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Catch up with all the latest news from across the county with Gabriel Morris.
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00:00Hello and welcome to Ken Tonight, live here on KNTV. I'm Gabriel Morrison, here are your
00:20top stories on Thursday the 11th of September. The stuff that royal memories are made of
00:26as Princess Kate visits textile factory in Coxton. Embarrassed and ashamed, Kent councillor
00:40opens up about being drugged in hopes of breaking spiking stigma. And breaking a sweat, Graves
00:52End Leisure Centre set to get a facelift with pre-contract agreement confirmed.
00:57Without this, you know, a lot of us wouldn't do the exercise. I think the amount of money
01:02you say is going into it is quite a lot.
01:09Well thank you very much for your company this evening this Thursday. Top story tonight,
01:21the Princess of Wales has visited Coxton. Her Royal Highness Princess Kate was at Marina
01:26Milne Ltd, a specialist handmade fabric producer. After a new spread of the future Queen's appearance,
01:32around 50 Royal fans turned up at the site to try and get a glimpse of her. Our reporter
01:38Holly Spires was there to take part in the official tour of the Kent business.
01:44Coxton's industrial estate is not normally alive with Kentish crowds and excited hounds. But
01:50then again, the Princess of Wales normally doesn't come to town. It's a little place. I was surprised
01:55that anybody would really know about it. Yeah, me, I've got a day off today so I thought I'd
02:00come down and, yeah, see what's. It's really nice that someone like Princess Kate is coming
02:05to Coxton. She's lovely. I really love what they do for, you know, all the local charities
02:09and the communities and things. That's lovely. She's lovely. Especially like our grandparents
02:15that unfortunately passed away. They absolutely love the royal family so I feel like we're
02:19here for them. The Princess of Wales was visiting Marina Milne, a family-run textiles business
02:24known for its beautiful threads fit for royalty. I've done very basic screen printing at school.
02:30OK. So I don't know if it's very, you've got a pattern in it with a Ouija. No wonder the
02:35princess looked so pleased as she lent a hand. That's really epic, isn't it? Yay!
02:44The princess printed the yellow for the print. And this is what she actually printed earlier
02:51today. Marina Mills is one of the only few handmade textile companies in the UK. Now one
02:58of these could retail at £250 per metre because of its beautiful handmade design. We're one
03:08of the very few hand printers left in the UK. Everything we do is done by hand. There's no
03:15machinery. And so hands are on the squeegee and you actually print. No one else really does
03:21that anymore. Most of them are much, much smaller than we are with a small three metre table.
03:27Or those with a machine. Or big, big stuff. But we're in between.
03:34A rich history fit for historic visits. But for many working here, they'll just be happy
03:40about the broad strokes of Cuxton receiving a rare royal visit.
03:44We had a phone call from Kensington Palace. It was back in June when they were first going
03:51to come. And when Colin called me and said, it's Kensington Palace on the phone, I thought
03:58it was a hoax. I was like, shut up. But yeah, it was. And they, yeah, she seemed to be really
04:04interested. She was hanging around, wasn't she? She wasn't rushing through. So she was obviously
04:12interested in each stage. Holly Spires for KMTV.
04:19Now for some news in brief. Kent police are appealing for witnesses after shocking footage
04:24emerged from a fun fair in Medway. It happened at Lordswood last weekend. And in the footage
04:29you can see teenagers throwing punches at security guards as well as fairground staff.
04:33Officers were called to the scene in North Dane Way at around 7.20pm. Police say that inquiries
04:38into what's happened are underway. And that anyone who witnessed the incident or has any
04:42more footage should get in touch with them. Eight fire engines were deployed to a house
04:47fire in Dover today. Residents say they could smell smoke for miles after the incident in
04:52Markland Road. Firefighters are still advising to keep all windows and doors shut in the Elms
04:57Valley area due to the fumes. The road near the junction of Eves Road was also shut so firefighters
05:03could tackle the flames. It's not yet known what caused the fire, but we'll keep you updated
05:07with all the details when we get there. A woman from Sydney Bourne has woken up horrified
05:13after waking up with hundreds of bed bug bites after staying in a Butlins hotel. She was visiting
05:18the Bognor Regis branch to celebrate her 30th birthday. She woke up on Saturday to find her
05:23room overrun with bugs and covered in bites. Holly Honeymoon spent more than £1000 on the holiday
05:29and stated she was offered £400 in compensation. Butlins says they are very sorry and were in contact
05:34with her to discuss the issues raised further. A Kent County Councillor has opened up about
05:41his spiking ordeal in hopes of breaking down for stigma surrounding the under-reported crime.
05:46Dean Burns was drinking in Ashford earlier this year when he says he was drugged, leaving
05:51him feeling ashamed and fearful to go out on social occasions. Our local democracy reporter
05:55Oli Leda went down to County Hall to hear his story. It just happened so fast. I mean, it literally,
06:02I suppose, you know, we're talking seconds. Striding into County Hall, Dean Burns may not be the
06:09first person to spring to mind when imagining a victim of spiking. But earlier this year, the
06:16Deputy Cabinet Member for the Environment says he was drugged while out drinking in Ashford.
06:23I just lost trust in society around me. You know, I couldn't walk into a pub and have lunch
06:32or anything like that. You know, I just wanted to sort of stay away from these sort of places
06:36because it kind of makes you realise how vulnerable you can be. Spiking can happen to anyone in a variety
06:45of different ways. Someone could slip something into your drink or food, inject you with a needle,
06:51even drug your cigarette or vape. And 90% of these spikings do go unreported. It's something Dean wants
07:00to try and change in his role at Kent County Council by raising awareness of his own experiences.
07:07This is really about getting the people to understand that it's not their fault when it happens
07:13because that's the first thing you feel. You just feel it's almost like a mixture of emotions of shame,
07:20embarrassment, all them kind of feelings that, you know, and I've since learned that all that is
07:27is your body just trying to repair itself. Enforcement of laws around spiking rest with Kent Police.
07:35While district and borough councils who oversee licensing for bars and venues can implement
07:42preventative measures. And I understand people's anxiety around this as a particular issue.
07:48So that's why Kent Police are doing a lot of work with businesses to make sure that we
07:52protect people as best we possibly can. And the government is looking at strengthening the
07:56and updating the legislation in this area to hold those perpetrators to account.
08:02Data on the full scale of spiking here in the county is not readily available. But if Dean's
08:09experience is anything to go by, vigilance is the best way to stay safe.
08:15Olly Leader in Maystone.
08:17The MPCC offers advice to victims if they feel they may have been spiked. The body recommends
08:24calling 999 or 101 and reporting it to police if someone is injured or has symptoms consistent
08:30with spiking. Call the NHS 111 phone line. If a sexual assault is suspected, go to the nearest
08:35sexual assault referral centre to receive specialist care and support. And police may want to take a
08:40urine sample as soon as it's practicable as some drugs can leave the body within 12 hours.
08:47Well, let's get more on this story. Our local democracy reporter Olly Leader joins me in the
08:52studio now. Olly, tell us a little bit about the scale of spiking in the county. How much
08:57do we actually know about it?
08:59So, it is quite a significant crime, not just here in Kent, but across the entire country. According
09:05to Home Office statistics, there are 6,732 reports of spiking between May 2022 and 2023. And that
09:14includes 957 instances of needle assaults, most commonly in bars and nightclubs. As my piece
09:22mentioned, it can even be in cigarettes, it can be in vapes, it can be in your food. It's something
09:27to be very mindful of on a night out. And when you look at the Kent figures from 2020, where
09:34there were some COVID restrictions in place where it affected the stats, there were around
09:3958 drink spikings and just one needle spiking. But by 2022, when the numbers peaked, there
09:46were 279 drink-related defences and 50 with needles. So, here in Kent, drink spiking, like
09:53what Dean experienced, is the most common. And what Dean said to me, it feels like losing
09:59control of your body. That's what it's all about. That's where a lot of the real fear
10:03comes from, because you kind of almost lose that sense of self. So, it's something that
10:08they'd be very mindful of on a night out.
10:10Breakdown to some of the enforcement practices which are currently enforced by Kent police
10:14and other authorities.
10:15So, I've been out on police patrols in the past here at KMTV. I spoke to Matthew Scott.
10:20There are police officers in the night-time economy, both clothed and without and plain
10:25clothed, that will basically be monitoring for this sort of thing. But the preventative
10:29measures tend to come from councils who can put it into licensing policy. This is probably
10:34a more widespread practice as time goes on.
10:37Arnie, thank you for bringing us those details.
10:41Now, filming for summer scenes of Netflix's Pride and Prejudice drama is taking place on
10:46a Kent beach. Happening in Dill along the promenade and the beach, street actors in period
10:51costumes have been spotted in front of the pier with horses and carriages and props in the
10:56area. The Compass's pub, which is one of the county's oldest inns, was also transformed
11:01with a new sign, table and chairs set up outside. Filming is understood to wrap up tomorrow,
11:07with several road closures in place to allow filming including Beach Street, Coppin Street,
11:11Brewer Street and Oak Street. Well, that's one to look forward to, isn't it, when it comes
11:16out on Netflix. And we'll have more film news for you later on in the programme as the Kent
11:20Film Club host Chris Deese will be joining me on the sofa a little bit later. But for now,
11:24we're going to take a quick break. But coming up, we're here from our local community reporter
11:28Henry Luck about a pub in Canterbury, which is set to make a return after a £500,000 reef
11:33amp. All that and more coming up, including the weather, in just a few minutes' time. We'll
11:38see you then.
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18:02meeting the RAF Association, they're all very good friends of mine as well for
18:07which I will be laying a memorial only this Sunday. So I'm forever mixed up in
18:13the military veterans, reserves and cadets activity as with the sea cadets
18:17last night. I love being with military people so that's just my passion but
18:23also I care about their mental health. I myself I'm a civilian so learning
18:28different things about the military from military personnel themselves is
18:32really interesting and very factual to me but I think specifically for Twiggy and
18:37the other veterans it's mixing people who may not have met before and but have
18:41similar stories. Just a camaraderie that we've all missed so it's always good to
18:45get back involved fellow veterans and again hear everyone's stories and they
18:49might have gone through the same things and through one conversation someone may
18:53open up and potentially we could save someone's life because no one knows how
18:57their sadness goes at the end of the day. We know that isolation, mental health
19:04problems, PTSD are all issues that are endemic in our veteran population and
19:08anything like this where you welcome people in to a nice friendly warm
19:13environment and let's be honest feed them cake and give them drink it's always a
19:17good thing for them I think. The RB Live hopes veterans continue to thrive in
19:22Sivvy Street letting them have their cake and eat it. Henry Luck for KMTV in Ellsford.
19:32Now for a look at the forecast. Tonight is looking like clear skies with winds at 10 to
19:4311 miles per hour temperatures around 12 into tomorrow morning those temperatures
19:48are rising to around 13 to 14 degrees largely comfortable temperature bear sun to
19:52greet us with a similar wind speeds into the afternoon showers set to go across
19:57most of the county temperatures rising to 18 degrees and here's your outlook for the
20:01coming days. I'm afraid it's going to be a rainy couple of days with weather warnings
20:05in place on Sunday and Monday.
20:16A pub in Canterbury which has been closed since March is set to make a return with
20:20a half a million pound revamp. Canterbury Tower's pub is due to receive a complete
20:24makeover reopening in December and plans have gone in for a new development in
20:29Folkestone. Well community reporter Henry Luck joined me earlier with the roundup.
20:32And Henry we'll start with the pub in Canterbury. What's happening with the Canterbury Tales?
20:39Well the Canterbury Tales pub in Canterbury is set to get a £500,000 revamp and with that
20:47it's going to get a complete transformation to bring back and welcome locals and tourists.
20:54And what would these changes look like once they're complete after that £500,000 has been spent?
21:00Well Gabriel it's going to get a complete overhaul from inside and out and it's going to be welcoming
21:08all sorts of local artists to come down and perform. Matt Olsen who's been in Canterbury for 15 years
21:16says he's delighted about the investment and is excited about providing live entertainment and a place
21:24for people to socialise. And tell us a little bit about the history of this pub.
21:29Well this pub has been around since the 17th century but it's closed its doors in March and Star pub's
21:37investment manager says the Canterbury Tales is a stunning building that is in desperate need of some love.
21:43And I'll tell you as someone who spent a lot of time going to pubs during my uni days I'm excited to see what becomes of it.
21:50Well that'd be good to see won't it Henry. And let's move on to the other story now.
21:55Some new homes being built in Folkestone. Obviously a lot of construction happening across the county.
22:01This is not the only one. But tell us a little bit about this specific story in Folkestone with these new homes.
22:07Well plans have just been submitted by Folkestone and Hive District Council to replace a derelict
22:14Eulity site with 135 new homes. These plans have been in development since 2021 and they're there to replace a former gas works which has been around since the 1950s.
22:28And what other features, we can see the picture on the screen here in the studio, some green space there, you've got the properties there. What other features will this development have?
22:39The scheme designed by Fletcher Priest Architecture and ARP will include plans to include a pedestrian green link route and about 100 square metres of retail space, though it's yet to be confirmed what these will look like.
22:56And Councillor John McConville says this site will deliver an exciting new residential development, providing much needed homes and offering pleasant walks and cycle links from Folkestone Central Station to the Town Centre and Harbour.
23:14A public consultation is underway at the moment and residents will be able to register their votes on the plan until the 9th of October.
23:24Henry, thank you so much for your time.
23:25Thank you for having me.
23:28Now, Casade Leisure Centre in Gravesend is set to see a long-awaited rebuild backed by £17 million in government funding.
23:35The £43 million project will see the new building of host two pools, a sports hall and six courts with a soft play zone for children.
23:43Plans have been solidified through a new pre-contract agreement with Wilmot Dixon.
23:47Our reporter, Megan Shaw, headed down to Gravesend to get the feeling of what they're feeling for it.
23:52Casade Leisure Centre in Gravesend is set to get a huge upgrade following the procurement of a new pre-contract agreement with Wilmot Dixon.
24:02The agreement will see the project through the pre-construction phase, with the new building set to be completed in December 2028.
24:09Right behind me is Casade Leisure Centre and they are set to receive £17 million in funding through the government's levelling-up fund.
24:16It interests everybody, you know, from around to children, adults who get elderly going in there, you know, to keep up with their daily exercising, to keep themselves going, you know.
24:26There's not much for them, so I think if they didn't put the funds in, it'd be a bad thing.
24:32So definitely, 100%, keep on with the funding and doing it up because it does need it.
24:38Casade Leisure Centre is set to be replaced by a £42.9 million low-carbon building, with £17 million of this to come from the government's levelling-up fund.
24:49Everything needs improving as the years go on, so, like I say, I used to work here about four or five years ago and I think it'd probably need a little bit of improvement then.
24:57Like I say, if they make use of the £43 million, then, yeah, I definitely think it's worth every penny, as long as it comes and brings everyone together.
25:04Like I say, obviously you're going to need a lot more members and it needs a lot of money, but if it all works well, then why not? Yeah, definitely.
25:11It's more than needed. I think it's important. As you can see, it looks like an army camp. It needs freshening up for kids, for ourselves. The facilities in there are a bit outdated, the floor looks a bit, but so the funding will hopefully make it a better place for everyone to come.
25:29What we're looking to do is, in due course, demolish the existing Cascades Leisure Centre, build a new leisure centre that will have a new swimming pool in there, with multi-play still, as available within the centre.
25:43The swimming pool itself will be of a regional standard, so that we can have swimming competitions in there.
25:50There will be a gym and various other facilities, including soft play for children. So we're looking to expand the offer. The other thing we're looking to do is, obviously, with a brand new building, being able to build it so that it's much more energy efficient for the residents of Gratian.
26:07From the £20 million package available, this leaves just £3 million for other community initiatives.
26:13Without this, you know, a lot of us wouldn't do the exercise. I think the amount of money you say is going into it is quite a lot. But you need these facilities, I think, for children especially, and as well as for old people like me, you know, just to keep us fit.
26:30These long-awaited plans have been in the works since 2023. But now, they feel like they might be just round the corner.
26:37This is Megan Shaw for CAME TV in Gravesend.
26:41And back after this break.
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29:47and welcome back to Ken tonight live here on KMTV I'm Gabriel Morris let's take a look back
30:08at your top stories tonight on Thursday the 11th of September the stuff that royal memories are
30:15made of as Princess Kate visits Cunxton textile factory embarrassed and ashamed Kent Councillor
30:22opens up about being drugged in hopes of breaking spiking stigma breaking a sweat Gravesend Leisure
30:30Centre set to get a facelift with new agreement confirmed now to a royal visit that had Rochester
30:38buzzing today as the princess of well princess of Wales made a surprise appearance in the historic
30:44town our reporter honey spires went down to marina mill limited cuxton's industrial estate is not
30:52normally alive with Kentish crowds and excited hounds but then again the princess of wales normally
30:57doesn't come to town it's a little place I was surprised that anybody will really know about it
31:03yeah and me I've got a day off today so I thought I'd come down and yeah it's really nice that someone
31:09like Princess Kate is coming to Cuxton she's lovely I really love what they do for you know all the
31:14local charities and communities and things that's lovely she's lovely especially like our grandparents
31:20unfortunately passed away they absolutely love the royal family so I feel like we're here for them
31:25the princess of wales was visiting marina mill a family-run textiles business known for its beautiful
31:31threads fit for royalty I've done very basic screen printing at school so I don't know if it's
31:37no wonder the princess looks so pleased as she lent a hand
31:43princess printed the yellow
31:51marina mills is one of the only few handmade textile companies in the UK now one of these could retail
32:05at 250 pounds per meter because of its beautiful handmade design we're one of the very few hand printers
32:16left in the UK and everything we do is done by hand there's no machinery and so hands are on the
32:24squeegee and you actually print and no one else really does that anymore most of them are much much
32:30smaller than we are with a small three meter table or they've gone to machine and big big stuff so we're in
32:38that in between a rich history fit for historic visit but for many working here they'll just be happy about
32:46the broad strokes of Cuxton receiving a rare royal visit we had a phone call from Kensington Palace
32:54it was back in June when they were first going to come and when Colin Colin called me and said
33:01it's Kensington Palace on the phone I thought it was a hoax I was like shut up but yeah it was and
33:09they yeah she seemed to be really interested she was hanging around wasn't she she wasn't rushing
33:17through so she was obviously interested in each stage Holly Spires for KMTV and there's more on that
33:25story on Kent online okay Kent a Kent County Councillor has opened up about his spiking ordeal in hopes of
33:32breaking down for stigma surrounding the under-reported crime Dean Burns was drinking in Ashford earlier this
33:38year when he says he was drugged leaving him feeling ashamed and fearful to go out on social occasions
33:43a local democracy reporter Oli Leder went to County Hall to hear his story it just happened so fast I
33:51mean it literally I suppose you know we're talking seconds striding into County Hall Dean Burns may not
34:00be the first person to spring to mind when imagining a victim of spiking but earlier this year the deputy
34:07cabinet member for the environment says he was drugged while out drinking in Ashford I just lost trust in
34:15society around me you know I couldn't walk into a pub and have lunch or anything like that you know I
34:24just wanted to sort of stay away from these sort of places because it kind of makes you realize how
34:30vulnerable you can be spiking can happen to anyone in a variety of different ways someone could slip
34:38something into your drink or food inject you the needle even drug your cigarettes or vape and 90% of
34:45these spikings do go unreported it's something Dean wants to try and change in his role at Kent County
34:53Council by raising awareness of his own experiences this is really about getting the people to understand
35:02it's not their fault when it happens because that's the first thing you feel you just feel
35:05it's almost like a mixture of emotions of shame embarrassment all them kind of feelings that you
35:16know and I've since learned that all that is is your body just try to repair itself enforcement of laws around
35:23spiking rest with Kent police while district and borough councils who oversee licensing for bars and venues can
35:32implement preventative measures and I understand people's anxiety around this as a particular issue so that's why Kent
35:40police are doing a lot of work with businesses to make sure that we protect people as best we possibly can and the
35:45government is looking at strengthening the and updating the legislation in this area to hold those
35:50perpetrators to account data on the full scale of spiking here in the county is not readily available
35:57but if Dean's experience is anything to go by vigilance is the best way to stay safe Ollie leader in Maystone
36:07and there are support out there to fix them so they feel they may have been spiked you can call 999
36:14or 101 or reporting to the police if someone is injured or has symptoms consistent with spiking
36:19NHS can be contacted on the 111 phone line and if sexual assault is suspected go to the nearest sexual
36:24assault referral centre for specialist care and support and police may want to take a urine sample
36:29as soon as practical and sub drugs can leave the body within 12 hours a Kent MP says he's concerned
36:37about the rise of artificial intelligence to write speeches in the house of comments Tom Tugendhart says members
36:42on the opposite benches are using Americanisms which haven't been heard before a Tumbridge MP believes
36:47that it can only be down to sites such as chat GPT let's have a look all we're hearing is the chat GPT
36:55generated press releases I rise to speak I rise to speak I rise to speak chat GPT knows you're there but
37:04that is an Americanism that we don't use but still keep using it because it makes it clear that this
37:11place has become absurd this building this chamber is a waste of time a complete waste of time now we have
37:22a whole host of special programs here at KNTV and tomorrow evening at 5pm a new special will be airing
37:27Darwin in the garden takes a look at the famous scientists life and legacy starting in Shrewsbury
37:33and finishing at Down House our reporter Ethelie Reynolds explores the life of the renowned scientist
37:38who lived in the county for 40 years let's have a look at the trailer
37:42over 160 years ago Charles Darwin published on the origin of species and it changed and challenged
37:50perceptions about evolution Darwin wrote much of the book whilst living here in Kent
37:55the gardens of Down House were where many of his theories were tried tested and ultimately flourished
38:02whether it was in the house itself or whether it was in the physical setting of the garden
38:06or indeed his kitchen garden or the wider countryside this is where Darwin tested his theories about
38:12evolution by means of natural selection and this really was the main attractant to Darwin
38:17wasn't the house itself which he described as ugly but it really was the physical landscape
38:23whilst in the county Darwin wrote 130 scientific papers and 15 books but his love for nature
38:32started early at his childhood home in Shrewsbury where his parents would encourage him to explore
38:37the gardens and note down how the natural world around him changed I think it's fair to say
38:43that Charles' home and the town of Shrewsbury had a big influence on his life it was never far from his thoughts
38:51never far from his heart it was somewhere he yearned to be when he was the other side of the world
38:57he altered the world of science forever revolutionising evolution and his legacy is remembered and honoured well
39:04in both Shrewsbury and here in Kent this is the life and legacy of Charles Darwin
39:16well Anthony Reynolds joins me in the studio now tell us a little bit more details about who he actually was
39:22so Charles Darwin was a very famous scientist kind of in the Victorian era and his book on the origin of species
39:28revolutionised theories around evolution it was a he put forward theories about evolution by means of natural selection
39:37and this kind of challenged a lot of perceptions at the time a lot of people were very clued up on kind of religion and evolution
39:45but this introduced a new scientific standpoint that at the time a lot of people didn't know
39:50and a lot of people were actually quite scared to recognise because it mixed with kind of their faith
39:55so it was a really revolutionising piece of work and changed the nature of science forever
40:00and why did he choose to live in Kent? 40 years he was here right?
40:03yeah so he started off in Shrewsbury and like myself I'm from Shrewsbury moved down to Kent
40:09so I came here to study but Darwin also kind of came down to Kent to study as well
40:14he wanted to go somewhere away from the hustle and bustle of the city
40:19and he wanted to go somewhere where he could really put his theories into practice
40:23and Downhouse offered just that
40:26the countryside that surrounded it and the lands were very influential to him
40:30and he carried out a lot of experiments dotted around the grounds of Downhouse today
40:34you can still see recreations of these experiments
40:37but just going there and walking through the gardens
40:39you can truly see how this love for nature really kind of went towards this writing of on the origin of species
40:46so almost following in his footsteps
40:49what was it like following that journey from Downhouse and in Shrewsbury?
40:55it was really incredible because visiting his old childhood home in Shrewsbury
40:59and kind of looking at the surrounding gardens
41:01John who kind of gave me a tour of Shrewsbury from the perspective of Charles Darwin
41:06his house looks on this like massive like acres of land that are now housing
41:11but were once owned by the Darwin family and it was this massive garden
41:15and seeing how that would have influenced his childhood
41:18and then seeing you can really see why this would have attuned him to a love for nature
41:22and then as I said before walking kind of around the grounds of Downhouse
41:26seeing how this love for nature kind of transformed when he was older was such an interesting incredible experience
41:31thanks for bringing us those details and that special will be on tomorrow at 5pm
41:37but for us now we're going to take a quick break but we'll be back in a few minutes
41:40with more news made just for Kent
41:42we'll see you then
42:01that's good
42:13thanks
42:14thanks
42:16thanks
42:18thanks
42:19I'm
42:21I'm
42:22I'm
42:24I'm
42:26I'm
42:28You
42:58You
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44:58And welcome back to the final part of Kent Tonight, live here on KMTV.
45:08Couset's Leisure Centre in Grovesend is set to see a long-awaited rebuild, backed by £17 million in government funding.
45:13A £43 million project will see the new building host two pools, a sports hall and six courts and a soft play zone for children.
45:21Plans have come through for a new contract agreement with a contractor, Wilmot Dixon.
45:26Our reporter, Megan Shaw, has more details.
45:30Couset's Leisure Centre in Grovesend is set to get a huge upgrade following the procurement of a new pre-contract agreement with Wilmot Dixon.
45:38The agreement will see the project through the pre-construction phase, with the new building set to be completed in December 2028.
45:45Right behind me is Couset's Leisure Centre and they are set to receive £17 million in funding through the government's levelling up fund.
45:52It interests everybody, you know, from around, children, adults, elderly going in there, you know, to keep up with their daily exercising, to keep themselves going, you know.
46:03There's not much for them, so I think if they didn't put the funds in, it'd be a bad thing.
46:08So definitely, 100%, keep on with the funding and doing it up because it does need it.
46:15Cascades Leisure Centre is set to be replaced by a £42.9 million low-carbon building, with £17 million of this to come from the government's levelling up fund.
46:25Everything needs improving as the years go on. So, like I say, I used to work here about four or five years ago and I think it probably needed a little bit of improvement then.
46:33So, if they make use of the £43 million then, yeah, I definitely think it's worth every penny as long as it comes and brings everyone together.
46:41Like I say, obviously you're going to need a lot more members and it needs a lot of money, but if it all works well then why not? Yeah, definitely.
46:48It's more than needed. I think it's important. As you can see, it looks like an army camp. It needs freshening up for kids, for ourselves. The facilities in there are a bit outdated, the floor looks a bit, but so the funding will hopefully make it a better place for everyone to come.
47:05What we're looking to do is, in due course, demolish the existing Cascades Leisure Centre, build a new leisure centre that will have a new swimming pool in there, with multi-play still, as available within the centre.
47:19The swimming pool itself will be of a regional standard, so that we can have swimming competitions in there.
47:27There will be a gym and various other facilities, including soft play for children.
47:31So we're looking to expand the offer. The other thing we're looking to do is, obviously, with a brand new building, being able to build it so that it's much more energy efficient for the residence of Gration.
47:43From the £20 million package available, this leaves just £3 million for other community initiatives.
47:49Without this, you know, a lot of us wouldn't do the exercise. I think the amount of money you say is going into it is quite a lot.
47:58But you need these facilities, I think, for children especially, and as well as for old people like me, you know, just to keep us fit.
48:06These long-awaited plans have been in the works since 2023, but now they feel like they might be just round the corner.
48:13This is Megan Shaw for Cain TV in Gravesend.
48:18Exciting prospects there.
48:19Well, a former boxing coach is hoping to launch a pie and mash empire after opening his first East London style shop to much fanfare.
48:28Mitchell Titchener welcomed customers to Julian's Pie and Mash in the Forum Shopping Centre in Tittenborn last week.
48:36So it's pie and mash accompanied by liquor as well as hot and jellied eels.
48:40Sweet treats in a form of apple pies and sticky toffee puddings are also on the menu.
48:45Let's have a look.
48:46We wanted to try and do the pie and mash up so that, because it's a really old Victorian thing, but we wanted to try and, I want to try and do it how I remember it from the 90s, where it had a bit of a, where, when I used to go to Peckham Mountains all the time, it would be like, I can't do the graffiti,
49:08but there'd be like graffiti outside on the wall and cars would be bibbing and you could smell the exhaust pipes and people would be, all that, and you'd be in their can of Coke.
49:18So it's like, I used to notice that there was, it was all cool, but it would be like part modern, but you could tell it was also part, almost prehistoric.
49:28And just trying to, trying to create that vibe is what I'm aiming for.
49:35Now don't forget you can keep up to date with all your latest stories across Kent by logging on to our website, it's kmtv.co.uk.
49:42They'll find all our reports, including this one about a man from Gravesend who ran 891 kilometres to raise money for Eleanor Hospice.
49:50And he's done it, Amol Randawa has just run the length of England.
50:02At the end however, there were no medals or glory, just the incredible feeling of giving back to a hospice that's done so much for him.
50:12Amol's journey has taken him from Berwick upon Tweed all the way to Land's End in Cornwall.
50:22Imagine running this distance in just two weeks.
50:26But thankfully, Amol wasn't alone on his journey as he had friends and family by his side.
50:33He's been struggling, literally fighting every day to run on average about 70 kilometres a day with no, no days break.
50:43And he's actually on the final day today, which has pushed him over into 14 days, just because he's been a bit slower on the last few days.
50:52His body is literally giving up on him.
50:56So he's, he's been absolutely superhuman.
50:58Our Just Giving page has also been set up and Amol has already raised over 70% of his £40,000 targets.
51:09Just to put that into context, £30,000 could pay for 300 hours of specialist care for patients and families when they need us the most.
51:18So we're blown away by Amol.
51:20And I think he's our highest fundraiser so far this year with this kind of challenge event.
51:26It's just phenomenal.
51:27His journey may be over, but its impact will have a profound impact on those here in the county.
51:36Henry Luck for KMTV.
51:40Now it's time for a look at the weather for the coming days.
51:47Tonight is looking like clear night skies with winds of 10 to 11 miles per hour.
51:52Into tomorrow morning, temperatures rising to 13 and 14 degrees, with sun to greet the day and similar wind speeds.
51:58And in the afternoon, sun showers across the county, wind hitting to 15 and temperatures of 18 degrees.
52:04And for your outlook, sun and showers over the weekend.
52:06Rain clearing by Monday with highs of 19.
52:09And this is your outlook for the coming days.
52:11Some weather warnings in place for Sunday and Monday.
52:14And we're nearly out of time on Kent tonight.
52:26But Thursday means it's time for another episode of the Kent Film Club just after the break.
52:30The show invites guests from all over the county to share their films that define them.
52:35But before the start of the episode, we are joined by our film presenter, Chris Deesey, to talk more on what to expect.
52:41And we'll talk about the return of Bagpuss.
52:44Well, I don't know.
52:45Did you watch Bagpuss when you were growing?
52:46I did back in the 1970s.
52:49A golden age of TV.
52:50And of course, there's a Canterbury connection as well.
52:52But, yeah, it used to be afternoon.
52:54So before I got into film, we'd be watching all the classics.
52:57King Rolo and there was Morph.
53:00You know, it was five minutes.
53:03But everybody would be talking about it in nursery and school growing up.
53:08And these are the classics.
53:09I miss them, actually.
53:11Yeah.
53:11And the pink and white cloth cat, known as Bagpuss, was the star of the children's TV show.
53:16Set to make a return in a new feature film, which will blend of live action and animation.
53:21It seems to be the growing trend at the moment.
53:24Well, when you think of things like Chicken Run or Wallace and Gromit, of course, which
53:27perhaps is the obvious counterpart to that, I mean, I think it works.
53:30I think it works for younger audiences because they're obviously primarily aimed at that demographic.
53:36But also, when you think about it, people like me, who may or may not consider themselves
53:40old, but who grew up in a vintage age.
53:43And, you know, Bagpuss itself was a throwback.
53:45Talk about nostalgia in terms of the very environment, you know, the old antique shop and all the characters
53:51would come to life of an evening.
53:53So maybe it is actually the recipe of a good film.
53:56We've had Jumanji, which 30 years on is doing the rounds in the cinema at the moment.
54:00Maybe Bagpuss can take on that kind of mantle of something that is very kind of, you know,
54:05the transition from an old way, an old game, an old way of doing things in a new format.
54:10Well, apparently, according to my notes here, only 13 episodes were ever made.
54:13It was made in Canterbury, which is now The Cow Shed.
54:17But the new movie is currently under development by a Birmingham-based company.
54:21What do you think about this return?
54:24Should it have been in Kent, do you think?
54:25Or is it OK to let it go out of the county?
54:28Well, there's a part of me that, of course, since taking on Kent Film Club, we like it when
54:34there is this strong local connection.
54:37Because when you think about it, even a film, as we've been talking about obsessively over
54:42the last few weeks, The Thursday Murder Club, you know, we're holding on to the fact that
54:47there are at least tangential Kent references and it's at least nominally set in Kent, even
54:52if it wasn't only filmed in Kent.
54:54So I think it's important.
54:56I mean, at the end of the day, they have to make the film in the best way with the right
54:59crew, the right experience.
55:00And that, I think, is primarily what's important.
55:03But it doesn't stop us talking about it ad infinitum on Kent Film Club and Kent Tonight.
55:07Well, in 1999, there was a poll of the nation's favourite children programme on the BBC and Bagbus
55:16was voted that favourite.
55:18I remember watching reruns of it when I was a child on television.
55:24That sort of thing, for me personally, scared me a little bit.
55:27But I like The Clangers.
55:28That was probably my favourite classic TV show.
55:30Or maybe The Wombals.
55:32I was going to say The Wombats then.
55:33That's a pattern, but The Wombals.
55:35What about you?
55:35What's your favourite children's TV show from your childhood?
55:38I always remember, well, it was Mr. Ben.
55:43Oh, that's a classic.
55:44And, of course, The Magic Carpet.
55:45And he'd have gone on all these adventures.
55:46He'd always return to the shop afterwards.
55:48It's like, you know, the hero's journey.
55:50And it was so relatable.
55:51Ray Brooks, who narrated that, sadly died not too long ago.
55:53But also, some of those were really scary.
55:57And, I mean, I'm a bit too old for things like Teddy Tubbies.
56:00But that, when I watched that and the baby in the sun, that really, you know, when I was sort of growing up,
56:06I sort of would watch that and think, gosh, you know, obviously children really, I find that really appealing.
56:11But from an adult point of view, sometimes it's like it's a different world.
56:14It belongs to a different generation.
56:16Mr. Men, another one, of course.
56:18Chris, thank you so much.
56:19And the Kent Film Club straight after this.
56:21Well, you've been watching Kent tonight live on KMTV.
56:23Thank you so much for joining from me and the rest of the team.
56:26Have a lovely evening.
56:28Goodbye.
56:48.
56:49.
56:51.
56:59.
57:03.
57:09.
57:10.
57:11.
57:12.
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