6 ways you can support local this lockdown

Six ways to support local without spending a penny.

It’s been a tough year for businesses in general, and with Lockdown 2.0 there’s no sign of things getting easier this year.  Many of us what to shop local and support our fantastic local independent traders through these tough times, but what if you can’t?  

Ideally, spending money on products and services is the best way to keep independent businesses running, but there are many more ways you can help and support your local high street and beyond. 

  1. Recommend. A personal recommendation is without a doubt one of the best ways to support local businesses.  Shoppers who have a personal recommendation are far more likely to buy.
  2. Like social media posts. If you see a local business share a post on social media, give them a like.  This really helps the algorithms and gets the post in front of more potential buyers.  It only takes a split second of your time.
  3. Comment and share.  Commenting and sharing a post really helps get businesses in front of more buyers. The more you can do this, the more it helps.
  4. People often ask for recommendations for services and products online.  Tag a local business and recommend them.
  5. If you had a great service or bought a great product, write a review.  We are too quick to write bad reviews on poor service.  Writing positive review (it doesn’t matter where) not only really helps local businesses to shine and for new customers to be reassured that they are dealing with a trusted, reliable business (plus it feels nice).
  6. If you host a blog, why not write a piece about the your favourite local businesses?  Recommend to your followers that they try them when they can.  The mentioned businesses will most likely share your blog, getting you both in front of new audiences.
Faversham's Most Haunted

Faversham’s most haunted: 4 spooky locations to visit

With Halloween just around the corner, we bring you the definitive guide to Faversham’s most haunted places. Are you brave enough to explore some of them?

Want to hear about ghostly goings on and local hauntings? Here are some of the scariest places in Faversham, Kent, this Halloween…

You’ve probably heard of Pluckley, the Kentish village said to be Britain’s most haunted place.


But think there aren’t some spine-tingling spooks in our very own historic market town of Faversham? Think again. As we come up to Halloween, let’s take a look at some of the town’s most haunted places and their ghostly occupants…

Follow Diana’s Walk in Bysing Wood

If you go into the woods today… you might see a headless ghost. 

For generations, locals have told stories about Diana, a ghost who wanders through Bysing Wood (the wood on the outskirts of Faversham) with her head tucked under one arm.

Legend has it that Diana was the daughter of the family who owned Syndale Manor (now known as the Judd’s Folly Hotel). And her fiance was the son of the vicar of Davington Church.

Every evening after evensong the couple walked from Davington, through Bysing Wood, back to Diana’s home in Syndale.

But one night tragedy struck when they were attacked – and Diana was decapitated.

Although her fiance escaped with minor injuries, shortly that time he was found hanged, close to the place where Diana had met her own grisly end.

Apparently Diana has haunted the woods ever since, and wanders the same route she took all those years ago carrying her head under her arm. That’s why locally we know that route as ‘Diana’s Walk’.

Go Dutch at the Shipwright’s Arms

Fancy popping to a local pub for a Halloween pint – and getting a bit of ghoul-spotting thrown in for free?

As you’d expect from an inn that was built over 300 years ago, the remote and atmospheric Shipwright’s Arms has a few tales to tell.

The pub sits on the Saxon Shore Way at Hollowshore, at the junction of Oare and Faversham creeks, and you can well imagine the days of pirates and smugglers navigating their way past the mud flats at night.

But it’s one sailor in particular – the captain of a Dutch boat in the 19th century – that makes this place a particular haunting hotspot.

Apparently one cold winter’s night his boat ran into trouble on the Swale. And the captain managed to climb to shore across the mudflats, somehow managing to reach the door of the inn. But the landlord had already taken last orders and was worried about letting pirates or smugglers in.

When he did open up the next morning, he found the captain slumped dead in the doorway, having frozen to death overnight.

Fast forward two centuries and customers and staff sometimes talk about the temperature dropping suddenly, as well as strong smells of tobacco and rum.

Some people say they’ve seen a “thick set bearded sailor” with red eyes, dressed in a thick coat and peaked hat – at times even blocking the door. There are also reports of loud knocking on the door in the night, too. Pub goers who’ve had one too many, or a genuinely ghoulish encounter? You decide. 

Take ghost calls at the Fleur de Lis 

Based in the heart of Faversham, the Fleur de Lis Heritage Centre has a lot going on: it holds the tourist information centre, a museum/gallery space and the Faversham Society, too.

Parts of the Fleur de Lis are housed in a 15th century former public house, and as you’d expect there’s more than a bit to delight ghost-hunters.

“The White Lady” is its long-term resident who’s keen to make her presence felt with spectral sightings – and apparently staff sometimes see her standing at the top of the building’s stairs. 

There’s a chance that if she can’t be seen, she wants to be heard. One of the exhibits at the Fleur de Lis is an old-fashioned Strowger telephone exchange, and there are reports that this has rung – even when it’s not connected to any working lines. Perhaps she’ll leave a message and we can get back to her?

 

Brew up spooks at Shepherd Neame

www.shepherdneame.co.uk

Britain’s oldest brewer, the historic Shepherd Neame, is said to be another local haunting hotspot. The company was founded in 1698 and has been brewing on the same site for over 300 years. 

There are tales of a ghostly cat making its way through reception, and an old malt kiln with its own ghostly group of monks who gather to haunt there. It’s rumoured that some staff are too spooked to enter certain rooms or parts of the brewery site.

Given this, it was no surprise that when psychic Derek Acorah came to Faversham to investigate spooky goings on for his TV series “Ghost Towns”, he headed to Britain’s oldest brewer on his visit.

A good way to soak up the atmosphere at Shepherd Neame is with a brewery tour. Although they’re currently suspended due to the pandemic, we hope they’ll be able to resume soon – and until then perhaps you can try one of its Halloween-themed brews, the aptly-named Spooks Ale? 

Find out more

These and many more haunting hotspots are covered in Griselda Cann Musset’s excellent book “Ghost Stories from Faversham”. 

You can also watch the Faversham episode of Derek Acorah’s “Ghost Towns” on YouTube, here

Or, join Liz Jeffery as she takes a spooky walk around Faversham with Medium Tracy May and Radio Faversham‘s Mike Adam’s

Part One

Part Two

Do you have any spine-tingling stories to share from Faversham? Do get in touch and we can add them to our list of the town’s most haunted…

The Great Storm In Faversham

The Great Storm of 1987: memories of the night

How did the Great Storm of 1987 affect Faversham? Local resident Liz Jeffery, a teenager at the time, remembers that wild, windy weekend…

Emmetts Garden, owned by the National Trust, lost 95% of its woodland to gale-force winds. Credit: NATIONAL TRUST

The Great Storm on 15 October 1987 was the worst storm to hit the South East of England for 300 years. 

In just a few hours, hurricane-force winds as strong as 120mph took down an estimated 15 million trees – many that had been standing for centuries. 

Telephone lines went down; water, electricity and gas supplies were cut off; miles of rail and road networks were blocked. The hurricane also had a more tragic consequence, claiming the lives of 18 people in England (several of those in Kent).

Despite it all, the storm also showed a community spirit in Faversham that’s still around, 33 years later. Here are my teenage memories of that fateful night…

No warning of what was to come

Thursday 15th October 1987 had been a typical autumn day. It had been raining for days, and that evening felt dull and dank.

Still, to the teenage me, Faversham Carnival was due to take place that weekend – and so the rain didn’t matter. Walking home from school, the sight of the Forrest Fair setting up on Faversham Rec was enough to lift spirits even more.

That evening was just like any other. I’d have probably called my friends, making plans to meet over the weekend. I’d have probably watched TV, including that now infamous weather report by Michael Fish in which he said: “Earlier on today, apparently, a woman rang the BBC and said she heard there was a hurricane on the way. Well, if you’re watching, don’t worry, there isn’t!”.

And then I’d have gone to bed as normal. Amazingly, given what went on to happen outside, my family and I slept pretty well that night.

That evening was just like any other. I’d have probably called my friends, making plans to meet over the weekend. I’d have probably watched TV, including that now infamous weather report by Michael Fish

And then I’d have gone to bed as normal. Amazingly, given what went on to happen outside, my family and I slept pretty well that night.

Credit: Liz Jeffery – Memories Of Faversham

Early morning

At 5.30am my dad’s alarm clock went off as usual for work. But he only had to look out of the window to see something wasn’t right, and that it would be far too windy to cycle his normal route from Bramley Avenue to his job at BOC Transhield in Oare. 

As he made his way by foot through our estate, he met the milkman on his rounds – and they chatted about how they must be mad working on such a morning. 

Dad says that as he walked along the A2, it felt like trees were falling down all around him. He remembers watching a huge tree fall through the back of a house, its root ball almost as big as the property itself.

Turning the corner down into The Mall, he had roof tiles speeding past his head. Not surprisingly, at this point he decided to turn back for home!

Credit: Liz Jeffery – Memories Of Faversham

Waking up to scenes of devastation

When I woke up, along with the rest of my family, we tried to take stock of what had happened overnight.

Alongside feeling pretty excited about being off school that day, I noticed that our house was one of the lucky ones: the storm had taken off a few roof tiles but had otherwise untouched it.

But out in the garden, the fence was down – as were everyone else’s fences in our road. In fact, standing in the garden we had a clear view to the A2 in one direction, and the railway line in the other.

I also noticed the large leylandii hedge that had stood behind our house. The wind had lifted each individual tree up by its roots and hurled them at least 10m away.

Amazingly, our neighbour’s avary with its precious bird collection had made it through the night – something that our cat must have been disappointed about as it had spent the night on top of it.

Credit: Flickriver.com/ealonian56

Cleaning up Faversham

Venturing out of our street to explore the town in the days afterwards, I noticed the devastation everywhere and it seemed like nowhere was left untouched. It was obvious that the town would face a huge clean up operation in the days and weeks to come.

Walls and fencing were down. Some roofs had no tiles left, and chimneys had collapsed. Windows were broken and so many cars damaged.

The fair they’d been setting up in the Rec for that weekend had ended up in the tennis court area – caravans and all. It was a miracle no one was killed during what must have been a terrifying night.

It was a miracle no one was killed during what must have been a terrifying night.

Credit: Flickriver.com/Ealonian56

Trees, trees everywhere

And of course, there were trees lying everywhere – trees blown down or uprooted everywhere from the small residential streets to the Rec. The most important collection of trees locally – the National Fruit Collection at Brogdale – didn’t escape the devastation, either.

Some fruit trees were blown over, and others ripped from the ground. Although the team at Brogdale were able to pull many back into an upright position, the only way to save some precious varieties was by propagation (growing new plants from a branch or seed). Local records show that it was thanks to specialist expertise that these varieties survived – and Brogdale is still one of the largest fruit collections in the world. 

Faversham community spirit

At home, we had no electricity for several days, and the phone lines were down for a week. Even my school was closed for a few weeks as the gym roof had blown off!

The devastation in the town had caused so much suffering, and it must have been hard for so many local residents – as elsewhere around the south of England and north of France.

Yet as a child with no responsibility, I have to admit I felt such freedom. We had huge fun running through each others’ back gardens, almost like we had a big private park to play in all day. It was a sad day when the adults started putting the fences back up and our playground had gone.

And there was real community spirit, too. We all had a reason to talk to strangers, everyone had a story to tell and everyone in the town offered a helping hand.  

And there was real community spirit, too. We all had a reason to talk to strangers, everyone had a story to tell and everyone in the town offered a helping hand.  

Friends helped other friends fix their cars, board up their windows and clear fallen trees from roads and driveways. The sound of chainsaws echoed around the streets all day, every day.

One neighbour had a gas cooker so cooked for everyone. We had a gas fire in our home so other neighbours without heating would come and warm up.

As we slowly rebuilt our surroundings, that sense of community carried on. And one act of community spirit bears fruit to this day. The trees lining Upper St Ann’s Road didn’t survive the storm, so one local resident replanted them.

Decades later, I can go and collect conkers from these horse chestnut trees with my own children thanks to that act of kindness. It’s the little thoughtful touches like this that makes Faversham such a special community to be part of – even in the toughest times.

Talk like a pirate day

The Pirates Of Faversham

Did you know that the fictional pirate Captain Jack Sparrow was actually based on a real life Faversham pirate?

We kid you not, the trickster captain of the Black Pearl in the massive “Pirates of the Caribbean” film franchise was based on a local Faversham man named John (Jack) Ward.

Jack Ward was born c1553 in Faversham, to an impoverished family. Much of his life was spent working in the local fisheries. He was known locally as an out-and-out wastrel who spent much of his time getting drunk, he would “sit melancholy, speak doggedly … [and] repine at other men’s good fortunes”.

In 1588 Ward found work as a privateer, plundering the Spanish Fleet under licence from Queen Elizabeth I following the Spanish Armada’s failure to invade England.  

Following King James I coming to the English throne, the war with Spain ended and these licences were revoked. However, for Jack and his fellow privateers the rewards had been so large, they refused to give up their livelihoods and continued to plunder Spanish ships.  As such they were considered pirates.

Around 1604, Jack Ward was believed to have been pressed into service aboard a ship named the Lyon’s Whelp.  He wasn’t there long however, as Ward and his colleagues quickly deserted and stole a small 25-ton ship from Portsmouth.  Ward’s comrades elected him Captain and they sailed to the Isle of Wight and captured another ship named the Violet.  And so it came about that Jack and the crew no longer just targeted Spanish ships, now any ships were fair game.

Over the next few years Ward and his crew captured a great many ships, and fitted them out as war ships.  He headed to Tunis which he hoped to make his base.  

Tunis was nominally ruled by a pasha appointed by the Ottoman Sultan in Istanbul but, by the time Ward arrived in 1605, the real power lay in the hands of Uthman Dey, leader of the janissary soldiers (janissaries being the Sultan’s household troops and bodyguards) garrisoned in the city. Wily and ruthless in equal measure, Uthman Dey had created a powerful guild of corsairs, and they preyed on shipping across the Mediterranean. Dey recognised that Ward was a skilled pirate and allowed him to use Tunis as his centre of operations, just so long as he got a share of the loot.

Ward so ingratiated himself with Uthman Dey that he was given a large plot of land in Tunis, where set to work building himself a mansion on a scale and opulence that would have been unthinkable in his native England. One compatriot who visited the place described it as “a very stately house, far more fit for a prince than a pirate”.

From Tunis Ward built a fearsome reputation and went on to capture many vessels from various European States.  In the spring of 1607 Ward took a fleet of four ships and spotted a large Venetian ship named Reniera e Soderina and, after a three hour fire fight, the ship was surrendered to Ward and his men with an alleged haul of £2m.   This led to rumours in London that the Venetian authorities were close to declaring war on England if Ward was not stopped.  The English Ambassador in Venice assured the council Ward would “meet with a warm reception if he comes into these waters”

Eventually, Jack Ward asked to be pardoned by James I of England, this was rejected and he reluctantly had to be given a safe haven in Tunis.  Jack and his entire crew then converted to Islam and Ward was renamed Yusuf Reis, yet was more commonly known as Captain Yusuf Asfur  (Captain Jack Sparrow) due to Jack’s fascination with the small birds in Tunis.

So there you have it, the inspiration behind one of the of the most well known pirates to appear on film, and arguably, one of actor Jonny Depp’s best know characters was based on a local Faversham lad!

Fiver Fest Faversham

Fiver Fest Faversham

We are absolutely delighted to announce that Faversham will be taking part in a nationwide shop local initiative called FIVER FEST, we hope to get as many local businesses involved and help residents and tourists see the wide range of diverse independent businesses Faversham has to offer.

The event will run from the 10th – 24th October 2020, here is a little more about what it is and how you can get involved.

WHAT IS FIVER FEST?

The Fiver Fest is part of a nationwide volunteer-led organisation called Totally Locally which supports small independent businesses to come together to create a more vibrant, stronger and resilient town by encouraging the community to think and act locally. 

Fiver Fest is being organised by InFaversham.co.uk (the website about local businesses for people who shop in Faversham).

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Businesses taking part put on special £5 offers over 2 weeks, to show the diversity and value of what they sell, and to say thank you to the communities that support them.

Businesses come together to support each other, share each others offers, create maps, do trails, work on PR – everything to get people moving around the town, and discovering their local independent shops.

AN OPPORTUNITY…

This is not about just selling £5 things. It’s an opportunity for you to get people through the door who haven’t ever stepped foot in your shop, or who haven’t been for ages. What you do when they get there is up to you.

Don’t worry if you don’t sell a lot of your special offer. It’s not about that (your offer may not be right for everyone). The idea is to get people engaged with the campaign and talking about our local businesses.

£5 OFFERS

Offers should be something with a £5 spend to tie in with the £5 message (don’t use discounts like £5 or 5% off), Businesses not on the high street such as services, fitness etc can offer introductory services to get new clients on board. Make the offer for something brill, not just old stock you are trying to shift.

Don’t worry if you are stuck for ideas, we are here to help, ideas are what we are good at so get in touch and we will help you to find a fantastic £5 offering.

WHAT WILL I GET OUT OF IT?

Apart from a fantastic opportunity to engage and take part in helping to revive the town, you will be part of a National Campaign and get all the promotion, PR, and media opportunities that go with it.  

You will get posters to put in your window, trail maps of all the businesses taking part to giveaway, merchandise (optional purchase) like our lovely tote bags (how about putting together a fab goody bag?) to promote the campaign.  Lots of local media coverage via Faversham Fiver Fest Facebook pages, Instagram and Twitter plus promotion on InFaversham website and Facebook page.  Oh and of course sharing and mentions on everyone else’s social media who takes part and gets involved.  It’ll be a blast.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO BE INVOLVED?

It’s absolutely free* and open to all independent businesses in Faversham. 

WHERE DO I SIGN?

Just fill in your details on the attached form, and return to [email protected] and we’ll do the rest!

We are asking for a voluntary donation of £5 to take part to help cover printing costs.  We stress this is voluntary because we want as many businesses to take part as possible.

Faversham Market Through The Ages

Faversham Market was mentioned in the Doomsday book in (completed in 1086) as one of only 42 places in England that was recorded as having a market.  In 1546 King Henry VIII granted Faversham a Charter of Incorporation, which included the privilege of a market three times per week.  Subsequent monarchs added to this, including the right that a new market town could not be established within the distance it took to drive a herd of sheep to market in one day (approximately 6 miles).  This is still law in England today.

So today, as the market begins to re-open, I thought it would be a good time to reflect on the people who visited Faversham, and some of the major events the market has lived through:

  • 1148 – Faversham’s Benedictine Abbey founded by King Stephen and his wife Queen Matilda.
  • 1170 – Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Becket assassinated.
  • 1252 – Faversham’s earliest charter issued by Henry III. It confirmed a number of rights and privileges enjoyed by the town and clarified its relationship with Dover as its ‘head port’ within the Cinque Ports.
  • 1300 – Magna Carta presented to the Barons and Port of Faversham
  • 1343 – Author of the Canterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer stays at the Maison Dieu complex during his own pilgrimage to Canterbury
  • 1346 – The Plague (Black Death) arrives in England
  • 1360 – Black Prince Stays at the Maison Dieu
  • 1455 – Wars Of The Roses Begins
  • 1527 – Grammar school founded.
  • 1538 – Abbey dissolved by Henry VIII, the rubble was shipped to Pale Of Calais for defences
  • 1551 – Thomas Arden (Controller of Customs & Mayor of Faversham) murdered.   The incident was recorded in the play Arden of Feversham written in 1592.
  • 1553 – Notorious Pirate John Ward is born in Faversham
  • 1560 – Gunpowder industry starts at Home Works.
  • 1564 – Christopher Marlowe is born in Canterbury, his family originate from Ospringe.
  • 1585 – More corn shipped through creek to London than from any other port.
  • 1587 – New grammar school opens, following a charter issued by Queen Elizabeth I in 1576. Faversham lost its previous school when the Abbey was dissolved.
  • 1588 – Faversham was fitting out the Hazard to fight the Spanish Armada. 
  • 1597 – Shakespeare first performs in Faversham
  • 1605 – Guy Fawkes and the gunpowder plot discovered. 
  • 1645 – Joan Walliford, Joan Cariden & Jane Hott, convicted as witches and executed in Faversham
  • 1660 – Charles II visits John Trowts’ house at 23 Court Street following the restoration.
  • 1683 – More wool exported through the Creek than from any English Port.
  • 1688 – King James II’s brief imprisonment in Faversham.
  • 1698 – Shepherd Neame founded
  • 1815 – The Battle Of Waterloo
  • 1838 – The Courtney Riots take place in Dunkirk and Hernhill
  • 1840 – Henry Wreight leaves fortune to town 
  • 1858 – Strood-Faversham railway opens, some of the counties most elaborate Jutish treasures where unearthed in Kingsfield during the building works.
  • 1914 – World War 1 breaks out
  • 1916 – Great Explosion at Uplees: 106 people killed
  • 1917 – Pollock’s Shipyard opens.
  • 1930 – Great Britain wins the coverted Cup of Nations for Roller Hockey in a tournament held at Montreux.  The whole team comes from Faversham, despite Faversham’s roller rink burning down five years earlier.
  • 1939 – Start of World War 2 
  • 1965 – M2 to Medway Towns opened
  • 1974  – Faversham Borough abolished, Faversham absorbed into new Borough of Swale.
  • 1975 – Shipyards close
  • 2020 – Covid-19 sees the market temporarily close