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Call for debate before election
POLITICAL campaigners are try- ing to ensure Maidstone residents get a debate in the run-up to the general election. Oakwood Park Grammar School
has agreed to host a debate for the Maidstone and Weald candidates and is now contacting them to or- ganise a suitable date. There will be a hustings event for
all parties at Cranbrook School on April 21, but Lib Dem candidate Jasper Gerard believes the county town deserves its own event. He said: “Maidstone is an area
that has massive challenges, such as how we drive up earnings and increase employment, howwe con- tinue to improve educational op- portunity, and how we tackle the problem of huge development without the facilities to go with it. “It is only right that local people should have the opportunity to put their concerns to those who seek to
be their MP.” Last year Mr Gerard wrote to Cllr
JohnWilson, chairman of the local Conservative Association, chal- lenging MP Helen Grant to a de- bate. CllrWilson said: “We are receiv-
ing a number of proposals for an official hustings event in Maidstone and, as it is early days yet, we are considering all of the options. “The conditions are that all can- didates will need to be invited, that the event takes place during the short campaign period [after March 30] and that it is arranged by an in- dependent third party. “The Lib Dem candidate has
stated he is trying to arrange an event at Oakwood Park school, but clearly he is not an independent third party. We have not been ap- proached by Oakwood Park our- selves, although other schools have been in touch.”
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News Date set for pie contest
THIS year’sWorld Custard Pie Championships will be held in Coxheath on Saturday June 6. Teams of four are invited to enter dressed in Victorian costume or “with
it” gear of the 2020s. Inspired by Charlie Chaplin and 1960s TV celebrity Mr Pastry, who lived in Tovil, the battle of the pies was started by former Cllr Mike FitzGerald in 1967 to raise funds for the village hall. Coxheath is on
record as the home of the World Custard Pie Championship. More than 1,000 teams have participated and more than 100,000 pies have been thrown at the event, with teams competing from all across the world. The event is free to visitors. To enter a team, email Cllr Brian Mortimer at
theworldcustardpiechampionship@gmail.com
Calendar sales boost churches
THREE Staplehurst Churches have benefited from the proceeds of the 2015 Staplehurst Calendar. The calendar, with drawings of village scenes and buildings, is illus- trated by Ken Collins. This year’s total was £1,521, bring- ing the total raised since the calendar was first introduced in 2005 to £16,000. All proceeds have been do- nated to village groups and charities.
Cheques for £507 were presented to The Friends of All Saints Church, The United Reformed Church and Staplehurst Free Church. The cost of production is covered by 13 Staplehurst businesses and sales were helped by the staff at Sta- plehurst Post Office, Chasing Rain- bows and Henhurst Farm Shop. The Hop Press printers of Marden helped with the production.
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Maidstone South March 2015 19
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