Hextable   Hextable Dance   www.hextablevillage.com Welcome to the Hextable Village Residents Association website - we hope you find it interesting and useful! The costs of our site and our quarterly HRA Newsletters are paid for through donations, and advertising carried for residents and our local businesses. If you wish to advertise, please contact our Chairman Harry Chapman on 01322 662548  Entries for Hextable societies and clubs and their events are free. Please visit our Community Pages section for information on many of our local services with the relevant contact numbers.	Hextable's very own weather station -  click on the flower!
ABODE LTD ESTATE AGENTS IN HEXTABLE AND SUTTON AT HONE 9 Main Road Hextable BR8 7RB 200 Main Road Sutton at Hone DA4 9HP Property for Sale and to Let.          Website www.abode.ltd.uk ◊
LATEST NEWS
SENIORS TRIPS A further trip was provided by the Parish Council on Tuesday 23 June. Residents were conveyed on two full coaches to the favourite resort of Broadstairs. The weather was excellent on the day and arrival coincided with the sea at high tide. The beach looked fantastic with the crowds of holidaymakers. The Dickens Society exhibition and the characters dressed up and walking around gave an added dimension. A local band provided music keeping everyone in buoyant mood. The next trip is to Hever Castle on Tuesday 21 July and residents should contact Tracy Lane on 01322 668530 to book a place. PARISH COUNCIL WEBSITE Our parish council now have their own website which can be accessed from the Communities page of our own website. This gives the information concerning our councillors and the areas of responsibility within the village.   GOODBYE DENIS Our village school crossing keeper Denis Wood guided children with their parents safely across Top Dartford Road for 23 years. He is now sadly 75 years of age and has had to retire from the job. The Primary School organised a special assembly on Monday 18 May when they presented him with a glass tankard and an exquisite carriage clock. The children had made two lovely lollipop cards on one of which they had written their appreciation of his care over their welfare. An amusing poem and prayers which they had composed were read out. After Denis had told the children about his early working life in Hextable and recalled the teachers he had known he said prayers for the staff and children. He was warmly applauded throughout the assembly and his closing farewell remarks to the children were "Be good" but if you can't "Be careful" We now await the appointment of his replacement, until then it is best to cross the road at the chicanes.  SENIORS TRIPS The latest trip to Tenterden to enjoy the steam railway was a pleasant day out for some 50 of our residents. The weather forecast for Thursday 14 May had however not been too promising but it turned out better than expected. Residents were therefore able to walk around and visit the exquisite little shops and eat in the quaint cafes in the morning before the afternoon train ride. The journey on the train to Bodiam was a round trip of just under two hours through delightful countryside. The cream tea lived up to expectations. Residents are now looking forward to the next trip organised by the Parish Council to Broadstairs on Tuesday 23rd June. The Dickens Festival is taking place at this time. Early bookings are advised, phone Tracy Lane at the Heritage Centre 01322-668530 MAY FAIR There was a bustle of activity at the start of the day on the morning of Monday 4 May 2009 the May Day Bank Holiday. After the organising committee had marked out the field the stallholders arrived soon after to set up their stalls. The Air Training Corps were very helpful in directing the traffic to the correct parking areas. There was a lot of enthusiasm shown during the middle part of the day. Visitors quickly snapped up the cakes from the Rowhill WI cake stall. A long queue formed for food at the pavilion. Residents enjoyed a host of things to do and see and the displays in the arena were excellent. Children had their faces painted and enjoyed smashing crockery and the football "goal shooting" organised by the New Town Tigers. There was also a good interest in the vintage transport and the police crime prevention bus. The birds of prey inter-acted with the audience, particularly the large owl and the kestrel took off for the copse on the top of hill for 15 minutes of freedom before returning to the handlers. Some photos will be included shortly on a separate page of the website. Please send us any more for us to consider showing, particularly unusual ones as soon as possible.   WALK TO SCHOOL CAMPAIGN A large group of pupils from Hextable Primary School with their teachers and supporting parents gathered at The Crossways on Wednesday morning 1st April 2009. The children displayed banners and posters specially made for the occasion which they waved to passing motorists. For some time now Wednesday has been the day for walking to school for parents and their children living in the village. Parents are encouraged to do this throughout the year however whatever the weather. Parking and road congestion is diminished together with the frustration experienced at passing other cars during the times of delivery and collection. HEXTABLE PARISH COUNCIL    Our new local council held it's annual meeting on Monday evening 16 March at Hextable School. Upwards of 150 residents turned out to hear speakers representing Kent County Council, Sevenoaks District Council and Kent Police. The headmaster of Hextable School and representatives from some of our local organisations also took part. Questions were raised at the end about matters of concern to residents. Phone numbers for Kent Highways and Kent Police are given on the Community Pages of our website.
HEAVY SNOW The weather forecast promising heaps of snow coming to us from Siberia came true early on Sunday evening 1st February 2009. Flurries had started in the morning then a prolonged shower swept over Hextable in the evening. This was followed by more heavy showers throughout the night and the whole of Monday. The schools were closed to the delight of the children who rushed off to Hextable Park with their parents to enjoy hilarious rides on toboggans down the slopes. Our snow photos page shows the winter wonderland and the extent of the snowfall with cars covered and the roads negotiable only with difficulty. More pictures will be added as soon as possible. HEXTABLE DANCE -SCHOOLS PARTICIPATION School children from Hextable and High Firs Primary Schools took part in a Matinee Event on Thursday 22 January. The participating audience were shown the African dance techniques used by the Bode Lawal Sakoba Dance Theatre and several dances were then performed by the children. After a short break the visiting Respite dancers themselves demonstrated the meaning of their routine with veuve and enthusiasm which they repeated in the evening performance.  CAROLS ON THE GREEN A good crowd turned up to sing carols outside on the village green this year (with the aid of torches) on Sunday 14th December.  No-one seemed to mind the rain which started to fall at precisely 5 p.m, although not heavily however. Several musicians with the help of lighting supplied by a generator accompanied the singing. and after the vicar had spoken a few words about Christmas the residents walked down to St Peters Church to enjoy the indoor comfort of the lounge warmed up by mulled wine and mince pies. PRIMARY SCHOOLS CROSS COUNTRY EVENT The annual cross-country races for local schools took place on Friday 21 November in the early afternoon starting from the Visitors Centre in Lullingstone Park. Enthusiastic teams of boys and girls from seven different schools arrived with their teachers and supporting parents. Represented were Horton Kirby, Crockenhill, Wilmington, High Firs, Horizon, St.Bartholomews and Hextable. The children were first walked around the one mile circular course which commenced with a short stretch uphill then became level going on grassy terrain providing an opportunity to sprint to the finish. They were encouraged to warm up before starting to run even though the weather was quite mild on this particular day. In the boys race, Wilmington Primary took first and third positions  and were awarded the Winners Shield as the top finishing school, each team member receiving an individual medal. The first Hextable boy came 7th out of around 50 entrants.  In the girls race, Hextable Primary achieved a magnificent 1st, 3rd, 4th and 5th positions out of 48 entrants. They were awarded the Winners Shield and each team member individual medals. Well done to all the girls in the team who flew around the course and achieved such an excellent result this year.      FIREWORK DISPLAY  The event on the evening of Saturday 1 November run by the Parish Council this year was held despite appalling weather. Villagers stood under umbrellas or the shelter of the pavilion to watch. All who came enjoyed the continuous display of the fireworks lighting up the night sky over Hextable. The football club were kept busy with the sale of food in the pavillion. A collection was taken by the British legion for the Poppy Appeal, raising £105.       FIVE WENTS HALL   The kitchen at the hall has now been refurbished after a lot of hard work by the Trustees and with the help and support of local people and businesses. Grateful thanks to Carroll Carpets for donating the flooring and Tubs for providing the wall tiles free. Residents and others using the hall will be delighted with the new facilities. Some pictures taken on 7 October.    BEATING THE BOUNDS WALK   The morning was pleasantly mild and rain-free for the walk around our parish starting from Five Wents hall on Saturday 13 September. An enthusiastic crowd of 76 including 7/8 children and 2 dogs turned out for this occasion. It was exciting to see a long crocodile line of people snaking their way across the countryside. There were some hazards encountered but no injuries sustained as far as we are aware. Afterwards many residents expressed the desire to make this ancient custom an annual event. Certificates were given to all who took part. Thanks to all the marshals and helpers who gave
ST PETERS CHURCH HEXTABLE   The weather was kind on the evening of Tuesday 2nd September for the arrival of the new vicar Ray Sammé and his wife Carol in the Parish. A large crowd started to gather from 7 p.m and by 7.30 p.m seating was needed in the overflow hall. The service to instal the new vicar was led by the Bishop of Rochester supported by leading Anglican clergy and laity. Representatives from the local community also took part during the event. Visitors included a big group from Ray's former Parish in Romford, Essex. The Church Music Group provided rousing songs for the occasion with the singing of the new version of " O Happy Day" at the end following Holy Communion. The congregation were invited to stay for refreshments and the cutting of the " Welcome Cake " afterwards. Many waited patiently to personally welcome the new vicar and his wife.
PRIMARY SCHOOL SPORTS DAY    The first sports day for the combined infants and junior schools took place on Thursday 26 June. It was a lovely sunny " pleasantly breezy" afternoon to host the events for which the children had been training the week before. A large crowd of parents and grandparents waited patiently outside the school gates before spilling onto the school field at 1.30 p.m. The children soon came out of their classrooms and first of all paraded around the perimeter in Olympic style to the accompaniment of music before sitting on the grass ready for the exciting events that followed. As it was Olympic year the staff had decide to organise the children of each year into some of the EU nations of the world. They had drawn and coloured flags for the countries they were representing which they stuck to their "T" shirts. The first events for each year started with a lot of excitement. There were throwing of bean bags and javelins (colourful rockets) skipping races with and without ropes, dressing up, egg and spoon races and jumping with rubber rings and with sacks plus the straight forward sprints. The final event was a combined relay race which was well organiseed and run to tremendous screams of support from the children supporting their teams. The results, announced by the head in reverse order, left GB trailing sadly in last place with France " Vive la France" romping home in first place. Well done to all the teachers in organising this fun afternoon of sporting activities. HEALTH  CENTRE At it's meeting on the 22nd May the West Kent PCT board approved 31 GP practice schemes which included the two practices in Hextable. We understand this now provides the framework to pursue a site to accommodate both practices. The PCT board are bringing in extra staff to project manage all of these schemes. The Assistant Director himself is to meet with the staff of each practice to discuss the current position.