Hoo Clean Up (April 2013)

The next Hoo Clean Up event will take place on Saturday 27 April, at 9.30am.

Meeting at The Chequers pub in Church Street, volunteers will spend around 90 minutes collecting 'enemy' litter from around the village square. There'll be free refreshments back at the pub after the session for everyone that helped.

If you’d like to find out more about the Hoo Clean Ups, or to sign up for this excellent community activity, contact Michael Pearce (Clean Up Co-Ordinator) on 07919 693 095, or send an email by clicking here.

  

Easter Bonnet Parade at The Chequers

During the Easter weekend I popped down the pub (The Chequers in Hoo), but not for a pint this time! I was asked to judge a children’s Easter Bonnet Parade and Picture Painting Competition.

Well done to all the kids for attending with their parents and for creating a superb selection of colourful bonnets and paintings. It was extremely difficult to choose winners!

Special thanks to Sarah, who runs the pub, and DJ Marky Mark (both pictured) for providing great entertainment all afternoon.

I believe there’ll be some more photos of this event in the May edition of Village Voices, so watch out for that!

Find out more about the many events taking place at The Chequers by visiting their website.

  

Join the fight against litter in Hoo!

The next Hoo Clean Up event will take place on Saturday 30 March, at 9.30am.

Meeting at The Chequers pub in Church Street, volunteers will spend around 90 minutes collecting 'enemy' litter from around the village square. There'll be free refreshments back at the pub after the session for everyone that helped.

If you’d like to find out more about the Hoo Clean Ups, or to sign up for this excellent community activity, contact Michael Pearce (Clean Up Co-Ordinator) on 07919 693 095, or send an email by clicking here.
  

Out in rural Hoo

It was good getting out and about this week - again exploring some of the more rural parts of Hoo.

With a spell of fairly nice sunny weather, and the prospect of some much needed exercise, I headed out to help with the delivery of the latest edition of Village Voices (the community magazine for Hoo and Chattenden) with Michael Pearce, who runs the magazine, and Kevin from The Chequers pub.

We delivered the magazine to Hoo’s more rural areas, including Dux Court Road, the Ratcliffe Highway, Roper’s Lane, Jacob’s Lane and the section of Stoke Road beyond the 'village envelope' - going as far as the last house in the parish, namely Polly Adams Cottage.

It was a lovely afternoon and it was good seeing everything looking so vibrant and interesting in the sunshine, albeit it was still very chilly.

I'm looking forward to the summer months!

  

Refurbishment of The Chequers

Quite apart from being my local pub of choice, I’m very excited about the major refurbishment currently underway at The Chequers pub in Church Street, Hoo.

This wonderful old red-brick Georgian building with its mansard roof is, in my opinion, one of the best old buildings left in the village. And it is one that escaped destruction during the 1950s and 60s - a particularly dark period, architecturally speaking, when so many other classic buildings succumbed to ‘progress’.

You can view photographs of the refurbishment work by visiting the pub’s new website, just click here to take a look.

Very best wishes to Kev and Sarah on their grand re-opening, all set for Friday 1 March.
 

A musical night in Hoo!

For music lovers everywhere - Hoo is the place to be this Saturday, when there’ll be live music at two venues.

Taggs Coffee Shop and Wine Bar (Church Street, Hoo) will combine their first Mexican food night (a weekly event) with sax-playing Glen Powling, who is all set to dazzle diners with his smooth selection of mellow music.

Glen, pictured above, will begin performing at around 7.30pm. You don’t need a ticket for this event - you just need to be a punter to enjoy the music!

Then, just a short distance down the road, one of the best SKA bands in the country will be performing at The Chequers pub. ‘The Skatonics’ will perform a selection of music, including an impressive catalogue of covers from the likes of The Specials, Madness and Bad Manners! Tickets are £5 and are available from the pub.

Another great musical night in Hoo - enjoy!
 

Your village needs you - at the September Hoo Clean Up!

The next Hoo Clean Up event is taking place this Saturday (29 September).

Starting at The Chequers Pub at 9.30am, volunteers will clear litter from the centre of the village, including Church Street, Bells Lane, Main Road and Stoke Road. The session will end at 11am with free tea and cakes.

Take a look at the poster (above) to find out more, or get in touch with Michael Pearce on 07919 693 095.

 

Take a look at the Village Voices 'facebook' page here.

 

The Chequers Pub in Hoo - under new management!

A very warm welcome to Sarah and Kevin (and Charlie the dog), who last week took over the running of The Chequers Pub in Church Street, Hoo.

Good luck guys!