Blossom walk raises funds for hospice

Around 50 people took part in a charity blossom walk at Westerhill Farm near Linton, Maidstone. The one-hour walk started at 10:30am and raised around £440 for the Heart of Kent Hospice. Diane Beeching, communications manager at the Aylesford-based hospice, said: “The weather forecast for the walk wasn’t great but it turned out to be lovely on the day. About 50 people attended the event, including some families who on the green near the café. Start your walk anytime between 9am and noon. Limited places. Entries on the day £5. Rosettes available for each completed entry. 2.5km or 5km walk. The walk is in aid of RAD Recovery Assistance Dogs, finding ways to Mental Health. Dogs must be on a lead and under control at all times during this event. St Martins: St Martins Church, Northumberland Road, is holding a Spring Fair on Saturday, May 7 from 2pm-4pm. There will be craft and gift stalls, tombola, books and bric-a-brac for sale, plus a raffle as well as refreshments. Everyone welcome. Roller disco: At the Leisure Centre, Mote Road, on Friday, May 6 from 6pm-7.30pm family session; 8pm9.30pm open session. Skates and safety gear included. No inlines allowed. Price £5.50 per person. Maidstone Symphony Orchestra: The orchestra will be giving a concert on Saturday, May 21 at 7.30pm at the leisure centre. The conductor will be Brian Wright with Callum Smart on violin. The concert will include Overture, Prince Igor - Borodin, Violin Concerto No. 2 - Prokofiev and Symphony No. 5 - Tchaikovsky. There will be a pre-concert talk presented by Steve Migden from 6.40pm-7.10pm Tickets: £26, £21, £12, students £5, 18s and under free from www.mso.org.uk phone 07817 429143. South Park Friends: Volunteers Day was on May 2 and despite being an overcast day, Friends of South Park had a good turn out of volunteers. They had a good effort at tidying up nearly all of the rose beds on the left as you enter the pleasure gardens. They also had two volunteers out on a litter pick and did the usual turning over of the front pavilion beds and weeding again in the grassed bed. Altogether a successful day and many thanks are sent to everyone who joined in on the day. South Park is a beautiful, well maintained park in Armstrong Road, and well worth a sunny stroll if you can. Stop cold calling: Maidstone and District Neighbourhood Watch Association (in partnership with Kent Police and Kent Trading Standards) is approaching residents brought along their dogs.” Walkers took a tour through the blossom-filled apple, pear, plum and cherry orchards by the owners of Westerhill Farm. The views from the Greensand ridge were also a highlight. After the walk, which took place last month, guests enjoyed tea and cake before being invited to buy produce from the farm. It is hoped that the event will be repeated next year. Correspondent: Andrew Watson, 9 Barn Meadow, Staplehurst, TN12 0SY Mob: 07715 572772 Tel: 01580 891986 staplehurst.report@ btinternet.com Half-term soccer school: May 31 to June 2 from 10am-3.30pm. For all boys and girls aged five to 14, £15 per day or £40 for three days, second sibling is half price. To book, email footballfivestar@outlook. com. At the Jubilee Playing Field. Take football kit, football boots, shin pads, waterproof jacket, a packed lunch, and plenty to drink. For information contact Jim on 07850 364560 or email www.twitter. com/Football5StarUK Rocket seed update: The school’s Year 2 Rocket Seeds, seeds that have been into space and were planted only two weeks ago, have germinated and are beginning to sprout already. The children are monitoring them and showing great interest the progress. Spring plant sale: On Saturday May 7, the doors will open in the village centre north hall at 8.30am, when the horticultural society will hold its spring plant sale. The doors will close again when everything has been sold, so make sure you get there early. Monthly meetings held at 8pm on the third Tuesday each month in the village centre south hall. Patient Participation Group: At the meeting of the PPG last week, it was announced that a new clinician had been appointed, a triage nurse, Barbara. Barbara will help patients over the phone, answering their health questions and determining what kind of care they need. Triage nurses are trained to ask patients specific questions in order to assess the situation, and refer them to the appropriate healthcare provider, which may be a doctor, a nurse, or to recommend medication. She will have access to patients’ health information online. This appointment has been made to reduce the doctors’ workload. The triage nurse will operate between the doctors and the advanced nurse practitioner (this position remains vacant; but it is still the intention to recruit a replacement for Bev Stainsby) As usual, the issue of the health centre’s phone system was raised, when the lines are very busy (typically first thing in the mornings) patients’ frustration increases when they are cut off without their call being answered. As there are no plans to have the system improved, patients requiring urgent attention have no option but to make another attempt and, eventually, their call will be answered. Practice manager Elaine Handover assured the meeting that if ever a patient has a medical condition which requires a same day appointment, then this will be provided; but the initial assessment might be made over the phone. Some unpleasant comments have been made about reception staff on Facebook, which is extremely distressing to them. It is hoped that the perpetrators of this cyber loutishness will refrain from such cowardly attacks in future, before any public naming and shaming is required. If anyone has any complaints about the health centre and its operation, they should contact the Patient Participation Group, which is set up for that purpose. They hold quarterly meetings, which all SHC patients are more than welcome to attend. The next will be on Wednesday, July 6. If you would like information contact the PPG liaison group at greenacre@ madasafish.com Blossom Walk: The Footpath Group will meet at 2pm on Sunday May 8 in the Linton Church car park. The five-mile walk will be through Linton Park and on past Wierton Place, returning for a short loop on the west side of the A229 to take in the views over the Weald. All are PARISH COUNCIL: The council met on April 12. Eve Poulter was co-opted onto the council. Planning: 15/504484 Haven Farm North Street, temporary permission for a period of three years for storage of six mobile homes between December 1 and April 30 and their use for harvest related activities at other times. Reinstatement and extension of farm access track. Recommended for approval. MBC decisions: 16/500001/FULL Land at 1 Warmlake Cottages Warmlake Road, erection of two detached dwellings and garages with associated access and parking, approved. 16/500903 The Mill House, East Sutton Road, garage with ancillary accommodation, permitted. 15/507493 Land North Of Wind Chimes, Chartway Street, outline application for residential development of up to nine dwellings, refused. 15/510446/FULL Shantali Maidstone Road, erection of side and rear extension, internal alterations, rooflights and sun pipe, approved. Crime figures March 14 to April 12: Mking off without payment at the service station; theft in North Street; vehicle interference A274; theft from vehicle in South Lane. WI: The institute will be meeting on Tuesday, May 10 at 7.30pm in the village hall. This will be the annual meeting with refreshments supplied by the committee. For information phone 01622 842934. Sad news: The community will be deeply saddened to learn of the sudden death of Sarah Wishart. Our deep sympathy goes to her family and friends. Parish council: The annual parish meeting is on Wednesday, May 11 at 7pm. This is a public meeting for the residents of Sutton Valence. All the local organisations, the ward Cllr Paulina Stockell, county Cllr Eric Hotson, the church and schools all give reports on their activities. If you do not know what is going on in your parish, this is an opportunity to find out. The parish council will report on the year’s events in Sutton Valence including the progress of the Neighbourhood Plan. There will be wine and nibbles after the meeting so do go along. The parish council is short of a councillor. If you are interested in getting involved in your community and having a say in its contact Clerk Janet Burnett, on 844135 or Eileen Riden, the chairman, on 844953. Go along for an informal chat over a cup of coffee. History on show: On Saturday, May 7, Michael Beaman will be holding another of his interesting archive exhibitions in St Mary’s Church. The three Parishes of Sutton Valence, Chart Sutton and East Sutton contain a wealth of fascinating history and Michael goes to great trouble to present his material in a professional manner. It will be from 9.30am-12.30pm and coffee and cakes will be available. For the diary: Saturday, May 21 from 10am-noon, coffee morning and Spring Fair to be held at the Visits Centre in East Sutton Park prison by permission of the governor. The profits are for the church fabric fund and there will be a raffle and stalls for local produce, cakes, plants and bric-a-brac all run by parishioners. Entrance is £1, children free. On Saturday, May 28 from 2-4pm at Chart Sutton Village Hall, there will be a local history display by Michael Beaman. Cream teas will