The Pembury Martyr

For some years now I have been fascinated by the story of Margery Polley… our local martyr. Everybody in the village is familiar with the memorial horse trough on the green, but few, it seems, have any knowledge of the tragic events that are commemorated. So…. earlier this year I decided to make a film which would tell the full story.

I felt that it was important to make this production a village community project. I began by contacting Hilary Smith and she agreed to present the documentary and to write the script. I also approached Richard Snow, a well know local historian, and he too joined the production.

However, although essentially a documentary, there is a major dramatic scene covering the trial of Margery Polley. I then got in touch with my friend Mandy Carr, currently the Vicar of Sevenoaks Weald, who had written the screenplays for ‘The Rule Breaker,’ ’Jericho Way’ and ‘In the Shadow of the Cross.’ Mandy is a gifted writer and her agreement to join the production was warmly welcomed.

Now we needed a director and who better than Maggie Weaver. She immediately set about the casting and we were soon able to get into production.

The cast and crew are all local people whose talents have proved invaluable, so it really is a community production.
The public screenings will take place later in the year, all proceeds to charity, and we look forward to seeing you all and telling the moving story of a 30 year old Pembury widow who was burned at the stake in 1555.

David Doré

 


The Pembury Martyr – Trailer from David Doré on Vimeo.

The Pembury Hub

The Pembury Hub 

Pembury Baptist Church houses the support hub for our local area.

Support is available at Pembury Baptist Church from
 Tuesday to Friday and from Sue Nuttall on Saturdays and Sundays.
 
If you need help with food, shopping and delivery, prescriptions, letters posted or other necessary items, contact Pembury Hub on the details below. Please be willing to allow a reasonable amount of time for your support needs to be fulfilled.  For any support taking place, there will be adherence to social distancing rules, PPE will be worn if necessary and all other government guidelines for this present Coronavirus situation will be followed.  
 
The Community Larder has food, mobile phone, gas and electricity top ups available for those who are suffering hardship.  Please do not be afraid to ask.
 
The contact details are:
Tuesday-Friday 10am-4pm
Pembury Baptist Church: 01892 825590
Saturday-Sunday 10am-4pm
Sue Nuttall: 01892 822776

Christmas Lights in Pembury

Many of you I’m sure will have seen the news about why the normal Christmas lights are not on the lamp posts this year.

Work is continuing to find a solution to this issue with meetings planned this coming week involving the Parish Council, Kent County Council(KCC) and our local County Councillor (Paul Barrington-King) They are all working hard to find a solution to the issue.

Other suggestions have been put forward as to how to bring the Christmas spirit to the village this year. People are being asked to consider putting lights in their gardens or on the front of their houses, making sure that it is safe to do so, of course.

In addition to the discussions about to take place with KCC, Cllr Louise Mills (Chair, Communications & Events Working Group of Pembury Parish Council) has set up a crowdfunding appeal to raise money to install a Christmas Tree on the village green.

Please visit the page and consider giving a donation.