Free Republic

Archaeologists have pinpointed an obscure spot in Kent as the scene of the first encounter between Rome and ancient Britons. Pegwell Bay on the Isle of Thanet is believed to be where Caesar first attempted to land in 55 BC, and later more successfully in 54 BC. Now the site is more than half a mile inland - but at the time it was closer to the coast. The location matches Caesar's own account as it was visible from the sea with a large open bay and was overlooked by higher ground. His army immediately built a fort on the...

Labour’s former council leader in Thanet, Iris Johnston, has been caught on camera allegedly ‘helping’ a member of the public to cast their ballot during last Thursday’s election. The votes for Thanet District Council took place on the same day as the General Election, when UKIP leader Nigel Farage was attempting to be elected as the Member of Parliament for South Thanet. ... Johnston’s proximity to the voter may well qualify as compromising the secrecy of the ballot, something that worried the Conservative Party’s Paul Messenger, who took the photo. He told the BBC, “It concerned me that Iris was...

A Thanet man has been charged and released on bail following an assault on UKIP party leader Nigel Farage with a placard. Andrew Scott, 37, from Ramsgate Road, Margate, was charged with assault by beating, after Mr Farage was allegedly attacked as he entered a hotel in Cliftonville at around 3pm yesterday. Unemployed Scott was released on conditional bail, to appear at Margate Magistrates' Court on March 3. As a condition to his bail he must not attend any political event of any political party, either in protest or support of the party in question. It comes after the South...

He's tall, well-preserved, and enjoys archery and gritty food. And despite his bad teeth, a slight stoop and an unfortunate growth on his face, he may be looking for a (very) mature woman. If this description sounds all too familiar, then you may have found a direct descendant of Thanet’s Bronze Age man. Experts examining a skeleton found on the Isle last week have painted a vivid picture of how the 4,000-year-old stranger might have looked – and he definitely wasn’t pretty. The beautifully preserved remains were found during a routine archaeological dig on development site near Monkton on which...