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Death of theatre critic and community stalwart John


Road is closed


as hole opens A SINK hole which suddenly ap- peared in a residential road in Grove Green has


caused


headaches. The void in Provender Way is


about 60cm by 45cm in size. The streetwas immediately shut to traf- fic, although a steady streamof lo- cals looked into the hole. It is thought to have appeared on


May 15, and appears to stretch for several metres in the direction of Grovewood Drive, the main ap- proach to Tesco inGroveGreen. Southern Water inspected the


site to see if a sewerwas at faultbut found no issues after a CCTV probe. Kent County Council claimed


work to “rectify” the situation would happen quickly and to re- open the road to traffic.


DOWNS Mail’s theatre critic of many years, John Munson, has died suddenly, at the age of 83. John (pictured)was taken illwhile


on holiday in Suffolk and passed away in Ipswich onMay 13. John’s love of drama (he was an


actor and director for the Detling Players)was a lifelong passion. Easily recognised by his white


beard, John was the person the panto actors in Leeds and Holling- bournewouldlook out for in the au- dience, although his reviews were invariably kind and generous. Hewas also a tireless community


worker and served as a Boxley Parish Council chairman between 1998 and 2002. Hiswife Jill said: “Hewas a great


raconteur who loved being with people, andwas a dedicated family manwho supported all the children andgrandchildren in a verypositive and caringway. “John hadan enormous interest in


good causes and areas of politics in whichhe felt there shouldhave been a great dealmore care given to peo-


ple less fortunate than himself. “He supported Medicin Sans


Frontieres, Amnesty International and had deeply-held beliefs about women’s equality and human rights. “All the family hadtheir chance to


say their goodbyes andtheywere all incredibly supportive throughout his last illness. They visited himand they looked afterme. Thatwas very important.” John was born in Fulham, south


west London, in 1934, butmoved to Kent as a child. He


attended St Joseph


Williamson’s Mathematical School in Rochester, and served for a short time in the Merchant Navy, before hisNational Service in the RAF. John studied at the BoroughRoad


TeacherTrainingCollege inLondon, before going into primary school teaching in Buckinghamshire and Kent. He rose through the ranks to become a head teacher. Boxley’s current chairman, Bob


Hinder, described John’s passing as “very sadnews”.The parish council held aminute’s silence in hismem- ory onMay 21. John and Jill married in 1991 and


had five children. John had three children from his first marriage – Sara,Guy andAbby. Jill ismother to Joanna and Jonathan. Between them they have eight grandchildren: Harriet;


Joseph;


Phoebe; Sophie; Rex; Cameron; Clara and Celeste. Their great grandchildren are Maxi, Ari and Alby.


A personal service at a time of loss


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