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Catch up with all the latest news from across the county with Isabelle Miller.
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00:00Hello and welcome to Kent Tonight Live on KMTV.
00:26I'm Isabel Miller and here are your top stories on Wednesday the 24th of September.
00:32Galley Hill gridlock.
00:34Swanscombe residents call for faster landslip repairs amid fears for safety.
00:40You know, people haven't got the money to sort things out,
00:43but where do you put the difference between money and lives or people getting hurt?
00:48Updates from Iran.
00:50A man from Folkestone whose parents are being detained
00:53says the family's been kept in the dark about their upcoming court appearance.
00:58It's fractured information that comes through, right?
01:00So the UK government are at the beckoning mercy of the Iranians
01:04and the line of communication we've got there are at the beckoning mercy
01:07of the people who are holding my parents.
01:10And staying afloat.
01:12A primary school in Gravesend is fundraising to save their swimming pool.
01:16God forbid a Titanic happens, but if they need to learn to swim, then that's all grist of the mill.
01:22First tonight, there are now fears for safety in Swanscombe as the local landslip chaos continues.
01:39Since part of Galley Hill Road was destroyed in 2023, lorries and commuters have started to cut through town,
01:46leading to gridlock and motorists mounting the kerb.
01:49Residents are calling for Kent County Council to speed up repairs to the busy A Road.
01:55Our local democracy reporter Olly Leda went down at rush hour to speak to those caught in the traffic.
02:01It's dangerous and they should make it a one way, round here or round the other way.
02:05It'll be no problem, so get rid of it.
02:07Lorries, gridlock and frustrated motorists mounting the kerb.
02:12This is what life looks like along Stanhope Road, one of the busiest in Swanscombe.
02:18Ever since the A226 Galley Hill Road collapsed back in 2023.
02:24What we've got here at bottlenecks, there's only room for one car at a time to pass.
02:29So we have two cars coming down either side, there's no passing point.
02:33So this is creating a problem where cars are having to go up onto the pavements
02:37and sometimes people have nearly been hit or knocked over by cars mounting pavements.
02:42Before the landslip, Galley Hill Road was used by heavy goods vehicles, buses and commuters alike.
02:49But since then, traffic has cut through this stretch of residential housing
02:54and it's gotten so bad, in fact, that people living here have been taking to the street
03:01to keep an eye out for illegal behaviour such as ramping up onto the pavement.
03:07Now this road's not been, it was only built for all some cars, not cars, not roads.
03:13And it's dangerous, you've got elderly people living in Swanscombe, scooters and anything else.
03:19The paths are not wide enough and there's a lot of people going to get hurt along this road.
03:24Kent County Council has responsibility for highways, but so far calls for a one-way system
03:30or traffic lights have been dismissed.
03:33But for residents, the main issue is fixing the landslip.
03:37They see that as the root cause to all of this and that's something that could take years.
03:43Galley Hill's got to get sorted out to make Stand Oak Road and other roads in Swanscombe more accessible again.
03:51This road was not built for the traffic that it's got to happen at the moment.
03:54You know, people haven't got the money to sort things out, but where do you put the difference between money and lives?
04:00Or people getting hurt?
04:02KCC says it has considered different ways to ease the prevailing situation.
04:09But the road remains part of a key bus route and a one-way system is unworkable as a result.
04:18But as the roads around the landslip continue to worsen, the hopes of people living here are also being driven into the ground.
04:27Olly Leda in Swanscombe.
04:29Folkestone's son of Lindsay and Craig Foreman has said the line of communication with his parents is broken ahead of their court appearance in Iran on Saturday.
04:41The couple were detained in the Middle Eastern country in January this year.
04:46Iranian authorities arrested the couple during a round-the-world motorbike trip, later charging them with espionage.
04:53The Foreman's family strongly denies this and say they've been kept in the dark throughout.
04:58I spoke with their son Joe Bennett earlier about the ongoing case and how their family are feeling.
05:04Thank you for joining us. Can you tell us what the latest is that you've heard from your parents?
05:10Yeah, so we know that they're going to court on Saturday, which is the second time they've been to court.
05:20But we don't have any information around what happened in the previous court visit or sort of what's on the agenda for this time round.
05:28That does cause quite a lot of concern for us as a family because if the UK government aren't understanding what's going on within these court hearings, it must be quite difficult to be able to defend allegations.
05:46So, we're going to see what the outcome of that is at the moment.
05:51In terms of their welfare and health, they are coping mentally, but I kind of don't want that to become normalised.
05:58The conditions they're in are horrific.
06:02And they've been seen, and that does seem to be becoming more regular, but they are struggling a little bit physically.
06:09And what do you hope comes from this court appearance?
06:14That they're found innocent like they are and released.
06:18But, you know, the research that we've done and history suggests that that isn't what happens, especially sort of when SB&R's charges are floated around.
06:29History does suggest there is a sentencing due at some point, but you never know.
06:33This might be the one that breaks the mould.
06:36As I say, I highly doubt it, but until we hear what the outcome of the court hearings are, it's hard to predict what is going to happen, you know.
06:46And have the government been helpful in helping you through this case?
06:51I mean, in terms of support and communication, I can't fault it.
06:55You know, that's never been a pet peeve of mine because the people who we deal with on a daily basis are, you know, they're very prompted answering questions and organising meetings and everything like that, which is great for the family and everybody this side.
07:13But my main concern is my mum and Craig, who are over there.
07:17And what are we doing on that side of the coin to make sure that we get them released as early as possible?
07:23So, again, you know, this is not dismissing anything that the people we're working with are doing, but that's why we've now written to Yvette Cooper, the new foreign secretary, because that's the level that we want to try and get this acknowledged at.
07:41And have you had a response from Yvette Cooper?
07:45Not yet. I can imagine she's a very busy lady, especially coming in.
07:50So I will give her, there will be a matter of time, hopefully, until that comes across and she can have a read.
07:55But we haven't had anything just yet.
07:58But what, as I say, what we're looking for is a little bit of acknowledgement to sort of say, yes, we hear you and that, you know, we want this to be known publicly.
08:07We want to sit down face to face because we can't wait for, you know, bureaucracy to slowly turn.
08:16And how are you doing as well as your family being kept in the dark for this long?
08:21I mean, we kept in the dark because it's fractured information that comes through, right?
08:27So the UK government are at the beckoning mercy of the Iranians and the line of communication we've got there are at the beckoning mercy of the people who are holding my parents.
08:36So it is a very broken line of communication.
08:41I think being kept in the dark is not just us as a family, it's us as a nation.
08:45Thank you very much for coming on and giving us an update.
08:49Wish you all the best and your parents do.
08:51US President Donald Trump claimed Tylenol has links to autism, saying it's not good for pregnant women.
08:59The pain relief is known as paracetamol here in the UK and many health experts have pushed back on the claim.
09:06Well, I've been speaking to Dr Jack Jacobs, GP and medical director for the Kent local medical committee to find out more about the truth behind these claims.
09:16There is no scientific evidence making that link.
09:20And in fact, there has been quite a lot of research that has been looked at in this area.
09:26And I know if you look at the NHS website, it quotes specifically a really big trial done in Sweden, a country that is very good at organising clinical trials and ensuring its publications are published and looked at in the right way and challenged in the right way.
09:43And they found no link whatsoever between paracetamol use in pregnancy and subsequent autism in the child of pregnancy.
09:52Actually, no, there's very little danger in taking paracetamol in pregnancy.
09:57And we have as a medical profession and midwives have been recommending it for years and I think we'll continue to recommend it should you need it.
10:05You know, obviously, if you don't need to take a pain relieving medication, then don't.
10:11But, you know, if you are suffering with significant pain, wherever it might be, as well as perhaps getting advice about it, then paracetamol is a really sensible pain relieving medication to take.
10:22We've also been speaking to people in Rochester about their opinion on getting medical advice online and the risk of spreading unproven scientific facts.
10:32I think paracetamol is a really important medicine. My dad's a retired pharmacist, so I am pro medicine, pro vaccines and things like that.
10:43I know it doesn't agree with everybody, but you really have to be careful what you're saying, especially somebody who's arguably the most important person or most powerful person on the planet.
10:55The current trend of looking for advice online is dangerous and when I was young, I used to go for advice to the doctor or Encyclopedia Britannica and that was it.
11:06The fact that, you know, the NHS have had to come out and say it's completely safe, please do continue using it.
11:12And it's also one of the only safest options that pregnant women have for pain relief. And to say it's not safe and to take that away from women is extremely frustrating.
11:24Time for a quick break now. But coming up, we hear more on the investigation into what happened on the Fast Track B bus last week, where many passengers were injured allegedly due to the driver's road rage.
11:36And our community reporter Henry Luck went down to Gravesend to find out more about a primary school raising money to repair its swimming pool.
11:43All that after the break.
12:15.
12:17.
12:20.
12:22.
12:23.
17:04And what did the bus company say about this?
17:06So, a spokesperson for Go Ahead, the firm which runs Fast Track Services has confirmed that the incident is being investigated but unfortunately could not share any further details.
17:16Well, thank you very much.
17:18Well, thank you very much.
17:19Now, a man has been taken.
17:21Now, a man has been taken to hospital in London after a suspected stabbing in Sheppey.
17:25Police and paramedics were called in the hospital.
17:27Police and paramedics were called to a disturbance inside a property at Halfway Road in Sheppey just after 11am yesterday.
17:35A man was treated for injuries and was treated for injuries consistent with stab wounds and has been discharged from hospital.
17:41Four men have been arrested and remain in custody while inquiries are ongoing.
17:45Police are urging any witnesses who have not spoken to officers to contact them.
17:51More on the story can be read on Kent Online.
17:54Next, plans for a new temporary ward have been deemed essential to Darent Valley Hospital in Dartford.
18:01An assessment found that patient staff and visitor safety was under threat due to the risk of a fire starting and spreading from the building's external cladding around the emergency department.
18:13After discovering that some wards were unsafe, new accommodation was needed to relocate beds while essential works to tackle fire safety concerns took place.
18:23The temporary ward will result in the loss of a staff car park.
18:26However, a spokeswoman from Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust said that the new ward will allow for the continued operation of the hospital.
18:34Work started in August and are expected to take 18 weeks to complete.
18:39Now, don't forget, you can keep up to date with all your latest stories across Kent by logging on to our website kmtv.co.uk.
18:48There you'll find all our reports, including this one, about a family-owned greengrocers in Westgate-on-Sea, which is facing closure after having its worst year on record.
18:59Surely but surely, Kent's high streets seem to be flagging, as independent businesses struggle to keep up with bigger chains.
19:06Greengrocers, in particular, are feeling the brunt of this.
19:09In 1997, there were 6,916 registered greengrocers in the UK. By 2021, there were just 2,595.
19:19I tend to buy, yeah, from supermarkets mostly, usually Lidl or Aldi.
19:25What influences you to shop at those places?
19:27Price.
19:28There's not really like a butcher's or a grocer's that near me, so I tend to just pop to like a little Tesco or something.
19:34I only go to Tesco's or Waitrose because I might not have a choice, but I'd rather personalise my local shops as best as I could.
19:43As the cost of living crisis continues, we're all still feeling the pinch.
19:47Despite a strong community here on Westgate-on-Sea, where locals are wanting to shop independently, small businesses are still struggling against high street giants.
19:56Abby Evans, owner of the Westgate-CJ Apprentice branch, is fighting for her business' survival.
20:02We are a locally owned fruit and bread shop. We sell a variety of fruit and vegetables and salad stuff.
20:10This year has been the worst year we've had so far. We totally understand the cost of living crisis.
20:17I am a mum of five. I know it's hard out there. We just aren't making enough to cover bills, to cover stock. It's never been like this.
20:29If I had independent, like, grocers and stuff near me, I'd be much more inclined to support them than a supermarket.
20:34I like to support the local shops, but I like their produce. You can rely on it, so you get what you pay for.
20:43We are well aware we are more expensive than the supermarkets, but all we ask is that people maybe give us a thought before they have to go three miles out of their way to get stuff.
20:5260% of our stuff is from local farms. Like, we only don't travel too far, so more money into the local town.
21:00Everything that gets spent here just gets put straight back into the shop.
21:03Just down the road, Nicola Bradshaw, owner of the gothic bakery at Bargain & Bakes, is also battling with larger online competition.
21:11Yeah, I think we're up against, obviously, online everything. I think people are, hate to say it, a little bit lazy now, and they want everything brought to them.
21:22And it's not something that we currently can offer. The bricks and mortar shops do need the support, definitely.
21:31CJ Prentice Westgate still swings the balance of whether it will see another year.
21:38This is Megan Shaw for KMTV in Westgate.
21:42Now it's time to take a look at the weather for the coming days.
21:51Tonight brings scattered clouds across the county with temperatures ranging from 11 to 14 degrees up in Margate.
21:58Into tomorrow morning, those clouds clearing with temperatures of around 14 degrees, wind speeds of 11 and 14 miles per hour.
22:05And in the afternoon, those wind speeds picking up to 16 and 17 with clear sunny skies and temperatures around 16.
22:12For your outlook, highs of 16 on Friday, cloudy weather rising to 18 by the weekend with some sun peaking through the clouds.
22:20Now, the popular Fido Lido event in Fabisham has sold out this weekend after running again due to popular demand.
22:35Here we can see videos taken of the pool last time where 35 dogs dived in before its summer closure.
22:42For the humans, of course, this event has received mixed opinions on social media with some questioning hygiene safety.
22:50The event does require owners to have the appropriate registration and paperwork,
22:55and indoor areas are strictly off-limits for dogs.
22:58However, owners are able to join their pets for a splash.
23:05And now, a primary school in Gravesend is trying to raise money to repair its swimming pool,
23:10which it's used for decades.
23:13Teachers at Cecil Primary School say the pool has worn down over the years
23:17and that fixing it will continue to teach pupils how to stay safe in water.
23:23But the process will require fundraising and support.
23:27Our community reporter, Henry Luck, has been down to find out more.
23:31Cecil Primary School is different.
23:35It's the only one in Gravesend to have a swimming pool made to teach pupils the important life lessons needed to stay safe in the water.
23:48However, the pool needs repairs to stay afloat.
23:52The old primary school is the only one in Gravesend to have a full swimming pool.
24:00But because of all the wear and tear over the years, repairing it is going to take some deep pockets.
24:07Yeah, so the pool liner is estimated at just over £10,000.
24:12And then we have to do the rendering on the outside of the pool and a new pool liner will be needed as well.
24:18Obviously, once we take the pool liner out, we don't know what's underneath it.
24:23It's very old.
24:24So there may be some more restoration work there needed as well.
24:27So we're estimating around the £20,000 mark.
24:30Statistics by Swim England also reveal that males aged between 10 to 19 were the highest group for accidental fatalities out of the 136 deaths that happened last year.
24:47I think it's very important for the kids to be able to swim, especially as we live very close to rivers and we are an island.
24:54And there's opportunities to get in the water wherever you can, especially on hot days.
24:59But they really must need to have the knowledge of how to look after themselves in the swimming.
25:04It's very important.
25:06And who knows, they might end up going on cruises and the like, and God forbid a Titanic happens, but if they need to learn to swim, then that's all grist of the mill.
25:16But the facility offers a place of fun for its pupils.
25:21I really like when you have to do the race and swim to the other side.
25:27What I love most about the pool is because the swimming lessons are very fun.
25:33I like because it's so warm and it just makes me happy.
25:44They help because it's good for you. Swimming is fun.
25:50The school have set up a GoFundMe page and is planning to host fundraising events in the future, proving that when there's a will, there's a way.
26:01Henry Luck for KMTV in Gravesend.
26:07Movie crews have been spotted in Faversham Town Centre, reportedly shooting for a short film called The Good Vibes Cafe, according to residents.
26:15Pictures shared online show a production crew featuring sound and light technicians on set outside Jitter Mugs, a tapas and restaurant on Preston Street.
26:25This location is next to a bench where Marlon Brando once posed for a photo in the 1990s.
26:31In recent years, Kent has become no stranger to film shoots, with Universal Pictures vans being spotted in Herne Bay last summer and Margate's dreamland, of course.
26:40But that is all we have time for. We'll see you after this break.
26:44We'll see you after this break.
27:05We'll see you after this break.
29:53Hello and welcome to Kent Tonight live on KMTV.
30:14I'm Isabel Miller and here is a recap of your headlines today on Wednesday the 24th of September.
30:22Galley Hill Gridlock, Swanscombe residents call for faster landslip repairs amid fears for safety.
30:28Update from Iran, a man who's from Folkestone says that his parents are detained and being kept in the dark about their upcoming court appearance.
30:39And staying afloat, a primary school in Gravesend is fundraising to save their swimming pool.
30:45There are now fears for safety in Swanscombe as the local landslip chaos continues. Since part of Galley Hill Road was destroyed in 2023, lorries and commuters have started to cut through town, leading to gridlock and motorists mounting the kerb.
31:03Residents are calling for Kent County Council to speed up repairs to the busy A road. Our local democracy reporter Olly Leder went down at rush hour to speak to those caught in the traffic.
31:14It's dangerous and they should make it. It's dangerous and they should make it a one way, round here or round the other way. It'd be no problem. So get rid of it.
31:21Lorries, gridlock and frustrated motorists mounting the kerb. This is what life looks like along Stanhope Road, one of the busiest in Swanscombe.
31:31Ever since the A226 Galley Hill Road collapsed back in 2023.
31:38What we've got here at bottlenecks, there's only room for one car at a time to pass. So we have two cars coming down either side, there's no passing point.
31:46So this is creating a problem where cars are having to go up onto the pavements and sometimes people have nearly been hit or knocked over by cars mounting pavements.
31:55Before the landslip, Galley Hill Road was used by heavy goods vehicles, buses and commuters alike.
32:03But since then, traffic has cut through this stretch of residential housing and it's gotten so bad, in fact, that people living here have been taking to the street to keep an eye out for illegal behaviour such as ramping up onto the pavement.
32:20Now this road's not been, it was only built for all some carts. Not cars, not roads. And it's dangerous. You've got elderly people living in Swanscombe, scooters and anything else. The paths are not wide enough and there's a lot of people going to get hurt along this road.
32:37Kent County Council has responsibility for highways. But so far, calls for a one-way system or traffic lights have been dismissed.
32:46But for residents, the main issue is fixing the landslip. They see that as the root cause to all of this. And that's something that could take years.
32:57Galley Hill's got to get sorted out to make Stand Oak Road and other roads in Swanscombe more accessible again.
33:05This road was not built for the traffic that it's got to happen at the moment. You know, people haven't got the money to sort things out, but where do you put the difference between money and lives or people getting hurt?
33:15KCC says it has considered different ways to ease the prevailing situation.
33:22But the road remains part of a key bus route and a one-way system is unworkable as a result.
33:31But as the roads around the landslip continue to worsen, the hopes of people living here are also being driven into the ground.
33:40Now, Folkestone's son of Lindsay and Craig Foreman has spoken about his parents' resilience ahead of their court appearance in Iran on Saturday.
33:53The couple were detained in the Middle Eastern country in January this year.
33:58Iranian authorities arrested the couple during a round-the-world motorbike trip, later charging them with espionage.
34:04The foreman's family strongly deny this, and they say they've been kept in the dark.
34:11I spoke with their son, Joe Bennett, earlier about the ongoing case and how their family are feeling.
34:16Thank you for joining us. Can you tell us what the latest is that you've heard from your parents?
34:21Yeah, so we know that they're going to court on Saturday, which is the second time they've been to court.
34:31But we don't have any information around what happened in the previous court visit or sort of what's on the agenda for this time round.
34:40That does cause quite a lot of concern for us as a family, because if the UK government aren't understanding what's going on, you know, sort of within these court hearings, it must be quite difficult to be able to sort of defend allegations.
34:56So we're going to see what the outcome of that is at the moment in terms of their welfare and health, they are coping mentally, but I kind of don't want that to become normalised.
35:10The conditions they're in are horrific and they've been seen, and that does seem to be becoming more regular, but they are struggling a little bit physically.
35:21And what do you hope comes from this court appearance?
35:26That they found innocent, like they are, and released.
35:29But, you know, the research that we've done and history suggests that that isn't what happens, especially sort of when espionage charges are floated around.
35:41History does suggest there is a sentencing due at some point, but you never know.
35:45This might be the one that breaks the mould.
35:47As I say, I highly doubt it.
35:49But until we hear what the outcome of the court hearings are, it's hard to predict what is going to happen, you know.
35:58And have the government been helpful in helping you through this case?
36:02I mean, in terms of support and communication, I can't fault it.
36:07You know, that's never been a pet peeve of mine because the people who we deal with on a daily basis are, you know,
36:13they're very prompted answering questions and organising meetings and everything like that,
36:18which is great for the family and everybody on this side.
36:24But my main concern is my mum and Craig, who are over there.
36:28And what are we doing on that side of the coin to make sure that we get them released as early as possible?
36:35So, again, you know, this is not dismissing anything that the people we're working with are doing.
36:42But that's why we've now written to Yvette Cooper, the new foreign secretary,
36:47because that's the level that we want to try and get this acknowledged at.
36:53And have you had a response from Yvette Cooper?
36:57Not yet.
36:58I can imagine she's a very busy lady, especially coming in.
37:02So I will give her, there will be a matter of time, hopefully, until that comes across and she can have a read.
37:07But we haven't had anything just yet.
37:10But what, as I say, what we're looking for is a little bit of acknowledgement to sort of say, yes, we hear you.
37:16And, you know, we want this to be known publicly.
37:18We want to sit down with her face to face because we can't wait for, you know, bureaucracy to slowly turn.
37:27And how are you doing, as well as your family, being kept in the dark for this long?
37:34I mean, we're kept in the dark because it's fractured information that comes through, right?
37:39So the UK government are at the beckoning mercy of the Iranians and the line of communication we've got there are at the beckoning mercy of the people who are holding my parents.
37:48So it is a very broken line of communication.
37:53I think being kept in the dark is not just us as a family, it's us as a nation.
37:57Thank you very much for coming on and giving us an update.
38:01Wish you all the best and your parents do.
38:03US President Donald Trump claimed Tylenol has links to autism, saying it's not good for pregnant women.
38:09The pain relief is known as paracetamol here in the UK.
38:12And many health experts have pushed back on this claim.
38:15Well, we've been speaking to Dr. Jack Jacobs, GP and medical director for the Kent Local Medical Committee to find out more about the truth behind these claims.
38:25There is no scientific evidence making that link.
38:30And in fact, there has been quite a lot of research that has been looked at in this area.
38:35And I know if you look at the NHS website, it quotes specifically a really big trial done in Sweden, a country that is very good at organising clinical trials and ensuring its publications are published and looked at in the right way and challenged in the right way.
38:52And they found no link whatsoever between paracetamol use in pregnancy and subsequent autism in the child of pregnancy.
39:01Actually, no, there's very little danger in taking paracetamol in pregnancy.
39:06And we have as a medical profession and midwives have been recommending it for years and I think we'll continue to recommend it should you need it.
39:14You know, obviously, if you don't need to take a pain relieving medication, then don't.
39:20But, you know, if you are suffering with significant pain, wherever it might be, as well as perhaps getting advice about it, then paracetamol is a really sensible pain relieving medication to take.
39:31We've also been speaking to people in Rochester.
39:33I think paracetamol is a really important medicine.
39:37My dad's a retired pharmacist, so I am pro-medicine, pro-vaccines and things like that.
39:45I know it doesn't agree with everybody, but you really have to be careful what you're saying, especially somebody who's arguably the most important person or most powerful person on the planet.
39:56The current trend of looking for advice online is dangerous.
40:01When I was young, I used to go for advice to the doctor or Encyclopaedia Britannica, and that was it.
40:08The fact that, you know, the NHS have had to come out and say, it's completely safe, please do continue using it.
40:14And it's also one of the only safest options that pregnant women have for pain relief.
40:19And to say it's not safe and to take that away from women is extremely frustrating.
40:25In sport, the Jules club bosses are offering tickets for £5 in the temporary stand at Priestfield after fans started a campaign to get 8,000 fans in the ground on Saturday.
40:36This follows last weekend's success, where they beat Newport County at Rodney Parade, breaking a new club record of 21 league games, staying undefeated.
40:45With 37 games left in the season, the Jules say they're nowhere near done with what they want to do and are constantly building better towards the team.
40:53Let's hear from Gillingham FC manager Joe Comper on what his thoughts were on the campaign.
40:57Warren Taylor, who is a fan, a great fan of Jules, he's been doing it the last few weeks and I actually spoke to him at the game, the last home game.
41:08And he was sort of saying, look, I haven't got millions of pounds to spend on the club, but I can appreciate the effort that the players are going to, what the managers brought to the club and, you know, what the owners have done to the club.
41:20He said, actually, what I can do is try and campaign and get more people to buy a ticket.
41:24And I loved it. It's like a grassroots campaign.
41:29There's no person with a marketing degree who's coming up with it or anything like that.
41:34You know, it's just the fans trying to get more people to come and back their team and show their support.
41:39So we sort of spoke about it in-house and said, OK, we don't want it to become our campaign.
41:44There's something beautiful about it being the fans campaign, but we also wanted to do something to back it.
50:15it's there but I don't know always like where to find it. Now don't forget you
50:21can keep up to date with all your latest stories across Kent by logging on to our
50:25website kmtv.co.uk. There you'll find all our reports including this one about
50:30two friends who are both more than a hundred years old who met in Folkestone
50:34after not seeing each other for a decade. There's a lot to think about when it
50:41comes to the meaning of life. Some see it in memories others in the legacy they
50:46leave behind but for many it's found in the joy of friendship and shared laughter.
50:51For the first time in ten years two old friends over 100 years old are meeting
50:57up in Folkestone to celebrate their friendship. Kathleen is 106 years old and
51:03Lulu 105. They met during what Kathleen described as services and even though
51:09they hadn't seen each other in a decade their 70-year friendship remained
51:13strong. I spoke with Lulu to find out more about her past.
51:17We read the BBC on dispatches from frontline troops.
51:24So on VJ Day and VE Day we were two days a night right through taking
51:37dispatches from frontline. And was you based in London?
51:42Oh, secret.
51:44The secret?
51:45Cabotshire Park.
51:47Oh, okay.
51:48Their reunion was made possible by a charity that provides transport for military veterans.
51:53The organisation is funded by donations and driven by volunteers, receiving the
51:59Queen's Award for Voluntary Service in 2021.
52:01Well, we were contacted by Ian and Heather, which is Kathleen's son and daughter-in-law.
52:08And obviously the London Black Taxi, we're designed to take all people with all sorts of disabilities.
52:14That's what we have. We have a ramp that's designed to come out of the taxi for the wheelchairs.
52:18We also can take motorised little scooters in there.
52:21And I contacted her and I said, would you be able to help her mother?
52:24She's 106. She's in the wheelchair.
52:26And we had a chat about it. The committee had a chat about it.
52:29And we said, yes, we can do this. If we can make Kathleen's wish come true where she can
52:34meet her best friend, we said yes, we'll do it.
52:3670 years on, their friendship is still full of laughter, love and life.
52:41In a world that moves so fast, Kathleen and Lulu remind us that true friendship doesn't
52:46fade with time. It only grows stronger.
52:49Maisie Walker for KMTV, Oakston.
52:53Now it's time to take a look at the weather.
53:01Tonight brings scattered clouds across the county with temperatures ranging from
53:0511 to 14 degrees up in Margate.
53:08Into tomorrow, those clouds clearing with temperatures of around 14 degrees.
53:12And in the afternoon, those wind speeds are picking up to 16 and 17 miles per hour,
53:18with clear sunny skies and temperatures around 16 degrees.
53:21For your outlook, highs of 16 on Friday, cloudy weather rising to 18 by the weekend,
53:26with some sun peeking through the clouds, dropping to 17 by Sunday, much of the same weather.
53:31And a primary school in Gravesend is trying to raise money to repair its swimming pool,
53:41which has been used for decades.
53:43Teachers at Cecil Primary School say the pool has worn down over the years,
53:48and that fixing it will continue to teach pupils how to stay safe in water,
53:53but the process will require fundraising and support.
53:56Our community reporter, Henry Luck, has been down to find out more.
54:00Cecil Primary School is different.
54:03It's the only one in Gravesend to have a swimming pool made to teach pupils the important life lessons
54:13needed to stay safe in the water.
54:16However, the pool needs repairs to stay afloat.
54:21The old primary school is the only one in Gravesend to have a full swimming pool.
54:29But because of all the wear and tear over the years, repairing it is going to take some deep pockets.
54:36Yeah, so the pool liner is estimated at just over £10,000,
54:40and then we have to do the rendering on the outside of the pool,
54:44and a new pool liner will be needed as well.
54:47Obviously, once we take the pool liner out, we don't know what's underneath it.
54:51It's very old, so there may be some more restoration work there needed as well.
54:55So we're estimating around the £20,000 mark.
54:58Statistics by Swim England also reveal that males aged between 10 to 19
55:06were the highest group for accidental fatalities out of the 136 deaths that happened last year.
55:15I think it's very important for the kids to be able to swim,
55:18especially as we live very close to rivers and we are an island,
55:23and there's opportunities to get in the water wherever you can, especially on hot days.
55:28But they really must need to have the knowledge of how to look after themselves in the swim.
55:33It's very important.
55:34And who knows, they might end up going on cruises and delight,
55:38and God forbid a Titanic happens, but if they need to learn to swim,
55:42then that's all grist of the mill.
55:45But the facility offers a place of fun for its pupils.
55:50I really like when you have to do the race and swim to the other side.
55:55What I love most about the pool is because the swimming lessons are very fun.
56:01I like because it's so warm and it just makes me happy.
56:13They help because it's good for you. Swimming is fun.
56:18The school have set up a GoFundMe page and is planning to host fundraising events in the future,
56:26proving that when there's a will, there's a way.
56:30Henry Luck for KMTV in Gravesend.
56:35You've been watching Kent tonight live on KMTV,
56:39and there's more news made for Kent just throughout the evening.
56:42But that's it from me. Goodbye.
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