downsmail.co.uk
Can council stop station closures?
THE threat to rural stations posed by a shake-up of rail services has prompted the county council to step in. The shift in services proposed in
a government consultation ahead of Southeastern’s franchise going out to tender would put stations in- cluding Headcorn, Staplehurst, Marden, Pluckley and Paddock Wood at risk. Such is the concern that smaller stations would be side-lined by a faster direct service to London - suggested by the Department of Transport - that 11,500 Weald vil- lagers and their representatives have signed a petition opposing the idea.
They say the move would see half-hourly services replaced by just one an hour from 2019 and this could affect the long-term viability of less busy stations. In its response to the Department
of Transport, Kent County Council states: “The Ashford to London via Tonbridge service would need to retain its current stopping pattern to reflect the growth in demand at intermediate stations on this route.
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There is considerable housing de- velopment underway or planned at Paddock Wood, Marden, Staple- hurst, Headcorn and Pluckley, which will require the continuation of the present service levels in both peak and off-peak periods. “Therefore, the new franchise should commit to these service lev- els without any change in either the frequency or the stopping pattern on this section of route. “As Ashford and most East Kent stations already have a high speed service, there is, in any event, less imperative to speed up this main- line route.” The consultation period was due
to end on May 23. Former London-bound com-
muter Martin Chambers said: “It will change people’s lives. If they pay hard cash to come and move to this part of Kent and then their se- vice is taken away, that will be dis- astrous. “This would be distastrous, too,
for communities, towns and vil- lages along this liune and could po- tentially lead to the closure of stations altogether.”
News Decades of loyal service
TWOof Downs Mail’s sales team have been celebrating two decades with the business – in the same year the newspaper turned 20 years old. Jo-Anne Brown
and Natasha Bastone both joined Mail Publications Ltd in 2007. To mark their
achievement, company Chairman Claire Procter presented the pair with a bunch of flowers and engraved pens. Jo and Natasha are pictured here on Bearsted Green, just a stone’s throw fromthe Mail Publications Ltd offices.
Aled is back at Leeds Castle
ALED Jones has been lined up to host the Leeds Castle Classical Concert this summer. It is the second year running that he will be presenting the event, this year on Saturday, July 8. Event director Richard Millward said: “He will be acting more as
the event host this year, interacting with the performers on stage and with the audience.” Aled swept to fame in the 80s as one of the world's most success-
ful boy sopranos and for the Christmas hitWalking In TheAir from the cartoon The Snowman. The concert line-up includes Royal Philharmonic Orchestra con- ducted by John Rigby, singing sensations the Patriot Girls, soprano Katie Bird and tenor Anthony Flaum.
downsmail.co.uk Own an Apple computer? You need MCS
Many of us own some kind of Apple computer or device, whether it be an iPad, iPhone, iMac, MacBook Pro . . . and the list continues to grow as Apple launches one ground-breaking product after the next.
company since the beginning and became Managing Director in 2008. Since taking over, Brian has moved the
One thing you may not realise though is that there is an Apple specialist on your doorstep in Maidstone town centre, with free parking - and there has been for over 35 years! Microspot Computer Services has been repairing, selling, upgrading and maintaining Kent’s Apple products for consumers and businesses since Apple came to the market in the 70s. Brian Stroud (pictured) has been with the
modern workshop that Apple itself would be proud of. Brian said: “We pride ourselves on a quality service, and we always have, as a result we have a very loyal customer base. With the popularity of Apple products growing rapidly in Maidstone and the surrounding area, we want to let people know that there’s no need to travel all the way to Bluewater or pay for parking at Fremlin Walk just for someone to help them with an Apple computer problem. We boast the fastest repair turnaround time in the area averaging just 48 hours compared to our nearest rival at one week. We look after many local businesses
with our popular ‘Maintenance Service ensures your entire Apple infrastructure is in safe hands, minimising down time when things go wrong.” Brian and his team welcome any enquiries you may have and look forward to welcoming you to the MCS workshop for all your Apple needs.
COMPUTER SERVICES
REPAIRS | UPGRADES MAINTENANCE PACKAGES APPLE COMPUTER SALES
www.microspotservice.co.uk 01622 675144
Regal House, 13 Albion Place, Maidstone, Kent, ME14 5DY
Maidstone June 2017 31
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