News
Driver banned A DRIVER who disputed drink driving when he was stopped in Maidstone over Christmas has been fined more than £600 and banned from the road. Alex Munene denied drink driving after being stopped in his Ford Fiesta on Boxley Hill on Boxing Day. The 42-year-oldwas sentenced by magistrates after a guilty verdict. The court heard he had given a breath test of 73mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath. He as banned fo 44 months.
Horse fraudster AHORSE dealer from Sandling has been found guilty of a huge fraud which involved selling ill or danger- ous horses to innocent buyers. Charlotte Johnson, 28, of Tollgate
Way,was found guilty of conspiracy to commit fraud after animals were sold from local farms. Johnson ap- peared at Maidstone withAniela Ju- recka, 28, Tonbridge, and David Smith, 66, of Finglesham, Deal, who were also found guilty of conspiracy to commit fraud.
Mud rescue bid AWOMANhad to be rescued from Mote Park after becoming stuck in mud. Fire and rescue officerswasup to her knees when shewas found on June 22 at 5pm. Shewas not hurt.
downsmail.co.uk
Memorial poppies are reaching for the skies
THESE poppies – grown by former Para Richard Gough in his Maid- stone garden – are the likely holder of a new world record. The 6ft seed-grown specimens reached for the sky after being thrown aside by the old soldier, fol- lowing a failed attempt to match the Tower of London’s memorial dis- play two years ago. The Downs Mail reader contacted
us this week after the “beanstalk” plants in his Clarence Court garden kept on growing. A call to the Guinness Book of Records confirmed that, while an on- line story from a seed company boasts a 7ft specimen, no official record exists. Officials at the Guinness Book of Records havenowinvitedMrGough to apply for the title. The 84-year-old said: “That sounds
a bit of a giggle. I will definitely put them forward.” He bought the seeds at Tesco in
Grove Green in 2014 and planted them in memory of his comrades. However, when these did not take after, he abandoned the rest of the
packet in a border. Born inWales, he spent his National Service in Malaya in the Signals regiment He served alongside the 63rd Gurkha Brigade, before joining the Parachute Regiment with the Terri- torial Army. A bit of a giant himself, at 6ft 1in,
Mr Gough said: “I guess all flowers look for the sun, like bluebells in the woods. “After I dumped them at the back
of the border, they must have landed around the roots of a clematis that got very big andwere forced to grow so tall.”
Richard and his wife Rona, who is
the gardener of the house, say the plants have flowered ever since. Richard added: “The only thing
they are not enjoying is the heavy downpours.” Aplant expert atRumwoodNurs-
eries at Langley, near Maidstone, said six-foot poppieswere undoubt- edly tall for the species, He added: “As these are growing
at the feet of a clematis, the lack of light and the dry conditions will have provided the kind of conditions
Richard Gough with his poppies
that would have prompted this kind of growth. “Poppies don’t like being over-
damp and most likely were looking for light and just kept going up and up until they found it.”
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