Times of Tunbridge Wells 6th October 2021

Wednesday October 6 | 2021

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Strictly’s Shirley Ballas is the Wicked Witch in this year’s pantomime at the Assembly Hall (Dec 17 – Jan 3). She’s pictured on the steps of Salomons last week with the rest of the cast from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Get ready for all the fun of the panto!

Police probed over Sarah murder and link with indecency incident Chief Constable’s comment on police ID considered ‘not helpful’

By Richard Williams KENT Police is being investigated as part of the background review of events leading up to the murder of Sarah Everard by a serving officer of the Met. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is looking at an incident in Dover in 2015 when a man driving a car was reported to police for indecent exposure. He was said to be naked from the waist down.

One avenue of inquiry is that the car belonged to Wayne Couzens jailed for

life for Sarah’s kidnap, rape, and murder.

Couzens was serving as a special at Kent Police at the time and his vehicle

‘A policing strategy needs to be in place where safety concerns are addressed’ was reported to the force in July 2015.

Officers decided the incident did not warrant any further action and the driver was not identified. Couzens

joined the Met three years later.

The IOPC is investigating whether if Kent Police had linked Couzens with the indecent exposure, the Met Police’s vetting process would have red-flagged his application to later join that force.

Women’s groups have raised concerns how this incident in Dover was not followed up.

Carol Wilson, from the Tunbridge Wells Labour Women’s Forum, said: “His time in Kent police is not without

See more on page 2

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this week…

BEST FOOT FORWARD: Tunbridge Wells MP Greg Clark ran his first London Marathon to raise funds for charity. P4

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Town still running on empty as the forecourts stay closed

By Taylor Catton

WOODLAND SEARCH: Police search land near Kipping’s Cross following the violent death of Sabina Nessa. P6

Wednesday October 6 | 2021

TWO weeks into the fuel crisis and Tunbridge Wells is still suffering from shortages despite the situation improving in many other areas across in the country.

Petrol forecourt managers in the town have told the Times that supplies are far from normal, with shortages expected to continue throughout the rest of the week.

On Monday, of the four main filling stations in the town centre, only two had fuel.

Motorists began queuing around 10am when Sainsbury’s in Linden Park Road received a delivery, while the Shell garage on St John’s Road was closed all day as it was empty.

QUEUES Drivers waiting for fuel at Sainsbury’s Tunbridge Wells on Monday

Diesel

ON HIS BIKE: KSS chief joins October’s 247-mile bike challenge to raise funds for Kent Surrey Sussex Air Ambulance.

P10 FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE: Local antiques expert reveals all about old Russian silver. P24

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Alan Brown at the BP garage on St John’s Road said they had some fuel but it would be gone within an hour.

He said: “We have only got premium diesel left and that will run out in 40 minutes from now. We have no indication when we are going to get more fuel. No communication so far from the company.”

At the Esso station on Eridge Road, manager Karthik Baswon said while they were resupplied with diesel on Sunday evening, he expected it to be gone by Wednesday.

He said: “Fuel came in on Sunday morning around 9 o’clock. It will last until perhaps this evening – we have maybe 2,000 litres left out of 23,000 delivered – so I doubt we will be open on Wednesday.”

He added that Esso had now banned the filling of jerry cans at its forecourts.

He said: “People are always telling the same story, my car is trapped in another place so I want to full up using the jerry cans.

“We have to provide for all the people. And people have been abusing it because of this.”

According to the Petrol Retailers Association, the situation is improving across the UK with the exception of London and the South East.

Around 22 per cent of filling stations in the region still do not have fuel.

And despite ministers insisting the situation at the pumps, which has seen queues and panic buying, is easing, Operation Escalin was launched on Monday, where around 200 military personnel – half of them drivers – are being deployed to the roads for the first time to help deliver petrol to forecourts.

Admissions from Covid fall despite spiralling infection rates

By Richard Williams TUNBRIDGE Wells continues to have the highest levels of Covid-19 in Kent, latest figures show, yet the number of people being admitted to hospital with the virus is still falling.

It had been feared with the easing of restrictions in the summer and the return of pupils to school, infection rates would rise, which could see a spike in the number of people requiring medical treatment.

Yet, while rates of the virus continue to increase across Tunbridge Wells, which is now the most heavily infected area in the county, hospital admissions are falling.

There were 579 positive cases of Covid-19 for the seven days to September 29, up from 541 from the

week before. This gives the area a rate per 100,000 people of 486.8 – well above the average for England of 340.0.

Similar levels of the virus can be seen across West Kent with cases rising in Tonbridge & Malling, where the rate per 100,000 is now 411.1 (up from 301.7 seven days earlier).

Falling Sevenoaks has seen rates per 100,000 rise to 394.6 and Wealden 291.3. Across Kent the rate per 100,000 people is now 252.4.

Despite the rising rates, hospital admissions are falling. The number of people admitted or diagnosed with Covid-19 at either Tunbridge Wells Hospital in Pembury or the Trust’s Maidstone site

has fallen to 73 for the month of September – less than 25 a week – down from 92 in August.

This is a fraction of the near 230 people diagnosed or admitted to Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust each week during the peak of the virus in January 2020.

The Trust has recorded 13 deaths from Covid-19 in September.

A similar fall in hospital admissions is being seen across Kent, where the number has almost halved in three weeks.

Figures show less than 90 people a day are being admitted to hospitals across the county with the virus each day, well below the 1,361 a day in January this year.

In total, 89 deaths were recorded across Kent for the month of September.

Concerns over Sarah’s murderer and Kent Police indecency link Continued from front page question as a previous indecent exposure incident in 2015 was not followed up and went unreported in his transfer and vetting to the Metropolitan Police in 2018.”

She went on: “The message from women is loud and clear. We need to see the government compel the police to act. It is significant that Sarah was killed by a serving police officer and change must start there.”

Kent Police have declined to comment on the IOPC investigation, but this week the Chief Constable of Kent, Alan Pughsley, was asked by the Times about any steps being taken to ensure such a thing could not happen again.

He said in a general statement on the murder: “I want to make it absolutely clear that Kent Police officers will always carry identification and can always be asked for verification as part of their duties.”

Caroline Auckland, who is President of the Tunbridge Wells Soroptimists, the worldwide organisation that was set up in the town in 1946 to better the lives of women, said: “The Chief Constable of Kent Police highlights the use of ‘identification cards being used as verifications as part of their duties’ – sadly this is not helpful since Couzens used his police ID cards to assist them in their crimes.

“How does any of this build trust in our

society and what is the way forward?”

Kent Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Scott was asked by the Times what he thinks needs to be done to make women safer.

He said: “This is more than just ‘learning the lessons’. This requires a systematic response.

Not finger pointing.

“It is not just his appalling crimes. It is his recruitment, the conduct he is supposed to have demonstrated before and the crimes that he is alleged to have committed.

“It is the toxic WhatsApp groups that seem to exist everywhere now, and the poor workplace culture where he can be given awful nicknames based on how he made women feel.”

Failure Caroline Auckland, added: “It is worrying to read the reference to WhatsApp communications in Matthew Scott’s statement, knowing that policemen in current service were engaging in communication with Couzens on this channel and yet none of them felt sufficiently alarmed enough to do anything about it at the time.”

She added: “A whole new policing strategy needs to be in put in place where safety concerns are immediately addressed.”

The comments came as Home Secretary Priti Patel launched an inquiry over the ‘systemic failures’ that allowed Wayne Couzens to become

a police office [see national news page 12]. To read the full statements from the police and responses from women’s groups see page 6

GREG CLARK MP ADVICE SURGERIES

If you have an individual problem which you think I can help with or you would like to have a chat about a more general issue, please do get in touch.

To make an appointment for one of my regular advice surgeries, please call

01892 519854 or email:

greg.clark.mp @parliament.uk

Wednesday October 6 | 2021

NEWS IN BRIEF

Police make more motorway arrests KENT have arrested 27 more people following further protests on the M25 last week.

At around 7.30am on September 29, protesters began to stop traffic at Junction 3 of the M25. Eleven were arrested.

Then at 12.54pm, more protesters began to stop vehicles at the nearby Swanley roundabout, M25. Police arrived at the scene within three minutes.

Another 16 people were arrested on suspicion of obstructing the highway and conspiracy to commit criminal damage.

As of October 4, Kent Police has arrested 73 Insulate Britain protestors, although only one person has been charged with criminal damage and all others have been ‘released under investigation’.

Art doubles estimate A PAINTING by Italian master Canaletto found in an East Sussex home has fetched more than twice its asking price after it went under the hammer for £300,000.

The picture was expected to fetch around £150,000 when it was auctioned, but the rare oil and canvas, fetched more than double that when it went under the hammer last week [September 28] plus fees.

Joseph Trinder, auctioneer and valuer at Gorringes said: “It was one of those moments none of us will forget, the excitement in the saleroom was palpable.”

For more on antiques, see page 24

Stoptober support SMOKERS in Kent are being encouraged to quit the habit as part of the national Stoptober initiative.

There are fears the habit has started to rise after a national survey showed that 45 per cent are smoking more since the lockdown.

Kent’s Interim Director for Public Health, Allison Duggal said: “It’s never too late to quit – stopping smoking brings immediate benefits to health, including for people with an existing smoking-related disease.”

Find out more at kent.gov.uk/stoptober

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Dandara water feature reinforces town’s link with historic spring

By Robert Forrester A NEW monument was unveiled last week to celebrate the historic connection between Royal Tunbridge Wells and water.

The fountain sits at the entrance of the new 1887 The Pantiles development, the apartment complex that replaced the old Union House.

Built by developers Dandara, the feature was created to pay homage to the spa water heritage of Tunbridge Wells, which was founded following the discovery of the Chalybeate Spring in 1606.

The new feature also includes a plaque from Wiesbaden, the town which is twinned with Tunbridge Wells.

MAKING A SPLASH Dandara’s Chris Harris, sculptor Will Nash with Dorothea and Michael Holman

Wiesbaden The Wiesbaden Plaque was presented to the Borough in 2014 as a gift from the then Lord Mayor of Wiesbaden to mark the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Twinning Charter between the two towns and features Wiesbaden’s ‘fleurs-de-lys’ coat of arms.

The unveiling of the new water feature was attended by the Mayor and Mayoress of Tunbridge Wells, William Benson (Chief Executive at Tunbridge Wells Borough Council), and representatives from Water in the Wells group, Tunbridge Wells Twinning and Friendship Association and Royal Tunbridge Wells Civic Society.

There is also a Francis Bacon quote at the site from the philosopher’s 1605 thesis The Advancement of Learning, that is often referred to as The knowledge of man.

The sculptor of the water feature, Will Nash, and senior representatives from Dandara were also in attendance.

Professor Michael Holman, Chair of Water in the Wells, said: “Long before the Union House site had been purchased by Dandara, Water in the Wells had identified the square as a prime site for a major water feature.

“We worked closely with Dandara on the fountain project and, after much patience and

hard work, we have achieved our aim.

“Thanks to Dandara, our dream has now become a reality; this has been enhanced even further by Dandara’s installation of the Wiesbaden plaque, with its beautifully crafted fleurs-de-lys emblem.”

Chris Harris, Managing Director for Dandara South East, added: “We were honoured that our 1887 The Pantiles development was chosen as the

permanent location for the Wiesbaden plaque.

“It is such an important piece of history, and we couldn’t be prouder to be a part of it.”

The unveiling comes after the Times reported last month that the Chalybeate Spring, which sits on the other side of The Pantiles and gave rise to the town of Tunbridge Wells, is in dire need of renovation. A crowdfunding campaign to generate money failed to get off the ground.

With GPs struggling to see patients 32,000 people have failed to turn up

By Richard Williams NEW figures show that, as GPs battle to meet patient demands, some 32,000 people failed to turn up for ‘precious’ booked appointments.

The government data for Kent also reveals that just over half of all patients are able to see their doctor face to face, according.

There were nearly 700,000 appointments in total during the month of August, the latest national NHS numbers released last week (30 September) indicate.

Equivalent Face-to-face consultations accounted for 373,424 of these – or 53 per cent of appointments.

Of the other remaining appointments that took place in August that were not done in a GP’s consulting room, the vast majority (302,939) were for telephone and video appointments using apps such as Zoom.

Kent and Medway Clinical Commissioning Group [CCG], which is in charge of GP surgeries across the area, said the figures were ‘equivalent to nearly 20 per cent of the Kent and Medway population being seen face-to-face by a member of their GP team in this month alone’.

However, before the pandemic 80 per cent of all GP appointments that took place in England were done face to face.

Face to face appointments dropped to 52 per

cent during the pandemic, and GPs have been under fire for not offering enough face-to-face appointments, with Health Secretary Sajid Javid saying the Government would urge them to do so.

Across England and Wales, 58 per cent of all appointments were carried out face-to-face in August, the first full month since most legal restrictions were lifted in England.

Dr Navin Kumta, Clinical Chair of Kent and Medway Clinical Commissioning Group said: “We know that getting through on the phone can be difficult at the moment; and we understand the frustrations this causes. We want to assure you that we are working hard to make sure that everyone is seen in the best way for them.”

Of the 32,000 missed appointments, he added: “These slots are incredibly precious, and we would ask anyone who no longer needs their appointment to cancel in advance. ”

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Wednesday October 6 | 2021

Town’s runners raise thousands as the London Marathon returns MEDAL WINNERS Kate Bovey [left] & Jess Farmer from Tunbridge Wells with their golden medals

MARATHON MAN Tunbridge Wells MP Greg Clark running past the Tower of London

By Taylor Catton RUNNERS from Tunbridge Wells crossed the finish line at the London Marathon last weekend and raised tens of thousands for local charities.

Joining 40,000 athletes from around the globe, residents, including Tunbridge Wells MP Greg Clark, took on the 26-mile race, which returned after a year’s absence due to Covid.

Raising money for Hospice in the Weald and Macmillan Cancer Support in his first London Marathon, Mr Clark completed the course in 3 hours and 54 minutes.

He said: “Thanks so much to everyone who encouraged me over the last few weeks, and especially to everyone who sponsored me for these two wonderful charities.

children and families in hard times.

Local resident Tam Weaver also undertook the 26-mile run, albeit virtually, running alongside the main event for the Virgin Money Virtual London Marathon to raise £1,000 for Nourish Community Foodbank and Children with Cancer UK. IN THE ACTION Tam Weaver running virtually

‘Lots of Tunbridge Wells people were in the crowd and it was fantastic to have their support’ “I lifted my target three times and donations still exceeded it – the money will be put to good work helping people through difficult times.”

He added: “Running my first marathon was a little daunting but the crowds on the day all around the course were astounding – creating a wall of noise to power us onwards.

“There were lots of Tunbridge Wells people in the crowd and it was fantastic to have their enthusiastic support.”

Mr Clark raised £3,685 and was joined at the start line by Development and Communications Director at Hospice in the Weald Victoria (Tor) Edwards running in her first marathon.

Also at this year’s marathon was veteran Paul Newman, competing in his ninth event, who raised £1,500 for Racing Welfare.

Mark Leeds also completed the course, raising £1,500 for Kelly’s Trust, which helps sick

HAPPY Development and Communications Director ‘Tor’ Edwards

GLAD TO BE BACK Paul Newman after his ninth marathon

FUN RUN Steve Lindsay from Paddock Wood also ran for Hospice in the Weald

MARATHON RETURNS More than 40,000 runners tackled the traditional 26.2-mile route from Greenwich to The Mall after last year’s race was scrapped due to coronavirus restrictions.

There were no volunteers hanging medals around the necks of finishers, who instead found their medal in their bag.

Those running had to be able to show a negative lateral flow test for Covid-19.

Sisay Lemma became a first-time winner of the men’s race with an impressive run of 2:04:01 while Joyciline Jepkosgei won the women’s elite race in a time of 2:17.42.

Marcel Hug and Manuela Schar both set course records to win the men’s and women’s wheelchair races.

HHHHH HHHHH HHHHH HHHHH EDINBURGH EVENING NEWS

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Wednesday October 6 | 2021

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Wednesday October 6 | 2021

Calls for ‘new policing strategy’ following Sarah murder The abduction, rape and killing of Sarah Everard (33) by a serving police officer has shocked the nation and brought demands for a change in policing strategy where the safety concerns of women are ‘immediately addressed’. The Times invited comment on the issue from the Chief Constable of Kent and the Police and Crime Commissioner for the county. Their comments are published unedited on this page. We shared those views with Tunbridge Wells Soroptimists and the Tunbridge Wells Labour Women’s Forum. Their comments also appear on this page...

Chief Constable of Kent Police Alan Pughsley’s full statement on Wayne Couzens: Much like the general public, police forces and officers up and down the country are shocked and saddened by the actions of Wayne Couzens.

We also understand that as a result of the way he treated Sarah Everard there may be concerns amongst the public, particularly amongst women and girls, about being approached by police officers or knowing how best to verify their identity and the reasons for being stopped.

I want to make it absolutely clear that Kent Police officers will always carry identification and can always be asked for verification as part of their duties.

My officers serve this county with a great deal of pride and passion and they, like the public, will understand now more than ever why those we engage with may want more reassurance about the work we do.

But I would add that Couzens is not representative of police officers in Kent, or indeed the country – he betrayed the very thing we take an oath to do and that is to protect life.

I hope in time the public will realise he is the exception, not the rule, and in the meantime our thoughts are very much with those who knew Sarah.”

Matthew Scott, the Police and Crime Commissioner for Kent: Sarah’s family and friends have been through the most painful and tragic ordeal. I cannot begin to imagine their grief after hearing their statement.

Sarah was just walking home. Sarah had every right to be safe. But tragically, she wasn’t. And so many others are telling us that they feel unsafe too. We owe it to her, and every other victim and survivor, to do better.

This is more than just ‘learning the lessons’.

This requires a systematic response. Not finger pointing. It is not just his appalling crimes. It is his recruitment, the conduct he is supposed to have demonstrated before and the crimes that he is alleged to have committed.

It is the toxic WhatsApp groups that seem to exist everywhere now, and the poor workplace culture where he can be given awful nicknames based on how he made women feel.

Everyone, including Police Officers and Staff, are rightly disgusted by him and that he ever held the badge. Terrible people exist in every profession. But few hold the power and trust that the Police have.

There aren’t just questions to be answered but changes to be made. We are already looking at what we can do locally. And we owe it to everyone that we act and deliver.

Response by Carol Wilson, Women’s Labour Forum, Tunbridge Wells: The suggestion by police and some ministers that he was a single rotten apple becomes increasingly untenable since so much more information has come to light including Wayne Couzens’ exchange of misogynistic, racist, homophobic material shared with other officers on a Metropolitan Police WhatsApp Group and according to colleagues his interest in extreme pornography and his inappropriate behaviour with women colleagues.

His time in Kent policing is also not without question as a previous indecent exposure incident in 2015 was not followed up and went

unreported in his transfer and vetting to the Metropolitan Police in 2018.

Sarah Everard was the 16th woman to be killed by a serving or former police officer since 2009. Over 800 allegations of domestic abuse have been made against officers and staff over the past five years of which only 43 were prosecuted. Even today we have yet another serving Met officer charged with rape.

One rotten apple, I think not. We badly need Institutional cultural change.

The message from women is loud and clear. We need to see the government compel the police to act. It is significant that Sarah was killed by a serving police officer and change must start there.

POLICE CHIEFS Matthew Scott [left] and Alan Pughsley Response by Caroline Auckland, President, Soroptimist Tunbridge Wells: It is worrying to read the reference to WhatsApp communications in Matthew Scott’s statement, knowing that policemen in current service were engaging in communication with Couzens on this channel and yet none of them felt sufficiently alarmed enough to do anything about it at the time.

The Chief Constable of Kent Police highlights the use of ‘identification cards being used as verifications as part of their duties’ – sadly this is not helpful since both Couzens and the newly reported rape case references the men in question using their police ID cards to assist them in their crimes.

How does any of this build trust in our

society and what is the way forward?

Women should be involved in decision-taking not just at survey level but in all levels of planning in terms of the public arena. Also we would call for there to be more female police officers in general and a greater presence of police, in groups, on our streets especially at night.

A whole new policing strategy needs to be in put in place where safety concerns are immediately addressed.

This is a conversation that has been going on for too long, most of it one way, we need education about gender-based violence in all public sector areas and education establishments, to raise awareness and advocate for changes in policy.

Violence against women is a crime.

Met police in Sabina Nessa probe search Tunbridge Wells woodland It is claimed her attacker used a 2ft-long weapon to strike her repeatedly before carrying her away unconscious.

A post-mortem examination has yet to confirm the exact cause of her death but the attack was said to have involved ‘extreme violence’.

As part of their investigation the Metropolitan Police in cooperation with Kent Police have searched wooded area along Dundale Road, which is near to Lamberhurst and the Kipping’s Cross junction of the A21.

The road was closed to traffic as officers were seen searching along the road, woodland and hedgerows last week.

The Met said last Thursday [September 30] that the search would take about three days.

DEATH Sabina Nessa

By Richard Williams OFFICERS investigating the death of a primary schoolteacher from London have searched woodland near Tunbridge Wells, the Met Police has confirmed.

Sabina Nessa, 28, was attacked as she walked through a park in Kidbrooke, south-east London, on her way to meet a friend on September 17.

Her body was found nearly 24 hours later covered with leaves near a community centre in the park.

with her murder on Monday.

A light-coloured Nissan Micra was seized in a leafy residential street about half a mile away.

Selamaj, who is originally from Albania, appeared at the Old Bailey before the Recorder of London, Judge Mark Lucraft QC. Prosecutor Alison Morgan QC told the court it was a ‘premeditated and predatory’ stranger attack and there was no suggestion the defendant knew Ms Nessa.

During the hearing, the defendant, who has already indicated he will deny murder, spoke to confirm his name and date of birth before a timetable for the case was set.

Dressed in a prison-issue green and yellow top, he appeared in court by video link from Wormwood Scrubs assisted by an Albanian interpreter in court.

Judge Lucraft set a plea hearing for December 16 and remanded the defendant into custody.

Arrested A spokesperson for the Met said: “Officers are searching an area of woodland near to Tunbridge Wells in Kent as part of the ongoing investigation into the murder of Sabina Nessa in Kidbrooke.”

The news of the search broke last week as Eastbourne garage worker Koci Selamaj, 36, appeared in court on Thursday [September 30] accused of the ‘premeditated and predatory’ murder of the primary school teacher.

Selamaj was arrested in the seaside town in the early hours of Sunday and charged

SEARCH Police in Dundale Road last week [Photo: Sean Aidan]

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PROMOTIONAL FEATURE Each month Thomson Snell & Passmore will be answering frequently asked questions from across the practice. If you have a legal question you would like featured in this monthly Q&A please submit it to info@ts-p.co.uk.

Wednesday October 6 | 2021

Steps to tackle the driver shortage welcomed as children services hit TRANSPORT HUB The HQ of Logistics UK in St John’s Road

How can I protect my business from supply chain uncertainty?

Supply chains have been, and continue to be, disrupted by a range of factors. Rising demand for oil after lifting of Coronavirus restrictions means higher fuel prices. The pandemic has also made demand forecasting very difficult. There are staff shortages across many sectors with claims that the UK is short of 65,000 HGV drivers. Not to forget the combined effects of Brexit and the Suez Canal being blocked for six days earlier this year.

Given the uncertainty, understandably business owners are thinking about better ways to protect their supply chains. We have set out below some key areas that business owners should consider when negotiating and reviewing their supply contracts.

Payment terms. If you are a buyer you may wish to negotiate that you pay on receipt of goods rather than pay fully up front. If you have paid up front and your supply fails then it might be difficult to get your money back. If you are a supplier then of course, you might prefer being paid up front to pay for unexpected delivery, storage or insurance costs or to avoid the risk of your buyer becoming unable to pay. Parties may wish to try and balance risk by negotiating a middle ground such as staged payment dates.

Force Majeure clause. The force majeure clause says what happens to the parties’ obligations if an extraordinary event occurs, particularly where this is outside of their control.

For example, you probably wouldn’t want to be held to your obligations if your business was destroyed by a storm or terrorist attack or if you could not provide goods or services due to a pandemic. Read force majeure clauses carefully to see what may still be expected of you if an extraordinary event occurs.

Length of supply chain. The longer your supply chain, the more risk of disruption along the way. Supply chains can be extensive and pass through many different jurisdictions. Further, insolvency practices vary in different jurisdictions. Knowing the limitations of different countries’ regimes can help you pre-empt issues, allocate risk and formulate coping strategies.

Alternative suppliers. It is harder for some businesses to find alternative suppliers than others. Specialist industries will have fewer suppliers of parts which may be bespoke and only created by key machinery, or may not be reproduced elsewhere due to intellectual property protection. These considerations should be made well in advance in order to strategise for when supply chain issues hit. If you are a buyer then you should check contracts to ensure you have rights to seek alternative suppliers if the other party cannot comply with its obligations. You wouldn’t want to be tied in to one supplier who can’t supply you!

Price capping. Where supplies are volatile, prices will be changeable too. A business buying goods will want to cap a price over a period to avoid hikes. On the other hand, a supplier will want to ensure that a price covers extra costs that may be associated with demand spikes (they might need to seek their own alternative, pricier suppliers). As with all contract negotiation, it will be a matter of finding a middle ground that suits both parties as far as possible.

If you have any questions regarding the above, please contact Poh-Leng Devare on 01892 510000 or poh-leng. devare@ts-p.co.uk or visit our website www.ts-p.co.uk.

By Richard Williams THE Tunbridge Wells association that represents the country’s freight industry has welcomed the package of measures announced by the government last week aimed at easing the HGV driver shortage.

Logistics UK, based in St John’s Road, described the move to grant emergency immigration visas to lorry drivers unveiled by the government on September 25 as a ‘huge step forward’.

The news comes as some of Kent’s social services have begun to be hit by the lack of trained Class 1 and Class 2 drivers.

Members at County Hall have written to the county’s MPs to say that home to school transport for some of Kent’s most vulnerable children and young people is being affected.

Transport In a joint statement, Kent County Council’s Cabinet Member for Education and Skills, Shellina Prendergast, and Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, David Brazier, said: “This shortage is affecting pupils who travel to school on both public and private hire transport, it has been worsened by driver sickness and periods of selfisolation, and it is now being exacerbated by the current fuel situation.”

They continued: “We understand that

concerns over home to school transport can be worrying and frustrating for children and young people, and their parents and carers, and we would like to reassure all families in Kent that we are doing everything we possibly can to ensure pupils can get to and from school safely during these unprecedented times, which are affecting so many people throughout the country.”

The shortage of trained HGV drivers

‘The decision to grant 5,000 temporary HGV driver visas is a huge step forward’ has not only been blamed for the recent fuel crisis that has seen forecourts across England run dry, but has also put a strain on borough council refuse collections.

The councils in both Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge have had to suspend garden waste collections due to the lack of drivers at contractor Urbaser.

Last week, the government announced it would relax rules for thousands of overseas drivers to help with the shortage.

“The decision to grant 5,000 temporary HGV driver visas to help overcome the driver shortage crisis in the short term is a huge step forward in solving the disruption to supply

chains we are seeing today; we are so pleased the government has listened to our calls and has made this bold decision to support the UK economy,” said Elizabeth de Jong, Policy Director at Logistics UK. She continued: “We are also pleased that, in addition to increasing DVSA HGV testing capacity, the government has listened to Logistics UK’s request for additional training support by providing funded courses to enable more people to qualify as HGV drivers.

“This, alongside the current apprenticeship standard, is fantastic news for recruiting more talent into industry.

Opportunities “Logistics UK is also delighted that DfT have agreed to jointly send nearly one million letters to all drivers who currently hold an HGV driving licence, urging them to come back to the occupation.

“Conditions of employment and pay have been improving across the sector, and with fantastic opportunities available, now is the perfect time to consider returning to the industry.

“We now look forward to working with government to address the longer-term causes of the HGV driver shortage, by helping industry to attract new British workers through measures such as the improvement of driver facilities.”

Aldi continues to look for new stores SUPERMARKET giant Aldi, which is looking for a new site in Tunbridge Wells, has reaffirmed its expansion plans with a £1.3billion investment drive.

The budget retailer is set to create 2,000 new jobs next year, in addition to 7,000 created in the last two years, as it plans at least 100 new store openings in 2022.

It previously announced in June that Tunbridge Wells was among a number of towns where it was looking for another supermarket.

The supermarket already occupies the former Toys R Us unit in Longfield Road, but is targeting the town for another branch as well as looking for store locations in Cranbrook, Paddock Wood

and a further 12 sites in Kent.

The discount supermarket chain made the investment announcement, which will run for two years, as bosses revealed sales soared 10.2 per cent in the UK and Ireland in 2020 to £12.3billion.

As part of the £1.3billion investment over the next two years, bosses said around 100 new stores would be added to the 920 sites already operating.

Profits The expansion of its logistics infrastructure includes a new 1.3 million sq ft site in Leicestershire.

The group also said it has improved

pay for its HGV drivers amid sector shortages, while there have also been commodity price rises for the firm’s suppliers.

The retailer’s Chief Executive Officer, Giles Hurley, said: “As well as delivering record sales, we continued to invest for growth, deploying over £600 million in stores and distribution centres across the UK. “This helped to create thousands of much-needed jobs and support for British farmers and manufacturers.

“Whilst the cost of responding to the pandemic dampened profits, our decision to return business rate relief was the right thing to do.”

FOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT: timeslocalnews.co.uk

Wednesday October 6 | 2021

HIRED Martina D’Avino and [left] AmeliaMontgomery

Solicitor bolsters its family law division TUNBRIDGE WELLS law firm Thomas Mansfield Solicitors has strengthened its family law practice amid increasing demand for its services.

Lawyer Amelia Montgomery comes from London-based Woodfords Solicitors, and fellow lawyer Martina D’Avino comes from Tier 1 Legal 500 regional firm Tees Law. Thomas Mansfield says Amelia and Martina will advise on all aspects of family law and work with a wide range of clients, including high-net-worth individuals with international aspects to their cases.

Both solicitors are members of Resolution, a community of family justice professionals who strive to resolve issues in

a constructive way.

Martina also sits on the Young Resolution National Committee, and Amelia is active as a member of The Law Society’s Junior Lawyers Division and American Women Lawyers in London.

The growth of the firm’s 19-strong family law team comes as the practice responds to a surge in enquiries for their specialist advice.

Re-evaluate The double appointment follows several recent hires over the course of the last 18 months and the development of the firm’s international family law services in

France and Spain.

Susi Gillespie, Head of Family at Thomas Mansfield Solicitors, said: “We are very pleased to welcome Amelia and Martina to the team at this exciting time.

“We have seen unprecedented growth in enquiries throughout the pandemic as people re-evaluate their lives and look to the future.

“Amelia and Martina’s experience will complement our existing offering and ensure we continue to meet this increase in demand along with maintaining our commitment to excellent client care and supporting our clients to achieve their desired outcomes.”

Funding support for charities A POT of money is available to local charities and community groups to help them adapt following the pandemic.

Kent County Council [KCC] has £300,000 that will be administered through the Kent Community Foundation to help organisations adapt to the ‘new normal’.

In the summer, the foundation awarded grants totalling £431,000 from KCC’s first Strategic Recovery Fund to help future-proof 73 organisations, and is launching a second tranche of payments.

It is now inviting applications from charities and community groups for grants to purchase one-off support to help them recover from the adverse effects of the pandemic and sustain their services.

The Strategic Recovery Fund #2 will support charities and community groups to develop their business plans and strategies to put them in a stronger position for the future.

Grants of between £5,000 and £10,000 will be available to purchase one-off support across a range of topics to help strategy planning,

including: Leadership and training programmes, business planning, operational, income or financial review, website and digital skills upgrades or marketing costs.

Delighted Josephine McCartney, Chief Executive of Kent Community Foundation, said: “We know how important the initial £431,000 funding from the Strategic Recovery Fund was to organisations across Kent and we are delighted to be able to administer this second round of funding from Kent County Council.

“The focus of the new £300,000 funding will be on building sustainability and encouraging innovation and we will award grants of up to £10,000 for groups to diversify their business models and adapt to the current challenges and increase their sustainability.”

More information is available by visiting kentcf. org.uk/funding/KCC-strategic-recovery-fund

Top 500 for Thomson Snell & Passmore SOUTH-EAST law firm Thomson Snell & Passmore [TS-P] has again been recognised in the Legal 500 rankings.

The firm appears in the latest edition for 2022, which has just been released, and retained top tier one ranking for a notable five practice areas, with 18 recommended overall.

Turbulent The Clinical Negligence and Personal Injury, Commercial Property, Court of Protection, Family, and Tax, Trusts and Probate departments all retained tier one rankings.

A number of partners were also lauded as ‘leading individuals’, including Joanna Pratt, Head of Family.

She said: “The past 18 months of the pandemic have been turbulent times for all. I have been continuously proud of how everyone in the firm has pulled together to deliver consistently excellent solutions and advice to our clients.

“These latest rankings are testament to our enduring and supportive culture of adaptability and continuous improvement.”

The Legal 500 is a guide to law firms and solicitors in the UK, offering reliable and up-to-date information on law firms.

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BUSINESS

4 misconceptions about hosted desktops If you’re considering switching to a hosted desktop, it’s understandable that you might have some questions. The change can feel daunting, especially if you’re not an IT expert. There are some misconceptions about hosted desktops that could be holding you back from making the switch. So what’s the truth behind some of the things you might have heard about using a hosted desktop?

1. You need special training You might be concerned that you need to spend time and money training your team to use a hosted desktop, but this isn’t the case. Hosted desktops work in the same way as more traditional systems, so anyone with basic IT skills can use them with ease. System administrators at your company can monitor employee desktops, but no training is needed to do this.

2. Hosted desktops are less secure than on-site desktops Typically, hosted desktops actually provide stronger security than on-site infrastructure. Centralised virtual hosted desktops are faster and easier to scan for viruses or malware and it’s easier to catch hacking attempts. Files and documents also remain on the server with hosted desktops and there are regular back-ups, meaning that your information is fully protected against loss or hacking.

3. The transition is stressful Migrating to a hosted desktop doesn’t need to be arduous. If you allow your service provider

Get in touch at simon.luck@hostmyoffice.co.uk or call on 01892 267200 today.

to manage the transition it should be fairly fast and straightforward. This helps to ensure a continuity of IT provision for your staff and continuity of service for your business.

4. A hosted desktop is more expensive Costs are usually reduced when you choose a hosted desktop.

You don’t need to invest in the equipment and physical infrastructure to run your desktop because the service provider has already done this.

You also won’t need to invest in on-site support or licensing, plus your staff are free to use their own devices to securely access business data.

Host My Office provide specialist IT support, including our hosted desktop service.

Get in touch today to find out more about how we can support you with a hosted desktop.

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Air ambulance chief saddles up for a 247-mile fundraiser

By Sarah Bond THE CEO of Air Ambulance Kent Surrey Sussex [KSS], who has just won a prestigious national award, has vowed to cycle 247 miles in 14 days in a bid to help raise £20,000 for the charity’s first 247 Vital Cycle challenge.

The new event is running through the whole of October to raise vital funds for the 24/7 lifesaving charity.

CEO David Welch lives in Tunbridge Wells, and his ambitious target equates to cycling 18 miles a day either at his home or out on the road.

Commenting on his fundraising bid, he said: “Cycling 247 miles throughout the month of October is a great challenge and I plan to

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ON YOUR BIKE David and one of the air ambulances and [left] on his cycle

complete my 247 miles within 14 days, which means I need to cycle just over 18 miles a day.

“I’m definitely up for the challenge as I love to cycle and I’m also going to switch between indoor and outdoor bikes to make it even more interesting.

“It is a significant undertaking for KSS to have to raise £15million every year to remain operational 24/7, and I am very keen to play my part as a fundraiser.

“I am also delighted to support our fantastic fundraising team who continually come up with new ideas to inspire much welcome support from the local communities we serve.”

Achievements Last month, David won the accolade of being named the national Charity Leader of the Year in the Charity Times’ awards.

In a separate event, KSS won the Large Charity category in the 2021 Kent Charity Awards as well as being crowned Kent Charity of the Year.

Commenting on his national recognition as the head of KSS, David said: “I am honoured and immensely proud to have won this award, which reflects the outstanding achievements of KSS over the last year.

“This would not have been possible without the commitment and dedication of the whole of Team KSS and the people in our regions who have so generously fundraised or donated to us.

“I am incredibly grateful to them all. I also wanted to extend my sincere thanks to Charity Times for this fantastic accolade.”

Over the last year, KSS overcame significant challenges under David’s leadership and was able to operate 24/7 throughout the pandemic without dropping a single shift.

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In addition, and working in partnership with South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust [SECAmb], David spearheaded the extension of KSS’s service capabilities to support the NHS by transferring over 100 critically-ill Covid patients between ICUs. Now he is saddling up for KSS’s latest initiative – its inaugural 247 Vital Cycle ride.

The charity hopes that through sponsorship from family, friends and colleagues 247 Vital Cycle will raise £20,000.

Helene Poursain, Director of Fundraising and Events at KSS, said: “KSS relies on the generosity of it’s fundraisers in order to be able to deliver its vital service to save lives.

“Every mile completed on a bike and every pound donated to KSS will help to make sure we’re there for the sickest and most criticallyinjured patients across our regions in their hour of need, whatever time of the day or night.”

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HOW WILL YOUR FUNDRAISING HELP KSS? ● £5 could buy a pressure infuser, which is

used when a critically-ill or injured patient requires a rapid administration of fluids of blood products because of low blood pressure or bleeding

● £17 could buy one set of tubing for KSS’s ventilator, helping patients to breathe when they have been anaesthetised

● £60 could buy a set of fire-retardant

undergarments for a crew member to wear

● £120 could buy enough aircraft fuel for one life-saving mission

FOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT: timeslocalnews.co.uk

Wednesday October 6 | 2021

Pulling the strings at the Puppetry Festival THIS year’s Tunbridge Wells Puppetry Festival opens on Saturday [October 9] with a charming children’s event called Moose on the Moon, to be held in the Royal Victoria Place shopping centre.

The Moose on the Moon is a new gentle, interactive musical adventure for toddlers and their families featuring handmade puppets, music and storytelling.

Sounds

ENTERTAINERS: Two of the pupeteers at this year’s festival

The tale centres on Erik, a very special moose who lives on the Moon, and through the story children will learn about sounds and the phases of the Moon.

The show, staged by puppeteers Rust & Stardust, will run at 11am, 2pm and 3.30pm in the Upper Mall. The puppeteers also offer an accompanying workshop where children can make their own Moon-moose puppets to take home. Tickets cost £5, including the workshop.

The puppetry festival will see a variety of events popping up all around Tunbridge Wells from this Saturday until Sunday October 17.

For details of the full programme, and to book, see: twpuppetryfestival.org

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Childrensalon steps in to help refugees AFTER supporting the local foodbank Nourish, the internationally-renowned designer store Childrensalon is now stepping up to lend practical assistance to the local charity RefugEASE. The charity, which is based in both Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge, is working hard to gather supplies for the new wave of Afghan refugees.

Many of the refugees only escaped the Taliban last month and have recenlty arrived in the UK to start new lives with very few clothes and belongings.

Busier RefugEASE was founded in response to the Syrian migrant crisis, and with the current Afghan refugee crisis, the charity says they are busier than ever.

As we go towards the colder weather, the Childrensalon staff will help the charity sort through their winter donations this Friday October 8.

To find out more about the charity or to donate items, money or time, visit: refugease.org

Do one thing to make a difference on World Mental Health Day

By Millie Sanderson A LOCAL mental health charity is inviting everyone in the local community to ‘Do One Thing’ for better mental health for everyone to mark World Mental Health Day this Sunday [October 10].

For this year’s day, the theme set by the World Foundation for Mental Health is ‘mental health in an unequal world’, which will chime for many people after the turbulent events of the past 18 months both at home and abroad.

Inspiration Sevenoaks-based charity West Kent Mind says: “Do one thing and make change happen.

If we all do one thing, we can change everything.”

The organisation is joining national charity Mind to campaign for better mental health services for everyone – whatever their race, age, gender, sexual orientation, disability or class.

A spokesperson said: “At West Kent Mind we believe that everyone should have access to proper mental health support.

“The pandemic has put the mental health of millions at risk, it has changed people’s lives and behaviours and the impact of it will be

seen for many years to come. By working together we can raise awareness, fight for change, for fairness, for respect, and for life-changing support for all.”

For inspiration, Do One Thing could involve

one or more of the following: • Pick up the phone, text, message or simply chat to someone. Start a conversation about mental health with a friend, family member, neighbour or colleague. Ask them how they

really are – a small conversation has the power to make a big difference.

• Find out about the local support available and reach out for help for yourself or someone you care about.

• Make some time to put your mental wellbeing first: Take a walk, connect with a friend, listen to music that makes you happy, cook, garden, dance!

• Support and donate to West Kent Mind – help them to reach more people in the local community experiencing mental ill health • Share your Do One Thing on social media (tag @westkentmind #doonething #WMHD) • Add your voice to campaign for better, more equal mental health services. Share your experience and share your story.

Violence During the year 2020/21, West Kent Mind delivered 3,297 counselling sessions, which was a 37 per cent increase the previous year. More than 100 people experiencing domestic violence were supported with counselling and group therapy. Referrals across the charity’s community wellbeing programme increased by 39 per cent. Attendances at social activity groups were up 55 per cent.

To donate, visit westkentmind.org.uk

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Home Secretary launches inquiry into ‘systemic failures’ over Couzens’ career AN INDEPENDENT inquiry will be launched into the ‘systematic failures’ that allowed Sarah Everard’s killer to be employed as a police officer, the Home Secretary has announced.

Speaking at the Conservative Party conference, Priti Patel said the public needs answers to ensure ‘something like this can never happen again’ after Metropolitan Police officer Wayne Couzens kidnapped, raped and murdered the 33-year-old marketing executive.

She said: “The public have a right to know what systematic failures enabled his continued employment as a police officer.

“We need answers as to why this was allowed to happen.

“I can confirm today there will be an inquiry, to give the independent oversight needed, to ensure something like this can never happen again.”

The Home Secretary claimed she has “redoubled” her efforts to help make women and girls feel safer, telling the conference in Manchester on Tuesday: “All our thoughts remain with Sarah Everard’s family and friends.

“Her murderer, whose name I will not repeat, was a monster. His explicit intention was to instil fear and terror in women and girls.

“I say this as Home Secretary, but also as a woman – such unconscionable crimes and acts of violence against women and girls have no place in our society.

“That is why I have redoubled my efforts to ensure women and girls feel safer.”

The Home Office said the inquiry will be made up of two parts – first examining Couzens’ previous

ANSWERS Priti Patel at the conference yesterday [Tuesday] and [inset] Sarah Everard

Wednesday October 6 | 2021

Man jailed after doctor and daughter murder A HANDYMAN who murdered a doctor and her 14-year-old daughter has been jailed for life and must serve a minimum of 34 years.

The bodies of Dr Saman Mir Sacharvi, 49, and Vian Mangrio, 14, who dreamed of becoming a barrister, were discovered at their fire-damaged home in Burnley, Lancashire, last October.

Shahbaz Khan, 52, told a jury at Preston Crown Court that both were alive and well when he left the address on September 30 last year.

But on the 13th day of his trial – just before the closing speeches were to be made – he changed his pleas to guilty to murder and also admitted a count of arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered.

Conversion

behaviour and establishing a “definitive account of his conduct leading up to his conviction, as well as any opportunities missed, drawing on the Independent Office for Police Conduct’s (IOPC) investigations, once concluded.”

Misogyny The second will look at any specific problems raised by the first part of the inquiry, which could include wider issues across policing – such as vetting practices, professional standards and discipline, and workplace behaviour.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said the

inquiry must leave “no stone unturned” and must “also address reports of widespread cultural issues”, adding: “We must stamp out misogyny, sexism, racism and homophobia, root out those who abuse their trusted position as officers, and ensure that tackling violence against women and girls is treated with the highest priority.”

Ms Patel will also commission another inspection of vetting and anti-corruption procedures in policing in England and Wales to be carried out by the watchdog Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS).

Khan, a former computer network engineer in his native Pakistan, strangled psychiatrist Dr Sacharvi and attacked her teenage daughter when she returned from school. Both victims were drugged with diazepam.

Vian’s severely burned body was found in the lounge of the semi-detached property in Colne Road, Reedley, on October 1 2020, and an attempt had also been made to set Dr Sacharvi’s body alight in the front bedroom upstairs.

Khan was arrested after CCTV footage from September 30 showed him visiting the home where he had previously carried out work, including a garage conversion.

Khan’s wife, Rabia Shahbaz, was jailed for 30 months after a jury found her guilty of perverting the course of justice when she provided a false alibi for her husband.

Sentencing, Mr Justice Goss told Khan – who spent most of the hearing leaning forward in a rocking motion with his face to the floor – “Nothing this court can do is able to undo what you have done and the appalling and tragic consequences of what happened.”

Motorway protestors handed injunctions MORE than 100 Insulate Britain protesters have been served with an injunction against road-blocking demonstrations, the High Court has heard.

Protesters from the Extinction Rebellion offshoot have blocked major roads including the M25 and the M4 in recent weeks.

Three court injunctions have been put in place but demonstrations have continued, most recently on roads across London on Monday.

The original injunction, granted to National Highways on September 21, banned the demonstrations on the M25 and was followed by an injunction approved on September 24 which restricted protests around the Port of Dover.

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Nuisance A third injunction was granted on Saturday, banning protesters from obstructing traffic and access to motorways and major A roads in and around London.

In the first hearing open to journalists over the injunctions, David Elvin QC, representing National Highways, told the High Court in London the agency wished to adjourn Tuesday’s hearing so all three injunctions could be discussed together.

“These orders all seek to restrict various forms of disruption and nuisance of the strategic highways network,” he said.

Mr Elvin said 111 demonstrators had been served with an injunction either in person or through alternative forms of service.

The case was adjourned until next Tuesday for a

hearing expected to last two to three hours – where members of Insulate Britain may be able to make legal arguments.

Mr Justice Lavender said: “I am prepared to adjourn these two matters for a week so that they can be dealt with at the same time.”

The approximately 10-minute court hearing came after Boris Johnson branded protesters who have blocked major UK roads as “irresponsible crusties”.

The Prime Minister said the Insulate Britain protesters, who have blocked highways across the South East in recent weeks, have been “doing considerable damage to the economy”.

Responding to the comments, Tim Gough, spokesperson for Insulate Britain, told the PA news agency: “I think it’s quite funny really. I mean Boris is good at a joke, he’s very good with words, he’s a great wordsmith, we all know that.

“He can call us what he likes. That’s no problem to us, what we’re interested in is not words but policies, and more importantly actions – that the Government takes action, that Boris actually takes concrete action on this point.”

Wednesday October 6 | 2021

FOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT: timeslocalnews.co.uk

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Facebook outage shows tech firms should be broken up says the EU THE Facebook outage which left billions of people unable to access the social network, Instagram or WhatsApp shows large tech firms should be broken up, the EU’s competition commissioner has said as the fallout from the incident continues.

Facebook was offline for more than five hours on Monday evening, taking the other services it owns – Instagram and WhatsApp with it – leaving billions of users without their regular means of communication.

The scale of the incident has sparked renewed calls for big technology platforms to be broken up and greater choice and competition offered to consumers, with EU competition commissioner Margrethe Vestager saying the incident highlighted the negative impact of big tech firms controlling large swathes of the online world.

“We need alternatives and choices in the tech market, and must not rely on a few big players, whoever they are,” she wrote on Twitter.

Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg has since apologised for the “disruption” caused by the outage.

The dominance of a handful of large social media and internet companies has come under scrutiny from competition watchdogs on a number of issues, with many campaigners in the UK, Europe and US urging governments and regulators to take steps to break up larger firms to prevent monopolies being created.

IT experts have also called on the tech industry to come up with better systems to prevent a single error from having such a wide impact.

Ms Vestager, who is also the European Commission’s executive vice-president for a Europe fit for the digital age, added that the incident showed it was also sometimes good to step away from social media and talk to people “offline”.

Incidents The dependence many have on social media was further highlighted by West Yorkshire Police, which said it received some 999 calls from the public over the outage as it urged people not to get in contact with the emergency services over such incidents.

“Yes, #Facebook was down last night for some time, and yes, unbelievably we had some calls on 999 about it,” its Contact Management Centre said on Twitter, adding that this was “not a police matter”.

Facebook blamed the outage on a ‘faulty configuration change’ within its network, which as well as impacting its social platforms, is said to have also taken the company’s own internal tools offline, leaving staff unable to access communications tools.

It said in a statement: “Our engineering teams have learned that configuration changes on the

backbone routers that coordinate network traffic between our data centres caused issues that interrupted this communication.

“This disruption to network traffic had a cascading effect on the way our data centres communicate, bringing our services to a halt.

“We want to make clear at this time we believe the root cause of this outage was a faulty configuration change. We also have no evidence that user data was compromised as a result of this downtime.”

The platform added it was working to understand more about the outage in order to “make our infrastructure more resilient”.

In an earlier statement posted to Twitter on

Monday night, Facebook apologised for the outage and thanked its users around the world “for bearing with us”.

It said: “To the huge community of people and businesses around the world who depend on us: we’re sorry.

“We’ve been working hard to restore access to our apps and services and are happy to report they are coming back online now. Thank you for bearing with us.”

Facebook’s share price plummeted amid the outage, which also came the day after a whistleblower claimed in a US interview that the company prioritises its own interests over the public good.

Staff shortage sees 600 healthy pigs slaughtered AT LEAST 600 healthy pigs have already been culled due to a nationwide labour shortage in abattoirs, the chief executive of the National Pig Association (NPA) has said.

Zoe Davies warned that while there has not been a mass cull of pigs yet, such a measure is “the next stage in the process”.

It comes after farmers warned that up to 120,000 pigs could be culled as the abattoir labour shortage has led to a backlog of animals ready for slaughter.

The backlog means that farms are struggling to find space for the extra pigs – leaving them with no choice but to cull them in the face of overcrowding concerns.

Ms Davies said that at least 600 pigs have already been culled by ‘a handful of farms’.

However, she warned that many more could be culled as some farms are “on the edge”.

“There is a huge difference in terms of where farms are at”, she said.

“Some farms are on the edge.”

Ms Davies said that the cull was “hugely difficult” for the pig farmers, and some have even resorted to hiring outside help instead of asking their staff to do it.

“Some are having to use knackermen as they just can’t bear having to do it or ask their staff to do it”, she said.

She said that pig farmers were “angry, upset, all the range of emotions that you can possibly imagine”.

She added: “There is no light at the end of the tunnel.”

NEWS IN BRIEF

UK to find ‘common ground’ Romania government is with Taliban offical says ousted following vote

BBC’s Jeremy Vine sues YouTuber for defamation

I’m a Celebrity orders extra road safety after death

IT IS right to see if the UK can ‘find common ground’ with the Taliban, a UK official who met with the group in Kabul has said.

Dr Martin Longden, Charge d’Affaires of the UK Mission to Afghanistan in Doha, travelled to Afghanistan with the Prime Minister’s High Representative for Afghan Transition, Sir Simon Gass, to hold talks with senior members of the regime, nearly eight weeks after the westernbacked government of the country fell.

And the pair used their meeting in part to try to prevent the country from becoming “an incubator for terrorism”, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said.

The UK Government said the officials met with foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and deputy prime ministers Abdul Ghani Baradar Akhund and Abdul-Salam Hanafi, among others.

BROADCASTER Jeremy Vine has begun a High Court defamation fight with a former local radio presenter who operates a YouTube channel.

Mr Vine, a BBC Radio 2 presenter, is suing Alex Belfield, saying he defamed and harassed him on YouTube and Twitter between May and August 2020.

Mr Belfield is disputing claims made against him.

A judge oversaw a preliminary hearing at the High Court in London on Tuesday.

Mr Justice Nicklin considered legal issues and made no rulings on any issues.

Mr Vine was at the hearing.

The judge heard that Mr Belfield was a former local radio presenter who operated a YouTube channel called Alex Belfield – The Voice Of Reason.

EXTRA road safety measures will be put in place during this year’s filming of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! after a woman taking a picture of the location was hit by a car and died, an inquest has heard.

Sharn Hughes, 58, had gone with her husband David Elfyn Hughes, to see the lights on Gwrych Castle in North Wales, where the reality series was filmed, on November 21 last year, a hearing at Ruthin County Hall was told on Tuesday.

In a statement, Mr Hughes said the couple, from Prestatyn, had parked in a layby on the A547 at about 5pm because Mrs Hughes wanted to take a picture of the castle to send to a friend.

He was walking ahead of his wife to find a good vantage point near the Abergele landmark, when he heard a loud bang, the inquest heard.

ROMANIAN Prime Minister Florin Citu of the governing National Liberal Party has been ousted after a no-confidence motion in his government passed overwhelmingly, deepening an ongoing political crisis.

The motion censure was filed by the opposition Social Democrat Party (PSD) and supported by former coalition partner USR-Plus and the far-right AUR party.

The motion passed with 281 votes; only 234 were needed.

The fall of the government caps a political crisis that began a month ago when Mr Citu fired justice minister Stelian Ion of USR-Plus for not signing off on a regional development programme.

USR-Plus called the move an ‘abusive revocation’ and resigned from the three-party cabinet.

14

NEWS

Education

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Thomas Mansfield Wills & Inheritance Planning

Wednesday October 6 | 2021

EDUCATION Times School closure row as Cranbrook pupils told to go to Paddock Wood SCHOOL’S OUT The High Weald Academy in Cranbrook (Photo: the academy’s Facebook page)

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LONDON SEVENOAKS TONBRIDGE MAIDSTONE

By Richard Williams PARENTS at a Cranbrook secondary school due to close have spoken of their anger at being told to send their children to Paddock Wood.

The High Weald Academy will shut from September 2022 because of poor Ofsted ratings, low pupil numbers and financial pressures.

As reported in the Times, the closure was announced last week, but parents have said they should have been consulted first.

Around 276 pupils are being offered places at Mascalls Academy in Paddock Wood, around 15 miles away.

Leigh Academies Trust [LAT], which runs the school, is offering free uniforms and transport for pupils who transfer, but parents say the school is too far away.

The closure has been agreed by the Secretary of State for Education, Nadhim Zahawi,by mutual agreement with LAT.

‘Mascalls Academy is between 11 and 15 miles away’ Speaking to reporters on behalf of parents who have formed a group to fight the closure, Anna Fisk said she believes her 14-year-old son, who has autism, would not be able to cope.

“A child going to a small village school, they know everybody, and suddenly they go to a school which is five times the size, and you have to start your day at six in the morning to get there.

“Mascalls Academy is between 11 and 15 miles, depending on where you live.

“We’ve had three ‘requires improvement’ reports from Ofsted, which is a concern, but the last Ofsted report gave clear indications improvements are in place.

“We’ve also had an improvement in the results of GCSEs in the last two years. Parents are absolutely heartbroken and agitated and

concerned about the way it’s been handled, the lack of consultation.”

The Times reported [September 29] on how the MP for Maidstone and the The Weald, Helen Grant, who represents the area, has opposed the plans to shut the school.

She said: “Pupils will have to travel over 11 miles to get to the nearest secondary school.

“This will mean long bus journeys in the dark winter hours, especially for those who want to take part in extracurricular activities.”

She added that serious questions need to be asked of the Brook Learning Trust, which ran the school previously, and Ofsted, which has ‘presided over the ongoing failure of the school’.

Brook Learning Trust merged with LAT in September.

Proceed LAT has since launched a ‘listening exercise’, and according to a letter sent to parents from school principal Nigel Jones, the purpose of this is for the Department for Education to ‘receive feedback from all stakeholders’ about the closure.

He stresses in his letter that ‘the Minister of State has decided that HWA will close for Year 10’.

A statement from LAT said: “Closing a school is always a last resort, and the decision to launch a listening period follows a great deal of consideration about the school’s future by the Department for Education.

“The Secretary of State for Education has taken the decision to proceed to close the school by mutual agreement with LAT. “We know this will be worrying news for pupils, parents and the wider community but we hope the proposed approach to closure will help minimise the disruption for families.

“LAT is proposing to protect the education of pupils in years 7-10 by offering them a place at the successful Mascalls Academy in Paddock Wood.”

Arts & Antiques

antiques

24

Wednesday October 6 | 2021

Russian silver

R

USSIAN silver of the pre-Revolution Imperial period is famed for superior quality and a wide variety of fine designs. The earliest pieces, dating from the 12th century forward, embody Old Russian styles and forms like regal crowns, caps, sceptres, charkas and kovshi (traditional drinking vessels).

Many feature restrained niello work — delicate, ornamental lines accentuated with black metal enamel.

Caviar During the reign of Peter the Great (16821725), the tsar who westernised the Russian Empire, local silversmiths began exploring more modern forms. Over time, the Russian Imperial family, along with members of the aristocratic and wealthy classes, dined from fashionable, solid silver Baroque, Rococo, then Neoclassic-style goblets, platters, caviar urns, serving dishes, bread ‘baskets’, wine ladles and cutlery.

Since they were ardent tea lovers as

well, many also commissioned stunning silver samovars and tea sets comprised of caddies, tea glass-holders, sugar cube boxes and cream jugs.

Scores also acquired traditionally-shaped silver charkas or kovshi, modernised with gilt-gold ornamentation, chased scrolling foliage, or engraved inscriptions like ‘Drink to your Health and Happiness’.

Sets of small silver treasures, like thimbles, vodka cups, demitasse spoons, and cup and saucers, were probably displayed in grand ‘vitrine’ glassed cabinets, while gilt-silver cigarette cases, snuff boxes, jewelled cigar cases and tankards likely graced sumptuous drawing rooms and libraries.

Silver hand mirrors, perfume bottles, powder boxes, servant bells, and caskets (for storing rubles and jewellery) adorned stylish ladies’ dressing tables.

Alexander Pushkin, of Pushkin Antiques in Tunbridge Wells High Street, details prized items from the reign of the Russian Tzars

Faberge Solid Silver & Glass Jardiniere – £5,595

are also avidly sought at auction and treasured by collectors.

Although it’s very difficult to sum up Fabergé in a few words, what I admire most about his work is its uncompromising attention to detail and his priority to aesthetics over function.

The opulent lifestyle of the Russian upper classes drew to a close during the political upheavals of the early 20th century.

Troves of precious silver pieces seized from silversmiths, jewellers, wealthy merchants, aristocrats and the Russian Imperial Family were melted down for coinage or indiscriminately destroyed.

Some pieces were sold internationally for hard cash or smuggled west by fleeing Russian refugees. As Russian silver flooded the European market, prices fell. In times of economic hardship, people often raised cash by melting pieces down.

The break-up of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the subsequent rise of a wealthy oligarchy have inspired a new generation of Russian collectors. pushkinantiques.com

cane handles, pipe stems, bowls, napkin rings, sugar tongs and ‘throne’ salt cellars.

Many of these objects were further adorned with opulent gilt silver or delicate, transparent plique-à-jour accents. Others featured bolder champlevé-enamel designs, formed by filling decorative recesses with vitreous enamel before firing.

The Late Imperial Era – when Russian Kremlin silversmiths like Khlebnikov, Ovchinnikov Many Russian nobles also sought and hundreds of others designed exceptional, silverwork religious items, like crosses or award-winning silver objects – was the most finely painted icons with shining protective prolific production period of all. But it is covers, for personal prayer. Russian the creations of the Karl Fabergé workshop Orthodox monasteries and churches, on that have attained legendary status. the other hand, favoured more impressive Fabergé silver has always been a synonym pieces, like silver censors, chalices and for opulence and quality. The combination tabernacles for public veneration. of precious materials and supreme Niello solid-silver creations, many craftsmanship applies both to practical depicting Biblical scenes or architectural objects and non-utilitarian ones, such as wonders like the Kremlin, were beloved his ‘eggs’, miniature animals and flowers. classics. As time went by, however, bright, Nowadays, some of Fabergé’s most their long-time friendfloral andorhighly experienced treats, such as Beef Wellington Friday, that colourful cloisonné-enamel famous decorative pieces, dating between geometric patterns came into favour and 1885 and 1917, are displayed in the most Silvertwo & Shaded Enamel Kovsh, professional chef, Bobby, resulted in a new already sold out onSolid its first airings. enhanced items such as picture frames, important international museums. They Vasily Agafonov – £895

The George & Dragon Pub Welcomes its New Chef in Shining Armour

T

he George & Dragon pub in Speldhurst has Solid Silver-Gilt & Plique-a-jour a new Chef Patron, Bobby Brown, ready to Enamel Kovsh – £4,595 breathe new fire into the pub’s menus. Bobby unveiled his new a la carte and traditional pub menus on October 1st, with the beautiful Kent pub as their backdrop.

The George and Dragon reopened in May 2021, under the new ownership of The Country Pub Collection, a company set up by some locals with the specific aim of reinvigorating this Grade II Listed pub. With its stunning location, beautiful outdoor garden space and revamped

traditional interior, the George and Dragon has quickly re-established itself as a firm favourite among locals and Kentish folk from further afield.

Despite some tricky Covid restrictions, the George and Dragon has gone from strength to strength, gaining a reputation for its delicious food. The pub partners knew there was an opportunity to explore more exciting gastronomic options and so a conversation with

01892 338549

partnership and a new food vibe for the pub.

Bobby will be familiar from MasterChef: The Professionals and to locals from The Kentish Hare, which he opened in 2014 with James and Chris Tanner. He has worked with Gordon Ramsay and most recently at Bank House in Chislehurst with Gordon Ramsay’s ex-CEO, Stuart Gillies. After leaving Bank House, he was going to help out his old friends at the George and Dragon for a few weeks until his role at the

The George and Dragon also hopes to welcome wedding parties in 2022. It really is the perfect location in a typically picturesque Kentish village.

Of his new venture, Bobby says, “I am thrilled to be working in partnership with my great friends in this wonderful setting. I’m looking forward to offering some fabulous menu choices to all our guests and making the most of all the incredible food we have in and around Kent.”

George and Dragon became permanent, and Bobby joined the partnership as Chef Patron.

Bobby will have full management of the kitchens and menus. He is introducing a finessed a la carte menu to sit alongside the firm favourites on the updated traditional pub menu.

His passion is to use local, seasonal produce so the menus will change and adapt to reflect that.

Bobby is also introducing some special gastro

What can you expect to see on Bobby’s new menus? To tempt your tastebuds, his launch dishes include his legendary chicken wings, as well as scallops with cauliflower, crab salad, lamb shoulder hash brown, and roast hake with mussels.

To sample Bobby’s gastro delights, call the George and Dragon on 01892 338549 or book via email : bookings@ganddspeldhurst.com.

bookings@ganddspeldhurst.com

16

NEWS

Weekly Comment

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Cllr David Scott Tunbridge Wells Conservative

Wednesday October 6 | 2021

Councillor David Scott has represented Culverden ward as a Conservative at Tunbridge Wells Borough Council since 2012. He is the current Deputy Leader and cabinet member in charge of Economic Development at the Council

Town rejuvenation requires better ways to socialise and move around TUNBRIDGE Wells is a great borough to live in: We recognise that neighbouring towns outside the borough, and of course London, may draw residents, but Royal Tunbridge Wells is the dominant town locally and is largely responsible for the funding of the Borough Council.

The torrid Covid period has seen internet shopping, working from home and conference calling all accelerate and they are now critical to the way we live.

Add to this, congestion, pollution and the recognition of our climate emergency and it becomes urgent that the implications of these factors are addressed.

Cars have given us huge benefits, but now for many of us they represent pollution, climate change and congestion whenever a relatively small percentage of vehicles are on the move simultaneously.

The future of Royal Tunbridge Wells is not simply to return to pre-Covid times, we must collectively rethink what it should be. We need to find better ways to socialise, to move around, and to reduce pollution to enable us to continue to enjoy our towns and rural area.

This is not a job for government alone; it is for all of us, as individuals and businesses, to engage progressively, introducing and trying new ideas.

A new engagement process is being introduced

by the Council to shake up the way policy is developed. The new process will create frameworks for discussions to take place, raise ideas and issues, modifications, or solutions and draw conclusions.

In the frameworks we will put forward suggestions and comments about such things as transport, council services and council properties and we will ask for your ideas to help achieve common goals and deal with the issues.

The discussions that take place should also help to prioritise projects and activities.

Consultants may be used to help the debate but not to dominate it.

The Climate Emergency, The Assembly Hall, Transport and moving around.

We need to encourage more activity in our town centres that’s not based on traditional

shopping. We need better ways of moving around. We need pragmatic solutions that are sustainable in a way that protects and enhances our heritage and way of life.

Taxes People’s willingness to spend on services and facilities provided by business and government is critical to the adoption of proposals put forward, particularly as only 20 per cent of the council’s expenditure comes from local taxes.

The new process won’t happen overnight, but it should enable wider participation where individuals can help find solutions and develop ideas that are valuable regardless of who comes up with them.

We are already using the new system for surveys and are planning to introduce improved engagement processes for other areas, including

NO GOING BACK How we use and travel around the town centre has to change

Wednesday October 6 | 2021

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Letters

NEWS

17

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 you can write to the Editor, Times Local News, Salomons Estate, Tunbridge Wells TN3 0TG

ACTIVISTS Protestors on the M25 last week I am old enough to remember 1970s, when the price of oil rose and it caused a decade of inflation at rates of up to 40 per cent annually.

Once the cycle of inflation takes off it becomes impossible to control.

I remember Denis Healey, the Labour Chancellor, constantly saying ‘we hope to get inflation down into single figures by this time next year’. Of course, he failed.

Governments have been artificially increasing energy costs in order to attempt to meet their CO2 targets. This policy has had some effect in that our manufacturing industries have been forced to close or move overseas.

However, we still consume the goods but they are made in places like China,

We need to start fracking again Well that’s gone well hasn’t it? Certain welltested expressions come to mind: “Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater”; “Look before you leap”; “Don’t tear up Plan A before you have Plan B in place”; “Don’t throw the wine out with the cork”.

In our wholesale rush to embrace a green agenda, caving into the militant wing of the Greens, we’ve piled on green taxes and carbon penalties making energy ever more costly.

Now, with Russia using its gas exports as a political weapon – what?

Nobody saw that coming? China’s insatiable demand – no, surely not? Not that one either?

A fire in the electrical interconnector from France’s nuclear industry, no wind for turbine generation, we find ourselves paying more for gas imports.

Energy companies are having to pay more for power than their customers have agreed to buy it at, so they’re going bankrupt. And, to cap it all, a US fertiliser company declines to pay the increased energy costs and closes down production knowing full well the knock-on effect of the loss of CO2 production – a by-product, from food to medicines.

That’s it, that’s the summary, so what’s to be done? Britain is sitting on vast fields of shale gas, at least 50 years of current consumption.

Strategically and economically this should be exploited: If we’re going to be burning gas

who use cheap coal-fired energy.

A few activists have been blocking our motorways and making people’s lives a misery because they think that more must be done about climate change.

Britain has done more than most and I do not see why we should be the first country in the world to bankrupt itself and everyone in it for a zero emissions target that will make very

little difference in world terms.

In my lifetime inflation has robbed me of my savings more than once, I hope that this government does not pay too much attention to vocal minorities and that sound monetary policies are not entirely forgotten.

Martin Armstrong Tunbridge Wells

Benefit cut to affect 6,000 Last week the government ended much of the financial support provided to help people

through the Covid-19 pandemic, and this week it plans to cut Universal Credit by £20 a week.

These cuts risk a long Covid debt crisis as 11 million people have built up £25billion in arrears and debt since March 2020.

In Tunbridge Wells, 6,415 people who receive Universal Credit will be affected by this cut. This includes 2,656 people who are also currently in-work.

Problem debt disproportionately affects the most vulnerable in our society, and is higher amongst low-income households, women, lone parents, communities of colour, disabled people and renters.

A ‘long covid debt hangover’ threatens to weigh down our community for years, worsening inequalities and making a genuine economic recovery impossible.

As well as stopping the proposed £20 cut to Universal Credit the government seriously needs to tackle problem debt in the UK – this means introducing grants and making it easier for those in problem debt to write it down in a fair and manageable way.

Matthew Wintersgill Tunbridge Wells

There are too many councillors The news the general public want a cut in councillor numbers [Times September 25] is hardly surprising. What do they do?

If you live in any of the parishes of towns of the Borough of Tunbridge Wells, such as Paddock Wood, you are represented by around 12 Town/ Parish councillors, 48 Borough councillors and 52 County councillors – what do they all do, other than cost taxpayers an awful lot in paying their expenses?

Isn’t it time we got rid of the archaic county/borough tiered system? Few people understand it or what each authority does – how many Borough councillors receive emails

about roads or schools or other services for residents unaware that is the County Council’s responsibility?

How often do councillors pass the buck: ‘Not our problem it is Kent County Council’s remit’ and vice versa?

It is time West Kent was turned into a unitary authority with one tier of governance, far fewer elected representatives, so we, the people, know exactly who is responsible for our local services, and can hold them to account at the ballot box.

Peter Taylor Paddock Wood

Think before you fill up Yet again the selfish nature of people is showing itself . This time with the panic buying at petrol stations. I bet it is the same people whose cupboards are full of toilet roll and pasta after they cleared the shelves during lockdown.

Now their selfish actions are having a real effect on people like me.

We tradesmen rely on fuel. Without it, I am not able to get to clients, which postpones projects and provides no income so I can’t keep a roof over my family’s heads.

And what about the ambulances and emergency services that can’t get to people who are in life threating situations?

What if all those people filling up their tanks for no reason are depriving the emergency services of fuel?

If you were in that position and needed emergency help and was told that ‘We cannot get to you’ or ‘There is a wait because of the fuel shortage’, how would you feel?

So, I am making a plea to the general public of Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge, please think about when you are fueling up next.

Ask yourselves, do I need that little of extra fuel? Do I have to fill this jerry can up just in case? Or does somebody actually really need this fuel?

Stephen Booker Tonbridge

for years to come as we switch to renewables, why not get it on mainland UK, away from the politics and vagaries and vicissitudes of uncertain foreigners?

Ask yourself: What will we do in the event of another war? Oh, surely not! Well, think about it. It’s been a while since it was said but: Let’s get fracking!

John Ward Moorhouse Tunbridge Wells

Brexit was by majority Whatever the merits, or otherwise, of the points Alexander Magnus raised in his letter last week there is one canard that must not go unchallenged: That Britain leaving the EU – Brexit, was achieved by a minority vote, it wasn’t.

Mr Magnus may believe that if one repeats an untruth and distorts the facts often enough, there are some idiots who will believe it, and he may be right.

He well knows, which makes his assertion even more cynical and his motives questionable, that it’s not a majority of the electorate that wins a vote, but a majority of those who voted.

He clearly does not like the Prime Minister, nor the outcome of the vote, but he should avoid distorting statistics to masquerade them as facts.

Mr Magnus should look to himself.

Sam Goodenough Tunbridge Wells

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

PEPPY SAYS

CARTOON BY PEPPY: (Follow her on Twitter @Peppyscott)

Climate campaigners should be ignored

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Wednesday October 6 | 2021

Life&Times

HOMES • INTERIORS FOOD • DRINK • HEALTH WELLBEING • ARTS CULTURE • TRAVEL • BOOKS MOTORS and MORE...

On the grapevine

Take a picturesque tour of Squerryes wine estate

P28

20

Homes & Interiors

Wednesday October 6 | 2021

Property Focus

Double digit house price growth for fifth month

By Robert Forrester ANNUAL house price growth remained in double digits for the fifth month in a row in September despite a ‘modest slowdown’, according to an index.

Property values increased by 10 per cent annually in September, easing back from 11 per cent in August, according to Nationwide Building Society.

Prices increased by just 0.1 per cent month-on-month, taking the average UK house price to £248,742.

‘Tunbridge Wells saw and average increase for the third quarter of 6.8 per cent, putting average house prices at £402,317’ Wales and Northern Ireland were the strongest performing parts of the UK in the third quarter of 2021 while London was the weakest, Nationwide said.

Tunbridge Wells saw an average increase for the third quarter of 6.8 per cent, putting average house prices at £402,317.

Robert Gardner, Nationwide’s chief economist, said: “Annual house price growth remained in double digits for the fifth month in a row in September, though there was a modest slowdown to 10 per cent, from 11 per cent in August.

“House prices rose by 0.1 per cent month-on-month, after taking account of seasonal effects. As a result, house prices remain (around) 13 per cent higher than before the pandemic began in early 2020.”

The stamp duty threshold in England

and Northern Ireland will return to normal levels from Friday October 1, after a holiday was temporarily put in place in 2020 and then tapered from July this year.

There had been a flurry of activity in June as buyers rushed to maximise their tax discounts.

Mr Gardner continued: “House prices have continued to rise more quickly than earnings in recent quarters, which means affordability is becoming more stretched.

“Raising a deposit remains the main barrier for most prospective first-time buyers. A 20 per cent deposit on a typical first-time buyer home is now around 113 per cent of gross income – a record high.

“Due to the historically low level of interest rates, the cost of servicing the typical mortgage is still well below the

Record year predicted for sales after summer stamp duty peak MORE homes are expected to be sold across 2021 than in any other year since 2007, according to a forecast.

A strong first half of the year as buyers rushed to make stamp duty savings and changed their lifestyles and locations means that more homes will have sold in 2021 than in any year since 2007, estate agent Hamptons predicts.

By the end of 2021, it forecasts that 1.5 million homes will have been sold across Britain.

Growth House price growth is expected to slow in the coming months, although values across Britain are still predicted to be 13.5 per cent higher by 2024.

Hamptons said it expects the North East of England to see the strongest price growth by 2024, with prices expected to rise by 21.5 per cent.

But by 2024, the average house price in the region will still be 41 per cent below the national average, it predicted, unless economic growth in the region picks up pace.

The South East will see a rise of

12.5 per cent over the same period, while house prices in Scotland are also tipped for strong growth of 20 per cent.

Hamptons said it believes that the summer of 2021, when a stamp duty holiday started to be tapered, marked peak house price growth.

Aneisha Beveridge, Head of Research at Hamptons, said: “The housing market has confounded expectations and forecasts in past months.

“Back in the autumn of 2020, such were the economic challenges being faced that we could not have envisaged the extraordinary demand for relocation which we have seen this year.

“But there has been a huge attitudinal change towards property, which cannot be attributed to the stamp duty holiday alone.”

She continued: “The pandemic has accelerated the closing of the house price gap between London and the rest of the country.

“Even so, we still expect London to underperform the rest of the country until 2024, when the cycle is likely to end.”

levels recorded in the run-up to the financial crisis. However, even on this measure, affordability is becoming more challenging.

“For example, if we look at typical mortgage payments relative to take-home pay across the country, it is notable that in the majority of UK regions (ten out of 13) this ratio is now above its long-run average. By contrast, pre-pandemic, this was only the case in one region (London).

Uncertain “Recent price patterns suggest an element of rebalancing is occurring where most of the regions that have seen the strongest price growth are those in which affordability is still close to or

URBAN SPRAWL House price growth will continue to rise, and is predicted to reach 13.5 per cent by 2024

below the long-run average.”

Mr Gardner said the outlook remains uncertain. He added: “Activity is likely to soften for a period after the stamp duty holiday expires at the end of September, given the incentive for people to bring forward their purchases to avoid the additional tax.

“Moreover, underlying demand is likely to soften around the turn of the year if unemployment rises as Government support winds down, as seems likely.

“But this is far from assured. The labour market has remained remarkably resilient to date and, even if it does weaken, there is scope for shifts in housing preferences as a result of the pandemic – such as wanting more space or to relocate – to continue to support activity for some time yet.”

Houses make on average £44 a day HOUSE prices increased by £44 per day on average in the six months leading up to August, according to an index.

This was up from £30 per day typically over the previous six months (July 2020 to January 2021), Zoopla said.

Across the UK, the average house price in August was £235,000 which is a record high for Zoopla’s index.

The average property has piled £17,508 on to its value since March 2020, the month that the coronavirus lockdowns in the UK started.

Increases But there have been big variations and not everywhere has seen prices increasing.

While average house prices have increased by £23,357 in Cambridge since March 2020, they have fallen by £2,600 in Aberdeen over the same period, according to Zoopla.

Since February, typical house price increases have ranged from £64 per day in the South East and £63 per day in the South West of England to £22 in Scotland and £24 in the North East of England.

Grainne Gilmore, Head of Research at Zoopla, said that buyer demand remains higher than typical levels for this time of year.

20

Homes & Interiors

Wednesday October 6 | 2021

Property Focus

Double digit house price growth for fifth month

By Robert Forrester ANNUAL house price growth remained in double digits for the fifth month in a row in September despite a ‘modest slowdown’, according to an index.

Property values increased by 10 per cent annually in September, easing back from 11 per cent in August, according to Nationwide Building Society.

Prices increased by just 0.1 per cent month-on-month, taking the average UK house price to £248,742.

‘Tunbridge Wells saw and average increase for the third quarter of 6.8 per cent, putting average house prices at £402,317’

Wales and Northern Ireland were the and Northern Ireland will return to levels recorded in the run-up to the below the long-run average.” strongest performing parts of the UK in normal levels from Friday October 1, after financial crisis. However, even on this Mr Gardner said the outlook remains the third quarter of 2021 while London a holiday was temporarily put in place in measure, affordability is becoming more uncertain. He added: “Activity is likely to was the weakest, Nationwide said.

2020 and then tapered from July this year. challenging. soften for a period after the stamp duty Tunbridge Wells saw an average increase There had been a flurry of activity in June “For example, if we look at typical holiday expires at the end of September, for the third quarter of 6.8 per cent, as buyers rushed to maximise their tax mortgage payments relative to take-home given the incentive for people to bring putting average house prices at £402,317. discounts. pay across the country, it is notable that forward their purchases to avoid the Robert Gardner, Nationwide’s chief Mr Gardner continued: “House prices in the majority of UK regions (ten out of additional tax. economist, said: “Annual house price have continued to rise more quickly than 13) this ratio is now above its long-run “Moreover, underlying demand is likely growth remained in double digits for the earnings in recent quarters, which means average. By contrast, pre-pandemic, this to soften around the turn of the year if fifth month in a row in September, though affordability is becoming more stretched. was only the case in one region (London). unemployment rises as Government there was a modest slowdown to 10 per “Raising a deposit remains the main support winds down, as seems likely. cent, from 11 per cent in August. barrier for most prospective first-time “But this is far from assured. The labour Uncertain “House prices rose by 0.1 per cent buyers. A 20 per cent deposit on a typical market has remained remarkably resilient month-on-month, after taking account of first-time buyer home is now around 113 “Recent price patterns suggest an to date and, even if it does weaken, there is seasonal effects. As a result, house prices per cent of gross income – a record high. element of rebalancing is occurring scope for shifts in housing preferences as * an appointment Join us between 10am 6pmthan at the “Due launch our brand release remain (around) 13 perand cent higher to the of historically low levelnew of where most of the regionsTo thatbook have seen a result of the pandemic – such as wanting before the pandemic began in early 2020.” interest rates, the cost of servicing the the strongest price growth are those in more space or to relocate – to continue to of 2 bedroom coach houses and 3, 4 and 5 bedroom homes at Hollyfields please call 01892 882 732 or visit The stamp duty threshold in England typical mortgage is still well below the which affordability is still close to or support activity for some time yet.”

BRAND NEW PHASE LAUNCHING SATURDAY 16TH OCTOBER

in Hawkenbury, Tunbridge Wells. All properties feature high specification kitchens and bathrooms, generous living and dining areas and many with private outdoor space.

Record year predicted for sales after summer stamp duty peak

hollyfields-hawkenbury.co.uk

Houses make on average £44 a day

URBAN SPRAWL Prices from £410,0000** House price growth will continue to rise, and is predicted to reach 13.5 HOUSE prices increased by £44 per day per cent by 2024 on average in the six months leading up to August, according to an index.

This was up from £30 per day typically over the previous six months (July 2020 to January 2021), Zoopla said.

Across the UK, the average house price in August was £235,000 which is a record high Exclusive shuttle service Super-fast broadband for Zoopla’s index. delivering residents to and connectivity home The averageand property has piled £17,508 on ††† from their new home to options tooffice its value since March 2020, the month that the coronavirus lockdowns in the UK started.

Tunbridge Wells station††

MORE homes are expected to be sold 12.5 per cent over the same period, across 2021 than in any other year while house prices in Scotland are since 2007, according to a forecast. also tipped for strong growth of 20 A strong first half of the year as per cent. buyers rushed to make stamp duty Hamptons said it believes that savings and changed their lifestyles the summer of 2021, when a stamp and locations means that more duty holiday started to be tapered, homes will have sold in 2021 than marked peak house price growth.

3 newly created ponds, Excellent local schools – in any year since 2007, estate agent Aneisha Beveridge, Head of St “The Peter’s CEP School Hamptons predicts.enchanted wetlands Research at Hamptons, said: hedgerows has relocated to the site By the end of 2021, it and forecasts that housing market has confounded 1.5 million homes will have been expectations and forecasts inand is now open† sold across Britain. past months.

“Back in the autumn of 2020, Increases such were the economic challenges Growth being faced that we could not have But there have been big variations and not Photography Hollyfields and is indicative only. *For everyone’s printing. †Details correct at increasing. time House price growth is depicts expected envisaged the extraordinary demand safety, we will be observing social distancing during viewings. **Prices correct at time ofeverywhere has seen prices available residents’ of print.

St Peter’s CEP School for built

by Kent County Council.

Places subject to availability and entry criteria.††Monday to Friday during commuter hours. Service to slow in the coming months, relocation which we have seen While averagefor house pricesonly. have ††† BT broadband FTTPare High speed although values across Britain thisFibre year.(download speeds may vary). ‡ Selected homes ready to move into spring 2021. Ask our Sales Consultant for more details. increased by £23,357 in Cambridge since still predicted to be 13.5 per cent “But there has been a huge March 2020, they have fallen by £2,600 in higher by 2024. attitudinal change towards property, Aberdeen over the same period, according Hamptons said it expects the North which cannot be attributed to the to Zoopla. www.hollyfields-hawkenbury.co.uk East of England to see the strongest stamp duty holiday alone.”

Since February, typical house price Proud to be a member of the Berkeley Group of companies price growth by 2024, with prices She continued: “The pandemic has increases have ranged from £64 per day in expected to rise by 21.5 per cent. accelerated the closing of the house the South East and £63 per day in the South But by 2024, the average house price gap between London and the West of England to £22 in Scotland and £24 price in the region will still be 41 per rest of the country. in the North East of England. cent below the national average, it “Even so, we still expect London to Grainne Gilmore, Head of Research at predicted, unless economic growth underperform the rest of the country Zoopla, said that buyer demand remains in the region picks up pace. until 2024, when the cycle is likely higher than typical levels for this time The South East will see a rise of to end.” of year.

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Homes & Interiors

Wednesday October 6 | 2021

Cool, calming and hopeful – ‘Bright Skies’, the title of the Dulux Colour of the Year 2022, is exactly what our homes need right now…

From deluxe appliances to soft furnishings or a lick of paint, it’s easy to introduce this airy shade to your living spaces, says Sam Wylie-Harris

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HE benefits of blue are well storied, and now Dulux has named Bright Skies its Colour of the Year for 2022 – something we’re probably all craving more of right now!

A versatile, uplifting shade that’s easy on the eye, it entices us with the promise of, well, something bright and beautiful.

“Bright Skies is the perfect Colour of the Year for 2022 because it captures the essence of freedom we’ve all been craving while we stared out of the window,” says Dulux Creative Director Marianne Shillingford.

“After so long trapped indoors, we’ve come to appreciate the power of nature to uplift and revitalise us, and a clear blue summer sky is possibly the ultimate colour of nature.

“This colour also makes small spaces feel much bigger. It’s perfect for a ceiling, too, and anywhere in your home that needs a much-needed injection of light and positivity.

“Bright Skies pairs beautifully with all natural materials like wood and stone as well as subtle cool and warm neutrals.”

DULUX PAINT MIXING MATT IN BRIGHT SKIES from £31.09 for 2.5L, Dulux Marianne says the brand’s Colour of the Year is always influenced by what’s happening around us, and to us: “We’re inspired by commonly shared experiences as much as emerging design trends, and seek to find synergy between the two.

“We’re also uplifted by the simplest pleasures that nature has to offer,” she explains. “Who doesn’t smile and feel good when they see a beautiful sunset or clear blue summer sky?

“We aim to choose a Colour of the Year that captures what we all need in our homes for the year ahead, and Bright Skies is a colour saturated with pure joy.”

Here’s what’s on our blue edit…

STOVES RICHMOND DELUXE RANGE COOKER in Bright Skies Dulux Colour of the Year 2022, from £2,099 depending on size and fuel type. For full list of stockists, visit stoves.co.uk The latest addition to Stoves Colour Boutique line, Bright Skies is the tenth colour in their luxe line-up.

Available across induction and dual-fuel Richmond Deluxe range cookers, it’s bang on trend with home entertaining so big right now, and many of us appreciating the heart of the home more than ever.

KITCHENAID MIXER TILT-HEAD 4.8L IN BLUE VELVET Artisan with Extra Accessories 5KSM175PS, £499, KitchenAid With The Great British Bake Off back on our TV screens, chances are you might be tipping your pastry hat and whipping up a storm. But even your red velvet cake could benefit from a touch of blue, and every Star Baker needs a KitchenAid mixer in their life.

HOUSE BEAUTIFUL HERITAGE SKY BLUE SELF-ADHESIVE GLASS SPLASHBACK from £175, Splashback Practical and a pretty alternative to tiles, this Sky Blue splashback is easy to install by peel, stick and seal technique – and makes a real feature when placed behind a hob, sink or basin.

DFS JAVA FOUR-SEATER VELVET SOFA IN BRIGHT SKIES DULUX COLOUR OF THE YEAR 2022 £799 (footstools and swivel chair from a selection, other items part of room set), DFS For a celebration of chic colour coding, furniture retailer DFS has teamed up with Dulux to launch the popular Java range in Bright Skies, including a two, three or four-seater sofa, swivel chair, armchair and footstools.

To bring the look together and transform a seating area, you can choose other key pieces in complementary shades.

To work the paint colour into your existing scheme, Marianne says to use Bright Skies where you would love to have had a window or simply more light: “Perfect for brightening up alcoves, and on walls you look at from your favourite chair or sofa, and dream about summer holidays to come.”

GEORGETTE ROUND FOOTSTOOL IN HEATHER BLUE SMART COTTON £522 (was £580), sofa.com For more soft furnishing inspiration, even a buttoned footstool with soft rounded edges in Heather Blue can be a starting point for your colour story – and this works like a dream with Bright Skies. After all, you’ll want to put your feet up after poring over all those swatches.

STONE BLUE TICKING LINEN BEDDING BUNDLE £224, Chalk Pink Linen Company Keep your sleeping space fresh and airy: “In a bedroom, wrap this colour around you on all the walls, woodwork and doors for a breezy look that puts a smile on your face first thing in

the morning and last thing at night,” suggests Marianne . Striped bed linen in Stone Blue will tie everything together – think a beach hut or cottage by the sea for that dreamy laid-back vibe.

THROW ERANTHIS IN BLUE £25 (was £39.99), JYSK With the days getting chilly, a faux fur throw in a calming blue-grey will look wonderful draped at the end of the bed, and make you want to snuggle down even more.

JONATHAN ADLER ETHER CHAIR IN BERGAMO ICE £1,750 (other items from a selection), Sweetpea & Willow Could there be a more attractive accent chair than this glammy model by American designer, Jonathan Adler?

Upholstered in an icy blue velvet with polished brass legs, this investment piece will bring a club-class finishing touch to your creative endeavours.

The stuff of blue sky dreams…

Wednesday October 6 | 2021

Homes & Interiors

23

LIGHTEN UP YOUR INDOOR LIFE And let the sun shine in…

‘After so long trapped indoors, we’ve come to appreciate the power of nature to uplift and revitalise us, and a clear blue summer sky is possibly the ultimate colour of nature’

Arts & Antiques

antiques

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Wednesday October 6 | 2021

Russian silver

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USSIAN silver of the pre-Revolution Imperial period is famed for superior quality and a wide variety of fine designs. The earliest pieces, dating from the 12th century forward, embody Old Russian styles and forms like regal crowns, caps, sceptres, charkas and kovshi (traditional drinking vessels).

Many feature restrained niello work — delicate, ornamental lines accentuated with black metal enamel.

Caviar During the reign of Peter the Great (16821725), the tsar who westernised the Russian Empire, local silversmiths began exploring more modern forms. Over time, the Russian Imperial family, along with members of the aristocratic and wealthy classes, dined from fashionable, solid silver Baroque, Rococo, then Neoclassic-style goblets, platters, caviar urns, serving dishes, bread ‘baskets’, wine ladles and cutlery.

Since they were ardent tea lovers as

Solid Silver-Gilt & Plique-a-jour Enamel Kovsh – £4,595

well, many also commissioned stunning silver samovars and tea sets comprised of caddies, tea glass-holders, sugar cube boxes and cream jugs.

Scores also acquired traditionally-shaped silver charkas or kovshi, modernised with gilt-gold ornamentation, chased scrolling foliage, or engraved inscriptions like ‘Drink to your Health and Happiness’.

Sets of small silver treasures, like thimbles, vodka cups, demitasse spoons, and cup and saucers, were probably displayed in grand ‘vitrine’ glassed cabinets, while gilt-silver cigarette cases, snuff boxes, jewelled cigar cases and tankards likely graced sumptuous drawing rooms and libraries.

Silver hand mirrors, perfume bottles, powder boxes, servant bells, and caskets (for storing rubles and jewellery) adorned stylish ladies’ dressing tables.

Kremlin Many Russian nobles also sought silverwork religious items, like crosses or finely painted icons with shining protective covers, for personal prayer. Russian Orthodox monasteries and churches, on the other hand, favoured more impressive pieces, like silver censors, chalices and tabernacles for public veneration.

Niello solid-silver creations, many depicting Biblical scenes or architectural wonders like the Kremlin, were beloved classics. As time went by, however, bright, colourful cloisonné-enamel floral or geometric patterns came into favour and enhanced items such as picture frames,

Alexander Pushkin, of Pushkin Antiques in Tunbridge Wells High Street, details prized items from the reign of the Russian Tzars

Faberge Solid Silver & Glass Jardiniere – £5,595 cane handles, pipe stems, bowls, napkin rings, sugar tongs and ‘throne’ salt cellars.

Many of these objects were further adorned with opulent gilt silver or delicate, transparent plique-à-jour accents. Others featured bolder champlevé-enamel designs, formed by filling decorative recesses with vitreous enamel before firing.

The Late Imperial Era – when Russian silversmiths like Khlebnikov, Ovchinnikov and hundreds of others designed exceptional, award-winning silver objects – was the most prolific production period of all. But it is the creations of the Karl Fabergé workshop that have attained legendary status.

Fabergé silver has always been a synonym for opulence and quality. The combination of precious materials and supreme craftsmanship applies both to practical objects and non-utilitarian ones, such as his ‘eggs’, miniature animals and flowers.

Nowadays, some of Fabergé’s most famous decorative pieces, dating between 1885 and 1917, are displayed in the most important international museums. They

are also avidly sought at auction and treasured by collectors.

Although it’s very difficult to sum up Fabergé in a few words, what I admire most about his work is its uncompromising attention to detail and his priority to aesthetics over function.

The opulent lifestyle of the Russian upper classes drew to a close during the political upheavals of the early 20th century.

Troves of precious silver pieces seized from silversmiths, jewellers, wealthy merchants, aristocrats and the Russian Imperial Family were melted down for coinage or indiscriminately destroyed.

Some pieces were sold internationally for hard cash or smuggled west by fleeing Russian refugees. As Russian silver flooded the European market, prices fell. In times of economic hardship, people often raised cash by melting pieces down.

The break-up of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the subsequent rise of a wealthy oligarchy have inspired a new generation of Russian collectors. pushkinantiques.com

Solid Silver & Shaded Enamel Kovsh, Vasily Agafonov – £895

Arts & Antiques

Wednesday October 6 | 2021

25

The items going under the hammer Gorringe’s auctioneer Joseph Trinder tells the Times about some of the items that have recently been sold at the auction house, including a very rare old master…

Joseph Trinder

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OPEN this week’s offering in contemplation of a superb week featuring no fewer than two 700-plus lot auctions at Gorringe’s, and I am proud to share a few result highlights from what proved to be a spectacular September 28 autumn quarterly fine sale.

One of the first in a series of highly impressive results came within the Asian Art department, in the form of lot 168 – a fine Chinese Qing dynasty celadon jade ‘rope-twist’ vase.

With it being estimated at £3,000-£5,000, determined bidding from across the globe saw the 15cm-high piece fetch £14,000 – just one piece of several fine jade objects which performed very well indeed.

Yet the highest price for a work of Asian art on

the day came in the form of lot 144 – an assembled set of five Chinese enamelled porcelain bird plaques, which reached an impressive £20,000.

Many reading this will know that the Chinese market has been buoyant for a number of years now, but sadly also know of the decline of more traditional markets, such as what is typically (and perhaps clumsily) referred to as ‘brown furniture’.

Yet this week we saw results which illustrate there is life and vibrancy in the furniture market, perhaps illustrating a renaissance of such pieces.

This can be seen in lot 274 – a Charles I oak refectory table, perhaps West Country in origin, surpassing its estimate to fetch £8,500.

The jewellery department, too, saw sumptuous pieces reaching equally glamorous prices, such as £13,000 being paid for lot 727 – a trap cut emerald and two-stone diamond set ring.

The climax of the

8.5-in, hit the headlines when it was discovered in a local home.

In a matter of minutes, determined bidding saw the work of oil on canvas surpass our pre-sale estimate, settling at last on a hammer price of an impressive £300,000. It was one of those moments none of us will forget – the excitement in the saleroom was palpable.

Exciting Now, as the dust settles, we turn our focus on to the next quarterly fine sale. It is an exciting notion for the team and I to ponder recent discoveries allocated for the December 7 sale, and to think of exciting finds yet to be made.

Could the star of the next event be hiding behind your door? If you think perhaps yes, then contact me for a free valuation today!

Email: josepht@gorringes.co.uk day, however, of course came as lot 378 – Canaletto’s study of Venice, The Dogana from the Bacino di San Marco – came under the hammer.

Every available phone line was booked in a hushed room, with strong interest from across the globe focused on this rare opportunity to own a piece by such a master artist.

The piece of charming proportions, at just 11 x

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Arts

Wednesday October 6 | 2021

arts

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Food for thought This Friday (October 8) renowned foodie and TV star Jay Rayner (above) is coming to the EM Forster Theatre in Tonbridge with his hit show ‘My Last Supper’. Eileen Leahy asked the restaurant critic and MasterChef judge what’s on the menu for his latest one-man show….

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F YOU don’t already know Jay Rayner courtesy of his 20 years as The Observer’s award-winning restaurant critic then you’ll probably have heard him on Radio 4’s The Kitchen Cabinet or seen him on the TV – either as a judge on MasterChef or reporting on all things food related on BBC One’s The One Show.

The self-confessed foodie – and talented pianist who tours with his band The Jay Rayner Quartet – has written many books including The Ten Food Commandments and My Last Supper – both of which he’s turned into successful one-man shows.

With the former he waxed lyrical about how we should love leftovers and why it’s ok to eat with our hands, while in the latter he discusses the idea of what you would eat if you only had one last meal on earth to savour.

“Why wait for death?” he ponders. “Why not eat your last meal now when you can enjoy it?”

This coming Friday Jay will debate this burning question at the EM Forster Theatre, before opening up the floor to the audience in the second half so they can tell the revered restaurant critic their idea of their dream last supper.

We talked to him ahead of the show…

You’re about to go on the road again, this time with your book My Last Supper. What made you do this?

Well, I got into a routine of doing live shows to accompany my various books and the latest one, My Last Supper, came out of audience members constantly asking me what my last meal would be, and also because the question fascinated me. So I got to looking at all the people who would be eligible for a last meal – those on death row, the suicidal and the terminally ill. Not really a happy bunch, and to be honest I doubt a last meal would be on their mind, so I changed it to looking at the question as if there was no one to judge. I suppose it’s more about memory and emotion.

What are the bones of My Last Supper?

I guess it’s putting a ‘last meal’ together that’s really borne

out of key memories being remembered through food. In the show there’s a little bit of comedy, some storytelling and lots about food, but I’ve included lots of audio visuals, too, which I kind of see as a second performer.

They’re not slides exactly, as that would basically be death

by PowerPoint! No, I’d say they are more like video walls or backgrounds with visuals that reflect a story.

What kind of ingredients can we find sprinkled in your food journey that take us towards your ultimate Last Supper?

There will be a dramatic near-death experience on the surging seas in north Africa, eating snails in a wooden

‘My Last Supper came out of audience members constantly asking me what my last meal would be’ hotel in Switzerland, and necking oysters in Louisiana. I guess you could say this is the story of one very hungry man in eight courses…

Have you performed My Last Supper before?

We actually launched it in September 2019, and for the following six months we went everywhere from Glasgow to Dublin and Edinburgh to New York City, but obviously it’s been a while since then. The EM Forster show is only the second on this particular tour, so yes, it will be fairly new territory again!

My first shows were really annotated talks with jokes but they have become more and more developed over the years. With this version of My Last Supper I think the visuals create a kind of personal memory room for me and so I’m sharing that experience with the audience. People always talk about ‘the journey’, but in many ways I hope

‘This show is really about food, memory and emotion’ that this show is exactly that if I’m honest. I’m looking forward to it.

So how will the show play out?

Well, the first half will be me talking about my personal experiences and putting together my last supper, but then there’s a break and that’s when I will ask the audience to tell me what their idea of the perfect last meal is. They usually Tweet me their answers and so that kicks off a live Q&A. You get a few who are trying to prove their connoisseurship and sophistication, but then you’ll get others who say ‘my last meal would be my Gran’s chicken soup’, and they’re the ones who understand that it’s all about memory, and how specific foods can trigger certain memories.

And what dishes would your ultimate last meal involve?

Oysters are certainly in there, and I know they are not to everyone’s taste but then so are salads, which quite baffles my son! He said to me: “Why would you put salad in there?” And I said: “Because I actually really like salad.”

You last visited the EM Forster Theatre with your Ten Food Commandments show back in 2019. Are you looking forward to returning?

Oh yes! Firstly the audience must be blessed with impeccable taste and sophistication as they’ve bought tickets to my show! But in all seriousness, it’s a terrific theatre and I’m very happy to be going back.

Jay Rayner is taking to the stage at the EM Forster Theatre on Friday October 8. Tickets cost £20 and can be purchased from: emftheatre.com

Arts

Wednesday October 6 | 2021

27

Clubbing together for music to enjoy Tonbridge Music Club returns for its first concert this coming Saturday (October 9). Here the club’s spokesperson, Rachel Davies, tells the Times why they are so pleased to be back in business…

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OUNDED in 1962, Tonbridge Music Club (TMC) has been a highlight in the cultural life of the town. A charity, its aim is to bring top-quality classical music to Tonbridge, presenting series of concerts each year between October and May. Lovers of classical music could either buy an annual membership, which gave entrance to all the concerts, or could simply choose to buy tickets for individual concerts.

The pandemic has inevitably brought change.

No live concerts have been possible for over 18 months. The membership model altered – the

club could hardly invite its supporters to buy a membership for a concert series subject to the vagaries of Covid restrictions!

After some inventive thinking by TMC committee members, a Benefactor Membership scheme was introduced. Benefactors were given access to a special area on the TMC website which presented some great monthly online events – video clips (especially recorded for TMC), interesting articles, a blog, etc.

A 'Totally Tonbridge' series of mini-concerts given by top, local professional musicians was also made available online.

More details can be found on our website of the benefits of the Benefactor scheme this year.

Most importantly, we are delighted to flag up that we are once again able to present a full and varied programme of live events for our 2021/22 season.

Hope The season kicks off on Saturday October 9, at 7.30pm, at the Parish Church of St Peter & St Paul, Tonbridge, with the fabulous early music vocal ensemble Stile Antico.

Their programme, ‘Toward the Dawn – A musical journey from sunset to sunrise’ seems particularly appropriate for these times as we look forward with new hope after the last dark year. The programme includes the haunting Allegri Miserere mei and Taverner’s mighty Ave Dei Patris Filia.

Stile Antico’s concert is only the beginning.

The season includes two more ‘traditional’ evening concerts with local violinist Tristan Gurney and Friends in a programme of wonderful Italian music, and the young, dynamic Van Kuijk String quartet.

Families will be catered for with a ‘Totally Toddler’ concert for little ones with Jessie Grimes (clarinet) and Charis Hanning (piano).

And the Atéa String Quartet will give a

Saturday afternoon family concert.

There will also be a series of Sunday morning Coffee Concerts and, in a real departure for the club, there will be its first jazz evening in early December – All That Jazz with the Ben Cox Band.

Benefits There really is something for everyone in our programme – and we hope Times readers will support TMC by attending concerts and perhaps

joining as a Benefactor member, where priority booking is but one of the benefits.

Concerts are open to all, so please come and join us as either regular audience or Benefactor members as the club pursues its aim of bringing the best of classical music to Tonbridge.

For details of dates, artists and programmes and how to book tickets, please call: 01732 364204, or email: music@tmc.org.uk or visit: tmc.org.uk

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28

Food & Culture

Wednesday October 6 | 2021

WINING AND DINING The estate also has two restaurants

Why Squerryes is Squerryes wine estate is celebrating yet another prestigious win for its sensational wines. Eileen Leahy took a tour of its picturesque North Downs vineyard and sampled its impressive hospitality to find out what makes this family-run winery such a winner

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querryes in the sunshine is quite possibly the closest thing to heaven you’ll find on earth. Just a quick trip up the A21 from Tunbridge Wells, you’ll find it located a few minutes from historic town of Westerham.

The family-run vineyard is surrounded by lush Kentish farmland as far as the eye can see. Its smart HQ boasts a ‘rosé vineyard’, which can be wandered through or admired while savouring a tasting flight in the Bottle Store restaurant or private function area.

At the heart of Squerryes is a fabulous terrace where you can tuck into the most delicious tapas-style dishes. There is also a fancy Cork Room where formal group tastings can be booked.

So far, so impressive, but then as I quickly discover when I meet winery owner Henry Warde, the eighth generation of the Squerryes clan, their family motto has always been quite literally all about creating joy.

“Do you see the sign at the top of the main building?” he asks as we begin our walkabout of the estate which has been in the family for over 300 years. I gaze up, eyes squinting in the summer sunshine, to see a logo which Henry says reads ‘Licet Esse Beatis’, which

means ‘It is permitted to be joyful’.

“At Squerryes we are committed to the business of creating joy. And do you see that the door on the logo is ajar? That means our door is always open to you.”

This, Henry says, has always been ‘the spirit of the house’ since the first generation of his family lived at Squerryes.

“Treasured letters tell how Sir Patience Warde traded wool from the estate with the French for red wine,

‘My father, John, and I decided to plant 36 acres of vines ourselves back in 2006’ which he then sold to the hard-working people of London, bringing some pleasure to their days.”

Henry says the transition from traditional farming on the estate to growing grapes instead was prompted by a visit from a famous, but unnamed, French Champagne house when they paid a visit to Squerryes.

“It felt like the tides were changing when the Champagne house came to Squerryes looking to buy some of our land on which to grow their vines,”

he explains. “My father, John, and I decided to walk away from those negotiations and instead set about planting 36 acres of vines ourselves back in 2006.”

It is a well-known fact that the land around here – known in French as ‘le terroir’ – has more in common with the Champagne region because the soil types and climates are so similar.

It also explains why English wines, especially sparkling varieties such as Squerryes produces, are enjoying such a boom time right now thanks to their excellent quality.

Once Henry and his father had planted the first vines in 2006, he says his dad referenced that particular period as the ‘long, thirsty wait’.

Well their thirst was certainly quenched as since then Squerryes has gone on to produce some exceptional sparkling wines, and also some great vintages, which have won a host of prestigious awards.

These include winning gold in the 2020 World Championships and sweeping the board at the 2021 International Wine Challenge, where it received three trophies for its Blanc de Blanc 2014 and Brut 2011. They are also the only English wine estate to have

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Food & Culture

Wednesday October 6 | 2021

29

such a sparkling success... too, in order to further enhance your visit as the food is really superb.

The seasonal menus, which boast locallysourced produce from in and around the estate, are curated by Head Chef Alexander Baillieu.

A VINE OUTLOOK: Henry Warde

Delights

won a gold medal for five consecutive vintages in the World Championships of Champagne and Sparkling Wine.

Most recently, Squerryes was awarded top marks and the Best in Show trophy at the 2021 Decanter World Wine Awards – no mean feat given it was the only English representative in the top 50.

“This award is not only testament to our team’s hard work and expert winemaking skills, but it reinforces our place as one of the best Champagne and sparkling wine brands in the world,” Henry told me.

Before sampling Squerryes’ golden nectar, we go on a brief tour of the rosé vineyard, which is in fact just a small fraction of the vines the family has been growing on its 2,500-acre estate since 2006.

“Joy has always been the spirit of the Squerryes estate, influencing all we do,” continues Henry as we meander up from the vines towards the Bottle Store restaurant for a tasting flight.

Character It is located above the charming Med-style Terrace Restaurant, and we take a seat at one of the many antique tables to enjoy a trio of Squerryes hero bubbles: A Brut release, their exclusive 2018 Vintage Rosé and their Blanc de Blancs. Henry explains the award-winning wines are made using the ‘Great British Classic Method’, blending only Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier grapes.

“We also like to bottle joy in the form of fine

JOIN US FOR A FAMILY FUN EVENING OF CHRISTMAS CHEER ON THE PANTILES!

vintage sparkling wine,” adds Henry as he pops the cork and pours the sublime tasting sparklers.

Savouring each one it is instantly clear why an established French Champagne house came looking to buy land here. The wines truly are of a superior quality and could easily match their gallic counterparts – possibly outdoing them thanks to their complexity, depth and distinct fruity character.

The tasting flight comes as part of a 90-minute tour (£28) which runs Fridays-Sundays from the end of May until October and covers the vineyard’s growing season.

You can of course leave it there and walk away – preferably having invested in a few bottles. But if you are going to Squerryes then I would highly recommend carving out some time to dine there,

During the summer months you can feast on the terrace, which also boasts sheltered areas if the weather doesn’t play ball.

Here you’ll find a menu brimming with small plates such as stuffed courgette flower with spinach, ricotta and sage, potted Morecambe Bay shrimps and duck and orange terrine with toasted sourdough. Main dishes include epicurean delights such as roasted seabass with caramelised fennel, crushed new potatoes, citrus fruit and orange and basil jus as well as asparagus, mint and ricotta tart with Squerryes Estate watercress salad.

The characterful Bottle Store upstairs – which boasts stacks of vintage port boxes, row upon row of Squerryes bottles and plenty of vinous picture paraphernalia – also serves food and is open now as the weather starts to turn.

As we wander around the rest of the estate, which is also home to the Westerham Brewing Company and the Flint and Oak Deli, Henry tells me that the joy he constantly speaks of with his wines is just as important in the food and additional services Squerryes offers.

“Joy really is at the heart of everything we do, including in the spaces we have created for people to enjoy our wines and delicious food.”

After spending a few precious hours in Squerryes’ special company I would say that joy is most definitely the best way to describe this delightful experience. squerryes.co.uk

Raise a glass to Squerryes’ award-winning wines

g i B The ! l a e v Re

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given top marks at the Decanter World Wine Awards for its late disgorged 2011 Brut, placing it in the top 50 wines of the world list. n An esteemed panel of

judges awarded it a score of 97 and also the Best in Show trophy, describing its aromas as ‘expressive, harmonious

and refined after a decade of slow maturation’. n The 2011 is a classic

Champagne style boasting a blend of 60% Chardonnay, 25% Pinot Noir and 15% Pinot Meunier grapes. n It is the latest in a string of

major awards for Squerryes this year, having already

swept the board at the 2021 International Wine Challenge, receiving three trophies for the Blanc de Blanc 2014 and Brut 2011. n Squerryes has also won

five gold medals for five consecutive vintages at the Champagne and Sparkling Wine World Championships.

Health & Wellbeing

health & wellbeing

30

Wednesday October 6 | 2021

It’s not just part of getting old 7 common myths about arthritis that really aren’t helpful Despite affecting millions, arthritis is still very misunderstood. To mark World Arthritis Day on October 12, Lisa Salmon talks to some experts

Exercise

I

T’S tempting to dismiss ages in the UK have arthritis, and it’s arthritis as just aching the biggest cause of disability in this joints, and something country,” says Ellen Miller, people must learn Acting Chief Executive of to live with as charity Versus Arthritis they get older. (versusarthritis.org).

But the ten million “Yet it’s shrugged off people in the UK by society because who suffer from it’s invisible and arthritis know that associated with – far from being ageing, thanks to just a standard persistent myths part of ageing – the about who it affects condition can cause and what it can do Clare Jacklin excruciating pain and to you. The truth is, an blight the lives of both arthritis diagnosis can come young and old. at any age and can knock your Ahead of World Arthritis life for six.”

Day on October 12, After osteoarthritis experts are stressing – or ‘wear and tear’ the importance arthritis, which of busting affects around 8.75 misconceptions million people in about the the UK – the next condition and most common the impact it can type is rheumatoid have – to improve arthritis (RA), an understanding for autoimmune condition those affected, and affecting over 430,000 Ellen Miller highlight the role of early people in the country. diagnosis and treatment.

Clare Jacklin, CEO of the “Around ten million people of all National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society

‘The truth is, arthritis can come at any age and can knock your life for six’ (NRAS, nras.org.uk), points out that the pain and chronic fatigue caused by RA is often invisible.

As a result people with RA have to battle misconceptions and stigma as well as the disease.

In a bid to tackle this, the NRAS has teamed up with pharmaceutical company Galapagos

UK (glpg.com/uk) to create the ‘We R.A. Priority’ campaign (werapriority.co.uk).

“Knowing what RA is, the symptoms to look for, and that it can affect anyone of any age can make a significant difference in getting an early diagnosis,” explains Clare Jacklin.

“There’s a window of opportunity that, if missed, can cause delays in getting early treatment, which can lead to long-term negative impact.

“Raising awareness of RA is vital for driving earlier diagnosis and helping prevent the often

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Health & Wellbeing

Wednesday October 6 | 2021

3. Just take paracetamol if your joints ache While it’s common to have occasional aches and pains in the joints and muscles, Ellen says it’s important to see a doctor if you have swelling or stiffness that you can’t explain and which doesn’t go away in a few days, if it becomes painful to touch your joints, or if you can’t do everyday tasks because of the pain.

“The earlier you get a diagnosis and find a treatment that works for you, the better the outcome will be,” she stresses.

pain management clinics – to help people live well with the condition.

4. There’s nothing you can do about arthritis Effective arthritis treatments make a huge difference and could prevent irreversible joint damage, says Ellen. There are a variety of treatment options – from medication, physical and complementary therapies and joint replacement surgery to talking therapies and

6. A Mediterranean diet can cure arthritis No diet or supplement will cure arthritis, says Ellen, but a balanced diet, exercise, and not smoking or drinking too much alcohol can all have a huge impact.

“Some people find their symptoms are affected by their diet, weight and physical activity levels, but what works for one person may not work for another,” she explains.

Changing your diet probably won’t have as great an impact on arthritis as medical treatments, but it can be very helpful.

Being overweight can increase strain on joints, and increase the risk of developing certain conditions. Eating a balanced diet packed with vitamins and minerals could help reduce the side-effects of some arthritis drugs, too, and protect from conditions affecting the heart and blood, which can be a complication of some forms of arthritis. But you should always speak to a healthcare professional before making any major changes to your diet and lifestyle.

Diet Joint pain irreversible damage it can cause to a person’s body, mental health, family and career.”

Here, experts debunk seven common arthritis myths…

1. Only old people get arthritis Ellen Miller says you can get arthritis at any age, even childhood, when it’s called juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). In fact, two-thirds of people with arthritis are under 65 and nearly three million are under 35, she says.

2. Arthritis isn’t serious Arthritis can be devastating, with eight in ten people experiencing pain every day, explains Ellen: “The pain and fatigue steal your independence, ability to work, travel or socialise and make you feel like a burden. Many people don’t even admit to their friends and family what it’s like.”

Jane Barry, Medical Director of Rheumatology at Galapagos, says: “One of the symptoms of

RA can be joint pain, yes, but the condition can have an effect on other aspects of health, too.

“In fact, a Galapagos survey last year found one in six people with RA have also been diagnosed with a major depressive disorder.”

Due to pandemic disruption in the NHS, Ellen says the situation for people with arthritis is at its worst ever, with thousands waiting for trauma and orthopaedic treatment (the vast majority needing hip or knee replacements).

“Thousands of people on the waiting list have been left without support and are struggling physically, emotionally and financially,” she stresses, pointing out that Versus Arthritis is also running the ‘Impossible to Ignore’ campaign (versusarthritis.org/campaign-with-us/ impossible-to-ignore), urging people to contact their MPs to press for urgent support for those waiting for joint replacement surgery.

“Their lives are on hold, many having to give up work and living in excruciating pain without communication about when they can expect to have surgery,” she adds.

5. Avoid exercise if you have arthritis It can be hard to keep moving, but staying active, says Ellen, can reduce pain and arthritis symptoms and help people remain independent.

Exercise improves muscle strength and keeps joints strong and well-supported, reduces stiffness, helps balance and improves energy levels and tiredness.

7. People know what rheumatoid arthritis is A 2020 Galapagos survey of people living with RA found 99 per cent felt other people either had a poor understanding of their condition, or confused it for other forms of arthritis.

Jane Barry says: “RA is actually an autoimmune condition, meaning the body’s own immune system targets affected joints, which leads to pain and swelling and other symptoms, including fatigue, dry eyes, chest pain and a loss of appetite.”

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Travel

Wednesday October 6 | 2021

This is where you should be heading on your first trip back to the USA...

With 50 states to choose from, there’s a dizzying choice of American holidays, says Sarah Marshall

travel

I

T’S been a long time coming, but news that vaccinated travellers will be able to enter the US from the UK and EU from November onwards has been met with applause, and it’s likely to be a popular holiday option for both the winter season and 2022. Already, many operators have received an influx of bookings.

“Arguably the most well-known country on Earth, the USA is abundant with once-in-alifetime sights, from sweeping landscapes to cosmopolitan cities,” says Kerry Golds, MD of holiday companies A&K and Cox & Kings.

“We’ve seen a boost in [holiday] enquiries overall – but one country that stands out is the USA for travel later in the year.”

Here are a few trips to consider…

CELEBRATE HERITAGE IN THE CAPITAL REGION In November, America’s oldest national museum, the Arts & Industries Building in Washington, will reopen for the first time in 20 years for the Smithsonian Institution’s 175th anniversary.

The new exhibition FUTURES will feature more than 150 objects, ideas and installations that fuse art, technology, design and history.

But don’t spend all your time indoors.

Shenandoah National Park is ablaze with autumn colours at this time of year.

How: Bon Voyage (bon-voyage.co.uk; 0800 316 0194) offers a new seven-night trip from £1,255 per person (two sharing), including stays in Washington DC, Charlottesville, Virginia and Annapolis, Maryland. The price covers accommodation, flights and car hire. Valid for travel November 1 to December 17.

SKI INTO THE FUTURE IN ASPEN SNOWMASS Aspen Snowmass celebrates 75 years of skiing and riding this winter season when ski lifts open on November 25. Along with covering the heritage and history of skiing in the resort, celebrations and events will also look at innovation in ski racing, sustainability, art and athletic achievement.

How: Ski Safari (skisafari.com; 01273 224 060) offers a seven-night B&B stay at the Limelight Hotel Aspen from £2,275 per person (two sharing), including flights and transfers. Based on travel from December 1-8.

‘The epic route runs through striking mountains and steep rock canyons – some only accessible by road or river’ GET ON TRACK IN UTAH In August, the famous Rocky Mountaineer train began a new two-day rail route through the American Rockies between Denver in Colorado and Moab in Utah, travelling along the Colorado River. The epic route runs through striking mountains and steep rock canyons – some only accessible by road or river.

Admire the scenery from glass dome coaches and enjoy regional cuisine. Fewer domestic tourists at this time of year will also make it much easier to access national parks.

STUNNING SCENERY Unforgettable views as you travel through the Colorado River

Travel

Wednesday October 6 | 2021

How: American Sky (americansky.co.uk; 01342 331 798) offers a 14-day Self-Drive Utah Mighty Five + Rockies to the Red Rocks by Rail itinerary, which travels onwards from Moab to explore Utah’s spectacular national parks.

Prices from £2,849 per person (two sharing), including room-only accommodation, car hire and flights.

HIKER’S DREAM Yellowstone is America’s most popular national park

SEE YELLOWSTONE FROM ABOVE Next year celebrates the 150th anniversary of one of America’s greatest national parks, which was established in 1872.

Popular with hikers during the summer, Yellowstone’s two-million-acre landscape is also captivating in winter months, when wolves can occasionally be seen hunting bison.

Appreciate the scale and size of the place on an air safari, also visiting Yosemite and the Grand Canyon. Track bison and bears, explore with private guides and visit rarely seen corners of the popular parks.

How: Abercrombie & Kent (abercrombiekent. co.uk; 01242 386 500) can tailor-make an air safari. Price on application, dependent on group size and aircraft.

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CRUISE CALIFORNIA’S GOLDEN COAST With a coastline of exciting cities, sun-kissed beaches, world-class wineries and soaring redwood forests, California’s iconic Pacific coastline is popular at any time of year.

Named ‘The Golden State’ after the 19th-century gold rush, it still has plenty of treasures to share.

Sample fine vintages in Sonoma and Napa Valley, cycle across San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, and follow in the footsteps of showbiz greats on Hollywood’s celebrated Walk of Fame.

How: Cox & Kings (coxandkings.co.uk; 020 3918 3948) offers a nine-night California’s Golden Coast escorted trip from £3,295 per person (two sharing), including flights and some meals. Available on various dates between April and November.

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35

WE’RE GROWING! Crossways Community is a growing and dynamic local charity which provides housing and support for adults living with a wide range of mental health conditions. We also run a number of community based projects including Reboot which offers mental health awareness training in schools, churches and businesses; The Kitchen Table, our café on Camden Road and Flourish, our new gardening project in Tunbridge Wells.

As a result of our expansion, we are currently recruiting for a number of vacancies across our organisation.

Maintenance Manager (4/5 days per week) – you will oversee, coordinate and carry out maintenance and repairs for all Crossways properties including gardens and outbuildings, taking into account health & safety issues and the needs of residents & staff. Salary £22,689 (FTE).

Deputy Manager at Culverdale (4/5 days per week) – you will assist the House Manger in the overall management of our supported accommodation for adults and will be fully involved with supporting residents and managing staff. Previous experience in the mental health sector is essential.

Salary £27,564 (FTE).

Support Worker at Moxham House (Full-time and part-time) – you will be working alongside our residents who are living with mental health conditions, helping deliver emotional and practical support. We provide a comprehensive training program. The care home is staffed 24/7 so there is a variety of shifts to cover weekends/ nights etc. Salary £19,377 (FTE) plus allowances for weekends, sleep-in shifts and pager duties.

HR/Office Administrator (3 days or 22.5 hours per week) – you will be a calm, experienced and confident HR/Office Administrator with high levels of attention to detail, strong proficiency in Word and Excel, and an ability to multi task. Salary £20,739 (FTE).

We offer a competitive benefits package including pension and private health insurance.

Head to the jobs portal on our website www.crosswayscommunity.org.uk for full job descriptions and to apply!

“Working for better mental health in the community” Crossways Community – registered charity number 1007156

Books

Wednesday October 6 | 2021

Times book reviewer

HANNAH KIRSOP

37

The bookcase…

Are you looking for a gripping thriller or a feminist retelling of history? Take your pick! We hope you enjoy the books we’ve picked out this week…

FICTION

Apples Never Fall

by Liane Moriarty

Published in hardback by Michael Joseph, priced £20 (ebook £9.99) Liane Moriarty must be one of Hollywood’s favourite authors. Her new novel follows in the footsteps of Big Little Lies and Nine Perfect Strangers, telling the story of the tennis-mad Delaney family and the cracks beginning to show in their seemingly happy lives when matriarch Joy goes missing.

Moriarty has the ability to make you feel invested in the characters almost instantly, and her expert storytelling will have the reader turning page after page to discover the hidden truths lurking beneath the surface. The ending is witty and satisfying, but comes with a dark twist.

Apples Never Fall is another enjoyable offering full of intrigue, suspense and surprises, sure to delight both readers and future viewers of the TV adaptation already in the pipeline.

(Review by Eleanor Barlow)

8/10

Hannah Kirsop grew up in Kent and now lives in Horsmonden with her family. She loves to read and share recommendations and runs Bainden Book Club for a group of local women to discuss interesting fiction and non-fiction in a range of genres. You can find baindenbookshelf.com online or on Instagram: @baindenbookshelf ONE YOU MAY HAVE MISSED

This Thing of Darkness

by Harry Thompson

The Book Of Form And Emptiness

by Ruth Ozeki

(Published by Tinder Press, priced £10.99)

This novel charts a period in the history of HMS Beagle during its travels to the wild, inhospitable territories of Tierra del Fuego with the young geologist Charles Darwin on board. Whilst the Beagle and Darwin are the big-ticket names, this is a story about the talented young naval officer Robert Fitzroy who took command of the ship aged 23.

Core to exposing Fitzroy’s drive, character and flaws is the development of his relationship with Darwin as they act as foils to one another, most notably to air their opposing intellectual ‘Science v God’ opinions WARTIME WONDER

War Doctor: Surgery on the Front Line

by David Nott (Published by Picador, priced £9.99)

9/10

9/10

which neatly encompass the controversies in Victorian England over evolution.

This is a mighty behemoth of a book but don’t be put off! It is both an addictive adventure story and a fascinating piece of historical fiction. It completely took me by surprise.

A memoir of Nott’s 25-year-long efforts as a volunteer surgeon in the world’s war zones, this is an astonishing, eye-opening, deeply humbling book as he gives an often terrifying ‘warts and all’ account.

A lot of what there is to read is not pretty. The book does not shy away from the horrific stories, and the violence of some atrocities that Nott encountered are hard to compute. Despite this, it is not a depressing read.

There are deeply harrowing tales, but the skill of the book is the see-saw ride for the reader as it counterbalances those feelings of deep distress when lives cannot be saved with the incredible buzz of achievement when something unprecedented is achieved.

I would encourage anyone to read it. It left me feeling hugely thankful to volunteers like Nott who put themselves in danger to save others.

Published in hardback by Canongate Books, priced £18.99 (ebook £12.79) This is a strange, thoughtful book. The Book Of Form And Emptiness is a deeply moving story of family, loss and love as well as a provocative lesson in mindfulness and the art of mastering inner peace.

After his father’s death, Benny Oh starts hearing voices. At first, the voice is his father’s, but then he starts to hear the voices of

8/10

other things: Chairs, mouldy cheese, half-eaten cartons of yoghurt, and even books.

His mother, Annabelle, is also grieving. Empty in her own way, she pulls inward and becomes a hoarder.

Alone and haunted by the voices around him, Benny retreats to the library, where he discovers another kind of family in the colourful characters who gather there – including a homeless poet and a silver-haired girl trying to be a street artist.

It is here, among the books, that Benny must find his own voice…

(Review by Scarlett Sangster)

8/10

Matrix

by Lauren Groff

Published in hardback by William Heinemann, priced £16.99 (ebook £9.99) There is an abundance of characters throughout history whose narratives have disappeared into the ether.

Lauren Groff’s new feminist novel is inspired by the 12th-century poet and lyricist Marie de France – Henry II’s court were aware of her works, but she faded over the years.

Groff uses Marie’s mysterious existence to transport the reader to a grim convent in rural

England, where Marie – a bastard child of the crown and the supposed half-sister of Henry II – is sent under the orders of Henry’s wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine. There, Marie uses her privileged upbringing to turn the fortunes of the convent around and establish something of a utopia.

The pages are almost completely devoid of men – seen but not heard – with Groff using poetic, melodic and yet fierce writing to breathe volume into themes of power, ambition and success from the perspective of women.

(Review by Charlotte Kelly)

38

Motoring News

Wednesday October 6 | 2021

Motoring News

This week… n A popular small EV n Slide open a new van n The Volvo revolution

Nissan expands commercial vehicle range with Townstar NISSAN has unveiled the latest addition to its commercial vehicle range in the form of the new Townstar van.

Furthering the firm’s electrification plans, it is available with either a petrol or electric powertrain. The former utilises a 1.3-litre petrol engine bringing 128bhp and 240Nm of torque.

The electric version, meanwhile, uses a 44kWh battery linked to a 90kW electric motor.

Nissan says the set-up is capable of returning up to 177 miles per charge, with a 0-80 per cent charge taking 42 minutes via rapid CCS charging.

These figures are pending homologation so could change slightly for the production model.

Wearing Nissan’s new badge and underpinned by the Alliance CMF-C platform – which is also used by the new Renault Kangoo – the vehicle’s design incorporates standard LED headlights and an aerodynamic front ‘shield’. Petrol versions, meanwhile, get an interlocking-style grille.

Traffic Capable of transporting two Euro pallets and up to 800kg of cargo, the Townstar can also tow up to 1,500kg with either powertrain. Sliding side doors give easy access to the van’s load area, while at the rear the doors split 60/40.

All Townstar models also benefit from Nissan’s ProPilot driver assistance system, which is capable of automatically slowing the vehicle down if it detects traffic ahead. It can also keep the vehicle centred in the lane, even around ‘gentle’ bends.

Inside, there’s an eight-inch touchscreen combined with a ten-inch digital display ahead of the driver. Features such as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto will be available, too, according to the manufacturer.

Nissan is expected to announce further details about the Townstar – including pricing and specification – shortly.

Citroen has announced that their incredibly small electric Ami car has been confirmed for sale in the UK, following a surge in customer demand.

The French firm’s electric quadricycle is built for France’s ‘voiture sans permis’ regulations, which are vehicles that anyone over the age of 14 can drive, even without a licence.

The vehicle had not been planned for sale here, but a media offensive from Citroen UK over the summer generated ‘unprecedented customer demand’ – and with 12,000 people expressing an interest in buying the model, the firm will now officially bring the Ami to these shores.

However, in the UK a full driving licence will be required to drive it.

The Ami has an electric motor with a 5.5kWh battery that can be recharged in three hours.

This gives it a 46-mile range, while the top speed is 28mph.

The Ami is just 2.41m long and has a tight turning circle, making it ideal for busy urban driving.

The quirky looks are in-part down to the fact that the body panels are the same left and right, front and rear, making it less expensive to repair.

NEW VAN The Townstar

All electric Volvos will be leather-free ‘as part of animal welfare ambitions’ VOLVO CARS says it is taking ‘an ethical stand for animal welfare’ by committing to not using leather in any of its fully electric vehicles.

The Swedish firm is launching a new family of pure electric vehicles and aims to only offer EVs by 2030, all of which will be leather-free.

By 2025, Volvo wants 25 per cent of the material in its cars to come from recycled and bio-based content, and wants its immediate suppliers to use 100 per cent renewable energy by the same date.

As part of this, the firm is working to find high-quality, sustainable sources for many of the materials used in the car industry. Volvo says the move is in part down to concerns about the negative environmental impacts of cattle farming, including deforestation.

Stuart Templar, Director of Global Sustainability at Volvo, said:

The tiny Ami is ‘an interesting concept for the future of inner-city mobility’

“Being a progressive car maker means we need to address all areas of sustainability, not just CO2 emissions.

“Responsible sourcing is an important part of that work, including respect for animal welfare.

“Going leather-free inside our pure electric cars is a good next step towards addressing this issue.”

rubber, lubricants and adhesives.

In its statement, Volvo said: “By aiming to actively replace these materials as much as possible, Volvo Cars takes a strong and

Recycled Instead of leather, Volvo will offer alternatives such as Nordico.

Developed by the firm, it is made from recycled material such as PET bottles, bio-attributed material from sustainable forests in Sweden and Finland, and corks recycled from the wine industry.

The firm is also looking to reduce the use of residual products from livestock production in plastics,

DRIVING TOWARDS A KINDER FUTURE Volvo is creating a whole new ethical car family

ethical position to do what it can to help stop animal harm, by contributing to a reduced demand for these materials containing animal products.”

Exempt Inside, it’s incredibly basic, but has heating and somewhere to put your phone, with a small amount of storage for carrying smaller items.

It’s an interesting concept for the future of inner-city mobility, similar to the unique Renault Twizy.

With zero emissions it’s exempt from London’s Congestion Charge and Ultra Low Emission Zone fees, and will not face charges in future Clean Air Zones in other cities either.

It’s also expected to cost somewhere in the region of £5,000, which would help to make electric motoring more affordable – though whether this price point is low enough for people to buy into the lack of creature comforts and low battery range remains to be seen.

Eurig Druce, Managing Director of Citroen UK, said: “I am absolutely delighted to announce that Citroen Ami is launching in the UK. With cities and urban areas introducing stricter limits for vehicles, and people demanding new mobility solutions, Ami shows once again how Citroën is adapting to meet the demands of the times.”

Customers can now put down a £250 refundable deposit, with deliveries expected in spring 2022.

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