Kent. Known to all us country bumpkins as the Garden of England; a land of beauty and beer, of hops, oasts, Dickens and Darwin. I am a born and bred Kentish girl, away at University yet regularly returning to my roots in Ditton, a small village near Maidstone, for family strolls along the Downs, a couple of Shepherd Neame’s and a trip to the ‘The Sugar Boy’ in Deal for a handful of sherbet pips.

                Imagine then, the shock to the system that was my move to Normandy, France. I know what you’re thinking. Normandy..... a vast array of sandy beaches, stunning green landscapes and enough Camembert to shake several thousand baguettes at. If this is your current mental image, clearly you haven’t been to Le Havre. Completely destroyed during WW2, it is a town which to all intents and purposes seems not to have recovered all these years later. One look at the dull grey concrete of the ‘hôtel de ville’ (actual translation: town hall- no doubt a source of constant confusion amongst English tourists in search of local accommodation) tells all you need to know. Le Havre is not beautiful, but, as you’d say when trying to defend an ugly child, it has ‘character’. In the past four months, I’ve slowly learnt to love the tramway roadworks (the latest attempt to make the town appear ‘concrete chic’), the changing of bus routes and the constant drizzle which in fact makes me feel rather at home. And there is cheese too, to be fair.

                  But why am I here? I hear you ask. What on earth is a twenty-year old doing on the other side of the pond for longer than a daytrip booze cruise? And somewhere that isn’t Calais? Mental. Well, dear readers, I shall explain. As part of my French and English University course, my third year is spent abroad as a language assistant in two secondary schools, where I am currently attempting to teach English by cajoling a bunch of sulky French teens into copious amounts of over the top role-play and renditions of ‘Heads Shoulders Knees and Toes’. My Kentish family love my new life. For them, it means no more agonising ferry or Eurostar delays, a lifetime supply of Bic biros, and a form of ‘meals-on-wheels’ service when purchasing the more exotic Christmas nibbles and wine. Not to mention the opportunity to dust off their pocket phrasebooks and boast that yes, yes, they are spending the half term holiday with their multicultural daughter in France, sipping Sauvignon Blanc, nibbling at crepes and possibly also taking a quick soujourn to Paris en-route, darrrrling.

                  Of course, one of the first questions every French person asks me is whereabouts exactly I’m from. I’ve had some interesting suggestions by both students and teachers alike, from New York to Scotland. Rather bizarrely, they also all know of Brighton...clearly all avid fans of Gay Pride and sticks of rock. Yet the word ‘Kent’ unfailingly yields a roomful of confused blank faces. ‘London?’ I’ve often been asked hesitantly. ‘Yes, yes, London’, I reply. It’s generally easier, and avoids the inevitable next question of ‘what’s a county?’ You try explaining that to a bunch of narrow-minded frenchies who only work in ‘Academies’ and ‘Departments’. Impossible. However, when I first arrived, I did give it a go a few times. Turns out, ‘le jardin d’Angleterre’ (The Garden of England) doesn’t work as a literal translation. In fact, by saying this all I’d managed to conjure up was an image of me livin’ it up al-fresco style, skipping slow-motion through a massive garden of daisies, sheep and gnomes, and no doubt by night curling up in a hollow tree with a squirrel-tail pillow and lullabies sung by a choir of impossibly wide-eyed rabbits and hedgehogs, most likely all cartoons.

           Well...why not let them dream.

Many years ago in fact as far back as 1264 there was a town called Meregate, which later became known as Margate. Steeped in maritime history it also became a very popular holiday resort for both rich and poor.

Inventions such as the bathing machine a contraption that was wheeled out to sea for both men and women to change into their costumes, made the experience of swimming ‘proper’ and drew more and more holidaymakers.

Margate was on the rise and both the famous and not so famous made a beeline for the stunning beaches, warm sunshine and good old Kentish beer. Songs and poems and films were made about Margate and families enjoyed each other’s company. Life was good for Margate. Well, if we ignore the mods and rockers having a pop at each other in the 1960s…

But in a cruel twist of fate Margate fell out of vogue. Gone were the wealthy tourists, and instead, Margate became home to desperadoes’, and many economic migrants, as well as many disenchanted Londoners sent to Margate by the various councils of London to enjoy the town and live free. Well almost.

The Victorian pier was largely decimated by a storm in 1978, mysterious fires destroyed buildings, unemployment started to climb and property prices headed south.  The UK was in financial turmoil in the 1980s, and Margate began to suffer more than most.  One newspaper called Margate ‘Britain’s Top Ghost Town’ and they didn’t mean of the spooky kind.

But hey presto, a glimmer of hope was there in the Noughties. But some evil landowners, it was said, decided to offer ‘incentives’ or might have been ‘bribes’ to some land and estate agents and not to pass on offers from buyers to sellers.  It was so they could buy them on the cheap! Boo I hear you say, and you would be right. Allegedly.

Huge government grants became available and suddenly the money was gone and some evil people might have trousered the lot. Allegedly.

Humble shopkeepers were asked for more rent and when they could not pay, they were chased to the end of the globe for the funds. Allegedly.

A huge gallery then appeared in 2011 with much acclaim, and with the gallery came the crowds. Many coming down to Margate yet again in mechanically propelled vehicles, as well as something called HS1. 

With the crowds came the sunshine, but beneath Margate’s rebirth, a few of those who felt wronged and a few with morals decided to start to expose those people, which they thought were responsible. Their aim is to make Margate the great place it deserves to be, without the alleged corruption. Like all good stories, there is bound to be a happy ending…

I hate January, not just because it is after Christmas and is generally a cold and a bleak month – but because it is so expensive. Car and house insurances have to be renewed, plus annual servicing and MOT on both cars, my club membership and the credit card bills add up to the debt of a small African country. I do know how lucky I am though to at least be able to pay my bills.

Luckily an escape to Cowley Manor, http://www.cowleymanor.com/ was on the cards. It was someone’s huge country house until it was turned into a luxury hotel; with bathrooms bigger than most one-bedroom flats and a truly great breakfast. Dinner was average but the cutting-edge spa and ample grounds with great walks gave some relief from this awful month.

Sitting in the bar one night, were some Ford motor car people. I had noticed this silver, quite cool looking, car outside the hotel. Had it not had the Ford logo on the front, it could have easily passed as a high-end luxury car from  any of the top brands. The boys and girls from Ford said it could park itself -  I reckoned it could not. Large bet ensued.

Cue following morning, I am sitting behind the wheel of the new Ford C-MAX, their latest car. I liked the voice-activated controls for audio, the heating controls and the roominess in the cockpit (yes, it is like being on the bridge of a spaceship).  The boys-own stuff included i-Pod docking stations as well as a rear-end camera. As my Jeep Grand Cherokee produces the C02 equivalent to the output of a gold mine, it is refreshing to see that the C02 emissions are very low on the Ford which means a lower road tax and fuel economy.

It manages 0-60 in a little over nine seconds and it does park itself with its park assist programme! The car passes a vacant spot and identifies if it can fit into the spot. You take your hands off the steering wheel and it reverses into the spot. I tried this several times and pushed the boundaries so the space between cars was so small it was bound to fail. It did not. I lost the bet and had I not had such an expensive month I would have probably bought one, at around £17k; it’s almost a car for life. http://www.ford.co.uk/Cars/C-MAX

On the subject of cars for life I have had my Jeep for a very long time. It was starting to make very unusual noises. I took it into a Jeep dealership; the mechanic looked at it, started the engine, and gave me a repair bill that would have sent the Jeep straight to Jeep heaven.

Luckily again in a bar (there is not an underlying theme here) a man said: “I know a bloke that fixes Jeeps and he did it at a tenth of the price of the main dealer.” I went to see said bloke and I am now happy and the Jeep is happy and it made the end part of January quite good all things considered.

“Boris Island”, or the construction of an airport in the Thames Estuary, is the most controversial design in history – apart from Emperor's Palpatine's Death Star. As we can see (from the image I've included) the whole design is deeply flawed and a logistical nightmare. I cannot fathom the words to describe the idea of the terminals located on land and, yet, the runways to be stationed at sea.

I foresee transportation problems, especially when we experience bad weather. And planes might be rather sophisticated machines -ability to operate unaided- but I admire the pilots navigating towards two tiny runaways in the Thames Estuary. In fact, the tiny “ditch” in the Estuary reminds me of the Death Star. Which lead to the inevitable destruction of the space station....His Greatness, the Mayor of London, has perpetuated the environmental benefits towards this devilish scheme – including a potential flood barrier. Yes, that is correct. An airport substituting as a flood barrier. The word “fear” comes to mind....

When this revelation made its début and gleefully graced my presence, I did study the economic argument at great lengths. Kent does require significant upgrades to infrastructures and investment, too. An airport would provide jobs to the economy, including an influx of tourist to sections of Kent. But, after careful meditation on the matter, this airport is a very bad idea – and the majority of Kent agree.

Boris metamorphose into Lex Luthor is quite hilarious, yet alarming too. Both envision bizarre and ludicrous concepts; with a passionate thirst for world domination and terrorising cities in their spare time. Leaving facetious comparisons aside, a message to Boris: politicians don't make good architects

(Below, the "Design". Credit to London Evening Standard)

Well the big freeze has hit England again and so the South East and Kent in particular have been plunged into chaos.  But I still just about managed to get an interviewee.

This week's interviewee has plenty to look forward to in the next 7 months.  She has the build up to Christmas like the rest of us but more importantly, in May 2011 Jo is getting married to her fiance Ben.

So firstly, I want to offer my best to both for the coming months.  (Ben, see you on the Stag Do!)

(I was assured this was a Diet Coke and not an alcoholic beverage)

So this is Joanna Marie Goldhagen, 25 from Malling.  Previously she lived in Kings Hill and then West Farleigh where she picked up an interesting fact.

"The residents are out numbered by sheep apparently."

Jo is an Investment Portfolio Administrator for a London corporation.  Her job entails dealings with ISAs, Unit Trusts, Exams and Pensions.  Despite the huge demand on her, Jo clearly enjoys what she does.

"I love the people I work with, including the Fund Managers.  The commute to work is a killer, particularly with the current snow conditions."

The only benefit of Jo's daily commute is that her fiance also works in London and so, she has a familar face to look at across the carriage.

Although she highly enjoys her current job, Jo also, like most of us, has an ideal occupation.

"I'd like to become an eating disorder counsellor or ultimately, I'd love to open a chocolate shop where I could just bake cakes all day and make truffles for people to enjoy over hot chocolate and coffee."

Aside from mandatory jobs, Jo finds some free time for her hobbies which include making chocolate and confectionary treats such as brownies, truffles, shortbread and fudge and wedding planning.

"My friends would argue that one of my hobbies is wedding planning as I've been planning my own wedding for almost 3 years.  A lot of effort has gone into creating my ideal 50's style sweet themed wedding."

In her childhood years, Jo used to enjoy figure skating but has put her lack of commitment to it down to wariness of breaking something.

I know how great Kent is but it feels even better to know that the people of Kent feel the same.

"I like that we are close enough to London to be able to work and shop, but far away enough to enjoy the countryside.  Kent is picturesque and the people, particularly in smaller villages, I find are very friendly."

"I think the best restaurant in Kent is the The Mulberry Tree in Boughton Monchelsea.  My wedding reception will be held there and it has the best food ever."

Jo is also partial to a fish finger sandwich and recommends The Horseshoes in East Farleigh.

I was surprised with all her wedding plans, chocolate making, commuting and hectic working life that Jo had time to sit down and watch a flick or a TV programme.

"It's a tough one but I particularly love action films: Rocky, Die Hard, Man on Fire and Taken.  They are up there in the best films ever for me.  However, in complete contrast, I love The Sound of Music and La Vita Bella."

I thought I knew Jo well enough already from the information above yet she still had another story to tell me about from her childhood.

"When I was 3, my mum, brother and a family friend and her chidren all went to Butlins in Bognor.  One of the first days there, we went swimming and after, when we were changing, I couldn't find my mum.  I remember thinking 'Mum's left me here!'".

Most kids would panic at this point and it actually happened to me when I was about 7, but Jo funnily did pretty much what I did.

"Rather than crying, I went off to the play park for a bit, then managed to walk home to the chalet where we were staying."

(This next bit, I definately didn't do!)

"Little did I realise my Mum had just been in the toilets. My disappearing act had shut down the whole of Bognor Regis Butlins with the 'Red Coats' out combing the streets and stopping every car going out to check the car boots for me!"

Jo's moral to the story is that she has always been the type of person to just shut up and get on with her life. 

"I think people complain too much about things and give up too easily."

Seeing as Jo didn't give up too easily, I continued to question her and I was really interested to know how Jo would improve the county if she had the power too.

"I would make the Southeastern train lines more reliable.  Kent commuters pay the highest ticket prices and due to the snow, not one person from my area that works in London has been able to go to work.  I would also encourage schools to offer more assistance to all students and not just tell them to go to university.  They should encourage them to explore the other possibilities such as employment, apprenticeships and vocational study."

Again I totally agree and as I said before, I did not go to university and I did an apprenticeship and it was one of the best things I could have ever done for my future career. Unfortunately, the savage cuts the government are making will make opportunities like these few and far between so ex-students and non university folk out there, get your applications in quickly!

Finally, as always, Jo had to be asked my random question of the week:  If your life was summed up in a song, what would it be and why?

"It would have to be Time Warp from Rocky Horror Show.  It's weird, fun, energetic and addictive which couldn't sum up my life better!"

And as I'm writing this line, that is all I can hear in my head so thanks Jo.

Best wishes for the wedding (I'll await my invite in the post!) and I hope you have a great Christmas.

Who is the next resident of Kent to speak about our county?  You tell me!

If you live in Kent, let's talk!

If you would like to appear on my blog, all I ask is that you live in Kent and that you are willing to talk to me for 10 - 15 minutes about yourself.

If you think you'd like to give it a try, drop me an email on millendauthor@gmail.com and we will see what we can do!

As the title suggests, on my own weekly deadline, this interview came just at the right time.

This is Nicholas David Turrell from Maidstone.

Most of his life has been spent in Maidstone, primarily in Loose and Boughton Monchelsea but he did venture south to Portsmouth for a 3 year stint at University.

He believes that he will spend all his life in Maidstone due to his family and friend ties but who knows what the future holds?

Nick enjoys to go on holiday with the lads and has a passion for watching and playing football.  Currently he plays for MGS Allstars 6 aside team at Armstrong Road, Maidstone and unfortunately supports Liverpool FC.

Aside from these two hobbies, he is a fully signed member of CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale).  This 'entitles' him to try new ales around the country as well as visiting beer festivals when he can. 

When asked what he liked about Kent, Nick responded "I think it's quite a good place to live.  There is a good mix of large towns, nice little villages and countryside, especially around Maidstone."

Being able to see a change a scenery quickly is another thing Nick likes about Kent.

"One minute you can be in the centre of a town and a 10 minute drive later you can be in the countryside.  It's also close to London and not that far away from the major airports and ports so you can get away from it all fairly quickly if you want!"

Local cuisine is a favourite of Nicks and knows of some great places to eat in Kent.

"I believe Kent has 4 or 5 Michelin Star restaurants.  I personally enjoy The Chequers in Loose.  It is close to my family home and is set in the Loose Valley.  The food is pretty good, pub-style food and the portions are generous."

He likes The Chequers because it satisfies his healthy appetite.

Like Adam last week, Nick is a keen comedy watcher and wrote a 10,000 word dissertation on comedy parodies for his Film Studies university course.  Films such as Airplane & Hot Shots he enjoys in particular.  He was correct in saying they were classics.

Nick, like a few of us, has experienced the feeling of being drunk.  Where most of us cross the line and then stop, Nick will cross it and then keep going.

"I was leaving the Lockmeadow complex in Maidstone, having had more to drink than I should have.  Basically I ended up in the River Medway."

Wait! It gets better.

"What makes it worse is that I couldn't get out because the bank was too steep.  I had to swim across the river and clamour out on the other side.  After that I had a 45 minute trip home dripping wet because it was clear no taxi would've entertained the notion of picking me up."

I think we have all once been a little worse for wear but Nick has missed the benchmark by a mile!

Kent is the county we all live in and all want the best for.  Nick is in agreement with this too.

"Finances for Kent should be better used.  We have a strange pole that lights up at night beside the Maidstone one way system and it does not serve any real purpose.  That money should have been better invested into Maidstone Hospital or a cause that really needs it.  Heathcare, for me, would come before 'art'.

Here, here!

And as I always like to give my interviewees something fun to finish with, I asked Nick my random question of the week:

If you were told you had a day left to live, what would you do for that whole day?

"Probably just not worry about what others think anymore, tell people what I think of them, good or bad, without having to worry about how it would affect your relationship in the future.  It would be quite empowering if you think about it."

For better or worse, this is a risky 'last thing you ever do thing' but refreshingly honest!  Cheers Nick.

Once again a big thanks to my interviewee of the week, Nick Turrell, and watch out because you could be next!

If you live in Kent, let's talk!

If you would like to appear on my blog, all I ask is that you live in Kent and that you are willing to talk to me for 10 - 15 minutes about yourself.

If you think you'd like to give it a try, drop me an email on millendauthor@gmail.com and we will see what we can do!

This week's interview took place over a cuppa, the nation's favourite hot drink and on a cold November night, it hit the spot.

This is Debbie Elaine Collins, 53 from Maidstone.

Debbie works as a partner in her own company with her best friend  and together they make up K & D Cleaning Services. (It's a household name).

During the minimal free time available to her due to her long working hours, Debbie enjoys being outside, tending to her garden.  When the cold weather hits though, she enjoys sitting in front of the T.V, tuning into to one of her favourite shows or heading off to town for a bit of retail therapy.

Her favourite T.V shows include Emmerdale, I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here, The Only Way Is Essex and The Apprentice.  I can't agree with many on this list but I do enjoy watching Lord Alan Sugar firing candidates that think a motto like "I taste success in my spit" is going to win them the competition.  I love it!

When asked what she liked about Kent, she responded "Kent has a beautiful countryside which sometimes is helped by some nice weather. Also Kent has a good and rich history."  I knew by the emphasis on the word 'sometimes', that Debbie meant to say that in Kent the weather is very much like the Gillingham F.C. week to week scores.  Unpredictable.

Debbie named quite a few places in Kent that she liked to eat at but highlighted a few that she highly recommends to others.

"There is a great Beefeater at Eureka Park in Ashford.  I have been there with my son before and the food was really nice and the service was great.  Also I enjoyed eating at the Thomas Wyatt on London Road, Maidstone (A20)."

Aside from her soaps and reality television, Debbie enjoys to watch the Twilight Saga, Dodgeball and Disney's Up.

"I like anything action / thriller based."

Now at times Debbie can sit up a little too late at night watching her television or movies and nothing accomodates them better than a nice, big bar of chocolate.  Chuck in a laptop and falling asleep and you have a receipe for Debbie's story.

"One night I fell asleep whilst on my laptop and left some chocolate on my lap.  As you can guess, the chocolate melted all down me and all over my laptop."  Blushing a little, I couldn't help but laugh even when she added that she dribbled a little too.  Sorry Deb, I had to add that, it was too good to leave out.

I have probably embarrassed Debbie enough so I will move rapidly on to relay Debbie's ideas for a better and cleaner Kent.

"I think Maidstone Borough Council should give some of the town centre streets a good sweep and tidy, some are really messy and unappealing to look at.  Additionally I think people who leave their front gardens like a waste ground, should be made to tidy it up and make it more presentable."

Despite the plan to open new shops in Maidstone and Kent, Debbie feels that the money that would be used to achieve this could be better placed elsewhere and spend more wisely.

"The money should be spend on roads, particularly Bishop's Way given the amount of cars that go through there on a daily basis.  They [town officials and councils] keep squandering money on needless projects when they should focus on the issues that need improving.  Parking where I live is an example of one of these issues that need addressing."

Debbie feels that the money lost on these 'needless projects' should be injected into the towns and cities of Kent to help it cope with the future growth of the county.

I totally agree with Debbie, money is spent extravagantly and, in my opinion, not put to best use.

Although she was satisfied with her interview, Debbie thought I had wrapped up. But of course none of my interviews are over before I ask the week's random question of the week:

If you could travel to 5 destinations on a round the world trip, where would they be?

"Australia."  Straight away Debbie came out with this.  "I'd like to go to America, the Caribbean, I would like to go back to the Balearic Islands and it may sound odd but I'd like to go to Ireland."

Not odd at all Debs, a good variety of places to visit and the Irish know how to celebrate their patron saint's day in style so why not.

Once again, a huge thank you to Debbie who was my person of Kent this week. 

If you live in Kent, let's talk!

If you would like to appear on my blog, all I ask is that you live in Kent and that you are willing to talk to me for 10 - 15 minutes about yourself.

If you think you'd like to give it a try, drop me an email on millendauthor@gmail.com and we will see what we can do!

No I’m not talking about the Isle of Sheppey (although they do have similar weird & wonderful attributes)

I’m talking about Ibiza, official name Eivissa. It should be pronounced 'Ee-bee-tha' but many Brits like to pronounce it Eye-Beef-Ah. Under no circumstances should it be pronounced as if it rhymes with 'eat pizza' (unless you are in the 90s pop group)

An island in the Mediterranean Sea, 79 km off the coast of Valencia, Spain. It attracts thousands of tourists every year... old & young for many different reasons.

Take my parents for example. Both nearing 50 and still make it to the infamous island every year. There’s a charm about the place; the beautiful sunsets, the clear sea, the trendy people. It’s all very relaxing, exactly as you would expect for one of the most popular holiday destinations.

 That’s not to say the island doesn’t have a rebellious side. I’ve recently come back from Ibiza and to say it was a relaxing holiday would be... well ... inaccurate. The nightclubs draw you in the minute you step off the plane. Girls sporting bikini’s thrusting the latest flyer at your family as you pass through with your suitcase. I found myself pulling faces at them as though my Nan would have, had this been 8am at Gatwick.

So we got to our villa which was absolutely stunning. Very modern and chic. So modern in fact, it was brand-new and no local taxi’s knew how the hell to get there! Our lacking knowledge of the Spanish language meant most of our nights out, ended with a 15 minute hike up the rocks. Two days into the holiday and my boyfriend had a face full – (not just alcohol) which left him with lip, elbow and knee scabs. Hence his newly acquired nickname as ‘Ibiza Rocks’.

The average amount of precipitation days in September out in Ibiza is 4 – we managed to find two of them in our week’s stay. Nevertheless, the Balearic Island still has lots to offer on a rainy day. We did some shopping & went to a bar in the evening. The 15 minute rock climb to the bar felt like an hour with 6 of us huddled under a sun parasol. Seemingly getting more drenched than if we had saved us the extra weight and ran without it!

We took a trip to Ibiza Town, and this is when I realised why the older crowds flock here in summer. It’s more upmarket than San Antonio and is coated in character. Lots of expensive restaurants and pretty stalls line the cobbled streets. It makes you wonder how us Brits haven’t managed to ruin it yet. Even here it seemed you couldn’t escape the festival vibe, come midnight and the drag queens are out in their circus attire. I managed to get a photo with one of them however he/she was very reluctant. Anyone wouldve thought I was asking the queen to kiss my feet!

On to the nightclubs... Amnesia grabbed our attention the most. One of the biggest clubs in Ibiza brought into the public spotlight with its feature in the Kevin & Perry Go Large movie in 2000. It had promised a night of the best DJ’s so for £45 entry, it seemed quite reasonable. They put on a free bus to and from the Ibiza Rocks bar which was a big tick in my box. The club is amazing with 2 huge rooms, a terrace and VIP area. All was going well until we reached the bar... £13 for a bottle of beer and £16 pound for a Vodka mix! Wallet-brain kicks in and thinks ‘water’ but you’re looking at £9 for a bottle of Still.

You can see why the 18-30’s love the clubs in Ibiza; They are on another level compared to any Kent nightspot. Saying that, for £5 entry and £3 a drink... I’ll be sticking to Maidstone for the rest of the year!

 Just a few notes for anyone planning a trip to Ibiza:

• Spain will never beat a proper English breakfast.
• Definitely try the traditional Paella and small octopus.
• Visit a Sunset Bar such as the Cafe del Mar to watch the sun go down.
• Go to the Hippy Market which is between Santa Eulalia and Escana (on every Wednesday)
• If you are hitting the clubs, take lots of money... and enjoy yourself!

I’d just like to make a special mention to a local girl named Francesca Foulkes, aged 21 who was tragically killed by a hit and run in Ibiza this summer. Rest In Peace xx