Sad day ends our town’s Army ties

The closure of Invicta Park Barracks will bring to an end more than two centuries of Maidstone’s history. We don’t think it’s possible to overstate the impact of that past.

Some who grew up a stone’s throw from the base remember watching sappers jogging past houses, carrying impossibly large backpacks and guns.

Others remember visiting friends who lived on the barracks and passing through a checkpoint in to a real-life Army base.

It was all part of growing up in Maidstone for many of us.

Everyone who lives here is aware of the barracks, has some knowledge of the regiments stationed there and hugely respects the town’s troops.

That’s why Monday was such a sad day, because not only did it mark the end of 229 years of our military town status but it means future generations won’t have the same knowledge of that history.

One of the most positive effects of the barracks has been the relationship forged between the public and the Nepalese community.

The Gurkhas are, of course, respected wherever you go but to see it first hand in a country which has been defined by division in recent years is truly heart warming.

Their presence brings a level of mutual respect which is lacking in many parts of the country.

In 2027 we will no longer have a barracks and however hard we try we will lose part of what makes Maidstone the town it is.

When these decisions are made it is easy to treat everything as a number. More and more frequently the government seems to be ignoring the true impact.