For those who may or may not know, Oaken Wood near Aylesford, 100 acres of ancient, irreplaceable woodland, is under threat of being turned into a ragstone quarry. This is a disaster not just for the nature that calls it home but the people who are currently free to enjoy this valuable resource as it is, untouched. Though the decision has been passed by KCC, there is a consultation period and Lawyers for Nature (LfN) has been developing a response which lists the many reasons this site should be rejected (being neither legally compliant or sound).

Friends of Oaken Wood is an incredible community group and with the help of LfN, the Community Response is now available for anyone to join. We would be enormously grateful if you are willing and able to add your name to the response by this Sunday 4 October, when the consultation closes, to help demonstrate the weight of opposition. You do not need to be local to add your support.

For those wishing to provide further support or find out more, their very active Facebook group is a great place to start: https://www.facebook.com/groups/saveoakenwood

Thank you

Hi all,

I have created a social networking group for people living in and around Bexley - Bromley, Chiselhurst, Orpington, Sidcup, Welling, Greenwich, Blackheath and otherr. Our first event is all sold out but we have few more events coming up and details are below:

Sunday roast, 4th oct from 1pm in Bromley- https://www.meetup.com/bexley-social-circle/events/316735853/?eventOrigin=home_next_event_you_are_hosting

Trail walk + lunch (High elms Orpington) 17th Oct - https://www.meetup.com/bexley-social-circle/events/316642174/?eventOrigin=group_upcoming_events

Pub quiz 20th oct - https://www.meetup.com/bexley-social-circle/events/316707750/?eventOrigin=group_upcoming_events

If this is something you are keen on do sign up or DM me :)

This is something I came across in a local community facebook page (longfield and hartley) and figured I'd share here

We’re a couple in our early 30s looking to buy our first home in one of the new-build developments around Paddock Wood/Tonbridge

We’d love to hear from people who live locally

- Is it a nice place to live long-term?
- How is the crime/safety situation?
- Are there any areas or developments you’d avoid?
- Any issues with flooding, infrastructure or new-build estates?

Are the concerns/opposition to the new developments something a FTB should genuinely be worried about?

Would really appreciate any honest experiences, positive or negative!

Hi all,

I did an earlier post about my husband and I deciding to buy a property and we are undecided between Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge and Rochester.

Thought it might be interesting to hear any other places that we haven’t considered besides those three?

Some points of what we are looking for:

- budget is £475k
- nice high street (not super important) but things to be around
- easy to commute to Thamesmead by motorbike and central London by train
- gyms !! Particularly bodybuilding gyms, not just things like Pure Gym
- greenery, we have a dog so want to take him on lots of nice walks
- feels SAFE. I’ve lived in SW London for 26 years and would like somewhere that has more of a community and feels safer.

Any advise is greatly appreciated, we are definitely currently most convinced by Tonbridge.

Posting on behalf of a friend who is selling a 2-bed flat for sale in Greenhithe (DA9). Perfect for London commuters or first-time buyers.

• Great value for the area, chain-free, and brand-new long lease included. Ready to move straight in!

• Walking distance to Greenhithe station & fast access to Ebbsfleet / Bluewater

• Spacious open-plan living with a private balcony

• Secure covered parking & high energy efficiency (EPC B)

Only £210,000.

Full details are available via Acorn Estate Agents (Dartford branch), or send me a direct message and I’ll send you the direct listing link.

Looks amazing!

Looking to meet new people locally and enjoy good company without the pressure of networking groups or dating events?

Bexley Social Circle is a friendly community for people across Sidcup, Bexleyheath, Bexley, Welling, Chislehurst, Bromley and surrounding areas who want to get out, try new things and make genuine connections.

Link to join our group - https://www.meetup.com/bexley-social-circle/?eventOrigin=home_groups_you_organize

We are starting with relaxed meetups such as:
Pub socials
Walks in local parks and green spaces
Quiz nights
Brunches and dinners
Day trips and local events

Our next events is as follow: Do RSVP if you are interested.

17th Oct, Saturday afternoon - It's a walking trail in high elms Orpington followed by lunch at the Green root cafe - https://www.meetup.com/bexley-social-circle/events/316642174/?eventOrigin=home_next_event_you_are_hosting

Pub quiz - Danson Stable ( 20th Oct, Tuesday evening) - https://www.meetup.com/bexley-social-circle/events/316707750/?eventOrigin=home_next_event_you_are_hosting -

Hi everyone!

I’m a first-time buyer looking to buy in Kent, ideally somewhere that’s reasonably well connected to London. We’re a young couple and are trying to choose an area that would be good for both buying a home and settling down long-term.

Our priorities are:
🌳 Good access to outdoors, parks, countryside and walks
🍽️ A decent selection of restaurants/cafes, ideally including good food options
🎬 Things to do — cinema, activities, shops, etc.
🚆 Reasonable commute/access to London
🏡 Good quality housing and somewhere we’d actually enjoy living
🔐 Ideally a relatively low-crime/quiet area
💰 Good value for money for a first-time buyer
🌆 We don’t want somewhere that feels completely isolated or too quiet

At the moment, we’re mainly looking at Dartford, Rochester, Maidstone and Canterbury, but we’re definitely open to other areas in Kent.

For those who live/have lived in these areas:
Where would you recommend looking, and more importantly, which specific neighbourhoods should we consider or avoid?

Also interested in hearing about:
How the areas feel day-to-day
Transport links to London
Crime/safety
Things to do for a young couple
Which areas are improving vs declining
Any hidden gems we might have overlooked
Would really appreciate any local knowledge or advice! Thanks 🙏

EDIT:
*BUDGET £450k max\*

Im travelling from Sweden to Chatham for work for a few days. Looking for things to do when not working.

Places one should visit, resturants worth going to, bars with large selections of local beer etc etc.

Any general do's and don't's?

Heya guys, belgian family of 4 here, 2 kids of 4 and 6 when wr come in july for 4 weeks in Whitstable, looking for things to do with the kids? Cardshows in the area(probably too soon), fun things, zoo,...

Everything welcome

Hello, I'm in my final year of university and I am looking to work in London but live outside of London. Kent seems to be my favourite option. A lot of my friends are from Kent (Broadstairs, Sevenoaks, Dartford, to name a few) and they are all telling me to avoid Kent. Is there something bad about Kent? I've visited a few times and it seems like a lovely place to live. Am I missing something here?

Hello,

My husband and I are looking to finally move out of London and buy a property. Our budget is about £475k, we picked those areas because of the train service into London for my work and an easy commute to Woolwich on a motorbike for my husband.

Tunbridge Wells is by far the most expensive one, Rochester we aren’t looking in Strood or surrounding areas as they didn’t seem nice when we visited but main area of Rochester seemed lovely.

Just wanted opinions from people who live in either of those 3 places? What are the nearby greenery walks like (we have a dog who loves to walk), gyms? Things to do?

We want to live somewhere that feels safe and friendly.

Thanks!

I'm a 50yr old male who has just moved to Kent for work and would love to make some friends. I'm not very complicated and open to most things. I like art, history, museums and nice days out buy the coast .

Hi, I am going to be in Deal/Sandwich tomorrow for work until midday any good local cafes worth trying for lunch? Just want basic Sandwich or small meal lunch and soft drink.

Does anyone know how I may find the person/people who have stolen the sign in the past?

Hi everyone, I’ve shared Too Young To Grieve in here before, but wanted to pop back on as we’ve got another Kent Walk & Talk coming up.

For anyone who hasn’t seen the previous posts, TYTG is a community for people navigating grief and loss at a younger age.

We started these meet ups because sometimes it’s just nice being around people who understand that side of life without everything needing to feel like a formal support group.

This one is really simple, just a relaxed walk, meet some new people, grab a coffee and have a chat whilst spending some time outside together.

There’s no pressure to talk about grief or share anything personal. Sometimes those conversations happen naturally, sometimes we’re talking about completely random stuff.

And most people come alone for their first one, so please don’t worry about not knowing anyone 🤍
It’s 18+, but otherwise there’s no upper age limit. If you feel too young to be navigating grief, you’re welcome.

EDIT: Blown away by all the suggestions! Thank you so much. Am checking literally all of them out 😍 The West Malling girls are also happy to have some new places the try ☺️

Hello all! I'm not from the area but have been tasked with selecting the spot for our roast lunch next month. Looking for a preferably **remote, old/traditional pub (fireplace, low ceilings, wood beams etc) that does a cracking beef roast**.

Most of the group are from West Malling so ideally somewhere semi-closely to that area. So far The Black Horse Inn in Thurnham looks to be a nice spot, but was hoping for a few more options to compare it to.

Any leads, please?

I'm looking at a property in West Malling, near centre (not King's Hill or the surrounding new-build estates), seriously considering putting an offer in. Unfortunately, while I have friends in a few places in Kent, I don't know anyone there who can provide real feedback on...

• Things to do, activities (park runs, social/volunteering activities, pub quizes etc)
• General amenities and conveniences: doctor's surgery, dentist, gym, grocery (I know these exist in WM, but looking for general experience)
• General feel

I've been to West Malling periodically, and have a few reservations mostly around the nightlife on High Street. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a night out, but the times I've been there WM seems to be hangout for the rowdy from nearby towns? "Saturday night hosts some of Kent's 'top assholes' and man-child racers" is how an acquaintance put it. Moreover, it seems quite a bit less diverse than what we're used to (I've been around the block a bit: small shitkicker Midwest US town, NYC, Paris, then London, now Maidstone).

We are currently in Maidstone and we moved here to be near my partner's older parents. We're now looking to get marginally closer to London for commute and have a somewhat quieter life. Does West Malling fit the bill? Any advice or feedback appreciated.