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Catch up with all the latest news from across the county with Gabriel Morris.
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00:00And a very good evening, welcome to Kent and I, live here on KMTV.
00:28I'm Gabriel Morris and here are your top stories on Tuesday the 2nd of September.
00:34Back to school, Kent food banks step in to help score uniform costs.
00:39£500 is a huge amount of money for parents, particularly when budgets are already stretched.
00:45People are feeling the price increases, rent rises, energy increases.
00:51Cherry picked for brain health, how a new University of Kent study is fighting Alzheimer's.
00:57In the context of the powder, there is something about that food matrix, the chemical composition
01:07that seems to be beneficial.
01:09And swimming success celebrated the overseas parade and sculptures for 150 years of channel
01:17swimming.
01:27Welcome to the programme.
01:28Parents up and down Kent have spoken out saying school uniforms are breaking budgets as children
01:33start to head back to the classrooms this week.
01:36But charities across the county are aiming to provide families with an alternative method.
01:40Our reporter, Holly Spires, went down to some of those charities to find out more.
01:45As the summer holidays come to a close, it's time to head back to school.
01:50But many families are facing a familiar but growing challenge.
01:55The cost of basic school items like blazers, shirts and shoes has surged in recent years.
02:02Experts warn this could make it harder for some families to provide their children with
02:06the proper school attire.
02:09Mya's community centre in Hearn Bay is a volunteer led organisation aiming to support families and
02:16provide essential resources for financial strain, including their school uniform bank.
02:22The uniform campaigns, we do them every single year.
02:25They run whole summer.
02:27So people bring us unwanted uniform or some people purchase uniform for other people.
02:32So we hang it all there and other people who can't afford it, they will come and take it.
02:37Last week, it was really an emotional moment.
02:39Mum was crying because she found the right size uniform for her child and I said, you should
02:44be happy.
02:45She said, I'm so grateful because I was going to homeschool my child because I couldn't afford
02:51the uniform.
02:52Well, my daughter, Katie, her little girl is starting school next week, half days only.
03:00And she has struggled to get school uniform.
03:03It's costing so much.
03:05You're probably talking about a jacket for £80, dresses probably going on for £20.
03:15So it's really, really expensive.
03:19With the schools going back this week, I spoke to many parents up and down Kent and they explained
03:24to me that they were spending up to £500 on school uniform.
03:28£500 is a huge amount of money for parents, particularly when budgets are already stretched.
03:34People are feeling the price increases, rent rises, energy increases.
03:39So that's a huge amount of money for them to be spending out.
03:42And part of the problem is when schools insist on pupils having branded items that can only
03:48be bought from specific outlets.
03:50And so they can't shop around to get the best value for their money.
03:54We would always encourage schools to be looking at school uniform that parents could buy in
03:58supermarkets and everyday clothes stores and to keep the branded items to an absolute minimum.
04:04So the Children's Welfare and Schools Bill, which is going through at the moment, places a restriction
04:10on schools for the number of branded items that they can be requiring parents to purchase.
04:15So for primary schools, that's a maximum of three branded items.
04:18For secondary schools, it's three branded items plus a tie.
04:22That comes into force in 2026, but Bridget Philipson is currently encouraging schools to
04:28get ahead of the game and to bring down the number of branded items that they're insisting
04:32on earlier than this deadline.
04:35As school gates begin to open, the price of uniform remains a hot topic, highlighting a
04:40wider debate about the affordability of education and the support that families need.
04:47Holly Spires for KMTV in Chatham.
04:51And we'll have more on that story later in the programme.
04:54Now the driver of a car which crashed into an ambulance injuring two paramedics during a
04:59police chase has pled guilty to dangerous driving offences.
05:03Harry Foster Smith appeared in court yesterday following the crash at Broomswood Interchange
05:07on Friday night.
05:09He was charged on Sunday with three counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving
05:14as well as aggravated taking of a vehicle without consent.
05:18He was also charged with driving without a valid licence and insurance, all while being in
05:23possession of cannabis.
05:24The 19-year-old pled guilty to all offences at Medway Magistrates Court yesterday.
05:30And an inquest has heard that the two-year-old boy from Whitstable, who died in a car park
05:34last month, was hit in his pushchair by a vehicle.
05:40In court, it was said that Sonny MacDonald's parents were walking him back to their home
05:45in Cromwell Road when a car turning into it from Harbour Street lost control and drove into
05:52the fence, which also seriously injured Sonny's dad.
05:56They went through a metal barrier and into the Goral Tank car park.
05:59The coroner added that the vehicle continued through a metal barrier down onto a car park
06:04below a six-foot drop.
06:06Sonny was pronounced dead at the scene despite the efforts of paramedics.
06:10A bouncer has been sacked after a man was left bruised and injured during an altercation
06:17at a nightclub in Dartford.
06:20Police were called to the venue on Essex Road in the early hours of August 30th to report
06:25of an assault.
06:26Footage shows a door supervisor dragging and punching a man as he was removed from the club.
06:30The victim, in his 20s, suffered bruising and swelling and later attended hospital.
06:35Attic says the staff member used excessive force and has since been dismissed.
06:39Police are appealing for anyone with any information to come forward to assist their investigation.
06:46Now, can cherry powder help fight dementia?
06:48Scientists at the University of Kent have found that consuming powder made from waste cherries
06:53can protect against the harmful cognitive effects of Alzheimer's disease.
06:57Though only lab tested at this point in time, the results could have important implications
07:02for disease research and food waste reduction.
07:05Reporter Alfie Rowe finds out more.
07:07As the largest cherry-producing region in the UK, Kent is no stranger to the healthy fruit.
07:15But perhaps we have only scratched the surface of its true potential.
07:19It's no secret that cherries are good for you, packed with plenty of nutrients and antioxidants.
07:25Previous studies suggest they can even hold off the cognitive decline associated with dementia.
07:30And now, a new study suggests grinding them up into a powder can have an even greater impact.
07:37Researchers at the University of Kent have been looking into anthocyanins,
07:42a compound found in cherries with a range of health benefits.
07:46But like with everything else, when it comes to Alzheimer's, it's a tad more complicated.
07:50What we found was that when you just take these anthocyanins, you don't get the protective effect in the Alzheimer's disease model.
08:02But in the context of the powder, there is something about that food matrix, the chemical composition, that seems to be beneficial.
08:15Not only is this a win in the fight against age-related disease, but also food waste.
08:21Even the cherries that were being chucked away by the farm because the supermarkets didn't want to take them
08:25were actually really, really rich in these anthocyanins.
08:30So it's a complete waste of this great biological resource.
08:33And the juice that is made from these waste cherries is rich in them,
08:36and the powder that was made from them is really rich in them.
08:39This is welcome news for cherry farmer Michael Dalloway.
08:41Working with the researchers, he developed the powder from his cherry juice leftovers.
08:47We've been making the cherry juice for 10 plus years, but we had the waste left over from making the cherry juice.
08:52So when you squash the cherries, you're left with all the pulp and the skin and whatever.
08:56That doesn't have to be waste.
08:57Just because it's a leftover by-product, there's still great nutritional value in that.
09:02You know, there's a lot more interest in upcycling as well, isn't there?
09:06And, you know, can we use that for something else rather than it just being dumped?
09:10So, yeah, I think the big takeaway is the fact that, you know, we just need to get our heads around the fact
09:16that we can use these by-products, waste products, for other products, basically,
09:22and can we turn them into something really healthy and nutritional?
09:25In this early stage, cherry powder is still far from becoming a mainstream product.
09:30But growing awareness of its benefits could one day see shoppers buying their cherries crushed rather than plucked.
09:37Alfie Rowe for KMTV.
09:40Yeah, really interesting.
09:43And Alfie joins me in the studio now.
09:44So why was this study so important?
09:47Well, Gabriel, there are basically two main takeaways from this study.
09:50Firstly, it can be shown to protect against Alzheimer's, which is incredibly important.
09:54It's projected that in the UK about one in three of us will suffer from dementia at some point in the future.
09:59And the second reason is the powder, which can be used to protect against Alzheimer's, is made from damaged or discoloured cherries,
10:07which are usually unsellable in supermarkets.
10:09People consider them spoiled.
10:11And so if you're very interested in upcycling and reducing food waste like I am, it can be very important to do so.
10:16So what's the next step here?
10:18Where do the researchers go from here?
10:20Well, we have a bit of a long way to go.
10:22It's only been lab tested at this point in time.
10:24We haven't actually tried on human beings to see if there are any complications when tried in reality.
10:30And researchers still don't really know why the powder works.
10:33That's a bit of a mystery.
10:34They're still trying to figure out.
10:36And for these reasons, I spoke to KMTV health expert Julian Spinks earlier,
10:40who warns that we're still quite far from clinical application of this product.
10:45I think the next step for a lot of the research is to take the basic science and turn it into practical treatments.
10:52I see an awful lot of things saying there are breakthroughs and possible advances,
10:56but I don't see it on my prescription pad.
10:59I don't see it in a referral service I can use.
11:02So converting theory into practice, I think, is the most important thing.
11:08So should people start stockpiling cherry powder at this moment?
11:12Well, not if you're trying to fight against dementia at this point in time.
11:16There's a long way to go.
11:17But I would still promote cherries for other health benefits.
11:20They reduce inflammation, they boost your immune function, and they can even improve your sleep.
11:25And, you know, Kent is kind of known for it.
11:27It's the heartland of cherries in the UK.
11:29So, you know, if you want to go for it, why not try local?
11:32Kent cherries are better.
11:34Alfie, thank you for bringing us those details.
11:36OK, we're going to take a quick break now.
11:38But coming up, we'll find out why some families on the Isle of Sheppey say
11:41prohibition is now the only option after their children were given secretary school places 25 miles away.
11:47All that and more coming up after this break.
11:51See you then.
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17:44helping but some parents still without options i suppose eyes are now turning to the next catchment
17:50year for 2026 this time next year when the next cohort of year seven students will um be going
17:57anything else can county council have told us today lee it's the issue of over subscriptions
18:03in schools like the oasis academy that was closed down because of an ofsted report ranking it as
18:12inadequate so so just need to keep finding those places keep working together with the parents and
18:19hopefully turn this situation around yeah no those two schools replaced by uh two different
18:25groups in the uh on the sheppie but we'll keep following that story free you can read more on
18:30that on kent online but in the meantime don't forget you can keep up to date with all your
18:34latest stories across kent by logging on to our website kncv.co.uk there you'll find
18:41all our latest reports including this one about restoration work at chatham historic dockyard
18:46which uncovered a surprising discovery underneath the floorboards
18:52turns out chatham has a card up its sleeve well its floorboards a rare 18th century jack of spades
18:59dealing the town a fresh piece of his past i'm here in the historic chatham dockyard finding out just
19:06exactly the history behind these old playing cards that were discovered during works at the
19:11commissioner's house the jack of spades stated between 1725 and 1750 is estimated to be 300 years
19:20old playing cards in the 18th century were used much as they are today however this card is believed
19:25to have served a different purpose along the top edge here there is a fringing type of effect cutting
19:32along the top which is intentional and the cards corners have been cut off on three of the corners
19:37which you'd normally do if you know if your card sort of corners break down after use um but we
19:42don't really know why this sort of fringing effect has happened here it's completely unique as far as we
19:47know and maybe possibly they might have been using it as a brush or something like that the commissioner's
19:53house was built in 1703 for captain george st lou who found the old 1640 residence inadequate he
20:01successfully petitioned for a new home upon arriving at chatham dockyard recently it experienced a
20:07major restoration which is how the card was discovered conservator alexandra wade for the
20:12chatham historic dockyard trust said the discovery was a tangible reminder of the lives once lived
20:17here a small personal object that survived nearly three centuries it's given us a whole other aspect to
20:25sort of chatham life and to the commissioner's life and sort of brings him to life as well that period
20:30because it's between 1725 and 1750 we've dated it to there's probably about four commissioners that
20:35we could probably pin it to um commissioner kempthorne was here 1726 to 33 i think um and he's probably
20:44the most likely he's the longest to have lived in the house with his his family um and we yeah can
20:49sort of add into his social history from this card the jack of spades likely fell through the gaps in
20:55the old floor by chance the wide spaces between the boards would have made it easy for the card to
20:59slip through a reminder that the past isn't always lost sometimes it's waiting to be uncovered beneath
21:05our feet maizey walker for kmtv chatham
21:13coming days
21:19going into tonight it's looking mostly cloudy temperatures in the 15 to 18 degrees mark light
21:24rain down in the south tomorrow morning that rain continues to the most parts of the county temperatures
21:29in high teens wind speeds hitting the low 20s and into the afternoon with partly cloudy and light rain
21:35in ashford and dover temperatures rising to 19 degrees picking up to 24 miles an hour and wind
21:41speed and this is your outlook for the coming days looking quite heavy rain on thursday but
21:46sunny skies on friday and saturday warming up on saturday as well
21:56and now community pride art and heritage took center stage in dover recently as 150 years of
22:02successful channel swimming history was celebrated with a carnival parade 150 swimmers also undertook a
22:08competitive distance swim across the harbour to honour the first one completed by captain webb back in
22:131875 well to tell us more about this event and who was involved in it and what the county has taken
22:21place in the past few years sarah philpot from the dover lifeguards club and swimmer who holds the male
22:26record for the most channel swimmers and also joining me is kevin murphy as well from the channel swimming
22:33and pilot piloting federation i'll come to you first sarah uh tell us a little bit about the events
22:38which have taken place down in dover in recent times yeah certainly so it was um funded by the port of dover
22:45and they brought together a working committee which um comprised of the two governing bodies of the
22:51sport um dover lifeguards club which is my swimming club and also future foundry who are responsible
22:58for the beautiful puppets and the carnival atmosphere that was there on the day yeah we've got some amazing
23:04photos uh did you guys move that um was that you guys i didn't know okay okay no it was the fabulous
23:11artists from the future foundry they do fantastic work in in dover and the surrounding areas they
23:17do lots of arts projects and um they certainly brought uh captain webb to life with this giant puppet
23:23and um i think it was inspired by um an irish channel swimmer called vanessa dawes so uh the
23:31the first one was yeah yeah and kevin you've done a few channel swims in your time just a few yeah
23:38just a few i've done 34 34 three doubles and 28 singles is that a record it's the male record
23:46uh but i have to say there's a there's a woman who's even more silly than me because she's done 44.
23:51oh there we go when was the last time you did you swam across the channel the last my last channel
23:56swim was in 2006 but then i carried on and did swims elsewhere in the world for a few a year or two
24:03after that uh but now i coach others and we've been talking to quite a few channel swimmers it must
24:09be the season at the moment for when people come out into the into the channel jellyfish i've heard
24:14that's quite a big problem people swimming into it have you ever had clouds yeah yeah the jellyfish
24:20in the they're they're pussycats in the channel um they they they sting it's done like a nettle
24:25somebody lashing you with a nettle um no they're they're you don't um you don't not go out in the
24:31garden because of a wasp you you don't swim in the don't not you know you don't worry about
24:37swimming in the sea because of a jellyfish uh there are other swims elsewhere in the world and
24:41in fact up in the north channel of the irish sea uh where the jellyfish are much much more
24:48more toxic and are a big problem and if you have a look at the tracking of the people when they
24:54swim across the channel it's never usually in a straight line it sort of zigzags a little bit
24:57doesn't it yeah i don't know if that's what you've got here you've got some yes this is well this is
25:01the um the actual track of uh captain matthew webb and his uh course and as you can see um and uh
25:07interestingly when i go into schools to talk about channel swimming i often say to the children why do
25:12you think i didn't swim in a straight line and they say miss were you swimming around the the ferries
25:17and i say no and then they say were you swimming around the sharks and i say no and eventually somebody
25:22will say oh is it because of the tides and uh and they get there eventually so um it's it's why it
25:28is the challenge that it is because the strength of the tide um passing through between uh england and
25:35france and because the the tide runs from uh the the atlantic towards the north sea and then back again
25:43so you the swimmer heads towards cap grenet in france uh the the tide takes uh him on a diagonal um
25:52it's like like sort of a um you're not actually swimming that you're being carried and then the
25:58tide turns you're carrying back again is it more challenging now to swim in a channel van in 1875 or
26:04is it sort of the same levels because i guess it's one of the busiest shipping channels in the world
26:10is it there are a lot more advantages now because the boats have um gps and ais and
26:19the swimmers have lights on them um so you don't get lost when i first started there were no lights
26:25on the swimmers and you regularly got lost out and the the boats had to search for you um so
26:31the navigation is better the um nutrition is better the training is better so it's it's still the mental
26:39fortitude isn't it to get across exactly and we'll talk more about this later in the program
26:43you're going to come and join me back on the sofa in about 20 minutes or so but
26:46for the meantime we're going to take a quick break we'll be back in a few minutes with more news see you
27:09the next one
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36:08You can see just here.
36:09There's quite a selection there.
36:10From a lot of local schools.
36:12How it works effectively is that when people need to come and get some items of school uniform,
36:19we don't charge for it.
36:20It's a community project that we run.
36:22Effectively a give back if you like.
36:24So parents can come in as they need school uniform because we absolutely do recognise that
36:29with the cost of living crisis being as severe as it is.
36:33There's little doubt that there's, you know, in terms of budgeting in for school uniform,
36:38that is another obstacle for a lot of people.
36:41And now for some news in brief.
36:43An empty shop in Ashford has been branded the town's most disgusting building
36:47after being overrun by pigeons.
36:49Have a look at this.
36:50The Foreman Evans unit on High Street has sat empty since 2017.
36:54Now filled with droppings, ravish and even a dead bird inside.
36:58Locals fear it's a health hazard, especially as it sits next to takeaways,
37:02with one resident saying the site made her feel sick and kept her up at night.
37:07The landlord says work on the Grade 2 listed property was halted by planning rules,
37:11leaving the building open to infestation and as well pigeons.
37:15But you can see who's decided to make it their own home.
37:18Well, Ashford Borough Council has also been approached for comment.
37:21Now a van has been found upside down on a beach in Minster on the Isle of Sheppey.
37:27Police are still trying to work out how the vehicle ended up on the sand
37:32after it was discovered early in the morning on Saturday.
37:35The fan was already decorated with two penalty charge notices for illegal parking at Shingle Bank.
37:41A crane had to be brought in to lift it onto a low loader before it could be taken away.
37:46Kent Police say inquiries are underway to identify Fiona.
37:50And some sad news here.
37:52A white tiger described as a gentle soul full of personality has died at its Kent home.
37:58Bakehill joined for Big Cat Sanctuary in Smarden near Ashford six years after arriving six years ago,
38:06after arriving from Hertfordshire Zoo.
38:09The 14-year-old was put to sleep last week following a decline in its health caused by kidney failure,
38:14a condition common in older big cats.
38:17Keepers say it was known for its goofy personality, often seen crushing cardboard boxes and playing with barrels.
38:24The Sanctuary says he was deeply loved and will be greatly missed.
38:28And now, before we get into the visuals of the story, please note that some viewers may find some of the images distressing,
38:38but a woman from Elsham has been banned from owning pets after two dogs and six puppies were neglected and starved in her home.
38:46Claire Hodgson appeared in Margate Magistrates Court after an RSPCA inspector found the emanciated animals last year and will also face fines.
38:57She's explained she had been struggling with health issues and was unable to afford dog food.
39:04Well, Megan Shaw joins me in the studio now with more on this.
39:08Megan, so tell us why did Claire end up being banned from keeping pets and owning them?
39:13Well, as you said, Claire Hodgson from Elsham has been banned from owning pets for five years after starving and neglecting two dogs and six puppies.
39:21She appeared in Margate Magistrates Court on August 18th this year after an RSPCA inspector visited her property in March last year,
39:29following reports that a puppy had been eaten by another dog at her house.
39:33In mitigation, she explained that she had been struggling with health issues and couldn't afford dog food.
39:38Alongside the barn, she will also face a £225 fine, a £90 victim surcharge and a £450 contribution to costs.
39:47Yeah, we can see some really distressing pictures there of the dogs in question.
39:52RSPCA being investigated at Margate Magistrates Court as well.
39:57How have the RSPCA described the scene where these dogs were found?
40:02Well, Inspector Tina Nash, who first visited the scene with a police officer in March 2024, has described the squalid conditions and emaciated dogs in detail.
40:11She said there was broken glass in the hallway, chocolate biscuit wrappers and empty bottles of alcohol strewn about and a mattress on the floor.
40:18The home was dirty, smelled strongly and appeared not to have been cleaned in quite some time.
40:23She explained how when she asked Hodgson to show her dog food, Hodgson admitted there was none left.
40:28She said Hodgson had locked Hooch, the male dog, in the bathroom after being disgusted he had allegedly eaten one of the puppies.
40:35Oh, that's so sad, isn't it? I'm sure that's really breaking a few of his hearts.
40:40And what happened to the dogs? Is it good news?
40:43Well, luckily all the dogs were taken under the RSPCA's care and saw a vet.
40:48Fortunately, the RSPCA have rehomed the adult female, Skylar and four puppies.
40:54But unfortunately, Hooch and two other puppies were euthanised on veterinary advice.
40:58Very sad, very sad. But at least they were able to rehome some of the dogs.
41:03And it really brings back the message that we quite often talk about, particularly from the RSPCA, about the responsibilities of being a pet owner.
41:12Megan, thank you for bringing us that story. A little bit heartbreaking, wasn't it?
41:16OK, time for a quick break now.
41:18But coming up, we will find out more about how Choys can potentially help fight dementia.
41:23And we'll be rejoined by Sarah Philpott and Kevin Murphy to find out a little bit more about the 150 year anniversary of Channel Swimming
41:31and a celebration which has been recently held in Dover.
41:34And don't forget, in the meantime, you can keep up to date with all our latest stories across Kent
41:39by logging on to our website, kmtv.co.uk.
41:44Well, we'll be back with more news in just a few minutes after that first break.
45:11And welcome back to Kent Tonight, live here on KMTV.
45:14Now, let's revisit this story.
45:15It's interesting, isn't it?
45:16Can cherry powder help fight dementia?
45:19Well, that's what scientists at the University of Kent believe as they found that consuming that from waste cherries
45:24can protect against the harmful cognitive effects of Alzheimer's disease.
45:29Though only lab tested at this point in time, the results could prove to have important implications for the disease research and food waste reduction.
45:38Reporter Alfie Rowe finds out more.
45:41As the largest cherry producing region in the UK, Kent is no stranger to the healthy fruit.
45:47But perhaps we have only scratched the surface of its true potential.
45:51It's no secret that cherries are good for you, packed with plenty of nutrients and antioxidants.
45:57Previous studies suggest they can even hold off the cognitive decline associated with dementia.
46:03And now, a new study suggests grinding them up into a powder can have an even greater impact.
46:09Researchers at the University of Kent have been looking into anthocyanins,
46:14a compound found in cherries with a range of health benefits.
46:18But like with everything else, when it comes to Alzheimer's, it's a tad more complicated.
46:23What we found was that when you just take these anthocyanins,
46:29you don't get the protective effect in the Alzheimer's disease model.
46:34But in the context of the powder, there is something about that food matrix, the chemical composition that seems to be beneficial.
46:47Not only is this a win in the fight against age-related disease, but also food waste.
46:53Even the cherries that were being chucked away by the farm because the supermarkets didn't want to take them,
46:58were actually really, really rich in these anthocyanins.
47:02So it's a complete waste of this great biological resource.
47:05And the juice that is made from these waste cherries is rich in them,
47:08and the powder that was made from them is really rich in them.
47:11This is welcome news for cherry farmer Michael Dalloway.
47:14Working with the researchers, he developed the powder from his cherry juice leftovers.
47:19We've been making the cherry juice for 10 plus years, but we had the waste left over from making the cherry juice.
47:24So when you squash the cherries, you're left with all the pulp and the skin and whatever.
47:28That doesn't have to be waste. Just because it's a leftover by-product, there's still great nutritional value in that.
47:33There's a lot more interest in upcycling as well, isn't there?
47:38And can we use that for something else rather than it just being dumped?
47:42So yeah, I think the big takeaway is the fact that we just need to get our heads around the fact that we can use these by-products,
47:51waste products for other products basically, and can we turn them into something really healthy and nutritional.
47:58In this early stage, cherry powder is still far from becoming a mainstream product.
48:02But growing awareness of its benefits could one day see shoppers buying their cherries crushed rather than plucked.
48:09Alfie Rowe for KMTV.
48:12And if you get, you can keep up to date with all your latest stories across Kent by logging on to our website, kmtv.co.uk.
48:21There you'll find all our reports like this one about open water swimming in Margate
48:27and a coach who had to stop running her business since last year because of expensive beach trading licence costs.
48:34Several years ago, Vanessa started open water swimming after a serious spinal injury, taking part for recovery and rejuvenation.
48:42To help others, she started running coaching and water safety sessions on Thanet beaches with a small group of people.
48:47But after being told she couldn't operate without a beach trading licence, Vanessa had to stop running the sessions,
48:53as she said the licensing costs were too expensive and not considerate for her type of business.
48:58Yeah, I find it very unfair because all I'm paying for is to walk down to the beach if I'm on a beach at high tide.
49:06So it's quite a short amount of space that I'm occupying.
49:10I'm not advertising on the beach, I'm not doing anything on the beach, I'm not having a big group sitting on the beach doing anything like that.
49:17And I think it would be much better for small businesses like mine that are just using the beach ad hoc,
49:23just maybe having a registration fee.
49:25So you do provide your insurances and risk assessments to the council so they know who you are,
49:30you get a registration, you pay a registration and then you just get on with your business.
49:35Now, for a bit of background as to why Vanessa isn't continuing her coaching business,
49:39it's simply because she says it's not sustainable.
49:41Her work is freelance and very seasonal.
49:44She says that during her peak seasons she earns around £3,000.
49:48If you take away the licensing fee and the admin costs,
49:51she's only left with about two thirds of her original income.
49:54And she says this is unfair as she only has to walk across the beach to then use the ocean.
49:59So should she pay the fee at all?
50:01But officials say this isn't the case and the fee is entirely necessary.
50:05You can't just rock up anywhere you want.
50:08You wouldn't dream of just arriving in one of our local parks, for instance,
50:13and starting selling beef burgers off of a barbecue.
50:16You wouldn't dream or, you know, it's about the purpose you're working for.
50:23Because also the question is, is it a commercial issue or is it philanthropic?
50:29If somebody is being rewarded commercially for providing a service,
50:33then I think it's only fair that they pay for a licence.
50:36According to a Thanet District Council spokesperson between May and September 2025,
50:41Thanet District Council ran a pilot programme to issue licences for seasonal coastal businesses
50:46operating on publicly owned land.
50:48The pilot scheme will be evaluated following the end of the summer season,
50:52which is October 2025.
50:54Feedback received from applicants and licence holders will help to shape the programme
50:57and pricing structure for subsequent years.
51:00Vanessa is now calling on counsellors to review the trading policy
51:03in hopes her business can open again and this time keep it Ted above water.
51:07Finn McDermid for KMTV in Margate.
51:10All right, let's go back to this one we were talking about earlier in the programme.
51:16Community Pride Art and Heritage took centre stage in Dover recently
51:20as 150 years of successful channel swimming history was celebrated with a colourful parade.
51:26150 swimmers also undertook a competitive distance swim across the harbour
51:30to honour the first one completed by Captain Webb in 1875.
51:35Well, to tell us more about it, I'm joined again in the studio by Sarah Philpott
51:39and also Kevin Murphy as well.
51:43Sarah, I'm going to come back to you.
51:45We didn't talk too much about Captain Webb earlier in the programme.
51:48150 years ago this swim took place.
51:50Tell us a little bit about him and the legacy, just a little legacy.
51:54Yeah, sure.
51:55So he was born up near Telford in 1848 and he was one of 12 siblings
52:02and at the age of 12 he decided that rather than being a burden on the family
52:07that he would go and join the Navy.
52:10And so he became a cadet on board a ship and it was very important obviously
52:16in that profession that you could swim.
52:18And throughout his career he was known not for his speed but for his endurance
52:24and his ability to stay in the water.
52:28And in 1874 he actually was awarded a medal for bravery when he leapt into the sea
52:34off a Cunard liner to rescue somebody.
52:38And so he had this catalogue of bravery in the water behind him.
52:46And so in 1875 he made his attempt.
52:50It was actually his second attempt.
52:52His first one was two weeks prior.
52:54And it took him 21 hours and 45 minutes.
52:59He drank beef tea, drank a lot of beer surprisingly.
53:05I think he made it to the French shores.
53:09But I think the thing that really inspires me about him is his legacy
53:15in the 10 to 15 years that followed.
53:18I mean the achievement was just so great and so significant
53:22that people all around the country took up swimming.
53:27And he was very passionate about teaching boys to swim
53:31because of course they would go off to join the Navy.
53:33And so what happened in the 10 years that followed his real legacy
53:38was very much the formalisation of the Amateur Swimming Association
53:44and competitive swimming as we know it today.
53:47So I just think that's such a huge legacy that he left behind.
53:51And you've got some books here.
53:53I mean we can see if we come to one of our wide cameras
53:56you can see some of the pictures of him here on the screen.
53:59That's a book he wrote.
54:01Is that a book he wrote?
54:02Well, there we go.
54:03Yeah.
54:04There we go.
54:05And the legacy's cause, obviously, you followed any footlets Kevin?
54:08Yeah.
54:09This is a photo 15 years ago?
54:10Yeah, that's me.
54:11Slightly younger me.
54:13He inspires us still, to be honest.
54:17His saying was, nothing great is easy.
54:21He lived for the challenge.
54:24And that's actually part of the human psyche.
54:27We like to challenge ourselves.
54:30And we like to take risks within reason.
54:33And that's exactly what he did.
54:35And we follow in the footsteps.
54:38We want to challenge ourselves.
54:40We want to take a little bit of a risk, but as long as it's not too much so.
54:46And the channel, the Swimming the English Channel, is the ultimate challenge.
54:51It's a challenge both physically and psychologically.
54:56And you've done it 34 times.
54:58Yes.
54:59I've done it three doubles and 28 singles.
55:04A double is two widths, basically.
55:07People might say that's a bit excessive.
55:12But in fact, actually, what I was trying to do was a three-way channel.
55:17And I kept doing ones and twos and not three.
55:20And then I got to a stage where I couldn't do three anymore.
55:23And I looked round and the record was within my grasp.
55:27And I didn't want to get to a stage, which is probably where I'm now, of looking back and saying,
55:33could have done that, but never tried.
55:35I've tried and I did it.
55:37We haven't got too much longer left.
55:39But you had an event recently down in Dover.
55:40Tell us a little bit about that.
55:41150 swimmers, I guess, representing 150 years.
55:44Yes, yes.
55:45It was a real pleasure to organise.
55:47So I organised it on behalf of Dover Lifeguards Club.
55:50And what was nice was, you know, I'm a channel swimmer.
55:53We had lots of channel swimmers from the channel swimming community.
55:56But equally, as a local girl, I got, you know, people who are local dippers at the beach.
56:01They came along and took part.
56:03And people from the competitive sports clubs, so Dover Lifeguards Club, they came along and took part.
56:08And actually, of the 150 swimmers, over 100 of them were female.
56:12And it is a sport that's very popular amongst women as much as the men.
56:18They have the record, don't they?
56:19And the most swims.
56:20Yeah.
56:21And so, yeah, they hold the record for the most number of swims.
56:24And Sarah Thomas.
56:25The swim records held by a man.
56:27Always competitive.
56:28Sarah Thomas from America.
56:29She's done the English Channel four times without stopping.
56:32And next year we are celebrating the 100th anniversary of the first woman to cross the channel.
56:37So we're going to be doing it all again.
56:39Well, thank you both so much for joining.
56:41I'm afraid we are out of time.
56:43That's all for this evening.
56:44We'll see you again tomorrow at 5.30.
56:45Bye-bye.
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