Lost locket: £100 reward. Any amateur sleuths out there?

A couple from Formby in Lancashire spent the last week of June in Chislehurst to attend their eldest son’s wedding to his now wife from Petts Wood. On 28th June, two days before the wedding the two families met for a meal at Zizzi on the High Street in Chislehurst at 8pm.

Somewhere between the Bull’s Head and Zizzi, the bride’s father lost his wife’s Links of London silver heart locket containing three small gold hearts which he had bought for her a number of years ago. It has enormous sentimental value as they chose the three small hearts to remind them of their three sons. Links of London no longer sells this locket so it’s irreplaceable. It’s particularly disappointing to the parents that on what was the proudest day of their lives, they should have lost something which was so important to their family.

The following day, the father did try to retrace his steps from the Bull’s Head to Zizzi via the nearby car park but without any luck. His only hope is that someone has found the locket, has kept it safe and, now on hearing how important it is to him and his wife, would be kind enough to return it.

He can’t actually remember how much they paid for it but to them it’s priceless so he would be delighted to offer a reward of £100 for its return.

If anyone has or finds the locket, please contact us at Village News and we will arrange to return it to its owner and pay the £100 reward either to yourself or donate it to a local charity.

So, if the kids are driving you mad already, send them down Centre Common Road with a metal detector.

© www.chislehurstpettswoodandbickleyvillagenews.co.uk

©

"Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery" is an expression that has been around for nearly two hundred years, and longer than that in sentiment. As Village News comes up to its fifteenth birthday, originally as "Chislehurst Village News" in print only, for the last year as an online News, What's On and Business Directory, and plenty more besides, and, more recently, extending to cover Petts Wood and Bickley, we are delighted to have had well over 60,000 hits with the number increasing weekly as we put more and more local information onto the website. The recently launched Village Card has been enthusiatically received, and over the summer we will be adding more shops and businesses to the thirty-five existing ones.

Several readers have said that they like the front cover from 2004 that's on our Home page, but have asked what we were writing about ten years ago. Well now you can find out. Click on the "Chislehurst Village News" cover that you will find on the Home page down the left hand side to see who and what we were reporting on.

Of course, such success breeds imatators and so we are now obliged to put a copyright symbol at the end of each article just to make sure that the imatators are in no doubt that they're being watched - by you! Not that we're too bothered with the imatators - just flattered, but when no fewer than six readers recently pointed out the similarities in a Village News report on 29th April and a News Shopper report dated 7th May, we felt it perfectly reasonable to give it greater publicity. What do you think?

From Chislehurst, Petts Wood & Bickley Village News, 29th April 2014

From News Shopper, 7th May 2014

The Conservatives currently hold 53 of the 60 seats on Bromley Council, up from 49 in 2006. They are fielding 60 candidates.

In the previous election in 2010, the Conservative party won 53 of the 60 seats on Bromley Council, up from 49 in 2006. This year they are fielding 60 candidates.

Labour currently hold 3 seats, down from 4 in 2006. They are fielding 60 candidates.

Labour currently hold three seats, down from four in 2006, and are also fielding 60 candidates.

Liberal Democrats currently hold 4 seats, down from 7 in 2006... for 2014 the Liberal Democrats are only contesting 47 seats, whereas in 2006 they contested all 60, and 59 in 2010.

Meanwhile the Liberal Democrats, who currently hold four seats (down from seven in 2006) are only contesting 47 seats - in 2010 they contested 59, in 2006 they contested 60.

In 2006 UKIP contested just 1 seat, in 2010 they contested 10. Next month they will be contesting 35 seats in all of the wards, presumably hoping to do well on the back of the European elections being held the same day.

The big story is the huge increase in the number of seats the UK Independence Party (UKIP) intend to run for. In 2006 the controversial party fielded just one candidate, in 2010 they fielded 10. On May 22 they will be contesting 35 seats, presumably hoping to do well on the back of the European elections being held the same day. 

The Greens are fielding 22 candidates. In 2010 they fielded 15 and in 2006 just 10.

The Greens are fielding 22 candidates (they fielded 15 in 2010 and 10 in 2006)...

We have emailed the News Shopper journalist for a response. When we get one, we'll let you know what he said. "Sorry," we hope.

 www.chislehurstpettswoodandbickleyvillagenews.co.uk 

Chislehurst's Dominic Limbrey's D1 London Gin awarded two highest Masters Medals in global Gin Masters 2014

Newly launched D1 London Gin has been awarded the highest, Masters, medals for the quality of its gin in the Super Premium and Contemporary categories of the global Gin Masters 2014 based on blind tasting by panels of independent industry experts.

Organised by Spirits Business Magazine, The Spirit Masters series has fast become one of the most respected and high profile trade competitions in the industry, attracting vast amounts of entries from leading brands all over the world. Each spirit is judged independently on its own merit against a global standard of quality and then awarded a Silver, Gold or Master medal.

“Having spent two years perfecting our gin with one of the oldest distilleries, we are delighted that the smooth versatile quality of D1 London Gin has been consistently recognised by all the judges in the Gin Masters 2014 awards,” said Dominic Limbrey, who is Managing Director of D J Limbrey Distilling Company Ltd, which produces D1 London Gin. “Our aim was to create an exceptional gin that would be appreciated by gin lovers and appeal to other spirits drinkers around the world. The incredibly positive reaction we’ve had from the huge number of people who have tasted and bought D1 London Gin since launching only a few weeks ago has been truly amazing. We are honoured to receive these awards which are recognised globally for their independence and consistently high standards.”

Commenting on the awards, Sprits Business Magazine associate publisher Daisy Jones said, “It is always exciting each year when we get new brands enter into The Spirit Masters Series and they outperform the established brands. D1 London Gin entered into the ‘Super Premium’ and the newly launched ‘Contemporary’ categories of The Gin Masters 2014 and very deservingly was awarded the highest, Masters, medals in each category. This is a true endorsement of a fabulous gin matching all the requirements of the now educated gin consumers.”

Launched in May, D1 London Gin uses a very narrow cut of triple-distilled spirit in a batch copper pot distillation with juniper berries, coriander, orange and lemon peel, angelica root, cassia bark, orris, almond, liquorice and nettles selected by a master tea blender. The resulting 40% ABV London Dry Gin produces quintessential British flavours and aromas of orange, fruit tea with a juniper backbone, and a distinctive blackcurrant nose that works perfectly with mint as a signature garnish.

D.J. Limbrey Distilling Company is a contemporary luxury British spirits company meeting demand for British craft, quality and innovation. The company is founded by Dominic, who has a passion for premium gin with a background in design and production for international markets. D1 London Gin is the company’s first spirit, combining traditional distilling craft with contemporary branding to create a multi-award winning, smooth and versatile super-premium gin designed for broad appeal in global markets.

All we now need at Village News is some samples!

www.d1londongin.com

www.chislehurstpettswoodandbickleyvillagenews.co.uk

Invicta Chislehurst Scouts & their bid for World Domination

Hiring village and church halls in the Village News area has always been difficult. There simply aren’t enough of them to go round. Anyone trying to book St Nicholas’ Church Hall in Church Lane, Chislehurst, for a Friday evening party would be met with an apologetic, “Sorry, it’s already booked.” “What, for December next year?” “Yes.”

The reason for this Friday evening slot being so full up was because Chislehurst’s Invicta Scouts had taken up residency. Ever since their old scout hut was raised to the ground by vandals in August 1997, they have been somewhat nomadic, with their Cubs in a church hall off the High Street and the Scouts in Church Lane.

Gary Peppiatt, District Commissioner, with Invicta Scouts

Their original scout hut could have been found on a small piece of land off the footpath that runs between Belmont Parade and Kemnal Road. However, when the scout hut was burned down and planning permission was sought to rebuild it, Invicta Scouts were refused due to lack of vehicular access. There then followed a sixteen year hiatus whilst a new site was found. Eventually the playground at Chislehurst Recreation Ground was moved and the scout hut was rebuilt on the site of the old playground, and last Saturday this new hut had its grand opening.

l-r (seated): Sir Roger Sims, Bob Neill MP, Councillor Boughey

Now, this being Chislehurst, the hut is no longer referred to as a hut. The other scout group in Chislehurst, 5th Chislehurst, does have a “hut” although it is actually an old stables. Invicta Chislehurst’s hut is now being referred to, rather smugly, as a “Headquarters”. Whilst we wait for Invicta Chislehurst to use its HQ as a base for world domination, we should also report that hut or no hut, it’s a superb building that will probably keep the scouts where they shouldn’t be - inside, what with hot water, toilets that flush, a kitchen and even a carpet, with not a spider in sight. Baden Powell will be turning in his grave!

The Grand Opening attracted the great and the good from local scouting. Bob Neill, MP for Bromley & Chislehurst and a Vice President of Bromley Scout District Executive, was in attendance and said a few appreciative words. He was accompanied by ex-Bromley and Chislehurst MP, Sir Roger Sims, who is the Bromley Scout District President. Chislehurst Councillor, Katy Boughey was also in attendance, representing Bromley Council that was congratulated for coming to the rescue with a suitable site.

Claire Hannam, Group Scout Leader, has trouble with Royal icing

So, if any scout section age children (10 – 14 year olds) would like to become a scout, they have a choice: they can have Invicta Chislehurst’s shiny new HQ or 5th Chislehurst’s spider-infested stables. They both meet - with their excellent leaders - on Fridays to, as Baden Powell envisaged, “teach and encourage the youth of tomorrow.”

In the meantime, if it’s a party you’re after, we understand that St Nicholas’ Church Hall is now free on Fridays. And, if you find that both scout groups are full up, you could always build a new hut on the site of Invicta Chislehurst’s old one as, somewhat ironically, it now does have vehicular access.

www.chislehurstpettswoodandbickleyvillagenews.co.uk