INSIDE THE MAGAZINE CLUB ATHLETE GIVING SOMETHING BACK PAGES 14 & 15
WHAT NEXT FOR THE CRUISING INDUSTRY?
SELF NEGLECT IS A GROWING PROBLEM
PAGES 24 & 25
PAGE 34
LOWER THAMES CROSSING DARTFORD’S RELIEF ROAD - PAGE 6
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BY T HE COMM U NI T Y,
BY THE COMMUNITY, FOR THE COMMUNITY
Dear Readers, Welcome to the September magazine. We live in strange times, but as usual the magazine is jam packed with lots of local information and local businesses. Please support as many as you can - use them or lose them! Like no time before your community needs you.
CONTENTS
If you email editor@dartfordliving.com we will add you to our e-newsletter and you will join 7,000 others who receive a copy of the magazine by email once a month.
6 Lower Thames Crossing - Dartford’s relief road 9 Using energy healing 10 Dartford Giving 14-15 Dedicated club athlete giving something back in virtual London Marathon 16 Recipe 22 The power of reflection 24-25 What next for the cruising industry? 26 The Great British September Clean 28 Fitness October 34 Self neglect is a growing problem 37 Stressed out? Five ways to feel calmer 38 Life under the stairs 41 Using technology to weather the storm 44 Online Theatre roundup 46 Painted Rocks 47 Car News 49 Sporting Roundup 48-55 Where to go locally 56-57 Advertisers Index 58 Useful Numbers
Until next time, stay safe,
DARTFORD LIVING MAGAZINE PRINTED BY:
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By Ga r e t h J o h n so n , M P fo r Da rt fo r d
LOWER THAMES CROSSING By Gareth Johnson, MP for Dartford
identified as the preferred option for the new crossing and since then Highways England has undergone three years of intense planning, consultation and investigation work to get to the point we are at today.
More than a decade after a Government study looked at options for an additional Thames crossing due to increasing demand in Dartford, I am delighted that planning permission to build the Lower Thames Crossing is finally to be submitted in the coming months.
This project is set to be one of the biggest infrastructure projects in the country and will not only be beneficial for the surrounding area, but also a key part of the UK road network. With 14.3 miles of road, bridges, viaducts and underpasses, it will have the third largest bored tunnels in the world, running 175 feet below the Thames. As well as giving motorists a choice of where to cross the Thames, the LTC will add road capacity, reduce delays and will help the local economies by creating thousands of jobs and encouraging investment into the area. The tunnels will provide three lanes in each direction, with a speed limit of 70mph.
The Development Consent Order application for the LTC is being made to the planning inspectorate As residents of Dartford, we know more than most that and, following around a year of scrutiny, it is set the current crossing is operating well above its design to get final approval by the Secretary of State at capacity. It was designed for 135,000 crossings each day the end of next year. but it often sees more than 180,000. We all know when there is a problem with traffic at the crossing, there is a This means building work on the multi-billion problem with traffic in Dartford. pound programme should begin on site shortly after, in 2022, with the new crossing set to be up Over the past three years, there have been numerous and running in 2028. consultations with more than 80,000 responses.
This multi- billion pound crossing cannot come We need the Lower Thames Crossing, it is vital for us and soon enough for the people of Dartford who have vital for the country too. suffered year after year of traffic misery due to congestion at the Dartford Crossing. In truth, this whole process should have commenced years ago. The Department for Transport undertook its Dartford River Crossing Study in 2009, which stated: ‘This Study has concluded that there is an existing problem at the Dartford Crossing that requires resolution through the provision of additional cross-river capacity in the Lower Thames area’. In April 2017, the site east of Gravesend was
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DARTFORD GIVING By Katie Hargreaves
will also get to meet like-minded people – some groups are very sociable and go for a drink afterwards, but you can always opt out or choose the more solitary tasks if you want some alone time with nature. “How much time do I need for it?” This is a pretty flexible role. Many meet-ups are either weekly or fortnightly, but there is no pressure to attend every session, although giving the organiser a heads-up would be appreciated to help them plan the day’s tasks. Sessions typically last about 3-4 hours, but again this isn’t set in stone. “Are there any requirements?” None at all! “Anything else I need to know?” Any equipment required is provided to you, including gloves.
As we enter into the autumn months, we’re lucky enough to have some beautiful woodlands and country parks right on our doorstep, where we can fully appreciate the leaves changing colour and enjoying the fresher air. However, as amazing as nature is, sometimes these areas need some help from us humans, and this is where you can get involved – volunteering in the country parks, woodlands or heath nearby.
“This sounds great, how do I get involved?” Details of volunteering at Darenth Country Park (every other Thursday) and Dartford Heath (every Tuesday) can be found on the Dartford Council website at https://www.dartford.gov.uk/ by-category/leisure-and-culture2/parks-and-open-spaces/ volunteer-groups. There is also a volunteer group run by the Woodlands Trust that maintains Joyden’s Wood, which meets every Wednesday morning, but hasn’t yet re-started since the pandemic began. It’s also worth checking the notice boards in your local country park for details of any other volunteer groups. If you don’t fancy parks, heaths and woods, there are similar groups that work to maintain waterways – it’s worth a Google search if you’re interested.
Open spaces volunteering “What is it?” Many public outdoor spaces are simply too big for the staff to maintain by themselves, so they rely on a team of volunteers who help out with If you have any questions, feel free to email kate@ various tasks from tree cutting to fence building, dartfordliving.com. Happy volunteering! weed pulling to seed planting. “Would I enjoy it?” If you consider yourself to be somewhat green-fingered or just have a desire to help our natural environment, then yes. “What would I get out of it?” You’ll get the opportunity to spend more time outdoors (which has big benefits for mental health), learn more about the local wildlife and, depending what tasks you do, potentially improve your physical fitness too. You
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D e d i cat e d C lub At h l e t e G i v i n g S o m e t h i n g B ack i n V i rtu a l Lo n d o n M a rat h o n
DEDICATED CLUB ATHLETE GIVING SOMETHING BACK IN VIRTUAL LONDON MARATHON By Steve Denniss
able to recover from her injuries, passing away in May 2016. If she had survived, she and her family would have come to rely on the charity Headway. Amongst the services that Headway provides are grants to families of head injury victims, the headway helpline, and a team of acute trauma support nurses.
I’m Steve Denniss, I’ve lived in Dartford for about 5 years now and I was delighted, at the age of 60, to have gained a place in the Virgin Money London Marathon 2020 running for Headway - the Brain Injury Association. My desire to run for Headway is borne out of a lasting memory of the love and fun brought into our lives by Amy Haskew, daughter of my cousins Richard and Liz. Amy was a very talented young lady full of life and adventure. In 2016 She was studying for her master’s degree in Forensic Psychology in Canterbury at the University of Kent. Whilst on an extended holiday in Australia she was involved in a tragic cycling accident. Following the accident, she was on life support in a Melbourne hospital for just over a month. Sadly, Amy wasn’t
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My journey towards this London Marathon experience has been strongly influenced by living in Dartford. Since moving here in 2015 I have joined several local groups including the Dartford Concert Band and the Dartford Harriers Athletic Club. I became a Harrier at the beginning of 2017 to help with my running and the club has encouraged and developed my abilities significantly over the past 3 years enabling me to take on greater distances. In my bid for the London Marathon the club has helped with training and useful tips and advice. When I undertook to run 10 - 10ks over 10 consecutive days to help with my fundraising in September 2019 the Harriers helped with pre-event training, and organised 2 of the runs as part of the clubs busy training programme. My involvement with the Harriers in giving something back through my charity running earned me the award for Dedicated Club Athlete 2019. I’ve also completed over 100 parkruns in Dartford and have been on the volunteering team on more than a dozen occasions. Many of the park-runners have contributed to my fundraising. Fundraising was going very well, and our total passed the £3000 mark in March. Obviously with the coronavirus pandemic, headway, like many charities has been hit hard and any further amount we can raise will be gratefully received and wisely spent. I recently had a short spell in Darent Valley hospital during which I thought I might need to call on the services of Headway myself. Fortunately, I’m recovering now, and I am convinced that the health, fitness, and mental positivity I have gained due to
By St e v e D e n n i ss
running and playing music here in Dartford has been a major factor in my recovery. The London Marathon this year on October 4th will be a closed event for the elite athletes and a virtual one for the rest of us. Covid 19 and my time in hospital have disrupted my training and I won’t be ready to run an allout marathon. However, it being the 40th anniversary of the event I have set myself a 4x10 challenge, hoping to cover the marathon distance in 4 - 10k routes each starting and finishing from my home all on the day. Actually, each run will be a little over 10.5k to make up the 42.2K total. If you see me in the Dartford area walking running or jogging in my bright yellow headway vest on October 4th, please give me a wave. Donations will be gratefully received at www.virginmoneygiving.com/ stevedenniss. Headway is a registered charity no. 1025852.
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MARSHMALLOW RICE POP TREATS By Debbie Dickinson Marshmallow Rice Pop Treats What to do: These are great for lunchbox treats or to keep in the Put the marshmallows and butter in a large bowl cupboard for snacks. and pop in the microwave until melted. The time will depend on size of marshmallows used – so check every 15-20 seconds. Once the marshmallows I use the basic recipe a lot when making cakes – the have melted you can stir until all the butter has mix is mouldable so great for making shapes that melted too. are too big to make out of icing, but too small to Add the rice pops and stir until completely make out of cake. Or great for adding detail to combined. carved/shaped cakes. Stir in any delicious treats as required. Press into a 25cm square tin – a silicon one is best My best bit of advice is to wipe a thin layer of to avoid sticking, otherwise grease with vegetable vegetable fat on a silicon spatula to mix as believe me it gets very, very sticky!!! Or, if you fancy having fat or line with greaseproof paper. a go at moulding something different, use food-safe Leave for a couple of hours to firm up. gloves – again pop a layer of vegetable fat on them Drizzle with melted chocolate (or dip in melted to avoid getting into a sticking mess! chocolate once cut into bars) You’ll need: 200g Marshmallows 25g Unsalted Butter – chopped into small cubes 200g Rice Pops (or a mix of Rice & Chocolate Pops) Chocolate for melting Optional – Chocolate Chips, Chopped nuts, Chopped Dried Fruits,
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Put the treat onto a food cutting board and cut as required. Enjoy!
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THE POWER OF REFLECTION By Clair Yates Depending on your experience of yoga, you may or may not be surprised to hear me say that yoga is at its heart a contemplative practice and reflective journaling is a key tool. Of course yoga can be used purely for exercise and the physical aspect of the practice has the potential to bring many benefits including a stronger more flexible body, less tension, less aches and pains, so we can live in our bodies more comfortably. As well as the physical gains, yoga encourages us to live more consciously with greater awareness and as such can bring benefits to all aspects of daily life. Reflection gives us the opportunity to tap into our awareness more fully, so we can make the most our insights, to bring perspective and direction, it provides us with counsel.
the page, to quieten the mind and to reduce the mental chatter. That alone can feel liberating and calming in equal measure, as we unburden ourselves through the practice. At other times as we write down and record our thoughts and feelings, we may notice our mind repeating certain thought patterns, tapping into old belief systems, playing out emotional story lines and / or exaggerating and catastrophizing. This is useful to notice, to bring to the forefront of our awareness so we can see whether these thoughts belong to us, are useful for us, or if they are no longer serving us. We can reframe our experiences, perhaps using different language to describe the situation, we can test out ideas and responses to problems we may have.
If we don’t know where to start, it can be useful to ask ourselves some questions. Three simple questions my teachers taught me, are the ones I still regularly use to Journaling is one of the fundamental tools for get myself writing when I feel a bit stuck. reflection and although some of my Foundation Course students are at first surprised to be asked - How do I feel right now? to keep a journal as part of a yoga course, once - What’s going well? they get going they invariably find the process - What’s on my mind? supportive and enlightening. I encourage you to have a go. Let me know how you get So what does journaling do and why is it so on. Take care of yourself, Clair. helpful? Journaling gives us the opportunity to hear our own thoughts and to acknowledge our emotions. It enables us to clarify our feelings and experiences and to notice how we meet ourselves in those experiences. In the act of journaling we are listening to ourselves, just like we would listen to a friend, we are taking ourselves into consideration, it’s an act of self-care. It’s important to write openly, honestly and from the heart – although this can take a little practice - no one has to read it other than you, so you can feel safe exploring your own experience. Sometimes it’s enough to empty thoughts onto
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WHAT NEXT FOR THE CRUISING INDUSTRY? By Harden Holidays
Cruising is a form of holiday that is much loved by all generations and has been massively affected by the current coronavirus crisis. Even before Covid-19 swept across the world, cruise lines had higher standards of hygiene and cleanliness than many hotels, making a return the seas just a question of time. With the number of cases rising in almost every country around us, including ours, it is hard to keep positive about any form of return to normality when it comes to cruise holidays. However, as we have said before, travel remains a very personal choice. Cruise lines, much like hotels, cannot stand idle and wait for things to improve of their own accord, so they are raising their standards even more. In this article we will bring to you the current new protocols and proposed plans for a wider around the world restart in ocean cruising. In the last week, Royal Caribbean, NCL Cruise and Carnival announced their adoption of a strong set of health protocols that represent core elements for returning to service in the Americas by the end of the year, pending support and approval of regulators and destinations. Resumption of operations in the Americas, the largest cruise market in the world, is a critical next step now that initial sailing has begun effectively with strict protocols in Europe. The successful sailings in Europe by MSC Cruises, Costa, TUI Cruises, Ponant and others has led to the development of effective protocols and were the building blocks of these core elements. Highlights of the approach include: • Testing. 100% testing of passengers and crew for COVID-19 prior to embarkation • Mask-Wearing. Mandatory wearing of masks by all passengers and crew onboard and during excursions whenever physical distancing cannot be maintained • Distancing. Physical distancing in terminals, onboard ships, on private islands and during shore excursions • Ventilation. Air management and ventilation strategies to increase fresh air
WHAT NE X T FOR T HE C R U ISING IN D U ST RY ?
onboard and, where feasible, using enhanced filters and other technologies to mitigate risk • Medical Capability: Risk-based response plans tailored for each ship to manage medical needs, dedicated cabin capacity allocated for isolation and other operational measures, and advance arrangements with private providers for shoreside quarantine, medical facilities, and transportation. • Shore Excursions: Only permit shore excursions according to the cruise operators’ prescribed protocols, with strict adherence required of all passengers and denial of re-boarding for any passengers that do not comply. Here is list of protocols that are currently being adhered to by liners that have successfully restarted cruising: BOARDING: PCR test (for all passengers, paid & organised by the cruise line), health questionnaire, health check (thermal cameras), boarding in smaller groups DISTANCING / LIMITED CAPACITIES: 40% less guests CREW: isolation period before departure, daily temp checks, face masks AIR CONDITIONING: AC system guarantees 100% fresh air in cabins & public areas. Extracted air diverted directly outside RESTAURANTS: reduced number of tables, extended opening hours, more than enough space & seating for all
HYGIENE TECHNOLOGY: thermal body cameras, mobile laboratories, care sets for passengers HYGIENE PROTOCOLS: high OPP level 3 standard, surfaces cleaned every 30 mins, cabins cleaned 3 times per day EXPERTISE: expansion of medical teams and public health responsible A recent passenger on board MSC Grandiosa reported: “The staff on board were brilliant. Our waiters were some of the best we’ve had, William and Tom were excellent. Staff are stringently tested and quarantined before getting on board. Once on board they are tested weekly. Masks are to be worn on board when moving about the ship. Once sitting at a bar, eating or lounging at the pool no masks needed. Masks were needed if you were participating in the activities and when dancing. We loved every minute of it. We really wish these current measures stayed in place. Especially the embarkation measures. Nowhere was particularly busy, only a little on sea days. The ship was half full only. We felt safe safer than at home in France. We would book again in a heartbeat.” Give us a call or pop in to see us in the Dartford town centre if you would like further information on how cruise lines have restarted or plan to restart their sailings. Cruising timetable is available to book up to 2022.
MORE SERVICE: more crew = even more personal service ENTERTAINMENT & ACTIVITIES: fewer participants with more sessions
Call - 0800 023 8974 E-mail - tim@hardenholidays.co.uk Website: www.hardenholidays.co.uk Visit us at: Unit 1B Henley House, Home Gardens, Dartford, DA1 1AS (Opposite Prospect Place & Costa, next to Subway) 25
AspartoftheGreatBritishSeptemberCleanlocalCouncillorswerejoinedbylocalresidentstodoasociallydistanced,ruleofsix,litterpick.
THE GREAT BRITISH SEPTEMBER CLEAN
As part of the Great British September Clean local Councillors were joined by local residents to do a socially distanced, rule of six, litter pick. For Longfield Academy pupil, (13 year old) Ben Greenwood, this was his second day of collecting dropped rubbish, having already filled four waste bags in a solo litter pick around Greenhithe the day before. Originally named the ‘Great British Spring Clean’ the national Keep Britain Tidy initiative was moved from the original date in March, due to the Coronavirus pandemic, and renamed the Great British September Clean.
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Completing the local ‘Clean’ whilst conforming to covid regulations was a challenge but local Councillors David Mote and Danny Nickel knew the secret was to keep their event small and targeted. Having finished their quick two hour clean around the Eagles Road area Councillor Mote explained: “Our paramount priority was to stay safe and still do our bit to support the Keep Britain Tidy’s September clean. It really doesn’t take long to pop out and pick up dropped rubbish in your local streets and the campaign runs until the 27 September.” Picture: L-R Cllr David Mote - Carol Gale - Cllr Danny Nicklen and Ben Greenwood
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Full-time, experienced, qualified yoga teacher, teaching practical yoga and meditation classes in the local community and now online. When Government advice allows, the regular schedule of in person group classes in Hextable, Swanley, Sidcup and Bexleyheath will resume. For now, all regular group classes are being held online. Yoga Alliance Professionals Senior Yoga Teacher and British Wheel of Yoga Foundation Course Tutor, I am qualified and experienced in making yoga accessible. I teach an embodied and practical approach to yoga, breath work and meditation, appropriate for all ages and abilities. You don’t need to be flexible to start! My classes are friendly, everybody is welcome, so come and see how it feels to tune in and connect yourself and feel better. Please visit my website for more information or email me at clair.crestyoga@gmail.com. I look forward to hearing from you.
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FI T NESS - o cto b e r
FITNESS - OCTOBER By Mark Broadbent
SETTING UP YOUR DIET
Whilst the word “diet” has been abused and conjures ideas of some restrictive, hellish eating plan to follow for X number of weeks, it’s actually just “what you eat”. Not “a Diet”, just your diet. So, how do you set it up to ensure you get what you want from it? We’re not looking to remove all of the foods you love, in fact, it’s very important to keep at least some of those in to ensure that you’re actually able to follow and stick to your diet long-term. Counting down the days until you can have a blowout is NOT a good way to go about it. My advice though would be to make sure no more than 20% of your calories are coming from those less-than-ideal foods. So, if you want a beer, or a wine, or some chocolate, or some crisps/cakes/biscuits/ice-cream etc. etc., just make sure you’re not over-consuming them. - Start with your calorie target. This should be worked out in a sensible way (not just guessed or copied from someone else) and will be your starting point - you can always adjust the calories further down the line if you need to. - Now work out your protein target – a good starting point for most people will be 1g per pound bodyweight (so, if you weigh 150lbs, you’ll aim for 150g of protein per day). For most people, this may seem like a lot, and may make you realise how much you’ve been under-eating protein; but set this target and aim to get within 10g of it every day. - Work out how many calories you’re getting from protein (amount of protein in grams multiplied by 4), so for the example above, 150g of protein = 600 calories - Subtract those calories from your total calorie target and see what you have left. This can then be split between carbohydrates and fats however you see fit. - At this point, if you want to include some of your treat foods, work out how many calories you can allocate to them (no more than 20% of your total) and factor those in. - The remainder should be filled with as much veg, fruit, healthy fats, and unprocessed carbohydrates as possible, keeping within your calorie target. 9 times out of 10, “Diets” fail because they’re too restrictive and impossible to follow for any extended period of time. By planning in the foods you’re normally told to avoid, but doing it in a way that keeps you on track, you won’t
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feel deprived or starved and won’t be suffering and hoping your willpower holds out all week. This may seem over-simplified, but it really isn’t a complicated thing. - Hit your calorie target daily - Hit your protein target daily - Keep the “bad” foods in, but in smaller quantities (less than 20% of calories) - Fill out the rest of your calories with veg and unprocessed carbs - Don’t avoid all fats – they’re essential for health! Add to this a good training program – nothing excessive (but you must work hard when you do train) – and you really can’t fail. Again, I realise this all sounds simple, and that you’ve likely tried and failed numerous times, but you can’t defy the laws of physics. If you’ve “done this before and it didn’t work” then your numbers were wrong. Often, it’s a case of underestimating how much you’re actually eating, not logging your food accurately, guessing portions sizes (and making them too big), thinking that drinks don’t count, or expecting to binge at the weekend with no consequences. And also over-estimating how many calories you’re burning in your workouts (HINT: It’s not enough to have an extra “treat” with your coffee!) Nutrition can get extremely complicated, but it doesn’t need to. Keep it simple. You don’t need anything fancy or extreme, and you don’t need to fully understand all of the science to benefit from it. Just follow these steps and get stuck in.
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We’re doing everything we can to help Dartford shops, businesses and markets get up-and-running again. It’s not something we can rush and as they start to open EVERY shopper has a big part to play. PLEASE KEEP YOUR DISTANCE WHILST SHOPPING Putting space between you and other shoppers can help stop the spread of the virus. Maintain social distancing at every opportunity. PLEASE DON’T TAKE THE WHOLE FAMILY We’re not yet ready to recommend shopping as a family or social activity. Please don’t shop in groups. WASH YOUR HANDS BEFORE AND AFTER SHOPPING Get in the habit of washing your hands before you set out shopping and wash again as soon as you get home. TRY SHOPPING AT DIFFERENT TIMES Shops are generally well-stocked so avoiding peak shopping times can help key retail workers manage demand and social distancing. Consider shopping earlier or later than usual. FINALLY- BE KIND, BE PATIENT and BE UNDERSTANDING These are tough times for everyone - retail workers and shopkeepers included. Be patient and understand that everyone is trying their very best.
Jeremy Kite, Leader of the Council
DARTFORD
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THE HISTORY OF THE WATLING STREET FOOTBALL GROUND, 1921 – 1992.
Next year celebrates 100 years since the Darts bought and developed their new ground in Watling Street. We are hoping that with the help of this article, more items of interest will be unearthed from their hidy-holes, perhaps in the loft or an outbuilding or under the stairs. The sort of items that we are keen to find are photographs, programmes and newspaper cuttings, but these are not only of when Dartford were involved but also of the many local cup finals that took place on the ground. These include charity competitions such as the Livingstone Hospital and Matt Capon Cups, Stone and Wilmington Charity Cups, and the Dartford & District and North Kent leagues that includes Minor and Junior cups. Other sports have been held at the football ground including Boxing, Wrestling, Baseball, Lawn Tennis and American Football but there is, sadly, a distinct lack of memorabilia of these sports played at Watling Street ground. We would also welcome hearing of people’s memories, not only of matches, but perhaps such things as volunteering to spruce up the ground
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in the summer holiday and various other activities held at the Club-house plus a multitude of other ‘behind the scenes’ efforts to help and support the club through each season. You can contact me, Tony Brown, by email : tonyjan@talktalk.net or find him on Facebook’s site: “Remembering Dartford’s Watling Street Football Ground” or you can phone him on 01322 224261
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By C h r i st i n a U pp e n k a m p - H o m e I n st e a d S e n i o r Ca r e
SELF-NEGLECT IS A GROWING PROBLEM By Christina Uppenkamp - Home Instead Senior Care
Self-neglect is a growing problem in the UK’s elderly population, but if we spot it soon, we can avoid the consequences of it. We want to help you identify when your elderly family member can no longer cope as well at home, and so we’ve devised a shortlist of the key warning signs of self-neglect to look out for:
loved one may not have the energy or capacity to keep their home in good shape anymore – this may include not being able to take the rubbish out and get rid of old belongings they no longer need. 4) Reluctance to Accept Help: There are many reasons why a person may refuse medical or social care interventions, but a person experiencing self-neglect is much more likely to be reluctant to accept help. Look out for discarded medication, unopened mail and other signs that may indicate your family member not wanting anyone to disrupt their current way of living. If you spot any of these signs in your elderly relative, it is likely that they need help at home. Contact Home Instead Senior Care Dartford on 01322923750 today to discuss our bespoke care options and get your loved one back on track.
1) Lack of Food in the Home: Nothing in the fridge but a lump of mouldy cheese? Bare cupboards? A lack of food in the home could mean that your loved one is no longer able to purchase their groceries and maintain a healthy diet for themselves. This could be due to a physical impairment, a decline in mental health or an inability to manage their money. 2) Dishevelled Appearance: If your elderly family member is frequently wearing unclean clothes, or if you notice that they themselves do not appear to have been washing, this could be a sign of self-neglect. Poor physical and mental health can lead to the avoidance of daily tasks such as maintaining personal hygiene and washing clothes. 3) Untidiness and Hoarding: A common facet of self-neglect is the avoidance or inability to maintain a clean and tidy home. Your
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Our caring and professional CAREGivers support people at home by offering dedicated home care services. Our distinctive approach means that whether you are based in Belvedere, Erith, Dartford, Northfleet, Wilmington, Bexley or Gravesend, we can ensure you or your loved one can remain living at home comfortably and supported.
By C h r i st i n a U pp e n k a m p - H o m e I n st e a d S e n i o r Ca r e
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BOW ARROW GARDENING & LANDSCAPING. Gardening and Landscaping service in the By C h r i st i n a U pp e n k a m p - H o m e I n st e a d S e n i o r Ca r e Dartford, South East London, North Kent, Essex area. - Garden Design. - Garden Clearance. - Garden maintenance :all aspects. - Hedge/shrub pruning. - Deweed paths and flower beds - Lawn Maintenance and cutting. Free quotations Contact- Andy Davidson. Mobile 07815 118887 Email – andy_davidson_1@ yahoo.co.uk A Friendly, reliable and quality service. Bespoke quotations on request.
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Are you fed up with constant aches and pains in your body? Do you want to move more freely ? Improve posture and feel more confident ? Do you need help recovering from an injury? Or would you like to improve your sports performance ? OnPointe Pilates is the solutions, contact us today to book your FREE taster session! Weekly group sessions on weekday mornings, evenings and weekends. Private 1:1 and 2:1 session with Pilates equipment. We offer 5- week Pilates beginners course - these are the perfect introduction to Pilates and we currently have them on special offer 5 weeks for the price of only 4! Limited spaces available – contact us to book your space!
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st r e ss e d o ut ? f i v e ways to f e e l ca l m e r to day
STRESSED OUT? FIVE WAYS TO FEEL CALMER TODAY With everything the world is facing in this current season, many of us are experiencing uncertainty about the future which can lead to worry and anxiety. Dealing with the issues that concern us today in manageable chunks can help us feel in control, reducing anxiety about the future and improving our physical and mental health, particularly in the area of our finances.
unmanageable debts, seek help sooner rather than later. Many clients who we have helped at Christians Against Poverty (CAP) say they feel as if a weight has been lifted, even from making the first phone call to ask for help. You can call for free on 0800 328 0006 or visit capuk.org to find out more.
If CAP isn’t for you, there are lots of great debt advice organisations Take control of your money out there, such as StepChange Feel like there never seems to be (stepchange.org) and Citizens Advice enough cash to make ends meet? (citizensadvice.org.uk). Whether you’re in or out of work, having a clear picture of what money Join a job club with a supportive you have coming in and going out community is essential. Start taking control by creating a budget. The next step is Maybe you’ve been applying for job acting on any issues your budget after job to no avail – it can be easy brings up. If you’ve got more money to lose confidence and let worry going out than coming in, consider take over. Practically, job clubs can what you can cut down or cut out provide useful tips on writing an altogether. Perhaps you could switch excellent CV and practising interview to a cheaper energy tariff, or cancel techniques to make yourself stand that TV subscription you never use. out. But more than that, you’ll meet other people in a similar situation who can empathise and support you. Have a look at moneysavingexpert. com/banking/budget-planning and other free resources online to help There’s a wide network of job clubs you. Alternatively if you want to available. Have a look at what’s local learn how to budget using online to you by searching ‘job club near tools as part of a community visit me’ or asking at Jobcentre Plus. capmoney.org to look for a local CAP money course (dates of new Alleviate stress with a healthy courses to be run in the Dartford diet and exercise area are soon to be released). Our hormones and blood sugar are affected by what we eat and Get help with problem debt drink. According to Anxiety UK, I f y o u ’ r e c o n c e r n e d a b o u t many sufferers of stress report that improving their diet made a big
difference to their wellbeing. Plus, when we plan our meals for the week or month ahead, we can create less waste and save money by only buying what we need, which can also bring stress levels down. Check out skintdad.co.uk or frugalfamily.co.uk. Exercise also has a big effect on our mental health. Any kind of physical activity, whether it’s a full-on workout in the gym or a brisk walk around the block, releases endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good hormones. Think about what you can realistically add into your daily routine. Even ten minutes of exercise a day can really improve our mood. Have a look at nhs.uk/live-well/exercise for some inspiration and ideas for people of all ages and abilities. Focus on today By acting on just one of these suggestions today, you can start to feel happier, healthier and more in control of your life. For more advice on dealing with worry, have a look at anxietyuk.org.uk. Christians Against Poverty (CAP) is a UK charity with over 580 services across the country delivering debt counselling, money management, job clubs, life skills groups, and support for people breaking habitual dependencies. Visit capuk.org to find out more.
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L IFE U N D ER T HE STAIRS
LIFE UNDER THE STAIRS
BY LOCAL RESIDENT, JANE STEVENSON
The debate about cloth vs paper, home made vs shop bought really doesn’t offer much advice. Any mask is better than no mask, although one which covers nose, mouth and fits snugly is the best. Personally, I have several washable, hand made masks, ranging from a cat’s face, through to pop art and flowers. I also line mine with a tissue because I wear glasses, and without this simple adjustment, I live in a permanent fog of condensation, rendering me more likely to fall over than contract a virus!
“Because I know that hope and fear are We have a mask laundering session at Stevenson connected, I put my mask of hope on.” Towers – working on the assumption that cleanliness is Will Smith next to godliness. Also, without offending anyone, they do begin to smell a bit funny after a few wearings. OK Thought I’d start today with a profound quote, until they shrink! and the above from Will Smith sums it up nicely. This brings us on to ‘mask etiquette’. From this point I We are all hopeful and fearful in equal measure. have to curb my desire to rant and rage. With the advice Our fear is that unless we take some form given I cannot understand those who have a mask and of protection while out in public, the risk of then wear it under the chin, below the nose or under contracting – or passing – the virus on is greater the bottom lip. unless we wear the masks. Wishing all Dartford Living readers well. See you next Our hope is that these small pieces of cloth, some month. utility, some funny, others pretty, will provide a barrier against the virus.
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U SING T E C HNO LOGY TO WEAT HER T HE STORM
USING TECHNOLOGY TO WEATHER THE STORM
less than this time last year and low consumer confidence means that all businesses are seeing much lower revenues. Dartford has consistently had some of the highest infection rates in Kent so if there is a greater chance of there being a local lockdown here,
2020 has been extraordinary year. The global life of Humans has been disrupted in a way that hasn’t happened in a generation. The Pandemic has impacted the entire world. Countries that have largely escaped with few cases and deaths, have still been devastated by the economic impacts of lockdowns and mass unemployment caused by economic uncertainty. Dartford was no exception. I remember walking down The Brent in the middle of the day and only seeing a few cars and people.
Here at Project Head Start, our business is to utilise IT to reduce your costs and more importantly, increase your revenue. We are a local business, based in Dartford, whose founder was born in the now demolished West Hill hospital and has lived here all his life. If you would like a FREE GUIDE on how to do this, please get it from the following link: http://bit.ly/PH-IT-Dart Alternatively you can Call, SMS, WhatsApp or leave a voicemail on 07580 532 194. Thanks for reading and stay safe! Daniel
It is clear that a full recovery will not happen this year. But we need to prepare ourselves for the possibility that this may be the new normal for the next few years. That’s why now is the time to plan for the possibility of another shutdown. Even of there isn’t another full national lockdown, many businesses are struggling with the new challenging trading conditions as retail footfall continues to be much
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U SING T E C HNO LOGY TO WEAT HER T HE STORM
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o n l i n e T HEAT RE Ro u n dup
ONLINE THEATRE ROUNDUP By Liz Dyer
There’s no denying it’s still an uncertain time, with regulations changing every five minutes and the ever-present threat of local lockdowns - but at last there are signs of hope for theatre fans. Panto season is sadly cancelled for 2020, but for those willing to travel to London, there might just be a few other shows for us to enjoy by the end of this year. Here are just a few of the highlights heading to the capital in the next few months. It’s just been announced that Nimax Theatres, who own six West End theatres - including the Palace Theatre, home to Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - will start reopening from October with reduced audiences and full Covid precautions in place. These theatres will open with a special season of shows, which will act as a stopgap
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until their resident shows can reopen at full capacity. The first show in the season is the hilarious This Is Going To Hurt from comedian and former junior doctor Adam Kay (22nd October-8th November at the Apollo), with more to be announced in the coming weeks.
A little further out of the city centre, the Southwark Playhouse, which has been streaming online content throughout lockdown, will be opening its doors to stage The Last Five Years (1st October-14th November), Jason Robert Brown’s much-loved musical about the romantic rollercoaster of two New Yorkers. The show, which will see audience groups separated by screens for safety, has already proved so popular that the run’s been extended by two weeks.
Also announced to reopen soon is Six, the infectious girl-power musical that lets Henry VIII’s unfortunate wives tell their side of the story. The show, which became a massive hit when it was first performed at the Edinburgh Fringe and then moved to the Arts Theatre in Leicester Square, will transfer temporarily up the road to And if you’re not quite ready to the larger Lyric Theatre for a socially venture out to the theatre just yet, distanced run from 14th November. don’t worry - there’s still plenty of great content available online. As Agatha Christie fans will be thrilled to always, it’s worth following theatre learn that murder mystery The Mousetrap sites like WhatsOnStage and My - the world’s longest running play - will Theatre Mates for the latest updates be reopening at the St Martin’s Theatre (check out the last issue of Dartford on 23rd October. Again, social distancing Living for more details). will be in effect both on and off stage, and additional measures will be taken to Hope to see you back in a real ensure everyone’s safety. (Well, everyone theatre very soon! except the murder victim, that is.)
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Rock Painting in Dartford.
DARTFORD PAINTED ROCKS Local people from Dartford Painted Rocks on Facebook have been busy this month painting and hiding them around town. The rocks can also be exchanged at Stephen Oliver: Studio and Gallery located in the Orchard Shopping Centre. Are you an experienced Estate Agent seeking flexibility, growth and a high commission rate?
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Here are some great photos of their painted rocks.
Local people from ‘Dartford painted rocks’ on Facebook have been busy this month painting and hiding them around the town. The rocks can be exchanged at Stephen Oliver: Studio and Gallery located at the Orchards Shopping Centre . Here are some of the photos of their latest painted rocks.
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CAR NEWS
CAR NEWS OCTOBER 2020
By Dhiren Ganesh
IN THIS MONTH’S ARTICLE WE LOOK AT REFRESHED VERSION OF THE FAMILY SUV MARKET WITH NEW HYBRID PLUGINS AND A TRIAL TO PROPOSE CUTTING THE MOTORWAY SPEED LIMIT.
and diesels, all of which feature mild hybrid technology to boost efficiency. Available to order now and deliveries expetced for December, prices will start from £40,860.
2021 Jaguar F-Pace – the Jaguar F-Pace large SUV has been given an all-new interior and a refreshed engine line-up to go with exterior design tweaks. The interior of this refreshed large SUV is all-new, with its huge, 11.4in touchscreen that’s gently curved so that it mirrors the shape of the restyled dashboard and sits snugly against it. Below it sits a second screen, which replaces most of the conventional air-con controls. The exterior update is more subtle with changes includes a larger front grille, reshaped bumpers and slimmer headlights. With the engines there is a new plug-in hybrid model, which combines a 2.0-litre petrol engine with an electric motor for 398bhp. Alternatives include updated 2.0-litre diesel engines and new 3.0-litre petrols
2021 Hyundai Tucson family SUV – the new family SUV gets plug-in hybrid power and a high-tech interior. It will be longer and wider than the car it replaces, and it sits lower to the ground, giving it a sportier stance. There’s also more space between its front and rear axles, which means improved leg room for rear passengers, and there’s a larger boot. It will alsbe far greener than before, with every engine being electrified in some way. Mild hybrid 1.6-litre petrol engines with 148bhp and 178bhp will be available at launch, with a six-speed manual or seven-speed automatic gearbox. A plug-in hybrid model is due to arrive soon after and should be able to cover at least 30 miles using electric power alone. In every car there will be a new 10.3in digital instrument cluster and an equally large touchscreen infotainment system. The climate controls are all touch-sensitive too. As well as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto phone mirroring
and a wireless charging pad, there are now USB charging points in both the front and rear rows of seats. Due to arrive in early 2021 for orders prices are expected to start from around £28,000 and come with Hyundai’s five-year/ unlimited-mileage warranty.
Motorway limit cut to be cut to 60mph – Trials of lower speed limit on four stretches of motorway in England begun last month, with the aim of reducing pollution. Air quality will be monitored at the affected sites over the next 12-15 months to assess the benefits of the speed restriction. If they are proven to reduce pollution, Highways England is likely to make the 60mph limits permanent and it could impose the lower limit on other sections of motorway. The 60mph limits will be operational 24-hours a day and drivers exceeding them are likely to be fined £100 and given three penalty points. The locations concerned are the M1 between junction 34s and 33 at Rotherham, the M5 between junctions one and two at Oldbury, the M6 between junctions 6 and 7 at Witton and the M602 between junctions 1 and 3 near Eccles.
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WHERE TO GO LOCALLY PARENT AND TODDLER GROUPS - TERM TIME ONLY WHERE TO GO LO CA L LY
MONDAYS 9:15am - 11:00am - A&J Toddlers - St Anselms Church Community Centre, Dartford. £2.00 per one adult and child and 50p for any extra children or adults each. Tea/coffee biscuits, small snack for children with juice. Toast 20p per slice Craft table and singing and dancing at end of session Contact Julie on 01322 291092. TUESDAYS Session 1: 9.15-10.45am, and Session 2: 11-12.30pm. Christchurch, Crossroad, Dartford. Contact Catherine on 01322 220036. 9.30am -11.30am. The Salvation Army, 66 Hythe Street, Dartford. Please call us on (01322) 288434 for further information. 9.30am-11.30am Sticky Fingers - £1.50 per adult includes tea ,biscuits and healthy snack time for the children For pre school children up to 4 years St Mary Greenhithe Church Hall London Road Greenhithe Contact 01322 382031 or see www.stmarygreenhithe. com 9:30-10:30am at Fleetdown Utd FC (near Dunelm). £5 per session if you sign up for the term, siblings go free.Contact 07770860450 or Facebook.com/musicandrhymetime WEDNESDAYS 10am -12pm - Little Angels Net Church, (Formerly Gala Bingo Hall) Dartford, £2.50 per family including all snacks and drinks. Catherine 07878658685 11.15am - SLADE GREEN AND HOWBURY COMMUNITY LIBRARY BABY AND TODDLER ACTION RHYME TIME GROUP 12:45pm -2.45pm - Fleetdown Open House - Fleetdown Community Centre, Swaledale Road, Dartford, DA2 6JZ £2.50 per Adult THURSDAYS 9:30am - 11:30am. St Paulinus Church Hall, Manor Road, Crayford. 9.30am-11am Toerags Toddler Group - Adult education centre, Dartford £3 per Child - £1 Non Walkers - facebook.com/ToeRags 1pm-2.30pm Toerags Toddler Group - Adult education centre, Dartford £3 per Child - £1 Non Walkers - facebook.com/ToeRags 10:30-11:30am, at Fleetdown Utd FC (near Dunelm). £5 per session if you sign up for the term, siblings go free.Contact 07770860450 or Facebook.com/musicandrhymetime FRIDAYS 9.30am-11am Baby and me for expectant mothers and mothers / carers of chidren up to 2. £1 per adult St Mary Greenhithe Church Hall, London Road Greenhithe. Contact 01322 382031 or see www.stmarygreenhithe.com 9.30am-11am Toerags Toddler Group - Adult education centre, Dartford £3 per Child - £1 Non Walkers facebook.com/ToeRags 9.30am-11.30am Carer & Toddler Group, St Mary’s Church Hall, Stone Place Rd, Greenhithe. Jeanne 01322 380322 jeannehoadley@ yahoo.co.uk 1-3pm Gigglekidz, Tree Estate Community Centre on Cedar Road - £2 Per Child SATURDAYS 9.30am-11.30am Daddy and Me - A group for dads and male carers of children up to 5years. £1.50 includes healthy snack time for the children. St Mary Greenhithe Church Hall, London Road Greenhithe. Contact 01322 382031 or see www.stmarygreenhithe.com 2-3pm - Lego Club- ages 5 and over - Chrome Road Slade Green DA8 2EL Tel: 01322 333602
Toddler Music & Rhyme Sessions at Dartford Libraries - Monday 10:30am - 11am 2:15pm – 2:45pm Friday Thursday 10:30pm -11:00am Story Time Fleetdown - Tuesday 10:30am -11am Greenhithe - Thursday 2.15pm – 2.45pm - Thursday 10:45am -11:15am Longfield Summerhouse - Tuesday 10:30am – 11am Sutton-at-Hone -Monday. 2pm – 2:30pm Temple Hill - Wednesday 10.30am -11am Dartford
Come along and join in the fun! Term time only For more information please call
Advertise in the magazine for as little as £40 for a month Contact: sales@dartfordliving.com
CHECK WITH THE PROVIDERS TO SEE IF THEY ARE STILL OPEN 48 DURING LOCKDOWN
SPORTING ROUNDUP S P ORT ING RO U N D U P
Robert Lewandowski of Bayern Munich, made history as they won the Treble, and he won the Golden Boot in all three competitions, with a remarkable 55 goals in 47 games.
Upcoming events in October include:
4: Athletics - London Marathon 5: Football - Transfer deadline day in Europe It was a season which lasted so long that he started it as a 30-year-old 8: Football - England v Wales, Wembley and was 32 by the time it finished. 8-11: Women’s golf major - PGA Championship, Aronimink Golf Club, Pennsylvania (rescheduled But he will not be winning the Ballon d’Or, football’s top individual prize. The organisers are not awarding it for the first time since 1956 from 25-28 June) because of the coronavirus pause, saying there was a “lack of a 9-11: Formula 1 - Eifel Grand Prix, Nurburgring sufficiently level playing field”. Is that fair? 11: Football - Nations League: England v Belgium 14. Football - Nations League: England v Denmark Lewandowski scored 16 goals more than any other player in Europe’s 15-18: Golf - PGA Championship, Wentworth top five leagues across all competitions in 2019-20, as he was top 17: Horse racing - British Champions Day, Ascot scorer in the Champions League, Bundesliga and German Cup. His 55 23-25: Formula 1 - Portuguese Grand Prix, Portimao goals were 18 more than Cristiano Ronaldo managed for Juventus 24: Boxing - Daniel Dubois v Joe Joyce for British and 24 more than Lionel Messi at Barcelona. He scored a goal an & Commonwealth heavyweight titles, O2 Arena, average of once every 75 minutes - and had a hand in one every 64 London minutes. 27: Football - Women’s international: England v I’m sure he’s doing fine… but no doubt he’ll be feeling gutted by Germany, Brita Arena, Wiesbaden the decision to not award the Ballon d’Or this year, because surely it 31 Oct-1 Nov: Formula 1 - Emilia Romagna Grand would have gone to him. Prix, Imola
Gareth Johnson Member of Parliament for Dartford Office open to help constituents Email: gareth.johnson.mp@parliament.uk Telephone 020 7219 7047 www.garethjohnsondartford.co.uk www.gov.uk/coronavirus
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CARE & SUPPORT
stroke survivors for stroke survivors. It provides excise classes, art sessions, outings, events and meetings. It meets at the YMCA, Dartford, DA1 1UP at 11.00 am on Tuesdays. Please contact Theo Hodges at Theo. Hodges@stroke.org.uk or 0743 7100 404, for more details
charity. If you are missing the contact with other business men since you retired, why not come and join us on the last Thursday of every month. For more details contact Phil Burt on 01322 274541 or look at our website www.waprobus.com
THE NORTH WEST KENT BRANCH OF THE MOTOR NEURONE DISEASE ASSOCIATION meets on various date at Birchwood Country Club For more information contact Alexon 01322 228169.
THE WELLBEING LINK The Wellbeing Link meets on Friday mornings from 10-1pm in the St. Anselm’s Parish Centre, 89 West Hill, Dartford A friendly and informative group - call Julie On 07775875585
THE NATIONAL WOMEN’S REGISTER The National Women’s Register (NWR) is a national organisation that meets in the Dartford area. The NWR is a discussion group for ‘lively minded women’. Contact can be made via www.nwr.org.uk or call 01603406767 and ask about the Dartford group.
DARTFORD OSTOMY GROUP SUPPORT (DOGS) meet every third Wednesday in the month at St Anselm’s Parish Centre, West Hill, Dartford DA1 2HJ from 1.00 pm to 3.00 pm. It is for anyone who has an Ileostomy, Colostomy, Urostomy, IBS and pouch, their carers, family and friends.
SOCIAL GROUPS
ALL DIRECTIONS is a community learning organisation for adults and young people aged 16+ with physical, learning and mental health difficulties. For more information, attend a taster session or visit our community lunch club, contact Caroline on 01322 440482 or 07570 347612
JUST FOR GROWN UPS GROUP We are a small friendly group who meet at the Meeting Place in the Orchards Shopping Centre on the first Tuesday of the month. Join us any time between 11am and 1pm for a social chat, coffee and biscuits or a fun quiz. For more information contact mikeansell.dt@hotmail.co.uk
THE STROKE ASSOCIATION has 2 groups for stroke survivors with Communication difficulties; one in Dartford and one in Gravesend. Please contact Michele at Dartford@stroke. org.uk or on 01622 3251 962.
WILMINGTON AND AXSTANE PROBUS CLUB We are a group of retired men who meet monthly for a lunch and a speaker at the Swanley Bowls Centre. We also have a monthly walk and occasional coffee mornings and as a side line we raise money for a local
HEALTHCARE RETIREMENT GROUP Dartford & Gravesham Branch. Meets the first Wednesday of every month at the Masonic Hall, West Hill, Dartford from 10-12pm.Activities include guest speakers, outings, lunches, holidays and quizzes. For more information contact Marion on 01322 402967
OVER 55’S CLUB - We meet every Wednesday 2pm to 4.30pm at Tree Community Centre, Cedar Road. We play bingo, tea and biscuits, and socialise. We also run regular coach trips to the coast throughout the year. Our club is open to anyone over 55 AGE UK, CRAYFORD LIBRARY POP IN 20S 30S DARTFORD BEXLEYHEATH wherever you live and costs just 60p PARLOUR COFFEE MORNING every SURROUNDING AREAS SOCIAL GROUP to come along and join in. So why not Friday morning 10.30 - 12.30 Tea, more information visit: come and join our friendly welcoming Coffee, Biscuits and a chat - Just £1 www.meetup.com/20s-30s-Dartford- social club? For further information Bexleyheath-surrounding-areasplease call either John Letchford on BEXLEY AND DARTFORD BRANCH social-group/ 01322 270732 or Pam Carr on 01322 PARKINSONS UK 222195. For people with Parkinsons and their DARTFORD U3A (UNIVERSITY OF JOYDENS WOOD WOMEN’S INSTITUTE carers. THE THIRD AGE) meet on the third Tuesday of every Dartford: 2nd Wednesday of each meets on the first Tuesday of every month, with meetings beginning at month, Mick Jagger Centre, 7.30month (except August) at St Anselm’s 7.45pm. We meet at the Community 9.30pm. Information support workers Church Hall, West Hill, Dartford at Centre, Birchwood Drive, Wilmington, available, guest speakers and quizzes. 2pm, For information about meetings DA2 7NE. More information can be Contact Wendy Leach. Tel: and interest groups call 01474-709068 found at joydenswoodresidents.co.uk 02083065973 or visit our website. (under Local Clubs and Societies).
Also, there is a social group, run by
BLUEWATER WRITERS’ GROUP We meet each week on Wednesday evenings 7pm - 9pm at Starbucks’ Coffee Shop , Bluewater Upper Guildhall, opposite Waterstones. No fees to pay, just purchase your drink or food in Starbucks and join us. All genres and writing styles are welcome
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including adult fiction, young adult/ opportunities that Round Table does. teen, children’s, non-fiction, writing for stage and screen and poetry. See Check out the locally famous club h e ck w i t h t h e p ro v i d e r s to s e e i f t h e y a r e st i ll o p e n du r i n g lo ckd o w n us oncFacebook “Bluewater Writers’ www.dartfordroundtable.co.uk Group” Facebook search: For further info email Tony at: * Dartford Round Table tonyjan@talktalk.net * Round Table * Dartford Egg Hunt CRAYFORD AND DISTRICT PROBUS You will receive a very warm CLUB welcome. meet on 1st and 3rd Wednesdays at the Falcon Wood Club, 1 Falcon Wood THE ROTARY CLUB OF DARTFORD Avenue, Welling at 10am. Contact We meet at lunchtime at The Royal Tony Maun 0208 306 1075 or Victoria and Bull Hotel on 1st, 2nd email Crayford.Probus@gmail.com. and 3rd Tuesdays. Time 12.45 for 1 pm FAIRFIELD (DARTFORD) WI A warm welcome awaits you on the 2nd Tuesday of For further details phone: 07706 every month at Dartford Girls Grammar 103706 School, Shepherds Lane, DA1 2NT at 7.30pm. For more information please THE RENDEZVOUS CLUB (50+) contact Judith on 01322 278703 or Every Monday Time: 8pm - 10pm email FairfieldDartford@wkfwi.org.uk Location: Close to Bexleyheath Town Centre CRAYFORD WOMEN’S INSTITUTE 1st Description: We are a (non-profit Thursday of every month at 1.30pm. making) friendly social group open to Baker Trust Hall. Maxim Road, anyone over fifty. Crayford (near Sainsburys). Contact We enjoy socialising, making new Secretary, Linda Lewis 01322 557229 friends and activities including Quizzes, Meals Out, Trips to the DARTFORD LADIES PROBUS CLUB Theatre, Cinema, Coach Trips, Gentle A group of retired ladies meet locally Walks and Short Breaks Away. for lunch on the 4th Wednesday of Admission: Subs £2.50 per week. each month,. They raise funds for Annual membership £6 charity and usually invite a speaker. If you would like to join us or Join them and enjoy meeting and require further information please making new friends. If you would like telephone: more information please contact Iris Tel: 01322 287356 or 020 8304 6414 (Secretary) on 01474 703448 TALK TIME MALE? AGED 18 - 45? TUESDAY 2.00 - 3.00PM (TERM TIME Round Table is for the guys ONLY) with Ladies Circle for the Ladies Fleetdown Library (ladiescircle.co.uk) Everybody welcome, join us for a Dartford RT meets every 2nd and 4th friendly chat Thursday. and light refreshments. Often called the original young man’s social club, Round Table has over 400 clubs in the UK and is in 50+ countries worldwide. We have an emphasis on having a lot of FUN. We guarantee that involvement with Round Table will enhance your social life, your personal abilities, your network and best of all it is not expensive. For your chance to become involved in something very special, you need to experience it because no other organisation offers you the
HAVEN (LGBT) SOCIAL GROUP. London / Kent area. Every Friday - a safe Place to Meet. For more information please contact 01322 287356 or 07503 306467 or email - havenx35@gmail.com WILMINGTON WOMEN’S INSTITUTE is a friendly group who meet on the 2nd Wednesday of every month at 7.30pm in the Memorial Hall, High Road, Wilmington. For more information on our activities please call Ann Hambridge on 01322 228082
DARTFORD ACTIVE RETIREMENT GROUP [DARTARA] We are a group that meets on second Thursday once a month 2 - 4pm at Fleetdown community centre. At the meeting we have a guest entertainer or speaker, we also organise holidays and day trips out as well as activities including theatre trips, curling, short mat bowls, indoor games, coffee and cake afternoons and an art group. Just turn up on the day or phone Maureen Dixon-Jones 01322 383337 or Glenys Theobald 01322 273108 for more information THE ROTARY CLUB OF THE NORTH DOWNS Our club, which is one of 35,000 around the World, was set up 40 years ago and has members with a wide range of interests and backgrounds. The club actively supports a number of charities locally, nationally and internationally and we continue to raise funds for Ellenor Hospices, Demelza Hospices for Children, Darent Valley Hospital and many others. We are very keen to maintain these traditions and welcome new members from the area. We also organise numerous social activities both for members and the wider community. For more information about the club’s activities and membership please contact Bob Phillips on 07815 807520 or John Smeeth on 07889 137951 THE ASSOCIATION OF BEXLEY CHARITIES ’78 will hold its Grand Autumn Fair at the United Reformed Church, Geddes Place, Bexleyheath DA6 7DJ (near the Broadway Shopping Centre) on Saturday 26th October 2019 from 9.45 am - 1.00 pm. There will be a variety of charity stalls selling Christmas Gifts and Cards; CDs and DVDs; Collectables; Jewellery; Chutneys, Jams, Cakes; Books; Children’s Toys and Games; Model Railway accessories. REFRESHMENTS WILL BE AVAILABLE ENTRANCE 50P (ACCOMPANIED CHILDREN FREE) WHEELCHAIR ACCESS
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CLUBS AND SOCIETIES TONI MOUNT HISTORY CLASSES The group meet every week at Towncentric in Gravesend and this year we are looking at Everyday Life in Medieval London. We meet every Thursday from 10.30-12.30 at £6.00 per week customers can phone me on 01474 355676 for more information or look at my website www.tonimount. co.uk DSTC ALUMNI Hi all, if you went to DSTC, DTC, Dartford West Girls or any other name that the school has been known as we would love to hear from you! The school is looking to make links with former students to help raise the profile of the school but also as a way of getting back in touch with people. There will be an event later on in the academic year and we are planning some exciting things for the group so get joining and let’s get reminiscing!! www.facebook.com/groups/ DSTCAlumni THE MANOR HALL VARIETY GROUP We meet every Tuesday at 8.00 in the Community hall (opp St Paulinus church) Crayford. We are looking for anyone who could help us with sound, lights, scenery or singing/acting on the stage - everyone welcome. Email me (Carolyn) for more details at c_sawyers@hotmail.com. CRAYFORD TOWN ARCHIVE incorporating Barnehurst and Slade Green. Meet every Monday (except the third Monday) of the month at Crayford Library hall - 2pm-4pm. Call in for a chat about old Crayford and to view the large collection of local images, or bring your own for us to copy.
SCRAPPY DAYS! A SCRAPBOOKING GROUP is being held at Hawley Pavilion, Hawley Road, Dartford, DA2 7RB on the 2nd Sunday of the month between 2pm and 6:30pm. It costs £6 which includes refreshments, nibbles and the use of a cricut (cutting machine for those that don’t know). Beginners are very welcome. Contact Michelle on 07910 488428 or email scrappydays@ hotmail.co.uk PAVILION PLAYERS Is an amateur dramatics group based at the Joydens Wood Community Centre, Wilmington, Kent. We meet every Tuesday from 8-10pm. For more information please visit www. facebook.com/pavilionplayers or call us on 07505 006539. Alternatively just pop down on a Tuesday night! Everyone welcome! DARTFORD BELLRINGERS Holy Trinity Church, High Street, Wednesdays 8.00-9.30p.m. Free tuition with a very friendly, sociable group. The ideal way to make new friends. Contact deryck.w.jones@gmail.com, phone 01322 586937 NORTH WEST KENT FAMILY HISTORY SOCIETY The Dartford Branch meet the 1st Saturday of each month from 10am12:30pm at the Dartford Science and Technology College, Heath Lane, For more information see www.nwkfhs. org.uk or ring Janet 01322384836 ERITH MODEL RAILWAY SOCIETY has been in existence for over 50 years and has well over 50 active members. As the club continues to grow new members are always welcome. The club meets on Wednesday evenings from around 7.00pm until around 9.30pm at our new clubrooms in Invicta House (aka Belvedere Workingmen’s Club), 66 Gilbert Road, Belvedere DA17 5DA. EMRS Club Chairman Alan Bones Tel: 0208 310 5018
DARTFORD BRIDGE CLUB meets every Tuesday evening at 7.00 pm at Wilmington Christian Fellowship Church Hall, Broad Lane, Wilmington DA2 7AQ. We are seeking new members at all levels to play Duplicate Bridge -cost £2 per session. Enquiries: contact John Davies on 01474 832221 or e-mail carolandjohnd@tiscali.co.uk DARTFORD FLORAL CLUB The club meet on the 3rd Friday of the month at Hawley Pavilion, Hawley Rd.(opp Papermakers Arms) at 7.30 Come along for an evening of beautiful flowers, fun and friendship. Entrance £6.00, refreshments and a raffle with the chance to take home a beautiful floral arrangement. Contact Carol 01322 220802 DARTFORD BOOKS AND CULTURE CLUB meets once a month on Saturday mornings at Dartford Library. For more information, find us at www.meetup. com/West-Kent-Book-Club/ THE DARTFORD CHESS CLUB The club meets every Thursday evening from 7.30pm at St Anselms Parish Hall, West Hill and was founded 100 years ago in 1914. All queries to Mike Wiltshire at 01322 272152 or visit www.dartfordchessclub.co.uk COLUMBINE CHINA PAINTERS CLUB This small friendly club meets each month on the 1st and 3rd Thursday afternoon in Sutton-at-Hone Village Hall. From 1.30pm to 4.30pm. Price is £3.00 to include Tea & biscuits. Occasionally we meet on a Saturday when we have a tutor with us, from 10am until 4pm Contact - Maureen Beckham 01322 287214. Marie Blake 01474 704581. Doreen Goddard 01474 707357.
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Would you like to promote a local activity on the “Where to go locally...” page? If so, email your suggestions to editor@dartfordliving.com c h e ck w i t h t h e p ro v i d e r s to s e e i f t h e y a r e st i ll o p e n du r i n g lo ckd o w n
WEST HILL MORRIS Come and join your local Morris side, dancing and performing in Dartford, Gravesend and Bexley areas and throughout Kent in the Summer. We are a mixed and very sociable side, and can always find room for new dancers and musicians. It’s a great way of keeping fit and you’ll be helping to conserve a great English tradition. We practice alternate Tuesday evenings at Bexley, from September to April, then dancing out at pubs, clubs and fetes, throughout Kent, from May to August. Private Bookings taken. Contact Alison on 01322 862298, e-mail alisondukes@btinternet.com STIMUL8 ACTIVITY SERVICE I provide all the equipment, materials and refreshments with just a small all inclusive, pay as you go, fee of £10.00 per person per session. Those who come have the opportunity to learn painting with watercolours, acrylics, inks and how to draw with pencils, soft pastels, oil pastels, charcoals, watercolour pencils, fabric pens, plus basics of sculpting and have the opportunity to sign up to additional floral workshops I offer too. www.stimul8-activityservice.co.uk EXTRAORDINARY YOUTH GROUP’ - calling all 11-18 year olds who want more than an ordinary life, come hang out with other young people and discover their ultimate purpose. Every Friday in term time, 7pm-9:30pm at Net Church Dartford, near McDonalds and next to Weatherspoons. For more information email andrew@ thenetchurch.co.uk or call 01322 272649. SHORNE FLOWER ARRANGERS Our Club presents a programme of workshops and demonstrations in a very informal and friendly atmosphere. We meet on the last Thursday of each month except December. Shorne Village Hall, The Street, Shorne. DA12 3EA. Visitors are always made very welcome, entry £3. We have 30 members and look forward to welcoming anyone who loves flowers. The Club provides an opportunity for people to be creative, make friends. For further information please phone Angela Hurd Telephone: 01322 407556 SWANLEY HISTORY GROUP
Meets 1st Tuesday of every month. Presentations on local social history. Venue Alexandra Suite St Mary’s Road Swanley BR8 7BU. Doors open 7.15 for 7.30 p.m. Members £1 Visitors £2. Everyone welcome. Email swanleyhistorygroup@ hotmail.co.uk for more details or visit our website https://swanleyhistorygroup. weebly.com or Facebook page. Annual membership £5 includes a monthly newsletter.
from guiding, and of course, there’s still plenty of badges to earn. We’ve introduced new topics, new skills and new ways for girls to broaden their horizons.
NORTH KENT EMBROIDERERS’ GROUP Meets on the third Saturday of every month (except August) from 2pm - 4pm in the The Community Room, Asda Gravesend Superstore, Thames Way, Gravesend DA11 0DQ. The programme of activities is varied with workshops, talks and sit and stitch sessions. Visitors are very welcome. More information can be found on our website www. northkentembroiderers.co.uk or phone 01474324734.
www.girlguiding.org.uk/interested
MODERN LINEDANCING CLASSES St Michael & All Angels Church Hall, DA2 7EG Wednesdays 1pm - 2pm. Fun, social class learning routines from differing genres to popular music providing exercise for body and brain. No dance experience or partners necessary. Contact Kay 01322 276528
There are lots of flexible ways to volunteer so no matter how much time you have you can #inspiregirls too. If you would like to find out more please register your interest
DARTFORD HISTORICAL AND ANTIQUARIAN SOCIETY www.historicaldartford.org.uk OUR TALKS IN 2020 CONTINUE WITH THE FOLLOWING: THE LOCKDOWN FOR COVID-19 CANCELLED THE REMAINDER OF THE 2019-2020 PROGRAMME. WE ARE HOPING TO RESTART WITH THE 2020-2021 IN OCTOBER. WE LOOK FORWARD TO WELCOMING YOU THEN.
BEXLEY PHILATELIC SOCIETY Meetings first and third Friday of the month at Freemantle Hall, Bexley village, 7:30 for 7:45 start. Covering stamps and postal history, meetings offer displays, auctions, competitions, and convivial atmosphere. More information on www. bexleyps.org.uk MAKE A NOISE CHOIR Singing songs from the shows and having fun! We meet every Tuesday from 7.30 p.m. to 9.30 p.m. at St Anselm’s Church, West Hill, Dartford DA1 2HJ www.makeanoisechoir.com GIRLGUIDING – DARTFORD DIVISION Girlguiding is the leading charity for girls and young women aged 5-18 in the UK. There are more than 30 groups in the Dartford area run by our amazing volunteers who inspire girls every week.
We meet every third Thursday of each month, between 19:30 & 21:30 at the following local hall: Pheonix Place Community Hall Pheonix Place, Dartford, DA1 2XG If you have any questions, please contact our Club Secretary Tony Pringle who will be only too happy to help. Please use the following options: Email: tp.1971@outlook.com 07738 698284
Tel:
Our new programme delivers the fun and varied range of activities that you expect
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HAWLEY AND SUTTON AT HONE Swanscombe Leisure Centre. ACTIVE RETIREMENT ASSOCIATION Call Saj on 07903 513104 (HASARA) We meet on the 2nd Thursday in the scout hut Sutton at Hone at 2pm. Other social activities include pub lunches, art and craft, short mat bowls, petanque, walks, coach outings, etc. We are a friendly and young at heart club. Do join us. Ring Jim on 01322 221736 or Carol on 07912564710 or just turn up.
ORCHARDS JUNIOR SCALE MODEL CLUB. We welcome everyone from age 8 and upwards. We meet on a Tuesday evening from 6pm onwards in The Meeting Place in the Orchards Shopping Centre. We deal with all sorts of scale models from Airfix and similar, Warhammer, model railways etc. We charge £1 per week per person and any under 16’s need to be accompanied by an adult. We have a small number of kits available to purchase at a reasonable rate. https://www.facebook.com/OrchardsJuniorScaleModelClub/
SPORTS GROUPS AND CLUBS WHEELCHAIR EPEE FENCING Wheelchair epee fencing in Dartford and Gravesham, we are delighted to announce that New Ash Green Epee club, can now introduce wheelchair fencing. If interested in taking up this para sport please contact us on 01474 871484 or alternatively look at our website www.nagfencing.eu ERITH YOUTH RUGBY Sunday 10:45-12:00, Sussex Road Erith. Ages 4-16 welcome 07903 590515
KENT EXILES AMERICAN FOOTBALL CLUB DARTFORD GYMNASTICS www.kentexiles.co.uk. is the only British Gymnastics Club Coach Martin - 07944 730634. in Dartford All ages from 7 years to adult to hold the”GymMark” Award for welcome 6 years. Based in Heath Lane, we are a ENERGY FITNESS AND NUTRITION friendly club with super equipment, great I run group fitness classes as coaches and high standards. We well as 1-1 and semi private do lots of competitions and we do personal training sessions in not close through the holidays! Darenth at Dimples Day Nursery DA2 7HT. ENERGY Fitness & Visit our website www.dartNutrition: we offer a wide variety fordgymnastics.co.uk for full details or contact Linda on 01322 of group classes such as strength & conditioning, boot camps, 409312 or email dartfordgymBoxercise, mum and baby classes, club@yahoo.co.uk inside and outside classes with great equipment and suitable for LEARN KARATE all abilities. Learn karate with Yamato The website is Damashii – for adults & children www.energyfitnut.co.uk Every Wednesday evening at the Leigh Academy & every Saturday HARTLEY SWIMCLUB AT WHITE morning at Becket Sport Centre, OAK POOL, SWANLEY first lesson free. We are a friendly group of adults For more info, visit www.ydma. who meet for a social swim every club or find us on Facebook, Thursday at 9pm. We’re looking search for Yamato Damashii for new members. Why not give Martial Arts. us a try? Contact Diane on 01689 871846 or Yoga with Emma join us one Thursday. Europa Gymnastics Centre: - Wednesdays: Hatha Yoga – 9.30am to 10.30am - Fridays: Hatha Yoga – 9.30am to 10.30am - Fridays: Yin Yoga – 10.45am to 11.45am Becket Sports Centre: - Fridays: Hatha Yoga – 7.00pm to 8.00pm
Please see www.samadhi-yoga. co.uk for more information or email Emma at LITTLE TIGERS - KARATE FOR 3, 4 & emma@samadhi-yoga.co.uk“ 5 YEAR OLDS Sundays 54 10:15-10:45 at
DARTFORD JU JITSU CLUB Mondays 7-8pm for 7-16s at the Dartford Girls Grammar, Shepherds Lane Dartford DA1 2NT in the Dance Studio. We have an adult class 8-10pm too. We’ve been running for 20 years, building confidence, teaching self-defence, hardening the target, developing skills and always welcome new members. DARTFORD ORIENTEERING CLUB For more details see www.dfok. co.uk HOP LIKE IT’S HOT
A fun (different) circuit based SEEDS CYCLING CLUB DARTFORD workout with space hoppers that Seeds is a long-established cycling challenges core stabilty, balance and Club in Dartford and we share strength. c h e ckItwis i t suitable h t h e p ro v for i d e r sall tolevels s e e i f t h e y a rour e st i ll o p e n du r i n g loat ckd own headquarters Hesketh with and abilities. Classes are held every Dartford Cricket Club. We cater for Wednesday evening at the stone most abilities and have a social ride pavilion starting at 8:15 until 9:00 most Saturday mornings. For info on costing £5 per person. joining us please visit our website www.seedscycling.co.uk THE HIGHLY STRUNG BADMINTON CLUB, DARTFORD AND WHITE OAK Friendly club seeking new members. TRIATHLON CLUB Abilities mixed. We are the local British Triathlon Would suit players with some prior Federation Club covering Bexley, experience. Dartford and Swanley. We offer Thursdays at 7.45-9.45pm, Dartford coached swimming sessions 3 Girls’ Grammar School, DA1 2NT times per week at White oak pool For further information please email: in Swanley and Fairfield pool in Dartford. Our members compete highlystrungbc@gmail.com in many local Triathlons plus many members are training towards Iron Man distance. We also have our own Triathlon in June every year which has been running since 1989. If you are interested in joining us then WAR GAMES AND MODEL CLUB please visit our website Based in Erith we have a wide number of members from across SE http://www.dartfordandwhiteoaktri. co.uk London and Kent. A great place to come and have a game, make, paint and hobby! Or, if you prefer, come DARTFORD ROAD RUNNERS grab a cup of tea and chat about all Dartford Road Runners are based things hobby and some things not! at Princes Park Stadium and are For more info visit - https://emperone of the biggest road running ors10th.wixsite.com/home clubs in Kent. We currently have about 200 members of all abilities DARTFORD PARKRUN including a beginners group. DRR Dartford parkrun is a free to enter 5k teams compete in the Kent League, run every Saturday morning starting the Assembly League and the Kent Fitness League. To see what we offer by the Dartford harriers track in Central Park at 9am. All participants and how to join us please visit our website – anyone is welcome to join get a time a position emailed and us with all abilities. texted after the event. To register go to http://dartfordroadrunners.co.uk/ node/440 www.parkrun.org.uk. Remember to bring your printed Barcode. Every Sunday Morning in the Park DARTFORD HARRIERS ATHLETICS there is a Junior parkrun over 2k – CLUB registration is the same. Dartford Harriers is among the leading athletics clubs in Kent, with a history stretching back to the 1920′s, DARTFORD HEATH PARKRUN Dartford’s 2nd parkrun event is now making it one of the oldest clubs in live. The run starts behind the Heath the country. If you are interested in seeing how we can help you advance Lane car park and is a free 5k run your Athletics then please visit our every Saturday morning at 9am. website Parking is restricted in the area so http://www.dartfordharriersac.co.uk please do not park in Heathclose Road and wherever possible please walk. CENTRAL PARK ATHLETICS CLUB We are situated in Dartford’s outstanding Central Park and can FOOTSCRAY MEADOW PARKRUN A new Parkrun event with parking at provide access to a state of the art running track (re-laid in 2015) Crazy Barn and the full range of track and field facilities for just £4.50 per
session (we offer discounted annual memberships). Refreshments and changing facilities are also available. For no extra charge, we hold coached track sessions on Wednesday evenings for runners of all abilities. This is a tough but very popular way to increase your stamina and running technique, and you’ll be in the company of qualified coaches and some of the friendliest runners around. For more information please visit our website centralparkathletics.co.uk Every Sunday 10-11am – Child friendly coached sessions – Come and join the CPA Swifts – As a fledgling club we would like to give children of all ages and abilities the chance to experience training and coaching within a club environment – come and be part of the team Free first session with this advert SO LET’S GO RUNNING (SLGR) SLGR is a local running club with structured training sessions designed to improve runners speed and stamina. There are currently four runs available with more starting soon; see below for more details. The Run leaders for each group are as follows; Dartford Cricket Club, Dartford Dawn & Brian Cyclopark, Gravesend - Dawn & Brian New runners are always welcome, and you can contact Brian if you would like more information; see contact details and e-mail link on Our Group page. YOGA & MEDITATION CLASSES Every Tuesday from 6-7pm &Thursday from 10.30am to 12.00pm at Peppercorns, 3 Orchard Street, Dartford, Kent, DA1 2DF. For more information please call The Hope Group on 07580 615206. THE ASHES BADMINTON CLUB Mondays, Dartford Technology College, Heath Lane. 8-9.30. Jacqui 07764 182854.
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ADVERTISERS INDEX DIRECTORY OF LOCAL BUSINESSES ADVERTISING IN DARTFORD LIVING
ACCOUNTANTS, FINANCE & LEGAL Downton Ali Associates.........................................60 Martin Ives & Co.......................................................9 Urban Sticks...........................................................13 BUILDERS, DECORATORS, ROOFING, BATHROOMS, HEATING, KITCHENS, WINDOWS & DOORS A Baynes.................................................................38 Claremont Decorative Services.............................36 Steve Cook - Double Glazing..................................22 The Double Glazing Repair Man..............................4 CAR CARE ChipsAway..............................................................10 CHILDREN Bip Bop Shop.........................................................26 CLEANING APC Cleaning.........................................................10 COUNCIL Dartford Borough Council ......................................5 ESTATE/ LETTING AGENTS Alexander, Charles and Brown..............................46 Fox Estates ............................................................11 Wisdom Estates......................................................23 FARM SHOP H&M Foods.............................................................38
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FLORIST Dartford Florist......................................................19 FOOD AND DRINK Kemsing Gin..........................................................33 GARAGES & VEHICLE SERVICES Orchard Garage......................................................60 Shenley Road Garage............................................26 GARDENING Bow Arrow Gardening............................................38 HEALTH Home Instead...........................................................4 Priory Mews...........................................................18 Release and Liberate.............................................12 JEWELLERY Bradleys..................................................................23 NURSERY Holy Trinity Church Pre School.............................46 MUSIC/DANCE & FITNESS Crest Yoga..............................................................35 On Pointe Pilates....................................................19 Simple Fitness........................................................14 OPTICIANS Linklater Opticians.................................................43 PHOTOGRAPHER
Red Photography...................................................12 PICTURE FRAMING c h e ck w i t h t h e p ro v i d e r s to s e e i f t h e y a r e st i ll o p e n du r i n g lo ckd o w n Craft Frames............................................................38 PRINTERS Darenth Print..........................................................15 RESTAURANT/ TEA ROOMS/CAFE EFES.........................................................................7 The Churchyard......................................................43 SCHOOL/ COLLEGE Oakfield/ Temple Hill Nursery...............................12 The Leigh UTC........................................................18 TAXI 1to8 Travel............ .................................................18 WILL WRITING SMN Will Writing .................................................21 WEBSITE DESIGN/ MARKETING Dartford Living Design.............................................2 Dartford Living Marketing......................................21
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THINKING OF ADVERTISING? We offer amazing value advertising with adverts starting from just £40 for a month. We don’t just take your money and add you to the magazine. We want to work with you to promote your businesses as much as we can using our website and social media channels for maximum exposure. We can also provide advertising options solely online on your website and/ or social media channels. We feel we have every base covered. To book in an advert call 01322 507817 or email sales@dartfordliving.com David Shafford
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USEFUL NUMBERS LOCAL AND NATIONAL
KEY NUMBERS Police 01622 690690 NON EMERGENCY ONLY Fire Safety Advice & FREE Home Fire Safety Check 0800 169 1125 Dartford Borough Council 01322 343434 Gas Leaks (24 hour) 0800 111 999 EDF Energy Networks Emergencies/ Powercuts Helpline 105 Flooding 03459881180 Highways Kent 03000 41 41 41 Social Services 03000 41 41 41 Water Burst 0800 820 999 (Southern) 0800 714614 (Thames) HEALTH Darent Valley Hospital 01322 428100 Dartford East Health Centre 01322 421480 Boots Chemist Bluewater 01322 624780 (Late Night) ASDA Greenhithe Chemist 01322 374100 (Late Night) The National Pandemic Flu Service 0800 1513 100 West Kent NHS helpline 0800 0 850850 TRAVEL Heathrow Airport Enquires 08700 000123 Gatwick Airport Enquires 08700 002468 National Rail Enquires 08456 484950 Highways England Info Line 0300 123 5000 HELPLINES 24 Hour Kent Dementia Helpline: 0800 500 3014
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Alcoholics Anonymous: 08457 697 555 Citizens Advice Bureau: 01322 472 979 Debt Councilling (CAP) 0800 328 0006 Information About Drugs - FRANK: 0800 776600 Kent Homophobic Incident Reporting Line: 0800 328 9162 Kent Racial Incident Reporting Line: 0800 138 1624 Local Breastfeeding Counsellors Judianne/Paula 01322 224072 National Domestic Violence Helpline (24 hour) 0808 2000 247 NSPCC Child Protection Helpline: 0808 800 5000 RSPCA Kent, North West Branch Helpline 01322 286720 Samaritans: 116 123 LOCAL MP Gareth Johnson 020 7219 7047 LOCAL SPORTS CLUBS Bexley Rugby Club 01322 550142 or www.pitchero.com/clubs/bexleyrfc/ Dartford Ladies Hockey Club Dawn Hall (Secretary) 07793 777250 Dartford Ju Jitsu Club Mondays, Dartford Girls Grammar School, Shepherds Lane. 6.30-8.00 Juniors, 8.00-10.00 Seniors www.
Call 999 in an Emergency Fire, Police, Ambulance and Coastguard 101 Non Emergency Number for Kent Police Crimestoppers 0800 555 111 111 NHS Non Emergency Number
dartfordjujitsu.co.uk Dartford Sharks Basketball Club Tim Dickson - 07855 692527. Dartford Volleyball Club Graham - 01322 275290 or 07984 106134. Stone Lodge Indoor Bowling Club 01322 274111. VCD Table Tennis Club Eric Jenkins - 0208 3038312. ‘Play & pay’, 9 hole, par 3 golf course on Dartford Football Club’s Princes ParkContact: 01322 299990 www.dartfordfc.com Dartford Valley RFC www.pitchero.com/clubs/ darenthvalleyrfc/ USEFUL FACEBOOK GROUPS Dartford Living Dartford Today and Tomorrow Dartford Remembered Dartford Gossip Dartford Living Community Group
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