Theatre company takes over at Hazlitt
A NATIONWIDE theatre company has taken over management ofMaidstone’s pop- ular Hazlitt Theatre and Arts Centre. Parkwood Theatres began a 15-year con-
tract to operate the 350-seat theatre and Ex- change Studio, in Earl Street, on behalf of Maidstone Council, on October 1. As well as upgrading facilities, Parkwood
will be introducing new shows and acts, whilst continuing to support many of the existing ones. The company will focus on community
use of the theatre and also provide the out- reach community activities such as the Maidstone MELA and Proms in the Park. Parkwood Theatres is part of Parkwood Leisure, one of the UK’s leading leisure management companies, which operates 84 facilities on behalf of 25 local authority clients and employs more than 4,500 peo- ple.
Grammar school is outstanding
STAFF at Maidstone Grammar School are jubilant after a sec- ond consecutive mark of “out- standing” from Ofsted. A team of five inspectors
spent two days at the boys’ school in Barton Road at the end of September, observing lessons and speaking to stu- dents, staff and governors in a bid to understand and judge the school’s culture and ethos. A total of 55 lessonswere ob- served, with 95% being judged good or better and just under 50% being judged outstanding. Headmaster Mark Tomkins
said he was extremely proud of the final judgement and praised the school community for the way it pulled together during the inspection. He said: “It was a humbling experience listening to the in- spection team give feedback at the end of the two days”. Chair of governors Lindsey
Evans said she was delighted that the school had achieved a second consecutive outstand- ing judgement from Ofsted. “This was a testament to all
the hard work carried out by the students, staff and gover- nors at Maidstone Grammar School. The Ofsted judgement confirms that MGS continues to provide a first class educa- tion for all its students.”
Cancer charity
calls for help MARIE Curie Cancer Care needs volunteers in Maidstone to bank money put into its col- lection tins in the area and to come up with new places to put them. The charity provides nursing support at home for those with terminal illnesses. To help, contact community fundraiser Fiona Dodd, on 01622 230745, or email
fiona.dodd@marie
curie.org.uk.
32 Town The company’s portfolio includes the
Winter Gardens Pavilion and the 664-seat Playhouse Theatre in Weston-super-Mare and TheHawth in Crawley,which seats 855 in the main auditorium and 146 in a sepa- rate studio space. Gary Roden, managing director of Park-
wood Theatres, said: “We are delighted to have been selected to operate the Hazlitt Arts Centre and look forward to bringing the local community a wide range of entertain- ment events, diverse cultural programmes, and a calendar of special events that will draw in new audiences and engage fully with the community at large.” Maidstone Council’s cabinet member for economic and commercial development, Malcolm Greer, said: “Parkwood’s business plan was the best for theatre goers and the taxpayer. I amconfident that Parkwood will deliver a noticeable improvement to service
levels at the Hazlitt Arts Centre and reduce the bottom line cost for Maidstone Council Tax payers. This will be achieved through driving participation and attendance and re- ducing costs through enhanced buying power that Parkwood is able to offer. “Our existing theatre staff are first class
and patrons need not worry; they will still see many of the familiar faces currently working at the theatre.” Staff wishing to transfer their employ-
ment to Parkwoodwere assured of the same terms and conditions of employment as they had before, he said. In the first year, Parkwood intends to
spend £45,290 replacing IT equipment and hardware, technical equipment and the box office system. Ongoing investment over the course of the contract will see the replace- ment of additional equipment while main- taining the venue.
Sale of restaurant follows death
THE Hengist restaurant at Aylesfordwas sold for £310,000 after the sudden death of its owner Paul Smith. The Grade II listed building in
the High Street was auctioned on October 31. The three-storey premises
was advertised by Clive Emson auctioneers as offering potential for continued use as a restau- rant or for conversion, subject to planning permission, after property receivers instructed the sale. The guide price for the freehold was £180-200,000. Mr Smith (43) was found dead at his home in nearby
Rochester Road, on September 1. An inquest was opened and the cause of his death given as suspension. Two weeks after
Fun weekend boosts charity THE landlords of The Dog&Gun pub in Boxley Road, Maidstone, held aweekend of livemusic and entertainment in memory of one of their pub regulars and raised £1674 for Macmillan Cancer Support. Lesley Lewis, who has been running the pub since 2009 with her partner Jonah Hughes-Jones, said: “We de- cided to do a fundraising event in memory of Tommy King, who was taken from us all in January 2013 after being diagnosed with cancer. We raised the money from a raffle with prizes donated by friends and local companies. We also went round with buckets that people put their loose change into. It was a fantastic weekend and we’re delighted that so much was raised.” Kent fundraising manager Moira Mitchell, who is pictured with Mr Hughes-Jonews, said: “This money is enough to fund a Macmillan nurse for 67 hours, helping cancer patients in hospital and within the community, so they should be tremendously proud of them- selves.”
Plan to restore graveyard gatehouse A SCHEME has been unveiled to turn the cemetery gatehouse at Maidstone Graveyard in Sutton Road into a three-bedroom house. Stuart Andersen has submitted a planning application to re-
store the vacant grade II listed lodge, which originally provided accommodation for cemetery staff. The building has been damaged by the weather and will re- quire thorough restoration, a supporting statement said.
the tragedy, staff announced the closure of the restaurant. Well-known in Kent business circles, Mr Smith was the founder of Regal Estates sales and letting agency but had not owned the firm for some time. The Hengist had gained a widespread reputation as a fine dining venue after being launched in 2005 by Mr Smith with celebrity chef Richard Phillips. The pair also worked together
on several other ventures in- cluding The Windmill in Hollingbourne and Thackeray’s in TunbridgeWells.
Crime chief Ann
talks to forum ANN Barnes, police and crime commissioner for Kent, ad- dressed more than 100 older people at the Maidstone Older Persons’ Forum thismonth. The forum, run by Voluntary Action Maidstone, also heard from Barbara Hagan,manager of the Maidstone and Malling car- ers project, on the support, infor- mation and advice available to carers, and from SarahRobson at the borough council who con- sulted the group on the council’s initiatives with older people. Peter Spearink’s term as chair-
man of the forum ends in Janu- ary. Anyone who is over 55 and interested in issues affecting older people can apply for the role. Call Voluntary Action Maidstone on 01622 677337 or email
office@vam-online.org.uk.
Bedsits allowed PLANNING permission was granted to convert a former sheltered housing unit in 105 Old Tovil Road, Maidstone, into 12 bedsits. Jamie Copland, of Easyoffice Rental, has been given permis- sion to convert the building, which was used by Abbeyfield Kent Society, into a house of multiple occupancy.
You can e-mail the Downs Mail —
info@downsmail.co.uk
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