downsmail.co.uk


Loo blaze leaves church visitors inconvenienced


ARSONISTS who destroyed a portable toilet at an East Malling church have left the area without a convenience. The cabin in the churchyard –


whichwas open for anyone to use – was set ablaze in an arson attack late on July 24 and discovered by a jogger the following morning. Now the church has said it can-


not afford to replace it. Father Nick Williams, the rev-


erend at St James the Great and a former Met police officer of 30 years, understands the cost of re- placing the toilet will be £800 and while itwas insured, there is an ex- cess of £200. He says the arson attack has left


the congregation without a much- used facility and facing an in- creased insurance premium. He said: “We’ll have mums changing babies’ nappies on the nave floor. Althoughwe look like a well-off church, our finances tell a very different story andwe have to work hard to raise money for what- everwe need.” Plans for a new block containing


Advertisement feature


Father Nick Williams at St James the Great Church and above, the toilet


toilets in the churchyard are still some time off. Father Williams said: “We have


raised enough to start the work and have received planning permission, but we still need final approval from the church authorities andwe don’t know when that will come.” He added the landlords of the


King and Queen pub have been “very kindly” allowing people caught short to use their loos. The priest is worried that the vandalism might deter people from


attending the church altogether. It is not the first time the church


has been the target of criminals. Last Easter, FatherWilliams chased a thief who made off with a collec- tion tin. Kent Police said no arrests have


been made.Officers believe the crime was committed in Church Walk between midnight on Sun- day, July 23, and 7am the following day. Anyone with information should call 01622 604100 quoting crime reference YY/20703/17.


News Help to make


poppy carpet THE Royal British Legion is invit- ing people in Malling to get out their knitting needles to create a carpet of poppies to commemorate this year’s Remembrance Day. The challenge to create an artistic patchwork of poppies has been set by the charity and Tonbridge and Malling Council. Knitters or crocheters can add


their poppies to the remembrance carpet by dropping them off at Larkfield or Snodland library. The completed tapestry will go


on show at Tonbridge Castle on October 27, to mark the start of the RBL Poppy Appeal. It is hoped that the poppy carpet will also go on show around the borough to mark Armistice Day on November 11 and Remembrance Sunday on No- vember 12. Poppies can be of any size and


follow any pattern, with ideas available on the Royal British Le- gion website. Help is also needed to piece the poppies together. Contributions need to be handed


in by Monday, October 23. If you can help attach the poppies or have spare red and black wool, email poppies@tmbc.gov.uk or call 01732 876008.


downsmail.co.uk Tailor makes a 6” Mistake


If you were measured to have something tailor made for you, would you expect to be delivered shoes that are 2 sizes too small for you, or trousers 6 inches too big? Of course not. Yet thousands of people wear spectacle lenses that are incorrect by at least 17%. A recent European Optometry study showed that the average error by a trained optician measuring a person for varifocals was 5mm per eye. Even a 0.5mm error can cause eye-strain,  It’s no wonder so many people have tried and failed to comfortably wear varifocal spectacles. Thousands more        and swimming vision that these mis- measurements can cause. But why does this happen? You will probably remember that when most opticians measure you for


varifocals they mark the lenses using               ruler measure the distance between your eyes. Buchanan Optometrists abandoned this inaccurate method 10 years ago, preferring instead to use a computerised measuring system that not only measures your pupil position to within 0.1mm but also takes into account several other measurements such as how the spectacle frame sits on your face. We are all different, so any frame you put on will sit differently.  the distance the frame sits from your face, the angle of the frame, the curve of the frame, how your eyes work binocularly together. The end result? The most comfortable vision possible - or your money back. 


UK are off-the-shelf designs with your prescription added to it - a crazy idea considering we all have different jobs, hobbies and lifestyles. Our varifocals are not off-the-shelf designs tailor made and completely individualised for you taking into account what you want to do with your lenses, your work, your lifestyle and leisure activities. Taking into account your precise computerised measurements and prescription.


  


Call Now - 01732 617557 56 Malling Road, Snodland, Kent ME6 5NB


Malling August 2017 3


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  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48