Bexley Life December/January '23

Merry Christmas to all...

Welcome to the December/Januar y 2023 edition of Bexley Life Magazine the bi monthly lifestyle magazine for Bexley Borough and the surrounding areas

With this Festive Season looking significantly ‘ more free’ than the last couple we have all endured, we hope all local businesses, residents and visitors make the most of this time Bexley Life is obviously reflecting the festivities around the area and the great times to be had by all of us this Festive Season

Inside you will find stories and ar ticles for the season, many of the type you’d expect plus other you ma wouldn’t

So, we would like to welcome you to this edition Bexley Life and wish a ver y happy Christmas a a safe and prosperous New Year to you and yo loved ones

If you have any news, reviews, product launche or absolutely anything else of interest across th local market, please email it through to me a info@bljournals plus com for future consideration in our for thcoming issues

Arthur Peaches Editor

Editor

Let’s all make the most of Christmas

by Barr y Saunders, Welling Town Business Associates

As we draw closer to Christmas 2022 there is one thing we can all agree on, this is a Christmas s welcome and others dread.

Over the last few years, we have gone through what I can only describe as an unbelievable time A pandemic that shut us all away in our homes, many sick, many died This is something I would never imagine that I would see in my lifetime, but it came, and it happened and it changed the lives of so many, not only in our countr y but around the world Even now Covid 19 still affects many of us and Covid alone has made our lives so different from what it was before it came along As a father and grandfather and a business owner I was truly worried on what the future had in store for all of us As my business was closed and income lost it was without doubt the most worr ying time I and so many others faced Most of us was left wondering how we would get through it all No matter what walk of life you came from, this affected ever y single one of us and no one knew what tomorrow would bring One thing I will say and no matter what mine or anyone else’s political views are, through this time it was the government that saved so many of us from closing our shops for good Unfortunately, there was many that didn’t make it through and by no fault of their own they had to close th businesses that they spent many years building and that was truly a sad thing to see As I run the Welling Town Business Associates, a group that I formed to be able to help businesses like mys throughout our town, I was lucky to be in a position where I could help others and direct them in the right directio for the help that was desperately needed It was a ver y tough time for all and the effects of this still lingers on with our town The struggle of being an independent trader is so noticeable when you see the day to day pressures the have in order to keep their business open I work closely with Bexley council, they gave me all the support and advice I needed to help my fellow busines owners where help was available, we managed to receive a government grant called the welcome back fund which allowed us to spend money on certain areas of the high street to help the high street grow again We had lights put into trees, we had trees planted and benches refurbished, we spent what we could on things that would only benefit our town and what we did, I feel made a difference in the total look of our town although I’m in no doubt that there is so much more to improve on The welling food festival, another event that was funded by the council: This was a day we brought welling to life again, so many food venders along the high street, businesses getting involved and enjoying the day, the army came to support us and brought along with them a verity of army vehicles for people to see, children having pictures taken and playing games An amazing day had by so many and a day that showed that if we invest in our town and show the people of Welling we care, they respond and come This is what we need as business owners, we need footfall, we need people to shop in their local shops and keep our high street alive Without customers we have no business, and no business means more shops will close I will be honest it’s a struggle to sur vive in any business right now as not only did Covid affect us all we now have energy prices going through the roof and again this is crippling not only the business owners but ever y single one of us in our private lives too, No matter who we are, no matter where we come from, no matter what your status is in life, we are all suffering in the same way Hard times hit hard, and life begins to feel like there is no way to reverse the depression most of us are feeling, I myself have been in that place and its not a nice place to be in, hiding away from the world and feeling no matter what you do nothing will make our situation better, it’s a terrible place to be in and no one should be feeling so lost and alone What I do or tr y to do for Welling along with running my business became an unrealistic task in my eyes, I felt like no matter what I tried to do to help it never got anywhere As much as I tried to get others involved, it felt like I was banging my head against a brick wall I began to feel a failure, with all my good intentions and ideas I had for our town I felt I could not do anymore, I was in that place where no one should be feeling I had given up and giving up, if you know me is not what I do My time running the Welling Town Business Associates was up, a group I was so proud to have started and a group I was so sure would change Welling for the better but then for a short time all that slipped away with my own personal feelings One afternoon I was at my place of business when I receive a visit from one of our local councillors and his partner, we sat and talked for ages and discussed many things and it was that one conversation that turned me around I agreed with them that I would go for ward and push on with what we had started them years ago Meetings followed and discussions happened, I then found myself surrounded by positive people, all going through the same life situations as I was and all living with the same problems in life like all of us but the positivity and being shown believing in yourself, was the key

Along with the one person who has always been by my side in business and in the work we do for welling, Ilana, we reached out to others and others have stepped for ward to join me on this journey

Once again, I have focus, I feel worth and have the strength to follow up on all I had planned to do Through all what we have been through as a nation, I know so many are even now sitting and feeling exactly how I felt but trust me, things change and reaching out to others is not something anyone should feel ashamed of, it’s the people around us, our families and friends who will be there and pull you through any situation even when you feel these no end to it It took one conversation from someone that cared, someone who listened and someone who could see what we did was worth the time to sit and talk and to turn my thoughts around Christmas 2022 maybe not be what we all had hoped for, but we are here! and we all have the ability to make life better for ourselves and for others no matter what we may feel right now

As the Christmas lights are switched on along our high street it becomes a symbol of the kindness of people that surround us, a community group Discover Welling work so hard throughout the year, fund raising and pursuing sponsors in order to raise the funds needed to allow our high street to be illuminated with the Christmas lights you see today The Welling sparkle Christmas market also the work of Discover ll ng along with CC Events who brought the Christmas sprit and joy that we all need right now There is d people all around us, all giving their time for others and all working hard within their own lives but still k of others around them, its these people that are so often not seen but deser ve to be known as its people these that make our world a better place and for that I personally thank them istmas will come and Christmas will go, and a New Year will begin, and the beginning of a new year ans the beginning of a new chapter for the Welling Town Busin ociates It will be the time we move for ward, a time to interact m h our neighbours and a time to bring our community alive again Th so much we can do and so much we can achieve, together is strong an alone and together is what we all strive to be Be there for ea her and reach out to others when needed, a simple smile can ma mber what the outside is showing is not always the true stor y of wha going on in someone ’ s life

As our beloved deeply missed Queen once said, “Better days will come ” and they will If not today, then maybe tomorrow and if not tomorrow then maybe next week but remember, yesterda is in the past so leave it exactly there, in the past Ever y day is a new day, a new day is a new start Se your goals and make them happen

EDITORIAL

Ar thur Peaches Editor Tel 01322 352648 Email: info@bljournals plus com

SALES & PROMOTIONS

David Peters Publisher Tel 01322 352648 Email: info@bljournals plus com Dennis Smith Adver tisement Manager Tel 01322 352648 Email info@bljournals plus com

PUBLISHING COMPANY

BL Journals, 3 Biddenden Way, Istead Rise, Gravesend, Kent DA13 9DE Tel 01322 352648 Email info@bljournals plus com @bexleylife

Avante celebrating amazing staff at ‘Sparkle’ ceremony

Recently Avant e Care & Suppor t held their annual Sparkle award ceremony celebrating, recognising, and rewarding the excellent work that goes on across the organisation.

There were 15 award categories including Awesome Deputy, Achiever, Catering Star and Best Boss awards The ceremony took place at the Alexander Centre in Faversham with over 140 staff members, Trustees and residents in attendance Veronica Anthony David, Director of People & Organisational Development, opened proceedings with a warm welcome congratulating all those who had been nominated and also took the oppor tunity to thank all staff across the organisation for their hard work and dedication There were speeches from the Directors, including Sarah Jane Clapson, Director of Care Operations, who gave an over view of the year The afternoon was closed by one of our Trustees, Gill Gibb who is Chair of the Care and Quality Committee The award ceremony, sponsored by ComSer ve, celebrated good care practice across the care homes and home care ser vices, staff development across the organisation and those staff who go the extra mile to suppor t their work colleagues and others For staff who were unable to attend on the day there was a live stream available cour tesy of MMS360 who filmed the event throughout the afternoon

Once the awards had been presented guests were treated to the delightful tones from solo saxophonist, Ruth, SAXZSMITH LTD whilst food was being ser ved Lyndsay Hopper, Marketing Manager and Sparkle Award Organiser, said ‘This year ’ s Sparkle Awards were a great success, with over 140 people in attendance The ceremony provided an excellent platform to recognise and thank staff across the organisation for their dedication and hard work Well done to all of the award winners, runners up, those shor tlisted and also to those that were nominated for the Sparkle Awards 2022 I would like to thank our sponsors ComSer ve who kindly sponsored the Sparkle Award event and thank ever yone who helped to make the event a success ” www avantecare org uk

CAR CHARGING POINTS

KEEP YOUR EYES PEELED FOR THE ROTARY CLUB

BEXLEY SANTA SLEIGH

Most of us have seen Santa and his sleigh around the a over the years, all of us doubtless have extremely fond memories so keep a lookout for this year ’ s Bexley Rotar y Santa on the dates below Wednesday 7th December, Welling, helped by 1st Welling Scouts Thursday 8th December, Welling, helped by Welling Air Cadets Friday 9th December, Welling, helped by East Wickham Scouts Tuesday 13th December, Welling, helped by Welling Round Table Wednesday 14th December, Welling, helped by Greenwich & Bexley Hospice Thursday 15th December, Bexleyheath, helped by 4th Bexleyheath Scouts Friday 16th December, Bexley, helped by Bexleyheath Air Cadets Tuesday 20th December, Bexleyheath, helped by 8th Bexleyheath Scouts Wednesday 21st December, Bexleyheath, helped by 5th Bexleyheath Scouts

Lights of Love 2022

Remember your loved ones this Christmas and ome t ogether with your friends, family and other members of our community at the Greenwich & Bexley Community Hospice Lights of Love Ser vice. The Cottage Hospice Lights of Love ser vice will take place on unday 11th December 2022 a e n w i c h & B e x l e y C o m m u n i Hospice, 185 Bostall Hill, London, SE2 0G at 5pm

The ser vice is for ever yone, not just peo whose loved ones were cared for by hospice Please do share with friends and fa The ser vice will comprise of readings, carols the dedication of lights on our Christmas tree. www communityhospice org uk

Festive Fun Run

4t h December - 10.30am

Your Christmas hasn’t really star ted until you ’ ve dressed up as Santa and dashed around Danson Park with your Christmas Crew! The sight of hundreds of families, friends, babies in buggies and even dogs dashing around Danson Park dressed as Santa is one you’ll never forget! It’ll put a smile on your face and put you in a festive mood

The Festive Fun Run is a 5k walk, run or jog around Danson Park, all Hospice Santa Dashers will receive a medal and a warm welcome as they cross the festive finish line

Visit website: www communityhospice org uk/suppor t us/events/santa dash/

Santa at Ruxley Manor

Meeting Father Christmas and making memories with family is what Christmas is all about and at Ruxley Manor they love Santa’s Grotto each Festive Season Ruxley’s elves have been working ver y hard behind the scenes to keep the magic alive and make your visit to our Grotto extra special Father Christmas has visited Ruxley Manor ever y year since as long as can be remembered and will once again be returning to make your Christmas one to remember Both Father Christmas and Mother Christmas, along with their Elves cannot wait to meet you!

www ruxley manor co uk/grotto

Get your hearing checked by a professional…

An int er view wit h senior audiologis t, Bianca Leonel, Hearbase Bexleyheat h, 187 Broadwa y, Bexleyheat h DA6 7ER

What are the first signs of a hearing problem?

Some of the early signs are when you struggle to keep up with conversation in noisy places, when your family tell you the TV is too loud, or when you have difficulty hearing people clearly If you experience ringing or buzzing in your ears, or head, or a feeling of blockage, these can also be early signs of hearing loss

Why should I have my hearing tested?

Not being able to hear, seriously impacts your quality of life, not to mention talking with friends, family and others I recommend if you show any of these early signs, you should get it checked. If you are concerned about someone close to you who struggles to hear, speak to them about getting a free hearing test and why not join them to offer suppor t if they need a little bit of encouragement?

How should I look after my hearing?

If you notice any change to your hearing, large or small, then always get it checked Call us on 0208 304 1389 or email admin@hearbase com and book your free hearing test at Hearbase Bexleyheath today!

“ Without doubt, Bianca is the best and finest audiologist we have seen She is absolutely customer ser vice centred, gives ever y patient suf ficient time, and most impor tantly, has the patience to listen to the customers concerns and wishes ” Br yan King, patient since 2010

An int er view wit h ear care practitioner, Damien Emsley, Hearbase Bexleyheat h

Why does excessive ear wax need to be removed?

All too often in my clinics I see first hand how poor ear health can affect someone ’ s social interaction and quality of life Excessive b

discomfor t It may also contribute to ear infections Patients using hearing aids may find that they are unable to use these effectively Occasionally ear wax can also be hiding an undiagnosed issue and an appointment with your Hearbase hearing specialist will aler t you to any findings What should someone do if they think they have ear wax?

In all cases please do not use any cotton buds or other devices to manually remove the wax yourself, and do not use home irrigation kits, devices or ear candles If you think you have excessive ear wax, I strongly advise you to contact me at Hearbase Bexleyheath so I can remove this safely, quickly and hygienically using micro suction (like a small hoover) or water irrigation

It’s Panto Time! Oh yes it is!

This Januar y, get over t o Elt ham f or ano t her wonder fu l Bob Hope Theat re traditional family pant omime Red Riding Hood & The Et ernal Wint er.

Red Riding Hood, her faithful friend Jack and the delightful Dame Judi Wench, are all looking for ward to welcoming you once again to your local theatre to help take on the Evil Queen and the Big Bad Wolf on their travels through the Eternal Winter Forest to Granny’s cottage They’ll meet all sor ts of fabulous forest characters along the way, and don’t forget to keep a look out for the mischievous ‚ ‘piggy’ trio; Pinky, Perky and Dave, with their playful antics The theatre and cast promise you a magical musical mix of laughter, dance and slapstick merriment, so don’t miss out, book those tickets and join the fun at this year ’ s Bob Hope Theatre pantomime ¶ Red Riding Hood & The Et ernal Wint er!

It’s Pa nto tim e...

by James Haddrell, Ar tistic Director of Greenwich Theatre.

As I writ e this we are just about t o open our Christmas pant omime a fast paced, hilarious, musical version of Robin Hood, writt en by our long time villain Anthony Spargo. At the same time, if you can believe it, we ’ re st ar ting t o think about the title for next year ’ s show, even before the first audience members have t aken their seats for this year.

So, as we consider which stor y to tell and how to tell it at the end of 2023, what makes a good pantomime? Many theatres follow a well trodden cycle of stories Cinderella, Peter Pan, Aladdin, Jack and the Beanstalk, Sleeping Beauty which suggests that the most impor tant thing is title recognition If an audience don’t know the stor y they’re being told, the impact of the show won’t be as strong. However, there are shows that drift off the beaten track a bit but are still regularly produced how many people actually still know the stor y of Dick Whittington or Mother Goose (which has nothing to do with golden eggs, by the way) So maybe that means the key ingredients lie somewhere other than stor y Cer tainly, when we produced Sleeping Beauty in 2019, winning the OFFIE award for Best Panto, the show bore almost no relation to the original fair y tale, with the Prince replaced by Ewan Hooper (a real person the man who reopened Greenwich Theatre in 1969) and the whole cast ending up battling a villain on the moon

For some audiences, the magic ingredient is the celebrity cast That’s not something we ’ ve ever prioritized at Greenwich, but I can understand the joy of seeing actors or celebrities who you are used to seeing in one context taking on something ver y silly There are cer tainly a whole host of celebrity pantomimes in and around London that will be doing great business right now.

For others, the thing they’ll desperately want to see in the pantomime is a string of good (or bad) jokes, a set of comedy routines, a slop scene (wallpaper, water, custard pies, gunge), live

musicians, pyrotechnics The list of things that can feature in a pantomime is huge, but the thing that must feature will var y from one audience member to the next For me though, and for Greenwich Theatre, the key to a great pantomime (not excluding the successful inclusion of as many of those recognizable elements as possible) is a stor y told with real hear t For us, pantomime is not a music hall evening with a series of routines, a pop concer t with big vocals and dancers, or a stand up gig. Pantomime is a strong stor y, a recognizable hero, a fight against a memorable foe, a series of relationships that really matter and a happy ending If, in the telling of that stor y, we can throw some c u s t a r d p i e s , t e l l s o m e j o k e s a n d g e t ever yone singing the latest char t hit then all the better

So, for this year, we have our hero Robin Hood (though he definitely needs a lot of help from Maid Marian a real hero in her own right in our version); we have the Sheriff of Nottingham and his sidekick Mutley; we have the merr y men led by Friar Tuck; and we introduce a new dame in Little Joan This is a real stor y that anyone of any age can get behind the battle to over throw the wicked Sheriff, the loyalty and camaraderie of the band of outlaws, the growing relationship between Robin and Marian Once that is in place, of course, like any other year here in Greenwich, there will be music, mayhem, laughs, pyrotechnics and a huge singalong at the end, but only because that key ingredient, a good stor y well told, sits at the hear t of it all

As for next year, watch this space… www.greenwichtheatre.org.uk

Christmas and New Year at Bexley Park

LEE HURST - Tuesday 27th December

Af t er earning his spurs on the UK comedy circuit Lee Hurst became the warm up man for Have I Got News For You?

The producers needed a warm up man for the pilot of their new comedy spor ts quiz, They Think It’s All Over, and Lee being as sharp as he was they decided to have him as a regular panellist Although he had no spor ting prowess and he knew next to nothing about football, he won over millions of viewers each week with his quick witted banter Lee appeared as a regular panellist in the first five series of They Think It’s All Over leaving in 1998 He returned for two appearances as a guest towards the end of its run for Series 17 in 2004, and for the Comic Relief 24 Hour Panel People Special on 6 March 2011 Lee’s other TV credits include presenting Shark Tank, Salvage Squad and The Warehouse, and guest appearances on That’s Show Business, The Stand Up Show and Have I Got News For You He also appeared as a regular panellist on Don’t Give Up Your Day Job as well as fronting ITV’s shor t lived revival of the enter tainment show Saturday Night Live Lee was the creator of Bring Me the Head of Light Enter tainment, which ran for five series on Channel 5 between 1997 and 2000 On radio, Lee has guested on The Steve Wright Show, Euromix, Two Men and a Transmitter and The Rober t Elms Show He was team captain on Hold The Front Page He also presented Wriggling with Eels, a study of Cockney comedians for BBC Radio 4

As always there’s a great suppor ting lineup direct from the London Comedy Circuit Book Early Limited Availability! Tickets £15.00 each, a group booking of 4 costs £12.50 per ticket Whilst for a group of 6 there is a limited time of fer of just £10 00 per ticket

ABALICIOUS - Friday 27th January

Abalicious are considered t o be the UK’s No1 Abba Tribut e band per forming in st adiums, festivals, weddings and at privat e par ties.

The bands individuality is created by their great attention to details and their own musical sound They have toured extensively all over the Uk and abroad and have been head hunted by many bookers/agents Including Channel 4 TV who chose Abalicious to be the Abba lookalikes for a documentar y about Abba Easy Jet airlines also chose Abalicious to per form at Gatwick Airpor t to promote their flights to Sweden where they sang Waterloo to many airline passengers They will be per forming on Friday 27th Januar y 2023 which will also include a separate 70’s music set followed by DJ with music through until midnight Pop along for what will be a great evenings enter tainment all at just £10 00 a ticket which can be purchased at the bar, or through the QR code on the adver t below www houseofstandup co uk/dar tford/