Keep our heritage alive’

rary design, and as such would fit in well with both old and new developments of the town.”

The four-metre high white horse sculpture, Mr Lester explained, is a reference to Ashford as a market town, as livestock was once sold there, as well as resembling the symbol of Kent.

The locomotive installation would commemorate the old railway works and he has requested the support of the Ashford International Model Railway Excellence Centre (AIMREC), a planned model railway museum that has backing from The Who frontman Roger Daltrey and other celebrities.

Finally, Mr Lester has designed a piece of art featuring red, white and blue Spitfires, representing the colours of the flags of Great Britain, USA and Canada, whose pilots all used Ashford’s airfields.

The sculpture would be 10 to 12 metres tall, so it could overlook former Second World War airfields at Kingsnorth and Great Chart, and contain a memorial plaque to Ashford’s war casualties.

Mr Lester intends to make the pieces from welded steel, possibly reclaimed railway tracks, and would like Ashford businesses to be involved in the construction.

He has written poems to accom- pany the horse and railway designs, which could be incorporated into the pieces.

He has had artwork, featuring images of trains, Paris and cricket, displayed at Ashford International Station and he created two pieces earlier this year to mark the centenary of the start of the First World War.

Anyone who can help can email john@johnlesterart.com

What do you think of his ideas? Write to Kentish Express, 34-36 North Street, Ashford TN24 8JR or email kentishexpress@ thekmgroup.co.uk