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has been said that his interest and support has been greatly appreciated. We should all support Jenny Suon in


her praiseworthy endeavours. This issue is far too important to be reduced to political wrangling. Gillian Roberts, Valentine Road, Maidstone


Relief road a long way off


THERE has been much recent coverage about a so-called relief road between the A20 and the A274 in your publication and others. If there are, as you report, three options - why on earth do we not see the detail of them? The problem, I suspect, is there is no money to build it without carpeting the borough with yet more houses. Or a cynical view would be that the Joint Transportation Board’s vague plan is just that, designed to fob everyone off until after the county council election next year and the whole uncomfortable, troublesome issue will die a death for another two decades. Don’t be fooled, folks, this relief road


isn’t going to happen. But the time and place to express your frustration is in the polling booth next May and every election after it. Voter power is all the rage! HWarren, via email


Thanks for your donations


MAIDSTONE Salvation Army Corps would like to thank people for their very generous support of the annual door to door collection and collections at public venues. This appeal raises vital funds for our


diverse programme of life-changing social and community services, including:  supporting men, women and families who are experiencing homelessness;  providing a place of safety for adult victims of modern slavery;  running care homes and day centres for older people;  reuniting families through our family tracing service. All the money raised is used to care for people who are vulnerable or in need in the United Kingdom. Thank you. Salvation Army Corps, Maidstone


Castle should contribute I WOULD like to ask whether you think


the “Garden of England” description is appropriate when you see the scruffy and neglected verges and roundabouts from J8 to the Park Gate Inn pub on the A20. Local residents see these sad green


spaces and I wonder what Leeds Castle and local hotel management think of these sights. Hundreds of thousands of visitors come to this part of Kent each year with hotels and the castle benefiing. During castle events people who use the


A20 have to put up with serious congestion. As tax-payers we are unable to put any pressure on the borough and county councils or indeed the highways authorities, whereas Leeds Castle and local hotels do have influence to improve maers. GM Collins, Hollingbourne


Rail service is appalling


MAIDSTONE’S Labour councillors are campaigning with party colleagues in Kent, Surrey and Sussex to get Govia, which owns Southeastern, Southern and Thameslink stripped of their rail franchise. On November 4, three out of four peak


time trains on the St Pancras line were cancelled. Passengers travelling home on Tuesday andWednesday evenings that week faced having to stand. There are no facilities at MaidstoneWest


to sit in a heated waiting room, despite being called for over the last few years. This level of service is appalling. It is not infrequent that high speed trains


are delayed or cancelled.We pay £44 return to use a poor service which takes at best 51 minutes to cover 40 miles, and pay a premium fare. Govia should have these services taken


away and returned to public ownership. Our services in Kent and Sussex are a national scandal. Cllrs Paul Harper and Keith Adkinson, Maidstone Labour Party


Lights display for hospice


COME along to this festive fundraising event and enjoy a musical Christmas light display in aid of Heart of Kent Hospice. Every day between December 2 and January 2, 39 Castle Road, Allington, Kent ME16 0PP will be lit up from 5pm to 9pm with shows taking place every half hour. Drive up before the show starts and tune your radio to 106.1FM – it’s as simple as


that. This is a free event but we are asking all


those who come along to make a donation either by texting LIGH77 TO 70070 or by visiting justgiving.com/fundraising/ LightingUpAllington Dorothy Gorman, via email


Playing a round for Bill


THE 39th Bill’s Round charity golf took place at Cobtree Manor Park golf course on November 4, when 32 people played (30 men, 2 women), the highest number since 34 turned out seven years ago. David Nickson, of Ashford Golf Club,


and John Mille, of Faversham Golf Club, tied on 44 stableford points, but David was declared the winner due to scoring more points on the last nine holes. He chose the Royal National Lifeboat Institution to benefit from the £530 raised. Two nearest the pin holes were won by


Mick Stanley and Paul Keenor, both playing in Bill’s Round for the first time, whilst the best lady was Katrina Howard, the current ladies captain of Chart Hills Golf Club. The best team proved to be Alan Fineman, John Goad, Alan Joynson and David Nickson, all from Ashford. Fines on players, imposed by Mike Kingsman, and “heads ‘n tails” run by Dave Verga helped boost the takings. The fines included losing the team ball, wearing shorts, and teeing off badly on the first hole. The next Bill’s Round charity golf event


will take place in May or June 2017, with the date and venue to be made known early in the new year. Men and women of all standards are


welcome to take part – new faces are always very welcome and we had seven new people this time. You could e-mail me at roger.bevan@btinternet.com or phone on 07860 821306 if you would like to know more. Roger Bevan, via email


Stadium is a winner


I WENT a football match for the first time in years when the Stones took on Rochdale in the FA Cup at the Gallagher Stadium. What a fantastic venue and club! Friendly staff, decent food, clean toilets and a reasonable entry fee. I’ll be back.


Davy Jackson, via email


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