Warning: Wallaby in road
AS excuses go, being late for work “because there was a wallaby in the road” takes some beating. Dan Rogers was so convinced that no one
would believe his brief encounter in Bearsted thathegrabbed his phone to snap this pictureof the critter on camera from his car. The project manager at G-Forces in Caring
Lane said: “Itwas a random Friday morning and Iwas makingmy usual three-mile drive towork from Kingswood. “All of a sudden, as I came round the corner
in Caring Lane, just minutes from work, there was thiswallaby sitting in the middleof theroad, staring right atme.” According to Dan, 21, “Skippy” wasn’t the
least bit jumpy. In fact, the wallaby seemed in- tent on staying put.
Stones’ pitch ‘among best’
RIGOROUS testing has con- firmed that the Gallagher Sta- dium in James Whatman Way, Maidstone, has one of the best pitches in world football. The state-of-the-art artificial
turf pitch has maintained its FIFA two star rating – the high- est possible grade. The testers use natural grass in top condi- tion as the benchmark, and check durability, weather re- sistance and how the ball plays. Maidstone United co-owner Oliver Ash, said: “This is fan- tastic news and shows that with the right maintenance these high quality pitches can do 50-plus hours a week while maintaining impeccable stan- dards. “Our 3G business model is
now being copied by several clubs around the country and I hope our experience will gal- vanise others to follow our ex- ample and take a major step to securing their club’s financial position.” Maidstone United was the
first football club in Britain to develop a purpose built sta- dium using a 3G pitch. “The surface is used by the
club’s first team, their many community teams, as well as other local clubs, businesses, community groups and schools. Around 1,000 people per week play on the pitch.
Night driving DRIVERS afraid of the long dark nights of winter are being invited to a special evening about dealing with night driv- ing at The Grove Green Com- munity Centre, Maidstone. The event at 8pm on Tuesday, October 15, has been organised by the Mid Kent Institute of Ad- vanced Motorists, and covers the problems encountered when driving at night. Night vision is a particular
issue, especially among drivers over 50.
Admission is free and re- freshments will be served. For details go to www.midkent
iam.org.uk
28 East
“He looked right at home, like he was in his natural habitat, so I edged closer and he simply hopped downthe roadabit and clearedawaist- high fence into an open field, heading toward Leeds Castle.” Dan, whose friend is currently touring Aus-
tralia, sayshe’s still temptedto drophimapost- card saying “you needn’t have travelled all that way to see awallaby!” At work, his colleagues at the IT company
were fascinated to hear his tale and examine the evidence on his camera. He said: “I hadn’t heard any of the stories
aboutwallaby sightings in thearea, until I got to work, so to see one out of the blue like thatwas a bit of a surprise. Now, I keep looking out for a wallaby, which is a bit weird when you live in Kent.”
School house conversion plan Police pledge
THE Old School House in Thurnham Lane, Thurnham, could be converted into two new homes under new plans. In July 2011 a planning appli-
cation to demolish the building and replace it with three de- tached homes was refused as Maidstone Council considered Old School House a non-desig- nated heritage asset. The latest scheme by Claren-
don Homes seeks to extend the building to provide two homes, while also demolishing a dou-
ble garage and replacing it with a new four-bed house. A supporting statement said:
“The only modification to the footprint of Old School House is the addition of the large con- servatories to the rear. The pro- posals also include one single garage with parking space and one detached double garage to serve the dwellings as a result of the conversion and exten- sion of the Old School House.” The council will determine the latest proposal.
MAIDSTONE’S new town cen- tre policing inspector has pledged to crack down on vio- lent crime. Inspector Justin Watts (39)
told the Downs Mail: “Violent crime will be a big focus of the team’s attention. “We want to make sure that anyone who visits Maidstone- feels safe. Equally, we will make sure that anyone who vis- its Maidstone to cause trouble is dealt with appropriately.” Insp Watts lives in the bor- ough and has two children.
Cyclist shifts up a gear to help charity
A MAIDSTONE cyclist with failing eyesight has taken on the busy streets of Paris and soaring tem- peratures to bring home nearly £3,000 for charity. Mark Sheepwash (42), from Clif-
fordWay, whowas diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa in his 20s, leapt at the chance to join 65 cy- clists on the 326-mile London to Paris challenge at the end of July. The KCC computer team leader,
who had to give up driving two years’ ago because of his progres- sive condition, says one of the hardest aspects of the tripwas not the traffic, but the heat. He said:
“Although my peripheral vision is now prettymuch non-existent and I have tunnel-like vision, it was amazing to see the Arc de Triom- phe loom ahead of us as tourists cheered from the top and drivers tooted their horns, but the heat was something else. It was like having a hairdryer in your face!” Mark (pictured), who has raised
over £2,800 for RP Fighting Blind- ness and Kent Association for the Blind,added: “Support from friends andfamily hasbeenoverwhelming. Itwas a fantastic experience!” Youcandonate£5toKABby tex- ting EYES13 £5 to 70070.
Getting older ‘is all in the mind’ OVER-65s in Kent are refusing to get old, researchers say.AYouGov poll found that just six per cent of those aged 65-85 think of them- selves as elderly, while 61% refuse to define themselves as “old”, saying the term is simply a “mindset”. Almost half (44%) said they were happier – and more tolerant –
now than at any other time in their life, although “old-fashioned” ideas still held their generation back. The poll, commissioned by Kent personal alarm provider Invicta
Telecare, found two out of three (66%) OAPs haven’t given their future care a second thought. Over-65s account for a sixth of the population in Kent. The num- ber of over-65s is set to rise from 10 to 19 million over 40 years.
Students given a chance to shine SCHOOLS and colleges in Maidstone are invited to contact their local Rotary club to enter students into the Rotary Youth Compe- titionswith the winners going forward to the Rotary District, Re- gional and National finals. The Rotary organisation organises a group of youth competi-
tions for young people, including Young Musician, Young Chef, Youth Speaks, Young Photographer, Young Writer and Technol- ogy Tournaments. For details, email
steveelms@btinternet.com
Ron retires AFTER 22 years Ron Fullex has retired from Taylors newsagent in Bearsted Green. A well-known character in
the village, Ron was a regular sight behind the counter early in themorning and again in the evenings. Regular customer Hugh Fox
said: “His jolly banter and early morning wit will be missed.” Ron who lives in the village,
has been succeeded by Mike Palmer fromWare Street, a for- mer accountant. Mr Palmer, who has lived in Bearsted since 2000, said: “I was looking for a life change and this opportunity came up. “I am looking forward to get-
ting more involved with the local community and running my own business.”
You can e-mail the Downs Mail —
info@downsmail.co.uk
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