Dover Girls Grammar School Enrichment programme give Year 12s new career prospects

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Dover Girls Grammar School Enrichment programme give Year 12s new career prospects 

New skills and opportunities were given to the Year 12s during the Dover Girls Grammar Enrichment fortnight in July.

 This year’s programme allowed for students to focus on personal development and to address the core values of the school.

Leader of social sciences Mr Walton particularly wanted to develop intellectual curiosity and to learn beyond the curriculum.

The school has invited many different visitors such as members from the U.S Embassy and the Emmaus UK charity to run session for students.

Activities included a session run by Tatton Spiller from Simple Politics whereby a panel was assembled allowing for students to question counsellors and MP’s.

Biology teacher Mr Blair ran the first “DGGSAspire” careers event that involved “speed dating” with professionals from more than 10 different organisations.

 Career exhibition stands and presentations from a local GP, Channel 4, The Canadian Industrial Research Council also were available.

Year 12s have also attend trips to support their studies such as the social sciences trip to London where students visited the Wellcome Collection, Royal Courts of Justice and a Jack the Ripper tour.

School trips for other year groups included Harry Potter World, Chessington world of adventures and Thorpe Park.

For more details on activities run by the school follow @DGGS_info on Twitter.

Written for East Kent Mercury Online

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Four out of Four wins for Junior Football Team

Four out of Four wins for Junior Football Team

Whitfield Junior U6 won four out of four of their football tournaments.

The team is made up of Rowan Sherlock, Cohen Cakebread, Edward Gibbs, Rafe Beeden, Caleb Husk, Bowiee - Laval - Chesterton, Oscar Mills, Olly King .

The coaches, Kevin Husk and Joe Reeves, are proud to say they’re team didn’t lose any of their 30 matches.

The tournaments played were at Herne Bay, Snodland, M and M in Folkestone, and TSS in Ashford.

Written for the East Kent Mercury Online

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Flowers Flourish at Walmer in Bloom Garden Competition

Flowers Flourish at Walmer in Bloom Garden Competition

The Walmer residents have groomed their gardens for the annual Walmer in Bloom competition.

Run by Walmer Parish Council, the contest has been ongoing 18 years to improve the Parishes natural environment.

The winners of the Garden competition were selected from Lower, Middle and Upper Walmer with the very best to be considered for the Deal Society Trophy.

Over 250 properties were posted commended certificates, whilst the runners up were given Highly Commended or Certificate of Excellence.

Royal Horticultural Society judge Janine Doulton said: “The gardens and containers demonstrated what a lot of work, patience and skill had been put into them to achieve such good results.

Categories included best garden (won by Mr Lawson of Salisbury Road, Mr and Mrs Bell of Coventry Gardens), best container (Mr Recas of Dover Road and Alan Scott of Herschell Road East) and best use of small space (Mrs Rudge of Devon Avenue and Mr R Heine of Cheriton Place).

The business category was won by Castle Fish Bar with Walmer pubs The Stag, The Lighthouse and Drum Major in joint second place and third place given to Walmer Baptist Church.

The winners will be awarded their prizes on October 13.

Committee Chairman, Sue Le Chevalier said: “The competition provides an opportunity to recognise those local residents and businesses who work hard to enhance the visual amenity of Walmer.

 “We would like to express our gratitude to local businesses, which generously pledge prizes for the competition.

Written for Deal East Kent Mercury Online

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Gateway Bowls Club still stands for 90 years and counting

Tuesday, August 13, 2019

Gateway Bowls Club still stands for 90 years  and counting

The Gateway Bowls Club is determined to continue after 90 years of cricketing despite the risk of losing their bowling green.

Founded as Buckland Mill Bowls Club in 1929, the members played at their bowling green in Crabble mill. The club continue to play throughout the Second World War.

The group opened the Buckland Mill Sports and Social Club in the 1980s.

The club hit troubled times when the closing of the paper mill saw the Crabble site taken away and leaving them without the grounds to play on.

They found a temporary home on the spare bowling green of the Folkestone Park Bowls Club.

With the aid Dover Harbour Sports and Social Club, their own savings and money from developers, a new bowling house and clubhouse was fitted in Whitfield as a permanent home in 2007.

Changing their name to Gateway Bowls Club, the membership has grown successfully.

The clubhouse and green is now maintained by volunteers were given a lease by the Port of Dover to continue operating despite the lack of funds or their parent club, Gateway B.C.

The Club is at risk of losing their new home due to another offer for the facility.

Luckily, The Port has given The Bowls Club first refusal on purchasing this site.  

Gateway Bowls Club hopes to receive some grants to save the club from financial burden for years to come.

The group refuses to give in to the challenge and intends to carry on for years to come.

Written for the Deal Kent Mercury Online

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Flowers and Veg galore at Annual Woodnesborough Gardeners Club Show

Flowers and Veg galore at Annual Woodnesborough Gardeners Club Show

Over 400 exhibitions flourished at the annual Woodnesborough gardeners club flower and produce show on August, 11 at their village hall.

Brenda Baker, the parish local chairman, presented the trophies for the many categories.

This included the best floral arrangement, won by Sheila Smith, and the best craft exhibit (with the trophy given to Ursula Hodson).

The cup for best junior exhibit was given to Isabella Bean, after winning first place for her table top scarecrow with Isla East, last year’s winner, taking the cup for the most points in the junior section.

Committee member, Lesley Bailey, took the cake in the in the cookery exhibit with her victoria sandwich whilst Jean Coleman won the cup for the most points in the domestic section.

For the best photograph shield, it was the first win for John Adams with his floral photograph.

Husband and wife, Tony and Philippa Redding, took the prize of the Members Cup for the most points in both the vegetable and flower classes, with Tony also winning the best vegetable exhibit.

The final trophies were taken between Peter and Linda Ellis, with Linda’s pompom dahlia’s winning the flower exhibit, in addition to Peter winning in the best onion and fruit exhibits.

The pair won the most point in both the flower and vegetable classes. Linda also won the cup for the most points overall, making the club members the true stars of the show.

Written for the Deal Kent Mercury Online

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Smugglers Festival tickets running low

Smugglers Festival tickets running low

Smugglers Festival 2019 is selling tickets faster than ever before. They will be hosting their ninth annual festival from Thursday August 29 to Sunday September 1.

The music festival has headliner acts including Kikakagu Moyo, Deerhoof, an independent music group formed in San Francisco, and Alabaster deplume to play over Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Other acts include Martha Tilston, The Scorpios, Rozi Plain and many more.

The festival’s original band, Cocos Lovers, a folk music band based in Deal, is also performing on the Thursday. The band is signed to Smugglers Records and described by The Independent as “Kent Folk with an African Twist”.

There will be numerous other events taking place such as storytelling, games and poetic offering on the ‘Nomads Land’ stage.

With Professor Appleblossom is there bringing “a healthy dose of brunchtime intellect”, the Beangoose Cinema and the late night Bardic Fire, there is far more than just music performances at this festival.

All ages are welcome at this event with junior tickets for children aged 5 to 16 and under fives go free (all must be accompanied by an adult).

The weekend has space for both tents and a campervans (with a campervan pass) and there four water points on the site. 

The event will begin at 5pm on the Thursday where music will begin at 7pm.

For more information please visit www.smugglers-tickets.myshopify.com

Written for the Deal Kent Mercury Online

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