PLAY ABOUT LITERARY "HELL RAISERS" PREMIERES IN BROADSTAIRS

An extraordinary new play about the American "Beat Generation" gets its first staging on Thursday June 13 in the Red Hall, Broadstairs.

 

GOIN' TO SAN DIEGO is the work of Thanet's legendary Hags Ahoy company with Steven Todd. 

 

Hag's Agoy last production was "Because Of The Moon", the much praised play about Virginia Woolf.

 

Now the company's turned their attention to the Beat Generation writers, including Jack Kerouac Allen Ginsberg and WIlliam Burroughs, who shocked 1950s America with a lifestyle based on drugs, sex and a desire to shock.

 

But GOIN' TO SAN DIEGO offers a very different view of these notorious rebels in a production packed with wit and laughter -- and some surprising casting 

 

The talented Steven Todd plays writer Jack Kerouac, while Miranda Peacock, known for respectable lady-like roles, plays the controversial gay poet Allen Ginsberg. 

 

"Goin' To San Diego," is on Thursday 13 -- Sunday 16 June at the Red Hall, Grosvenor Road, Broadstairs. 

 

All performances begin at 7.30pm except on Sunday when the curtain rises at 3pm. Tickets are £6. Seating is limited, so booking is advisable. Ring 07989 070843 or emailinmeds@yahoo.co.uk 

THREAT TO QEQM HOSPITAL TO BE DEBATED

Potentially damaging changes to Thanet’s health services will be debated in a public meeting in Broadstairs on Thursday 14 February at 7pm.

Called “What’s Happening to our NHS?” the meeting will highlight the radical changes which will be brought in this April and discuss what this will mean to the QEQM hospital.

Meeting organiser Christine Tongue of the Save Our Health Service group said: “Unless we wake up to what’s going on, I believe we are going to lose much of what we value in our NHS.

“Local GPs will take over commissioning health care and they will be required to make swingeing cuts in the services on offer.”

Christine said that she believes this will also mean increasing privatisation of the NHS in Thanet which will have a major impact on the QEQM hospital.

“Private companies will take over services once provided by QEQM and QEQM will cut back on services we once took for granted,” Christine warned.

The hospital itself is likely to shift more to private medicine, she claimed.

“The new changes mean that hospital trusts can gain a much bigger percentage of their income from private medicine.  QEQM, I believe, will turn more to private patients in order to balance its books.”

Speakers invited to take part in the meeting include Dr Tony Martin, chair of Thanet’s new Clinical Commissioning Group, local consultant psychiatrist Dick Symonds,  and a representative of the Save Lewisham Hospital campaign.

The meeting will take place  at 7pm in the Red Hall, 11 Grosvenor Road, Broadstairs.

EMERGENCY MEETING TO DEBATE THREAT TO HEALTH SERVICES IN THANET MEETING WILL TAKE PLACE ON WED DEC 5 AT 7.30PM

An emergency meeting has been called to discuss what government changes in the NHS will mean to people in Thanet.

The meeting has been called by Save Our Health Service, a new campaigning group, which has been formed to safeguard health services in Thanet.

Speakers will include Dr Ron Singer, President of the Medical Practitioners Union, Peter Holloway, a medical worker from the Medway and consultant psychiatrist Dr Dick Symonds,

Local film-maker Christine Tongue, who is a member of Save Our Health Service, said: “This is meeting comes at a critical time for our local health services. The new Thanet Clinical Commissioning Group which will take over control commissioning health services here now claims to be consulting the public about their future plans.

“This may mean big changes for the future of QEQM Hospital and the other health services in our area. We have to understand what’s happening and organise to give people in Thanet a real voice in the decisions that are being made.

“Many fear that the changes will mean increasing privatisation of the NHS, giving it over to outfits like Virgin and American company. The only way we can stop that is we if start organising now.” 

The meeting is on Wednesday, December 5 at 7.30pm at the Red Hall, 11 Grosvenor Road, Broadstairs CT10 2BT.

More information from Christine Tongue on 01843 604 253.or email inmeds@yahoo.co.uk