Town Talk


NOBODY was too sure if it was the Hairy Plonkers or their partners who were the most relieved when their hair was cut and the beards shaved off. Readers will have followed


Local news for Snodland and Halling It’s all over at last for the Hairy Plonkers!


the Hairy Plonkers in Town Talk after they had their facial hair removed in February to raise funds for Kent Air Ambulance. The Monks Head pub in Constitution Hill, Snodland was packed for the shaving, which raised £3,083.84, in- cluding £870 on the final day. The rest included online dona- tions, sponsorship and collec- tion boxes. Dimples (Mick Coomes), of Pridmore Road, suggested to his mate Smifffy (Martin Smith), of Roberts Road, that it would be a good idea to go for six months without shaving to raise funds for the Kent Air Ambulance. They were joined by Zebedee (Dan Buckwell), of Constitution Hill, also a regu- lar in the Monks Head. Landlady Pamela Buxton suggested the final shave should coincide with the pub’s Party on the Patio on August 3, which independently collected £600 for the Kent Air Ambu- lance. Pamela said: “It was manic. At one point we had seven people behind the bar. Some said it was the best day we have had.”


Left, the Hairy Plonkers Smifffy, Dimples and Zebedee before the shave, and right, fresh and clean-shaven


Martin said: “We wanted to


raise £3,000 and we got it. It has been worth it. I enjoyed having my shave on Sunday.”


Ashley May, Kerry Brown and Becky Ritchie of Rossco’s, Malling Road, who carried out the original shaving were there


New faces behind the bar MINE hosts at the Monks Head public house, in Constitution Hill, Pamela Buxton and Chris Black- more, have retired after 10 years in the town. Pamela said: “We have had a good time here and


made a lot of friends, who we will miss. “We are looking forward to the freedom to do what


wewant to do. Wewill spend time travelling,Canada, Australia and New Zealand and it will be nice to win- ter in the sun somewhere.” Pamela, who has two daughters, met Chris, a for-


mer police officer, when he was a customer in her pub in Brentwood,Essex. He retired as a sergeant in 2004 after serving in the East End of London for 30 years. He has a daughter and son. Their successors are well-known to locals. Del Rainbird has lived in the town for 11 years and works as an electrician for his father, Derek, atKent&Essex Installations. He has worked behind the bar at the Monks Head.


Gladys has a royal appointment


ARESIDENT of Pilgrims’ View, the Avante home in Roberts Road, Snodland, was invited to a garden party at Buckingham Palace hosted by HRH The Princess Royal.


Gladys, who is pictured at the palace, was invited to the annual event for the Not Forgotten Asso- ciation as a former member of the Royal Signals. The association is for pensioners drawn from all three services. Kate Oliver, Gladys’s daughter,


said her mother moved to Kent from Berkshire when she devel- oped dementia, and was very happy at Pilgrims’ View. She was a wireless operator and PE instructor in the ATS. “She signed the Official Secrets Act and never spoke about it,” said Kate. “Nobody knew what she did.”


Care home welcomes community


A CARE home which invited local people to call in and help its resi- dents who suffer from dementia was happy with the support it re- ceived at an open day. Pilgrims View, the Avante Care and Support home in Roberts Road, Snodland, was featured in the last issue of Town Talk, whenmanager Karan Richards, suggested the residents would appreciate a chat, help with the gardening or to be taken for walks. Guests at the cream tea event included the Mayor of Tonbridge and Malling, Howard Rogers and his wife Jane. Activities co-ordinator, Julia Schooling, said: “The weather was glo-


rious and residents, staff, families and friends thoroughly enjoyed themselves,” she said. “Hanna and Charlotte, the Sully Sisters, pro- vided the entertainment, singing wartime songs. “The idea was to get people to come in and see what we are all about and we were happy with the support we received.”


31 High Street, Snodland Tel: 01634 240458


From left, Del, Rebecca, Pamela and Chris Hispartner, Rebecca Ritchie, has lived in Snodland


all her life. She went to St Katherine’s PrimarySchool and Holmesdale Technology College and started hairdressing when she left school. She has worked in Rossco’s in Malling Road for the last 11 years. They will be providing meals at lunchtimes and evenings and will encourage families to use the pub. Del said: “The lovely thing is because we both use the pub, we consider a lot of the regulars as friends.”


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for the repeat performance. A cheque will be presented to


Kent Air Ambulance on August 24.


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