It wasn’t all bad

The largely forgotten rescue of 4,000 Jewish men from Nazi Europe just before World War II is finally to be commemorated. The men were brought over by train and boat, and were housed in a camp – the Kitchener Camp – near the Kent town of Sandwich, where most were classed as “friendly aliens”. The rescue, 80 years ago, is to be marked with the unveiling of a plaque in Sandwich, attended by some of their descendants, and a new exhibition at London’s Jewish Museum.

Sheep are grazing on Hampstead Heath in north London for the first time in 60 years. The five-strong flock has been introduced on a trial basis, to see if sheep could be used as a quieter, and more wildlifefriendly, alternative to the machinery that is normally used to keep grass and other greenery down. Sheep used to be a common sight on the heath, when farmers took their flocks there en route to market in the city. The ewes, borrowed from Mudchute Park and Farm in east London, will graze in a fenced-off area known as the Tumulus, to protect them from dogs running off the lead.

Negotiations with Brussels may have been tense at times, but it seems many Europeans will still be sad to see Britain leave the EU. So much so that when a Dutch man proposed (as a joke) hosting a “Farewell UK” beach party, thousands of people signed up for it overnight, prompting him to start planning the event for real. It will be held on a beach near Amsterdam on 31 October. “I just liked this idea of looking across the North Sea and waving goodbye to a dear friend, wishing it luck, perhaps hoping it comes back one day,” said Ron Toekook, 52.