Bexley Life June/July 2022 by BL Journals

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I N T R O D U C T I O N

W E L C O M E

A busy summer across the Borough With luck, this should be the best summer for a while around the area. Welcome to the June/July 2022 edition of Bexley Life Magazine the bi-monthly lifestyle magazine for Bexley Borough and the surrounding areas. Summer is now definitely with us and for the first time in a while we can all get out and enjoy it. Inside this edition you will find stories and articles from around the Borough, many of the type you’d expect to see and others representing the remaining differences still in place around the area. So, we would like to welcome you to this edition of Bexley Life and if you have any news, reviews, product launches or absolutely anything else of interest across the local market, please email it through to me at info@bljournals.plus.com for future consideration in our forthcoming issues.

Arthur Peaches - Editor

@bexleylife

Editor

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BEXLEYHEATH DA7

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Working to make our high street a better place

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iness@gmail.com

ELECTRICIA N

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ISSUE 158

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JUNE/JULY 2022

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N E W S

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Wildlife

study days

ECOLOGY OF BUMBLEBEES AND THEIR IDENTIFICATION FOR INTERMEDIATES 8th August 10.30 am – 4.00pm at Tyland Barn Fees or donations apply and booking essential. An identification day - covers all bumblebee species of Britain and includes in depth ecology, lifecycle and an update on Bombus subterraneus reintroduction project. BUTTERFLIES OF KENT 14th August 10.00 am – 3/4pm at Tyland Barn Fees or donations apply and booking essential. Learn more about the butterflies of Kent and their habitats AN INTRODUCTION TO FOSSILS 3rd September 10.00 am – 4.00pm at Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve Fees or donations apply and booking essential. Discover more about fossils, especially those that can be found locally AUTUMN MIGRATION IN KENT 9th September 10.00 am – 4.00pm at Oare Marshes Fees or donations apply and booking essential. Observe wetland birds and find out how to identify them. Learn how birds navigate and about the remarkable migrations they make. GEOLOGY OF KENT 23rd September 10.30 am – 4.30pm at Tyland Barn Fees or donations apply and booking essential. An illustrated review of the geology of the Kentish landscape from the oldest rocks to the youngest sediments HABITAT CLASSIFICATION (UKHab) Online Training Course 26th September10 am – 3.30pm Fees or donations apply and booking essential. An online training day on the UK Habitat Classification, a new comprehensive classification system for vegetation habitats used in conservation and land management BEGINNERS’ GUIDE AND INTRODUCTION TO FUNGI 5th October 2021 10.30am -4pm at L Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve Fees or donations apply and booking essential. An important first step to understanding this fascinating group. Classroom studies and some field work. (Also valuable - but not essential - for those attending other fungus study days). CAR CHARGING POINTS

IDENTIFICATION OF FUNGI II 12th October 2021 10.00am -4pm at Dering Wood Fees or donations apply and booking essential. Helpful tips on identification of larger fungi and their habitats in the field. www.kentwildlifetrust.org.uk

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EDITORIAL Arthur 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 Advertisement 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 Although every effort is made assure the accuracy of the content of this magazine, Bexley Life and it’s Publishers can accept no responsibility for such. All contents of the publication are copyright and remain the sole property of the publishing company.

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N E W S

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New

opportunity for local

businesses

A new funding opportunity from The Engine House for small businesses, entrepreneurs and start-ups to connect, create and collaborate within a creative business centre. Local creatives, entrepreneurs and small businesses can now apply for fully funded co-working space to work amongst other like-minded businesses for six months with a new support package offered by the Engine House and London Borough of Bexley. Business owners and start-ups who may currently be working from home may benefit from access to a professional business centre environment, with the chance to network with other small local businesses. The new opportunity to work in a professional environment for 6 months may be the nudge an enterprise needs to grow and flourish. Successful applicants will gain 24/7 access to a permanent desk, outfitted with superfast broadband, free parking, and a registered postal address. They will also have access to friendly reception staff, an on-site café, and can enjoy discounts on virtual offices, meetings, and conference rooms. This package is worth approximately £900 per membership. In order to be eligible, businesses must have been actively trading for at least 12 months, with a clean credit safe rating and an annual turnover of less than £1 million. Applications are currently open on the Engine House website, and will be assessed on a first-come, first-served basis. This support package is provided via a Government grant designed to help small businesses that were impacted by the Covid pandemic and is only available for a limited time. More information, full eligibility criteria and application form is available at the Engine House website. www.enginehousebexley.co.uk

@bexleylife

Bexley Mum-2-Mum Nearly New Market L O C A L

E V E N T S

Saturday 25th June, 10:30 to 12:30

Falconwood Community Centre, 31-39 Falconwood Parade, Welling

At the Mum-2-Mum event you can buy top quality pre-loved baby, children’s (0-6 years), maternity and pregnancy goods and equipment at a fraction of their high street price - all great brands in top condition. Pop along and grab a bargain! Admission £2 on the door (kids free) and everyone is welcome.

Bexley Music Summer Garden Party and Barbecue

Saturday 9th July, 15:00 to 19:00

The Bexley Music Annual Fundraising event at Belmont Primary School, Belmont Road, Erith. A fun day involving activities, stalls, barbecue all accompanied by music performances. www.bexley-music.co.uk

BEXFEST 2022

BBN BRIAN’s

BUSINESS NETWORKING

Saturday 18th - Sunday 19th June, 12:00 to 22:00 The exciting two day charity family friendly festival in Danson Park. Live music, funfair, shopping village and much more - a great weekend out for all the family. www.bexleyfestival.co.uk

Where business people enjoy doing business @BriansBN BriansBusinessNetworking www.bbnetworking.co.uk

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Spread the word about Healthy Start N E W S

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I N

B R I E F

The Healthy Start Scheme is a government-funded programme that aims to help parents give their young children the best start in life by subsidising food shopping. You

can qualify for the Healthy Start scheme if you are at least ten weeks pregnant or have at least one child under four years. In addition, you must be receiving benefits, or have a family annual income of £16,190 or less or be under 18 and pregnant. You must apply and will get a prepaid card which is topped up with funds every four weeks. Your card is accepted at supermarkets and you can buy: • Fresh, frozen, or tinned fruit and vegetables • Fresh, dried and tinned pulses • Cow’s milk • Infant formula milk The Healthy Start Scheme provides the following: £4.25 each week of pregnancy from the tenth week £8.50 each week for children from birth to one year old £4.25 each week for children between one and four years old Free Healthy Start vitamins from your Health Visitor www.nhs.uk

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e f a C DELUXE

Cafe deluxe is a small family run business which has been established since 1995, we have served the public of Welling for many years creating close bonds with all our customers.

Our food is off the highest quietly and our experience and expertise in the hospitality industry have ensured this We are in the heart of Welling with a beautiful outside seating area for you to enjoy the up-coming hot weather! 6 Bellegrove Road, Welling DA16 3PR Telephone: 020 3566 0826

C O V E R

S T O R Y

Now more than ever, Chrysalis Care need foster carers

What a disruptive couple of years we have had! Some of us may have come through relatively unscathed…some of us may have even enjoyed a break from the norm. For many of us, it has been a challenging time and for some families, the impact has been catastrophic. In some areas, referrals to social care have increased by 200%...which has had an inevitable impact upon the amount of children and young people needing foster carers.

That said, even though there have been many changes, there are also many things that remain unchanged since Chrysalis Care was founded in 1997 by former foster carers, Lynda and Lou Boden, who had a vision to transform the lives of children and young people, by providing foster care of the highest quality. Having fostered themselves for fifteen years, they understood that the decision to foster is not done in haste and that a supportive hand is needed every step of the way, on the fostering journey. Almost 25 years and 100’s of transformed lives later, this essential ingredient still remains, with two of the Boden daughters directing the company, drawing on their own experience of growing up in a fostering family and on their professions as a social worker and teacher/play therapist. Over the years, we have added to the foster carer family enabling us to care for more children in need, across London, Kent, Essex, Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire. In fact, we welcomed some new foster carers in 2020, as people re-evaluated what they wanted to do with their lives and reconsidered their vocational options. Children and young people need to be fostered for all sorts of reasons, coming from a range of backgrounds, so a diverse group of foster carers is essential. Each fostering situation is unique, from children with disabilities, to parent and child placements, to teenagers and on both long and short-term basis. Sometimes, foster carers see a child grow up, get married and become parents themselves! Others enable a child to be cared for whilst their parent is unable to, for instance if they require a hospital stay. You don’t need to be married or co-habiting and in fact, some children are better placed with a single foster carer; others will thrive in a two-parent household. Foster carers are all ages, as there is no upper age limit; as long as you are fit and healthy and ready to meet the needs of the child, we welcome your fostering enquiry. It may be that you have a ‘colourful’ past and in most instances, we can explore that with you and recognise the value in bringing rich experiences that may help you to understand some of the challenges faced by children, young people and families. You will be thoroughly assessed by a qualified assessor and although this is in-depth, it will provide you with some useful insights about yourself and prepare you for the fostering journey ahead. Perhaps you are already fostering, are thinking of fostering, are considering a change in vocation, are retired or have been made redundant and like to learn more about becoming a foster carer and if so, Chrysalis Care want to hear from you. Contact the team today or come along to one of the many forthcoming information sessions, where Chrysalis Care staff are ready to answer your fostering questions. After nearly 24 years, we have so much expertise to share, that there isn’t a question we cannot answer or assurance we cannot give. As a Chrysalis Care foster carer, you receive 365/24 hour support, monthly supervision with a qualified social worker and access to on/offline training and support from our children's’ services department. You will become part of a valuable team, empowered to develop the skills, knowledge and resilience to become outstanding foster carers for children and young people aged 0-18 years, from a range of backgrounds and circumstances. Our foster carers often tell us that the choice to foster was one of the best of their lives! Contact us on 0208 2982800, email info@chrysaliscare.org or via our website Contact Us - Chrysalis Care Fostering. We look forward to guiding you through your new adventure. www.chrysaliscarefostering.org

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King Charles III at The Bob Hope Theatre

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Charles and his family gather following the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.

Charles, as the new king, then holds his first weekly audience with Prime Minister Tristan Evans. They discuss a new Bill for statutory regulation of the press, which has passed the House of Commons and the House of Lords and awaits only Charles’ royal assent to become law. Charles is concerned that the law restricts freedom of the press too much, and would allow the government to censor the news and prevent legitimate uncovering of abuse of power. He asks the PM for alterations to the bill, but the PM refuses. As the two men spar, Mrs Stevens, the Leader of the Opposition, arrives for a weekly meeting with Charles, an innovation the new king has introduced. Stevens expresses her own doubts on the bill, and despite reminding the king of his level of power, she sees little alternative but for Charles to sign.

King Charles III - 15th - 18st June www.bobhopetheatre.co.uk

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E N T E R T A I N M E N T

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Greenwich Theatre to stage An Intervention by James Haddrell, Artistic Director of Greenwich Theatre.

Mike Bartlett, who will be best known to many for the smash hit TV drama Doctor Foster, must surely be the toast of theatreland right now. The writer has seen high profile runs of his Trump satire The 47th at the Old Vic and Scandaltown at the Lyric Hammersmith drawing huge crowds, and the revival of Cock in the West End hit the headlines with tickets selling (somewhat controversially) for up to £400.

It is therefore something of a coup for us at Greenwich Theatre to have secured the rights to stage An Intervention, Bartlett’s play about friendship, conflicts, and how we deal with them, from the deeply personal to the intercontinental. The two characters in An Intervention have been friends for a long time, but when a war overseas brings into sharp focus a deep-seated difference of opinion between the two, their relationship is put under huge pressure. As the show begins one has just come home from attending a huge antiwar protest while the other didn’t turn up, but that single event is set to affect their relationship in a whole host of unexpected ways. Staging the show now, it would be easy to search for parallels with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, but having now read the play several times I think the better comparison is Brexit. Nobody in this

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country supports Russia, and the stakes are not the same when we’re only giving financial assistance to the Ukraine. If the UK government was to consider committing troops then we might see a parallel, but at the moment the issue isn’t as divisive as the one presented in the play. The clear inspiration for the piece is the war in Iraq, but on reflection Brexit seems an even more potent comparison. A major political and personal upheaval that divided friends and families, a difficult situation that nobody ever anticipated suddenly became the one thing everyone was talking about, and because of the referendum, one that everyone had to make a decision about. Cutting across party political lines, age, gender and class, in so much as any of those categories still hold sway, so many were surprised about the views held by those they thought they knew well. Bartlett’s play is about taking the easy road or confronting our demons, about being honest with others and with ourselves, about being brave in our communication, but it’s also gloriously theatrical. It owes as much to Morecombe and Wise as it does to political satire or deep emotional drama. Audiences who come to the show (which certainly isn’t being priced at £400, and will surely be the most affordable production of a Mike Bartlett play in London this year) should expect to see the Greenwich Theatre stage used in a new way, forcing us to get up close and personal with these two characters as their relationship frays but celebrating the art of theatre at the same time. Following high profile work by Steven Berkoff (online during the pandemic), Caryl Churchill and Michael Frayn, I think An Intervention proves that Greenwich Theatre’s claim to be one of London’s producing powerhouses remains intact, and I am excited to welcome audiences this summer - and to see which side of the debate they support... www.greenwichtheatre.org.uk

@bexleylife

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More great comedy at Bexley Park RUDI LICKWOOD

Rudi is a performer with a remarkable track record providing over 25 years of hilarity entertaining in a variety of settings and at some of the most prestigious venues around the world.

One of the first black comedians on BBC The Stand Up Show fresh, original, contemporary and amusing. Able to tailor his performance to suit any audience or occasion he specialises in Corporate Hospitality and Events, Sporting Functions, Product Launches, Award Ceremonies, Charity Fundraisers ensuring that every event is both a memorable experience and a success Working closely with the Combined Forces Entertainment (CSE), Rudi has toured in Afghanistan, Iraq and Bosnia, keeping the troops entertained all over the world. A charming character, Rudi is loved wherever he performs. Rudi has also presented awards and performed at high-profile events for companies such as American Express, British Telecom Heinz, Diageo and Coca-Cola. “Observant engaging interactive comic whose routines roll out like warm custard over Spotted Dick” - The Independent As always there’s a great supporting line up direct from the London Comedy Circuit. Book Early - Limited Availability! For more information visit www.houseofstandup.co.uk/dartford/

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Firm favourite Hi-De-Hi at Edward Alderton Theatre

E A S T E R

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A wonderful adaptation from the original TV series by Jimmy Perry and David Croft.

Hi-De-Hi campers! It’s the start of a new season at Maplins Holiday Camp and Joe Maplin announces he is setting up a camp in the Bahamas. He of course needs female Yellow Coats to work there and the rivalry escalates. Peggy obviously still wants to be a Yellow Coat and Ted has to dream up new money-making schemes when his ex-wife turns up. Everything you’d expect from Hi-De-Hi and more...

Hi-De-Hi - 23rd to 30th July www.edwardalderton.org

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