Apologies for the delayed post loyal readers, I know I promised I would post my coverage of this event on Sunday but I was whisked away for a lovely short break (more on this later).

On Friday 20^th April I was fortunate enough to be able to attend the above mentioned event. As many of you know, my sense of direction leaves somewhat to be desired so I was not relishing trying to find the venue hosting this event. Luckily for me, one of the contributors to the fundraising raffle was kind enough to suggest we car share and go along together: unluckily for her the beautiful arrangement she had prepared for the auction [see here for examples of her work: [http://www.vintagefloraldesign.co.uk ] did not survive the emergency braking she had to do when a kamikaze cat leapt in front of her car up the narrow country lane which I live. The cat survived though so - technically - she’s a hero; well done Gwenda at the Vintage Floral Design Company.

Entering the car park of Tonbridge School several minutes later than planned we were both rather in awe of the grandeur of the venue: Tonbridge School is distinctly unlike any school I’ve ever been to – excellent choice of venue Steph and congratulations to you for being able to secure it for your event. Following the sign posts (a school with sign posts in the grounds?!) we found the E.M Forster theatre and the huge crowd that had gathered to learn a little bit more about the author Susan Lewis and to help raise funds for Breast Cancer Care. Trays and trays of canapés and gorgeous pink ribbon cupcakes were laid out for guests to enjoy; along with glasses of champagne. Waiting in the reception I had a good look round at all the other guests; male, female, young and old were all gathered and then I spotted the author herself. I was immediately struck by how glamorous Susan looked and how down to earth her demeanour was.

Guests were all then guided to the auditorium for the evening’s presentation, question and answer session; and the much anticipated raffle and auction.  The evening kicked off with a brief overview of the need for charities such as Breast Cancer Care. The aim of this organisation is to get the best possible support and information for anyone affected by cancer. It was also strongly emphasised that this charity is not just for women: two out of every twenty people diagnosed with Breast Cancer are, in fact, men.  An acknowledgement of thanks was given to:

Tonbridge School for kindly hosting the event

http://www.tonbridge-school.co.uk/hire/

Random House publishers:

www.randomhouse.com/

PR Louise Page for introducing Steph and Susan to one another and for always being a support to Steph in planning such events:

lcampbell@randomhouse.co.uk

Amanda Watters at the Goody Bag Company for providing the goody bags for guests:

http://www.goodybag.org.uk/

Choccywoccydooadah for providing a masterpiece of a cake for auction:

www.choccywoccydoodah.com/

Catherine Glazebrook for being a photographer with a smile and for auctioning her services:

http://www.catherinehillphotography.co.uk/

Louise Hudson for providing the cupcakes - even though she was called by accident

The Pink Power Ladies for being a team and for being true friends at the same time

Lynn, Lisa and Chloe at Breast Cancer Care for not being driven absolutely mad by constant calls about event planning.

The evening progressed smoothly into the “In Conversation with” and to help you all get to know the author a bit better I have tried to transcribe as much of the Q&A as possible for you: as this is fairly lengthy it will be included in a second post. It’s great to get to know the author behind the books and a really enjoyable evening was had by all.

Well this entry is a special one as I have a business man who is affiliated with Maidstone United F.C!  Come on you Stones!!!

His name, Terry Casey, 61 years of age from Maidstone.

Terry is currently a company director but most of his time is consumed with his extensive work for a charity he operates in Ethiopia.  So good to hear of a Kent resident giving something good to the world. When not involved in his charity work, Terry is heavily involved in with the current construction of the new Maidstone United stadium in Maidstone.  Finally the Stones' are coming home and their is a lot of buzz from the people of Kent to see their local team return where they belong after spells in Ashford and Sittingbourne.

Terry does not have much spare time aside from that so understandably he could not comment further on my 'what do you do in your spare time' question.

An interesting fact that I have found out about Kent is that Leeds Castle is sometimes referred to as Ladies’ Castle. The reason being because many Queens of England have lived there Eleanor of Castile Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIII's first wife and even his daughter Elizabeth all have lived in the castle.  Did you know that?  Well you do now!

Terry does not eat out in Kent very much but instead prefers to eat out in London.  If you want a good place to eat in the capital, I personally recommend you try the Texas Embassy Cantina near Trafalgar Square.  This place does awesome Mexican food and superb strawberry margaritas.

When asked to supply me with a story that summed him up, Terry responded "My character should be summed up by others, not by me."  This is one of the most intriguing answers I have ever received and Terry is right.  Others should decide on our characters, it is not for us to decide what we think we are.

Terry is closely associated with his Irish roots as opposed to his Kentish background and I respect that he could be honest and say that to me.  It all to easy for people to just make up a sentence for me to publish about Kent but if they are truly more associated with other places than its better to be honest about it.

And now for my random question, If you could take on the life of any person, past or present, who would it be and why?  Terry again gave me another interesting answer.

"I am very happy with myself"

A very good answer, if you are not happy with yourself than you wouldn't be happy being anyone else.

A big thank you to Terry and my very best luck to him and the Maidstone United team for the final stages of the stadium development.  I can't wait to see them in action at home!

Keeps those eyes peeled for more interviews, you never know it could be you 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!

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.

The Government may not get it, but the exciting new Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury is a great example of investing for growth.

It was a bold decision by the City Council to back a £25m project amid credit crunch and signs of a looming public spending crisis.

Yet it had the faith to press ahead, relying on ingenuity, passion and determination to raise the money from numerous sources without raiding the council tax coffers. Private individuals and charitable foundations injected nearly £5m, and the soon-to-disappear South East England Development Agency chipped in a couple of million.

It could have gone horribly wrong, provoked local cynicism and banner headlines denouncing council profligacy on the “fancy” arts instead of spending on hospitals and schools.

But no – it went ahead with near unanimous backing from all quarters.

And what a good job it did. This is cultural regeneration at its best. It recognises Canterbury as a city of culture and the central role a theatre can play in every citizen’s life. It is also a legacy to future generations. And it will earn big revenue as well as kudos for the city.

It is a civilising symbol – a winning combination of traditional theatre design inside with contemporary external architecture – that will repay its initial investment many times over. Well done to all involved. And also to Prince Edward whose thespian talents were well to the fore on stage on opening night.

There is a lesson here for Maidstone, the County Town which has dithered and dithered over a theatre project for decades. Years ago, it could have shown the boldness that Canterbury has demonstrated in spades. Now it is well behind Dartford and Bromley, let alone Canterbury. It missed its cue, and the age of austerity is hardly the best time to stage a revival.

I'm back again for another fantastic interview.  Where do these people hide in Kent?

This week's special guest on my blog is the wonderfully truthful and exceptionally brave Sian Murphy, 48 from Hoo near Rochester, Medway.

Although the picture is quite clear, Sian would like to reiterate that she is a woman as her name is sometimes confused with Sean.  Don't worry Sian, they will never make that mistake.

Currently, Sian runs her own business, Stormchasers, with her husband Mark.  In conjunction with her work at Stormchasers, Sian works with 2 other professional to make up The Ruby Marketers.

If you are wondering exactly what the company is, I will tell you!  The company specialises in helping local business owners who are computer illiterate or did not have the priviledge of using a laptop when they were younger to market their business online.  The range of services they offer is so vast which can start from setting up a Business Blog for a business to setting up social media profiles and as Sian puts it 'Give them the confidence and know-how to start using it.'

If that wasn't already enough, Stormchaser is branching out in another field of their business.

'Another part of my business is run by my husband Mark and he builds starter websites for businesses as part of Stormchasers at AskStormchasers.'

I was intrigued to find out more and did a bit of 'Googling' and came across an interesting article on the following website:

http://leavingthearmedforces.com/stormchasers/

I found a great quote on this website which described Stormchasers as a business that  'Is about leaping forwards into the storm, and coming back out the other side into a brighter and calmer world.'

I think this is a great acknowledgement of Sian and Mark's hard work.

And for any potential new and bright minds that want to begin their own business, take this advice from Sian.  'My tip for setting up in business is to give it time.  Work out how long it will take you to get it all up and running and get work finished - and then double it!'

'Set goals and then plan how you are going to achieve them and don't give up too soon, but be prepared to bend and sway as things change.  Smile, laugh, share and have 1 full day off each week.'

Wise words and I think, sensible advice for new business minds in the making.  Thanks Sian!

Moving on to Kentish matters, Sian likes the diversity of the landscape in Kent.  'We have rolling countryside, inland waterways, estuary shorelines and seaside all within a 70 mile radius.  To top it all off we also have some fascinating industrial areas with some really unexpected hidden treasures.'

Sian particularly like Hoo Church Cemetery.  Before you feel a shiver go down your spine, listen to the reason.  'A bit odd I know but unlike so many graveyards, Hoo is full of life.  Despite the age of many of the gravestones, there are flowers and shiny windmills, some truly wonderful trees to sit under when it's raining and some well placed benches for when the sun is out.  There are often children playing or just hanging out in their hoodies chatting to each other, whilst other villagers walk their dogs.  It's the happiest graveyard I've ever been to!'

Maybe I could have saved this for Halloween but I think it is great to hear something out the ordinary in an ordinary day in our lives.  Plus, I have never heard someone describe a graveyard in detail without using the words 'depressing' and 'upsetting' before.

As you know, my avid readers, as of 2011 I introduced a new question to my blog in which my interviewees tell me a specific fact or snippet of information about our beloved county.  Sian had a really interesting and historical one this week!

'One day I'm going to walk the Saxon Shore Way.' Sian begins. ' The Shore Way follows the line of historic fortifications that defended the Kent coast at the end of the Roman era.  The Shore Way is 160 miles long and starts from Gravesend and goes right the way around to Hasting, East Sussex.'

'There's lots to see along the way from ports, coastline and stunning countryside and of course that sense of history that walking along an ancient footpath - following along in the footstep of goodness know who always amuses me.'

Further to Sian's comments about the Saxon Shore Way, there are also four Roman fort remains, dating from the 4th Century that line the trail.  The only one I am familiar with is the one in Dover.  Kent is very rich in history but it is always great to learn about new things that different Kent residents know from their own experiences.

One of my favourite parts of the blog is eating spots! 

Sian enjoys eating at two pubs in Kent, namely The Ringlestone Inn and The Pier at Upnor, Rochester.  'I like them because the food is good and so is the atmosphere.  We also like to take a little picnic along the shoreline at Hoo every now and then.' 

You can't beat a Ham and Colman's Mustard sandwich, a bag of kettle crisps and a healthy slice of Chocolate Fudge cake! Delicious.

When not working, Sian enjoys cooking and eating meal with the family with a good bottle of wine, which she finds is her 'favourite pastime.'

This is followed by watching a movie whilst nodding off on the sofa.  A pastime of many in Kent I assume.

But there is more!  'When Mark and I are on our own, we enjoy walking and can often be spotted meandering mindlessly around the haunts of Hoo with nowhere in particular to go.'

'I also make rag rugs from old clothes and cloth, mainly for decorative purposes.'

My blog now enters a more serious tone that I believe needs delicate and careful attention as I am writing it.  Normally, I take great delight in listening to my interviewees explaining a humourous story to me about themselves, whether it be of them waking up semi nude on a beach after an initiation ceremony at University or walking into walls for no apparent reason.

Sian tells me a story that she is currently closing in her life at the moment.  One that has me wanting to stand up and applaud her bravery and courage to be able to tell a volunteer bloggist she has never met a very close and personal chapter of her life which I greatly appreciate and hope you find I have describe in a way that is befitting to you.

'2 years ago Mark and I used to have jobs.  I worked in local Government and Mark was a Project Manager.  We were both unhappy with our jobs and spent years talking about leaving and starting our own business.  I'd already trained as an NLP (forgive me if I'm wrong - Neurolinguistic Programming) practitioner and copywriter but unfortunately we didn't plan properly and then in

2009 found ourselves so stressed and miserable that we just decided to hand in our notice and quit.'

So, on 1st August 2009 there we were with no salaries, but some rather grand business plans.  On 17th August, I was diagnosed with breast cancer.  That stopped us in our tracks for a while.'

'It's now 2 years later and whilst I'm still on medication, our business is finally taking off after lots of false starts.  I could write a whole book on false starts but we have learned so much.'

'It sounds odd but whilst it might seem like the worst possible time to get cancer, in fact it was the best and it might even have been a lifesaver.  Had I been diagnosed whilst I was still at work I think I never would have left because of the security around the sick pay.  If I wasn't diagnosed just 2 weeks after we both left our jobs we would have just transferred our hectic lifestyles from jobs to businesses.  It would have been the same except now we wouldn't have been receiving monthly pay cheques!'

'Today we've both learned the lesson that money isn't that important, although of course that is also now our challenge because when you are in business you have to value money to some extent or you don't earn any of the damn stuff!'

'We also say thank you got what we do have instead of moaning about what we don't and we really do have so much.  Today we are working with some fabulous people the universe has sent us the perfect business partners and associates.  Our offices are up at the Innovation Centre and we have the most amazing fun.  It's all the good stuff about being at work in an office such as being around friends and having someone to share your triumphs and challenges, but without all of the grim stuff of having to dance to someone else's tune.'

As upbeat as ever, Sian claims ' We're having a ball!'

Now one of my favourite parts of the blog where my interviewees put the world to rights with their opinions on how to make Kent a better place.

"I would get planners in Medway to either change or introduce a required ratio of concrete to plants and greenery in the large housing development that are springing up around Hoo.  Many of the houses open directly onto the street, there are no gardens to speak of and the roads are so narrow they are like little brick tunnels.'

Sian likes to see 'a bit of green' when she looks out the window and whilst she doesn't live a development house, it still forms part of the landscape.

'Given that these estates have replaced fields, it would seem ecologically important at least to give a cursory nod to keeping some greenery around!'

I totally agree with that point and think that planners and developers should look closely at where they are building and how it will affect the local surrounding for both the locals and the wildlife.

So we come to my random question of the week and this one is a really good one!

If you could become any person in the world for one day, who would you become and why?

'I tried so hard to think of someone who wasn't too obvious but I couldn't, so I plumped for Oprah Winfrey, a bit of a cliche I know.'

'I chose Oprah because I want to know how it feels to be her.  She had a difficult childhood, dealt with racism and has overcome so much to get where she is.  She has such a clear vision about her life, that I want to know how that feels so I can recreate it for myself.

Well, this has been one of my most intense blogs yet, with highs and lows, cheerful quips and serious tones but overall I have enjoyed writing this one very much.  I hope Sian receives the recognition she deserves, not just through this blog but through the business world too.

Sian - my very best wishes for your future and a speedy recovery and I hope your business will continue to bloom!

So that's it for another week folks! (No Looney Tunes pun intended) but check in again soon for my newest interviewee.  Who knows, it could even be you!

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!

Well I return with a great interviewee this week, one who was mistaken for a popstar if you can believe it.

But we will get to that later.

This is Matthew Webster, 27 from our very own County Town of Kent, Maidstone!

So Matt is his name and Account Management is his game (Occupation for all those who are not up to date with their rhyming slangs).

As always, I like to find out what my interviewees like about Kent and this is what Matt had to say.

"I like the people, the places and the general atmosphere of Kent."

To expand on what Matt has said, he likes having a game of football with his mates, shortly followed by a cold pint or 10 down the Albion and the elegant banter with other fans about who is the greatest footballing side in England.  We both know it is Manchester United but he lets them stress their point on why the other teams are worthy of competing against United before casually turning to them and singing "He scores goals galore, he scores goals, he scores goals galore, he scores goals, he scores goals galore, he scores goals, Paul Scholes, he scores goals."

A fitting tribute to one of the greatest English Midfielders of modern day football and also a great way of sticking it to the other football fans.

Since the beginning of 2011, I have introduced a new question which is designed to find out what the people of Kent really know about their County and to see if they can inform others in Kent of interesting facts or pieces of information that are not well known.

"Kent is the most populous County in the UK." Matt said "Over 1.6 million people reside in Kent."

I found this to be a very interesting fact as I thought Greater London and the Northern Counties such as Lancashire had bigger populations so thanks Matt.

Matt's favourite eating spot is Buenos Aires in Maidstone which he describes as "The best steak in the county."

In his free time, Matt likes to compete in various sports such as Football, Squash and Tennis.  Equally, he does enjoy going to the Cinema, eating out at a range of eating spots and socialising with his friends.

So the part you have been waiting for, the mistaken identity of a popstar.  I let Matt fill in the rest.

"I was once spotted by a young woman who worked in the Bowling Alley in Maidstone who thought I was Danny from Mcfly.  I played along temporarily before confessing.  It was a long time ago."

Looking at the picture above, I think this woman was either crazy or blind because I see no resemblance.  Sorry Matt!

As always, it is important for me to find out my interviewees thoughts on how to improve the county.

"I think the county could have some bigger gigs / festivals.  We have the space for it and I think it could be a big money spinner for the county.  We have a picturesque county so we should utilise it.  I'd certainly go..."

Again this suggestion has come up and I think it is about time that we did start using the facilities available in Kent to cater to the entire population.  Often there are events held that are in the interest of a small majority of people which is a waste of public money and inconsiderate to the rest of the residents in Kent.

And now for my random question of the week: If you could travel to any planet in the Solar System, which one would it be and why?

"I think it would be Jupiter.  I liked the song by Train and it looks cool.  Mysterious."

A good choice!

So another Kentish resident has given me their views and opinions on our county and as always I would like to extend my thanks to Matt, my interviewee, for his time.

I will post again soon so who knows, it could be you 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!

Read more: http://blogs.kentonline.co.uk/author/Dan+Millen.aspx#ixzz1SJYJTrvX

Well, 2011 has been a busy one and my blog has suffered. I apologise for not keeping up with it but now I am back and so is my next interviewee.

This is Gabriela Margarita Houlgraves or 'Gabby', 34 from Sittingbourne.  Gabby works as a Customer Support Assistant at Maidstone Library.

Our beloved county is the reason I write this blog.  It is the best!

Gabby loves our county to because it is 'so green!'

"This surprises a lot of the people here when I say it.  You all [Kent residents] think it's very, very urbanised, but I just look at the vast fields and meadows.  Always so close and forests everywhere, and think 'Dude, this is the Shire!"

As you can tell from the last part of that quote, Gabby is a Lord of the Rings fan. Everyone needs to have a hobbit!

As part of my 2011 revamp, I have added a question to all my new interviewees which has been instated to find out if the people of Kent have interesting facts or information to share with me.  I always like to learn new things about Kent!

Gabby has selected to inform us about the history of Dover Castle, commissioned to be built by Henry II in the 12th century.

"The tunnels were first dug for the Napoleonic Wars, and then used as a command centre for Operation Dynamo which was the operation set up for rescuing soldiers from Dunkirk.  This is all well known."

This can be found on the English National Heritage website: http://www.english-heritage.org.uk

What was more intriguing was what Gabby relayed next.

"There was also a lower level call 'Dumpy' which was the command centre during the Cold War and it was going to be opened to the public after the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act made it legal to do so.  But English Heritage went under there and found a lot of subsidence and were not as sturdy as the Napoleonic ones and also left in a hurry when the level got decommissioned, so they're not structurally sound. Lovely chalk!"

"And that is why the public won't be allowed down there!"

Gabby feels it is a shame as she would love to go down there and see them.  I would love to see it as well, it sounds fascinating.

We moved on to one of my favourite subjects: FOOD!

Gabby likes to dine at Maggie's cafe on Week Street.  I agree Maggie, whoever she is, does a blinding fried breakfast!

"The wholemeal baguettes and fillings are wonderful, not to mention the salads, the chilli, the cakes and pastries (all home-made) and the staff are the friendliest in town."

Also, Gab enjoys eating at Kitsu, a Tunbridge Wells based place that has, in her words 'The best sushi and teriyaki beef I've ever had."

Equally, Gabby likes an Indian at the Royal Tandoori in Chatham, traditional chips from a chippy in Lenham and her favourite pub is the Ringlestone nr Harrietsham.

We definitely have something in common here!

I always like to be a little bit nosey and find out what my interviewees get up to in their free time.  It feels like I can relate to them if they have something in common with me (in addition to food of course).

"Reading, reading, reading. I can't get enough of books!" Gabby says. "Guess it's lucky I work in a library!"

"I also love visiting English Heritage sites, you see something new every time.  And spending time with family and friends.  Nothing beats a house full of the people you love, all having fun and laughing, sharing life and food & drink."

I think Gabby is a great person, who lives life to the full.  That's the kind of people we need more of in this county to keep up its awesomeness.

This is always my favourite part of the interview: hearing a short story that sums the interviewee up.  I have heard some whoppers since I have been writing this blog - waking up half naked on a beach, buying items such as a bouncy castle on impulse, walking into walls or buying 'Chillis' when you are supposed to buy 'Jelly'.

"I was born in Puerto Rico (in the Caribbean), and I moved to New Orleans to my master's degree.  I still miss New Orleans, every day I'm not there, though I wouldn't live anywhere else in the world but here, in Kent."

That's what I like to hear!

"My first apartment burnt down, soon thereafter, I met Mark (now my husband- he's English, of course), and moved into a lovely shotgun house in New Orleans (For all who are not familiar, it is a narrow, rectangular building)."

"Mark and I got engaged, and i started getting my paperwork for the visa to come here to live and get married. There was a rumour that someone burned down their house near my house to collect the insurance money. The whole block of houses, including mine, burnt down.  I barely had time to grab my cat and laptop and run out of the house.  When I came back to see what was left, almost everything was burnt, except my visa papers and my winter clothes, and a crocheted Afghan my gran had sent me from Puerto Rico."

I want it noted now that Gabby has done fantastically to bounce back from this ordeal where others probably would have rolled over and given up.

"I took that as a sign from God and the Universe that I needed to go with my heart, to Mark and England.  And I didn't look back."

"Do I miss my family and friends from the other side of the Atlantic?  Oh yes!"

"Would I change anything? Not really. I only wish I'd met Mark before so we could have stated our life together sooner and that I had the power to teleport so I could visit my gran and my friends as often as I liked."

What a great story with both highs and lows but an overall outcome that is justly deserved.

It is always important to evolve and progress over time. That is true in both people, nature and our much loved county.  Gabby has some interesting suggestions on how to achieve this.

"I think we should have a better public transport network and it should be more realistically priced, so that people are seen to be quite foolish to take their cars out.  

I agree as I walk every where and think they should pump more money into transportation.

"If the buses and trains took us to where we wanted to go, frequently and cheaply enough, I swear people would give up cars quicker than you can say 'petrol'.  This is particularly true for people in rural locations, who are often quite isolated if they don't have a car.  But even between town centres, the service provision seems almost random!"

I think Gabby talks absolute sense and is valid in that our services are at times extortionate and something needs to be done to preserve the environment for the future generations.

And now to the finale.  My random question of the week.

You hear the four minute warning, you know it will only take you 10 seconds to get into a safe place, what would you do with the other 3 minutes and 50 seconds?

"That's a hash one!  Wow. I wasn't expecting that."

I like this reaction as it is meant to be surprising and awkward to answer.  It is my unique thing!

"I am close to Mark and Sebastian (my son) so I can make sure they're safe with me but even if not, the same applies.  Get as many people as I can into the safe place, hold them close and send a prayer up for the rest of my loved ones and the world!"

Sounds depressing but a nice answer and a good way to round off this sensational lady's interview.

Thank you Gabby for your time and I wish you all the best for the future. This interview has been a pleasure!

Well that's all folks for this week, check in again soon to see who will be my next victi... interviewee!

Since 23rd April 1661, the day Charles II became King and Monarchy was restored in England, have republicans felt ever so lonely. This will be quite the forlorn post filled with deep regret and sadness at the Royal Wedding.

I'm quite glad Kent has the lowest registered street parties tomorrow, thus my faith in humanity has been slightly restored, and we haven't gone over the top in plastic patriotism. The Union Flag (it is only called a 'Jack' when flown at sea) is a beautiful symbol and should be raised all the time, not just for the Monarchy.

But alas, Friday will be a depressing day for us republicans.

Tomorrow when the nations erupts into depressing exhilaration over the wedding, I shall ponder what Cromwell would've made of all this pomp and ceremony; as the Royal carriage passes his statue outside Parliament

The most exciting news (allegedly) in Thanet, since the opening of Dreamland in the 1950’s, is the opening of Turner Contemporary in Margate. I was lucky enough to go the press opening on Wednesday 13^th April ahead of the official opening.

Whilst what is on exhibited is quite beautiful, although sparse, the most dramatic scene is the view of the sea from the various galleries which is rather special especially when the sun sets.  

I cannot but feel that this is the wrong location for the right project. This should have been in Whitstable, where it would have been more at home with the population, rather than the still down-at-heel Margate.

Building Turner Contemporary in Margate, is akin to deciding to re-build the iconic Indian Taj Mahal mausoleum in Leytonstone, East London.

I do love Thanet, and in particular Margate, as I have fond childhood memories from the 1970s. But the memories of what Margate was then and is now and what it could be is so contrasting that it could be fiction.

I make an exception though for the following: the outstanding boutique B&B The Reading Rooms, (www.thereadingroomsmargate.co.uk) the Harbour Café Bar, restaurant, The Ambrette (www.theambrette.co.uk), The Lifeboat Ale & Cider House (www.thelifeboat-margate.com), the boutiques and galleries in the Old Town and of course the mildly eccentric  Walpole Bay Hotel, (www.walpolebayhotel.co.uk). I worry that apart from these places, Margate has little to offer the 400 people a day expected to visit Turner Contemporary.

If the not-great attitude I encountered on the telephone with the receptionist, at Turner, is mixed with the ineptitude of the Visit Kent staff (who I feel have ignored Thanet for years) then Margate’s school report should be downgraded from ‘could do better’ to ‘there is little or no improvement here, just yet’.

Margate needs as huge facelift: for starters why not knock that hideous high rise on the seafront down or at least paint it. In fact, why not give grants to paint the entire seafront.  Remove the tacky arcades, and replace them with Victorian-style shopping fronts and make Margate, Margate again.

Then inform certain London local authorities that Thanet will no longer tolerate housing their addicts or delinquents and push hard for a high-speed link to Canterbury - and only then might Margate rise from the ashes and I hope it does, as I love the place.

But as I write this blog, it appears that the Margate’s Big Event, the one with the Red Arrows, might not happen as the money has gone on the Turner, but then again it might have gone on a dozen street football coordinators…

It may be at the end of the Hoo Peninsula road, but Allhallows is certainly full of people with strong views.

If you doubt that have a look at the responses to today's article about the beach, the cut off rails, tin lids and general debris.

I don't normally respond to this sort of diatribe, but the recent spate of comments call for a reply.

The KM Group and its journalists (all of us) report news.

The way the governance of Allhallows had come under the attention of Medway's Standards Committee - a body with funding but without influence from Medway Council incidentally - was of interest.

So, too, was the way the council cavalierly increased its precept by 41 per cent this year (sorry, I need to correct that: within two days of the finance committee agreeing that rise, their clerk reported it had gone up two more per cent "because we haven't added it up correctly.").

If someone wants to argue that it was cavalier then first consider the spending cuts, jobs losses, reduced services, and thousands of other impacts in England in the wake of the country's financial situation. When one of the councillors (former finance committee chairman, Mark Skudder) questioned this astronomical rise the chairman told him: "The cuts apply to Medway. They don't apply to us."

I was there reporting the meeting when it was said.

Within the rules (something which has sometimes been overlooked by the local council) I have approached the clerk, the chairman, and various members of the committee for comment about the growing range of issues. Calls are ignored. Emails sent to the clerk went to a non-existent address (though it was published on the council's own web site). When the correct address is used, they are ignored.

The behaviour of elected members of a council is obviously of interest. The members of Allhallows are currently all unelected. It makes their behaviour even more newsworthy.

Allhallows Parish Council's behaviour is of major interest to anyone who pays council tax in Medway: its behaviour has cost the district council - Medway - thousands of pounds in investigations by officers working for the standards committee. Those costs are met by the whole community. The full charge will never be known: an outside consultant has cost around £3,000. That was confirmed at a meeting recently.

What is not going to be revealed is how much it has cost for an assistant director and her team to brief him, consider his findings, write reports, interview people, consider the legal aspects and run the committee. That runs into tens of thousands of pounds. And Medway's taxpayers have to accept the charge.

Then there's the beach.

The parish council supported - but not funded - the reopening last month of the beach at the leisure park. Who specifically agreed to link the council's name to the Bourne Leisure press release is not clear, but the company is quite definite the council backed it.

Two councillors - Messrs Skudder and Apostel - have repeatedly publicly claimed they are kept out of the loop on decisions. There is nothing in the parish council minutes that refers to support for the beach, but in principle it is a good thing. They knew nothing about the council's support until they saw it in the Medway Messenger and on television.

Councillors have had secret meetings - or at least have never reported them. That, presumably, is because they were thought unimportant. Or because they were very significant.

Difficulties arise when people are suspicious about the leisure company's objectives. It offered the council £40,000 to buy the youth club.

their application. The plan is at http://planning.medway.gov.uk/dconline/AcolNetCGI.gov?ACTION=UNWRAP&RIPNAME=Root.PgeDocs&TheSystemkey=113327. The Brimp is the small complex to the south east of Slough Fort, and clearly shown on the inside of the blue boundary line.

It wasn't Bourne's property, and it is not now. It simply could have been a slip of the pen by someone in their architects' team, but what it did was fuel suspicion in a community that had lost faith with its unelected representatives.

Next week nominations for council candidates close.

It will be for the local electorate to decide on May 5 what they wish to happen.

All the signs are that there will be plenty of candidates standing for election to fill Allhallows' eight parish seats. It will be the first time in two decades that parishioners have had an opportunity to decide how their community is run.

Whoever wins a place has a major task to re-establish the council in the eyes of the local community.