Kent on Sunday (Mid Kent), January 25, 2014

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by  KOS Media

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www.kentnews.co.uk January 26, 2014 Mid Edition No 592
PROFILE »
Fighting the
good fight
We go face-to-face with
the Bishop of Rochester
FOCUS »
HEALTH »
Road rage
‘I got Parkinson’s
aged just 42’
over school
One woman comes to terms
with illness and perceptions
bus changes PROPERTY »
Living in a
listed home
Why thousands are standing
The pros and cons of owning
up against fare hike plans a slice of our heritage
The best garage
is a safe one
Security, convenience & reliability
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Kent on Sunday
PAGE PAGE
26 » 53 »
January 26, 2014 No 592 www.kentnews.co.uk
Don’t assume row
over pass doesn’t
have impact on you
PAGE
40»
PAGE
14 »
IF YOU don’t have children at a miss out in the long run as young-
secondary school in Kent, then the sters turn their back on public
chances are you’ll have paid little transport. In short, no-one wins.
interest to the recent fuss over the The debate is one which isn’t going
decision by the county council to away fast. Kent County Council may,
withdraw the full benefits of its indeed, be a victim of its past
popular Freedom bus pass. generosity, but in a county which
Yet you do so at your peril. Because the trumpets its selective school system,
impacts of the move will be felt by us all. surely it has a moral responsibility to
By making it £100 for just £350 both the child – to get them to school
worth of travel - rather than safely – and the parent – to not allow
unlimited - the knock-on effect is them to choose a school assuming
inevitable, With many parents – not transport costs will be £100 and
just the ones living in the sticks then ten times that just weeks after
– facing having to pay nigh on they start.
PAGE
£1,000 extra, many will Inside this weekend’s edition,
simply opt instead to take to we take a special look at the 66 »
our roads and drive them issues and speak to those on
there. Especially if they have both sides of the argument.
more than one child of Even if you didn’t care
secondary age. before hand, I’d urge you to
The consequences will be read it and come to your own
clogged highways, higher conclusions. And why not
pollution and more danger to share your views with us?
those children who live You can write to the
close enough to the address on the
school to walk. bottom right of
Even the bus this page. Have a
companies will Editor Chris Britcher good weekend.
Contents
News The Arts Commercial HOW TO CONTACT US…
Publisher: Simon Irwin
10 A diocese 35 And the beat Vehicles Email [email protected]
Editor: Chris Britcher
Email [email protected]
of diversity will go on... 53 Vantastic... Address:
Apple Barn, Smeeth, TN25 6SS
We talk to the Teaching youngsters sales on up ELediistuorreia: l0:1 3N0e3w 8s1:7 00123203 817100
Bishop of Rochester to love their music Business essential is Sport: 01303 817177
14 Fighting to 37 The emotions now better than ever Email [email protected]
Advertising:
be heard of conflict 1PA0G »E Sport JBoubssin/Nesost:i c0e1s3:0 031 8310730 85167 056:
How art is helping 66 Sporting Email [email protected]
Being young and Retail/Leisure/Motors: 01303 817150
soldiers move on Email [email protected]
having Parkinson’s sacrifices
Distribution: 01303 817072
Food
19 School bus FOLLOW US ONLINE @
MotoGP new boy tells
• kentnews.co.uk
pass rethink 40 Sloe burner of being back on track • kentnews.co.uk/mobile
• jobsforkent.co.uk
Anger grows at KCC bursts to life Plus • homes24.co.uk
• drive24.co.uk
for scrapping scheme
Business blending Feedback .............Page 42 • twitter@kosmedia
26 Spanning booze with chocolate Images of Kent ...Page 43 PLtudb (lCisoh eRde gin N Koe n1t9 b3y0 0A)r, cRheagnits Cteoremdm Ouffincitey :M edia
Prospect House, Rouen Road, Norwich NR1 1RE
the centuries 41 A contender Business ..............Page 45 and printed by St Clements Press (1988) Ltd (Co
Driving ................Page 49 RPaergk ,N Roic 2k1 R74o1b1e9r)t,s U Wnaity 3, ,S Itnratetfronrdat, iLoonnadl Bonu,s Ein1e5s 2sN F
Trust behind Medway Salt Marsh’s crown Appointments ....Page 58
crossing opens up slips... but only a bit
kentnews.co.uk kent-life.co.uk KMI Week ending January 26, 2014 3
4 Week ending January 26,2014 kent-life.co.uk www.kentnews.co.uk
s k
e
e GCSE league tables show
w
y t
s
a
p concerns for grammars

e
h
a
t

g
n By Marijke Cox
ri [email protected]
u
d
d PERFORMANCE within many of
the county’s secondary schools at
k
GCSE is continuing to improve –
u but nine are still struggling to
. make the benchmark grade.
o And of equal concern is a dip in
c standards of some of our grammar
. schools.
n s Official league tables for the
w 2013 exam results showed Kent
has one of the lowest performing
e
schools in England.
n The Castle Community College
t in Deal saw just 20 per cent of its
e n pupils achieving the standard five RESULTS: Good news for many students as schools improve, but some grammars showed a drop
e ‘good’ GCSEs at A*-C including
k English and maths – dropping from
50 per cent in 2012. third worst school in the country, Oakwood Park Grammar School are ill or have other specific
@ Department for Education chiefs saw figures rise to 28 per cent. dropped from 99 per cent to 95 per reasons for not being up to the
insist schools must have 40 per Kent’s grammars, as to be cent and Simon Langton for Boys mark. Of course a school might
v s cent of their students achieving the expected. were top of the class with from 95 per cent to 91 per cent, have a crop of such, so put in
e national benchmark. five seeing 100 per cent of its despite introducing its own ‘super another two per cent in an
Eight others also failed to make students make the grade. selective’ entry levels. Nearby exceptional year, and I maintain
n
the grade, one being Walmer They were Folkestone School for mixed grammar Barton Court had all grammar schools should
li Science College which closed last Girls, Invicta Grammar, Maidstone a 99 per cent pass rate. achieve 96 per cent or more year
d summer, after the GCSE exams Grammar, Skinners and Tonbridge Education consultant Peter in, year out.”
a were taken, to amalgamate with Grammar. Read, of Kent Independent Medway’s secondaries main-
e e Castle Community College. But 10 of the 33 grammars saw Education Advice, said: “My tained an average of 61 per cent of
h The Marlowe Academy in numbers drop since 2012, albeit in formula is that grammar schools all pupils achieving five good
Ramsgate, which recorded just 14 some cases by only one or two per cent. should average at least 98 per cent, GCSEs. Read the full list online at

e per cent in 2010, placing it as the Others, however, such as allowing a couple of children who www.education.gov.uk.
h
t
s e
Dramatic rise in crime Wet weather set to continue
d
a
m statistics due to changes with more flooding expected

h
c in recording practices MORE wind and rain looks set to hit “Another spell of wet and very
i the county this weekend, after the windy weather will cross the UK
h Met Office issued a fresh weather from the west during Sunday.
w warning for Sunday - bringing with “Heavy rain and strong winds
NEW crime statistics for Kent have make public, set the wheels in it the threat of yet further flooding. are likely to affect many parts for a
s shown a sharp rise in overall crime motion for a major shake-up to the Forecasters are predicting much time, with further flooding
e following an overhaul in the force’s crime recording practices to of the nation will suffer from poor anticipated, either as a result of
i recording process. make them more stringent. conditions - with southern parts of surface water flooding or exacer-
or Official data released in the Crime Improvements have been made the UK prone to flooding due to bation of existing flooding issues.
Survey of England and Wales showed with Mrs Barnes stating that Kent already high rivers and drenched “The public should be aware of
St a dramatic eight per cent increase in Police now has the best crime ground. possible disruption to transport
crime in the county, while the rest of recording in the country. The Met Office warning says: and continuing risk of flooding.”
the country saw figures decrease. It has, however, in the latest
The noticeable rise is down to statistics, led to a huge disparity
Killer given extended jail term
reforms put in place last year at Kent between recorded offences seen
» Download your free Police following a damning report by everywhere else in the country.
Kent News iPhone HM Inspectorate of Constabulary, Speaking to KoS about crime for trying to pressure witness
which found that one in 10 crimes recording earlier this month, the
and iPad App available had been inaccurately recorded. new chief constable Alan Pughsley
at the Apple App Store The report, commissioned by said the force was initially getting
Police and Crime Commissioner Ann nine out of 10 right. A FORMER boxer locked up for Hamptons Crescent, Gravesend, to
Barnes, also uncovered an ‘institu- “It was 90 per cent then, now it’s killing a man in a kebab shop has tell her partner Neil Sookoo, 37, of the
tional bias’ suggesting police in the 96-97 per cent,” he said. had his jail term increased for same address, to force a prosecution
past were chasing numeric targets Mrs Barnes said the force had perverting the course of justice. witness to retract his statement.
rather than tackling crimes which “taken it on the chin and put it right”. Edward Ives beat Ben Mahoney The couple hatched a plan but
» Follow us on may have had a greater impact on “They now have compliance of to death in the House on the Hill in were arrested, charged and found
Twitter @kosmedia or people in Kent. around 96/97 per cent,” she said. Dartford on April 20 last year. guilty by a jury of perverting the
Facebook KOS Media incIto errxepcots uesde t ohfe “ fnoorc cer ifomre t”h –e wsohmeent iam es tha“Tt hhaeyp’plle tneeldl y. oWue i tk’sn othwe hbeerset tihn ing slaHuge hwtears a fonudn jadi lgeudi lftoyr oefi gmhat ny-ears coSuorsoek ooof j uwsatisc eth.is week jailed for
recorded crime is later reviewed and Kent that recorded crime is actually in December. four years and George 18 months.
declared not to be a crime. accurate. It’s important we have But while on remand, he had Ives admitted the charge and was
The report, which the PCC chose to trust in crime figures.” asked Thereza George, 42, of given an an extra 32 months in jail.
kentnews.co.uk kent-life.co.uk KMI Week ending January 26, 2014 5
s k
e
e Drop in motorists guilty of festive drink driving
w
y st MORE than 150 motorists were found to be above the motorists were tested and 156 were found to be over
a drink drive limit during Kent Police’s traditional the limit.
Christmas crackdown. During the same period the year before, 277 were
p
In figures released this week, the number of tested and 178 proved positive.
e motorists being stopped and breath tested was up on Sgt Hannah Brown said: “Whilst the figures are
the previous year - but the number of positive results encouraging there are still too many people who are
h
a was down. ignoring our safety messages and warnings over the
t
Between December 1, 2013, and January 1, 2014, 334 festive season.”
g
n
i
r Tiltman murder: Could SHOVELER: Cliffe’s a popular place
u
d
d
Duck delight

k
u man be charged 21 years at record size
.
o
of bird flocks
c
. after her brutal death?
n s
w THE miserable weather may be making
e us all feel gloomy, but, as the cliche
goes, it’s proving great for ducks.
n
According to bird charity the RSPB, it
t By Chris Britcher er charged, He was subsequently has seen the highest number of one of
e n [email protected] given three life sentences for attacks the UK’s most attractive ducks, the
e on other women. One of his victims, shoveler, at its Cliffe Pools reserve for
k Charlotte Barnard, 22, was stabbed decades.
PROSECUTORS are considering a just yards from where Claire had Cliffe Pools is situated on the Isle of
@
case file from Kent Police which been attacked, in 1995. Grain.
could lead to a man being charged Police raided his home - where his Birder Murray Orchard counted 720
v s with the murder of Claire Tiltman parents live - in Stone, near Dart- of the birds dispersed across the flooded
e 21 years ago. ford, last September as part of their clay pits on the North Kent Marshes.
n The Crown Prosecution Service on-going investigations. Mr Orchard said: “This count is
has confirmed it is examining a dos- His father, Aubrey Ash-Smith, has probably the highest at a single site in
i
l sier presented by Kent detectives always strenuously denied his son Kent since 1961.
d who have continued to hunt for the was involved in her murder. “In my experience, the last two
a killer of the teenager, who was mur- The CPS says it is “considering a winters have seen the largest gatherings
e e dered on January 18, 1993. file of evidence submitted by Kent of waders and ducks in the history of
h Just last weekend, school friends of Police in relation to the murder”. Cliffe Pools.
Tilt, as she was known, gathered for It is believed a decision will be tak- “I have never before seen so many

e a special event to keep her memory en “in weeks rather than months”. shoveler in one place at one time - the
h alive at Dartford’s Princes Park and Last weekend her friends, who set total is four times the national threshold
t to mark the 21st anniversary of her up the Justice for Claire campaign and almost twice the international
s e paTsshien gD.artford Grammar pupil was TRAGIC: Claire Tiltman acenrdt weinb sitDe,a artttfeonrdd edw ah cihcahr ityra ciosend- tcharnecseh.”old for conservation signifi-
d
brutally stabbed to death just days £3,000. The money went to the El- The male shoveler has an enormous
a after her 16th birthday as she fore seeing anyone brought to justice. lenorLions Hospice, where Claire’s beak and striking plumage and is
m walked along an alleyway close to Although the name has not been mother Lin spent her last days before normally seen in much lower numbers,
her home in Greenhithe. She had confirmed, it is widely believed to be dying of cancer in 2008, and The less than a hundred.
h gone to see a friend. that of Colin Ash-Smith. Fire Fighters Charity. Claire had told The clay pits at Cliffe became an RSPB
Her parents fought tirelessly to The former milkman was quizzed friends she wanted to one day be- reserve in 2000 and are unique in the
c
keep the case alive, but both died be- at the time of Claire’s death but nev- come a fire fighter. Thames estuary for their saline lagoons.
i
h
w
s Get fit and raise cash Barrister’s key role in Flood hit area should
e
ri as Sport Relief is back Syrian deaths probe have ‘warning sirens’
o
t
S
SPORT Relief is returning in March, with a host of A SENIOR barrister from Canterbury was in the SIRENS should be installed in flood-hit Yalding in
events taking place over the main focus of the headlines this week after being behind a report an effort to better warn residents of impending
fundraising campaign - March 21-23. which seemed to provide proof of attrocities being floods.
One of the main activities will be mile-long conducted by the Syrian government. That is the call from Liberal Democrat council-
» Download your free sponsored runs, with events already scheduled Sir Geoffrey Nice, who lives in Adisham, was lor Rob Bird as the examination into last month’s
Kent News iPhone for Gravesend, Canterbury and Ashford. one of three international lawyers asked to flooding got under way at County Hall.
In addition, there will be swimathons in Whitsta- examine photographs of tens of thousands of Cllr Bird, who lives in Yalding, told KCC’s
and iPad App available ble, Tonbridge and Margate. dead prisoners. cabinet that official flood warnings by the
at the Apple App Store Last time Sport Relief was staged, in 2012, more They are believed to have been smuggled out Environment Agency failed to prepare people for
than £850,000 was raised in the south east region, of war torn Syria, along with the photographer that the severity of the flooding.
with the money going towards funding more than took them. He said: “Lives were put at risk during recent
60 projects across the region, as well as those in Sir Geoffrey, best known for leading the floods in Kent as a result of an inadequate warning
the world’s most deprived areas. international court prosecution of former Yugoslav system.
The last time the event took place, comedian dictator Slobodan Milosevic, said he believed the “KCC select committee inquiries following
» Follow us on John Bishop cycled, rowed and ran from Paris to evidence supported findings of crimes against floods in 2000 and 2007 both recommended
Twitter @kosmedia or London - running through Kent with a host of humanity carried out by the Syrian government, improvements to the system, including the use of
Facebook KOS Media celebrity chums including Chris Moyles and led by controversial leader Bashar al-Assad. sirens, but the lack of warnings were still a major
Frank Skinner. He described the find as “unusual and surpris- cause of concern 13 years later.”
In total he raised £1.6m for the charity. For more ing” and similiar in scale to that recovered by the Meanwhile, politicians were this week trying to
details on events in Kent see www.sportrelief. Allies at the end of the Second World War and get to the root of claims Yalding was a proposed
com. revealed during the Nuremberg trials. site for a new garden city. Full story on page 9.
6 Week ending January 26, 2014 KMI kent-life.co.uk kentnews.co.uk
agenda
What will make next week’s headlines…
Fresh talks over delayed
Service to beat bullies
Pleasurama site project
and abuse set to go live
THE on-going saga of Ram- The battle over the historic
CHILDREN’S charity the NSPCC is service in primaries, offering tools to gate’s Pleasurama site is back seaside entertainment site has
launching a groundbreaking new help children keep themselves safe on the agenda on Friday as a raged for years, with the project
service in primary schools across and where to get help. task group set up to examine plagued by delays caused by
Kent and Medway to help young- It involves the charity holding the development meets again. problems with funding by
sters deal with problems such as special assemblies, providing Sarah Walker, area coordinator Talks will involve a review of developers SFP Ventures.
bullying and abuse. definitions of abuse and places to for Kent and Medway, said: ”Our the current development Legal advice was sought by
The Now I Know campaign, to be get support if needed. volunteers will give children the agreement and discussions over Thanet council into the
launched on Friday in Palm Bay The second stage is an interactive confidence to talk about abuse, the the external legal advice sought development agreement and
School in Margate, will see the classroom workshop to reinforce knowledge to prevent it and the by Thanet District Council with whether the council can
roll-out of the new ChildLine schools the messages. courage to find help.” regards to the delayed scheme. enforce the current contract.
…also
BBC showcases railway Update on injury unit plan Talks on mental health Chinese New Year events
TWO episodes of BBC Two’s Great British HEALTH chiefs in Faversham will on MENTAL health services will be the topic CELEBRATIONS will begin next Friday for
Railway Journeys, featuring routes through Friday update County Hall members on of the day on Friday when County Hall Chinese New Year, kicking off a fortnight of
the county, are being aired this week. Faversham’s minor injury unit after plans to members discuss provision for patients. events across the county.
Ex-Tory politician Michael Portillo will be close it were put on hold. Child and adult services will be under Events will be held in locations including
taking viewers on a journey through towns A steering group has since been set up the spotlight as well as plans to implement Gravesend, Dover and the Medway towns.
including Gravesend and Dover in episodes in response to the huge outcry, made up of an adult mental health inpatients service A festival is also being organised by the
on Wednesday and Thursday at 6.30pm. campaigners, GPs and councillors. review in Kent and Medway. University of Kent.
kentnews.co.uk kent-life.co.uk KMI Week ending January 26, 2014 7
Not inconjunction with any other offer
8 Week ending January 26,2014 kent-life.co.uk www.kentnews.co.uk
Garden city plans uprooted
as ‘political scaremongering’
Amid rare unity, suggestions that flood
hit Yalding could be the site of a major
development, featuring thousands of
new homes, have received cross-party
condemnation. Joe Bill finds out more
P
LANS to build thousands authority “has not approached the
of homes in one of the Government” and “has never consid-
county’s most flood prone ered” a garden city at Yalding.
villages, transforming it Eric Pickles waded into the argu-
into one of a string of new ment admitting that he would like to
‘garden cities’, have been dismissed as see garden cities developed across the
“unfounded nonsense”. nation to help solve housing
In last weekend’s Daily Telegraph, problems.
Liberal Democrat leader, and deputy Speaking during an interview on
prime minister, Nick Clegg, called on Sky News, the minister did point to
his Conservative partners in the Coali- the possibility that a report had been
tion to be “up front and honest” about put forward by an “ambitious civil
plans to build major new developments servant” from another department
in Yalding, near Maidstone, and Ger- but once again denied any knowledge
rard’s Cross, in Buckinghamshire. of a report mentioning locations.
Both were touted as candidates for “It would be over my dead body as
garden city status by a ‘secret report’ far as I’m concerned”, said Lib Dem’s
from Whitehall. prospective parliamentary candidate
Garden cities are planned commu- for Maidstone, Jasper Gerard.
nities providing low density housing “Nick Clegg is trying to kick start a
mixed with open rural land. national debate, saying we need gar-
But since the story was first pub- den cities, which I completely agree
lished, the plans have been widely de- with. But Yalding is patently not the
rided locally, with even communities right place for it. It would be like the
minister Eric Pickles claiming he had lost city of Atlantis.”
no idea where the report naming Mr Gerard believes that Yalding’s
Yalding had originated. location on a flood plain should rule it
However, he did say there was out of any future development and
scope to build “one or two” garden also explained that the village was
cities in the UK and did not rule out not close enough to major road and
future plans. rail networks to warrant its redevel-
The choice of Yalding left many in opment. He said: “Even if it wasn’t so
the county baffled. It made national prone to flooding, there simply isn’t
headlines recently after being the the infrastructure there to do it.
worse hit area for flooding over “A new town like Milton Keynes
Christmas, and continues to be worked well because it was in open
dogged by its vulnerability to rivers prairie land, not of great value and
breaking their banks. close to rail and motorway networks,
And there was no-one more sur- where as Yalding isn’t.
prised than local politicians, all of “I have been on the phone to minis-
whom claimed they knew nothing of ters all week to make that point very
the proposals. clearly, and certainly on the Lib Dem
Conservative MP for Maidstone side of things, there is complete
Helen Grant said: “This appears to be agreement that Yalding isn’t a suita-
completely unfounded nonsense ble location.”
based upon allegations from un- Borough councillor for Maidstone’s
named sources. Marden ward, Steve McLaughlin,
“The people of Yalding have suf- said: “The conclusion I have come to
fered greatly in the recent floods. is that this is Lib Dem mischief mak-
“This kind of shameful political ing. All we can do is quote the hous- HOMES?: Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg, above middle, called on the Conservatives to tell the truth about their plans
scaremongering is the last thing that “ for Yalding, above right and top, but communities minister Eric Pickles, above left, said he knew nothing about them
this community needs at such a har-
As a nation we need
rowing time.” ing minister that there are no real where else beginning with Y. I would Jeffery, said: “Yalding needs a future,
Mrs Grant also claimed that hous- to have a debate about plans. The Lib Dems are quite good at expect this sort of thing to come yet all government seems to do is talk
ing minister Kris Hopkins has denied mischief making while the Tories get through on April 1. about more houses on flood plains
the existence of any document plan- garden cities. But on with the job in hand. “Yalding is a tiny, pretty village full while failing to protect those already
ning a garden city invasion of Kent. Yalding is patently not “To suggest a garden city should be of medieval churches and bridges, built.
She said: “It was confirmed in a re- placed there is bizarre, given all that and there is not a resident here that “The village has two options; the
cent parliamentary question that his the right place for it. It has gone on before. It’s not practical.” would be pleased about a develop- Government could invest massively
department has absolutely no plans to would be like the lost“ Local resident and Yalding parish ment, I think they would all lie down in flood defences to fight nature or it
impose new towns on any part of the council member, Vivienne Robinson, in the road to stop it happening.” could move people away from the
country and denies any knowledge of city of Atlantis. said she thought it was a practical joke. Kent’s Green Party also criticised worst of the flooding.
the alleged suppressed report.” She said: “I just think it must be a the development plan and has instead “Moving people, and potentially
Maidstone Borough Council was mistake. Nobody in their right mind called for either people to be moved some of the historic buildings in Yald-
also quick to deny any knowledge of could surely think Yalding is a great away from the area, or for more mon- ing, may be a more difficult political
Jasper Gerard,
development plans for the area with place for a garden city. I just wonder if ey to be spent on new flood defences. pill to swallow but it could provide the
leader Chris Garland adding that the Maidstone PPC for the Lib Dems they have got it mixed up with some- Chairman for Kent Greens, Stuart only long term solution.”
kentnews.co.uk kent-life.co.uk KMI Week ending January 26, 2014 9
Prisons, royal
Profile
suppers and a
love of gritty
inner cities...
F
...meet the ROM the toughest urban lain at the time. He was the kind of
neighbourhoods of inner person who, when he said something,
Bishop of city Birmingham to quaint you knew he meant it seriously.”
rural villages in Norfolk, the And so the seed was sown.
Rochester, the Rt Rev James Langstaff has, He admits, however, that he met
you could say, seen it all. with mixed feelings from his family.
Rt Rev James It seemed a perfect fit, then, when “My father occasionally went to
he was announced as the Bishop of church, my mother’s not particularly
Rochester in 2010, tasked with over- church-going, my aunt is, so there
Langstaff.
seeing a hugely diverse diocese were some influences there but I
stretching from the leafy, affluent wouldn’t see it as a strong strand in
Faced with a
west Kent borders, through to the less my childhood,” he said.
well-off Medway towns and into the “Their reaction when I chose that
diverse diocese,
urban grit of south London. path was mixed, to be honest.
With more than 200 parishes, “But at the time I was engaged and
his mission also some 260 or so churches and at a my wife’s family had much more
time when traditional congregations tradition in that way.
includes the were dwindling, it was undoubtedly a “Her grandfather was a priest and
big challenge. so they understood it more than my
thorny issue Add to that his more recent task of own family did in a way.”
leading the women bishop proposals He said he was “fairly relaxed”
of getting the – arguably one of the most conten- about the whole thing back then, in-
tious issues in the Church of Eng- stead taking it one step at a time.
General Synod land’s history – his time as the bishop But he admits the selection process
has been no walk in the park. was intense.
to support Just last year, he was also an- “It’s an unusual walk of life, which
nounced as bishop of prisons, sup- makes particular demands not only
women bishops. porting prison chaplains and speak- on the person themselves but on their
ing on criminal justice issues in the family as well. It’s a life choice.
Marijke House of Lords. “It’s therefore right that we take
He tells
But sitting in Bishopscourt, his res- seriously the whole process to discern
Cox idence in historic Rochester, he seems who’s called to it.”
what drives
calmly focused on the challenges And so he did his theological and
ahead. ministerial training in Nottingham
him and why the
Regarding the diocese, he admits and then went to his first post in
his previous experience stood him in Farnborough in Hampshire.
Church remains good stead. “I spent five years there in a fairly
“I suppose in terms of my own his- big, suburban church, very active,
so relevant. tory, having done urban in Birming- lots going on, which was great.
ham, suburban in Farnborough [in “But I think it was a feeling that it
Hmpshire] and rural in Norfolk, some wasn’t quite what I felt was my core
of that plays into different communi- calling because the next place I went
ties here,” he said. to was inner city Birmingham, very
“So I do understand small villages, urban, hugely deprived, and still
but I also understand serious urban quite a challenging area now. We
issues and we’ve got them all.” “
Rewinding back to his childhood, It’s an unusual
choosing such a religious path was
never an obvious choice. walk of life, which
He admits his family were not par- makes particular
ticularly church-going.
But while at university, studying demands not only on
politics and economics, he became
the person themselves
involved in a church group and was
eventually encouraged to think but on their family as“
about ordination.
“People who knew me in that walk well. It’s a life choice
of life began to ask questions of me,”
he said.
“A key person, who sadly died re-
cently, went on to become Bishop of The Rt Rev James Langstaff,
Coventry. He was a university chap- on following a life of worship
10 Week ending January 26, 2014 KMI kent-life.co.uk kentnews.co.uk