News


downsmail.co.uk Hop farm festival ‘will go on’


THE Hop Farm insists it is confi- dent its music festival will go ahead next summer after an at- tempt was made to strike off the company that organises the event. A spokesman for promoter UK


Events Production Limited told the Downs Mail after this year’s July event at the Paddock Wood attrac- tion that it was “already talking about next year”. However, an application has been


made to strike off the company, whose sole shareholder is Neil Butk- eraitis. He has also resigned from another company, Hop Farm Music Festival Ltd, along with its three other directors.


Drink cases


SIX alcohol-related arrests were made in Maidstone during a town- centre campaign by police. Plain clothes, uniformed and spe-


cial constables joined forces for the 10-day operation. A woman was arrested in Lower


Stone Street on suspicion of drink- driving, therewere arrests for being drunk and disorderly in High Street and Bank Street, and a manwas de- tained for assault after an incident in High Street in the early hours.


MrButkeraitis is quoted as saying


that the festival will no longer go ahead, but the Hop Farm’s head of marketing, Miguel Fenton, told the Downs Mail: “It is not for Mr Butk- eraitis to speak on behalf of theHop Farm. I amvery confident it will go ahead next July.” MrFenton said the festival, which


was cancelled in 2013 due to poor ticket sales, had been an “absolute success” this year and feedback had been favourable. However, he agreed the event had lost money. He added: “This was not the de-


sired outcome and we have plans for the next few festivals, which ad- dress the niggles and areas that we


can improve, such as layout. “We appointed Mr Butkeraitis,


but if a third party can’t make it a success then this will have to be re- viewed also.” Hesaid theHopFarm would con-


sider managing the event in-house, if necessary. Mr Fenton added: “This is the


only family-orientated music festi- val in the South East, if not the UK. It’s not just about music andwe are determined to keep it running.” He said early discussions with


artists were taking place as well as talks about possible changes to the line-up in future to encourage more home-grown talent.


Park life captured on film


THIS picture won Robert Toombs £250 in shopping tokens in the annual Mote Park photographic competition. Robert topped a shortlist of


12 from 372 entries with his picture of running water over rocks. Second-placed Amanda Harrison received a £50 voucher for The Mall with her wintry scene overlooking the lake and Andrew Masters’ photograph of Mote House gave him third place and a £20 voucher for The Mall.


“We are looking at creating more


of a balance between big names and a bigger focus on local music, which we had hoped to do this year, but it did not happen.However, there will always remain a need for strong names as a draw,” he said. MrFenton said that given the size


of the event, a decision about who would run the festival would be taken by the spring. The festival began six years ago


and has attracted names such as Prince, Bob Dylan and the Eagles. This year’s event starred James Blunt, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Ray Davies, Billy Ocean, 10cc and come- dian Jo Brand.


Home agreed THE go-ahead has been given for a florist at 9 Brewer Street to be converted into a one-bed- room home. Maidstone Council allowed


Flower Utopia to be replaced with a residential use but urged the applicant to take steps to protect any residents from noise nuisance emanat- ing from the nearby railway line.


8


Maidstone Town November 2014


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