Talk of the Town

‘Talk of the Town’

Talk of the Town

Celebrated the Hidden Histories of Westerham & Crockham Hill

September 4th, 5th and 6th 2015

A weekend packed full of entertainment


Funds were raised to support the Talking Statues project – a trail round town using smart phone technology  (see link below!).

See photos from the 2015 weekend here

Download Activity Quiz for all the family


Churchill St GhostsThe Royal British Legion, and  Westerham Town Partnership brought Westerham’s ‘ghosts’ alive to help visitors and residents learn about Westerham’s bygone days, from our ‘cast of costumed characters’. We’d like to thank helpers, residents, participants and visitors alike for helping make such a success of the weekend-long event.

Highlights included ‘The Home Front’ at the Legion, including Westerham’s own Home Guard, 1940s sitting room, complete with crackling wireless, an Anderson shelter, a Nissen Hut entrance, an anti-aircraft weapon….and a shot-down ME109; Gastronomy Tent on The Green, including:
The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party
Vintage Fair
Exhibition with Westerham & World Timeline
St Mary’s Spire surprise & tours
Live Music
Sunday Procession with cast and townsfolk
Cabaret supper finale

Produced by the Westerham Town Partnership


Timetable for the weekend

Friday 4th September

7 for 7.30pm Quiz night with supper at Crockham Hill Village Hall (in aid of Friends of Edenbridge Hospital). £12.50 each, tables of 8 (there will be a joiners’ table), bar, raffle with great prizes.

Saturday 5th September

Andy Pandy10 am onwards day begins, grab an activity sheet and get cracking!

11.30 – 17.00 – Chat to the ‘cast’ on The Green, meet Westerham’s characters

* follow the map, walk the town and discover the sites for talking statues
* vintage fairground, pirate ship, tea-cups, candy floss, hoopla, coconut shy
* gastronomy tent – sample food through the ages all day
* Westerham & World timeline, photographs and memorabilia, St Mary’s spire surprise
* music all day: 3.30 – 5.30pm Jean Bentley Orchestra

11 am The Royal British Legion transformed: WW2 Anderson shelter, an anti-aircraft weapon, a shot-down Messerschmitt ME109 in the field, a Nissen Hut entrance in honour of Sir Peter Nissen, who lived here, Westerham’s own Home Guard, Home-front life around the wireless in our war-time sitting room – rations available!

12 noon and again at 3pm Tour of St Mary’s Church

2.30 – 4.00 Visit the St Mary’s Church belfry and see the bells

Sunday 6th September

Octavia Hill9am Farmers’ market on The Green

10 am onwards, grab an activity sheet and get cracking!

11.00 – 11.30 Our ‘cast’ of characters process through town, lead by shire horses with their vintage dray, accompanied by Edenbridge Town Band

11 am The Royal British Legion transformed: WW2 Anderson shelter, an anti-aircraft weapon, a shot-down Messerschmitt ME109 in the field, a Nissen Hut entrance in honour of Sir Peter Nissen, who lived here, Westerham’s own Home Guard, Home-front life around the wireless in our war-time sitting room – rations available!

11.30 – 17.00 – Chat to the cast on The Green, meet Westerham’s characters

* follow the map, walk the town and discover the sites for talking statues
* vintage fairground, pirate ship, tea-cups, candy floss, hoopla, coconut shy
* gastronomy tent – sample food through the ages all day
* Westerham & World timeline, photographs and memorabilia, St Mary’s spire surprise
* music all day 11-12 Edenbridge Town Band; 1-2pm Lucy Kitt; 2.30 – 3.30pm and again 4 – 5pm Michael Coates Jazz trio

12.00 – 16.00 ‘Finding Alice’ in the performers tent – a 5-7 minute interactive fantasy experience for one family or couple at a time, while they take a train journey through the looking glass…

12 noon and again at 3pm Tour of St Mary’s Church

18.00 Ticket holders will make their way to Westerham Hall for the ticketed finalé- a cabaret with a sit-down supper from 6pm.

Topping the bill will be a little magic from veteran Fergus Anckorn, a group from Sir Richard Stilgoe’s Orpheus Choristers, and Westerham’s own Andrews sisters tribute act, Blue Dominoes, music hall from Morven & Ian Rae, whiz-bang comedy from the Honk Project, with poetry and prose, and auction & raffle to conclude what promises to be a memorable weekend.


Talking Statue 1Talking Statue 2The weekend will help raise funds for our statues and buildings to ‘talk’ using smart phone technology!     Listen here to the boyhood of General James Wolfe.


Do you have questions? Contact Westerham Town Partnership

Community Play


Red CrossEveryone was invited to dress up and portray characters from Westerham’s past, and to participate in the procession on the Sunday.

Townsfolk welcome – suggestions: VAD nurses; land army girls; munitions girls; suffragettes; butchers; bakers; fishmonger; Victorian children from the Foundling Hospital; Victorian nurse; agricultural labourers; brewers; coalmen; cricketers; runners; cyclists; teacher; school children. We are also looking for Brownies, Beavers, Guides, Cadets, Scouts and Cubs.

Photo: Maude Finch (Peter’s mother) in Red Cross uniform