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Whitstable Magazine Welcome to the summer edition of the Whitstable Community Magazine. There’s lots going on over the next few months, so you’ll find listings for local events, clubs and classes along with all your local trades people. In this edition we speak with local artist Nicola Ulldemolins about her life portraits and what has influenced and inspired her to produce these wonderful pieces. We also talk with James Penfold about the history of the Whitstable Oyster festival and how this event always brings in the crowds. We would really like to hear back from members of the Whitstable Community, so we can bring forward the issues that matter. If you have any local events, clubs or classes that you would like to promote, please feel free to send the information through. We are also a big advocate of promoting local charities, so any information about local organisations is welcomed. Please send any contributions through via email to jon@community-publishing.org, telephone on 01843 293062 or post through to Community Magazine, 1st Floor, 7 Cecil Square, Margate, Kent. CT9 1BD.
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PLEASE SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESSES A big thank you goes out to all the local businesses that have advertised and supported the Whitstable Community Magazine To advertise please call Daniel on 01843 294187 Published by Community Ad Web Ltd 01843 834160 email info@communityad.co.uk web www.communityad.co.uk The views expressed in any published content are solely those of the contributors. The Publishers accept no responsibility for the accuracy of any information contained in the publication. The contents of this magazine including images may not be copied, reproduced, distributed, downloaded or displayed in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of Community Ad Web Ltd. Unless otherwise specified, the authors of the literary and artistic works in the pages in this magazine have asserted their moral right pursuant to Section 77 of the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of those works. The Publishers reserve the right not to publish a submission or part of a submission that they consider defamatory or otherwise inappropriate for publication. CommunityAd wishes to advise all readers that it does not endorse or recommend any products or services contained herein. CommunityAd does not, therefore, take any legal responsibility for the advice given by any of the advertisers.
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Project Redsand We spoke to Phil Sheppard, secretary of Project Redsand - a group of like-minded enthusiasts concerned with the preservation of the WW2 Forts, situated nine miles off the Whitstable coast.
Let’s spare a “fort” and lend a hand to About the Maunsell Forts The Maunsell army forts were built as a defence system against German aircraft and were installed between June and December 1943. They took about six weeks to be positioned at pre-determined locations at sea. They were constructed onshore at Gravesend and floated down from the Medway towed by powerful tugs and then sunk onto the sea bed. The forts consisted of four 3.7 inch gun towers, a control/ command tower, generator/search light tower and a single bofors gun tower located to give covering fire to any attacking aircraft while the big 3.7 inch guns were being reloaded. The Army forts were primarily designed to emulate the layout of land based Heavy Anti Aircraft sites
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and were equipped with similar armaments. The fort towers were all centrally heated and billeted up to 265 men in relative comfort from a specially formed anti aircraft regiment that stayed on the fort for 3 weeks at a time. There were originally 3 Army forts; The Nore, Shivering Sand and of course Red Sand. Only Red Sand and Shivering Sand still exist as The Nore was removed in 1959 as being a hazard to shipping after numerous collisions and the loss of 2 of its towers. During the war the Port of London was one of the busiest ports in the world and a great proportion of vital supplies for the war effort passed through it; as such both the Port and the East End were strategically targeted through-out the duration of the hostilities with Nazi Germany . The Luftwaffe were using North
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Project Redsand! foreland as a point of navigation and following the coast of North Kent up the Thames Estuary to target the busy London docklands. In addition to the Army towers there were four other forts occupied by the Navy that were placed further out to Sea. These were of a different design, also by Maunsell and were installed the previous year to the Army towers in 1942. These were basically two big concrete tubes with a single concrete pontoon base and were strategically located to deter the enemy deploying magnetic mines in the busy shipping lanes. The Maunsell forts in both forms managed in total to bring down 22 aircraft, 30 flying bombs and the loss of a U boat so they could be considered as being a success. How long has Project Redsand been established? We’ve been established since 2003, after contacting Government bodies regarding the viability of preserving and the restoring the fort. One of the worries we had was about the structural integrity of the towers as they had been abandoned by the Authorities since 1956. There has been very little maintenance to them but for a brief period of use during the 1960s as pirate radio stations. As you would imagine they are very susceptible to u
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Project Redsand (continued) u the elements being situated in such a hostile marine environment.
A diving team from the port of London along with a Taylor Woodrow materials specialist kindly offered their services to inspect the structures in 2004 and we had Mowlem Marine who are experts in marine structures install a new safe access system in 2005 from materials left over from the construction of the Millennium Dome. Why did you choose the Red Sands Fort as a Project? We chose Red Sands as the one we wanted to preserve because out of the two army forts left, it’s Red Sands that still has its original seven towers. The Shivering Sands fort lost its gun tower number 2 after being knocked over in 1963 by a ship, so it’s not actually complete. At Project Redsand we’ve safe access to its gun tower 1 after the installation of the landing
stage in 2005. Out of all the seven towers of Red Sand, both Gun towers 2 and 3 have yet to be boarded. They probably haven’t been since the early 1970s when the Admiralty removed the by then unsafe original wartime cat walks and ladders to deter any would be ‘visitors’. Part of our project is also to gain access to all the towers to log and record the condition so we can plan future works. We’ve recently boarded the central control tower and again we reckoned no-one had been there since the ‘70s. What we’re looking at doing this year is rigging steel cables between all the towers and using a Bosun’s chair to give us access to all the towers at Red Sand. What is the aim of the project? The aim of the project is to preserve and do everything we can to continue proper restoration of the Red Sand towers. These ongoing works are being sourced entirely by
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volunteers and funded by donations or just out of our own pockets so money is tight to say the least. We’re aiming to restore them as much as possible to their original specification and give access to interested parties for any future uses. On Gun Tower 1 we now have new windows in one upstairs room and a welcoming wood burner so we’ve got somewhere to warm ourselves during our winter works. The Forts were not only used in WW2 as a defence but later in the 1960s as a location for commercial offshore pirate radio stations. These were a landmark in themselves as far as the evolution of media in this country so the history out there is pretty captivating! How can our readers help with your project? Project Redsand relies heavily on funding and donations. Without these donations we will be unable to maintain these magnificent towers. If anyone would like to make a donation then they can go through our website www.project-redsand.com. Project Redsand is supported entirely by voluntary contribution with registered charity number 1117429. Please help us by donating as much as you can. In the next issue of Whitstable Community Magazine, we will look at how the forts were used as platforms for pirate radio stations and how this revolutionised the media of the time, along with scandal and even a sniff of murder!
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Whitstable Oyster Festival
The 31st Whitstable Oyster Festival will be running from Saturday Sat 23 July to Sunday 2 August 2015. This fantastic event is sure to bring in crowds from miles around. We asked event co-ordinator James Penfold about the festival… How long has the Whitstable Oyster Festival been running? The Whitstable Oyster Festival has been running since 1985, although traditions such as the Blessing of the Waters, the Landing of the Oysters and grotter-building date back much further. The modern festival reflects a tradition that dates from Norman times, when local fisherman held a festival and service of thanksgiving around the feast day of St. James of Compostella (25 July). The Whitstable Oyster Festival traditionally celebrates the oystermen’s holiday; The British native oyster spawns from May to August, during which time they are left alone by the fishermen, hence the traditional closed season
for oyster eating in any month with an “r” in it. Pacific rock oysters are farmed year-round and it is these that are available during the festival. How many visitors does it attract each year? The Oyster Festival attracts 72,000 Each Year. What events and attractions have you got going on this year? The Festival kicks off with the Landing of the Oysters, a colourful street parade and an ever expanding high quality harbour food and drink market. This coupled with internationally acclaimed entertainment makes the opening weekend a highlight of the festival week. In addition to that the epic Mud Tug and Oyster Challenge are always fantastic fun, whether as a participant or spectator. The festival week includes fun packed activities for everyone from storytelling to treasure hunts, art workshops to building Grotters on the seafront How far back does the association of Oysters and Whitstable go, how long have they been harvesting Oysters in Whitstable? Oysters have been farmed in Whitstable for centuries, but it was not until 1793 that the industry became highly regulated with the Act of Incorporation of the ‘Company of Free Fishers
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D. COLEMAN DECORATORS Interior | Exterior | Residential | Commercial
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and Dredgers of Whitstable’. The Whitstable Oyster Fishery Company, which still runs the oyster trade today, was set up by an Act of Parliament in 1897. The Romans loved British oysters, cultivated them on the north Kent coast and elsewhere, ate them in great quantities and exported them to the rest of the Roman Empire. After the Romans left, oysters went out of fashion, and Britons did not start eating them again until the eighth century.
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Whitstable also has several other ‘claims to fame’ that include: the first steam railway, the first season ticket, the invention of the diving helmet, the first sea cadets, the first steamship to Australia, the first council houses and the quality kite mark during the war.
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The festival highlights everything great about Whitstable, and has a strong focus on community engagement, while bringing together people from all over the South East and further afield to enjoy a week by the sea in the best surroundings the UK has to offer. How much does the Oyster festival brings to the local economy each year? £3.7million Please mention
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The Whitstable Lifeboat The Whitstable lifeboat station was established in 1963 by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and is one of 235 lifeboat stations around the shores of Great Britain and Ireland. The volunteer crews provide a maritime search and rescue service for the Kent coast. They cover the area between the Kingsferry Bridge on the Swale, in the west, around the south-eastern side of Sheppey and along the coast through Whitstable and Herne Bay to Reculver in the east and outwards into the Thames Estuary. The station is equipped with an Atlantic 85 lifeboat named Lewisco and purchased through a bequest of a Mrs Lewis of London who passed away in 2006 and was placed ‘on station’ at Whitstable last July and is named after a ‘pet’ or ‘nickname’ of the Lewis family. She is what is known as a rigid inflatable inshore lifeboat, the boat’s rigid hull being topped by an inflatable sponson. She is 1-metre longer and slightly wider than her predecessor which allows room for four crew members and more equipment. The lifeboat is powered by two 115hp 4-stroke engines and has a top speed of 35 knots.
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The addition of radar enables the crew to operate more effectively in poor visibility and the lifeboat carries a full suite of communication and electronic navigation aids, including VHF radio, VHF direction finding equipment, an intercom between the crew and an electronic chart. The manually operated self-righting mechanism combined with two inversion-proofed engines enable the lifeboat to remain operational even after capsize. She is also capable of being beached in an emergency without sustaining damage to engines or steering gear. All of the crew are volunteers and are drawn from all walks of life. The lifeboat needs 4 crew of which one is the helmsman who is in charge of the boat whilst at sea, a tractor driver is required to drive the launching tractor and 2-3 launchers who assist in launch and recovery of the lifeboat perform duties at the station whilst the boat is on a call such as maintain the radio log.
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01227 266236 · 07976 925224 The running of the station is overseen by the lifeboat operations manager who has two deputies known as deputy launching authorities and again these are all volunteer positions and it is their role to authorise the launch of the lifeboat following a request from the coastguard. When at sea on an emergency call the lifeboat is controlled by the coastguard. Whitstable Lifeboat launches on average to between 55-75 calls per year to a variety of persons and craft in difficulty and is often called to work with lifeboats from the ‘flank’ stations of Sheerness and Margate, with the search and rescue helicopters and often with shore based emergency services such as the police, Kent Fire and Rescue and the ambulance service. The station is supported by the fund-raising branch, again all volunteers who give up their spare time to run the stations souvenir and coffee shop and organise fund raising events such as the stations popular Easter and Christmas Fairs and who make a considerable contribution to the annual running costs of the station which is in the region of £85,000 per-year.
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5 minutes with...
Whitstable Improvement Trust In this edition of 5 Minutes With, we spoke to Lou Fawkes, manager of the Whitstable Improvement Trust, to find out how the organisation benefits the residents of Whitstable… Q1) How long has the Whitstable Improvement Trust been established? An independent Charitable Company established in 1989, the Whitstable Improvement Trust (WIT) celebrated its 25th last year. Q2) How was the organisation founded, who’s concept was it to start it up? Founded by local community groups and organisations, the Trust works in partnership with Canterbury City and Kent County Councils. At the time, it was felt that Whitstable town and its surrounding areas required a certain amount of re-generation and since formation, the WIT has completed close to one hundred projects, ranging from major refurbishment and joint community enhancement schemes, to individual shop-front improvements, signage and publications. We seek to retain and care for the unique nature of the town, its architecture, landscape and heritage and encourage new development that is sympathetic to the local character.
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Q3) In what ways has the Whitstable Improvement Trust Changed over the years, regards to what different projects you’re involved with? Initially it was to improve and re-furbish but now the Trust is additionally focused on projects to create and enhance public spaces used by both residents and tourists alike. Many of them, including The Deck at Dead Man’s Corner, Tower Hill Tea Garden, Starvation Point and The Whitstable Shop & Visitor Information Centre, together with our most recent project; the Outdoor Gym up at Tankerton, are now familiar Whitstable landmarks and provide a lasting testament to the achievements of our loyal members and volunteers. Q4) How many volunteers do you currently have at the organisation? Apart from employing a part-time Trust Manager, we are voluntary organisation, dependant on a dedicated band of volunteers with a vast knowledge and experience of the town and a breadth of skills and expertise. Our
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committed Board of Trustees are made up of interested individuals from local groups and organisations. Q5) Who are the Whitstable Improvement Trust and what do they do? Our premises, based in Harbour Street, offer the town and its visitors a focal point for everything Whitstable! In addition to delivering place making projects, the WIT provides a Visitor Information Centre, a Souvenir & Gift Shop – selling items produced by local artisans - and produce publications about the town and its history. We additionally support local organisations and engage with the community with our events and activities that take place throughout the year. Q6) How does the Whitstable Improvement Trust benefit the community? We have taken the lead in a number of ‘In Bloom’ initiatives, undertaking planting and providing planters around the town and harbour. Our street signs, information and heritage panels serve to guide visitors to places of interest and tell the story of their history. According to the nature of the projects and initiatives, we work in partnership with local interest groups and associations such as the Whitstable Society, Whitstable Harbour Watch, Transition Town
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Whitstable, the Horticultural Society, Whitstable Oyster Festival Association, Natural History Society, Chamber of Commerce, as well as local schools and colleges, city and county councils. The Trust is open to all who are interested in having an influence on the local environment and its associated quality of life. So, if you would like to get involved with the team at the WIT, helping in the shop, on events or projects (especially during the hectic weekends and holidays throughout the Summer Season) you would be welcomed with open arms or like to support our work and become a WIT Member, from just £5.00 per year then don’t hesitate to get in contact. For more information and to keep up to date with the Whitstable Improvement Trusts events and activities, please feel free to find us on Facebook: Whitstable Improvement Trust and ‘Like’ our page.
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Whitstable Improvement Trust 34 Harbour Street Whitstable CT5 1AJ 01227 770060 wit.whitstable34@talktalk.net
01227 363666
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Whitstable Get involved in the Whitstable Carnival this year which is being staged on Saturday 1 August at 6pm. This event is steeped in tradition and is celebrating its 118th year. This is a perfect opportunity to promote your organisation for FREE, yes - free, and all you have to do is provide a float where you can showcase your business/club/group to a captive audience whilst also assisting with raising funds for many local deserving charities. The Oyster Festival concludes the previous evening so the town will be buzzing with many local people and holiday makers alike, all keen to enjoy the atmosphere and celebrate the many events taking place throughout the summer in Whitstable. The procession route will be lined with hundreds of supporters and starts from Pier Avenue in Tankerton all the way through to the end of Whitstable High Street. Be a part of this great celebration of our community and help to make this our best carnival ever.
Come on Whitstable! Let’s make this a fantastic carnival!
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Whitstable
Carnival
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1 August 6pm
Harris Mawardi’s painting We contacted Harris Mawardi after seeing his artwork that will be used to help promote the Whitstable Carnival, to ask him a bit about himself, his style of painting and what inspired this lovely piece of art. I’m 16 years old and am in Year 11 at Simon Langton Boys (Doing a GCSE in Art and hope to carry it on for A level).I painted the poster using acrylic paint (its relatively quick to get a lot of colour down on paper as it dries quite fast); then I brought it into Adobe Photoshop to add the information. I prefer to paint more than anything else as it allows me express myself the best but I also use Oil Pastels .I worked from an image in an old Whitstable Carnival programme, but colour wise when I looked at seaside carnival posters from the ca.1950s, most seemed to have yellows in for sand - so I tried to incorporate the yellow in my picture as a background wash, so it would reflect previous posters and seaside culture even though mine looked a little different. I decided to become involved with the Carnival after I was asked to do the poster because it was the first time someone has asked me to paint/draw for them before but also because I thought it was a great opportunity to be a part of an event that is so integrated into Whitstable’s history and culture, which was an exciting prospect for me.
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Whitstable
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Whitstable Volunteer Centre Whitstable Volunteer Centre has been an integral part of the community since it was founded in 1976.
including a Volunteer Car Scheme for people who find it difficult to use public transport either through age or a need for special assistance. We will always try to use a driver within your vicinity to help with keeping the cost to a minimum.
The Whitstable Volunteer Centre have years of experience in volunteering, funding, helping to develop volunteering opportunities, advice and information about a range of issues, including setting up and registering a charity, sample policy documents, organisational health checks and much more.
We also offer a gardening service for people who are no longer able to manage their gardens
The Centre also provides a number of services to the local community in the Whitstable area,
A Do you have a little time to spare? Want to expand your horizons? Maybe you have a talent or skill you would like to share? Whitstable Volunteer Centre St Mary’s Hall, Oxford Street, Whitstable CT5 1DD 01227 772248 Monday-Friday 10am-2.30pm Registered charity no: 1145674
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Whitstable
Magazine
Events All Saints Church
Whitstable Library
• Summer Celebration Vicarage garden, Church Street, on Saturday 27 June from 2pm to 4pm. Games, fun, stalls, and all the traditional aspects of a Summer Fair though with an emphasis on having fun.
There are three regular activities that take place all year round at the library:
• Traditional Blessing of the Waters Service Run with St Peter’s Church Whitstable. Takes place at Reeves Beach, between the Horsebridge Centre and the Harbour, at 6.30pm for 6.45pm on Thursday 23 July (NB This is the week before Oyster week this year) when the Vicar says a special prayer of blessing for the sea and its contribution to the life of Whitstable. • Pet Blessing Service Bring your pet to the Vicarage garden on Sunday 9 August at 10am for our annual pet blessing service where we give thanks for our pets. A warm welcome awaits you at All Saints on Sunday mornings at 8am and 10am at our Holy Communion services and for our Thursday healing service at 10am each week. All Saints Whitstable (Church of England), Church Street, Whitstable, CT5 1PG
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• Baby Rhyme Time for ages 3 and under and their parents and carers. Every Tues 11.15-11.45am. Come along and join in rhymes and songs. • Story time for ages 3-5, every Friday 2-2.30pm. • Knit and Natter come along and join our friendly knitting group. Fortnightly on Fridays 1-3pm, taking place on the following dates: 5/6, 19/6, 3/7, 17/7, 31/7, 14/8, 28/8. Over the summer the library will be running its annual Summer Reading Challenge. Children are invited to read six books over the school summer holidays and collect stickers along the way. All children completing the Challenge will win a medal and certificate. The theme this year is Record Breakers.
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Whitstable
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Nicola Ulldemolins Extraordinary Artist! Whitstable based artist Nicola Ulldemolins has kindly allowed us to use her wonderful portrait of Derek West for the front cover of this edition of the magazine. You can see more portraits by Nicola on her website www.nicolaulldemolinsart.co.uk. Derrick West is a third generation boatman from Whitstable who has been working at sea for over 67 years. How long have you been an artist? I studied art at Canterbury at 18, and then moved to Surrey to study 3D design a year later. After a career and having a family, over twenty years later I have returned to art and began the Whitstable portrait project in 2014. I don’t have formal training in fine art and so I am teaching myself. On average how long on average does it take you to paint a portrait? Each painting is very detailed; they are not typical portraits because they include a setting or environment. The current work takes between two weeks to one month. A portrait alone would take only a few days. How do you construct your portrait? Do you sketch the main details, work from a photo or get the subject to sit in sessions? As the portrait includes a working environment, in this instance I work from photographs I have taken. I take 20-50+ photos and choose one that has the right composition, colours and light and shade contrast, though I will enhance aspects of these if any are lacking. This is the creative part.
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What inspired you to paint a portrait of Derek West? I needed to include someone to represent the harbour as this is the main attraction and historical heart of Whitstable. Derrick West has worked at the harbour for 60 years; he is passionate about his work and says he will never retire. He is a fascinating man and for me he embodies the true soul of the town... Though I have loved painting every one of the portraits, his has been very special to me. Who has influenced you artistically? I was always fascinated by portraiture; I used to like Lucien Freud and Stanley Spencer when I was at college. I never imagined I could paint one myself. The person who gave me the confidence to paint was a wonderful teacher and artist called John Cann. If you were ever unsure about how to paint something, he would always say, ‘in my class there is no such word as can’t’! He taught me some very valuable skills which I still use today!
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Whitstable
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Whitstable Stroke Club Whitstable Stroke Club was formed in 1999 and meets at Whitstable Over 60’s Centre in Waterloo Road on Fridays 3.30 pm to 5.30 pm. We are affiliated to the Stroke Association but are self funding. We have a schedule of activities and outings in Spring, Summer and Autumn which our members thoroughly enjoy. At present we have two outings planned - outing to Deal with a fish and chip lunch on 1st May (funded by monies raised by family and friends and others of the late Joan Henry who had been a member of the club for a number of years), an outing to Brick Lane, London to see the 50’s Musical on 12 June which has been made possible through the very generous donation of £1,050.00 from Whitstable & Herne Bay Lions and covers the cost involved. An invitation to a Garden Party & Afternoon Tea at St Nicholas at Wade has also been organised by one of our members who has very kindly opened up her garden to all our members on the 10 July. The Autumn outing has not yet been finalised.
Activities 26 June 2015 to 17 July 2015 (Please note all dates and activities may be subject to change) £1.50 each meeting to be collected for tea/coffee/biscuit or cake Friday 26 June Bingo Raffle Friday 3 July
Cake & Pastry Sale
Friday 10 July Sheila’s invitation to an afternoon at St Nicholas at Wade Friday 17 July Games Afternoon
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Whitstable
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Whitstable Regatta Whitstable and Herne Bay Lions Club welcome you to the 222nd anniversary of Whitstable Regatta to be held on 15 and 16 August 2015. It is claimed to be the oldest Sea Regatta in the world.
The first Whitstable Regatta was held on August 7th, 1792 and has been held almost every year since then. In 1912 the Whitstable Yacht Club took over the running of the Town Regatta as it was known and extra trains were laid on from Canterbury with cheap fares. In 1952 it was run by the Whitstable Sea Cadet Corps, when record crowds saw more than 100 yachts taking part. Music has always been part of the entertainment and bands used to perform from the bandstand which has long since disappeared. Greasy pole walking from a diving raft was always part of Regatta and in pre-war days another popular event was the “bombing” by a plane with bags of flour. There were also the ‘millers and sweeps’, where the occupants of two small boats fought each other with soot and flour!
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In more recent years the Regatta was run by Whitstable Town Council until this was merged with Canterbury, at which point the Chamber of Commerce took it over. In the late 1970s it was handed over to the Lions, who have run it ever since. At that time it was a one day event held on a Sunday. The Lions extended the event to two days and were the first to introduce a firework display on the Saturday night. For the last few years the display has been set on a boat moored off the Regatta site, providing a spectacular display visible for miles around and it is enjoyed by thousands of spectators. Yet last year, donations on the night did not even cover the cost to the Lions of mounting the display. After much deliberation, the Lions decided to continue for another year, aware of
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the pleasure derived by local people and visitors to the event. This year the two days will be packed with fun, the live music of various bands, and a magnificent array of stalls and sideshows along Tankerton Slopes, plus all the fun of the fair brought by Traditional Fairground Amusements. Free entertainment for the children will include Uncle Myles’ Punch and Judy and Magic Shows and opportunities to practice Circus Skills with Crazee Hazee. The EKHO re-enactment group will be back, together with Owls about Town, the Dog Show and the Flypast by the Historic Flight of a Hurricane, Lancaster and Spitfire.
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Whitstable
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At sea, Whitstable Yacht Club will be organising the sailing events and the local Lifeboat Service will demonstrate their skills at a seaborne rescue. There is also the return of the popular “Greasy Pole” contest. Mike Shaw of Whitstable and Herne Bay Lions Club, said, “Each year people come out and support us, and we’re very grateful to them. Although it involves a great deal of work behind the scenes, it also means that we can raise funds for the disadvantaged, whilst providing two days of fun for local people and visitors to Whitstable, and admission is free to all”.
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