downsmail.co.uk MAIDSTONE has become


Give us a littlemore fun! MailMarks


something of a social desert, so I am delighted visitors enjoyed the return of the river festival and the very successful fireworks display. The organisers faced lots of difficulties,


culminating in a rainy Saturday, but thereweremany happy and grateful visitors. Congratulations to the driving force,


last year’smayor CllrDaveNaghi and his commi�ee,who had the energy, contacts and determination to overcome problems and lack of support (including fromMaidstone Borough Council) to ensure the festival flowed andwas sponsor-funded to the tune of about £20,000. I recall several sunny Saturdayswhen


the festival really buzzed, and evenings with happy families joining the huge boating community tomake the best of our beautiful river. Crowd safety, financial and


organisational issues finally sank the festival, untilDavid led this breath of life.He deservesmore support next year. Will it go the sameway asMaidstone’s


Kent Cricket Festival – six or seven days in high summerwhen themarquees at TheMote buzzed and big crowds visited this lovely ground? The townwas in festivemood and enjoyed a town centre pageant and shows. But the early years of theMillennium


were not kind toMaidstone. In 2005, the facilitieswere deemed no longer fit for first-class cricket and years of hard dedication by TheMote Cricket Club to fund a £2mpavilion continue to fail.


Do ourMPs understand?


THOSEwho inhabit and look down from Mount Olympus (many barely in their salad days, some in their dotage) continually endeavour to persuade voters to accept that only they,with their greatwisdomand sometimes not so great CV, have the ability to understand the complexity containedwithin the yes/ no choicewith regard to the referendum. Many have taken posts as internswhen


they have graduated and then become MPswithout ever havingworked at the coalface. They showdidactic disdain towards


the ordinary voterwho lives in the real world, stating the la�er did not have the nouswhen voting in the referendumto havemade a sensible decision. The green ones (in both senses of that


word) and others are pressing for something that has nomeaning, but highlights their own lack of appreciation ofma�ers. The definition of a referendumis that it


is not for confirming but for deciding, which it has done. Perhaps that iswhy


46 Maidstone September 2019


DENNISFOWLE President dennisfowle28@gmail.com


The ground, looking out over trees to


theNorth Downs, has somany admirers and the club is nowmuch healthier,with almost 150 colts, boosted by interest after England’sWorld Cup success. But there is no hope of Kent returning


until a newpavilion replaces the crumbling structurewhich is over 100 years old and proving very expensive to repair andmaintain. CouldMaidstone Borough Council


get behind sport for once, providing a social centre for this deprived part of town? Then there isMaidstoneMela. I


a�ended several inMote Park after it was launched by the international community. Somany enjoyed the atmosphere, entertainment and food. ButwhenMaidstone Borough


Council no longer offered the facilities ofMote Park, the position changed. This year itwas atWhatman Park, where parking is a huge challenge. Pressure grows for a return toMote Park. Over to the council again…. I also enjoyed the annual jazz festival,


staged during a summerweekendwith different bands all aroundMaidstone. That, too, nowis just a happymemory. I ampleased the council has restored the summer afternoon concerts at the


we have seen a plea for something called a “people’s vote” to confirm(which they have stated vehemently only Parliament can confirm) any leave decision passed in the house. It poses the question: do thosewho


pontificate really understand? On a final point, I amnot sure if your


readers are interested, but there are about 10,000 inMaidstonewhowill be affected by the recent developments over the abolition of the free TV licence for the over 75s. MyMP says she is disappointedwith


the BBC’s decision, but pointed out it was not the Government’s fault. She goes on that our parliament legislated to give the BBC full responsibility from2020 and thiswas part of the deal reachedwith BBCmore than four years ago. Thiswas described as a good deal that


provided financial security to the organisation through inflation-linked increases of the fee. In 2017, the Torymanifesto stated free


viewing until 2020would be honoured. They should havemade sure that it is.


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bandstand in Brenchley Gardens. It is a lovely spot to take chairs for a picnic. The cash-strapped council ismore


interested in commercial activities (eg food festival and Ramblin’Man) inMote Park. They are fine. Butwith all that goes on at present, the


council is a partner in bringing a lot of pain toMaidstone. I dowish itwould get behind giving us a li�lemore fun.


The Boris question HOW longwill Boris Johnson be


PrimeMinister? Friends, readers now askme that question daily! If they are Remainers they think hewill not last five weeks; if Leavers they are hopeful he will become one of our great prime ministers over the next five years. With somuch going on, it is too


difficult to read at the time ofwriting. After three appalling years from


TheresaMay, I see himas a breath of fresh air.He quickly appointed his cabinet and encouraged themquickly to do their jobswith himin the chair, but not as a dictator. The Government and country seemto be up and running again at last. The EUdictated an appalling


withdrawal agreementwith Theresa May and her coterie, a surrender document for theUK, and itwas defeated three times by Parliament.Of course the EUdoes notwant to re-open this one-sided agreement. But I expect a Boris Brexit byOctober


31 and for the nation’s democratic decision to be honoured. I cannot envisage the national reaction if it is not.


Iwas an avid listener of the BBC and


sometime viewer until about two years ago. Not now. AlanWallace, via email


Reasons not to vote again


INANSWER toA J B Collins’ question in the July edition comment column, there are three reasons against a further referendum. Firstly, since the EU has refused to


discuss a permanent future relationship with us untilwe have left (on their damaging terms),wewould not know whatwewere voting for. Secondly, no-one has been able to


frame a questionwhich could be asked without biasing the results, other than a Remain/Leave option as before,which would get us no further at all. Thirdly, ifwe once accepted the


principle that amajority decision could be defeated by resisting its implementation, no democratic vote would ever be safe. ImogenWedd,Marden


Comment


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