Farningham: A Walk Through A Quintessential Kentish Village.

Join me as I take a walk through Farningham, a beautiful historic village in Kent, and discover the fascinating history hiding in this quiet corner of the Darent Valley.

 

Although Farningham may look like a peaceful Kentish village today, its history goes back thousands of years. In this video, we explore some of the places that have helped shape Farningham over the centuries, including St Peter and St Paul’s Church, Market Meadow, the historic Lion Hotel, the River Darent, Farningham Mill and the old High Street.

Along the way, we also discover some of the interesting people connected with Farningham, including Admiral William Bligh, Charles Dickens, Marianne Farningham, and Major W. G. Wilson.

It was a real pleasure making this video, especially since I live only a few miles from Farningham. It’s one of those places that I’ve passed through many times, but researching its history and actually taking the time to walk around and look at the village properly gave me a completely different appreciation of what’s right on my doorstep.

I’ve combined walking footage with aerial views captured with my DJI Mini 4 Pro to give you a different perspective on Farningham, the River Darent, and the surrounding Kent countryside.

I hope you enjoy coming along with me and discovering a little more about this fascinating Kent village.

Sometimes you don't have to travel miles to find somewhere with a great story. You just have to slow down, have a wander, and look around.

Thanks for watching, and I’ll see you again... Out & About. 🚶‍♂️🎥

The View from Above: Privacy, Photography and Perspective

It goes without saying that whenever you share photographs or video footage of property or people publicly on social media, there will always be somebody who feels that the images are an invasion of privacy. I accept that. People are entitled to their opinions, and I certainly don’t expect everyone to see things in the same way.

That said, provided I am not trespassing, taking inappropriate images, or flying my drone illegally, I am perfectly entitled to exercise my freedom of expression.

This morning, I shared a couple of photographs of Farningham Mill in a local private Facebook group. They were very well received by the majority of members, with plenty of flattering comments. What I found interesting, though, was just how differently people can perceive exactly the same photographs.

Several people actually asked whether I would capture some aerial video footage over their houses and streets. On the other hand, a couple of people said they felt that my photographs and video footage of the mill were an invasion of privacy and could potentially create a safety concern by making the property more visible to criminals.

Now, their comments were not a rant, and I genuinely appreciate that they were simply expressing their concerns and opinions. Because they were polite about it, I didn't feel the need to launch into a detailed explanation of the legalities of what I was doing.

I could have pointed out that I was flying at an altitude where I was legally entitled to fly over the mill estate and capture images. I could also have mentioned that I am an experienced drone operator, registered with the CAA (Civil Aviation Authority), and carry £10 million of liability insurance for both leisure and commercial drone operations.

But I didn't.

Instead, I simply pointed out that Google Earth already gives anyone with an internet connection a remarkably detailed aerial view of around 90% of the planet. If someone really wanted to look at the layout of the estate from above, they don't necessarily need me and my little drone to do it.

As for the concerns about security and the possibility of increased criminal activity, I would imagine that an estate where apartments start at around £4 million, and where residents presumably pay substantial annual management and service charges, probably has rather more sophisticated security arrangements than simply relying on a gated entrance and a cheap Ring doorbell.

At the end of the day, though, you can't please all of the people all of the time.

Some people see an aerial photograph of Farningham Mill and think, "What a beautiful place."

Others see exactly the same photograph and think, "That's a breach of privacy."

And that, I suppose, is the nature of photography and social media. We all see the world through our own eyes.

Halfords, E-Bikes and a Rather Confusing Definition of Mechanical Work.

Now, I have to say, I’m a little confused by Halfords.

Their website says:

“We are unable to complete any electrical work on non-Halfords E-bikes, but we can still complete mechanical work.”

Fair enough. I have no problem with that.

My e-bike is UK-compliant, and all I needed was for Halfords to refit my front tyre, because injuries currently prevent me from doing it myself.

So I phoned them, explained exactly what I needed, and specifically told the customer service operative that it was an e-bike.

“No problem,” I was told.

So I booked the appointment, made the journey, and turned up at the store.

And then I was told they couldn't do it.

Now, perhaps I'm missing something here, but how is refitting a tyre not mechanical work?

I wasn't asking them to touch the motor, battery, controller or wiring. I wasn't asking them to diagnose anything electrical.

I wanted a tyre refitted.

That's it.

And this is where I have a problem with the whole thing.

If Halfords' policy is actually “we don't work on non-Halfords e-bikes”, regardless of whether the job is mechanical or electrical, then surely that's what they should say.

But that's not what their website says.

It says they can't do electrical work, but they can do mechanical work.

And when I phoned to make the booking, I was told the fact it was an e-bike wasn't a problem.

So why was it a problem when I actually arrived?

Perhaps there's an insurance issue. Perhaps it's a store-level policy. Perhaps there's some other reason I'm unaware of.

But whatever the reason, the customer shouldn't have to make a journey to find out.

And I'm certainly not blaming the staff member who refused the work. They're simply following the instructions they've been given.

My issue is with the inconsistency between what Halfords says, what I was told on the phone, and what happened when I arrived.

All I needed was a tyre refitting because I can't physically do it myself at the moment.

Halfords, could you clarify exactly what you mean by “mechanical work” on a non-Halfords e-bike?

Because apparently, in this case, it doesn't include a tyre.

And I'll be honest...

I'm still trying to work that one out. 🤔 Also, if I need any components or parts for either of my vehicles or my bike in the future, I’ll be taking my business elsewhere.

Despite knowing I really shouldn’t have done it with my current health issues, I managed to lift the bike, turn it upside down, and realign the tyre myself. Ironically, the whole job took me considerably less time than the drive home from the Halfords store, a journey of just five miles

The Truth Vs The Hype! 💰 How Much Does YouTube Really Pay Me With 2.3K Subscribers?

If you’ve ever wondered whether you can actually make decent money on YouTube with just a few thousand subscribers, then this video is for you.

I’ve now reached 2.3K subscribers, and there’s plenty of hype online about how much money YouTube creators can make. But what does it actually look like in the real world?

Well, I’m going to show you the truth rather than the hype.

I’ll be sharing the earnings from some of my individual videos, including what certain videos have actually made, and then I’ll reveal my total YouTube earnings over the past 365 days.

No guesswork, no inflated figures, and no “YouTube made me £10,000 this month!” nonsense.

Just the actual numbers from my own channel.

So, with 2.3K subscribers, how much money does YouTube REALLY pay? Let’s find out.