There are no statistics available for this player Thanks for visiting The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here I know the world loves Iron Maiden but for me it’s those first two albums that have always resonated most with me I remember being a kid and thinking that ‘Number of The Beast’ was a distinct step backwards Times change though and also long gone are the days when you could see Maiden with just a few hundred of your mates for a few quid I’ve seen Paul Di’Anno a few times over the years since and never come away disappointed and this new live release catalogues the show in the summer of 2006 when “Di’Anno was asked if he would like to perform with his German band Phantoms Of The Opera at a city festival in the small Westphalian town of Waltrop – at that time also with Fury In the Slaughterhouse and Sydney Youngblood After initial skepticism about how to get the expected pop and disco fans especially since the two Re-Vision musicians who formed the rhythm foundation of the Phantoms The night went down extremely well and you can hear Di’Anno having fun throughout introducing ‘Murders in The Rue Morgue’ as a song he recorded when he was a member of the Spice Girls – ‘Ugly Spice.’ I love that punky tone he has especially on that song All the Maiden classics of course are here best of which are maybe the final ones ‘Running Free’ and ‘Sanctuary’ which are split by a frenetic cover of Ramones’ ‘Blitzkrieg Rock’ which is a treat in itself and a nice bit of fun And there’s a happy story behind the release of this one: “The show was also completely recorded by producer and FOH man Thomas Mergler he found that the recordings were unusable due to an error by the monitor crew And he managed to save the old recordings with the help of more modern technical possibilities.” What a great rocking way to start the New Year Mondo Generator unveil second single from new album ‘Fuck It’ All This Filth unleash “Drowning” video ahead of upcoming tour   Iron Maiden have announced that they will be marking the 40th anniversary of their self-titled debut album this fall with a unique vinyl release. The group will issue a limited- edition crystal clear 12″ […] As we sat in the media marquee at the Mundi Mundi Bash on pre-festival day, we reflected back on our journey from Perth the previous day – early morning flights, issues with the hire car, […] Now there’s Stoner Rock and there’s Stoner Rock and Orange County’s Albatross Overdrive may well leave the sting of desert sands in the nostrils but they do so much more too. Three albums in ‘Ascendant’ […] If you fancy pairing a trip to a garden with a day out by the sea, then Herne Bay is exactly where you need to head Here you will find the striking Waltrop Gardens sprawling either side of the Central Bandstand this quasi-Victorian sunken garden has a fascinating connection to Germany Waltrop Gardens were named as such in recognition of Herne Bay's connection to the town of Waltrop in Germany Read more: Stunning little-known Kent village once home to the man who made Pimm's Read more: Iconic Kent attraction named among world’s best by visitors Waltrop and Herne Bay were twinned in 1976 and the gardens serve as a monument to this connection as a range of vibrant flowers have bloomed throughout creating a real sight to behold Rated among the top 10 things to do in Herne Bay on TripAdvisor, past guests called it “absolutely stunning” and “a considerable credit to the town.” Take a look around Waltrop Gardens with our photos below. Waltrop Gardens can be found along Herne Bay's seafront, just off the Central Parade, stretching out either side of the Central Bandstand CommentsThe Gardens were built as part a large regeneration of the seafront that took place in 1992 and fast became an iconic feature of the seaside town CommentsWith the summer season in full swing, the gardens are full of blooming plants and flowers, providing a sea of colour to walk amongst CommentsWaltrop Gardens were named as such in recognition of Herne Bay's connection to the town of Waltrop in Germany CommentsWaltrop and Herne Bay were twinned in 1976 and the gardens serve as a monument to this connection CommentsWaltrop Gardens has been rated among the top 10 things to do in Herne Bay by TripAdvisor users, with visitors calling the attraction "well looked after and extremely pleasant to walk through" CommentsOne TripAdvisor reviewer raved: "Well done Herne Bay, these gardens are absolutely stunning and must take considerable effort to maintain. They are a considerable credit to the town and I am sure will bring many more visitors." CommentsThere are plenty of benches dotted around the gardens, providing some great spots to just sit, relax and take in the scenery CommentsThese sunken quasi-Victorian gardens have also seen praise for providing shelter from the wind on gusty days CommentsOpen 24 hours a day, the gardens can be visited all year but truly come to life in the spring and summer CommentsYou can find a sun dial within the gardens which was a gift from Waltrop and designed by the burgermeister Herr Jochen Mungner CommentsIt only takes a short wander around these gardens to see why they have such an impressive reputation CommentsAt the heart of the gardens is a Portland stone fountain gifted to Herne Bay in 1888 by London Alderman Col It originally stood near the clock tower before being relocated into the gardens Experimental Collaborations: Ethnography Through Fieldwork Devices edited by Adolfo Estalella and Tomas Sanchez Criado (published by Berghahn Books in 2018) is a precursor to what we witness today with the heightened focus of interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary research While younger academics are being encouraged to think in these terms and older academics have cemented their space in academia with their focus on singular topics more and more scholars today are embracing working with each other across disciplines This could be attributed to sincerely seeing trends and harvesting the strengths in each other’s scholarly acumen or a more practical reason of one scholar having more access to funds at their institution than the other But this book explores what happens in the field during ethnography: is that a space that can foment unintended collaborative and experimental research practices ‘Fieldwork devices’ has been extended in this volume to include what emerges from creative interventions The chapters describe field engagement in terms of shared modes of doing together which can go as far as being termed as collaboration that may not have been concerted attempts The authors strive to find the appropriate vocabularies to narrate this which is where the “experimental impulse takes central stage within ethnography” (p This volume is illuminating in terms of possibilities given that research grant applications increasingly ask for adaptability or Plan B in methodologies stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic which greatly impacted ethnographic on-site research the ethnographies are largely from across Europe which makes the understanding of the different negotiations across various fields limited the variety and scope of research within this book are fascinating: from “tracing the material and conceptual processes in the ongoing generation of new articulations of air pollution” (Chapter 1) to the language of musical rhythm to juxtapose the ebbs and flows of being on tour with a musical band (Chapter 3) and an ethnography of transcription of interviews of scientists involved in a nuclear project and a context of state secrets and concerns of personal privacy (Chapter 6) The volume argues for the messiness inherent in ethnographic fieldwork and what is defined as parasitical contexts especially when it offers the opportunity for the observed to become epistemic partners Each of the authors describes in detail the relationships developed on the field and the resultant collaborative epistemologies thus bringing to the fore the need to normalise this practice rather than the asymmetric balance between the informant Other and the informed anthropologist the researchers describe how they get involved with the grassroots organisations they are studying wherein they extend their own hands—quite literally—in building structures This surely makes the ethnographic epistemology more rooted than if it were only grounded in observation I wonder about this aloud from the position of asking a core question: the role of academics in society Are we meant to simply report what we see and write them rather ‘objectively’—notwithstanding how problematic that is—or engage and even make use of our knowledge and privileges in stepping in Such porosity allows for research to be more impactful and possibly more intimate and immediate than the mere impact factor of the journal where the research might be published The editors of the book thus lay out the premise of how researchers themselves view such “transgressing of conventions” as a “failure” of their work borrowing from George Marcus’ “ethnographic interaction as complicity” (1997) Tomasz Radowski writes in his chapter on art experiments in rural Poland: “However much collaboration carries within itself that accusation of mixing up proximity and professional distance complicity permits those tensions to remain rather than to be transcended” (p describing his intent for mini-ethnographies of “collaborations between artists and academics which explored the relations between critical art Isaac Marrero-Guillamón finds himself as a participant in the production of what he was studying “I failed to keep up with essentials such as fieldnotes and I wrote for the projects I wanted to study more often than about them” (p Maria Schiller needed the label of “research traineeship” for her to gain access to the bureaucratic spaces This urges one to wonder if vulnerability should be something that only early career researchers need to experience while those who have been fossilised in the discipline could exude blind confidence when venturing into new spaces each of the chapters offers an emic perspective on the subject they are researching while reflecting deeply on the processes that enabled this A few examples: Schiller’s journal extract is an honest reflection of the definition of the relationship between a researcher and an interlocutor especially when sharing notes about one’s personal life; she details her wonderment about the exhaustion of being an ‘alien’ observer even as she is researching ‘sideways’ (Ulf Hannerz Anna Lisa Ramella found that there was no fixed structure or schedule for a music band on tour and upon finding the evolving nature of experimentation with that her “fieldwork experiences conveyed similar struggles and ambiguities to touring itself” (p until she arrived at the conditions to reach a sense of “rhyming together” (p A departure from the rhyming with a tour band is Andrea Gaspar’s framework of “idiotic” encounter one that was loaded with friction; when the realities within the organisation where she was an ethnographer differentiated significantly from what the organisation portrayed of itself With being asked to think more conceptually and thus in the abstract Gaspar shows us the “intellectualization” turn (Naylor and Ball 2005) that took place in the design studio where she was a researcher While her concern was with the “real” effect of objects outside the studio she spells out—almost like a thriller—how the studio was tasked to create a “tablecloth-for-a-concert-with-glasses” for a stylish but lonely man who has lost his job and his girlfriend (p An entire email exchange debates the concept and existential use of a tablecloth and a table and “a tablecloth that changes the use of a table” (p The exchange feels giddy; much more so when we are brought to the anti-climax of this idea winning a prize of EUR 5,000 Gasper details the idiocy arising from the confrontation between embodied disciplinary epistemic differences and offers us a lesson on creativity’s impossibility without difference Karen Waltrop opens her chapter with a Danish journalist’s query about the idea of ‘social control’ among Muslim women living in Copenhagen This becomes significant to what Waltrop asserts—after interfacing with her interlocutors through a photo-diary-turned-exhibition and participant observation—as the need for anthropologists to “subject our moral positions and assumptions to the same kinds of analysis we use on others” She views digital technology devices of cameras smartphones and Facebook in terms of what they make possible Yet another fascinating chapter on constraints is the ethnography of the process of obtaining consent for the publication of transcribed texts of in-depth interviews with scientists and engineers who lived and worked in Obninsk in Russia one of the science cities constructed as part of the Soviet nuclear programme (p The transcriptions were towards an open online archive The interviews were conducted by 12 individuals who came from various disciplines; each brought in their disciplinary perspectives over the standards of transcriptions of the interviews Each of the three authors of the chapter details their encounters with the retired scientists: the chapter thus brings to fore the temporality of projects and its impact on the issues of approval of transcripts of interviews wherein “new and uncertain communicative space [were created] where all the participants constantly need to improvise and compromise” (p calls for the ethnographic processes of experimentation and collaboration as a new configuration of place beyond locality; “as an ongoingly emergent and changing configuration of things and processes” (p Lauding the enthusiasm of the authors for their attempts at reconceptualizing “what is possible and what is acceptable in ethnographic practice” Pink argues for a form of “blended practice” across and with other disciplines that could “reshape each other” (p This would mean going beyond the elbowing for the single-author essays and collaborations not as an afterthought; an anthropology that is “undisciplined” and steeped in experimenting that causes a jolt While recognising the need for conventional long-term fieldwork Pink sees this volume as adding to the corpus of the “new critical revisionist wave” that is underway in anthropological ethnography today (p The era of ethnographic collaborations and experimentations is already manifold in the post-pandemic era of ethnography of the digital If collaboration is key for epistemic purposes there is a need to also make such epistemologies widely available; not merely in the process of how they can be accessed but also in their materiality This volume is an interesting read on the processes of ethnographic experimentation and experimentation even if unintended within one’s own epistemic paradigm Priyanka Borpujari is a PhD researcher at Dublin City University Her research looks at the use of social media by older women and she is exploring collaborative methodologies From the perspective of students of Sociology based in India this crisis raised by the novel coronavirus is consequential for knowledge and how we understand it This blog hopes to be a site to further the sociological consciousness to explore the idea that things may not be quite what they seem to be.We plan to use this space to ‘cultivate’ the sociological imagination We live in strange times – at once connected and at once lonely © 2020 Doing Sociology All Rights Reserved This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Keyport has an impressive collection of U.S Navy-related Cold War artifacts and information but one in particular captured the attention of the Central Intelligence Agency and many Kitsap candidates have already submitted their names for the numerous local seats… One of Washington’s largest skill-building centers saw a massive funding increase this legislative session Melissa Super-Greene has been selected as the next principal of South Kitsap High School today at Magnolia Chapel Funeral Home North with Joe Williams and Brad Adcock officiating Burial will follow in Memory Hill Gardens with Magnolia Chapel Funeral Home North directing Tawana Taylor (Joe) of Tuscaloosa and Tonya Patterson of Dothan; son Todd Fields (Aprile) of Romulus; grandchildren Mackenzie Fields and Maggie Fields; sisters Elizabeth Godbald (Rip) of Camden and Kathleen Watkins (Henry) of Moundville; brothers Eugene Fields (Jean) of Moundville and Bobby Fields (Margaret) of Northport; brother-in-law Jerry Green (Louise) of Tuscaloosa; and numerous nieces and nephews He was a faithful member of Northport Church of Christ Allen’s love for the outdoors was evident through his life He took great pride in maintaining his yard and home He spent many summers in his garden raising vegetables He enjoyed hunting and fishing and will be remembered for his hard work and dedication to his family Honorary pallbearers will be Mary Jo Looser Tim Winkler and special niece and caregiver The family will receive flowers or donations may be made to Northport Church of Christ Photographs by Christian VielerStory by Kyle Almond Perhaps you need a break from all the partisan bickering in Washington Or maybe you’re just tired of tragic news headlines and looking for a reason to smile here you go: Bask in the joyful simplicity of dogs catching treats German photographer Christian Vieler has been snapping these amusing shots since 2013 when he bought a portable flash that allowed him to work with shutter speeds as fast as 1/8000th of a second “To make her move and in order to test the ‘freezing options’ of the flash I started throwing treats at her,” Vieler said Lotte is Christian Vieler’s Labrador retriever They were experimenting with Vieler’s new portable flash in 2013 and the hilarious shots led to a much larger project That inspired him to start his photo series “Dogs Catching Treats,” which has already led to one book — ”Treat!” — and another planned for 2019 “I asked myself: What is the magic behind these photographs I think the expressions of the dogs remind us of well-known feelings like desire And that's what we normally don't see that clear in the faces of our dogs.” Basset hounds Debbie and Quincy look as though they’re performing a duet Vieler photographed Lotte and the dogs of his friends and neighbors But as his photos became more and more popular other people started hiring him to take portraits of their pets Most of the portraits are taken at his studio in Waltrop He wants the dogs to be as comfortable as possible so after meeting them he gives them as much time as they need to make themselves at home I start feeding the dog with his favorite treats to become his best friend for the next 30 minutes,” Vieler said “Once we have our ‘deal,’ I start with low-level flashing.” The freeze frames you see here are taken at the end of a typical portrait shoot — a reward for the dog for keeping still and being a good boy (or girl) Vieler will take about 30-50 of these pictures — one picture for one treat He uses dry treats because they won’t stick to his hand and they’re easier to throw All he needs is a flash with an umbrella behind his back And he said a stressed dog won’t eat treats anyway “and I think the little guy who did it had pain and I touched him at the wrong spot.” the shoots are a breeze and the dogs he works with are almost always on their best behavior “All models behave because I am the guy with the treats,” Vieler jokes a European provider of product development contract manufacturing and cold chain and logistics outsourcing services to the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries to acquire its Animal Health distribution operation in Garching near Munich will supply outsourced logistics services for Intervet's veterinary products to their customers These services will be provided by Nextpharma Logistics via their network of logistics facilities in Bielefeld and Waltrop (Germany) Stockerau (Austria) and San Diego (America) to serve Germany other eastern European countries as well as North America CHEManager Spotlight is an exclusive event tailored for practitioners and decision-makers in the chemical industry This part of our event series delves into the latest trends and innovations in logistics to streamline your operations and drive efficiency Are you ready to elevate your pharmaceutical operations Download our exclusive whitepaper and discover how compliance with Good Distribution Practice (GDP) is essential for the safety and integrity of pharmaceuticals Thanks for visiting ! The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. When chef Thomas Ciszak was growing up in Waltrop it was common to see people buy a whole pickled herring from a street vendor pick it up by the tail and down it in a single gulp “It’s a very typical thing on the street,” he says of that area North Rhine Westphalia.“But as a child I really didn’t like that.” He has come to appreciate the tender texture and tangy-sweet flavor of matjes herring–so much so that it will be the first of seven courses he will serve to 25 guests at his Fork & Cork Global Street Food dinner at Chakra restaurant in Paramus on Thursday that evening brings the first of three lunar eclipses in 2013 But the doings at Chakra will be pretty celestial themselves developed the menu to celebrate the many unique finger foods he has enjoyed in his travels to over 30 countries But inevitably he has transformed each dish into a dining experience worthy of his skills and of the elegant and intimate atmosphere of the restaurant Matjes herring is always made with immature fish that have not yet spawned and is traditionally served with pickled onions Ciszak will stick with finned things as he swims the gathering to England for a variation on classic fish and chips As a 20-year-old culinary exchange student Ciszak was introduced to the crispy fried fish fillets served in a cone of newspaper with fried potatoes and doused with malt vinegar His upscale version will use fingerling potatoes and shrimp instead of fish and will include what he calls shrimp fried mayonnaise an unusual preparation that freezes the mayonnaise before it is breaded and flashed in hot oil Next on the menu: a dirty water dog salutes our own metropolitan area Instead of the classic New York vendor-style boiled hot dog diners will be served a house-made boudin blanc white veal sausage sliced and served in a bowl of black mushroom broth with a brioche bun on the side much as Ciszak did in 2011 when he was invited to an event in New Delhi along with other chefs from around the world “Everybody told me in India to not eat street food,” he says on the 9th hole of a golf course he was playing he couldn’t resist a vendor selling kati rolls The sandwich wrap features a fried-to-order dough cooked with a fried egg and filled with spiced meat and vegetables Ciszak’s version will be made like a ravioli filled with chicken cilantro and quail egg and served in a green sauce Middle Eastern lamb kofte and kebab with cucumbers was his favorite from a trip to Turkey as a 20-year-old “Pretty much the only thing I could afford to eat was street food,” he says Ciszak’s kofte meatballs and lamb loin kebabs will be served with a creamy cucumber tzatziki sauce in the form of a chilled green tea soup with coconut gelee and guava sorbet It is an upscale version of the popular Asian drink served with ‘pearls’ of tapioca sipped through an extra-wide straw Although he learned about the Asian fondness for jellied textures in two trips to Japan it was in New York with his Chinese wife that he first experienced this chewy drink The last stop on this culinary world tour will present a Belgian waffle topped with a scoop of Vietnamese ca phe sua ice cream The ice cream is made with Vietnamese coffee and sweetened condensed milk but I drink the coffee at a place in Flushing,” he explains “Part of why I love New York so much and stay in this country is that diversity Right outside your door you can taste all the different street foods.” Ciszak holds a different Dining Club event every month “I really want [them] to be a little more personal a little bit more off the cuff,” he says of these small events “It keeps me closer to the guests and I can show them that I don’t do just schnitzel.” The 7-course meal is $98 per person and includes wine pairings (cognac with dessert). Click here for the menu and other information. For reservations call 201-556-1530 or email [email protected] SUZANNE ZIMMER LOWERY is a food writer, pastry chef and culinary instructor at a number of New Jersey cooking schools. Find out more about her at suzannelowery.com Read more Soup to Nuts articles and website in this browser for the next time I comment Sign up to our What's On newsletter for a weekly email covering the best of Kent's food Thank you for subscribing!We have more newsletters If I were to ask anyone what Kent is known for alongside our rolling countryside and countless historic landmarks Though littered with many iconic seaside towns it sadly seems not all of our coast is held in high regard The town netted a measly overall destination score of 53 per cent making it the sixth-lowest destination on the list with consistent three star out of five ratings for the assessed qualities including beaches Read more: I tried the new Kent outdoor cinema and learnt one very valuable lesson Read more: Pub in thriving Kent town could be converted into shop or café having spent many an afternoon there with my family while I was growing up I can’t help but agree with the residents on this one So when I saw the results of the survey were once again causing a stir I thought it was time to head back to the seaside town to show just why it might actually be one of Kent’s best From here I had a little wander around the town centre stopping in a few quirky shops along the High Street before I headed to the main seafront With everything on offer from vintage clothes shops and unique collectibles stores to a host of cafes and the odd national chain there are far worse places to visit for a spot of retail therapy In the past I’ve checked out the delicious Boyce’s Bakery for a bite at lunch, as well as the Mr Beano Café on my quest to get to the bottom of its namesake so I can attest to the fact there’s plenty of quality grub to be had Around the time of my visit it was nearing the early afternoon and wanting to make the most of my trip to the beach I felt it was only appropriate to grab some proper seaside chips A quick scan online told me that Fish Inn Two on the High Street is regarded as one of the best chippies in town My luck continued as a fresh batch of chips were being made just when I got there and with my medium portion plus a can of Coke costing a not-too-shabby £5.10 As the sun continued shining gloriously above I knew the only correct place to enjoy my not-so-healthy lunch would be on the beach I parked myself down on the pebbles and really just could not wrap my head around why it had been so poorly rated by Which and honestly could not think of a better way to spend a sunny English afternoon A quintessential British beach if ever there was where I dread to think how much money me and my family spent over the years A stone’s throw away you’ve got cafes and even a mini-golf course plus the third Herne Bay pier which is full of places to grab a bite With all of this on offer, again I’m just left stumped as to how Herne Bay saw such middling reviews for its seafront. In terms of the scenery, the views from the pier are second to none, while the nearby Waltrop Gardens are a real spectacle in the summer I took a good while exploring both of these features during my trip and on this beautiful summer day I could have easily spent my entire afternoon enjoying a drink from the aptly named Beer on the Pier bar My trip was rounded out as all good days by the sea should be with a delicious ice cream - specifically from Scoops which has some incredible choices of flavour Before long it was time for me to head back home and I left loving Herne Bay just as much as I always have I will gladly die on the hill that Herne Bay does not deserve to be deemed Kent’s ‘worst seaside town’ this destination has everything you could ever need for a day by the sea and then some without the manic summer crowds you can expect in Margate and Broadstairs impressive landmarks and beautiful scenery Sometimes you really have to see things for yourself and not just listen to what others think I'm already looking forward to returning Find out more about things to do in Kent with our free What’s On email HERE. Story SavedYou can find this story in  My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right Switch to the dark mode that's kinder on your eyes at night time Switch to the light mode that's kinder on your eyes at day time by 2018-02-12, 5:32 PMupdated 2018-02-12, 5:34 PM He came up with the concept of snapping two dogs catching bites simultaneously and a few Basset Hounds since they aspire to develop into the ultimate good boy “I attempted to grab the faces of dogs while they are trying to catch a deal at midair “My favorite image shows two Basset Hounds looking expectant toward the camera,” he added I’m grateful to have the opportunity to work as an expert dog photographer After shooting Snapshots for four years now More info: 500px, Instagram, Facebook Report Unleash your creativity and share you story with us Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password To use social login you have to agree with the storage and handling of your data by this website Here you'll find all collections you've created before A photographer who is taking the internet by storm with photos of dogs catching treats has revealed the story behind his prized photos from Waltrop in Germany started taking photos of dogs in 2011 as a way of experimenting with shutter speeds But five years and a collection of stunning pictures later the photographer has captured the attention of millions worldwide A video documenting his photos has been shared on Facebook over 500,000 times and has been seen by over 28 million people "The photos happened by accident," he told IBTimes UK "I wanted to do some shutter-speed tests in the studio and was in need of some action in front of my lense I wanted to check how to freeze motion with the flash so I put my dog Lotte in front of the camera "So I started throwing treats to her and it just went from there." he did not realise the gripping results of his photos He said it was only when he stepped back and took some time away from the photos that he realised just how funny the results were I only had an eye on the sharpness of the pictures," he said "I only recognised later how funny Lotte looked I started slowly photographing other dogs and then I shot every client in my studio that way." The pictures seem to capture every aspect of emotion as the dogs are thrown their treats – eyes trained intently on the prize their mouths wide open and the look of elation as they slam their jaws shut around their delicacies "I think the pictures are so fascinating because they are not only pictures of funny looking dogs we can discover very well-known human emotions like pain Since the internet explosion of Vieler's photos, he has quit his job as the editor of a German creative agency to become a full-time pet photographer. His book, Treat is available for pre-order and will be released in 2017 Sign up to our daily newsletter for all the latest Kent stories and breaking news delivered straight to your inbox There is one statue that you will eventually come across on the parade with a fascinating story behind it that perhaps not everyone knows Sitting between the Central Bandstand and Herne Bay Pier overlooking the beach is a bronze statue of a female aviator the statue is actually of fellow aviation legend Amy Johnson who has been described by Atlas Obscura as “one of the most inspirational and influential women of the 20th century.” While her life’s work in aviation made her one of the most famous names in the field having set many long distance records in the 1930s it is the circumstances surrounding her death that continue to spark discussions to this day Amy was born in Kingston upon Hull in 1903 to parents Amy Hodge granddaughter of a Mayor of Hull William Hodge Read more: Kent's answer to Venice where you can glide through history on 'clear waters' Read more: I visited Kent’s 'worst seaside town' and it was so good I didn't want to leave She would be the eldest of three sisters and went on to study at the University of Sheffield graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics After spending time as a secretary in London she was first introduced to flying as a hobby gaining an aviator’s certificate before acquiring a pilot’s A licence in 1929 Johnson took to the skies in a second hand de Havilland DH.60 Gipsy Moth G-AAAH spurring her to name the aircraft Jason after her dad’s business trademark Amy made history as the first woman to fly solo from England to Australia setting off in Jason on May 5 and touching down in Darwin After achieving numerous other impressive feats including being the first pilot to fly from London to Moscow in one day her final world record came in 1936 when she regained her Britain to South Africa record setting off from Gravesend Airport on May 4 Johnson set off alone in an Airspeed Oxford from Prestwick to RAF Kidlington Though the flight was only due to take 90 minutes Johnsons bailed from her plane and the vehicle crashed into the Thames Estuary near Herne Bay four-and-a-half-hours after take-off The body of the 37-year-old was never found Poor weather conditions have been attributed as a possible reason for her being 100 miles off course with the plane wrecking 12 miles off of the Herne Bay coast A rescue was attempted by a convoy of wartime vessels that saw Ms Johnson go down however the heavy sea and harsh winter weather ultimately lead to the rescue proving unsuccessful It has been reported that a number of witnesses believed there was a second body in the water rested on it for a few moments before letting go and being rescued by a lifeboat having been found unconscious due to the intense cold log book and cheque book washed up and were recovered Jump forward to 1999 and it was claimed that rather than the poor weather causing the crash Ms Johnson’s vehicle had been shot down by friendly fire after she failed to give the correct identification code after being sighted The events leading up to Amy Johnson’s death are still largely contested to this day and we may never know for sure exactly what happened in the skies above Herne Bay on January 5 1941 In a monument to her life and achievements a bronze statue of the pilot was unveiled in Herne Bay in 2016 commemorating the 75th anniversary of her death The statue was built by Ramsgate artist Stephen Melton while a second statue was unveiled in Hull in the same year near Johnson’s childhood home The Guardian noted the Amy Johnson bronze among the "best female statues in Britain" murals and monuments to the pilot’s life have been created around the nation the only known fragment of her wrecked plane was won at auction by the Kent Battle of Britain Museum The piece is believed to have come from the plane’s parachute exit door and was purchased for £3,673.60 at Hansons Auctioneers based in Derbyshire It now sits alongside various other aviation relics in the Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA) display at the museum in Hawkinge Get more news from KentLive straight to your inbox for free HERE. Earlier this year, Herne Bay was rated the 'worst seaside town' in Kent by Which? The town only scored a measly 53 per cent on its overall rating and a consistent three stars out of five in every single category it was judged on Living in Kent can be considered a privilege because you are never further than a 30-minute drive from a beach. Many families this summer will choose to visit Herne Bay. The town has always been a popular site for tourists and those looking for a fun beach day Herne Bay has plenty to offer in terms of attractions and key locations a day could be spent here enjoying the scenery Read More: Herne Bay: The town named the 'worst' seaside destination in the county I started my journey around Herne Bay by walking a direct route to the pebbly beach Seeing the vast sea through the cracks of vibrant buildings got me hopeful for the day out salty air felt refreshing in comparison to the bad air I have grown accustomed to inhaling everyday a long line of colourful beach huts sat in front of the concrete paths Dark brown fences in use for beach management appear to be rotting and decaying and litter covers the beach Seaweed and froth entwined lined the border between the sea and land I believe this adds to the charm of an old Kentish town "it gets busier in the afternoon and evening time" and "that's when everybody leaves their rubbish on the beach" The 60-year old agrees it is the worst seaside town in Kent He said: "There aren't enough people looking after the beach and the police don't keep an eye on it enough Robert expresses that the lack of patrolling around the beachfront has led to the decline in attraction to Herne Bay A few sunbathers were scattered about and some families paddling in the sea I sat on the beach for three minutes before feeling entirely uncomfortable How can people lie down on it for hours on end The entrance to the pier seems so promising Small shops selling antiques and bric-à-brac - nothing I would buy Take a short walk along the wooden boards and you will end up amidst a crowd of children dancing along to the actors on a metal pavilion a carousel and a helter-skelter were just a couple of the attractions available While it has a clear demographic for families with children it's hard to say that anyone would be willing to stay for longer than half an hour The view of the previous pier that tragically burned down more than 40 years ago sets a gloom onto the happy-go-lucky pier that currently stands She said: "I prefer Whitstable and Broadstairs for the beaches but this place is still good for a day out It does smell a bit here though and I have a blocked nose from hay fever." this high street was filled to the brim with shops and businesses A lot of these shops were antique or furniture stores like 'The Cosy Cat Cafe' and 'BAYKED' that add a nice quirk to an otherwise mundane high street The Herne Bay high street is not a particularly interesting place apart from that There is no reason to journey all the way out to Herne Bay unless you desperately need to visit a Shoe Zone or Savers a TikToker renowned for reviewing and bashing Kent towns would definitely mention this if he ever decides to visit Herne Bay the paths begin to thin out and then disappear on the outskirts While I am unsure whether it was a design choice The railway station is a long distance away from anywhere worth visiting and it only goes downhill from there we have disagreed with some of the results that Which has released by surveying the worst towns in Kent Herne Bay is lacking a lot that other towns like Broadstairs or Folkestone have The entire town felt like it was clashing aesthetics with itself While I do remain confused as to why the Which reviewers didn't review the town's food life Herne Bay is a rather dull seaside town with not much offer We're on the hunt for the best beach in Kent - and you can vote for your favourite now. Have your say here. In the two or so decades the band has been around Maltese ska-punk band Batteries Not Included (BNI) has firmly established itself as one of the forerunners on the local scene thanks not only to a number of worthy album releases but also to its energetic and unpredictable live performances Apart from playing practically every existing venue on the island BNI has also had the opportunity to perform abroad their most recent being a nine-date tour of Germany that ended last night with a gig alongside German punk act Hausvabot at Berlin’s Koma F followed by a string of dates that included gigs in Dresden The Maltese band performed alongside various German acts among them Berlin punk band Cut My Skin (whose vocalist Patti Pattex also fronts local act R.A.S.) and veteran UK punks The Members whose line-up now also includes The Damned’s drummer Rat Scabies “We were looking forward to this tour who are part of the original 1976 wave of British punk,” guitarist Miguel Debattista said so it was great to meet up with him again.” Debattista said they mostly performed a mixture of tracks off their three albums as well as a couple of new numbers “We also threw in our customised covers of tunes by the likes of Johnny Cash log on to their Facebook page or visit www.myspace.com/bnimalta please register for free or log in to your account.