SNIPPETS from the 1970S
In the decade of Glam Rock and Ziggy Stardust, flared trousers and large collars, parishoners injected their own sparkle into Life on Capel...
February 1971 - £240 raid on car
Four electric drills, two rear wheels and tyres and two front seats, worth a total of about £240 (approx. £3400 today) were stolen from a car owned by Harry Lawrence Ltd.. of Orchard Works, Five Oak Green between Saturday lunchtime and Sunday morning.
May 1971 - Capel Gardeners
Capel Gardeners made £100, their best ever takings, at a sale of produce held in St. Luke's Hall on Saturday. The proceeds will defray the losses which the society makes on its summer show.
May 1971 - CAPEL:
Neighbours may have spotted the thieves who broke into Mayday Farm, Castle Hill, Capel between Saturday morning and Wednesday evening. They saw a grey Jaguar parked outside the farm, the home of script writer Mr. William Plowright, on Sunday afternoon. The thieves broke into the house through a front window and stole £4OO worth of goods (about £5,500 today), including wines, spirits, shirts, two dozen ties, socks and other clothing, a cigarette lighter, ruby ring, television, car radio, sheets and blankets and fishing tackle.
May 1971 - A blooming success on blossom day
For the first time ever Capel Country Friends picked a day for their blossom tour when the trees were actually in bloom. Despite advice from local farmers, members have always chosen the wrong day in the past. However, Thursday of last week proved to be just right and 6O members, in two coaches, had a successful tour.
July 1971 - An applicant who has been looking for a house in the Paddock Wood/Five Oak Green area for several weeks is now getting desperate. Can pay up to £7,250 (around £100,000 today). Prefers Gough Cooper houses, but will consider any 3-bedroomed semi-detached, must be within easy access of station. Mrs. W.T. Paddock Wood Office.
August 1971 - SCOUTS RETURN
Back home this week after a ten-day trip to the Black Forest are nine Scouts from Five Oak Green and Hadlow. The boys, together with Scout leader Mr. Kenneth Urquhart and his four assistants, arrived home on Sunday afternoon after a trouble-free holiday. They went youth hostelling after a previous camping trip was upset by lost equipment.
October 1971 - PLOUGH FINDS AT CHURCH
In our last issue we reported that Paddock Wood Historical Society had found two old wood beamed foot ploughs at the back of Paddock Wood church. Mr. J. J. Pearson, Secretary of the Society, asks to correct this report pointing out that the ploughs were found at the back of the 12th century church at Tudeley and that they were the property of Mr. Harry Veall who had readily given the society permission to clear them.