News

A James Bond historian has revealed that some of the Bond girls' quirky names were names of farms in Shepway and the southeast.

Graham Rye's investigation has led the 007 historian to believe Fleming's travels around his beloved Kent gave the author inspiration for characters like Miss Moneypenny and Honeychile Rider.

He spent years studying maps of the county of Kent, where Bond author Ian Fleming lived, and discovered that Fleming used the countryside, pubs and buildings as settings for story segments reports Contactmusic.com.

Once when Fleming was asked how he created his heroines, he said: "I go out into Romney Marsh and hope to find one there."

Mr Rye said: "While this may sound rather fanciful, it was something that lingered in my memory from that day forward. Ian Fleming loved the Kent countryside. He bought White Cliffs Cottage near Dover from his good friend Noel Coward."

He adds, "Scrutinising the Ordnance Survey Maps of Kent, I was amazed to discover that on Romney Marsh there was in fact a Moneypenny Farm, a Honeychild Manor Farm, and a few miles away near Rye, East Sussex was The Hammonds Country Hotel.

"The Hammonds were the married couple who acted as housekeepers for 'M', the head of British Intelligence and 007's chief.

"Suddenly, I could picture Ian Fleming running an eyeglass over the maps of the area with a wry smile while looking for another input for his James Bond novels. Coincidentally, there's even a small village near Staple called Flemings!"

Families are being invited to get together in Folkestone on Saturday (28 June) to enjoy a range of free activities and entertainment.

The Why Don't You event has been put together by various organisations including Shepway Council's culture and leisure team, the Shepway Community Safety Unit and Kent County Council and includes a range of displays on The Leas.

It coincides with fun-packed programme at the amphitheatre in the Lower Leas Coastal Park.

Kent Fire and Rescue Service is among the organisations that will have stands on The Leas and the service will be bringing its animal rescue unit and water safety unit as well as giving a demonstration of how a chip pan fire can start and how it is dealt with.

There will information about health and wellbeing, community safety displays and a range of sporting activities including a rowing challenge.

Entertainment at the amphitheatre kicks off at 10.00am with a performance by Charlie and the Footsloggers Folkestone's jug band that includes banjos, kazoos, a washboard, and dustbin base.

The band is followed by series of short plays put on by Stage One Theatres, a faith-based drama co-operative which is part of Churches Together Folkestone.

At 12.30 the GI Jitterbugs make a return visit to the amphitheatre with their foot-tapping renditions of 1940s and 50s music.

Next on stage is the Beanstalk Performance Company, which is aimed at children aged three and upwards and the day ends with a performance for teenagers presented by the Lisa Payne Drama Workshop.

At 2.30pm there will be a performance by the Gravesend Borough Band at the bandstand.

Supporters of Hawkinge Harry are preparing to leave for France for a weekend of fun and frolics at a giants' festival near Dunkerque in France.

The French giants at the Matelote Carnival in Grand Fort Philippe, a small fishing town near the port will be entertaining Harry the Hawkinge giant and his east Kent buddies from Sandwich, Littlebourne, Herne Bay and Singleton.

Organiser, Cllr David Godfrey is travelling with a small group of volunteers from the village who are helping to guide Harry around the narrow streets in the colourful procession.

David said he will be trying to bring a giants' parade to Hawkinge.

An enthusiastic Cllr Godfrey is also looking at the possibility of setting up a national giants association.

By Brian Edmond

Listen very carefully, I will say this only once!

Yes, Café Rene will be created in Lyminge Village Hall from Wednesday 9th April to Saturday 12th April when Lyminge Dramatic Society’s production of the hilarious play Allo ‘Allo will be performed.

Penned by the same writers who wrote the popular BBC TV series, Jeremy Lloyd and David Croft, the play will be directed by Pete Raine and includes all your favourite characters from the TV series.

Tickets at £7.00 each are on sale at Haxtons Estate Agents, Lyminge (01303- 863393) and Senior Citizens are welcome free-of-charge at the dress rehearsal on Tuesday.

All performances commence at 7.45pm.

Hurry, the cabaret will be starting shortly – just don’t mention the Fallen Madonna…………..!

Local 'Extras' in the Hollywood blockbuster ‘The Other Boleyn Girl’ stepped forward into the limelight on Saturday night, at a special viewing of the movie.

Staff at the Odeon cinema in Canterbury laid on a ‘champagne and chocolates’ reception for 20 of the Background Artistes and their guests, before showing them to their reserved seats in screen one. Over 60 people, dressed in formal eveningwear, had the chance to mingle and view of a display of photographs of the actors in their costumes, as well as enter a special raffle to win family passes to the historic buildings featured in the film.

The background artistes who attended the viewing were: Sarah Palmer, Rosemary Sawyer, Keri Appleford, Jonathan Gatenby, Thomas Hazel, Alexander Bisby, Mark Smith, and Ed Clarke from Canterbury; Karol Steele, Renato Amitrano, Rob Forsyth, Michael McFarnell, and Hain MacSheonin from Dover; Catherine Benjamin, and Edna Rogers from Deal; Chris Arthur from River; Siobhan Hustler from Folkestone; Victoria Bull from Ashford; Kevin Hill from Hastings; and Enid Dring from New Romney.

Karol Steele, who played a Seymour noblewoman in the film, organised the get-together of all the actors who took part in the film. She said, “Fifteen months after we finished work on the movie, we are still in contact - we are always emailing or phoning, or contacting each other through Facebook. Some of us have also worked on other movies shot in Kent since we finished on The Other Boleyn Girl. We always promised that we would get back together to watch the film, and Saturday night was extra special.
 

This year's Dover summer carnival has been cancelled because of claims by the organisers, Dover Carnival Association Limited, who took over the event four years ago, that the district council had not given them the backing they needed.

In 2007 the procession start time was brought forward from 6.00pm to 3.00pm, which it is claimed caused problems with church weddings, bus services, and traffic in the town centre on a busy Saturday afternoon.

This year, the district council have told the carnival association that the parade would be reverting to the original starting time of  6.00pm.

A statement from Dover District Council said they would be very sorry to see the community event fail to take place and would welcome the chance to continue to work with organisers to find a way forward for the benefit of everyone.

The Lydd air show which replaced the council-run Shepway Airshow has been cancelled this summer because it has failed to attract a sponsor.

The first Lydd Air Show, backed by London Ashford Airport (LAA), had its debut in 2006, two years after the final Shepway show, was attended by 40,000 people.

Airport boss Zaher Deir said LAA and air show organisers would be looking into holding the show next year provided they can secure sufficient funds, and would also consider running it every other year.

Yes, I know I said that I would say this only once, but it is worth repeating.

Our April production is the hilarious play version of that popular BBC TV series, ‘Allo ‘Allo.

Written by Jeremy Lloyd and David Croft, the play will be directed by Pete Raine and includes all your favourite characters.

It will run from Wednesday 9th April to Saturday 12th April in Lyminge Village Hall.

Tickets go on sale in late March.

This really is one not to be missed.

Brian Edmond

Last year's winner Sasha Buckingham