Kent Tonight - Tuesday 27th August 2024
Catch up with all the latest news across your county with Abby Hook.
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00:00Hello, good evening and welcome to Kent Tonight live on KMTV.
00:29I'm Abbey Hook, here are your top stories on Tuesday the 27th of August.
00:35No longer looking back in anger, we return to Tunbridge Wells where memories of Oasis
00:41live forever.
00:42What I do remember is that Noel couldn't get a drink at about five past midnight because
00:47we closed the bar and insisted on letting us know that when he was big and famous he'd
00:52be coming back to the venue to buy it just so he could sack us all.
00:55Memories curbing the crisis, Medway men in sheds tackling mental health issues with gardening.
01:03Some of the guys that come here maybe haven't been out of their house for three years.
01:08A cut above, Medway hairdresser helps those having a close shave with the cost of living.
01:15There's too many people just taking at the moment, I think, and we don't have bottomless pockets.
01:33First tonight, some might say it's been too long but stop crying your heart out and don't
01:38look back in anger, Oasis have returned.
01:41In a post on social media, the band announced a new tour next summer after splitting up
01:46back in 2009.
01:48Well before filling out Wembley Arena, they performed here in Kent at one venue that's
01:52still going strong today.
01:54Our reporter Finn McDermott went to find out if the Gallaghers really can live forever.
02:00It's been 15 years since the brothers split almost to the day, with Noel posting a short
02:05message on August 28th 2009 that he had quit the worldwide phenomenon known as Oasis.
02:12Now they're back after all this time, announcing a run of 14 shows in the UK and Ireland next
02:17summer, saying the guns have fallen silent, the stars have aligned, the great wait is
02:22over, come and see, it will not be televised.
02:26Now when you think of Oasis, you mostly think of Manchester and Wembley Arena.
02:30But 30 years ago, the Gallagher brothers had a humble start right here in a converted toilet
02:34block in Tunbridge Wells.
02:36Well here at the Forum 30 years ago in Tunbridge Wells, two brothers, Liam and Noel Gallagher,
02:42performed under the name Oasis.
02:43They were the opener for a band from Scotland called White Out.
02:47And little did they or the band themselves know that they were going to be going straight
02:51to stardom when they released their first single, Supersonic, shortly after their performance.
02:56Despite the low turnout and mostly mild reaction they got, some, including the Forum's co-founder,
03:02remember the gig for what it did for the local music scene and beyond.
03:06Oasis coming did genuinely change that venue in a really significant way.
03:10Suddenly everybody wanted to play there.
03:12Of the 116 people who were there when Oasis played, yeah, you got to meet the band.
03:17Just like you can get to meet the band every Friday and Saturday, Thursday night now.
03:22You know, it's a space to be around musicians and they were part of that.
03:26Rather famously, the one I do remember is that Noel couldn't get a drink at about five
03:30past midnight because we closed the bar and insisted on letting us know that when he was
03:35big and famous, he'd be coming back to the venue to buy it just so he could sack us all.
03:40With Oasis performing there, the Forum became a great place for young, aspiring artists
03:43to perform and created a community that still goes on today.
03:47Not too long after their stint at the Forum, they became a defining part of the 90s and
03:51early noughties, inspiring a new generation of music, including tribute acts like Kent's
03:57own Slide Oasis.
03:58Look, I think those tickets are going to sell out in minutes on Saturday morning.
04:02I'm going to be one of those people on the internet hoping to get one.
04:06And I think it's captured the zeitgeist.
04:08I've genuinely received more messages this morning about Oasis than I normally do on
04:13my birthday, which probably says more about me than anything else.
04:17Well, now that they are definitely maybe coming back, fans will hope the band will live
04:21forever and that they don't go away.
04:24Finn McDermid for KMTV in Tunbridge, Wales.
04:29Well, now I'm joined by our channel director, Andy Richards.
04:32I would say huge Oasis superfan, right, because you're somewhere in this crowd.
04:36I wouldn't say superfan, but no, I was a big fan of Oasis back in the day.
04:42I think what's really important about all of this is that they weren't just a band.
04:50It really did define an era of not just music, but also of British popular culture.
04:57It was Britpop.
04:59It was New Labour.
05:01It was a whole different way of looking at things.
05:04And yeah, I was very lucky enough to be at Wembley Stadium 24 years ago, the last time
05:15they played at Wembley Stadium.
05:17And it was amazing.
05:18I was quite young at the time, but it was incredible.
05:21And the fact that they're going back to Wembley Stadium to play is a really big deal.
05:27He was quite derogatory about Wembley Stadium at the time, Liam Gallagher.
05:30I'm not going to repeat what he said when he arrived straight on.
05:34Especially as channel director.
05:35Well, quite.
05:36But yeah, it was quite different.
05:38They were just coming kind of down the wave of being absolutely humongous after the
05:44Net Worth gigs and things like that.
05:46But this is something different.
05:48It's really, really going to cause a stir on Saturday morning when those tickets go
05:52on sale.
05:52I wonder how quickly they'll sell out as well, in seconds, I imagine.
05:56But do you think a lot of buzz, a lot of expectation now, will it live up to that
06:01expectation?
06:02Can they recreate what was such a huge part of culture?
06:07I think so.
06:07Noel Gallagher has gone on record quite a few times talking about the songs.
06:13He said, I just wrote them.
06:15The songs themselves have taken on a different life.
06:19And I think that's something that has been really apparent with their music, is that
06:24lots of young people now are into Oasis as well.
06:28So that will be really interesting, is to see just how many young people go out to watch
06:32it. Yes, I think Liam Gallagher's voice has probably done the rounds for the last 30
06:39years. So it might not be as clean and melodic as it was back in the 90s and early
06:45noughties. But I'm sure it will be a huge deal when they do do these gigs.
06:51And they've also announced that there's going to be a worldwide set of gigs as well.
06:55So it's not just the UK they're going to tour.
06:56And what about new music as well?
06:58Can we expect much of that or will it be the classics?
07:00No, absolutely not.
07:02There is no way there will be any.
07:04It will be what I should imagine, because it's the anniversary of the album Story
07:08Morning Glory. Quite a few bands are doing this where they're on these big
07:13anniversaries, they're playing these albums in full.
07:15Green Day did it in the summer at Wembley Stadium and other places.
07:19So that's probably what they'll do.
07:21I should imagine they'll play what's Story Morning Glory all the way through, as well
07:25as playing some of those other classics from Definitely Maybe and other albums.
07:28And how much of a chance is there that this might not happen?
07:30They're known for their fallouts and people are thinking, do I buy tickets for
07:34something that might not happen if we get there?
07:37Well, it's estimated some people are reporting that they're going to make four
07:41hundred million pounds from this tour.
07:43I think that's probably enough to get on with your brother for an afternoon or two, I
07:49should think. I do think that there would have been all kinds of discussions behind
07:54the scenes. This wouldn't have just been something that was thrown together.
07:57All these venues would have had to have been sought out for those dates.
08:02There would have been a lot of discussions going on.
08:04That would be very, very surprised if this didn't go ahead the next summer.
08:08And you're buying tickets?
08:09I'll be there on Saturday morning.
08:11Recreate the picture and we'll do this again.
08:13Not sure I'll take my 11 year old daughter to this one, but yeah, I'll definitely be
08:18definitely maybe queuing up for some tickets.
08:21I was wondering how long it would take to get one in.
08:22Some might say, whatever.
08:25Thanks, Andy.
08:28Now, next tonight, armed police were called to a main road in Hoo after a man
08:31allegedly made threats to locals in the area.
08:34Officers were called to the scene at 2pm and emergency service vehicles were seen
08:38parked in the area.
08:40A police helicopter was also spotted alongside the response.
08:43A man in his 40s was arrested in connection with the incident.
08:47Next tonight, councils across England warn men are facing a silent health crisis
08:52with four out of five suicides being men.
08:55But Medway Men in Sheds, a scheme commissioned by A Better Medway, has been
08:59coming together to help combat loneliness and create a change.
09:02Our reporter Mahima Aberdeen has more.
09:05This garden in Medway is said to be a safe space for men to come together and
09:09socialise so their mental health can flourish.
09:12Medway's Men in Sheds is a scheme which hopes to better men's mental health.
09:15It's a scheme which hopes to better men's wellbeing by inviting people to
09:19participate in different activities.
09:21Today's was gardening.
09:22What I hope we've done is enable guys with maybe low self-esteem to do things and
09:32to be effective.
09:33Some of the guys that come here maybe haven't been out of their house for three
09:38years. People get used to spending time on their own.
09:42They become poorly socialised.
09:45So for most people, they tell me this is a gentle place.
09:50It's welcoming.
09:52I think that projects like this, you might think of this as a social prescription
09:59because it gets people relating to each other.
10:04According to the local government association, men in England are facing a
10:08silent health crisis as four out of every five suicides are men.
10:12It's helped my mental health, yes.
10:15I come here every couple of weeks.
10:17I come here to socialise with people who come here and chat to while I'm doing a
10:24bit of gardening. I enjoy gardening.
10:25So today's Men in Sheds session is a gardening session.
10:28But what I've learnt since being here is that the gates are actually open to
10:32anyone and everyone who wants to join in to garden or make some new friends, like
10:36Corinne here, who's about to show me how to do this.
10:39If you could really nicely put some compost in here.
10:42It's nice and moist.
10:45After I retired, I wanted something to do that was still people orientated.
10:52When I was at one of my worst, I was just sent home from work and told to get on
10:56with it. They didn't hear me.
11:00They didn't see me.
11:01I think the fact that I can keep on sharing and caring and doing and being
11:07amongst all this lovely, beautiful flowers, trees, greenery.
11:13Yeah, it's been a godsend.
11:14While Corinne and Alan say showing up to these sessions help their mental health,
11:18they worry others may find it difficult to take the first step and show up.
11:22Something groups like Medway Men in Sheds hopes to make easier.
11:26Mahima Abedin for KMTV in Medway.
11:29Time for a very short break now, but coming up, we'll be hearing from a Chatham
11:33hairdresser who's providing free haircuts to children in Medway just before they
11:37head back to school.
11:39All that and more after this very short break.
11:40See you in a few minutes.
14:58Hello and welcome back to Kent Tonight, live on KMTV.
15:16Now, there was a suspected gas leak in Folkestone after a Mercedes crashed at a
15:21roundabout. It happened along the Sandgate Road, with passersby claiming there was
15:25no sight of the driver and reportedly caused a gas leak.
15:29The accident damaged the left side of the car and vehicle's bumper.
15:32You can see it was completely taken off at the front there.
15:35Police and a fire engine were called to the scene shortly before 5 p.m.
15:38yesterday. The force said inquiries are ongoing after the occupants reportedly
15:43left the scene without speaking to officers and the road was closed for five
15:46hours. Police recovered the vehicle and it was open again around 10 p.m.
15:51A water spout has been spotted off the Kent coast.
15:55A sailor, Anna Blake, spotted the weather phenomenon while visiting Hithe Beach
15:59yesterday morning. The water spout, which is a whirling column of air and water
16:03mist, was seen a few miles out to sea.
16:05But despite this, still big enough to be seen just from the coast there on the
16:10beach. Water spouts are often accompanied by thunderstorms, hail and sometimes
16:15lightning and can be dangerous if they move onto the land, often though they
16:19fade fairly quickly and rarely make it inland to cause any significant damage or
16:23danger. Now, a Chatham hairdresser has been offering free haircuts today in
16:29Medway to some of the five town's most vulnerable children ahead of the school
16:33term. With the cost of living crisis still looming, one charity that helps
16:37families with neurodivergent children says the offer from Code Red Salon has
16:41meant a lot to those she works with.
16:43Oliver Leder de Sacks was there earlier.
16:46With around 30 years of experience under her belt, Sarah A.
16:50O'Mickey is used to cutting hair.
16:53But with the end of the school holidays fast approaching, today, Sarah has turned
16:58her attention to cutting back on the cost for carers and parents struggling with
17:04prices in Medway.
17:06There's too many people just taking at the moment, I think, and we don't have
17:12bottomless pockets. So if you have an opportunity to be able to do something,
17:18however big or small that is, remembering what it was like to be able to afford
17:23everything going back to school.
17:26Obviously, I can do the hair myself, but all the rest of it, buying PE kits and new
17:32uniforms and everything that goes with it.
17:35So I just thought if I can alleviate a little bit of pressure, I can do a few
17:39haircuts.
17:41Throughout the day, Sarah's been offering free haircuts to children with special
17:45educational needs and those whose parents are struggling to make ends meet just
17:50before the return back to school.
17:53And with more sessions opening up next Tuesday, she's not done just yet.
18:00So I opened this first session to the people of Club Awesome, which is a local
18:05charity you may have heard of for kids on the spectrum.
18:09So their main struggle is just finding a salon that's peaceful enough for their kids
18:15to feel comfortable and come in.
18:16So we haven't really had much conversations around the costs of everything.
18:21They've just been grateful that their kids have been happy enough to just sit and get
18:25the haircut.
18:26The Rochester-based organisation says with such skyrocketing prices and additional
18:32costs for children with special needs, every little helps.
18:37You know, you've got the uniform costs, specific uniform.
18:40It is always more expensive when you're catering for a child with, you know, special
18:44sensory needs.
18:45You know, you have to get the seamless socks and they charge a fortune for those.
18:49We can't just pop down to Primark, you know, and grab anything.
18:53So the fact that we can lessen the burden a little bit, you know, between us and do
19:00something nice, I think it can only help.
19:05It can only be a positive thing.
19:07Sarah is now considering whether to keep the scheme going for future holidays.
19:12And while she may not be able to brush away the full burden of the cost of living
19:16crisis for families here today, for some, the difference will feel clear cut.
19:21Oliver leads the sats for KNTV in Medway.
19:26Well, Oliver joins me in the studio now.
19:28As you said at the end of your report there, this would have meant a lot to just those
19:32few children that were able to visit the salon today.
19:35Well, there's about four or five children from what I've gathered that came today.
19:39But do remember some of these children have neurodivergences like autism, where loud
19:44noises, the hustle and bustle of an ordinary salon, the blowing of hair dryers, it can
19:49be quite overwhelming.
19:50So quite a quiet space like that can actually be quite beneficial and it helps benefit
19:55those families as well, obviously still struggling with the cost of living crisis.
20:00And of course, what are some of these additional costs that parents are facing,
20:04notably school uniform?
20:06You can see on the screen, Abi, school uniform is obviously a major expense.
20:11And despite statutory rules in school uniforms set out in 2021, many parents are still
20:17feeling the pinch on this one.
20:19It was back in 2020 that the wrong blazer report compiled by the Children's Society
20:23found that parents with children in state maintained schools spent on average more than
20:29£300 a year on school uniforms for secondary school children alone.
20:34And things haven't really got that much better.
20:36It was in June 2023 last year that another survey found it rose to £422 a year for
20:44secondary school uniform.
20:45And according to a report from Windsor's The Footwear Brand, who surveyed more than
20:50a thousand parents in the UK this year, 78% of parents say they are spending over £100
20:57per year on school uniform, with over half of them forking out just under £250.
21:05That's really expensive.
21:07In fact, I spoke to a parent earlier today who said they had to spend more than £200
21:11on school uniforms, and that was for one child.
21:14And they got the blazer free as well.
21:16So that's quite a high cost.
21:18And of course, stationary packed lunches, the cost all added up.
21:22We actually spoke to Neil Charlick, who runs a number of food banks in Medway for the
21:28Gillingham Street Angels, and he says they have to meet additional needs this year
21:32because of those increased costs, those additional demands, because of those things
21:37like school uniform.
21:38There's all sorts of things going on now, isn't there?
21:40The food is our main thing we do, school uniform.
21:43But at the moment, school holidays puts extra pressure on us, the kids needing food
21:46during the school holidays.
21:48There's a lot on. Obviously, winter's coming up again.
21:50That will be a big one for us people.
21:52We need warm clothing, blankets, bedding.
21:55It's harsh. Never seems to stop, sadly.
21:57Obviously, we've spoken to Gillingham Street Angels a lot of the time.
22:01They deal with a lot of needs in Medway, and it is this growing trend.
22:07I mean, they recently opened a furniture bank as well.
22:10So it is the whole gambit of everything.
22:13And do remember, going to school isn't just uniform.
22:15It is things like packed lunches.
22:17I think you wouldn't really expect to get that additional food from food banks
22:21to supply your kids meals because meals at school in the canteen are so expensive.
22:26So it is a major cost for parents.
22:28And hopefully we're hearing more in the autumn budget about what is going to be done
22:32to address this issue.
22:34Especially when we look to those school dinners and free school dinners being such a
22:38topical conversation again that comes back around as September does, as the school year
22:42does. Oliver, thank you very much for those details.
22:46Now, don't forget, you can keep up to date with all your latest stories across Kent
22:49here at 5.30 every weekday, but also over on our website at kmtv.co.uk.
22:55They'll find all our reports, including this one about a PhD student from Canterbury
22:59who's become the first multiple sclerosis patient in Europe to undergo a groundbreaking
23:05new drug trial.
23:07MS affects more than two million people worldwide, and it's hoped that if successful,
23:11the new drug will slow the progress of the disease.
23:14You can find Bartholomew's report on our website, but let's have a look now.
23:17I woke up and I saw everything in double vision.
23:22Zhengwei Liao had been studying towards his PhD here in Canterbury for just over three
23:28years when he woke up one day with double vision.
23:31After being recommended to see a doctor by his painting instructor, he was quickly
23:35diagnosed with multiple sclerosis or MS.
23:38But at first, I'm not really thought they're really serious because I just thought if I
23:44cover just one of my eyes, everything keeps the same and there's no pain, no itches,
23:48everything except the double vision keeps normal.
23:51It's a condition that affects the brain and spinal cord and can affect patients in a
23:55variety of different ways, including problems with vision, such as in Zhengwei's case,
24:00difficulty walking, issues with balance and coordination and give them challenges with
24:05thinking, learning and planning.
24:07After learning that his lifelong condition meant his symptoms would only get worse, Zhengwei
24:12decided to take part in a trial for an experimental new drug that aims to slow down the
24:17progression of the disease.
24:18However, the trial means that Zhengwei may never see the benefits of the new drug.
24:23He may be taking a placebo or it might just not work for him.
24:27But Zhengwei told me that taking part means more than just his own MS journey.
24:32Well, I'm proud of that because finally I can do some contribution because I'm not like
24:36my other family members, they are doctors, so they can cure people, care of other people's
24:40health. So do something which I think is meaningful.
24:44But I think because I'm taking the trial, I can do some contribution to others' health
24:50like my family members.
24:52Yeah, I can say I'm proud of myself.
24:55So all of the patients on this trial will be receiving an active treatment.
24:58It's either the standard treatment that they would have outside of the trial or the new
25:03drug. Without patients taking part in trials, we just wouldn't have
25:06an evidence base to say, actually, the treatment that we're offering is the best treatment
25:10we can offer for you. They're basically pushing medicine forward and progressing the
25:13treatments that we can offer our patients.
25:16Zhengwei is the first patient in Europe to be taking part in the experimental new drug,
25:21and already that has doubled.
25:22There's now two patients here in Canterbury involved.
25:25It's understood more than two million people worldwide live with multiple sclerosis, which
25:30is why the work being done here at Kent and Canterbury Hospital with Zhengwei is so
25:34important. It's hoped that if the trial is successful, hundreds of thousands, if not
25:38millions of people in the future, will be able to live without fear of the rapid
25:42progression of the disease.
25:44Bartholomew Hall for KMTV in Canterbury.
25:48Now, just before we go, let's take a very quick look at the weather.
25:58Tonight, the skies are looking calm and clear.
26:00Lows of 15 across most of the county, 17 down in Dover.
26:04Tomorrow morning, we can expect clouds to the west of the county, some sunshine there
26:08by the coast, highs of 23.
26:10By the afternoon, climbing to 27 in Dartford, a mix of sun and cloud.
26:16And into, here's your outlook, sorry for Kent Thursday, looking much of the same
26:21Friday and Saturday, nice and warm.
26:31You've been watching Kent Tonight live on KMTV.
26:34There's, of course, more news made just for Kent throughout the evening.
26:37But that's it for me and the Kent Tonight team.
26:39Oliver, we'll be back at 8pm with your late bulletin.
26:41That's all from me. Bye bye.