Times of Tunbridge Wells 18th August 2021

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Wednesday August 18 | 2021

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Cinema site developers switch location for retirement village

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LATER LIVING An artist’s impression of the retirement village on the site of the St John’s Road Aviva bus depot

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29/07/2021 16:44

Move underpins how unattractive ABC plot is to potential investors

By Richard Williams THE company that had to walk away from developing the old cinema site in the heart of Tunbridge Wells is behind new plans for an alternative £55million retirement village just a mile up the road.

Elysian Residences is part of a joint venture to build 89 apartments along with penthouses and hotel-style facilities in St John’s Road on the site of the former Aviva bus depot.

It earlier had to abandon plans for a similar development on the cinema plot when, it is understood, financial backers expressed concerns about ongoing costs.

That development had a price tag of £80million.

The move yet again highlights the major challenges in developing the ABC site in the town centre that has been vacant for more than 20 years.

The plot alone has a current price tag of £17million making it financially

unviable for most investors.

The St John’s Road location already has planning permission. Others involved with the project are the UK Retirement Living Fund (ReLF), managed by Schroders Capital and advised by Octopus Real Estate.

‘ABC site owners continue to need a positive return on their investment’ The new development is the second joint venture made by Elysian and ReLF, following the purchase in April this year of a site for a new retirement scheme in Berkhamsted.

It is also the eighth retirement village being developed or run by Elysian Residences, despite the group being unable to bring a similar complex to fruition on the ABC cinema site.

Gavin Stein, Chief Executive of Elysian yesterday [Tuesday] told the Times: “Happily we are back in the community with this site which we have acquired on St John’s Road, which is in a prime location in the town, being close to the restaurants, shops, museums and other amenities along with easy connectivity to families and friends.

“It is also our eighth retirement scheme overall and we will continue to look for new sites as part of our vision to be the foremost provider of inspiring and elegant retirement communities in the UK. “It is incredibly pleasing to be able to have a new scheme in Royal Tunbridge Wells where we have spent time getting to know the local community over the last three years.

“The St John’s Road scheme is expected to be delivered in 2024, subject to minor

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this week…

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Cinema site developers find new plot

GROUND BREAKING Work has begun on the new medical student accommodation building at Tunbridge Wells Hospital p.7 GOING FOR GOLD Local business woman receives two gold awards for her children’s fashionwear p.9

PASSED WITH FLYING COLOURS Pupils celebrate record GCSE results after a year of disruptions p.14

Continued from front page alterations to the planning consent to bring the Elysian brand and experience to life.”

Kevin Beirne, head of retirement at Octopus Real Estate, who are backing the new retirement development at the former Aviva depot said it offered a healthy return for investors.

He explained: “This latest acquisition emphasises our belief that retirement communities provide investors with a strong return and an opportunity to create a positive impact for our ageing society through delivering beautifully designed and sustainable real estate.”

Despite this, the new complex is just over a mile from the £80million Belvedere project that had been earmarked for the ABC site that was not deemed able to provide a ‘positive return’ for its owner.

The planned ‘later living’ cinema site on Mount Pleasant Road was originally developed by previous owners of the site, Altitude, who sold the land with its planning permission to Prime Finance in 2018.

Prime Finance partnered with Elysian Residences to build and run the luxury retirement village that would have come complete with boutique cinema, shops and restaurant.

During the pandemic, Elysian told the Times they were ‘assessing their plans’ for the site before they were forced to pull out in October last year.

Talks Prime Finance put the land back up for sale at a price of £17million.

Writing in this week’s Times [see And Another Thing… page 17] Deputy Leader of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council, David Scott, said the Council was in constant talks with Prime Finance over the site.

He said: “The Council meets with the owners at every opportunity to explore solutions and press for development.

“The owner continues to actively work on their options, but their need for a positive return on their investment remains.”

Wednesday August 18 | 2021

TWO DECADES OF FRUSTRATION

The former ABC Cinema site in Tunbridge Wells has remained abandoned since 2000, when the picture house closed.

Since then, it has passed hands numerous times, but remains a derelict spot in the centre of town.

2000 ABC Cinema closes after operating in Tunbridge Wells for 80 years.

2004 Site is acquired by GLN Copenhagen but despite making a planning enquiry, the firm does not submit any formal plans.

2008 Rydall Properties acquire the land and gets approval for a mixed-use development.

2011 Bellhouse Joseph/Carlye acquire the site and submit plans for a new scheme.

2013 Hope is on the horizon as Bellhouse Joseph demolish the old cinema.

2015 Two years on, the site is back on the market.

2016 Altitude Real Estate buys the site.

2018 Altitude gets new consent for a mixed-use development.

2019 The land is bought by Prime Finance who partner with Elysian Residences who base their proposed development on Altitude’s planning permission.

2020 Scheduled development of the site is meant to commence but Covid-19 causes work to be suspended. Elysian Residencies begin ‘assessing’ their plans in the wake of the pandemic before pulling out. The site is then put back on the market.

Sports centre contract renewed despite the ‘political’ objections A REAL PAGE TURNER We preview Chiddingstone Castle Literary Festival which starts on Thursday p.28 CONTACTS EDITORIAL DIRECTOR RICHARD MOORE richard.moore@onemediauk.co.uk | 01892 779615 DEPUTY EDITOR EILEEN LEAHY eileen.leahy@onemediauk.co.uk.co.uk | 01892 576037 CHIEF REPORTER RICHARD WILLIAMS richard.williams@onemediauk.co.uk |01892 240626 DESIGN/PRODUCTION LEE SMITH lee.smith@onemediauk.co.uk ADVERTISING 01892 779580 advertising@onemediauk.co.uk FIND US ONLINE facebook.com/timeslocalnews www.timeslocalnews.co.uk twitter.com/timeslocalnews

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By Richard Williams THE company that provides leisure services in Tunbridge Wells will have its contract renewed for another five years, despite a political row over the extension.

The Conservative cabinet’s decision to hand the £2million contract to Fusion Leisure had been ‘called in’ to the Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee last week following objections to the deal by opposition councillors.

The registered charity has been running Tunbridge Wells Sports Centre in St John’s Road, the Putlands Sports and Leisure Centre in Paddock Wood, and the Weald Leisure Centre in Cranbrook since 2006.

FIGHTING FIT The sports centre in St John’s Road will remain run by Fusion Leisure

Management In August last year, following the closure of all of leisure centres across the UK following the pandemic, TWBC had to handover £670,000 of taxpayers’ money to Fusion in order for it to be able to reopen the centres after the provider ran out of cash.

TWBC waived the annual £249,634 management fee the company normally pays to operate the centres, but also handed over £420,000 from Council funds to pay for the re-openings.

A deal had been arranged that would see the leisure provider repay the £670,000 it borrowed from TWBC last year and continue to pay the existing £250,000 annual management fee for the next five years, along with any debts accrued along the way.

However, opposition councillors at TWBC were unhappy with Fusion following the bail out last year, and ‘called in’ the deal to be challenged at the authority’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

At last week’s committee hearing, opposition councillors, including the Lib Dems, Alliance and Labour argued the decision was made without considering the ‘possible cost of bringing the service in-house, of approaching other suppliers, of asking smaller, local companies to take on parts of the contract’.

Following a vote, the committee then asked the cabinet to ‘reconsider’ the deal.

The political row could have led to leisure services in the area being put on hold if the deal fell through as the Council would have to find another provider or run the sports centres itself.

However, on Monday, the cabinet dismissed the concerns of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, which were described by one Conservative councillor [Cllr Sarah Hamilton, Paddock Wood East] as ‘politically motivated’.

The cabinet voted unanimously to renew the contract for a further five years.

Following the meeting, Cllr Matt Bailey, head

of Sustainability at the Cabinet told the Times: “We’ve heard some ludicrous theories about organisations that could or should be running our multimillion-pound sports facilities, including sports coaches or small sports clubs run by a handful of volunteers.

“But, in reality, the only viable alternative to outsourcing was to switch to some form of in-house management, either acting alone or in partnership with one or more other councils.”

He continued: “Bringing an important service in-house is a major undertaking at the best of times. But this is most certainly not the best of times, with TWBC still facing a large budget deficit and a highly uncertain financial future.

“An extension offers valuable time for demand to recover, for financial risks to recede, for new patterns of demand to materialise, for councils to stabilise and for us to carefully consider bringing the service in-house possibly in partnership with other authorities.”

Wednesday August 18 | 2021

NEWS IN BRIEF

Covid-19 cases and admissions stabilise THE number of people who tested positive for coronavirus last week has stabilised and hospital admissions have dropped.

Last month as the final restrictions were eased, the number of local infections had risen to near the peak seen in January, when around 600 people a week were being diagnosed with the virus.

In the last week of July, cases In Tunbridge Wells had fallen to 272 every week, and latest figures for the seven days to August 8 show they have stabilised at 274.

The number of people being admitted to either Maidstone or Tunbridge Wells Hospital with Covid-19 rose to around 45 a week last month.

Latest figures for NHS England for Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust [MTW] which runs the two hospitals, show just 22 people admitted to hospital after a positive Covid-19 test in the seven days to August 8. Two deaths where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate, have been recorded by MTW so far in August.

Fireman Sam cancelled LIVE shows of a popular children’s TV show have had to cancelled because a cast member tested positive for Covid-19.

Two performances of Fireman Sam Saves the Circus were scheduled for the Assembly Hall in Tunbridge Wells today [Wednesday, August 18] but have been called off.

A spokesperson for the Assembly Hall said the shows would be rescheduled but the new shows will likely be in the new year.

Pool predator is jailed A MAN who sexually assaulted a woman with learning difficulties at a public swimming baths has been jailed.

Gerard Keane who is from Swanley, assaulted the woman with learning difficulties in a shower area at the pool in Tonbridge.

The 61-year-old denied the assault on May 2018 but a jury at Maidstone Crown Court took less than an hour to convict him on Thursday, August 12.

He was sentenced to two years in jail and placed on the sex offenders’ register.

Detective Sergeant Adam Ferguson said: “The victim has a number of learning difficulties, some of which can often affect how she is able to communicate, and which make her particularly vulnerable.

“Her vulnerabilities would have been clear to Keane throughout any contact they may have had, yet he chose to exploit these for his own gratification.”

Injury unit to close THE Minor Injuries Unit [MIU] in Crowborough has closed due to staff shortages in the NHS. The centre at the Crowborough War Memorial Hospital in Southview Close normally treats cuts, sprains and other non-serious injuries will be shut for the next eight weeks.

Kate Pilcher, Chief Operating Officer at Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust that runs the War Memorial Hospital, said the centre had to close as staff were needed elsewhere but it would be a temporary measure.

She added: “Temporarily closing the MIU will allow the staff who are usually based there to support other areas of our local NHS that need immediate support and ensure that local people get the care that they need.

“This is not a decision we have taken lightly and we thank the local community for their understanding.”

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Food festival serves up a feast for hungry crowds FOODIES Crowds on The Pantiles at the weekend and [below] some of the stallholders

By Richard Williams MORE than 6,000 people visited The Pantiles at the weekend for the return of its annual celebration of all things culinary.

Like many of the town’s events, the Food Festival was cancelled last year due to the Covid crisis, but it returned at the weekend [August 14-15].

Visitors were treated to more than 40 different food stalls, showing off

a range of delicacies, along with a host of live cooking demonstrations, activities and live music on the bandstand.

Iconic Stallholders included Longtooth Gin, the Auction House Cheese Company, and a demonstration from celebrity Indian chef Atul Kocher, who is set to open a restaurant on the iconic promenade.

Organiser of the event, Julian Leefe-Griffiths, who also runs the Tunbridge Wells Hotel, said there were more than 6,500 across the weekend.

He added: “I would really like to give a big thanks to all the stallholders and exhibitors who came down to trade with us, it’s fantastic when so many local producers, restaurants and traders come together to create this festival I couldn’t have been more pleased with the outcome.

“It was also nice to give a big Tunbridge Wells welcome to Atul Kutcher who appeared on the bandstand demonstration kitchen to cook a lovely fish dish on Sunday.

“The Michelin starred chef seemed to really enjoy the crowds of Tunbridge Wells and it must bode well for his new restaurant opening on The Pantiles soon.”

He added that events will continue on The Pantiles with the Harvest Food Festival scheduled for September 11-12.

Hotel gets awarded a silver rating STAR STUDDED One Warwick Park in Tunbridge Wells

AN INDEPENDENTLY owned hotel in Tunbridge Wells has been awarded a coveted silver rating.

The four star One Warwick Park hotel was awarded the additonal rating by motoring organisation the AA, who give star ratings that are applied as a common standard in the UK. The award comes following an inspection last week by the motoring organisation. Inspector Mike Pedley praised the team’s ‘great guest focus’, service delivery and the ‘good selection of well-cooked and presented’ food items.

Service One Warwick Park Hotel, part of the Elite Leisure Collection that also owns the Times, has gone through a number of changes during the last eighteen months, including the appointment of a new operations manager, Martin Garner.

He said: “We are thrilled to maintain our 4 star status overall at the hotel and to achieve an impressive even higher score than our previous inspection.

“We have worked tirelessly in focusing our attention on the guest journey and overall experience and we are delighted with the results.

We are very much looking forward to the next 12 months and an even greater future ahead for the business.”

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Wednesday August 18 | 2021

Cultural hub will leave its mark on the town - not on the environment HOW FIGHT FOR SUSTAINABILITY IS AT THE HEART OF RENOVATIONS

REFLECTING ITS HERITAGE The outside of The Amelia Scott is near completion

THE 90 solar panels being installed at the hub will reduce the carbon footprint of the building by 12 tons of carbon annually during their 30-year life span – that’s an equivalent saving of 1,584 diesel car return journeys across the borough between Royal Tunbridge Wells and Cranbrook.

The panels will generate enough power to meet The Amelia’s daily needs and export additional power to the grid, and the LED lighting throughout the building will make best use of power both day and night and contribute to lowering costs and the carbon footprint of the building.

Technology is being used to manage the rainwater harvesting tank which is buried beneath the buildings.

Biodiversity

By Lottie Bulmer THE NEWEST and perhaps most striking addition to council buildings in Tunbridge Wells is well on its way to opening its doors to the public.

The Amelia Scott is named after the early twentieth century campaigner for women’s suffrage who was one of the first two women to be elected to Tunbridge Wells Borough Council [TWBC] in 1919.

The mixed-use cultural hub inside the building is set to be a called just ‘Amelia’ with adult learning facilities, a library, archive storage, a community gallery and a café to name just a few of its functions.

‘How do you take a building built in 1902 and make it work in the modern day?’

While the originally proposed £13million facility has gone over-budget, with costs rising to £19million, the repurposing of the old museum, art gallery, library and adult education centre is on track to be completed by spring 2022.

Duncan Booth, construction manager of Willmott Dixon, who are renovating the building for TWBC, showed the Times around the site and explained how the project aimed to maintain the building’s historic features, while bringing it up to date with the current regulations.

He said: “There is always the trade-off between longevity and heritage. How do you take a building built in 1902 and make it work in the modern day?

“They don’t make them like this anymore. The only thing the building was compliant with was lighting regulations.”

Mr Booth said his team were particularly keen to keep the floor of the building and therefore efforts have been made to bring it back to its original condition.

He said: “This is all heritage so the terrazzo is

being restored as best we can.”

Sustainability is central to the Tunbridge Wells Borough Council and Kent County Council project which is repurposing two Grade II listed buildings with very poor energy performance ratings, and no Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) rating, to create a unique sustainable integration of services for the community and culture in the heart of the town.

Charity Mr Booth told of the impact this focus on sustainability had on the waste from the building: “We’ve been able to divert 99.32 per cent of waste from landfills. Only 7 cubic metres out of 1682 has been sent to landfill.

“The timber from the library has been sent to a men’s charity to make plaques for Tunbridge Wells in Bloom.”

He then revealed how Covid had impacted the works: “The biggest issue has been storage for materials. We’ve also just had a bit of a bite on concrete.

“We’ve only been allowed five bags of plasterboard per order and the wait time is eight weeks.”

Mr Booth added that he had his own personal connections to the town and explained how it had changed since then.

“My association with Tunbridge Wells goes back to 1987. It’s changed so much – back then the top of the town used to be the place to be, but now it’s The Pantiles.”

At the end of the tour, Duncan showed the Times some of the artefacts found while his team were carrying out the works.

They included old exam papers, receipts and a curious contraption which he is yet to discover what it actually is.

These finds highlight how the building’s history remains at the forefront of the Amelia’s adaption into a 21st century cultural centre.

For more information, visit theamelia.co.uk

TAKING SHAPE Inside The Amelia

It holds 15,000 litres (enough for 200 baths) and the water collected will be used within the buildings to reduce mains water consumption including using recycled water in the toilets. When heavy local rainfall is forecast water will be pumped out of the tank to make room for the expected downpour and help balance the load on nearby surface water drains.

Biodiversity, including bird boxes and bat boxes, and environmental sustainability will ensure The Amelia is able to exhibit top green credentials alongside its fascinating collection of books, objects, documents, photographs, and visual art when it opens in 2022. A net gain in biodiversity will be achieved through the inclusion of the bird and bat boxes and an insect hotel.

The new facility will meet Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) Very Good standards whilst also protecting the listed elements for future generations. Much of this has been achieved via enhanced insulation and secondary glazing to maximise thermal transmittance and minimise heat loss - particularly given the environmental controls required to store and display the musem’s vast collection.

The project is receiving additional funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and Arts Council England.

CONSULTATION

ELECTORAL SYSTEM AND NUMBER OF COUNCILLORS We are undertaking a consultation on two important changes being considered, these are: n CHANGES TO THE ELECTORAL SYSTEM n CHANGES TO THE NUMBER OF COUNCILLORS The consultation closes on Sunday 5 September.

ELECTORAL SYSTEM The Council is considering moving to ‘all out’ elections or to remain with elections ‘by thirds’.

The Council currently uses a ‘by thirds’ electoral system. This means that over four years, elections are held in years one, two and three for a third of the Council each year (16 councillors). In the fourth year County Council elections are held.

Moving to ‘all out elections’ means that over the four-year term, elections would only be held in year one for all councillors at the same time.

There is more information on the benefits of elections ‘by thirds’ and ‘all out’ elections on our website tunbridgewells.gov.uk NUMBER OF COUNCILLORS The Council is considering how many Borough councillors it should have in the future. There are currently 48 Borough councillors in 20 wards. Some wards have one Borough councillor to represent them (such as Capel), whilst others have up to three (such as Pembury).

The elector ratio for the borough is 1,769. This means that on average our councillors represent 1,769 electors each.

Two of our nearest neighbours, Tonbridge and Malling and Maidstone have elector ratios of 1,820 and 2,309 respectively.

There is more information on the role of a councillor and our elector ratio on our website tunbridgewells.gov.uk ABOUT YOU... Please enter the first part of your postcode (for example, TN2) _____ ELECTORAL SYSTEM Which electoral system do you think the Council should have? n All out (where councillors are elected once every four years) n By thirds (where a third of councillors are elected three years out of four) Do you have any comments you would like the Council to take into consideration about the electoral system? _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ NUMBER OF COUNCILLORS Would you like to have: n Fewer councillors (this will save money, but councillors will represent more people) n 48 councillors (this is the same as we currently have) n More councillors (this may cost more money, but councillors will represent a smaller group of people and would take account of a growing population) Please state the reasoning for your choice of councillor numbers _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ SUBMIT YOUR RESPONSES Please send your completed survey to: Jane Clarke, Tunbridge Wells Borough Council, Town Hall, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 1RS Alternatively, you can pop your response in the letterbox at the Town Hall, OR COMPLETE ONLINE AT... tunbridgewells,gov.uk Thank you for taking part in our consultation. The results will be published on our website by late September.

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Wednesday August 18 | 2021

VULNERABLE Councils without a valid housing plan can fall victim to unwanted developments

Housing developer plots to bypass local plan for Crowborough project

By Richard Williams A DEVELOPER has used the fact that a local council does not have a local plan in place to attempt to push through a new housing estate in Crowborough.

Wellsbridge Estate has applied for permission to build up to 31 houses and flats on a field in London Road in the town.

The plan for a mixture of 1-bedroom flats and 1-4-bed houses, which include 35 per cent ‘affordable housing’ has been submitted to Wealden District Council [WDC].

The application in the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and outside the development boundary for Crowborough has garnered a number of objections from local residents.

WDC has also previously ruled out building on the field saying it ‘would have an unjustified impact on the character and appearance of the attractive and high quality landscape which surrounds Crowborough’.

However, Wellsbridge Estate has argued that because the authority’s local plan is out-of-date, a ‘tilted balance’ exists ‘as a result of the council’s continued failure to demonstrate a five-year supply of housing land’.

WDC had its local plan – the document that sets out where new houses are to be built – rejected last year after the Planning Inspector found the authority had failed in its legal ‘Duty to Co-operate’ through constructive engagement with neighbouring authorities to meet unmet housing needs.

Neighbouring districts, including Tunbridge

Wells Borough Council [TWBC], had complained to the Planning Inspector about Wealden’s lack of co-operation.

TWBC has come under fire for pushing through its local plan, which will see thousands of new homes built in the parish of Capel, including a garden village in Tudeley.

The proposals have caused protests and the formation of campaign group Save Capel.

Meanwhile, both Sevenoaks and Tonbridge have also had their local plans rejected by the Planning Inspector because the two authorities did not co-operate about solving Sevenoaks’ unmet housing needs.

Objectors Wealden has subsequently published a revised Housing Action Plan identifying what more they will do to boost the supply of homes, but two-thirds of the district is protected landscapes.

Crowborough Town Council has objected to the London Road development saying WDC should refuse it not only ‘because the plot is inside the AONB [Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty]’ but also: “The existing traffic issues both immediately outside the site and at the Crowborough Cross will worsen substantially, additionally the traffic survey was conducted on a Sunday morning making it flawed as it did not reflect normal traffic flows outside of the site.”

The planning application for the London Road development goes before WDC’s planning committee later this year, with residents able to submit comments to the committee up to August 29.

Funding to help reform stalkers KENT’S Police and Crime Commissioner [PCC] has secured nearly £380,000 for an innovative programme to rehabilitate perpetrators of domestic abuse and stalking cases.

PCC Mathew Scott says incidents of domestic abuse and stalking have both increased during the pandemic and these new interventions are aimed at changing behaviour and stopping those responsible committing such crimes in the future.

This approach, which will be delivered in conjunction with Interventions Alliance, Kent Police and Lookahead, will support the safeguarding of victims, who will be kept informed of their abuser’s progress through a specialist link worker.

Kent successfully bid for £378,967 funding from the Home Office and will contribute an additional £178,000 to provide tailored behavioural change programmes for perpetrators.

Behavioural The money will commission a series of one-to-one interventions for up to 80 perpetrators, 40 who committed domestic abuse and 40 who committed stalking offences.

These will last between 10 and 12 weeks and aim to provide lasting behavioural change.

There will also be group work sessions for known perpetrators, delivered by Interventions Alliance, who already provide rehabilitation

services for the National Probation Service.

The funding will be available immediately and will be in place until the end of July 2022.

The Police and Crime Commissioner, Matthew Scott said: “These are some of the most serious crimes in our society, so I am pleased to be working with the Government on this innovative programme.

“This will seek to address the behaviour of the perpetrators of domestic abuse and stalking.

“With funding from the Government and my Office, it will enable us to deal with the root causes of the offending and try to prevent further cases in the future. With cases continuing to rise, I believe the experience of Interventions Alliance will make a real difference.”

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Wednesday August 18 | 2021

Ground broken for new hospital student block despite objections DIGGING IN MTW CEO Miles Scott [left] with health officals and Tunbridge Wells MP Greg Clark [right]

By Richard Williams WORK has begun on a new student accommodation block at Tunbridge Wells Hospital in a ‘landmark moment’ just six weeks after the NHS was granted planning permission for the build.

Tunbridge Wells Borough Council gave the green light to the medical student accommodation on June 23.

The plans will see around 150 much-needed junior doctors trained at the site each year but the proposal came under opposition from residents and the parish council in Pembury who tried to block the development.

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“We are delighted to be working in partnership with Kent and Medway Medical School, whose students will benefit from these new facilities.

This project is very much a part of our organisations shared vision to train and retain doctors in the county.

“The development is also part of a national commitment to increase the number of medical school places in the UK by at least 25 per cent around 1,500 - to expand the number of ‘home grown’ doctors, especially in areas like Kent where we have a significant shortage.”

Trust Chief Executive Miles Scott added: “By giving medical students an excellent experience while they are training, we hope to attract and retain a future generation of exceptional doctors who want to work locally to deliver outstanding care for our patients at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust.

Important

Concerns They argued the new teaching block would cause local parking issues and a ‘loss of trees’.

The Deputy Parish clerk wrote in a formal objection: “We are very supportive of the concept of a training facility at the Tunbridge Wells Hospital, but we object to this application on the grounds that the lack of parking on an application of this scale is unacceptable.

“There is also concern about the significant loss of trees. There are also many unanswered queries.”

Pembury borough councillor, David Hayward [Alliance], also voiced his concerns telling newspapers: “It is naive to imagine that all of the students will be arriving by means other than private car.”

“The residents of Pembury tell me they are concerned that the streets of Pembury closest to the hospital will be used even more for surrogate parking, in particular from the garage towards the green.”

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Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust that runs the hospital and is investing in the student block currently has a record backlog of 35,000 people waiting for elective and non-emergency surgeries and procedures and is trying to increase the number of trainee doctors at

‘It will play an important role in enabling future doctors to live and work in Tunbridge Wells’ medical school by 25 per cent.

The planning committee and Tunbridge Wells Council dismissed the concerns of residents in June and now a ground-breaking ceremony has been held at the hospital site last week [Thursday August 5].

MTW’s Chair David Highton and Chief Executive Miles Scott were joined by Sir David

Behan, Chair of Health Education England (HEE); Greg Clark, MP for Tunbridge Wells; Professor Chris Holland, Dean of Kent and Medway Medical School (KMMS), and Councillor Tom Dawlings, Leader of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council.

The new state-of-the-art six storey building will provide teaching facilities and high-quality accommodation for 145 medical students and trainee doctors a year.

The first intake of approximately 40 Kent and Medway Medical School (KMMS) students will arrive in September 2022.

The Trust says living on site also removes the need for students at the new block to travel by car to and from the hospital for their course.

David Highton, Chair of MTW, said: “It’s a credit to all those involved, that just six weeks after getting the go ahead for the student accommodation and academic teaching building, construction work has started.

We invite Year 9 and 10 girls and their parents to find out more at our

Sixth Form Open Evening

Now offer ing day boarding at Sixth For m

Wednesday 15 September

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“This project would not have been possible without the dedication and support of our MTW team and partner organisations. On behalf of the Trust I would like to thank Health Education England for their support, Kent and Medway Medical School, the Kent, Surrey and Sussex Deanery and Tunbridge Wells Borough Council.”

Sir David Behan, Chair of Health Education England (HEE), said: “In HEE we have the great privilege of working in partnership with NHS trusts and universities to develop the clinicians of the future; a future which, due to the advances of science and technology, will be very different to the past.

“I am delighted that the construction of the medical student accommodation and academic teaching building will play an important role enabling our future doctors to live and work in the community here in Tunbridge Wells and Maidstone because we know the majority of doctors work in the communities where they are trained and educated. This is such an important and exciting development. Congratulations to all who have made it possible.”

8

BUSINESS

Local News

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Wednesday August 18 | 2021

Tunbridge Wells is named among the top ‘chilled out’ destinations for travellers

By Richard Williams TUNBRIDGE Wells has been named as the UK’s third best spot for a summer staycation.

Researchers identified the most stress-free locations across the UK for taking a break by analysing a number of factors including tourist figures, amount of green space, average rainfall, average temperatures and even recent Covid cases.

Tranquil The research by online camper van magazine, PaulCamper, was carried out to help people find the most tranquil locations they can explore and unwind in now that virus restrictions are lifted.

‘This peaceful town offers beautiful parks and gardens, as well as vineyards close by for wine tasting and even ancient ruins to explore’ The company scoured data from a range of sources inlcuding British tourist statistics and ONS figures.

The analysis found Cirencester in Gloucestershire is the most chilled UK staycation spot followed by Bourton-

on-the-Water, also in Gloucestershire, which came second.

Tunbridge Wells was third, while also making the list was Rye (fourth) in East Sussex. Maidstone (ninth) and Canterbury (eleventh) positions were also in the top 25 locations named.

Tunbridge Wells was found to have the best mean temperature. It also ranked well for additional factors including tourism numbers and traffic levels.

The experts at PaulCamper described the town as being ‘peaceful’ with beautiful parks and gardens’.

They added: “Surrounded by nature reserves and woodlands, ‘Royal’ Tunbridge Wells is an ideal location for those looking to unwind after a year of stress.

“This peaceful town offers beautiful parks and gardens such as Dunorlan park and Scotney Castle Gardens, as well as vineyards close by for wine tasting and even ancient ruins to explore.

“It isn’t a fast-paced place, but after a year of upheaval, it is the perfect place to recharge and reconnect with nature.

“Those looking for a chilled break away should opt for locations that appear in the top 25 chilled locations and have lower holiday search volume. For example, Royal Tunbridge Wells only has 480 monthly searches across the holiday terms and Bourton-on-the-Water has 3.6K.”

PARKLIFE Green spaces such as Dunorlan Park have been identified as what makes the town the perfect staycation spot

Travelodge searches for more Kent hotel locations BUDGET hotel chain Travelodge has set its sights on opening nine more hotels across Kent.

The company, which already has a hotel in Mount Ephraim in Tunbridge Wells, is now searching for further sites in the county as it hopes to capitalise on the increasing popularity of staycations.

Areas of interest for the group include Canterbury and Herne Bay as well as Bluewater, Dartford, Swanley, Folkestone, Sevenoaks, Maidstone and Tonbridge.

Travelodge believes its potential

expansion across Kent could inject £70million into the county’s economy and create up to 200 new jobs.

Chief development officer at Travelodge, Steve Bennett, said: “This county is growing from strength to strength and with more Britons holidaying at home, Kent is a top staycation destination.

Accomodation “However, there remains a desperate need for good-quality and low-cost accommodation in the county and we

want to fill this growing gap.

“Therefore, we are actively looking for a further nine hotel sites across the county.

“Our desired sites include a fourth hotel site in Canterbury and finding the ideal site to open Herne Bay’s first Travelodge.”

Mr Bennett believes the creation of new sites ‘will help attract new visitors to the areas and boost their local economies’.

The news comes after the chain opened a hotel in Sandwich last week, the group’s 17th in the county.

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For a real conversation about your insurance call us or pop in 55 High Street, Tunbridge Wells, TN1 1XU Tel: 01892 884781

M J Webber, P G Bowring & S Joubert is an appointed representative of The National Farmers Union Mutual Insurance Society Limited (No. 111982). And an introducer to NFU Mutual Select Investments Limited, a member of the NFU Mutual group of companies.

Wednesday August 18 | 2021

FOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT: timeslocalnews.co.uk

Gold awards for designer of children’s fashionwear

By Robert Forrester A LOCAL businesswoman has snatched two coveted gold awards from a leading parenting website.

Audrey Williams who runs The English Beagle from her base in Tonbridge, manufactures and sells baby clothes.

‘It is all down to The English Beagle’s wonderful quality clothing. It’s a great result and well deserved’ Earlier this year in March, she received a royal seal of approval for her infant wear when HRH Princess Eugenie posted a picture of her newborn boy, August, on Mother’s Day wearing a pair of English Beagle leggings.

The seamstress and retailer has now received two gold awards from Bizzie Baby, a leading

parenting website that provides product reviews for new mothers.

Both her ‘Royal Whale’ leggings that Prince August was pictured in and her ‘Olivia Skirt’ were awarded gold.

Audrey Williams said: “I’m very proud to have been awarded Gold as the Bizzie Baby testers are hard working parents from across the country and possibly the best critics to have.”

She added: “When your main competitors are high street brands, receiving such reviews makes all the hard work worthwhile.”

Judges at Bizzie Baby commented on the number of positive reviews The English Beagle had received on their website, the quality of the products and the individuality of the product line.

Beck Taylor, Managing Director of Bizzie Baby, said: “It is all down to The English Beagle’s wonderful quality clothing as all the reviews are totally independent and we have no control over how they review any items sent to them. Great result and well deserved.”

ALL SEWN UP Audrey Williams of The English Beagle

Local News

BUSINESS

9

NEW RECRUIT Eve Foster joins Calvermont

PR agency expands with new accounts and hire A COMMUNICATIONS agency set up in Tunbridge Wells just three years ago has announced expansion plans with a new team member, as well new local and national clients.

Calvermont, created by Laura Gibson and Olivia Thornhill in 2018, has become a popular PR agency with local businesses and organisations in Tunbridge Wells.

The pair have represented clients that include Royal Tunbridge Wells Together – which runs the town’s Business Improvement District – as well as Elysian Residences who had planned to redevelop the former site of the ABC cinema on Mount Pleasant, before they pulled out last year.

Location Local clients also include Hospice in the Weald, a charity providing free care to those with life limiting illnesses across Kent and Sussex, and Turkey Mill, a heritage business destination with flexible modern offices in an idyllic yet accessible location.

In London, the team has recently launched Lateral, an investment manager bucking the trend with modern, sustainable and ready to work office spaces; and during lockdown the firm welcomed new clients Cluttons.

The duo have now hired graduate Eve Foster to assit them as they expand.

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Laura Gibson, director at Calvermont, said: “During lockdown we were able to put in place our business growth strategy, welcoming a number of clients such as the Government Property Agency, Cluttons, Lateral and Hospice in the Weald, amongst others.

“Eve’s appointment is key to supporting the leadership team in delivering for our clients, using her skills in content-writing, marketing and social media together with her experience in property and design.

“As more companies re-evaluate their in-house resource and working practices post Covid, our growing team at Calvermont is well-placed to support.

“We work as an extension of existing teams to devise and implement powerful brand marketing and PR strategies, particularly in the property, destination and charity fields where we have significant experience and results.”

Eve Foster, added: “When I saw that Calvermont were hiring, I applied almost immediately.

“For a long time, I have admired Calvermont and the presence they have both in and out of Tunbridge Wells.”

She continued: “I feel confident that under Olivia and Laura’s direction I will learn a great deal, particularly whilst being exposed to so many different industries and areas in PR and marketing.”

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.

I am holding regular advice surgeries – by zoom or telephone. To make an appointment, please call:

01892 519854 or email:

greg.clark.mp @parliament.uk

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Community News

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Wednesday August 18 | 2021

Participants will meet in front of the café in Dunorlan Park from 8.30am, and the parkrun sets off at 9am.

Ambassadors will be there to greet you and accompany you on the 5k course.

Afterwards, everyone gathers for a coffee on the grassy bank in front of the café to share their experiences.

Free registration is necessary at: 5kyourway.org/register and with parkrun to get your barcode at: parkrun.org.uk/register Further information on the event can be obtained on the Facebook page Royal Tunbridge Wells 5k Your Way, Move Against Cancer

SOCIAL & FUN A past event with local Olympian Dame Kelly Holmes (centre with the Pickering Cancer Centre’s Polly Taylor)

Charity calls for the town’s movers and shakers to take on new 5K park challenge THE cancer support group which runs in conjunction with parkrun makes its return to Tunbridge Wells next weekend.

5K Your Way comes back to Dunorlan Park on August 28 to promote the benefits of exercise to cancer patients and survivors.

The free event will recur every last Saturday in the month after that.

There is no pressure to run the whole two laps of the park, and participants are free to run, jog, walk or stroll.

Whether you are living with or beyond cancer, or family or friends are affected, or you are someone working in cancer services, all are welcome.

Benefits Rema Jyothirmayi, Clinical Consultant Oncologist at Maidstone & Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust, supports this initiative alongside her ambassadors Lyndsay Holmwood, Richie and Aly Thomas and Vikki Cook.

Dr Jyothirmayi and her ambassadors are passionate about promoting exercise because it has enormous benefits for people living with and beyond cancer.

Exercise reduces cancer fatigue, helps preserve cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness, improves psychological wellbeing, and may reduce the risk of cancer recurrence.

Most importantly, it is social and fun, which has been shown to reduce stress and impact survival prospects.

RUN, WALK OR STROLL Participation, and how far you go, is completely flexible

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Wednesday August 18 | 2021

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Community News

NEWS

11

Go nuts for ginger with a new social event to support those having cancer treatment

By Daisy Rich-Overall

Local young bookworms encouraged to take up a summer reading challenge A NEW summer reading challenge has been launched to improve children’s wellbeing.

The town’s shopping centre, Royal Victoria Place, has partnered with the National Literacy Trust to launch a summer reading campaign to benefit young people.

New research has revealed that almost half of children (45.1 per cent) in the South East say reading makes them feel better.

The ‘Read More, Feel Better’ campaign aims to help children within the community to read for fun over their summer holidays.

With the disruption of school and extracurricular activities, many children have reported an impact on their educational progress and their mental health.

Effective Jonathan Douglas, Chief Executive of the National Literacy Trust, said that the campaign helps ‘support children’s wellbeing, [and] ensures their continued literary development’.

The Lancet medical journal published that 54.2 per cent of 11-16 year olds with potential mental health problems said the lockdown made their lives worse.

Meanwhile, more than a quarter of children and

young people (aged between 5 and 22) reported disrupted sleep, and one in ten often or always felt lonely.

As there has been an increase in reported cases of mental health problems in children since the pandemic, reading could form the solution.

Research at the University of Sussex by Dr David Lewis has shown that reading for as little as six minutes a day can reduce stress levels by 60 per cent. The activity can be more effective than listening to music, drinking a cup of tea, going for walks or playing video games.

The National Literacy Trust website offers a selection of tips to help parents create the best reading environment for their children and offers book recommendations.

The Young Readers Programme will deliver the campaign, which is being run by Royal Victoria Place’s owner, British Land, in partnership with the Trust.

Nicky Blanchard, centre manager at Royal Victoria Place, aims to support parents over the summer holidays and ‘highlight how doing little things can have such a positive impact’.

The centre has also donated 100 books to Nourish Community Food Bank as part of the campaign.

Find out more about the campaign and The Young Readers Programme at: literacytrust.org.uk

CANCER SUPPORT UK is launching a fresh event this September to help fund special kits for people undergoing treatment for the disease.

A Big Ginger Social is a self-hosted event that anyone, anywhere, can run, in any way they like throughout September.

People who would like to take part can raise money through guest donations, event tickets, baking and drink sales, event raffles and more.

Soothe The charity offers Cancer Kits, Chemo Kits and Kids’ Kits, which they supply for free.

They include practical items for people receiving cancer treatment and are available for yourself or a friend.

People who themselves have been through cancer design the kits, which can help to make gruelling treatment more bearable.

The theme of the new event is all things ginger as the charity includes ginger teabags in their Cancer and Chemo Kits. The plant can soothe the common discomfort of nausea that many patients undergoing cancer treatment experience.

A study in 2012 announced that adding ginger to standard anti-nausea medicines reduced

nausea in breast cancer patients after chemotherapy.

The charity is looking for people to get creative with this ginger theme and develop their unique spin on it, all in aid of people with cancer.

The CEO of Cancer Support UK, Gemma Holding, said: “There is so much creativity being applied to the gingertheme.”

She continued: “One of our supporters has even dyed her hair ginger to promote her upcoming Big Ginger Social!”

Ms Holding added that people have been sending the charity their ideas for their upcoming socials ‘from community groups making their own cocktails with ginger beer to street parties that

display our colourful bunting between lamp posts’.

The charity will send you a Big Ginger Social fundraising pack which comes with everything you need to throw a creative event in any way you choose.

Funds raised through a Big Ginger Social event will help fund the delivery of more Cancer Kits to children and adults undergoing treatment.

Every £25 raised will help the charity send a kit to anyone in need of them.

For more information on how to bring family, friends or work colleagues together for this new fundraising event, please visit: cancersupportuk.org/ginger

12

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National News

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Wednesday August 18 | 2021

Foreign Secretary admits UK government Student tells of ‘caught by surprise’ by Taliban takeover Taliban escape DOMINIC Raab has admitted the UK Government did not see the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan coming, following reports he was on holiday when the militant group entered Kabul.

The Foreign Secretary was relaxing on a beach on the Greek island of Crete on Sunday as the situation in the Afghan capital deteriorated, according to the Daily Telegraph, and he reportedly flew back on Sunday night.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday he said several nations were ‘caught off-guard’ by the quick and hostile nature of the Taliban’s takeover, which has prompted Afghans to flee the country.

He added British intelligence had been tracking what was happening on the ground in Afghanistan ‘very carefully’ after the United States decided to reduce its troops in the country.

Dynamics Mr Raab said: “The truth is, across the world, people were caught by surprise. I haven’t spoken to an international interlocutor, including countries in the region over the last week, who hasn’t been surprised.

“We saw a very swift change in the dynamics, and of course this has been part and parcel of the withdrawal of Western troops, but it has also been the way and the approach of the Taliban.

“Of course it’s been a test for the Afghan security forces. All of those factors have been very fluid. But no one saw this coming. Of course we would have taken action if we had.”

He defended his decision to return from his holiday when he did, adding he arrived back in the UK ‘as soon as the situation deteriorated and demanded it’.

Later on Tuesday, Mr Raab admitted to news channels that Britain had thought the Taliban would attempt to move in the autumn.

A BRITISH student who travelled to Afghanistan on holiday and was forced into hiding by the advance of the Taliban has spoken of his evacuation to Dubai.

Loughborough University student Miles Routledge, 21, received widespread attention and criticism on social media after he travelled to the country on a planned trip last week despite the extremist group’s gains in the nation.

In his visit to Afghanistan he had posed for a photo with what he believed was a military machine gun after speaking to soldiers on a trip outside of Kabul.

Shortly afterwards, however, Mr Routledge said he had seen dead bodies in the streets around the capital as violence escalated.

On Tuesday he told followers that he had got a place on a list for evacuation from Kabul, and hours later posted a video of himself and dozens of others landing in what he described as a British Army plane.

“The happy ending: landed in Dubai thanks to the brilliant people at the British army. All safe!” he wrote.

FLEEING British citizens and dual nationals residing in Afghanistan getting on an RAF plane Asked if he would sit down with his counterpart in a Taliban government, the Foreign Secretary said it would not happen ‘for the foreseeable future’ but added there has always been some form of communication between Britain and the militant group.

He said: “We’ve always had dialogue of some sort, either indirectly through third parties, or through the Taliban’s political commission in Doha.

“It is important to be able to engage at least in some shape or form to test and to exert as much influence as we credibly, realistically can, and also to try and hold the Taliban to account to the new commitments they made.”

Around 900 armed forces are in Afghanistan helping to bring UK nationals home and secure

the safety of selected Afghans.

Mr Raab said 150 British nationals were flown out on Sunday while 289 Afghan nationals were taken out last week. A further 350 British and Afghans will be taken out of the country in the next 24 hours.

The Prime Minister is expected to announce a ‘bespoke’ resettlement scheme to allow fleeing Afghans to set-up home in the UK shortly. The concept could be similar to that used to take in Syrian refugees in 2015, which saw women with children, people with serious medical conditions and survivors of torture prioritised.

Mr Raab said he was unable to confirm how many refugees would be coming to the UK from Afghanistan but added it was ‘right’ to consider a bespoke process for Afghan nationals.

ESCAPE Miles Routledge

Geronimo wins temporary reprieve following new High Court hearing THE alpaca who faces being destroyed because the Government says he has bovine TB will live another day after an urgent High Court hearing was adjourned.

Geronimo has twice tested positive for bovine tuberculosis and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has ordered his destruction.

His owner Helen Macdonald, who imported him from New Zealand, believes the tests are returning false positives, but has been refused permission to have him tested a third time.

Earlier this month she lost her final appeal to save her beloved pet at the High Court in London and a warrant was signed for his destruction.

Ms Macdonald, who owns a farm at Wickwar, South Gloucestershire, has received an outpouring of support from the public, with more than 130,000 people signing a petition calling on Boris Johnson to halt the killing.

On Tuesday, an urgent application for a temporary injunction to halt the enforcement of the destruction order was considered by Mrs Justice Stacey at the High Court in London.

However, the judge said she would need further information from Ms Macdonald and from Government lawyers before she could make her decision, and said she will resume the hearing on Wednesday afternoon.

Ms Macdonald’s lawyers told the court Geronimo first tested positive for bovine tuberculosis in September 2017 and has been in isolation since.

Catrin McGahey QC told the court that, although Defra argued in previous hearings that there was a “residual risk” to other animals, the agency has also agreed that Ms Macdonald’s bio-security arrangements are “impeccable”.

She said it had come to light following the

publicity resulting from Ms Macdonald’s case that other animals who have been subjected to the same testing regime as Geronimo have later showed no signs of the disease after being euthanised.

Ms McGahey said: “The only issue is whether the defendants should have disclosed the fact that they had in their possession evidence that other camelids who had been subjected to repeated priming had gone on to test positive in Enferplex tests, and that there had been no sign of bovine tuberculosis on post-mortem examination.”

HOPE Geronimo and its owner Helen Macdonald

Speculation The barrister said the publicity had led the Daily Mail to find the owners of nine other camelids who were tested under the same regime, whose animals showed no signs of the disease after slaughter.

She told the court: “That information absolutely should have been before the two (previous) judges.

“We don’t know if there are more than nine camelids … what we do know is that Defra holds this information.”

Ned Westaway, for Defra and the Animal and Plant Health Agency, said Ms Macdonald has no right of appeal against the last High Court decision, and that this latest court bid was based on ‘speculation’ in a newspaper article.

He said: “The applicant has lost repeatedly in this case, in my submission this is a case that has come very much to the end of the road.”

Mr Westaway added: “The suggestion of material non-disclosure is, frankly, unfounded.”

At one stage Mr Westaway said there was “no smoking gun” in the Daily Mail article, to which

the judge responded: “I’m not sure that is an appropriate metaphor, given the subject.”

The judge said she would like Ms Macdonald’s lawyers to decide what evidence they wish Defra to produce and a time estimate of how long that may take before she reaches her decision on whether to grant the injunction.

Mr Westaway said Defra will not execute the warrant until this issue is resolved.

The judge said the delay for that further information to be obtained was no indication of her ultimate decision, which will be made following another hearing at 3.30pm on Wednesday.

She added: “In saying that, please do not take it as any indication one way or another. I am undecided as to whether the application for interim relief should succeed, should not succeed, or is totally without merit.”

If the judge refuses the application, Defra will be able to slaughter Geronimo as there is no further right of appeal for Ms Macdonald.

If she grants the application, he will survive until a further hearing can be held which is likely to determine whether there was a material non-disclosure on Defra’s part in the earlier proceedings and whether the case should be reopened.

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Wednesday August 18 | 2021

National News

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13

Children could be jabbed as Moderna vaccine wins approval for over 12s THE Moderna coronavirus vaccine has been approved for use in children aged 12 and over by the UK medical watchdog.

It is the second Covid-19 jab authorised for those aged between 12 and 17, after the Pfizer vaccine.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said that it is up to the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) to advise the Government on whether children in this age group should be given the Moderna jab.

The MHRA said that the jab – also known as the Spikevax vaccine – is ‘safe and effective in this age group’.

Effective At present, some children aged 12 to 15 are only offered the Pfizer Covid-19 jab if they are considered to be clinically vulnerable.

This week it was announced that all 16 and 17-year-olds in England will be offered the chance to book in for their first jab before August 23.

Dr June Raine, MHRA chief executive, said: “I am pleased to confirm that that the Covid-19 vaccine made by Moderna has now been authorised in 12 to 17-year-olds. The vaccine is safe and effective in this age group.

“We have in place a comprehensive safety surveillance strategy for monitoring the safety of all UK-approved Covid-19 vaccines and this surveillance will include the 12 to 17-year age group.”

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “We welcome the news that Moderna’s vaccine has been approved as safe and effective for people aged 12 and over.

“As has been the case with all other approvals, we will now be guided by the independent Joint

Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation and have asked for its formal recommendation on whether to administer this vaccine to people aged 12 to 17.

“All young people aged 16 to 17, clinically vulnerable children aged 12 to 15 and people who live with adults who are immunosuppressed will be offered a first dose of a Pfizer jab by Monday 23 August.”

There has been much speculation as to whether the vaccination programme will be extended to include all children aged 12 and over.

Other countries have successfully been vaccinating children for some time, but the UK has taken a more cautious approach to routinely offering the jab to younger children.

Vaccination experts have said that they will await more data before issuing advice to ministers.

Officials have only recently confirmed that 16 and 17-year-olds will be able to get the Pfizer vaccine.

The target of a first dose by August 23 will mean that they have built up some level of protection before the school year starts in September.

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New Zealand Thousands flee enters lockdown fires in France

Teen charged with murder

NEW Zealand’s government has taken drastic action by putting the entire nation into a strict lockdown for at least three days after finding just one case of Covid-19 infection in the entire country.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern invoked some of the stirring rhetoric she used early in the pandemic by urging the ‘team of five million’ – New Zealand’s population – to go hard and early in trying to eliminate the latest outbreak.

A 14-YEAR-OLD boy has appeared in court charged with stabbing a father to death outside his own home.

James Markham, 45, was attacked in Churchill Terrace, Chingford, east London, after confronting a group of teenagers who had verbally abused his daughter and her friend, the Old Bailey heard.

The court heard that Mr Markham had returned home at about 6pm on August 9 and went out to a shed at the rear of his home.

Louise Oakley, defending, said Mr Markham’s daughter then arrived home with a friend after being verbally abused by a “gang of youths” who were shouting and swearing.

Chance “We have seen what happens elsewhere if we fail to get on top of it,” Ms Ardern said. “We only get one chance.”

She said Auckland, where the infected man lives, and Coromandel, where he had visited, would go into a full lockdown for seven days and the remainder of the country for three days while health experts tried to find the source of his infection.

The developments prompted people to line up outside supermarkets to stock up on essential items and sparked a sharp drop in the value of the New Zealand dollar.

HUNDREDS of firefighters are tackling a fire racing through forests near the French Riviera that has forced the evacuation of thousands of people from homes and tourist spots.

Two firefighters have been injured in the blaze that started on Monday evening inland from the coastal city of Toulon, civil security service spokesman Alexandre Jouassard said.

Winds Fuelled by powerful Mediterranean winds, the fire had consumed some 5,000 hectares (12,000 acres) of forest by Tuesday morning, according to the administration for the surrounding Var region.

Some 6,000 people have been evacuated from homes in the region and a dozen campgrounds, and tourists were locked down in a holiday centre for Air France employees.

Backed by water-dumping planes and helicopters, more than 900 firefighters worked on Tuesday to contain the blaze, the civil security service said.

Fierce forest fires have swept across southern Europe and North Africa in recent weeks.

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Fatal Mr Markham went out to confront the gang and was stabbed twice, once under his armpit – which was the fatal injury – and in the neck, Ms Oakley said.

He was pronounced dead at 7.16pm.

The 14-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared by videolink on Tuesday and is charged with murder.

A plea hearing was set for November 2 at the Old Bailey.

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Education News

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Wednesday August 18 | 2021

EDUCATION Times Schools secure record GCSE results following a year of ‘huge disruptions’

By Richard Williams A RECORD number of pupils received top marks in their GCSEs as results were revealed last week.

As with A-levels released earlier this month, the GCSEs announced on Thursday [August 12] were graded by teachers and not exam boards.

Due to the varying impact of the pandemic, the Government has also not published this year’s results for any schools or colleges.

Despite this, official figures show the proportion of GCSE UK entries awarded at least a 7 or an A grade has surged to a record high 28.9 per cent after results were determined by teachers amid cancelled exams due to the pandemic.

Independents saw the largest increase in the top grades compared with other types of schools and colleges – up four percentage points on last year.

‘The results this year represent a significant success for students after 18 months of disruption to their normal learning routines’ Ofqual figures show that 61.2 per cent of GCSE entries from private schools in England achieved a grade 7 or above this year, compared to 28.1 per cent of state academies – which the majority of secondary school pupils attend, a gap of 33.1 percentage points.

However, local independent schools said despite the ‘understandable controversy’ students had worked ‘exceptionally hard’ to achieve the marks they did.

Samantha Price, Headmistress of Benenden School in Cranbrook said: “Many congratulations to this year’s Upper Fifth who have achieved some excellent results – both collectively and on an individual basis, with every pupil fulfilling her potential.

“Nationally, there is some understandable controversy around the awarding of grades this year, and this was always going to be the case, but I would like to reassure our students that they have thoroughly earned their GCSE results.

“They have worked exceptionally hard in extraordinary circumstances, and I have been very impressed at their commitment and determination.

“They have certainly been helped by the fact that we were in the fortunate position of being able to continue with every lesson throughout the pandemic thanks to our teachers’

wonderful efforts to provide online learning, and as a school we are very proud of this achievement.”

At local state schools, headteachers also congratulated their pupils who had to overcome ‘huge disruptions’.

Headteacher at Crowborough’s Beacon Academy Anna Robinson, congratulated students on behalf of all of the staff and trustees and added: “I am extremely proud of this inspiring year group and the excellent progress that each of them has made over the past five years with us.

Accomodation “Despite the huge disruptions, swathed in so many uncertainties that have been faced nationally by outgoing Year 11 and Year 13 students over the past academic year, and having to complete much of their GCSE course during three national lockdowns, our students have remained calm, mature, receptive and resilient - they have all coped so admirably.

“Collectively and individually, they have all done tremendously well - they are all brilliant young people with bright futures ahead of them and I hope that they feel as proud of all that they have achieved as we do of them.”

Principal Sean McQuillan at St Gregory’s Catholic School in Tunbridge Wells added: “The results this year represent a significant success for students after 18 months of disruption to their normal learning routines.

“In spite of this our students have shown exceptional resilience and determination and I am very proud of their achievements.”

TOP OF THE CLASS Caitlin Chiu and Carlotta Wright from Benenden School achieved 22 Level 9 grades between them

ALL SMILES Pupils at Beacon Academy last week and [bottom] Beacon boys celebrating their results

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16

NEWS

Weekly Comment

FOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT: timeslocalnews.co.uk

Rt Revd Simon Burton-Jones Bishop of Tonbridge

Wednesday August 18 | 2021

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

Loneliness kills so we need to remove the stigma around it IT’S proving a long struggle, but we are finding a new openness about our mental health.

There is something generational about this, with younger people mustering strength to be more confessional and expecting to be taken seriously – unlike older people, whose workplaces have been less forgiving and wrapped in elliptical terms like ‘mental breakdown’.

But what about loneliness? Its experience is acute, considered to be like smoking fifteen cigarettes a day, creating greater risk of heart disease, cancer and dementia later in life.

Part of the problem in dealing effectively with Covid is the struggle to compute the longer-term effects on health of sustained periods of lockdown.

Failure Its enforcement this last year slowed the rate of transmission but increased a range of social and economic problems that will eventually find their way into epidemiological calculations.

Put simply, loneliness kills too. And it’s a killer to experience day by day.

Like with mental illness, with which it can, inevitably, overlap, loneliness carries with it a misplaced stigma.

People are reluctant to admit to it because it is assumed to be some kind of failure – an

indication that friends can’t be made and that this might be because we are unworthy or unpleasant.

This radical focus on the individual ignores the context in which loneliness emerges.

Bereavement and illness are especially common factors in older people.

Economic systems that value flexible labour supplies uproot people from their communities, planting them where they know no-one, but

depriving them of the time needed to invest in new friendships.

Housing markets that price out first-time buyers and laws that land heavily on tenants mean younger people are on the move from one house to another in short order, unable to put down roots and involve themselves in local life.

The Office for National Statistics has shown the loneliest age group to be 18-24 in the UK. Hannah Arendt, the acutest observer of

totalitarianism, was first to write about the link between loneliness and political intolerance.

Since then, research has been done to show how loneliness is a driver of populism. Those who get involved in local bodies and associations are less likely to vote for populist or extreme parties, while those who tell pollsters they rely on themselves and not on other people or community groups are more likely to.

Kindest Extremists, as well as populists, are attuned to these effects and offer spurious, excluding forms of community to vulnerable people.

Of course, most people who are lonely deeply resist these forms of politics, but the effects of the pandemic, coupled with rapid urbanisation across the world, poses several public policy challenges.

One of the smartest and kindest responses coming out of the pandemic is to give undivided attention to those whose loneliness has deepened in lockdown and those living alone who have been deprived of their usual community: Blessed are the lonely, for they shall know the love of God. Jesus didn’t actually say that, but I pray it may be true.

Advertise with us...

Times of Tunbridge Wells Largest circulated newspaper in the area Out every Wednesday Total weekly reach 57,000+

01892 779 580 or email advertising@onemediauk.co.uk

LOCAL NEWSPAPERS

Wednesday August 18 | 2021

FOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT: timeslocalnews.co.uk

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

ABANDONED The site has been empty for 20 years

civic buildings project, does he mean we, the Labour party because, if he does, he flatters himself. This project failed because the public opposed it; a majority of councillors merely reflected the sentiment - rightly so.

Edward Baker Tunbridge Wells

It’s drivers we need not training

‘cost of carry’.

Earlier this year we were advised that they were considering the necessary legislation along with other suggestions to prevent land banking. Hopefully some of these will be pursued and prove effective.

The Council meets with the owners at every opportunity to explore solutions and press for development.

The owner continues to actively work on their options, but their need for a positive return on their investment remains.

Of course, we have made the point that this is a key town centre site, it is presently a blight on the town and residents are impatient to see a development that will enhance the town.

We are equally aware that this saga has dragged on for so long that nobody is going to believe anything is happening until work is evidently underway.

But I am persistent, a characteristic I share with Tom Dawlings, our Leader, and you can be assured we will continue to badger away on this matter.

Cllr David Scott, Deputy Leader Tunbridge Wells Borough Council

Thank you people of Tunbridge Wells

There’s big money in charity

I would like to pass on my thanks to people who stopped to help me recently when I fell backwards on the steps of Tunbridge Wells High Street and was bleeding quite a lot from cuts to my head. It was a hot day and one man stood with an umbrella keeping me in shade whilst a women got some water and dampened my lips and face; several shop staff came with cushions for my back and head, others with tissues, a bottle of water and the offer of chairs.

Chairs were even provided by a bar for use to reserve space for an ambulance which someone had called for.

Several people stayed until it arrived some 40 minutes later.

Through your paper I hope they can learn how thankful I was for their care. Many people in Tunbridge Wells really are very, very kind.

June Elliott Tunbridge Wells

You write that Fusion Leisure has agreed to run TWBC’s sports centres – well, that’s big of them!

Fusion Leisure is a registered charity and, like many others I’m sure, I imagined this was a hand-to-mouth affair dependent on the generosity of people; think again, the 2019 accounts show an income of over £86million with four employees earning between £110,000 and £180,000 per annum.

The bulk of the income, save £720,000, comes from the centres’ fees, memberships etc.

Charities are big business.

John Ward Moorhouse Tunbridge Wells

We need an effective opposition The response from James Tansley to my call for the retention of the existing number of borough

PEPPY SAYS...

We all despair about the cinema site, and while I love ideas, they must be feasible and sustainable from economic, legal, environmental, social and heritage aspects.

Over many years there have been many repeated and exasperated attempts to do something about the site but with little meaningful progress.

Attempts have been made to buy it, to encourage development, to agree flexible plans to suit the town and owners, etc.

The only outcome is an approved planning application, but so far, no development.

So what is the problem? Site development is costly and will only proceed if the developer is sure they will get a return on their money, otherwise they stop.

Delays continue when the ‘cost of carry’ (not developing), is less than the risks and costs of the project. The key risks are obvious including Covid, changes to high street shopping, reduced income and liquidity, the non-development of other attractions, etc.

Last autumn Greg Clark MP put forward to the Treasury, a suggestion I made, – that developers should be required to pay business rates on land holdings – this will increase the

Mark Ellis’ reply (Letters, August 11) to my previous letter on waste collection made me smile as he did what politicians always do: impute a sentiment to a critic that has nothing to do with the criticism, in this instance he suggests that I am in favour of ‘throwing everything into landfill’.

Yes, but wouldn’t that involve vehicles and drivers, and drivers is what we ain’t got councillor.

He claims expert knowledge on the matter because he’s written programs for HGV drivers: JAUPT and DSA; he assumes we all know what these are, but I did look them up.

JAUPT is an on-line training course for drivers and DSA, also on-line, is short for Data Structures Analysis – no, me neither.

So neither of these courses actually put drivers behind the wheel or on the road. It’s the bodies we’re short of councillor.

Ralph Steerpike Tunbridge Wells

councillors in Tunbridge Wells requires a reply.

Of course, dialogue is a two-way process between the councillor and their community, as Mr Tansley points out.

However, his critique is undermined as it is really the ineffective performance of some Tory councillors over recent years he is highlighting in his letter.

In fact, the ability of opposition parties to mount a successful combined challenge and hold these councillors to account by stealth on an annual basis meant that we were able to overturn the Calverley Square proposals.

Further points supporting this can be found in the op-ed piece in the Times on August 11 by my Labour colleague Hugo Pound.

My outreach on local issues on a cross-party basis continues. I have been talking to Go Coach about a potential bus service linking up High Brooms and the new civic centre, GP surgery and library in Southborough Town Centre.

Another priority is for urgent cycle path and footpath repairs; new benches for the Oak Road doorstep green; and an upgrade to the BMX bike track at Colebrook Recreation Grounds built in 2005, potentially to become a modern Pump Track.

This could be linked up with cycle lanes and new signs to Sherwood Lakes, Knights Park via North Farm Lane, and Barnett’s Wood in High Brooms. There is huge potential here following the fantastic UK success in BMX racing at the Tokyo Olympics this year.

Dr Alan Bullion Lib Dem Southborough Town Councillor

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

What the Council is doing about the cinema site

The public cancelled Calverley Square When Hugo Pound (Labour councillor) writes in opposing an all out election process: ‘we would have been unable to stop a project which did not have public support’ – the Calverley grounds

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Homes & Interiors

Wednesday August 18 | 2021

Interiors

Chill out

Make your home a relaxing place Page 22

19

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Wednesday August 18 | 2021

21

Are you a cowboy customer?

Why you may be making business tougher for tradespeople, and more expensive for all of us

Property Focus

As spending on home improvements soars, tradespeople admit some clients can cause problems. Lisa Salmon finds out more

W

E’VE all heard about cowboy builders who do shoddy or overpriced work for unsuspecting householders.

But have you ever considered that sometimes, the boot might be on the other foot and there might be cowboy customers too – and you could be one of them?

Research by Powered Now (powerednow. com), a mobile invoicing, quotation and admin app for tradespeople, has found that at a time when spending on home improvements has soared (their research reveals spending has increased by nearly 30% year-on-year during the pandemic) tradespeople – including builders, electricians and plumbers – are having problems with some customers that result in small, often one-man, businesses “being swindled out of vast sums”, according to the app.

Ben Dyer, founder of Powered Now, explains that ‘cowboy customers’ can damage tradespeople’s businesses by doing things like paying late, being out when tradespeople turn up to give a quote or even do work, or unfairly criticising completed work in a bid to get money knocked off the price. “We hear from tradespeople on a daily basis that they’re frustrated by the hoops they

have to leap through in order to receive their fair payment,” he says.

The Federation of Master Builders (FMB; fmb.org.uk) points out that during the pandemic, many tradespeople have found it difficult to buy building materials, and prices have risen because of global shortages. In addition, there are serious labour shortages because of tradespeople catching the virus, or having to self-isolate after being pinged by Test & Trace. As a result, the FMB says it’s become much harder for tradespeople to accurately prepare for and price jobs – so the last thing they need is for customers to make their job even harder with unfair criticism, late payments and other cowboy customer behaviour.

The FMB has advised its members to stay in regular communication with customers, and ‘be open and honest about the situation you (and the whole industry) is facing finding materials.’

“The key to a successful building project is open, two-way communication between the builder and their client,” stresses FMB chief executive Brian Berry. “Cowboy customers can lead to lost time and earnings for builders, and added stress.

However, if customers are realistic about their budgets, have clear ideas about what they want, and

ASK THE EXPERTS Brian Berry (top left) and Ben Dyer

For completed work, it can cause cashflow problems if you complain

are willing to listen to advice, the relationship should be smooth.”

Cowboy customer behaviour can include…

1. ASKING FOR QUOTES YOU’VE NO INTENTION OF TAKING UP While it’s wise to get a few quotes to make sure you’re going to be charged a fair price for work, some householders ask tradespeople to take the time to come to their home to quote for jobs without ever intending to use them, and Powered Now estimates more than five million householders have done this, costing UK tradespeople a total of between £776m to £1.75bn of revenue.

“While we recommend customers seek more than one quote before starting a job, be sensible about how many you ask if you’re not intending to act on them,” advises Berry. “Also, be patient; good quotes can’t be prepared overnight.”

2. FORGETTING APPOINTMENTS If a householder makes an appointment with a tradesperson to either come and give them a quote, or actually do the work, and then forgets and goes out, they’ll probably just apologise (hopefully) and rearrange the appointment for another time. But for the tradesperson, time is money, and that wasted time could’ve been spent doing another job. Powered Now calculates more than two million (2,496,000) Brits have forgotten about an appointment and been out when the tradesperson has arrived.

And as the backlog for many builders to start work is currently an average of three months, customers who waste tradespeople’s time by forgetting appointments are simply adding to that backlog.

That said, many homeowners may take the view that at least some tradespeople deserve a taste of their own medicine – research by

Ratedpeople (ratedpeople.com), the trusted tradespeople finder, has found more than half of homeowners (53.7%) are annoyed when tradespeople don’t turn up as arranged, and over a third say tradespeople being late is one of the most irritating trade habits.

3. UNFAIR CRITICISM If work’s not done properly, you should – of course – complain to the tradesperson who’s done it.

However, sometimes, complaints are made so householders can wangle some money off their bill, says Powered Now. Its research estimates over a million (1,282,000) British householders have unfairly criticised home improvement work in an unscrupulous bid to get a discount.

4. LATE PAYMENT Not only do tradespeople need to earn money to live, they need money to pay for materials they use and staff they employ, so if customers are late paying for completed work, it can cause a tradesperson major cashflow problems – particularly if it’s a hefty bill from a small business.

Certainly, the Ratedpeople research found a fifth of tradespeople think late payment, or not receiving the agreed amount for the job is, at the very least, annoying.

The Powered Now research calculates 1,743,000 Brits have delayed payment to a tradesperson – not just because they’re disorganised or forgetful, but to try to negotiate a lower price.

5. UNFAIR REVIEWS Along with unfair criticism, some householders may threaten to put unfair or even untruthful reviews on review sites in a bid to secure a lower price for work. These websites do their best to investigate suspicious reviews and prevent them – but that may not stop customers from threatening to post them.

22

Homes & Interiors

Wednesday August 18 | 2021

Reclaim your home:

How to fall back in love with your space so it feels like a sanctuary again From tactile textures to sink-in sofas, serene scents to calming colour palettes, Sam Wylie-Harris shares some expert tips

Homes & Interiors

Wednesday August 18 | 2021

23

ABBON TALL STORAGE CABINET

SORAYA CUSHION

BERWICK THROW

A

LOOKS GOOD, FEELS BETTER grains offer a homely, crafted feel,” says Nicky Fernsby 3-Seater Sofa, Silver Recycled Weave Line. “New from MADE and designed by Andy

by Busetti Garuti Redaelli, £2,599 (other Boyce, Abbon has been created to engage items from a selection), curiosity and trigger a desire to MADE.com touch, for a real connection to “Is there anything more natural materials and handcraft inviting than the ultimate that’s sure to ground the soul.” sink-in sofa? MADE is bringing Above, see the Abbon Tall Storage comfort and quality to the Cabinet, Textured Charcoal forefront with its new Fernsby Washed Oak, £749, MADE.com Sofa, complete with extra softness, a plump feather filling SENSUAL HEALING and sustainable materials.

EYM Scented Candle, The Designed in collaboration Grounding One (220g), £39, with Italian trio Busetti Garuti MADE.com Redaelli and made in the UK, “Scents can instantly transform Fernsby is a modular sofa the mood of a space, stimulating made for luxurious the senses and bringing lounging, and therapeutic qualities. Unsure flexing to what to go for? A favourite brand suit any of mine, EYM Naturals, produces size of living 100 per cent natural soy candles John Lewis & Partners Luxe and diffusers aimed to harness space.”

Berber Style Rug Handwoven the power of aromatherapy,” says by artisans in India, we love the Nicky Line. “Try the brand’s The Grounding Soraya Cushion seen above (£119, One candle or diffuser, which help restore inner £101 Soho Home Members, Soho balance while relieving anxiety through its blend Home). of rose, geranium and chamomile essential oils.”

“Added to that, layering is key for Alternatively, check out Jo Malone’s cocooning, so it’s time to add tactile Townhouse Diffuser collection, available in throws and textural cushions,” says Wild Berry & Bramble, Fresh Fig & Cassis, and Nicky Line. “Mix everything from bouclé Lilac Lavender & Lovage (350ml), £120 each, Jo and velvet, to linen and cotton to keep the Malone. Deluxe and ever so deserving. senses occupied.”

“Take it one step further and indulge in a spa Inspired by her love of pattern, Orla treatment at home. It’s universally accepted Kiely’s latest furniture collection that technology can play havoc when it comes COLOUR YOURSELF CALM features four new ranges, including to our mental wellbeing, so set up a screen-free Made x Lick Paint, White 02, the Laurel Small Sofa, available in a zone, add some soft mood lighting and dedicate £38 for 2.5l, MADE.com range of colourways, with an array it to some self-care rituals. Think a face mask, “Homes have the power to keep us of scatter cushions in signature Orla meditation space, or even an at-home beauty Jo Malone feeling happy and healthy if harnessed Kiely designs (from £1,085, Barker and treatment from the likes of wellness app, Urban Townhouse well. An easy place to start is the colour Stonehouse).

Massage. Nothing says Diffuser palette. Colour yourself calm with neutral Right on trend and made from comfort like a pre-bedtime tones, without overstimulating the senses. It’s pearl-coloured pamper,” says Nicky Line. amazing the difference some light furniture and Australian and upholstery can have, or for a lower cost but still New Zealand curly Berwick Throw, Ivory, large spatial impact, opt for an off-white paint or sheepskin, imagine £350, The White Company Berber (Moroccan) style rug.” sinking into the This knitted throw from John Lewis & Partners Luxe Berber Style Sheepskin Chair below Peru will leave you relaxed Rug, Brown/Beige (l 230 x w 160cm) £349, (£1,100, The White and ready to snuggle up John Lewis Company). in it. Made from the finest “Also, try to bring in a bit of contrast with warm, “Don’t forget timber alpaca wool blend, you’ll be neutral accessories and textiles, in particular pieces too; carved cosy and contented, with all earthy tones that are muted and grounding.” woods and exposed bases covered.

EYM Scented Candle S the old adage goes, home is where the heart is. And as we attempt to get back into the ‘normal’ swing of things, we are realising that our work-life balance is more important than ever – craving creature comforts just as much as we’re craving freedom, Our social calendars may have been filling up at a rate of knots as lockdown restrictions ease, but we’re still feeling emotionally connected to our sanctuaries – our homes.

According to a recent survey by online home lifestyle brand MADE.com, who polled 1,000 UK adults, more than a third (38 per cent) say they’re already feeling the burnout from increased social activities, and almost half (48 per cent) want to slow down their schedule compared with pre-pandemic life.

Nearly 60 per cent of those surveyed say they value their home now more than ever before, compared to 36 per cent when MADE asked the same question at the end of 2020. More than a third (38 per cent) also plan to spend more time at home than they did prior to the pandemic.

With this in mind, and an overwhelming majority (86 per cent) wanting their home to be a place of sanctuary and relaxation once again, we’ve enlisted the help of Nicky Line, the brand’s product and sourcing director, to share a few simple tips to help promote wellbeing within your own four walls…

SNUGGLE UP in comfort and style on the Fernsby 3-Seater Sofa

SHEEPSKIN CHAIR

MADE X LICK PAINT, WHITE

ORLA KIELY LAUREL SMALL SOFA & CUSHIONS

24

Recruitment

Wednesday August 18 | 2021

RECRUITMENT

Recruit

with the Times...

Largest circulated newspaper in the area Out every Wednesday Total weekly reach 57,000+

Times of Tunbridge Wells 01892 779 580 or email advertising@onemediauk.co.uk

We are looking for a Gardener for a private household with 57 acres where the duties will include but not limited to the following: Planting new trees, flowers and various plants Maintaining flower beds, shrubs roses & rose beds, hedges and natural woodland; n maintaining grass areas to include mowing, strimming, edging, and renovation tasks n Making sure that all garden equipment is correctly maintained and serviced n Clearing rubbish and litter away from the garden and grounds n Maintain garden paths in a clean and safe condition – including pressure washing, weeding and brooming. n Cleaning and maintaining all statues and garden features n Carry out pruning work, using ladders n Assisting with the minor landscape works You will be working as part of a team of 3 Estates hands. n n

Driving licence essential due to location.

Salary £18,000 Holiday entitlement 22 days + bank holidays.

PM

ltd

Commercial & Residential Property Management

Integra Property Management Causeway House, Chiddingstone Causeway, Tonbridge, Kent, TN11 8JP. Contact: Chantel Tester • 01246 223038 8 Chantel.tester@ipm-ltd.co.uk

LOCAL NEWSPAPERS

WE’RE RECRUITING!

Elite Leisure Collection, formally Markerstudy Leisure, is one of the region’s fastest growing group of companies consisting of five independently owned, award winning, ambitious brands employing over 80 staff. Due to continued growth and exciting new plans we are now recruiting for new superstars to join our teams based in Tunbridge Wells: RECEPTIONIST

Playing a vital role in the everyday operation of our Reception, you will be responsible for creating the first impression for all guests, by greeting them and making them feel welcome. This high profile role requires an excellent customer facing approach with exceptional levels of customer service.Your main focus will be to ensure customer satisfaction, directing guests to their conference or event, checking guests in and out of our accommodation and also managing a high level of email and telephone enquiries. Strong communication and organisation skills are essential.

PART-TIME SALES SUPPORT ASSISTANT (20HRS PER WEEK)

As part of media sales team, this is a results driven and varied sales support role that incorporates sales support and development, relationship management and sales administration. Working in both B2B and B2C sectors, you will support our existing successful sales team to manage/monitor new enquiries, process new contracts, liaise with existing clients whilst providing administrative support to our small but ambitious sales team. To be successful in this role you will need good verbal and written communication, computer literacy with strong administration skills and great attention to detail

CHEF DE PARTIE

An opportunity has arisen for a full-time experienced Chef de Partie to assist in the day to day running of our busy kitchens. The main responsibilities are to manage a section within the kitchen whilst ensuring cleanliness, stock control, organisation and high standards of the section.

You will ensure that all dishes are prepared and cooked according to the specific restaurant standards alongside keeping to the required cleaning schedule and that the cleaning tasks are delegated as appropriate. Previous experience of working in a similar venue/restaurant is required along with a creative passion for food and quality.

HOUSEKEEPER

Under the direction of the Housekeeping Manager and Supervisor, a Housekeeper aims to provide a high quality and efficient service in line with agreed standards of the venue operation, to be responsible for cleaning and tidying the bedrooms and public areas of the venue. The ideal candidate will have previous experience of housekeeping in a busy venue, the ability to work under pressure and a flexible attitude to accommodate customer needs through morning, evening and weekend work, according to venue occupancy.

To apply for any of the above roles please send a covering letter and CV to Lisa McVickers lisa.mcvickers@salomons-estate.com

2021 Christmas at Salomons Estate Tunbridge Wells BrEakFaST WiTh SanTa

SanTa aT SalOmOnS

Friday 24th December

Christmas means one thing, Santa is visiting Salomons Estate!

With presents for all the children why not come and visit Santa Claus and his Elves in our cosy grotto.

Enjoy a festive breakfast experience for the whole family, as Santa and his Elves host a breakfast feast at Salomons Estate.

Fun for all the family featuring Christmas colouring, our Christmas treasure trail with a free child’s hot chocolate & Gingerbread decorating.

£16.00

per person (adult or child)

19th, 20th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd December

Tables available between 8am-11am

Grotto slots available from 10am-5pm

Price includes full English and continental breakfast buffet with gift from Santa for every child.

£15.50

per child Adults free of charge

Booking can only be made online via our website.

ChriSTmaS Day hampEr Christmas Day Lunch prepared by our Executive Chef, delivered fresh to your door, from just

£23.33 per person

The stress free and tasty option for a Christmas feast at home!

A delicious 2 or 3 course traditional family Christmas lunch, for 6 people, supplied ready dressed and prepared for you to easily cook and serve at home.

Each course is supplied ready to cook with easy to follow instructions, leaving you to simply, serve and enjoy.

£140

for 2 courses for 6 people

£180

for 3 courses for 6 people

Collection from Salomons Estate or delivery* within a 5 mile radius on 24th December from 9am to 5pm. *Delivery is an additional £10.

ChriSTmaS Day lunCh

BOxing Day BrunCh

Saturday 25th December

Saturday 26th December

Sit back, relax and enjoy Christmas Day in the stunning surroundings of our picturesque estate. Let us take care of the hard work this Christmas, so you can enjoy your day with loved ones.

Enjoy a four course carvery, including tea/coffee and mini mince pie and a chocolate gift for all the family.

There’s no better way to wrap up your Festive celebrations than indulging in our luxury Boxing Day Brunch.

£85

per adult

£45

Available 10.30am-1pm

£14.50 per person

includes a mimosa and one dish from our brunch menu.

We look forward to seeing you this festive season!

per children aged 12 and under Tables available from 12pm-4pm

COUNTRY HOUSE

To book please email reservations@salomons-estate.com or call 01892 515152

Wednesday August 18 | 2021

Food & Culture

Literary giant Sebastian Faulkes on Chiddingstone Literary Festival Page 28

A sparkling success...

We pay a visit to The Blue Anchor which has won Pub of the Year Page 32

& h t l a e H g n i e b l l We TURE FEA

27

Food & Culture

arts

28

Wednesday August 18 | 2021

Join Chiddingstone’s culture club The Chiddingstone Castle Literary Festival has become a must-visit event for literary lovers since it was established in 2016. Eileen Leahy discovers who is talking at the next few events, the first of which is on tomorrow (August 19)

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HE Chiddingstone Literary Festival began in 2016 and for the past few years it has attracted a wealth of famous authors and journalists including Ian Banks, Chris Riddell, Kate Mosse, Lauren Child, Alexandra Shulman and Sir Terry Waite.

Pre-Covid it was held over three days in the glorious grounds of 16th-century Chiddingstone over the first May Bank Holiday weekend and attracted hundreds of visitors.

SUPERB SETTING The festival events are held in the castle grounds

“Book lovers will be treated to a series of renowned author talks and have the opportunity to picnic and purchase books” Last year, however, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the festival had to be cancelled as an in-person event and instead went totally online.

For 2021, organisers decided to do a series of talks over the summer months instead of hosting just one weekend, as that way numbers could stay lower TW_FINAL.pdf 1 15/06/2021 11:53 and literary lovers would have several

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Food & Culture

Wednesday August 18 | 2021

opportunities to hear their favourite authors and writers discuss their work.

“Book lovers will be treated to a series of renowned author talks and have the opportunity to picnic and purchase books,” say the event’s organisers.

“The author-led talks will take place in a large marquee set amidst the sprawling lawns, pretty gardens and woodland of Chiddingstone Castle. There will also be an opportunity to meet the authors.”

The 2021 event has a more fringe-style feel to it. The summer dates started in July with author Anne Sebba who hosted a talk on her biography of Ethel Rosenberg, the first woman in the US to be executed for a crime that wasn’t murder.

Faulks

Royal biographer Hugo Vickers and journalist Simon Heffer also spoke that evening, discussing the diaries of Henry ‘Chips’ Channon and Cecil Beaton. The event was chaired by James Lee with readings by actor Geoffrey Streatfeild.

A few weeks later, Amanda Owen – TV’s Yorkshire Shepherdess – hosted a talk on how she combines life on her farm with raising nine children alongside filming and writing.

Remarkable Ben MacIntyre has also appeared at the festival, discussing his book on the life of Agent Sonya; Lover, Mother, Soldier, Spy. Ticket-holders had the chance to hear the remarkable true story of World War II’s most extraordinary spy – Ursula Kuczynski Burton, who combined rural motherhood with being a spymaster, saboteur, bomb-maker and secret agent.

And now the third event in the Chiddingstone Literary Festival’s calendar takes place tomorrow evening (Thursday August 19).

Classicist and comedian Natalie Haynes will take to the stage, turning the spotlight on the remarkable women of Greek myths in her talk titled Pandora’s Jar, which runs from 5-6pm.

“Natalie will take the women of Greek myths, who are often sidelined, vilified, misunderstood, or ignored, and put them centre stage,” explains

“This year organisers have decided to do a series of talks over the summer months”

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fellow author and much-loved interviewer at Chiddingstone Literary Festival.

Later that day, from 4-5pm, Deborah Moggach – author of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel – unveils her new novel The Black Dress, which is described as a ‘beautifully observed, darkly funny, tender and surprising novel about life changes and the unexpected twists and pleasures of being alone’.

Deborah will be in conversation with Rowan Pelling, a Daily Telegraph columnist and Editor of Perspective Magazine.

the Chiddingstone Literary Festival spokesperson.

Later that evening, from 7-8pm, the art critic Martin Gayford will present an illustrated talk on Hockney’s latest paintings Spring Cannot be Cancelled: David Hockney in Normandy. Gayford is a long-time friend and collaborator of Hockney.

“Art critic Martin Gayford presents an illustrated talk based on Hockney’s latest paintings (currently exhibiting at the Royal Academy) and a wealth of new conversations and correspondence with Hockney, his long-time friend and collaborator.”

The final date for this year’s festival takes place on Thursday September 2, when Chiddingstone Castle will welcome acclaimed novelist Sebastian Faulks. He Haynes will talk about his new novel Snow Country – described as a ‘landmark novel of exquisite yearnings, dreams of youth and the sanctity of hope’. He will be talking between 2pm and 3pm, and organisers say the novel ‘sweeps across Europe as it recovers from one war and hides its face front the next’.

Also, Sebastian Faulks will be at the castle on the very day his new novel is published, so this is sure to be an extra-special event.

The award-winning writer will be chatting with Cathy Rentzenbrink, a

To purchase tickets, priced £16 per event, or to find out more for all the remaining dates in August and September, please visit: chiddingstonecastle.org.uk/ literary_festival

Food & Culture

arts

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Wednesday August 18 | 2021

Poets unite in celebration of our precious planet…

As part of the Tunbridge Wells Poetry Festival which runs in different venues across town until August 27, local scribe and Friends of the Earth member Steve Walter (right) will host a spoken word evening with acclaimed poet Roger West. Taking place on Tuesday (August 24) at the King Charles the Martyr Church, Steve says the event is a true celebration of life on earth

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ext Tuesday (August 24), the renowned Scottish poet Roger West and I will host an evening of poetry as part of the Tunbridge Wells Poetry Festival.

Entitled ‘Remember the earth whose skin you are’, it will celebrate our precious planet and consist of both spoken word and inspiring soundscapes. The title comes from Joy Harjo’s poem ‘Remember’.

Roger and I will meet for the first time on the evening and we are both, like many of us, united by our concern for the wellbeing of the planet –

“The title of the event comes from the poem ‘Remember’ by Joy Harjo” and also our love of poetry and performance.

Tuesday’s event is being held at the King Charles the Martyr Church by The Pantiles, opposite The Forum (which is also the hub of other events during the Poetry Festival which runs until August 27).

The audience can expect to be impressed by the magnificent soundscape composition

SUMMER COCKTAILS Come and sample some of the delicious creations on our new cocktail menu at The Blue Anchor this summer.

Best enjoyed with friends in our secluded garden!

Get in touch for more information 01892 319299 info@blueanchorcrowborough.co.uk Beacon Road, Crowborough, TN6 1BB

Food & Culture

Wednesday August 18 | 2021

EARTHY Steve Walter’s poem Gaia 2020 is about us and the planet

created by talented poet Roger. It is called ‘Consider the song of the cicada’ and is a suite of 15 poems and one song which traces the summer months in southern France week by week – from the first notes of the cicadas, which herald the summer, to their disappearance in autumn.

Each piece of the suite uses soundscapes, pre-recorded and generated on stage, and live music. On the night there will also be a musician playing the King Charles’ grand piano.

Power

INVENTIVE Roger West Roger’s poem has created draws on ancient soundscapes Greek mythology for the stage in the bedrock of literature, through the Occitane troubadours to the jangling discord of the American Beats, to examine ‘lives lived deep’, the landscapes and histories in which our experiences are rooted. It also looks at horizontal links, exploring themes of power, patriarchy and impending ecological collapse.

Roger’s work is published worldwide and has been written and performed in both English and French.

He lives in the South of France and is a former director of the Austin International Poetry Festival in Texas. He is also a member of the Urgence Poésie Collective in South

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“This piece challenges us all to rethink our relationship with Mother Earth” West France and a translator for the Festival of Mediterranean Literature in Malta. Roger performs regularly at festivals in the US, France, Belgium and the UK. A poet of the stage as well as the page, he concentrates mainly these days on performance pieces in collaboration with musicians and on poetry films.

In addition to Roger’s performance I will be performing Gaia 2020: Earth, Moon, Sky. This piece challenges us all to rethink our relationship with Mother Earth. The poem ranges from the origins of life, the nature of rock, to the experience of our lives upon the planet.

REMEMBER THE EARTH WHOSE SKIN YOU ARE TIME: 8pm-10pm (Auguust 24) VENUE: King Charles the Martyr Church VENUE ACCESSIBILITY: Wheelchair access is available ENTRANCE FEE: £10 per person To find out more about Steve Walter’s work, visit: makingconnectionsmatter.org To discover more about Roger West, visit: rogerwestmusic.com

KEEPING YOU SAFE ONBOARD

Food & Culture

food

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Wednesday August 18 | 2021

Stay local and take a culinary trip with the help of this pub of the year Don’t worry if you can’t get abroad this summer to enjoy some foreign foodie delights.

Just pop along to the Blue Anchor in Crowborough, which has won a South East Pub of the Year award. Lottie Bulmer did just that to find out more about this culinary gem…

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GO GLOBAL With The Blue Anchor’s menus

A charming family run pub, with six beautiful boutique bedrooms, hidden amongst the woodland of The Common in Tunbridge Wells.

Whether you are having a lazy lunch, enjoying a cosy dinner or catching up with friends, we are the perfect place to relax.

ANAGER Amy Glenie took over The Blue Anchor in Crowborough three years ago. Since then, the pub has gone from strength to strength working on an aesthetic overhaul and an everimproving food and drink menu – all of which have put it right at the top of its gastro game. The latest ingredient in its success has been its ‘Pub of the Year’ gong in the Beautiful South’s Tourism Awards 2021.

When I paid it a visit last month, Amy explained how that award came as a genuine surprise: “We entered it for something to do,” she smiled. “It was so unexpected but we have worked so hard.”

And after dining there recently I can confirm that all that hard work is certainly paying off.

When we arrived at the popular country pub my guest and I received a super warm welcome on stepping over the threshold. I thought to myself if the food is as good as the hospitality then we are certainly in for a treat…

On arrival our waitress gave us the choice of sitting inside the cosy pub or outside it. On the evening we visited the sun was shining so, not wanting to look a gift horse in the mouth, my guest and I opted to sit outside in the pub’s

Eat. Drink. Stay. Enjoy.

Tel: 01892 618854 Email: hello @themountedgcumbe.com Website: www.themountedgcumbe.com

vast garden, which was buzzing with families and groups of friends.

Given what we’ve all been through over the past year and a half, there was a palpable semblance of a ‘normal’ British summertime at the pub in the air. I’ll drink to that!

What also struck me is that you really do get the feeling that as soon as you walk into The Blue Anchor, you

‘The Shack is a cosy barbecue space with wood-fired pizza and lashings of ambience’ become part of its team. Our waitress asked us how our days had been, and was more than happy to give her own recommendation for food choices.

Like a lot of establishments, the pub had to adapt to outdoor-only dining when restrictions started to lift back in April. But despite this necessary move, The Blue Anchor’s new al fresco area will resolutely remain in place long after Covid.

‘The Shack’, as it’s been christened, is a cosy and cool barbecue space which also offers wood-fired pizza and

Over the last year we have adapted to prioritise both our customer and staff’s safety, whilst not compromising on experience. Our spacious heated marquee is perfect for any occasion come rain or shine. Take a look on our website for more details of our rooms, menus and how to book.

Food & Culture

Wednesday August 18 | 2021

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salty whitebait we could easily have been on a bustling quayside in the South of France thanks to its authentic taste.

The pitta bread was served warm with smoked garlic hummus and fragrant olive oil, which transported us straight to the busy bars of the Southern Mediterranean.

Adventure

lashings of great ambience.

But having said all that, the pub has remained vigilant, with all the serving staff still wearing masks and lots of Covid-compliant rules still in place, such as hand sanitising stations.

Feeling parched by the heat as we took our seats my guest ordered an Amstel shandy, while I perused the extensive wine list, which spans the spectrum of sweet dessert tipples to bone dry offerings. In the end I settled on a glass of Montes Classic Sauvingon ‘Casablanca’, but I could have easily taken flight to the vineyards of Italy, Spain or France.

There are two menus which you can order from at The Blue Anchor – one for The Shack and one for the restaurant kitchen, both giving slightly different options. My guest and I decided to mix the two and opted for a plate of pitta and hummus (£4.50) and a serving of whitebait (£4.50), which we shared for starters.

The whitebait was served with a delicious Mary Rose sauce and garnished with pretty, edible flowers. There was a light, crunchy batter on the fish which ensured it was just enough to fill a gap without feeling too heavy. Eating the slightly

For the main event, the pub’s restaurant menu has a selection of pub classics, such as the Blue Anchor burger, but there are also some dishes on the menu which offer more of a range of cuisines, like teriyaki chicken wings to start or a halloumi alternative to cider battered cod.

Time again, then, to resume our global gastro adventure…

My guest eventually chose the whopping Blue Anchor burger (£13), which included a double beef patty, bacon, American cheese, Blue Anchor sauce, aioli, and fries. In short it is a genuine American-style burger done properly with all the trimmings, and tasted like something you’d feast on in Philly or New York City.

Four rocking rosé wines This week, Times Drinks Editor James Viner thinks pink for summer with the latest crop of fine bottles of rosé…

PINK wine sales have doubled in the last year, with shoppers preferring the pink stuff more than ever before. Indeed, the country’s thirst for pink drinks shows no sign of being quenched, with sales of rosé Champagne up 188% at Sainsbury’s, and rosé cider sales rising by 49%.

According to the retailer’s just-published ‘Drink Pink’ report, which tracked sales from June 2020 to June 2021, sales of pink bubbly are soaring at the supermarket as the country emerges from lockdown and revelries start again. From a lovely bubbly to a bargain bottle and a chic rosé from Provence – the hub of pink wine – to a delightful wine from Portugal, our vinous truffle hound goes on a voyage of discovery for top rosés. These bottles will leave your taste buds tickled pink…

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1) MUST-TRY QUAFFABLE FRENCH ROSÉ Pays d’Herault Rosé 2020, Languedoc-Roussillon, France (12%, Aldi, £6.99) For an all-rounder, my fragrant, summery, scented supermarket pick from Languedoc is a real peach. Crammed with lively crushed summer fruits and notes of white flowers and citrus leaf, this is the bottle to swig with summer salads (hello Niçoise!), grilled meats, Camembert and sushi. What terrific

value. A delectable poolside pink. Dive in!

2) PRETTY HIGH-ALTITUDE PORTUGUESE PINK MADE FROM ORGANICALLY-GROWN GRAPES Rui Madeira Beyra Rosé 2020, Beira Interior, Portugal (13%, The Wine Society, £9.95)

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I personally ended up going for the lighter main meal option of a grilled halloumi burger (£12) from The Shack’s menu, which complemented the Cypriot cheese’s Mediterranean roots. The unexpected addition of pomegranate tzatziki, shredded iceberg lettuce and pickled red onion and fries made it a taste sensation which transported me to a rustic taverna in just a couple of bites.

My guest was ultimately defeated by the Blue Anchor burger and therefore declined a dessert, but I – not wanting to miss out on the myriad epicurean gastro treats the Blue Anchor’s menu has to offer – chose a light but superbly satisfying raspberry sorbet accompanied by a cleansing green tea. A perfect Asiatic ending to a delicious dinner in Crowborough.

After we’d eaten, we decided not to rush straight off home but opted to stay chatting outside, savouring all this fabulous country pub has to offer in terms of great global food, delicious drinks and really wonderful, welcoming ambience.

If this is the ‘new normal’ then I rather like it!

Nestled between Dão and the Spanish border, Beiro Interior has some of Portugal’s highest mountains. This is neither short on flavour nor interest, with typically tempting Tempranillo/ Tinta Roriz (100%) aromas of red berry fruits plus some spice. Very sprightly, fresh palate, bright, with energising acidity that extends the finish and (slightly salty) aftertaste. Made from organically-grown grapes from vineyards on poor schist and quartz soils at an average altitude of 750m above sea level, it’s charming in a pristine way, finishing lengthily. Most attractive pink Portuguese drinking package.

If Provence rosé is your thing, be sure to add the seamless, organic, magical Château Vignelaure Coteaux d’Aix en Provence Rosé 2020 (£13.50) to your next/ inaugural Wine Society order. It hums with red berry fruit flavours and has class right down to its fingers and toes.

It’s the best sub-£15 Provençal pink I’ve tasted all year and one for seafood paella and bouillabaisse.

Bonjour, holidays.

Tell the world!

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3) STYLISH PROVENÇAL ROSÉ FOR CHIC AL FRESCO HIGH SUMMER DRINKING Figuière Première Rosé 2020, Côtes de Provence, France (13%, Vinatis, Bon Coeur Wines, Jascots & Vinotopia, £16.64-£21.95)

Celebrating the joys of The Blue Anchor pub The Blue Anchor won South East Pub of the Year in this year’s Beautiful South Awards and is a super spot to ‘moor up’ for a few hours, with freshly cooked home-made food, delicious drinks and friendly service on offer. Being close to Ashdown Forest, it’s a perfect stop-off point for walkers, and with its beautiful garden, the Crowborough pub also makes a scenic setting for a celebration.

• Address: Beacon Road, Crowborough, East Sussex TN6 1BB. Tel: 01892 319299 • Web: blueanchorcrowborough.co.uk

Crisp, elegant, and always presented in a dashing bottle that is sure to be a talking point. Who said it was necessary to leave our shores to enjoy a taste of the Mediterranean this summer? The worldconquering Provence rosé paradigm goes from strength to strength. With trips away still a dream for many of us, let the enticing and sophisticated flavours of Vins de Provence rosé wines bring a little Med style and sunshine to your summer.

Silky and magical with expressive wild strawberry, white peach, apricot and spicy citrus fruit scents, I adore this classy rosé as both an elegant aperitif and dinner party treat. Ticks boxes all along the way. And it’s organic, too (for nearly 40 years)! Elegance personified and extremely well put-together with persistent, mouth-watering, saline length. Like most still pink wines, serve between 8-10°C. Sophisticated, sensational and particularly good with food, I especially enjoy it with canapés, shellfish, grilled wild sea bass/sea bream, or a roast leg of lamb hot off the BBQ. One also for sushi (hello again Kitsu Tunbridge Wells). Outstanding.

4) BEST SUPERMARKET ROSÉ NON-VINTAGE CHAMPAGNE Les Pionniers Brut Rosé NV Champagne, France (12%, Co-op, £22) It’s not a well-kept ‘secret’ that Co-op’s ownlabel champers is blended exclusively by the illustrious resurgent Champagne house PiperHeidsieck. If you like your bubbly dry, then you’ll love this: it’s energetic and pungent, all red fruits sparkling like stars on a clear night, with a light biscuity note – not too complicated, tart or dry. An absolute charmer of a top-value big name champagne. For a real summer still pink wine treat, also nab Co-op’s zingy, garlickyfood-friendly, hibiscus and pomegranatestashed Château La Négly La Natice 2020 from Languedoc (£12.50). Interest aplenty. Don’t miss out; you have the scoop. See you at Co-op.

Follow James on Twitter @QuixoticWine

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Food & Culture

Wednesday August 18 | 2021

health & wellbeing

It’s not just about being clean and tidy…

What OCD really means and how to seek support There’s a lot of misunderstanding around OCD, so Liz Connor finds out what obsessive-compulsive disorder actually involves WE ALL experience things like worrying ‘obsessions’ and ‘compulsions’,” explains we’ve left an appliance on, or avoiding Priory consultant psychiatrist Dr Paul walking under scaffolding, but for most McLaren (priorygroup.com) people, these random stresses and “Obsessions are characterised by superstitions are short-lived. persistent and irrational thoughts However, obsessive-compulsive or urges, and compulsions refer disorder (known as OCD) is to physical or mental acts a serious anxiety disorder, that people feel compelled where worries and urges to perform.” can have a debilitating Dr McLaren explains that effect on a person’s day-tosome people with OCD day life, impacting both only experience one type their mental health and of symptom, while others relationships with others. experience both.

Dr Paul Based on current estimates “These irrational thoughts McLaren for the UK, around three-quarters and behaviours can become of a million people are living with extremely time-consuming,” he OCD at any one time – around adds, and the defining factor is 1.2 per cent of the population. that they feel impossible to Misunderstanding and stop or control. stigma about OCD can OCD is ranked by the make it difficult to reach World Health Organisation out – but support is as one of the top ten available, and it can make causes of mental illnessa significant difference for related disability but those affected. misconceptions around the Glenys term mean people often don’t Jackson WHAT IS OCD? treat it with the seriousness it “Obsessive-compulsive disorder is deserves. It’s commonly implied that an anxiety disorder that causes people OCD simply means that you like to wash to experience a variety of symptoms that your hands a lot, and it’s not uncommon typically fall into one of two categories: to hear someone describe themselves as a

‘little bit OCD’ if they like to be very tidy or organised.

Handwashing is a common compulsion if someone has an intrusive thought of being contaminated by germs, but as Dr McLaren explains: “This is not the only form of OCD. Common presentations not only include contamination worries but also double-checking and hoarding behaviour, as well as ruminations and intrusive

thoughts and images.

“These obsessions and compulsions can be overwhelming to someone living with OCD, despite their best efforts to avoid thinking and acting in a certain way.”

WHY DOES IT HAPPEN? No one is sure yet what causes OCD, but there are lots of different theories and it’s

Food & Culture

Wednesday August 18 | 2021

likely that a number of factors are involved in its development.

“OCD can run in families,” says Glenys Jackson, clinical lead for mental health at Bupa Insurance (bupa.co.uk) “If one of your parents or a brother or sister has OCD, it’s possible you may develop it, too.

Traumatic life events, social isolation or bullying could trigger OCD or make it worse, and it can also develop during pregnancy.

“The pandemic has put a huge strain on

to determine what pathway is most appropriate for your presenting symptoms.”

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) can also help manage symptoms. This form of talking therapy helps you examine in detail how you think about certain situations in your life, how you behave in response to those thoughts, and how your thoughts and behaviours make you feel.

“CBT aims to give you the understanding and tools to carry on working towards recovery by yourself,” Ms Jackson says.

Your doctor may also prescribe medication if you have severe OCD, or if your symptoms don’t improve with therapy. Self-care interventions are really important, too, and it’s always good to remember that you’re not alone.

“OCD is a common anxiety disorder. In fact, a large part of the population may have had some OCD traits at some point in their lives,” says Dr McClaren.

“Don’t let it prevent you from talking to people and getting the help you will need. There are online forums and support groups that take place regularly.

“There is a lot of information available online regarding OCD, including testimonies from people with OCD and how they have dealt with it.

“This can help you put your difficulties into perspective, offer context, and give you more understanding in what may be helpful for you.”

“Most people spend years struggling with symptoms before seeking help” everyone’s mental wellbeing. Factors such as reduced social contact, feelings of isolation and fear associated with contracting or spreading Covid-19 all have strong links to poor wellbeing.

These stressors are making OCD symptoms worse in some cases.”

HOW IS OCD DIAGNOSED? If you think you may have OCD and it’s affecting your life, see your GP. Ms Jackson says: “They’ll ask you a series of questions related to OCD to help make a diagnosis. These include how your OCD affects you personally and how it affects your life.

“You may feel embarrassed about your symptoms and it can be hard to talk about them.

However, it’s important to be open and honest with your GP or therapist about any obsessions and compulsions you have. This will help them make the right diagnosis and recommend the best type of treatment for you.”

Your GP may then refer you to a healthcare professional who specialises in mental health for further assessment or treatment.

WHAT KINDS OF TREATMENT CAN HELP? According to Ms Jackson, most people with OCD ‘spend years struggling with their symptoms’ before they seek help.

This is often because of stigma around having a diagnosed mental health condition; they are embarrassed to seek support; or they leave the symptoms to manifest in the hope that they will go away. But as Ms Jackson stresses: “It’s so important to speak up and find a way to treat and manage your OCD.” When you’re facing obsessive thoughts or compulsions, it can be hard to see them for what they are. “With practice and help, it can become easier to identify when your thinking is affected by the symptoms within OCD and you can build techniques to reduce the impact and bring the symptoms under control,” assures Ms Jackson.

“This might include actively exploring and

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confronting your compulsions or thoughts, maybe through exposure and response prevention where a therapist works with you to challenge the OCD. It might sound difficult, but it can help you to acknowledge that thoughts and compulsions don’t have power over you.

“It is important to talk to a professional

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Food & Culture

Motoring

Wednesday August 18 | 2021

FIRST DRIVE:

Hyundai Bayon

Hyundai has expanded its crossover range with the Bayon, the smallest SUV in its line-up. Darren Cassey checks it out

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Motoring

Wednesday August 18 | 2021

WHAT IS IT? It seems like the expanding crossover and SUV market has been written about a thousand times in the past few years – manufacturers are constantly finding new ways to join this evergrowing market.

The latest is Hyundai, which has introduced the Bayon as the smallest SUV in its line-up.

On the face of it, it appears to be directly competing with the firm’s own Kona model on size and space. But the Bayon is a bit more practical and a fraction cheaper, so can it carve out its own niche in the market?

WHAT’S NEW? The easiest way to think of the Bayon is as a taller, more practical version of the Hyundai i20.

In fact, it shares much of its cabin design with the supermini, which means it has decent technology levels, even if it’s a little unexciting to look at.

It also gets a distinctive exterior that has hints

of other Hyundai models but brings a unique overall appearance, impressive levels of safety assistance and connectivity for the class, and a mild hybrid petrol engine.

WHAT’S UNDER THE BONNET? A 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine with a 48-volt mild hybrid system, that’s available with 99bhp or 120bhp as well as a choice of six-speed manual transmission or seven-speed dual clutch automatic.

Neither transform the Bayon into anything particularly brisk, taking more than ten seconds to get to 60mph. Though on the efficiency side, they have CO2 emissions ranging between 118 and 130g/km depending on specification, meaning they’re pretty clean.

WHAT’S IT LIKE TO DRIVE? Jumping behind the wheel, the Bayon feels like the perfect size for British roads. It might share much with the i20 supermini but it feels a lot

made with love, made by hand, made in tonbridge

more spacious inside, while remaining compact enough to offer a relaxing drive down a country road. It’s also easy to dart about in urban traffic, thanks to its small dimensions and higher driving position.

The engine feels a little gruff, but nothing too intrusive, pulling well throughout the rev range.

The Bayon is also very comfortable, soaking up road imperfections with little fuss, yet it corners with composure, resisting the urge to roll about every time the steering wheel is turned.

WHAT’S IT LIKE INSIDE? Your first impression of the Bayon will be that it’s impressively spacious, considering the exterior footprint. The driving position is decent, with a good amount of adjustability in the driving position, which is set high enough to give excellent visibility, without feeling like you’re perched high in the car.

With the central touchscreen, there’s a fairly minimalist design that appears impressively tech-focused given it’s a small, affordable crossover, but it feels like this has been

VERDICT The Hyundai Bayon is excellent at what it’s trying to be – a practical and affordable family car. There are absolutely no driving thrills to be had and while the on-board technology is decent, it’s not enough to excite.

But if you’re looking for something spacious for the school run that will also prove comfortable over longer distances, the Bayon makes a fantastic case for itself. The Kona has a little more pizazz, but if sensibility is high on the agenda, this is a fantastic all-rounder.

MODEL: Hyundai Bayon PRICE: From £22,495 ENGINE: 1.0-litre

BEAGLE - AT CHECKOUT

WWW.THEENGLISHBEAGLE.COM

@THEENGLISHBEAGLE

compensated for by using some cheaper materials. Our test car was the top-spec Ultimate trim, but it didn’t inspire the same near-premium appeal as other Hyundai models.

HOW DOES IT LOOK? The Bayon is a bit of an oddball, with the rear in particular having that curious nondescript look you see in video games, where they haven’t paid the fee to license real cars. The boot is black with boomerang-like lights at each side, while the lower lid is body-coloured flowing into a chunky black bumper with a silver skid plate… it almost looks like three different cars in one.

The front end is more conventional, with the combination of slim running lights and chunky headlights, combined with a large grille echoing styling touches seen on other Hyundai models.

FACTS AT A GLANCE

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WHAT’S THE SPEC LIKE? There are three specifications, starting with the SE Connect at £20,295. Standard equipment includes 16-inch alloy wheels, LED daytime running lights, leather-wrapped steering wheel and a black cloth interior upholstery.

On the technology front, there’s an 8-inch infotainment display with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as a digital instrument cluster.

The Premium trim starts at £22,495 and adds 17-inch alloy wheels, automatic climate control, LED headlights, and a 10.25-inch infotainment display with built-in satellite navigation. This trim also introduces the 118bhp engine with the automatic gearbox as an option.

Finally, Ultimate models start at £23,795 and get a two-tone black roof, black and grey interior, keyless entry and a Bose sound system, as well as some upgraded safety kit.

a kentish boutique filled with comfort & style

20% OFF FOR TIMES READERS WITH

Food & Culture

turbocharged petrol with 48-volt mild hybrid system POWER (BHP): 99 or 120 TORQUE (NM): 172 MAX SPEED (MPH): 113.71 0-62MPH: 10-11.3 seconds MPG: 52.3-53.3 EMISSIONS (G/KM): 118-130

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Food & Culture

Wednesday August 18 | 2021

goingout 7 days of activities

RESULTS day has been and gone and whatever the grades, now is the time to celebrate! At the Times we have compiled a list of things to do to embrace pupils’ new-found freedom and to toast all the hard work they have put in.

There are still several weeks of summer left to go, so pupils and families alike can make the most of the town and its environs before they move on to their next great adventure…

ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE Disco, funk, house, reggae and soul will animate Colebrook Park, Tunbridge Wells, at the Love Hangover Festival on August 20-22. Five stages will be interwoven with the stunning Kent woodland and will feature The Reflex, Norman Jay, Janet Kay, Ashley Beedle and also DJ sets from Craig Charles, Huey Morgan and many more.

Colebrook Park has undergone extensive work with the installation of a new plateau for a stunning lakeside bar and steps leading down to the main woodland stage. The festival has also ensured all Covid-secure measures will be in place and the event is capped at an intimate 1,500 capacity so everyone can safely dance to their heart’s content. Days will be filled with the eagerly anticipated live music and will spill over into the night, moving the party into circus big tops.

Full weekend, day tickets and camping are all available for this family-friendly three-day festival – search for “Love Hangover Festival” at skiddle.com SILVER SCREEN Frontier Sapiens Film Festival will celebrate the captivating stories of humankind with a

By Daisy Rich-Overall

selection of short films under the stars at the Two Sisters Theatre, Hever Castle, on August 25. After the turmoil of 2020, what could be better than spending an evening in the grand castle gardens watching a series of inspiring stories? The Frontier Sapiens films hone in on voices that aren’t being heard; celebrate those pushing boundaries; and shine a spotlight on individuals working towards positive change. This is the first UK touring Festival to share these stories on the big screen outdoors.

You are welcome to bring your own food and drink to enjoy on the lawn before the show (from 6:30pm). The Hever Castle pizza truck will be available pre-show, and drinks and snacks will be available during the interval. The films will air from 8pm, and tickets are available for £16.50. Tiered (covered) seating is provided, and further information on seating choices is available on the booking page at: heverfestivaltickets.co.uk SLAM DUNK An evening of humorous verse, sketches and song is awaiting you at The Forum on August 22. Pam Slam open mic gives you the opportunity to read your own funny verses in front of an appreciative audience. Paying homage to ‘The People’s Laureate’, Pam Slam exhibits the role of observational and humorous comedy within our rich poetic heritage. In lyric form, as nursery rhymes or sing-a-long singles, humour and verse have provided our earliest engagement with poetry. Expect a variety of words and music, with sketches and monologues and much in between.

A host of exceptional guests are lined up to

share in the fun, and you, dear reader, are cordially invited on stage for the finale. Your challenge is to perform an original ‘Pam’-style poem in competition with other Pamtastic poets in the hopes of being crowned Pam of the Day. Fancy dress is also encouraged, with a prize being offered for the ‘Pammiest costume’.

Open mic spaces are limited by necessity, so if you want to Slam like Pam you’ll need to book a slot quickly. Entry Requirements: 16+ (under 16s accompanied by an adult). To sign up for the open mic, visit twpoetryfestival.com Tickets are £6 and available from twforum.co.uk/ events HUG A TREE Tree of Life is a new two-day family festival in Colebrook Park offering artistic, creative and interactive experiences. Taking place from August 18-19, it aims to inspire children to explore their imagination, learn and play. The activities will include creative writing, storytelling, music, dance workshops, arts and crafts, family yoga, exercise classes, and much more.

The festival is devoted to producing sustainable events that support local businesses, so why not go along to show your support? The proceeds from the festival will support the NHS, plus local Kent charities Nourish Community Foodbank and Demelza Hospice for Children, as well as and Cystic Fibrosis. Family tickets are £27.50. To book, search for “Tree of Life Festival Tickets” at skiddle.com BEAMING WITH PRIDE Tunbridge Wells Pride will continue into its

fifth year of celebrations, culminating in an evening of spectacular entertainment at The Forum on August 25. The late-night event of Drag Macabre and Disco is back! Join a dazzling line up hosted by Miss Luna Lestrange and Victoria Carriage, including Miss Terri Boxx, Paul Aleksander, DJ Doorman and many more. The show is for adults (18+ only). Tickets are £7. To book, look for “Pride 2021 – Evening Party Pride”at: twforum.co.uk/ events POETRY IN MOTION Salomons Estate will be hosting an evening of poetry with Luke Wright –winner of the 2021 Saboteur Award for Best Spoken Word Performer – on August 19. Having played Master of Ceremonies at one of The Libertines rock band’s shows in front of 5,000 fans, Luke Wright is adept at taking poetry to places you wouldn’t expect. His poems can be tender, riotous, caustic and romantic, and he delivers them with the ferocity and panache of a raconteur at the top of his game.

Luke will be performing poems from his third collection, The Feel-Good Movie of the Year, which is out now from Penned in the Margins. Poet Ian Duhig calls it ‘a terrific new book: subtle, nuanced and movingly personal. A hurt man taking stock in fresh words’. Luke will also be performing pieces from his previous work.

The performance will take place in the historic Victorian Science Theatre, which is wheelchair accessible. A bar will be available, and tickets are £12. Search for “An Evening with Luke Wright” at: eventbrite.co.uk WRIGHT ON Reciting riotous poetry

The bookcase…

Reading has become ever more popular during lockdowns and Covid restrictions. Enjoy this week’s suggested top reads…

FICTION

Paul by Daisy Lafarge

Published in paperback

by Granta, priced £12.99 (ebook £12.99) Available now Paul is the debut novel by poet Daisy Lafarge. It follows a young British student called Frances who escapes her work as a researcher in Paris following a scandal, and is now volunteering at an eco-farm called Noa Noa in sticky rural France. She has naive ideas about what her experience should be like and ends up in an uncomfortable and abusive romantic relationship with the owner of the farm, a middle-aged man named Paul. He is overbearing and bewitching, and often speaks for and tries to think for her, with his behaviour becoming creepier and suspicious as the novel progresses. It makes for a tense and absorbing read; Lafarge is a real talent.

(Review by Frances Wright)

Times book reviewer

39

Her Heart For A Compass

by Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York Published in hardback by Mills & Boon, priced £14.99 (ebook £6.99). Available now The Duchess of York’s first novel for adults is an easy reading romance looking at the social straitjacket faced by many upper-class women in Victorian times, whose lives were ruled by fathers then husbands.

Lady Margaret Montagu Scott, Ferguson’s real-life great-great-aunt, faces marriage to a man she despises in a story mixing some real characters with fictional creations. The headstrong Lady Margaret has red hair and enjoys

writing stories for children – like Sarah Ferguson – but she says the novel is not autobiographical. Still, there are clear parallels between her struggles with the disciplines of royal life and Lady Margaret’s frustration with the constraints of her privileged situation.

The romance may seem tame to audiences used to raunchier historical stories like Bridgerton, but it’s an enjoyable read.

(Review by Beverley Rouse)

7/10

The Island Of Missing Trees

by Elif Shafak

Published in hardback by Viking, priced £14.99 (ebook £9.99). Available now Elif Shafak is used to unusual narrators – her 10 Minutes 38 Seconds In This Strange World is told from the perspective of a woman in the minutes after her death. Sections of The Island Of Missing Trees are told from the perspective of a fig tree – originally based in Cyprus, and then regrown in London. Through the tree and other narrators, we learn the story of 16-year-old Ada in London and the history of her parents – Greek Kostas and Turkish Defne, who fell in love in 1970s Cyprus and had to keep their relationship secret. Shafak has thoroughly researched the political climate of 1974 Cyprus, but often it reads more like a history lesson and the characters don’t feel fully formed until near the end. In parts it’s a powerful look at a country broken apart – and the devastating and long-lasting impact it can have on its people – but the sections from the perspective of the tree risk feeling a bit twee. (Review by Prudence Wade)

8/10

6/10

SEARCH FOR FULFILMENT

Clock Dance by Anne Tyler

HANNAH KIRSOP

(Published in paperback by Vintage, priced £8.99)

10/10

WONDERFUL STORYTELLING

My Husband Simon by Mollie Panter-Downes

(Published in paperback by British Library Publishing, priced £9.99)

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

Food & Culture

Books

Wednesday August 18 | 2021

Nevis, a young and ambitious writer, meets Simon, and immediately and irrevocably falls in love with him. They marry soon afterwards and so begins their life together. But they don’t live in a vacuum and family, friends, ambition, dreams are all drawn into the melting pot of their lives which bring choice and change, and Nevis, our narrator, begins to question whether love can be enough to overcome these other factors. This is a simple story brilliantly and delicately told.

The characterisation of Nevis and Simon, among others, is expertly done and one feels hugely invested in their relationship, unsure of what outcome you want for them. The last 20 pages of the book may be the most wonderful, understated, heart-achingly sad prose I have ever read.

The narrative here is focused upon a single character, Willa Drake, and four defining times in her life aged 11, 21, 41 and 61. During the relatively short periods of time catalogued, key events occur which direct Willa’s life along certain paths and, at the first three stages, Tyler sows the seeds of Willa’s frustration, sadness, need for stability and resignment as Willa struggles to be the lead character in her own life. Will flying across the country aged 61 to care for the daughter of her son’s ex-girlfriend finally give her what she needs?

This is a gentle, easy read with likeable, recognisable characters. It is also a book which abides by my most loved mantra – you are never too old to change your life and to do what you want to do – and any book trying to say that gets a thumbs up from me.

8/10

TEENAGE THRILLER

The Rules

by Paul Orton

(Independently published priced £5.99)

8/10

Teenager Ryan Jacobs is selected to join a mysterious, special school for gifted children – The Academy – following a successful hack into a military computer system. As part of his education there, his hacking skills are put to the test but the lines between good and evil become blurred, and it’s up to Ryan who to trust. Ryan quickly realises that it’s no longer a game he’s playing, and he needs to act quickly or someone will die. The first in a new series, this is an exciting and gripping thriller for boys aged 13-15-ish. The Rules has the intensity and drive of an Alex Rider book with a focus on technology and computers rather than guns and weapons.