Kent weekly round-up: 17 August

A man who came to England during World War Two said that he can remember the moment that, “Hitler walked straight through the middle of Vienna during my ninth birthday party”.

John Farago, 95, who now lives in Deal, Kent, said that members of his Jewish family who he was living with in Austria were “apprehensive and fearful for their lives”.

Mr Farago was taken to Brussels in Belgium on Kindertransport trains, which took children out of Nazi-controlled areas and into safer territory.

He lived with a family in Brussels but came to Folkestone in 1940 and then moved to Amersham, in Buckinghamshire, with members of his family.

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Police are investigating after two war memorial silhouettes in a village near Dover appear to have been vandalised.

The Tommy and Women in War memorials on Guston’s village green had their heads snapped off last week.

The Labour MP for Dover and Deal, and former veteran, Mike Tapp, called the act “despicable” and said he would be speaking to police.

He added: “I can’t even imagine the kind of person who would do this.”

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Royal Mail have alerted police after postboxes in Kent were vandalised just six months after they were spray-painted like Mr Blobby and Creme Eggs.

Residents of Temple Hill, Dartford, found their iconic red Royal Mail pillar boxes painted to resemble popular chocolate bars Wispa, Mars and Twirl.

Royal Mail confirmed to the BBC it was “aware of the vandalism” and had carried out “initial enquiries” to understand the extent of the damage.

“We’ll be carrying out further investigations and have been in contact with the police,” they added in statement.

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Students in Kent have received their GCSE results, as the pass rate has fallen again nationally.

Many were queuing outside Northfleet Technology College early on 22 August.

Steven Galliers, the college’s head, said he was “pleased overall” with 2024’s results.

The pass rate across England, Wales and Northern Ireland has fallen for a third year running, with 67.6% of all grades at 4/C and above, down from 67.8% in 2023.

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Ramsgate’s Royal Harbour has been given heritage status.

It is one of 14 across the UK to be made a heritage harbour.

A joint initiative between local groups, Historic England, the Maritime Heritage Trust and National Historic Ships, it is hoped it will help preserve the harbour’s historic character.

The new status will be celebrated with a series of events in September.

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