She was mother to a daughter


and two sons and had travelled around the world with her hus- band’s military career. She was also a member of the


Red Hatters, a local group of women who go on outings and wear red hats, bags and match- ing accessories. Maggie leaves her widower,


their children and four grand- children.


Cyril Dyer CYRILDyer (82) was known to many people in Maidstone and surrounding villages as a busy chimney sweep tending a number of historic build- ings, including Leeds Castle. He grew up


in Yalding but moved to


We will remember


Bearsted with his wife Violet and daughter Pauline. He was a founding member of the Yald- ing Garden Society and was de- lighted to be invited to return for the society’s 50th anniver- sary celebrations. Gardening remained a signifi-


cant part of Cyril’s life, with many people admiring his beautiful garden in Roseacre Lane, Bearsted, especially his cyclamen and azaleas. He also spent a number of


years as a Bearsted parish coun- cillor, keen to conserve the vil- lage that he loved. Cyril was diagnosed with de-


mentia in July last year and sadly suffered a rapid deteriora- tion in his health. He passed


away on February 15 at Iden Manor Nursing Home in Staple- hurst. He leaves Violet, his wife of


63 years, daughter Pauline, son- in-law Lance and grandchildren Claire and Nick.


Rosemary Brookes ROSEMARY Doris Brookes (90) lived in Friars Court, Maid- stone, for 23 years, having pre- viously lived at Penenden Heath.


Rosemary moved to Maid-


stone in the late Fifties with her husband John and family. John worked at John Angell jewellers on the High Street. He subse- quently became manager and the company moved to Gabriels


Hill. Born in Australia, Rosemary


(nee Streeter) moved to the UK with her British parents. She met John and both served in the RAF during the war. Their 67-year marriage started in 1943 and the couple raised children Peter, Sue and Roger.


Daughter Sue Pick said: “My


mother was devoted to her fam- ily and enjoyed a long and happy life. She was gentle and kind. She loved to spend time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was homely and in the early days became a really good babysit- ter.” Due to ill heath, Rosemary moved to Sutton Valence Care Home about three years ago. She leaves her children, five


grandchildren and six great- grandchildren.”


Police chief: Hard to control stolen gold trade


A COUNCILLOR who had his house bur- gled for jewellery asked Maidstone's police chief if anything could be done about stamping out stolen gold-for-cash transac- tions. Cllr Adrian Brindle (Shepway South) was


on a scrutiny committee quizzing members of the Safer Maidstone Partnership about the link between burglaries and drug and substance misuse. He told Chief Supt Matthew Nix (pic-


tured) he had been a burglary victim. He said it was "pretty dreadful" that someone could steal jewellery, put it in an envelope, send it to a dealer and get a cheque back in the post "with no questions asked". He won- dered if anything could be done.


A MAIDSTONE Museum em- ployee received a redundancy no- tice from his council employers the day before he was due at a long-service celebration. Peter Smith, of the Winterfield estate, East Malling, joined the museum in October 1990, within a few days of Sue Newman, from ParkWood. Neither of them attended the


Town Hall bash. Mr Smith said: "It seemed


"In short, no," said Ch Supt Nix. "It is a le-


gitimate business. We have local premises that deal in gold and we have very close working relationships now with certain premises which have an interesting clien- tele who, potentially are, or have engaged in criminal activity. We have a very tight visiting regime and we work very closely with their manage- ment to make sure, where possible, they are doing absolutely what they should be doing.


somewhat ironic to be congratu- lated for giving 20 years' service at the same time as being told you're not wanted." The pair, both stewards, are


among 12 staff at the museum, the tourist information centre and the Hazlitt Theatre box office who have been asked to reapply for just five new posts under a reor- ganisation of the services. Mr Smith said: "With the mu- seum extension going up, you


Bells could go silent without ringers THE sound of change-ringing at a church in Maidstone could fall silent if new bell-ringers are not found to learn the art. Numbers of the bell-ringing team at All Saints Church, built in 1395


and the oldest medieval building in public use in the town, are begin- ning to dwindle, so the tower captain is looking for new members.. GrahamHeath, a bell-ringer for 32 years, has been captain of the bell- ringing team at All Saints for the last 12 years. Both he and the ‘ring- ing master’ are experienced in training new ringers. He said: “Bell-ringing is more mentally taxing than physically tax-


ing so bell-ringers can be of all ages, from 10 years to 70 years. It’s a fan- tastic and interesting thing to be able to do.” Change-ringing was developed in England in the early 1600s and in- volves the bell being mouth upwards before ringing can begin. They are then rung full-circle in different permutations of the number of bells being rung. All Saints has a ring of 10 bells, ranging in size from 5 cwt to the


largest tenor bell, which weighs 32 cwt (1.75 tons). Together they are regarded as one of the finest toned rings of 10 bells in the country. Good co-ordination and a sense of rhythm are all that’s needed to


learn this age-old tradition. If you would like to give it a go, contact Graham Heath on 01622 721288 or 07734 437909.


"We check the contents and work with the management - that's easier to do if it's fixed premises, and we have a number of those in the Maidstone district.” But he said it is almost impossible to do something about stolen jewellery being posted for profit. “Could someone be send- ing off stolen goods? Yes, it is feasible they could, but we would not even know where they are going or how. It's a bit like the in- ternet age, it's very difficult to police be- cause were are unsighted on it, whereas at fixed shops we can intervene, and we do.” Ch Supt Nix added: "We have been quite


successful in Maidstone recovering stolen property going through all sorts of premises, not just the obvious gold dealers."


Thanks for 20-year service – but your job’s gone!


would imagine they would need more staff, not fewer. “And there will no conti-


nuity with people working a rota between the three places."


Pic: Matthew Walker of KM


Healing prayer talk THE healing power of prayer is the subject of a talk next month. Christian Science practitioner


Frank Prinz-Wondollek will hold a talk on Sunday, April 3 at First Church of Christ, Scien- tist, Vinters Road, Maidstone.


The Queen is escorteded by Lt Col Simon Hulme and a member of the Queen’s Gurkha Engineers


Queen comes to Maidstone


THE Queen made her first royal visit to Maidstone for many years to see a regiment that had been named after her. Her Majesty was at Invicta Barracks to observe the 5,000th re-


cruit to the Queen’s Gurkha Engineers swear allegiance. She also commissioned three late-entry officers before meeting some of the regiment’s injured soldiers and families. She joined the Gurkhas and their families for lunch and was presented with a Nepalese garland before signing the visitors’ book and departing for Buckingham Palace.


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