HAVE YOUR SAY NOW - DEVELOPMENT NEAR OTFORD Many of you will be aware of Sevenoaks District Council's emerging Local Plan that proposes the building of thousands of new houses in the immediate vicinity of Otford.  The map above shows the locations and numbers of new houses. The Otford Society wants YOUR views and we are asking all village residents to complete a short survey by clicking here The Otford Society is holding a meeting for village residents in Otford Village Memorial Hall on Wednesday 26th November at 7pm where you can find out the results of our survey, share your views, join the Society and if you wish. make donations to the Village Protection Fund. Whatever your views, we want to hear them - please respond to the survey now!  Our commitment to you is that we will represent the views of the majority of village residents in the strongest terms. If you'd like to join as a member for just £5 a year click here.  All subscriptions taken between now and the village meeting will go straight to the Village Protection Fund. We'd also encourage everyone to respond to the formal Public Consultation that  is running util 11th December which you can access here Finally, there are District council Drop in Sessions in Otford Village Memorial Hall on Tuesday 25th November - you must register in advance to attend one of these and you can do so here.

Today’s the day! Tickets are now on general sale for Santa’s Winter Palace on December 6th, 7th, 13th and 14th. Don’t miss out on this magical Christmas experience right here in Otford! Find out more and buy your tickets now:  http://buytickets.at/otfordsociety

Attention egg hunters!   The greedy Dinosaur has stomped into Otford nearly a whole week early - talk about impatient! 🦖 To stop him from gobbling up all the hidden Easter eggs, we’ve moved the hunt forward. That means the adventure is live NOW, instead of starting on April 9th! So, sharpen up your sleuthing skills, and get ready to track down those eggs before the Dinosaur does! 🏃‍♂️🥚 Good luck, and happy hunting! 🐣🔍✨

From 9th April until Easter Monday, you'll find eggs hidden all around Otford village in our EGGciting annual Easter Trail.  They will be in shop windows, in the High Street and the Parade and hidden along the footpaths linking the two.  Children under eleven will be able to report how many they've counted to the lovely people in Mille Fleurs, Ibbett Mosely (on the Parade), Fine & Country (near the pond) or at Yvonne's shop in Telston Lane - and claim a small prize. If you take part in this fun event and you find an egg, please leave it where you found it to ensure other children can also locate it. Good luck and have fun everyone!

Robin photo courtesy of David Birchall Merry Christmas to everyone in our wonderful village from all of us at the Otford Society!   2024 has been another successful and busy year and we have even more fantastic events planned for 2025.  You can read all about them in The Village Voice.  Click on the button below to find out more.Wishing you all the very best for the holiday season.  See you in 2025! READ THE VILLAGE VOICE HERE

A HUGE thank you to everyone who came out to support the 3rd Annual Otford Village Christmas Fayre yesterday, despite the challenging weather brought on by Storm Bert!While 14 other events in the county were cancelled, our incredible management team pulled off a remarkable feat—replanning the entire event to move every single stall indoors in less than 24 hours! We couldn’t have done it without the amazing support of Otford’s institutions and wonderful people. To name just a few: St Bart's Church, Little Treacles Nursery, Otford Parish Council, The Methodist Church, Otford Scouts, The Sea Cadets, The Bull Pub, Otford Village Shops, Otford Library, Captain Fantastic, Sevenoaks Players, Father Christmas and, of course, our fantastic team of 40 volunteers who worked tirelessly to ensure everything ran smoothly.  Many of our stallholders reported excellent sales, with some even setting record sales despite the weather. Your support means the world to these small businesses, many of who are struggling to make a living. Thank you again, Otford—you made this event a success, and we are so grateful for your community spirit! We certainly showed Bert that the show goes on in Otford whatever the weather throws at us!https://vimeo.com/1033823257?share=copy

The Otford Society's bi-annual meeting is on Thursday October 31st at the Otford Village Memorial Hall.  The evening will start with a wine reception at 7pm. Join us to hear the latest updates and our future plans.  Additionally, there will be a unique presentation by Rod Shelton titled "Well I Never Knew THAT!"  a light-hearted and surprising exploration of the villages of the Darent. We look forward to seeing you there!

Have you seen the wonderful new Otford Heritage Trail sign next to the red phone box near the pond? The Heritage Trail is a series of  ten illustrated information boards located throughout the village. Each board tells the story of the near-by period homes. There are two pamphlet dispensers attached to the sign. One contains a small booklet of ten circular walks around Otford and the other contains a pamphlet with a map of the Heritage Trail. The sign, commissioned by the Amenities and Services Committee of the Parish Council, was illustrated by Rod Shelton and designed by Phil Clucas.   It was funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, Otford Parish Council and the Otford Society & Fete Committee.   On Bank Holiday Monday, 26th August,  40 circular walk booklets and 20 Heritage Trail pamphlets were taken by visitors which just shows how popular Otford is with walkers!