Town Talk


SNODLAND Medical Practice Pa- tient Participation Group is to hold a series of health information evenings, open to patients and non- patients, at the Devonshire Rooms, Waghorn Road, Snodland. The first meeting is planned for


April 27 from 5.30pm to 7pm and is a Diabetes Awareness evening led by one of the doctors and with a di- abetes specialist to give advice about the condition and answer questions.


Representatives from the Paula


Carr Trust are also attending to talk about retinal screening and the var- ious areas of support they can pro- vide.


John Stockham, chairman of the group, said: "This is an informal ses-


Flats planned


A PLANNING application has been made for five one-bedroom flats off Queens Avenue, Snodland (right). Southern Bond and Storage Ltd


have applied to Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council to remove sundry dilapidated buildings and replace them with the flats behind 24 and 26 Holborough Road – Fa- vorite, the chicken and rib shop and the house next door.


sion and you do not have to be a sufferer of diabetes to attend. You may just want to know more about diabetes, who is likely to get it, what the symptoms and warning signs are and what to do about it.” Alongside the diabetes evening,


the medical practice is working with other agencies to deliver more serv- ices for patients. Mr Stockham said: “Free health


walks are running from the surgery every Thursday at 11.30am. They are easy walks, lasting 30 minutes, and are led by dedicated, trained volunteers. They provide the perfect opportunity to help you get active and meet new people. “Having started in the New Year, the numbers are rising steadily and


Local news for Snodland and Halling Focus on looking after your health


it would be great to see some more Snodland residents attending. Just turn up at the surgery – no booking is needed.”


Counterweight is a recognised 11-week weight management pro- gramme, designed to help you lose between 5% and 10% of your body- weight and keep it off for good. The scheme is running out of Snodland Community Centre. The topics covered include nutri-


tion, reading food labels, eating be- haviours and shopping habits. You can either speak to your GP who can refer you or you can register at www.tmbc.gov.uk/counterweight. The cost of the programme is £15,


which is refundable on completion. The overall objective of the Patient


Participation Group is to work in col- laboration with the practice to im- prove service to patients, improve communications between patients and the practice and to encourage patients to take more responsibility for their own health. The group meets at the surgery


on a quarterly basis (sometimes more often) with doctors and the practice manager. It actively can- vasses the views of patients and rec- ommends courses of action. Anyone who thinks they might be interested in becoming a member of the group should ask at the surgery or send an email to snodland.ppg@nhs.net, which will be happy to provide further details, with no obligation to join.


Employer fair


LOCAL employers attended an Employer Fair at Holmesdale School. The event, organised by careers advisor Jeanette Hamilton, was at- tended by the Army and Navy, as well as Beaney Bakery; the Co-op- erative; CWB Property Ltd; Peta- holics, with Barney the barn owl; Sandhole Veterinary Centre with Wilma the dog and Smurfitt Kappa.


Objects thrown at M20 vehicles


New-look library re-opened


SNODLANDLibrary, in the High Street, has officially been re-opened after itsmajor refurbishment at the end of last year. The ceremony was carried out by Mike Hill, Kent County Council's cab-


inet member for community services, and Sarah Hohler, the local county councillor and also the deputy cabinet member. Mr Hill said he was very keen to keep libraries open, to make the best


use of the buildings they are in and they should be as bright, attractive and as welcoming as possible. Pupils from Valley Invicta Primary School at Holborough Lakes, Snod-


land, along with head teacher, Dr Jonny Rodgers, were involved in the ceremony.Mrs Hohler urged the children and their parents to use the li- brary. She told them she used to fall asleep when reading books in the evening, but she told them she now gets up at 6am,makes a cup of tea and reads a book in bed. The library was closed from October 17 until December 21. TheMayor


of Tonbridge & Malling, Mark Rhodes, attended with a number of town councillors. The Citizens’ Advice Bureau is open on Tuesday mornings, by ap- pointment (call 01732 440488), on Fridays for information on housing benefits and other problems,coffee and chat mornings between 10.30 and 11.30am on the first Thursday of each month and an Ancestry Party on Thursdays between 2pm and 4pm


KENT Police are reminding peo- ple of the penalties they face for launching missiles from road bridges after reports of a missile attack on a car on the M20. On Saturday, January 21, the windscreen of a lorry was dam- aged following an incident at about 6.40pm, as it was being driven along the A228 Snodland bypass beneath Rocfort Road. Police said that on Thursday, January 26, a car travelling on the M20, underneath a footbridge for New Hythe Lane in Larkfield, was also hit by an object. The vehicle’s windscreen was damaged and the driver reported seeing two people on the footbridge. According to an unconfirmed report, a BB-style weapon may have been used to hit another car in the Loose Road, this time shat- tering the windscreen as a mother and her son were travelling in it. Police have no log of the alleged incident. Kent Police said: "Offenders are reminded of the potential fatal consequences of throwing ob- jects at moving vehicles and are warned they could face up to


seven years in prison and fines of £1,000. "In July 2010, a 47-year-old man


died following a collision involving a lorry and a pick-up truck on the A20 Swanley interchange, after it was reported that stones had been thrown at the lorry." Inspector RachelMcNeil added: “Throwing anything at a moving vehicle is incredibly stupid and could easily kill someone, espe- cially if they are travelling at high speeds on a major road. Fortu- nately, reports of this nature are still rare, but those who commit such crimes could face serious repercussions.” Officers will continue to work


with schools to inform and edu- cate pupils of the dangers and penalties, and parents are also urged to ensure their children know the dangers and conse- quences of throwing objects onto the highway. Call the police on 01622 604100


if you see anything or have any in- formation, or call 999 in an emer- gency. Alternatively, if you wish to remain anonymous, call Kent Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40