Geoff Billingsley fondly remembers Jake and Elwood at The Blues Brothers Party tribute show Everybody, needs somebody, as the memorable song states, and proving such records are still much loved The Blues Brothers Party took The Churchill by
DARTFORD assistant manager Paul Sawyer was in an optimistic mood after last nignt’s impressive 3-1 win over Concord Rangers in the Ryman League Cup. Sawyer spoke highly of Dartford's prospects in the cup competition and hasn't ruled out winning
A WOMAN who campaigned to make a waterway safe after her fiancé drowned has been honoured at 10 Downing Street. Hema Shah, aged 37, was a guest of Erith and Thamesmead MP John Austin at a reception to honour local community activists. The event
A CONTROVERSIAL redevelopment will go ahead after inspectors overturned a council decision. Residents and councillors had argued that the seven-storey development at the old Grove Market Place site in Eltham High Street was unsuitable for the
A NEW £3m scheme to build a community theatre and day nursery has been backed by a council. The development proposed by Gravesham Council will include a 120-seat theatre, a children’s nursery, a cafe, public toilets and a car park. The theatre will
A GROUP of volunteers are looking for new members to help at events across the county. The Kent eVent team, which is supported by Kent County Council, provides volunteers for community, sport and cultural events across the county. It is looking for
Kate Winslet has already won a Golden Globe and is nominated for a Bafta for her portrayal of 1950s housewife April Wheeler in Revolutionary Road. The British actress talks to Kate Whiting about working with her husband Sam Mendes and former Titanic
BASINGSTOKE Town deservedly completed the league double over Bromley at The Camrose on Tuesday evening in what was the Lillywhites' worst performance for more than five years. The home side, who have now won just four league games all season, two of
EBBSFLEET midfielder Neil Barrett was keen to highlight the positive factors from last night’s thrilling 4-4 draw against Crawley Town. The fact Ebbsfleet failed to win a game in which they dominated did little to dampen the spirits of the battling
SHOPPERS have been given a wake-up call on the issue of hearing-loss thanks to a Co-op food store. Staff at the supermarket in Footscray Road, New Eltham, dressed up in pyjamas to launch the start of their campaign to raise awareness about deafness.
Too many comedians open with the over-used gambit ‘a funny thing happened to me on the way to this gig,’ don’t they? Kiwi stand-up Al Pitcher, however, reinvents this comedy cliche entirely by presenting audiences with the photographic evidence
THE January transfer window is very different at Ebbsfleet United, the football club owned by an internet community of 32,000 members from more than 100 countries. Unlike Premier League teams who are scrambling to buy multi-million pound players before
Hi All, I have been thinking for quite some time about broaching this subject and due to yet another tragic incident I thought I would write something now. I have been an avid reader of the News Shopper site for quite some time now and
DARTFORD Judo Club's Francesca Steggall confirmed her number one GB squad spot after clinching yet another gold at the Great Britain under-20 trials in Sheffield, completing the national hat-trick. This was Steggall's third national gold of the 2008
A REPORT commissioned by an urban think-tank shows unemployment rates vary dramatically across the News Shopper area. Research group, Centre For Cities, looked at data in last year's Annual Population Survey to show unemployment rates across
LIAM Daish’s Fleet suffered yet more late heartbreak when they were denied victory by Jon Shaw’s injury time equaliser for Crawley last night. The game exploded from the kick-off and Ebbsfleet were on the receiving end of a bombardment of long
YOUNG people took to the stage for a church service with a difference. BCC– The Church, which used to be known as the Bromley Christian Centre, usually meets in Masons Hill, Bromley. But to try something different, they held an event
VISITORS smuggling in mobile phones, staff shortages and four-year waits for inquests into prisoner deaths are all problems facing Belmarsh Prison, a report claims. Belmarsh’s Independent Monitoring Board also says the prison has many inmates
WELLING United made a welcome return to winning ways with victory at St Albans City last night. Both teams went into the fixture at Clarence Road struggling for form and in a recent match the hosts had pulled back a three goal deficit against
Actress and Dancing on Ice finalist Clare Buckfield tells Kerry Ann Eustice how and why a forthcoming production of Little Shop of Horrors tempted her back into musical theatre. After a sell-out, Olivier Award-nominated run at venue-of-the-moment
A PUBLIC meeting was held last night into the amalgamation of Tubbenden infant and junior schools. It was part of the public consultation into the plans to form one primary school which ends on February 13. The two schools are currently run as a ‘federation
Jacques Vert has unveiled its Spring/Summer 2009 collection — an inspiring range of exquisite occasion clothes. This season the cut, shape and sensational colour of the range has a couture feel at an affordable price. The label prides itself as an off-the-peg
gDA’s Ellen Gridley describes why the acts appearing at the New Year Cabaret this weekend can offer something for everyone
Mimbre
VICTIMS of the economic downturn are being urged to turn to Gravesham Council for help. The council has launched its Turn To Us campaign, which offers free help to residents and asks them to get in touch as soon as financial problems arise
MAYOR of Bromley Councillor Denise Reddin attended the club’s Christmas collection at the Walnuts on December 23. The club would like to thank The Walnuts’ management for their help, and Orpington shoppers for their generous support and goodwill, particularly
THE society’s third annual dinner was held at the Bromley Court Hotel on January 21. This was attended by 47 members and their partners who enjoyed good food and convivial company. For the meeting on January 28, members were asked to bring up to two
ON JANUARY 14, members were delighted to see so many people turn up to hear guest speaker Mr Roger Tomlinson of the RSPB. He gave an illustrated, amusing and informative talk about birds such as the robin, our national bird, of which there
THE last print competition produced some interesting entries. Shades of Stephen King by Keith Cutting was a very unusual shot of a standing clown with a very large banner of a clown’s head immediately behind him. The banner appeared to be growing out
THE guild held its latest meeting at the Crofton Halls, Orpington, on January 10. Members were treated to a fascinating talk by Anna Mansi about her beautiful collection of Canadian Red Cross quilts. She explained during the Second World War thousands
MONTY Parkin opened the new season on January 14 in the Great Hall of the Civic Centre with a delightful illustrated talk called A Village Remembered. The village he described was Kemsing, which had the advantage of being on the spring line below the
THE society’s meeting on January 14 was a competition for the President’s Cup. Society president Charles Newson judged the entries. The winner this year was new member Ron Evans with his entry of Burma, including the Japanese occupation period.
THE society was treated to longstanding committee member David Grimwade’s collection of slides taken during his visits to Zimbabwe in 1996 and 1999. The society holds regular Tuesday meetings at The Small Hall, Christ Church, Charterhouse Road, Orpington
THE institute had a seasonal winter which included a carol service also involving members from Ravensbourne District WIs. This was held in St Patrick’s Church, which still retains the tip-up seats from when it was a cinema. There are always numerous
I AM trying to trace my cousin, Brian Rodney Tye. He married Daphne Barnard at Dartford Register Office in January 1958. They had a daughter called Delaware, I think in 1959. We came to Australia that year. If anyone can help me I would
THERE TO LEARN: We keep hearing of schoolchildren being expelled for, as it is called, disruptive behaviour. But what is it? It is all very well a Gravesend school being involved in the making of a film about teenage violence and to hear the project
I SUPPORT Chris Pope’s letter (Stop Double Standards With Blood Sports Ban, News Shopper, January 7). This referred to the double standards of the Government in banning blood sports through the Hunting with Dogs Act while allowing thousands of game birds
FREDDIE Mercury was alive and well and performing at the Orchard Theatre, Dartford, on January 17 in One Night of Queen. The evening turned out to be Kind of Magic. Having seen Queen at Wembley in 1986, my expectations had not been high but I can honestly
SIR Paul Stephenson has said he is "hugely proud" to be appointed the new Metropolitan Police Commissioner. The acting commissioner was unveiled as Britain's most senior police officer by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith and London mayor Boris Johnson
A TEENAGER is still critically ill, three days after a crash in St Paul’s Cray which killed two of his friends and seriously injured a 61-year-old man. Grant Holland, 17, was pulled out from a Honda Civic at around 12.15am on Sunday (January
A SLEEPING man got a rude awakening when officers broke down the door of his Bromley flat. The 40-year-old man was still in bed when the police raided the address in Sundridge Parade, Plaistow Lane, and found two rooms had been converted into
Police say domestic abuse is under reported. CHARLOTTE McDONALD attends a meeting to learn how victims can get help. WHEN Bromley’s only women’s refuge started up 35 years ago, domestic violence was barely recognised as a crime. So says
THIS weekend a school in Welling will receive a makeover – thanks to the generosity of one man and News Shopper’s Kindness Club. East Wickham Junior School will be the location for the first kind act to be done in honour of our fantastic new community
A WASTE company has had to stump up £3,000 after being prosecuted for failing to keep proper records of its waste transfers. Highway Waste Control Services, based in Wheatley Terrace Road, Erith, admitted the offence at Bexley Magistrates’ Court
TWO UFOs have been spotted in the sky over Mottingham this week. Jack Regan was returning home to Court Farm Road on Monday at about 6pm when he saw a pair of strange orange lights up above. The 22-year-old used his mobile to capture
THREE schools in the borough are set to benefit from more than £5m of investment to spend on secondary education. Newstead Wood School for Girls in Avebury Road, Orpington, will get £2.5m for a two-storey classroom and office block.
TWO men who robbed their friend have been given jail sentences totalling 12 years. David Marino, aged 27, of Ordnance Road, Greenwich, and Danny Brady, aged 24, of Marvels Lane, Lewisham, were sentenced at Woolwich Crown Court. The pair
A MINISTER has slammed the “poor” bail hostel in Catford and said he expects it to close following a review. Residents say the controversial offenders’ accommodation in Chestnut Close, Catford, has been empty for the past 13 days. The
A RAFT of changes to Bexley bus routes designed to improve bus services in the borough has come into operation. The changes involve 99, 132, 469, B12 and B15 buses. Route 99, connecting Woolwich and Erith, has been extended to Bexleyheath
CRYSTAL Palace manager Neil Warnock was frustrated with his side's lack of clear chances in the 1-0 defeat to Charlton. He added the victorious players "should be disgusted with themselves" for waiting so long to put in such a good effort.
MATT Spring is convinced Charlton will escape relegation if they can reproduce their battling performance against Crystal Palace between now and the end of the season. Spring smashed home a 14th minute volley to earn the Addicks a welcome victory
