Canterbury Retailers optimistic about spending cuts

Although the government’s spending review has been said to lead Britain

into an austerity regime some retailers are not so much worried as others.

The spending review scheme, argued the Treasury, was a difficult decision

to make yet necessary to the UKs economic confidence.

With public sector spending cuts having already started Keith Raes of Gold

and Silversmith, Canterbury says his business will continue to prosper.

“ Unusually the jewellery trade is something that people buy for very

special occasions, weddings, engagements, that sort of thing and that will

always go on, “ Mr Raes said.

Mature students to suffer

It is claimed that mature students looking for a change of career or further qualifications will be hit hardest if tuition fees are inflated.

Steve Godwin, the President of the Union at Canterbury Christ Church University said: "Mature students who can quite easily come through, access courses and change career paths will find it almost impossible to pay off £20,000 worth of debts at the age of 40, 50 or 60."

The Government proposed the plans to allow Universities to set their own tuition fees which are currently restricted throughout the country.

It is reported that tuition fees could rise to around £7,000 per year of tuition. This would leave the average student in a debt of £21,000 before taking accomodation, books and food into the equation.

The proposal is not set in stone and protests will continue until the last possible moment. One thing is for sure - such high tuition fees will certainly have a massive impact on the number of people going to University.

HMO cap would affect us all

STUDENTS will not be the only ones affected by a restriction on HMO's.

Steve Godwin President of the Union at Canterbury Christ Church University claims that plans to cap the number of houses of multiple occupency(HMO's) will have a negative impact on a wide range of people living in the area.

HMO's are properties where three or more unrelated occupants rent together. It has been widely suggested that this proposal is aimed at students who are well known for living together in rented properties. At a closer look though, the problem is not specifically student directed.

Mr Godwin said "There is a wider demographic who will share houses of multiple occupancy, teachers who will come together to share properties, nurses who will come together at the local hospital to share a propoerty. It's not just students involved."

He added "It's a generic issue and affects people in light of sharing houses. I think that the concentration of HMO's is something that they have looked at and wanted to reduce and taken a view that it should be applied to students, but of course there is a wider aspect."

This news comes as the council plans to restrict the number of HMO's in the area to just 20 per cent.

Despite Canterbury never struggling for student accomodation, this news along with possible inflated tuition fees is likely to deter students from the historic city.

Underpass re-opens for public use

AFTER four weeks of renovating, the first arm of the Canterbury underpasses at New Dover Road has reopened for public use.

Artist, Elisa Hudson, who originally painted the murals in 2000 to mark the millennium, completed the subway connecting the Odeon cinema and Fenwick’s last week and is set to begin the second stage in the next few days.

This morning graffiti busters sprayed the walls with a varnish resin in an effort to prevent anti-social acts being repeated.

However, while work begins on the second underpass, the completion of all three tunnels may not be until next spring.

Miss Hudson said: “We’re probably going to do one in the next two or three weeks and then the next one may be a project that happens in the spring when the weather’s better.

“So it will take through until next year to actually complete it all. It sounds like a long time but we obviously need to wait because paint isn’t going to dry during winter.”

Work on the second underpass is scheduled to be completed on November 1 and Miss Hudson is keen to put her own mark on the murals.

She said: “Initially it’s re-painting what’s there. However, some of the figures are quite small on the Canterbury Tales one and I was going to make them larger or just update them slightly and I suppose put my own stamp on it.

“Sometimes it’s easier to paint something completely new rather than re-touching what was there.

“I’ve got some proposals to completely re-paint if need be but it does depend on the damage that’s been done and our time constraints because it’s a public and highways project."

Save Sampson Court!

LOCALS in Mongeham and Deal are continuing to fight for the future of Sampson Court. The care home that houses elderly patients and dementia sufferers is threatened with closure due to government cuts.

The Facebook group that has been set up by the Friends of Sampson Court (FOSC) to raise awareness and support for the residential care home has nearly 500 members and a new sign has appeared by Fowlmead Country Park near Sholden.

Despite the incorrect spelling, the message on the sign is clear and the intense bid to save the home is gathering pace as time runs out.

Lynn Gill, a carer at the home said: “It is vital that we keep resisting this closure for everyone here. We provide a great environment for our residents and they would be deeply affected if they are moved on to another care home.”

The FOSC are holding an American Supper evening on October 22, which will be attended by guest star Mandy Winters. This is the latest bid by the FOSC to gain further support in the ongoing battle to fight off closure.

On Wednesday, Hornbeam Primary school announced their support for Sampson Court with a series of letters written by the children to the council. The children of the local school have been through a similar scenario when south Deal and Mongeham schools were forced to merge due to financial reasons.

The homes consultation period ends on November 1 and efforts are increasing within the community to save what is believed to be a vital and integral part of the local area. With private care homes too expensive for most, much would be lost if Samson Court was to lose its battle next month.

Trash crisis in Canterbury

CANTERBURY City Council’s new recycling policy is leading to a massive trash problem. According to the new scheme each household is to receive only one roll of clear recycling bags every three months which is not enough to cover the needs of domestic use.

If you need additional bags because you have more recyclable trash to despose of, you have to go to the City Council and fill in a form stating that it's urgent. But this won't solve your problem right away. According to the new rules you are entitled to receive the additional roll when you have the usual delivery. This means if you have got one roll of recycling bags a month ago and you have run out of them you have to wait two more months in order to receive two new rolls.

Green party member Geoff Meaden said: "Canterbury City Council has a big problem because they have a different population at one time of the year to another time of the year. And when the students come after the summer they have to cope with nearly twice as much rubbish as they do in the rest of the year. But that's no reason why they shouldn't solve the problem as they've known about it for a long time."

Kent county council starts a new eBook scheme

KENT County Council is supporting the new revolution of digital reading by offering free eBooks.

Currently users are able to download from a selection of 700 eBooks and eAudiobooks which can be read or played on computers and some portable devices.

The service can be accessed from the KCC website where users can browse and download books using the e-lending library.

Suzanna Darling who is involved with the scheme said:“Most people in nine to five jobs do not have the time to visit a library. However, eBooks allow people to fit reading into their lifestyles by downloading and reading books on the go on a laptop, netbook or other portable device.”

“We see digital reading as a compliment to holding a physical book rather than phasing out traditional libraries. User feedback so far has been very positive and we expect reference books especially to be delivered in the eBook format.”

What you need to make use of the service:

A Kent library card

Access to the Kent County Website click here (link)

UK Faces 1 Million Job Cuts

PwC says that approximately one million jobs could be lost in the UK because of government cuts.

Government Spending Review leads the UK in an austerity regime as department cuts will be active starting October this year.

The Treasury argues that the decision was hard to make yet necessary for UK’s economic recovery.

Charlton included in intense League One finale

Charlton management on edge at the end of
an action filled game at the Valley

LEAGUE ONE was always going to be a closely contested league this season, but I don’t think anyone could predict just how close it is. With only one game left to play, and only one automatic promotion place still up for grabs, any one of five teams can still guarantee Championship football next season.

Last Saturday saw League One take, yet another, twist in the race for automatic promotion, with Charlton being outsiders at the start of the day, beating favourites for promotion, Leeds, in dramatic fashion, and Millwall’s shocking loss to relegation threatened Tranmere opened the promotion door to both Swindon and Huddersfield.

Leeds still stand as favourites for promotion as a win for them at home against Bristol Rovers will secure automatic promotion, however, if Leeds fail to win and someone emerges victorious from the highly important game between Millwall and Swindon, then they will gain promotion.

Charlton will only claim automatic promotion if they win, and provided Leeds lose and Millwall's clash with Swindon ends in a stalemate, this does sound unlikely but with the way this league has gone so far, it is not improbable. Charlton have no new injury worries and it is likely that they will field the same team that beat Leeds and open the promotion door for the London team. However, striker, Leon McKenzie, may return and star on the bench, after he has returned from training following a thigh injury.

Charlton boss Phil Parkinson, speaking after an intense affair against Leeds kept a calm head "We knew what's at stake. Leeds are in the box seat still, but we'll go to Oldham next week and take care of our own job. If results go our way then great, if not, then we're mentally and physically prepared for the play-offs.”

Nothing is certain going in to Saturdays final game of the season, for Leeds it is simple, win and promotion is theirs, however, for the other teams it is a little more complicated than that.

Firefighters rescue Canterbury care home residents

26 people were rescued from a blaze at a residential care home when a fire broke out in the laundry room. Crew Manager Steve Davies said: "There was a lot of smoke but we managed to contain the blaze and it was extinguished in half and hour."

Fourteen residents were taken to hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation and shock. "The staff had put their emergency plans into action and we quickly identified where the fire was and the residents were.

Home manager, Terri Wall said: "I'm very relieved to say that all the residents are back with us this morning enjoying a cup of tea."

The fire is believed to have started in a tumble dryer on the ground floor at the care home in Ethelbert Road earlier this week.

Students Talk To Us About Voting

Many statistics have suggested that students do not vote as much as other demographics. K&C News ask the students of Canterbury Christ Church University who they voted for, and, if they did not vote, why this was in an attempt to find out the real reason's for low student interest.

Canterbury Students - Passionate Volunteers

STUDENTS and employees of Canterbury Christ Church University and representatives of local volunteering organisations came together on Wednesday 5 May, to share their volunteer experience. The so called Volunteering Forum took place in the new CCCU library building Augustine’s house.

“Over the past three years the government has put money into universities specifically to promote volunteering. So we’ve been trying to build it into the student’s studies rather than just seeing it as an additional activity,” said Philip Poole, Director of Learning, Teaching and Counselling unit at CCCU.

During the event students and lecturers talked about their projects and how the volunteering has helped them and others.

“It’s been a great experience. Not only from the CV point of view,” said Vlad Cealicu, Computing student, who has developed a volunteering data base for the university.

“There is a lot you can learn in school but you also need to learn to interact with people. It is totally different to put what your teachers have thought you into practice,” added the 24-year-old who has recently started a job as a web developer in a local firm.

Desislava Vazharska, second year Law student, has been volunteering for HMP Canterbury since December and she said: “The environment there is not just helpful, not just friendly but you can find something like a second family there. These are people you always can trust not only in relation with your career. Those people will always be there for you.”

The main challenge that Christ Church University faces is to reach more students and convince them of the benefits that volunteering has for them and for the community.

“We offer a volunteering passport which formally acknowledges the amount of volunteering you’ve done which is great for the CV. We also use the student radio to do periodic reports on volunteering activities. In addition, we have a summer fair where we celebrate students’ contribution and all the organisations give away their own awards,” said Mr Poole.

It seems that all the effort has not been in vain as the number of student volunteers has increased enormously in recent years.

Kent's league game with Warwickshire closely poised going in to the final day

Bell looks in good touch before falling
just short of century

AN INTRIGUING final day is all set up in Kent’s game against Warwickshire in the LV County Championship: Division One early season game, as those England Internationals who did not travel with the squad for the World Twenty20 competition in Barbados, shine through.

An impressive first innings bowling performance from Kent, saw Warwickshire limited to 250 all out with England Batsman, Jonathan Trott, top scorer with 67. The pick of the bowlers was battled out between local boy, Mat Coles and Simon Cook who both took 4 important wickets.

In reply, England International, Joe Denly looked as if he was sailing towards a well deserved century, but was caught on 95. He was the first of Clarke’s victims as he took great figures of 6-63. Some other strong batting performances saw Darren Stevens, hit 57, Martin van Jaarsveld fall just short of his half-century, being caught by Jonathan Trott on 47.

It was then the turn of Warwickshire to put in a good batting performance, reaching 327 all out at the end of day three, with another England International, Ian Bell, also falling short of a ton, being trapped lbw by Amjad Khan on 94. Jonathan Trott, would again be disappointed as he looked in touch to get to 66 before, also being trapped lbw, this time to the bowling of Mat Coles, which was his only solitary wicket of the innings. Coles’ main rival in bowling figures for the match, Simon Cook, picked up another 3 wickets taking his overall figures to 7-141.

Speaking to BBC Radio Kent, Rob Key admitted how balanced the game currently is and said: “It was always going to be tougher to bowl them out second time around as the pitch had got a bit better. But it's an even contest now really.”

However, Kent Batsman, Darren Stevens, looked back on his teams performance with slight disappointment “It wasn't one of our best days," said Stevens. He added: "We did have a decent lead but we weren't good enough. We got a wicket early doors but we weren't good enough from there on in with the new ball.”

Families enjoy Easter hunt but fail to donate to charity

A PUB landlady says she is 'really disappointed' after an Easter charity event which attracted dozens of families raised just £3.62

The children's Easter egg hunt was held at The Dove in Faversham on Easter Monday to raise cash for the Air Ambulance.

Families were asked to make a voluntary contribution and everyone received a free Easter egg as part of the event.

But landlady Sarah Shawcross revealed that the donations did not even cover the cost of the eggs. She said: "We are really disappointed that we did not raise more money, especially as so many families turned up and the children really enjoyed the day."

Claire Mains, who lives in Whitstable, was at the event and said: "To be honest, I did not realise they were taking donations for the hunt, but we did, as a family, guess the number of eggs in the jar to raise money. I wish I had known as it was a fantastic day and the kids really enjoyed it."

Proprietor Phil MacGregor and his Partner Sarah, decided to hold the event after a police woman from the village was taken to hospital by the Air Ambulance after falling from her horse the previous month and even though she is recovering well from her injuries, the couple wanted to show their appreciation by holding the event.

"Fortunatly we did manage to raise more than £100 with the 'eggs in a jar' and it has been suggested by other locals that we should put a sign up on the bar saying how much the egg hunt raised, which might make people more aware for the next time" added Miss Shawcross.

Students denied the right to vote

STUDENTS were turned away from the polling station just before 10pm last night after queuing for hours. The NUS questioned the first impression this gave to the voters.

The National Union of Students, NUS, undertook a long campaign to help students be informed and to get them to use their right to vote. Clearly it was of utmost importance that they defended their interests.

Raising tuition fees was a possibility once the general election ended. Already paying a lot for a higher education, students held a protest in November last year asking MPs to sign a pledge promising they will not vote for raising the fees. Wes Streeting, president of NUS, encouraged students to vote: “You can help by registering to vote, using your vote, writing to candidates, putting the pressure on."

In every university, student unions also expected their students to vote. From Canterbury Christ Church University, Liam Preston, the president of the SU talked about the incidents at the general election.

Nevertheless in many parts of the country students were turned away from polling stations. After queuing for more than an hour, just before 10 pm, students were told that there is no more time for them to vote. David Cameron said: "An early task for a new government should be to get to the bottom of of what has happened and to make sure that never, ever happens again."

According to a YouTube video, 200 people were unable to vote in Manchester. A quite similar incident happened in Sheffiled at the Ranmoor polling station. The NUS blamed the authorities for this and said: "We are alarmed by reports that students were placed in a separate, slower queue. Students' unions have worked tirelessly to reverse the trend of low voter turnout amongst students and other young people. What message does this send to first time voters whose votes will not be counted?"

The students complained by this unfair treatment, but the police only told them there was no more time for them.

The following video shows what was happening in Manchester:

Dover boss keen to rebuild

AFTER the disappointment of a 2-1 aggregate defeat to Woking in the second leg of the play-off semi finals, manager, Andy Hessenthaler, has revealed his plans to rebuild the squad for next season.

The former Gills boss has admitted his intent on claiming the league title next year, but plenty of change will be needed in all departments.

He said: “When I came here three years ago I said that my aim was to get this club back to where it belongs, the Conference Premier, and if I don’t achieve that then I haven’t done my job.

“I’m disappointed that we’ve lost in the play-offs but now we have got to try to win the league next season.

“I believe that will happen and I will be in charge when that does happen.”

The Whites had an impressive season at Crabble, finishing joint second in the Blue Square South League, but they were nearly 30 points adrift of champions, Newport County, who accumulated a massive 103.

Don't Text And Drive

WE ALL know how dangerous it is to drive under the influence of alcohol or while talking on the phone. However, in a recent study of the 17 to 24-year-old drivers, 45% have admitted texting whilst driving, which turns out to be even more dangerous than drunk driving.

A research by the VirginiaTech Transportation Institute has found that texting takes a driver’s focus away from the road for an average of 4.6 seconds – enough time to travel the length of a football field at 55 mph and the risk of a crash or a near crash event increases 23 times. Another study from 2007 by Clemson University showed that text messaging and using iPods caused drivers to leave their lanes 10 percent more often.

Tony Green, from Kent Police’s motorcycle team, said: "There are two issues when it comes to texting while driving. The first is lack of control over the vehicle because the drivers use one of the hands for holding the phone instead of the steering wheel or gear stick. The other is lack of concentration whilst driving. Not planning ahead with events happening upper hand, not seeing things such as signs, lights, changing lanes and what other pedestrians on the road are doing."

If you get caught texting while driving the ticket would be £60 and three points on the driver’s license. But this is not the worst that could happen to you. “If they [drivers] are involved in a more serious incident such as an accident where they could injure or kill somebody, because of texting while driving, they could actually go to prison,” added Police Officer Green.

Kent County Council and Kent police have launched a new road safety campaign. Officer Green explained: “We are trying to reduce what we call KSI figures (killed and seriously injured) involved in an accidents. And we do that by enforcement which is giving people tickets. And then also by education, we are going to schools, to air cadets, and youth clubs to teach children and young drivers about road

safety.”

Most of the young drivers I spoke to denied texting while driving. Which leaves the question then who is? And why do they still do it although they are informed about the dangers?

“Because even though it's dangerous to text and drive some people consider themselves good drivers. And that is the reason they think they can multi-task while driving. Text, talk on the phone, put on makeup etc. But driving isn't a multi-tasking activity. It requires your full attention,” said Alex Barbu, 21.

In order to shock young drivers and warn them about the dangers of texting while behind the wheel a short film has been produced. It shows a normal everyday situations turning into a nightmare.

To view the video please visit: http://www.break.com/index/dont-text-and-drive.html .

Election reaches first hung Parliament in nearly 40 years

David Cameron and Nick Clegg shake hands
after election debate, maybe a sign of things to come?

EVEN though the Conservative party took the most seats in this years general election they still fell short of an overall majority, meaning, for the first time in over 30 years, the UK is at the helm of a hung parliament.

As the counting continues up and down the country, Tories have gained 92 seats, Labour have lost 86 seats and the Lib Dems, despite comments from Nick Clegg about the election being “a two horse race” (between them and the Tories), have lost a disappointing six seats.

The task now for the parties is to form a coalition to see which leader can form a strong government.

It has been believed for some time now that the Lib Dems will play a strong role in the decision making of the next Prime Minister and this has proved to be true. Leader of the Lib Dems, Nick Clegg, this morning spoke outside the Lib Dem headquarters for the first time since the results were called, saying that he “stuck by” his earlier statements that the party with the biggest mandate should govern first. He said: “It seems this morning, that it's the Conservative Party that has more votes and more seats though not an absolute majority. I think it's now for the Conservative Party to prove that it's capable of seeking to govern in the national interest.”

The last time an election outcome saw a hung parliament was back in 1974 when Conservative Prime Minister, Ted Heath, stayed in power for an extra four days in an attempt to put together a coalition regardless of Labours dominance in the seat count. In this election The Liberal Party enjoyed their best results in decades of elections taking almost 20% of the total, but only 14 MPs to show for it.

After Ted Heath’s efforts to reach a coalition with Liberal Party leader, Jeremy Thorpe, failed, finally the PM resigned his post and Harold Wilson formed a minority government, until he won a second election in October.

As for the time being, there is no specific deadline for when a government must be formed, but a key date to stand by is at least the 25 May, when the Queen’s Speech is due to outline the government’s priorities during their time in parliament. However, with recent comments from Lib Dem leader, Nick Clegg, about the Conservatives position in the standings, a coalition could be met sooner rather than later.

Conservative Hold The Canterbury Vote

THE Conservative party have gained every seat across Kent on election night, wiping labour off of the political map.

In Canterbury, the Conservative party retained power as Julian Brazier received 22,050 votes. But, this did not stop Anne Belsey of Canterbury feeling optimistic about her plans. Mrs Belsey created a party, named Money Reform Party, and told a packed theatre on Thursday, “We could sort out our economic problems in a week including paying off the entire national debt which has taken 300 years to build up.” It seemed unlikely before the elections that Mrs Belsey would ever get a chance to put her plans into action, as Julian Brazier came out top on all online polls, and she received just 173 votes as the results came through.

But, even with Mr Brazier heading all of the polls in Canterbury, it did not stop an unidentified man shouting “the whole election was set up from the beginning” as he began to read his winning speech. The man was later escorted from Westgate Hall in Canterbury by security guards. Julian Brazier brushed off these claims and continued to congratulate is opposition on a “good clean fight.”

After winning the vote, Mr Brazier set out his priorities for the coming year saying, “we need jobs here for young people, we have got to tackle anti-social behaviour and social breakdown.” This pleased many residents of the Canterbury area, as anti-social behaviour rates have risen in previous years. Student, Amber Macintosh said: “I am glad that he has set his priorities to anti-social behaviour, this has been a large problem in Canterbury within the last year and I feared that it would only get worse unless it was tackled head on. I do think Julian Brazier will be the one to do that, he is most in touch with Canterbury as he has been our MP for so long.”

Liberal Democrat candidate Guy Voizey came second with 16,002 votes and told Westgate Hall “we have done really well and established ourselves as the clear alternative to the Conservatives. That bodes really well for next year’s local elections.”

As the country gets prepared for a hung parliament, the Conservatives have come out victorious throughout the whole of Kent, leaving many people uncertain for the future of the country as a whole. Laura Howard, 23, said: “We have all got to hope now that the politicians make the right decisions and take the country out of the rut that we are currently in. We can only hope they will.”

To see Julian Brazier's speech and him being heckled visit http://bit.ly/cNXja4

3D cinema hits the city

THE future has arrived in Canterbury as the Odeon cinema has finally answered the calls of film enthusiasts, by installing a 3D screen at the St George’s Place premises. While speculation was rife that the cinema would re-open screening room three, (which closed several years ago), the Odeon has instead given their ground-floor screen the 3D experience.

This transformation has been a long time coming and has already started to reap the rewards for adapting to the new technological age. Even though the Odeon declined to give specific details on viewing or financial figures, it was hinted that numbers have indeed increased since the installation.

Benjamin Clacey, a student at Canterbury Christ Church University, said: “It’s fantastic that we now have a 3D cinema to enjoy in the city. It’s been over a year now since films were first shown in 3D and to think it’s taken this long for them to get their act together is ridiculous. I’ve already visited the cinema twice after the change and it really is an excellent addition to our local cinema.”

However, not all of the city’s residents are particularly keen on the added feature and Daniel Chance, from Bridge, said: “I for one, cannot see what all the hyped up fuss was all about. To be honest I turned up expecting to be left in awe, but instead, I was very disappointed. Our cinema is small enough as it is, without having to reduce the number of normal screens by half. And don’t get me started on those cheap sunglasses you have to wear.”

So it’s clear that even though the Odeon has kept up-to-date with modern advances, members of the public will still shun this technological development.

Archbishop of Canterbury supports malaria fight

World Malaria Day on 25 April, has had the support of the Archbishop of Canterbury as Dr Rowan Williams has demonstrated his support by recording a message for the first time to urge others to unite in the fight against malaria. He said: "Half the world's population is at risk from malaria, about a million people die because of it every year and not surprisingly the cost is higher amongst those most vulnerable and the youngest." The support for the global coalition, United Against Malaria, aims to renew worldwide commitment to ending malaria. The Archbishop added: "It is an opportunity to put our energy and imagination behind the goal, the achievable goal remember, of eliminating Malaria. Let's hope that can be obtained, we must do it."

Clare's suffering highlights illness

THOUSANDS of people in Britain are suffering from the disease which prematurely killed comedian, Dudley Moore and Daily Mail diarist Nigel Dempster... and numbers are increasing.

Around 10,000 people have been diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP).

Sufferer, Clare Scott, 76, from Broomfield, Herne Bay, was diagnosed in 2007 and her condition has rapidly deteriorated.

PSP, which has no known cause or cure, affects the trunk of the body and Mrs Scott can no longer walk unsupported, has slurred speech and struggles with eating, including intermittent choking fits.

PSP is closely linked to Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease and is often wrongly diagnosed as one of the two.

Specialists believe that due to misdiagnosis, the actual number of sufferers could well exceed 10,000.

Last Saturday, Mrs Scott’s family and friends held an awareness afternoon to raise money for the cause during the national PSP week.

The event was a success, raising £163 and afterwards her husband, John Scott, 75, was able to shed some more light on Clare’s illness.

He said: "I first realised something was wrong when Clare started falling backwards. After seeing a doctor, she was misdiagnosed with Parkinson’s.

"Later that year, we saw another specialist who was able to correctly diagnose the problem.

Since then, Clare has become progressively worse and now needs 24 hour supervision. She went into a nursing home in November of last year and they have had to take several special precautions with her.

"She kept getting out of bed in the middle of the night and falling over, so she now has a special one to make it easier.

"There is no treatment but there are ongoing trials for a drug called NP12 which is also being tested on Alzheimer’s patients.

"It wasn’t until Clare went into the nursing home that I realised how low I had got as the carer.

Clare is not affected mentally at all and she knows what’s happening all the time. She knows it’s getting worse."

Both Clare and John Scott were involved in a car accident in 2003 and John said that after the accident things started to go wrong. Clare had endometrial cancer which was successfully treated and it has not reoccurred since she was diagnosed with PSP.

Truancy Rates Rise

TRUANCY rates have risen in the past year and throughout 2009, nearly one million half-days were taken off school without authorisation. Schools in Kent accounted for 816, 570 of these absences. Canterbury was the worst affected.

Truancy rates are continuing to rise at alarming rates and experts are unable to find the cause for this unexpected increase. Canterbury social inclusion manager, Alan Dennington, said: "we believe the reason for the rise in truancy is because the head teachers are getting stricter on it. Usually, pupils try to defy what their teachers want." This is one of many theories put forward by the council to try and make sense of the rise.

Teachers have cut back on allowing parents to take their children on holiday during term time and many holiday forms have been denied. Jane Wheatley, head teacher at Dartford Grammar school for girls said: "you cannot continue to let children take time off of school during term time as the curriculum is important and the pupils need to be available for all of it."

Mother of two, Karen Junes, fights back against the idea of denying holiday forms, and said: "I am not going to cancel my holiday due to a teacher telling me no." Many parents feel the same way about this. In a poll of 50 people in Canterbury, 48% say that people go on holiday during term time due to money issues and it becomes a lot more expensive out of term. They also say that they would not hesitate to take their children out of school.

Children that have an attendance below 80% are classed as ‘persistent absentees’ by government laws and are asked to fill in sheets at their schools as to why they were absent on the given dates. Last year 600 mothers and fathers in Kent were prosecuted for repetitive unauthorised absences.

While on the subject of child truancy rates, a Canterbury council spokeswoman explains: "until we go above national average, we are not in any need to panic. It is a shame that it is on the rise, but it is not rising alarmingly." In Canterbury there are 5.2% of unauthorised absentees in primary schools and 6.78 percent in secondary schools.

The council spokeswoman goes on to say: "it seems that since the government have had problems with the war on terrorism, schools have taken a backseat." Recently, in an interview with BBC, Gordon Brown spoke out about schools and said: "We have offered every 16 and 17 year old a ‘September Guarantee’, which means we are funding a guaranteed place at school, college, training or in an apprenticeship for every 16 and 17-year-old that wants one." This has been put into effect since September this year and is set to improve truancy rates within sixth forms.

Canterbury council, as well as many other councils around Kent, are taking lengths to ensure that unauthorised absents begin to decrease by next year. Canterbury council is employing a special unit of individuals to change problems as they arise. Sally Pickersgill, of Canterbury city council, said: "there are a lot of changes to be made, but we believe that we have a lot of good ideas that will help toward improving truancy rates. One that we are particularly proud of is 511."

511 is a program aimed at children from ages 5-11 in an attempt to keep them interested in school. This team specialises in arts and crafts as well as teaching children Mathematics and other academic subjects. Laura Armstrong, head and co-founder of the group 511 said: "this is a step in the right direction, by teaching children from an early age that academic subjects can be fun, it encourages them to participate in school activities and ultimately enjoy it more.’

For children and young adults that do not fit into the 5-11 year old categories, there are a lot of other groups available in Canterbury. ‘Street Runner’ and ‘Street Team’ are two of many set-up for young adults up until the age of 18. All of which offer education and support. This is a part of the idea to show children and young people that education can be exciting.

The council is also in the process of setting up a program for parents. Laura Armstrong, said: "the problem cannot lie just with the children, many of these are too young to understand the good that an education will do for them in future life."

Counselors are available to visit at different areas or to speak to on the phone and all calls are treated as anonymous. Parents can call or make an appointment to discuss ways in which they can get their children involved in school activities. This involves certain books to read, information on the syllabus that they will be covering in school, as well as how to help them with homework in effective but supportive ways. Counselors are also available for parents who are struggling with their children.

Schools are closely working with the council to encourage fewer absentees; they have just begun football programmes that are available to all students directly after school. Amber Macintosh, has a child at a local Canterbury school. She said: "my child is reluctant to go to school due to not having anything fun to do. I think if after school activities were available, it would give them a want to go to school in the first place.’

Charlton challenge, a course ran by local football team, Charlton Athletic, is an after school project for children up to the age of 16. It allows pupils to play football at a level comfortable for them. They will then progress to a higher level after completing challenges set by the club. Jonathan Adams, chairman of Charlton challenge said: "this is a new idea for the children, it has worked extremely successfully at London schools, and we are finally broadening our horizons in a south eastern direction. This is great for the club as well as the pupils involved."

Many areas of expertise are interacting with children to try and cut levels of truancy down to a minimum. Alan Dennington said: "we want rates of truancy to fall by 2% by the end of next year and we will achieve this. With further plans for the future as well as a great team behind us, I believe we are on the right track."

Lounge on the Farm coming soon

MERTON Farm in Canterbury will be hosting for this year’s Lounge on the Farm music festival for a fifth time. The event will take place from 9 until 11 of July.

There are already 70 acts and bands that confirmed their performances. Under them are Martha Reeves & The Vandellas, Toots & The Maytals, Dj Yoda, Corthey Pine and Slow Club.

This year for a first time the audience will have the chance to give their votes online for who they would like to see during the festival. Bands from all across Kent will be registering in the next month on www.yousaytheyplaylotf.co.uk so people can listen to the entrants and cast their vote on the same webpage.

The festival will offer not only live music shows and there is going to be a brand new comedy tent, featuring local talents and the award-winning Underbelly Comedy promoters. People will also be able to enjoy theatre performances, cabaret, burlesque, drama and musicals.

In between performances visitors will have the chance to taste freshly made food cooked with organic ingredients from the heart of the Garden of England. One will be able to choose from a rich menu which will include homegrown Lamb Kebabs, local ice cream, cheeses, Pie & Mash, home made cider and much more.

Last year, Merton Farm’s festival won an award for best line up during the UK Festival Awards 2009. The Guardian announced it as Best Music Festival for Foodies and The Daily Telegraph voted it among the Top 20 Summer Festivals of 2009.

Tickets start from £40. Visit www.loungeonthefarm.co.uk for more information.

Get Ape gig this Sunday

WHITSTABLE'S Deco 5, saw the return of Get Ape recently, a five-piece funk soul band that got everyone dancing.

The band, originally formed as a duo in 2007 with vocalist, Andy Benn, and guitarist, Paul Morhen. They expanded into a five-piece band with the current line-up in 2008 and have become very popular across Kent with their array of covers such as Amy Winehouse, Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder.

The atmosphere was electric with vocalist, Andy, belting out some old and new favorites with added funk. Get Ape performed as a five piece with the additional three members; Colin Lovatt on full percussion section, Paul Cuffley on drums and Paul’s brother Kevin Morhen on bass and gave into three encores at the end of the evening that ‘brought the house down.’

The band perform at small venues as well as larger ones such as the Margate Big Event and can be hired for weddings and private celebrations.

They also split the band for different gigs into a duet, three or four piece band. “The band is available in different formats to accommodate client budgets and venue space. If a client has a limited budget and requires the band to travel some distance we have to make it financially viable for everyone. Some venues don't have the space for the percussion set-up or could be concerned about noise levels caused by bass and drums,” explains Colin.

The band will be playing at ‘Hole in the Roof’ in Deal on Sunday, 21 March.

Taxi War

TAXI drivers in Canterbury are fighting for customers as more Eastern European taxi drivers have joined the competition. The English drivers are complaining that they should not receive a license in the first place.

While other markets and businesses have had a lower income in the past year because of the recession, taxi drivers say the credit crunch has nothing to do with it. A local taxi driver, Chris Olding, said: “It’s not the recession, it’s the new drivers. There are more and more drivers coming from Eastern Europe.”

It appears people have always had the money to travel using taxis, but their choice of drivers has changed. However, there is no evidence to suggest that people ask for the passport of a driver before getting into a taxi.

Colin Mitchell, another taxi driver, said: “There have been too many new East Europeans coming and immigrating into the country.” Mr Mitchell added: “I blame Robert Johnson and Cab Co for giving them a job. I also blame the council for approving their license.” Robert Johnson is the director of Cab Co, a taxi driver firm.

On the other side of the fence, Mustafa Ustabas, is a local taxi driver originally from Turkey. Mr Ustabas said: “It’s an open market. If you are willing to work and can work legally then nobody has the right to stop you. Robert Johnson is only looking out for himself. I can understand from his point of view why he is bringing more drivers. He makes more money.”

People from the EU have the legal right to work as self-employed with just a work permit, but non- EU countries require a visa. Another taxi driver, of Turkish origin, who has been living in England for 20 years, said: “It is a competitive market, just like in any other domain. If you have the skills, the legal right and the car then it’s up to you to make the money.” Mr Mitchell argued that: “I am also talking about people from Albania, Latvia, Turkey. They are not in the EU and they still have a license.”

Mr Mitchell also complained regarding the decrease in his income. “I used to make 900 pounds per week about two years ago, now I make £600 to £700.”

Mr Sezar said: “They should work more like us. I make between 800 to 1000 pounds per week, but I work about 70 hours.”

It is clear that the war between the different nationalities is only dividing the people in a multi-cultural town like Canterbury. Whether the taxi drivers will reach an agreement or find a solution depends on chance. A customer will probably take the first taxi in a taxi station, without a glance at the driver’s name.