News Apple festival
POPULAR attraction Kent Life in Maidstone holds itsApple & Cider Fayre on October 6 and 7, 2018, to celebrate the annual harvest. Many varieties of apple, some 500
years old, are hand-picked from historic orchards days before the
festival.Visitors can try 35 varieties of apple as they enjoy livemusic. Admission prices are: adults
£9.95, children (3 to 15 years) £8.25, concessions £8.95, family ticket (two adults and two children, or one adult and three children) £32.95. Under threes and members free. For further information, call 01622
763936
www.kentlife.org.uk Food andmusic
MAIDSTONE’Smulti-cultural food festival is returning to Mote Park for its second year. The event, which attracted over
10,000 people last year, is back and is set to bring awide and varied se- lection of cooked food, drinks and produce. From Kentish produce to Asian
cuisine, Shemomedjamo boasts a number of food options. Shemomedjamo is staged by
Event Umbrella on August 25 -27 and is free to enter.
or visit
downsmail.co.uk
Mela celebrates town’s diversity and values
THEMaidstoneCommunityMela was a scorcher both on and off- stage atWhatman Park. Thousands turned up for the
county town’s annualmulti-cultural festival of song, food and dance. Aftermonths of fundraising by or-
ganisers Cohesion Plus and volun- teers, the event was opened by Maidstone’s Mayor Cllr David Naghi andMPHelenGrant. MrsGrantMPspoke of theMela’s
importance and paid tribute to for- mermayorMorelD’Souza, founder of the Mela, who died earlier this
year.Acommemorative plaquewas presented to hiswife Karin. Mela artistic director Gurvinder
Sandher toldfestival-goers itwasMr D’Souza’sdreamfor an event bring- ing communities together to cele- brate their own uniqueness and shared British values. The day saw music, food and
dance fromall corners of the globe, including stage performers Dance Asia, Kitka Bulgarian Folk Dance, Maidstone Nepalese Community
AMalayee dancer at theMela
Group, Reel Eire Irish Dancers, Brazilian trio Lambrego and Cohe- sion Plus’s own Folkin Fusion Drumming Collective. The event was headlined by
world-renownedBobMarley tribute act Tanni Browne.
Mr Sandher said: “Finding the
funds to deliver the Mela has been an uphill struggle, to say the least. “However, we were determined
to bring the event back toMaidstone and judging by the attendance, we were right to do so.” He said theMela had lost funding
from Maidstone Borough Council, adding: “Valuable support has been providedby community groups and volunteers towhomwe are incredi- bly grateful. Their support bolstered our drive tomake sure theMelawas the best it could be.” Mrs Grant said: “We’re a marvel-
lous community, all living and workingharmoniously, andwe send a powerful message to a country hurt by the divisions of Brexit and a world needing a counterpoint to ris- ing nationalismand xenophobia. “CllrD’Souzawas a visionary and
his Mela must be preserved. I will be pressing for some local authority re-thinking about their decision to support a separate festival at the ap- parent expense of ourMela.”
36
Maidstone September 2018
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
