News Group’s 50th


party details ANarchaeology group is celebrat- ing its 50th year anniversary in Maidstonewith party attended by the town’smayor. The Maidstone Area Archaeol-


ogy Group, formed in 1969, will mark themilestone on Friday, Sep- tember 13 from 7.30pm to 9pm at the town hall. The Mayor of Maidstone, Cllr


Marion Ring,will also be in atten- dance. Please call LindaWeeks on 01622 762422 to book or for cater- ing requirements.


Sewage leak


A LEAKING sewer pipe caused headaches for council bosses at the MaidstoneLeisureCentre car park inMote Park. Waste was said to be running


down towards a children's park, which was due to open officially on July 24. Maidstone Borough Council,


which owns the centre, said the leakdidnot affect the operations of the centre and apologised for any inconvenience caused to centre users.


downsmail.co.uk


Tories defeat plan to ‘trouser’ extrapayday


AMAIDSTONE Borough Coun- cil bid to award its members an increase in allowances has been defeated emphatically by the Tory opposition group. Backbenchmemberswould have


gota“pay”risefrom£5,065to£5,237, while the Liberal Democrat leader Martin Cox would have received £20,002 (up from£19,610) and com- mittee chairmen/womenwould get £8,000 insteadof £7,843. Therecommendationsfollowedan


independent review panel, which LiberalDemocrat-ledMBCsays cost the taxpayermore than £2,000. Per- haps themostcontroversialproposal was to give the independent deputy council leader,CllrFayGooch,£4,000 for thepostand£4,000for thenewly- createdDemocracyandGeneralPur- poses Committee, of which she is chair. The council passed a pay increase


in2018withlittledissent. The Conservative group leader John Perry (pictured) opposed


“higher than inflation” increases whenothershadtoreininspending. Hetoldfull council:“Wearegoing


to trouser a little bit more money fromour hard-pressed council tax- payers which, quite frankly, I find pretty awful.” Cllr Gooch’s independent group


wasnecessaryfor theLibDemstore- taincontrolof thecouncil inMay,de- spite the Conservatives being the numerically superior party in the chamber.Shepointedout shewould only have been able to claimone of


More business “Dear Natasha


We just wanted to say a big thank you to yourself and your team at the Downs Mail for the advertisement and wonderful write up on our family business. We are very happy with it all.... it’s even started bringing in more business already.”


News


Lian Wilde Martin Wilde Jewellers


downsmail.co.uk Goldsmith rings up 30 years


ADEDICATEDjeweller,who oncemelted down his ownwedding ring to ensure he had enough gold for a client’s order, is celebrating 30 years’ trading inWestMalling.


Martin Wilde (61) started out


with no tools, no money and no customers but, throughsheer talent and hard graft, he became a cor- nerstone of town life. Making a name for himself by


initiallyworking fromhismother’s Maidstone conservatory,hemoved into SwanStreet threedecades ago. He told DownsMail: “I worked


Connecting with local people Call us today and see how we can help you generate more business. Crash death


A MOTORCYLIST in his 70s has been killed in a fatal collision in Aylesford. The incident happenedin Forstal


01622 630 330 www.downsmail.co.uk


Road at its junction with the en- trance to Cobtree Manor Park at about 12.30pmon Friday,May 31. The collision involved a blue Ford Focus, a blue Suzuki motorcycle and an unidentified vehicle. The motorcyclist, from the


Burham area, was taken to a Lon- don hospital with serious injuries where he died on June 16.His next of kin have been informed. A spokesman for Kent Police


26 Maidstone September 2019


said: “Officers are urging anyone who saw the two vehicles or the motorcycle inthemoments leading up to the collision, or who have dash cam footage from the area around the time, to contact them. “Witnesses can call the Serious


Collision Investigation Unit on 01622 798 538 with reference KH/COJ/66/19 or email them at sciu.td@kent.pnn.police.uk.”


Picnic fun School cricket triumph


LEYBOURNE Primary School saw off allcomers when it fielded a side in this year’s borough-wide Kwik Cricket Festival. Pupils took on eight rival teams


from five other Tonbridge and Malling schools at KingsHill Cricket Club on July 2. And, despite 100 budding sports-


trophies to thewinners. She congratulated Leybourne on


a “most impressivewin”, adding: “It has been a pleasure to watch stu- dents playwith such enthusiasm. “I would like to thank all the


young cricket leaders and the coaches involved and the staff at Kings Hill Sports Park for hosting a


just before 4am on July 9 to re- ports of a 31-year-old man walk- ing along the track. A spokesman for British Trans-


port Police said: “At 3.47amtoday officerswere called to the railway close toMaidstone after reports of aman trespassing on the tracks. “Officerswere quickly on scene


and a 31-year-old man was ar- rested on suspicion of obstructing the railway. He was taken to po- lice custody. During the arrest a Taser devicewas discharged.”


Charity quiz USE your brain to raise cash for charity at a quiz night in Kings Hill. The Spitfire pub (upstairs) is the


venue for the challenge on Friday, July 19, starting at 7.30pm. Entry is £5 per person,with teams of up to six. There will be prizes and a raffle, and a collection for theMis-


the first seven years, seven days a week, 14 hours a day just to get the business going.” “When I opened I had no tools,


nomoney and no customers.” But by the close of business on his first day of trading, he had se-


cured enoughwork for a fortnight, and with careful juggling bought the specialist tools he needed. Today his business, which still


bearshisname, involveshisdaugh- terLianandhiswifeMarlene…the couplemet at school at 14,married at 20, and have worked alongside each other since their honeymoon inMargate. Martin said: “There were tough


times. I made both our wedding rings, but one night Iwasworking on a piece and ran out of gold, so I meltedmine down to finish the job and I’ve never had a chance to re- place it since.”


Martin opted for a career in the


specialist jewellery business after insisting, at a young age, on a ca- reer in art, while his classmates wanted to play football orwork in a factory. “Itwas a determination that led


himinto design and goldsmithing. He said: “I’m still in the work-


shop six days a week and when I go home I design. “It’s a lovely business to be in,


with generations coming back to buy important gifts, wedding rings and keepsakes for thewhole family. It’s a happy place to work.”


Rail trespass AMANwas arrested and tasered after trespassing on railway tracks inWateringbury. Officerswere called to the scene


downsmail.co.uk


Forecourt ends insta


AYLESFORD’S Craig Graham has been sentenced to 11 years in prison after stabbing a man in the stomach, following a bust-up at a petrol station. Maidstone Crown Court heard


how the 37-year-old, of Royal British LegionVillage, left his vic- tim with serious injuries follow- ing the attack in the early hours of July 29, 2017. Graham and his wife Rachel


met the victim and his partner as they queued at an external pay hatch on a forecourt in London Road, Ditton. After initially making friendly


conversation, the four had an al- tercation. Graham smashed a wine bottle and threw broken glass, causing cuts to the victim’s head. He also made threats using an-


other bottle, the court was told, while Rachel Graham assaulted the woman. The pair then left the scene. A short time later, as the victim


was walking home on his own, a group of men attacked him near Larkfield Fire Station. He was re- peatedly beaten with metal poles or baseball bats. He was then stabbed in the stomach by Gra- ham. The offender later admitted to


police that he had been involved in a disturbance near the petrol station, but initially denied stab- bing anyone, or


carrying


weapons. Appearing before Maidstone


Crown Court, Graham pleaded guilty to counts of causing griev-


the special responsibility payments. LibDemCllrBrianClarksaidif local councils offered no allowance, town halls would only attract the “very wealthy” or retired. LabourgroupleaderCllrMalcolm


McKayaccusedtheToriesof turning the issue into a “political football”. IndependentMaidstonecouncillor


EddiePowellarguedfor "self-auster- ity" at a timewhen people are find- ing life tough. Later he added: “It's not right for us to accept these in- creases when people are finding it hardto get by. It’snot fair." Tory member Jonathan Purle


called for a named vote in the inter- ests of knowing who wanted “this largesse charged to the council tax payers' chit”. The motion for an allowance in-


creasewasdefeatedby four votes.A majority of the Liberal Democrats voted in favour of the increase, all but one of the Tories voted against and Cllr Powell also rejected a pay rise.


ous bo sessin public age. H June 4 Rach


Close, sault b and a ing a w to 16w Dete


Warfo as a pe station into a “Cra


has sh and d delibe ous ha facing prison


WWII bomb e


SOLDIERS detonated a wartime bomb af Kings Hill building site.


Martin Wilde Jewellers Celebrating 30 Years


Come and Celebrate with us on Saturday 27th July Independant Business


7 Mill Yard, Swan Street, West Malling, ME19 6LP (opposite The Swan and next to The Post Office)


20% Off 01732 870665


All stock items on the day only www.martinwildejewellers.com


Family Run. Est 1989


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