Dartford Living July 15 issue by Dartford Living

Dartford Living

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Inside... Local WWII Diaries Page 22

www.dartfordliving.com July 2015 - Issue 109

Gareth Johnson MP: Proud to be a Dartfordian Page 18 Local Charity Batersea Dogs & Cats Home Page 36

Dartford parkrun 1st Anniversary Page 20

Plus - All your regular

features, puzzles, events, information and much, much more in your new 48 page issue.

DARTFORD BUSINESS CENTRE PROVIDING A FULL SERVICE TO DARTFORD SMALL BUSINESSES

“A Hand Holding Service” Established 35 years

COMPANY FORMATION Save tax by forming a private company from as little as £45 + registration fee + VAT. www.companyregistration.org ACCOMMODATION ADDRESS Have a virtual office accommodation address facility for as little as £40.00 per month. www.accommodation-address.com RENT AN OFFICE 24/7 Offices available to rent from as little as £38.00 per week with parking. www.accommodation-address.com

ACCOUNTANCY & TAX SERVICE Conradi Morrison & Co specialises in small clients and provides a top class personal service for a fixed low fee. Phone for a free meeting to discuss your needs. www.dartfordaccountants.com PAYLINE Let us undertake your payroll and take the strain from you for as little as £18 per month + VAT. www.payline.org

Tel: 01322 278188

Haslemere, 4 Summerhill Rd, Dartford DA1 2LP Email: phc@conradimorrison.com

Please mention Dartford Living when contacting our advertisers Please mention Dartford Living when contacting our advertisers

Editor’s Letter

Dear Readers, A big July hello from everyone at Dartford Living! We hope you enjoy this month’s expanded magazine, with more pages than ever before. As usual this month’s edition is jam packed with lots of local information and local businesses. Please support as many as you can - “use them or lose them!” Don’t forget that we run Dartford Living alongside volunteer members of the local community FOR the local community. Dartford Living is YOUR magazine, the only independently run magazine serving the local area with information, fun, good news and positive local stories! Feel free to get in touch if you would like to write an article for the magazine. If writing is not for you then perhaps you could volunteer to deliver 100 or so magazines to your local roads - you will guarantee your copy of the magazine and get a little exercise as well! We deliver to thousands of homes and businesses in the local area, however if you don’t receive a copy directly through your door, you can pick up a copy from various drop off points. These include Dartford Football Club, numerous local libraries, Darent Valley Hospital, What If... and Stephen Oliver Art Galleries, numerous health centres and various locations at Bluewater including Coffee Republic. The ‘Previous Editions’ section of the Dartford Living website (www. dartfordliving.com) also includes electronic versions of Dartford Living magazine. Additionally, if you email editor@dartfordliving.com we will add you to our newsletter email mailing list and contact you just once a month with an electronic copy of Dartford Living! Over 4,000 local people already do this!

Until next time, Vijay (and Annie, Bhavesh, Christine, David, Dhiren, Elaine, Joanne, Ken, Kelly, Liz, Mark, Nickki, Pete, Peter, Richey and the rest of the fantastic Dartford Living volunteer team)

Advertising

We offer amazing value advertising with adverts starting from just £26 per month. The advertising deadline for the next issue is 10th July. All enquiries David Shafford Magazine/ Website design and Sales sales@dartfordliving.com

Contents 6-13................................................. What’s on 14............................................ Useful numbers 15................World Garden at Lullingstone Castle 18.......................................Gareth Johnson MP 20....................Dartford parkrun 1st Anniversary 21.................................Dartford Living meets... 22-23 .........................Local World War II Diaries 26..................................New Mayor of Dartford 28-29............................................Kip McGrath 30 .................................................Local Crafts 32...........................................Max Makerspace 33.................................................Bullying 34......................Foyle Young Poets Competition 36...Battersea Dog and Cats Home Brands Hatch 37................................. Dartford Ostomy Group 38....................................................Auto News 39...............................Tips for a small business 40..............................................Sudoku 41..............................................Gardening Tips 42................................................Sports News 44..................................Joe Pasquale Interview 45....................................Competitions 48..................................................TOMCAT

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Dartford Living

Lose Weight and Get Fit Class Times

Location Acacia Hall High Street Dartford

Mon Tue Wed Thur Sat Sun

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Index of Advertisers ACCOUNTANTS, FINANCE & LEGAL Conradi Morrison & Co .....................................................2 Lynton & Co ........................................................................5 BUILDERS, DECORATORS ROOFING, KITCHENS & WINDOWS 4k Building Services.........................................................47 A Baines & Son Roofing.....................................................34 Claremont Decorative Services.. .................................46 John Hargreaves Building...................................................25 Steve Cook - Double Glazing............................................16 CLEANING Solly Home Cleaning.........................................................19 COSMETIC, BEAUTY & HEALTH Dia Wipes.. ............................................................17 Forever Living....................................................................25 EDUCATION Kip McGrath.. .........................................................29 ENTERTAINMENT VENUE Orchard Theatre Groups................................................12 Woodlands...................................................................35

Dartford Wing Chung .........................................................43 Hatha Yoga .......................................................................31 Monkey Music.. ..........................................................7 Tennis Tots.........................................................................43 OPTICIANS Linklater Opticians.............................................................16 PICTURE FRAMING Craft Frames.. ...........................................................39 PLASTERERS Craig Baker...................................................................34 STOVES AND FIREPLACES The Stove and Fireplace ....................................................19 WEBSITE AND DIGITAL DESIGN DS Brochure Webdesign.....................................................19 VOLUNTEERING West Kent Befriending Service.......................................25

ELECTRICIANS AES Electricians...............................................................4 ESTATE AGENTS GPS Lettings....................................................................17 Wisdom Estates..............................................................33 GARAGES & VEHICLE SERVICES Shenley Road Garage..........................................................39 E C Bate ...........................................................................29 GARDENING SERVICES Hawley Garden Centre .......................................................34 JEWELLERY Bradleys............................................................................34 LOCKSMITHS/HOME SECURITY Dartford Locksmith.............................................................39 LEGAL SERVICES Dartford Legal .................................................................31 LOGISTICS FD TRANSPORT ...........................................................47 MUSIC/DANCE & SPORTS/FITNESS Dartford Bootcamps............................................................4 in advertising? Tel: 01322 507817 www.dartfordliving.com InterestedInterested in advertising? Tel: 01322 507817 www.dartfordliving.com Dartford Living

Where to go locally...

...local events, clubs & groups

Parent & Toddler Groups (Term Time) Mondays 9:15am - 11:00am. St Anselms Church Community Centre, Dartford. Contact Julie on 01322 291092. St Mary’s Greenhithe Church Hall, Messy Makers:10.15am-11.15am - an hour of messy play and creative activities for 2-5 year olds. at messymakers@gmail.com or call London Road, Greenhithe. £4.50 per child. For further information and to book, please emailus 07851 150593. Tuesdays Catherine on 01322 220036. Session 1: 9.15-10.45am, and Session 2: 11-12.30pm. Christchurch, Crossroad, Dartford. Contact and drinks. John 01322 272649. Little Fishes: 12 - 2pm, Net Church,, (Formerly Gala Bingo Hall) Dartford, £3 per family including all snacks information. further for 288434 (01322) on us call Please Dartford. Street, Hythe 9.30am -11.30am. The Salvation Army, 66 school children up to 4 years pre For children the for time snack healthy and ,biscuits tea Sticky Fingers, 9.30-11.30 am £1.50 per adult includes reenhithe.com www.stmaryg see or 382031 01322 St Mary Greenhithe Church Hall London Road Greenhithe Contact Wednesdays for further information. 9.30am -11.30am. The Salvation Army, 66 Hythe Street, Dartford. Please call us on (01322) 288434 Thursdays The Vineyard Centre, 24 Market St, Dartford. Contact Jane on 07956 430244 for further details. 9:30 - 11:30am. St Paulinus Church Hall, Manor Road, Crayford. - facebook.com/ToeRags 9.30-11am Toerags Toddler Group - Adult education centre, Dartford £3 per Child - £1 Non Walkers - facebook.com/ToeRags 1-2.30pm Toerags Toddler Group - Adult education centre, Dartford £3 per Child - £1 Non Walkers Fridays 9.30-11am Baby and me for expectant mothers and mothers / carers of chidren up to 2. £1 per adult reenhithe.com St Mary Greenhithe Church Hall, London Road Greenhithe. Contact 01322 382031 or see www.stmaryg - facebook.com/ToeRags Walkers Non £1 9.30-11am Toerags Toddler Group - Adult education centre, Dartford £3 per Child jeannehoadley@yahoo.co.uk 380322 01322 Jeanne Greenhithe. 9.30-11.30 Carer & Toddler Group, St Mary’s Church Hall, Stone Place Rd, 1-3pm Gigglekidz, Tree Estate Community Centre on Cedar Road - £2 Per Child Saturdays

healthy snack time for the children. Daddy and Me 9.30.-11.30am A group for dads and male carers of children up to 5years. £1.50 includes reenhithe.com www.stmaryg see or 382031 01322 Contact Greenhithe. Road London Hall, Church St Mary Greenhithe

Toddler Music & Rhyme Sessions MONDAY S 10:30am - 11:00am & Friday 2:15pm - 2:45pm at Dartford Library - Baby Bounce & Rhyme Time TUESDAY S 2 sessions, from 9.30-10.30am and 10:45 - 11:45am in Fleetdown FC Hall; Heath Lane, Dartford. Contact Judi: 07970 730736. ALSO RUN SAME PLACE/TI ME ON THURSDAYS TUESDAY S 10.30m - 11.00am (term time only) at Fleetdown Library - Baby Bounce and Rhyme session. Tel: 08458 247 247. THURSDAYS (term time only) we will be holding 2 sessions - 10.15am & 11am Crayford Rd, Crayford, DA1 4ER. Tel: 020 8303 7777. Also: Coffee and Chat sessions at Temple Hill Library on the First Tues of the month 10am - 12noon. THURSDAYS 10.30am - 11.00am (term time only) at Fleetdown Library - Baby Bounce and Rhyme session. Tel: 08458 247 247. THURSDAYS 2.15 - 2.45pm (term time only) at Greenhithe Library - Baby Bounce and Rhyme session. Tel: 08458 247 247. THURSDAYS 10.45am - 11.15am (term time only) at Longfield Library - Baby Bounce and Rhyme session. Tel: 08458 247 247.

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MUSIC UMBRELLA

Classes for under-fives teaching the basic elements of music through whole body movement, using the Dalcroze and Kodaly methods. With action songs and games, using percussion instruments and props like hoops, balls and soft toys, the children develop musical, physical and social awareness, concentration, co-ordination and confidence - and have lots of fun! Becket Sports Centre, Thursdays during term time: babies and toddlers: 9.15 till 9.55; 3 and 4 year-olds: 10.00 till 10.45 Contact Myrtle : 07763 378451 Email : myrtlebm@hotmail.co.uk

DARTF ORD LADIE S PROBU S CLUB

A group of retired ladies meet locally for lunch on the 4th Wednesday of each month,. They raise funds for charity and usually invite a speaker. Join them and enjoy meeting and making new friends. If you would like more information please contact Iris (Secretary) on 01474 703448

Hartley Swimclub at White Oak Pool, Swanley We are a friendly group of adults who meet for a social swim every Thursday at 9pm. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re looking for new members. Why not give us a try? Contact Diane on 01689 871846 or join us one Thursday.

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Dartford Living

Where to go locally... YOGA & MEDITATION CLASSES Every 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.

AND LEARN KICK BOXING KARATE!

th Kent’s Come and Join one of Nor Martial ul essf succ t mos and fastest tion, Arts clubs. For more informa just or 104 513 03 079 on call Saj ions come along to one of our sess t mos the h Wit fun! the in and join ’ll reasonable fees around, you rdable find that training can be affo our too! For all details please visit website www.northkentkarate.com

...local events, clubs & groups LITTLE TIGERS - KARATE FOR

Erith Youth Rugby

Sunday 10:45-12:00, Sussex Road Erith. Ages 4-16 welcome 07903 590515

Dartford Orienteering Club

For more details see www.dfok.co.uk 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. Phone Ester 01322 220458 or email: esther.correia1@ btinternet.com

GUITARS IN THE SHADOWS – JOIN IN MUSIC BY THE SHADOWS TO 60S TO ROCK N ROLL

Meet at Dartford Working Mens Club (Essex Road) at 7.30pm on the fourth Thursday of the month. Membership is free but we do ask for a small contribution to costs on the night. Call Ray on 07813 540131 or email guitarsinshadows@hotmail.com

Dartford Gymnastics

is the only British Gymnastics Club in Dartford to hold the”GymMark” Award for 6 years. Based in Heath Lane, we are a friendly club with super equipment, great coaches and high standards. We do lots of competitions and we do not close through the holidays! Visit our website http://www.dartfordgymnastics.co.uk/ for full details or contact Linda on 01322 409312 or email dartfordgymclub@yahoo.co.uk

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.

3, 4 & 5 YEAR OLDS Sundays 10:15-10:45 at Swanscombe Leisure Centre. Call Saj on 07903 513104

BEXLEY AND DARTFORD BRANCH PARKINSONS UK For people with Parkinsons and their carers. We have 2 meetings per month. Bexley: 4th Thursday of each month, at Pincott Hall, 2-4pm. Dartford: 2nd Thursday of each month, Mick Jagger Centre, 7.30-9.30pm. Information support workers available, guest speakers and quizzes. Contact Pamela Childs 0208 303 8971

Crayford and District Probus Club

meet on 1st and 3rd Wednesdays at the Falcon Wood Club, 1 Falcon Wood Avenue, Welling at 10am. Contact Tony Maun 0208 306 1075 or

email Crayford.Probus@gmail.com.

Dartford & District Stamp Club Hold regular meetings in The Meeting Place, The Orchard Shopping Centre, Dartford. Details from Steve Alpe 01322 284491 or email steve_alpe@hotmail.com

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 01474 353405 or email landaclatworthy@btinternet.com

MALE? AGED 18 - 44?

WANT TO HAVE FUN AND DO SOMETHING WORTHWHILE WITH YOUR SPARE TIME? We’ve arrived in Dartford and we are a NEW Round Table Get involved, you WILL enjoy it! www.dartfordroundtable.co.uk

Would you like to promote a local activity on the “Where to go locally...” page? If so, email your suggestions to editor@dartfordliving.com The West Kent Book Club meets once a month on Saturday mornings at Dartford Library. For more information, please call 07860 963333 or find us at www.meetup. com/West-Kent-BookClub/

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

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

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 Chris 01322 836026

WEST HILL MOR RIS

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

Fairfield (Dartford) WI 2nd Tuesday of every month, Dartford Girls’ Grammar School, 7.30pm. Contact Judith on 01322 278703 or Evelyn on 07891 061609. Crayford Women’s Institute 1st Thursday of every month at 1.45pm. Baker Trust Hall. Maxim Road, Crayford (near Sainsburys). Contact Secretary, Jean Monk 01322 557142

MODERN LINEDANCING CLASSES at Dance Union, Greenhithe. 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 01322 387630.

Age UK, Crayford library Pop in Parlour coffee morning every Friday morning 10.30 - 12.30 Tea, Coffee, Biscuits and a chat - Just £1 The North West Kent Branch of the Motor Neurone Disease Association meets at 8pm on the 4th Wednesday evening of each month in the Pop-In Parlour, Mill Road, Northumberland Heath, Erith. The meetings last about 2 hours and the group often have a speaker on a variety of subjects, followed by tea and biscuits and general chat. For more information contact Eileen on 01322 228169.

Dartford Quilters meet on the 2nd Saturday of each month at the Mick Jagger Centre, Shepherds Lane, Dartford. We run a varied programme of activities suitable for the beginner through to the more experienced quilter. More details can be obtained from the club secretary on 01474 834872 RSPCA KENT, NORTH WEST BRANC H FREE MICRO CHIPP ING

RSPCA Kent, North West Branch, offers free micro chippings for all domestic animals at its clinic at 37 Gordon Road, Dartford, Kent, DA1 2LX on the 1st Saturday in each month, 10am to 12.30pm. The service is free but donations are appreciated. For more information please visit www.rspca-kentnorthwest.org.uk.

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Dartford Living

Where to go locally... 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

YOGA WITH EMMA

Wednesdays & Fridays 9:30am-10:30am At Europa Gymnastics Centre For more information please contact Emma: emma@samadhi-yoga.co.uk TEL: 07932 621415 www.samadhi-yoga.co.uk

** Players Wanted **

Swanscombe Tigers U9’s for season 15/16 Coaches are FA qualified and CRB checked Come along have fun and make new friends For more info contact Lee McCarthy 07591155536 Mark Trowbridge 07890611829 or email lrwmccarthy@hotmail.co.uk Game, Set, Woof: Tennis loving terriers need your help!

On a quest to warm up to Wimbledon and deter tenacious terriers from making too much racquet in their kennels, Battersea Brands Hatch are putting a call out to the public for tennis ball donations. In addition to a litter of ace new puppy arrivals 4 month old Murray, Federer, Sharapova and Djokovic, the Home’s older Jack Russell Terriers are all hoping to receive the donations they are desperately in need of to enjoy the upcoming tennis season in the hope that they will soon be someone’s winning number one. Call 020 7627 7883 for further information

...local events, clubs & groups 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 08454 500 287 and ask about the Dartford group. 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.

Kent Exiles American Football Club www.kentexiles.co.uk.

Coach Martin - 07944 730634. All ages from 7 years to adult welcome

The Rotary Club of the North Downs

They meet at the Holiday Inn, Black Prince, Thursday evenings

7:30pm for 7:45pm for Dinner and fellowship. For details phone 07759 863836.

North West Kent Family History Society

The Dartford Branch meet at the Technology College, Heath Lane, For more information see www.nwkfhs.org.uk

DART FORD LIONS CLUB

1st Tuesday of every month Dartford Conservative Club Spital Street, Dartford DA1 2DT. Meeting start at 20:00. Further details call Cathy 01322 618640

Dartford Art Group

We meet every Thursday evening from 7.30-9.30pm. We meet at the What if...? Gallery 67-69 High Street Dartford DA1 1DJ. The cost to belong is £40 per annum. For further enquiries please email ruthghoward@aol.com or ring 07940 836672

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The Rendezvous Club (50+)

Every Monday Time: 8pm - 10pm Location: The Pop in Parlour, Graham Road, Bexleyheath DA6 7EG we enjoy a Description: We are a friendly social group open to anyone over fifty. As a social group number of activities including bingo, a Beatle drive, quizzes, to name but a few. On occasions We also take part in outside activities including going for a meal or a trip to the theatre. we welcome a guest speaker. Admission: ÂŁ2.50 per week. Annual membership ÂŁ6 (payable in January ) Tel: 01322 287356 or 020 8304 6414

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

PAVI LION PLAY ERS

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!

SING AND SIGN MUSIC CLASSES NEW Babes (0- 7 )months, stage 1 8-13 months and Stage 2 14 - 26 months Fridays and Saturdays- Dartford High Street 9.40am - 12.30pm Contact Jenettehawkes@outlook.com 07958455699

The Ente

Eyns Vs

The L All-St

Haven (LGBT) Social Group. London / Kent area. Every Friday - a safe Place to Meet. For more information please contactSuperb corporat 01322 287356 or 07503 306467 or email packages - havenx35@gmail.com

available

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Dartford Living

Eynsford C

Where to go locally...

...local events, clubs & groups SCRA PPY DAYS! A SCRA PBOO KING GROU P

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 ÂŁ6 which includes refreshments, nibbles and the use of a cricut (cutting machine for those that donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know). Beginners are very welcome. Contact Michelle on 07910 488428 or email scrappydays@hotmail.co.uk

NHS RET IRE MEN T FEL LOW SHI

P Dartford & Gravesham Branch Meets the first Wednesday of every month at the Masonic Hall, West Hill, Dart ford from 10-12pm.Activities include guest speakers, outings, lunches, holidays and quizzes. For more information contact Marion on 01322 402967

The Players Crayford 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.

Based in Greenhithe, FREE FIT is a community fitness club designed for people of all ages looking to gain basic levels of fitness, drop a few pounds and enjoy meeting and training with like minded people. So if Gyms are not your thing and you are looking to take your first steps in fitness and weight loss, come and train with free fit. www.freefit888.co.uk for more info

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Useful Numbers

DART FORD U3A (UNI VERS ITY OF THE THIR D AGE)

meets on the first Tuesday of every month (except August) at St Anselm’s Church Hall, West Hill, Dartford at 2pm. For information about meetings and interest groups call 01474709068 or visit our website.

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!! https://www.facebook.com/groups/DSTCAlumni/

Little Bright Sparks

Fun phonics, literacy and numeracy classes for 2-4 year olds. Classes held on Weds in East Malling and Thurs in West Kingsdown £5.50 per class 07768 447657 for more info www.facebook.com/littlebrightsparks http://www.babysign.org.uk/

a b c +=

COLUMBINE CHINA PAIN

TERS CLUB

meets on the 1st and 3rd Thu rsday each month at Sutton at Hone Village Hall . 1.30pm until 4.30pm. £2.0 0 per afternoon. £10.00 yearly fee. We are a small, friendly club , not expensive. Tuition give n. All supplies can be bought in situe. Com e and see if you like it, free tea And biccies. You will be very welcome. Contact - Maureen Beckham 01322 287214. Marie Blake 01474 704581. Doreen Goddard 0147 4 707357.

LOCAL DOG TRAINING SCHOOL

Established for 36years - No Expensive courses Puppies from 3months - Older dogs any age. Tel. Barbara for more details 01322 663956

Dartford & Crayford Sea Cadets based at Brooklands Lake Dartford, next to Homebase on Princes Road. We parade every Tuesday and Thursday nights from 7pm9.15pm and is open to new recruits, junior cadets aged 10-12 and Sea Cadets aged 12-18. email dartfordscc@gmail.com for more details.

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Dartford Living

Useful Information 24 Hour Kent Dementia Helpline: 0800 500 3014 Alcoholics Anonymous: 08457 697 555 Citizens Advice Bureau: 01322 224686 Crimestoppers: 0800 555111 Darent Valley Hospital: 01322 428100 Dartford Borough Council: 01322 343434 Dartford Police Station (non urgent crime): 01622 690690 Debt Councilling (CAP)

0800 328 0006 EDF Energy Networks Emergencies/Powercuts Helpline: 0800 028 0247 Gatwick Airport Enquiries: 08700 002468 Heathrow Airport Enquiries: 08700 000123 Information About Drugs - FRANK: 0800 776600 Kent Homophobic Incident Reporting Line: 0800 328 9162 Kent Racial Incident Reporting Line: 0800 138 1624

Local Sports Clubs Bexley Rugby Club 01322 550142 or www.bexleyrfc.co.uk Dartford Ladies Hockey Club Dawn Hall (Secretary) 07793 777250 Dartford Ju Jitsu Club Mondays, Dartford Girls

Local Breastfeeding Counsellors Judianne/Paula: 01322 224072 National Domestic Violence Helpline (24 hour): 0808 2000 247 National Gas Emergency Service: 0800 111 999 National Rail Enquiries: 08457 484950 NHS Direct: 111 (free of charge from landline or mobile NSPCC Child Protection Helpline: 0808 800 5000 Report a non-urgent crime: Dial 101 or go online www.reportacrime.kent.police.uk RSPCA Kent, North West Branch Helpline: 01322 286720 Samaritans: 08457 909090 Thames Water Leak Line: 0800 714614 The National Pandemic Flu Service: 0800 1 513 100

Local Libraries

Dartford Library Opening Hours:

Mon to Wed 8.30am - 6.00pm, Thurs 8.30am

- 8.00pm, Fri

8.30am - 6.00pm, Sat 9:00am to 5:00pm

Ashen Drive Library Opening Hou

rs:

Mon 2.00pm - 6.00pm, Tue 9.00am - 1.00p

- 6.00pm, Fri 9.00am -1.00pm, Sat 10.00am - 2.00pm

m, Thurs 2.00pm

Temple Hill Library Opening Hou

Mon, Tues, Thurs and Fri 9.00am - 6.00pm,

rs:

closed Wed & open Sat 10.00am - 2.00pm

LATE NIGHT CHEMISTS BOOTS BLUEWATER: 01322 624780 OPEN MON-SAT 9am TILL MIDNIGHT. SUN 11am TILL 5pm ASDA GREENHITHE: 01322 374100 OPEN MON-SAT 8.30am TILL 10pm. SUN 11am TILL 5pm

West Kent NHS Helpline: 0800 0 850850

Please mention Dartford Living when contacting our advertisers GOLF CLUB. Contact: Mr. Pat Grammar School, Shepherds Bowling Club Coleman, Secretary 01322 01322 274111. Lane. 6.30-8.00 Juniors, 863730. email: pat.coleman@ VCD Table Tennis Club 8.00-10.00 Seniors.1st dartford.gov.uk Eric Jenkins - 0208 3038312. session free www.dartfordjujitsu.co.uk The Ashes ‘Play & pay’, 9 hole, par Dartford Sharks Badminton Club 3 golf course on Dartford Basketball Club Mondays, Dartford Technology Football Club’s Princes Park Tim Dickson - 07855 College, Heath Lane. 7.30site, managed by the Club. 692527. 9.30. Jacqui 07764 182854. Members subscribing annually Dartford Volleyball Club Dartford Valley RFC to play the course have formed Graham - 01322 275290 or www.pitchero.com/clubs/ themselves into a small 07984 106134. darenthvalleyrfc/ golf club:- PRINCES PARK Stone Lodge Indoor Please mention Dartford Living when contacting our advertisers

The World Garden at Lullingstone Castle shares with Dartford Living its 10th anniversary celebration - an action packed Plant themed weekend for all the family! The World Garden kicks off the weekend with a celebration of the lives of some of Britain’s most intrepid plant hunters who heroically discovered the far-flung botanical delights of the world and have inspired Tom Hart Dyke, as a modern day plant hunter, to travel all over the world. Visitors for the first time will experience a NEW Plant Hunters expedition camp complete with plant presses, roaring fire, canvas tents and authentic dress of the period. Tom will lead free guided tours of the World Garden at 12 noon and 2pm (no prior booking required) starting at expedition camp to take you on your very own plant hunters adventure! The Great Hall at Lullingstone Castle will also host the Sevenoaks Tree Society’s popular exhibition ,“The Remarkable Trees of Sevenoaks”. New for the 2015 exhibition it will cover the remarkable trees in The World Garden, Castle grounds and Lullingstone Park, home to over 300 internationally important ancient oaks and other species. Children will also have great fun and be kept entertained with the WI Scarecrow ‘just for fun’ quiz to celebrate the special centenary of the Women’s Institute, over 70 different WI themed scarecrows located around the grounds all ready to be found! Saturday 25th & Sunday 26th July - 11am until 5pm

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Featured

Gareth Johnson MP: Proud to be a Dartfordian Our natural instinct is often to criticise the place where we live, to highlight the negative aspects of our town or village yet it would be wrong to only concentrate o n D a r t f o r d ’s down sides.

local people and fantastic leisure opportunities. Our grammar schools are hugely popular but also the Leigh Trust provides a pioneering approach to education that has been copied in many other areas. Dartford Science and Technology College and Ebbsfleet Academy offer an excellent standard of education and the new UTC is the first college of its kind in the county. I would also challenge anyone to find an area with better primary schools than Dartford. It is also difficult to find a better hospital than Darent Valley that now has new breast cancer, renal disease and dementia units. Its A&E expansion will be completed later this year.

Yes, there are aspects of our local area that need improving, but that should not prevent us from appreciating Dartford’s positive characteristics and what makes it a great area to live, work or enjoy time in.

Low crime rates in the area have come about in part because of some excellent neighbourhood policing from Kent Police. Dartford Council is rightly proud of the community events it organises. The concerts in the park, the unashamed celebration of St George’s Day and, of course, the Dartford Festival. The markets in the High Street attract people from a fairly wide area. Youth groups are extremely active in the area. The number of children attending scouting events has increased in recent years as has the attendance at the Air and Sea cadets. Giving these opportunities to young people is vital.

Walking along the Darent Valley Path or by the Thames at Greenhithe gives you an idea of the diverse range of environments we have. Our parks also offer fantastic opportunities to spend time relaxing in. Hesketh Park, Darenth Country Park, Stone Recreation Ground and of course Central Park are always popular with families. Dartford’s fairly unique position gives good access to both London and the countryside and a rich heritage that can still be seen in the medieval buildings in the High Street by the iconic Holy Trinity Church. The museum in the town centre highlights the town’s rich historical links with Wat Tyler, Henry VIII, the Romans and just about every other era. Travelling in to London is never pleasant but our new train station and the frequent services (on a good day!) provide fairly easy access to the capital. The high speed line also provides opportunities for business investment in Ebbsfleet. Sporting facilities in the local area are amongst the best in Kent. Dartford Cricket Club’s new pavilion is just the latest addition to the sporting portfolio. Our judo and bowls clubs are excellent and the football ground is one of the best in the amateur leagues. The swimming pool is being refurbished and Dartford Valley Rugby club is rapidly growing in size. Bluewater plays host to the County’s most visited location. It also provides thousands of jobs for

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Yes there are things that need improving, Lowfield Street for a start. We can all find fault with the local facilities, there is much for myself and others to be working on, but we should never forget the reasons why we can all be proud of Dartford. I am unashamed in pointing out the good things in the area. So next time any of us feels like running down the area, we should perhaps also consider some of the positive aspects of the area and why we all can be proud to be a Dartfordian.

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Featured Local Event

Dartford parkrun - 1 year anniversary by Richey Estcourt

The final Saturday of July will mark the first anniversary of Dartford parkrun – a weekly Saturday morning timed run around Dartford’s outstanding Central Park.

The parkrun movement started in October 2004 in Bushy Park, Teddington, before slowly branching out to other venues and countries. There are now over 330 parkrun locations in the UK (as well as over 300 more across the world), and we finally acquired our own parkrun in July 2014, when myself and a team of local runners and coordinators worked in partnership with Dartford Borough Council to install the event here in Dartford. I’ve had the unique privilege of meeting hundreds of people through Dartford parkrun, and seeing them realise achievements they might have thought were out of reach. Although the idea is so simple – a run, jog, or brisk walk round the park with like-minded people, it has inspired hundreds to attend on a regular basis to increase their fitness, score a new Personal Best, and meet new people in the process. A countless number of people have told me that they’re ‘not really a good runner’, yet they come along each week, and before too long, they’re completing a 5km run in times that they wouldn’t have thought possible. A lot of them go on to join a local running club, and take part in other events, and it was no surprise at all that a lot of the regular parkrunners, whose running began with our weekly run around the park, completed the Dartford Half Marathon earlier this year. Since July 2014, over 1,200 different people have completed over 5,000 parkruns in Dartford alone. Or to put that differently – we’ve run the circumference of the entire planet together in just one year in Central Park! The fundamental key to the success of parkrun isn’t that we give any coaching or advice to the parkrunners. We simply create a safe, supporting environment, in which everyone is welcome regardless of their background, and

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with the runners taking turns to volunteer to support the event through course marshalling and timekeeping etc, we can pass on the benefits of an organised running event absolutely free to the participants. All we ask of the runners is that they remember to bring their unique printed ID barcode, and we’ll do the rest of the work required to organise a timed running event, and give the runners their results and stats on our website. And because parkrun has so many venues now, each registered parkrunner can visit any other parkrun venue, and enjoy the same experience for free. Here’s the questions and comments I get asked all the time by those wishing to take part: • “I’m not fast enough” Don’t worry. You can take as long as you like. There really is no minimum ability requirements, as long as you’re fit and well enough to run, jog or walk 5km. • “I don’t want to come last” You won’t come last. We have a tailrunner every week so that nobody gets left behind, and they’ll be finishing last! • “I’m not good at getting up early on Saturdays!” Maybe if you just changed this one thing, then all sorts of other changes could follow? • “Isn’t this just something for young people?” No. The youngest participants have been 4 years old, and the oldest was 81! Please visit www.parkrun.org.uk/dartford for more information on how to take part. Runners may take part from the age of 4 upwards, but must be accompanied along the run by an adult until they are 11 years old. Runners may bring one dog each, as long as they remain on a short lead.

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DARTFORD LIVING MEETS....... BY KELLY GOLDSWORTHY Continuing our series, focusing on valued members of the Dartford community, Kelly met Kay Elliot from ellenor – the only charity in Kent to provide hospice care for people of all ages.

Mary’s Hospital on the Children’s Ward. I saw the ellenor nurses and it became my dream to join them. I worked at Demelza in order to get my palliative experience and was then lucky enough to move over to ellenor.’

Kay, has lived in the Dartford area for 35 years. She is married with two grown up sons and is employed at ellenor as a Paediatric Palliative Care Nurse Specialist

Asked about her future plans Kay said: ‘The charity is developing. Our role is so varied, no two days are the same. We are a close team, and that’s important. We have a very low turnover of staff. I’m not going anywhere.’

Kay explained that her role centres on working within ellenor’s Children’s Hospice Care team, providing vital care to babies, children and young people who have life threatening or life limiting illnesses. ‘We don’t have a children’s hospice building for children – instead we provide vital care in the comfort of a children’s own home. We can also visit the child at school, rather than home if the family prefer. We give advice on symptoms. If we are in an end of life situation we can facilitate that at home as needed. We always have a qualified nurse on 24 hour call, who can visit and liaise with services as required. ‘ Kay explained how she came into her role ‘I went into nursing as a mature student. I then worked at Queen

She went on to explain ‘I love the contact with the family. As a team, we try to care for the whole family. For me, it is a great privilege to go on a difficult journey with the family. The family have to trust us. We can’t change a prognosis, but our job is to make a difference.’ ellenor is a charity, not part of the NHS, so relies on the generosity of the local community to be able to provide the best care and support to families facing terminal illness. To find out more about ellenor see ellenor.org to make a donation go to ellenor.org/make-a-gift Follow on twitter at: twitter.com/ellenorcharity Like on facebook at: ellenorcharity Picture (Kay to the left of ellenor Patron Phil Spencer)

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Dartford Living

Pick Your Own Strawberries Now Open! ● Open 7 days a week ● Containers supplied ● Ample parking available ● Farm Shop onsite Opening Times: Monday – Saturday: 9:00am-5:00pm Sundays & Bank Holidays: 10:00am-3:30pm Price: £4.40 per kilo Stanhill Farm Birchwood Road Wilmington Kent DA2 7HD Tel: 01322 669 711 Email: info@stanhillfarm.co.uk www.stanhillfarm.co.uk www.facebook.com/stanhillfarm www.twitter.com/stanhillfarm

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Dartford Living

Mayor of Dartford for 2015/16 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Councillor Ian Armitt development of Dartford Town Centre, promote the arts and seek to interest local schools in aspects of local government and civic pride. The Mayor is also a Darenth Parish Councillor. H av i n g b e e n f i rst e l e c te d i n 2 0 0 3 , h e i s the current Vice-Chairman of the Council and Webmaster for the Parish website. Councillor Armitt is a Governor of Darenth Community Primary School as well as being Vice-Chairman of Dartford Borough Councilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s D eve l o p m e nt C o nt ro l B o a rd , C h a i r m a n o f the Cabinet Advisory Panel B and a Member of the Licensing Committee. Councillor Ian Armitt, Ward Member for Bean & D a re n t h , i s t h e 3 7 t h M ayo r o f D a r t fo rd . Councillor Armitt was first elected to the Borough Council in 2003 but has a longstanding interest in local politics and the community. He has lived in Wilmington for 31 years. Councillor Armitt was Mayor of Dartford in 2005/6 and 2008/9 and appreciates being only the second Dartford Borough Councillor to have been accorded the honour of holding the position three times. The Mayor will be supported by his wife Lynne as Mayoress, and she too is looking forward to what promises to be a rewarding and interesting year. The Mayor and Mayoress intend to focus on the

The Mayor and Mayoress have two daughters, Nicola and Kirsty. Nicola is an author now living with her husband Corey in Australia, whilst K i rst y i s a b o u t to c o m p l e te h e r t ra i n i n g as a primary school teacher and begins her teaching career at Oakfield Community Primar y School in September. Kirsty lives with her partner Will in Sidcup. T h e M ay o r a n d t h e M ay o r e s s e n j o y t h e theatre and are enthusiastic supporters of The Orchard Theatre. They are greatly looking forward to attending performances at the Outdoor Theatre in Central Park. The Mayor a n d M ayo re s s a re m e m b e rs o f a n u m b e r o f l o c a l g ro u p s a n d e n j o y p a r t i c i p a t i n g in the many organised activities and outings.

The Mayorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Charity 2015/16 - Lollipop Fund Darent Valley Hospital Darent Valley Hospital has staff trained in High Dependency Care and with donations has been able to introduce a range of very expensive specialist equipment in order to give these children the very best possible chance of full recovery. Less costly, but equally important to the staff at Darent Valley, is the improvement of facilities for parents needing to stay overnight with their child and, thanks to

the kind donations made, comfortable folding beds have been introduced together with a special room where parents can make a drink and rest or talk. Your donations continue to be neededto ensure the Hospital gives the very best possible care for sick children.

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Dartford Living

Local Business

Kip McGrath: Dartford’s leading Tuition Centre

What is Kip McGrath Dartford? Kip McGrath Dartford is the area’s leading tuition centre for children aged 6-18 and during the last ten years has successfully prepared students in the following areas: • Reading and Comprehension • Writing and spelling • English and Maths (Key Stages 1-4) • Preparation for the 11+ test - English; Maths; Verbal Reasoning and Non-verbal Reasoning. • GCSE English and Maths • Vocational English and Maths As well as preparing children for the various tests and exams, we have also supported children who have struggled at school or who need their studies to be extended. The basic philosophy of every Kip McGrath centre is: ‘all children can succeed if given the right support.’ We employ fully qualified teaching professionals – not tutors and not students- who work alongside children to help them build confidence; self-esteem and to make real progress. We aim to make learning fun and engaging and to help all of our students reach their full potential. Why choose Kip McGrath? If you wish your child’s learning to be extended or supported then we are the place to come: • Fully qualified teachers, many of whom are currently working in local schools • Expertise from Reception to Year 13 • A small, caring environment that helps children make real progress • Feedback at the end of every lesson • Happy students who want to learn • DBS checked staff • Leading edge technology and resources • Lessons available on line 48 weeks a year • Parent satisfaction – most new students have been recommended to us by existing parents

Isn’t tuition expensive? Tuition does not have to be expensive. We are registered with Ofsted and as such accept working tax credits and childcare vouchers. This means that you may be able to claim back up to 70% of the fees. We can advise you on this. 11+ If your child is sitting the 11+ test in September 2016 then Kip McGrath Dartford is the best and most stress free place to prepare them. We recommend preparing your child over a minimum of three terms, starting in the Autumn Term of Year 5 or the Summer Term of Year 4. They will follow their own tailor made programme and will practise all of the skills that are needed to sit the test. Studying over a minimum of three terms will make the whole process less stressful for your child, and for yourself, and they will be prepared thoroughly for the exam. We will support you at every step of the way. We offer 11+ school holiday sessions at Easter and during the Summer. How can my child enrol at Kip McGrath? We offer an initial free assessment that will enable you to find out your child’s current levels and which will indicate any weaknesses and strengths they have.

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Help with English and Maths 7-16. Extension and support. Qualiﬁed Teachers.

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DARTFORD • 01322 285685 67 Darenth Road, Dartford, Kent, DA1 1LU

kipmcgrath.co.uk/dartford Your child will have an individual learning programme based on that assessment and feedback is available at the end of every lesson. When is Kip McGrath open? We are open during term times on the following days: Tuesday to Friday 3.40-5.00 and 5.10-6.30 and Saturday morning 9.30-10.50 and 11.00-12.20. Each session is eighty minutes long and your child would be taught by teachers in small groups. There is one on one tutoring within that lesson and your child would follow a structured learning programme. Homework is set every week and checked by the teacher. In addition to this, we can also provide lessons that your child can do at home.

Call today for a FREE assessment

How do I book an initial assessment? You can email us on: dartford@kip-mcgrath.com or phone on: 01322 285685. We are holding assessments during the summer holidays on the following days in the afternoon: August: 12th/ 13th; 19/20th; 26th / 27th; 28th/ 29th and in September 1st / 2nd and 5th as well as by appointment. Don’t delay; contact us and give your child the best chance to succeed in the new school year.

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Dartford Living

Local Crafts

Molly’s Bow-tique

Molly’s Bow-tique started in 2010 by mother and daughter, Diane and Laura when Diane started making handmade bows to add to the hats and crochet headbands she made for her granddaughter Molly. Laura’s friends started to see the beautiful creations and asked if Molly’s nan could make some for their children. No one ever just bought one as they fell in love with all the beautiful colours and different styles Diane created. The word spread amongst friends then Laura set up the Molly’s Bow-tique Facebook page and website www.mollysbow-tique.co.uk, so others could have the opportunity to purchase and look Bow-tiful too. We pride ourselves on hand making high quality bespoke bows for all ages from newborn to adult. All our bows are made by us with love and care and are presented in beautiful organza bags for that extra special finish. Since starting in 2010 our range has grown extensively to include: - Bow hair clips - Bow hairbands (for ponytails) - Bow headbands (Alicebands) - Soft headbands with bows - Bow socks (knee high & ankle socks) - Bow gloves - Bow hats - Baby hat and mitten sets with bows - Bow ties - Clip on shoe bows. With over 300 different types of ribbon in various colours, styles and widths, we can make bow accessories to match all outfits and school uniforms. To place an order, please email mollysbow-tique@live.co.uk alternatively you can order through our Facebook page

Molly’s Bow-tique or Instagram @THEMOLLYSBOWTIQUE. You will find thousands of photos of our products on these sites. Due to website restrictions we can only post a small fraction of our products to our actual website. We carry a large range of stock for events too, if you are interested in us exhibiting at an event please contact Laura via email mollysbow-tique@live.co.uk. We also supply to children’s clothes boutiques, do contact Laura should you be interested in selling our bows in your shop. The next events we will be at: - Sunday 12th July from 12pm to 8.30pm at The BECK REC FEST, Croydon Road Recreation Ground, Croydon Road, Beckenham BR3 3PR - Saturday 18th July from 10am to 3pm at Freemantle Hall, Bexley Village, DA5 1AA - Saturday 24th October from 10am to 3pm at Freemantle Hall, Bexley Village, DA5 1AA - Saturday 14th November from 10.30am at The Gingham Goose Craft market, Hayes Village Hall, Hayes, Bromley Kent Like and follow Molly’s Bow-tique on: Facebook: www.facebook.com/Molly’sBow-tique Instagram: @THEMOLLYSBOWTIQUE Twitter: www.twitter.com/Molly’sBow-tique Website: WWW.MOLLYSBOW-TIQUE.CO.UK For readers of Dartford Living we would like to offer a discount of 10% throughout July and August 2015. Please quote Dartford Living when placing your order. We ship internationally. The article provided by Getthrifthy crafts fairs, who organise craft fairs in Kent. For more information visit thier Facebook page www.facebook.com/ thriftyfairs

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Dartford Legal Services Ltd Commercial & Residential Conveyancing Probate & Wills Commissioner for Oaths Reasonable fixed fees

Regulated by Council for Licensed Conveyancers Fully Insured Tel: 01322 291379 Email: Info@darfordlegalservices.com Website: www.dartfordlegalservices. com

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Dartford Living

Kids Zone

Max's Makerspace By MicroHackers - A Dartford Edtech Startup

Water bottle rocket Materials: • 1 x Large water bottle • 1 x Cork • 1 x Piece of cardboard Tools and equipment: • Bicycle pump • Football inflator valve • Sellotape • Pair of scissors • Water

Instructions: 1. Cut three triangles out of the piece of cardboard, and sellotape onto an empty plastic bottle as Þns. 2. Half fill the plastic bottle with water. 3. Push the cork into the end of the water bottle. 4. Attach the football inflator valve onto the bicycle pump. 5. Push the football inflator valve through the cork. 6. Stand the water bottle rocket on its fins. 7. When you are ready to launch your water bottle rocket pump the bicycle pump. Information: The bicycle pump pressurises the bottle until the cork is forced out by the propellant (the water) which launches the bottle into the air. The fins provide flight stability. Further ideas: Perhaps you could make a nose cone for your rocket to improve its flight?

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Bullying - Article by local student Andrew Gardner Recently, a friend of my mind had a run in with some bullies, as I’m sure we all have at some point during our school lives, especially during secondary school - it’s a problem that more and more teenagers have to deal with in school certainly due to it being the years of our lives where we start to discover ourselves and build our own unique personalities, but the biggest question I think most people, certainly parents have when concerned with this topic is, do schools do enough to protect our children?

school, I would go as far to say that this is even more appeasement, therefore school’s have to find new ways to punish and prevent these situations. There’s nothing stopping them from doing it again when they come back, so the schools action to protect the bullied student? Stop the girl from coming to school. They give a student, who has exams coming up, a huge disadvantage, as they would rather stop her from attending than dealing with the bullies and maybe even expelling them.

Going back to my first point, my friend who recently experienced this problem was very unlucky in this case - she walked away with a black eye and split lip, not to mention this happened on school premises.What does it say if a school can’t look after their own pupils on their own site? Obviously, we can accept that you cannot prevent bullying all together, but to the extent of physical bullying… well, they should’ve dealt with it before it reached that point. A month beforehand, these students were reported, and the school simply wrote it off as a one time thing, which surely appeased the bullies, making them think they could get away with it again. Many schools think that their students are easily punished by ‘having a word’ with them, however it just simply doesn’t work like that and even as I write this, the bullies only received a 3 day exclusion, despite committing assault - a very lenient, yet common punishment if you ask me, as most kids would relish being given 3 days off

It just begs the question, why did she get the short straw, what they effectively did was expel the victim and gave the culprits a very, very light punishment in my opinion. Now, an innocent girl misses out on a lot of classes, while thugs get away with still being able to attend school. I think, as a community, we need to ask our local schools to step up and pay more attention to their student well being rather than just grades. If pupils feel unsafe, they will not gain the confidence to excel; schools also need to deal with these issues with a lot more severity before authorities are forced to get involved. If you or your child are experiencing any problems to do with this, feel free to contact the following services: www.bullying.co.uk/ - Bully Advice. www.gov.uk/bullying-at-school/reporting-bullying www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Bullying/Pages/Antibullyinghelp.aspx w w w. n h s . u k / L i v e w e l l / B u l l y i n g / P a g e s / Bullyingadviceforparents.aspx

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The Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award The Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award, the world’s largest literary competition, is once again searching for the most exciting writers aged 11-17. There are just weeks left to enter your poem. The competition closes at midnight on 31st July. Last year the Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award broke all the records with entries from 7,603 young poets from 78 countries. Entries flooded in from every postcode in the UK and from countries as far afield as Nepal, Benin and Papua New Guinea. Each year the judges choose 100 talented winners, made up of 15 top winners and 85 commended poets. Two of last year’s top 15 winners were from Kent: Hannah Keyte age 13 from Beckenham and Kyle Lovell age 17 from Hythe. You can read their winning entries on the Poetry Society Website. Founded by the Poetry Society in 1998 and now flanked by celebrity patrons Martha Kearney and Phill Jupitus, the Award has kickstarted the career of many of today’s most exciting new voices, including Next Generation Poet Helen Mort and Poetry London editor Ahren Warner. The phrase ‘Former Foyle Young Poet’ is now found in countless professional biographies as alumni make their mark on the wider literary world, their names appearing on bookshelves and at festivals the world over – from the BBC Proms to the Glastonbury Festival. This year’s world-class winners will be chosen by acclaimed poets

Liz Berry and Michael Symmons Roberts. The winners will be announced at a glittering awards ceremony in London on National Poetry Day, 8th October 2015. The top 15 winning poems are published in a yearly anthology – 24,000 of which are sent to schools, arts organisations, and poets each year to mark the launch. The top 15 winners are also invited to attend a residential creative writing course at a prestigious Arvon centre or receive a poet residency in their school (age dependent). All 100 winners receive one year’s Youth Membership of the Poetry Society, a range of book prizes, and benefit from ongoing support and encouragement from the Poetry Society via publication, performance and internship opportunities. The Award also incorporates a year-round programme of activity to support creativity and literacy in schools. This includes identifying committed ‘Teacher Trailblazers’ to act as mentors and share best practice and lesson ideas online to nurture best practice in creative writing teaching. So if you feel that you would like to make your mark on the literary world then enter the Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award 2015. For full details of how to enter visit www.foyleyoungpoets.org

Caribbean Night Saturday 8th August 2015 7pm to 10pm FOOD-DRINKS-GAMES-PHASE 5 STEELBAND ALL FOR JUST £10

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Charity Focus

Each month we will be featuring a local charity. If you represent a charity and would like to be featured please email charity@dartfordliving.com

Batersea Dog and Cats Home Brands Hatch Every year Battersea Dogs & Cats Home cares for 8,000 lost and abandoned dogs and cats that come through the doors of its three centres in London, Brands Hatch and Old Windsor. The Home offers shelter, food and a loving environment until the animals are reunited with their owners or happily rehomed. Battersea’s Brands Hatch centre is a peaceful retreat for dogs who are stressed by the big city and cats who enjoy a slower pace of life. Last year marked the centre’s 15 year anniversary and saw over 850 cats and dogs being rehomed over a 12 month period. The average stay for dogs at Battersea is 36 days but some charismatic canines have been resident for a lot longer including three year old Alaskan Malamute Theo and four year old Jack Russell terrier Jake who seem to have become semipermanent residents at the Brands Hatch centre, both spending over 200 days there to date. Battersea needs to raise £15.4 million every year in order to continue giving animals like Jake and Theo the second chances they deserve. Individuals, schools, businesses, groups and associations can all make a huge difference to lost and abandoned animals, however they choose to show their support. From bucket collections to non-uniform days, from raffles to cake sales, from staff fundraising to Charity of the Year adoptions – everything adds up to help give animals the second chance they all deserve. People can also lend a hand by volunteering

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at nearby Battersea events, helping at bucket collections and joining their local fundraising group. Ken Hall is Co-ordinator of a Volunteer Battersea Fundraising Group in West Kingsdown. He said: “I have always been an animal lover and I am really excited about my new fundraising group which will hold several local events a year to raise money for Battersea. Fundraising groups are the perfect way for energetic and friendly people to make new friends, give some time and help a great cause. I’d encourage people to volunteer and fundraise for the Home as we can all see first-hand the difference we are making to animals lives.” Battersea’s Regional Community Fundraiser for Kent and Sussex, Victoria Lawrence, says: “Our volunteer fundraisers work tirelessly in their own time to organise events and we’re so grateful for their support. Battersea receives no central Government funding, so we rely on the generosity and support of the public. Thanks to the fundraising activities organised by our passionate supporters, we can continue to care for homeless animals until new families can be found for them” The Home are appealing for more volunteers to run and support community fundraising activities in the Dartford area to help raise funds for the thousands of animals it cares for every year. Victoria Lawrence supports all local fundraisers with advice, ideas and resources. If you would like more information on how you can help please contact Victoria on 07590 173456 or email v.lawrence@ battersea.org.uk.

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Dartford Ostomy Group Support 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. It is fully supported by Darenth Valley Hospital stoma nurses and usually they try and turn up at the meeting, workload permitting. It is self supporting and is run by the former patients of Darenth Valley Hospital for other patients, for instance, who want information about their stoma or supplies. We usually have something going on each meeting and have a raffle. For further information contact Tracey, John or Sue Tel No 07948974350 or email dogs-uk@hotmail.com

CHOICES Domestic Abuse Service 1st Annual Fundraising Ball Friday 4th September 2015 Hilton Hotel, Dartford Choices Domestic Abuse Service are holding their first Annual Ball on Friday 4 September 2015 at the Hilton Hotel, Dartford. Tickets are £65 per person for what promises to be an amazing fun-filled evening including Red Carpet arrival with reception drinks, 3 course meal with wine, auction, live music, table magician, casino tables, professional photographer and much more. Great auction prizes include a UK family break and 2 weekend Grandstand tickets (& paddock passes) to the 2016 British MotoGP. Book your ticket – or a discounted table of 10 - for a great evening and to support a very worthwhile cause! Please book by the end of June to ensure ticket availability. Email: Fundraising@choicesdaservice.org.uk or call 01322 280686.

London to Canterbury Cycle Challenge Cyclists can take life by the handle bars on Sunday 13th September and enjoy a stunning 65 or 80 mile cycle ride from London’s Greenwich Park to Canterbury, Kent. The UK’s leading charity for children with brain injury, The Children’s Trust, are appealing for cyclists of all abilities to take part.

Children’s Trust website. Why not become part of The Children’s Trust’s biggest cycle event and sign up now? For more information and to take advantage of the latest sign up offers, visit www. thechildrenstrust.org.uk/ltc or telephone 01737 364323.

Riders meet at The Pavilion Café in Greenwich Park between 8 and 9am, where hot and cold breakfasts will be available. The route, planned and provided by professional Cycling Support Services, is both well signposted and marshalled, with regular refreshment stops. Riders will explore the beautiful Kent countryside including the historic Pilgrim’s Way, before crossing the finish line to a well-deserved sports massage, along with a post-ride party, where friends and family are encouraged to join in the fun. For those coming from the Kent area, a coach is available to take cyclists up from Canterbury to the start line in Greenwich Park, a space of which can be booked via The Interested in advertising? Tel: 01322 507817507817 www.dartfordliving.com Dartford Living Interested in advertising? Tel: 01322 www.dartfordliving.com

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Business and Dhiren’s Automotive News Automotive In this edition we’ll look at a new entrant to the small SUV market and two refreshed popular models from German manufacturers

New Fiat 500 revealed

Fiat has confirmed its new 500 city car will be revealed on 4th July – exactly 58 years after the original was launched to the Italian public. No other official information is available but the next-generation 500 is expected to be wider and longer than before, with subtle yet noticeable tweaks to the exterior. Inside is where the bulk of the changes will be made, with a large central touchscreen minimalist 30 Please mention and Dartford Living dashboard design. Engines should mirror the current line-up, albeit with tweaks to the internals to make them more efficient and cheaper to run. That means the popular TwinAir will no doubt return more than 75mpg, while the 1.3-litre diesel could boast as much as 90mpg with sub-85g/km CO2 emissions. Fiat claims there are over 500,000 different personalisation configurations – a feature that is only likely to grow with the next-generation car. New Infiniti Q30 creates 300 UK jobs

The introduction of the new Infiniti Q30 hatchback will generate 300 new jobs at the brand’s manufacturing facility in Sunderland, before production starts later this year. It will

be the first Infiniti to be built in Europe and comes after a £250 million investment in parent company Nissan’s existing facilities in the North East. Extensions totalling 25,000 square metres have already been added, including a new body shop and expanded vehicle assembly line. Recruitment has already begun for the new roles, ahead of Infiniti’s move into the compact executive market later in 2015. The Q30 will rival models like the Audi A3 and BMW 1 Series, as well as the Mercedes A-Class and VW Golf. The Infiniti QX30 crossover will join the range at a later date, and also be produced in Sunderland. Originally, Infiniti only committed to creating 180 jobs with the introduction of Infiniti in the UK, so the further 120 is a massive boost for the British economy. Britain’s best towcar

The Volkswagen Passat Estate has been named the overall winner at the Tow Car Awards 2015. The event, now in its ninth year, pitted 37 cars against each other, with the Volkswagen Passat Estate taking the top prize for the third time. The cars tested ranged in size from a Citroën C4 Cactus to a Land Rover Discovery, all competing for nine awards split across five weight classes and three special categories. All classes of cars that are homologated for towing are eligible for entry, meaning results are relevant regardless of whether a garden trailer or a horsebox needs to be towed. All cars were pushed to their limits in a series of dynamic tests, including high-speed stability, hill starts on a 1-in-6 gradient, plus emergency stops and lane changing.

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Tips for small businesses Each month Paul Conradi, Chartered Accountant at Conradi Morrison & Co, will be giving us his professional advice for small businesses..

Employment Allowance The Finance Act 2015 confirmed that the employment allowance (EA) will continue for the tax year 2015/16. EA gives employers a discount up to £2,000 on their secondary Class 1 NI bill. This allowance must be claimed and is equal to the lower of £2000 and the employer’s Class 1 NI contribution before the allowance. For small businesses employing staff this is a great benefit and it can also be used by one-person companies. If the director/shareholder has no other income and no staff, the optimum position would be for him/her to take a salary up the personal allowance

of £10,600 per annum and to take further profits in the form of dividends. Although this may result in the director paying some employees Class 1 NI, the National Insurance bill would be outweighed by the Corporation Tax deduction in the respect of the additional salary. This is of course, providing the director remains a basic rate tax payer ie his net dividend is no more than £28,606 for the year. All small companies before their financial year end should consider how their personal salary and dividends is to be distributed. As your local Accountant, I would be very glad to meet you and discuss the possibility of tax planning in your business. For more information, please see page two of this month’s Dartford Living and feel free to call me on 01322 278188 to arrange a meeting without charge.

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SUDOKU

Coffee break Grid n°2147458345 medium

3 5 2 4 1 7 9 6 3 1

1 7 9 4 6 3

HOW TO PLAY: Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through to 9, with no repetition. That’s all there is to it!

2 7 2

4 6 9

(Solution on page 46)

Overfed and Under-nourished

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The general belief these days is that if you cut calories, you’ll lose weight. Whilst this IS true, it’s not as simple as that. Where your calories come from is, in fact, much more important. Hormones dictate whether you’ll burn fat, store fat, build muscle, or lose muscle (as well as myriad other things). And what you eat will have a huge effect on what your hormones do. Most people who eat too many calories and gain weight are in fact still under-nourished. If you’re eating the wrong foods it’s easy to over-consume calories, and still get very little actual nutrition. A typical junk food meal from any well-known fast food restaurant could easily clock up 1500 calories yet you’ll get very little if any nutritional value from the meal. This is why you can put away so much food and still be hungry; because your body is still crying out for fuel and nutrition even after you’ve eaten a huge meal. And also why it’s so easy to gain [the wrong kind of] weight. Given that many people make bad food choices and over-consume calories whilst under-consuming nutrients, cutting calories (i.e. going on a “Diet”) will lead to even fewer nutrients being eaten. This WILL lead to muscle

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F I T N E S S

loss, a drop in energy levels, and poor health, as well as slowing down your metabolism and leaving you malnourished (and no, a smoothie/juice/shake WON’T make up for this deficit!). The key is to select nutritious foods over the less nutritious foods. Fresh vegetables are high in nutrients and low in calories – eat more of these – a LOT more. Fill up on low-calorie, nutrient-dense foods and you’ll struggle to over-eat or surpass your calorie requirements, and you’ll also get the many benefits of giving your body all the nutrition it needs (along with, obviously, fats and protein). Avoid calorie-dense, low nutrient foods – mainly sweets, cakes, biscuits, fast-food, fizzy drinks etc. It’s possible to “under-eat” (i.e. drop calories) and still get adequate nutrition IF you choose the right foods. But keep your calories up, with nutritious foods, and you’ll reap far more benefits than you would from dropping calories! Weight loss will be from fat rather than muscle, and your energy levels and mood will improve dramatically. And you won’t have to deal with the usual post-“Diet” weight (re)gain afterwards.

By Mark Broadbent, Master Personal Trainer & Instructor at Dartford Bootcamps. Visit www.DartfordBootcamps.com for information on Personal Training, Nutrition coaching or MarkOneFitness.blogspot.com 32 Bootcamp Fitness Please classes. mention -Dartford Living when contacting our advertisers

Gardening Hints and Tips - July Plant of the Month Fuchsias

Make sure your garden is bursting with colour this summer with our plants of the month. There’s plenty to choose from for long-lasting interest including Fuchsias, Roses, Penstemons, Lavatera, Lavender and Spiraea. And don’t forget our huge range of summer-flowering herbaceous perennials. Herbs If you love cooking indoors or are spending the long, sunny days and evenings barbecuing, then you’ll appreciate having plenty of fresh, tasty herbs. If you don’t have room in the rest of the garden, then plant up a herb pot with all your culinary favourites so they’re easily to hand when you need them. From Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme to Basil and Mint we have all the herbs you’ll need for a potpourri of scents and tastes. Lawns If your lawn is looking tired and run down, give it a boost now with a liquid feed. And where weeds or moss are a problem use a liquid feed, weed and moss killer. Keep mowing regularly when the grass is growing to ensure it looks its best. You can leave small clippings on the lawn as they will help conserve soil moisture. But when a good soak is needed – lawns use around 4 gallons of water per square yard per week – use a lawn sprinkler set on a timer to avoid wasting water and making your water bill shoot up.

Gardening

Tomatoes Tomatoes are our favourite home-grown vegetable and a little care and attention now will ensure bumper crops throughout the summer. Make sure your plants are well supported – tying them in as they grow, remove sideshoots from upright cordon varieties, remove yellowing or dying leaves and watch out for pests and diseases, then treat accordingly. Feed weekly with a liquid tomato fertiliser and water regularly so that the compostor soil remains evenly moist. Weeds Weeds can soon take over the garden and not only do they look unsightly, but they can smother your prized plants, steal valuable water and nutrients from the soil and become hosts to pests and diseases. Now’s the time for an all-out assault on them using a hoe for annuals and small weeds, mulches and planting membranes to keep beds and borders permanently weed free and weedkillers to stop even the most persistent weeds taking over. Use a weedkiller based on glyphosate for persistent, deep-rooted perennials. Plant buying tips If you have colour gaps in your beds, borders and containers now is a good time to plug them. Treat you and your garden to an eye-catching tree or specimen plant like a tree fern, Fatsia Japonica, Phormium or grasses. Or if your garden is looking a bit flat put up an arch, pergola or trellis and cover it with colourful climbers. Look out for our instant colour suggestions from our wide range of shrubs, herbaceous plants and seasonal bedding. And if your patio is looking tired or colourless pop insome large container plants for instant impact.

in association with

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Local Sports News

Local Judo club triumps in Germany United Judo shared huge success on a recent trip to Berlin, where they had entered a club team event.

For further information on our club, please go to www.unitedjudo.com or contact Sean Seal on 07979 522 067

The team was made up of seven players aged between 6 – 13. They went on to beat their opponents, winning 6 out of a possible 7 fights. Head Coach Dave Quinn said ”I couldn’t believe how well our players performed. They all stepped onto the mat and gave it their all. I am so very proud of them all”. United Judo, which formed only 3 years ago now have clubs at Dartford, Bexleyheath and Gravesend. Within this time they have had some great results not only in the UK but around Europe as well, including Spain, Ireland and Germany. The Club takes children of all abilities to experience the chance to compete both in the UK and abroad.

Dartford Invicta Bowls Club Have you ever thought of trying bowls? Why not join our club and have fun with members of a friendly, sociable club? We invite you to learn a new sport and come to our practice sessions at 6pm on Tuesdays. Just turn up and bring flat soled shoes to wear on the Green, bowls provided. Experienced bowlers are also very welcome. The Green is in Burnham Road and the car park is behind at DA1 5BF. Ring 01322 407088 for more information. Ask for Brian Abbett

The Entertainers are coming!

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Sunday August 23rd 2015 - Plays starts 3pm

Tennis Tots is the UK’s leading tennis play and coaching programme for boys and girls aged 2-6 years

To book a free taster contact Tennis Tots North West Kent Call 07796 943798 email northwestkent@ tennis-tots.co.uk

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Bav’s Sporting Comment Formula 1 is changing. The sport’s bosses are in the process of creating new rules aimed at ensuring the cars that race in 2017 will be the fastest ever. The motivation for this has been concerns that F1 is losing its appeal, a belief created by falling television figures last year in some important markets, such as Germany and Italy. The result for F1 is going to be a very different sport in 2017, when most of the changes will come into force. So what changes may be on the horizon? · Faster cars: in races, the cars are as much as 10 seconds a lap slower than those of a decade ago. Partly this is to do with the fact that there is no refuelling, so cars are much heavier at the start of races. The rest of the reason is to do with tyres. In 2017, cars will be widened, rear tyre widths will be increased, front and rear wings made bigger, increased downforce generated beneath the car, overall weight will be reduced, driver aids will be removed. · Tyres: the option is create a tyre that allows an F1 driver to run flat out all the time, no matter what. This Interested in advertising? Tel: 01322 507817

is technically possible, and the cars would undoubtedly be much quicker, to the tune of three seconds a lap just from the tyres. However, there would also be far fewer pit stops. And pit stops are regarded by many senior figures as crucial to the show. FA Trophy 1st Round 13th Dec, 3.00pm (TBC)

Upcoming events in July include:

4: Copa America final, Santiago 4-26: Cycling - Tour de France 5: F1 - British Grand Prix, Silverstone Braintree 5: Football - Women’s World Cup final,26thVancouver Dec, TBCpm 8-12: Cricket - start of the Ashes - England v Australia first Test, Cardiff 16-19: Golf - Open, St Andrews 24-25: Athletics - Diamond League, London 25: Horse racing - King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes, Ascot 25-2 Aug: Special Olympics World Games, Los Angeles 26: F1 - Hungarian Grand Prix, Budapest 28-1 Aug: Horse racing - Glorious Goodwood

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Dartford Living 43

Orchard’s a great theatre. I live in Kent too, so it makes a change to be local even if it is just for one night. interview by Liz Dyer Popular comedian Joe Pasquale’s been busy appearing as King Arthur in the touring production of Spamalot since the end of January. And this summer, he’s back on the road with his Summer Tour, which comes to the Orchard Theatre on July 31st and continues around the country throughout August. Talking to me from a rainy Glasgow, Joe took some time out to talk about his plans for the tour and what we can expect from the show. When do you finish in Spamalot? I finish at the end of June, so I’ve only got a couple of weeks off to prepare for the tour. There’s lots to do; everybody thinks something like this just happens, but it doesn’t. You have to prepare, get stuff ready, get the dates together, hotel, vehicle, props, sound… People think you just turn up and do it, but it’s not like that at all. How long does it take to put a tour like this together? It’s one of those things that you prepare over a few months beforehand, but it’s also quite organic on the night. I have a rough idea, but I’ve been doing this for 30 years now - it’s not a science, I just go out on the night and have a laugh. I don’t take it too seriously. Can you give us a preview of what we can expect from the show? There’ll be a bit of everything, really: I do a bit of magic, comedy, jokes, painting, I even do some mind-reading! I use a lot of audience participation, so the material really depends on who you get up and how they respond, which changes on a nightly basis and makes each show different. I just go out and muck about and see what happens. We’ve also got a warm-up act from Paul Burling, who was a finalist on Britain’s Got Talent a few years ago, so he should get the show off to a great start. It sounds like a lot of fun. It is, and I think that’s the way it should be. I’ve never looked at what I do as a job; the most important thing is that I want it to be fun for me and the audience. And I get to come to Dartford! I love it there, the

What’s it like being on the road all the time? It’s okay, I’ve done it for a long time now so I’m used to it. It’s just a case of living out of a suitcase. People think it must be so glamorous but it’s not; you spend most of your time in the car and sleeping in a Travelodge. The hardest thing is finding something decent to eat, because you don’t have the time to go to a restaurant. You have to get from A to B, get everything set up at the venue, do the show, then break it all down and head back to the hotel - then get up in the morning and move on to the next town. So the easiest part of the day is the show. Did you always intend to come back to the stand-up? I never really went away from it; I just haven’t done it for the past year, because I’ve been doing Spamalot. This is my third stint in that show, and I’ve always gone back to the stand-up or other plays in between. But I think I’m at that age now where you’re happy to diversify and do all sorts of things: stand-up, voiceover, play, musical, anything as long as it’s fun. Any plans for after the tour? I don’t think you can have a plan in this business any more, because you never know what’s around the corner. As long as I don’t have to get up in the morning and do a proper job, that’s what I like about it! The tour is 25 dates in July and August, then I’m doing panto in Southampton this Christmas, playing Wishee Washee in Aladdin. I do panto every year; I did Dartford five or six years ago, I think. Panto’s always a lot of fun, and if it wasn’t, I wouldn’t do it. Life’s too short to get bogged down with stuff you’re not going to enjoy, especially in this business. If you could sum up the tour for us in one sentence, what would you say? Just this: you only have to turn on the telly or open the papers to see that there’s so much bad stuff in the world; at least this way you can forget about it for a couple of hours.

www.joepasquale.com

Ticket Office

01322 220000

Competition

or www.orchardtheatre.co.uk

HORRIBLE HISTORIES - GROOVY GREEKS 23RD - 26TH JULY 2015

We all want to meet people from history. The trouble is, everyone is dead! So it’s time to prepare yourselves for Horrible Histories live on stage! Using actors and 3D special effects, the premiere of Groovy Greeks is guaranteed to thrill you and your children. Historical figures and events will come alive on stage and hover at your fingertips! From savage Sparta to angry Athens, discover the truth about growing up in Greece. Take on the Trojans and pummel the Persians! Compete in the first ever Olympic Games and appear in the very first play! Meet your match with the monstrous Minotaur and be zapped by Zeus! Hold on tight as you gatecrash the gruesome and Groovy Greeks! Dartford Living and The Orchard have teamed up to offer 2 ticket to the show. To be in with a chance of winning this fantastic prize just answer the following question...

Which of the following is not a Greek God? A) Zeus B) Aphrodite C) Stelios D) Poseidon Please send your entries to Orchard Theatre Competition, Dartford Living, PO Box 283, Dartford, Kent, DA1 9BW or email comp@dartfordliving.com by the 15th July - RULES: 1. The winner(s) will be the first correct entry/entries drawn. 2. The judge’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into. 3. Prizes are as stated and no cash in lieu or an alternative prize will be offered. 4. Proof of posting will not be regarded as proof of delivery. 5. Winners will be notified by telephone by the Orchard, within 5 working days of the competition being drawn. 6. Employees and the immediate families of participating companies are ineligible to enter. 7. Closing date for the competition is stated above. MAY’S COMPETITION WINNER: DIANE MURPHY

TripAdvisor Awards The Orchard Theatre 2015 Certificate of Excellence The Orchard Theatre is delighted to have been awarded TripAdvisor 2015 Certificate of Excellence. This achievement comes as a direct result of consistently great reviews from TripAdvisor reviewers coming to The Orchard Theatre, The Certificate of Excellence Award is given to outstanding (hospitality) businesses that have received praise and recognition in reviews on TripAdvisor. The Orchard Theatre located in the heart of Dartford town centre hosts around 350 shows per year and has today established itself as one of the South East’s premier venues. The programme encompasses big West End musicals, plays, comedy and an annual pantomime attracting a bigname cast. The Theatre is building a reputation for launching new productions prior to national tours or West End 36

The Orchard Theatre’s Restaurant provides a range of delicious, unique and memorable dishes, using the freshest local produce and prepared daily by the Head Chef. Perfect for an intimate gathering of family and friends with canapés and champagne or up to 250 guests sitting down for a silver-service dinner in the main auditorium. The theatre offers a wealth of options and tailored menus for all occasions. To book tickets or for more information visit orchardtheatre.co.uk or call the Ticket Office on 01322 220000.

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DARTFORD LOCKSMITH • All Locks Opened, Repaired or Replaced • UPVC, Timber or Metal Door Locks • Insurance Upgrades to BS3621 • Residential & Commercial • Local Rates For Local People

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SUDOKU Solution

Grid n°2147458345 medium

9 5 1 2 3 6 8 7 4

4 6 2 8 1 7 9 3 5

8 3 7 4 5 9 6 1 2

3 8 4 7 2 1 5 9 6

2 7 5 6 9 8 1 4 3

1 9 6 3 4 5 7 2 8

7 4 8 1 6 2 3 5 9

5 1 3 9 8 4 2 6 7

6 2 9 5 7 3 4 8 1

Kick off times & further information can be found at www.dartfordfc.co.uk

£ 12 adults £6 concessions £ 2 children

CLAREMONT DECORATIVE SERVICES • ALL TYPES OF INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL DECORATING • AROUND THE HOUSE MAINTENANCE JOBS • FREE ESTIMATES • REFERENCES AVAILABLE • RELIABLE, INEXPENSIVE AND QUALITY WORK BY LOCAL TRADESMEN

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Please call Mike or John on: Tel 01322 406439 / 01322 525708 Mobile: 07742 085333 Email: mikeperry5001@aol.com Partners: Mike Perry and John Petherick

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Who is TOMCAT? TOMCAT is the code-name for this member of the UK Special Forces, who although retired from the corps, is still active in the world of security and anti-terrorism, in view of this he has to remain anonymous. His story is completely true, as told to his biographer and starts with his early years as a young boy living in Dartford to set the scene and progress through various career moves, until he becomes one of Her Majesty’s Royal Marine Commandos. His postings have seen him travelling to many war-torn countries, from the Far East to three tours of Northern Ireland, plus a wide variety of other countries, some missions very covert. He has the gift of laughter and has had many humorous adventures, eventually passing selection for the SBS (Special Boat Service), which is the more discreet relative of the SAS and taking part in heroic and dangerous operations. His life story contains a wealth of accurate detail regarding his specialized on-going training, without divulging any intimate secrets of tactics, procedures or techniques used. Other books on the subject do not cover these details.

“TOMCAT is the kind of man that all little boys dream of becoming. Although he does not take kindly to officious authority, his sense of duty to the Marine Corps, The Queen and his Country is phenomenal. The job comes first always and his ‘military family’ - The Royal Marines Commandos and the Special Boat Service are everything to him. TOMCAT is a Superior man and this is a Superior read; it would make a fabulous movie.” Andrew Roberts. Historian, Author and Journalist.

RRP £19.99 available from Amazon http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/187433921X