The location of this year’s Kent Miners’ Festival marks a new beginning for the annual event.

Hosted at Betteshanger Community Park, at the site of the former pit, on Bank Holiday Monday, its main sponsor will be the firm behind the exciting redevelopment of the site: Hadlow College.

Chairman of the Kent Miners’ Festival Gary Cox said: “I am very excited to be working alongside the Hadlow Sustainable Parks Team and my new committee to organise and deliver this year’s KMF.

“I am very pleased to inform everyone that an agreement has been reached with the Hadlow Group, for our free community event to have a permanent home at Betteshanger.”

Like at previous festivals, Kent mining heritage exhibitions will be a popular attraction in the Heritage Marquee, alongside St Johns Fellowship group and Dover Museum & Arts Group which will bring something new and exciting along for this year.

Mr Cox added: “The Charity Marquee will be the centre piece of our new Disabled, Health & Wellbeing area. Many old and new charities and groups are joining us this year and they will be giving very important health checks, help and assistance, to this year’s visitors.

“We are always looking for something new and this year, we are very pleased that the Invicta Military Preservation Society from Betteshanger, will be putting on a spectacular military display.”

Betteshanger & Snowdown Colliery Brass Bands are playing again, joined by Betteshanger’s Youth Academy Brass Band. Funny entertainment will be provided by Stupidity, there will be dancers, fencing, a dog show will be organised by Betteshanger’s Dog Club, and Deal, Walmer and Kingsdown Regatta Association will host the Kent Coal Queen pageant – a revival of the very popular Coal Queen beauty contest of days gone by.

Dover Community Radio’s road show will be there along with their new cinema showing films from the past.

Aylesham & District Boxing Club will put on an exhibition and kids will be entertained by the fun fair rides.

“I must thank our sponsors, because without their kind generosity we would not be able to organise this free community event. They are Hadlow and their Betteshanger Sustainable Park contractors, Wilmot Dixon, KCC councillors Eileen Rowbotham and Mike Eddy, Deal Town Council, Walmer Parish Council, Sertuc, Unite, Aslef, local TUC and other union branches, Thompsons Solicitors, KCFT staff, Aylesham Trust and others.”

n Kent Miners’ Festival takes place between 10am and 5pm on Bank Holiday Monday, August 31, at Betteshanger Community Park, Sholden. Entry is free and free shuttle buses will ferry people to and from the festival. Visit: www.kentminersfestival.org.uk for time tables and more information.