The best businesses in Sevenoaks are now really easy to find, thanks to Vine's Little Black Book which launched this week. The annual 45,000-circulation 34 page exclusive Sevenoaks directory will be landing on the doormats of Sevenoaks homes everywhere over the coming weeks.
Vine is the new print and digital concept that is
revolutionising the regional magazine market and reaching upmarket
Sevenoaks adults on a scale never before achieved. It all began with
our monthly community lifestyle magazine: 56 full colour pages bursting
with interesting, exciting and intelligent content that people actually
want to read. Our groundbreaking format delivered exceptional success
for our advertisers from day one and we were nominated for two national
awards less than a year from launch.
Vine represents the
perfect antidote to the increasingly downmarket regional titles and in
a world in which many media brands feel as though they were made in a
factory by robots, Vine is hand-crafted by a deeply passionate team who
care about every comma.
When it’s a freezing cold, dark November morning on platform one of Sevenoaks station and you’ve got a £2,000 season ticket in your pocket, the one thing you want is a seat. But hundreds of Sevenoaks commuters are regularly forced to endure the half hour journey into London standing up.
As a magazine committed to covering the big Sevenoaks stories that affect you, this month you’ll find four pages devoted to train travel, buses and the wider transport debate. And because we know you love it so much, we’ve worked in a historical angle too.
On other pages, there are exclusive extracts and beautiful illustrations from local author Christopher Lloyd’s fascinating new book What On Earth Happened?, a 416-page unique volume which covers 13.7 billion years in a single, sweeping narrative. If we succeed in whetting your appetite for more, don’t miss our brilliant reader offer in partnership with Sevenoaks Bookshop on page 26.
Finally, you’ll be pleased to hear that the best businesses in Sevenoaks are now really easy to find thanks to our Little Black Book, the essential guide to the best businesses and services in Sevenoaks and beyond. Some copies of this month’s Vine have a free one inside and it will also be landing on the doormats of 36,000 local homes over the coming weeks. Enjoy the issue...
A look through a batch of historical Sevenoaks images quickly reveals the importance the bicycle once played in our town. All it took was a wicker basket fastened to the front and there it was: the ideal way to go about you business in half the time it took to walk.
Then, of course, along came the motor car, driving away every feeling of quaint simplicity you might associate with a car-free town.
However, the bicycle is by no means extinct. Today, there are hundreds of cyclists in Sevenoaks forced to negotiate our increasingly congested roads and many are frustrated by the lack of cycle lanes and other council initiatives to help them. So in the second instalment of our three-part transport series, John Morrison asks if we’re doing enough to encourage people back onto two wheels (wicker basket not compulsory).
This month also sees our expansion into Edenbridge, where over 1,000 additional copies of Vine will be hitting doormats and shops across the area – welcome.
Elsewhere in this issue, you’ll find Sevenoaks-focused coverage of history, politics, gardens, weddings, interiors, food and drink, books, art and collectables. You can plan your month with our ultimate Sevenoaks what’s on guide from page 40. Plus, we take a look at the pick of halloween and fireworks events nearby.
Don’t forget that Vine is your magazine and we’re always delighted to hear from you. Some of our best and most popular features are born from ideas submitted by you so please get involved.
Finally, remember you can subscribe to Vine if you fancy getting a copy of your favourite Sevenoaks magazine hot off the press every month. Subscriptions are available to buy online, where there’s also over 800 pages of additional interactive coverage.
Shocking new statistics were published last month about the number of cars using Sevenoaks’ roads: 24,000 vehicles are passing through Bat and Ball traffic lights every day, 10,000 through the High Street and 13,600 through Seal. Have our roads reached breaking point?
Beginning a brand new three-part series this month, John Morrison explores the future of transport in Sevenoaks, starting on page 20. As always, we’d love to hear your thoughts and reaction. Are you a pedestrian, a cyclist, a motorist, a rail commuter or a bus traveller? Do you let your children cycle on our local roads, or is it too dangerous? Do you drive a gas-guzzling 4x4 or an eco-friendly vehicle? Do you lie awake at night worrying about the polar bears in the Arctic, or is your carbon footprint the last thing on your mind? Drop us an email or go online to have your say.
Elsewhere this month, we’ve devoted four pages to the Sevenoaks Literary Celebration, now a cultural fixture in the town. We meet best-selling novelist Victoria Hislop, who kicks things off on September 26 followed by appearances from a host of other top names. We also take a look back at famous writers who have a connection with Sevenoaks on page 13.
There’s a five page eduction and university special from page 14, including a guide to local independent schools with advice on making the right choice. And with thousands of people leaving Sevenoaks this month for a life of lectures, booze and ‘new experiences’, we’ve put together a handy guide to surviving the first few weeks at uni on page 18.
Don’t forget, you can now send us videos, pictures and texts from your mobile. We’ll be featuring the best submissions each month online and in the magazine. Got some interesting and exciting Sevenoaks-related material? Type 07757 596144 and hit send.
Vine's editor and publisher, Owen Hunnam, 21, was interviewed on BBC Radio Kent's Andy Garland Show on September 2 2008. Owen chatted at length with Andy about the success of the magazine since launch, our two national award nominations, first birthday in June and future plans for the magazine and brand.
This was Owen's second appearance on the county's premier radio station.
When it’s a freezing cold, dark November morning on platform one of Sevenoaks station and you’ve got a £2,000 season ticket in your pocket, the one thing you want is a seat. But hundreds of Sevenoaks commuters are regularly forced to endure the half hour journey into London standing up.
A look through a batch of historical Sevenoaks images quickly reveals the importance the bicycle once played in our town. All it took was a wicker basket fastened to the front and there it was: the ideal way to go about you business in half the time it took to walk.
Shocking new statistics were published last month about the number of cars using Sevenoaks’ roads: 24,000 vehicles are passing through Bat and Ball traffic lights every day, 10,000 through the High Street and 13,600 through Seal. Have our roads reached breaking point? 
