Iden

EVERYONE LOVES A PIE!: Iden's blackberries are becoming fat and prolific, hedgerows are full of them. Time to put away the salad servers and pull something warming and filling out of the oven, so what better than a nice, homely pie .Bake a pie, and everyone gathers round and fetches the cutlery. Nothing is more adaptable. Between it's crust sits a myriad of fillings, sweet or savoury, and the vegetables, or cream and custard sit around it like extra's on a film set. A pie is the star of the table all right, yet still manages to retain a merry, countrified persona. It's the culinary Doris Day. This week I made a blackberry and apple, and it came out of the oven, and seemed to beckon me to gather round [a contradiction in terms considering that I was the only one in at the time], but I was aware of it's crusty little sense of hospitality, and the need to share. When my mum [an English war bride] was taken by my dad to visit Saskatchewan, she told me that prairie farmers helped each other threshing, and long tables were laid out in the fields with more pies than she had ever seen. I wasn't there, but I visit that simple scene in my mind often. [Our minds are like black cabs aren't they, they take us wherever we want to go] I'm sure Iden farmers offered each other the same help and hospitality. A pie crust has many guises [ you can't do as you please with a pie crust, good grief no]. There's your hot-water crust, flaky, shortcrust, puff, and filo., and just try making the wrong thing with the wrong pastry. Talk about being '˜ONLY' a housewife [it's a veritable minefield] The words '˜apple pie' are probably the most kindly and un-threatening in all the world. You'd never say 'stick em up, I'm carrying an apple pie!', or 'Stay where you are, we've got you covered by a slice of plum tart' now would you?
By The Newsroom
Published 22nd Sep 2017, 07:00 BST

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Iden newsIden news
Iden news

THE HARVEST SUPPER: Autumn has begun, and the Harvest Supper will be on Saturday 30th September, in Iden village hall, 7pm for 7.30pm. Tickets are £8 each, to include a glass of wine, and are obtainable from Iden Stores. Besides the supper, amusements are guaranteed, so please buy your tickets early for this popular event.

A SPECIAL THANK YOU FROM CHRIS AND SALLY: Now that the roadworks are almost complete, and the array of ‘Road Closed’, ‘Diversion‘, and ‘Access Only’ signs have been packed up and moved on, to cause confusion and chaos elsewhere, we would like to thank everyone in the village for the wonderful support they have given to Iden Stores while the road has been closed. Although the number of passing customers has been well down, the regular customers have made sure that the shop hasn’t lost out too much by buying an extra piece of Becky’s delicious fruit cake or perhaps a cheeky weekend-treat bottle of wine. We really do appreciate everyone’s support.

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IDEN BOWLS CLUB: A bowls club is not just about playing bowls. There have been several occasions this year given over to frivolity. Bowls matches are so often occasions for sharing food and fun. Last week, Iden held the Iden Bowls Club Tournament, where members of various clubs are invited by Iden to play against each other. It’s an occasion to recognise the comaraderie between clubs, inviting people Iden may have played against for years. The tournament was won by Beckley [2], Rye second and Tenterden third. A few days before ‘The Iden Bowls Club Finals were held [more food, but none the less, serious competition] The ‘Rae Wickens Trophy’-winner was Pauline Harmer, runner up Brenda Warner ‘Chairman’s Trophy’-winner Kit Young, runner up Bru Wood. ‘Percy’s Pot’ -winner Paul Parsons, runner up Mike Kirkby. ‘Norman’s Two Wood’ -winner Ray Griffin, runner up Mike Kirkby. ‘Miss May Doubles’ - winners Brenda Warner and Bru Wood, runners up Paul Parsons and Colin Rankin. ‘100 up’-winner Ray Griffin, runner up Les Britton.

HOW ABOUT GIVING BOWLS A TRY?: Iden Bowls Club would welcome new members. You don’t have to be a great bowler [you can learn on the job] The club has members join from all over the area [it isn’t confined to Iden members, anyone can join, and new members soon become threaded in to what is a really open-hearted group.

IDEN CHRISTMAS CARDS: Rod Stuart has produced some charming, Christmas cards this year, depicting Iden Church. The quaint, Christmassy scene, together with a bright red modern envelope give a special twist to what is a distinctly rural card to send to people living outside Iden. The cards sell at 50 pence each, and proceeds go to the church tower fund. They are proving very popular, and if you wish to order some, please ring Rod Stuart [telephone 280265]

KNITTER NATTER: Instead of starting on 19th September, Knitter Natter in Iden village hall will now begin on Tuesday 3rd October, from 2pm-4pm. Everyone is welcome to do whatever craft they choose, and natter away to their heart’s content!

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A SERVICE OF HOLY COMMUNION: There will be a service of Holy Communion in Iden Parish Church on Sunday, at 9.30am.

A CHILL IN THE AIR: September has to be one of the most considerate months. It hangs on to summer’s sunshine, yet warns us of approaching Autumn by dropping the temperature just enough to have us airing our winter woollies, and checking on the log pile. Children expect to return to school after the summer holidays with, a long-sleeved jumper to go with the new blazer [amazing how they shoot up up during the holidays, with all that sunshine vitamin ‘D’] Dahlias are the pride of everyone’s garden, such colours and so easy to arrange [they don’t flop about like some flowers who blatantly refuse to cooperate once inside a vase]. Folk often say, “I do love September”. Why is that? I think it’s because it sits on the fence with one foot still dangling in Summer the other in autumn, indecisive, refusing to be type-cast. It’s ripening berries and pumpkins know exactly what’s expected of them. They are the décor, the objet d’art of autumn, together with red/gold/orange leaves. As a child I remember having to sit on a pile of beech leaves cushioned between newspaper which my mum had steeped in glycerine to re-produce autumn colours. The beech stalks stuck in my behind, but it didn’t do to argue [just sit there and be mutilated !]. A few autumn leaves fall early, refusing to stay on a tree with failing nutrition, but most stay on and wonder what colour they will become [a bit like ‘Strictly’ contestants after a tanning session] It’s the chill though that is the most telling sense of approaching autumn. It travels up our spines as though it’s mounting a ladder, and we fetch our anoraks. It’s no good fighting the inevitable!

CONTACT ME: If anyone has anything to add to the Village Voice, please contact Gill Griffin [telephone 01797 280311]

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