OTFORD Oast WI next meet at 9.30am on Thursday November 21 in the Memorial Hall for a talk by John Halligan on ‘How Charing got its Cross’. New members are welcome and the first visit is free. For further information email otfordoastwi@mail.com . SUPPORT Demelza Children’s Hospice by buying tickets to their Sing Along Concert to be held at 7.30pm on Sunday November 24 in the Memorial Hall. The evening begins with the Merry Mondays Ukulele Band and some easy listening and sing along music followed by a new 4 piece bank called Project Sorensen. During the interval refreshments and a raffle will be available followed by Amanda Harkett, a professional musician and part of the famous opera Lele Duet. Merry Mondays Ukulele Bank round up the evening with a Christmas Songs Sing Along. Tickets costing £10 are available, only in advance, from Judy Cardinal, judy@cardinals.co.uk, 01959 522513. ON the first Monday of each month between 10am and 12 noon at The Crown, starting Monday December 2, Vitality Home Health will be holding a Memory Café. You are invited to go along and enjoy activities, company and refreshments in a supportive and safe environment. These events are open to all living with dementia, their carers, family and supporters who wish to get involved. Please call Debbie for more information on 01732 755582/07522 962952 or email: debbie@vitalityhomehealth.co.uk. OTFORD Primary School's Christmas Bazaar is on Saturday 7th December 7 from 12 noon until - 3 pm. Do go along to support this fun family event which will include a Winter Wonderland Santa's Grotto, Christmas Market, Tombola, Face Painting, Games, Raffle, Refreshments and much more. Entry: Adult £1, Children Free. Everyone Welcome. If anyone would like to book a stall or request more information please contact ptfa@otford.kent.sch.uk OTFORD Methodist church are delighted to welcome back the Croydon SDA Gospel Choir for a very special Christmas performance at 7.30pm on Saturday December 14. Refreshments will be provided in the interval. Tickets are available from the OMC web site priced at £10 or from the Sunday morning box office. You are advised not to delay in buying tickets as this is a really popular event and was in high demand last time they visited. For further information please call the box office on 07948 309484. GO along to see the Christmas lights at Bat & Ball Station. The Mayor will officially switch on the lights on December 3 between 4 and 5.30pm. There will be carol singing by a local school choir and everyone can make a decoration to put on the Christmas tree. Hot chocolate, mulled wine, Christmas biscuits and mince pies will be on offer to help you get into the Christmas spirit. There’s no need to book – just turn up with friends and family and enjoy this festive event. GIRLGUIDING Otford’s Christmas Post 2019. Stamps for Girlguiding Otford’s Christmas Post Service go on sale on November 28 for the 37th year running and will be available until Friday December 20. 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 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 donated to SERV Kent Bloodrunners, a charity that provides emergency courier services transporting blood products, samples and other essential items for major hospitals and hospices in Kent out of normal working hours. Please support them by purchasing the special stamps and posting your cards early. Library opening hours Monday 9am – 1pm, Tuesday 9am – 1pm, 2pm- 5pm, Wednesday Closed, Thursday 9am – 1pm, Friday 1pm – 5pm, Saturday 10am – 2pm. Parish Council opening hours Monday to Friday 8am – 12:30pm. OTFORD Library. Now on display is an exhibition entitled 'Doodlebugs and Barrage Balloons in Otford. The Battle of the V1s in summer 1944'. This exhibition, the first in the run-up to the VE Day 75 commemorations to be held in 2020 to mark the end of the Second World War, looks at the role played by Otford on the 'home front' 75 years ago in the summer of 1944 during the V1 attacks. The exhibition is derived from the recent talk given to ODHS by Alan Williams and is sponsored by the 1940s Society who are grateful to Kent Library Services for hosting the exhibition. If you have any family memories of the war please let us them know by email. 1940’s Society meet at 7.30pm on Friday November 29 for an 8pm talk by Alan Williams '"Over-paid, over-sexed and over-here". The American Invasion of Britain 1942-1945'. Between 1942 and 1945 American service personnel flooded into Britain in what George Orwell called ‘the invasion of Britain’. Alan will explore this ‘invasion’ and show the 1943 British War Office film ‘A Welcome to Britain’ which explained to American servicemen and women how strange life in Britain could be, from ‘funny money’ to warm beer. Meetings are held in Memorial Hall and admission is £3, refreshments are available including home-made cake. OTFORD Gardeners Society Quiz and Fun Night has become a firm fixture in their calendar and this year it’s in the Memorial Hall on December 3 from 7.30pm. Teams of maximum of 6 are invited to pit their wits against each other and have a fun evening into the bargain. Please note the start time for this meeting is 7.30. Please contact Society Secretary, Janet Finney, 01959 523760, e-mail gardeners@otford.net. OTFORD Lunch Club are looking for volunteers to join their 5 friendly teams. Might you be interested in joining them either as an individual or with a friend in which case you will be warmly welcomed. Your commitment will be for about a 4 hour period once every 5 weeks helping to serve local residents an initial cup of tea or coffee followed by a hot nutritious two course meal. To find out more please contact Margaret 01959 524147. DIAL 2 Drive are seeking volunteer drivers to take elderly/disabled people to a medical appointment or shopping just one a week. If you own a car and would like to help please contact them on 0300 777 1200 or email driving@imago.commuity. CHRISTMAS QUIZ -MEDICS V PATIENTS The second Patient Group Xmas Quiz in Otford on Friday December 6 from 7.30pm. No pressure - just a fun evening with a Christmas twist. Up to 8 per team or just come as an individual - £7.00 per person. Bring your own refreshments and join in the fun. Contact margaret.robarts@talktalk.net or phone Margaret on 01959 522853.
