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Cricketers look forward to season


BEARSTED Cricket Club have marked the start of the new sea- son with a change of leadership and some new challenges for 2015.


Incoming chairman Gareth Oak-


land and new club captain Mark Sandhu are relishing the challenge of the club playing in Kent County Village League (KCVL) for the first time.


Mark said: “Playing 18 league


games against some new oppo- nents and some of our more tradi- tional rivals will give us the opportunity to stretch our skills and to see if we are able to reach the top of this league system.” The club’s Saturday 1st XI start


in Division 2 and the Saturday 2nd XI in Division 6 of the KCVL. The Sunday 1st XI will play 13


games in Division 3 of the KentVil- lage Cricket League, having been promoted in each of the past three seasons and, if there is sufficient in- terest and player availability, there will be the chance for a Sunday 2nd XI to play a range of friendly matches. Gareth is keen to see new mem-


bers joining and said: “We have a great location, some competitive cricket and a really friendly atmos- phere in the club. “We are always on the look out


for new players. Anyone who is new to the village or has been a few years out of the game is very welcome.” Anyone interested should come


to a Friday night practice session or contact one of the captains via the Bearsted Cricket Club website.


Mark Sandhu and Gareth Oakland


The club are one of the oldest cricket clubs in England, but Gareth said: “It’s not always easy finding the money or the people to keep the club afloat. Hundreds of village cricket clubs go under each year.” However, Gareth and Mark are optimistic about the future for Bearsted. The club have an active member-


ship and lots of support in the vil- lage, so their last appeal is to local residents to join in. There is an associate member-


ship available to anyone who lives in Bearsted, which enables them to drop in to the pavilion on match days, and the club are particularly keen to hear from people who would like to help out with prepar- ing teas or to take on coaching roles for the younger members. The club are particularly proud


of their youth, many ofwhomhave graduated from colts cricket to sen- ior level for both the club and sen- ior clubs in the county.


Now more room to learn at U3A


PEOPLE of retirement age can learn new skills and information in a friendly environment with no exams at the end. Now that the Maidstone University of the Third Age (U3A) group


has moved to the Salvation Army Hall in Union Street, it has man- aged to clear itswaiting list and has room for even more members. The group now meets on the third Monday of the month at the Sal-


vation Army Hall in Union Street. There are more than 30 activity and interest groups, ranging from


art to playing the ukulele. There are also short programmes and this year, there are already two trips planned, one to the Isle of Wight and the other a visit to the 1914-18war graves. For information call the membership secretary on 01622 734298.


Village pub to get makeover


THE Bell pub in Bredhurst is set to get a makeover after being bought by the Greene King brewery. The new owner has lodged a se-


ries of planning applications fo- cused on “improving the connectivity of the building” by moving the kitchen to the eastern side of the building. “It has been expressed that the southern part of the building con-


taining the two bars was barely used because the customers were unaware of their existence,” a sup- porting statement said. Other changes include alter-


ations to the garden area, better toilet facilities and a new staircase. The pub dates back to 1500 and


is grade II listed. Maidstone Council will decide the applications.


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