downsmail.co.uk MallingMalling EditionEdition Maidstone & Malling’s No. 1 newspaper FREE May 2017 No. 241 News Tory candidate debates with pupils Trail of fame FORMER Tonbridge & Malling BLUE plaques will put up in MP Tom Tugendhat came face to Wateringbury to remember face with all his political oppo- the village’s past VIPs. 3 nents at a local school. The Malling School has been staging its own election campaign Phone box’s new call in which pupils represent the na- AN unwanted phone kiosk at tional parties. Mr Tugendhat Ryarsh has been given a spoke to debating society students new lease of life. 3 and then at a Q&A session. Head Carl Roberts said he was proud his students asked “mature and Pantomime time informed” questions. Pictured are STARS hit the town to unveil plans Mr Tugendhat with Henry Cox, for panto fun at the Josh Burt, Matt Pettet, Emma Hazlitt Theatre. 4 Stone and Kestra Willett. Drugs danger PARENTS warned after drugs are found on a footpath at Villagers face bigger a church. 6 Top Twenty DOWNS Mail throws a party to blasts from quarry celebrate 20 years in newspaper publishing. 10 PLANS to use bigger explosives at a quarry near Offham are creating shock- Ofsted praise waves among locals. TWO schools are celebrating after The explosions at Gallagher’s gressively worse, with more resi- Offham Parish Council began they were awarded Blaise Farm Quarry have been a reg- dents reporting disturbance, includ- compiling a dossier of the disruption “good” grades by Ofsted. 12 ular feature of life for villagers, who ing windows rattling and ornaments to homes last month and has urged are alerted by the company to blast- juddering. villagers to make their concerns ing up to twice a week. But now “In Offham, we have a significant known to KCC, the Minerals Plan- Obituaries 32 charges of up to 25kg – more than number of old houses without foun- ning Authority, Gallagher and the twice the current size – are being in- dations and the potential for damage Environment Agency. vestigated to improve efficiency and is now a big concern.” Gallagher’s chief executive Nick Comment 34 meet demand. He says the parish council wants Yandle said he understood the reser- A document submitted to Kent to see sensors fitted at various loca- vations of residents but felt the best Parish Councils 42-43 County Council for its view on the tions across the village before any way to allay fears is to carry out a idea has already attracted objections consideration is given to increasing trial of the higher explosives. from Offham Parish Council, which the size of the explosions permitted. He said: “We are progressing talks Crime Reports 43 says vibrations from blasting at the He added: “It seems that the with the county council which quarry have progressively worsened quarry is moving closer to the village would allow us to carry out a small in the last six months, even with the and we know that Gallagher has trial – maybe 10 blasts – to gather current 10kg charges. permission to mine even closer to data, which can be put in front of Parish council chairman David our homes, so we should be moni- people.” Frankling said: “In the last six toring any potential impact before He continued: “To be fair, we are months, the vibration has got pro- discussing anything further.” not limited by the amount of times we can blast, but are constantly look- ing at ways to meet demand and do Residents and parish councillors things in the most effective way. aired their views at a public meet- “It seems fewer, larger blasts are ing on proposals for a large re- preferable to more smaller blasts. tirement home at West Malling. However, the caveat is that this The 4-page supplement inside by YOUR LOCAL PROPERTY EXPERT would only be on the basis of it not Malling Action Partnership sup- [email protected] causing a problem. If the data shows ports people and events in 01622 690290 it does, then we will keep things as 23 Pudding Lane • Maidstone • Kent Malling. they are.” Mickey’s Open Early Morning - 7 Days a Week Blue Bell Hill, Aylesford, 01634 Please see our Café Diner Kent ME20 7EZ 682928 advert on page 28. 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Now packed with books, games, umbrellas, dog waste bags and DVDs, mark village trail the new-look phone box will be opened officially on Wednesday, May 24, by MP Tom Tugendhat and a local youngster, who came up with the A BLUE plaque scheme is under The proposal has been welcomed idea of creating the Ryarsh way to remember important Wa- by Wateringbury Parish Council, Resources Room. The boy, teringbury residents and events. and the cost of about £80 for each called Lucas, was among The idea was inspired by a proj- plaque will be met by the history dozens of pupils from ect in West Malling, where proper- society and the village’s Rostrum Ryarsh School to offer the ties linked to notable people are magazine. parish council suggestions marked with a plaque similar to the The society is seeking approval for its new use, with ideas English Heritage scheme in Lon- from Tonbridge and Malling Coun- including a mini museum don. cil for plaques on four listed build- and an aquarium. Among the famous people com- ings. These will pay tribute to Lady Ryarsh Parish Council memorated at West Malling are Lena Campbell Logan (1820-1904) chairman David Storey The Beatles and novelist George who lived and wrote her book on (right) is delighted that the Orwell. While no rock stars have so the Koh-i-Noor diamond at The telephone box, which far been traced to Wateringbury, Thatched House, Mill Lane, and received just one call in its the village can boast of links with a Mathias Prime Lucas, Lord Mayor final year of operation, has 19th century Lord Mayor of Lon- of London in 1827, who lived at been given a new purpose, don, two founders of breweries and Wateringbury Place South Gates on under the direction of local an aristocratic authoress of a book Tonbridge Road. children, who will act as its guardians. on the Koh-i-Noor diamond. John Jude, founder of the Kent The parish council Like the West Malling scheme, Brewery, who lived at Cross bought the K6 call box the plaques will carry a QR code so House, Tonbridge Road, and Ralph from BT for £1 and has more information can be found by Fremlin, who started Fremlins paid to have it repainted, connecting to the internet with a Brewery in Maidstone, and lived at installed an automatic smartphone. The Wardens in Bow Road, will light and soft door closure hinge, with the refit carried out by Councillors Wateringbury Local History So- also be commemorated. Storey and Ivor Emson. ciety says the project provides The 30cm discs will form part of Cllr Storey said: “This is an important local landmark, directional point “windows into the stories of people an already established walking trail and meeting place. If it had been left it would have fallen into disrepair, who have Wateringbury connec- around the village and will be but now it has a real purpose of its own.” tions, whose lives have helped “readily readable but not intru- The council also recently funded play equipment for village children. shape our world.” sive”, says the society. Tailor makes a 6” Mistake If you were measured to have varifocals they mark the lenses using something tailor made for you, would D ¿EUH WLS SHQ DYDLODEOH VLQFH you expect to be delivered shoes WDNH PHDVXUHPHQWV ZLWK D UXOHU ¿UVW that are 2 sizes too small for you, or LQYHQWHG\HDUVDJR XVLQJWKHVDPH trousers 6 inches too big? Of course ruler measure the distance between not. Yet thousands of people wear your eyes. Buchanan Optometrists spectacle lenses that are incorrect by at abandoned this inaccurate method 10 least 17%. years ago, preferring instead to use a A recent European Optometry study computerised measuring system that showed that the average error by a not only measures your pupil position trained optician measuring a person to within 0.1mm but also takes into for varifocals was 5mm per eye. Even account several other measurements UK are off-the-shelf designs with your a 0.5mm error can cause eye-strain, such as how the spectacle frame sits on prescription added to it - a crazy idea KHDGDFKHVDQGUHGXFHG¿HOGRIYLHZ your face.