Cleaner Marge celebrates 90th birthday at work
KEEPING 90th birthday celebrations a secret from cleaner Marge Rose turned into a military operation at The Mall shopping centre, Maid- stone. However, OperationMangoprovedahugesuc-
cess, with Marge treated to an early morning partywith her colleagues, family and friends. Paul Alcock, general manager of the centre,
said: “Marge has been a cleaner here for 28 years and knows everything that’s going on, everything about her jobandeveryonewhouses the centre; she’s a real character. So, trying to keep her party a surprisewas nomean achieve- ment, especially when she came on the radio asking what Operation Mangowas all about.” Marge has been cleaning at TThe Mall, five
days aweek, since shewas 62. The spritely 90- year-old – thought to be the oldest cleaner in Britain – is proud that she has only taken one day off sick in that time. In fact, Marge wasn’t going to let her birthday stand in theway of her work and insistedthemanagementholdany get together outside of work hours, before she got started! Paul said: “Somany goodworkers likeMarge
areallowedto slip through thenet. Sheis fit and active and very capable. As long as she is able and still enjoying her work she will have a job here.” Marge worked as a land girl during the war and spent 21 years picking fruit at Firmins in Linton, as well as bringing up a large family, before startingwork at The Mall.
Fete dropped after poor turnout
CHART Sutton has abandoned its village fete after one of the poorest turnouts by the public in years. Despite glorious weather, less than half
the usual number of people visited the show at the Memorial Playing Field, in Warmlake Road, in July. The fete was launched in 2000 to raise money for the Christmas lunch laid on for the elderly in the village. The money will now come from elsewhere. Val Underdown, from the Village Hall So-
Lamp post allowed LAURA Juttemeier has been given consent to erect a Victo- rian lamp post at Hillview Cot- tage, Chart Hill Road, Chart Sutton. She was also granted retrospective planning permis- sion for entrance gates.
cial Amenities Committee, which organises the event, said: “I don’t think our village is in anyway unique in reaching this decision not to continue with our fete. Every year, it takes a vast amount of work, which falls on very few shoulders. “Arena acts are getting out of our price
range and we had pitches pull out in the week before the event.” She said she was happy to talk to anyone interested in taking on the running of the show.
Homes plan on industrial site INDUSTRIAL buildings in Sutton Valence may make way for eight detached homes. Dray Associates has applied to demolish commercial buildings at the Valdene Industrial Park, Headcorn Road, alongwith an on-site bungalow called Greentops, and construct the four-bedroom homes with garagews. Maidstone Council will determine the application.
The Mall’s regional operations manager Sara Jones, Marge Rose and general manager Paul Alcock
Priest set to retire
THE parish priest of Headcorn and The Three Suttons, the Reverend Brian Curnew, is to retire. Rev Curnew, who had the task of uniting Headcorn with the churches of Sutton Va- lence, Chart Sutton and East Sutton, shortly after arriving in the area three years ago, will leave after Easter next year, giving the parochial church council six months to find a successor. The four churches are also losing their curate next month, as the Rev Christopher Piers Lavender is to become Priest in Charge of Allington and Barming Heath. Chris was ordained deacon in Canter-
bury Cathedral in 2010 and licensed to serve as curate in the four parishes. He was ordained priest a year later.His last service is a joint benefice service at St Mary’s, Sut- ton Valence, at 11am on November 3.
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