Restaurant shuts after burst pipe causes flood
AN INDIAN restaurant will be closed for at least three months after itwas flooded over the Christmas period. Spice Fusion in Tonbridge Road, which
only opened a year ago, suffered severe damage and was left under two feet of water after a pipe burst in the loft. Owner Kiron Haque had to cancel bookings, in- cluding a party of more than 100 for New Year’s Eve, after discovering the mess. He said: “There is substantial damage. Drying out the premises will take at least a couple of months and then it will take an- other month to six weeks to redecorate. I spent a fortune renovating the restaurant to very high standards before I opened a year ago. This is very bad.” A faulty pipe is thought to be to blame
holiday unit A PLAN has been submitted to extend the operatingmonths of a tourist unit in Detling and to allow it to be used for short hold tenancies. When planning permission
was granted 10 years ago to convert a garage at East Lodge, Harple Lane, it was on condi- tion that the holiday accommo- dation should only be occupied continuously for a maximum of 28 days, and for no more than 112 days in one calendar year. A supporting statement said:
“It is necessary to widen the ap- peal of the property to achieve a realistic return on the consid- erable outlay involved. “It is of such a high standard
that its use could sensibly be broadened for the tourism op- tion throughout the year and that short-hold tenancies could be made for a period of 180 days per annum.” Maidstone Council will de- termine the application.
Chance to learn PEOPLE of retirement age can learn new skills and informa- tion in a friendly environment. A second University of the
Third Age (U3A) group has been set up in the Maidstone area. Maidstone Invicta U3A will serve areas on the edge of the town including Staplehurst, Harrietsham, Barming and Aylesford. The first official meeting will
take place at Beechwood Com- munity Hall, Marigold Way, Barming, at 2pm, on Monday, February 18. For details call David Hoxey on 01622 630799.
Plan to axe birch tree THE Danefield Court Residents Association has applied to re- move a birch tree in the Bearsted Conservation Area. According to the planning ap- plication, the tree, near 1-14 Danefield Court, Church Lane, is dead and crumbling. The planning application also in- cludes the crown reduction of a maple tree.
12 East Spice Fusion restaurant in Tonbridge Road, before and after the burst pipe
but investigators were due to visit the restaurant this month (January) to confirm what caused the leak. The pipe burst on ei- ther Christmas Day or Boxing Day and water poured into the restaurant for about 24 hours, Mr Haque said.
He added that the repair work, which
will include installing new ceilings and floors, is likely to come to about £250,000. The kitchen and an upstairs function room were the only parts of the building that es- caped flood damage.
All-year bid for Chinwaggers seek new home
KNITTERS and stitchers have been combining their talents for charitywhile catching up on all the latest news and gossip. Such is the interest in the aptly-named Crafty Chinwag- gers that organisers are seeking a second venue in Maidstone. The Crafty Chinwaggers was
born from a partnership be- tween old school friends Pamela Lippett, from Vinters Park, and Tina Reynolds, from Mereworth, who wanted an ex- cuse to get together for a catch up, while exercising their nim- ble fingers. Now, up to 80 members meet monthly at Mereworth Village Hall, where they get together to share their collective crafty skills and teach each other new tricks. If they could find a cheap meeting room in Maidstone, Pamela thinks there would eas- ily be sufficient interest to form a second group. Pamela and Tina have been joined by crochet enthusiasts, tapestry makers, cross stitchers, quilters and card makers. They rapidly outgrew their
free meeting rooms at a local pub but found a nominal ad-
The Crafty Chinwaggers are expanding and looking for somewhere to meet
ministrative charge of £1 would cover the cost of hiring the vil- lage hall. Thanks to a £500 grant from
Tonbridge andMalling Council, the group was able to invest in new materials and equipment then, with the support of the charity Grass Roots, buy addi- tional sewing machines for members’ use. They started to raise money
for charity soon after their for- mation and have produced knit- ted baby clothes for the Tunbridge Wells Hospital baby unit, hats for fishermen and for the troops in Afghanistan. Funds have been raised for the Peggy Wood charity, the
More knitters needed
AN APPEAL by the Harriet- sham community warden in the Downs Mail for knitters to help make blankets for the eld- erly has brought help flooding in from across the area. In our October 2012 edition, Martin Sherwood asked read- ers to knit squares, donate wool, or suggest where the blankets could be put to good use.
Since then, he has received
many offers of help and dona- tions of wool. However, the campaign is on-
going, and help is still needed. Anyone who has double knit wool they don’t need, or who would like to knit it into squares, can contact Martin on 07977 981993.
If you would like to get knit-
ting, the pattern is as follows: Using double knit yarn and
No 8 (4mm) needles and garter stitch throughout, cast on three stitches.Work one row. Increase one stitch (knit into
the front and back of stitch) at the beginning of every row until the side measures six inches. Then decrease one stitch (knit one, slip one, pass the knit stitch over) at the be- ginning of each row until three stitches remain. Cast off, and please sew in
the ends. It would also be helpful if knitters could sew their squares together - the optimum size for blankets is six squares by six squares.
Heart of Kent Hospice, and charities supporting Parkinson’s Disease and dementia care. One of their most rewarding projects has been making heart cushions for the breast cancer care team atMaidstone Hospital. The hearts are given to those
who have undergone breast sur- gery and are placed under the arm on the operation side to ease pressure on the wound. Fiona Anderson, breast care
nurse specialist, said: “Patients are very touched by the thoughtfulness of such a ges- ture. Many have said that re- ceiving the cushion made them feel cared for at time when they were feeling particularly vul- nerable.” The group meets on the third
Tuesday of the month at Mere- worth Village Hall at 7.30pm. If anyone can offer a suitable
venue in Maidstone, please con- tact Pamela on Maidstone 754428. The group also has a lively website –
www.craftychinwag-
gers.com – so that members who are housebound are able to stay in touch with other mem- bers via the website and regular newsletters.
Fungus fear KENT Highway Services has been brought in to tackle an outbreak of honey fungus in Ashford Road, Bearsted. Honey fungus is the common
name given to several different species of fungi that attack and kill the roots of woody trees and plants. It is the most de- structive fungal disease in UK gardens. The most characteristic symptom of honey fungus is white fungal growth between the bark and wood. A tree outside the BP garage
was believed to have been in- fected aswell as another further along the road. KHS was due to grind out the stump of both trees and remove some of the soil to stop the dis- ease spreading.
Have you got news for us? Phone our News Desk on 01622 734735
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