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Wednesday June 27 | 2018

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£90m Calverley Square could be challenged in courts by judicial review

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Community benefits from sponsorship deals Page 14-15

Exclusive by Jonathan Banks

Objections Critics of the development have raised objections, including that the cost is too much and the large design could spoil the surrounding landscape. A legal challenge is one of the few remaining chances opponents have to stop the process.

PHOTO: Carolina Faruolo

MOVES are being made to challenge Tunbridge Wells Borough Council in the courts over their planned £90million Calverley Square. The Times understands that legal papers have been filed by an individual associated with the Tunbridge Wells Alliance, the political party founded to oppose the development. Planning permission has been granted for the development, which will see a theatre, offices and council chambers built on land next to Calverley Grounds.

Continued on page 2

Ice rink venue makes £56k for town council Page 3

TWILIGHT ZONE: Plans are already underway for another Black Deer Festival next year at Eridge Park after last weekend’s inaugural event attracted thousands of country and Americana fans. Full review pages 4-5

Leader says ‘no malice’ intended in his remarks about part-time workers By William Mata will@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk

BOB ATWOOD Tunbridge Wells Alliance Chairman

A COOL SUCCESS

COUNTY HALL Leader Paul Carter has emailed his workforce of more than 10,000 to apologise for comments, viewed by some as ‘sex discrimination’, that he made about part-time workers. In his message, he told Kent County Council workers that ‘no malice’ was intended and that the way some sections of the media reported his remarks ‘does not reflect’ his views. The Tunbridge Wells Women’s Equality Party has criticised the Conservative for suggesting part-time employees ‘prioritise their families’ rather than their jobs. Cllr Carter made the comments at a meeting of the council’s Personnel Committee last week.

He spoke out after statistics into County Hall productivity showed that 28 per cent of part-time staff ‘exceeded expectations’ for work targets compared to 42 per cent of full-time staff. “Their priorities are different from their jobs because their primary role is to

‘Be assured that I take the issue of fairness very seriously’ KCC Leader Paul Carter make sure that their family is right and appropriate,” said Cllr Carter. “I’m sure [parents] are amazingly efficient with their time with having to drop your child off at childcare then get back for a certain time.

“Then they [the childcare facility] ring up and say that your child is not terribly well and they are a bit concerned about it. “You are bound to get a diversion away from work, it is human nature.” Cllr Carter faced a backlash after his views were reported in the media. Dr Amanda Turner, of the Women’s Equality Party’s Tunbridge Wells branch, said: “We are shocked by Cllr Carter’s comments. “They are unsupportive and discriminatory. They suggest that paid workers with caring responsibilities, the majority of whom will be women, should be paid less because their commitment and output is less. “Since most part-time workers are

Continued on page 2

LOVE AND WAR

Birdsong wings its way to the Assembly Hall Page 64-65

CRUISE CONTROL

This summer’s hottest places to visit Page 80-81

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‘Since most part-time workers are women, this is tantamount to sex discrimination’

PERMISSION Calverley Square

Continued from page 1

Chairman says ‘watch this space’ Continued from page 1 The individual is seeking a judicial review to challenge the legality of the development and processes behind it. Alliance Chairman Bob Atwood previously told the Times: “We are looking at a number of ways to stop the development from being built. “Mounting a legal challenge is one possible action.” Yesterday, Mr Atwood said he had nothing to add to these comments, but said ‘watch this space’ for developments. Tunbridge Wells Borough Council was approached for a response, but nothing had been received at the time of going to press.

WHAT IS A JUDICIAL REVIEW? A JUDICIAL review is a court proceeding that reviews the lawfulness of a decision made by a public body. It challenges the way a decision is made to check correct procedures have been followed, rather than the conclusion of a decision. This could mean the public body will be able to make the decision again if it does so in a lawful way.

CONTACTS EDITORIAL DIRECTOR RICHARD MOORE richard@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk | 01892 779615 DEPUTY EDITOR EILEEN LEAHY eileen@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk | 01892 576037 CHIEF REPORTER WILLIAM MATA will@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk | 01892 240626 DESIGN/PRODUCTION LEE SMITH lsmith8@markerstudy.com SALES ENQUIRIES GHak@onemediauk.co.uk | 01892 779650 FIND US ONLINE facebook.com/timeslocalnews timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk twitter.com/timeslocalnews

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CLARIFICATIONS AND CORRECTIONS HERE at Times local newspapers we strive to deliver fair, accurate and balanced reports. When we don’t meet our own high standards we will accept the responsibility and publish clarifications and corrections. If you would like to make a comment on any aspect of the newspaper, please write to the editor at 16 Lonsdale Gardens, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 1NU, or email newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk Markerstudy Leisure is a trading name of One Media and Creative UK Limited registered in England and Wales under company number 5398960 with registered office at 45 Westerham Road, Sevenoaks, Kent TN13 2QB.

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women this is tantamount to sex discrimination and we would encourage council workers to challenge this as unlawful. “However, how easy is it for workers to feel enabled to challenge discrimination – evidenced by the clear gap between bonuses for full-time and part-time workers – if their Leader holds these views?” She added: “Cllr Carter’s failure to show fair and equal treatment of staff means he is now in an untenable position. “No amount of back-pedalling can excuse what he has said and he must now resign.” Cllr Martin Whybrow, the authority’s only Green Party member, feels the words were a mistake in the context of County Hall members voting last year to increase their remuneration allocation. “Cllr Carter needs to be careful with his words. Staff morale is low and a lot of experienced people have left. “Because of this relentless pressure, they are worried their jobs are at risk. We should be doing everything to support staff and make sure comments like this do not get made.”

‘NO MALICE INTENDED’: THE EMAIL PAUL CARTER SENT TO HIS STAFF IN FULL

“Dear colleagues, you may well have seen or heard some of the negative coverage in the media over the last few days surrounding a recent meeting of the council’s personnel committee and the differential between part-time and full-time staff. I am writing to apologise for any offence that may have been caused and to confirm that the way my remarks have been reported does not reflect my view. I value all county council staff, both part-time and full-time. I care deeply that we support all of you fairly

and well. I believe we have a good track record and I want this to be even better. We have a whole series of arrangements to support all staff, including flexi-working and term-time-only working. I have done my very best to ensure, even in difficult financial times, that our investment in you, both in relation to pay and your training, is stretched as far as affordability allows. We are determined to ensure that part-time workers are not disadvantaged in any way. The debate at personnel committee was about why there is a differential between managers’ assessments of part-time and of full-time staff. In an endeavour to explore the underlying reasons for the differential, a number of suggestions were made as to why this may be happening. No conclusions were reached at the meeting and so a review will now take place with recommendations to come back to the next available meeting. Please be assured that I take the issue of fairness very seriously and that there was no malice intended on my part.”

Rail travellers do not believe tickets are worth the price By Katie Harris JUST one in three commuters on Southeastern trains think their tickets are value for money, new figures have revealed. The remainder said they were dissatisfied or did not have an opinion on the price of tickets for the service – which runs through Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge – in a survey by Transport Focus that took place in the spring. And only 38 per cent of Southern commuters said their ticket was value for money. Greg Clark, MP for Tunbridge Wells, said: “Southeastern passengers have endured a variety of problems over the past few months, so I’m not surprised to see their satisfaction ratings slip. “The full re-opening of London Bridge at the start of the year didn’t bring about the more reliable services people had hoped for, with assorted teething problems causing rather than reducing delays. “Passengers have also had to deal with out-oforder toilets and graffiti-covered trains, making journeys much less pleasant, and the recent introduction of new timetables also hasn’t gone smoothly,” he added. DISAPPOINTED Southeastern Managing Director David Statham

Southeastern saw overall satisfaction ratings for journeys fall 5 per cent since last autumn to 75 per cent. The number of Southern commuters satisfied with their journey has dropped by 4 per cent to 69 per cent. David Statham, Managing Director of Southeastern, said: “We’re obviously disappointed in this score but given the survey period covered a period of unusually severe winter weather, and restrictions that meant our onboard cleaning standards suffered, we understand that our passengers have held us to

the higher standards that we had set leading up to this. “Southeastern successfully introduced the May 2018 timetable, but clearly there have been significant challenges on the wider railway. Wherever possible, we’re working together with our partners to deal with those issues.” Mr Statham added: “Three quarters of Southeastern’s passengers are satisfied with our service – but we know that there’s always more we can and will do to deliver a better railway. That’s why we have set out a new plan with our partners today.”

NEWS IN BRIEF

Fire ‘not suspicious’ at Paddock Wood site

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PHOTO: Katie Harris

Crescent Road plan

THIS week’s hot weather has drawn crowds of people to the parks and green open spaces across the area. Among them were university students Ella Decelis, Ellie Creasey and Phoebe Griffiths who yesterday [Tuesday] enjoyed the glorious sunshine in Calverley Grounds in Tunbridge Wells. So good has the weather been this week that some people are even swapping watching one of the world’s biggest sporting events to stay outside and make the most of the continued sunshine.

PLANS to expand Crescent Road car park by 96 spaces could be passed by Tunbridge Wells Borough Council tonight [Wednesday]. The authority’s planning committee will vote on a proposal which could see the facility enhance from 1,069 spaces to 1,165.

Ice rink proves a cool event for council after making £56k

Investigation launched

By William Mata will@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk A RECORD 40,000 skaters took to the ice at the open air Tunbridge Wells rink over the Christmas period and generated £56,000 for the borough council. The local authority is now looking to award a new tender for the popular attraction which has become a festive fixture in Calverley Grounds over seven years. Figures were revealed by the borough council in

a Cabinet meeting on Thursday [June 21]. Cllr Tracy Moore, Cabinet Member for Civic Development, said: “We had very good value from the ice rink, it demonstrates the popularity of the attraction.

Restructure “This is making Tunbridge Wells a destination town and I think that teenagers, especially, will be very pleased we are continuing with it.” Council Leader David Jukes added: “I think it is terrific.

Quiz at football club SUPPORTIVE charity IMAGO is holding a quiz night at Tunbridge Wells Football Club on Friday July 13. Teams of six people are invited to the event from 7pm. The £7 ticket cost will be collected for the Tunbridge Wells charity. To book email hello@imago.community or call 01892 530330.

Rockin’ in the Rec SUMMER community concert Rockin’ in the Rec is being held at St Andrews Recreation Ground in Paddock Wood on Friday July 13. The free event features music from Pembury Primary School Choir, The Expandables, Can’t Be Committed and Alcatraz Blues. Music fans are invited to bring their own blankets from 5.30pm.

Good day sunshine

SUN WORSHIPPERS: Ella Decelis, Ellie Creasey and Phoebe Griffiths soaking up the sunshine

THE Alpha Logistics industrial site in Eldon Way, Paddock Wood, has been heavily damaged in a fire. Thousands of pounds worth of equipment has been destroyed in the blaze in the early hours of Monday [June 25] morning. Kent Fire and Rescue Service had extinguished the fire by 6pm the same day, and said it was not being treated as suspicious.

DETECTIVES are investigating the death of a man following a disturbance at an address in East Malling. Kent Police was called at 6.54pm on Monday [June 25] to a property in Larkspur Close, where it was reported two people known to each other were involved in an altercation. A man aged in his 40s from the East Malling area was arrested in connection with the incident. He remains in custody. A man aged in his 20s was taken to hospital, where he later died.

NEWS

ICE TO SEE YOU The rink has proved a money-maker for the council

Gary Littlejohn, General Manager of Tonbridge Swimming Pool told the Times that the outdoor pool is proving to be very popular since the fine weather started. “This really is the best place to be when the sun shines - people are even giving the World Cup a miss to be here,” he said. High temperatures are set to continue until the weekend, reaching up to 25 Celsius [77 Fahrenheit]. A spokesperson for the Met Office added: “It’s going to stay dry, sunny and warm in the south east for the rest of the week.”

“There would be a riot if we stopped it. And, it is making money.” The figures were announced as part of the borough council’s Revenue Management Report: Quarter 4. These also showed the ‘Civic Development Reserve’, received £316,000 in the past year. This will go towards funding the Calverley Square and theatre project. This comprised £96,000 in savings following the council’s restructure programme and £220,000 from overall budget saving achieved this year. Overall, the council recorded a significant underspend with £9.4million made in ‘receipts’ going into reserves and £4.6million paid out of reserves. Cllr Jukes added: “Congratulations to all on this excellent report and an excellent year.”

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New Americana music festival celebrates huge debut success Last weekend’s Black Deer festival welcomed 15,000 people to see artists including Ward Thomas, Ashley Campbell and Passenger perform at its Eridge Park site. Hannah Patterson reveals what made the first country music festival for the area so very special

STANDING OVATION Crowds gather as the sun sets over the main stage

STAR POWER Kiefer Sutherland and Ashley Campbell (left) wow the crowds

“My friends complained I write too many songs about whiskey, so I wrote this one about tequila,” announces Kiefer Sutherland as he breaks into the finale of his set on the Saturday afternoon of the Black Deer Festival which took place at Eridge Park last weekend and attracted 15,000 people. I’d headed to the main stage with a little apprehension as to whether the Hollywoodturned-country music star could pull it off, but I was put firmly in my place by Sutherland’s uplifting high notes and slightly melancholy base.

Growing roots The Lost Boys and 24 actor was performing at the inaugural Black Deer Festival which is Kent and East Sussex’s reflection of the everincreasing popularity of roots music in the UK. Billed as ‘a celebration of Americana and Country’, its aim was to encompass the energy that can be found in mostly the southern states of the United States where music is heavily

embedded in the culture. And so it featured a lot of artists from that part of the world - with a healthy dose of UK talent thrown in, too. Did it succeed? On the whole, yes. Similarly to cities like Nashville and New Orleans, there was music to be heard everywhere at the Black Deer and there were times over the weekend when the atmosphere felt electric. It was impressive to see so many stages set up - five, to be exact - on both the Saturday and Sunday of the festival, but at times it felt like there was just a little too much choice. Perhaps for next year the organisers could afford to lose one or two of them to allow for denser crowds and easier ‘who to watch next’ decisions. But the music was a perfect mix of folk, country, blues and rock n’ roll, with tiny notes of pop thrown in, and the Saturday particularly shone in terms of toe tappin’, feet stompin’, hip shakin’ tunes courtesy of acts like The Sheepdogs, Black Water County and Eric Bibb. The numerous Black Deer branded buskers dotted around the site were also enjoyable for those who fancied a jam

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session on a bale of hay. On Saturday night, twin sisters, Ward Thomas, who are often dubbed Britain’s first country music stars, took to the stage and the 24-yearolds put on a show worthy of any seasoned star with their modern country style and confident audience rapport. Darren Eeedens and the Slim Pickin’s, John Moreland and Ashley Campbell also performed energetic and engaging sets too. But amongst the big name stars it was also

IN STYLE The Adelaides strike a pose

good to see some local acts put their best food forward with excellent performances from Mike Milton and the Paul Dunton Orchestra. The Black Deer party kept going late into the night, with Johnny Cage and the Voodoogroove performing on the Roadhouse stage. The group tore up the small sheltered bar area with a lively show, complete with dancers who kept everyone on their feet late into the night. On Sunday, Nashville star and Pembury born Sam Palladio gave a beautifully intimate acoustic gig in the songwriter sessions on the Supajam Stage which was hosted by radio legend and country music connoisseur BBC2’s Bob Harris. Other stars who performed on the final day of the festival included Passenger, Ginger Wildheart and Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit. Overall, it was a solid first year for the Black Deer, with people of all ages clearly enjoying themselves. And with country culture also represented courtesy of the food, retail and activities – which included lasso lessons – on offer, it certainly succeeded in bringing a taste of Americana to Tunbridge Wells.

PHOTOS: Carolina Faruolo and Louise Roberts

SMILES ALL ROUND The Wandering Hearts on the main stage

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Possible extension to boarding school BENENDEN SCHOOL is hoping to build a new school hall and music facility. Tunbridge Wells Borough Council’s planning committee will vote tonight [Wednesday] on whether to grant the girls’ school planning permission. The works would see the existing school hall and music hall demolished. The historic Pleasure Grounds garden would also be restored. Committee members have been advised to grant planning permission. The meeting begins at 5pm.

Bewl Water 15 Mile run THE 19th edition of the Bewl Water 15 Mile run will be held on Sunday, July 1, with up to 1,000 expected to take part. There is still time to enter the event, organised by Wadhurst Runners, which begins at 10.30am. To take part in the run, which costs £26 to enter for non-club runners, visit the webiste www.nice-work.org.uk

Scouts’ host park party THE third annual Scouts’ Party In Our Park will be held on the Recreation Park on Riding Lane, Hildenborough on Saturday [30 June] from 3pm to 10.30pm. The event features live music from ten bands and all proceeds go to the village’s 8th Tonbridge Scout Group. Parking is available at the church. The festival was started when the Scouts decided to provide a community event for the village when the firework display was no longer permitted to take place.

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Roux father and son dish up treat for Shipbourne Farmers’ Market THE MENU

By Andy Tong

Cream of Asparagus, Winterdale Shaw cheese custard, cobnuts

andy@timesoftonbridge.co.uk THE world’s most famous chef family went back to their roots in Shipbourne to lay on a special charity dinner – and raised £15,000 for a variety of worthy causes, including the local church. Michel Roux Jnr and his father Albert returned to the village near Tonbridge to celebrate the 15th birthday of Shipbourne Farmers’ Market. They catered for 170 local guests at The Chaser Inn, and the proceeds will go to the St Giles’ Church Restoration Fund, Nourish Foodbank in Tunbridge Wells and South Tonbridge, the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution and All Saints Community Project Trust in Chatham.

Guinea fowl and carrot pie, spring cabbage, cured bacon

Charred cauliflower, spiced carrot, broad beans, spring onions and houmous (V) Lemon posset, Earl Grey tea granité, strawberries

Feasts Albert was chef at the Fairlawne estate for eight years from 1959 for Peter Cazalet, who trained racehorses for the royal family. Michel, who is well known as a TV presenter on MasterChef: The Professionals, was born there in 1960 and went to school at Shipbourne Primary. The family moved up to London in 1967, when Albert and his brother, Michel Snr, opened the renowned Le Gavroche with the Cazalets’ help. Talking about Shipbourne, Michel told the guests: “Back in the 60s there was a pub, a school with 30 kids and a cricket club, and that was it. And it hasn’t changed much now.” He reminisced about fishing for pike in the River Bourne to make pâté and foraging for mushrooms, snails and watercress, and said: “It was an idyllic place for a boy to explore. “It was a world of everyday feasts and family

MASTER CHEFS Michel Roux Jnr recalls his Shipbourne childhood while Albert looks on gatherings. My mother did the cooking at home and we ate classic French country-style cuisine – braised sweetbreads and blanquette de veau [braised veal] – unheard of then in Britain. “My father reared rabbits and pigeons for the table and we used to go ferreting together. He kept ferrets down his trousers in the good old-fashioned way.” Peter’s son, Sir Edward Cazalet, who is patron of St Giles’, told the diners: “Albert lifted cooking in this country from the hangover of austerity and rationing from the war to the high cuisine of French cooking at its best. He has done more for English cooking that any other man alive. “There were particular dishes that Albert cre-

ated which were a delight to the Queen Mother on her visits to Fairlawne, when Albert would regularly chat with her.” Father and son were given the challenge to prepare a meal using ingredients solely from the Farmers’ Market. Only the red wine, from Michel Roux’s own vineyards, was not sourced locally. The market, which is held at the church on Thursday mornings, has won the ‘Best in Kent’ award four times. Students from West Kent College in Tonbridge helped to prepare the food and train as waiters. Sir Edward’s children, opera singer Hal and TV actor Lara, entertained the guests with a cabaret.

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Early plans for centre approved despite jump of £1.2m in costs By William Mata will@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk PADDOCK WOOD is a stage nearer to having its own Community Centre after early plans were backed by town councillors. The proposed £2.3million development would contain multi-use halls for sport, council offices and community activities, as well as rooms for a pre-school if it was built on Memorial Field. Paddock Wood Town Council voted nine against two [with one abstention] in a special meeting on June 12 to back RIBA Stage 2 designs. Cllr Elizabeth Thomas, one of those to have voted in favour, said: “This is long overdue as we do not have a hall that can hold more than 80 people.” She explained the new hall would be split into three sections and could hold around 300 people. Residents had raised concerns about noise, lack of car parking spaces, flooding risks and a general lack of consultation. BLUE SKY THINKING An artist’s impression of the design

FIRST OF ITS KIND The Paddock Wood community centre

But despite some councillors discovering the cost of the project had risen £1.2million to £2.3million on the night, a majority still voted in favour. Cllr Thomas added: “We must make it pay so that it is a building used by as many people as possible.

Difficult “We are at a stage where clubs and groups want to meet but it is incredibly difficult to find somewhere to meet.” The Times reported in February that more than £900,000 was to be paid by developers towards ‘a community centre’ in Paddock Wood, as part of the planning agreement that saw an agreement for around 1,000 homes to be built in the town by 2026. Cllr Thomas said this money would be used and that the council could obtain funding from the Public Works Loan Board towards the project. Cllr Rodney Atkins and Cllr Ray Steward voted

against while Cllr Sarah Hamilton abstained. Cllr Atkins also voted against the project at the RIBA Stage 1 point and said his concerns about the financing of the project was his primary motivation for his decision. “I don’t know where the extra money is going to come from,” he said. “I am also concerned about the amount of parking. The plans state there will be 61 spaces, but that is not enough for 300 people. “We should also not be losing our green spaces and I have not seen any documents which state there is a shortage of hall space in Paddock Wood.” The councillor calculated that if the authority was to find the remaining £1.5million [not accounted for in Section 106 monies] with a council tax rise, it would cost the average Band D property owner an extra £3.70 per year. The town council shall now proceed to RIBA Stage 3, which will see further logistic method and detail accounted for. The timeline for the project, which was listed within council documents, showed the centre would open in August 2020, if all goes to plan. The town council has appointed Frankham Consultancy Group as architects for the project.

Wednesday June 27 | 2018

BUSINESS

Local Business News

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Designers in pole position with official Formula One card game By William Mata will@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk FORMULA ONE chiefs have hired a Tunbridge Wells digital games publisher to offer fans of the sport a ‘new experience’. VirtTrade, based in Lonsdale Road, has designed their officially branded F1 Trading Card Game for smartphones. The app, which is out now on Apple’s App Store and is released in July on Google Play Store, offers a virtual version of collecting cards. Motor racing fans can swap and compare cards featuring circuit, driver and team information, with updates available from every Grand Prix weekend.

Players communicate in an online forum. Extra cards can be bought by players to boost their collection and earn points.

Coveted Ross Walker, Chief Commercial Officer at VirtTrade, said: “We are obviously thrilled to be working with Formula One as a brand and as the custodians of the pinnacle of motorsport. “We have long coveted Formula One and the opportunity the brand presents for a digital collecting experience, and we look forward to helping F1 enter a new space to engage fans and drive revenue streams.”

OFF THE GRID Card designs used in the game BEST OF BRITISH Lewis Hamilton (below) appears in the game

An extra dimension of the game allows the players to enter a virtual race against other app users, with the attributes of their cards used to dictate performance. For example, a player with higher scoring cards would be likely to perform better than a participant who had just started their collection. Adam Crothers, Head of Digital New Business at F1, said: “VirtTrade offers F1 a new and alternative take on presenting our mix of content as well as a new entry point for fans. “We think their unique take on collectibles gamification will be a hit with our current fanbase, too, and the product offers a game type environment that isn’t simply simulation based.”

Celebration for law firm after £21m turnover is announced Free apprenticeships and skills networking event

LEADING law firm Thomson Snell & Passmore has announced its fifth consecutive year of increased revenues. The business, with an office in Lonsdale Gardens, Tunbridge Wells, took an annual turnover of £21.2million in the financial year ending June 5. This represented a revenue increase of 5.3 per cent and a growth of 47 per cent over the past five years. The firm has credited their revised Practice Management System for helping to ‘deliver efficiencies’. James Partridge, Senior Partner at Thomson Snell & Passmore, said: “We have enjoyed another solid year of growth which has been marked by our commitment to investing in the future.

INCREASED REVENUES James Partridge

“This included a significant overhaul of our Practice Management System. “Thomson Snell & Passmore continues to grow in an uncertain legal market, and we are grateful to our clients and staff for their support.”

The firm will celebrate its 450th birthday in 2020, and is currently preparing for a major office move in Tunbridge Wells. Details of this will be finalised later this year. Thomson Snell & Passmore reported: “The Private Client, Clinical Negligence & Personal Injury, Family & Commercial Property departments performed particularly well over the past 12 months. “Highlights in the past financial year include six of the firm’s departments being ranked in the top tier, and 23 lawyers being named as Leaders in their Field in the prominent legal directory Chambers & Partners 2018. “A further accolade was being shortlisted for Regional Law Firm of the Year for Citywealth’s Magic Circle Awards 2018.”

THE business community has been invited to a free networking event organised by Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council and partners. Presentations will be held on apprenticeships and skills opportunities at the event, which will run from 6.30pm until 8.30pm on Thursday, July 12, at West Kent College in Brook Street, Tonbridge. There is also a question and answer session with business leaders and councillors.

Attendees can view and hold their own elevator sales pitches, and drinks and light refreshments will be available. To confirm attendance, or register interest in making an elevator pitch or sharing good news, email Jeremy Whittaker of Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council at: economic.regeneration@ tmbc.gov.uk www.tmbc.gov.uk/services/ business

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‘Bee walk’ helps locals to be aware of insect’s plight By Andy Tong andy@timesoftonbridge.co.uk THE Tonbridge & Malling branch of Friends of the Earth held a ‘bee walk’ through Tonbridge this month to draw attention to the plight of the insect. The popular event was part of the campaign group’s National Bee Campaign to show the positive action that can be taken to protect and improve their environment. It coincides with the Great British Bee Count, which runs until June 30. Sponsored by Ecotalk and supported by conservation trust Buglife, the count enables the public to find out more about the bees that visit our gardens, parks and countryside, and what can be done to help them. Using a free and easy-to-use app, thousands of verified sightings will be submitted to the government’s Pollinator Monitoring Scheme, which will provide the first comprehensive health check for Britain’s wild bees and other pollinators. The walk took place in town rather than the

URBAN HAVEN The walk takes in the roadside reserve in north Tonbridge

countryside to show that bees can thrive wherever a habitat is made available for them. Bees play a vital part in nature and in our economy – it would cost UK farmers £1.8billion a year to pollinate their crops without them. Anthony Bales, coordinator of the local group, told walkers that the UK has lost 97 per cent of its wildflower meadows since 1945.

Positive He told the Times: “The positive impact of campaigning by Friends of the Earth and other organisations was made evident in April this year when the European Union, including the UK, voted to put a permanent ban on the outdoor use of three bee-harming pesticides. “Such actions as growing bee-friendly flowers make a beneficial difference to bees and other pollinators, from planting in a window box to creating new wildflower meadows.” The June 10 walk, which was led by local naturalist Dr Ian Beavis, visited the Angel Community

Garden in Sainsbury’s car park, which was created by Friends of the Earth as ‘a perfect example of how small spaces in an urban area can be transformed to support bees’, said Mr Bales. The itinerary also took in the graveyard of St Peter & St Paul’s Church and the roadside reserve between the London and Shipbourne Roads, created by Kent Wildlife Trust and Kent County

Council, ‘another wonderful example of renewal of a forgotten pocket of urban space’. Friends of the Earth are currently petitioning the Environment Secretary, Michael Gove, calling for a clear commitment to reduce the use of pesticides in the forthcoming Agriculture Bill. To download the Great British Bee Count app, go to www.friendsoftheearth.uk/bee-count

Counties’ firefighters team up to show Bewl visitors how to respect the water FIRE and rescue services from Kent and East Sussex made a splash at Bewl Water on June 16 as two teams of firefighters hosted a Water Savvy Fun Day. The event marked the Royal Life Saving Society’s Drowning Prevention Week and the emergency teams were joined by giant Splashpals Newfoundland dogs, who are used in sea rescue operations. The public had the opportunity to learn lifesaving skills such as CPR and how to use a throwline – and were shown how firefighters rescue horses using harnesses. Leanne McMahon, Group Manager for Community Safety at Kent Fire & Rescue Service, said: “Every year we carry out 37 water rescues on average, and we want to

DEEP TROUBLE Kent and East Sussex firefighters and (above) the Splashpals rescue dogs

drive the number of people getting into trouble in water down. “Water safety is really important to us, and we are working hard to educate residents and visitors to the area about the dangers, and how to stay safe while still enjoying being in and around water.”

Andrea Emery, Water Safety Cocoordinator for East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service, added: “A drowning incident happens quickly and without warning. “Drowning in the UK is one of the leading causes of accidental deaths, and many people who drown had no intention of entering the water.” SWITCHED ON: Staff on Ward 20 with the new audiovisual equipment

Full Monte ensures dementia patients are in good company A DONATION from a Kent fundraising group has helped patients feel at home on a ward at Tunbridge Wells Hospital in Pembury. The Full Monte Consortium, a private fund set up by Kent auctioneer Clive Emson to help those in need, raised money to buy a TV and DVD player for the dementia café and lounge area on Ward 20. Kim Mitchell, a key worker on the ward, identified that people with dementia would benefit from taking part in activities in the company of other patients. Ward volunteer Andrew Bligh then

approached The Full Monte for help. Gaynor Gibbons, Matron for Specialist Medicine, said: “A huge thank you to both Kim and Andrew, who have been fundamental in ensuring this purchase takes place, and to the Full Monte for their generous donation. “Also, our thanks go to Robert Culver of UTech Solutions who donated his time to source and set up the equipment for the ward.” She added: “Now the patients can sit back and relax in the lounge area and enjoy a film after lunch in the company of other people.”

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How everyone wins when business supports local community events tions of Markerstudy Group, said the event appealed to their ‘fun side’. “As a business we are passionate about our corporate social responsibility,” she explained. “It not only appealed to our fun side but supported two brilliant charities. It acted as a great attraction to the town and the stunningly picturesque Dunorlan Park.” In the past five years Markerstudy has generated more than £2million for various charities and helped with numerous projects, including Operation Christmas Child, which provides gifts. Ms Smith-Foreman added: “This ethos of support is at the very heart of all of our businesses and it’s a privilege to give something back.” After the Times Business Awards, Josh Collins, Director of G Collins & Sons, said: “G Collins & Sons are delighted to support an event that celebrates the achievements of local businesses and awards the excellence of young entrepreneurs through to established businesses.

LET IT ROLL The Auto Windscreens and Vision kart at the Crazy Jeans event, which was sponsored by Markerstudy Group

By William Mata will@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk BUSINESSES are playing an increasingly significant role in backing local events, many of which would not take place without sponsorship. This was highlighted last week [Times, June 20] with reports on three major events that had benefitted from sponsorship.

‘This ethos of support is at the very heart of all of our businesses’ The Times Business Awards was supported by headline sponsors Cripps, the law firm, and the jewellers G Collins & Sons. All of the ten categories were individually financially supported by

local businesses as well as the drinks reception. Then there was the successful Crazy Jeans Kart Race in Dunorlan Park on Saturday, June 16. This inaugural event was sponsored by Markerstudy Group, who also fielded five karts. In Tonbridge, the town’s annual Carnival, an event sponsored by West Kent College, was enjoyed by thousands on Sunday, June 17. Businesses told the Times this week that they are keen to engage with the community by supporting such events.

Cheered The Crazy Jeans Kart Race attracted around 5,000 people, who clapped and cheered the wacky wagons down the hill in a time-trial race. The idea came from Garry Jeffrey, of Jean’s Kitchen who wanted to raise money for two local charities: ellenor and Hospice in the Weald. Lizzie Smith-Foreman, Director of Communica-

REVVING UP The team from Markerstudy Leisure

Wednesday June 27 | 2018

GALA EVENING The Times Business Awards

law firm Thomson Snell & Passmore. Louise Dubec, Sponsorship and Events Manager at Savills, said that it can be good business for a firm to help support an event. She said: “By reinvesting a modest proportion of our fee income back into the local community with a view to enhancing our town as a cultural, sporting, health and educational entity, this reinforces our markets for the long term. “If Tunbridge Wells is a great place for adults and especially children, then buyers will follow.”

Networking

“They see these awards as very important to the local community. Small businesses are essential to enrich the local area and generate new jobs in the town.”

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Other Tunbridge Wells events to benefit from sponsorship are the Hospice in the Weald 10k Run, which is backed by estate agent Savills, and the Jazz on The Pantiles, backed by

Savills also sponsors Tunbridge Wells Cricket Club, Tunbridge Wells Lawn Tennis Club and Tunbridge Wells Chess Club. Ms Dubec added: “Sponsorship done well can offer many networking links to local businesses and to potential clients. From a business perspective, we choose our sponsorships by looking for the right target audiences, but also for organisations that communicate our brand well.”

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THE RULE OF LAW ON SPONSORSHIP LAW firm Thomson Snell & Passmore is a headline sponsor for Jazz on The Pantiles, one of the most popular events that takes place each Thursday over the summer. The Times spoke to Charlotte Eberlein, the law firm’s Head of Marketing and Business Development: WHICH LOCAL EVENTS HAVE YOU SUPPORTED? Over the years we have sponsored a number of events in our area where our offices are based in Tunbridge Wells and the Thames Gateway including Jazz on The Pantiles, the Chatham Food and Drink Festival and the Borde Hill horse trials plus many in-between. WHAT DRIVES YOU TO DO THIS? As one of the largest local employers, we think it is important to invest in the communities in which we are based. Without sponsorship many local events may not happen. We all love where we live and work and this is just one of many ways in which we help our local communities. There are of course benefits to us in that it helps broaden our profile and gets the firm’s name out to new audiences. WOULD YOU ENCOURAGE OTHER BUSINESSES TO FOLLOW SUIT? Absolutely, the range of things that are now on offer for sponsorship is so wide and far reaching, that there is something to fit everyone’s tastes and budgets. Charlotte Eberlein

BAND ON PARADE A performance at Jazz on The Pantiles

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National News

Three-year ban for anti-semitic songs TWO men have been handed three-year football banning orders after a video appearing to show England fans singing an anti-Semitic song at the World Cup was shared online. The behaviour of David Batty and Michael Burns in a bar in the Russian city of Volgograd was described as ‘disgraceful’ by a district judge. The banning notice was served under the 1989 Football Spectators Act, when the men appeared at Leeds Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday. Batty, 58, of Doncaster, and 52-year-old Burns, from Billingham in Cleveland, were told they would not be allowed within a two-mile radius of any England football matches until 2021. District judge Charlotte Holland said: “I have seen the activity that you were involved in and seen the still images from what you did. “You know that at this time people are getting behind the national team, including children, and your actions are ruining that.”

Wednesday June 27 | 2018

Two die in Cambridgeshire after bus collides with lorry A BUS driver and one of his passengers were killed as a doubledecker collided with a lorry in Cambridgeshire. Twelve other people were injured, five seriously, in the crash on the A47 near Guyhirn on Tuesday morning. The stretch of road has a 60mph speed limit. The bus collided with the truck as it was pulling out of a yard onto the road, Inspector Jamie Langwith said. The driver was from Norfolk and in his 50s, while the passenger was from Northampton and in his 70s, police said. Both men died at the scene.

Bomb-maker guilty of Parliament plot AN AL QAIDA bomb-maker has been found guilty of plotting a knife attack on MPs and police outside the Houses of Parliament. Khalid Ali, 28, had three knives when he was arrested by armed police in Whitehall last April. The plumber had been in the sights of counterterrorism police after returning from Afghanistan, where he spent five years making bombs. More than four months before his arrest, the FBI matched his fingerprints to two caches of explosives recovered by Afghan forces in 2012. At the Old Bailey, Ali was found guilty of preparing terrorist acts in Britain and two charges of possessing explosive substances with intent to endanger life abroad.

Injuries sustained by those hurt in the crash at around 7.30am range from broken legs to brain injuries, but none are in a life-threatening condition. The lorry driver was unhurt.

Lodged Inspector Langwith said: “What we do know is that they have a coming together where the HGV has pulled out of the yard and the bus has collided into the side of it.” The bus, which had been travelling eastbound on the road, became lodged into the side of the lorry, which appears to have

been heading westbound. Steve Wickers, Managing Director at First Eastern Counties bus company, confirmed a driver based at their King’s Lynn depot had died and said he was ‘shocked and saddened’ by the incident. He said: “Our thoughts are with the families of the deceased and we will be providing as much support to them as we can through this difficult time.” The crash occurred near a Bretts Transport distribution centre at Thorney Road in Guyhirn. The firm specialises in the retail, food service and food manufacturing sectors.

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Man’s body found after swim in Nutfield lake A MAN has died after he was seen struggling while swimming in a lake. Police and the ambulance service were called to the lake in Nutfield Marsh Road, Nutfield, Surrey, after the man was seen to get into difficulties at 6.30pm on Monday. A search was launched, including Surrey Fire and Rescue Service’s water search team and Surrey Search and Rescue, and his body was found by a team of divers from rescue service Specialist Group International at 9.20pm.

Nanny murder sentence A COUPLE who tortured and killed their nanny before dumping her body on a fire in their garden have both been jailed for a minimum of 30 years. Sabrina Kouider, 35, and Ouissem Medouni, 40, became obsessed that Sophie Lionnet, 21, was helping exBoyzone creator Mark Walton abuse people at their home in south-west London. The couple were found guilty of murder following a trial in which they blamed one another for Ms Lionnet’s killing in their bath, each claiming that they were asleep at the time.

Tube strike for Trump

ACCIDENT The road had a 60mph speed limit

DRIVERS on parts of London Underground are to strike on the day of President Donald Trump’s visit to the capital next month, in a row over working conditions and staffing. Rail, Maritime and Transport union members on the Piccadilly Line will walk out from 9pm on July 11 until midnight on July 13, the day of the US President’s visit.

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National News

Short-term licence for Uber in capital UBER won a partial victory when a judge granted it a short-term operating licence in London after the permit was not renewed over safety concerns, but the taxi-hailing app came under criticism. The firm conceded it had made ‘serious mistakes’ and that Transport for London (TfL) was correct in its September decision, but told an appeal hearing it had made ‘wholesale’ reforms. Chief Magistrate Emma Arbuthnot granted a 15-month ‘probationary licence’ at Westminster Magistrates’ Court having found the firm was now ‘fit and proper’ to hold the licence in the capital. But she criticised its ‘gung-ho’ behaviour to ‘grow the business come what may’. She also said Uber ‘tried to whip up public outcry’ after TfL’s decision by launching a ‘public attack’ rather than immediately accepting blame.

Sir Bee Gee: Brothers would have been proud BEE GEE Sir Barry Gibb said he hoped his late brothers were ‘proud’ as he collected his knighthood. The 71-year-old’s moving tribute to his brothers Maurice and Robin came as he received his award from the Prince of Wales at Buckingham Palace. Sir Barry, the last surviving member of the pop band, said: “If it was not for my brothers I would not be here. “If I had spent my whole life writing songs on my own, it would have meant something STAYIN’ ALIVE else altogether.” Sir Barry Gibb

Wednesday June 27 | 2018

Beer and cider ration due to CO2 shortage

RUNWAY SUCCESS Campaigners have six weeks to take action

Legal challenge in prospect as Grayling sets up Heathrow bid THE Government has triggered the next step towards Heathrow expansion in the wake of its victory in a Commons vote on the controversial plans. Transport Secretary Chris Grayling has formally designated the Airports National Policy Statement [NPS], paving the way for the airport to submit a formal planning application. This means a group of councils and campaigners have six weeks to submit a legal challenge to block the project. A judicial review against the decision is being launched by four London local authorities affected by the expansion – Wandsworth, Richmond, Hillingdon and Hammersmith and Fulham – in partnership with Greenpeace and London’s Mayor Sadiq Khan.

Greenpeace UK’s Executive Director John Sauven said: “If ministers don’t want to uphold the laws protecting us from toxic fumes and climate change, we’re going to ask a court to do that.”

Critical step Support from Labour MPs helped push through the proposals to expand Europe’s busiest airport with an overwhelming majority of 296. Mr Grayling said: “This marks a critical step towards ensuring future generations have the international connections we need, as well as strengthening the links between all parts of the UK and our global hub. “I have always been clear that this issue goes beyond party

politics and this result demonstrates the clear desire to get on with delivering this vital scheme. “There is still much to be done, including defending this decision against potential legal challenges, but we are absolutely committed to working closely with local communities and ensuring Heathrow stick to their promises on addressing the local and environmental impacts of expansion.” Heathrow will now submit a detailed plan to the Planning Inspectorate. This will involve the airport conducting a further consultation with affected communities over compensation packages and mitigation measures. Construction could begin in 2021, and the runway could be operational by 2026.

FOOD wholesaler Booker is rationing beer and cider because of a shortage of CO2 used in carbonated drinks. The Tesco-owned retailer, which is used by bars, restaurants and traders, is capping customers to 10 cases of beer, and five of cider or soft drinks. Booker said: “We are currently working hard with our suppliers to minimise the impact for our customers.” CO2 producers in the UK and mainland Europe have scaled back operations for maintenance, causing a shortage of the gas, whose many uses include improving the shelf life of packaged food and creating dry ice to keep products cool during transport. Heineken said its John Smith’s Extra Smooth and Amstel brands had been hit, while Coca-Cola Great Britain said production had been interrupted until fresh CO2 supplies arrived.

Big EU states will block UK single market hopes INFLUENTIAL EU states such as Germany, France and Spain will block any attempt by the UK to remain within the single market for goods without freedom of movement, the Spanish foreign minister has said. Josep Borrell said that some smaller EU states might privately be willing to negotiate reform of the bloc’s free movement rules in order to keep easy access to UK products. But Mr Borrell told The Guardian: “They will not win the battle. They have not enough power. Germany will say no, France will say no, Spain will say no.” He said that Berlin and Paris were ‘angry’ with Britain over Brexit, which he described as a ‘pain in the ass’ which was distracting political energy away from issues such as immigration and eurozone reform.

BUSINESS

National Business News

Heathrow operator moves HQ from UK to Amsterdam THE operator of Heathrow Airport has revealed it will shift its international HQ from the UK to Amsterdam in the latest sign of concern over the impact of Brexit. Spanish group Ferrovial, the largest shareholder in Heathrow, confirmed the move from Oxford will allow it to come under European Union law following Brexit next March. It comes after the Government voted to give the green light to a third runway at Heathrow on June 25, with Transport Secretary Chris Grayling saying it would provide a ‘clear path to our future as a global nation in the post-Brexit world’. In a statement, the firm said: “Ferrovial has considered the relocation of the corporate registered office of holding companies of international businesses, currently in the UK, to a jurisdiction [Amsterdam] which is under the umbrella of European Union law. “There is no impact on employment, and our operations in the UK will remain unchanged.” Ferrovial’s decision relates to its holding company that controls all of its operations outside of Spain.

Supermarkets enjoy two years of growth BRITISH supermarkets have reached two years of consecutive growth amid booming summer sales of spirits, soft drinks and hay fever remedies, figures show. Supermarket sales have risen for 25 consecutive periods and are up 2.1 per cent compared with this time last year. A decline was last recorded in June 2016, market share data from Kantar Worldpanel for the 12 weeks to June 17 show. The promotion of wonky vegetables helped Morrisons keep the title of the fastest growing of the big four supermarkets with a sales increase of 1.9 per cent, while Lidl saw a 33 per cent increase in sales of branded goods. Shoppers have already spent 6 per cent more on spirits than the same period last year and soft drinks are up 7 per cent. Gin sales alone have increased by £38million and 1.7million litres. Potential partners Asda and Sainsbury’s recorded differing performances over the past quarter. Asda increased sales by 1.8 per cent while Sainsbury’s sales fell by 0.2 per cent. Sales grew by 1.4 per cent at Tesco, although its market share decreased to 27.7 per cent from 27.9 per cent a year ago.

Wednesday June 27 | 2018

Car-makers call for certainty as investment falls by a half THE UK motor industry has warned that uncertainty over Brexit negotiations is ‘holding us back’ as new figures show investment has been slashed by nearly half so far this year. Mike Hawes, Chief Executive of trade association the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders [SMMT], claimed contingency planning, job losses and investment cuts are ‘the price we pay for slow decision-making’. He said: “We don’t seem to be any closer to the certainty and stability the whole of British industry needs.” Mr Hawes described the £347million of investment earmarked for new models and facilities in the UK in the first half of this year – down from £647million in the same period in 2017, as ‘ominous’. He went on: “There is growing frustration in boardrooms at the slow paced negotiations. “The current position, with conflicting messages and red lines, goes directly against the interests of the UK automotive sector, which has thrived on single market and customs union membership. “There is no credible plan B for frictionless customs arrangements, nor is it realistic to expect that new trade deals can be agreed with the rest of the world that will replicate the immense value of trade with the EU.” BMW, which employs around 8,000 people in the UK, has also aired concerns over the future of the motoring industry post-Brexit. Senior Director Stephan Freismuth told the

Financial Times delays in importing components would put the operation under serious threat, potentially forcing UK closures. But the German giant’s UK boss Dr Ian Robertson insisted that the firm is ‘not considering’ whether it would move investment out of Britain if the country leaves the customs union and the single market. He told reporters at the SMMT event in central London: “We are considering what we would need to have in place to overcome such impediments to border fluidity. That’s where we are focused right now. “It would be foolhardy of any company not to have these contingency ideas under way.”

Swiss crowdfund for fines of footballers FANS of Switzerland’s World Cup team have started a crowdfunding campaign to pay fines imposed on three players. Fifa punished Granit Xhaka, Xherdan Shaqiri and Stephan Lichtsteiner for making an eagle gesture with their hands, as they celebrated their win over Serbia. The political symbol referred to the Albanian flag, which features an eagle. Xhaka and Shaqiri are native Albanians from Kosovo, where a Serbian crackdown on the Albanian population took place in 1999. Xhaka and Shaqiri were fined £7,632 and Lichtsteiner £3,816.

Murray faces Edmund

PAY THE PRICE Mike Hawes criticised slow decision-making

Government reforms apprenticeship levy THE Government has announced changes to its controversial apprenticeship levy following growing demands from business groups for reforms. The number of new starts has fallen since the levy was launched last year for larger firms. At the moment, levy-paying employers can transfer up to 10 per cent of their apprenticeship service funds to one other employer. The Government said that after listening to businesses, employers will be able to make transfers of up to 10 per cent to as many other employers as they choose from July. Apprenticeships and Skills Minister Anne Milton said: “As well as kick-starting their apprenticeship programmes, business is now recognising the benefits an apprentice brings to the workplace with enthusiasm and new ideas. “We want to keep improving apprenticeships for everyone and I am delighted that we are now extending the flexibility of the apprenticeship levy.”

SPORT IN BRIEF

Jane Gratton, of the British Chambers of Commerce, said: “The BCC has long been calling for an end to the restrictions that limit businesses from accessing the apprenticeship levy. Softening the rules around fund transfers is a step in the right direction. “We’d like the Government to go further and allow levy-paying firms to transfer a higher percentage of their unused levy within the supply chain - increasing it from 10 per cent to 50 per cent - so that more people benefit.” John Cope, of the CBI, said: “While this is a welcome step in the right direction, the real issue is the 10 per cent cap on transferring is too low and doesn’t give businesses the flexibility they need to invest in apprenticeships. “The CBI wants to see the transfer cap lifted to 50 per cent, and for the Government to enable pilot groups of employers to ‘pool’ their levy funds. With these reforms, firms of all sizes would be better able to work together to address skills demands.”

TENNIS ace Andy Murray is set to face Kyle Edmund in Eastbourne’s Nature Valley International today [Wednesday]. The Scot is facing a race against time to return for this year’s Wimbledon competition, which begins on Monday. Murray secured his first victory in almost a year on Monday [June 24] when he impressively defeated Stan Wawrinka in straight sets at the Nature Valley International in Eastbourne. He had only last week returned after a long-term struggle with injury led to hip surgery. Compatriot Edmund is the current British number one and world number 18, and will go into the tie as favourite.

Reporter’s fury at kiss BRAZILLIAN sports reporter Julia Guimaraes challenged a man passing-by who tried to kiss her while she made a broadcast. While she was on-air in Yekaterinburg on Sunday at the Japan v Senegal match, the man approached her from the side and tried to kiss her cheek. Guimaraes dodged the advance and then shouted at the man to ‘never to behave like that towards a woman’.

Buttler to open batting BATSMAN Jos Buttler will open for England against Australia in a one-off Twenty20 clash at Edgbaston. Buttler, man-of-the-series after his brilliant unbeaten century in Sunday’s one-wicket win at Old Trafford, has opened for England just once before in T20s - when he made 73 not out against Sri Lanka in 2016.

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You’re having a laugh: Comedians are raising the roof to help schools By Andy Tong andy@timesoftonbridge.co.uk A LOCAL company bringing comedy nights into towns and villages in and around Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge has helped to raise tens of thousands of pounds for schools. Richard Minnis’s Out Of Bounds has worked with more than 60 schools of all types, playing in the school hall or, for smaller ones, the village hall. Mr Minnis has been running comedy events since 2006. It all began when he was captain of Sevenoaks Town Golf Club and decided to organise a social event. It was such a success that he started providing similar evenings at other golf clubs – hence the name, the result of a wayward drive. Then he was approached by a Parent Teacher Association to help them raise funds. “I have had a fascination with comedy for most of my life,” said the 57-year-old from Wrotham Heath. “I organised what turned out to be the best social event we had ever had, and it went from there.” He adds: “Eventually someone asked about running one for a school PTA. It was not what I had planned initially but we were also approached by some other sports clubs at the same time. “New schools are approaching me all the time. It is very much a growing area. School events have overtaken my regular club venues, and it’s a cracking way to raise money while doing something different to the normal quiz night etc.”

‘New schools are approaching me all the time. It is very much a growing area’

CLASS ACT Bob Mills is one of more than 200 artists Richard Minnis has worked with

Out Of Bounds runs around 40 events a year for infant, primary and secondary schools. They were at Fordcombe in May and will be in Penshurst this Saturday.

Polished They have also performed on behalf of the primary schools in Speldhurst and Bidborough, Chiddingstone Nursery, Fosse Bank in Hildenborough, Hilden Grange in Tonbridge, Tunbridge Wells Girls Grammar, Tonbridge Grammar and Kent College Pembury. Tara Davies, Co-Chair of the Fordcombe’s PTA, said: “It is a big up-front commitment and we had to sell 60 tickets to cover our costs but we did that easily. The acts were all excellent, a lot better and more polished than we expected. “It is a very easy fundraiser as, other than catering and selling tickets and set-

ting up the hall on the night, everything is done by the company.” Deborah Sharpe of St James’ Infant & Junior School PTA in Tunbridge Wells said they raised £1,200 and added: ”It was a great evening , 95 attended, there was laughter, corks popping and plenty of bread and cheese. We thought the comedians were great.” The PTAs tend to turn a profit of around £1,000 after Out Of Bounds’ fee of £900 is deducted – though the company can be ‘flexible to assist with smaller schools with limited audience numbers’. “Eighty per cent of my events are helping someone to raise money, whether it be a charity event or a school PTA or funding for children’s foreign excursions,” said Mr Minnis. “This of course gives me great satisfaction. Leaving an event with a room full of beaming faces and a knowledge that

Local News someone is benefiting from it is a great feeling.” Mr Minnis, who has two grown-up children, has become well known on the established comedy circuit and has worked with more than 200 artists, including some of the best known in the industry. The likes of Bob Mills, Hal Cruttenden, the late Sean Hughes, Katherine Ryan, Milton Jones, Zoe Lyons, Angela Barnes, Tim Vine and Dominic Holland have all appeared. “I use some agents but mostly deal direct with acts. It is a community and as I am well known for running enjoyable events, I am contacted regularly by new acts wanting to work for me. “I am always looking out for the acts that people are talking about, and after watching them perform I decide how suitable they are for each type of event I run.” The content varies according to the audience. “There are acts that will work all of my nights and some that will only do pub or club nights.

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“We always select acts that will not offend people, our aim is for everyone to enjoy themselves.” Mr Minnis, who works full time in the telecoms industry, has ‘dabbled’ with doing stand-up himself but says it’s a hobby and adds: “I don’t have time to commit to making a full fist of it. I compere occasionally now but I’m really a promoter.”

PENSHURST’S FUNNY TURN The Penshurst Comedy Night will be held in the Village Hall on Saturday [June 30] from 7pm. The event is raising money for Penshurst Primary School through the PTA. The headline act is Glenn Moore, and he is supported by fellow Mock The Week contestant Ben Norris and comedian-magician Danny Buckler with Paul Ricketts acting as the compere. Tickets cost £15 and are available from feebudgen@aol.com

FUNNY TURN: Richard Minnis (left) with comedian Alexander Armstrong

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And another thing… This is the page where you, the reader, have your chance to express your views or comments on what’s going on in our part of the world. We like to hear from you. You can email us at newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk or newsdesk@timesoftonbridge.co.uk or write to the Editor at 16 Lonsdale Gardens, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 1NU

GREEN LIGHT The new Tunbridge Wells Environmental Action Group wants to recruit eco warriors

A staggering amount of rubbish – but you can help us keep town clean Tunbridge Wells has a lot of people living here who care about our environment – the challenge is bringing them together. I’m a keen environmentalist and really wanted to meet other like-minded people nearby. To that end, I started an online group at www.meetup.com, the Tunbridge Wells Environmental Action Group. We recently completed our first litter pick on Dundale Road – collecting nine large refuse sacks of litter along just a half-mile stretch. We were staggered at the amount of rubbish

Fracking keeps us behind the times While some, such as Edward Baker [June 13] might see the threat of climate change as a scaremongering indulgence, it is not a position shared by the scientific community, and most national governments and international organisations. While some might be irresponsible enough to ignore the threats, sensible policy-makers cannot. This is why energy generation, consumption and conservation are vital issues. In the UK, we waste far too much energy heating poorly insulated homes, on inefficient domestic appliances and sitting in traffic jams. So reducing our energy consumption, as Steve Jackson advocates [May 30], will help not only to combat climate change but to save ourselves money, too. By supporting fracking, our government is failing to support an industry that will provide low-carbon energy in the future, and has already made enormous headway in spite of government policy, which has reduced support for solar and onshore wind power while backing expensive white-elephant technologies such as nuclear energy. But scientists also calculate that to keep global warming below 2°C, most fossil fuel reserves must be kept in the ground. It is this imperative as much as anything else that must drive a major shift in investment towards clean energy. By pursuing yet more fossil fuel investment by supporting fracking, our government also puts us at a competitive disadvantage in the future

tossed along the sides of the road. Debris collected ranged from the expected (car wing mirrors) to the less so (a TV aerial and motorcycle helmet) with everything in between. We had a lot of fun doing good! We’re looking for more help and would love for more keen eco warriors to join our group on www.meetup.com – we’re a friendly group. We have plans for other local environmental issues we want to tackle and we welcome new ideas, too. Chris Sharp Via email when compared to other countries who make the transition to clean energy faster than we do. Howard Porter Chair, Tonbridge & Malling Green Party

Lara made the evening a great success I and my colleague Michelle were thrilled to attend the Times Business Awards. It was a very enjoyable evening with a mix of like-minded professionals, good food, laughter and entertainment. The event had been meticulously planned; from the champagne reception welcome right down to table detail. The short extract that was read for each award nominee, detailing their profile and reasons behind the nomination, gave the audience an interesting and informative insight into each business. The highlight of the evening was most definitely winning the award for Family Business of the Year, coupled with the opportunity to meet the host, Michael Portillo. Finally, I would like to mention Lara Milan, who made us feel extremely welcome and clearly devoted her time and effort into making the event a great success. Kayleigh Streatfield Newton Waterproofing Systems, Tonbridge

Local people, not national interests I refer to Labour candidate Bjorn Simpole’s letter [June 13] where he ‘accuses’ my party, Tunbridge Wells Alliance, of splitting the vote at the council elections. By suggesting that we should

have stood candidates down in order to enable his party to defeat the incumbent councillors, he illustrates quite clearly why we actually exist. Far from being a one-issue party, we stand as a clear alternative to those tired and dreary old political parties with whom the public are becoming increasingly disillusioned. Our determination is to truly represent local people in their local concerns and without reference to or influence from national politicians. It would therefore be dishonest of us to deliberately withdraw candidates and deny our supporters an opportunity to vote for us, just because by doing so we might have made things easier for Labour (or the LibDems). At the last election, we received almost 2,800 votes in total, and that from a standing start just two months previously. We will not desert our electors, and fully intend to put up candidates wherever possible next year. Bob Atwood Chair, Tunbridge Wells Alliance

Town Hall needs no safeguarding I am happy to reassure Jim Kedge [June 13] that the Town Hall is not missing from the list of properties to be safeguarded under the Article 4 Direction as reported in the Times. The Town Hall is a listed building; therefore the permitted development rights that might otherwise apply to the list of properties that we are seeking to safeguard do not apply. Cllr Alan McDermott Tunbridge Wells Borough Council Cabinet member for Planning & Transportation

Human rights and business wrongs When the Saudi Arabian crown prince visited Britain earlier this year, there was widespread concern over whether the UK was focusing on trade at the expense of human rights. Theresa May could have been far more outspoken about human rights during the visit. We understand that the issue of executions in Saudi Arabia were raised on the visit, but the scale of the problem is daunting: The country executed 148 people last year, to add to the 300-plus it executed in the previous two years. The majority of these came after deeply unfair trials. We remain extremely concerned that the UK is unwilling to criticise Saudi Arabia over its use of torture, false confessions and unfair trials. China, another major UK trading partner, executed even more, possibly thousands, in total secrecy as capital punishment is a state secret in that country. No one is saying that the UK should be constantly lecturing other countries, but Britain should definitely be standing up for basic human rights, including an end to the grisly business of beheadings and hangings. Times readers can find out more about Amnesty’s report and how to support its campaign to abolish the death penalty at www.amnesty.org.uk/deathpenalty Graham Munn Amnesty International, Tunbridge Wells Group

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Calverley

Observations on life and more important things

BRAVO Billy

‘GENT’ Bragg. He Billy certainly went the extra mile when the Bedgebury gig for Heaton & Abbott was cancelled due to illness. He was down as the supporting act. Instead of enjoying the night off, he jumped in his car and drove over from Essex to sing songs for around 50 diehards who had turned up. You might not agree with his left-wing politics, but you can’t fault him when it comes to being a ‘real gent’. Way to go, Billy, as those at the concert might have said.

THERE was a time when some folks would not be seen dead in the cut-price store Aldi. Not any more. Upmarket shoppers are battling to get through the doors. Calverley listened in at a family gathering where a mum of four boys told how she regularly spends around £275 a week on Waitrose deliveries. Then she went to an Aldi in Lewes. Same products but at a fraction of the cost – £145. “The only thing they didn’t like was the ketchup,” said the mum, who then went online to buy clothes for the kids with the money she saved. Win-win. BOXING once again features the name of Chris Eubank, with Junior now making a big noise in the sport. Grown-ups will remember his dad as an eccentric who would parade round his home town of Brighton in jodhpurs, a bowler hat and riding boots. Quite why, no one knows. Calverley recalls Eubank Snr swaggering across a busy road shouting into his mobile phone, which was often glued to his ear, when the phone suddenly started ringing. How embarrassing. YOU can’t con Calverley! Well not if you’re terrible at spelling. He was invited to respond to a message on his mobile that purported to come from ‘Apple costumer services’. The worrying thing is, some people must take the bait or the crooks wouldn’t keep doing it.

APPARENTLY, pubs operated by Wetherspoon, including those in Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge and Crowborough, have stopped selling Champagne as some sort of Brexit protest against imports. But if you find yourself in one of their establishments, do you really have a lot to celebrate? Chin Chin, readers

Education

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Wednesday June 27 | 2018

NEWS

EDUCATION Times WITH THE

Pupils are well versed in the art of writing poetry

‘HERE I AM WITH NO ESCAPE’ …from winning! Thomas Hough with the Mayor and Mayoress

To tie in with the first Tunbridge Wells’ Poetry Festival, winners of a school poem competition found out who had won this year’s second Jeffrey Hale Shield prize WE HAVE just enjoyed the first Tunbridge Wells Poetry Festival, and a local event that started last year has the similar aim of inspiring people to pen poetry. The Jeffrey Hale Shield is organised by

the Friends of Woodbury Park Cemetery. Since it began in 2017 a number of schools have taken part, creating poems on a theme. This year’s was ‘Rich and Poor’. It was set up to honour the life and work

of Jeffery Hale, a Victorian philanthropist known as ‘The poor man’s friend’ for his establishment of medical care in Quebec and creation of schools for the poorer members of society. Hale later became a resident of Tunbridge Wells and is buried in Woodbury Park Cemetery.

Final

YOUNG POETS UNITED The Mayor with some of the children whose poems will appear in ‘Rich and Poor’

With the first Tunbridge Wells Poetry Festival taking place two weeks ago, the Jeffrey Hale Shield organisers decided it made sense to hold the final at the town’s children’s library on the same weekend. Four local primary schools took part in the competition: Claremont, the Wells Free School, St Barnabas and Kent College Preparatory. The children whose poems had been selected for entry by their respective schools gathered together with their parents on the morning of Saturday, June 16 to receive achievement award badges from Mayor Len Horwood, and discover

who had won the top poetry award. That went to ten-year-old Thomas Hough from St Barnabas with his entry ‘Here I Am With No Escape’. The young poet also received a cheque for £300 at the prize-giving ceremony for his school. Runners-up included Vivi Lester, 10, and Annabel Gough, 11, who won £150 for Claremont Primary School with their joint poem ‘The Wall Between Us’. Phoebe Fyffe-Sadler, aged just 5, won £150 for Kent College Prep with her poem ‘Rich and Poor’. Seventeen other poems by pupils from the four schools who entered have also been selected to go into

the Rich and Poor anthology, which will be published by the Friends of Woodbury Park Cemetery. Commenting on the standard of the competition, one of the judges, Barbara Ling, said: “It was really hard making our choices. We were very impressed by the thoughtfulness and feeling put into their poems by these children, who ranged from five to 11. “Thomas Hough’s poem captured vividly the despair felt by a child confined in the workhouse.” To buy the anthology, and ‘The Hales of Quebec and Tunbridge Wells’, which is £3, please email: jbman@btinternet.com

NEWS

Weekly Comment

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Greg Clark

MP for Tunbridge Wells

Wednesday June 27 | 2018

Greg Clark was first elected to Parliament as a representative of Tunbridge Wells in 2005. The Conservative MP has since held a number of positions in Government and currently sits as a member of the Cabinet in his capacity as Secretary of State for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy

Town’s Cricket Festival is a real catch ONE of the high points of the year for me in Tunbridge Wells is the annual Cricket Festival at the Nevill Ground, when Kent host another first-class county opponent, sometimes with a one-day match as part of the week. Last year, disaster almost struck. The condition of the ground just a few days before Cricket Week began was declared unsatisfactory, and the fixture was almost moved to Canterbury. Heroic last-minute work by local club members and professionals brought the pitch and the outfield up to playable conditions and the match went ahead. But the future of the Tunbridge Wells Festival was thrown into doubt. A first-class fixture needs a first-class pitch, and Kent County Cricket Club understandably wanted to know that the Nevill would be suitable in the future. The Nevill Ground has been owned since 1946 by the borough council and its maintenance is its responsibility. Our borough is famed for the calibre of the gardening in our parks – with Dunorlan regularly winning national awards – but a firstclass cricket ground requires specialist expertise. I was extremely concerned that the town might have lost the historic Cricket Week, and feared that once lost it would be difficult ever to restore it. So I was delighted that an agreement was reached between the borough council, Tunbridge Wells Cricket Club and Kent County Cricket Club on the maintenance of the ground, and the

future of our County Week was secured. It was well worth it. Beautiful warm, sunny weather makes the Nevill an idyllic spot. Many fixtures in previous years have been in May, and while benefitting from the glorious sight of the famous rhododendrons in full bloom all around the ground, this has increased the risk of chilly days and rain interrupting play. I was privileged to sit on Friday afternoon with Carl Openshaw, the President of the Tunbridge Wells Cricket Club, and my constituent Derek Underwood, the Kent and England legend and great supporter of local cricket. Last week Kent played well, declaring 518 runs ahead of visiting Warwickshire. But the ensuing run chase took the game to almost the end of the fourth day, on Saturday, before being bowled out just 73 short.

such an idyllic sight to weary motorists on the A26. And, of course, every village has its own ground – and in some cases more than one. If cricket is your thing, then a date for the diary is the annual Flower Show Match, inspired by Siegfried Sassoon, that will take place on Sunday, July 15 at the Brenchley cricket field, where, at 2.30pm, a professional actor will be performing The Cricket Match taken from the classic novel England, their England – a humorous take on a village cricket match, and part of Brenchley & Matfield’s commemoration of the centenary of the end of the First World War.

GRASS IS GREENER The Nevill Ground in Tunbridge Wells

Pavilion The Nevill is a real gem of a ground – described by one writer as a ‘contender for the most delectable English cricket ground’ – and has had a prominent place in the history of Tunbridge Wells. The pavilion was burnt down by suffragettes in 1913, and led Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, a member of the club, to describe the suffragettes as ‘female hooligans’. The canny Nevill Golf Club, founded the

Richard Byatt Treasurer Tonbridge & Malling Green Party

Are our authorities really listening? “WE value your views”, “We’d like to know what you think”, “Have your say”. Consultation is thriving – since 2012 Kent County Council has hosted more than 300 consultations on its website. No public policy change is complete without a consultation, but what does it all mean? Are local authorities genuinely seeking input, or are they looking for support for something they’ve already decided to do? Will they ‘note’ views and carry on as planned? Will they publish responses to consultations in full and set out the ‘weight’ of different opinions, or will they summarise and cherry-pick? Of course, you can’t please all the people all the time, but if you ask for their views then you must demonstrate that you are listening and responding – even if it’s to explain why a different approach has been taken. The process varies across the country, but best practice is to use a dedicated online portal, where everyone can see what others have said, including those with particular vested interests such as landowners and developers. Yes, there are resource and data protection

following year, was wise enough to give women full voting rights from the outset. In 1993, the Nevill cricket ground was one of the venues used in the Women’s Cricket World Cup – hosting a match between Australia and the West Indies – and the thriving girls and women’s teams at the Tunbridge Wells club today is a fitting culmination to that piece of our history. The Nevill is not the only place to enjoy the game, of course; we have beautiful grounds all over our area, from Linden Park by Wellington Rocks on the Common in Tunbridge Wells to the Southborough pitch on the Common offering

Richard Byatt has lived in West Malling for more than 25 years. He worked in Tonbridge for 12 years as editor of a B2B journal, was communications director of a professional body and is now a freelance writer and researcher. Richard is a keen cyclist and walker and is particularly interested in protecting the wonderful environment and wildlife habitats we have in Kent. He joined the Green Party in 2014 and is treasurer and media lead for the local party. He is a member of West Malling Parish Council

CONSULTING? County Hall in Maidstone, where decisions are made

issues, but these are not as onerous as we are led to believe and this is public information. It shouldn’t be necessary to lodge a Freedom of Information request to find out who is influencing public policy and decision-making.

Accusation The alternative is that people lose what residual faith they have in national, regional and local government, and particularly in the planning system. We’ve probably all sat in public meetings where someone calls out: “It doesn’t matter what we say, they’ve made up their minds.” There will be protestations from the platform that ‘nothing has been decided’, but the accusation sticks because people have been let down… and they remember. When promises that mineral workings will be returned to green fields are broken; when the new housing development that was only ever going to be 200 houses expands to 500; when the ‘protected’ wildlife habitat turns out not to be safe; when the promised ‘affordable’ housing, road or school fails to materialise, it’s no wonder

we become cynical… or just realistic. The suspicion is that money talks and the views of ‘ordinary’ people are frequently discounted. This is why at the first sign of a threat to their home or neighbourhood, such as the sand quarry at Ryarsh identified in Kent County Council’s Minerals Plan, people go into campaigning mode. The problems are exacerbated when one party dominates a council, everything is agreed outside

of formal meetings and then nodded through ‘advisory boards’ and ‘cabinets’, where the proceedings are mostly unintelligible to the public gallery. Next time you respond to a consultation, please take the time to check how and when the responses will be published. Proper consultation is a good thing and can change policy, but it needs to be complete, accessible and transparent.

Bewl Water Special Feature

Wednesday June 27 | 2018

Welcome to summer at Bewl Water

thekn w.guide

When it comes to making the most of the warmer weather, there’s no better place to be than amidst the glorious landscapes that the Garden of England has to offer. In this exclusive supplement, we shine a spotlight on an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and uncover how Bewl Water can be the ideal way to make the most of the summer season

Supercars, sailing & camping THE summer is upon us, and we at Bewl are celebrating in style with a range of fun activities for all the family. We are very excited to be welcoming VVS UK and their followers to the first Supercar Saturday at Bewl. We’re going to be hosting Lamborghinis, Ferraris and other supercar

brands in a static show on June 30. There will be a BBQ, ice creams, bouncy castles and a chance for your little ones to drive our unique ranger cars. Alongside our pedalos and rowing boats, cycle hire, boat trips and mini golf, it is set to be an actionpacked way to truly welcome summer.

Sailing has been gaining momentum at Bewl Water this year with an influx of dinghy and windsurfing memberships to bolster the ranks. This was certainly aided by May’s Push the Boat Out event, where over 170 budding new sailors came to Bewl to have a go at the helm under the supervision of our experienced members. The reservoir is a picture at weekends with various fleets and families enjoying both casual sailing and racing. A big step in this hugely positive direction has been the introduction of the Optimist fleet – sailing under The Bewl Barbarians, a self-elected name. Within their fleet, they have some very promising young sailors with three national squad places being achieved by Bewl resident sailors. To arrange a taster and sign up for regular youth sailing sessions, get in touch with them at www.bbsc.org.uk Bewl sailors have organised safety boats on the lake every Wednesday evening from 6pm – half an hour before sunset – and Saturday afternoons between 12noon and 4pm, right up until August 25. This is the perfect opportunity to hone those skills, get advice, and meet some of our wonderful sailing community. One of the most exciting developments is the introduction of the Bewl Water campsite. Over 28 days this summer you can enjoy the peace and tranquillity of the reservoir once everyone has gone home in our beautiful site just a short walk from the lake. We have a fire pit and superb facilities available for the duration, providing you and your family with the perfect base to explore Bewl and beyond. While camping, you can enjoy a sumptuous evening meal overlooking the reservoir from the fabulous Boat House Bistro, open on Saturday evenings throughout the summer. Phil Daley, Activities Manager

Rural beauty & rainbow trout WITH the lake 100 per cent full, Bewl looks stunning to visitors on the Round Water Route that weaves through shady woodland with its rich green canopy and sunny meadowland, with wild flowers and butterflies in abundance. The bridleway has received its first cut back to control the nettles, brambles and blackthorn that hamper access, and numerous overhanging branches have been cleared. The coppicing of the wood behind the Boat House is now complete and is well worth a look. This six-year project has produced a healthy revitalised wood, and the differing heights of cover give vastly improved biodiversity. The rapid refill of the lake in the early months took its toll on water clarity and fishing has been varied, with both good and difficult days. Things have now settled, however, and – with the aerator line running – the water has cleared giving good sport with many fish fry-feeding close to the surface. Fish stocking continues, and to date over 26,000 pristine rainbow trout of 2 to 3 ½ lbs have been introduced this season, with 20,000 more to come. Howard McKenzie, Estates Manager

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Bewl Water Special Feature

Wednesday June 27 | 2018

One year after securing a license to hold wedding ceremonies, Bewl Water has hosted many beautiful marriages and shared lots of special moments with brides and grooms along the way BEWL prides itself as a unique wedding venue for Kent and East Sussex. Couples can choose to hold their ceremony and reception in an Area of Outstanding Natural beauty, with the reservoir and 800 acres of scenic landscape providing the perfect backdrop for that special day. Taking place in the nautical and contemporary Boat House Bistro with its panoramic views, the wedding breakfast is sure to leave a lasting impression on couples and their guests. And with a drinks reception out on the water’s edge, and rustic woodland all around, there are plenty of wonderful photo opportunities.

n Personal wedding planner to guide you through your journey n Complimentary wedding breakfast taster n Exclusive hire of venue n Glamping accommodation available

Weddings start from as little as £2,100, call 01892 890000 to enquire and book a private viewing

Testimonial

“The setting was gorgeous – totally unique to this part of the country. “All you can see from the windows that make up the far wall of the bistro is a vast, stretching view of the lake. “The bistro itself is sophisticated and modern on the inside. The service and flexibility we were offered was next to none, and

Images: JonnyNPPhotography

Key features: n 800 acres of scenic landscape n Home to the largest stretch of water in the South East n Drinks reception on the water’s edge n Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

Image: John Knight | Styling: Cara Events

Picture perfect moments at Bewl

the events organiser we worked with allowed us to rearrange and decorate the space to suit us. “You can also give your guests a boat ride on the lake for a really reasonable rate, which we found perfect. “Overall, a very happy customer. Would highly recommend!” Abbie & Luke

Wednesday June 27 | 2018

yourh me INSPIRATION FOR MOVING

AND IMPROVING

AVAILABLE EVER Y WEDNESDAY â€“ A MUST-READ

ULTIMATE GUIDE TO PROPERTY, IN TERIORS, TOP TRENDS AN D GARDENING

LIVE IN THIS LISTED PERIOD PROPERTY

WE FIND A FABULOUS FAMILY HOME

Table manners Our recipe for your dining room success Page 56

GET BUSY ATTRACTING WILDLIFE TO YOUR GARDEN THIS SUMMER

yourh me

To suit your budget

Wednesday June 27 | 2018

Your at-a-glance guide to CALVERLEY PARK CRESCENT TUNBRIDGE WELLS

£995,000

UNDER £300,000

n Open plan kitchen

UNDER £400,000

n Underfloor heating

ST MARY’S COURT, LAMBERHURST

n Utility room

WESTERN ROAD, TUNBRIDGE WELLS

n Rear lobby

£298,000

n Landscaped rear garden

£375,000-£385,000

n 2 bedrooms

n Attached home part of Grade II listed former school conversion n Entrance hall n Bedroom with en suite and doors to garden n Stone staircase within clock tower

n Living room n Paved patio and pathways n Single parking space CONTACT Wood & Pilcher Tunbridge Wells 01892 511211 www.woodandpilcher.co.uk

n Victorian semi-detached house

n Downstairs shower room n Family bathroom/dressing room n Landscaped garden with decking

n Entrance hall n 2 reception rooms with garden views n Feature fireplace n Fitted kitchen

CONTACT Bracketts Tunbridge Wells 01892 533733 www.bracketts.co.uk

To suit your budget

Wednesday June 27 | 2018

thekn w

great properties by price range…

UNDER £500,000 HILDEN PARK ROAD, HILDENBOROUGH

£475,000-£500,000 n Detached chalet style bungalow n L-shaped entrance hall n Double aspect kitchen/breakfast room n Sitting room with feature fireplace n Conservatory n 2 bathrooms n 3 bedrooms n Enclosed rear garden with patio and pond n Driveway parking CONTACT Bracketts Tonbridge 01732 350503 www.bracketts.co.uk

UNDER £750,000 GROSVENOR PARK, TUNBRIDGE WELLS

£695,000 GUIDE PRICE n Victorian double fronted villa n Spacious entrance hall n Triple aspect reception/family room n Dining room n Modern fitted kitchen n Downstairs cloakroom n Master bedroom with en suite n 2 further bedrooms (one with en suite) n Family bathroom n Rear courtyard garden CONTACT Bracketts Tunbridge Wells 01892 533733 www.bracketts.co.uk

UNDER £1MILLION

UNDER £900,000

CALVERLEY PARK CRESCENT, TUNBRIDGE WELLS

£995,000 n Townhouse part of Grade II listed building n Designed by Decimus Burton n Entrance hall n Drawing room with balcony n Kitchen n Dining room n 2 cloakrooms

DORNDEN DRIVE, LANGTON GREEN n 4 bedrooms (one with en suite) n Utility room n Cellar n Immaculate communal garden area

£795,000-£825,000 n Significantly extended family home n 4 reception rooms (one with fireplace) n Conservatory

n Private drive with residents’ parking

n Kitchen/breakfast room

CONTACT

n 3 further double bedrooms

Hamptons International Tunbridge Wells 01892 516611 www.hamptons.co.uk

n Family bathroom/dressing room

n Master bedroom with en suite

n Front and rear garden n Large garden store and shed

CONTACT Bracketts Tunbridge Wells 01892 533733 www.bracketts.co.uk

yourh me

Culverden Down

Wednesday June 27 | 2018

AT A GLANCE CULVERDEN DOWN TUNBRIDGE WELLS n Originally built in 1870 n Porch n Reception hall n Feature fireplace n Drawing/dining room n Kitchen n Utility room n Family room n Cloakroom n 5 bedrooms n Bathroom n Roll top bath and walk in shower n Second floor cloakroom n Landscaped gardens n Ample parking n No forward chain

ÂŁ945,000 Available for sale through Hamptons International 01892 516611 www.hamptons.co.uk

Immaculate and unique family home with sandstone terrace and in convenient location

thekn w.guide

Interiors

Wednesday June 27 | 2018

Dining delights Don’t make a meal of transforming your formal eating area. Create a stylish diner by following these simple rules says Eileen Leahy

Image: Next Home www.next.co.uk

FEW decades ago, the dining room was the one ‘posh’, rarely used space in a family home. It was where you dined if you had guests to impress, or celebrated high days and holidays like Christmas. Fast forward a few years, and chances are many of you reading this don’t actually have a separate formal dining room in your house any more, given the enormous trend for kitchen-diners where the cook/host and their guests can relax and chat all in the same area. But, it has to be said, if you do have a dining room and feel you want to use it more, transforming it from somewhere you just stash the laundry or help the children with their homework, then luckily there’s plenty you can do without having to spend a fortune. To ensure you actually use your dining area once it is decorated, make sure it is suitable for all types of occasions – everything from family brunches to romantic meals à deux. Shy away from big, bold nocturnal tones: Think flocked wallpaper in rich crimson or dark and heavy drapes with generally fussy detailing. Instead, take inspiration from the current trend for all things light and beautiful. Blonde as opposed to dark wood, filament statement instead of

glitzy chandeliers, and natural pareddown tones in place of lavish ones. Yes, dining rooms should be places to enjoy a feast fit for a king or queen, but you don’t want it to resemble the inside of Buckingham Palace. You could take inspiration from the masters of grand cuisine, the French, by opting for a ‘chateau chic’ scheme. Delicate eau de nil and gentle dove grey tonals, a smattering of gingham and toile de Jouy fabrics and curvaceous furniture are the key hallmarks of this look. Laura Ashley and Susie Watson are good places to start your search for this kind of vibe.

Artisan If you prefer something a little plainer, then have a look at the enormously on-trend emporium that is Daylesford Organic. The original shop and dining rooms in the Cotswolds are a delight to visit to sample some of the artisan products from the Bamford family’s estate, but there are also now outposts in London’s Marylebone, Notting Hill and Pimlico, so you don’t have to trek too far to check out what we’re talking about. In fact, our main image hits the Daylesford establishment’s particular look perfectly. Once you have your furniture sorted – whether that’s buying something

new or sanding down your existing pieces and resealing or painting – think about colour schemes. Staying neutral will allow lots of natural light to flood the space, and allow you to easily update and change your look, adding perhaps copper cutlery and patterned crockery if you want to veer away from your everyday essentials when it comes to throwing a dinner party. For good quality, timeless linens and tabletop accessories, have a look at The White Company as it’s steeped in dining delights, including table runners, tureens, candlesticks and glimmering glassware which will give a contemporary twist. If you’re handy with a needle and thread, then give your dining room a really unique look by running up your own tablecloths and napkins, and covering chairs and creating curtains, too. Vanessa Arbuthnott (www. vanessa arbuthnott.co.uk) has a really gorgeous range of fabrics, but you could also peruse the collections by Ian Mankin (www.ianmankin.co.uk). By going for delicate neutrals in varying tones of lichen, putty and grey, you’ll have an inviting and flexible place to eat whatever the time of day or occasion. Remember, rich notes should only come courtesy of the delicious food and wine being served…

thekn w.guide

Gardening

Wednesday June 27 | 2018

Five insects that could be good news for your garden

LETHAL WEAPON The damselfly is not as innocent as it sounds

The warm weather has not only brought on our plants, but insects also seem to be thriving UNLESS they’re a bee or a butterfly, insects can often get landed with a bad reputation, from those pesky greenfly sucking sap and lily beetles nibbling precious lilies, to caterpillars causing chaos on cabbages. But most insects should really be welcomed with open arms, being an essential ingredient for a healthy plot, according to Andrew Salisbury, Principal Entomologist with the Royal Horticultural Society (www.rhs.org.uk). Here, Andrew lists five eye-catching garden insects to look out for…

SHINING EXAMPLE The ‘safe’ rose chafer

more information, see www.nonnativespecies.org

Elephant hawk moth caterpillar (Deilephila elpenor)

The large, 8cm-long, brown, snake-mimicking caterpillars of this bright pink moth can be found on fuchsias during summer. When disturbed, the caterpillars can retract their heads into their bodies, and when extended again are said to resemble an elephant’s trunk. They feed on wildflower hosts in the wild, such as rosebay willowherb, and it’s unusual for them to seriously damage garden plants.

Rose chafer (Cetonia aurata)

One of Britain’s shiniest beetles, this 2cm-long metallic green beetle can sometimes be found feeding in flowers, where they may occasionally damage a few petals.

Gardeners may feel it’s a price worth paying, however, as the 2cm long C-shaped larvae feed on decomposing plant material and are often found in compost heaps, where they help ready the compost. Some species of chafer beetle are pests because their larvae feed on the roots of plants. But the rose chafer is relatively harmless, as its larvae feed on decaying organic matter rather than living plant material.

European Hornet (Vespa crabro)

Sometimes alarming because of their size and slow, buzzing flight, the UK’s largest native wasp sees queens reaching up to 3cm in length. Although it can cause concern, it is less aggressive than other species of social wasp and is a useful predator of insects, including other wasps and flies. It should not be confused with the smaller, darker, invasive Asian hornet which, if seen, should be reported. For

Large red damselfly (Pyrrhosoma nymphula)

Ferocious aerial predators of the insect world, these insects are one of several species of dragonfly and damselfly that can breed in garden ponds and will visit pond-less gardens. The adults use their large eyes to spot insect prey and hunt it down in flight. The nymphs (immature stage damselflies) live in ponds, where they feed on other aquatic animals. Damselflies promote a healthy balance in gardens and garden ponds, as they help reduce the number of other aquatic larvae, such as mosquitoes. Adults will also predate on what may be considered nuisance insects.

Hornet mimic hoverfly (Volucella zonaria)

A pollinator and fly, the UK’s largest hoverfly mimics the European hornet to avoid being eaten. It is more than 1.5cm long,

has no sting and can be found visiting flowers during the summer. The 2cm-long larvae (maggots) feed on waste at the bottom of social wasp nests. POSER The hornet mimic hoverfly has a clever survival technique

Bewl Water Special Feature

Wednesday June 27 | 2018

thekn w.guide

The man behind the menu Executive Head Chef Andre Woodward, who has spent 30 years in the industry, talks about his love of cooking and letting his ingredients shine…

Keeping it seasonal Bewl Water’s Boat House Bistro has fast become a popular establishment for wining and dining. Thanks to serving a market menu that changes weekly, the kitchen uses only the freshest and most seasonal produce – promising something new and exciting with every visit. For fans of the classics, the popular dishes still have their place, including the Bistro’s famous Sunday roasts…

Sample Menu: 2 courses for £19 STARTERS

Pressed Duck Confit and Chicken Terrine Served with warm blinis, fig and red onion chutney

| 3 courses for £25

MAINS

Slow-Cooked Belly of Pork (GF) Served with Bramley apple croquettes, cider jus and grilled courgettes

Crispy-Fried Halloumi (V) Served with Romesco sauce and balsamic caramel

Wild Mushroom and Spinach Wellington (V) Served with roasted new potatoes, tomato sauce and French beans

Spicy Shrimp Tostada Served with avocado, smoked chilli salsa and lime gel

8oz Sirloin Steak (GF) Served with gastro chips, baby leaf salad, Dolcelatte® and smoked garlic butter

DESSERTS

Baked Vanilla Cheesecake Served with lemon curd and berry gel

How would you define your style of cooking? I would say my style of cooking is ‘international’. Mixing cuisines to create dishes that are packed with flavour and well presented is a real passion of mine. It’s important to me that I let the ingredients shine, and the best way to do this is to keep dishes simple.

Who’s your gastronomic hero? Raymond Blanc, for his enthusiasm.

Warm Melting Chocolate Fondant Peppermint cream Anglais

Where did you gather most of your experience?

Bread and Butter Pudding Served with apricots, pecans and vanilla ice cream

Top tip for the kitchen?

OPENING TIMES: Friday 12noon-4pm (Fish & Chips only) | Saturday 12noon-9pm | Sunday 12noon-6pm To make a reservation, call 01892 893930 or email: info@bewlwater.co.uk

Roll up your sleeves with Andre The Boat House Cookery School is a bespoke service with Executive Head Chef Andre Woodward himself, so each session is tailor-made to your own needs and requirements Want to make the perfect Sunday Roast? Want to impress your loved ones with an exquisite threecourse meal? Want to treat those with a passion for food? The Bistro’s private cookery sessions make the perfect gift for loved ones or an excellent way to reward employees as part of a corporate event. Prices are from £125 and include a three-hour tutorial and a threecourse meal for two that will be created by yourself. All equipment and ingredients will be included.

When I was both the chef and proprietor at my own restaurant for ten years. Lists! I couldn’t work without them as they keep me organised.

What are three ingredients you couldn’t live without? Onions, butter, salt and pepper.

Why do you feel a changing market menu works well? I can always utilise the very best and in-season produce at all times of the year. Eat the seasons, I say.

What is your signature dish? My favourite dish to cook is a crab and crayfish risotto. I make a deliciously rich stock that has a real depth of flavour, and it’s all finished with mascarpone and lemon oil for balance.

What types of summer dishes can visitors expect to see on the menu? Lots of salads, fish, and light desserts with amazing English local fruit and berries.

Do you work with many local suppliers? I do. My butcher uses meat and poultry from farms as close

as Lamberhurst, and the fruit and vegetables come from a supplier who grows 80 per cent of their own produce. The cheese is also local. The produce to be found in Kent and Sussex really is top quality.

‘Everyone wants to be a chef at home, and everyone can be’ What’s best about working at the Boat House Bistro? It’s a stunning place to work, right on the water’s edge. We also have an amazing, hardworking team here and they’re a pleasure to work with.

What inspired you to introduce the BHB Cookery School at The Boat House? There is a growing demand for learning these skills – everyone wants to be a chef at home, and everyone can be – and where else is better to learn than in a professional kitchen?

What can the school attendees expect to come away with? Most people choose to cook a three-course meal, so we cover a variety of techniques from creating sauces, baking and knife skills to meat and fish preparation. There is so much you can learn – from making a lemon soufflé to a simple gravy or pan-fried seabass. FRESH FROM THE KITCHEN Chef Andre Woodward

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Bewl Water Special Feature

Wednesday June 27 | 2018



Make the most of the summer sun

VOUCHERS

The school holidays are nearly upon us and there’s no need to be scratching your head for how to entertain the family. Now is the time to be enjoying the great outdoors, so read on to see how Bewl Water can provide a camping experience to remember…

Offers redeemable on presentation of these vouchers

Valid: Until 01.07.18

COMPLIMENTARY TEA OR COFFEE WITH EVERY SLICE OF CAKE/SCONE PURCHASED IN THE WATERFRONT CAFÉ MON TO FRI*

Valid: 02.07.18- 08.07.18

SAVE £5. RENT A BIKE FOR THE DAY AND ONLY PAY FOR THREE HOURS

THE reservoir’s full and half-day Kids’ Camps are an affordable and fun alternative to traditional childcare options for those who are busy or work full time. Guaranteed to be action-packed, they offer a great opportunity for children to make new friends and remain active during their time away from the classroom. There are a host activities to participate in, including the Laser Tag Challenge, trips on the Bewl Belle, bike rides and so much more. Sessions run every Monday, Thursday and Friday from July 27 to August 31. Prices start from £37 for a full day and £19.50 for a half day.

FULL DAY CAMPS: Drop off from 8:30am, pick up by 5pm

HALF-DAY MORNING CAMPS: Drop off by 8:30am, pick up by 1pm

HALF-DAY AFTERNOON CAMPS: Drop off by 1pm, pick up by 5pm

For more information on Kids’ Camps, or to book, please call 01892 890 000 or email: info@bewlwater.co.uk

Valid: 16.07.18- 22.07.18

MONDAY TO WEDNESDAY FREE PARKING VOUCHER*

30% OFF FISHING BOAT HIRE WHEN BUYING TWO FISHING PERMITS MON TO FRI*

Valid: 30.07.18- 05.08.18

Valid: 23.07.18- 29.07.18

BUY THREE ICE CREAMS AND GET THE FOURTH FREE*

*Subject to Availability • Not in conjunction to any other offer • Only redeemable on days stated • Cannot be exchanged or rescheduled.

Sleep under the stars Exciting news! Bewl Water is now a destination for the ultimate camping weekend for all. With selected dates just announced, everyone is welcome to pitch their tent in the allocated camping areas to enjoy a break in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Take the time to cycle round the reservoir, lace up your walking boots, grab your fishing rod or suit up for Laser Tag. It’s also worth enjoying a trip round the lake on the Bewl Belle or setting out on a pedalo for an hour to take in the

Valid: 09.07.18- 15.07.18

3 COURSES FOR THE PRICE OF 2 ALL DAY SATURDAY IN THE BOAT HOUSE BISTRO*

Bewl Kids’ Camps

PRICING:

Adult £12 per night Child (age 4-16 years) £6 per night Infant (under 4 years) Free For information on camping and dates available, please visit www.bewlwater.co.uk/camping

September 2

Dates for the diary

BECO BIG DOG DAY OUT

A fun day out for all the family, especially for our four-legged-friends. The team at Bewl Water has joined forces with Beco Pets to give you a full day of activities around the beautiful reservoir. The day includes a treasure trail, a dog agility course, lots of fun stalls and much more.

June 30

VVS SUPERCAR SATURDAY

Join Bewl Water for their first event of 2018 – VVS Supercar Saturday is a must-see family spectacular that brings some of the world’s rarest and most exclusive supercars to the reservoir here in Kent.

September 8

DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL

July 1

SWIM BEWL & KIDS AQUATHLONS

After the success of its inaugural year in 2017, Swim Bewl and Kids Aquathlons returns. There are three endurance swim distances to choose from – 2km, 5km and 10km. The kids’ swim and runs offer anyone from eight years and older to race multisport in a truly stunning location.

sights from the water’s surface. After an action-packed day, you can sit back and refuel at the Bewl House Bistro before settling in for a good night’s sleep under a blanket of stars.

July 14

SUMMER AFTERNOON TEA AT THE BOAT HOUSE BISTRO

Surrounded by 800 acres of panoramic views, there is no finer place to enjoy afternoon tea than at Bewl Water. Being an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and home to the largest stretch of open water in the South East, means impressive surroundings are promised.

August 4 to 5

TRIATHLON & OPEN SWIM

The popular Bewl Water Triathlon and Open Swim are back. Don’t miss this exhilarating chance to prove what you’re made of. Involving a swim in the reservoir, a 20km bike route through scenic villages, and a run overlooking Bewl Water reservoir. This event sells out every year.

This year will see the 21st annual Dragon Boat Festival at Bewl Water. The 2017 event raised over £107,000 for 50 different charities. More than 1,000 people competed in an amazing display of paddle power, excitement and fun. Since the event began in 1998, over £2.7 million has been raised for more than 400 local, national and international charities.

Wednesday June 27 | 2018

thekn w.guide IN PRINT AND ONLINE SEVEN DAYS A WEEK

ARTS & CULTURE | LIFE & STYLE |

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arts

Arts & Culture

Wednesday June 27 | 2018

A beautifully sincere testament of love and courage amid

the horrors of war...

To mark the 100th anniversary of the end of the Great War, Birdsong comes to Tunbridge Wells. We catch up with author Sebastian Faulks and writer Rachel Wagstaff, who adapted the book for the stage (both above), to find out what audiences will enjoy most about this poignant and powerful play

You must both feel very proud that the theatre production of Birdsong has had such a long and fruitful life?

Birdsong has gone through various stages of development, a process that started over a decade ago. What makes Rachel’s interpretation of your book so special, Sebastian?

that it will mean something to other people, too. While there was much to admire in the original West End production [in 2010], the script didn’t quite work. When I was later approached by the tour producers about a regional tour, I couldn’t possibly have envisaged what a beautiful production they would create, what a success they would make of the show. I revised and reworked it intensively with the director, Alastair Whatley, and suddenly, it came to life. I suppose what I’m most proud of is the way audiences seem to respond; not only that, but each year the show becomes stronger, this year’s tour being the most powerful version yet. SEBASTIAN: The production seems to get better every time. This version has a quicker pace without losing any intimacy.

I was initially puzzled and wondered why she’d want to turn one thing which had proved to be perfectly satisfactory as a novel into something else. I was also sceptical. Birdsong is quite a novelistic novel: It draws upon all the techniques of fiction. But Rachel argued her case very persuasively because she could see where it could be made to work. So I said ‘OK’.

RACHEL: When you write something, you hope

What did you think of her first draft? When I had a look at it, I saw that Rachel had understood the book and I felt that there was real potential in what she’d done. The difficulty was that I’m a bit all or nothing. Being a novelist, you are the god of the world you have created. You are in complete control, down to the smallest freckle on the nose of one of your characters. I talked to Rachel about the themes and ideas

TRENCH TALK (L -R) Martin Carroll, Tom Kay, Jeffery Harmer and Madeleine Knight

Arts & Culture

Wednesday June 27 | 2018

and the history behind the book. I also made occasional one-word suggestions, but all the rest of it, the middle ground as it were, and especially the dramatic construction, I left to Rachel.

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A SONG FOR THE MEN Cartwright (James Findlay)

Rachel, how did you find working with Sebastian on the book’s adaptation?

IMAGES: Jack Ladenburg

He was never overbearing, only ever hugely constructive. It must be very difficult handing over your creation to someone else, but I think over the years we’ve built up a very good understanding. We’re co-adapting two more of Sebastian’s novels for the screen, although they’ve been in ‘development hell’ for some time, so who knows if they’ll ever see the light of day!

More than three million copies of Birdsong have been sold since its publication in 1993. Do you think the play’s excellent reviews are as a result of the original story, your production, or its overall poignancy?

has now lasted longer than the First World War. And so it means a great deal that this final tour coincides with the final year of four years of commemoration of the war.

And finally, Sebastian, what was the inspiration behind Birdsong?

SEBASTIAN: I think they are due to the excellence

of the adaptation and the staging, the direction (by Alastair Whatley and Charlotte Peters) and the acting of the cast as a whole. RACHEL: I agree, it’s been brilliantly directed and cast; the production is first class. But we are building upon a very profound and much-loved story. We have, we hope, honoured the themes, characters and heart of the novel, even if we have had to condense and delete various strands in order to create a play that lives and breathes in its own right.

Why do you think it is important to remember the Great War? SEBASTIAN: It strikes me as particularly important

now that there is no longer anyone left alive who served during the Great War. We have to

remember to honour those who fought, to pass on their stories, their sacrifices. It is important to honour those who took part and to try and understand their experience, to see what we can learn about the human animal. RACHEL: “I still find it difficult to talk about it without saying something that sounds banal, but our director recently pointed out that this show

There was no single inspiration, but there was a multiplicity of thoughts and ideas. The task was to harmonise them into an artistic whole. When I first started researching the war in the late 1980s, it was still possible to meet men who had fought in it. That was an important part of it for me – to feel that it was not part of some pageant called ‘history’, but something very real that had happened very recently – to the man standing next to me. Birdsong is on at the Assembly Hall from Monday July 2 until Saturday July 7, with matinees on Wednesday and Saturday. Shows start at 2.30pm and 7.30pm, with tickets from £15. See www.assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk

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Going Out

Wednesday June 27 | 2018

going ut Seven days of activities at a glance

By Eileen Leahy

and built by William Waldorf Astor at the turn of the 20th century. Open from 10.30am until 6pm, the event is included in normal admission prices. www.hevercastle.co.uk There will be more RNLI collections today at Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge and Wadhurst rail stations from 6am to 9am. As usual, collectors will all be identifiable by their high-viz tabards which carry the RNLI logo. They will also be at Rusthall Village Fete on Saturday from 11am.

FRIDAY

DOUBLE ATTRACTIONS Pretty Penshurst Place hosts two events this week – Armed Forces Day and 5k Run or Dye

WEDNESDAY On all this week is The Oast Theatre’s production of the Henrik Ibsen classic Ghost. It is the tale of Helene Alving, who is forced to confront the lies she has been living since the death of her husband when her prodigal son, Oswald, returns. She wants to try and save Oswald from repeating the same mistakes, but is it too late? Tickets cost £10 or £7.50 for members. For further information, visit www.oasttheatre.com Over at Trinity Theatre, there is an interesting documentary on the subject of alternative medicine this evening. Entitled Just One Drop, it examines the relatively unknown history of

homeopathy, an additional – and often controversial – system of medicine. To many it seems implausible, but it has been around for over 200 years and is used by millions worldwide. Expert John Morgan will be taking questions after the documentary, which starts at 8pm. Tickets cost £11 from www.trinitytheatre.net

THURSDAY You have until Sunday to experience one of Hever Castle’s Sensory Rose Tours. Visitors can pre-book a scented tour with one of the castle’s rose experts and take in the different scents and strengths of perfume as they traverse the gardens, designed

It’s time again for the monthly pre-schoolers’ crafting session at Tunbridge Wells Museum & Art Gallery, and June’s theme is all about wooden toys. These free drop-in art, craft and storytelling events are aimed at children aged between two and five years old, and run from 10.30am until 11.30am. Children must be accompanied by an adult. There will be another drop-in coffee morning for stroke survivors aged 16 to 65 today. The meetings take place at Headway 3, Culverden Park, Tunbridge Wells. Feel free to go along. To celebrate Ightham Mote’s recent acquisition of John Singer Sargent’s painting, A Game of Bowls, star of stage and television, RSC actor Nicholas Day, has written and produced a special one-act play which will be performed in the stunning National Trust property’s medieval Great Hall. The piece, a theatrical celebration entitled Queen Palmer’s Court, will be performed tonight and tomorrow from 6.30pm, followed by a themed dinner in the Mote Café. Tickets cost £35 and can be pre-booked at www.nationaltrust.org.uk

SATURDAY There’s a huge variety of events this weekend, and they include Penshurst Place’s Armed Forces Day. Running from 11am until 5pm, it is a celebration of the UK’s armed forces and commemorates the centenary of the end of WWI. Entrance is free when the usual admission ticket is purchased. For more information, visit www.penshurstplace.com The Spa Valley Railway will be holding its Summer Transport Festival today. So if you’re a

FEELING CHILLI? Head to Hole Park fan of steamrollers and traction engines, then this is one not to be missed! For further information on tickets and timings, go to www.spavalleyrailway.co.uk A great weekend for chilli enthusiasts, food lovers and families alike, the Great Kent Chilli Festival will be hosted at Hole Park in Rolvenden. There will be food stalls, cooking demonstrations, talks and artisan food producers, plus music, international street food, a chilli cook-off and chilli-eating competitions! For more details, see www.greatkentchillifestival.co.uk Bringing together over 30 stalls at King Charles the Martyr Church Hall, The Tunbridge Wells Summer Vintage & Craft Market purveys a wide range of products, from handmade candles and beautiful ceramics to elegant embroidery and the latest must-have vintage items. Entry is £1 or free for under-16s. For further details, see www.facebook.com/vintagecraftmarket Comedians Joanne McNally and Henry Paker bring their Edinburgh preview show Work in Progress to Trinity Theatre this evening from 8pm. Tickets cost £10 and are available from www.trinitytheatre.net Today is VVS Supercar Saturday over at Bewl Water. The event will play host to over 100 iconic supercars, including McLarens, Ferraris and Lamborghinis – all on display around the reservoir from 10am until 4pm. Run by the luxury VVS car dealership in Cranbrook, this is the perfect event for all petrolheads and fast car

Going Out

Wednesday June 27 | 2018

YELLOW FEVER Experience Hever’s Sensory Rose Tour

enthusiasts. The event is free to attend but the usual £3 parking fee per car applies. See www.bewlwater.com/whats-on Matchbox Opera returns to Burrswood this evening to celebrate summer with a sparkling selection of familiar, and one or two perhaps less familiar, arias and choruses from their fantastic repertoire. The music performed will be sure to move and delight you in equal measure. Doors open at 7pm and the concert starts at 7.30pm in the Church of Christ the Healer. Tickets are £20 from reservations on 01892 865988. Full details can be found at www.burrswood.org.uk

Also taking place today is the 5k Run or Dye event at Penshurst Place. Dubbed the ‘world’s most colourful race’, it starts at 8am and finishes at 3pm and this year will raise money for Great Ormond Street’s Kiss It Better fund. For a full listing of prices, visit www.runordye.co.uk The Chiddingstone Vintage Fair is on today from 11am until 4.30pm. Musical entertainment will be provided by Miss Vintage with dance routines from the Medway Lindy Hoppers. There will also be a vintage circus for those of all ages to enjoy. Entrance costs £6 per adult and £2 for children. The fourth Classic Car and Bike Show roars into Groombridge village again. The free event takes place near the recreation ground from 12noon. There will be a pre-recorded screening of Oscar Wilde’s Lady Windemere’s Fan at Trinity Theatre this evening from 5pm. Directed by Kathy Burke and staged at London’s Vaudeville Theatre, it stars Jennifer Saunders as the Duchess of Berwick and comedian Kevin Bishop as Lord Darlington. Tickets cost from £18.

MONDAY To mark the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War, the Assembly Hall welcomes Birdsong all this week. Based on the book by Sebastian Faulks, which begins in pre-war France, it tells the tale of a young soldier, Stephen Wraysford (played by Tom Kay), who embarks upon a passionate yet dangerous affair with young French

SUNDAY After the success of its inaugural year in 2017, Swim Bewl and Kids Aquathlons returns to Bewl Water today. There are three endurance swims to choose from – 2km, 5km and 10km. The choice of children’s aquathlons include runs along the dam. The competition is open to those aged eight years and over, and details can be found at: www.tlsports.co.uk

SUPERCARS: At Bewl

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PICK OF THE WEEK: The Mela Festival

Sunday, July 1, from 12.30pm to 6.30pm

The annual Tunbridge Wells Mela Festival, now in its 13th year, returns to Calverley Grounds. The Mela, which is organised in partnership by Cohesion Plus and the Kent Equality Cohesion Council with the support of Arts Council England, celebrates the diversity and cohesion of the borough through music, food and dance. The popular festival is free to attend, and this year’s highlights include performances by local acts Ukelear Fallout and The Paul Dunton Orchestra, with the International Bhangra Superstar PBN and renowned Bruno Mars tribute act Mars Live as headliners. There will also be plenty of action off-stage, with food and craft stalls and face painting. Although the festival is free to attend, you can text KECC11 a donation between £1 and £10 to 70070, and donate directly to the Mela organisation to make a positive difference. woman Isabelle Adaire (Madeleine Knight.) It is a moving and poignant stage production that has now been seen by over 200,000 people. Turn to page 64 for our special feature on the show. Tunbridge Wells Museum & Art Gallery’s latest exhibition, entitled Staffages (2018), is a new collection of photographic works which illuminates the connections between museum object, site and viewer. The work, by the artist Steffi Klenz, is the result of having spent time at the museum & art gallery and Adult Education Centre looking at their artefacts and architecture. The exhibition runs until 8 September.

TUESDAY

Kitchen Garden Week is happening all this week at the delightful Pashley Manor in Ticehurst. Running from 10am to 5pm until next Sunday (July 8), it’s a great way to see what the gardeners suggest is best to grow where and when, and – as they say – ‘gardeners love to eat what they grow’. Entrance costs £10.50. For more, see www.pashleymanorgardens.com This month’s Secret Art Party is all about the work of painter Georgia O’Keeffe, who has been called the ‘Mother of American modernism’. Held at Grub & Liquor in Nevill Street, Tunbridge Wells from 7.30pm, it’s a fun outing that not only helps you achieve better artistic skills, but you get to meet lots of other like-minded people and walk away with a painting as a memento. No previous experience is necessary – just enthusiasm. Tickets cost £35 and are available from www.secretartparties.co.uk

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Going Out

Wednesday June 27 | 2018

THE GREY LADY MUSIC LOUNGE

live music With Paul Dunton

OR fans of acoustic, roots and singer-songwriter-style music, Paul Prem Nadama, Cracks In the Land, Peter Taylor and Rachael Stalker will all be performing at The Grey Lady tonight [Wednesday]. The incredible Dino Baptiste & Darby Todd will be headlining Jazz on The Pantiles this Thursday night. Dino Baptiste is regarded as one of world’s finest Boogie Woogie-style pianists, and drummer Darby Todd is also absolutely world class. Many excellent local bands are in action on Friday night, including The Gallerys, who headline The Forum, and The Naming of Things, who top the bill at The Sussex Arms with support from Alex Metcalfe. There are many fine options for Saturday evening, with my top picks including the Match Box Opera at

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

Burrswood in Groombridge. For fans of pop/rock and everything in between, look out for Sean Fennessey & Friends at The Bedford Pub, Red Rooster at The Beau Nash, Disco Odyssey at The Grey Lady, and Remnats at The Royal Oak Pub. Makeshift Heros will be at The Punch & Judy in Tonbridge. I highly recommend The Mela Festival in Calverley Grounds this Sunday. It offers a wonderful family-friendly atmosphere, it’s free to attend and there is plenty of amazing music and dance on show from all over the world. Plenty of on-site food and drink, too! On Monday, folk fans will enjoy Consort of One at The Tonbridge Folk Club, and on Tuesday, The Lowly Strung will be at The Punch & Judy Pub in Tonbridge. Enjoy your musical week!

The Gallerys

The Pantiles Doors 7.15pm, entry £6/£7, websites www.pdag.co.uk & www.thegreylady.co.uk Wednesday Paul Prem Nadama, Cracks In the Land, Peter Taylor, Rachael Stalker Friday Spanish Flamenco with Lydia Ramirez Padilla Saturday Disco Odyssey Sunday Chasing Skies, The Pioneers, Rocinia

THE TUNBRIDGE WELLS FORUM Event information at www.twforum.co.uk Friday The Gallerys, Rascalton Saturday Back To The 80s Sunday Sunday Sessions (1pm start)

THE ASSEMBLY HALL THEATRE Crescent Road All event details, show times and tickets are available at www.assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk Sunday The Glenn Miller Orchestra

JAZZ ON THE PANTILES The Bandstand Music from 8pm-10pm (donations welcomed) Thursday Dino Baptiste & Darby Todd

THE SUSSEX ARMS (BASEMENT)

2 High Street Open all day, free entry Music from 8pm till late Friday J.E.M. Saturday Sean Fennessey & Friends

THE SPA HOTEL Mount Ephraim Music from 8pm onwards The Naming of Things

Free admission, booking advised on 01892 520331 Friday Live jazz in Zagatos Brasserie with The Violet Jive

BURRSWOOD Groombridge Full details can be found at www.burrswood.org.uk Saturday Matchbox Opera: A summer celebration of great opera. Doors open 7pm and the concert starts at 7.30pm in the Church of Christ the Healer. Tickets are £20 from reservations on 01892 865988,

Sussex Mews Music from 8.30pm. All event details and tickets at www.twforum.co.uk Friday The Naming of Things, Alex Metcalfe’s Bad Tempered Clavier

THE ROYAL OAK PUB

THE MELA FESTIVAL

11 St Stephen’s Street, Tonbridge Open all day, free entry Music from 8pm Saturday Makeshift Heros Tuesday The Lowly Strung

Calverley Grounds Free to attend. All details and full programme at www.tunbridgewellsmela.com Sunday Music and dance from 12.30pm to 6.30pm

THE BEAU NASH TAVERN

Dino Baptiste

THE BEDFORD PUB

Mount Ephraim Open all day, free entry Music from 8.30pm till late Saturday Red Rooster Sunday Open Mic Night

Prospect Road Open all day, free entry Music from 8.30pm till late Saturday Remnats

THE PUNCH & JUDY

TONBRIDGE FOLK CLUB The Flying Dutchman, Hildenborough Music from 8pm. Hat collection with a suggested contribution of £7 (£5 concessions). All welcome More information at www.tonbridgefolkclub.org Monday Consort of One

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food

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STAY CONNECTED 7 DAYS A WEEK…

Food & Drink

Wednesday June 27 | 2018

It’s time to party in the park Next weekend, Tom Kerridge’s much-anticipated Pub in the Park rolls into Dunorlan Park for three days of Michelin-star chefs and music. Eileen Leahy looks ahead to what promises to be a real feast of a festival

N FRIDAY July 6, Tom Kerridge and his coterie of culinary chums pitch up in Dunorlan Park for three days, providing the palates of Tunbridge Wells with a veritable smorgasbord of gastro goodies – and their ears with plenty of good grooves. Pub in the Park started in Kerridge’s adopted home town of Marlow in Buckinghamshire last year, where the hugely successful chef, TV personality and best-selling author runs his two Michelin-star pubs, The Hand and Flowers and The Coach. “We sold all 18,000 tickets to the first Pub in the Park within 24 hours of them going on sale,” says Tom. “The original idea was to get ten of my mates, lots of them with Michelin stars, some without, to come along and cook some really tasty food for around a fiver a dish.” So successful was the inaugural event, Tom decided to roll it out to three other UK venues – Knutsford, Bath and Tunbridge Wells – this summer. So next weekend not only will

you have the opportunity to taste the award-winning culinary creations of Tom Kerridge, but also those from the likes of James and Chris Tanner from Bidborough’s The Kentish Hare, Mark Sergeant from The Wife of Bath in Wye and Steve Harris of The Sportsman in Whistable.

Amazing Add to the culinary mix Paul Ainsworth from the incredibly popular No 6 in Padstow, Atul Kochhar from London’s Benares and Masterchef’s Angela Hartnett, plus Bake Off winner Candice Brown, and you have a fabulous foodie weekend ahead. But that’s not all, because as well as your taste buds being treated to delicious delicacies by some of the country’s superstar chefs, your ears are also in for a something special courtesy of all the live music being performed over the three-day festival. Tom Odell, Billy Ocean, Sophie Ellis Bextor and Razorlight are just some of the acts who’ll be appearing.

There will also be lots of stalls to browse, selling everything from local artisan products to specialist drinks and fabulous finds for the home and garden. “We want to shine the spotlight on smaller enterprises and independents to help them get a foothold and show what they do. Pub in the Park is an opportunity for them to showcase themselves to the general public,” says Tom. Reflecting on last year’s foodie fest, he says: “We had more Michelin stars at that event than at anything similar anywhere else in the country. The vibe was amazing; it felt like a big national event that was happening in your back garden.” Tunbridge Wells was handpicked by Tom for very good reasons: “It’s a beautiful place, but it also supports its community’s local businesses and independent restaurants and producers – and Kent is amazing! We call it the Garden of England for good reason. So it seemed like the perfect option.” To book tickets, visit www.pubintheparkuk.com

Food & Drink

Wednesday June 27 | 2018

OVEN READY Kerridge and Co

POP ICON Sophie Ellis-Bextor

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YOUR CHANCE TO WIN A PAIR OF PUB IN THE PARK TICKETS We have a pair of tickets for either the Friday or Sunday evening to give away to a lucky Times reader. If you’d like to try and win, send your name and email address to: info@timesoftunbridgewells. co.uk – all entries must be received before July 4.

WHICH ACTS ARE PERFORMING LIVE AND WHEN? FRIDAY:

Who’s going to be cooking up a storm at Pub in the Park? TOM KERRIDGE The Hand & Flowers and The Coach THE TANNER BROTHERS The Kentish Hare MARK SARGEANT The Wife of Bath

JOSH EGGLETON The Pony & Trap

STEPHEN TERRY The Hardwick

DANIEL CLIFFORD Midsummer House

PAUL AINSWORTH Paul Ainsworth Restaurants

ATUL KOCHHAR Indian Essence

ANGELA HARTNETT (chef demo only)

STEPHEN HARRIS The Sportsman (no demo)

CANDICE BROWN Great British Bake Off winner 2016 (chef demo only)

ROB TAYLOR The Compasses Inn

Tom Odell Sophie Ellis-Bextor

SATURDAY:

Toploader (Saturday afternoon) Gabrielle Aplin (Saturday afternoon) Razorlight (Saturday evening) Melanie C (Saturday evening)

SUNDAY:

The Christians (Sunday afternoon) Sound of the Sirens (Sunday afternoon) Billy Ocean (Sunday evening) Scouting for Girls (Sunday evening) The Rifles (Sunday evening) SPICING IT UP Former Sporty Spice Girl Melanie C

Terms and conditions: • The competition prize is valid for 2 x tickets to the opening night Friday 6th July of Pub in the Park Tunbridge Wells 2018. • The tickets cover entry to the festival only, further food, beverage and products will need to be purchased by the winner whilst on site. • The tickets cannot be exchanged for cash or an alternative prize with Pub in the Park. • At least one prize winner needs to be over 18. If neither prize winner can prove they are over 18 then Pub in the Park reserves the right to refuse entry to the festival. • The prize winner will be chosen at random and notified via email. • Pub in the Park reserves the right to refuse entry if they believe the winner does not comply with the terms and conditions.

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Food & Drink

Wednesday June 27 | 2018

Ace fizz for Wimbledon fortnight Times Drinks Editor James Viner courts a superb selection of Wimbledon winners

NLIKE Prosecco, these refreshing sparkling treats are all painstakingly bottlefermented to make them a sophisticated option to quench your thirst while watching the grass court action with friends. Or why not pack one for a picnic to savour in authorised areas at The Championships? Here are five uplifting drinks to serve up. Cheers!

1. THE QUINTESSENTIAL TASTE OF THE BRITISH SUMMER: ANYONE FOR PIMM’S AL FRESCO?

Pimm’s No 1 Cup, UK (25%, £10-£14, Asda, Waitrose & Sainsbury’s) Can you hear the thwack of tennis balls? Yes it’s Wimbledon fortnight – the largest single annual European sporting catering operation – so it must be Pimm’s o’clock. Did you know that around 320,000 glasses of Pimm’s were sold at last year’s tournament? It’s an all-time classic when it comes to drinking in SW19, and a jug of this gin-based, tea-coloured, citrus drink topped with fruit and mint is obligatory at most other sporting events and picnics across the nation during the summer months. Mix a Summer Cup as follows — serves 1: n A highball glass n 50ml Pimm’s No 1 Cup n 150ml lemonade (or 100ml of champagne for a Pimm’s Royale) n Bashed fresh mint leaves (and/or basil, rosemary, thyme, black pepper), sliced orange & chopped strawberries — I also sometimes add whole cherries n Chopped cucumber to garnish n Lots of ice Pile all the ingredients in a chilled tall glass, mix and sip. Best make a pitcher, though, keeping the ratio to one part Pimm’s and three parts lemonade.

2. HIGH STREET CHOICE SUB-£20 BLIGHTY BUBBLES

Hush Heath Estate, Balfour 1503 Foxwood Classic Cuvée NV, Kent (11.5%, £16.99, Co-op) New bubbles, please. Made exclusively by boutique, family-owned Kent sparkling wine star Hush Heath Estate for the Co-op from a blend of 63% pinot noir, 35% chardonnay and 2% pinot meunier, this punches well above its weight

and is perfect for Wimbledon sipping. The taut citrus backbone keeps your taste buds tingling right to the end. Stylishly honed texture and shrewd, seamlessly integrated dosage confirm adroit craftsmanship from winemakers Owen Elias and Victoria Ash. It’s a skilfully balanced, medium-bodied, fruit-driven wine – green apples, citrus and white floral hints to the fore, the finish of impressive length. Load up for summer entertaining.

1 2

3. SPLASH-OUT TOP SEED ENGLISH FIZZY EMINENCE

Hambledon Première Cuvée NV Brut, Hampshire (12%, £38-£42, Wine Society & Waitrose Cellar) Hello, I think I love you. This is a sophisticated, creamy, hedonistic and full-bodied rendition of English fizz from one of the country’s flagship producers, and a cut above virtually all its competitors, with very fine bubbles and brisk, balancing citrus acidity. Made by champenois Hervé Jestin (ex Duval-Leroy chef de cave) with a blend of 58% chardonnay, 24% pinot noir and 18% pinot meunier, it’s a celebration of the depth and complexity of Hambledon’s mouth-filling vinous style in layers of dried apricots, brioche, citrus, orange and baked orchard fruit, lingering on a long, confident and toasty finish. A towering example of how much the English sparkling wine scene has developed in the past 15 years. Perfect for fish and chips, Cantonese cuisine, salty snacks or sushi. It almost demands that you pour yourself another glass. Aces it! Superb.

4. BENCHMARK PINOT-NOIR-FORWARD ROSÉ CHAMPAGNE MEGA OFFER

Bollinger Rosé Brut NV Champagne (12%, £49.99, £37.49, Waitrose: 25% off until July 10; £48, Tesco) Introduced into Bollinger’s portfolio in 2008, it rarely gets any better for non-vintage rosé champagne: elegant, ravishing, dry, astonishingly persistent and full-bodied, with manicured flavours of cherries, wild strawberries, redcurrants, patisserie, plums and a whisper of spice. Builds a sense of authority as it journeys through the mouth. Pour it chilled for afternoon tea, cold lobster with home-made mayo, smoked salmon, strawberry tarts, dim sum and sushi. Don’t miss out on the amazing Waitrose offer. Fascinating fizz to offer friends who think they’ve tasted it all. A half bottle (£23.99, Waitrose) is ideal for popping into a cool box and enjoying on a clement evening in the park. A must for wine connoisseurs. You should kneel in the presence of a wine such as this. Follow James on Twitter @QuixoticWine

Wednesday June 27 | 2018

yourh me

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Advertorial

Wednesday June 27 | 2018

Adding a little spice to the local scene It’s Friday night and Hannah Patterson heads to Turmeric Gold in Tudeley for a dining experience that’s packed full of flavour with Kamrul Islam, owner and front man of the pub-turned-Bangladeshi restaurant

NOWN in my social circles for being ‘fashionably late’ bordering on ‘really late for everything’, my friend and I are uncharacteristically early for our visit to Turmeric Gold near Tonbridge. It’s 4.45pm; the large car park is completely empty and the front door is locked. But our eagerness must be excused – Bangladeshi cuisine is one of my favourites: Warm, comforting and full of flavour. My accompanying guest has taken away dishes from Turmeric Gold on several occasions and all come with his highest recommendations – quite the compliment considering he is often exceptionally difficult to please. At first glance, it looks like your typical Kentish pub and it’s not until a waiter opens the place for business that you see one of the reasons why this has become an extremely popular destination – crisp white table cloths and plush high-backed chairs in an uncommonly light and spacious interior. It helps that Kamrul and his team have recently completed extensive renovations to the property, including a brand new kitchen and some large bi-folding doors that open out into a newlylandscaped outdoor dining area. No longer the pokey pub of years gone by, the now 13-year-old Turmeric Gold is a breath of fresh air. Out of the various local restauranteurs I have met over the years, Kamrul holds the title as the only one who has deliberately lowered his capacity. He made the decision to move all seating downstairs and use the upstairs for storage, all in the name of practicality. “The old kitchen had internal stairs that led

OPENING DOORS The new outdoor dining area

‘Running a restaurant isn’t necessarily difficult, it’s maintaining the expectation that is’

Advertorial

Wednesday June 27 | 2018

directly to the first floor,” he tells me. “Without them, it’s simply not practical to transport the food up there. It was also an unpleasant experience for smaller tables as often large parties were seated in that part of the restaurant. We want everyone who comes here to feel comfortable.” But he needn’t worry about missing out on covers. By 6.30pm, from what I can see, the restaurant appears to already be at 70 per cent capacity and is filling up fast. When I first met Kamrul in January 2017, I asked him what the secret was to Turmeric

Gold’s success and his answer was consistency: “Running a restaurant isn’t necessarily difficult, it’s maintaining the expectation that is.” In his opinion, this consistency has to spread equally across three legs of service – the produce, the dishes and the service – and the fact that it’s a family-run business certainly helps in maintaining the standards, for it is he who serves us when we take our seats. The menu is a vast one and, I’ll admit, a little daunting; so much so that I’m very close to receding back into my teenage years and ordering the ‘old faithful’ chicken korma.

It’s important to be clear as to the exact cuisine available here – a majority of the offerings are Bangladeshi, not the “typical” dishes you find in Indian takeaways. The varying cuisines of India share both similar qualities and inherent differences, with dishes varying from region to region, but one of the key tell-tale signs is the density of the sauce; Bangladeshi tends to be a little thicker. I’m in the habit of choosing my main before the starter, and as I am opting for lamb, I go for a lighter meat to begin with. The chicken chaat (£4.95) is described on the menu as ‘diced chicken in a tangy sauce’. Chaat is a traditional snack that’s commonly served as hors d’oeuvres and has become increasingly popular in the Indian sub-continent. It’s served up as a neat pile on a white plate covered in a pleasantly spiced sauce making it a good choice for those who don’t prefer the higher end of the heat scale. In contrast, my guest opts for a Tandoori Duck Tikka (£4.95) – “I’ve never had duck at an Indian before” he says. It’s grilled to perfection and served up dry with lemon and salad. The main menu is something of a joy with a creative flexibility that allows a guest to mix their preferred meat with any dish. Resisting my unadventurous and usual ordering of korma or dhansak, I push the boat out and go for a lamb dupiaza (£9.50), a slightly sweet dish of a medium-strength sauce prepared with caramal-

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ised onions. My guest, who is, on this occasion, a little smarter than me, asks Kamrul for his recommendation, admitting that he prefers a dish that’s ‘not too spicy’. In this case, it’s the chicken tikka modhu (£9.50). It’s a sweet concoction with a mixture spices, honey, roasted almond and lemon rind – a sweet and sour dish with plenty of flavour. Neither disappoint as both picks boast a complex taste with no note too overpowering, and the portions are perfect (in my option, too many restaurants criminally overserve). We order a portion of pilau rice and peshwari naan to share and are pleasantly full by the end. Despite the thick sauces, this felt like a light meal and not out of place in the heat of the summer sun. From the smiles of the guests at the nearby tables, my delight at the meal is evidently shared. By the time we leave, there isn’t an empty table in the 160-seat restaurant, so clearly Kamrul is continuing to meet expectation.

TURMERIC GOLD Crockhurst Street, Tudeley, Tonbridge TN11 0NT www.turmericgold.com 01732 361772

thekn w.guide

Books

Wednesday June 27 | 2018

Conan Doyle For The Defence by Margalit Fox

Summer reads…

Published in hardback by Profile Books, piced £16.99 (ebook £16.99) The third book by New York Times writer Margalit Fox covers the strange case of the murder of a wealthy woman in Glasgow – and the subsequent prosecution, conviction and imprisonment of the German Jew Oscar Slater; followed by Arthur Conan Doyle’s attempts to prove Slater’s innocence. This volume is split into four books – first of all detailing the murder and police investigation; secondly the social context of the case; thirdly the trial and conviction of Slater; and lastly Conan Doyle’s investigation and analysis – and the culmination of the whole saga. It’s a structure that is beneficial and allows us to at times learn about the Victorian sensibilities that surround this case, as well as offering us plenty of insight into the life and workings of Conan Doyle. It’s true crime writing at its finest and becomes a real page-turner. Definitely a must for fans of Sherlock Holmes and other sleuths, but also for anyone with an interest in history, crime writing – or just the righting of injustice.

Time to unwind and relax, and what better way than with a great book? Here are a few suggestions for your reading…

An Ocean Of Minutes by Thea Lim

The Tyranny Of Lost Things by Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett

Published in hardback by Quercus Books, priced £14.99 (ebook £7.49)

Published in paperback by Sandstone Press, priced £8.99 (ebook £4.07)

Time travel is hardly a new theme for a novel, but Thea Lim’s imaginative and timely writing feels wholly original. An Ocean Of Minutes – her debut – tells the story of Polly and Frank, a couple forced apart when a deadly flu pandemic breaks out. The only way for Frank to be saved is for Polly to travel to the future – and there’s no going back. Switching between decades presents us with a truly heartbreaking narrative, with the chapters set in the past being the most engaging. It’s particularly touching reading about the development of Polly and Frank’s relationship, which is written about with honesty and deep emotion. I found myself getting slightly impatient in the present day chapters – the story lacks pace at times, and it’s difficult to immerse yourself in the dystopian world Lim envisions, though perhaps that was her aim. It all leads to a beautifully poignant ending, nonetheless.

Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett is a Guardian columnist, a co-founder of the Vagenda blog and co-author of The Vagenda: A Zero Tolerance Guide To The Media. University dropout Harmony returns to live in the house in which she spent her early years. Once a commune, now it’s divided into flats, but it’s here that Harmony hopes to reconnect with her past and the ‘lost things’ that haunt her. Cosslett paints a wide-ranging portrait of millennial London, contrasted with the idealism of Harmony’s Bohemian parents. At times, though, her characters feel like representatives of social types rather than fully realised individuals. Freed from the journalist’s urge to summarise and explain, the writing becomes much more compelling, such as in the finely drawn free-love scene between Harmony’s father and another young woman.

7/10

5/10

8/10

How Do You Like Me Now? by Holly Bourne Published in hardback by Hodder & Stoughton, priced £12.99 (ebook £6.99)

9/10

Is this novel this generation’s answer to Bridget Jones’s Diary? As if navigating your early 30s wasn’t already tough enough, Tori Bailey is doing it as an inspirational memoir writer whose reality is secretly far from perfect. Despite a massive fan following hanging off her every #GirlBoss mantra and humble bragging blog posts, she’s deeply unhappy – both in love and with herself. Stuck in a stale relationship while helplessly watching her friends around her marry and progress, Tori can’t help but think her entire persona and claim to fame are little more than a lie. To make matters worse, she’s under pressure from her publishing house to write another bestseller. A brutally honest look at entering the decade of life so many fear, this is not just unflinchingly hilarious but often poignant. Adding a social media and millennial take to the Bridget Jones’s Diary genre, this is a raucous, relatable read for anyone who’s ever feared getting left behind.

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Look Good, Feel Good

Wednesday June 27 | 2018

Take 5 summer handbag essentials To always ensure you look glamorous on the go in the heat give these five products a try. Each one is highly effective and is dinky enough to fit in your bag

1. Clinique Moisture Surge 30SPF moisturiser £24, available from Clinique counters nationwide 2. nspa, Beauty Riutals Sensitive Hydration Facial Mist, £4 available at Asda 3. Avene Thermale Spring Water Spray - £3.37 Boots stores nationwide

4. Molton Brown Orange & Bergamot eau de toilette £45, available from Molton Brown stores nationwide 5. DHC Oil Blotting Paper 100 Sheets - £4.50 www.escentual.com

Look Good, Feel Good

Wednesday June 27 | 2018

Dress rehearsal Summer’s here and nothing says casual easy chic quite like a dress. Whether you go maxi, mini, waisted or button-down it couldn’t be more simple or stylish to wear. Eileen Leahy picks her current favourite and some exquisite accessories to go with it… SHADY LADY Leopard print sunglasses, £8, Glamorous, www.glamorous.com

KEEP IN THE LOOP Deva statement hoops, £55, Oliver Bonas, www.oliverbonas.com

MELLOW YELLOW Tutti Fruitti statement necklace, £25, Accessorize, www. accessorize.com

TOTALLY TROPICAL Blue and gold metallic pineapple beach tote bag, £35, Swimwear365, www. swimwear365.co.uk

GOLD ON YOUR FINGER Metal chic ring, £50, Folli Follie, www. follifollie.com

ALL THAT GLITTERS Gold glitter strappy stiletto sandals, £25.99, New Look, www.newlook.com

Main image: All items available from Dorothy Perkins www.dorothyperkins.com

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travel

Travel

Wednesday June 27 | 2018

Make new discoveries that are oceans apart Visit Napoleon’s hideaway or a ghostly hub of the diamond trade, party in Brazil and much more. Atlantic and Pacific sailings offer some of the most exciting holiday experiences, from longer, lingering voyages to shorter, sweeter Caribbean sojourns I-SPY Soar up the Rio mountain that starred in the Bond film Moonraker

HERE are very few holidays as versatile as the cruise. Not many hotels can move from destination to destination the same way a ship can, which means that whether you’re a land lover or you love the wide-open seas, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a holiday that can provide experiences as diverse as a cruise can. There is a cruise for everyone, and this is amply demonstrated when looking at voyages that make the most of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Everyone should experience a trans-Atlantic crossing at least once. Packed with sea days, there’s no other voyage that provides that sense

‘A multitude of ports bring the sights, sounds and tastes of one of the most vibrant destinations on Earth’ of connection with the ocean, and of course it gives you plenty of time to enjoy the luxurious facilities and features modern cruise ships bring. The cruise enthusiast has probably already done the classic Southampton to New York or Miami trans-Atlantic, so a more unusual crossocean sailing is a south Atlantic traverse which

can open-up incredible ports of call in South Africa and Namibia, finishing up in Brazil. The Pacific Ocean also provides expanse for plenty of sea days, as well heavenly rewards in the island idylls of Hawaii or Polynesia. Often sailing from West Coast hubs in the US, or straight from the islands themselves, Pacific cruises are a once-in-a-lifetime trip delivering unimaginably unique cultural experiences – and destinations which are so picturesque they should come with a warning. If you are a first-time cruiser, it would be understandable to be a little apprehensive about diving straight into one which sees more sea than land. Well – one of the reasons you choose a cruise is it can take you to many locations, with you only having to unpack once! Luckily, nestled in the west Atlantic is the Caribbean, the perfect collection of islands with which to start an obsession with holidays at sea. A multitude of ports bring the sights, sounds and tastes of one of the most vibrant destinations on Earth, while still providing those pictureperfect ocean views, breathtaking sunsets and refreshing sea breezes.

Atlantic Adventures LUDERITZ, NAMIBIA Founded in 1883 by a wealthy German merchant of the same name, Luderitz offers colourful colonial architecture along its beautiful Atlantic coastline. Kolmanskop is a ghost town that was

once a bustling centre of the diamond trade, giving explorers an eye into the region’s past. The recently restored waterfront offers lovely Art Nouveau architecture, and the coastal waters are home to penguins, dolphins, sharks and seals. WALVIS BAY, NAMIBIA Unspoiled Walvis Bay, a natural lagoon and the only deep-sea harbour on the Namibian coast, offers spectacular birdwatching, as thousands of

migrating species make their way here annually to join the local flamingos and pelicans. The city is also a good starting point for exciting day trips into the timeless beauty of the desert region, including off-road explorations or fly-over dolphin and whale watching. JAMESTOWN, ST HELENA Napoleon’s final years in exile before his death were spent on the remote Atlantic island of BEAUTIFUL BORA It’s no wonder the South Pacific isle is such a favourite with the rich and famous

Travel

Wednesday June 27 | 2018

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Caribbean Cruising ST JOHN’S, ANTIGUA Touting 365 beaches, with most protected by coral reefs and quaint colonial architecture, Antigua is a classic example of the British Caribbean. Sites to see include St John’s Cathedral, destroyed by earthquakes and rebuilt on the same spot at least three times, lastly in 1845. Be sure to stop at a local restaurant to taste the buttery ‘flying fish’ unique to this part of the Caribbean.

FALL IN LOVE With Hilo in Hawaii St Helena, whose charm lies in its dramatic coastline. The capital, Jamestown, is a small enclave sandwiched between imposing cliffs and offers some of the finest examples of British Georgian-era colonial architecture. Adventurous visitors can take the opportunity to climb the town’s landmark, a 699-step Jacob’s Ladder, to take in the exquisite vistas. RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL There’s a little bit of carnival here every day. From its famous beaches to its iconic statue of Christ the Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro radiates an air of exuberance that is hard to find anywhere else. Join the scene on trendy Ipanema beach, or take a cable car to the summit of Sugar Loaf Mountain and enjoy the amazing views.

Pacific Paradises HILO, HAWAII Situated on the Big Island of Hawaii, Hilo is home to an historic downtown area and also the beautiful Hilo Bay Beachfront Park, a black-sand mecca for surfers and canoeing enthusiasts.

Other local attractions include the only rainforest zoo in the United States, and spectacular day trips from volcano tours to kayaking adventures. NUKU HIVA, FRENCH POLYNESIA While Nuku Hiva has been inhabited by Polynesian explorers since 150 BC, western visitors who have been enthralled by this gem of French Polynesia include Robert Louis Stevenson and Herman Melville. The largest of the Marquesas Islands, Nuku Hiva, is a beautiful volcanic isle with mountains topping 3,700 feet high and the third biggest waterfall in the world. BORA BORA, FRENCH POLYNESIA Bora Bora is home to unforgettable beauty which attracts the rich and famous the world over. Often referred to as the most romantic island in the world, the main isle, home to only 4,225 inhabitants, is in the centre of a multi-coloured lagoon, surrounded by offshore ‘motu’ islets inside a protective coral necklace.

ARRIVE IN STYLE At Rio de Janeiro

CASTRIES, ST LUCIA Founded by the French around 1768, St Lucia changed hands in the earlier 1800s, when the British made the town a major naval port and built fortifications on Morne Fortune,

overlooking the harbour. Today, the port offers something for everyone, from duty-free shopping at Pointe Seraphine to a rare glimpse of rain forest flora and fauna at Castries Waterworks Forest Reserve. ST BARTS, GUSTAVIA One of the Caribbean’s true gems, St Barts is where European riviera chic meets Caribbean cool. Daytrippers come from nearby isles for excellent dining and to lounge on the soft, white sands in a secluded palm-fringed cove. Tour Fort Gustav and Fort Carl, historic reminders of Sweden’s short-lived Caribbean possession, sail over clear blue waters on a catamaran, or take a horseback ride through shaded jungle trails.

thekn w.guide

Motoring

Wednesday June 27 | 2018

Motoring News

A look at what’s happening in and around the world of motoring

High mileage? Nothing to Carpe about in new plan

Kia’s top Ceed goes on sale this summer KIA has revealed details of its all-new Ceed and Ceed Sportswagon models, which go on sale from August 1. The popular hatchback, now in its third generation, gains a multitude of new features along with a generous amount of standard equipment. It’s also available with a series of new, efficient powertrains. A 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol unit kicks off the range, delivering low emissions of 125g/km CO2. It’s followed by a new 1.4-litre unit, also petrol-powered, which replaces the previous 1.6-litre engine. Now able to produce more power, it also features a wider torque band, making it more flexible for use in all driving situations. Both engines come fitted with petrol particulate filters to help reduce emissions. An ultra-efficient 1.6-litre diesel

unit is also available on the Ceed, and it emits less CO2 than any other engine in the range at just 101g/km. All engines are driven through six-speed manual gearboxes, though a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic is available with the 1.4-litre petrol and 1.6-litre diesel options. Kia also plans to introduce a mild hybrid version of the Ceed next year. Inside, the Ceed has a seven-inch colour touchscreen system which houses such functions as satellite navigation and media controls, as well as smartphone integration technology such as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. A variety of new safety systems have also been introduced. Prices will start at £18,295, with Kia’s 100,000 mile warranty.

JAGUAR Land Rover has launched Carpe, a new ownership scheme targeted at high-mileage drivers who may not fit into traditional, mileagelimited finance schemes. Carpe works much like a phone contract and mirrors the similar scheme from Swedish brand Volvo, named Care by Volvo. It essentially lumps ownership costs together in a single monthly payment, encompassing use of the car, VED, insurance, maintenance and breakdown assistance. Buyers only need to pay the monthly instalment and ‘just add fuel’ to stay mobile. The scheme also promises a new vehicle every 12 months. Carpe has launched with nearly

the entire Jaguar Land Rover Range. Subscription prices start at £910 per month for a Jaguar E-Pace, and top out at £1,870 a month for a Range Rover Sport – though this would be increased by choosing a higher specification or trim level. The flagship Range Rover is the sole offering missing from the list, though the similarly sized Discovery and fashionable Velar are both on offer. Buyers can reduce monthly prem-iums by paying a deposit. Jaguar Land Rover calls Carpe an ‘unlimited motoring package’, with fully comprehensive insurance provided by Allianz and no mileage cap. Enquiries can be made online.

Volvo reveals ambition to use 25% of recycled plastics in new cars FROM 2025, Volvo is aiming to ensure that 25% of the plastics used in its new cars will be made from recycled materials. The Swedish car maker is also asking industry suppliers to ensure that the next generation of automotive components is made as sustainably as possible, making use of recycled plastics wherever they can. To demonstrate the company’s plans, Volvo unveiled a unique version of its XC60 SUV, built using a variety of plastic components made from recycled materials. The main tunnel is created from renewable fibres, while the floor carpets have been made from fibres created by combining recycled cotton mixes and plastic bottles. Used car seats from old Volvo vehicles were used to create the sound-deadening material for underneath the bonnet. Company President and CEO Hakan Samuelsson said: “Volvo Cars is committed to minimising its global environmental footprint. Environmental care is one of Volvo’s core values, and we will continue to find new ways to bring this into our business. “This car and our recycled plastics ambition are further examples of that commitment.” It follows on from an announcement last month in which Volvo said it would be eradicating the use of single-use plastics across all of its premises and events by the end of 2019. In addition, the eco-minded manufacturer has committed to a plan of electrifying all new Volvo cars launched by the end of 2019, with the aim being to ensure that fullyelectric models make up 50 per cent of its car range by 2025.

thekn w.guide

Recruitment

Wednesday June 27 | 2018

WITH THE

FIND YOUR PERFECT JOB TODAY – A MUST-READ FOR THOSE LOOKING FOR WORK LOCALLY

Fill your vacancy now in print or online

From just £99 For more information contact our commercial team on 01892 779650

OF TUNBRIDGE WELLS AND TONBRIDGE

A B C D E F G H I J K L MNO P Q R S T U VWX Y Z 3

5 20

13 16

26 9

5 13

8 15

3 13

13 9

12 23

17 17

F R

11 26

26 14 20

14 6

10 10

8 2 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.

9 4 8 7 1

6 1 2 8

7 6 8 9

7 6

4 8

3 9 5

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

2 9 7 9 3

CLASSIFIEDS

Codeword:

DIFFICULTY RATING:★★★★

7 8 6 8 3 2 4 9 5 8 1 6 9 1 2 8 3 9

DIFFICULTY RATING: ★★II

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTIONS

SUDOKU & JIGSAW SUDOKU

In this Sudoku, the normal 3x3 boxes are now strangely odd shapes – but all the rules and logic of normal Sudoku apply. Fill the board by entering numbers 1 to 9 so that each row, column and box contains every number uniquely.

Puzzle solutions will be published in a forthcoming issue

S F I T S E L R R J E E R A A C A K I N T Q U I E U R E L I E U D G E NOM S L

O F F E R I

S K S TWE N T A P E N A T I V D I B OO Z E S Y F T F U S I N C A S H F A H O A F R O G E E NO U G N R T Y

Y E

S X H

Sudoku:

1 8 5 9 2 4 7 3 6

7 6 4 1 3 5 8 2 9

9 3 2 7 8 6 5 4 1

2 9 8 4 5 1 6 7 3

4 5 1 6 7 3 9 8 2

6 7 3 2 9 8 1 5 4

5 1 9 8 4 2 3 6 7

5 9 3 1 8 7 4 6 2

1 2 7 4 5 6 9 3 8

8 4 6 9 1 3 2 7 5

3 4 6 5 1 7 2 9 8

8 2 7 3 6 9 4 1 5

Jigsaw Sudoku:

2 6 8 3 7 5 1 4 9

4 1 5 6 9 2 7 8 3

7 3 9 5 4 8 6 2 1

3 7 2 8 6 1 5 9 4

9 8 1 7 2 4 3 5 6

6 5 4 2 3 9 8 1 7

CODEWORD 1

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Puzzles

Wednesday June 27 | 2018

thekn w.guide

Sport

Please send sports stories to: newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk or newsdesk@timesoftonbridge.co.uk

Wednesday June 27 | 2018

Onward Christian as Davis runs riot at Vine Tunbridge Wells 303-5 beat Sevenoaks Vine 229 by 74 runs By Alan Cutts CRICKET: AN UNBEATEN century from Christian Davis allowed Tunbridge Wells to post an insurmountable total at Sevenoaks Vine. On a blazingly hot day Wells skipper Chris Williams won the toss and opted to bat first. He and Davis added a stabilising 73 before the captain fell for 46. His brother Alex then joined Davis in forging a scintillating partnership of 137 before he fell to a return catch by Michael Thompson (3 for 51), having made a quickfire 73 from just 65 balls with five fours and four sixes. At that point Davis decided to go through the

gears, adding a rapid 59 with Graeme Francis (39 off 24 balls). The last nine overs saw 97 runs added as the total reached the giddy heights of 303 for 5. Davis was undefeated on 114 off 128 deliveries with eight fours and five sixes, registering his first in the Kent League Premier Division. Former Tunbridge Wells skipper Evert Bekker opened the Vine reply with 73 off 88 balls including nine boundaries to lay the foundations for the run-chase. He and Luke Schlemmer (54) added a potentially decisive 79 for the third wicket which saw the score rise to 150 for 2. But Paddy Sadler persuaded Bekker into an

indiscretion, Davis holding his second catch of the innings, and the hosts then began to falter. All-rounder Alex Williams picked up 3 for 50 to rip the heart out of the Vine’s middle order while the fiery strike-bowler Ari Karvelas grabbed 3 for 21 as the remaining eight wickets fell for 79 runs. Marcus O’Riordan (2 for 49) was also among the wickets as Sevenoaks were dismissed for 229, 74 runs short, in what was an unprecedented third consecutive victory for Wells over their local rivals. Tunbridge Wells sit in third place in the Kent League Premier Division, just a point behind Sandwich Town. They entertain Bickley Park at The Nevill on Saturday [June 30].

FINE FINISH: Tim Lucas ended with a strong 10k

Lucas and Kinsella take club titles at Dartford bridge

Lofty Farr returns to send Cowdrey back to top Downham & Bellingham 197 lost to Cowdrey 199-3 by 7 wkts By Stuart Clarke CRICKET: Anthony Mills returned as Cowdrey

HIGH HOPES Barney Scott saw Cowdrey to victory

captain but proceeded to lose his sixth toss of the season and the visitors chose to bat first. Downham got off to a cautious start with only 16 runs coming off the first 10 overs bowled by Chris Fenwick and Thom Brown. Ryan Addison came on to make a breakthrough and the evergreen Glen Warner also took a wicket, both batsmen chipping to mid-off. Downham & Bellingham started to fashion a good partnership between opener Dave Powell and overseas player Ryan Turner and they moved the total up to 120 for 2. But Brown had the latter well caught by wicketkeeper Jack Mutch standing up to the stumps for 42 off only 40 balls. Ashley Borella then removed opener Powell for 51 which opened up the middle order. Nick Farr, returning from Durham University, produced a spell of accurate seam bowling and

using all of his 6ft 6in frame he finished the innings off with 4 for 30. His last six overs cost only six runs as Downham & Bellingham were dismissed for 197. Cowdrey’s Australian import Borella reached his fifty off just 48 balls but fell two deliveries later to a catch at the second attempt. However, Barney Scott was joined by Ryan Addison and both batsmen rarely looked in trouble. With the finish line in sight the latter was dismissed for a workmanlike 40. Scott had played a match-winning innings and fittingly hit the winning runs to remain unbeaten on 73 from 116 balls with 11 fours and a six as Cowdrey reached their target on 199 for 3 with 10 overs to spare. With Catford Wanderers losing to High Halstow, Cowdrey again moved to the top of Kent League Division Four. They travel to in-form Rainham on Saturday [June 30] with the latter sitting in fourth place having won four games on the bounce.

By Kieran Fitzpatrick TRIATHLON: THE Dartford Bridge Triathlon was selected as this year’s Club Championship for Tunbridge Wells Triathlon Club. The Olympic distance race attracted a competitive field for the multi-lap format against a backdrop of the iconic Queen Elizabeth Bridge. Tim Lucas excelled with a 22min 1500m lake swim and was second out of the water in the 7am wave. A solid bike ride in miserable conditions consolidated his position on the road. The 42km route comprised of seven laps along a stretch of dual carriageway, offering frequent opportunity to watch the race unfold. Lucas paced his effort well to finish with a blistering 37min 10km run split, crossing the line in 2hrs 12min to claim 10th place overall and fifth in his age group.

Chase

All Smiles as Shehzad leads Tonbridge romp By Martin Batley CRICKET: TONBRIDGE moved up to second place in Kent League Division Four to keep up the pressure on local rivals Cowdrey with a easy win at bottom-of-the-table Old Colfeians. The visiting captain Matt Smiles opted to field first and wreaked the early wreckage, grabbing 3 for 30 to leave the home side on 26 for 4. Old Colfeians skipper Matt Lorimer looked to counterattack but fell to a moment of magic as Ben Morgan held on to a stunning one-handed catch in the gully. The introduction of Shehzad brothers kept up the pressure and Nadeem (4 for 22) was a handful with his full, accurate line.

The visitors were dismissed for a paltry 97 and Tonbridge made short work of the run-chase despite the pitch starting to offer some variable bounce, Chirag Patel (46) striking a huge six in the first over. His opening partner Stephen Hall played the support act against his old side, and the pair brought up a 50-partnership in the 14th over. When Patel fell to one big shot too many, the damage had already been done. Hall unfurled some pull and cut shots to see Tonbridge home in the 22nd over, remaining unbeaten on 40. Tonbridge move back into second place, just nine points adrift of Cowdrey. Now they face a long trip to Walmer on Saturday [June 30].

RETURN OF THE NATIVE Stephen Hall led Tonbridge to victory over his old club

PHOTO: Michael Topham

Old Colfeians 97 lost to Tonbridge 100-1 by 9 wkts

Kieran Fitzpatrick was second home for the club, finishing in a time of 2:16. The flat bike course enabled four minutes to be clawed back in the chase for the club title. But the gap was too great to narrow any further, with both athletes being evenly matched on the three-lap run. The battle for third place was hotly contested. Simon Howden impressed with a 24min swim, opening up a five-minute gap over the pack. Michael Thompson pushed hard out of the water, recording a 1:11 bike split. There was little to separate the rivals as they jostled for position on the run. Thompson prevailed with a strong final burst to finish in 2:24, just 30 seconds ahead. Suzannah Kinsella claimed the female title for the club with consistency across all disciplines. A strong swim provided an early advantage and then she held her own on the bike. She executed evenly paced run splits to cross the line in 2:52 and was well placed in age group.

Kuwertz leads SDW riders home

WELL QUALIFIED: (L-R) Alasdair Fraser, Simon Miller and Richard Curtis at the Tour of Cambridge

CYCLING: THE Southborough & District Wheelers [SDW] were in blistering form for the club’s 25-mile time trial near Petersfield, Hampshire. On a fast course at the event run by Fareham Wheelers, Matt Kuwertz took the club championship in 53min 25sec. He narrowly held off spirited challenges from Rob Stephenson (54.29), David Rumm (54.39), Dave Bagge (58.03) and Paul Greer (59.07). In the East Sussex Cycling Association 50-mile event, held near Maresfield, Neil Couchman recorded a time of 1hr 5min 6sec to set a personal best and finish sixth overall. Pip Jenkins has improved the club’s 100-mile time trial record by more than three minutes. She covered the Kent Cycling Association

course on Romney Marsh in 4:13.16 to break a record that has stood since 1981. The club was well represented in the Tour of Cambridge UCI world championship qualifiers. Racing over a quick 80-mile course in a field of 1,287 riders, Simon Miller finished 65th overall, followed by Richard Curtis (579th); Alasdair Fraser (668th), Jeffrey Perkins (812th) and Colin Jarman (889th and fourth in the Over 70 category). Miller, Curtis, Perkins and Jarman have all now qualified to represent Great Britain at the UCI world championships to be held in Varese, Italy in September. Natasha Jarman also took part in the Chrono Time Trial event, finishing 86th in the female category.

Sport

Wednesday June 27 | 2018

EARN YOUR STRIPES Alan Skinner (left) is presented with the trophy by Roger Clarke

thekn w.guide

Angels recognised again for commitment to community FOOTBALL: TONBRIDGE ANGELS picked up two awards at the Bostik League’s AGM held at Wembley stadium on June 9, the Community Club of the Season - for the second year in a row - and Programme of the Season in the Premier Division. The Angels provide the town’s youngsters of all abilities with coaching sessions at Longmead stadium evern Saturday morning and during the school holidays. The Ladies team, which also encourages local participation, is going from strength to strength, coming second in their league and winning the Kent Divisional Cup in only their second year. “It’s one thing saying you are community-based club, but quite another thing to be recognised by your league in this way”, said the club’s Chairman Dave Netherstreet.

Volunteers

Wells’ Skinner rewarded for half a century of dedication RUGBY: ALAN SKINNER, a loyal servant of Tunbridge Wells Rugby Club for more than half a century, has received a prestigious award in recognition of his services to the sport in the county. Mr Skinner was presented with the Kent President’s Award at the Kent County Rugby Football Union’s [RFU] annual awards dinner at the Shepherd Neame Comedy Store in Faversham. This event recognises the work of the leading volunteers in the county, who represent some 2,000 people who give their time to clubs throughout Kent free of charge. The dinner, which was attended by 80 guests, has become a very popular one in the county calendar and is a model for a number of other counties’ RFUs. The President’s Award represents the pinnacle of the evening, when an outstanding contribution to the game is rewarded with this lifetime achievement award. Fittingly, Alan received the accolade from the County RFU Chairman, Roger Clarke, who is also the town club’s President. Alan has been a member at Tunbridge Wells for over 50 years, during which time he has represented the 1st XV as a feisty hooker, has

carried out roles as team secretary, bar manager, 100 Club organiser, Vice Presidents’ administrator, fundraiser and respected club ambassador. Mr Clarke said: “The shortlist this year was from a really high-quality field. “On the night, despite the other nominees having some excellent credentials, Alan’s feats for the Wells could not be beaten.”

“I would like to thank and congratulate all those volunteers who have worked so hard for the club this past 12 months to have won this award for the second year running.” He added: “Also congratulations to the matchday programme team who have picked up a second award for their efforts this past season. “Once again it’s a labour of love with many hours of unpaid work put in to achieve this recognition.” Two young players in the first-team squad, Dom Welsh and Callum Adonis-Taylor, took it upon themselves to organise the Soccer Skills workshops in the holidays. Geoff Curtis, a graphic designer and Angels fan, designs the first-team programme using pictures, articles and statistics produced in-house by supporters on a voluntary basis. They also won an award from the Soccer Swap Shop for best programme in the Bostik Premier and 10th best in the whole non-league pyramid.

STRIKING ARTWORK The programme for the last home game paid tribute to departing goalscorer Nathan Elder Last December Sports Minister Tracey Crouch MP marked the 10th heart-screening session for local young people that the club has funded in association with Cardiac Risk in the Young [CRY]. That day the club was celebrating the fact that the 1,000th young person underwent a screening. So far the club and its supporters have raise £36,000 for CRY. The club also hosts the town’s annual fireworks display in conjunction with Tonbridge Round Table, an event which last year raised almost £3,000 for local charities.

‘Despite the other nominees having some excellent credentials, Alan’s feats for the Wells could not be beaten’ The shortlist this year also included Dawn Waters from Medway Rugby Club and Alan Farmer of Old Elthamians. Tunbridge Wells Chairman John Crees added: “We are delighted that a lifetime of service to our club has been recognised by Kent County RFU and we congratulate Alan on his achievement.” The categories also include contributors to juniors, men’s and women’s rugby, young ambassador of the year, student volunteer, mini rugby and the Spirit of Rugby award.

And in May the annual Beer and Music Festival is dedicated to a worth cause. This year’s proceeds will be going to Cage Green School, the primary close to the stadium. Other fundraising events included the club disco, which helped Tommy’s Charity, an organisation that supports research into stillborn and premature babies. Another music night organised by Slimming World saw almost £500 donated to the Motor Neurone Disease Association. The discos also serve another important purpose, bringing a clientele to the club who might not usually go near a football ground.