tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29804512249656935132024-03-12T08:14:06.231+00:00Kent Today & YesterdayWelcome to my blog about my home county of Kent, England. Here I write about interesting places you can visit, forthcoming events, the rich history of the county, it's colourful residents past and present as well as little known facts and general trivia.Lights 2 Flaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14383019714425986128noreply@blogger.comBlogger96125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2980451224965693513.post-2548577068850567572013-11-30T15:38:00.000+00:002013-11-30T15:39:37.215+00:00In case you were wondering...why there haven't been many blog posts lately, meet Eloise (aka "Little Moo").<br />
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Eloise arrived in February and, together with her big brother Luke, has been keeping us busy.<br />
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Now things have settled down a bit, I'll hopefully be able to spend a bit more time on my walking and blogging.<br />
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Lights 2 Flaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14383019714425986128noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2980451224965693513.post-36252877142054158792013-03-30T18:55:00.001+00:002013-03-30T18:55:39.950+00:00A Mystery SolvedSome time ago I wrote a <strong><a href="http://kenttodayandyesterday.blogspot.co.uk/2010/08/my-darent-valley-walk-part-2.html" target="_blank">post about a mysterious memorial stone</a></strong> I came across in Cockerhurst Road on the outskirts of Shoreham.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr2wCQlm-uRQi2uIOLwsWbiOdhaJXDOXd1Nn6STcwfuvcaZW-Y1HXvdZxB9ElSWyh7r8-qeRGBTljdBfRVowpqc0ILZ0iGjb9DQMp4pGAOPqCh7blj-Y0TcPfbyIqe_sDt4PhkURLQrUWK/s1600/IMG_0229.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr2wCQlm-uRQi2uIOLwsWbiOdhaJXDOXd1Nn6STcwfuvcaZW-Y1HXvdZxB9ElSWyh7r8-qeRGBTljdBfRVowpqc0ILZ0iGjb9DQMp4pGAOPqCh7blj-Y0TcPfbyIqe_sDt4PhkURLQrUWK/s320/IMG_0229.JPG" width="168" /></a></div>
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On one face it is inscribed with a passage taken from the Bible (Hosea) - <strong>"Behold therefore I will allure her and will lead her into the wilderness and there I will speak to her heart".... </strong></div>
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On another face the inscription reads <strong>"Pray for the soul of E.J.G.B".....</strong> </div>
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and on another <strong>"and of A.J.B"</strong>.</div>
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Thanks to tip offs received from members of <strong><a href="http://www.kenthistoryforum.co.uk/" target="_blank">Kent History Forum</a></strong> I have managed to get to find out the origins of the stone.<br />
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The stone was erected in 1928 by a Miss Maud Berkeley in memory of her late father, Dr E J G Berkeley. She lived at Little Timberden in the village and ran a Catholic mission chapel.<br />
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As well as the stone and a seat, she also erected a 15' high teak crucifix with a life size statue of Jesus.<br />
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The crucifix had a somewhat chequered history. <br />
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On the 21st January 1943 it was blown down in a gale and on the 27th October 1960 it suffered an even worse fate. <br />
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The crucifix was deliberately sawn down and the statue of Jesus vandalised. It would appear that some residents of Shoreham thought the towering crucifix an eyesore.<br />
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The crucifix and statue were removed and put into storage for a number of years. Eventually a Miss Cobbold suggested they be relocated to the Carmelite monastery at Quidenham in Norfolk where they remain to this day.<br />
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If you have found this post of interest you may also like....<br />
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<strong><a href="http://kenttodayandyesterday.blogspot.co.uk/2009/08/white-cross-of-shoreham-kent.html" target="_blank">The White Cross of Shoreham</a></strong><br />
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<a href="http://kenttodayandyesterday.blogspot.co.uk/2010/06/my-darent-valley-walk-part-1-farningham.html" target="_blank"><strong>My Darent Valley Walk Part 1</strong></a><br />
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<strong><a href="http://kenttodayandyesterday.blogspot.co.uk/2011/05/tin-tabarnacles-in-kent.html" target="_blank">Tin Tabernacles in Kent</a></strong><br />
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<br />Lights 2 Flaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14383019714425986128noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2980451224965693513.post-64737939019269665022013-01-26T10:18:00.000+00:002013-03-30T18:59:43.465+00:00Kent Big Weekend 2013Once again Kent and Medway residents have the chance to apply for free entry tickets to many popular attractions in Kent over the weekend of 23rd/24th March.<br />
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The closing date for applications is the 18th February and tickets are allocated by ballot. Over the last few years we have usually been lucky enough to get tickets and had some enjoyable days out.<br />
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Participating attractions this year include Leeds Castle, Wildwood, The Historic Dockyard and Royal Engineers Museum.<br />
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For further details please see the Big Weekend web site <a href="http://www.mykentbigweekend.co.uk/" target="_blank">http://www.mykentbigweekend.co.uk</a><br />
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Good Luck!<br />
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<strong>UPDATE</strong> - we won tickets for the Canterbuy Tales....Lights 2 Flaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14383019714425986128noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2980451224965693513.post-855244471355601082013-01-03T00:07:00.002+00:002013-01-03T00:08:57.316+00:00The Rochester Cathedral FrescoOne of my favourite places to visit in Kent is Rochester Cathedral. <br />
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Virtually every time we are in Rochester we drop in for another look around and no matter how many times we've been before we always seem to notice something interesting we've previously missed.<br />
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One piece of artwork that is totally unmissable, however, is the fresco painted by Russian artist Sergey Fyodorov in 2004 to mark the 1400th anniversary of the founding of the cathedral.<br />
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The upper part of the fresco depicts the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan by John the Baptist. The dove above Jesus's head symbolises the spirit of God and the fish/sea monster represents the old pagan religions being superseded by the new religion of Christianity. Jesus is attended by angels.<br />
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Below Jesus's feet is a portrait of the Virgin Mary flanked by the two main apostles Peter and Paul and the four evangelists Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.<br />
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The lower section of the fresco depicts events of great significance to Kent (and indeed British) history. <br />
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The lower left hand side of the fresco shows the Anglo Saxon King Ethelbert being baptised by Saint Augustine in 597 AD at Canterbury.<br />
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Augustine was a Christian missionary sent to Kent from Rome by Pope Gregory I - possibly at the behest of King Ethelbert's wife Bertha (who was already a Christian and daughter of Charibert, King of the Franks).<br />
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King Ethelbert later went on to establish many churches during his reign.<br />
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The lower right hand half of the fresco depicts Bishop Justus giving communion to newly baptised Anglo Saxons emerging from the River Medway.<br />
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Justus was another missionary sent from Rome to Kent in around 601 AD. In 604 AD he became the first Bishop of Rochester and in 624 AD the fourth Archbishop of Canterbury.<br />
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The Cathedral is open daily and admission is <u>FREE</u>. <br />
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If you have enjoyed reading this post, please feel free to leave a comment.<br />
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More posts you may like....<br />
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<strong><a href="http://kenttodayandyesterday.blogspot.co.uk/2009/12/admiral-sir-cloudesley-shovell-1650.html" target="_blank">Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell</a></strong><br />
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<strong><a href="http://kenttodayandyesterday.blogspot.co.uk/2009/11/day-trip-to-rochester.html" target="_blank">Day Trip to Rochester</a></strong><br />
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<strong><a href="http://kenttodayandyesterday.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/walk-by-thames-and-medway-canal.html" target="_blank">A Walk by the Thames and Medway Canal</a></strong><br />
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<br />Lights 2 Flaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14383019714425986128noreply@blogger.com4Rochester, Medway, UK51.389137343933207 0.5029034614562988351.387898843933208 0.50038196145629887 51.390375843933207 0.50542496145629878tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2980451224965693513.post-3249789150193427342012-12-11T23:42:00.003+00:002012-12-20T00:09:43.483+00:00Goodbye Kingswear Castle<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This morning the steam paddle steamer Kingswear Castle made her final trip down the River Medway under tow from the tug Christine.<br />
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The Kingswear Castle has been a regular sight on the river for the past thirty years operating popular pleasure cruises particularly from the Historic Dockyard at Chatham.<br />
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She was built in Dartmouth, Devon in 1924 and plied the River Dart until 1965 when she was saved from the breakers yard and brought to the Medway for restoration.<br />
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The process has now gone full circle.The Kingswear Castle is currently heading back home to the River Dart. <br />
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She has been chartered by the Dartmouth Steam Railway and River Boat Company and will be kept busy carrying tourists for the foreseeable future.<br />
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If you have enjoyed reading this post, you may also like...<br />
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<strong><a href="http://kenttodayandyesterday.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/voyage-to-dark-side.html" target="_blank">Voyage to the Dark Side</a></strong><br />
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<strong><a href="http://kenttodayandyesterday.blogspot.co.uk/2011/04/rochesters-lightning-on-move.html" target="_blank">Rochester's Lightning on the Move</a></strong><br />
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<strong><a href="http://kenttodayandyesterday.blogspot.co.uk/2009/11/day-trip-to-rochester.html" target="_blank">Day Trip to Rochester</a></strong><br />
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<strong>UPDATE</strong> 15.12.12 - Kingswear Castle is currently sheltering in Portland due to bad weather in the Channel. She was only built as a river ship so not really ideal for the open sea.<br />
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<strong>UPDATE</strong> 20.12.12 - Kingswear Castle made it safely to the River Dart!<br />
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<br />Lights 2 Flaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14383019714425986128noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2980451224965693513.post-76049944228138992782012-12-06T16:44:00.002+00:002012-12-29T23:06:08.634+00:00Final Voyage of the Pride of Dover - updateFurther to my <a href="http://kenttodayandyesterday.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/final-voyage-of-pride-of-dover-or-was-it.html" target="_blank"><strong>last post about the Pride of Dover</strong></a>, it appears that she is now indeed on her final voyage to Turkish shipbreakers after all.<br />
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She spent several days sheltering in Lyme Bay waiting for a weather window to safely cross the Bay of Biscay. <br />
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Any seafarer will tell you that the Bay of Biscay should be treated with utmost respect - especially at this time of year.<br />
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The latest report (at around 6 AM this morning) was that she was passing Brest at around 5 knots heading for Tuzla, Turkey.<br />
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UPDATE - The Pride of Dover arrived at Aliaga, Turkey on 27th December 2012.<br />
<br />Lights 2 Flaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14383019714425986128noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2980451224965693513.post-75408146299957785272012-12-01T22:58:00.000+00:002012-12-01T23:00:09.185+00:00Final Voyage of the Pride of Dover - or was it?On 29th November 2012 the P & O ferry "Pride of Dover" which had operated the Dover to Calais route between 1987 and 2010 left her lay up berth in Tilbury Docks bound under tow on her final voyage to Turkish ship breakers - or did she?....<br />
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First the vessel, imaginatively renamed "Pride" for the delivery voyage to Turkey, was carefully manoeuvred out of Tilbury Docks by three tugs and moored alongside <strong><a href="http://kenttodayandyesterday.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/voyage-to-dark-side.html" target="_blank">Tilbury Landing Stage</a></strong> so that she could be connected to the deep sea tug "Eide Fighter".<br />
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After a short stay alongside the Landing Stage she headed off slowly down the Thames. Here are some pictures taken from the <strong><a href="http://kenttodayandyesterday.blogspot.co.uk/2009/08/saxon-shore-way.html" target="_blank">Saxon Shore Way</a></strong> at Gravesend close to my office. <br />
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A close up of the 8000 BHP tug "Eide Fighter" registered in Nassau, Bahamas.<br />
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Despite the bitter cold, the sun decided to put in a brief appearance.<br />
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The last shot of her heading down the Estuary with the "Svitzer Mercia" acting as stern tug to assist with steering. Further down the Estuary the "Svitzer Mercia" left the "Eide Fighter" and "Pride" to their own devices.<br />
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The voyage to Turkey was expected to take just under thirty days. Through the wonders of the Internet it is now usually possible to track ships at sea. <br />
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The "Eide Fighter" and her tow were making slow but steady progress down the English Channel... that was until today.<br />
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On checking earlier today it appears that instead of heading down the Channel in the direction of Turkey, the "Eide Fighter" has made a u-turn and is now heading back up the Channel...<br />
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Could the "Pride" have had a last minute reprieve?<br />
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It is my understanding that the ferry's engines were in a very poor state which is why she was sold for scrap in Turkey rather than to another ferry company for further trading.<br />
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No doubt all will be revealed in the next week or two.<br />
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In the meantime, to end this post, is a picture of the "Pride of Dover" in happier times making her way into Dover harbour...<br />
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If you have enjoyed reading this post you may also like....</div>
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<strong><a href="http://kenttodayandyesterday.blogspot.co.uk/2009/12/admiral-sir-cloudesley-shovell-1650.html" target="_blank">Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell</a></strong></div>
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<strong><a href="http://kenttodayandyesterday.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/walk-by-thames-and-medway-canal.html" target="_blank">A Walk by the Thames and Medway Canal</a></strong></div>
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<strong><a href="http://kenttodayandyesterday.blogspot.co.uk/2011/06/long-john-silver-cumbers.html" target="_blank">Long John Silver Cumbers</a></strong></div>
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Lights 2 Flaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14383019714425986128noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2980451224965693513.post-20692735874677164712012-11-27T22:10:00.000+00:002012-11-27T22:10:32.179+00:00Tin Tabarnacles in KentWhat is a tin tabernacle?<br />
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A tin tabernacle, also sometimes known as a tin chapel, was a "temporary" building constructed from corrugated iron built during the late Victorian era and used for religious worship.</div>
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The late Victorian period was a time of religious missionary zeal and the Anglican church sought to spread the word particularly in rural areas such as Kent. Farm labourers and seasonal hop pickers would often find themselves living many miles walk from the nearest parish church.</div>
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To overcome this problem, tin tabernacles were built in the countryside as satellites of the parish churches. The minister would travel out to the tin tabernacle to deliver the Sunday sermon to the farm labourers and their families.<br />
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Although the tin tabernacles were only intended to be temporary structures in lieu of a more permanent building some can still be found in Kent well over one hundred years later.<br />
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<img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5605597211381981618" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRfUlRdPUhFa3GVLxsZo2XhY4LGQEkbqR7uYI1_T-AnCpD-8Y-Ak-fBU388NQXzhvbeaMSHFFGOuiqJA34oRl3V0w7cz-atcHdNCcZPH2lrc95itxLe6DVteSUL4saQYo6oMdXZ4_Oml_E/s400/IMG_9751.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /><br />
The example pictured above was originally constructed in 1897 and located in Cuxton (near Rochester) but was dismantled and moved to the Museum of Kent Life in Sandling (near Maidstone) in 2000 where it is open to the public.<br />
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<img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5605597982518637218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWM0sPPwYWo7qfRvbks4cbKGfShrr4BVlllmPiHZnJYVTB4R4X4CQrLXfl_r09kjH3G7YQb8CJ-jY-4pHnSdOjjYw1vg3ghqcO-_ZLn1-QF3KQxecq96FQ6ZurC5u6rmwZbjhtK7aDTcWa/s400/IMG_9749.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /><br />
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The tin tabernacles were usually very spartan inside as can be seen above.<br />
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<img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5605595743200383026" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNxmisyb5CqNJYmVuAQieAG27XLsLh2JsdlSKgkwoDUIFojNNhpmRCAatb8zmSqC1ZHTdHM2kP9dLJkf7G0MOITO8bj4OOeg3DrJS-UCHUFEeDJvUcjmAnZllWEsx7ybqOsIsaljf9MyDo/s400/010_edited-1.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 320px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" />I came across the St Mary's Church Room in Sole Street by accident during a recent walk. As far as I can tell from looking at old Ordnance Survey maps it dates back to around 1880. Sole Street is a small rural village a few miles from Gravesend which grew up around the railway station which opened in 1861.</div>
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Unusually for a tin tabernacle this one has a stained glass window.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib86eON0u5MkcKf-I92Ao9pew7wDXQYLbAPLcaBqC1EwmBchyEas35rpDYJnUnJZx8GNuSos98DJVk4eAPvwFBbwTYnnc_wZA5HJFlGW2ZQXWHg8YNAHAmWVgajUv8KIINh5f-sOMNMQI8/s1600/120.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5605596537693667826" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib86eON0u5MkcKf-I92Ao9pew7wDXQYLbAPLcaBqC1EwmBchyEas35rpDYJnUnJZx8GNuSos98DJVk4eAPvwFBbwTYnnc_wZA5HJFlGW2ZQXWHg8YNAHAmWVgajUv8KIINh5f-sOMNMQI8/s400/120.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>Lastly another one I came across by accident on a walk around Halstead. This is not technically at tin tabernacle as it is made from wood but interesting all the same! It is located in Otford Lane and was known as the Mission Church.</div>
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At the time the church was constructed in 1891 most of Otford Lane lay in neighbouring Shoreham parish. Until that time the labourers and fruit pickers working on the farms and orchards there faced a walk of two or three miles to their proper parish church. </div>
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Eventually in 1938 Otford Lane was brought completely into Halstead parish. The Mission Church remained in use until 1985.</div>
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If you have enjoyed this post, you may also like....</div>
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<b><a href="http://kenttodayandyesterday.blogspot.com/2009/08/white-cross-of-shoreham-kent.html">The White Cross of Shoreham</a></b></div>
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<b><a href="http://kenttodayandyesterday.blogspot.com/2010/05/visit-to-west-malling.html">A visit to West Malling</a></b></div>
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<b><a href="http://kenttodayandyesterday.blogspot.com/2011/01/general-charles-gordon-victorian-hero.html">General Charles Gordon - A Victorian Hero</a></b></div>
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Lights 2 Flaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14383019714425986128noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2980451224965693513.post-51134530007988591192012-11-11T11:00:00.000+00:002012-11-11T11:00:06.482+00:00Remembrance Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A poppy placed alongside a sailor's name... one of the 18500 commemorated on the Royal Navy memorial in Chatham.<br />
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<br />Lights 2 Flaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14383019714425986128noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2980451224965693513.post-44026948568885569222012-11-11T00:48:00.000+00:002012-11-11T00:50:41.401+00:00My Big Walk - Day 4 - Arpinge to Dover CastleI'm finally getting a chance to write a post about the fourth and final day of my <a href="http://www.chyps.org/" target="_blank"><strong>ChYps</strong></a> charity walk from Northfleet to Dover Castle back in August. <br />
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Unfortunately my PC has been out of action for some time but I've finally got the old girl back up and running again.<br />
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Following on from <strong><a href="http://kenttodayandyesterday.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/my-big-walk-day-3-hothfield-to-arpinge.html" target="_blank">my day 3 post</a></strong>, I left the <a href="http://www.pigeonwood.com/" target="_blank"><strong>guest house at Arpinge</strong></a> early after a hearty full English breakfast freshly cooked by Mary the landlady. The guest house is located only a short distance off the North Downs Way (NDW) so I was soon back on track.<br />
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This final section of the NDW closely follows the coastline giving great views over the English Channel - on a clear day the coast of France is clearly visible about twenty or so miles away. <br />
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During the Second World War the coastal area of Kent was particularly heavily defended and many of the fortifications are still in place like this pill box above slowly being reclaimed by nature in a field near the guest house.<br />
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My first major landmark of the day was Cheriton Hill which overlooks the Channel Tunnel rail complex. The site covers a huge area and the scale of the operation is impressive. For readers not based in the UK, this is where cars and freight vehicles are loaded onto rail waggons for transit via the Channel Tunnel to France.<br />
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The NDW undulates over a number of steep hills like Castle Hill above - quite hard going when you have already walked nearly sixty miles over the previous few days. <br />
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The Normans built a castle on top of the hill shortly after the Conquest in around 1100. The information board shows an artist's impression of how it would have looked at the time.<br />
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I was a bit surprised when I came across these fine ladies but fortunately they were friendly! <br />
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The view from inside another Second World War pillbox overlooking Folkestone. The weather was good the day I passed by but I would not fancy spending a night on duty there in mid Winter.<br />
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A welcome sight as by this stage my feet were finished. I had blisters on top of blisters and every step was an effort. The last day was definitely proving to be the hardest.<br />
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The views made up for the pain and I was also spurred on by the knowledge that I wasn't far from the Battle of Britain memorial at Capel le Ferne where I could get a restorative cup of tea and bite to eat. <br />
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The memorial was opened by the Queen Mother on the 9th July 1993 as a permanent tribute to the almost 3000 aircrew who served during the battle. The centre piece is a statue of a pilot looking out over the English Channel.<br />
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Full scale replicas of a Hawker Hurricane and Supermarine Spitfire are on display outside the cafe. <br />
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As I went in to get my tea I overheard a member of staff very patiently and politely explaining to some American tourists that the Battle of Britain was in 1940 and the Second World War had actually started in 1939 and not 1941....<br />
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I would have liked to have spent more time looking around but had to press on as my wife and son were meeting me at Dover Castle and I didn't fancy walking home again...<br />
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Just outside Capel le Ferne is a concrete sound mirror which was erected in the late 1930's. Before the introduction of radar, sounds mirrors were used as a crude early warning system to detect enemy aircraft. The sound of the aircraft's engines were amplified by the shape of the mirror. <br />
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Unfortunately the system did not prove very successful. <br />
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When the mirrors were first conceived aircraft were slow biplanes which could be detected in sufficient time for fighter aircraft to be scrambled or AA batteries alerted. <br />
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However, by the Second World War fast monoplane fighters like the Bf 109 could only be detected with a few minutes notice. Luckily radar was developed and introduced otherwise the outcome of the Battle of Britain may have been different.<br />
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My first view of Dover Western Docks in the distance. Only a few more hills to go...<br />
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The NDW descends from Shakespeare Cliff down into Dover then passes under the A20 and through the grounds of the Western Heights, fortifications built to defend us from our Gallic friends.<br />
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Finally journey's end in sight and one last hill to climb.<br />
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The castle was hosting a Roman re-enactment event so it was packed out when I finally arrived on Bank Holiday Monday.</div>
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My wife and son were waiting for me. He had apparently been charging around like a lunatic for a couple of hours which probably explains why he looks redder than me in the photo. <br />
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He had also managed to acquire an authentic Roman looking spear for good measure with which to terrorise the cats when he got home.<br />
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I was pleased to have completed the walk. <br />
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In the most part it was a very enjoyable experience and with the help and encouragement of family, friends and business colleagues we managed to raise over £ 800 for the work of <a href="http://www.chyps.org/" target="_blank"><strong>ChYps</strong></a> children's hospice.<br />
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If you have enjoyed reading this post you may also like....<br />
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<a href="http://kenttodayandyesterday.blogspot.co.uk/2010/08/remembering-few-in-kent.html" target="_blank"><strong>Remembering the Few in Kent</strong></a><br />
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<a href="http://kenttodayandyesterday.blogspot.co.uk/2011/04/leybourne-castle.html" target="_blank"><strong>Leybourne Castle</strong></a><br />
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<a href="http://kenttodayandyesterday.blogspot.co.uk/2010/03/kitty-gordon-kents-colourful-silent.html" target="_blank"><strong>Kitty Gordon - Kent's Colourful Silent Movie Star</strong></a><br />
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Lights 2 Flaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14383019714425986128noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2980451224965693513.post-36286952634899909772012-08-30T01:41:00.000+01:002012-11-18T15:07:59.450+00:00My Big Walk - Day 3 - Hothfield to ArpingeAfter arriving in Hothfield and checking into my hotel for the night I wandered across to the neighbouring pub The Hop Pickers for something to eat and was pleasantly surprised to see that they had a <b><a href="http://www.chyps.org/" target="_blank">ChYps</a></b> collection box behind the bar even though they are 35 miles from the hospice.<br />
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The service and food in the pub were both very good and I can recommend a visit if you find yourself in the area.</div>
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After a good night's sleep and a hearty full English breakfast I was raring to go the next morning. This was to be the longest and most pleasant day of the walk. </div>
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Setting off from Hothfield I walked along very quiet country lanes to Westwell where I rejoined the Pilgrims' Way/NDW passing the camp site and resident chickens at Dunn Street....</div>
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then across the fields to Eastwell manor which is now a country house hotel and golf course. The NDW passes through the grounds of the hotel and on to Boughton Lees.</div>
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I nearly trod on this little chap hiding in the long grass. I think it may be a grouse chick. Boughton Lees is a small village with a well manicured cricket pitch on the green. The green is also home to the immaculately maintained village war memorial.</div>
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The next village on my route was Wye on the River Stour. I walked over the bridge and stopped off at the Tickled Trout for a couple of pints (of orange juice and lemonade!).</div>
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As I arrived in Wye, the village fete was in full swing. I got chatting to an elderly gentleman and he told me that his 102 year old mother in law was going to be cutting the ribbon on the village sign later in the afternoon. She had lived in Wye nearly all her life and was the oldest resident.</div>
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Unfortunately I didn't have time to stay and watch as I still had a lot of miles to cover. Leaving Wye the NDW climbs up steep hills called the Wye Downs. A crown symbol was cut into the hillside in 1902 to commemorate the coronation of King Edward VII.</div>
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The views from above the Wye Crown have to be some of the best in Kent. It was so clear I could see as far as Romney Marsh.</div>
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The NDW passes a natural geological feature called the Devil's Kneading Trough which was formed around 10000 years ago during the last ice age.</div>
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The sides of the valley drop away steeply several hundred feet. I continued on the NDW for several more miles heading for the village of Stowting where I discovered an excellent watering hole called the Tiger Inn. Here I stopped for a few more pints of orange juice and lemonade. </div>
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The pub was absolutely heaving and the food being served looked really good. I would imagine that most of the people in the pub had travelled some distance to get there as the village only consists of a few houses.</div>
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After leaving the pub I had several more steep hills to climb. The area is about 550' above sea level - this is high by Kent standards. </div>
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My next landmark was the radio transmitter on Tolsford Hill at Etchinghill. </div>
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Near the transmitter tower the NDW passes over some heathland used for military training and then passes under one of the remaining bridges of the Elham Valley Railway which used to run from Canterbury to Folkestone. The line was dismantled in the early 1950's.</div>
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After passing under the bridge I climbed my last hill of the day and finally made it to my B & B in Arpinge at about 7 PM. I had been walking for nine and a half hours and covered 21 miles.</div>
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The B & B is called <a href="http://www.pigeonwood.com/" target="_blank">Pigeonwood </a>House and was built in 1769. It is run by a very friendly lady called Mary. The rooms are comfortable and the place is kept spotlessly clean. If you are looking for a quiet place to stay in the country look no further. </div>
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Total miles walked since leaving the hospice on Friday - 56 miles.</div>
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Number of blisters - far too many!</div>
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If you would like to help ChYps look after seriously ill Kent children in their own homes, you can make a donation here....</div>
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<b><a href="http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/glenhumble">http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/glenhumble</a></b></div>
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Thanks for your continued support. </div>
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UPDATE - for the last day of My Big Walk please see <strong><a href="http://kenttodayandyesterday.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/my-big-walk-day-4-arpinge-to-dover.html" target="_blank">here</a></strong></div>
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Lights 2 Flaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14383019714425986128noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2980451224965693513.post-3802026892965035602012-08-25T22:40:00.000+01:002012-11-18T15:02:53.736+00:00My Big Walk - Day 2 - Detling to HothfieldDay two of my big walk started off this morning where I had finished off yesterday at the Cock Horse Inn at Detling parts of which date back to the 17th Century.<br />
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Things did not get off to a good start. The weather was atrocious with constant drizzle. To make matters worse the first part of today's walk was along the Pilgrims' Way to Thurnham. The Pilgrims' Way at this point is nothing more than a country lane not even wide enough for two cars to pass each other and with no pavement.<br />
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I spent the next 30 minutes or so dodging cars and then some dinkle decided to drive a 7.5 tonne truck up the lane. I leave the ensuing chaos to your imagination!<br />
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In Thurnham I rejoined the North Downs Way (NDW) and headed steeply uphill past the ruins of Thurnham Castle to the top of the ridge. All the time the rain continued unabated and to make matters even more depressing the wind picked up to virtually gale force.<br />
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On a clear day the views would be great but as you can see....<br />
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The NDW winds through the woods at the top of the ridge and undulates up and down. Due to the rain the going was muddy and slippery.<br />
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After what seemed like forever I finally made it to Hollingbourne. A distance of only 5 miles from Detling. I think it had actually taken me just over two hours. The traditional Kent finger post showed I still had another 15 miles to go to Ashford close to my destination for the day.<br />
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The NDW passes the Dirty Habit. I was going to go in for a tea or coffee to warm up until I noticed a sign making it clear that muddy boots were NOT welcome!<br />
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The next town en route was Harrietsham which I could see in the valley below. On the outskirts of Harrietsham the rain finally started to ease off slightly.<br />
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I continued on towards Lenham passing around the back of the Marley works and Stede Court nature reserve where I came across this carving of a weary pilgrim sitting on a bench.<br />
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By this stage I was very wet and a bit fed up.<br />
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Finally after about four hours of continual drizzle the sun came out. However, the wind continued to gust. Not much fun when you're walking into it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv2ZSb8YkttEDhvIlBXtN99FY9AJ8iAyfUm06OFJsIjLGeXFT_A47MPHtWCqnevV812HZw6RpNjNd7xNiC3mMkoLfnXzTldNRnB61vupL-Myt3aivvzMYXv012MNLO8wz_jb2e2XP8bP3Y/s1600/040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv2ZSb8YkttEDhvIlBXtN99FY9AJ8iAyfUm06OFJsIjLGeXFT_A47MPHtWCqnevV812HZw6RpNjNd7xNiC3mMkoLfnXzTldNRnB61vupL-Myt3aivvzMYXv012MNLO8wz_jb2e2XP8bP3Y/s320/040.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I stopped to take some pictures of the Lenham Cross cut into the hillside in 1922 like <a href="http://kenttodayandyesterday.blogspot.co.uk/2009/08/white-cross-of-shoreham-kent.html" target="_blank"><b>the one at Shoreham</b></a> to commemorate the fallen of the Great War (and later Second World War).<br />
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The next leg of the walk was through to Charing where I planned to find a cafe for a cuppa. When I did eventually get to Charing it looked like the whole place was deserted. I half expected to see a clump of tumbleweed blow along the High Street. No cafe. No cuppa.<br />
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Looking at my map I could see it was only another couple of miles on to Hothfield just outside Ashford where I was staying the night so I gave up on Charing and headed straight there.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">The last bit through to Hothfield was beside the busy A20, not the best bit of the</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);"> walk so <span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">far.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">Total miles walked on day two - 16 miles. Number of blisters - too many! Number of sponsors today - not enough!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">Total miles walked since leaving the hospice yesterday - 35 miles.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">The halfway point has been reached.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">Tomorrow's walk will be through to Arpinge near Folkestone. Lots more hills for me to look forward to. .</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br />If you would like to help the ChYps kids get the care and support they need, please sponsor me now at -</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><a href="http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/glenhumble">http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/glenhumble</a></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">Many thanks for your continued support.</span><br />
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UPDATE - for Day 3 of My Big Walk please see <strong><a href="http://kenttodayandyesterday.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/my-big-walk-day-3-hothfield-to-arpinge.html" target="_blank">here</a></strong><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span>Lights 2 Flaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14383019714425986128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2980451224965693513.post-80799401748126261282012-08-25T01:44:00.002+01:002012-11-18T14:55:56.615+00:00My Big Walk - Day 1 - Northfleet to Detling<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
As promised here is a post about day one of <b><a href="http://kenttodayandyesterday.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/my-longest-walk-yet-and-why-im-doing-it.html" target="_blank">my big walk from Gravesend to Dover</a></b> to raise funds for <b><a href="http://www.chyps.org/" target="_blank">ChYps</a></b> children's hospice.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkC5Yw4ft0_-Y8k977c4p3XRkrN8-64kbIy60hyZQgmSCxAFiFXyMB7AwZ2hQIAGAboLTfSp4YnWKToIE-MwqInTFlT6x_lNoUf_pxaXJYsBBShBS4db5LQ6lGUSLJt6_3BQOSIq_B2mER/s1600/410.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkC5Yw4ft0_-Y8k977c4p3XRkrN8-64kbIy60hyZQgmSCxAFiFXyMB7AwZ2hQIAGAboLTfSp4YnWKToIE-MwqInTFlT6x_lNoUf_pxaXJYsBBShBS4db5LQ6lGUSLJt6_3BQOSIq_B2mER/s320/410.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
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I was sent on my way by my wife and son and Tess from ChYps at just after 9 AM Friday 24th August.<br />
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A short way down the road from the hospice I noticed the road sign above which was quite apt. After leaving the hospice I joined the Wealdway close to the new cyclopark which has recently opened in Gravesend. The Wealdway is a long distance path linking Gravesend with Eastbourne in Sussex.<br />
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I only stayed on the Wealdway for about a mile or so as far as Ifield Court where I joined another path leading through fields and farmland in the direction of Jeskyns Wood. The only company I had on this part of the walk was my friend shown above.<br />
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I walked through Cobham village passing the church. It was about 10 AM and everything was quiet. I joined a long road called Lodge Lane which runs uphill through Lodge Farm and then into the woods. </div>
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At the top of the hill in a clearing in the woods is the Darnley Mausoleum which dates back to the 18th Century - more about that in a future post. I stopped at the Mausoleum for a quick break and to check my e-mails and tweets (I know - very sad!). I was pleased to see that donations were continuing to come in at a steady rate.</div>
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After a long walk through the woods I eventually hit the North Downs Way near Cuxton. </div>
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From this point on my route will basically be following the North Downs Way (NDW) all the way through to Dover. The next major landmark or actually landmarks are the three bridges which cross the River Medway. There are two road bridges which carry the M2 motorway and a rail bridge for Eurostar and hi speed trains.<br />
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My great uncle was a civil engineer and he worked on construction of the first road bridge in the 1960's. </div>
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I have driven over the bridges hundreds of times but it was the first time I'd walked across. Just before reaching the elevated section of the bridge I saw the sign below.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNEl3YIqch5Hu8dmV9mpstvT33b0l4XieZzRDVRgnwZbxwAR8Bp9cH_8oQAO1I5dteHuylPjc3ITsXijyO1Ai_R8iBkNNWuD-2Jz8-RMC20doC8eVzpJrwRd09ErkqdyvF6UR-wGZ-NnAl/s1600/446.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNEl3YIqch5Hu8dmV9mpstvT33b0l4XieZzRDVRgnwZbxwAR8Bp9cH_8oQAO1I5dteHuylPjc3ITsXijyO1Ai_R8iBkNNWuD-2Jz8-RMC20doC8eVzpJrwRd09ErkqdyvF6UR-wGZ-NnAl/s320/446.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The bridge is certainly very high and it would make a mess of you if you fell/jumped off...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitrdepeZe4rP6unfaic3uYYiEeuE1KbP9hjtuNTjNBwx1nfY6ZblnR6tCjlZWnEMcXIAJhXbUK00DE_LqhydzVv7TdWjx7Oe4FL_W8iP1FPYUmrQf8UKWCWT2DUWnM4qlruACtwZH6mLfu/s1600/450.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitrdepeZe4rP6unfaic3uYYiEeuE1KbP9hjtuNTjNBwx1nfY6ZblnR6tCjlZWnEMcXIAJhXbUK00DE_LqhydzVv7TdWjx7Oe4FL_W8iP1FPYUmrQf8UKWCWT2DUWnM4qlruACtwZH6mLfu/s320/450.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
In the above picture you can (just about) see Rochester Castle and Cathedral in the distance (left of the picture). The walk across the bridge was noisy with the volume of traffic. Soon after the NDW crosses into Nashenden Down Nature Reserve and climbs uphill.<br />
<br />
There are good views of the Medway Valley from the top of the ridge. At this point the sun had come out and it was quite warm so I stopped for another quick break before continuing on.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtiKLiGs0TMsobEkph67EG1-_ih7d3nz084SI6gCONXPTdhou3ph1LKk0FhLSwoaxUn4BOBB7lgYOm-EYy_YcBbG39pY7qx8GzXKDHWcRTCtOne0I3kwEBdlS-yyzKNBP0s_rAMHT59kek/s1600/455.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtiKLiGs0TMsobEkph67EG1-_ih7d3nz084SI6gCONXPTdhou3ph1LKk0FhLSwoaxUn4BOBB7lgYOm-EYy_YcBbG39pY7qx8GzXKDHWcRTCtOne0I3kwEBdlS-yyzKNBP0s_rAMHT59kek/s320/455.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
In the middle of the woods there is a pub called the Robin Hood. I decided to treat myself to a pint and a sandwich. They were both very nice and the bar staff were polite and friendly but at £ 8.20 I thought I'd bought shares in the place. What happened to robbing the rich to pay the poor? Perhaps the place should be renamed...<br />
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About a mile or so on from the Robin Hood is the viewing point at the top of Bluebell Hill, one of the highest hills in Kent at around 525'. At the viewing point is a memorial to the crew of the Kent Air Ambulance who died in a crash.<br />
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The Medway Valley has been inhabited for many thousands of years. About another mile from the viewing point at Bluebell Hill is Kits Coty the remains of a Neolithic burial chamber. After passing Kits Coty I headed into the woods above Boxley.<br />
<br />
Another steep climb. At the same time the weather decided to misbehave and it started to chuck it down. Fortunately the tree cover was quite dense most of the time so I didn't get too wet at this point.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZrCEOHKUtxwhwKMxiNG07RCzTwvyTD6Wp7Ml_gAXEq4CMxvDptOCQArXT7WjzMkrrpaOBiPpdfg_l1y60rdvRv5wCmgh3FQLgYu8jj2xbvZ4-5GsFyIQmYVJEc0yRGVUx_ezOKOqD7KTU/s1600/466.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZrCEOHKUtxwhwKMxiNG07RCzTwvyTD6Wp7Ml_gAXEq4CMxvDptOCQArXT7WjzMkrrpaOBiPpdfg_l1y60rdvRv5wCmgh3FQLgYu8jj2xbvZ4-5GsFyIQmYVJEc0yRGVUx_ezOKOqD7KTU/s320/466.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
In the wood I came across a NDW marker showing "only" 46 miles to Dover. Also in the woods I noted some deep craters approximately 20-30' deep and very symmetrical. I suspect these may be bomb craters from World War II. Either poorly aimed German bombs which should have been destined for RAF Detling or jettisoned bombs. I have raised this on a local history forum and will report back if there are any further developments.<br />
<br />
Finally after about four miles walking through the woods I reached my planned finishing point for the day - Detling.<br />
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The village was cut into two halves by the A249 trunk road in 1962 and no proper pedestrian crossing was put in place. Over the years several local people, mainly elderly, were killed trying to cross the road and get from one side of the village to the other.<br />
<br />
On 16th December 2000 there was a double tragedy when an eight year old girl called Jade Hobbs and her grandmother were both knocked down and killed. The residents of Detling had been campaigning for twenty years to get a safe pedestrian crossing built.<br />
<br />
Following the tragedy in 2000 the residents, together with the local council and others raised funds to build a footbridge which opened in 2002. The bridge was named in memory of Jade.<br />
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<div>
<br /></div>
Just the other side of Jade's crossing is a memorial to the airmen and ground crew that served at RAF Detling between 1915 and 1945. The airbase closed in 1959 and what remains of the site is now used as an exhibition ground.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I reached Detling at 5 PM. Eight hours walking including a few pit stops. Nineteen miles. Three blisters so far.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
On day two I will be walking from where I left off in Detling through to Ashford. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
There is still plenty of time to sponsor me and make all the blisters worthwhile.... Just go to my Virgin Money Giving page at the link below.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/glenhumble"><b>http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/glenhumble</b></a><br />
<br />
Many thanks for your continued support and remember to look out for the next update.<br />
<br />
UPDATE - For Day 2 of My Big Walk please see<strong> </strong><a href="http://kenttodayandyesterday.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/my-big-walk-day-2-detling-to-hothfield.html" target="_blank"><strong>here</strong></a><br />
<br /></div>
Lights 2 Flaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14383019714425986128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2980451224965693513.post-67699942971975784942012-08-24T00:10:00.001+01:002012-08-25T21:51:09.805+01:00My Big Walk - 9 Hours to Go and Fame at LastJust a quick post to update you all on <a href="http://kenttodayandyesterday.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/my-longest-walk-yet-and-why-im-doing-it.html" target="_blank"><b>My Big Walk</b></a> which is due to commence in only nine hours from now.<br />
<br />
Regular readers of this blog will know that I am walking from the <a href="http://www.chyps.org/" target="_blank"><b>ChYps </b></a>children's hospice in Northfleet (near Gravesend) to Dover Castle over the forthcoming Bank Holiday weekend - a total distance of around 70 miles.<br />
<br />
I am pleased to inform you that I have already managed to hit my initial sponsorship target of £ 500 before taking a single step thanks to the generosity of Kent businesses, friends and family, readers of this blog and my Twitter and Facebook followers.<br />
<br />
Now that I have hit the £ 500 mark I am sure that more sponsorship will follow once the walk gets underway.<br />
<br />
If you would like to sponsor me and help seriously ill children in North and West Kent and the London Borough of Bexley receive treatment in their owns homes, please visit my Virgin Money Giving page at the following link....<br />
<br />
<a href="http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/glenhumble"><b>http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/glenhumble</b></a><br />
<br />
Many thanks, as always, for your support.<br />
<br />
P.S. fame at last? Yes, my mug shot and a write up appeared in today's issue of the Gravesend Reporter<br />
<br />
P.P.S. I will be writing a post tomorrow evening about the first day of my walk <br />
<br />
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<br />
<br />Lights 2 Flaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14383019714425986128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2980451224965693513.post-21440370434276910892012-08-19T02:00:00.000+01:002012-08-19T02:00:02.806+01:00Business Blueprint for Electricians<br />
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Lights 2 Flaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14383019714425986128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2980451224965693513.post-1030805088080341662012-08-19T00:12:00.001+01:002012-08-25T21:52:11.410+01:00Business Support for My Big WalkOnly six days to go to the start of <a href="http://kenttodayandyesterday.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/my-longest-walk-yet-and-why-im-doing-it.html"><b>my charity walk</b></a> from Northfleet (near Gravesend) to Dover Castle on behalf of <b><a href="http://www.chyps.org/">ChYps</a></b> children's hospice.<br />
<br />
Total donations have now reached £ 360 partly thanks to a number of businesses in and around Kent who have supported me (and of course ChYps).<br />
<br />
I would like to thank the following people for their kind help:-<br />
<br />
<b>James Dewane</b> of <b>Kent Electrics Ltd</b> - NICEIC electricians providing a full range of services in the Medway towns and Maidstone for more than 25 years. Please check out James <b><a href="http://www.electricianinchatham.co.uk/">web site</a></b> for more detailed information.<br />
<br />
<b>Marc Lemezma</b> - Experienced magician (member of the Magic Circle), public speaking coach and presenter based in Maidstone, Kent. Please check out Marc's <b><a href="http://www.lemezma.com/">web site</a> </b>especially his videos.<br />
<br />
<b>Alastair Wood</b> of <b>AW Accounting</b> - contact Alastair for straightforward advice on accounts and tax matters. Please check out Alastair's<b> <a href="http://awaccs.co.uk/">web site</a></b> and in particular his many excellent customer testimonials.<br />
<br />
If <u>your</u> business would like to help me raise at least £ 500 so that seriously ill children in Kent and the London Borough of Bexley can receive chemotherapy from ChYps nurses in their own homes, you can sponsor me <b><a href="http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/glenhumble">here</a></b>.<br />
<br />
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<br />Lights 2 Flaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14383019714425986128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2980451224965693513.post-18856174363255962272012-08-17T01:13:00.001+01:002012-08-17T10:01:17.079+01:00My Big walk - only seven days to go!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Next Friday morning, the 24th August, I will be setting out on <b><a href="http://kenttodayandyesterday.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/my-longest-walk-yet-and-why-im-doing-it.html">my longest ever walk</a></b>.<br />
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Over the Bank Holiday weekend I will be walking from the Ellenor Lions hospice in Northfleet near Gravesend to Dover Castle - a total distance of around seventy miles.<br />
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I am walking to raise money for <b><a href="http://www.chyps.org/">ChYps</a></b>, the children's and young person's section of the Ellenor Lions hospice.<br />
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ChYps currently look after around one hundred seriously ill children and young people in West Kent and the London Borough of Bexley. ChYps ethos is to provide care in the familiar surroundings of the patient's own home wherever possible.<br />
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I hope to generate at least £ 500 for ChYps. As at the time of writing this post total donations stood at<br />
£ 280 - already over 50% of target.<br />
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This week I have been planning the actual logistics of the walk.<br />
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On the first day I'm aiming to walk from the hospice to Cuxton where I will pick up the North Downs Way then cross over the Medway Bridge at Rochester before climbing up Bluebell Hill and finally Detling Hill.<br />
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On day two, I plan to continue on from Detling along the North Downs Way past Thurnham, Lenham and Hollingbourne and stay overnight in Ashford.<br />
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Ideally I wanted to find a small B&B but as it's the Bank Holiday weekend a lot of places were already booked out so I've had to plump for the Holiday Inn on the A20 - not the most scenic part of Kent!<br />
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On day three I plan to continue on the North Downs Way again from Ashford through Wye over the Downs then on to Brabourne and Stowting and finally to the outskirts of Folkestone where I have managed to find a great looking B&B.<br />
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The lady that owns the B&B (in an 18th Century farmhouse) has very kindly given me a 50% reduction on the usual room rate and has also promised to make a donation to ChYps. I will write more about this place next week...<br />
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On day four, the final day of the walk, I will follow the last leg of the North Downs Way along the coast from Folkestone through to Dover. On the way I will pass the entrance to the Channel Tunnel, the Battle of Britain Memorial at Capel le Ferne and Samphire Hoe Country Park so there will be plenty to write about.<br />
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My "finishing line" will be the keep of Dover Castle pictured above where I hope to meet up with my wife and son. I hope they will be there... it's a long walk home again.<br />
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If you would like to keep up to date with my progress, I will be tweeting (<a href="http://twitter.com/wavecrestglen">@wavecrestglen</a>) whenever possible and hope to update this blog after each day of the walk.<br />
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To help ChYps care for more children in their own homes you can sponsor me at -<br />
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<b><a href="http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/glenhumble">Virgin Money Giving - Glen's ChYps North Downs Challenge</a></b></div>
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If you are a Kent business and would like to promote your business on this blog in return for a donation to ChYps, please contact me via Twitter or e-mail: <a href="mailto:glen@wavecrest.co.uk">glen@wavecrest.co.uk</a></div>
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Many thanks for your support.</div>
Lights 2 Flaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14383019714425986128noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2980451224965693513.post-15723136264062060202012-08-07T00:13:00.001+01:002012-08-25T01:43:00.924+01:00My longest walk (yet) and why I'm doing it<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Over the August Bank Holiday weekend I will be walking from the Ellenor Lions Hospice at Northfleet to Dover Castle - a total distance of around seventy miles.<br />
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I will be walking cross country via the North Downs Way, something I have wanted to do for many years.<br />
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Why am I doing it?<br />
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Apart from fulfilling a personal ambition, I am trying to raise at least £ 500 for<b> <a href="http://www.chyps.org/">Chyps</a> </b>childrens hospice services.<br />
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ChYps provides palliative care to around a hundred children and young people with life shortening illnesses throughout North and West Kent and the London Borough of Bexley.<br />
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Please have a look at their video to get an idea of the much needed services they currently provide .....<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/R8Da-KOl5G8?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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and here is another video from one of the families they have helped....<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/8uq5s8xPbOs?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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If you would like to sponsor me and help the work of Chyps, please visit my Virgin Money Giving page <b><a href="http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/GlenHumble">now</a></b>.<br />
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<b>Every pound you can spare will make a difference.</b></div>
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<b>A donation of £ 25 will enable ChYps to maintain their 24/7 telephone advice line.</b></div>
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<b>A donation of £ 35 will allow ChYps to provide chemotherapy to a child in their own home.</b></div>
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After each day of the walk I hope to post an update on this blog and, provided my technology (a.k.a my Ipad) doesn't let me down, I will be tweeting regularly too as I go.<br />
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Thanks for your support.<br />
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<br />Lights 2 Flaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14383019714425986128noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2980451224965693513.post-88721089183561774212012-07-20T23:38:00.001+01:002012-07-20T23:38:40.319+01:00Olympic Torch Relay - Drama in GravesendThe Olympic Torch Relay bandwagon finally hit Gravesend earlier this morning.<br />
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As it was passing very close to our house and would almost certainly be a once in a lifetime event we joined the crowds lining the streets.<br />
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The torch itself was preceded by police outriders to clear the traffic and then sponsor vehicles.<br />
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Finally the torch appeared carried by 23 year old Anna Skora...<br />
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Suddenly someone, who later turned out to be a 17 year old "man", darted out from the crowd and made a lunge for the torch.<br />
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Within seconds he was laid out unceremoniously by two police officers and arrested. Fortunately Anna, although visibly shaken, stayed on her feet and the relay continued.<br />
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As for the 17 year old, he finished the day with a ride to the local constabulary. Fortunately for him the police got to him before the hostile crowd otherwise he would have probably spent rest of the day at A & E!<br />
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If you have enjoyed this post you may also like...<br />
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<b><a href="http://kenttodayandyesterday.blogspot.co.uk/2011/06/long-john-silver-cumbers.html">Long John Silver Cumbers</a></b><br />
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<b><a href="http://kenttodayandyesterday.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/youngest-person-ever-to-fly.html">The Youngest Person Ever to Fly?</a></b><br />
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<b><a href="http://kenttodayandyesterday.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/walk-by-thames-and-medway-canal.html">A Walk by the Thames and Medway Canal</a></b><br />
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<br />Lights 2 Flaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14383019714425986128noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2980451224965693513.post-17993254660571232032012-07-11T01:35:00.004+01:002012-07-11T01:36:18.080+01:00Cancer Research Charity Walk Harrietsham to RinglestoneOn 1st July I joined a couple of hundred fellow walkers for a 10 mile charity walk over the North Downs around Harrietsham in aid of Cancer Research UK.<br />
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The walk has been organised annually for the past 27 years by the Rotary Club of the Weald of Kent and to date has raised over £ 400000 for Cancer Research UK and other local Kent charities.<br />
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I joined the walk last year and decided to take part once again. The Rotary Club have the organisation of the walk down to a fine art and are a very amiable bunch. At the end of the walk, all participants are treated to a free ploughman's lunch, strawberries and cream and entertained by a live jazz band.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">The walk started out from Harrietsham village hall and passed close by the late 11th century church of St John The Baptist and war memorial before heading off on a footpath through the fields towards Court Lodge Farm.</span><br />
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Kent's best dressed man? Probably not.</div>
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The view up to the top of the Downs.</div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Fields of wheat.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">After passing the farm we took a right hand turn at No Man's Acre and headed steeply uphill making for the North Downs Way/Pilgrim's Way which runs along the top of the ridge. The Pilgrims Way was used for centuries by pilgrims heading for Canterbury.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Unfortunately this part of the Pilgrims Way is a by way rather than a public footpath and there were a number of off road bikes and quads racing up and down like lunatics. Not good when there are families with small children walking in the opposite direction...</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">After following the Pilgrims Way for about half a mile we reached the first check point and the rain started to fall heavily. At each checkpoint volunteers from the Rotary Club dispensed cups of squash, biscuits and words of encouragement. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Luckily we joined a footpath through dense woodland (High Wood/Salisbury Wood). The thick canopy helped to keep off the worst of the rain. </span><span style="background-color: white;">Another mile or so further on and the second check point was reached at Ringlestone Road. At this checkpoint the Rotary Club had even laid on portable toilets! The rain had eased off and the sun was out.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Our route then followed another ancient trackway, Drake Lane for about half a mile. This track possibly took it's name from Sir Francis Drake. This was a very peaceful and enjoyable leg of the walk. No traffic noise just the sound of birdsong and fields full of daisies. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">The third checkpoint was at Yewtree Farm. The sky had got ominously black but fortunately the rain remained in the distance so we avoided another dousing.</span></div>
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The fourth and final checkpoint was in the car park of the Ringlestone Arms.<br />
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During the 1960's the pub was run by two eccentric old ladies, Florence and Dora Gasking.<br />
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The pub door used to remain bolted shut at all times and customers wishing to gain access had to knock. <span style="background-color: white;">At first the door would be opened slightly ajar so the customer could be "inspected" by the old ladies. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">If they decided they didn't like the look of a customer, which was often the case, he would be sent packing. Should he be brave (or foolish) enough to remonstrate with the ladies a shot gun would be poked out of the door! </span><br />
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Nowadays the pub is a much friendlier place.<br />
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After leaving the pub our route passed across open farmland (Merlewood Farm and Lower Dean Farm). There were excellent views down the valley towards Court Lodge Farm which we had passed on the outward leg earlier in the morning.<br />
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A great display of poppies, heather and other wild flowers. </div>
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The walk finished back at Harrietsham village hall. It took me about three hours to complete the distance of just under ten miles. </div>
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<b><a href="http://kenttodayandyesterday.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/gravesend-lions-charity-walk.html">Gravesend Lions Charity Walk</a></b><br />
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<b><a href="http://kenttodayandyesterday.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/in-footsteps-of-dickens.html">In the Footsteps of Dickens</a></b><br />
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<b><a href="http://kenttodayandyesterday.blogspot.co.uk/2010/06/my-darent-valley-walk-part-1-farningham.html">My Darent Valley Walk - Part 1</a></b><br />
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<br /></div>Lights 2 Flaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14383019714425986128noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2980451224965693513.post-14430407532558401072012-06-25T00:28:00.000+01:002012-06-25T00:28:18.903+01:00Rochester Dickens FestivalAs I mentioned in my <b><a href="http://kenttodayandyesterday.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/in-footsteps-of-dickens.html">previous post</a></b>, many towns and villages in North Kent like to exploit their connections with the famous author Charles Dickens.<br />
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A Dickens Festival is held annually in Rochester and this year took place from the 8th to the10th June. Incidentally <span style="background-color: white;">2012 marks the 200th anniversary of Dickens' birth and the 9th June was the 142nd anniversary of his death.</span><br />
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The highlight of the Festival each year are the parades where participants dressed as characters from Dickens' famous novels are lead through the streets of Rochester by marching bands and strolling musicians up to Rochester Castle grounds. A traditional funfair is also held on the Castle grounds over the weekend.<br />
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Here are a few pictures to give you a flavour...<br />
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HRH Queen Victoria</div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Fagin</span></div>
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Scrooge - Bah Humbug!</div>
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Miss Havisham</div>
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The Council laid on a free park and ride bus service from Chatham Historic Dockyard to Rochester so we did not have to worry about finding a parking space (which can be a problem even on a normal weekend.).<br />
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The event was very well attended and there were tourists there from all over Europe, Japan and the USA as well as the locals.<br />
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All in all it was a good (and inexpensive) day out which I would recommend to everyone<br />
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<b><a href="http://kenttodayandyesterday.blogspot.co.uk/2009/12/admiral-sir-cloudesley-shovell-1650.html">Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell</a></b><br />
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<b><a href="http://kenttodayandyesterday.blogspot.co.uk/2009/11/day-trip-to-rochester.html">A Day Trip to Rochester</a></b><br />
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<b><a href="http://kenttodayandyesterday.blogspot.co.uk/2011/04/rochesters-lightning-on-move.html">Rochester's Lightning on the Move</a></b><br />
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<br />Lights 2 Flaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14383019714425986128noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2980451224965693513.post-25747516738282611662012-06-17T01:06:00.001+01:002012-06-25T00:29:30.765+01:00In the Footsteps of DickensA couple of weekends ago, when the weather was being kind for a change, I went for a circular walk around the village of Higham (mid way between Gravesend and Rochester).<br />
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Normally I tend to devise my own walks but on this occasion I followed a suggested 6.6 mile route from <a href="http://www.kent.gov.uk/leisure_and_culture/countryside_and_coast/walking/higham_walk.aspx">Kent County Council Explore Kent</a>.<br />
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Many towns and villages in this part of North Kent including Higham claim links to the author Charles Dickens and trade on it to this day.<br />
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The walk starts and finishes at Higham station on the main line from London to the Medway towns. Dickens was an avid walker and covered on average 12 miles a day regardless of the weather.<br />
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From the station the route of the walk crosses over the railway bridge and then across open farmland towards the centre of Higham village.<br />
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Looking up the line towards Gravesend and London.</div>
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The distinctive buildings to the left of the picture are oast houses which were used for drying hops.<br />
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The church on the horizon is St John's church. It was consecrated in January 1862 and the Dickens family had a pew in the chancel. Dickens was a close friend of Joseph Hindle, the vicar of Higham.</div>
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Shortly after leaving the church you pass one of the village's remaining pubs, the Gardeners Arms. </div>
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On 14th March 1856 Dickens purchased Gads Hill Place and resided there until his death in 1870. A number of his famous books were written here including Great Expectations, A Tale of Two Cities and his final (unfinished work) The Mystery of Edwin Drood. The house was originally built in 1779.</div>
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Nowadays Gads Hill Place is used as a private school. At some point this year, when new school buildings are finished, it is due to become a Dickens museum and will be open to the public.<br />
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Opposite Gads Hill Place is another watering hole, the Sir John Falstaff where Dickens guests were sometimes accommodated.</div>
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The walk climbs up Telegraph Hill adjacent to the pub. At the top of the hill is a concrete obelisk shaped monument to Charles Larkin a local political reformer who died in 1833. Unfortunately despite being mentioned in the KCC guide the entry to the field where the monument is located was padlocked shut. A bit of a disappointment on an otherwise excellent walk.</div>
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The walk passes along Hermitage Road with good views across the farmland towards the river (Thames).</div>
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The base of a windmill originally built in the 1760's but partly demolished in 1921.<br />
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The horses in the neighbouring paddock were very pleased to see me and followed me for some way. I think they thought I had some sugar lumps about my person!</div>
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Poplar trees surrounded by cow parsley. Not a bad place to stop for a quick sandwich before continuing on to Higham's second and original parish church, St Marys.</div>
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Parts of the church date back to the 13th century but there is evidence of earlier Saxon and Norman churches at the site. The church is no longer in regular use but is maintained by a national charity called The Churches Conservation Trust. It is open daily to visitors.<br />
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On 17th July 1860, Dickens' daughter Katey was married at the church. Reverend Hindle conducted the ceremony. Katey's mother Catherine was not at the wedding. Dickens had separated from her in 1858 after starting a secret affair with actress Ellen Ternan.<br />
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Dickens with his daughters Katey and Mary.<br />
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The stained glass windows are very impressive especially when the sun shines through.</div>
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Medieval floor tiles near the altar.<br />
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The door to the church is adorned with crude carvings thought to be from the 14th century.<br />
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After leaving the church the walk heads back to the starting point at Higham station and passing two more pubs.</div>
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The Chequers above closed a few years ago and has now been converted into apartments.<br />
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The final pub of the walk is the appropriately named Railway Tavern. I would recommend this walk. It is mainly over easy ground with plenty of points of interest and good views over the countryside.</div>
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<br /></div>Lights 2 Flaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14383019714425986128noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2980451224965693513.post-57505132838273172922012-06-02T02:07:00.000+01:002012-06-02T02:15:56.508+01:00Voyage to the Dark SideThe dark side? Well I mean Essex of course.<br />
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A couple of Saturdays ago my five year old son and I had another "boys day out". As a special treat I took him for a visit to Tilbury Fort. For those unfamiliar with the local geography, the town of Tilbury, Essex lies on the opposite bank of the River Thames to Gravesend, Kent.<br />
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We joke that while other towns in Kent have twinning arrangements with towns on the Continent, in Gravesend we have a mutual suicide pact with Tilbury.<br />
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The two towns have been linked by a ferry service for centuries. As well as it being my son's first visit to Tilbury it was also his first time afloat, albeit for only a very short time - the ferry crossing only lasts about five minutes.<br />
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The current ferry operating the service is the "Duchess M" built in 1956. Up until the opening of the Dartford Tunnel in the 1960's car ferries operated the service but now it's foot passengers and bikes only.<br />
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Looking back at the Gravesend river front.The passenger vessel alongside the pier is the "Princess Pocahontas". She operates pleasure cruises on the Thames.<br />
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The ferry berths on Tilbury Landing Stage. The 1142' long Landing Stage was designed by Sir Edwin Cooper to accommodate large passenger liners and was opened by Prime Minister Ramsay Macdonald on 16th May 1930.<br />
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On the same day the P&O vessel Mongolia called to embark passengers for Australia. Subsequently many thousands of passengers transited through Tilbury on their way to the Antipodes and other corners of the Empire. Another famous vessel to call at the Landing Stage was the Empire Windrush which brought some of the first migrants from the Caribbean in 1948.<br />
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From the Landing Stage we had a short walk along the river bank to Tilbury Fort passing by the appropriately named Worlds End pub. The river bank is very popular with anglers but nobody seemed to have had much luck as we passed by.<br />
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The shipping passes close to shore. The Hong Kong registered tanker "MTM Singapore" was inward bound from the USA.<br />
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The Fort, according to English Heritage, is one of the finest surviving 17th century forts in England.<br />
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Construction was started in 1672 during the reign of King Charles II on the site of an earlier Tudor fortification. It was built to defend London from attack by the Dutch who had mounted a daring raid up the River Medway a few years previously (more about this in a later post...). The impressive Water Gate pictured above serves as the main entrance to the Fort.<br />
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The Guard house which doubles as the ticket office and gift shop</div>
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My son explaining the finer points of 17th century artillery operations!<br />
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The officer's barracks and water pump in the parade ground. Some of the buildings are used as residences by the English Heritage staff and their families. One of the buildings contains a museum of World War I and II weapons, uniforms etc.</div>
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My son was looking at the World War II gas masks and asked me if I used to wear one - cheeky sod!</div>
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The Fort was surrounded by moats as an extra defence. </div>
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The business end. Throughout it's history the Fort was regularly re-equipped with more modern guns. The last guns were installed in 1902. However, by this time the Fort was becoming obsolete due to advances in naval technology.<br />
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During World War I the Fort was used as an assembly point for Allied troops en-route to France and as a supply depot. It remained under military control until the 1950's.<br />
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Heading back to the ferry the "Maersk Nairobi" passed inward bound from Mexico and Central America whilst the 93000 tonne "Santa Teresa" left London headed for Brazil.<br />
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I'm not tired Daddy. I'm just sunbathing.....</div>
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Gravesend Town Pier opened in 1834 is the oldest surviving cast iron pier in the world. It now houses the Riva restaurant and bar.</div>
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St George's church - another Gravesend landmark. We could hear the church bells across the river in Tilbury.</div>
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Well we had been to the dark side!<br />
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<br />Lights 2 Flaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14383019714425986128noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2980451224965693513.post-67666170641774848802012-05-13T01:34:00.000+01:002012-05-13T01:34:59.649+01:00Gravesend Lions Charity WalkOn Monday I joined the Gravesend Lions on their annual charity walk starting and finishing at Chalk church and for the first time, in what seems like several weeks, the weather behaved itself.<br />
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The walkers were seen off by the Mayor of Gravesham and the vicar. I was roped in as unofficial group photographer.<br />
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The walk usually raises around £ 6000 for local charities including the <b><a href="http://www.ellenorlions.org/">Ellenor Lions Hospice</a></b>.<br />
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We made our way through the churchyard passed then through fields of oilseed rape. It makes an interesting background for photographs but plays havoc with my hay fever and isn't easy on the nose - one of my fellow walkers (a lady) described it as smelling like cat's p*ss!<br />
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At the top of the field we walked through a corner of Shorne Country Park. The bluebells are currently in bloom amongst the trees so it made a change of scenery from all the rape seed.<br />
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At the half way stage we made a brief pit stop at the See Ho in Shorne. The pub name apparently refers to a hunting call which was given on first sighting of the hare.<br />
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We then walked through the village passing the disused Primitive Methodist chapel of 1893. It is due to be converted into a private dwelling. The <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primitive_Methodism">Primitive Methodists</a></b> were active from around 1810 until about 1932.<br />
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Back across the fields of rape again.<br />
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The line of pylons intersecting the fields made an interesting photo opportunity.<br />
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Back at St Mary The Virgin, Chalk for a welcome cuppa before heading off home. Parts of the church date back to the 12th century and it is well worth a visit. The vicar always make a point of flying the England flag daily from the tower making it a very recognisable local landmark.<br />
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<br />Lights 2 Flaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14383019714425986128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2980451224965693513.post-84677077834057409572012-04-15T18:44:00.009+01:002012-04-15T20:24:40.796+01:00There's (Still) Coal in Them There Hills...Well according to recent press reports here in Kent an Australian mining company called <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Dysart</span> Coal Mine Management <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Pty</span> Ltd seems to think so.<div style="font-weight: normal; "><br /></div><div style="font-weight: normal; ">An application has been made to the Coal Authority <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-size: 100%; ">for a conditional underground licence to secure </span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-size: 100%; ">rights for land near to Ripple (in East Kent).</span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; "><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-size: 100%; "><br /></span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; "><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-size: 100%; ">Initially it is expected the company will carry out a feasibility study. If the outcome is positive the company would then have to apply for planning, access and other permissions before a new mine could be opened.</span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; "><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-size: 100%; "><br /></span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; "><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-size: 100%; ">Coal mining in East Kent had a brief and very chequered history (which I will write about in more detail in another post one day when time permits). </span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; "><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-size: 100%; "><br /></span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; "><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-size: 100%; ">The last mine closed in 1989 and </span><span style="font-size: 100%; "><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">today</span> there is very little evidence remaining of the Kent coalfield. Winding gear has been removed, pit buildings demolished and spoil heaps landscaped.</span></div><div style="font-weight: normal; "><br /></div><div style="font-weight: normal; ">Here are some old pictures I found of the Kent pits in their heyday to give an idea of what it was once like....</div><div style="font-weight: normal; "><br /></div><div style="font-weight: normal; border-bottom-width: medium; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-color: initial; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-right-width: medium; border-right-style: none; border-right-color: initial; "><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-BMtoTI6Ox-4X_yOsYRPQJ5blmMPyJRVr7aBZCT1w8GLiR2BXwtimsyYRbVmrMLAmMmVpLe09TFfwmhRWCjLbz0DrNLMfxHRcfZj4dbSzZS2pFP83jDCGTbR66HS4KVN86mdo-x46ckQd/s1600/kentcoalfieldits00ritcuoft_0194.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 261px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-BMtoTI6Ox-4X_yOsYRPQJ5blmMPyJRVr7aBZCT1w8GLiR2BXwtimsyYRbVmrMLAmMmVpLe09TFfwmhRWCjLbz0DrNLMfxHRcfZj4dbSzZS2pFP83jDCGTbR66HS4KVN86mdo-x46ckQd/s400/kentcoalfieldits00ritcuoft_0194.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5731706714126406818" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg28uarx8hZEs3HZ5ovaXgt2ZfUEAMXH9NXOQZk-YFw6Jj6f-xB4FnoQOfL2Mf9PU9Cj8yug6JwA_JY0vyMbLnACtj6i7wPWc5Zc4VkA564eq2zpnR5K-LAWFv517L4frnU7OnWPAPmc-kb/s1600/kentcoalfieldits00ritcuoft_0152.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 261px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg28uarx8hZEs3HZ5ovaXgt2ZfUEAMXH9NXOQZk-YFw6Jj6f-xB4FnoQOfL2Mf9PU9Cj8yug6JwA_JY0vyMbLnACtj6i7wPWc5Zc4VkA564eq2zpnR5K-LAWFv517L4frnU7OnWPAPmc-kb/s400/kentcoalfieldits00ritcuoft_0152.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5731706711797336370" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Axsf5o0xqvJvqniMp-m79fZT9AUHcM32X5f1UGce78AJ2dPTHx8_CkMzXetWlmq8XbZSXlq6M5B5MrZqlSGh6rMBHMQcVXFcfJApXL0ZYuZCmhsBJ9vQZ3Djy44j531ZETNji0AK_Z7n/s1600/kentcoalfieldits00ritcuoft_0170.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 261px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Axsf5o0xqvJvqniMp-m79fZT9AUHcM32X5f1UGce78AJ2dPTHx8_CkMzXetWlmq8XbZSXlq6M5B5MrZqlSGh6rMBHMQcVXFcfJApXL0ZYuZCmhsBJ9vQZ3Djy44j531ZETNji0AK_Z7n/s400/kentcoalfieldits00ritcuoft_0170.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5731706704083723346" /></a></div><div style="font-weight: normal; border-bottom-width: medium; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-color: initial; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-right-width: medium; border-right-style: none; border-right-color: initial; ">If you have found this post of interest you may also like...</div><div style="font-weight: normal; border-bottom-width: medium; border-bottom-style: none; 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