BBC KENT
Town in dark during rugby final
People living in a west Kent town were left unable to watch all of the Rugby World Cup Final after a series of power cuts before and during the game. Some sports fans in Sevenoaks were forced to sit in their cars and listen to Saturday's match on the radio.

Sevenoaks councillor Anne Dawson said it was "very distressing for people anxious about this important game". [more]

KOS MEDIA
BBC's U-turn over disfigured newsreader
A woman with a facial disfigurement who was set to anchor a news bulletin was dropped at the last minute in an embarrassing U-turn by the BBC.

In a move trumpeted by the corportation, Kathy Lacy, from Farningham near Dartford, was due to deliver the BBC South East afternoon bulletin on Wednesday. But she was dropped at the 11th hour after bosses decided she could be seen as “political”.

Miss Lacy, who is in her 60s, was born with neurofibromatosis – a genetic condition that means the sheaths surrounding nerve endings erupt through the skin, causing lumps all over her body.

She works for the charity Changing Faces, and her appearance on the news was to form part of an Inside Out documentary examining attitudes towards facial disfigurement. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Police hunt sex attacker
Police are appealing for information after a woman was sexually assaulted in Otford.

The incident took place at about 8.30pm last night in the Pilgrims Way area near Otford Railway Station.

A woman in her 40s was walking from the station when she was assaulted by a man. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Two arrested over drugs
Two Sevenoaks men have been arrested for possessing a large quantity of drugs. Sevenoaks police executed a warrant under the Misuse of Drugs Act at an address in Buckhurst Lane yesterday. More than 100 tablets, of what is believed to be ecstasy, were seized from the house. [more]

NEWS ITEM SUBMITTED
Have a Brilliant Christmas and it starts here!
The Royal Oak Hotel is offering a packed programme this year over Christmas. This includes festive lunches at just £15.95 per head, party nights where you can enjoy a meal then dance the night away, and our Gala Dinner and Dance on New Years Eve. The perfect place to celebrate Christmas with your colleagues or friends. Please view our Christmas details page and our brochure for more details.

Too busy for a Christmas party in December? We offer great prices on parties taking place in January.

For more details or to make a booking call 01732 451109 and speak to Elaine, Steph or Gillian.

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
PO standstill in campaign stunt
The case to save Farningham Post Office was further hammered home when residents took direct action at the Swanley branch.

A peaceful protest ensued yesterday as 20 villagers formed a queue going right out of the door. Each person was tasked with buying a single stamp before rejoining the queue and doing it again. [more]

SEVENOAKS DISTRICT COUNCIL
Joint investigation catches benefit fraudster
A Swanley woman who claimed over £5,000 in benefit that she was not entitled to was successfully prosecuted at Sevenoaks Magistrates' Court on Tuesday (16 October). Mrs Antonia King, 37, of Wisteria Gardens, Swanley pleaded guilty to three charges relating to offences under section 111A of the Social Security Administration Act 1992 [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Class size limits outrage parents
Class size limits have left some primary schoolchildren being taught material they have already learned, parents have claimed. Five pupils at Otford Primary School were held back from moving up to Year Five because the class had reached its capacity. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Victim of car criminals speaks out against parking company
CCTV coverage in a Sevenoaks Station car park has been branded "non-existent" by a victim of crime. Riverhead commuter Paul Schofield claimed more than £1,000 of damage was caused when his Jaguar was broken into - right under the nose of a security camera. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Crime here not as bad as you might think
Perception of crime is far from reality, according to community leaders in Sevenoaks. The topic was the focus of the Sevenoaks Neighbourhood Management launch by Kent Police on Monday. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
MP pledges support battle for post office
Residents turned out in force on Sunday to fight the closure of Farningham Post Office. Around 160 people packed into the village hall to hear Sevenoaks MP Michael Fallon tell people a campaign to save the post office would have his "fullest support". [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Party remembers the great storm
A party has been held to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Great Storm which decimated the Sevenoaks area. Former Chronicle editor Bob Ogley hosted the event at Toys Hill village hall on Monday - exactly two decades and a few hours since the ferocious winds hit. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Health secretary is pressured about trust
Health secretary Alan Johnson is under pressure from Sevenoaks MP Michael Fallon to wield the axe at the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust after shocking revelations of 90 deaths from superbug Clostridium Difficile (c diff) at its hospitals. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Resident angry at parking of council vehicles
A woman from Sevenoaks has accused council staff of flouting their own parking restrictions. Sarah Rogers, of Gordon Road, claims Sevenoaks District Council vehicles have been parking in the road outside the council offices for longer than the two-hour time limit. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
'Shock-jock' has plenty to say
James Whale has a new pair of cowboy boots and the Sevenoaks man proudly invited me to admire them as he rolled up one leg of his jeans. These were proper cowboy boots, he assured me, given to him by a proper cowboy. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Controversial plans for 10 flats withdrawn at 11th hour
Controversial plans for 10 flats in a prime Sevenoaks location have been withdrawn from tonight's (Thursday) council meeting at the 11th hour. A decision was due to be made, but Sevenoaks District Council took the item off the agenda on Tuesday. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Event shows getting fit and healthy has never been more fun
Some 125 people enjoyed free activities at a sports centre open day in Sevenoaks on Saturday.

As fears about the country's obesity levels once again hit the headlines, Wildernesse Sports Centre threw its doors open to encourage people to participate in exercise.

The morning began with trampolining and teaching the multi-skills of agility, balance and co-ordination. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Great Storm - Amazing community spirit rises right out of the storm
Bruce Cova had left his home in Putney earlier than usual. The news had been ominous and Sevenoaks District Council's chief executive knew this was going to be no ordinary drive to work. "There were trees down across the road and nothing was moving whatsoever," he said. "I didn't see one single car moving from Putney to Sevenoaks. It was weird." [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Great Storm - 'I slept soundly all night,' says weatherman
Perhaps that is what I would have done had there been an accurate prediction of this terrific storm from the Met Office. But, of course, there wasn't. Everybody knows about Michael Fish's unfortunate response to a lady caller from North Wales who, on the afternoon of the 15th had asked if there was a hurricane on the way, and had been told firmly that there wasn't!

As a weather recorder, I was more interested in whether October 1987 would prove to be record-breakingly wet. Already, in the first 14 days of that month, I had recorded 3.17in of rain, including two days, only one day apart, with well over an inch of rain each. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Great Storm - Mayor saw town's name uprooted
It was only when Sevenoaks Town Mayor Cllr Ann Dawson's kettle refused to boil the morning after the storm that she realised something was wrong. "I've got to confess, I didn't know there had been a hurricane," she said. "I'd taken a sleeping tablet. When I woke up I couldn't switch the kettle on to make a coffee. I opened the door and saw my neighbour who said 'how does it feel to be mayor of One Oak?'." [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Mounting campaign to put the brakes on traffic chaos
Lorries mounting the kerb and crossing the centre line are causing traffic chaos as they travel through unsuitable Westerham roads.

Photographs taken by a resident living nearby show HGVs driving over the pavement in order to get through the narrow part of the High Street. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Unearthing fungi
Westerham Society members have unearthed an array of fungi growing in woods near the town.

More than 25 people, and a dog, gathered in Moorhouse woods on Sunday afternoon to forage for fungi.

Secretary Jacs Taylor-Smith said: "They (the people who attended) had a wonderful time. It was very nice to get into the local landscape and to find out what was edible and what isn't." [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Royal expert looks inside Queen's handbag
A Royal expert from Sevenoaks has taken a peek inside the Queen's handbag. Phil Dampier, 50, spent six years as the Sun's Royal reporter before turning freelance and is currently Royal editor for Australian magazine New Idea. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Nurse's forgery over boy's death
A nurse from Sevenoaks tried to blame a doctor for a child's death after she was criticised by his parents, a hearing has been told. Carol Mervin, 44, has admitted forging a letter urging the paediatrician to give the boy a respiratory infection jab - and backdating it to two months before the boy died of breathing problems. [more]

KOS MEDIA
Olympic hero smashes cross-Channel record
Olympic medallist Ian Wynne smashed the world record for crossing the channel in a kayak. The 29-year-old arrived in Calais in two hours 59 minutes and six seconds, more than 22 minutes faster than the previous record. Wynne said: “It was very different from short distance sprint racing that I have been used to, but I enjoy the challenge.” The Sevenoaks-born athlete battled against a strong cross wind and had to navigate through one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world. [more]

SEVENOAKS DISTRICT COUNCIL
Save heat, save money, save the environment!
With autumn now firmly upon us and colder nights drawing in, residents of the District can keep warm, save money and help the environment during national Energy Saving Week.

The eleventh annual Energy Saving Week, run by the Energy Saving Trust, kicks off next Monday (22 October) and Sevenoaks District Council is encouraging residents to make small energy saving measures which could save them hundreds of pounds each year.

The theme of this year's campaign week is 'Commit to save your 20%', and by visiting the Energy Saving Trust website, anyone can sign up and make a personal commitment to saving 20% of the energy they use. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
It was 20 years ago today...
Twenty years ago residents across Sevenoaks were waking up to find their surroundings changed forever. In the early hours of October 16, 1987 the great storm thundered across the south east, ripping up 15million trees and bringing the region to a standstill. [more]

KOS MEDIA
Ex-Farepack agent mortgages home to pay customers
A Farepack agent who “felt responsible” when the Christmas savings firm collapsed has remortgaged her home to pay back her customers. Mother-of-two Alison Berry, 33, borrowed almost £4,000 against her home to pay back clients, and has taken on two nursing jobs to keep up the repayments. The company’s former boss Sir Clive Thompson lives in an eight-bedroom mansion in Sevenoaks. [more]

SEVENOAKS DISTRICT COUNCIL
Take time out for a festive tea dance!
There is a chance for Edenbridge residents to enjoy another afternoon of music, dancing and socialising with a festive twist, when another popular tea dance waltzes into the town next month. The event is being held on Wednesday 28 November at Edenbridge Leisure Centre from 12noon to 2pm. Tickets cost £4 per person, which includes tea, coffee, sandwiches and mince pies, and are available from the Leisure Centre. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Superbug trust boss resigns
The chairman of the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust has resigned. Heath Secretary Alan Johnson announced James Lee's decision in the Commons, where he apologised to those affected by the c diff outbreak. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
'Heads should roll' over superbug deaths
Sevenoaks MP Michael Fallon is calling for the entire board of the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust to be sacked in the wake of shocking revelations of killer superbug c diff at three of its hospitals.

Mr Fallon will meet health secretary Alan Johnson this week to press for action after the Healthcare Commission report exposed 90 deaths from clostridium difficile at Maidstone, Kent and Sussex and Pembury hospitals. [more]

NEWS ITEM SUBMITTED
Christmas Menu at The Horns, Otford
Monday 3rd December - Monday 24th December (not Sat / Sun) join us for your office / friends seasonal celebration. The Horns Christmas Menu at £25.00 per person offers superb value. Please do book early to secure the date and time you would prefer. Telephone us today for availability.
Tuesday, 25th Christmas Day Lunch. Why not relax and join us to celebrate Xmas Day.
For all bookings, please telephone 01959 522604.
The Horns, 66 High Street, Otford, Sevenoaks, Kent TN14 5PH

Kent Messenger
Allow extra time for your journeys
Work to strengthen a bridge over the A21 will start on Friday and is expected to finish in March 2008. The Weald Place Bridge, near Sevenoaks, which carries the road Hubbards Hill across the A21, will be strengthened by pouring concrete into gaps between existing pillars.

Hubbards Hill will be closed to traffic during the works and a fully signed diversion route will be in place, taking traffic along Gracious Lane, Riverhill, the A225 Morley's Road and Glebe Road.

On the coast-bound carriageway, narrow running lanes will be in place 24 hours per day, for four weeks, for the safety of road users and contractors while they work on the central reserve.

On the London-bound carriageway, lane three will be closed 24 hours per day, for four weeks, to allow work in the central reserve. Lane one will be closed for two nights and two days during off-peak hours. There will be a 50mph speed limit in place throughout the works. [more]

Kent Messenger
MP calls for time extension
An MP is demanding more time to fight proposals to axe five post offices in his constituency. Michael Fallon (Con), who represents Sevenoaks, said the Post Office was only allowing six weeks' public consultation about plans to close Eynsford, Farningham, Seal, Sevenoaks High Street and Sevenoaks St Botolph's post offices. Mr Fallon said: "I want the Post Office to give the public more time to have their say on these cuts which could see three village post offices and two town post offices shut by Christmas". [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Call for help with CCTV funding
With calls for organisations to contribute more to the district's CCTV budget, Westerham's leaders have suggested that others follow the town's lead. Westerham is currently the only parish council that contributes to the £312,000 CCTV system overseen by Sevenoaks District Council. It pays £1,000 for the monitoring of its camera on the pavilion in King George's Playing Field. Vice-chairman David Le Breton said: "I think it's quite reasonable for us to do what we do. Any parish council that would employ someone else to do that (manage and monitor their camera) should pay for it." [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Plans for quarry praised as 'open and transparent'
A public exhibition on expansion plans at Sevenoaks Quarry has been hailed a success by bosses. Quarry owner Tarmac has been praised by one community leader for being "open and transparent", while another has spoken of the positive legacy restoration plans could have. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Only one firm was in race for the Playhouse
Kino Holdings was the only company which entered the race to permanently run the Sevenoaks Playhouse, it has been confirmed. Potential bidders may have been put off because of the "daunting prospect" of turning the arts venue into a success, according to senior district councillor Felicity Broomby and Kino's director Paul Corcoran. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Old head backs the new look at Granville school
Lucky pupils at a Sevenoaks school marked the opening of a new building at a special ceremony. And the youngsters had double reason to celebrate because a second building was also re-opened following an extensive refurbishment at Granville School in Bradbourne Road. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Blaze victim's suicide claims open to doubt
Mystery surrounds the death of a West Kingsdown woman who was killed in a house fire earlier this year. At an inquest on Thursday an open verdict was recorded into the death of Lesley Neale. The 53-year-old died at her home in Howells Close on February 24 at 12.24pm. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Calls for agencies to pay more to cover CCTV cost
Calls have been made for agencies in Sevenoaks that use council-run CCTV footage to pay a larger contribution for the service. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Campaigners to fight post office closures
Campaigners are lining up to fight controversial Post Office plans to close five branches across the Sevenoaks area.

A public meeting will be held on Sunday in Farningham Village Hall to discuss how to save the High Street branch. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Youngsters get into character
Colourful characters have turned up at schools across Sevenoaks in a bid to encourage youngsters to read.

For St Lawrence Primary School, Seal Chart, the whole of last week had a book theme, with pupils dressing up as their favourite characters on the Wednesday last week. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Retired JP hits out at court house closures
A long serving magistrate, who was based at Sevenoaks for several years, has taken his retirement as an opportunity to criticise the closure of courthouses and highlight his fear that local justice is being diminished. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Blooming success for village
Certificates of excellence won by Eynsford's in Bloom competitors were presented at an awards ceremony on Friday.

There were 10 winners overall including the Five Bells Pub and Anthony Roper Primary School, which was rewarded for creating a new garden. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Priest on a mission is welcomed to village
A Catholic priest from Togo has joined the congregation in Hartley under the relatively new concept of a reverse mission.

Fr Alex Saba took up the position of parish priest at St Francis de Sales Catholic church and says he has been warmly received since arriving in August. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
The night we thought the world was going to end ...
Today, Bob Ogley is a full-time writer, a local historian, a regular contributor to BBC Radio Kent, the author of 22 books and this newspaper's Chronicler. Here he tells of the dramatic events in the early hours of October 16, 1987 which changed his life.

It was a night we will never forget. The screaming wind, the banging of dustbin lids, the sharp crash of breaking glass, the flashing sky and somewhere beneath the deafening roar, the sound of crashing trees.

Then the lights went out. Dear Lord, we thought, they've done it. Some idiot has dropped the bomb. The world's coming to an end. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
'It looked like a bomb had been dropped'
Memories of the Great Storm

We had 6,000 chickens in sheds. My immediate concern was their welfare. At present they were OK, but trees were falling like match sticks and the wind was so strong a monterey pine about one metre thick was swaying. I was sure it was going to go through a shed.

After about an hour I went back in the house and I realised my mouth was salty dry - the air had been warm. I told my wife we would have no business left so to her amazement I went back to bed. I said there was a long day ahead. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Order over dog walks is 'largely flawed'
Wrotham Parish Council chairman has admitted its Dog Control Order is "largely flawed". Failings in the order were highlighted in a solicitor's letter to the council, which was sent on the instruction of the Wrotham Dog Walking Society. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Residents turn out in force to village shop re-opening
Residents of Shoreham turned out in force to celebrate the re-opening of the village shop at a special party on Saturday. And they had double reason to celebrate because the Post Office has announced a part-time branch is set to return to Shoreham Village Stores by the end of the month. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Pub honours battle of Britain war veterans
A flag has been raised to honour those who fought in the Battle of Britain at the Brasted pub where pilots drank during the war. More than 50 veterans, local dignitaries and representatives from the RAF and related organisations gathered at a garden party at the White Hart on Friday. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Sentence reduced for death driver
A driver who killed a family of four on the Westerham stretch of the M25 has succeeded in reducing his jail term. Grandfather Peter Murray, 62, from Tadworth, Surrey, was around two-and-a-half times over the drink drive limit when his lorry crashed into a VW Vento parked on the hard shoulder near the Clacket Lane services. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Water company denies problem with drains
A sewer in Sevenoaks has been pouring raw effluent into the street "like a fountain" when it rains, a resident has claimed. But sewer owner Thames Water says it has found nothing wrong with the drain. Gary Bishop, 45, of Mill Lane, says the problem has been going on "for years". [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Devoted duo toast 65 years of marriage
Couple celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary by exchanging rings at the Dunton Green hotel where their wedding reception was held. George and Dorothy Francis had a meal with family at Donnington Manor Hotel, which they have revisited nearly every year since they were married in St John the Divine Church in 1942. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Car parking proposals on the table
A mixed response has so far greeted the revised plans to overhaul the on-street parking laws in Sevenoaks. In a bid to ease town centre parking problems and to stop commuters' cars from congesting roads near the station, Sevenoaks District Council has drawn up a list of proposed new restrictions. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Rabbits at risk of fatal disease
A Veterinary clinic in Dunton Green is warning rabbit owners of the dangers of myxomatosis after it has seen a number of cases in recent weeks. Vets at Elands Veterinary Clinic are advising owners to ensure their pet rabbits are vaccinated. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Graffiti clear-up
A scheme to clear graffiti from Westerham's streets seems to be working, council leaders have said. The Edenbridge community warden has been contracted by Westerham Parish Council from the start of August, initially for three weekly spots then on a monthly basis. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Town's postal services set to get back to some normality from today
Postal services in Sevenoaks were set to start to return to something approaching normality this morning (Thursday), after nearly a week of strike action.

Just two of the 145 staff at the South Park sorting office had been turning up for work, according to the union at the centre of the two 48-hour walkouts. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
More housing for older people in £72m scheme
A multi-million pound scheme will create more housing for older people in the Sevenoaks area, it has been announced. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
New post for health
A new post has been created to look at eight issues affecting health across the West Kent area, which includes Sevenoaks. West Kent Primary Care Trust (PCT) has appointed Dr James Thallon to the position of chairman of Clinical Pathways Groups. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Waitrose scheme is still in melting pot
Uncertainty remains over the future of the Waitrose store in Sevenoaks. All has gone quiet on the much-vaunted plan to move the supermarket to the corner of the Bligh's Meadow car park. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Bid to expand women-only sessions
Sevenoaks Leisure Centre has launched a women-only recreation morning. The Friday morning sessions, now in their second week, offer activities such as trampolining, badminton and table tennis. Programme manager Doug Day said: "This new session is really about giving women the chance to try their hand at a new interest or to pick up a sport they may have played in the past". [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Youngsters use their feet to improve global vision
Beavers, Cubs and Scouts from Otford have raised £1,300 for an overseas school project. Members from the village Scout group took part in a sponsored walk around the Sevenoaks' countryside to raise the money, which will help fund a school in Ecuador as part of the work of Global Vision International Charitable Trust. Assistant Cub leader Vicky Hitchcock said: "It's fantastic to see the children excited about helping other young people their age around the world." The sponsored walk - in which the distance walked varied depending on the participant's age - was led by assistant Cub leader Graham Still following an expedition with Global Vision International last year. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
A routine patrol leads to 3 arrests for burglary
Two men and a boy were arrested for burglary in West Kingsdown on Monday. Police officers were routinely patrolling vulnerable premises in the early hours when they saw three people they believed to be intruders at a business premises in Fawkham Road. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Two pupils named best young poets
Teenagers from Sevenoaks and Chipstead have been named among the best young poets in the country. Peter Candy, from Parkfield in Sevenoaks, and Howard Horner, who lives in Chipstead High Street, have been recognised in the annual Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Pupils land a £40 bonus for paintings
Children from Amherst School, Riverhead, were delighted to hear their artwork was sold after being displayed at the annual Florum Exhibition at the Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Woman seriously injured in crash
A woman has been airlifted to hospital in London after a serious crash in Sevenoaks. The accident happened on Cold Arbor Road just after 8.35am this morning when a white Rover Metro was in collision with a refuse disposal truck. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Fury at six-month roadworks
A leading figure in Weald has criticised Highways Agency bosses over major roadworks which will see a main access route and sections of the A21 closed for six months.

The Highways Agency will begin safety improvements to Weald Place Bridge on Friday and is not expected to be finished until March next year. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Residents respond to parking plans
A mixed response has so far greeted the revised plans to overhaul the on-street parking laws in Sevenoaks. In a bid to ease town centre parking problems and to stop commuters' cars from congesting roads near the station, Sevenoaks District Council has drawn up a list of proposed new restrictions. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
"We must learn from pub ruling"
The green light being given to the Railway and Bicycle redevelopment shows how out of step Sevenoaks planners are with the planning system, they have admitted. "I think we haven't realised how much this world has changed," conceded town and district councillor Robert Piper last night. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Open verdict on blaze death
Mystery surrounds the death of a West Kingsdown woman who was killed in a house fire earlier this year. [more]

KINO AT THE STAG
The Music Man - Petts Wood Operatic Society at the Stag Theatre
This great American musical introduced the world to such tunes as '76 trombones', 'Till there was you' and 'The Wells Fargo Wagon'.

Travelling salesman ‘Professor’ Harold Hill is really a con man who swindles people into giving him money to set-up boys' bands - and then runs off with the cash before a note is heard. He is tempted to try his con on the notoriously stubborn towsfolk of River City Iowa. After convincing them that the presence of a new pool table spells trouble (with a capital 'T') he persuades them the solution to keeping their children 'moral after school' is to pay him to form a boys' band. But falling for the town librarian puts the brakes on his plans. He has to choose between fleeing with the money before he is exposed, or staying with his new love and facing the consequences.

This new production by Petts Wood Operatic Society marks the 50th anniversary of the show's Broadway debut.

The Music Man from Wednesday 28th November 2007 to Saturday 1st December 2007.

Evening performances commence at 7.45 pm. Saturday Matinee commences at 2.30 pm.
For more information, please call 01732 450175.

SEVENOAKS DISTRICT COUNCIL
Support for voluntary and community groups
Local voluntary and charitable organisations are being invited to apply for grant funding to help them with their work over the next financial year. Sevenoaks District Council's Community Grant Scheme aims to help voluntary and community organisations. This includes organisations whose services are available to residents of the Sevenoaks District, those who work with young people and new community groups. [more]

SEVENOAKS DISTRICT COUNCIL
Wildlife loving residents pick up awards
Green fingered residents from across the District were rewarded for making their gardens more friendly for local wildlife last week as part of the 'Gardening for Wildlife' awards scheme. Nearly 200 people attended Sevenoaks District Council's 'Gardening for Wildlife' celebrations evening at Sevenoaks Community Centre, with more than 70 residents from across the District collecting gold, silver, bronze or highly commended awards for their efforts from Sevenoaks District Council's Chairman Cllr James Gaywood. There were also 15 special town and parish council awards this year. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Lack of Playhouse bids revealed
Kino Holdings was the only company which entered the race to permanently run the Sevenoaks Playhouse, it has been confirmed. Potential bidders may have been put off because of the "daunting prospect" of turning the arts venue into a success, according to senior district councillor Felicity Broomby and Kino's director Paul Corcoran. [more]

Kent Messenger
Sevenoaks don't spare the whipping boys
Sevenoaks picked up their second win of the season on Saturday with a comfortable 3-1 victory at Kent League Premier Division whipping boys Slade Green. The result pushes Oaks up to 10th and is perfect preparation for the trip to Three Bridges in the FA Vase tomorrow (Saturday). Against Slade Green, Oaks could have won by a lot more but in the end settled for goals from Matt Parsons, Nick Reeves and Tony Atkins before their hosts snatched a last-minute consolation. [more]

SEVENOAKS DISTRICT COUNCIL
Help get Sevenoaks District moving
Local people are being asked to help the Council find solutions to complex transport challenges in the coming decades at a conference in Sevenoaks later this month. The conference will explore current and future transport issues and ways to encourage more people to use sustainable forms of travel. The findings will be used to develop Sevenoaks District's first ever transport strategy. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Anger as five post offices face axe
Shockwaves were sent through the Sevenoaks area when the Post Office announced five branches are set to close. These are:
The Old Post Office in Sevenoaks High Street
St Botolphs in London Road, Sevenoaks
Seal
Eynsford
Farningham
The cuts are part of a county-wide initiative announced on Tuesday. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Council faces residents to explain bypass fiasco
Senior officials from Kent County Council (KCC) have announced they will be submitting a new planning application for the Borough Green bypass. The announcement was made at a packed public meeting in the village hall on Thursday, where residents were invited to hear KCC's solutions to the setbacks in the bypass project. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Twenty horticultural tunnels on the cards
Twenty horticultural tunnels which will allow for all-year-round growing conditions could be built in West Kingsdown if planning consent is given. Plans have also been submitted to Sevenoaks District Council (SDC) for a processing building, research training facility, car park and access to a "balancing lake" by Unigrow, a company specialising in contained growing facilities. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Theatre contract 'failing' residents
The new permanent management of the Sevenoaks Playhouse is "failing local people", a public meeting has been told. A group of councillors met on Tuesday night to discuss the reasons for three local production companies pulling out of performing at the venue. They will now try to summon Paul Corcoran, the director of Kino Holdings which runs the Playhouse, to a meeting to explain the situation. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Pub to become flats and offices
The saga of the derelict Railway and Bicycle pub near Sevenoaks Station has finally come to an end after years of wrangling. Efforts by community leaders to prevent the building from being pulled down to make way for 24 flats and 312sqm of office space have been in vain as the planning inspector overruled Sevenoaks District Council's decision to refuse planning permission. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Audiologist's deaf-defying visit to Kenya
An audiologist from Sevenoaks is about to travel to Kenya to visit a school for the deaf and help fit children with hearing aids donated to the mission. Robert Davies, managing director of Sevenoaks Hearing Centre, is a regular visitor to the Reverend Muhoro School for the Deaf, which teaches almost 200 pupils aged 16 to 22 years. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Bank runs out of cash for customer
A bank in Sevenoaks has defended the fact it did not have enough money to pay a customer. A bemused builder who tried to withdraw £1,500 from Barclays was sent away with just £500 and told to come back later because the branch had run out of cash. Spokeswoman Elizabeth Holloway said the situation was not uncommon and insisted it was not related to the recent financial crisis at Northern Rock. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Money withdrawn from northern rock
Some £320,000 of Sevenoaks taxpayers' money has been withdrawn from Northern Rock. After seeking advice, Sevenoaks Town Council opted to sever its links with the beleaguered bank when its account came up for renewal last week. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Leader holds hands up over bypass
Kent County Council leader Cllr Paul Carter finally utters the words our communities have been waiting to hear since August: "Mistakes have been made, for these I apologise." The admission of failings came during Thursday's packed meeting held to explain the collapse of the Borough Green bypass project. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Motorway misery for hundreds of M25 motorists
Motorists faced road misery as M25 accidents caused huge tailbacks either side of the weekend. On Friday, a jack-knifed lorry hit the central reservation on the clockwise carriageway about a mile from junction five with the A21 at 1.20pm, causing damage to the barrier and spilling its load of soil. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Man is found unconscious in recreation ground
A man was rushed to hospital after being found unconscious in Borough Green Recreation Ground by a member of the public. Why he was unconscious has not been confirmed but police described it as "nothing untoward". [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Youngsters full of bounce at school fundraising day
Very rarely are children happy to play with thin air, but on Sunday they were full of it with Borough Green Primary School's inflatable day. Organised by the Parents Association in aid of lighting and sound equipment for future school productions, the event raised £800 and covered its costs through sponsorship. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Aircraft museum appeals for war memories
Shoreham Aircraft Museum is appealing to youngsters to keep their grandfathers' war stories alive. Museum owner Geoff Nutkins said: "For years and years people have visited the museum and brought many of the bits and pieces we have here. We have had people bringing us artefacts their grandad liberated from planes after they had crashed and they've come in and told us the whole story about how the crash happened, where the plane landed and how their grandad came to get what they have brought in." [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Church gift day to raise repair cash
St Mary's Church, in Riverhead, is calling all parishioners to attend a gift day to help raise cash towards essential repairs totalling £30,000. Securing the lead roof and lead windows are the two most important jobs which need to be completed within the next year. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
What a blow! Our music teacher has gone
The Westerham Sea Cadets' band has been left high and dry after their music instructor moved to South Africa to teach. The cadets have raised enough money to buy instruments for the 15-piece band but are now only learning drill while they look for someone with music training to volunteer to help them. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Girl, 9, takes a step closer to stardom
A nine-year-old girl from Kemsing has beaten 150 others to take a step closer to her stage dream. Michaela Pugh was one of 18 children from her London acting school chosen to attend the International Presentation of Performers in Los Angeles in January next year. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Three men on fraud charges
Three West Kingsdown men bullied a street full of old people into having unnecessary work done to their gardens, a court has heard. George Harbour, 20, William Harbour, 25, and Benjamin Chapman, 34, travelled to Cheltenham and targeted an area where several pensioners live, to "overcharge and pressure them" into agreeing to maintenance work. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Residents gear up to defend village from 'urbanisation'
Determined residents are preparing to fight a proposed development in Otford for a sixth time. George Wimpey is again trying to replace two houses in Well Road with a 21-home development - much to the anger of villagers. A special campaign group, Residents Against Development In Otford (RADIO), was formed in 2004 to fight the original plans, and is vowing not to give up. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Appeal over 500 homes plan
The fate of the West Kent Cold Store proposals in Dunton Green will be left in the hands of the Planning Inspectorate. In September Sevenoaks District Council raised objections to plans to build up to 500 homes on the Rye Lane site. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Renaming ceremony in honour of twin town
Dozens of dignitaries from Sevenoaks and its German twin town gathered on Saturday to witness the latest step in building the relationship between the two communities. The Upper St John's Gardens on St John's Hill have been renamed the Rheinbach Gardens in dedication to Sevenoaks' German friends. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Decide councillors' expenses
There is an opportunity for you to decide what your councillors are worth. The Joint Independent Remuneration Panel makes recommendations for how much borough and district council members in Sevenoaks, Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells can claim in expenses. [more]

SEVENOAKS DISTRICT COUNCIL
District residents can have their say on the the future of local post offices
Sevenoaks District Council is encouraging residents to take part in a Post Office led consultation into the possible closure of six of its local branches. Earlier this week post offices in Seal, Eynsford, Farningham, Edenbridge and two in Sevenoaks were revealed as being under threat in the first part of a review that could see 2,500 local post offices closed nationally by 2009. A six week public consultation period, which began yesterday (Tuesday 2 October) is being held before final decisions are made. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Five branches set to close
Five post offices in the Sevenoaks area have been officially earmarked for closure. The villages of Eynsford, Farningham and Seal will all permanently lose their branches under Post Office proposals. And Sevenoaks town centre itself will see two of its post offices close - those on the High Street and at St Botolphs. [more]

SEVENOAKS DISTRICT COUNCIL
Save time and make your planning application online
Submitting a planning application will soon become much easier and quicker when a new online facility becomes available in the coming days.

From Monday 8 October, residents and planning agents can make electronic planning applications via the national '1APP' system, which is available via the Council's website, www.sevenoaks.gov.uk/planning and Planning Portal website www.planningportal.gov.uk. The '1APP' system has many advantages for customers. These include automated fee checking, online guidance and the facility to upload plans and supporting information. All applications are validated and their proposal checked prior to submission reducing the likelihood that applications are deemed invalid and returned to the applicant for resubmission. Customers can also pay for their application at the same time. [more]

BBC KENT
Traffic chaos after M-way crashes
Traffic queues up to 12 miles long built up on the M25 after an accident in heavy rain in the morning rush hour. A van hit the central reservation on the anti-clockwise section between junction six for Godstone, Surrey, and junction five for Sevenoaks, Kent. The vehicle was removed but lanes on both sides of the motorway had to be closed for repairs to barriers. At one point, traffic was queuing back to junction three.

Earlier, two lanes of the London-bound M20 were also shut. An accident involving a lorry and a car at the M20 junction with the A20 for Maidstone added to the traffic chaos in the area. Police said there were no serious injuries in either of the accidents.

The tail-backs came four days after 60-mile queues were reported on the M25 after a lorry jack-knifed. [more]

SEVENOAKS DISTRICT COUNCIL
Landlords’ Forum gears up for new Local Housing Allowance
Landlords from across West Kent are invited to attend a meeting of the West Kent Landlords’ Forum on Thursday 11 October to find out more about the new Local Housing Allowance. The Local Housing Allowance (LHA) will be introduced from 1 April 2008 and is being rolled out nationwide by the government with the aim of simplifying the way Housing Benefit is calculated; increasing social inclusion; giving claimants greater independent financial responsibility and choice; and speeding up claim-processing times. [more]

SEVENOAKS DISTRICT COUNCIL
Committed to reducing climate change
Future generations in the District could benefit for years to come with the signing of an innovative declaration addressing the issue of climate change later this month. At midday on Monday 8 October the Leader of Sevenoaks District Council, Cllr Peter Fleming, along with the leaders of the Council's opposition groups, and the Chief Executive of the Council, Robin Hales, will officially sign the Nottingham Declaration on Climate Change (NDCC) at Bore Place in Chiddingstone. [more]

SEVENOAKS DISTRICT COUNCIL
Sevenoaks District Council tops best council poll
Sevenoaks District Council has been named in the top five best councils to work for in the country, and the best in the South-East according to the Times newspaper. At a prestigous awards ceremony held last week in London (Tuesday 25 September) the Council also picked up one of five special awards on offer from the events host Andrew Castle (GMTV presenter and ex British men's tennis number one) and was shortlisted for another. [more]

SEVENOAKS CHRONICLE
Council among nation's best
Sevenoaks District Council has been named the best council to work for in the south east. The authority finished fifth overall in the Times newspaper's inaugural Best Councils to Work For nationwide poll. [more]