Sevenoaks and Dartford strike up a healthy partnership
Sevenoaks and Dartford Councils have entered into a ground breaking partnership that will help save tax payers' money and share expertise and experience.
The neighbouring councils will share an Environmental Health Manager, Annie Littleton, who currently manages the Sevenoaks District Council Team. This arrangement is believed to be the first of its kind anywhere in the country.
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.
See this month's edition for full coverage of the Sevenoaks Literary Celebration
HOW IT ALL BEGAN
Jill Webster, chair of the Sevenoaks Literary Celebration, tells VINE how the annual event got started
Literary festivals have grown like mushrooms around the country over the past ten years, but there are still only two in Kent, of which Sevenoaks is one. Jill Webster chairs a small committee of local booklovers which begins planning each annual event as soon as the last one is over.
‘The actual beginning was in 2002 when Denise Sims telephoned the late John Smedley, the organiser of Sevenoaks Summer Festival, to complain of the lack of literary events. John Smedley asked Denise why she didn’t do something about it. So Denise with one or two other friends organised four or five events. I remember we had Edna Healey and Nigel Nicolson.’ The following year there were 14 literary events during the Summer Festival. ‘I was the coordinator and John Smedley was very formative in supporting us and giving us lots of encouragement.’ Most events were held at Sevenoaks Library and the emphasis was very much on local writers and local groups.
In 2004 the committee decided to become independent of the Summer Festival and launched the Sevenoaks Literary Celebration, with a grant from the Town Council and its own brochure. ‘But we realised we were not getting the audiences that we could, because there were too many conflicting events. So in 2005 we switched the date to September.’
Jill recalls some ‘terrible publicity’ when Jeffrey Archer was invited, provoking headlines about the ‘ex-jailbird peer.’ ‘Since 2004 we’ve managed to have a series of really good novelists such as Hilary Mantel, Penelope Lively, Lionel Shriver and Sarah Waters.’ Penelope Lively is coming back this year for the second time. Jill, who describes herself as a lifelong reading fanatic, says she has learned that literary tastes in Sevenoaks are very diverse. So the committee always tries to find a historian and a biographer, and to put on some kind of event for young people. ‘We have learned that we are fishing in a relatively small pool, though we do get interested people who come from further afield. Most people will come to three or four events.’
This year’s featured local author is Frank Barnard, an expert on the world of the World War II fighter pilot. Once again there’s a literary walk around Weald, followed by readings and tea. For the first time there’s a special event for local book groups with publisher Nicola Beauman, whose distinctive grey-covered imprint Persephone Books has brought back to life the forgotten works of many 20th century women writers. One of them is Winifred Watson, whose novel Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day has just been turned into a film.
Jill is particularly pleased to have secured appearances this year by three authors who should go down well with Sevenoaks readers – Salley Vickers, Selina Hastings and Hester Davenport. ‘Salley Vickers is one of those novelists who became very popular by word of mouth, not because she was being hyped up by the publishers. Miss Garnet’s Angel became an absolute runaway success because so many people and book groups recommended it. She’s a psychoanalyst and a lecturer as well as a novelist, and her new book Where Three Roads Meet is about the Oedipus complex and Freud’s interpretation of it.’
Selina Hastings has written three highly praised literary biographies of Evelyn Waugh, Nancy Mitford and more recently Rosamund Lehmann. ‘The Mitfords remain an object of fascination for readers, and Nancy’s books Love In A Cold Climate and The Pursuit Of Love remain favourites with a lot of people.’ Fanny Burney’s biographer Hester Davenport will be talking about the 18th century diarist and novelist’s time at the court of King George III. Jill is also a Fanny Burney devotee and says: ‘Her diaries are absolutely wonderful and we’re lucky that Hester will be accompanied by actress Karin Fernald, who will read the extracts.’
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.
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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? 
