Fond farewell to stalwart
A STALWART of village life in Bearsted, Peter Willson, has died in the Heart of Kent Hos- pice, aged 75.
Although Peter and his wife The Villager
Sign of the past
DRIVERS entering Bearsted are still being warned to watch out for schoolchildren – more than 40 years after the local school closed!
A sign near the White Horse pub, on the approach to the vil- lage Green, warns drivers to look out for schoolchildren. The sign dates back to when there was a school on the Green. The Victorian village school – which now serves as the village library - closed in 1972, but the sign warning of children cross- ing the road still remains. Councillors have been asking KCC to remove this – and other unnecessary pieces of street sig- nage - as part of a bid to ‘clean up’ the visual aspect of the vil- lage.
While councils are being en- couraged to rid the streets of unnecessary ‘clutter’, KCC leader Paul Carter says his pri- ority this year is to repair the thousands of potholes left in the county’s roads, following last year’s wet winter.
As the children who attended the school prior to 1972 will now be approaching pension age, perhaps it should be re- placed with a sign advising ‘old people crossing’ ?
Drivers needed MORE volunteer drivers are needed to help transport the village's elderly to and from their monthly Friday Club. The club is held at a different house in the village each month and drivers are needed who can collect and drop off residents to an address for 2pm, and return them home at 4pm.
The group could also do with another venue. Contact Made- line Stroud on 01622 737469.
Val only moved to the village in 2001, after living and working most of his life in the Medway towns, Peter threw himself into working for the Bearsted com- munity.
He was president of the Bearsted and Thurnham Bowl- ing Club, of which he was a member for more than a quarter of a century, but best known for his involvement with the Bearsted Woodland Trust (BWT) of which he was a founder member, trustee and life president.
The trust was formed in 2004 when it obtained 16 acres of land, off the Church Landway. Peter put hours of work into helping to obtain grants for the trust, as well as physical hard labour, tree planting and bridge building.
His dedication to the cause was rewarded in 2009 when he was made a lifetime president. He was a regular visitor to parish council meetings, where
Clerk position APPLICATIONS are now being invited for the post of clerk to Bearsted Parish Council. The full-time post involves 30 hours a week, based at the parish office at Madginford Hall, in Egremont Road, plus seven hours per week covering evening committee meetings. Duties include the taking and producing of minutes, prepara- tion of agendas and liaison with the borough and county coun- cils on parish matters, as well as dealing with parish finances and the payment of bills. A detailed job description and application form is avail- able by emailing the chairman
richardash@maidstone.gov.uk
Job advert P52
Church course HOLY Cross Church is running an autumn alpha course, start- ing on Monday, September 23. The 10-week course, which runs each Monday until De- cember 9, is an opportunity for people to learn more about the Christian faith in a relaxed way. Each session starts with an evening meal, followed by a talk and discussion on a partic- ular theme. All meetings take place in Holy Cross Church. For more information contact the Rev Lesley Ludlow (les-
ley.ludlow@
blueyonder.co.uk) or the Rev Alan Pinnegar on 01622 737844.
This page is sponsored and edited by:
Bearsted Parish Council
www.bearstedparishcouncil.gov.uk
14 East
fore himself and cared for his community above all else. Cllr Richard Ash, Chairman of Bearsted Parish Council, said: “Peter was a real gentle- man and a major asset to the community of Bearsted and he will be sorely missed.
“His lasting legacy will be the Bearsted Woodland Trust. Peter put in hundreds of hours of un- paid work and secured thou- sands of pounds for BWT. The majestic ‘President’s Tree’ is a fitting memorial to a much- loved man.”
he took a keen interest in envi- ronmental and ecological mat- ters. Peter and his wife, who have two children, Sally and Spencer, celebrated their golden wedding anniversary in December last year. They also have a granddaughter Sophia (5).
Peter, who lived in Otteridge Road, died in the Heart of Kent Hospice, after losing his battle with lung cancer.
He will be remembered as a man who always put others be-
NOMINATIONS are being in- vited for Bearsted’s annual Mynn Awards – named after Bearsted’s best-known resident, the legendary cricketer Alfred Mynn,
The awards, established in 2004, are given to people nomi- nated by the community who work tirelessly, often behind the scenes, for the benefit of the vil- lage and its residents in one form or another. Last year’s recipients were Sharon Bayne, who has helped the Bearsted Woodland Trust secure more than £176,000 in funding, and cricketer and his- torian Ian Lambert.
Nominations should be sent to parish council chairman Richard Ash. These will then be vetted, approved and confirmed by an appointed panel of
Chris Street, from BWT, said: “Peter had been seriously ill for some time and died peacefully at the Heart of Kent Hospice, surrounded by his family. Peter played a crucial role in making Bearsted Woodland Trust what it is today and will be greatly missed.”
The funeral took place at Holy Cross Church on Thurs- day, August 1. Donations should be made to the Heart of Kent Hospice and sent to The Family Funeral Service, 4 Cavendish Way, Bearsted, ME15 8PW.
Obituary P42 Choose your community heroes
judges. There are two criteria – that the nominee must perform voluntary work in the village for the benefit of its residents or give exceptional service to the village community.
Generally people undertaking paid employment even when it is exceptional are not recom- mended for approval and it is preferred that a candidate’s con- tribution should extend beyond a single narrow area.
There is no limit to the num- ber of people who can be nomi- nated and the parish council will make the final choice. Closing date for submissions is October 31, 2013 and the suc- cessful nominees will be pre- sented with their awards at the December meeting of the Parish Council (Tuesday, December 10, 2013.)
U3A comes to Bearsted OLDER people who would like to share in educational, creative and leisure activities are invited to join the University of the Third Age – an exciting learning co-operative which is coming to Bearsted for the first time in the autumn.
An inaugural meeting for anyone interested is being held at Detling Village Hall on Thursday, September 12, starting at 2pm. All potential members from Bearsted or the surrounding villages are welcome and will be able to sign up. Full details of new study, recreational and leisure groups will be announced at the meeting, but if you are unable to attend or require further information, please contact John Gregory on 01622 730478. The U3A is a democratic, self-funded organisation which exists to provide a range of activities for men and women who are no longer in full time employment, at minimal cost.
Council Office: Madginford Hall, Bearsted Telephone: E-Mail:
01622 630165 Chairman:
clerk@bearstedparishcouncil.gov.uk Richard Ash
Clerk: Helen Elstone
MEETINGS HELD SECOND TUESDAYOFMONTH (7.30) AND THE PUBLIC IS VERYWELCOME
You can e-mail the Downs Mail —
info@downsmail.co.uk
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