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Somerfield Road


home conversion A PLAN to convert a single home into six self-contained flats at Pine Lodge, Somerfield Road, Maidstone, has been submitted. According to the design statement, the existing prop- erty has 13 bedrooms, five re- ception rooms, two kitchens and four bathrooms. The plan proposes three one-bed flats and a four-bed, three bed and two bed flat.


24 weddings and a


flower festival UNION Street Methodist Church, Maidstone, will fea- ture 24 wedding dresses from the 1940s to the present day as part of a flower festival held between June 10-12. There will also be more than 30 pho- tographs of members’ wed- dings. The festival will be opened


by Mayor Cllr Brian Mortimer at 10.30am on Friday and fea- tures a concert by The Maid- stone Singers on Saturday (7.30) and ends with Songs of Praise on Sunday (6pm). Income is for essential church repairs.


Swan to takeaway? A PLAN has been submitted to offer takeaway food at The Swan pub at 437 Loose Road, Maidstone.


Pond and green fingers help school measure up


A PARKWood primary school that was put in “spe- cial measures” 18 months ago is continuing to make good progress to improve. In particular, teaching at


BellWood’s Early Years was rated as ‘good’ now that a pond and an area with fruit


bushes and a greenhouse are extending young children’s appreciation of the natural world. This was one of the conclu-


sions of Ofsted’s third moni- toring inspection since December 2009. ‘Satisfactory’ progress has


also been made in other areas at the school, including set- ting more ambitious targets and tasks for pupils; giving them clear guidance on how they can reach the next steps of their learning; and ensur- ing lessons move at a good pace.


Guides’ 60-year reunion success


MORE than two-dozen old friends – many had not met for 60 years – got together for a Girl Guides’ reunion. The get-together was the brainchild of Stella Holton (nee Clark) who spotted a story in the Downs Mail last year about the Guiding movement’s cente- nary celebrations. She contacted as many of the original 1st Maidstone Guides as possible and arranged an event at St Philip’s church hall in April. Stella,whose former home was in Sussex Road, Shepway, now lives in Romford, Essex. She said: “We all wore badges with names and pictures to help us recognise each other, as some of us had not met for over 60 years.” One of them, Julie Woods (nee Wallis),


had flown from Tenerife for the occasion and the Guides’ former captain, Dee Caiger, had travelled from Devon. Also attending was Stella’s sister Maureen and


two other sets of sisters – Jill and Megan Board- man, and Rachel Stables and Bunty Stables. They were joined by Margaret Judd, June Lee-


Beat the criminals IF YOU CAN HELP, PLEASE PHONE: Police: 01622 690690 Crimestoppers: 0800 555 111


A TELEGRAPH pole in North Pole Road, Barming, was scaled and telephone cable cut, with the in- tention, it is be- lieved, of stealing the cabling. A yellow, 55-reg Peugeot Partner van was stolen from Essex Road, Shepway Electicity cables and


a satellite dish tripod were stolen from a property in Sil- verdale. A25ftlengthofwiremesh fencing with wooden posts was stolen from a garden in Bell Road, ParkWood. Flowers and garden pots


were taken from the front gar- den of a property in St Cather- ine’s Road, Loose. Daffodils in a plant pot were


stolen from a front garden in Perry Street. Two blocking sleds were


stolen from the grounds of premises in Queens Road. A silver mountain bike was


stolen from the driveway of a property in ThymeWalk. The headlights and dash-


board of a black and white Iveco Ford lorry were damaged


46 Town


after entry was gained to a compound at ARL Surfacing Ltd, in Tonbridge Road.A roller breaker was also damaged. A handbag con- taining cash, cos- metics and other items was stolen from a seat in Mill Street. Two white women, one of whom had blonde hair worn in


a ponytail, are suspected. The tax disc was stolen from


a red dumper truck at a build- ing site in Woodford Road, Fant.


Garden equipment was


stolen after the cab window of a white Transit tipper/flatbed vehicle parked in Northum- berland Road, Shepway,was smashed. Number plates were re- moved from a Renault Clio in Arundel Street. A post box was stolen from a


block of flats in Pudding Lane. A purse containing a quan-


tity of cash in bank notes was stolen from outside The Che- quers Centre, King Street. Three strimmers and a lawn mowerwere stolen from a shed at Fant Wildlife Group, Rose-


Three sets of sisters were among more than 60 former Girl Guides who attended a get-together at St Philip’s church hall to mark the movement’s centenary celebrations.


son,Mollie Pendry, Beryl Bradford, Carol Green Carol Letchford, Lorna Hales, Hilary Stone, Mar- ilyn Williams, Mary Pearce, Molly Kershaw Peggy Relf,WendyMoore, Betty Spice,Margaret Wade, Glennis Bourne, Anne Vanstone, Pam Chubb, Jo Ward, Julie Wallis and Joyce Hay ward.


Stella, who is county chairman of Essex West


Trefoil Guild, said: “The local Guiding people re ally did us proud, especially Linda Stonely, who organised all the food and made the cake for us and Carole Hardy, who arranged for us to have the hall and looked after us all day.”


holme, Fant, after the shed door was forced. Number plates were stolen


from a grey Renault Clio parked at Pevensey Court, St Peter’s Street. A black shoulder bag was


stolen from a silver Hyundai Accent saloon parked outside the Dog and Gun pub in Boxley Road. The rear number plate was


stolen from a blue Nissan Micra saloon, parked in an un- derground car park at Ragstone Lodge, Peel Street. A wheel arch and fog light


were stolen from a silver Vaux- hall Corsa in a parking bay at Higham Close, Tovil. Power tools, a bicycle and


other items were stolen from a shed in Plains Avenue, Shep- way.


Cheques/cards, a wallet and


a Blackberry were stolen after the passenger window of a sil- ver Vauxhall Corsa parked in a lane opposite the hospital in Hermitage Lane was smashed. A red and black Apollo mountain bike was stolen from the alleyway next to Farleigh Court, Farleigh Lane. A green whacker plate was


stolen from Queens Road;two young males are suspected of having been involved. A K-reg blue Renault Clio


was stolen from Loose Road. Copper pipe was stolen from a Renault Kangoo van parked


To contact Downs Mail just phone 01622 630330


in Sheppey Road. A generator was taken from a building site in Melrose Close. An cement mixer was taken


from a property in Loose Road. A generator was stolen from


a garden shed in Quarry Road. Four white youths are thought to have been involved. Thirteen pints of milk were


stolen from a milk float in Loose Road. A T-reg silver Ford Focus is suspected of being involved in the theft. Ablack and silver fishing rod


was taken from a back garden in Cornwallis Road. Items of jewellery were taken


from a property in Buckland Road. Two suspectmales were seen in the area, one was a dark European male in his late 20s, with dark hair. Garden gates were stolen overnight from two properties in Bower Lane, Fant. A Dell computer and a De-


walt drill were taken from a van parked in the underground car park in CliffordWay.


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