LETTERS TO THE EDITOR


Regeneration boost Dear Sir - Following improvements carried out in the last two years to the part of Maid- stone upstream of the gyratory, past Arch- bishops Palace and All Saints Church towards Millennium Bridge, a group from the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) went on a walkabout with Council- lorMalcolm Greer,Maidstone Council’s cab- inet member for regeneration. We were very impressed by the work that


had been done to enhance the green spaces and the heritage walls, including: The sluice on the River Len - a fascinat-


ing and rather hidden part of the town; The small park behind the Carriage House Museum - now a very attractive and tranquil area yet so close to the heavily traf- ficked road system; The opened vista between theArchbish-


ops Palace and All Saints, so that the grandeur of the church can be better appre- ciated; The riverside walk area along the River Medway.


Maidstone needs no “funny photography”


to extol the attractiveness of this significant heritage area, which can be enjoyed by those who live, work and visit the town. CPRE Protect Kent, Maidstone, would like


to acknowledge the significance of the pro- gramme of improvements that the borough council has instigated for the benefit of the people of Maidstone. It would seem to be money well invested


for the future and incorporates modern ele- ments, in the form of the Millennium Bridge.


Felicity Simpson


Chairman, CPRE Protect Kent Maidstone Committee


Paying for doormen Dear Sir - I read with some interest the re- port regarding the Babylon nightclub and the trouble that occured there, although I was surprised to hear it was the Gurkhas, usually a very polite and courteous set of people. Indeed, it is the English (British) residents of Maidstone and surrounding areas that pour into Maidstone every Satur- day evening, who should be blamed for most of the trouble.


Wonga Mzimba WONGA Mzimba (62), of East Farleigh, died after collapsing during a squash game. His friend and fellow mem-


berofMoteSquashClub, Kim Roberts, said: “He was so easy to get on with, always great fun. He never laughed at anyone but always with them. Anyone could feel easy in his company.” The son of a surgeon - and a


Zulu chief by birth - he moved to the UK in 1958 with his fam- ily.


AccountantWonga lived and


worked locally for many years. He was known throughout


the area as a musician and member of the band, the 2.38s. He had been a member of


You can write to us at: Downs Mail, 2 Forge House, Bearsted Green Business Park, Bearsted, Maidstone, ME14 4DT or e-mail: info@downsmail.co.uk


Almost every nightclub and bar now has a


group of security doormen at the entrance and inside. I should know, I am one of them! Now why should clubs and bars feel the need to employ us? If you seriously don't know, then please


visit Maidstone one Saturday evening and watch and listen. It is rare that there is no trouble of one kind or another. Abusive and aggressive customers are not


rare, overly intoxicated customers are com- monplace and although actual fights are not happening all of the time, the frequency is increasing. Often, the first line of defence are the doormen, all of whom have been trained, passed stringent checks and paid a lot of money for their licences so that they can keep the customers safe. What is their reward? Doormen are often threatened, occasionally ganged up on and generally abused as they carry out their du- ties. Most of the time they attempt to carry out their duties in good humour, and at- tempt to be courteous and polite to cus- tomers upon entering and leaving the bar or club where they are stationed. For this they are very poorly paid,mostly between £10-£12.50 an hour, which may sound reasonable. However, take into con- sideration that they do suffer the abuses mentioned above and are very occasionally the targets of violent assault, then the wages they receive pale into insignificance! Surely they should receive a better renu- meration than they currently do? Name and address supplied


Hospital concern Dear Sir - I have returned from spending the winter in Australia with my midwife daughter and have been reading back copies of Downs Mail. I have already emailed Health Secretary Andrew Lansley but will notreceivearesponseasIamnot acon- stituent of his. Iwould like to know on what basis he has


gone against the advice and wishes of hos- pital staff, consultants, obstetricians, local MPs, GPs, and many of the general public. How will he feel when the first mother


facing a dangerous traumatic confinement dies in the ambulance on route from Maid- stone to Pembury? Or will the mother just


We will remember


Mote Squash Club for 23 years, serving as treasurer for a spell. The club has instigated a sportsmanship shield in his memory. The first winner was presented with the award at the Kent Open onMay 28. Wonga’s ability to tell a story


has left his many friends with fond memories. His funeral was packed to overflowing. He leaves a daughter, Chloe.


Sheila Evans THE funeral took at St John The Baptist Church, Wateringbury, of Sheila Aileen Nisbet Evans. Sheila had lived locally for many years and been involved in village life. Funeral donations went to Macmillan Cancer Support or Cancer Research UK.


John H Day JOHN Hanks Day (88), of Yald- ing, achieved prominence from many years as a chartered sur- veyor and a varied portfo- lio of public service and charitable ac- tivities. Born into a prominent local family, he lived at Somerfield,Maidstone. After school he joined the Fleet Air Arm, marrying wife Jean dur- ing the war. He returned to follow his fa-


ther into surveying work, tak- ing a position in the family firm. His father had been a founder member of the Maid- stone Rotary Club in 1922. John


To contact Downs Mail just phone 01622 630330


be kept inMaidstone and be allowed to die there? I am 82 and cynical. Is there any connec-


tion between Rose Gibb, the failed chief ex- ecutive, pushing for the new hospital in Pembury, the transfer of specialist services from Maidstone, and the new private hos- pital to be sited in Grove Green? I have not included Andrew Lansley in that group. John Ireland High Street Lenham


Dear Sir - It is reassuring that Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells Hospital Trust confirms a secure future forMaidstone A&E (board's lat- est minutes). The trust has authorised the transfer of so


many core services from Maidstone (consul- tant-led maternities, children's ward, special care baby unit, chronic pain unit, emergency and orthopaedic surgery, gynaecology etc) to support its distant Tunbridge Wells end, which the 250,000 population of Maidstone area will never see as 'local'. This population has been robbed and is rightly furious. Hopefully the grand larceny has come to an end. We have been promised our A&E is safe


and the return of our chronic pain unit this autumn. MASH watches the trust very care- fully.


Dennis Fowle,


Chairman, MASH (Maidstone Action for Services in Hospital).


Pheasant madness Dear Sir - What on earth is going on in Kent Highways? What simpleton would decide to close a narrow lane half way along it without putting notices at the entrance warning motorists that it was a 'no through road'? That is precisely what KCC have done to Pheasant Lane which runs from Sutton Road to Boughton Lane in Maidstone. A lorry, which was delivering a package to a house in Pheasant Lane, came to this dead end and there was no way it could turn around and had to reverse the whole length of the lane to get out. What would happen if an emergency ve-


hicle had to use this route in an emergency? Malcolm Luxton Address supplied


joined in 1954 and went on to serve as president. His death ends almost 90 years of family involvement with the branch. John was father to Rosemary


“Romey,” Sheila and John. Over the years the family had lived in Hunton, Loose and Pheasant Lane, Maidstone. A Rotary colleague said:


“John was quiet and serious, a very good man. “HeservedasaJPand his public service work included over 40 years with the Cobtree Charity Trust and membership and chairmanship of the local Round Table. He was a life member and past president of the Maidstone Club, spending over 50 years in total in the club.” Via his grandfather, John was


also related to the family firm of chartered accountants Day, Smith and Hunter. John leaves hiswidow, children and grand- children.


Malling 31


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