insideKENT Magazine Issue 73 - April 2018 | Page 144

NEWS LEGENDARY HIP-HOP STAR DJ JAZZY JEFF TO HEADLINE CREATE FESTIVAL 2018 Kent festivalgoers have been given a ‘Summertime’ boost as Create Festival announces “the magnificent” DJ Jazzy Jeff as this year’s Main Stage headliner. The American record producer, DJ, actor and comedian who is best known for his friendship and collaboration with Will Smith as DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, will top the line-up at the free event in Victoria Park, Ashford, in July. From his successes with Will Smith, to his critically acclaimed production company A Touch of Jazz, DJ Jazzy Jeff has won three Grammy Awards, three American Music Awards , two NAACP Awards, two Soul Train Music Awards and an MTV Music Award. Most recently, DJ Jazzy Jeff has been traveling the globe performing sets and wowing audiences with his flawless turntable skills, innovative production and musical versatility. Though DJ Jazzy Jeff is busy performing all over the world, he has not stopped producing great music. He is currently working with Philadelphia newcomer, Dayne Jordan who will also join him on stage at Create. Create Festival Organisers say: “DJ Jazzy Jeff has to be one of the most accomplished and influential hip-hop artists in the world. It is testimony to the growing success of Create and the amazing support we receive, that we have been able to secure such a world-renowned artist.” Create Festival is already one of the South East’s biggest and long established free music festivals, taking place every July in Ashford’s Victoria Park. The festival has grown significantly over the last five years and now features four music stages with a packed line-up of original acts spanning from rock and pop to folk and dance. The festival also features a mix of food markets, bars, outdoor theatre, arts and crafts, and creative pyrotechnics. The festival this year will be held on Saturday 21st July 2018, Victoria Park, Ashford. www.createfestival.co.uk ORPINGTON RAILWAY STATION CELEBRATES 150-YEAR MILESTONE On Friday 9th March, Southeastern celebrated Orpington’s 150th birthday with a ceremony to mark the station’s rich history. The event, which was attended by dignitaries including local councilors and business groups, featured an historic photo exhibition put on by station staff, and the cutting of a special birthday cake. 144 Opened on 2nd March 1868 by the South Eastern Railway, the station was built on a new, more direct line between London and the Kent coast. The original station was rebuilt in 1905 with additional platforms – the station that is familiar with passengers today. Electric trains reached Orpington in 1925. Over the past 150 years, the station has played a crucial role connecting the edge of the Greater London commuter belt with the centre of the capital and the wider South East. Today, Orpington station is used by over 1.1 million passengers each year. Since 2006, Southeastern has made a number of improvements to the station including additional ticket machines, modernisation of the station environment, improved information screens, the installation of lifts and a new footbridge.