Collision investigators ask: Did you see Tony?

Published February 9, 2012

Officers from the Kent Police Serious Collision Investigation Unit are asking the public for their help in their investigation into the death of pedestrian Tony Raynor.

 

Mr Raynor died following a collision on the A28 Island Road just east of Upstreet at 00.20am on Thursday 10 November 2011.

 

The 50-year-old, who was an avid bingo fan, had last been seen at a bingo hall in Westwood Cross, Margate Road, Broadstairs, at 3.55pm on Wednesday 9 November.

 

Investigating officer PC Guy Ditcher said: “The next time Tony was seen was between 40 minutes and an hour before the collision, when a number of motorists reported seeing him on the A28 to the west of Upstreet, walking towards Thanet.

 

“Following the post mortem examination there is no suggestion that he has had some kind of medical episode or any other reason that may have caused him to become disorientated.

 

“We are keen to hear from anyone who saw Tony in the time between him leaving the  bingo hall and being seen on the A28 so we can piece together his final hours, both for the investigation and for the sake of his family.”

 

Mr Raynor, who lived in Old Park Avenue, Canterbury, was wearing black jeans and a black jacket with the words ‘Santa Pod’ embroidered on the back.

 

Anyone with information should call the Serious Collision Investigation Unit appeal line on 01622 798538.

Appeal for witnesses – Collision in Hales Drive, Canterbury

Published February 7, 2012

Police have renewed an appeal for witnesses after a woman injured in a collision in Canterbury died in hospital yesterday (6 February 2012).

 

The woman, who was aged in her 70s, was a passenger in a silver Nissan Note involved in a collsion on Hales Drive, Canterbury on Wednesday 25 January 2012.

 

Just after 2pm, the car was turning from Manwood Avenue into Hales Drive when it was involved in a minor collision with a pedal cycle and then hit a tree. Two men also in the car and the female cyclist were treated for minor injuries and shock at the scene.

 

Investigating officers are keen to hear from anyone who may have witnessed the collision or who has any information which could assist their investigation and has not already spoken to officers. If you can help, please call the Serious Collision Investigation Unit Witness Appeal line on 01622 798538.

BT Fon / Openzone for BlackBerry

Published February 6, 2012

After years of waiting, BT have today finally launched an app to automatically log a BlackBerry in to BT Fon / Openzone hotspots.

Free and unlimited wifi is offered to all BT home Broadband customers as part of their package, but up until now, it has been only iphone and Android users that have enjoyed ease of connectivity. Finally BlackBerry users are easily able to enjoy all the benefits of over 3.5 million hotspots across the UK.

For more information on BT Fon, go to BT’s site. At the time of writing, this has not been updated to showBlackBerry access.

If you want to download the app, simply search for BT Fon in App World from your BlackBerry

E-fit issued after rogue trader targets pensioner in Whitstable

Published February 3, 2012

Kent Police has issued an e-fit of a man they would like to speak to after a pensioner paid £5,000 in cash for clearance work that was never carried out.

 

The rogue trader called on the woman, who is in her 60s, several times between 1 November 2011 and 12 January 2012, claiming he would clear garden rubbish from the railway land at the bottom of her garden.

 

But the work was never done and police are treating the matter as fraud by false representation.

 

The pensioner, who lives in Whitstable and wishes to remain anonymous, said:

I said to the man, I am a pensioner and I can’t afford anymore but he kept coming back for more. It made me feel very low.”

Sergeant Jason Heather said the man had preyed on a vulnerable victim: “He visited her repeatedly, asking for more money each time, and made excuses every time as to why the work hadn’t been done.

 

“We have carried out house to house enquiries in the area and are liaising with Trading Standards, but are also appealing to anyone who recognises the e-fit or the description to contact us immediately.”

 

The man, who called himself John, is described as having short, black hair, a thin black moustache and a gold tooth. On one occasion he was wearing a three-quarter length duffel coat and carried a red bag.

 

If you recognise the e-fit or have information about the incident call Kent Police on 101 or Kent Crimestoppers in confidence on 0800 555111 quoting crime number ZY/1665/12.

 

Sergeant Heather is also warning Whitstable residents to be on their guard against rogue traders who turn up on their doorsteps touting for business.

 

To try and minimise your risk of employing a rogue trader:

  • Do not deal with doorstep callers offering work on your home or garden.
  • Use reputable traders who are members of Buy with Confidence, Trust a Trader or the Gas Safe Register
  • Ask for quotes in writing and check that the tradesperson is from the company they say they are from
  • Ring more than three traders to get a feel for an average price for the job
  • Remember that traders must give you written notice of your right to seven days cancellation when agreeing to do work at your home, including work gained from a cold call
  • Contact Consumer Direct on 0845 040506 for consumer advice

 

For details of approved traders visit www.buywithconfidence.gov.uk. You can also call Consumer Direct on 08454 040 506 for details of Buy with Confidence, or if you have experienced any problems with rogue traders.

Appeal for information following metal theft

Published February 2, 2012

Kent Police is appealing for information after metal worth more than £400 was stolen from the car park of a Chartham engineering firm.

The two pieces of steel, one shaped like a large Polo mint and the other rectangular, were taken from the premises at Bolts Hill some time between 7pm on 11 January 2012 and 7am the following day.

Officers say the metal was so heavy it would have taken two or three people to lift it. They ask anyone who knows the whereabouts of the two items or who saw anyone acting suspiciously at the site to contact Kent Police on 101 or Kent Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111 quoting crime number ZY/1131/12.

Canterbury from the Bell Harry Tower

Published January 26, 2012
St Georges

St Georges from Bell Harry Tower

I have recently rediscovered some photos I took from the Bell Harry Tower in the early eighties.

 

At the time, I worked with a colleague who was a bellringer at the cathedral, and he kindly arranged for a couple of us to go up to the top of the Bell Harry Tower armed with our cameras. I think it must have been about 1982 or 3, but I am sure if you tried nowadays, the Health and Safety Police would have a fit! I seem to remember that the journey to the top was hard work, but the sights, both internally and externally, worth every single step.

 

The early eighties saw a continuation of development started in the immediate post war years. Many ‘slums’ had been demolished to make way for newer housing and of course, the Ring Road, and new housing estates built on the outskirts of the City. Finally money was available to fill the remaining gaps left by enemy action in the City, especially the St Georges and Whitefriars areas, this time with an eye to the future.

So these photos provide a snapshot in time – pedestrianisation not quite complete, an empty field waiting for Sainsbury’s, and when the main A28 ran through Northgate!

 

There are 16 in total that I have salvaged. Please bear in mind they were taken with a relatively unsophisticated camera by a relatively unsophisticated photographer. Time hasn’t been particularly kind to the photos either, but I have managed to correct the fading and pull out most of the detail. You can click on the pic or find them here.

 

Enjoy!

Naming the Baby

Published January 15, 2012

One of my favourite moments from Only Fools and Horses

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Britain’s first telephone directory

Published January 15, 2012

On 15th January 1880, The Telephone Company Limited published the first telephone directory in Britain.

1880 London Telephone Directory

1880 London Telephone Directory (© BBC)

This first 6 page issue contained the grand total of all 250 (ish) subscribers who were connected to the embryonic telephone network, spread over 11 small exchanges in central London.

In 1880, all calls were connected via the operator – we had to wait until 1912 until the first automatic exchange was installed in Epsom as a trial. This, and the fact that there were so few subscribers, rendered telephone numbers unimportant, so the first directory contained only names and addresses. Callers would simply pick up the phone and ask the operator for connection to their chosen subscriber.

Initially, boys were resposible for operating the system, but they were replaced fairly quickly by women in pursuit of better reliability!

The first edition actually contained Alexander Graham Bell, the man credited with the invention of the telephone, with the first entry being that of John Adam & Co, 11 Pudding Lane in the City of London.

Masterchef Synesthesia

Published December 20, 2011

Greg and John as you have never seen (or heard) them before!

Kent Police seek German Shepherds

Published December 16, 2011

German shepherd pleaCan’t help but think that thay would be better off with dogs

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