Editor's Blog: Will we get a new bishop?
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Will Maidstone have a new Bishop?
That was the question that was puzzling me as I attended the
'Bishop's Breakfast' at County Hall. These are a networking event
held about once a quarter and hosted by .... the Bishop of
Maidstone. The only problem we have is there isn't one at the
moment. We're still waiting for a successor to Graham Cray, who
left the post last year. The early morning get-together has
been thankfully kept going by the archdeacon Philip Down and is a
most pleasurable start to a Tuesday morning (not just because it
involves plentiful supplies of bacon, sausages and egg. The
speakers are quite good, too. As I queued up for my (pre-paid)
sustenance I got chatting to a couple of the church representatives
and asked about a new bishop. I was surprised at their reply of 'if
we get a new one'.
The excellent guest speaker was the
new Bishop of Dover the Rt Rev Trevor Willmott, whose role involves
overseeing Maidstone as head of the Canterbury Diocese, and I
asked him afterwards about the County Town bishopry. He explained
that the situation was 'under review'. Enquiries to the diocese
office since, however, suggest that Maidstone will definitely get a
new bishop but we're not sure when.
You won't know about it but an important event is happening at the
Village Hotel in Maidstone tomorrow. It's a strategic 'away day' of
the Maidstone Town Centre Management at which the organisation will
attempt to plot out its vision for the future of the town centre
over the coming years. I happen to be a board director but the
small hands-on core of the company are its manager Bill Moss,
chairman Paul Alcock and secretary Graeme Wyles. Sadly I won't be
there as it's the KM's press day but have been able to have some
input beforehand. The TCM is a hard-working and committed
organisation that is primarily focused on making Maidstone a truly
excellent place in which work, shop and visit. It aims to
promote the town in the face of fierce competition from the likes
of Bluewater, Medway and Canterbury and deals with issues such as
crime in the town centre - working closely with the police -
staging events, and having a strong voice in planning and street
scene issues. It's an independent organisation, funded by the
business community, and its work is vital for the prosperity of the
town. We look forward to some bold and ambitious ideas to come out
of tomorrow's discussions.
Wednesday, March 24 2010
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