Harty - a little bit of rural England!

One of the highlights of the year is our annual visit to the Flower festival at Harty Church.

Harty is one of my favourite places in the whole constituency, matching Tonge Pond in its tranquillity, but with a slightly longer history. Its main draw back, or perhaps its biggest attraction, is that you have to navigate some pretty primitive roads to reach it. But, trust me, it is well worth the effort!

Almost 25 years ago I represented what was then Eastern Ward on Swale Borough Council. Harty formed part of the ward and although it has relatively few residents it plays an important part in the life of the community at the east end of Sheppey. It has a wonderful pub restaurant in the Ferry House Inn, fantastic walks and of course Harty Church.

Although I only represented the area for 4 years, I was amazed at how many people I knew, and how many recognised me, when Louise and I visited the Flower Festival yesterday. Every other person stopped to chat to us and wish us well.

In addition to the attraction of one of the prettiest churches in the South East of England, there were a number of stalls from which you can buy traditional English fare. It is one of the reasons we visit Harty. This year I bought a jar of orange and walnut marmalade and a jar of lemon and almond marmalade (which has already been opened as it delicious!). Lou bought some plants. Everyone to their own!

With a couple of goes on the Cat’s Protection League tombola stand (on which I won a bottle of wine!) thrown in, the total cost of the visit was a tenner. Not bad for a good day out and all in a good cause!

If ever you wanted to take a foreign visitor somewhere to show them what an old fashioned English rural community looks like, take them to the Harty Church Flower Festival!

The photos opposite show me (top) talking to long standing Leysdown parish councillor, Geoff Partis, and (bottom) with Sheila Beal, who is wearing the jacket she hand embroidered jacket showing every type of plane that landed at the Eastchurch areodrome. It is a work of art.