Times of Tunbridge Wells 13th September 2017 by One Media

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OF TUNBRIDGE WELLS

DON’T MISS OUT ON TOM WILLIAMS’ HOMECOMING GIG AT THE FORUM Page 82

Patient transport failings exposed by whistle blower By Murray Jones and Adam Hignett DRIVERS for patient transport provider G4S face regular battles with an indifferent management obsessed with hitting targets, but they have scored a small victory over how they treat the terminally sick. The revelation comes from a G4S whistle blower who approached the Times after reading its ongoing investigation into how the multi-national company runs West Kent’s patient transport service. Sean Woods (not his real name), who is himself a driver for the firm, lifts the lid on a culture in which front-line staff regularly have their concerns ignored by a management team. In his interview, Mr Woods also revealed:  Staff in the G4S control room ‘blatantly lie’ to patients about how long they will be kept waiting.  There is little accountability among the management, who address concerns with ‘a shrug’.  Frontline staff doubt the patient transport will get any better with G4S at the helm. However, in one area those on the front line ‘made such a fuss’ they were able to secure some desirable change, Mr Woods, said: “This was in how they treated those on their way to receive palliative care, who until recently had no priority. For the full story see page 7

THIS IS THE MONTH TO TEMPT TASTE BUDS WITH SOME ORGANIC DELIGHTS Page age 64

HIGH FLYING LEGAL EAGLES NAMED AS TOP YOUNG LAWYERS IN WEBSITE AWARDS Page 11

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All the news that matters

Wednesday September 13 | 2017

GARDENING EXPERT VICTORIA TRUMAN ON HOW TO KEEP WINTER WINDS AT BAY Page 70

Residents launch legal bid INSIDE to block new budget hotel

BUSINESS AS USUSAL Mayor carries on as Tories call a crisis meeting Page 3

IRONIC TWIST Former courthouse is subject of legal dispute

HISTORIC MOMENT

Grammar school ‘annexe’ finally opens its doors Page 8

WELCOME HOME

Thirty six pages of the finest properties to buy or let Page 27

Ellen Kent

By Adam Hignett adam@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk

PREMIER INN faces a major setback in its plans to build a 110-bed hotel on London Road after opponents started legal action against the Borough Council. Those against the £7million redevelopment of Merevale House, which served as a county court until last year, believe the council acted ‘unlawfully’ when it gave the hotel chain the go-ahead in April. They also claim the council’s actions are creating a ‘perfect storm’ of discontent, as it already faces concerted opposition to its £72million Civic Complex plans.

Opponents want a judicial review, in which a judge reviews the lawfulness of a decision. They started action against the council at the High Court of Justice on September 4 and the local authority was served papers relating to that action two days later.

‘The council are killing what made the town special; they are killing the golden goose’ Representing residents is Landmark Chambers, a law firm specialising in planning disputes, which is headquartered just yards from the High Court on Fleet Street. The legal challenge focuses on the

approach of the council to the impact of the hotel development on the Tunbridge Wells Conservation Area. By statute, ‘considerable importance and weight’ must be attached to how developments may impact, both positively and negatively, upon conservation areas. Opponents of the hotel, including Ellen Kent (above) say planning officers failed to advise members of the planning committee properly on issues in their report, which ultimately recommended the scheme’s approval. They point to contradictions within the report itself which stated, on the one hand, the development would ‘improve the

Continued on page 2

SPORTING TIMES

Reality check for Wells after a winning start Page 86

NEWS

Local News

A feast of local culinary delights THOUSANDS turned out to enjoy a weekend of food and drink at the annual Pantiles Harvest Food Festival. The popular event in Tunbridge Wells saw 50 exhibitors selling locally-sourced produce and some 4,000 visitors over three day event, which ran from September 8–10. Many varieties of food were available for people to try including gourmet cheese, homemade jam, fine wines and craft beers. Other attractions at the free festival were cooking demonstrations and talks from local chefs, as well as live music. Julian Leefe-Griffiths, owner of the Tunbridge Wells Hotel, described the event as ‘very successful’ with a particularly high turnout on Saturday. He said the traders and people who came all had a ‘really good time’.

Wednesday September 13 | 2017

Conservation harm ignored

PROPOSED PLAN How the Premier Inn could look

Continued from page 1 character and appearance of the Conservation Area’, but on the other advised it would cause harm, albeit a modest degree, to the area’s character and appearance. The project’s opponents cite the opinion of urban designer Edmund Booth, of bespoke architectural practice The Conservation Studio, who claims the development will cause ‘substantial harm’ to the area. In addition, residents accuse officers of being misleading with how they represented the scale of the project by making it sound much smaller than it really is. Approval was given on March 29 by nine votes in favour, four opposed and one abstention. Spearheading the legal challenge is resident Ellen Kent, who addressed the planning committee immediately prior to the vote. Commenting on why she and others have resorted to the courts, which could be a yearlong process, she said: “Approval of the Premier Inn proposal is just another example of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council’s disregard for process and it shows that the Conservation Areas mean very little to them now. “Applications are being rubber stamped regardless of impact. Tunbridge Wells once

had a reputation for a quality, natural environment. There was once an intangible value. Slowly but surely the council are killing what made the town special; they are killing the golden goose.” Residents are now waking up to the reality of what is literally happening on their door-step, and are “not putting up with it. The council are creating the perfect storm.” A spokesman for Tunbridge Wells Borough Council acknowledged the legal challenge has been made, but added: “This is now before the court and therefore we won’t say any more on the matter while legal proceedings are ongoing.”

Premier Inn said they have ‘nothing to add’ to the council’s comments. WHAT IS A JUDICIAL REVIEW? JUDICIAL reviews are a challenge to the way in which a decision has been made, rather than the rights and wrongs of the conclusion reached. It is not really concerned with the conclusions of that process and whether those were ‘right’, as long as the appropriate procedures have been followed. The court will not substitute what it thinks is the ‘correct’ decision. This may mean that the public body will be able to make the same decision again.

Hospice herd finds itself in winning place FOUR of the horses from the Herd of the Hospice charity project were on display at Asoct over the weekend. The horses, which are currently undergoing an online auction for charity, were rolled out

for the Festival of Food and Wine at the famous Berkshire track. Jockey, Charter, First Past the Post and Steam Punk drew admiration from the crowds attending the racecourse and will be back in

Tunbridge Wells in time for a public exhibition at the Royal Victoria Place shopping centre on October 2. Live bidding for the pieces of art begins the following week.

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CAN THE COUNCIL LEARN FROM ITS TROUBLES? WHAT a tumultuous year it is turning out to be for the council. Not only have they been met with stronger than anticipated opposition to their flagship project – the Civic Complex – but now the way they conduct the planning process itself is going to be put under the legal spotlight. To top this off, the governing Conservatives have discovered they cannot even rely on their own local party Association for support. After a spectacularly ill-judged decision to ban Mayor Julia Sokye from standing at next year’s council elections, a sense of crisis has gripped the party. Incumbent Conservative councillors are now wondering, some out loud, if they too might face the axe at the hands of a secretive committee – an exemplary record provides no protection, it would seem. Council officers are also having to deal with the legal ramifications of the decision to deselect Cllr Soyke, as she is now forced to

finish her term as a councillor some weeks before she was meant to step down as Mayor. Of course, it is not just the machinations of a small clique that are causing problems with internal party cohesion. Disputes over policy are nothing new in politics, but when a party controls all but five seats on the council it seems there is little to prevent their own members forming a sort of unofficial opposition. This has come to a head over the Civic Complex, where Tory colleagues have openly fallen out on the issue. One councillor, Joe Simmons, has even decided to hold his own referendum on this issue. Some would say it is a laudable exercise in democracy, others say he is shirking responsibility and showing no leadership. All this against a backdrop of external pressure to halt the £72million Civic Complex project, from opposition groups emboldened by their petition, that shows no sign of

abating. And now legal action has begun over Premier Inn receiving planning permission, a case which could set a dangerous precedent for the council planning department. Community groups which use the Alf Ramsay are also said to be thinking of launching a challenge to the planning decision which will see the pub closed and turned into flats. There are signs of an alliance forming among the disparate groups, too. One of the main things these opposition groups complain about is what they claim is the secretive and underhand manner in which the council has pressed ahead with its schemes. Perhaps those councillors lamenting what has happened to their colleagues at the hands of a secretive committee, which has openly stated it does not have to explain its actions, should reflect upon this. Chief Reporter, Adam Hignett

Local News

Wednesday September 13 | 2017

NEWS IN BRIEF

Two new stores open in Royal Victoria Place TWO new additions to the retail offering at Royal Victoria Place is to arrive this autumn. Cath Kidston will be launching its brand new store on level two, selling a quintessentially British range of accessories, fashion and homeware, in the coming weeks. It will join the newly opened Yankee Candle, which boasts the world’s largest range of scented candles. Nicky Blanchard, Centre Manager of Royal Victoria Place, said she was ‘delighted’ to welcome the new stores.

Heritage success story A FESTIVAL of history and culture has been labelled ‘a great success’ after attracting hundreds of local residents and tourists to heritage sites across Tunbridge Wells during four days of events. Heritage Open Days – which ran from September 7 - gave people the opportunity to visit dozens of places of cultural significance that are either not usually open to the public or would charge an entrance fee, including the Masjid al-Noor mosque, the Masonic Lodge and the Town Hall.

Swimtag keeps count TONBRIDGE Swimming Pool has installed new poolside lane counters which tell swimmers how many lengths they have done and how to keep a set pace. Swimtag is operated by raising a wristband in front of the counter to see the stats. It also records all of your swims to monitor your progress, set personal challenges and take part in online competitions.

Peter Pan flies into town THE Tonbridge Lions Club will be staging Peter Pan for their annual pantomime, at The Angel Centre over the weekend of December 9-10, with two daily performances at 2pm and 6pm. The production, in association with TM Active, will be put on by the Tonbridge Community Pantomime group. Tickets cost from £12. All proceeds go to local charities.

NEWS

It’s business as usual for Mayor But councillors warn of ‘repercussions’ as sense of crisis grows By Adam Hignett

adam@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk LAST year’s Mayor of Tunbridge Wells has described the treatment of his successor at the hands of her own party as ‘shameful’. Cllr Soyke was banned from standing as a Tory candidate at next year’s local elections, despite being the incumbent representative of Speldhurst and Bidborough. The decision was taken by a committee of five Conservative Association members, as reported in the Times last week. The Mayor admitted to being ‘puzzled’ by the outcome of the selection vote, as no reasons have been given for the decision and no appeals are allowed.

Disrepute The decision has infuriated many of her Conservative colleagues on the council, who have called for an ‘extraordinary group meeting’ on Friday [September 15] to look into the issue. However, constant changes to the local party rules have cast doubt over whether the decision can be reversed. One councillor, who we agreed not to name, said he did not think his group of Conservatives at the council had a veto over the local Associa-

tion’s selection process. He added: “The selection process has been tinkered with over the years, you used to be able to appeal but now you cannot. “Normally the selection process is meant to ensure you are adhering to Conservative principles and not bringing the party into disrepute. “I don’t know what the group can do, if anything, but I suspect there will be some repercussions of some kind.” The deselection of Cllr Soyke has also left the council with a legal headache, as her term as a councillor will now be terminated before her term as Mayor expires. In a sign of the cross-party respect afforded to the current Mayor, even her political opponents have cried foul. Her predecessor, the Liberal Democrat Cllr David Neve, said: “What a body blow. Considering her attendance record of 100 per cent, and the work Cllr Soyke has put into both council and parish council, it makes you think the Tories must have found someone who can get more than 24 hours in a day to replace her. Shameful way to treat the first citizen of the borough.” Martin Betts, Labour’s Local Campaign Co-ordinator, urged Cllr Sokye to challenge the Association over her ‘shabby’ treatment, He said: “The surprise deselection

ACT OF DUTY : Mayor Julia Soyke puts on a brave face when unveiling a new water feature at The Skinners’ Kent Primary at Knights Wood last week, just days after learning her party has abandoned her of Cllr Julia Soyke illustrates the truth of Churchill’s observation that the enemy is not the opposition but those on the benches behind you. “That Cllr Soyke is the Mayor and is well respected across the council chamber makes her treatment by fellow Conservatives look disre-

spectful and underhand. Anyone who loses their job in paid work would be expected to be told the reason for their dismissal and an appeal process would be available. “She should fight her shabby treatment and, if necessary, stand as an Independent.”

Tonbridge bags an Aldi but Wells has to wait SUPERMARKET chain Aldi will be opening a store in Tonbridge on the site of the old Homebase on Cannon Lane. An Aldi spokesperson said: “Work on our new Tonbridge store is progressing well and we hope to open the store in

spring next year. “We expect this will create around 50 jobs and will keep the community updated on developments.” The site is also set to feature a B&M store offering discounted products, although it is understood that the new outlet will be a dedicated clothing retailer. The development will cost £2.8million, and is being undertaken by

contractor Pexhurst over six months. The original Homebase was closed in June 2015. News that Tonbridge is set to get an Aldi store comes two years after the discount chain said they were looking at building a brand new store in neighbouring Tunbridge Wells along the Eridge Road. However, despite embarking on the planning process in September 2015,

it was brought to a halt one month later. No explanation has been given, and rumours of a dispute with the Manor of Rusthall, run by its titleholder Targetfollow, over access to the premises were denied. Furthermore, the company announced in May that it was still looking for a suitable site in the town and would release more information ‘later this year’.

NEWS

Local News

Wednesday September 13 | 2017

Pirates and presidents – but children’s boat wins hearts By Andy Tong TWENTY-TWO teams of rowers raised hundreds of pounds for charity at the highly successful fifth annual Dragon Boat Race. Organised by the Tonbridge Town Team, there was a rich variety of costumes on display from pirates to a team of Donald Trumps. The winners were Tonbridge School’s Boars with Oars, Bidborough Dragons came second and Hidden Heroes were third. The Mayor of Tonbridge & Malling, Roger Dalton, presented the prizes:

MASKED MARAUDERS DSUK, who won the award for most valiant competitors

Baldwins Buccaneers were named as the best dressed boat while DSUK, a group of young people – some of whom have special needs – won the award for the most valiant team. Disability Snow Sport UK, which is based at the Bowles Outdoor Centre on the Eridge Road, gives people with disabilities a chance to ski using adaptive equipment and techniques. Sarah Spence of the Tonbridge Town Team, the Race Director, said: “These brilliant Dragons raced with fantastic tenacity and enthusiasm, easily keeping pace with the other teams. “This is the beauty of Dragon Boat Racing,” she added, “there are no

boundaries or limits to who can participate.” The stalls from local eateries along the newly refurbished River Walk sold a range of tasty refreshments including Nepalese curries. Sarah said: “Many thanks to our volunteers from the Lions, the teams and the public of Tonbridge - without whom the Dragon Boat Race day wouldn’t be possible. “It was an amazing day. The weather was good with only one rain shower and although chilly towards the end our valiant teams kept their spirits up, continued to row brilliantly and a great deal of fun was had by all.”

COSTUME DRAMA Tricia Lester of Baldwins Buccaneers, the best dressed team

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Wednesday September 13 | 2017

NEWS

Bluebird set to make a splash at Bewl Water

PHOTOS: Sarah Spence and Sean Aidan Photography

CREST OF A WAVE: The winners Boars with Oars, with the Mayor Roger Dalton

SIR Malcolm Campbell’s world water speed record-breaking hydroplane Bluebird K3 takes to the water once more later this month with a test run day at Bewl Water. Commissioned in 1937 to rival the Americans’ efforts in the fight for the world water speed record, Bluebird K3 set three records, hitting its top speed of 130.91mph a year later at Lake Hallwyl. The craft has been undergoing an extensive restoration by a team at Filching Manor Motor Museum near Eastbourne ahead of her Bewl Water test run on Tuesday, September 26. Karl Foulkes Halbard, Bluebird K3’s owner, said the restoration project was ‘a real labour of love’ and the trial at Bewl will put it to the test. The Bluebird K3 was one of many boats in the eponymous series of vessels. The most famous was arguably the K7, which set new records under Sir Malcolm’s son Donald Campbell in the 1950s and 60s, but ultimately led to his death when it crashed on Coniston Water in the Lake District in 1967. Bewl Water will be open to the public during the test, with parking at just £2 for the whole day. The first test run takes place at 11am, subject to weather and mechanical considerations.

NEWS

Local News

Wednesday September 13 | 2017

Southborough winner: Conservative ‘secrecy’ secured Labour victory LABOUR snatched a Southborough East and High Brooms Town Council seat from the Conservatives in a by-election which saw only one in five of those eligible to vote turn out last week. Thursday’s poll resulted in Labour candidate Alain Lewis winning the seat vacated by Conservative Glenn Lester in June. Cllr Lewis secured 330 votes, accounting for 51 per cent of the total.

Alain Lewis

‘I genuinely believe that town councillors should live and pay taxes in the town they represent’ His opponents, Conservative Judith Symes and Liberal Democrat Allen Lear, won 249 and 64 votes respectively. Turnout was just 21 per cent. Labour had sought to capitalise on discontent surrounding the demolishing of Royal Victoria Hall, which took place in order to make way for the Southborough Hub project, and the perception that many of the decisions surrounding the project have been kept secret. In addition, Cllr Lewis took aim at Ms Symes over the fact that she does not live within the area controlled by the Town Hall, stating: “I genuinely believe that town councillors should live and pay taxes in the town they represent.” The defeat for the Conservatives on September 7 comes at a time when they also face accusations over a lack of transparency at borough council

level regarding the proposed Civic Complex development bordering Calverley Grounds. In a sign of just how seriously they took the poll, the Times understands Tunbridge Wells MP Greg Clark had been out canvassing in Southborough on behalf of his party. In response to his victory, Cllr Lewis said: “These voters have sent another strong message to the ruling Conservative group that they are fed up with the secrecy that surrounds the Community Hub project, and that they back Labour’s plan for Ridgewaye Fields to be given Village Green status to ensure that they are never built on again.” The party representation in the Town Council is now Conservative 11, Labour six and Liberal Democrats one.

Altitude yet to justify its lack of affordable housing THE company behind the Belvedere project to transform the old cinema site from a derelict eyesore into a mixed use development have yet to justify their lack of affordable housing to the council, the Times understands. Altitude UK submitted plans for the development, featuring 108 flats, 60,000 sq ft of retail space and a new cinema, on July 7. The design has been criticised by the Tunbridge Wells Civic Society, both in terms of the

aesthetic aspect and because it will not include any affordable housing. The society said the size of the development means around 35 affordable units would be legally required. Altitude hit back, stating architectural tastes are ‘subjective’ and the lack of affordable housing has come about because they decided to scale back the project in response to public feedback. Developers are allowed to reduce the number of affordable

UPMARKET No affordable flats

houses they supply in a given project as long as they can prove it is deemed justifiable by the planning authorities. The lack of provision is often offset by financial settlements which then go towards making improvements to infrastructure, services or more affordable housing elsewhere in the area. The amount paid, called a section 106 agreement, is determined by the council. However, Tunbridge Wells Borough Council said it is yet to receive the appropriate data from Altitude for them to make an informed decision on what, if anything, will be owed. A council spokesman said: “In order to justify not providing affordable housing, a developer must submit a confidential Viability Appraisal which is then independently reviewed. “We do not have the results of this exercise yet in respect of the cinema site, and therefore we cannot say for sure at this stage of the application process that there will be no contribution towards affordable housing.”

Local News

Wednesday September 13 | 2017

NEWS

Whistle-blower lifts lid on how G4S is letting patients down By Murray Jones & Adam Hignett

newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk PATIENT transport across West Kent will never improve unless a new company takes over the contract from G4S, one of its own drivers has said. In a damning indictment of the contractor’s failings, Sean Woods said patients are ‘blatantly lied to’ by operators who act like those using the service are parcels to be delivered rather than people. Mr Woods [not his real name] said he had chosen to talk to the Times following recent stories about patients being badly let down by the G4S transport service in Kent after being left waiting alone for hours to be picked up. The Kent-based driver, whose credentials and identity have been confirmed by the Times, painted a picture of an overstretched organisation plagued by an indifferent management.

‘Management don’t have much care for patients. They want it to be like working for DHL’ Reports in the Times of patients being left stranded following their appointments came as ‘no surprise at all’ to Mr Woods, who asked that his actual name not be used. “The drivers are passionate about their job, but there are organisational problems with arranging the vehicles,” he said. “For us, a 45-minute wait is not good enough, but generally there is a minimum of an hour. “Patients are blatantly lied to. They will ring up and be told that we are 20 minutes away, but we are down in Ashford an hour away. And the office have trackers so they know we aren’t anywhere near. “That means patients think ‘Oh, I won’t go for a

tea or go to the toilet because they’ll be here soon’, and that is what annoys them the most. “Nobody is straight with the patients.” When asked why central control would mislead patients, he replied: “It gets rid of people for 20 minutes and passes the problem on for someone else. People are not taking responsibility.” He explained the central control room is based in Chelmsford, alongside a smaller office in Maidstone, and claimed staff members – often those on the front line – who voice concerns are met with indifference by management. “We get a shrug. People we speak to just pass it off,” said Mr Woods, adding: “To be honest, I and most people [who work there] don’t think it will improve without a different company running it.” However, the picture is not completely bleak as the vast majority of staff in patient-facing roles are genuinely concerned for their well-being and go out of their way to treat them with respect. “Management don’t have much care for patients. They want it to be like working for DHL [couriers]. But for us that’s not the job. We’ll take Mrs Jones home and we’ll find the heating and pop on the kettle. We treat each patient as if they were a member of our own family and have an affinity with lots of them. “For example, we’re on a first-name basis with people from the dialysis unit. “They have regular pick-ups, the same times three days a week, and the targets – drop off 15 minutes prior to appointment and pick up 15 minutes after – still get missed.” Mr Woods said his immediate superior is very supportive of taking a compassionate approach, but things break down higher up in the organisation, as the priority of senior management is hitting targets. “They are just looking at Key Performance Indicators [KPI] – you have that much time for that many drop-offs, but how long it takes completely varies.

“There is too much emphasis on quantity of service rather than quality. They’d rather transport 100 people quickly than 20 while giving a good service.” He confirmed no one had yet received any disciplinary action for spending too long with patients, but if they got a low enough KPI score then they ‘would be spoken to’. Mr Woods also indicated there had been a major argument between the drivers and management around patients heading to palliative care. The company’s failings in this area have even

drawn criticism from Tunbridge Wells MP Greg Clark, who accused the firm of a ‘lack of compassion’ and ‘bureaucratic pedantry’. “The contract with G4S means end-of-life patients have no priority. They are just treated as any other. But the drivers refuse to do it. We are not taking a person for end of life care with other people in the vehicle,” said Mr Woods. “Partly, there are concerns if something happens medically, but primarily it’s about dignity. It is their last ever drive outside, they shouldn’t have to take it with a bunch of stran-gers. We might take a longer route through the countryside, put on some music if they’re a fan. We want to make it as painless as possible for people. Yet that gets frowned upon by the powers that be.” However, the drivers have secured a significant victory in this area, as G4S has begrudgingly allowed them to treat those heading for palliative treatment with additional care and consideration. “We made such a fuss that they’ve now accepted it,” said Mr Woods.

G4S: MORE NEEDS TO BE DONE The Managing Director for G4S transport services, Russell Hobbs, said: “This is a complex service and we are currently transporting significantly more patients than anticipated. This inevitably causes pressures, and while four out of every five patients arrive at their appointments within the target time slot, compared with 68 per cent

when we took over the contract, we recognise that there is more we need to do to improve the service. We are working closely with NHS commissioners, our staff and patients to deal with the current issues, improve performance further and provide an efficient service with the care and compassion that everyone in our team can be proud of.”

NEWS

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Wednesday September 13 | 2017

Build it, and they will come: The ‘annexe’ that solves two problems but poses questions By Andy Tong andy@timesoftonbridge.co.uk IT WAS a year ago to the day that new Prime Minster Theresa May announced she was ending the ban on new grammar schools. On the same day, September 8, 2016, Kent County Council Leader Paul Carter and his Cabinet Member for Education, Roger Gough, were digging a hole to plant the first tree at the new ‘annexe’ of the Weald of Kent Grammar School on Seal Hollow Road, Sevenoaks. Twelve months later, 120 Year 7 pupils arrived for their first day of senior school

at the new site. The tree is still alive, but much else has changed in the interim. The Tory plan to change the law and start building more selective state schools was ditched from the manifesto at the General Election in June. This was apparently because of public apathy, if not disapproval of the idea on the grounds of equal opportunities. However, the subject continues to provoke acrimony – and Labour’s 1998 ban on the creation of ‘divisive’ new grammar schools remains in place. An Early Day Motion will be put to Parliament this week by a Labour MP proclaiming the annexe to be a case of ‘selection by stealth’.

CONTROVERSIAL Weald of Kent Grammar’s Sevenoaks campus

Hence the need to stress that Weald of Kent in Sevenoaks is exactly the same school as Weald of Kent on Tonbridge’s Tudeley Lane. Maureen Johnson, who has been Headteacher for a decade, is keen to stress that there is no differentiation, just a different location. She said: “They will both follow the same curriculum with the same staff and have the same exposure to enrichment activities and high-quality teaching.” This is the first expansion of a grammar school for half a century. The project, which cost £22million, was the brainchild of Kent County Council [KCC] and funded by them in association with central government’s Education and Skills Funding Agency. Cllr Roger Gough, a representative of Sevenoaks District, disagrees with the perception that this is the building of a new school by subterfuge. “I wouldn’t accept that,” he said, sitting in the shiny new cafeteria on the day before the doors opened to the new Year 7 intake. “It’s about having the whole range of tools in the box. “It’s not about building grammar schools for their own sake. What we did

GATES OPEN Headteacher Maureen Johnson greets new pupils on the first day

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Wednesday September 13 | 2017

say was that, as the overall secondary population rises, we wanted to make sure there was a fairly sensible, stable grammar provision within that.” Mr Gough points out that the demographic is changing with the increase in the birth rate in the early 2000s now being felt at senior schools. This means the provision for secondary education needs to rise accordingly across the board – and since almost 30 per cent of children in Kent attend a grammar school, that sector needs almost as much attention as the comprehensive stream.

He points out that it is an ‘anomaly’ that Sevenoaks does not have a grammar school already, since West Kent is awash with them, and that around 40 per cent of the girls who go to Weald of Kent in Tonbridge live in Sevenoaks – with ‘huge numbers bussed out of the area every day’. Eighty-seven per cent of the pupils at the new annexe come from the town and its surrounding villages – which appears to give credence to the philosophy behind the scheme, if not the necessity for it. Added to that statistic is the fact they

‘Because it has got to be one school, and that was in the agreement, the children that are based predominately at Sevenoaks will travel to Tonbridge one day a fortnight’

STATE OF THE ART The new building

were planning for 90 girls, but a further 30 chose the annexe through the appeals process. Given these figures, it starts to sound like a success story – a case of common sense breaking out. The project was formulated by KCC after they had debated a petition put forward by the Sevenoaks Grammar School Campaign calling for selective provision in the town in early 2012. Cllr Gough says: “We needed to solve the West Kent grammar problem as well as the Sevenoaks problem.” And the availability of the site of the old Wildernesse comprehensive school provided an opportunity to address the issues, dovetailing the construction of the annexe with the new non-selective Trinity school that was going up. KCC approached all grammar schools in West Kent to see if they were interested. Two came forward, Maidstone Invicta and Weald of Kent. Both applications were for co-educational annexes, even though they were both single-sex girls’ schools. And both were turned down on the grounds that the change to co-ed would mean it had to be designated as a new grammar school, and was therefore in breach of the law. The Tonbridge candidate quickly changed its strategy to return to girls only, and that met with approval. Weald of Kent has found a way around the problem of the separate status by making the Sevenoaks pupils attend the Tonbridge site for one day out of every fortnight. Mrs Johson explained: “Because it has got to be one school, and that was in the agreement, the children that are based predominately at

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SHINING EXAMPLE The Sevenoaks annexe was oversubscribed Sevenoaks will travel to Tonbridge one day a fortnight.” There will ultimately be 450 girls at the annexe. Meanwhile, there is a boys’ school on the site which has no tenant at all. It was built, but no one came. Several schools, including Judd in Tonbridge and Skinners’ in Tunbridge Wells, are understood to have turned down the chance for a satellite campus. So it stands empty, though Mr Gough says: “There are some conversations which are more positive. Those discussions continue, we remain keen to do it.

“The aim would be to ensure the boys’ provision serving the area as a whole keeps step with the girls. But there’s nothing that’s actually imminent.” Weald of Kent, for one, would jump at the chance. Mrs Johnson says: “There is no legal mechanism to allow a school to replicate itself in any way other than it currently exists. “Therefore, unless there is a change in the law, there is nothing we can do about that. We would love to welcome boys here, but that’s for the government to decide.”

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Confidence crumbles as uncertainty mounts BUSINESS confidence in the South East has fallen faster than the national average as economic uncertainty makes it harder to plan investments, a new study indicates. The report, by the The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales [ICAEW], found the confidence index for the region fell to -10.1, worse than the national average of -8. The quarterly survey by the ICAEW talked to 1,000 industry accountants, of which more than 170 came from the South East. All industry sectors are experiencing weak confidence, with retailers and wholesalers particularly subdued.

Waitrose scraps store PLANS to build a new Waitrose, the biggest in Kent, in Maidstone have been scrapped. The £14million project was due to provide 200 jobs in the local area when it opened in spring next year. However, tougher market conditions have forced a rethink of priorities, with the company stating it will now concentrate on building up business at existing stores instead.

Hornby profit warning ICONIC Kent model maker Hornby has warned shareholders it is likely to report weaker than expected results after poor summer sales and increased competition. Shares in the firm crashed 15 per cent in the aftermath of the news on September 6, in which it was revealed underlying losses grew by ten per cent to £6.3million in the year to the end of March.

Wednesday September 13 | 2017

Bovis shares bounce back as it breaks free of troubled past…

PUMPED SCI team members Martin, Craig and Alex are thrilled

Tonbridge gym keeps its eye on the prizes A GYM specialising in delivering bespoke fitness regimes for its clients is celebrating after being shortlisted for five prestigious industry awards. The Strength & Conditioning Institute [SCI] in Tonbridge will go head to head with seven other finalists in each of its nominated categories at the 2017 National Fitness Awards. The gym will learn on December 1 whether it has won the spot in the following categories: Regional Gym of the Year (South), Functional Training Gym of the Year, Customer Service Award, Member Achievement Award and Gym Based Personal Trainer of the Year. Staff up for personal awards include Senior Coach Craig Libby, shortlisted as one of the best personal trainers in the country. Gym member and Team GB Paraclimber Josh Senior is shortlisted for the Member Achievement

Award in recognition of his rehabilitation progress following a serious injury in 2010 that left him paralysed and facing a below-knee amputation. SCI Director and Head Coach Alex Shoebridge said: “The whole team is seriously over the moon to be finalists for five awards, and we cannot wait to share the news with our members and the community, who are just as passionate about what we do as we are. They are the reason we strive to provide world-class services and facilities, and this news proves we are living up to our mantra of being ‘No Ordinary Gym’.” National Fitness Awards Event Director Judith Halkerston said: “All our shortlisted facilities should be really proud of their achievements in being chosen as finalists as the calibre of entries has been amazing.”

HOUSE builder Bovis Homes saw its share price surge over nine per cent on Thursday [September 7], despite plunging profits. Half year results released on the day revealed pre-tax profits at the New Ash Green-based company fell in the first six months of the year to £42.7million, down 31 per cent compared to £61.7million during the same period in 2016. This fall was attributed to legacy customer services costs, the costs of fending off takeover bids, and an overly large operating structure for its reduced volume. Earlier this year, it emerged the troubled firm had offered to pay customers up to £3,000 to move into unfinished homes to meet completion targets.

Strategy A warning that profits would come in about £10million less than expected at the turn of the year was quickly followed by the departure of then Chief Executive David Ritchie. New boss Greg Fitzgerald said a new strategy had put the company back ‘on the path to sustainable, profitable growth’. Higher average sales prices helped revenues to grow by four per cent to £427.8million. Mr Fitzgerald added: “The first half of 2017 has been a period of stabilisation and strategic reorganisation for Bovis Homes Group. “Since joining the business in April, I have visited all our offices and the vast majority of our developments, and have been hugely impressed by the desire of our dedicated staff to address and rectify the challenges faced by the business.”

Local Business News

Wednesday September 13 | 2017

Cripps lawyers are ranked among UK’s best private client advisers Claire Tollefson

TWO rising stars from Tunbridge Wells law firm Cripps have been named as top young lawyers under the age of 35. Claire Tollefson and Darren Philpot, both of whom have been recently promoted to Managing Associate at the Mount Ephraim firm, are listed in the 2017 eprivateclient Top 35 under 35. eprivateclient is the leading website and news service for private client practitioners. Designed to recognise, introduce and promote up-andcoming individuals within the private wealth professionals

Darren Philpot

marketplace, eprivateclient received a record number of over 470 nominations this year from more than 70 firms across the UK and UK Crown Dependencies.

Achievements Cripps Managing Partner Gavin Tyler said: “Having two of our lawyers ranked in the 2017 eprivateclient Top 35 Under 35 reflects the commitment of these individuals to developing their careers at Cripps, and building their reputations, by consistently delivering exceptional and

bespoke service to our clients. “Both Claire and Darren’s achievements are well deserved, and I am delighted and proud to see their hard work and dedication being rewarded.” The judging process by eprivateclient includes a review of the individual’s achievements over the last year, and is also based on the number of nominations they receive. A celebratory reception is being held in London on September 26, where plaques will be presented to everyone nominated for the list.

Overseas push starts to pay off for Crimson Tide SOFTWARE developer Crimson Tide saw its revenue surge by a third in the first half of the year to breach the £1million mark after a concerted effort to expand overseas started to pay off. The Tunbridge Wells-based company, whose software serves the logistics and retail industries, also recorded a more modest 16 per cent increase in its pre-tax profits, which rose to £142,000. It comes after the business announced a string of new contract wins in the United Arab Emirates, The Netherlands, the United States and Australia. Barrie Whipp, Executive Chairman of the Aimlisted company, said: “We have invested in sales

and marketing resources to ensure that we can take Crimson Tide to the next level. “Our performance has been very good and we are very excited about the latest release of mpro5, which is a sea change in terms of performance and usability. The breadth of mpro5’s capabilities is starting to be recognised in new markets. We are very excited for the future.” Mpro5 is the company’s primary product, which helps streamline the back-office functions of a company by allowing them to monitor, record, and analyse all data from staff working in the field in real time.

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Community News

Wednesday September 13 | 2017

Women in Harmony strike a chord

Army cadets have sense of adventure MORE than 350 young people took part in the Army Cadets’ annual camp near Folkestone, the first time the highlight of the calendar has been held in Kent for many years. For two weeks the cadets lived in the field, learning military tactics and field craft in mock ambush situations. Other training included first aid, obstacle courses, competition shooting, drill and turnout.

IN THE FIELD Cadets Joe Glass (left) and Jess Smale, both 13 Adventurous training was another focus, and both cadets and adults took part in raft building, archery, climbing and day trips to the Imperial War Museum, Chelsea Pensioners and Dover Castle. They were visited by the Honorary Colonel, Lord Lieutenant of Kent Viscount De L’Isle, along with representatives from the Royal British Legion, The Remembrance Lodge and the Worshipful Company of Pattenmakers. Cadets from D Company enjoyed a display and demonstration from 579 Field Squadron, part of the 101 Royal Engineers Regiment. Kent ACF were joined by a contingent of Italian cadets on an exchange programme which has developed into mutual camps and training. Colonel Chris Gilbert said: “Annual camp gives our young people the opportunity to go away with the other members of the ACF from all over the county, often forging new friendships and making memories that will last a lifetime.” He added: “We really do provide young people with a springboard to go on to better things and contribute to society.” If you are interested in joining the Kent Army Cadets, call Major Brian Hilton on 01622 750328, email: ceokent-se@rfca.org.uk or visit www.kentarmycadets.com

THE Women in Harmony Choir of Tunbridge Wells raised £1,145 for Alzheimer’s UK when they performed an a capella concert at their Masonic Hall headquarters in St John’s Road. The 30-strong choir, led by Musical Director Jenifer Horbury, performed their wide-ranging repertoire, including John Rutter’s A Flower Remembered – written after the Japanese tsunami of 2011 – and Maori numbers. Women in Harmony celebrated their 20th anniversary in February. Two years ago they won the inaugural Hospice in the Weald Choir award.

HIGH NOTE Shirley Sears (left) receives the cheque on behalf of Alzheimer’s UK from the choir’s Chairman, Pat Collins

Fordcombe hangs out the bunting as Sheila approaches her century TWO weeks before her 100th birthday, Sheila Oliver will open the Fordcombe Village Fete this Saturday [September 16]. The former Wren has lived in the village since the 1930s and ran a youth group for many years. Children will run a ‘Golden Mile’ lap of the green to start the festivities at 1pm, and there will be a storyteller to encourage young people with their reading and writing. There will also be maypole dancing, dog shows, military vehicles and classic cars, Punch and Judy, donkey rides and a flower show alongside traditional stalls. Sheila is passionate about Formula One and Lewis Hamilton, and took the opportunity to try out a Jordan F1 racing car formerly driven by Jean Alesi on the occasion of a summer garden party in her honour in July. Any funds raised will go towards the renovation of the village hall and supporting village groups.

REVVED UP Sheila Oliver in a Jordan F1 car

Community News

Wednesday September 13 | 2017

Southborough celebrates its 25 years with French twin town HORSE-DRAWN Welham Jones offered rides in their hearse

Funeral directors launch charity drive to celebrate their silver anniversary

CHANNEL HOPPERS: Southborough residents meet their Lambersart friends THE Southborough and High Brooms District Overseas Friendship Association visited their twin town, Lambersart in northern France, to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the signing of the twinning charter in 1992. The charter was reaffirmed by the Mayors of Southborough and Lambersart, David Elliott and Marc-Philippe Daubresse, and the Chairmen of the two twinning associations, Alain Lewis and Jean-Paul Krieger. The occasion included the laying of wreaths at the war memorial and the grave of five resistance

fighters who were executed ahead of the liberation of Lambersart by British troops on September 3, 1944.

Celebrations There was also a commemorative lunch and dinner, with 23 members attending from Kent, and further celebrations will be held in Southborough in October. To find out about joining the association, contact Alain Lewis at amblewis@hotmail.com

LOCAL funeral directors Welham Jones are marking 25 years in business by fundraising for charities in ‘multiples of 25’ over the next 12 months, such as 25 care assistant days or 25 home nurse visits. The family-run firm, which now has seven branches across the county, first opened in Sevenoaks in 1992. Managing Director Simon Welham said: “We are firm believers in community service and giving back to the areas in which we operate, so we thought it would be fitting to mark 25 years in business with a very special charity initiative. “We will be fundraising for charities in batches of 25. We don’t know exactly what those 25s will be at this stage; we want to hear from local charities what would be the most helpful 25 that we could raise for them.” One of the first initiatives will be in aid of Winston’s Wish, which was founded in 1992 to support bereaved children. Operations Manager Pam Pines explained:

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“Working on the front line of bereavement, we know how much of a difference the right support can make to helping a child learn to accept and live successfully with their loss.” Welham Jones’ 25 for 25 was launched at the open day at Tunbridge Wells Crematorium and Cemetery on September 2, where the company exhibited its products and offered rides in a horse-drawn hearse. The firm’s staff will be cycling, running, walking, baking and holding quiz nights and other charity events over the next 12 months. If you would like to nominate a charity for 25 for 25, call 01732 808308 or email: simon.welham@welhamjones.co.uk

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County News

Wednesday September 13 | 2017

Counties clash over new garden village proposals

Power network shocked to discover stranded cat

RESIDENTS in Edenbridge are up in arms after a neighbouring council in Surrey unveiled radical plans which could see 6,000 homes ‘dumped’ on the town’s outskirts. Plans for the 236-hectare ‘Edenbridge Garden Village’ are being put forward by Tandridge District Council as it aims to meet house-building targets. However, the proposal – one of four options tabled – will require 40 per cent of the new homes to be built in an area that comes under neighbouring Sevenoaks District Council. The majority of this land is currently occupied by the Kent & Surrey Golf and Country Club, west of the town. Tandridge believes the garden village option will be good for commuters, who can utilise the two stations in Edenbridge, and will reduce pressure elsewhere on the green belt. But Sevenoaks District Councillor Robert Piper, Cabinet member for planning policy, said the proposal was ‘unsuitable’.

PICTURES have emerged of a poor moggy which somehow found itself stuck at the top of a 35ft high telegraph pole in Faversham. The RSPCA was called on Friday August 25 with a report that a white and black cat had been stranded, in temperatures reaching 23 degrees, for a number of hours. RSPCA Animal Welfare Officer Tina Nash described the rescue carried out by engineers at UK Power Networks as ‘brilliant’ and praised them for their calm approach, especially when the cat started walking along the cabling. UK Power Networks linesman Mark Stevenson said in the 40 years he has been on the job this was the first cat he had rescued, and he was glad it had a ‘happy ending’ after the member of the public who called the RSPCA said the stray moggy could live with them.

Queen’s sculpture MEMBERS of Gravesham Council have given the green light for a bronze sculpture of Queen Elizabeth II to be installed in St Andrew’s Gardens, just off Crooked Lane. The statue is being created by sculptor Douglas Jennings, and will be placed upon a plinth of Portland stone. It is understood the sculpture will be used to commemorate 65 years of Her Majesty’s reign, which she will achieve in June next year. The £200,000 required to pay for The Queen’s statue has been provided by mystery private benefactors.

CAT IN A HOT THIN GOOF The puss in peril ended up on top of a telegraph pole amid soaring temperatures

RESCUE OPERATION By electricity board engineers

County News

Wednesday September 13 | 2017

PCC in second round of funding KENT’S Police & Crime Commissioner, Matthew Scott, is looking to invest more than £94,000 in new and expanding community projects and is inviting local groups to bid for their share. It is the second time he has used the Safer in Kent Fund to support local initiatives, having handed out £50,000 in July. Mr Scott said that in this latest round of funding he was particularly looking for schemes and projects that are aimed at: Keeping rural and coastal communities safe; reducing reoffending; empowering young people; tackling anti-social behaviour and preventing crime and fraud “I want to support new or expanded projects and innovative approaches that help address the issues that are contained within my Safer in Kent plan.

LISTENING Matthew Scott

‘This election marks a critical moment in the party’s history’ In what could prove a significant boost to his leadership chances, former leader Nigel Farage has acted as his referee in the leadership battle. Mr Bolton boasts particularly strong credentials in the field of security, having also served as a

diplomat and police officer. In 2013 he was awarded an OBE for services to international security. However, he was unsuccessful when standing for the role of Kent’s Police & Crime Commissioner last year, coming second in the election behind Conservative Matthew Scott. But his odds to succeed Paul Nuttall, who is standing down as leader of UKIP following the party’s poor performance FRONT RUNNER during the Henry Bolton snap General

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MP slams Brexit ‘game show’ in maiden speech

“There is an army of volunteers and communityminded people right across Kent and Medway, and I want to help them do their part to make us all Safer in Kent,” said Mr Scott. The announcement last week comes after the Police & Crime Commissioner [PCC] had engaged in a county-wide tour in order to listen to the concerns of residents. This saw him stop off in Tunbridge Wells after visits to Canterbury, Faversham, Kings Hill, Rainham and Rochester. Those who spoke to the PCC at one of his stalls during the tour were also encouraged to complete a survey that would set the strategic priorities for Kent Police. For organisations wishing to apply for funding, visit www.kent-pcc.gov.uk

Ex soldier guns for UKIP leadership THE Kent candidate vying for control of UKIP has seen the odds on him becoming leader shorten dramatically in just 24 hours. Henry Bolton, whose military background includes serving in both the cavalry and as an infantry officer, is closing the gap on front runners Peter Whittle and Anne Marie Waters.

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Election, were slashed from around 14/1 on September 4 to 8/1 on September 5 as momentum builds behind his campaign. Other UKIP heavyweights to endorse Mr Bolton include the MEPs James Carver and Mike Hookem. Commenting on the endorsements he had received, Mr Bolton said: “This election marks a critical moment in the party’s history. It will determine whether or not the party has a credible future in British politics.” Explaining his decision to nominate the former soldier to be the next leader of UKIP, Mr Farage said he is: ‘vouching for his [Mr Bolton’s] political acumen, good character and ability to lead the party to success’.

THE newly-elected MP for Canterbury, Labour MP Rosie Duffield, used her maiden speech in the House of Commons last week to accuse the government of treating Brexit as if it was a game show. Her speech came during a debate on the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill, in which she said the Conservatives were adopting a ‘deal or no deal’ approach to Brexit, adding: “This isn’t a game show with a snappy title. We must come out with a deal that doesn’t send us back into the economic dark ages.” She warned of risks to the Kent economy, particularly the agricultural sector, which is highly reliant on immigration. “If there must be a Brexit, I only want the sort of Brexit that protects the rights of EU nationals to work in the UK,” she said.

Jack the Ripper auction A LETTER believed to have been written by London’s most notorious serial killer is to go under the hammer in Folkestone next month. The postcard, featuring 43 words, was sent to Ealing Police Station in October 1888 at the height of Jack the Ripper’s murder spree in the slums of the East End. The postcard reads: “Beware there is two women I want here. They are bastards. And I mean to have them. My knife is still in good order. It is a student’s knife and I hope you liked the half of kidney. I am Jack the Ripper.”

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National News

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Royal Navy could help storm-tossed territories THE Royal Navy needs a permanent base in the overseas territories (OTs) affected by Hurricane Irma to respond to future disasters, a former Foreign Office minister has said. Sir Henry Bellingham told MPs that to build a base would send a ‘really strong signal of solidarity’ to the territories. He said: “If the French and Dutch can do it, and they both incidentally had two warships on standby before the hurricane, then surely we should do that and it would send a really strong signal of solidarity to the OTs.”

Sir Peter was ‘visionary’

Wednesday September 13 | 2017

Public sector pay cap to end for prison officers and police THE seven-year public sector pay cap is to be scrapped from next year, with ministers given ‘flexibility’ to breach the long-standing limit of 1 per cent on rises. The announcement came as Downing Street unveiled a 1.7 per cent hike for prison officers and improvements totalling 2 per cent in police pay for 2017-18. The end of the ceiling on public sector rises came after massive pressure from unions and Labour, and was made public shortly before Jeremy Corbyn rose to address a TUC conference in Brighton dominated by calls for an end to restraint. Unions made clear in their initial responses that the

TRIBUTES to Sir Peter Hall, the former director of the National Theatre and founder of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), have poured in following his death at the age of 86. The RSC’s artistic director, Gregory Doran, called Sir Peter a ‘colossus and visionary’. “Not only was he a great director of theatre and opera, he was a politician who fought for the arts. It is impossible to single out his greatest production,” he said.

Tattoos linked to lymph TATTOOS release pigment particles that lodge in lymph nodes, posing a potential health risk. Scientists have used powerful X-rays to track titanium dioxide nanoparticles down in skin and lymph tissue taken from corpses. They found evidence that the smallest molecules accumulated in the lymph nodes, which are vital to the immune system.

CELL OUT: Prison officers may go on strike over the offer

Government move fell well short of their aspirations. TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady branded the increases for police and prison officers ‘pathetic’, on a day when the latest inflation figures showed prices rising by 2.9 per cent annually. The Prison Officers’ Association union said it was seeking industrial action over an offer which it said effectively amounted to a pay cut and would leave a majority of staff with rises of just 1.3 per cent. Meanwhile, police chiefs warned that their pay award would put financial pressure on forces’ already stretched budgets and could impact on their ability to deliver services and avoid job cuts. Police will receive a 1 per cent one-off ‘non-consolidated’ bonus on top of their basic pay rise of 1 per cent for 2017-18. Their settlement and the 1.7 per cent average rise for prison officers were agreed by Cabinet in line with the recommendations of the last two independent public sector pay review bodies to report this year. The 2017-18 settlements will be met out of existing departmental budgets and will be implemented immediately. The Government’s pay restraint policy has seen a two-year freeze after the Conservative-led coalition came to power in 2010, followed by a 1 per cent annual limit from 2013. Asked whether the readiness to show ‘flexibility’ meant that the cap was now ending, the spokesman said: “The Government recognises that in some parts of the public sector, particularly in areas of skill shortage, more flexibility may be required to deliver world-class public services, including in return for improvements to public sector productivity.”

Murdoch’s Sky bid faces extra scrutiny over Fox standards RUPERT MURDOCH’S £11.7billion bid to take full control of Sky is facing a potential wider investigation by the competition regulator, the Culture Secretary has said. Karen Bradley told MPs she is now also minded to ask the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to conduct a fuller investigation into 21st Century Fox’s bid on the grounds of ‘genuine commitment to broadcasting standards’.

Plurality This announcement followed her confirmation that she still has an ‘intention’ to ask the CMA to examine the proposed merger on the grounds of media plurality. Ms Bradley outlined her decision on whether to refer the bid for a six-month investigation to the CMA in a statement in the Commons. On broadcasting standards, Ms Bradley said the first concern was around Fox’s compliance procedures for the broadcast of Fox News in the UK. She said: “The fact that Fox belatedly established such procedures does not ease my concerns, IN THE NEWS: Rupert nor does Fox’s Murdoch owns Fox compliance history.”

National News

Wednesday September 13 | 2017

Unspoilt WWI airfield will be open to public

CHOCKS AWAY: The mess hall at Stow Maries A ‘REMARKABLE’ First World War aerodrome that was largely forgotten for decades is set to receive £4.3million in Lottery funding for restoration. Stow Maries, near Maldon in Essex, remained unaltered since it was taken out of service in 1919 but is now set to become a tourist attraction. Established by the Royal Flying Corps in 1916, it played a key role in defending Britain from German zeppelins and Gotha biplane bombers.

‘Aileen’ set to bring 75mph winds to UK THE first named storm of the year, Aileen, is set to bring winds of up 75 miles per hour to parts of the UK this week, the Met Office said. Storm Aileen is the first storm to be named since this season’s names were released last week as part of the scheme by the Met Office to raise awareness of extreme weather. Low pressure will bring ‘very strong winds’ across much of England and Wales, with an amber severe weather warning for gusts of 55-65mph.

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Brexit bill is passed but faces 157 amendments

NHS chief issues flu warning after Australian woes

PRIME MINISTER Theresa May is facing a massive battle over her flagship Brexit bill, after scores of amendments were tabled within hours of it passing its first Parliamentary hurdle. A total of 157 amendments to the EU (Withdrawal) Bill, covering 59 pages, were published, many made by senior Conservative europhiles. The Bill cleared its second reading in the House of Commons by a margin of 36 in the early hours of Tuesday [September 12]. A mooted rebellion by Remain-backing Tories failed to materialise and seven Labour MPs rebelled against Jeremy Corbyn to vote with the Government.

HOSPITALS have been urged to brace themselves for a ‘pressurised’ flu season this winter, the head of the NHS has revealed. The comments from NHS England Chief Executive, Simon Stevens, come at the tail end of a ‘heavy flu outbreak’ in the southern hemisphere during its winter. Hospitals in Australia and New Zealand struggled to cope, he said as he urged their counterparts in England to be prepared.

Waiting times

No gaps But the raft of changes proposed by Tories including former ministers Kenneth Clarke, Dominic Grieve, Nicky Morgan and Anna Soubry, serves notice on Mrs May that she faces a rough ride in the remaining stages of the Bill’s passage. The Bill will repeal the 1972 act taking Britain into the European Economic Community and transpose relevant EU law on to the UK statute book to ensure there are no gaps in legislation at the point of Brexit. Labour has tabled a raft of amendments designed to curb the Government’s use of so-called Henry VIII powers that allow reforms to be passed with little parliamentary scrutiny. It also wants to secure protections on human rights and environmental standards. The vote allowing it to move on to the next stage

FLAG DAY: Theresa May hailed a ‘historic decision’ in Parliament passed by a comfortable majority of 36, which included all 10 of the DUP MPs that are propping up the minority government. No Conservatives opposed the move but five, as well as two Tories acting as tellers, did not walk through the voting lobbies. Mrs May hailed the vote declaring: “Earlier this morning Parliament took a historic decision to back the will of the British people and vote for a Bill which gives certainty and clarity ahead of our withdrawal from the European Union.” Labour said the result was ‘deeply disappointing’ and the Liberal Democrats described it as ‘a dark day for the mother of parliaments’.

Mr Stevens said the health service was reviewing the situation in the countries, where hospitals were forced to close their doors to new patients and people faced long waiting times. He told delegates at the NHS Expo conference in Manchester: “For the next three, four, five months, the top priority for every leader, every part of the NHS, is ensuring that the NHS goes into winter in as strong a position as possible. He added: “We know we’re going to have more hospital beds open, we know we are better prepared, but we also know that the pressures are going to be real. “The signs from Australia and New Zealand, who are just coming out of their winter, are that it has been a heavy flu season and many of the hospitals down there have struggled to cope. “We know that there is a great deal of work to be done over the next six to eight weeks with our partners in local authorities to put the NHS on the right footing for the winter ahead.”

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National Business News

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Warning issued about digital coin investment

Clothing and fuel price rises lead to increase in inflation

THE UK’s financial watchdog has joined international peers in raising the alarm over initial coin offerings [ICOs]. A consumer warning issued by the Financial Conduct Authority [FCA] highlights the risks involved with investing in companies in exchange for a digital ‘coin’ or ‘token’, adding that most ICOs are not currently regulated. It said: “You should be conscious of the risks involved ... and fully research the specific project if you are thinking about buying digital tokens.”

level since official records began at 4.6 per cent year-on-year in August. On a monthly basis, clothing and footwear rose 2.4 per cent after a smaller hike of 1 per cent between July and August in 2016. Motor fuels also pushed the overall cost of living higher, with fuels and lubricants rising 1.6 per cent month-on-month in August following a 1.3 per cent fall last year. The price of petrol rose by 1.8p a litre to 115.7p in August, while diesel picked up by 2p to 117.6p.

Rise in remortgaging THE number of home owners remortgaging bounced back in July to reach its highest level since the start of 2017. There were 36,800 people remortgaging, up 7 per cent on June and 10 per cent higher than a year ago, according to UK Finance. It said that overall, the number of people remortgaging over the last year has been at its highest level since 2009. The monthly total is the highest since January, when 41,800 remortgage loans were handed out to home owners across the UK.

Fox defends arms sales INTERNATIONAL Trade Secretary Liam Fox has defended Britain’s multibillion-pound arms export industry, warning that if countries were unable to acquire the weapons they needed legally there would be an eruption of unregulated sales.

Wednesday September 13 | 2017

The Bank of England predicts CPI to peak at around 3 per cent in October, higher than its target of 2 per cent RISING clothing and fuel prices caused inflation to rebound last month, intensifying the squeeze on cash-strapped households grappling with low wage growth. Figures from the Office for National Statistics [ONS] showed the Consumer Price Index [CPI)] measure of inflation was 2.9 per cent in August, outstripping expectations of 2.8 per cent. It brings an end to a momentary pause in June and July at 2.6 per cent, and matches levels seen in May this year and June 2013. CPI was last higher in April 2012 when the rate reached 3 per cent. The main upward pressure came from clothing and footwear prices, which climbed to the highest

But downward pressure came from airfares, which saw smaller hikes between July and August at 10.9 per cent, compared to a 14.4 per cent monthly jump in 2016. The Bank of England is predicting CPI to peak at around 3 per cent in October, higher than its target of 2 per cent. Governor Mark Carney warned last month that the pressure on families would continue for the next few quarters. Households have seen their spending power diminish as wage growth tracks below inflation. The Retail Prices Index, a separate measure of inflation, was 3.9 per cent last month, rising from 3.6 per cent in July.

Bell Pottinger in administration after disastrous campaign BELL POTTINGER has collapsed into administration after the tarnished PR firm failed to find a buyer in light of claims it ran a ‘racially divisive’ campaign in South Africa. Accountancy group and advisory firm BDO confirmed it was notified of Bell Pottinger’s pending collapse on September 8 but was officially appointed administrators of the once-leading City PR company on Tuesday [September 12]. The administrators have not confirmed how many staff have been made redundant as a result, though recent reports suggested Bell Pottinger had about 250 employees. BDO said: “Following an immediate assessment of the financial position, the administrators have made a number of redundancies. “The administrators are now working with the remaining partners and employees to seek an orderly transfer of Bell Pottinger’s clients to other firms in order to protect and realise value for creditors. “We have taken appropriate steps to preserve the rights Bell Pottinger may have in relation to the failure of the business.” News of its collapse was widely flagged in recent days, having been kicked out of a leading industry group, ditched by its second major shareholder and abandoned by a number of key UK clients, including Investec, Richemont, Unite and Carillion following a damning report by law firm Herbert Smith Freehill regarding its work for Oakbay Capital. Its Asian and Middle Eastern businesses have also moved to rebrand in hopes of severing ties with its UK parent firm.

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World News

Wednesday September 13 | 2017

SPORTS IN BRIEF

FLARE-UP: Steelworkers demonstrate in Marseilles

Referees apparently fitter than players INCREASING ball-in-play time means referees are fitter than players in the modern game, according to former Harlequins scrum-half turned official Karl Dickson. Dickson expects to oversee his first Aviva Premiership match this season. He said: “If you took us referees and put them against a load of players, we’d be way above them because it’s a different type of fitness. That was my biggest surprise… It took time to get up to speed with that.”

New Froome challenge FRESH from his victory in La Vuelta, Chris Froome will compete in the time trial at the UCI Road World Championships in Norway next week, British Cycling has announced. The race in Bergen on September 20 will be contested over a 31km course. Froome’s main rivals are expected to be Tom Dumoulin of Holland and Tony Martin of Germany.

Mane will serve ban LIVERPOOL’S Sadio Mane will serve the full three-match suspension for his red card at Manchester City after his appeal against the length of the ban was rejected. The Senegal forward was sent off by referee Jon Moss after raising his foot and clashing with City goalkeeper Ederson in his side’s 5-0 defeat on Saturday. City are assessing the Brazilian’s fitness ahead of the Group F opener in Rotterdam.

Protests break out across France over Macron’s labour reforms FRENCH police are preparing for potential violence as unions and other groups hold nationwide protests against changes to labour laws that they fear will damage job security. The protests are the first big public display of discontent with President Emmanuel Macron’s presidency since he came to power in May. The prominent CGT union is leading the protests, calling for strikes and organising 180 demonstrations against labour decrees unveiled last month by Mr Macron’s government. Thousands of union activists marched on Tuesday [September 12] in Paris, Marseilles and other cities. The protests come following anger at a comment last week by Mr Macron suggesting that opponents of labour reform are ‘lazy’. Mr Macron’s labour decrees – which reduce the power of unions and give companies more author-

ity to fire workers and influence workplace rules – are the first step in what he hopes will be deep economic changes.

Undemocratic Critics say the reforms dismantle hard-fought worker protections and accuse the government of being undemocratic for using a special method to push the decrees through parliament. Companies argue that existing rules prevent them from hiring and contribute to France’s high unemployment rate, currently around 10 per cent. Some unions refused to join the protests, preferring to negotiate with the government over upcoming changes to unemployment and retirement rules instead of taking their grievances on to the streets.

Rohingya refugee numbers still rising THE number of Rohingya refugees who have fled violence in Burma has soared to around 370,000, according to the UN refugee agency. Thousands of Rohingya Muslims have been arriving daily by foot across the swampy border as well as by rickety wooden boats travelling on wild seas since violence erupted on August 25 in Burma. The update came as the Bangladeshi prime minister visited a struggling refugee camp that has absorbed some of the influx. Sheikh Hasina demanded that Burma ‘take steps to take their nationals back’ and pledged temporary aid until that happens. The UN human rights chief Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein said the violence and injustice faced by the Rohingya in Burma – where UN rights investigators have been barred from entry – ‘seems a textbook example of ethnic cleansing’.

Half a million Britons caught on Irma’s trail MORE than 500,000 British nationals have been in the path of Hurricane Irma, a minister has said. Foreign Minister Sir Alan Duncan told the Commons that 997 British military personnel are now in the Caribbean helping with the relief effort. He added that while the death toll was low for a storm of this magnitude, the infrastructure on the island of Barbuda ‘no longer exists’. Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson is visiting the British territories devastated by the hurricane. Sir Alan said: “Over 500,000 British nationals, either residents or tourists, have been in the path of Hurricane Irma, which has caused devastation across an area spanning well over 1,000 miles.”

NEWS

Letters

Wednesday September 13 | 2017

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 16 Lonsdale Gardens, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 1NU The realistic plastic scales. Why did they vanish overnight? What was the reason for their plight? It seems the reptiles just caught sight Of the new ice cream shop – and they all took fright. Warm blooded creatures hate the cold (Being caught once before when it REALLY took hold – Snow, hail & ice lay where they’d strolled; What happened next has oft been told).

DINO MIGHT There’s something amiss at RVP, It’s just not what it used to be…

At least the horses, proud and tall Stood firm amidst the free-for-all When Santa canters down the Mall They’ll help him dodge any random snowball. So listen next time you order ice cream – You may hear a distant dinosaur scream. (With thanks to RVP for the fantastic exhibition!)

An eerie silence now prevails Where once were mournful roars & wails; The nodding heads, the swishing tails,

Councillors should stand as independents It is indeed surprising that Cllrs Soyke and Sloan have been deselected as Conservative Candidates [Times September 6], especially as they live in the wards they represent. This is in marked contrast to Cllr Lewis-Grey, who sat in judgment on their fate and refuses to talk to the media, and yet does not live in either of the council wards [Culverden and East and High Brooms] he purports to represent. Similarly, we have a council leader who lives across the town and county borders in Crowborough in charge of the affairs of both Tunbridge Wells and Ashurst, where Cllr Soyke has her home. Perhaps Cllrs Soyke and Sloan should defect to another party or stand again as independent candidates. Then the public, and not a small Conservative clique, could choose their next councillors. Dr Alan Bullion Tunbridge Wells

River Lawn: Lose conker trees not jobs What an astonishing letter from John Telling [August 30]. Mr Telling was a senior officer at Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council when the Cabinet arrangements were introduced. Did he complain back then? Did he resign as a protest against a system which puts ‘so much unchallengeable power in the hands of a small coterie’? No. He stayed on and retired with a fat pension. Now Mr Telling has joined hands with the nimbys at Keep River Lawn who would rather see

Helen Mills Tunbridge Wells jobs lost and lives devastated than a few conker trees cut down. Mr Telling is a typical baby boomer who would deny younger generations all the things they enjoy: A decent job, a good home, financial security and several luxurious cruises every year. Andy Smith Tonbridge

River Lawn: Please do the right thing Having lived in Tonbridge all of my life, I feel I have a right to express my disgust at the way that this matter [River Lawn] has been progressed. Specifically, sailing very, very close to the wind on statutory procedures on notification and consultation of local people, and certainly not acting within the spirit of these procedures. There appears to be a good degree of arrogance and assumption on the part of the decisionmakers in the council in thinking that a proposal such as this, to build on a prime, green public space in the town, doesn’t need to be properly and fully consulted on and can effectively be railroaded through the council chamber. The building on prime green space with a river view and a green outlook may be lucrative for council funds, and plug financial gaps for a year or two, but this approach is unsustainable and where does it benefit the town in the long run?? And I am sure many people in this town believe that generations to come should be able to enjoy the use of this green space with its established trees and view through to the sports ground, as I and my family have done over the years. Either to sit down in the shade and eat lunch, or as a pleasant walk-through/gateway to the

sports and castle grounds beyond. Please find me a majority of townsfolk who want to see a private property development in this space! My father, who is nearly 80, has lived in South Tonbridge all his life and is also horrified by what the council is proposing. I went to 1st and 5th Tonbridge Scouts and used this space, as did he when he was young. Mr Heslop and fellow councillors: Please do the right thing. Save this piece of green space for future generations and show that you listen to the residents of this town which, as public servants, you were elected to do, and as public servants are surely obliged to do. Steven Coulstock Tonbridge Resident

River Lawn: Cabinet power plain wrong We are writing regarding comments made by Cllr Nicolas Heslop [August 16] in your paper regarding the figures, and also unease amongst Tonbridge people, about the proposals for green land at River Walk and the CAB building. This councillor’s reply is typical of his ongoing comments. He is rubbishing the integrity of local people passionate about their area. How he has the temerity to say the campaign is politically motivated is typical of the salvo he constantly fires. The Kings Hill open meeting [July 11] was a farce. The public were denied the full time allowed for debate, and so it goes on. Constitutionally, it is wrong that six Cabinet members can have the final say in major decisions. Tunbridge Wells Borough Council changed back to the system whereby this does not now happen. Surely this is more democratic and fair? Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council needs to do the same. M Le Goubin (Mrs) & WS Le Goubin Tonbridge

If Civic Complex looks like a turkey… In commenting on Cllr Simmons’ referendum [August 30] on the proposed Civic Complex, Cllr Tracy Moore states that the referendum paper contains a ‘significant omission’ – the council’s commitment that council tax will not increase to pay for the project. How she plans to outlive the 50 years’ payback period and stay on as a councillor and remain in a position to guarantee this undertaking, I do not know. What we do know is that politicians’ promises have the life of late-spring snow. To paraphrase an old adage: “If it looks like a turkey, gobbles like a turkey and walks like a turkey, then I call this a turkey.” This is a turkey, and Cllr Moore knows what her American countrymen do to turkeys in November each year. Frankly, it should be put out of its misery before then. Sam Goodenough Tunbridge Wells

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

APOLOGIES are the order of the day this week. Nothing worse than getting someone’s nationality a wee bit twisted. In a column last month, Calverley indicated that the esteemed TW Cllr Tracy Moore [no relation to our equally esteemed Editor Richard Moore, remember] was American. True, she is, but she has hedged her bets and acquired dual nationality. She is both American and British. No wonder she’s a winner. Humble sorries about the error. (Note to Friends of Calverley Grounds: Only joking about the ‘winner’ bit, no bias here.)

Cllr Tracy Moore KIDS today grow up so quickly, in every sense of the word. Take this friend of Calverley’s. She has an 18-year-old daughter who is stepping out with a very nice young man. Mum has agreed that he can ‘stay over’ at the family home providing their paths don’t cross during the night. What the eye doesn’t see and all that… Anyway, the deal is that if Mum needs to visit the bathroom during the hours of darkness she texts her daughter in the next bedroom to make sure the coast is clear. What a palaver. DRIVING into Tunbridge Wells last week Himself spotted the following bumper sticker on a 4x4 that was weaving around a bit along one of the rat runs: “Am not drunk just avoiding potholes.” It could have been any road in any town. OVERHEARD in Fenwick’s restaurant: First mum: “Just been to Smiggle [shop] to buy a pencil case for Samantha to take back to school.” Second mum: “What did you get her?” First mum: “Nothing – they wanted to charge me £18 for a pencil case. £18! She can use her old one.” ANOTHER delayed start to the school year last week as teachers came back from summer hols – for a day off, for inset day. This is where the school is closed to pupils while staff ‘enjoy’ a training day. Why can’t they take at least one of them during the summer holidays? Why deprive pupils of that extra day in the classroom? The word ludicrous springs to mind. Chin, chin readers

Education

Wednesday September 13 | 2017

EDUCATION Times WITH THE

Successful students need to apply a creative approach to learning Using our imagination is key to unlocking a generation of future innovators says Toby Payne-Cook, Head of Science, at Marlborough House School, in Hawkhurst

ALL FIRED UP Imagination equals innovation IN 1988 the Rolling Stones celebrated their silver anniversary. When interviewed about his 25 years in the band, Charlie Watts said, “Well I’ve spent five years playing the drums and the other twenty hanging around!” I can identify with Mr Watts’ words when I consider my 17 years as an industrial scientist: about two years of science, two years of applying maths, two years applying English and the rest drinking coffee! The coffee drinking was the most important part as it was when I got to share, quash and develop new ideas and learn from the experience of others. I learnt the importance of collaboration, curiosity and creativity in successful product development, and that when you dedicate more time to developing the imagination and creativity in the workplace, innovative ideas are born and problems can be solved. Creativity underpins innovation in product, building or vehicle design; it underpins discovery in science, smart improvements to existing products, processes or organisations and it underpins invention – creating something new, something never made before. Ultimately, creativity underpins problem-solving – identifying the root causes of a problem and drawing upon numerous perspectives and ideas to develop a lasting solution.

In just the last 30 years, computers have advanced exponentially, with infinitely superior processing capacity to our own and although it can seem as though the Internet and social media have taken over our world, they have enabled us to share more ideas, with more people, more often than ever before. Imagine what the next thirty years will bring. Industry, Science and Business need the most nimble thinkers to navigate the complex ethics and technologies in this fast changing world, and as paths to careers become less linear and the workplace demands increasingly broader

‘More cross-curricular learning will help develop their problemsolving skills’ skillsets, I believe only the most creative, adaptable and resilient will thrive. In the classroom, children can be at their most curious and courageous, always asking questions and often sufficiently confident to try out new ideas with no or very little fear of failure. This is the perfect environment to unlock their creative

potential and in doing so, help them to start developing life skills and abilities that will stand the test of time. Primary school age children are a long way from developing the specific skills and understanding of concepts they may need to succeed in the workplace but by nurturing a learning environment where creativity has time and space to grow, children won’t have to wait for a good day at the ‘office’ to understand the scope of what can be achieved through collaborative working, or the association between risk-taking and generating an original idea. More art, more drama, more cross-curricular learning and encouraging children to connect and fuse their creative and scientific (imaginative and logical) minds, will not only help develop their problem-solving skills across ALL subjects, but their resilience, confidence, decision-making and adaptability – essential characteristics we need, to turn a world of change, into a world of opportunity. When we give children more time to imagine, wonder, explore, experiment, play, build and question, I believe we can help to sow the seeds of our future innovators before they reach the age of 12. This article first appeared in the September issue of our sister publication So magazine.

EDUCATION IN BRIEF

The Chinese connection ST GREGORY’S Catholic School opened its new Language Academy on Monday [September 11]. It forms part of the school’s successful ACE programme which is a competency based curriculum, taught using a project based learning model. The 30 Year 7 Language Academy pupils began learning Mandarin with a live Skype lesson with their Chinese tutor in Beijing, learning basic introduction. Students then progressed to writing characters under the guidance of the school’s new Mandarin teacher Ms Lee. Pauline Kerr, Assistant Headteacher and leader of the Language Academy said, “The Academy has got off to a fantastic start. Students have been highly engaged and we have been delighted with

the level of interest in languages at St Gregory’s.” The school is the first non-private, non-selective educational establishment in the area to teach Mandarin as a curriculum subject.

School appoints new Head Vinehall School in Robertsbridge has announced that Jonathan Powis as its new Head. Mr Powis was previously the Deputy Head and Head of Geography at Papplewick School in Ascot. On the news of his appointment at the co-educational independent day and boarding school Mr Powis said: “Children come first at Vinehall. We believe that in providing a wide range of opportunities we can allow our children to achieve success, instilling in them a strong sense of purpose and self-confidence.”

Date for your diary Forever Families are holding a social event on Thursday [September 14] at Langton Green School from 6.30-8.30pm for families who have gone through the adoption process or those who are looking after children through special guardianship orders. See www.adoptionuk.org for more information.

Breaktime is child’s play The Mead School unveiled its newly refurbished playground to its pupils on the first day of term last week. The school will be officially opening the new playtime equipment which was funded in association with Friends of The Mead after school on Thursday September 21.

NEWS

Weekly Comment

Wednesday September 13 | 2017

Tom Tugendhat

MP for Tonbridge & Malling

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. He also worked for the Foreign Office. He was first elected as a Member of Parliament in 2015. He was elected as Chair of Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee in 2017.

Infrastructure improvements are vital for the area TONBRIDGE is extremely well connected. Six major roads, train lines to London and, through Ashford and Redhill, to the continent and Gatwick, help our community to do business with the world. Together, these connections have seen us do well. Businesses are opening and employment is at record levels as more and more people see that our community offers the opportunity to work and start companies while enjoying a fantastic quality of life. As those of us who rely on the rail network know only too well, some of these transport links work better than others and require more investment to improve them. One route that has just seen this improvement is the A21. For many of us it has been a nightmare for the past months, but it is finally completed and will be officially opened next week. Having visited the building site, I am very pleased to see the efforts that have gone into it to preserve or replant wild meadows, and care for creatures living in the area. While it has been open in varying sections since construction began, next week will mark the culmination of years of dedication and hard work. It will make a huge difference to our travel as

those of us who have had to rush to Pembury Hospital will know. But it will not just affect Tonbridge, our nearby villages will also see less pressure on the lanes people were using as cutthroughs. Commuters and weekend shoppers will find travel to Tunbridge Wells and beyond much smoother and less stressful.

‘Highways England have a responsibility to introduce noise-reducing solutions too’ If you’ve travelled along it recently, you’ll know that the new section of road is almost unrecognisable from its previous state, with houses being removed and land flattened. The new road follows a slightly different route to the old one in a bid to protect some of the ancient woodland and the wildlife that currently inhabit it. Many of you may have seen the bat enclosures just before the Longfield roundabout, to ensure that the ecological impact of expansion is mitigated. It’s important that these factors are taken into consideration, and I’m very pleased that Highways England have kept these thoughts in mind.

THE A21 DUALLING PROJECT The new road will be fully opened next week Of course, this new and improved bit of infrastructure only starts at the end of Pembury Road, and may lead to an increase in standing traffic and noise on the single carriageway. That’s something I will be raising with people who live near the A21. If you feel you will be affected by the noise of the traffic please let me know. Highways England might be able to deliver a dual carriageway but they have a responsibility to

introduce noise-reducing solutions too, and I would like them to look further at work like this in our area. Highways England and Kent County Council have done a fantastic job at delivering an excellent new road that will have such an impact on all those who use it and live nearby to it. I’m looking forward to my first trip once it’s opened and to seeing the difference that it makes.

Sub folio line

Wednesday January 4 | 2017

WEST KENT’S ULTIMATE PROPERTY GUIDE – FREE EVERY WEDNESDAY A MUST-READ FOR THOSE LOOKING TO BUY, LET OR SELL

PROPERTY The Times is proud to work with:

WITH THE

Available in Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge and Sevenoaks

bracketts

est. 1828

Cream of the crop

Luxury living in a fairy-tale manor house

PROPERTY

To suit your budget

Wednesday September 13 | 2017

Your at-a-glance guide to

BIRCHLEY HOUSE WEST, BIDDENDEN OIEO £995,000

UNDER £250,000 NELSON AVENUE, TONBRIDGE

£247,500 This two-bedroom terraced cottage is in a popular residential area and prime location, being within walking distance of Tonbridge High Street and the mainline station, which has regular services to London. The property is in need of modernisation, so this is the perfect opportunity to

add your own personal stamp. The house is being offered with no forward chain and includes a sitting room with a fitted gas fire and chimney breast, a kitchen/dining room and family bathroom. It is double glazed throughout and there is an enclosed rear garden. CONTACT Bracketts 01732 350503 www.bracketts.co.uk

UNDER £300,000 GREAT BROOMS ROAD HIGH BROOMS

£275,000

GUIDE PRICE

A well-presented two bedroom Edwardian cottage located in High Brooms, which has a mainline station with regular services to London, a primary school, nurseries, convenience stores, and various other amenities. Tunbridge Wells

town centre is just 1.2 miles away. The property comprises a living room, dining room and modern kitchen on the ground floor as well as two double bedrooms and a family bathroom upstairs. Outside, there are low-maintenance gardens to the front and rear. CONTACT Andrews 01892 515144 www.andrewsonline.co.uk

To suit your budget

Wednesday September 13 | 2017

PROPERTY

great properties by price range… UNDER £350,000 BORDYKE, TONBRIDGE

£300,000 (SHARE OF FREEHOLD) GUIDE PRICE Close to the High Street, this wellpresented first floor apartment is one of four with a private front door and an entryphone system. The entrance hall leads to an open-plan living and dining room, two bedrooms and a well-fitted kitchen, conveniently tucked away to the side. Outside, there is one allocated parking space as well as two visitor spaces. There is a communal brick building for storage of bikes and a secluded communal area of garden. CONTACT Barnes Kingsnorth 01732 771616 www.bkestateagents.com

UNDER £600,000 MORTLEY CLOSE, TONBRIDGE

£500,000-£550,000 GUIDE PRICE A townhouse with river views with a top-of-the-range kitchen. There are three/four bedrooms, including an en suite, as well as a family bathroom. The property is centrally located near the castle and has car port parking along with shared outdoor communal areas. There is a Juliet balcony overlooking the gardens, which include pathways and a courtyard facing an easterly direction. The property is being offered with no forward chain. CONTACT Bracketts 01732 350503 www.bracketts.co.uk

UNDER £1MILLION

UNDER £800,000

BIRCHLEY HOUSE WEST BIDDENDEN

£995,000 OIEO A Grade II listed attached family home in a quiet location with private garden and natural swimming pond. There are four double bedrooms, as well as a guest bedroom suite, and there is a currently unconverted period barn and a double garage. The house was built in 1905 as a wing to the original Tudor house and has been refurbished by the current owners to a high standard. There are

GOLDSMID ROAD, TONBRIDGE entertaining areas both inside and out, and it boasts wellproportioned rooms with high ceilings, leaded light casement windows and original panelled doors. Outside, the gardens include a patio area and a paved courtyard as well as established trees and shrubs. CONTACT Savills 01580 720161 www.savills.com

£600,000-£650,000 GUIDE PRICE A three-bedroom family house with an extended kitchen/breakfast room and a good-sized lounge. The latter has a bay window to the front, a recessed fireplace and an archway to the dining area, which in turn has doors to the decked garden. On the first floor is an en-suite master bedroom and two further bedrooms. Outside, there is driveway parking for one vehicle, and a single garage. CONTACT Bracketts 01732 350503 www.bracketts.co.uk

Guide price: ÂŁ1,750,000

Vines Cross A substantial Victorian family home in a quiet rural position 5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 4 reception rooms. Detached 1 bedroom coach house with attached tandem garage to one side. Greenhouse, store rooms, tennis court and garden extending to approximately 4.3 acres. EPC: E.

Guide price: ÂŁ1,100,000

Paddock Wood A most attractive Grade II Listed farmhouse in a rural location 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 3 reception rooms. Detached annexe, office/garden room, double garage. Beautiful gardens and grounds with side terrace and decked seating area overlooking pond. Paddock. In all just over 2 acres.

Our understanding of the ever-changing market enables us to price your property accurately. And with our local knowledge and extensive network of London offices, you can rely on Knight Frank to get you moving. Call us today on 01892 310997 to discuss your property search or to arrange your free market valuation.

Guide price: £1,150,000

Tunbridge Wells

@KF_HomeCounties KnightFrank.co.uk

An elegant period family home in the sought-after St Johns area of the town 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 3 reception rooms. Off-street parking. Established, well-maintained rear garden. EPC: E.

Guide price: £1,950,000

Matfield A wonderful central village property, overlooking the village green, with ancillary accommodation 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 3 reception rooms. 2 bedroom cottage, detached period barn, detached office and outbuildings. Gardens and grounds with terrace, seating areas, petanque piste, vegetable / fruit garden, orchard, pond and paddock. In all about 2.3 acres.

Guide price: ÂŁ1,600,000

Langton Green An impressive family house on sought-after Holmewood Ridge 6 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 3 reception rooms. Magnificent kitchen space. Ideally positioned for Holmewood House preparatory. Integral garage. Extensively landscaped rear garden. Swimming pool. EPC: D.

Guide price: ÂŁ1,800,000

Hartfield A superb contemporary new build family house offering a zero carbon footprint 6 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, 2 reception rooms. Double garage. Gardens and grounds extending to approximately 1.6 acres. EPC: B.

Guide price: £795,000

Southborough

@KF_HomeCounties KnightFrank.co.uk

An attractive Grade II Listed Georgian cottage occupying a wonderful position on the Common 4 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, 2 reception rooms. Pretty gardens. Views over to St Peter’s Church.

Guide price: £849,950

Frittenden A Grade II Listed farmhouse in a semi-rural position 5 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 3 reception rooms. Detached double garage, detached workshop / garden store, paved terrace and orchard. In all about 0.75 acres.

FEATURES

Interiors

Wednesday September 13 | 2017

Leaf through these planting ideas Get a fresh green look at home with our guide to embracing houseplants in your design scheme

OUSEPLANTS are back in vogue. Once a popular feature in 60s and 70s homes, they fell out of favour in the minimalist 90s, but now going green indoors is all the rage again. “We’ve observed the creeping return of greenery in the way some of the chicest folk around decorate their homes today,” says Kara O’Reilly, co-author of At Home With Plants [with Ian Drummond]. “Cool interiors are upping the variety of plant pots in their ranges, and there’s a revival of everything from terrariums to hanging planters as decorative elements. “One of the most amazing things about houseplants is that you enjoy them all year round, and there’s nothing more satisfying to the soul than nurturing a living thing. “With a little know-how, even the least green-fingered among us can grow an indoor plant.

“But be warned – once you start, the look will grow on you!” LIVING ROOM “Houseplants can have enormous impact in a living room because there are so many areas to display them,” says Kara. “Follow the fashion for hanging planters – in macrame, metal or marble – and attach them to the ceiling to create a ‘green screen’. “Or invest in a set of open shelves, and fill with potted plants to make a room divider. “Quirky containers for foliage – such as vintage hampers – will inject personality into a setting.” How to display: Surfaces from mantels to shelves and windowsills to side tables are perfect homes for plants. If you have the space, go to town with a group of different sized, floor-standing architectural palms to create a focal point.

Interiors

Wednesday September 13 | 2017

What to pick: Palms, weeping figs or finger trees are all conversation pieces. Choose plants in foliage colours to complement your ornaments or colour scheme, such as trailing plants, English ivy and chain cactus – or flowering plants such as flamingo flower, pink quill or vanda orchids. KITCHEN “The kitchen is the heart of the home, so why not show yours a little love with some creative planting?” adds Kara.“Herbs are an obvious choice as they are attractive, an invaluable cooking ingredient, and their fragrance can mask odours.” How to display: Try placing a large container of mixed herbs on a table, or plant individual varieties in matching pots and line them up along a shelf, a windowsill or work surface. What to pick: Chives, coriander, mint, basil. They prefer a light, bright position, such as a sunny windowsill, and regular water and occasional misting. Ideally, buy plants from a garden centre as they’ll last longer. Asplenium ferns, echeveria succulents and moth orchids also thrive in kitchens with lots of light. BATHROOM “Most bathrooms tend to fall into one of two camps: Light and humid, or dark and humid. “While light levels are obviously a key consideration when choosing plants for any space, with a bathroom you need to select humidity-loving plants above all,” she advises. How to display: Arrange plants so they are within your sight line when taking a soak in the tub or a shower. In a small space, choose miniature varieties and dot them amongst your lotions and potions. What to pick: Cacti and most succulents are an absolute no-no. Orchids, ferns, aloes and palms all like humidity and can also tolerate

FEATURES

fluctuations in temperature. Trailing plants work well, including spider plants, heart-leaf philodendron and chestnut vine. Foliage plants are a better choice for a dark bathroom as flowering plants generally need higher levels of light. BEDROOM “Plants don’t only look good in bedrooms, but they can also help us feel calm and act as natural air conditioners, gently raising the humidity levels and improving air quality,” says Kara. How to display: A plant on a bedside table will upgrade its look and is a welcoming touch for a guest. Consider an indoor tree by a bed, or hanging planters to bring interest to a dull corner. What to pick: Plants that cope with slightly lower temperatures and potentially lower light levels. Seek out varieties which are proven toxic filters, such as heartleaf philodendron and peace lily. Improve air quality by choosing plants that release oxygen at night, such as orchids, Barbados aloe and mother-in-law’s tongue – while lavender (known as a sleep inducer) could scent the air. At Home With Plants, by Ian Drummond & Kara O’Reilly, with photography by Nick Pope, is published by Mitchell Beazley, priced £20. Available now

TUN1SEP13P040-41.indd 41

11/09/2017 16:10

Wednesday September 13 | 2017

Wadhurst Place

PROPERTY

Live like royalty in a striking new development

AT A GLANCE

WADHURST PLACE WADHURST EAST SUSSEX n New build development set just

outside a popular village in 18 acres of parkland n Elevated position n Views of The Weald n Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty n Original building dates back to 1885

and is Grade II listed n Two-to-five-bedroom houses available n A varied selection of 26 detached

family homes n Oak joinery n Ornate plastered ceilings n Stained glass windows n Shaker-style kitchens n Stone and oak flooring n Soft muted colour palettes n Queen Anne ceilings n Initial 12-month defect period n 10-year Premier Guarantee

ÂŁ575,000-ÂŁ1,600,000 Available for sale through Savills Tunbridge Wells 01892 507005 www.savills.co.uk

FEATURES

Advertising

Wednesday September 13 | 2017

PROPERTY

Pounsley House

Wednesday September 13 | 2017

A characterful Edwardian family home with balcony, gym and swimming pool AT A GLANCE

POUNSLEY HOUSE DUNTON GREEN n Three reception rooms n Kitchen/breakfast room n Two conservatories n Master bedroom with en suite n Five further bedrooms n Shower room n Family bathroom n Balcony n Gym n Swimming pool n Garage n Established gardens and grounds

Â£1,475,000 Available for sale through Savills Sevenoaks 01732 789700 www.savills.co.uk

PROPERTY

Advertising Feature

With the launch of Howard Cundey’s new online platform LIVE, we hear from cofounders Tim Foulkes and Dan Berrisford about the future of property...

Tim Foulkes

HOWARD CUNDEY LIVE has been developed by CEO’s and co-founders Dan Berrisford and Tim Foulkes. It is being launched to complement and expand on their existing high street (established 1968) and regional centre network. ‘LIVE’ is a technology driven online estate agency, giving customers control over their property marketing alongside personal assistance along the journey. Tim and Dan told us that the Howard Cundey brand now offers customers a real transparent pricing and service choice on how to sell their home, with ‘Four Ways’; High Street, Regional Centre, Modern Auction and LIVE.

Wednesday September 13 | 2017

Tim and Dan have acquired technology and have deployed this to create a true online model, as they firmly believe that their multi-award winning, innovative estate agency has the reputation, trust and long-standing experience to rival the large corporate online companies. The customer has mobility with their property to switch between the services and this can also include lettings in addition to the selling options available. Howard Cundey LIVE is available 24/7 and the customer has exclusive and secure access to their own Personal Property Hub. The friendly valuation and support team is located

centrally in their head office with decades of experience and expertise. The fee structure for LIVE was developed purposefully to be totally transparent, with a menu selection with no hidden extras or ‘trials’. The fee to place a property on the market is an upfront fee of £599 inclusive of VAT. The Howard Cundey brand mascot that has received awards for innovative marketing, Howard The Fish, is now joined by a new fun character called Howard’s home. This is an animated character on their website and both fish and home will feature heavily in advertising and social media!

For more information please visit our website www.howardcundeylive.com or call Amy Morley – National Sales Manager, on 08000 499 599, email: amymorley@howardcundeylive.com Howard Cundey offers the customer a real modern alternative, as Tim and Dan say With you all the way whatever your property journey.

Dan Berrisford

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Food & Drink

Wednesday September 13 | 2017

Enjoy a rich organic harvest on your plate this autumn time… September is the month when all things organic are celebrated by foodies across the country, so here are some delicious dishes and wine offerings to try out

URING September, the UK’s leading organic certification body, the Soil Association, is encouraging people to go organic. The month-long event is seeing producers and suppliers from all over the country showcasing their pesticide and preservative-free foods, and also encouraging those not already benefitting from an organic diet to do so. There are plenty of events going on locally to inspire you into going organic, so make sure you have a look at the Soil Association’s website to find out what’s on where and when. In the meantime, here are some tasty recipes for you to savour from two of the country’s biggest organic champions, Daylesford and Abel & Cole, both of whom have been farming organically for over three decades. When you swap your regular ingredients for organic ones, preferably bearing the Soil Association’s certification logo, you’ll certainly taste the difference, as organic food has been produced to the highest standards using no artificial additives,

GM ingredients or preservatives. To find out more, visit www.soilassociation.org

FIVE KEY REASONS TO CHOOSE ORGANIC n Fewer pesticides Almost 300 pesticides can routinely be used in non-organic farming. Many of these remain in the food we eat, despite washing and cooking n No artificial colour and preservatives Hydrogenated fats and controversial food colours and preservatives are all banned by organic standards n Always free-range Organic means the very highest animal welfare standards n No routine use of antibiotics Organic means happier, healthier animals raised without the need for routine use of antibiotics n No GM ingredients GM ingredients and crops are banned under Soil Association standards

DAYLESFORD ORGANIC’S SEPTEMBER FORAGED MUSHROOM LINGUINE Serves 2

Ingredients: n 300g organic linguine or spaghetti n 100g organic butter n 3 cloves of organic garlic, finely sliced n 4 sprigs of organic thyme, plus extra to garnish n 200g foraged organic mushrooms, such as chanterelle, ceps or puffballs n Juice of ½ an organic lemon n Organic sea salt and black pepper

Method 1. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and add the linguine. Cook the pasta in a pan with a little salt for 6-8 minutes or until al dente. 2. While the pasta is cooking, place a large frying pan over a high heat. Add the butter, garlic and thyme sprigs and fry for a minute or so until the butter has turned slightly golden and is foaming. 3. Add the mushrooms to the pan and sauté for 2-3 minutes until they are evenly coated in the butter and just tender. 4. Remove the stalks of thyme, add the lemon juice and a generous sprinkling of seasoning and toss together.

5. Drain the pasta and return to the pan, tossing through a generous glug of olive oil. Tip the mushroom and brown butter mixture into the pasta and toss together really well to evenly

combine all of the ingredients. 6. Taste to check the seasoning and serve with our freshly grated single Gloucester cheese or Parmesan and a sprinkling of chopped parsley. For a selection of delicious organic recipes from some of the UK’s best chefs, visit the site here: www.soilassociation.org/ organic-living/organic-recipes Find out more about Daylesford at www.daylesford.com and Abel & Cole at www.abelandcole.co.uk

Food & Drink

Wednesday September 13 | 2017

POACHED EGG ON TOAST WITH FETA & SWEETCORN Serves 1 | Takes: 15 min

Ingredients: n 1 tbsp organic fresh corn sliced off the cob n 1 organic egg n 1 tbsp organic white wine vinegar n 1 slice of organic sourdough n A drizzle of organic avocado oil n A handful of organic rocket n 25g organic feta n A couple of pinches of organic alfalfa sprouts n A few slices of organic chilli n Organic sea salt n Organic freshly ground pepper

Method 1. Place a pan of water on the hob and bring to a bubble. While the water heats, toast the corn in a dry

frying pan for a couple of minutes till a little browned, then set aside. 2. Toast your sourdough. Drizzle over a little avocado oil. 3. Crack an egg into a small dish. Pour the vinegar into the pan of bubbling water. Carefully pour the egg into the bubbling water. Cook for 2 mins for a runny egg or a little longer for a more set yolk. 4. Place the toast on a plate. Top with the rocket. Crumble over the feta. Add a pinch of alfalfa sprouts. Scatter over the toasted corn. 5. Lift the egg out of the pan with a slotted spoon and place it on top of the toast. Top with a few more alfalfa sprouts. Scatter over the chilli slices. Drizzle over a little more rich avocado oil. Finish with a good scattering of sea salt and a crack of pepper.

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Our pick of the best organic wine This week, our wine expert James Viner breaks out three truly fabulous organic gems, all made from vines treated with a minimum of agrochemicals by first-rate winemakers… IN THE wine world, ‘organic’ and ‘biodynamic’ relate to viticulture – how grapes are grown. Organic wines made in the EU may carry the EU organic logo (stars in the shape of a leaf) and can be a much ‘healthier’ choice for sulphite-sensitive drinkers, especially asthmatics. Here in the UK, two of the country’s most noted organic wine producers can be found on our doorstep – Herbert Hall in Marden and Davenport Vineyards in Rotherfield.

Must-Try Supermarket Organic Red 2016 Amigo Secreto Organic Syrah-Carignan, Rapel Valley, Chile (£7.49, Aldi) From Rapel Valley, to the north of Curicó and to the south of Maipo in Chile, this tangy, fruity blend is a marvellous beefy stonker with fresh cherry, blackberry and blueberry aromas and flavours – a picture-perfect red to accompany the end-of-summer nights. Switch off and enjoy. It has good depth, goes down well with food and over-delivers on its price. Excellent with venison or T-bone steak, hard cheeses, sausages and mash or pork ribs. Also perfect for an end-of-summer BBQ. Get in quick! Alc 14%

Knockout Specialist Organic White 2014 Bodega Frontos Blanco Seco Ecológico, Tenerife, Spain (£14.50, Meadowdale Ecological Wines) The Canary Island’s arid conditions and volcanic soils mean there’s little disease in the vineyard, and that typically very few chemicals are used. Bodega Frontos’s Los Frontones vineyard is among the highest in Europe at 1,650 metres above sea level and has organic certification. Florals, pear and a hint of fennel lead to a tightly wound, incredibly concentrated, crunchy palate that has layers of texture and flavour, and sizzling length. While light-bodied, this perky wine has bags of concentration and tense, racy acidity. Spot-on with seafood and simply-prepared white fish. This is a thrilling wine from start to finish and a great start to your organic wine adventure. One sip and you’re on to a beauty. It’s a terrific display of quality and class. 100% Listán Blanco (Palomino). Alc 12.5%

Outstanding Organic Champagne Champagne Fleury Blanc De Noirs Organic Nv (£30.99-£33, Waitrose & Vintage Roots) This outstanding family-owned Champagne house in the southernmost part of the Champagne region was founded in 1895 and is still on top form. This is everything you could wish for, with scrumptious grapefruit and red fruits balanced to perfection by the biscuity brioche flavours and creamy feel from extended time on the lees. Stick it in a bucket of ice and serve to your best friends. There’s great depth of flavour and fulsome power in this dazzlingly sophisticated, sensual and finely-tuned organic fizz. A heavenly foil for dim sum, smoked trout or raw oysters. Certified organic and biodynamic by Ecocert, Demeter and Biodyvin. 100% Pinot Noir. Alc 12.5% You can find James Viner on Twitter @QuixoticWine

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Travel

Wednesday September 13 | 2017

San Francisco secrets The best things to see, do, eat and drink in this iconic Californian city are hand-picked by Charlie Bond… which offers an unparalleled outlook over the city. Waking up to the stunning scenes below is just incredible, and you can also relax on the balcony surrounded by some of San Francisco’s most iconic landmarks. www3.hilton.com

RIDE CYCLE CHALLENGE Charlie prepares to tackle the Golden Gate Bridge

STAY

If you want to stay in the midst of the action, then you can’t go far wrong booking somewhere around Union Square. Located in Downtown San Francisco, the area is a vibrant hub of restaurants, bars, shops and culture. For an oasis in a busy city centre, stay at the Hilton Union Square. The rooms are modern and chic, with flat-screen TVs, beautiful bathrooms and cloud-like beds. Seriously, you won’t want to come home. Book a skyline-view corner suite,

There’s no better way to explore this beautiful city than by cycling, and riding over the Golden Gate Bridge is a bucket-list must. Hire your bikes from Bay City Bikes in the Fisherman’s Wharf area, and follow a self-guided map all the way over the bridge and into Sausalito on the other side. Allow a few hours to complete the journey (which is about eight miles) – you’ll want to stop and take lots of pictures en route. www.baycitybike.com

EAT

San Francisco is a foodie’s dream, and with so many amazing eateries and culinary options, you really will be spoiled for choice. Hot Mexican: If Mexican food is your thing, then take a trip to the Mission

District – it’s packed with cool, authentic eateries like Tacolicious, where the tacos are, you guessed it, delicious. Try the baja-style pacific cod taco – you won’t be disappointed. www.tacolicious.com Best Bakery: A San Franciscan delicacy is the sourdough bread they make here, and a visit to Boudin Bakery is a must. Not only can you see the bakers creating the bread at the Fisherman’s Wharf flagship, you can also dine in the café or restaurant and taste it for yourself. The clam chowder or chilli con carne in a bread bowl is to die for. www.boudinbakery.com Chocolate Heaven: For sweet treats, San Francisco is also famed for its chocolate. Just down from Fisherman’s Wharf you’ll find Ghirardelli Square, where the confectionery is created. The whole area smells divine, and as well as picking up gifts to take home (or eat before you leave). There are delicious ice cream sundaes and desserts you can indulge in, too. www.ghirardelli.com

PAINTED LADIES In the spring

DRINK

San Francisco boasts some fantastic wines, and the best way to enjoy them is watching the sun set from up high.

views of the city skyline and Golden Gate Bridge. Try the Chardonnay from nearby Sonoma while looking out over the city – an amazing experience. www.cityscapesf.com

Top view: Cityscape is on the 46th floor of the Hilton Union Square and boasts unobstructed 360-degree

Go organic: Just a short stroll from Union Square you’ll find the very cool Thirsty Bear. San Francisco’s

Travel

Wednesday September 13 | 2017

the tourist attractions in the city, then invest in a San Francisco CityPass. This gives you unlimited cable car rides and Muni bus transport access, as well as entry to a number of places, including Aquarium of the Bay at Fisherman’s Wharf. www.citypass.com/san-francisco

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HITTING THE HEIGHTS On the cable car

VISIT

Depart from Pier 33 and take a boat trip over to Alcatraz Island. The former federal prison located there is a truly fascinating place to explore, and an excellent audio tour gives a real insight into the prisoners’ lives while on the island (and their escape attempts!) The ferry there and back also offers some great views of the bay and the Golden Gate Bridge. www.alcatrazcruises.com

SEE

ESCAPE TO ALCATRAZ The infamous prison island

THE GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE A modern world wonder

Sea Lions: No trip to San Francisco is complete without a visit to Pier 39, where – as well as enjoying an array of shops and eateries – you’ll find sea lions basking on the decking. You’ll hear them before you see them, and they’re certainly a way to keep the whole family entertained. first and only organic brewery, they offer a wide selection of carefully crafted beers. Try the California Common – an indigenous amber lager with a refreshing taste, or the Howard Street IPA. www.thirstybear.com

TRAVEL

One of the iconic sights in San

Francisco is the world’s last manually-operated cable car. While the routes don’t cover the entire city, they’re a convenient and fun way to get to destinations like Union Square and Fisherman’s Wharf. San Francisco is hilly, so take the weight off your feet and hop on a cable car instead. If you’re planning to visit a few of

Painted Ladies: The Painted Ladies are a row of Victorian and Edwardian houses by Alamo Square, individually painted in bright colours. This is one of the most photographed streets in San Francisco, partly

because of the iconic buildings, and partly because of the amazing cityscape you can see behind them. Wonderful wiggles: If you thought British country lanes were winding, then you’ve seen nothing yet. Lombard

Street offers some great views over the city, but is also the most curved road in the world with eight hairpin turns. The ‘wiggly’ section is situated on Russian Hill – walk up one way and down the other to get great photos from both ends of the street.

Find out more about San Francisco at www.sftravel.com and www.visittheUSA.co.uk

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Travel

Wednesday September 13 | 2017

A taste of the Canary Islands From bustling nightlife to magnificent mountains and miles of peaceful sandy beaches, there is enough variety amid the individual isles to suit everyone

TENERIFE The pretty resort of Puerto de Santiago on the Atlantic coast

ID you know that if you added up all the land devoted to tourism in the Canary Islands it would only occupy a tiny fraction of the islands’ total area? In contrast, the area given over to rural parks, nature reserves and protected landscapes accounts for nearly 40 per cent of the territory. In fact, with an abundance of natural gifts and beauty, and more than 650 native plant species, the Canary Islands are one of the most important natural environments in the world, comparable only with other archipelagos such as Hawaii and the Galapagos. Surprising, isn’t it? What’s not so surprising is that the fine climate, splendid beaches, diverse landscapes and varied visitor sights attract so many holidaymakers every year. With each of the islands having its own special appeal, which is the best holiday destination for you? For all-round appeal, the largest, Tenerife, certainly has plenty to offer. Snow-capped mountains, spectacular sea cliffs and glorious beaches form the backdrop to Brazilian-style carnivals, traditional fiestas and dazzling nightlife. There are Tenerife attractions for everyone, whether you are visiting

as a couple, with friends or with family members. The north of the island is a tropical paradise, full of palm trees and breathtaking vistas. Inland, you’ll find yourself among rural towns, beautiful hillside villages and extraordinarily unusual landscapes formed from the twisted lava rock of the largest mountain in Spain, Mount Tiede.

‘Its perfect beaches combine beautifully with historic cities, cultural sites and some seriously good restaurants’ The coastal resorts of Playa de las Américas and Costa Adeje are renowned for their beaches, watersports and nightlife – but why not sample a more rural retreat in the typical Canarian villages of Grandilla, La Escalona and Garachico? If a long stretch of golden beach is a priority, then Gran Canaria is the island for you. The beach of Playa de las Canteras is hard to beat and there are the splendid sand dunes at Maspalomas. Gran Canaria’s mountainous interior includes spectacular crags,

A WIDER VIEW Tenerife, from the mountains to the sea

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Wednesday September 13 | 2017

caves and pretty villages, and ramblers will delight in the views from the island’s highest peaks, Pico de las Nieves and Roque Nublo. Its perfect beaches and dramatic scenery combine beautifully with historic cities, cultural sites, some seriously good restaurants and lively nightlife. Diving is popular on the northern coast, and the whole island offers plenty of opportunities for sailing, water-skiing, windsurfing and fishing. Nicknamed a continent in miniature, Gran Canaria is a great year-round holiday destination. Lanzarote is famed for its watersports, and the ideal weather conditions, coasts of clear waters and fine sands make it popular with windsurfers, surfers and sailors, while a plethora of underwater caves, reefs, shipwrecks and fish make it a popular destination for diving, snorkelling and big game-fishing. Visually quite startling. and very different from its neighbouring islands, Lanzarote’s lunar landscape is home to more than 300 volcanoes. The tourist attractions masterminded by the LANZAROTE Stroll among the yachts of Marina Rubicón

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LA GOMERA Wild beauty

artist and landscaper César Manrique combine well with resorts like Puerto del Carmen, and the general ambience of the island, with its low-rise, whitewashed buildings, is extremely appealing. The whole island has been declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO, and the Timanfaya National Park will delight those who are environmentally aware. With more than 150 splendid beaches, virtually constant sunshine, plus a very relaxed and typically Spanish way of life, Fuerteventura doesn’t have to try too hard to entice sun-worshippers and watersports enthusiasts all year round. The island is blessed with miles and miles of lovely soft sands, and it is this beautiful coastline which attracts visitors who seek isolation, tranquility and glorious beaches. Very much a desert island, its inland scenery is barren and rugged with volcanic peaks separated by lowland plains dotted with traditional villages.

‘Its enduring appeal is an absence of man-made attractions and an abundance of natural ones’ Its enduring appeal is an absence of man-made attractions and an abundance of natural ones. La Gomera is one of the smaller and quieter islands, offering a bountiful supply of magnificent mountain scenery and fauna and flora, but little in the way of commercial attractions. There are relatively few hotels and restaurants of note, although more than enough for the discerning visitor. Instead, you can find a pleasant, tranquil beach or two on which to relax with nothing to disturb the peace and quiet. La Gomera can be reached by ferry from Tenerife.

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Gardening

Wednesday September 13 | 2017

GARDENING TIPS FOR THE SEASON

Victoria Truman

Kent-based garden and landscape designer Victoria Truman offers her advice and tips for making the most of your plot www.victoriatruman.com

Garden designer

Tips for September

Our gardening expert tells us how to keep the winter winds at bay – and plan for next year!

HARVEST YOUR HERBS Try hanging your favourite herbs to dry so they last you through the winter GARDEN DESIGN IDEAS I have been working this month in a garden where the design called for as much usage of the space as possible. The clients’ brief was to create an English cottage garden with room for the adults to sit and relax while the youngest members play energetically, but safely. So how do you go about planning a family garden? In large gardens, different areas can be carved out to accommodate everyone’s needs, but in smaller gardens the layout needs to be more creative.

OR many gardeners, September begins the downhill slide into off-season, but your garden is hardier than you think. There are plenty of gardening tasks this month that will keep your flower and vegetable gardens going longer, as well as opportunities to get a head start on next year’s plans.

 Seed an autumn crop of peas and spinach and keep harvesting. There’s always something to make with courgettes  Pick herbs for fresh use and for drying. Harvesting will keep them growing longer  Order spring bulbs for planting in the autumn  Check that your mulch hasn’t decomposed and add more as needed

 Spread a mid-season layer of compost or manure  Keep dead-heading and harvesting  Leave some annual seeds to self-sow  Start saving seeds and taking cuttings  Remove any diseased foliage now so it doesn’t get lost in the fall leaves  Prune summer flowering shrubs as the flowers fade  Trim and feed hanging baskets to prolong their beauty  Take pictures of your garden at its peak, especially of container combinations you’d like to repeat  Keep everything watered. Use a seaweed and feed combination at this time of year, which gives all the flowering plants, shrubs and young trees a pick-me-up

There are a few key elements to bear in mind before you tackle your design. Since children’s tastes change rapidly, you need to be adaptable. Once something has fallen out of favour, be unsentimental and find a good home for it. This means your design needs to be flexible. The garden is the ideal place to allow children to take some risks – a familiar yet ever-changing environment where youngsters can explore the natural world. Wildflower turf provides an easy and cost-effective way of achieving

‘A familiar yet ever-changing environment where youngsters can explore the natural world’

biodiversity, colour from spring to autumn, visual interest and low maintenance. Consider having a natural play den weaved in, in which your children can play. Vegetables grown in raised beds, with apple trees behind on frames using any fencing as support, maximises the space. A central pergola with a mass of climbers provides a shaded sitting and dining area for the family, and a corner terrace to catch the last rays of the evening sun, enveloped with a scented star jasmine.

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Health & Well-being

Wednesday September 13 | 2017

Get your 10k in Tunbridge Wells In a bid to keep fit, and counter the effects of the time she spends writing at her desk, Charlie Bond finds out how to hit your daily step quota in the royal town

CCORDING to the NHS, the average So, in a bid to hit my 10k, I set off on a jaunt person walks between 3,000 and around the town, armed with my FitBit tracker to 4,000 steps per day, but the World keep count of my steps. Health Organization recommends we Here’s my guide to hitting your daily step goal try and achieve 10,000 a day to around Tunbridge Wells… increase our health benefits. For adults aged between 18 and 64, TUNBRIDGE WELLS STATION it’s suggested they achieve at TO THE PANTILES CLOCK least 150 minutes of Steps: 1,956 (there and back) moderate-intensity If there’s one thing guaranteed aerobic physical activity to get you walking, it’s the throughout the week. promise of a naughty treat In recent years at one of the tempting there’s been a huge array of Pantiles cafés spike in the sale of when you reach your fitness trackers, as destination. At almost more people want 1,000 steps each way, to monitor their and only a 12-minute fitness levels and walk from the station, strive to hit their this route is an easy daily step targets. way to exercise and But, 10,000 steps indulge your sweet tooth in a day is actually at the same time. harder than it sounds, You can get another 450 especially if you spend steps in each way by going on TIME FOR TEA eight or more hours in an to the Spa Valley Railway, 0.2 On The Pantiles office glued to your desk. miles from The Grey Lady.

SHOPPING IN ROYAL VICTORIA PLACE Steps: 1,189 I’m certainly an advocate of shopping as exercise, and studies have shown that in the UK, on average, women burn 14,844 calories a year while shopping (which certainly justifies all the tea and cake breaks in between trying on shoes). I’m probably not the only person who whiles away many a lunch break by window browsing in the Royal Victoria Place shopping centre, and I found that walking up one side and down the other on both floors counted up to 1,189 steps. You’d be surprised how many steps you take inside shops, too. I popped in to M&S to look for a greeting card and a sandwich (on different floors) and took an extra 368 steps. WALKING TO DUNORLAN PARK Steps: 5,604 (there and back) As someone who drives to work, and often sits in the Pembury Road traffic, I’d assumed Dunorlan Park was much further to walk than it actually is. Starting from the Town Hall and walking along Crescent Road and then Calverley Park Gardens, I expected the route to take me the best part of half an hour, when in fact it took me… 13 minutes.

POSITIVE STEPS Take some to improve your life

Health & Well-being

Wednesday September 13 | 2017

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‘10,000 steps in a day is actually harder than it sounds, especially if you spend eight or more hours in an office glued to your desk’ So it’s definitely something that is doable in a normal lunch break, although the walk there is mostly uphill, so on hotter days I would recommend taking a slower pace. If you want to switch up your route to get some extra steps, then head back into town via Sandrock Road and Camden Road. This will give you a similar step total (mine was 1,987 back to the Town Hall steps), but takes a bit longer (around 18 minutes). Plus you can pop in to some shops on your way past and rack up a few more steps there, too.

WALKING AROUND DUNORLAN PARK Steps: 2,481 Following the regular path around Dunorlan (and narrowly avoiding an altercation with a goose) was not only a lovely walk, but also quickly added on steps and increased my heart rate. There are lots of variations on this picturesque route, so you can take things at your own pace and add more steps – or do less, depending on your aims. I walked at a moderate pace to take in the scenery, and completed

my park route in around 27 minutes. By taking some additional routes within Dunorlan Park you can easily gain more steps, too, to boost that day’s total. From the main path, walk up to the Grecian temple and back, and add extra 512 steps. Then, before you reach the bridge down near the children’s play area, take the path up to the Victoria Park Grove entrance. Walking there and back is another 502 steps, so if you add both routes into your walk you’ll achieve over 1,000 steps.

TOTAL DAILY STEP COUNT: 12, 402

QUICK CHECK Tracker

I was surprised how easy it was to rack up steps in a short amount of time. Clearly, I couldn’t do all of these routes every day or I’d never be at my desk, but each trip was fairly quick and easy to complete. So I’ll definitely be trying to up my step count by a little bit more each day.

SHOPPING IN TUNBRIDGE WELLS HIGH STREET Steps: 1,182 It’s not difficult to spend several hours wandering up and down this particular street! If window shopping, you can achieve just over 1,000 steps by walking down one side and back up the other, but by the time you’ve ‘popped in’ to a few boutiques, you can easily add a few hundred more. And if you go on to visit Chapel Place, you can enjoy a gin at the Gin Bar or cocktails at One Warwick Park Hotel. You’ll sneak in an extra 100 steps, too.

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Advertising Feature

Wednesday September 13 | 2017

Outfit updates

LOOK 1:

Benvenuto black and grey wool check jacket, £240 Tootal silk paisley scarf £45 Knowledge Cotton organic cotton crew neck jumper, £90 Mac Jeans black Macflex jean, £130 John White suede brown boots shoes £127

With the new fashion season upon us, we asked Tunbridge Wells men’s fashion boutique The Basement – located below Ilse Jacobsen in The High Street – to give us their top tips and picks from their new collection What trends have you seen emerging for the Autumn and Winter 2017 seasons?

Every kind of garment, whether it be jackets, shirts or jeans, have some element of stretch in them for comfort as well as style.

What will customers be looking for this season?

Fabrics with a soft touch handle and products that are well cut. The fit is essential, which is why we work with specialists in their area.

What will the key investment piece be?

A well cut jacket can be dressed up or dressed down,

LOOK 2:

Benvenuto tan, denim blue and stone wool check jacket, £260 Knowledge Cotton navy button down pique shirt, £80 Mac Jeans dark brown cotton jeans, £99 John White polished brogue toe shoe, £110

depending on the occasion, and will always prove to be a worthwhile investment.

Are there any key colours, shapes or styles dominating this autum and winter?

LOOK 3:

Knowledge Cotton red and blue check overshirt, £120 Knowledge Cotton cream button down organic cotton pique shirt, £80 Mac Jeans blue/black Macflex jeans, £130 Orca Bay waterproof antique leather boots, £99

Navy and shades of blue are, as always, key in menswear, but also shades of grey from steel to anthracite are also popular.

What’s the one item from your latest collection you will be buying for yourself? Our Macflex jeans are not only great fitting, but are so comfortable due to the 80 per cent stretch. Once you’ve bought a pair of these, you won’t go back to normal denims!

OK LO

THE BASEMENT 6 High Street, Tunbridge Wells TN1 1UX www.facebook.com/TheBasementTW

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Motoring

Wednesday September 13 | 2017

TEST DRIVE

Volkswagen Polo Volkswagen’s latest generation Polo has arrived. Ryan Hirons heads to Hamburg to try it out…

WHAT’S NEW? The latest Volkswagen Polo is built on a totally new architecture for the model – VW Group’s MQB A0 platform. Although the basic VW DNA remains, the longer wheelbase means it has a more brash stance than before. New engines have also been added. A variety of 1.0-litre TSI engines are available and, for the first time in a Polo, a natural gas-powered engine is on offer.

LOOKS AND IMAGE The new Polo definitely looks like an evolution from its predecessors, although the new platform provides shorter front and rear overhangs, giving the car a more aggressive appearance. Sadly, the overall styling doesn’t play to this quite as well as its platform sibling, the Seat Ibiza. In less vibrant colours, there’s more of a lukewarm visual impression rather than understated or all-out flair. The beats edition we drove also comes with two decal stripes, one of which was body-coloured. These can be deselected, which would probably be the case were it our money being spent.

SPACE AND PRACTICALITY Thanks to the MQB A0 platform, the new Polo has become an even more spacious car. Boot capacity is up 25 per cent, going from 280 litres to 351 litres, making an already practical car even more capable. It comes in slightly under the space offered in the Seat Ibiza, though, which

REMODELLED With its changes, this could be the perfect family runabout

boasts 355 litres, but can pack notably more than the new Fiesta’s 292 litres. Despite a larger boot, passenger space has not been compromised. The Polo is capable of comfortably fitting two adults up front while still carrying plenty of luggage in the rear footwells. Thanks to this increased space, and plenty of standard safety features across the range – such as city emergency braking, pedestrian monitoring and electronic stability control – the new Polo could be the perfect family runabout.

BEHIND THE WHEEL The Polo excels at its main purpose: City driving. Light steering, great visibility and a host of safety assists make cruising around urban areas a dream. The 1.0-litre engine and manual gearbox seemed to take everything thrown at them, proving extremely versatile and requiring few gear changes. The hatchback’s excellence, however, begins to unravel a little when driving for longer periods. It’s not a totally unpleasant experience spending more than an hour in the car, but the lack of support in the seats is soon noticed. The huge amount of passenger space makes sitting shotgun a pretty good experience, though. A little more steering response at higher speeds would be ideal, but for a car primarily built for urban use it was never going to be the most direct driving experience – at least not in lower trims. Hopefully (and presumably), the GTI will be a different story.

VALUE FOR MONEY Without knowing the price of the car, it’s hard to judge how much bang you’re getting for your buck. However, the Polo comes rather generously equipped, regardless of the chosen trim level. The beats version we tested came with 16-inch alloy wheels, a partial leather interior, a full colour infotainment system with Bluetooth connectivity, rear tinted windows, body decal strips (if that’s your thing) and the main attraction of this version – a 300-watt sound system. One downside, however, is the lack of Android Auto or Apple CarPlay available through the infotainment – both of which are present in the the Seat Ibiza. But the base system did work rather well, despite a few niggly Bluetooth connection problems.

VERDICT The new Volkswagen Polo is sensational for a little urban runabout – the job it’s mainly designed to do. It is certainly capable of longer distances, although it could grow tiresome for anything more than a couple of hours. You also get the premium feel for which Volkswagens of late have become renowned, although until the price is released, it’s hard to compare it with its segment rivals pound for pound just yet. VW will no doubt sell many when the new Polo does land in the UK, and deservedly so. But can it challenge the Fiesta for the supermini crown? Time will tell…

FACTS AT A GLANCE: MODEL TESTED: Volkswagen Polo beats ENGINE TESTED: 1.0 TSI POWER: 94bhp TORQUE: 175Nm MAX SPEED: 116mph 0-60MPH: 10.6 seconds ECONOMY MPG: 60.1 EMISSIONS: 106 g/km BASE PRICE: Not released at the time of going to press

Wednesday September 13 | 2017

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Puzzles

Wednesday September 13 | 2017

A B C D E F G H I J K L MNO P Q R S T U VWX Y Z 24 17 12 19 14

10 14

R R

R 14

12 25

13 25

13 13

14 1

1 15

17 16

24 15

19 19

13 17

13 11

10 1

12 19

24 6

21 17

7 6

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

6 7

Numbers are substituted for letters in the crossword grid. Above the grid is the key with two letters solved. Try to complete the first few words to give you more letters, or look for a frequent number that might reveal a common letter. As you find letters, enter them in the key and into the grid. Cross off the letters in the A to Z list.

Codeword:

9 8 9 5

K S O J

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

14 24

1 3

3 1

5 6

S C H G A O

5 8 4 2 6

1 9

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 next week’s paper

C O M M A N D O

J A T R E A N H E R T I A S H I N G E W H E Y E A R S S R K E D S U R S A B O T B O U T A B R S T R O B Y E T S

Jigsaw Sudoku:

Sudoku:

9 4 7 3 5 8 2 1 6

1 6 2 9 4 7 3 5 8

8 3 5 6 2 1 9 7 4

P G R M I T O V F L E X I T A V E A P A S S R C I Q U E Z L E L AW D R

2 8 4 7 3 5 1 6 9

3 7 6 4 1 9 5 8 2

5 9 1 8 6 2 4 3 7

4 1 3 2 7 6 8 9 5

7 2 8 5 9 3 6 4 1

6 5 9 1 8 4 7 2 3

6 1 8 3 5 7 4 9 2

1 5 7 6 2 3 9 8 4

5 4 9 2 8 1 7 6 3

8 9 3 4 7 6 2 5 1

7 6 2 1 4 9 5 3 8

4 2 5 7 6 8 3 1 9

2 3 6 8 9 5 1 4 7

3 8 4 9 1 2 6 7 5

9 7 1 5 3 4 8 2 6

DIFFICULTY RATING: ★★★★

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTIONS

DIFFICULTY RATING: ★★II

SUDOKU & JIGSAW SUDOKU

CODEWORD

FEATURES

Recruitment

Wednesday September 13 | 2017

NEWS

WITH THE

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

OF TUNBRIDGE WELLS AND TONBRIDGE

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Arts & Culture

Wednesday September 13 | 2017

It’s Tom’s time Local musician Tom Williams is currently riding high in the charts with his solo album All Change. Ahead of his homecoming gig at The Tunbridge Wells Forum this Friday, Eileen Leahy chatted with him about his success – and seeing an unknown Adele perform in her parka ‘Without venues like The Forum and The Grey Lady there would have been nowhere for young people to perform and hang out’

FROM TUNBRIDGE WELLS TO TOP OF THE CHARTS Tom Williams’ boat has floated

So Tom, please can you give us a little background on your music career so far? I played my first solo gig at The Forum in 2006, and started playing there and at The Grey Lady pretty much weekly after that. In 2007, I got a group together called Tom Williams & The Boat and we released five EPs and three albums over the next seven years. I then put out a couple of acoustic albums in 2015, and this year released All Change – the first band album under my own name. What got you interested in playing in the first place? I started the guitar when I was 15. I’d learned violin and saxophone previously, but guitar was the first instrument that made me feel connected to the music I was playing. I started writing pretty soon after that and had a little eight-track machine that I would record on endlessly in my room. When I first started playing guitar, I loved early Oasis and the Nirvana Unplugged album, and that’s what I’d strum along to mainly. Who would you cite as your musical influences and why? From a young age it was Bruce Springsteen, courtesy of my mum. Later came Bob Dylan and then Neil Young. Elliott Smith and Ryan Adams certainly helped me through my teenage years, but I always come back to those three, Springsteen especially. Someone said to me the other day that Bruce has the words of Dylan, the spirituality of Bob Marley and the performance of James Brown, and I’d be inclined to agree. He’s a one of a kind.

You’re from Tunbridge Wells – have you found the music scene here inspiring and supportive? If so, in what way? Yes, massively, because without venues like The Forum and The Grey Lady there would have been nowhere for young people to perform and hang out. Jason [Dormon] and everyone at The Forum helped me to get into a proper recording studio for the first time and to put on shows with big touring acts. They even financed the first vinyl we ever put out – they’ve been amazing. Paul Dunton is also an endless source of energy and enthusiasm, and what he’s done for Tunbridge Wells music scene is undeniable. He’s always been so supportive of everything I’ve done, and I can’t thank him enough for that. Tell us a little bit about encountering an unknown Adele back in the day on the circuit, and have you played alongside any other famous names? Adele was one of the gigs that The Forum got me. I was just the local support opening up for a big touring act. Adele was also a support act. She was very late, though, and turned up five minutes after she was meant to be on. She walked through the crowd with a guitar on her back, in her big parka, linechecked very quickly and played her set. I remember her playing early songs like Hometown Glory and Chasing Pavements, but not many people took much notice. All the kids at the front had their backs turned to the stage just chatting amongst themselves. It’s a reminder that being good enough is not always enough. It also takes an incredible amount of hard work and determination to get your music out there, but – most importantly – a hell of a lot of luck. The list

Arts & Culture

Wednesday September 13 | 2017

of amazing people who never achieved mainstream success is longer than the list of people who did. Your solo album has been hugely successful, gaining great support from the likes of BBC 6 Music. What do you think went right with this one? It’s hard to say. The whole recording process for the All Change album was so bizarre. I had no intentions or plans to record a new album, and was doing a week-long Artist in Residence post at Leeds Beckett University. It was there that I ended up recording an album with the students in the university recording studios. That ultimately led to me being signed to a major label and releasing the album in May this year. It’s been really amazing for that to happen ten years into my career. You’ll be playing The Forum this Friday – what are you most looking forward to about that? The Forum was where I played my first gig in 2006, and I’ve played it more than any other venue. I totally adore it, and nowhere makes me more nervous! But I can’t wait. We haven’t played it for nearly four years, so it’ll feel like a homecoming of some sorts. What does 2018 hold in store for Tom Williams – and has ‘the boat’ sailed away forever now? I’d love for us to play as much as possible. The band is rocking at the moment and includes three members of the student band that played on the album, plus Ant who was in The Boat with me on guitar. The Boat may have sailed, yes, but we recorded a lot of material so there are many EPs and albums out there for anyone who wants to do some crate digging! ● Tom Williams plays The Forum this Friday,

September 15, with Suncharmer and Jack Barns in support from 7.30pm. Tickets cost £10 and can be booked via www.twforum.co.uk Tom’s new album, All Change, is available to buy or download. See www.tomwilliamsmusic.net

FEATURES

Creating life after death

The Dead, the final volume in Tunbridge Wells author Mark Oldfield’s acclaimed Vengeance of Memory trilogy, was published this summer. He reveals to the Times what it’s about, and why his former forensics career proved such a great inspiration

LOCAL author Mark Oldfield only had his first book published five years ago, but he has enjoyed literary success ever since. His debut offering, The Sentinel, came out in 2012 and received high praise and rave reviews from the national press. It was also shortlisted for the Crime Writers’ Association Ian Fleming Steel Dagger Award for Best Thriller of the Year in 2013. The Guardian described the tale, which was inspired by the gruesome legacy of the Spanish Civil War, as ‘polished, propulsive and plausible’, while the Daily Mail said it was ‘a sprawling, striking debut, superbly told and with a fine villain at its heart’. Mark went on to pen a second book in his Vengeance of Memory trilogy called The Exile before writing The Dead, the final tome in the series, which has just hit the shelves. Mark says that it will ‘conclude the thrilling journey into the dark heart of Spain’ which has gripped readers from across the globe. “The Dead and the previous two thrillers in the series draw heavily on contemporary Spanish history and my experiences in Spain through its turbulent transition from dictatorship to democracy,” he explains. “There are not many books in

English that address the issues of the Spanish Civil War and its aftermath. Vengeance of Memory explores the complex relationship between Spain’s past and present – issues of memory, revenge and justice – within the parameters of a thoroughly researched and fast-paced thriller.”

‘Forensic scientist Ana María Galíndez continues her investigation into secret policeman Guzmán’ Mark says he was ‘inspired by Hemingway’, and first visited Spain in 1976 to experience the Fiesta of San Fermin in Pamplona first hand: “Many of the evocative sights, smells and sounds of my early visits have found their way into the trilogy.” The author reveals that, as with the first two volumes, The Dead alternates between two time periods. “In the present day, forensic scientist Ana María Galíndez, of the Guardia Civil, continues her investigation into the crimes of secret policeman Leopoldo Guzmán, committed in the years following the Spanish Civil War.” Mark says the most

striking character in his trilogy is that of Comandante Guzmán: “His secret police unit is dedicated to eliminating the enemies of Franco’s regime. Guzmán is utterly ruthless, brutal and both cynical and corrupt. But his caustic wit and love of good food and drink also make him an enigmatic and entertaining villain. “Back in 1982, Guzmán decides there is no place for him in the new order and it is time to disappear. But as he looks for a way out, Guzmán finds his many enemies in Madrid have other plans for him. “The sections of the book set in contemporary Spain relate to a young woman who is the opposite of Guzmán. Ana María Galíndez’s investigation awakens the dark memories and hatred that still lie beneath the surface of Spanish society.” Before becoming a full-time writer in 2008, Mark worked as a criminological researcher for the Kent Probation Service and Kent Police for over 20 years. With a PhD in Criminology, he has lectured at various universities on research, crime and criminal justice, so it’s no surprise that his trilogy combines his professional experience with his long-term love affair with Spain. “As I began work on The Dead, I did so with a sense of imminent loss,” he continues. “Whatever the ending, I was saying goodbye to Guzmán and Ana María – two people who, for almost a decade, have occupied an important place in my life.” ● The Dead is published by Head of Zeus and is

available from leading booksellers. Hardback: £20; Kindle Edition: £5.03. The Sentinel and The Exile are available in hardback, paperback, ebook and audio.

FEATURES

What’s On

Wednesday September 13 | 2017

SEVEN DAYS OF SOCIAL ACTIVITIES AT A GLANCE

WHATS ON WITH THE

Eileen Leahy Local events

STICK IT TO THEM! See Stick Man come to life at Trinity, courtesy of Scamp Theatre

>> WEDNESDAY The Kent High Weald Partnership hosts an event called Pasture, Present & Future at Hilbert Woods today from 10am until 3pm. The organisation is keen for volunteers to come along and help them thin down and mow Appledore Wood, adjacent to the park, in order to help it become a future pasture. For more information, visit www.fogh.org.uk Tonight you can see David Gilmour’s Live at Pompeii performance from the Roman amphitheatre in Pompeii. The show, which recreates the first time the musician played there with his band Pink Floyd 45 years previously, is being beamed into cinemas across the UK. See this audio-visual spectacular set, which will feature plenty of pyrotechnics and Pink Floyd classics as CHILLS AND THRILLS Bill Nighy in The Limehouse Golem at the Hop Farm

well as some of Gilmour’s own hits, at Trinity Theatre or the Odeon cinema from 8pm. Tickets cost from £19. >> THURSDAY Patricia Hartshorne’s onewoman tribute to 20th-century screen legend Marlene Dietrich – Doppel Dietrich – comes to Trinity this evening from 8pm. Described as both ‘haunting’ and ‘humorous’, this show will involve Patricia singing some of the German star’s classic songs, such as Falling In Love Again, and recounting many anecdotes from Dietrich’s interesting life, which included an infamous string of high-profile lovers and ended with her being a total recluse for 12 years in Paris. Tickets cost £18. www.trinitytheatre.net The UK’s longest and highest tree-top walkway has recently opened at Groombridge Place. Measuring 350m in length, and standing at over 20m above the forest floor, it’s guaranteed to be a thrilling day out for keen explorers – both young and old. The exhilarating walk, which takes in the ancient forest’s canopy of oak, pine, beech and chestnut trees, lasts for around 30 minutes and costs an additional £5 per person on top of the usual entrance fee. For more information, visit www. GroombridgePlace.com >> FRIDAY Tunbridge Wells Museum & Art Gallery is hosting another of its free drop-in storytelling and arts and crafts events today for pre-schoolers. This month’s is entitled Friday Fun: Creatures of the Night, so pop along with your toddlers at 10.30am for an hour of

If you would like to see your events featured in our weekly What’s On pages, please email eileen@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk

creativity. Tomorrow, they will also be putting on two additional crafting sessions. Children must be accompanied by an adult at all times. For more details, see www.tunbridgewellsmuseum.org Screenings of The Limehouse Golem start tonight at 7.45pm and run nightly until next Thursday at the Hop Farm’s drive-in cinema. Set in Victorian London and starring Bill Nighy, it’s a classic murder mystery that’ll have you gripped to your seat. Tickets cost £25 per vehicle and can be booked via www.moonlightcinema.com >> SATURDAY Rusthall Arts Festival is on all this weekend and it celebrates the big creative talent this small village has to offer. From crochet exhibitions to live music sessions and well-being workshops, there’s something for everyone. As part of the festival, Rusthall’s community cinema will be screening the popular children’s film Inside Out at 3.30pm today. Doors open at 3pm and entrance is free. For more details, see www.rusthallcommunityarts.org.uk and www.rusthallcinema.club Grill n Chill is back this weekend, so if you’re a fan of classic VWs, including Camper Vans and Beetles, then head on down to The Hop Farm at Paddock Wood. As well as the traditional vintage car show there’ll be plenty of great food and live music to enjoy. For more information, including tickets and camping, please visit www. grill-n-chill.co.uk Beauty fans will want to know that Emma Hardie’s Amazing Face skincare brand will be holding a pop-up facial station at Fenwick’s today. So if your complexion’s looking a little lacklustre, you can book yourself in for a complimentary 30-minute Lift and Sculpt Facial when you purchase two or more products (excluding Dual Action LIVE AT Cleansing Cloths) from the POMPEII Emma Hardie range. To book, David Gilmour

call the Beauty Space team at Fenwick Tunbridge Wells on 01892 516716. >> SUNDAY Goblin Theatre’s Peter and the Wolf is a new version of the children’s classic fairy tale and it’s on today at 11am and 2pm at the EM Forster Studio in Tonbridge. It promises to be an amazing show complete with live music, imaginative puppetry, lots of comedy and fun interaction. Perfect for children aged 4+, this production is an ideal introduction to making music, and carries a positive message about being kind to the world.

PICK OF THE WEEK John Holden Art Exhibition at Woods

Amateur watercolour artist John Holden is currently exhibiting his beautiful works of art at Woods restaurant on The Pantiles. The former structural engineer took up painting upon his retirement four years ago and undertook classes at the Adult Education Centre. He paints from his home studio and out and about on location in Kent. This is the biggest exhibition he has staged to date and there will be 20 paintings on display. For more information, please visit www.johnholdenwatercolours.co.uk

What’s On

Wednesday September 13 | 2017

GREAT TASTE The Food and Drink Networking Club

Tickets cost £8 and more details can be sourced from www.goblintheatre.co.uk Whitney: Can I Be Me? is being screened at 8pm at Trinity Theatre this evening. The biopic by Nick Broomfield examines the talent, troubles and struggles of one of music’s biggest stars, who became addicted to drugs and was found dead in a bath tub in a Hollywood hotel four years ago. Tickets cost £11 each. See www.trinitytheatre.net

all week, this play by Timberlake Wertenbaker, which is based on a novel entitled The Playmaker by Thomas Keneally, is set in Australia in 1789 and is based on the true story of a young married lieutenant who decides to stage the country’s first ever play in very challenging condtions… Tickets cost £10 (£7.50 for members) and can be bought at www.oasttheatre.com Staying in Tonbridge, the EM Forster Theatre is hosting a production entitled Fall Out. It explores the story of three young people who go on a regular night out which leads them on a journey of self-discovery where they question their friendships, identity and purpose in the world. It’s a powerful and moving production not to be missed. Appropriate for those aged 14 and over, tickets cost £13 for students and £15 for adults. To book, visit www.boxoffice.tonbridge-school.co.uk

>> TUESDAY The Food and Drink Networking Club is run by Susanna Rynehart together with Matt Sankey of Sankey’s, Sam Goode and Richard Collings of The >> MONDAY Old Fire Station, Tonbridge and food blogger Julia Donaldson’s classic book Stick Man, which Caroline Kings. The club brings together local boasts illustrations by Axel independent restaurants, artisan food and Scheffler, is being brought to beverage companies and local producers in Kent life by Scamp Theatre’s and Sussex, and the next meet up is today. If you delightful stage version are one of the above and would like to join, please on at Trinity today email: susanna.rynehart@ts-p.co.uk. (1.30pm and 4.30pm) The Tunbridge Wells and tomorrow Juggling Club meets (11.30am and every Tuesday at 1.30pm). So if you St Dunstan’s Church love this funny tale of Hall, in London Road, Stick Man’s adventures Southborough, from on his morning jog, then 7.30pm to 9.30pm. The club is make sure you book tickets. celebrating its 25th year later FURRY TALE They cost £12, or £40 for a this month and they are On stage at family one. very keen to welcome the EM The Oast Youth Theatre is new members. You Forster currently performing Our can find out more at Studio Country’s Good. Running www.twjc.co.uk

FEATURES

A ROUND-UP OF THIS WEEK’S MUSICAL HIGHLIGHTS

Paul Dunton Live music

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

THE GREY LADY MUSIC LOUNGE The Pantiles, doors 7.15pm, entry £6/£7, websites www.pdag.co.uk + www.thegreylady.co.uk

THE ROYAL OAK Prospect Road. Open all day, free entry Music from 8.30pm till late

WEDNESDAY Jack Leon Mackey, Jill Lucas, Georgia Lee + Band FRIDAY Soul Kitchen SATURDAY Studio 54 TUESDAY The Breaks, Sofia Ford, Mike Wilton

SATURDAY Fox Force 5

THE TUNBRIDGE WELLS FORUM Event information at www.twforum.co.uk

TONBRIDGE FOLK CLUB Ye Olde Chequers Inn, 122 High Street 8-11pm, donation hat passed round (£7 recommended) www.tonbridgefolkclub.org

MONDAY Jeff Warner

FRIDAY Tom Williams + Suncharmer + Jack Burns (See Tom Williams’ interview, page 74) THE BEDFORD 2 High Street, open all day, free entry More information at www.thebedfordtw.co.uk

SATURDAY Paul Monham THE BEAU NASH TAVERN Mount Ephraim, open all day, free entry Music from 8.30pm till late

SATURDAY Mick Mepham MONDAY Open Mic Night THE PANTILES BANDSTAND The Pantiles, music from 7pm, donations welcome

THURSDAY Son Pikkante THE CAKE SHED The Pantiles, 6.30pm-8.30pm (doors from 6.10pm) Tickets: £20 (includes Prosecco and canapés)

SUNDAY An evening of Opera & Prosecco

Jack Leon Mackey

NEWS

Sporting Times

Please send your sports stories to newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk or newsdesk@timesoftonbridge.co.uk Wednesday September 13 | 2017

Bidborough dominate the Village League while youth teams start next generation CRICKET: BIDBOROUGH Cricket Club have enjoyed a remarkably successful season with all three of its senior teams performing impressively in the Kent County Village League (KCVL) and their juniors also showing great promise. The First XI were KCVL Division One champions, the second team won Division Four and the thirds were promoted from Division Seven. Meanwhile the Under-15s were crowned Kent Premier League

TITLE BID: Bidborough First XI: (Back row, L-R) Dale Hillhouse, Andy Healy, Howard Nankivell, Robin Underwood, Charlie Harding, Tim Johnson, Ed Shepherdson; (front) Stu Pinchin, Andy Eames, James Baldock, Jonathan Shepherdson, Dan Page

champions at that age group, and the Under-9s qualified for finals day of the Kent Mini 8s at Beckenham last weekend. James Baldock, the First XI captain, was impressed by his side’s dedication: “The first team have worked hard all season, winning 14 out of their 15 matches, and we fully deserve the title.” “It’s an amazing achievement by the team, made up of young new talent and experienced players. We can be very proud of all our achievements.”

fightback falls Hard dose of reality for Wells TJs’ short as difficult after Barnes show know-how lessons are learnt Barnes 35 Tunbridge Wells 7

Tonbridge Juddians 24 Canterbury 36

MAKE A BREAK Fly-half Frank Reynolds goes on the charge

By Roger Clarke

By Adam Hookway

RUGBY: AFTER Wells’ winning start to life in the London & South-East Premier last week, the trip to Barnes proved a hard dose of reality at this level. The south-west London club have been playing in National League Two South for three seasons and they showed good organisation in the lineout and scrum and dominated possession early on. Two rolling maul tries, by No 8 and skipper Ciaran Smyth after just four minutes and again by prop Tom McArthur after 17 minutes, put Barnes in the driving seat.

Wells came close down the right when winger Matt Spicer was ankle-tapped close to the line after a 20-metre surge while a Barnes back row was in the sin bin. However, with the Wells lineout misfiring the half-backs were tending to kick away, often without gaining any advantage. Just before half-time, several phases saw Barnes full-back Tom O’Toole breach the line at speed and the hosts went in at the interval 21-0 ahead. The Wells defence in midfield was standing up relatively well with Shadyn Osgood and Fionn McLoughlin getting in some good hits. But the home pack was in the ascendancy and four successive scrums saw them drive Wells back over their own line for a back row to dive in. Wells then suffered a yellow card for a team STROKE OF GENIUS Annabel Guye-Johnson

PHOTO: Bruce Elliott

Misfiring

offence, awarded to Chas Dagwell, on the hour as the game fragmented. Barnes put on the drive and then released their backs with centre Matt Cornish going over and O’Toole ensuring a 100 per cent record with conversions. Unfortunately for Wells, Osgood and Jake Thompson clashed heads whilst trying to keep Cornish out and the latter went off to hospital with a serious cut to his head. Just as the team was back to full strength with

Dagwell back on the pitch, Kyle McGarvie was yellow-carded and Wells were back down to 14. The visitors rallied, however, as back row Hayden Pengelly spotted a misalignment in the Barnes defence and went in under the posts. The try was converted by Frank Reynolds to make the final score 35-7. Wells must work on several aspects of their game before they travel to top-of-the-table Guernsey on Saturday (September 16).

RUGBY: IT WAS back down to earth for TJs after their big opening win in National Two South as Canterbury took all five points and consigned them to their first defeat for just under a year. Canterbury came out firing and were 12-0 ahead after 10 minutes. TJs managed a penalty from Liam Prescott but two more tries and a penalty try saw the visitors leading 31-3 at the break – and TJs were a little shell-shocked. The second half did not start much better, but TJs did manage to stem the Canterbury scoring. Captain Jon McMahon led the fightback with an explosive try after Prescott had got through the Canterbury defence with a clean break. Replacement Will Colderick had an immediate impact with a flying try, and the home crowd sensed a comeback was on the cards. Hugo Watson then claimed a third score as Canterbury seemed stuggled to rediscover their first-half dominance. At 24-31, TJs were in the hunt for a leveller. But Canterbury managed to work the ball upfield and their only real chance of the half ended with a try on the right to take the game away from TJs again. It was a harsh lesson for the hosts, that the game starts from the kick-off and playing catch up at this level is tough against opponents who are more experienced in game management. TJs will lick their wounds and travel to Clifton, who lost heavily 57-5 at Cinderford, on Saturday (September 16)

Annabelle makes her claim to fame on the world stage SWIMMING: KENT COLLEGE pupil Annabel Guye-Johnson made her mark on the global stage by winning a medal at the World Junior Championships in Indianapolis in the United States. The Upper Sixth student, who trains with the RTW Monson club, won bronze in the 200m breaststroke on the last day of the meeting. Annabel took her personal best down to 2min 27.42sec to touch third in a thrilling final, a mere 1.74sec behind the USA’s Ella Nelson.

The World Junior Championships is a six-day competition and the most prestigious junior event in the world, with many competitors this year having competed in the Rio Olympics. Team GB also came fourth in the mixed 100m medley and fourth in the women’s 100m medley relay with a time of 4min 01.30sec, 0.25sec off the junior world record. Annabel said: “I couldn’t be happier with my results from the World Junior Championships, it

was the most amazing experience. “I couldn’t have done it without the support network of my parents, friends and my school, who were there every step of the way, allowing me to train full-time while studying for my A levels.” Julie Lodrick, the Headmistress of Kent College in Pembury, said, “We are all incredibly proud of Annabel’s achievements. “She has worked so hard and thoroughly deserves this success. Many congratulations!”

Sporting Times

Wednesday September 13 | 2017

DOUBLE DAN Dan Mitchell scored both goals for Rusthall

NEWS

Class of Carrington proves decisive Crowborough Athletic 4 Rusthall 2 By Richard Smith FOOTBALL: DAN MITCHELL scored twice as Rusthall gave Crowborough Athletic a scare in an entertaining derby in the Southern Counties East League Premier Division. The Crows are groundsharing with Maidstone United at the Gallagher stadium until their 3G pitch is installed. They got off to a flying start in midweek, scoring after only 91 seconds. Tom Phipp played a ball inside to Henry Muggeridge, who drove left-footed across keeper Joe Cullip into the bottom corner. Rusthall’s equaliser arrived on the half-hour

when Stewart Gostlow pumped a long free-kick into the penalty area and Mitchell rose at the far post to plant his hanging header over the keeper The Rustics were impressive and went into the interval all square. They came close to taking the lead on the hour-mark when Mitchell wrapped his left-foot around the ball to hook his volley on the turn agonisingly past the right-hand post. But Crowborough grabbed hold of the game by the throat as their quality shone through, and they took the lead with 20 minutes to go. Connor Pring produced a sublime pass to put Tom Pearson through. His low left-footed drive went across the keeper to find the bottom far corner from the edge of the box. Manager Sean Muggeridge then brought on Sam Carrington, and the classy forward instantly took

just 90 seconds to make an impact. He played a one-two with Sam Crabb before beating Cullip. Crowborough were now a dominant force and Carrington turned his man inside the area and shot on the turn. Cullip parried the shot but the ball trickled over the line. The visitors pulled a second goal back with a minute remaining. Ryan Waterman delivered a deep cross towards the far post and Mitchell buried his towering header into the top corner from close range — his fifth goal in seven games. Joint manager Steven Ashmore said: “The boys are showing what we can do and they’re all pulling together. They all want to work for each other. “They appreciate the fact that we’re still learning and sometimes we are going to get games like this. We’re in a tough league.”

Debutant Colbran seals fine win with his first touch as substitute

Hard-fought battle at Harlow brings third defeat in row

Cray Valley 1 Tunbridge Wells 2

Harlow Town 2 Tonbridge Angels 1

By Scott Bartlett FOOTBALL: TUNBRIGE WELLS kept up their strong start to the season against a Cray Valley team brimming with confidence after three straight wins in the Southern Counties East Premier League. Wells took the lead on 12 minutes when Danny Moore played in Steven Ita on the left, and he cut in and fired a shot into the top corner. In the 33rd minute the referee awarded Cray a penalty when Steve Ikpeme was adjudged to have fouled Ben Francis. The striker struck the spot-kick to the bottom left-hand corner only to see Muhammed Otyuo make a fantastic save, tipping the ball around the post. Otyuo made another good save just before half-time when Cray struck a

VESTED INTEREST Gemma Freeman only began triathlon this year

HIGHLIGHTS Wells’ Jamie Lawrence wins a header at Cray Valley

shot from 20 yards that he did well to tip around the post, and Wells went into the interval 1-0 up. Wells started the second half brightly with Ita causing problems while Jake Beecroft and Jamie Lawrence controlled the midfield. On the hour, Wells manager Jason Bourne bought on Bayley Colbran for his league debut. The visitors won a corner which was delivered to the back post, Perry Spackman headed it back across goal and an unmarked Colbran on the far post headed Wells’ second goal with his first touch. Cray pulled a goal back in the 82nd minute through Jordan Sandiford to make it a nervous last few minutes. Wells are back in action in the FA Cup on Saturday (September 16) with a tie away at Conference South side Concord Rangers.

By James Rowe FOOTBALL: DESPITE having put ten goals past Herne Bay in the league cup in midweek, Tonbridge Angels lost their third league game in succession at Harlow Town, slipping into the lower half of the Bostik League Premier. They made life difficult for themselves by going a goal down after just three minutes as Nigel Neita forced the ball past goalkeeper Jonny Henly. Angels worked their way back into the game. On 21 minutes Tommy Whitnell played in Tom Beere but keeper Ben McNamara made a fine block. On the stroke of half-time a flowing move by Joe Turner, Dan Thompson and Whitnell was only stopped at the expense of a corner. The home side committed an offence and Beere’s free-kick crashed against the crossbar and seemed to go over the goalline. Alex Akrofi reacted quickest and nodded the ball home to make sure.

Freeman selected for British team after just three months TRIATHLON: GEMMA FREEMAN has been selected to represent Great Britain in the ITU World Triathlon Championship. The physiotherapist, who works at the Horder Centre in Crowborough, faces a 1.5km swim, a 40km cycle and a 10km run in the 30-34 age group in Rotterdam on Sunday (September 17). The 30-year-old was selected after taking part in an event at Arundel in July, three months after competing in

her first triathlon in Steyning. Gemma, who specialises in musculoskeletal and sports injury rehabilitation, was a keen footballer until a year ago when an old neck injury flared up. She joined the Brighton Triathlon Club and now trains seven to nine times a week. Gemma said: “I was really delighted to be selected for the team. I’m really looking forward to it and am just going to see how it goes for my first national event.”

Handled After the break Neita’s teasing cross forced Jeya Siva to head the ball away for a corner from under his own crossbar. From the corner Ibrahima Sonko put in a firm header but it was straight at Henly. Another corner quickly followed for Harlow and it required a goalline clearance by Whitnell to prevent the hosts going ahead again. It all went wrong for the Angels on 74 minutes when Sonny Miles was adjudged to have handled the ball just outside the area. The free-kick from Andnea Mayasi found the back of net having taken a touch off Alex Reid’s head. Angels manager Steve McKimm said: “We played enough decent football to get something out of the game but the fact is we haven’t because we haven’t defended well enough when called upon. “We will work on defensive responsibilities and I can assure you we will get it right.”