Times of Tunbridge Wells 23rd February 2022

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On your marks… half marathon returns after two years

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BEST FOOT FORWARD: More than a thousand runners return to the hills of the Royal Town as the Half Marathon made a comeback following its break due to the Covid-19 pandemic (picture Mark Taylor). Full story see page 3.

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Councils count the cost after the lashing by Storm Eunice

By Victoria Roberts THE clear up is continuing after Storm Eunice brought 70 mph winds to Tunbridge Wells and the surrounding area on Friday, felling trees and leaving hundreds of people without power.

While there were no reported injuries or deaths in the area, officials say the damage caused by the storm is set to cost millions.

The storm front arrived early in the morning with the wind picking increasing in ferocity from around 40mph at 10am to more than 67mph in parts of the town by noon.

The gale force winds uprooted trees, blocking a number of roads in Tunbridge Wells, Groombridge, Southbroough and Crowborough.

Emergency services were kept busy, with Kent Fire and Rescue Service responding to around 190 largely weather-related incidents during the course of Friday [February 18].

Kent Police received five times the number of 999 calls usually received in a single day.

Across the area, power blackouts were reported. In Tunbridge Wells, a number of homes in the north east of the town were affected along with many rural areas due to the high winds bringing down power lines.

‘Eunice was a serious storm and there have been major impacts across the county’ Kent County Council described Eunice as a ‘serious storm’ that caused ‘major impacts across the county’.

In Tunbridge Wells the household recycling centre in North Farm was shut as the full force of the storm began to lash the borough while Tunbridge Wells

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Wednesday February 23 | 2022

Borough Council (TWBC) were forced to suspend all bin and recycling collections.

The NHS closed its vaccination clinic at the Camden Centre on Friday, while the Tourist Information Centre had to be shut for the day too.

Sports pitches could not be booked on Saturday and Sunday, but not all sports were cancelled.

The Tunbridge Wells Half Marathon went ahead on Sunday following the storm, after an uprooted tree blocking the route was removed in time.

On the roads, Kent County Council Highways received over 500 reports of storm damage on the local road network in just 24 hours, over Friday into Saturday.

Rail company Southeastern reported that the storm had felled trees and scattered debris, leading to cancellations over the weekend.

Full story and pictures page 4

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this week… A quarter of adults not boosted AWARD ANNOUNCEMENT: See which companies have been shortlisted for a Times Business Awards this year. P9

as ‘Freedom Day’ finally arrives

By Richard Williams

TOP SCHOOLS: Check out our eight-page educational pullout, featuring some of the best schools in the area. P17-24

FESTIVAL RETURNS: Hever Festival is back with a big programme for 2022, including a night of cinema music introduced by an original Bond Girl. P30 ANCHOR’S AWEIGH: Our food reviewer sets sail for Crowborough’s Blue Anchor pub. P32

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ONE in four over 18s in Tunbridge Wells did not have a booster jab following the rollout of the third dose to combat the Omicron wave, figures show.

As all Covid restrictions are lifted tomorrow (Thursday) in so-called ‘Freedom Day’, NHS data shows 23.3 per cent of over 18s in Tunbridge Wells did not bother getting the jab.

Last year the government had planned for all UK adults over 18 to be triple jabbed by the end of December.

It came amid fears over the Omicron variant that also saw Plan B restrictions introduced over the Christmas period to curb the spread of infection.

QUESTIONS Greg clark quizzed Boris Johnson on Monday about testing capabilities

Population Figures released by NHS England last week show by February 13, 70,387 third doses had been given out in the borough to 76.7 per cent of the adult population.

It means there are around 21,300 people over 18 in the area have not been boosted.

And the NHS Data also shows that only around 1,000 boosters have been given out over the last four weeks, suggesting take-up is faltering.

But Paula Wilkins, Chief Nurse, NHS Kent and Medway Clinical Commissioning Group, has said it is not too late for people to get boosted.

“People across Kent and Medway have been fantastic in coming forward for their Covid-19 vaccinations, but we still have more than 260,000 eligible people who still haven’t yet had their vaccination,” she said.

“Although restrictions have been removed, having the Covid-19 vaccine is still required by many countries. The vaccine also reduces the chances of you getting seriously ill and passing it on to your friends and family.

“I’d urge those who haven’t yet had the vaccine or who haven’t had their second or booster doses, to get them as soon as possible, so that you don’t miss out during a summer that we’ve

all been looking forward to.”

The infection rate in Tunbridge Wells has fallen sharply since the peak of the Omicron wave.

Around 1,500 cases a week were being reported in Tunbridge Wells during the middle of January.

For the seven days to Feb 11, there were 833 infections reported over the seven days down 400 from the previous week.

The falling figures come as the Prime Minister set out the Government’s strategy for ‘living with Covid’ on Monday afternoon, and outlined the plan to remove both self-isolation and free Covid testing.

Commons Tunbirdge Wells MP Greg Clark queried the decision in the Commons and asked the PM how the government would spot new variants.

He asked the question following a reported row among the PM and backbench MPs over the scrapping of free testing.

Unemployment falls for 12 months in a row

By Robert Forrester THE number of people out of work in Tunbridge Wells has fallen every month for the last year, according to figures by the Office of National Statistics (ONS).

Data for January shows 1,950 people in the borough were claiming some form of job seekers benefit, which is down from 1,990 in December 2021.

As a clear sign of economic recovery following the Covid pandemic, this is the 12th monthly fall in unemployment since December 2020 when there were 3,120 people out of work.

Kent Police officers are ‘not respected’ MORE than 90 per cent of officers at Kent Police say they feel the current government does not respect them and 41 per cent say they worry about their finances, according to a survey.

The Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) 2021 Pay and Morale Survey found that 64 per cent of respondents from Kent Police felt that they were worse off financially than they were five years ago and 13 per cent reported not having enough money to cover all their essentials.

Hiding

Crisis January’s figures, which were released last week, show unemployment is now at its lowest level since before the pandemic struck, when 1,130 were out of work.

However, the unemployment rate across Tunbridge Wells is still nearly twice that than before the crisis began.

Back in March 2020, the ONS recorded 1,130 unemployed in the local authority area but this rocketed to 3,315 during May 2020 following the first national lockdown.

The Office for National Statistics said the number of UK workers on payrolls rose by 108,000 between December and January to 29.5 million, which saw the national unemployment

Mr Clark, who is Chair of the Commons’ Science and Technology Committee, asked: “One of the things that we do know in the past is at times we didn’t have the testing capacity that we needed at times when we needed it most acutely.

So given the ongoing surveillance, if that were to throw up a variant that was more dangerous than Omicron, how quickly could we stand up and deploy again mass testing?”

Boris Johnson replied: “That is why we are putting so much emphasis on the ONS with is amazing granular ability to detect what is going on in local areas and as well as other forms of surveillance we want to spot the new variants of concern as soon as we can, then we want to surge our testing capacity in the way that we did before and of course much faster now.

“We will have stockpiles, we will keep our labs in readiness and we will be able to surge when necessary but now is not the right time to continue with mass testing.”

rate reduce by 0.2 per cent to 4.1 per cent over the three months to December.

Sam Beckett, head of economic statistics at the ONS, said: “The number of employees on payrolls rose again in January 2022 and is now well above pre-pandemic levels.

“However, our Labour Force Survey shows the number of people in employment overall is well below where it was before Covid-19 hit.

“This is because there are now far fewer self-employed people.

“The survey also shows that unemployment has fallen again and is now only fractionally above where it was before the pandemic.”

And 68 per cent of respondents from Kent Police said that over the last 12 months, their workload has been too high.

Meanwhile 65 per cent of officers who responded said they would not recommend joining the police to others and 10 per cent of respondents from Kent Police said they had an intention to leave the police service.

Neil Mennie, Kent Police Federation Chair, said: “Policing should be supported by the Government and hiding behind the uplift usually described as ‘extra officers’, although welcome, is not going to solve the current problems and common themes being raised.

“This is a high-pressure role with long hours and demand outstripping the workload of colleagues who shouldn’t have to worry about their finances on a daily basis.

“This should be a fantastic career and it has some truly dedicated and talented officers who continue to work hard despite the way they feel.”

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NEWS IN BRIEF

Town Hall prepares to vote on its budget COUNCILLORS are tonight [Wednesday] set to vote on whether to increase Council Tax as Tunbridge Wells Borough Council presents its budget to the town hall.

The minority Conservative-controlled Council, which has 21 seats compared to the opposition’s 26, could find its financial plan for 2022/2023 rejected as the Labour Party has already said it will not vote for it.

Writing in the Times (see page 15) Martin Betts, chair of the Tunbridge Wells Labour Party said: “Labour can’t support the budget of an unpopular Tory administration at its last gasp, and we expect that voters will finally reject them in the council elections in May.” The Lib Dems, the largest opposition party, has so far declined to comment on whether they would support tonight’s Council’s budget, which if rejected could plunge the Council into crisis.

Failure to pass a budget could bring down the Conservative administration, or the move could see opposition members censured for failing to uphold the Council’s legal obligation.

Civic Medallion award TUNBRIDGE Wells Borough Council (TWBC) is to award its Civic Medallion to a longstanding local advocate for historical, environmental and women’s issues.

June Bridgeman is to be the 35th recipient of the award today [Wednesday, February 23], in recognition of her outstanding contribution and exceptional service to the local community.

She has been a founding member of the Friends of Woodbury Park Cemetery and Friends of Tunbridge Wells Cemetery, which were established to encourage historical, environmental and educational engagement, especially by local schoolchildren.

She was nominated by Cllr Jane March, who holds the environment, culture and leisure portfolio who said: “This award recognises the many elements of community life in Tunbridge Wells that June has initiated and supported.

“She has put time and energy into improving the lives of residents and the environmental benefits of various areas around Tunbridge Wells,” said Cllr March.

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A thousand runners brave the high winds for return of half marathon

By Victoria Roberts THE Tunbridge Wells half marathon hit the road again on Sunday after a two-year break due to the pandemic, attracting more than a thousand runners who braved the high winds caused by the aftermath of Storm Eunice.

The overall winner and men’s race winner was Liam White, getting round the 13.1 mile course in 1:13:40.

The women’s race winner was Helen Gaunt, racing in the 35-44 year female category, and finishing with a winning time of 1:23:22.

“Numbers were a bit down on previous years, due to Covid, the weather and everything else, with around 1,100 entries, but we had 832 finishers,” race organiser, Mark Taylor of TW Harriers running club told the Times.

Charity Following Storm Eunice on Friday, The half marathon nearly turned into an obstacle race due to a tree still across the route – at mile eight on the Fordcombe Road – which was still there on Saturday morning, but the tree was cleared in time for the start.

Fancy dress made an appearance as well, with ‘Sheriff Woody’, ‘Buzz Lightyear’ and the

STARTING GUN The start line on Sunday and a Toy Story runner – pictures TW Harriers

Tyrannosaurus ‘Rex’ from ‘Toy Story’ making an appearance.

It is too early to tell how much the race raised for charity, but the 2020 event had raised around £12,000, added Mr Taylor.

This year, profits from the race will be going to Nourish Community Foodbank, Citizens Advice Tunbridge Wells & District and disabled charity Compaid, as well as donations to the Hendy

Trust, who sponsored the event.

“We get a lot of marshals from Rotary, so we will be giving to their local charities. The parentteacher association in Penshurst helped us with marshalling through Penshurst, so we are giving something to Penshurst CE Primary School. We spread it around a bit,” said Mark Taylor.

The running club’s next event will be the Eridge Park 10 Trail Challenge, in late September.

Jeweller helps bring women’s sport to the fore

By Sarah Carter THREE young female golfers have received some sparkling support in the form of a sponsorship deal with a Tunbridge Wells jeweller.

G. Collins and Sons, based in the High Street, has stepped into the fore to offer the professional sportswomen help with international travel expenses as they compete in the Ladies’ European Tour.

UK golfers Gabriella Cowley, Cloe Frankish and Chloe Williams are represented by PR Sports Management [PRSM] who had told the jewellers about the lack of funding in the women’s game.

“When PRSM told me they had no funding, it was absolutely shocking,” said G. Collins director Josh Collins.

Boost “They need a bit of a boost and a platform.

This is not about shouting or showing off. It’s just about showing a little bit of support.”

And, he said, he would be there in person this June, to watch the three women compete at the

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TEEING OFF Cloe Franklish, Josh Collins, Gabriella Cowley and [inset] Chloe Williams Aramco Team Series event in St Albans, which is sanctioned by the Ladies’ European Tour.

“I will be there to support,” he promised.

The expense of tournaments is considerable, said one of the sponsored golfers, 25-year-old Gabriella Cowley. “Tournaments average about

£1,000, and there are about 40 tournaments a year, so about £40,000.”

Professional golfers without sponsorship face serious obstacles to success, added Cloe Frankish, 22.

She turned pro after tour school at 17, but by 2020 had no sponsorship and missed out on UK government pandemic support due to the ‘furlough loophole’, which affected the selfemployed.

“In 2020 I had no sponsorship. I funded my own season doing delivery work,” she told the Times.

“But once you get into it, you just love it, and don’t stop,” she stressed.

“Lots of dads and granddads take their daughters – my granddad was the one who got me playing.

“Pitch and putt also gives people a chance to try. If you start enjoying it, you go to the driving range and start building it up.”

PRSM managing director Billy Gowing added: “Interest in the ladies’ game from sponsors and spectators alike is definitely growing at a rapid pace.”

In place of the usual Q&A, the following are some of the support packages that have LOANSmade by a company to its to directors There areCoronavirus: 2 main tax considerations with loans. Firstly, been available help and/or businesses deal with the shareholders are crop up quite often.

Coronavirus Jobsomething Retentionthat Scheme: HMRC will Funds are usually extracted by a mixture of salary andbe reimburse 80% of wages paid to workers who have dividends, with loans being a third option that can laid off due to the coronavirus crisis. This is capped at provide There are a variety of £2.5k peradditional employeeflexibility. per month. reasons for making loans, both good and bad.

VAT Deferral: The deferral will apply from 20 March side, the company may be doing well and toOn 30 the Juneplus 2020.

There is a lack of clarity on the Gov. the director wants additional funds but is already a uk website and we are interpreting this as payments higher rate taxpayer in the tax year. A loan can be used to due by 30 June rather than quarters ended 30 June. advance funds which are subsequently repaid in This means that May quarter VAT Returns, where following tax year(s) from a bonus (or dividend if also a payment is due by 7 July, will still be payable as shareholder), thus avoiding or deferring higher rate tax. normal. Any payments deferred will become payable However, using loans as a method to advance funds by the end of the tax year (31/3/21 Company or 5/4/21 when the company is not performing well carries a risk Unincorporated) because, as the term ‘loan’ implies, the amount is Income Tax The advice self-assessment second repayable.

If Deferral: in doubt, seek before making loans payment on account, due by 31 July 2020, will be in these circumstances. deferred to 31 January 2021. No penalties or interest will be charged.

if it is to a director and of the£10k amount £10,000, Cash Grants: A grant will exceeds automatically be interest needs to be charged at a minimum of provided to all businesses currently entitled toHMRC’s Small beneficial loan rate (currently If the is Business Rates Relief.

A grant2.0%). of £25k canloan be claimed interest free, or below the official rate, the director will for businesses in the retail, hospitality or leisure industry be taxed on the difference between the official amount if their rateable value is between £15k and £51K. and the actual amount, and the company will pay Business Rates Holiday: There is a 12-month business National Insurance.

rates holiday (April 20 to March 21) for all retail, The second issue arises if the recipient of the loan is a hospitality and leisure businesses in England.

shareholder. In this case, the loan needs to be repaid Time to Pay Arrangements: In addition tofinancial the within 9 months of the end of the company’s deferral schemes noted above, if you have outstanding year in which it was advanced. If not repaid in this time tax liabilities (Corporation VAT Income frame, the company will haveTax, to pay to or HMRC an Tax) due to coronavirus, you may be able to agree a time amount equivalent to 32.5% of the balance remaining. to pay arrangement.

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Storm Eunice downs trees and cuts power interruptinpower to 679,700 homes and businesses.

Areas in Tunbridge Wells affected included the north east of the town in the TN11 and TN12 postcodes as well as many of the rural areas within the wider borough.

By Victoria Roberts STORM Eunice which lashed the South East on Friday, caused the Met Office to issue a rare ‘red warning’ and saw Tunbridge Wells and the surrounding area hit with winds of more than 70 mph.

Kent County Council was still counting the cost of the storm on Monday morning. However, a major insurer has said the high winds could cost the UK more than £350million.

Kent Resilience Forum (KRF) Tactical Lead and Kent County Council Senior Highways Manager Toby Howe said: “Eunice was a serious storm and as many of our residents will be only too aware there have been major impacts across the county.

“Throughout the weekend there’s been a big collective effort by a wide range of organisations, including Kent Resilience Forum partners and districts and boroughs, to get Kent back up and running and this will continue until the job is done.

“We also need people to remain vigilant as the DOWNED A lamppost on Mount Pleasant (picture Cllr Matt Bailey)

Candles

BLOCKED Eunice destroys an oak tree at the Salomons Estate An oak that has stood in Southborough for more than a century was also among the casualties of storm Eunice.

The 120-year-old tree split in two during the high winds and fell across the exit to the Salomons Estate in Broomhill Road, where the Times is based, but the timber will not go to waste.

Business director Nick Moore said: “We are now looking for an experienced craftsman to work with to make the wood into a piece of heritage furniture to remain where it had grown.”

The high winds also made short work of the hoardings around the ABC Cinema site in central Tunbridge Wells, which were ripped free by the gusts and a number of lampposts and road signs also fell victim.

UK Power Networks, which manages the

country’s power infrastructure, said it would issue goodwill payments to customers after more than 22,600 homes across Kent were left without electricity.

The organisation said the weather caused a month’s worth of faults in a day,

By the beginning of the week, around 4,500 homes in the area were still without power.

Tracey Moynes of Boar’s Head Road in Crowborough told the Times on Monday: “We’ve been lighting candles and going to my mum’s and my daughter’s for showers and to get flasks (of hot drinks). It’s 10 degrees in our house.

“They [UK Power Networks] said we might get power back tonight at 11pm or tomorrow night [Tuesday] at 11pm.”

“We’ve been having takeaways every night, and are supposed to be reimbursed when we get the electricity back.

“There’s also supposed to be a van nearby, where we can plug in our phones. But that’s the only thing we can actually do. We can charge a phone, but we can’t boil a kettle.

“We put the television on, but it kept going on off on off. It wouldn’t stay on, and in the end, we

weather remains unsettled and some strong winds could still cause disruption into next week as the working week resumes.

Lashed

UPROOTED A tree in Sandrock Road (picture Bill Blackford)

HOARDINGS The ‘grot spot’ s revealed by high winds and a downed tree on London Road

SHEEP ESCAPE IN STORM EWE-NICE CHAOS

PHOTOGRAPH PAULA BATES

“Check the weather and traffic news before travelling, report concerns about weatherrelated damage, and contact UK Power Networks on 105 if you need emergency or extra help because of power cuts.”

Storm Franklin, the third named storm to hit the UK in the last seven days following Eunice and Dudley, also lashed the UK earlier this week, although no severe weather warnings were in place in the South East.

Across Tunbridge Wells, Kent and East Sussex the biggest victims of Storm Eunice’s furious winds were the borough’s trees.

Roads were blocked by uprooted trees in Hungershall Park, Constitutional Hill Road in Southborough, and Sandrock Road while a bus shelter escaped being hit when a tree in London Road, near to Mount Ephraim, came down.

MARATHON The half marathon route was blocked (picture Andy Howey)

A FLOCK of sheep was spotted on Bayham Road on their way towards Tunbridge Wells on Friday after they managed to escape a farm following the disruption.

Quick-witted residents herded the sheep into their residential close, penning them behind the electric gates to the flats’ car park in

Copperfields, just behind Forest Road.

One of the residents, Paula Bates, said: “The farmer was called to fetch them home, but they did leave quite a few calling cards behind.

“Another good neighbour cleared it up with our snow shovel. Thought it might come in handy one day!”

A BRAND NEW PHASE OF APARTMENTS LAUNCHING SATURDAY 12 TH MARCH

Computer generated image. Indicative only.

Join us between 10am – 5pm at the launch of our brand new release of 1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments at Hollyfields in Hawkenbury, Tunbridge Wells. All apartments feature bespoke kitchens with integrated appliances, allocated parking space and many benefit from either a balcony or terrace.

Prices starting from £350,000*

Newly created ponds, enchanted wetlands and hedgerows

St Peter’s CEP School located on the development†

Exclusive shuttle service to and from Tunbridge Wells station††

Super-fast broadband connectivity and home office options†††

To book an appointment at the launch, please call 01892 882 732 or visit hollyfields-hawkenbury.co.uk Photography depicts Hollyfields and is indicative only. *Prices correct at time of printing. †Places subject to availability and entry criteria.

Monday to Friday during commuter hours. Service available for residents’ only.†††BT broadband FTTP High speed Fibre (download speeds may vary).

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www.hollyfields-hawkenbury.co.uk Proud to be a member of the Berkeley Group of companies

HYFD-00013 Hollyfields Times of Tunbridge Feb22.indd 1

21/02/2022 14:32

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Protecting the Jewel in Wealden’s Crown

Bewl Water near Lamberhurst is the largest stretch of inland open water in the South East, and as Victoria Roberts discovers it has been recently undergoing changes to ensure this beauty spot can be enjoyed by as many people as possible for years to come...

SITUATED on the border between Kent and Sussex, Bewl Water covers 950 acres of countryside – including a water surface of 760 acres – and is home to wildlife as well as playing host to human nature lovers and outdoor sports enthusiasts.

But like many sites in the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), the ‘Jewel in Wealden’s Crown’ as it is referred to by the local Council is constantly reinventing itself to ensure the water and its surroundings can be both environmentally and financially sustainable.

“When we purchased the lease in 2016, the old sailing club had disbanded, and we’ve been developing it since then,” business director Andrew Daniells told the Times.

Bewl, which is run by Elite Leisure Collection, which also owns One Media, publisher of the Times, has worked to diversify the funding streams to make the reservoir more sustainable.

“We’ve made Bewl a lot more accessible to everyone who likes getting out on the water, whether fishing or paddleboarding or sailing,” said Mr Daniells.

Permits Currently, Bewl Bridge Rowing club and Canoe Club both pay a licence fee to Bewl Water, while dinghy sailors, windsurfers, stand-up paddle boarders and wing foilers pay annual memberships to access the water and watersports facilities. Meanwhile, Bewl Water also issues day permits and rented boats to fishermen.

which can be harmful to dogs.

“Three years ago, Bewl installed three ultra-sonic units to suppress the algae. They remain on the water for the summer season, and I’m pleased to say there has been no significant outbreak of blue green algae during that period.”

Meanwhile, investment in Bewl Water’s online booking and the automated check-in process makes it much easier to book for a wide range of activities – from the aqua park and laser challenge to camping and fishing.

Yet at the same time as encouraging the serious sports enthusiasts, Bewl Water is also trying to increase the ‘pay and play’ demographic – people coming to enjoy nature or engage in active pursuits.

The landscape provides space for camping as well as trails for walking, cycling and horseriding, but Bewl Water has also added new activities such as laser challenge, the aqua park, open water swimming and paddle board hire, Mr Daniells said.

Non-membership visitors could also use the Waterfront Café, and play areas – both indoor and outdoor, he added.

“We’ve invested to build a large soft play in one

of the larger rooms at the café building.

“Then there are two outdoor adventure areas, which are open year-round. One is for children up to six years old, where they can be supervised by adults, and the other - a large adventure play area - with a life size wooden galleon - is for older children. We think it’s one of the longest outdoor slides in the Southeast.

“You don’t pay additionally to use these: it’s included in the access to parking.”

Another development which has helped both membership and leisure users is improving water quality.

“When we took over, there was an issue each summer with outbreaks of blue-green algae,

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It’s a great solution for our customers and our business. It wasn’t specifically for Covid-19, but it was introduced in time for that, which really helped during the restrictions.”

Like other outdoor beauty spots, Bewl Water found its attractions – old and new – experiencing a surge in popularity due to pandemic restrictions.

“We saw much a greater footfall, and it’s nice to see that people are still visiting with their families. It’s a sustainable change.”

However, like Ashdown Forest, which also saw increased visitors over the course of the pandemic, and which is now introducing parking charges, as the Times reported earlier this month, Bewl Water is facing challenges on several fronts.

“There’s a cost to absolutely everything.

Increased users don’t necessarily mean increased profit. Costs are increasing as well,” said Mr Daniells.

“Utilities have seen a phenomenal price increase across the business, as well as consumables such as, food and drink supplies

Local News NEWS Wednesday September 29 | 2021 7

ACTIVE TOURISM THE KEY TO SUSTAINABILITY

and. maintenance costs across the estate.

“Bewl Water maintains the fleet of fishing boats, the main visitor area, and the footpaths around the reservoir.

Bewl Water has a rolling programme to replace equipment across the estate. This includes bicycles and outboard engines for the fishing boats.

“It has been really challenging. There are definitely no cost decreases and nothing has remained static. Everything has gone up.”

WHAT’S ON AT BEWL PITCH UP FOR A SPOT OF CAMPING Between May to September families can choose their pitch – which is bookable on the website – and we send them information about the ancient woodland, maps of the site, information about nearby attractions, a copy of the Countryside Code.

The property has also installed yurts for ‘glamping’, now operating May through September.

TAKE TO THE REGION’S LARGEST RESERVOIR As the largest stretch of inland open water in the South East, Bewl Water hosts a range of water sports clubs, including Bewl Bridge Rowing Club, the Canoe Club which includes kayaking, and sailing at both the Bewl Sailing Association and the Mariners of Bewl.

One of the newest sports on the reservoir, Stand Up Paddleboarding (SUP) is run by Turtle Bay Paddleboards, which was founded on the South Coast at Hastings.

COMMUNITY GROUPS AND FUNCTIONS Sussex Search and Rescue (SusSAR) use the large body of water regularly. Just before Christmas last year they could be seen performing exercises in their new boat.

Fire and Rescue also use Bewl Water regularly for their water training and pumping drills.

The property is also used for charity walks.

Due to its location in the High Weald AONB, the nature reserve is another non-commercial part of the property, and the Sussex Ornithological Society carry out a regular study of migrating birds.

A REPORT commissioned just before the Covid-19 pandemic showed Bewl Water could attract more visitors for adventure tourism, requiring investment in accommodation, said Bewl’s Business Director Andrew Daniells.

“In the South East, it’s not hotels – those do not fit in with adventure holidays – but good quality self-catering accommodation that is needed. You wouldn’t want to traipse through a beautiful hotel lobby with your dirty boots.

“We would have space for bike storage and dirty boots.”

As the Times has reported, Bewl Water has applied for permission to redevelop a derelict fishing lodge into family holiday apartments.

A further, separate application to redevelop the Boat House is currently with Wealden

District Council, with a further consultant survey and reports being prepared, before the application goes to the planning committee.

“They will be more energy efficient (than the old buildings) – a top of the range modern design. Whatever we build, it will be something sympathetic to the beautiful environment it is located in.

“And any development that takes place will be on exactly the same building footprint. We’re not planning any newbuild development.

“Each of the apartments would have a washing machine and dryer. People’s expectations are so high now, and we need to exceed those expectations.

“Camping and self-catering could serve different ends of this market.”

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BUSINESS

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Wednesday February 23 | 2022

More than 30 businesses make the grade as finalists for the Times Business Awards 2022

By Robert Forrester

THE deadline has passed, all the entrants have been counted and more than 30 local firms have been shortlisted for the business gala event of the year.

With more than 100 applications returned, it has been one of the most heavily entered Times Business Awards since the event began back in 2016.

Entrants this year have been incredibly varied ranging from hair salons and solicitors to recruitment and HR firms.

Challenging Following a challenging two years for the businesses in West Kent, those shortlisted have a chance to finally celebrate their success and resilience at the awards evening at Salomons Estate on March 24.

Joining them and hosting this year’s awards will be none other than day-time TV legend and most recent host to GB News, Eamonn Holmes.

The shortlisted entries will now be passed to the judging team, who have the unenviable task of choosing just one business from each of the ten categories to find an overall winner.

Winners will be announced at the gala event itself, which promises to be one of the most eagerly anticipated networking events of the last two years.

Richard Williams, editor of the Times of Tunbridge Wells said: “It never ceases to amaze me how varied and diverse the businesses in the area are.

“The gala night on March 24 promises to be such an exciting night when we get to find out which of these fantastic businesses have won.”

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Wednesday February 23 | 2022

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BUSINESS

9

And the lucky shortlisted entries for this year are...

Best Business 1-25 employees

Here we recognise owner-managers and SMEs employing up to 25 people that have maintained consistent growth and strong financial performance.

Finalists: HR Revolution Retail Fire The Gallery Hair TN Recruits

Entrepreneur of the Year

The award for the most dynamic individuals who and are able to demonstrate significant success in growing their company.

Finalists: Clarity Homes & Commercial Colley Raine Corker Outdoors Sharp Thinking Sponsored by:

Sponsored by:

Resilient Business

The winner of this category will have risen to the recent challenges of the pandemic and diversified or come up with a new business strategy to adopt to the ‘new normal’.

Finalists: Energise E-Bikes IPT Fitness Thomas Mansfield TN Recruits Sponsored by:

Outstanding Business of the Year

The ultimate award of all the categories will go to the business that can show outstanding initiative, boldness and imagination in the enterprise, as well as sound management practices.

Finalists: Ansacom Corker Outdoors Sharp Relations TN Recruits Sponsored by:

Best Business 25+ employees

For larger firms that have consistent growth and strong financial performance alongside an engaged workforce and a business plan.

Finalists: Thomas Mansfield GSE Building & Engineering Ansacom

Best Family Business of the Year

This category recognises those businesses that not only have the passion and commitment that comes with a company run by a family concern.

Finalists: Sussex Beds Corker Outdoors Jaques of London The Meek Boutique

Sponsored by:

Start-Up Business of the Year

This award recognises new start-ups under two years old at the closing date for entries.

Finalists: lumière Manic Ceramix The TN Card TAW Hairdressing

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Creative Business of the Year

To recognise those businesses based on innovation and creative thinking.

Finalists: The Gallery Hair Digitom Sharp Relations Max Oliver

Young Business Person of the Year

Best in Food and Drink

For those local business that provide truly remarkable food and/or drink in the area.

Finalists: Balfour Winery The Blue Anchor The George & Dragon

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Entrants for this award must be aged 30 or under by the closing date on February 14, 2022 and need to show they have a clear vision/strategy for their business.

Finalists: Oliver Corkery (Corker Outdoors) Joseph Trinder (Gorringe’s) Jack Sales (TN Accountancy)

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Finalists of the 2022 Times Business Awards will find out if they have won during the gala night at Salomons Estate on March 24 when none other than former This Morning host and the latest GB News presenter, Eamonn Holmes.

10

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Community News

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Wednesday February 23 | 2022

Council scraps fees for Bayham wants to bowl over Jubilee street parties former Calverley members

By Victoria Roberts KENT County Council (KCC) has waived the fee for neighbourhoods to organise street parties for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee weekend in June.

The move means residents have until March 31 to submit plans for their proposed one-day street party held on the four-day weekend, and will not have to pay the usual £75 fee for such an event, KCC confirmed this week.

Limit Organisers, however, must agree not to publicise their event or charge a fee to residents to attend,. They must also limit attendance to only residents of the streets.

KCC say organisers must also ensure they consult with residents who will be affected by the road closure to ensure there are no objections, and ensure all rubbish is cleared up.

The street closure must not block emergency vehicles, disabled parking bays, businesses or public car parks.

KCC’s newly confirmed chairman, Lesley Game, said: “This moment provides us with an opportunity to come together and celebrate one of our greatest institutions of this nation.”

KCC’s Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, David Brazier added: “I am really glad that we are able to waive the application cost for neighbourhood groups wishing to apply to close their road for a Jubilee Street Party.

“Where it is inappropriate to close a suggested road due to public transport or other factors, officers will work with applicants to find an alternative which suits everyone,” he said.

Party organisers can search kent.gov.uk/ for the Platinum Jubilee street party page.

Platinum Jubilee celebrations to commemorate 70 years on the throne for Queen Elizabeth II are due to begin on June 2.

By Joan Hamilton-Smith ALMOST two years on from the fire in 2020 which destroyed the club’s equipment and sheds, Bayham & Lamberhurst Bowls club now has new sheds, playing equipment and replacement mowers.

It will be opening its doors at the beginning of April to start its new season of bowling.

This welcoming club has a lovely green, refreshments, plenty of parking and, should you fancy further refreshments at the end of a session, there is the local hostelry The Elephant’s Head on the doorstep.

As the Calverley Bowls Club recently closed its doors, very close to its centenary in 2025, due to being unable to reach an amicable agreement with its landlords, the Bayham club would like to offer a warm welcome to anyone who might consider joining them.

The annual subscription to the Bayham club is £50 for playing members or £20 for social members.

Practice sessions start mid-April and they play many local clubs around Tunbridge Wells including Culverden, Speldhurst, Groombridge and The Grove.

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Community News

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improves Tunbridge Wells teacher helps College its glasshouse her former Jamaican school

HADLOW College has embarked on an ambitious project to dismantle and relocate its £1.1million glasshouse, after the institution became part of North Kent College last year.

The 800 square-metre facility was only erected a few years ago, but is now moving from the Court Lane campus to the main site closer to the centre of Hadlow.

By Jonathan Banks A FORMER Tunbridge Wells schoolteacher has been on a mission to collect books, stationery, technology and money, after visiting family in Jamaica and being told her childhood school needed help.

During a visit to the Caribbean island early in 2020, Lorna Culmer was approached by a neighbour’s children, asking to use her computer or tablet for schoolwork.

The former teacher at St Augustine’s RC primary in Tunbridge Wells said: “I thought: ‘You must be able to do that at school’, but they couldn’t. The teachers had their own, and a few children might have a tablet. I asked the neighbour to put me in contact with the head,” she told the Times.

Condition

Literacy However, when the letter from Crofts Hill Primary & Junior High School arrived, the list was longer than Lorna had expected.

The school needed technology for its special intervention programme which targets students in grades 2 and 3, who are at risk of leaving primary without attaining the necessary numeracy and literacy skills, wrote principal Nadine Small.

In addition, Miss Small said: “Our school has undergone major infrastructural repairs due to a termite infestation which damaged most of our furniture including shelves and tables in our library. As a rural school, a library is of vital importance to promote and develop research skills and other literary skills.”

As well as furnishings for the special education rooms and the library, the school needed plenty of technology: computers and laptops for the Special Education Resource Room, additional computers for the computer room, smart TVs, SmartBoards projectors, educational toys and other resources such as reading kits, pens, pencils, readers, said the letter.

“They need a whole bloomin’ school!” was Lorna’s reaction.

Having taught for over 20 years at St Augustine’s, before moving to Bexhill in 2017, she had many contacts in Tunbridge Wells to help her gather supplies.

Through her Facebook page under the nickname ‘Sunshine’, she managed to raise

about £1,000, and donated a number of tablets in December 2020.

However, she has now also secured reduced shipping rates to Jamaica, and is collecting stationery supplies, dictionaries, thesaurus, atlases, workbooks and more, before her planned departure to Jamaica on April 18.

“Any money I raise will go towards shipping and seeing what I can help with when I get there,” she added.

“I will collect from Tunbridge Wells,” she promised. “I am in town a few times a week.”

Anyone who wants to help Lorna can contact her through Facebook at Sunshine's Crofts Hill Primary & Junior High School Donations, or by phone 07981 033 365.

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Horticultural engineering and construction company CambridgeHOK is currently dismantling the structure piece by piece, and will rebuild it with new irrigation tanks and blackout screens, which will improve performance.

“It’s an interesting challenge and certainly far from the normal glasshouse projects we take on,” said project manager Elliot Wrightson.

“We only built it a couple of years ago but circumstances at Hadlow College have meant that it needs to be moved, so it is a job which needs careful planning. Thankfully it has been retained in excellent condition, so that makes the job easier.

“The plan is for the new site to be ready for building work to start as soon as the deconstruction is complete, and we aim to have the glasshouse up and running at its new home by early Summer.”

Chris Lydon, interim vice principal of Hadlow College, said the renewed glasshouse would open in July 2022.

“The state-of-the-art facility will support our horticultural students in their studies and prepare them for their future careers in industry.

The project represents the capital investment being made by the College to enable current and future students to be taught in a modern, high-quality glasshouse.”

12

NEWS

National News

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Wednesday February 23 | 2022

PM freezes Putin’s ‘cronies’ assets following Russia’s Ukraine invasion

SANCTIONS Mr Johnson on Tuesday BRITAIN is sanctioning three billionaire allies of Vladimir Putin and five Russian banks, Boris Johnson has announced under a ‘first barrage’ of punitive measures in response to the ‘renewed invasion’ of Ukraine.

The Prime Minister warned on Tuesday that Moscow sending troops into the Donbas region under the guise of being ‘peacekeepers’ appears to be the Kremlin ‘establishing the pretext for a full-scale offensive’, with nearly 200,000 troops amassed on Ukraine’s border.

Mr Johnson told the Commons that immediate sanctions are being deployed against three ‘very high net wealth individuals’ – Gennady Timchenko, Boris Rotenberg and Igor Rotenberg – who he described as ‘cronies’ of the Russian president.

The sanctions, which include UK asset freezes, a travel ban and prohibition on British individuals and businesses dealing with them, were also tabled against Russian banks Rossiya, IS Bank, General Bank, Promsvyazbank and the Black Sea Bank.

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“This the first tranche, the first barrage, of what we are prepared to do, and we hold further sanctions at readiness to be deployed,” Mr Johnson told MPs, before warning it is ‘inevitable’ he will return with a “much bigger package”.

The Prime Minister also applied pressure on European football governing body Uefa not to hold its Champions League final in St Petersburg in June, saying there should be ‘no chance of holding football tournaments in a Russia that invades sovereign countries’.

Mr Johnson added: “The House should be in no doubt that the deployment of these forces in sovereign Ukrainian territory amounts to a renewed invasion of that country.

“And by denying Ukraine’s legitimacy as a state – and presenting its very existence as a mortal threat to Russia – Putin is establishing the pretext for a full-scale offensive.”

But numerous Tory MPs joined Sir Keir Starmer in urging the prime Minister to go further with stronger sanctions now.

The Labour leader said he understands the tactic of holding back sanctions to deter an invasion past the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in the east of Ukraine but said “a threshold has already been breached”.

He said a sovereign nation ‘has been invaded in a war of aggression’, and ‘if we do not respond with the full set of sanctions now, Putin will once again take away the message that the benefits of aggression outweigh the costs’.

Former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith suggested Russia should be hit “hard and hit them now” to increase the pain of the current incursion.

Conservative former foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt welcomed the measures, before adding: “But Putin will have predicted and discounted

western sanctions long ago, so does he agree that if we are not to be behind in the diplomatic chess game, we need to do some things that he is not expecting?”

Brink Defence Secretary Ben Wallace told reporters the current measures are ‘harsh’ but insisted ‘there are still more sanctions in the tank’.

In a statement, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss added that the Government is ‘prepared to go much further if Russia does not pull back from the brink’.

The Foreign Office said the banks being targeted had bankrolled the Russian occupation of Crimea from 2014 and that sanctions will also be introduced against members of the Russian Duma and Federation Council who voted to recognise the “independence” of Donetsk and Luhansk.

A day of escalations came after Mr Putin recognised those eastern regions as independent states in a move that was seen around the world as a major provocation.

After chairing an early-morning emergency meeting of the Cobra committee, Mr Johnson accused the Russian president of having ‘completely torn up international law’ and said he is seemingly intent on capturing the capital of Kyiv.

“I’m afraid all the evidence is that President Putin is indeed bent on a full-scale invasion of the Ukraine, the overrunning, the subjugation of an independent, sovereign European country, and I think, let’s be absolutely clear, that will be absolutely catastrophic,” he said.

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Wednesday February 23 | 2022

Earthquake rocks the West Midlands

National News

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Covid-hit Queen cancels her planned virtual engagements THE Queen has cancelled her planned virtual engagements after continuing to suffer from mild cold-like symptoms due to Covid, Buckingham Palace has announced.

The monarch, 95, tested positive for the virus on Sunday, and had audiences via video link planned for Tuesday.

The Palace said she would still continue with light duties, but it is understood further engagements over the coming week will be decided on nearer the time.

EPICENTRE Walsall in the West Midlands

Scare

A 2.8 MAGNITUDE earthquake struck the West Midlands late on Monday night, the British Geological Survey (BGS) said.

According to the BGS, the quake hit the town of Walsall, north of Birmingham, at a depth of seven kilometres (4.35 miles) at 10.59pm.

Tremors The organisation said they received numerous calls from residents, one of whom described the quake as ‘like a wardrobe had fallen over or an explosion blast against the window’.

The service said the effects of the quake were felt in a 20km radius from its epicentre, with tremors being detected by residents in Birmingham, Wolverhampton and Dudley.

There have been no reports of damage or serious injury caused by the quake, which was approximately eight miles (12.8km) east of the one that hit Dudley in 2002 that was felt across most of England.

That quake registered 4.7 on the BGS’ Moment Magnitude Scale.

Affected residents of the most recent

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earthquake, which was only half as powerful than in 2002, told the BGS the tremors still shook their homes, while one person said it “was like a wardrobe had fallen over or an explosion blast against the window”.

The BGS said the quake was approximately 13km (eight miles) east of the magnitude 4.7 Dudley earthquake, which was felt over most of England when it struck on September 22, 2002.

Social media was awash with reports from West Midlands residents following the tremors.

Jo Yarnall from Aldridge, Walsall, said on Twitter she was watching TV when the house began ‘shuddering’.

"It felt like we were on the flight path for Birmingham Airport and a plane had just flown extremely low to the house," she said, adding the experience took her back to the 2002 event.

Other residents thought the quake was more stormy weather heading their way.

Lorraine Smith, who lives in Stone Cross, West Bromwich, said there were ‘two rumbles’ which she thought was a ‘truck going down the street’ or a thunderstorm.

A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: “As Her Majesty is still experiencing mild cold-like symptoms she has decided not to undertake her planned virtual engagements today, but will continue with light duties.”

Concern for the nation’s longest-reigning sovereign will be at peak levels given her age, her Covid diagnosis and recent health scare.

She had continued working, issuing a message of condolence to the Brazilian president over flooding in his country while self-isolating at Windsor Castle on Monday.

The Queen is due to speak to Prime Minister Boris Johnson by telephone on Wednesday for their weekly audience, and is also likely to have other planned virtual audiences in the diary.

But these are now likely to be under review, as will the major engagement the Queen has next week.

She is set to host the Diplomatic Reception on March 2, where she will meet hundreds of members of the Diplomatic Corps at Windsor.

The Queen is also due to attend the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey on March 14 and then the Duke of Edinburgh’s

memorial service, also at the Abbey, on March 29.

The Royal Household has its own royal physicians and the Queen’s doctors will be keeping a close eye on the head of state and monitoring her progress, with Professor Sir Huw Thomas, head of the Medical Household and Physician to the Queen, expected to be in charge.

The Queen has only just celebrated her Platinum Jubilee of 70 years on the throne, reaching the milestone on February 6.

She is believed to be triple vaccinated but until recently had been on doctors’ orders to rest and only undertake light duties since mid-October.

She cancelled a run of major engagements, and also secretly spent a night in hospital on October 20 undergoing preliminary tests.

She now regularly uses a walking stick and has been pictured recently looking frailer.

National celebrations for her Platinum Jubilee are set for June, in honour of her decades of royal service.

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14

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Weekly Comment

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Jamie Johnson Tunbridge Wells Liberal Democrats

Wednesday February 23 | 2022

Jamie Johnson has lived in Broadwater for over 50 years. He is a member of the Independent Police Advisory Group (IPAG) and an Independent Critical Incident Advisor for Kent Police. He is standing as a Liberal Democrat candidate for Broadwater in May’s local elections.

Safety is of the most concern to residents at the moment AFTER seeking the views of local residents in a recent survey, the Tunbridge Wells Lib Dems have found that the issues that seem to be of most concern at the moment are about safety.

The recent unpleasant events in the town have had a dramatic effect on people.

This will need to be addressed very quickly to restore confidence in our local community. I will certainly be speaking about these matters at the next Kent IPAG meeting in order to raise awareness of how people have been affected by these incidents.

Grateful We are extremely lucky to have two wonderful primary schools in our ward. Both pride themselves on a ‘Good’ rating from Ofsted. We have a diverse and mixed population that has integrated very well into the established population of the area; this is mainly down to the kind and welcoming actions of our neighbours which we are so grateful for.

Another marvellous asset of Broadwater is its welcoming and friendly boxing club. This is very successfully run by local people who have been professional boxers themselves – this gives the club a great reputation. As someone who has been involved in boxing, both as a fighter and trainer, for over 20 years, I know

what an invaluable discipline boxing can be for people’s physical and mental wellbeing as well as building self-esteem and confidence.

The club holds to the traditional principle of

‘Help get kids off the street and out of trouble’ and won’t tolerate club members using their skills to hurt and bully others.

The importance of sport in our community is

something that I will continue to champion on behalf of local people.

Sadly, sports facilities and the provision of high-quality places to practice have not always been given the priority they deserve.

Boxing is currently housed in the Showfields Hall but, like many facilities, it needs investment.

I would like to see it become a two-storey facility with the larger space for multi-use sporting and social activities downstairs and gym facilities upstairs.

We have of course our Number One Community Centre which hosts the Number One café and hall which is very popular.

Working with the Trust I strongly believe that regeneration must go hand in hand with upgrades to our community facilities, including a Youth Hub, as part of the Local Plan.

I am proud to call the people of Broadwater ward not only my neighbours but also my friends. So, one of my strong passions is to help and improve our community.

Let’s come together to fight for local issues, whether it be a replacement doctors’ surgery or new recycling facilities.

I and the Broadwater Lib Dem team are always keen to hear your views and ideas, so that we can help you get what you want out of your community.

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Letters

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And another thing…

This is the page where you, the reader, have your chance to express your views or comments on what’s going on in our part of the world. We like to hear from you. You can email us at newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk or you can write to the Editor, Times of Tunbridge Wells, Salomons Estate, Tunbridge Wells TN3 0TG

Labour Councillors will not support a Budget from a minority Conservative Council that simply plunders the Council’s financial reserves and aimlessly limps along with no purpose, strategy and vision.

Over the last five years the Council has squandered £11m on a failed Calverley Square Project and failed to deliver on six out of eight of its big projects. Tunbridge Wells has shamefully just been found to be the lowest scoring council in Kent on its climate change action plan, just above Dartford which has no plan at all.

Labour’s priorities are to put in place an ambitious post-COVID action plan to increase prosperity in our towns and villages, to

Camden Road is a positive example There is a lot to grumble about in our town: uncollected garden waste, unwisely spent public funds, lack of support for cycling ad electric vehicles, the list could go on...

However, this week, I want to be a bit more positive, and encourage you to be a bit more positive too. As I walked down Camden Road on Saturday to grab a mid-afternoon cookie, I was pleased to see at least three new shops opened in the last couple of months, selling everything from cosmetic treatments, to experiences for children, to electric bikes. I reflected on how great it is to live in a town where such varied independent businesses can thrive.

As I arrived at my cookie retailer of choice for

Cllr David Scott

Deputy Leader With responsibility for Royal Tunbridge Wells INVITES YOU To meet him and guests on ZOOM 7:30pm Thursday 24th February 2022 Conference calls to be held twice monthly Pre-register a topic or a question or simply listen in Meeting id: 833 2915 3706 Password: 269217 Royal Tunbridge Wells Conservatives

protect those hit hardest by the cost of living crisis, to provide struggling families and individuals with genuinely affordable and social housing, and to redouble Council efforts to reduce carbon emissions across the borough.

Conservatives in Tunbridge Wells haven’t delivered on their past promises, so why should anyone trust them to deliver in the future?

Labour can’t support the budget of an unpopular Tory administration at its last gasp, and we expect that voters will finally reject them in the council elections in May. Martin Betts Chair, Tunbridge Wells Labour Party

that day (Crumbs and Treacle, which also opened on Camden Road fairly recently too), I noticed that they were up for a Taste of Kent award and I was happy to vote for them. Taste of Kent is a great way of showing your support for local pubs, restaurants, cafes and food and drink businesses.

There are lots of great borough-based businesses you can support across the categories and voting is open until February 28.

Cllr Robert Wormington Lib Dem Councillor for St James’ We have a government of fools Calverley in (Times February 16) wonders if there's anyone on this side of the pond as ill-informed – I use the term advisedly, there are better, as Marjorie Taylor Greene, a US

There is a cultural problem in the police I think Cressida Dick was right to resign as head of the Metropolitan Police force and take the buck for its manifest proven failings, in stark contrast to Tory Prime Minister Boris Johnson for his many alleged lockdown parties.

This is a cultural thing, and sadly little seems to have changed over the past 50 years. When I was badly beaten up in Tonbridge in the seventies, in the days of the TV police shows The Sweeney and Minder, I was advised by a young copper to take my assailant down a dark alley to deal with him. I was both shocked and horrified by the suggestion.

50 years on, I was attacked by a young man near Trafalgar Square, when, as a recently disabled gay older man, he tried to kick my walking stick away.

I had only just then re-gained the confidence to visit London by train to meet some friends. It was no surprise that sadly no one even attempted to help me, they instead simply looked the other way and walked on, fearful of getting involved, no doubt. But what if I had bothered as a hate crime victim to report the incident at nearby Charing Cross police station, I wonder now?

Of course, there are bad apples in every barrel.

But a police culture where questionnaires are casually sent out to the Prime Minister and his staff on their conduct and bad behaviour, and the tragic circumstances around the Caroline Flack and Stephen Port cases, to name but two recent examples, give me further pause for thought.

Dr Alan Bullion Southborough Town Councillor (Labour)

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

Labour will oppose the Tunbridge Wells budget

Republican Congresswoman who referred to ‘gazpacho’ policemen.

May I propose Liz Truss, our esteemed Foreign Secretary, who does not know her Black Sea from the Baltic, thinks that importing two thirds of our cheese is a disgrace, and fell into a trap the Russian Foreign Secretary set for her over Rostov and Voronezh – both in Russia: she said that the UK would never accept Russia's sovereignty in these regions.

Don't get me started on Nadine Dorries, the so-called Culture Secretary, more renowned for her lurid fiction than anything else.

Boris Johnson has surrounded himself with a cabinet of fools to make himself look good presumably, and that doesn't work either.

Ralph Steerpike Tunbridge Wells

Calverley

Observations on life and more important things

SILVER LINING. Every storm has one and last week it was the turn of tree surgeons to benefit. Calverley needed a chainsaw when a huge tree keeled over and blocked the estate’s driveway. Chap kindly chopped it into manageable pieces in just under half an hour. He didn’t have time to help move the timber, just the time to pocket his fee – £400.

You work out his day rate.

THANK GOODNESS. The Winter ‘Fake Snow’ Olympics are over. What a farce. The Russians were already banned for drug taking but turned up anyway under the banner of the Russian Olympic Committee. Their 15-year-old star skater added to the drug taking storm.

And Russian thugs, posing as reporters, threatened journalists who asked the wrong questions. As in the case of an English newspaper reporter who found himself the target on social media of the Russian troll farms. Still we did get a silver and gold at curling!

BLESS ‘EM. Labour’s youth wing has called for an end to ‘NATO aggression’ in Ukraine while at the same time attacking ‘macho posturing’ by the west. Keep the Red Flag flying!

HYPOCRITE OF THE WEEK. That would be former deputy PM and Lib Dem Leader Sir Nick Clegg. He once attacked big money bankers, claimed he was not ‘especially bedazzled by Facebook’ and suggested the business ‘did not pay all the tax they could’.

He also found the Californian ‘touchy-feely culture’ a ‘little grating’. Yep, that’s the same man, now living in California, who last week got promoted to a top job at close to £3million a year at – Facebook. Out of the mouths of politicians…

FINAL THOUGHT. No longer will you find new mums or pregnant women in maternity units, as Calverley discovered. They don’t exist.

Today they are all ‘birth givers’. Pass the smelling salts.

Chin Chin, dear reader

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

Snap up a stunning new home at Nevill Row, Tunbridge Wells

Boutique developer Beau Property is launching eight beautifully designed two bedroom homes on Saturday 12 March.

Located in the heart of Royal Tunbridge Wells, Nevill Row is the epitome of finely crafted Victorian-style homes.

Prices start at £450,000 25% reserved off plan Book your appointment to see the stunning new home now to avoid disappointment. www.nevillrow.com

01892 515035

Focus on Education Your guide to some of the best independent schools in the area, how they teach, their advances in the classroom, and when some of their open days are being held this year…

Inspiring decision makers Holmewood House School

appoints new head teacher FOLLOWING the announcement that Headmaster, Scott Carnochan will be departing Holmewood House to take up post as Headmaster of Brighton College, UAE, the governors are delighted and excited to have appointed Mrs Ruth O’Sullivan as the next Head of Holmewood.

Mrs O’Sullivan is an outstanding educationalist who places children very much at the centre of her educational ethos and will build upon Holmewood’s outstanding foundations.

BENENDEN SCHOOL AT BENENDEN SCHOOL, they do not mistake a syllabus for an education. With a curriculum that blends the very best of educational tradition with an innovative, enquiry-based crosscurricular approach it allows students to make connections, synthesise knowledge and develop advanced research skills.

Challenges By the time a student leaves Benenden, she will have achieved her very best possible grades at GCSE and A Level, but also have a love for learning and a set of aptitudes that fit her to meet the challenges of both her professional and personal life in the years ahead.

The Benenden Diploma is the school’s bespoke curriculum for the Fourth and Upper Fourth (Years 7 and 8, our 11 to 13-year-olds).

At the other end of the school, Sixth Formers all complete a Professional Skills Programme.

The skills taught include tackling different types of CV and interview, applying for jobs,

creating a formal business plan, reading and creating accounts, coding, delivering a pitch, reading complex financial information, setting up and managing household bills, negotiating a tenancy agreement, and a range of life skills such as cookery, DIY and car maintenance.

INFORMATION ON OPEN DAYS Book your place at: benenden.school/opendays Spring Term Open Mornings in 2022 Saturday 26 February – 9.45am to 12.30pm Tuesday 8 March (11+ Open Morning) – 9.45am to 12.00 noon Friday 18 March (13+ Open Afternoon) – 1.45pm to 4.00pm Summer Term Open Mornings in 2022 Saturday 14 May at 9.30am Saturday 11 June at 9.30am Thursday 23 June at 1.30pm

and innovative approach to education. Please do come and visit us, where a warm welcome awaits you.’’

Come and meet Mrs O’Sullivan at the Open Morning on Friday March 4.

To book a place at our next Open Morning or to find out more, please contact our registrar Mrs Connie Cherrett at : ccherrett@holmewoodhouse.co.uk

Welcome On the appointment, Mrs O’Sullivan has said: “Holmewood House is a really special place: a place where a child’s educational voyage of discovery begins.

“Young children are naturally curious and full of energy and enthusiasm for life, so by providing them with bountiful opportunities to explore, investigate and experience the world around them, their life- long love of learning begins.

“The wonderful grounds and outstanding facilities support our ethos of ‘allowing children to be children” “The wonderful grounds and outstanding facilities support our ethos of ‘allowing children to be children’.

“We believe that any child can succeed and it is a huge privilege to be Head of a school that values, promotes and truly ‘lives’ a child centred

RUTH O’SULLIVAN

Day Boarding at Benenden Now welcoming day boarders in Year 7

Details at www.benenden.school/day

Wednesday February 23 | 2022

FOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT: timeslocalnews.co.uk

Tonbridge School’s engineering competition tests boys’ ingenuity

Popular The course is complete with a driving range area and practice green, making golf a popular choice for the school’s new activity afternoons; aimed at increasing the enrichment opportunities available within the school day.

Design Technology to life, outside of normal classroom learning, and allow plenty of scope for creative thinking, innovation and fun along the way.”

Tour Open Mornings offer an opportunity to meet the Headmaster, Heads of Department and Admissions staff, as well as being taken on a tour of the school by one of our pupils. Mini and Virtual Open Mornings are also available.

The School website has more details, including how to register: see our Arrange A Visit page. * Virtual Open Morning: Saturday 5 March * Open Morning: Saturday 12 March * Mini Open Morning: Tuesday 22 March tonbridge-school.co.uk/

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Anyone for golf?

SCHOOL life extends well beyond the classroom at Marlborough House, where co-curricular opportunities now include golf on the new pitch and putt course, set in the school grounds.

TONBRIDGE School boys are putting their skills in creativity, innovation and teamwork to the test in the Junior House Engineering Competition.

In a ‘supercurricular’ programme being run by the Physics and Design Technology teams, Second Year boys are taking on a series of challenges ahead of a grand final later in the year.

The latest round saw boys designing and building model rocket cars, before racing them over a distance of 50m at the School. The Whitworth team took the top honours – and the coveted trophy – after producing a rocket car which clocked up an amazing speed of more than 100mph.

Chris Powell, Head of Physics, said: “The main idea of the competition is to bring Physics and

EDUCATION SPECIAL

Headmaster Eddy Newton said: “Activity afternoons provide pupils with the opportunity to develop different skills, boost confidence and ignite a love of learning through a new hobby.”

In addition to extra-curricular clubs (including astronomy in the onsite observatory), pupils in the Prep School can take part in diverse activities such as trampolining, sign language, coding and well-being, all within the school day. marlboroughhouseschool.co.uk

Mayfield AN IN D E P E N D E N T DAY A N D B OA R D I N G S C H O O L FO R G I R L S AG E D 11 TO 18

OUTSTANDING ACADEMIC RESULTS • SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE EXTENSIVE CO-CURRICULAR PROGRAMME EXEMPLARY PASTORAL CARE & NURTURING ENVIRONMENT STATE OF THE ART EQUESTRIAN CENTRE SET IN THE BEAUTIFUL SUSSEX COUNTRYSIDE FLEXI, WEEKLY AND FULL BOARDING OPTIONS MINIBUS SERVICE ACROSS SUSSEX AND KENT

Open Mornings SATURDAY 26 TH MARCH THURSDAY 28 TH APRIL TO ARRANGE A VISIT PLEASE CONTACT MRS SHIRLEY COPPARD, REGISTRAR@MAYFIELDGIRLS.ORG

WWW.MAYFIELDGIRLS.ORG MAY_TDA34282_Full-Page_275x340_AW.indd 1

20/01/2022 12:17

Wednesday February 23 | 2022

FOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT: timeslocalnews.co.uk

EDUCATION SPECIAL

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A broad and stimulating Mayfield wins plaudits for co-educational curriculum innovative design projects VINEHALL School is a co-educational day and boarding school for children ages 2-13.

Offering a broad and stimulating curriculum, dedicated teachers and exceptional facilities set in 50 acres of idyllic East Sussex countryside, it is the perfect setting for educating the generation of tomorrow.

Children come first at Vinehall. The school believes that in providing a wide range of opportunities they can allow children to achieve success, instilling in them a strong sense of purpose and self-confidence.

The staff and parents work together to create a warm and thriving community, where kindness and tolerance towards others are leading values.

‘Children come first at Vinehall.

The school believes that in providing a wide range of opportunities they can allow children to achieve success’ The School’s ethos is encapsulated in the motto, ‘to do our best for the benefit of others’.

People are invites to explore Vinehall. Visit during the Open Week, from Monday, February 28 to Friday March 4.

To register, please visit vinehallschool.com

MAYFIELD Sixth Form students, Christina and Elizabeth, have both been awarded prestigious Arkwright Engineering Scholarships – aimed at inspiring potential future leaders in engineering - for their innovative design projects they hope will make a real difference to people’s lives.

Energy

XXXXXXXX

Christina, currently in the Lower Sixth at Mayfield, engineering solution helped reduce coastal erosion. Her research is focused on the ways in which building infrastructures on the sea bed can help dissipate the energy of waves as they hit the coast, by simulating the impact in a wave machine using a variety of shapes created with a 3D printer.

Elizabeth won the scholarship for her project aimed at reducing cot deaths. She is creating a

tiny computer component that can be sewn into a baby grow and measures the temperature and orientation of a baby whilst sleeping. Alerts can be sent to a phone in the event of a problem.

The girls’ interest in applying for a scholarship was sparked by attendance at the School’s STEM club. Mayfield’s Head of Physics & STEM Club founder, Dr Darragh Corvan, said: “We are actively encouraging the girls to explore the dynamic field of electronics and coding.

“In our STEM club, the girls get the opportunity to use Raspberry Pi microcomputers and Arduino microcontrollers to develop their projects. At Mayfield, we encourage all our students to pursue their passions and we actively encourage girls to study STEM subjects and pursue careers in engineering, which have traditionally been male dominated.” www.mayfieldgirls.org

22

EDUCATION SPECIAL

FOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT: timeslocalnews.co.uk

Wednesday February 23 | 2022

Why fit in when you were born to stand out?

Rated excellent in all areas in a recent ISI report

PRE-PREP AND PREP/ BOYS & GIRLS �-�� YEARS | All YEAR ROUND NURSERY BOOK A PERSONAL TOUR Email office@skippershill.com | Discover more at www.skippershill.com Skippers Hill Prep, Five Ashes, TN�� 6HR

TO ROCKETS From rocketry to bee-keeping and dozens of activities in between, every boy can discover something that fires their interest beyond the classroom. In this way, not only are enthusiasms formed that can, and often do, last a lifetime, but the impetus to try something new and different is created, perhaps even something that demands the all-important step out of their comfort zone. That is a wonderful preparation for life after school.

FROM DRONES Arrange a visit: admissions@tonbridge-school.org tonbridge-school.co.uk

Wednesday February 23 | 2022

Inspiring pupils to become tomorrow’s decision makers

AT KIP MCGRATH Education Centres, they put the student at the centre of the tuition process.

All students start with an assessment before they enrol, so we can ascertain their areas of both strength and weakness, however, from that point we work with students (and parents of younger pupils) to build bespoke tuition programmes.

Position

their decision making in a safe space, it generates confidence to take these lifelong skills into exams and careers beyond.

Kip McGrath has also developed a market leading tuition software package, which enables the school to deliver quality and engaging tuition in centre and/or online, both with face-to-face interaction.

At Kip McGrath Tunbridge Wells, we not only offer regular weekly tuition programmes, but we also offer intensive holiday programmes. Please contact the centre for more information: tunbridgewells@kipmcgrath.co.uk Easter School: W/c Monday 4th April Summer School: W/c Monday 8th August W/c Monday 15th August W/c Monday 22nd August

AT SKIPPERS, headmaster Phillip Makhouli believes that a kind, positive and encouraging environment is the foundation upon which children can have the confidence to build and pursue their passions and dreams.

Oxytocin is a chemical that helps to bind us as human beings and produces feelings of love and connection. It is essential for making strong social bonds, and it’s also a key part of why we want to trust people.

It explains the power of kindness and the chemical reaction we experience with acts of kindness and generosity. Huge amounts of oxytocin surge through women’s bodies during childbirth and help to seal the unique and intense bond of love between mother and child.

There are many ways to release oxytocin. We have all experienced the impact of a kind word or act and this is true of whether we are the ones receiving or giving as oxytocin is released in both cases.

abundant the growth. This is the same for children.

Impact And here is what is really exciting: even simply witnessing acts of kindness releases oxytocin, this means kindness is contagious!

And even more exciting is that the more oxytocin we have in our bodies the more generous we become.

Think about this and the impact this could have on the culture and environment we can encourage in our schools and local communities.

As everyone knows, for any living thing the healthier the environment the more vital and

PHILLIP MAKHOULI

HO

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SC

HOOL

ENJOYING TODAY EDUCATING FOR TOMORROW NURSERY, PRE-PREP & PREP | BOYS & GIRLS 2.5-13 YEARS | DAY & FLEXI BOARDING

The school goes far beyond academic results and prides itself on the development of the whole child.

THE GOOD SCHOOLS GUIDE 2021

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The power of one kind word or act

M A R LB

As students get older (especially during Key Stage 4) the school encourages them to take responsibility for their tuition direction, whilst still being able to guide from our professional position.

Within the sessions themselves, individual contact and input is given to each student before encouraging them to tackle some tasks on their own, to build on the learning and promote self motivation and independency. By stimulating

EDUCATION SPECIAL

FOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT: timeslocalnews.co.uk

Book a private tour Email registrar@marlboroughhouseschool.co.uk Discover more at marlboroughhouseschool.co.uk Marlborough House School, Hawkhurst, Kent, TN18 4PY

FEBRUARY 28TH - 4TH MARCH

Vinehall

Wednesday February 23 | 2022

Life&Times

ARTS • BOOKS • GOING OUT • FOOD • HOMES • INTERIORS • TRAVEL • MOTORS and MORE...

Going out - Page 29

Food - Page 32

Antiques - Page 37

Take time out...

Emma Howarth on living more mindfully P26

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Arts

Wednesday February 23 | 2022

arts

EMMA HOWARTH ©Photos by Mollie Manning

“Seeking a more mystical life doesn’t mean having to run away - or acquiring fancy yoga pants, 17 different scented candles and a permanent sunset” Emma Howarth is a local author, freelance writer and monthly horoscope columnist for Glamour UK. Last year she published A Year of Mystical Thinking: Make Life Feel Magical Again – a funny and touching memoir recounting her journey to find inner peace without a one-way ticket to paradise. Here she tells the Times of Tunbridge Wells why she was inspired to write the book and how you too can do it for yourself in 2022

W

hen I found myself burnt out and broken at the end of a truly terrible year, I knew I needed to make some changes. A perfect storm of stressful life events (relocating across the country to Tunbridge Wells, major job moves, an untimely death in the family) had left me feeling lost, exhausted and desperate to escape. A one-way ticket to paradise sounded like exactly what I was

looking for…

I wanted to disappear on an Eat Pray Lovestyle quest for inner peace like Elizabeth Gilbert!

Or take a Wild wander through the wilderness like Cheryl Strayed did in her memoir about walking the Pacific Crest Trail! Anything but another trip between the washing machine, dishwasher and my email inbox! And yet, while I was sure I’d be able to fix everything with a few Balinese sunsets and a ton of pasta, life had

Independent model and hobby Independent model and hobby shop in Crowborough model With a huge range of Independent stock from Games Starand hobby shop inWorkshop, Crowborough Wars Legion, Marvel Crisis Protocol, andin Infinity, along with shop Crowborough With a huge range of stock from Games Workshop, Star

a whole host of boards games and everything you need to With a huge range Crisis of stock from Games Workshop, Starwith Legion, Protocol, and Infinity, along build, paint and Wars play, we really Marvel are your one stop shop for Wars Legion, Marvel Crisis Protocol, and Infinity,you along withto a whole host of boards games and everything need everything tabletop hobby related. a whole host of play, boards everything you need build, paint and wegames really and are your one stop shopto for build, paint and play, we really are your one stop shop for everything tabletop hobby related. www.ashdowngaming.co.uk everything tabletop hobby related.

www.ashdowngaming.co.uk www.ashdowngaming.co.uk

Arts

Wednesday February 23 | 2022

other ideas.

Two young children, a hectic magazine job, a husband working all hours for the NHS and a diary filled to bursting with soft play birthday parties… There was no way I was going to be running away to meditate on a rock anytime soon.

Even though I couldn’t disappear off to India, Italy or Indonesia in search of inner peace, I still wanted to find a way to feel better and live better – and so in the eye of that storm I hit upon an idea. An idea that became a year-long project in which I explored a different mystical or spiritual practice (everything from meditation to

wanted to explore something new: I was wrong about that too.

Once I started paying attention I found there were many wonderful yogis, healers and alternative practitioners right here on my doorstep. Some of my favourite local magic makers are:

PAUSE FOR THOUGHT Emma believes it taking time out to enjoy a variety of spiritual practices

Thank you for this. So we would be looking for a ¼ page for 2 weeks.

Please use the main photo Could we include the KCC logo also “Even though I couldn’t

In terms of the advert disappear off toactual India, Italy or wording, could Indonesia in searchlike of inner we have something this: peace, I still wanted to find a way to feel better and live better” REDEVELOPMENT PROPERTY WITH

27

approximately 2,160 sq ft on a circa 0.25 acre site:

For Yoga I found my perfect practice attending classes with local teacher Helen Bishop (helenbishopyoga.co.uk) at The Yoga House’s (theyogahouse.co.uk) beautiful studio. When I started running guided moon meditation rituals locally in 2019, The Yoga House proved the perfect venue. I also love yoga classes at SPN (spn.fit) and hosting meditation events at their beautiful studios. The brand new Sevenoaks studio was the venue I chose for my book launch last September.

Former Southborough Library Good opportunity for residential redevelopment, subject to necessary consents

For further information please visit: www.formersouthboroughlibrary.co.uk For Energy Healing

Read the July chapter of my book and you’ll meet energy healer extraordinaire Myra Antonia but you can also meet her in real life locally (she’s @starseed_akasha on Instagram) for transformative treatments. I also can’t recommend Dot Winter (dorothywinter.com) enough – a truly magical human.

POTENTIAL balthazar.butcher@carterjonas.co.uk | 07814 manifestation) every month from the comfort of my own home here in Tunbridge Wells.

Former Southborough Library, Yew Tree Lane, 483271 That project became a book: A Year of Mystical Thinking: Make Life Feel Magical Again – a Southborough, Tunbridge Wells, TN4 0BA james.staveley@carterjonas.co.uk | 07585 spiritual sourcebook/mystical memoir that tells story of how I injected the magic back into “I’ll be running some super Onthe behalf of Kent County Council 991350 my life and explains how you can do it too –

relaxing events in 2022 including sessions at my favourite local community venue The Inside in Calverley Adventure Grounds”

even if you don’t have much in the way of disposable income, free time or opportunities to fly off on a solo jaunt to Bali.

If you’re ready to make your life feel magical again this year then it might just be the perfect read! Here’s what I learnt…

Offers are sought for a property comprising Find magic in the mundane Making life more magical shouldn’t feel like another task on your To Do list! A spiritual practice that turns a routine into a ritual is the best practice of all. During my mystical year, I found myself stirring intentions into my morning tea, turning baths into magical rituals and

PROPERTY WITH REDEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL Former Southborough Library, Yew Tree Lane, Southborough, Tunbridge Wells, TN4 0BA On behalf of Kent County Council

For Sound Baths My friend Alice Rose (alicerose.space) creates the most amazing crystal sound baths and runs events with me locally. Watch this space for plenty of magic from both of us in 2022. making wishes on every candle I blew out (not just the birthday ones!).

It doesn’t have to be perfect Take a scroll through spiritual Instagram and you’d be forgiven for thinking a mystical life requires fancy yoga pants, seventeen different scented candles and a permanent sunset backdrop. It doesn’t! Trust me, there’s a reason I devoted a whole chapter to the pitfalls of perfectionism and living your #bestlife. You don’t need to rise at dawn, spend a fortune on crystals or master a crow pose to discover the magic of the mystical world. Do it your way – I did!

Just say yes I might have set out to find inner peace without buying a one-way ticket to paradise but the universe had other ideas. You’ll have to read the book to find out exactly how I ended up going to Byron Bay, Australia for a long weekend but I will say it’s the best contradiction I’ve ever watched play out in real time. Spoiler: I bought a return!

Offers are sought for a property comprising approximately 2,160 sq ft on a circa 0.25 acre site:

PROPERTY WITH REDEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL

Former Southborough Library Redevelopment opportunity, subject to all necessary consents

Former Southborough Library, Yew Tree Lane, Southborough, Tunbridge Wells, TN4 0BA Property comprising approximately 2,160 sq ft on a circa 0.25 acre site

For further information please visit: www.formersouthboroughlibrary.co.uk balthazar.butcher@carterjonas.co.uk | 07814 483274 james.staveley@carterjonas.co.uk | 07585 991350

Slow down and celebrate the seasons Slowing down sounds like obvious advice but in our hectic modern world it can be difficult to achieve. Sometimes life moves so fast we don’t even notice the seasons let alone celebrate them!

And sometimes those seasonal celebrations feel more stressful than they need to be (not naming any names… Christmas!). Choosing to celebrate the festivals of the Wheel of the Year is a magical way to acknowledge the seasons without losing the plot over stair garlands. No one ever fell into a comparison spiral over the autumn equinox, right?

Start where you are and use what you have When I first moved to Tunbridge Wells from inner city Bristol I found it hard to imagine I’d ever meet anyone on my wavelength: I was wrong. When I started my mystical project I thought I’d have to go to London every time I

Fancy joining me for some spiritual healing?

The next free monthly online live event I’ll be hosting is on March 3 on my instagram @ mysticalthinking But I’ll be doing many more throughout 2022 featuring special guests, giveaways and a whole lot of magic. I’ll also be running some super relaxing events locally too including sessions at my favourite local community venue The Inside in Calverley Adventure Grounds (the-inside.co. uk).

Find me on Instagram or Facebook (both @ mysticalthinking) for all the details of the next event on March 3 and for more info A Year of Mystical Thinking: Make Life Feel Magical Again is published by Hay House and priced £10.99

Going out

28

Wednesday February 23 | 2022

going OUT

The Times’ Victoria Roberts provides a round-up of local events and activities coming up over the next week or so…

T

HIS WEEKEND Rusthall Community Cinema (RCC) presents a mini season of dementia themes, which includes the première of its own untitled short film, made by Eugene Gardner and Anne Goldstein of RCC, with a contribution from local musician Ben Doran-Burke.

“I think a sense of pride will be engendered when it is shown for the first time publicly at Rusthall Community Cinema,” Mr Gardner told the Times.

“It is a short film of just under 30 minutes that is a collection of eight people’s experiences: some speak of a parent as self-made monologues, others are interviews with carers or family members. All are by people local to the Tunbridge Wells area.”

The RCC film will be shown this Saturday (February 26) before the main feature, ‘Still Alice’ (2014), about how a woman (Julianne Moore) suffering from Early-Onset Alzheimer’s

Disease is ‘Still Alice’, to herself and to her family.

The second film in the mini-season is ‘The Father’ (2020), on Saturday, March 12, in which Anthony Hopkins is the father of the title, feeling increasingly abandoned after scaring off his caregiver, and with his daughter (Olivia Coleman) telling him she is moving to Paris.

This showing will be preceded by a talk by Dementia UK ambassador, Bridget Pepper.

“Both were suggested and voted onto the programme by those on our newsletter distribution list,” said Mr Gardner.

The community cinema is also collecting prizes for raffles, to be held on both evenings, with the proceeds being donated to Dementia UK to help their work locally, he added.

The RCC film will be shown again at the society’s film festival on October 15-16, and possibly other occasions.

FILM BUFF Rusthall Community Cinema founder, Eugene Gardner

on stage and screen

going live

family fun

LOOKING at screens and stages big and small, The Times of Tunbridge Wells presents a selected guide to the week ahead.

Rusthall Community Cinema presents ‘Still Alice’, as part of a mini season of dementia themes (see above). Saturday, February 26. Doors open at 7pm, followed by a film discussion, in person and over Zoom.

At Trinity Theatre, the monthly Senior Cinema offering is the classic ‘His Girl Friday’ (U), 1940, starring Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell as a divorced couple who might not be as estranged as they thought, as they race to save a man from execution, and get the news scoop. Senior Cinema showings have low lighting and offer a programme interval.

Monday, February 28 at 10:30am.

Also in black and white but filmed in 2021 is ‘Belfast’ (12A), written and directed by Kenneth Branagh, who was born in the same year and in the same Northern Irish city. As the ‘Troubles’ wind up in 1969, the life of this nine-year-old Ulster Protestant boy unravels. Trinity Theatre, Tuesday, March 1 at 8pm.

Presenting a crossover between cinema and live performance this week, the E.M. Forster Theatre (Tonbridge School) is encouraging both rowdiness and fancy dress for ‘Singalong Sound of Music’. You know what to do. Friday, February 25 at 7pm. Profits go to Hospices of Hope in Romania.

Tonight, (February 23), at 7:30pm, comedian Jonny Donohoe dives into an exploration of cycles of abuse, following how they form and affect who we are. As he looks for the exit, will he find the ‘Forgiveness’ of his show title? E.M. Forster Theatre (Tonbridge School).

Meanwhile, at Trinity Theatre, comedian and wine scholar Anna Lou engages the guests of ‘Le Wine Club’ in an intoxicating and musical investigation into the disappearance of her lover.

Here’s to her success… (chin chin). Friday, February 25 at 8pm.

The next night, on the same stage, Kristin Mcilquham’s character Kristin Mcilquham approaches her fortieth birthday. As she faces up to the unfinished business of her father’s brain injury, it is not clear whether she or her father is the ‘Headcase’ of the show title. Trinity Theatre, Saturday, February 28 at 8pm.

WITH one of the best live music scenes in the South East, here is a round-up of some of the best bands and acts performing this week: The Forum features moody blues music of Lawrence Jones, three times British Blues Young Artist of the Year. His single ‘Everything’s Gonna Be Alright’ was one of the top 200 most played tracks of 2020. Also playing are Kent blues band Half Moon Panic. Thursday, February 24 at 7:30pm. Ages 16 and over.

On Friday, February 25, the scene is taken over by Scottish singer-songwriter duo Hue & Cry, consisting of Coatbridge-born brothers Pat and Greg Kane. Catch them at The Forum before they head off on their Essential 80s tour in the autumn, with Paul Young and T’Pau. 7:30pm Cranbrook’s Vestry Hall presents Folk and Roots duo Oka Vanga, a partnership of South African Angela Meyer and Londoner William Cox, telling musical stories of faith and superstition, love and loss, death and hope. Friday, February 25. Doors open at 7pm.

It’s a big weekend out on the town. The Laura & Co jazz quartet, featuring jazz vocalist SCOWL and former opera singer Laura Lawton, Iain Rae on keys, bassist Paul Beeching, drummer and Jazz on the Pantiles organiser Lionel Shell, and guest saxophonist Dan Foster, are playing at The Grey Lady on Saturday, February 25 at 7:30pm.

At The Forum, headliners are The Matt Smith Cosmic Experience, whose drummer is Tonbridge School’s Tolly Wilson. They are supported by Kent-based indie rock band Citrus Blue, garage music band with a steampunk aesthetic Theillusivefish, and punk blues artist This Living Wreck. Saturday, February 26 at 7:30pm.

A Kent double bill at The Forum Basement (Sussex Arms) headlines grunge/ punk trio Scowl, one of QM Records’ Artists to look out for in 2021. They are backed up by moshing Medway boy band Sheena.

WHETHER your family is young or old, big or small, there’s plenty to do both indoors and outdoors over the coming week, along with some active ideas.

Who says intergenerational crime can’t be a great family night LASER CHALLENGE

out? Certainly not fans of David Walliams, whose book ‘Gangsta Granny’ is dramatised at the Assembly Rooms, starting on Wednesday, March 1 at 6:30pm, followed by two performances daily until Saturday, March 5. Tickets discounted if you book Walliams’ ‘Billionaire Boy’, in late May, at the same time.

If your kids are bouncing off the walls after a sedentary week at school, a woodland rampage, armed with laser rifles, may help.

Bewl Water’s Laser Challenge is open, offering four one-hour sessions every GANGSTA GRANNY Saturday and Sunday.

Ages eight and over.

It’s storytime for under-fives at Knole Park’s bookshop on Mondays for the rest of term. 11:00-11:30am No booking needed.

Two future dates for your diary: Don’t forget your costumes for World Book Day next week (Thursday, March 3) Under 18s can prepare for an Open Mic event at The Forum, on Thursday, March 10 at 5pm.

Books

Wednesday February 23 | 2022

Times book reviewer

HANNAH KIRSOP

NEW NORDIC NOIR

HAPPY FAMILIES

The Creak on the Stairs

by Eva Björg Ægisdóttir

How to Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie (published in hardback by The Borough Press, priced £14.99)

(published by Orenda Books, priced £8.99) Following the end of a relationship, Reykjavik CID officer Elma has returned to her Icelandic hometown of Akranes for a fresh start.

A deserted lighthouse and a murdered woman soon after her arrival enforce the new focus as Elma – along with colleagues Hörður and Sævar – begin their investigation into the death which throws up some unsavoury events and dark secrets from the past likely to ruffle feathers amongst some long-standing residents of the community.

This gripping and absorbing story has real characters, believable relationships and a decent plot which at 300 pages was just the right length to keep you engaged and keep you guessing. With a touch of romance for the main character added in, this debut novel is a great addition to the Nordic Noir stable and deservedly the winner of the Crime Writers’ Association John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger in 2021. The first of two published in the Forbidden Iceland series to date, I have ordered the second already.

8/10

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

The bookcase…

Here are some more reads to inspire you this week …

The Colony by Audrey Magee Published in hardback by Faber & Faber, priced £14.99 (ebook £7.99). Available now The Colony is set on a remote island off the west coast of Ireland in 1979, where an Englishman and a Frenchman have come to spend their summer.

The Englishman, Mr Lloyd, is an artist who wants to paint the cliffs, and the Frenchman, JP, is a PhD student writing a linguistical study on the Irish language – dying out everywhere but on the island.

The story of conflict and resentment breeding between Mr Lloyd, JP, and the island dwellers, is interspersed with the gruesome details of what is happening back on the Irish mainland during the Troubles.

The story of art and identity is told in beautiful and colourful prose, often verging on the poetic. Magee has written a gorgeous and powerful novel that will stick with you for a long time to come.

Review by Frances Wright

29

Grace Bernard is the illegitimate daughter of Simon Artemis who abandoned her and her mother after a brief affair. Following her mother’s early death, Grace sets out to avenge her mother – and herself – and claim Simon’s considerable fortune by slowly picking off the members of her paternal family. It is ironic, therefore, that we first encounter her locked up in a cell for a murder that she claims she didn’t commit.

Switching between Grace’s incarcerated present, her recent past - as she plans and carries out the murders – and a full synopsis of her life to date, this novel is pretty good as a concept. The murders seem believable (and worryingly achievable) and the reader also actively encourages Grace along to achieve her aim (again worryingly) as the rest of the family are portrayed as particularly shallow and horrific.

That said, the book is a little too long and meandering to be snappy enough to maintain one’s gripped attention, and it is really only the final third of the book which builds the required momentum to end with an unexpected twist.

7/10

Block, Delete, Move On by LalalaLetMeExplain Published in hardback by Bantam Press, priced £12.99 (ebook £9.49). Available now Weren’t dating apps meant to make meeting people and falling in love easier? Sadly, the Tinder age – despite all the romances it has successfully sparked – has just added new layers of doubt, deceit and even danger to the minefield of modern courtship.

The witty and streetwise Block, Delete, Move On from rising Instagram star LalalaLetMeExplain, an anonymous agony aunt and qualified social worker, is an official guide to avoiding the pitfalls and red flags that if ignored, can lead to ghosting, gaslighting and worse forms of abuse. While it is squarely aimed at women who date men, there are empowering tips for anyone looking to find love and avoid pain, and her exploration of persistent toxic male attitudes is sobering.

Review by James Cann

8/10

When We Were Birds by Ayanna Lloyd Banwo Published in hardback by Hamish Hamilton, priced £14.99 (ebook £9.99). Available now

9/10

Ayanna Lloyd Banwo warns at the start of her debut novel, When We Were Birds, that the island of Trinidad is real – but everything else in her novel is fiction. Writing in the local dialect, Lloyd Banwo welcomes the reader into a rich mixture of the real and fantasy landscapes of Trinidad. The narrative alternates between Darwin, a young Rastafari man forced by hardship to take up work as a gravedigger, and Yejide, who we first see as a young girl questioning her

8/10

grandmother about their family connection to corbeau – mythical death-spirits. Lloyd Banwo gives each of her protagonists an authentic voice, and we feel their conflicts and urges deeply.

The supporting characters are movingly drawn, too. As the novel rushes Darwin and Yejide towards its dramatic conclusion, you almost wish for more time with them all, and the enigmatic world Lloyd Banwo has managed to create.

Review by Joshua Pugh Ginn

30

Events

Wednesday February 23 | 2022

events

Hever Festival is back with a Bond!

Victoria Roberts looks ahead to Hever Castle’s summer festival, which returns for 2022 with a jam-packed programme after two years of scaled back events...

Hever Festival covers the range of performing arts and history, but there are certain core themes, theatre director Ailsa Molyneux told the Times.

“Working with the great expertise at Hever Castle is very important to us. We are holding the second in a trilogy of talks by Dr Owen Emerson, a world leader in the history of Hever Castle alongside Kate McCaffrey and Lauren MacKay, both experts in their fields on Tudor and Boleyn history,” she said. “‘Anne Boleyn’ by Howard Brenton is back by popular demand, along with the Three Inch Fools (who have just enjoyed a fabulous run at Trinity Theatre with ‘The Miraculous Misadventures of Robin Hood’) and festival favourites Illyria with Shakespeare in the Hever Castle gardens.” The festival runs from May 28 to August 30 and there’s plenty to see.

BAFTA “Our fabulous core artists’ performances form the backbone of our season and we are proud to be working with them again.”

However, Ailsa stressed: “It is also important that we encourage new events and new audiences to the festival each year.

“Working with us for the first time is comedian Joe Rooney, who kicks off our comedy programme with ‘A Celebration of Father Ted’, This is ollowed by awardwinning (East Grinstead-based) Grinstock Comedy Club and Solve-Along-A- MurderShe-Wrote, with plenty of audience participation to enjoy.

“Double BAFTA-winning broadcaster, comedian and writer Jon Holmes is bringing us the biggest current news stories as we’ve never heard them before,” Ailsa continued, advising: “Search for ‘The Skewer’ on BBC Sounds so you know what to expect from this ‘twisted comedy treat’.”

The musical tributes theme represents another multicoloured firework bouquet, with two Proms celebrating the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee: First Night of the Hever Proms celebrates British composers on Saturday, June 4, while the Brandenburg Sinfonia play the flag-waving classics on the Last Night of the Hever Proms (Sunday, August 28).

Other musical highlights include ‘Q The Music, the Music of James Bond’ (Friday, August 5) with ‘Live and Let Die’ Bond Girl Madeline Smith introducing the iconic tunes. Grammy-nominated artist Stacey Kent sings songs from her latest album ‘Songs From Another Place’ (Saturday, July 23), The 4 D’s will be singing hits from

RULE THE WORLD

OO-HEAVEN Bond girl Madeline Smith is at Hever Festival

Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, among others, while Sinatra, Sequins and Swing brings some Hollywood glamour with ‘The Capitol Years’ (Saturday, August 6).

Fabulous tribute performances will include two double bills: The Tina Turner and Aretha Franklin Stories (Saturday, May 28) and Blurb and the Kaiser Thiefs (Thursday, August 4). The Simon and Garfunkel Story returns to Hever on Sunday July 24, and the festival introduces Just Floyd (Thursday, August 25), Take That Rule the World (Friday, August 26) and No Town Like Motown (Saturday, August 27).

This year is also 500 years since Anne Boleyn’s first appearance in English court and where better than here to celebrate her life with First Knight’s production of the play Anne Boleyn by Howard Brenton, on

“Our fabulous core artists’ performances form the backbone of our season and we are proud to be working with them again.” for three nights (18-20 Aug).

Hever Castle’s curator of their current Anne Boleyn exhibition Dr Owen Emerson returns to the stage with Kate McCaffrey as they talk about her formative years in LETTERS TO THE MOON Simon Williams and Lucy Fleming

Edenbridge based Another Way Theatre’s production of Jane Eyre (Wed June 1) and for a one-off matinee performance the touching and amusing letters between the actress Celia Johnson (Brief Encounter, RONNIE SCOTT’S ALL STARS

Becoming Anne (Wed 10 Aug).

Two more historical writers join us to discuss their novels, Lauren Mackay with her book Among the Wolves of Court The Untold Story of Thomas and George Boleyn (Sat 25 June) in St Peter’s Church, Hever where Anne’s father Thomas is buried. Alison Weir will be back on stage with us again to talk about her latest novel Elizabeth of York The Last White Rose and signing copies hot off the press (Sun 29 May).

There is more drama and romance with

This Happy Breed) and her husband, explorer Peter Fleming are read by their daughter Lucy Fleming and her husband Simon Williams in Posting Letters to the Moon (Wed Aug 3).

Hever’s family programme has something for all ages throughout the holiday season and includes the Long Nose Puppets’ latest production The Hug (Fri July 22); Immersion Theatre’s Rapunzel (Wed July 27) and Horrible Histories’ Terrible Tudors (Wed Aug 24).

Festival favourites Ronnie Scott’s All Stars return (Sun Aug 21) along with Charles Court Opera’s Gilbert & Sullivan productions: Patience (Sun June 5) and Mikado (Sun Aug 29) and Opera Brava bringing classics; Bizet’s Carmen (Sat Aug 13) and Verdi’s La Traviata (Sun Aug 14).

The Hever Castle Festival runs from May 28 to August 30.

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Food & Drink

Wednesday February 23 | 2022

food & drink

It’s anchors aweigh in Crowborough When it comes to finding a relaxing country spot for a bite to eat, there’s no shortage of choice in East Sussex, but after setting sail for The Blue Anchor, Richard Williams sees why this Crowborough pub is still making waves in the world of great food and drink

O

NCE THOUGHT to be the haunt of choice for the smugglers and poachers that roamed the East Sussex countryside, The Blue Anchor in Crowborough attracts a far more civilised clientele these days, but the pub’s lawless roots are certainly not forgotten in its food.

With a name like The Blue Anchor, you’d be forgiven for thinking the cosy eighteenth century pub that sits nestled along the A26 was predominately a fish restaurant.

And while the East Sussex connections with the sea and its smugglers are not forgotten, the eclectic menu celebrates many of the other local ingredients that the region has become well known for too.

UNDER STARTERS ORDERS

You get a distinct continental feel in this classic pub, not just in the almost brasserie style feel of the dining area, with its well-spaced country house tables and warm autumnal colour decor scheme, but also the menu borrows influence from many European nations and locally too.

Oysters that come from outside of Kent are a rarity in these parts, but the Tipsy Maldon Oysters (half dozen £12.00) at The Blue Anchor show that Essex produces these delicacies that are every bit as sweet as their South East rivals.

Another must try item for the seafood lover is the baby octopus. This was served with sauteed chorizo and a carrot puree

(£7.95) during our visit, but the chef also has another Spanish take on the dish serving it with patatas bravos (£9.00), making it almost a meal in itself.

There’s a good range of lighter bites and vegetarian options, with nibbles ranging from whitebait and smoked garlic hummus

to marinated olives (all £4.50), making it a perfect spot for a tipple and a light bite.

THE MAIN EVENT

Fish plays a large part on the main menu too. The ubiquitous pub classic cod and chips (£14.95), along with pan fried sea

bass (£15.95) were both on our menu, with skate wing (£16.00) and Harissa Monkfish (£18.00) also often served as specials.

But meat is certainly not forgotten and after a fishy starter, the slow cooked (12 hour) pork belly (£16.95) proved highly tempting.

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Food & Drink

Wednesday February 23 | 2022

There’s a good range of lighter bites and vegetarian options, with nibbles including whitebait, smoked garlic hummus and marinated olives The pork was as tender as you’d imagine after such a long, slow roast, and as it came complete with superb, crispy crackling and fennel mash, it made for the perfect winter comforter.

There is no shortage of other carnivorous options on the menu here with lamb rump (£15.50) and a range of burgers (£13.00) on offer.

The buttermilk fried chicken burger (£13.95) is worthy of attention for those after a lunchtime bite or something less substantial for dinner.

The haberno and mango mayo give it a real kick.

JUST DESSERTS

The Blue Anchor is one of those establishments where it is hard to leave, and the ample dessert and cheese board menu will have you loosening your belt to make room for more.

Of course, there is no shortage of liqueurs and coffees on offer too to end the night on a flourish.

ALWAYS FRESH

Perhaps the biggest strength of The Blue Anchor when it comes to its menu is just how much it changes. No two visits are ever the same, with the team opting to make the most of what is fresh, in season and available.

There are also regular pizza nights courtesy of the pub’s popular outdoor pizza oven, along with plenty of room for events and celebrating special occasions.

With such a choice of great pubs and restaurants in the local area, The Blue Anchor ranks among the best of them, partly because of the great effort the establishment goes to make the most of the best Kent and East Sussex has to offer, combined with a friendly, relaxed atmosphere that will have you returning time and time again.

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33

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Property News

property news

Wednesday February 23 | 2022

35

Launch date approaches for the Nevill Row development

A COLLECTION of eight modern, Victorianstyle homes in a Tunbridge Wells Road are about to go on the market.

Nevill Row, which fronts on to Nevill Terrace, just off London Road, is in a central position to the southward side of Tunbridge Wells.

Services The development’s location is ideal, only a stone’s throw away from the town centre and the historic Pantiles, as well as a short walk to the train station, which has regular services to central London, say

developer Beau Property ahead of its March launch date.

The Kent & Sussex boutique developer has seen a surge in enquiries with one of the two-bedroom duplex homes already being sold ahead of its official release.

Knight Frank’s Tunbridge Wells branch, who are selling the properties, have seen swathes of potential buyers registering their interest over the last week, making the show home launch even more eagerly anticipated.

With floorplans ranging from 850 Sq ft to 1200 Sq ft, each two-bedroom property captures the keen eye for quality that Beau

Property injects into all of its homes.

Timeless Chris Hammond, director at Beau Property, said: “These homes are a reflection of the Beau Property brand, homes that are built to last using high quality materials, executed to the highest standard with timeless design.

“The images we had created for Nevill Row are essential, as the finished product will encapsulate the exact same feel and look that potential customers signed up for.

Dandara holds investor event for 1887 The Pantiles INDEPENDENT housebuilder Dandara is offering the chance to invest in its highly sought-after 1887 The Pantiles development with an exclusive investors event this Thursday February 24 from 4pm – 7pm.

The event will give investors the opportunity to tour the development and show homes, with a financial advisor on hand to give advice and answer any questions.

Cultural Once the home of the notorious ‘The Pump Room’, a 19th century live music hall and jazz club which was the centre of Tunbridge Wells’ cultural scene, the development comprises of one-, two- and three-bedroom luxury apartments and contemporary two-bedroom mews homes.

The exclusive collection of two bedroom apartments and contemporary twobedroom mews homes are currently available for buyers to snap up.

Located in the Royal Tunbridge Wells, the development complements its historic setting with its architecture, whilst benefiting from quality interiors such as fully fitted German kitchens with stone worktops and Amtico Spacia vinyl flooring.

Each home is highly insulated, fitted with quality double glazing, and the latest energy efficient central heating and hot water systems.

All properties benefit from a stylish resident’s reception and concierge service, landscaped courtyard gardens, and resident parking. Selected plots boast sizable balconies and terraces.

With specific plots benefitting from Stamp Duty contributions and soft furnishings & light fittings included, now is a great time to buy. Tenants can move

in straight away - and you can start seeing great rental yields.

This is an appointment-only event. To book visit dandara.com/1887-thepantiles

“The design is forward thinking and takes into consideration the extra special features that London buyers look for given the high amount of ex-Londoners buying here in Royal Tunbridge Wells. We are a customer-first developer, and with our properties you are not only buying the building, but also the style and longevity that comes with it.”

The homes are available via Knight Frank Tunbridge Wells and start at £450,000.

They will be available to view at the launch of the show home on 12th March and prospective purchasers can register their interest at: nevillrow.com/contact.

House price offers rise after deals fall through VENDORS finding themselves in the unfortunate position of having a buyer pull out from a deal need not fret as homes make nearly £4,000 more from a following offer if a deal falls through.

Estate agent comparison site, GetAgent.co.uk, analysed house price data looking at the change in asking price for homes returning to the market after a sale had fallen through and how this compared to the average asking price.

In the South East there is a 0.5 per cent jump when re-marketing their home is seeing home sellers snag almost £2,500 more.

Founder and CEO of GetAgent.co.uk, Colby Short, said: “The collapse of a property transaction is, unfortunately, a common place occurrence in the UK property market and the vast majority of the time, it has very little to do with the property itself.

“That doesn’t make it any less frustrating for those trying to sell and a variety of factors, such as time constraints, will often see them remarket their home below market value in order to quickly secure another buyer.

“However, homes are currently in such high demand that many are finding they can achieve an even better price when they do return to the market because the value of their home has climbed during the few months that they were preceding with this original transaction.”

Antiques

Wednesday February 23 | 2022

37

The stories behind the art on your wall

antiques

Bentleys’ auctioneer Nick Hall talks about the artistic finds from a country house

L

OOKING through the vast array of interesting consignments that have arrived for our March 5 auction, I am drawn towards a private collection from a large period country house, the home of an art historian, researcher and author, and in particular to three very different, but equally rare and collectable paintings.

‘David Hockney, Francis Bacon and Lucien Freud all provided paintings to Odin’s Restaurant in return for hospitality’

Vendor The first being a fabulously large oil on canvas by Alfred Reginald Thomson RA (British, 1894 - 1979), standing at an impressive 140cm x 110cm, titled ‘The open Window’, and exhibited at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition in 1938, number 273, and snapped up in a Sotheby’s London sale in 1986 by our vendor, this is a huge painting with a huge visual appeal typical of British Interwar art.

Estimate £3500/4500.

The second painting is by one of the

CANVASSING OPINION Nick Hall with one of the paintings great Victorian artists, George Frederic Watts RA (British, 1817 - 1904), this oil on canvas is a study for the highly acclaimed ‘Death of Cain’, another version was gifted

by Watts to the Royal Academy, and another version hangs at the Watts Gallery, Compton, this version comes with

impeccable provenance, bequeathed to the artist’s adopted daughter Lilian Chapman (nee MacIntosh) and her husband Michael Chapman, thence by descent to their son Ronald Chapman, and then his sale at Sotheby’s, London.

Estimate £3000/5000.

The third painting is very different again, a much softer image, a watercolour painted in 1968 by Patrick Procktor RA (British, 1936 - 2003), and depicts a young boy lying down and looking back at the viewer, Procktor was accepted by the Slade School of Fine Art in 1958, and In 1962 he became a professional artist, and had his first show at the Redfern Gallery in London’s Cork Street in 1963, a great commercial success that helped confirm his reputation among a wider artistic circle including the theatre and music (he won numerous commissions for pop record sleeves, his painting ‘The Guardian Readers’ was used as the cover art for Elton John’s 1976 album, ‘Blue Moves’). Procktor, David Hockney, Francis Bacon and Lucien Freud all provided paintings to hang on the walls of Odin’s Restaurant and Langans Brasserie in return for hospitality. Procktor appeared, as himself, in the 1974 Hockney biopic, ‘A Bigger Splash’.

Estimate £3000/5000 Bentley’s next sale is to be held on Saturday March 5. The fully illustrated online catalogue will go live online on the evening of Friday February 25.

The campaign for quality furniture marches on Joseph Trinder from Gorringe’s looks at the enduring appeal of campaign furniture Joseph Trinder

A

NYONE who has kept an eye on the wider antiques world over recent years will know that many aspects of the traditional furniture market have fallen in value since their heyday in the late 1990s and early 2000s – the collective term ‘brown furniture’ is often used to refer to pieces principally in mahogany and oak together with the likes of walnut and rosewood and often has a slightly negative connotation. Although we have certainly noticed the murmurings of a general improvement over recent years and months, this trend is certainly the case when it comes to the likes of Victorian and Edwardian dining, seating and display furniture.

However, there is a facet of the furniture world which has bucked this trend with real vigour – the aesthetically pleasing and often historically tantalising world of

campaign furniture.

Laden with connotations of military endeavour, exotic travel and the colonial past – campaign furniture was designed with function and convenience at the heart of its construction – to be portable and often to partially deconstruct or ‘break down’ in order to be transported with forces as they travelled during military campaigns or expeditions of discovery.

Typically constructed in teak, mahogany, or camphor wood, these durable and practical items were often fitted with generous brass carrying handles and reinforced with brass mounts and other supports to add to their hardiness to withstand the rigours of travel.

A relative in this family of furnishings, naval furniture often combined these factors with diminutive proportions, in correspondence with the limited space available for storage and living on vessels of the like of the British Navy.

Buoyant Due to its often simplistic and symmetrical appearance and the romantic connotations of its original purpose, campaign furniture has more than weathered the storm of decline seen by some of its domestic counterparts, often commanding very buoyant prices in today’s market.

Recent discoveries of such examples soon to be offered in our Spring Fine sale on the March 8 at Gorringe’s include A George III period (1760-1820) secretary’s desk in mahogany. The caddy top above a pair of fielded panelled doors, flanked by the aforementioned typical brass loop carrying handles, opening to reveal a divisional interior of pigeonholes and drawers, wonderfully showing surviving original hand-painted labelling to include ‘India letters’ and ‘Nabobs Papers’ etc. at just 61 x 78cm, it is a wonderfully proportioned piece. Estimated at £600-800 today’s market may well take it further – whereas a domestic chest of drawers of the same period in mahogany could be bought for as little as £100 or so.

Example Another example from the same sale (both discovered in the same Wadhurst home in fact) is a charmingly proportioned early 19th century maritime bureau in teak. Its simplicity trumped only by its scarcity of scale, it stands at just 84cm high x 64cm wide – estimated to fetch £500 or more, a late 19th century bureau of typical domestic dimensions could likely be bought for less than £100 today – illustrating how the charm and romance of campaign and naval furniture sees such pieces proudly standing tall in the present market.

Pictured is one of the two campaign chests in the same sale, of the most recognisable format – which I predict will fetch over £1,000 each.

Antiques

Wednesday February 23 | 2022

38

A legend in the art of French luxury goods Alexander Pushkin, of Pushkin Antiques in the High Street talks about the history of Hermes International fine porcelain, glass, metalware and furniture.

Home furnishings are regularly presented in Milan at the main furniture exhibition, Salone dei Mobile.

Bindings

Alexander Pushkin

T

HIS WEEK I would like to talk about my wife and business partner, Olga Pushkin’s favourite brand, Hermès International S.A, often referred to as simply Hermès. This legendary French maison and a manufacturer of luxury goods has become synonymous with impeccable quality and style as I’m sure you fine ladies of Tunbridge Wells will agree.

The Maison, appeared on the map of artisan Paris in 1837 thanks to the manufacture of a horse harness and related accessories, now produces not only luxury leather bags of the finest workmanship, but also clothes, simple at first glance, yet exquisitely elegant. The brand has also developed a special home series, represented by a line of products made of

In their incessant search for ideal objects, without which the maison Hermès is inconceivable, the designers of the brand pay special attention to the study - the impeccable working space. The permanent collection of the brand contains many notebooks and organizers, placed in leather bindings. One of the most recent and legendary pen designs was created in collaboration with industrial designer Mark Newson, named Nautilus. This is the Maison’s first iconic pen, to the creation of which a world-class artisan was involved: Pierre-Alexis Dumas, the creative director of the house, began the first negotiations with Newson back in 2009. Now the alreadylegendary pen is available in both ball and feather versions.

The prosperous manufacturer is also renowned for its unique items that the company’s best craftsmen create. One of such items from the Les Necessaires d’Hermès collection is a compact mobile bureau that can be used as a temporary workplace. It is made of walnut, steel, and leather, processed in the brand’s factories, as well as fabrics from the Hermès textile collection.

Hermès is known to have collaborated with

many prominent makers and manufacturers from different fields. For instance, Hermès hired Swiss Watchmaker Universal Genève as the brand’s first and exclusive timepiece designer in the mid-1930s.

Just as famous as Rolex, Patek Philippe and Audemars Pigeut, Universal Genève made many breakthroughs in the world of horology, including the invention of first-ever chronographic wristwatch in 1917.

This iconic manufacturer Hermès continues to produces and sells premium goods, such as leather, scarves, ties, men’s and women’s clothing, perfumes, watches, stationery,

shoes, gloves, objects of vertu, tableware and jewellery.

The brand has long become a favourite among noble customers. Splendid pieces by Hermès have been noticed on Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Margaret Rose, Princess Grace Kelly, Jacqueline Lee Kennedy and Audrey Hepburn. Together with Louis Vuitton, Dior and Chanel, the company is truly considered as one of the most influential French manufacturers in the world.

Pieces by this iconic brand can be found in our collection and can be viewed on our website pushkinantiques.com or viewed in our High street gallery.

Celebrating wooden artefacts of note Eric Knowles, of The Hoard at the Corn Exchange talks about the humblest of manufacturing materials...

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ELLO everyone – my word, it’s been blowy out ! What a sobering sight it was last weekend to see all the trees that had been brought down up and down the country by winter storms. It may seem to be a tragic waste but – of course – it’s been the way in which wood has been made available to humans as a useful commodity from way back in the remote past.

Wood must have been one of the very first natural resource that we took advantage of (other than water and protein sources for pure subsistence), and we’ve been working with it for untold millennia. You can always tell when something becomes absolutely engrained in a culture when it gives rise to enduring surnames – I’m sure we all know our share of Sawyers, Foresters and Turners – I even went to school with a Bodger back in the day – and all of their predecessors would have worked with wood in some capacity.

Landscape Look at own national history in less remote times; the sustained development of wooden ships enabled the exploration, colonisation and martial endeavour that underpinned the establishment of the British Empire. From a less wide-ranging perspective, the Wealden landscape has been shaped since the Roman occupation, first by the availability of wood to power the iron and rudimentary glassmaking industries, and then – with the trees cleared – by the animal husbandry and farming that has

also left us with so many place-names ending in ‘hurst’ and ‘den’ – the evidence of our woodrelated heritage is right there, every day.

This age-old association has meant is that we seem to have a collective empathy to some degree with wooden objects – an almost inbuilt appreciation of seeing living things crafted in to useful, practical and decorative items. And if you’re able to add an element of local relevance to the process, it takes it one stage further. I’d like to think that everyone in our area has some sort of affinity with Tunbridge Ware for instance, something that almost literally put the name of the town on the map.

With our own location on The Pantiles, at ScottishAntiques.com we’re right at the heart of where the trade flourished, with items being made and sold down here since the latter part of the 18th century.

That’s one reason that we’re making an effort to assemble a wide collection of Tunbridge Ware pieces, but they’re not our only wooden artefacts of note. A far more refined use of wood can be demonstrated by the magnificent Art Deco furniture provided by Jeroen Markies, one of our new partners at The Pantiles Arcade. We also have absolutely contemporary pieces – wooden sculptures – produced by Bedford & Burkill from

Wood must have been one of the very first natural resources that we took advantage of South Yorkshire who, with considerable relevance, utilise stocks of wood which has largely been accumulated from ‘windfalls’ gathered over the last ten years or so.

For an introduction to Jeroen’s fabulous furniture – and much more – don’t forget that I’m hosting talks on Art Deco down here on The Pantiles over the first weekend in March; details available on-line at scottishantiques.com/ eric-knowles-tunbridge-wells

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