Sheppey Scene, Isle of Sheppey, Sheppey (2026)

07/06/2026

This sounds like a wheeze! Learn “gentle belly dancing” for the over-50s at Castle Connections at Queenborough.
Does that include chaps? We know a few with suitable bellies!
Oh and don’t forget to take a scarf…

07/06/2026

Annie Love performing country at the Eastchurch Big Lunch today organised by Eastchurch Parish Council.
The Isle of Sheppey Band was there earlier plus a dancing display from Danspiration and children’s sports day.
It’s all part of the Festival of Sheppey.

05/06/2026

What’s On Sheppey this week

Festival of Sheppey

Day 5 (Friday, June 5)

Start of Queenborough History Weekend celebrating the town’s royal links. It was named after Queen Phillippa of Hainault by her husband King Edward III in 1360. Unfortunately, one of its MPs, Sir Michael Livesey, went on to sign King Charles I’s death warrant, which was a bit rum. More details from Caroline Howard at [email protected]

9am – noon – Children’s art at Queenborough railway station. Free

11am – Coasts in Mind workshop at Holy Trinity Church, Queenborough, for unemployed 18- to 25-year-olds. Harry Farmer of the Museum of London Archaeology will explain how to catalogue exhibits for museums. Free

1pm - Coasts in Mind workshop at Castle Connections, Queenborough, for under-18s. Harry Farmer of the Museum of London Archaeology will explain how to catalogue exhibits for museums. Free. Email [email protected] to book a place.

1pm – Film Friday. Great Expectations (2015) starring Helena Bonham Carter as the conniving Miss Havisham in Mike Newell’s version of the Charles Dickens’ classic rags-to-riches tale. Ralph Fiennes plays the scary convict Magwitch who some believe was based on a real-life character from the Island. Some scenes shot at Queenborough. Criterion Blue Town, 69 High Street, Blue Town, ME12 1RW. £5 on the door.

2pm – Children’s art trial at Queenborough Library. Free.

6.30pm – Talk about HMS Queenborough at Queenborough Guildhall. £2 (free to Queenborough Society members). The Q-class destroyer was built for the Royal Navy in 1942 at a cost of £725,000. After being converted into an anti-submarine frigate it was given to Australia before finally being scrapped in Hong Kong in 1972.

7.30pm – Talk. Sheerness Dockyard the Glory Years. Jeremy Thornton on the growth of Sheerness Dockyard compared to other Royal Dockyards. Sheppey Little Theatre, Meyrick Road, Sheerness. £5 on the door. Part of the Festival of Sheppey

10am-3pm Festival two-for-one offer. Take a friend for free to discover why Sheppey is called the cradle of British aviation. Learn about the real magnificent men in their flying machines and why they picked the Island to build Britain’s first aircraft factory. Eastchurch Aviation Museum, Wright’s Way, HMP Standford Hill, Eastchurch, ME12 4AA. £2 (buy one, get one free)

Festival of Sheppey
Day 6 (Saturday, June 6)

9am – noon Children’s art displayed at Queenborough railway station (free) with children’s art and trail at Queenborough library.

9.30am Create a new art form while exploring coastal change and Island heritage with Sheppey artist Laurie Harpum and the team from the Museum of London Archaeology. Beachfields Park, Sheerness. Free. Book via [email protected]

10am – 12.45pm Bell tower tours at Holy Trinity Church, Queenborough. Free

11am – 3pm Travel back in time at the Rose St Cottage of Curiosities, Rose Steet, Sheerness, to celebrate the 1940s. Encounter a Second World War air raid warden, try to do a dodgy deal with the cheeky Mr Spiv (Mark Wilbraham) and take a look inside vintage prams. Plus live music, tea and cake.

11am-4pm Lark in the Park. Children’s rides, stalls and free cycle repairs. Beachfields Park (by the sand pit) Sheerness. Organised by the Sheerness Town Tean and Sheppey Community Cycling Club. POSTPONED BECAUSE OF WEATHER FORECAST

11am – 4pm Charles I charter on display in Queenborough Guildhall. Learn which Sheppey MP signed the king’s death warrant. £1

Noon – 4pm Art exhibition called Voyages in artist Nicole Mollett’s new studio and art gallery at 127 High Street, Queenborough, inside the former Sheerness Economical Society shop. Free

1pm Talk by Cllr Ashely Sheil on the history of Holy Trinity Church, Queenborough, inside the church. Free. Donations appreciated.

2pm Songs of the River, Songs of the Sea. Live music and poetry from Rainham’s Oast House Community Choir. Criterion Blue Town. £5 on the door.

All-day All Saints church, Eastchurch, open to visitors. Talk about its history at 6.30pm by church warden Sue Hopper followed at 7pm with old photos of the village presented by Martin and Rosemary Hawkins. Free but donations accepted.

7pm – Queenborough quiz at Castle Connections in aid of the ‘upstairs loo fund’.

Sunday (June 7)
10am – Classic Car Show and Family Day. Swale Vehicle Enthusiasts Club takes over the football pitches at Sheppey Sports Club, Halfway, (formerly the Stevedores Club), for its annual family day out raising money for local charities. There will be trade stalls selling vehicle parts plus commercial vehicles and motorcycles from yesteryear. The Isle of Sheppey Band (formerly under the St John Ambulance banner) will be making its first public performance at 10.30am in its new uniforms. £5 on the gate (u-16s free)

10am – 4pm Big Lunch. Celebrate summertime with a giant picnic at Eastchurch cricket club’s Shurland Meadow ground organised by Eastchurch Parish Council. All-day lure demonstrations from the K9 dog club begin at 10.15am. 10.30am – Criterion Strummers ukulele band. Noon – Annie Love. 1pm – Sheppey Song Signing Academy. 1.30pm Sports Day fun for children and adults in the arena. 1.45pm Isle of Sheppey Band making its second appearance of the day after a quick dash from the classic car show. 2pm Danspiration dancing display. 3pm Annie Love. 3.30pm Tug of war. Plus bar, cakes, ice cream, beat the goalie, axe-throwing and children’s corner.

11am Coast in Mind workshop for the unemployed at Queenborough Guildhall organised by the Museum of London Archaeology. Later session at 1pm open to all. Book paces at [email protected]

Isle of Sheppey Town Crier making appearances by Bruce Horton throughout the day at Queenborough

2pm – Andy Mack. Heights of Alma & The Shack at The Back, Alma Street, Sheerness. Free

2.30pm – Costumed history walk. Members of Sheppey-based Big Fish Arts bring stories of murders, smuggling, royalty, Lord Nelson and elephants to life. Join them at Queenborough Guildhall. For details visit www.quenboroughsociety.org.uk

Monday (June 9)
7pm – Sheppey Shoreline Tetra Pak printing workshop with Vanessa Claridge. The Pilots' Rest micropub, 193 High Street, Sheerness.

Tuesday (June 10)
11am – Coasts In Mind workshop with artist Laurie Harpun and the team from the Museum of London Archaeology. Free. Email Harry Farmer at [email protected] to book a place

7pm – The Lost Communities of Sheppey. Members of Big Fish Arts dramatically recreate the lost communities of West \Minster, Warden and Elmley at the Criterion Blue Town. £5 on the door.

Wednesday (June 11)
10am – First World War history talk and walk with Mike Gall. Meet at the Criterion Blue Town. Return for a screening of a short film about Sheppey in the war made by Screen South with help from the Royal Engineers. Free

10am – Live jam with amiable guitarist Steve Harding in the tea room. Critrerion Blue Town. Free

Thursday (June 12)

1.30pm – Sheppey quiz. How well do you know the Island. Jenny Hurkett will put your knowledge to the test. Criterion Blue Town. £5 on the door (includes tea and biscuits).

2pm – Coasts in Mind creative workshop on the beach with artist Laurie Harpum and the team from the Museum of London Archaeology. Meet at the Cliff Drive car park, Warden Bay. Free. Book spaces by emailing [email protected]

Friday (June 12)
11am Movie double-bill featuring Cockleshell Heroes (1955) and Dunkirk (1958). Both classic war films were partly shot on Sheppey. Criterion Blue Town. £5 per film on the door or £12 for both with wartime lunch.

10am – 3pm Festival two-for-one entry offer at Eastchurch Aviation Museum. Normally £2.

05/06/2026

Motor misery caused by roadworks linked to the new Grovehurst roundabout over the A249 Sheppey Way at Iwade is set to continue.
It was previously announced that the Sittinbgourne-bound carriageway of the Sheppey Crossing was going to be closed overnight this weekend to allow the 50mph roundels on the road surface to be burnt off.
That has been postponed because of emergency work on the Sheppey-bound carriageway to repair buckled expansion joints.
The closure will now take place on Monday (June 8) from 8pm to 6am Tuesday morning from Cowstead Corner roundabout.
Diversions will be via Sheppey Way and the Kingsferry Bridge to the Ridham entry slip, and then back onto the A249.
There will also be "localised off-peak lane closures" from Monday to Friday, June 12, for "drainage repairs and correction of various defects" around the Grovehurst roundabout.
The closures will be in place daily from 9.30am to 3.30pm.
The work will lead to:
Narrow lanes on Grovehurst north towards Iwade
Narrow lanes on Grovehurst north from the developers' roundabout towards the gyratory
Lane 1 closure of Swale Way towards the gyratory.
Narrow lanes over the new bridge
Lane 1 closure on Swale Way towards Nicholls' haulage yard.

05/06/2026

Sheppey Area Committees axed
Swale Borough Council has abandoned its area committees because not enough members of the public bothered to turn up.
But it is relaunching them under a new name.
The first Sheppey Councillors and Residents Forum will be held next Thursday (June 11) at Leysdown village hall from 6.30pm.
It will be chaired by Cllr Lee-Anne Moore (Con, Sheppey East).
The agenda will include an update on Sheerness Revival and the chance to meet Garry Ratcliffe who has been announced as the new chair of Pride In Place, which is tasked with spending £20 million of government cash across the eastern end of the Island over the next 10 years.
There will also be another chancer to get cross with the council for introducing charges to five previously free car parks.
Full information here...

04/06/2026

Green-fingered residents of Leysdown had better get planting.
Leysdown On Sea Parish Council has launched its Leysdown In Bloom 2026 contest.
Entries are open to all residents in the parish which covers Bay View, Leysdown, Shellness and Harty.
There are four categories:
Gardens
Wildlife Gardens
Window Box / Hanging Baskets / Pots and Planters
Businesses
Judging starts at the end of June.
To enter, email your name and address to: [email protected]
Send a direct message on the council's page
Call 01795 511277 and leave a message or
Complete an entry form at Leysdown Village Hall
An awards presentation will follow in the summer.
A council spokesman said: "Please do consider entering this amazing event which will help us to highlight some of the beautiful gardens and greenery in the parish."

04/06/2026

LATEST: Sheppey Crossing Repairs
The A249 Sheppey Crossing will be "fully closed" overnight this weekend on Saturday (June 6) and Sunday (June 7) from 8pm to 6am for "essential repairs" to its expansion joints.
The Kingsferry Bridge will remain open as an alternative during these times and for all HGVs.
During the day, the nearside lane of the Sheppey-bound carriageway will remain closed with the 50mph speed limit and 7.5 tonne weight limit in place.
National Highways said: "Repair work began on Monday (June 1) and is progressing to plan. We expect the work to be completed and the road to be reopened by 6am on Monday (June 8)."
National Highways traffic officers will be patrolling the area.
It added: "We are working closely with Kent Police and Kent County Council to keep traffic moving and minimise disruption.
"Please plan your journey in advance and allow extra time."
The emergency repair work follows the entire closure of the Sheppey-bound carriageway of the crossing on the first day of the Late May bank holiday when thousands ended up trapped in their vehicles in a giant traffic jam after one of the expansion joints failed and buckled in the heat.
Picture: Ldn Drone

04/06/2026

Sheppey Festival Rename
The success of this month’s Festival of Sheppey has given an unexpected headache to the Island’s Rotary Club.
Members are staging a huge one-day fun event at Barton’s Point coastal park at Sheerness in August but are now considering changing its name.
It was originally to be called the Sheppey Festival.
But club member Simon Mulchinock admits the public may confuse it with the month-long Festival of Sheppey, which is more focussed on the culture and heritage of the Island.
So, he has issued members with a choice of 38 alternatives, ranging from the Barton’s Point Big Bash to the Waves of Fun Festival, for them to pick a new title.
Other suggestions include Water, Wheels and Music, Sheppey Waterfront Festival, Island Summer Carnival, Great Sheppey Fun Day, Sheppey Summer Splash, Island Vibes and Rotary On Point.
The idea of the festival is to return to early days of Rotary when members organised the annual Donkey Derby on the marshes at Halfway to raise funds for local charities.
The club’s beer and cider festival has struggled to maintain similar support since it was forced to move to Sheppey United’s football ground when the Aviator pub at Queenborough Corner closed its doors. It is now held at the Rose Inn, Queenborough. The next is on Saturday, July 25.
The new one-day super festival, planned for Sunday, August 30, will be aimed at families.
The club has already been seeking sponsors and is booking arena displays, sideshows, live music and funfair rides.
It is hoping to stage competitions, such as five-a-side football matches and rowing races on the park’s boating lake.
It is also hoping to attract a large selection of food and craft stalls.
Insiders say the Beer Puppet, a popular attraction at the club’s beer festivals, is also set to appear.
The Rotary Club of Minster On Sea, now the only Rotary presence on the Island, also organises the Island Run.
It helped launch the Saturday morning free park run at The Leas, Minster, and gives out cash to local charities once a year with its Community Chest awards.
For more details of the festival, or to offer help, email Simon at [email protected]
You may add your own suggestion for the name for the new festival below…

01/06/2026

Two ducks and their ducklings have died after apparently being used as targets for catapult practice.
The dead birds were discovered at The Fleet in Sheerness over the weekend.
Sheerness Town Council published an impassioned plea for the cruelty to stop.
It wrote: "These innocent animals have suffered horrific and completely unnecessary deaths. Based on the injuries sustained, it is believed that catapults may have been used.
"This level of cruelty is sickening. It is unacceptable, it is criminal, and it will not be tolerated."
It said the council was taking immediate action by installing CCTV in the area.
It added: "We are also working with Kent Police and other partner agencies to put measures in place to tackle this behaviour and protect the wildlife at The Fleet for the future.
"We want to be absolutely clear. Anyone responsible for these acts should expect to face the consequences of their actions."
It went on: "If you think killing animals is amusing, entertaining, or somehow justified, then you need to take a long, hard look at yourself. The deliberate targeting of defenceless wildlife is not a prank. It is not a game. It is an act of cruelty."
It said: "Parents also have a responsibility. If you are aware of this behaviour and choose to ignore it, excuse it, or turn a blind eye to it, you should seriously reflect on the example you are setting. Communities have a right to expect better.
"We are asking the public to remain vigilant. If you witness anyone attacking wildlife, using catapults, or engaging in any act of animal cruelty, call 999 immediately. Do not assume someone else has reported it.
"Our community should be a safe place for people and wildlife alike. The senseless killing of defenceless animals has no place in Sheerness.
"Enough is enough."
Kent Police has launched an appeal for information.
They say two ducks were "found deceased" and "a pair of ducklings were injured" near the waterway along Hawthorn Avenue.
Officers visited the site at 11.30am on Saturday (May 30).
A spokesman said: "Steps were taken to safeguard remaining wildfowl and an investigation was commenced that included the examination of available CCTV footage."
Inspector Julia Bassindale said: "We suspect the birds were injured by a catapult and officers are working to identify those responsible.
"Local enquiries have been completed and we want to speak to two boys who were seen in the area at the time.
"They are described as being aged between 12 to 14 with dark hair and were wearing shorts and grey t-shirts."
Witnesses who have not yet spoken to the police and anyone with information that may assist should contact the appeal line on 01795 419119, quoting reference 46/86974/26.
Information can also be left with Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111 or complete the online form.

01/06/2026

Firefighters were called to The Leas at Minster this afternoon (Monday) to tackle a pub blaze.
Huge black clouds drifted across the promenade when a fire broke out behind The Seaside Pub, formerly the Beach Bar, in Seaside Avenue.
Landlady Lana Box told Kent Online the fire had caused no major damage or injuries.
She said: “It started with the electrics and spread to the back yard where a lot of rubbish caught alight.”
Among the items on fire was an old tyre used for decoration.
The pub had to close temporarily because it was left without any power.
Lana added: “We got everyone out of the building and called the fire brigade. It was over really quickly.”
Picture: Laura Nina

Sheppey Scene

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