Latest news with #Whitstable
BBC News
4 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Archer Ajay Scott sets sights on Olympics after World Cup win
Compound archer Ajay Scott is hopeful a recent World Cup win for Great Britain will take him to the Olympics in and his world number one team mate, Ella Gibson, became Archery World Cup stage 2 mixed team champions in Shanghai, as it was confirmed the discipline will be included in the Los Angeles grew up in Worthing, West Sussex, but now lives in Whitstable, Kent, and practices at a vineyard on a farm in the success in Shanghai, he said: "It was like a breath of fresh air, all the hard work that has gone into it, it all came together at the right moment, especially on the back of the Olympic announcement." "It's a big statement we made in China," he gold medal has solidified GB's position as one of the teams to look out for ahead of the Los Angeles Games in 2028, and after this win, they have also shot up to second in the world compound mixed team ranking."You can tell everyone is really going for it now in the mixed team, it means a lot more now, with LA in the near future," said Scott."This is the highlight of my career so far, this one takes the biscuit." After being taken to a medieval re-enactment at Bodiam Castle by his father when he was a child, Scott took a liking to the sport straight away."They had a long bow there. I really enjoyed it, I picked up a recurve a year later but then moved to compound," he said."I remember the day clearly, there was jousting, long bow shooting, it was really cool."It was a full circle moment for his dad, who he called first after the World Cup win in China."I called him afterwards, I was screaming down the phone, he'd stayed up with the time difference, bless him!" Scott now practices at Brogdale Farm in Faversham, on a vineyard, but prior to that, he was a member of the Canterbury Levis, who was his first coach there, said: "He's still the holder of 33 records at the club. Some of them will never be beaten I don't think."He's a nice chap, he's completely chilled out, relaxed. "It doesn't matter if it's shooting for a medal or practicing in this field, he's the same."Studying at the University of Kent alongside this accolade has proved a difficult juggling act."I remember in Florida I was going out to shoot, then writing my dissertation in the same day," said he is now hopeful he'll be able to give the next Olympic cycle his full focus."Shanghai proved we'll be competitive, we've got potential to win a medal, so from now until then it's a lot of hard work and lots of repetitions," he said.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Yahoo
The seven Kent beaches crowned UK's best with Blue Flags
Seven beaches within 90 minutes drive of south east London have been named among some of the UK's best. Keep Britain Tidy recently announced the winners of the 38th Blue Flag Awards, with 76 beaches across the UK receiving the coveted award. The awards recognise beaches for their quality, management and facilities, with beaches scored on a number of factors from environment to accessibility. Additionally Keep Britain Tidy also named 120 beaches for the Seaside Award 2025, with 17 in Kent. Out of the 76 beaches named, eight of them were in Kent, with seven being within easy reach of south east London by car or train for a day trip to the coast. Here's what you need to know: A short walk from the popular seaside town of Whitstable, Tankerton Beach offers a single beach flanked by a grassy promenade and its colourful beach huts. This beach is well known for its cleanliness and good water quality for water sports. The quiet beach offers a good spot to relax with friends and family and is a short walk from Whitstable, where you'll find a plethora of cafes, restaurants and shops vying for your attention This postcard-perfect beach, with its striking white chalk cliffs and sea stacks, is the perfect spot for photographers and nature lovers looking for a scenic beach to frequent for the day. This postcard-perfect beach, with its striking white chalk cliffs and sea stacks, is the perfect spot for photographers and nature lovers. (Image: Tourism @ Thanet District Council) This beach holds the Blue Flag and Seaside Award in 2025 and was rated for its cleanliness and safety with seasonal lifeguards and nearby toilets and cafes. But Broadstairs isn't far away if you fancy heading into the town for some lunch or to explore its independent shops as well as its local museums. 6 minutes drive from Broadstairs, Joss Bay offers a sandy stretch of beach which is a prime spot for surfing, with its own surf school and spot to hire equipment. Joss Bay offers a sandy stretch of beach which is a prime spot for surfing, with its own surf school and spot to hire equipment. (Image: Tourism @ Thanet District Council) The beach won both Blue Flag and Seaside Awards this year and was rated for its safe and clean beach with seasonal lifeguards, a beach café and deck chairs to hire, if you fancy relaxing by the sea for the day. Located in the busy and popular town of Margate, Margate Main Sands is a traditional seaside sandy beach with plenty of nearby attractions and easy access from Margate station. Margate Main Sands is a traditional seaside sandy beach with plenty of nearby attractions. (Image: PA) Margate Main Sands was awarded the Blue Flag and Seaside Award and was scored for its safety and water quality. The beach is within a short distance of Dreamland with its plethora of rides and amusements, or you can easily walk to the Old Town where you'll find a huge variety of independent cafes, shops and little museums to explore. 15 minutes drive from Margate, Minnis Bay in Birchington is a family-friendly beach known for its wide expanse of sandy shoreline and quiet setting for those looking for a peaceful beach to relax. The beach also won both awards this year, with top marks for its clean waters and well-maintained facilities, including a children's playground, toilets and deckchairs to hire. Next to Ramsgate's vibrant town and Royal Harbour you'll find Ramsgate Main Sands. This sandy beach won both awards this year for its clean and safe beach, with easy access to nearby cafes and toilets, with seasonal lifeguards on duty. This sandy beach won both awards this year for its clean and safe beach. (Image: Tourism @ Thanet District Council) But if you fancy exploring, Ramsgate has plenty to offer from its network of wartime tunnels to its Victorian glasshouse where you can take afternoon tea. Finally on our list, St Mildred's Bay near Margate offers a sandy beach flanked by a promenade if you fancy a stroll somewhere a little more quiet. The beach won both awards this year, receiving high scores for its water quality and cleanliness if you fancy a swim. The beach is also within easy access of nearby toilets, cafes and has seasonal lifeguards.
BBC News
17-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Whitstable open-top bus parade celebrates FA Vase final win
An open-top bus parade is to take place in Whitstable to celebrate the town's football club winning the FA Town FC came from behind to beat AFC Whyteleafe 2-1 in the final at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, taking the trophy for the first time in the club's parade starts from Whitstable Harbour at 10:00 BST making its way through the town and finishing at The Primcura Healthcare Stadium.A club spokesperson said: "We look forward to celebrating this unforgettable moment with all our supporters." The club thanked its "countless volunteers" who had "given their time" to steward the procession."Your hard work and dedication - especially with such short notice - have made this celebration possible."Post-parade celebrations at the ground include a player awards ceremony, a chance to meet and greet the players as well as photo opportunities with the FA Vase trophy. The FA Vase features teams playing in steps 5 and 6 of the English National League system - Whitstable play in the Southern Counties East Football League.A spokesperson for Canterbury City Council said: "Whitstable Town's incredible achievement at Wembley on Sunday, which was such a historic moment in the club's history, deserves to be properly celebrated."It's great news that everyone involved has come together to make it happen and we hope it's a wonderful occasion where the players and club can bask in the glory they so richly deserve."
BBC News
13-05-2025
- Climate
- BBC News
Rebekah Kefford from Birchington trains for endurance sea swim
A swimmer who plans to become the first woman to swim between two decommissioned World War Two forts and the Kent shore has begun cold water Kefford, from Birchington, plans to take on the eight mile (12.8km) challenge from the Red Sands forts in August, raising money for the spinal injury charity Brown, from Whitstable, became the first person to swim from the forts to the Kent coast in August 2024, in a time of five hours and six minutes, according to spent the winter building up her strength in an indoor pool, Rebekah is now taking to the sea. "I'm up to about 45 to 50 minutes in the sea now, the temperature at the moment is about 10 degrees," she said."Those are going to increase as the time goes on, so I'll keep doing the pool swimming alongside the sea, and the sea will just build, it'll be one hour, then an hour and a half, two hours."I'll build myself up to a maximum of probably five, because we're estimating this will take me no more than six hours."I'm doing it without a wetsuit, it's Channel Swim rules, no wetsuit, so flotation device." She said taking to the open water was "a shock to the system"."You get brain freeze, you can feel your heart go, but once you break through that barrier within a few minutes you really start to feel an energy about yourself, this endorphin that just rushes round your body, it's absolutely amazing."You get a sense of being really in control, but then the cold will start to come in, you start to feel your hands go, your feet go."You need to listen to yourself and know when it's time to get out."
Daily Mail
11-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
'It's like having a second home': Wealthy owners of £70k beach huts reveal FOUR the reasons why you should not buy one
Beach hut owners living out their dreams along the English coastline have revealed the hidden costs that come with purchasing the seaside structures. Property owners in Whitstable are facing eyewatering sums to buy and maintain their beach huts, with forking out as much as £70,000 to enjoy a lavish ocean view. Although, this is just the start of some owners' financial woes as they are increasingly paying more for their pitch as ground rents continue to soar year on year. And as if that wasn't enough, owners are also living in fear of vandals burning their huts down, while others have no access to running water, electricity or even toilets. This has led to a mass exodus of people using the huts, which are now falling into disrepair, as they fall out of love with the English Dream. David Rose, 67, who has lived in Whitstable for 12 years and walks his dog past the beach huts every day has noticed a frustrating trend. 'No one is ever using them,' he said. 'I come past here every day walking my dog, even in the summer, and there's never anyone using the huts. 'I'd love to own one but they're so expensive, why would I spend £60,000 on one of those when I could help my son with a deposit for a house? And lots of people have let them fall into disrepair.' David Rose, 67, who has lived in Whitstable for 12 years and walks his dog past the beach huts every day has noticed the huts are increasingly being abandoned Mr Rose continued: 'Some are lovely and well cared for of course, but there are some here that have not been used in years. 'The council owns the land they're on, and they do have rules about upkeep, but they're clearly not enforcing them. Some of them are complete eyesores. 'There was a homeless gentleman living on the deck of one, because it's enclosed, and the owner has padlocked it so he can't get in. 'He told me he'd been moved on because they were going to renovate it, but they've just left it. 'I have never seen anyone using it and he wasn't making a mess, he wasn't your typical tramp he was a respectable middle aged man, and they kicked him out for no reason.' Simon Gomm, 60, who helps to repair beach huts in the seaside resort, said: 'I'm a carpenter by trade but I help repair beach huts too. 'There's no water, no electric, no toilets, but people are spending thousands. Some of the ones along here are £70,000 - it's big money. 'There are a few issues with vandalism, but it's about luck really. This hut however has likely seen better days and is crying out for a fresh coat of paint 'It's a mixture of people locally and people from away owning them. Some are rented out as well. 'I work with a young lady who bought five off the council down at Tankerton Beach and rents them out - that's her living, but it is a mixture.' Katrina Brown, 52, who runs Beacon House, which featured in TV show Whitstable Pearl, as a holiday let in the touristy town of Whitstable, has regular use of a beach hut. She said: 'The challenge of owning a beach hut is they are just so expensive. 'They retail for around £50,000 - I know someone who sold hers on Tankerton Beach for £125,000. 'They're really good fun if you're quite organised about it - but you do have to be very organised. 'It's sort of like owning a second home, they are a real responsibility. I have shared use of one, so I'm always worrying whether I've left it in good enough condition, that sort of thing.' The theatre director added: 'I used to be on the Harbour Board, so I was technically the owner of all the beach huts there - that was my role, I looked after them on behalf of the council and those are good because they're just a year lease. The owner of this beach hut has seemingly had enough of the eyewatering expenses and decided to put it up for sale 'You don't want to spend fifty, sixty, one hundred grand and realise they don't work for your family. 'Access is an issue here too - there is just nowhere to park, but that is also a good thing because it means there are no cars driving past, so your view is uninterrupted. 'And, we were walking our dog here the other day and went to use the tap for some water and it isn't even on yet - so its intermittent access to facilities like that.' There are worse problems than lack of water and parking though, Katrina said: 'Security is an issue, not that long ago some youths set fire to one of the huts here and it burned to the ground. 'There is a sort of neighbourhood watch system in place to keep an eye out for that sort of thing. If you're security conscious it may be quite stress inducing.' She has also noticed people do not seem to use the huts to their full potential, she said: 'The other thing is, where are they all? It's a beautiful day today and not one person is there. 'It will pick up now it's April but there are some that never get used from what I've seen.' Opera singer Sue Bickley, 70 is seen giving her hut a fresh lick of paint for the first time in preparation for the summer Sue Bickley, 70, an opera singer, was at her hut giving it a fresh lick of paint for the summer, she said: 'Maintenance is obviously a consideration, being right where the wind blows, it's exposed to the elements. 'This is the first time I've painted it in some years, but there's some professionals doing one up down there and I bet they think 'what's she doing?' 'The other thing is the ground rent - some places can have eye wateringly high yearly costs, and that's on top of the purchase price. We've had ours for eight years and it goes up every single year. 'The people who own huts a bit further down the beach pay a quarter of what we pay because it's a different owner. 'Each year we ask if we should sell it but I am determined to use it to its full potential this year. 'Coming down in the sun with this view, well, that's good motivation to carry on affording it. It's a blissful thing to come down on an evening and sit. 'The other thing is the facilities, the owners provide no tap, no electricity and no toilet, but those further down the beach have all those things. 'But, it's a lovely place to be in the evenings. Bizarrely, even though we are on the east coast we can watch the sunset, so we get the most beautiful sunsets. 'I cycled here today, but we live just a 15 minute walk away so it's perfect. 'You do have to be quite organised, but it's worth it.' Martin Blackley, 65, who bought his beach hut in 2017, has never looked back, despite some of the challenges of ownership. The retired business travel expert said: 'About two and a half years ago we noticed it was rotting a bit and when the guy came to repair it he said '"you can put your finger through it." 'So we had to build a new one, it cost about £7,500. We already had a deck build so that was just the hut itself. 'Depending on where on the beach you are you pay different amounts of ground rent - I won't tell you how much mine is but it's less than most. 'The land it's on is owned by a charity, and we have no protection, so if they wanted to build something on here one day we would get no compensation. 'Over the years we've had a few hooligans spray painting things. 'Last year the beach hut three doors down burned to the ground - it's quite easy to do, they're wooden structures. Millionaire's Row: The prices of the timber cabins on the Mudeford Sandbank in Christchurch Harbour, Dorset, now stand at about £475,000 'They're also expensive to insure - you pay more in insurance for a beach hut than for a house. 'I'm retired now, but when I was working I used to come down here after work and just sit. 'My dog thinks it's the garden - it just lays over there like it's his own property. 'It's quieter down this end of the beach too, people don't walk past as much because there's nothing past this point. 'We also have a toilet and tap, and I've got a gas fridge. 'I probably spend about four or five days a year maintaining it, so that's something people need to think about. 'Even in the winter we use it, the wooden panel comes out of the door and there's glass behind so you can sit inside when it's cold and look out and heat up a hot water bottle.' Wendy Smith, 69, who recently purchased her beach hut, has no complaints: 'It's bliss, there are no challenges. 'We have a lot of different ages in the family now, from toddlers to youngsters in their twenties and thirties and older - so it's great for the kids and the older ones can go for a drink. 'There a good facilities here, there's two loos, a water tap, and the amenities aren't too far away. 'We had a beach hut as children living in Seasalter so we have lots of happy memories. 'I suppose the considerations you have to make is if the hut is in good condition. 'You are exposed to the elements, so you need to paint it every year and maintain things that are rotting, do the roof that sort of stuff. 'Then there's the cost, you're spending quite a lot of money and then there's the ground rent. 'But it is just bliss - I have no complaints.'
