Rural medal


for campaigner A FORMER KCC councillor from Thurnham has been given the highest award a countryside charity hands out. Dr Felicity Simpson, 74, re- ceived the Coun- tryside Medal from CPRE (Cam- paign to Protect Rural England) in recognition of her dedication to protecting the countryside. Dr Simpson had no idea she


had been chosen to receive the award. She said: “I didn’t know until the CPRE annualmeeting. I was very surprised and ex- tremely pleased and honoured.” Dr Simpson cites her two biggest achievements as provid- ing representations in response to planning applications in the Maidstone borough between 2003 and 2011, and being a part of the opposition to the Kent In- ternationalGateway (Kig) freight depot proposal for Bearsted. Dr Simpson was a member of


the CPRE trustee board from 2002 to 2007, following a total of 16 years as a KCC councillor. After eight years as the chair- man of CPRE’s Maidstone branch, she stepped down in 2011, but is still involved in making representations on the Maidstone Core Strategy. A CPRE spokesman said: “Fe-


licity’s expertise in planning is highly respected, never more so than in her campaign against the Kent International Gateway planning application. She has continued to be heavily in- volved in representations on the emergingMaidstone local plan. “Felicity has fought many


other planning battles including a motocross at Sandway, trav- eller sites and over-intensive de- velopment applications.” Dr Simpson has a degree in Geography from the University of Cambridge and a PhD in land use. She taught at Maidstone Grammar School and Maidstone Grammar School for Girls as well as in Gibraltar, when her husband was in the Royal Navy.


The 39 Steps – DETLING PLAYERS


THIS IS Patrick Barlow’s par- ody of John Buchan's original. Spoofs have to be done at a


full gallop and the Detling Players certainly did not hang about. Scene changes were taken at speed behind the cur- tain and the 12 cast members had to play 25 parts, with a lot of changing of hats and wigs. Memorable scenes included Richard Hannay hanging on the side of a speeding train pursued by two policemen and extricating himself from under the stiffening body of the glam- orous Annabella, played by Amanda Conroy. The poor chap then had to


£100k car thieves jailed


A GANG of thieves who targeted Land Rovers, stealing vehicles, parts and property worth more than £100,000 have been jailed. The group, from Swale andMedway, went on a


four-month crime spree between January and April 2011, stealing Land Rovers from all over the county, as well as a caravan from a secure com- pound. Among them were Oliver King (26), from West


Wood Road, Stockbury, who was sentenced to three and a half years for three offences of theft and one of handling stolen goods, Moses King (26), from Plum Tree Lane, Stockbury, who was sentenced to 30 months for two offences of theft and Samuel Scadeng (26), from Oak Close, Bor- denwho was sentenced to two years nine months for three offences of theft. In almost all of the incidents, they used spe-


cialist equipment so as to not leave any trace of a break-in. They also stole parts from the vehicles


AMEMBERof the Maidstone Macmil- lan fundraising group plans to cycle 340 miles over rough African terrain to raisemoney foracause close to his heart.


Andrew Wheeler (48) will start his


third charity cycling challenge in Feb- ruary, travelling fromNairobi in Kenya to the Ngorongoro crater in Tanzania via the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro. Andrew said: “I started raising


money for Macmillan after the death of bothmy parents due to cancer. “My father passed away in 2006,


suffering from bowel cancer, and my mother sadly passed in 2007 due to lung cancer. Both times Macmillan gave my parents and my family mag-


BREDHURSTWoodland Action Group has bought its first plot of land. The group was formed in


Ollie King


and then disposed of the cars. Personal items were also stolen, including wal- lets and credit cards.


Among the offences, Ollie and Moses King admitted stealing a Peugeot from Bredhurst and William Samuel admitted han- dling parts from a Land Rover from Detling. The three other men who pleaded guilty to the offences were William Samuel (30), from


Sittingbourne, Paul Edwards (37), from Gilling- ham, andMatthewWright (29), from Chatham. Wright admitted handling gas detectors taken during a burglary in Harrietsham. DC Dave Godden said: “This group targeted in-


nocent people, causing themmisery. It was a com- plex investigation but thoroughly worth it.We are pleased these men have been brought to justice.”


Africa is latest challenge for charity cyclist


nificent support, so I felt I needed to support this excellent charity. “Cancer will directly affect one in


three of us.” The Walderslade man, who will


cycle with 38 other fundraisers, has ridden 370 miles across northern China and 400 miles from Panama, through Costa Rica, to Nicaragua, camping on theway. Since he started raising money for Macmillan, Andrewhas donatedmore than £8,000 to the charity. He had raisedmorethan £2,000 for hisAfrica trip as the Downs Mail went to press but was hoping to reach £4,000. Sponsor him at www.justgiving.com/ andrew-wheeler


Woodland group buys first plot of land The group’s first purchase is


2005, but its original charitable status did not allow it to own land, so, following legal advice, it has become an ‘Incorporated Charitable Company Limited by Guarantee’. Working with Maidstone so- licitors Whitehead Monckton, the action group now has a new charity number and increased powers to purchase land for the benefit of future generations.


appear unconcerned when, whilst chained to Karen Turner playing the lovely Pamela, she removed her stockings. Rachel Newton played an impressive Mr Memory and a riotous inaudi- ble, ancient Scot, who could not be made to speak up.


The team


leader, on stage, was StephenOliver who led us on a wonderful comic journey as Stephen Hannay. He and all the cast revelled in it and so did we, the audience. Juliet Miles Lea directed this tri- umph.


Plot 60, in the centre of Bred- hurst Woods, known as Cross- roads,where the group installed a bench and ring of wooden mushrooms a few years ago. Bredhurst Woods were split


into more than 100 plots back in the 1960s and have been gradu- ally sold off ever since. The BWAG’s first task was to


trace the owners and obtain per- mission for work on their land. Chairman Vanessa Jones said: “Although this arrangement has worked well, the only way


Round and Round the Garden – THE WILLINGTON PLAYERS


JOHN


MUNSON SHOW TIME


THIS play is a trip back to the early 70s, when Benny Hill was ruling television comedy. Times have changed and nowadays a young married man “who plays


the


field” is not comic, but just


rather sad, so in this Ayck- bourn play, the part of Norman is difficult. Paul Stubley, who was bril-


liant in Fawlty Towers, just about pulled it off. Director Richard Pilborough


BWAG can be confident the woods will continue as a com- munity amenity is to purchase plots as they become available.” The chairman said the group


was now in the process of buy- ing a second plot. She thanked members for the generous financial support and added: “The change will not make any difference to the run- ning of BWAG, other than to add a little more paperwork.” Details of the group’s work


can be found on its website – www.bwag.org.uk


had a good cast. Nic Grint was convincing as Anni, the carer lacking in confidence. David Armour-Chelou was irritating as very wet Tom. Tony Dunne burst in and livened things up as Reg. EliWard was the long-suffer-


ing Sarah, while Jenny Lord was the lovely Ruth, who was married to philanderer Nor- man. As always with the


“Willies”, the set, costumes and sound were of a high stan- dard.


Scott Raffle, whose late wife


Diana wrote very entertaining farces, told me the perform- ance raised £500 for charity. Congratulations to theWillies.


You can e-mail the Downs Mail — info@downsmail.co.uk East 19


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