I don’t know what made me first notice them. But when I did, I realised that they were everywhere. If I go for a half-hour walk from home, I’ll usually see three or four discarded plastic water bottles.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s great that you’re all drinking so much water; good hydration is important. But when you buy bottled water, you are funding a chain that significantly impacts our environment.
In 2021, UK consumers drank 2.5 million litres, or 10 million bottles of water, per day. That’s a lot of plastic.
This figure is expected to grow 15% by 2027. If those bottles end up in a landfill, and about 25% do in the UK, they will take somewhere between 400 and 1,000 years to break down.
Apart from the environmental impact of all that plastic, there is the carbon produced in trucking that water and plastic around the country.
Our local water company, Southern Water, charges about a third of a penny for two litres of water. If you buy the same two litres from Aldi, you’ll pay 129 times as much. UK tap water undergoes rigorous testing; it is as good as, or better than, bottled water.
Apart from the convenience, there really is no upside to bottled water. It costs more, damages the environment globally, and litters our streets locally.
Reduce, Reuse, Refill: Invest in a reusable water bottle and make a long-lasting impact.
As the rain gets heavier, Rishi Sunak’s finely tailored suit becomes the focus of my attention. The shoulders shine, reflecting the lights of the world’s watching media. He must know how ridiculous this looks, as he feels the rain running down the back of his neck.
I want to take in the importance of the moment, but I can’t help thinking that a speech outside, in a rainstorm, says all you need to know about this moment in British politics. After the collective trauma that was Liz Truss, at least Rishi Sunak’s heart seemed, mostly, in the right place. But let’s be honest, he just isn’t good at politics.
The Daily Telegraph front page. 23 May 2024. Courtesy Telegraph Media Group.
Finally, the prime minister turns and walks back into the shelter of Downing Street, and I presume he has fired the starting gun on what would be Gravesham’s most closely fought general election in recent years.
“Keir Starmer gets close, visiting Thurrock, the other side of the Thames. However, the last ferry had long since departed.”
Adam Holloway MP, the Conservative Party, has represented Gravesham for 14 years. When reelected in 2019, he received 62.2% of the vote, increasing his majority to 15,581.
But according to the polls, Gravesham may have a new Member of Parliament, Lauren Sullivan of the Labour Party.
Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer race around the country. They spend much of their time wearing hi-vis jackets, cosplaying skilled workers, and repeating the same few carefully scripted lines. Neither makes it to Gravesham.
Keir Starmer gets close, visiting Thurrock, the other side of the Thames. However, the last ferry had long since departed.
Rishi Sunak doesn’t make it to Kent at all. The closest I can find is the time he spends in Westminster – coincidentally, where he is living.
Gravesham Green Party members at a ‘Meet the Candidate’ event. Rebecca Drake-Hopkins, Gravesham candidate centre-left. 2 June 2024.
The Missing Election
The frantic national activity belied that little is happening in Gravesham. During the first four weeks of the six-week campaign, I can’t find one visible sign of the election. I intended to photograph a poster promoting each of the five candidates. Except in the window of the Labour Party office, I didn’t see one.
On social media, the Labour candidate Lauren Sullivan is out every weekend knocking on doors. Credit to her and her supporters. Maybe her ultimate success is partly a result of all that legwork. But it still doesn’t translate into visible signs of support.
Are we all more private with our political allegiances? Less likely than in the past to stand up for what we believe in?
It could be an after-effect of the turbulent Brexit years. But I suspect the politically engaged find it more comfortable to rant with like-minded people in social media bubbles than engaging with real people who could disagree.
Gravesham Hustings, 27 June 2026
On Thursday, 27 June 2024, the City Praise Centre in Gravesend hosted the only hustings in Gravesham for the 2024 general election.
In the final two weeks, things heat up to barely warm. The City Praise Centre hosts the only hustings of the election. Each candidate is given 90 seconds to answer questions from the audience.
Any opportunity to hear from the candidates is welcome, and an almost full hall is a good sign. However, the roughly 250 people present are a tiny fraction of the Gravesham electorate. A fundamental responsibility of any candidate seems to be to listen to as many voters as possible, and that isn’t happening.
Laura Sullivan, Labour Party candidate, discusses issues raised at 2024 general election hustings with a member of the public.Adam Holloway talking to constituents following the hustings.Ukonu Obasi, Liberal Democrat candidateRebecca Drake-Hopkins, Green Party candidate.Matthew Fraser-Moat, Reform UK, talks to potential constituents after the Gravesham hustings.
The format restricts questions to those submitted in advance and selected by the hosts, in this case a group of churches. The questions mainly relate to the candidate’s morals and ethics. They’re important; however, they don’t address the residents’ day-to-day concerns.
Follow-up questions or debate between the candidates isn’t allowed; the whole thing feels a little stilted. Several residents I speak to afterwards said that they were disappointed with the format.
Keep Adam?
At the same time, some large ‘Keep Adam’ signs pop up around the borough. If you’re already engaged in local politics, they may have had an impact. But if your MP’s first name isn’t the first thing that comes to mind, I’m not so sure.
Finally, on the Saturday before the election, there is some open campaigning. Reform UK candidate Matthew Fraser and his supporters gather around a table in the centre of Gravesend answering questions from all comers. From what I can hear, the engagements are mainly positive.
Members of Reform UK campaign in New Road, Gravesend.
When so much modern campaigning consists of tightly controlled appearances of banner-toting supporters designed to be packaged for social media, this seems like one of the most democratic moments of the election locally. You may or may not agree with their politics, but they are prepared to put themselves out there.
The Gravesham Count at the Woodville
On polling day, the first ballot boxes arrive at the Woodville a few minutes after the polls close. Only when you watch the votes being verified, counted, checked and tallied as the hours roll by, do you appreciate the huge amount of work an election imposes on a local authority.
The first ballot boxes arrive at the Woodville and are booked in by the Gravesham Council team. The whole process is a well practiced routine.The candidates representatives meet before the polls close to allocate their roles for the long night ahead.Election observers from each of the parties closely watch the votes being counted.The (Acting) Returning Officer, Stuart Bobby (bottom centre, in the dark suit), oversees the count.The election observers make notes on the numbers as the votes are counted and bundled.While the count continues, Gravesham plays a small part in history as the BBC for the first time simultaneously live-streams video from 369 vote-counting locations.Election Observers from the Labour, Liberal Democrat and Conservative parties.Many of the 63 counting staff started the day at 6 a.m. working in the Polling Stations, so by the early hours of Friday, the range of snacks began to grow. Your reporter can confirm Gummy Bears and Haribo were firm favourites.11:26 p.m.: Adam Holloway (left in green), the Gravesham MP since 2005, joins the election observers watching the count.
At just after 3 am, the (Acting) Returning Officer, Stuart Bobby, calls the candidates and their agents together to brief them on the result. From our home on the Woodville’s balcony, the media has a bird’s-eye view of the ballot papers as they stacked up behind each candidate’s name. The result won’t be a surprise.
2:55 a.m.: As the boxes labelled with the candidates names begin to fill with votes, we get an indication of the result.3:12 a.m.: Stuart Bobby, the Gravesham Chief Executive and (Acting) Returning Officer, briefs the candidates and their agents on the result.Conservative Party supporters wait for the result to be declared.
The Result
While she waited, Lauren Sullivan looks like someone who, after months of work, can’t quite believe that this moment had finally come.
At 3.22 am Stuart Bobby announces the results:
Matthew Fraser Moat (Reform UK): 8,910
Adam Holloway (Conservative Party): 13,911
Rebecca Drake Hopkins (Green Party): 2,254
Ukonu Obasi (Liberal Democrats): 1,534
Lauren Sullivan (Labour Party): 16,623
The polls were correct; we do have a new MP, but it was far from the battle I expected. Lauren Sullivan becomes Gravesham’s first Labour MP in 14 years and the first woman ever to hold the post. However, the turnout in Gravesham was 59%, the lowest in over 100 years. A historic win, yes, but one that barely seems to register with a large section of the electorate.
3:27 a.m.: Lauren Sullivan (Labour Party), the newly elected Member of Parliament for Gravesham, gives a speech thanking her supporters and the staff at the count.The former MP, Adam Holloway, gives an interview to KM TV, repeating his commitment to stand at the next election in 2029.Lauren Sullivan, newly elected as MP for Gravesham, one of the last to leave The Woodville, talks on the phone in the early hours of the morning.
A small group of Gravesend residents gather outside the Civic Centre, home of Gravesham Borough Council, in Gravesend.
Protest in Gravesend against Edward Moore House being used for Unaccompanied Child Asylum-Seekers
Friday 26th July 2024. Civic Centre, Gravesend
Earlier today, a small group of residents gathered outside the Civic Centre in Gravesend. They were protesting against the proposed opening of a reception centre for unaccompanied asylum-seeking (UAS) children in the town.
Edward Moore House, a former care home in Trinity Road, has been purchased by Kent County Council (KCC). Along with six similar properties across the county, it is currently being redeveloped and due to open in September 2024.
Cllr. Shane Mochrie-Cox addresses the concerns of residents and advises that they would need to protest directly to KCC.
The group spoke with Gravesham Council leader Cllr John Burden and Deputy Leader, Cllr Shane Mochrie-Cox. The councillors explained that KCC had bought the former care home against the wishes of Gravesham Borough Council and the opening was outside their control.
Some protesters suggest that the proposed home may be a danger to local residents.
KCC Writes to Local Residents
In a letter to local residents, dated 5 April 2024, Kent County Council explained that the High Court had ruled that KCC “must take ‘every possible step’ to increase its capacity across the county to accommodate and look after all unaccompanied asylum-seeking (UAS) children that arrive”. The letter also said: “KCC used the Central Government funding, agreed specifically for the acquisition of property to accommodate UAS children…”.
In a statement, the leader of KCC, Cllr Roger Gough, said: “The number of UAS children coming into the limited capacity of KCC significantly increased immediately and will continue to do so now the warmer weather has begun and crossings escalate.”
He went on to say, “I can reassure residents all KCC UAS Children Reception Centres in the county are wholly funded by the government and do not represent any financial burden on Kent taxpayers.”
Update 2026: KCC continued with the refurbishment of Edward Moore House despite the wishes of some local residents. Now renamed Cypress House (Edward Moore), the reception centre for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children opened as planned.
Lauren Sullivan talking on the phone shortly after winning in the 2024 General Election as Member of Parliament for Gravesham. The Woodville, Gravesend. Friday 5 July 2024.
The Woodville, Gravesend. Thursday 4th – 5th July, 2024.
In the early hours of Friday, 5th July, Lauren Sullivan was elected as the Member of Parliament for Gravesham. The Labour win in Gravesham comes after the seat had been held by Adam Holloway for the Conservative Party since 2005. At times local campaigning seemed non-existent; this may have contributed to the low turnout of 59%, down 6% from 2019.
It was the first time I’d witnessed an election count. Credit is due to the Gravesham Council staff for a very well-organised day and night. Stuart Bobby, Gravesham Chief Executive and (Acting) Returning Officer, announced the result at 3:22 a.m., at which point many of the Gravesham staff had been working for over 21 hours.
The Gravesham Result
The votes cast for each candidate were:
Matthew Fraser Moat (Reform UK): 8,910
Adam Holloway (Conservative Party): 13,911
Rebecca Drake Hopkins (Green Party): 2,254
Ukonu Obasi (Liberal Democrats): 1,534
Lauren Sullivan (Labour Party): 16,623
I plan to write a longer post about the election itself, but here are a few shots from the night.
10:10 p.m.: The first ballot boxes arrive at The Woodville, where they are logged before the verification and count begin.The BBC streamed video from all 650 constituencies. The Gravesham feed came from this iPhone mounted on The Woodville balcony.11:06 pm: The count is closely monitored by election observers representing each of the partiesMany of the 63 counting staff started the day at 6 a.m. working in the Polling Stations, so by the early hours of Friday, the range of snacks began to grow. Your reporter can confirm Gummy Bears and Haribo were firm favourites.11:26 p.m.: Adam Holloway (left), the Gravesham MP since 2005, joins the election observers watching the count.2:55 a.m.: As the boxes labelled with the candidates’ names begin to fill with votes, we get an indication of the result.3:12 a.m.: Stuart Bobby, the Gravesham Chief Executive and (Acting) Returning Officer, briefs the candidates and their agents on the result.3:22 a.m.: An hour ahead of schedule, the Gravesham Chief Executive and (Acting) Returning Officer, officially announces the result.3:27 a.m.: Lauren Sullivan (Labour Party), the newly elected Member of Parliament for Gravesham, gives a speech thanking her supporters and the staff at the count.3:44 a.m. The former M.P. Adam Holloway gives an interview to KM TV, repeating his commitment to stand at the next election in 2029.
I don’t know what made me first notice them. But when I did, I realised that they were everywhere. If I go for a half-hour walk from home, I’ll usually see three or four discarded water bottles.
The rain got heavier, and Rishi Sunak’s bespoke suit became the focus of attention. I presumed that he’d just fired the starting gun on what would be one of Gravesham’s most closely fought elections in recent history. The polls were…
A small group of Gravesend residents gather outside the Civic Centre in Gravesend, home of the Gravesham Borough Council. They object to the proposed opening in the town of a home for unaccompanied asylum-seeking (UAS) children.
On Thursday, 27 June 2024, the City Praise Centre in Gravesend hosted the only hustings in Gravesham for the 2024 general election.
It’s Thursday, 27 June 2024, and the City Praise Centre hall is full of constituents; it’s warm, and the windows on both sides of the room are open. A local group, Churches Together in Gravesend, is hosting the only Gravesham hustings for the 2024 General Election.
The City Praise Centre Pastor, Graeme Baldwin, asks the candidates to give a 90-second opening statement. Members of the audience then asked questions which had been submitted in advance and selected by the hosts.
In general, the questions related to the candidates’ morals and ethical views. There was no opportunity for follow-up questions from the audience or for the candidates to question each other. This did mean that the majority were passive observers.
Topics discussed ranged from ethics in public office and transgender policy in schools, to social care and the persecution of religious groups. They’re all important, and I’m sure of concern to many of those present. However, they didn’t address the more bread-and-butter concerns of Gravesham residents.
Any level of scrutiny is welcome, but several people I spoke to afterwards said that they were dissatisfied with the format.
The Candidates
Lauren Sullivan: The Labour Party.
Research scientist and teacher, Gravesham Borough councillor and Kent County councillor. Lives in Northfleet.
Matthew Fraser-Moat: Reform UK
Accountant. Lives in Gravesend.
Ukonu Obasi: Liberal Democrats
Lecturer in Healthcare Management. Lives in Gravesend.
Rebecca Drake-Hopkins: The Green Party
Freelance scientific writer and technical communications specialist. Lives in Gravesend.
Adam Holloway: The Conservative Party
Former Soldier, TV Correspondent, Member of Parliament for Gravesham since 2005. Lives in Meopham.
After the Q&A, the candidates chatted with their potential consituents.
The General Election will be held on Thursday 4 July 2024.
On Saturday, 1st June, anyone with a camera was invited to take part in Gravesham’s first Day in the Life shoot, part of the Gravesham Fringe Festival. The aim is to make it an annual event documenting the changes in…
The Jacob Marley leaves Gravesend for the last time and the sun sets on a ferry service that has carried passengers between Tilbury and Gravesend for over 700 years. The ferry’s cancellation is another symptom of the funding crisis hitting…
A bike shop has traded from this site in Windmill Street for some 60 years. However, at the end of November Tri The Bike Shop will put up its shutters for the last time.
Evie, Evie’s Sewing Centre, 12 Queen Street, Gravesend
On Saturday, 1st June, anyone with a camera was invited to take part in Gravesham’s first ‘Day in the Life’ shoot, part of the Gravesham Fringe Festival. The aim is to make it an annual event documenting the changes in the borough from year to year.
I took portraits of shopkeepers in some of Gravesend’s small shops. Thank you to all those who agreed to take part. I had the pleasure of meeting some lovely people and learning a little about the history of some of Gravesend’s longest-established small shops.
Juli, Julis Creations, 74 High Street, Gravesend.Jasbir Jasbir, who runs Mad Sales on Queen Street with his wife Shammi.Peter, Chalk Garden Rail/Legion Retreat, 4 Brewhouse Yard.Jack, Reliance Fish Bar, 4 Queen Street.Jim, Munns, 8–9 Windmill Street. Gravesend’s longest established shop.
Munns, a family owned business and Gravesend’s longest established shop, sells a huge range of stationery, arts and craft materials, gifts cards, picture framing, copying; the list goes on.
Saturday 30 March 2024: At 7 pm, the Jacob Marley leaves Gravesend for the last ferry crossing to Tilbury.
The Sun Sets on a One Thousand Year Ferry Service
The Jacob Marley leaves Gravesend for the last time. It’s 7 pm on Saturday 30 March 2024, and the sun sets on a ferry service that has carried passengers between Tilbury and Gravesend for 1,000 years.
The crew, Sean and Brian, are wonderfully cheerful despite their imminent redundancy. The ferry prepares to leave, and there is a rush as regulars leave the pub, catching the ferry home for the last time. The pubs won’t be the only of Gravesend’s businesses to lose trade once the link between the two riverside communities has been cut.
Entrance to the Town Pier and Gravesend’s departure point of the Thames ferry. Built in 1834, the pier, designed and built by William Tierney Clark, is the oldest cast iron pier in the world.
The ferry’s cancellation is another symptom of the funding crisis hitting local authorities across the UK. Since 2017, Jetstream Tours has operated the ferry service, which has been jointly funded by Kent County Council (KCC) and Thurrock Council.
After a series of failed investments, Thurrock Council is effectively bankrupt, having amassed debts of £1.5bn. It recently passed an 8% council tax rise.
The Gravesend-Tilbury ferry makes a crossing on its final day of service.
“In a statement, Jetstream said, “Regrettably, due to ongoing concerns and uncertainties presented around future funding and an abandoned procurement process by Kent County Council for longer-term prospects, Jetstream Tours has been unable to enter into negotiations with the council.
Further short-term extensions to our existing contract sadly are not tenable for our business and staff.”
A family take selfies on their last opportunity to cross the river by ferry.A worker changes the branding on the gangway.A small donation box for the crew sits on the counter.
A Kent County Council spokesperson told the BBC, “It is disappointing that the Gravesend to Tilbury ferry has had to halt its service.
We have worked hard to try to secure an extension to the contract while we find a long-term future for the crossing, but this has not been possible. Supported by the results of our recent public consultation, we will continue to work to secure a sustainable long-term solution for the ferry.”
The ferry prepares to leave, and there is a rush as regulars leave the pub, catching the ferry home for the last time.
The Gravesend – Tilbury Ferry is a Vital Link
The ferry provided a vital link to residents on both sides of the river. Two communities that have been joined for over a thousand years are now separate again.
For many, it wasn’t a pleasure cruise but a vital public transport link without a viable alternative. Now that the service has been terminated, it seems far less likely that additional funding will be found to restart it.
Brian pushes off the gangway for the last time at the start of the Jacob Marley’s final crossing.
We know we need to reduce the pressure on the region’s roads and tackle the looming climate crisis. To do that, we need to invest in better public transport provision, not allow a service with over 100,000 passenger journeys a year to wither away.
The sun sets on the Thames over London as the ferry makes its final crossing.
The Woodville Theatre is seen on the left. The upper block with the spiral staircase to the side is the flyloft. Gravesham Borough Council offices are on the far right.
Gravesend’s Brutalist Heart
I know I’m likely in the minority, but I need to be honest: I love the Civic Centre and the Woodville (from here on, I’m going to refer to the whole building as the Civic Centre). Brutalism, the architectural style, is a love-it-or-hate-it thing. I love it and maybe you will too.
The Civic Centre is probably the best example of brutalism in the borough. Although sadly there aren’t that many to choose from. It works particularly well because it stands alone, although it’s a shame that it is now effectively one large traffic island. Imagine how that part of the town would feel if the sides and the rear were a public space.
The south end wall of the Gravesham Civic Centre.
Many people think of brutalism as something that was imported from somewhere on the continent in the 50s. That’s fair. It does make me think of post-war Berlin or Soviet Eastern Europe. But the term brutalism was first coined in Britain and then exported to the rest of Europe.
Accounts seem to vary as to which was the first brutalist building. However, the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) attributes a school in Hunstanton, Norfolk, as the building that established the movement. If it’s good enough for them, then I’ll go with it.
The upper floor of the Woodville, with the fly loft behind and an exposed circular staircase, leading to the roof.
What is Brutalism?
The RIBA describes brutalism as follows: “Brutalism is architecture in the raw with an emphasis on materials, texture, and construction, creating dramatic and memorable images.” Look at the unadorned concrete of the Civic Centre, with its hard lines and blocky shape, it is a classic brutalist building.
The RIBA suggests what to look for to identify a brutalist building:
Rough unfinished surfaces
Unusual shapes
Clearly displayed structure and services
Massive forms
The emphasis on materials
The Civic Centre certainly ticks all those boxes. Next time you’re in Gravesend, especially if it’s a sunny day, take another look at your Civic Centre. Brutalist buildings are at their best when strong light creates hard lines and deep shadows. It could well change your mind, and you’ll think of it, as I do, as a gem hiding in plain sight.
A detail of the fly loft and exposed circular staircase.
I’ve been looking for information about the building’s early history. I’m sure there are photographs of the construction somewhere in the records, but I’ve not been able to find any.
Construction of the Civic Centre started in 1964, and it was opened by the Duchess of Kent on 15 November 1968. Sadly, I’ve not been able to find much more.
The southern end of the building with a single storey addition.
The architect was Brian Richards (1928–2004) from the firm of Cadbury-Brown, led by the renowned architect Henry Thomas Cadbury-Brown. Brian Richards died in 2005, but from his obituary in The Guardian, he seemed like quite a character.
If you have any photographs of that time that you’d be willing to share, I’d love to show them here. Let me know what you think of the Civic Centre.
Tri The Bike Shop, Windmill Street, Gravesend in month before closing October 2022.
A beloved Gravesend bike shop faces closure unless a buyer can be found within a few days.
A bike shop has traded from this site in Windmill Street, Gravesend, for some 60 years. However, at the end of November 2022, Tri The Bike Shop will close its shutters for the last time.
Cycle mechanic, Stuart Britten, discusses repairs to a customer’s bike on his last day of work.
The Slow Death of the High Street
This is a story of a bike shop and the people who work there, but just as significantly, a symbol of the slow death of the High Street.
Over the last few years, many of Gravesend’s shops have closed, including many independent shops, leaving the town without alternatives. This further encourages residents to shop outside of their local high street.
Assistant, James Medhurst, takes a cigarette break in the yard.
The current shop, owned by Ted and Sue Tickner, has traded here for 25 years. Ted told KentOnline, “We are too old for it now, and we do not need the hassle of running a business. It is a hard decision and has been very difficult.”
Stuart spends his last day at the bike shop working on a customer’s specialist time trial bike.
I spent the morning with manager Leo Brown (not shown), mechanic Stuart Britten and assistant James Medhurst. It’s sad to lose another small independent shop in the town. If we want to keep them, we must support them.
All the stock is being sold at a 30% discount before the shop closes at the end of November.
“We are too old for it now, and we do not need the hassle of running a business. It is a hard decision and has been very difficult.” Ted Tickner.
The repair workshop has seen many bikes over the past 60 years. It now sits empty.James Medhurst takes a break for lunch. Despite the closing down sale, only a handful of customers passed through in the time I was there.
Tony and Vicki Harris have been on a journey that would change their lives, seeing Tony giving away all their money and most of his clothes. During the pandemic they would feed up to 50 people, six nights a week.
This time last year, the curtains had just come down on Wicked Productions’ Beauty and The Beast at the Woodville. As in many other theatres across the UK, this year, the Woodville’s pantomime curtain never really went up.
The Railway Tavern in Railway Place, Gravesend, originally opened in 1853 (some sources suggest 1881) and followed shortly after the railway station in 1849.
The Ascot Arms is the latest of Gravesend’s pubs to close, finally shutting its doors early in 2018. The brewery has advertised for new tenants, but it seems more likely it’ll be turned into yet another convenience store, or demolished…
The Table meets in New Road, Gravesend, on Monday and Friday evenings.
Tony and Vicki Harris have been on a journey that would change their lives, seeing Tony give away all their money and most of his clothes. It would lead them to start a community, not just a food bank, in Gravesend that would feed up to 50 people, six nights a week, during the height of the pandemic.
“I was working, on a good wage, and I said, I’m going to stand in town and give everything away…”
Regular volunteer and stalwart of the group, Warren Mercer, sets up, ready to serve hot drinks. Tony Harris, behind, passes a bag of food to a visitor The Table.
The Day that Changed their Lives
I sit with them in their home, surrounded by the evidence of the project they run, to hear their story. It was Vicki’s birthday in 2019; she and her husband, Tony, drove into Gravesend. Tony was looking for Vlad, a Russian he’d met on the street, who was sleeping rough in the town.
Tony had promised Vicki he wouldn’t invite Vlad back to their house until they knew more about him. “But when he found Vlad, he wasn’t looking good”, Tony says. “I just wanted to give him some comfort.”
Although in middle age, Tony hasn’t developed the soft, round edges that many of us have. There are no signs of the easy life of a pampered grandfather. He has the look of a man who’s worked hard and maybe lived hard along the way, too. But knowing Tony as I do now, I understand that he cares deeply, too much for his own peace of mind, and I have a suspicion of how the encounter with Vlad will end.
Vlad and Tony talk for a while when Vlad rolls onto one side and says, “I just wish I could get some comfort“. Those eight words trigger the moment that is to change Tony and Vicki’s lives. Vlad won’t be the last homeless person to stay with the Harrises..
Vicki Harris sits on the floor packing food bags. The food is donated and cooked by local volunteers.
Prompted by his meeting with Vlad, Tony starts The Table. He and his son set up a table and chairs in the town centre and serve what he described as a “picnic for the homeless.” In reality, anyone was welcome. Twice a week, visitors to The Table would sit and eat together; over time, a community developed.
Gravesham is not a wealthy place, but it’s far from the poorest in the UK. The Government publishes an Index of Deprivation*, which is a depressing indication in itself. It ranks all the boroughs in England on a range of measures.
Like most boroughs, some areas of Gravesend are more affluent than others. But as a whole, we sit somewhere in the top third, with number one being the most deprived – so, maybe that should be the bottom third.
Meopham takeaway, Stone Willy’s Pizza regularly gives food to the group.
Tony will take no credit for any of the difference that The Table has made or for the community that has developed. More than once, he’s said, “It’s not like I’ve done anything. I was here, and the people came to me.” He has a faith and a strength like no one I’ve met. In his eyes, he is doing what God has told him to do.
When I ask him about the groups that refuse to help the people who are obviously under the influence of drink or drugs, he has no hesitation: “To me, the way I look at it, if I’m going out to help people who are on drugs and drink, I’ve got to expect them to have taken drugs and had drink. Nobody is excluded.”
“It doesn’t matter what state you’re in. Jesus didn’t say, sort yourself out, and you can come in. That’s what I tried to do differently.”
I can see both sides. During my visits, I saw a few people who were a little too unpredictable from being under the influence. But a meeting outside, surrounded by people you know would intervene in the event of trouble, feels a lot safer than inviting the same person into a night hostel.
A couple embrace over The Table, with Vicki Harris watching on.
The first few weeks of The Table were difficult for Tony and Vicki. They weren’t sure what they were doing, and then Tony lost his job. With it went their main source of income. They admit it caused a few arguments.
Tony says: “I was working, on a good wage, and I said, I’m going to stand in town and give everything away. I gave all my clothes away to start with.” All the clothes he’s wearing as we talk have been donated. “If someone needed trousers and I had three pairs, I’d give them a pair. I gave my trainers away, everything. Even my underwear is donated.” He smiles.
As well as food, The Table provides donated clothing to those who need it.
Vicki says, “At first, I thought he was mad. It was good that he was helping people, but he was giving our money away. I said to him, ‘It’s not like you’re getting any younger; you need to slow down. You need to put your own health before this’.”
Vicki Harris starts to load the van at the end of another long evening.
They decided it wouldn’t be safe to eat together, even outdoors, as they had been doing, so they switched to a takeaway service. A local Sikh charity provided food one night a week, but that still left six nights to fill.
Tony arranged for a group of twelve volunteer cooks to provide meals on a rota, six nights per week. The Harrises’ small home quickly filled with supplies. There were five large freezers in their spare bedroom and food stacked around the house. Their electricity bill went through the roof, just as things were getting tight.
Somehow they got through that time, and life gradually returned to something close to normal. Tony describes it as an ‘exhausting whirlwind ride’. As they describe that time, I can see it still tells on both of them.
A Cup of Tea and a Biscuit
I reflect on the months I spent with the people who meet around The Table, and I realise it had changed my perspective on where I live. We’re often quick to judge others we think are below us on the social pecking order.
But when you share a cup of tea and a digestive with a young man from Afghanistan who’s seen more in his short life than I’ll ever see in yours, or try to help an older man with an Amazon application for a job you know he’s unlikely to get, you look for the similarities more than the differences.
I know that I wouldn’t be prepared to put my life on hold for two years as Vicki and Tony did. Tony went so far as to delay important medical treatment because he ‘didn’t have the time’.
Tony Harris packs away The Table at the end of another evening. This routine is now part of his life, but the work takes a toll.
Also, in a time of crisis, the role of the state is vital. Still, while so many of us sat in our gardens waiting for the supermarket delivery, others were possibly risking their lives to look after those they’d never met. Fortunately, things have calmed down a lot. The Table now offers a takeaway service only on Monday nights. It’s still a lot of work, but it’s manageable.
Tony’s long-term ambition would be to open a drop-in centre in the town. Somewhere anyone can call in, meet others, share a cup of tea and get that ‘little bit of comfort’ we all need at times.
You can contact The Table through their Facebook page. I know they would appreciate the support.
I have a larger gallery of images from my time at The Table. I’ll upload those and link to them here shortly.
* The English Indices of Deprivation 2025
Since the 1970s, the UK Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has calculated local measures of deprivation in England. The latest figures were published in 2025. Gravesend includes areas in the top 10% and the lowest 10% of deprivation. In 2025, the Jaywick & St Osyth area of Clacton-on-Sea was the most deprived in the country. Seven neighbourhoods in Blackpool rank among the 10 most deprived in England.
