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Catch up on all the latest news across the county with Kristin Hawthorne.
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00:00Hello and welcome to Kent Tonight, live here on KMTV.
00:27I'm Finn McDermid and here are your top stories on Wednesday the 17th of December.
00:32Festive fears, families across Kent struggle to afford Christmas.
00:36Here in Medway we're definitely noticing a strain with families, the financial impact,
00:40not being able to provide us even as many presents as they have done in the past for their children.
00:44Rocking around Leiborne Lakes, RBVE hosts festive charity fun run.
00:49Everybody coming out, meeting up, having chats with people, it's amazing how you do just,
00:54you know, you come out of your shell a little bit more when you come to these sort of events.
00:57And walking in a winter woodland, Cameron and Alistair head to Westbleen and Thornden Woods
01:02in the latest edition of Tiny Treks.
01:05Westbleen and Thornden Woods has been on our Tiny Treks bucket list for some time.
01:09First off, Christmas is meant to be a time of excitement, but for some families it can also be a source of worry.
01:25New figures show that 51% of parents and carers in Kent say they can't afford Christmas presents,
01:32with more than half going without essential items to make the day special.
01:35Maisie Walker has been in Gillingham to see how a toy appeal is helping families provide gifts for their children this Christmas.
01:42Christmas should be a time for excitement, but for many families across Kent it's a time for worry.
01:48New figures show 51% of parents and carers in Kent can't afford Christmas presents,
01:54with more than half going without essentials to make the day special.
01:57With me being on maternity leave as well, like being on maternity pay,
02:01it's made it very difficult, because baby things are not cheap, especially formula for this little man.
02:09So it's definitely made it a bit more difficult over the last few months.
02:14It's been quite difficult at the minute. Obviously everything's more expensive.
02:18I've got two teenagers as well, so they do not little lists of any kind.
02:2650% of parents in Kent feel like they've failed their children if they can't provide the gifts they ask for.
02:32Family Action is a charity supporting vulnerable children and adults in Kent.
02:37Here in Gillingham, its toy appeal is helping to put presents under the Christmas tree,
02:42so children wake up to smiles instead of empty stockings.
02:45Here in Medway, we're definitely noticing a strain with families, the financial impact,
02:50not being able to provide even as many presents as they have done in the past for their children,
02:54and it's really affecting them mentally, and just Christmas isn't the same for them this year.
02:58With the toy appeal, we give that option. They can come in and pick a toy that they like.
03:01We even have gifts for adults as well, and it just takes that little bit of extra emotional strain,
03:06and that's what we're really here for, just to take that emotional toll off the families,
03:09so it's just one less thing they have to think about.
03:12With the cost of living, families may still be struggling this Christmas.
03:16But events like these help bring back the sparkle where the magic's been missing,
03:20putting presents under the tree and brightening the season for children and families.
03:25Maisie Walker for KMTV, Gillingham.
03:34And Maisie joins me in the studio now.
03:36So, first of all, could you tell us a little bit more about the charity?
03:39Yes, so Family Action was founded in 1869, and they're the country's leading family and relationship support charity.
03:47They offer all kinds of support, including practical, emotional and financial help to families all across Kent.
03:54They've received funding and support from Medway Council's Family Hub Start for Life programme,
03:59which allows them to provide help to families just like we saw there.
04:02And Julianne Stokes, a member of Family Action, can tell us a little bit more about the services that they provide in Medway.
04:09We provide sport on an ongoing basis.
04:11We've built a real community within what we're doing,
04:15so we're also offering baby time sessions as well,
04:18because we've found that the parents really are looking for somewhere to go,
04:22so they've been able to come to our baby time sessions, which are drop-ins.
04:25And you mentioned some of the data earlier. Could you go into more detail on that for us?
04:30So, the new research, which was commissioned by Family Action, in fact,
04:35was data given from across the south-east of England,
04:38and it found that 51% of parents and carers say that they can't afford presents for someone this Christmas.
04:45Similarly, 50% feel like they've failed their children.
04:49They can't provide the gifts that they ask for, and 52% will go without things themselves to try and afford presents.
04:55And what's quite interesting here is that more than a quarter of children in Kent,
05:00so that's around 28%, are already worried about the cost of Christmas.
05:04I see. We haven't got much time left, but tell us briefly, what was the atmosphere like?
05:08So, even with the difficulties that these parents are facing, the mood was incredibly happy.
05:13Everywhere that you looked, you would see smiles.
05:15And the hall was quite small being in there, but the layout of the activities made it feel so much more spacious.
05:20And there were these beautiful, almost tent-like decorations where the children could rest,
05:25and parents could take pictures, and there was even a ball pit for the children to play.
05:30I see. Thank you so much for bringing us this story, Maisie.
05:33Next, a sudden inspection of HMP Swaleside has left the chief inspector of prisons calling for urgent action,
05:40as he says the prison is dangerously unsafe and inhumane.
05:43Charlie Taylor said it was the worst-performing prison he's seen in five years
05:48and has issued an urgent notification to the Secretary of State for Justice.
05:52The inspection found this year that six men were assaulted during their first night in the facility,
05:57and it's deemed to have one of the highest violence rates in the entire country.
06:01The chief inspector shared his assessment with us earlier.
06:05Many staff, and particularly prisoners, were telling us that they were frightened.
06:09Something like a third of prisoners told us that they'd been assaulted.
06:14And we were regularly with weapons as well as physical assaults.
06:21Drugs were coming into the prison at a very high rate, often being brought in on drones.
06:26And we were also seeing some knives being brought in on drones as well.
06:29When we got there, prisoners were only getting out of their cells for half an hour a day,
06:33so they're locked up for 23 and a half hours a day.
06:36And then over the course of the week, that went up to just over an hour.
06:39But still, that is an incredibly short period of time for men who are doing very long sentences
06:43who need to do the work in order to get rehabilitated.
06:48Medway's Labour leadership have approved new planning rules
06:51to crack down on shared housing in the heart of Chatham and Gillingham.
06:55The council's cabinet met last night to discuss the Article 4 direction,
06:58which will mean smaller houses of multiple occupancy will have to face extra scrutiny,
07:03with hopes it will improve living conditions in the five towns,
07:06as our local democracy reporter, Olly Lieder, has been finding out.
07:11It's the final council cabinet meeting of the year here in Medway,
07:16and one designed to tackle concerns around shared housing in the five towns.
07:22At the moment, houses of multiple occupancy, or HMOs,
07:28only require planning permission when six or more people live there.
07:33But the Article 4 direction put in place at the meeting
07:37will mean in certain parts of Chatham or Gillingham,
07:41smaller HMOs will also have to undergo more rigorous planning checks.
07:47I think we'll be happier to a certain extent.
07:50Yeah, I think, as I say, it's about control.
07:52There's a lot of unhappy communities out there
07:54where these HMOs have become very prevalent, and this is our job.
07:57We haven't really got a massive problem about it at the moment,
07:59but it's growing, it's developing.
08:02This is how we start that from now.
08:03It wasn't just housing on the agenda.
08:07After visit and locate Kent collapsed in September,
08:11Medway Council and Kent County Council were in a race against time
08:16to save the agencies which helped drive tourism
08:20and business development in the county.
08:24So we've made sure that we've held on to the staff that we've needed
08:28to make sure that those really vital services
08:30that locating Kent and visiting Kent were doing,
08:33that we can now do in the house.
08:34So it's a good news story for us.
08:36Took a little bit of time to get there.
08:37I'm not going to go into the details of that.
08:39The main thing is that we've worked together at Medway
08:42to work with KCC, and we've finally got the result that we need.
08:45These crucial decisions might have been taken just in time for Christmas,
08:50but with a balanced budget due in the new year,
08:54the council's work is far from over.
08:58Olly Lieder in Medway.
08:59And now hundreds of people dressed up as Santas, elves and reindeer
09:06to take part in the Royal British Veterans Enterprises' annual Rudolph Run.
09:11Taking place at Laybourne Lakes in Larkfield,
09:13the event raises money to support veterans across the county
09:16from providing shelter, food and employment.
09:20Our community reporter Henry Luck raced down to join them on the fun.
09:24Go, go, go!
09:27Run, Larkfield, run.
09:28Whilst Santa will be racing to deliver presents,
09:35residents of Larkfield raced across Laybourne Lakes
09:39to raise money for the Royal British Veterans Enterprise.
09:45Whilst Santa may have his elves and reindeer,
09:48the RBVE has had over 400 people turn up to this year's Rudolph Run
09:56to raise money for this vital cause.
10:00It's all just everybody coming out, meeting up,
10:03having chats with people.
10:04It's amazing how you do just, you know,
10:07you come out of your shell a little bit more
10:08when you come to these sort of events.
10:09Everybody's getting up and dancing,
10:11and obviously we had our Santa,
10:12obviously leading the charge as well.
10:14So I think it just brings, you know,
10:16it just gives you some happy vibes, doesn't it?
10:17It's always good to do a race for a good cause.
10:21Often I don't really fundraise because I'm a regular runner
10:24and I'd be asking people all the time,
10:26but it is nice to do a race and try and raise some money.
10:29It's the atmosphere, everyone dressed up,
10:31the nice weather and really beautiful location around the lake.
10:34It's been really nice.
10:36And lovely sunny weather
10:37and enjoyed crossing the finish line into bubbles of snow.
10:40Correct, yeah, it's amazing.
10:42Great cause to be behind.
10:43We had a great turnout with everyone here today
10:45and it's been really great and we've had a good time.
10:47It's been a great event.
10:49We've really enjoyed ourselves.
10:50Mark from Gravesham Community Runners,
10:53we've had a good time doing it
10:54and marshalling was great.
10:56Thank you very much.
10:57We did have a fantastic time.
10:58I mean, the weather was fantastic.
11:02It's beautiful here.
11:04So yeah, definitely will come back here.
11:07For the third year running,
11:09the computer company, Uppagee,
11:13is supporting the charity.
11:15I'm hoping that we can really maximise the fundraising
11:18for the organisation.
11:20Last year just over 320 people took part.
11:24This year it's over 400.
11:25So hopefully we'll get some fantastic fundraising results today.
11:30No doubt Santa will be as busy as always this year,
11:34but the people of Larkfield are here to give a helping hand
11:39to veterans this winter.
11:42Henry Luck for Kane TV in Larkfield.
11:47Well, that is it for the first part of our show,
11:50but I'll see you in just a few minutes.
11:51Yeah.
17:31And that's all for tonight's Sports Bulletin.
24:57I don't know if I'll have the time, so I might have to be shopping online a bit more,
25:01just seeing where I can squeeze those gifts in.
25:02But I'm not the only one.
25:04We went down to Rochester to ask residents how close they've come to Christmas Day
25:08when they've been buying a gift.
25:09Let's find out.
25:10What is the latest time you bought someone a Christmas present?
25:15Probably the 23rd when I'm out doing, like, Christmas food shopping.
25:21Christmas Eve, about 9 o'clock.
25:25Total panic job.
25:28I never buy Christmas presents.
25:30Never have.
25:31Saved myself a fortune over the years, but there you are.
25:33Very late on Christmas Eve, probably just as the shops are closing.
25:38I've done it a few times.
25:40But this year, all in.
25:41I've got all in, so 24th of December, I'm just chilling out, taking it easy.
25:46For me personally, usually about a week before,
25:48because I always used to work in retail, so I used to have to be really organised.
25:51Now, probably just a few days, I would say.
25:54Stuff to go, haven't we?
25:55We've still got stuff to go.
25:56We're a little bit late this year, but normally we're quite early,
26:01because we buy throughout the year.
26:03The latest time I bought someone a present before Christmas was Christmas Eve.
26:06I have to say the same, yeah.
26:10Last time was Christmas Eve as well.
26:12And probably will be this year as well.
26:13Well, it is time for a short break, but not for me.
26:19I've still got a lot of Christmas gifts left to buy,
26:21and I'm sure the same is true, not just in Rochester, but across the county.
26:25So wherever you are, I feel your pain.
26:27But coming up after this short break, we'll take a look back at our top story,
26:31which looks at new data showing that 51% of parents and carers in Kent
26:35say they can't afford Christmas presents.
26:37We'll also hear from Folkestone and Hyde's MP Tony Vaughan
26:41as he asked in PMQs if AI can combat employment rates.
26:46All that and more after this short break.
26:48See you in just a few minutes.
32:14Here in Medway we're definitely noticing a strain with families the financial impact not being able to buy this even as many presents as they have done in the past for their children and it's really affecting them mentally.
32:20And just Christmas isn't the same for them this year.
32:22With the toy appeal we give the option they can come in and pick a toy that they like we even have gifts for adults as well and it just takes that little bit extra emotional strain and that's what
32:30we're really here for just take that emotional toll off the families so it's just one less thing they have to think about.
32:35think about with the cost of living families may still be struggling this Christmas but events
32:41like these help bring back the sparkle where the magic's been missing putting presents under the
32:45tree and brightening the season for children and families Maisie Walker for KMTV Gillingham
33:00and Maisie joins me in the studio now so first of all can you tell us a little bit more about the
33:04charity yeah so family action was founded in 1869 and they are actually the country's leading family
33:11and relationship support charity they offer a range of services but mainly a practical emotional
33:18and financial help to families all across kent and they've received funding and support from
33:24midway council's family hub start for life program which allows them to provide help to families just
33:30like we saw there and actually spoke to Julianne Stokes a member of family action who can tell us
33:36a little bit more about these services that they provide we provide sport on an ongoing basis with
33:42we've built a real community within what we're doing so we're also offering baby time sessions
33:48as well because we found that the parents really are looking for somewhere to go so they've been
33:53able to come to our baby time sessions which are drop-ins now in that video report you touched on
33:59some of the numbers there but could you go more in detail about this data and what it means for
34:03families not just here in kent but across the country yeah so the new research which was actually
34:08commissioned by family action is data mainly from across the southeast of england but some of these
34:14are quite shocking you know 51 of parents and carers say that they cannot afford presents for someone
34:20this christmas and similarly to that 50 feel like they've failed their children if they can't provide the
34:26gifts that they've asked for 52 percent will go on to will go without things to try and
34:35will go without things to try and afford these presents more than a quarter of children interestingly
34:40which is 28 across the southeast are already worried about the cost of christmas and of course 54 of
34:48parents percent of parents say that the season feels less magical because of this financial pressure
34:53that is a real shame uh to hear that um tell us while you were down there at the appeal what was
35:00the atmosphere like well even with the difficulties that these parents you know are experiencing the
35:05mood was incredibly happy you know it was as if the little ones had been given some kind of brief
35:09you know everywhere you looked there was a smile even at me you know and usually the reaction with kids
35:14with me is what's hagrid doing here so the hall was very small as well um but you know the layout the
35:19activities made it feel much more spacious and there was even in fact these beautiful most tent-like
35:25decorations uh where children could rest parents could take photos and there was even a ball pit
35:31i see and just before we go did you talk to anyone to get any more additional uh advice maybe for parents
35:39this time this sort of time of year yeah no so a lot of the advice can be found on obviously family
35:45family actions website but speaking to the parents themselves you know a lot of them were very
35:50concerned about christmas and the financial pressures you know i spoke to one particular
35:54mother who um said that she was even sacrificing some of the items that she needed these essential
35:59items in order to make sure that her teenagers and her little one could actually have a christmas
36:04present this year i see well thank you so much for your time on this amazing i'm sure this is something
36:09in the minds of parents and carers not just here in kent but across the country thanks for your time
36:16now to prime minister's questions where folkestone and high's mp tony vaughan raised an important
36:22question about ai and its potential interference in employment rates we can hear what he had to say
36:28in the commons now let's have a look thank the minister for her answer research commissioned by dc
36:34estimates by 2035 approximately 10 million uk workers will be in jobs where ai will be
36:39part of their responsibilities pwc estimates that 18 percent of existing uk jobs face a high
36:45probability of automation by 2035 so what steps is the government taking to ensure that young people
36:50in my constituency are well prepared for ai being integrated into their daily working life so we can
36:56minimize those chances of unemployment in the future i think the honorable gentleman has hit on one of the
37:04biggest challenges and opportunities we face as a country which is how ai is going to transform how
37:11we live earn and learn so we must prepare not only our young people but the entire workforce for the
37:20changes ai inevitably brings that's why alongside the changes i've already outlined for young people we
37:27we will upskill 7.5 million workers in ai skills over the course of the next five years so people in
37:36every part of our country and all walks of life can shape their own future not just be shaped by it
37:44now it's time to take a look at the weather for the coming days
37:47tonight it's looking very windy with some rain expected across the county 10 degrees across the
37:57board into tomorrow morning more rain wind speeds dropping slightly temperatures rising to 11 degrees
38:03and into the afternoon now even more heavy rain with winds picking back up to 20 miles per hour
38:09temperatures staying around 11 and 12. now for your outlook friday should bring sunny skies and highs
38:15of 11. saturday's partly cloudy with highs dropping to 10. sunday that sunshine will disappear
38:28now men's mental health is a subject being spoken about more and more but for men of a certain age
38:34here in kent and across the country it can still be a difficult topic minster fc have a men's football
38:40group where the members are encouraged to talk as much as they are to tackle i filmed a
38:45documentary about them which you can watch right after the show but for now here's a sneak peek of
38:49what to expect
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41:06I want to see myself as getting back to a position
41:09where I can enjoy life as much as I used to.
41:21You can watch the full documentary on our website,
41:24kmtv.co.uk, by just going on the Documentaries tab.
41:28Now, it is time for a break.
41:30Coming up, we'll get a sneak peek of Tiny Treks,
41:33a new series following our very own Cameron and his son,
41:36Alistair, as he ventures around the Garden of England
41:39to find the best baby-friendly walks.
41:42And of course, the weather forecast
41:43as we're getting closer and closer to Christmas.
41:47We'll have all that and more after this short break.
41:49See you in just a few minutes.
42:032, 1, 1.
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42:12We'll get to it again.
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47:12Bye.
47:56nature reserve, including the UK's first wild bison herd, introduced after 6,000 years back in
48:042022. Despite being Europe's largest land animals, weighing in at 300 to 920 kilos,
48:11they are incredibly elusive. Eddie, lovely to meet you. How's it going? We're hoping our guide
48:18Eddie will be able to help us spot some of the diverse wildlife that call these woods home.
48:23Eddie, we're so excited to be here. We've spoken about doing this walk for ages and know a little
48:30bit about the project, but how did bison, long extinct in the UK, in the wild, how did they come
48:38back to be in this part of Kent? Well, the Wilder Bleem project was started a few years back to try
48:46and bring natural processes back to the woodland. You'll have a question in a sec, I promise you,
48:52I promise you can ask questions. So the bison are, we describe them as eco-engineers. So they're
48:58brought into the woodland to carry out their bison work and to do a lot of clearing of the trees.
49:07They also debark to give more detail, but what they do is they basically, they kick down trees,
49:11they break down shrubs and they create space and they create a more dynamic environment.
49:16And this leads to improvement in our woodland's health.
49:21What is it about the species that really, you know, make you think they're such an awesome animal?
49:27Oh, well, I mean, the old ranger here who trained me, he always described them as a Swiss army knife
49:33So what it is, is that they have so many different behaviours and so many different ways that they
49:39interact with the woodland that are beneficial to it. So I spoke earlier about clearing trees,
49:44they also, they will pull trees down, they'll use their big strong neck to pull trees down so they
49:49can get to the fresh growth at the top. So this is effectively like coppicing, which is the practice,
49:54human practice of just cutting trees down in the woods. So they snap them down, they create sunlight,
50:00and then our sunlight allows the herb layer and other flowers and smaller plants to grow. And then
50:05the knock-on effect is that's beneficial for our invertebrates. And then, you know, that's food for
50:10the birds and so on and so on. But you know, they, they take trees down, they debark trees, which
50:15creates standing deadwood, also good for inverts and good for decay fungi and create interesting trees,
50:21our cavities for bats, you know, so they have lots of different behaviours that are beneficial for the
50:26woods. As well as bison on this site, you may have a chance, depending on the time of year,
50:30of seeing ponies, cattle, and we also have our ironing pigs on site as well.
50:38And so we head off along the wild art trail to see what woodland wildlife we might stumble across.
50:47While some areas are closed off for the bison, pigs and other animals,
50:51there are footpaths open to the public.
51:09Many are pram friendly, but slings might be easier after wet weather.
51:13So Eddie, we stopped here because this is a pretty good spot to tell us a little bit about
51:24how we're not going to, you know, bump into a bison on our walk. Tell us a little bit about where we are.
51:28Exactly. So this right here is what we call the compartment. So this compartment is called
51:33Smallwood. And what it is, is it's about probably about 25, 30 hectares. And inside,
51:41we've got a mixture of woodland. And then the first layer of fencing is the electric fence,
51:47and that's to keep the bison in. And then this outer layer is what we call the outer fence or the
51:53people fence. So this is technically for keeping people out of the bison. If you're lucky enough and
51:58you come down this trail and you manage to see the bison inside here, come up to the fence line and
52:03get as close as you can, have a nice look, see if you can spot them. They won't be there for long,
52:07you know, they'll be browsing their way through the trees or like grazing around the edge of the
52:11fence line. And you only get a few minutes until they melt back into the tree line. So yeah, they
52:16won't run from people. They're used to people being out and about. The ponies on the other hand,
52:21you could bump into the ponies around here, but you just keep a safe distance. We've got lots of
52:27information and safety information at all the entrances. So you'll be absolutely fine,
52:31yeah, wandering around with your kids. Yeah. Fab. Well, I think that was a good break for all of us.
52:34Shall we crack on then? Yeah, yeah. After you?
52:43And just as Eddie said a few moments before, look who we come across.
52:51So we've come across the herd of fell ponies, all looking pretty comfortable,
52:55completely nonplussed about us being here. Yeah, they're used to people wandering around
53:00the woods. So these ponies are here to graze the woods and browse the trees in the woods,
53:05just doing their own bit of woodland management. Yeah, they're very used to people. We only say that
53:11you keep two animal lengths away from the animals when you're here, but yeah, they're very used to
53:15people. As you can see, not reacting to us being here at all. Tell us a little bit about the herd,
53:20you know, what makes them stand out, especially this lovely mare here. Yeah, so this beautiful mare
53:25here, she's in charge. She looks like she's keeping them in check. Yeah, she's a fell bonnie,
53:33probably a mixed breed, which is why she's a bit bigger. But yeah, she's in charge. She keeps an eye
53:39on these four younger males here. Because he's literally keeping an eye on them right now. But yeah,
53:46she's in charge, keeps them in check. And yeah, and they're just here doing their good work managing
53:52our woodlands for her. She was brought here as an individual. She believed she was like a pet
53:57of her riding, both. So she's very comfortable around people. She can be moved around with absolute
54:05ease. And it's great because they all follow her. So if her time's up for the ponies on site,
54:11you know, our contract will come in and all you have to do is take her onto the truck and walk her on,
54:15and then we've got to follow her on. So it's very convenient for us. Yeah. And usually the animals,
54:21they come from, they could be old pets that they do come from the meat market, where we'll just go to
54:26the market and pick up some animals there that are no longer viable, but they're still viable. Sorry,
54:31they're still viable for us. All they've got to do, all they've got to do is have, like I said,
54:36eat some food and be calm around people. And that's all they need to be. So he can,
54:40well, Ali's loving it. He's just had a couple of, he's got snacks in a show at the moment.
54:45Yeah. He's very, very pleased. Yeah, really lucky to have bumped into them because they move all the
54:50way around site, grazing all of the trail edges and our fence line edges. So yeah,
54:56very nice and lucky to bump into them.
54:58As our tiny track approaches the end, I'm curious to know what the future of the project will look
55:06like and indeed how its success will be secured. So just at the end, good bit of fresh air for Ali
55:14here. He's absolutely knocked out. You know, we've come with Ali and all these walks are for
55:23young families and young kids. And I imagine when you're taking school groups out and your other
55:28ranges are doing that and taking young people out, education is really key as well. It is about being
55:34out in nature, but it's also about going home with some really important messaging as well.
55:38Yeah. Well, I think some of the most important messaging is that nature is for everyone and for all
55:43ages. We have a forest school that comes out here and they learn how to, you know, have fun out here,
55:51you know, build a fire from scratch, you know, even with a little flint light lighter and they have a
55:59great time. And you'll find that a lot of the kids that are from the classroom that maybe particularly
56:05don't do super well or they can't focus as much, they, maybe they're the top students out in the
56:11woods, you know, it's a completely different skill set. And I think it really just broadens minds,
56:15you know, it's very important. Well, it's been a lovely walk. It's been really educational. He's
56:20having a nap. I'll probably have a little nap when we get back as well. Eddie, thank you so much for
56:24your time today. Oh, absolute pleasure. Cheers. Thank you.
56:35And you can watch all past tiny treks on our website, kmtv.co.uk. But from me for now,
56:41that is all the time we have. Thank you so much for watching and we'll see you next time. Good night.
56:54Good night.
56:57Good night.
56:57Good night.
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