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00:00Hello and welcome to Kent Tonight, live here on KMTV.
00:24I'm Finn McDermott and here are your top stories on Thursday 12th February.
00:28See Starmer off and I'll think about it, Canterbury MP opens door to rejoining Labour.
00:35Yeah, I mean potentially, it depends who takes over as leader and what that relationship
00:40could look like. But yeah, I mean not onto Keir Starmer's leadership I'm afraid.
00:45Building breakdown, the iconic Arlington House in Margate is at risk of crumbling.
00:50The council has issued them a hazard awareness certificate and they still haven't complied
00:55with either. Like, of course we're going to be angry because you're not doing your job
00:58and we're making waves. Rochester Cathedral showcases an art exhibit all about learning
01:04to communicate with whales.
01:05The message I was trying to portray was that in order to protect our natural planet perhaps
01:13we should be having an interspecies communication with them.
01:25And first tonight, Canterbury's independent MP Rosie Duffield has spoken about whether or
01:30not she would rejoin the Labour Party if Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer was to step down.
01:35This is of course following a number of calls for him to resign. The MP outlined her disappointment
01:40in the leader of the party in a three page long letter which was seen by the public in
01:45September 2024. Well, with more on the story, Kristen Hawthorne has this report.
01:50In September 2024, Canterbury MP Rosie Duffield announced that she had resigned from the Labour
01:56Party and would sit as an independent. In her resignation letter, she criticised Keir Starmer's
02:02heavy handed management tactics and his cruel and unnecessary decisions.
02:07Seventeen months later, Keir Starmer is facing a number of calls from his party for him to resign,
02:13because of his choice to appoint Lord Mandelson as the UK's US ambassador in 2024, despite public
02:20knowledge of Mandelson's relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
02:25For Rosie Duffield, the possibility of his resignation opens up the possibility of her return.
02:31Yeah, I mean, potentially. It depends who takes over as leader and what that relationship could look like.
02:36But yeah, I mean, not on to Keir Starmer's leadership, I'm afraid.
02:40With internal pressure from the Labour Party for the Prime Minister to step down,
02:44he spoke out about the situation in the House of Commons.
02:47Mandelson betrayed our country, our Parliament and my party.
02:54Mr Speaker, he lied repeatedly to my team when asked about his relationship with Epstein
03:01before and during his tenure as ambassador. I regret appointing him.
03:07If I knew then what I know now, he would never have been anywhere near government.
03:13At the end of the letter in 2024, Duffield wrote,
03:16I hope to be able to return to the party in the future when it again resembles the party I love,
03:22putting the needs of the many before the greed of the few.
03:25However, that possibility depends on Sir Keir Starmer's position
03:29and currently he's made clear that he's not stepping down.
03:33Kristen Hawthorne, KMTV.
03:37Next, Arlington House, a landmark 18-storey building in Margate,
03:42has been reported to be at risk of crumbling.
03:45Thanet District Council have voiced their concerns to the property management company who own the building,
03:50saying it poses a risk to the public and surrounding residents.
03:54The building safety regulator confirmed that the concrete cladding is at risk of falling apart.
03:59Well, to find out more, our local democracy reporter, Olly Leader, has the story.
04:04I'm angry, I'm stressed, I'm at my wits' end. Arlington House consumes my life.
04:10You see a property as an asset or a liability in something on a balance sheet.
04:15These people see it as their home.
04:18A tough day at work for property management company Freshwater,
04:23who own the iconic Arlington House on Margate Seafront,
04:28as they faced a grilling by Fanet District Council after serious concerns were raised by the building safety regulator.
04:38The report highlights how the concrete structure of Arlington House and the concrete cladding around the 18-storey building
04:46have deteriorated to such an extent that members of the public and residents are now at risk.
04:53The appearance of it and the structural issues that have manifested have not occurred overnight,
05:00but actually because of systematic neglect.
05:03It is our aspiration to return this building to a magnificent building that it once was,
05:10that Rome wasn't built in a day, and it takes money and it takes time,
05:16it takes expertise and it takes an awful lot of thought.
05:20The service bill for the necessary refurbishment works could total £40,000 for each leaseholder,
05:28something unaffordable to many living in the block.
05:32Freshwater's solution, take out a loan.
05:36Pointed out that it's not possible to get a loan on flats in Arlington because it's been blighted.
05:43If you go to buy it, your conveyor and solicitor should point out,
05:49you do realise that there's going to be a £40,000-odd-thousand-pound bill,
05:55and then in five, six years' time, it's planned that there's going to be another.
06:00Works are expected to start in the summer,
06:04but councillors here are divided on whether words will turn into action.
06:10They asked the question, we don't know why people are so hostile to us,
06:14whilst they have a building safety regulator say,
06:17we're not issuing you the building safety certificate,
06:20whilst the council has issued them a hazard awareness certificate,
06:23and they still haven't complied with either.
06:25Like, of course we're going to be angry because you're not doing your job.
06:28There's no doubt that Arlington House needs repairs.
06:32The question of who should front the bill is another matter entirely.
06:36Olly Lieder in Margate.
06:42A group of pro-Palestine protesters blocked the entrance to a factory in Thanet this morning,
06:48alleging that it supplies weaponry to Israel.
06:51The demonstrators from arms embargo returned to the Discovery Park in Sandwich
06:56to prevent access to the Instro Precision Factory.
06:59Instro is a subsidiary of a separate company, Elbit Systems Group,
07:03which is one of the largest arms manufacturers in Israel.
07:06The protesters say they want to grab the attention of the Prime Minister
07:09ahead of the Munich Security Conference.
07:12This comes over a year since the group are said to have broken into the factory in June 2024.
07:18Next, a thief in Maidstone High Street targeted a safe in a charity shop.
07:24The footage revealed the burglar had hidden inside the shop
07:27as it closed the previous evening before making his move.
07:30He was arrested, charged and imprisoned within 48 hours
07:34after stealing over £500 from a safe.
07:37The thief had previously been imprisoned for a similar offence in Maidstone's Weak Street.
07:42He was sentenced to 20 weeks in prison, but was out in just eight before committing his latest crime.
07:49Newly released body camera footage shows the moment drugs and cash were seized from a dealer in Canterbury.
07:56Mario Netto's car was pulled over in Military Road by neighbourhood officers last August.
08:01Now, he initially denied having any drugs in the vehicle, also claiming the vehicle wasn't registered to his name.
08:07The 29-year-old was charged with possession of Class A drugs,
08:10being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs and possession of an offensive weapon,
08:15later being sentenced to three years and two months in prison.
08:19And today, Canterbury Cathedral unveiled a new flagstone to mark a moment of friendship and collaboration between the UK and France.
08:28It comes on the 40th anniversary of the Treaty of Canterbury
08:31that meant that the two countries could change their border to allow for the Channel Tunnel to be built.
08:36I've been down at the Cathedral to find out more.
08:3940 years ago today, Kent played host to one of the biggest geopolitical events in the country's calendar.
08:45The signing of the Treaty of Canterbury modified the borders of the UK and France,
08:50allowing for the construction of the Channel Tunnel, but it also solidified the relationship between the two countries.
08:56And on the anniversary of the Treaty, many important figures from Eurotunnel and beyond were in attendance
09:02to see the unveiling of the flagstone that would mark the occasion.
09:06What I can say is the fact that it has been a magic connection between the two countries.
09:11In fact, you know that 500 billion people travelled in the Tunnel since the opening of the Tunnel in 1994,
09:1831 years ago, 30 years ago.
09:21It's something which is incredible, amazing and a very strong relationship,
09:26mainly between the north of France and the Kent.
09:29The stone will be placed in the floor of Chapter House,
09:32and the assembled directors, MPs and ambassadors went on a tour of the cathedral,
09:36including meeting the stonemasons who carved the flagstone.
09:40Now, many medieval kings and queens who would have walked the halls of the cathedral hundreds of years ago
09:44would have had a very different relationship with France.
09:47But fast forward to the modern day, and that relationship is now being solidified and strengthened,
09:52looking back on this 40-year anniversary, this treaty that doesn't just create a physical link with the Channel Tunnel,
09:58but also an economic link and just a relationship between the two countries.
10:03We're an island because we're surrounded by sea, but we've got a connection which is unbreakable.
10:08And I think that's really important, particularly in today's world,
10:12is to know that even if we have different views on politics, different views on the way that we organise things,
10:18that link is really solid. It's physical. It's not going anywhere.
10:23During his speech, Jacques discussed the deep relationship between the two countries,
10:28and the value that the Eurotunnel has brought, with 500 million passengers and £140 billion worth of trade over the years.
10:35He also brought up Brexit, and with that in mind, I wondered how the relationship between the countries would evolve over future anniversaries.
10:42It would be amazing to, I mean, you know, my constituency voted to remain. We're committed to being a really big part of Europe.
10:49It would be lovely to rejoin one day, but, you know, I'm not keeping my hopes up too high for anything soon, but one day.
10:57And I think we continue to need those relationships. You know, we're always in and out of each other's countries.
11:02I've got constituents that commute to work, you know, on a daily, weekly basis.
11:06So it's still really, really important to us. And yes, that relationship's always going to be really special.
11:11John added that in the future, as we may be celebrating the 50th or 100th anniversaries of the treaty,
11:16we could also start to see more links from England, and specifically Kent, to the rest of Europe.
11:21Finn McDermid for KMTV in Canterbury.
11:26Now it's time for another quick break, but don't go anywhere.
11:30Coming up, we'll have some pothole problems in Strood, as residents have been calling on the council to resurface deep and dangerous roads.
11:38We'll also take a look at your sports news with England's cricketer, Zach Crawley, signing a one-year contract extension.
11:45All that and more after this short break.
14:47Hello and welcome back to Kent Tonight, live here on KMTV.
15:13Now, residents in Strood are calling on the council to repair the dangerously deep potholes scattered across their street.
15:20Abbey Road has been littered with exposed concrete and potholes, which have been damaging locals' vehicles for more than a decade.
15:26Well, to find out more, our local democracy reporter, Olly Leader, went over to Strood to see how it's been affecting residents.
15:33Well, in my opinion, it is the worst road in Medway for potholes. It's the worst one I drive over.
15:39Exposed concrete, crumbling tarmac and potholes big enough to put my camera in.
15:45It's little wonder that those living here on Abbey Road in Strood are calling for Medway Council to resurface the street once and for all.
15:56With those living here claiming it's been like this for years.
16:00We've told the council, sent them emails and nothing has been done.
16:04Shocking. Absolutely, in fact, dangerous where it is up that particular part up there.
16:09Excessively getting worse. I think over the past 12, 24 months, it's even worse now than what it ever has been.
16:16But as I said, the potholes are even deeper than what they have been. And it's just untenable now.
16:21To give you a sense of how deep these potholes actually are along Abbey Road, I brought along a coffee cup.
16:28You put it here and you can see it barely sticks out of the road. And this is just one of many.
16:37If this isn't good enough for resurfacing, nothing is. You've got potholes inches deep, cars swerving out of the way.
16:44It's a complete farce. It's been like this for years, apparently. It must be done.
16:49Medway Council says works are set to be carried out this week to repair a number of defects along Abbey Road,
16:56with further assessment due to take place as well, stating highways repairs in the five towns have to be prioritised
17:05to ensure resources are directed to the places they are most needed.
17:10But for those living here, the cracks in the authorities' approach are already starting to show.
17:17Olly Lieder in Strood.
17:20Now, a pair of binoculars owned by the inventor of the bouncing bomb has just been sold in auction today for more than £10,000.
17:29Sir Barnes-Wallace, who conducted many of his tests here in Kent over in Hearn Bay, used these binoculars to oversee his experiments.
17:36Well, to tell us more about the revolutionary inventor, our reporter Kai Wei joins me now.
17:42So, Kai, tell me a bit about these binoculars.
17:45Yeah, of course. So, this pair of binoculars was sold today for £11,070 at a London auction house, S.G. Baldwin's, just this morning.
17:55And it was one of the highest valued items available out of the nearly 200 that were for sale.
18:00And the significance of them was that they belonged to a Sir Barnes-Wallace, a revolutionary inventor who used the binoculars to oversee the tests he carried out.
18:10These binoculars were also given to Sir Michael Redgrave for the filming of the Dambusters film back in 1955,
18:17a film based off of Operation Chastise during World War II, which was also dubbed the Dambusters raid, which Wallace's invention played a key role in.
18:28I see. And tell us a bit more about Barnes-Wallace himself and his exact invention.
18:34Of course. So, Sir Barnes-Wallace, as I mentioned, was the inventor of the bouncing bomb, quite a fun name for quite a destructive device.
18:43It was officially named the upkeep, but he began experimenting in the early 1940s with the general concept of an explosive that could skip across water to breach structures like dams.
18:56And after a lot of testing, he succeeded in making the bombs. And as I mentioned, these were key to Operation Chastise, where the Royal Air Force were able to destroy German dams.
19:06And overall, it was a very crucial step towards Allied victory.
19:09I see. And can you tell us a bit about his significance to the county?
19:13Mm hmm. And so, as I mentioned, he did some testing of the bombs and he oversaw this with his binoculars.
19:19But he actually did a lot of that testing here in Kent, off of the coast of Herne Bay.
19:25And there's even a commemorative statue that stands today on Beacon Hill.
19:30As well as that, very close by, there is a seaside museum.
19:35And there's two exhibits of his work featuring some of the bouncing bombs that they recovered from the coast.
19:41So overall, he's quite a key factor of Kent's contributions to one of the most famous missions of the Second World War.
19:48Absolutely. Kent as a county just has so many of these military links.
19:53People don't really think about it, whether it's Roman, World War Two, especially with our position to Europe.
19:57So it's always very interesting to see stories like these. So thank you so much for bringing us this, Kai.
20:03And now it's a chance to find out Josh Wright's feelings towards his Ebsfleet side's recent run of frustrating results,
20:11as it's time for the latest sports news from across the county.
20:23First up on tonight's Sport Roundup, England opener Zach Crawley has signed a new deal with Kent Cricket.
20:29The batsman has stated that he's proud and excited to play for his home county for another year,
20:34making 156 all-format appearances, scoring 6,514 runs while managing 10 centuries within that period.
20:43Next, Ebsfleet United manager Josh Wright is determined to not let emotions stunt progress after another injury time heartache.
20:50The fleet were pegged back late on by Enfield Town after conceding a 94th minute equaliser after a long throw was turned into their own net.
20:58This comes after conceding late on to Salisbury and Hemel-Hempstead Town making it three draws on the bounce for Ebsleet.
21:05Despite this, Josh Wright remains optimistic stating that they're in a strong position, adding that there's a lot of football left to play.
21:11Lastly, Invicta Daniels claimed another impressive win last weekend.
21:15But now they turn their focus to the Chelmsford Chieftains, one of the few top teams they haven't beaten.
21:20The Moles pulled off an emphatic 4-2 win away against Stretton Redhawks despite having a thin squad before losing 2-0 in the reverse fixture at home.
21:28Saturday's victory left head coach Carl Lennon beaming with pride, describing his team's performance as nothing short of spectacular.
21:35After also claiming a victory against league leader Slough Jets, they turn their attention to Saturday as Chelmsford Chieftains are set to face off of them in Gillingham.
21:44Daniel DeMaio reports.
22:14Pubs across the county are to be given government help to stay afloat, thanks for a new discount to their business rates bills effective from April.
22:25But local publicans aren't so sure this is the tonic they need.
22:30Any help's a help. You can't get away from that.
22:34But any help that comes from somebody deciding what's going to help you rather than you telling them what's going to help you isn't that much of a help.
22:42So yeah there are things like reducing alcohol tax support with the business rates.
22:46Those kind of things do help.
22:48But the bigger picture is that the cost of everything has gone up so much that raising the business rates the way that the government have has just had a huge impact.
22:59We've all been swallowing the cost of energy crisis bills and that goes throughout the industry.
23:07Now the Compass Alehouse in Gravesham specialises in micro brewery eels. Take this one here. This is the Bristol Brewery Milk Stout.
23:15And what sets this apart is that John focuses on curation and the quality of ingredients.
23:20This alongside other factors that are common in the pub industry means that he operates on lower profit margins.
23:27Many people say that pubs are very profitable, what is termed the gross profit, which is actually only what you make on top of the cost of buying in a product.
23:40That is not actually a huge amount of money, especially when you've got to pay, what is it now, £11 an hour to your staff, plus the overheads that every member of staff costs you, plus the rent potentially on the property and keeping it repaired and up to date and paying for your electric and paying for your gas.
24:02Those sort of things are what eats into your gross profit.
24:06Business rates are a type of tax charged on all commercial properties, including shops and hospitality venues, and are revalued every three years.
24:15And pubs are expected to be on the sharp end of this April's re-evaluation, with the rate estimated to rise by 115% for the average watering hole.
24:26The recent announcement comes as a response to this, with pubs and music venues being eligible for a 15% relief and their rates frozen for the next two years.
24:36But the wider hospitality sector has been struggling for a while, yet this relief does not apply to restaurants or cafes or hotels.
24:43Even though minimum wage increases, larger national insurance contributions and higher bills are all problems that affect them too.
24:52It's a bit of a plaster over a wound, it's not looking at what caused that in the first place.
24:57So yeah, great. It's good that the government are listening.
25:00It's a little bit sad that they're not listening to the wider hospitality industry, because we don't stand alone.
25:05But for now, owners like John can only try to see the glass half full.
25:10Megan Shaw for Cane TV in Gravesend.
25:13Well, by the time that April rolls around, hopefully we'll have some pub garden weather, but it might be time to stay inside for now.
25:20Let's take a look at your weather forecast.
25:22Well, tonight there's a common theme in the county, sixes across the board.
25:32Overall, a cloudy night, wind speeds of four miles per hour.
25:35Tomorrow morning, clouds continuing to cover the sky.
25:37Southern Kent experiencing some partial sun there in Tunbridge Wells and Ashford, temperatures of six.
25:42Into tomorrow afternoon, seven and eight degrees across the county.
25:48High wind speeds there of 17.
25:50And for your outlook, Saturday is looking cloudy at five degrees, getting slightly warmer with some rain on Sunday.
25:55Warming up on Monday to nine degrees.
25:57Now it is time for another quick break, but do stick around.
26:09We have plenty more news coming your way.
26:12First off, we'll return to our top story tonight, where Rosie Darfield has opened the door to potentially rejoining the Labour Party.
26:19That is, if Keir Starmer resigns, as many have been asking for.
26:24Also, we'll be speaking about some neurodiversion artists who are celebrating the 10th anniversary of their studio,
26:30with an exhibit displaying over 100 pieces of artwork.
26:33And Rochester Cathedral is showcasing an exhibit all about whales to raise awareness on climate change.
26:40Well, all that and more after this short break.
26:42See you soon.
26:49See you soon.
27:19See you soon.
27:49Bye.
27:50Bye.
28:19Bye.
28:20Bye.
28:49Bye.
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30:20Bye.
30:21Hello and welcome to Kent Tonight, live here on KMTV.
30:24I'm Finn McDermott and here are your top stories on Thursday, the 12th of February.
30:29See Starmer off and I'll think about it.
30:32Canterbury MP opens door to rejoining Labour.
30:35Yeah.
30:36I mean, potentially.
30:37It depends who takes over as leader and what that relationship could look like.
30:41But yeah, I mean, not on to Keir Starmer's leadership, I'm afraid.
30:45The building breakdown, the iconic Arlington House in Margate is at risk of crumbling.
30:50The council has issued them a hazard awareness certificate and they still haven't complied
30:55with either.
30:56Like, of course we're going to be angry because you're not doing your job.
30:59And we're making waves.
31:01Rochester Cathedral showcases an art exhibit all about learning to communicate with whales.
31:06The message I was trying to portray was that in order to protect our natural planet,
31:13perhaps we should be having an interspecies communication with them.
31:25First off, a look back at our top story.
31:28Canterbury's independent MP, Rosie Duffield, has spoken about whether or not she would rejoin
31:33the Labour Party if Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer was to step down.
31:37This is following a number of calls for him to resign.
31:40The MP outlined her disappointment in the leader of the party in a three-page long letter,
31:45which was seen by the public in September 2024.
31:49For more on the story, Kristen Hawthorne has this report.
31:52In September 2024, Canterbury MP Rosie Duffield announced that she had resigned from the Labour Party and would sit as an independent.
32:01In her resignation letter, she criticised Keir Starmer's heavy-handed management tactics and his cruel and unnecessary decisions.
32:09Seventeen months later, Keir Starmer is facing a number of calls from his party for him to resign,
32:15because of his choice to appoint Lord Mandelson as the UK's US ambassador in 2024,
32:21despite public knowledge of Mandelson's relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
32:27For Rosie Duffield, the possibility of his resignation opens up the possibility of her return.
32:32Yeah, I mean, potentially. It depends who takes over as leader and what that relationship could look like.
32:38But, yeah, I mean, not onto Keir Starmer's leadership, I'm afraid.
32:42With internal pressure from the Labour Party for the Prime Minister to step down,
32:46he spoke out about the situation in the House of Commons.
32:49Mandelson betrayed our country, our Parliament and my party.
32:57Mr. Speaker, he lied repeatedly to my team when asked about his relationship with Epstein,
33:04before and during his tenure as ambassador.
33:07I regret appointing him.
33:09If I knew then what I know now, he would never have been anywhere near government.
33:14At the end of the letter in 2024, Duffield wrote,
33:18I hope to be able to return to the party in the future, when it again resembles the party I love,
33:24putting the needs of the many before the greed of the few.
33:27However, that possibility depends on Sir Keir Starmer's position,
33:31and currently he's made clear that he's not stepping down.
33:35Kristen Hawthorne, KMTV.
33:39Next, train lines between Ashford International, Maidstone East and Borough Green will close for nine days in May,
33:46as engineering works by Southeastern Rail are scheduled to take place.
33:50Rail engineers will be improving the line's defence against water damage by installing new netting, bolts and rock cuttings.
33:58David Davidson, Chief Operating Officer for Southeastern, said the rock cutting is over 150 years old,
34:04which has created more weather-related incidents.
34:06He added he would like to thank passengers for their patience.
34:09The work will happen between Saturday, May 23rd and Sunday, May 31st, with replacement buses in place.
34:16Now, Margate's oldest pub has gone up for sale.
34:21The Northern Belle in Mansion Street dates back to 1680 and is described by the estate agent as a remarkable period property.
34:29As well as boasting historic charm, it also offers a haunting old wives' tale.
34:33It marks a new chapter for the pub, which has seen cottages, a pub and has also been a Cambodian restaurant over the years.
34:42And now, eleven neurodivergent artists will celebrate their studio's tenth anniversary with an art display.
34:48Sandra Art4All, founded by Sandra Hampton, helps artists with special needs express themselves after the sudden closure of Margate's Royal School for Deaf Children.
34:58The exhibit, Proud to Create 10, will display over 150 pieces, ranging from photography, paintings and drawings, and celebrating their voices.
35:06We spoke to Sandra earlier to find out more.
35:09Well, thank you so much for joining me, Sandra.
35:11I imagine you must be so proud to see your studio reach its tenth anniversary.
35:15I suppose my first question is, why is it so important for neurodivergent and disabled artists to have these spaces?
35:22Hi, Finn. Thank you so much for having us today.
35:26I'm incredibly proud.
35:29Ten years have gone by so quickly.
35:32Why is it so important?
35:35It's important that we all have opportunities.
35:39We all have the same opportunities.
35:41And I like to think that we provide opportunities for a diverse group of individuals with special needs and learning communication to have the same quality, same experiences as any artist.
35:58So for me, not only am I proud, but the artists are very proud after 10 years of working together and also their families and friends are very proud of them.
36:09Absolutely.
36:10I mean, the artists and the families, as you mentioned, must be thrilled to be celebrating the occasion.
36:15Can you tell us about some of their work over the years?
36:18I mean, 10 years, you must have seen a lot of different styles, a lot of different mediums.
36:22Just tell us about the real range that we see at the Liminal Gallery.
36:25Well, initially, when I first started, I was going to run an art club.
36:32However, it soon came apparent that nobody was leaving.
36:36So we turned ourselves into a little studio and we started exhibiting anywhere that would basically take us.
36:43Then we started exhibiting in Margate, which is, as many people know, Margate is thriving at the moment.
36:52And we've gone from strength to strength. So before now, we've always hired a gallery.
36:57What exciting for us this year, not only is it our 10th anniversary, but we're going to start those celebrations with our first exhibition at the Liminal Gallery in the cupboard.
37:07So this will be our first exhibition in a unique contemporary gallery.
37:13We've been invited in, which is wonderful to be able to collaborate with a curator for the first time.
37:19So I'm learning a lot of new things.
37:22And it's going to be a really fun and joyful exhibition, just like all our exhibitions are.
37:29But this is a little bit different.
37:31And when I say little, it is going to be the same amount of work, the same style of work, which has evolved over the last 10 years.
37:39And basically how our artwork evolves is each artist comes in, we get to know each other.
37:47And together I help pull out what they like to do, what they don't like to do, try lots of different doable techniques to help them find their own artistic process.
37:58And so then we go on and show all of that in an exhibition.
38:05I see. And what can people expect to see in this exhibition?
38:10So we have over 160 original paintings, drawings and photographs.
38:19The kind of artwork that you will be able to see are based around the individual's preferences, interests.
38:30Some of them have dogs.
38:33Some of them work more abstract.
38:36They like the act of painting rather than the actual painting things that represent life.
38:41And are also pushing our artists to try new things.
38:47So we might, I've got one artist who likes to paint animals and said they could never do portraits.
38:54But as you can see behind me, we have a portrait.
38:57And it was her first portrait that she had created.
39:01And we're very proud.
39:02This isn't going in the liminal gallery.
39:03This is going into one of our other exhibitions.
39:05But some of the work that you see behind me, you will see in the cupboard on a smaller scale.
39:12I see.
39:13Well, thank you so much for joining us and telling us all about this huge anniversary.
39:16Huge anniversary celebration.
39:18Thank you so much.
39:21Thank you for having us.
39:23And keeping with a creative theme now.
39:26A new art exhibit in Rochester Cathedral is showcasing how whales communicate.
39:31Artist Tessa Campbell Fraser made the award winning piece to raise awareness of climate emergencies and the importance of sustainability.
39:39Our community reporter Henry Luck swam down to find out more.
39:42In this brand new Rochester Cathedral exhibition, one artist is showcasing the secrets of communication between humans and whales.
39:58This installation comprising of three giant whale sculptures and several decorated banners launched at Winchester Cathedral in 2025 and is made from recycled materials including old ghost nets gathered from the ocean.
40:23The message I was trying to portray was that in order to protect our natural planet perhaps we should be having an interspecies communication with them and the sperm whale is the scientists belief that that will be the animal we have our first ever interspecies communication with.
40:41The sounds made by the whales at this exhibition is their way of communicating and scientists are at work to find a way to decode their language so that the human race can speak to them just like they would each other.
41:00The award winning piece will go on to tour Finland with Tessa determined to make sure her work makes a splash in climate awareness.
41:14The free display will be at Rochester Cathedral until the 7th of March.
41:21Henry Luck for Kane TV in Rochester.
41:27Now it's time for our final break but stay tuned for our next few stories.
41:31We'll have a quick look at the weather for the coming days and tomorrow marks Friday the 13th.
41:36The day after is Valentine's Day so we asked Rochester residents if they'll be choosing romance or horror for this week's film choices.
41:43Well that's all the time for now. See you in a few minutes.
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46:02kent having spent several years traveling australia asia and aaron's home country of switzerland
46:10couple olivia and aaron decided to renovate a vw camper into their very own mobile cafe
46:15here in kent the business boomed with the pair traveling around tombridge and mauling serving
46:20their swiss hot chocolate and alpine inspired baked goods but recently they decided to put
46:24down their roots just outside maidstone in the quaint village of autumn while olivia and aaron
46:29absolutely love their van life autumn village hall here offers them a slightly bigger venue
46:34um we opened the cafe in july we actually had a camper van we had it in the camper van very similar
46:40to this one and we did that for about three years um around laybourne uh west morland area and we
46:45served out the back during lockdown and then yeah we went to australia came back i think last december
46:52and we were like right we didn't have the van at the time so we were like what are we gonna do
46:55like we miss doing it we love seeing everyone so we actually came we live here so we walked up one
47:00day and i was like oh the hall would be such a good space to like open up again just as a pop-up
47:04autumn is it looks tiny but there's so many like little side roads and loads of different houses that
47:10you wouldn't even know that are here so i think it's been so good for everyone to kind of have a
47:14space to come together and enjoy a coffee and a cake everyone loves a pastry all right so olivia
47:20comes always with those brilliant ideas she's like oh yeah let's turn the uh the van in a cafe business
47:25or even the village hall and she says like we need this this this and this and i'm just like yeah let
47:31me see what i can do so i i built from scratch a little uh coffee cart with all the equipment on it
47:38um which is completely movable so we can take it away and the village hall can be used for something
47:45else during the week whilst we're not trading it's crazy every day you sit in and think like oh yeah
47:51it's going to be a gray grim day no one's going to come but then you're going to be surprised by so
47:56many locals which travel miles sometimes just to come and see us it's literally every day it's brilliant
48:03yes the parish council told me hosting the little traveling bean was going amazing adding they've
48:08received nothing but glowing praise from residents like we come here friday saturday sunday every
48:12single week like we love it especially having a new baby it's something to do get out the house
48:17it's really nice it's nice to see how much they've grown the business you know from the van days to
48:23here um with the local community it's really lovely to see olivia and aaron hope to continue serving
48:29brews as well as the community far into the future chloe brewster for kmtv in autumn
48:34and now it's time for a look at the weather
48:43tonight there's a common theme in the county with sixes across the board overall a cloudy night
48:48wind speeds of four miles per hour tomorrow morning clouds continues to cover the sky with
48:53southern kent experiencing some sun in ashford and dover lowest temperatures at six degrees
48:58tomorrow afternoon partly cloudy in margate light rain across the rest of the county
49:01slowly climbing temperatures to eight degrees and your outlook the rest of the week some sunshine
49:07coupled with cloudy skies on saturday averaging five degrees monday partly sunny at nine degrees
49:20now we are coming up to a bit of a genre crossover an eventful weekend with friday the 13th and
49:26valentine's day the day after so we went to rochester to find out what films will people be watching
49:32horror or rom-coms well here's what the people of kent had to say as my years go on probably romance
49:41horror i'll start to like wall wall get all scared do you know what i mean i think i prefer horror romance
49:46romance maybe some scooby-doo i feel like that's a good og classic
49:58i i really like
50:02always a fun gig to watch some horror movies anything Matthew McConaughey in it absolutely
50:08anything what a man what a man maybe some Scooby-Doo I feel like that's a good OG classic
50:15I really like Scooby-Doo well I'm joined now we've got another episode of Kent Film Club coming up so
50:22Chris joins me in the studio Chris Scooby-Doo would you say horror well when I was younger
50:27that would have been the go-to I think TV I'm not sure on Valentine's Day I would take a partner to
50:32that film no I understand well yeah Friday 13th obviously is tomorrow Valentine's Day the following
50:38day what films will you be watching well I have to say I went to see a film in Halloween I've done
50:44it again Halloween on Valentine's Day and it was called heart eyes and it was 18 rated but it's
50:50the perfect mesh because it's about a couple who are actually not a couple but you know how we're
50:55like in the scream films it's all about the formula and if you fit a particular formula you know that
51:00you're going to be the next one to be disposed of well this is a film about a couple who thwart
51:05inadvertently the killer and it's a film that appeals both to a rom-com audience and to a horror
51:13audience it's got all the tropes that you'd see in a film like Sleepless in Seattle but also what
51:18you'd expect from a film like Friday the 13th and it kind of worked but the funny thing is I was
51:23watching the couples who came into the it was in Rochester exactly a year ago and you could tell that
51:29there was a couple and one of them was into horror one into rom-com and I guess they both felt
51:33slightly vindicated afterwards and probably thought yeah that film was brilliant it was five out of
51:38five for both of us but neither of us actually liked the other half of the film that the other
51:44one did so Cat Person is another one that I saw at Sundance a few years ago about the fears around
51:50dating so horror and dating and romance actually make for quite comfortable bedfellows or uncomfortable
51:56bedfellows depending on your point of view absolutely I mean obviously Friday the 13th
52:02is its own film franchise so that has its backing there but what do you think it will be most popular
52:08do you think do you think in general if you were to take a survey of everyone do you prefer romance
52:14or do you prefer slashes what do you think would sort of chalk up a higher rate over the last few
52:19years I've been so conscious of the spate of horror films that are doing the rounds I was looking at you
52:23to see what I was watching this very week in years gone by I saw a film called baghead
52:27two years ago which is a horror film I mentioned heart eyes last year I mean some of the cinemas in
52:32the county are showing sleepless in Seattle appropriately on Valentine's Day be interesting
52:38to see how many go and watch that compared to some of the the horror films that are doing the rounds
52:43at the moment I mean there's there's a whole range I mean depending on your point of view
52:46there are plenty of means of escaping from either genre but horror I think on a Thursday night after
52:53I finish talking here I normally go to the cinema nine times out of ten there's a horror film on the
52:57billing I see and as I mentioned another episode of Kent Film Club tonight when you've interviewed
53:04guests over the past do you tend to see any of these romance films or horror films are there any that
53:09stand out in your mind the one that stands out and it's been picked I'd say four times maybe five
53:13is when Harry met Sally and do you know why that works because it's slightly skew-iff it it has all
53:19the ingredients that you'd expect in a rom-com but Billy Crystal is a very atypical leading man
53:25and he brings dark humor and also you know he in a way he's subverting the conventions you know that
53:31that scene that that's Lou Farrings who was on the show very recently I think she was talking about
53:35that bit where he's spitting the seeds of you know apple or strawberry whatever he's eating
53:39uh and on their first meeting with Meg Ryan she says gross I'm being told in my ear it's grapes
53:44apparently apparently it's grapes the grapes of Roth yeah and it's so funny because you've got all
53:50of those sort of ingredients in a film and you look at it you think they don't get on with and that's
53:56the thing that makes it work you think then they're a mismatched pair and at the end of it you're
54:00thinking of course they're meant to be together they're destined to be together but that that's not
54:04all that different from the tropes that you see in superstitious films that you'd expect around
54:09Friday the 13th the idea of unknown forces fate destiny working its magic or dark magic to bring
54:16a couple together or set them apart so I think we like the idea around both horror films and rom-coms
54:22and it's almost like potluck as to what we'll actually end up with on the night I see I'm also
54:26thinking of some other kind of ways of crossing the genre I suppose there's probably some rom-coms out
54:31there that are so bad maybe to film heads like yourself they are considered horror I can't think
54:36of any of the top of my head but I'm sure they have been some in recent times yeah those one
54:39dimensional films which which I mean sometimes I really don't gel with films which don't go beyond
54:48you know you don't deal with the complexity in a relationship it's almost like they have the first
54:53date they fall out they get back together and it goes through the motions you know I mean I like
54:58films that sometimes have twists on that because in the real world you can have a first date and you
55:03can engineer it but what about the rest of your life if it's meant to be prefigure what's going
55:07to happen for the rest of your life you know in a way that that's a very poor sense of how it all can
55:14be orchestrated so I like films that sort of go a bit further and take you beyond that like you've
55:19got mail you know I'd like to see where those characters end up two years later rather than when they
55:24all end up you know that the mismatched pair who are now we think happily ever after but we don't
55:29see but the happy ever after doesn't feel like a very satisfactory conclusion because it feels like
55:34it's been contrived in the last five minutes of the film absolutely there was a film I saw a few years
55:39ago called barbarian I don't know if you've if you've seen it and in the beginning there's that sort
55:42of subversion where two people share an airbnb and then it all sort of goes like that I'm wondering are
55:47there any films that come to mind for you that are horror or slash or even sort of that kind of genre that have
55:53this almost romantic subplot well I mean funnily enough even the screen films at the heart of it is about
55:59people who care for other people all the Halloween films you know at the end of the day it's about the
56:04importance of family I mean even like those Jason Statham films they're very violent but it's family
56:08at the heart of them I don't do that well I should take acting lessons but in a way that's at the heart of it you
56:14see it's it's love pretty woman is a film the end of it it's about tenderness between people
56:19and that's one of those you know really big films you'd expect to see on Valentine's Day so I think
56:24it crosses genres absolutely well thank you so much for that Chris and for your Vin Diesel impression
56:29so much appreciate it and uh yeah we'll see you soon pleasure well that is all the time we have
56:36thank you so much for watching and we'll see you soon have a good evening
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