Town Talk
Rector hits out at ‘callous and insensitive’ society
ACLERGYMANhas criticised the Ministry of De- fence for the “clerical error” of serving email re- dundancy notices to dozens of experienced warrant officers in the armed serv- ices. And Rev Hugh Broadbent, Rector of
Snodland, also hit out at the treat- ment of elderly patients by the NHS. In his parish magazine notes enti-
tled: “Thrown on the rubbish dump”, referring to the redundancy notices, he asks: “How did it happen? How can anyone possibly think that it was an appropriate way to treat people? “In a supposedly enlightened and compassionate society, such events are disturbing,” continued Hugh. “But this is not an isolated incident. Areport was issued this February, for example, by ombudsman Ann Abra- ham, on the treatment of elderly patients by the NHS. “It catalogued numerous examples of nurses
who had failed to provide the most basic level of care; it told of people left for hours unattended, suffering chronic dehydration and malnutrition, and sometimes dying as a result.” He accepted that in the current economic cli-
mate there are doubtless huge pressures at work and inadequate training may also be a problem. “But neither of these considerations wholly ex- plains how staff within the MoD and the NHS could treat fellow human beings with such cal-
Former armed
robber gets OBE A FORMER armed robber given an OBE in the New Year’s Honours list will be presented with his award at Buckingham Palace on June 1. Bobby Cummines, chief ex- ecutive of Unlock, the National Association of Reformed Of- fenders, is based in Snodland High Street. The recognition for his work in helping reformed ex-prisoners overcome social exclusion and discrimination was reported in Town Talk in January. Bobby said he did not know which member of the royal family would present him with his award, but he was looking forward to the occasion.
THE theme for floats and walk- ers in Snodland Carnival on July 9 will be inventions. The parade will leave Holmesdale Technology Col- lege, travelling down Malling Road into the High Street, Queens Road, Holborough Road and up the High Street and Constitution Hill to Potyns Sports Ground. The Red Hill Corps of Drums
will lead the procession, which will include Silhouettes Dance School andDKTwirlers, a baton-twirling troupe which will give a display along with a golden retriever display team
8 Town Talk
lousness and insensitivity,” he added. Hugh suggested the ever-increasing reliance on emails as a substitute for face-to-face conversa- tions fostered the mindset, which led to the sending of the redundancy emails. He asked if increasingly spe- cialised training of nurses in the use of medical equipment was drawing them into the world of technology and away from a more personal awareness of the basic needs of pa- tients. “Technology can be a wonderful
Rev Hugh Broadbent.
thing but when it dominates our thinking it can distort our attitude,” he wrote. “Some of us may even start to view people as mere components of a technological system, there to ful- fil a particular ‘function’, to be ‘use- ful’ for this or that purpose.
“When they are ‘broken’, ‘worn out’, or no longer required, we will then simply discard them like a piece of old machinery to be thrown on the rubbish dump.” Christians have a responsibility to champion
the dignity of individuals, regardless of their ‘use- fulness’ to society and they are precious to God, even when rejected or forgotten by society. Hugh concluded: “Now, it seems, there are young people and adults who must be rescued from the modern rubbish dumps of redundancy and old age, their worth safeguarded, affirmed and celebrated.”
Snodwarts enthrals young pupils
THE Snodwarts School of Magic greeted amazed parents and pupils when they turned up at the school gates. Staff dressed as witches and wizards, Harry Potter-type posters and skeletons and spi- ders added colour to Snodland Church of England Primary School’s annual book week. Marli the Magician’s magic
show enthused the children and there were drama work- shops with a magic theme. On the final day the Rector
of Snodland, Rev Hugh Broad- bent, the school site manager John Crittenden and ICTman- ager Kerrie Cosh had the diffi- cult task of choosing the winning pupils dressed as characters from the books they had read. “It’s been a great week,” com- mented teacher Ashley Bentley.
Annual carnival will befull of inventive ideas
at Potyns. More details are available
from the town council offices at Waghorn Road, on 01634 240228. A fun-packed month will
start on July 2 with a real ale festival and Twenty20 cricket match at the cricket meadow. SnodlandWorking Men’s Club will take on an All Star XI and
Bluebell wood
charity walk THE annual Bluebell wood charity walk in Upper Halling takes place on April 30. Patrick Lawry has raised almost £10,000 for the Eve Appeal in the last three years. The walk starts from the Browndens Road car park at 10am and covers 6.15 kilometres (4.2 miles). More details are avail-
able from Patrick at 01634 240892.
Acoustic club
moves its base ACLUB for acoustic musicians, who can “sing a bit and play a bit”, has moved to Snodland Working Men’s Club. Don Thompson, of Saltings
Road, and Norman Brooks, of Malling Road, formed Snod- land Acoustic Music Sessions (SAMS) at the beginning of 2008 in The Bull public house. At the time, Don said: “There
has got to be people who are in- terested in doing folk, blues and country and western. We don’t mind if they are not par- ticularly good at singing or playing.” Explained Don: “After four
years of sessions at The Bull our hosts, Mick and Marge, have retired and the plans of the new management do not in- clude our kind of entertainment so we have found a new venue at the working men’s club. “This is a larger and more comfortable venue, which will accommodate the larger num- bers attending of late.” The club was restricted to
about 20 people at The Bull, but Don said he would now go out to recruit more musicians and supports for the sessions, which are held from 8pm to 11pm on the fourth Tuesday of each month. Entry is free. “Basically we are looking for
Sandra Golding and Viki Gar- rett at Snodland primary’s school gates.
anybody interested in playing for the All Stars can contact Graham Ives on 07570 899436. In the evening, a jazz, swing
and jive group, The Goose- bumps, supported by the mu- sicians of Snodland Acoustic Music Sessions (SAMS), will provide the entertainment. *On July 23 the Monks Head
pub will hold its annual Music on the Patio concert to raise funds for Kent Air Ambulance. A charity dog walk is being
organised by the Beat Project, which is also holding a com- munity day and fun dog show at Nevill Park on July 30.
the man in the street, or woman, who can sing a bit and play a bit,” added Don. “They may well want to improve – or just enjoy themselves. All are welcome, every genre, every style, and those who just want to listen.”
Town Talk is an eight-page supplement for the residents and business of Snodland. It appears in the Downs Mail in alternate months. However, news from Snodland will also appear in other parts of the paper and in theeditions of theDowns Mail when Town Talk does not appear as a supplement. Anyone with a news item concerning the Snodland area can contact our special correspondent Peter Rimmer on 07918 026808 or 01634 241903. Or you can contact our newsdesk on 01622 734735.
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