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Business guru Paul Andrews is stepping down from running IslandWorks at Sheppey’s rebuilt Royal Naval Dockyard Church. The serial entrepreneur, who has been with the former church since it reopened three years ago as a community and networking hub after an £8 million revamp, has decided it is time to retire and is handing over the reins to the Sheerness Dockyard Preservation Trust. Paul Andrews: retiring from running IslandWorks at the Sheerness Dockyard Church. Picture: John Nurden In an exclusive interview with Sheppey Scene, Paul, 70, said he first thought about quitting last year. But recent changes introduced by the government, such as increased National Insurance contributions for employers, had convinced him it was now time to go. He said: “The lease comes up for renewal in June but I was aware I had to give six months’ notice if I wanted to step away. At the time, the government’s budget changes were starting to kick in and our costs were beginning to go through the roof. “This building takes a huge amount of money to keep warm. So, with that, and the fact that I’m not getting any younger, I decided I wouldn’t renew the lease. He admitted: “I never thought I would get to the point when I didn’t want to run a business of some kind but the political situation in this country is now such that it is fruitless trying to run a small business. It’s totally pointless. Aerial view of Sheerness dockyard church. Picture: Dirk Lindner “Politicians don’t understand the effect their ‘small changes’ have on a business. They are huge. The problem with politicians is that they make short-term decisions because they are only in power for a few years and they play to their audiences without looking at the consequences of the domino effects. It’s bonkers. Half the time they’d be better off just leaving things alone.” Friends are not convinced he will manage to keep to his promise of “doing absolutely nothing” once he steps down but he has already confirmed he will continue to host his weekly Business Bunker internet radio show on Tuesdays. “But that’s just a hobby,” he said. Although he added: “The amount of people who have gone bust or closed their businesses in the past year is really sad. “If I was in government, I would completely undo the stupid NI thing. And I’d also look at the decision to hike the minimum wage above inflation. Inside Sheerness Dockyard Church “I am a great believer in paying people well for what they do but this April the minimum wage for an adult went up to £12.71 an hour. The actual cost to me was £16. That means your cup of coffee is going to cost £5. And that’s not sustainable. And, course, when you put up the minimum wage, all the differentials have to go up, too. That’s a killer. “On top of that, energy costs are eye-watering. The biggest thing the government could do to help would be to take off the 20% VAT on commercial energy. Yes, companies can claim it back but in a building like this, last November its energy bill was £15,000 for the month for gas and electricity. Coffee and snacks at the Sheerness dockyard church “We did a lot of work to minimise that, like turning the heating off at weekends. But then it took a long time to warm up on the Monday mornings. During the winter it’s a nightmare.” He said IslandWorks had three elements: the coffee shop and food bar; the hire of the events and meeting spaces and running the upstairs co-working hub. As it turned out, the events and meeting room hire became the most popular. The coffee shop remained the main breadwinner. But the co-working space proved to be his greatest disappointment. He said: “We kept reducing the prices until it now costs less than £5 a day to work here. But it costs more than that to heat the place. “The original budget needed 40 members to break even. We reached 26 at one point but now we are down to five. The co-working market in general has changed. The government retrospectively changed business rates and backdated it to 2022. “But the biggest issue has been the cost-of-living crisis. People are struggling so they decide to save the 10 quid and work from home. Co-working took off because people didn’t want to work from home but they didn’t want to commute to the office. Now it’s gone the other way.” He said the sector had also suffered from being too popular. “Many councils decided to jump on the bandwagon. And anyone with spare office space did the same. So the market became saturated.” Upstairs at the Sheerness dockyard church. Picture: Dirk Lindner He said most hubs aimed at the self-employed. But on Sheppey there were not enough entrepreneurs to go round. One of the few successes has been Lee Jarmain’s Pyramid Project which seeks to get youngsters not in education, employment or training (NEETS) into work. So, how did he become a businessman? “Oh, that’s a long story!” he said. “I left Vinters Boys School a month short of my 15th birthday in July 1970 - when the headmaster asked me to. But that same day I got a job at Turkey Mill in Maidstone. “The interview was incredibly intensive. I had to stand against a wall and they measured how tall I was. At the time I was 4ft 11in. The job was as a grease-monkey. They needed someone tiny to crawl into the machinery while it was still running to oil the bearings.” When Turkey Mill closed during the 1972 miners’ strike, because it was coal-fired, Paul and the rest of the staff were made redundant. Paul ended up at Crows in Maidstone where he made number plates and hydraulic pipes for vehicles in a shed at the back of the shop. After deciding the shed was too cold to work in the winter, he went to the Youth Employment Office seeking a new job somewhere warmer. They gave him a psychometric test and decided he might be good with figures. So he was sent to have an interview at Kent County Council’s supplies department at Springfield. He recalled: “I got the job and started the following Monday.” After two years working in Maidstone and living in Bearsted with his parents he decided to seek fame and fortune in the bright lights of London. He and a friend rented a bedsit and Paul found a job with the Abbey Life insurance company manning the phones. After the windows of his bedsit were blown out by an IRA bomb Paul decided to return home and on the train back bumped into a former school friend who was working for KCC and desperate to recruit a goalkeeper for the works team. Paul recalled: “I went for an interview with their computer department but all I was asked was who I had played for and how many goals had I conceded. Incredibly, they hired me as a trainee computer operator and put me down to play my first game on the Saturday!” Much to Paul’s surprise, he liked working with computers and helped set up the council’s new data centre at Kings Hill, Malling. After getting itchy feet he moved back to London for Moss Bros as computer operations manager then joined an American oil company, a nuclear engineering company and then Citibank for 10 years, ending up as a vice-president at the age of 24 in charge of electronic banking trials. Following the city’s Big Bang, Paul was headhunted by investment firm Goldman Sachs and helped build their first electronic trading desks before quitting to become a consultant. He went on to invest in company which staged events with keynote speakers. At one show the speaker failed to show, so Paul was roped in to give the lecturer. He said: “It was the first time I had ever done anything like that but I managed to bluff my way through. At the end of the talk a chap came up and asked if I’d do the same for his company. It turned out to be the computer firm IBM UK. And he offered me £1,000 an hour. I accepted!” Paul carried on working the international talk circuit for 15 years, only giving it up when he became a dad. To bring in an income, he founded Jobs In Kent, the county’s first online employment portal in 1998 – much to the horror of local newspapers. As part of his slowing down, Paul, from Tenterden, has sold most of his business interest including Jobs In Kent (to his staff) and his stake in Channel Radio. He is now left with just Fruitbowl Media, the parent company of IslandWorks. And his old age pension! “I live on that now,” quipped the grandad and father of two, as he slipped on his headphones for another Business Bunker show co-hosed with his pal Jules Serkin from Whitstable. Business is still very much in his blood, despite whatever else he may say. ** The Dockyard Church at Sheerness. Picture: John Nurden What happens to the Dockyard Church now? Members of the Sheerness Dockyard Preservation Trust have revealed their plans for the future of the former Royal Naval Dockyard Trust at Blue Town after Paul Andrews announced his retirement. Paul, 70, and his company IslandWorks have run the grade II listed building since it was reopened to the public three years ago. Kevin Moore, Emma Harkup and Andrew Byrne of the Sheerness Dockyard Preservation Trust Speaking at the May meeting of the Island Forum at Sheppey United’s football ground at Halfway, Emma Harkup confirmed: “The trust is assuming control in five weeks. “We are a group of people with a diverse range of professional skills with a local-focussed, hands-on approach so we hope we are going to be able to do it justice. “It is one of Sheppey’s most important heritage locations which we hope to breathe new life into. It is a symbol of resilience and a place where heritage can work for the future of the Island. “We have the opportunity to transform it into a vibrant community hub. Our vision is to preserve and celebrate that heritage and to create a financial, sustainable community space we can all enjoy. “We want to support local businesses, people and young entrepreneurs and bring education, enterprise and wellbeing together under one roof. “The community is at the heart of this opportunity. We would like to engage with local schools, colleges, community groups, wellness sessions, creative workshops and weddings and everything in between. Inside Sheerness dockyard church. Picture: Dirk Lindner “We are in the process of championing some local artisan suppliers we can all join together and market across the network of Sheppey to build an exposure of our building and their supplies. “We will be encouraging partnerships with local trades and support for young entrepreneurs looking to go out into the big wide world of business. “We are holding business breakfasts and would like to stage market days to showcase jobs and new talent. We want to create a destination hopefully the community will want to visit again and again. “For us, the future of our building starts now. We are very excited to be assuming control and engaging more with the community and hope the building will be used more. Together, we can build something sustainable and inspiring.” She also published an email address and a QR code for people to get in touch. Emma, who works from the building three days a week, said: “At the moment, we are handing the transition from one supplier to another which can create hiccups in communication. We are registering people’s details so we can keep them up to date with news and events.” Sheerness dockyard church in its heyday. Picture: Sheerness Dockyard Preservation Trust For almost 200 years the Grade 2* listed church, designed by George Leadwell Taylor, stood as a marker of civic and naval pride in the Royal Naval Dockyard at Sheerness. But it had been left to decay after a fire swept through it in 2001, completely destroying the roof. Historic England declared it one of the most significant buildings on their at risk register, and the Heritage Lottery Fund offered match funding for its restoration which was led by Will Palin. The building was rescued from dereliction and repurposed as a community café, event space and youth employment hub by Hugh Broughton Architects working with conservation specialists Martin Ashley Architects. Want to know more about the history of Sheerness and Sheppey? There is a day of top-quality talks and presentations on Saturday, June 13, at the Dockyard |Church organised by the Sheerness Dockyard Preservation Trust as part of the Festival of Sheppey. The line-up features Martin Verrier on The Dockyard and Ship Repair at Sheerness; Andrew Byrne on John Rennie and the Rebuilding of Sheerness Dockyard; Patrick Wright on Sheppey, Sheerness and the Dockyard; 200 Years of Sheppey Tourism by Martin and Rosemary Hawkins and exhibits from the Kent Archaeology Society. Admission free but donations appreciated. Call 01795 342355. To register your details to be sent regular updates, email events@dockyardchurch.co.uk QR code and email address to register details with the Sheerness Dockyard Preservation Trust

A businessman from Sheppey says he was discharged from Medway Maritime Hospital despite being in “no fit state” to leave. Vape shop owner Terry Utting, 46, from Minster was sent home from the Gillingham hospital on the evening of Thursday (March 5) after having an emergency operation on an infected abscess. He says staff threatened to call security when he insisted he was still in severe pain, unable to walk properly and constipated. Terry Utting at one of his shops. Stock photo: John Nurden He said: “I was told that if I refused to leave, security would remove me from the ward. As a result, I had no choice but to leave, despite believing I was medically unfit for discharge.” Less than 24 hours later he was back at the hospital with blood and pus leaking from his dressing after both his GP surgery and staff at Sheppey Community Hospital had refused to look at the wound. Mr Utting, a dad of three who runs a string of 12 vape shops across Kent including Sittingbourne, Sheppey and the Medway Towns, has now submitted a formal complaint to the Medway hospital claiming his discharge was unsafe and poorly managed. He wants the hospital to investigate a string of missed opportunities and to ensure it doesn’t happen to other patients in the future. His ordeal began at 2pm on Monday, March 2, when he was admitted to the hospital for surgery on the infected abscess. Terry Utting's wound He said: “Later that evening, I underwent an operation to remove the infection and abscess. “Following the operation, I was kept in the recovery area for approximately 30 hours waiting for a ward bed. I was then transferred to McCulloch Ward, where I stayed for two nights. “During my stay, I informed staff that I had been constipated since Thursday, February 26 and was in severe abdominal pain. “By the time of my discharge discussions, I had been constipated for eight days. “I was also experiencing significant weakness, cold sweats, difficulty walking and my blood pressure was recorded at the lowest level since my admission. “Despite explaining that I was not well enough to leave the hospital and was still in severe pain, I was told on the evening of Thursday, March 5, that I was being discharged and should gather my belongings. Entrance to Medway Maritime Hospital. Picture: John Nurden “I explained that I was in no fit state to leave due to severe pain, inability to walk properly, ongoing constipation and low blood pressure. “I was then told that if I refused to leave, security would remove me from the ward, As a result, I felt I had no choice but to leave the hospital despite believing I was medically unfit for discharge. “I had previously been informed that I would receive five days of strong pain relief followed by two weeks of alternative pain medication. However, upon discharge, I was only provided with three days of pain relief. “I was also told that a nurse would contact me to arrange dressing changes for my surgical wound. Less than 24 hours after returning home, the wound dressing began leaking significant amounts of pus and blood with a strong smell indicating infection. “No nurse had contacted me as I had been told would happen. Sheppey Community Hospital. Picture: Sheppey Scene “I attended the walk-in centre at Sheppey Hospital seeking help but was informed they could not change the dressing as they did not stock the required dressings and that I should contact my GP. “I then contacted my GP surgery, Greenport Medical Centre, but they informed me they had received no discharge notes or medical records from the hospital and therefore did not know what treatment or dressings I required. “I contacted McCulloch Ward at Medway Maritime Hospital and was told by a nurse over the phone to return to the ward where they would change the dressing. “However, when I arrived at the ward, I was told they could not change the dressing and that there were no beds available and a different procedure had to be followed. “At this point, I was extremely distressed, in severe pain, unable to walk properly, and my wound was leaking through the dressing. “Due to my distress and frustration, I raised my voice, after which security was called. I was then escorted to A&E and told they would deal with it there. “After booking into A&E, I was informed that they were also unable to change the dressing and was directed to the Surgical Assessment Unit (SAU). “Upon attending SAU, I was initially told to return to McCulloch Ward as they did not have a bed available. SAU then contacted McCulloch Ward directly, during which there appeared to be a disagreement, after which SAU eventually agreed to change the dressing. “I believe my discharge was unsafe and poorly managed. “I was discharged without appropriate wound dressings, a clear aftercare plan, communication with my GP, accurate medication as previously promised and proper arrangements for wound care. “I was also given incorrect information regarding follow-up care as I was told a nurse would contact me to arrange dressing changes, which did not happen. “As a result, I was left at home in severe pain, unable to walk properly with an open surgical wound leaking pus and blood, low blood pressure and an active infection with no medical support or clear instructions for care. “This experience caused me significant distress and unnecessary suffering at a time when I was already vulnerable following surgery.” He says he wants the incident to be formally investigated. “In particular, I would like the hospital to review the decision to discharge me despite my medical condition; the threat to remove me with security when I expressed I was medically unfit to leave; the failure to arrange appropriate wound care or communicate with my GP; the incorrect information provided regarding follow-up nursing care; the lack of adequate pain relief medication upon discharge and the confusion and lack of coordination between departments when I returned for help.” He added: “I would appreciate a full explanation of what happened and what steps will be taken to ensure this does not happen to other patients.” Medway NHS Foundation Trust which runs Medway Maritime Hospital was asked for a comment. Chief nursing officer Evonne Hunt said: “We are extremely sorry about Mr Utting’s experience and take his concerns very seriously. We are investigating them carefully so that we can respond to him in full. “We are committed to listening to our patients and learning from their experience to make improvements.”

A play about aviation pioneer Amy Johnson, who disappeared after crashing her plane into the Thames Estuary 85 years ago, has been grounded. Last Flight Out, written and performed by Jenny Lockyer, was due to land at the Sheppey Little Theatre in Meyrick Road, Sheerness, on Saturday, March 7. But none of the £10 tickets were sold. Cancelled: Jenny Lockyer in her one-woman play Last Flight Out A disappointed theatre spokeswoman admitted last night: “The play is cancelled. We sold no tickets. Jenny said she didn't want to come all the way from Wales.” However, a talk about the daredevil ‘queen of the skies’ delivered by Jane Delamaine, the founder and director of the Amy Johnson Project, is still clear for take-off the night before on Friday, March 6. Tickets are £5 on the door. Jane Delamaine's talk on Amy Johnson to go ahead at the Sheppey Little Theatre The illustrated Life and Death of Amy Johnson presentation will focus on Amy’s incredible life and tragic death, using Amy’s own words where possible to tell her epic story. Jane, a mother-of-three who now goes wreck-hunting, said: “I have dedicated the past 13 years to bringing Amy’s story back to life for a whole new generation, so her memory doesn’t slip out of history.” The tribute is predicted to evoke laughter, tears and awe for the lone-girl flyer of the 1930 who went on to marry Scottish pilot Jim Mollinson. Jane Delamaine's talk on Amy Johnson to go ahead at the Sheppey Little Theatre Amy was born in Hull in 1903, the same year as the Wright Brothers made their first flight in America. Soon after, other “magnificent men in their flying machines” were attempting to get off the ground, too. In Britain, the race was led by the Short Brothers on the Isle of Sheppey. Fuelled by tales of derring do, Amy, a typist, went on to became only the second woman in the world to qualify as an aircraft ground engineer. Amy Johnson and her plane And then, in 1930 aged 26 and with just with 99 hours in her logbook, she took off from Croydon to become the first woman to fly solo from England to Australia. It was an amazing achievement. She flew 11,000 miles, on her own, in a second-hand de Havilland Gipsy Moth bi-plane she called Jason. It took her over shark-infested seas and through all weathers, including fog, sandstorms and monsoon rain, as she huddled in an open cockpit. The feat turned her into an international celebrity. She told the world: “Believe nothing to be impossible.” Jane Delamaine with a statue of Amy Johnson at Herne Bay But on January 5, 1941, at just 37, she went missing, presumed dead, while serving her country flying an Air Transport Auxiliary aircraft during the Second World War. Her Airspeed Oxford plane mysteriously ditched into the sea off Herne Bay, where a life-size bronze statue of her now stands on the seafront. She had been heading to Oxford. Amy’s body and the wreckage of her plane were never found, despite a desperate rescue attempt. Five hours after her departure, a convoy of wartime vessels in the Thames Estuary spotted a parachute coming down and saw a person alive in the water calling for help. Conditions were poor with a heavy sea and a strong tide. Snow was falling and it was intensely cold. Amy Johnson information board at Herne Bay Lt Cmdr Walter Fletcher, the captain of HMS Haslemere, steered his ship to the site of the crash where his crew threw ropes overboard. Fletcher himself dived in to try to save a person wearing a flying helmet. But when a lifeboat reached him, he was unconscious. He died in hospital three days later from hypothermia. Amy’s body is believed to have disappeared beneath the ship. Her flying bag, logbook and cheque book were recovered later near the crash site. Two films have been made about the aviator’s life. Anna Neagle starred in They Flew Alone in 1942 and in 1984 Harriet Walter starred in The Amy Johnson Story. ·       The Life and Death of Amy Johnson illustrated talk is at the Sheppey Little Theatre, Sheerness, ME12 2NX, on Friday, March 6, at 7.30pm. Tickets are £5 on the door (subject to availability) or can be booked at Sheppy Glass, 24 Broadway, Sheerness, on 01795 580006.

If the management at Criterion Blue Town thought adding a comedy night to their offering would attract a younger audience to the revamped music hall on the Isle of Sheppey, then this experiment failed. If they wanted a night of laughter, then it was a success. Three comedians, corralled by veteran comic Kevin McCarthy, kept the small but perfectly-formed audience entertained on Thursday night (February 26). Comedian Kevin McCarthy at the Criterion Blue Town. Picture: John Nurden It wasn’t long before the comedians became aware of the, let us say, mature nature of those who had splashed out £17.50 on tickets for a comfy seat out of the cold night air. McCarthy, who is no spring chicken himself and resembled something of an off-duty Santa Claus in his jeans and bushy beard, was the first to jump on the bandwagon identifying a chap called Brian, who gave his age as 86, as a likely target. “I’d better hurry up then!” he quipped. Then he spotted a woman in the front row with her arms folded defiantly. “You’re either fed up already or planning to join me on stage for the River Dance,” he said. On seeing the theatre’s grand piano in the corner of the stage, decorated with silver candelabra, he mused: “Either Liberace is coming or someone is about to sacrifice a goat.” And that was typical of the gentle banter which followed. Comedian John Newton at the Criterion Blue Town. Picture: John Nurden Also on the bill was amiable John Newton from the Medway Towns. Looking around the sparse auditorium he announced: “I always get nervous at these big gigs.” Taking potshots at his hometown he remarked: “I saw a group of lads hanging around Chatham’s Pentagon shopping centre sniffing Tipp-Ex. I thought ‘big mistake’.” It took a while for the line make its mark with the audience but it was a welcome change to the usual torrent of anti-Sheppey jokes. Sean Hutchinson at the Criterion Blue Town on Sheppey. Picture: John Nurden Alas, Island comic Sean Hutchinson, wearing a moustache, glasses and a black pullover, set the campaign to celebrate culture on Sheppey back decades with a relentless stream of complaints about living in James Street. The night was saved by Irish comic Paddy Lennox who seemed genuinely delighted to be making his debut on a Sheppey stage. Comedian Paddy Lennox at the Criterion Blue Town. Picture: John Nurden Looking around the theatre he remarked: “It’s like being in a time warp. I may be the most excited person here.” It is a not unsurprising fact that when it comes to more elderly audiences there is usually a surfeit of women. And this was no exception. At least two men had arrived with two women each and one lucky chap had four. “This is definitely the place to retire to,” mused Lennox. “These must be the Epsteins of Sheppey - three fellas with eight women. I’m just jealous. The rest of Kent must be spitting with envy.” The next comedy night at the Criterion is on October 8 with comics Andy Stedman, Noel James and Gerry K. There’s no preferred age range but a boost in numbers would be a good punchline.

You can’t miss the ‘road closed’ signs springing up across Sheppey as gas distributor SGN upgrades its ageing network with new plastic pipes. But less than three miles away an even bigger operation has been going on, hidden from most people’s eyes. The same company has been tunnelling under the Swale as part of an £8.2 million operation to lay a new 12-inch (400mm) high pressure main to feed the Island. The green line shows the route of the new gas main under the Swale Contractors Phoenix Civils moved onto the site near Ridham Dock last August to prepare for one of SGN’s most challenging projects. A specialist team from LMR Drilling UK arrived on January 6 and after two weeks of setting up machinery completed the drilling in two-and-a-half weeks – 10 days ahead of schedule. Workers are now busy dismantling the rig and preparing to connect the new pipe to the network. The drilling rig used to tunnel a new gas main under the Swale to the Isle of Sheppey. Picture: SGN Once the pipe has been tested and connected, drivers and train passengers will begin to see scaffolding going up around the Kingsferry Bridge as work switches to removing the existing 60-year-old steel pipe from inside the towers. Although relatively quick, drilling the borehole was not without its challenges. SGN engineers Nathan Clarke, left, and Simon Thurlow on the bank of the Swale. PIcture: John Nurden SGN’s project manager Simon Thurlow, 50, explained: “Not only are the Sheppey marshes a site of special scientific interest and are covered by the Ramsar International Convention on wetlands but we also had to negotiate with eight or nine different landowners plus working in line with our consents set out by Natural England.” He added: “This has been a very complex project. It has been planned since 2017 and I became involved in 2019. “It took a long time to get everything in place. But once we were ready, the actual drilling was completed ahead of schedule.” Tricone bit breaks through after tunnelling under the Swale. Picture: SGN At the heart, or probably the head, of the horizontal directional drill (HDD) was a state-of-the-art device clamped to the front which used gyroscopes, and similar technology to that in top secret Cruise missiles, to guide it under the Swale. After drilling down 23.5 metres and then along 573 metres it emerged on the Sheppey side bang on target. “It was incredible to see,” said Simon. “We had red guideposts in place and it popped up right next to them.” New gas pipe being pulled back to the mainland under the Swale from Sheppey. Picture: SGN At the same time, a dedicated mud engineer had been shipped over from Poland to take soil samples, sometimes as many as 15 a day, to ensure the lubricant mix of slurry fed back into the drill hole remained at exactly the right consistency to allow the manoeuvre to be completed in one continual process. The samples were all tested onsite. The polyethylene pipe normally comes in 12-metre lengths but for the Sheppey project they were specially shipped as 18-metre lengths by pipe manufacturer Aliaxis to reduce the number of joints. The new gas pipe stretched out along the Sheppey marshes ready to be pulled under the Swale. Picture: SGN The pipes were laid out in a single line on the Island side before being fused together in one long strip by heat welding. The whole pipe was then gently pulled back under the Swale to the mainland. The project has been so high profile that a stream of “top brass” from SGN regularly visited the site to watch the operation at first-hand. At one stage, a temporary viewing platform was installed so visitors could see the drill in action. Removing the drilling equipment from site The Ridham Dock site is now being stripped of equipment. And waste mud stored in a giant manmade lagoon is being taken away in a fleet of tankers to be environmentally disposed of. The drilling site will then be returned to its original condition as 4,000 tonnes of aggregate used to support the rig are removed and the topsoil replaced. The new pipe will be connected to the rest of the Sheppey main and to the gas feed on the mainland side near a buttress leading to the Kingsferry Bridge. New pipe will be connected to the gas feed here. Picture: John Nurden The team is waiting for permission to close the Ridham Dock Road to complete the task. Then it will be out with the old pipes. Site project manager Nathan Clarke, 53, from Rochester, will be in charge of that. He joined British Gas as an 18-year-old school-leaver. Old gas pipe, left, under the Kingsferry Bridge to be removed. Picture: SGN He explained: “The old pipe runs underneath the carriageway, down one tower, along the inspection tunnel under the Swale, up the other tower and under the roadway to the Island. “We will be hanging scaffolding from the road to access the pipe but because the Swale is tidal we will also need rescue boats on the water while we are working. Because the access doors to the Kingsferry Bridge are this small the old gas pipe must be cut into one-metre lengths. Picture: John Nurden Because the access doors to the bridge’s inner workings are so small, the pipe will have to be painstakingly removed in short lengths. Nathan said: “There will be scaffolding inside the bridge to take the weight of the pipe as we cut it into one-metre-long sections. These will be rolled to the towers where electric hoists will lift them up.” Kingsferry Bridge linking the Isle of Sheppey to the mainland. Picture: John Nurden Remote “cold cutters” will slice into the steel. Each cut is likely to take 45 minutes. Nathan added: “Because it is in a confined space, we can’t use oxyacetylene torches. And every time the bridge lifts for a boat we will have to stop work. Few people realise just how much work goes into project like this behind the scenes.” It might almost make the gas bill for Sheppey’s 15,000 customers seem worth it!   Note: Southern Water began its £7.5 million project to install two new water supply pipes to Sheppey in October 2022, three months after its old main across the Kingsferry Bridge burst and left 40,000 Islanders without water for three days during one of the hottest summers on record. The work was finally completed almost a year later in September 2023. Project team leader Peter Simmons blamed the delays on “major challenges”. He said: “There were all sorts of changes in the soil, clay and shells which made life pretty tough. But we had a brilliant team and overcame every hurdle.”

Sheppey is about to get the spotlight shone at it as part of a new six-part Sky TV series. All last summer a film crew took over Priory Hill and Nutts Farm holiday parks at Leysdown to follow EastEnders star Danny Dyer and his daughter Dani. Dad Danny, 48, who played Mick Carter in the BBC soap, had decided to do his bit to revive the great British seaside caravan holiday and roped in his 29-year-old daughter to help. Danny Dyer and his daughter Dani putting their feet up at Priory Hill Holiday Park. Picture: Sky TV The pair set up base in a mobile home as staff from the family-owned business tried to show them the ropes. Danny, who also stars in the new series of the bawdy romp Rivals, admitted it had been a “baptism of fire.” He explained: “This is all I ever knew as a child; that was our holiday every year. “It’s a very working-class holiday. I would hang out with my nan, grandad, my aunts and uncles and cousins, it’s such a beautiful thing for me. “They were very simple days that I really do miss. So, I thought, with the might of Sky behind me, let’s see if we can make caravans interesting again to some people, with my firstborn child, of course.” Danny Dyer and his daughter Dani get down to business at Priory Hill. Picture: Sky TV Daughter Dani said: “We have worked together quite a few times. We’ve travelled around Italy - that was one of the first main things we did together. We’ve also done Gogglebox, too. “We get on so well. The filming days were really long sometimes but we just make each other laugh and we get each other through it. I think we both bring something different to the show. “He’s very cheeky but the residents love him. “I think it was lovely for them to be around him, and us, and bring something different to the caravan park. It’s just easy. It doesn’t feel like work when we’re together.” Dad and daughter Danny and Dani Dyer from their podcasdst Live and Let Dyer Dad Danny added: “We were just two Danny Dyers trying to make the whole thing work. I needed her to calm me down a little bit because I struggle to run a business, trying to juggle a lot of jobs at once.” But he admitted: “It was a baptism of fire because we didn’t have a clue what we were doing – and I think that comes across. But I think we got a few things right as well. It’s a comforting show to watch.” He went on: “If you want to get involved, get involved. I’m very frivolous. That’s why I needed Dani by my side to rein me in slightly. Danny Dyer checking taps as part of his advert for Priory Hill Holiday Park. Picture: Sky TV “I didn’t know how much these things cost but we do talk about it in the show, how expensive everything is now. Look at how much butter is… Lurpak is seven quid! “ I don’t think enough working-class voices are on television. “This is a very, very British show. People are also struggling with what being British is at the moment. But these are real characters and without them, this show doesn’t work. So, you’ve got Dani and me trying to do the right thing.” Danny had to master the art of buggy driving - and grass mowing. Picture: Sky kTV He added: “The caravan owners take their caravans very, very seriously, as they should. They spend a lot of money on them. “It’s £4,500 a year for ground rent. But they want one of the best holidays they possibly can. So, they got over having two famous people minting about pretty quickly.” Dani admitted she had gone on caravan holidays as a girl, too. She said: “Yeah, I went with my friends. That was my first teenage holiday and my first bit of freedom being able to just go up to the clubhouse and be with my best friend. I felt like an adult at 12.” Park manager Darren Lawrence gets a helping hand from Dani Dyer at the park's open day. Picture: Darren Lawrence Club manager Darren Lawrence, who is expected to become an unlikely star of the show, has been asked to comment. All staff were originally made to sign non-disclosure agreements by the TV production company Expectation – the same one behind Clarkson’s Farm – at the start of shooting this time last year. Cheers! 'Captain' Danny Dyer and his 'mermaid' daughter Dani at Leysdown carnival. They won first prize. Picture: John Nurden The only time the public caught an official glimpse of the Dyers was during the town’s summer carnival in July when they climbed aboard a Priory Hill trailer dressed as a cruise ship captain and a mermaid - and ended up with first prize! Another highlight of the series is expected to be an impromptu game of football when soccer royalty Harry Redknapp, the former manager of West Ham, Spurs, Bournemouth, Portsmouth and Southampton, returned to the pitch. Priory Hill's raggle-taggle football team. Picture: Paul Shaw At the age of 78, he was hauled out of retirement to coach a rag-tag team representing Priory Hill. To be fair, visiting Leysdown was nothing new for the veteran footballer. He was a regular at the resort as a lad because his mum and dad had a holiday caravan on the neighbouring Nutts Farm site overlooking the sea. A source at the park revealed: “Whenever Harry was down, he’d soon be in a makeshift team playing on the field using jumpers for goalposts. Sometimes Harry's son Jamie would be in the team, too. It was a great family affair.” Harry Redknapp, right, takes on the might of Danny Dyer's Priory Hill All-Stars. Picture: Callum Osmond This time, Redknapp had been summoned by actor-turned-holiday park boss Danny. Television cameras were there to cover Redknapp’s return to the pitch as he stepped out in shorts. But instead of having to use jumpers as makeshift goalposts, the holiday park team had marked out a proper pitch. Its players turned up in a smart blue kit with the former EastEnders actor drafted in to make up numbers. Behind the scenes: Sky's film crew. Picture: John Nurden What happened on the pitch and in the changing room afterwards is remaining under wraps until transmission. But we can also reveal that a different kind of sport also sparked the imagination of Dyer and his daughter. They were spotted watching one of the weekly wrestling matches in the clubhouse run by Steve Manelli. At the last minute, club manager Darren Lawrence was roped in to act as referee. Will it be only a matter of time before “Dangerous” Danny Dyer gets the call to join the tag team? One of the other tasks Dyer Senior had to get to grips with was the tricky art of mowing the grass. But it wasn’t all work. Birthday drink from Danny Dyer and Sheppey comic Miki Travis. Picture: Miki Travis During the series Danny managed to celebrate his birthday in the clubhouse with his mates including fellow EastEnders actor-turned-karaoke star and Sheppey resident Shaun Williamson, Island comic Miki Travis and former Spandau Ballet singer Martin Kemp. Shaun Willliamson and Miki Travis having a birthday singalong for Danny Dyer. Picture: Miki Travis In the meantime, Danny’s daughter Dani was also busy behind the scenes preparing to compete in Strictly Come Dancing and filming the series SAS Celebrity Who Dares Wins. Just before the start of filming at the 75-year-old holiday park in Wing Road she had also married West Ham football club captain Jarrod Bowen Danny and Dani Dyer celebrate the end of the first day of shooting on Instagram In his first public appearance at the gates of Priory Hill to launch an open day, Danny told the waiting crowd: “I am proud to be part of this gaff, as is my little Dani, who has just got back from her honeymoon. “I’m very jealous. I wanted to go on that honeymoon,” the West Ham fan added. Danny, who also stars in the Nick Love film Marching Powder, went on: “If you want a cuddle or a photo or whatever, I am here for you. Enjoy your day out.” Sky’s executive director Phil Edgar-Jones said: “The Great British Holiday is about to get a turbo-charged makeover like never before as the Dyers’ Caravan Park prepares to open its gates. “If anyone can make caravanning cool again, it’s Danny and Dani, and we cannot wait to see them bring the fun.” The Dyers’ Caravan Park begins on Sky One and NOW on Tuesday, February 24.

According to some, who should know better, the Isle of Sheppey is a "cultural desert". Well, we have news for them! Despite being a tiny Island on the north Kent coast, Sheppey somehow manages to maintain not one but TWO community theatres. The Sheppey Little Theatre in Meyrick Road, Sheerness There is the aptly-named Sheppey Little Theatre nestled in the backstreets of Sheerness. In 2025 it celebrated its 50th anniversary. Then there is the Criterion Theatre, a stunningly revamped music hall in Blue Town which presents variety shows and shares its premises with a three-storey museum. Criterion Blue Town - theatre, cinema, music hall and museum In fact, that's something else Sheppey isn't short of. The Island boats FIVE museums all slightly quirky and all covering a different aspect of the Island's rich heritage ranging from Britain's first flying pioneers in Eastchurch to dastardly Dutch invaders in Queenborough, visits of Charles Dickens to Minster and not forgetting the nautical heroes of Sheerness Dockyard including Lord Nelson. And, of course, there are its awaard-winning beaches and the nationally acclaimed Elmley Nature Reserve with its shepherds' huts and luxury manor house where guests can stay or even hire for weddings. Not for nothing is Sheppey called Kent's hidden gem. This treasure trove of cultural highlights is just waiting to be discovered. Whether you're a resident looking to delve deeper into the island's offerings or a visitor eager to explore its charm, there's something for everyone to enjoy.

Yep, we've all heard that familiar cry of "there's nothing to do". But on Sheppey there is always something going on. It could be live bands playing in pubs like the Seaside Bar and Harps Inn at Minster, the Old House at Home, The Rose, the Flying Dutchman or the Admiral's Arm at Queenborough or the Castle, Queen's Head or the Heights of Alma at Sheerness. There is also regular live entertainment at the Island's social clubs and holiday parks. The Island is also lucky enough to have not one but TWO theatres: the Sheppey Little Theatre in Sheerness and the Criterion at Blue Town. Each week Sheppey Scene gathers the details for its almost legendary guide to live music, plays, art exhibitions and fascinating talks, in association with other organisations, so you don't have to. Visit our Facebook page (20+) Facebook for the latest up-to-date information. You can also catch exclusive videos on the (10) Sheppey Scene - YouTube channel.

Oyez! Oyez! Oyez! A retired schoolteacher has been appointed the first town crier for the Isle of Sheppey. Bruce Horton, 60, pipped two other contestants to the new voluntary role after a shout-off at the Criterion Theatre in Blue Town on Saturday morning (February 14). He will now become the face – and voice – of the month-long Festival of Sheppey in June. Sheppey's new town crier Bruce Horton, right, gets some advice from Mike Billingham, the town crier of Rochester. Picture: Barry Hollis After the auditions Bruce said: “I feel very humbled to have been chosen to be the first town crier for the Isle of Sheppey. Coming from across the Swale, Sheppey doesn’t always get the best of press and that is a shame and wrong. “That is why this role is so important. I see it as raising up the standing of this noble Isle with its fascinating history and welcoming people, not just among Islanders but with those who look down on it and see it as something different and other. “It IS different and other. But in a positive way. It is that side of things, bringing those positives into peoples’ lives and to remind them of all the good things, both historical and current, about Sheppey, I think is the most important part of being a crier “It is something I am looking forward to.” Retired schoolteacher Bruce Horton in full flow. Picture: James Buttenshaw of JB Imagery The father-of-one, who lives in Kemsley, near Sittingbourne, with his wife Fiona, had taught in schools for 20 years before retiring. His last one was Leigh Academy Ebbsfleet secondary school near Gravesend. Bruce added: “When I retired last year, I found I had time on my hands. I have always been a history buff and have always liked standing in front of people and talking to them, or at them, and that was something I thought I could continue doing in my retirement. “I am sure my wife is going to be very proud but also delighted that I am going to be out of the house! She says I get under her feet and that I keep meddling.” He was up against two other contenders for the title from the Isle of Sheppey. Town crier contestant Chris Reed. Picture: James Buttenshaw of JB Imagery There was flame-haired Chris Reed, another former teacher who runs the Big Fish Arts group, and former working men’s club steward and local radio presenter Ray Seager. Bruce admitted: “The competition was daunting. There were some excellent speakers. When I heard them, I became quite worried. The questions the panel asked were also probing. But overall, it was a very enjoyable process.” Ray Seager agreed to be deputy town crier. Ray Seager addressing the judges. Picture: John Nurden The panel comprised the mayor of Swale Cllr Karen Watson; the mayor of Queenborough Cllr Richard Darby; Cllr Dolley Wooster, who chairs Sheerness Town Council; Peter West, who is the curator at Eastchurch Aviation Museum and Janet Beake who chairs the board of trustees at the Criterion. Cllr Watson said: “The candidates were all absolutely amazing. They were very confident and knowledgeable. Any of them could have done Sheppey proud. But our winner just had that certain edge. “I believe this will instil more pride to Sheppey and help show off everything which is fantastic about the Island. It will also give Sheppey a voice.” The judges with the contestants for Sheppey's first town crier. Picture: Barry Hollis Jenny Hurkett, who organised the contest on behalf of the Island Forum, said: “We had three amazing candidates who were all different. Each had something unique about them. It made it very difficult for the judges. There were only a couple of points in it. But I think Bruce will do us proud.” Each candidate was given two proclamations to read, one serious and one light-hearted. Before the contest began, the current town crier from Rochester – Mike Billingham from Gillingham – turned up in his red and gold livery, tricorn hat and bell – to explain the history of the role. Mike Billingham with Swale's mayor Cllr Karen Watson. Picture: James Buttenshaw of JB Imagery Mike, a member of the Ancient and Honourable Guild of Town Criers, said: “Long before we had newspapers, radio, television, telephones or the internet we had the town crier. The Normans brought what they called bellmen over when they invaded us in 1066. “The town crier’s job was to spread the news. Remember, most people could not read or write. The news could be good or bad, including announcements that the king was raising taxes again. So, no change there, then!” Town criers were appointed by towns and cities. A common misconception was that they were the king’s messengers and that people could be executed if they attacked them, hence the saying ‘don’t shoot the messenger’. Judges marked the contestants out of five in eight categories: vocal volume without microphone; clarity and projection; commanding presence; impact of entrance; sense of humour; improvisation skills’ crowd engagement and confidence. The contest was compered by Cllr John Nurden, a member of Minster-on-Sea parish council. Festival of Sheppey town crier and sheep logo

Should Sheppey have one council serving the Island? Should Halfway get its own parish council or be absorbed by Minster, Sheerness or Queenborough? Does Warden parish council need to be renamed Warden Bay? These are some of the questions to be discussed by the next Island Forum on Tuesday (January 20). Welcome to the sun-kissed Isle of Sheppey There will also be an urgent update from Lee Jarmain and Paul West from the Pyramid Project on how the Island desperately needs to support its young people who are not working or in school. Esther Marsh from the Sheppey Employment Forum will highlight a ‘No Excuses’ event to be held in March at the former Dockyard Church in Blue Town And Jenny Hurkett from the Criterion Blue Town  will give the latest low-down on ambitious plans to celebrate the Island in June with a month-long Festival of Sheppey to highlight its heritage. Jenny Hurkett, founder of the Criterion Blue Town, is masterminding a Festival of Sheppey A competition to find a town crier for the Island is also on the cards. Tuesday’s meeting begins at 6.30pm and this month will be at Sheerness East Working Men’s Club in Queenborough Road, Halfway, as part of Swale Borough Council 's public consultation into a community governance review. Cllr Mike Whiting  (Ind, Queenborough and Halfway), who chairs Swale council’s community governance review working group, said: “This is a really important moment for Swale and for Sheppey in particular. Cllr Mike Whiting. Picture: Swale Borough Council “The Community Governance Review (CGR) will help Swale Council decide whether it wants to make changes to existing parish and town councils on the Island. “Local representation will be all the more important when the government abolishes Swale Borough Council and Kent County Council in favour of a large unitary authority. “Town and parish councils can provide local input into decisions which affect their residents and can ensure local money is spent locally. "The consultation considers whether Halfway, the only area on Sheppey not to have its own parish council, should have one, or whether Halfway should be absorbed into another parish. “It also asks for views on abolishing all the town and parish councils on Sheppey and creating one large council covering and representing the whole island. "The final question is whether Warden Parish Council should change its name to Warden Bay Parish Council.” Cllr Tim Gibson. Picture: Swale Borough Council Cllr Tim Gibson (Lab, Roman) who chairs the council’s policy and resources committee, said: “When done right, parish and town councils benefit local communities. They give residents a direct voice in local affairs and provide flexibility on how funding is spent. “But we want to make it clear: having these new councils won’t be free and if set up there will be an additional charge on your council tax bill. “That is why it is incredibly important for us to hear from you; we only want to implement changes if that is what people truly want.” He added: “These options are not set in stone. Residents can help us shape the future of parish and town councils in Swale.” Does Halfway need its own parish council? Have your say by filling in the council’s questionnaire here: https://tinyurl.com/ParishCouncilSurvey  The deadline is Monday, February 9. There will be another meeting on Sheppey in Warden Bay next month. The results will shape a second consultation which will be launched in the spring. That could include changes to boundaries. For example, part of Appleford Drive is currently in Halfway and some in Minster-on-Sea. The council may suggest moving all of it into Minster-on-Sea.

Michael Crawford, who was brought up on Sheppey by his nan, has been honoured by USA President Donald Trump alongside Sylvester Stallone, Gloria Gaynor and the rock band Kiss. Trump says it was for the actor's work on Barnum and The Phantom of the Opera. But here on Sheppey we know it was really about his BBC sitcom Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em and, in particular, the 1975 Christmas special filmed on the Island. Michael Crawford drove a Hillman Imp off Neptune Jetty at Sheerness for the 1975 BBC Christmas special of Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em. Picture: Barry Hollis Many still remember with fondness the day the TV star drove a Hillman Imp off Neptune Jetty and into the sea at Sheerness. Previously, he had been filmed marooned in the car on top of the Kingsferry Bridge. Scroll down to watch a behind-the-scenes video and see how many Islanders you can recognise. We spotted the ubiquitous Ray Featherstone, who popped along to try to get footage for his Stones Film Productions and ended up becoming Crawford's "minder" for the day. Ray recalled: "I had popped out for a walk along the seafront and spotted a huge crowd and a TV crew. I didn't know what was going on but I rushed back home to get my 16mm Bolex cine camera. Ray Featherstone, left, escorts Michael Crawford along Neptune Jetty, Sheerness, as the actor prepares for a final stunt for his BBC 1975 Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em Christmas special. Picture: BBC "Whenever we staged a premier for one of our films we always had a B-film and a newsreel. I thought this would be great for the newsreel." But when he returned ready for action he was in for a surprise. "I asked the production manager if he minded me filming and he said it was fine but added that he was in big trouble because of the size of the crowd now lining the promenade. "He said he thought Sheppey was a sleepy place and hadn't expected such an interest. He admitted he didn't have enough crew to cope and asked if I could lend a hand." Ray Featherstone. Picture: Sheppey Scene Ray stowed his cherished camera in nearby Wood and Sons fishmongers for safekeeping and presented himself for work. "I thought I'd be asked to carry a tripod or something. Instead, he asked me to look after Michael for the rest of the day. I was quite aghast. Until then I hadn't even realised what the show was they were shooting. "I'd never met Michael before but my mum used to tell me he lived in The Crescent at Halfway with his gran. I used to watch him playing a cabin boy in a children's TV show about pirates." Ray escorted Michael to the Roman Catholic church hall which the star was using as a changing room. Michael Crawford crashed this Hillman Imp through a barrier at Sheerness for the 1975 Christmas special of Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em. Picture: BBC Ray said: "I waited outside as he got into a wetsuit and put his clothes on over the top. Then we walked to the jetty and I helped keep autograph-hunters away. At times, Michael signed some on the bonnet of the car. "We walked to the end of the jetty to check on the tide and I made the mistake of leaning on one of the guard rails. It fell off in my hand. They had taken all the metal ones out and replaced them with rubber ones so the car could crash through them. They also created a trellis wall for the car to drive through. "At the end of the jetty was a ramp and a cannon which fired the car into the water at high speed. "Until then, I'd just seen Michael playing an idiot on television. Now I realised how professional he was as he checked every aspect of the stunt. "There was even an oxygen cylinder in the car in case he ended up trapped under the surface and needed to breath. It as pretty dangerous stuff. "While we waited for high tide, Michael went over the road to the Napier for lunch. There was a huge crowd outside clamoring for his autograph. He let me collect autograph books and signed them in the pub." Michael Crawford waves to the crowd after completing his stunt for Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em. Picture: Barry Hollis After the stunt, which ended with Crawford waving wildly from the open sunroof of the car surrounded by waves, the star returned to the church hall to change. Ray recalled: "I waited for him outside but unknown to me he was taken out by another door and straight into a waiting car and driven away. I never got a chance to say goodbye and the production crew never even knew my name. I wasn't paid and to this day he won't know who I was." Ray's brief time of rubbing shoulders with TV royalty was captured by a BBC documentary unit shooting behind the scenes. A few seconds of Ray walking along the jetty next to Crawford was included in a Channel 5 documentary Michael Crawford: Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em. Ray said: "Purely by chance, we were both wearing black roll-neck jumpers and check jackets." He never managed to get any film of the event which turned out to one of Sheppey's enduring highlights of the small screen. But one person who caught the deed was Barry Hollis, a 21-year-old photographer on the Sheerness Times Guardian. Barry, 67, from Waverley Avenue, Minster, said: "I think it was a Sunday. I was definitely not working. Someone mentioned Michael Crawford was filming on the beach so I wandered down and ended up staying the rest of the day." He snapped away taking both colour and black and white pictures. Michael Crawford climbs out of the sunroof of the Hillman Imp after completing filming for Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em at Sheerness. Picture: Barry Hollis He said: "The stunt team spent about half a day checking everything out with Michael before he took the wheel of the car. "He was very professional, checking out how the car should react when it hit the water. The car was packed with polystyrene to help it stay afloat and had an oxygen bottle and breathing apparatus which Michael tested beforehand. "People got to hear what was happening and by the afternoon there were hundreds all lined up along the side of the Catholic church but out of sight of the cameras. "I saw the car crash through the wall, smash through the barriers at the end of the pier and then fly across the water. It all seemed to go so smoothly. It was just luck I happened to be there. "I don't think any of us realised this would become such an iconic episode." Many still remember the filming. In a post on the The Sheppey History Page on Facebook, Mark Soave wrote: "If you watch the film two people, Mick Bronger and Norman Girt, are fishing at the end of the pier. The rumour is that they were asked to move and refused so the BBC paid them £10 each to stand where they were." Mr Girt replied: "True story! But they paid us £50. We had to sign contracts in the Dolphin Cafe." Lynda Pearce swears her "other half" still has the gear knob from the Imp. Apparently the car was eventually pushed ashore by a tug from the docks. Wendy MacKenzie revealed she once refused to go on a date with the star when he was younger. She said: "He asked me out when he visited his nan. He came into the garage (Vidgens) where I worked and filled up his Lambretta scooter. He wore a blue and white striped T-shirt and was a bit spotty and skinny, so I said no." Years later he had swapped his scooter for a brand new red BMW. The episode also created controversy when it was re-shown recently. When it opens, Frank is dressed as chief of the pixies in Santa's Grotto and is called a derogatory term by a boy. The episode now carries a warning at the start saying the show "contains language and attitudes of the time that may offend." Former Sittingbourne and Sheppey MP Gordon Henderson confirmed he once lived in Crawford's old home at 6 The Crescent, Halfway, which is featured in the entertainer's autobiography Parcel Arrived Safely: Tied With String. Michael Crawford's former home on the Isle of Sheppey Mr Henderson recalled: "I actually lived there for almost 30 years but I never had any fans knocking on the door. However, I remember on one occasion I was working on the roof when this huge Winnebago pulled up outside my home and Michael got out. "He wandered over and explained he had brought his gran (who he doted on) down to see her old home. He pointed at the front garden wall, which was leaning over badly and which I kept promising to repair, but never got round to it. "Michael told me proudly that he had built the wall. I said: 'I believe you!' and he gave me one of his Frank Spencer smiles. "We had a little chat about things and then he drove off. Sadly, his gran passed away a few months later." Michael Patrick Dumbell-Smith, OBE and CBE, was born in Salisbury, Wiltshire, in 1942 at the height of the Second World War after his single mum Doris moved out of London to dodge German bombers. Michael Crawford with his nan Edith Pike She later moved back to Sheppey where she lived with her Irish-born mother Edith Pike in what Crawford described as a "close-knit Roman Catholic family". His grandmother lived to be 99. In a 1996 interview, Crawford said: "My early memories of life were always of large-breasted aunts. I was always nestled in someone's bosom. I thought life was wonderful. "They were some of the best years of my life. I didn't get near another bosom until I was 19 or 20." Crawford, who turns 84 later this month (January 19) now switches between his two homes in south west London and New Zealand. He lives with his American-born wife Natasha McAller, a former dancer. They met while performing in the 1991 production of The Phantom of the Opera in Los Angeles. Video: https://www.facebook.com/reel/1488251282278120   * Quotes first published by John Nurden on Kent Online, November 2022.

It’s not often one man can hold a hushed audience in the palm of his hand for 75 minutes without a break. But award-winning actor James Hyland has mastered the mesmerising art. James Hyland as the ghost of Jacob Marley As the houselights dimmed at the Criterion Blue Town on Saturday (December 13) Hyland, painted in grey from head to foot as the ghost of Ebenezer Scrooge’s late departed business partner Jacob Marley made a spectacular entrance. He blasted through the curtains from the wings accompanied by blood-curdling cries of screaming spirits trapped between worlds of heaven and earth and then stumbled across the stage weighed down by clanking iron chains. This was clearly not going to be a happy, musical Muppet version of one of Charles Dickens’ most loved tales. James Hyland on stage at the Criterion Blue Town You will know the story. Skinflint Scrooge has been working late in the office with his trusty but woefully underpaid clerk Bob Cratchit and now, alone in his bed, the three ghosts of Christmas past, present and future come knocking on his door. Each visit becomes more terrifying than the last. This was heart-in-the-mouth theatre in its finest form as Hyland delivered line after faultless line of perfect prose brought to life with exquisite detail and the cleverest of subtle mime. How does one man playing all these parts make this happen without any props or special effects, save for a single wooden chair placed stage centre? James Hyland backstage preparing to change into the ghost of Jacob Marley It can only be magic. Or rigorous rehearsals to get every nuanced movement and gasp on breath just so. Of course, Hyland has been doing this one-man show since 2009 so he should have the hang of it by now. He not only stars in the production but he also wrote the script and directs. It seems impossible that one man could be so talented, although, to be fair, Nicki Martin-Harper’s costume of rags and moth-eaten mittens, and her make-up design, have a lot to answer for. Perhaps it’s best not to ask how Hyland’s eyes glow evilly red while on stage. As one shell-shocked audience member remarked after the show: “I have no idea how he managed to remember all those words. It was like a West End performance.” For those who missed it, the good news is that Hyland will return to this venue at Halloween (October 31) next year for an even more sinister and thought-provoking production of the Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. See it, if you dare… Sheppey Scene rating: ***** More production details from brotherwolf.org.uk Hear and see James Hyland talking about A Christmas Carol - as told by Jacob Marley (Deceased) here...