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Wartime pipeline gets a place in our history
A PIECE of pipe unearthed in a farmer’s field in Chainhurst could have come in handy during France’s recent fuel fiasco. The WWII pipe is part of PLUTO - the Pipe Line Underwa- ter Transport of Oil project - used to deliver fuel to the Allied forces in France after D-Day. The pipeline, built in 1944, car-
ried fuel from the Isle of Grain via a pumping station at East Peck- ham to Dungeness – and from there, underwater through pipes on the seabed to Boulogne. Farmer Robert Day discovered a section of the pipe on his land at Gatehouse Farm some years ago and used it as a barrier. The pipe, which appears to be a concreted joint section, would have been lo- cated where the route changed di- rection slightly – possibly between Gatehouse and Murzie Farms. In February 2015, the Marden History Group (MHG)was granted a licence by Maidstone Borough Council to move the PLUTO pipe and its concrete joint to a site near Marden Library and Heritage Cen-
News Blaze at flats
FAMILIES are back home after being evacuated following a mys- tery fire at a block of flats in Mar- den. Six flats were affected by the
blaze, which starting in the ground floor bin room at The Cockpit. Golding Homes, which owns the
flats, says residents returned home on May 24 after safety checks. Aspokesman for Golding Homes
said residents had all been kept up to date. Flatswere not damaged, no one was hurt and repairs to the communal areaswere underway. The bin store, in the entrance to
the building, was sealed off while investigations continue.
Music dates
ST Margaret’s Church Collier Street is being turned into an auditorium for a series of summer concerts. On Saturday, June 11, there will
Retained firemen Grant Oliver and AndyWardley helped out
tre, where it joins a red telephone box and a WWII air-raid siren. Marden firefighters Andy Ward-
ley and Grant Oliverwere called in to help transport the hefty piece of pipe. The History Society’s David
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McFarland said: “PLUTO was one of the major engineering achieve- ments of WWII. The history group believes that this section has a sig- nificant place in our parish and na- tional history.”
be music from the reigns of both Queen Elizabeths – the Tudor Eliz- abeth I and our Queen, Elizabeth II. The St Margaret’s Singers will be accompanied by Tonbridge Chapel organist David Williams and pro- ceeds will go to the church. On Saturday, July 16, the Chan-
cel Singers will perform choral works from across the centuries. Tickets for each concert are £7.50
and available from RachelWest on 01622 872278.
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