17 minute read
THOUSANDS ENJOY BIG DAY OUT IN DARTFORD
THOUSANDS ENJOY A SUN-SOAKED BIG DAY OUT IN DARTFORD
Dartford’s first ever Big Day Out drew thousands of people to a Central Park basked in sunshine on Saturday 16th July.
Live music, a Celebration of Steam, Kids Zones and roaming entertainment were all warmly received by families enjoying the return of a big summer event to the park after two years of lockdown restrictions.
On top of free entry, Dartford Borough Council offered free ride vouchers, plus money off food and drink, to help families enjoy everything the Big Day Out had to offer.
Leader of the Council Jeremy Kite MBE said: “It was wonderful to welcome crowds back to Central Park for a big summer celebration. Things may have been a little different compared to previous years, but we had some great feedback from visitors who enjoyed everything the day had to offer. “Setting up a new event is always a challenge, but it was great to see the community come together and enjoy a great day out in the sunshine.
“We have more great events to come over the summer, including the last of our Open Air Theatre and bandstand performances. Plus we’ll be releasing dates for the Outdoor Cinema very soon.
“I’d like to thank all of our partners for their brilliant contribution, including CohesionPlus and CelebTime.”
Photos: Andy Barnes Photography
4 WAYS TO GIVE YOUR SMALL BUSINESS A BOOST
By Blue Rocket Accounting
It is starting to look like the dark days of the pandemic are behind most businesses and many are having a strong operational bounce back. However, some still aren’t back to where they envisioned and business is slow. This could be due to a variety of factors including; industry, product, service or customer behaviour. Take a look at the difficulties some airlines are experiencing for example; a severely impacted industry during the pandemic, staff shortages and a post pandemic boom in demand have all contributed to a failure to deliver the service levels customers had come to expect. If your business is experiencing a lull in demand or interest, we’ve got 4 ways you can give your business a boost to help develop it further and see it thrive in the long-term. Check them out below! 1. Develop a sound Marketing plan A sound marketing plan can help your business to better identify your target market and what benefit your product or service can bring to it. A good strategy can also identify how you might attract new customers and how to encourage your existing customers to continue purchasing your product or service. As you develop a marketing plan, you will need to consider: · your target audience · their needs · how you can meet those needs Top Tip: If you’re on social media think about what your audience will want to see or what problem they need to solve rather than pushing what you want to sell them – trust leads to custom.
Keep your eyes open for local advertising opportunities and make the most of free direct email marketing tools to keep in touch with your audience.
2. Explore different Sales avenues Developing a sales strategy involves trial and error, it can take time, but remember perseverance pays. Here are some of the ways you can connect with potential customers and close those allimportant sales for your business: Network Build local business connections Follow up email interest Cold call, in person Use social media direct messaging Nurture existing customers It can also be a good idea to look at your existing audience and go for similar, like for like customers. Use everything at your disposal; letter, email, SMS, social media and phone to reach them. 3. Access finance To grow your business - whether that’s investing in capital, expanding your products or increasing outlets - investment is needed, and sometimes that will come from external sources.
There are many different types of funding available to small businesses.
Whether accessing funding through loans, crowdfunding or other sources, inspiring confidence in lenders through planning and forecasting will play in your favour. 4. Build a team you can trust As much as it can be tempting to try, no business owner can do everything on their own, so it’s important to hire the best people possible and share responsibilities effectively. Hiring a good accountant, will add expertise and knowledge in areas you may not be as strong in and hold you accountable to the targets you set. We’re a crew of accountants on a mission to help businesses, like yours, grow. If you’d like to speak to us about your business or personal accounting needs, call us on 01322555442 or see our advert on page 22.
Local people looking for affordable and fun activities are invited to join us at Healthy Living Centre Dartford for our weekly or monthly sessions. Our calendar is jam-packed with a wide range of activities, classes, and clubs from exercise to language lessons to gardening and arts & crafts. Many of these activities are offered free, and those with a cost are just £2.50 per session.
Healthy Living Centre Dartford is working in partnership with Involve Kent on the Universal Community Wellbeing Programme ‘Actively Involved’. Along with other organisations across Kent, the Actively Involved programme is designed to deliver a diverse range of activities to improve the wellbeing of over 55s, or those who are under 55 with long term health conditions. You can find Healthy Living Centre Dartford activities at both Tree Estate and Temple Hill Community Centres, where our team of friendly volunteers and staff will be happy to welcome you. For all our most up-to-date information follow us on Facebook or Instagram, send us an email at info@hlcdartford.org.uk or call us on 01322 311265.
Everyone is welcome to join our activities, which include:
• Tai Chi • Chair Based Yoga/Gentle Exercise • Zumba Gold • Yoga • Circ-Hiits • Cookery Club • Community Gardening • Community Hub, with our Repair and Community Cafes, arts & crafts, board games and therapy tasters • Training courses – for employability skills and leisure • Lunch Club
We are planning to add new programmes to our offer in the Autumn.
Sam Phillips, Partnerships Development Manager at Involve says: “At Involve, we are delighted for the opportunity to work in partnership with Healthy Living Centre Dartford as part of our wider Universal Community Wellbeing Programme, ‘Actively Involved’.
By working with local organisations, “Actively
Involved” aims to deliver a wide range of exciting and accessible new activities, support services and specialist advice, to those who are over 55, and those under 55 who have long term health conditions in Dartford, Gravesham and Swanley. Through collaboration with Healthy Living Centre Dartford, we aim to improve the health and wellbeing of people in the local community.” For more information, contact Sam by email, sam.phillips@involvekent.org.uk or telephone 07796 593472.
In addition to our programme of regular activities, Healthy Living Centre Dartford are continuing to host our series of “Making Memories” events in Temple Hill, funded by Dartford Borough Council. Throughout August, the events will be weekly on Tuesdays 2nd, 9th, 16th and 23rd with lots of opportunities for local people to enjoy themselves, either on Temple Hill Square or in Temple Hill Community Centre (weather dependant). If you would like to get involved, have a stall, or run a demonstration at any of our events, please get in touch.
The Care Your Pet Deserves
Pet sitting and dog walking, 7 days a week
www.happydogsandmogs.com
CREATIVE PLAY IDEAS
By KATIEBKIDS
Rockets Made Of Cardboard! Can you imagine building your own rocket and flying to the moon - just using cardboard boxes?! For toddlers and young children interactive hands-on play is about more than just having fun. Educational research shows that creative play gives pre-schoolers important opportunities to explore ideas and begin to learn about the world by harnessing their natural curiosity and creativity.
With many young children spending more time at home over the holidays, we asked creative play specialist Louise Buckley of KatieB Kids Nursery in Stone for some top tips for parents on how to keep little hands occupied and help young minds grow whilst having fun this summer.
• Keep Cool With Water Play - In warm weather set up a container of water outside (or in your bathtub) and let children experiment with what floats, sinks, or absorb water. Keep it simple with bottle corks, squeezy sponges and plastic bowls or use short pieces of string to make ‘floating’ letters and number shapes. Or make a mini car-wash where children can enjoy splashing by washing their toy cars. • Fruity Numbers – Encourage numeracy and help children stay cool and hydrated with ice cubes and small pieces of fruit to sort and count or support dexterity by making fruit kebabs. Lots of fun, tasty and no waste! • Spaghetti Writing – Help pre-schoolers develop their finger muscles and fine motor skills, both essential when it comes to learning to write. Play dough, using scissors, kneading dough and mark making are all great early literacy activities make home-made spaghetti and see what shapes and letters you can create. • Box It! – Use old cardboard boxes to create everything from rockets to fire engines, a makeshift Noah’s Ark for toys or a boat to adventure across the living room floor. Firing up the imagination, developing construction skills and learning to think about size and shapes.
FREE PARENT WORKSHOP - KatieB Kids are offering a great workshop for parents of young children on how to bring creative play into everyday life with pre-schoolers.
Tues 13th September, 7pm at KatieB in Stone – Find out more at www.katiebkids.co.uk
FAMILY FUN AT BLUEWATER THIS SUMMER
Summer holidays are here and with six weeks of time to fill many are looking for different ways to spend time with family and friends.
Dartford Living spent the day at Bluewater recently with kids in tow to try out some of the activities available outside of the shops and restaurants.
We were excited to try out the brand new mini port children’s boats and GoGo boats which launched a few months ago on the lake outside the Wintergarden (near to the food court).
The shark-themed electric GoGo boats are ergonomically designed to ensure a comfortable trip across the lake and although we only had four passengers we were told they could hold up to six. The 30 minute time slot is perfect for making a few trips around the lakes with plenty of chance to also take a look at some of the wildlife making home there (we spotted some coots and ducks on our travels). The GoGo boat is joystick controlled which means that it is easy enough for anyone to use, even as nautical newbies we managed to avoid getting stuck in any shallow waters! miniport children’s boats a go. These bright and colourful boats are designed for little sailors to take the helm. Whether you trust them or not is a different story. Our 8 year old took far too much delight in being in control of the boat for our near 20 minute journey and reminded me why I do the driving! Perhaps not as relaxing for me as the GoGo boats but the children absolutely loved them.
Our final stop of the day was the Pirate Cove mini golf. The pirate themed courses were great fun for adults and children alike with plenty of variety in the layout of the holes and interesting set ups for each one. We played 18 holes which took us around an hour but if you are up for the challenge you can take on both sides of the course and go for an epic 36 holes!
Even with a few showers (we were very kindly brought umbrellas by the staff to borrow as we finished up) we had a really great time as a family doing this. We were there with a 5 and 8 year old who found the course the perfect balance of fun and a challenge.
ROAMING ROMANS AND STROLLING IN CENTRAL PARK: WALK THROUGH HISTORY IN DARTFORD TOWN CENTRE
By Clair Humphries Explore Dartford’s historic centre and you’ll find evidence of its colourful past all around. Dartford residents have laid Roman roads, built up businesses and advanced the Industrial Revolution whilst living and working in the town. Unfortunately, not all of them have fond memories of the area – but more on that later…
First, put yourself in the shoes (or sandals) of a Roman. Navigating Dartford itself was tricky, seeing as the River Darent ran right through it, so they came up with a solution: creating a paved ‘ford’ to provide easier access – hence the name ‘Dartford.’ This enabled Watling Street (one of the first Roman roads built in Britain) to run through the town, linking central London to Canterbury. Saxon settlements have been recorded within the town centre and throughout the local area, with the origins of Holy Trinity church being traced back to this time.
Quick Quiz: Where in Dartford can you find the ‘Darenth Bowl?’ A) Central Park B) Dartford Museum C) TKMAXX
Dartford market has always been at the heart of the town, with a market house first established in 1576. Dartford Grammar School was also founded in that year and the sixteenth century saw a boom in local industries such as linen weaving and paper making.
Blue Plaque Alert! Next time you pop into Boots see if you can spot the blue plaque in honour of Jane Austen, who stayed at The Bull Inn on her travels through Kent. Another resident of The Bull was railway pioneer Richard Trevithick, who is also commemorated with a blue plaque.
Spare a thought for poor old Richard Trevithick. Despite developing the first steam locomotive, he died penniless and was buried locally in an unmarked grave – which might explain why he had such a dim view of the area…
‘Dirty Dartford; peculiar people. They bury their dead above the steeple!’ Richard Trevithick
A walk around Dartford wouldn’t be complete without a stroll in Central Park, with its landscaped gardens, playground and bandstand. Originally meadows, local dignitary Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Newman Kidd bequeathed the land to the council in 1903, solely for the purpose of public recreation. Military camps were set up there during World War One and when Dartford Library opened in 1916, some of its first customers were wounded soldiers from local military hospitals. In 1919, the library became joined with Dartford Museum – although earlier museum collections existed in the borough, including that owned by ornithologist John Latham. As a challenge, why not complete your town centre tour with a visit to the museum and find out more about him (and the famous Dartford Warbler..?)
*Answer: B) – This and other Saxon finds are on display in the Dartford Borough Museum.
Clair Humphries is a freelance writer and Content Partner for Ordnance Survey. Website: www.clairhumphries.com Twitter: @clairhumphries Instagram: clair_humphries
Amelia Street & The Big Blue at Bexley Park Sports & Social Club
Friday 9th September 2022 Start Time: 7pm Tickets: £5
Calvert Drive, Dartford, DA2 7GA
The Big Blue
20 YEARS OF ORCHARD GARAGE
By Pam Manwaring
You may have seen our pink car (sadly stolen earlier this year) at schools and events around the area. We support both Dartford Cricket Club and Fun Friends Group (who offer support to children and young adults between the ages of 7 and 21 in this area) by both fundraising and taking part in their activities and events. You may have seen us advertising events we organise and again, we thank those of you who come along and encourage us.
As we’ve got busier, we’ve taken on more people – there are now 19 of us, all local! These days, we work on vans and the more involved jobs at Heath Lane, as it’s a much bigger site. Park Road, as well as continuing to be a very busy workshop, is our main car sales site. Both sites offer all the usual servicing and repairs needed, including electric and hybrid vehicles - all our technicians have attended EV training. Both sites offer Class 4 MOT’s, which can now be booked on-line via http://orchardgarageltd.wsptm.com or via our website www.orchardgarageltd.co.uk. Heath Lane can also do Class 2 – motorbikes. We share 10 courtesy cars (including 2 automatics) between us.
Our big news is, after 20 years, we have decided to step back slightly and let the next generation take over. We’ll still be working a couple of days a week, but in the background. Our daughter, Jane will continue to manage Park Road and our son Adam will be managing Heath Lane. Over the years many customers have become friends and we hope our children have the privilege to say the same when it’s their turn to step back. All five of the family will continue to work for Orchard Garage - it’s still the same company, with the same team and the same commitment to our customers and community. Here’s to the next 20 years!
On the 24th of August, we will have been an active Dartford business for 20 years!
As many of you know, Orchard Garage Limited started in the town centre, behind the Orchard Theatre, in the Orchard Quarter of Dartford, when we bought Orchard Autos from Dave and Fino. Whilst that site was great for us, we quickly started to fill it. Then the landlords decided they were going to develop it, which meant we definitely had to find a new home. We managed to buy Park Road Garage (formally Bell Brothers) in 2005, and our journey continued from there until we bought the Dartford Motors site on Heath Lane in 2019. Since then, we’ve been trading from both sites. The timing couldn’t have been worse with the pandemic etc, but we have wonderful customers who have supported us and of course we have the fantastic teams who work at each site. We have built our business mainly on word of mouth, so to any of you reading this who have helped in that way, we really do appreciate it. We now have two busy sites.
Orchard Garage Limited is very much a Dartford company. Both Geoff and I grew up in and around Dartford, so we’ve been a part of this area for more years than we want to admit! We are very grateful for all our customers and our way of saying thank you is to be an active part of the local community.
