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Thursday
Oct062011

Holy Trinity pipped by Unholy Monopoly?

Herne turns out to be an unsuspected hive of activity. It transpires that the local vicar thought it would be a neat idea to re-establish the centuries old symbiosis between Booze and Pews by nabbing the defunct Red Lion as a vicarage.


A vicar has revealed she asked her church to purchase a rundown pub and turn it into a new vicarage. The Rev Elaine Richardson tried to persuade the Diocese of Canterbury to buy the empty Upper Red Lion in Herne.

The vicar, who preaches at St Martin's Church next door, says it would have been the perfect spot for a vicarage with rooms for public use. But the Diocese considered the move "uneconomical and unsuitable" - paving the way for Tesco

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Thursday
Oct062011

Don't want Tesco, do want pub!

Following up to last month's hoo-ha about Tesco bidding for the Red Lion pub in Herne, and one of the ward councillors being the only person who didn't think it was a disastrous idea, we now have some more local feedback...


NO. We do not want Tesco in the village of Herne or Broomfield for that matter. ('Tesco always just muscles in and takes all the trade', Herne Bay Gazette, September 29).

I am on the planning committee of the parish council and would not support any plans that involve the Upper Red Lion for anything but a pub.

I am having the subject put on the agenda of the parish council meeting on Thursday, October 13, starting at 7.30pm

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Thursday
Oct062011

War tribute at Bay Art Gallery

Artist pair's 30 years together

Two artists who met more than 30 years ago are celebrating three decades of working together. Clive Soord and Patrick Crouch held their first show together in Canterbury in 1981. They remained firm friends and now have taken over the Bay Art Gallery. The exhibition in William Street, Herne Bay, runs to this Saturday although the pair are hoping to get this extended.

Sculptor Clive, 53, a Canterbury College lecturer, specialises in bronze statues and ceramics. He said:

“Visitors will see there is a bit of both humour and satire here. One of the pieces is an anti-war memorial.”

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Tuesday
Oct042011

"The Seafront"

It’s dusk and the promenade is rain-licked and grey. The flat expanse of concrete curls clean along the lip of the sea, which is punching great cold fists of water against it in a frenzy of February cold.

Down along the seafront at intermittent intervals the concrete dips down to face the sea; a moment for boats departing or waves arriving. There, the fist of the sea claws at the incline like it would smash it to shingle and drag it under.

And there, standing perfectly still, just against the sea, are a couple; ramrod straight. He is arms crossed and bespectacled. She is small and domestic; a biscuit-baking denizen of the middle-class kitchen.

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Sunday
Oct022011

Sep 2011: most read

Saturday
Oct012011

Historical Records Society: new season

HBHRS Programme 2011/2012


OCT 6

A.G.M. followed by:

Images of Herne Bay from the Air: from the Collection, and refreshments


OCT 20

Frank Turner

Harold Gough Memorial Lecture: The Dambuster Trials at Reculver and Lady Stardust

NOV 3

Bob & Neil Lawrence

Antiques in your Garden Shed

NOV 17

James Brazier

Women At War 1914-1918

DEC 1

Helen Allinson

Life in England 1900-1918

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Friday
Sep302011

The Upper Red Lion at Herne, Tesco, and Peter Vickery-Jones

What do the locals make of the tale of an old village pub, a greedy supermarket and a local Councillor? Disgusting, stupid, ignorant... and they're not talking about the pub or the supermarket.

Here's how the tale has been unfolding over the last couple of weeks in the HB Gazette. The pub closed in March 2011, and is up for sale at £¼m. Tesco will take it off Punch Tavern's hands if they can get planning permission, although both sides are being tight-lipped about the deal. Ignoring the concerns of local businesses, Cllr Vickery-Jones wades in, spouting daftness.

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Tuesday
Sep272011

Reforms to the Planning System

Our beloved Government is thinking of changing the Planning System. By and large property developers love the proposals, and groups like the Campaign to Protect Rural England and the National Trust are against them. That tells me a lot.

The National Trust have an online petition and plenty of background information, posters etc. so pop over and have a look.

For decades England's planning system has protected much loved places from harmful development – and steered development to the places where it's needed. If you care about preserving the places important to you, make your voice heard before October 12th.

Click here to find out more.

Monday
Sep192011

Village Green: how you can help

Two years ago, I applied to Kent County Council to register the Downs as a Village Green. In November this year, Kent County Council will be holding a public inquiry to decide whether to register the Downs as a Village Green.

If we’re successful, Canterbury City Council will have to continue maintain the Downs, but they won’t be able to sell the land, build on it, or use some of it for car parking as was suggested for the King’s Hall end.

Village Green status will protect the Downs as an open space for Herne Bay people to use for freely and free of charge forever… just as we use it today.

To succeed in persuading Kent Council to register the Downs as a Village Green, we need people like you to come along to the public inquiry to tell the independent inspector about the use you make of the Downs.

Can you help us?

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Saturday
Sep172011

Spam Scams

Like most people, I get a steady stream of spam emails promising me unexpected wealth from unlikely sources. Most of these are so absurd (and so poorly written) that I'm astonished anyone is ever taken in by them, but they do have some entertainment value in their own right...


Dear Friend,

I am Dr. John C.C Chan a Korean Republc, happily married with children, and i am a Director of Hang Seng Bank Ltd, in charge of the International Remittance department. I have a confidential business you of 25.5 million dollars for you.

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