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Although most of south east England was under snow in the lead up to Christmas, you may have noticed that many of the paths and pavements in the village were clear and well gritted, especially the Brooks path. For that we have to thank Bob Hall, aka Bob the Cap, who was out with his wheelbarrow and spade almost daily. 'Well, I couldn't get out to go to work so I thought I'd make myself useful.' Thanks Bob.
Following the successful introduction of a flock of Hebridean sheep into Rainbow Meadow this year, we have now decided to extend the area they will graze to include Limekiln Meadow too. The aim of our conservation grazing programme is to return the meadows to the flower rich pastures they once were. The new additions will bring the flock to around ninety. Regular walkers in the valley will have noticed the improvement in Rainbow Meadow since the introduction of the sheep, and when they were taken away for shearing in the summer they were very much missed.
The recent 'Auction of Promises' at the George V Pavilion turned out to be a night of hilarity as well as bargains. Bidders could choose from over 60 lots, including clay pigeon shooting for four people, signed prints and books from Ralph Steadman and Graham Clarke and afternoon tea for 6 people. This item was donated by Dawn Bristow-Smith, and some bidders offered to pay more if Dawn served tea dressed as a nurse! Dawn however drew the line at wearing a nurse's outfit. The auctioneer and master of ceremonies was LAA Chairman Terry Davis, pictured here with his magic wand. "The evening started off with a lot of laughter and heckling from the floor, and after the interval became even more hilarious. The fact that some people were actually bidding against themselves might have had something to do with the wine we served in the interval! It was a wonderful evening which we all thoroughly enjoyed" he said.
The evening raised profits of just over £1,500, which will go towards LAA projects in the village and valley. Many thanks to everyone who so generously donated items and to all who came along to bid for them. Pictures are courtesy of Howard Marsh.
The winners of our very first Loose Scarecrow Festival were in first place Jo Shearling at Snark Cottage with Postman Pat.
and in third place the flying Scarecrows in Vale Road created by Ian Greenfield.
Loose
Scarecrow Festival 2010 LAA's very first Scarecrow Festival, from 19th to 26th September, saw over 2,000 visitors to the village enjoying 73 scarecrows made by residents, Brownies, Loose Junior and Infants schools, Scouts, North Loose Residents Association, All Saints' Church, WI's, Loose Allotments...the list goes on and on. It was a wonderful event which was embraced by the whole community, and one which we are happy to report will be repeated next year from 17 to 25 September. Everyone who bought a clue sheet could vote for their favourite, and the winner, second and third scarecrows will be announced at the Loose Amenities Association AGM on Wednesday 13 October. The winner of the prize draw will also be announced.
'The Merry Wives of Windsor' rocks the village!
Set
in the 1950's with Skiffle songs and quiffs, the show was enormously
entertaining and had the audience rocking with laughter in their picnic
chairs. The energy that the actors bought to their parts meant that
there was never a dull moment and the garden of Vale House proved a
perfect setting. It's the first time an event like this has been staged in Loose, and there were so many familiar faces in the audience it was more like a gathering of friends and neighbours than a public performance. The actors enjoyed the audience too, commenting after the show on how friendly and intimate the evening had been. Thanks once again to Elly and Cairns Nelson for so generously allowing the play to be performed at their home. Loose goes to Royal Ascot A brilliant day out was enjoyed by all who went on our first ever trip to Royal Ascot on 18 June. The coach left the village at 10am, complete with picnics and hats, and parked in the pre-booked space right opposite the entrance. As the driver stayed with the coach all day, the picnics, drinks etc could be left on board while everyone soaked up the atmosphere, had a little flutter and saw the Queen. 'It was so nice and easy, being picked up just outside the Chequers and not having to carry all our things around with us while we were there" said Mariola Mitchell from Malthouse Hill. "My friends and I had a really wonderful day, and we all want to go again next year". In fact, Andrea has 22 advance bookings already!
By common consent, this year's Duck Race was the most successful in recent history, both in terms of visitor enjoyment and profitability. The new ticket sales setup was so fast that tickets for all 35 races were sold within an hour, and a PA system ensured that everyone knew when their race was about to start and which ducks had won each heat. Because of this the Brooks Path wasn't as crowded as it usually is and race-goers could watch their duck's progress in comfort.
A fantastic group of volunteers made the day possible, but special thanks should go to Terry Davis for devising the new ticketing system and John McDonald for spending hours in the Loose stream, getting it ready for the race all morning then hooking the ducks out at the finishing line all afternoon. He really deserves a pair of gold plated waders! To see pictures of the Loose Duck Race 2010 click here
The recent 'danger' signs fixed to a large number of gravestones in the Cemetery in the heart of the village with yellow and black plastic tape have caused a great deal of distress and anger. Fifty four stones were identified by Loose Parish Council as being dangerous, some 37 'in immediate danger of collapse'. There has been a great deal of criticism of the Council over this matter, but at the Annual Parish Meeting on 27 April, a spokesman confirmed that in fact only nine gravestones are now considered unsafe. He also reassured the meeting that no work will be undertaken which will detract from what is an undoubtedly beautiful feature of the village. For more information visit the Parish Council's website at www.loosepc.kentparishes.gov.uk. Boundary
marker After much delay the final Loose Conservation Area boundary marker will now be positioned on the village green at the top of Old Loose Hill.. The markers and their installation were paid for from the Heritage Lottery Fund and organised by Loose Valley Conservation Area Partnership, of which LAA is now a member. The larger markers are sited at road entrances and smaller ones are positioned on footpaths entering the Conservation Area.
APRIL Senior Citizens' Party
Duck Race on 31st May Plans are well under way for LAA's most popular event, the world famous Loose Duck Race. This year there will be more stalls, a faster ticket sales desk and a public address system so you know when your race is under starter's orders. You'll still find the old favourites too, including the tea tent with home made cakes, pastries and cream teas, the plant stall (with a wider selection of plants and a professional garden designer on hand to give planting advice), the coconut shy, face painting, White Elephant stall, and Victorian penny arcade games for all the family. There will be an exclusive Ralph Steadman designed mug for the winner of each heat and a prize for the overall winner. Come along and join in the fun on the 31st May. The first race starts at 2pm. See you there! Open air Shakespeare Tickets are now on sale for our first open air Shakespeare, the Merry Wives of Windsor at Vale House in the village on 31st July. Tickets are selling fast so book early to avoid disappointment. See the Events page for more information
Family fun for all was had at the Easter Egg Hunt in the village on Easter Monday. As well as searching for eggs there was face painting, games, plants for sale, homemade cakes, tea and coffee.
FEBRUARY Qu We had great fun and a lovely atmosphere at our first quiz night at the Pavilion on Saturday 20th February. The winners were: 1.
Loose Ends
Sunday working party
The Sunday working party is on the third Sunday of every month, and the next one will be on 21st March from 10am to 1.30pm. We provide tea, coffee and biscuits (and this time a delicious cake from Dawn). Many hands make light work, so if you have a couple of hours to spare you'll be very welcome. The pictures are courtesy of Howard Marsh who came along to lend moral support.
The last cows will be leaving the valley in early March. At the time of writing there are some packs of beef still available. If you would like to buy some please ring Rita on 01622 743126. Hello sheep The
committee has decided to trial conservation grazing of Hebridean sheep
in part of the valley. The decision was taken mainly on ecological grounds
but the financial
benefits of marketing the lamb (which is delicious) was taken into account
too. The breed
is tough,
docile and native to the British Isles since the Iron Age. For more
on the research we undertook before reaching this decision click on
the picture We realise that there may be some concern over potential sheep worrying by dogs, but the Hebrideans are very different from the sheep commonly seen in this area. They keep themselves to themselves, are docile and shy but if worried by dogs they can and will defend themselves. All the sheep have horns and are very fleet of foot. Most importantly the ewes will return to the owner's farm at Sutton Valence at lambing time, when they are most vulnerable to attack. During the trial, Rainbow Meadow (the bit near Kirkdale down as far as the metal gate into Limekiln Meadow) will be grazed to encourage wild flowers and to keep the area clear of scrub and brambles. Notices requesting owners to keep their dogs under control from the entrance by the cow pen to the stile at Little Ivy will be erected. In the rest of the valley (footpath, Lime Kiln Meadow, Lime Kiln Shaw, 49 steps etc) there will be no such requirement and dogs can run wherever they and they owners wish. If you have any questions about this trial then please e-mail webmaster@loose-amenities.org.uk.
JANUARY Last newsletter delivery In past years, our newsletter has been posted through the letterbox of every home in Loose, regardless of whether the residents wanted it or not. This blanket method of delivery is very wasteful of paper and volunteer manpower so we have decided that our next newsletter, which will be delivered within the next few weeks, will be the last to be delivered in this way. From now on the website, which is updated on a very regular basis, will be our main means of communication. Of course we realise that not everyone has access to a computer, so you can still opt in to have a paper copy delivered if you would prefer. You can either telephone 01622 749954, write to our secretary at 4 Walnut Tree Avenue, Loose, Maidstone ME15 9RN or send an e-mail to info@loose-amenities.org.uk. Since November, monthly news bulletins have also been displayed at Loose and Boughton Parade Post Offices and the notice board in Bridge Street. Work parties in the valley The Sunday working party on the third Sunday of every month is now up and running with the first meeting on 21 February from 10am to 1.30 pm. We are also hoping to resurrect the weekly Tuesday working parties in the valley. For more information visit the Get Involved page. Events We now have details of all the events to be held by Loose Amenities Association this year, including several new ones. The first is a Quiz Night on 20 February. Visit the Events page for more information. Calendar The Loose Amenities Association calendar, a fixture on many kitchen walls in Loose and further afield, was not produced for 2010 and was sadly missed. Changes in the organisation of the Association meant that the June deadline (when it is usually sent to the printer) was missed. But the good news is that it will be back for 2011! Committee member Liz Collins is organising next year's calendar production and she plans to base it on the theme of Loose organisations and activities. If you have a photograph which you think might be suitable get in touch with Liz at calendar@loose-amenities.org.uk or our secretary Andrea Tozer on 01622 749954 |
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Bob
to the rescue 
More
sheep
Auction
of Promises
Scareccrow
winners
Second
were the children of Loose Infants School with 'Dancing around the Maypole'
On
Saturday 31st July, the Changeling Theatre Company performed 'The Merry
Wives of Windsor' by William Shakespeare in the grounds of Vale House,
Loose. 
Duck
Race 2010
We
stilll have some fine-tuning to do for next year's event (for example,
we found out on the day that the PA system couldn't be heard at the
finishing line), but the end result was well worth all the hard work.
Cemetery
update
Five
Loose residents who attended were in their 90's, including our
most senior citizen at 95, Mrs Eileen Bourne (pictured right)
Easter
Egg Hunt
iz
night
Raffle
winners were
And
more thanks to the seventeen hardy volunteers who braved the rain and
mud on 21st February for the first Sunday working party in the valley.
We cleared a huge number of brambles in Rainbow Meadow in preparation
for the arrival of the sheep. To
give the land a chance to recover and allow the grass to grow, 
they
will be coming in mid May which will give us a chance to finish the
bramble clearance and get the fences around Rainbow Meadow and Bank
repaired.
Goodbye
cows