IT was bumper-to-bumper fun at the Park Wood fair with fast rides and plenty of stalls for people to try their luck.The travelling show parked up on recreation ground, between Brishing Lane and Bicknor Road, for two weeks.It attracted lots of families who wanted to scream on the waltzer,...

THEY say our hard work often ends up as tomorrow's fish and chips wrapping. But youngsters at Maplesden Noakes School in Buckland Road, Maidstone have a different view. Year 10 pupils split into teams on Tuesday for a special focus day. They pitted their skills against each other in a bid...

ARTISTS will showcase their work at a crafts fair in Cobbled Barn, off The Square, Lenham, on Friday, May 17 and Saturday, May 18. Doors will be open between 10am and 6pm. RSS feed from http://www.maidstoneepaper.co. uk//index.aspx?issue=issue151& amp;page=03Please Click To Read More...

by Stuart Woledge swoledge@thekmgroup.co.uk CALLS have been made to change the way streets are cleaned.Liberal Democrat councillor Clive English claimed his High Street ward has been blighted by rubbish ever since Maidstone council started cleaning the streets only when the need arose, instead...

THE Children's Trust charity shop in Gabriels Hill, Maidstone, has been supplying the homeless with blankets and duvets that they cannot sell. The manager Mandy Tucker, 51, of Vinters Park, started donating after seeing the homeless in Maidstone.She has since become known as the Mother...

A STATUE of a horse rearing up as it heads into battle has been unveiled in Maidstone close to the spot where a memorial plaque was more than 100 years ago The memorial, which includes a plaque, to Captain Louis Edward Nolan in Church Street was revealed by Cllr Clive English, deputy mayor of...

`Wagamama have a degree of exclusivity which adds to their attraction' Exclusive by Angela Cole acole@thekmgroup.co.uk BOOKS could make way for chop sticks if a long-established shop is turned into a Japanese restaurant. An application for a wagamama restaurant to be opened on the site of...

ALMOST 5,000 fans of vintage transport got their skates on to head up to an annual bus and vehicle show. The Heritage Transport Show, held at the Kent Showground in Detling, on Saturday gave visitors the chance to climb aboard classic buses and view gleaming examples of veteran cars, motorbikes...

by Paul Francis and Stuart Woledge swoledge@thekmgroup.co.uk A TEENAGER had his political hopes dashed when he was barred from standing in the Kent County Council elections next month because he was a few days too young. Up and coming Labour politician Stephen Taylor hoped to snatch the seat of...

Pioneering choir is thought to be the first of kind in the county by Angela Cole acole@thekmgroup.co.uk AS this choir busts out moves including clenched fists and hand gestures, their audience might be tempted to think Sig they've lost interest in the songs. Far from it * experts believe...

THOUGHTLESS parents are putting the lives of children at risk, including their own, by parking illegally outside a school. Parents at Palace Wood Primary School in Allington are stopping on the yellow zigzag warning lines outside the entrance, obscuring the vision of children trying to cross the...

THE founder of the Urban Blue Bus may be owed a lifetime of thanks from the hundreds of clubbers the service has helped, but it was down to the Chief Constable to recognise his efforts. Paul Alcock, was the driving force behind the double-decker initiative which supports vulnerable partygoers...

AMBITIOUS plans to fill the Powerhub with a supermarket and restaurants have been submitted to Maidstone council. Site owner Baltic Wharf wants to redevelop the former Tilling Stevens vehicle manufacturing plant into a 7,430sqm supermarket complete with parking. This is roughly twice the size...

by Nick Lillitos nlillitos@thekmgroup.co.uk THE door is open for Maidstone and Tonbridge to have their own local TV stations. They are among 30 new locations just named by the government this month. It follows swiftly on the heels of media regulator Ofcom announcing 19 local TV licence...

THE Urban Blue bus which helps revellers enjoy a safe night out has found a permanent spot after a seven-month wrangle. Friday and Saturday nights see the bus and a team of volunteers look after club and pub-goers. The High Street regeneration meant it had to move to King Street, from outside...

8,000 followers aim to give tot a Disney treat by Nick Lillitos nlillitos@thekmgroup.co.uk WINNIE Martin is just two and wears a cute little red hat to hide her bald head * the effects of radiation. She has a sunshine smile, a following of 8,000 people, loves to clap her hands and is battling...

by Anna White awhite@thekmgroup.co.uk A FAMILY-owned restaurant with enviable views is up for sale. The decision to sell Kits Coty is not due to the current economic woes affecting other businesses. Instead its owners have decided to take a well-deserved rest. Allan and Sue Casey have been...

MAIDSTONE Museum is on course to break its record of 81,000 visitors in 12 months it set seven years ago when dinosaurs ruled the rooms. The high attendance is being attributed to a new policy of attracting groups of all ages and `tailoring' talks and exhibits towards requests from schools....

A GROUP of campaigners who are undertaking a gruelling 45-mile charity challenge have raised more than £28,000 in the past two months. We previously reported how Amanda Walker, whose daughter Abbie Mifsud died from a rare form of brain cancer called DIPG in September 2011, is joining 20 other...

MAIDSTONE council said the decision had been made to stop because the number of children taking part had declined.In 2011, 4,379 spaces were filled, amounting to 98% of those available. Last year this slipped to just 86% of capacity. A council spokesman said: "Last year we employed a...

A CHRISTIAN group is offering a lifeline to young and expectant mums who are struggling with the pressures of parenthood. The Princess Project this week launched its services in Park Wood * an area which has a high percentage of teenage mothers. The organisation provides support to help young...

SWOOPS on restaurants in Maidstone and Borough Green have taken place in a hunt for illegal workers. A visit was made UK Border Agency officials to KalaRed bar and restaurant in Bank Street, but was based on false information and no further action was taken. "We screened the staff but there...

By Peter Walker pwalker@thekmgroup.co.uk IN CELEBRATION of Maidstone's nightlife management, a prized purple flag should grace Maidstone's Jubilee Square this month * but there's one vital element missing * a pole. Maidstone Town Centre Management is now calling for help for the March 30...

A PERSONAL trainer is hoping to take his super-intensive fitness challenge to the national stage. Michael Scott wants gyms across the country to use his Beyond Fitness Games to compete against one another in the ultimate test. The 21-year-old, of The Tail Race, Maidstone, is confident he can...

by Nick Lillitos nlillitos@thekmgroup.co.uk THE late President Ronald Reagan knew all about their power as a social `icebreaker' and now a jelly gathering in Maidstone is about to break the mould of the lonely self-employed. This Monday, March 11, sees a free jelly social in Week Street, for...

by Anna White awhite@thekmgroup.co.uk SCHOOL is definitely out for Barming residents after plans for a new primary school were ditched in favour of 40 homes instead. The site on the corner of Hermitage Lane and St Andrew's Road was identified as an ideal spot to build a new school. But at a...

THE Liberal Democrat who will challenge MP Helen Grant for her seat at the next general election has been chosen. Author and journalist Jasper Gerard has been adopted as the party's candidate for Maidstone and Weald He was selected to contest what the party regards as a winnable seat at a...

by Angela Cole acole@thekmfroup.co.uk IT'S not as well known as The Hungry Caterpillar but it's one of the finest examples of a book anywhere in the borough. As hundreds of youngsters celebrate World Book Day, housed in Maidstone Museum is one of the most expensive and oldest books in the county...

by Angela Cole acole@thekmgroup.co.uk A PETITION has been started to protect a patch of land in Allington that was once home to a royal nursery. Bridge Nursery is a haven for wildlife, tended to by specialists who worked for Kew and Windsor. Today, hidden behind the brambles which shelter it...

MAIDSTONE'S rubbish and recycling services are available via a new mobile phone app. The Recycle for Maidstone app is free to download on iPhone and Android devices. It allows residents to find out collection dates, set collection reminders and find out what can be recycled and where in the...

Please give us longer.So say Tovil Parish Council as a notice to vacate the parish centre looms into view.The Diocese of Canterbury plans to empty the building by Thursday, February 28.But local councillors want more time.Mike FitzGerald, chairman of the Coombe Farm and Tovil...

by Angela Cole acole@thekmgroup.co.uk A PETITION has been started to protect a patch of land in Allington that was once home to a royal nursery. Bridge Nursery is a haven for wildlife, tended to by specialists who worked for Kew and Windsor. Today, hidden behind the brambles which shelter it...

MAIDSTONE'S rubbish and recycling services are available via a new mobile phone app. The Recycle for Maidstone app is free to download on iPhone and Android devices. It allows residents to find out collection dates, set collection reminders and find out what can be recycled and where in the...

Please give us longer.So say Tovil Parish Council as a notice to vacate the parish centre looms into view.The Diocese of Canterbury plans to empty the building by Thursday, February 28.But local councillors want more time.Mike FitzGerald, chairman of the Coombe Farm and Tovil...

by Angela Cole acole@thekmgroup.co.uk A PETITION has been started to protect a patch of land in Allington that was once home to a royal nursery. Bridge Nursery is a haven for wildlife, tended to by specialists who worked for Kew and Windsor. Today, hidden behind the brambles which shelter it...

MAIDSTONE'S rubbish and recycling services are available via a new mobile phone app. The Recycle for Maidstone app is free to download on iPhone and Android devices. It allows residents to find out collection dates, set collection reminders and find out what can be recycled and where in the...