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Phoneywar build-up to Brexit MailMarks


I SEE the short build up to the snap


general election on June 8 as rather akin to a previous “phoneywar”. It has some similarities to 1939/40, when our country was quietly preparing for an even bigger challenge in Europe. Iwas surprised when Theresa May announced her election plan. But on reflection, I think she is spot-on. She has made a lot of astute Brexit decisions and statements – this may be the trump card. I agreewe wish to try to retain good, friendly relations with our European neighbours and continue to co-operate on significant mutually beneficial issues. What I deplore is the direction of the


EU sincewe guardedly voted for the Common Market. Now Iwant total British sovereignty, control over our own national business and borders and the exit our nation has voted for from an undemocratic, expensive andweakening EU. I think our Prime Minister identifies


panic at the top of the EU, will withstand aempts of crass bullying and will be astute in difficult negotiations to get the best for Britain. The bulk of British voters appear to see it that way too. This is a key reason pollsters forecast a hugely increased Conservative majority in the Commons – a massive vote of confidence she needs to carry to Europe. Locally, it is difficult to forecast anything but continued Conservative


Wrong place for a school


PLEASE feel free to call me naive but, although news of more school places for Bearsted is very good news, the location seems idiotic. Unless only children from Bearsted are to


be given places at the new school, those from St John’s area and Penenden Heath are nearer to this location, and mightwell apply for places due to overcrowding in their own areas. In addition, children travelling from Bearsted will almost certainly have to travel via the already overused and narrow Ware Street/Bearsted Road route, a journey including using the congested New Cut roundabout. You may recall previous correspondence regarding the appalling amount of traffic already travelling alongWare Street – over 2,000 vehicle movements in one hour on a Sunday. The current debacle about the Woodcut


Farm development shows what confusion reigns in planning-related maers and possibly the Woodcut Farm site would have been a much beer prospect for any school development to serve the Bearsted area. Joined-up thinking seems to be lacking in so many decisions made these days. Jean Beaton, via email


Educate on lier issues


I OFTEN spendweekendswalking the public footpaths around Kent and, in


46 Maidstone June 2017


DENNISFOWLE President dfowle2011@aol.com


strength in Maidstone and rest of Kent. The four Maidstone/Malling MPs –


Helen Grant, Helen Whately, Tracey Crouch and Tom Tugendhat – have huge majorities and, with solid constituency track records, I cannot see realistic threats.


Newspaper sadness These are worrying and sad times in





local newspapers and now it has come to our doorstep, with the sale of troubled KMMedia Group to Iliffe Media Ltd, based in Cambridge. With so many local papers now closing


or in deep trouble, we must be thankful this sale should bring greater financial security to a wide range of local newspapers throughout Kent, radio, TV and online services. The Kent Messenger started its life as Maidstone Telegraph in 1859 and around the turn of that century, Barham Pra Boorman began the family’s proud ownership/leadership, which continued through his son Roy, grandson Edwin and now finally great-granddaughter Geraldine Allinson. Maidstone has reason


recent, months have become aware and appalled at the seemingly ever-increasing amount of lier being casually tossed into the hedgerows and ditches. Chief among these cast-offs are wrappings from awell-known chain of burger purveyors. In fact, I saw a group of young people driving along a country road outside Langley recently throwing the stuff from the windows as they went. In your newspaper, I often see articles


about lier-picks and the like. These are performed by community-minded folk who justwant the best for their areas. The whole borough would be a disgraceful mess without them. But, surely, more can and must be done


to educate our primary schoolchildren and those at the secondaries about this practice. Keep Britain Tidy! B Barne, via email


More rubbish bins, please HAVING read your Mail Marks column regarding lier in Maidstone, I would like to draw your aention to the section of the towpath which runs from the Malta Inn into Maidstone town centre. My wife and I live next to the towpath


andwalk daily into town along this route. Thewalk is wonderful, but could be a lot beer but for the empty drink cans and detritus left in the bushes, or around the occasional seating provided by the council. Whilst I commend the council for the


works they are currently carrying out, it is beyond belief that along the routewewalk there is not one singlewaste bin. Where are


to be very grateful for their generosity and support during the good years. Times have changed dramatically, largely due to growth of the internet. National and local news is just a click away, and paid-for newspaper circulations still plummet disastrously. Worse still, most younger people are not buying. Much advertising has moved to the internet too, especially mainstays of local newspapers such as property, cars and jobs. Revenue has been decimated and cost-cuing is very painful. TheKM found its final salary pension scheme very testing. Loss of “the local” on communities and democracy can be devastating. My first 20 years in journalismwere with theKM Group (10 years editing the Kent Messenger) and the current situation brings much sadness. I amencouraged by promised new investment, but can this surging tide ever be turned? They havemy best wishes – and this


comes from a friendly competitor. I am relievedwe at Downs Mail have been largely sheltered from this newspaper tempest.We are very different as our readers receive a FREE family newspaper delivered FREE, now to more than 80,000 homes. This keeps readers and advertisers happy. The formula has worked for 20 years – but we continue to evolve in this fast-changing world.


walkers expected to deposit their rubbish? My wife and I are now in the habit of taking a black sack out whenwe go into town, and collecting the rubbish on our way back home, whichwe should not have to do. So come on council, a fewwaste bins along theway could make all the difference to a beautiful walk. Steve Medcalf, via email


Dogma before our welfare


I CAME from quite a poor family, but thanks to the 11 plus, ended up at a technical school, which led me to college and a career as an electronics engineer. Our politicians have now moved so far to


the left and are so ashamed of excellence among their own people, that they prefer to import thousands of skilled people from countries where they are needed more, while paying 1.6 million people here, to sit on their backsides unemployed. Those whom the Gods would destroy,


they first make mad! As always, political dogma is put before


the good of the citizens and the good of the country.A good example is the selling-off of school playing fields, so children could all be cut down to the same level, ie all must win prizes! Phil Granger,West Malling


Beating exam stress


THE NSPCC’s Childline service is offering tips to young people in Kent to help them cope with exam stress.


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