Vicar retiring to spend more time with family


Town Talk Town Talk


THE Rev Hugh Broadbent, has re- tired after nine years as Rector of Snodland and said his goodbyes at a party in the community centre on September 30. He and his wife Jane, pictured to the hit film about the


PAINTER and decorator Eric Bowyer is back to the day job after his latest brush with the film world. The 61-year-old has been work- ing as an extra in Paddington 2, rtheightsequel, are moving from the rectory in St Katherinefamous's Lane to Trotorphan- tiscliffe.He said he hoped to devote more time to his family, in partspenticular to


bear from Peru. Keith


his grandchildren mother, who is in her 90s.


day in dress re- hearsals


and


his at


Hewill continue hisworkwith the


Anglican Society for theWelfare of Animals and his role as a governor to a school in Orpington. Hugh has a range of hobbies, in-


Pinewood Studios and then acted in a crowd scene at London’s Porto- bello Market.


cluding music, art, drama and chess. He said: “Iwill not be leading any


Based on the 1958 Michael


services for the first six months, as the church authorities have a pol- icy of giving newly-retired clergy a sixmonth ‘sabbatical’ before allow- ing themto apply for permission to officiate. “After that, however, I would like


Bond children’s stories, the movie stars Julie Walters, Hugh Grant, Jim Broadbent and Peter Capaldi, with furry favourite Paddington as an animation. But Eric was disappointed not to


see some of the stars during his day on location. He said: “I was a passer-by in


to be available to help out with services in local churches.” He added that the Rev Mandy Young had successfully completed


the market, we were just told to pretend there was a bear there.” Eric, who lives in Gassons Road


with his wife Bettina, fancied trying his hand at acting and joined the


Extra Keith in a brush with stars


books of Uni-VersalExtras about four years ago. He was invited to an audition in Chatham for a part in Tulip Fever, starring Dame Judi Dench and ChristopherWaltz and landed a part. Based on the book by Deborah Moggach, the story is set in Ams- terdam in 1637 and Keith played the role of a peasant haggling with stallholders in a market. He was filmed on various days over six weeks at Conham Hall and he was particularly impressed by the man-made moat around the manor house. A year later, he spent five days


being an extra until a few years ago. I heard about a chap doing it and I thought ‘I can do that’ so I wrote off to the agency “It’s not as glamorous as you


as an extra on the set of StarWars VIII at Pinewood Studios. He said: “I never thought of


her training as a curate over a year ago and had made a hugely valu- able contribution to the life of the church and the community. She will remain in Snodland for


might think as I don’t always get to see the top stars,” he said. “But it’s interesting and it’s good fun. I can earn £170 in a day so it can be a lot more lucrative than paint- ing and decorating.”


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up to a year as interim minister, to help run the parish while the process of finding and appointing his successor runs its course. All Saints’ Church was packed


solid with people saying good luck and goodbye at his retirement serv- ice. The Rev Gordon Oliver gave a


Local news for Snodland and Halling Local news for Snodland and Halling


Helping to keep the town clean


DO you know a deserving Snod- land resident or local group to nom- inate as a “Love Where You Live” Environmental Champion? Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council launched the scheme in 2009 to encourage people to make an extra effort to improve the envi- ronment. The last Snodland winner was town council member Alan Keeley in 2015. He was chairman of Snodland


Goes Cleaner and went round all the shops persuading the owners to clean the areas outside their shops. If you know of someone who


goes the extra mile to improve the town, nomination forms are avail- able at www.tmbc.gov.uk/ECA2017 or send an email to lovewherey- oulive@tmbc.gov.uk.


SCCAtakes it all MORE than 180 people helped raise £1,200 for the Snodland Community Centre Association at an Abba tribute night on Septem- ber 16. The two girls who are Abalicious


look like Agnetha and Frida, who were 50% of the Swedish group which hit the headlines in the 1970s and released a long string of hit records over many years. The tribute act spent


evening singing many of Abba’s best-selling songs while the audi- ence enjoyed dancing to the music.


Bypass opened Clean-up champion Alan Keeley


Betting shop is taken over


LADBROKES, the betting shop in Holborough Road, Snodland, for many years, has been sold to Betfred. The company has merged


with Coral, which has a shop in the High Street. The Com- petition regulators ruled in July that the merged com- pany, which makes it the biggest high street book- maker in the UK, must sell 350-400 shops for the merger to be cleared. Betfred is buying 322 shops. All the Ladbrokes staff in Snodland are being kept on.


highly amusing sermon at the serv- ice, and the Bishop of Tonbridge, the Rev Simon Burton-Jones, pro- posed the toast to Hugh and Jane at the party afterwards. Church Warden John Levett


thanked the couple for all they had- done for the town, not only in the church but also in the community. Presentswere given, including one from the young Explorers, and Hugh thanked everybody for “nine wonderful years and your incredi- ble support”.


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THE Snodland by-pass was opened 35 years ago. The cere- mony was car- ried out by the then local MP, John Stanley (left), on August 4, 1983. From start to


finish, the con- struction of the road took just


under two years to complete and cost £2.7million. It was originally planned as a


dual carriageway throughout its length, but financial constraints meant it was reduced to part dual and part single carriageways.


the


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