You are currently browsing the monthly archive for February 2012.
Be prepared to be amazed when superstar vocalists Blake fill The Central Theatre with their unique harmonies.
Five years, two Brit Awards, a million albums sold worldwide, more than 500 live shows, and 150 live television appearances in 15 countries, the foursome are back on the road and will appear in Chatham on Thursday, 8 March at 7.30pm. More
WE HAVE JUST BEEN INFORMED THAT THIS EVENT IS NOW CANCELLED
02/03/12 13:01
Shoppers in Rainham will be able to sample some continental delights when a bustling market pitches up for business next month.
A traditional continental market with traders from France, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Holland, Poland and many more will be heading to Rainham Shopping Centre on Thursday, 22 and Friday, 23 March. More
Longleat Maze: Jason Hawkes
Newly reformed pop phenomenon Steps will perform at this year’s Castle Concerts, on Thursday, 19 July. The band who sung their way to success in the 90s became a household name, capturing the hearts of fans all over the world with their dance routines and catchy songs before famously breaking up ten years ago. The announcement of their reunion and 2012 UK tour has seen their Twitter following triple in figures and their Ultimate Collection album to reach Number 1 on the official album chart on the first day of its release, while their four-part Sky Documentary “Steps Reunion” has had the highest viewing figures of any Sky Living show this year. More
Young dancers are invited to an exciting community dance event next month. Medway Council’s Arts Development Team is hosting U Dance Medway at Mid Kent College on Sunday, 11 March.
The event is free for 11-19 year olds looking for an opportunity to develop their dance skills and share choreographic tips and ideas with other dancers. All dancers will receive a certificate for taking part.
U Dance starts at 11.30am with a dress rehersal. The public performance is at 2pm. Tickets to see the performance are £4.00 If you’re interested in taking part or attending this event, phone the Arts Team on 01634 338319 alternatively contact the theatres box office on 01634 338338. Tickets will also be available on the day at the venue.
More more details about U Dance visit: www.u-dance.org
A talk to celebrate International Women’s Day takes place at Rochester Library next month. Sam Hall, playwright and founder of 17Percent, an organisation to support female playwrights, will give the talk entitled From Aphra Behn to the angry young women: A top 10 of the UK’s women playwrights for International Women’s Day. More
Cllr Jane Chitty with apprentice Nigel Wren
The council’s Employ Medway Advice Centre has helped its 600th jobseeker find work.
23-year-old Nigel Wren from Strood has been recruited as an apprentice bricklayer on the Rochester Riverside housing development and become the 600th person to find work using Employ Medway.
After searching for a job for nearly four years, Nigel was referred to the centre on Chatham High Street last October and within ten weeks had landed his new role working for Owen Contractors Ltd. More
Champagne corks were popping this week as local National Trust property Chartwell welcomed its record-breaking 200 000th visitor for the 2011/12 season. More
Maidstone based company GP Acoustics UK Limited, manufacturers of KEF Audio products, has been named the best manufacturing business in the country in a prestigious award ceremony in London. More
Click on the image above to be taken through to the Friends of North Kent Marshes, from there you can easily find your way to letter and email templates that can be sent to your local M.P, George Osbourne and others. It is possible that the soon to be delivered budget will put the plans into consultation, if you act now it may still be possible to stop that happening.
Strood Academy builder BAM Construction has been recognised for its “exceptional and unique” relationship with the local community.
Since starting on the school project last spring, BAM has taken pupils to an adventure park, allowed firemen to practice emergency rescues on site, paved a football club’s entrance road and much more. More
Breast Cancer Care is calling on you to take an Olympic stride to support people living with breast cancer by taking part in a 10 or 20 mile Pink Ribbonwalk in association with woman&home magazine. With a new walk taking place in London this year, you now have the choice of five walks at stunning locations around the UK, throughout May and June. More
A new link has been added to our site to connect you directly with High Halstow Parish Council and their associated Blogs, archives and notifications. We will of course still be publishing everything that we receive concerning High Halstow and the Other villages of the Peninsula. Click the link to the right on this line highhalstow.org.uk/blog
Medway Council’s Cabinet have agreed proposals for the Medway Test to be undertaken in primary schools for the majority of children, rather than in independent test centres. More
DCMS / Wolfson Grant will give a much loved museum gallery at The Historic Dockyard Chatham a new lease of life
One of the best loved museum galleries at The Historic Dockyard Chatham in Kent – The Wooden Walls of England – is to undergo a much needed renovation, thanks to £300,000 awarded by DCMS/Wolfson Museums & Galleries Improvement Fund. More
Kent Wildlife Trust, the county’s leading conservation charity, has warned that any airport development in the Thames Estuary would be catastrophic for fragile ecosystems and wildlife, and that it is prepared to fight any proposals.
This is in the wake of news that the Government may include options for an airport in the Thames Estuary in a draft policy framework for UK aviation that is due to go out for public consultation in March this year.
Chief Executive of Kent Wildlife Trust, John Bennett, said: “The Thames and Medway estuaries are extremely rich in wildlife and are internationally important for nature conservation. An airport here, whether coastal or offshore, will be catastrophic for wildlife communities.
“The impact on breeding, feeding and migratory birds will be huge, but there is also a wider community that includes wildflowers, bees, water voles and brown hares. Offshore, there are important habitats for fish and seals.
“Thames Estuary Airport options must be withdrawn from the draft policy framework for UK aviation.
“Ten years ago, Kent Wildlife Trust, with many others, successfully campaigned against plans for an airport at Cliffe Marshes in North Kent. However, the area is still under considerable pressure. If necessary, we are prepared to fight once more to protect our natural heritage.”
The Windmill stands just off the top of Bells Lane, Hoo on the old part of Ratcliffe Highway. There are plenty of parking spaces and the views from the front extend down to and across the Medway toward Upchurch and Lower Halstow. On the sunny Thursday evening when we arrived, there were lots of sailing boats in that part of the estuary and a herd of cows in the field opposite, people pay fortunes for a view like that. More
‘Never give up on finding work, whatever age you are’, is one man’s inspirational message after finding employment thanks to Medway Council. More
Plans to create one of the country’s first University Technical Colleges (UTC) in Medway have won the backing of businesses and employers across Kent and Medway. A bid for a UTC specialising in construction and engineering More
Medway’s council tax will remain Kent’s lowest under proposals to keep it frozen for a second year. More
The Horseshoe and Castle is a real country pub situated in the quiet village of Cooling. We called in on a Friday evening as our imaginations failed to conjure anything from the two rashers of bacon and half a birthday cake that were skulking in our fridge. More
The search is on for a team of French-speaking volunteers to support Olympic athletes when they train in Medway ahead of the London 2012 Games. More
Investigate the difference between thriller and crime writing at a workshop and author talk next month (March). More
A night of heart rending acoustic ballads is promised when Medway’s own The Singing Loins take to the stage at The Brook Theatre. More
The next meeting of the Rochester and Chatham Dickens Fellowship is on Thursday the 16th of February 7.15 for a 7.30 start. The meeting is in the Education Room of Dickens World in Chatham include s a talk by Dr. Tony Williams. Non Members are welcome for a small fee. For details of the R&CDF or non members to attend contact the Joint Hon. Secretary Mr Steve Martin 01474 834164
R&CDF Branch Meeting 16th February
“Mile-stones on the Dover Road” Dickens, Kent and Dickensians, a talk by Tony Williams.
Dr Tony Williams
Tony Williams taught English in secondary schools from 1969 to 1997 when he took early retirement. From 1999 to 2006 he was Joint General Secretary of The International Dickens Fellowship and a Trustee of the Charles Dickens Museum in London. He is Associate Editor of The Dickensian and organises the London programme of events for the Dickens Fellowship, as well as being a frequent speaker on Dickensian topics both in the UK and overseas. He is currently a member of the group planning the programme for the celebrations in 2012 of the bicentenary of Dickens’s birth. He has recently accepted an honorary Research Fellowship at the University of Buckingham to assist with work on Dickens Journals Online.
Learn a new way to communicate as a family thanks to Medway Adult and Community Learning Service.
Learn Makaton sign language starts Thursday, 23 February 7pm to 9pm at Strood Academy for 10 sessions.
Baby Signing 2 one-day workshop is on Saturday, 25 February and also Saturday, 3 March 10am to 1pm on both days at Chatham Grammar School for Boys.
Sign Along 2 session one-day workshop is on Saturday, 10 March and also Saturday, 17 March 10am to 1pm on both days at Chatham Grammar School for Boys.
For more details or to enrol phone 01634 338400
Businesses in Medway will benefit from three new professional development courses thanks to Medway Adult and Community Learning Service. More
An event to help businesses in Medway create jobs and tackle unemployment is being held next week.
The conference, which will take place at the Corn Exchange, Rochester on Thursday, 16 February, is aimed at letting local businesses know about the range of free employment services on offer to them. More
The snow may already seem a distant memory but there’s plenty in store at Medway’s Sure Start Centres this half term to keep children smiling. More
Thank you to the residents of Medway, that’s the message from Medway Council’s Highways Department, which has recognised the community effort being made to keep local roads and pavements clear. More
Peninsula Times 