News


Lapse on lease raises thoughts on new hall


AS efforts falter to secure a long- term tenancy for Hollingbourne village hall, speculation continues that a newvenuemight have to be found. The committee thatmanages the


hall for Hollingbourne Parish Council has said that the landlord, EI Group Plc, suggests only a five- year arrangement is up for grabs. But with no details of when an


agreement might be reached, and the latest 20-year term ending in August 2016, doubt hangs over the viability of the hall in its present lo- cation, off Eyhorne Street. The future of the hall has been


further undermined by local park- ing restrictions and a proposal to build 10 homes near the site. EI also told Hollingbourne hall


committee at a recent meeting to thrash out a deal that any future five-year agreement would be at a cost of £1,000 per year, not the pre- vious peppercorn rent. JohnHolley, chairman of the hall


committee, says talks are continu- ing, but understands why some people suggest a newhallmight be the only option. He toldDownsMail: “Of course,


a new hall would be wonderful, but thatwould cost about amillion


Gospel talks


THE Last Supper will be the sub- ject of Lent lectures at Bearsted’s Holy Cross Church, led by Canon John Corbyn. The Wednesday talks, which


take a closer look at John’s gospel, run from 11am-noon and from 8pmto 9pmonMarch 7, 14 and 21.


Tower target


THE appeal to repair the Broom- field church tower has risen to al- most £39,000. The target is £72,000 for work to start on St Margaret’s in the village by autumn this year.


Get the look


CHECK out spring trends at a ladies fashion show in support of theHeart ofKentHospice inMaid- stone onMarch 1. Travelling Trends will host the


event,which includes clothes from high street stores and private bou- tiques and designers, at theVillage Hotel, Castle View, on the Forstal Road, from7pm. Advanced booking is recom- mended. Call 01622 790195.


8 Maidstone East March 2018


Hollingbourne village hall com- mittee chairman John Holley says a new hall cost- ing around £1m might be the only solution if talks with the present landlord fail


downsmail.co.uk


Man taken to hospital after


two-car crash AMANwas taken to a London hospital following a two-car crash inWalderslade. Boxley Road inWalderslade


was shut for more than three and a half hours after the crash, which happened just before 7.30pm on Monday, February 12. The man was driving a


VauxhallCorsawhich collided with a people carrier. The driver and passenger of the other vehicle got themselves out of their vehicle and were treated at the roadside by para- medics, but the Corsa driver had to be extracted from his vehicle by the Fire Brigade. A Kent Police spokesman:


(pounds)andwewould need to go hell for leather to get that amount of cash together in a reasonable timeframe. So, we need to press EI for the tenancy to continue, at least for the time being.” Parish councillor John Cobbett


says the situation is concerning and a short-term lease will make it harder for the hall committee to se- cure grants to improve the hall, whichwas built in 1968. He said: “The hall is in constant use and it is unacceptable that the


village is left with this uncertainty 18months after the lease expired. “Discussions so far seem to be


bringing us no closer to a decision and we await the next move with interest.” He said he understood the hall


committee was looking at the pos- sibility of a new hall, perhaps in- corporating sports


changing


facilities, possibly on the parish- owned Lance Memorial playing field, but its exact course of action was still to be decided.


“Kent Police was called to a two-car collision in Boxley Road, Walderslade, at 7.27pm onMonday, February 12. “The South East Coast Am-


bulance Service and Kent Sur- rey and SussexAirAmbulance also attended and a man was conveyed to a London Hospi- tal,where his injurieswere re- ported not


to be life


threatening. “The collision did block the


road, however, and it had re- opened by 11.03pm.”


Village’s 40th panto is ‘wizard’ of a show


JOHN MUNSON SHOW TIME


TheWizard of Hozz Hollingbourne Pantomime Group


HOLLINGBOURNE’S 40th panto in a row was a wizard show! The whole village can be proud of ‘TheWizard of Hozz’. This group has always written its


own pantomimes and the latest, penned byGlenn Bryan,who also di- rected and was in it. David Head wrote the songs and he, too, ap- peared on stage.. There was a tremendous cast,


bursting with energy, experience and expertise. The sets were won- derful. The Spotty Spittoon Saloon was my favourite. Populated by a dastardly-looking crowd of ‘ornery cowhands. TheWicked Witch of the West’s pad with its huge TV came


Fromleft, Ron Bathie, PropertyMaster, Glenn Bryan, director/writer, and Colin Leggat, who plays the part of Troy Smead, testing the props


next. The Witch herself was some- thing else, while June Pocket was a winning Dorothy with a tuneful voice. Colin Leggat was bounty hunter Troy Smead, in love with sa- loon songbird Emma Peters’ Ethel. Native American SquattingDogwas played by GrahamWood. Colin and Graham both entered one scene on


horse back. Believe me, it was that kind of pantomime. There were 20 other brilliant cast members. They packed the stage in the opening number, ‘Hollingbourne, Oh Holling- bourne’, in front of awonderful back cloth of the village. The packed au- dience loved it and so did I. Can next year’s be any better?


Felicity Rose : Timeless Affordable Elegance


Felicity Rose Bridal Studio, can only be described as a truly unique shopping experience, tucked away on a rural estate in West Farleigh away from the busy hussle of the high street, a little gem awaits….


Relax at you own private appointment as you step into one of the handpicked collections for 2018.


Offering custom payment plans, which can see you secure the dress of your dreams from as little as £100. Felicity Rose have really thought about what brides want, great on-trend looks but at affordable prices, with all dresses from the 2018 collections ranging in price from £350- £1500. With great established brands such as Eternity Bridal, Romantica, Pure, Angel B, Sacha James, and new brands to the UK offering truly fashion forward designs such as Sposa.


“We want brides to have an amazing experience in store, we have really put our hearts in to stocking what we believe are on trend dresses for 2018 and beyond, we want brides to come in and feel relaxed, not rushed and help them select a dress that really does suit them and really importantly, their budget” Says Maria Jackson, Owner.


downsmail.co.uk News


downsmail.co.uk Are you getting the best sight test? Is your eyesight important?


What would you do without it? More often than not a visit


to the


optician involves walking in, sitting down, waiting around, being rushed into a darkened room to read some letters on a chart, a light shone in your eyes and a new pair of specs.


Is this the best care for your eyes? Alisdair Buchanan of Buchanan Optometrists in Kent was voted UK Optometrist of the year 2017; he explains what they do differently at his practice: “From the moment you walk through the door, you notice we do things very differently to most opticians. The warm welcome, the relaxing smell, the beautifully appointed surroundings, the fantastic teas and coffees and that is before we even start on your eyes. You see, everything that we do in my practice is orchestrated to be the best. That is why we have invested hundreds of thousands of pounds in equipment to look after your eyes, to ensure any conditions or problems are detected


as early as possible. Most of the equipment we use is only available in a handful of practices around the country. However, the most crucial piece of equipment we use is our ears. We take the time to listen to your concerns and problems and then ascertain the best way to resolve these. You will never feel rushed at Buchanan Optometrists. Taking the time ensures you get the best care, advice and the most beautiful spectacles available. You are after all a walking advert for us. The range of stunningly beautiful spectacle frames has been chosen for their style, quality and comfort. We have dealt with our frame artisans for many years ensuring you have confidence and excellent support of our products. We do not just do eye tests and spectacles. We are


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Fox Pitt Farm, Shingle Barn Lane, West Farleigh, Maidstone, Kent, ME15 0PN www.felicityrose.co.uk | contact@felicityrose.co.uk


To book an appointment, please call 01622 820546 Maidstone East March 2018 9


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