I've owned my Baronial Pile outright - no Mort-gage - since 1999 - other than a rather bizarre £5.84 that Alliance and Leicester (a.k.a Santander) could neither explain nor decide if they owed it to me or I owed it to them and which was only discovered
AN infestation of algae has led to “utter carnage” in a lake, causing more than 1,000 fish to die. Hundreds more large carp, bream, tench and eels have been left gasping for air in Southmere Lake, Thamesmead, while officers from the Environment
MOVIE stars could be on their way to north Kent after a law was passed to allow roads to be closed during filming. Legislation passed on Tuesday (July 27) has made Kent County Council (KCC) the only authority outside of London to have the power
IF YOU fancy a balti on a cold winter's night, or a hot vindaloo to impress your mates, you have come to the wrong place. Hidden in the Bellenden area of Peckham (Posh Peckham to locals) is the delightfully modest surroundings of the Ganapati
A WOMAN with 10 great-grandchildren has celebrated her 105th birthday. May Pennington was born in 1905 in Northfleet. She left school at 14 and eventually worked for 20 years in the accounts department of Gulf Oil where she was known by colleagues
THE home of Charles Darwin is a step closer to becoming a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Down House in Luxted Road, Downe, was nominated by the government last year and a decision by UNESCO was this weekend deferred to allow for further in depth
A PARAMEDIC who broke his baby son's arm in an "unforgivably brutal and shocking" attack - but was cleared of his murder - has been sentenced to three years in jail. Gavin Gibbs whispered "please forgive me" as three-month-old Charlie's life
DECOR ** (bare) DRINK ** (small selection) PRICE ** (a tale of two halves — pricey beer but cheap spirits) ATMOSPHERE *** (down to earth) STAFF *** (warm and welcoming) FOOD **** (great Jamaican fare) EITHER the original owner of this shabby
GLASS slippers were the shoes of choice for Cinderella but Miss Bromley favours walking boots. Beauty queen Emily Hedge is wearing them around her house in Valley Road, Shortlands, as she prepares for her trek up Mount Snowdon.
A FORMER councillor suspended from the Conservative Party after sending e-mails complaining prospective parliamentary candidates do not have “normal” English names denies he is a racist. Peter Hobbins, who was a councillor for Orpington, told
YOUNGSTERS and their parents are being invited to sign up to a free healthy living programme. The MEND programme - mind, exercise, nutrition, do it - is a free ten week course for children aged seven to 13 who are above a healthy weight. Parents
A PARK and gardens is one of only five in the country to have won a top environmental award every year since the scheme started. Hall Place, Bourne Road, Bexley has been given the Green Flag for the 14th consecutive year and also received a
RAIL passengers are being urged to join a campaign calling for better train services in north Kent. Kent County Council (KCC) is asking railway users to report any issues they have with trains in the area so they can be included in presentations to the
Welcome to the latest Shopper Rant opinion column which complains about summer being blighted by unwanted buzzing guests. Join the debate by adding your comments. THE joys of summertime. Warm weather. The chance to eat more ice cream. Lighter evenings
Renowned American designer Kenneth Cole has been at the forefront of the fashion world for more than 25 years. Based in New York, Cole is now designing exclusive womenswear, menswear and accessory collections for House of Fraser. Q. How did you get into
THREE people have been arrested after a man was found dead in a woodland. Kent police officers were called to a wooded area near Wood Lane, Dartford, just after 7.20pm on Friday (July 30) following reports that a man's body had been found.
SHOPS could be driven out of business by constant work carried out on their road, it has been claimed. George Raymond, who runs hairdresser Clip Joint in Station Road, Sidcup, said he knew of one shop owner on the brink of suicide due to plummeting
TWO community-run parks have been recognised as the country’s best green spaces. Twinkle Park and Charlotte Turner Gardens, which are both in Deptford, have received a Green Pennant Award. Part of the Green Flag award scheme, the pennants
A WOODLAND has won an award for being one of the best green spaces in the country. Jeskyns Community Woodland in Cobham has been given a prestigious Green Flag award for the third year running, after judges praised it for being a superb place. Inspectors
A COUNCIL has rejected a proposal to include their recreation ground in a town centre’s expansion plans. Swanley Town Council opposed a landowner’s proposal to include St Mary’s Recreation Ground in St Mary’s Road in plans to expand Swanley
FIREFIGHTERS from across Kent battled a grass fire in Swanscombe which stretched across 150 acres of land. Twelve crews and a water unit were called to the blaze off Manor Way on Saturday evening at around 5pm. They spent around four
RICHARD Murray’s move to assume full control of Charlton Athletic will greatly aid the side’s fortunes on the pitch, says manager Phil Parkinson. Murray bought out his fellow board members this past week to not only simplify the club’s hierarchy
BUILDING work for a boys school is well under way. A turf cutting ceremony marked the start of work at the site for the new Langley Park School for Boys, South Eden Park Road, Beckenham. When it is completed it will include a 500-seater
BRINGING up just one child is difficult enough for most parents but for Maureen Dingley this was just the start. As a foster carer for 35 years she raised around 100 foster children in Bromley as well as bringing up her daughter Emma.
HEADS should roll over a parking nightmare which risks driving traders out of a village, a shop owner says. Planning guidelines recommend allowing 1.5 car parking spaces for each dwelling or 0.75 spaces for social housing. But councillors
UNIONS will be urged to organise national days of protest and coordinated industrial action against the government's public spending cuts during the TUC's annual conference. A motion tabled by the Rail Maritime and Transport (RMT) union calls for an
