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Catch up with all the latest news from across the county with Finn Macdiarmid.
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00:28Hello and welcome to
00:29To Kent Tonight, live here on KMTV. I'm Finn McDermott and here are your top stories on Thursday the 5th
00:35of March.
00:36Up in flames, a fire broke out at the derelict Swanton House days after a redevelopment was approved.
00:44As you can see, fire crews are only just now starting to leave Swanton House in Ashford after a fire
00:49broke out last night.
00:51Giving families a fighting chance, world champion Boxer supports Canterbury Food Bank's Easter campaign.
00:57It supports families that need support, need food and the most important thing that we can have is food.
01:07And feeling stumped about cricket? Well with the England Men's World Cup happening, we learn how to get into the
01:12sport.
01:13Obviously you see cricket on TV and you see test cricket. The advice would be that there's so many different
01:19formats of the game and there'll be one for you.
01:31But first tonight, a derelict town centre building in Ashford that's due to be redeveloped into flats has been badly
01:37damaged in a fire.
01:39Crews were called to Swanton House on Elwick Road last night where thick smoke could be seen coming from the
01:44building next to Ashford College.
01:45Six fire engines were initially sent to tackle the flames at the site, which has stood empty for more than
01:51two decades, but was recently signed off for demolition and redevelopment into 34 flats.
01:56At the scene was our reporter Kristen Hawthorne who sent us this report.
02:01As you can see, fire crews are only just now starting to leave Swanton House in Ashford after a fire
02:07broke out last night, just days after it was signed off to be demolished and turned into 34 flats.
02:13Pictures show the property engulfed in flames with thick black smoke coming from the site.
02:19Fire crews have been at the scene since 8.30pm last night, with six fire engines originally being called to
02:25tackle the fire.
02:26One eyewitness told Kent Online that the building seemed like it was coming down.
02:31I could hear tiles falling off the roof.
02:33Quite a few people were watching. The fire was on top of the building.
02:37This morning, a fire spokesman said three fire engines and a hype vehicle remain on site to continue extinguishing the
02:44fire.
02:45Now, it seems to be just two fire engines which are now leaving and the hype vehicle also seems to
02:50be gone.
02:51As you can see, there are hoardings around the building.
02:53And this is because demolition was due to begin in the coming months, with the flats planned to be finished
02:58by next year.
02:59But whether or not that will be postponed is now a question.
03:03Kristen Hawthorne, KMTV.
03:07And Kristen joins me now in the studio.
03:09So, Kristen, you were there at the scene.
03:11Can you tell us a bit about what the atmosphere was like?
03:13I mean, we can see a picture here of the building.
03:16Just tell us a little bit about the atmosphere.
03:18Well, at the time, I was there at noon and there was a lot of people, obviously, maybe on their
03:22lunch and stuff.
03:23People were taking pictures, looking across to what happened.
03:26People seemed to be quite shocked, really.
03:29There was no smoke, as we can see in the picture here.
03:31There was no smoke coming from the building.
03:33So, the hot spots were probably dampened at that point.
03:36And the fire crew started to pack up and left just after 1 p.m.
03:42The aftermath did seem serious with the roof being destroyed.
03:48As we can see in these pictures, these close-up pictures, a lot of the building, especially at the top,
03:53has been destroyed.
03:54As it's believed, that's where the fire was seen in the initial images.
03:58The traffic in the area that was initially warned of had completely died down as well.
04:04So, people should be okay if they're travelling through the town this evening.
04:07I see.
04:08And at this point, do we know the cause of the fire?
04:10Do we know any injuries?
04:11Can you tell us more about that?
04:12Well, police and fire crews have said that they've been unable to determine the cause of the fire.
04:18But, thankfully, no injuries have been reported.
04:21I see.
04:22And can you tell us a bit about this building and those plans for redevelopment?
04:26How has this fire really affected that?
04:27Well, interestingly, the Swanton House originally served as an auxiliary military hospital during the First World War.
04:35So, quite a historical building.
04:37It later housed Kent Social Service facilities.
04:40And then it was left abandoned for more than two decades.
04:44Recently being signed off to be demolished and replaced by 34 flats across two blocks and up to four storeys
04:51high.
04:52We can see the pictures here on the screen.
04:53This is what has been planned.
04:55And those plans were just signed off a few days ago.
04:59So, it's quite interesting that this has come just so quickly after those plans have been submitted or approved.
05:07The planned new apartments will include a mix of six three-bedroom flats, 24 two-bedroom flats and four one
05:17-bedroom flats,
05:17all with private balconies and apparently built to a very high specification.
05:2225, there's also going to be car parking spaces.
05:2525 of the 27 spaces will be fitted with electric vehicle charging points.
05:31And according to consultants Harwood, the construction will cost $7.4 million.
05:37Canterbury, based on architecture, said in October that the project is more than creating homes.
05:43It's about revitalising the heart of Ashford Town Centre, turning a derelict landmark into a valued part of the community
05:51once again.
05:52I see. We haven't got much time left. Very quickly, will this postpone the development? Do we know that at
05:57this stage?
05:57At the moment, we're not too sure. It was set to be demolished, so possibly not.
06:04But the council have been contacted for comments, so I'll bring you those updates maybe later in the show.
06:08I see. Thank you so much, Kristen.
06:11A warning for this next story. It mentions crimes of a sexual nature that may be inappropriate for younger viewers.
06:20A man from Gillingham has been put in prison after filming himself drugging and raping someone he'd met online.
06:27You can see now some of the footage from his arrest.
06:31This is Derek Rowley, who was sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court today.
06:34That court heard about the encounter where Rowley and another man who wasn't named willingly took a variety of substances.
06:41The court also heard the man administered additional substances to the other in order to knock him unconscious and then
06:47rape him.
06:47He would later leave the room and return to find the man on the bed deceased.
06:51The courts heard that Rowley was described as being devoid of any care or humanity, and he was charged with
06:5711 counts of rape.
07:00Next, plans for a merger between St. Lawrence College in Ramsgate and Dover College have been halted following backlash from
07:07parents.
07:08Plans to combine the two colleges were announced on 24 February after bosses claimed St. Lawrence College was facing imminent
07:15closure amid financial difficulties.
07:17But parents criticised the lack of planning and construction, largely objecting to the decision, with protests being staged on the
07:23school grounds.
07:24One parent claimed their trust in the school had been shaken by the event and, if nothing else, making that
07:29noise on behalf of ourselves and the community has led to new options.
07:33A statement from the school said the governors will publicise more detailed plans for the next months and years as
07:38these are developed.
07:40Next, South East Water are facing a £22.46 million fine following an investigation into the supply failures that left
07:48thousands here in Kent without water.
07:51Of what the industry regulator proposed the fine after a probe into the multiple disruptions between 2020 and 2023 that
07:58affected over 286,000 customers.
08:01The investigation found the company failed to maintain vital infrastructure and described the utility firm's response to these disruptions as
08:10slow and disorganised.
08:11The news comes after major incidents where the Kent County Council had to coordinate emergency responses due to these disruptions
08:17across the county in December of last year and January of this year.
08:22Plans for a new estate near Deal have been approved despite warnings that a busy junction could be a problem
08:27for years to come.
08:28The estate, located off Station Road in Walmer near Deal, was signed off by councillors at Dover District Council last
08:34week and will consist of 30 homes.
08:36The decision was put on hold in January after concerns were raised about an increase in traffic and overdevelopment in
08:42the area.
08:43Five new estates are currently under construction or planned along a one-mile stretch in the area, with fears this
08:48will negatively affect the nearby junction.
08:50Councillor Michael Nee claimed the access has not been substantially improved with the volume of traffic having grown exponentially.
08:57Next, a boxing legend has made his way to a food bank to support their Easter campaign to feed struggling
09:02families over the holidays.
09:04Barry McGuigan, the Canterbury Food Bank's holiday hunger campaign, provides meals for families who can't access free meals during the
09:11Easter half-term.
09:12The former featherweight champion says it feels natural to give back to those who are struggling.
09:16Our community reporter, Henry Luck, has more.
09:18The Canterbury Food Bank has just gotten a powerful ally in its corner.
09:26Former featherweight champion, Barry McGuigan, has come down to launch the food bank's Easter holiday hunger campaign,
09:36from helping to pack parcels to signing boxing gloves to be auctioned.
09:43But I came from a family of eight children. My father was a professional musician.
09:47We actually ran a grocery shop, and I knew many families that did struggle.
09:53And, you know, mum would help out when she could, and, you know, we never made a lot of profit,
09:59but mum was always sure to help families that needed help and support.
10:03And they would not pay the bills for long times because mum was very lenient in just making sure that
10:10they got that support.
10:12So this feels like a natural thing to get involved in.
10:16The scheme helps provide food for families struggling to feed their children over the holidays
10:23when schools close and free school meals are not provided.
10:29The movement is more important than ever because of current world events.
10:35It's been difficult for years. We were hoping this year we might get our numbers down.
10:39They've gone up exponentially since COVID, really.
10:43Last year we distributed enough food to make 135,000 meals.
10:47That's about 15,000 emergency parcels in the Canterbury district alone.
10:51This year we're up again, and we were hoping there's a few governmental changes in April that might bring the
10:59numbers down.
10:59But what you said about the war is absolutely right. It's going to put pressure on prices again.
11:05As well as containing food for the family, these Easter parcels also have a letter addressed to the parents and
11:14guardians
11:14telling them how they can reach out to Food Bank Canterbury if they need help over the holidays.
11:23With the help of a boxing legend, this year's Easter campaign is sure to be a knockout.
11:31Henry Luck for Kame TV in Whitstable.
11:36It's now time for a short break, but coming up we'll have all your sports news from across the county,
11:41as well as a chance to hear from Councillor Jeremy Kite about why Dartford should become the UK's town of
11:46culture.
11:47All that and more after a short break. See you soon.
15:15Hello and welcome back to Kent Tonight, live here on KMTV.
15:18Now, more than 23,000 homes could be built across Canterbury, Whitstable and Herne Bay over the next 17 years.
15:26Every five years, councils must produce local plans that show they're allocating enough land to hit their housing targets and
15:32for the infrastructure to support the growing populations.
15:35Tonight, councillors will be gathering to debate the potential developments and these demands.
15:39Their plan focuses on ensuring at least 2,300 of those homes will be available at affordable rents, with over
15:45700 being given to older people.
15:48This also includes improving community facilities and an in-depth assessment of the needs for the city centre.
15:54Next, after a four-year, a man from Broadstairs, James Barker was a football fan and an avid runner who
16:03was diagnosed with an inoperable glaucoma, which has an average life expectancy of 5 to 15 months.
16:09Despite his illness, he continued his passion for running, competing in the London Marathon, whilst going through chemotherapy.
16:15James passed away last month and his family are determined to carry on his legacy.
16:19His dad, Ian, said that even with his diagnosis, he showed no fear, embraced life and inspired people.
16:26Next, former Gurkha soldiers have rescued the Dragoon, a disused pub in Maidstone.
16:32After the landlady, Claire Parslow, retired in 2023, the pub, located in the town centre, closed its doors.
16:39Since then, the building was empty after plans to turn it into flats fell through.
16:43It's now been purchased by Dharaj Raj, who, after going to Dragoon, wishes to capture the traditional English pub vibe
16:49while also serving Nepalese food.
16:51He said it would be a nice link to the past, and I hope many of the pub's regulars will
16:55come in and join us when we're open.
16:58Next, it's been a varied week for Kent's sports, with Gillingham seeing a rare win on the road against Barrow
17:03and hoping to turn home crowd boos into a more positive reaction, especially when they arrive back at Priestfield.
17:09We'll also take a look at the rugby and ice hockey results in Medway.
17:12A loss for the rugby club, but a strong win and loss apiece for the Invicta Dynamos.
17:16Let's have a look at your sports news.
17:27The quality will come.
17:29That's a direct quote from Gillingham's manager, Gareth Ainsworth, ahead of their game against Fleetwood this week.
17:35The Gills have ended a poor reform with a win on the road against Barrow
17:39and will return to Priestfield to face off with fellow mid-table side Fleetwood Town.
17:43The three-pointer comes only a couple of weeks since losing 3-0 to Oldham,
17:46but they were booed off with chants of you're not fit to wear the shirt.
17:50He says, I know that sometimes we lack a bit of quality around the box, but it is coming.
17:54We're working on it and I'm really pleased.
17:57We can hear more from Ainsworth now after that win at Barrow.
18:02A thankfulness, is that the word, to the fans.
18:07Because it's easy to say that last week I was, it hurt me.
18:13It did hurt me and it shouldn't do.
18:15I should be able to, you know, 700 games in the other number, I should be able to brush that
18:18off.
18:19But it does, it hurts.
18:20It hurts a lot, you know, because I am an emotional guy.
18:23I live on making people happy and trying to do things for people.
18:27And when the fans went like that at the end, I'm like, I'll let them down as much as anyone.
18:32So that's a payback.
18:34And thank you for staying with me, the ones who came up.
18:37And thank you to the ones who are going to come next week against Fleetwood.
18:39We're going to give our best.
18:40We'll do our best.
18:41I want to keep looking up and see how far we can finish.
18:43A few leagues down in the Ithsmian South East and Ashford United's veteran defender, Barry Fuller, is being tipped to
18:49play well into his late 40s.
18:52The Nuts and Boltzmann turns 42 in September, where their boss Craig Stone says he could play for another five
18:58years.
18:58This comes after a strong performance against Eastbourne Town, where they won 2-1.
19:02So Stone's comments don't look that outlandish.
19:05Fuller has formally worn a shirt for AFC Wimbledon and the Gills, but has shifted to a central position rather
19:11than fullback, as he used to be known for.
19:13Stone added he's simply too good at centre-back to be put anywhere else, and said whenever we look in
19:18a bit of danger, his emergency defending is a different class.
19:22In more Ithsmian news, Ramsgate manager Lee Martin has admitted that hopes of forcing his way into the playoffs are
19:28unlikely after a Kent Derby loss against Dartford.
19:33The Rams suffered a tight 1-0 defeat, which brought an end to their unbeaten run, leaving them nine points
19:39outside the top five, with nine games left to play in the season.
19:42I think we probably need it to be faultless, as something Martin admitted.
19:46He added that there's still going to be twists and turns, and that is just football.
19:50The Rams are away to chess hunt in the league this Saturday.
19:54Moving to rugby now, where Medway ended up on the losing end of a 43-35 scoreline after a well
19:59-fought game against Sudbury.
20:01After some early scrum battles, the visitors struck first, releasing their number 13 to run in from halfway, running away
20:08with the match at 14-0 to start them off.
20:10By the half, Medway were able to respond well enough, bringing the score to 28-21, but Sudbury did well
20:16to keep their tempo into the next.
20:18By the end, the visiting defence had created a strong eight-point barrier for Medway to climb, which they didn't
20:23manage to break.
20:24They'll head to bottom side Amersham and Chiltern on Saturday.
20:28And lastly, to ice hockey, wherein Victor Dynamo's dominated, but weren't able to turn that into a win against Swindon
20:34Wildcats' second team.
20:36A large part of that defeat lay at the skates and gloves of their 19-year-old Team GB netminder,
20:41Ben Clark-Leach.
20:42Head coach Carl Lennon said he's a highly coveted prospect that's going to have a long career in hockey.
20:47I'm pretty certain of that.
20:49It wasn't all anguish on the ice, however, with a comfortable win up against Cardiff Fire on the Saturday.
20:54And that's all the time we have for your sports news.
21:06And it's now time to take a look at the weather.
21:14Tonight, we'll experience highs of 11 degrees, lows of 9.
21:19The majority of Kent sitting at 10.
21:20Expect a mix of partially cloudy and clear skies.
21:23Into the morning, a warmer start to your day.
21:25Temperatures of 11 and 12 throughout the county with some clearer skies.
21:28Into the afternoon, temperatures rising to 13 and 14.
21:31Skies cloudy once again.
21:32Medway and Dartford getting some light showers there.
21:35And here is your outlook.
21:36Temperatures gradually rise from 13 to 15 throughout the weekend to Monday.
21:39Skies remaining partially cloudy throughout the county.
21:42A little bit of sun peaking out there into the next week.
21:53Now, a new national competition has launched this year, known as the UK Town of Culture 2028.
22:00This invites towns across the country to showcase their new ideas for storytelling, telling us about their culture within their
22:06town and hopefully winning three million pounds for funding for their area.
22:10In Kent, this includes Chatham, Folkestone, Deal and Dartford with the leader of Dartford Borough Council, Jeremy Kite, telling me
22:16more about why Dartford deserves the win.
22:19Well, thank you so much for joining us, Jeremy.
22:21First of all, could you talk us through, I suppose, your pitch for Dartford's Town of Culture bid?
22:27Well, to be honest, it's a pitch that's been in the making for a long time.
22:31We've always had a big cultural background in Dartford.
22:33And years ago, we declared that we were going to use culture as a regenerative force.
22:37We're growing very fast as a town.
22:40And this bid opportunity has come along, really.
22:43But we were doing it before.
22:44So I'm hopeful that the government will say, yeah, we're going to back this.
22:47We're going to reward what's gone on.
22:49And we're going to help Dartford improve even further.
22:51But culture has always been a huge part of our town.
22:53And it's in our soul, really, what we regard as part of our growth.
23:00Absolutely.
23:00And with that bid, I mean, Dartford, like you say, has a lot of culture, whether it's Mick Jagger, Darts
23:06FC, or the decorated bear sculptures that will be seen across the town this summer.
23:10What sort of things are going to be put into the bid?
23:12I'm not really aware of how it exactly works.
23:14Can you talk us through the process a little bit?
23:17Well, I suspect what they want to see, Finn, is they want to see examples of how we're engaging with
23:22the community.
23:23You're right to talk about Mick Jagger.
23:25And we've got plenty of other examples.
23:26Peter Blake, the great pop artist, of course, came from Dartford.
23:29Lots and lots of international artists.
23:31But I rather suspect the government wants to see how we're interacting with local people.
23:35So, as you say, things like the Dartford Football Club, the rugby club, where I am here today, which is
23:39a council investment.
23:40The work we do in parks during the summer, the bandstand concerts, the work on a Saturday market when we
23:45have buskers and people working in the town, entertainers in the town.
23:49I hope that's what they want to see.
23:51We're not going to do anything different from this bid.
23:53We're not going to change the way we do things.
23:54We're just going to project what we do and hope it's enough, because I think we're very, very committed to
23:59the arts.
24:00And it's part of the way of bringing a community together, binding it together, you know.
24:03So, if our bid falls short because it's not what they're looking for, it won't be the end of the
24:08earth for us because we're very happy doing what we're doing.
24:10But it did seem to be ideal.
24:11It seemed to be the sort of thing that had our name written all over it.
24:14So, here's hoping.
24:16Absolutely.
24:16Could you highlight a bit about what this would do for the town if you did get this successfully?
24:23Well, my understanding is there's various levels of success.
24:26If we become the UK town of culture, there's quite a lot of money involved.
24:30But even if we fall a little bit short and we become one of those nominated towns that's regarded as
24:34being an exemplar, there is money from the government to help us invest in more culture.
24:40And for us, our plan is not to invest in anything that's airy-fairy or very highfalutin.
24:45It is actually to invest in community art and to invest in the audience to make sure our residents and
24:50our customer base have something to enjoy from this.
24:54That's the point.
24:55We've always done things which are at a resident level and connecting with people.
24:58So, that's what the money will be spent on.
25:00So, yeah, there's quite a lot of money involved.
25:02I think, you know, a couple of million quid at stake here.
25:04So, hopefully, we'll progress and our bid will go forward.
25:09Absolutely.
25:10Mentioning some of the events earlier, like those decorated bears and the fact that you said this is something that's
25:14been in the works for a while,
25:16can you reassure people that the council will continue to do its necessary work, whether it's tackling congestion in and
25:21around Dartford or anything like that, really?
25:25Well, people know us, I think, Finn, now.
25:27We've been a council for a long time, been in charge for a long time in Dartford.
25:30They know we're full of common sense.
25:32We're the sort of council that we've frozen our council tax this year.
25:35We've got a very stable financial situation.
25:37We do lots of things very well.
25:39Weekly Bin Collections.
25:40They are our bread and butter.
25:42But the truth is, I do think that residents do deserve to see art and culture.
25:47They deserve to have family experiences.
25:49This weekend, we've got Holly coming up.
25:51So, we're all coming together to join that experience.
25:53In a few weeks' time, we'll have the amazing St George's Day Parade.
25:58It's all about bringing it together.
25:59But you're absolutely right.
26:00We're a council and we do deliver services.
26:02And I think the one thing probably we will be remembered for most of all, actually, is the fact that
26:06we do focus on the core services.
26:08And so, you're absolutely right.
26:09We're not going to forget any of those.
26:11Okay, brilliant.
26:12I've got a few different towns here that are also vying for it.
26:15Chatham, Tentenden, Deal, Folkestone.
26:17How do you feel about your competition?
26:20I've never heard of any of those.
26:23No, listen, I hope it's good for the whole county, really.
26:27There is an awful lot of culture across the county, an awful lot of good work being done by councils.
26:32Local government, you know, gets a bit of a stick sometimes.
26:34But my colleagues across the county are doing a great piece of work in terms of supporting their communities through
26:38tough times.
26:39So, I wish them all well.
26:40I just wish them less well than us.
26:43And they're all doing good work.
26:45And I just think it's important for them to let us win.
26:47Brilliant.
26:48Well, thank you so much for your time, Jeremy, and best of luck to you and the town.
26:53Well, that's all the time we have for now.
26:55See you after this short break.
36:32children happy and watching all the performance enjoying all the excitement that's that's my
36:40favorite part the celebration has unfortunately run out of fortune cookies but i managed to secure
36:47this little mini donut so i guess that's a sign of good things to come the organizers of this
36:55chinese new year celebration hope the good energy will bring people good fortune on horseback or
37:05otherwise henry luck the cane tv in maidstone now on to cricket and the t20 is reaching its end after
37:17england was knocked out by india in the semi-finals and as the weather begins to warm up it's the
37:22perfect time to get out and enjoy a game and that's exactly what some people in the county have
37:27been doing so earlier i spoke to helen fag lenahan from the kent cricket foundation all about the
37:32recent increase in players thank you so much for joining us first of all is there an uptick you've
37:38seen into getting people into cricket during the t20 world cup and other international events is
37:43that something you've seen yeah absolutely it's um obviously as england progressed through the
37:49tournament um there is a lot of interest in it and a lot of talk about the upcoming matches um
37:55and just the general sort of uh patterns we've seen in kent in terms of the number of people
38:00playing cricket i mean in the kent cricket league at the moment um they're at capacity and they've got
38:06a waiting list for the amount of teams that are entering um i think we're at 300 teams across the
38:11county and so generally there does seem to be a an upsurge in in the people playing which is good
38:18absolutely um i think a lot of people struggle with the rules of cricket sometimes and i'm definitely
38:23included in that how have you found it easiest to kind of get people past that hurdle in your experience
38:29yeah definitely i think we work for the kent cricket foundation so we're very much at the entry
38:34level to the sport and we have to think about various different formats to get people interested
38:40and everyone has a different view of cricket and which format they like best and so for us it's just
38:46a good thing to to offer lots of different formats for example we have a women's softball cricket offer
38:52and we have a street cricket offer we have offers for that we call all stars and dynamos which is
38:59for
38:59our junior age group um so we find if we offer lots of different formats then actually it just is
39:05a makes the sport a lot more accessible i see and uh whether it's county or national as you mentioned
39:11there women's softball the women's game is also going from strength to strength of you've seen the
39:16women's great game really grow in in recent years yeah absolutely we've seen a sort of steady growth of
39:25more and more cricket clubs starting women's and girls sections so we're up to 40 women's sections
39:30across the county and 36 girls sections um and the biggest growth that we've seen actually is the
39:36number of teams entering our women's leagues and so we currently have three divisions of women's hard
39:41ball and we're at 13 divisions of women's softball across two competitions um so that's that's seen a huge
39:48increase i think it just has been that women's softball cricket offer has been a really good format for it
39:54um and it's been really popular for lots of women who have busy lives but can still fit in a
40:01much
40:01shorter game of sort of pairs women's softball cricket so yeah that's that's really great absolutely
40:06and what advice would you give to people who are hoping to sort of start playing cricket from scratch
40:13from scratch i think the advice i would give is is obviously you see cricket on tv and you see
40:18test
40:19cricket um the advice would be that there's there's so many different formats of the game
40:23and there'll be one for you um and if they do would want some advice um speak to the kent
40:30cricket
40:30foundation because we could potentially link you up with an opportunity in your local area amazing
40:36that's all the time we have thank you so much for joining us thank you now it's time for a
40:43look at the
40:48weather well tonight it looks to be quite mild temperatures of 9 and 10 degrees highs of 11
40:54there in margate quite clear skies as well into tomorrow morning the same can't be said very cloudy
41:01only some partial sun in kenspreet margate and dover getting slightly warmer into tomorrow afternoon some
41:07rain in dartford and medway highs of 14 in maidstone and here's your outlook 13 degrees rising to 50
41:13by monday and just a little bit of sun peeking through that cloud hopefully wherever you are
41:19you'll get some nice cricket weather
41:29now it's time for one last break stay tuned as we'll be bringing world book day onto the big screen
41:36with kent film club's very own chris dc we'll be quizzing him all about whether where films actually
41:42come from a lot of films tend to be adapted from novels or other media so we'll be testing his
41:47knowledge in just a few minutes well see you soon
42:19and we'll come back and see you soon
42:19okay
42:19okay
42:20okay
45:54And if that's not enough daffodils for you, you can find more blooms in Godington House
45:58and Gardens as well as Hole Park and Stonewall Park.
46:03And now let's take a quick look at the weather.
46:05Hopefully, some nice sunny weather so that daffodils can bloom.
46:15Well, tonight it looks quite mild temperatures of 9 and 10 degrees and quite clear across
46:20some of the county but not everywhere and into tomorrow morning.
46:24Highs of 10 degrees and lows of 9 in Royal Tunbridge Wells, highs of 12 in Canterbury, Margate,
46:29Andover.
46:29Quite cloudy and it's staying that way but some nice rain for the daffodils in Dartford and
46:34Medway and some slow winds be there of 7 and 6.
46:39It's going to be a bit warmer as we get into next week 13, growing to 15 with cloud all
46:46around.
46:55And as always, don't forget you can keep up to date with all your latest stories across Kent
46:59and by logging on to our website that's kmtv.co.uk.
47:02There you'll find all our reports like this one.
47:05Is it a bird?
47:07Is it a plane?
47:08No, it's not Superman but it does come pretty close.
47:13Ashford resident Simon Fannin is out to break records at the London Marathon this year.
47:19Now it's a sunny half term morning but there's no rest for Simon who's still continuing to
47:25train knitting in hand as part of his nine-month plan that he started last summer.
47:30So I'm completing the London Marathon in April, it was initially going to be just a normal
47:37completion of the run and then yeah I'm knitting the longest scarf while running a marathon.
47:43Morning, almost 7 o'clock, I've got my knitting.
47:46And he's documenting his journey on his social media.
47:48He's training cats and dogs!
47:50The army veteran might be used to running long distances and his appearance on the game
47:54of wool might ensure he won't get his needles in a twist.
47:59But putting them together is a new challenge in aid of a cause close to his heart.
48:04So the two causes I'm running for, Huntington's Disease Association which is an amazing charity
48:09who help out people with Huntington's Disease which is a rare neurological condition.
48:14My mum's got Huntington's Disease so that's what I know about the charity and they do really
48:19good outreach work for people.
48:21A real charity which is based around mental health for veterans and frontline services
48:28and they do that through movement.
48:30The previous record holder of the longest scarf made during a marathon is David Babcock
48:35who knitted a 3.7 metre garment whilst running the Kansas City Marathon in 2013.
48:43Knitting is obviously, for me, I've been doing it for 10 years so it's quite easy and running
48:48as well is quite easy but when you mix the two, the things I didn't expect were you've
48:53got to keep your upper body really still so you can't drive with your arms and quite a
48:57lot of power when you're running is caused, it's taken from your upper body so because you've
49:01got to keep that really still, it's really like all legs basically.
49:07While he might have his work cut out, if his training in Victoria Park has anything to go
49:12by, he's certainly proved that knitters aren't quitters.
49:16Megan Shaw for Kane TV in Ashford.
49:20And right after this we'll have an episode of Kent Film Club but did you know many of
49:24your favourite films were actually inspired by novels?
49:27To test Chris DiC's knowledge he's very kindly volunteered to join me in the studio to talk
49:32about World Book Day and all sorts of films that were inspired by books.
49:36So I've got a bit of a quiz here for you, it's been put together by some of our fantastic
49:40production assistants, so how do you think you're going to do is my first question.
49:44Well good question because in some cases of course they change the titles, or in some
49:47cases you might like a film out of Jaws or something and not realise it may have come
49:52from a source novel, so we'll see.
49:53Yeah we'll have a look, I actually completely forgot that Jaws was based off a book, so let's
49:58have our first, let's have a look.
50:01So I'm going to give you three films, it's up to you to decide which was not based
50:06on a book.
50:07So, 10 Things I Hate About You, Fantastic Mr Fox, and Scream.
50:11Okay, Scream I would say, because 10 Things I Hate About You, if you say it really quickly
50:16it sounds like the taming of the shrew, confession, I saw this at the cinema in 1999 and only later
50:23when I read the reviews did I realise it's the Shakespeare story, so many films are aren't
50:28there?
50:28You think, oh it sounds like Cade and Abel.
50:30So there are so many with those sort of legendary, almost like mythical themes, but fantastic Mr
50:37Fox, yeah.
50:38So Scream is the odd one out.
50:39Scream, you would be absolutely correct.
50:41Actually you've educated me here because I always, my sort of fun fact was always like,
50:46oh yeah did you know that this film is taming of the truth?
50:48And I never realised that if you say it fast enough, it turns out that it's true.
50:52Another one, fun fact, the Sidney Sweeney and Glenn Powell film, the name escapes me at
50:57the moment, Anyone But You was based on I believe Much To Do About Nothing from Shakespeare.
51:03It was and I saw that at the cinema, you're absolutely right.
51:06And I didn't realise until later because Much To Do About Nothing is my favourite Shakespeare.
51:09Right, let's have a look at our next one, right, so The Social Network, Pan's Labyrinth and
51:15The Godfather.
51:16Well obviously The Godfather, Mario Puzo, Social Network, I'd be astonished, I mean it could
51:25have come, Aaron Sorkin did the screenplay, and so no that would be original.
51:30Pan's Labyrinth feels like it's come, I mean it's obviously Del Toro, he's such a visionary
51:36filmmaker, but he would have drawn on all sorts of mythology in the framing of that.
51:40Absolutely, I feel we've almost tried to trick you here, maybe in your own head you
51:44were sort of trying to go, well would they have been mean enough to say, well it is based
51:47on a book, Facebook, but no, you are absolutely correct, Pan's Labyrinth.
51:50That's a good one.
51:51Thank you, Pan's Labyrinth is not based on a book.
51:54Let's have a look at our next one, your films are Gone With The Wind, It Ends With Us and
52:01Back To The Future.
52:02The one that's not from a source novel is Back To The Future for sure, Gone With The
52:07Wind, Legendary, yes, and It Ends With Us, I mean hugely controversial in so many ways,
52:13but Colleen Hoover, who, and there's a new film based on something that she's written,
52:17I like the way they say best-selling phenomenon, because that's what it is, they sell out, and
52:21I've been in the audience and it's just actually packed out, often with teenagers, young people.
52:25Well absolutely, that one again was a slight trick, you did get it right, Back To The Future
52:28absolutely is not based on a novel, but the film and book combo is called a novelisation,
52:33because the film came first, and there was a book created after the film's release.
52:38Let's have a look at our next one, your films are Trainspotting, Nightmare on Elm Street,
52:44and Alice in Wonderland.
52:46Alice in Wonderland, that's easy obviously, Lewis Carroll, Trainspotting, I think I've read
52:51the Irvin Walsh, so I'd say Nightmare on Elm Street.
52:55You would be, again, correct, so far so good, absolutely right, Alice in Wonderland, obviously
52:59based on the original work, which actually was written where I'm from in Surrey, back
53:03around in Dorking I believe, Trainspotting, as you're very right there, also based on a
53:09book.
53:10Okay, let's have a look at our next three.
53:12The Parent Trap, Beetlejuice, is it Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, or just Beetlejuice?
53:16Well, I can't say it three times, and Shrek.
53:19Don't be careful, that's what will happen.
53:20What of these do you think?
53:23Well, The Parent Trap, now of course, based on an earlier film, from the early 60s, ooh,
53:31now Beetlejuice is so Tim Burton, I don't think that's come from a source, and Shrek, again,
53:38you see it's like with some of the other examples we've given, so steeped in folklore, that it's
53:44both original and visionary, but also couldn't have been made if it wasn't for the fairy tales
53:50of time gone by.
53:53I'm going to have to press you for an answer, what do you think?
53:55I'm going to go Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice.
53:57Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, you would be correct, is not based on a book.
54:01Shrek was based on a children's book, The Parent Trap was also based on a book, so very well
54:05done there, our last one, here we go, Star Wars, A New Hope, Mindhunter, and, oh sorry,
54:13Holes, I should say, and Mrs. Doubtfire.
54:15Ooh, no, I never thought of Mrs. Doubtfire in this way, but I think there is a source
54:20material for this, I mean, Star Wars, well, unless you go for Joseph Campbell and all
54:25the work on myth, which has been done before, because this is the film that often people
54:29point to as having, you know, the hero's journey, although The Wizard of Oz, I would argue,
54:35does that very well and was, you know, 40 years earlier.
54:39Holes I'm not so familiar with, but I'll go for, ooh, I'll go for Star Wars.
54:44You have been 100% correct, you've passed with flying colours, this one was another trick,
54:49the book and the film were both originals in their own way, the film produced first, but
54:53the book was released before the film, the other two, Holes, a particular favourite of
54:57mine when I was young, both based on books.
54:59So, well done, you've passed with flying colours, and I'll reward you with this question,
55:03what is your favourite adaptation of a book into a film, if you had to pick one?
55:08If I had to pick one, The End of the Affair, the Graham Greene novel, because the film,
55:13Neil Jordan made it, who did The Crying Game, came out early 2000, and the film is remarkable,
55:20dealing with faith and miracles, but also the book, which was made many decades earlier,
55:25is so textured, so moving. So it's almost a case that the film does, works in its own
55:31right, and the novel works in its own right, but you don't need to see them as, you know,
55:35often like The Da Vinci Code, my view, not very good, because I loved reading the book,
55:41but the film just felt like, it almost said, now turn to the next page, it felt very by
55:45the numbers. So I love it when a film and a book stand on their own two feet.
55:50Absolutely. We haven't got too much time left, but I just wanted to sort of say that oftentimes
55:54we can almost forget that there's a book behind the film, because they're so iconic. I've got
55:58some here that, you know, I feel guilty almost for forgetting about the books. The Hunger Games,
56:03I read the book, then watched the film, but whenever I think about it, you only think about
56:06Jennifer Lawrence. Yeah, very true, and I also, I have a confession to make, the number of times
56:11I've watched a film, Sider House Rules is one example, when I've enjoyed the film so much,
56:16I've then gone back to the source novel. So many people will say, oh, there's a film
56:20of my favourite novel, I do it in reverse. Confession though, Sider House Rules, such
56:24a long book by John Irving, I was halfway through, and in the end, the film came out in the
56:28cinema,
56:29so I watched the film while I was halfway through reading the book. And I didn't intend to,
56:33but it was sprawling, but brilliant. Absolutely. And a little fun fact before we go, Pirates
56:38of the Caribbean, I was told, is actually based on a theme park ride. It is. Yeah. Well,
56:41I'll leave you that fun fact. Thank you so much for watching. That's all the time we have.
56:45See you very soon. Good night.
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