Thanet Community news: Seaside shuffling, ping pong fun and plenty to celebrate

End of Life Care Facilitator Heidi Anderson with Comfort Care Pack.

Care packs

The League of Friends of the QEQM Hospital has recently funded the provision of 300 comfort care packs (at a cost of just under £1,000) containing an emergency supply of toiletries for relatives spending time at the bedside of patients approaching the end of their life.

End of life facilitator at the QEQM Hospital Heidi Anderson said: “We’re very grateful to the League of the Friends. 

“These packs really benefit relatives at a very difficult time by allowing them to attend to their own personal hygiene, making them feel valued and cared for. 

“They also support the Compassion project, whose symbol is displayed on wards when a person is expected to die within the next few hours or days or has just died, promoting an atmosphere of quiet and respect for those receiving end-of-life care and their families.”

The pack contains a dental kit, comb, shaving kit, tissues, deodorant, wipes, pen, notepaper and an organza bag for sentimental items all packed in a ziplock bag. 

More information about the QEQM Hospital League of Friends is available on their Facebook page, by ringing their 24-hour answerphone on 01843-234507 or at their website www.leagueoffriendsqeqm.nhs.uk

Campaigner street stall

Local residents will join hundreds of people across the UK to call for an overhaul of the voting system on Saturday, July 6. 

Campaigners will run a street stall in Ramsgate Harbour near the bus stop with a petition to Craig Mackinlay MP calling for a form of proportional representation.

The street stall is one of around 100 being held across the UK – from Ramsgate to Belfast – in what is set to be one of the largest mobilisations for proportional representation in recent history. 

According to Make Votes Matter, the current voting system denies millions of people a voice in Parliament, forces millions more to vote tactically, and distorts the will of the British people. 

They point out that the Conservatives and DUP share a majority of seats in the House of Commons, despite receiving just 43 per cent of the vote in 2017. 

Mel Winter, from Thanet Green Party, who is taking part in the action, said: “The current voting system is not fit for purpose, most countries have upgraded and they are able to represent the people’s voice in government, we don’t have representation with first past the post.  

“Did you have to vote tactically in the last election? You shouldn’t need to by moving away from our current two party rule governance.”

If you want to help campaign, go to the Ramsgate Harbour bus stop between 11am-3pm on Saturday, July 6.

Margate Football Club 

The football club is looking to recruit a new kit manager ahead of the 2019/20 season in the Bostik Premier League.

The position will be paid and duties will include preparing and maintaining all first team kit, attending all first team fixtures both home and away and washing all first team kit in provided washing machines at Hartsdown Park. 

They will work closely with the first team manager to ensure the correct kit is available for all first team players and staff, and ensure all training and playing equipment is ready and available for every match, such as footballs set at the correct pressure, bibs, cones, poles and mannequins.

The role may also include some away match day secretary duties, however, this will be discussed further upon application.

It is essential that all applicants applying for this role have a full UK driving Licence.

Anyone interested should apply by sending a cover letter to Tom Morris at [email protected]

Ramsgate RNLI 

Saturday, June 29, marked the 20th Anniversary of the Ramsgate RNLI’s website www.ramsgatelifeboat.org.co.uk which was set up by Clive Lawford, one of the charity’s unsung heroes who gives his time up freely for the station. 

He was originally from Broadstairs but now lives in Norway with his family, from where he works tirelessly updating the website which has undergone its latest transformation only recently.  

In his own words is a brief history of the website:

“In 1999 I was setting up my family history site ‘Clive’s Family History Bookshelf’ and at the same time I decided to make a page using the photos I had of the Ramsgate (England) Waveney class lifeboat 44-016 the ‘Ralph and Joy Swann’. 

“I had taken the photos to help me build a model of the 40-016, which I had chosen as a project at the Medway College of Design, where I was studying industrial modelmaking. 

“I guess my interest in the lifeboat service must stem from my father who was Deputy Launching Officer at Ramsgate for over 21 years.

“Before long my page had turned into a site and my family history site had to be shelved. 

“The next job was to find a title and ‘44-016 Ex Ramsgate Lifeboat’ is what I decided on.

“At this stage the site also included information on other Ramsgate lifeboats but after discussion with the Hon. Sec. at the Ramsgate branch of the RNLI, I was given permission to use this information as a basis for a Ramsgate Lifeboat website.

“It is quite often a surprise to people who write to me to find that I live in Norway. 

“I was brought up Broadstairs. After my work had taken me to various places in England, I moved to Norway in 1986. 

“It is perhaps no less of a surprise to me that the geographical area in which I live doesn’t cause me any problems with my work on the site.”

Sands Hotel

The Cleaning Company has expanded its reach out to the Kent coast with its newest client Sands Hotel in Margate.  

The Sands is set in a beautifully restored building right on the beach looking out over the sea.  The hotel was looking to introduce a cleaning company that would centre their service around the hotel’s high end customer and have partnered with The Cleaning Company to do just that. 

Managing director of The Cleaning Company Chan Mehta was delighted by this new partnership “We are excited to be working with Sands Hotel.  

“We love the challenge that comes with hospitality venues and are looking forward to seeing the impact we can have on guests’ experience at the hotel.  

“By providing a consistently exceptional service at Sands we will be creating a safe, clean and enjoyable experience for holiday-makers and business trippers spending time and making memories at this beautiful hotel.” 

Twinning 

Last weekend, three members of the Ramsgate Twinning Association accompanied former mayor of Ramsgate Trevor Shonk to Ramsgate’s twin town of Conflans St Honorine on the bank of the River Seine a few miles west of Paris.

St. Honorina, after whom the town is named, is the Patron Saint of Boatmen, Sailors, and Ships and the town of Conflans is known as the capital of the Batellerie or river-boats. 

The people of Conflans are particularly proud of the part played by the Belgian and French barge owners and their families who helped the allies in both world wars. 

During WW1 their barges became floating hospitals transporting wounded soldiers from the Western Front down the River Seine to Rouen.

This year was the 60th anniversary of the Pardon national de la Batellerie and Ramsgate joined members of the twinning towns of Conflans and Chimay in Belgium in the annual commemorations held in June to remember these brave river people, and especially those who lost their lives.  

A procession of highly decorated boats escorted a flame, lit the day before at the Arc de Triumphe in Paris, down the river to Conflans. 

Following a civic ceremony led by the mayor of Conflans, Laurent Brosse, the procession moved down to the Pointil, at the confluence of the Seine and the Oise rivers, to light the flame and lay flowers.

The boat people also have their own floating church, the Bateau-Chapelle Je Sers, housed in an old coal barge, which opened as a mission in 1919 and is still helping refugees and travellers to this day.

The Ramsgate Twinning Association is always looking for new members and new ideas for twinning activities. 

A football team from Conflans visited Ramsgate a few weeks ago. 

In 2018 Thanet Thunderers Boccia group visited Chimay and Conflans, and Terry Fearn from Ramsgate worked with the other twinning towns on a WW1 exhibition held in Conflans.

Summer concert of Youth

Thanet Light Orchestra return to St Nicholas-at-Wade Church for a charity concert of light music and popular classics on Sunday, July 7, at 4pm, in St Nicholas-at-Wade church.

Thanet Light Orchestra will be performing several pieces connected with ‘youth’ (either in the title or where the composer was young) and also welcoming talented young musicians to play with the orchestra.

Cellist Shizuku Tatsuno is from Japan, where she won several awards before coming to the UK to study at The Yehudi Menuhin School. 

After graduating, she won a scholarship to the Royal College of Music, where she is currently studying under the tutelage of Raphael Wallfisch and Thomas Carroll. 

The Salomé Quartet, which she formed at the RCM, won the chamber music competition, and together they have given several recitals at top London venues, including recently at the Wigmore Hall. 

Shizuku will play the first movement of Haydn’s famous cello concerto in C.

Local girl Lizzy Russell (currently attending the Junior Guildhall but soon to start oboe and cor anglais studies at the Royal Northern College of Music) will also be performing two movements from Marcello’s popular oboe concerto with the orchestra.

Other works on the programme can be seen via the Classical Events concert information.

Tickets £10 on the door, £8 advance from St Nicholas-at-Wade Post Office (call 01843 844632 for opening hours); refreshments available for a donation. 

Under 18s free, accompanying adults £5. 

Proceeds in aid of St Nicholas at Wade Church Fabric Fund. 

Over fifties

Thanet Over Fifties Forum invites you to join them at an event in Broadstairs.

Keynote speakers include Steve Inett, CEO of Healthwatch Kent, and Clare Thomas, Head of Local Care for the East Kent Clinical Commission Group.

They will be talking about healthcare in Thanet – ‘what local services will look like and the improvements the current proposals will make’ – Wednesday, July 10, at 1.30pm Queens Road Baptist Church, Broadstairs.

Seaside shuffle jazz club

The bands are now booked for our 9th Annual Seaside Shuffle.

Saturday, July 13: 12 noon – 2.30pm, Burt Butler’s Jazz Pilgrims; 4pm – 6.30pm, Napier Jazz Band; 8pm – 10.30pm, Frog Island Jazz Band.

Sunday, July 14: 12noon – 2.30pm, Doolally Tap (don’t forget your brollies!); 4pm – 6.30pm, Steamboat Jazz Band.

Tickets for each concert are £15 for all, but a Block Booking ticket for 

£60 will be available from John Morgan on the door.

The venue for all the concerts is at the fully licensed Ramsgate Small  Boat Owners Club, Guildford Lawn, Ramsgate, CT 11 9AY

Ping pong fun

For years now Laleham Gap school has been known for its ping pong prowess. 

It has had Olympic and Paralympic heroes from the sport in to inspire the pupils. 

Although with enthusiastic coach Mr Ursell – AKA ‘Ping Pong Paul – running three clubs a week (in primary, secondary and even for staff) the sport flourishes with or without outside support.

With National Table Tennis Day taking place so late (July 18) the school decided to go early with its big celebratory events, this week having a Staff v Pupils extravaganza in primary on one day and in secondary the next.

“This year the competition was fierce,” explained Mr Ursell. “Staff here are marvellous and across the school we played 112 matches, with staff generously giving up their time. 

“The pupils loved it and the sporting nature of the events was epitomised with a handshake at the end of all 112 matches.”

In primary pupils held on to the trophy with a very convincing 31: 17 victory. 

In secondary things were much tighter. After 64 matches there was only two in it with the pupils sneaking it by 30 to 32.

You might think after such hectic activity Mr Ursell would be easing down with ping pong. 

On the contrary, as National Table Tennis Day fast approaches these are by no means the final events for the school this year. 

The pupils are currently battling it out over the next few weeks for School Champion in both primary and secondary. 

And with trophies for effort and achievement still to be won in primary, secondary and even among staff much is still to play before the end of year assembly when medals and trophies will be given out.

25 years of St Peter’s Village Tour

St Peter’s Village Tour 25th Anniversary Celebration Lunch.

Thursday, August 8, 12.30pm for 1.00pm at St Peter’s Church Hall, Hopeville Avenue, Broadstairs.

As the Village Tour has been operating for 25 years, we want to honour the great achievement of this small and dedicated group of volunteers who work diligently to bring local history to life. Providing entertainment for visitors and at the same time a service to the community.

It was at Easter 1994 when a church member Brian Sleightholm was asked to show members of a society around the parish church.  

Brian considered such a tour might have a wider appeal if it included the rest of the village. 

A tentative start was made at Easter 1995 incorporating nine costumed characters who were kept a secret until the visitor met them. 

It was thought it might generate enough interest to run for a few weeks.  

How wrong could one be!

Before the end of the first season a scroll was presented to the 1000th visitor, a lady from Australia. 

Visitors of all ages have come from all over the world. A further scroll was given to a lady from Birmingham for being the 8000th visitor in May 2001.

The Yarrow Hotel Broadstairs is to provide lunch. A cake is being made, representing all characters on the tour.  

There will be 120 guests present.

The celebration will also be attended by The High Sheriff of Kent, Chairman of Kent County Council, Chairman of Thanet District Council, Amanda Cottrell, OBE, Patron of St Peter’s Village Tour,  The Chelsea Pensioners and their Piper. It is the Pensioners fourth year visiting the Tour.

Athletics achievements

Lyn Sole from Thanet Athletics club competed in the Southern Counties Veterans Athletics club

championships on Saturday, May 25, held at Tilsley Park athletics stadium in Abingdon Oxford.

On a glorious sunny day, and the championships having a record level of competitors, Lyn started the day with a gold medal in the long jump with a jump of 3.54. 

Next for Lyn came the discus. 

Being the first time Lyn had competed at a master’s competition in the discus, Lyn was over the moon with a throw of 16.01, securing a well-deserved silver medal.

Next came the well anticipated 100m. 

Despite the afternoon heat, and strong competition, Lyn ran a seasons best of 16.71, again securing the gold medal.

Lyn, 58, said: “We had the most amazing day, and the results were fantastic. 

“I would love to encourage more ‘mature’ athletes to get involved in the club, and hopefully experience some of the amazing competitions and venues out there. 

“If I can do it, I’m sure anyone can.”

Kent Schools Championships at Julie Rose Stadium Ashford. Saturday, June 8.

Despite gale force winds and driving rain, athletes from Thanet Athletics Club produced a range of outstanding results at the Kent Schools Championships.

The year 7 boys section saw Finn Williams gain a season best in the 800m, while the year 7 girls saw Poppy Rowland-Hill compete in the shot taking the bronze medal before securing an gold in the high jump. 

Eve Seery also competed in the shot before jumping a personal best of 4.36m in the long

jump to win the gold medal.

The junior boys section saw Harvey Humpheryes compete in the 100m and then managed to make it to the final of the 200m. 

Josh Perry made it through to the final of the 100m where he finished a respectable fourth, just missing out on the medals. 

Not perturbed, he made it through to the final of the 200m where he secured a bronze medal, just missing out on silver by 0.01s.

The junior girls section saw Libby Pritchard and Mille Vas competed in the 100m, and then Mille went onto secure a pb in the shot with 8.90m. 

Grace Jakeman made it through to the finals in both the 100m and 200m where she ran exceptional races, and Sophie Baker also managed a pb in the 200m of 32.93s. 

Keeva Fredericks competed in the discus with a pb of 14.47m and again threw a pb in the hammer of 20.03m. 

Mabel Naisbitt also managed a pb in the javelin of 21.24m. Keira Hulks ran an astonishing race in the 300m and secured herself a well-deserved silver medal.

Sophie Richardson was the only girl competing in the intermediate girl’s section and managed to secure a bronze medal in the discus with a pb throw of 22.98m.

The intermediate boys section saw Joe Lowes compete in the 100m and 200m, while Aston Fredericks secured a place in the 100m final, where he ran a good race. 

Dermot O’Brien ran a season best in the 100m, before going on to compete in a grueling 1500m, doing his best despite horrendous conditions.

Sam Pateman competed in the discus and the shot, throwing exceptionally well. 

George Seery jumped an astonishing 1.75m in the high jump, reaching the county selection height. 

George also ran 58.23s in the 400m hurdles, making the standard for England selection and securing a well-deserved gold medal.

Thanet Athletics Club also sent a collection of officials, coaches and helpers from the club who all gave up their time freely to assist in the smooth running of the event and were rightfully praised for their hard work and professionalism. 

They all agreed, that despite the horrendous weather conditions, the athletes performed exceptionally well, and everyone is extremely proud of them all.

Collateral tour

Picture credit Robert Sutton

Thanet rock n’ roll all-stars Collateral are embarking on an incredible three months tour in their relatively short history under the current guise with Bucket & Co, Jon Bon Jovi, Piston and a late summer, self-titled, debut album all to come.

Yes, you read that right, Jon Bon Jovi is written in the stars for Angelo Tristan and his fellow bandmates, Jack Bentley-Smith, Ben Atkinson, Todd Winger, and their battle-worn manager, Vivanne Leonard (Roulette Media).

First thing’s first though, a brief tour with Bucket & Co, the lads sporting their new merchandise, will see them take on Nottingham, London (twice), Bedford, Birmingham and Chesterfield between June 28 and July 4 alongside the former, long-term guitarist of Bad Company, Dave ‘Bucket’ Colwell.

His band alone consists of former members of Iron Maiden, Quireboys, NY Dolls, and a few more, so Angelo and his all-stars are in good company.

Then there’s a quick turn-around back home before a Mediterranean sojourn, from Barcelona to Majorca, cruising in style with American legend, Jon Bon Jovi, between August 26-30.

Speaking to the Isle of Thanet news, Collateral’s frontman said: “We’ve just kept our heads down and the momentum going because if you take the foot off the gas, things become a lot harder.

“A lot of the success we have enjoyed is very much down to our loyal and increasing fan-base as well; they helped us get to places like Camden Rocks, Ramblin’ Man (they perform on July 20), and the Bon Jovi Cruise.”

In among all of this, the lads have both found time to release a new single ‘Lullaby’ out in early May, and their debut album is imminent.

But what about ‘that’ Bon Jovi gig in late August; the American rock band hailing from New Jersey having too many classic hits to even name a few are idols of Angelo.

“I had posters on my wall of them when I was like, eight years old,” insists Angelo.

“He was, and still is, a rock god to me and, having recently seen them perform, I know because of that, where we want to be and what we’re aiming for.

“After that, we go on tour with Piston, a tour we just decided to book together and do it ourselves.

“We’re both releasing albums around the same time and there’s plenty of places on that tour that we’ve never played before so we can’t wait to get out there, and rock.”

Collateral are presently on a six-date mini-tour with Bucket & Co, Bon Jovi Cruise from Barcelona to Majorca takes place late August, then the co-headline tour with Piston begins in Leicester on September 12 and finishes in Gravesend on October 4.

Website – http://collateralofficial.com/