REFUGEE HILTON
Dear Editor
17/1/03
Thursday night in Sittingbourne at about 9.30pm proved to be a rather interesting evening, with the Karate finishing at the East Street Sports Centre it was decided to have a well deserved lemonade in Clarkees Bar. Naturally enough the conversation went round to the forthcoming visit of a hundred or so foreign visitors, guests of Tony Blair, to the town who will be staying at the REFUGEE HILTON (formally Coniston Hotel) and the disturbance in Gravesend where some more of Tony’s Guest had a disagreement with a few knives. While sipping his lemonade one participant in the conversation stated that this could not happen in Sittingbourne (ref Gravesend incident) as Superintendent Jan Stephens had said so in the paper.
Then and mighty cry was heard outside, a war cry that would shiver a normal person to the bone, the Bar emptied as we rushed out side and there we saw one man running for his life while three more chased him with sticks. The chasing men were of Eastern European origin as the profanities being shouted were not English and reference to Allah did give a clue that they were not English, but as one passer by said I was not be racist as they could have been Ethiopian, Afghanis tans, Zimbabweans or one of many other countries, I obviously apologised but pointed out that seeing a man in underpants and a vest running the through the streets trying to kill some one was unusual for a Town like Sittingbourne. The event was immediately reported to the Police, well I say immediately I tried the Local Police Station but got the compulsory answer machine telling me to press various buttons, this went on for a few minutes to know avail so I eventual had to telephone 999.
I had done my duty and retired to the bar where I treated myself to a Tomato Juice satisfied in the knowledge that Tony Blair’s visitors to the Refugee Hilton (formally the Coniston) will spend time learning English so at least I will know what they are saying when they run amuck in the future.
MIND YOU IT COULD NOT HAPPEN IN SITTINGBOURNE
I have tried to take a light hearted view on a very serious incident which took place on Thursday, contact the Police for more details.
Martin Clarke