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00:00Hello and welcome to Kent Tonight Live on KMTV. I'm Kristen Hawthorne and here are your top
00:29stories on Tuesday the 16th of September. Reeling against the regulator, Kent and Sussex MPs call
00:36for capacity for Eurostar rivals. This is not going to be a quick fix. This is going to take time.
00:42So I would expect the ORR to make a decision next month. Lights, camera, panto. Dick Whittington
00:49and his cat set to come to Midstone in November. Bring your child, bring your mother, bring your
00:56grandmother, bring your great-grandmother's aunt twice removed. Anyone's welcome.
01:02And from hair to healthcare, Hairdresser repurposes Parlour into a medical clinic.
01:07I never had to make a change before really things got too bad. Even though I've had staff
01:12for a long time and it was devastating closing the salon.
01:26Now, first tonight, six MPs from Kent and East Sussex have called on to the rail regulator
01:33to consider the economic benefits of bringing back international services to Kent with multiple
01:39operators. The Office of Rail and Road is currently considering expanding who can use the depot
01:44that stores and services trains to mainland Europe, which at the moment is only being used
01:50by Eurostar, whose trains haven't stopped in Kent since 2020. Our local democracy reporter
01:56Ollie Leder joined the MPs on their journey to London today.
02:01The glistening towers of Canary Wharf are a far cry from the rolling hills of the South
02:07East. But for a handful of Labour MPs, coming here today is all about bringing international
02:15rail back to Kent. By the end of October, the rail regulator will allocate space at Eurostar's
02:23Temple Mills depot, which currently services and stores trains to the continent.
02:31And today, local politicians gathered outside the Office of Rail and Road to hand over a
02:37co-signed letter in hopes of allowing other operators to use the site.
02:44So this is not going to be a quick fix. This is going to take time. So I would expect the
02:49ORR to make a decision next month to another operator to operate in this sector who is willing
02:57to stop in Ashford. That's the priority.
03:01Since the pandemic, Eurostar services have not stopped at Ebsfleet or Ashford International,
03:09with a report from the Good Growth Foundation highlighting that the whole South East could
03:15be losing out on hundreds of millions of pounds every single year. And that's not just Kent.
03:23It means more jobs. It means more visitors to our area. And it means more opportunities
03:28for people growing up in Hastings and Rye. We really miss the services that we used to have
03:33at Ashford and we want to bring them back. Despite the regulator previously stating there
03:38might be some additional capacity at the depot, Eurostar have warned a serious investment being
03:46needed to create more room and make such ventures sustainable. But with a decision expected any day now,
03:55Eurostar's time as the sole continental train operator here in the UK could soon be at an
04:03end. Oli Leda in Canary Wharf.
04:08Oli joins me now to tell us more. So can you tell us what the MPs specifically are calling for?
04:13There's a few things here because this is all about capacity at this Temple Mills depot. At the
04:19moment, Eurostar exclusively use this. They almost have a monopoly on the market when it comes to
04:24continental travel to Europe. And this depot is all about expanding capacity. That's what the
04:30rail regulator found earlier this year, that there is some additional capacity. They've invited
04:35business cases from these different operators, potential ones such as Virgin in the future,
04:42to say what they would use it for, to decide how it's going to allocate these spaces. These MPs,
04:48you see them on the screen here. You have Tony Vaughan, Polly Billington, Sergeant Joseph,
04:52Helena Dolomore and Jim Dixon. They all want to see another operator in the vicinity. That's what I
04:59heard today, that they want to see at least one additional operator to compete with Eurostar,
05:05potentially driving down prices. But more importantly, bringing those services back to
05:10Kemp. We haven't seen that since before the pandemic. Eurostar do say that there's a big cost
05:16associated with that. And they haven't found it sustainable since the pandemic to bring it back.
05:20They're still considering what the extent to Brexit and all the entry-exit system checks will be in
05:27order to bring that service back. But for the time being, we're in a situation where there isn't
05:32International Railway in Kent. And that's what these people here really care about.
05:37Thank you so much. Thank you. We'll follow the story more on that.
05:40Now, the first, two First World War memorials were restored and returned to Christ, to a church in
05:48Chatham. Sorry. In May this year, commemorative plaques were stolen from Christ Church in Luton.
05:53Less than a week later, police recovered them and eight people were arrested in connection with the
05:57theft. On the 5th of September, the plaques were returned to the church. Three people were released on
06:03bail and three people were released under investigation. Inspector Paul Dimmes of Medway Community Safety
06:10Unit said it was touching to see the strength of feeling as they returned to their rightful place.
06:17Now, a city underpass in Canterbury, which was frequently graffitied, is set to be, is set to
06:22have an £8,000 makeover. Artists are being invited to submit designs for the Hackington Place
06:28Tunnel in St Stephen's Walkway. The City Council, working with Network Rail, who own the subway,
06:34are leading an initiative to redesign the tunnel and give it a breath of fresh air. The appointed
06:39artist or collective will receive £8,000 for their work. And Councillor Connie Nolan, the Cabinet
06:44Member for Community Engagement, stated that it is a brilliant opportunity to showcase talented artists.
06:51And Kent Wildlife Trust have launched a campaign to fundraise £3 million. They say that
06:56200 species are facing potential extinction in Kent alone, and that there is a crisis at hand
07:03with the destruction of nature. Buying land to reintroduce and protect natural habitats are
07:08the key of what they're appealing for. But to speak on it more is Paul Hoddaway,
07:13the Director of Conservation from the Trust. First of all, we're a charity and all charities are
07:18under enormous financial pressure at the moment. You then balance that against the type of challenge
07:23we've spoken about in terms of risks to our habitat, our wildlife, those 200 species. We are in this
07:29kind of perfect storm at the moment of needing to find ways to finance the restoration of nature that
07:35just seems to have dropped off the government radar, where there is so much big money going into
07:39the destruction of nature that we need to kind of push up against. To have a donation of £100,000 to
07:46kickstart that campaign off, that's fantastic. And, you know, again, we just see the kind of
07:53confidence that people have in donating to a kind of trusted brand like a wildlife trust that you know
07:59we can prove the expertise, the skills, the work that we're doing. Things like our Chuffer
08:04introduction, our Bison project, Hopefully Farm, they all speak to the different elements of what
08:09make us a successful organisation. Next, the cast of Dick Whittington and his cat warm up for a busy
08:16winter as tickets go on sale. The show will take place in Maidstone's Hazlitt Theatre, celebrating
08:2270 years of the live performances. With music, magic and mischief set to grace November and December
08:29performances, we sent our reporter Megan Shaw to Maidstone to find out more.
08:37Lights, camera, action, as Dick Whittington and his cat prepares to re-enter the stage in November
08:43at the Hazlitt Theatre in Maidstone. As the cast prepare for a busy winter, school children from
08:49Westborough Primary School get a sneak peek of the much anticipated show. Most pantomime acts are no
08:55stranger to performing Dick Whittington and his cat year in and year out, but this year is no ordinary
09:02year for those at the Hazlitt Theatre. These seats might be emptying out, but in just a few short weeks
09:07they'll be full as theatre goes flock to see the hit pantomime classic Dick Whittington and his cat,
09:14all in celebration of the Hazlitt Theatre in Maidstone providing 70 years of live entertainment.
09:20Dick Whittington and his cat is a classic pantomime tale, following the hero as he journeys to London
09:26with his feline friend. But with laughs, magic and music for children and adults alike, it will arrive in
09:32Maidstone Theatre on the 29th November until the end of December. The story and the old English folklore
09:39tale are loosely based on the life of the 14th century merchant Richard Whittington, but preserving
09:45the magic of a 400-year-old tale is no mean feat. Yeah, so I'm playing Idle Jack, who is the son of
09:54the Dame, the wonderful Dame Sherry Trifle, and it's gonna be quite a doozy, kind of a little bit of mischief,
10:02but also a little bit of laziness, so who knows? A few pranks here and there, we'll see. I feel like it's
10:11kind of a balance of bringing in new elements that we have in current pop culture, what is currently
10:19going viral, what is currently big in either TV or the internet, but then also giving the counterpoint
10:27of having this old traditional story, where we can also learn from that and kind of give it a good
10:34balance. So that's Jack. What about his mother? A little bit about my character, she's called Sherry
10:39Trifle this year, and she is mother to Idle Jack. She's obviously fabulous, she does all the cooking,
10:46does everything but dance, if I'm honest with you. Whenever there's dance, I'll stand at the
10:50side and clap. But she's a wonderful woman, I'm a lovely lady, and you know, I make it happen at
10:55Christmas time, what's not to love? Tickets for the show are already on sale. I know where I'll be
11:02on the 29th of November. This is Megan Shaw, The Came TV, in Maidstone. Lovely report there from Megan,
11:11but it's time for a quick break. But coming up, we will find out more about a hairdresser
11:16for 46 years, who's turned her hair salon in Sitting Born into a health clinic. We'll also be
11:22speaking to residents in Thanet to see what their favourite part of Christmas is, as today actually
11:30marks 100 days until the 25th. We'll also be chatting to reporter Emily Reynolds about a number of bird
11:36species, who've been reported nesting in the Dungeness Nature Reserve after 20 and 50 years.
11:43All that and more to come after the break. We'll see you in a few minutes.
15:12Hello and welcome back to Kent Tonight Live on KEMTV.
15:16Now, a man from Kent is among the 24 people arrested over the weekend in relation to the Unite the Kingdom protests in London.
15:2426 police officers were injured, including four who were seriously hurt.
15:29Eight people have been charged, along with police, appealing to help to trace 11 more.
15:34Aaron Wren from Stroud is due to appear in Highbury Magistrates Court after being charged with a public order offence linked to the protest.
15:41More than 110,000 people turned up to the event where projectiles and verbal and physical abuse from demonstrators occurred.
15:49A hairdresser of 46 years has turned her hair salon in Sittingbourne into a health clinic.
15:58Transforming from the canvas to the Staywell clinic, the business has been unprofitable in recent years.
16:06So, Shelley, the owner, has invested £80,000 into the new transformation.
16:11Our reporter, KY, has more.
16:13After 26 years of owning a hair salon called Canvas in Sittingbourne, Shelley, the owner, decided it was time for a drastic change.
16:21There was no money in the salon anymore.
16:25It was getting really...
16:27There's no new people coming up.
16:30As years ago, we'd have people coming in all the time asking for jobs, but no one's really going into hairdressing anymore.
16:37So I knew I had to make a change before, really, things got too bad.
16:41The natural thing to go into was medicine, even though I wasn't qualified in it, but I've got a very good friend who is.
16:47After first being a customer for many years, Shelley approached Lorraine with a bold question.
16:52Have you ever thought about opening a medical clinic, as you do?
16:56I do have mad ideas sometimes.
16:58And she said, well, the business side of it, I couldn't do, you know, I've not got the premises,
17:04because there's a lot of things that go into it.
17:06It's not just medical, it's the situation with the building, doing it all up.
17:13Shelley describes Lorraine as the brains of the project,
17:16handling the certifications and management of the new clinic.
17:19Obviously, CQC is, you know, top standard for any health, you know, whether it's a GP surgery,
17:25whether it's a, you know, massive hospital.
17:27CQC are the ones that register everybody.
17:29So coming from a medical background, I knew a lot of them, but I didn't know all of them,
17:34because I've not worked as a manager of our health centre.
17:37So the managerial side of it was quite tricky, but we managed, with the help of others,
17:44to get through all the questions and the answers.
17:47Handling the building and decoration side of the operation,
17:50Shelley, alongside Lorraine, hope to spruce up the clinic to offer many different services.
17:55Because I've been here for 26 years with the building, I sort of know that side of it.
17:59That's the part I can contribute.
18:02So, and Lorraine done for all the hard work, really.
18:06We're going to offer a very vast range of services within the clinic.
18:11All of our nurses and healthcare assistants are going to be,
18:14they're all registered with the NMC or, you know, whoever they need to be registered with.
18:19So everyone is fully trained to what they need to be doing.
18:23So we'll be doing things like weight loss jabs, we can do blood testing, we can do travel,
18:29contraceptive coils and implants, you name it, we can do it.
18:34Kai Wei for KMTV.
18:37Now, do you think September is too early to prepare for Christmas?
18:41As today marks just 100 days until the big day,
18:44we wanted to know what the people of Kent most loved about the holiday.
18:48We sent our reporter Megan Shaw to Thanet to ask the public.
18:51What's your favourite thing about Christmas?
18:54Christmas?
18:54Yeah.
18:57I don't know, just being with the family, I suppose.
19:01Yes.
19:02I'm on my own now, so it's nice to have the family around me.
19:07My favourite part about Christmas is that I get to go to charity shops
19:10and me and my friends do a £10 charity shop secret centre.
19:13So we, that's my favourite bit,
19:15just going and getting our little £10 charity shop gifts and doing like a gift exchange.
19:18I love the talking.
19:20And, you know, people forget that Christmas has got a religious side to it as well.
19:29So I try to combine both.
19:31But it's time for the family and it's great
19:34to have the whole family, children, grandchildren, all together.
19:38I love it.
19:39Christmas dinner.
19:41I mean, the family.
19:42I mean, the family, yeah.
19:43Because we have them all round for the table and stuff, it's nice and you catch up in a nice time.
19:51I don't think any time is too early.
19:53I just think if you see it, get it.
19:55Normally a week or so before Christmas.
19:57We've just moved to a park home, so we're very limited for space now.
20:01So I'm not sure that we'll have a huge amount of decorations.
20:05Just a few baubles and a bit of tinsel and that's probably about it.
20:08And now, don't forget you can keep up to date with all our latest stories across Kent by logging on to our website,
20:14www.kmtv.co.uk.
20:16There you'll find all our reports, including this one, about Princess Kate's visit to a textile factory in Kent.
20:21Coxton's industrial estate is not normally alive with Kentish crowds and excited hounds.
20:29But then again, the Princess of Wales normally doesn't come to town.
20:33It's a little place.
20:34I was surprised that anybody would really know about it.
20:37Yeah, and me.
20:37I've got a day off today, so I thought I'd come down and, yeah, see.
20:41It's really nice that someone like Princess Kate is coming to Coxton.
20:45She's lovely.
20:45I really love what they do for, you know, all the local charities and communities and things.
20:49That's lovely.
20:50Especially, she's lovely.
20:52Especially like our grandparents that unfortunately passed away.
20:56They absolutely love the royal family, so I feel like we're here for them.
20:59The Princess of Wales was visiting Marina Mill, a family-run textiles business known for its beautiful threads fit for royalty.
21:07I've done very basic screen printing at school, so I don't know if it's, but you've got a hat and then it's with a Ouija.
21:13No wonder the Princess looked so pleased as she lent a hand.
21:17That's perfect.
21:18That's perfect, isn't it?
21:19Yay!
21:20That's perfect.
21:21That's perfect.
21:22That's perfect.
21:23The Princess printed the yellow, and this is what she actually printed earlier today.
21:31Marina Mills is one of the only few hand-made textile companies in the UK.
21:37Now, one of these could retail at £250 per metre because of its beautiful hand-made design.
21:44We're one of the very few hand printers left in the UK, and everything we do is done by hand.
21:54There's no machinery, and so hands are on the squeegee, and you actually print, and no-one else really does that anymore.
22:01Most of them are much, much smaller than we are, with a small three-metre table, or they fit onto a machine, or big, big steps, but we're in between.
22:13A rich history fit for historic visits, but for many working here, they'll just be happy about the broad strokes of Cuxton receiving a rare royal visit.
22:23We had a phone call from Kensington Palace. It was back in June when they were first going to come, and when Colin called me and said Kensington Palace on the phone, I thought it was a hoax.
22:38I was like, shut up, but yeah, it was, and she seemed to be really interested. She was hanging around, wasn't she? She wasn't rushing through, so she was obviously interested
22:53in each stage.
22:55Holly Spires, for KMTV, in Cuxton.
22:59Let's take a look at the weather for the coming days.
23:07Tonight brings cloudy weather across the county with temperatures of 14 degrees, 13 down in Ashford and Tunbridge Wells, into tomorrow morning, some light rain coating the county with some wind speeds hitting 12 miles an hour and temperatures around the mid-teens.
23:20Afternoon, that rain is clearing off as the wind speeds hit 17 and 18, similar temperatures along with it, and then the outlook, we've got 22 on Thursday, 24 on Friday, 19 on Saturday, some cloud on Thursday and Saturday as well.
23:35And now, the RSPB has seen a number of bird species nesting on the South Kent coast for the first time in over 20 years.
23:51Avocets and Sandmartins have been recorded nest building, and little terns have been attempting to nest for the first time in nearly 50 years.
24:00This nesting has been described by the RSPB as hugely encouraging.
24:04Our reporter, Etalee Reynolds, joins me now with more details.
24:09OK, so can you go into a bit more detail about the Avocets? I've never heard of them myself.
24:13Yeah, so the Avocets, essentially, they are characterised by this big, long beak, and they're black and white feathers.
24:22And keen viewers may notice that this particular bird is actually the symbol for the charity, the RSPB.
24:30And they generally represent the bird protection movement in the UK more than any other species.
24:37Now, staff at the charity were greatly encouraged after a pair of Avocets began nesting at the reserve for the first time in over 20 years, back in 2024.
24:47We can see pictures of the Avocets on screen now as well.
24:51And they've come back in 2025, which shows that their programme is working.
24:57It actually returned back in the 1940s officially, and subsequent increases in the numbers represent one of the most successful conservation projects in the UK.
25:08OK, Dunganess site manager Craig Edwards said the appearance of the Avocets at Dunganess Reserve, once again in 2025, is highly encouraging.
25:19And they are making use of the new islands created by the 2022 reserve.
25:25The island creation work is funded by Natural England as part of the Species Survival Fund and also Affinity Water.
25:33Fabulous. And you mentioned as well about some other species. What have they been doing?
25:36So we've seen little terns. They've also been spotted. They're the UK's smallest tern, as said in the name.
25:44Very different.
25:44They're about, yeah, these are some geese. These are actually for later on.
25:50So a bit of a spoiler for something to come at the end of the show there.
25:54But they are about the size of a tennis ball.
25:58They lay eggs on the beach that are directly camouflaged with the sand, which means they're protected against predators.
26:04However, it does mean that they may be subjected to be trampled on by unaware beach goers.
26:10So the island creation work is actually fantastic because it can protect them from maybe so they don't have to lay on these standard beaches.
26:18But it also means that they can use a natural way to kind of defend off predators from the water that surrounds these islands.
26:26And they've also seen, been recorded of San Martins nesting at Dunganess for the first time in over 30 years.
26:36They make use of a nesting wall that was installed in the reserve a number of years ago.
26:43And it's just great to see these coming back into nature.
26:47Fabulous. Well, we'll get more to it in just a minute.
26:49But that's us for now. We'll see you in a few minutes.
26:51We'll see you in a few minutes.
28:21We'll see you in a few minutes.
28:51We'll see you in a few minutes.
29:21We'll see you in a few minutes.
29:51Hello and welcome back to Kent Tonight Live on KMTV.
30:15I'm Kristen Hawthorne and here's a recap of your stories on Tuesday the 16th of September.
30:20We'll see you in a few minutes.
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31:08You in a few minutes.
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31:32We'll see you in a few minutes.
31:36By July 20th of October 24rd, each will continue to spend2 over the
31:44few minutes in a few minutes.
31:46outside the office of rail and roads to hand over a co-signed letter in hopes of allowing other
31:54operators to use the site so this is not going to be a quick fix this is going to take time
32:00so i would expect the orr to make a decision next month to another operator to operate in this
32:08sector who is willing to stop in ashford that's the priority since the pandemic euro star
32:16services have not stopped at ebsfleet or ashford international with a report from the good growth
32:24foundation highlighting that the whole southeast could be losing out on hundreds of millions of
32:30pounds every single year and that's not just kent it means more jobs it means more visitors to our
32:39area and it means more opportunities for people growing up in hastings and rye we really miss the
32:44services that we used to have at ashford and we want to bring them back despite the regulator
32:50previously stating there might be some additional capacity at the depot eurostar have warned a serious
32:58investment being needed to create more room and make such ventures sustainable but with a decision
33:06expected any day now eurostar's time as the sole continental train operator here in the uk could
33:14soon be at an end ollie leader in canary wharf and now a high street cafe in midstone has been given a
33:23one-star hygiene rating following an inspection leah's beaster received the low hygiene rating following an
33:30inspection at the end of june contamination of food was found containers used for storage were cracked
33:36and a large number of fly and rodent activity was discovered according to the report an enforcement
33:42revisit was to be carried out approximately two weeks after the inspection but details of the follow-up
33:47visit have not yet been released however the report noted that the one star rating would remain
33:53the cafe has been approached for comment next a herm bay pensioner who suffered two serious falls
33:59is promoting classes which helped her regain her strength patricia willingham ended up in hospital
34:05twice but is now partaking in a 12-week course organized by the kent community health nhs trust
34:11more than 100 pensioners have already signed up with the 87 year old stating that the grip has given
34:16her confidence back the falls present the falls prevention coordinator natalie andrews also said that
34:22one in three people over 64 experience a fall but it doesn't have to be an inevitable part of aging
34:30and seven oaks council has unveiled plans for more than 17 000 homes across the district they will
34:35soon consult the public on proposals to build 1145 homes a year over 15 years the new labour government
34:42elected last may won a pledge to get britain building and has changed the way local housing
34:47targets are calculated on october 9th the council's conservative cabinet is set to vote in favor of
34:52putting the new plans out to public consultation residents have opposed parts of the plan but councillor
34:57nigel willinghams has said that they cannot delay or stop the new local plan but aim to ensure proper
35:02infrastructure and affordable housing kent wildlife trust have not have launched a campaign to
35:08fundraise three million pounds they say that 200 species are feeling potential facing potential
35:13extinction in kent alone and that there is a crisis at hand with the destruction of nature buying land to
35:19reintroduce and protect natural habitats are at the key of what they're appealing for
35:23but to speak on it more is paul hadaway first of all we're a charity and all charities are under
35:28enormous financial pressure at the moment you then balance that against the type of challenge
35:33we've spoken about in terms of risks to our habitat our wildlife those 200 species we are in this kind
35:38of perfect storm at the moment of needing to find ways to finance the restoration of nature that just
35:44seems to have dropped off the government radar where there is so much big money going into the
35:49destruction of nature that we need to to kind of um push up against to have a donation of 100 000
35:55pounds to kick start that um that campaign off that's fantastic and you know again we just see
36:02that the kind of confidence that people have in donating to a kind of trusted brand like a wildlife
36:07trust that you know we can prove the expertise the skills the work that we're doing things like our
36:13chuffer introduction our bison project hopefully farm they all speak to the different elements of what
36:18make us a successful organization next the cast of dick whittington and his cat warm up for a busy
36:24winter as tickets go on sale the show will take place in maidstone's hazlet theater celebrating 70
36:30years of the live performances with music magic and mischief set to grace november and december
36:36performances we sent our reporter megan shaw to maidstone to find out more
36:40lights camera action as dick whittington and his cat prepares to re-enter the stage in november
36:50at the hazlet theater in maidstone as the cast prepare for a busy winter school children from
36:55westborough primary school get a sneak peek of the much anticipated show most pantomime acts as a no
37:02stranger to performing dick whittington and his cat year in and year out but this year is no ordinary year
37:09for those at the hazlet theater these seats might be emptied out but in just a few short weeks they'll
37:14be full as theater goes flock to see the hip pantomime classic dick whittington and his cat
37:20all in celebration of the hazlet theater in maidstone providing 70 years of live entertainment
37:26dick whittington and his cat is a classic pantomime tale following the hero as he journeys to london with
37:32his feline friend but with laughs magic and music for children and adults alike it will arrive in
37:39maidstone's theater on the 29th november until the end of december the story and the old english folklore
37:45tale are loosely based on the life of the 14th century merchant richard whittington but preserving the
37:52magic of a 400 year old tale is no mean feat yeah so i'm playing idle jack who is the son of the dame the
38:02wonderful day and we share a trifle and it's gonna be uh quite a doozy kind of a little bit of mischief
38:08but also a little bit of laziness who knows a few friends here and there we'll see i feel like it's
38:17kind of a balance of bringing in new elements that we have in current pop culture what is currently
38:26going viral what is currently big in at the tv or the internet but then also giving the counterpoint
38:34of having this old traditional story where we can also learn from that and kind of give it a good
38:40balance so that's jack what about his mother a little bit about my character she's called sherry
38:46trifle this year um and she is mother to idle jack um she's obviously fabulous does all the cooking
38:52uh does everything but dance if i'm honest with you whenever there's dance i'll stand at the side
38:56and clap um but she's she's a wonderful woman i'm a lovely lady and um you know i make it happen at
39:02christmas time what's not to love tickets for the show are already on sale i know where i'll be on the
39:0829th of november this is megan shaw the came tv in maidstone well megan joins me now to tell us a little
39:18bit more about uh what it was like so what is the show about then so dick whittington and his cat is
39:23really old folk tale um it's been done so many times so every pantomime every theater has their own
39:29twist on it it follows a young man and he believes he he moves to london he believes the streets are
39:34paved with gold when he gets so he finds that's not quite the case but it's still light-hearted there's
39:40music there's mischief there's magic and he does find his way fabulous and can we go and see it yet
39:45um tickets are out but not yet so the show will be during november and december over christmas so
39:54it's great during the christmas holidays lots of people with their families like to go see pantomimes
39:58then so it is pantomime season during december yeah definitely i mean it's tradition for some people to
40:03go and see a pantomime on new year's and christmas day isn't it well not christmas day but around around
40:08the time anyway and what are the hazlet theater doing to celebrate 70 years of putting on live
40:13performances it's a long time 70s is a long time so they were open since 1955 which is a very long
40:18time so all this year they've been doing lots of shows some of them are taken from the west end
40:23some of them are like just kind of their own they do like maidstone open mic and things like that so
40:28all year they've been running there a diverse array of shows so this is just one of many really so
40:33it was great to see amazing and what was the atmosphere like was there all different kinds of
40:37people there young old and what was i mean were people excited yeah there were lots of school
40:43children there and and the actors were making them laugh and there were songs and they were singing
40:47they didn't give anything away of the um of the performance of of the show of the story but lots
40:53of laughs there and you met some of the actors there as well what were they like were they just
40:57as excited yeah they were great they were so excited to perform like to share their work again
41:01they didn't want to give anything away no spoilers but it looks like it's going to be a great show
41:05yeah some of the outfits were quite interesting as well yeah i know find that but they seem to be
41:10i mean i just love the designs of all different when you go and see a pantomime and like we've seen
41:14the eggs and her on the dress there didn't we what was that like was that interesting at least yeah
41:20even bigger in real life i couldn't get her framed she was huge fabulous okay well uh time for a quick
41:27break now but coming up we'll have the final part of kent tonight we're going to be learning about
41:31hair salon and sitting born transforming into a health clinic clinic clinic and we'll also ask
41:38people in than if it's too early to start preparing for the festive season as today marks 100 days
41:43until christmas day all that and more after the break so we'll see you very soon
42:01you
45:01Hello and welcome back to Kent Tonight Live on KMTV.
45:15Now, a hairdresser of 46 years has turned her hair salon in Sittingbourne into a health
45:20clinic. Transforming from the canvas to the Staywell clinic, the business has been unprofitable
45:26in recent years. So, Shelley, the owner, has invested £80,000 into the new transformation.
45:31Our reporter, Kai Wei, has more.
45:35After 26 years of owning a hair salon called Canvas in Sittingbourne, Shelley, the owner,
45:41decided it was time for a drastic change.
45:44There was no money in the salon anymore. There's no new people coming up. Years ago, we'd have
45:54people coming in all the time asking for jobs, but no one's really going into hairdressing
45:59anymore. So, I knew I had to make a change before, really, things got too bad. The natural
46:04thing to go into was medicine, even though I wasn't qualified in it, but I've got a very
46:09good friend who is.
46:10After first being a customer for many years, Shelley approached Lorraine with a bold question.
46:15Have you ever thought about opening a medical clinic, as you do? I do have mad ideas sometimes.
46:22And she said, well, the business side of it I couldn't do, you know, I've not got the premises,
46:27because there's a lot of things that go into it. It's not just medical, it's the situation
46:32with the building, doing it all up.
46:35Shelley describes Lorraine as the brains of the project, handling the certifications
46:39and management of the new clinic.
46:41Obviously, CQC is top standard for any health, whether it's a GP surgery, whether it's a massive
46:48hospital. CQC are the ones that register everybody. So, coming from a medical background, I knew
46:53a lot of them, but I didn't know all of them, because I've not worked as a manager of our health
46:59centre. So, the managerial side of it was quite tricky, but we managed, with the help of others,
47:06to get through all the questions and the answers.
47:09Handling the building and decoration side of the operation, Shelley, alongside Lorraine,
47:14hope to spruce up the clinic to offer many different services.
47:17Because I've been here for 26 years with the building, I sort of know that side of it.
47:21That's the part I can contribute. And Lorraine done all the hard work, really.
47:28We're going to offer a very vast range of services within the clinic. All of our nurses and healthcare
47:35assistants, they're all registered with the NMC or whoever they need to be registered with.
47:41So, everyone is fully trained to what they need to be doing. So, we'll be doing things like
47:48weight loss jabs, we can do blood testing, we can do travel, contraceptive coils and implants.
47:54You name it, we can do it.
47:56Kai Wei for KMTV.
47:59Now, do you think September is too early to prepare for Christmas?
48:02Today marks 100 days until the big day, and we wanted to know what the people of Kent
48:07most loved about Christmas. So, we sent our reporter Megan Shaw down to Thanet to investigate.
48:13What's your favourite thing about Christmas?
48:15Christmas?
48:16Yeah.
48:19I don't know, just being with the family, I suppose. Yes.
48:23I'm on my own now, so it's nice to have the family around me.
48:28My favourite part about Christmas is that I get to go to charity shops and me and my friends
48:32do a £10 charity shop secret Santa. So, we, that's my favourite bit, just going and
48:36getting our little £10 charity shop gifts and doing like a gift exchange.
48:40I love the talkie. And, you know, people forget that Christmas has got a religious side to it as well.
48:49So, I try to combine both. But, it's time for the family and it's great to have the whole family,
48:57children, grandchildren, all together. I love it.
49:01Christmas dinner.
49:02I mean, the family. Yeah.
49:05The family, yeah.
49:06Because we have them all round for the table and stuff, it's nice and you catch up in a nice time.
49:12I don't think any time is too early. I just think if you see it, get it.
49:16Normally, a week or so before Christmas. We've just moved to a park home, so we're very limited for space now.
49:22So, I'm not sure that we'll have a huge amount of decorations, just a few baubles and a bit of tinsel.
49:28That's probably about it.
49:30Now, don't forget you can keep up to date with all our latest stories across Kemp by logging onto our website at KMTV.co.uk.
49:37There you'll find all the reports, including this one, about Cascades Leisure Centre in Gravesend, which is set to see a long-awaited rebuild.
49:47Cascades Leisure Centre in Gravesend is set to get a huge upgrade following the procurement of a new pre-contract agreement with Wilmot Dixon.
49:55The agreement will see the project through the pre-construction phase, with the new building set to be completed in December 2028.
50:02Right behind me is Cascades Leisure Centre and they are set to receive £17 million in funding through the government's levelling up fund.
50:09It interested 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.
50:20There's not much for them, so I think if they didn't put the funds in, it'd be a bad thing.
50:26So definitely, 100%, keep on with the funding and doing it up because it does need it.
50:32Cascades 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.
50:43I think it 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 would probably need a little bit of improvement then.
50:51So, 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.
50:58Like I say, you're obviously 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.
51:05It'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.
51:15The 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.
51:23So, what 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,
51:33with multi-play still, as available within the centre. The swimming pool itself will be of a regional standard, so that we can have swimming competitions in there.
51:44There will be a gym and various other facilities, including soft play for children. So, we're looking to expand the offer.
51:51The 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 Gratia.
52:01From the £20 million package available, this leaves just £3 million for other community initiatives.
52:07Without 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.
52:15But 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.
52:23These long-awaited plans have been in the works since 2023, but now they feel like they might be just round the corner.
52:30This is Megan Shaw for CAME TV in Gravesend.
52:34Now, it's time to take a quick look at the weather for the coming days.
52:43Tonight brings cloudy weather across the county with temperatures of 13 degrees for 13 down in Ashford and Tunbridge Wells into tomorrow morning.
52:50Some light rain coating the county with wind speeds hitting 12 and temperatures around the mid-teens.
52:55Into the afternoon, then, lots of that rain clearing off, wind speeds hitting 16 and 17 miles per hour, similar temperatures along with it.
53:03Thursday, we have 22 degrees with cloudy skies.
53:06Friday, we have clear skies, 24 degrees.
53:09And Friday, or Saturday, 19 degrees with cloudy skies.
53:13So, Friday panel is time.
53:16Now, the RSPB has seen a number of bird species nesting on the South Kent coast for the first time.
53:24in over 20 years.
53:26Avocets and San Martins have been recorded nest building and little terns have been attempting to nest for the first time in nearly 50 years.
53:34This nesting has been described by the RSPB as hugely encouraging.
53:39To tell us more, Etli Reynolds joins me now.
53:42Fabulous.
53:43So, let me see.
53:44Where are we?
53:46I can start off by telling you a bit about the Avocet, which we can see on screen now.
53:53Characterised by their long beak here and their black and white feathering.
53:57Keen viewers may have noticed we're talking about the RSPB, and this bird actually is their emblem.
54:03Now, the Avocet often symbolises the bird protection movement in the UK more than any other species.
54:10But here in the county, in 2024, last year, staff were encouraged by a pair of Avocets nesting at the reserve for the first time in over 20 years.
54:21Now, this was the reserve in Dunganess.
54:24At the site, the birds this year have fledged two chicks after returning.
54:29And they actually made their official return back in the 1940s.
54:33But subsequent increase in numbers represents one of the most successful conservation and protection projects.
54:40And the Dunganess site manager, Craig Edwards, said the appearance of the Avocats at this site once again in 2025 is highly encouraging.
54:50And they've also reported that they've seen the Avocats making use of the new islands created by the reserve in 2022.
54:58The island creation work was funded by Natural England as part of the Species Survival Fund and also Affinity Water.
55:06And why is this so important?
55:07I mean, obviously, a lot of effort has gone into it, but why is that?
55:10I think this just shows a great step forward in conservation.
55:14Whereas, like we said, it's the first time that these have nested in over 20 years.
55:19And there were two other bird species that also showed encouraging signs.
55:23You had the little terns, who, as the name suggests, is the UK's smallest tern.
55:30They lay eggs, eggs, as we can see on there.
55:34You can kind of see the bird camouflaging generally with the sand, but their eggs also camouflage into the sand.
55:40And this means that it's very hard for predators to see them.
55:43But it does mean that they are susceptible to unaware beach goers who may step on them.
55:48So this island project kind of creates a safe place for them to nest, but uses nature to protect them with the water surrounding.
55:55But, yes, these birds, this was the first time that they've been seen nesting in over 50 years or attempting to nest in over 50 years.
56:05So it's a great step forward.
56:07Excellent.
56:08It's very interesting.
56:09And then quickly, these are the other species that we're talking about.
56:12And we've talked about the little terns here.
56:14But is there anything else?
56:15So I have actually put together a little quiz about birds kind of moving away.
56:20And it's kind of a winter bird quiz.
56:24So I'm going to show you a picture of a bird.
56:26And I want you to quickly tell me if this bird is winter or not.
56:30Well, we might have to come back to this another day.
56:32We'll look at it tomorrow, maybe, or Thursday.
56:35Well, very interesting, anyway.
56:37That's all we have for this evening.
56:39But we will be back at 8pm for a roundup.
56:42So we'll see you then.
56:43Bye-bye.
56:56Bye-bye.
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