Guardian Launches Broadband Debate

by lornemitchell on May 8, 2012

Interesting article in the Guardian yesterday:

“With BT reporting its annual results next week, the Guardian is starting the debate over what new targets the government should set. We will be asking …..  for ideas on what Britain’s Broadband Vision should look like.”

You can read the full article “Why Britain’s Broadband is Heading for the Slow Lane” <HERE>.

As this parliament is now mid-term, it will be interesting to see whether the debate will change anything with the current process – or indeed whether the government will be persuaded with new ideas from this (and other) debates!

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May the Fourth be with you!

by lornemitchell on May 6, 2012

We had a great First Friday on May 4th at Week’s the Bakery, with:

  • an update on the Broadband Plans – both for Goudhurst, Cranbrook and wider Tunbridge Wells area.
  • a briefing from Kim Fletcher on the Digital Switchover,
  • a very interesting talk from Jim Carmichael, the Governor of Blantyre prison (who kindly extended us an invitation to visit Blantyre prison on 8th June.  If you are interested in attending, please email me lorne(at)btinternet(dot)com by 1st June so that I can put your name on the list,
  • an update on the status of the Glebe Field,
  • a quick chat about the topic of neighbourhood plans (see below).

We will be holding the next First Friday on 1st June with a focus on our broadband in our  neighbourhood plan.  Hope as many of you can attend as possible.

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Preferred Bidder Selected

April 18, 2012

After several months of going silent on the scheme, KCC has now allowed us to announce that the preferred bidder for the Goudhurst scheme has been chosen.  The details were announced this week at the two village meetings in Goudhurst (on Monday) and Kilndown (on Wednesday). We have one more technical hurdle to go through [...]

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Goudhurst scheme presented as evidence at the House of Lords

March 29, 2012

I gave evidence at the House of Lords Select Committee on Communications on Tuesday – all about the future of UK Internet Access. There is a video of it here: Share on Facebook

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Today’s First Friday on Social Media

March 2, 2012

We had an excellent turn-out for our first “themed” First Friday on Social Media today. Kevin Gillard from Horsmonden gave an overview of the various social media platforms that small businesses can use and we had a lively discussion on how these tools can help with marketing and recruitment. We decided to dig deeper in [...]

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Next First Friday on Social Media

February 12, 2012

On Friday 2nd March the Golden Thread team will be holding their monthly ‘First Friday’ business networking club. Breaking with tradition of the meetings being a purely networking event, the meeting will have a theme of ‘Social Media and your Business’. There will be a presentation on how you can use Facebook, Twitter and other [...]

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KCC Goes out to Tender for Goudhurst’s Superfast Broadband System!

January 8, 2012

On Friday 6th January we heard from Kent County Council that they had sent out our requirements to their list of approved suppliers to tender for the upgrade to Goudhurst Parish’s Superfast Broadband system. This is a major milestone for our project and we are now hoping that, with a following wind, the chosen supplier [...]

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In a Sea of No Plans

December 21, 2011

I was browsing the excellent Sam Knows site yesterday and decided to see what BT’s lastest plans are for our Parish and the surrounding countryside.  Here is the map: My house is where the blue flag is. We are year on from the great efforts that Brenchley, Hormonden, Goudhurst and Cranbrook put into BT’s so-called [...]

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Goudhurst Parish Council Sets Up Superfast Broadband Subcommittee

November 2, 2011

On 10th October the Goudhurst Parish Council created a new subcommittee to oversee the “Golden Thread” Superfast Broadband Project grant that was awarded to the Parish earlier in the year by Kent County Council. A copy of the minutes is shown below from the www.goudhurst.co.uk website: SUPERFAST BROADBAND COMMITTEE 279/11         Members received a Report of [...]

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HELP SAVE GOUDHURST’S GLEBE FIELD!

October 5, 2011

LATEST NEWS ON THE GLEBE FIELD FROM ED BATES ON 11th November 2011 This page has spread the word and led to a good number of completed questionnaires, for which many thanks.  I envisage the Village Green application being submitted within the next two weeks, after which there will be a pause of about five months while KCC determine the [...]

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