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Inquest hears that photographer died from an overdose

Inquest She had been reported missing the day before and following the discovery of her body a local man in his 30s, who was known to Ms Goacher, was arrested. He was later released without charge. A post-mortem conducted immediately after her death failed to find a cause of death, which the police at the time described as ‘unexplained’. At the opening of the inquest into Ms Goacher’s death at Maidstone’s County Hall yesterday [Tuesday], Coroner Roger Hatch was told further toxicology tests revealed the cause of death to have been a propranolol overdose – a type of beta blocker usually prescribed to people with blood pressure or anxiety problems. Mr Hatch adjourned the hearing into her death until a later date. Miss Goacher, who was a front of house supervisor at West Kent College during the time before her death, was described by colleagues as being ‘well-liked and a valued member of the team’.

AG F A EB ZI R N UA E R – Y FR ’S EE SO IN SI D

A21 closure lasts for ten days not four but now it’s during half-term

By Richard Forrester A TALENTED young photographer found dead in woodland in Tunbridge Wells, died from an overdose of beta blockers, an inquest has heard. The body of Sabrina Goacher, 30, who worked at West Kent College, was discovered in a secluded area near Mount Ephraim on Monday, August 19.

THE urgent repairs to the A21, which will see the road shut in both directions, will take twice as long as Highways England initially proposed. The total closure of the dual carriageway for seven miles between the north and south junctions for Tonbridge will run from 10pm on Friday February 14 to 6am on Monday February 24. It will last for nearly ten days rather than four, as was planned last month, and promises to cause chaos in Tonbridge with all traffic being diverted through the town centre.

UNDER THREAT River Lawn could now be sold

River Lawn set to go on market after village green bid rejected By Andy Tong andy@timesoftonbridge.co.uk THE campaigners who are trying to stop River Lawn being sold to developers have been given six weeks to find a buyer for the site. The deadline comes after the Barden Residents’ Association had their application to have the site designated as a village green turned down by Kent County Council [KCC] last week. Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council [TMBC] responded to the decision by inviting prospective purchasers to put forward bids to secure the land. This results from the campaigners having already registered the site as Asset of Community Value under the Localism Act 2011. The half-acre plot was valued at

£2,125,000 in April 2018, which campaigners claimed was an inflated figure. If no buyer can be found before the deadline expires, the council intends to put the land on the market. TMBC’s Cabinet voted to sell it to developers for housing in 2017. In the immediate aftermath of KCC’s

There will now be a sixweek period during which community interest groups can register their interest judgement on January 21, TMBC tweeted: “This decision means we can now push ahead with our plans to see this land put to good use. The proceeds from its sale will also help fund vital council services.” It later deleted the reference to ‘put to

Concerns

good use’ after the comment attracted widespread criticism on social media. A TMBC spokesman said: “We are very aware of the strong feelings of some local residents about the future of River Lawn. “However, this area has been part of our plans for development of Tonbridge for some time and was included it in our proposals published in 2008. “KCC’s regulation panel agreed that this meant it could not be registered as a village green so we now intend to pursue our plans to sell the land, using the proceeds to invest in council services.” He added: “There will now be a sixweek period during which community interest groups are eligible to register their interest in buying the land. “If no such expression of interest is

Major repairs will be undertaken on the Medway Viaduct flyover above Haysden after faults were identified a year ago. Highways England will also rebuild Manor Farm subway near Leigh. The surface of the bypass was breaking up due to problems with the movement joints in the viaduct. Seven cars were damaged by one pothole on January 14. The works, previously scheduled for January 8-13, were postponed because of supply chain issues. The latest timing runs during the half-term holidays. Around 35,000 cars use the route between Hastings and the M25 every day, and drivers now face a half-hour addition to their journey time. Local MP Tom Tugendhat and Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council Leader Nicolas Heslop previously voiced their concerns about doing the work during term-time.

Continued on page 4

Don’t Leave Your Wealth to the Government Do you know the true cost of dying without a will? Are you one of the 60% of Britons who haven’t made a will? If so, you may end up leaving much of your wealth to the Government instead of your family. ACCORDING to unbiased.co.uk, 76% of people aged between 18-34 have no will in place. For those aged 35-54, 68% have no will. The over-55s are better prepared, with just 36% who haven’t made a will… but don’t leave it too long. Between 2016 and 2017, the Treasury gained a massive £19 million because so many people died without making a will. Don’t make the mistake of thinking wills are just for the rich. If you own a home, you’re worth more than you think: the average homeowner has more than £214,000 worth of property to leave to loved ones. Wouldn’t you rather that money went to people you choose, instead of being distributed by the Government?

Most of us would — so why do so many people take such a risk by not making a will? ■ Many people believe they’re not worth enough to bother. ■ Many think everything will automatically go to their partner or children when that’s not always the case. ■ And many people think it’s too expensive. But dying without a will — even if you’re not rich — can cause real problems and heartache for the loved ones you leave behind. Dying Intestate May Mean Your Loved Ones Miss Out If you die without a will — which is called “dying intestate” — the Government decides who gets what from your wealth, referred to as an estate. Your spouse or civil partner is first in line, but won’t necessarily receive everything. Next in the queue are children or grandchildren, parents, siblings or their children, half-siblings or their children, grandparents, uncles and aunts or

their children and, finally, half-uncles and aunts or their children. If your estate is worth more than £250,000 and you have children, your spouse will probably receive the first £250,000 as well as all your personal possessions. They’ll also receive 50% of what’s left — with the other half passing to your children. If you have no relatives, your estate passes to the Crown or the Duchies of Cornwall or Lancaster. These rules are known as the laws of intestacy. So, as you can see, if you die without making a will it’s entirely possible some (or all) of your wealth could go to people you don’t know very well — or at all. Friends, carers, and charities would miss out on your generosity. Will Your Partner Automatically Inherit? Some time ago, an unmarried couple who had been together for more than 30 years came into our law firm. They didn’t have children but were shocked to discover that if one of them died their assets wouldn’t go to the other partner. They had thought the “common law wife” concept would protect them. No such concept exists in UK law. Because each person owned everything in their individual names all assets would have passed to their respective families. And because the property they lived in was solely in the man’s name things would have been particularly difficult if he died first. Under the intestacy rules his estranged brother would have inherited the house — and they had no idea where he was. The partner wouldn’t have received any part of the property. She would have had to make a claim against the estate. This couple only needed simple wills — but what a difference they make. Now they’re both protected. Don’t Pay More Inheritance Tax Than You Need To Generally, any estate worth up to £325,000 is free of inheritance tax. For any assets over and above that threshold, estates can be taxed at 40%. You may not think

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If you’re facing the end of a relationship, do it with your eyes wide open and register for your complimentary copy of The Good Divorce Guide: Facing Reality When Your World Is Turned Upside Down. The end of a relationship can feel like the end of the world. But you don’t have to face it alone. This book, by family law experts, will guide you through the legalities of divorce and financial settlements and help you make informed decisions about your future. Discover how to deal with the practicalities of the family home, dividing the family finances, maintenance, dealing with your business assets, your children and much more… To order your complimentary copy, email your name and postal address to: tgdg@parfittcresswell.com Alternatively, The Good Divorce Guide is available to purchase in paperback at Waterstones book store or Amazon in paperback and Kindle edition.

Why separation and divorce can be a civilised affair If you are experiencing the anxiety and loss of a relationship ending and suffering sleepless nights worrying about the future, you are not alone. ALMOST 50% of all marriages end in divorce and for many, it can be the most traumatic time in their lives. Months and sometimes years are spent deciding whether to separate and then, when the decision has been made, it can take an age to pluck up the courage to take action. Emotions run high and delays are usually down to fear of the unknown and what life will be like after the separation, not to mention how you’ll cope financially and what you’ll tell the kids. The truth is there is no easy way out. However, the actions you take now and the choices you make will have a big impact on your new life. Your future is in your hands. You can choose to be reactive to your situation or you can be proactive and take the lead and put a stop to the fighting, anger and hurt. Divorce and separation is a life changing event and mistakes can be costly both emotionally and financially and you must be prepared to invest to secure your future. To take control you need information and advice from an experienced and trusted advisor, which will allow you to make informed decisions about your future. Our dedicated team at Keene Marsland is hand picked for their experience working with people who are going through a relationship breakdown. They are all members of Resolution, which means that they have the legal experience required to give you the best advice, and are committed to solving your problem in a conciliatory way if possible – saving you the emotional drain of the legal court battle and the legal fees that go with it. They understand the emotional pressure

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A21 to be closed for ten days Continued from page 1 Southbound traffic will be diverted at the Sevenoaks Weald exit and sent along the B245 through Hildenborough on to the A227. Vehicles will then be signposted to turn left at the top of the High Street on to Bordyke and Hadlow Road, then take a right on to Cannon Lane. They will follow the A26 though the industrial estate to where it turns off at Vale Road, and rejoin the bypass at the Vauxhall roundabout. Northbound travellers will follow the same route in reverse. It is also feared that drivers will use the High Street instead, adding to the existing congestion. There will also be selective overnight lane closures beforehand, from Monday [February 10] to Thursday February 13 from 8pm to 6am. Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council Leader Nicolas Heslop said: “I can understand why the works are needed as the bridge is failing. “It is important to acknowledge that Highways England listened to the fears that we raised about the original timing and the lack of any notice. “The intervention from Kent County Councillor for Tonbridge, Michael Payne, was particularly important. “While we have succeeded in moving the works to the half-term week, when there ought to be less traffic, it is evitable that we will experience congestion in Tonbridge, especially at peak hours. This remains a concern.” A spokesperson for Highways England said: “We have scheduled the work in one go rather than over consecutive weekends following feedback on previously planned timings. “We’re also using half-term week when there is less school run traffic. As delays are expected during this work, we advise you to plan your journey and allow extra time.”

TRAVEL NEWS UPDATES Highways England are offering a text messaging service to give up-to-date travel news, which can be accessed by texting A21CS to 60163. It said there may be a charge to sign up at the standard network rate, though updates will be available free. There will also be a van providing information by the Big Bridge in the town centre today and tomorrow [February 5-6] from 10am to 4pm.

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Council halts gas holder demolition over impact on residential housing By Andy Tong andy@timesoftonbridge.co.uk

Landmark “I assume that this conclusion has been drawn because the holders are located in what has historically been a predominately industrial/ commercial part of the town,” she said. “However, this is plainly no longer the case and the site is bounded immediately to the west and north by high density residential development in very close proximity to the site.” Hundreds of apartments have been built in the area over the last two decades, bordering the site at Blossom Bank and Cannons Wharf in particular. Further concerns were raised about the storage of the dismantled structures and the equipment

REPORTER ANDY TONG andy@timesoftonbridge.co.uk

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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ward, said: “The gasholders are a key landmark in our town and it is right that the council only allows them to be demolished when full details have been submitted and accepted. “This would ensure that there are no adverse impacts for local residents considering the history of works here. “It is clear from this application that SGN wish to change the nature of the site. As the local planning authority it is essential that TMBC can shape its future use so that any changes enhance the town. I will continue to work hard to make sure this happens.”

Tonbridge & Malling has been named in the top 20 best places to live in the country in a study about quality of life by Halifax Bank. The borough was ranked 14th in the UK according to 26 different factors which prospective homebuyers may consider when looking for a house. The criteria included urban environment – number of burglaries, traffic, emissions and population density; education – class size, results and per-pupil spending; and lifestyle – pubs, fitness centres and ultra-fast broadband. In terms of housing, Halifax examined the ratio of prices to earnings. Other topics included earnings, employment, well-being,

DEPUTY EDITOR EILEEN LEAHY eileen@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk | 01892 576037

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required to carry out the task before they are taken away, given that the area is on the flood plain – and also the ‘visual impact’. The planning department also questioned what would replace the holders, saying the plan was ‘scant and insufficient’ – and the likelihood of leaks. It said: “More specific details should be provided explaining how the voids will be filled and with what material, contingency plans in the unlikely event of contaminant escape, how contaminated water/sludge will be stored on site.” Matt Boughton, TMBC’s councillor for Medway

Borough in UK top 20 for quality of life

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR RICHARD MOORE richard@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk | 01892 779615

SALES ENQUIRIES GHak@onemediauk.co.uk | 01892 779650

SHAPE THE FUTURE The gas holders near Medway Wharf Road

AN APPLICATION to demolish the gas holders in town has been turned down by Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council [TMBC]. The gas distribution company SGN want to dismantle the iconic structures near Medway Wharf Road, which are no longer in use. But the local planning authority has said the application is ‘fundamentally flawed’ because it does not take into account the impact on neighbouring houses and flats. Development Manager Emma Keefe said SGN had given ‘only very brief acknowledgement’ of the properties nearby and had decided there would be ‘no harm arising to residents’.

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Wednesday February 5 | 2020

River Lawn set for sale Continued from page 1 received, we will open the process to other bidders.” The five members of KCC’s Regulation Committee ruled that the village green bid was inadmissible on the technical grounds of a ‘trigger event’ relating to the Tonbridge Centre Area Action Plan 2008. TMBC said the Action Plan identified River Lawn as a potential site for development, though it was not included in the draft Local Plan currently being viewed by the Planning Inspector. Adrian Stanfield, the council’s Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Central Services, explained: “The legislation relating to village green applications excludes the right to apply for registration where a prescribed event, known as a ‘trigger event’, has occurred within the planning system relating to that land.

“The borough council has made representations to Kent County Council that two such trigger events have occurred in relation to the land at River Lawn.” The other objection made by the council was that planning permission had been granted to install a single CCTV camera on the edge of the site 15 years ago, but KCC disregarded that. Emma Hood, the chair of Keep River Lawn Green, had enlisted the backing of the Environmental Law Foundation to help the application.

Disappointing And the residents were helped by two barristers representing them free of charge, Cain Ormonroyd and Alexander Greaves of Francis Taylor Building. Mrs Hood said: “The result is obviously very disappointing. Our barrister Alexander Greaves clearly argued that the area earmarked for improvement was adjacent to River Lawn and not actually on the village green application site.

life expectancy and weather. East Hertfordshire came top of the list, with Tonbridge & Malling the highest-ranked in Kent and the fifth best in the south east. Russell Galley, Managing Director of Halifax said: “Everyone has different priorities when it comes to choosing a place to live, depending on time of life, and personal circumstances. “Affordability will always be one of the most important factors, with getting a foot on the property ladder still difficult for some people.” The news comes after a survey by property website Rightmove found that Tonbridge was the third happiest place to live in the whole of the South East and 22nd in the country.

“TMBC’s legal advisor said our arguments were to stifle development of the site and not to see the site registered as a village green. We believe the two go hand in hand.” She added: “The Facebook post by TMBC after the decision was utterly dispicable and shows poor judgement on their part. “We will continue our fight and will look to our local councillors for their support when the use of the land is discussed in TMBC meetings. “We hope that the land will continue to be deemed as open space and the status as a conservation area upheld.” Lucy Athey, the association’s secretary, said: “With the £2million price tag they have put on this, it can only attract a development of highdensity and highly priced accommodation which would have to be built with a car park in the ground floor to get around the fact that this area is likely to flood again. “You only have to look at the water pumps hastily installed on River Lawn before Christmas which are still to be removed.

Wednesday February 5 | 2020

NEWS IN BRIEF

ICA employees guilty of a £3million fraud TWO men who worked for Tunbridge Wells-based cold storage maker, which went out of business in 2017, have been found guilty of trying to defraud the government of nearly £3million. Safety manager, Simon Fitch, of Tonbridge and farming consultant Robin Turney of Henley-in-Arden, submitted fake bids in an attempt to receive £2.7million in grant money. They were working at Paddock Wood-based International Controlled Atmosphere (ICA), Canterbury Crown Court heard. The pair had blamed director Andrew Wills, 48, from Speldhurst for plotting the scheme, but a jury acquitted him of any wrongdoing following a three-week trial. Fitch and Turney are to be sentenced pending probation reports.

Winter Lantern Parade CAMDEN ROAD will be aglow this weekend as the annual Winter Lantern Parade takes place this weekend. The parade starts in Calverley Road at 5.30pm on Saturday, February 8, before snaking its way down Camden Road and finishing at the Grosvenor and Hilbert Recreation Ground. This year’s theme is ‘A Night of Magic’. See more on page 37.

Commuter rail chaos COMMUTERS were left facing widespread disruption yesterday [Tuesday] after Southeastern cancelled trains to Charing Cross after a cracked rail was discovered. The defect was identified by Network Rail staff near to New Cross on Monday night and meant all trains to the London station from Tunbridge Wells had to run to Cannon Street. Other Kent services were diverted to Victoria or Waterloo East.

Bus fares to rise again THE price of some local bus services is to rise from Sunday, bus company Arriva has announced. Return journeys in Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge will go up by ten pence on February 9, from £5.20 to £5.30 for adults and £3.90 to £4.00 for children. Four-Weekly Saver Tickets will also rise by £2.00 for adults, and £2.20 for children. Annual passes will also go up by £20 for adults but there’s no rise for children’s yearly passes.

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James Blunt and Craig David head Pub in the Park line-up POP big names James Blunt and Craig David are among the music acts announced for this year’s Pub in the Park. The event in Dunorlan Park on July 10-12 is being hosted by TV chef and former star of Saturday Kitchen, James Martin. Accompanying James to entertain the crowd will be Craig David, James Blunt, East Sussex band Toploader, as well as Beverley Knight and YOU’RE BEAUTIFUL Roland Gift. James Blunt will be They will at Dunorlan Park

join a raft of restaurant and pub pop-ups, including Tom Kerridge’s The Hand & Flowers and Marcus Wareing’s Tredwells. Organiser and TV chef Tom Kerridge said: “I am so proud of what Pub in the Park has become – a coming together of the best chefs in the business, a celebration of incredible food topped off with an ace music line-up where you can create amazing memories with

BORN TO DO IT Pub in the Park plays host to Craig David

family and friends – it’s my idea of the perfect day out!” Last year’s Pub in the Park saw more than 15,000 foodie and music revelers descended on Dunorlan Park where Rick Astley, Scottish singer-songwriter KT Tunstall, Will Young and Basement Jaxx

Fears that county’s pension pot losses could be double By Richard Williams THE amount of taxpayers’ money lost in the collapsed Woodford Equity Fund could be more than £120million – double what was first feared. Last week, the Times reported how Link Fund Solutions, the firm that took over the fund after it was closed last year, told investors they could expect between 46p and 59 per share held – less than 80 per cent of their original worth. Martin Whybrow, a Green Party councilor at Kent County Council [KCC] had said this equated to a loss of around £60million to the authority. However, Link, have now written to KCC and informed the Council that it has suffered an initial loss of more than £120million. KCC had £263million of its pension money invested in the Woodford fund, and nearly half of that could be wiped out. Link revealed in a letter sent to investors last week, including KCC, that the total cost of winding up the fund expected to be more than £10.3million, including fees paid to liquidators BlackRock and PJT Park Hill for selling off the fund’s investments. Almost £5million worth of fees have also

entertained the crowds. But the main event was the food, with more than 28,000 dishes on offer over the three-day festival, including local favourites The Kentish Hare and Sankeys who joined Mr Kerridge for the three-day food festival.

STOCKPICKER Neil Woodford

accrued since October when the fund officially closed, which Link expects will cost a further £5.3million. The equity fund – where investments are used to trade in stocks and shares – was started by renowned stockpicker Neil Woodford and initially performed well for KCC. The authority invested £200million in 2014 and a further £60m in 2016, and at its peak in January 2017, the value of KCC’s investment had increased to £317million.

Frozen But by March 2019, the fund had deteriorated, causing the authority’s Superannuation Fund Committee to request the withdrawal of the Council’s money on June 3 last year. The fund was then frozen by Mr Woodford in order to prevent a run of withdrawals from other investors. According to an official disclosure, KCC had by then written off £36million, but the latest figures indicate a much lower valuation with a loss so far of 46.5pc. A spokesman for KCC said: “We can confirm

that we have received a letter from the administrators of the Woodford fund stating that we will be receiving an initial sum of £138.9million.” However, he added that the final losses may not be quite as severe as more money could be forthcoming depending on how much liquidators raise selling the remaining assets. The Woodford investment represents around 4 per cent of KCC’s £6.4billion pension pot.

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Dealership to move from Hildenborough as Volvo enjoys market surge A CAR dealership is moving from its current site in Hildenborough to a new 20,000 sq ft site in Tonbridge to meet growing demand. Hildenborough Volvo, part of the HSF Group, is relocating to a new state-of-the-art facility in Vale Rise following the highest sales in 29 years for the Swedish marque. The new dealership will be known as Volvo Cars Tonbridge and will officially opens its doors on March 16, 2020. The facility will have a showroom with nine cars and a handover bay, increased customer parking and will act as a dedicated full-service Volvo dealership, for Sales and Aftersales with an approved Volvo Bodyshop.

Investment The move comes after Volvo Car UK recorded annual new car sales last year of 56,208, a growth of nearly 9 per cent despite an overall picture of decline in the rest of the car market that saw sales decline across the industry by 7 per cent in 2019. Peter Nott, Director, Volvo Cars Tonbridge said: “Hildenborough and the HSF Group has had a relationship with Volvo for over 40 years now and this move represents a significant investment for the Company in line with the growth of Volvo as a brand. “The new showroom will offer us far more space, with large exterior and interior glazing, a focus on physical and digital presentation as well as integrating sales and service areas to deliver an open and friendly environment. “This new development however is not just about facilities as it will also ensure customers feel relaxed and at ease, in a very Scandinavianinspired setting.”

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Wednesday February 5 | 2020

Developer showcases ‘stunning’ new By Sarah Bond THE latest major building development in Tunbridge Wells was officially launched last week and is expected to breathe new life into The Pantiles end of town. Known as ‘1887 The Pantiles’ it is currently scheduled for completion next year and is being constructed on the former 1960s ‘Brutalist’ Union House. The residential complex next to Tunbridge Wells’ beloved Georgian colonnade is named after the date when The Pantiles revived its

Among the dignitaries attending the launch party last week [Monday, January 20] was Cllr James Scholes, Mayor of Tunbridge Wells, and William Benson, the Chief Executive of the Council. Mr Benson told the Times: ““I’m thrilled about the development because Prince Charles would probably have referred to Union House as a monstrous carbuncle, and I think it’s really nice to have high quality homes for people to live in, and to provide business for The Pantiles and other businesses in Royal Tunbridge Wells.

“It frames The Pantiles very nicely, I think certainly Union House didn’t do much for the town and for the economy, and I know from talking to some of The Pantiles traders that they’re absolutely thrilled at the prospect of having more people living in and enjoying the area. “There will be a public area called The Pump Room [named after the original 19th-century building on the site] and also restaurants and a public realm, including a water feature, which will put the ‘water back in the Wells’,” added Mr Benson.

Traders ‘thrilled’ at the prospect of more people to enjoy the area original name after being known as The Parade. It is hoped the development that includes 127 apartments and has been built by Dandara will provide local traders with an expanded customer base right on the doorstep of the town’s famous promenade.

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WELCOMING APPROACH

Wednesday February 5 | 2020

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apartments set to boost The Pantiles STEP INSIDE

The collection of new one, two and threebedroom apartments, and two-bedroom mews homes, have a starting price or around £300,000, and Dandara say many of the people buying the 1887 properties are ‘local downsizers’.

Exciting Speaking after the event, Louise Norman from the developer, said: “1887 The Pantiles is simply stunning and we were extremely grateful that so many guests attended our celebration, especially the Mayor and Mayoress, Councillor James Scholes and Mrs Jane Scholes. “This is such an exciting era for Dandara in Kent as 1887 is one of five beautiful developments we have in the Garden of England.” ARTIST IMPRESSION

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Local MPs are elected to chair vital committees TUNBRIDGE Wells MP Greg Clark has been elected as the chair of the UK’s Science and Technology Select Committee. It is the committee’s job to scrutinise and analyse the Government Office for Science, which advises Number 10 on science and technology policies. Mr Clark, a former business secretary, said: “I am thrilled and honoured to be elected Chair of the Science and Technology Select Committee at a transformational time for science, technology, engineering, research and innovation – across the UK and around the world.”

Honoured Mr Clark beat competition from Stephen Metcalf, the backbench Conservative MP for Basildon and East Thurrock who held the post prior to the 2017 General Election. Six House of Commons Select Committee were decided last week by MPs. Tom Tugendhat, the member for Tonbridge & Malling who was elected as Foreign Affairs Select Committee Chairman again, having held the post since 2017. He was up against former junior Justice Minister and Reigate MP, Crispin Blunt and Isle of Wight MP Bob Seely. Mr Tugendhat said he was ‘honoured’ to be selected and added: “This is an important moment in our national life and I look forward to championing voices across Parliament and around the country to deliver the best outcome.” Since 2010, committee chairs have been elected by a secret ballot of the entire House of Commons. Their makeup is decided after General Elections where chairmanships are divided between the parties depending on their MP numbers, with the Conservatives entitled to 16 committees, Labour nine, and the SNP two.

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Sloe success for local gin lover By Richard Williams A WOMAN from Rusthall has won the 11th annual Sloe Gin World Championship. Newly crowned winner of the homemade category, Andy McKee, used sloes harvested from the base of Mont St Michel in Normandy where she used to live in France, to create her Sloe Gin de Normandie. Ms McKee was one of a record 30 entries to this world championship, which was held at the George Inn in Frant on Saturday, February 1. The event raised more than £650 for the UK Sepsis Trust, in memory of student Tim Mason from Crowborough, who died from the disease.

Connoisseur Other winners included Anno Distillers of Tonbridge, who won the silver medal and Mother’s Ruin from East London, the bronze. The boutique distillery category for small batch producers was won by Demijohn, based in Galloway, Scotland, and this year’s commercial winner was Gordon’s. Entries came from around the globe including France, Germany, Austria, and an amateur entry submitted by an American sloe gin connoisseur. Judge and co-founder of the Gin Box Shop in Tunbridge Wells, Alastair Harlow, said: “As a local gin retailer with a shop and online store in Tunbridge Wells, we have tried and tested our way through a few sloe gins in our time, but we were absolutely staggered at the quantity and quality of World Sloe Gin Championships entries.” Event co-organiser, Lisa de Garston, who runs rural craft and activities centre, Moondown, added: “In previous years it was noticeable that although they were judged separately, homemade concoctions generally scored better

BOTTOMS UP Gin lover Andy McKee of Rusthall

‘We were absolutely staggered at the quantity and quality’ than commercial gins – possibly because the makers have had longer to refine their recipes. “This year the top scoring commercial liqueurs surpassed the amateur entries for the first time.”

Kent will remain close to Europe despite our exit from the union CLOSELY TIED Leader of County Hall Roger Gough

COUNTY Council Leader Roger Gough has said that Kent will remain closely tied to its counterparts across the channel despite Brexit. The UK left the European Union after 47 years at 11pm on Friday, January 31. Cllr Gough said: “We have a number of shared interests [with Europe] on which we need to work together from the economy, transport and environmental issues, to young people and promoting the culture, heritage and attractiveness of coastal and local communities. “I was very pleased to be able to welcome representatives from our neighbouring authorities to County Hall in October for our European Regional Summit, days after becoming

leader of the council. “From our meetings, we agree that we need to work together while no longer within the common framework of the EU and the Single Market. “I will continue to give a high level of importance to maintaining and developing those relationships.”

New era While most of Kent’s constituencies voted Leave in the 2016 referendum, Tunbridge Wells was alone in the county to have a Remain voting majority. But the town’s MP, Greg Clark, said Brexit represents ‘a new era’ for the UK and Tunbridge Wells. He told the Times: “Although it was not my own preference,

I recognise – like most people in Tunbridge Wells and our country – that we need to embrace the new direction that our nation voted for. “It will be more demanding of Parliament: we have complete responsibility for setting our own policies to attract investment, for example building up our strengths in science and technology, rather than simply following an EU approach. “During the years ahead we must keep cordial and effective relationships with our continental neighbours.” He added: “In Kent, we are part of the closest county to the continent, and, 35 miles from London, close to a city that is a European capital, as well as a world city. We are leaving the EU but long may we continue to be proud Europeans.” Ben Chapelard, who stood against the Conservative MP for the Liberal Democrats in last December’s General Election on a platform of stopping Brexit, said he was ‘saddened’ by the UK’s departure. “We are leaving at a time when the world is again highly uncertain. Europeans need to work together more than ever. Friday was not Brexit – only our EU membership ends – the fight for the soul of our country continues,” he said.

Wednesday February 5 | 2020

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BUSINESS

Business Awards

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Wednesday February 5 | 2020

The business event of the year is back THE Times Business Awards returns this year and promises to be bigger and better than ever before. For 2020 there are new categories alongside some old favourites, ranging from Entrepreneur of the Year to Best National Business serving the Local Community and Outstanding Business of the Year – all celebrating the wealth of talent in our area, from established businesses to start-ups. The fifth annual Times Business Awards will take place at Salomons Estate in Tunbridge Wells on Friday, June 5. The previous gala nights all proved to be among the most popular social events of the local calendar, with tickets selling out fast.

Enter There are many good reasons for entering the awards. They provide a unique opportunity to showcase yourself and your company alongside some of the outstanding businesses and business people within the boroughs of Royal Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge & Malling. You can be part of a vibrant annual awards ceremony that recognises, celebrates and promotes local business excellence. Winning such a prestigious business award will add credibility to your company, raise your profile through valuable media coverage, generate new business, inspire your staff, and provide an exclusive networking opportunity for you at the awards ceremony itself in June. The gala evening, held in the Salomons Estate historic Science Theatre, is one of the area’s must-attend occasions. Hundreds of local businesses have entered the awards over the last five years, with many of their bottom lines boosted ever since. Even for those not fortunate to win, the night is among the best business networking events in town. So do enter now…

2020

THIS YEAR’S CELEBRITY HOST TV presenter Eamonn Holmes

Wednesday February 5 | 2020

The categories 1. Start-Up Business of the Year Award – This award recognises new start-ups under two years old at the closing date for entries of April 22, 2020 that have translated an idea into a successful business venture. They must be able to detail growth so far and show plans for the continued development and success of the venture.

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How to enter Entries for the awards are now open with the closing date for all entries on Wednesday April 22, 2020. Shortlisted candidates will be notified by email on Monday April 27, 2020 and announced

Business Awards

in the Times on Wednesday April 29. Winners will be announced at the gala dinner. Tickets are available priced at £99 per person or £900 for a table of ten. Numbers are limited, and based on the previous four years the award dinner will be a sell-out. To book, please call Eileen Sweeney on 01892 779 583. LAST YEAR’S WINNERS On stage in the Science Theatre at Salomons

2. Creative Business of the Year – Is your business success based on innovation and creative thinking in your strategy and everyday operation? This category is 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. 3. Entrepreneur of the Year – This award is open to dynamic individuals who are running their own business and are able to demonstrate significant success and drive in growing their company. 4. Young Business Person of the Year – Entrants for this award must be aged 30 or under by the closing date on April 22, 2020, and need to show they have a clear vision/strategy for their business and are committed to growing it. Areas such as increasing headcount, developing and inspiring staff, and involvement in the local business community are all good examples of this. 5. Service Excellence Award – The winner of this category will be giving outstanding assistance and advice to those who buy or use their business or organisation’s products or services. They will be able to provide customer testimonials to support their entry.

Want to sponsor the Times Business Awards? 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 • Inclusion within the editorial coverage in SO Magazine • Extensive coverage on social media via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

To Enter the awards: To register your interest and receive an application form, or to find out more information, please email us at: info@ timesbusinessawards.co.uk giving your full contact details and an indication of which category you might like to enter. You can enter in a maximum of three categories. You can also call Eileen Sweeney on 01892 779 583 for more information.

6. Best in Food and Drink Award – The winner of this category will be a local business that provides truly remarkable food and/or drink in the area. Whether it is a fine dining restaurant, gastropub, café, bakery, cake shop or drinks company, the winner of this award will have demonstrated how they have put their town on the map.

Guess who will be coming to dinner?

7. Best Family Business of the Year Award – This category recognises those businesses that not only have the passion and commitment that comes with a company run by a family concern, but are also continually innovating to support future growth, and have an equally invested and engaged workforce that understands customer expectations.

THE guest speaker for the Times Business Awards 2020 gala night on June 5 at the Salomons Estate Science Theatre is one half of ITV’s This Morning husband-and-wife team Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford. Eamonn Holmes has been a stalwart of morning television for nearly 30 years. He has presented the ITV show, which was recently voted the best Live Magazine Show in the

8. Best National Business Serving the Local Community – New for 2020, this category recognises those national companies that go the extra mile to serve the local community. These businesses have to show how they have made a commitment to the area, whether as local employers or how they made the branch unique to fit within the community in which it serves. 9. Best Business (1-25 employees) – Here we recognise owner-managers and small businesses employing up to 25 people that have maintained consistent growth and strong financial performance. They must understand customer expectations, have an engaged workforce, and be continually innovating to support future growth. 10. Outstanding Business of the Year – The ultimate award of all the categories will go to the business that can show outstanding initiative, boldness and imagination in their enterprise, as well as sound management practices. The winner must also be able to demonstrate they have a clear strategy to invest in the skills and development of their staff. They will be expected to prove sustainable growth combined with a degree of commercial success that is exceptional for the size of the business.

National Television Awards, with wife Ruth Langsford since 2006. Before that, the Belfastborn journalist had presented GMTV for more than 12 years, and hosted Sky News Sunrise. In presenting the awards, Eamonn follows in the footsteps of BBC Strictly Come Dancing star Anton du Beke, who hosted last year’s event, as well as former politicians Michael Portillo and Edwina Currie, and BBC Radio 2 DJ Ken Bruce. TV TREASURE Eamonn Holmes is well used to the microphone

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Wednesday February 5 | 2020

Church 5K Your Way comes to town Baptist takes wing with to support oncology patients football Angels By Andy Tong THE inaugural 5K Your Way run in Tunbridge Wells was launched at Dunorlan Park by Dame Kelly Holmes on Saturday January 25 – and was described as ‘a coffee morning with a difference’. The free exercise events are organised for people living with and beyond cancer, their families, supporters and medical staff. They operate alongside existing parkruns, and those taking part can run, jog, walk, cheer, or volunteer to help out in a variety of roles. The hugely popular parkrun format is also renowned for the communal camaraderie that comes from its non-competitive, supportive environment.

GOOD EXERCISE Dame Kelly Holmes (centre) at the Dunorlan Park launch

Inspiring This is the fourth 5K Your Way in Kent, running on the last Saturday of every month alongside events at Leybourne Lakes near West Malling, Great Lines Heritage Park in Gillingham and on the Deal and Walmer seafront. Rema Jyothirmayi, Consultant Clinical Oncologist at the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust [MTW], led the drive to recruit runners and walkers for the town. She said: “We were very excited to welcome double Olympic gold medallist Dame Kelly, who gave a truly inspiring talk about 5K Your Way and the importance of physical exercise for all of us, particularly for oncology patients. “We had 39 people taking part, and the event was a great success thanks to Lindsay Holmwood and Richard Thomas, our Tunbridge Wells patient ambassadors, Polly Taylor and her group from

The Pickering Cancer Drop-In Centre and all those who took part. “Special thanks also go to the Tunbridge Wells parkrun organisers and volunteers for all their help and support.” She added: “It was an incredible experience with Dame Kelly running the parkrun and then walking back to motivate the other runners and walkers. She truly is an amazing role model and inspiration to all of us.” Dr Jyothirmayi has worked for MTW since 2003, specialising in gynaecological and breast cancer. She has been running with the Malling 5K Your Way since it started last summer. The consulstant described the benefits of taking exercise for her patients, saying: “Physical

activity has so many benefits for people living with and beyond cancer. “It reduces cancer-related fatigue, helps to preserve fitness, and improves mental wellbeing. “It can also reduce the side effects of treatment and may reduce the risk of cancer recurrence. “And that’s in addition to all the other benefits for your heart, blood pressure, diabetes risk and general physical and mental health. “5K Your Way allows people to start or return to physical activity in a supportive and safe environment with a friendly atmosphere – it’s a coffee morning with a difference!” For more information, search for Royal Tunbridge Wells 5K Your Way on Facebook

TONBRIDGE ANGELS FOOTBALL CLUB has announced a partnership with Tonbridge Baptist Church to strengthen their respective ties with the local community over the next 18 months. The National League South club’s Longmead Stadium is close to the church in Darenth Avenue, and its Lead Minister, Neil Durling, has been the club’s chaplain for seven years. The church is already involved in events at the ground, such as the popular Sunday Funday, and will now make greater use of the facilities and hospitality for events and meetings. In return, the church will help to finance the club, particularly in assisting with the upkeep of the pitch itself. Angels Chairman Dave Netherstreet said: “I’m very pleased that as near neighbours our two organisations have come together on a more formal basis.” An anonymous donation was made to the church to allow the relationship to develop in the joint pursuit of serving the community. Neil said: “As a church we are delighted to receive this anonymous gift and astounded by the generosity of the giver.”

TWO UP FRONT: Angels Chairman Dave Netherstreet (left) with Lead Minister Neil Durling

Wednesday February 5 | 2020

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Tom is jumping for joy with new job at trampoline park By Andy Tong andy@timesoftonbridge.co.uk THE Jump In Trampoline Park in Tonbridge has recruited a man who suffers from severe disabilities to assist with its Special Educational Needs provision. Tom Perry was a frequent visitor to the attraction in Morley Road and now helps to run their Relaxed sessions. The 27 year old, from Marden, has joined the staff after he expressed an interest in taking up the role on several occasions. At the age of 15 he was diagnosed with Dravet Syndrome, a rare and severe form of epilepsy that has caused severe autism and learning and behavioural difficulties. He has lived with the condition since he was five months old, but it was only identified when French paediatric psychiatrist Charlotte Dravet discovered a rogue gene. Jump In Trampoline Park’s Regional Manager, Joe Upstone, said: “He got to know the staff here very well, and would come in with a big smile and greet us. “He always asked questions like ‘have you got any jobs?’ and we’d say ‘not at the moment’, but he would keep coming back to it. “So we wanted to give him a chance and thought the SEN session would be perfect for him because the session is already very inclusive.” He added: “I spoke to Tom’s parents, who were more than happy to cooperate, but asked us if we would go through the proper process. “So we asked him along for an interview. I asked him all the usual questions and he was able to give a good response. You could tell he really wanted the job.” Joe added: “It’s been a positive experience for everyone to be able to include Tom. We are a place for everyone and

SMILES BETTER Tom Perry has gained ‘real self-esteem’ don’t discriminate, which fits our core values.” Tom is paired with another member of staff with a carer present. His tasks include marshalling and checking wristbands, and he also oversees safety on the trampolines. Shane Kugthasan, who has been Tom’s carer for four years, said: “He knows the rules and knows what’s right and wrong, and during the session he will assist customers and make sure every-

one is sticking to the rules. “He takes it quite seriously. If there are any new faces on the staff he makes sure he tells them he’s the person running the shift, which is quite funny. “No one treats him any different, and we’re grateful to Joe, who went above and beyond what is expected. “They are always catering to Tom’s needs. They get him.” Tom’s mother, Sue, said: “We are really grateful to Jump In. They have embraced Tom when it’s something they could have very easily shied away from because Tom can have his moments where he’s not on top form. “This has given him an opportunity he might not have otherwise had. It normalises him. Tom doesn’t see himself as having any problems. “He wants to be the same as everyone else and he wants to be able to have a job, and this gives him real self-esteem.” Regular SEN sessions are held at Jump In Trampoline Park on Wednesdays from 4-6pm and Sundays from 9-10am. Sessions cost £7 and are free to carers. For more information, go online to gojumpin.com/activities/trampolineactivities-for-additional-needs

REBOUND THERAPY GIVES A BOUNCE Relaxed sessions can include Rebound Therapy, where those with special needs can explore unassisted play with their families and carers in a safe, lower-sensory environment. Trampolines are key to this type of exercise therapy, offering a wide range of potential physiological benefits from posture and balance to perception and communication. Benefits that are more specific to autism include calmness, concentration, eye contact, memory, following instructions, motivation, self-esteem and confidence.

HAVING A BALL Rebound Therapy has many benefits

Recognition for volunteer who ‘never forgot’ Sudan suffering A CHARITY that supports working animals around the world has named Louise Brown of Tunbridge Wells as its first volunteer of the month. The Brooke Hospital for Animals has been working to improve the lives of vulnerable horses, donkeys and mules and the communities that depend on them since 1934. Now it has launched an initiative that will highlight volunteers who have ‘gone the extra mile’ and raised awareness of the plight of these creatures. Louise Brown has supported Brooke since 2007, and as organiser of the West Kent fundraising group she and her team have raised more than £75,000. Louise, who gives talks in the local area, became involved with Brooke after returning from Sudan, where she lived for six years. She said: “Every day I saw horses, donkeys and mules pulling heavy and over-laden carts and carrying great big men, the thin legs of the animals barely able to support those weights. “I saw these animals abandoned when they were too old or sick to be of

RIDING HIGH: Louise Brown has helped raise more than £75,000 for Brooke

further use to their owners. I never forgot about them.” She added: “When I came home to the UK and saw an advert in the newspaper for Brooke, I knew this was the charity that would enable me to help those animals which I hadn’t been able to help before. Although Brooke does not have a presence in Sudan, they work in many similar countries.” Polly West, Brooke’s Senior Regional Fundraising Officer, said: “We are so grateful to have such loyal and dedicated volunteers as Louise and the West Kent group. “Not only do they raise incredible funds for working equids in need, but most importantly they help us spread vital awareness of the work we do to their local area.” Brooke reaches more than two million working horses, donkeys and mules across Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Latin America, providing vets, animal welfare specialist and development experts. For more information, visit thebrooke.org

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Wednesday February 5 | 2020

Terror laws to change ‘as soon as possible’ SENIOR Cabinet minister Michael Gove has said that terrorist offenders should be imprisoned indefinitely ‘if necessary’ and has said the Government intended to bring forward emergency legislation this week. Mr Gove, a former justice secretary, said the Government intended to end the automatic early release of terrorist offenders, following the attack in Streatham at the weekend, in which Sudesh Amman, 20, stabbed two people a week after being released halfway through his sentence for spreading extremist material. Asked on Sky News if people should be detained indefinitely, Mr Gove said: “If necessary, yes.”

Danger He added: “We need to be able to prove that people are no longer a danger to the public. “If you have people who are in the grip of an ideology, that ideology means they want to kill innocent people in order to advance a particular religious and political view, they are a danger to society. “Until we know that they are comprehensively de-radicalised and that it is safe to have those people on our streets then public protection must come first.” Downing Street acknowledged that there was nothing to prevent prisoners being automatically released until the emergency new law is passed. A spokesman said: “A particular issue has been identified where people have been released at the automatic half-way point and we have no powers to continue to hold them, which is why we are bringing forward emergency legislation at the earliest possible opportunity.” Under the plans, terror prisoners would not be let out of prison until they have served at least two thirds of their sentence, rather than half, and the Parole Board has agreed their release.

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Brother of Manchester bomber ‘just as guilty’ THE brother of the man who blew himself up at the Manchester Arena in 2017, killing 22 people, arrived at the Old Bailey yesterday [Tuesday] accused of helping to make the explosives used in the bombing. Hashem Abedi, 22, denies 22 counts of murder, attempted murder and conspiring with his brother to cause explosions. His brother, Salman, died in the attack. Abedi appeared in the dock of court number two accompanied by three security officers, wearing a dark blue shirt, dark trousers and glasses.

ACCUSED Hashem Abedi

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Alcohol admissions rise by 20 per cent HOSPITAL admissions due to alcohol have risen almost a fifth in the last decade to reach almost 358,000 last year, new figures show. A report from NHS Digital shows a 6 per cent rise between 2017/18 and 2018/19 where alcohol was the reason for admission. In 2018/19, there were 357,660 admissions, up from 337,870 in 2017/18 and 300,930 in 2008/09. The report also found that men and women aged 55 to 64 are the most likely to drink more than 14 units of alcohol a week – the maximum amount recommended by the NHS.

Threats to Mesut Ozil

Encouraged Duncan Penny QC opened the case for the prosecution. Mr Penny described how Abedi’s brother detonated a ‘large home-made improvised explosive device – a bomb’ in the public foyer of Manchester Arena at a concert by Ariana Grande. He said the bomb was ‘packed with shrapnel, contained in a rucksack on his back’. “The effects of the resulting explosion were both sudden and lethal,” Mr Penny said. He continued: “The prosecution’s case is that this defendant is just as guilty of the murder of the 22 people killed as was his brother – he is equally guilty of the attempted murder of many others and in doing so he was guilty of agreeing with his brother to cause an explosion or explosions of a nature likely to endanger life.” Mr Penny said Hashem Abedi had assisted and encouraged his brother. He added: “In all, 237 were physically injured in addition to those killed, whilst a total of 670 people have since reported psychological

National News

TWO men threatened to ‘kill’ an Arsenal player and defile his mother as they confronted his security guards, a court has heard. The alleged intimidation happened outside Mesut Ozil’s £9 million north London home shortly after the star was targeted by moped attackers in an unrelated incident. Salaman Ekinci and Ferhat Ercun deny behaving in a threatening or abusive manner outside the house of the £350,000-per-week midfielder. The trial was adjourned.

Boynton to play Faithfull ‘He was guilty of agreeing with his brother to cause an explosion’ trauma as a result of these events.” The trial, which is being heard before Mr Justice Jeremy Baker, is expected to go on for up to eight weeks.

BOHEMIAN Rhapsody star Lucy Boynton will play Marianne Faithfull in a new biopic about the superstar’s life. Set in London in the mid-1960s, the 27-year-old will portray the music star as she rises to fame, from being discovered as a convent schoolgirl at the age of 17 to becoming a pop star, her hedonistic lifestyle and being homeless and addicted to drugs in Soho.

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Jehovah’s Witnesses child abuse concern A HIGH Court judge has raised concern after hearing that ministers in a congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses waited more than two and a half years before telling police that a girl had made sex abuse allegations against her father. Mrs Justice Lieven said there had been a ‘failure to take effective steps to protect a young child’ which gave rise to ‘deep concern’. The judge said evidence in a case she had analysed showed that ministers, known as ‘elders’ in a Jehovah’s Witness congregation, knew about the allegations in December 2016, when the girl was nine, but had not reported them to police until July 2019. “The facts of this case raise very great concern about the safeguarding of children within the Jehovah’s Witness community,” the judge said in a written ruling on the latest stage of litigation centred on the children.

Killer jailed for 30 years A 29-YEAR-OLD man has been jailed for life to serve a minimum of 30 years for the ‘sexual sadistic’ murder of a mother-ofthree who he tied up and tortured before slitting her throat after she ‘laughed’ off his advances. Brendan Rowan-Davies killed 27-year-old Kelly-Anne Case at her home in Gosport, Hampshire, before setting fire to the property in the early hours of July 30 2019. Sentencing him at Winchester Crown Court, Mr Justice Garnham said the murder had a ‘sexual sadistic motive’ and added: “She was vulnerable and defenceless. She was completely at your mercy and you showed her none.”

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Petrol and diesel car ban brought forward to 2035 GREEN FINGERED PM Boris Johnson at the COP26 launch yesterday [Tuesday]

A BAN on the sale of petrol and diesel cars in the UK is to be brought forward by five years under government plans. The government had proposed a ban in 2017 on selling on conventional internal combustion engine powered cars for 2040, but experts have said it would be too late if the UK wants to achieve its target of emitting virtually zero carbon by 2050.

Summit Also included in the plans is a ban on the sale of hybrid cars – those that use both electric motors and petrol or diesel engines. Boris Johnson outlined the policy yesterday [Tuesday] at an event to launch a United Nations climate summit in November. The summit, known as COP26, is being hosted in Glasgow. It is an annual UN-led gathering set up to assess progress on tackling climate change.

He said the summit was a chance to ‘step up’ protecting the planet. The change in plans, which will be subject to a consultation, is being propsed because experts warned the previous target date of 2040 would still leave old conventional cars on the roads after the clean-up date of 2050. But the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said the plan to bring forward the change from 2040 was ‘extremely concerning’ and accused the PM of setting a ‘date without a plan’. The government’s plans come as COP26’s former president Claire O’Neill, who was sacked on Friday, wrote a bitter letter accusing Mr Johnson of failing to support her work. Mrs O’Neill accused Mr Johnson of promising money and people to support her work, but failing to deliver either. Mr Johnson refused to answer questions about who will replace Mrs O’Neill as president of the talks.

Wednesday February 5 | 2020

Inquiry calls for 11,000 patients of rogue breast surgeon to be reassessed AN INDEPENDENT inquiry has recommended that patients under the care of rogue breast surgeon Ian Paterson should be recalled. The disgraced surgeon is serving a 20-year jail term for 17 counts of wounding with intent. The Paterson Inquiry, launched in May 2018, published 15 recommendations yesterday [Tuesday] after hearing 181 first-hand accounts from the surgeon’s former patients. Among the recommendations, it urges both the NHS trust which employed Paterson, and private health firm Spire Healthcare, to recall his 11,000 patients for their surgery to be assessed. Inquiry chairman the Rt Rev Graham James, Bishop of Norwich, said that ‘patients were let down over many years’ by both the NHS and independent providers. As part of the Inquiry’s terms of reference, it was allowed to refer individuals considered to have committed a ‘disciplinary or criminal offence’ to the relevant authorities. Paterson carried out unnecessary operations in NHS and private hospitals, exaggerating or inventing cancer risks and claiming payments for more expensive procedures. The consultant breast surgeon was employed by the Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust (HEFT) but had practising privileges in the independent sector at both Spire Parkway and Spire Little Aston in Birmingham. In 2017 he was handed a 15-year prison term, but the Court of Appeal later increased his tariff to 20 years. More than 750 of Paterson’s patients have received compensation from a £37 million fund.

Wednesday February 5 | 2020

Kenya’s longest-serving president dies aged 95 DANIEL arap Moi, a former schoolteacher who became Kenya’s longest-serving president and presided over years of repression and economic turmoil fuelled by runaway corruption, has died. He was 95. Mr Moi’s death was announced by President Uhuru Kenyatta in a statement on the state broadcaster on Tuesday. Mr Moi, who ruled Kenya for 24 years, had been in hospital for more than a month. Despite being called a dictator by critics, Mr Moi enjoyed strong support from many Kenyans and was seen as a uniting figure when he took power after founding President Jomo Kenyatta died in office in 1978.

Amendment Some allies of the ailing Mr Kenyatta, however, tried to change the constitution to prevent Mr Moi, then the vice president, from automatically taking power on Mr Kenyatta’s death. So wary was Mr Moi of any threat during that uncertain period that he fled his Rift Valley home when he heard of Mr Kenyatta’s death, returning only after receiving assurances of his safety. In 1982, Mr Moi’s government pushed through parliament a constitutional amendment that made Kenya effectively a one-party state. Later that year the army quelled a coup attempt plotted by opposition members and some air force officers. At least 159 people were killed. Mr Moi’s government then became more repressive. Political activists and others who dared oppose Mr Moi’s rule were routinely detained and tortured.

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Major delay in counting Iowa votes for democratic presidential nominee NARROW LEAD? Bernie Sanders

RESULTS from Iowa’s first-in-the-nation caucus have been greatly delayed due to ‘quality checks’ and new reporting rules, the US Democratic Party has said. The party said the problem was not a result of a ‘hack or an intrusion’. The statement came after Iowa voters packed caucus sites across the state with at least four leading candidates battling to win the opening contest of the 2020 campaign, and ultimately, the opportunity to run against President Donald Trump.

Turnout Long before any significant results were released, the candidates pressed ahead with post-election rallies claiming momentum. “It looks like it’s going to be a long night, but we’re feeling good,” former Vice President Joe Biden said, suggesting the final results would “be close”.

“We’re in this for the long haul.” Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders said he had ‘a good feeling we’re going to be doing very, very well here in Iowa’ once results were posted. “Today marks the beginning of the end for Donald Trump,” he predicted. Democrats hoped that Iowa’s caucuses would provide clarity for what has been a muddled nomination fight for much of the past year. But apparent technology issues delayed the results as the state party suggested turnout was on track to match 2016 numbers. Party officials held a call with campaigns as concerns were growing over the delays. Spokeswoman Mandy McClure said the party “found inconsistencies in the reporting of three sets of results”. “In addition to the tech systems being used to tabulate results, we are also using photos of results and a paper trail to validate that all results match and ensure that we have confidence and accuracy in the numbers we report,” she said. “This is simply a reporting issue, the app did not go down and this is not a hack or an intrusion. The underlying data and paper trail is sound and will simply take time to further report the results.” Des Moines County Democratic Chair Tom Courtney blamed technology issues in his county for the ‘mess’. As a result, he said precinct leaders were phoning in results to the state party headquarters, which was too busy to answer their calls in some cases. Pre-caucus polls suggested that Mr Sanders might have a narrow lead, but any of the top four candidates, inlcuding Jo Biden, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren and Indiana mayor Pete Buttigieg could score a victory in Iowa’s unpredictable and quirky caucus system.

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Chinese coronavirus death toll reaches 425 THE death toll in mainland China from the coronavirus outbreak has risen to 425, with the total number of cases now standing at 20,438, officials said on Tuesday. The new figures come after the country opened a new hospital built in 10 days, infused cash into tumbling financial markets and further restricted people’s movement in hopes of containing the rapidly spreading virus and its escalating impact.

Shock jock’s cancer news US CONSERVATIVE radio host and Republican kingmaker Rush Limbaugh said he has been diagnosed with advanced lung cancer. Addressing listeners on his programme on Monday, Limbaugh said he will take some days off for further medical tests and to determine treatment. The cancer diagnosis was confirmed by two medical institutions in late January after he experienced his only symptom so far, shortness of breath, on his January 12 birthday weekend, he said.

Low-yield nuclear missle THE US military has deployed a new addition to its nuclear arsenal, a longrange missile armed with a nuclear warhead of reduced destructive power. The so-called low-yield missile joins other, more powerful weapons aboard stealthy submarines prowling the oceans. The debut deployment aboard long-range submarines, known as boomers, is a landmark in US nuclear weapons policy. It is the first major addition to the strategic nuclear arsenal in recent decades.

BUSINESS

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Flying is not ‘the enemy’ says boss of Heathrow Airport THE Chief Executive of Britain’s busiest airport has said the aviation industry is not ‘the enemy’ in the fight against climate change. John Holland-Kaye told the BBC’s Today programme: “The answer is not to stop people flying. It has to be about decarbonising aviation.”

Carbon The UK’s aviation industry has pledged to reduce its net carbon emissions to zero by 2050. Mr Holland-Kaye said: “The enemy is carbon, not aviation. We need to protect the ability to fly in a world without carbon. “When the government blocked Heathrow expansion 10 years ago, people started flying through Amsterdam and Paris instead, taking two flights instead of one and not a single tonne

of carbon was saved.” He said synthetic fuels were the way forward. “It has been around for about 100 years and is becoming more affordable. It needs a real push on investment.” But campaigners argue that the only way to cut airline pollution is to reduce air travel and cancel new airports and runways. “We need to restrict flying,” Muna Suleiman, from Friends of the Earth told the BBC. “We can’t have airport expansion at the same time.”

Amsterdam to London Channel Tunnel route

EUROSTAR will begin direct commercial services from Amsterdam to London in April, the crossChannel rail operator has announced. The route was launched in April 2018 but passengers travelling to the UK have been forced to change trains in Brussels to complete passport checks and security screening.

Commercial Eurostar was assured the UK and Dutch governments would agree to allow border procedures to be carried out in the Netherlands by the end of 2019, but progress was slower than expected. Commercial direct services from Amsterdam will begin on April 30, with trains also serving

Rotterdam from May 18. Speaking ahead of the arrival of a direct preview train from Amsterdam to London St Pancras, Eurostar chief executive Mike Cooper said: “Our services from the UK to the Netherlands have proved very popular with over half a million travellers since launch. “Our fully direct service marks an exciting advance for high-speed rail and provides consumers with a comfortable, environmentally friendly alternative to the airlines on one of Europe’s busiest leisure and business routes.” Rail expert Mark Smith, founder of Seat61.com, said some passengers have been put off from travelling by train between London and the Netherlands because of the lack of direct trains to the UK. He told the PA news agency: “Eurostar has been tackling one of the biggest air routes in Europe with one hand tied behind its back. “Now they can go all-out for a large chunk of that air market.” He described the firm’s offer of city centre to city centre journeys in three hours and 50 minutes with a check-in time of just 30 minutes before departure as ‘very competitive’.

NEWS IN BRIEF

Outgoing BP boss gives shareholders dividends OUTGOING BP boss Bob Dudley beat expectations in his final set of results as chief executive, allowing him to give shareholders an increased dividend as a parting gift. The oil giant’s underlying replacement cost (RC) profit, its most watched measure that is a proxy for net profit, reached 2.6 billion US dollars (£2billion) for the fourth quarter. It is a major fall from 3.5 billion dollars (£2.7billion) in the same period last year, yet still beat brokers’ forecasts of 2.1billion dollars (£1.6 billion).

Ikea closes first UK store IKEA has confirmed plans to shut one of its UK stores – marking the first time the Swedish retail chain has had to close one of its sites since arriving in the country 33 years ago. The Coventry store will close in summer 2020, but furniture giant said it ‘remains committed to growth in the UK’ and is looking into how it can meet customers needs as the high street evolves. Peter Jelkeby, from IKEA UK, said: “ The proposed closure of the store has not been an easy decision, particularly given the impact it will have on our co-workers. “I would like to thank our Coventry co-workers who have contributed enormously throughout this time.” The furniture company first entered the UK in 1987, opening a site in Warrington, Cheshire. It now has 313 stores across the country.

Ferguson to switch from UK PLUMBING giant Ferguson has confirmed it is considering switching its stock market listing to the US as it spins off its UK arm, Wolseley, this year. The group insisted the US is its ‘natural’ home for a listing and is kicking off a further round of talks with shareholders over a switch away from London. Ferguson, which is soon to demerge the Wolseley business, is considering two options - a dual listing on Wall Street while maintaining its existing listing in London, or switching its primary listing to a US stock exchange and losing its coveted place in the FTSE 100 index.

Handbag deal for Ashley MIKE Ashley’s Frasers Group has bought a 12.5 per cent stake in Mulberry. Previously known as Sports Direct, Frasers is thought to have paid around £19million for the share in the luxury British handbag maker.

Wednesday February 5 | 2020

NEWS

Letters

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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, Times Local News, Salomons Estate, Tunbridge Wells TN3 0TG

Take notice of the perils of our parking ticket machines SLIP UP Royal Victoria Place’s ticket machines

We can all play the numbers game Graham Salmon [January 22] continues to massage the outcome of the last general election with a statistical analysis of this percentage of that, and that percentage of some other, of who voted and who could vote; it all points to a refusal to accept an outcome based on how the electoral process works in this country, not how Mr Salmon would wish it to work. If he is to place his reliance on statistics, may I refer him to a report in the same week’s edition of the Times that claims electric vehicle ownership in the town is up by 329.4 per cent – on the face of it a stunning figure; this turns out to be an increase of about 51 to a total of 73. There are many claimants to the ownership of ‘lies, damned lies, and statistics’ but the sentiment holds true notwithstanding. Ben Hardy, Tunbridge Wells

Visionary Jukes? I just don’t see it

I think readers should be aware of the possible risks of merely parking correctly at Royal Victoria Place. On December 21 I parked there and checked in at 10.44am, as I normally do every Saturday. Going back to the car to put some shopping in, I was amazed to see a Parking Notice attached to my car. Calling over the nearby attendant, I had a heated argument with him over it. In spite of him checking my ‘check-in slip’ twice, he still insisted I had parked there

unlawfully and the Penalty Notice was correct. If I wanted to dispute it then I would have to use their Appeal Service. This infuriated me, having to appeal against something that was so obviously wrong. I had no option but to write. Finally, after 17 days, they replied and admitted they had a problem with their Cale system. Future parkers should be aware that it may happen to them. I E Bond Tunbridge Wells

Gloating is not a very British trait

Enjoy a quiet sense of achievement

Colin Bullen [January 22] suggested that there should be public ‘celebrations’ to mark Brexit Day: Beacons should be lit and church bells should be pealed. To 48.2 per cent of his compatriots (and possibly quite a few Leave voters as well), this would have seemed uncomfortably like gloating, something that is not normally encouraged in this country. Many of us would prefer to follow the advice of Rudyard Kipling: “If you can meet with triumph and disaster and treat those two imposters just the same.” John Reynolds Tonbridge

Of all your correspondents, Colin Bullen has probably done the most to encourage the people of this part of the United Kingdom to leave the European Union in its various guises. Personally, I did not welcome our departure with bells and bottles, because we are only righting the wrongs of years past and disentangling ourselves from the tentacles of Brussels with which we should never have got involved in the first place. Nevertheless: Well done, Colin, wherever you celebrated! W George Tyson Crowborough

So there was a right place after all?

Can somebody clarify the position regarding road traffic and pedestrians in Mount Pleasant Road – the bit outside the Town Hall and Monson Road? Who has the right of way in what appears to be a mixed environment, or are we waiting for an accident to provide an explanation? If you can’t turn left out of Church Road, or proceed straight over the traffic lights from Mount Pleasant hill, why can you still turn left out of Monson Road. And what do the raised areas of granite setts signify: My right of way? Vehicles have priority? John Ward Moorhouse Tunbridge Wells

I find the response given by Cllr Atwood on his defection to the Conservatives to be disingenuous. It was widely known before last May that Cllr Pope could not vote at Full Council meetings on Calverley Square. This suggests that Cllr Atwood had not done his homework before standing for election. Second, he says he thought Calverley Square was ‘in the wrong place’. This implies he thought there was a right place for the development all along. Dr Alan Bullion Liberal Democrat Town Councillor for Southborough North

Rights of way and wrong turnings

I imagined Calverley to be a hardened old hack inured to and cynical of the ways of the world, so it was surprising to read his paean to David Jukes last week; in particular, describing him as a ‘man of vision’. I would have thought that Calverley would subscribe to the view that the world needs fewer men of vision – and the problems they bring upon the rest of us mere mortals. As for Calverley’s lament for Jukes’ £100million vanity project, this dead duck is impossible to resuscitate because its bill is in the way. Peter Casson, Tunbridge Wells

Sustaining agreement Most people agree what is good about Tunbridge Wells, have a common vision for our town, and understand the key challenges of the civic buildings, the Assembly Hall, the increasing problems of our ‘high’ street and congestion. Yet we seem unable to agree how to solve them. The problems with the buildings have existed for 20 years. The previous leader came up with an engineering and financial ‘solution’ that proved to have unacceptable components, costs and risks to be palatable to many – and thus stopped as on-site construction was due to start – which was inevitably wasteful. We are currently using the Civic Buildings and Assembly Hall rent-free (thanks to investment by previous generations). However, not to proceed leaves the problems to our children while also throwing money at wasteful, ultimately more expensive temporary fixes. We need to come up with a consensus which identifies each part and solves the problems without undue financial strain or risks to the borough. The Working Group (across political parties) is tasked to break the problem down into manageable parts; to identify and evaluate alternative real solutions – for the council and the public to review and agree. This clearly will require substantial public engagement. The Working Party has proven that consensus is possible. Hence, the task now is to proceed with smaller, manageable and less costly solutions. Cllr David Scott, Tunbridge Wells

Calverley

Observations on life and more important things

BEAN COUNTERS at head office can be as bit of a pain. Take the case of those at Waitrose. Calverley popped in to one of their outlets last week in search of a common old garden cabbage and was told… they do not sell such a vegetable. An exasperated assistant pointed at the shelves and said: “We’ve got seven types of tomatoes, several types of mushrooms and even raw water from coconuts, which nobody wants, which is why it’s reduced… but no cabbages.” “And why not?” prompts Calverley. “Because head office don’t think there’s a call for it – there is.” Come on bean counters, listen up. BELIEVE it or not, Calverley has a thing about good manners, or lack thereof. He was thus much impressed when bar staff at a particular hostelry called time on a bunch of hooray Henrys who shouted out orders for drinks and never once uttered the words ‘please’ or ‘thank you’. Eventually, staff told the manager they were refusing to serve them and walked off into the other bar, leaving their boss red faced and overworked. Calverley bought all the staff drinks.

HERE’S a thought. With all the furore about the fiasco over the introducton of the new local waste collection services, how would it be if your council launched a new initiative that was a ‘resounding triumph’, with the number of missed bin collections ‘the lowest on record’ and the amount of recycled household waste ‘at an all- time high’? Just a dream? Not if you live down the road in Eastbourne, where the council ditched the private contractor and took services in-house. As Calverley says, just a thought. FINAL THOUGHT: There’s been talk lately of banning ‘soccer banter’ in offices because it’s divisive, as some people might not feel able or comfortable joining in any debate. That’s fine so long as the PC police also ban chat about getting married, being pregnant and having kids. What’s fair for the goose… discuss! Chin Chin, dear reader

We do our best to publish letters in full. However, the Editor reserves the right to edit any letter. Please ensure that letters do not exceed 250 words

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EDUCATION Times

Pupils get lessons in how to future-proof the planet Claremont pupils celebrate the launch of their new eco store WHEN it comes to saving the planet, Claremont Independent School is definitely open for business. Building on the brilliant work of the Sussex school’s ‘Eco Warriors’ as they pursue Green Flag Status, prep pupils from Year 7 and 8 decided to launch The Claremont Eco Store to sell environmentallyfriendly products directly to parents and friends. Believed to be one of the first of its kind in a school, The Eco Store has gone from strength to strength since it opened its doors in November. From humble beginnings, and a modest stock list chosen and marketed by the children themselves to include eco-friendly shampoo, body wash and refillable bottles, the Eco Warriors have been able to reinvest in their ‘business’. Their expanded product range includes new eco lines in soap bars, washing-up liquid, reusable straws and face pads, ‘truthbrushes’, bamboo cotton buds, dental

floss and top selling toilet paper ‘Bumboo’. The children also took the Eco Store to the Friends of Claremont Christmas Bazaar, to promote their cause and wares to the wider local community. Sally Bunker, fellow Eco Warrior and mentor, said: “If just half of our parents used our refill shop that would be 170 households not buying single-use plastic bottles for shampoo, conditioner, body

wash and washing-up liquid. That’s potentially 700 singleuse plastic bottles we could reduce with immediate effect!” With the help of charity onetreeplanted.org, the children decided that for every £10 in takings they would ‘plant a tree’. Headteacher Mr Bunker said: “This project has been more than a learning experience, it has empowered the children to take positive action.”

ARE YOU BEING SERVED? Pupils in their Eco Store

LIGHTING UP THEIR LIVES With a Chinese lantern

Young and old celebrate the Chinese New Year

WELCOMING the year of the golden rat, pupils of Bishop Chavasse Primary School in Tonbridge spent their bi-weekly visit to Barnes Lodge Care Home learning about Chinese New Year. The children from the reception class at the nearby school helped residents get stuck into a craft project making their own Chinese lanterns. The pupils have been visiting residents at the care home for almost two years now, and they have developed a real bond with their older friends. From learning about Remembrance Day and writing poems to fun singalongs, they have all learnt a lot from one another. Barnes Lodge General Manager Nicky Pett said: “We started this project with Bishop Chavasse nearly two years ago, and since then they’ve visited every week, and some of our residents have even been to the school. It’s been lovely to watch the relationships develop.”

Education

NEWS

Weekly Comment

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Rt Revd Simon Burton-Jones Bishop of Tonbridge

Wednesday February 5 | 2020

The Rt Revd Simon Burton-Jones is the seventh Bishop of Tonbridge. He has oversight and leadership of the education, youth and children, and community engagement work of churches across the Diocese of Rochester, which includes Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge

Could the ‘trusting twenties’ be the decade that warms our rapidly cooling relationships? DECADES are neatly packaged by advertisers and opinion formers. The swinging sixties. The stagnant seventies. The selfish eighties. The caring nineties. They contain a grain of truth, but hardly do justice to reality. Most people led conventional lives in the 1960s. The disco-themed 1970s swung more for most. People did not become selfish on January 1, 1980, and stop being selfish on December 31, 1989. Nor did they become more caring a day later. These descriptors are simply inadequate. Which brings us to the 21st century. No one quite knew what to call the first decade, though opinion seems to have settled on the noughties. It seems not to have been socially defined the way previous decades were. The issues somehow got bigger: 9/11, the so-called war on terror, foreign invasions, the global economic crash. The 2010s suffered from a linguistic handicap. The tens and the teenies mean little. The decade remains undefined, though its issues haven’t. The emergence of social media and the big tech companies. Austerity and the effects of the earlier crash. The rise of populism. The

poisoning of politics and the weaponising of social media. The reassertion of Great Power confrontation. Climate change. Now, after 20 years, we’ve arrived at a decade that can be processed again. One UK newspaper has already declared it the roaring twenties. Leaving aside this political spin, a little reflection on the 1920s is called for. These roared for a wealthy, self-absorbed elite. Many families lost relatives in the Great War, and others had traumatised fathers returning from the Front without societal understanding or support.

Nuanced The decade merely represented a lull between world wars. Germany felt humiliated by the Treaty of Versailles. The economic depression of the late twenties led to a resurgence of poisonous nationalism. Extremism was normalised. If the 1920s roared, it was with the voice of a wakening monster. Each decade leaks into the next. To predict the 2020s is a risky business, as so few of us called the last two decades right. That we didn’t shows our shaky grasp of history, because the 1920s

Martin Betts

Vice Chair of Tunbridge Wells Constituency Labour Party

and 1930s clearly evidenced the emergence of nationalism THE GREAT and xenophobia in the years GATSBY ERA following a catastrophic The 1920s were global crash. not roaring for The 2020s will surely everybody deepen trends begun in the earlier part of the century. Tech will get bigger and more pervasive. Surveillance by company and state will be normalised. Populist rhetoric about ‘the people’ will strengthen, ignoring its use by the most repressive of regimes and running the risk of a tyranny of the majority against whichever minority group stands in the way of an agenda. Climate change will accelerate because of previous decades. We tend to polarise over the future. We are pessimistic or optimistic; defeatist or triumphalist. But human progress is nuanced and it is predicated on trust. Trust’s erosion may be our biggest social challenge. As the

globe warms, it feels like the ecology of our relationships is cooling. We need a decade that cools the climate and warms our community. The moniker ‘the trusting twenties’ is so counter-intuitive as to be laughable. But if there is even a grain of truth in it, lives will become much happier. We are created for one another, not for the things we possess.

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

Standing Together – to stop division and hatred LAST week over a hundred people stood together in front of the Tunbridge Wells war memorial commemorating Holocaust Memorial Day [HMD]. This was one of many civic events that took place across the country marking the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz and the 25th anniversary of the genocide in Bosnia. The theme for HMD 2020 is ‘Standing Together’ which looks at how genocidal regimes throughout history have deliberately divided societies by marginalising certain groups. It asks us to take responsibility and challenge these tactics by standing together with our neighbours and speaking out against oppression. Leading to the Holocaust, the Nazis deliberately encouraged divisions within German society. They separated ‘Ayran’ Germans from their Jewish neighbours, removed their rights and made them wear the Star of David. Others they persecuted included trade unionists, homosexuals, the disabled, gypsies, and Jehovah’s Witnesses. More recently, in Bosnia in 1991, non-Serbs were forced to wear white armbands and fly white flags outside their houses so that Bosnian Serb forces were easily able to identify Bosniaks – Bosnian Muslims – who were then forced

from their homes, with many ending up in concentration camps and being killed as part of ‘ethnic cleansing’. A tactic of these oppressive regimes is to introduce the persecution of their target groups gradually – introducing discriminatory laws, removing them from workplaces or schools and rounding them into ghettos or camps, breaking friendships and work relationships, so seeing someone as ‘different’ or ‘inferior’ is made normal. Once this has been done, atrocities that led to the Holocaust and the genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur can readily follow. They are all made easier when ordinary citizens fail to stand with their neighbours, to speak out and help those under attack. As the famous quote goes: “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” We know that there is division within communities in the UK and across the world and HMD reminds us of the importance of standing together with others in our communities to stop divisions and hatred. We all have a voice and we need to use it to call out anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, racism, and attacks against disabled people.

LEST WE FORGET Commemorating Holocaust Memorial Day in Tunbridge Wells

In 2017/18, 95,098 hate crime offences were recorded by the police, and the trend is upwards. Political parties have rightly been criticised for slowness in dealing with anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, but to combat hate in our communities we all have a crucial role to play to change what is seen as acceptable language and behaviour. Jo Cox, MP, was brutally murdered in a hate

crime nearly four years ago. The Foundation set up in her name sums up what we should all aspire to – ‘a kinder, more compassionate society where every individual has a sense of belonging and where we recognise that we have more in common than that which divides us’. Taking actions to achieve this aspiration is one way of ensuring the memory of all those who have been murdered in genocides is passed on.

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Best property buys for... 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 some of the aspects that make these properties well worth a look…

Wednesday February 5 | 2020

Mortley Close Tonbridge PRICE

£625,000 CONTACT • Barnes Kingsnorth, Tonbridge • 01732 771616 • bkestateagents.com A superb three-storey townhouse built by Crest Nicholson off Lyons Crescent, close to the historic castle, in a leafy waterside location that definitely gives it the ‘wow’ factor. This includes views of the River Medway, weir and town lock, with the added bonus of ducks and swans gliding by! In this truly dreamy location it’s all so peaceful you’d never guess it’s within walking distance of the high street, park and station. MAIN POINTS OF INTEREST

n Entrance hall n Dining room n Cloakroom n Excellent kitchen/family room n Spacious L-shaped living room with stunning river views from a Juliet balcony n Master bedroom with en-suite shower room and French doors opening to another Juliet balcony with riverside views n 3 further bedrooms n Family bathroom n Tranquil riverside frontage and a delightful, easily maintained, courtyard garden n Double open-bay garage with two allocated parking spaces, plus visitor parking

The RIVER VIEW…

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The PRICE…

The OPEN-PLAN LIVING…

Kent Road

Tunbridge Wells GUIDE PRICE

£450,000 CONTACT • Jackson-Stops, Tunbridge Wells • 01892 521700 • jackson-stops.co.uk Attractive Edwardian semi within a short walk of schools and St John’s Recreation Ground. MAIN POINTS OF INTEREST n Bay fronted and halls adjoining design, with replacement windows throughout n Sitting room with bay window n Dining room with step down to:

Earls Road

n Kitchen/breakfast room with walk-in larder, walk-in cupboard and door to garden n Master bedroom with bay window

Tunbridge Wells

n 2 further bedrooms and a family bathroom

PRICE

n Fully enclosed paved garden with borders and built-in store

£1,295,000 CONTACT • Wood & Pilcher, Tunbridge Wells • 01892 511211 • woodandpilcher.co.uk A very stylish family home which has been remodelled and extended to offer accommodation over three floors in a desirable area of town. Outside, it has a stunning garden, and comes with access to a private residents’ park, too.

Hamptons

MAIN POINTS OF INTEREST

GUIDE PRICE

n Canopied entrance and oak panelled front door n Sitting room with feature fireplace boasting a large oak bressumer beam and cast iron log burner. Open aspect to: n Large open-plan kitchen/dining room with feature island cooking area and breakfast bar plus bi-fold doors to terrace and garden n Family room/study with free-standing island bar and drinks display cabinet n Utility room, including recently installed gasfired boiler with nest control, and side door n Downstairs cloakroom n Master bedroom suite on two floors, with dressing area and en-suite shower room n 3 further bedrooms, one with en-suite shower n Family bathroom n Large ceramic tiled patio with central steps to level garden. plus pergola with paved area

Park Road, Hadlow

£550,000-£575,000 (Share of freehold)

CONTACT • Fine & Country, Tunbridge Wells • 01892 701900 • fineandcountry.com Beautiful ground floor apartment in a Grade IIlisted Georgian building in a stunning setting within walking distance of Ightham Mote. MAIN POINTS OF INTEREST n Lounge with sash windows and shutters, period-style fireplace and wood-burning stove n Kitchen/breakfast room with solid wooden counter tops and breakfast bar n 2 bedrooms, one with built-in furniture n Bathroom with free-standing roll-top bath and corner shower n Communal laundry for own machines

n Driveway providing off-road parking

n Long drive, private parking and garage

n Access to private park, with the entrance just across the road

n Communal grounds with terrace, seating areas and far-reaching views

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in Hand Street

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AT A GLANCE

BIRD IN HAND STREET GROOMBRIDGE ■ Semi-detached period cottage spread over three floors with exposed beams and leaded light windows ■ Sitting room with brick fireplace, slate hearth, Chesney wood-burning stove and polished floorboards ■ Dining room with wood panelled walls and door to garden ■ Kitchen/breakfast room with Belling dual-fuel range cooker, natural stone floor and door to garden ■ Shower room and WC ■ Cellar with utility room ■ Latch door to staircase (from kitchen)

Charming Grade II*-listed 17th-century character cottage overlooking the green

■ Master bedroom with vaulted ceiling and extensive eaves storage ■ 2 further bedrooms, one with ornamental fireplace and large walk-in wardrobe ■ Family bathroom ■ Cottage garden with terrace, fruit trees, vegetable beds, summerhouse, greenhouse, two outhouses, shed and rear gate

ASKING PRICE

£650,000

CONTACT • Jackson-Stops, Tunbridge Wells • 01892 521700 • jackson-stops.co.uk

EAST PECKHAM £325,000 Call us now to view this super three bedroom family home. Presented in excellent order throughout and convenient for village centre and primary school offering superbly fitted kitchen/ breakfast room and a luxurious bathroom, two separate reception rooms plus downstairs cloakroom. Outside there are secluded and mature gardens. EPC: D Apply Tonbridge

PEMBURY £500,000 FANTASTIC FAMILY HOME , a short stroll from the village primary school and woodland walks. This 4 double bedroom semi-detached house is set on a corner plot with a west facing garden to the side and rear with plenty of driveway parking too. There’s a double aspect sitting room, spacious family room, modern kitchen/dining room, study area, utility/WC downstairs and a family bathroom and en-suite bathroom with the 4 bedrooms upstairs. Outside, there’s also a garden studio, perfect for working from home or perhaps a home gym. EPC: D Apply Pembury

PEMBURY £515,000 SOUGHT-AFTER GREENLEAS. This detached family home is set within walking distance of the High Street and the recreation ground. There is a spacious sitting room and large dining/ family room, kitchen/breakfast room and cloakroom on the ground floor, with 4 bedrooms and family bathroom upstairs. Outside, there is driveway parking leading to the integral garage and a lovely, well-stocked garden to the rear. EPC: D Apply Pembury

Residential Pembury: 01892 822880 Tonbridge: 01732 771616 Sales & Lettings e: pembury@bkea.co.uk e: tonbridge@bkea.co.uk

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AT A GLANCE

BOCKINGFORD COURT CRIPPLE STREET, MAIDSTONE ■ Attached, Grade II-listed country house in a conservation area with far-reaching views ■ Dating in part from the mid-19th century, the property has been extended with some refurbishment and retains many period features ■ Reception hall ■ Drawing room with direct access to verandah ■ Dining room with direct access to verandah ■ Kitchen with bespoke hand-painted oak cupboards by Richard Baker and marble work surfaces ■ Library/study ■ Utility room and cloakroom

Sheer elegance bordered by a verandah and nestled beside Loose Valley Nature Reserve

■ Superb master bedroom with luxurious en-suite shower ■ 3 further bedrooms ■ Family bathroom fitted with Catchpole & Rye sanitaryware ■ Separate shower room ■ 3-room cellar, with one room prepared for use as a potential cinema room ■ Garden ■ Gated with parking and garage

GUIDE PRICE

£850,000

CONTACT • Savills, Cranbrook • 01580 720161 • savills.co.uk

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ON PARADE Event Project Manager Nell Price

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Take part in this illuminating idea The annual and incredibly popular Winter Lantern Parade takes place this Saturday. Eileen Leahy talks to Project Manager Nell Price about why it gets bigger every year… So Nell, please can you tell us a little bit about the Winter Lantern Parade? It is the culmination of a series of public and community workshops helping people make their own lanterns to join in the parade from the town centre. This year the parade’s theme is ‘Magic’ and it leaves from Calverley Road precinct on Saturday [February 8] at 5.30pm. We will be heading down Mount Pleasant, then on to Monson Road, continuing down Camden Road and finishing in Grosvenor & Hilbert Park, where there will be a chance to see the bigger lanterns up close and have refreshments. It really is an event for everyone to get together. How did it start? Local artistic collective CREATE had already performed Camden Road the Musical in 2009 and so were familiar with the businesses and characters of Camden Road. It was noted that the council did not put up Christmas lights along the second half of Camden Road, so CREATE decided to put on an ‘Electric Lantern Parade’, bringing in the community from across the Tunbridge Wells borough to the town centre to light up the town at such a dark and dismal time of year. How did you become involved in it? I was brought on board by Veronica Dorset, who has been an instrumental member of not only the Winter Lanterns, but also CREATE. I have been the Project Manager for two years now and love being involved in

such an impactful community event. There are actually only about five of us who put the whole thing together, but we are then supported by a lot of volunteers, without whom this event would not happen. Has its popularity grown over the years? Very much so! I was asked to be Project Manager after CREATE took a break for a year. It had become too big, and the numerous workshops where people can make their lanterns in particular were too busy. So we now have a much

better system where people book a place on one. This ensures a nicer experience for everyone as at the parade we could have anywhere between 800 and 1,500 people attend! Tell us about the workshops Last year we had just over 600 people attend them, making just over 500 lanterns. Then we have about 50 volunteers all taking on different roles. There are the shopkeepers who sell the lantern kits for us, charity groups who hold community

workshops, the Tunbridge Wells Round Table and the Rotary Club, who support us with road closures, and everyone who watches the parade. The workshops are such an amazing part of it. So many families have said how nice it is to be together creating something rather than rushing about or sitting in front of the TV. One participant told us their favourite part was getting messy with glue then peeling it back off their hands! The youngest to attend a workshop last year was two and the oldest 72.

Are there any particular challenges to putting on an event such as this? The sheer manpower needed and the amount of funding to put the parade on are two obvious ones. At the end of the parade in 2019 we were set on only putting this event on every two years, but then Royal Tunbridge Wells Together came to us with the full funding for the workshops and that made putting on another Winter Lanterns parade possible for 2020. We’ll always need manpower, though, so volunteers, let me know! For more information on the Winter Lantern Parade and how you can get involved, visit winterlanterns.org If you can volunteer, please email Nell at: support@winterlanterns.org

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arts

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The really wild show On Saturday February 15, professional photographer Steve Hedges will host a workshop at Hever Castle on how to capture wildlife on camera. Here he tells us about his passion for pictures, reveals top tips, and what the special day at Hever will bring… I have been a photographer for over 30 years now, and working at it professionally for around 25. I was always interested in the visual arts at school, but I didn’t start to take photography seriously until my early 20s. At the time I had a cheap compact

TRAVELLING MAN Steve Hedges goes far and wide to get his best shots

Wednesday February 5 | 2020

camera that got dropped into the sea in Majorca, which of course ruined it! So I decided to buy my first decent camera, which encouraged me to learn more about photography. I became completely hooked and have had a lifelong love of photography ever since. There are so many things about being a professional photographer that I love. The creative challenges involved in creating a good image, watching wonderful light paint a landscape, meeting like-minded people, and experiencing wonderful natural events such as a beautiful sunrise, or a wildlife event that I wouldn’t have had the chance to witness if it hadn’t been a photographer. I love both wildlife and landscape photography, so it’s very hard to pick a few favourite places to shoot. When it comes to wildlife photography, I love shooting at coastal locations. We have so many great seabirds and waders in the UK. Bempton Cliffs in Yorkshire takes a lot of beating when it comes to photographing seabirds. I’m visiting Cairngorms National Park

ALWAYS PRETTY AS A PICTURE Hever Castle across the snowdrops

this winter, which I’m very much looking forward to. Hopefully, I’ll be able to photograph mountain hares and ptarmigan in the snow. For landscapes, I love East Anglia’s big skies, the Yorkshire Dales, Brecon Beacons and the Alps.

Bears There are so many places I’d like to visit to take pictures, including Africa and its amazing wildlife. Finland is also high on the list. It’s a great place to photograph brown bears, but for landscape photography it would be Norway, along with Iceland and Yosemite in the States.

I’m excited about my upcoming photography course at Hever Castle because it’s such a brilliant location for photography. I did my first one there last summer after Harriet Waldron – who is the learning and engagement assistant at Hever Castle and works with outside organisations such as the RHS and schools to organise tours and courses – asked if I would be interested. So when she got in touch again and asked if I’d be interested in running another course, I jumped at the chance! In order to capture truly fantastic shots I would firstly say know your equipment inside out, as

Wednesday February 5 | 2020

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Arts & Culture WATCH THE BIRDIE For a captivating close-up

STAG AT BAY A real one – issuing a call

DANCING BEAK TO BEAK A stunning shot

when the wildlife action starts you don’t have time to mess around with camera settings! Secondly, really get to know your subject, as the more you know about the animal you are photographing the better your pictures will be. I really love passing on the knowledge I’ve gained over the last 30-odd years, but the thing I like most about running a photography course is seeing people gain confidence in how to use their cameras, and, more importantly, helping them to see the world in a different way.

By the end of the day they will see the world through a photographer’s eyes, which is great for taking better pictures, but also, I believe, enhances our everyday lives.

Fun The Hever photography day is split between learning the technical aspects of photography – such as controlling depth of field, what shutter speeds to use and how to use the camera’s menu and settings – alongside the artistic

aspects of photography. We will also look at composition and how to use light to create impact and mood. The only other thing I would like to add is that all my photography courses have a very relaxed atmosphere. Photography should be fun, and I work really hard to make my photography days both fun and informative! If you want to attend the Steve Hedges photography workshop at Hever Castle on February 15, which costs £80 per person, visit hevercastle.co.uk

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Going Out

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goingout 7 days of activities

By Jerome Bowman

TAKE A BOW See violinist Jane Gordan at Rose Hill Theatre WEDNESDAY See veteran punster and wearer of Hawaiian shirts Milton Jones in his new show Milton: Impossible at the Assembly Hall. Milton reveals the truth about being an international spy, before being given a disappointing new identity which forced him to appear on TV’s Mock the Week numerous times. Whether you think it’s gloriously daft nonsense or there is a deeper meaning to the shenanigans, the show starts at 7.30pm and

tickets cost £31.50. To book, visit assemblyhall.co.uk THURSDAY Calling all gardening enthusiasts – the Kent High Weald Partnership are holding a Volunteer Day in Hilbert Woods. Starting at 10am and ending at 3pm, today’s goal is to help with some woodland edge management. If you are interested, you can meet at the Hilbert Road park gates and wear

suitable clothing. High heels are definitely not recommended! For more details, visit fogh.org.uk FRIDAY Trinity Theatre’s Comedy Night returns with three more jokesters at 8pm. With one act still to be confirmed, the show sees up-and-coming Adam Morrison joined by Marlon Davis, a comedy veteran whose appearances in support of Michael McIntyre and Kevin Bridges have introduced his special brand of silliness to a whole new audience. The line-up is subject to change. Tickets cost £13, or £20 if you would like to eat before the show – just don’t laugh with your mouth full! To book, go to trinitytheatre.net Solve the crime of the St Valentine’s Day Massacre in a Murder Mystery Evening at the Mercure Tunbridge Wells Hotel, Pembury. Britishborn Jack Johnny Johnson is a self-styled Chicagoesque gangster who runs lucrative night club The Starlight Rooms. But when detectives find a link between the club and a series of murders, the questions about what Johnny is really up to need to be asked. Tickets for the evening cost £49 and include a three-course meal. The sleuthing beings at 7pm. For more information and to book tickets, go online to murder57.com SATURDAY The Independent Farmers’ Market is on once again in Market Square from 9am till 4pm. As ever, it will feature a range of locally-sourced fresh produce, plants and hot food, as well as artisanal goods and wines. For more information, or for stall enquiries,

Wednesday February 5 | 2020

CHOP, CHOP! Volunteer for some forest work in Hilbert Woods

visit facebook.com/ TunbridgeWellsIFM or email: tunbridgewellsfarmersmarket@ gmail.com SUNDAY Pick up some winter plants at Hole Park’s Snowdrop & Plant Fair from 11am3pm in Rolvenden. With a variety of plants on offer, advice from the ‘Plant Doctor’, and a chance to visit the estate offseason, this may just be the thing for the greenTHEY HAVE WAYS OF fingered. Entrance MAKING YOU LAUGH costs £4. See plantMarlon Davis joins other fairs.co.uk comics at Trinty Theatre

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musicians by providing them with the opportunity to perform in chamber recitals, and this performance features violinist Jane Gordon and pianist Jan Rautio, both of whom have received much praise from critics. The programme, at Rose Hill Theatre, Rose Hill School, features Fauré’s Sonata No 2 as well as works by Tchaikovsky. Tickets cost £15, or £12 for members. For more information and to book, go to codatw.co.uk TAKE NOTE Children can enjoy learning Japanese at Chiddingstone Castle Kinky Boots: The Musical is being shown at the Odeon today at 2pm. Filmed live at the Adelphi Theatre, it follows Charlie, a struggling factory owner, and fabulous entertainer Lola, who has an exciting idea that might just save the business. The pair must learn to embrace their differences to create a high-heeled hit. Tickets cost £20.75. To book, go to odeon.co.uk Enjoy a programme of late-Romantic-era chamber music at the CODA Recital. CODA is a charity that promotes young and aspirational SNOW AND TELL Pick up some Snow Drops at Hole Park

MONDAY If your New Year’s resolution was to play small four-stringed instruments more often, you’re in luck. Join the TWUNTS at The George for their relaxed Ukulele Jam at 8pm. All levels of experience, including thinking a Ukulele is a rare tropical bird, are welcome. Grab a drink at the bar and join in with this jolly band on a huge variety of songs. Attendance is free. For more information visit twukulele.com Chiddingstone Castle are holding Japanese After-School Clubs today, tomorrow and Wednesday. Recommended for ages 8-11, today’s class will be an introduction to learning Japanese, and subsequent clubs will look at origami and calligraphy. Starting at 4pm and ending at 5.30pm, the classes are free to attend and are taught by the Head of Learning, Fiona Glossop, and Curator Naomi Collick. If you choose to risk having every foldable item in the house turned into a swan after these classes, you can find out more about them and make reservations by telephoning 01892 870347 or by emailing: education@chiddingstonecastle.org.uk TUESDAY You can still catch Mark Scammell’s exhibition Static at Trinity Theatre Gallery. His main points of interest are the overlooked, mundane and everyday environments that surround us, and the exhibition reflects his interest in merging the traditional technique of cross-stitch embroidery with the contemporary landscape. The gallery is free to attend and is open whenever the theatre is. For more information, visit trinitytheatre.net

The Grand Budapest Hotel Frant Film Club Frant Village Hall, The Green, Frant Friday, February 7, 7.15 for 8pm This film screening is a chance to see or revisit one of auteur director Wes Anderson’s most beloved films.

Starring Ralph Fiennes as legendary concierge Fustave H, this is a light-hearted but visually unique and exciting romp through the fictional Republic of Zubrowka. The film starts at 7.15pm and there will be an open bar prior to the screening. If you are interested in becoming a member, of the club which costs £17 for the year, contact Kathy Lowe on 01435 873967.

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Going Out

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 Matt Falloon, Chasing Shadows, Rattlesnake Hearts Friday The Jazz Club with The Bob Bernard Quartet Sunday Son of Kirk, Hannigan, Sonny Palmer

live music With Paul Dunton

ONIGHT [Wednesday], blues fans can enjoy the superb LR Phoenix at The Anchor Inn, Sevenoaks, and local singersongwriter Matt Falloon is at The Grey Lady with support from Chasing Shadows and Rattlesnake Hearts. On Thursday night, internationallyrenowned guitar virtuoso Eduardo Niebla is live at Trinity Theatre, and revered Elvis tribute The King is Back! returns to the Assembly Hall. My top picks for Friday include Jam Baxter at The Forum with Will B and Arcee Rapper. Jazz enthusiasts can catch the excellent Doolally Tap at The Masonic Hall, and folk fans can enjoy Iota at St Edith Folk Club in Kemsing. Meanwhile, The Sussex Arms Basement host a rockin’ night with Superlove, Eight Days and Memory Farm. For fans of the late

The must-read guide to what’s on musically for the week ahead… paulduntonandguests.com

George Michael, I highly recommend the George Michael Legacy show at the Stag Theatre in Sevenoaks. Saturday night sees many superb local bands in action, including Kharma & The Devil at The Beau Nash , Off The Cuff at The Royal Oak and Sean Fennessey & Friends at The Bedford. Boogie Nights continues its popular residency at The Forum, and revered Pink Floyd tribute Think Floyd are at The Assembly Hall. On Sunday afternoon, fans of classical music can catch the breathtaking talents of Jane Gordon (violin) and Jan Rautio (piano) at Rose Hill School Theatre. And Swing/Rat Pack singer Ben Hills is at The White Bear. In the evening, local acts Son of Kirk, Hannigan and Sonny Palmer are at The Grey Lady.

Matt Falloon

ASSEMBLY HALL THEATRE Crescent Road Tickets at assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk Thursday 7.30pm The King is Back (Elvis Tribute) with Ben Portsmouth as Elvis Saturday 11am We Love Little Mix Saturday 7.30pm Think Floyd MUSICSTATION Bank Street, Tonbridge Booking essential. Call 01732 350629 Thursday & Friday 8pm-9.30pm Adult band workshop, all levels welcome THE TUNBRIDGE WELLS FORUM The Common Information and tickets at twforum.co.uk Friday Jam Baxter, Will B, Arcee Rapper Saturday Boogie Nights Monday The Stable: Lewis Brownlie, Jacob Cruickshank, KAY, Gianni Scalera THE SUSSEX ARMS BASEMENT Sussex Mews Information and tickets at twforum.co.uk

THE BEDFORD PUB 2 High Street Free entry, music from 8pm till late Saturday Sean Fennessey & Friends THE WHITE BEAR PUB High Street Free entry Sunday 3.30pm Sunday Swing/Rat Pack classics with Ben Hills ROSE HILL SCHOOL THEATRE Tunbridge Wells Information and tickets at codatw.co.uk Sunday 4pm CODA Presents: Jane Gordon (violin) and Jan Rautio (piano)

THE ANCHOR INN London Road, Sevenoaks Free entry, music from 8pm till late Wednesday LR Phoenix TRINITY THEATRE Church Road Information and tickets at trinitytheatre.net Thursday 7.30pm Eduardo Niebla

Wednesday February 5 | 2020

Friday Superlove, Eight Days, Memory Farm

GEOGRAPHY WINE BAR 52a High Street Free entry Sunday 4pm Paul Crisp

THE MASONIC HALL St John’s Road Information and tickets at jazzclub.co.uk Friday Doolally Tap

THE GEORGE PUB Mount Ephraim Free entry, music from 8pm Monday TWUNTS: Ukulele Jam Session

THE STAG THEATRE London Road, Sevenoaks Details and tickets at stagsevenoaks.co.uk Friday The George Michael Legacy

THE PUNCH & JUDY PUB St Stephens Road, Tonbridge Free entry, music from 8pm Tuesday We Ghosts

ST EDITH FOLK CLUB Kemsing Information and tickets stedithfolk.co.uk Friday Iota THE BEAU NASH TAVERN Mount Ephraim Free entry, music from 8pm till late Saturday Kharma & The Devil THE ROYAL OAK PUB Prospect Road Free entry, music from 8pm till late Saturday Off The Cuff

Son of Kirk

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food

Food & Drink FOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT: timeslocalnews.co.uk

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Why honesty really is the best policy for Thackeray’s Thackeray’s is very well known for its exceptional dining experiences. Now its latest ‘Honesty Menu’ is proving to be a huge success, with diners from far and wide signing up for a taste. Eileen Leahy discovers more about it from the restaurant’s chef-proprietor Richard Phillips…

HACKERAY’S has long been thought of as one of the South East’s finest restaurants. Its quality culinary offering has gained it Michelin stars over the years as well as numerous AA rosettes, not to mention a very loyal and ever-growing clientele. But it has never been one to rest on its laurels, and

Opened in 2001 by Richard Phillips, who trained under the famous Roux brothers, Thackeray’s is located within the former Tunbridge Wells home of novelist William Makepeace Thackeray, just off the London Road and prides itself on offering diners a wealth of epicurean experiences. Just last month it

‘The Honesty Menu is exactly what it says, it has no price. We simply ask that you leave what it meant to you!’ CHEFS WITHOUT BOUNDARIES Head Chef Patrick Hill (left) and owner Richard Phillips

is constantly upping the ante in order to retain its well-deserved reputation as a purveyor who serves delicious, inventive, first-class food.

introduced a limited edition ‘Honesty’ menu, which Richard describes as a ‘menu without boundaries’ – and he and his Head Chef, Patrick Hill, hope

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it will make dining ‘fun, exciting and intriguing’ for customers. The five-course set menu, which showcases the restaurant’s famous culinary innovation using only the finest produce, has already been hugely popular, given the number of diners who have already enjoyed tasting it. So what else can Richard tell us about it? “The Honesty Menu is exactly what it says, it has no price. We simply ask that you leave what it meant to you!” he replies. “It’s been going extremely well, and the feedback has been overwhelming. Our guests are loving the interaction from the chefs and the elements of surprise throughout their meal,” continues Richard. CONSTANT CHANGE The surprise is you never know what’s going to be on the menu…

Interest He goes on to say that he gave Patrick Hill a simple brief, which was to create ‘a menu, with no boundaries’ and to ‘keep changing the offering’. “He’s been having a lot of fun!” laughs Richard. “We’ve had interest and reviews pouring in from national restaurant critics as well as a lot of local interest and word-of-mouth business. We are now booked up until the middle of March, so if people still wish to book they need to hurry as will be coming to an end soon.” So, if you want a top class dining experience with a difference, you know where to go. Bon appétit! The Honesty Menu must be booked directly with Thackeray’s in advance quoting ‘HONESTY’. There is very limited availability and exclusions and exceptions apply. Bookings can be made until mid-March from Tuesday-Friday, 6.30-10.30pm. For more information, visit thackerays-restaurant.co.uk

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Books

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The bookcase… This week’s bookcase includes reviews of Highfire by Eoin Colfer and The 24-Hour Café by Libby Page

BOOK OF THE WEEK

Highfire by Eoin Colfer Published in hardback by Jo Fletcher Books, priced £16.99 (ebook £9.99)

10/10

Eoin Colfer – the internationally bestselling author of Artemis Fowl – is back, this time with an epic first foray into the adult fantasy genre. When a power-move murder by corrupt (and sociopathic) constable Regence Hooke is witnessed by 15-year-old Squib Moreau, the fallout blows Vern’s careful hideout right out of the Louisiana swamp. It all sounds fairly pedestrian, until you realise that Vern is a fire-breathing dragon. A vodka-guzzling, cable TV-watching, Flashdance fan, Vern isn’t your typical mythical legend. And he’s bummed out – hiding from the human world that massacred his species. But something about local tearaway Squib tugs on a dragon heartstring, and together they take on the villainous ambitions of Hooke. Conceived out of Colfer’s incredible originality, a high-velocity action-adventure ensues. The hilarious, violent and pop culture-packed tale blends the lavishly fantastical with the amazingly realistic as smoothly as Vern’s favourite vodka martini. Highfire is awesome in the truest sense of the word. (Review by Rebecca Wilcock)

The Island Child by Molly Aitken Published in hardback by Canongate, priced £14.99 (ebook £11.99)

Molly Aitken’s debut novel is a confident tale of generational conflict and continuity, as told by Oona, a child born and raised on a remote Irish island. Bridling at the smallness of island life and particularly the strictures of her mother, Oona escapes as a young adult to raise a daughter of her own, but comes to realise it is easier to remove yourself physically than mentally. The three returning

Wednesday February 5 | 2020

threads of the narrative – past, present and mythical – all advance together coherently as one, filling in the details of Oona’s traumatic life, and combine somehow upliftingly at the novel’s conclusion. Inspired in part by Irish folklore and in part by goddess Persephone, the seasonally elusive daughter of Greek myth, this is a story steeped in fable, but also inescapably rooted in the real world – which can be every bit as gruesome and implausible. (Review by Josh Pugh Ginn)

8/10

The 24-Hour Café by Libby Page

Published in hardback by Orion Fiction, priced £14.99 (ebook £7.99) The 24 Hour Café charts (perhaps unsurprisingly) the events taking place during one 24-hour stint at an all-hours café in London. The story is told by two best friends – Hannah and Mona – as they make their way through their shifts, interspersed with short vignettes from the customers entering the café. The book is an engaging read, which makes it easy to speed through. Somewhat predictable in places, at times it felt more like a book of short stories, with some of the more interesting moments coming from the quick snapshots rather than the main narrative. It is well written, however, one of the main characters is incredibly selfish, and not always as likeable, as perhaps the author intended. Fun to read, but not entirely memorable. (Review by Megan Baynes)

6/10

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reports – using each to unfurl a moment from her memory. Some of those moments are just brutal to read. To have excavated them then shared them on the page is a feat of strength. Orr grapples with the idea of narcissism, resolutely outlines the characters of her mum and dad, and recalls the things you clock as a child but don’t decipher until years later, when the damage is done. The writing is dauntless, quietly devastating, and at times brilliantly scathing, but not without seams of happiness, satisfaction found, and great wit. (Review by Ella Walker)

Motherwell by Deborah Orr

Published in hardback by Weidenfeld & Nicolson, priced £16.99 (ebook £9.99)

9/10

Books

Columnist and editor Deborah Orr died last year, aged 57. Her memoir, Motherwell, is a story of a place, a family, a girl, and how the geography, politics and time into which you are born affect the trajectory of your life. It’s also about how it can take the death of your parents to connect all the dots. Orr sifts through items found while clearing out her parents’ bureau. Locks of hair, letters, school CHILDREN’S BOOK REVIEW

draught excluder, and weeing on the compost heap. It doesn’t dumb things down – in fact it’s very straight talking. All ages will learn something, and feel galvanised. (Review by Ella Walker)

This Book Will (Help) Cool The Climate by Isabel Thomas and illustrator Alex Paterson Published in paperback by Wren & Rook, priced £6.99 (ebook £4.49)

There has been a huge wave of new climate-conscious books – for children and adults – all aiming to help us be more eco and environmentally aware/save-theplanet/cut waste/eliminate plastic. Finding one that’s actually a fun and engaging read (a tough ask in the face of the impending global warming catastrophe) can be tricky, though. This Book Will (Help) Cool The Climate makes an excellent go of it. Packed with facts (peppily animated by the strong illustrations), it gives practical advice from how to pester politicians for change to making a snake-shaped

8/10

Life&Times

BOOK CHARTS HARDBACKS 1. The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse by Charlie Mackesy 2. Pinch of Nom Everyday Light by Kay Featherstone and Kate Allinson 3. Not A Diet Book by James Smith 4. Motherwell by Deborah Orr 5. Twas The Nightshift Before Christmas by Adam Kay 6. The Body by Bill Bryson 7. Veg by Jamie Oliver 8. Miss Austen by Gill Hornby 9. No One Is Too Small to Make a Difference by Greta Thunberg 10. American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins PAPERBACKS 1. The Binding by Bridget Collins 2. Big Sky by Kate Atkinson 3. Blood & Sugar by Laura Shepherd-Robinson 4. War Doctor: Surgery on the Front Line by David Nott 5. The Girl Who Stole an Elephant by Nizrana Farook 6. Surrounded By Idiots by Thomas Erikson 7. One Of Us Is Next by Karen McManus 8. Knife by Jo Nesbo 9. The Volunteer by Jack Fairweather 10. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott AUDIOBOOKS 1. Peter Pan by JM Barrie 2. Not A Diet Book by James Smith 3. Behave by Robert M Sapolsky 4. Psycho-logical by Dean Burnett 5. The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski 6. The Fear Bubble by Ant Middleton 7. Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker 8. Beastie Boys Book by Michael Diamond and Adam Horovitz 9. Becoming by Michelle Obama 10. Sherlock Holmes: The Definitive Collection by Arthur Conan Doyle

(Compiled by Waterstones and Audible)

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travel

SPRING BREAK

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Travel

Wednesday February 5 | 2020

Amazing ways to de-stress in a luxurious Turkish coastal resort

A stay in tranquil hideaway with its own private beach and forest gives Sophie Goodall the perfect chance to unwind through such alternative treatments as gong bathing…

6 DAYS

£277

COACH BREAK TO SCOTLAND

LOCH TUMMEL HOTEL PERTHSHIRE

TripAdvisor

THURSDAY 5 TH MARCH Come and visit Scotland in the spring! With included excursions to Blair Castle, Aberfeldy, Crieff and Pitlochry as well as a day exploring St Andrews and Balmoral. TOUR INCLUDES

5 nights half board. Nightly entertainment. Excursions. PICKUP FROM

Tunbridge Wells, Southborough, Tonbridge, Hildenborough, Sevenoaks, Swanley, Dartford, Birchanger Services

LOCHS.COM 01389 713713 LOCHS & GLENS HOLIDAYS, SCHOOL ROAD, GARTOCHARN, G83 8RW

hythmically gliding through cool turquoise water, the hot sun baking my shoulders, I finally begin to relax. I’m surrounded by vibrant green palms and ornamental grasses, and the soothing scents of white jasmine and soft musk fill the air. Rivalling a tropical lagoon, this lake-sized swimming pool is part of the adult-only, upscale holiday resort The Residence at TUI Sensatori Barut Fethiye in Turkey. Located on the seafront with its own section of beach and private forest, it’s 13km from Fethiye.

‘Exploring the colourful streets, I gaze at items for sale in pottery shops, inhale the aromas of spice stalls, and can’t resist sampling the sweet Turkish delight’ The Residence is all bright white buildings, wooden accents and smoked glass screens arranged around the pool area. A winding, lazy river cuts through the resort in sparkling shades of mint green, turquoise and navy, separating raised sunbathing terraces linked by secret walkways. The overall vibe of the hideaway is peaceful, hushed and relaxed. My open-plan bedroom is decorated in soothing hues of soft greys and pale blues. Adjacent to the bed, which is a huge, Princess-And-The-Pea-sized affair stacked high with squashy pillows, there’s a

freestanding whirlpool tub with space for two. A marble bar area is stocked with premium branded spirits, and there’s an option for an in-room cocktail-making class if you really want to make the most of what’s on offer. I pour a flute of sparkling wine and head out to my private balcony to watch the sunset. The sky slowly turns into twinkling hues of lilac and rose, and a saxophonist begins to play gentle, downtempo jazz. Simply swimming or walking around the resort is enough to induce relaxation. But anyone really determined to unwind can take advantage of a programme of wellness activities. As someone who suffers from stress and finds it hard to switch off, I’m excited to give some of these alternative treatments a go. The first activity I try is gong bathing, which

takes place under a cool canopy of trees next to the beach. An instructor guides us through several stretches, then asks us to lay in a position we find comfortable. Eyes closed, she slowly strikes a gong, which reverberates like rolling waves, beginning as a gentle vibration and eventually rising to a crash. Ideal for people who struggle to meditate, the vibrations from gong bathing have a therapeutic effect as they flow through the body and mind. The sound also helps to drown out any outside noise, aiding concentration. I’m surprised by how easily I tune into the hypnotic sound of the gong, which ushers me into a mellow state. My next activity is a mindfulness meditation session, taking place in a wooden cabana adorned with soft streams of voile flowing in the breeze. I lay down, soften my gaze and

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A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT… The Residence at TUI Sensatori Barut Fethiye

focus on our surrounding environment. The instructor asks us to register the sound of birds flying overhead and the scent of the plants that surround us. Struggling to focus my wandering mind, I think about the present and block out any other stray thoughts. Yoga and meditation are both useful relaxation techniques, but nothing is quite as effective as a visit to the resort’s Viola spa. The candlelit treatment rooms feature Jacuzzis, beds covered in thick towels, and shelves stocked with Elemis products and glass stopper bottles full of exotic oils. I pass the sauna, steam room and experience shower, inhaling the fresh, herbal and minty air. I opt for a back, neck and shoulder massage, and am surprised to discover an area of tension

in my lower back. Holding me in place, the therapist identifies the cause of the problems, and I feel a warm sensation flooding across my back as the pressure is released. She cracks my spine in a variety of different points, before using oil and running her thumbs in deep grooves across my muscles to ease out any knots.

Cruise Afterwards, I lie comfortably swathed in big, soft towels, as I slowly come back down to earth. The following day, I pack my bikini and head off on a private VIP Blue Cruise boat tour (£59pp/456 TL). I spend the day sunning myself on the boat’s top deck as it glides across the sea.

We dive and swim in private coves, luxuriating in the warm, sparkling waves, and enjoy a cooked Turkish feast aboard the boat before disembarking in Fethiye. Exploring the port’s colourful side streets, I stop to gaze at items for sale in pottery shops, inhale the aromas of spice stalls, and can’t resist sampling some of the sweet Turkish delight for sale. A visit to Mori Restaurant is the perfect finish to the day as we dine at candlelit tables overlooking Fethiye harbour. I spend my final day back at The Residence reclining on a beach cabana (£49 per day/383 TL). I don’t even need to lift a finger, as our own private butler brings us platters of Turkish pide (a type of flatbread) and Champagne. I settle back on the soft white bed and enjoy

the murmur of the sea caressing the shore, feeling fully pampered and de-stressed for the first time in a long while.

HOW TO PLAN YOUR TRIP TUI offers seven-night holidays to Fethiye, Turkey, staying at The Residence at TUI Sensatori Barut Fethiye on an all-inclusive basis. Prices from £984 per person when booked online. Price is based on two adults sharing and includes flights departing from Gatwick Airport on May 5, 2020 and transfers. To book, visit your local TUI holiday store or go online to tui.co.uk

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Motors

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Motoring News Nissan unveils its updated go-anywhere Navara AT32 NISSAN’s new version of the Navara AT32 has been forged through a partnership with Icelandic off-road experts Arctic Trucks, and is packed with features which allow it to deal with the most extreme of terrains. The 31.6-inch Nokian tyres have been fitted with dual valves in order to give fast and accurate adjustments of air pressure. Underneath the rugged pick-up truck is a full aluminium underbody shielding plate, as well as bespoke wheelarch extensions and performance Bilstein suspension. Badging unique to the AT32 has been applied to the front wings, side extensions and side steps – among other places – while an air

intake snorkel can be added as an optional extra to increase the Navara’s wading depth to 800mm. An electronic lock can also be specified for the front differential to help with traction in tricky conditions. Manuel Burdiel, General Manager Europe, LCV Sales and Business Sevelopment, said: “The Nissan Navara AT32 was a sell-out success and proved incredibly popular with adventurers seeking elegance and toughness.” He added: ““The AT32 is the perfect blend of in-car technology, comfort and extreme off-road performance.” The AT32 is set to go on sale this month, with prices to be announced. TOUGH AND READY The pick-up truck is designed to tackle even the roughest terrains

Wednesday February 5 | 2020

This week… n A Nissan pick-up n F1 driving for all? n Ford’s new nuts

THE RACE IS ON to buy your own racing car

Personalised locking wheel nut to cut theft FORD has developed a 3D-printed locking wheel nut in a bid to deter thieves from stealing alloy wheels. A locking wheel nut is commonly found on each wheel of most modern cars and requires a special tool to remove in a bid to protect against theft. It’s not flawless, though, leading to the European arm of the American car giant working on new tech to improve it.

Voice

TDF-1 launches as a Formula One car you can buy yourself EVER fancied owning your own F1 car? Thanks to engineering firm TDF, that’s now a possibility. The UK-based firm has launched the TDF-1, taking a 2011 Marussia or 2012 Sauber F1 chassis and associated mechanicals and slotting its own 1.7litre, turbocharged, four-cylinder petrol engine in the back. It replaces the 2.4-litre V8s that were once found under the skin, but TDF says the new powerplant is aimed at making the package easy to run independently rather than with a team of mechanics. Better still, it develops 600bhp. Each TDF-1 weighs just 600kg, too, resulting in a power-to-weight ratio of 1,000bhp-per-tonne – more than 250bhp-per-tonne than that of a Bugatti Veyron Super Sport.

One thing carried over from the racespec cars is the Drag Reduction System [DRS]. This could be used in a Formula One race at the time on-demand for improved lap times by opening a flap in the rear wing to reduce drag. TDF has re-engineered the system slightly so the system will automatically close if it senses a sudden steering input, throttle lift or application of the brakes. The tyres are provided by official Formula One supplier Pirelli. Buyers of a TDF-1 will also be offered a comprehensive driver training course to allow them to learn the insides and out of the car before heading on to the track. No pricing has been confirmed, though expect the TDF-1 to cost many, many pounds!

The new units are grooved with a pattern created from the voice of the vehicle owner. That soundwave is then converted into a printable pattern using specialist software. The nut and key are 3D printed in stainless steel as one piece before being separated from one another after creation rather than being individually crafted. This would theoretically give a unique pattern to the wheel nut, ultimately preventing universal tools from being able to remove the unit. Ford also says the unit is unable to be copied using wax or other materials as it contains unevenly spaced ribs and indentations that widen as they get deeper. This is said to make any materials used for cloning break apart when removed from the units. Ford research engineer Raphael Koch said: “It’s one of the worst experiences for a driver, to find their car up on blocks with all four wheels gone. Some alloy wheels can cost thousands to replace, but these unique rim nuts will stop thieves in their tracks… 3D printing is a game-changer.”

Life&Times

Recruitment

FOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT: timeslocalnews.co.uk

Wednesday February 5 | 2020

WITH THE

FIND YOUR PERFECT JOB TODAY â€“ A MUST-READ FOR THOSE LOOKING FOR WORK LOCALLY

OF TUNBRIDGE WELLS AND TONBRIDGE

CODEWORD 4

A B C D E F GH I J K L MNO P QR S T U VWX Y Z 11

1 18

14 13

14 14

1 17

21 8

20 16

10 5

2 14

18 2

14 11

8 14

3 4

11 2

6 7 4 7 1 6 5 2

8 2 4

3 2

15 11 2

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.

Codeword:

9 8 3 5 1 7 4 8 7 2 3 2 7

To complete Sudoku, fill the board by entering numbers 1 to 9 so that each row, column and 3x3 box contains every number uniquely.

25 5

26 21

7 1

5 6

5 6 4

DIFFICULTY RATING:★✩✩✩

1 9

1 2

7 5

4 3

9 5 8 1

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

C O C K P I T P I Q U E

A T E R B R H U O A R I B O U O I N U B I C C R O E U B I N G M E F L A Y F U L M U A U I S S K E S E E P H E S U S

AMB L E C A V C A N V A R G D A C K L E O A R K U P N R AWA R E L W T Y H O L E Z K X E J E C T

Sudoku:

9 6 1 4 5 3 8 2 7

8 7 2 1 9 6 3 4 5

5 4 3 2 7 8 1 6 9

3 8 9 7 6 2 5 1 4

2 1 6 3 4 5 7 9 8

7 5 4 8 1 9 2 3 6

4 9 8 5 2 1 6 7 3

8 3 6 1 2 9 4 5 7

7 4 9 2 8 3 6 1 5

6 9 1 7 5 4 2 3 8

1 3 7 6 8 4 9 5 2

6 2 5 9 3 7 4 8 1

Jigsaw Sudoku:

9 6 2 3 4 5 8 7 1

4 7 3 9 1 6 5 8 2

5 2 7 6 3 8 1 9 4

1 8 4 5 7 2 9 6 3

3 5 8 4 6 1 7 2 9

2 1 5 8 9 7 3 4 6

FOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT: timeslocalnews.co.uk

Wednesday February 5 | 2020

Life&Times

Sports

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Wednesday February 5 | 2020

Rapid Hobbs seals Wells’ impressive fightback London Irish Wild Geese 17 Tunbridge Wells 29 By Alan Skinner RUGBY: TUNBRIDGE WELLS ran in three tries in a quarter of an hour to pull away from London

influenced by a strong crossfield wind. In a stop-start first half, Wells were awarded a penalty on 17 minutes which Frank Reynolds converted from 20 metres out. Three minutes later this advantage was cancelled out when the home side were given a penalty on Wells’ 22 for offside. With the Wells scrum coming under concerted pressure, Irish then managed a sustained period of possession in midfield.

and South East Premier Division strugglers London Irish Wild Geese after a tough first half. Played under lights on a perfect pitch at Sunbury on Thames, the game was to be heavily

MAXIMUM SPEED Max Hobbs races in for Wells’ fourth try

PHOTO: Bruce Elliott

Strong Poor Wells tackling allowed Willie Lafolafo, the hosts’ impressive New Zealand flanker, to burst through for a converted try close to the posts on the half-hour. Wells came back with strong forward play keeping them in the Irish 22 but they were unable to convert this territory into points and went in at half-time 10-3 down. The visitors emerged for the second half with a more determined air, which was shown when Wild Geese were penalised at a lineout on the Wells 10-metre line. The penalty was taken quickly and a 50-metre surge downfield resulted in Mike Doherty scoring a try which Reynolds converted to level the scores.

On 53 minutes, quick thinking and precise handling saw Wells running the ball at pace from their own 22 and captain Ryan TaylorDennehy scored in the corner, though Reynolds could not convert from wide out. Three minutes later Wells scored again when Mike Hathaway touched down under the posts following strong running from No 8 Nick Doherty and Taylor-Dennehy. Reynolds added the conversion and Wells had turned the game around in a quarter of an hour to take a 22-10 lead. Irish did not crumble, however, and on 65 minutes sustained pressure on the Wells’ line led to the hardworking Lafolafo forcing himself over again close to the posts. A successful conversion closed the gap to within a score with 15 minutes to play but the best was yet to come from the visitors. Following a Wells scrum on halfway the ball was moved quickly to left winger Max Hobbs, who showed great pace and footwork to beat three defenders before scoring under the posts. The fourth try secured the bonus point and after Reynolds converted, his side held out for the remaining 10 minutes to ensure victory. Wells, who lie in seventh place, have a weekend off before their next match at home to CS Stags 1863 on February 15 (kick-off 2.30pm).

TJs pack stands firm to edge thriller by a point RUGBY: TONBRIDGE JUDDIANS edged an exciting contest between the top two teams in National Two South to hang on to their place at the summit. The visitors were soon on the scoreboard as Will Robinson slotted an early penalty but TJs, as in previous weeks, found their line-out was not functioning well.

Collapsed Henley took advantage of a long spell of possession to mount a prolonged pick-and-drive attack which allowed prop Brad Cook to score a converted try under the posts. Robinson scored another penalty but fly-half Ben Bolster responded in kind. The home side then turned over the ball, broke through TJs’ line and made good ground for No 8 Alex Bradley to cross for Henley’s second try, which Bolster converted. At 17-6 down TJs suffered a further setback when centre Finlay Coxon-Smith was yellowcarded for an offence while resisting an attack

but they hung on until half-time. In the second half it was Henley’s turn to lose the ball and from the halfway line some slick and accurate passing involving full-back Toby May and centre Duncan Tout sent winger Hugo Watson in for a try in the left-hand corner, though the conversion was missed. TJs were showing a degree of dominance in the tight and the pack appeared to have successfully pushed over for a try. After consultation the referee signalled a penalty try for Henley having collapsed the scrum and suddenly TJs were in the lead at 18-17. The closing stages were nerve-racking and littered with penalties and handling errors by both sides, any one of which may well have turned the game again but no further score came. Tonbridge stretched their lead at the top from one point to four - Henley having secured a losing bonus point. TJs now face another stern test when they travel to fourth-placed Redruth on Saturday (February 8, kick-off 2pm).

SILVER LINING The Under-13s celebrate their Plate victory

PHOTO: Adam Hookway

Henley Hawks 17 Tonbridge Juddians 18

SLOW PROGRESS TJs struggle to make ground

Wells Girls hit top form to impress in two cups RUGBY: TUNBRIDGE WELLS Ladies season are making progress in the county and national cup competitions to carry on their strong form this season.

‘The cup performances, league placing and our newly established Under-11s go to show that ladies’ rugby is flourishing here’ The Under-13 squad won the Plate at the Kent RFU Waterfall finals at Old Colfeians in south-east London despite having a depleted team due to injuries. The girls put in strong performances to register wins against Aylesford and the Channel Baa Baas. And this Sunday (February 9, kick-off 12.30pm)

the Under-18 Ladies host the regional semi-final of the National Cup against Sudbury Under-18 at St Marks. They beat Horsham, Medway and Aylesford en route to the semi-final and Paul Miles, their head coach, said: “We will need to dig deep on Sunday. But the girls are incredibly focused and training hard in preparation.” Simon Parsons, director of Ladies’ Rugby, said: “I think the Under-13s and Under-18s cup performance, the improved league placing of the Under-15s and our newly established Under-11s go to show that ladies’ rugby is flourishing here. “We also want to develop a Senior Ladies squad but right now all our focus is on preparing for the semi-final, and it would be great to see local rugby supporters up at the club on Sunday to support the girls.” For more information about Ladies’ Rugby visit twrfc.com/team/ladies

FOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT: timeslocalnews.co.uk

Wednesday February 5 | 2020

Sports

Life&Times

Angels take action after fifth match is called off By Andy Tong

ON THE SPOT Tommy Lawrence converts the penalty

Miles double gives nervy Rusthall breathing space Rusthall 4 Sutton Athletic 1 By Rich Smith FOOTBALL: DESPITE the eventual scoreline, Rusthall only ensured victory in a close game thanks to two goals in the final six minutes. The result leaves the Rustics in second place in Southern Counties East League Division One, one point behind leaders Kennington, in their bid to return straight back to the top flight. The crowd of 121 at Jockey Farm was more than double any other game in the division and only two Premier Division games attracted higher attendances. With their strikers Reuel Powell-Downey and Luke Adams - on 35 goals between them - both out injured, Rusthall were forced to make tactical changes with Charlie Clover playing on his own up front. Rusthall got off to a strong start, putting the visitors under pressure, and on seven minutes a clumsy challenge saw the home side awarded a penalty. With regular penalty-taker Adams unavailable, Tommy Lawrence stepped up to calmly send the keeper the wrong way. But rather than building on early lead, Rusthall became sloppy with their passing and invited Sutton to get a foothold in the game.

Arlie Desanges, Sutton’s hugely experienced striker, was causing problems with his movement and home keeper Billy Johnson had to be at his best to keep him out on 21 minutes. In the second half Rusthall continued to struggle to hold onto the ball, but despite their early pressure Sutton never really created a clear-cut opportunity. On 69 minutes the Rustics made a fine break down the right and a driven cross allowed substitute James Miles to drill home at the far post and make it 2-0.

Shock

Louis Clarke, who has been out injured for three months, came on as a substitute and the pacy winger soon showed what the Rustics have been missing. Sutton were still working hard and set up a tight finish on 69 minutes when Desanges finished in style following a good build-up down the left. This seemed to shock the home side into a response and they went in search of the goal that would make the game safe. It finally came on 84 minutes when Clarke embarked on a mazy run wide on the right and cut inside before sliding a perfect ball across the box for Miles to finish well. Then in added time Clover unleashed a thunderbolt from just inside the box and the ball flew BACK IN ACTION into the top left-hand Louis Clarke returns corner. after three months out With several players carrying knocks, manager Jimmy Anderson is looking to add some new faces to the squad as they head into the business end of the campaign. Rusthall now have three away games, starting with Lewisham Borough on Saturday (February 8, kick-off 3pm) before taking on promotion rivals FC Elmstead and Holmesdale.

Hamilton keeps pace on Bedgebury trails ATHLETICS: ON AN unseasonably warm morning a small group of Tunbridge Wells Harriers made the trip to Bedgebury Forest for five and ten-mile runs. The course offered perfect trail conditions with just one short, muddy segment uphill to contend with. At the longer distance, Louise Hazelton ran a well-paced race to finish in 1hr 24min 45sec as first Harrier, 13th woman and runner-up in the F50 category.

Just behind her was Andrew Deighton, who crossed the line in 1:24.56. Next in was Nick Pierce with 1:27.58 (fourth M60), followed by Maria Gandara (1:33.47), Nicky White (1:35.42), Susan Liu Jones (1:38.43) and Siobhan Browne (1:39.28). Jonathan Hanes ran 45.13 as the sole Harrier in the five-mile race. Meanwhile Will Levett broke his own Harrier club 10k record at M40 level, running 32.56 in a high class field in Chichester.

PHOTO: Brendan Kemp

andy@timesoftonbridge.co.uk FOOTBALL: TONBRIDGE ANGELS endured their fifth postponement of the season last weekend when they were due to host the National League South leaders Wealdstone at the Longmead Stadium. Now the club has decided it must take action to address the problem, which is affecting the Angels both on the field and at the turnstiles. The players are now facing fixture congestion towards the end of the season just when Steve McKimm’s side could be battling to avoid relegation.

Unsustainable And also the rearranged dates will be in midweek, which means the attendances will be lower and the club will receive less revenue. Since mid-December the club has only managed to play one home game because the ground has become so waterlogged by consistent heavy rainfall. A club spokesperson said: “That situation is clearly unsustainable to the club and, of course, affects our ability to compete effectively in the league and devastates our financial position. “The latest postponement was very disappointing and frustrating to all of us from both clubs. “But referees have to make decisions without fear or favour based on the situation as they see it and also taking into consideration comments from both club’s representatives.” While the rain has not been as heavy as it was over the Christmas period, the level of the water table has remained high and conditions soon become treacherous for the players.

While the surface may seem playable, under the grass and topsoil a thick layer of clay prevents the water from draining away. As club chairman Dave Netherstreet explained: “In normal circumstances any rainfall will drain from the pitch in 48 hours. “But unfortunately this year the south east has experienced nearly continuous rain since last November and there is nowhere for the water to drain to.” Questions were raised about the lateness of the latest postponement, 90 minutes before kick-off, when most travelling fans had arrived in town. The club said that the weather had been favourable but the match referee arrived at 1pm and made his inspection and ‘in his opinion the pitch in some areas did not meet the requirements for staging a National South fixture’. Now a parent of one of the players has organised for a camera survey to be undertaken under the surface of the pitch. It will try to determine if there are any blockages in the drainage system or whether any of the drains have sustained serious damage. In addition Jordan’s, the pitch specialists who look after Dartford and Dulwich Hamlet, are providing a de-compactor which will try to break up the clay subsoil and improve drainage. The ditches around North Farm, where the club is based, are also being cleared to check if that is one of the causes of the waterlogging. The club added: “In the longer term we are continuing to look for more permanent solutions and it may well be we will have to move to a more substantive approach. “But these will cost money and that will provide something of a challenge for the club.” It has estimated that underground pitch drainage would cost around £20,000.