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00:00Hello, good evening and welcome to Kent Tonight, live on KMTV.
00:29I'm Abbey Hook. Here are your top stories on Thursday, the 10th of July.
00:35Investigations continue. Bomb squad find four suspicious devices during search in Hollingbourne.
00:43Charged with espionage. Son of couple detained in Iran hasn't heard from them in six months.
00:50And charging on, young pilots become the first to fly fully electric aircraft across the channel.
01:01But first this evening, at least four suspicious devices have been found at the scene where a man wielding a chainsaw was shot by officers near Maidstone.
01:10The A20 in Hollingbourne is expected to remain closed over the coming days, as Kent Police says searches are due to continue.
01:18Well, Fungmund Dermid has been in the area today.
01:21Ongoing searches in the area of Hollingbourne near Maidstone are set to continue over the coming days,
01:26with an explosive ordnance team tending to at least four suspicious devices in the ongoing investigation.
01:32The searches come after what officials are calling a police incident on Ashford Road near Maidstone on the 7th of July,
01:39where Sean O'Meara was shot as he approached armed police outside his parents' house.
01:43He was carrying a suspected explosive device and a chainsaw while wearing a gas mask and body armour.
01:50He's now in hospital in an induced coma and is said to be suffering from life-changing injuries.
01:55Since then, the A20 at Hollingbourne has been closed and reopened multiple times throughout the week,
02:01with Kent Police saying the A20 would be closed for the rest of the 10th and for several more days past that.
02:08Kent Police's West Divisional Commander Chief Superintendent Neil Loudon said officers are carrying out a very complex investigation.
02:16At this time, there's nothing to suggest there's a wider threat to the Hollingbourne community,
02:20but we have found at least four suspicious devices at the scene and it is important that the area is made safe.
02:26The disruption this is causing to the local community, businesses and users of the A20 is not lost on us
02:32and we're doing everything we can to make sure the area can return to normal as soon as possible
02:36and I'd like to thank the public for their patience and understanding.
02:40The road closures have meant that traffic has been impacted in the local area,
02:44with the village of Hollingbourne particularly affected.
02:46Residents have been sharing videos of large trucks and lorries making their way through the small village streets.
02:52There have also been closures on the M20, with police warning the motorway could shut again.
02:58With the investigations continuing, we'll only know more about what's happened as the police tell us,
03:03but as they say at this time, they've found nothing to suggest any ongoing threat to the local community
03:07and that safety remains their top priority.
03:11Finn McDermid for KMTV in Hollingbourne.
03:13OK, well, Finn joins me in the studio now.
03:17Finn, this story has been dominating the headlines this week.
03:21We've been reporting on it since we first heard that there was a police incident.
03:26What's the latest?
03:27Of course, a lot of disruption to some of Kent's major roads this afternoon.
03:32Yes, absolutely.
03:33And it's, as you say, it's been dominating the headlines, not just here in Kent, but around the country.
03:37The latest we've heard from police is that there are ongoing searches set to continue over the coming days.
03:44So, obviously, originally on the 7th of July, earlier this week, officers attended an address in Ashford Road near Maidstone to conduct an arrest.
03:52During the incident, a man in his 30s was shot by a police officer and taken to hospital.
03:57His condition has now been described as life-changing.
03:59But the very latest, as I said there, is that there's been closures of the A20.
04:04You can see there the police cordon.
04:06That's simply one end of the A20 road.
04:09You can't continue past that point on foot, is what the officers told me.
04:13And it's anticipated, like I said, this will remain closed for the remainder of today and for several more days as investigations continue.
04:21And how has it affected the village and the surrounding area?
04:25Because yourself, going down to the area today, you got stuck on the M20 in traffic for a while.
04:32But how is it affecting the wider village too?
04:34Well, Hollingbourne residents have told me that it's just completely dominating their village.
04:38They have told me that they have bad traffic generally, but this has created days of bad traffic.
04:44You can see there some of those very, very small village roads that these large lorries are having to get through.
04:49Obviously, the M20 is a very key road for getting through the middle of the county.
04:54And they say that it's just completely dominating their entire village, really.
04:59They've had journalists down there trying to get people knocking on doors, just anyone trying to get any sort of information out of the local area.
05:06And it's like you mentioned, I was actually stuck on the M20 as I was heading down to Hollingbourne, which was quite interesting.
05:12It was about half an hour in the sun, met loads of people coming out of their cars,
05:16asking what's happening until slowly we started to realise that this is part of the investigations.
05:21Obviously, slightly confusing there since there was also a lorry fire, but I do believe it was also because of the investigations.
05:27OK, and this is going to be going on for a number of days now.
05:30This is, of course, the third closure that we've seen of the A20 when the initial incident happened.
05:35Yesterday, when we had a reporter down there, which we were reporting on live in Kent tonight, last night.
05:42And then again this morning, we were told it was reopened at 10am by 12, closed again for these searches.
05:48And now we know it's going to be the same picture for the coming days.
05:51Yes, that's correct.
05:52It's going to be the next few days as those investigations continue and as the explosive ordnance team continues to attend.
05:59It's as you say.
05:59OK, Finn, thank you very much for those details.
06:04Next this evening, a man from Folkestone says he hasn't heard from his mum and stepdad in six months after they were detained and charged with spying in Iran.
06:15Lindsay and Craig Foreman were on a motorbike touring trip of the world when they were arrested in January and charged with espionage, which the family denies.
06:24The UK Foreign Office is working directly with the Iranian authorities, but Joe and his siblings say their parents were just tourists, talking to locals and enjoying different cultures.
06:37Here we are in the depths of the Armenian countryside.
06:43What was a bucket list trip of dreams that quickly turned into a nightmare when they were detained by Iranian authorities and charged with espionage.
06:56Described as adventurers by their family, Lindsay and Craig Foreman were travelling across the world on motorbikes, documenting their travels on social media.
07:06This was their last post on the 28th of December last year.
07:10Lots and lots of cats.
07:13There is our little cabin with all our cats in the river.
07:17Since then, since January, they've been working with the Foreign Office to get them home.
07:23It was panic. It was daunting. It was not knowing what was going to happen.
07:29You take your emotions as a family. You've got to amplify it by a hundredfold, right?
07:35They're in a country. They must have some notion as to what's going on.
07:39I don't know how much notion they know or what they know, but they must have an understanding that, you know, their countries were at war.
07:46It's unimaginable. You know, I honestly can't think what that must be like.
07:52It's hard to put yourself in those shoes because you can try and have an understanding.
07:56But unless you're actually living, being there through it, yeah, it's a tough one to think about.
08:02Try not to think about it too much because, you know, I don't think that that helps.
08:07But obviously it adds that urgency because they can't be having a pleasant time.
08:13A spokesman for Iran's judiciary said in February the couple had entered the country under the guise of tourists
08:20and gathered information in several parts of the country.
08:24The UK Foreign Office does advise against all travel to Iran,
08:29saying British nationals are at significant risk of arrest, questioning or detention.
08:34It adds that even just having a British passport can be reason enough for the Iranian authorities to detain you.
08:43They did everything possible. They had the visa. They were allowed into the country.
08:47They had a guide. They stayed on main roads. They followed every single bit of advice they could.
08:52And whilst they were there, they did nothing but commend the country.
08:55They couldn't believe how beautiful it was, how nice the people were.
08:58But as of today, the UK has been warned of a rising and unpredictable threat from Iran.
09:03Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee says the government must do more to counter the national security threat here.
09:12For families like Lindsay and Craig's, all they can do is hope for a safe return.
09:18And soon.
09:20Abbey Hook for KMTV.
09:21And more on that story over on Kent Online.
09:28Now, reform leaders have announced an office repopulation plan for Kent County Council offices,
09:34pledging to bring back 500 members of staff after many have been working from home.
09:39They say this is an immediate plan that all Maidstone-based staff will be moving in Sessions House at County Hall from August.
09:46But for more on this story, Kristen Hawthorne joins me now.
09:50Kristen, tell us exactly what the plans are.
09:52500 staff, that's a lot of people coming back at once.
09:56Yes, so this comes from their new Department of Local Government Efficiency,
10:01which we've talked about before, DOGE.
10:04They basically said that their plan was to bring in staff back into the office
10:09because a lot of people since COVID have been working from home.
10:13They say that this could save around 14 million just by moving the Maidstone-based staff into Sessions House,
10:23which was planned to be sold later in the year.
10:28That's no longer happening.
10:29And like I've just said, all the Maidstone-based staff will be moving in.
10:32And this is part of their plan to say no more borrowing as part of their plan to cut debts and bring back money.
10:42And where else do they plan to make savings?
10:44So this is where some debates have come in with them and the Green Party.
10:49Their other savings include cancelling green property upgrades.
10:53They say saving 32 million over four years.
10:58They also are proposing plans to scrap electric council vehicles, saving 7.5 million by 2030.
11:07And councillors are taking a 5% pay cut, saving over 200,000.
11:13So due to the non-ecological decisions to cut electric council vehicles,
11:24this is why there's been some debates with them and the Green Party.
11:27OK, Kristen, thank you very much for those details.
11:29More on that story over on Kent Online as well.
11:34All right, now it's time for a very short break, but don't go away.
11:36As coming up, we'll be talking with a squad of young French pilots
11:40who arrived at Rochester Airport after becoming the first to fly an electric aircraft across the channel.
11:47That and more after this short break.
11:48I'll see you there.
17:21historic.
17:25My name is Karl-No room.
17:27He was here.
17:31Even I can see you now there's the time as high as possible with the aeroplane and we decided
17:32that maybe we could take it to another level and go as far as possible with this
17:34aircraft.
17:35which we did yesterday actually. It was an amazing experience.
17:39Next up now is landing in Gatwick which is also quite a big thing.
17:43Their plane, the Papestral Velis Electro, is the first fully electric type
17:47certified aircraft
17:49meaning it's the only which has been truly given the go-ahead from aviation
17:53authorities to take to our skies.
17:55So I'm lucky enough to have been able to sit inside the Papestral Velis Electro.
17:58I must say it's a lot more space here than I thought it would be.
18:01That being said with a co-pilot next to me we'd very much be shoulder to shoulder
18:05and we'd be able to hear each other too because being an electric aircraft
18:09it's a lot quieter than a conventional, just 60 decibels when you're up in the air.
18:13You can hear the sound of the propeller with the wind
18:17so this is not completely noiseless but
18:21the reduction is 80 percent less compared to a normal airplane so
18:27you could just take off the headset and then talk to your
18:31friend sitting beside you so this is the massive difference.
18:35The idea, the full idea is indeed to convey the advances of electric aviation to all ages.
18:43You know the aviation sector is still something that kids can dream of
18:47and think of having a job in the future as an airline pilot
18:50maybe in an electric plane one day or all sorts of energy.
18:53The Velis Electro has an endurance of around 50 minutes plus some reserves
18:58meaning it's a perfect choice for pilot training
19:01but without more airports like Rochester offering the facilities to recharge
19:05it's limited in how far it can travel for now.
19:08Every pilot learning to fly, whether they're going to be fast jets, airline pilots
19:12or just a conventional pilot enjoying their aircraft
19:15puts approximately five and a half tonne of CO2 into the atmosphere.
19:18If we can address that with not just the emissions
19:22but also noise pollution on airfields especially at weekends etc.
19:26this aircraft does it.
19:28After a milestone landing at Gatwick
19:30the team are now on their way back to France
19:32where they hope to continue flying the Velis
19:34and inspiring the next generation of pilots.
19:37Bartholomew Hall for KMTV in Rochester.
19:48You could even say a flying success.
19:50Now don't forget you can keep up to date with all your latest stories
19:53across Kent over on our website.
19:55It's of course KMTV.co.uk there you'll find all our reports
19:58including this one about the national tug of war championships in Tunbridge.
20:03Two teams pick up the rope but only one of them can put it down as the winner.
20:24Some call it a game and you might have seen it at your local sports day
20:27but this isn't child's play it's a battle and that's why they call it tug of war.
20:32Grit, grip, strength and steadiness were all on show
20:36but it was the team's stamina that was tested under the sweltering sun
20:40for the national championships in Tunbridge
20:42which saw more than a hundred teams battling it out for the ultimate prize.
20:46So the winning teams with the weights will go on to represent England
20:51at the world championships in September in Nottingham
20:56which England are hosting.
20:58We've got teams from all over the country
21:00from Cumbria, from Devon as well as the local team Oxley-Vines Cross
21:04who are based on the Kent and Sussex borders.
21:07And they land just on the Sussex side of that border
21:11meaning there was no official Kent team at the tournament.
21:14Despite this they were tipped as the favourites
21:16but lost out in the finals to ANSI.
21:18Months of solid training, gone into it and everyone's put their whole, every bit in.
21:23Awesome.
21:24We've never won anything before, we've never represented at the world championships
21:28to do this, it's like we're just a young group of friends getting together doing something we enjoy, it's amazing.
21:33And there was more finals drama as over in the women's bracket
21:36Melton Mowbray took the gold from Bedford Ladies in the Midlands Derby
21:40and added a trip to Nottingham for a chance at the world title
21:43on top of their busy international schedule.
21:46I'm so happy I feel like I could fight my Tyson.
21:49This is what we've trained all year for
21:52this is the weight that we're representing Great Britain in in China
21:55so if we lost it here we'd probably get a headstand
21:58but it's just incredible to win it here
22:00and then know we're going to China in August and compete there at the same weight.
22:04But, unlike the weather, the state of the sport isn't all sunshine and rainbows
22:09with less teams participating than in tug-of-war's glory days.
22:12It's mainly a traditionally rural sport to be fair.
22:15There used to be a lot more teams around this area today
22:17but obviously all of those have gone over time
22:20so the sort of traditional teams, a lot of the successful teams
22:24try and keep going to keep winning
22:26so that's how a lot of teams stay involved in the sport
22:29but we would like more to get involved.
22:31And for those who did and won
22:33they'll go from competing in a field in Tunbridge
22:35to getting a chance at the world championship title.
22:38Finn McDermid for KMTV.
22:43And it looks like it'll be just as warm as it was then for the coming days.
22:47We're still facing a heat health alert.
22:49It's in place until the 15th of July.
22:51The Met Office says that some areas could reach around 30 degrees.
22:55Well, with that being said, let's have a quick look at the forecast where you are.
22:58This evening, clear skies across the county.
23:07Temperatures between 16 and 20 up in Dartford.
23:10Low wind by the coast picking up ever so slightly tomorrow morning.
23:13Temperatures rising to 22 degrees in most parts of the county there.
23:17Warming up into the afternoon as well.
23:19Dartford, 29 degrees.
23:21The same in Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells.
23:2323 by the coast.
23:25Here's your picture for the weekend.
23:27Some cloud expected on Sunday.
23:29Monday much of the same.
23:31Highs of 27 degrees going into next week.
23:42Next this evening, a school in Longfield has just celebrated its 90th anniversary.
23:46Steephill Independent has been standing since 1935
23:49and has survived through significant historical events such as the Second World War.
23:54The celebrations welcomed pupils and teachers both past and present to commemorate this milestone on the school grounds.
24:00Our reporter Henry Luck has more.
24:02The Steephill School is celebrating its 90th anniversary with pupils and teachers past and present coming together to celebrate the occasion.
24:12Founded in 1939 by Ellen Bignold, the Independent School is celebrating its long history even surviving the Second World War where it sheltered pupils.
24:25I think Miss Bignold would be hugely proud of what the school has achieved.
24:29It's grown significantly since she started the school.
24:33Whilst we still remain to the core of the values that Miss Bignold instilled in the school when it was founded,
24:39we're very proud that we have our own values today to carry on the great legacy that she began.
24:44Some of those who attended the school are now staff and reminisced on their days of gardening, lessons and fish finger lunches.
24:54Well it's a really impressive thing and a really enjoyable day to be here to celebrate with everybody here at Steephill.
25:01I was a pupil here in the 1990s and it's very much a privilege for me to now be a governor at the school,
25:09to be able to see the school continue to succeed in everything that it does.
25:13Some of the retired and current members of staff even had the honour of having some of the classrooms named after them with new flats.
25:23We knew nothing about it and it's been a lovely, a really lovely surprise to find out that we're being honoured in this way
25:30because we've given our time obviously all for nothing for the last 30 odd years, 35 years as governors so yes.
25:39They kept it a good secret because we're all on the board of governors and we've been discussing this at various meetings
25:45and we never got any idea.
25:48I'm extremely proud, look at that Mrs. Smithbrook, art and detail, very very proud.
25:56Now Steephill's school was originally going to close following the passing of its then headmaster Ellen Bignold
26:03but a group of parents who didn't want to see it closed formed a group to buy the school from Bignold's hair
26:09and it's because of their intervention that Steephill's school is still around and celebrating its 90th anniversary today.
26:18Hopefully Steephill will continue to educate for another 90 years and keep the spirit of Ellen Bignold proud.
26:27Henry Luck became TV in Longfield.
26:33Time for a short break now but coming up we'll hear more from Joe Bennett,
26:36the son of a couple detained in Iran for more than six months charged with espionage.
26:42He's working with the UK officials who are in turn working with the Iranian authorities.
26:47He just wants to see his parents return home safe.
26:50See you in a few minutes with that interview.
26:52We'll see you next time.
27:22Bye.
27:23Bye.
27:52Bye.
27:53Bye.
28:22Bye.
28:23Bye.
28:52Bye.
28:53Bye.
29:22Bye.
29:23Bye.
29:52Bye.
29:53Bye.
29:55Bye.
29:56Sunderland
30:02Hello and welcome back to Kent Tonight Live on KMtv.
30:13Here's a reminder of your headlines on Thursday 10th July.
30:19july investigations continue bomb squad find four suspicious devices during search in hollingbourne
30:28charged with espionage son of couple detained in iran haven't heard from them in six months
30:38and charging on young pilots become the first to fly fully electric aircraft across the channel
30:43to our top story this evening at least four suspicious devices have been found at the
30:51scene where a man wielding a chainsaw was shot by officers near maidstone the a20 in hollingbourne
30:57is expected to remain closed over the coming days as kent police says searches are due to continue
31:03finn mcdermid has been in the area today ongoing searches in the area of hollingbourne near maidstone
31:09are set to continue over the coming days with an explosive ordinance team tending to at least
31:13four suspicious devices in the ongoing investigation the searches come after what officials are
31:19calling a police incident on ashford road near maidstone on the 7th of july where sure no mirror
31:24was shot as he approached armed police outside his parents house he was carrying a suspected
31:29explosive device and a chainsaw while wearing a gas mask and body armor he's now in hospital in an
31:36induced coma and is said to be suffering from life-changing injuries since then the a20 at
31:41hollingbourne has been closed and reopened multiple times throughout the week with kent police saying
31:46the a20 would be closed for the rest of the 10th and for several more days past that
31:52kent police west divisional commander chief superintendent neil loudon said officers are
31:57carrying out a very complex investigation at this time there's nothing to suggest there's a wider threat
32:03to the hollingbourne community but we have found at least four suspicious devices at the scene
32:08and it is important that the area is made safe the disruption this is causing to the local community
32:13businesses and users of the a20 is not lost on us and we're doing everything we can to make sure the
32:19area can return to normal as soon as possible and i'd like to thank the public for their patience and
32:23understanding the road closures have meant that traffic has been impacted in the local area with
32:28the village of hollingbourne particularly affected residents have been sharing videos of large trucks
32:34and lorries making their way through the small village streets there have also been closures on
32:38the m20 with police warning the motorway could shut again with the investigations continuing we'll only
32:45know more about what's happened as the police tell us but as they say at this time they found nothing to
32:49suggest any ongoing threat to the local community and that safety remains their top priority finn mcdermid for
32:56came tv in hollingbourne finn joins me in the studio now this has been a story dominating the headlines um
33:05just because of the different stages that we've seen simply with we talking about the road closures
33:11it closing when the incident occurred reopening closing again last night as we reported live here
33:16on kent tonight reopening this morning closed again and now it's going to be for a few days that's right
33:22the latest news we've got from kent police is that during this ongoing investigation while the uh
33:28explosive uh ordnance disposal team are still on the ground they are still going to be keeping some
33:33of these roads closed and obviously today like uh in days prior we saw the closure of the a20 along
33:39that stretch of road uh you can also you can see that cordon here now the public aren't allowed beyond
33:45those cones that's what the officers there were telling me and we're also potentially going to see
33:49some closures on the m20 i was stuck in one of those myself today um which i believe is new to
33:56this uh this whole story as it develops but yeah it's like you say abby uh as this investigation
34:03continues we might see more of that traffic build up and some of those congestion problems that this is
34:07already caused okay finn thank you very much for those details more on that story over on kent online
34:13next this evening a man from folkestone says he hasn't heard from his mom and stepdad in six months
34:20after they were detained and charged with spying in iran lindsey and craig foreman were on a motorbike
34:27touring trip of the world when they were arrested in january and charged with espionage which the family
34:32denies the uk foreign office is working directly with the iranian authorities but joe and his siblings say
34:39they were their parents were just tourists talking to locals and enjoying different cultures here we are
34:47in the depths of the armenian countryside what was a bucket list trip of dreams that quickly turned into
34:57a nightmare when they were detained by iranian authorities and charged with espionage described
35:05as adventurers by their family lindsey and craig foreman were traveling across the world on motorbikes
35:11documenting their travels on social media this was their last post on the 28th of december last year
35:22so there is our little cabin
35:26since then since january they've been working with the foreign office to get them home
35:31it was panic uh it was daunting it was not knowing what was going to happen you take your emotions
35:39as a family um you've got to amplify by a hundredfold right they're in a country they must have some
35:46notion as to what's going on i don't know how much notion they know or what they know but they must have
35:51an understanding that you know the the countries were at war it's unimaginable you know i honestly can't
35:59think what that must be like uh it's hard to put yourself in those shoes because you can
36:03try and have an understanding but unless you're actually living being there through it
36:08yeah it's uh it's a tough one to think about uh try not to think about it too much because you know
36:14i don't think that that that helps but obviously it adds that urgency because they can't be having a
36:20pleasant time a spokesman for iran's judiciary said in february the couple had entered the country
36:26under the guise of tourists and gathered information in several parts of the country
36:33the uk foreign office does advise against all travel to iran saying british nationals are at
36:39significant risk of arrest questioning or detention it adds that even just having a british passport
36:47can be reason enough for the iranian authorities to detain you they did everything possible they had the
36:53visa they were allowed into the country they had a guide they stayed on main roads they followed
36:58every single bit of advice they could and whilst they were there they did nothing but commend the
37:03country they couldn't believe how beautiful it was how nice the people were but as of today the uk
37:08has been warned of a rising and unpredictable threat from iran parliament's intelligence and security
37:14committee says the government must do more to counter the national security threat here
37:19for families like lindsay and craig's all they can do is hope for a safe return and soon abby hook for kmtv
37:32here's more from my interview with joe now last concert visit was sort of around the middle of may
37:38um so we haven't had eyes on since everything that's happened over there has happened uh the 12 day war
37:45um and one thing that really raised concerns for us was that we were told on june the 8th that they
37:54were potentially being transferred to evan prison in toram and subsequently uh in the following weeks
38:00that was their part of that prison was bombed and we could get confirmation as to whether or not that
38:06happened or they were still in command um that was it was upsetting it was worrying you know that was
38:14probably the height of the fear not that there's no you you're always worried because of the situation
38:19they're in but just not knowing if they were there if they're okay was um yeah it was horrible so as of
38:27right now today you have no idea how they are we don't know um in terms of their welfare no obviously we've
38:36been told by the iranian mfa that they are in command and that they're in health and safety conditions and not
38:43to worry for their welfare which is you know we have to take that on face value for what it is
38:48um and that's why we're sort of pushing to say look we need to know exactly where they are
38:54we need to make sure that a consular visit for welfare and safety and health is paramount uh and
39:00the third thing is we need to get them home um urgently and as you said there the foreign office
39:06say they're providing consular advice and continue to raise the case with iranian authorities
39:11but what more do you think the government should be doing and what can they do
39:17i think you know this is this again goes back to the point we we want to
39:21work with the foreign office we're not here to to be uncooperative um but also you know history shows
39:27that with we've we've sort of nasaleen ratcliffe and a new share story that there is a possibility to get
39:34to home they've done it before so let's look at what that involved use it as a foundation and
39:41building block from there to to start to look at what the uh the theory of return is for the mum and
39:47craig how confident are you in their return when the uk government states that support is extremely
39:54limited in iran
39:59i'm confident that they'll come home um you know you've got to have that belief i think it
40:04you'd go crazy if you didn't think that they're going to return at some point and history again
40:09suggests that that at some point not just for uk nationals but for for people around the world
40:15that that will happen you know um it isn't the first time that this is this has happened unfortunately
40:22and um yeah we just need to make sure that we are doing everything we can to get them back and i
40:29think that was really why we wanted to do a public campaign because there's quite a lot of talks going
40:33on in that part of the world at the moment you know if you you sort of look at france with what
40:37macron's doing uh and the couple that detained uh that have been detained over there for three years
40:42there's movement in that case um so what we want to make sure is that if there are talks for a
40:48potential peace deal we want to make sure that that um you know lindsey and craig my mum and craig's
40:52name are a part of those conversations and the foreign office actually does advise against all travel
40:59to iran saying that british nationals are at significant risk of arrest questioning or detention
41:04that's their words exactly it also adds that just by having a british passport or connections to the uk
41:11can be reason enough to be detained did that advice not concern them at the time of traveling
41:17knowing that they would be passing through iran they did it did yeah i mean it concerned us all
41:23and obviously when you hear the news it's kind of like why why would you go there uh but that's a
41:28natural reaction and we understand that people are going to be thinking the same thing you know it's
41:32like why would you go to a country advised not to go to but it also begs the bigger question as to why
41:37not why can't people go to certain parts of the world why is that not allowed you know and they
41:43did everything that they should have done to go there more news in a few minutes time i'll see you then
42:07thank you
42:27so
49:12How difficult can it be to play such an iconic character?
49:16Well, when you consider how many previous versions there have been,
49:19you've got that weight of history behind you,
49:21because how can you not compare him to Henry Cavill or Christopher Reeve,
49:25who was iconic in the role?
49:27And I think because it's not coming out until tomorrow,
49:31till actual opening weekend,
49:33of course, that always raises the question,
49:35will it be as good as it should be?
49:38Because the critics' reviews have started to come in,
49:41and they're a little bit mixed.
49:43And it's seemingly a bit more colourful,
49:45a bit more sort of a brighter film,
49:48sort of the dark and gritty films of the same genre we've sort of seen before.
49:53Yeah, I mean, this is always the thing about Superman,
49:55because when you have an origin story,
49:57do you just have, you know, assuming that this is the first of a number,
50:01do you just redo what they did in the 2006 version,
50:04and also the 1978 one with Marlon Brando in that infamous cameo,
50:08paid an awful lot of money for, you know,
50:10he appears in almost the pre-credit sequence?
50:12Well, who knows with this one?
50:15I mean, my only worry with this is that,
50:17I mean, sure, for a younger generation
50:19who haven't been brought up on Christopher Reeve, et cetera,
50:21you know, this is great.
50:23But otherwise, it kind of feels like
50:25we're going to be making all these comparisons,
50:27and the weight of history may not necessarily be on this side.
50:30So I'm looking forward to seeing it,
50:32but I kind of feel I've been there too many times before.
50:34Are you seeing it tomorrow?
50:35I will be seeing it tomorrow.
50:36Silly question, Abby.
50:37But Amazon Prime said they were doing an early screening on the 8th of July
50:41with anyone with the sort of membership that they offer.
50:44What do you think about that kind of thing,
50:46and the sort of the pre-screening, but it not being in the cinema?
50:50Oh, and there's so much of that now with films that are often released,
50:54like Knives Out, or the sequel to that anyway,
50:57which came out, the Glass Onion film,
50:59which came out for a week in the cinema, literally a week,
51:02and actually it meant the audiences were packed,
51:04and then it disappeared,
51:05so you couldn't buy tickets after the first week,
51:07and it went straight to streaming.
51:09So I think it's just the world that we live in now
51:11that, you know, people will often choose to watch those films.
51:14I mean, the Scorsese film that came out in 2019
51:17was in the same kind of bracket,
51:18three-and-a-half hours long.
51:20Some people, even staff in the cinema at the Curzon in Canterbury,
51:22said they would rather watch it on the small screen
51:24because to watch it without any break for three-and-a-half hours
51:28was going to be quite, particularly on one's bladder,
51:30you know, it's actually really hard to just sit for that long.
51:33So there is an advantage with watching things on the small screen.
51:36Yeah, and the impact on the cinema sales as well.
51:39Are they selling lots of big drinks as well
51:41if you're sitting there for so long?
51:42Well, I went in, and I remember,
51:44and it's funny because I always have a coffee,
51:46and they said, you're not having coffee tonight, Chris,
51:47and I said, look, it's a three-and-a-half-hour film.
51:50And I spent the whole time thinking,
51:51I've got people on my left, people on my right.
51:53You know, what if I need to break out?
51:54And I shouldn't be thinking that with a long film.
51:56Yeah, exactly that.
51:57OK, we're going to move on just slightly.
51:59A film adapted from a book, The Salt Path.
52:02It's based on a true story,
52:04but it's been hit with some controversy.
52:07Now, it follows the story of a British couple
52:09who dealt with poverty and homelessness
52:11while travelling along the south-west coast path.
52:14But the Observer have claimed that many aspects
52:17of the book were, in fact, exaggerated.
52:20Whether the claims are true or not,
52:22how essential is it for a novel or a book
52:25that's factually based on a true story,
52:28then portrayed in film?
52:29It's a really tricky situation.
52:31I always wonder why anybody thinks that it will help a film
52:34to say, oh, this is true.
52:36Because, I remember the Coen brothers,
52:38when Fargo came out, they said,
52:39this is based on true events.
52:40And, of course, it was all nonsense.
52:41And you're watching it, about ten minutes in,
52:43you're thinking, we know that that's nonsense,
52:45but, you know, we're hooked.
52:46And the trouble with The Salt Path
52:47is that it bears a resemblance to too many other films.
52:49I felt it was a bit pedestrian, that's my pun,
52:52because they're on a walking path.
52:53But it feels like, we've seen this before,
52:56but at the end of it, without giving anything away,
52:59there's an optimistic code.
53:01I mean, you think, oh, right, things work out when in the end.
53:03But then, of course, that is where the controversy has come in,
53:06with the question raised as to whether it really happened,
53:10whether he was as terminally ill as he claimed to be.
53:14And I think that there's no doubt
53:16that this story has come from the heart,
53:18and no doubt that the author thought, you know,
53:21but believed, at least in the spirit of what they were writing.
53:24But when you then have somebody effectively fact-checking,
53:26and also it's not good for the publisher,
53:28who said that they did all the fact-checking
53:29that they could have done,
53:30and now they're besieged by all those claims like,
53:32you know, did you do a thorough job?
53:33So it leaves a bit of a nasty taste, really.
53:35When you're looking at things like ticket sales,
53:37the PR stunts we were discussing last week,
53:40and then some controversy around a film,
53:42do you think it actually does sometimes the opposite
53:45and generates more retraction to it?
53:47More people go and watch it
53:48because they're seeing it in the headlines.
53:50People are discussing it.
53:51Well, I don't think it was deliberate in this case,
53:53but I would imagine in some cases
53:54people might be more intrigued to say,
53:56oh, you know, because I mean,
53:57I thought that The Last Bus,
53:59I thought The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry,
54:01very similar films about people,
54:02often on those end-of-life road journeys,
54:04or walking journeys from one end of the country to the other,
54:07were superior.
54:08But, I mean, I suppose I'm actually more intrigued by the film now
54:11that it's given almost a different lens to which to watch it.
54:14But I think that, of course, people are going to be more interested sometimes,
54:18as we all are with the darker side, almost like, you know,
54:23we like those films about anti-heroes.
54:26We watch gangster films.
54:27We like it sometimes when we see people in a different light.
54:30We don't want every film to be Mary Poppins.
54:32So in that sense, but for the wrong reasons,
54:35I think it will make people more interested
54:37than they perhaps have been up to date.
54:39OK, we're going to move on slightly now,
54:41switching gear, if you will, to the F1 film.
54:44Have you watched it?
54:45I have.
54:46And what did you think?
54:47Do you know, it's like Top Gun Maverick,
54:49same director, Joseph Kaczynski,
54:51and it does for motor racing what Top Gun did for the skies.
54:55It has, it's so graceful.
54:57I mean, I'm not, I mean, I know Bartholomew,
55:00as we asked him about this, he's really into,
55:02he's probably in the gallery thinking,
55:03what's he going to say about it?
55:04I mean, I know that this film is going to work
55:08if you like your fast cars, and it really takes you in there,
55:12you really feel viscally what's going on on the track.
55:15It is very interesting though,
55:16because if you are a super fan, like Bartholomew is,
55:18you notice the differences, the discrepancies,
55:20that it's an F2 car, not an F1 car, and these sorts of things.
55:24So it leaves you sort of spotting the change,
55:27spotting where they've got something,
55:28but also you're spotting the cameos from all the famous people
55:31that are doing their day jobs there at the track,
55:33and the racing drivers standing on the podium,
55:35not acting very well, wondering what's going on.
55:37You see, sometimes, if you're a real, if you're a super fan,
55:40I think in some ways you're going to be looking for problems.
55:43I remember watching a film actually once that was set in the 90s,
55:46in West Wales, nothing to do with this film,
55:48and they had a van going past,
55:50and I knew the telephone number was wrong,
55:52because the code didn't exist in that day.
55:54But because I lived in that part of the world, then I knew it.
55:56So I almost thought I didn't, you know, it almost broke the spell,
55:58broke the magic.
55:59I feel the same about this film.
56:00But because I don't know, I wouldn't have spotted all those cameos,
56:03I could just sit and relax and go along with the ride.
56:06Yeah, I suppose it's interesting.
56:07It depends what level of fan, I suppose, you are,
56:10and how you want to watch it.
56:11And it would be a good one to watch a couple of times.
56:13Watch and spot the differences, but then watch just as a viewer as well.
56:17Chris, we've not got long left, but tell me,
56:20what have you got coming up on Kemp Film Club?
56:22Who have you been speaking to recently?
56:23Well, the most recent episode is with Alfie Jep,
56:25and I have a confession to make,
56:26because he chose Whiplash as his favourite film,
56:29and I saw it last night for the first time on the big screen,
56:33because it was showing in Dover, and I was blown away.
56:36It was intense.
56:37It's not an experience I'm ever going to forget again,
56:39but about obsession and drive.
56:42A different sort of drive, but similar to F1.
56:44All right, Chris, thank you very much.
56:47Kemp Film Club later on.
56:48That's all from me and the Kent Tonight team.
56:49Bye-bye.
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