Ex-pros take no prisoners on the field
Ex-footballers used to cheering crowds had a change of scenery as they played behind bars at Maidstone Prison.
Gillingham and Watford legend Andy Hessenthaler led a team including Maidstone United assistant manager Nicky Southall and former Leyton Orient manager Ian Hendon in matches against staff and inmates.
Foreign national prisoners played out a respectable 3-3 draw, humbling prison staff who lost 5-1 to the former professionals.
Judith Feline, governor of Maidstone Prison, said: “I think it was a really good day. It was something quite normal for our staff and prisoners to take part in.
“It was also another way of celebrating our 200th anniversary.
“We have our annual carol service later this year that will be all the more special because of that.”
We saw the No. 82 bus turn into Wallis Avenue on its way to Park Wood Parade. By the time we saw the other No. 82 turn in, the usual passengers had also arrived. At 7.30am the Arriva bus app showed the 7.24am bus was still at the parade.
At 7.40am it finally reached us - full up, and went straight past without stopping. The app showed the 7.35am bus was still at the parade.
I took my daughter and her friends by car - but how many other people are driving children to school because their buses can’t be relied upon?
KCC knows which schools our children go to, where they live and which ones have purchased bus passes (and it’s not as though these passes are free).
Can it not use GPS skills to combine this information and use it to plan the most effective routes, and pass this information on to Arriva, so the bus company can plan to accommodate them? If our council is serious about getting cars off the road, this would surely be a good start.
Most do not have a dedicated school bus and have to share public transport with others who have to get to work on time.
The early morning single deckers often leave children and workers stranded at bus stops from Morrisons onwards. Children don’t want the stress of worrying about getting detentions because their bus didn’t turn up.
Can Arriva put a dedicated ‘Park Wood to Maidstone’ doubledecker school bus on this route?
Linda Weeks
Bell Meadow, Maidstone