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Correspondent: Jean Watson Mob:

07966 361434 Tel: 01622 687053 Messy Church: On Saturday, May 20 from 11am-1.30pm in St Nicholas church halls. The cost is £3 per person or £10 per family to include lunch. For details or to book contact Fiona on 07951 777854. Latest booking is Wednesday, May 17. Baptist church: Saturday, May 13, men’s free breakfast from 9am-10.30am. Contact Colin on colin18w@gmail.com if you plan to attend so that enough eggs can be fried. Sunday, May 14, Café Church and the subject is ambition. This is an informal child-friendly fun service with coffee, croissants and other yummy food served. You are welcome to join them from 10.3011.45am. Also Sunday, Prayer Service led by the Prayer team from 6.30-7.30pm. Friday, May 19, quiz night from 7pm to approx 9pm. This is a free quiz, just go by yourself or with a team. Refreshments available. Contact Colin on colin18w@gmail. com to book your table. Maidstone walks: A reminder that the free, guided Maidstone walks take place every Thursday. Meet in the Bower Mount Medical Practice at 10am for a 10.30am start. Walks last approximately one hour and walkers can enjoy post walk refreshments in the practice. People new to walking are particularly welcome. Fun and fitness: At the community association hall with zumba keep fit classes every Monday and Wednesday starting at 7.30pm and Slimming World meetings every Tuesday at 5pm and 7.30pm. Don’t be lonely: In the Baptist Church on a Wednesday afternoon, the weekly over 50s Get Together group meet. They sometimes partake in fun quizzes, watch a DVD, listen to a speaker or just play games. It varies but the overall theme is togetherness. At the next meeting on Wednesday, May 17, they will be having Tea and a Chat. Why not join them from 2.30-4pm. Kestrel boxes: Permission to erect the box on Weavering Heath had been received and arrangements were being made to undertake the work. K60 telephone box, Boxley village: BT would look to repaint the box in 2018. Cllr Clarke asked whether BT would supply the paint if villagers offered to repaint the box themselves. The Office would find out whether this was possible. Honour board: The details of chairmen serving prior to 1932 had not been discovered and the archivists at KCC had suggested that the parish council ask for the documents of St Mary and All Saints Church to see if the parish council minutes had been placed with it. Discussion took place on whether to go back further than 1932 and it was agreed to attempt one more search. It was confirmed that two boards would be purchased, one for past chairmen and one to record community awards. Dog waste: The chairman had put forward a question for the April 12 MBC meeting. Cllr Wendy Hinder informed members that the bin base at The Spinney had been finally removed. Cllr Vic Davies said that Vinters Valley Nature Reserve was starting a system to deal with its dog waste. Proposed new school at Vinters Valley: The parish office had not been able to arrange a presentation and the applicant’s agent had so far failed to respond to the request. The clerk would attempt to contact the head teacher directly. HGV signage: KCC had agreed to a No Night Parking sign being placed into the verge at Sandling and the clerk was waiting for the print copy to proof read. Report from the PCSO and police: Crimes March 3- 29. Grove Green: Burglary other than dwelling, theft, bike stolen - Coppice View, 10/03; criminal damage to property, fence damaged - Grove Stores, Grove Corner 13/03; theft, miscellaneous, including theft by finding - Weavering Street, 22/03 Lordswood and Walderslade: Theft, miscellaneous, including theft by finding - Boxley Road, 18/03 and Celestine Close, 20/03. Sandling: Motor vehicle taken without owners consent- De Vere Hotel & Leisure, 13/03 ; burglary other than dwelling, theft - Scania, 21/03. Cllr Derek Butler, Mayor of Maidstone, spoke about the consultation on the Local Plan Modification. Cllr Wendy Hinder spoke about problems at Grove Green caused by the Virgin Media work. She had also been very active in reporting pot holes. Cllrs I Davies and V Davies gave brief reports on the KALC meeting they attended. The issue of MBC not proactively protecting ancient woodland would be taken to the next Maidstone KALC/MBC Liaison meeting. Cllr V Davies reported on his attendance at St John’s School to see the students play on the history and fruit growing past of Weavering. The play was the culmination of an education programme being run by the Kent Orchard Project and was well received by all who attended. Cllr I Davies gave a report on his recent attendance at the March Maidstone Joint Transport Board Committee to present the parish council’s Highway Issues report. A response was not awaited from KCC. 7.30pm in the village hall. Visitors welcome. For information about the club ring 07791 781910. Parish council: The next meeting of Broomfield and Kingswood Parish Council will be the annual meeting on Monday, May 15 at 7.30pm in the village hall, Gravelly Bottom Road. This will be followed by the annual parish council meeting. There will be representations from the various clubs and organisations and councillor reports. Everyone is welcome to attend. Refreshments will be provided after the APM. Correspondent: Jenny Scott Mob: 07785 974951 Woodpeckers’ in churchyard: The churchyard tidying group were surprised to see how much everything had grown when they met last Saturday. They soon set to work to mow the grass and clear the dry leaves. Two visitors turned up and asked to see the church, just as the group were enjoying tea and cake. An old tree stump overgrown by ivy will be a task on the list for the next session at the start of June. Letters from EA: On Monday May 15, the Environment Agency will be sending out letters to all homes considered to be at risk of flooding now or in the future in the parish. Homeowners will be invited to have their homes surveyed for effective flood defences, known as Property Level Resilience (PLR), by the EA. Residents wishing to have their property surveyed for this purpose will be asked to sign up at one of three drop-in sessions organised for Yalding, Marden and Collier Street in June. These sessions will be publicised in the parish magazines and in this column nearer the time. New churchwarden: The new church warden for Collier Street is Rachel West, with Ian Turner continuing. Footpath walk: You are invited to join a walk on Sunday May 14, starting at Colliers’ Green School (TN17 2LR) at 2pm and returning there by around 4pm. The walk will be at an easy pace on footpaths that start near the vineyard, continue through Old Park Wood and access open country to Jarvis Lane. There will be a few easy stiles, but the route is suitable for all ages. If you have questions about the walk or would like a lift to the school, call 01580 211430 or 07518 894915. Swap unwanted seedlings: The Chequers in Laddingford has a special day in aid of the Hospice in the Weald on Sunday, May 14 from 11am-3pm. There will be a chance to swap your excess plants/seedlings for some you may prefer. There will also be second-hand books and DVDs. Arts/crafts fair: Yalding Art Group holds its annual fair on Sunday, May 14 from 11am-4pm at Yalding Village Hall. There will be a selection of interesting and unique stalls, displays of Yalding Art Group’s work and refreshments by Valerie; anything from hot dogs to cream teas. Gardens’ open day: Yalding Gardens in Benover Road will be open to the public on Sunday, May 14 from 10.30am-4pm. This is a chance to have a walk round and see the various gardens and facilities. The Yalding and District Beekeepers will be there, for their annual open day and auction. Alternative Olympics: Late last month 10 Year 4 and 5 pupils from the village school attended a sporting event at Maidstone Grammar school for Girls. Two of their A-level students had organised a skills session followed by a competition which included boccia skills, dodgeball, tri-golf and ultimate Frisbee. Well done