#sittingbourne

I like to try to make at least one FA Cup game each season. I find it amazing that we still have a tournament where the smallest clubs in the country are in the same competition as some of the biggest clubs in the world. Early qualifying rounds are a chance to feel part of something bigger – genuinely you are on the Road to Wembley. You are witnessing a small part of a much larger story, one…

Yaboos Kitchen, located on Woodberry Dr, Sittingbourne, Rochester ME10 3AX, is a top-rated Nigerian and African restaurant and takeaway. Known for its dedication to authentic flavours and comforting meals, this eatery continues to impress with fresh, bold, and traditional offerings. In this article, we spotlight five more delicious dishes locals and visitors can't stop raving about.

1. Nkwobi (Cow Foot in Spicy Sauce) This rich delicacy is a staple in Eastern Nigerian kitchens. Yaboos Kitchen delivers a top-notch Nkwobi that combines tender cow foot with a spicy, palm-oil based sauce. Served in a traditional style, this dish is deeply satisfying and full of flavour, perfect for those craving something indulgent and authentically African.

2. Ofada Rice with Ayamase Sauce This local Nigerian rice is served with the famous Ayamase (green pepper) sauce, loaded with offals and bold spices. Yaboos Kitchen cooks it to perfection, making it one of the most requested meals. It's aromatic, earthy, and downright unforgettable.

3. Beans and Dodo (Fried Plantain) A simple yet nourishing combo, Yaboos' beans are slow-cooked with onions and palm oil, paired with their signature golden fried plantains. This comforting duo balances sweetness and spice beautifully.

4. Ewa Agoyin A street food favourite turned restaurant staple, Ewa Agoyin is mashed beans served with a deeply flavoured pepper sauce. At Yaboos Kitchen, it's spicy, soulful, and served with warm bread or plantains.

5. Chicken Gizzard in Spicy Sauce Perfect as a side or main, Yaboos' gizzards are marinated and fried before being coated in a fiery sauce with onions and peppers. It’s chewy, spicy, and pairs excellently with rice or snacks.

Conclusion: Yaboos Kitchen keeps redefining African takeaway excellence in Sittingbourne. With a menu that celebrates tradition and a kitchen that delivers consistent quality, it’s easy to see why they’re a community favourite. Experience their offerings by visiting their website: http://yabooskitchen.co.uk/

Happy New Year! In 2025 we will be celebrating Railway 200 and 120 years of Steam Locomotives at Sittingbourne Paper Mill. We’re starting it all with the global Whistle-Up at midday today (1st January 2025) - join us from 11.45am at Sittingbourne Viaduct and watch ‘Premier’ whistle-up! www.sklr.net #WhistleUp200 #Premier #Sittingbourne #Kent #HappyNewYear #Railway200

There are many stories about the sinking of the Titanic and the people who sailed on her. This my story; originally published in Bygone Kent magazine issue:37 Number 2, over 8 pages.

The Titanic sank on the 15th April 1912. Of the 2,223 onboard, 1517 were lost.

Many were searching for a new life in the United States. One of these was 36-year-old Kate Buss 1873-1972 from Sittingbourne, Kent. She was making the journey alone to marry her Kent-born fiancé, Samuel Willis in San Diego in California. Kate survived and they married three weeks after the disaster.

Picture: Kate Buss before leaving Kent.

Samuel Willis ran a tailor’s shop in Sittingbourne, first in the High Street and then later at 110 East Street. Kate Buss was born at 37 Shakespeare Road, Sittingbourne. In 1901 her father James Buss was listed as a grocer-postmaster at 68 Shortlands Road, Sittingbourne.

Picture: Kate Buss, birth home in Sittingbourne, Kent.

Samuel Willis sailed to America in 1908 and settled in San Diego and then opened his own grocery store. Saving enough, to send money back to Kent to pay for his wife-to-be voyage. Kate sailed on a second-class ticket for E-Deck, number 27849, which cost £13.

At 11.40pm on the 14th April she heard a crash and went on deck. Meeting a friend, she returned to her cabin and put more clothes on, then returned on deck. Along with a female friend they were escorted to lifeboat Number 9. Kate later wrote to a friend, Elsie Sparkes in Halling, Kent: “ I’d just my nightdress, my dressing gown and a long coat. It was terribly cold by the iceberg.”

“ I’ve lost everything to remind me of home, all my photographs, my letters, everything except my rings and watch.”

Lifeboat Number 9 was lowered at 1.30am and it was picked up by the Carpathia at 6.15am. The ship picked up 712 people from 13 lifeboats. The rescue ship arrived at Pier 54 in New York at 9.25pm on the 18th April.

Picture: The lifeboat arriving off the rescue ship; Carpathia.

Staying in the east side of New York at the home of; Reverend William Dalziel 1855-1935 and his wife, Emma 1856-1921, formally of Greenstreet near Faversham. Kate wrote to her mother in Sittingbourne.

“ I do hope you don’t believe most of the newspaper stories. I am well and want you to know this. I have been preserved from reporters, who have been trying to find me.”

She later left New York and started the journey to San Diego, where she was reunited with Samuel Willis. Kate wrote several letters to friends in Halling, near Rochester. “ They had to haul me up the last few steps of the rescue ladder and then someone wrapped me in a rug. I had hot brandy and water in the saloon.”

The memory of the terrifying climb, she said would stay with her for the rest of her life.

Kate married Samuel Willis as planned on Saturday, 11th May 1912.

Picture: Kate Buss and Samuel Willis.

Kate Willis never spoke in public about the tragedy but did so in private, when she became emotional. She successfully avoided the press and didn’t testify to either, to the American or the British boards of inquiry.

In one of the few public statements she made, Kate said: “ I willingly would have waited, if I had known how few lifeboats there were.”

On the 12th July 1972, Kate Buss Willis died in Independence, Oregon. On her gravestone her daughter added a,  “ Titanic survivor.”

Picture: Kate Buss Willis in 1950.

Passengers from Kent who died during the Titanic disaster were:

William Thomas Bevan,19 of 95 Richmond Road, Gillingham.

Harry Bristow, 39 of Station Parade, Shortlands, Bromley.

Richard Henry Rouse, 50, of 30 New Road, Sittingbourne.

Thomas Leonard Theobald, 34, 8 Cromer Street, Strood.

Alfred Rush,16, a friend of the Theobald family.

Bernard John Boughton, 25, of 12 Hardinge Road, Ashford.

Percival Thorneycroft, 36 of Bearsted.

Frank Goldsmith, 33 of 22 Hone Street, Strood.

A more complete version was published in Bygone Kent magazine. http://bygonekent.org.uk/

Relations of the Buss and Willis families, helped with details used in this article.