Kent Tonight - Monday 18th December 2023
Catch up on the latest news from across the county with Abby Hook.
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00:00 (upbeat music)
00:02 - Good evening and welcome to Kentonite Live on KMTV.
00:28 I'm Abbey Hook, here are your top stories
00:30 on Monday the 18th of December.
00:33 Signed, sealed, undelivered.
00:35 Medway residents facing Royal Mail delays
00:38 a week before Christmas.
00:40 - It's got to the stage now where I'm actually writing down
00:43 when these things are actually being delivered to me
00:47 in the time.
00:48 - Christmas chaos?
00:50 Kent commuters warned it could be the busiest
00:52 festive weekend since before the pandemic.
00:56 - Sometimes it takes me half an hour
00:58 and some other times it takes me four hours
01:00 especially to get back home.
01:02 - And caring for the community,
01:04 Aylesford school students host a dementia cafe.
01:08 - Many of our students will be affected by dementia
01:12 personally because it affects so many people
01:15 so I'm hoping that it raises awareness
01:17 more than anything else.
01:18 (upbeat music)
01:22 (dramatic music)
01:25 - First tonight, Medway residents say
01:30 they're waiting weeks for important post
01:32 as Christmas fast approaches.
01:34 One councillor says legal documents arrived
01:37 more than a week late and says more needs to be done
01:40 to ensure deliveries are getting where they need to be.
01:43 Royal Mail aims to deliver within two to three working days
01:46 and say the majority of posting Kent arrives on time.
01:50 Oliver Leeder de Sacks reports.
01:52 - Medway councillor Chris Spaulding has had enough.
01:56 The independent representative for all saying
01:58 it says postal delays over the last month
02:00 have meant council business and legal documents
02:03 aren't arriving on time and that it is the same
02:05 for the residents of Gillingham where he lives.
02:08 - In the community, people are waiting for mail
02:11 from Gillingham and it's simply not arriving on time.
02:14 You've got a lot of people out there
02:16 that want to send the Christmas cards
02:18 and they are concerned because normally you go out,
02:20 you buy a lot of second class stamps,
02:22 they can't even get second class stamps
02:24 in some post offices and now they're concerned
02:26 about whether they need to actually spend the extra money
02:28 and remember, times are hard
02:30 and it is coming up to Christmas.
02:32 Something needs to be done.
02:34 - The councillor is even going to extraordinary lengths
02:37 to show how long it takes a post to be dispatched
02:39 from delivery offices like this one.
02:42 - It's got to the stage now where I'm actually writing down
02:46 when these things are actually being delivered to me
02:48 and the time because I had something sent out
02:53 by Medway council to me on the 1st of December,
02:56 didn't arrive till the 16th.
02:58 15 days, seriously?
03:00 It's not good.
03:02 Things need to change and hopefully, you know,
03:05 people in Royal Mail Management will get their act together
03:09 and make sure that people do get a very happy Christmas.
03:13 - But what about deliveries elsewhere in Medway?
03:15 I'm here outside the Rochester delivery office
03:17 and I've just spoken to one of the many postmen
03:20 that go out and make deliveries around Medway
03:23 and they say they're working hard, they're coming in early,
03:26 they're putting in the hard yards.
03:28 But what do the people on the streets of Rochester think?
03:31 So, are you experiencing any delays with your mail
03:34 in the lead up to Christmas?
03:36 - Only the past day or so.
03:38 - We haven't had any problems, actually.
03:40 As far as I know, all our posters has arrived.
03:43 - And do you know anyone who has had any problems?
03:46 - No, not round our way.
03:48 No, I think our postman must be a good postman.
03:50 - I think we've been lucky, we've been lucky.
03:52 But there's not been a lot.
03:53 We seem to get post every other day, which is a bit random,
03:58 whether or not it's just the Royal Mail,
03:59 the way they operate, but yeah, no, we seem to be okay.
04:04 - We reached out to the Royal Mail for an interview.
04:07 They provided this statement in response.
04:09 Our teams are working extremely hard
04:11 to ensure consistent and reliable service to households
04:15 throughout Kent this Christmas.
04:17 We can confirm mail is being delivered to homes daily
04:20 with the vast majority of mail being delivered on time.
04:23 With the holidays just one week away,
04:25 it seems Medway residents are divided
04:27 on whether Royal Mail are delivering for them.
04:30 Oliver Isaacs, signing off for KMTV.
04:33 - Well, Oliver joins me in the studio now.
04:36 Oliver, it wasn't just those that reached out to you
04:38 in your report that come forward
04:40 with the similar sort of issues.
04:42 - Yeah, so I've been speaking to people
04:43 across the Medway area on Facebook and other social media,
04:47 and they've said a variety of different things.
04:49 One missed out on an important hospital appointment
04:52 because of the delay due to postage.
04:55 Another missed out on having their bus pass.
04:57 They had to pay an eight pound top up for four days
04:59 as a result of it.
05:01 Other people I spoke to had to pay daily visitor permits
05:05 instead of parking, 'cause they didn't have
05:06 their resident parking permit sent to them on time.
05:09 And some have had their posts delayed up to three weeks.
05:13 Some only receiving posts every fortnight.
05:15 It seems to be quite a consistent issue.
05:17 Not with the people I spoke to today,
05:19 but with people on social media.
05:22 Another person, in quite a gutting story,
05:24 missed out on their best Christmas jumper competition
05:26 at work, and the jumper turned up six weeks later
05:30 after the Mail said they'd lost it.
05:33 - So it's proving a nightmare for some residents,
05:37 but not all, of course.
05:38 There was a mixed review in Rochester today.
05:40 - Definitely.
05:41 The residents I spoke to, both on and off camera,
05:44 they seem to have had a mixed experience.
05:46 I mean, the only person I said who had a delay,
05:48 he only had a delay this week.
05:50 He's seen having good posts all year.
05:52 The majority of people seem to be having
05:53 a pretty decent experience with posts
05:55 that I spoke to today.
05:57 But on social media, the message is all over the place.
06:00 - It seems quite a mixed review,
06:01 and something we're following really closely here.
06:03 Gabriel, of course, posted me a Christmas card recently.
06:06 That did actually arrive on time,
06:08 so we've had good luck here.
06:09 Well, hopefully that Christmas miracles will play out
06:12 through the rest and see us into the new year for our post.
06:15 Ollie, thank you for giving us the latest.
06:17 Now, NHS Kent and Medway says that the latest round
06:21 of doctor strikes are expected to have a significant impact
06:24 on services during one of the busiest times of the year.
06:28 Strikes will be taking place this Wednesday the 20th
06:30 right to Saturday the 23rd.
06:33 The local service is asking everyone to think carefully
06:35 about what services to use and to only dial 999
06:39 for life-threatening emergencies.
06:41 The British Medical Association, which represents doctors,
06:44 has said that it has been forced to strike
06:46 because they haven't got a credible pay offer.
06:48 Next, a 200-metre cordon is in place.
06:53 Businesses have been evacuated and road closures
06:56 off the A20 in Swanley because of a fire
06:58 involving a gas cylinder.
07:00 The M20, M25 and A20 near the Swanley interchange
07:04 have all been closed off, causing congestion three miles long.
07:07 Three fire engines and a bulk water carrier
07:09 were at an industrial premises.
07:11 In an update, Kent Fire and Rescue Service said
07:13 crews have now left the scene
07:15 and the area has been made safe on London Road.
07:18 There have been no reported injuries
07:20 and all affected areas are said to be reopening soon.
07:23 And a bit more traffic news.
07:26 The M2 was blocked after several dogs
07:28 were seen on the hard shoulder.
07:30 It was partially closed between Junction 5 for Sittingbourne
07:32 and 6 for Faversham after the incident around 2.30pm.
07:36 Luckily, police have now found the pets.
07:38 Well, all the latest travel news on KMFM and Kent Online.
07:42 But stick around now as Kent commuters have been warned
07:46 to check before they travel,
07:48 as this weekend is set to be the busiest
07:50 for Christmas travel since before the pandemic.
07:53 While train services are running as usual,
07:55 they're set to be much busier.
07:56 And Kent Highways is imposing additional measures
07:59 to alleviate some of that traffic on our county's roads too.
08:03 Well, our reporter, Sophia Akin, is now down at Dartford,
08:05 one of Kent's busiest train stations.
08:08 You can see a few people leaving behind you there, Sophia.
08:10 Of course, it is coming into the rush hour now,
08:13 but actually one of the busiest stations here in the county.
08:16 It is, Abbie, yeah.
08:19 Almost 9,000 people using this train station
08:22 every single day.
08:22 As you said, you can see a few people in and around me now.
08:26 This is only set to increase though
08:28 in the lead up to Christmas,
08:29 and particularly this weekend,
08:30 as people will be off to visit their family,
08:33 their loved ones as well.
08:34 But this influx of additional passengers
08:36 isn't just unique to Dartford or Kent, in fact.
08:39 It's something we'll see all across the UK.
08:41 But it's predicted to be the busiest
08:44 pre-Christmas travel season since before the pandemic.
08:47 And just a reminder, as usual,
08:49 there'll be no trains running on Christmas day,
08:51 none on Boxing Day either.
08:52 But Southeastern have said, other than that,
08:55 trains will all be running as usual.
08:57 We spoke to them earlier today.
08:59 The thing to remember is that
09:01 we'll be running a normal timetable,
09:03 but we do get much busier trains at this time of year.
09:06 It's very true, actually.
09:08 But we would encourage people,
09:09 if they're concerned perhaps about large numbers of people
09:13 on trains or slightly busier trains,
09:16 to maybe take a train during quieter times,
09:19 during the day, for example,
09:22 rather than in the morning and evening peak times.
09:27 It's not just trains, though.
09:29 Roads are set to be much busier as well,
09:31 particularly the M25 and other major motorways in Kent
09:34 and across the UK.
09:35 Kent County Council has said
09:37 they'll be putting additional measures in place,
09:39 and they've also paused non-emergency roadworks
09:42 to try and ease some of the traffic measures
09:44 and some of that congestion we'll be seeing across the county.
09:47 Another thing they've put in place,
09:49 Operation Brock won't be on the M20
09:51 during these busier periods.
09:53 The Dartford Crossing as well,
09:55 where we are in Dartford, one of Kent's busiest areas,
09:58 it will be open as usual on Christmas Day,
10:01 and around Christmas Day, fees will apply as usual as well.
10:04 But definitely check before you travel.
10:07 And we've been asking people in Dartford earlier today
10:09 whether they would still travel during the Christmas period
10:12 or whether they'd avoid it and maybe stay at home.
10:14 - I generally avoid traveling over the holidays at all,
10:18 but I'm really fortunate.
10:20 I've got lots of family,
10:21 and they're all very local, nice and close.
10:23 - You're going to have to travel at all
10:25 over the festive periods?
10:26 - No, thankfully not.
10:27 We're staying home where we can and just driving locally.
10:31 We've avoided some trips this year
10:33 that we would have done for Christmas normally
10:34 because of the traffic and the commuting,
10:37 but it's one of those things, isn't it?
10:39 It's getting worse every year.
10:41 - I'm going on holiday with my family.
10:43 - Oh, whereabouts are you going?
10:44 - Japan.
10:45 - Have you been given any sort of advice
10:47 of how to, I guess, travel
10:48 with as least disruption as possible?
10:50 - No, not really.
10:52 I guess we're just taking it as it comes, I guess, yeah.
10:55 - Do you have to travel far at all?
10:56 - No, not at all, but Christmas Eve,
10:59 I'm going down to my son's in Tentham near Feversham,
11:01 but I won't be going motorways.
11:03 I'll be going through the lanes, so I miss the traffic.
11:06 - Are you concerned?
11:06 It's meant to be quite busy on the roads this weekend.
11:08 Are you concerned about that at all?
11:10 - Definitely, yes, especially with Blackwater Tunnel
11:12 or Delford Tunnel.
11:13 - How long do you think it's going to take you?
11:15 I guess you're driving.
11:16 How long do you think it's going to take you to get there?
11:18 - Sometimes it takes me half an hour,
11:21 and some other times it takes me four hours,
11:22 so especially to get back home.
11:24 - Sounds like many in Kent are going to be staying at home,
11:29 but what about those that will be travelling abroad?
11:31 Well, UK airports are meant to see millions
11:34 and millions of passengers in December.
11:36 So if you are travelling abroad,
11:39 check the airline you're using's advice
11:40 or the airport's website as well.
11:42 But however you're travelling this Christmas,
11:44 stay safe and absolutely check before you travel.
11:47 - The advice there from Sophia, thank you.
11:50 - The advice there from Sophia, thank you very much
11:51 for joining us live.
11:52 See you in a few minutes.
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14:34,
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15:05 - Hello and welcome back to Kentonite live on KMTV.
15:16 Now a secondary school in Ellsford
15:18 is teaching students all about dementia
15:20 and how it can impact the local community.
15:22 Symptoms of the condition often involve
15:24 memory loss and speech impediment,
15:27 which can make communicating
15:28 and remembering loved ones difficult.
15:30 But by educating young people,
15:32 Ellsford school hope they can raise levels of hope
15:35 and support in the community.
15:36 Henry Luck reports.
15:38 - Dementia is a devastating condition
15:41 common amongst the elderly.
15:44 But Ellsford school are looking to educate its students
15:47 about the effects of the illness
15:50 and looking after those affected in the community.
15:53 How is Ellsford school supporting
15:55 those with dementia this Christmas?
15:57 Well, let's go inside and find out.
16:01 Students and staff from a variety of departments
16:04 have come together to host a dementia cafe.
16:07 Providing entertainment and a delicious festive dinner,
16:11 it brings the community together
16:14 whether or not the disease is impacting their lives.
16:17 - I'm hoping that they understand
16:20 that people who have dementia are still human
16:24 and that they have value in life
16:27 and that our students can connect with those people
16:30 and are confident to talk to people with dementia
16:34 or elderly people anyway,
16:36 because it's really important that we have a connection
16:40 with the community and the people within it.
16:43 I hope that it's raised awareness about dementia
16:46 because of course, many, hopefully not now,
16:50 but many of our students will be affected
16:53 by dementia personally because it affects so many people.
16:57 So I'm hoping that it raises awareness
16:59 more than anything else.
17:01 - The school has even received support
17:03 from the National Lottery
17:05 and Royal British Legion Industries.
17:08 But for some of the teachers involved,
17:10 there's great personal investment.
17:13 - My granddad actually had dementia.
17:14 Both my granddads had dementia.
17:16 It's something that I feel very,
17:18 it's very close to my heart.
17:21 It's something I think I didn't understand
17:24 as a young person.
17:25 And with the work with Building Dementia Friendly Maidstone
17:29 and the National Lottery funding us,
17:31 we've been able to bring sort of some training
17:36 to those students and be able to develop those skills
17:40 of talking to people with dementia
17:43 and making them feel part of a wider community.
17:48 - So what have the students learned from the event?
17:51 - I've definitely learned a lot more about dementia
17:54 and caring for people.
17:56 - I've learned so much more
17:58 and I've known that everyone doesn't,
18:02 isn't the same as everybody else
18:03 and they suffer from a lot more things than what we do.
18:06 - Well, I've learned a lot about how people struggle
18:10 with dementia and even though they come across
18:13 many difficulties, we can give them opportunities
18:16 that they might not have had before.
18:18 - Ellsford School hopes that with Christmas
18:20 around the corner, those with dementia won't be forgotten.
18:25 Henry Luck for KMTV in Ellsford.
18:29 - Well, we heard earlier in the programme
18:32 that this is one of the busiest weeks for travel,
18:34 but it's also one of the busiest weeks for retail in Kent
18:38 and right across the UK with just seven days
18:40 until all your presents need to be bought
18:42 and wrapped and under that tree.
18:44 But what have you been buying your loved ones?
18:46 Well, as part of KMTV's countdown to the 25th,
18:49 we have an advent of questions to ask you
18:51 about your festivities.
18:53 So we've been asking people in Maidstone
18:54 about some of the worst Christmas gifts
18:57 they've got over the years.
18:58 Take a look.
18:59 - What is the worst Christmas gift
19:06 you could ever get?
19:08 - Oh, socks, I suppose.
19:13 - Yeah.
19:14 - Socks.
19:15 - An iron or something.
19:18 - An iron, yeah.
19:19 - Probably a hot water bottle.
19:22 - Mind you, I think you said it,
19:25 I think someone actually bought me a first aid kit.
19:28 A first aid kit for, yeah.
19:30 I suppose it's practical, but there you go.
19:33 - Oh gosh, that's a hard one, isn't it?
19:36 Something that doesn't fit me,
19:37 something that's too small.
19:39 - Probably something that I wouldn't wear,
19:41 like fashion-wise.
19:42 I'm quite picky with my clothes,
19:43 so if I got maybe something I wouldn't wear,
19:45 I'd be quite disappointed.
19:47 - Socks, something like that.
19:49 Something boring that I could buy myself.
19:52 Or something that I wouldn't buy myself.
19:54 And yeah, something different.
19:57 - A very expensive item or something
20:00 from a really expensive jewellery shop,
20:02 'cause it's not from the heart.
20:03 (upbeat music)
20:06 - Let us know over on our socials
20:12 the worst Christmas present you ever received.
20:14 See if anybody can top those this year.
20:17 Let's take a look at the weather now.
20:19 (upbeat music)
20:21 Well this evening, looking pretty similar
20:27 right across Kent, cloudy and 11 degrees.
20:30 A bit of wind too.
20:31 By the morning, the wind's staying the same,
20:33 but rain coming in right across the county.
20:35 Temperatures between 11 and 12.
20:37 The afternoon, much of the same,
20:39 but dropping down to nine degrees over by the coast.
20:42 Still raining.
20:43 And the next few days look like this.
20:45 A dry Wednesday and Thursday,
20:46 a mix of sun, rain and cloud come Friday.
20:49 Highs of 12.
20:50 (upbeat music)
20:53 To sport now, and Gillingham have fallen down
21:01 to 10th in League Two after suffering
21:03 a home defeat to Bradford.
21:04 Plus the Kent Tigers basketball team
21:06 have announced a relaunch
21:08 after stopping operations earlier this year.
21:10 Well with more on this,
21:11 ahead of a brand new episode of Invicta Sport,
21:13 it's our sports reporter, Bartholomew Hall.
21:15 (upbeat music)
21:19 - Thank you, Abby.
21:26 First from me, Gillingham's manager, Stephen Clements,
21:29 says he was disappointed to see standard slip
21:31 after his side were beat 2-0 at home
21:34 on Saturday against Bradford.
21:36 A defensive mistake proved costly for Gillingham
21:39 after a weak pass from Scott Malone
21:40 handed the visitors a chance.
21:42 The Gilles put the Bantams under some intense pressure
21:45 in the second half with some set-piece opportunities,
21:48 but a free kick from visiting Andy Cook
21:50 doubled the advantage at Priestfield.
21:52 It was the first League Two game for Gillingham
21:54 since the end of November.
21:55 They now fall to 10th in the table.
21:58 Here's Clements speaking after the match.
22:01 - Their goals are definitely, definitely avoidable.
22:03 And yeah, we can't do that.
22:06 We can't give teams head starts.
22:08 It's always gonna be difficult.
22:10 No matter what level you play at,
22:11 you go a goal behind.
22:13 In professional football, it's tough to come back.
22:15 The stats tell you at every level
22:16 when you go a goal behind.
22:18 More often than not, you don't get the result you want.
22:22 Now, yeah, I can take getting beat,
22:25 I can accept getting beat,
22:26 but I don't wanna get beat by goals like that, no.
22:28 - Next, and Maidstone's top scorer, Levi Amanche,
22:32 has left the national south side
22:34 and will now join Bromley for an undisclosed fee.
22:37 The 23-year-old hasn't played for Maidstone
22:39 since being stretched off during the first half
22:41 of their FA Cup second round win over Barrow
22:44 just two weeks ago.
22:45 He wasn't expected back at the club
22:47 until the end of January,
22:48 but now won't be returning at all
22:50 after the club announced his departure earlier today.
22:53 The Stone's chief executive, Bill Williams,
22:54 has said the club is very disappointed to see Levi go.
22:57 Next, and the Invicta Dynamo's picked up two wins
23:01 at the weekend, extending their winning streak
23:03 to four games unbeaten.
23:05 The Mo's ended their year with a seven-nil win
23:07 at the Oxford City Stars on Saturday
23:10 and followed it up with a 13-1 dominant victory
23:13 over the Milton Keynes Thunder on Sunday.
23:15 It now means the team is up to fourth place
23:17 in the National Ice Hockey League South Division I table
23:20 one week after beating league leaders Slough Jets.
23:23 Head coach, Carl Lennon, said his team gave good
23:26 and professional performances.
23:28 And the Kent Tigers basketball club
23:31 have announced a relaunch.
23:33 It comes after the club announced
23:35 it would be stopping operations earlier this year
23:37 after becoming Division I and Division II champions
23:39 in the Medway Basketball Association Senior Men's League.
23:43 The Dartford-based club will host weekly sessions
23:45 at Lee Academy for children as young as three years old
23:49 with a programme extending to senior men's
23:51 and women's teams too.
23:52 General Manager, Sten Mayunga, says the goal
23:55 is to cultivate an elite basketball academy
23:57 for young talent across the town.
24:00 And it's not Christmas without the darts.
24:02 The World Darts Championship is well underway
24:04 at the Alexandra Palace and Kent's very own Ross Smith
24:07 is preparing to step up to the famous mask
24:10 for his first match after ceding an automatic buy
24:12 into round two.
24:14 The Dover-born former European champion
24:16 heads into the competition ranked 16th in the world.
24:19 It means he goes directly through to the second round
24:22 and will face Dutch player Niels Zonneveld
24:24 after he dismissed England's Darren Webster in a tense
24:27 eight-match darts set.
24:31 Goodness me.
24:32 The two will face off on Wednesday's midday session.
24:35 Well, that is it for me with the sport for now.
24:37 But obviously, plenty more to come on Invicta.
24:39 As Abby, you know you'll be joining us this evening
24:41 on Invicta Sport.
24:42 You put a bit of a tongue twister into that, Bond.
24:44 But yes, I will be swapping places with you shortly.
24:47 We'll keep it a bit under wraps until then.
24:49 Abby doing sport is not something
24:51 we want to shout about too much.
24:52 But it involves dressing up as Santas, hundreds of us
24:55 on BMXs, who would have thought?
24:57 What else is coming up in Invicta?
24:58 Well, if you remember last week, we
25:00 were talking on the programme about the 50th anniversary
25:03 of Medway Park.
25:04 Obviously, Medway Park, for those
25:06 who have grown up in the area and lived in the area,
25:07 they know all about it.
25:09 Lots of memories from back when it was known as the Black Lion
25:12 Leisure Centre.
25:13 Well, we've got Tom Coyd, the head coach of the England
25:17 Wheelchair Rugby League side.
25:19 He's joined us on the sofa to talk
25:21 all about some of his memories of Medway Park
25:23 and obviously being the home of England Wheelchair Rugby League.
25:26 He's got a lot to share as well.
25:28 And he's pretty impressive.
25:29 Some serious achievements up there
25:30 with the likes of all sorts of managers and coaches as well.
25:33 It's impressive and amazing to hear everything
25:36 he's done over the past 12 months.
25:37 Of course, yeah.
25:38 Of course, winning the World Cup back at the end of last year.
25:41 It was moved, obviously, because of COVID, 2021,
25:43 moved to the end of 2022.
25:45 And yeah, I mean, they're doing some fantastic stuff
25:47 at the moment.
25:48 Back from France, the first team-- well, first and second.
25:51 They beat them both times to ever beat France on home soil.
25:55 So yeah, lots of memories that he can tell us.
25:57 And all thanks to spurting out of Medway Park as well.
26:00 And I usually ask you if you've ever tried out the sport.
26:03 This is one you have, in fact, done.
26:05 I have with a caveat, yes.
26:06 I tried wheelchair rugby, but not wheelchair rugby league.
26:11 Slight difference.
26:12 They have the round balls and the one
26:13 that I tried and the traditional rugby-shaped ball
26:16 in wheelchair rugby league.
26:17 There we go.
26:18 Find out more in Invicta Sport straight after the break
26:20 as well.
26:21 Bartholomew, thank you for giving us all those details.
26:24 Well, you've been watching Kent Tonight live on KMTV.
26:27 There's more news made just for Kent throughout the evening
26:29 with our 8 PM News Bulletin.
26:31 But of course, coming up right after the break
26:33 in just a few minutes time, Bartholomew Hall
26:35 with a brand new episode of Invicta Sport.
26:38 Stick around, because I'll be giving you all the latest,
26:40 and you'll be seeing me on a BMX in a Santa costume.
26:43 Very interesting.
26:44 See you soon.
26:44 Bye bye.
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