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to the roof fund to help keep their special children warm and dry this winter. Many thanks to everyone who gave up their time to help and to everyone who came along to shop. HiKent Christmas Shop: The Christmas shop at 67b Week Street is selling the charity’s range of exclusive wooden Christmas gifts, ornaments, cards and puddings. There are lots of new products this year. The shop is open from 10am-3pm Monday to Friday and 10am-4pm on Saturdays until Christmas Eve. Goods can also be purchased from Hi Kent at 18 Brewer Street and directly from the website www.hikent.org.uk/ shop. Correspondent: Mo Clayton Tel: 01622 831529 tillergirl2913@ aol.com Christmas in Marden: Carolling around the Christmas tree will take place on Friday, December 9 from 6pm outside the memorial hall. Get into the Christmas spirit at this family event. We will be joined by a selection of Marden’s own talented musicians who will accompany us, and the Village Voices will also be singing. The Marden in Bloom Committee will be selling mulled wine, mince pies and other Christmas fare to raise funds for Marden in Bloom next year. Remembrance Sunday: On November 13 at 12.15pm, the Second World War air raid siren will be fired for up to two minutes. WW1 and WW11 songs and the sound of a Supermarine Spitfire will be played, courtesy of Tony Jeanes. The event will conclude with Rule Britannia sung by Rebecca Foster. Everyone is invited to go along. Walking group: On Saturday, No

vember 5 at 2pm, meet outside the library for a walk to Bridgehurst Woods and the cemetery. Thursday Club: On November 10, there will be a talk by Graham Tippen at the Marden Club from 2pm-4pm. Christmas greetings: The deadline is Thursday, November 10, to put a message in the December Parish Magazine. Write your message, up to 35 words, and give or send to Sarah Davies, 9 Roundel Way, TN12 9TW. Include a donation for Demelza House with your message. Men’s breakfast: On Saturday, November 12, there will be a men’s breakfast in the Vestry Hall at 8.30am. Full English breakfast will be provided. The speaker will be Sandy Elsworth, formerly of Zimbabwe and now Horsmonden, speaking on An Insider’s View of Arghanistan. Let Alec Noakes know if you will be attending, phone 01622 8322l1 or agnoakes@ talktalk.net by Wednesday, November 9. Horticultural society: Caroline Halfpenny will speak to the society on Tuesday, November 8 at 7.30pm in the Vestry Hall. Her talk will be about colour theory in the garden. Farmers’ market: On Sunday, November 13, them Market will be open for business in the memorial hall from 9.30am-1pm. A range of fresh fruit and vegetables, cheese, meat and chutneys will be available, plus preserves, flowers and plants. Correspondent: Martin Hider Tel: 01622 736327 mhider5@ gmail.com Parish meeting: The parish council will meet at the village hall on Monday, November 7 at 7.45pm. The public are invited to attend. Messy fun: The next meeting

of Messy Church at St Nicho- las Church will take place on Monday, November 14 at 3pm. Children with their parents/carers welcome. Craftwork, a story and songs followed by a tea. For details phone 01622 861382. Any answers: A quiz will take place at St Nicholas Church on Wednesday, November 9 at 7.30pm. Take your own nibbles and drinks. For details phone 01622 737684 or 739129. Seasonal music: A concert of Seasonal Music with Bel Canto will take place at St Nicholas Church on Sunday, November 13 at 3pm. Theatre visit: The Willington Players will present Alan Bennett’s much loved 1970s comedy entitled Habeas Corpus at The Hazlitt Theatre in Maidstone on Thursday November 10. For every ticket ordered through the bell ringers at St Nicholas Church costing £14, £5.90 will be donated to the funds of the bells repair project. Tickets can be ordered through the bell ringers by phoning 01622 862515 or emailing elizabethpiercey@ btinternet.com Party for everyone: A tea party will take place at St Nicholas Church on Thursday, November 17 at 3pm. All welcome. For details or if a lift will be needed phone Joan Palmer on 01622 202239. Correspondent: Linda Weeks Tel: 01622 762422 parkwoodkm@ gmail.com If you have an item concerning Park Wood, Maidstone, please contact the correspondent above. Correspondent: Alison Dickerson, 75 Chatham Road, Sandling, Maidstone, ME14 3BB Tel: 01622 762334 British Sugarcraft Guild: The next St Paul’s Church: Wednesday November 9, Mid Week Holy Communion at 9.30am. Every Saturday there is a Short Service of Prayer and Intercession in Church at 9.30am. For all hall bookings contact 01622 762370 Correspondent: Alison Dickerson, 75 Chatham Road, Sandling, Maidstone, ME14 3BB Tel: 01622 762334 malcolm.dickerson@ btinternet. com Correspondent: Linda Weeks Tel: 01622 762422 parkwoodkm@ gmail.com Coffee and cake: St. Hilary’s House, Reculver Walk, is holding a coffee and cake morning on Saturday, November 5 starting at 10am. There will be refreshments, pleasant company and a raffle. All are welcome. Vacancy: If you would like to be correspondent for South Park/Shepway, email Debbie Edwards, : dedwards@ thekmgroup.co.uk Light up the sky: The Bonfire Night Spuds and Sparkles event is on Saturday, November 5 from 4.30pm at St Martins Church Hall, Northumberland Road. Tickets sold in advance to guarantee food, but also available on the door, to include sparklers, on a first come, first served basis. Adults £5 (with food) or £3 (fireworks only), children £3.50 (with food), £1 (fireworks only), family up to five people £15 - food and fireworks. Contact 01622 862244 for tickets. Coffee time: St Hilary/St Martins will be holding a coffee morning at St Hilary’s House, off Senacre Square on Saturday, November 5 from 10-11am. Books and bric-abrac on sale, coffee, cakes and a raffle. All welcome. Correspondent: Andrew Watson, 9 Barn Meadow, Staplehurst, TN12 0SY Mob: 07715 572772 Tel: 01580 891986 staplehurst.report@ btinternet.com Service cuts survey: Last Monday a team from Maidstone Borough Council were in the village centre asking residents to complete a survey designed to ‘help MBC to decide which services we should spend our money on’. It was clear that cuts will have to be made, and we were being asked in which services we would prefer the cuts to be made. The questionnaires listed 10 categories of expenditure, which we were asked to rank in the order we would least want the cuts to be made. To reinforce the point that the issue was cuts and not re-distribution, after each category we were asked to state our funding preference – the three options being keep it the same; reduce the funding, or cut the funding. Simples. My immediate reaction was that