just give it up as a bad job. It was piddling down, to put it bluntly, and I can't say as I blame anyone for not showing up - if I hadn't had to have been there, I would have been tucked up in bed!

Next time (Springtime) we are going to use the Highbury Hall as our base location, so at least we'll be under cover.

Ah well. You can't always have it the way you want it. I think at previous cleanups we've been extremely lucky with the weather.

Harvest Festival/Folk Festival

On Sunday we were outside the church again to help promote local food and the people who grow, produce and sell it, and we had a good crowd. It was a beautiful sunny day and we proffered cake and beer and leaflets at anyone who came within range! Good response with plenty of folks reading the leaflets and studying the board display with interest. Here are the pics...

Folk Festival director Alan Castle (left) stopped by for a pint.

Carolyn hands out the home made carrot cake. Didn't last long.

Rev. Canon Lindsay Hammond (right) came and had a chat.

Justin prepares to pour another pint.

Engaging with the punters.

Big thanks to St. Mildreds Church for letting us be there and to Nelsons Legal for providing the beer!

Invalid Arguments: Climate Change

Folk Festival / Harvest Festival

Last year we did a Food Miles activity outside the Church and again this year we'll be there, but with a difference.

We'll be outside St. Mildreds Church from 10:30 onwards on Sunday October 6th. The Service ends at 10:30 but if you want to go to it beforehand it starts at 9am and features a performance from The Claque.
We'll be outside talking about local food and why you should support it, and we will have some refreshing Old Dairy beer to whet your whistle (no charge, but all donations gratefully accepted!) which should hopefully be Fresh Hop!

Come and see us, won't you?

Love Your Bike

Sunday, 29 September 2013, 10:00 - 15:00

Highbury Hall,Highbury Lane,Tenterden TN30 6LE

TN30CC are hosting an event called Love Your Bike!

Free bicycle safety checks and security marking. Brakes broke? Grinding Gears? Tyres trashed? Bring your bike along to Highbury Hall on Sunday 29th September between 10am and 3pm for a free check over. Minor adjustments and advice available ( Further work may be advised, but won’t be free).Meet members of TN30CC to find out more about joining us for our free friendly rides. PCSO Angie Burden and Community Warden Joanna Vos will be available for security marking and security advice. T3 will be on hand with Smoothy Bike to talk about Transition and other issues. The Café will be open for tea, coffee, snacks and cakes.

Clean Up

This is the poster for the event - please right-click, download and disseminate as you see fit!

Clean Up Tenterden Day 5

Clean Up Tenterden Day 5

That's right folks, it's that time again, and yes, this is our fifth one! Come along and clean up your town!

• Sunday Oct. 13th, 11 am
• Start from the Recreation Ground Pavilion
• Pickers, hi-vis jackets, gloves and bags will be available, but if you have any of your own equipment you'd like to use, please feel free.
• Hot tea and coffee and cakes and cookies for all participants!

See you there!

The End Of Clean Ups??

It's normally about this time of year we start planning another Clean Up Day. However, this year the waste collection changed and everyone has wheelie bins, one for waste and one for recycling, plus a food waste container. The collectors are sticklers - they want everything to be done to the letter by the resident. There have also been stories flying around about people with excess garbage being charged a small fortune for a special collection. And this is where it applies to us.

Every time so far after we have collected the rubbish, we've had the non-recyclables collected in a special collection the following day. Now if it's going to cost us an arm and a leg, we might need to find a different way of doing things.

I made a call yesterday to Street Scene, the department of ABC that deals with waste collection etc. These are also the people that loan out the litter picking kit that we usually borrow - gloves, sacks, tabards, litter pickers and the like. The lady I spoke to was unsure (and intimated that the whole darn department was unsure) whether there would be a charge for a special collection, or whether they would still be loaning out litter picking kits any more.

So... until they get back to me with more information, I cannot say for sure whether there will even be another Clean Up Tenterden Day. I hope there will be, as these have proved popular in the past, but if there are any more and what form they are likely to take, I can't say for the moment. Watch this space, folks.

The Swap Shop

Last Saturday we held our T3/Freegle Recycle Swap Shop, and while it was only busy for a brief time, from 1pm till about 3, we got over 50 people through the door, most of whom brought items to give away and also took items. Some of the outstanding ones were:

• A child's bicycle
• A stair gate
• Wireless router
• Wireless keyboard and mouse (which I am not ashamed to say I am using right now as I type this)
• Huge diamond-shaped wall cabinet (which went in about 5 minutes)
• Loads of books and toys
• A blank canvas for painting on (again, another fast mover)
• Loads of kids' and adult clothing
• A sewing machine
• Tons of CDs and DVDs

We still were left with items, but these will be used at the Highbury Hall Bring & Buy Sale on Saturday August 31st, proceeds of which will benefit Highbury Hall's Youth Cafe. Anything left over after that will be donated to charity.

Below are a few pictures I took on the day. We've already been asked to do another one, so watch this space. Next time I'd like to incorporate plants and seeds into the swap and perhaps do it earlier in the day - this of course depends on our work schedules.

Big thanks to all involved (you all know who you are) and all who came and participated. Next time bigger and better, yes?

Forum and Against'um

The other day someone took to the Tenterden town forum to assert their view that Transition Towns, along with chemtrails, UFOs and the Illuminati, are all wrapped up in some massive global conspiracy to do... what? It never really became clear what evils we at T3 are supposed to be perpetrating upon the general public. Our man Justin came to our defence - but really, he didn't have to do much defending - after all, we weren't really sure what we were being accused of, if anything. But if you'd like to be entertained for a few minutes, read the full post at http://www.tenterdentown.co.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=1863&sid=9292ceb5f5ea59bb4be40caf7e09e4a7. Have fun!

Swap Shop

T3 / Freegle Recycle Swap Shop

Sat, Aug. 17th 2013, Highbury hall, Tenterden, 1pm to 5pm

What is a ‘recycle swap shop’?

Many of us have things in our homes which we no longer want or use, but we feel are too good to throw away.  These things sit around, sometimes for years, waiting for us to find the right person to give them to, and eventually they may end up being thrown in the bin.

The Recycle Swap Shop is an event run by Tenterden Freegle and Transition Town Tenterden (T3) to provide an alternative for local people who would prefer to recycle such unwanted items to others in the community, rather than throw them away.

You can bring your items to the hall and leave them there for others to take away.
At the same time, you can look around and see if there is anything you’d like to take away yourself!
You are welcome to only bring stuff, or to only take stuff, or to just come along and browse and have some  refreshments and a chat. This is a social event too, where everyone wins!
Anything left over will be disposed of through TenterdenFreegle, charity shops or recycling, as appropriate.
Takers get things they want for free!
We all end up with a chance to meet other local families for a Saturday get-together, and we put less rubbish in landfill, saving both the environment and taxpayers money.
A few points to note:

Please bring items between 1pm and 2pm. You may browse and take items from 1pm onwards.
All items MUST be 100% free and must be from domestic (not commercial) sources.
Please try to bring things as early as possible.
If you have bulky items, like bikes or furniture, then please don’t bring these to the swap shop.  Instead, a notice board will be provided for you to leave a description of your item (if you have photos that would be even better) along with a contact email address or phone number.
Don’t bring anything illegal!
Don’t bring anything dangerous (no sharp knives, weapons, etc)
No pets or livestock.
No rubbish.  Please don’t bring anything that really is no good to anyone.  The Swap Shop is run by a small group of local people who volunteer their time to organise these events and we don’t want to end up with a whole room full of rubbish to take to the dump!
No mains electrical items.

News and Events

Well folks, it's been a few weeks since I last visited this blog, and you are probably all feeling a bit neglected, so let me bring you all up to speed on recent events.

Since our last post, which concerned Clean Up Day, we've been busy, busy, busy! Of course, my daughter Rosie's Christening kept us on our toes, which is also what Rosie does most of the time, being 9 months old and sitting up and growing a tooth!

In May we had a stall at Tenterden's May Fayre, where once again we brought out the Smoothy Bike.

In June, we helped out at Highbury Hall once again in tidying up the garden and helping to put plants in the newly constructed raised bed.

We've also been redesigning our T3 logo to reflect what we're about. We'll be unveiling this shortly - watch this space!

We'll be at Tentertainment on July 6th, or at least our booth will be. Sadly I have to work that day until 5, but my cohorts will be there, doing some fun stuff. Pierre Vincent, who kindly performed at our concert last year (Lo-Carb Hi-Fi), will be playing in the Mongolian Yurt - so go and show him some love! Find more info at http://www.tentertainment.co.uk/index.php/programme


We are planning a Recycle Swap Shop in August (date and venue TBA) along with Tenterden Freegle. The concept is simple - you have stuff that's too good to throw away but you don't want or need it? Don't want any money for it? Bring it along to the Swap Shop. We'll sort it and lay it all out a la jumble sale, and anyone who wants it can take it. At the end of the day anything left will either be put up on the Freegle site or donated to local charity shops. Watch this space for updates.

Another local tidbit... we noticed that one of the bike racks that used to stand outside The Pebbles building (which were moved when White Stuff moved in ) has reappeared outside Tenterden Gateway. This is great news for cyclists!

TN30 Cycle Club, run by our good friend Ian McCormick, is submitting to the Town Council a list of proposed improvements to the cycle paths around town, namely:

1. An extension to the old railway track which currently runs from its entrance on Grange Rd in St Michaels to Drury Rd . It is hoped to extend the track into the town centre.
2. The widening and improving of 'The Wood Way', a 250m stretch of footpath which runs between Sandy Lane and Abbott Way so that it can be used by cycles and mobility scooters, who currently have to negotiate the Appledore Rd and East Hill, which can be treacherous (believe me, I know!)
3. Upgrading a short section of footpath (25yds) between Knockwood Rd and Ingleden Park Rd to shared use with cycles/mobility scooters.

We at T3 have written a letter of support for these proposals. It now remains to be seen what, if anything, will happen.

Clean Up Day

T3 Quiz Night!

Well folks, last night was our long-awaited T3 Quiz Night, and what a night it was.

We had 8 teams taking part in our somewhat different 15-round quiz. Yes, that's right - we had  8 Q&A type rounds and 7 picture rounds. Some easy questions and some not so easy, and some downright stumpers!

Our buddy Phill who built the Smoothy Bike (and also the yet-to-be-unveiled Smoothy Bike II) supplied the PA, Justin supplied the beer and did a bunch of printing for us, and Carolyn, Cheryl, Christine and Cathy did all the setting up, taking down, making teas and coffees and everything else in between. I did all the question-setting and quizmastering, and other able assistance was provided by Laura and Ewan, who did a sterling job with the raffle tickets, amongst other things.

Even baby Rosie was there.

Oh, and it was Christopher's birthday, so we all sang Happy Birthday to him. Nothing like a bit of public humiliation to make it a real birthday, right?

The winners were a team called Who Are We? and won a bottle of wine apiece. My team (which, as I was not competing, was called Jeffless) came second. The team with the least points were called The Stumblebums and got the booby prize of some Mini Eggs!

Next event on the calendar is Clean Up Tenterden Day IV, which takes place on Sunday April 28th at 11am on the Recreation Ground, next to the pavilion. Be there!

Quiz Night!

After much ado we have finally settled on a venue for our Quiz Night! Here's the poster...

Hope to see you all there! Get your brains in gear!

Kaddy Makes A Smoothie

So on Saturday we were at The 1st Greenov Energy Fair in Ashford's County Square. We had the Smoothy bike, which we not only managed to get Kaddy Lee-Preston to use but also the Mayor of Ashford, Cllr Robert Davidson, and his wife,  Mayoress Daphne Davidson. The Kentish Express were there to capture the moment for posterity and so we should appear in this Thursday's edition. MP Damian Green was there, but we didn't manage to get him on the bike.

Other exhibitors were on hand to talk about solar PV, solar thermal, insulation, thermal imaging, LEDs and a host of other green technologies.

Here's a post-game article about it: http://www.ashford.gov.uk/search/Text%20Content/tvs-kaddy-wows-the-crowd-at-energy-fair-21st-january-444

Renewable Energy Systems Talk

Renewable Energy Systems Q & A: Monday 21 January, Tenterden Club, 7 till 10pm

One of the members of Oxney Rural Business Group, Stephen Pockley, is an electrician who has become much involved with the issue of renewable energy systems in the UK. An issue close to all our hearts in terms of energy conservation, costs and affordable comfort.

Stephen has created a close working relationship with Earthandair Energy Ltd., and, with one of his colleagues, will be presenting some key facts and figures about the renewable technologies that Earthandair install;

Heat Pumps (Ground Source or Air Source) - replace conventional boilers to provide energy efficient hot water and heating, via radiators or underfloor heating systems, by extracting energy from the ground, air or water.

Solar Photo-Voltaic (PV) - generating electricity from the power of the sun.

Solar Thermal - providing hot water, also using the sun's energy.

There will be a slide presentation and plenty of time for a Q and A session afterwards.

Free entry and cash bar.

Please come along and learn what you can do to make your home more energy-efficient.

Energy Fair

Ashford Energy Fair

Hi folks! We will be in Ashford's County Square on Sat Jan 19th at the following event!

Ashford Energy Fair
Ashford Borough Council Greenov Project
Saturday, 19 January 2013 from 09:00 to 17:30 (GMT)
Ashford, United Kingdom

Come and meet Kaddy Lee Preston in County Square Shopping Centre and find out about how energy saving measures can help you save money and keep warm.
Local suppliers of energy efficient installations, ranging from insulation through to air source heat pumps will be on hand to chat to you about the different meausures you could install in your home. Support organisations will also explain grants, eligibility and financing options.
There are a host of measures and lots of different ways of paying for them, one of which will be right for you. It's a confusing subject and you will have been bombarded with messages, but will also have seen your utility bills rising..and they will continue to do so.
The day will be full of fun, interactive activities, give aways and the idea is that this is a fun, no pressure opportunity to chat to local companies.
The Greenov project is a European funded programme to support and grow the "green retrofit" sector in and around Ashford. This should mean more energy efficient homes, less fuel poverty, jobs, skills and growth for the low carbon sector, too.


We will have the Smoothy bike with us so come one, come all! It's free!

Details here: http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/event/4777618987/efbnen

Quiz Answers

OK, folks! to all those that participated in the Treasures of Tenterden Boxing Day Quiz, here are those all-important answers:

Double-click on images to see full size.

Please note that two of these answers are incorrect. Answer to 13d is given as "Brickwork in Jacksons Lane", but is in fact a picture of brickwork at the Methodist Church.
Answer to 10c is written as "Rear of Cafe Rouge, Jacksons Lane" but is actually the rear of the Thai Shop.

Hope this is (a) readable, and (b) helpful! And above all, hope you had fun doing it! Next year will be bigger and better!


P.S. If you like quizzes, watch this space - we are planning a quiz night sometime in the spring! Fiendishly good questions set by me!