Town Talk Halling fun week (plus a bit!) By Trevor Reynolds


‘FW11’ - as it was known - was Halling’s very first attempt at a fun week – and it ran on local Halling time as it stretched over 10 days! It kicked it off with the magnificent ‘Stark’s Family Band’ in the community centre and ended with a fabulous fire- work display at nightfall on August 28. Between those dates there was a hugely successful ‘Pictorial Walk ThroughOldHalling’ in the social club, childrens’ walks along the river frontage, bus trips to the newly ac- quired ‘White Pit’, fun night in the com- munity centre, and ‘Creepy Claws’ bugs and small animals display and talks for the children in the garden of the New Bell Inn. There was a very successful treasure


hunt around Lower Halling on a glori- ously hot (honestly!) Sunday afternoon


and a mesmerising display of close-up magic by ‘Magic Martin’ in the New Bell Inn. Ben Mills and his band returned to


the community centre for another fan- tastic sell-out gig, and videos of the event are already finding their way onto YouTube. The fun day itself was another huge success, with numbers at least equal to last year’s, despite the occasional shower. With each year, more and more exhibitors are coming forward, which suggests that Halling’s fun week could also become a regular fixture. The organising committee is grateful


to all the sponsors who made the event possible and plans will very shortly be formulated to see if next year’s event can be even better. Given the overwhelming success of


FW11 that may be difficult, but never say never!


Isabella tests her strength at one of the many sideshows


Local news for Snodland and Halling


Young Samuel was one of the many attracted to the fire engine


Demolition casts light over church’s past


THE remnants of two old film projectors were found in the Catholic Church, which was previously a cinema, and have been presented to Snodland Millennium Museum by the builder, Bernard Berry. The church, on the corner of Holborough


Road and Queens Avenue, has been demol- ished and replaced with five houses. Details of the projectors were sent to the


South East Film Archive in Brighton, which confirmed they were by Pathe Freres of Paris and would ap- pear to be the first projectors used when the cinema opened in 1912. It is hoped


that one of the machines will be renovated.


8 Town Talk


Couple marked 50 golden years


A SNODLAND couple celebrated their golden wedding with a bless- ing and renewal of vows in a cer- emony conducted by the rector of Snodland, Rev Hugh Broadbent, at All Saints Church. Roy and Betty Penny were among the newcomers who “in- vaded” Snodland when they bought their house in Taylor Road – part of the Rookery Farm Estate – in the 1960s. Roy, who served in the Royal Navy for 12


Roy and Betty with Rev Hugh Broadbent The couple became involved in Scouting


years, was on a night out with a friend when they decided to go to a dance at Southsea, Hampshire. It was there that he met Betty – out with her friend – and greeted her with the immortal words: “Hello, do you come here often?”. They were married a year later in Betty’s home town, Fareham. Roy joined the Civil Service as a photog- rapher, later becoming a professional tech- nological officer until he retired in 1990. Betty, a qualified shorthand typist, became a support services assistant with KCC.


in Snodland. Roy was chairman of the Snodland Scout Group for many years and Betty ran Snodland Brownies before set- ting up the 1st Rainbow Unit. Both are members of the Kent Active Re- tirement Fellowship, of which Betty is min- utes secretary and Roy produces the quarterly West Malling Active Retirement Association magazine. Roy also serves on the committee of Snodland Historical So- ciety.


They have three children, Steven, Michael and Janet, and eight grandchil- dren. Family and friends, including the best man at their wedding,celebrated the oc- casion with them.


Part-time fireman Daryl Palmer took six months to grow his beard and his wife Maggie hated it, even if it was for charity. Cheryl of Soul Scissors took less than five min- utes to remove it


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