- 3 years ago
Catch up on the latest news from across the county with Sofia Akin.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00 (upbeat music)
00:27 - Hello and welcome to Kent Tonight live on KMTV.
00:31 I'm Sophia Akin and here are your top stories
00:33 on Tuesday the 13th of February.
00:36 I was there to be shot.
00:38 Thanet man held hostage in Iraq
00:40 demands answers from the government.
00:43 - This could have been put right.
00:44 This could have been dealt with, nipped in the bud
00:47 if only the government had been willing
00:49 to come clean, tell the truth and put things right.
00:53 - Improvements to be made.
00:55 Four of Kent's stations ranked the worst
00:57 for the county's 50,000 commuters.
01:01 - Some people will end up paying a little more
01:03 than they have done, but more people will end up paying less.
01:06 - And can this creperie be crowned the quickest?
01:10 Rochester Cafe attempts record-breaking
01:13 pancake challenge for charity.
01:15 - Yeah, it's all about awareness.
01:17 We're a hidden gem really, any hospice is.
01:20 It's so important to get our messages out there
01:22 about what we do and how we do it.
01:23 (upbeat music)
01:26 - First night, a Thanet man held hostage by Iraq
01:36 at the beginning of the Gulf War
01:38 is still looking for answers 30 years later.
01:42 Barry Manners was aboard a British Airways flight in 1990
01:45 when the plane landed in Kuwait after it was invaded by Iraq.
01:49 Now the councillor from Botany Bay
01:51 is suing the government and the airline,
01:53 alleging they used the flight
01:54 to smuggle in a black ops special forces team.
01:57 The government deny the allegations
01:59 and British Airways say they weren't aware of the invasion
02:02 when the flight was in the air.
02:04 Oliver Leder de Sacks has the story.
02:06 - 34 years, still looking for answers.
02:10 Thanet councillor Barry Manners was just 24
02:13 when he boarded a British Airways flight inbound to Kuwait
02:16 alongside more than 360 fellow passengers,
02:20 including his partner, Anthony.
02:23 - Barry didn't know he was flying into a war zone,
02:26 nor that Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait
02:28 would mark the beginning of the Gulf War.
02:31 - There, it wasn't a big story.
02:33 I only found out about it reading the Independent,
02:36 I think in the departure lounge.
02:38 The Iraqis marched through Kuwait
02:43 like a hot knife through butter.
02:45 We're only talking the distance from sitting born
02:49 to Ramsgate in terms of the invasion.
02:51 It's not, that's all it is.
02:52 Kuwait's a very small country.
02:54 And we were taken at the airport
02:59 and there was a fighter bomber
03:03 and it was dropping bombs, a stick of four bombs,
03:07 just a few hundred metres away,
03:09 no further away than the sea behind me.
03:12 - After more than a week of uncertainty
03:14 being held hostage by Iraqi forces,
03:16 Barry was separated from his partner
03:19 and moved to Dukhum Dam for the remainder
03:21 of his more than four month confinement.
03:24 - At some point you think, you know,
03:25 you realise that this is, I am basically here
03:28 just to be shot if America invades
03:31 or be collateral damage if they try to take out
03:34 this particular facility.
03:36 So you don't feel anything.
03:38 It's not like anything.
03:39 It just becomes normal.
03:40 I accepted the fact that I was there to be,
03:44 that my life was probably over.
03:46 And that was the weird thing looking back.
03:49 You accept the fact that this is it.
03:51 - Barry was eventually released in December that year,
03:55 where he flew back to London to care for his partner
03:58 who was living with AIDS.
03:59 - I was debilitated for two years
04:02 before I could get back in the saddle
04:03 and start putting my life back together
04:05 and start thinking about career and mortgages
04:09 and all the rest of it.
04:10 - More than 30 years later,
04:12 Barry has joined the other hostages
04:13 in a lawsuit against the government and British Airways,
04:17 alleging that the flight was used as a smoke screen
04:20 to transport a black ops team into Kuwait.
04:23 He says it's not about compensation or victimhood,
04:27 but justice.
04:28 - There was a girl on the flight who turned 13 years old,
04:32 actually in Kuwait.
04:34 She's never got over the experience.
04:36 It's defined her entire life
04:39 and it's ruined her entire life.
04:42 And this could have been put right.
04:44 This could have been dealt with, nipped in the bud,
04:47 if only the government had been willing to come clean,
04:50 tell the truth and put things right.
04:53 - At the time speaking in the House of Commons,
04:55 Margaret Thatcher insisted the invasion was later
04:59 after the aircraft had landed.
05:01 But in November, 2021,
05:03 the then Foreign Secretary Liz Truss confirmed
05:06 for the first time that the government knew of the invasion
05:09 while Barry's flight was still in the air
05:12 and British Airways was not told.
05:14 A spokesperson for the airline said,
05:17 "Our hearts go out to all of those caught up
05:19 in this shocking act of war just over 30 years ago
05:23 and who had to endure a truly horrendous experience."
05:27 The government explicitly denies
05:29 having any military personnel on the flight
05:31 with Liz Truss stating,
05:33 "The government have always condemned
05:35 the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait,
05:37 the suffering that followed and the mistreatment
05:39 of those aboard BA 149.
05:42 The responsibility for these events
05:44 and the mistreatment of those passengers and crew
05:47 lies entirely with the government of Iraq at the time."
05:50 There was also speculation at the time and since
05:53 that the flight was used to carry members
05:54 of UK special forces.
05:56 The files are consistent with their Minister
05:58 for Europe statement in April, 2007,
06:02 that the government at the time did not attempt
06:04 in any way to exploit the flight by any means whatever.
06:08 But with questions still lingering
06:09 as to why a civilian aircraft filled with men,
06:12 women and children was allowed to fly into a war zone,
06:16 Barry's search for answers is nowhere near over.
06:20 Oliver Leeders of SACS reporting for KMTV.
06:23 - Now strikes, train delays and cancellations,
06:27 something Kent commuters say they're sick of.
06:30 But today the Minister of State for Rail and HS2
06:33 is trying to change this.
06:35 Hugh Merriman has been in Canterbury
06:36 to announce a new e-season ticket,
06:38 which he hopes will make rail services easier to use.
06:42 But it comes as today, Sevenoaks has been named
06:44 the worst London commuter station.
06:46 More than 50,000 in Kent get the train to work every day.
06:52 And today, four of the county stations have been ranked
06:56 some of the worst for commuters.
06:58 Gravesend, Tunbridge, Chatham and worst of all, Sevenoaks.
07:03 Last year, it was more common for trains in Sevenoaks
07:06 to be delayed by at least five minutes
07:09 than actually being on time.
07:10 The Rail Minister has said he hopes to see London's
07:13 tap in, tap out in more of Kent's stations.
07:17 - So if you look at Kent,
07:18 that's already been rolled out to Sevenoaks station,
07:20 for example.
07:21 What that of course means is you then end up
07:22 with a simplified fare structure.
07:24 So it means that some people will end up paying
07:26 a little more than they have done,
07:28 but more people will end up paying less.
07:30 And of course that feeds into ranking.
07:32 So I do understand where we make changes,
07:34 where we make fares simpler,
07:36 and we try and sort of structure the railway differently,
07:39 then of course there can be outliers
07:40 that don't see it in such a favourable way.
07:43 - They're hoping this modern shift
07:45 in how we use railways across the county
07:47 will make services more reliable.
07:50 While some of Kent's railway stations
07:52 are on the bottom of the leaderboard,
07:53 others today are being celebrated.
07:56 Today, Hugh Merriman joined Southeastern
07:59 and the Canterbury Society to unveil two new plaques.
08:03 The first was to officially launch the Flexi S ticket,
08:06 essentially a digital season ticket.
08:09 - It's a really important change for us to make
08:10 to give people options and choice.
08:12 We know not everybody is gonna want to move
08:14 to a digital season ticket.
08:16 We have the key card.
08:17 People can still choose to have their season ticket
08:19 or a day ticket on that.
08:21 But some people will find the convenience
08:23 of having a ticket that they buy and store on their smartphone
08:28 is a really great way to go.
08:29 We're not taking away any other choices.
08:32 - Another plaque today was to commemorate
08:33 the first ever season ticket to be launched back in 1830.
08:39 This house is about 100 yards from Canterbury West Station,
08:42 but this used to be Canterbury's railway station.
08:46 And in fact, it was the first place
08:47 where a season ticket was ever issued.
08:50 So the plaque that's been unveiled at Canterbury West today
08:52 will end up on this building in commemoration.
08:55 And these trees are right next
08:56 to what was once the ticket office.
08:58 This used to be the railway line
09:01 which linked Canterbury and Whitstable.
09:03 - There are in fact already existing blue plaques
09:05 dotted around, but we thought that it would be good
09:08 to sort of refresh that and add to that.
09:10 And we're very pleased that this,
09:13 not being a particular person,
09:14 but being a facility that started in Canterbury,
09:17 was the first to be unveiled.
09:19 - It's been a tough couple of years
09:21 for commuters across Kent and the country.
09:24 But those here today say they're on the right track
09:27 and hope to see Kent commuters
09:28 travelling with more ease in the future.
09:30 Sophia Akin for KMTV in Canterbury.
09:34 - Next tonight, a zone set up to stop Kent's livestock
09:38 getting infected with blue tongue will be lifted
09:41 after a Canterbury farm found the virus
09:43 in five cows in November.
09:45 And then three cows in Sandwich by December.
09:47 The temporary control zone halted the movement of animals.
09:51 A few months on, the UK's chief veterinary officer
09:54 says Kent is low risk and restrictions will be removed.
09:57 Abbey Hook joins me now with more on this.
09:59 Abbey, apart from that, what more do we know now?
10:01 - So this control zone that was set up in Kent
10:03 is set to be lifted next Monday.
10:05 So about six days, just less than a week.
10:08 And of course it happened after five cows
10:10 at two premises in Canterbury were found with it in November.
10:14 Then it moved to Sandwich Bay
10:15 where three cows tested positive.
10:17 That was in December.
10:19 Now sadly, all the animals that tested positive
10:21 had to be humanely culled.
10:23 And this is the problem that's impacting Kent farmers
10:25 in this agricultural hub that Kent is.
10:29 People are losing a huge chunk of their livestock to this.
10:33 Now this temporary control zone
10:34 that stretched right from Canterbury
10:36 to Thanet and down to Dover, we can see that on screen now.
10:39 A huge part of the county and a huge area
10:42 that will be farmland, that will have a lot of livestock.
10:45 It's not just cows, it's sheep and it's goats too.
10:48 So it affects a lot of livestock and that's what halted it.
10:51 It halted the movement of those animals.
10:53 It's been decided that Kent alongside Norfolk,
10:56 they're vector low risk period, they're low risk areas now.
10:59 So this ban can be lifted.
11:01 The NFU, the National Farmers Union,
11:03 says that lifting the restrictions next week
11:06 is just too late.
11:08 And they say they're a bit confused by it.
11:09 We can hear it from Hugh Richards now.
11:12 Why, if they've actually made a decision, can't it just happen?
11:16 Why are we waiting till next Monday?
11:18 Where's the science?
11:21 It is an example of the way things
11:24 have been going all the time.
11:26 And I think that that highlights the problem they've got
11:30 and the way they operate.
11:32 And they're so risk adverse, they're
11:34 dotting every iron, crossing every T their end,
11:37 but they're not looking at the practicalities on farming side
11:39 at all.
11:41 Nabi, what more can you tell us on this?
11:44 So the UK's chief veterinary officer, Christine Middlemiss,
11:47 she says that in the coming days,
11:49 farmers who have premises under these areas that
11:52 were under restriction will be contacted as well.
11:55 It's important to say it doesn't pose a threat to humans
11:57 or food, but of course, this is impacting the local area
12:00 and our farmers here in Kent.
12:01 Thank you, Nabi.
12:02 Time for a break.
12:04 [MUSIC PLAYING]
12:07 [MUSIC PLAYING]
12:11 [MUSIC PLAYING]
12:14 [MUSIC PLAYING]
12:18 [MUSIC PLAYING]
12:21 [MUSIC PLAYING]
12:25 [MUSIC PLAYING]
12:28 [MUSIC PLAYING]
12:32 [MUSIC PLAYING]
12:35 [MUSIC PLAYING]
12:39 [MUSIC PLAYING]
12:42 [MUSIC PLAYING]
12:46 [MUSIC PLAYING]
12:49 [MUSIC PLAYING]
12:53 [MUSIC PLAYING]
12:56 [MUSIC PLAYING]
13:00 [MUSIC PLAYING]
13:03 [MUSIC PLAYING]
13:06 [MUSIC PLAYING]
13:10 [MUSIC PLAYING]
13:13 [MUSIC PLAYING]
13:17 [MUSIC PLAYING]
13:20 [MUSIC PLAYING]
13:24 [MUSIC PLAYING]
13:27 [MUSIC PLAYING]
13:31 [MUSIC PLAYING]
13:34 [MUSIC PLAYING]
13:37 [MUSIC PLAYING]
13:44 [MUSIC PLAYING]
13:52 [MUSIC PLAYING]
14:00 [MUSIC PLAYING]
14:03 [MUSIC PLAYING]
14:23 [MUSIC PLAYING]
14:27 [MUSIC PLAYING]
14:31 [MUSIC PLAYING]
14:35 [MUSIC PLAYING]
14:39 [MUSIC PLAYING]
14:42 [MUSIC PLAYING]
14:45 [MUSIC PLAYING]
15:09 [MUSIC PLAYING]
15:12 Hello, and welcome back to Kent Tonight live on KMTV.
15:19 Now, roads have been closed off in Birchington-on-Sea today,
15:22 following a crash that led to a car landing in a tree.
15:25 Nearby roads are currently gridlocked,
15:27 while the fire service and paramedics work at the scene,
15:30 according to reports.
15:32 An SUV smashed into a tree in Kent Gardens
15:35 shortly before 3pm earlier today.
15:38 Traffic specialists in Ricks say the road is partially blocked
15:41 in both directions, with queues currently building
15:44 in both directions too.
15:45 Kent police confirmed that officers are at the scene,
15:47 along with South East Coast Ambulance Service.
15:51 The body shop, which has eight Kent stores,
15:53 has gone into administration, putting 2,000 jobs
15:56 at risk across the country.
15:58 The body shop, which has stores in Ashford, Gillingham,
16:01 Canterbury, and Maidstone, filed a notice
16:03 to appoint administrators late on Monday.
16:06 It comes only weeks after new owners European private equity
16:10 firm Aurelius took control of the business
16:13 after a more than £2 million deal.
16:15 Branches are thought to be staying open, as usual,
16:17 for the time being, while the administrators consider
16:20 options moving forward.
16:24 Rochester Cafe has taken pancake day to the extreme
16:28 in their attempt to break a world record for the number
16:31 of pancakes they can fill with toppings in just one minute.
16:35 The challenge is in support of Friends of Wisdom Hospice,
16:38 a local charity that provides palliative care.
16:41 But did they manage to beat the record of 16?
16:44 Finn McDermott was there for the big event.
16:48 Rochester is a place of history, from the tip of its cathedral
16:51 to the grounds of its castle.
16:53 This pancake day, one cafe is also
16:55 trying to make history for a good cause.
16:57 That history was to attempt to break the record of most
17:00 pancakes filled in one minute, which,
17:02 according to the Guinness World Records website,
17:05 is 16 by German Andrei Althoff in 2018.
17:09 Jaggers Cafe and Restaurant placed the difficult task
17:12 on their employee, Riley, who said
17:14 she wasn't the fastest at filling pancakes,
17:16 but she was the messiest.
17:18 In the small room, you could cut the tension with a spatula.
17:21 The countdown started, and she was off.
17:24 Riley started well, giving each cake a squirt of chocolate
17:27 and a helping of sliced banana.
17:29 But once the fluffy discs had to be folded on the plate,
17:32 her perfectionist side took over, and time ran out.
17:36 She came just short of the record,
17:38 with 14 pancakes filled.
17:40 We spoke to Riley after her attempt.
17:42 I'm a little bit disappointed, but it's all for a good cause.
17:45 So I just want to be back to the final outcome
17:48 of the Guinness World Records, and let
17:50 me go see a parody, which is the main thing.
17:53 And were you nervous before?
17:56 Yeah, very much so.
17:57 And I'll see all the cameras coming in and everything.
17:59 I was like, oh, wow.
18:00 This is a lot.
18:01 But it was fine.
18:02 Everyone's really friendly.
18:05 While she didn't make history today,
18:06 it was what she was fighting or filling for that really
18:09 mattered.
18:10 The Wisdom Hospice provides palliative care,
18:13 which focuses on providing pain relief from symptoms
18:15 of serious illness, and is the only adult hospice
18:18 for Medway and Swale.
18:20 Yeah, it's all about awareness.
18:22 We're a hidden gem, really, any hospice is.
18:25 And it's so important to get our messages out there
18:27 about what we do and how we do it, and in a fun way.
18:30 That's the important thing.
18:31 Making pancakes is fun.
18:32 But the Wisdom Hospice has a very serious job to do.
18:34 We look after people with end of life care diagnosis,
18:37 either at the hospice or in their own homes.
18:40 So any one time, we've got 15 people
18:42 at the inpatient unit at the hospice,
18:44 and up to 400 people at home across Medway and Swale.
18:47 Pancake Day might just be an excuse
18:49 to eat a sweet treat before dinner,
18:51 but today it stood for a lot more.
18:53 Finn McDermid for KNTV.
18:57 Well, they definitely gave it their best shot,
18:58 and it looked like they were having a lot of fun.
19:00 If you're having pancakes this evening,
19:02 do let us know what your favourite topping is.
19:05 Now, don't forget you can also keep up to date
19:06 with all your latest stories across Kent
19:08 by logging on to our website, kntv.co.uk.
19:12 There you'll find all our reports, including this one
19:15 about 49 homes being built in Sittingbourne
19:18 that residents aren't happy with.
19:20 It's only one development,
19:24 but residents here are calling for greater planning controls.
19:29 There's a demand for new homes across Kent and the country,
19:33 but these locals are angry.
19:35 They say that this build has been a nightmare.
19:39 Construction began on the 49 homes here
19:41 around five years ago,
19:43 but for this flight attendant
19:44 who lives opposite that development,
19:47 she's been having to book hotels to avoid the noise.
19:52 It's an absolute nightmare.
19:53 Like, it's costing me a fortune.
19:54 Sometimes it'll be £1,900 a night.
19:57 Obviously, I have to stay at my Gatwick.
19:59 Can't even stay at my own home,
20:00 and sometimes even when I'm coming home from a flight,
20:03 I could have been awake for nearly 24 hours,
20:05 and I can't even go to sleep because of the noise.
20:07 I've had this for two and a half years,
20:09 so it's such a struggle.
20:10 I dread coming home.
20:12 Now the development is nearing completion,
20:15 residents, well, they're still not happy.
20:18 Anne has lived in her home since 1978.
20:21 She welcomed the plans at first,
20:23 but she now claims that the houses behind her home
20:26 are too tall and built in the wrong place.
20:30 Well, they're totally overlooking us now,
20:32 contrary to the local plan,
20:35 which says that you're supposed to consider
20:37 existing neighbours.
20:38 They haven't done that, obviously.
20:41 Oh, well, they won't just see us sitting on the patio.
20:43 I mean, they can look and see us
20:45 sitting on our sofa watching the television.
20:47 They'll probably be able to look and see
20:49 what we've got on our plates when we're having our lunch.
20:52 And from the top of this embankment,
20:53 you can really see how tall these buildings are,
20:57 residents having told me they are 1.8 metres taller
21:01 than they were expected to be on plan.
21:03 A Swale Council spokesperson said
21:05 they are investigating residents' claims,
21:08 and most homes say the buildings themselves
21:10 have not changed in size or height,
21:13 but it's the land level beneath that's changed
21:15 to accommodate vital drainage solutions,
21:18 and they've been built on the sites
21:20 approved in the planning permission.
21:23 It's not clear where new homeowners will be moving in
21:26 and what that will mean for local parking,
21:29 another fear for locals.
21:31 Looking at the plan, parking is going to be a major issue.
21:35 One spot per house is not acceptable,
21:38 so it means overspill out into the clothes,
21:40 which is already overcrowded with cars.
21:44 Sarah Butler, Director of Development and Sales at Moat,
21:47 said, "We want our new homes to have a positive impact
21:50 within their communities,
21:51 so we'll be working closely with residents, local councillors,
21:55 and the planning committee to address
21:57 and resolve any concerns."
22:00 Maybe once the dust settles,
22:02 these neighbours will be able to find peace,
22:04 but many have told us they're planning on setting up.
22:08 Gabriel Morris for KMTV in Sittembole.
22:10 You can find more of that story on Kent Online as well,
22:14 but now it's time to take a look
22:16 at the weather forecast for the next few days.
22:18 (upbeat music)
22:21 Well, it's a mixture of cloudy skies,
22:26 mixed temperatures across the board,
22:28 12 degrees in Chatham with some slight winds.
22:31 That rain will be returning tomorrow morning,
22:34 staying fairly mild and staying quite windy.
22:37 The showers aren't going anywhere though,
22:40 12 degrees down in Tunbridge Wells, 11 on the East Coast,
22:44 and here's the outlook for the rest of the week.
22:46 Staying wet and drizzly, I'm afraid, up until Saturday,
22:49 but still staying cloudy.
22:51 (upbeat music)
22:53 And finally, it's time for your pick of the papers.
23:01 We're taking a look at what's making the headlines
23:03 over at the Kent Messenger.
23:05 From plans for solar panels to be built on a Roman fort,
23:08 to a wholesome appearance on TV from a Twiddle local.
23:11 Ross Stapleton joins me earlier.
23:14 So Ross, tell us a bit about your first story.
23:16 - So a solar farm can cause serious harm to Roman Fort,
23:20 which is pictured there.
23:21 So hundreds of local residents from Sandwich
23:24 and the surrounding areas,
23:25 they're battling to stop a solar farm being built,
23:28 saying it can cause serious harm
23:30 to one of Britain's most important Roman sites,
23:33 Richborough, near Sandwich.
23:35 So it once hosted a huge Roman fort town and amphitheatre,
23:42 and it was the first permanent Roman settlement in Britain.
23:46 So historical.
23:48 And today you can still see the remains of the fortress
23:51 and the amphitheatre.
23:52 And Kent County Council Officer Ben Found,
23:56 he's very concerned,
23:57 warning that the plans could cause serious harm to the fort.
24:01 But then on the flip side, you've got Skatecraft.
24:04 This is Europe's biggest energy company.
24:07 They're behind the bid.
24:09 They're saying that the development
24:10 will contribute to the local national net zero.
24:13 We don't know when the planning committee
24:15 will decide on the development,
24:17 but the internal deadline is 22nd of March.
24:20 - Well, we'll have to see how that one goes.
24:22 And a multi-million pound educational boost for Sheffie.
24:25 What more can you tell us about that one?
24:27 - Yep.
24:28 So plans for a multi-million pound college extension
24:30 have been revealed.
24:31 East Kent College's group have unveiled draft plans
24:35 for one of the three schemes,
24:38 making up to 20 million pound scheme
24:40 to help revive part of the Isle of Sheffie.
24:43 It was put together by Swell Council
24:44 after a successful bid from the government's
24:46 levelling up fund.
24:47 Sheffie's College's extension,
24:50 they were put on display last week.
24:52 They collected feedback before the final plans
24:55 are submitted.
24:56 They're saying it will provide students
24:59 with more places at the facility.
25:02 It'll also expand the curriculum
25:05 in order to give opportunities
25:06 for careers in key industries.
25:09 The extension is just one of a handful of schemes
25:11 that make up Sheerness Revival Project.
25:14 - And your final story is a really sweet story, isn't it?
25:18 - It's a lovely story, as you can see here.
25:19 - Something to do with these two?
25:21 - Yep.
25:22 So Twiddle, local Twiddle, veteran,
25:25 he'll appear on Channel 4's First Date,
25:28 dressed as his hero, Frank Sinatra.
25:30 - Oh, that's so sweet.
25:31 - The 91-year-old veteran, he'll make his TV debut,
25:37 going on a blind date.
25:38 He's a long-term fan of Frank Sinatra.
25:42 He says he's ticked this off his bucket list,
25:44 appearing on Channel 4's First Date.
25:46 He chatted up Iris, as we can see there.
25:49 She's the same age as him.
25:50 He's a pensioner from local Twiddle.
25:53 Sadly, he lost his wife, Louisa, about 30 years ago.
25:58 But he confided in a friend that he'd like to have a go
26:02 at trying his luck for perhaps,
26:04 his words, "final fling at romance."
26:07 After auditioning, the panel were very impressed
26:09 by his charms and musical talent.
26:12 He was sent off to the restaurant in Bath,
26:14 where the show was filmed this year.
26:16 He's since stated that he's wished for years
26:19 to go on the show.
26:20 It was an interesting experience.
26:22 Iris was a lovely lady, and he says he's looking forward
26:25 to watching it on the TV.
26:27 - Oh, brilliant.
26:28 Well, they look happy there,
26:29 so we'll have to see kind of how that date panned out.
26:31 But thanks very much for joining us, Ross.
26:34 That was Ross joining me earlier.
26:35 You can find out more about those stories on Kent Online.
26:39 But for now, that's all we've got time for on Kent Tonight.
26:42 We'll be back at the same time, 5.30 tomorrow,
26:44 with more news made for Kent.
26:46 See you very soon.
26:47 Have a lovely evening.
26:48 (upbeat music)
26:51 (upbeat music)
26:54 (upbeat music)
26:56 (upbeat music)
26:59 you