Wednesday November 7 | 2018
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Bravery award for teenagers after arrest of sex offender TWO teenagers from the town have received commendations for bravery at the National Police Chiefs’ Council [NPCC] awards. The ceremony in Bloomsbury Street, London honoured members of the public who have attempted to help those who are vulnerable and have put themselves at risk to prevent crime. Elisa Marsden and Samuel Kearns received silver medals for helping police arrest a sex offender. They received their awards from Chief Constable Sara Thornton, Chair of the NPCC, and Kent Police Chief Constable Alan Pughsley.
Commentary A man approached 14-year-old Elisa near Tonbridge Castle on 19 July 2017 and asked her to look at an indecent image on his phone. She shouted for help and 14-yearold Samuel Kearns came to her aid. Elisa explained what had happened and asked him to call the police. The two children then followed the man for 16 minutes, providing a commentary of what was happening over the phone. They tried to persuade adult bystanders to help them, but the suspect told the passers-by that Elisa was his daughter. On his way to Tonbridge train station, the man was seen throwing his mobile into the river – Elisa took the police back to the spot later. The pair followed the man to the station and alerted security staff. Two off-duty Metropolitan Police officers on the platform heard Elisa
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RUNNING ON EMPTY Dame Kelly closes her café to focus on new ideas Page 5
WE WILL REMEMBER
Armistice centenary – and the inspirational village Page 8 SWEET MUSIC The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, presents Head Girl Izzy Leale and Head Boy Alex Downs with a plaque marking Hilden Oaks’ 100th anniversary at St Saviour’s Church during his visit to the town last week. Turn to page 4
Housing on Haysden’s Green Belt because brownfield sites ‘used up’ By Andy Tong andy@timesoftonbridge.co.uk THE council insists there are no more brownfield sites in the town for building new houses under the draft Local Plan. The document, which closes for public comment on Monday [November 12], shows the location of all new housing in the borough up to 2031. A total of 6,828 homes must be built by then – including 480 around Lower Haysden Lane, adjacent to the Country Park on land designated as Green Belt. This means there is a presumption against development to preserve boundaries with the countryside and stop urban sprawl. But it can be overridden if there are ‘special circumstances’. A further 352 houses will be built at the old Coblands nursery on Trench Road. One of the criticisms of the Local Plan is that sites such as the old Colas com-
pound on Vale Road and Southern Salads on Cannon Lane, regarded as ‘brownfield’ or previously developed, are sitting empty. But they are not technically regarded as brownfield because they have been earmarked for commercial development to create jobs, rather than residential.
‘We still need to keep employment. A healthy economy is necessary to support housing’ The council says there is only room to build 250 houses on official brownfield sites across the whole of the borough. Louise Reid, Chief Planning Officer at Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council, told the Times: “You can see, it doesn’t go very far towards meeting our need. “We’ve looked at them all, we’ve been
really successful at building on our brownfield sites up to now and in effect what’s happened is we’ve used them up. “There were lots in the town centre which have been really successful in using them up last time and the time before that – like Medway Wharf Road – which is why we have so few left. “I know people have pointed out brownfield sites but it’s a misconception,” she added. “Actually they are employment designation sites. That’s where the confusion comes in. “We still need to keep employment in the borough. A healthy economy is necessary to support housing. “And there could be lots of activity going on in the background, and people just see an empty site. There’s a lot of interest in that land.” Mrs Reid stated that the town has ‘had a lighter touch in terms of Green Belt’
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FULLY BAKED IDEA
Jane Beedle reveals why she helped Tree of Hope Page 56
JUST OVER THE LINE TJs edge their way to victory in frantic thriller Page 70
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BROWNFIELD SITES: Continued from page 1 compared to other parts of the region like Borough Green because of ‘other challenges such as the flood risk and infrastructure provision’. Howard Rogers, Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning and Infrastructure, said the council was reliant on developers being able to make a profit. “They are not going to come along and say, ‘we’ll build 2,000 here and keep our fingers crossed somebody will buy them all of a sudden’. We have to recognise that market principle,” he said. He added that previously used sites can be unattractive to the construction industry because of requirements like decontamination. “Brownfield is not necessarily the cheapest place to build. That will influence developers because it’s clearing up the mess that has been left behind. It can be extremely expensive.” The council Leader, Nicolas Heslop, stressed there was not currently enough land available to meet the need for commercial expansion.
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Wednesday November 7 | 2018
COURAGE AND CONVICTION Elisa Marsden and Samuel Kearns receive their silver medals from Chief Constables Sara Thornton and Alan Pughsley
Affordability “My understanding is there’s an affordability issue in terms of renting and purchasing employment sites,” he said. “There is a greater demand than availability, which is pushing up the price.” The Colas site, which has been decontaminated, is being put up for sale by Rapleys this autumn as a mixed usage scheme for ‘retail and leisure’. Howard Porter of Tonbridge & Malling Green Party says the council should change the status of such employment sites and claims such projects – like the old B&Q premises – are actually threatening the profitability of High Street shops. “We believe the council has taken the easiest option in identifying the green fields adjacent to Haysden Country Park for development,” he said. “There are two enormous brownfield sites, Colas and Southern Salads, which we believe should be redesignated for residential use. “Using them first would follow guidelines requiring the use of open fields only as a last resort. “And preventing further retail development on the edges of town would safeguard the viability of our High Street as the primary retail area.” Mary Arigho, Chair of the borough’s Labour Party, said: “Housebuilders have simply been allowed to land-bank plots of land with planning permission and pick off the most scenic areas to maximise profits. “Add this to the green spaces being sold off to plug budget holes, such as River Lawn, and the quality of life is being eroded for residents.”
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BRAVERY AWARDS: Continued from page 1 talking and went to help. They detained the man until Kent Police officers arrived to arrest him. It was later discovered the man had already followed and shown other children indecent images that same day. Chief Constable Pughsley said: “It is a privilege to be present to see these Kent residents recognised for their extraordinary actions.
“These are people who refused to stand by when a serious crime was being committed in front of them. They put themselves at risk of harm because they believed it was the right thing to do.” He added: “Police officers often go above and beyond the call of duty, but these award-winners are people that acted without the training of police officers and did so with the utmost bravery in difficult, challenging, and frightening circumstances. They are very worthy of this high
recognition.” The offender, from Maidstone, pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children, two counts of causing a child to watch a sexual act, and two breaches of a sexual offences prevention order issued in October 2011. He was jailed for three years and eight months with an additional three years on extended licence. He was also made subject of a ten-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
Archbishop drops in to offer hope By Andy Tong andy@timesoftonbridge.co.uk
HEALING HANDS The Archbishop supports the White Ribbon campaign
FROM ACORNS TO MATURE OAKS Hilden Oaks’ centenary celebrations will be continuing throughout the current academic year. Past pupils and staff are invited to attend the alumni event in May 2019. For more information visit hildenoaks.co.uk/ centenary, contact Mrs Sarah Earl at alumni@ hildenoaks.co.uk, write to Hilden Oaks, 38 Dry Hill Park Road, Tonbridge TN10 3BU or call 01732 353941.
THE Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, paid a visit to Tonbridge last week and engaged with vulnerable members of society through church groups in the town. He also joined pupils of Hilden Oaks junior school and presented them with a commemorative plaque to celebrate its 100th anniversary. The Diocese of Rochester is running a campaign called ‘Hope’ in which they partner organisations that deliver hope in cases of debt, addiction, domestic abuse and slavery.
Victims The Archbishop attended a Recovery Course meeting at Tonbridge Baptist Church run by the Recoverytwo charity, which tackles a range of addictions and also helps those who are the victims of addictive behaviour. He also went to St Saviour’s Church, where the the Community Domestic Abuse Freedom Programme engages with the victims and perpetrators of domestic violence. He added his handprint to a montage supporting the White Ribbon – These Hands Are Not for Hurting campaign, which is about engaging men to stand up to violence against women. Justyn Rees-Larcombe, a recovering gambling
addict, helped to set up the Tonbridge charity Recoverytwo three years ago. It now provides training and resources for groups to offer the course free of charge all over the world. “I had a secret addiction and I lost my wife, my family, my job and my home – and £750,000. I came back to Kent, where I grew up, from where I was living in Derbyshire and found my faith again. This is very important to my recovery. “I saw how powerful the course is – it’s not just a cliquey Christian group. Some of the people on it have never been to church before. This week it’s six years since my last debt. He described how the Archbishop discussed forgiveness and confession. “He talked about the ability to let go of our resentments. “One of the key steps is to work at the things we carry around with us that stop us from recovering. “Resentment is bad for us addicts as well as for other people,” he added. “The Archbishop spoke about how important it is to confess, that sometimes it’s good to tell someone you trust. “We had to keep it quite secret – I’ve known about it since the summer. We have 50 guests and they were absolutely delighted.” The pupils of Hilden Oaks met the Archbishop at St Saviour’s and sang an African Christian hymn called Siyahamba, accompanied by musicians playing djembes and tuned percussion. The Headmistress, Katy Joiner, said: “This was a really special occasion – and one that will stay with me for years to come.”
Family pays tribute to son who died in road accident Father Christmas at Castle THE parents of a man who died following an accident on the A26 near Hadlow have paid tribute to their son. Tom Smith died on October 25 when his car left the road and collided with a tree. The 25-year-old died at the scene. His family issued a statement saying: “Tom enjoyed watching football, fishing and being with his friends. He will always be missed and loved by all his family and friends.” Two women, also in their 20s, were passengers in the car and sustained injuries in the crash.
Mr Smith was driving a blue Vauxhall Vectra along Tonbridge Road at around 7.55pm. Officers from the Serious Collision Investigation Unit are continuing to appeal for information from anyone who may have information. They are keen to speak to the driver of a dark-coloured Suzuki who may have seen the vehicle just before the collision. Anyone with information is asked to call Kent Police on 01622 798538 quoting DK/SM/150/18 or email sciu. td@kent.pnn.police.uk
FATHER CHRISTMAS will be visiting the Great Hall at Tonbridge Castle next month and is bringing an award-winning chef to make breakfast and afternoon tea. The events, hosted by Tonbridge Old Fire Station, will be held on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from December 1 to 23. Breakfast will be served from 9.30am and costs £14.50 for adults and £13.50 for children under 16 plus booking charges. Afternoon tea will be at 12.30pm and 3.30pm, costing £16 for adults and £15 for children. Tickets include a gift for each child and entry to the Great Hall. To book, visit tofstn.com
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Charities are set to be the biggest winners as fireworks light up lives BOOM BOOM Hundreds of thousands have been raised since the fireworks began in 1957
PHOTO: Sarah Mott
By William Mata ORGANISERS of Dunorlan Park Fireworks have hailed the weekend’s display as the best in the event’s 61 year history. Around 12,000 attended the fundraiser on Saturday [November 3], which Royal Tunbridge Wells Round Table stated to support local good causes. Committee member Andrew Mockford said: “We had a great turnout and it was dry with perfect conditions for fireworks. “It was a great display, I consider it to be the best we have done yet, and we have had excellent feedback, with nice comments on social media.” Mr Mockford has been involved to some extent in the organisation since selling tickets at the age of seven and been part of the fireworks team for the past six years. He said this year’s fireworks, which had to be lit further away from Dunorlan’s lake because of windy conditions, had a greater range of colours than in previous years. The display was
Wednesday November 7 | 2018
LIGHT SHOW Crowds enjoy the village display
orchestrated to the soundtrack of film scores, with the theme from The Greatest Showman used for the finale. Around 15 members of the Round Table are behind the display and will begin preparations for the 2019 event in just a few weeks. The committee will shortly decide how their takings will be distributed and which charities to support, before these proceeds are given away in a ceremony.
Support This year’s proceeds have not yet been counted up, but are in excess of the £30,000 raised in 2017. The Round Table has thanked Buss Murton Law for their sponsorship and Tunbridge Wells Borough Council for their assistance with organisation and the public for their support. The Rotary Club of Tunbridge Wells, Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar School, local Scout groups and Tonbridge Round Table were also thanked for their contributions.
Rusthall comes together for a ‘special occasion’… BONFIRE night in Rusthall proved another success with some 3,500 people enjoying the fireworks and helping to raise around £4,000 for local good causes and to help pay for the annual event. Chair of the Rusthall Fete and Bonfire Committee Annie Softley said a ‘very big thank you’ to all the volunteers ‘who come to help every year no matter what the weather.’ “We were very fortunate this year
as the clouds stayed away enabling an excellent view of the spectacular fireworks,” she added. She also paid tribute to the hard work of committee members ‘who give their time each year to make our event the success it always is.’ She added: “Thanks to all, including the residents of Rusthall and those from the surrounding area, who help make our bonfire and fireworks event such a special occasion.”
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Wednesday November 7 | 2018
Village artwork that became a national symbol of sacrifice By Andy Tong andy@timesoftonbridge.co.uk “I THINK it’s really caught the imagination,” says Martin Barraud, who installed 50 transparent figurines in the pews of Penshurst Church two years ago to commemorate the villagers who died in the First World War. This weekend, as the nation remembers the fallen on the 100th anniversary of the end of the Great War, there are 3,500 communities across Britain who will have these There But Not There silhouettes prominently displayed. The artistic installation from a small rural community has become a focus of pride across the country – in the same way that men and boys from all walks of life came together and marched off to war more than a century ago. “When we did it in 2016, my mantra was to ‘take the names off the walls’, simple as that, and nothing has changed,” says Mr Barraud. “They have been there for 100 years, let’s get them back into their communities, understand how they lived as well as how they died.
“People didn’t know that their physical embodiment was missing in that sense. It’s not spiritual, but they are there in spirit. We’ve hit a nerve. Every door we bang on pushes open, from the Archbishop of Canterbury downwards.” The Patron of There But Not There is General Lord Dannatt, former Chief of the General Staff, who as Constable of the Tower of London presided over the poppy display there in 2014. “The poppies at the Tower of London captured the start of the national WWI commemoration,” said Lord Dannatt. “There But Not There will be the abiding concluding image.” Two thousand orders of the silhouettes – up to ten figures each –have been provided free of charge through the Armed Forces Covenant Grant Fund, which provided £2million to ensure communities holding anything from a tea party to a town parade could access them. A further 1,500 were purchased, with all profits going to the charity Remembered, which will distribute the funds to a further six charities that help veterans suffering with mental health issues: The Royal Foundation, Walking With The Wounded, Combat Stress, Help for Heroes,
Project Equinox and the Commonwealth War Graves Foundation. This reflects one of the three core reasons why Mr Barraud set up Remembered last year and decided to expand the scope of his project: Commemorate, Educate, Heal.
‘It’s right to reflect on those who lost their tomorrows so those who are now suffering can have a tomorrow they can live with’ The second of those is also proving to be a huge success story: More than 1,200 schools have downloaded an education pack for Key Stages 2 and 3. This resource tells the stories of people who fought in the conflict, examining their varying backgrounds and experiences, challenging pupils to ‘make connections, draw contrasts and frame historically valid questions’. In addition, There But Not There has sold
70,000 of its Tommies statuettes, which stand ten inches tall. These table-top items, which cost £29.99, are available in WH Smith and at therebutnothere.org.uk More than 45,000 Tommies were sold within 24 hours of a media launch in February. They are now being made by veterans at the Royal British Legion Industries’ factory in Aylesford. “It’s a perfect circle,” says Mr Barraud. “They are so enthused.” Why has the project been such a success? “I think people really care,” he adds. “It might be 100 years ago but they are very conscious of those who are serving now, some of whom haven’t come home, some of whom have come home very unwell, damaged. “Everywhere I go, I find people care about those who didn’t come back 100 years ago and those that are suffering now. We are a good country, we really look after our troops. “Because we are human beings, we think it’s right to reflect on those who lost their tomorrows so that those who are now suffering can have a tomorrow that they can live with. “We are reflecting back to look forward.”
Special events to salute silhouetted servicemen
STANDING GUARD Six-foot Tommies at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Westminster Abbey
The original silhouettes, bearing the names of Penshurst’s fallen, have been erected in the St John the Baptist Church again with the support of the Friends of Penshurst Church. This weekend it will be holding two special events to mark the centenary in addition to the formal service of remembrance. On Friday [November 9] at 7.30pm, relatives of the fallen will read out letters, poems and stories from the front line in an oral history called Voices: A War Scrapbook. Local historian David Lough will talk to Mr Barraud about There But Not There. Then on Sunday [November 11] at 6pm, an hour before beacons are lit in the village and all across the country to remember the Armistice, there will be a candlelit evensong featuring the premiere of an anthem called They Are The dead – There But Not There, a reworking of the poem In Flanders Fields by John McCrae, written by local historian David Lough, composed by organist Robert Hessey and sung by the church choir.
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One family, three deaths in Penshurst
HORSING AROUND Patrick Hardinge
newspaper saying: “Rules must be obeyed, but I strongly suspect that the heartlessness of some lazy NCO was the only reason for the fasting.” The Globe replied that it had published Dr Wood’s letter because it hoped ‘this unhappy case may be taken as a warning to those who are placed in charge of recruits, to treat them at all times with consideration’.
Hardinge, son of Viscount Hardinge, was killed in May 1915 aged 19 in the Battle of Aubers Ridge. On the day of his memorial service, the local newspaper reported: “With blinds drawn and shops closed, the village of Penshurst showed its respect and sympathy.” A third cousin, Major Patrick Hardinge [inset], was killed in action aged 23 on June 17 1916 in the Hohenzollern Redoubt. He was awarded the Military Cross. He had arrived in France in September 1914 and kept a colourful diary, in which he described how his first job was to take a cargo of 850 horses off the
ship to a racecourse, escorted by Highlanders who ‘were frightened to death of them! And no one knew where the racecourse was’. They went through the streets of Nantes in disarray as the city’s citizens looked on bemused. “Groups of Highlanders proclaiming their desire for tobacco and wine in no uncertain voice to groups of ecstatic Frenchmen who were marvelling at their kilts. “Drunken soldiers, and some sober ones too, but not many. “It was all like a nightmare, but a ludicrously absurd nightmare in spite of it all, and one couldn’t help howling with laughter the whole time.” PHOTO: Little Olives Photography
THIS Sunday, services will be held across West Kent and East Sussex to remember the thousands who gave their lives during the First World War. Behind each of those who fell is a story that is often untold. Here’s what happened to just one family in one village: The Hardinge family in Penshurst lost three young men to the fighting on the Western Front. Edward Hardinge, a Lieutenant in the British Expeditionary Force, was awarded the Distinguished Service Order at Mons in the early exchanges of trench warfare in August 1914. He was wounded by machine gun fire and died of blood poisoning aged 22 after returning to England in December. His cousin, 2nd Lt Henry
Loss of a young gardener shows sorry waste of life The waste of life in the Great War was vividly illustrated by the fate of Wilfred Turley, who worked as a gardener for Dr Louis Wood in Penshurst. In 1915, aged 20, he signed up for the Royal Navy. He was sent to Chatham, given a cold bath and sent to bed without food. He developed pneumonia and died a month later. Dr Wood wrote to the Globe
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TAKE A PEW Martin Barraud in Penshurst Church
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Wednesday November 7 | 2018
Towns will remember The Fallen 100 years after WWI Armistice By William Mata FALLEN heroes will be remembered like never before on the centenary of the end of the First World War. An unprecedented number of services and historical events in Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge are being held in the lead up to, and on, this weekend’s Remembrance Sunday, November 11. And the Royal British Legion is hoping to receive a record amount in donations through this year’s Poppy Appeal as well as the sale of ‘There But Not There’ Tommy silhouette statues that were inspired by an installation in Penshurst Church in 2016 marking the village’s Fallen. This year’s centenary marks the signing of the Armistice and the laying down of arms on November 11, 1918. But each year’s Remembrance also pays tribute to those who served in all wars and conflicts, as well as their families. The Poppy Appeal officially runs from October
2018 to September 2019, with sale of the paper flowers being the crux of the fundraising total – which is topped up by proceeds from picnics and sponsored walks. Last year the Tunbridge Wells Royal British Legion raised around £50,000, their highest total, while £47million was raised nationally. Chairman John Cohen said: “This year’s appeal is going very well. It’s a very special year, there are lots of different events going on around town and people have embraced the occasion. “There is more going on this year than there has been in the past. I shall be part of the Royal British Legion’s presence at the Remembrance Sunday service.” Proceeds from the appeal are used to support the lives of former servicemen, servicewomen and their families. This can include financial, emotional and social support. Legion members are often former members of the armed forces, but some have no connection
‘It’s a very special year, there are lots of different events going on around town and people have embraced the occasion. There is more going on than there has been in the past’
and are simply looking to help. Carl Lewis, Poppy Appeal organiser for the Tonbridge Royal British Legion, said: “Tonbridge always comes out in force and we are trying to get as close to our target of £40,000 as possible. The national target is £50million.” Last year Mr Lewis, whose grandfather, John William Lewis, was one of 46 to die on board HMS Strongbow in 1917, helped the Tonbridge appeal raise more than £35,000. He continued: “It is a special year as it marks 100 years since the end of fighting, although men were still serving until 1920 as peacekeepers. “We have to remember those who have served in more recent conflicts, they are still playing a part. It is also a tribute to the families who stay behind and work very hard while their loved ones are away serving.” See also page 51
Where and when you can take part in Remembrance events… Friday, November 9 Lamberhurst Community Cinema is screening the wartime drama Journey’s End from 8pm [doors open 7.30pm]. The cinema is set up inside Lamberhurst War Memorial Hall off the High Street. Rusthall Community Cinema is also showing Journey’s End at their Sunnyside Hall base in Rusthall Road.. Doors open 7pm and the film begins at 8pm. Saturday, November 10
Rusthall Club, in St Paul’s Street, is hosting an evening of live wartime music from The Carradines and Rusties from 7pm.
A bagpipe player will perform The
There will be a Remembrance Sunday service at Southborough War Memorial from 9am. And from 10.30am there will be a gathering at the War Memorial in Pembury. In Paddock Wood, St Andrew’s Church, Maidstone Road, is to host a service from 9.30am, followed by a parade. Central to Tunbridge Wells’ events is the
Tunbridge Wells MP Greg Clark will lead a commemorative tree planting from 12.30pm at the Crossroads in Rusthall between Coach Road and Rusthall Road.
Sunday, November 11
Battles O’er at St Paul’s Church in Langton Road, Rusthall, from 6am, before the church’s Remembrance service from 10am.
TUNBRIDGE WELLS WAR MEMORIAL Sculpted by Stanley Nicholson Babb
procession and wreath-laying at the War Memorial in Mount Pleasant, outside the Town Hall, from 10.45am. Civic Way will be closed to vehicles and there will be disruption to traffic from 8am in the town centre. From 2pm in Tunbridge Wells Cemetery at Hawkenbury wreaths will be laid at the two Crosses of Sacrifice. Fom 2.45pm, a talk
arranged by the Royal British Legion will see Christopher Everett speak on the partition of the Middle East after the First World War. This will be held in the Chapel.
St John the Baptist Church in Penshurst is holding a Remembrance Sunday Service from 10.45am.
The Assembly Hall Theatre in Crescent Road is staging an Evening of Remembrance, featuring music and reflection, from 3pm. Tickets start from £10 and can be booked at assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk From 6pm on Rusthall Common, a torchlight procession will take place, with beacon lighting from 7pm.
And in Tonbridge, the Reverend Canon Mark Brown will lead the Service of Remembrance in the Memorial Gardens in Bradford Street from 10.30am. Tonbridge & Malling Mayor Pam Bates and Council Leader Nicolas Heslop will also attend. There will be a parade through the town.
DO WELL DOUBT NOT A 1919 Tunbridge Wells Peace Medal
For early risers, a lone bagpiper will play a lament from 6am. There is also a separate event at The Council Chamber at Tonbridge Castle from 2pm to 7pm, where a special free exhibition of the First World War will be held, with information and memorabilia on display. From 6.45pm on Tonbridge Castle lawn, Deputy Lieutenant Jacques Arnold will give a speech of Remembrance, followed by the lighting of beacons. St Peter and St Paul’s Parish Church will ring its eight bells from 9.15am.
In Hildenborough, St John’s Church is hosting a service from 10am, followed by an Act of Remembrance at the village’s War Memorial from 11am.
PEACE DAY IN WEST MA LLING Crowds gather to celebr ate the
Versailles Treaty
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Big brands could be coming back but question mark hangs over a cinema THE owners of Royal Victoria Place told the Times on Monday they are listening to public opinion and that work is being planned BRITISH Land has said little about their intentions for the Royal Victoria Place since buying it in May for £96million. In a first press interview since taking over from Hermes, Darren Richards [right], the firm’s Deputy Head of Retail, spoke to Chief Reporter William Mata. How do you view Royal Victoria Place [RVP] at the moment? “This centre has not had serious investment or even proactive management for 26 years. I can sympathise with the local opinion. It’s not about throwing money at it, it’s about giving the people what they want. If we didn’t think we could do it here we wouldn’t have bothered investing. Five and a half months [since we took over] is not a long time in retail. What brands are we likely to see? “We are just about to start the process [of asking customers]. We would appreciate some degree of latitude. We know what brands fit when we see a place, we can see some brands that have left and may want to come back. It isn’t easy. “I am not trying to avoid the question, but when we name brands it is a very sensitive commercial thing. And if we leave brands off the list they get very agitated. There are 5,000 retail multiples in the UK. Some of those are already here, but there are hundreds who could come here.” Okay, so without naming names, what type of retail would suit the centre? “There should be a good mix here that is right for everybody. If you want something that is going to really anchor the place, and this should be the place people congregate, then you need to make the effort here. Otherwise, there is nothing to point out. There are some great brands here, but they are scattered around. There is no one place where you think ‘oh, that’s great’ and that is what we are hoping to provide.” When can we expect new retailers? “The first thing to expect to see is some retailers coming into the vacant stores here, and that includes in Ely Court. And the next thing you can expect to see is us investing money in the centre. “You will see improvements coming
SEEING THE POTENTIAL British Land’s Darren Richards (left) feels Royal Victoria Place has been let down by a lack of investment through. The main thing is to stress that these things take time. It is not one big thing that changes things, it is a whole series. But if we sit here in a year and you’re saying ‘why haven’t we seen anything?’ then you are entitled to be critical of us. Which areas need attention? “The big attention is on where people walk in, so you are getting a better arrival experience. By the time you get halfway through these schemes [centres] that are 30 years old, the lack of investment becomes very apparent.” What might RVP offer beyond retail? “People should want to come whether that’s to eat, have a leisure activity or have a multiplex cinema for the development. “We have got to make sure brands stay here and more brands come. “They will want to see activity as well. Nothing has happened. “I was walking around Ely Court and I thought, this is your own little Carnaby Street. That can be a really exciting vibrant place. “It has to be distinctive. The worst thing that has happened to retail is people thinking it is cookie cutter and doing the same thing everywhere, because it does not work. Are you committed to keeping Ely Court as it is then? Previous plans showed this was to to make way for a new development. “No, not necessarily. While we’re working on the future of the scheme we will try and get some brands in here. “It might be pop-ups as well.”
Once and for all then, why did you not continue with the plans to expand and build a cinema on the Ely Court site? “Even the people who came up with the scheme did not eventually want to do it. It would be odd for us, feeling we have one of the best teams in the country, having done this in lots of places, to pick up a scheme from someone else and say we are going to do it exactly the same. Time has moved on and this environment is rapidly changing. This scheme has not even started yet and it is already five years old.”
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SIGNS OF LIFE NAMES THAT ARE IN THE FRAME In June the Times reported British Land were in talks with leading retailers in fashion, homewear and technology. As one of Europe’s premier managers of shopping centres, they are well placed to start discussions with big name brands. British Land have developed other shopping centres, including: Meadowhall in Sheffield, Southgate in Bath and Fort Kinnard in Edinburgh. And shops in these malls include: Zara, H&M, River Island, Currys/PC World, Burton and TK Maxx. WHAT BRANDS WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE? The Times yesterday (Tuesday) asked users on Facebook which retailers they would like to see in Royal Victoria Place. Here are some of the responses. Barrie Tamkin: “None of this matters because once the new theatre is open all high street woes will end and the town will be teeming with new customers.” Anita Green: “Decent shops that don’t cost a fortune, like Primark and Matalan.” Lara Hills: “Bromley’s shopping centre overhaul would be a great bench mark for much needed regeneration of brand presence. Someone needs to step in urgently at British Land and rebuild key relationships with relevant brands.” Paula Mitchell: “Oh for goodness sake, just get on with it!”
Was the cinema aspect behind the thinking? “In terms of listening to what people want, we can’t tell that what the people wanted was a multiplex cinema. There was no brand attached, and when you are developing a cinema they are quite specialist developments and you need to have an operator.” KFC said they are moving out because of ‘plans’. What will happen to the Food Court? “Their decision to move out is not because we told them we have got plans. That’s not the case. That is a question for them. There is no plan. The Food Court will be better.” Is it an area of concern? “It’s an acknowledgement of potential. People do not know how much potential the centre has because it has never been given a fair chance.” Do shopping malls have a future in town centres? “Yes, absolutely. They can’t all survive. In the next ten years, 60 per cent of spend is going to be done physically. Shops are going to shut. The best places will thrive.”
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A SUCCESSFUL BRITISH LAND PROJECT ANOTHER recent British Land acquisition is the Ealing Broadway shopping centre in West London. The developer bought the 21-shop mall in May 2017 for £49million from Benson Elliott. In the past 18 months, the centre has undergone a £14million refurbishment, which included improvements to malls, enhanced lighting, new shop fronts, toilets and signage. Four new retailers, including Cath Kidston, joined as part of the process.
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Wednesday November 7 | 2018
NEWS IN BRIEF
Appeal for information after alleged stabbing
Gatwick Airport staff to stage a trio of strikes
No easy payment yet for young person’s bus pass
Fundraising event to give homeless survival kits
INTRUDERS reportedly stabbed a man in his 50s after entering his home near Rusthall Road in Tunbridge Wells. Kent Police said three or four men entered the property at around 1am on Wednesday, October 31. It is alleged the intruders assaulted the victim and he received injuries to his shoulder and left arm that are consistent with a stabbing. The men then left the house and ran from the scene. The victim’s injuries are described as nonlife threatening. If you have any information, please call Kent Police’s appeal line on 01622 604100.
SOME travellers could face disruption at Gatwick Airport when Unite union members stage three strikes over a pay row. Workers who assist disabled passengers and others in need of help are planning to hold 48-hour walkouts on November 20, 26 and December 21. Unite has said the workers are at loggerheads with the airport’s logistics contactors, Wilson James, over a claim for a £1 per hour pay rise. An airport spokesman said: “We encourage both sides to continue discussions. “Passenger welfare is our top priority.” Tunbridge Wells is in the flight path of aircraft travelling to Gatwick.
TRANSPORT leaders at Kent County Council have been criticised for not allowing parents the chance to pay for a bus pass in instalments. Instead the Young Person’s Travel Passes must be bought for £290 in one lump sum or for two £145 payments. Opposition Liberal Democrat Cllr Dan Daley has criticised the Cabinet Member for Transport, Cllr Mike Whiting, for giving ‘no firm timescale’ in consulting for a direct debit system. Cllr Whiting, a Conservative, said: “We have to look at how such a system could work and the costs involved in setting it up. “Work is continuing with a view to conclude by the end of the year.”
COMMUNITY group Professional Friends of Pakistan UK has organised a fundraising event to provide survival kits for Kent’s homeless. Winter Warmer is to be staged inside Rusthall United Reformed Church in Manor Road on Saturday, November 24, from 12noon to 4pm. On sale will be cake, Pakistani food, clothes, jewellery, arts and craft. This will include items such as warm gloves, thermal socks, winter hats and food. For more information, contact Dr Uzma Choudry, Chair of the Ladies Wing of the Professional Friends of Pakistan, by calling 07816 905720.
Wednesday November 7 | 2018
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Rail firm puts deal with Amazon and Kobo into Motion SOUTHEASTERN has declared its new Motion service, which allows passengers to watch, read and listen to entertainment and information, to be a UK first. The rail franchise holder for the Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge line has announced a partnership with Amazon Prime and Kobo Rakuten to deliver the service. Motion allows passengers to access news, magazines, TV shows, podcasts and ebooks from both providers for free, using Southeastern Wi-Fi. The content will cease operating when the passenger leaves a train or station covered by the Wi-Fi. Not all of Amazon’s TV series will be offered, but a flavour of their content will be available from the start – including Jeremy Clarkson’s motoring series The Grand Tour and the dystopian drama The Man in the High Castle. More shows
ROAD ON RAILS The Grand Tour can be watched for free by Southeastern passengers
could be added further down the line. Diane Burke, Southeastern’s Commercial Director, said Motion is the firm’s latest attempt to meet the changing demands of passengers.
“These are the first such partnerships of their kind anywhere on a UK transport network,” she said. For more information, visit southeasternrailway.co.uk
Praise for high street protection By William Mata MEASURES announced in the Chancellor’s Budget will ‘promote the vitality of the high street’, according to a property expert. Matthew Sobic, Director of Planning at estate agency Savills – who have an office in Tunbridge Wells – has welcomed the consultation on Permitted Development Rights announced by Philip Hammond. “This is a positive step to ensure that a good range and mix of appropriate town centre uses can be provided and that the best use of land is made,” he said.
“This will enable our town centres to diversify and evolve in order to meet the existing and future needs of their users. “It recognises the important role that the successful operation of our town centres can play in contributing to both our housing, social and economic requirements.” The news coincides with the possible announcement of a Business Improvement District [BID] for Tunbridge Wells, which could see firms in the town centre pay into a levy to fund initiatives and events. The result of a ballot to decide whether this should go ahead will be announced this Friday.
PHIL GOOD FACTOR: Chancellor Philip Hammond announced tax breaks in his Budget
Other commentators picked out different parts of Mr Hammond’s speech, which was based on government efficiency and lower taxes. Alexander Bishop, a solicitor at Thomson, Snell & Passmore – who have an office in Lonsdale Gardens, Tunbridge Wells – said the law firm was most interested in changes to Entrepreneurs’ Relief. “We are not surprised that Entrepreneurs’ Relief has featured, with the qualifying period for the relief being extended from 12 months to two years in an attempt to ensure only genuine entrepreneurs benefit,” he said. “Fortunately, the relief is to be retained by the Chancellor, which will be welcome news to most business owners.” Edward Park of financial firm Brooks Macdonald, locally based on Mount Ephraim in Tunbridge Wells, said: “The reality of the government’s fiscal situation is that it will be dominated by economic growth in 2019-2020, and this will be highly dependent on the outcome of the Brexit negotiations. “Irrespective of today’s announcements, political risk looks set to continue to dominate UK economic and investor sentiment until clarity on Brexit is provided.”
Boost for legal firms in listings TWO legal businesses with offices in Tunbridge Wells have been listed in The Times’ Best Law Firms 2019 directory. Cripps and Thomson Snell & Passmore were considered by the national newspaper to be within the top 200 firms in England and Wales. Thomson Snell & Passmore, based in Lonsdale Gardens, were commended for their work in family law. Joanna Pratt, Partner and Head of Family, said: “It is huge recognition for us and the family department in particular.” Cripps, based on Mount Ephraim, as well having offices in Kings Hill and London, were championed for their work in the ‘company and commercial’ category. The firm recently announced a merger with London practice Pemberton Greenish, who also made the list.
BEER CHEER: The Robin Hood pub in Sherwood has reopened with a revamped bar after extensive refurbishment. Tunbridge Wells Mayor Len Horwood and his wife, Judy, joined Manager Stephen Edwards and his deputy, Aneta Jacukevic, to cut the ribbon at the Sandhurst Road venue – which will offer live music and screen sport.
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Wednesday November 7 | 2018
Edie goes on a gran tour for Hospice in the Weald
TAP INTO SUCCESS: Gill Keay of CAMRA (left) gives cheque to representatives of Cancer Research UK at the Spa Valley Railway Beer Festival
Charity raises a toast to cricket festival funds THE Campaign for Real Ale [CAMRA] presented a cheque for £1,628 to local representatives of Cancer Research UK at the Spa Valley Railway in Tunbridge Wells. The funds were raised at the organisation’s beer tent during the Tunbridge Wells cricket festival at the Nevill Ground in June. The donation was made to members of the charity’s Westerham branch ahead of the start of last month’s Spa Valley Railway Beer Festival at Tunbridge Wells West station. CAMRA will also be donating similar amounts to three other charities, Age UK, Arthritis Research UK (now called Versus Arthritis) and the Greyhound Trust.
CYCLISTS aged from ten to 81 years old took part in a Wheels Around the Weald event on behalf of the Hospice in the Weald. There were three different routes to choose from for the 160 cyclists who took part, all starting from Pembury. The 20-mile version saw riders travelling to Goudhurst and back, the 40-mile option stretched to Cranbrook, while the 80-mile route went all the way to the coast at Rye. Many families and friends were cycling in memory of their loved ones who had been cared for by the hospice.
unteers worked together to make this happen.” Hospice in the Weald is now preparing for its Ho Ho Hospice Christmas event, a ‘Santas v Penguins’ 5K fun run on December 16 at The Schools at Somerhill. For more information, telephone Michelle Winstone on on 01892 820527, or email: michelle.winstone@hospiceintheweald.org.uk
Proud Among them was 13-year-old Edie Cook, who completed the 40-mile route in memory of her late grandmother and raised £1,000 in sponsorship in the process. Ms Cook said: “I originally entered the 20-mile race with my dad, as he is a keen cyclist, but as our training went on we decided to increase the challenge to 40 miles and the sponsorship money started coming in from friends, family and my schoolfriends, too. “I never knew my grandmother, but she spent two weeks in the care of the hospice and this has been a great way to keep her memory alive. “My family all tell me that she would have been very proud of me.” Ewan Tuohy, Relationship Fundraising Manager at the hospice, said: “We are thrilled with the positive feedback that we have had from the day. “There was a great atmosphere,” she added. “We’ve had some great comments from riders on each of the routes. “I’m proud to say that our team of staff and vol-
RAISE THE HANDLEBAR: Edie Cook and her father Jason doubled their cycling challenge
Wednesday November 7 | 2018
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Sweet smell of success on national stage for Royal Tunbridge Wells in Bloom THE organisers of Royal Tunbridge Wells in Bloom are celebrating after winning a Silver Gilt award in the Britain in Bloom finals in the Large Town category. It is the first time they have been recognised at national level since 2012, when they won Silver. Cranbrook also won a Silver Gilt medal in the Small Town category at the awards ceremony, which was held in Belfast. Tunbridge Wells had already secured the Gold award for the South and South-East regional competition, an accolade which they have achieved for the past seven years. David Elliott, Chairman of Royal Tunbridge Wells in Bloom, said: “I am thrilled to bits that Tunbridge Wells won a Silver Gilt at the Britain In Bloom Award ceremony. Thank you so much to the parks team and all our volunteers for their efforts.”
Exhibition
COMMON TOUCH ‘Tunbridge Wells Common’ by Jo Stanford
Helen Timms, Parks and Sports Team Administrator for Tunbridge Wells Borough Council, said: “We are extremely pleased to received the Silver Gilt award this year, and couldn’t have achieved this without the hard work and dedication of all of our volunteers, supporters and sponsors. “We received positive and very constructive feedback from the judges, which we will use this coming year to improve our entry. “One of our national judges judged us previously in 2013 and commented that he could see a vast improvement in our achievements.” The Assembly Hall Theatre is currently displaying an exhibition of images taken to reflect this year’s entries in the town’s own competition.
Local photographers sent in their pictures of floral displays in the town, its parks and across the borough, and the results are featured in the show, which is called ‘Blooming Marvellous’. Royal Tunbridge Wells in Bloom is a horticultural campaign run by a committee of volunteers with support from Tunbridge Wells Borough Council and the Kent High Weald Partnership. This year the competition featured a record number of 285 entries, and more than 70 photographs were submitted between July and August; 23 images have been chosen for the exhibition. Marketing officer Katharina Mahler-Bech said: “Royal Tunbridge Wells in Bloom and the Assembly Hall Theatre would like to thank everyone who participated in the competition and submitted photographs. It was incredibly hard to choose which pictures to include.” For more information about the competition, visit royaltunbridgewellsinbloom.org.uk Twitter: @RTWinBloom and Facebook: @RoyalTunbridgeWellsinBloom
FLOWER POWER: Katharina Mahler-Bech attends to the colourful precinct displays
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MOTH TO A FLAME ‘Sweet pea in my garden’ by Sarah Mott
Candlelit service in memory of babies A CANDLELIT service to remember babies who died during pregnancy or after birth will be held at Christ Church in Tunbridge Wells High Street on Sunday December 9 from 4pm. The remembrance has been organised by the Tunbridge Wells branch of the charity SANDS [Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Society]. Emma Jeffreys, Head of Bereavement Support for Tunbridge Wells SANDS, said: “Sadly, baby loss is still a huge part of our society and each month we support many families coming to terms to life without a much loved child. “Our support groups and work with the hospital at Pembury as well as our Snowdrops Miscarriage Initiative are all hugely important and a lifeline to grieving parents.” She added: “Christmas is an especially hard time for these families, so we are holding a candlelit remembrance service for families to come together, remember their children and feel less alone at this tough time of year.”
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Wednesday November 7 | 2018
Entrants to jewellery competition are all winners with £500 prizes
Eva Griffin Age 5 SUBMISSIONS to G Collins & Sons’ art competition were so impressive that the family-run jewellers has announced it will donate £500 to the schools of all youngsters who took part. Entrants aged four to 18 sent in designs with a royal theme in the Jewellery Fit for a Prince or Princess contest, which was co-coordinated with the Times. Hundreds of entries were sent from ten Tunbridge Wells schools and the 300 shortlisted have already been shown during a special exhibition at One Warwick Park Hotel. This week the Times can reveal the runners-up in the aged ‘four to eight’ category and the ‘nine to 13’ category as well as two in the 14-18 category who received special commendation. Next week this newspaper will name those who finished first in the three categories. These will be announced by the judges, auctioneers
and fine art dealers Simon Webster and Jonathan Gray of Gray-Webster Gallery. As part of the prize, the first place finishers will receive a voucher for afternoon tea at One
‘The effort of all of these pupils was too great to ignore, the sheer amount of people that got involved and the effort from each and every one of them was phenomenal’
years’ history on Tunbridge Wells High Street, has agreed to donate £500 to the art departments of each participating school. When the competition was first announced it was stated only the winner’s school would receive the funding. A spokesperson for G Collins & Sons said: “The effort of all of these pupils was too great to ignore, the sheer amount of people that got involved and the effort from each and every one of them was phenomenal.
RUNNERS-UP IN TWO CATEGORIES:
Imagination
AGED NINE TO 13 CATEGORY Polly Homan, nine, of The Mead School Louis Berry, 13, of The Skinners’ Kent Academy Freddie Kemp, nine, of The Mead School Lilah Cockayne Francis, ten, of The Mead School Clea Clard, 11, of Brenchley and Matfield School Saskia Phelines, ten, of The Wells Free School
“We are so grateful for everyone’s input and so with that in mind we would actually like to give every school which got involved £500 towards their school’s art department as opposed to only the winners. “We would also like to invite the three category winners on a tour of our workshops before they go to afternoon tea at One Warwick Park Hotel. “It was so wonderful seeing the imaginations of children come to life and all their hard work put in. “I think it’s fantastic for children to be getting involved with art from such a young age and we should encourage it.” Maxim Gray will receive a £50 voucher from G Collins & Sons towards his own art supplies, as he was the only pupil to enter from Claremont Primary School.
Warwick Park Hotel, have their artwork and picture published inside the Times and tour the workshops of G Collins & Sons. But all who entered are actually winners as G Collins & Sons, a business with more than 30
Maxim Gray Age 4
AGED FOUR TO EIGHT CATEGORY Ella Oates, eight, of The Mead School Eva Griffin, five, of Kent College Pembury Maxim Gray, four, of Claremont Primary School Alice, six, of Goudhurst School Madison, seven, of The Wells Free School Sophie Tennant, six, of Goudhurst School James Valler, seven, of The Mead School
AGED 14 TO 18 CATEGORY And special commendation went to: Emma Lawrence, 14, of The Skinners’ Kent Academy Alexander Cole, 15, of The Skinners’ Kent Academy
ROLL OF HONOUR: Well done to all schools who took part in the competition who were: Brenchley and Matfield CEP School Goudhurst & Kilndown CEP School Kent College Pembury Kent College Prep School Rusthall, St Paul’s CofE VA Primary School Saint Ronan’s School Skinners’ Kent Academy St. Mark’s CEP School The Mead The Wells Free School
Polly Homan Age 9
Emma Lawrence Age 14
Ella Oates Age 8
Saskia Phelines Age 10
Freddie Kemp Age 9
ROYAL TREATMENT: A selection of some of the entrants to the G Collins & Sons’ Fit For a Prince or Princess art competition. See all the entries at timeslocalnews.co.uk
Lilah Cockayne Francis Age 10
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FIVE men are being questioned by police after they were arrested over a video showing a model of Grenfell Tower burning on a bonfire. Scotland Yard said the men, who are all from south and south-east London, handed themselves in on Monday [November 5]. They are a 19-year-old, a 46-year-old and a 49-year-old, all from South Norwood, a 49-yearold from Lambeth and a 55-year-old from Beckenham. They arrived at a south London police station at 10pm and were arrested on suspicion of intentionally causing harassment, alarm or distress under section 4a of the Public Order Act. Footage emerged on Monday showing a large flammable model marked ‘Grenfell Tower’, complete with paper figures at the windows, being set on fire. Police have searched an address in Norhyrst Avenue, South Norwood where it is believed the fire was started.
LOOKING FOR EVIDENCE: Police search a house on Norhyrst Avenue in South Norwood
BREXIT campaign group Leave.EU and the Eldon Insurance company owned by its founder Arron Banks face fines totalling £135,000 over breaches of data laws. A report by the Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham has confirmed they were being fined £60,000 each for ‘serious breaches’ of the law which governs electronic marketing. More than 1million emails were sent to Leave. EU subscribers over two separate periods which also included marketing for GoSkippy services – the trading name of Eldon – without their consent, the report said. Leave.EU also faces a £15,000 fine for a separate ‘serious’ breach after almost 300,000 emails were sent to Eldon customers containing a newsletter for the Brexit campaign group. The report added: “We are investigating
‘We may never know whether individuals were unknowingly influenced to vote’ allegations that Eldon Insurance Services Limited shared customer data obtained for insurance purposes with Leave.EU.” A final decision is still to be reached on an alleged breach relating to the company’s overall handling of personal data. In the report, Ms Denham said that her investigation into the use of data analytics in political campaigns had uncovered ‘a disturbing disregard for voters’ personal privacy’. She wrote: “We may never know whether individuals were unknowingly influenced to vote a certain way in either the UK EU referendum or in the US election campaigns. “But we do know that personal privacy rights
PHOTO: BBC
Five men hand Leave.EU and Banks company themselves in for face £135k fine over data laws Grenfell bonfire
SERIOUS BREACHES Arron Banks owns Eldon Insurance have been compromised by a number of players and that the digital electoral ecosystem needs reform.” She called on the Government to look at gaps in the law protecting data privacy to ensure the UK has ‘a regime fit for purpose in the digital age’. And she warned that voluntary moves by online companies would not be enough to solve the problem. “Our investigation uncovered significant issues, negligence and contraventions of the law,” wrote Ms Denham. “Now we must find the solutions. The report said the Information Commissioner’s Office [ICO] had identified ‘serious breaches’ of data protection principles by Cambridge Analytica, the data firm which used personal information from Facebook users to help target political ads. The ICO said it would have issued a ‘substantial fine’ against Cambridge Analytica if the company had not gone into administration.
Wednesday November 7 | 2018
NEWS IN BRIEF
War memorial trees will not be cut down WAR memorial trees under threat as part of Sheffield’s controversial street tree felling programme will now be saved, according to campaigners. The trees were planted in Western Road to commemorate the fallen from the First World War who went to the primary school on the street. Of the 97 trees planted, 53 remain and, of these, at least 23 were earmarked for removal as part of the programme, which is currently on hold as Sheffield Council and campaigners engage in talks.
Free travel for Services MEMBERS of the Armed Forces are being offered free train travel to remembrance events on Sunday [November 11]. All train companies are running the scheme for service personnel marking the centenary of the end of the First World War. Operators are also offering free travel for Royal British Legion volunteers raising money through Poppy Appeal collections in London, Birmingham, Bristol and Manchester.
Tube strike is called off A PLANNED 24-hour strike on London Underground’s Piccadilly Line from midday today [November 7] has been called off. The Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union said it was suspending the action after progress was made in talks in a dispute over industrial relations. But Tube passengers will still suffer disruption because of a walkout on the Central Line.
Wednesday November 7 | 2018
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New bully probes in Lords and Commons FRESH inquiries into Parliament’s bullying culture are being launched but specific allegations will not be investigated. Gemma White QC has been appointed head of a second probe on behaviour in the Commons but will focus on treatment of MPs’ staff instead of those employed by the House. She will look at past and present behaviour in the Commons as well as constituencies but will not investigate specific claims about individuals or reopen old cases. The House of Lords also announced an independent inquiry into bullying and harassment after Dame Laura Cox exposed a toxic environment in Westminster last month.
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Six men arrested after plot to attack Macron is revealed
Supermarkets cut cost of petrol by 2p FOUR supermarkets have announced petrol price cuts of up to 2p per litre. Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Tesco made the move after fuel retailers were accused of not passing on savings from lower wholesale costs. Over the past six months, the cost of filling up a typical 55-litre family car that runs on petrol or diesel has risen by around £6. AA fuel spokesman Luke Bosdet said he ‘watched with dismay’ as petrol pump prices ‘trickled down by barely a penny’ last month despite the wholesale price falling by 4p per litre. The RAC described the supermarket price drop as ‘excellent news’, but insisted it is ‘long overdue’ as fuel retailers have ‘not played fair with drivers in a falling wholesale market’. It is Asda’s second petrol price reduction in less than two weeks. Senior fuel buyer Dave Tyrer, said: “Further decreases in the wholesale market mean we are able to reduce our prices again.”
BUSINESS
WAVE OF SUPPORT: Beto O’Rourke, the Democratic candidate for the Senate in Texas, leaves a polling station with his family. The party hopes to take control of both the Senate and the House of Representatives during the Mid-Term Elections in a bid to thwart the policies of President Trump
Mass IS graves found in Iraq MORE than 200 mass graves containing between 6,000 and 12,000 bodies have been found in Iraq from the time of the Islamic State group’s threeyear reign, UN investigators have said. The 202 graves verified by investigators are scattered across the north of the country and are a ‘legacy of Isil’s [IS] terror’, according to a joint report by the UN mission to Iraq and the UN office for human rights. Findings from the gravesites can be used as evidence of the group’s crimes and could amount to genocide, they said.
The graves date from 2014-17 when the fundamentalist Islamic group ruled some of Iraq’s largest cities and towns. As the militants swept through Iraq and neighbouring Syria, they killed captured members of the security forces en masse, expelled or killed minorities, and enslaved women from the Yazidi sect. Several graves found in Iraq’s Salahuddin province contain the remains of victims of the 2014 Camp Speicher massacre, when the militants killed around 1,700 Iraqi security forces and army cadets. In some cases, the militants
dropped their victims or the remains of their bodies into wells or sinkholes instead of digging graves. Investigators said there could be thousands of bodies in the Khasfa sinkhole south of Mosul, the largest city once under IS control. Iraqi authorities have exhumed the remains of 1,258 victims from 28 graves, according to the UN. It urged authorities to identify the remains of all gravesite victims and seek justice for families, and called for the bodies to be preserved and returned to families.
FRENCH security agents have arrested six people on suspicion of plotting to attack President Emmanuel Macron, according to a judicial official. Prosecutors have understood to have opened a preliminary investigation of alleged criminal terrorist association. Intelligence agents detained the suspects in three regions: one in the Alps, another in Brittany and four near the Belgian border in Moselle. The alleged plan to target the French President appeared to be vague and unfinished but violent, the official said. Authorities said the six were aged between 22 and 62 and included one woman. Interior minister Christophe Castaner said they are believed to be far-right activists. Authorities feared ‘concrete threats’ from the group, Mr Castaner said. Mr Macron was in the north-eastern city of Verdun yesterday [November 6] as part of centenary commemorations for the end of the First World War. US President Donald Trump and dozens of other world leaders are due in France for weekend observances marking the signing 100 years ago of the Armistice that ended the First World War. PAY TRIBUTE President Macron at the Ossuary of Douaumont near Verdun
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Schaeffler to close sites in Brexit fears THE manufacturing firm Schaeffler is to close two sites in the UK, partly due to Brexit uncertainty. The automotive and industrial supplier said the sites in Plymouth and Llanelli, South Wales, will close inside two years, with up to 500 jobs at risk. The German-owned company said production will be relocated to the United States, China, South Korea and Germany. The company, which employs just over 1,000 workers in the UK, said its biggest site in Sheffield will be retained in its current form. Work at two logistics centres in Hereford and Sutton Coldfield will be combined at the former. Jürgen Ziegler, Schaeffler’s regional chief executive, said: “Brexit is clearly not the single decisive factor behind our decision-making for the UK market but the need to plan for various complex scenarios has brought forward the timing.”
Lloyds goes ahead with digital job cull LLOYDS Banking Group has confirmed it is to axe 6,240 jobs as part of a digital overhaul. The high-street lender said that as part of the shake-up, it will also create 8,240 new roles, resulting in a net creation of 2,000 jobs. Lloyds said that 75 per cent of the new roles will be filled by existing staff, but some specialist roles such as data scientists and software engineers will be recruited externally. The cuts will fall on back office roles and not bank branches, but its Gillingham site will close. The move is part of a £3billion commitment from Lloyds to invest heavily in technology as part of its three-year strategic plan under chief executive Antonio Horta-Osorio. Lloyds has announced nearly 10,000 job cuts in 20 months since the Government sold off its stake.
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CQC warns Allied Healthcare may stop at end of November THERE is a ‘credible risk of service disruption’ at one of the biggest home care providers in England, inspectors have warned. The Care Quality Commission [CQC] has raised concerns that Allied Healthcare may not be able to continue to operate after November 30. The company provides care services to around 9,300 people. CQC said it has written to 84 English local authorities who commission some sort of care services through Allied Healthcare to notify them of its concerns. But Allied Healthcare issued reassurances that its operations are ‘sustainable and safe’. CQC said the company announced its intention to apply for a Company Voluntary Arrangement in April to restructure its debts.
Assurance While Allied Healthcare has confirmed funding until the end of the month, CQC has not received ‘adequate assurance’ that it can continue to operate from December onwards. CQC’s chief inspector of hospitals, Andrea Sutcliffe, said: “We have encouraged Allied Healthcare to provide us with a realistic, financially backed plan to support the future sustainability of the business, and given them every opportunity to do so, but they have failed to provide adequate assurance regarding future funding. “It is now CQC’s legal duty to notify those local authorities where Allied Healthcare is contracted to deliver home care services, that we consider there to be a credible risk of service disruption.
Wednesday November 7 | 2018
NEWS IN BRIEF
New Look confirms 85 stores will close in UK NEW LOOK announced it will close at least 85 UK stores as part of a radical turnaround plan to cut costs and improve profitability. This includes the 60 shops marked for closure under a company voluntary arrangement approved in March. The fashion retailer’s executive chairman, Alistair McGeorge, said discussions are ongoing regarding a further 13 stores, of which around half were likely to close. The company posted an underlying operating profit of £22.2million for the first half, compared to a loss of £10.4million in the same period last year. But revenue declined by 4.2 per cent to £656.9million.
“We are doing this now to give local authorities as much time as possible to plan for maintaining continuity of care for people relying upon services from this provider, should this be required.” A spokesman for Allied Healthcare said: “We are surprised and deeply disappointed by CQC Market Oversight’s decision, which we regard as premature and unwarranted. “We have demonstrated throughout our discussions with the regulator that Allied Healthcare’s operations are sustainable and safe, that we have secured a potential replacement of our credit facility, that there is no risk to continuity of care, and that we have a long-term business plan in place that will continue to deliver quality care across the UK. “The CQC has disregarded these assurances in spite of the robust evidence we have provided. “The CQC is putting significant pressure on already stretched and pressurised local authorities and clinical commissioning groups.”
Warning for Norwegian LOW-cost carrier Norwegian has been warned it must cut costs despite an 8 per cent growth in passengers last month. Chief executive Bjorn Kjos said the airline faces tough competition and high oil prices as it enters the quieter winter months. Norwegian’s load factor – the average percentage of seats filled per flight – fell 2.4 per cent in October. But it saw a 29 per cent growth in capacity year-on-year.
Co-op Bank looking up THE CO-OP Bank narrowed losses for the first nine months of the year, as the lender continues to recover since striking a rescue deal with hedge funds last year. Pre-tax losses came in at £87million, a £20.7million improvement compared to last year. The group benefited from lower costs as it also posted an operating profit of £14.3million, £39.6million better than 2017.
Wednesday November 7 | 2018
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Letters
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Wednesday November 7 | 2018
And another thing… This is the page where you, the reader, have your chance to express your views or comments on what’s going on in our part of the world. We like to hear from you. You can email us at newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk or newsdesk@timesoftonbridge.co.uk or write to the Editor at Runcie Court, Salomons Estate, Tunbridge Wells TN3 0TG The stage is set for high drama – but not in a roundabout way CAUSING A SCENE Large theatre trucks will endanger the station wall
Tunbridge Wells Borough Council were well into their plans for the new theatre and Civic Centre when they realised, two years later, that vehicular access was tight. They recently issued the planned Compulsory Purchase Orders for the roads they need to take over. It was admitted by the planners at their exhibition that the trucks supplying the theatre would not be able to turn left into Calverley Grounds from Mount Pleasant next to Carluccio’s, but would have to go down to the roundabout outside Hoopers and turn there, drive up Mount Pleasant and then turn right. Having watched our buses turning at this roundabout, they sweep over the pavement next to the railway fence. Please look at the
size of this Stage Truck which I saw in Leicester Square, go down to the roundabout, and then reassure me that the wall to the railway will remain intact when this huge truck takes the curve? It’s much longer than our buses! Has possible damage been factored in already – after all the lining of the theatre against possible flooding was factored in? As a NIMBY, I cannot actually see the park but I am concerned about the costs and want an answer from councillors that they have tried and tested one of these trucks to see whether it will be all right. Spending £4million already without this basic test is not reassuring. Catherine Thomas Tunbridge Wells
Not fake! Council must be accountable
to pay an additional £6,565 to Grant Thornton is totally wrong, and it was a small price to pay when compared to the £90million or more that the project is forecast to cost. Bob Atwood Chair, Tunbridge Wells Alliance
I was a little confused by the article concerning so-called ‘Fake news’ [October 31]. Presumably this Trumpist expression is being bandied about by Cllr Tracy Moore in order to discredit the opponents to the now infamous Calverley Square project? However, the article itself focused entirely on Dr Chris’s challenge to the council’s auditors to clarify their views on whether this project represents good value for taxpayers’ money. I was not sure whether I was supposed to infer that a public body should never be challenged in case it costs too much for it to reply. If that is the case, then every public body would become free to do what it liked without fear of scrutiny or disagreement; surely a ridiculous notion? The fact that it took Grant Thornton nine months to respond to the challenge speaks volumes in itself. Surely, if the matter was as clear-cut and straightforward as the council implies, it could have been settled within a few weeks? The fact that the council has received ‘clean’ audit reports nine years in a row, as stated in the article, has no relevance and is certainly what the taxpayer is entitled to expect from any public body. However, the implication that Dr Chris had wasted taxpayers’ money by forcing the council
Town must adapt to what’s on horizon Dr Wright of the Royal Tunbridge Wells Civic Society may know his bousillage from his belvederes; his cupolas from his crenellations, but he is unable to distinguish subtle turns of phrase and nuances of language [October 31]. In my letter I made no reference to the proposed building on the cinema site, but I did criticise his sneer about Croydon, and what these remarks did for the reputation of Tunbridge Wells. As for his presumption that I would be quick to object to development in Pembury, unlike Dr Wright and his ilk in the Civic Society, I accept an evolving society, a growing and needs-changing population, and what must go with it; I am not an ‘anti’ first and foremost. We have our high-rise in Pembury, it’s called a hospital, a building designed to meet modern society and its demands. Much as Dr Wright may want the town to be the equal of its twin in Germany – elegant, sophisticated, with a richness of architecture
– it’s not, it’s just an ordinary little town with unelected people having opinions and a presumption of judgement on too much. Hugh Masters Pembury
Let’s not forget all the animals of war As we mark 100 years since the end of World War I, it’s important that we remember the animals that lost their lives during this terrible conflict as well as the people. More than 16 million horses, donkeys and other animals were made to serve during the war, transporting everything from ammunition and messages to food rations and supplies. They hauled guns and pulled ambulances, and cavalry horses often led the charge on the front line. They faced unimaginable horrors – and, tragically, nine million of these animals were killed. As we stop to remember those who suffered and died a century ago, we must also not forget that animals continue to be innocent victims in brutal conflicts across the world today. In recent years, the Society for the Protection of Animals Abroad [SPANA] has worked in war zones – from Kosovo and Iraq to Afghanistan – to provide urgent veterinary treatment to animals in severe distress. As we commemorate Armistice Day, it is a sad reality that this appalling suffering is not a distant memory consigned to history. But while there are animals in desperate need, during times of war and peace, it is vital that help is on hand for them. Geoffrey Dennis Chief executive, SPANA
Leaving the EU is not music to my ears I see that Roger Daltrey has claimed that Brexit won’t harm touring bands, and that leaving the EU won’t raise any problems that can’t be solved (in conversation with BBC Radio 4’s Front Row host, John Wilson). That may be true for established bands like The Who, but a lot of less successful musicians will face a considerable increase in the cost of touring. As a video producer and musician, I know that at the moment they don’t need personal visas or a carnet (an international customs and temporary export-import document) for their equipment when travelling in any EU country. But all that will change when we leave the EU. Roger Daltrey has probably never had to prepare a carnet, he has people to do that sort of thing, but it is time-consuming and costly and, for many smaller acts, could be the difference between breaking even and losing money when they’re trying to establish themselves in other European countries. And it’s not just musicians that will be affected – dancers, actors, film-makers, TV and video production; the creative industries are worth a staggering £92billion to the UK economy, according to the government’s own figures. Will this still be the case when they can no longer work in and trade seamlessly with our European neighbours? Rick Bayles Pembury
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
Calverley
Observations on life and more important things
BIZARRE is the only way to describe the conversation that Calverley overheard while perched on another bar stool at a local place of refreshment. (Oh yes, he does have a proper life.) Landlord to customer: “Hey, Peter, you know it’s Halloween this week?” Customer: “Of course I do, it’s Wednesday.” Landlord: “Any chance of borrowing a coffin to put on one of the tables? Add a bit of atmosphere?” Customer: “Let me think about it.” Ten minutes later the customer leaves; 20 minutes later he comes back through the door carrying, with the help of a friend, a coffin. Calverley kids you not! Turns out he works at an undertaker’s across the road and the coffin is one they use to take bodies out of homes. Talk about spooky.
HOW to feel wanted at work. A new tech start-up decides to expand, so it shuffles the staff seating after a few weeks. Two female employees end up in the basement with no windows. They complain and are told they can work from home one day a week and the other days they can work in the coffee shop down the road on their laptops. They complain and are eventually told they can use the boardroom, but will have to vacate it when it’s needed for meetings. What’s the number for HR? EMBARRASSING MOMENT... Boiler at home breaks down and contract with Corgi repairs has run out. Calverley calls a local gas repair chappie. He promises to call that day. Mrs C, unbeknown to Mr C, also calls a repair man, who also promises to pop round. Three hours later both turn up at the same time. Mrs C refuses to answer the door and pushes Mr C outside. Neither party is very happy. Solution? Toss a coin for who gets the repair job and pay the ‘loser’ a £75 call-out charge. Next time, talk to each other before picking up the phone.
AND FINALLY, a teaser. Who said in 2016: “I find the messianic Californian new-worldlytouchy-freely culture of Facebook a little grating.” Answer: Former Lib Dem party leader and one time Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, who has just started a new job with that very same social media giant as their Head of Global Affairs. You can always rely on a politician not to let you down. Chin Chin, readers
Education
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EDUCATION Times Making serious education fun Students steam into building themselves great future PUPILS at Rose Hill preparatory school have just participated in a week of activity related to STEAM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics), with lessons placing a strong focus on the topic of energy. The week was co-ordinated by Richard Mansfield and Barry Izzard, the co-educational school’s Heads of Science and Design Technology respectively. The two teachers commented: “These disciplines have a direct impact upon our daily lives. “The modern world is driven by data and technology so it is imperative that we give our pupils the tools necessary not only to cope but to excel in the everchanging world we live in.” The week was a busy one, with plenty of practical activities for the students at the Tunbridge Wells independent school to benefit from. These included building pizza ovens out of cardboard boxes and tin foil, smelting, a school catapult competition, building wind turbines and elastic band aeroplanes and taking on gravity challenges. The STEAM week finished off in style, with pupils from Year 6 at The Mead
BANDING TOGETHER: Rose Hill pupils utilised all kinds of items
School in Frant Road joining Rose Hill for a day of Rocket Car racing. During the week, all of the Rose Hill pupils were involved in activities
TACKLING A CHALLENGE: Pupils and staff
using team work, critical thinking, communication and experimentation to solve the challenges. The school’s Head, Emma Neville, said: “The end results of a week like this are that pupils who take thoughtful risks, engage in experiential learning, persist in problem-solving, embrace collaboration, and work through the creative process will become the innovators, educators, leaders, and learners of the future. “We have had a wonderful week and STEAM week is an important part of our ongoing curriculum”.
IN FINE VOICE The Cantores Choir, with Adrian Pitts conducting
Musical success THREE young choirs from Tonbridge Grammar School [TGS] have been invited for the third successive year to perform at a special Christmas Carol Concert at Southwark Cathedral. The musical event, to be held on Wednesday November 28, is a fundraising venture for Barnardo’s. Over 150 pupils from TGS’ Motet,
Cantores and Junior Choirs will also be raising the roof to begin their Christmas festivities. As well as singing their own pieces, the choirs will come together with five other schools to form a massed choir to sing music by Lin Marsh and a specially written carol by Motet director Adrian Pitts.
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Weekly Comment
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Tom Tugendhat MP for Tonbridge & Malling
Wednesday November 7 | 2018
Tom Tugendhat, MBE, left the British Army in July 2013 after a career in which he served on operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and as the military assistant to the Chief of the Defence Staff. As a Territorial Army officer, he worked on everything from those ops to establishing the Armed Forces Muslim Association, and also worked for the Foreign Office. He was first elected as a Member of Parliament in 2015, and was elected Chair of Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee in July 2017
Remembrance Day for all soldiers and their families ON SUNDAY, November 11, we will mark 100 years since the end of the First World War. A century ago the news that the ‘war to end all wars’ was over came as one of great joy; a British victory, and an end to the fighting, bombing and grief that had left no home unaffected for half a decade. But, it was not just a day to celebrate and look forward to a new world and a brighter future, it was also a day to honour those who had given everything to defend us, and we continue to commemorate their sacrifices every year. Remembrance Sunday isn’t just for those who gave their lives for us during the First World War. It is also a day to remember all those who suffered in every war before and since then, and to remember our allies who fell alongside our own soldiers. Having served in combat alongside many from around the world, I am humbled by the courage of those who came from around the world to fight for our freedom before achieving their own. This is a day for the living to remember the ties that bind us as a nation and the sacrifice of those who have helped build our nation. When we think of all those who lost their lives defending the British Empire, we tend to think of those who lived in the British Isles, but more than 3 million came from what is now the Commonwealth. Half of those came from British India, the
countries of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka today. Of the 1.3 million who fought, over 70,000 lost their lives. Too often they are omitted from both our military history and from our memories. Indian soldiers played key roles in some of our most decisive battles, and were recognised at the time for having been essential to the victory that was won. They displayed huge courage, too. In 1914, Khudadad Khan was awarded the Victoria Cross when he held the line against advancing forces in time for reinforcements to stop vital ports being taken.
Gratitude That is why I am delighted that I have been invited to visit India and lay a wreath on behalf our nation in Delhi, reflecting the gratitude we feel to those who came to stand with us in our hour of need, both in the First and the Second World Wars, and those who left our shores to fight abroad. I will be remembering Flight Lieutenant Biddell, from Cowden, near my home, who was killed aged only 22 in July 1944 and is now buried in Delhi. At Prime Minister’s Questions last week, I asked the Prime Minister to join me in wearing a Khadi poppy, a symbol of remembrance for all the In-
TRIBUTE Prime Minister Theresa May has worn a Khadi poppy at Tom Tugendhat’s request dian soldiers who fell during the First and Second World Wars, and was delighted to see that she was wearing one when I met her later in the week. These poppies are made from home-spun cotton to symbolise India’s contribution to the war effort, and were launched by Lord Jitesh
Gadhia and the Royal British Legion this year. While I’m away, I will be united with all those who stop for one moment every year to remember, and with the men of Kent and Kentish men who are lying in a foreign fields alongside those who died fighting in the cause of freedom.
Wednesday November 7 | 2018
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AVAILABLE EVER Y WEDNESDAY – A MUST-READ
ULTIMATE GUIDE TO PROPERTY, IN TERIORS, ARCHITECTURE AND TOP TRENDS
INSPIRATION FOR MOVING AND IMPROVING timeslocalnews.co.uk
Follow in the footsteps of a conqueror in an historic home
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COMING HOME TO A WARM FRONT
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MAKE AN ENTRANCE IN THE VILLAGE
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A NEW HOME IN THE COUNTRYSIDE
Plump up the volume…
with a nomad look Page 42
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THE ART OF BUILDING AN ANNEXE
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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. Here we home in on specific aspects that make these particular properties well worth a look Brynderi Cottage
The OPEN FIRE…
Bells Yew Green, Nr Tunbridge Wells
Guide Price
£1,000,000 CONTACT • Fine & Country, Tunbridge Wells • 01892 701900 • fineandcountry.com This beautiful 6-bedroom country home is superbly positioned in the East Sussex countryside just outside Tunbridge Wells, and boasts around an acre of grounds. Owner Sonja says: “The house actually began life as three cottages that we believe were built around 1645.” She adds: “During the winter months we love to settle down next to a roaring fire in the living room… it has been such a happy home for almost five decades.”
MAIN POINTS OF INTEREST n Exceptional period features n Living room with beamed ceiling, inglenook fireplace, open fire and hood, plus door to garden n Dining room with French doors to conservatory
n High quality kitchen with beamed ceiling, polished stone work surface, oak fronted units, 6-ring gas range cooker, oak breakfast bar and quarry-tiled floor
n Garden with extensive brick paved patio area and pathways sculptured lawn, yew archway and 2 wooden sheds
n Conservatory with ceiling fan
n Deep water well with stone surround and iron security grate
n 6 bedrooms (one with wash hand basin)
n Driveway with powered gates and double garage MAIN POINTS OF INTEREST
The KITCHEN…
n Vaulted glass ceilings, galleried landings and wide staircases n Large open-plan, individually designed contemporary-style kitchens with bifold doors opening to rear terrace n Sitting room with bifold doors to garden, plus family room and study, all with plush fitted carpets and generous windows n 4 double bedrooms, two with their own en-suite bathrooms n The bathrooms include stylish Villeroy & Boch sanitaryware, with some also featuring steam-free mirrors n Security systems n Garage
Manor Place Steel Cross Crowborough
Guide price from
£900,000
CONTACT • Maddisons Residential, Tunbridge Wells • 01892 514100 • maddisonsresidential.co.uk
A stunning, energy efficient 4-bedroom new build from Chapelwood Homes – one of just 4 detached houses in a 3-acre gated development on the outskirts of Crowborough. The woodland backdrop complements the properties, and they have raised decks from which to enjoy the scenery. Further standout features include glass roof elements, covered verandas and bifold doors. All in all, the accommodation enjoys a fine family-friendly flow.
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Heatherfield
The DRAWING ROOM…
Warren Road Crowborough
Guide price
£2,000,000
Best For
over 3 floors, and the property also features a swimming pool, a floodlit tennis court, a large garden and woodland.
CONTACT • Knight Frank, Tunbridge Wells • 01892 515035 • knightfrank.co.uk
n Elegant drawing room with an attractive fireplace
An exceptional house built by Connors in Arts & Crafts style and thought to date back to 1919. Lying on a desirable private road, it has been modernised to a high standard while retaining many original features, including exposed timbers, wooden floors, an oak staircase and oak panelling. The accommodation is spread
n Dining room with oak panelling
n Sitting/family room with 2 sets of French doors to garden
n Bespoke kitchen made by Woodwork of Tunbridge Wells, combined with a breakfast room n Wine store n Master bedroom suite with walk-through dressing room n 5 further bedrooms (including a guest suite)
n Floodlit tennis court n Electric five-bar entrance gate, parking area and triple garage n In all about 3.9 acres of garden and 3.1 acres of woodland
Tunbridge Wells
n Luxurious bathroom with standalone bath and integrated audio system
Guide price
n Landscaped gardens with flagstone terrace and an expanse of lawn which leads to a raised deck. The deck also has the benefit of an electricity feed and catches the afternoon sun
£1,700,000 CONTACT • Knight Frank, Tunbridge Wells • 01892 515035 • knightfrank.co.uk
Times 27
The PRICE…
n Reception hall with oak panelling
n Heated swimming pool with pool house
n 4 further bedrooms
WITH THE
MAIN POINTS OF INTEREST
n 2 further bathrooms
Mayfield Road
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William Street Tunbridge Wells
Guide price
£420,000 CONTACT
• Firefly Properties, Paddock Wood • 01892 838363 • fireflyproperties.co.uk A well-presented 3-bedroom Victorian semi-detached family home in a popular location for schools. MAIN POINTS OF INTEREST n Sitting room with a beautiful Victorian fireplace, including a marble surround n Dining room with bifold door to garden n Contemporary kitchen leading to conservatory/utility area n 3 bedrooms n 1st-floor bathroom n Loft room with Velux-style windows n South-facing garden with decking area
Wishfield Cottage
Bounds Oak Way, Bidborough
Price range
The DECK…
A beautifully presented 5-bedroom Edwardian house in a no-through road just over half a mile from Tunbridge Wells town centre and three quarters of a mile from the mainline station.
£775,000-£795,000
MAIN POINTS OF INTEREST
• Bracketts, Tunbridge Wells • 01892 533733 • bracketts.co.uk
n Sitting room featuring an open fireplace with slate hearth and ornate surround n Dining room with bay window n Open-plan kitchen/breakfast room with shaker-style units, a walk-in larder and a breakfast bar
CONTACT
Coming to the market for modernisation is this detached 3-bedroom home on a generous plot with good potential for improvement, subject to the necessary consents. MAIN POINTS OF INTEREST
n L-shaped reception/dining room
n Informal family area leading off the kitchen, made light and bright by triple Velux windows and French doors to garden
n Kitchen/breakfast room with door to garden
n Master bedroom with dressing area and en-suite shower room
n Large rear garden and patio
n Garden room n 3 bedrooms (one with vanity basin) n Gated drive and garage
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AT A GLANCE
A superb sunken paved terrace with low brick walls and flower borders provides a lovely spot for entertaining
GREAT FOOTWAY LANGTON GREEN n An excellent light, bright family house in a popular cul-de-sac n Spacious L-shaped entrance hall n Sitting room with door to terrace and double doors to conservatory n Study n Family room n Kitchen/breakfast room with external door and double doors to dining room n Dining room with 2 sets of French doors to terrace and garden n Conservatory n Utility room and cloakroom n Principal bedroom with en-suite bathroom n 3 further bedrooms n Family bathroom n South-facing garden with sunken terrace and decked terrace to side n Drive with parking
A great family home to set foot in – which also serves up the use of a communal tennis court nearby
n Double garage n Use of a communal tennis court
ASKING PRICE
£875,000 CONTACT
• Hamptons International, Tunbridge Wells • 01892 516611 • hamptons.co.uk
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Manor House
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AT A GLANCE OLD MANOR HOUSE BENENDEN n A stunning, Grade II-listed, partially-moated Wealden Hall House in the centre of the village. n Listed in the Domesday Book as one of the possessions William the Conqueror gave to his brother, Odo, Bishop of Bayeux. Main House n Formal front door leading to an impressive wide staircase n Dining hall, one of the oldest original parts of the house n Drawing room with vaulted ceilings and a minstrel’s gallery n Kitchen/breakfast room and pantry n Sitting room featuring a superb fireplace believed to date back to the time of William the Conqueror n Family room n Study n 2 WCs n Laundry room n 2 further staircases n 7 bedrooms n 4 bathrooms
Manor house owned by William the Conqueror is Wealden rarity listed in the Domesday Book
n Accessed via its own staircase is a separate part of the second floor with a bedroom, bathroom and living area, which could be ideal for an aupair or nanny. Adjoining cottage n Sitting room n Kitchen n 2 bedrooms n Bathroom Outbuildings and grounds n Triple garage with storeroom above n 10 stables n Tack room n Feed room n Further garaging n Barn and storerooms n Glorious formal gardens n Pastures n Orchard and woodland n New swimming pool n Renovated tennis court and pavilion n A large lake which is ideal for fishing or boating n Approximately 16.5 acres in total
GUIDE PRICE
£2,750,000 CONTACT
• Knight Frank, Tunbridge Wells • 01892 772942 • knightfrank.co.uk
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InteriorsFOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT: timeslocalnews.co.uk
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Feeling adventurous? Three interior experts take on the nomadic decorating trend this Christmas Gabrielle Fagan reveals a trio of routes for enjoying the freedom to let loose and channel nomadic travel-inspired themes
S
OME trends suit those who like to play it safe, but ‘Nomadic Modern’ certainly isn’t one of them. This is a decor direction for those who want to push the creative boundaries, are open to inspirations from all over the world, and love curating their exotic treasures into schemes which ooze personality. Tempted? There are three key routes available if you want to journey to this style destination and join the nomadic decor tribe. If you’re an intrepid adventurer, show off your
souvenirs in a colourful, quirky way with a dash of Bohemian, or simply but subtly pick up on tribal patterns and layer them set against an earthy rich colour palette. Alternatively, the stay-at-home but stylish could opt for a sophisticated, uber-contemporary scheme that just hints at global glamour. Be adventurous and take a style journey – no passport required! Just follow the experts’ simple guide to joining the global gang…
GET EARTHY, SAYS KRIS MANALO, UPHOLSTERY BUYER AT HEAL’S
Cushions from the Abigail Ahern collection for Hillarys from £26 each
Wool & Cotton Traveller Armchair currently reduced from £895 to £300, Ian Snow
“This look allows people to truly explore, and have the freedom to create their own style,” says buyer Kris Manalo. “The nomadic trend fuses influences from every corner of the globe to capture a wonderful sense of warmth, comfort and style. “Capture elements of it by layering earthy, terracotta tones against refined neutrals,” she suggests. “Bring personality with bold tribal prints and rich, wooden finishes. Pair vintage pieces with contemporary updates for an added layer of interest, and for a distinctively personal touch, look for hand-crafted accessories, which will give an organic sense of individuality to a room.”
TAKE IT TRIBAL, SAYS DESIGNER ABIGAIL AHERN “I’m a big fan of nomadic style because it’s unconventional, artistic and relaxed,” declares designer Abigail Ahern, who has a new collection of curtains and cushions for Hillarys. “All it takes are three simple steps to pull it off. First, mix in tribal patterns in small ways through curtains, blinds, cushions, accessories. “These are the hallmark of this style, and I tend to plump for subdued hues like super-cool noirs, browns and olives.”
Secondly, she suggests, introduce an infusion of natural and raw materials, such as wood, rattan and hemp – think baskets, rugs, planters and footstools. Finally, she adds: “Use vintage pieces as an interesting and unique mix, especially if you keep the palette restrained so that it unifies the scheme.” If too many cushions cramp your seating or sleeping style, take a tip from Ahern’s own abode and display them hooked on a metal rail, rather like jewellery for the home.
TRIBAL TIP: Style with luxury materials – buttery leathers, knubbly knitted throws and cashmere cushions are ideal – to create a cosy, intimate and sophisticated sanctuary.
LET TEXTILES TELL A FARAWAY STORY, SAYS WAYFAIR STYLIST NADIA McCOWAN HILL M
TRIBAL TIP:
Ashanti Chest of Drawers £499, Atkin & Thyme
Accessories are the equivalent of a fiveminute facelift for decor, and one of the easiest ways to turn rooms around, notes Ahern. “Cushions are a game-changer, especially on beds and sofas,” she says. “Even better if they’re embellished with fringing as it shouts instant nomadic style.”
Feather JuJu Hat Wall Decor Dusty Peach, £310, Audenza
Fiona Walker England Navaho Patchwork Elephant Animal Head Large, currently reduced from £70 to £56, Hurn & Hurn
TRIBAL TIP: This is a great opportunity to show off your most prized treasures. Dig out trinkets and reminders of long-forgotten trips and display them on a striking decorative tray or coffee table.
“If one word defines this trend, it’s textiles, textiles, textiles! From chunky Moroccan pouffes to scatter cushions in tribal prints, woven accessories are the surest way to bring to life the nomadic look,” enthuses style advisor Nadia McCowan Hill. “Don’t be afraid of vibrant hues or colour-clashing as this trend is reserved for the bold. Bear in mind, though, that the look should be eclectic and fresh rather than rigidly devoted to a single style. Accents of metallics, such as a golden sunburst mirror or a bronze or copper lantern or tray, can add an essential touch of glamour and richness.” Abundant greenery is an essential finishing touch, adds McCowan Hill, who suggests lavishing a home with luscious foliage, from elegant palms to trailing hanging plants.
Wednesday November 7 | 2018
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New Homes
Property Focus
N EW HOMES
The Old Dairy will leave you feeling like the cat that got the cream…
I
F A NEW home in the countryside with a rural, farm-like feel, yet still enjoying all the mod cons, is your dream, then the delightful conversion of The Old Dairy in Speldhurst could prove irresistible. Located off Barden Road, close to the popular village, this original farm building has been tastefully refurbished to provide a trio of stunning, sophisticated 4-bedroom, 4-bathroom properties. With views across the fields and a pretty stream running through the rear of the development, it’s idyllic. All the homes have private gardens and terraces, plus the benefit of communal areas laid to grass. The grounds are secure, too, with electric gates for privacy, and each house has its own double garage. Inside, the light and airy interiors are contemporary, and the downstairs benefits from underfloor heating fed by the gas heating system. All the homes have patio doors opening out to their gardens from both
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the lounges and kitchen/dining areas – ideal for summer living and entertaining. The Kuchenhaus kitchens have Bosch appliances, including a wine cooler, while porcelain tiles provide the flooring in the halls and kitchen/dining areas, with carpets in the generous lounges and throughout upstairs. The bathrooms are fitted with Duravit Stark 3 sanitaryware, together with Hansgrohe chrome fittings and thermostatic showers. And being thoroughly modern, there are wired Data Networks with data points in all living areas and bedrooms. plus Nuvo Multi Room Music. While enjoying a village setting, The Old Dairy is still convenient for the A21 and the mainline railway station at Tonbridge. It is also great for access to good schools, with grammars in Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells, prep schools not too far away, and a well-performing local primary school. These fabulous houses are now available for viewings, with prices ranging from £725,000 to £775,000. To book an appointment, call Savills New Homes on 01892 507005 or email: tunbridgewellsrds@savills.com
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FOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT: timeslocalnews.co.uk Architectural Advice
John Bullock
Architectural services
Wednesday November 7 | 2018
Having studied at Edinburgh College of Art and The Royal Academy of The Hague, John Bullock launched John Bullock Design in 2003. With offices in Tunbridge Wells High Street, John has won awards for his work and is committed to delivering the best outcomes for clients
An annexe to your home can offer two big benefits – space and value W HEN buying and selling property, estate agents often talk about the top selling features which attract buyers to irresistible homes. These include a swimming pool or tennis court, acres of land, or the ever-popular large family kitchen for gatherings. But one of the latest features to appear on this hot property list is the home annexe, sometimes referred to as a granny annexe. It’s a fantastic way to have an elderly relative living close by without the pressures of living in the same house and the stresses that can bring! But it’s not just granny who benefits from this useful space. With house prices in the UK rising faster than the average wage, and buyers typically needing a deposit of at least ten per cent to secure a mortgage, granny flats inhabited by the younger generation are becoming increasingly common.
‘As always, the choice of materials is key to making the building sit well within its environment’ Our case study this month focuses on a combined annexe and garage. Featuring a traditional timber-framed structure with weatherboard elevations and a clay tile roof, this building sits comfortably within both a countryside and town location. As always, the choice of materials is key to making the building sit well within its environment. Taking the time to look at lots of options of tiles, boarding and brick and considering the colours of the windows and doors is well worth it and ultimately pays dividends. We always recommend getting samples of each and placing them together before making an order. Here, a local and new handmade clay tile with oak weatherboard and off-white woodwork
ONE BUILDING, TWO PURPOSES A flat above a garage is a costeffective solution that could also appeal to planning departments works well. It is also worth considering the colour of the driveway and materials – gravel is always a firm favourite, and can be rolled into hot tar or otherwise embedded into a resin bond. Internally, the space for the annexe can be created quite simply with a bedroom and en suite, and an open-plan sitting room with a BUILD AND DECOR Take time to consider your choices
kitchenette. In the en suite, it’s definitely a good idea to look into a wet-room system for the floor to create a level surface without steps for ease of use. Maybe laid with a mosaic tile, which would, due to the number of grout lines, offer a fairly non-slip surface. The bedroom has a number of built-in wardrobes for storage, which is important in a small space like this. In the sitting room, the kitchenette is compact but fully functional for day-to-day living. It is worth looking around at companies who provide traditional timber-framed buildings and obtaining some costings for construction. Depending upon the level of finish, and ultimately size, a structure of this type is likely to cost anything between £50,000-£100,000. Planning permission is required for this proposal, and in planning terms an annexe usually needs to be subservient to and reliant upon the principal dwelling to gain approval. Locating the annexe above the garage is a good idea as it would create one building and form of mass, which should get the support of the planning department. It would also be more cost effective to build one structure rather than two separate buildings. The only issue to consider with an annexe at
first floor level is that if your elderly relative becomes frail and unable to use the stairs, access to and from could prove difficult. However, a stair lift could easily, and relatively cost effectively, be installed. PROS OF AN ANNEXE
n Round-the-clock care for an elderly relative n Close but not in each other’s hair n Independence for a younger family member and the chance to save for a mortgage deposit
n Potential rental income (subject to planning permission)
n Adds value to property n Chance for all family members to spend quality time together
n Potential childcare CONS OF AN ANNEXE
n Risk of lack of privacy – set ground rules to avoid unwanted intrusion
n Seek financial and legal advice if a relative is investing in the annexe and property ownership
n If your situation changes and you have to move, this directly impacts on the annexe resident
John Bullock Design is a multi-award winning, Tunbridge Wells-based, architectural design consultants and proud winner of the Times of Tunbridge Wells 2018 ‘Best Business 1-25 Employees’ Award. For further advice, please call 01892 525732 or visit johnbullockdesign.com
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Wednesday November 7 | 2018
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We will remember them Local writer on her WW1 history quest Page 51
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A MAGICAL CHRISTMAS
On the beat
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Mugenkyo Taiko Drummers come to Trinity Theatre Page 54
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Still striking all the right musical chords
Legendary musician Rick Wakeman brings his latest concert, titled ‘Piano Odyssey’ to the Tunbridge Wells Assembly Hall next Thursday [November 15]. Eileen Leahy spoke to the Yes frontman, who’s also worked with David Bowie, Cat Stevens and Elton John, about why he still has a passion for performing
S MUSICAL credentials go, Rick Wakeman’s are pretty hard to beat. The pianist and sometime frontman of prog rock group Yes has worked with some of contemporary music’s greatest artists, including David Bowie, Elton John, Brian May, Lou Reed and Cat Stevens, over five decades. He has also performed with his trademark stack of keyboards all over the world, and made chart history after his 2017 release Piano Portraits became the first solo piano album to enter the UK’s Top 10. The former Royal College of Music student from West London had originally planned to become a concert pianist, having started lessons at the tender age of five. But while supporting himself through college with stints in various recording studios, he decided to shelve his studies and become a full-time session musician instead. This led to him playing on seminal records, such as Bowie’s Hunky Dory and Space Oddity – most famously twinkling the keys on Life on Mars – as well as contributing to albums by T Rex and Cilla Black. In 1971 he joined Yes, but continued to perform his own solo material, too, delighting fans all
WONDEROUS STORIES Rick Wakeman
around the world with his trademark concept all-encompassing piano playing and his idiosyncratic and flamboyant stage costumes – think glimmering golden capes, metallic trousers and knee-high leather platform boots. Yet unlike many musicians who cut their teeth during this notoriously hedonistic rock period, Rick is still very much on the scene, performing to thousands of loyal fans who can’t get enough of his elaborate musical spectacles and outlandish sartorial gear.
‘Working with David Bowie was an undoubted highlight. I learnt everything I know about working in the studio from him’ He’s currently in the middle of his latest tour, Piano Odyssey, which was inspired by last year’s Piano Portraits, and comes to the Assembly Hall next Thursday [November 15]. The concert will feature a collection of both old and new songs that Rick loves which span the classical to the contemporary, and more obscure genres, all peppered by some amusing anecdotes about the life and times of Rick. When I catch up with him, he’s in jovial form, despite only having had a few hours’ sleep. He makes a point, you see, of driving himself back home to Suffolk from every gig as he doesn’t like ‘other people driving him’. Yet burning the midnight oil hasn’t hampered Rick’s enjoyment of being back on the road. “It’s been really good, actually,” he says about his 26-date tour, which started in Salisbury in September and ends in Manchester in December. “I’m having a really great time, and the audiences have been fantastic. There’s a real mix of all age groups at my concerts. You get wives bringing along their grumpy old husbands who are Yes fans, then of course you get the Bowie fans, but also lots of new people coming along.”
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Rick says his anecdotes help to break things up: “I tell many stories – some might have one per cent of truth to them or 99 per cent – I let people decide what’s true.” He won’t actually talk about any of the tales, but he promises there will be some interesting nuggets from his career. “Something I learnt years ago from my dear friends Jasper Carrott and Bruce Forysth was that if you are telling your own stories you are safe, as they are yours.” What he will say is that there will be revelations about those he’s famously worked with, like Cat Stevens, Bowie and the ‘brilliant and legendary’ record producer Tony Visconti. “Working with David Bowie was an undoubted highlight and I pretty much learnt everything I know about working in the studio from him. “He was the most influential person and knew exactly what to do, how to work with producers, engineers, and with musicians. He was the cleverest man I’ve ever met.” Over the years Rick has also enjoyed working with the likes of folk singer Mary Hopkin, and deems his experience with The Velvet Underground’s Lou Reed as ‘interesting’ – whereas Elton John was ‘phenomenal’. In terms of contemporary artists, Rick doesn’t hesitate to answer that he would have loved to have worked with Amy Winehouse, and he’d like to duet with Ed Sheeran and Adele, too. “I’d love that, with just a piano, that would be amazing. As an instrument it has a much wider range than a guitar, it’s all enveloping. “I always say you can put your arms around a song when you play the piano.” And when I ask him to pinpoint a highlight so far on this tour, he promptly replies: “Every night has been a highlight – and every day, too. “I wake up and go ‘my God I’m still here’. That’s my daily achievement.” Tickets to see Rick Wakeman’s Piano Odyssey at the Assembly Hall on November 15 cost £29.50 from assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk
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Telling the tales of Southborough’s heroes Ahead of Sunday’s centenary of the First World War Armistice, Judith Johnson, who has penned an account of the people named on the Southborough War Memorial, reflects on why she decided to seek out the stories of The Fallen
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Y aim in writing a book about the Southborough War Memorial was to uncover as much detail as I could about the 254 men and one woman who are named on it. I started the project in 2002 with the simple intention to uphold the promise ‘we will remember them’. They were not distant heroes, but were like us, with ordinary jobs, families and hobbies. I spent many hours in Tunbridge Wells Reference Library, and also benefitted from the knowledge of local historians and medal collectors. I was also fortunate to meet surviving relatives who responded to my requests via the local media, and whose stories and sense of loss were immensely touching. Bill Winter was lost when the HMS Somali, which had been torpedoed on Russian convoy duty in September 1942, and rescued initially by HMS Ashanti, sank in gale force wind conditions. His son Phil, aged 11, went with his mother to Buckingham Palace, walking from Charing Cross in his first long trousers, supplied by the Armed Forces Charity SSAFA, to receive a posthumouslyawarded Distinguished Service Medal from King George. He recalled with emotion, many years later, that of course he would much rather have had his father back. After the publication of my book in 2009, it made the work worth it when people I had spoken to got in touch to let me know how grateful they were that their loved one’s stories had been recorded. Many of them have now passed away themselves. To make the information easily accessible, I indexed it so that anyone visiting a Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery, or just walking
down a street in High Brooms or Southborough, can see which casualty was respectively buried or once lived there. Our war dead are buried or commemorated all over the world, not only on the Western Front and the other European theatres of war we are familiar with, but also in far-flung places, including India, Egypt and Iraq, Newfoundland and Sri Lanka. The tragedies are manifold, but the blog I wrote
JUDITH: A personal mission of local Remembrance on the Hythe tragedy receives more hits and comments than any other on my website, and I continue to hear from the descendants of both casualties and survivors. On October 28, 1915, the troopship HMS Hythe was sunk as she approached the Dardanelles in Turkey. HMS Sarnia, another troopship steaming away from shore, had collided with her and she sank in just ten minutes. They had been sailing without lights to avoid
detection by Turkish batteries on the shore. There were 275 men on board the Hythe and 154 drowned – 129 of these were men of the 1st/3rd Kent Field Company, Royal Engineers, from Tunbridge Wells, Southborough and the surrounding area. Twenty-four are named on Southborough War Memorial. It is said that following the disaster, the local High Brooms postman, distressed by the sound of the wailing of wives and mothers in the streets after delivering only half the telegrams he carried that morning, returned to the depot and refused to deliver the remainder. Given the collection of names for war memorials was voluntary, there are often names missing, and for this reason I added a tab entitled SWM (Southborough War Memorial) Extra on my website for those not commemorated on the memorial itself, and for the war-injured, plus information received since publication. They include Dorothy Barton, Aircraftwoman First Class, who died on December 4, 1946, aged 24, who is buried in Southborough Cemetery. Then there’s Petty Officer Frederick Allen, who died on the HM Armed Yacht Aries on October 31, 1915, when it struck a mine off Kent’s Leathercoat Point. The original book took seven years to research in my spare time and was printed locally. Once all the copies had sold out we made a Kindle version that came out in 2012 (still available), and recently, thanks to print on demand technology, I was delighted to publish an updated version in this 100th Anniversary year of the Armistice. To find out more about Southborough War Memorial, please visit judithjohnson.co.uk
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goingout 7 days of activities
By Eileen Leahy
JUMP TO IT! Youngsters can enjoy different levels of commando challenges at Hever Castle
WEDNESDAY
You have a couple of days more to catch the Still Life exhibition, which is on at the G&C Gallery in Camden Road until November 9. There is a wealth of wonderful artwork to be admired and some of it has never been shown outside of the capital until now, so this really is a must see show. For more details, visit gcgallery.co.uk Comedian Ross Noble takes to the stage this
evening at the Assembly Hall from 8pm. Tickets to see the Geordie funny man in his hilarious new stand-up show El Hablador cost £25 from assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk Over at the EM Forster Theatre in Tonbridge, you can see A Hundred Different Words for Love. Three years ago, James met the love of his life. A year ago, they broke up. This is James’s story of falling in love and ending up broken-hearted.
It’s also about him being Best Man of Honour at Sarah and Emma’s wedding. In all, it’s the story of a quest: To find the right words to make sense of love. The show starts at 7.30pm and tickets cost £14. For more information, see emtheatre.com
THURSDAY Headmasters in Monson Road are running a 50-per-cent-off colour sale every day until November 17. Every colour is bespoke, so why not book a free consultation with one of their experts to find the perfect colour to suit you? Following on from the success of Tonbridge’s first pop-up arts hub, Tonbridge Creates is back for the lead-up to Christmas until December 19. The hub showcases the creative talents of local artists and encourages the community to get involved. They have a host of free and paid for workshops, and are also teaming up with West Kent College to showcase the students’ brilliant creative work. tonbridgecreates.com The film Crazy Rich Asians is on at Trinity Theatre tonight. If you didn’t catch this funny American romantic comedy-drama directed by Jon M Chu the first time round, now’s your chance. Starring Michelle Yeoh, Gemma Chan and Henry Golding, it’s the story of an American professor who travels to meet her boyfriend’s family and is surprised to discover they are among the richest in Singapore… Tickets cost £11 and the fun starts at 8pm. trinitytheatre.net The Pantiles will enjoy a festive evening of wine tasting hosted by Beumée Contemporary Fine Art and Hattons. The evening brings together collections from award-winning artists and the opportunity to taste wine from across the globe, showcased by Michelin star-winning chef Daniel Hatton. For more details, see hattonsrtwstore.co.uk
FRIDAY Bewl Water is not only a beautiful country park but also an established fishery with a history of large trout and pike as well as good-sized perch, and currently it is offering Predator Fishing every day until January 31 from boats only. For more details on prices and timings, go to bewlwater.co.uk
Wednesday November 7 | 2018
LINE UP FOR THE HOEDOWN With Rich Hall at Trinity Theatre
The Matchbox Opera will be performing Puccini’s La Bohème at Salomons’ Victorian theatre this evening from 7.30pm, and at Burrswood in Groombridge tomorrow evening. The company, which is based in Tunbridge Wells, presents fully staged operas sung in English at local venues. Matchbox’s statement of purpose is to perform ‘Intimate Opera in Interesting Settings’, which sums up the unique audience experience that comes from sitting so close to the performers. According to Matchbox, even seasoned opera-goers used to grand staging and international voices have commented that a Matchbox presentation brings ‘a fresh and uniquely enjoyable experience’. Further information is available at matchboxopera.net For entertainment of a different kind, see acerbic American Rich Hall’s Hoedown at Trinity Theatre this evening from 8pm. Tickets cost £19. As part of the National Youth Work’s annual event to promote free, positive activities where
Wednesday November 7 | 2018
you can learn, have fun, make friends and meet the local Youth Open Access team, there will be a silent disco and barbecue at the Tunbridge Wells Youth Hub in Grove Hill Road this evening. It’s on from 5pm to 7pm, and children aged between eight and 18 are all welcome. Please call to book your places on 03000 416200.
SATURDAY If you fancy a challenge then head over to Hever Castle, where the Commando Series is running all weekend. Pick your experience, from the toughest level, ‘Treat Me Like a Commando’, to the more supportive ‘Just Get Me Round’ and ‘We Are Family’. There are different levels of obstacles and the event is open to everyone from eight years of age (under-11s must be accompanied by an adult). For ticket details, visit commandoseries.co.uk There will be an RNLI coffee morning and sale at St Alban’s church hall in Frant from 10.30am to noon. As well as being able to buy RNLI Christmas cards and gifts there will also be bric-a-brac, cakes, preserves, books, toys, collectables and much more. Entrance is free and all are welcome.
FOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT: timeslocalnews.co.uk Tonight is the first of three special open evenings gazing at the stars through the historic telescopes of The Observatory Science Centre in Herstmonceux. This week you can view the incredible Taurids meteor shower. On Friday November 16 you can see see the Leonids meteor shower, and on December 8 there’s a talk entitled Christmas Round The Moon, all about the Moon landings 50 years ago. No booking is required. For more information, see the-observatory.org Lee Hurst, star of BBC One’s They Think It’s All Over, arrives at the Assembly Hall with his brand new show Mucking About tonight from 8pm. If you want plenty of laughs then this is certainly for you. Lee will be lobbing gags and funny stuff at you from all angles. Tickets cost £17.50. The Oast Theatre in Tonbridge starts its sevenday run of Regeneration. Based on the Pat Barker novel of the same name, adapted for the stage by Nicholas Wright, and directed by Valerie Galbraith, it’s set at Craiglockhart War Hospital, where war poets Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfred Owen meet and form an enriching and strong bond. It is a fitting performance which marks the centenary of
Going Out
The Clay Studio Christmas Pop-up Sale The Clay Studio, Hendal Farm, Groombridge, TN3 9NU November 9 from 10am-9pm and November 10 from 10am-4pm
Why not visit the Clay Studio this weekend for a very special shopping experience? The open studios event is an opportunity to buy one-off pieces by local artisans, potters
the end of WWI. Tickets cost £10 from oasttheatre.cloudvenue.co.uk
SUNDAY
COMEDY WITH CRAZY RICH ASIANS In a film screening at Trinity Theatre
The Royal Tunbridge Wells Choral Society present a concert for Remembrance Day entitled In Memoriam at 3pm at the Assembly Hall Theatre. The programme of music has been chosen to mark the centenary of the end of the First World War, and the concert is also dedicated to the Society’s past President, Guy Huntrods, CBE, who died last year and who served in the Royal Navy during the Second World War. Tickets from £10 are available by email from: tickets@rtwcs.org. uk or from the Assembly Hall on 01892 530613 or assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk The Angel Centre plays host to the second Tonbridge Vegan Festive Fair today. There will be both sweet and savoury food to sample as well a selection of gifts, crafts, jewellery and clothing. Entry costs £3 and under-16s go free. Trinity Theatre will screen a live transmission of the Bolshoi Ballet’s production of La Sylphide at 3pm. Not familiar with the story? Well, it centres around a young Scotsman called James who on the day of his wedding is awoken with a kiss from an ethereal winged creature, a Sylph. Entranced by her beauty, James risks everything to pursue an unattainable love… Tickets to see this ultimate romantic masterpiece cost £20. At 8pm, you can also see a screening of The Seagull at Trinity – a cinematic interpretation
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and current Clay Studio students, so make sure you go along and browse the group’s range of bespoke ceramics, printed textiles, jewellery and accessories to find that perfect Christmas gift. As part of the event, 100 mugs will be available to buy from £5 each. All proceeds will go to local charity Demelza, which provides hospice care for children in Kent and East Sussex. See demelza.org.uk For more information, please visit theclay.studio
of the Chekhov classic, which stars Elisabeth Moss, Annette Bening and Saoirse Ronan. It’s a heartbreaking and funny story of friends and lovers, all of whom are in love with the wrong person, and tickets cost £11.
MONDAY Every day until Friday [November 16], the RNLI will have a stall at the entrance to Tunbridge Wells Station selling RNLI Christmas cards, gifts and souvenirs from 8am until 6pm. There will be an Evening of Remembrance at the Assembly Hall to commemorate 100 years since the end of WWI, with the youth of the town coming together to mark this historic event in a ceremony of music and reflection. Guests are invited to attend wearing medals and veterans badges.
TUESDAY Staying at the Assembly Hall, you can catch the That’ll Be The Day Christmas Show tonight at 7.30pm. The UK’s most popular rock ’n’ roll variety show celebrates the festive season with all your favourite Christmas classics from the 50s, 60s and 70s, plus plenty of comedy! Tickets cost £27. Trinity hosts the annual Shakespeare Schools Festival, organised by the Shakespeare Schools Foundation, tonight at 7pm. Pupils from Benenden, Tonbridge Grammar School and Goudhurst & Kilndown Primary are among those who will showcase their talents with abridged performances of the Bard’s well-known plays. Tickets cost £9.75.
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FOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT: timeslocalnews.co.uk THE GREY LADY MUSIC LOUNGE The Pantiles Doors 7.15pm, entry £6/£7 Websites pdag.co.uk & thegreylady.co.uk Wednesday Gronk, Zoe Deighton-Smythe, Cracks In The Land, Sean de Burca Friday The Tar Babies Saturday The Violet Jive Sunday Rachael Stalker, The Ackerleys, Jez Harley
Mugenkyo
live music With Paul Dunton
A
S EVER in and around Tunbridge Wells, you can expect to enjoy another great week of live music. Tonight (Wednesday) sees Jonah Matranga & Friends and Oxygen Thief at The Sussex Arms Basement. On Thursday evening, The Forum hosts the excellent Scarlet Sails with support from I Am Aquitaine and Two’s Company, while Squeeze a Crowd will be live at The Royal Oak. Friday night sees Riff Raff at The Bedford, Saint Raymond and Casey Lowry at The Forum and The Tar Babies at The Grey Lady Music Lounge. On Saturday night, you can see Disco Odyssey at The Beau Nash
The must-read guide to what’s on musically for the week ahead… paulduntonandguests.com
Tavern, The Mugenkyo Taiko Drummers at Trinity Theatre, The Danny Lee Band at The Bedford, The Violet Jive at The Grey Lady Music Lounge, The Patinas at The Royal Oak and Stuart Evans at The White Hart in Wadhurst. And, importantly, on Remembrance Sunday The Royal Tunbridge Wells Choral Society present In Memoriam at the Assembly Hall to mark the centenary of the end of World War I. Looking ahead to next week, The Duke of York host their Open Mic evening on Monday night, and on Tuesday The Oakland Brothers will be entertaining at The Punch & Judy pub in Tonbridge.
CASSIDY’S BAR Castle Street Open all day, free entry Music from 8.30pm till late Thursday Open Jam Session
THE TUNBRIDGE WELLS FORUM Event information at twforum.co.uk Thursday Scarlet Sails, I Am Aquitaine Friday Saint Raymond and Casey Lowry Saturday Boogie Nights Tuesday The Stable: Daniel Russell, OffChem, SCOWL, Vegasettes
THE BEDFORD PUB 2 High Street Open all day, free entry Music from 8.30pm till late
Wadhurst Open all day, free entry, music from 8pm Saturday Stuart Evans Mount Ephraim Open all day, free entry Music from 8.30pm till late Saturday Disco Odyssey
THE ASSEMBLY HALL THEATRE Crescent Road All show details and tickets available at assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk Sunday Royal Tunbridge Wells Choral Society present: In Memoriam Tuesday That’ll Be The Day Christmas Show
Sussex Mews Event information at twforum.co.uk Wednesday Jonah Matranga & Friends, Oxygen Thief Sunday Loose Joints (1pm start) Prospect Road Open all day, free entry Music from 8.30pm till late Thursday Two’s Company, Squeeze a Crowd Saturday The Patinas
THE WHITE HART
THE BEAU NASH TAVERN
THE SUSSEX ARMS BASEMENT
THE ROYAL OAK PUB
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Friday Riff Raff Saturday The Danny Lee Band Sunday The Andy Drudy Disorder
TRINITY THEATRE Church Road All show details and tickets available at trinitytheatre.net Saturday Mugenkyo Taiko Drummers: Tribe
THE DUKE OF YORK PUB The Pantiles Open all day, free entry Music from 8pm till late Monday Open Mic Night
THE PUNCH & JUDY PUB 11 St Stephen’s Street, Tonbridge Open all day, free entry, music from 8pm Tuesday The Oakland Brothers The Patinas
food
Wednesday November 7 | 2018
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Advertorial
The town’s
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hidden Jewel
The Raj Pavilion, in Tunbridge Wells’ Grove Hill Road, is a popular Indian restaurant boasting a Head Chef with the Curry Life Chef Award. Following our recent food review, we spoke to Manager Asjad Muhammad Chowdhury about their success
How did the Raj Pavilion first start up here in Tunbridge Wells? Jewel, my father-in-law, started the business. He used to work Jewel and Muhammad for Cobra Beer when they first began, and worked directly with the founder, Lord Karan Bilimoria. Jewel then realised that he wanted to put his efforts into his own venture and Raj Pavilion was born. Jewel ran this place incredibly well and so much of its success can be credited to him and his knowledge of the industry, good food, and customer service. I have taken over the role of Manager now and I am continuing to lead the restaurant in the direction that Jewel set.
Broadway College when Jewel employed me, and I remember him telling me that he thought I would be very successful one day. I also met my wife, Jewel’s daughter, through the restaurant, and we got married in 2011. Jewel told me to run this business the way I feel is correct and he would support me.
How did you come to join the team? I came to this country on a student visa in 2009. Jewel took me under his wing and gave me a job as a waiter here. It actually transpired that our families were from very similar areas back home and our distant relatives had been childhood friends. I was studying at London Ealing
You certainly have some good reviews online… are these important to you? We are serving perhaps 200 to 300 customers a week, and we cannot please everyone. But we can please the majority, and we can certainly look after everyone equally. We get calls from companies offering a free review that you pay for, and it’s amazing to think that there are companies who are paying to cheat the system. Instead, we are confident in the way we treat our customers that we will get the right feedback. We don’t rely on reviews – our customers come here and they are regulars.
SERVICE WITH A SMILE The restaurant team
What’s the secret to a running such a successful restaurant? It’s all about learning from your mistakes, as Jewel always taught me. He also stressed the importance of building strong client relationships and not just relying on passing trade. It’s not about being busy through the summer, but having a quiet winter – it’s better to keep things consistently balanced throughout the whole year. The customer here now, actually, has been coming here for nearly 20 years – that was always Jewel’s aim, and why we are the longest-standing curry restaurant in the town.
What’s the secret of a good curry? A curry will be different every time you come in. Our chef is human, it’s all authentic and coming directly from him. We design our menu around certain flavours so we can help people find the best dish for them. I won’t make money from people eating food they don’t like. Sometimes the customer simply asks for the most popular curry, or they tell me what they usually like and I can suggest the perfect dish for them. We can always have their favourite made as a back-up just in case they don’t love it! What would you eat here as a guest? King Prawn Lahori, without a doubt. This curry is good with pilau rice, or paratha if you are health conscious. It’s actually
a Pakistani curry – named after the capital of Pakistan. I have worked with lots of chefs and our chef here is one of the most creative. Jewel also has lots of creativity, so sometimes he says let’s just create something new. You won’t find another curry with olives in this town – and this is one of our biggest-selling curries now. It’s also a little healthier, so some of our guests who want that may go for it, or perhaps the sizzler – no oil and less sauce. Tell us about the award your chef won… He got the Curry Life Chef Award. The mystery judges travel around the biggest curry shops in England. They visited two in Tunbridge Wells, us and one other. They came when we were so busy, and to be honest my priority was with my regular customers. So when I received a letter asking if my chef wanted to go in for a competition because his food was amazing, we were very excited. My chef said it was good for him as he’s been cooking for 30 years and wanted to test himself. When he won, out of all the people, our MP, Greg Clark, came and gave him the prize. Has Brexit impacted the restaurant trade? I am worried about the quality staffing. We have been campaigning against Brexit here and we want to bring skilled people to this country. Obviously, we don’t have any illegal people here, but still Immigration will come here and disrupt us on Fridays or Saturdays and pause our restaurant at its busiest time. I came into this line of work through the guidance of Jewel, but now I’m worried about the future of business – there are two restaurants closing here nearly every week now, and a lot of them just need good quality staff.
Jewel is President of the BCA, the Bangladesh Catering Association, and he’s campaigning for the ability to get skilled workers over here. Do you have plans here for Christmas? Christmas is always busy. People really do need to book as I’m finding people are trying to book in November and I’m having to apologise all over our social media for not taking any further bookings. We do lots of big parties – we have Skinners’ School here, and they often have the downstairs party area, as well as Tunbridge Wells Rugby Club and other local organisations. We are closed only on Christmas Day as people around here love to eat turkey and stay at home. But Jewel told me that a restaurant he had in Birmingham once had their busiest day of the year on Christmas Day! I think Tunbridge Wells is a little more traditional, though. I like to sit and home and eat turkey, too, as well as getting a chance for a holiday. We are open again on Boxing Day. • Raj Pavilion • 20 Grove Hill Road, Tunbridge Wells TN1 1RZ • 01892 533153 • rajpavilion.net
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food
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Sweet charity Last week we brought you news of The Cook Book, a foodie collaboration that celebrates the culinary talent and produce on our doorstep in aid of the Tree of Hope charity. This week, we talk exclusively to Great British Bake Off finalist Jane Beedle about why she got involved
to Faversham earlier this year, has contributed HE COOK BOOK Sevenoaks/ three recipes, including the delicious chocolate Tonbridge/Tunbridge Wells is a and caramel tarts pictured, as well as an ‘easy collaboration between the Tree of ice cream’. So why did she decide to get on board Hope charity, Eat Around Tonbridge with this particular project? food blogger Caroline Kings, locally“I met Gill Gibb, Tree of Hope’s CEO, and some based photographer Severien Vits and events organiser Charlotte Rogers. her team at an event in London about a year ago Launched last week, its aim is to raise when they were promoting their Dine & Donate Campaign,” explains Jane. the profile and awareness of some “Since then I’ve done some of our most talented local foodies work with them and I was and the wealth of quality produce thrilled and honoured when available nearby, as well as raising they asked me to be part of much-needed funds for Tree of The Cook Book project. Hope, which supports children’s “Tree of Hope is a brilliant healthcare needs in our area. charity, they help and The book is divided into chapters empower parents of sick which highlight a particular children when they need foodie, place or passionate the most support. Raising producer, then serves up some of money is really difficult, their delicious recipes and kitchen people are bombarded confidential secrets. with requests for so many One of those featured is Jane deserving causes, so finding Beedle, who came to the public’s new and innovative ways of attention when she reached engaging people is extremely the final three of the 2016 Great The Tree of Hope cookbooks are important,” she says. British Bake Off. Jane, who lived priced at £20 + P&P and can be “The Cook Book is a in Sevenoaks before relocating ordered from treeofhope.org.uk
beautiful collection of recipes from some very talented chefs, and so buying a copy is a great way of supporting the charity and at the same time having a lovely new book for the kitchen.” In terms of Jane’s contributions, she stuck to her tried and tested sweet treats. “I contributed an easy ice cream, a cake and a tart. I like my recipes to be simple, delicious and accessible. And although I don’t personally know any of the other chefs involved with the book, I am going to try and work my way through all the recipes and then visit the restaurants! I think this will be a lovely way of discovering parts of Kent I have never visited.” As any keen cook will know, Jane, who has two grown-up children, is most famous for her time on the Great British Bake Off in 2016 when she made it to the final, alongside the eventual winner, Candice Brown, and Andrew Smyth. But is her sole passion baking, or does she cook all types of gastronomic delights? “I am best known for my baking, but like most people I cook dinner every evening and love to experiment with new recipes when I have the time. My son is vegetarian, so I have been expanding my veggie repertoire. My latest venture is home-made ravioli stuffed with
Wednesday November 7 | 2018
roasted squash and sage, which even gets a thumbs up from my carnivore husband!” When it comes to Jane’s signature dish, she says it’s a classic pavlova. “I’ve been making it for years, it’s simple to do and a thing of beauty piled high with gorgeous fruits. It doesn’t have to be expensive, either, as tinned fruits can be used in the winter. If I don’t have time to mess about it’s my go-to recipe.” Apart from her involvement with the Tree of Hope cook book, Jane says she has a few things in the pipeline but they are all in the early planning stages. One thing she can talk about is her ongoing work with Brogdale at Faversham, who hold the national fruit collection. “I hope to be doing some more projects with them,” she says. “We have been working together holding classes and teaching children about fruit and cooking. Educating them about food is a passion of mine, and I hope to be able to do much more of that in 2019.” RECIPES Do your bit for charity – and your culinary skills – by trying out some of The Cook Book contributors’ recipes:
Jane Beedle’s Chocolate Orange and Caramel Tarts Serves : 8 Ingredients: Pastry 100g unsalted butter – softened 1 large egg yolk 50g icing sugar ½ tsp vanilla extract Grated zest of ½ an orange (reserve the rest for ganache) 160g plain flour For the Salted Caramel 75g salted butter 125g soft brown sugar (light or dark) 300ml double cream 1tsp vanilla extract
Wednesday November 7 | 2018
Pinch of sea salt For the Ganache 300ml double cream Grated zest of ½ and orange (from pastry) 250g plain chocolate (not too dark) Method: Make the pastry: • Place softened butter, egg yolk, sugar, vanilla and orange in a bowl and beat until soft and well combined. • Stir in the plain flour and bring together with either a wooden spoon or your hands until you have a smooth (ish) dough. Wrap in cling film and chill for at least 30 minutes. For the caramel: • Put all the ingredients into a medium saucepan, heat gently until the sugar and butter and sugar have completely dissolved. • Gently bring to the boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring frequently, until the caramel has thickened. Leave to cool. Bake the pastry cases: • Preheat oven to 160°C (fan) 180°C (conventional). • Grease the tart tins. • On a lightly floured surface roll out the chilled pastry to approximately 2mm thick. • Cut out a circle of pastry larger than the tin, line the tin with the pastry. You can patch up any holes. The pastry will crack when cold. • Combine the trimmings and re-roll until
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To serve: •Top with a physalis (flowring fruit) and a sprinkle of glitter
Sulston’s Kitchen’s Banana Bread Makes 8 portions or a 2lb loaf tin Ingredients: 90g coconut oil 450g bananas 35g maple syrup 4 eggs 230g ground almonds 1g Malden sea salt 1 vanilla pod 10g baking powder 65g coconut flour Extra coconut oil to grease the tin. Extra garnishes of yoghurt or fruit if required
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Tarragon, chopped 2 egg yolks 1 lobster Parmesan
you have lined all 8 cases. • Place a flattened cupcake case in the pastry case and fill with baking beans. • Bake in the preheated oven for 12 minutes, remove paper and baking beans and bake for a further 5 minutes until the pastry is cooked and pale golden in colour • Remove from the oven and pour in 2-3 spoons of caramel and put in a cold place to set. For the ganache: • In a saucepan, add the cream and the orange zest, warm very slightly, do not boil. Set aside for the orange to infuse into the cream. • When the caramel has set in the pastry cases, place the broken-up chocolate into a bowl, heat the cream until hot, but not boiling. Pour the cream on to the chocolate and leave for a couple of minutes for the chocolate to soften. Stir well until all the chocolate has dissolved and you have a smooth glossy mixture. If the chocolate has not completely dissolved, pop into a microwave for ten seconds. • Now fill the pastry cases with the chocolate mixture and place into the fridge to set.
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Method: • Gently warm the extra coconut oil in a saucepan and using a pastry brush coat the inside of the loaf tin. • Using a food processor, blend the bananas and then add the rest of the ingredients. Blend until all combined and smooth. • Pour the mixture into the loaf tin and cook in a pre-heated oven at 160°C for 1 hour. • Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly, then remove from the tin and continue to cool on a cooling rack. • Banana bread is a great snack at any time of day, or it makes a great dessert warmed up with some seasonal fruits, Greek yoghurt, roast almonds and bee pollen (as pictured) as we serve it at our Supper Clubs.
Rendezvous’ John Boreman Lobster Thermidor Serves: 1 Ingredients: One large onion, chopped 8 button mushrooms, chopped 25g butter 140ml beef stock I teaspoon English mustard 150ml double cream Generous splash of brandy
Method: • Finely chop the onions and mushrooms and sweat them down in a pan with the butter until the onions are translucent but not burnt. Add the beef stock and reduce by half. • Add some English mustard and bring to the boil, adding the cream, and letting it simmer for 5 minutes. The brandy is added next: Cook again for five minutes, adding the chopped tarragon at the end of the time. Add the egg yolks to the pan and whisk into the sauce off the heat. • Spoon the sauce over the cooked, halved lobster and shave over some Parmesan. Pop it under the grill for 5 minutes until the Parmesan has crisped up.
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Where to…
Meet Father Christmas
Christmas is just around the corner so we’re bringing you a series of seasonal guides to help you pick out the best events, restaurants and experiences for you and your family to enjoy this December. This week we seek out Santa…
One Warwick Park, Tunbridge Wells Dine with Santa this Christmas! Enjoy a festive 3 course lunch suitable for the whole family, as Santa makes his way round to hear all your stories and Christmas wish lists ahead of his busiest time of year! There’s a sweet treat and a photo opportunity for every child, as Santa brings plenty of festive cheer this year. Priced at £25 per adult and £10 per child (under 12), bookings can be made via phone on 01892 520587 or simple email info@ onewarwickpark.co.uk quoting ‘Dine with Santa.’
Royal Victoria Place, Tunbridge Wells Christmas is just around the corner and Santa will be returning to his magical grotto at Royal Victoria Place very soon! So why not be super organised and book* your family visit to see Santa in advance. It will ensure you can pick the perfect date and help avoid having to queue, therefore making it an even more magical experience for your little ones… and more time shopping for you! Santa’s Grotto will be located on level 1 opposite M&S and open every day between Monday 19 November until 4pm on Christmas Eve. Entry to Santa’s Grotto is only £5.50 per child including a luxury wrapped gift. To capture the special moment, a photography service will also be available at Santa’s Grotto offering great gift ideas for family and friends. School Group Bookings* are also available to reserve in advance online and are eligible for a group booking discount. Book online via www.bookfatherchristmas. co.uk/royalvictoriaplace
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Bewl Water, Lamberhurst Join Bewl Water for a truly magical Christmas Experience, in association with Childrensalon. Your adventure begins as soon as you arrive as families can enjoy festive fun with the cheeky elves and spend quality time with Father Christmas in his cosy grotto. The festive fun doesn’t stop there, all the family can skate on the ‘Magical Ice’ rink. The children can make the most of the fairground rides, with unlimited turns and everyone can enjoy warming up by toasting marshmallows and making s’mores at the fire pit. With Bewl’s Magic Wishing Tree, Christmas themed crafts, soft play, secret woodland wonderland, and many more photo opportunities, this really is the perfect festive experience to create magical memories with your family. There is also plenty of festive food and drink available from the Waterfront Café and Boat House Bistro. To book visit www.bewlwater.co.uk. Tickets are limited!
Salomons Estate, Rusthall Enjoy a festive two or three course lunch at Salomons Estate whilst Santa makes his way round each table, with a festive gift for each child. He can’t wait to hear all your stories and Christmas wish lists! Children’s meals are £10 for three courses, with adults at £21 for three courses (two courses available for £17.) Salomons Estate is set in 36 acres of gardens and grounds, so feel free to enjoy a stroll around the grounds with your family. Bookings to be made via 01892 515152.
Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve, Sevenoaks
Santa will be visiting Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve with his elves to hand out presents at the natural bird hide grotto on the 15th and 16th December. Children will also get to create a natural Christmas decoration to take home with them. Alongside the grotto, there will be free guided walks, carol singing, and a market. Skill sessions will also be running as of December 9th, in which children can get outside and learn a new nature skill in the Winter Forest. These include learning to produce a fire without matches – and, of course, roasting marshmallows! Or perhaps you would prefer to learn to make a Christmas wreath from locally sources materials, taking place on December 8th? To find out more about these events, and others, visit www.kentwildlifetrust.org.uk.
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Travel
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Barbados the A-list holiday dream Find sunshine, hospitality and relaxation at the Fairmont Royal Pavilion, one of the hottest hotels on the Bajan coast, says Fiona Webster
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TEPPING off the plane in Barbados, I’m hit by the warmth. Not just the 30-degree heat, though that’s very welcome when you’ve flown in from rainbattered Britain – it’s the friendliness of the people that really stands out. The West Indies island is beautiful from shore to shore, but many agree its west coast is best. Fringed with quiet sandy beaches, it attracts billionaires like Bill Gates and visitors seeking peace and perfection.
WHO COULD RESIST? The inviting pool at the Fairmont Royal Pavilion hotel
THE ULTIMATE BAJAN BEACH BOLTHOLE? I sample a taste of the A-list lifestyle when I stay at one of the island’s
most famous and historic hotels. The Fairmont Royal Pavilion has recently undergone a refurbishment. Perched right on the beach in the parish of St James, the property originally opened in the 1940s as the 12-room Miramar Hotel, but the building has changed hands several times and grown in size. Redeveloped just before laws were introduced requiring hotels to be set further back from the shoreline, all 75 rooms face the sea, and you can be in the water in seconds. The hotel also has a secluded three-bed villa, where shy celebrities sometimes stay. My room has a king-sized bed and wide balcony overlooking the ocean,
along with a circular sofa and a tray for cocktails. The service is exceptional, with friendly, efficient staff, plus a team of butlers to tend to your every need – from ironing your clothes to bringing delicious canapés to your room every evening. THE ON-SITE ATTRACTIONS ARE PLENTIFUL The hotel’s two main restaurants overlook the white sands and serve international cuisine and traditional local dishes. Run by Bajan Executive Chef Kirk Kirton, they specialise in seafood; fish like red snapper and mahi mahi are served with vegetables from around the Caribbean. Kirk is happy to show you his kitchen and share his culinary secrets. There’s also a beach club and a poolside bar overlooking the sea, where more colourful cocktails are on offer. While strolling around the Fairmont’s gardens, festooned with 200-year-old trees – some 100ft
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tall – I’m greeted by the smell of lemon bay leaf. These are much bigger than British bay leaves and are great for warding off insects if rubbed on your skin. I also see abundant plantain, Bajan cherries, coconuts and little green tail monkeys playing in the high branches.
‘We swim in the clear turquoise water with turtles. There’s something very therapeutic about coming face to face with a serene looking turtle staring at you, as if you’re just another strange sea creature’ JUST RESTING Leatherback turtles in Barbados nest between February and July
NO EXCUSE NOT TO GET OUT ON THE WATER The Fairmont offers complimentary activities, such as kayaking, paddleboarding and tennis; or there are many spa treatments available, including massage and aromatherapy in your room. If you want an active day out, take a catamaran cruise (around £75-£120 for a four-hour trip, including lunch and drinks). After being picked up from the beach, we sail along the coconut tree-lined coast, accompanied by flying fish. Using the snorkels and masks provided, we swim in the clear turquoise water with turtles. There’s something very therapeutic about diving down deep, surrounded by rainbowcoloured fish, and coming face to face with a serene looking turtle staring at you, as if you’re just another strange sea creature. EXPLORE BY GOING OUT TO DINE Just a few minutes’ walk away you’ll find golf courses, bars and designer stores in Holetown, a trendy area for visitors attracted by restaurants like Nishi, which offers terrific Asian and Caribbean cuisine and is also great for parties. Or drive ten minutes north to Speightstown, where lovely beachside restaurant The Orange Street Grocer has its own pizza oven. Also close is Lancaster Great House run by the John and Rain Chandler, who entertain us with tales of island life and the celebrities they have hosted over the years. I try pan-seared flying fish with green banana puree and sweet potato mash, followed by a sublime coconut and pineapple crème brûlée.
St Nicholas Abbey THREE MORE ACTIVITIES TO TRY Unlike some holiday islands, you will never be bored in Barbados; there are plenty of things to do, and places to visit which are steeped in history. • St Nicholas Abbey, St Peter This 350-year-old Jacobean plantation house is filled with original antique furniture. They still harvest sugar cane and make rum here. Try one of the richly-flavoured 20-year-old rums, but be warned, they are rocket-fuel potent! Tickets US$23 (about £18). Visit stnicholasabbey.com
• Hunte’s Gardens, St Joseph Discover a horticultural treat in the unusual setting of a former sinkhole. Founder Anthony Hunt can talk about his project over a glass of tropical punch at his house – a converted stable – before sending you off down winding paths leading to magical gullies. Admission US$15 (about £12). Visit huntesgardensbarbados.com • Harrison’s Cave, Allen View Hop on an underground tramway to see prehistoric stalactites and stalagmites, or climb deep into the cavernous caves with an expert guide. Visit harrisonscave.com
HOW TO GET THERE: Destinology offers seven nights in a Luxury Oceanfront Room on a B&B basis from £2,299pp. Includes economy flights from London Gatwick with Virgin Atlantic and private airport transfers to and from the hotel. Book by December 17, 2018 for travel in June 2019. Call 01204 474 801 or visit destinology.co.uk For more information about Barbados, go to visitbarbados.org
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Motoring
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Motoring News Morgan to build a sports car to rival mighty Aston
A luxury SUV with a facelift MERCEDES has revealed details of its latest luxury SUV, the new GLE, which features several upgrades, including an extra pair of rear seats, the latest MBUX iteration of Mercedes’ infotainment system, and a pair of upgraded engines. The range kicks off with the GLE 300d, which despite its name is still a 2.0-litre. The four-cylinder diesel produces 242bhp and 500Nm of torque, is capable of 0-60mph in 7.0 seconds, and will achieve 46.3mpg combined while emitting 162g/km of CO2 – although larger wheel sizes will increase those emissions. For people who prefer petrol power, Mercedes offers the GLE 450 – powered by a six-cylinder engine with a mild-hybrid ‘EQ Boost’ system attached. The 48V setup adds 22bhp to the car’s overall out-
put, giving it a total of 362bhp and 500Nm of torque. The 450 is capable of 0-60mph in 5.5 seconds and will return 33.6mpg while emitting 191g/ km of CO2. The latest MBUX infotainment system is spread across two 12.3-inch displays – on the instrument panel and centre console. It includes voice activation simply by saying ‘Hey Mercedes’. All cars also get 20-inch AMG alloy wheels, illuminated grab handles and running boards, privacy glass, heated front seats, Nappa leather upholstery, dual-zone climate control and active parking assist. The GLE 450 adds active air suspension as well as a seven-seat option. Prices for the latest GLE start from £55,685. Order books are open with the first UK deliveries in spring 2019.
THE Morgan Motor Company, creator of classics, is set to reinvent itself with a modern sports car to rival the likes of Aston Martin. The new flagship vehicle will arrive before 2024 on a new front-engined, rear-wheel-drive platform. Morgan is known for traditional manufacturing processes, but the new car will use the latest in chassis and powertrain engineering. The firm believes the new chassis will provide the right platform for its next wave of models, and can be modified for use into the next decade. The platform will first be seen in 2019 – on a new model internally named ‘Wide body’. The company confirmed this will use a powertrain
‘never before seen in a Morgan’ – pointing the way for an all-electric or hybrid model. Initially, the car is likely to be a hand-built two-door coupé fitted with a six-cylinder engine producing around 350bhp. Performance will probably be approximately 0-60mph in around 4.5 seconds and a top speed of more than 150mph. It’s likely to be priced around the same level as the Aston Martin V8 Vantage, approximately £120,000. The rigidity of the new chassis will aid handling and comfort. Morgan says it’s also suitable for a wider variety in driver size. The 109-year-old brand recently celebrated its best-performing year.
Wednesday November 7 | 2018
Bent on booting up a world-first superfast in-car Wi-Fi network BRITISH luxury car maker Bentley has launched what it claims is the first superfast ‘reliable and secure’ in-car Wi-Fi system. The company has created a bespoke router built into the car boot, and says it plans to introduce this to all of its models in 2019. Called Advanced Connectivity, the network will use three SIM cards inside the router, which will link to a fixed broadband hub to provide connectivity while on the move. Bentley’s Hamid Qureshi said the system performed well in testing and the firm is now keen to see it used by customers. “We’re really excited in terms of the uses cases – this idea that when you’re in the back of a Bentley car you can actually use this advanced connectivity to simultaneously view multiple types of heavy content,” he said. “So you could be sitting in the back of the car and a fellow passenger could be streaming Netflix on their iPad, and another passenger could be doing a live Skype call, another could be receiving a heavy data file from the office and editing that file and sending it back – and it’s all happening simultaneously because of this advanced router connectivity.” Qureshi added that security was a crucial part of the network’s design, with much scrutiny over the safety of connected cars in the wake of several high-profile hacking demonstrations in recent years: “Security is a non-negotiable topic,” he said. Bentley’s system has been built in collaboration with telecoms firm Viasat, which has managed 14 million Wi-Fi hotspots and brought satellite-enabled Wi-Fi to commercial and government aircraft.
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Recruitment
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WITH THE
FIND YOUR PERFECT JOB TODAY – A MUST-READ FOR THOSE LOOKING FOR WORK LOCALLY
OF TUNBRIDGE WELLS AND TONBRIDGE
CODEWORD 4
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Numbers are substituted for letters in the crossword grid. Above the grid is the key with two letters solved. Try to complete the first few words to give you more letters, or look for a frequent number that might reveal a common letter. As you find letters, enter them in the key and into the grid. Cross off the letters in the A to Z list.
9 2
9 3 6 2 5
1 6 2
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Codeword:
3
5 7
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To complete Sudoku, fill the board by entering numbers 1 to 9 so that each row, column and 3x3 box contains every number uniquely.
7 18
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© 2016 Syndicated Puzzles, Inc.
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DIFFICULTY RATING:★✩✩✩
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7 6 3
2 4 9 7 5 9
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© 2016 Syndicated Puzzles
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LAST WEEK’S SOLUTIONS
SUDOKU & JIGSAW SUDOKU
DIFFICULTY RATING: ★★✩✩
CLASSIFIEDS
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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
S U D P E R R A I R A G H L A T E A L J P E I G N N N G L A
MM E R J A A I O O R S U B T Q Q U R U G U A E I E S T A S I V H A Z E E R A N M O R E D P A I O O X O R H O D
M E S I T L E R K A Y A N D D E S W I F S N C D U A L R E S
Sudoku:
4 3 6 9 2 7 1 8 5
2 1 5 8 6 3 4 7 9
8 9 7 1 5 4 2 6 3
1 5 9 7 8 2 6 3 4
7 4 3 6 1 5 9 2 8
6 8 2 3 4 9 7 5 1
9 6 4 2 3 8 5 1 7
3 2 9 4 5 6 8 1 7
6 5 1 7 2 8 9 4 3
4 8 7 9 3 2 5 6 1
3 7 1 5 9 6 8 4 2
5 2 8 4 7 1 3 9 6
Jigsaw Sudoku:
7 3 4 1 8 5 6 2 9
8 9 5 2 4 1 3 7 6
5 4 2 6 7 9 1 3 8
1 7 6 8 9 3 2 5 4
2 1 8 3 6 4 7 9 5
9 6 3 5 1 7 4 8 2
© 2016 Syndicated Puzzles
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Sport
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Wednesday November 7 | 2018
Wells suffer as Bedford make the most of Edmonton’s woes By Roger Clarke RUGBY: THE form book was upset at Bedford as Tunbridge Wells succumbed to defeat after delays led to a journey of almost five hours. The visitors started well with Frank Reynolds kicking them into the lead and then converting a well-taken try by Mike Doherty in the corner for a ten-point lead in as many minutes. But then Wells lost Richard Murray to a head injury and then Max Edmonton to a yellow card, which proved pivotal. The hosts then managed to score three tries and notch 17 points while Edmonton was off the field. They rounded off the first half with another converted try to leave Wells trailing by 25-10. Wells started the second half in better form but
without a platform in the tight they found it difficult to close the gap. Player-coach Dave Allen managed to put a try on the board from a lineout catch and drive. Then replacement Richard Webster picked up a well-executed try, converted by Reynolds. But further disruption followed as scrum-half Edmonton suffered what appeared to be a serious ankle injury which caused a long delay while he was treated. With this loss of momentum Wells conceded a further penalty and an unconverted try to kill off any hopes they had of bonus points or victory. Wells now have a weekend off in London and South-East Premier Division before they meet CS Stags from Chiswick at home on November 17 [kick-off 2.30pm].
PHOTO: Adam Hookway
Bedford Athletic 35 Tunbridge Wells 22
FINISHING TOUCH Tom Nicoll scores after a strong pack drive
Coxon-Smith keeps calm to Roberts double denies Oxford edge frantic battle TJs’ way Tonbridge Juddians 29 Old Redcliffians 27 Oxford University 2 Tunbridge Wells Men 4
By Aaron Leadbeater HOCKEY: TUNBRIDGE WELLS Men kept up their unbeaten run in Marlow to move up a closely packed South Premier League Division One. Full of confidence after a good performance against Bromley & Beckenham, Wells dominated possession from the start and Ben Allberry roofed a penalty stroke to give them an early lead. The momentum continued as Wells pressed high, with Sam Clarke-Knowles moving the ball well in and out of midfield. Debutant Harry Turner connected well with Luke Edwards down the right hand side, and after 10 minutes James Lester put his body on the line to dive in and put Wells 2-0 up. Oxford started to find their feet after this early onslaught, winning several short corners and managing to convert one to reduce the deficit going into half-time. Tunbridge Wells started the second half strongly too, Sam George’s runs upfield regularly
causing problems for the home defence. A third goal duly came when Roberts’ determination saw him steal the ball from a defender, putting him through on goal. He still had plenty to do, and skilfully took the ball round the goalkeeper to make it 3-1. With 15 minutes remaining, Oxford were rallying and regularly throwing the ball into the D. James Harris in the Wells goal had to make an outstanding reflex save low down to his left. The University side reacted better to a flying ball into the circle on the reverse to tap in and make it 3-2, fuelling their self-belief. But Wells kept their composure at the back and managed to retain possession well to make it harder for the home side to pose a real threat. As the clock ticked down, Connor Poulain distributed well from defence amnd Roberts got himself on the end of a cross to score his second. Wells, who move up to sixth in this congested league, host London Edwardians at Tonbridge School on Saturday [November 11, 1.30pm start].
By Adam Hookway RUGBY: TONBRIDGE JUDDIANS emerged triumphant from a close-fought National Two South battle at The Slade that swung first one way, then the next. The hosts began the match in lively style and were soon on the scoreboard with two penalties from Will Robinson. A mistake put Old Reds on the front foot and a converted try put them in front by a point. But Robinson slotted two more penalties to give TJs the lead again. Reds then slotted their own three-pointer just before the break and both sides went in very much in the mix at 12-10. In the second half TJs were soon in trouble at the scrum, penalised for wheeling whilst being pushed backwards. This gave Old Reds a good attacking position and with ball in hand they moved quickly from right to left and went over for a try. Old Reds were not without their own problems, though, and they too found themselves on the wrong side of the officials. TJs used a penalty to kick to the corner and the pack eventually drove over with replacement Tom Nicoll touching down. Robinson converted to give the hosts a two-point lead. The game swung from end to end both sides having their moments. It was Old Reds’ turn to take back the lead. A knock-on in defence set up the visitors with an attacking scrum and this time
the ball went out for their right winger to score an unconverted try. TJs responded well with a lengthy attack during which they battered Old Reds’ line repeatedly with short forward drives, but all to no avail. Robinson finally tried a chip-kick over the defensive line and the ball, bouncing into goal off the goal-post, defeated Old Reds’ cover. Finlay Coxon-Smith gathered and touched down whilst all around him was chaos, and Robinson converted to make the score 26-22.
Expansive There were still 10 minutes to go and Old Reds smelt a win. A series of drives and expansive back play secured them another try and a one-point lead, leaving TJ supporters in despair. But more was to come as Dave Irvine and Coxon-Smith drove TJs deep into Old Reds’ territory. Yet another offside gave Robinson a penalty to the left of the posts, which he notched to give TJs the lead back. Old Reds did have an immediate chance to snatch victory after an infringement but a long-range penalty attempt fell short. So after a ding-dong game of great excitement and fluctuating changes of fortune, TJs emerged from the fray as somewhat fortunate winners. The win lifted the Tonbridge side into fifth place in the table. They take a break before returning to action with a first away trip to Dings Crusaders in Bristol on November 17 [kick-off 3pm].
Ladies give mighty Ashford a scare PHOTO: Jo Wilson
Ashford 5 Tonbridge Angels Ladies 2
TURN THE SCREW Tunbridge Wells apply pressure in the D
Skilful East London are too hot to handle Tunbridge Wells Ladies 0 East London 3 HOCKEY: TUNBRIDGE WELLS Ladies slipped to defeat after finding themselves under sustained pressure at Kent College against East London, who are third in East Region Division One South. The visitors were skilful, fast and physical, and despite spirited resistance from a defiant Wells, the home side conceded twice in the first half. Wells’ press after the break was very effective in putting pressure on the East London defence but
they could not convert their opportunities. A third East London goal was scored from a penalty corner strike early in the second half. It was testament to a great defensive effort by the home side, managed by the player of match Amy Hare, that East London were unable to find the net again. Tunbridge Wells Ladies now travel to Crostyx on Saturday [November 11, 2.30 start].
FOOTBALL: TONBRIDGE ANGELS Ladies put up a brave fight in their tough League Cup tie away at the Premier Division’s unbeaten Ashford Ladies. The hosts, who had scored 44 goals this season, set out with an attacking formation. But they found it hard to get behind a resistant defence. When they did break through, keeper Helena Fothergill was in outstanding form. Tonbridge looked to cause problems of their own on the counter-attack and such was their impact in the early phases, Ashford took the radical step of introducing five substitutes at once midway through the first half. Ciena Carpenter was one of those five and following a long clearance by goalkeeper Lucy Green, she beat her marker and fired past Fothergill to give her side the lead. More pressure told on 37 minutes with a loose ball finding the Angels net after the defence failed to clear from a corner kick. Still very much in the game, the Angels reduced
the deficit just before half-time. Kelly Moran sent a free kick into the box and Becky Mackley lifted a clever header out of the reach of Green. Tonbridge were now in the ascendancy and equalised on 54 minutes. Sam Burton released Megan Akehurst, who hit a half-volley with the outside of her boot into the top corner. Sharon Lyons and Mackley both had to leave the field with injuries, and as the rearranged Angels looking to settle, Becky Wyatt broke clear to give the hosts the lead in the 63rd minute. A goalmouth scramble at the other end on 71 minutes resulted in the ball deflecting in off a Tonbridge defender to make it 4-2. A cross by Lauryn Underhill was headed just over by Becky Janes. Then in the seventh minute of injury time an Ashford counter-attack resulted in a shot deflecting in off Alex Weston. Tonbridge Angels Ladies are back in league action when they visit Anchorians on Sunday [November 11, kick-off 2pm].
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Angels stay on top after battle to break Whitehawk resistance By Jim Rowe FOOTBALL: TONBRIDGE ANGELS deservedly held on to top spot in the Bostik League Premier division but they had to remain patient to break down a dogged Whitehawk. Tonbridge enjoyed long periods of possession in the first half but created relatively few genuine chances in a game where Whitehawk had clearly come with a well organised defence. Much of the attacking from the home side came down the right flank through Jared Small and James Folkes. Across from Small in the 25th minute was met with a header by Joe Turner header that had to be tipped over the bar by Melvin Minter. That probably was the Angels’ best chance of the first period, although just before half-time Alex Read had a one-on-one with Minter, the visiting keeper saving well. There was little attacking impetus from the away side, although there were two decent efforts from Nathaniel Pinney. The second period continued in much the same
vein with Tonbridge continuing to ask questions down the right-hand side. In the 70th minute there was a huge scramble in the Whitehawk goalmouth following a Turner corner but somehow the visitors managed to scramble the ball away. They were not to hold out for too much longer, however. A teasing cross from Folkes on the right saw Matt Drage put the ball into his own net in the 79th minute. Whitehawk attempted to rally but the Angels made the game safe in the 90th minute to preserve the Angels’ two-point lead at the top. Substitute Adem Ramadan was too quick for the Brighton team’s defence and he set up Turner, who finished easily from close range. Angels’ assistant manager Barry Moore said afterwards: “We had to be patient. We played our passing game and eventually if you keep pulling the defence this way and that the gaps will start to appear.” Tonbridge Angels play a league game at Kingstonian tonight [November 7, kick-off 7.45pm] Then they travel to Dorking Wanderers for the second qualifying round of the FA Trophy on Saturday [kick-off 3pm].
PAST THE POST Jared Small watches his shot go wide
Former Angels chairman and Chelsea favourite Shellito dies By Andy Tong andy@timesoftonbridge.co.uk FOOTBALL: FORMER Tonbridge Angels Chairman Ken Shellito has died at the age of 78 at his home in Sabah, Malaysia. He joined Chelsea at the age of 14 and played 123 games from 1959 to 1965, scoring two goals, and was part of Tommy Docherty’s side that won promotion from the Second Division in 1962-63. The attacking full-back won a single cap for England, against Czechoslovakia in 1963. He also played against a Rest of the World XI the same year to celebrate the centenary of the FA. But he was forced to retire after suffering a serious knee injury, which ruled out his chances of making Alf Ramsey’s 1966 World Cup squad. “Every time I see George Cohen [England’s World Cup-winning right-back], he says ‘thank you Kenny’,” Shellito once said. “It hurts but he does appreciate it. He always says he would not have got in and that is your luck in football. But you can’t feel sorry for yourself too much.” After running the Chelsea academy, he was
TWIST AND TURN Steve Camacho launches a Rusthall attack
Leaders prove too strong for Rustics Rusthall 0 Beckenham Town 2 By Joe Croker FOOTBALL: RUSTHALL put up a good fight but Beckenham, who sit on top of the Southern Counties East League Premier Division, but the visitors were deserved winners at Jockey Farm. The opening exchanges were even but then an inswinging Beckenham corner was not cleared and Callum McGeehan found the net. Two minutes later when a Rusthall attack broke down and a long ball was cleared over the home defence. Richard Atkins outpaced his pursuers and slotted the ball past Joe Cullip. For the rest of the half Rusthall were on the defensive with Beckenham continuing to cause problems with the ball over the top.
PHOTO: David Couldridge
Tonbridge Angels 2 Whitehawk 0
TRUE BLUE Ken Shellito
appointed manager at Stamford Bridge from 1977-78 and later at Cambridge United. He was an important figure at Longmead in the 1980s and ‘90s before becoming involved in coaching in Malaysia, setting up the Ken Shellito Football Academy in Penampang. “Football is my life,” he said. “The game has certainly given me a great deal and it is only fair I continue to give the game back as long as I can.” He died on October 31 following a lung infection and kidney complications. He is survived by his wife Jeany and two daughters.
In the last minute of the first half the visitors should have been awarded a penalty when Cullip was faced with a one-on-one but the referee deemed his challenge a fair one. In the second half Beckenham were awarded a free kick on the edge of the box and Cullip had to pull off a magnificent save. The second period was a much more even affair and Rusthall could have found a way back into the match in the last ten minutes. Steve Camacho weaved his way into the Beckenham box and was brought down by the full-back but the goalkeeper saved the resulting spot-kick. In injury time Callum Gallie was sent off for his second yellow card. Rusthall entertain Cray Valley at home tonight [November 7, 7.45pm kick-off] but have no game this weekend.