Category: My Medway

Medway’s creative community’s Big Night Out!

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You know when you haven’t been drinking but end up feeling like you have? Giddy, happy, bit louder than normal? That’s exactly how I felt last Thursday night after just one glass of champagne.

The  reason? It was the Medway Culture and Design Awards, held at the Corn Exchange in Rochester, and many of the creative community I’m privileged to be a part of were either nominated, won or just there, participating as always.

Head creative of the night was undoubtedly Martin Green, Events Manager of … The London Olympics! He gave the keynote speech and showed us a behind-the-scenes film of the creative processes involved. He’s the one you need to thank for putting the team together that included Danny Boyle. “… he built and inspired the team that delivered the welcome and victory ceremonies, the torch relays and the opening and closing ceremonies … received universal critical acclaim” as it says on the programme. Hugely inspiring.

Among the winners, the lovely Emma Dewhurst’s Wow magazine in the Media category and Bill Lewis in Literature. Highly commended in Literature were ME4 Writers – there will be more about those three on the Rochester LitFest website in due course. Another organisation I’m so pleased for is Full Frontal, who won the Open Space and Public Realm award, plus the overall Special Achievement Award. A very special well done to the awesome Fern Alder, the driving force behind that particular community project.

Biggest cheer of the night – and an invasion of the stage – followed the announcement that coFWD were winners of an award for Contribution to Urban Regeneration, especially since many of those in the room have some kind of connection with this awesome space. Thrilled doesn’t even come close – it’s fantastic recognition for everything that’s been achieved there so far. There’s more to be done though and you’re all invited to come along and get involved 🙂

There will soon be a write up with a list of winners on Going on in Medway but for now, here’s a gallery of pictures for you. (I’ve added the names so you won’t be left doing the whole “Oh, that’s um thingy, oh you know” thing!)

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A wonderful time had by all – it’s fair to say the King’s Head  was expecting to close a lot earlier than they did that night! #dirtystopouts

Discussions on the Urban Fringe

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Finding an interesting hashtag on Twitter is usually a short term piece of fun (e.g #MedwayFilms: Naked Gun Wharf;  Nightmare on Elm Court etc). However, the #urbanfringe hashtag not only introduced me to artists Jo Roberts and Stephen Turner (interviewed here) but offered the opportunity to attend the Urban Fringe seminar and find out more about the project overall.

Urban Fringe Seminar Nov 2012

Since I’ve covered Jo and Stephen’s personal journeys already, my focus during the event, held at UCA Rochester, was on the film Recorded Delivery, and the thoughts behind it of makers Simon Barker and Nayan Kulkarni, the other artists commissioned by the Kent Architecture Centre for the project.

The split screen narrative drew together two very different communities within a short distance of one another: Medway Gate, a fairly new housing development which ‘ticked all the boxes’ for new developments, and the Medway Bridge Marina – which, incidentally, I also recently visited – an established boat yard, in which local business owner, John Reynolds, opened up a cafe and social space.

Simon with a rabbit's head

Exploring the area, Simon and Nayan encountered the urban mythologies of the space: rabbit heads adorn gateways at the entrance to Medway Bridge, underpinned by stories of white witches and lost children. The film followed the journey of a trolley, laden with a guitar, from Medway Gate to the marina, where the music loving community used it to share their songs. Simon and Nayan ingratiated themselves sufficiently to be invited to film the community at play (their Halloween party) with the film makers largely ignored but sometimes posed for.

 

Sadly, the Medway Gate community was harder to crack, since the artists were unable to meet many of them – short of knocking on doors (not desirable) very few hung around the streets. Simon advised: “Residents complained because the developers never built the social spaces that they promised.” He and Nayan would love to replace the trolley with a boat they build in the marina – relational architecture – which they can drag to Medway Gate instead and use it to create the missing social space. Simon lamented that the inhabitants have to drive out of the area just to buy paracetamol, or a Sunday paper – a boat in situ could provide that. The first connection between the marina and Medway Gate would be firmly established, and a re-shoot of Recorded Delivery undertaken.

Stephen Turner's Environmental Solutions gift box

Stephen’s ‘Environmental Solutions’ – the fragrant waters and essential oils of Eau de Bordure (Eau de Fringe) – have their own brand: Janus, the god who faces two ways, showing the interaction between human kind and nature, which took on a pertinent edge when he quoted housing minister, Nick Boles: “We’re going to protect the greenbelt but … sometimes buildings are better”. This Jo reinforced with a discussion about whether the urban fringes and greenbelt have to be pretty to be valuable. Ominously, on that evening’s Newsnight, Boles said there’s a “huge amount of room to build houses over England.” Does he mean brownfield sites, or is he suggesting concreting England’s green and pleasant land?

Introduced by KAC’s Chris Lamb, the seminar provided a discussion board for on how to develop living space. He quoted renowned architect, Sir Terry Farrell, who said “the place is the client” in development and planning. “It’s drawing out the DNA of a place” continued Chris. “If people understand what’s unique about places where they live then they may engage more with the planning process.”

The Urban Fringes

Ultimately, a space depends on its people belonging to the community. In the case of Medway Bridge Marina, the community was already there; the social space developed because of them. Just building a social space in a new housing development is unlikely to work. You need a catalyst, a resident ‘doer’ who’ll organise and cajole their neighbours to do stuff. (Think of those neighbours without whom no street parties would’ve taken place this year.) And that takes time the planners and developers seem unable to allow for – unless, do that many new developments need building? Aren’t there enough boarded up streets in England, just waiting to be reclaimed? Shouldn’t those existing spaces with established communities be renovated and restored first?

Vandalism and anti-social behaviour in those places can be tackled – we’ve community doers in Medway actioning change right now, with the help of schemes like Big Local. If new developments are to take place, we can only hope the planners do as the Urban Fringe project suggests: See the area, feel the area, engage the existing communities within its borders and shape it to fit.

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To read the best of what’s happening in arts, culture, architecture and more nationally, the BBC’s The Culture Show link is here.

Happy National Freelancers Day

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Happily, I can sing that to myself. Giving up the permanent and stressful office job in March to concentrate on writing didn’t go entirely to plan when the regular freelance writing job* I had came to an end, but temping and casual work alongside other freelance writing means I’m free to get involved in a lot of other projects.

One of which was interviewing Daniel Nash, of BRFM, a community radio show in Sheppey, which you’ll find amongst September’s posts on this blog under ‘My Sheppey’. He returned the favour, interviewing me – you can hear it here.

‘Write around the river’

Local writing collective, ME4 Writers, put together an exhibition and reading entitled ‘Letters Home’ which was the first time I’ve ever done such a thing since school – read all about the project and listen to the podcast here. I’m about an hour in but do listen to the others; a real mixture and very emotional.

The Rochester Literature Festival is so exciting to be involved with. The launch was fantastic and the second event, although a much smaller, more workshop led one, was equally stimulating. Read all about it here and sign up to the newsletter on the ‘About’ page so you don’t miss anything.

To satisfy my need to write about my local community, Goingoninmedway.co.uk has a number of articles by me, about interesting people doing interesting things. Hopefully, there’ll be more where they came from but firstly, I’m concentrating on a few ideas that have been kicking around for months, awaiting the time I had nothing else to do.  *laughs* There’s also a very interesting idea taking off – the Medway Christmas Carol, involving lots of local musicians and artists. If it ends up anything like its inspiration, it’s going to be fab!

My friend and fellow LitFest founder, Phil, is also regenerating The Regenerate, to which I’ll be contributing (even if we disagree about Rochester Castle!) plus – yes, there’s more – other LitFest founder and friend, Emma, is the editor of WOW magazine, so look out for me in there too!

*the local website – who wanted a local perspective and community bod – changed their mind and decided they wanted a qualified journalist, two and half years after I’d put my heart and soul into it. They let all the community publishers go (about 100 of us across the country) although some lucky ones were re-employed to cover two sites for the same money. Sadly, the Kent management went for one full timer to cover the whole area. So now it’s all rehashed police, fire and council press releases – which you can read in the Medway Messenger, along with a lot more local community news (send me yours for Upnor and Shorne!)

Letters Home

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For the first time ever, a piece of my work is being exhibited! Seeing it actually pictured here* suddenly brought home to me, I’d better get it printed off in text form quickly and begin practising: I’m reading it aloud this weekend!

The ME4 Writers, a fabulous group of people who regularly challenge us to come up with submissions to their never-ending stream of ideas, are holding the launch of Letters Home on Saturday. Myself and the other authors will be reading some of the pieces at the Rochester Community Hub/Library, between 1.30pm and 4pm. And according to Sam Hall of ME4, there will be additional treats and surprises!

The idea was to write a letter to or about your home, wherever it may be or was, or what it meant to you. The exhibition runs from Saturday, 3 November – Saturday 15 December at Rochester Community Hub and Saturday, 10 November – Friday, 7 December at Walderslade Village library.

*Mine is on the top left picture on the right hand board – the picture shaped like the Isle of Dogs. It’s called ‘Write Around the River’ and I have to thank Carl at FellowCreative.com for the graphic – saving me from physically cutting and pasting all the words! Photo by Nikki Price.

Do you suffer from Tuttle Envy?

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Some conditions can be cured. Others, like Tuttle Envy, have no cure. This is because sufferers miss the monthly creative get-togethers, held on a Monday morning, due to uncontrollable symptoms called ‘Work’.

These people will always have the condition, but social networking treatments can help to manage it.

Coworking spaces use  coffee, conversation, beer, films and other treatments to help lessen the effects of this terrible condition, the main one being Tipple101, the evening equivalent of Tuttle101. Due to its nature – held in a pub after tea time – careful planning ensures that the ‘Work’ symptom can be overcome. However, other side effects can arise, such as ‘Childcare’ and, in extreme cases, ‘Spousal Jealousy.’

Social enterprisers often use the weekend as a treatment to help alleviate the symptoms of TE sufferers, inviting them along to coFWD in Rochester High Street. For example, one type of Tuttle Envy occurs when the mind does not produce enough creativity in order to engage the brain cells. Ideas lie un-conjured, due to the sufferer’s surroundings being less than innovative. However, once inspired within the confines of the vigorous and organic community at 161, the brain is engaged and ideas can then be stored easily for future reference (or even applied immediately).

Freelancers also treat people with TE using injections of Spotify or Sweding, so they can continue to live normal lives. But right now there’s no cure for Tuttle Envy. Some people will need the support of freelancers and social enterprisers for the rest of their lives.

The good news is that these community doers are constantly coming up with advances in social workspaces and collaborative events. So it’s possible that this condition, although only treatable at the moment, may be completely cured in the future.

The next Tuttle101 will take place at the Deaf Cat cafe on Monday, October 15th, from 9.30am. All are welcome to join like-minded souls for further research into the frustratative misfortune that is TE.

Sufferers of Tuttle Envy will be advised in due course regarding the next Tipple session. Don’t delay your treatment any longer than necessary – please sign up here so you can receive notification as soon as possible. Together, we can beat this.

Holcombe and Blue Bell Hill Cricket Club bowlers impress England star Chris Tremlett

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England cricket star Chris Tremlett inspired a new (and old!) generation at Holcombe and Blue Bell Hill Cricket Club when he visited their ground last night.

As the prize in a competition won by Lin Sharpe (one of HBBHCC’s U16 parents), Chris was on hand to oversee a fast bowling competition and then brave enough to face the barrage of questions from a packed clubhouse.

What’s your bowling speed?

DSCN9099 from Jaye Nolan on Vimeo.

“I’ve got to give you guys credit – that speed gun probably wasn’t quite correct and the 55mph was nearer 70mph”

Winners of the fast bowling competition were: U11s Mark Robinson, 36mph; U13s Stephen Blakeman, 38; U15s Lucas Perry, 51; U17s Michael Reader, 58; Seniors James Underwood, 59.

What will you do when your career is over?

“I’m now 31 so it’s scary to think ‘What do I do next’. Property development is something I enjoy in my spare time, coaching maybe – I have the badges. Or a personal trainer. I’ve a few ideas but wanting to make it back into an England shirt is the priority for now. I hope to be fit for New Zealand and will go to Australia or South Africa in the new year. I had knee surgery four weeks ago, so I haven’t played much, just concentrated on getting fit.”

Who’s the toughest batsman you’ve faced?

“Chris Gayle (Windies) on his day; he hits everything for six. The Aussies in their prime – Ponting; Gilchrist; Hayden for one dayers and, in test cricket, Brian Lara (Windies) would have to be number one, closely followed by Sachin Tendulkar (India) and Ricky Ponting.”

You took the final wicket in the last Ashes win over Australia – how exciting was that?

“It was pretty special week; we’d already retained The Ashes and it was a nice feeling to wake up in the morning, knowing we’d be taking them home; knowing we’d be having a celebration at some point that day was exciting. We’d blended really well as a unit which showed when we got them all out for 98 on Boxing Day.”

Is your dad (former Hampshire seamer and Hants CC director Tim) still talking to you? (After you left Hampshire for Surrey!)

“I loved Hampshire but had to leave to put me in a better position to break into the England side. Surrey are the recipe for making my return. I’d love to go back to Hants someday though – and yes, dad is still talking to me!” 

DSCN9100 from Jaye Nolan on Vimeo.

How do you cope with the long tours abroad?

“You have to learn to be independent as you can be away for up to six months. It’s tough but part and parcel of the job. But you find ways to keep yourself occupied, especially in the places where you can’t get out and about for security reasons. Technology has made it so much easier to keep in touch with family, with Skype etc. You live in a bubble, forgetting how many people are watching so we keep an eye out for everyone and just support each other.”

What do you think of Kevin Pietersen signing a new England Contract?

“Kevin’s fallen out with a few players and management; they’ll be a lot of conversations to be had but as a team and a sport you have to move forward. It’ll be tough initially but he’s one of our best players and so good to watch.”

How much has fitness training helped to change the sport?

“Back in 2000 you didn’t have a fitness trainer but every county has one now – you can’t skive, they’ll find out! You have to be fit, the game is so much quicker now. And there are separate fitness programmes for batsmen and bowlers. For a fast bowler you need core strength, so pay attention to abs, core and bottom muscles.” (Ed’s note: Yes, I think I can do that *coughs*) You have to be mentally fit too. If you bowl a shocker, you just have to get over it and bowl the next one.”

The hardest team to play against?

“Australia in 2005: Gilchrist; Warne; Ponting etc – they’d been number one for years, very hard to beat.”

And tricky bowlers if you’re batting?

“Brett Lee on a bouncy wicket just wanted to hit me on the head; Andrew Flintoff was a pretty special cricketer, shame he had to retire. He told me he was going to bounce it and still got me out.”

Who’s the best captain you’ve played under?

“Shane Warne at Hampshire, he taught me a lot and is a very good man manager too. And Andrew Strauss will always be remembered for winning two Ashes series.”

Final word: Sledging?

“You can’t sledge or swear – it’ll cost you too much money!”

Chris Tremlett was brought to us at HBBC Cricket Club by Nat West, who run the annual Cricket Force days. These aim to inspire volunteers to pick up a paint brush or trowel for the local club and help rejuvenate its facilities for the coming season. This prize was just one of many offered by the NatWest Cricket Club this summer. Members have been able to access all sorts of rewards, from tickets to every NatWest ODI Series and NatWest T20 International match this summer to NatWest current account holders having the chance to enjoy exclusive experiences such as meeting and training with England players.

Chris also signed and personalised a brand new Kookaburra cricket bat for one lucky raffle winner – who turned out to be James Phillips. Nat West then presented Chairman John Underwood with cricket bat signed by the current England team, which will be raffled next season.

If you’d like to find out more about your local cricket team in Medway and Maidstone, visit the HBBHCC website here and when the new season starts,  do as Chris tells you below 😉

DSCN9101 from Jaye Nolan on Vimeo.

Chris said: “Every international cricketer starts their career playing for their local club, and the role community cricket plays in growing our love for the game is vital. I’ve had a great time here at Holcombe and Blue Bell Hill Cricket Club this evening celebrating their good season and saw some real talent in their young bowlers during the competition earlier.”

John Underwood, Chairman of Holcombe and Blue Bell Hill CC, said: “We’ve had a good season and enjoyed our cricket, so it was great to be able to celebrate all of our successes with an Ashes winner in Chris Tremlett. We’re all delighted Lin entered the competition. All of our members, young and old, batsmen and bowlers have had a night that they won’t forget.”

The club would like to thank both Chris and Nat West for making this wonderfully enjoyable evening possible.

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A workout for your mind

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That’s how I view coFWD, the coworking space in Rochester, where interesting people do interesting things. Don’t take my word for it – watch a video here, containing a snapshot of those people. Take from it the inspiration to be brave and follow your dream.

coFWD, based at 161 Rochester High Street

I have. I gave up the ‘day’ job in March, to concentrate on writing full time. Sadly, badly timed, as the cushion I had writing for a hyper-local website was whipped away from behind me last month. Then, after a panic stricken two weeks, I stopped applying for random jobs and settled down to think about what I really want to achieve:

The Rochester Literature Festival: One successful launch event down and planning for the next underway, leading to a major event next year; To run some workshops on blogging and social media – there are a lot of folk out there a bit scared of the old interwebby thing – I know I can help so I’m working on it; Freelance writing – now I actually have time to pursue it properly, to experience many different things, people and places and to capture those experiences in text and share them; To take time out each day for fiction and scriptwriting; To collaborate with comedy writers and see through the sitcom idea whirring around in my head; A stand up career in comedy. Don’t laugh. I mean, do laugh, obviously. I’m still trying to figure out how or why I agreed to do this but one thing I will do is go for it, with a what-the-hell attitude. I can always move to the Outer Hebrides or something afterwards (and it’s a one off, in the pub with a bunch of mates!) What can possibly go wrong?

Concentrating on these and rejecting the office jobs my head tells me I should be applying for (ok, I’ve found myself a nice little bar job for bread money) is something I probably wouldn’t have done had I not been part of the coFWD family for the last couple of years. And it all began with a visit to a room upstairs in a pub, for what I thought was a networking event called Tuttle101. Turns out no business cards were required, just a mind open to possibilities.

A coFWD away day to London. It was a fact finding mission, not a jolly, honest 😉

Looking for inspiration, collaboration, creativity and fun? Then come along to the next Tuttle on Monday, September 17th at The Deaf Cat Coffee Shop from 9.30am, because that’s where you’ll find it. For those of you who will be At Work – no excuses, there’s an evening equivalent called Tipple101 on Thursday, September 27th at the Britannia Bar Cafe.

See you there 🙂

Nominations Open for Medway Culture and Design Awards 2012

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Medway Council are once again looking to celebrate excellence in the arts, culture, design and heritage of Medway.

Created to recognise groups and individuals for their outstanding achievements and contributions to the area’s cultural vitality, the awards aim to highlight the projects, people, businesses and organisations that contribute so much to the community.

Previous category winners include cultural and community space, Light Vessel 21, the Deaf Cat coffee shop art gallery and celebrated local milliner and artist, Zara Carpenter.

The nominations are open to anyone living in the Medway area, past or present, with three distinct categories. Click each link for the breakdown in each category.

Culture includes music, performing arts, fashion, visual arts, media, tourism, literature and, new for this year, food and drink. The aim here is to give recognition, rewarding excellence and promote the development of talented local individuals or groups.

Design includes heritage, open spaces, public realm and new build and recognises developments that have had a big impact on Medway’s landscape. Large or small, urban or rural, new or old – this category can involve commercial, community or residential developments, public space or a mixture of uses.

Special Achievement This award is for projects or individuals that have surpassed all expectations. It’s given at the judges’ discretion in recognition of putting Medway on the map through culture and design.

All entries are scored out of ten in six criteria, with those shortlisted then asked to send in work examples. The criteria, along with nomination forms, can be found on the council website here. The deadline for nominations is October 12th.

Appeal after incident at Newsagent in Rochester

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Logo of the Kent Police.

Logo of the Kent Police. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Kent Police is investigating an incident at McColls Newsagents in Orion Road, Rochester and appealing for witnesses and information.

Two men entered the shop around 6.30 am this morning, threatened staff and stole cash.

One of the men is described as white, of stocky or fat build, and was wearing a grey hooded top and grey bottoms with three white stripes running down each leg. The other man was also white and was wearing a dark blue tracksuit.

Officers are currently in the area making enquiries.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Kent Police on 101 or, alternatively, if you have information but would prefer to remain anonymous, call Kent Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Friendly Task Day and Talks

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English: Strood Library On junction of (32) Br...

Strood Library, junction of Bryant Road and Glanville Road. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Friends of Broomhill have two very different but nonetheless important events coming up in September.

Their Task Day is set for Sunday, September 2nd from 11am – 1pm, with this year’s task being – litter clearing.

Meeting in the King Arthur’s Drive car park entrance, all are welcome to this social event designed to help the park keep its Green Flag status. Bring a drink and wear old clothes – tools are supplied if you have none.

On Thursday, September 27th, secretary of the group, Odette Buchanan, will be giving a talk at Strood Library in Bryant Road. Strood, the Land of Used To Be includes a lucky ticket draw, light refreshments and a raffle. Tickets are £5 (£3 for members) with a 7pm for 7.30pm start.

For more information on both events, contact Odette on 01634 718231 or email Odette_buchanan@yahoo.co.uk. You can also find out more about the Friends of Broomhill on their own website here.

Odette is also secretary of the Friends of Medway Archives and will be giving a talk for them on Tuesday, September 11th.

The Heritage of the Vines talk will take place at Frindsbury Parish Hall, Church Green, Frindsbury.  Tickets are again £5 (£3 for members) including light refreshments and a raffle, with this also a 7pm for 7.30pm start. Further details can be found at the F.O.M.A website or from Odette  as stated above.