This year saw the village entering the Best Kept Village for the first time in over a decade and followed a village hall inspired Kingsley Clean-Up in 2018.
At the competition awards ceremony, the village received a ‘highly commended’ award which was a testimony to the hard work of Alison Pooler the coordinator and those associated with the village hall and the community at large who made a real effort and a big difference.
We have now received feedback from the judge’s two visits to the village in May and June.
We have to say we are pleasantly surprised because the comments contained within the feedback can best be described as ‘attention to detail’ along with guidance to improve on this year’s result.
Indeed, reading the feedback you would be forgiven for thinking we had actually been placed if not a winning entry.
We are very much enthused and looking forward to 2020 with relish and seeking to work with the Parish Council to make our entry even better next time.
A big thank you and well done to everyone who got involved. We cannot do it on our own and don’t forget it’s your village and your community.
The 77th annual show was held on the last day of August during a busy weekend in the villages as the Scarecrow Festival was held over the same period.
This summer has been a strange one with fluctuating temperatures and a good deal of rain. That said and despite the scarecrow festival the number of entries this year was a disappointment to the committee with just 22 competitors in the show compared to last years high of 39.
However, the standard remained very high and it was great to see the children’s entries including in the main growing section.
The individual trophy winners were as follows :
Walter Carnwell Trophy – Barry Clarke
Holdsworth Trophy – Stan Fowell and John Plant
Jamieson Cup – Barry Clarke
Hammersley Trophy – Barry Clarke
Cope Trophy – Barry Clarke
Whieldon Trophy – Jasmine Barker
Maynard Trophy – David Johnson
R K Johnson Trophy – David Johnson
Barker Bowl – Diane Wheeler
Albert Clarke Trophy – Barry Clarke
Barry Clarke Novice – Daniel Johnson
Ben Fowell Trophy Jasmine Barker
A new award this year was to support to Kingsley Best Kept Village entry and was for the best-maintained planter barrel and this year the award went to Merv and Danni Flut who look after the Johnson Crescent planter. Well done and thank you.
A highly commended award went to John Mills who has looked after three planters in Ainsworth Avenue for a number of years.
The show made a slight loss on the day which has been a consistent theme for the last few years but the association remains stable financially and the resolve of the committee to continue to run the show is as strong as ever.
Tribute must be paid to secretary Carole Johnson who arranges the day and then performs duties throughout the event ensuring that the event runs smoothly.
Ideally, the association could do with someone to assist Carol in the afternoon as regards collating prize winners and prize money. If interested please contact the village hall who will pass the message on.
The events of Friday evening 1st December and the Saturday were judged to be the best Christmas events yet held at the hall.
Once again ArB from Brookhouses in Cheadle sponsored the tree which was perfect. With support from the Parish Council, additional lighting was purchased for the tree and hall and we upgraded Santa’s Grotto.
Friday’s lights switch on was not as well attended as previous years but there was a great community feel about the night and we had some great carol singing from our younger members of the community.
Saturday’s breakfast was our best yet – we sold 100 tickets and including the committee’s breakfasts exceeded that. Around 40 children came to see Santa in his grotto and we had a busy but fun-filled morning.
Whilst the hall will have done well out the weekend financially, the main point of the two events was the community spirit it creates and develops which is priceless.
A few thank you’s are in order. To the Rev Sue Symons who opened the lights on Friday and as always chose such perfect words (and came for coffee on Saturday proving she has at least two Christmas jumpers !)
To Santa and Mrs Claus who gave him time off to come and say hello, to Allison who helped Santa with the presents, Graham Coates who captured some great images of the day, Barbara and Sharon who baked cakes, the stall holders who came along on Friday night, the hall committee for their efforts and last but not least everyone who came along to the hall and made for such a special occasion.
If anyone wanted to know – the Guess the Weight of the competition was won by one of our senior citizens who was thrilled. Her guess of 7 Ibs 10 oz was just 2 oz higher than the actual weight.
Well, we certainly picked the right day weatherwise for the cleanup.
First of all, a massive thank you to everyone who turned up and made a big difference.
Let’s put the morning into numbers?
30 members of the community in attendance
20 bags of soil and weeds removed
10 bags of litter picked
4 bus stops and their surroundings cleaned
200 yards of pavement weeded and cleaned
Numerous bins and signs washed down.
The Rose Garden weeded and edged
Bin on the recreation ground resited
42 rashers of bacon, 8 vegetarian sausages and three loves of bread eaten and copious amounts of tea and juice consumed.
We also did some work around the hall with the fencing given a fresh coat of stain and some weeding done as well.
We are also grateful that County Councillor Mike Worthington attended, donned a high viz jacket and helped to litter pick.
District Councillor Elsie Fallows was also on hand to offer her support as well as give cheques to the hall, Kingsley Brownies, and the Kingsley Holt Newsletter from her allowance.
A big thank to Eslie for her support from everyone.
All of the work has made a massive difference, however, the work to tidy up the Green and similar work opposite the Bull’s Head and around the old phone kiosk is particularly noticeable.
It is, however, an ongoing battle with litter reappearing hours after we finished both on the Green and on the rec where coke cans and Pringle’s packets were scattered around the swings this morning and again this afternoon despite there being a bin within touching distance.
Mums and Dad’s please educate your children to use the bins – there are numerous ones around the village so use them.
One last thank you should go to the Sue one of the village hall committee members. She saw no doubt what the rest of us saw, however, she was sufficiently motivated to raise the issue with the Council. Not only that she played a part in planning the day and organised everyone yesterday in terms of what needed doing and who was doing it. Big thank you to Sue.
We are planning another day – it looks like being 19th or 20th May as that is the only weekend we have free at the hall. We will advise everyone soon.
Last Saturday saw the realisation of almost 12 months planning and preparation as the hall hosted a mini ‘wakes’ fun day in scorching temperatures under a cloudless sky.
With funding from the Big Lottery, the aim to bring together the wider community of all ages was achieved throughout the day.
Thanks to the weather the outside activities were very popular with a BBQ, Quotes and a coconut shy. Kingsley Kingfisher staff were on hand to facepaint anyone who wanted a design and there were a number of stalls and competitions.
The Royal British Legion had two stalls one being a tombola stall ran by Allison Held from Kingsley Holt who is cycling from London to Paris later this year to raise funds for the Legion. Alsion was delighted to have raised over £100 on the day and thanks everyone for their support.
Should anyone want to support her, then go to her just giving page HERE
There was also a Breast Cancer Research stall selling ‘Claires Accessories.
In the hall, we had a range of alternative therapists with the reflexology being very popular. Lastly, we had the Sew Sister’s selling handmade gifts and goods.
We were delighted to have the children from St. Werburgh’s dancing before a very enthusiastic crowd and earlier in the day we have the Bhangra Blaze ladies doing a demonstration.
Late afternoon saw a very well-attended afternoon tea with cakes and scones baked in the village and freshly made sandwiches washed down with tea in china cups.
There was just time to tidy up and set the hall out for the Stone Cold Sober..ish concert. Disappointingly the concert hadn’t grabbed the imagination of those in the village and there were a few empty seats. However, those who weren’t present missed a real treat of a night of musical entertainment on the most perfect of summers nights.
Said Martyn Hordern chair of the committee ‘we were lucky to have such a beautiful day. We had to stock up on more ice creams due to the fantastic weather’, he added ‘we anticipate that over 200 people attended the event and we would like to thank everyone who attended and made it such a great day in the village’
The committee would like to thank those in the village who volunteered to help, be it baking delicious cakes, helping to prepare the outside of the hall in the weeks leading up to the event or setting up and helping on the day.
We would also like to thanks Graham Coates who took most of the pictures on the day.
The question is whether there is sufficient support to run another event? The committee cannot do it alone and would need more help than we had this time to build on the good start we have had.
Comments are left open on this post, so feel free to have your say!
We are delighted at how the wakes went on Saturday and we do hope everyone enjoyed themselves.
Remember that whilst you were indirectly supporting the hall you were actually supporting your community.
Later this week we will post some great pictures taken by Graham Coates as well as detailing the day’s events.
However, firstly we want to promote the next two Bhangra Blaze classes at the hall. They are on 30th June and 14th July at 7.30pm.
Cost is £5 and it’s a great workout. They performed a short demonstration on Saturday just after 12 noon as they had to do another one in Cromford which was a shame as many of you will have missed it.
From talking to people it’s clear many are interested but not sure if it’s for them being concerned it’s too strenuous. The fact of the matter is you make it as intensive as you wish.
To attend either session contact Janine on 07769565012.
Here is a very short video to give you an idea. This is how it is – just you and some music!
Delighted to say that we have all but sold out for the concert in two weeks. A couple of people have asked to have tickets reserved and they will be delivered this week.
If anyone is interested in a ticket we will create a waiting list and any surplus tickets will be sold on a first come first served basis.
We hope to announce a fantastic concert coming in early November this week once we have sorted the various details out. So if you missed out this time there is always the next event which will be fantastic.
Finally a big thank you to everyone who shared, liked and commented on our various posts and of course to everyone who has bought a ticket – it was hard work to start with be we got there in the end !
Well, today (20/8) turned out to be a busy old day.
First of all the committee and some volunteers turned out in changeable weather to give the outside of the hall a bit of a tidy up.
Hedges were cut back, shrubs pruned and tubs planted – all making the hall set for next weeks gardeners show.
Clearly, the promise of bacon butties worked to some degree and we are grateful to all those who helped out including young Edward who pruned, swept and then lost interest and played with the toys !
No sooner had we finished then, the hall was used for a ladies birthday party which was forced indoors due to the rain – remember come rain or shine the hall is a great place to hold your event.
Next, we had St Werburgh’s Church coming in to set the hall up for a Benefice Lunch tomorrow after the church service. The hall was looking very good tonight.
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This year saw the village entering the Best Kept Village for the first time in over a decade and followed a village hall inspired Kingsley Clean-Up in 2018.
