DoverLife. Dover rocks at Christmas Lights switch on! In this issue

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1 DoverLife A Dover Town Centre Management Publication January/February 08 Dover rocks at Christmas Lights switch on! The boys from Code Red Thank You On behalf of Dover Town Council, organisers of the event, Dover Town Centre Management would like to thank all the performers who took part on the day - the Police, together with the fabulous volunteers and stewards as well as Town and District Council officers and councillors who helped make it happen. The Christmas Lights Switch On would not have been possible without the help of many sponsors and supporters. Tesco, Marks & Spencer, Seafrance, MCL Graphics, Chapter Eight Restaurant, Amina s, La Salle Verte, Halal International Food, KCC libraries, Dover Harbour Board and Dickens Corner. And a final thank you to BBC Radio Kent, Dover Mercury and Dover Express for their coverage of the event and of course, Gordon Skegss Roadshow. In this issue Dover Regatta update p 6 Dover was once again rocking this year with festive fun and cheer for all the family. With crowds packing the Market Square and an electric atmosphere, the day kicked off with music from local singer Dee Lister and the volume soared even further when local rock band, Code Red, took the stage. The Dover Town Council event was graced with plenty of home grown talent. KAS, Ebony and Harley Johnson and the little girl with the big voice, Charlie, all presented show stopping performances. Further talented locals in the shape of the Dover Youth Theatre, CJ Dance and the Dover Choral Society followed with Christmas Window Competition p 4 members of the Blackfish Arts Academy tantalising the crowd with a helping of Scrooge. Taking their inspiration from the Pussycat Dolls, girl band Addictive raised the temperature further and acted as a great lead in to the popular fighting display by the Gurkhas. Miss Dover and her Court, assisted by Father Christmas danced on stage until the lights were switched on by panto stars Dave Lee and Hilary O Neil, ably assisted by Mayor Cllr Bob Markham and Mayoress Cllr Mrs Lyn Young. Mayor Bob commented The stars were excellent. They really jollied the crowd along and CJ Dance did a wonderful display and the Gurkhas were really impressive. Mayor Cllr. Bob Markham with Hilary O Neil and Dave Lee Both photo s courtesy of Dover Mercury Festival of Dover p 5 Jan Feb 08 2.indd 1 03/01/ :04:51

2 Editorial Christmas has come and gone and the New Year is here already. Most of us have made our resolutions and probably most of us have broken them too! What I would like to see for 2008 is a thriving town centre. It was good to see so many people supporting the town at Christmas time and with such a wide range of goods in our shops and the rising cost of petrol it really does make sense to shop locally. At the beginning of the year we all take stock and TCM is no exception. I will be spending the next few weeks coming round and asking what you want from TCM this year, but also asking for your support too. Obviously there is a lot to be done, but we have already made plans for this year which include recruiting TCM volunteers, building on the success of DoverLife, running the Annual Paper Boat Race (maybe with a picnic in the park theme), making the Jazz n Jamboree an even better event, re-visiting the Toy & Games Show and creating a memorable Christmas event. In addition, TCM will be supporting the Festival of Dover with the many events planned as well as helping promote Dover Regatta, Dover Carnival and Dover Athletic Football Club Fireworks. Naturally, TCM will also continue to support local clubs and associations as well as numerous events in and around the town. All these activities take time and money, but with your support, TCM can help make Dover a thriving town. Happy New Year David Somers Town Centre Co-ordinator S.F o a d Heating & Plumbing Services Specialists in Gas & Oil. Corgi & Cubic Registered Installations Breakdowns Servicing Commissioning System Upgrades Tel: Mob: Elms Vale Road, Dover, Kent. CIT17 9NY A&S SELF STORAGE Ltd Dover & Canterbury You Store It, You Lock it, You Keep The Key. Clean, dry, Private Storage Rooms & Lockers. Secure, Convenient: Short or Long Term. 24 Hour Access Available at our Dover Site. Enquiries & Visitors Welcome or MBAThH, MNCH, IMDHA, NGH, BHC, HS, MNLP, UKGHE, NSFH, Reiki Master, GHSC-GHR, KA Hypnotherapy, Psychotherapy & Stress Belmont Centre 46 Belmont Road Ramsgate Kent CT11 7QG Tel: or postbox@belmont-centre.co.uk *Past Life regression workshop 1st & 2nd March. Limited numbers, call for availability FARM STALL OPEN Fri, Sat, Sun Archers Court Road, By Church Whitfield / Pineham Turnings selling Bags of logs* Potatoes* Fresh Fruit & Veg For orders call or fionahuntley@hotmail.com Dover Mayor Bob Markham with Dover s own ambassadors, the DCAL girls and Dover TCM s David Somers Photo courtesy of Paul Boland, Dover Forum To contact Dover TCM call or fax or david@dovertcm.co.uk 2 Doverlife January/February 08 Jan Feb 08 2.indd 2 03/01/ :04:54

3 FAIRTRADE COMES TO DOVER Plans to achieve Fairtrade status for Dover continue with Dover Town Council organising stands offering information (and a few samples) at many events in the town over the last few months. Fairtrade Fortnight offers another useful promotional opportunity for businesses offering Fairtrade goods. The Fairtrade Foundation website is packed full of ideas, together with resources that can be ordered for events and displays - it s well worth a visit. The Fairtrade chaps at Dover Town Council are already mulling over ideas to make the best use of Fairtrade Fortnight. Your DoverLife team will continue to keep you informed. In the meantime, if you need more information about Fairtrade, take a look at 15 YEAR Guarantee on Sealed Units UP TO 45% * DISCOUNT OFF LIST PRICES FOR ANGLIAN SHOWHOME Garage Doors Cleanaroof Bargeboards and Soffits Fascia and Cladding Kitchens Tilt and Turn Windows Patio Doors The Festival of Dover is now underway with the official launch having been held in Pencester Gardens on Saturday 29th December 2007 with the releasing of balloons from central Dover. Driveways Garage Conversions Guttering and Casement Downpipes Windows WINDOWS & DOORS PATIO & FRENCH DOORS CONSERVATORIES FASCIAS, SOFFITS & GUTTERING CLEANAROOF DRIVEWAYS GARAGE CONVERSIONS Residential Doors and Side Panels FOR A FREE NO OBLIGATION QUOTATION CONTACT: *Up to 45% on Showhome. Subject to product, order value and payment type. French Doors Conservatories A calendar of events is planned throughout the year with a variety of activities to suit all tastes. Dover residents will receive a fridge magnet, which can be used to clip the events list published regularly in the Dover Express, to keep everyone updated. Information is available online at www. festivalofdover.co.uk and frequent focus updates in DoverLife and via our websites or Dover has a lot going for it so please try to support as many events as possible. Doverlife January/February 08 3 Jan Feb 08 2.indd 3 03/01/ :04:56

4 Focus On.. Educated at the London School of Print and Design, and having gained a vast amount of experi- The annual Christmas Window Competition was won by Pam Drew of Ann & Pam s florist in Cherry Tree Avenue. ence in the print and copy industry, proprietor Jay set up Evolution in An insistence on maintaining first class customer service, together with a full range of print and promotional services, has resulted in Evolution now boasting a wide client base throughout the UK. Jay continues to develop his business and is currently upgrading his website to incorporate the expanding list of services now on Christmas Window Competition The standard of entries this time was very high with more entries than in previous years. offer. The new site will go live early this year. Jay offers a wide range of services from T shirt printing, printing on work and safetywear, builders boards, through to colour copying. Jay can be contacted on sales@evoprint.co.uk The judges looked at the overall design, originality, the amount of thought and effort that went into each display and any involvement by local children. David Somers, Dover TCM s Co-ordinator said We have seen a real interest in the competition and it is evident from the quality of the competitors that it is taken very seriously. However, the main reason for the event is to encourage local retailers to make their windows especially attractive at this time of year. The Christmas window competition has been run by Dover Town Centre Management for over 10 years and the winner receives a cup which they keep for one year. W w w Open Morning: Saturday 15th March 10am pm - call now to register We believe in strong moral values and respect for one another. Small class sizes ensure pupils get individual attention. Many subjects and activities: sports, drama, music, psychology... Infants start music in Reception and French in Year 1. Before and after school provisions give working parents peace of mind. 100% pass rate for Grammar School level. 100% pass rate at A level with over 98% going to universities. Minibuses: Ashford, Bridge, Folkestone, Sandwich... Scholarships available for years 7, 9 and 12. Many of our parents are first time buyers when it comes to private education so don t be afraid to ask us questions developing confidence and individual talents 4 Doverlife January/February 08 Effingham Crescent, Dover, CT17 9RH Tel: ext gaelle@dovercollege.org.uk Registered Charity No Jan Feb 08 2.indd 4 03/01/ :04:58

5 25 Years of Care with your support Thanks to the extraordinary generosity, support and desire of the people of East Kent, Pilgrims Hospices have, from the opening of the first hospice in Canterbury back in 1982, been able to develop and improve services by adding further hospices in Margate and Ashford. Specialist palliative care is delivered by a multi-professional team from all three centres to the people of East Kent affected by life-limiting illnesses; this includes families and friends. The core services include In-patient care, day hospice care combined with support and advice to people at home through a team of community nurses. Patients also have access to a range of complementary therapies, social workers, councillors and chaplains. As an independent charity the care is provided free of charge and currently costs around 18, per day. Support from the people of Dover and the surrounding villages has always been strong, with our shop in London Road having been in the town 25 years and having raised 1.7 million for the hospices. Our charity shops are unique as 84p in every goes directly to patient care. We also receive great support through our lottery which has a top prize of 2000 every week. At just one pound a chance, it is a fun way of helping towards raising much needed funds. With 205 other cash prizes every week supporters have a great chance of winning whilst supporting a local charity. For more information about the Hospices or joining the Lottery call Thank you Mark A big thank you to Mark Canning, owner of MCL Graphics, who over the last year has provided banners for TCM events and supported Town Centre Management initiatives. Ed. R.COLLINS TREE SERVICES TREE`S FELLED TOPPED AND PRUNDED. ALL TYPES OF FENCING SUPPLIED AND ERECTED. TEL: Kitchens individually designed for you. High quality cabinets and doors, excellent value, superbly finished. We can supply and fit, supply only, or fit the kitchen of your choice and make. Refurbishment and renovations of existing kitchens undertaken. We can also fit kitchen doors. free estimates and friendly advice given call Mike on the above numbers. * now also fitting wardrobe doors Fast, friendly & reliable service Unit 17, White Cliffs Business Park, Enterpise Zone,Honeywood Road, Whitfield, Dover Your Local Garage All Mechanical work carried out. MOT* SERVICING*WELDING *BATTERIES*EXHAUSTS *CLASSIC CARS Local drop off service Doverlife January/February 08 5 Jan Feb 08 2.indd 5 03/01/ :05:01

6 Dover Regatta 2008 Dover TCM is very happy to support the Dover Regatta Core Group and hope to keep you informed about their plans leading up to the 2008 Regatta in August. Here s the first article from the Group. For more info visit In 2008 the annual Dover Regatta will take place over the weekend of 2nd and 3rd August. Fingers crossed, the weather will once again shine on a weekend of fun, competition and family entertainment and bring thousands of people not only to our wonderful seafront, but also into the town itself. Hopefully, the continued success of Dover Regatta will be reflected in an improved trading weekend for all the town s traders, shopkeepers, guest house owners and hoteliers. This year, Dover Regatta is celebrating its 10th anniversary and to mark the occasion an expanded programme of events is being organised. A number of additional attractions have been Photo courtesy Dover Regatta Core Group arranged so that, for the first time, the length of the Prince of Wales pier will be used - this includes two veteran car clubs, bouncy castles for the kids and a display of rescued owls. In keeping with the tradition of Dover Regatta, preference is given for these new attractions to local businesses, clubs and other traders so that the Regatta continues being a local event, staged by locals with local traders for local people. Whilst the Regatta is primarily for locals, it is also intended to attract visitors from outside the area. The Regatta programme will feature a small box in each page giving a brief translation of the contents in French. The programme will be distributed in the Nord Pas-De-Calais region in an attempt to draw visitors from France in addition to those who already attend from as far as The Netherlands since more foreign visitors would be especially welcomed by our hoteliers and guest house owners, bars, restaurants and pubs. Dover Regatta provides an excellent opportunity to market the town at its very best and the Regatta Core Group is ever mindful that we should strive to pay back the great support shown by the town s businesses, both great and small. The 2008 event will include the greatest single-person flying display available anywhere in the world. Dennis Kenyon, a former aerobatics stunt World Champion, will be attending Dover Regatta for the first time - and is set to prove a decisive hit. Performing in a tiny 2-seater helicopter, the displays are truly astonishing when seen for the first time. Since his display is scheduled early Saturday evening, it is hoped traders will be able to take full advantage of the increased numbers remaining on the seafront before Gordon Skeggs wonderful Beach Party gets under way. It seems likely the Russell Street car park will not be available for the Regatta weekend, as work on the much-heralded St. James s development is scheduled to start early in the year. The Regatta Core Group will be encouraging more use of local public transport to get to the seafront. It is hoped members of the public will take a bus to Pencester Road and walk through the main shopping centre to the seafront via Market Square and the Bench Street underpass. This should ensure the shopping centre will be thronged with visitors, reinforcing the hope that this year s Regatta will be an event for all in the town to celebrate. The Regatta Core Group is chaired by a Dovorian businessman, Nick Bailey, who looks forward to welcoming many other local businesses to the event. Dover Regatta continues to grow from year to year, he says, and its continued success owes much to the support it receives from our wonderful business community. Let s hope the 2008 Dover Regatta is the success we would all wish it to be. 6 Doverlife January/February 08 Jan Feb 08 2.indd 6 03/01/ :05:07

7 Leaflet & Magazine Distributors wanted call BUSINESS & COMMERCIAL SPECIALISTS SHOPS TAXI HAULAGE RESTAURANTS OFFICE TRAVEL FACTORIES VANS MOTORTRADE LIABILITIES Eastbrook Place, Castle Street, Dover, Kent. CT16 1RP We are so confident we can save you money, that we GUARANTEE to beat your renewal premium by at least 10% (to qualify for the price guarantee you must have been trading for at last 2 years without having made a claim. Subject to underwriting conditions & status.) Authorised & regulated by the Financial Services Authority Charlton S H O P P I N G C E N T R E Come and visit Dover's only purpose built shopping centre. The delightful glass domed atrium provides the ideal place to sit down and relax over a cup of coffee or a meal, before continuing to browse through our wide range of independent shops. Self Employed, Commission Based, Direct Sales Staff wanted call Julie on DoverLife would like to thank the advertisers and sponsors who have helped make this publication possible. However, we wish to point out that the accuracy of statements cannot be warranted nor that any goods or services advertised are guaranteed or endorsed. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be copied, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise. tel: What s On For a full listing of future events coming up in the Dover area, please visit the website or Dover District Councils site at VAN HIRE RELYON US A Well Established Company Offering Good Old Fashioned Service Self Storage Facilities for Short & Long Term. CCTV protected, Manned 24/7 Van Hire Transit Vans, Luton Vans, 7.5 Tonners Van & Man Hire Removals Competitive Rates Doverlife January/February 08 7 Jan Feb 08 2.indd 7 03/01/ :05:10

8 Dover Athletic FC The team at Dover TCM are particularly pleased to support DAFC and hope to present regular updates about the club s fortunes. You may be aware that plans are afoot to replace the Centre Spot club house. Planning permission has been granted, all that s needed now is the cash! For more info about getting involved visit passed and Dover Athletic FC had failed to gain promotion, being beaten in the play-offs. As we approach half way in the third season under the control of a new board, we look back on a very exciting year... June 2007 saw the appointment of Andy Hessenthaler ex-gillingham Manager who has transformed our team and in August 2007 SeaFrance became our new main sponsors. DAFC are currently top of the table and promotion seems more likely than ever - as we move into a New Year perhaps we are moving into a New Era for the Club? Prosperous 2008 from everyone at DAFC Andy Hessenthaler and Jim Parmenter At the end of last season everyone at the club had reason to feel disappointed. A second season has Trevor Laker Engineering Birnham Mushrooms, Hammill Road, Woodnesborough, Sandwich, Kent.CT13 0PR Lawn Mower Repairs & Servicing All mowers inc. Black & Decker Free Estimates Collection & Delivery Service Dover Town Centre Management is supported by: Dover Town Council Compiled & Printed by Ads-Local Ltd info@adslocal-kent.co.uk Distributed by National Leaflets E Mail steve@kentenergy.com Jan Feb 08 2.indd 8 03/01/ :05:16