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downsmail.co.uk


Police choir in charity concert for Christmas


THE Kent Police Male Voice Choir is to hold a Christmas concert at the Vine Church, Boughton Lane, Maid- stone, at 3.30pm on December 4. There will be Christmas music, ranging from old favourites to new pieces, which are guaranteed to set


your feet tapping no matter what your age. Tickets are £8.50 – call Terry Kinsman on 01622 730119 or email kinsman@macrolevel.co.uk The concert is presented by Kent


Police Male Voice Choir and the Rotary Club of Maidstone. The


Revamped Morrisons is ready for a big relaunch


WORKto extend the Morrisons store in Sutton Road should be complete by the end of the month. But the chain has rejected claims


the supermarket has become a “parking hell” while the expansion is completed. Downs Mail received an angry


phone call from a customer who claimed shewas stuck in a oneway traffic jam for more than 15 min- utes on the way into the popular store and then spent 10 minutes touring the car park looking for a space. The mother of two said: “I use Morrisons because it is handy for my home in Shepway and it’s a good place to shop but lately it’s been hard to get into the place and even harder to find a space. “It’s been a bit hellish, if I’m hon-


est. When you finally get into the place, you have to tour round and round to find a place to put the car. “I don’t like to knock the place as


it is a great place to shop and the staff there are ever so helpful, but they need to get the car parking sorted or people will be going elsewhere. “I realise there’s work going on


at the store and they have to bring in the equipment they need to do it but it has become a bit in- convenient.” A supermarket spokesman has told us that only eight spaces


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have been lost during the work but one way systems have been put in place to ensure safety dur- ing the renovations. The car park and store exterior


are monitored regularly for is- sues and there were none on the day the reader complained of, al- though the store had been busy, the spokesman said. The work will be completed by


the end of November and the store’s relaunch will take place


Maidstone Weald December 2016


on December 8. There will be significantly ex- tended shop floor space with new departments and ranges to choose from. Extra staff were hired before


the renovation work was started so they would be bedded in be- fore the official relaunch date. The store will also be equipped


with more reliable, environmen- tally-friendly fridges and freez- ers.


event will raise funds for local char- ities.


Rotary supports mainly small


local charities, but also helps with disaster relief by the rapid deploy- ment of “Shelter Boxes” across the world.


Town middle


of pay league WORKERS in Maidstone earn nearly £4,000 less than their coun- terparts in Tonbridge and Malling. But the latest figures show that


while the county town is still half way down the league table in Kent with an average salary of £29,592, it remains higher than the UK aver- age and £5,000 more thanwages in Thanet. The Office for National Statistics


says the UK average annual earn- ings are £28,213 and £33,776 in Lon- don.


Kentwages league table 1 Tonbridge and Malling ...£33.372 2. Dartford............................£32.233 3. Sevenoaks........................ £30,989 4. TunbridgeWells .............. £29,962 5. Gravesham ...................... £29,623 6. Maidstone.........................£29,592 7. Canterbury.......................£27,949 8. Ashford.............................£27.795 9. Swale................................. £27,501 10. Dover............................... £25,254 11. Shepway.......................... £24,527 12. Thanet..............................£24,150


Date for song


THERE’S a chance to get in tune for Christmas with an evening of car- ols – some audience participation – and a glass of wine with The Maid- stone Singers. They will be performing at St Martin’s Church in Shepway under the guidance of Kathryn Ridgeway from 7.30pm on December 13 and 14. You can book a table for the in- formal gathering at the church in Northumberland Road. Tickets are £12 and available by calling 01622 630016.


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