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DO the good folk of Barm-


ing, Loose, Park Wood, Lenham, Harrietsham, East and West Farleigh, Coxheath, Lin- ton, Headcorn, Staplehurst, Marden and even more of Maidstone borough reallywant to be in a revamped Parliamen- tary constituency called ‘Ton- bridge’? I think not. That’s the proposal under the national review of constituen- cies aimed at equalising voter numbers around 75,000. I like the principle – but the machinations can produce very strange and unpalatable results. That could happen here unless objections aremade by Decem- ber 5. The borough of Maidstone currently falls in to two con- stituencies. Maidstone and The Weald (MP Helen Grant) makes good geographical sense. Faversham and Mid Kent (MP Hugh Robertson) is a strange concoction taking in the rather distant town of Faversham and an area stretching as far as Bearsted. The planned new Maidstone constituency also makes sense. But the proposed new Ton-


Vote changes are a boundary too far MailMarks


DENNIS FOWLE - President Kent Campaigning Journalist of the Year 2001 email: dfowle2011@aol.com


bridge looks a bigger nonsense than Faversham and Mid Kent. The breadth and diversity of


this proposed constituency wouldmake life difficult for an MP. To start, would the MP be based in Tonbridge, Malling or Maidstone? Surely it cannot be named


Tonbridge when so much is in Maidstone. Tonbridge is well west of Maidstone and big parts of the constituency are well east. A title of ‘Mid Kent’ may


meet local sensitivities – or maybe ‘Mid Kent and Ton- bridge’ for historical reasons. Could Hugh Robertson move


from one side of Maidstone to the other now his current con- stituency seems doomed? Sir John Stanley has given long, magnificent service to Ton- bridge but will he want another five years? We’ll see.


LETTERS TO THE EDITOR


Call it Olympic Square Dear Sir - With two notable major events to celebrate in 2012, would it not be worth con- sidering marking the mooted County Square in front of the town hall with a connection to one of them. First we have the honour as a country to be hosting the Olympic Games, so perhaps Olympic Square would be an appropriate name for this area. Secondly, February 6 will mark 60 years


since the Queen’s accession to the throne, so why not celebrate this by naming the new square Queen’s Square to honour this great achievement? Queen Victoria's statue already overlooks


thearea,somaybe in thefullnessoftimea similar tribute by way of a statue of Queen Elizabeth II could also overlook the square and our townofMaidstone. LeeBlight, by email


Closure of jewel in the crown Dear Sir - What a sad day itwill be forUKAvi- culturewhenLeeds Castle’s aviary is forced to close (East, November). This must be one of the UK’s best kept and well-loved bird collections. It has an out- standing reputation within aviculture and de- servedly so. Tomyknowledge the team have several first breedings to their name, the ability to repeat- edly breed some of the most challenging species and a true commitment to the conser- vation of birds in the wild, which putsmany larger collections to shame. If it is has one failing, it is in its marketing strategy. This is where I feel the trustees and executives of Leeds Castle should be seriously questioned. Do they appreciate the jewel in their crown


which is soon to disappear? The chief execu- tive of Leeds Castle is quoted as saying: “But zoo collections are now all about global con- servation, research and education, rather than for entertainment. Those high standards are





Single ward sorrows THE theory behind 500-plus


single ward rooms at the new Pembury Hospital seems fine but, no matter their quality, there are real problems. Already there are very worry-


ing complaints – including from aMaidstone woman with severe stomach pains shut in her room at night with a buzzer out of reach. And is it right to isolate chil-


dren? Many flourish best in the company of their peers. Giving these young patients parental and sibling support at Pemburyissomuchmoredif- ficult now for Maidstone fami- lies facing a long and difficult journey. There are windows in ward


doors which can be left uncov- ered for observation – provided there are enough attentive





nurses and staff around. We all have our preferences


for hospital accommodation. Personally I would normally choose the privacy, quiet and infection security of a single room. But maybe not if I were in severe pain. I knowmanywho would pre-


fer company and comfort pro- vided by fellow patients. In distress, this human presence can be crucial, especially in times of nursing shortages.


Golf memories ONE of my sporting heroes


is golf raconteur Peter Alliss (80) who gave a speech at the Assembly Hall, Tunbridge Wells. He recalled visits to my own


golf club at Bearsted and a big day in 1965 when he partnered one of the club’s leading mem- bers, TomDilkes Page, in an ex- hibition match against Dai Rees and Ken Bousfield for the Forces Aid Society. He remembered Tom, who founded local estate agents Page & Wells in 1929 and died in 1988, smoking a pipe through- out the round.


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


very difficult to achievewithout funding and expert backing of a major zoological institu- tion.” Very difficult but not impossible! I can think


of several examples of collections within the UKthat do not have the backing of a major zo- ological institution but do just fine on the con- servation, research and education fronts. All it takes is a dedicated animal care staff supported by a robust and sympathetic mar- keting strategy – Leeds Castle has the former but does it have the latter? I am aware of the conservation projects around theworld that the aviary at LeedsCas- tle support. However, it was only recently that I discovered that this support is directly funded by the generosity of the visitors to the aviary and not by Leeds Castle Estates. I would wager that a significant percentage


of visitors enjoy the aviary and that their visit is enhanced by them. Why not try charging themamodestamount,evenifitisonlya pound or twoand see justhowvalued the col- lection is in the eyes of the visitors? DavidWoolcock, Curator, Paradise Park Wildlife Sanctuary, Hayle, Cornwall


Impressive new birth centre Dear Sir - I know you have had a lot of inter- est in the closure of the maternity unit at Maidstone and the moving of facilities to Pem- bury. Iwas due to give birth at Pembury but had to


make a last minute detour to the new birth centre at Maidstone as I would not have made the long journey there and would have given birth in the car. MydaughterAva Marie Hodges was born on Thursday, September 29, and was the first girl born at the new birth centre. I thought this could highlight the dangers of moving facilities so far away and yet show how excellent the staff and facilities are at the birth centre in Maidstone. I had a fantastic experience there and my daughterwas delivered by the centre manager,


who was excellent. I can't praise them enough and think they deserve positive publicity. Emma Hodges, CastleWay,West Malling


Insist on local A&E Dear Sir - I share your concerns about ambu- lances not taking Maidstone patients to A&E at Maidstone hospital. I was a paramedic and operational shift manager with London Ambulance Service. In 999 emergency you had to take the patient to the nearest A&E hospital. Whomakes these "clinical" decisions to take patients to other hospitals, how do the ambu- lance crews know exactly what services are running and what particular specialist serv- ices are on offer? If an ambulance crew took patients to a further hospital and they died on route as a result, headswould roll. If I had to call for an ambulance in an emer-


gency I would demand it takesmeto the near- estA&Eand there is nothing they can do about it.


Chris Hebditch, by email


An excellent publication Dear Sir – Iwrite to congratulate you ona most comprehensive and interesting publication. As a disabled 83-year-old who lives with a


wife who suffers from dementia and is also disabled, I always look out for your coverage on issues such as cuts for disabled charities A number of charities are really beginning


to struggle, yet so many of them do a fantastic job. Two carers visit my home three times a day, seven days a week, and we really rely on them. Your articles and reports also highlight other matters of interest and provide information on both past and future activities that would oth- erwise probably pass unnoticed. It may also interest you toknowthat all other peoplewith whom I discuss the magazine also express a similar view. I consider this to be the best local publication I can remember in my lifetime. RonEdwards, Ditton


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