High Halstow Times (May 2014)

The latest edition of the High Halstow Times, a magazine produced by High Halstow Parish Council, is now available to read online, just click here.

This edition includes a range of local news and events.

Take a look at the High Halstow Parish Council website by clicking here.

  

High Halstow Times - February 2014

Here’s the latest edition of the High Halstow Times - packed full of stories, reports and things to do. Click the image below to see the full copy.

This edition includes details of the High Halstow and District Gardening Club, news from the Friends of St. Margaret’s Church, a report from the High Halstow Hikers and reports and other useful information from High Halstow Parish Council.

The High Halstow Times is the magazine of High Halstow Parish Council. Take a look at their website by clicking here.

  

High Halstow Times - August 2013

Here’s the latest edition of the High Halstow Times - packed full of stories, reports and things to do. Click the image below to see the full copy.

This edition includes details of the High Halstow and District Gardening Club’s Annual Show (on Saturday 24 August), an update on the ongoing Village Hall refurbishment works, a report from the High Halstow Hikers and information about the very exciting fun packed High Halstow Charity Fun Day taking place on Saturday 21 September.

The High Halstow Times is the magazine of High Halstow Parish Council. Take a look at their website by clicking here.

  

High Halstow Times - May 2013 Edition

Here’s the latest edition of the High Halstow Times. Once again the magazine is packed full of stories, reports and things to do in the village. Click on the image below to see the full copy.

This edition includes a feature about the High Halstow Golf Open (to be held on 17 July), a report from the High Halstow Hikers, an update on the annual village photographic competition, news from High Halstow Primary School and much much more.

The High Halstow Times is the magazine of High Halstow Parish Council. Take a look at their website by clicking here.

  

High Halstow Times - April 2013 Edition

Here’s the latest edition of the High Halstow Times. Once again the magazine is packed full of stories, reports and things to do in the village. Click on the image below to see the full copy.

This edition includes a report by High Halstow Cricket Club, details of the Parish Council Annual Meeting (beginning at 8pm on Wednesday 17 April at The Memorial Hall), updates on the High Halstow Hikers, details of the summer show by Dramarama (taking place in early June) and lots of other useful local information.

The High Halstow Times is the magazine of High Halstow Parish Council. Take a look at their website by clicking here.

  

Keeping fit in High Halstow!

High Halstow has a new ‘outdoor gym’ installed behind the Village Hall (The Street, High Halstow), within the grounds of the recreation ground.

It’s a clever concept - giving people the chance, whatever their age, to access a range of useful fitness equipment. Best of all though - it’s completely free to use!

As you’ll see from the photographs I took last week, below, there’s lots of equipment available, including contraptions to help improve muscle stamina, endurance and heart and lung functions. There’s also a recumbent bike - to tone your upper body, legs and backside no less. And to avoid any confusion, the equipment has user instructions attached.

It all sounds rather healthy I admit, but you’d probably do well to check with your GP if you’re worried about ‘over doing it’ on the equipment. I wouldn’t want anyone doing anything too strenuous!

Bets of luck!

High Halstow Parish Council installed the new equipment. Take a look at their website by clicking here.

  

High Halstow Times - February 2013 Edition

Here’s the latest edition of the High Halstow Times. Once again the magazine is packed full of stories, reports and things to do in the village. Click on the image below to read the full copy.

This edition includes information about an exciting Photographic Competition taking place, details of the village hall refurbishment, opportunities to meet Parish Councillors (on Tuesday 12 February at the Kings Kitchen, Memorial Hall), a report from the Friends of St. Margaret’s Church, updates from the High Halstow Cricket Club and a special report from the Parish of St. Mary Hoo.

The High Halstow Times is the magazine of High Halstow Parish Council. Take a look at their website by clicking here.

  

High Halstow Times - November

Here’s the latest edition of the High Halstow Times. Once again the magazine is packed full of stories, reports and things to do. Just click on the image below to read the full copy.

This month’s edition includes information about the next Christmas Market - taking place at the Recreation Hall this Saturday from 12 noon, a reminder about the very popular ‘Mini Christmas Fayre’ at Memorial Hall (on Sunday 25 November), a report from the High Halstow Cricket Club, promotion of the next Dramarama panto Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and there's plenty more great features too!

The High Halstow Times is the magazine of High Halstow Parish Council. Take a look at their website by clicking here.
 

High Halstow Times - May Edition

Here’s the latest edition of the High Halstow Times - sorry for the delay in adding it to this website! Once again the magazine is packed full of stories, reports and things to do. Just click on the image below to read the full copy.

This month’s edition includes details of Diamond Jubilee events taking place in the village - the Jubilee Party in the Park on Monday 4 June and the Jubilee Afternoon Tea event on Sunday 3 June. There’s also information about the next walk being organised by the High Halstow Walkers - taking place tomorrow (Saturday 12 May). And you will also find details of the next Project 90 community action morning, also taking place tomorrow, in the village centre. There’s useful diary dates and a report from the High Halstow and District Gardening Club, information about a night of musical entertainment with a Take That tribute band on Saturday 26 May, and plenty more reports, updates and local advertising!

The High Halstow Times is the magazine of High Halstow Parish Council. Take a look at their website by clicking here.

  

High Halstow Times - April Edition

The April edition of the High Halstow Times is now available. Once again packed full of stories, reports and things to do. Just click on the image below to see the full copy.

This month’s edition includes details of Diamond Jubilee events taking place in the village, a reminder about the next Farmers’ Market being held this Saturday, a report by Dave Stephenson on setting up a new local history group, an update on Project 90 community activities taking place on Saturday 14 April, Parish Council surgery dates (always on the second Tuesday every month), a Take That tribute concert on Saturday 26 May, updates from the High Halstow and District Gardening Club and plenty more reports, updates and local advertising!

The High Halstow Times is the magazine of High Halstow Parish Council. Take a look at their website by clicking here.

  

Cleaning up the Hoo Peninsula

There was quite a bit of community activity taking place on the Hoo Peninsula a couple of weekends ago - with ‘action days’ taking place in Allhallows, High Halstow and Hoo. The main aim in each area was to clean up litter and make things look a bit better.

In Allhallows, the Parish Council organised their fourth Project Morning - attracting 20 local volunteers, who bagged 28 sacks of rubbish. They also picked up a few bulky items, including a bed frame, traffic cone, suitcase and a torso of a life size wooden soldier!!!

The next Project Morning in Allhallows is on Saturday 11 February - meeting at Allhallows Village Hall (Stoke Road) at 8.30am. For more information, get in touch with the Parish Council by emailing here.

In Hoo, residents collected 25 bags of rubbish and an oil drum - with efforts targeted around the Village Square car park.

The next Hoo Clean Up will take place on Saturday 24 March - meeting at Hoo Village Hall (Pottery Road) at 9.30am. For more information contact Tony on 01634 255694 or by email here.

And in High Halstow, the Parish Council and local volunteers carried on with their community action, which they’ve been doing for many years - with picking up litter, repairing fences, improving playgrounds and clearing wooded walks just some of the tasks they carry out. The sessions are known as Project 90 - representing the number of minutes that each volunteer gives at each session.

Here are some photographs of previous Project 90 sessions.

The next Project 90 event in High Halstow will take place on Saturday 11 February - meeting at High Halstow Village Hall at 8.30am. For more information, get in touch with the Parish Council by emailing here.

There’ll be a special report about High Halstow’s Project 90 added to this website later this week!
 

Lots to do in High Halstow!

The High Halstow Times will return in February, so in the meantime I thought I'd mention some of the events and activities taking place in the village.

Making a return to the Village Hall on Saturday 4 February will be the Farmers’ Market, from 9.30am to 11.30am. There’ll be lots of stalls and a chance of winning a £30 voucher (from Denis Hills the Butchers) in the raffle.

Click the image below to find out more about the Farmers’ Market.

Thought Christmas was over? Well it isn't in High Halstow!

If you haven’t yet booked to see the Dramarama panto, you might still be in time to get a ticket!

Performances of Aladdin will be taking place on Thursday 26th at 7.30pm, Friday 27th at 7.30pm and on Saturday 28th at 2pm (matinee) and at 7.30pm.

Tickets are only £4, so just click the image below to find out more!

To read more about what is happening in the village, visit the website for High Halstow Parish Council. You’ll find details about the special February promotions offered by the new Spice Fusion restaurant at the Red Dog, the latest news and views about the Lodge Hill development, updates on the ongoing refurbishments at the Village Hall and much more!
 

Happy Christmas in High Halstow!

The December edition of the High Halstow Times is now available. Just click on the image below to see the full copy.

This month’s special Christmas edition includes information about the Memorial Hall Mini Christmas Fayre (on Sunday 4 December), High Halstow Primary School’s Christmas Fair (on Thursday 8 December - more details below), Carol Singing (on 14 December), a special Christmas Eve visit to the village by Santa, Fairy George and the Parish Elves, details of Christmas services at St. Margaret’s Church, events at The Red Dog and information about Dramarama’s colourful production of Aladdin (showing in January). And there’s a lot more!

On a different theme entirely, the magazine also includes an urgent update on the Lodge Hill development proposals.

The High Halstow Times is the magazine of High Halstow Parish Council. Take a look at their website by clicking here.

Click the ‘Christmas Event 2011’ label below to see all the Christmas events taking place locally (those that I have been told about anyway).
 

Destination Cooling, a weekend walk . . .

With what seems like more Christmas events in the offing than there are days in the month, and the associated risk of enjoying far too many mince pies, I made an important decision last Sunday - to get out and do a lot more exercise! (Well a bit more anyway.)

So setting off from Hoo as the fog cleared last Sunday morning, I headed towards Cooling starting out at Dux Court Road, and joining RS45 onto Wybournes Lane. This leads to Wybournes Way bridleway, which runs along the northern side of Lodge Hill Wood and down towards New Barn Farm. It’s here where I then joined the lane to Cooling, walking under the railway line and by Cooling Court Farm.

Arriving at Cooling Castle I realised I had left my wallet at home, so without the possibility of a pit stop in the Horseshoe and Castle pub, I headed back up towards Mount Pleasant - watched intently by a flock of sheep, clearly a little annoyed that I had interrupted their lunch. When I got back to the bridleway, I then started retracing my earlier steps back towards Wybourne Farm and Dux Court Road.

I’ve marked on the map below the route I took.

I did this walk just a few days before Christmas last year when we were all up to our knees in snow. So with the sun shining brightly and sky clear blue (once last Sunday morning’s fog had cleared) the scenery looked a little different this time round.

The walk took about two hours, but it could have been done much more quickly had I not stopped so many times to take in some great views of our local unspoilt landscape. But what's the rush on a Sunday?

I'm not sure exactly how many calories I used up, but surely enough to compensate for festive treats enjoyed this week!

There are quite a few other good walks around High Halstow and Cooling. Click here to visit High Halstow Parish Council’s website, where there's a dedicated section about local walks, including an easy-to-use map with details of the many marked walks in this very special and peaceful corner of the peninsula.
 

High Halstow Photographic Competition - Winners Announced

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned that I’d been invited to join the judging panel for High Halstow’s annual photographic competition.

The winning entries were announced at a Parish Council meeting last week, attended by lots of local residents.

Congratulations to Ella Kitney, who was the overall winner with her photo of a wintry wooded walk, which also came top in the ‘Under 18s’ category. Ella's winning photo is on January’s page in the 2012 High Halstow calendar. Other entries and category winners are featured from February to December.



Parish Council Chairman George Crozer and Vice-Chairman Gary Thomas are pictured below holding copies of the calendar. To find out how to buy a copy click here.

I think the calendar makes for a really good Christmas gift. Especially so, given that all profits will be donated to the HUGH fund (fundraising for the Village Hall).

For the full list of category winners and to see their photos click here. And to see the winners collecting their prizes click here.
 

High Halstow Times - November Edition

The November edition of the High Halstow Times is now available. Just click on the image below to see the full copy.

This month’s edition includes information about the Mini Christmas Fayre at Memorial Hall (on Sunday 4 December), news from High Halstow PTA (The Blossom Tree), details of Remembrance commemorations at St. Margaret’s Church, the St. Margaret’s and All Saints Christmas Market being held at Allhallows Village Hall (on Saturday 12 November), an update on the refurbishment of High Halstow Village Hall and lots lots more!

The High Halstow Times is the magazine of High Halstow Parish Council. Take a look at their website by clicking here.
 

High Halstow Photographic Competition

I was really pleased to be invited along to join the judging panel for the High Halstow Annual Photographic Competition the other evening.

All the photographs entered into the competition were impressive and really showed off the unmistakable beauty of our local area. Many of the photographs entered will appear in the special 2012 High Halstow Calendar, with the winners in each category announced at November’s Parish Council meeting at 8pm on Wednesday 9 November (at Memorial Hall, The Street, High Halstow).

Above: an entry from last year!

The 2012 Calendar will also be unveiled at the meeting, with copies on sale. They’ll be priced at £6 (large) and £5.50 (small) and will also be available at the Village Shop on Christmas Lane and at the Church Market, taking place in Allhallows (more details on that event to follow shortly).

I was chuffed to help judge the competition and I’m looking forward to seeing all those who took part and congratulating them on a job well done!

…and judging these photos has prompted me to get out and about with my own camera again soon!
  

High Halstow Times - October Edition

The latest edition of the High Halstow Times is now available. Just click the image below to see the full copy.

The High Halstow Times is the magazine of High Halstow Parish Council. Take a look at their website by clicking here.
 

High Halstow Times - September Edition

The latest edition of the High Halstow Times is now available. Just click the image below to see the full copy.

The High Halstow Times is the magazine of High Halstow Parish Council. Take a look at their website by clicking here.
 

High Halstow Blog

Blogging away since February, High Halstow Parish Council is keeping residents up to date with news and views about local activities. Their excellent new blog is packed full of useful information, including an events calendar, an archive of the High Halstow Times (viewable online), details of local voluntary groups, clubs and societies and lots of information about the history of the village. Certainly worth a visit, just click here to take a look.

The site also includes details of formal business, a list of parish councillors and information about parish council responsibilities.