Hartley News 1997

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Hartley-Kent: 1997 News

Nationally 1997 was the year Labour finally won back power.  It appears though that Conservatives locally were far more likely to get new keys cut - an opinion poll based on the colour of key fobs sold predicted easy wins for the Conservatives in Dartford and Gravesham, but Labour won both on the day.  Meanwhile the county council faced a cash shortage that threatened local services.

There was controversy over just how much people would be charged to park at the new Darent Valley Hospital.   The trust denied that £6 per day would be charged (it's almost that now - in 2006 the cost is £5 per day).

Crime featured in many editions, but people fought back in 1997.  The CCTV at New Ash Green shopping centre was upgraded, and a Hartley couple recovered their stolen dog, after tracking him down to Swanley themselves.

Wear'emouts, the activity centre for children in Ash, opened their doors for the first time in April 1997.

 
Date Paper

Page

Details
9.1.1997 Gravesend Reporter

4

In spite of bomb scare at Longfield Station, Hartley Primary School PTA collect £72 carol singing on December 20th.

 

 

5

Skirts hog the tries
New Ash Green ladies beat men in handicap rugby match, raising £1,000 for cancer charity (Pictures)

23.1.1997

Gravesend Reporter

3

Row erupts over parking charges at new hospital
Sevenoaks Councillor Roland Haigh (New Ash Green) criticises plans at Longfield public meeting.  Trust said it was untrue £6 per day would be charged.

 

 

6

Where will the budget cuts fall
Government cuts mean Kent County Council has to find £79 million of cuts - 10.7% of budget.  Evening and Sunday buses may be withdrawn.  Swanscombe and Horton Kirby Fire Stations may be shut.  Audit said finances were very good in 1996.

30.1.1997

Gravesend Reporter

4

Former police sergeant loses Appeal Court Bid
46 year old man of Poplars Close, New Barn, refused leave to appeal, who was jailed for 7 years in 1996 for acts tending to pervert the course of justice, by obtaining a list of jurors in armed robbery case, and for asking the accused's family for cash to influence the jury.

13.2.1997

Gravesend Reporter

2

KCC budget crisis - New Ash Green Conservative writes to blame it on "wishful thinking, short sightedness, bad management and incompetence by Labour and Liberal Democrat councillors"

 

 

4

Photo man dies at 63
Obituary of Reporter photographer Peter Ebdon of Longfield Avenue, New Barn.

 

 

11

Who's your ideal Valentine date
Picture of Axton Chase School pupils, including those from Hartley, New Ash Green and New Barn.

 

 

22

KCC budget crisis - Conservative MPs promise to reinstate the library hours if they win election.

 

 

Prop

Property
3 bed semi in Carmelite Way on sale with Wards for £107,500

Fairby Cottages (Oast House) on market with Walker Croft and Jarvis for £195,000

20.2.1997

Gravesend Reporter

10

Scouts Gang up for Show
Picture feature

27.2.1997

Gravesend Reporter

4

Charity auction plans to raise cash for computer
Owner of the Talk of the Town club in Dartford is arranging charity auction to raise £3,000 for touch screen computer for 5 year old attending Longfield Centre for Autistic Children (picture)

 

 

6

Small school has big plans
Steephill school has 80 under 9 pupils at present, but will expand to take under 11s.  New classroom in permanent annexe and new playfield (from summer) are planned (photo of building)

6.3.1997

Gravesend Reporter

7

Water organism threat worries parents
New Ash Resident told it was a theoretical possibility.  She said 3 bouts of diarrhoea since she moved there in May.

 13.3.1997

Gravesend Reporter

4

Primary School performance tables

School

English, Maths
Science(%)

Pupils

Special Ed Needs (with/ without statement)

Hartley CP

65, 68, 85

367

1, 66

Our Lady

57, 71, 89

218

0, 49

NAG

73, 59, 75

360

5, 85

Langafel

82, 62, 81

418

14, 99

Fawkham

91, 64, 91

78

1, 13

20.3.1997

Gravesend Reporter

3

Court payment for brain damage boy
£675,000 awarded to 12 year old, formerly of The Old Yews, New Barn, against Gravesend and North Kent Hospital

 

 

 5

School Transport success
Campaign succeeds to get free bus travel for pupils from Southfleet attending Axton Chase school, after 70 yards of New Barn Road without pavement deemed to be dangerous

 

 

9

Bootleg cheat gets jail warning
50 year old retired haulage contractor spared jail due to ill health, for evading customs duties.  Given 2 year conditional discharge.

28.3.1997

Gravesend Reporter

 

Property market (Hartley Estates)
Leslie Cottage, Ash Road (3 bed) £169,500
Greenacre, Ash Road (4 bed) £275,000

 3.4.1997

Gravesend Reporter

9

Wear'em outs
Opening of complex for under 10s at Johnsons Farm, Butchers Lane, Ash (pictures)

10.4.1997

Gravesend Reporter 

2

Lady from Millfield, New Ash Green, tells paper she dislikes tragedies being used for authoritarian measures, like the banning of knives.

 

 

7

Bus driver attacked and robbed by thug
Driver of number 10 bus threatened with screwdriver and robbed, when the bus was at the Ash Road/Castle Hill junction (e-fit of attacker)

17.4.1997

Gravesend Reporter 

3

Second driver is attacked on bus
On 9 April brick was thrown through open window of number 10 bus at New Ash Green, breaking glasses.

24.4.1997

Gravesend Reporter 

3

Tories take lead in key poll
Timsons key cutters poll of key fobs:
Dartford - Con 39.7%, Lab 34.7%, Lib 11.7%, Oth 14.7%
Gravesham - Conservative 10% up
Nationally - Labour 4.7 - 5.5% up.
(both local results were wins for Labour!)

 

 

15

Retirement of paper's reporter, whose first story on 27.4.1957 was about rowdyism after dances in Hartley.

 

 

Prop

Hartley Estates
Timothy House, Ash Road (4 bed) £176,000
Stack Lane (2 year old house, 4 bed) £179,500

1.5.1997

Gravesend Reporter 

8

Candidates for Sevenoaks North East division of Kent County Council (Hartley, New Ash Green) are Kent Tucker, Janet Smale and John Crane

8.5.1997

Gravesend Reporter 

11

Schools win food contract
In house team at Axton Chase one of the few to win dinners contract.

 15.5.1997

Gravesend Reporter

7

Council doubles its CCTV cameras grant
Sevenoaks Council to spend £57,800 on 3 new cameras for New Ash Green shopping centre, to add to the existing 14.  Grant application turned down by government, who accepted Edenbridge and Westerham application.

22.5.1997

Gravesend Reporter 

11

Council sees red over security cost bloomer
Sevenoaks Council error on budget for CCTV means they are heavily in the red, although schemes will still go ahead.  Parties blame each other for blunder.

12.6.1997

Gravesend Reporter 

11

Weed changes rail route and saves local homes
Discovery of only one of 3 colonies of Grey Mouse Ear means CTRL route will be moved nearer Longfield and save Mile End Green and Martins Cottages (picture).

19.6.1997

Gravesend Reporter 

7

Man robbed
Young man robbed of jeans, £15 and Walkman as he walked home near Black Lion.  Attacked by 3 youths who fled down footpath.

 

 

13

CTRL says line moved at Dartford Borough Council's request, and for more reasons than just the weed

26.6.1997

Gravesend Reporter

13

Marriage at Fawkham Church of Castle Hill groom (picture)

3.7.1997

Gravesend Reporter

11

Village fun for hundreds of revellers
Picture feature on Ash Fete.

17.7.1997

Gravesend Reporter

6

We'll miss you miss
Retirement of head of New Ash Green Primary School, since the school was opened in 1981 (picture)

 

 

6

Axton awarded sports honour
Sportsmark award for achievement.

24.7.1997

Gravesend Reporter

11

Marriage of Hartley groom and Longfield bride.

31.7.1997

Gravesend Reporter

9

Beef ban lifted
Manager of Gay Dawn Farm in Fawkham welcomes return of beef to school menu (picture of cattle and one of the farm's owners).

7.8.1997

Gravesend Reporter

3

Paper ship
Scouts doing paper collection from Hemesley's Yard from September

 

 

5

Asbestos fear for families
Asbestos found during £1.5 million improvements to Swan Farm travellers site at Ash.

 

 

7

Youth club gets paint award
Longfield Youth Club with 100 members wins Dulux grant to redecorate social area and mural outside.

14.8.1997

Gravesend Reporter

3

Prowler spotted
In garden at Knights Croft, New Ash Green

21.8.1997

Gravesend Reporter

4

Work starts on new school site
For Swan Valley School, currently at New Ash Green Junior School

28.8.1997

Gravesend Reporter

11

Council notice
Sevenoaks Council withdraw notice from Dalesford, Castle Hill, in connection with taxis.

 

 

Prop

Levens Fox
Carmelite Way - 3 bed det bungalow - £168,500

18.9.1997

Gravesend Reporter

2

Tribute poem to Princess Diana by resident of Capelands, New Ash Green

23.10.1997

Gravesend Reporter

3

Super sleuths find dog 'Smartie'
Hartley family track down their dog to Swanley, after he was taken outside Waitrose in Longfield.

6.11.1997

Gravesend Reporter

3

Man attacked by gang of youths in New Ash Green shopping centre.

13.11.1997

Gravesend Reporter

13

Hartley Primary School Festive Fun
Picture feature

4.12.1997

Gravesend Reporter

2

New Barn resident claims Longfield Conservatives have reached "new low" in bye-election by "scaremongering" about building 400 houses on green belt land

 

 

10

Burglary at Main Road, Longfield

11.12.1997

Gravesend Reporter

3

Fire engulfs car outside school
At Main Road, Longfield (picture)

 

 

10

30 year old from New Ash Green arrested and released without charge in protest at Dover against cheap imports.