News


News X Factor date


X FACTOR star Louisa Johnson has been lined-up to headline the Big Day Out to be held in Maid- stone in July. The singer, best known for the hit


Best Behaviour, will take the stage at Mote Park on July 1. She announced the gig on Twit-


ter, saying: “Big news! I’ll be head- lining the @BigDayOutUK Festival in Maidstone this July! Can’t wait to see you all there.” Also on the bill are Diversity,


who won Britain’s Got Talent, and girl band Atomic Kitten, who have Kerry Katona in their line-up. Louisa (19) won the X Factor in


2015, after singing with mentor Rita Ora in the final.


Assault case A MAIDSTONE woman has been charged with wounding after an al- leged stabbing in Shepway. Nicola Goslitski (40), of Sutton


Churchmarks bicentenary with heritage and flowers


METHODISM celebrates 200 years in Bearsted with a series of events including a flower festival and a facelift for its chapel. Launching the celebrations with


The Heritage Weekend (May 18- 20), an anniversary service will go ahead at 10.30am, followed by a hymn festival in the afternoon on the Sunday.Among the guestswill be Rev David Gillman, who sev- ered as minister in Bearsted from 1980 to 1986. A Heritage Exhibition, reflecting


Road,was arrested after policewere called to a report of an assault in Westmorland Road on Sunday, April 30. Officerswere told that two women had made theirway to hos- pital with arm injuries. They are be- lieved to have known the suspect. Goslitski has been charged with


the people involved in the chapel’s history, begins on May 18 and a flower festival, on June 1,will keep the celebrations going. The religion arrived in Bearsted


two counts of wounding with in- tent and one of possessing a knife in a public place.


in 1818 when non-conformist Methodists living in the village had raised enough to build a small chapel in what became known as Chapel Lane. Built of poor quality materials it was unusable by the early 1870s and all traces have since gone. In 1877 the chapel trustees ac- quired the current site at the junc- tion of Ware Street with Hog Hill


THE PRINCESS Royal received a warm welcome from charity vol- unteers when she visited the Save The Children shop in Maidstone. Acrowd of onlookerswaited out-


side the store in Union Street to see Princess Anne. She was greeted by dignitaries including the Mayor of Maidstone Cllr Derek Butler, the charity’s retail manager Cheryl Adams and voluntary shop leader, Karen Elphick, before going inside to meet shop workers. The Princess, who has been presi-


Bearsted Methodist Church, which is celebrating a big birthday


dent of the charity since the 1970s, spoke of her appreciation of the con- tribution the shop makes to the work of the charity at home and abroad. She also presented certificates to Dennis Foad, Brenda Harris and Sylvia Thomas in honour of their long service to the charity. Seven-year-old Daisy, the daugh-


and the following year the chapel opened. As part of the anniversary, the


church council has agreed that worn chairs can be replaced, new lights fitted and a newsign fitted at the chapel, in time for the celebra- tions. Methodism developed in Eng-


ter of shop volunteer LoraMaxwell, presented the Princess Anne with a posy and a card she had made. The card had a picture of a horse be- cause Daisy had researched on the internet and found that the Princess


land in the 1700s as a result of the teachings of JohnWesley. After returning to England from


America, hewas spiritually disillu- sioned andwith his brother under- took evangelistic preaching. Both


The Princess Royal is greeted by Cheryl Adams, the mayor and Karen Elphick


loved animals. Among the dozens of onlookers


were ordained ministers of the Church of England, but were barred from most pulpits because of their evangelisticmethods. Wesley did not set out to create a


who watched the Princess depart was 88-year-old BettyWarren who hadwaited for nearly an hour to see her andwas given a chair and a cup of tea outside the shop. The charity shop opened in Union


Street in 1980 when the building was bought for £12,000. Thirty- seven years later, its success contin- ues, with the volunteers having


new church but instead began sev- eral small faith-restoration groups within the Anglican church called the United Societies. However, Methodism spread and became a separate religion in 1744. By 1787, Wesleywas required to register his preachers as non-Anglicans. He, however, remained an Anglican to his death in 1791, aged 88.


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Medical school ANEWmedical school is to open in Canterbury as one of five facilities announced by the government. Helen Whately, MP for Faver-


sham & Mid Kent, who cam- paigned for the building and was involved in the bid from the start, welcomed the news. This comes as part of govern-


ment plans to train 1,500more doc- tors per year and putmoremedical students in areas that normally struggle to attract doctors. The newschoolwill start accept- ing students in 2020.


Castle walk AWALK at Leeds Castlewill raise funds for Parkinson’sUK– and give entrants a free day at the castle. Call 0207 963 3912 for details of


raised £40,000 for the charity last year.


the three and eight-mile distances on Sunday, September 9.


are alwayswelcome at the tiny shop which is packed with goods ranging from clothing, children’s items, kitchen ware and a collector’s cor- ner. There is also a “wanted board” for people who are looking for something in particular and the vol- unteers will keep an eye out for them.


Funds for refit VILLAGERS in Harrietsham came together for a bowl of soup and to raisemoney for the local church. Friends of St John the Baptist, in


More donations and customers


Marley Road, held the fundraiser onMarch 17which realised almost £120 towards the £57,000 target for an internal toilet and kitchen refit.


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