MMM Magazine July '16

Issue 54, July 2016 Complimentary

Kent’s Leading Lifestyle magazine

ART IN YOUR

GARDEN

Topiary

Whitstable

OYSTER FESTIVAL

HOT TUBS &

Swimming POOLS

WIN

An AFTERNOON TEA for two with a glass of

Prosecco

EXERCISE ON

THE BEACH

Fitness

KATE WINSLET

&

THE EPITOME OF GLITZ AND GLAMOUR

Kent EVENTS

TRAVEL GADGETS RECIPES

AND MUCH, MUCH MORE

All items available from House of Fraser

ser

All items available from Debenhams

Welcome

F

inally summer has arrived and there is nothing more exhilarating, surely, than the prospect of warm weather to revel in.

Certainly after the wet start to the year so far, the prospect of sun-soaked days is mouthwatering.

So the big question is just how best to enjoy to the full – and that’s where this month’s edition of mmm comes in.

We’ve got a 10 page events section inside packed full of fabulous things to do, places to see, and perhaps most importantly, how to create memories which will last a life time. mmm is no stranger to highlighting the biggest and best events – our Best Attractions guide we published earlier this year was a huge success, and we’re already working on producing the next one for later this year. (If you think you should be featured, don’t hesitate to give us a call to discuss).

Of course, Kent has plenty of things to experience, from the annual delights of the Kent County Show to the Whitstable Oyster Festival, the Leeds Castle Classical Concert to Bryan Adams rocking out in Canterbury, there really is something for everyone.

There’s plenty happening nearby too.

Last month we had the splendour of Royal Ascot, and the Goodwood Festival of Speed was its normal intoxicating blend of glamour and high octane excitement.

Talking of glamour, inside this edition we’ve got special profiles on English rose Kate Winslet and the wonderful James McAvoy. Both fascinating characters. Did you know Kate’s relatives came from Kent? Or that James filmed in the county recently? Turn inside to find out more.

So whatever you’re doing this summer, make sure you have your copy of mmm nearby. From highlighting some great events to providing you with perfect reading for the garden or the beach, we’re your essential resource for the summer of 2016.

Plus, of course, we have all our normal features ranging from fashion to eating out to local history.

Enjoy this edition and we look forward to seeing you again next month.

See you soon!

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mmm MMM Media Ltd GHL House 1st Floor 12-14 Albion Place Maidstone Kent ME14 5DZ Tel: 01622 299035 sales@mmm-media.com www.mmm-media.com

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Publisher Rasa Dregva Editorial Tom White Robin J Brooks Tricia Lester Sarah Vince Design Matthew Jones Sales Sue Houghton sue.houghton@mmm-media.com Jessica Kaur jessica.kaur@mmm-media.com Faye Brown faye.brown@mmm-media.com Further Contribution Tracy Jones

All rights reserved. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher. The publisher cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior written consent from the publisher. © MMM Media Ltd 2016

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KATE WINSLET The epitome of glitz and glamour

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SUMMER BBq Diet tips

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BEAUTY Top tips to looking younger

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PROPERTY More than just an estate agent

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BALDWINS TRAVEL GROUP Explore cultural gems

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MOTORS The all-new Renault Grand Scénic

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FITNESS Exercise on the beach

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GADGETS & GIzMOS Cutting-edge technology

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FOOD Recipes galore

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FRUITS AND VEGETABLES Ripe for July

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NATIONAL TRUST It’s showtime!

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JAMES MCAVOY A man for all seasons

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HOME INTERIORS Accessories to inspire

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HOT TUBS & SWIMMING POOLS Enhance your lifestyle

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TOPIARY Art in your garden

100

WHITSTABLE OYSTER FESTIVAL Three headline shows at The Shuck

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HISTORY Sevenoaks Vine, Robin J Brooks looks back at the home of cricket

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LOCAL NEWS Kent business news

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EVENTS Highlighting family fun and celebrations throughout Kent

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HOROSCOPES July predictions by Ali Janes

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© 2007 Dreamworks, LLC.

KATE WINSLET and that sinking feeling WE TAKE A LOOK AT THE REMARKABLE CAREER OF THE 40-YEAR-OLD AND HER RISE FROM MODEST BEGINNINGS TO THE GLITZ AND GLAMOUR OF HOLLYWOOD

G

iven the long association with shipbuilding in the Medway and Sheppey areas, there is something rather fitting that were you to trace back the history of a woman forever associated with her role in the box office hit Titanic, it would lead you here.

Because it was in Sheerness that, were you to delve into the family tree of the multi award-winning actress Kate Winslet, you would find her family living in the mid 19th century.

A few generations later, and the family had moved to Reading, Berkshire and in 1975 welcomed little Kate into the world.

And from modest beginnings she would go on to become one of the world’s most acclaimed actresses,

most notably James Cameron’s awe-inspiring classic.

She’s won Oscars and the adulation of millions.

Now, 40, she’s been married three times and has three children.

But she admits those early years in Reading were something of struggle – a million miles away from the luxurious lifestyle her movie success has now elevated her into.

Raised in a three-bedroom terraced house, she describes it as “very much a working-class upbringing”.

“People don’t believe that,” she says, “they think I’m lying because I speak nice.

“We had these dreadful second-hand cars that would always die a death; it was hand-me-down shoes and 10p pocket money that didn’t go up until I was 11.”a CELEBRITY STORY

© Mildred Pierce SM under license from Home Box Office, Inc

12 mmm

© 2014 Summit Entertainment LLC. All Rights Reserved CELEBRITY STORY

Continued from page 11

But, as her accent suggests, love of performance runs deep. She explains: “I’m from a gaggle of people who do turns at the open mike, or sing along with pub pianists.

“We went on big holidays with other families, all dogs and harmonicas and barbecues on the beach, and if anyone said, ‘Look at that sea!’, even if there were no towels and it was blowing a bloody gale, everyone would go in. That was the sort of childhood I had.”

Her mother and father both had theatrical backgrounds.

Her mother, Sally Anne, had seen her parents set up a theatre group in Reading; her father, Roger, trained as an actor and worked on and off over the years, before touring with a rock group.

Despite the apparent money issues, Kate was still sent to a private theatre school in Maidenhead and it was at the age of 11 she started developing her love of acting.

Just a year later, she had appeared in a TV advertisement for cereal brand Sugar Puffs. A modest start, but impressive for such tender years. During her teenage years she would perform in a number of theatre productions.

However, Kate has mentioned on a number of occasions being bullied about her weight – even claiming on one occasion a teacher at a theatre class told her she might make a career if she settled for “fat girl roles”.

“I was teased and bullied for being chubby. Some even called me ‘Blubber’.”

Shortly after Titanic became such an enormous smash, she spotted one of her former tormentors.

“She was working on a beauty counter in a department store,” she explained, “I went up to her and said ‘I want to thank you for being such a bitch because it made me a lot stronger.”a

14 mmm © 2015 Lionsgate Home Entertainment UK

© 2011. Home Box Office, inc.

All Rights Reserved Continued from page 12

Her first TV appearance was in the BBC kids’ sci-fi show Dark Season. That was followed by a number of smaller roles, including one in the long-running medical drama Casualty.

Her big break came in 1992 in Peter Jackson’s Heavenly Creatures, in which she sang too. It won her plenty of plaudits and led to a role in Sense and Sensibility alongside the likes of Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman and Hugh Grant. Her star was beginning to shine.

But it was in 1996 when she was catapulted into the stratosphere.

Beating off the likes of Homeland’s Claire Danes and Gwyneth Paltrow, she landed the main female role opposite Leonardo DiCaprio. The on-screen chemistry, love story, special effects and lavish retelling of the doomed journey captured the world’s attention. It was an enormous hit at the box office and remains a classic.

She and DiCaprio have remained close ever since – even appearing together again in the critically acclaimed Revolutionary Road in 2008 – and keep in contact.

“People are always so excited to see Leo and myself in the same space,” she says, “which is so lovely isn’t it? It’s been 20 years and people still get such a kick out of it. It’s really quite endearing and we do love that.”a CELEBRITY STORY

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Continued from page 14

Since then she’s been nominated for six Academy Awards – for roles in the likes of Iris, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Steve Jobs and Little Children. In 2009 she won best actress for The Reader. Add to that, her mantelpiece is weighed down by Emmys, Baftas and Golden Globes.

And they show no sign of slowing.

Off-screen, her personal life has not always been a runaway success.

In 1991, she met co-star Stephen Tredre and the pair fell in love. They were together for six years but he ended the relationship in the spring of 1997 as he fought bone cancer. He said he did not want her to watch him die. He passed away in the December – just as Titanic was opening around the world.

“Stephen let me go,” she reflects, “and that as an act of love from one human being to another was overwhelming. When I look back, I wish he hadn’t. I wish I had just been there. To the bitter end. He was gone very quickly and I still go over those moments in my head.”

A year later she had fallen for, and married, director Jim Threapleton who she had met while filming Hideous Kinky.

Two years later she gave birth to their daughter Mia. A year later the couple were divorced.

She started dating director Sam Mendes and two years later they too tied the knot. They had a child within the year but after their 2003 wedding, they separated seven years later and divorced in 2011.

That year she met the nephew of Virgin boss Richard Branson – the amusingly named Ned Rocknroll (he was formerly Smith but changed his name) – and the couple married in 2012. A year later they had a child too. All her children live with her.

It may be a slightly complicated private life, but Kate Winslet is a no-questions-asked global superstar and there appears no end in sight of her on-going success story. mmm

CELEBRITY STORY

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“

People are always so excited to see Leo and myself in the same space.... which is so lovely isn’t it? It’s been 20 years and people still get such a kick out of it.

It’s really quite endearing and we do love that.

”

CELEBRITY STORY

PERFECT partywear Chain metal watch £225.00 Larsson & Jennings

Lily classic shoulder bag £695.00 Mulberry

Paget TTD bicolour dress £699.00 Roland Mouret Lemon pencil dress £1,300 Dolce & Gabbana

Kerry mini pavé 33mm watch £259.00 Michael Kors

Lace-up midi dress £1,645 Balmain Calabria contrast pointed court £495.00 Gianvito Rossi Maison Padlock python sandal £870.00 TOM FORD

Candy palm leaf clutch £550.00 Jimmy Choo Metallic knit fluted hem dress £999.00 St. John

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Aviator Light Ray II £188.00 Ray Bans

SUMMER Star Outdoorsman II Rainbow £178.00 Ray Bans

Swimwear available at House of Fraser

Cats 5000 Classic £131.00 Ray Bans

Erika Colour Mix £98.00 Ray Bans

Cockpit Flash £143.00 Ray Bans

Aviator Carbon Fibre £206.00 Ray Bans

Erika Classic £98.00 Ray Bans

Tropical swimsuit £35.00 Marks and Spencer

Bikini top £18.00 Bikini briefs £14.00 Next

Marine blue control swimsuit £30.00 M&Co

Butterfly by Matthew Williamson embellished Aztec bikini £28.00 Debenhams

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EXCLUSIVELY at The Retreat, Maidstone

www.theretreat.uk.com 01622 664866

Embroidered horse polo shirt £245.00 Ralph Lauren

Metal logo polo shirt £160.00 Burberry Brit

Mercerised Fair Isle polo shirt £119.00 BOSS

Dart sweat shorts £225.00 McQ Alexander McQueen

Baltimora chino shorts £255.00 Jacob Cohen

WARDROBE essentials for men

Sigma rubber watch £399.00 Emporio Armani

Logo buckle python belt £575.00 Philipp Plein

Classic suede espadrilles £270.00 TOM FORD

Rockstud leather belt £280.00 Valentino

Denim espadrilles £295.00 Dolce & Gabbana

Edifice Red Bull twin sensor watch £350.00 G-Shock

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DELIGHTFUL DANUBE

Explore some fascinating cities

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DISCOVER A WATERWAY STEEPED IN CULTURAL HERITAGE

lowing through the heart of some of Europe’s most beguiling nations, the River Danube flings open the doors to intriguing history, fascinating traditions and take-your-breath away scenery. Spanning 10 countries, a journey on this much-revered river is one of joyful endless exploration.

Along its beautiful banks, charming villages rub shoulders with rolling vineyards and vibrant cities.

Stories of the past spill from Baroque buildings and fairy tale castles while a famous musical heritage creates the perfect soundtrack.

A pivotal point of east meets west, the Danube unites Europe from the storybook scenery of Germany’s Black Forest to the picturesque wilds of the Danube Delta in Romania. The tale of Iron Curtain separation unfolds with the river as Austria rolls into Hungary and communist-era architecture sprinkles the horizon.

BUDAPEST

Straddling the River Danube in northern Hungary, Budapest is often cited as one of Europe’s most beautiful cities, not to mention one of its largest by area. Where once two metropolises existed on opposing banks of the Danube, Buda and Pest merged in the 19th century to form a rambling urban district whose fascinating culture is bisected by the great river.

From the Buda Hills of the west to the Great Plain of the east, Budapest’s cityscape is one of immense variety and intrigue. Traverse one of the city’s seven historic bridges, and it’s easy to discern the cultural variances between the two banks. Where Buda is a melange of steep streets, ancient structures and green spaces, Pest is the urban heart of the city, home to the Opera, the Central Market Hall, the National Theatre, the Palace of the Arts and the Hungarian Parliament building.

TRAVEL ASPECT

VIENNA

Marrying architectural opulence with an unfathomable depth of history, Vienna is heralded as one of Europe’s foremost cultural gems — and for good reason. Nestled amid exquisite scenery on the banks of the Danube, the city is as beautiful to look at as it is fascinating to explore. Much of Vienna has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site on account of its myriad of important sites, and is regarded as the City of Music thanks to its fabled musical legacy.

‘Infinite’ doesn’t do justice to the wealth of things to see and do on Vienna’s cultural map. Blending the ancient with the new, the Austrian capital boasts an unremitting menu of galleries, monuments and architectural treasures, not to mention enough chic cafes, bars and shops to keep even the most ardent sightseer roused. a

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TRAVEL ASPECT

Continued from page 28

BUCHAREST

Positioned on the banks of the Dâmbovita River, roughly 40 miles north of the Danube River; Romania’s vibrant capital, Bucharest, is typified by its elegant architecture, divine culture and the diverse art scene.

Having earned the nickname of Little Paris; Bucharest has long attracted visitors with an artistic bent, seeking out inspiration in the beautiful boulevards winding between the neo-classical, Bauhaus and art deco buildings.

Communist-era displays of strength and unity sit alongside neo-classical landmarks, creating an incredible hotbed of architecture.

A stroll through Bucharest introduces some jawdropping sights and settings as you turn every corner, with every street dotted with charming shops, bars and restaurants.

Bucharest’s origins are incredibly humble, with legend suggesting it was founded for the mysterious Bucur – who was a prince, an outlaw, a fisherman, a shepherd or a hunter, depending on who’s account you believe.

And the city really grew in terms of population, culture and significance in the years which followed WWI, with 30,000 new residents moving to Bucharest every year.

This was when Bucharest earned the nickname of Little Paris, as the city’s artistic output increased dramatically.

TRAVEL ASPECT

GETTING THERE

Served by flights from a choice of regional airports, a Danube river cruise unlocks multiple discoveries in one seamless journey. Here more than on many other rivers, a wealth of cultural gems wait to be uncovered – from the classical concerts of Vienna, to the wealthy merchant houses of medieval Regensburg.

SAMPLE ITINERARIES

A leisurely Iconic Danube itinerary sails on just a handful of 2017 March-May dates and includes visits to Passau, Linz, Melk, Dürnstein, Vienna, Bratislava and Budapest. Eight days in a luxurious Standard Suite starts from just £1,495 per person.

New for 2017, a nine-day Eastern Enlightenment itinerary takes in Belgrade, the dramatic Iron Gate, Svistov, Russe, Silistra, Tulcea, Saint George, the Danube Delta, Braila and Bucharest. Standard Suite accommodation starts from just £1,895 per person.

All 2017 Scenic cruises currently include guaranteed savings of £1,500 per couple, plus book by 1st August and enjoy a further £100 per booking discount.

For further information or to make a booking, please contact Baldwins Travel Group or call: 01622 762141 www.baldwinstravel.co.uk #HolidayInspirations mmm

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TRAVEL ASPECT

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TRAVEL ASPECT

CHRISTMAS MARKETS With ms Serenity

T

he ms Serenity was purposely built in 2006 to offer 4 star accommodation with the service to match. From her distinct claret and cream colours on the outside, to the polished interiors and exquisite meals – there’s an air about this ship that exudes style and yet the atmosphere is warm and friendly. Through the 2016 festive season you can join her in a multitude of welcoming European destinations to really get into the spirit of Christmas.

Everything on board the ms Serenity will certainly impress – the crew especially. Whether they’re pouring your favourite drink, tidying your cabin or joining in the on-board activities – the passion they have for their job is inspiring and they go out of their way to make sure you have an amazing time. A typical day starts with a hearty breakfast buffet; setting you up for a day of sightseeing. Lunch and dinner are a four course menu

served to your table and each evening everyone comes together for the entertainment. After such a busy day you can return to the comfort of your cabin and take a look at the daily programme for tomorrow’s events. It’s an experience you will treasure forever.

CHRISTMAS MARKETS EXTRAVAGANZA

Visit some of the best yuletide destinations across Belgium where you will find unique gifts for all the family, plus - join in on an excursion to the Dutch town of Valkenburg which hosts a fabulous market in the ancient caves that run beneath the town centre. Your accommodation is never further away than the riverside, so when the shopping is complete you can pause to enjoy the sights and sounds of Christmas. mmm TRAVEL ASPECT

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RIVIERA TRAVEL

enjoy a river cruise experience

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tunning scenery, waterfront life, enchanting riverside ports, elegant towns and grand cities – there’s so much to enjoy on a river cruise.

Everything comes effortlessly to you as you glide serenely by, with no risk of sea-sickness or rough water. Whatever part of Europe or the wider world you want to discover, Riviera Travel’s superb ships – are amongst the very finest in the world – and they are waiting to take you there.

Highly recommended is our Rhine Cruise to Switzerland. On your journey through the Rhine valley, you’ll visit historic Koblenz where there is time to explore the old town at the confluence of both the Rhine and Moselle rivers. Next, continue your navigation through the dramatic Rhine Gorge where the sheer valley walls tower 400m overhead before floating on to Rüdesheim, where you’ll enjoy another delightful evening complemented with an excellent dinner on board.

As the Rhine widens and the landscape becomes less rugged, our cruise continues south, stopping in fascinating Rüdesheim before taking in medieval Speyer with its stunning Romanesque Basilica that dominates this pretty town. Next day we will arrive in France at the city of Strasbourg where you can enjoy a walking tour of the old town. Continuing on, we drive through the typical rolling tree-clad massif of the Black Forest into the charming town of Titisee, nestling on the shores of its namesake lake.

TRAVEL ASPECT

Our final destination is Switzerland where we moor in Basel. We have included an amazing tour to magnificent Lucerne, Switzerland’s most attractive city before arriving in the dramatic Bernese Oberland and some of the world’s finest alpine scenery. See the magnificent Eiger and enjoy a stroll round Interlaken, nestled between two crystal clear lakes and situated in the shadow of the Jungfrau. A just and fitting finale, to a most relaxing and enjoyable river cruise experience. mmm

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TRAVEL ASPECT

EXERCISE on the beach TIPS FOR THOSE WHO PLAN TO GET FIT AND LEAN BY THE SHORELINE

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or runners, not all beaches are created equal, there are a few big factors that could make certain spots a complete failure for running on. Length - a cliff, a river mouth and so many other things can shorten the length of a beach and turn your anticipated run/jog into a giant disappointment. Make sure you try and locate a beach that has at least a mile of uninterrupted shoreline.

Slant - there are some beaches that are unsuitable because they are cambered, or crowned. Depending on how cambered the beach is, this could cause you to run on a slanted surface for a long period and can ultimately lead to an injury, the flatter the surface the better.

Surface - For the barefoot crowd, some beaches are littered with rocks and broken sea shells that can be very painful to run on. Make sure to take your shoes with you just in case.

Depending on the tide cycle, you may have a number of surfaces to choose from. The soft sand is the surface that’s completely dry. It has a lot of give, which makes running on it difficult, hence why it takes 1.6 times more energy than on pavement.

The wet sand, or packed sand is what’s left behind as the tide recedes. It is much more firm than soft sand, if you are new to beach running make sure you go to the wet sand. If you want to do a soft sand run, get ready for a great workout. If it’s true resistance work then soft sand is more suitable, but if you prefer to just go out and go on a enjoyable run, you’d rather have a nice level sturdy surface to run on.

FITNESS TIPS

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Want to look better in your bikini without leaving the beach to hit the gym? Here is a list of exercises for you to try out....

THE BEACH CRAWL

How to do it: On soft, dry sand, lower into a plank position. Then crawl forward on your hands and feet for 30 to 60 seconds.

Why it works: The slippery sand destabilizes your hands and feet, activating your hamstrings and glutes. Try it sideways or backward for an extra challenge.

10-20 DRILL

How to do it: On a stretch of soft, dry sand near the water, take 10 quick running steps, followed by 20 slower running steps. Then jog back to the starting point on the hard, wet portion of the sand right along the water. Repeat two to three times.

Why it works: This simple sounding drill activates your inner abdominal wall and works your feet, ankles, hamstrings, and glutes to steady each step and keep your body upright on soft sand. Go further away from the water, where the sand is harder to walk on, to challenge yourself even more.

RUN, RUN, SKIP

To get the most wet sand to run on or the most area to run on, if your beach is narrow, make sure to go at a low tide, or at least when the tide is receding, tide charts are very easy to find on the internet. If you head out during high tide or when the tide is rising, you won’t have any wet sand to run on, or at some spots, you may not have any beach at all.

The wet sand is sturdy enough that you can run with shoes or trainers and not worry about sinking in, but of course the sand will be a soft enough surface to make barefoot running possible.

If you choose to go without shoes and trainers, do so with caution, as your feet are used to the support and at the end of even a very short run across the beach you may notice that your ankles, achilles and the top of your feet are exhausted or in pain. You are going to have to deal with the problem of running without an elevated heel, which can be a relevant issue. a

How to do it: On a stretch of soft, dry sand near the water, take two running steps then one skipping step. Repeat for 30 to 60 seconds, then beach crawl or jog back to the starting point on the hard, wet sand along the water. Repeat two to four times.

Why it works: Because your feet sink into the sand, it’s harder to leap up off it. And since your legs follow your arms, you’ll naturally exaggerate the movements of your arms to get your feet off the ground on every skip. The result?

Your shoulders and arms get a workout while you strengthen the front and back of your legs.

Raise your knees even higher or lengthen your strides to make it even harder.

FITNESS TIPS

Continued from page 37

If you live near the beach, or you’re heading out for a vacation this summer, you may be interested in taking your love of running to the shoreline. Many runners in coastal areas do this to get a change-ofpace workout in one of the most serene places on the planet.

It is important to know that beach running is a workout that will shock your lower legs if they’re used to the pavement. Be sure not to push the intensity of your first time on the sand, make it an enjoyable workout.

Stay in the wet sand and keep the mileage low, slow down a little because going out hard could easily lead to an injury. Find an entry level workout that pretty much minimizes the shock, be sure to do no more than a mile or two or three at the most, at an even pace. That large body of water you’re running next to can act as quite a reflector, you will also realise how many beaches lack trees, this can cause the sun to really beat down on you. One last final piece of advice, if you can’t leave home without your iPod or mp3 player, just try at least on one occasion, listening to the crashing ocean waves which surpass any playlist you may put together, put the earbuds/headphones away and enjoy. mmm

FITNESS TIPS

mmm FOOD

Food - Recipes galore Fruits and Vegetables - ripe for July

Chocolate fudge cake Ingredients 115g margarine 115g sugar 4 eggs 170g self raising flour 55g cocoa powder 8g bicarbonate of soda 2g of salt 90g crème fraîche 5ml vanilla essence Frosting ingredients 225g plain chocolate 225ml crème fraîche 10g caster sugar

Recipe from: Leeds Castle: The Fairfax Hall Restaurant Maidstone, Kent ME17 1PL 01622 765400 enquiries@leeds-castle.co.uk www.leeds-castle.com

DINING GUIDE

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180°C. • Line 2 x 20cm tins with baking parchment.

• Cream the margarine and sugar until light and fluffy.

• Beat the eggs in gradually.

• Sift together the dry ingredients and fold in together with crème fraîche.

• Divide the mixture equally between each tin and bake in the middle of the oven for 25-30 minutes.

• Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes and then turn out to allow to cool completely.

For the frosting • Melt the plain chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water.

• Stir in the crème fraîche and sugar.

• Allow to stand and thicken then use to sandwich and ice the cake.

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Summer berry sauce Ingredients Serves 4 4 duck breasts Salt and pepper 1 onion 1 clove of garlic 1 tablespoon sunflower oil 20ml red wine 10ml balsamic vinegar 1 teaspoon clear honey 100ml beef stock Knob of butter Handful of strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries

Chef’s tip This sauce is also perfect with pork or venison. You can make it 2 days in advance and keep in the fridge. Heat through gently with the berries just before serving.

DINING GUIDE

Method • To make the summer berry sauce, finely chop the onion and crush the garlic. Heat the oil in a small saucepan and gently sauté the onion and garlic until soft.

• Add the red wine and balsamic vinegar and simmer for a few minutes.

• Add the honey and beef stock.

Bring to the boil, then simmer until the sauce is reduced by half.

• Sieve the sauce and stir in the knob of butter.

• Hull and slice the berries and stir them into the smooth sauce.

• Heat gently again for a few minutes to soften the fruit but so they retain their shape. Keep warm.

• To cook the duck breasts: season with salt and pepper on both sides and place them skin side down in a large cold non-stick

pan on a medium heat without oil for 6 to 8 minutes or until golden brown. Pour off the fat regularly and seal the other side for 30 seconds.

• Place them skin side up on a rack in a roasting tin in the middle of a preheated oven 220°c, Fan 200°c, Gas Mark 7 for 10 -15 minutes. When the duck is cooked rest in a warm place for 10 minutes.

• Serve the duck breast cut into thick slices with the summer berry sauce and potatoes of your choice.

Recipe from: Tudor Park Marriott Hotel & Country Club Ashford Road, Bearsted, Maidstone, Kent, ME14 4NQ 01622 734334 @tudorPark www.marriotttudorpark.co.uk

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Method

Summer vegetable paella with saffron and lemon

• Heat two tablespoons of oil in a heavy-bottomed paella pan or large frying pan or flameproof casserole. Add the onion and fry gently on a low heat for ten minutes, stirring now and then. Add the garlic and peppers to the onion and stir for two minutes.

• Add the rice, mushrooms, tomatoes, both types of paprika and saffron. Pour in three quarters of the stock and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

• Keep an eye on the liquid and top up with a little more stock or water as needed. The paella shouldn’t be sloppy at the end so add liquid sparingly during the last ten minutes.

• While the paella is cooking, boil the green beans for three minutes, then refresh them in a bowl of very cold water. If you are using sugar snaps, you can simply throw them in raw towards the end of cooking.

• After 30 minutes of cooking, check the rice is tender and cook a little longer if needed. If there is any excess liquid, turn up the heat and stir to boil it off.

Then cook very gently without stirring, to create a crust on the bottom.

• Stir in the beans and parsley. Turn off the heat and leave to stand for two minutes, then check the seasoning and serve with wedges of lemon.

Recipe from: www.riverford.co.uk/recipes

Ingredients sunflower or light olive oil, for frying 1 onion, finely diced 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped, grated or crushed 1 red pepper, deseeded and cut into 5mm-thick slices 1 yellow pepper, deseeded and cut into 5mm-thick slices 200g calasparra paella rice 100g mushrooms, finely sliced three tomatoes, diced 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika 1/4 teaspoon paprika 2 pinches of saffron threads 1 litre of good vegetable stock 100g green beans or sugar snaps, or a mixture of both good handful of parsley, chopped 1 lemon, cut into wedges salt and pepper DINING GUIDE

48 mmm

The Raja of Kent Biddenden Road, Tenterden TN30 6SX

Tribute Nights Celine Dion

Wed 7th September

The Jersey Boys & Showaddywaddy Wed 12th October

01233 851191

info@therajaofkent.com | www.therajaofkent.com

FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

ripe for July LOW IN CALORIES HIGH IN VITAMINS AND MINERALS

SPINACH

RADISHES

This member of the mustard family has a slight peppery flavour. Radishes can be found in a variety of colours, ranging from red to purple and white to black, and this low-calorie superstar has 20 calories per cup and is brimming with vitamin C, folate and potassium. Munch on them for a snack, or sauté, braise, glaze, or pickle them. And don’t forget about the leaves - they can be added raw to salads or cooked like spinach.

• Radish is one of the nutritious rootvegetables featured in both raw salads as well as in main recipes. This widely used root vegetable belongs to the family of Brassica.

In Chinese culture, radish along with cabbage and soybean curd (tofu) has been believed to be a healthy food.

A popular Chinese proverb goes like this: “eating pungent radish and drinking hot tea, let the starved doctors beg on their knees.”

The vegetable is thought to have originated in mainland China centuries ago and today, it is one of the most widely cultivated crops throughout the world. Botanical name: Raphanus sativus.

This leafy green is an excellent source of fibre, folate, and vitamin K. It’s also brimming with minerals like calcium, iron, and magnesium.

In fact, spinach is one of the best sources of the antioxidant lutein, which helps keeps your eyes and your skin looking great. To get the most nutrition out of your spinach, look for those with vibrant, deep leaves - pass on those that are wilted.

• Bright, vibrant-looking spinach leaves are not only more appealing to the eye but more nourishing as well. Recent research has shown that spinach leaves that look fully alive and vital have greater concentrations of vitamin C than spinach leaves that are pale in colour. The study authors suggest that the greater supply of vitamin C helps protect all of the oxygensensitive phytonutrients in the spinach leaves and makes them look vibrant and alive.

ONIONS

Ideal for flavouring anything from soup to salads, to pasta or meat, onions are a year-round kitchen favourite.

They might make you cry, but onions are actually pretty healthy. The unassuming vegetables are low in calories but surprisingly high in vitamin C and fibre. The oils found in onions can lower LDL cholesterol levels and raise HDL cholesterol.

• Storage tips: Store onions outside the fridge (they can go soft if refrigerated) in a cool, dry place for several months.

• How to eat it: Sautéed white onion spices up a flatbread pizza. a

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Continued from page 49

POTATOES

Potatoes are starchy and high on the glycemic index, but they’re also filling, inexpensive, and boast an impressive nutritional profile including potassium, magnesium, folic acid, vitamin C, and even protein.

Purple potatoes may even help to lower blood pressure and boost antioxidants. While sweet potatoes are considered a healthier choice (since they’re loaded with beta-carotene, vitamins A and C, and fibre), regular old white potatoes are still nutritious as long as you don’t fry them or mash them with lots of butter and cream.

• Storage tips: Store potatoes in a dark, cool, well-ventilated area for about one month. Keep potatoes away from onions and apples. At room temperature, potatoes will keep for one to two weeks.

• How to eat it: Try a healthier take on the classic baked potato bar. Twice-baked potatoes stuffed with kale, broccoli, and cheddar make for a comforting meal.

CABBAGE

This super and healthy, budget friendly vegetable is a close cousin to other cold weather favourites like cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale and broccoli.

Cabbage is full of vitamins and minerals (Vitamins C and K and folate, in particular), fibre, antioxidants, and anti-carcinogenic compounds called glucosinolates. Some studies claim that the spherical vegetable can even reduce cholesterol and lower the risk of cancer and diabetes.

• Storage tips: Tightly wrap individual heads of cabbage in plastic and store in the refrigerator to keep fresh for up to a week.

• How to eat it: Cabbage’s nutritional benefits are most pronounced when raw, so slice up a few leaves to add crunch to salads or stir fries.

RHUBARB

Although technically a vegetable, rhubarb is often used as a fruit and is a good source of vitamin C, potassium, and manganese. Rhubarb stalks (the only part of the plant that should be eaten) are very tart but when sweetened, give rich flavour and texture to sauces and pies. Rhubarb can also be blanched, diced, and added to salsas and salads.

Rhubarb is available in some locations year-round; however, fieldgrown varieties are harvested from April through July.

FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

IT’S SHOWTIME!

with the National Trust ENJOY OUTDOOR ENTERTAINMENT IN THE GLORIOUS SETTING OF AN HISTORIC NATIONAL TRUST LANDSCAPE © all photography by NT David Levenson

Emmetts Garden These informal gardens with wildflower meadows and fine views over the Weald of Kent are the perfect place to enjoy a summer picnic and one of Shakespeare’s best-loved comedies.

Much Ado about Nothing 18th August, 7.30pm (picnics from 6.30pm) Bring a picnic and enjoy an all-male production by The Lord Chamberlain’s Men of this popular fast-paced Shakespeare comedy. Adult £15 Child £8. Booking on 0344 249 1895.

Once upon a time there were four little rabbits…

2nd August, 4.30pm (picnics from 3.30pm) Quantum Theatre are delighted to perform their own adaptation of Beatrix Potter’s timeless stories. This production delivers a magical occasion for all ages. £12 per adult, £7 per child, from £26 for a family.

Booking essential on 0844 249 1895 a NATIONAL TRUST

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Continued from page 52

Smallhythe Place

© NT David Levenson

The former home of the great Victorian actress Ellen Terry hosts a series of outdoor performances in the enchanting gardens.

The Wizard of Oz 16th July, 6pm Join Dorothy and her friends along this magical adventure to Emerald City. Meet the characters and get involved with the show to make sure she gets back home to Kansas. Adult £15 child £8.

The Merry Wives of Windsor 21st July, 7.30pm Come along for the most farcical of all Shakespeare comedies performed against the backdrop of Ellen Terry’s home. Performed on the date of her death in 1928 as a tribute to her talent and legacy.

Adult £15 child £8.

Romeo and Juliet 14th August, 6pm Watch the famous forbidden love affair between two members of feuding families.

Set in fair Verona and performed in a quintessentially English garden, enjoy the evening with Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers.

– Adult £15 child £8.

© NT Stuart Cox

Gulliver’s Travels 29th August, 6pm Whilst on a trip to the South Seas, Lemuel Gulliver is captured by the tiny people of Lilliput. Will he ever break free and return home?

Bring a picnic and enjoy the show in the summer garden. – Adult £15 child £8. © NT Stuart Cox

NATIONAL TRUST

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JAMES MCAVOY man of a hundred faces JAMES MCAVOY IS A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS AND ONE OF THE HOTTEST PROPERTIES RIGHT NOW

I

f there is one thing you can say about James McAvoy, it is that he is not one who suffers typecasting easily.

A quick look at his curriculum vitae reveals an actor who has done everything from playing a telepathic hero, an assassin, a crazed scientist to an aide to Ugandan dictator Idi Amin and, wait for it, a faun and a garden gnome.

Luckily for him, he has been acclaimed in whatever role he has taken on, and so as a consequence has become one of Britain’s most in-demand and celebrated actors.

He has succeeded where many have failed by leaping apparently effortlessly from stage to small screen to big screen and Hollywood.

Three years ago he was in Kent filming his movie Victor Frankenstein in the ever-popular-with-production-crews Chatham Dockyard. He had the title role in a movie which also starred Daniel ‘Harry Potter’ Radcliffe.

CELEBRITY STORY

He’s barely stopped since hitting the big time with roles in the likes of Wanted, alongside Angelina Jolie; the X Men movies as Professor Charles Xavier; the multi award-winning Atonement; The Last King of Scotland; The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe and, in voice only, the animated Gnomeo and Juliet.

He stars in two movies currently in post production – The Coldest City alongside Charlize Theron, and Split, the latest thriller from M Night Shyamalan. And, typically, he’s currently filming the thriller Submergence, due to hit cinemas next year.

It’s certainly been a successful last ten years for a man who only turned 37 earlier this year. And a very long way from his first career ambition.

“I wanted to be a missionary and work abroad,” he explains, “ but girls started to become a bigger part of my life around the time I lost interest in the priesthood.

“What I figured out quite quickly, that my friends didn’t, was you have to talk to women like you’re not

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constantly trying to have sex with them. That seemed to work.”

He may not be quite the classic leading man, but it is almost as a result of his every day good looks that he has become so popular with casting directors.

Born in Glasgow in April 1979, his upbringing was far from stress free.

His parents – Elizabeth, a psychiatric nurse, and James senior, a builder – divorced when he was just seven. His mother’s bad health led to him living with her parents and was raised by them in a terraced council house.

He has had no contact with his father since – despite James Snr’s attempts to cash in on his son’s success in the tabloids.

“My grandparents were always very strict with me, my mother, too,” he recalls. “I know it may sound as if things were quite unstable or whatever, but in fact they weren’t at all. I was very happy as a child, even though I was never let out of the door on my own until I was 16. In a

way I think that stopped me from getting into mischief.

“I was talking to one of my aunts recently and she said she didn’t think it was ever in my nature to go against the grain, that I was always a good boy. I think she was right – I did always want to be good.”

He joined the PACE Youth Theatre and then the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, graduating in 2000.

He’d already landed a role at the tender age of 15 in The Near Room and a couple of other films in between, including TV’s The Bill.

Shortly after graduating he was busy, landing roles in big budget US TV show Band of Brothers, plus the likes of The Inspector Lynley Mysteries and Foyle’s War. But it was in 2004 he got his big break when cast in Channel 4’s comedy drama Shameless. It would be two series in which he made his name and met his future wife – actress Anne-Marie Duff. The pair would marry in 2006 but announced their divorce earlier this year. a CELEBRITY STORY

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© (2016) Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment LLC. All Rights Reserved

“

I do love acting, but maybe there’ll come a time when I’ll think, I can’t be doing this for the rest of my life. I have to be able to come home and be happy with who I am.

CELEBRITY STORY

”

Continued from page 57

And then the big movies started happening.

Cast as Mr Tumnus, the faun, in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, he then played Dr Nicholas Garrigan, the film producer who turned personal physician to Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland. He was lauded for the performance and won a host of award nominations.

And the success kept on coming. By the time X Men came knocking it catapulted him into no questions-asked global stardom.

Yet despite the flood of roles, he admits he still has a soft spot for live theatre – which he still indulges in when his schedule allows him to.

“When you’re in a good stage play there’s nothing like it, as a performer and as an audience member,” he says.

“The times I’ve been lucky enough to be in amongst something truly special in theatre there’s nothing like it. It’s electrifying in a way film can’t be. 

Continued from page 58

“Macbeth is the most physical role I’ve ever played, I broke two fingers, a rib, someone else’s kneecap and got stitches in my eye. It was just a really violent production. But in theatre you have an opportunity to tell a story with not just your whole body but with the whole bodies of everyone that’s on stage at once.”

Yet he admits there may come a time when he may hang up his acting boots.

He explains: “I do love acting, but maybe there’ll come a time when I’ll think, I can’t be doing this for the rest of my life. I have to be able to come home and be happy with who I am.”

Don’t expect it any time soon, though. He’s on too much of a roll right now. mmm

© 2007 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.

© 2006 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All rights reserved.

CELEBRITY STORY

mmm HOMES

AND GARDENS

Summer BBQ - Diet tips for Summer Topiary - Art in your garden Home Interiors - Accessories to inspire Hot Tubs and Swimming Pools - Enhance your lifestyle

Arris desk clock £85.00 Wedgewood

Siena photo frame £29.95 XLBoom

Home Interiors Phalaenopsis artificial plant £72.00 SIA Home Fashion

Accessories to inspire

Glass vase 18cm £75.00 Skandium

Sliver-plated photo frame £95.00 Ralph Lauren Home

Herringbone wool throw £60.00 Tweedmill

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Hedgehog doormat £40.50 Perigot

Louxor crystal vase £640.00 Baccarat

Cells print cushion £49.00 Wrong for Hay

Green eclectic wool cushion £49.00 Hay

Hening kopel Capper clock £127.00 Georg Jensen

Pink eclectic wool cushion £59.00 Hay

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HOT TUBS AND

Swimming pools INVESTMENTS WHICH ENHANCE YOUR LIFESTYLE

A

hot tub may be used for hydrotherapy, relaxation or pleasure.

It is designed to be used for more than one person at a time, typically accommodating four people.

The most essential component when considering the purchase of a hot tub is of course to decide where you locate it. The options are indoors or outdoors and there are both pros and cons in respect of both.

In order to have the hot tub inside your home there must be sufficient space to accommodate one. This being the case, you will not be OUTDOOR HOMES

exposed to the elements of wind, rain, sun and temperature extremes. Also, total privacy is ensured as you do not have to traipse outdoors as you access the hot tub. a

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Whether you choose to have your hot tub indoors or outdoors, it will impact upon all of the other purchasing decisions. There will be costs associated with various specifications that may be required. So, the location is the fundamental element of the decision process.

Wherever you choose to locate your hot tub it is essential that it is right for you.

This purchase is significant and can enhance your lifestyle.

It is an investment in your quality of life.

SWIMMING POOLS

The variety of designs for swimming pools are a reflection of the unique spatial and economic concerns of the consumer.

The most common area to have a swimming pool fitted is usually outdoors. This is generally due to the space required. It is advisable to consider all of the

OUTDOOR HOMES

pros and cons for indoor or outdoor pools. Also, which will be most beneficial in the long term. Influential factors may include family, lifestyle and entertainment.

Indoor pools are particularly desirable as they may be used all year round, given the volatility of the weather.

It is also necessary to bear in mind associated costs including the maintenance and cleaning of the pool, as these are essential requirements.

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Swimming is one of the best low impact exercises which enables you to get a high quality cardiovascular workout while minimising stress on your joints.

The swimming pool can offer the perfect setting for family gatherings and recreation.

Swimming pool accessories are an ideal way to inject fun into your pool and its surrounding area. A diving board can offer hours of endless entertainment with slides and floats as well.

Finally, whatever your decision in terms of an indoor or outdoor pool, ensure that it is the right one for you and enjoy the whole experience. mmm

OUTDOOR HOMES

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TOPIARY Art in your garden

T

CUTTING HEDGE ART TO ENHANCE YOUR GARDEN

opiary is the art of training plants, typically evergreen shrubs and trees, into intricate or stylised shapes and forms. The term may also be used more loosely to describe a number of garden features that rely on the close clipping and shaping of plants.

MAZES AND LABYRINTHS

The Normans introduced pleasure gardens with mazes and labyrinths formed from clipped plants.

A number of private and public gardens still have such features today.

PARTERRES

Typically lavish Italian renaissance gardens would have simple, large, clipped specimens in and among statues. These would then have beautifully ornate clipped box hedges swirling around them in mirrored patterns or geometric designs. This style of hedging is known as a parterre garden. In earlier parterre gardens, the gaps in the patterns would be left open and the ground would be covered with ornamental gravel to produce a crisp clean effect. As time went on the styles became more and more elaborate and other plants were added to give extra colour and interest.

KNOT GARDENS

Topiary gardens became very popular in Great Britain during the reign of the Tudors and Stuarts. During this period knot gardens and clipped ornate shapes were introduced to gardens up and down the country. The knot garden was formed from different coloured box planted in crisscrossing patterns so, that it appeared that the ribbons of hedges had been tied up in knots. Highlyscented herbs were also used as hedging plants and planted in and among the gaps to give a tapestry of colour.

HOW TO MAINTAIN EXISTING TOPIARY

Existing specimens should be trimmed once or twice a year to maintain their shape; vigorous species may require more.

Growmore can be applied once a year in the spring if desired, to help maintain the plants vigour and appearance. Mulch with bark or organic matter if the plant is not surrounded by ornamental gravel.

STARTING YOUR OWN TOPIARY

Decide upon the shape you wish to create.

Balls, pyramids and cubes are a few of the easiest shapes to start with. a TOPIARY SECTION

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Choose which plant you would like and whether it is to be grown in the ground or in a pot and then plant it.

To encourage strong healthy growth apply an annual dressing of Growmore and a mulch of organic matter in the spring.

For standard specimens (e.g. lollipops), select one upright shoot to act as your main stem, tie this to a cane or stake and remove all others. Gradually clear the lower part of the stem of shoots and foliage, continuing until the desired height of main stem is reached (which could take several years).

Begin clipping it into shape.

You could do this by eye or make a template or a wooden frame to ensure the shape is clipped uniformly.

As the plant matures, it will bush out and the branches and leaves will become tightly knitted together to give the solid appearance. This can take many years depending on the plant selected and the ultimate desired size.

Allow for the plant to grow to the desired height before its main leader is trimmed.

TOPIARY FRAMES

Simple shapes such as balls can often be trained by eye. However, for more intricate shapes, frames are available. The subject for topiary specimens can range from fairies and mushrooms to horses and people. They are usually TOPIARY SECTION

placed over the plant in the early stages of growth allowing the plant to fill the frame to create the desired shape, acting as a former.

Once the plant starts to protrude through the frame, prune once or twice a year through spring and summer to maintain the shape.

The frames can either be made out of galvanised wire or plasticcoated wire which is usually green or grey. Some can be removed and reused though most are just meant for one use and remain part of the structure of the plant, ultimately hidden from view by the foliage.

The frames are often sold with a box plant ready to start.

WHEN TO CLIP

Trim annually with topiary shears or hedge-cutters in early or late summer to keep specimen in shape. Faster growing species may need to be trimmed twice or more each season. Suckers and unwanted branches can also be removed. With these in mind you can rest assured that topiary will liven up your garden to its fullest potential. a

Ke Visit 8th nt Co us at - 1 unty the 0th Sho J w

uly

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WATERING

Most plants prefer to be kept evenly moist, but not soaking wet. Ivy, olives, euonymus and the herbs prefer to dry slightly before being watered. Feel the soil often to determine when to water.

Carefully pour water on the surface of the soil until some drains out the bottom. Do not allow any plant to stand in water.

LIGHT

Most plants require a fair bit of light when placed indoors. Note that placement directly in a west or south facing window can be too much light and heat for most plants and will require very frequent watering. Filtered light from these windows is perfect, however, as is placement in a north or east facing window. If no natural light is available, artificial light no further than one foot away is fine, as long as it is on at least eight hours a day.

During the summer, placement of your plants in a shaded outdoor porch or patio is very beneficial as long as no direct afternoon sun is received.

REPOTTING

Once the plant is root bound, or just perhaps dries out too quickly to easily maintain, you may repot into a slightly larger pot, being careful not to over - or under-water the plant.

FERTILIZER

Fertilize perhaps monthly while the plant is actively growing following the manufacturer’s instructions. Don’t fertilize a stressed plant as this will further stress the plant’s roots. mmm

TOPIARY SECTION

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BBQ HEALTH TIPS

Diet tips for summer SIMPLE CHANGES TO MAKE YOUR BBQ MENU A HEALTHIER ONE

A

s summer progresses, BBQ’s become more frequent in our gardens, what we don’t tend to bear in mind is the amount of fat we intake from our traditional BBQ menu, so here are some simple swaps to help make your summer BBQ with family and friends a healthier one.

MAYONNAISE FOR MUSTARD

Avoid creamy salads made with mayonnaise that are high in fat and unwanted calories. Instead of mayo mixed through your BBQ favourites such as potato salad and coleslaw, use some wholegrain mustard mixed with Greek yoghurt instead.

It will still be creamy and taste great, but will be much lower in fat and calories and will be much better for your health, being a good source of protein with

beneficial probiotics and calcium. Don’t forget to make a big green leafy salad with plenty of salad vegetables topped with a healthy dressing of olive oil, lemon, mustard or balsamic vinegar, with some fresh herbs for extra flavour and goodness.

MAKE HOMEMADE BURGERS

Make your hamburger meat half with mushrooms and half, preferably with grass fed beef or lamb mince. It will halve the fat content while boosting your vitamin D intake, and no one will even notice it contains mushrooms. Finely chop or blitz your mushrooms first in a food processor, cook in a frying pan, then add to mince and make your burgers ready for the BBQ. a

BARBECUE TIPS

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K2 Flooring are professional flooring specialists, offering high quality all-in-one flooring services to customers across Swanley, West Malling and all the surrounding areas in Kent.

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HEARTH & HOME

B

add a touch of luxury AND CREATE A BEAUTIFUL HOME

ased in Wincheap Canterbury, Hearth & Home is a family-run lifestyle showroom incorporating Aga, Rayburn and the very best in wood stoves and gas fires.

Complemented by an eclectic range of home interiors including furniture from India Jane, you’ll find a wealth of ideas to create a beautiful home.

The stylish new store is arranged over two floors and filled with an abundance of inspiration for the home. The ground floor is dedicated to working Aga, wood stoves and gas fireplaces including models by Chesney’s and the Danish brand ‘HWAM’ for a contemporary option.

Most of the fireplaces are displayed in unique settings along with a wide selection of decorative accessories and gift ideas. Hearths and mantles can be made to order and delivery and installation can be arranged if required.

The first floor houses more fireplace settings with an interesting and varied choice of furniture, lighting, lampshades and soft furnishings including items by India Jane and Parlane.

There are often items on promotion and the team are constantly sourcing new and interesting items. They assist with design and offer practical advice and support on the installation of your chosen product giving you peace of mind from start to finish.

A friendly team is on hand to welcome you to the Canterbury showroom and offer assistance or advice with excellent knowledge and a wealth of ideas to suit your requirements.

Please call on 01227 780 267 or visit the website www.hearth.uk.com

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Multi Award Winning

More than just an Estate Agent e are a professional, independent Estate & Letting Agent, but we also provide much more. Sibley Pares is a property consultancy that can go above and beyond the abilities of any conventional estate agent, with professional Chartered Surveyors also able to offer services regarding commercial property, land and development, property management, professional valuations and building surveying.

Our core aim at Sibley Pares is to provide a professional and personable service at a reasonable cost. We are regulated by the RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors), NAEA (National Association of Estate Agents)

W

PROPERTY FEATURE

and ARLA (Association of Residential Letting Agents), so you can be sure that by instructing us your property is in safe hands.

Our Residential Sales and Lettings team have been established in Maidstone and surrounding areas since 1981 and we continue to provide a bespoke service that is good value to our clients. We also have a building surveyor on hand to provide free specialist advice if required.

Our Commercial service provides advice across retail, office and industrial sectors, with work including sales, lettings, acquisitions and management. We also act as retained agents to carry out site searches; for example, we have been recently retained to acquire commercial land

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across the south east for the expansion plans of Lidl.

Our Land & Development services work across both residential and commercial schemes and can include in-depth advice from the commencement of a planning application, to the sale of sites with consent. Our experience in the sale and letting of commercial & residential property puts us in the unique position of being able to offer knowledgeable advice on the type of planning permission a land owner should gain in order to maximise their land value.

Our Valuation and Professional services provide formal valuations for any requirement from internal board

approvals, bank funding, establishing a market value to finalise an option agreement. We also act for landlords and tenants when negotiating lease renewals.

Having been established for over 35 years Sibley Pares provides an unrivalled combination of experience and professionalism across all aspects of the property market. Our clients range from private individuals to large companies, including banks, public bodies and charities.

If you are looking for assistance with your property, no matter the size, please get in touch.

Sibley Pares, 01622 673086. mmm PROPERTY FEATURE

mmm MOTORS

AND GADGETS

Renault - All new Grand ScĂŠnic Gadgets and Gizmos - Selection

THE ALL-NEW Renault Grand Scénic

T

FLUID AND ELEGANT STYLING, WITH FIVE OR SEVEN SEATS

he 2016 Geneva Motor Show in March saw Renault take the wraps off the AllNew Scénic, a striking, compact MPV with pioneering proportions and, in an unprecedented move, 20-inch wheels as the standard fitment across the range. It is now the turn of the new Grand Scénic to break cover and extend the Scénic line-up.

The All-New Grand Scénic, a family vehicle par excellence, comes with either five or seven seats and features a fresh approach in term of its design, including: Chrome or Metal Grey accessories, sculpted forms and body sides, and a distinctive belt line towards the rear which combine to produce a fluid, elegant silhouette.

For the first time in the segment, 20-inch wheels are standard, while a two-tone livery and harmonious interior trim underline the model’s modern personality.

Cabin modularity and travelling comfort – which are MOTORS SECTION

two strengths that have helped to forge the Scénic’s reputation – have been thought through to ensure that the needs of families are met even more closely. A One Touch Folding Seat function allows the rear seats to be folded automatically to obtain a flat floor and facilitate loading. Meanwhile, the new Grand Scénic is 24cm longer than the new Scénic and consequently boasts extra boot space and carrying capacity compared with its sibling: 718dm3 VDA (five-seat version) for an extra 222dm3 VDA compared with the new Scénic.

The new Grand Scénic comes with a comprehensive suite of driver aids too, including Active Emergency Braking (AEBS) with Pedestrian Detection as standard equipment for the first time in the segment. The list continues with technologies from the next segment up, such as Multisense experience, an R-Link 2 multimedia tablet complete with a large 8.7-inch display and a fullcolour head-up display. Last but by no means least, the a

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Chart Enterprise Park, Dencora Way, Ashford, Kent, United Kingdom TN23 4FL Tel: +44 (0) 1233 646328 . Website: www.simonfurlonger.co.uk

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Continued from page 90

fourth generation of the model can be specified with Renault’s Hybrid Assist electrified diesel engine.

The All-New Scénic and All-New Grand Scénic (five or seven seats) will be available for sale before the end of the year 2016.

The final UK model-line up, version specifications and pricing will be communicated nearer to the on sale date later in 2016.

UNPRECEDENTED: 20-INCH WHEELS FOR ALL VERSIONS

Probably the most ground-breaking feature of the new Scénic’s design is the fitment of 20-inch wheels as standard across the range. These narrower wheels (195mm) are both a technological and styling innovation. With a sidewall height of 107mm – equivalent to that of the Scénic 3’s 17-inch tyres – the new Scénic’s tyres ensure a level of ride comfort that is amongst the market’s very best.

This bold design choice was a key guiding principle behind the project from the start. Indeed, these large wheels make an active contribution to the car’s balanced proportions and are customisable on demand thanks to a comprehensive choice of rims and inserts, called ‘add-ons’. These rims and add-ons have also been devised to save weight and streamline the car’s MOTORS SECTION

aerodynamics, which leads to lower fuel consumption.

The unique size of these wheels (195/55 R20), and the fitment of specifically developed tyres for lower energy consumption and enhanced aerodynamic efficiency, also guarantee class-leading rolling resistance.

A COMFORTABLE, JUDICIOUSLYDESIGNED MODULAR CABIN

The new Grand Scénic can be specified with either five or seven seats, with all passengers benefiting from the same careful attention to travelling comfort that has forged the Scénic’s reputation over the years. The occupant-friendly modular cabin features a long list ingenious solutions and equipment designed to meet the needs of modern families.

The Easy Life sliding centre console – a hallmark of the Scénic – has evolved in order to cover the new requirements of both front and rear passengers, providing up to 13 litres of storage capacity. The front part of the console offers a lit stowage area protected by a sliding cover, plus an integrated armrest, underneath which can be found two USB ports, an SD card slot, an audio jack socket and a 12-volt power supply (depending on equipment level). Rear passengers have access to two USB ports, an audio jack socket, a 12V socket and their own dedicated storage space.

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ADDITIONAL CARRYING CAPACITY AND A BIGGER BOOT

The new Grand Scénic, which is 24cm longer than the new Scénic, provides additional carrying capacity and a bigger boot in comparison with its sibling. With the rear seats in their rearmost position, the carrying capacity of the five-seat version is 718dm3 VDA. Total carrying capacity can be extended to 866dm3 VDA with the rear seats pushed fully forward.

With a total additional stowage capacity of 63 litres, the new Grand Scénic stands out as the class leader in the long compact MPV segment. In addition to the Easy Life sliding centre console, the new Scénic boasts several other ingenious stowage solutions for an additional capacity of 38.5 litres. This is achieved notably by retaining the four underfloor compartments that have always been particularly appreciated by families.

In the back, the new Grand Scénic is equipped with Easy Life folding tables (standard or optional, depending on market) which are ideal for family use on longer journeys.

In the deployed position, it is possible to attach electronic tablets of different sizes. When folded, there is a small storage area that can accommodate a mobile phone, a gaming console or perhaps crayons. The two USB ports at the rear of the sliding centre console mean electronic devices can be used without time restraints. mmm MOTORS SECTION

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Light Up Your Life cinematic Light Box

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If you’ve ever dreamt of seeing your name in lights, you love to make a big deal out of movie nights or you want to officially announce your Netflix and chill, then we have just the thing!

This pint-sized battery-powered LED Light Box presents endless creative possibilities, whether you use it as a day notice board, an extremely fancy table light or even a wedding day prop, this cool light box can be anything you want it to be!

Use the 85 fully interchangeable letters, numbers and symbols to write out any message you like, with a whole three rows to mess around with. You can be as cheeky or as sensible as you like, and change your message as often as you want- there’s no limit with this attractive glowing billboard.

Wall mounted or freestanding, place this enchanting illuminator anywhere indoors, all you need to do is provide the batteries. £24.99 from www.amazon.com

GADGETS gizmos

CUTTING-EDGE INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY

Panoramic Pod

With so many photography apps available, it’s easier than ever to get the most from your camera phone. Possibly the most stunning example in photography is the panoramic picture – capturing incredible scenery and breath taking landscapes like never before.

But getting these stunning shots right isn’t always easy- and it’s not too tricky to fall into some common and often funny pitfalls.

So if you end up with a dog with eight legs wandering through the shot or random bits of sky that don’t fit together properly then the Panoramic Pod will save all of your widescreen woes, giving you fantastic shots every time. The Panoramic Pod is a tripod with a rotating mechanism that smoothly revolves 240 degrees. All you need to do is place your phone in the secure holder, turn on the panoramic camera setting on your smartphone and the Pod’s smooth wind up mechanism will do the rest. £12.95 from www.red5.co.uk

Philips rechargeable pink sonic toothbrush

Introducing the Philips Sonicare DiamondClean rechargeable sonic toothbrush to help you remove up to 100% more plaque from those harderto-reach places, whitening teeth twice as well as a manual toothbrush in a single week. As well as polishing and cleaning teeth, the brush also helps to improve gum health by cleaning deep between teeth and right along the gumline.

Featuring Sonicare’s most effective toothwhitening brush, thanks to its mediumstiffness and diamond-shaped bristles which scrape away plaque effectively whilst being gentle on your teeth. The toothbrush features a sensitive mode to ensure you are extra gentle to your gums.

There are two charging options - a charger glass which can also be used for rinsing your mouth, and which you can use at home by placing the toothbrush into it. There is also a travel charging case which can be charged via a USB port or wall socket so you can take your DiamondClean toothbrush with you wherever you go. £100.00 from www.philips.co.uk

£1,745

Bang & Olufsen of Bexleyheath 155 Broadway Bexleyheath Kent DA6 7EZ Tel: 020 8303 2760

Bang & Olufsen of Bromley 62 High Street Bromley Kent BR1 1EG Tel: 020 8466 8080

Bang & Olufsen of Cambridge 29 Magdalene Street Cambridge CB3 0AF Tel: 01223 464400

Bang & Olufsen of Maidstone 37 Royal Star Arcade High Street Maidstone ME14 1JL Tel: 01622 756756

Bang & Olufsen of Tunbridge Wells 66 Mount Pleasant Road Tunbridge Wells Kent TN1 1RB Tel: 01892 527525

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RoadTrip 2-in-1 car and portable charger

The sleekly-designed RoadTrip car charger and battery is both sophisticated and versatile. It plugs neatly into the 12V socket (old school cigarette lighter) on your dashboard and lets you charge your phone or tablet while you’re driving.

RoadTrip features two charging ports, the standard USB Type A port that you’re probably familiar with, and the new and exciting Type C port for charging up the very latest gadgets.

Not only does it let you keep your phone or tablet powered up while in the car, RoadTrip also houses a rechargeable 3000mAh battery, so you can take it with you and use it like a regular power bank on the go. And don’t worry, RoadTrip knows your priorities so it charges up your phone first before moving on to the internal battery. Now you can charge while you drive and when you arrive. £39.99 from www.firebox.com

Lenovo’s Yoga 3 tablet

Fitbit Alta wireless activity and sleep tracking watch

Fitbit Alta will motivate you to move by delivering your fitness progress and real-life updates straight to your wrist.

Lightweight, slim and elegant, this device will track steps taken, distance covered, calories burned and exercise sessions, as well as your sleeping pattern to get the full picture of your health. Receive text, call and calendar notifications when synced with your smartphone and set a silent alarm to help you wake up more naturally.

The Alta keeps count of your steps taken, distance travelled, calories burned, floors climbed and active minutes as well as tracking the quality of your sleep.

Activity is displayed in real-time on the OLED screen while syncing with your smartphone provides more indepth analysis of both activity and sleep. Like having your own personal trainer with you all day long, the Fitbit Alta will give you friendly reminders to move and commend you for reaching your goals. £99.99 from www.fitbit.com GADGETS AND GIZMOS

Lightweight and loaded with a speedy processor, 8-megapixel camera and reliable battery, Lenovo’s Yoga 3 tablet with 10.1-inch touchscreen lets you easily enjoy your entertainment when you’re on the go, watch DIY videos when you’re decorating your new home and capture your special holiday moments.

Snapdragon 212 supports 1080p Full HD video playback and capture as well as 3D gaming for immersive entertainment at its best. It also features Quick Charge 2.0 technology, which means 75% faster charging and a battery that’ll last all day.

Yoga 3 tablet has 2 integrated front-facing speakers and powerful Dolby® Atmos™ sound system to create an explosive, clear and surrounding audio experience to help bring your movie, gaming and music-video entertainment to life.

From reading to gaming, the 10.1-inch Yoga 3 has HD resolution to ensure the picture on the screen is bright, colourful and crystal clear. It uses IPS technology to allow you to view the screen from any angle and still enjoy a sharp image, so you can make full use of the hang, hold, stand and tilt positions. £179.99 from www.lenovo.com

Certified white Refurbished Kindle

A Certified Refurbished Kindle with Special Offers on the lock screen. Touchscreen display that reads like real paper - no screen glare, even in bright sunlight. Exclusive Kindle features - Kindle for Kids, Vocabulary Builder, X-Ray, Word Wise and more. Double the on-device storage - holds thousands of books.

New 1 GHz processor for even faster page turns and uninterrupted reading. Lighter than a paperback - fits in your pocket. Battery lasts weeks, not hours. Massive selection, low prices - over two million books including latest bestsellers, Kindle exclusives and more. Encourage kids to read even more - with Kindle for Kids. £49.00 from www.amazon.com

Spaced360 Bluetooth Portable Speaker

Wild & Wolf 1950s black diner phone

Bring back an American classic, with this 3-slot diner phone. Fully functional, it’s complete with a push button dial, redial button and volume control.

Get a sense of American retro in your home with this 1950s diner phone from Wild & Wolf. Offering a unique style to make you the envy of all your guests, this phone is a stylish finish to your home.

This Classic 1950s American black diner phone can be mounted on your wall or sit on a table or desk. Wild & Wolf Telecommunications has brought this vintage style telephone up to date with modern technology to ensure they work on any standard home telephone line. Fitted with push buttons meaning faster, simpler dialing and has a last number redial function, a useful feature to have.

This 3 slot diner style payphone has a feature coin bank with a lock and key. A great quality telephone ideal for the home, office or as a present. £65.00 from www.debenhams.com

Powered by airSOUND™, this Bluetooth speaker wraps you in a 360-degree sound-space that gets the party started wherever you are. Along with NFC, getting paired is as simple as tapping the speaker.

Spaced360 Bluetooth Portable Speaker is powered by airSOUND™, a new technology that will wrap you in a 360° sonic sweet spot. airSOUND™ is to music what 3D is to movies. Liberating the true detail locked in your music.

Spaced360 will play your music wherever you want, with whoever you want. If your phone has NFC. Just bring up your playlist, touch the phone on the Centre Key to pair, and your music is on.

The sleek base charger means recharging is easy, making this speaker ultraportable so you can enjoy crystal clear wireless audio on the go.

Spaced360 will get the party started and keep the party going. Boasting up to 12 hours of music playback and can be fully recharged in less than two hours. £99.95 from www.johnlewis.com

THREE HEADLINERS AT

Whitstable Oyster Festival WHITSTABLE OYSTER FESTIVAL UNVEILS NEW WEBSITE, FOLLOWING ANNOUNCEMENT OF THREE HEADLINE SHOWS AT THE SHUCK

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hitstable Oyster Festival is pleased to announce three headline shows at The Shuck this coming July.

Following on from triumphant shows in 2014 and 15 we are extremely excited to welcome back The Cuban Brothers on Friday 22nd July. However this year they are returning mob handed bringing with them the man who coined the phrase “rare groove”, a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, Norman Jay MBE.

WHITSTABLE OYSTER FESTIVAL

Also joining the party will be BAM (Jungle Brothers) the first hip-hop group to use a house-music producer. The Jungle Brothers are also said to have pioneered the fusion of jazz and hip-hop. a

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© all photography by George Fisk

Continued from page 100

Early bird tickets sold out extremely quickly for this show, the remaining advance tickets are priced at £14 and £18 on the door.

Music pioneer, contemporary/graffiti artist, drum & bass icon, DJ, actor and producer Goldie will be performing at The Shuck on Friday 29th July. While appearing in critically acclaimed films and on TV, he’s still found the time to oversee the growth of his very own drum & bass label Metalheadz. A total original, a multi-talented shape shifter, who’s sold more than three million records worldwide.

A handful of early bird tickets are still available for this show priced at £12 after which advance sales will be £14 and £18 on the door.

WHITSTABLE OYSTER FESTIVAL

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Lastly coming back to the WOF stage is the Comedy Impro All-Stars and after last years success at The Shuck they return with two new additions to the team.

Having appeared on ‘Have I Got News for You’ and ‘Whose Line Is It Anyway’ we are incredibly happy to welcome Steve Steen to the show for 2016. The Impro Show will this year also be graced by former ‘Perrier Comedy Award’ winner for Best Newcomer and recurring guest panellist on ‘Mock the Week’, Milton Jones.

Very limited early bird tickets are still available for the Impro All Stars priced at £16 after which advance sales will be £18 and £22 on the door.

The organizers are also announcing the launch of the re-vamped website for 2016, with a complete list of community events for 2016, go to www.whitstableoysterfestival.co.uk to plan your Oyster Festival week. mmm

WHITSTABLE OYSTER FESTIVAL

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SEVENOAKS VINE cricket ground at Sevenoaks

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ricket, that most English of games played by men dressed in white and upon grass so green and even. It is called the ‘gentlemanly game’ which demands skill and determination by all who indulge in it.

Many cricket clubs abound within the county but none so famous and well known as the Vine Cricket Club of Sevenoaks.

John Frederick Sackville, the 3rd Duke of Dorset, was the nephew of Charles Sackville, the 2nd Duke of Dorset and it was upon his death that John Frederick became the new owner of Knole House and the estate that went with it. When he took residence in the stately home in 1769, it can be said that Sevenoaks became known as ‘the home of cricket’.

The Duke, unlike his predecessors, was not greatly interested in politics and was at his happiest indulging in the pleasures of life. He was to be seen a great deal in the fashionable circles of England, Italy and France and was a great supporter of sporting activities. Unfortunately for the Duke, but fortunate for Sevenoaks, he had to return to England as the political situation gave rise to increasing danger to the Crown at that time and this return brought him fully into the business of parliament. He did, however, see that his sporting activities did not come to an end and he gave an area of his estate known as the Vine to the town of Sevenoaks forever in order that he

might still play whilst resident at Knole.

He played the game as often as possible and it was never really established whether or not the Duke handpicked his employees because of their cricketing expertise or whether it was pure coincidence that between 1770 and 1782 he did have in his employ some of the best players of the period. Millar, Marshall and W. Bowra were among them and many an exciting game was played during this period, together with a fair amount of gambling as to who would win.

On the 20th June 1781, the stakes reached an all time high at 500 guineas. The match was between a team captained by the Duke of Dorset and a team led by a Sevenoaks resident, Sir Horace Mann. It was an important match and attracted a good deal of interest throughout the county. The Duke’s team, consisting of players like Mr Bowra and Mr Patterson, won with a score of 158 runs to Sir Horace’s 136. This was not to be the only match between the Duke and Sir Horace and the favours did not always go to his Lordship as some old manuscripts now kept in the Sevenoaks Public Library record reveal.  LOCAL HISTORY

Portrait by Joshua Reynolds of John Frederick Saville, the 3rd Duke of Dorset, responsible for bringing cricket to the Vine

FOR CENTURIES CRICKET HAS BEEN PLAYED ON THE VINE CRICKET GROUND. ROBIN J BROOKS LOOKS BACK AT WHAT HAS BECOME AN INSTITUTION IN SEVENOAKS

106 mmm View of the Vine gardens leading to the pavilion

The Vine Tavern - the hostelry where many famous cricketers quenched their thirst

Cricket on the Vine during the 1800s LOCAL HISTORY

Continued from page 105

The Vine Cricket Club was eventually formed at some period during the 19th century, long after the 3rd Duke of Dorset had passed away. Successive owners of Knole however continued the tradition of playing cricket on the Vine and it soon became the most important club in the county. It was about this time that an event took place that is still traditionally held today, the Sevenoaks Cricket Week. This was the occasion when Sevenoaks played host to many visiting clubs and the whole atmosphere of the entire week took on a carnival appearance. The weather, by coincidence, always seemed to be good with long summer days and warm evenings in which to play and talk cricket. The Vine cricket pitch was tended and cajoled all year long in preparation for cricket week and a newly built pavilion was dressed in flags for the occasion.

When the 5th Duke of Dorset died in 1843, it was Mary Sackville, the elder daughter of John Frederick, the benefactor of the Vine, who directed its upkeep. She was married to the Earl of Plymouth and much of her father’s interest in cricket had managed to rub off on her. Her second marriage to William Pitt Amherst, the 2nd Baron and later Earl Amherst of Montreal, again ensured that the game was foremost for the town of Sevenoaks. Earl Amherst himself had a very fine cricket pitch within the bounds of the Montreal estate and on many occasions, when difficulties presented themselves on the Vine, matches both minor and major were held on this pitch.

Today it is known as the Holmesdale cricket pitch.

In 1850 a new pavilion was built in the grounds of the Vine on the instructions of Earl Amherst. This was situated on the boundary of the green whilst the older building was eventually converted into cottages for the elderly people of Sevenoaks. These only survived another ten years before being pulled down.

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One of the major problems encountered with the Vine was the preparation and maintenance of the turf. During the 18th century, grass mowing machines were unknown, the main cutting being done by men with scythes, then by hand shears and finally the entire pitch being rolled with large cylinders of concrete. The local farmers were also invited to graze their sheep on the pitch when the game was out of season and many took the opportunity of this when hay and straw stocks were low. Whilst the grass was always fairly short, the standard of the pitch was nothing compared to today. A typical average score-sheet was when a match held between West Kent and East Kent on the 25th and 26th June, 1783 resulted in the following scores:- West Kent 1st innings-97, 2nd innings-135. East Kent 1st innings-147, 2nd innings-86.

As with all clubs and institutions, the Vine Cricket Club has its own traditions, the main one dating back to the time when Earl Amherst was a notable figure at the club.

One of the more wealthy members presented the club with a handsome silver snuff box shaped as a cricket ball.

After dinner the ball would be passed or thrown to all the members attending who would take a pinch of snuff from its interior. If by some chance, a catch was missed and it slipped from the fingers of the recipient to the floor, the poor fellow had to pay for the wine that been drunk at that particular luncheon.

By the end of the 19th century when the Sackville-West family became the Lords of Knole, cricket on the Vine was known county-wide and was an institution. Games were played most evenings and every weekend during the summer months. The players attire had changed from high hats and wellington type boots to white flannels and pullovers. The early 20th century and the threat of war with Germany did nothing to halt the annual Cricket Week until 1913 when it became obvious war would 

The War Memorial opposite the cricket ground

LOCAL HISTORY

Continued from page 107

The Sopwith Camel that landed on the cricket ground during WW1

come. Only then, as the majority of the able-bodied men of Sevenoaks went to war was there a cessation of the game.

The Vine Cricket ground was not however left to fall into disrepair.

It was surrounded by fencing and kept in very good order throughout the duration. One incident connected with the hostilities did take place on the green in 1916 when a fighter plane, believed to be a Sopwith Camel, landed on the grass to promote ‘Help the Soldier’ week. It stayed for two days and attracted the sort of crowds that past cricket matches had done. Sennockians flocked to see the fighter and its hero pilot and many willing hands were there to assist pulling the aircraft into the farthest corner of the green as it prepared to take off. A swift swing of the propeller and the engine roared into life.

This was the one occasion that the pitch had been used for anything other than cricket!

When the war ended in 1918, the Vine Cricket Club immediately reformed and began recruiting new players.

The council placed a War Memorial directly opposite the ground in 1920 in commemoration of the Sevenoaks men and women who had fallen in the war. The figure represented an infantry soldier of the Royal West Kent Regiment gazing across the cricket pitch.

During the 1920s and 1930s the club again rose to prominence in the county. In 1934, a match was held to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the first game of cricket ever to be reported in an English newspaper.

It was agreed that it would re-enact the game of two

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centuries ago when Kent played Sussex. Then, the home team were captained by Lord George Sackville and Sussex by Viscount Gage. The dress of the match was faithfully recreated with the men in top hats and the ladies in crinolines. It was a great success and long into the night the rafters and beams of the pavilion played host to the revelry. It was perhaps best that the world political situation of the period was forgotten for a few hours as the rumblings from Germany again became far too apparent.

War came again in 1939 and once more the turf of the Vine was put to rest for six years. Though not a military target, Sevenoaks was in the forefront of battle when in 1940, a bomb fell on the Club Hall building which was situated at the end of the Vine. It demolished the club and damaged the cricket pavilion but the pitch was left undisturbed except for burrowing moles! On VE day it suffered from human weight but at that time, no one really cared. The war was over and people could again get on with the job of living their lives.

Since the 1950s the club has gone from strength to strength. A bandstand that had been erected during the 18th century was once again put to use with the Sevenoaks Town Band serenading players and the public alike. Sevenoaks Cricket Week was reinstated and once again the sound of leather upon willow was to be heard on summer afternoons and evenings as it had been first heard those two centuries ago. mmm

By ROBIN J BROOKS

View across the gardens showing the Bandstand LOCAL HISTORY

LOCAL NEWS

Kent business news TEAM MIRAMAR GREAT BRITISH CARE AWARDS

On Friday 20th May 2016 Team Miramar left sunny Kent and headed to the bright lights of Birmingham for the Great British Care Awards National Finals. The home was in high spirits as this was the first time the Miramar had reached the National Finals. With finalists in 3 categories hopes were high that at least one of the team would walk away with the title National Winner. The finalists were Darren Humby (General Manager) for Front Line Leader, Stephen Vaughan-Atkins (Hospitality Manager) in Nutrition and Hydration and Emma Berwick for Dementia Carer.

Stephen and Emma did not win the national final this time around and were both beaten by some very experienced and dedicated finalists. And so we were left with one. At 10.30 the nominees for the award Front Line Leader were read out and all eyes were on the General Manager of the Miramar. At 10.43 the announcement came that Darren Humby had won the National Final and as the presenter said, was deemed to be the best of the best Front Line Leader in the United Kingdom Care Industry. Naturally euphoria broke out, not just from the Miramar contingent, but all those representing Signature Senior Lifestyle.

The award recognises all the hard work that Darren himself has put in at the Miramar and he puts this down to a massive team effort and is proud to say that he is the General Manager of an Award Winning Care Home.

LOCAL NEWS

KENWARD TRUST PLANS SHOP IN TUNBRIDGE WELLS The Yalding based Kenward Trust is planning to open its first charity shop in Camden Road, Tunbridge Wells. The shop will offer good quality secondhand and vintage clothing, household items plus a selection of recycled items made by residents on site at Yalding. The residents currently make a range of wooden craft items, ranging from wildlife boxes through to trendy signs, and these will be for sale in the shop. One of the strategic aims for the Yalding based Kenward Trust is the development of social enterprise. The acquisition of this first retail shop is an exciting development as part of the vision of holistic integrated recovery journey, from detox to gainful employment. Additionally it will help to raise valuable income for the charity so we can continue our life saving work.

The charity is appealing for good quality clothing, books, bric-abrac, toys and games to build stock prior to opening in the summer.

YOUTH ORCHESTRA PERFORMS PICTURES AT AN EXHIBITION Kent County Youth Orchestra, conducted by Caroline Hobbs Smith, presents Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition and music from three great American composers in a Summer Concert at the Assembly Hall Theatre, Tunbridge Wells, at 7.30pm on Saturday 27th August.

The orchestra will perform two pieces by Leonard Bernstein, Overture, Candide and Suite, On the Waterfront; Aaron Copland’s Suite, Billy the Kid; and John Adams’ Short Ride in a Fast Machine.

The concert will be completed with a performance of Pictures at an Exhibition by Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky. Pictures at an Exhibition features 10 movements inspired by a visit to an art exhibition. Each of the movements represents one of the drawings or artworks on display. Although originally composed in 1874 for solo piano, the piece became better known in orchestral form, particularly as orchestrated by French composer Maurice Ravel in 1922.

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BARRATT HOMES EXTENDS FIVE STAR QUALITY TO ALLINGTON WILDLIFE Kent housebuilder Barratt Homes is offering wildlife near Maidstone a brand new home with a pledge to install hedgehog shelters at its new developments, including The Orchards in Allington.

The plans to have ‘hogitats’ at new developments come as the housebuilding industry marked New Homes Week (May 16th - 22nd) and Sales and Marketing Director Pam Reardon said this was an ideal opportunity to extend its five star commitment to the local wildlife.

Barratt Homes has a long term pledge to create more wildlife friendly developments to give nature a new home and Pam said the hedgehog shelters are an integral part of this mission.

“We will be installing these new shelters in areas of open space or around our show homes and hope that the hedgehogs will enjoy their new homes,’’ she said.

The move has been welcomed by the British Hedgehog Preservation Society, which offers help and advice to those with sick, injured or orphaned hedgehogs. Chief Executive Fay Vass said: “We are delighted to hear that Barratt Homes is offering these shelters for hedgehogs. Hedgehog numbers are in severe decline so we welcome any action to help them from both the public and businesses alike.”

TREE OF HOPE BRANCHES OUT WITH STARJUMPZ Two organisations that support children with specialist needs have signed an agreement that means even better support for the families they work with.

National children’s charity, Tree of Hope, is letting newly adapted premises in Crowborough, East Sussex to Starjumpz Children’s Centre, the pioneering service for young people in Kent and the south east with learning, developmental, motor and/or behavioural challenges.

The property is 3,000 sq ft over three floors. Using input from Starjumpz, the accommodation has been converted

by Tree of Hope into bespoke premises ideally suited to undertaking therapies. This includes small individual therapy rooms, as well as a large and airy open-plan space on the first floor for more active therapies that require specialist equipment such as sensory integration therapy and physiotherapy.

LOCAL NEWS

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VIBEZ MANAGER NAMED THE UK’S BEST! Tracey Whitmore of Vibez Adult Boutique in Aylesford was named the UK’s Best Store Manager in a prestigious awards ceremony on the evening of Sunday June 12th. When the Fifty Shades of Grey movie was released in 2015, the store recreated Christian Grey’s infamous ‘Red Room’ for customers to sample some of the products used in the film and also produced a cinema advert for the local Odeon cinemas promoting the products used and Vibez store and website. The store is aimed at couples and women and provides a relaxed and classy environment for customers to shop.

The ETO Awards were staged at the Vox Conference Suite in Resorts World Birmingham, and almost 300 guests attended the event. The awards recognise excellence in every link of the supply chain, including products, brands, distributors, retailers, and people.

The awards are highly coveted within the industry because the winners are decided by the votes of readers of ETO magazine, and there are never more than 33 awards in total handed out each year.

They are presented on the evening of the two-day annual ETO Show, a businessto-business expo which takes place at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) every summer.

In addition to Tracey returning home with her Best Store Manager award, Vibez was also nominated in the Best Individual Store category. Tracey said: “I am absolutely delighted that we were once again nominated for best Individual Store and receiving the award for best Store Manager has been the best recognition ever and well worth all the hard work.

I would like to thank all my peers and wonderful friends in this fantastic industry” Dale Bradford, editor of ETO magazine, added: “I am absolutely delighted that Tracey was named Best Store Manager by our readers. She is so determined, enthusiastic, and committed to her business, which continues to be one of the very best independent retailers in the UK. The cheers and applause in the room when she accepted the award confirmed she was also a very popular winner.”

LOCAL NEWS

ADMIRALS SALUTE “STUNNING” ADDITION TO UNIQUE DOCKYARD EXPERIENCE FOR KENT VISITORS Four admirals joined forces to salute an exciting £9m permanent exhibition celebrating Britain’s Age of Sail and the significant contribution by a Kent dockyard.

Command of the Oceans, the newest attraction at the worldrenowned Historic Dockyard Chatham, was formally launched by Lord Boyce, Admiral of the Fleet and Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports. Three other admirals joined him – Admiral Sir Trevor Soar, Chairman of Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust, Admiral Sir Ian Garnett, his immediate predecessor as chairman, and Vice Admiral Ben Key, Fleet Commander.

Bill Ferris, Trust CEO, said: “This is the world’s most complete and best preserved dockyard from the Age of Sail. Its social and economic impact was felt across the whole of Kent, not just in Medway, and we always give a warm welcome to our visitors from wherever they live in the county.”

The centrepiece of the new exhibition focuses on the remarkable 245 timbers from Namur. The remains of this 90-gun warship built in Chatham in 1756 were discovered by chance under floorboards of the former Wheelwrights’ Shop in 1995.

After years of research, it was established they came from Namur and now are internationally regarded as a landmark in naval archaeology. The Namur saw more action and consequently gained more Battle Honours than Victory, also built at Chatham, in 47 years of service, serving with distinction at the Battles of Lagos and Quiberon Bay. Jane Austen’s brother Charles commanded her, and Olaudah Equiano, a black slave, was a powder monkey who later wrote about his experiences and campaigned against slavery.

The project has celebrity support from the BBC’s Fiona Bruce who fronts audio-visual presentations, and historian Dan Snow.

He said: “The Namur is the ship that helped define the course of British History. Her remains enable us to better understand the shipbuilding ingenuity at Chatham which was crucial in developing British naval dominance which in turn helped extend Britain’s influence around the world.

“Her remains make a stunning centrepiece to these remarkable new galleries and bring a real tingle to the spine in a way that only real objects and the stories embedded in them can – the thought that people lived and died on them is really palpable in this setting.”

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GLOBE-TROTTING CHEF TAKES UP TOP POST AT TUDOR PARK

Meet Tudor Park’s new executive Head Chef, Alfonso Salvaggio. He has recently swapped a jeep, sand and the stifling heat of Dubai, for the lush green surroundings and a golf buggy at the four star Marriott Hotel & Country Club in Bearsted - and says he and his young family couldn’t be happier.

“It is so fantastic to be able to walk outside and enjoy this beautiful countryside and fresh air. I bought my daughters (Giulia 5, and Fiona 3) umbrellas for the first time in their lives and they are even loving the outdoors when it rains as they have never experienced it before,” says the 41-yearold. He is also revelling in the fact that, unlike in Dubai, ingredients here are fresh and seasonal and don’t have to be flown in.

“I have heard so much about Kent and the produce grown here, so I am looking forward to making the most of that in our seasonal menus,” he says.

His travels, combined with Italian family connections, have strong influences on Alfonso’s cooking which he hopes to bring to his new role.

“I think guests at Tudor Park will see Asian, Balkan and Italian flavours coming through some of my dishes which I hope they will enjoy,” he adds. *To book a table at the Conical Grill call 01622 734334. For meetings, events and private functions call 01622 632006.

LOCAL NEWS

FISH AND CHIPS IS FOR EVERYONE!! EVEN BIG CATS!!

Fish and chip lovers in the village of Smarden in Kent are joining the rest of the UK in celebrating National Fish & Chip Day today.

Staff and cats at The Big Cat Sanctuary all enjoyed fish and chips.

Fresh fish for the cats and chips for the team. It was a real treat!

This all came about as Kent based PR company, Rise Communications approached WHF The Big Cat Sanctuary as they know that one cats’ favourite treats is fish and thought it would be fun if the big cats got to be part of the celebrations!

Nias the Sumatran tiger feasted on cod fillets, whilst Manzi the African lion loved the eel and Athena the jaguar polished off some particularly smelly herring. The team thoroughly enjoyed their chip butties too.. This was definitely what you call a win/win scenario, fun was had by all. National Fish and Chip Day is about giving fish and chips the recognition it deserves and helping to secure its position as the nation’s favourite dish. The event, which will take place on the first Friday in June every year, already has the backing of key players in the industry. The national event is once again being championed by trade organisation, The National Edible Oil Distributors’ Association, who represent packers and distributors of oils and fats in the UK. NEODA President, Andrew Marriott, comments: “National Fish and Chip Day celebrates the stars who work hard to bring Brits their favourite traditional takeaway. We want to bring the whole industry together to celebrate and showcase the great British institution that is fish and chips.”

CELEBRATING KENT’S DESIGN, DEVELOPMENT AND BUILT ENVIRONMENT The search is now under way to find the winners of the Kent Design & Development Awards 2016, which celebrate the design excellence of the county’s property and construction industry.

Jointly organised and sponsored by DHA Planning, Kent County Council, and PR and marketing agency Maxim, the Kent Design & Development Awards are now in their 12th year.

New for 2016 is the Conservation category, supported by the Rochester Bridge Trust. It means there are now six categories to enter, each giving professionals in the Built Environment category the opportunity to demonstrate how they are using their skills to develop and regenerate the county. The awards are now open for entries in the following categories: Commercial, Industrial and Retail; Conservation; Environmental Performance; Infrastructure and Renewables; Public Buildings – Education and Community; and Residential – Minor and Major.

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NEW APPOINTMENT TO BRING FORWARD ENGINEERING EDUCATION The Rochester Bridge Trust has appointed its first Education Officer to bring forward its engineering education initiatives.

Former science and physics teacher Sharron Mackenzie’s role includes organising and hosting bridge building activities to promote the potential of civil engineering as a career.

Bridge Clerk Sue Threader explained: “One of the Trust’s objectives is to inspire the next generation of bridge builders. For some time we have been developing a range of education materials for children of primary school age and running events to encourage enthusiasm and knowledge about civil engineering. The appointment of an education officer is the natural way to progress these projects.”

Sharron joins the Trust on a part-time basis, also working as a Teaching and Learning Coach at the Institute of Physics.

She said: “I am pleased to join the Trust and already enjoy the challenge of promoting the possibilities of bridge building to new groups, as well as starting to bring forward a new Family Engineering project.”

Another Education Officer, Aileen White, will be joining Sharron in a few weeks’ time.

MARINA HOTEL REOPENS AFTER £1.2 MILLION REFURBISHMENT The Ship and Trades at Chatham Maritime has reopened following a three-month refurbishment and expansion project costing £1.2 million.

Dating from 1875, the Ship and Trades’ basic structure was originally erected in a London dock and moved to Chatham during its expansion in boat building, to house dockyard offices and an engineering shop.

It was taken over by Shepherd Neame in 2001, and transformed into a contemporary bar, restaurant and hotel, overlooking one of the yacht basins at the former Royal Naval Dockyard. Outside, its ample seating offers stunning views of the pleasure boats in the marina and across the River Medway to historic Upnor Castle.

LOCAL NEWS

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KENT HOUSEBUILDER TEAMS UP WITH LOCAL PET CHARITY TO KEEP ANIMALS SAFE MAIDSTONE UNITED FOOTBALL CLUB MANAGER RE-OPENS ALL-NEW VILLAGE GYM Village Hotel Club have announced a £3.5m investment plan that incorporates significant refurbishment plans and new technology, starting with eight of their key UK locations with more to follow. Village Hotel Club Maidstone, located at Junction 6 of the M20, is one of the first properties to receive the transformation.

Renovations have been underway since November 2015, the Village GYM is now complete, as is the remainder of the hotel.

General Manager Matt Selch said: “The team and I are excited to be bringing a new look to our popular Maidstone hotel. Village Maidstone has been an important part of Maidstone hospitality for 12 years and we are pleased to be making us the newest hotel offering in the market place once again. Not only is the physical change impressive, but new technology will transform the hotel guest journey and Gym members experience, putting us at the forefront of the market, not just in Maidstone, but in the UK. Team training has also received significant investment and we very much look forward to showing you the changes we have made.”

Hotel Sales Manager Nicola Meredith added: “Our extensive refurbishment, which includes new computer systems and pricing strategies, means we will be offering everything today’s hotel guest and gym member is looking for, in our convenient Maidstone location, still with free parking and free wifi, and still all at a competitive price.”

The hotel team hosted a ‘Showcase’ weekend in June presenting the transformation to guests. The team revealed all of the facilities including the GYM, meeting rooms, Inspiration Suite and bedrooms as well as the popular Verve Grill, Public House and Starbucks Store.

Maidstone United officially launched the new VILLAGE GYM on Saturday 18th June, press were invited to attend. ‘Beat the Goalie’ competition and additional GYM activities were held throughout the day. Family entertainment was also provided. Plus live music throughout Friday night, Saturday and Sunday lunch time from star of ‘The Voice’, David Julien as well as coverage of all the Euro 2016 action.

LOCAL NEWS

In Kent, five star housebuilder David Wilson Homes takes pet moves extremely seriously and has joined forces with local pet charity Happy Endings Rescue, to help ensure a smooth and enjoyable move for pets as well as their owners. The housebuilder and the charity have created top tips on how house movers in the county can keep their pets safe and stress-free during and after a move.

Pam Reardon, Sales and Marketing Director at David Wilson Homes, said: “The Pet Food Manufacturers’ Association estimates that 46% of households in the UK have pets and with the average person moving house eight times in their life, that’s a lot of upheaval for our furry friends.

“There is a lot to think about when you move house, particularly if you have pets but by following some simple steps it’s easy to keep your four-legged companions happy.”

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WHAT’S on

WHEN

WHERE TO GO and WHAT TO DO in KENT

A night at the movies Sittingbourne Greyhounds 8th July

Monty Python’s Spamalot Hazlitt Theatre, Maidstone 6th - 9th July Monty Python’s Spamalot is more than a loving nod to the classic comedy film ‘Monty Python and the Holy Grail’.

This tongue-in-cheek production is a new musical with an entirely new score (well, almost) created by Eric Idle and John Du Prez.

Spamalot tells the legendary tale of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table and features witch burnings (cancelled due to health and safety), fishslapping, cows, killer rabbits and French people with outrageous accents!

Get ready for fantastic tunes including: He Is Not Dead Yet, Knights of the Round Table, Find Your Grail and, of course, the Nation’s Favourite Comedy Song (Reader’s Digest Poll 2010), Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life.

For further details call 01622 758611 or visit www.parkwoodtheatres.co.uk

Grease - Mamma Mia - Dirty Dancing and Saturday Night Fever Four massive movies featured in one amazing tribute show! Fancy dress welcome with a bottle of champagne for best dressed.

Show tickets including a two course carvery just £25. Food served from 7.30pm with the show commencing at 9.30pm - tickets are already selling fast so book early.

For further details please call 01795 475547 or visit the website www.sittingbournegreyhounds.co.uk

Del Boy & Rodney - The Comedy Dinner Show Hempstead House Hotel and Spa 8th July Come along to Hempstead House for a hilarious evening with a cast which is dedicated to giving you an experience of the iconic British sitcom while enjoying a delicious meal.

Presented by the Laughlines Comedy Entertainment cast, they have perfected the character roles as well as performing with a high energy mix with songs and laugh out loud comedy. For further information please call 01795 428020 or visit www.hempsteadhouse.co.uk

Summer party night Canterbury Cathedral Lodge 9th July You are invited to join in the summer party on Saturday 9th July and enjoy the spectacular backdrop of Canterbury Cathedral. On arrival guests will enjoy a glass of pimms and canapés in the beautiful Campanile Garden, overlooking the Cathedral, while being entertained by solo singer, Sarah Banks. Guests will then make their way through to the Clagett Auditorium for a three course sit-down dinner, with coffee and mints. Afterwards, a seven-piece local function band are welcomed: The Soul Monkeys, who will entertain you throughout the evening. At 11pm there will be a disco until midnight.

For more information please call 01227 865350 or visit the website www.canterburycathedrallodge.org WHAT’S ON AND WHEN

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Leeds Castle Classical Concert Leeds Castle 9th July Back by popular demand, we are thrilled that junior England dance champions Max and Katie will be returning to this year’s Leeds Castle Classical Concert on Saturday 9th July.

Max said: “Dancing is a way of life for us and encompasses every aspect of daily life. The last year has been amazing. We have collected numerous titles, travelled the world and forged friendships that will last a lifetime. This year brings further challenges as we leave the ranks of Junior competition and compete as Adults, with the finest Amateurs from around the world. We are ready to embrace the challenge and take our dancing careers to the next level. Dancing at the Leeds Castle Classical Concert was the highlight of our year and we are very much looking forward to this fabulous event once again”.

For further details call 0845 652 62 62 or visit www.leedscastleconcert.co.uk

Family Fun Day in aid of Breast Cancer Care Mercure Maidstone Great Danes Hotel 17th July

Matt Cardle - Live tour The Orchard Theatre 19th July

Enjoy raffles, face painting, refreshments, bouncy castle, stalls, ice cream and BBQ. Live entertainment all day, with musicians, magicians, dancers, theatre groups and much more. Starts from: 12pm till 4pm.

For more information call 0844 815 9045 or visit www.mercuremaidstone.co.uk

June 2016 sees winner of The X Factor and Brit Award nominee Matt Cardle launch his sensational UK-wide tour.

As the resounding winner of The X Factor’s highest rating series, his breath taking four octave vocal range stunned millions of people in homes across the UK. The show will be at The Orchard Theatre on Tuesday 19th July.

Pre-show dining is also available before the show. The Orchard Theatre’s Restaurant provides a delicious range of, unique and memorable dishes, using the freshest local produce and prepared daily by the Head Chef. Reserve your table when booking your show tickets.

For more information call 01322 282053 or visit www.orchardtheatre.co.uk

Tractor and Smallholding Show Hop Farm 16th - 17th July Come and be part of the show. The Tractor and Smallholding Show is a celebration of rural life the whole family can enjoy. With large crowds expected come and create a weekend to rememeber.

For more details call 01732 445325 or visit the website www.tractorworldshows.co.uk

WHAT’S ON AND WHEN

Castle Concerts Rochester Castle Concert 13th - 16th July A unique event in the summer’s gig calendar, Castle Concerts delivers four nights of live music, staged in the spectacular Rochester Castle Gardens. This stunning and intimate setting, located at the heart of historic Rochester’s town centre, means that this rare entertainment and atmosphere combination are available right on your doorstep.

For more information call 01634 338141 or visit www.thecastleconcerts.co.uk

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HRH The Duke of Kent to visit The 2016 Kent County Show

FUN! for ALL the FAMILY

8th, 9th, 10th

July

WHAT’S ON AND WHEN

The Kent County Show are delighted that HRH The Duke of Kent, KG will be attending on Friday 8th July.

The Duke of Kent became Patron of the Kent County Agricultural Society in 1975 and has been a firm supporter over the decades, attending the show on numerous occasions. His last visit in 2014 saw the Duke officially open the Maidstone Exhibition Hall and helped celebrate the Kent County Agricultural Society’s 50th Anniversary at the Kent Showground in Detling.

The Duke of Kent will be met by Lord Lieutenant of Kent, Viscount De L’Isle and introduced to a number of Kent Officials including: Kathrin Smallwood, High Sheriff; Cllr Derek Butler, Mayor of Maidstone; Alison Broom, Chief Executive of Maidstone Borough Council; Tom Gates, Kent County Council Chairman and Helen Whately, MP for Mid-Kent and Faversham.

The Duke will be accompanied on a tour of the livestock and farming areas of the show, including the Jacob Sheep Society and Kent Young Farmers.

The Duke of Kent will then embark on visits to a number of organisations that he has particular affiliations with: Campaign to Protect Rural England, Dogs Trust and Guide Dogs. The official tour will then go to the Woodland Area to visit Kent Scouts in his capacity of President of the Scout Association and also meet members of the Woodland Trust.

The Duke of Kent will be escorted to the Kent County Agricultural Society drinks reception to watch the Kent Spitfire display on the Members Lawn, where he will be presented to Members of the Society and invited guests.

The Kent County Show starts at 8am and stays open until 6pm although there is no rush to leave as some of the food stands stay open later. The show has over 140 different activities, workshops, displays and competitions which run throughout the day and are often repeated daily.

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W SO ti ee ck ke o T L av hu D e nd ts oi rs d O d i da sa y U p p an T oi d ! nt F m ri en da t y

Bo o t k

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Italian cooking demonstration The Olive Tree Restaurant, Dover 20th July See how to create authentic Italian dishes with Chef Kingsley and enjoy what you have seen being prepared during a two course lunch in our Olive Tree Restaurant. For more information call 01304 821230 or visit www.ramadadover.co.uk

Ramblin Man Fair Mote Park, Maidstone 23rd - 24th July The Ramblin Man Fair is a UK festival bringing the best of Southern Rock, Classic Rock, Progressive Rock, Country and Blues to Mote Park on July 23rd/24th, 2016. Following a hugely successful inaugural year in 2015, Ramblin’ Man Fair returns in 2016. Headlined by Whitesnake and Black Stone Cherry, there will be over 35 acts across the weekend including Thin Lizzy, Europe, Thunder, The Cadillac Three, Hayseed Dixie. Focusing on a core ethic of real ales, great food, fine whiskeys and Rock ‘n’ Roll there will be plenty to do, see, and taste during the weekend.For more information call 02034094673 or visit www.ramblinmanfair.com

Theatre in the courtyard Eastwell Manor 24th July We welcome back The Changeling Theatre Company to our historic courtyard for their delightful performance of this comedy of manners.

Performance only - £21.50.

Pre-performance four course Table d’Hote dinner in the Manor Restaurant from 5.00pm, followed by the performance at 7.00pm - £61.50 per person.

Pre-performance BBQ at the Pavilion Restaurant from 5.00pm, followed by the performance at 7.00pm - £41.50 per person.

Why not stay the night and enjoy all of the above with accommodation in either a Classic Manor bedroom or a Mews Cottage bedroom with full English breakfast. Special accommodation rates are available upon request. For further details call 01233 213020 or visit www.eastwellmanor.co.uk

WHAT’S ON AND WHEN

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BBQ for Heroes 16th - 31st July

Explore Medway open top bus Rochester 25th July - 2nd September There’s no better way to explore what Medway has to offer than aboard the only open top tour bus in Kent.

Tours start from the coach bays at the back of Medway Visitor Information Centre in Rochester - however, if getting to this starting point is a problem, don’t worry you can join the bus at any of the stops en-route.

Simply just turn up at any of the pick-up points and buy your all day, hop on/off ticket from the driver. Sit back and enjoy the onboard commentary provided by Dr. Jack Hunter as he takes you on a fascinating historical journey back to the movies filmed in Medway.

To reach Upnor Castle, you will need to change at Chatham Waterfront Bus Station and catch another bus service and purchase a separate ticket to Upnor. A meet ‘n’ greeter will be on board the bus throughout the service to look after you and ensure you have an enjoyable journey. If you intend to meet the bus travelling by public transport or in your own car, please visit www.medway.gov.uk (parking and transport section). Here you will find a full list on where to park in Rochester and Chatham.

For more information please call 01634 338141 or visit the website www.enjoymedway.org

BBQ for Heroes is a great excuse to get friends over for lovely food, good company and a worthy cause! Just ask everyone to make a donation in exchange for some food - it couldn’t be simpler. When you BBQ, BBQ for Heroes! If the dates don’t work for you, feel free to hold your event on a date that works. Have a BBQ in your local community, get to know colleagues better, and use it to catch up with family, friends and neighbours.

For more details please call on 01980 846459 or visit the website www.bbqforheroes.org.uk

Cobham Hall and Gardens open day Cobham Hall 31st July

Specialist clock tour Belmont House, Faversham 30th July On the last Saturday of each month Jonathan Betts, Senior Horologist from National Maritime Museum, Greenwich conducts a specialist tour around the clocks of Belmont House.

From April to September, pre-booking is recommended. £15.00 per person including entrance into the gardens.

For further details call 01795 890 202 or visit www.belmont-house.org WHAT’S ON AND WHEN

Cobham Hall is an outstandingly beautiful red brick mansion dating from 1584, which demonstrates an exciting combination of Elizabethan, Jacobean, Carolean and 18th Century styles.

The Elizabethan wings date from 1584 while the central section contains the Gilt Hall, wonderfully decorated by John Webb, Inigo Jones’ most celebrated pupil, in 1654.

Further rooms were later decorated by James Wyatt in the 18th Century.

The gardens, landscaped for the 4th Earl of Darnley by Humphrey Repton, are being restored by the Cobham Hall Heritage Trust with extensive tree planting. The Gothic Dairy, The Pump House and some of the classical garden buildings are also being renovated for all of the visitors to enjoy.

The grounds yield many delights for the lover of nature, especially in Spring, when the gardens and woods are resplendent with daffodils, narcissi and a myriad of rare bulbs.

For more information please call 01474 285 906 or visit www.cobhamhall.com/historic-house/open-to-the-public/