Nostalgia

Residents and colleagues at Gloucester House care home in Sevenoaks, have celebrated after their Activity Team were nominated for a prestigious award at the 2025 National Activity Providers Association (NAPA) awards ceremony.   [caption id="attachment_15886" align="alignnone" width="506"] Image left to right Bethany Powley, Leigh Leggatt and Nickola Lingham at the Awards ceremony.[/caption]   Leigh Leggatt (Activities Co-ordinator) and Nickola Lingham (Activities Assistant) were announced as being Highly Commended for the ‘Activities Team of the Year Award’ at the 2025 NAPA awards ceremony, which was held in Liverpool. Operated by Greensleeves Care, Gloucester House in Lansdowne Road, is a not-for-profit care home that provides nursing, dementia, and residential

In the heart of Sevenoaks, two much-loved independent businesses have teamed up to give their members something seriously special. Better Body Group, home to the UK’s largest dedicated personal training space, is all about expert-led fitness, while St Julians, a private members' club with over 70 years of history, is the ultimate retreat for relaxation and community. This partnership isn’t just about perks; it’s about bringing people together, supporting local business and redefining what a membership can offer. With fitness and social connection both proven keys to a longer, healthier life, BBG and St Julians are showing how collaboration has enabled

Packed with everything from charming stocking fillers to thoughtful big-ticket items, every item and retailer featured proudly hails from our wonderful Sevenoaks community. Take a look, find some inspiration and let’s make this a season of shopping local!   CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD: The Ultimate Gift Guide For Sevenoaks_2024 Edition   P.S. There's still time to get involved! Simply contact Steph Harrison at steph881@hotmail.com.                     DOWNLOAD THE GIFT GUIDE HERE

  It’s full of fantastic images from Victorian times to the 1980s, and Matt, who runs Sevenoaks History Hub on Facebook, has brought the images to life by using memories from local people throughout.       There are lots of photos that you won’t have seen before, from the High Street and London Road, to Kippington, St John’s and Greatness, as well as Riverhead and Seal. Having written two books on Sevenoaks already, one about the men named on the town war memorial, and a companion book about Sevenoaks during the First World War, Matt started the History Hub during lockdown, initially to remember the

  Reaching 100 years of age is a rare and glorious milestone. In 2022, only 0.03% of the UK population was made up of centenarians. Extraordinarily, Rockdale's Senior Living Village is a place which SIX centenarians call home. 600 years of life – can you imagine the ways they’ve seen the world change and their stories that have unfolded over the century? Last week, we had the opportunity to sit down with Claire, who joined the 100 club in March, at Rockdale House Care Home in Sevenoaks.       What’s the secret to such a long life? Naturally, this was our first question for Claire. We’d already been

Residents at a care home in Hildenborough are enjoy the wind through their hair and the freedom of cycling, thanks to its new passenger bike. The three-wheeled cycle is pedalled by staff at Hyllden Heights on Tonbridge Road, and has a seat at the front plus a seat belt for residents’ safety. It was unveiled at a special launch event at the home where initial rides around the streets offered a taster of the adventures to come.     “I loved it, it was exhilarating!” said resident, Freda Chalis. “I can no longer ride a bike and having this wheelchair-style one means I can

If there’s one thing we’ve learnt over the years, it’s that Sevenoaks is a town brimming with stories - with its rich history, buzzing business hub and remarkable residents. Many journalists spend hours actively seeking out a good scoop. Not in Sevenoaks, everywhere we look there are incredible tales just waiting to be told. Such was the case when we visited Terry Brett, an independent living resident at Rockdale Housing Association. When we caught wind that we had a local sports hero in our midst, we couldn’t wait for the opportunity to immortalise Terry’s words into online print for our community

National figures: 62% are more concerned about the welfare of older relatives and friends in winter compared with other times of the year Nearly 1 in 2 give more assistance to older loved ones during winter, particularly with shopping, social visits and household tasks  Free resources launched as care charity Greensleeves Care advises winter is opportunity to spot for growing care needs and explore longer-term solutions   South East-specific figures: 48% of adults in the South East report that the level of assistance they give to older relatives and friends increases during winter, with 10% saying it ‘significantly increases’ Help with shopping,

Sarah Jane Grant is a personal stylist and shopper and a good friend of ours and the Sevenoaks community. Having overcome a life-changing event, Sarah found fashion and creativity as a way to rebuild her confidence, feel empowered and look after her own wellbeing. Colour analysis is one of her most popular services and she helps men and women to discover the correct colours for them. Now, over to Sarah to tell you more!   Colour has an amazing effect on how we feel and how we project our personality to the outside world. Sarah Jane Grant     Before we dive into colour

  Large keys carrying myth-busting messages are being placed in public spaces in Kent encouraging people to reconsider preconceptions. Campaign comes as new data from leading provider Greensleeves Care shows 93% care home residents are satisfied with their care.   Three care homes in Kent (Lavender Fields in Seal, Gloucester House in Sevenoaks, and Mount Ephraim House in Tunbridge Wells) have launched Keys To Open Minds – a campaign to de-bunk common myths about life in care homes. The team and residents at Lavender Fields, Gloucester House and Mount Ephraim House are going out into the local area, placing keys in landmarks and public