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Catch up with all the latest news across Kent with Finn Macdiarmid.
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00:00Hello and welcome to Kent Tonight Live
00:29here on KMTV. I'm Finn McDermott and here are your top stories on Tuesday the 27th of January.
00:36Flooding fury. Severe rain has been causing transport issues across the county from side
00:41streets to motorways. And it comes across the path as well so getting in and out of the car
00:46then you're getting out into a pool of water. It clearly needs to be sorted so. One pedal in front
00:52of the other. We take a look at the Kent Cycling Park looking for additional funding. Right the
00:57elderly especially coming here somewhere safe to actually come and cycle away from the roads.
01:03And marching and music. We meet the Kentish folk musician who's taking on a historical hike.
01:09Sweats of his brow, every put his souls. But for another though a sail flew. A sail.
01:16A sail.
01:18A sail.
01:18But first, elderly residents in Gillingham have been left housebound after a combination of heavy
01:33rainfall and poor surface drainage has caused a road to flood. Osprey Avenue is so flooded in fact
01:38that residents there are struggling to access their properties and park their cars. Residents
01:42say the issues have been piling up for months. But add that the council and local water board haven't
01:47been forthcoming rectifying the issue. Our reporter Chloe Brewster is out in Gillingham now with a
01:54little bit more on that and just about how this rain has affected people across the county. So
01:58Chloe first of all tell us a little bit what has been going on across Kent today with all of the heavy
02:02rain. Well it was a very wet and windy morning for most of us. I don't know about you but I was
02:09woken up this morning here in Medway by the rain absolutely battering the county. It comes after the
02:15Met Office issued a yellow weather warning for rain. Now we've seen that have an impact across
02:20the county. The biggest of which was severe flooding in Ashford which turned bungalows into
02:25houseboats. Roads in Woodchurch near Ashford have been left underwater after the worst flooding in a
02:31decade. Homes are underwater in plum tree gardens with drains bubbling in full water feature style
02:37and nearby gardens turned into ponds really. Residents say new developments are adding additional stress
02:45onto drains that are already struggling to cope. Now on to Osbury Avenue as Finn just mentioned. I headed
02:51there earlier today. It was after we received videos of what seemed extremely severe flooding. That
02:57turns out it was there this morning but when I arrived about midday today it was gone. I spoke to
03:02residents and they said how it's a repetitive problem. Every time it rains they're stuck inside their
03:07houses. They're not able to get off. Their cars are semi-underwater. Many residents told me it was
03:12repeated frustration with one elderly man and wife telling me the reoccurring floods meant he struggled
03:18to leave the house for days with his equally elderly wife. Another resident, a new mother, told me she had
03:24just reported the issue to the council this morning after months and months of issues. You can hear a little
03:30bit from her now. Any time we get heavy rain then it's that drain in particular that floods and it
03:38comes up onto our drive quite a bit as well. So it's happened I think a few times over the past few
03:43months. It did worry me this morning because it was quite high up but yeah just driving off the drive
03:48and then back on again and it comes across the path as well. So getting in and out of the car then you're
03:53getting out into a pool of water. It clearly needs to be sorted so yeah hopefully they'll do that.
04:03So Midway Council did tell me that they received a report about this flooding on January 9th
04:08though when they inspected it there had been no issues. This next bout of flooding
04:13came with two further reports of flooding and Midway Council say that their team will carry out a
04:21further inspection to determine what the underlying issue actually is. They told me that prior to those
04:26reports in January the last report of a blocked gully in this location was in 2022 although that
04:31isn't what residents told me on the ground there today.
04:37Thank you so much for your time there Chloe. Now a little bit of the weather there from Chloe but
04:42let's find out some more of the weather wherever you are in the county.
04:51Well we will see clear skies across the county for most of tonight lows of five degrees over in
04:56Ashford highs of seven but into the morning temperatures well staying about the same lows
05:02of four highs of six in Dover. The yellow warning remaining in place as we enter the afternoon highs
05:07of 10 across the Midway area lows of eight and here is your outlook. Some sun peaking through the
05:13clouds on Thursday highs of seven rain expected again this time on Friday highs of nine degrees
05:18temperatures staying about the same on Saturday with some cloudy skies.
05:28Now a pub between Stablehurst and Headcorn that has lost thousands in trade from repeated road closures
05:34is set to face another three weeks of disruption. Kent County Council had to close Hawkenbury Bridge
05:39after it sustained damage in a two-car crash on Monday morning. This comes as locals have repeatedly
05:44called for traffic calming measures to prevent accidents at the site. Our reporter Elliot Hodgson
05:49spoke with a publican about the impact of regular closures on his business.
05:53A vital bridge connecting those between Headcorn and Stablehurst is set to close for another three
06:00weeks much to the despair of a local landlord. In the last five years the Hawkenbury Bridge has closed
06:06on 11 occasions for accident repair work costing the Hawkenbury pub thousands of pounds in trade.
06:13In November we reported that Kent County Council had spent more than a hundred thousand on fixing
06:19the damage in the last five years. A cost locals believe is entirely avoidable through a reduced
06:26speed limit or traffic calming measures. It's very serious. We have to keep using our cash reserves
06:33because if you take out three weeks of trade before Christmas and three weeks of trade now
06:40that is a significant amount of trade in the year and obviously all the outgoings are still there
06:48so yeah we struggle. During the summer the pub faced a further blow to trade when a truck crashed
06:55into the building wiping out a row of picnic benches. The incident prompted a petition for a reduced speed limit.
07:02A spokesperson for Kent County Council previously said repairs were needed to maintain public safety.
07:09They explained that when drivers are identified as responsible for damage they seek to pursue
07:14recovery of costs. KCC said both Headcorn and Stablehurst parishes have highlighted the bridge
07:20as a priority in their highway improvement plans and said this site has been looked at historically.
07:26They added,
07:26we have explored a number of options including traffic signals but due to physical constraints
07:32smaller scale options have not been feasible. However we will continue to review this location
07:37with elected officials. Without a long-term solution in sight these closures will continue to be
07:44a bugbear for those living and working in the village. Ellie Hodgson for KMTV from Hawkenbury.
07:51Next, a former nurse from Ashford is believed to have tried to set her neighbour's home alight in a
07:59revenge attack. A ring doorbell camera captured the moment. Madeline Wanjiehi, who suffers from mental
08:05health issues, attempted to start the fire by throwing lit matches at the front door while Jennifer
08:10Young and her family slept inside. Rain meant the matches failed to ignite as they landed on a wet
08:16doormat so no damages or injuries occurred. Courts described it as antagonistic behaviour between the
08:22women and Wanjiehi was arrested and charged with attempted arson having been sentenced to four months
08:27in prison with a five-year restraining order put in place. Next, a cycling park in Gravesend is one of
08:34many across the country calling for more government funding. After British Cycling claimed they've saved
08:39the NHS £13 million through making people healthier. Whether you're young or elderly, the cycle park say they
08:46cater to everyone and that the funding would help them build new lights to keep sessions going longer
08:50throughout the day. Well, I went down to the park to find out more. British Cycling are asking for the
08:56government to support another wave of funding for their Places to Ride scheme after they say they've
09:00saved the NHS £13 million by making the country healthier. Cyclo Park in Gravesend was one of the
09:07150 sites that opened in 2012 after the scheme began and it aimed to create more safe spaces for people
09:13to learn to bike, especially young people, the elderly and those with physical or mental disabilities,
09:17all as a fun way to exercise. We are a centre for movement, it's not just cycling here but we're very
09:24broad in the community so we'll get young people riding here as toddlers, bounce bikes and little
09:30scooters. They'll then progress on to learn to ride programmes which we do for five years plus but we're all
09:35about families moving together. We've got a big fitness programme, a movement programme for youngsters,
09:43for new mums all the way up to senior generations. And now British Cycling are asking for people to write
09:49to their local MP so that the government will invest in a second wave of funding which Cyclo
09:54Park say they would use for their disability provisions in their Cycle For All scheme.
09:58Now here at Cyclo For All they give those with disabilities a chance to get out on bikes like these and
10:04like some different types they've got. They've got tandems, they've got bikes you can operate just
10:07with your hands or this kind of trike where two people can pedal at once. So to see how much it
10:13helps people and you know just to have a ride, David here is going to show me the ropes. Ready?
10:17Yep. Let's go.
10:18The team added the potential funding would likely go towards more lights for the track meaning they could
10:26keep the sessions going on for longer. And not only just for us but for the whole of Cyclo Park community
10:33like the elderly especially coming here somewhere safe to actually come cycle away from the roads
10:39and the traffic and feel safe when they're cycling. So it would be a really big event to happen for us
10:51to be able to progress our sessions even to then possibly look at is there chances of opening
10:57classes in the evening because if people are at work and they need the adaptive bikes they might
11:03not want to come out when it's pitch dark and things so being able to them see if we can progress what we offer.
11:11Of the £13 million that British Cycling estimate they've saved this comes from reducing the risk
11:16factors to conditions like type 2 diabetes, back pain, hip fractures as well as mental conditions like
11:21depression, psychological distress and dementia. If they do achieve their fundraising goals they
11:27hope the money would mean they can keep their wheels turning and their tracks busy and lit
11:31especially into the winter months for those who need it most. Finn McDermid for CAME TV in Gravesend.
11:38It's time now for a break but don't go anywhere. Coming up we'll be joined by Dr Dalia Halpin-Matthews from the
11:44Chatham Memorial Synagogue as they host an event to mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
11:48We'll also have a round up of all our sporting news from across the county so don't go anywhere and I'll see you in a few minutes.
19:28Why would we treat each other like that?
22:36Commenting, she said, to have that recognised means a great deal,
22:39and this recognition reflects the collective effort of coaches, volunteers, parents and gymnasts
22:44working together to create a supportive and inclusive environment.
22:48The winners of the categories will be announced in early February.
22:51And lastly, Tunbridge AC's Cole Gibbons won the Canterbury 10-mile road race on Sunday,
22:57making it his fourth victory in a row.
22:59The race featured a different route to previous years.
23:01Gibbons finished with a time of 15 minutes and 17 seconds,
23:04but it wasn't an easy victory, as Tunbridge Wells Harriers Dylan Hobbs was just three seconds behind.
23:09Meanwhile, in the women's category, Invicta East's Kent Rebecca Weston won once more
23:14with a time of 56 minutes and 48 seconds,
23:17almost four minutes ahead of next place finisher Helen Gaunt from Tunbridge Athletics Club
23:21with a time of one hour and 41 seconds.
23:24And don't forget, you can keep up to date with all your latest stories across Kent
23:26on our website, cametv.co.uk.
23:29There you'll find all our reports, including this one,
23:32about controversy surrounding a level crossing development
23:34that would cut the Isle of Grain off from the mainland for 29 hours.
23:38It's the only road on and off the Isle of Grain.
23:42And next month, it's set to be closed for more than 24 hours,
23:47while network rail make crucial repairs.
23:50The only problem?
23:52Many residents here don't know that they'll be cut off.
23:55The main worry is being able to access, getting in and out of the village.
24:02Yes, and also the lack of real communication from network rail.
24:09Network rail has arranged some mitigation,
24:12such as an information drop-in session
24:15and a minibus to transport residents from the village to the crossing,
24:21where they can then pass on foot.
24:23But the written communications about this
24:26have been inconsistent across the community.
24:30I think the letters have been put into the post
24:33and the post doesn't arrive in the village very much.
24:38Some people don't get post for about two weeks as we go on.
24:44I was lucky. I got mine last Thursday.
24:47My next-door neighbour got hers yesterday.
24:49I've got neighbours that still haven't had the letters,
24:52so I don't even know that there's an information day going on at the moment.
24:55The crossing behind me is set to be closed on Valentine's Day.
24:59Heartbreaking for some, though network rail do say the repairs are necessary.
25:04I'm not worried at all.
25:05I mean, it's past time that it was done.
25:08With the amount of trucks and lorries we have coming in,
25:14because it's a small village, people think there's no trucks here,
25:17but there's hundreds of them.
25:19And, of course, weather, trucks, cars,
25:23it all takes its toll on that crossing.
25:26And it's time it was replaced.
25:29Network rail say they're working closely with Medway Council
25:33to reduce the impact on residents,
25:36stating they explored options such as the use of a relief road,
25:41but said this would not be safe or viable.
25:43But the signal for those living here is clear.
25:46If you're planning a romantic evening on the mainland,
25:50it's probably easier to have a night in.
25:53Olly Leader in Grain.
25:55Now it is time for another break, but don't go anywhere.
26:02Coming up, we'll have a recap of our top stories this evening.
26:05That is the news all about how Kent's been reacting
26:08to the major floods that have been hitting the entire county.
26:11Our reporter, Chloe Brewster,
26:13will be talking all about how it's affected areas in Gillingham,
26:16specifically Osprey Road that's had severe flooding overnight,
26:19as well as your general weather news.
26:21We'll also have that during the show.
26:23And we'll also be joined by Alia Pritchard.
26:26She'll be discussing the return of a KMTV staple,
26:29a show all about promoting the county's very best
26:31and underrated businesses, artists and crafts.
26:34That is, of course, made in Kent.
26:36And like I mentioned,
26:37we'll also be taking a look at the weather,
26:39as well as some short news in brief,
26:41such as the Margate Dreamland Scenic Railway,
26:44the oldest roller coaster in Britain, is shutting down.
26:49All that and more after this short break.
26:50See you in a few minutes.
26:53We'll see you in a few minutes.
27:23We'll see you in a few minutes.
27:53We'll see you in a few minutes.
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32:40told me that the rain meant that they weren't able to leave their house
32:43and it actually left them really desperate for support.
32:48Another resident, a new mother, told me that she had just reported the issue
32:51to the council that morning but was yet to hear back.
32:54You can hear from her just now.
32:56Any time we get heavy rain, then it's that drain in particular that floods
33:02and it comes up onto our drive quite a bit as well.
33:04So it's happened, I think, a few times over the past few months.
33:07It did worry me this morning because it was quite high up
33:10but, yeah, just driving off the drive and then back on again
33:13and it comes across the path as well, so getting in and out of the car
33:17then you're getting out into a pool of water.
33:20It clearly needs to be sorted, so, yeah, hopefully they'll do that.
33:28Medboy Council did tell me that they were there to see
33:31whether the flooding was there on January 9th and reported no issue
33:35but they say they're returning after receiving issues today,
33:38receiving reports today, sorry, and they'll do a further inspection
33:41to determine what exactly the issue is on Osprey Road.
33:49I see.
33:50And, Chloe, could you tell us a bit about what the traffic's been like?
33:54We can see some images of it there.
33:56Tell us about how the rain has been affecting motorists throughout today.
34:00Yeah, in case I haven't mentioned, I'm just near the Medway Tunnel now
34:05which actually didn't experience any issues earlier on today
34:08but plenty of areas around Kent did.
34:10There were issues around the M20 with some serious delays
34:13and there was a free vehicle collision involving a BMW near Junction 10A for Ashford.
34:18Meanwhile, there were some more pictures that showed a car engulfed in flames
34:21on the A229 Link Road eastbound near the turn-off for the M2 in Chatham.
34:26There were also issues in Bluebell Hill as well as telling Taddington Roundabout.
34:30Overall, it's a pretty miserable start to the week.
34:32You know, it's been chucking it down, it's windy.
34:34We've just had to get the umbrella out over here.
34:36But, yeah, pretty rainy.
34:38So let's hope for a bit of a drier week coming up.
34:42Thank you so much, Chloe.
34:45Well, just as Chloe said there, hopefully we can expect a drier week.
34:49And let's find out because it's time for the weather.
34:51Well, closed prediction may have come true there.
34:59Clear skies across the county.
35:01Lows of 5 degrees over in Ashford.
35:02Highs of 7 tonight into the morning.
35:05Temperatures are staying about the same.
35:07Lows of 4.
35:07Highs of 6 down there in Dover.
35:10The yellow warning remaining in place as we enter the afternoon.
35:12Highs of 10 degrees across the Medway area.
35:14Lows of 8.
35:15And here is your outlook.
35:17Some sun peeking out from the clouds on Thursday with highs of 7.
35:20Rain is expected on Friday with highs of 9 degrees.
35:24And temperatures staying about the same on Saturday with cloudy skies.
35:34Now, Britain's oldest roller coaster, the Scenic Railway at Dreamland Margate, has closed permanently.
35:41It was opened in 1920.
35:43The Grade 2 listed ride has survived multiple fires and major rebuilds,
35:47but will no longer operate as a roller coaster.
35:50Park bosses say this marks the end of an era, but not the end of the structure.
35:55Dreamland plans to reimagine its future use with a pop-up exhibition this summer celebrating its history
36:00and a public call for ideas on how to honour the iconic landmark for future generations.
36:04Now, a 5-metre-long fire-breathing bird is set to be one of the main attractions of the upcoming Gravesham Lights Festival this weekend.
36:13Returning for its fifth year, the festival is set to brighten January nights.
36:17It will have street performers, glowing monsters made by local families, and a giant audio-visual globe.
36:22This year's theme, Light and Live, focuses on wildlife and nature.
36:27An art exhibit in St George's Arts Centre will focus on the message.
36:30The event that is free to attend will take place from Friday to Saturday and be open from 5.30pm to 8.30pm in venues across Gravesend.
36:38And tonight sees the return of a KMTV staple, the show all about promoting the county's very best and underrated businesses, artists and crafts.
36:47It is, of course, Made in Kent, which returns to our channel with a brand new team working behind the scenes,
36:52including a few new faces who will be sitting right here.
36:54I caught up with one of the show's presenters, Alia Pritchard, earlier.
36:57Well, thank you so much for joining us, Alia.
37:00First of all, tell us, what can we expect on the first episode of Made in Kent?
37:04So it's a weekly show that will be airing each Tuesday on KMTV,
37:07and we'll be exploring different parts of the county that people might not know about and the stuff that happens in them.
37:13So we'll be looking at local businesses, local artists and the different cultures around Kent and what that means.
37:19So we'll be exploring different topics each week.
37:21Brilliant. And tell us a bit about what we can expect on tonight's episode and what the theme is.
37:25So tonight we'll be exploring family businesses.
37:28So if you like shopping locally, we went to a local farm shop.
37:33And if you like automobiles, we went to a car dealership.
37:37And if you like just going down to the beach, we did also explore a pub in Whitstable.
37:42I see. And you mentioned there that it's all about shining a light on these parts of Kent's crafts that people might not really know.
37:48Is there any personal favourites, any highlights from the episode that you think people are going to particularly enjoy?
37:52I really liked the farm shop. It was nice to explore kind of local like produce and this kind of community feel where people will come together and shop locally.
38:02OK, brilliant. And tell us what kind of things do you want to highlight going forward?
38:07Are there any things that we can expect for future episodes? No spoilers, of course, but tell us a little bit about what we can expect going forward.
38:12So we really want to explore loads of different topics. Next week, we're going to be exploring music in Kent.
38:19We want to explore crafts and like films and just loads of different topics about what's happening in Kent.
38:26Loads of businesses and little small communities within Kent.
38:30Made in Kent there. That'll go live from 7pm tonight. So you can watch it just after this.
38:36Now, don't forget, you can keep up to date with all your latest stories across Kent by looking on to our website.
38:41That is, of course, kmtv.co.uk and you go on to our top stories tab where you can find all of our different reports, including this one.
38:51This one is all about a Dartford resident who resuscitated his wife at the side of a motorway when she went into cardiac arrest.
38:59Now, that man was, in fact, the former Dartford mayor. So a very impressive story there.
39:06And we also heard a little bit after that about the CPR on the show and exactly how to perform it.
39:12So a vital life-saving skill. So, yeah, let's have a look at that report now.
39:18You take things for granted and sort of you forget what happened in the past and just carry on having your medication and things.
39:26Yeah. Until that Monday. Yeah.
39:29What started as an ordinary drive home soon became a nightmare for Paul Cutler when he needed to resuscitate his wife at the side of a motorway.
39:38When Suzanne, who has battled breast cancer and previous heart failures, went into cardiac arrest in November, he quickly took action.
39:46I pulled over onto the emergency lane, which wasn't very wide, so I had to make a very quick decision to just get off the motorway.
39:52Hazard warning zombies in seconds, jumped out. Annabelle was on the phone during 999, went round to the passenger seat, unclipped her seatbelt.
40:02She was completely lifeless. I grabbed her by her shoulders, just dragged her out of the car, dragged her onto the grass, laid her flat, started performing CPR.
40:10Obviously chaotic, lorries, cars zooming past us. And then the air ambulance arrived, people started stopping, the ambulances came, they shut the motorway.
40:22You know, it was a major incident.
40:24Fewer than one in 10 people survived going into cardiac arrest, making Suzanne's case nothing short of a miracle.
40:31And although it's been a horrible few months for Paul and Suzanne, they're looking ahead and thinking about how they can raise awareness for the importance of people knowing CPR.
40:41It's given us a bit of a journey that we need to go on now. We want to try and educate people.
40:48We've spoke about it. Suzanne doesn't really know exactly what happened at all, but Annabelle, my daughter, is with me.
40:55You know, when I've looked at all these bad, poor statistics, we would just love to try and just make people think and perhaps have a look at a video online.
41:04Perhaps if you work, say, can I go on a course and just put a bit of focus on it.
41:09I think that's probably why so many, they lose so many people because around you, they just don't know what to do or you pause for a minute, but that minute is so important of your five minutes.
41:21With big hopes for campaigns in the future, Paul and Suzanne will just have to keep beating on.
41:28Megan Shaw for Kame TV in Dartford.
41:30Now it is time for a quick break, but coming up, we'll recap our report on Kent businesses showcasing the latest must-have toys at the London Toy Fair.
41:41And we'll be joined by Nick Lawrence, a Kent-based musician whose songwriting draws on traditional and contemporary folk.
41:49He's also taking on the Saxon Shoreway Walk.
41:51We'll talk all to him about that.
41:54See you in a few minutes.
41:55See you in a few minutes.
45:26There you'll find all our reports including this one about Kent businesses displaying
45:29the latest must-have toys at the London Toy Fair.
45:31Christmas might have come and gone, but toy manufacturers across the country are already counting down the days until wish lists are made.
45:40London's Toy Fair is the biggest one across the UK.
45:44And although it draws huge global retailers such as Playmobil and Ravensburger, Kent's businesses can also be found in the toy box.
45:53Yes, we are born in the US, but all of our team are based in Tunbridge and Kent, so we offer all remote control cars, all the way from really small little cars, so one sixty fourth size, all the way up to one fifth.
46:06For us, for the UK, I think we are quite a small brand at this stage. It means a huge amount to have a space at such a large event.
46:14We make small strategy board games and they are travel based, so this is why we've got the train theme. You can sort of take them anywhere you like and they're user friendly, so they're easy to learn for people all ages, whether it's your children or your grandparents.
46:28We're based in Sittingbourne in Kent, and you can find our games at Dyson Destiny in Canterbury.
46:35Now, the big question is, which toy will be on every child's wish list for 2026? Will it be something like this bike here, quite modern?
46:49Apologies for your weight there. Or maybe something a little bit more old school?
46:56Is that cash or card for you today?
46:59I think everyone always thinks about how technology is changing children's lives, but as you've said, when you walk around Toy Fair, you see lots of traditional play patterns.
47:08So, play sets, like imaginative toys, kind of wacky, silly, gross toys. And last year, that part of the industry did really well.
47:16So, you know, tech toys only make up a really small percent of the market, and actually what we love doing is what children have loved to do for generations.
47:24We like playing with games. We like role-playing.
47:26And for Folkestone-based Big Jig toys, making sure their products are unplugged is all part of the fun.
47:33There are no screens here. Throughout our whole range of 4000 products, there are only three products that have got a battery, and there is nothing that has got a screen.
47:45Big Jigs focuses on pure play, absolute immersion by child into a wooden product within the Big Jigs brand, and none of that involves screen time.
47:57And while children might start to worry about being naughty or nice, toy manufacturers continue to push for playtime over device.
48:07Megan Shaw for KMTV in London.
48:11A great report from Megan Shaw there. Definitely one that everyone in the newsroom was jealous about.
48:16Now, another town is also looking to brighten up the winter nights as Maidstone will host a free lantern parade next month.
48:23The celebration taking place on February 6th at 5pm will see hundreds of school children and community group members come to County Hall, joined by KMFM's Rob and Noomi.
48:33The event will also have a lantern trail, allowing participants to discover light installations, thanks to a trail map launching soon.
48:39CEO of One Maidstone BID, Michelle Woodland, said Light Up Maidstone is about bringing people together, celebrating creativity and encouraging people to enjoy everything Maidstone has to offer.
48:50Now, this evening we're joined by Nick Lawrence, a Kent-based musician whose songwriting draws on traditional and contemporary folk, with a focus on storytelling and history.
49:00Nick is also taking on the Saxon Shoreway Walk. On the 18th of January, 2026, he completed Leg 2, walking 10 and a half miles from Rochester to Raynham.
49:09The Shoreway traces the Kent and Sussex coastline as it would have been in Roman times, running from Gravesend to Hastings.
49:16The full route is 163 miles and is being completed over several months.
49:21And I'm pleased to say that Nick is here with me now.
49:24So thank you so much for joining me, Nick.
49:26So, like I mentioned there, you are a musician based in Kent.
49:30First of all, I'd love some information and some background on your new song, The Day the Heathens Came and what inspired it?
49:36Basically, I was writing, there's a lovely little magazine called Bygone Kent, which has been going since the 60s, historical magazine.
49:43And I was writing an article for them about the Vikings in Kent.
49:46And it turns out there's lots of historical evidence, there's charters, there's chronicles, but there's practically no archaeological evidence.
49:53But I came across this excerpt in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle in 991 A.D.
49:59About 90-odd Viking ships rocked up off the coast of my hometown of Folkestone, or Falkenstone, as it was known in Falkenstone.
50:06And raided the place, probably because we had a nunnery there, St Eindsworth's Nunnery, which has long since gone over the clifftop.
50:12Right, I see. A lot of your music takes a lot of Kent's history as inspiration.
50:18And there's one particular one, it's a wassail.
50:22Kentish wassail.
50:23Kentish wassail. So these wassails, they're in different parts of the country.
50:26I believe there's a Yorkshire one, there's a Cornish one.
50:28And we actually have a clip of your Kentish wassail.
50:32So we can listen to that now. And I'd love to hear a bit more about the wassail.
50:34So let's have a quick listen.
50:58So could you give us a bit of a background about what a wassail is and what inspired you?
51:02So wassail is an old tradition where around about 12th night, 6th of January, you go to an apple orchard.
51:09The apple tree man is the oldest tree in the orchard.
51:12You pour a libation of cider at its roots.
51:16You make a lot of noise. You drink hot spiced mulled cider.
51:20And you do something called yowling, which is making a lot of noise to scare away the evil spirits and ensure a good crop.
51:26Wassail also means, it's an old Anglo-Saxon word, which means something like good health or be healthy.
51:31Or good fortune. So when someone says to you wassail, you say drink hail as a salutation back.
51:37I see. And what inspired you to create a Kentish wassail?
51:42Well, I like trad folk. And I was looking at, as you mentioned earlier, there's Gloucestershire folk, Cornish folk, sugar folk.
51:48Here we come a wassailing gower wassail. And I couldn't find a Kentish one.
51:52So I thought I'd better write one before someone else gets in there and does it.
51:55Brilliant. Well, it's always interesting to hear about historical context being put into modern day music.
52:02Now, moving on to the Saxon Shoreway. Tell us a bit about why you started this challenge.
52:08So just after lockdown, like a lot of people, my friends and I having a few sort of mental health issues.
52:14And so we decided to go out walking in the countryside and found that we felt so much better for it afterwards.
52:19So we've done loads and loads of walks all over Kent.
52:22Earlier on last year for my birthday, I got a group of guys and we did the Royal Kentish Camino,
52:28which is from 23 miles from Canterbury to Liminges to Folkestone.
52:35Really, really enjoyed that. And then we thought, well, let's do the Saxon Shoreway.
52:38It goes all the way round. It'd be a nice project for a year or so.
52:41Because of family commitments and work commitments, we kind of can't do it all in one fell swoop.
52:46We have to mix it up. The first one we did was 20 and a half miles.
52:49And then we realised actually we were just going so fast that we didn't have a chance to relax and, you know,
52:54look at some churches, go into a few pubs for a swift half, you know, and just generally enjoy what we're doing.
52:59So we've reduced it now to ten and a half miles.
53:01Although the last one went a little bit over because we digress and, you know, get lost sometimes.
53:06I see. I mean, with, you know, the modern day challenges like Strava and things,
53:11maybe it's time for us all to sort of slow down and take in the scenery.
53:14Tell us a bit about that journey and about the sort of sights you've seen.
53:17Well, so the really beautiful one in the first leg was when you were coming across the bridge to Rochester.
53:23And all of a sudden the cathedral and that you can see the cathedral and the castle just kind of rise up.
53:28But a lot of it is obviously going through countryside.
53:30You know, we get the chance to do a bit of foraging or we will do, certainly.
53:33The first leg there was still some slows out.
53:36So we managed to bag some slows. They're always good in gin.
53:39This time around, obviously, there was still a lot of a lot of berries out, but not necessarily berries that you'd want to eat.
53:44Quite, quite poisonous. I'll be careful of those.
53:46But two of my friends who I go with are very knowledgeable about the plants and the trees and what to eat and whatnot.
53:51So I'm learning through them.
53:53Wow. Amazing. Would you recommend foraging to other people?
53:54I can't say it's something I've ever done here in Kent.
53:56I would definitely recommend it.
53:58There's a really cool local company called Jack Raven Bushcraft and they do a foraging day, which is where I went.
54:04And they teach. It's all about positive identification.
54:07So, yeah.
54:08Let's see. Maybe foraging might inspire your next song.
54:11Tell us a bit about your music at the moment.
54:14So you've written, obviously, The Day of the Heathens. Tell us more about what you're working on at the moment.
54:19So at the minute I'm working on a traditional folk. There's such a back catalogue of traditional folk, which I loved growing up and want to get through.
54:27So I'm just currently finishing off an EP, which is five traditional folk songs in the road or the road, however you want to pronounce it, doing a country EP.
54:37And then next year I'm going to go for a full album of country music with songs like I'm a Child of Ash and Oak.
54:42There's another one which I can't say live on TV because there's a profanity in it.
54:47But there's loads and loads of gigs. I'll be up and down the country this year at various folk festivals performing.
54:53Brilliant. Tell us a bit about that travel. Tell us about the journey where people can watch you.
54:57So, yeah. So I'll be up near Norfolk, near Kingslyn, Folk in the Field. I'm going to be in Cromer.
55:04I've got a little tour going down in Cornwall, end of March, early April. I'll be going five or six nights in Cornwall in one week.
55:11So, you know, just kind of go down and sleep in my car and just try and... I wanted to do a tour, a little tour.
55:17So that's what I want to do before I get too old and can't do it anymore.
55:21I see. And I feel like a lot of the time Kent is in a corner of the county.
55:25So how important is it to you to almost... Back in the day, back in ancient history, you would have had bards travelling the land, spreading songs.
55:33That was how the information got around. Is it sort of like what you're doing now? You're going around spreading the songs of Kent in a way?
55:39Well, I mean, I would like to. I'd like to think I'd be spreading more of my own kind of things.
55:45I got a call from someone the other day. They wanted to sing my song at one of their wassails.
55:50And I thought that's probably the biggest compliment a songwriter can have is someone else covering your songs.
55:55But yeah, I just want to travel up and down the country, perform and hopefully won't have people throw anything at me.
56:00I see. Well, thank you so much for joining us, Nick, and really appreciate your time.
56:06Well, that is all the time we have. You've been watching Kent Tonight live here on KMTV.
56:13But there's always more news made just for Kent throughout the evening, including our very new show, Made in Kent.
56:20That'll go out at 7pm tonight so you can catch that, a return of a flagship KMTV programme.
56:25And don't forget, you can always keep up to date with the latest news across your county by logging on to KMTV.co.uk.
56:33You can also keep us on your social timelines by liking us on Facebook and following our TikTok.
56:38And as always, if you have a story that we think that you think we should be covering, please don't hesitate to get in touch.
56:44But like I say, that is all the time we have. Thank you so much and good night.
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