Harvest Supper
Our traditional Harvest Supper will take place on Friday 27 September 2024 at 7.30pm in the Barn at Home Farm, by kind permission of the Fairlawne Estate. There will be entertainment, a cash bar and a raffle. You can buy tickets from 29 August at Plaxtol Stores or at the Shipbourne Farmers’ Market (Thursdays, 9-11am)
Funds raised on the evening will go to St Giles Shipbourne and Plaxtol Church.
Please remember that it is not possible to heat the Barn, so please wrap up warmly and remember we use straw bales as seats, so you may wish to bring a cushion. You will need cash for the pay bar and the raffle.
We look forward to seeing you all!
St Giles Shipbourne and the Vanes
A new Heritage trail, St Giles Shipbourne and the Vanes: 150 years at Fairlawne, is now on display in the Church. The trail explores the lives of Christopher Vane, the first Lord Barnard, his argumentative wife, his father Sir Henry Vane the Younger, his grandfather Sir Henry Vane the Elder, and his grandson William, Viscount Vane, who with his wife Frances were the last Vanes to live at Fairlawne. The trail is illustrated with reproductions of six portraits and an exhibition in the Vane Chapel traces the story of the Vane family during their 150 years living at Fairlawne and their links to current members of the family. The trail is open without charge, until early September.
Community Bread Basket
We meet on the fourth Saturday of each month! We are taking a break in August, but do join us between 9.30am and 11.00am on Saturday 21 September in Plaxtol Parish Church for our usual cafe breakfast.
Our aim is to create a community hub where everyone is welcome to share in our monthly breakfast. Our hope is to create a relaxed, friendly atmosphere where neighbours and friends can get together. There is a book table and a children’s colouring table.
There will be a collection for the Chatham Foodbank. Boxes are placed in both our churches, normally over the fourth weekend of each month, for donations of food and toiletries, to coincide with our Community Bread Basket event.
The Magpie Centre in Chatham, which is connected to our link parish (All Saints’ Church in Chatham), appealed to us in February 2024 for donations of small kitchen equipment, including settings for 4 people (plates, cutlery etc) and small pots and pans, as well as clothes, towels and curtains. We are setting up collection points in St Giles Shipbourne and Plaxtol Church on the 4th Saturday of each month to coincide with the Community Bread Basket. Thank you for your support.