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00:00Hello and welcome to Kent Tonight Live here on KMTV.
00:25I'm Oli Leder and here are your top stories on Tuesday the 2nd of December.
00:31Early morning arrest. Thorold Road in Chatham cordoned off after stabbing.
00:37I was going to see it online first thing this morning. I found out it's literally down my road.
00:42Giving Santa a helping hand. Maidstone residents get into the season of giving.
00:49And when we look back on this, probably in the new year, you'll find that Maidstone contributed quite a lot to the happiness of people at Maidstone.
00:57A big deal. Van from East Kent Town heading up the Christmas charts.
01:02First tonight, a 19-year-old man's been stabbed to death in Chatham.
01:22And Kent Police have cordoned off part of Thorold Road with officers being seen coming and going from a property throughout the day.
01:32A murder investigation is underway and a suspect in his 30s has been arrested.
01:38Maisie Walker was at the scene for us earlier today.
01:44Kent Police were called at 3am this morning to reports of a serious assault in Chatham.
01:49As you can probably see from behind me, officers have cornered off Thorold Road and the junction near Whitehorse Hill.
01:58I arrived on the scene at around 10am where police, forensics and a search and marine unit were in attendance.
02:06Residents in the area said that they were shocked.
02:09A father of three told me that he doesn't let his children play outside because of the local behaviour.
02:14I didn't hear or see anything. I just see it online first thing this morning.
02:19I found out it's literally down my road.
02:21I've got my partner and my kids and my little girl's seven.
02:24I don't let her play out the front because rough it is dangerous.
02:29Another resident who lives just outside the cordon said it was up at 7.30.
02:33She added it's a bit scary. I've lived here all my life and we've not had something like this in ages.
02:40Usually there's trouble on the other on the other end of the road but not down here.
02:45Most residents did not want to go on camera but a mother who moved to the area recently with her partner said
02:50We've only lived here a week. I've got a seven-year-old little girl, 14-year-old boy and a 23-year-old boy.
02:57So it's really scary. It's a bit too close for my liking.
03:01Another concerned mum walking past said
03:03I can't believe something has happened right there. It's too close.
03:08In a statement, Kent Police have confirmed that officers and paramedics attended the scene
03:12where a man was treated for injuries consistent with stab wounds.
03:16A suspect in his 30s has been arrested in connection with the incident and inquiries are underway.
03:23In a recent update, police have confirmed that a 19-year-old man was killed.
03:28A spokesperson said
03:29Officers attended alongside other emergency services
03:32and a young man was located inside the premises with injuries consistent with stab wounds.
03:38The victim was treated by paramedics but was confirmed deceased at the scene.
03:43Maisie Walker for KMTV, Chatham
03:45More on that story when we have it.
03:49But now households in Tunbridge Wells are braced for yet another day without water
03:53as problems at the Pembury Treatment Works continue.
03:58Southeast Water told residents that after reoccurring issues,
04:03the problem would not be resolved.
04:05After four days of issues for 14,000 households,
04:10which has forced schools to close and prompted calls for the Southeast Water CEO to go.
04:18Our reporter Chloe Brewster joined me in the studio earlier with all the details.
04:24Well, Chloe, the fourth day of water issues in Tunbridge Wells.
04:28Breakdown, what's the latest here?
04:31So this morning, people in Tunbridge Wells are expecting their water to return.
04:34Obviously, it's been four days now since the water originally stopped being available in the area.
04:40So this afternoon, we received a further update from Southeast Water,
04:44who told us that the original chemical issue which caused Pembury Treatment Plants to shut down
04:49has actually been detected in the water that they were recharging,
04:52meaning the water isn't going to return to homes in Tunbridge Wells.
04:55And the properties that had returned, had had water return, may lose that water once again.
05:02Many schools, businesses, public buildings and health settings remain closed.
05:06Yesterday, I spoke to the Tunbridge Wells MP,
05:09and he's called for David Hinton, the CEO of Southeast Water, now to resign.
05:13So actually on the ground with the Southeast Water, the junior employees on the ground,
05:18they run the sites really efficiently.
05:19You can see behind us, you just drive in, they pick some water up, put it in your boot and you drive off.
05:23But actually at a leadership level, Southeast Water have totally failed to make sure
05:28there's an adequate supply of lorries coming to those sites.
05:31And the initial setup, the first one in St John's, only went live at about 11 o'clock on Sunday.
05:37And the two further ones were set up in the late afternoon.
05:41On Saturday, Southeast Water has set up a site in another town in Tunbridge.
05:45It's been an absolute disgrace.
05:48You were on the ground there at the site.
05:51Can you explain what the impact has been on people in Tunbridge Wells?
05:56Well, of course, there's been no running water.
05:58So people haven't been able to take a shower.
06:00There's been no central heating in many homes.
06:03Even making a cup of tea is a bit of a challenge.
06:05You know, people were really frustrated.
06:07I was at a water distribution site yesterday.
06:09And, you know, as many people were speaking to us in high spirits,
06:14hoping water would be turned back on yesterday,
06:15I can imagine that feeling isn't repeated onto today,
06:18especially hearing now that water isn't going to be returning,
06:20at least until tomorrow.
06:23Many of them are expressing how distrustful they've become of Southeast Water.
06:27You know, they've been given so many deadlines,
06:28and none of them appear to be being met.
06:32There's extra news that the original chemical issue of the water
06:34has been detected once more.
06:36That is a definite kick in the teeth for some residents.
06:38Yesterday, I spoke to a pub owner who told me
06:40she had no faith in Southeast Water.
06:43We have someone having a wake here on Thursday.
06:46We have events on Friday.
06:47Saturday, I'm sure it won't go on that long.
06:50But the worrying thing is, what if, you know?
06:52And we're sort of sat in limbo.
06:55Southeast Water has told residents
06:58that they're incredibly sorry for what happens
07:00and that they'll be providing a further update at 6pm.
07:03So keep your eyes on Kent Online for that.
07:06Glory, thanks for all those details.
07:08Now, in other news, an over-21s bar in Sittingbourne
07:12has been under scrutiny for excessive noise
07:14and irresponsible bottomless brunches.
07:18Lang's bar and cocktail lounge is known to serve
07:20unlimited drink promotions.
07:22And the owner, Mr. Dawson, has admitted
07:24that such events are attended by under-21s,
07:28something that goes directly against the terms
07:31of their license agreements.
07:33The neighbouring Travelodge Hotel also gave 10 examples
07:36where poor reviews mentioned the noise from the bar
07:39in the early hours of the morning.
07:41On November 24th, Swales Licensing Subcommittee
07:45met to review the license, but no action was taken.
07:50Now, the Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother in Margate,
07:53and William Harvey in Ashford are just two hospitals
07:56set to benefit from a major £29 million funding boost.
08:00The money is aimed at tackling long waiting times
08:04and improving care.
08:05We'll see key facilities modernised to help patients
08:09with same-day emergency care.
08:11Local medical staff say the investment
08:13could transform the patient's experience,
08:16cutting delays and helping people get the care
08:18they need a lot sooner.
08:21Now, plans have emerged to formally merge
08:23two secondary schools under one roof.
08:26The Beyond Schools Trust wants to unite
08:29the girls' school, Walderslade School,
08:32with the neighbouring boys' school, Greenacre School
08:34in Chatham, to create one single co-educational school
08:38from September next year.
08:40Both schools are already part of the Walderslade
08:42and Greenacre Schools Partnership.
08:45And the move is to merge the subject,
08:47consultation from parents, staff, governors
08:49and the wider Chatham community.
08:51And the information evening is being held
08:53on the 17th of December.
08:54Maidstone Borough Council's Christmas Hub has returned,
08:59allowing residents to donate a wide range of charities,
09:02from Mid-Kent Mine to Maidstone Street Pastors.
09:05Our community reporter, Henry Luck,
09:07has been finding out why the donations
09:08make such a big difference every single year.
09:12December and the hunt for Christmas presents
09:16is finally on.
09:18But for many across Maidstone,
09:20it's impossible to find gifts
09:24whilst making ends meet.
09:27That's where Maidstone Borough Council's
09:30Christmas Hub comes in.
09:32This scheme, which has been running for the past three years now,
09:38allows Maidstone residents
09:40to donate a variety of items from food, toys and games
09:47towards charities across the town
09:51to give those who are struggling this Christmas.
09:55For some of them, Christmas can be a really lonely time.
09:59Knowing that people in their community have thought about them
10:02and have donated these wonderful gifts
10:04is really humbling.
10:07And on Christmas Day, when they open a gift
10:09and they know that somebody
10:10that they don't know personally
10:12has taken time to buy that for them
10:15and it's then been wrapped,
10:16a label put on with their name,
10:18is really lovely.
10:20And it shows them that they're not forgotten.
10:23Unlike some of the other charities here,
10:25we're after really specific things.
10:27Things like instant hot foods
10:30that we use for our street population.
10:34And a lot of us are getting,
10:35tucking into Christmas dinners and things.
10:37Some of our street population don't have anything.
10:39So when we're out on a Saturday night,
10:41we can help them with instant hot food.
10:44Although donations have decreased significantly
10:48compared to previous years,
10:51the Borough Council remains confident
10:54that it can still make a positive impact
10:58in the community.
10:59Well, they might be a bit low at the moment.
11:01You probably saw the street pastors
11:03on the first day didn't have nothing.
11:05But the next day,
11:05they had a thousand pounds worth of stuff come in.
11:08So it's a day by day.
11:10It can't really judge it till it's finished.
11:12But in my personal view,
11:14people at Maidstone are very generous.
11:16And when we look back on this,
11:17probably in the new year,
11:19you'll find that Maidstone contributed quite a lot
11:21to the happiness of people at Maidstone.
11:24The hub will be open
11:25until Saturday, the 6th of December.
11:30With the big day fast approaching,
11:33many are hoping for a miracle on Maidstone Street.
11:38Henry Luck for Kane TV in Maidstone.
11:43Always wonderful to see such amazing work in Maidstone.
11:46But we'll be back after the break with more news.
21:51Okay.
22:19said their performances have brought pride to the local area and excitement for what the future
22:24holds. Back to football, Ebb's Fleet United's manager Josh Wright expressed frustration after
22:29this weekend's 1v1 draw against Farnborough. Ebb's Fleet once again struggled to fully utilise
22:34their many chances, with Wright angered at the reoccurring problem, stating that the team should
22:39have had a minimum of 8 or 10 more goals this season. Fleet have only picked up 4 points from
22:44their past 4 games, placing them at 9th in the table. Finally with cricket, seam bowler Matt Quinn
22:50has penned a new 2-year contract for Kent despite bowling only 60 overs in the County Championship
22:56Division 2 this year due to recent injuries. These injuries have plagued the New Zealand-born player
23:00in the last couple of years, causing him to miss the entire 2024 campaign. The 32-year-old joined in
23:062021 and has a record of 103 wickets, over 58 appearances for Kent. Quinn has shown further
23:12commitment to the county by joining the club's Talent Pathway Programme and teaching young bowling talent.
23:26That's Joel Fletcher with The Sport For You. But now a Dover charity has launched a blessing bag
23:31appeal to support rough sleepers during the festive season. The scheme invites residents to donate
23:36essential items such as warm clothing, toiletries and snacks to help those facing homelessness stay
23:43safe and warm this winter. Volunteers say the bags will make a real difference to people sleeping rough
23:49at a time of the year when cold weather and isolation can make life especially hard.
23:55Gerry Golden from Emanuus Dover discussed the campaign with us earlier on.
24:00Yeah, so locally, Dover and Mayors, we run a social enterprise business here to raise funds
24:08for the housing that we have in the community. So we house 27 companions, we call them, who are
24:16ex-homeless people who contribute by working in the retail part of the shop. They have a room to
24:24themselves, share facilities, they get fed here. So we have people cooking in the kitchens, companions can
24:32cook, they learn new skills, so retail or workshop, etc, to enable them to then move on into a paid job
24:42outside of the community. But it's a safe haven for them. The downside is we've only got 27 rooms. If we had a
24:53thousand, then wouldn't it be great. Now in jollier festive news, how many are Santa's reindeer can
24:59you name other than Rudolph? With the lead up to Christmas, we took to the streets of Rochester,
25:05asking Christmas shoppers how many flying friends Santa has and how many they could name.
25:1112? Can you name them all? Oh no, seven maybe, I don't know. No, Rudolph, dancer, prancer, that's about it.
25:2112. It's 12, isn't it? Dancer, prancer, Rudolph. So Rudolph, obviously.
25:2812. Dasher. Dasher, dancer, prancer, vixen. Blitzen. Blitzen, donna, cupid. 8? 8? I'm not sure.
25:43Yeah, the red nose one, that's the one I know. That's one to everyone.
25:48Well, if you look at the skies tonight, will we be seeing any reindeer? Here's the weather.
25:58Unfortunately, it's a particularly rainy and cloudy night all across Kent. Temperatures
26:04raised between 7 and 11 degrees. Wind speeds in the west at 5 degrees and 11 degrees towards
26:11Margate and Dover in the east. Tomorrow morning, temperatures will slightly drop,
26:15ranging between 7 and 9 degrees with mostly cloudy skies, with some light showers in the east as well.
26:22And towards the evening, temperatures will rise to an average of 9 degrees,
26:25with light showers in Mason and Canterbury. And a cloudy forecast for the rest of the country.
26:29I can't see the weather graphic moving, so you have to follow my voice on this one.
26:34Wind speeds around 10 miles from around the east and a bit lower at 7 in the west.
26:38And let's take a look at your outlook. Light rain on Thursday and Friday as well.
26:43But that's everything for this part of Kent tonight. But join us in a few minutes time for more news.
32:27dose. In a statement, Kent Police have confirmed that officers and paramedics attended the
32:32scene where a man was treated for injuries consistent with stab wounds. A suspect in
32:38his 30s has been arrested in connection with the incident and inquiries are underway. In
32:43a recent update, police have confirmed that a 19-year-old man was killed. A spokesperson
32:48said officers attended alongside other emergency services and a young man was located inside
32:54the premises with injuries consistent with stab wounds. The victim was treated by paramedics
33:00but was confirmed deceased at the scene. Maisie Walker for KMTV, Chatham. More on that story when
33:07we have it. But with the budget released last week and Black Friday over the weekend, we caught up with
33:14Tudor Price from the Invicta Chamber of Commerce to break down all the business news of the last few
33:21weeks. There was also a bit of an anti-climax, I guess, really. There was a sense of indifference
33:26because there was nothing in there for growth. I mean, all the businesses were delighted not to have
33:31to sort of be shelling out any more cash and they can plan forward a bit easier now for the future.
33:36But yeah, for a chancellor that seemed to be sort of saying the economy and growth of the economy
33:41is really the key to all the public services, there didn't seem to be a huge amount to sort of
33:45try and encourage businesses to sort of adopt that growth. Having said that, we are also aware that
33:51there's a number of elements around the sort of savings gap. So people have saved quite a bit.
33:55So maybe they'll feel confident now post-budget to actually go out and spend.
33:59And as I mentioned before, we do have that business rate relief. Obviously, there are lots of high
34:07streets where it's expensive to run a business, particularly because of those business rates.
34:12Is that going to be a boost for small businesses or potentially even hospitality in some of our busier
34:19tourist towns?
34:21So the businesses we've spoken to, retail, hospitality and leisure, they are obviously grateful for that
34:26continued exemption and sort of reductions on the business rates. But what they didn't see and what
34:31they had been asking for for quite a long time was a reduction in the VAT rate to really try and help
34:36sort of combat some of the rising costs that their supply chain have seen. Now, the retail
34:42hospitality and leisure sector is critical and really important, particularly this time of year.
34:45But what we didn't see was any sort of real relief for some of the larger businesses that are about
34:50to sort of see their multiplier suddenly jump. And so we're seeing some very large businesses here
34:55in Canada facing some tremendous increases in their business rates.
34:58There is one big thing that might help people out, and that's the tourism levy, if angled right,
35:05will give money to councils who then put it back into the local economy. Do you think that a tourism
35:11levy, if done right, could help places like, for example, Canterbury or Folkestone, which do have a huge
35:19tourist sector? Or do you think it's going to be yet another burden on footfall for those big areas?
35:26I think the evidence would suggest it works. Looking at other sort of more popular holiday
35:32destinations, Venice, of course, famously levied the charge quite high. And I think that that's sort
35:38of demonstrated that as a particular methodology of trying to fund local sort of opportunities
35:45of investment, it works really well. It's all a question of how it's spent and how it's levied,
35:51because you don't want it to be a disincentive. And of course, we need to make sure that we are
35:56providing real value for money and encouraging people to sort of choose the heart of Kent rather
36:01than go into London.
36:02What do you think your big predictions will be for the economy here in Kent off the back
36:08of this tax-raising budget?
36:10So this whole budget was geared towards the markets. It was about giving peace of mind,
36:16confidence to the markets, particularly the bond markets. And all of that is against the
36:21backdrop of the government's ambition to try and attract foreign inward investments. Now,
36:26the big infrastructure projects we've got here in Kent, Lower Thames Crossing, Gatwick North,
36:30and a few others to boot. I think if that strategy pays off, which we all hope it will do,
36:36and it attracts that foreign direct investment, I think Kent is actually looking quite well
36:41positioned for a really good year.
36:43And let's talk about perhaps a bit more positive for consumers. It's nearly Christmas,
36:49and we've just had Black Friday and Cyber Monday. And I have to ask, are these just fans? Do they
36:56actually benefit businesses or consumers here in Kent?
37:00So historically, they do work, but they work. And as you say, it is a trend. It's a period of time
37:06for which they will be really, really beneficial. The balance to be struck really is that if you
37:11sort of signal quite early on, you've got major discounts coming, of course, most consumers think,
37:15well, I'm not going to buy now, I'm going to wait for the, as it was, the Boxing Day sales or
37:19the New Year sales. And now, of course, it's Black Friday and Cyber Monday. So what happens is you
37:24start to sort of just delay. So you have a significant drop in footfall, but that's then remedied by a
37:30massive uptick into the consumer spend on those given days. It will work, and it does work overall
37:36on balance. It's definitely a good thing for retailers at the moment. It works really, really
37:39well. But I think, as always, consumers become savvy and will start to sort of realize, actually,
37:44those deals aren't quite as good as they look at face value. But also, if I maybe hold on to my
37:49pennies and wait for a better deal. So I think retailers will then again, it's almost like a bit
37:54of cat and mouse, really. But I think at the moment, it's a great deal for both consumers and retailers.
37:58Do you think that, you hear it all the time, you're in the supermarket or the shops, there's
38:04Christmas music blaring out as early as October sometimes. Are businesses getting on the Christmas
38:11hype train a little too soon sometimes?
38:15I don't think they are, really. There are people that I work with who are just so excited
38:21about Christmas, they would start it in Easter if they could. So I guess it's appealing to different
38:26parts of society. But yeah, retailers have had a bit of a tough time, even sort of post-COVID,
38:32although we're a few years on, there's still a legacy to be had there. Rising costs in terms
38:36of supply chain. So I'm not going to knock anybody that wants to start playing a sort of
38:40fairytale of New York in the middle of October.
38:43Now, as communities across Kent reflect on the year and look ahead to Christmas, messages
38:48of unity and hope are being shared by people of all faiths. Graves Hand is home to one of the
38:53UK's largest Sikh communities and families of the Sikh faith are preparing to mark the
38:58season in their own way, drawing on traditions that focus on service, reflection and supporting
39:04those in need. Amid a year marked by social tensions and rising hate crime, community leaders
39:11say those shared values of peace and compassion resonate far beyond any single faith, as our reporter
39:18Beth and Bergell has been finding out.
39:24Welcome to Sri Guru Nanak Dabar, the largest Sikh temple in Europe and a pillar of the community
39:30here in Graves End and beyond. And like many religious groups across the county, they are
39:35preparing for a busy December.
39:36For Sikhs, the whole month of December, we refer to it as Shahidi month, which is really a month
39:42of martyrdom and kind of sadness with the martyrdom of the four sons of Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth
39:49guru. And yes, so that's quite a key sort of part of the year for us in reflecting on
39:57their sacrifices.
39:58A key part of this will include reflecting on what has been a difficult year for many minority
40:03religious groups in Kent and across the UK.
40:05Here in Kent, in Graves End area, we have fairly good community relations with all communities,
40:12but we know of incidents across the Midlands and other parts of the country where people
40:17have been victim to racial hatred. And we've had some incidents locally as well, but not
40:22to the same extent. But we have to work hard. We sort of work with all the different faith
40:28groups. We had an interfaith group here, where we come together and share information with
40:35each other, knowledge, try to break down the barriers.
40:40Essential to fostering these strong community relations is the charity work that is central
40:44to the practices and teachings of Sikhism.
40:47We are trying to encourage a lot of charity work. So we are well known, as you know, this
40:52is the biggest Sikh Gurdwara in Europe. So, you know, all the communities are fully aware
40:58of what are we trying to do, what are we trying to achieve, get other communities involved
41:02as well, you know, with the Gurdwara. So we try to do as much as possible.
41:07Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhi, one of his main key points was that everyone should be
41:16a good human being first and foremost. Whatever faith you are, just be a good human being.
41:21So if you're a Christian, be a good Christian. If you're Muslim, be a good Muslim. And we
41:28would never say to you, become a Sikh. If you want to, you're welcome to, but be a good
41:33human being first and foremost.
41:38And you can catch the rest of that Kent Tonight special at 7pm tonight, right here on KNTV.
41:43We still have more news to come here on Kent Tonight. Join us in a few minutes' time.
42:36...
42:37.
45:08Hello and welcome back to Kent Tonight.
45:11KMFM's Give a Gift annual campaign has reached the £10,000 milestone as part of its Christmas donation appeal.
45:19The festive campaign, which is launched on the 17th of November, has been flooded with dozens of donations.
45:25The money raised allows teams to deliver toys and gifts to young people who face difficult circumstances over the Christmas period.
45:33Now, after the break, there will be a brand new episode of News Nuggets covering important topics all across Kent for primary school children.
45:44News Nuggets tackles stories about local politics and democracy and allows our younger generation to explore the importance of our local area.
45:53From elections to food waste to who runs our sports clubs, each episode takes a deep dive to anything and everything about how our county runs.
46:03This week, Abby's finding out more about farming, food poverty and food waste, but here's a sneak peek into our next episode.
46:11In this episode, we'll be learning about food poverty and food waste.
46:16Let's start with food poverty. More and more people are struggling to pay for their food shops.
46:22Alright, we've got our box for our food parcel. Shall we get some fruit and veg in it?
46:25Alright, we'll start with the mountain of avocados here.
46:28Bread, go on and grab those rolls, pop those in the box.
46:32The fuel that heats up your home and the electricity that gives you Wi-Fi and keeps your lights on because you use them more in the winter, they're more expensive.
46:40Prices are also going up because of things going on in the world. This includes the petrol that gets you to and from school.
46:48What do you do with food waste and what can we do?
46:51If we have too much food, we're going to give this to charity.
46:56Do not buy more food than you need it. Or if it's mouldy or road, it is composted.
47:02In the UK, we waste almost 10 million tonnes of food a year. That's 2 million elephants or 1,000 Eiffel Towers.
47:12I met Debbie from food charity Fairshare and Farmer John to ask what farms should do with all their leftovers.
47:19It looks like there's a lot of apples here that are going to go to waste.
47:22It's disappointing.
47:25There you go. Perfect snack for a lunchbox.
47:28Alright, cheers.
47:29A small one.
47:30Cheers.
47:30Cheers.
47:32Since our episode is all about food today, we've invited a farmer into the studio.
47:39Joseph, thank you very much for joining us.
47:41How young were you when you decided farming was for you?
47:44Oh, probably when I was born, to be honest.
47:48When I was just being surrounded by it all that had taken me.
47:52The bug got me.
47:54And now you're destined to drive a tractor, that's the next thing you want to do?
47:59Next year when I'm 16, I'll be able to take my tractor licence test.
48:03Alright, final question on our catch-up quiz.
48:06Fish and chips are the best school dinner.
48:08True or false?
48:10It's got to be true, hasn't it?
48:11Okay. Fish and chip Friday?
48:13Yeah.
48:13It looks great, doesn't it?
48:19But now it's time to take a very quick look at the weather.
48:28It's a particularly rainy and cloudy night all across Kent.
48:31Temperatures range between 7 and 11 degrees.
48:35Into tomorrow morning, we've got a yellow weather alert for rain.
48:39Cloud and rain across the county, particularly into the afternoon.
48:4310 degrees down in Dover, 9 elsewhere.
48:47And the rest of the week isn't looking great for the weather either.
48:51Rain on Thursday, Friday and a bit of cloud on Saturday for good measure too.
49:01And finally, Christmas has come early for Kent band Daniel Takes a Train,
49:09who have found success in the UK heritage charts more than 40 years after forming.
49:15The group, whose members come from Deal and Warmer, first played together in the 80s.
49:20And their latest album has seen a surge of festive support.
49:24Their single, Just Like Patsy Cline, is a retro pop song with a country twist
49:29that has charmed listeners from over 100 countries.
49:33But let's take a listen because it is very catchy.
49:52To talk more about this, I'm joined by one of the band members, Paul Baker.
49:56Paul, how does it feel knowing your song is playing at number one
50:01after decades on the music scene?
50:06It's crazy, Ollie.
50:07I mean, we keep pinching ourselves.
50:09We just can't believe that 41 years after we formed,
50:13that suddenly we're number one in the charts.
50:15It's an amazing feeling.
50:17Absolutely fantastic.
50:19What do you think has made this song so popular?
50:22It had a pretty good hook.
50:24But what do you think has really driven these charts, these sales, these listens?
50:32I think people have loved the 80s.
50:34And I think we're an 80s band.
50:37And, you know, you can't take the 80s out of an 80s band.
50:39So it's got that sort of retro feel.
50:42You know, it's hopefully got a nice catchy hook.
50:45And it's got the nostalgia as well.
50:47I mean, a lot of people reminisce and, you know, remember the lovely days of Patsy Cline.
50:52And I think we've kind of, you know, crossed genres, really.
50:56And that's probably why it's been so popular.
50:58Right.
50:58Take me back to the heyday of the 80s.
51:02Obviously, your band's been going for quite a while.
51:06How did it form?
51:07And what sort of antics did you get up to back in the day?
51:10Well, it was Dan and myself met at the Marquee Club many, many years ago.
51:17And we both loved music.
51:18He played this charming man down the phone by the Smiths to me.
51:22And I said, that's what I want to be.
51:24I want a jangly pop song band.
51:26So we formed in 84.
51:29We had some really good success.
51:31We played at Ronnie Scott's, the Empire Leicester Square, the Astoria.
51:34Perhaps our biggest caper was when we gatecrashed the Brit Awards in 1987.
51:40We saw Meatloaf had a party of 10 ladies with him.
51:44And we thought, let's just jump on the end and lag it into the event.
51:48So we got into the event.
51:50We gave out our cassettes, because it was cassettes in those days, to all of the different dignitaries from the music industry.
51:57Got photos with Alison Moyer and the Pet Shop Boys you may have seen there, and Wet, Wet, Wet.
52:02And we heard on Radio 1 the next day that Peter Powell, the Radio 1 DJ, said it was the best part of the Brits when this young band gatecrashed their way past security.
52:13But sadly, Dan got a job in Barcelona, and in 88, we disbanded.
52:19And we thought, that's it, really.
52:20And we got on with our lives, got married, had kids, and did normal jobs.
52:25And then the drummer, in 2018, set up a Facebook page with the one video we'd ever shot, and a few little pictures of us in the band and what have you.
52:35We had 55 followers.
52:37And suddenly, a German record label got in contact and said, we love this sound that you've got on this video.
52:43I sent them 20 tracks, I think it was, 18, 20 tracks, and they came back three days later and said, we want to sign you.
52:50So we got signed 30 years after we'd split up, and it all went a bit crazy.
52:55But on the back of that, we reformed.
52:57We did three sell-out gigs at the Troubadour.
53:00We bought that new album out that just popped up there called Style, Charm, and Commotion, with all of the tracks from back in the day.
53:07And then we started writing again, and this song is the, we've had five top tens in the heritage chart.
53:15This is the first one that's ever gone to, funnily enough, we knocked wet, wet, wet off the number one spot.
53:21And we met them at the Brits in 38 years earlier.
53:24So life has a funny way of turning around and going full circle.
53:28So it's just amazing.
53:31We're absolutely buzzing, as you can imagine, to have had this success so late in life.
53:36And it's amazing, isn't it?
53:38And we've got a new album out.
53:39It's amazing to see these were your contemporaries back in the day, and your music's still being listened to by everyone.
53:47And it is really interesting.
53:49Was it different, getting the band back together?
53:51Was it kind of slipping back into the old groove, as it were?
53:56Yeah, it was just like we'd known each other all our lives.
53:59And it's fantastic that you've got that camaraderie and friendships.
54:04I mean, you know, a lot of friendships don't last 40 years.
54:07And it's great that we're sort of still doing it together.
54:10And we're, you know, still friends after, you know, because in the music industry, you know, you've all got different sort of ideas about music.
54:16But Dan and I are the main songwriters, and we've kept going.
54:20And I think Dan said the other day that he thinks that, you know, our writing's getting better.
54:25So hopefully that seems to be the case with the chart position.
54:29So we're absolutely delighted.
54:31And we've got a new album coming out next week called The Hit Parade with 11 tracks on, including the number one hit single, just like Patsy Cline.
54:41So, yeah, we're really excited about doing some gigs next year and, you know, getting on the road and actually sort of performing to audiences.
54:50So, you know, really exciting times.
54:53Obviously, it's not the same music environment that your band started in all those years ago.
54:59You probably do a sellout tour of Kent back then.
55:02Nowadays, there are only a handful of reasonably sized venues dotted about.
55:08How have things changed, do you think, in this music industry?
55:10Because you were there now and you were here then.
55:13Yeah, you're right.
55:16I mean, in those days, you know, we were playing Ronnie Scott's Empire Leicester Square Astoria.
55:21And we kind of we thought that the chance had come and gone, to be honest with you.
55:27And now, after lockdown, the music venues are not so great.
55:30But then having said that, I was at the Aster Theatre in Deal last night seeing Squeeze play.
55:35So, you know, that would be a great thing for us to perhaps have a chance to play somewhere like that.
55:41So I think we've just got to take it bit by bit.
55:44We're writing new songs and just enjoy the moment.
55:48I think we've learned in this industry that you can never, never kind of get too excited because things, bubbles burst very quickly.
55:55But we're just enjoying the moment.
55:57I think that's the key to this success that we've had.
56:00And, you know, long may it continue.
56:03Well, it's been great speaking to you, wishing your band all the very best.
56:08Hopefully, we'll see you on tour next year as well.
56:12Thanks so much, Paul.
56:13Brilliant.
56:14It's great to hear music like that, isn't it?
56:18Playing out from a Kent band all these years later.
56:22And it really sums up just how versatile art is here in the county.
56:27Well, you've been watching Kent tonight live here on KMTV.
56:30There's more news made just for Kent throughout the evening.
56:32Don't forget, you can always keep up to date with all your latest news across the county on our website, kmtv.co.uk.
56:39But from me, for now, good night.
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