Flypast marks new homes ceremony ATIGERMoth was due to fly over Kingswood on Thursday, July 7, to mark the official opening of affordable housing at Peter Pease Close. The scheme is named after an RAF officer who died close to


the site on September 15, 1940. His brother, Sir Richard, and Lady Pease were invited to at-


tend the ceremony performed by the Mayor of Maidstone Cllr Brian Mortimer. Weather permitting, the Tiger Moth was due to fly over the


crash memorial site off Duck Pond Lane, followed by the bury- ing of a time capsule by children from Kingswood Primary school.


Much Ado About Nothing Yalding Church Preservation Society


FRIDAY evening. Yalding in the rain. Shakespeare. The players of the Church Preservation Society made us forget the rain.We, the audience, were undercover; they gave us a spirit-lifting performance of the bard’s funniest play. T he


theme of a co up l e pretend- ing they’re not in love when we all know that they are; the comical and lovable officers of the watch who, more by luck than judgment, catch the would- be villains; the inevitable happy ending, even the rain cannot dampen such a feast of pretence and foolery. The perform- ances of Beatrice and Benedick are criti- cal to the success of this comedy. James West as Benedick almost convinced us that he would never marry, then so con- vincingly that he was hopelessly in love. He spoke Shakespeare’s lines beauti-


JOHN


MUNSON SHOW TIME


fully. How could he have resisted Victoria Field’s gorgeous, intelligent Beatrice. Such sparkling spirit, such movement, such passion. She delivered that early feminist speech: “If I was a man...”, with such power. Don Pedro, so honourable; Hero, so pure; Claudio, so passionate; Countess Jane, so evil. The rest of a strong cast gave great sup-


port to the ensemble playing. Setting and costumes were of a high quality and the musicians rounded off things nicely. With 21 in the cast and at least 25 back-


stage technical, helpers and musicians, the director Martin Williams had pulled off an impressive production for Yalding.


Success of Chainhurst Garden Safari EIGHTEEN gardens were opened up to the public as Chainhurst Garden Safari proved a real success. The event was intended not only to enable people to ‘share’ their gardens but also to create more of a community feel in the small village, near Marden. Gardens ranging from small to large offered a wide variety of planting and design styles, including a couple of lakes, a wild- flower meadow and a maze as well as several old-fashioned cot- tage gardens. A refreshments tent was also popular with visitors, who purchased plants and themed 2012 calendars. All proceeds from the safari went to Mid Kent Breast Cancer Re- search Appeal, which was founded by Chainhurst residents Peter and Sue Jones


Laddingford estate was fake note-making factory


TWO brothers were sent to prison after the discovery of counterfeit money and note- making equipment at the Woodfalls Indus- trial Estate, off GravellyWays, Laddingford. Officers found equipment that was being


used to produce counterfeit money, to- gether with partially printed £20 notes, foil, and ink. Fraudulent £20 notes were also found in various stages of production. A box containing forged £20 notes that were complete and ready to go into circulation was also discovered. Further equipment, including print plates, and files also indicated the capabil- ity to produce €50 notes. Investigations dis- covered thousands of pounds of finished notes (sterling) had already entered circu- lation. Colin Stephen Edgar (37), a bricklayer for- merly of Faversham, was found to have


used a false name of Jim Carter to rent the premises. He was charged with three for- gery offences and one offence under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. He was jailed for six years. Christopher Edgar (39), a builder/land-


scape gardener from Bermondsey, was found to have bought supplies using the false name of Paul Richards. He was charged with two offences relating to for- gery and counterfeiting and given a 12- month sentence. DI Eddie Fox said: “The equipment and processes found were sophisticated, pro- fessional, and potentially capable of pro- ducing millions of pounds. “They were at the point where they were beginning to mass-produce their perfected notes. The potential economic harm cannot be overstated.”


Playgroup gives youngsters a ‘good’ start MARDEN Pre-School Playgroup has been praised after its recent Ofsted inspection. The overall quality of provision is “good” and, in three spe-


cific categories, it was rated “outstanding”. Top markswere awarded for the pre-school’s partnership with


local schools and children’s centres and its commitment to en- gaging parents. The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles was also singled out for praise. Importantly, children enjoy their time there. Inspector Claire Parnell said: “They come in to the room showing excitement to- wards the activities and the majority separate from their carers with ease. “They show interest in a varied range of activities that sup-


ports their progress towards the early learning goals.” The pre-school, which opened in 1967, is managed by a vol- untary parents’ committee and has nine staff, six of whom have an early years qualification. There are 52 toddlers on roll, of which 40 receive funding for nursery education.


Forum helps rural businesses bloom


NETWORKING among rural firms is fast- tracking many of them to commercial suc- cess.


Numerous businesses have already reaped significant fi- nancial rewards in return for the £50 an- nual membership, with one securing a £2m building con- tract and another £28,000 of work across three jobs. The latter hap- pened at a network- ing event attended by Simon Wright, of Wright Landscapes, who is a member of Marden Business Forum as well as the umbrella body, Net- work of Rural Business Forums (NRBF). Simon said: “Some work came from a NRBF contact in Langley and the other two


4 South


A WIDE range of benefits are available to members, including free inclusion into a di- rectory of local businesses, both printed and online, delivered to all households and busi- nesses in the area. The new directory for Yalding area goes to press in August. Business breakfasts are held once a month


along with networking nights. Elaine explained: “The NRBF has been set


up for business owners to support businesses and the local economy. The plan is to help rural villages set up their own business fo- rums.” Info – visit www.nrbf.co.uk


were out of the Marden Business Forum. It was a really good day, I could do with a few more of those.” The most recent forum event was at Yald- ing Gardens when more than 50 owners in that village and from Laddingford, Col- lier Street and Nettlest ead shared their ex- pertise at a net- working evening. The NRBF for


the combined vil- lages has blos- somed since its


formation in December and now boasts members from across a wide range of trades and professions. One member found a work placement for his son and another found an office to rent.


Collector gets


permission YALDING collector Brian Laker has been given retrospective permission to store and maintain his fleet of British heritage and military vehicles at his Mill Lane home. Maidstone Council


granted planning per- mission on condition that no work on the re- pair of vehicles should take place outside the confines of the build- ing or the hours of 7am to 7pm.


SimonWright working on a job in South- ways, Sutton Valence, which he secured at a business forum event.


Mo Gillis-Coates, creative director at Pix-


els & Paint, Staplehurst, put a plea out for larger premises and was offered some the same day, right across from his home. Also that day, he got an introduction to an IT ex- pert, who has since gone into partnership with him.


You can e-mail the Downs Mail—info@downsmail.co.uk


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