Glen H. posted an article on
Kent Today & Yesterday
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Oct 9, 2011, 4:06 pm
I have been inspired to write this latest post by my fellow blogger Helen in Melbourne, Australia.
She wrote an interesting piece on her blog about the contribution to the world of the traditional British pub.
I have read reports that pubs are closing at a rate of two a day (although I suspect it ... Comment - Like
Glen H. posted an article on
Kent Today & Yesterday
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Aug 30, 2011, 6:27 pm
This is a fuzzy old picture of Gravesend airport, or Gravesend London East, as it used to be more grandly known when it first opened in the 1930's.
The airport was the starting point for many air speed record attempts by famous pioneer aviators such as Amy Johnson but I will write more about ... Comment - Like
Glen H. posted an article on
Kent Today & Yesterday
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Jul 27, 2011, 6:26 pm
Over the last year or so I have done a lot of walks all over Kent but haven't got around to writing about them yet.
So to make amends this post is about a pleasant afternoon walk I made last October along the former Thames and Medway Canal starting close to my office in Gravesend.
The 7.7 mile long... Comment - Like
Glen H. posted an article on
Kent Today & Yesterday
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Jun 27, 2011, 7:16 pm
This rather dapper looking gentleman is Sydney Cumbers, affectionately known as Long John Silver due to his distinctive eye patch and nautical attire.
Sydney Cumbers had a boyhood dream to go to sea but sadly the loss of his left eye at an early age ended that ambition and instead he went into the f... Comment - Like
Glen H. posted an article on
Kent Today & Yesterday
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May 18, 2011, 6:07 pm
A few months ago I signed up to take part in a charity 20 mile North Downs Challenge on behalf of St Mary's church in Kemsing. Some parts of the church date back to the 11th century so are understandably in need of some attention.
Earlier this month I duly reported in at the church hall along with m... Comment - Like
Glen H. posted an article on
Kent Today & Yesterday
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May 11, 2011, 6:50 pm
What is a tin tabernacle?
A tin tabernacle, also sometimes known as a tin chapel, was a "temporary" building constructed from corrugated iron built during the late Victorian era and used for religious worship.
The late Victorian period was a time of religious missionary zeal and the Anglican church ... Comment - Like
Glen H. posted an article on
Kent Today & Yesterday
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May 6, 2011, 5:53 pm
This weekend (7th/8th May) Central Park, Dartford will once again be filled with reminders of Britain's industrial heritage such as the steam traction engine "Challenger" pictured above.
She was built by John Fowler & Co in Leeds in 1914.
Around the same time each year the Trevithick's Industrial D... Comment - Like
Glen H. posted an article on
Kent Today & Yesterday
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Apr 30, 2011, 6:30 pm
The English Electric Lightning which has stood at the gates to British Aerospace site at Rochester Airport for many years is currently being dismantled prior to a move to an new home at Bentwaters Cold War Museum.
The aircraft ZF581 was originally built in December 1967 as a Lightning F53 for the Ro... Comment - Like
Glen H. posted an article on
Kent Today & Yesterday
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Apr 23, 2011, 5:40 pm
Happy St George's Day.
By some miracle, this year Gravesend Borough Council decided to spend some of our council tax to mark St George's Day and judging by the amount of people in town today it was money well spent.
This is like a breath of fresh air after more than a decade of New Labour rule when ... Comment - Like
Glen H. posted an article on
Kent Today & Yesterday
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Apr 19, 2011, 6:16 pm
Unless you happen to have been living on Mars for the last few months you will no doubt be aware of the forthcoming nuptials of Prince William and Kate Middleton next week.
Of course, this is certainly not the first Royal wedding and back in March 1863 one took place which brought the town of Graves... Comment - Like
Glen H. posted an article on
Kent Today & Yesterday
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Apr 17, 2011, 6:57 pm
The Sikh community paraded through the streets of Gravesend, Kent this Saturday, as they do every year in April, to mark the festival of Vaisakhi.
Vaisakhi is one of the most significant holidays in the Sikh calendar and also marks the start of the Hindu solar new year.
A new Gurdwara (Sikh temple) ... Comment - Like
Glen H. posted an article on
Kent Today & Yesterday
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Apr 6, 2011, 6:57 pm
Due to it's proximity to London and the English Channel, a large number of castles were built in Kent after the Norman invasion and again during the Tudor period.
Some of Kent's castles such as Rochester, Dover and Leeds are very well known around the world. Leybourne Castle (near Larkfield), howev... Comment - Like
Glen H. posted an article on
Kent Today & Yesterday
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Mar 24, 2011, 7:28 pm
In little more than a few hours, the first steam train since 1966, in fact the first train of any description since 1985, will run from Tunbridge Wells West in Kent via Groombridge to Eridge in Sussex.
Following many years of dedicated hard work and despite limited funds, the heritage Spa Valley Rai... Comment - Like
Glen H. posted an article on
Kent Today & Yesterday
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Mar 5, 2011, 6:16 pm
Regular readers of this blog will know that over the last few months I have been walking the Darent Valley Path in stages.
The Darent Valley Path runs from the Thames at Dartford to Riverhead and Chipstead (nr Sevenoaks).
For reasons unknown, I actually started my first part of the walk from Farnin... Comment - Like
Glen H. posted an article on
Kent Today & Yesterday
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Feb 5, 2011, 6:52 pm
Following the success of last year's event, Visit Kent is organising another Big Weekend Out on 26th and 27th March.
KENT residents are able to bid for free tickets to over 100 different attractions throughout the county including Rochester Castle, Wildwood, Chartwell (home of Winston Churchill) and... Comment - Like
Glen H. posted an article on
Kent Today & Yesterday
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Jan 26, 2011, 7:00 pm
The 26th January 2011 marks the 126th anniversary of the death of General Charles George Gordon, perhaps more commonly remembered by his nicknames "Chinese Gordon" or "Gordon of Khartoum".
He was born in Woolwich, Kent on 28th January 1833 into a military family (his father was a Major-General). Cha... Comment - Like
Glen H. posted an article on
Kent Today & Yesterday
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Jan 17, 2011, 6:01 pm
This Wednesday (19th January), a film called Hattie will be shown on BBC4.
The film stars Ruth Jones (of Gavin and Stacey fame) as comedienne and actress Hattie Jacques.
It tells the story of her complex love life during her marriage to actor John Le Mesurier.
Unbeknown to the public at the time, Ha... Comment - Like
Glen H. posted an article on
Lights 2 Flag - The Warts & All Motor Sports Blog
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Jan 16, 2011, 6:36 pm
Well it seems I've finally gotten around to writing a new blog post after a (very) long hiatus due to work and family commitments....
I was spurred on by the news of a potential return of one of my favourite racing series, possibly as early as this Autumn.
It seems that after much financial turmoil ... Comment - Like
Glen H. posted an article on
Kent Today & Yesterday
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Jan 5, 2011, 6:22 pm
If you're planning a day out in Kent this year, here are ten suggestions of fun places you can go, or things you can do, for less than a fiver.
Yes, that's right, even in these austere times it is still possible to have a good day out in Kent, without breaking the bank.....
1. Take a Walk
There are ... Comment - Like
Glen H. posted an article on
Kent Today & Yesterday
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Dec 31, 2010, 3:22 pm
Picture by Dr Neil Clifton
The popular Greyhound pub in the quiet village of Sutton At Hone on the outskirts of Dartford, Kent has a very dark secret.
Exactly 125 years ago today it was the scene of a horrific double murder.....
Following his customary routine, at ten o'clock in the evening, the 64 ... Comment - Like
Glen H. posted an article on
Kent Today & Yesterday
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Nov 11, 2010, 6:04 pm
In practically every town and village in Kent you will come across memorials, such as the one pictured below, commemorating many thousands of men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice during two World Wars.
Visit any churchyard in Kent and you will find the neatly tended graves of service person... Comment - Like
Glen H. posted an article on
Kent Today & Yesterday
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Nov 4, 2010, 7:38 pm
No matter where you find yourself in Kent, you will come across the County's insignia - the white horse and invicta motto.
The stories behind these two ancient symbols of Kent are very intriguing and shrouded in legend.
The white horse is said to trace it's history back to the fifth century AD when ... Comment - Like
Glen H. posted an article on
Kent Today & Yesterday
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Oct 8, 2010, 6:57 pm
I was recently challenged to participate in a digital scavenger hunt by a friend on Blogcatalog.
All the participants were given a list of eight random themes and asked to post up digital photographs on their respective blogs representing those themes.
As this blog is specifically about the county o... Comment - Like
Glen H. posted an article on
Kent Today & Yesterday
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Sep 19, 2010, 6:18 pm
At 11 o'clock sharp this morning, the 375' chimney of the Cemex (former Rugby) cement works at Halling on the banks of the River Medway was demolished by a series of controlled explosions.
A large crowd of on-lookers witnessed the destruction of the local landmark.
The police closed the A228 main ... Comment - Like
Glen H. posted an article on
Kent Today & Yesterday
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Sep 5, 2010, 3:37 pm
As regular followers of this blog will be aware, I am walking the Darent Valley Path through Kent in easily digestible segments, as and when time permits.
My latest walk set off from the picturesque village of Otford. I parked my car in a free car park opposite the Bull pub close to the Otford Solar... Comment - Like
Glen H. posted an article on
Kent Today & Yesterday
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Aug 20, 2010, 7:40 pm
Today marked the 70th anniversary of Winston Churchill's famous speech about "The Few"....
"Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few"
To commemorate the occasion and the brave pilots, a Spitfire and Hurricane of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight made a whistle s... Comment - Like
Glen H. posted an article on
Kent Today & Yesterday
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Aug 4, 2010, 5:14 pm
As regular readers of this blog will know, I am gradually walking the 19 mile Darent Valley path from the hills near Sevenoaks down to Dartford on the River Thames in bite sized sections.
Following on from the first part of my walk I wrote about a few weeks ago, here is the story of my most recent ... Comment - Like
Glen H. posted an article on
Lights 2 Flag - The Warts & All Motor Sports Blog
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Jul 25, 2010, 7:33 pm
Photo by PH-Stop My next blog post was to have been about my recent visit to the WTCC/F2 at Brands Hatch but having seen the debacle at the Hockenheimring on Sunday I felt compelled to write this rant instead! For the first time in many a long year, I found myself actually agreeing with Eddie Jordan... Comment - Like
Glen H. posted an article on
Kent Today & Yesterday
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Jul 20, 2010, 7:46 pm
Eighty years ago today, a Junkers F 13 (G-AAZK) of Walcot Air Line set off from Berck-sur-Mer near Le Touquet, France.
At the controls were Lieutenant Colonel George "Budgie" Henderson MC AFC, a very distinguished and experienced former RAF World War 1 pilot and Mr Charles Shearing, assistant pilot... Comment - Like
Glen H. posted an article on
Kent Today & Yesterday
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Jul 14, 2010, 6:32 pm
On Sunday 11th July, Gravesend town held it's annual Classic Bus Day in absolutely glorious weather. As all rides on the buses were free, we decided to have a cheap day out (for a change!).
There were approximately a dozen different vintage buses running during the day on the old London Country rout... Comment - Like
Glen H. posted an article on
Kent Today & Yesterday
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Jul 9, 2010, 6:34 pm
In the immortal words of Blakey, "Get that bus out!"This Sunday (11th July 2010) vintage buses from the 1950's and 60's will once again take to the streets of Gravesend, Kent as the town holds it's annual Classic Bus Day.
The buses will be operating between 11 AM and 5 PM, arriving and departing fro... Comment - Like
Glen H. posted an article on
Kent Today & Yesterday
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Jun 20, 2010, 6:10 pm
The tranquil River Darent flows from the hills near Sevenoaks down to the River Thames at Dartford.
I was fortunate enough to have been brought up in this part of Kent and, having done some research on the family tree, it would appear that many of my ancestors were too!
A 19 mile waymarked route ca... Comment - Like
Glen H. posted an article on
Kent Today & Yesterday
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Jun 9, 2010, 7:29 pm
Now that the Summer has finally arrived (well sort of), events are coming thick and fast. This weekend (12th/13th June), the Town Regatta will be held on the Gravesend river front (or Riverside Leisure Area as Gravesham Borough Council pompously like to call it!). This is the first of the three re... Comment - Like
Glen H. posted an article on
Lights 2 Flag - The Warts & All Motor Sports Blog
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Jun 5, 2010, 6:30 pm
In this life, one thing counts, in the bank large amounts...... Yes, I'm afraid he's at it again. It has been announced that the United States F1 Grand Prix is to be resurrected and held at that world renowned motor racing metropolis of err Austin, Texas from 2012 onwards. Mr Eccclestone, apparentl... Comment - Like
Glen H. posted an article on
Kent Today & Yesterday
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May 26, 2010, 6:31 pm
Not surprisingly, this is a follow on to my post "A visit to East Malling" which I wrote a few weeks ago.
More specifically this post is about the village church of St Marys which, I think, is rather special, particularly if you are also interested in history like me.
From the outside,the church is ... Comment - Like
Glen H. posted an article on
Lights 2 Flag - The Warts & All Motor Sports Blog
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May 25, 2010, 6:51 pm
Once again I must apologise for not posting more regularly to this blog. Unfortunately the day job is becoming the evening and weekend job too it seems.
I have given myself a slap on the hand and written out "I must remember to post more regularly" one hundred times.
Well for me the season finally ... Comment - Like
Glen H. posted an article on
Kent Today & Yesterday
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May 18, 2010, 5:33 pm
Following on from my blog post about the demise of the Blue Circle / Lafarge Cement works at Northfleet, a series of pictures taken for me by a friend showing the last moments of the iconic 550' chimneys on 28th March 2010.....
If you have enjoyed this post, you are more than welcome to leave a com... Comment - Like
Glen H. posted an article on
Lights 2 Flag - The Warts & All Motor Sports Blog
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Apr 21, 2010, 6:25 pm
I must apologise for the dearth of posts recently.
Unfortunately my day job is taking up far too much of my precious time at the moment!
Anyway, I thought now that we are already four races into the season I would share my thoughts on how things are going so far and take a look at how my 2010 predic... Comment - Like
Glen H. posted an article on
Kent Today & Yesterday
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Apr 8, 2010, 6:13 pm
A couple of weeks ago I bought some items on Ebay and as the seller was based in Kent decided to pick them up in person to save on postage.
This lead us to visit the historic country village of East Malling a few miles outside Maidstone.
As junior was not in tow for a change, (he was at Centre Parc... Comment - Like
Glen H. posted an article on
Kent Today & Yesterday
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Mar 27, 2010, 6:56 pm
In just a few hours from now the skyline of Northfleet, Kent will be changed for ever when the two 550' tall chimneys at the former Blue Circle (Lafarge) cement works are demolished by controlled explosion.
The destruction of the two chimneys, which have towered over Northfleet on the banks of the R... Comment - Like
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