Kent Messenger Maidstone

Thousands enjoy

- Words by Natalie Tipping Pictures by Andy Jones

The sky was alight with bursts of colour over the weekend as firework displays burst into life.

On Saturday, visitors to Maidstone Grammar School enjoyed a spectacula­r show as rockets were fired into the air.

The event, managed by the Barton Road school’s parent-teacher associatio­n (PTA), saw around 2,600 people attend.

Sarah Hudson, PTA member, said: “We were very happy with the end result. We raised a lot of money for the school and it wasn’t too horrendous picking up the rubbish the next day ready for school on Monday.”

The theme at the Leeds Castle fireworks was ‘Names In Songs’, with lyrics projected onto the side of the historic landmark to entertain the crowds.

The venue’s team also ran a social media campaign using the hashtag #NameontheC­astle which saw more than 250 people have a personalis­ed message projected on the castle.

Overall more than 15,000 people attended, and watched 25,000 bursts from the 1,000 fireworks.

Jacket potatoes were enjoyed in Shepway’s St Martin’s Church before the crowds went outside to enjoy the fireworks. A key fundraiser for the church, many people turned out to support the event.

However, not all shows took place in the dark.

Kent Life in Sandling got their fun going at 3pm, with visitors enjoying all the usual attraction­s, including tractor rides and paint a pot sessions, plus food and fairground rides.

Around 3,500 people watched the display.

 ?? FM4568228 ?? Destiny Davidson, four, at Maidstone Grammar
FM4568228 Destiny Davidson, four, at Maidstone Grammar
 ?? FM4568229 ?? Molly, four, and Elliott Cox, nine, at Maidstone Grammar School’s firework display, pictured left
FM4568229 Molly, four, and Elliott Cox, nine, at Maidstone Grammar School’s firework display, pictured left
 ?? FM4568184 ?? Three-year-old Isla Maytum in a spin at Kent Life
FM4568184 Three-year-old Isla Maytum in a spin at Kent Life
 ?? FM4568204 ?? James Stirling, six, at the fireworks night at St Martin’s Church Hall
FM4568204 James Stirling, six, at the fireworks night at St Martin’s Church Hall
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