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Wednesday March 20 | 2019
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THREE CHEERS: The staff of Atom Group celebrate as part of the company, Maverick Drinks, receives the Queen’s Award for Enterprise from the Lord Lieutenant of Kent, Viscount De L’Isle. Full story, page 2
Ralph held in Broadmoor after verdict of double manslaughter By Andy Tong andy@timesoftonbridge.co.uk A MAN has been convicted of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility after he killed two next-door neighbours in Hadlow. Jack Ralph was found guilty by a jury at Maidstone Crown Court yesterday [Tuesday] after he stabbed Margaret Harris, 78, and her daughter Sharon, 55, to death on Carpenters Lane on September 29 last year. He also stabbed Mrs Harris’s husband David, 76, and was convicted of his attempted murder. He will be detained indefinitely in a high-security psychiatric hospital. As reported in the Times last week, Ralph had Googled ‘how long for murder?’ the night before he attacked them with a carving knife in what he called a ‘blind rage’. The 28-year-old former chef and labourer had lived next to the Harris family with his mother Julie for 18 years.
He knocked on the back door of their house at 7.30am and attacked them with an 8in blade. The court heard Ralph had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia in 2017 and was under ‘non-statutory’ care of a community health team. He was prescribed anti-psychotic medication, and took a dose half an hour before the attack.
‘Mr Harris’s absence speaks eloquently of the unnatural horror of what you did’ He told psychiatrists he had heard voices ‘commanding’ him to kill his neighbours who were in ‘God’s bad books’. He said he had seen one of the Harris family wearing a red coat during the days leading up to the incident and thought this meant they were going to attack his mother.
Continued on page 2
NO WAY OUT: Motorists have found themselves stranded in the middle of the junction
New safety measures introduced to protect pedestrians outside station CHANGES have been made to the reconfigured junction outside Tonbridge railway station to alleviate concerns about safety. Half a million pounds was spent on the works, which took six months to complete. But the triple junction has caused confusion among pedestrians and motorists. The new design was supposed to help manage the flow of traffic, particularly at peak times when students are using the station and adjacent bus stops.
But drivers have complained of congestion backing up to Vale Road and Pembury Road. And Kent County Council [KCC] Highways felt compelled to issue a warning about the conduct of schoolchildren using the crossings. Tim Middleton, KCC’s Principal Transport Planner explained: “Part of the issue we are finding is the junction becomes blocked by vehicles who are entering when their exit is not yet clear.”
Continued on page 2
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Forge a new career at Jobs and Training Fair
HADLOW ATTACK: Continued from page 1 Ralph, who is being held in Broadmoor Hospital, was charged with two counts of murder and one of attempted murder. Judge Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb asked the jury if they found him not guilty by reason of insanity or guilty of manslaughter on the grounds of CHANGE: Jack Ralph was diminished originally charged with responsibility. two counts of murder On the count of attempted murder, she asked the seven women and five men whether they found him not guilty by reason of insanity or guilty. All the verdicts were unanimous and returned within two hours of the jury retiring. Mrs Harris was stabbed three times to her neck, her daughter suffered a fatal chest wound and Mr Harris sustained four stab injuries to his neck, ear, back and forearm.
STORM THE RAMPARTS: A tree estimated to be over 100 years old has fallen down on the Castle Motte. The mature oak was felled by high winds from Storm Freya. It had no external signs of disease but the roots were found to be suffering from a fungal infection. Photo by Kerry Barton, community, events and charity photographer. Go to Facebook @studio23photographykent and twitter @studio23_kent
By Andy Tong andy@timesoftonbridge.co.uk A DRINKS company from the town is raising a toast after receiving the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in international trade. Maverick Drinks, the distribution arm of Atom Group, won the accolade for ‘outstanding shortterm growth’ in overseas sales over three years. The Lord Lieutenant of Kent, Viscount De L’Isle MBE, presented the award at the company’s headquarters on Morley Road. Atom Brands produces a range of spirits including gin, whisky, rum, vodka and mixed cocktails. Maverick, which was founded in 2014, has seen overseas sales grow by 499 per cent since 2016. The proportion of total sales exported has more than tripled, and Maverick has broken into more than 50 new markets including the USA, Taiwan and Australia. Maverick’s Managing Director, Ben Ellefsen, said: “Our vision is a world in which every single
STATION LIGHTS: Continued from page 1 CONTACTS EDITORIAL DIRECTOR RICHARD MOORE richard@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk | 01892 779615 DEPUTY EDITOR EILEEN LEAHY eileen@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk | 01892 576037 REPORTER ANDY TONG andy@timesoftonbridge.co.uk DESIGN/PRODUCTION LEE SMITH lsmith8@markerstudy.com SALES ENQUIRIES GHak@onemediauk.co.uk | 01892 779650 FIND US ONLINE facebook.com/timeslocalnews timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk twitter.com/timeslocalnews
David Salomons Estate, Broomhill Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN3 0TF
CLARIFICATIONS AND CORRECTIONS HERE at the Times of Tonbridge we strive to deliver fair, accurate and balanced reports. When we don’t meet our own high standards we will accept the responsibility and publish clarifications and corrections. If you would like to make a comment on any aspect of the newspaper, please write to the editor at David Salomons Estate, Broomhill Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN3 0TF, or email newsdesk@timesoftonbridge.co.uk Markerstudy Leisure is a trading name of One Media and Creative UK Limited registered in England and Wales under company number 5398960 with registered office at 45 Westerham Road, Sevenoaks, Kent TN13 2QB.
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TWENTY-EIGHT local businesses and training providers will be showcasing their work and opportunities at the West Kent Jobs and Training Fair tomorrow [Thursday March 21]. The event will be at the Angel Centre from 10am to 2pm. The public can find out about job opportunities, setting up their own business, local apprenticeships and training schemes. Free workshops include: be your own boss, delivered by the National Centre for Micro Business [10.30am]; interview preparation and techniques by Interquest [11.30am]; and health and wellbeing through work, organised by Royal British Legion Industries [12:30pm]. Nicolas Heslop, Leader of Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council and Cabinet Member for Economic Regeneration, said: “There will be plenty on offer to help local people looking for new job opportunities across a range of different sectors and of interest to anyone in the job market, so if you are looking for a job or a change in career please just turn up.”
That’s the spirit: Queen’s Award for Maverick
Diminished Mr Harris was able to dial 999 before collapsing. He also suffered a heart attack and underwent surgery to repair a major neck artery. The police found Ralph sitting on a sofa in his living room. He told them: “I blacked out. I don’t know what came over me.” Prosecutor Philip Bennetts QC said four psychiatrists agreed Ralph was suffering from schizophrenia and his responsibility was diminished. The defence had argued that he was affected by his mental health condition to the extent that he did not know what he was doing was wrong. No one from the Harris family, including their two sons, were able to attend the trial or provide police with victim personal statements. Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb told Ralph: “The devastation that you have wrought on that innocent family will be a legacy Mr Harris has to face every day. “His absence in word and body speaks eloquently of the unnatural horror of what you did and the endless suffering he and all the loved ones will endure.”
Wednesday March 20 | 2019
He added: “The lights then change and drivers become ‘stranded’ in the junction. “This causes a change to the timings as the sensors pick up on the vehicles and then give extra time for the junction to clear before allowing pedestrians to cross. “This means that at some points it appears that no vehicle or pedestrian is allowed to proceed and the lights remain on red longer than they would have done.” Yellow box markings have been painted on the road to stop drivers entering the junction when their progress is blocked. The state-of-the-art traffic signals are designed to adjust their timings depending on traffic and pedestrians flows. Another problem has been that the ‘green man’ displays are situated at elbow height on the near side of the crossings, so pedestrians cannot see them if someone stands in front of them. “It is clear that most pedestrians are expecting to see the displays up high and naturally look to the far side of the road, as they would on a pelican crossing,” said Mr Middleton. “Puffin crossings, as the Tonbridge signals are, are becoming the new standard across the country as they can react to real world situations to alter the timings. “On puffin crossings the display units must be located on the near side. This is so that when the ‘green man’ is shown, the waiting pedestrians cross the road and anyone behind them who arrives late would be discouraged from crossing. “The sensors mounted on the poles will monitor the pedestrians who are crossing and give them
TOP TIPPLES: Maverick’s Managing Director Ben Ellefsen with Viscountess and Viscount De L’Isle drink is as close to perfect as possible. “Our exponential export sales growth over the past year is testament to one of our core values – zero compromise on liquid quality. more or less time to cross depending on how much time the pedestrian needs. “For example, older people who may walk more slowly will be given longer to cross. “If an additional person joins the crossing late the system will delay the traffic as long as it can. “To prevent this from happening, the ‘green man’ disappears relatively quickly compared to a pelican crossing, which is set on a timer.” Extra pedestrian displays have now been installed higher up on the poles but they are still placed on the near sides.
‘It appears that no vehicle or pedestrian is allowed to proceed – the lights remain on red longer than they would have done’ He said that audible signals to the puffin crossing might be included as a further safety measure in response to public concerns. Michael Payne, KCC Deputy Cabinet Member for Planning, Highways, Transport and Waste, said plans were ongoing to improve the traffic flow on the northbound carriageway of the High Street. Bus stop G, outside Caffe Nero, has been a consistent cause of complaint since the main thoroughfare was altered three years ago because it blocks traffic while loading laybys are sited either side of it. Cllr Payne said that during the summer the carriageway would be widened and a layby installed for buses to allow vehicles to pass. He also confirmed Southeastern has committed to providing a cycle hub in Barden Road.
“This award is the highest that can be bestowed on a UK company, and product quality alone doesn’t explain this monumental win.” He paid tribute to the sales team, headed by Nick Ravenhall, and the network of international distributors ‘who back our products to the hilt in an increasingly crowded, complex marketplace’. Mr Ellefsen said quality was crucial in a marketplace where smaller manufacturers are challenging the well-known mass producers. “The trend in the industry is, and has been for the last 10 years or so, towards ‘premium-isation’. People are drinking less, but better,” he said. “Our brands are all in the premium to super-premium segment and crafted without compromise.” So what does the future hold for this rapidly expanding business? “Maverick and Atom Brands will both grow hundreds of per cent this year, and this brings with it huge challenges. “We have never been more excited about the potential for the future, and hope to bring yet more exceptional products to discerning consumers the world over.”
Ex-police officer jailed for trying to meet child A FORMER police inspector who lives in Tonbridge has been sent to prison for three years and six months after arranging to meet a child with the intention of committing sexual offences. Glenn Jones, of Tutsham Way, was an inspector at Thames Valley Police. Jones travelled 50 miles to a shopping centre in Shoreham, West Sussex, to meet a young child. He was arrested at the scene by officers from the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit. The police investigation found that, between August 6 and September 26, Jones had spent significant time arranging the meeting. The 56-year-old was already a registered sex offender who previously served a sentence for making indecent images of children. He insisted he never intended to carry out any abuse and was just ‘curious’. Detective Inspector Emily Evans, who led the investigation, said: “It is clear he has not learned from his previous conviction. I am therefore pleased that he has been handed a custodial sentence reflective of his abhorrent ABHORRENT: Glenn Jones intentions.”
Wednesday March 20 | 2019
NEWS IN BRIEF
Principal of Hadlow Group steps down THE Principal of a college group under investigation for ‘financial irregularities’ has resigned. As reported in the Times in February, Paul Hannan, along with Deputy Principal Mark Lumsdon-Taylor, had both been suspended from the Hadlow Group following investigations by the Further Education Commissioner and the Education and Skills Funding Agency [ESFA] into the finances at two of its colleges. Mr Lumsdon-Taylor had resigned earlier this year but was suspended before his resignation came into effect. The ailing educational group is currently in receipt of government bailouts to prevent it from falling into administration. Both the Further Education Commissioner and ESFA have said they will not comment on any ongoing investigations.
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Time for dragon race teams to take up the challenge...
Car erupts into flames A MAN was thrown from his vehicle following a collision on Longfield Road at the weekend which saw a car erupt into flames. The accident happened in the early hours of Sunday morning when the car the man was driving collided into a parked car. A Kent Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said: “There were no people trapped in the vehicles, but one car was on fire and a male passenger in his early 20s needed medical attention due to being thrown from his vehicle during the crash. “Firefighters gave the man first aid and treated a woman in her 50s with oxygen therapy due to her suffering from shock.”
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By Joshua Walford The popular Dragon Boat Festival that has raised more than £3million for worthy causes, will be returning to Bewl Water this autumn. Last year, hundreds of paddlers took to the water while more watched from the shoreline as 24 teams competed in the racing itself. Previous events have been organised by Funraiser, but Markerstudy Leisure, which operates Bewl Water, has stepped in and taken over organising the event, which is now in its 22nd year.
Paddlers To be involved on the day, entrants will need a crew of 16 paddlers, who have to work together in a Chinese-style Dragon Boat to race over a 250-metre course. All competitors are required to wear fancy dress. Andrew Daniells, Chief Operating Officer at Markerstudy Leisure, said : “ We expect that this year up to 60 dragon boat teams will take to the water. “The races enable charities to support their good causes, whilst having a lot of fun and possibly getting a little wet.” To find out how to enter or get involved, email: info@dragonboatevents.com.
Roy Hudd at Salomons COMEDY legend Roy Hudd is at Salomons Estate this weekend, discussing his 63 years in show business, all in the name of a charity, ‘Mending the Gap’, which is attempting to get carers of people with disabilities paid leave from work to deal with emergencies. Mr Hudd said: “This is our very different chat show. Debbie (Hudd’s wife) interviews me about my long career – a collection of triumph, disasters, stories, songs and a lot of jokes.” An Afternoon with Roy and Debbie Hudd takes place at Salomons Estate on Sunday, March 24 from 2pm.Tickets are £20 and available at Shopmobility in Royal Victoria Place or by email at cm.jeffery@ blueyonder.co.uk.
Local News
Councillors deny Amelia accusations Amelia’ has always been about inclusion and access.” The letter was signed by Jane March, the cabinet member for Culture, Leisure and Tourism who is responsible for the cultural hub; Lynne Weatherly, the cabinet member for Communities and Wellbeing; as well as Tracy Moore, cabinet member in charge of Economic Development and Communication. Last week Cllr Moore had insisted she would have preferred the full name to be used for the cultural centre although it was ‘not her call’. Following criticism reported in last week’s Times, the Park ward councillor took to Twitter again, saying: “While I did think using Amelia Scott’s full name was preferable, I am persuaded that we will honour her legacy in many ways
By Richard Williams
COUNCILLORS have defended the decision to use the shortened name of ‘The Amelia’ for the new cultural and learning centre planned to replace the existing library and museum next to the Town Hall. They have dismissed claims they are ‘trivialising’ women by not using Amelia Scott’s full name for the £13.2million project. In an open letter, three female cabinet members of the council wrote: “We are extremely disappointed with suggestions that the council is trivialising or infantilising women in the naming of the Council’s new cultural and learning hub. “As female councillors we have worked extremely hard to ensure the new hub recognises and brings to the fore the life and work of Amelia Scott.” The councillors argued that buildings such as the Albert Hall are named after a person’s Christian name, and that ‘Scott’ was the name of Amelia’s father, ‘so an example of patriarchy.’ They continued: “Some people are also missing the point about what we STANDING TOGETHER are trying to achieve. Councillors (L-R) Moore, Weatherly and March The vision for ‘The
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inside the building.” She added that she ‘profoundly disagreed’ with the accusation on the front page of the Times that the council is ‘trivialising’ women. Dr Amanda Turner from the Women’s Equality Party in Tunbridge Wells, who had claimed the council were ‘trivialising’ Amelia Scott’s achievements and ‘infantilising women’ reacted to the open letter. She responded, saying: “With only 15 women in total out of 48 councillors, it is perhaps unsurprising that these women councillors feel that they had to fight very hard to put another woman into perpetuity and we acknowledge their collective efforts.” She added: “It shouldn’t be a guessing game and we can only avoid this if we dignify Amelia Scott by using her full name.” Mark Ellis, Liberal Democrat councillor, said some of the councillor’s arguments were ‘ridiculous’ and that the council were ‘clutching at straws’ in justifying the naming decision. He said: “I remain supportive of the development but this matter has just reinforced my view that the nature of decision making, consultation and announcements to the public is poor.” Tunbridge Wells Borough Council said the name had been selected following consultation with focus groups.
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Purdah kicks in as the council prepares for local elections in May THE Council has posted formal notice of the forthcoming local elections in May, officially starting the six-week pre-election period. On May 2, 17 seats are up for election in 16 wards. Prospective councillors have until April 3 to hand in their nomination papers. The six week registration period, also known as the ‘purdah’, prevents local government from making certain announcements about controversial initiatives that could be seen to be advantageous to any candidates or parties in the forthcoming election.
Rules It also governs the type of election material that political parties can produce, with strict spending limits enforced by the Electoral Commission. As reported in the Times in January, unofficial election fly posters that appeared around the town during Christmas would be in strict contravention of the purdah. All election material posted within the six week registration period needs to have a clear imprint, detailing which political party or candidate they are for. Last week Tunbridge Wells Borough Council released 14 YouTube videos entitled: ‘Your Town, Your Future’ outlining the council’s five-year plan for the town and featuring a number of councillors and members of the local community discussing the various developments in the town. These videos, which are not posted on the council website, may also have been deemed in contravention of electoral rules if they had been released after the official start of the pre-election period. The Council has said the timing of the videos, which were shot and paid for in-house, and the beginning of ‘purdah’, were just coincidental.
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Wednesday March 20 | 2019
Consultants forced to think outside the box in bid to beat office shortage By Richard Williams Newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk A SHORTAGE of commercial office space has led a Tunbridge Wells IT consultancy to adopt a unique approach when it comes to their expansion. Infinity Group, which is now one of Kent’s largest IT and telecoms support providers, was set up by partners Rob Young and Phil Jones in 2001, moved to Camden Road in the town centre nearly ten years ago. “We were in rural Ticehurst, so we needed to move somewhere where we could find people to employ,” recalled CEO Rob Young who has come out in support of the We Believe campaign by the Times. “When we were in Ticehurst, we advertised for new staff and received zero applications,” added partner Phil Jones. “This was during a time when there were four million unemployed. When we came to Tunbridge Wells, and we started recruiting here we had to halt applications in just two days after we received more than 100.” He said with lots of talent on tap, Tunbridge Wells also
offered a better work life balance for the existing staff at the group than if the firm moved to London, as they do not have to endure the London commute, but there are issues with the town. “We like it here. It is a nice town with a nice vibe, and not having the commute is a big driver
for people, but there is just not enough office space,” said Mr Jones. He said the IT firm, which now employs around 50 people, needs to recruit an additional 20 to 30 staff to meet the requirements of their company’s growth but the existing premises is not large enough.
‘We have looked for additonal office space but there simply isn’t any, and what there is in Tunbridge Wells costs around £25-30 a square foot’
INFINITY AND BEYOND Phil Jones (left) and Rob Young
He continued: “We are growing 20 percent year on year. The technology world just isn’t standing still, it is constantly evolving so we have to grow with it. “We have looked for additional office space but there simply isn’t any and what there is in Tunbridge Wells, costs around £25-£30 a square foot.” Thankfully, the business, which is an official partner to Microsoft and has an annual turnover of more than £7million, did have one asset that could answer their expansion needs. “This property came with an additional patch of land where there is this old builder’s shed,” explained Mr Young. “So we applied for planning, got it, and in the next few weeks work will start on a new office building.” The pair say they have invested £2million in the whole site and the new office building should be ready to move into by the end of summer.
Wednesday March 20 | 2019
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Final chance for businesses to stand out as sponsors at Times Business Awards HALF the sponsorship opportunities at the Times Business Awards 2019 have been taken as companies look to raise their profile at one of the top social and networking events of the year. For those wanting to get involved at the gala award evening at Salomons Estate on May 30, which this year has Strictly Come Dancing favourite Anton du Beke presenting the awards, there are now only a handful of opportunities still available.
THERE ARE FIVE CATEGORIES AWAITING SPONSORSHIP: Creative Business of the Year, a category for any company over two years old in any sector that can demonstrate creativity as well as adding value to the success of their business. Entrepreneur of the Year, open to dynamic individuals who are running their own business and are able to demonstrate significant success and drive in growing their company. Young Business Person of the Year, for entrants aged 30 or under by the closing date on April 24, who have a clear vision and strategy for their business. Best in Food and Drink Award, for businesses showing exceptional flair in their sector. Best Business with fewer than 25 employees, for owner-managers and small businesses that are continually innovating to support future growth.
BENEFITS OF SIGNING UP: Sponsors are guaranteed editorial coverage in both editions of Times Local Newspapers, exposure to over 220 guests from the local business community at the black tie gala awards ceremony, as well as inclusion in SO Magazine and
HEADLINE SPONSOR: The law firm Cripps is welcomed back as the headline sponsor for the 2019 Times Business Awards. The Mount Ephraim-based company, who provide corporate and personal legal services, have been involved with the event since it began back in 2016. Managing Partner, Gavin Tyler, explains why the law firm has chosen to get involved in the awards again. “Awards such as these are important in ensuring these enterprises are not only recognised, but that their efforts and contributions continue to
long time and act for a lot of young businesses. “We know how important it is that new businesses start up and how difficult it is to start one so we are delighted to acknowledge the success of this year’s cohort.”
extensive coverage on social media via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Those who sign up to be sponsors will be in good company, as sponsors to this year’s awards explain their reasoning for getting involved: be rewarded. “I am extremely passionate about our local business community, having been involved in it all my working life, and want to continue to help build its profile and reputation within the county and beyond.”
THE SPONSORS: James Partridge, Senior Partner, Thomson Snell & Passmore, sponsor of the 2019 Start-up Business of the Year award. “Thomson Snell & Passmore is delighted to sponsor the Start-up Business of the Year award again. We have been in the town for a very
How to enter the awards With ten categories to choose from, there’s an award for every business, whether a small family run concern, or a large international company—if you are based in Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge or the Sevenoaks district, you are automatically eligible to enter. Best of all, entry to any of the ten Business Award Categories is completely FREE and takes just minutes to complete: 1) Go to www.timesbusinessawards.co.uk to find out more information and see the range of categories for which you can enter your business. 2) Send an email to info@timesbusinessawards.co.uk with your contact details and we will send you an application form.
Michele Harriman Smith, CEO, Childrensalon, sponsor of the 2019 Family Business of the Year Award “It was wonderful sponsoring the Family Business of the Year Award in 2018. We enjoyed meeting other family businesses that are growing and experiencing the same challenges as we have and we look forward to taking part again in the future”.
Nick Green TW Branch Manager, Handelsbanken, sponsor of the of the 2019 Service Excellence Award “Handelsbanken Tunbridge Wells were delighted to sponsor an award last year for such a great local event, recognising and rewarding some
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2019
truly great local businesses and business people. “It gave us the chance to really cement our local banking approach, engage with the local business community and to meet new people.” John Bullock Design are sponsoring the Best Business 25+ Employees John Bullock Design has been a category sponsor of the awards since 2017. “As sponsor we enjoy extensive media coverage during the build up to the awards in the newspaper and via social media, but also at the gala awards evening at Salomons Estate - which is a superb networking event in its own right. “Our sponsorship positions us amongst other leading local businesses and has definitely increased our profile. We’ve also entered the awards and were delighted to win last year. “This was hugely motivational for our team and has been a great marketing sales tool which we’ve used throughout the year. This year we’re sponsoring the ‘Best Business 25+’ category...and we intend to win a couple more awards too.”
3) Or you can call simply call award’s organiser, Eileen Sweeney, on 01892 779 583.
The timeframe… Businesses wanting to get involved have until Wednesday April 24, 2019 to get their entry in. Each category will be shortlisted to three entries and shortlisted candidates will be notified by email on Monday April 29, 2019. Winners will be announced at the gala award dinner on May 30. Tickets are available priced at £95 per person or £850 for a table of 10. Numbers are limited and based on the previous four years, the award night will be a sell-out.
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Police unravel fake robbery of £320,000 from van on A21 THE GETAWAY The Audi that was torched by Williams
By Andy Tong andy@timesoftonbridge.co.uk THE A21 provided the backdrop for an elaborate plot to fake a cash-in-transit robbery two years ago, it has emerged. In the summer of 2017 the police were contacted by Jimmy Doolly, who told them he had been the victim of a robbery while driving a transit van on the dual carriageway near Tonbridge. The 35-year-old was working for a company that transferred cash from businesses to secure facilities. That day, August 28, he was working alone – and was carrying a larger amount of cash than usual, £319,408 in total. When officers arrived at the scene, Doolly alleged he had been stopped by an Audi car displaying blue lights. He said two men secured his wrists with cable ties, put him in the back of his van and used a stun gun on his leg before making off with bags of money. Doolly said he had managed to free himself and flag down a passing lorry. He also gave the police a partial registration number for the Audi. Soon afterwards, a black Audi with a matching registration number was set on fire near the A25 at Brasted, near Sevenoaks. A lighter was found by a police dog and was taken for analysis. An investigation was launched by the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate. It was established the Audi had followed Doolly’s own car from Surrey to his place of work on the day of the incident, then tailed his security van when it drove from the premises. Enquiries revealed that an associate of Doolly, William Williams, travelled from Surrey on that day to a place near to the scene of the alleged robbery, then the
COMPLEX CONSPIRACY William Williams (left) and Jimmy Doolly location where the Audi was set on fire. A week later, Williams left the country on holiday. Detectives went to the address of one of his relatives and found a holdall he had left there. It contained more than £70,000 – and the 43-year-old’s fingerprints were found on the bag containing the cash. A search warrant was issued for Williams’ home in Caterham, where officers recovered a stun gun, a dismantled pistol, two blank cartridges and three cannabis plants. Williams was arrested at Gatwick Airport on September 12 when he
returned from holiday. When Williams’ DNA was taken it was found to match samples that were found on the lighter recovered near the burned-out Audi. On November 1, detectives also arrested Doolly, and both were charged with conspiracy to steal. At Maidstone Crown Court they denied the charge, but after a 19-day trial, both were found guilty. Doolly was jailed for four years and six months and Williams was sentenced to six years. Detective Inspector James Derham said: “This complex conspiracy was planned by associates from the same area of Surrey who had significant personal debts. “Their planning soon unravelled when investigators, who suspected an inside job, started to identify links between the van driver and Williams, who was in the area at the time of the robbery and assisted with removal of the cash and then set fire to the Audi.”
Tunbridge Wells ‘not immune’ as knife crime doubles in the borough By Richard Williams Newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk TUNBRDGE WELLS is not immune to the knife violence that has been branded a ‘National Emergency’ by police officials, according to the latest figures. The number of knife related offences in the borough has more than doubled in 12 months, with 30 incidents in Tunbridge Wells during the year of 2017-2018. During the same period in 2016-2017, only 14 knife crimes were recorded. The Community Safety Manager for the Borough Council, Terry Hughes, confirmed the latest statistics and admitted the town is ‘not immune’ to knife related crime, but warned the figures may not necessarily relate to ‘violence’. “It is hard to pin down what the actual data means, as it may well be somebody arrested for another offence and found in possession of a knife.” He said the council will be conducting an operation with several partners, including Kent Police, during the spring to understand the issues that affect the borough. “It partly includes education, but also we want to get a clearer picture of what is going on.
“We do not have the problems of Birmingham or London, but the potential is there, so we need to understand how it is related to domestic violence or to drug use. “We have our own issues with domestic violence and we have our own cohort of class-A drug users, so we are not immune.”
Grim Nationally, the figures make for grim reading, with knife crime having been on the rise since 2014, reaching a peak in September 2018, according to the last report from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). In England and Wales, the number of offences involving knives or sharp instruments went up by 8 per cent to 39,818 compared with 36,776 offences recorded the previous year. London has the largest proportion of knife crime, with 35 per cent of all knife offences recorded in the capital. However, incidents involving knives, blades, or other sharp instruments, have doubled in Kent over the last eight years. According to the ONS statistics, there were 873 recorded incidents in the county for the year ending September 2018—up 22 per cent on the 2016/2017 figures.
PROACTIVE POLICING While the level of knife violence in the area is tiny compared to cities such as London, there have been a number of incidents recently. This month, a thief stole a bottle of vodka from Sainsbury’s Local in St Johns Road, and pulled what police believe was a knife on a member of the public who challenged the man. Officers are also still appealing for witnesses following a stabbing in Vale Road, Tonbridge, in February that left a 19-year-old badly hurt. Deputy Chief Constable Tony Blaker from Kent Police said: “In Kent we have seen an increase in the number of offences involving a knife or sharp instrument. “Officers have and continue to take a proactive approach in targeting, arresting and prosecuting people who carry knives or sharp instruments which has played a part in contributing to this increase. “We have worked hard on education and intervention in the last year with officers, Police Community Support Officers and volunteer police cadets regularly visiting schools, colleges and youth clubs.”
Wednesday March 20 | 2019
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Savills sees ten per cent growth but warns of global uncertainties in 2019 SAVILLS, the international real estate advisor with branches in Tunbridge Wells and Sevenoaks, has announced a year-on-year revenue rise of ten per cent, with profits up by £3.2million. Group revenue now stands at £1.76billion, which the company said is down to strong growth from Europe and the Middle East, as well as North America. Commenting on the results, Mark Ridley, Group Chief Executive, said: “Savills delivered both revenue and
underlying profit growth in 2018, driven by a robust second half of the year. “In addition to maintaining or growing our share of transactional markets, the performance of our less transactional business lines was key to this performance.” He added the group also made a solid start to 2019, but the year ahead was ‘overshadowed’ by ‘political uncertainties’, which he warned could ‘result in declines in volumes in a number of markets’.
Wednesday March 20 | 2019
South-East push for digital skills A NEW partnership is beginning in the South East to ensure businesses in the region are equipped with the skills needed to meet the demands of an increasingly tech-focused future. The Digital Skills Partnership [DSP] brings together businesses, public sector organisations and the charitable sector to ensure there are enough people in the South East with the right digital skill set. The South East Local Enterprise Partnership [SELEP] is coordinating the partnership with the government’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport as well as big tech firms such as Google and IBM,
along with local digital SMEs. As reported in the Times in recent weeks, technology-focused skills are in much demand by businesses in the South East, with some of the highest number of employment vacancies in digital tech. Digital Minister Margot James said: “Businesses need people with the skills to thrive in the modern digital age. The new South East Local Digital Skills Partnership will help people get the skills that businesses need. “This government’s modern industrial strategy is devoted to making sure everyone can enjoy the benefits of our thriving
digital economy and help build a Britain fit for the future.” Christian Brodie, Chair of SELEP, added: “We made a compelling case for a South East DSP and we are delighted it has been recognised by the government. “In order to improve our economic productivity, we urgently need to improve digital skills in our communities by training, upskilling and reaching out to educators. This will help inform young people and adults of potential career routes, help those looking to return to the workplace and also support those who are currently disengaged from digital skills.”
Mothers are the new wave of entrepreneurs giving a boost to business in the local area FEMALE entrepreneurs could boost the national economy by up to £250billion a year, if the UK only matched the same level of female entrepreneurship as other nations, a new report claims. Released to coincide with International Women’s Day earlier in March, The Rose Review, compiled by Alison Rose, Deputy Chief Executive of NatWest Holdings and Chief Executive of its commercial and private banking arm, calls for more opportunities for women, both in the workplace and in their own entrepreneurial right.
“Whilst we are working hard to bust myths surrounding part-time or flexible workers, there is still a lot of work to be done to change attitudes,” she said. “Without access to more flexibility, women have taken to starting their own business, allowing them to take control.” According to the last report by the Office for National Statistics [ONS], female entrepreneurs in Tunbridge Wells are the highest paid in the county, earning more than their counterparts in the rest of Kent, and more than £30 per
Thriving Last year, women-owned businesses contributed £105billion to the UK economy, an increase of 40 per cent since 2012, but the review claims that only six per cent of UK women now run their own businesses, compared with 15 per cent in Canada, 11 per cent in the US, and more than nine per cent in Australia. Close to 12 per cent of men in the UK run a business, nearly double the number of female entrepreneurs, who face additional challenges according to the report, such as being twice as likely to cite caring responsibilities as a barrier to beginning a business than men. But in Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge, female entrepreneurs are thriving, and many are doing so while juggling with being a parent. Andrea Starbuck, who runs local recruitment agency Ten2Two, that specialises in finding women – particularly mothers – employment, says the reason that so many women are going it alone here is a lack of flexibility by employers.
SUPPORT AND SUCCESS Mums in Business celebrate their tenth year
week extra than the national average. Part of the reason for this is due to the support for female entrepreneurs in the area. “We have well in excess of 1,000 mums in business across Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge and Sevenoaks,” said Claire Witz, who runs the Tunbridge Wells branch of Mums in Business, which has just celebrated its tenth anniversary. “We are a large, well established group that has been meeting every month since 2009 to provide support, inspiration, education, networking and friendship for women who
set up and run businesses around their families,” she continued. “This area is bursting with talented female business owners, and we have a thriving entrepreneurial culture and small business community. “This has created a real entrepreneurial community which is self-perpetuating, because starting and running a business becomes seen as the norm and a viable possibility for so many more people when they see it going on around them.”
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Wednesday March 20 | 2019
Spend Lent eating Fairtrade chocolate to give women farmers a living income By Andy Tong TUNBRIDGE WELLS has backed a Fairtrade Fortnight campaign calling for a ‘living income’ for the world’s poorest farmers and agricultural workers – focusing on cocoa farmers, and particularly women. Mandy Flashman-Wells, of the Tunbridge Wells Fairtrade Town Group, said: “Fairtrade Fortnight is the time of year when we celebrate the people who grow our food. “Many of them live in some of the poorest countries in the world and who are often exploited and badly paid. “These farmers produce many foods that we take for granted – tea, sugar, coffee and cocoa – but they often can’t afford life’s essentials, such as housing, food, safe drinking water, medicine and education.” In 2016 a crash in global prices put most cocoa farmers in West Africa below the poverty line. They earn less than 78p a day – but they need to earn a minimum of £1.86 a day in order to achieve a living income. Meanwhile, many chocolate companies make massive profits – the UK chocolate industry is worth £4billion each year. Most of the world’s cocoa comes from Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire, but only a fraction of the crop exported from West Africa is certified as a Fairtrade product. Mandy said: “Cocoa farming households headed by women are often in a far worse situation than those headed by men. “Despite their hard work, both in the field and in the home, they’re overlooked and underrepresented, and usually see even less income than equivalent households headed by men.” She added: “It is well known that directing
JOINING FORCES: Amanda Cottrell (left) with ellenor’s Chief Executive Claire Cardy
Prestigious new patron for ellenor
MARKET FORCES: The Tunbridge Wells Fairtrade Town Group receive the renewal of their status at The Pantiles stall: (l-r) Jacqueline Franklin, Linda Rowe, Caroline Auckland, Mandy Flashman-Wells, Jessica Watson, Mayor Len Horwood, Mayoress Judy Horwood and Connor Flashman-Wells more independent income into the hands of women accelerates the development of the whole community. So this year the Fairtrade #SheDeserves campaign seeks to highlight the importance of supporting women farmers.” Instead of giving up chocolate for Lent, the Tunbridge Wells Fairtrade Town Group is calling on the public to use only Fairtrade certified chocolate and cocoa. “It is the perfect time to take a stand for the cocoa farmers and indulge yourself with Fairtrade chocolate treats,” said Mandy. “Host a coffee morning with your own chocolate cake creations, or hold a bake-off competition – and don’t forget to buy Fairtrade Easter eggs.
“And if your favourite shops don’t sell Fairtrade chocolate, write to them and say why it is important. Together we can fight for living incomes and a fairer world.” The Tunbridge Wells Fairtrade Town Group had a stall in The Pantiles market this month promoting the #She Deserves campaign. The Mayor of Tunbridge Wells, Len Horwood, was presented with a certificate to mark the renewal of Fairtrade Town status. If you would like to join, email: contact@twfairtrade.org.uk The Fairtrade Foundation is running a petition calling for a living income for farmers, which has been signed by 22,000 people. To sign it, visit action.fairtrade.org.uk
THE former High Sheriff of Kent, Amanda Cottrell, has been appointed patron of local charity ellenor. She will help raise awareness of the charity, which provides hospice care for people of all ages in their place of choice, and is the only charity providing children’s nursing care in the home. Ms Cottrell has served as a magistrate for more than 20 years, and was awarded an OBE in 2011 in recognition of her services to the county. She is also patron of both Visit Kent and Produced in Kent, a Kent Ambassador, and a Liveryman and Freeman of the City of London. “I am delighted and honoured to be appointed patron of ellenor,” she said. “I have worked with them for some time and thus have had the chance to see the remarkable work they do. I look forward to being able to add something to this exceptional cause.” She visited the Gravesend hospice last week and spent time with patients, volunteers and staff. Chief Executive Claire Cardy said: “Amanda has been a long-term supporter of ellenor and we are delighted and honoured that she has chosen to support our charity as a patron.”
Wednesday March 20 | 2019
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Community News
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Green shoots of progress as students at Oakley College cultivate their skills STUDENTS from Oakley College in Tonbridge have created a stunning flowerbed to greet visitors to the town’s cemetery. The community project was backed by Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council, who provided the space, prepared the bed and purchased the plants. The young people created their own design and chose the plants to add a splash of different colours at the entrance to Tonbridge Cemetery in Shipbourne Road. Councillors for Castle ward Vivian Branson and Owen Baldock visited the students as they started the project, which will continue throughout the spring and summer. Cllr Baldock said: “We’re proud to support such a worthwhile project that will benefit both students at Oakley College and the wider community. “I hope that visitors to the cemetery enjoy the new planting. A great deal of hard work and learning has gone into the plant bed.” Oakley College, in Waveney Road, is affiliated
to the school of the same name in Tunbridge Wells. It opened in September last year to meet the needs of young adults aged 18 to 25 with learning difficulties or disabilities. It currently offers two learning pathways. A programme of study and work-related learning and experience will lead to further vocational training, apprenticeships and employment. There is also a programme providing up to three years for young adults to continue to develop their personal life and independent living skills. Horticulture is one of the subjects on offer for learning outside the classroom, while other topics include life skills and food technology. Teacher Jackie Ellis said: “This project is part of the curriculum and aims to introduce students to new skills that will help them develop confidence and gain independence in a live working job role. “The students have really enjoyed planning the bed by using design skills, sharing ideas and decision-making in selecting plants.”
POT LUCK: Tonbridge Lions President Tom Simmons pours tea for Gladys Tuxford, aged 103, with his wife Vanessa Simmons (left) and the Mayor of Tonbridge & Malling Pam Bates
Lions make music at afternoon tea TONBRIDGE’S Lions Club treated 140 elderly people who live alone to afternoon tea and entertainment at the town’s Baptist Church. The guests enjoyed entertainment provided by the Lions members and the cast of the Tonbridge Community Pantomime. There were also guest performances from 11-year-old Hannah Packham, who sang Never Enough from the film The Greatest Showman, and Ken Packer, who played a clarinet solo. The Tringham sisters performed songs they have composed, while Hannah Bruce and Simon Denton sang popular songs from the Sixties.
Musical accompaniment was also provided by Mike Golding (guitar), Chris Coverly (keyboard), Alan Baker (guitar) and John Nye (drums). The Mayor of Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council, Pam Bates, was on hand to help pour tea for the eldest guest, 103-year-old Gladys Tuxford. The local service organisation has been hosting the event for more than 40 years, and Richard Packham, Chairman of the organising committee, said: “It gives us all great pleasure to see so many people enjoying themselves, and we thank our guest artists and musicians for making the entertainment show go so well.”
BEDDING IN: Councillors Owen Baldock and Vivian Branson join Mark Foster from Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council and students and staff from Oakley College by the flowerbed at Tonbridge Cemetery
Wednesday March 20 | 2019
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National News
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May tells Cabinet her deal must be approved as ‘crisis comes to pass’ THERESA MAY has voiced her ‘absolute determination’ that MPs should have another chance to vote on her Brexit deal, despite the intervention of the Commons Speaker. John Bercow provoked uproar at Westminster on Monday when he ruled that the Government could not bring the Prime Minister’s deal back for a third ‘meaningful vote’ unless there were substantial changes. But in a 90-minute discussion when her Cabinet convened, Mrs May made clear she wanted MPs to have another vote ‘as soon as possible’. Her official spokesman said: “What you can see from the Prime Minister and her colleagues is an absolute determination to find a way in which Parliament could vote for the UK to leave the European Union with a deal.
Clear “The Prime Minister has been very clear throughout that she wants that to happen as soon as possible.” He said that Mrs May had already said that if her deal was voted down a second time – as happened last week – they would be ‘in crisis’. He added that events on Monday suggested ‘that situation has come to pass’. He confirmed that Mrs May would write to European Council president Donald Tusk ahead of tomorrow’s EU summit in Brussels about an extension of the Article 50 withdrawal process. The Leader of the House Andrea Leadsom is understood to have told the meeting: “This used to be the Cabinet that would deliver Brexit and
now from what I’m HE’S BACK hearing it’s not.” Boris Johnson arrives The Prime Minister at the Cabinet Office previously said if the deal was defeated in last week’s vote there would have to be an extended delay to Brexit with the UK staging European Parliament elections in May. But the spokesman said: “She has said in the House of Commons that she does not want there to be a long delay and she believes asking the British public to take part in European elections three years after they voted to leave the EU would represent a failure by politicians.” VOTE LEAVE FINED FOR 200K TEXTS Downing Street confirmed discussions were continuing with the Democratic Unionist Party Pro-Brexit campaign group Vote Leave has which props up the Government at Westminster been fined £40,000 for sending thousands of – in an effort to build support for the deal after unsolicited text messages in the run-up to the last week’s 149-vote defeat. EU referendum. Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson - one of The Information Commissioner’s Office said the most strident opponents of the Withdrawal the organisation sent 196,154 messages and Agreement - was also seen entering the Cabinet was unable to provide evidence recipients had Office for talks. consented as required by electronic marketing The Prime Minister’s spokesman said: “She is law. They said Vote Leave claimed it deleted speaking with and having meetings with colevidence of consent relied upon to send the leagues and a lot of those meetings have been messages after the referendum in 2016. focused on Brexit.”
South-East could run out of water in 25 years ENGLAND may not have enough clean water in 25 years – especially in the heavily populated South-East – the Environment Agency warns. Action is needed by the public to reduce their water use, water companies must cut leaks and new desalination plants and reservoirs must be built, chief executive Sir James Bevan claims. He told a conference that wasting water must become ‘as socially unacceptable as blowing smoke in the face of a baby or throwing your plastic bags into the sea’. Demand for water is set to rise as the population increases, while supplies are likely to shrink because of climate change with hotter, drier summers and less predictable rainfall. The lack of water will also hit wildlife and habitats which are already under threat from the
growing demand for drinking water. But if individual consumption was cut from 140 litres a day in England to 100 litres by 2050 and leakages were halved, it would provide enough water for an additional 20million people without taking any more from the environment. Sir James said: “Demand for water will rise as the population grows, whilst water supply is likely to reduce as the effects of climate change kick in. “Around 25 years from now, where those two lines cross is known by some as the ‘jaws of death’ - the point at which we will not have enough water to supply our needs, unless we take action to change things. “We can foresee this moment and there is still time to avoid it.”
Two men held after Cookstown deaths TWO men have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter following the deaths of three teenagers outside a disco in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. Lauren Bullock, 17, Morgan Barnard, 17, and 16-year-old Connor Currie died after a crush outside the Greenvale Hotel in Cookstown on Sunday night. One of the teenagers died at the scene. The others died later in hospital, where a number of other teenagers were treated for crush injuries. The deaths occurred when a large group of young people had been waiting to get into a disco at 9.30pm.
Lorries queue on the A20 to enter the Port of Dover as French customs officers continue their work-to-rule industrial action to protest over pay and show the effect Brexit will have on cross-Channel passengers
Police Service of Northern Ireland are examining CCTV footage, which they say shows as many as 400 people outside the hotel before the crush began. Det Chief Supt Raymond Murray said they were fortunate that more people were not killed. “In these circumstances we are looking at three deaths... Bad enough, a horrendous tragedy, but we could easily could be looking at more,” he said. They have tracked down 160 witnesses, and reassured others they will not face questions about being under-age if they come forward. Officers have asked people who were at the event and who may have video or photographs not to publish them online but to upload them to the Major Incident Public Portal. Last night, two men, aged 40 and 52, were detained and were taken to Dungannon for questioning.
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National News
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Lab meat on shelves ‘in four or five years’ MEAT grown from cells in a laboratory could be on sale in shops within five years, scientists say. The product, known as cultured meat or clean meat, involves a biopsy being taken from an animal such as a pig or cow. Stem cells from that sample are then placed in a reactor in a laboratory. They are fed a solution of glucose, amino acids, vitamins and minerals. Researchers at the University of Bath are growing cells on blades of grass, allowing them to multiply and become the mature muscle cells that form cultured meat. Dr Marianne Ellis, senior lecturer in biochemical engineering, said the current texture of cultured meat makes it suited to sausages and burgers. However, it is hoped that products such as steak and bacon will be developed in the future. Dr Ellis described the process of creating cultured meat as ‘very expensive’ in its present form but said work was being undertaken to reduce those costs. She said: “In terms of when we’re likely to see it in the supermarkets, probably the most advanced company at the moment is Mosa Meat and they are predicting four to five years.”
RAW MATERIALS: Dr Marianne Ellis works with stem cell meat at the University of Bath
UNDER ATTACK Dame Kelly Holmes has been accused of being ‘transphobic’
Wednesday March 20 | 2019
NEWS IN BRIEF
Beckham to face public hearing over car mobile DAVID BECKHAM will face a full court hearing for driving his Bentley while using his mobile phone in London’s West End. The footballer admitted using the device while driving in Great Portland Street, after being spotted by a member of the public on November 21. After a closed hearing at Bromley Magistrates Court yesterday [Tuesday], the case was adjourned to an open court at Lavender Hill on April 17 ‘to show cause’.
Sir David’s Netflix bow
Dame Kelly calls on Olympics to research trans athlete benefits DAME Kelly Holmes is writing to the International Olympic Committee asking for more research on the ‘residual benefits’ of being a transgender athlete. She has joined her fellow former athletes Paula Radcliffe and Sharron Davies to pursue the controversial issue. The double gold-medallist from Hildenborough agreed with their claims that male-to-female trans athletes should not be allowed to compete in women’s sport. Dame Kelly, 48, was described as ‘transphobic’ by trans cyclist Rachel McKinnon, who called on her sponsors to take action. The former distance runner said that her comment was ‘ridiculous’. Under IOC guidelines, athletes who have transitioned from male to female are required to have kept their levels of testosterone - a hormone that increases muscle mass - below a certain
level for at least 12 months. Former swimmer Davies said: “We all need a safe and fair place to compete.” The 1980 Olympic silver medallist said the private letter had gained support from ‘loads” of elite athletes but called on more to back her. Tennis legend Martina Navratilova wrote in the Sunday Times that the participation of transgender women in women’s sport could be equivalent to ‘cheating’. She later apologised for using the term. Marathon world champion Radcliffe told BBC Sport earlier this month that more research is needed to establish an appropriate level of testosterone in transgender women in order to create fair competition. The IOC said it expected to publish updated guidelines after a lengthy consultation with various stakeholders.
THE first trailer for Sir David Attenborough’s new wildlife series on Netflix was aired for the first time yesterday ahead of its release on the streaming service on April 5. The naturalist and broadcaster lends his voice to the eight-part series showcasing the planet’s most precious species and fragile habitats while looking at what steps can be taken to preserve them. It will be shown in more than 190 countries, in 10 different languages, with Penelope Cruz and Selma Hayek among the other narrators.
London’s frozen – soon FROZEN the musical is heading to London’s West End next year. The stage adaptation of the animated movie has been a hit on Broadway. A new version will reopen the refurbished Theatre Royal Drury Lane in 2020. Casting for the production, which will be directed by Michael Grandage, has not yet been announced.
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1,000-plus jobs at risk after Office Outlet fails OFFICE OUTLET has gone into administration, putting 1,200 jobs at risk in 90 stores. The retailer, formerly known as Staples, is not connected to the online-only business which trades under the Staples name. Stores will continue trading while the business is marketed to potential new owners. Deloitte administrator Richard Haws said: “In addition to a general downturn in trading as a result of the ongoing decline in the stationery market and UK retail in general, the company has recently experienced a reduction in credit from key suppliers, given the economic outlook which has severely impacted the financial position of the company. “We are hopeful a buyer can still be found for the business in the coming weeks and we will continue to trade the business with that aim in mind.”
Standard Life wins Lloyds deal tribunal STANDARD LIFE Aberdeen [SLA] has said a tribunal has ruled that Lloyds Banking Group did not have the right to end a mammoth £100billion contract with the asset manager. The tribunal found that Lloyds was not entitled to give notice to terminate the investment management agreements between the two firms. SLA said it will continue to manage the assets ‘in the best interests’ of Lloyds customers. Lloyds had claimed it was entitled to end the agreement due to competition issues with its Scottish Widows business, which were created by the merger of Aberdeen and Standard Life in 2017. Lloyds dealt the blow to the asset management giant in February 2018, when it announced it was ending the contract - SLA’s largest single client - citing a material competitor clause.
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Sainsbury’s pledges to reduce prices by £1bn to help merger
Sainsbury’s said the flaws were ‘compounded by the CMA’s choice of a threshold for identifying competition problems that does not fit the facts and evidence in the case and that is set at an unprecedentedly low level, therefore generating an unreasonably high number of areas of concern’. Last month, the CMA found 629 areas where there could be a substantial reduction in competition in supermarkets as a result of the tie-up, and a further 290 areas where online competition could be reduced. But Sainsbury’s and Asda have now pledged to make a number of post-merger commitments, should it be approved. It includes investing £1billion a year in lowering prices by the third year of the deal completing, equating to a 10 per cent cut on everyday items.
NEWS IN BRIEF
UK employment at highest since 1971 RECORD numbers of people are in work, while the UK’s jobless rate has fallen below 4 per cent for the first time since 1975. Average earnings increased by 3.4 per cent in the year to January, down by 0.1 per cent on the previous month but still outpacing inflation. Employment increased by 222,000 in the quarter to January to 32.7 million, the highest since records began in 1971, reported the Office for National Statistics. Unemployment fell by 35,000 to 1.34million, 112,000 lower than a year ago, giving a jobless rate of 3.9 per cent
SAINSBURY’S has claimed there are ‘significant errors’ in the competition watchdog’s report into its £12billion merger with Asda. The supermarket insists the tie-up will deliver £1billion in savings for shoppers as the deal hangs in the balance. In a stock market update Sainsbury’s said it strongly disagrees with the Competition and Markets Authority’s [CMA] provisional findings into the merger. The CMA warned the deal could be blocked unless the two companies sell off significant stores or even one of the brands.
‘We are trying to bring our businesses together so that we can help millions of customers make significant savings’
Wednesday March 20 | 2019
Gym Group is healthy That will be funded by an estimated £1.6billion in cost savings, which will be secured by lowering purchase prices from suppliers, putting Argos stores into Asda, jointly buying shared goods and services and reducing central costs. Sainsbury’s also promised to cap its fuel gross profit margin to no more than 3.5p per litre for five years, while Asda will guarantee its existing fuel pricing strategy. Sainsbury’s chief executive Mike Coupe and Asda boss Roger Burnley said: “We are trying to bring our businesses together so that we can help millions of customers make significant savings on their shopping and their fuel costs, two of their biggest regular outgoings. “We hope that the CMA will properly take account of the evidence we have presented and correct its errors. We have proposed a reasonable yet conservative remedy package and hope the CMA considers this so that we can deliver the cost savings for customers.”
LOW-cost fitness operator The Gym Group posted another year of rapid growth in a booming market. The chain brought in revenue of £123.9million during 2018, up 35.6 per cent on the year before. Adjusted pre-tax profits rose 19.4 per cent to £14.4million. During the period the group opened 17 new gyms and acquired another 13 from easyGym, taking its total to 158 sites.
Kier Group turnaround KIER GROUP has appointed Andrew Davies as chief executive. He has been brought in to lead a turnaround at the troubled construction firm, which is working on the new HS2 railway line. Mr Davies will replace former boss Haydn Mursell, who left less than two months ago in the wake of a £250million emergency rights issue, which was snubbed by nearly two-thirds of investors.
Times 2019 LOCAL NEWSPAPERS
DON’T MISS OUT ON THE GALA NIGHT OF THE YEAR The Times Business Awards are set to be even bigger and better this year. And there’s a chance for everyone to get involved, from those who want to enter, to those who would like to sponsor a category and others who simply want to enjoy one of the biggest social and networking nights of 2019.
ENTRY DEADLINE IS BY 6PM WEDNESDAY 24TH APRIL 2019
There are ten exciting categories to enter - including some new ones – all of which reflect and celebrate the wealth of talent we have in the boroughs of Tunbridge Wells, Sevenoaks and Tonbridge & Malling. The Times Business Awards shine an important spotlight on our area’s unique entrepreneurial spirit and impressive business acumen. Guest speaker at the gala night, which takes place on Thursday May 30 at Salomons Estate in Tunbridge Wells, will be BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing legend: Anton du Beke. He’s been a favourite on our TV screens since 2004, when Strictly was first aired, and has since gone on to star in numerous West End productions and other TV shows.
HERE’S A LIST OF THE CATEGORIES YOU CAN ENTER: Start-Up Business of the Year Award Creative Business of the Year Entrepreneur of the Year Young Business Person of the Year Service Excellence Award
Best in Food and Drink Award Best Family Business of the Year Award Best Business 25+ employees Best Business 1-25 employees Outstanding Business of the Year
You can register an interest in entering, or sponsoring one of the categories by emailing info@timesbusinessawards.co.uk
Or for more information and tickets please call Eileen Sweeney on 01892 779583
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Letters
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Wednesday March 20 | 2019
And another thing… This is the page where you, the reader, have your chance to express your views or comments on what’s going on in our part of the world. We like to hear from you. You can email us at newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk or newsdesk@timesoftonbridge.co.uk or write to the Editor at Runcie Court, Salomons Estate, Tunbridge Wells TN3 0TG
I sense from his incoherent, repetitive and ungrammatical piece [February 27] that the Leader of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council, David Jukes, is feeling the pressure in the run-up to the local elections on May 2. Instead of laying out a credible vision for the future of the borough, he engages in a protracted whinge, blaming everyone but himself (including, ironically, Conservative Government policy) for his (Conservative) council’s dismal performance. Cllr Jukes’s arguments that he is running the council as a business don’t hold water. Over the years, it has built up a large portfolio of assets. It’s only right that it seeks to make money from these. Unfortunately, its record in this area is decidedly mixed. The only thing the council seems to have excelled at since Cllr Jukes became leader is to exploit its position as a quasi-monopolistic provider of services to massively hike prices on everything from car parking and sports facilities to, in a few months’ time, the removal of garden waste. If the council’s finances are so tight, why is he pushing the ludicrously expensive and illconceived Calverley Square project?
LEADING THE WAY? David Jukes
Management in any well-run business, recognising the lack of demand and cost overruns, would by now have pulled the plug on the project. If people are to ‘believe in Tunbridge Wells’, it’s time for David Jukes and his cronies to hand over the running of the council to those who not only believe in public service but are able to deliver economically and efficiently what the people of this borough want. James Tansley Tunbridge Wells
Elephants create two big problems
Propaganda – or zebra crossings
The double-page spread from Tunbridge Wells Borough Council [TWBC] Leader David Jukes was insightful, although as much for what it didn’t actually say about the future of the town and its surrounding villages. He is correct to argue that local government is increasingly cash-strapped and restricted in its decision-making role, but doesn’t follow through to make the logical argument for reform, streamlining services, and making more efficient use of existing resources. Indeed, there are two elephants in the room in the article. Cllr Jukes laments the much larger spending powers of both central government and Kent County Council [KCC]. This overlooks the fact that TWBC, KCC and Westminster are all run by the Conservatives, so he could easily argue the case for more devolution of powers and taxation to local levels as the Lib Dems have done for many years. The other white elephant unmentioned in the interview is, of course, the Calverley Square development. Is this really a wise use of our money when, as he admits, local government finances are so tight, and in a few years’ time TWBC is likely to be merged into a more strategic and larger unitary authority? TWBC did not consider seriously any other options. The project was pre-determined and the evidence made to fit to prove the council’s assertion that the Calverley location was the correct one. As there is no compelling case of public interest, this negates any need for a Compulsory Purchase Order. Dr Alan Bullion Tunbridge Wells Liberal Democrats
I’m reading with great interest about Tracy Moore and her political ambitions [March 6]. You reference Cllr Moore’s response in News In Brief to the expenditure on the ‘Your Town, Your Future’ flyer. Her response reads: “It is council money, but at 13 pence per copy, it represents good value for money. It is half the price of a first-class stamp.” My immediate question relates to how Cllr Moore has been held to account. Having run some quick calculations, the 28,000 homes this flyer was delivered to amounts to expense of £3,640 – nearly half the price of a zebra crossing and Belisha beacon. Perhaps the money would have been better spent on one of those, in light of the article on page 8 relating to the 60 per cent increase in road casualties? The article doesn’t include any expense incurred from the distribution of the flyer; perhaps that was rolled up into the 13p a copy? Ultimately, I came away from the article with more questions than answers, wondering why this wasn’t front page news. Whilst I appreciate that the Times has a proud tradition of impartiality, I’m left wondering why Cllr Moore hasn’t been taken to task on such an astronomical sum that ultimately amounts to propaganda for her re-election campaign and the Calverley theatre project. Hayden Hughes Via email
Who’s responsible for bus shelter? Some two months ago, vandals unscrewed the nuts from one of the seats in the bus shelter
outside Sainsbury’s in Linden Park Road, Tunbridge Wells. I went into Gateway to report it and was told that it was Sainsbury’s [responsibility]. In Sainsbury’s, I was told that it was ‘not them’ but the council. On my next visit to the town I went back into Gateway – same response; back into Sainsbury’s – ‘No, not us’. Last week, as by now it was tipped up and some of the brickwork had become loose, I tried again – to no avail. Does anybody know who owns and is responsible for the bus shelter there? Because at present nothing is being done and some of the frail and elderly are unable to sit down. Judi Best Via email ED: It would seem the responsibility rests with Sainsbury’s – we will talk to them
Higher rent brings more services Plans for a new, spacious and modern GP medical centre in Tonbridge town centre on the site of the former Teen and Twenty Club will indeed come with a price tag [Times of Tonbridge, February 20]. But the new building is designed to give considerably more space and deliver more services than the group’s existing premises. For years, GPs have been making do without the space or layout they need, and with primary care at the very front line of the NHS vision for the future, we want to make sure that we have buildings suitable for that purpose. At the moment, the GP practice that operates in Pembury Road and Higham Lane has significantly less space than would be expected to support the 15,300 patients it has on its books. This new centre will be twice as big. With a space of 1,042 square metres, GPs will be able to provide better care for their current patients, and the new building will also support the growth for housing as identified in the draft Local Plan. It will also be big enough to run minor surgery on site, house a pharmacy and have the space to deliver other clinical services – such as a wellbeing clinic – as well as being more accessible for people with disabilities. This new centre should be seen as an investment and an exciting opportunity to provide much-needed modern healthcare services and to provide for current and future residents of Tonbridge. Ian Ayres Managing Director, NHS West Kent Clinical Commissioning Group
Adding fuel to the 1p change fire Calverley’s continuing struggles with money and the penny that’s never available as change for a £11.99 pizza – he really should watch that junk food and booze diet of his – would pale if he tried to buy fuel in exact volumes of a litre. He will have difficulty finding nine tenths of a penny, and being short-changed by a tenth of a penny will leave him inconsolable. Why have we put up with such nonsense for so long? Who’s fooled by 120.9p? Robert Moore Tunbridge Wells
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Calverley
Observations on life and more important things
CALVERLEY’S old
Rosemary friend Rosemary Shrager Shrager featured in the Mail on Sunday in the magazine bit where you reveal some secrets about your life. One of them was that her grandkids used to call her ‘squidgy’. (No idea, either). Anyway, what she failed to disclose is the fact she’s a really mean player of… ping-pong. Such is her talent and enthusiasm for table tennis that she has her very own trainer. Way to go, Rosemary.
Fake pic
Council’s vision of corporate strategy is not business as usual
UNCOMFORTABLE viewing the other night on Celebrity Mastermind. Contestant Lydia Bright came across as a really nice person who was clearly on the wrong quiz show. She managed to confuse flamingos for swans and thought hydrangeas were used to brew ale instead of hops. And when asked how many ‘pips’ there were leading up to the BBC news on radio, she admitted: “I don’t even understand the question.” (It’s six). Lydia made her name on TOWIE (The Only Way is Essex). It’s not the first time BBC producers have miscast contestants in the name of ‘entertainment’.
ANOTHER sign of the changing times. Listening to the chat over a family meal, Calverley was somewhat bemused to hear one of the teenagers talk about having their eyebrows plucked and shaped every few weeks for £10 a time. The speaker was a young man. Nothing wrong with that. Just a bit of an eye-opener. OVERHEARD in a restaurant. Two women exchanging stories about their time working as air hostesses. First one: “What was your worst experience?” Second one: “Coming back on a short haul into Gatwick when a passenger had a heart attack.” First: “What did you do?” Second: “Started giving him CPR but had to stop and strap in [to her seat] as we came into land.” First: “What happened to him?” Second: “By the time we got to the gate he had died.” That stopped the conversation.
MUCH shouting in the house when Calverley was unable to find his car keys and was running late for a meeting. Management (Mrs C) intervened and quickly solved the problem. She found them where He had left them the night before – in the car’s ignition. Big red face. Chin Chin, dear reader
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Wednesday March 20 | 2019
Education
NEWS
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EDUCATION Times
Well versed in female empowerment
We reveal the first winners of a new secondary school poetry competition aiming to educate students about the importance of gender equality… TWO pupils at Tonbridge Grammar School [TGS], and another at Weald of Kent Grammar School, are the inaugural recipients of a new poetry prize which aims to empower young female students. The Barbara Bradford Award was set up by the local group of Soroptimists in Tunbridge Wells in honour of one of their late members, Barbara Bradford, who was also a lecturer at the University of London. Established in 1946, the Soroptimists are part of a global volunteer movement set up to help empower young women, and strives to help them achieve their best. The name Soroptimist is Latin and can be loosely translated as ‘best for women’. Caroline Auckland, a spokesperson for the group in Tunbridge Wells, told the Times that Soroptimists ‘support many issues and campaigns which aim to help young women in their future lives and careers through education and empowerment, and in enabling opportunities with a focus on fundraising for local community projects’. The competition was launched last autumn. In the Sixth Form category, TGS’ Francesca was awarded first prize for her poem 100 Years. The Year 9 Prize went to Emma, also from TGS, for her poem Be A Rebel, Not a Slave. The Year 7 and 8 prize was won by Olivia from the Weald of Kent
Grammar School for her poem They Never Fled. Each winner received a special certificate and £50. All of the local secondary schools were invited to take part in contributing a poem for the competition on the subject of Vote 100 – a ‘reflection of the important 100year anniversary of women being EYES ON THE PRIZE: Two of the winners, Emma and Francesca, with the late Barbara able to vote’. Bradford’s husband Ian, Angela Mcpherson (second left) and Caroline Auckland Soroptimists past struggles, and call for the baton to be Caroline Auckland taken up by women today to achieve full gender and Angela McPherson, together with Barbara equality,” said Caroline Auckland. Bradford’s husband, Ian, visited Tonbridge Grammar School last week to present the awards Tunbridge Wells Soroptimists meet at 7.30pm on and hear the poems read. the third Monday of each month at Willicombe They said the standard of work was ‘very high’ Park, Sandhurst Road, Tunbridge Wells TN2 3UU. and hoped all the winners would continue to write and submit their work to other competitions. New members are welcome. For more details, email: situnbridgewells@yahoo.co.uk “All of the winning poems highlight women’s
100 YEARS LATER Prizewinning poem by Francesca, Tonbridge Grammar School
We stand with fists raised Feet march to the drum Single entity, single aim So we protest as one We fight for our rights And our right to vote So our sisters beside us can feel strong on their own Yet 100 years later I still walk in fear Down a badly lit street Music removed from my ears Snapped twigs make me flinch And quicken my pace Cos the dark conceals figures Who make the blood leave my face These figures I fear, above everything else Though I know no one’s willing to listen or help Like they don’t want to hear about the wage gap, or rape, or abuse Because we should be seen and not heard, not be bossy, or prude But not be slutty or in-opinionated, and we may never ask why We must just sit in this box made for us by the guys And conform to the impossible and ignore the injust Unlike our sisters in the past who still kick up dust My sisters screamed justice ‘til their lungs gave out And left history’s ears ringing with shouts And I know they’d be pleased with all the progress they made Until they delved deeper and realised It didn’t all change
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Comment
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Martin Betts
Vice Chair of Tunbridge Wells Constituency Labour Party
Wednesday March 20 | 2019
Labour Party member Martin Betts lives in Southborough and has long been active in local politics. He retired after a long career in the Civil Service, where his last job at the Department for Work & Pensions was in communications. He qualified at Leicester University in human resources and training and development. The Times also publishes regular opinions from Conservatives, Lib Dems and members of The Green Party.
Benefit causing misery to disabled people IN recent months we have seen a lot of criticism of the government’s dysfunctional Universal Credit benefit programme, which has helped to plunge hundreds of thousands of claimants into poverty, often leaving them unable to pay rent or put a meal on the table. We have heard less about the equally damaging Personal Independence Payment (PIP) which is gradually replacing the Disability Living Allowance. It was trumpeted as a new benefit for people with disabilities, but brought in by the coalition government as a way of reducing the benefits bill. PIP’s positive aim was to help with some of the extra costs for people with a long-term health condition or disability. But many PIP applicants know only too well the nightmare of filling in complex forms, attending so called ‘medical assessments’, waiting for the (often negative) results, and then waiting months for an appeal. Claiming PIP is certainly no easy task. Applicants are faced with a 33-page form that is difficult to complete without the aid of a written guide or informed helper. For many it is a barrier. But this is as nothing to the fearful anticipation of the medical assessment, the decisions of which can have dramatic results on an applicant’s finances. Medical assessments are carried out by private contractors, and the ‘health professionals’ who
carry them out are mainly physiotherapists with very little knowledge of mental health issues, learning difficulties or more complex physical conditions. Some are occupational therapists, nurses or – occasionally – doctors. Over time, assessments have become discredited. Assessors use a computer programme to record the scores being achieved throughout 40 minutes or so of questioning. Applicants are often bewildered by what the assessors have recorded. Evidence from applicants to the Work and Pensions Committee included:
Cruel “Apparently I walk my dog daily, which was baffling because I can barely walk and I do not have a dog.” And “She said I had no difficulty reading with my glasses yet I do not need my glasses to read.” People with Down’s Syndrome were sometimes asked how long they’d had the condition or when they’d ‘caught it’! Figures issued in September last year showed that over one third of PIP claimants were disallowed their benefit, yet well over 60 per cent of those who had the stamina to persevere through the appeals process and went to a benefits tribunal were awarded their benefit. Shamefully, it can often take over a year for appeals to be heard.
During these delays, claimants can remain in financial hardship and a state of anxious limbo, which can be harmful for their physical and mental health. They can be deprived of the money they need for additional daily living expenses and denied help for taxis and other support to help to keep them mobile.
The high success rate at the appeals stage shows that the PIP application process is deeply flawed and can devastate the lives of many claimants. Labour will scrap the cruel PIP assessment regime and replace it with one that once again treats people with ill health conditions and disabilities with the dignity and respect they deserve.
Wednesday March 20 | 2019
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Best property buys for...
Bushey Cottage
We all love to see homes with the ‘wow’ factor – which could apply to the kitchen, reception room, garden, or something else. Sarah Bond homes in on specific aspects that make these properties well worth a look…
Guide price
The FAMILY ROOM…
High Street, Chipstead Sevenoaks
£1,750,000 CONTACT • Savills, Sevenoaks • 01732 789700 • savills.co.uk A stunning, split-level home packed with character, including an illuminated indoor well! There are contemporary touches, too, and all the reception rooms have doors to the beautiful landscaped garden. It is also conveniently located within the centre of the village. MAIN POINTS OF INTEREST
n Reception hall with inglenook fireplace and wood-burning stove n Impressive family room with vaulted ceilings, full height windows and a Contura wood-burning stove n Drawing room with elegant fireplace n Dining room with full height windows and illuminated well with toughened glass cover n Kitchen/breakfast room with Britannia range cooker, dresser-style cupboards, wine racks and larder n Master and guest bedrooms with en suites n 3 further bedrooms and a family bathroom n Detached double garage, workshop and parking area n Superb landscaped gardens, including terrace, further seating areas, vegetable garden and water feature n Total area about 0.3 of an acre
Wednesday March 20 | 2019
The SECRET GARDEN…
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The PRICE…
Fernside
Bishops Down Road Tunbridge Wells
Guide price
£260,000 CONTACT • Bracketts, Tunbridge Wells • 01892 533733 • bracketts.co.uk A spacious lower ground floor garden flat with its own private entrance off Mount Ephraim, close to Tunbridge Wells Common.
MAIN POINTS OF INTEREST n Reception room with bay window n Fitted kitchen n Bedroom with steps up to inner hall, suitable for a home study n Communal garden and parking space
Longhill
Romford Road, Pembury
£775,000 CONTACT • Barnes Kingsnorth, Pembury • 01892 822880 • bkestateagents.com A detached, extended Colt bungalow in a superb location, handy for the village yet overlooking the surrounding countryside. On the market for the first time in 34 years, it has light, bright rooms with large windows to take in the fabulous views, and is full of potential for further improvement. MAIN POINTS OF INTEREST
n Refitted kitchen/breakfast room with shaker-style units and pantry n Dining room leading to conservatory n Sitting room with an open fire, large picture windows and patio doors n 6 bedrooms, including a guest room with en-suite shower n Modern family bathroom n Grounds of approximately half an acre, including a patio, main garden and a wooded ‘secret garden’ behind a character old brick wall n 2 detached garages and parking n 2-room timber workshop and shed n Potential for reconfigurement, subject to the necessary consents
Chiltern Walk Tunbridge Wells
Price range
£450,000-£465,000 CONTACT • Bracketts, Tunbridge Wells • 01892 533733 • bracketts.co.uk An extended, modern, neo-Georgian detached family home tucked away in an elevated position in the favoured St James’s area of town, with a good-sized south-facing garden.
MAIN POINTS OF INTEREST n Reception room with large bowed window. Opening to: n Dining room with doors to conservatory n Conservatory n Stylish kitchen with door to garden n 3 bedrooms n Garden with patio n Driveway and garage n An area of woodland by the garage is also to be conveyed with this property
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Property Focus
NEW HOMES
Wednesday March 20 | 2019
Eden Hall
Stick Hill, Edenbridge
GUIDE PRICES FROM
£520,000£895,000
A range of charming 2, 3 and 4-bedroom detached and semi-detached new builds lying within a private gated rural estate between Cowden and Edenbridge. There are countryside views from all properties and the development is just 1.5 miles from Hever Station and 2 miles from Cowden Station. Show homes open for viewings Thursday to Monday, 10am to 5pm. Please contact Savills for an appointment.
MAIN POINTS OF INTEREST • Superior specification • Kitchens designed by independent specialists with Neff & Bosch appliances and Quartz worktops • Bathrooms featuring modern white sanitary ware • Video entry system • Naccoss-approved alarm system • Good-sized gardens • Stamp duty incentive available on selected plots • Help to Buy available on 3-bedroom cottages CONTACT • Savills New Homes, Sevenoaks • 01732 789740 • savills.co.uk
Wednesday March 20 | 2019
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Retirement
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Property Focus
RETIREMENT
St Giles brings easy retirement to Tonbridge TONBRIDGE has a new collection of 31 one and two-bedroom retirement apartments in St Giles Lodge, Shipbourne Road, all constructed by Churchill Retirement Living with a happy, sociable and independent retirement in mind. Each apartment has been designed for the over-60s and has a number of safety and security features, such as a 24-hour emergency call line and a video entry system. There is also a Lodge Manager to oversee the day-to-day running of the development, and a social Owners’ Lounge where you can catch-up with neighbours and enjoy regular events.
MAIN POINTS OF INTEREST • A typical specification will include: • 24-hour Careline support system • Fitted kitchen • Easy-turn lever taps • Energy efficient heating • Lift to all floors • Lodge Manager CONTACT • Churchill Retirement Living Open Tuesday-Saturday 10am-5pm • 01732 806924 • churchillretirement.co.uk
GUIDE PRICES 1-bed apartments from
£327,950*
2-bed apartments from
£444,950* *Subject to change
Wednesday March 20 | 2019
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Wednesday March 20 | 2019
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REMBRANDT’S FIRST SELFIE
Roll up, roll up…
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See Ballet Central’s sensational show at EM Forster Theatre Page 44
WESTON’S SKELETON AMBITION
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The shape of
Wednesday March 20 | 2019
Joseph Beretta
things to come So, Joseph, please can you tell us a little bit about the Ballet Central company? It is a dance company made up of students in our final year of training on the BA Hons degree programme in Professional Dance and Performance at the Central School of Ballet in London. The company works with highlyacclaimed and emerging choreographers to produce newly commissioned works and much-loved revivals.
PHOTOS: ASH Photography
DYING SWAN by Calvin Richardson, with dancer Lewis Bondu
How often do you tour, and where do you go? The company embarks on an annual tour every March, visiting 20 venues in towns and cities across England up until July. The tour gives us professional performance experience, preparing us for our careers after graduation, when we hope to join renowned UK-based and international dance companies and leading musical theatre productions. We are also returning to Tokyo, Japan to perform in July. What is your role within the company? My performance roles on the tour include the lead male role in Jasmin Vardimon’s (in between), a physical contemporary
Ballet Central showcases a troupe of talented dancers on the cusp of their professional careers. Ahead of them bringing their 2019 repertoire show to the EM Forster Theatre in Tonbridge on March 30, Eileen Leahy catches up with principal Joseph Beretta to find out what’s in store… HOUSE OF BIRDS by Kenneth MacMillan
Wednesday March 20 | 2019
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Arts & Culture
work exploring the relationship between humans and the natural environment. I love the range of emotions the work encourages the dancers to explore and perform. I also play the lead male role in The Enchanted Boy in Kenneth MacMillan’s House of Birds, based on the Grimm Brothers’ macabre fairy tale Jorinda and Joringel. In addition to performing, all the dancers are involved in all aspects of creating the performance, including the staging, costume design and technical aspects of sound and lighting. Can you give us a brief synopsis of the content of the 2019 show? We will perform five pieces of repertoire: Christopher Marney’s Carousel Dances, inspired
‘We focus on how the music can help us to connect with our own emotions and those of the characters’ by the 1945 musical Carousel by Rodgers and Hammerstein, a unique version of the Dying Swan Solo created by Calvin Richardson, and an extract from Frederick Ashton’s acclaimed Valses Nobles et Sentimentales. We will also perform an excerpt from Kenneth MacMillan’s House of Birds, and Jasmin Vardimon’s (in between).
CAROUSEL DANCES by Christopher Marney
How long have you been dancing with Ballet Central, and dancing in general? I first started dancing when I was 14 years old and have been a member of Ballet Central since September 2018, when I began the BA Hons degree in Professional Dance and Performance. Prior to this, I studied on the two-year Foundation degree at Central. My training has included classical ballet, contemporary, jazz and Spanish dance and singing.
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What does dance give you personally? When I dance, I get a rush of excitement and adrenaline, enabling me to perform in front of large audiences. I love the opportunity to showcase the outcome of our long hours of dedicated training and rehearsal. How many are in the cast, and how long have you been rehearsing? There are 35 dancers in the company. We have been learning and rehearsing the repertoire for the Ballet Central 2019 tour since September 2018. Before Christmas, we performed a run of Nutcracker shows at the British Museum and also at the ADC Theatre in Cambridge. What do you and the rest of the cast enjoy most about performing? I think the most special thing about performing with the company is connecting with and inspiring the audience through storytelling. We spend a lot of time focusing on exploring the character’s motivations and emotions. We specifically focus on how the music can help us to connect with our own emotions and those of the characters, as well as how we can connect with the other dancers and use their performance to react to our own. Can you tell us what the audience will enjoy most about seeing this show? I think they’ll enjoy the diversity of the repertoire performed, which includes contemporary, classical and physical theatre, all choreographed by top dance industry influencers. Additionally, the performance will be enhanced by stunning costumes and powerful music. Ballet Central perform at the EM Forster Theatre, Tonbridge, on Saturday March 30 at 7.30pm. Tickets cost £16 pp and can be booked at emtheatre.com. To find out more about where and when Ballet Central will be performing around the country, visit balletcentral.co.uk
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goingout 7 days of activities
By Jerome Bowman
day of the season by calling 01892 890000 or emailing: fishing@bewlwater.co.uk
FRIDAY
WEDNESDAY
Someone Like You – The Adele Songbook will be showing at the Assembly Hall Theatre tonight at 7.30pm. The show stars singer Katie Markham, who was hand-picked by Adele herself on a Graham Norton BBC special. Katie and her sixpiece band will be playing Adele’s classic hits, from the power ballads to more intimate acoustic numbers. Tickets cost £22.75 and can be booked by visiting assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk You know spring is upon us when the daffodils are blossoming. So why not go along to see Hever Castle’s fantastic Dazzling Daffodils event, where you’ll see up to 14,000 of them in bloom. Turn
up at 11.30am and you can enjoy a tour of the gardens with the castle’s Head Gardener, as well as master grower Johnny Walkers. These tours are free but standard admissions fees still apply. To find out more, go to hevercastle.co.uk
THURSDAY
Today is the start of the Bewl Water Fishing Season, and you’re going to need to take out a big boat because Bewl have already stocked 7,600 quality rainbow trout. Pike fishing is also available. Bewl have all the gear you need, including boats. If you want to get your line in early, you can book a fishing ticket for the first
HOOKED ON FISH? Line-up for the start of the Bewl Water fishing season
A crackly-voiced Canadian comedian is in town with his latest show, Tom Stade: I Swear To… – where attempts to figure out where he fits into the new world of having feelings and FaceTime and wonders why all his stuff has suddenly become vintage. If you want to book tickets, which are priced £19, to see this veteran of the stand-up circuit, go to trinitytheatre.net
SATURDAY
GROOMBRIDGE PLACE Stately Manor and Gardens
Wednesday March 20 | 2019
You can still catch Conor McPherson’s stage adaptation of The Birds tonight at 8pm The Oast Theatre in Tonbridge. Adapted from Daphne Du Maurier’s story, which was famously brought to the screen by Hitchcock, McPherson’s take on this tale is more subtle as two strangers are trapped in an isolated cottage with sinister birds outside. For dates and tickets, visit oasttheatre.com Groombridge Place is now open for spring, and there is plenty to see and do. Peacocks, the famous Zedonk and free roaming deer can all be found on the grounds. You can take the canal boat to the forest, walk around the gardens, play giant chess, have a go on the even larger swings in the enchanted forest, and enjoy lunch in the café. The latest attraction is the treetop walk, the highest and longest in Britain. There’s a lot to get in, so to book tickets, visit groombridgeplace.com There’s been a murder most foul and the police are busy doing paperwork, so it’s up to you to help The Spa Valley Railway on their Murder Mystery Evening. The dinner and whodunnit event starts at Tunbridge
Wells West station at 6.15pm and includes a trip to Groombridge and back. To see the menu and to book tickets for this night of intrigue and fun, sleuth out the website at spavalleyrailway.co.uk
SUNDAY Legendary comedian, Corrie star and music hall expert Roy Hudd can be seen at Salomons Estate today from 2pm. An Afternoon with Roy
SOMEONE LIKE HER… Enjoy Katie Markham’s Adele Songbook at The Assembly Hall
and Debbie Hudd will feature stories from his 63year career in showbusiness. Expect to hear tales of triumph and
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Wednesday March 20 | 2019
SCHOOL OF ART Catch Tonbridge Grammar’s exhibition at Royal Victoria Place
At 3pm you can enjoy a CODA Recital by Katy Johns (violin) and Jong-Gyung Park (piano) at Rose Hill School Theatre, Coniston Avenue. They will perform Schubert’s Sonata in D, D.384, Brahms’ Sonata in A, Op. 100, Bartok’s Romanian Dances, and Fauré’s Sonata in A, Op. 13. Tickets: £13.50 (members), £17 (non-members), under-18s free. Book at codatw.co.uk
MONDAY
Tonbridge Grammar School have opened an Art Exhibition on the ground floor of Royal Victoria Place at the Calverley precinct entrance. The gallery features work from IB Diploma students, inspired by their personal interests and investigations into the world around them. The exhibition is free and runs until April 23.
TUESDAY
disaster, as well plenty of jokes and songs. The event is in support of two charities: Mending The Gap and Shopmobility Tunbridge Wells. To book tickets, which cost £20, visit Shopmobility in Tunbridge Wells or email: cm.jeffery@blueyonder.co.uk Penshurst Place and Gardens are playing host to a brilliant mix of history and drama courtesy of the fully immersive Elizabeth I and the Armada experience. Discover what life was like during the reign of the infamous queen, and see how she plotted to outwit King Philip II of Spain, by taking part in this enjoyable and educational experience. The event runs from 10.30am to 5pm. For more details, ring 01892 870307.
If the weather is set to be dry, it is the perfect opportunity to take a walk in beautiful Ashdown Forest, only a short drive from Tunbridge Wells. As well as general walks, there are a variety of outdoor activities to participate in, including horse riding, llama walks, learning bush skills and fishing. To find out what’s coming up, visit Ashdown Forest Centre’s Facebook page facebook.com/ashdownforestcentre
HEVER IN BLOOM Don’t miss the Dazzling Daffodils
Going Out
PICK OF THE WEEK: Learn To Play Day
The Forum (backstage studio), London Road, Tunbridge Wells Saturday March 23, 12noon-5pm MusicStation, 3 Bank Street, Tonbridge Sunday March 24, 1-5pm
Tonbridge’s MusicStation is opening a new music school at The Forum in Tunbridge Wells, opening as part of a national Learn to Play Day. This initiative aims to help people in beginning
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to play a musical instrument, regardless of age and how much previous experience they have. Music For All is the charity that promotes the idea. Its patron, Jools Holland, OBE, commented: “As Patron of the Music for All charity I’m delighted to lend my support to National Learn to Play Day on March 23 and 24. “It’s a pleasure to be able to share the joy of music, and these special days allow thousands to get involved as venues all over the country offer music lessons for free.” For more information, see musicforall.org.uk/learntoplayday
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FOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT: timeslocalnews.co.uk THE GREY LADY MUSIC LOUNGE The Pantiles, doors 7.15pm, entry £6/£7 Websites pdag.co.uk & thegreylady.co.uk Wednesday Infrared, Storm Engine Friday DJ Stepper Saturday Hard Lines Sunday Top Cat Collective, Kung Fu Slipper Monday Singers Night
live music With Paul Dunton
T
ONIGHT [Wednesday] sees renowned Adele tribute ‘Someone Like You’ at the Assembly Hall Theatre, and popular local bands Infrared and Storm Engine at The Grey Lady Music Lounge. If a spot of blues is your thing, then I highly recommend Ben Tyzack at The Anchor Inn, Sevenoaks. The Forum hosts a stellar line-up this Thursday evening with the excellent Yonaka headlining and great support from Valeras and Cassyette. Friday night has some fantastic live shows on offer, including The Jayne Snow Duo at The Nelson Arms in Tonbridge, and fans of Elvis can enjoy the superb tribute ‘Taking
The must-read guide to what’s on musically for the week ahead… paulduntonandguests.com
Care of Elvis’ at the Assembly Hall. Saturday night sees plenty of great local acts in action, with Kharma & The Devil at The Beau Nash Tavern, The Cockroaches at The Royal Oak pub, Hard Lines at The Grey Lady and ‘Neal Dymond’ (tribute) will be at The Punch & Judy In Tonbridge. Fans of classical music can enjoy the Paddock Wood Choral Society concert featuring the ethereal music of Fauré’s ‘Requiem’ and ‘Lux Aeterna’ by Morten Lauridsen. Looking ahead to next week, I highly recommend Mitch Feral & The Movable Feast on Tuesday night at The Punch & Judy in Tonbridge, and on the same night blues artist David Hay is at The Toad Rock Retreat in Rusthall.
ASSEMBLY HALL THEATRE Crescent Road, event details & tickets available at assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk Wednesday Someone Like You (Adele Tribute) Thursday DS:UK (Dire Straits Tribute) Friday Taking Care of Elvis (Tribute) THE ANCHOR INN London Road, Sevenoaks, open all day Free entry, music from 8.30pm Wednesday Blues with Bottle Presents: Ben Tyzack MUSICSTATION Bank Street, Tonbridge Thursday & Friday Play it Again at MusicStation 8pm-9.30pm Adult band workshop, all levels welcome. Booking essential. For more information, call 01732 350629 Saturday National Learn to Play Day – Free drum, piano, guitar, bass and singing lessons THE TUNBRIDGE WELLS FORUM Event information at twforum.co.uk Thursday Yonaka, Valeras, Cassyette Saturday Kast Off Kinks Sunday Learn To Play Day with MusicStation NELSON ARMS Cromer Street, Tonbridge Open all day, free entry, music from 8pm Friday Jayne Snow Duo
Wednesday March 20 | 2019
Top Cat Collective
THE BEDFORD PUB 2 High Street, open all day, free entry Music from 8.30pm More information at thebedfordtw.co.uk Friday 80s party Night with Jade & Char THE BEAU NASH TAVERN Mount Ephraim, open all day, free entry Music from 8.30pm till late Saturday Kharma & The Devil ST ANDREW’S CHURCH Paddock Wood Tickets: £12.50 (under-19s free) From box office 01892 836250 or email: tickets@paddockwood-choral.org.uk Online from paddockwood-choral.org.uk Saturday Paddock Wood Choral Society presents: Hope and Light in Harmony. Spring concert featuring the ethereal music of Fauré’s Requiem and Lux Aeterna by Morten Lauridsen THE ROYAL OAK PUB Prospect Road Open all day, free entry Music from 8.30pm till late Saturday The Cockroaches THE NEW TELEGRAPH CLUB 26 Priory Road, Tonbridge Members free, guests £5
Doors open 6.30pm Saturday Michael Bublé Tribute THE PUNCH & JUDY PUB St Stephens Road, Tonbridge Open all day, free entry, music from 8pm Saturday Neal Dymond (Tribute) Tuesday Mitch Feral & The Moveable Feast ROSE HILL SCHOOL Coniston Road, Tunbridge Wells All event details and tickets available at codatw.co.uk Sunday CODA: Katy Johns & Jong Guyung Park (violin & piano recital) VERDIGRIS Tonbridge High Street, open all day Music from 6pm, event details available at verdigris-tonbridge.com Sunday Owen Donovon THE GEORGE PUB Mount Ephraim, open all day, free entry Music from 8pm Monday TWUNTS: Ukulele Jam Session THE TOAD ROCK RETREAT Rusthall Open all day, free entry, music from 8pm Tuesday Blues with Bottle Club Presents: David Hay
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food
50
‘Happy Eating is making sure you are eating regularly. Don’t go any longer than three hours without eating’
Food & Drink FOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT: timeslocalnews.co.uk
Wednesday March 20 | 2019
How to eat yourself happy ‘Eating Happy’ is the latest buzz phrase in both the foodie world and that of health experts – including leading UK nutritionist Dr Marilyn Glenville, who has a clinic in Tunbridge Wells. She tells Eileen Leahy what to eat to improve your wellbeing and put a smile on your face
W
E ALL know the impact food can have on our mood, and now there’s scientific evidence that proves which specific foods can actually make us happy from a nutritional standpoint. The phenomenon of ‘Eating Happy’ centres around the foods we consume which have a positive effect on our mental as well as our physical wellbeing. Oats, for example, are an effective mood booster because they slowly release energy into the bloodstream, while soy products like tofu are rich sources of tryptophan, the essential amino acid responsible for synthesising serotonin. Consuming a hightryptophan diet has been shown to raise levels of this ‘happy hormone’. To find out more, I spoke to leading UK nutritionist Dr Marilyn Glenville, who has her main clinic in Tunbridge Wells. “Happy Eating is making sure you are eating regularly. Don’t go any longer than three hours without eating. Your blood sugar will affect your mood and the higher your sugar intake and refined carbohydrates, like white flour intake (and caffeine), the more severe the mood swings will be. “When you eat regularly, this prevents your blood sugar levels from dropping and your mood crashing down, and
you will automatically feel happier. “Eat breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus a snack mid-morning and one mid-afternoon, with no longer than three hours between. “This will stop those roller-coaster highs and cravings for sweet foods. “Because your blood sugar isn’t allowed to drop, your body will no longer have to ask you for a quick fix. “As the blood sugar steadies, so will the mood swings, and you will automatically start to feel happier and calmer inside.”
Dr Marilyn Glenville’s guide to the key ingredients you need to ‘Eat Happy’ Fresh ingredients: We used to be told to ‘eat our greens’, but it’s better to eat a rainbow of fruits and vegetables because different antioxidants are found in differently-coloured foods. For example, green leafy vegetables, berries, carrots and beetroot all contain different antioxidants. Research has shown that vegetables, particularly tomatoes and carrots, have increased levels of antioxidants like lycopene and beta-carotene when they are cooked compared to when they are raw. It’s also OK to have a store of frozen vegetables for when time is short. Dry goods: Always have a selection of oats, quinoa, brown rice, couscous and
noodles. Tinned beans such as chickpeas, kidneys (organic and sugar-free) are useful as well as tins of tomatoes and tomato purée. Cold pressed and coconut oils, balsamic vinegar and soya (tamari) sauce are good to have, too. Snack attack: Nuts and seeds make good snacks, as do hummus, guacamole, cottage cheese, nut butters on wholemeal bread, oatcakes, rice cakes and corn crackers. Avoid any made from white, processed flour, hydrogenated fats and salt. A piece of fruit and a handful (e.g. six small nuts/four large ones) of mixed, raw, unsalted nuts or small handful of pumpkin or sunflower seeds makes a good snack. Crudités (slices of raw veg, e.g. carrots, peppers, celery, broccoli, etc) with a hardboiled egg, hummus, tahini (sesame seed paste), guacamole, mackerel pâté can also be good in the quest to ‘eat happy’. To find out more about ‘Eating Happy’, health in general and specific health concerns, visit marilynglenville.com
Dr Marilyn Glenville
Wednesday March 20 | 2019
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Food & Drink
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THE DOCTOR WILL SEE YOU NOW: The types of services Dr Glenville offers: “We provide consultations for many different health problems, and even though we have a particular passion around women’s health, we also look after men and children, too. Our aim is to help you improve your health in many ways, including energy levels, improving sleep and reducing stress, helping you to lose weight in a healthy way, and to work on preventing future health problems. “Your initial consultation will last one hour and builds a detailed picture of your lifestyle, eating habits, medical history and any concerns you have about your health and wellbeing. With this information we can work with you to form an eating plan that suits your needs, your lifestyle and daily commitments. “Our metabolisms and body make-up are unique to each of us, so your nutritionist will work with you to identify and avoid unnecessary or harmful foods and enjoy an abundance of wonderful food that makes you feel good in both body and mind.” For further information, visit marilynglenville.com or pick up a copy of Dr Marilyn Glenville’s book Natural Alternatives to Dieting, available from Amazon MORE WAYS THAT YOU CAN ‘EAT HAPPY’ EAT OMEGA 3S Almost 60 per cent of our brains are made up of fat, but it needs to the right type of fat. Omega 3 fatty acids are known as ‘essential’ fats (essential because we cannot make them in the body and therefore need to get through eating oily fish and taking a good high strength supplement). So increasing omega 3 levels can have a direct effect on serotonin and how happy you feel. Omega 3 fatty acids are found in fish such as salmon, mackerel, tuna, herring and sardines, and also in flaxseeds.
FOODS RICH IN B VITAMINS The B vitamins are called the ‘stress’ vitamins because of their ability to help us cope with the pressures of everyday life. They are found in many different foods, including eggs, vegetables, wholegrain cereals and fish. B vitamins, particularly B6 is essential for depression as it is involved with the production of brain chemicals called neurotransmitters, which control mood and behaviour. As well as getting the B vitamins from foods you can take them in supplement form, but it is always best to take B vitamins as part of a complex as they all work synergistically.
MAGNESIUM Magnesium is classed as ‘nature’s tranquilliser’ and is, therefore, vital in symptoms that relate to anxiety, tension, or other emotional states. Food sources of magnesium include green leafy vegetables, nuts and seeds, legumes and fruit. VITAMIN D Vitamin D is thought of as the ‘sunshine vitamin’, and in the winter many people suffer from SAD (seasonal affective disorder). Vitamin D receptors are present in the central nervous system and vitamin D can affect neurotransmitters like serotonin, linked to mood and depression.
TRYPTOPHAN Tryptophan is an important amino acid for mood and depression. The body makes serotonin (the ‘feel-good’ brain chemical) from tryptophan. Tryptophan occurs naturally in foods such as dairy products, fish, bananas, dried dates, soya, almonds and peanuts. EXERCISE Exercise is important for improving mood. Exercise releases brain chemicals called ‘endorphins’, which help us to feel happier, more alert and calmer.
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Books
Bookcase
8/10
This week’s bookcase includes reviews of The Parade by Dave Eggers and Lanny by Max Porter
The Runaways by Fatima Bhutto
Published in hardback by Viking, priced £14.99 (ebook £9.99)
9/10
Lanny by Max Porter
Published in hardback by Faber & Faber, priced £12.99 (ebook £8.99)
Four years in the making – and already optioned for film – Lanny is an idiosyncratic study of childhood and parenting, richly poetic and emotionally acute. Lanny is an eccentric little lad, a born artist who lives in an imaginative word of such endearing profundity that adults feel inadequate around him. He spends his time roaming the woods and building dens around the rural village where his stay-at-home mum Jolie and his dad live. Lanny and Jolie befriend an eccentric artist, Pete, who starts to give the boy drawing lessons. So far, so idyllic, but when Lanny goes missing, Pete the misfit loner is immediately prime suspect. Porter is brilliant at dipping in and out of different minds. The links between creativity and countryside, tensions between town and village, a mother’s thwarted grief, a father who doesn’t know how to feel, the dynamics of a community under pressure, the enduring power of myth… all these and more are tackled in an absorbing, richly evocative tale that manages to be both deeply poetic, moving and gripping all at once. (Review by Dan Brotzel)
BOOK OF THE WEEK
Fatima Bhutto, whose father and Prime Minister aunt were assassinated, has refused to enter her family trade of Pakistani politics. But with this, her sixth book, she explores the undoubtedly political topic of Islamic radicalisation. Three young runaways – Anita Rose and Monty in Pakistan and Sunny in England – each make their way to Iraq, having abandoned family and friends to join the Islamist cause. Half the book describes their lives before Iraq, giving the reader enough time to appreciate that their backgrounds couldn’t be more different, nor their reasons for leaving. But as their stories slowly spiral together, Bhutto avoids preaching. Instead, she explores the complicated nuances of grooming, of familial expectation and societal pressure, of social media, sexual desire, wealth, poverty and power. It’s a careful, unflinching look at the repercussions of generational ambition and betrayal, made all the more timely by the Shamima Begum story. A difficult read, but a very important one. (Review by Natalie Bowen)
Wednesday March 20 | 2019
The Parade by Dave Eggers
Published in hardback by Hamish Hamilton, priced £14.99 (ebook £9.99). Available March 21 Pulitzer Prize-nominee Dave Eggers’ latest novella, The Parade, picks up the dystopian themes of some of his other works. It is set in a nameless land in the aftermath of a brutal civil war, and our main characters are known only by the numbers ‘Four’ and ‘Nine’. Their job is to build a road connecting the two main cities in time for a big
parade. This is made difficult by the turbulent nature of the post-war landscape, and the fact Nine is a wild card and a liability, whereas Four is used to doing his job by the book. The book is a short read but gripping – Eggers knows how to build suspense, and everything that happens fills you with more dread about what’s to come. As it’s so short, readers may feel like they want a bit more, both about the characters and the country they’re in – but, frustratingly, there’s just not room to cover that. (Review by Prue Wade)
7/10
Wednesday March 20 | 2019
FOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT: timeslocalnews.co.uk NON-FICTION
The Sisterhood: A Love Letter To The Women Who Have Shaped Me by Daisy Buchanan
Published in paperback by Headline, priced £14.99 (ebook £7.99)
7/10
Daisy Buchanan is an awardwinning journalist, former Grazia agony aunt and author of How To Be A Grown Up. Growing up with five sisters, Buchanan is undeniably qualified to write on the subject of sisterhood. This is a funny and thoughtful book, and the chapters recounting early family life and on CHILDREN’S BOOK REVIEW
Tiny T. Rex And The Impossible Hug by Jonathan Stutzman Illustrated by Jay Fleck
Published in hardback by Chronicle Books, priced £7.99 (ebook £7.59) Tiny T Rex’s arms are too short to be able to hug his friend Pointy, who is feeling sad, so he asks his family and friends for advice about what to do. But the story, sadly, is not as charming as it thinks it is. Written by an independent American filmmaker, some phrases are clunky and very staccato to read aloud for UK readers. Gender stereotypes run through
Books
into adulthood are interspersed with profiles of her sisters, one best friend and other interesting snippets. She is refreshingly honest about her own shortcomings and about anxiety, childhood eating disorders and controlling jealousy of the success of others at work or at home. The book has a chatty magazine style and is light and easy to read, but while the personal family details and anecdotes are entertaining, much of the material exploring connections with the wider sisterhood failed to fully engage. (Review by Sue Barraclough) the book, too – father suggests math (not maths) will help, while mother gives emotional advice. This is unlikely to be one of those kid’s books where you get commanded to read it again as soon as you finish. (Review by Bridie Pritchard)
5/10
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BOOK CHARTS HARDBACKS 1. Fing by David Walliams 2. Lanny by Max Porter 3. The Binding by Bridget Collins 4. Becoming by Michelle Obama 5. War Doctor by David Nott 6. Mary Berry’s Quick Cooking by Mary Berry 7. Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias In A World Designed For Men by Caroline Criado Perez 8. Daisy Jones And The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid 9. Normal People by Sally Rooney 10. The World I Fell Out Of by Melanie Reid (Compiled by Waterstones) PAPERBACKS – WBD (World Book Day 2019) 1. Diary of Greg Heffley’s Best Friend: WBD by Jeff Kinney 2. LEGO Minifigure Mayhem by Helen Murray and Beth Davies 3. Ten Little Bookworms: WBD by Mike Brownlow 4. Bad Mermaids Meet the Witches: WBD by Sibeal Pounder 5. Percy Jackson and the Singer of Apollo: WBD by Rick Riordan 6. Everdark: WBD by Abi Elphinstone 7. The Great Rocket Robbery: WBD by Frank Cottrell Boyce 8. Hundred and One Dalmatians: Cruella And Cadpig – WBD by Peter Bently 9. Claude Best in Show: WBD by Alex T Smith 10. Nought Forever: WBD by Malorie Blackman (Compiled by Waterstones) E-BOOKS 1. The Moor by LJ Ross 2. The Corner Shop in Cockleberry Bay by Nicola May 3. The Rumour by Lesley Kara 4. A Tap On The Window by Linwood Barclay 5. The Missing Sister by Dinah Jefferies 6. The Girl In The Corner by Amanda Prowse 7. The Suspect by Fiona Barton 8. The Fourth Man by Lee Child 9. Five Bloody Hearts by Joy Ellis 10. Sea of Memories by Fiona Valpy (Compiled by Amazon)
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travel
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AWASH WITH INSPIRATION The canals and traditional houses are a dream for photographers and artists
Travel
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Wednesday March 20 | 2019
Head to Amsterdam to see through
the eyes of the Dutch Master As the canal-strewn city commemorates 350 years since the death of Rembrandt, Gabrielle Fagan goes in search of the original selfie…
I
AM WOBBLING along cobbled streets on a bicycle, on my way to visit someone who could be regarded as the world’s first Instagrammer. Being on a bike for the first time in 20 years is an event for me; in cycle-mad Amsterdam it’s the most authentic way to travel. But far more extraordinary is discovering that the social media picture pioneer is iconic artist Rembrandt, who died centuries before the photo-sharing site was even a twinkle in anyone’s eye. The way he sowed the seeds for one of the most popular ways to communicate today is revealed for the first time in the new All The Rembrandts exhibition at the Rijksmuseum (until June 10, 2019), which I’m going to view. Marking the 350th anniversary of the painter’s death, part of a year of commemorations in the Netherlands, it shows the 17th-century Dutch miller’s son was not only obsessed with self-portraits – akin to our ‘selfies’ – but way ahead of his time in chronicling, through drawings and sketches, his daily life, family and friends for his and their enjoyment.
It’s a habit that would be entirely recognisable to the online ‘posters and boasters’ of today. “Rembrandt was the first artist in history – the first Instagrammer, one could even say, and that’s not trying to be popular – to really capture the world around him,” declares Taco Dibbits, Director of the museum.
Rebel “No artist before the 20th century made as many self-portraits as he did. “He painted his family, he drew his friends, he went out into the streets, the countryside, and he even lets us enter his own bedroom, where his sick wife was stretched out. He was a rebel who did not abide by rules of art, and consequently, we’re brought into his private world.” The Old Master, who dominated the Golden Age of Dutch painting in the 17th century, could never have dreamt of his legacy being so influential on those using 21st-century mobiles. But Taco insists: “If I use words like ‘selfie’ and ‘Instagram’, it’s because he
fashioned the way we look at the world, and the way we take photographs. “He’s the first person to register the life around him and make it personal. “He never idealises, so he really portrays people how they are. Without him, we would still be painting – or trying to paint – pictures of gods and goddesses and scenes from antiquity.” For the first time in history, the museum is showing every Rembrandt it owns. “Light makes the drawings fade, so we almost never show them. An exhibition likes this only happens once in a generation,” promises Taco. Twenty-two paintings, 300 sketches and 60 drawings, many of which are normally hidden away in climatecontrolled
storage, show a fresh-faced young man rocketing to worldwide success, but whose life is marred by tragedy. He was devastated by the death of his wife, Saskia, and outlived all those closest to him, including his later lover and his four children, and struggled in old age with poverty and loneliness. It’s also the last chance for a while to see the one painting not in the exhibition,
‘Rembrandt was the first artist in history – the first Instagrammer, one could even say, and that’s not trying to be popular – to really capture the world around him’ declares museum director Taco Dibbits
Wednesday March 20 | 2019
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Travel
Rembrandt’s masterpiece and huge tableau ‘Night Watch’, which has pride of place in the museum’s Gallery of Honour, but will be obscured when work on restoring it begins in July. Gaining an insight into this artistic genius is just one highlight of a three-day visit to a city which boasts more canals than Venice, and where I discover, as a keen amateur artist, it’s possible to easily immerse yourself in art.
Venues I’ve travelled from London St Pancras by Eurostar on its new direct route to Amsterdam, which takes under four hours to arrive direct into the city centre. My base is luxury boutique hotel The Dylan. Built on the site of the city’s first theatre, where Vivaldi once conducted an orchestra, it’s an elegant fusion of old and new. Historic wood-panelled walls and rafters harmonise perfectly with contemporary paredback decor. And it’s a treat for gourmets, with a brasserie and the Michelin-starred Vinkeles restaurant.
COME AND SEE HIS ETCHINGS… A demonstration of the Master’s techniques at the Rembrandt House Museum
Crucially, it also provides the ultimate in 21st-century comfort; my room even has a bed which automatically adjusts itself to my body temperature. Location is all – particularly when time is limited – and The Dylan is well placed in the fashionable heart of city, beside the small boutiques, art galleries, bars and restaurants of the famed Nine Streets (De Negen Straatjes), and overlooking the famous Emperor’s Canal – one of the three prime waterways. Most importantly, I’m only a ten-minute bike ride (the hotel has cycles for hire) or a short walk away from Museumplein, the city’s largest square. It has a stellar choice of art venues. As well as The Rijksmuseum, there’s the wonderful Van Gogh Museum, currently showing the works of British artist David Hockney (until May 26, 2019), the Stedelijk Museum for contemporary and modern art, and the MOCO Museum, currently
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exhibiting works by English street artist Banksy. Another nearby must-see is Rembrandt’s House, now fully restored and a museum, which gives brilliant demonstrations of his paint mixing and etching techniques. Its latest exhibition, Rembrandt’s Social Network, focuses on his relationships with his friends and family, further burnishing his credentials for engaging in a modern way. To refresh my palate, I step away from the galleries and frames for lunch and a tour aboard a private canal boat. Travelling along part of the city’s 75 kilometres of waterways with Captain Maarten Van Vliet of Classic Boat Dinners is fascinating as he’s a font of knowledge on the area, history and key landmarks. This is a relaxing way to view the city and enjoy a panorama of its richly diverse architecture, ranging from the ultra-modern to the signature canalside houses and their charming, gabled façades. It may have been a whistle-stop visit, but by following in Rembrandt’s footsteps I’ve found this city – whose life and residents he captured so vividly on canvas and paper – is a feast for the eyes on every level. As an aspiring artist, what more could you ask of a destination? HOW TO GET THERE The Dylan offers a three-night Rembrandt Art Package, valid until June 12, 2019, from £1,236 (two sharing). It includes breakfast, one dinner, two tickets to Rijksmuseum and two tickets to the Rembrandt House Museum. For more information, call +31 20 530 2010 or email: reservations@dylanamsterdam.com Eurostar operates a direct service from London St Pancras International to the Netherlands with one-way fares starting from £35 (based on a return journey). The fastest London-Amsterdam journey time is three hours and 41 minutes. Call 03432 186 186 or visit eurostar.com
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Motoring
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Motoring News
This week… n Seat speeds up n McLaren’s racer n A Harley for tourers
Seat goes for a performance boost by unveiling the new Leon Cupra R ST SEAT has revealed a performance version of its mid-size estate car. The new Leon Cupra R ST is powered by a turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol engine producing 296bhp, which can push the car from 0-60mph in just 4.7 seconds. Power is sent to the road through all four wheels via a seven-speed DSG gearbox, and new uprights have been fitted to the front axle to improve cornering ability. Antonino Labate, Director of Strategy, Business Development and Operations at Cupra, said: “The Leon Cupra R ST represents our ability to make unique, exciting cars with the most advanced technology, ready for the most demanding and diverse of drivers.” “It’s the amalgamation of the brand’s experience in motor racing and the ability of our design and engineering teams
to seamlessly mix performance and functionality.” The exterior has been treated to a range of visual upgrades to help distinguish it from the rest of the Leon range. Copper-colour highlights have been applied across the bodywork, while carbon fibre has been used on components such as the front splitter, rear spoiler and wing mirrors. The same colour has been used on the 19-inch alloy wheels, which house upgraded Brembo front brakes. Inside, a carbon fibre-effect material gives the cabin a performance look, while that copper colour has been again used on the climate control vents and the steering wheel logo. It even features on the stitching of the sports bucket seats. Prices for the new Leon Cupra R ST have yet to be announced.
McLaren unleashes Senna GTR MCLAREN has revealed its Senna GTR in production-ready form. It has been developed to be as capable as possible around a circuit and represents the most extreme version of the firm’s Ultimate Series car. Limited to just 75 units – all now sold – it utilises a 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine with 814bhp. Thanks to a low dry weight of 1,188kg, it’s able to exceed the power-to-weight ratio of the regular Senna. McLaren Automotive CEO Mike Flewitt said it is ‘a perfect example of our determination to bring our customers the Ultimate expression of track driving performance and excitement’. He added: “The McLaren Senna was designed from the outset to be an extreme track car, but the 2018 McLaren Senna GTR Concept suggested how much more further we could go and now, free from the constraints of road car
legislation and motorsport competition rules, we have pushed the limits of what is technically possible to advance circuit driving capability to another level entirely.” McLaren says that the GTR develops the same amount of downforce as the regular car, but now at lower speeds. Peak downforce, meanwhile, is claimed to exceed 1,000kg. Each car will be built to the owner’s specific requirements, with customisation options. The price tag for each car sits at £1.1million, plus taxes. The GTR has been created by combining the performance of the road-legal car with the downforce and track capability of McLaren’s GT3 racers. However, the firm wanted to ensure that the GTR was still usable by normal drivers, stating that engineers wanted to make sure that ‘95% of the performance of the car could be accessed by 95% of drivers’.
Wednesday March 20 | 2019
Harley-Davidson to Glide in with a simpler model HARLEY-DAVIDSON has revealed a new stripped-back version of its Electra Glide motorbike – the Standard. Created, according to Harley, for the ‘traditional touring customer’, it does away with some of the features found on the standard bike to provide a more visceral, involving riding experience. It’s only available in Vivid Black and doesn’t feature a screen of any type, limiting the amount of distractions for the rider. The aim is to intensify the riding experience, but the lack of equipment also helps to keep the price down, with Standard models starting at £19,995, compared to £21,335 for the Street Glide or £22,095 for the Road Glide. It’s powered by Harley’s Milwaukee-Eight 107 engine, and features 49mm front forks with Brembo brakes and ABS. To help make longer journeys more comfortable the Standard also has a cruise control system fitted. Chrome accents have been applied to many areas of the bike, while polished metal features on a variety of components. These contrast a selection of blacked-out elements. The Standard also incorporates the same Batwing fairing, saddlebags and cast aluminium wheels that you’d find on existing Electra Glide models. Though the Standard appears on the firm’s website, the bike can’t be ordered just yet.
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Recruitment
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Wednesday March 20 | 2019
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Numbers are substituted for letters in the crossword grid. Above the grid is the key with two letters solved. Try to complete the first few words to give you more letters, or look for a frequent number that might reveal a common letter. As you find letters, enter them in the key and into the grid. Cross off the letters in the A to Z list.
1 7
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To complete Sudoku, fill the board by entering numbers 1 to 9 so that each row, column and 3x3 box contains every number uniquely.
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16 25
16
21
3
21
26 2
22
26
7 18
9
2
26 26
26
4
© 2016 Syndicated Puzzles, Inc.
3
DIFFICULTY RATING:★★★✩
2
8 6
7
5
4
9
4 3 7
3 2
5
2
5 8 7
© 2016 Syndicated Puzzles
1
61
LAST WEEK’S SOLUTIONS
SUDOKU & JIGSAW SUDOKU
DIFFICULTY RATING: ★★★★
CLASSIFIEDS
Life&Times
Puzzles
In this Sudoku, the normal 3x3 boxes are now strangely odd shapes – but all the rules and logic of normal Sudoku apply. Fill the board by entering numbers 1 to 9 so that each row, column and box contains every number uniquely.
Puzzle solutions will be published in a forthcoming issue
O B L I Q U E H B O M B
A S E S J I I P E I N K A G E A V U I E S C E N T S X I L E S A N A A A D D I S P I F S S AMA I S N S Z E A T T I E
T I M E T A B L E
T E N E D E M I A C
R S I R A E O V WH E
R Y E I A R E N U S O A L O L I S A T
Sudoku:
4 3 2 1 8 7 6 5 9
7 1 8 6 9 5 2 3 4
5 6 9 3 2 4 1 8 7
8 2 3 7 4 6 5 9 1
6 4 7 9 5 1 8 2 3
1 9 5 2 3 8 4 7 6
9 7 6 5 1 2 3 4 8
3 2 6 1 8 7 5 4 9
9 1 5 7 4 2 6 3 8
2 6 7 5 3 8 9 1 4
2 8 1 4 7 3 9 6 5
3 5 4 8 6 9 7 1 2
Jigsaw Sudoku:
5 9 2 4 1 6 7 8 3
1 7 8 6 9 3 4 2 5
6 3 4 2 7 5 8 9 1
8 4 3 9 5 1 2 6 7
4 5 1 8 6 9 3 7 2
7 8 9 3 2 4 1 5 6
© 2016 Syndicated Puzzles
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Wednesday March 20 | 2019
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Sport
FORsports EVENstories MORE to: NEWS VISIT: timeslocalnews.co.uk or newsdesk@timesoftonbridge.co.uk Please send newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk
Wednesday March 20 | 2019
Tonbridge Angels 2 Corinthian Casuals 0
The 22nd minute saw Tom Beere deliver an excellent free kick into the Casuals’ penalty area but McKenzie prodded his effort just wide. Joe Turner forced a good save from Corinthian keeper Danial Bracken and there were further opportunities for the home side from Tom Derry and Small. In the 36th minute Tonbridge had the ball in the net through McKenzie but the referee had already blown the whistle for an Angels free kick on the edge of the area. Just before half-time Juevan Spencer had a chance for the visitors but his effort was saved by Angels keeper Jonny Henly. With the strong wind in their favour after the
By Jim Rowe FOOTBALL: TONBRIDGE ANGELS moved up to third and are in close contention for a playoff place in the Bostik League Premier, just one point behind second-placed Haringey Borough. The Angels dominated the first half but only had the one goal to show for it at the break. It came after just 10 minutes when, following good work by Jared Small on the right wing. His cross was converted by Chinedu McKenzie after a mistake in the Casuals defence.
break, the Casuals came much more into the game in the second half. Despite their territorial advantage, however, the visitors were unable to unlock the Angels defence including the ever-reliable Henly. Beere and substitute Adem Ramadan had chances for the Angels as the game reached its final quarter, and then in the 85th minute Tonbridge made sure of victory. They were awarded a free kick which was handled by Majed Sean in the area. Turner stepped up and dispatched the resultant penalty with ruthless efficiency. The Angels now travel to Whitehawk on Saturday [March 23, kick-off 3pm].
Rustics denied third final in extra time Rusthall Reserves 2 Rochester City Reserves 4
CLEAR THE AREA Rusthall attack from a set-piece
By Joe Croker FOOTBALL: RUSTHALL Reserves were thwarted in their bid to reach a hat-trick of cup finals after they conceded two goals in extra time of the Les Leckie Cup semi-final. The pitch at Jockey Farm stadium was in fine condition despite heavy rain, demonstrating that the massive investment in it has paid off. But strong blustery winds did affect the contest and in the opening exchanges the two teams cancelled each other out. On the half-hour mark Rusthall were awarded a free kick just inside their own half which was floated into the Rochester penalty area and Adam James headed into the net. The score remained at 1-0 until just before half time when Rochester equalised from a header over the goalkeeper and into the corner. The second half started badly for Rusthall when a ball into the box was not cleared and resulted in an own goal, giving the visitors the lead. Rusthall pressed for an equaliser and George Salter hit the crossbar with a shot while the home side also hit the post.
They levelled the scores with the best move of the match down the left wing, Lynos Rwodzi finding Franck Ndouga who slotted home. Ndouga should have had a second soon after when the ball was played through the middle and he rounded the keeper but fired past the post. The score remained 2-2 after 90 minutes, and in the first half of extra time Rochester scored directly from a corner with the assistance of the wind.
In the second period they scored a fourth goal from a header and could have pulled away even futher but failed to convert a penalty. Lee Chambers’ side have already made it to the finals of the Tunbridge Wells Charity Cup and Kent Intermediate Cup this season. They will play Southborough or AFC Valour in the former on May 3 at Culverden stadium, and then Lydd Town Reserves at K Sports on May 8.
Hat-trick hero Harvey inspires Wells to find form HOCKEY: TUNBRIDGE WELLS Men made sure that their rivals near the bottom of South Premier League Division One did not gain any ground on them with an emphatic victory over Milton Keynes at Kent College, Pembury. Wells are in 10th place out of 12 after achieving promotion while Milton Keynes are 11th. But with only two games to go they are safe from dropping back down, with Henley occupying the only relegation berth. The home side were keen to avenge a surprising and disappointing loss in the reverse fixture early in the season. With a strong wind at their backs, Wells started fast. It did not take long before they took the lead, Ian Harvey slotting home a precise flick to the goalkeeper’s left. Connor Poulain was running the midfield and showing excellent form to distribute the ball around the pitch. This allowed Wells to create more opportunities and demonstrate more of an attacking threat than they had shown in recent weeks. The home side continued to pile on the pressure and Harvey scored again, followed by a fine team goal involving Sam George and Ben Allberry interlinking well to leave an easy finish for Ben Brandt. Early in the second half, Milton Keynes pulled a goal back to make it 3-1 but it did not disrupt Wells, who had a well-organised defence and
PHOTO: James Lester
Tunbridge Wells Men 5 Milton Keynes 1
PUSHING FORWARD Sam George closes in on goal
were patient in their build-up play. The visitors then sat back and did not show the ambition to find another goal that would get them back into the game. Wells’ patience paid off as they worked the ball around to exploit gaps in Milton Keynes’ defence and George neatly drew in the last defender before slipping the ball to Harvey to complete his hat-trick. As the visitors tired, Wells once again found the gaps, this time Allberry setting up Brandt for his second and the hosts’ fifth. Wells will look to build on their form when they entertain Henley at Kent College on Saturday [March 23, 3pm start]. Tunbridge Wells Ladies’ First XI lost a hardfought game at Old Loughtonians 3-1.
PHOTO: David Couldridge
High-flying Angels boost playoff hopes
FIRST STRIKE Chinedu McKenzie pounced on an error
Christian marches to county success CHRISTIAN THOMAS of Tunbridge Wells Squash Club helped a young Kent Under-13s team come sixth out of 27 teams at Junior Inter-County Championships in Nottingham. It was the fourth consecutive year that Kent coach Steve Franks had brought the boys team to the competition, one of the few national team events for junior squash players. They breezed through the southern qualifying stages in Brighton, winning all three games. Kent were winners in the Under-11 category last year and three of those players were in the Under-13 team. Alongside Christian was Dylan Roberts of Bexley Squash Club, Freddie Davis and Jude Gibbins of Beckenham, Freddie Miles of Thanet Squash Club and Veer Vaghela of Bromley. The first game of the finals proved tougher than expected and Kent narrowly lost 3-2 to Yorkshire. The defeat meant that Kent were playing for fifth to eighth place. An easy 5-0 win in the next game against Suffolk meant Kent took on Essex in the final game against Essex, which they lost 4-1. Christian, 12, is at The Judd School in Tonbridge, and started playing squash aged five. He was coached by Mary Scott-Millar at Holmewood House School in Langton Green and represented them at successive Independent Association of Prep Schools competitions. EARLY PROMISE Christian Thomas started playing aged five
HOCKEY: Tunbridge Wells Hockey Club’s Flyerz send a message of support for British captain Alex Danson, who suffered a serious head injury in October and is only now starting to find her feet again. The Olympic gold medallist is a supporter of the TW Flyerz project, which started in 2017 and provides hockey for those with physical or learning disabilities.
Wednesday March 20 | 2019
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By Joshua Walford SKELETON: MATT WESTON is looking to follow in the footsteps of local Olympic legend Lizzy Yarnold and become the latest Briton to dominate the world skeleton stage. Weston, 22, was born in Tunbridge Wells and attended Bennett Memorial Diocesan School. He is currently training at Bath University ahead of the Beijing Winter Olympics in 2022. Bath is renowned for its state-of-the-art facilities which are geared towards bringing success to the British skeleton team. Yarnold, from Sevenoaks, became the most successful British athlete at the Winter Olympics and the first to win back-to-back gold medals, in Sochi in 2014 and then Pyeongchang last year. Before her, Amy Williams had won gold in Vancouver in 2010.
‘Obviously my goal is to get the gold medal, but realistically just to be able to make it to Beijing would be amazing’ Weston described what makes Bath such a hotbed for success in the sport: “It’s the only place in the country with a push track. “It’s on rails so we can practice the start, which is primarily why we are based there. So it has got everything we need.” He added: “We are also able to use something called a high-performance gym, which only athletes are allowed to use. “This makes our training easy because we don’t have to wait for machines or weights. We’ve got everything there; we can train however hard we want. It’s quite a nice little bubble for us to train in so we don’t have anybody else interfering.” His route into the sport was rather unusual. He
SUITED AND BOOTED Matt Weston ready for action; (left) pushing off on the Bath track
took part in an application process for a variety of different sports, and was chosen for GB skeleton in the summer of 2017. Weston explained: “I went through a talent ID process which is called ‘Discover your Power’, which happens after the Olympics. You can apply online and then you get sent a yes or no on whether you can turn up. “Then there is a series of tests, I had some sprints, jumps and Wat [indoor training] bikes, so how much power you can put down on a bike. “Your results from those tests get sent off to different sports. So they went to sprint cycling, sprint canoeing and skeleton – which was the one I got chosen for.” Having previously represented Kent at rugby he played for Sevenoaks - Weston had already obtained a multitude of physical attributes which helped him stand out during the programme. It is not easy to finance being a winter Olympian because skeleton is a niche sport and it is difficult for the athletes to gain sponsorship. Weston said: “It’s as though I’ve gone back to being 16 years old again, I’m asking my dad for a lot of money.”
Jaques takes his revenge to win third title in a row By Joshua Walford JUDO: CHARLES JAQUES from Tonbridge has won a third successive national title in judo at the age of 12. The Yardley Court pupil was crowned the under -46kg gold medallist at the Independent Association of Prep Schools National Judo Tournament for boys aged 10 to 13 in High Wycombe on March 9. Jaques looks set to make a big impression in the martial arts discipline, having only taken up judo three years ago. A nervy beginning did not affect his confidence at the national event. After losing his first fight he came roaring back to
‘It felt amazing to beat the person who had originally got the upper hand on me in the first fight’ finish second in the pool stages. In the semi-finals he faced the winner of the other pool, and eventually overcame his opponent
in what proved to be a difficult contest. In the final he took revenge against the boy who had beaten him in the opening match – defeating him very quickly. Showing impressive technique he ended the contest in just 11 seconds with a well-executed hip throw. Charles said: “It felt amazing to beat the person who had originally got the upper hand on me in the first fight.” He added: “I quit Taekwondo three years ago and when I started Judo at school, I instantly enjoyed it.” His school instructor Victor Court told the Times: “Charles is a very determined young man who trains hard to gain the success that he has had.” Fellow Yardley Court student Thomas Pateman also took part in the IAPS event, where he was defeated in the third round. Charles is currently having a trial for the Kent squad ahead of the British Judo Kent Closed competition in Dartford. FAST FINISH Charles Jaques won the final in 11 seconds
PHOTO: Craig Matthews
Weston follows Yarnold on trail of the gold rush He added: “People are having to work as well as doing skeleton, if you’re training for five or six hours a day and then going to work it’s not very beneficial for you to be ready for the next day.” Being relatively new to the sport, Weston is yet to compete at Olympic level but is training hard to make the next squad. He said: “They don’t actually decide who goes there until a couple of months before. “I’m working as hard as I can at the moment just to get to Beijing basically. Obviously my goal is to get the gold medal – but realistically just to make it there would be amazing.” Skeleton is a sport which requires bravery and courage, travelling down the track at speeds above 100kmph.
Scary Luckily, Weston has gone through training rather unscathed, escaping up to this point with just a concussion. He explained his first attempt: “It’s weird when I first went on the track, we only went down two thirds of it, then you build up to be able to run off the top because I’d never done it before. “When I first did it, I only hit around 40kmph, and it was quite scary because your chin is so close to the ice.” As well as determination, being part of the team involves a lot of commitment. The GB skeleton squad have a good ‘team spirit’ and drive each other on to be successful. Weston says: “Seeing people who have achieved it and being surrounded by them is quite inspiring. If they can do it then I can do it, so you constantly push each other on like that.” Yarnold is a big inspiration for all involved in British skeleton and for Weston it is no different: “Lizzy Yarnold is a double Olympic champion and I’d like to do the same one day.”