Go Compare at festival


OPERA star Wynne Evans, who features in the “Go Compare” TV ads, will be Katherine Jenkins’ special guest at Music on the Hill. Wynne, whose debut album “A Song InMy Heart” was recently at number one in the clas- sical chart, will be performing with the Na- tional Symphony Orchestra on the opening night of Friday, June 24, at Kings Hill. The singer recently signed a six-album deal


with Warner Music, but he might be better known to audiences as spoof opera star Gio Compario in the TV adverts for a price comparison website. He was also the opera voice for Gary Lineker in a crisps advert. He has also performed at more than 30 interna-


tional rugby games. He said; “I am really looking forward to accom- panying Katherine Jenkins on stage for Music on the Hill in June. It’s a fabulous event to be part of, to perform in a more intimate setting and for two great causes.”


Music on


the Hill will take place in a dedicated arena at Kings Hill, and all profits will go to Demelza Hospice Care


for Children and The Children’s Development Trust. Tickets for the Katherine Jenkins concert cost £35,


and those for McFly the following night are £33.50. The line-up for the family fun day on Sunday, June 26, will include ABC, Bjorn Again and reality TV star Stacey Solomon. Family tickets are £80. Top girl band The Sugababes will be joining McFly on the bill for the Saturday. Sugababes mem- ber Heidi Range and boyfriend, DJ Dave Berry, who is in the line-up for the following day’s family fun day, have supported the hospice for several years.


Concert is high note of society’s year A CONCERT is being organised by Bearsted Choral Society to cel- ebrate its 40th anniversary. Light summer music, sung in English and French, will be per- formed jointly by the Bearsted group and Chorale des 2 Caps, from Wissant, Nord-Pas de Calais, with conductors Peter Ashley and Jean-Marie Fondeur and organist Martin Hogben. The event, on Saturday, June 4, at All Saints Church in Mill Street, Maidstone, will be at- tended byMaidstoneMayor and Mayoress, Cllr Brian Mortimer and Diane, together with the so- ciety’s three founder musicians – conductor, organist and head teacher of Bearsted School. Tick- ets, price £8 and £4 (students) on 01634 666730, from Sharon Music, 65 High Street, Maid- stone, on the door or at www.bearstedchoral.org.uk.


Callous theft CHEQUES/cards were among items in a bag that was stolen while the victim attended to a child with a nose bleed. Two suspects are described as white males, aged 20-22, one of whom was wearing blue tracksuit bottoms.


Salvation Army goes Dutch


A BRASS band from Amsterdam will be performing in Maid- stone as part of the 125th anniversary celebrations of the Sal- vation Army’s international staff band, based in London. The event takes place at the Salvation Army’s Union Street worship centre on Friday, June 3 at 7pm. Info – 01622 681808. The Dutch band will join five other staff bands for a concert at


the Royal Albert Hall the following day, and then perform in front of Buckingham Palace on the Sunday. A Salvation Army band from Norwich will feature in a con- cert at The Friars, Aylesford, on Saturday, June 18.


Walkers step out for Bluebell event MORE than 1,300 peo- ple took part in the an- nual Bluebell Walk, which raised around £30,000 for the Heart of Kent Hospice at Ayles- ford. The hospice’s 24th


walk covered an 8.5- mile circular route across the Downs and through privately owned woodland opened spe- cially for the event by the Torry Hill estate. New faces joined regu-


Eagles to turn back time at Hop Farm


THE Eagles will top the bill at the two-day Hop Farm music festival on Friday, July 1. The Hop Farm will be the band's only UK show. Join- ing them that night will be Bryan Ferry and The Human League.


Saturday's line-up is head-


lined by Morrissey, former frontman of The Smiths. It will also feature appearances by Lou Reed, former lead singer of the Velvet Under- ground and Iggy & The Stooges. The festival, now in its


fourth year, will also feature younger acts such Brandon Flower and Flamingo.


Pizza thieves beat up delivery boy


A MAIDSTONE gang was con- victed of mugging a delivery boy for three pizzas. Three young menwere locked


up and four others were given community orders. The seven plotted to steal food from Pizza Hot 4 U in Maidstone in No- vember 2009, Maidstone Crown Court heard. Prosecutor Al-


21 months’ youth custody; and Joshua Allchin (18), of Melville Road (all Maidstone), to 14 months’ youth custody. All three admitted conspiracy to rob.


listerWalker said the pizzas were ordered for a false address at Summerdale Court flats in Square Hill Road, Maidstone, where Adam Chawner had once lived. When Afghanistani immigrant Hussain Safari (19), arrived there hewas surrounded, beaten with a rolling pin and the pizzas were stolen. The victim later left the coun-


try and played no part in the trial. Wayne Acott (21), of Sum- merdale Court, was jailed for 21 months; Chawner (20), of Coombe Road,was sentenced to


Judge Jeremy Gold QC said the victim was work- ing for a living while the accused were smoking cannabis and drinking al- cohol, "thinking of filling your stomachs with free pizza".


The four others – Anthony Stanley (19), of Plover Road, Larkfield, together with Jimmy Brooker (18), of Cleveland House, Woodford Road, Maidstone, Dean Cundall (21), of Hubbard Lane, Boughton Monchelsea, and Duane Brown (20), of Windmill


Street, TunbridgeWells – admit- ted conspiracy to steal. Stanley and Brooker were


given supervision orders with a drug rehabilitation requirement and 150 hours’ unpaid work. Cundall was given supervi-


sion with a drug rehabilitation requirement, Brownwas given a community order with 200 hours’ unpaid work. They were each ordered to pay £200 costs.


Police body names new chief


THE man who managed the Met’s campaign to cut knife crime is the new chief executive of Kent Police Authority. Graham Hooper,who starts his new job in July, coordinated Operation Blunt across 32 London boroughs. He also spent 10 years in policy roles in Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, the Home Office and National Policing Improvement Agency. Mr Hooper, who wasmost recently a senior lecturer in criminol-


Walkers Nichola Aleen, Lynne Hornby and LouiseWilliams.


lars at Harrietsham Village Hall for the start of the walk and this year there were around 500 more participants than last,which de- lighted staff, volunteers and supporters of the hospice. Each walker was rewarded with a ploughman’s lunch at the end, donated by Tesco staff at Grove Green. The hospice’s patron, LadyMonckton, who attends every year, thanked “all the gallant walkers and their dogs” and the many dedicated volunteers who helped “on this glorious and enjoy able day.”


ogy at Thames Valley University, will work with KPA chair Ann Barnes and the 17 members, made up of local people and council- lors, who hold the Chief Constable to account. He succeeds Mark Gilmartin, who had spent five years working for KPA and departed to take up a new role at Metropolitan Police.


Sittingbourne Road homes refusal MAIDSTONE Council has blocked Ron Frazer’s outline planning application to build four five-bedroom semi-detached homes at The Lodge, Sittingbourne Road, Maidstone. The borough’s decision notice said: “The proposed development, including the levelling of the site, clearance of trees and vegetation and the erection of four dwellings would result in a cramped de- velopment that would harm the spacious and sylvan character of the surrounding area and is likely to provide inadequate garden space for the family dwellings.”


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