Christmas 2008 Extracts
 

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Busy all year round

WE ARE entering the season when people will often stop me and say' Its your busy time of year'. I must admit I feel like responding “actually I am pretty busy all the year!”
There can be a perception that the church only leaps into life around December 25th, yet nothing could be further from the truth. Church is not about buildings or even meetings.
It is about men women and children drawn together into a relationship with God through personal trust and faith in Jesus Christ. Faith in the real Jesus who walked and taught in our world.
It is often asked 'What is the difference between Christianity and other faiths?’ Other faiths reach up to God and are based on human effort to win divine favour. The Christian faith is based on the astonishing claim that the God who made all that there is reaches down to us and is born as a baby in Bethlehem.
He offers hope and forgiveness to us not because of how 'religious' we are but because of how loving and merciful He is.
That is the message of Christmas and that is the message that Ditton Church is committed to live out 52 weeks of the year.

Merry Christmas, Ross Terranova, Rector of Ditton.

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By Mike Porter, Parish Council chairman ONCE again it has been a very productive year with much achieved and I would like to take this opportunity to thank the people of Ditton for their support during 2007. The Halloween dance in October was an enjoyable occasion and we look forward to the Christmas and New Year dances with eager anticipation. The Remembrance Day Services, which are an important event in the parish calendar, were very well attended this year. It is a time for us all to remember and give grateful thanks to those who gave, and continue to give, their lives for us and I sincerely thank all those people who helped with organising this year's services and those who took part. We continue to work closely with our partner authorities on a wide range of subjects and look forward to a continuance of the good working relationship we have with them during 2009. The Council is pleased to have supported local organisations again this year and will be supporting the Christmas parties for the local school children which are being held at the Community Centre during December. This Council is also happy to continue with the maintenance contract for the grounds of both local schools and helping the Junior school children with managing their Eco garden. On behalf of the members of Ditton Parish Council, we look forward to serving you during 2009 and we wish you all the compliments of the season and a prosperous 2009.

By Sue Kavanagh, Parish Council clerk THE Christmas season is once again rapidly approaching and we are already starting to prepare for the Christmas functions being held in the Community Centre. Over the last two months committees have been busy putting together their budget suggestions for 2009/2010 and these will be scrutinised by the Finance and Administration Committee before being recommended to the full council for adoption in January, 2009. I have been working on two new documents that will be a requirement of our application for re-accreditation of the ‘Quality’ mark which is due for review in 2009. Having obtained the ‘Quality’ mark, councils are then subjected to a review every four years to ensure they are still complying with the requirements of a quality council. The criteria for accreditation has itself been the subject of a review over the last two years and additional criteria have been added. Compliance with the new requirements needs to be in place the year before applying for re-accreditation, so work has to start early. I am pleased to say that both documents – Community Engagement Strategy and Training Statement of Intent - have been adopted by the Council and are now available on the website or in hard copy form from the parish office. We have a busy year ahead of us and we look forward to the challenge and to serving you in 2009. Please remember if you have any concerns or questions, we are never to busy to listen to them and if we can’t help, we can always put you in touch with someone who can. Finally, on behalf of all the parish council staff, I wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Please note the Parish office will be closed from Wednesday, December 24 to Monday, December 29, and also on January 30 from noon and January 1, 2009.

Be safe, not sorry

ONCE again things have been very quiet in terms of fire service activity with the exception of a couple of minor calls.
A couple of these have included smoke in a property and the sound of a smoke alarm sounding. Please remember that there are a number of elderly residents living in Ditton, if you think that they are having trouble cooking etc, please think about calling in to make sure they are okay. If you hear a smoke alarm please call us, if it is nothing then there is no problem. Remember we don’t charge for getting called out to a false alarm.
As we approach Christmas it is time to think about some of the potential hazards that we load in our homes. Please follow the advice of these 12 points:

Check Christmas tree lights conform to the British Standard, and don’t leave them plugged in
Never place candles near your Christmas tree or furnishings. Don’t leave them burning unattended.
Make sure your family and guests’ staying for the festive period know what to do in an emergency. Make a fire escape plan.
Decorations can burn easily, don’t attach them to lights or heaters.
Never overload electrical sockets. Take special care with Christmas lights.
Celebrate Christmas and New Year safely. The risk of accidents, especially in the kitchen, is greater after alcohol is consumed.
Most fires start in the kitchen – never leave a cooker unattended.
If you are planning to celebrate with fireworks, store them in a metal box, read the instructions, never go back to a lit firework and keep a bucket of water nearby.
Make sure cigarettes are completely extinguished before going to bed
Check the battery in your smoke alarm every week and use Christmas as a reminder to clean it and remove dust.
Keep candles, lighter and matches out of reach of children.
Take the time to check on elderly relative and neighbours this Christmas – make sure they are fire safe.

As always, remember that you would like to take up the opportunity of having us come along and fit a smoke alarm free of charge please phone 0800 923 7000 to book an appointment.

From all at Larkfield Fire Station, wishing you a safe and happy Christmas and New Year

Dean Firmin, Station Commander

Silver Wolf award for our Len   WHEN Len Mace made his Scouting promise, he kept it. Len took his Scouts promise with the 1st Ditton Scout group when he was 11, back in 1930 and is still as involved in Scouting today. Now a member of the Scouting Fellowship, his achievement was recognised at an annual awards ceremony for Malling Scouts in September, where he was awarded the Silver Wolf which is the highest award given in Scouting. Len Mace, now 89, said : “Back in the 1930’s I had about 24 members, but Scouting has changed a lot now with all this health and safety business. “Unfortunately, a lot of activities that we used to do like aerial swings, you just can’t do any more because of safety issues.” Len admits that he was a strict Scout master, believing that there has got to be a little bit of discipline. The awards were presented by county commissioner Kelvin Holford and the Mayor of Tonbridge & Malling, Cllr. Chris Smith.

Minors victorious

DITTON Minors FC under 14s visited Rang-du-Fliers over the first weekend in November for a game of football. The trip was organised with the help of the twinning association and team manager Ian Dennison, together with his wife, Kay.
The weekend began with an early start from Ditton at 5am to make the ferry crossing to Calais in a hired mini bus and people carrier to carry the full squad of 16 players, together with chairman Graham West, his wife Sandra, along with six parents from the team.
Unfortunately as soon as the ferry docked the weather changed and the rest of the day saw no let up in the rain. However, this did not dampen the team’s spirit and a competitive, but friendly game kicked off at the Complex Sportif in front of a small, but very wet crowd.
The game turned out to be very one sided in Ditton’s favour with the final score being 10-0, with goals from Sam Madden 4, Rhys Hart 2, David Henn 2, Ethan Ansell and Billy Stephens.
After the match both teams exchanged trophies, and Ditton Minors team captain Oliver Clarkson also presented the players and officials from Rang-du-Fliers with commemorative medals.
 

News from St Peter’s Church
Christmas Services Sunday, December 21: Youth Service, 10am. Carol Services, 5pm and 7pm Christmas Eve: Carols On The Green, 4.30pm. Christmas Holy Communion, 11pm. Christmas Day: Christmas Praise, 10am Sunday January 4: Christingle Service, 5pm. Christian Belief Course: An opportunity in a relaxed and informal setting to look at what Christians believe and why they believe it. The course is open to anyone, there is plenty of time for questions and debate although no one is ever asked a direct question. We begin on Thursday, January 15, 8pm at the Rectory. If you would like to come please contact me on 01732 842027 or email me at ross.terranova@hotmail.co.uk		YOUNG and old from across the parish met on a cold dry Remembrance Sunday to honour those who died in the cause of freedom and justice and to pray for those still affected by the horrors of war. The service began at the Community Centre, left, and ended at the war memorial. A SMALL crowd gathered outside The One Stop Shop on Friday November 7th as the shop reopened after a superb re-fit. The Rev Priscilla Payne opened the store and commented that the shop was a real focus for the village which had served Ditton for many years. We will be Carol Singing outside One Stop at 10am on Saturday, December 20. Come and join us.
Helping to keep Ditton trouble free

PC Matt Roddick

RESIDENTS will be aware of the tragic murder of Danny King on Friday, October 17. Local neighbourhood team members have since been involved in patrolling the area and talking to local people about any concerns that they may have. Most residents accept that it was an isolated incident and are not worried.
On the whole, most people have taken the opportunity to speak to the officers on patrol about other concerns in the area, such as inconsiderate parking. Officers were also pleased to meet residents at a Community Safety Roadshow on 25 October in Larkfield, where they had a chance to discuss any local issues and also to receive crime prevention advice.
The investigation is still ongoing and is being dealt with by the Major Crime department. If you have any information, please call the incident room on 01622 654863 or email Dannykingappeal@kent.pnn.police.uk
On a different note, as I write, there has been some concern about thefts from motor vehicles in the area recently, so always make sure you lock your car doors and close the windows after parking.
Putting valuables out of sight in the boot is not necessarily the safest option as thieves know all the hiding places. If it is valuable then leave it at home or take it with you.
Sat Nav devices are particularly desirable so remember to remove them and wipe off any suction marks from the windscreen as this will advertise the device to thieves.
Finally, keep your car keys out of sight at home. Never leave them on a windowsill or hall table where they might be seen by an opportunist thief.
The following advice may also help to keep your property and valuables safe over the festive period.
Although it sounds obvious, people still forget to take the simple step of locking their windows and doors, especially when leaving the house. It’s also a good idea to leave a light on. Burglar alarms are a good deterrent and it is worth getting advice and several quotes from reputable companies to find the best option for your property.
Don’t leave spare keys in convenient ‘hiding places’ such as under doormats or flowerpots – these are the places that thieves check first.
Christmas presents can be a temptation for thieves, so don’t leave wrapped presents under the tree or where they can be viewed through the window. Once the presents have been opened and Christmas Day is over, discard of wrapping paper and packaging carefully. Boxes that contained expensive gifts such as electronic gadgets that are left outside with the rubbish can advertise rich picking for thieves.
If you are concerned about any policing issues in your neighbourhood or would like advice about crime prevention you can contact me on 07870 252604 or by email malling.neighbourhood@kent.pnn.police.uk
Wishing you a safe and happy Christmas and New Year.