Mayor's Blog Archive to May 22

Signing of Armed Forces Covenant

As Mayor of Hythe I was delighted and honoured to sign the Armed Forces Covenant on behalf of the Town. Hythe has a long and illustrious history in supporting our Armed Forces which continues to this day.

Armed Forces Covenant 2021

Fundraiser for Winter Shelters in aid of the Rainbow Centre

Empowering guests at the Winter Shelter. Your donations will help the Rainbow Centre provide wrap around services, giving valuable opportunities and experiences to those most in need and supporting them in finding homes, hope and purpose.

All donations welcome at:

Crowdfunding to Empower guests at the Winter Shelter 2020/21 on JustGiving 

What happened to George Floyd in America is absolutely heart-breaking; it has shaken the world and made us unite against hatred.

Millions of people are marching together, online and on foot… and no matter how big or small each anti-racist message is, it counts, it’s a part of a movement that will finally eradicate racism.

There is no place for racism in Hythe or anywhere else in the world; there never has been and there never will be. Enough is enough!

Be proud of being anti-racist… Speak openly about it with your friends, family and neighbours. Educate yourself and then those around you, by listening, watching and reading factual things about black history.

We must acknowledge and accept that attitudes need to change, and we each play a very important role in making this happen.

I’m so proud of our neighbours who made it along to the very peaceful protest in Hythe on Sunday 14th June.  This was organised by Aimee Margott, who is also the UK Engagement Coordinator at The Salvation Army.

Aimee is now working on creating a local network for Hythe & Folkestone which will help to further raise awareness, educate, connect people, and finally stamp out racism in our local communities… Watch this space, this girl’s on fire!

Dont stay silent… Be a part of making history.

#blacklivesmatter

Photocredit to Kent Anti-racism Network

Naomi Slade – Mayor of Hythe

Wow! What an honour this is: to have been elected as the new Mayor of Hythe.

I was born and grew up here and am so proud to call it my home.

I know some people might like me to write a little more about myself, but I’m sure people will get to know me over time.

I feel the most important thing to say right now is echoing off the huge heartfelt thanks that our previous Mayor, Douglas Wade, has given to all those working tirelessly to support our communities locally and nationally, during the Covid-19 crisis.  Where would we be without you?!

The people of Hythe really are amazing. I’ve heard that a crisis brings out the best and worst in people, but I’ve only seen the best!

On that note, just a reminder that it’s never too late to get involved in volunteering at one of our ‘Local Community Support Hubs’, ‘The Salvation Army’, ‘The NHS Volunteer Responders Scheme’ or ‘The Good Samaritans’… (to name just a few). Also, food banks need donations now more than ever, and not just food, but nappies, sanitary items, toiletries and cleaning products.

We all have our parts to play, some can find time to volunteer, others can afford to donate and for some, it’s their time to be supported. The people of Hythe have already done so much, please think twice before passing judgment on others, this crisis has affected everyone differently, and we need to remember we are all in this together.

The current crisis means that I am not able to get out and about to meet people personally, but this will happen in time. Until then, I hope to do more on-line with the Mayor’s blog and Facebook etc.

I really hope everyone is as happy and safe as they can be

Sending love and well wishes to all

Naomi Slade

One thing I have learnt this year as Mayor of Hythe is that Hythe always rises to a crisis.

Look back in History and you’ll see that this is true. This town’s response to any challenge has always been resolute and generous, working with our closest friends in the Cinque Ports and reaching out to help those further afield.

This has proved true again these last few weeks. The people of Hythe have shown courage, discipline, and solidarity in facing up to the Covid-19 pandemic.

At the outset of the pandemic, several Councillors approached me articulating the need for a prompt, rational and coordinated response from Hythe Town Council to the crisis.

Cllr Whybrow then took the lead in putting together this response, meeting with our GPs, Age UK, the Salvation Army, Folkestone and Hythe District Council, Kent County Council, the Rotary Club and representatives of local businesses to set up the Hythe Community Support Hub to ensure that the right services would be provided to everyone in our community who needs them during these difficult times. Every resident over 70 and in high risk groups would be contacted directly. Leaflets informing residents of the Hub’s contact details and services would be delivered to every resident. Volunteers would be recruited, checked, and trained.

To date, all of these objectives have been met. I believe everyone over 70 has now been contacted. My own mother received a call last week from a volunteer enquiring as to her needs and welfare and offering support. She was greatly impressed by this and told me how proud she feels of Hythe.

Over 270 volunteers have already been checked and trained and are now helping residents with meals, shopping, medicines, and emotional support. Many more volunteers have put themselves forward. The Salvation Army has stepped up its food bank provision dramatically.

In the midst of this generous and impressive effort, I must just mention Cleo and Hayley at Age UK who are at the heart of the whole operation, and the Mayor’s Chaplain, Captain Callum McKenna at the Salvation Army who embodies the Sally Army’s wonderful tradition of service to others.

Hythe’s initiative has now been copied by other towns across the region and was the first or one of the first hubs formed nationally. Our local businesses have all contributed greatly – the Stade Court Hotel offering its services from the outset, as well as the Imperial, Waitrose and Sainsbury’s, etc.

Following expressions of concern from a number of residents, I’ve also spoken to the Hythe Business and Tourism Association about the position of our High Street businesses and their chances of surviving the lockdown. HBTA has been supporting all its members to access help and financial support and it seems that we can be hopeful that all our traders will be able to remain in business following the lockdown so that Hythe will not become a ghost town.

One other very heart-warming piece of news is that our wonderful Hythe Twinning Association, despite being unable to meet, has now raised £300 for the Hythe Community Support Hub, £300 for the Salvation Army Food Bank, £200 for the Pilgrims Hospices, and £200 for Talbot House that serves those in need in our twinned town of Poperinge, in Belgium. That kind of generosity in the hour of need will not be forgotten. It shows who your real friends are.

I could mention numerous other associations, businesses and individuals in Hythe making similar contributions – babysitting for the children of nurses, gleaning food for the Food Bank, providing lessons online for students, protecting the victims of domestic abuse…

As for the Hythe Community Support Hub, it has reportedly taken some of the strain off our GPs at this time of exceptional demand, allowing them to concentrate on purely medical matters. That has undoubtedly saved lives in addition to the lives surely saved by the other services the Hub and its volunteers provide free of charge.

And finally, let me pay tribute to our doctors, nurses, carers, paramedics, porters, cleaners, cooks, and all of those working in our NHS. We know they are putting their lives on the line for us. Indeed, several doctors and nurses in our region have already lost their lives through their total dedication to the service of others. We applaud them all every Thursday evening in Hythe – people standing at their front doors, leaning out of windows, celebrating the best of Humanity.

I didn’t expect it to be this way when I was elected as Mayor of Hythe last May. I had far rather this crisis had never arisen. But one thing is for sure – this has shown our Cinque Port of Hythe as it really is – brave, compassionate, generous and resolute.

I imagine we must all be looking on in horror at the events unfolding now in Australia. We think of the people who have lost their lives in the fires, of their families and friends, of the ruined forests and millions of animals lost.

My theme throughout this blog has been the urgency of the Climate and Ecological Emergency that Hythe Town Council has declared. What could possibly bring home that message more clearly than the catastrophe occurring now in Australia?

We all remember the disastrous fires in the Amazon a few months ago. Before that we had the terrible hurricanes destroying lives in the Caribbean and the Philippines.

Climate Breakdown means that extreme weather events will become ever more frequent and more severe as the planet’s atmosphere heats up.

We’ve been relatively lucky here in Hythe so far. We’ve had none of the terrible floods that have hit other parts of England. We are, however, very short of water here in the summers now; our streams and rivers run very low or run dry with disastrous effects on freshwater wildlife. We are also experiencing more frequent and more severe heatwaves with temperatures mounting into the mid-30s in mid-summer and sometimes staying there for days or even weeks, leading to the death or discomfort of some amongst us who are frail or unwell.

Our wildlife here in Hythe is also disappearing. I can personally remember when birds, bats, moths and butterflies were far more abundant here in Hythe. I used to see wasps, hover flies and hedgehogs frequently in my garden – but not any more.

Those who know the seas and rivers around here can attest to similar declines. Hythe used to be famous for its enormous shoals of herring. I’m told that sometimes the sea around here used to “boil” with mackerel. Big cod and codling used to be caught off Hythe. Our streams were full of trout, lampreys, and all manner of fish and eels.

Most serious of all, perhaps, is the issue of sea level rise.

Satellite pictures show the rapid decline of sea ice and land ice in the Arctic over the last 20 years. As the polar ice melts so sea levels rise. Most of Hythe is on a coastal flood plane. 800 years ago the sea came right up to Dental Street. You can still see the boulder outside Centuries at the bottom of Church Hill to which boats used to be moored.

At current rates of global warming, the sea will return to where it was, and higher, within 100 years. Our sea wall will not be able to hold back increasingly severe storm surges. The whole area around Stade Street and St Leonard’s Road will be lost. We won’t be able to defend Hythe, Palmarsh, West Hythe or Seabrook. The entire area will have to be evacuated and abandoned. Imagine the consequences of that on our society.

And this won’t just happen suddenly 100 years from now. If we don’t all act now and fight to cut carbon emissions then we’ll soon see a marked difference, 20, 40, 60 years from now.

At Hythe Town Council we are working to reduce our carbon footprint to zero by 2025. But, of course, that won’t solve the problem on its own. It’s only if we all act together, en masse, that we’ll bring about change in policies and practice. There’s still time to act. But not much.

Our young people here in Hythe know this. I attended a performance of the Lion King at Brockhill College recently with Councillor Graham and the message from the students there could not have been clearer. All the children, teachers and parents who were there that night will remember exactly what the young people were telling us:

Take responsibility. Act now. Before it’s too late…………………………………………………..

A lot has been happening recently in Hythe – the Venetian Fete, Hythe Life Food Festival, the Mayor’s Boot Fair, and Brockhill’s Prize-Giving to mention but a few. And I’m very glad to be able to write that all of them passed off with amazing success.

The Venetian Fete was a triumph of good organisation and good weather this year. The Committee, Volunteers and Participants really did Hythe proud.  Imagine coming to Hythe for this, having lunch in town at one of our restaurants – then taking a trip on the RHDR railway – back for tea and a stroll along the beach – then a spectacular show on the canal with fireworks and a picnic… You would go home deeply impressed at what a marvellous place Hythe is. You would tell all your friends…

Certainly, my guests from the Cinque Ports and from Poperinge in Belgium received the best possible impression of Hythe as a beautiful, friendly, vibrant and well-organised place – and ultimately this really matters because our reputation is what brings the best teachers, doctors, artists, visitors and businesses to Hythe, from which we all benefit.

After that, hard to follow as it was, Hythe Life Food Festival, rated in the Top Ten for the whole country, brought great food from all around the World to the Green for 3 days, along with music, crafts and yet more sunshine.  Large numbers of people attended from near and far, looking from the Green out to West Hythe and Lympne, and up to St Leonard’s and Saltwood… absolutely beautiful and charming, and all with a happy, relaxed atmosphere.

As regards the Mayor’s Boot Fair, also on the Green, I’d just like to say thank you to everyone who came, the stallholders and the volunteers.  It went extremely well with both sellers & buyers very satisfied – and we raised £800 for the Hythe Green Preservation Society which is improving the wooded margins of the Green and planting wildflowers in collaboration with the Bumblebee Conservation Trust.

Finally, the Prize-Giving evening at Brockhill School was by far the best event of its kind I’ve ever attended. We were summoned by real trumpets played by the students; Emily Wrigley gave a performance of Handel’s Eternal Source of Light Divine that was just stunningly good – a really clear, big, pure voice, well-trained and very accurate and expressive.  This was followed by Dance, Choral Music and Drama – all excellent – and video presentations on school trips and the School Farm, showing the many sides to the school.

I have concluded from my own observations this year that Brockhill is now an excellent school with high quality teaching and a very positive learning ethos. I discovered, however, that this secret is now well and truly out – parents are very keen to get their children into Brockhill which is achieving the best academic results of any non-selective school in the region. What struck me, in particular, was how calm and confident the Head Teacher, Mrs Schwartz, seemed on such a big day. She clearly knew that everything was in place and completely trusted her staff and pupils. And she was right – the whole complex event involving lights, sound, performances, video, speeches, & hospitality ran like Swiss clockwork. Amazing but true.

Anyway, I could go on about the wonders of Hythe but this is a blog and not a saga so I’ll hold off now till the next thrilling installment.

Back to Brockhill Park Performing Arts College this evening for the InStep 2019 Gala Evening.  Brockhill College doesn’t just teach and inspire its own students; dancers from 5 secondary schools, 12 primary schools, and various pre-schools and nurseries also learn to dance there under the artistic direction of Jackie Mortimer and her remarkable InStep Dance Company.  This amounts to a very substantial Community Arts programme. When you consider the tens of thousands of hours that must have gone into the organisation, staging, choreography and teaching of an evening like this it becomes truly mind-boggling.  The standard is always very high and the Peter Catmull Theatre has been packed out each time I’ve attended. I notice that the Arts Council of England is supporting the company and that numerous enlightened individuals from Hythe and further afield are also sponsoring it and acting as patrons.

Dance is surely the most essential artistic activity in any culture and what the young people gain from this joyful discipline and dedication must be literally beyond words.

This evening, I was particularly engaged by the wide range of cultural reference in the dance of the 11 different companies who performed. There was a sense of global vision and limitless interplay of influences, ranging from yogic asanas to African American Break Dance to Classical Ballet and Experimental Jazz. The choreography, in particular of the lisanmaayas Company piece, Into Existence, was mesmeric, moving seamlessly from stillness and intensity to sparkling dynamism.

Fall from Form by The Mayakaras was also intricately and inventively conceived, and the complete assurance of Company 1’s Practically Perfect Poppins made Broadway Musical numbers look easy despite the immense complexity of the ensemble choreography.

Once again, the Mayoress and I were thrilled by the energy and excitement of the dance at Brockhill. I would urge anyone reading this to attend one of these performances and to consider sponsoring InStep.

(Instep dance Company is Dance Company in residence at Brockhill Park Performing Arts College and has played a major role in the development of community dance work in the Hythe area for over thirty two years. Past members are currently dancing with the Ballet Boyz , Verve Dance Company, Lila Dance and National Youth Dance Company.© Tony Nandi 2019)

Briefly, I should also mention the progress that Hythe Town Council is now making towards building a sustainable future for all our young people in Hythe and for future generations.  The Climate Emergency working group is now starting work on reducing HTC’s carbon footprint to zero by 2025. This will involve examining all direct and indirect sources of carbon emissions such as heating, lighting and fuel and putting in place measures to change the ways we do things.  In addition, Cllr Hawkins Plastics working group is engaging businesses, schools and other organisations in Hythe to plan for an end to all throwaway plastics in Hythe, and Cllr Martin has decided to double HTC’s carbon offsetting target for this year by applying for another 500 saplings to be planted in Hythe by organisations other than HTC.

On Monday, the work to set up the Hythe Wildlife Trust will begin and as soon as it’s incorporated fundraising will get underway with a view to commissioning expert studies of our ecosystems in Hythe and what we can do to protect and strengthen them.  I know I keep banging on about the Climate and Ecological Crisis facing us but that really is my duty as Mayor as I see it. I stand to be corrected by our local historians but I doubt that previous mayors remained silent for fear of boring everyone when we were faced with the threat of the Spanish Armada, Napoleon, or Mr Hitler.

The current crisis is many orders of magnitude greater than any of those we faced before, or, indeed, than any crisis ever previously faced by Humankind – so I promise to go on and on and on about it till we’ve finally overcome this challenge just as we did all those in the past.

Briefly, I should also mention the progress that Hythe Town Council is now making towards building a sustainable future for all our young people in Hythe and for future generations.  The Climate Emergency working group is now starting work on reducing HTC’s carbon footprint to zero by 2025. This will involve examining all direct and indirect sources of carbon emissions such as heating, lighting and fuel and putting in place measures to change the ways we do things.  In addition, Cllr Hawkins Plastics working group is engaging businesses, schools and other organisations in Hythe to plan for an end to all throwaway plastics in Hythe, and Cllr Martin has decided to double HTC’s carbon offsetting target for this year by applying for another 500 saplings to be planted in Hythe by organisations other than HTC.

On Monday, the work to set up the Hythe Wildlife Trust will begin and as soon as it’s incorporated fundraising will get underway with a view to commissioning expert studies of our ecosystems in Hythe and what we can do to protect and strengthen them.  I know I keep banging on about the Climate and Ecological Crisis facing us but that really is my duty as Mayor as I see it. I stand to be corrected by our local historians but I doubt that previous mayors remained silent for fear of boring everyone when we were faced with the threat of the Spanish Armada, Napoleon, or Mr Hitler.

The current crisis is many orders of magnitude greater than any of those we faced before, or, indeed, than any crisis ever previously faced by Humankind – so I promise to go on and on and on about it till we’ve finally overcome this challenge just as we did all those in the past.

I’ve delayed blogging again until now because I was looking forward to this evening’s Hythe Town Council meeting and, particularly, the debate and decisions on motions relating to the Climate & Ecological Emergency, Reducing Plastic Waste in Hythe, establishing a Hythe Wildlife Trust, and acquiring free saplings from the Woodland Trust to be planted in Hythe this Winter.

And now I’m delighted to be able to report that all these motions were passed in the context of very helpful and positive debate, and that there will also be a Facilitation Day for Councillors with a view to bringing about even more efficient & productive working and better communication in future.

Tonight, then, set out the framework for what I hope we can all achieve together here in Hythe whilst I’m Mayor, and thereafter.

Firstly, there is the very serious recognition of the crisis that we all now face with the prospect of Climate Breakdown and the Mass Extinction of species.

Then there are practical steps to address the crisis locally, such as reducing the Council’s carbon footprint to zero by 2025, planting trees, protecting & enhancing bio diversity & abundance in Hythe in partnership & consultation with all those who want to contribute.

What could possibly be better or more important than that?

I believe Hythe can be a leader on these issues, setting an example to the whole of Kent and further afield. We’ve got the talent here and the resolve – and now we’ve also got an agreed plan.

One group that is already making a big difference in Hythe are the Hythe and District Conservation Volunteers. In the last few months, they’ve been working in the ancient quarry at Eaton Lands, improving paths and steps, clearing invasive species, building bug hotels, and removing large quantities of rubbish.

The results are absolutely stunning, revealing a magical space full of ferns, birdsong, and dappled light.

The wildflower meadow, below, is also wonderful now and well worth a visit, full of butterflies and buzzing with insect life.

Terrifying pictures in the Press today from the Arctic – sea ice seems to be mostly gone now and the ice caps are melting much faster than expected. Melt pools are forming. The methane locked up in the permafrost is being released. Polar bears, who need the sea ice to hunt seals, are heading inland and starving.

If this goes on, we’re going to lose most of Hythe and the whole of Romney Marsh within a few decades. The first sign will be that property will become uninsurable.

We’ve got ten years, apparently, to turn this around. Otherwise, we reach the point of no return and we get runaway climate breakdown.

We really haven’t got the right to inflict that on our grandchildren.

Today was a bin day – meeting at Fishermen’s Beach with Elaine from the Romney Marsh Litter Pickers and Simon Burchell, FHDC’s Contract Management Officer for Waste Management, to discuss dog, er, waste.

People are walking their dogs on the beach, putting the, er, resulting substance in black bags & then dumping it in the winch casings.  (There’s also a litter problem in the same area.)Simon was very helpful – we’ve agreed the best place for a bin (visible both from the car park and from the beach path), and the fishermen were also, unsurprisingly, very supportive.

Then off to the High Street to inspect the bins outside the Tanning Vault and at the bottom of Market Hill which the seagulls are in the habit of raiding, spreading rubbish in all directions. It seems we may need “seagull flaps.”  The bins are also a few years old and need a lick of paint. More work for Simon, coming his way.

Anyway, here’s to Elaine & the litter pickers, giving their time & energy to keep Hythe & our district clean and beautiful – imagine what would happen to your Council Tax if it wasn’t for them.

And as for the people dropping litter and dog, er, matter on the beach…please stop it.