Card retailer goes into administration

authour@pressmart.com (authour) — Fri, 18 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

JOBS in thanet are at risk after Clinton Cards was put into administration on Monday.

the greetings card retailer operates at least 18 Clinton Cards outlets in Kent including branches in Westwood Cross and ramsgate.

the company employs 4,800 staff in its HQ and 628 stores as well as 139 shops under the Birthdays banner.

On Monday the firm asked for trading in its shares to be suspended.

Five people rescued from fire at flats

authour@pressmart.com (authour) — Fri, 18 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

FIre crews pulled five people to safety after a blaze broke out in a block of flats in Cliftonville on thursday last week.

A neighbour called the emergency services after hearing the smoke alarm sound in the three-storey property in ethelbert road at 1.09am.

Crews from Margate were at the scene in three minutes, followed by firefighters from Westgate and ramsgate.

When they arrived, black

Mother dealt drugs in front of her young son

authour@pressmart.com (authour) — Fri, 18 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

EXCLUSIVE by Paul Hooper thanetextra@thekmgroup.co.uk A MArgAte drugs dealer escaped a mandatory sevenyear jail sentence so she could keep her baby after it was born in prison.

However, Victoria Heaton repaid the merciful judge by dealing crack cocaine and heroin at her home and in front of the same child.

Now the judge who slashed the original sentence to fourand-a-half years has given the

Good natured with a desire for fun

authour@pressmart.com (authour) — Fri, 18 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Paul Wilkinson left Thanet last month to embark on a round-the-world trip with pals Andy Johnston and Jonny Hindley. This week our roving travel blogger and former Thanet schoolboy Paul, 23, reports from Thailand and Laos on the four-legged local version of taxis, courteous thieves and the perils of the local cuisine TRAVELLER'S tummy, legions of mosquito bites, and suffocating heat aside, this

Play your part in tackling problem of stray cats

authour@pressmart.com (authour) — Fri, 18 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

PET owners are being urged to consider having their cats neutered to stop a growing problems of abandoned cats.

Amazingly one un-neutered cat whose kittens are also unneutered can produce a million cats in just seven years. Strays are subject to disease, and often produce kittens that will themselves die of cold or malnutrition.
They are also more susceptible to feline AIDS and leukaemia.<

Ezekiel steps down from Tory group

authour@pressmart.com (authour) — Fri, 18 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

FORMER Thanet Council leader Sandy Ezekiel has stepped down from the Conservative Group following his appearance in court on fraud and misconduct in public office charges.

The 59-year-old, of Crow Hill, Broadstairs, appeared before Maidstone magistrates last Tuesday, May 8, along with a second man.

The case was adjourned until May 21.

Ezekiel, who is the councillor for Cliftonville East,

Shops smarten up to welcome Olympic torch

authour@pressmart.com (authour) — Fri, 18 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

CLIFTONVILLE shop owners are pulling out all the stops to ensure they're noticed ahead of the Olympics.

A call has gone out to spruce up the area for the Olympic Torch procession which will travel the length of Northdown Road, with plans to decorate shopfronts with bunting and floral displays.

The Cliftonville Partnership is asking every shop owner to donate just £4 to make sure the area d

Tributes to councillor who lost cancer battle

authour@pressmart.com (authour) — Fri, 18 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

FRIENDS and colleagues have paid tribute to Conservative councillor Brian Goodwin, who died from cancer.

Cllr Bob Bayford, leader of the council's Conservative group, said: "Cllr Goodwin represented Westgate on Sea ward since 2003 and cared deeply for the area and its residents.

"He will be greatly missed by all his friends and colleagues in the Conservative Group at Thanet District Council

Step out to help a good cause

authour@pressmart.com (authour) — Fri, 18 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

CHILDREN'S charities and cancer causes will benefit from the KM Charity Walk.

This year's walk is on July 1 from Mote Park, Maidstone.

Macmillan Cancer Research, hospices in Kent and the children's road safety department of the KM Charity Team will share the proceeds.

Simon Dolby from the charity department at the KM Group said: "The annual KM Charity Walk is something of a tradition i

Children take flight to study aviation

authour@pressmart.com (authour) — Fri, 18 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

PRIMARY school children from Newington Community School in Ramsgate will take to the skies in the summer.
The pupils will get the chance to see a birds-eye view of the Isle of Thanet from a light aircraft on June 14.
The trip is part of the school's Take Flight project which involves making hot air balloons and giant paper planes and kites as pupils study the history and development of aviat

Reward for all those early starts

authour@pressmart.com (authour) — Fri, 18 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

DEDICATED young musician Freya Rhodes from Broadstairs has won a place at the Royal College of Music junior department from September.

The 14-year-old's success follows an extremely demanding year during which she got up at 4am to catch the 5.10am train to London every Saturday to get to the Royal College for an 8am lesson.

After studying under Professor Daphne Boden at the college, Freya re

Eat, drink and be merry for the Jubilee

authour@pressmart.com (authour) — Fri, 18 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

FANCY dress, strawberries and classic cars will all play their part in a weekend of Jubilee celebrations next month.

Organisers from York Street Methodist Church are planning a two-day event in Victoria Gardens in Broadstairs, with a fair with a miniature railway, classic vehicles, a hog roast, children's roundabouts and stalls.

There will be fancy-dress competitions for children and adults

Manston Airport night-time flights rejected by council

authour@pressmart.com (authour) — Fri, 18 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

PROPOSALS for night-time flights at Manston Airport will not be supported by Thanet District Council.

At a meeting last Thursday members of the cabinet recommended that the council should reject the introduction of limited night-time flying.

It was decided that the proposed scheduled flights would cause too much noise and environmental impact and that public opposition was too strong.

Car

Chance to vote for your Beach Hut of the Year

authour@pressmart.com (authour) — Fri, 18 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

THANET is known for its beautiful coastlines and quirky beach huts.
Recently, beach huts have attracted a small celebrity following, with Rolling Stone Keith Richards, Chef Aldo Zilli and Madness singer Suggs all declaring a fondness for them.
Now, to celebrate the colourful seaside feature, hut users are being asked to nominate their Beach Hut of the Year, in a competition sponsored by TL R

Fundraising? It's all a piece of cake

authour@pressmart.com (authour) — Fri, 18 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

RESIDENTS and staff from five of Orbit's sheltered housing schemes in the Thanet area have raised £644.40 during the Pilgrims Hospices' It's a Piece of Cake fundraising week.

The charity encouraged the community to hold coffee mornings, tea parties or just eat a piece of cake with proceeds helping support terminally-ill patients and their families round east Kent.

Orbit South residents from

Cat family on the look-out for friends A FRIEND FOR LIFE

authour@pressmart.com (authour) — Fri, 18 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

TWO generations of cats are in need of a new place to live.

A mum, dad and three kittens have been taken in by staff at Thanet's Cats in Crisis and are now ready to be rehomed.

The mother cat had been left behind when her owners moved away and had one litter of kittens in someone's garden last year.

Cats in Crisis staff caught the kittens but were unable to find the mum, who always avoide

Join hospice shop volunteers

authour@pressmart.com (authour) — Fri, 18 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

PILGRIMS Hospice in Margate celebrates 20 years of caring for the community this year and the charity is appealing for your help.

Teresa Canaby, regional retail manager at Pilgrims Hospice, said: "We enjoy amazing support from the local community that helps us to achieve our £9 million fundraising target each year.

"Pilgrims Hospices charity shops are a big part of this income and we are f

Investigation into house fire

authour@pressmart.com (authour) — Fri, 18 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

THE cause of a fire at a threestorey house in Crescent Road, Ramsgate, is under investigation.

Firefighters were alerted on Saturday at 6pm and wore breathing apparatus to tackle flames on the ground floor.

Kent Fire and Rescue Service reported no casualties.

Green light for our Blue Flag beaches

authour@pressmart.com (authour) — Fri, 18 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

THANET has more Blue Flag clean beach awards than anywhere else in the UK.

Keep Britain Tidy gave the accolade to nine beaches across the island.

The anti-litter charity also awarded the status, honouring the highest quality in water, facilities and safety, to Herne Bay and Tankerton for the first time.

Reculver beach gained a Quality Coast Award, which goes to beaches with clean sands fr

Students are always ready for a laugh

authour@pressmart.com (authour) — Fri, 18 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

LIFE'S a laugh for three Margate students who are building their reputation on the local comedy scene.

Steve Warrington, Blake Wright and Lewis Colley take their own brand of humour to the stage at the Tom Thumb Theatre in Cliftonville on Saturday, May 19, as part of the regular comedy night season.

All three of the comics take their comedy seriously and put in hours of scripting and rehears

Humorous and heart-breaking poems

authour@pressmart.com (authour) — Fri, 18 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

LIFE experience and the nature of memory are the themes in a new collection of poetry spanning 70 years.

Broadstairs author John Binfield has put together a series of poems called Just in Time, which draws on personal experience.

He tackles subjects such as evacuation, school days, military service, the natural world, loss and the passage of time in a humorous and sometimes heartbreaking s

Dad and daughter's pub gig for Abigail

authour@pressmart.com (authour) — Fri, 18 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

FATHER-AND-DAUGHTER musical duo Steve and Beverley Dent are recovering from sore throats after a five-hour performance for charity.

The pair, who perform as Blue Velvet, took to the stage at the Jekyll and Hyde pub in Ramsgate on Saturday to raise money for Abigail's Fund, which aims to buy special equipment for a Ramsgate girl suffering from cerebral palsy and microcephaly.

And four-year-ol

`Every day burglar walks past our house smiling at us'

authour@pressmart.com (authour) — Fri, 18 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

A RAMSGATE transport boss stormed out of a criminal court after watching a neighbour who raided his home walk free.

Furious Kevin Ingram had expected thief Simon Forty to be jailed for a series of burglaries in Thanet.

Instead, father-of-one Forty, 26, escaped with a suspended prison sentence after claiming he took £12,000 worth of jewellery and electrical items because his son was ill.

`Police did what they could but court let us down'

authour@pressmart.com (authour) — Fri, 18 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

BURGLARY victims Kevin and Angela Ingram have spoken out over their disgust at the sentence dished out by the court.

The couple were in Canterbury Crown Court to see the sentencing of Simon Forty after he ransacked their home, taking £6,500 worth of valuables, including several precious family mementoes.

And since Forty walked from court, the Ingrams have seen him walk past their home a numb

Fun advice for balanced diet

authour@pressmart.com (authour) — Fri, 18 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

MR AND Mrs Broccoli shared the secrets of healthy eating with pupils at Christ Church Junior School in Ramsgate.

Staff from school meals provider Chartwell gave pupils a light-hearted taste of the right ingredients for a balanced diet.

The workshop was served up to pupils at the school in London Road to remind them about the importance of nutrition. Pupils also watched a fun cookery demons

get set for digital

authour@pressmart.com (authour) — Fri, 18 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

With just weeks to go until the first analogue TV signals are switched off across most of Kent and parts of East Sussex, Kent Messenger has teamed up with Digital UK to provide readers with this special guide to digital TV switchover.
What is switchover?
Digital TV switchover is the biggest change in television since the introduction of colour. Analogue signals are about to be switched off a

How will switchover happen?

authour@pressmart.com (authour) — Fri, 18 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Switchover will happen in two stages. If you currently receive your TV signal through an aerial, in either analogue or digital format (e.g. Freeview, Top Up TV, BT Vision), you are probably served by either the Bluebell Hill or Dover transmitter groups, which switch on the dates below. Televisions connected to a cable or satellite service are not affected.
Stage One 13 June 2012 In the early

Birds fly home to help launch Emin's first Turner exhibition

authour@pressmart.com (authour) — Fri, 18 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

by Jamie Stephens jstephens@thekmgroup.co.uk HIGH-FLYING Thanet band Two Wounded Birds are returning to the roost to open Tracey Emin's first exhibition at the Turner.

Margate's second biggest export since Emin first started embroidering tents, it's a fitting homecoming for a band who have spent the last year rubbing shoulders with some big names.

Despite mixing with the likes of Brian Wilso

Website will help young children stay safe

authour@pressmart.com (authour) — Fri, 18 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

A NEW social networking site for students billed as an alternative to Facebook has been launched at a dance party in Margate.

The website, called This Is Status, is aimed at keeping pupils aged from 11 to 16 safer on the internet.

Kent Police Chief Inspector Lee Russell, who is part of the new initiative, said: "Only young people can access it through a school email address and that is then

Grease-themed weekend aims to set another dance record

authour@pressmart.com (authour) — Fri, 18 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

GREASE is the word at this year's Big Broadstairs Weekend.

Following last year's Abbathemed success, the event returns with a tribute to the movie Grease, with an evening of music at the Pavilion on Friday, May 18, show ing the musical on a giant screen at Viking Bay on Saturday, May 19, and an ambitious record-breaking dance event on Sunday.

Last year's Dancing Queens charity dance raised

Big screen songs on the stage...

authour@pressmart.com (authour) — Fri, 18 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Stage Door Theatre Company returns to Margate Winter Gardens to take theatregoers on a magical musical journey through favourite songs from well-loved films.
Once Upon a Dream is a family show with some surprise guest appearances.
The show is on Saturday, May 19, at 7.30pm and tickets are £8 from the box office on 01843 296111.

Can Bob fix his own new show?

authour@pressmart.com (authour) — Fri, 18 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Bob the Builder in the Fixham Theatre is the latest adventure for the lovable television character.
Local talent Dickie Olivier needs Bob's help to fix up the stage for his new musical. But when Spud decides he wants to be the star of the show, the job doesn't exactly go to plan. Will the theatre be ready? Will the show go on? Bob's going to need help from his friends.
With well-known

Legends return with some stirring stuff

authour@pressmart.com (authour) — Fri, 18 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Irish music legends the Fureys and Davey Arthur return to Margate's Theatre Royal on Saturday, May 19.

The band has been entertaining all over the world for 34 years and their audiences have included Irish President Mary McAleese, former Australian Prime Minister John Howard and the late Pope John Paul, while Tony Blair has publicly stated that his favourite peace song of all time is the Fureys

Songs, fun and a bit of sauce!

authour@pressmart.com (authour) — Fri, 18 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Jubilee Music Hall promises an evening of singalong plus comedy, a spot of melodrama to boo and hiss at and a saucy cancan dance.
Directed by Jean Selfe, the show at the Granville Theatre in Ramsgate will raise funds for the building's restoration appeal.
It can be seen nightly from June 14 to 16, with a Saturday matinee at 2.30pm. Tickets are £9 in advance or £10 on the door. Telephone 0184

Fashion show for cat charity

authour@pressmart.com (authour) — Fri, 18 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

A TURN on the catwalk will help feline friends in need at a charity fashion show.
The fundraiser on Saturday, May 19 will raise cash for the Cats in Crisis in Ramsgate.
The fun gets under way at 7pm at St George's Hall in Broad Street and dozens of models will showcase women's and men's clothes and accessories.
All the items on display will be available to buy on the night.
There will

Groove to a weekend of soul

authour@pressmart.com (authour) — Fri, 18 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

» Holiday.

MARGATE becomes the groove capital of Kent when the Soul Town Weekend takes over during the Bank A programme of events has been put together by the Dreamland Trust and it all starts on Saturday, May 26, at Fort's Cafe at Cliff Terrace, where from 9am to midnight you can take along your top three soul tunes and rock the turntable.
Soul Britannia will celebrate at the Britannia pub

All hands on deck for card battle game

authour@pressmart.com (authour) — Fri, 18 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

THE Yu-Gi-Oh! trading card game is a Japanese collectible card battle game and it's coming to Thanet.
The tournament at Margate Winter Gardens on Sunday, May 20, is intended for duelists of any age to fight others using their own deck to win prizes (detailed on the Groovy Frog website http://www.
groovyfrog.co.uk).
There will be a number of 40minute Swiss rounds, decided on depending on

COMMUNITY NEWS

authour@pressmart.com (authour) — Fri, 18 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Hilderstone Amateur Radio Club An excellent talk was given by Lorna Marchant on diet and how to maximise energy levels.
The next talk will be about Facebook and Twitter by David Townsend on Thursday, May 24, at 7pm at the Marlowe Academy, Ramsgate.
The club will be discussing arrangements for the special event radio station to be set up at the Spitfire Memorial Museum on the weekend of June

Chemists

authour@pressmart.com (authour) — Fri, 18 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Broadstairs and St Peter's: Chemists open late on certain days: St Peter's Pharmacy, 2 Church Street, St Peter's, Mon-Fri 9-6.30pm, Sat 9-5pm; Superdrug Pharmacy, 20-22 High Street, Broadstairs, Mon-Sat 9-5.30pm; Boots the Chemists, 14 High Street, Broadstairs, Mon-Sat 9-5.30pm; Tyrrell and Jones, 15 The Broadway, Broadstairs, Mon-Sat 9-5.30pm; Pierremont Pharmacy, 73-75 The High Street, Broadstai

Bringing the blues to Broadstairs

authour@pressmart.com (authour) — Fri, 18 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

THE Big Blue will rock the Wrotham Arms, Broadstairs, on Friday, May 18, from 9pm.
The three-piece have been together for 17 years playing the festival, pub and club circuit in the South East, building a reputation as one of the best bands of their type in the area. Guitarist/vocalist Stuart Bligh said: "Expect to enjoy renditions of classic blues material by the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Cream,

West End Ben back CINEMAS 87.87 yellow NEMA/GRANVILLE THEATRE for a one-off show

authour@pressmart.com (authour) — Fri, 18 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Margate entertainer and theatrical producer Gordon Clarkson and his wife Joy are facing a hectic few weeks, preparing for two totally different theatre shows.
On Wednesday, May 23, in associaton with charity fundraiser Horace they are staging an extra special one-off show called The Music Makers which is a celebration of songs from Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, the Gershwins, Jerome Kern and many

Landlords can save cash with The POD

authour@pressmart.com (authour) — Fri, 18 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

LOVETTS Lettings is calling on all landlords to find out more about its latest innovation.
Staff at the estate agent in Ramsgate High Street have set up a new management company called The POD for the lettings branch of the business.
And they have just moved into their new office, which has been purpose-built at the rear of the existing premises.
The POD offers all landlords who want to u

Rakish and effective

authour@pressmart.com (authour) — Fri, 18 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

The Subaru XV's combination of looks and ability along with the promise of enhanced aftersales support are compelling factors in what is a fiercely competitive soft-roader market.
Iain Dooley reports When you've built your brand on the toughness element of your vehicles, adapting to market trends and offering a soft-roader option is always going to be a challenge.
The upside is the chance

Size still matters to American drivers

authour@pressmart.com (authour) — Fri, 18 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

As What Car? magazine tries to help motorists get value out of their tank of fuel with their True MPG campaign, Matt Joy says car drivers already have the key to economic driving they are just too impatient to use it. It's a dilly of a pickle all right.

Don't mention the F-word (fuel) but it's more expensive than ever before, and will probably continue to increase in price unt

Kent unlikely to sign second overseas star

authour@pressmart.com (authour) — Fri, 18 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

by Glenn Pearson FINANCES and a lack of options look set to end Kent's hopes of signing an additional overseas player for this year's Friends Life Twenty20 campaign.

The county were hopeful of going into next month's 20-over competition with two overseas players, as they did last summer, to add to West Indian Brendan Nash, but it appears those plans have come to a halt with the players availabl

Scorer Foley closes his book

authour@pressmart.com (authour) — Fri, 18 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

by Andrew Gidley JACK FOLEY says his decision to retire as Kent scorer after 25 years was a hard one to make.
Foley, who celebrates his 81st birthday next month, was the longest-serving scorer on the county circuit. His long service has been rewarded by the county, who have made him their 14th life vice-president and he joins a list which includes the Duke of Edinburgh and the Duke of Kent, as

Cowdreys' links go on

authour@pressmart.com (authour) — Fri, 18 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

TEENAGER Fabian Cowdrey became the third generation of the famous Kent cricketing family to play for the county when he made his first-class debut in the friendly against Oxford MCCU.

The 19-year-old righthanded batsman and left-arm spinner is a former Tonbridge School pupil.

Like his grandfather Colin, father Chris, and his uncle Graham, he plays club cricket for Sevenoaks Vine.

Colin an

ThanetExtraTE

Blur fans face fight for `golden tickets'

Kent's youngest mayor is looking forward to the challenges ahead

Two charged with attempted burglary

Card retailer goes into administration

Five people rescued from fire at flats

Mother dealt drugs in front of her young son

Good natured with a desire for fun

Play your part in tackling problem of stray cats

Ezekiel steps down from Tory group

Shops smarten up to welcome Olympic torch

Tributes to councillor who lost cancer battle

Step out to help a good cause

Children take flight to study aviation

Reward for all those early starts

Eat, drink and be merry for the Jubilee

Manston Airport night-time flights rejected by council

Chance to vote for your Beach Hut of the Year

Fundraising? It's all a piece of cake

Cat family on the look-out for friends A FRIEND FOR LIFE

Join hospice shop volunteers

Investigation into house fire

Green light for our Blue Flag beaches

Students are always ready for a laugh

Humorous and heart-breaking poems

Dad and daughter's pub gig for Abigail

`Every day burglar walks past our house smiling at us'

`Police did what they could but court let us down'

Fun advice for balanced diet

get set for digital

How will switchover happen?

Birds fly home to help launch Emin's first Turner exhibition

Website will help young children stay safe

Grease-themed weekend aims to set another dance record

Big screen songs on the stage...

Can Bob fix his own new show?

Legends return with some stirring stuff

Songs, fun and a bit of sauce!

Fashion show for cat charity

Groove to a weekend of soul

All hands on deck for card battle game

COMMUNITY NEWS

Chemists

Bringing the blues to Broadstairs

West End Ben back CINEMAS 87.87 yellow NEMA/GRANVILLE THEATRE for a one-off show

Landlords can save cash with The POD

Rakish and effective

Size still matters to American drivers

Kent unlikely to sign second overseas star

Scorer Foley closes his book

Cowdreys' links go on