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downsmail.co.uk


PETER Rimmer, the man affectionately known as Mr Snodland, has died after a short illness. Peter, who passed away last


month, spent a decade contribut- ing to Downs Mail's Town Talk section, spreading local news to the community's 12,000 residents. His son Andrew said: “He


fought a very short battle with can- cer, and died peacefully at home with his family by his bedside.” Andrew said there would be a


memorial service in due course. Last year, Peter, then aged 76, an-


nounced he would relinquish his role as Town Talk editor. He joked at the time: “I'm firing


myself before you have to do it for me!” He added: “I'm getting on a bit


now and I want to spend time doing other things. I'll still attend many of the events I always have done, but just won't be reporting on them. “I have enjoyed it, but all good things have to end some time and


Beer festival is called off


A REAL ale festival due to be held later this year has been cancelled because of the Covid-19 crisis. The Campaign for Real Ale


(CAMRA) East Malling Beer and Cider Festival was due to be held on September 5 in the grounds of NIAB EMR, the world-famous horticultural research station in the village. Organiser Jeff Tucker said: “We


are extremely disappointed to have to take this decision, but we could see no clear way to go ahead with the event. “We are already making plans


to return in 2021 and hope that we’ll be able to run the festival along the lines that have made it such a popular event over the past 10 years.” Organisers plan to run next


year’s festival on Saturday, September 4.


Water deaths


KENT has one of the worst records for drownings in the country, ac- cording to a new study. The county's figure of 22 deaths


is the fifth worst in the United Kingdom, says the Royal Life Sav- ing Society. The national total was 263.


28 One in four staff on furlough


MORE than 200,000 people in Kent were signed up to the furlough scheme during the coronavirus pandemic. HM Revenue and Customs said that the number in the Maidstone bor- ough was relatively small at 26%, or 19,700 of its 74,000 workforce. The highest percentage in Kent was Medway with 33% or 30,700 of its 93,700 workforce. The lowest was Dartford, where 23% of workers, or 13,400 of its 59,300 workers were furloughed.


Almshouses for villagers


A BUNGALOW built in the 1940s in Lenham is being converted into three almshouses. The homes in the High Street are provided by the Honywood


and Douglas Trust, and will be available to “persons of good character of not less than 60 years of age who have lived in the parish of Lenham for not less than seven years”. The new almshouses will use materials sympathetic to the listed buildings near the site.


I'd rather choose my time to go.” Peter, who swapped reporting


the news in his early career for run- ning a business, was chairman of Addington Football Club, a school governor, founder member of Snodland Chamber of Commerce and chairman of the Snodland Part-


Farewell to Mr Snodland Townspeople


nership. He became the first choice to edit Town Talk. Mail Publications Pesident Dennis


Fowle, who first met Peter as a trainee reporter on the Kent Mes- senger when he was editor, said: “I always got on very well with him and later his work for us was very very valuable. We'll miss him.” Mail Publications chairman Claire


Procter said: “Peter was part of the Downs Mail family for a long time and we came to depend on him. He was thoughtful and insightful, as well as being a genuinely nice man. I am so sorry to hear this news. Our thoughts are with his family.” Downs Mail editor Simon Finlay


said: “Peter was an old school jour- nalist - solid, dependable and accu- rate. He knew what makes a good, locally-interesting story and the power of a picture. “He was a true gentleman andI'm so sorry to hear of his death.”


pay tributes THERE were dozens of messages and tributes on Downs Mail’s Facebook page. Among them were:


Jo McMahon: “RIP Peter. You will be missed in the village. My con- dolences to his family.” Vikkie Adams: “This is such sad news. He was a lovely gentleman, and made time for everyone. He was always willing to help do a write-up on our events, have a joke being served in the club and a genuine all round nice man. RIP Peter. Thoughts go out to his fam- ily and friends.” Geoff Fearn: “Such sad news, Peter was an absolute gentleman. Kind and thoughtful, he will be sadly missed by all.”


Rents up for council firm’s


two properties A SUBSIDIARY limited company wholly-owned by Maidstone Bor- ough Council dou- bled its rental income from two properties in the past year. Maidstone Prop-


erty Holdings Lim- ited (MPH) posted revenues


of


£174,000 (2019/20) compared to £80,000 in 2018/19. The council says the marked in-


crease in income was represented by the new lease of 14 flats to MPH. The company has four direc-


tors, one of whom, senior MBC executive William Cornall (pic- tured), was recently appointed as the director overseeing MBC’s controversial plans to be “master developer” of 5,000 houses at Lenham Heath. MBC says there is no conflict in


being the project leader and also being the planning authority. The council has appointed an interim director who will oversee the Local Plan review. The council may have to find up to 10,500 more homes in addition to the 17,600 in the 2017 Local Plan.


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