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Town Talk Over 60s meet for last time


THE Salvation Army's Over 60s club, run for almost 60 years in Snodland by Avrel Coles and her mother, has closed. At its peak the club had more


than 100 members but numbers had fallen to 18, who relied on a mini bus provided by AgeConcern to take them to Devonshire Rooms every week. The lease on the coach has run out and it is not being replaced. Avrel, of Malling Road, Snodland


met the prime minister, Tony Blair, at 10 Downing Street in 2005 after being invited by Chatham & Ayles- ford MP Jonathan Shaw, in appre- ciation for the work she does in the area, particularly for senior citizens. Avrel, who is pictured with mem-


bers, also met ministers and at- tended debates in the House of Commons and theHouse of Lords.


She is heartbroken that the club


has closed. Hermother ran it for 20 years and she took over about 37 years ago. The oldest members are 96 and 97 and have supported the club for almost 40 years. “We used to meet in the old Sal-


vation Army Hall in Malling Road,” said Avrel. “I remember one Christ- mas cooking meals for 110. On


M&S to open food outlet


A MARKS & Spencer Simply Food outlet is to open in Snodland, on the re-built Holborough Service Station outside the Holborough Lakes Berkeley Homes development. A spokesperson for M&S said: "We have no dates confirmed, but hopefully it will open next year." The garage, which has been closed for a few years, sold fuel, had


a Wimpey drive-thru, convenience store and car-cleaning facility. Sectosure Ltd, represented by Petro Designs Ltd, applied to Ton- bridge & Malling Council to demolish the buildings and replace them with a forecourt control building/shop, canopy, pump islands, parking and underground fuel storage tanks. It is understood it will be a 24-hour BP station. Town Talk asked Petro-Designs Ltd for details of when the work


was likely to be carried out, but had not received a response at the time of going to press.


Double yellow lines outside school


THE head teacher of Snodland Church of England Primary School, Holley Hunt, has announced that double yellow lines are to be painted outside the school gate in Roberts Road – hopefully in August. She told parents: “We’ve been waiting for this for a very long time. If


there are still parents who insist on parking there, rather than using the community centre car park, then look out for our very own school council parking attendants, who will be issuing tickets to anyone park- ing illegally.”


Travellers stop for the night at Constitution Hill before moving on Travellers’ overnight stop


FOURTEEN travellers’ caravans camped in Snodland overnight be- fore moving along the road to Van- tage Point, Holborough, for the following night and then leaving the town. They parked on a public open


space owned by Tonbridge & Malling Council, off Constitution Hill at the junctionwith St Benedict Road and opposite the community centre. After they left, town councillor


David Purll and his wife Ruth, of Townsend Road, and other resi- dents bagged up rubbish and the following day borough council em-


ployees completed the clear- up. A spokesman for the borough council said the families had previ- ously camped at Castle Way, Ley- bourne. They said they were planning to go to Reading. “We have carried out the re-


quired welfare assessment and are now serving a direction under s77 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994,” he said. “It re- quires the travellers to leave the land as soon as practicable. “In the event that they do not comply with the order we shall seek an order from the magis- trates.”


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our day trips we used to have two coaches.” After the hall was demolished,


the club met at Rectory Close be- fore moving to Devonshire Rooms. “I am going to miss it," she added. “It has been a great part of my life. I have always tried to be there for them and it won’t stop. They will be sick ofme phoning up


Local news for Snodland and Halling


A Downs Mail supplement produced in conjunction with the Snodland Chamber of Commerce.


to see if they are alright!” Avrel was born in Snodland. She


has been married to Tom for 48 years and the couple have two daughters and four grandchildren. She said she could not have done half of what she has done without the support of Tom. He plays bowls at Cobdown


BowlsClub and Avrel does the teas at every home game. She is also a member of the committee of Ham Hill and Snodland WI. She ran the play group at De- vonshire Rooms and children sang for the club at its last meeting, where members enjoyed a straw- berry and cream tea. Eileen Stockings thanked her on


behalf of the members and pre- sented her with a bouquet of flow- ers. Coach driver IrenaWalker was also thanked for her help.


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