Apple Sauce and Applause.

Today was the first of a series of thank you parties which are being held over the coming weeks; an opportunity for our successful parliamentary and local candidates to thank the small army of activists who worked selflessly towards our great victory on Thursday 7 May.  

First off was Tonbridge & Malling with a hog roast and jazz band for 120 guests, held in the grounds of Cllr Robin Betts' farm high up on the North Downs. The Betts family have been farming here for (wait for it) five hundred and twenty years!  Robin has diversified into cheese making and his award-winning cheese made using unpasturised milk from his own dairy herd is now sold to Fortnum & Mason, Waitrose and M&S amongst others. See HERE for more details about Winterdale Cheese and local suppliers.

It was a super afternoon catching up with old friends who, due to the demands of managing five Associations, I am no longer able to meet and share news and gossip as often as I once did. I am so lucky to help run Associations like this, free of the internal bickering and malice which afflicts so many similar organisations. 

Not a bad place to spend an afternoon with friends on a late spring day!

Tom Tuggendhat thanking the team

The West Kent Wage Slaves and our long suffering partners (apart from Matt who sadly doesn't have a partner -offers gratefully received. Send an email and photo. Age & gender unimportant though a pulse would be nice. 

The band - with a special guest appearance by Chris Buckwell (Rochester and Strood Conservative Association's  Organising Secretary) on soprano sax.

The team from Dukes Roasters who provided the Hog Roast as well as great service

We should never forget our professional partners, who may be paid for their services, but who regularly go
'above and beyond the call of duty" to meet our deadlines and ever changing requirements. It was great to
welcome and thank Jason and Natasha Allen from our print partners DA Printers Ltd of Rochester
who printed over 500 different versions of literature - around two million copies in total - and never let us down.

Association Chairman Jacques Arnold with Tom Tugendhat

The newly re-elected Cllr Sophie Shrubsole and family

Cllrs Pam Bates and Jean Atkinson - re-elected in Trench ward with over 60% of the vote in what was Labour's
safest seat in West Kent since 1945

Tim and Mary Streater demonstrate the height of decadence; a picnic chair with built in foot rests.