Times of Tunbridge Wells 26th January 2022 by One Media

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House prices rocket through the roof – and that’s official! By Victoria Roberts

THE MEAD SCHOOL

PROPERTY prices in Tunbridge Wells have never been so high, with the average home now fetching more than half a million pounds, which is 10 per cent higher than this time last year. That means the average homeowner made £50,000 on the value of their house last year – around £136 every day. And there are no signs that house prices will stabilise any time soon, local estate agents have said.

R O YA L TUNBRIDGE WELLS

Surged According to the government’s house price index, published by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) last week and based on Land Registry data, house prices across the country surged by 10.0 per cent annually by November. The average UK house now stands at £271,000, up by £25,000 from the previous year’s £246,000, the ONS said.

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The ONS House Price Index matches other property value estimates released over the last quarter including those of Halifax and Rightmove, which have suggested a similar surge in house prices over the last 12 months. In the South East, where property prices fetch a higher premium than other areas of the country, the ONS say there was a

slightly lower increase in house values at 9.6 per cent, but even this will have seen the average home in Tunbridge Wells exceed the £500,000 mark last year. According to Rightmove, the average property in Tunbridge Wells now sells for £528,459, while Zoopla, the other main

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Now Tories are in disarray as cabinet member and a councillor both resign EXCLUSIVE By Richard Williams A CABINET member at Tunbridge Wells Borough Council (TWBC) has quit over the latest Downing Street revelations. And another Conservative councillor has also stood down, citing ‘personal reasons’. Cllr Matt Bailey, who was the head of Environment at TWBC and represents Paddock Wood West, has left the Conservative party and informed the Council he is now representing his ward as an independent councillor. Cllr Bailey said last night: “Following the stream of shocking headlines from Downing Street and Westminster and

given that most of the work we do on the borough council is non-political in nature, I feel I will be better able to represent local residents if free from any association with the current government.

Adressed “Many people in our borough, regardless of which way they vote, feel there’s a problem with the culture in Downing Street and Parliament that urgently needs to be addressed. “This has been going on for years and isn’t about one person or political party. “The last Labour government broke international law over Iraq, presided over

the cash-for-honours scandal and had five MPs jailed for expenses fraud. So they’re part of the same problem.” Cllr Bailey’s resignation follows the latest revelations that have come from Downing Street, this time involving the PM who is said to have celebrated his birthday with a cake and 30 others in June 2020. It comes after a series of allegations about parties at Number 10 that are currently being investigated by civil servant Sue Gray. It also comes after another Conservative councillor stood down from TWBC last

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Wednesday January 26 | 2022

this week… Nearly 4,000 commuters prepare

for the journey back to the office

FOODBANK FLURRY: Is Tunbridge Wells ready to face the cost of living crisis? P7

Rail journeys in Tunbridge Wells fell by 80 per cent since work from home guidance first issued By Richard Williams

SYMPHONY CELEBRATION: The Royal Tunbridge Wells Symphony Orchestra is celebrating 100 years in ‘civic’ style. P20

GOING OUT: Don’t miss Victoria Roberts preview of where to go this week in our new entertainment section. P22

CROWBOROUGH SPOTLIGHT: The town is top o’ the Weald, according to traders. P30

THOUSANDS of commuters in Tunbridge Wells face the journey back to the office now that Covid guidance to work from home has been scrapped, analysis from the Times can reveal. From last week, the advice to ‘work from home if you can’ was lifted by the PM as the threat from the Omicron variant waned. The measures to advise people not to go to the office were among the first Covid guidelines introduced in March 2020. They were lifted briefly last summer but then reintroduced in December over fears over the new variant. Now analysis of the latest government rail figures by this newspaper can reveal the extent that the guidance has had on commuting at the three main stations in Tunbridge Wells. From April 2020 to March 2021 rail journeys to and from Tunbridge Wells dropped by 80 per cent, figures released by the ORR reveal – the lowest rail usage statistics for more than 100 years. Pre-pandemic, the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) say there were 3.6 million entries and exits to Tunbridge Wells Station each year, but this fell to just 735,876 for the year ending March 2021. This means there were 2.8 million fewer journeys taken at the town’s main station alone,

NOW

and across the borough, more than 3,740 season ticket holders shied away from the rail network completely. The figures show in 2019/20 there were around 598,116 exits and entries made at Tunbridge Wells Station by season ticket holders – around 2,245 daily journeys. This has now fallen to just 239,000 annual exit and entries at the town’s main train station – or just 460 return journeys by season ticket holders over the five-day working week. High Brooms also saw the number of daily season ticket journeys plummet last year from 1,229 to just 192 each day.

cabinet. Such a move would need a two-thirds [32 votes] majority to pass. There are 16 seats scheduled to be contested in the local elections set for May 5.

Continued from front page

Resignations

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And Paddock Wood saw daily season ticket travellers drop from 1,150 to just 232 a day. It is not just season ticket holders that have stayed away from the rail network. While the ONS figures are based on estimates, for rail usage to return to pre-pandemic levels, an extra 9,000 return journeys will have to be made each day across all three stations. Network Rail figures from last week show between 6am and 10.30am last Thursday [January 20], the day after the guidance to work from home was lifted, rail usage figures were up 10 per cent compared with the same period last week.

Cabinet member and councillor both quit further weakening Tories’ grip on Council week. Bill Hills, who also represents Paddock Wood West told the Times he has left the Council for ‘personal reasons’. His resignation took immediate effect at the Council from last Thursday [January 20] and will mean Mr Hills will no longer be a councillor.

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THEN

The two resignations will not mean more seats will have to be contested in May’s local elections, however, as Cllr Bailey is not up for election until 2023 and the other Paddock Wood [West] seat was won in a by-election with the term was set to expire in May anyway. But both resignations will come as a blow for the Conservatives, though, as the Tories are currently running the council as a minority party after it fell to No Overall Control last year. The Tories now only have 21 councillors in the

Responsible

MATT BAILEY BILL HILLS 48-seat chamber – four short of a majority. The Lib Dems who also had a member quit to become an independent earlier this month [see Times front page, January 19], now have 12 councillors, the Alliance party six, Labour five and there are two independents. May’s local elections could see the Conservative group ousted from running the Council if its number of elected members falls below 16 as opposition councillors could call for a vote of no confidence in Leader Tom Dawlings and his

The Conservative Leader of the Council, Tom Dawlings, said it was ‘frustrating’ that councillors have left the party over national issues, adding: “I’m a local politician so have no influence over what happens in Downing Street. “It is frustrating when councillors leave because of national issues, especially when there is so much good going on in the town, such as the opening of the Amelia, the Cinema Site news and the Town Hall co-working project. “What I would say is that I am responsible for the Council and throughout the pandemic Tunbridge Wells Borough Council worked successfully from home and performed exceptionally throughout the crisis.”

Rocketing house prices see their value increase by 50k Continued from front page online vendor, says the average sold price for a property in the borough in the last 12 months was £533,043. The online estate agents both say semi-detached properties remain the most popular purchases in the area, with the average three-bedroom going for around £485,302, while detached houses fetch on average of £836,000.

Rocketing According to the ONS figures, homeowners of these types of houses will have seen the values increase from between £48,000 to more than £80,000 over the last 12 months – that’s earning some homeowners more than £200 a day in property equity. These rocketing house prices are in no danger of falling soon either, despite the end of initiatives

such as the Stamp Duty Holiday. Deborah Richards, founder and owner of Maddisons Residential in The Pantiles, told the Times that the growth is being driven by demand currently outstripping supply in the local market. She said: “For a traditional family home with a great school nearby, driveway and garden, we have seen more growth than the ten per cent. “Flats with no outdoor space and no access to outdoor space, we would expect a little less. “The effects will definitely continue,” she added. “We are predicting a rise of five per cent this year overall. Even if different sectors such as family homes or flats perform differently, it will equal out.” Ms Richards said that DEBORAH RICHARDS houses around the

£1million mark have also been ‘very, very hot over the last 12 months’ as more people upsize or come from London looking for larger properties with gardens. Even with several large-scale housing developments in the pipeline in Tunbridge Wells, included a planned garden village in Tudeley and an expansion of Paddock Wood, Ms Richards doesn’t believe house prices in the area will falter. She said: “It will be interesting to see what happens to prices. While newbuilds do command a premium, overall expectation is that demand will hold up to increased supply, meaning house price growth will remain positive.” She said one example of housing project almost creating its own supply was the Berkeley Homes development in Hollyfields. “They delivered what they intended with a new school [St Peter’s] and family housing around it. It’s been really popular for the family market.”

Wednesday January 26 | 2022

NEWS IN BRIEF

Cabinet launches Zoom chat for town’s residents RESIDENTS of Tunbridge Wells are now able to ask questions and put forward ideas to the cabinet at the Council. From Thursday [January 27], Cllr David Scott the deputy leader of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council and the head of development in the Royal town will be holding a Zoom chat. Cllr Scott, who represents Culverden for the Conservatives, said: “I aim to talk with residents about opportunities, issues and solutions for Royal Tunbridge Wells, to help rejuvenate our town after Covid. “Whatever your political persuasion we need to look forward to enhancing our town for all. The hourly Zoom meetings will take place at 7.30pm hour every fortnight with the second scheduled for February 10. Those interested in attending should use the virtual conference ID 833 2915 3706 and password 269217.

Cannabis factory found TWO men have been charged and remanded in custody after a search warrant in Tunbridge Wells led to the discovery of more than 250 cannabis plants. Officers from the Tunbridge Wells Community Policing Team forced entry to the house at around 8.45am on January 21, where they found the plants and other evidence of cultivation. Indrit Hamza, 27, and Festim Vata, 24, both of no fixed address, were remanded to appear before Medway Magistrates’ Court.

Cllr David Scott

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Soapbox race is back in pole position for charity By Robert Forrester TUNBRIDGE Wells’ own wacky races is set to return in June as soapbox karts comes back to Dunorlan Park. Soapbox Stars is set to take place on Saturday, June 25, and will see over 45 karts made up of local businesses and schools, go head-to-head down a hair-raising track to raise money for local charities.

Donate Organisers of the race, which is in its third year and has raised over £50,000 for local charities during previous races, had to be cancelled the last two summers due to Covid. But the event is back and will be welcoming schools for the first time as well as the return of TV chef Rosemary Shrager as celebrity host alongside Tom Swift of Wicked Productions. The event will be aiming to raise thousands for Hospice In The Weald, with each team donating their first £250 to the charity and the option of continuing to donate their remaining sponsorship funds to them or a second charity of their choice.

DOWNHILL Soapbox racers in 2019 As in previous years, each team is given a basic soapbox kart chassis as part of their £599 entrance fee, which has been made by the North Kent College Motorsport Division, to revamp in any way they like.

Community On the day, teams will then take it in turns to race as fast as they can round chicanes and over nail-biting jumps on a specially made racetrack in the picturesque park. Event organiser Nicole Piesse-Turner, from media and marketing company Chatty Hatter, said: “Nicole added: “This is a really exciting event for everyone, and I really hope a lot of the town’s big and small businesses will want to get

Hairdressing duo retire TWO High Brooms hairdressers have finally hung up their scissors and combs after spending the last 50 years working together. Anne Baker and Wendy Smith worked up to the very last minute before their retirement last Friday [January 21], with customers desperate to get their final haircuts from the pair at Annie’s Hair Salon in Silverdale Road. Mrs Baker, owner, told the Times she was retiring after 55 years of hairdressing in the area, having done her apprenticeship in Southborough before working in High Brooms for 30 years. She and fellow hairdresser Wendy Smith both retired after 45 years of working together, including 15 years at the shop in Silverdale Road.

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involved, it really is an event for the whole community, whoever you are. “We have also tried to make sure that ticket prices are really affordable this year and we’re so grateful to the support Tunbridge Wells has already given us - we’ve already seen half of the karts snapped up, which is incredible, so if anyone else wants to join in the fun then please get in touch!” With over half of the karts already signed-up for the June race, please contact the Tunbridge Wells Kart Race at twsoapbox@chattyhatter. com Tickets for the event go on sale on Friday [January 28] and cost £10 for an adult, £5 for a child (5-17) and little one’s under 5 go free. Details: twsoapboxrace.com

...And Pub in the Park returns this summer too By Jonathan Banks PUB in the Park is set to return to Tunbridge Wells this summer, celebrity chef Tom Kerridge has confirmed. The food and music festival will visit Dunorlan Park on the weekend of July 8-10 and will be hosted by the celebrity chef alongside Sunday Brunch star Simon Rimmer. A variety of pubs and restaurants have been announced including brand new to Tunbridge Wells, Joshua Moroney and Mursal Saiq’s British

“Food is at the very heart of what we do. I’ve had a sneak peek at the menus and I’ve definitely got my eye on a few of the dishes” SIMON RIMMER

ATUL KOCHHAR

Afghan fusion restaurant Cue Point, as well as new local restaurateur Atul Kochhar. Mr Kochhar’s Riwaz is set to open in The Pantiles early this summer at the former home of Woods Restaurant.

Menus

Deputy Leader With responsibility for Royal Tunbridge Wells INVITES YOU To meet him and guests on ZOOM 7:30pm Thursday 27th January 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

PARTY IN THE PARK The event in Dunorlan in 2018 and [inset] organiser Tom Kerridge

Music acts set to play the three-day festival include electronic music royalty Faithless with a DJ set on Friday evening, the queen of the kitchen disco Sophie Ellis-Bextor and one fifth of the Spice Girls Melanie C. Tom Kerridge said: “We’re so excited to be bringing some seriously top-notch chefs and their incredible pubs and restaurants to the towns we love this year. “Food is at the very heart of what we do. I’ve had a sneak peek at the menus and I’ve definitely got my eye on a few of the dishes – we can’t wait for you to try them.” When Pub in the Park first came to Tunbridge Wells in 2018 it attracted around 17,000 visitors, although over the last two years the event has suffered from scaled down versions due to the pandemic. Tickets for the 2022 Pub in the Park go on sale next Friday [February 4] Details at pubintheparkuk.com

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Wednesday January 26 | 2022

Wealden MP welcomes inquiry over her claims she was sacked for ‘muslimness’ By Richard Williams

SACKED Nus Ghani alleges her Muslim faith led to her losing her government job

THE MP for Wealden, Nusrat Ghani, has welcomed the Prime Minister’s decision to order an investigation into her claims that she was sacked as a junior minister because of her Muslim faith. Boris Johnson ordered an inquiry into claims made in the Sunday Times at the weekend by the former transport minister, whose office is based in Crowborough, that she was sacked because of concerns about her ‘Muslimness’.

Seriously

Facts Following a phone conversation with Nusrat Ghani on Sunday evening, the Prime Minister asked the Cabinet Office to ‘establish the facts’ regarding the claims of Islamophobia made by the Conservative MP. The MP for Wealden said on Monday: “As I said to the Prime Minister last night, all I want is for this to be taken seriously and for him to investigate. “I welcome his decision to do that now.” Ms Ghani has claimed that she was removed as a transport minister because of concerns about her Muslim faith. Ghani, an MP since 2015 told the Sunday Times at the weekend Tory whips informed her before she was sacked that her that her ‘Muslim woman minister status was making colleagues feel

uncomfortable’. She said: “It was like being punched in the stomach. I felt humiliated and powerless.” Chief Whip Mark Spencer, who has admitted speaking to her, angrily denied her claims at the weekend, saying they were ‘completely false’ and ‘defamatory’.

Downing Street accepted on Sunday that Ms Ghani had raised her concerns personally with Boris Johnson at a meeting in 2020, and said he had responded by encouraging her to make a formal complaint with the Conservative party. In a subsequent statement on Sunday, the MP

Councils make top ten list for their rubbish bin service THE councils in Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge & Malling have made a top ten list for the highest number of missed bin collections of any authority in the country. During the financial year ending in April 2021, of the 349 local authorities that empty household waste and recycling across the UK, Tunbridge Wells Borough Council [TWBC] was ranked

said she had made clear at the time that she did not think the party complaints process was the right way to tackle her allegations. “He [Johnson] wrote to me that he could not get involved, and suggested I use the internal Conservative party complaint process.

seventh worst, having racked up 28,254 complaints about missed collections. Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council [TMBC] was ranked fourth worst for its 38,896 missed collections, according to a Freedom of Information (FOI) requests submitted by online letting agent Mashroom.com. The two authorities share the same

contractor, Spanish owned Urbaser, which took over the bin collections for both boroughs in March 2019. The company struggled during the early phase of its contract but was then hit by the HGV driver shortage last year that has seen both councils forced to suspend paid-for garden waste collections at a fortnightly cost to taxpayers of £45,000.

Recycle A spokesperson for TWBC said: “In 2019 we reorganised our collection rounds and enhanced our kerbside recycling service. This new service included glass and weekly food waste collections, making it easier than ever for our residents to recycle. “However, the reorganisation led to a temporary spike in missed bin collections in late 2019 and early 2020 as our contractor adapted to the new regime and their crews learned the new collection rounds. “The number of missed or late bin collections fell quickly once the new service bedded in. “Missed bin reports are now at a very low level and continue to fall month on month.” A spokesperson for TMBC added: “While we’ve seen a marked drop in complaints in recent months and have achieved the best recycling figures in Kent, we recognise that people expect a regular and reliable service which is something we are working hard to make sure they get.” According to the FOI requests by Mashroom, the worst authority in the England for missed collections was the London Borough of Bexley which recorded 38,808 missed collections during 2020/2021. Also making the list was the Kent district of Thanet, whose council saw 29,479 complaints of missed collections over that time.

“This, as I had already pointed out, was very clearly not appropriate for something that happened on government business,” she said. “All I have ever wanted was for his government to take this seriously, investigate properly and ensure no other colleague has to endure this.” A No 10 spokeswoman said: “The Prime Minister has asked the Cabinet Office to conduct an inquiry into the allegations made by Nusrat Ghani MP. “At the time these allegations were first made, the Prime Minister recommended to her that she make a formal complain to CCHQ (Conservative Campaign Headquarters). “She did not take up this offer. “The Prime Minister has now asked officials to establish the facts about what happened. “As he said at the time, the Prime Minister takes these claims very seriously.” In welcoming the announcement of an inquiry, Ms Ghani also called for the scope of the probe to include what was said between her and ‘the whip’ in Downing Street.

Booking system to stay at household waste site

RESIDENTS who wish to use the household waste recycling centre [HWRC] in Tunbridge Wells will have to continue to book before turning up, the County Council has confirmed. The town’s ‘tip’, which is run by Kent County Council [KCC], adopted a booking system during the height of the pandemic to ensure social distancing. Despite most of the remaining Covid guidance having been lifted, including an end to mask wearing from tomorrow [Thursday, January 27], KCC has decided the booking system to visit any of the county’s HWRCs will stay in place, including the North Farm site. But the local tips will all now adopt a ‘on the day’ system, meaning residents can request a slot at the tip on the day they wish to go rather than have to book several days o weeks in advance.

Response Cllr Susan Carey, KCC’s head of Environment, took the decision to keep the booking system following a report to the Environment & Transport Cabinet Committee on January 18. The committee’s members voted in favour of the recommendation to retain the system and to introduce ‘on the day’ bookings at all of KCC 18 HWRCs. KCC Cabinet Member for Environment Susan Carey said: “This is the largest response to a public consultation by KCC that any of us can recall and, whilst a consultation is not a referendum, there was a clear margin in favour of those who felt positive about keeping the booking system.” Introducing ‘on the day’ bookings was also the service improvement that those in favour of keeping the system wanted to see introduced. KCC has been trialling ‘on the day’ bookings at the HWRCs at Folkestone, Maidstone and New Romney. These trials will now be extended to all 18 of Kent’s HWRCs and implemented in a phased approach starting in February and March this year.

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Wednesday January 26 | 2022

Covid rates plunge as hundreds of hospital staff are yet to be jabbed By Richard Williams RATES of infection in Tunbridge Wells have fallen by more than 50 per cent over the last seven days, figures show. In the same week the PM announced the end of Plan B restrictions, Covid rates fell to 890 cases in the area for the seven days to January 17. This was a fall of more than 400 from the previous week’s 1,321 infections. Tunbridge Wells has experienced its highest infection rates since the pandemic began over the last few weeks as the Omicron strain swept across the region. But the high rates of infection have not translated to an increase in hospital admissions. Meanwhile, there is concern over the number of frontline NHS staff yet to be vaccinated across the UK. From April 1, doctors, nurses and other medical staff will need to have had three doses

of the vaccine if they wish to carry on working for the NHS. The Department for Health and Social Care’s (DHSC’s) impact assessment warns 73,000 NHS staff in England could be lost.

Delayed Pat Cullen, chief executive of the Royal College of Nursing, said the deadline for mandatory jabs should be delayed or the policy will ‘backfire’. According to government figures, of the 8,676 registered workers at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells Trust (MTW) which runs the hospital in Pembury, 1,734 were yet to have had a booster by the New Year. More than 570 NHS workers at MTW had not received a second Covid vaccine and 369 had received no jab at all – although MTW have stressed that not all these employees will be frontline workers.

UNJABBED Hundreds of NHS workers at Tunbridge Wells Hospital had not been jabbed by the New Year

MPs back opening of Fuller Inquiry but urge speed for families’ sake A GROUP of MPs representing the local area have welcomed last week’s opening of the Fuller Inquiry but have said the former Health Chief in charge of the investigation should ‘proceed quickly’. Former NHS Chief Executive Sir Jonathan Michael officially launched the inquiry into the crimes committed by David Fuller at Tunbridge Wells Hospital and its forerunner the Kent and Sussex Hospital last week. The Heathfield electrician was jailed for life for

the 1987 murders of Caroline Pierce and Wendy Knell. But the former hospital worker is also serving time for abusing more than 100 dead bodies at the two hospitals. When he launched his inquiry last week, Sir Jonathan Michael said: “I am determined that my team and I will be objective and thorough in all our work. I am equally determined that we will provide an opportunity for those families and staff who have been directly affected by the actions of David

Fuller to share their experiences and information with the Inquiry in ways that are sensitive and supportive. ” However, local parliamentarians, including MP for Tunbridge Wells, Greg Clark, Nus Ghani, the MP for Wealden as well as Tom Tugendhat signed a joint statement last week to say: “The families of Fuller’s victims need to know how his heinous crimes could have been committed and Sir Jonathan Michael and his team must leave no stone

unturned in establishing where the failings were to ensure nothing like it can ever happen again. “We urge Sir Jonathan to proceed quickly to agree the final terms of reference with the families and to get the inquiry underway so early recommendations can be implemented without delay. “We will continue to support our constituents who are living with the shock and distress of knowing Fuller’s crimes against their loved ones.”

Local News

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Wednesday January 26 | 2022

NEWS

Foodbank sees ‘dramatic increase’ in its enquiries as cost of living crisis hits home people to deal with unexpected bills, family breakdown and other crises – Nourish does not cut people loose after the emergency has passed, Ms Stanford said. “Our aim is not to let anyone go hungry. It’s about scooping up these people and being there in the background. We will be there in the next crisis.” Nourish Community Food Bank is happy to receive anything people can give, whether it is a tin, a pound or an hour, details of how you can help: nourishcommunityfoodbank.org.uk

By Victoria Roberts AS WINTER energy bills begin to land on doormats, Nourish Community Foodbank has said the cost of living crisis has already led to a ‘dramatic increase’ in enquiries to the organisation. Nourish, which currently distributes up to two tonnes of food a week to 150 households in the Tunbridge Wells and wider area, says not only are enquiries on the rise but the cost of providing food has also increased. “The enquiry traffic has taken a dramatic increase over the last couple of weeks,” operations director Dawn Stanford told the Times. “We can stretch things but anticipate spending at least an additional £2,000 a week on food, possibly more as demand rises.”

What is the cost of living crisis?

Supermarkets She continued: “Donations have dropped too. Food donations were normally 600-700 kg a week from supermarkets like Tesco and Asda, and we are seeing a drop of probably about 300kg a week, although donations from Sainsbury’s have remained stable.” According to Nourish, the people being hit hardest are those already struggling and the foodbank is now delivering food to some people who have had to choose between ‘heating or eating’ due to the rising cost of gas and electric. “People need help for reasons including relationship breakdown and stress, but pandemic stress has been very tough. It’s

DAWN STANFORD

long-term financial stress and there’s no end in sight,” added dawn. “Even now, with things opening up, everybody is very hesitant because the job security is still not there.” Although Nourish only accepts

referrals, the process is important for connecting people with advisers who look objectively to ensure help comes from different sources, Ms Stanford stressed. “You have to look at everything when you’re in crisis. We give people that breathing space.” She said, agencies like Citizens’ Advice and the debt charity Crosslight Advice were ‘exceptionally good’ at making sure people get whatever help they were eligible for, not just food. Despite being an emergency service – helping

Fears over the cost of living are being caused by stagnating wages, rising costs of consumer goods, and increases in energy tariffs, plus changes in government measures, the cost of living is set to increase sharply in 2022. According to the government’s Office for National Statistics, the Consumer Price Index – which tracks daily costs – has risen 5.4% since December 2020. Meanwhile, on top of already high fuel prices, the energy price cap, set by the regulator Ofgem, seems likely to be raised in April. Also scheduled for April is a rise in National Insurance, which some charities have warned is a ‘perfect storm’ for struggling families.

Advice Bureau warns people to expect a £1,600 a year hit on wages PEOPLE can expect to lose £1,600 a year due to rising costs and higher taxes the Citizens’ Advice Tunbridge Wells & District (CATWD) has warned. CATWD says it is desperate for more volunteers, both advisers and trustees, to help people falling into crisis due to rising costs.

Stagnant Using statistics from the Institute for Fiscal Studies, CATWD acting chief officer Jennifer Jadia told the Times: “A person earning £30,000 will see their take-home pay plunge by £1,600 thanks to soaring living costs, stagnant wages and tax increases. “And with the energy price hike in April, things

are expected to go from bad to worse, which is why it’s vital that we train up additional volunteers to ensure we are able to help all those in crisis.” As the Times recently reported, CATWD is seeking new volunteer advisers, but is also searching for three new trustees for the local board. The team is planning a ‘pop-up’ at Royal Victoria Place in February, where they will be able to meet the public and answer questions. The CATWD’s appeal comes as the latest figures show that benefit claimants had more than doubled in the Borough since the start of the pandemic. According to Kent County Council (KCC), Tunbridge Wells saw one of Kent’s largest percentage increases in people on Universal

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Darren Austin is a director of Synergee Limited, a firm of Chartered Accountants & business advisers based in Tunbridge Wells. If you have any questions you'd like to ask Darren he can be contacted on 01892 772960 | www.synergee.org.uk

Credit (UC), up 136 per cent from 2,832 claimants when Covid-19 restrictions were imposed in March 2020, to 6,695 in October 2021. However, Tunbridge Wells has one of the lowest proportions of the population on UC under Kent County Council, at just 5.4 per cent of the population in October 2021.

Poverty Figures on child poverty before the pandemic are not yet available, but KCC’s statistics show child poverty here had increased 2.5 per cent year on year, to 2,185 children in 2019-20, representing 9.1% of all under-16s in the borough.

In place of the usual Q&A, the following are some of the support packages that have been made available to help businesses deal with the Coronavirus: JANUARY is always a busy time for accountants due to Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme: HMRC will the personal tax return filing deadline at the end of the reimburse 80% of wages paid to workers who have be month. Despite best intentions every year to get laid off due to the coronavirus crisis. This is capped at everything completed earlier, this year is no different. £2.5k per employee per month.

HMRC revealed on Monday that, of the 12 million VAT Deferral: The4 deferral will apply from 20 March expected Returns, million have yet to be submitted. to 30 June 2020. There is a lack of clarity on the Gov. or Whether these are to be submitted by the accountants uk website and we are interpreting this as payments the taxpayers, that is a large number.

due by 30 June rather than quarters ended 30 June. In order to ease the pressure, HMRC have confirmed This means that May quarter VAT Returns, where that, whilst the filing and payment deadline remains 31 payment is due by 7 July, will still be payable as January, no late filing penalty will be issued if the Return normal. Any payments deferred willwill become payable is submitted by 28 February. Interest be charged at by the end of the tax year (31/3/21 Company 2.75% on payments made after 31 January, but or no5/4/21 Unincorporated) penalty will be charged if the tax is paid, or a time to pay arrangement agreed, byThe 1 April. Income Tax Deferral: self-assessment second payment on account, due by 31 July 2020, will be deferred to 31 January 2021. No penalties or interest will be charged.

If you cannotA pay your liability, you should agree Cash Grants: grant oftax £10k will automatically be a time to pay arrangement. Whilst interest will still be provided to all businesses currently entitled to Small charged, will avoid or £25k recovery Business itRates Relief.penalties A grant of canproceedings. be claimed

for businesses the retail, hospitality or leisure industry You can do so ifinyou: if•their value is between £15k and £51K. Haverateable filed your latest tax return

Business Rates • Owe less thanHoliday: £30,000 There is a 12-month business rates holiday (April 20 to March 21) for all retail, • Are within 60 days of the payment deadline hospitality and leisure businesses in England. • Plan to pay your debt off within the next 12 months

Time to Pay Arrangements: In addition to the or less deferral schemes noted above, if you have outstanding You can do so (Corporation here: tax liabilities Tax, VAT or Income Tax) www.gov.uk/difficulties-paying-hmrc/pay-in-instalments due to coronavirus, you may be able to agree a time and thearrangement. process is automated if you have to pay Arrangements will abeGovernment agreed on Gateway with phone number to call if not. a case byAccount case basis. Toa discuss your options, contact HMRC on 0800 0159 559. Further info and updates can be found here: https:// www.synergee.org.uk/press-releases/coronavirus-update

BUSINESS

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Wednesday January 26 | 2022

Unemployment figures continued falling despite Plan B restrictions

New head of trust at the world’s oldest law firm THE world’s oldest law firm, based in Tunbridge Wells, has appointed a new head of trust management as part of its strategy to increase its private client business. Thomson Snell & Passmore, which dates from 1570, named partner Alan Kitcher, a certified chartered accountant, as its new head of trust management. Mr Kitcher joined the firm in 2021 from Charles Russell Speechlys, where he was head of trusts and probate. “We have ambitious growth plans for the department and Alan’s appointment as head of trust management is a key step in enabling us to meet these. We look forward to further expanding the team,” said Nicola Plant, head of private client at the law firm.

By Richard Williams UNEMPLOYMENT in Tunbridge Wells continues to fall despite the reintroduction of Covid measures in December, figures from the Office for National Statistics [ONS] show. In December, unemployment fell for the eleventh month in a row, with the number of people claiming jobless benefits in the borough falling from 2,075 in November to 2,025 last month. This is the lowest level of unemployment in the area since February 2021 when the country was in lockdown as the Delta variant surged across the UK.

Co-op seeks own council

Payrolls Nearly a year on, and despite the introduction of Plan B measures at the beginning of December to curb the stem of the Omicron variant, unemployment levels in Tunbridge Wells are now at 2.8 per cent of the workforce, compared to the national average of 4.4 per cent. The Plan B measures do not seem to have affected regional or national employment figures either, as there were drops in claims for out of work benefits in every district in Kent, except Gravesham, the ONS figures show. Across the UK, the figures reveal that there was no sign of a jobs hit from the Omicron variant of coronavirus sweeping across the UK, with a record rise in pay rolled workers. The number of workers on payrolls jumped by 184,000 months on month, or 0.6 per cent, in December to 29.5 million. The ONS said the number of people employed is now 1.4 per cent, or 409,000, above levels seen before Covid.

Unemployment fell 128,000 to 1.38 million quarter-on-quarter in the three months to November, while employment lifted 60,000 to 32.5 million, the ONS said.

Lockdown Jobless levels locally are still, however, almost double those seen before the pandemic started. Back in March 2020, around 1,130 people in Tunbridge Wells were registered as unemployed. This rose dramatically during the first national lockdown to a peak in May 2020 of 3,315, but the trend has been downward ever since. Darren Morgan, ONS director of economic

statistics, said: “The number of employees on payrolls continued to grow strongly in December, with the total now well above pre-pandemic levels. “New survey figures show that, in the three months to November, the unemployment rate fell back almost to where it was before Covid-19 hit, and those reporting they’d recently been made redundant fell to their lowest since records began more than a quarter of a century ago. “However, while job vacancies reached a new high in the last quarter of 2021, they are now growing more slowly than they were last summer.”

THE Co-Op is seeking candidates from Tunbridge Wells for its National Members’ Council, which represents member’s interests in the group’s businesses across the UK. Co-op members who joined before January 2019 and earned 500 membership points between January 2021 and January 2022, are eligible to stand for 24 vacancies on the Co-op National Members’ Council. The Council will work with the Co-Op board and senior managers, representing the group’s 4.23 million active members. The group’s businesses include Co-op food stores, funeral homes, and the legal services business and insurance arm. “As a co-operative, we welcome applications from all eligible members, and I can’t stress that enough,” she said, adding:the group is working especially hard to be more inclusive. Council representatives serve between one and three years. Candidates can apply at cooperative.coop/councilelection until February 25.

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Wednesday January 26 | 2022

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BUSINESS

Fire safety firm has another attempt Ten chances to to set Times Business Awards alight be shortlisted

There are ten different categories at this year’s awards, ranging from Creative Business of the year award to Best Family Business. And as long as you meet the criteria, there is no limit on how many categories your business can enter.

Start-Up Business of the Year Award – This award recognises new start-ups under two years old at the closing date for entries of February 14.

Creative Business of the Year – To recognise those businesses based on innovation and creative thinking.

Entrepreneur of the Year – The award for the most dynamic individuals who and are able to demonstrate significant success in growing their company. Young Business Person of the Year – 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.

Times Business Awards are in collaboration with:

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’.

By Robert Forrester ONE OF the first entrants to the Times Business Awards 2022 hopes it will be second time lucky after failing to secure an award in their first attempt in 2019. Back then, Retail Fire entered the Start-up of the year, but narrowly missed out on the coveted award, but in the interim, it has been hiring, not firing, throughout the pandemic. The company, which provides fire alarms, extinguishers, emergency lighting, sprinklers and risk assessments to retailers, schools and businesses, now has engineers covering the entire UK and Republic of Ireland – and has also increased its office-based staff from four to six, all from the local area. Based at Salomons Estate, where the Times Business Awards 2022 will take place in March, the team at Retail Fire are now entering the Best Business 1-25 Employees category.

Business development manager Gail Hayes told the Times: “The reason we joined in the awards again this year is that we feel that we support all these national clients but don’t have that much of a profile with local clients and we know we could help them with their fire protection needs too.

Charity “Although we have a lot of retail customers, it’s not just retail clients we serve. Another sector is chemists, for example. We also do charity shops and provide services to Hospice in the Weald.” While some companies were having to furlough staff during the pandemic, as an essential service, Retail Fire found they are much in demand. Since the 2019 Business awards, not only has the business increased its staffing levels but also its turnover.

“Everybody needs fire protection, whether they are open or closed,” added Ms Hayes, saying the firm has seen its annual turnover increase by 80 per cent, and the firm is expected to be on target for £1.1million in what is now just its fourth year.

Early entries will be profiled If you have not entered the Times Business Awards yet, it is not too late – the deadline of this year’s’ shortlist is not until February 14 – but if you get your entry in early, you might even find your business profiled in the Times. If you are yet to apply, register your interest and choose your category please go to timesbusinessawards.co.uk or email info@ timesbusinessawards.co.uk Every year sees more and more organisations put themselves forward for the first time, but past winners and entrants are just as welcome. If you have entered the awards before, you can still re-enter this year and it’s completely FREE.

ON FIRE: Gail [second left] and other members of the Retail Fire

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

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. Best Business 25+ employees – For larger firms that have consistent growth and strong financial performance alongside an engaged workforce and a business plan.

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. 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.

business

Pre-dinner drinks courtesy of Elysian Residences

GUEST SPEAKER Eamonn Holmes will be presenting the 2022 awards

awards

2022

NEWS

Community News

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Wednesday January 26 | 2022

‘Thank You’ picnic earns Council ‘Hearts for the Arts’ shortlisting By Victoria Roberts LAST year’s Big Thank You Picnic, dedicated to key workers and volunteers whose work got the community through the pandemic, has earned Tunbridge Wells Borough Council [TWBC] its own thank you – a shortlisted place in a national arts award scheme. The Council has been made a finalist in the UK’s Hearts for the Arts awards for Best Arts Project. By laying on performances and al fresco food in Calverley Grounds in September, with all the acts local community arts groups, TWBC offered its key workers and charitable sector a ‘lovely celebratory event with an impressive range of partners,’ said Hearts for the Arts.

PARKLIFE: The Big Thank You Picnic held last year

Campaign The award organisers called the Big Thank You Picnic ‘a lovely celebratory event with an impressive range of partners, enabling both a showcasing of local talent and the opportunity to reconnect with people and thank key workers’. They added: “This was certainly quite an organisational feat, so congratulations.” TWBC and the other shortlisted Best Arts organisations will be judged by a celebrity panel consisting of the likes of Channel 4 journalist Krishnan Guru-Murthy, comedian Shaparak Khorsandi and Dragon’s den entrepreneur Deborah Meaden. They will pick the entries they love on Valentine’s Day, February 14. The National Campaign for the Arts launched the Hearts for the Arts awards in 2016 to highlight

the achievements of local authorities that are continuing their arts services against a backdrop of severe financial cuts. Cllr Jane March, who holds TWBC’s culture and leisure portfolio, said: “It is an honour for the Council to have been shortlisted for the Hearts for the Arts Awards. “The Big Thank You Picnic was a wonderful event, and it was great that so many volunteers, representatives of community groups and key workers were able to attend. “We can’t praise their efforts enough and we

Leisure centre group gets £5,300 equalities boost THE organisation that runs the sports and leisure centres in Tunbridge Wells for the Council has been awarded £5,300 of National Lottery funding from Sport England’s Tackling Inequalities Fund. The fund aims work with partners to tackle inequalities in activity levels and reach those most in need as a result of the impact of Covid-19. The funding award will allow the team at Tunbridge Wells Sports Centre, managed by Fusion Lifestyle, to work with Look Ahead, a charity who run local hostels for residents with complex needs.

continue to thank them for the work they are still doing.” Dawn Stanford of Nourish foodbank told the Times that given that charitable organisations could not use their own funds for the event, the fact that the Council issued the invitation meant that volunteers could accept and enjoy the day. She added: “Our volunteers give their time, but don’t want anything in return!” She said that it was not just the sunshine and arts which left the community helpers feeling renewed, but also a chance to ‘just stop’ after

months of ‘full on’ work, as well as a chance to find solidarity with people they had been working with, but always remotely. “It was a chance for all of us organisers to meet face to face,” she said. “Nobody wanted to go home!” Picnickers were treated to performances from local groups including Trinity Youth Theatre, the inclusive dance company This Is Us, Paddock Wood Community Choir, and the Royal Tunbridge Wells Symphony Orchestra [RTWSO].

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Wellbeing The sports centre will offer Look Ahead’s customers weekly sessions at the sports centre, where they can swim and take part in a studio session featuring the centre’s new Cardio Wall. The programme will focus on the improvement of physical and mental wellbeing and will see individuals attend weekly sessions at Tunbridge Wells Sports Centre. Gemma Carrick, Sport and Community Development Officer for Fusion Lifestyle said: “This is a great community project that the team at Tunbridge Wells Sports Centre is excited to being working on. They love being able to give back to those that have really suffered as a result of Covid over the past two years.” Tim Hollingsworth, Sport England’s Chief Executive, added: “We are proud to be able to provide funding and support to Fusion Lifestyles Sport Development Team in this difficult period. “This funding will help support our valuable community infrastructure that is so important in keeping the nation active and will also provide important connections and reconnections for

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Wednesday January 26 | 2022

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Six-year-old saved by air ambulance becomes ambassador for its charity By Robert Forrester EVER since an air ambulance saved his life when he was two years old, Tunbridge Wells schoolboy Isaac McDonagh has waved and said thank-you to the helicopters he sees in the sky on their way to help others. Now the six-year-old is an official Young Ambassador for the Air Ambulance Charity Kent Surrey Sussex (KSS), a group of young people that are tasked with raising awareness and inspiring support for the charity. Following serious injuries sustained in a traffic accident when he was just two, the Air Ambulance was able to get the young boy to the Major Trauma Centre at King’s College Hospital, London.

AMBASSADOR: Isaac McDonagh,

Inspire Following 24 hours in intensive care and surgery, Isaac stayed in hospital for 12 days. Ever since, he and his mother have been telling his story to inspire people to donate to KSS’s work, and now the charity has brought him aboard as a Young Ambassador. “I like being a KSS Young Ambassador as I want to help to raise money for the air ambulance so that they can help and save more people like me as they saved me when I got hurt,” he said.

HELICOPTER PATIENTS: KSS Young Ambassadors met each other on a visit to the charity’s Redhill base

‘Living roof’ added to Queen’s Green Canopy

Town Council provides funding booster for Cabs for Jabs scheme THE Cabs for Jabs campaign that raises money for free vaccination journeys in collaboration with the Community Car Service (CCS), has received a £500 boost from Paddock Wood Town Council (PWTC). The CCS is run by volunteer drivers, but normally charges a small fee to cover fuel costs.

Disabled The Cabs for Jabs funding campaign started during the early phase of the vaccine rollout to get elderly or disabled residents to their appointments for free by paying CCS fees for each trip. The new funds approved by PWTC on January 18 will be dedicated to Paddock Wood residents, said Paddock Wood (West) Cllr Matthew Bailey,

SAPLING The Marquess of Abergavenny and long-time hospice volunteer Sonia Burt plant a Cox’s Orange Pippin at Cottage Hospice THE love of trees is flourishing at Cottage Hospice in Five Ashes, south of Tunbridge Wells, which has added another new tree to the Queen’s Green Canopy (QGC). Organisers of the QCG have invited community groups, schools, businesses, villages, towns and cities across the country to plant new trees celebrating the Queen’s platinum jubilee in 2022, and also helping to reduce the impact of climate change, filter air, increase wildlife habitat and improve the environment for everyone.

Symbol With ten rooms at Cottage Hospice named after different trees, and with ‘tree columns’ supporting the building’s own ‘living roof’, it was the perfect place for the Marquess of Abergavenny and long-time hospice volunteer Sonia Burt to plant a Cox’s Orange Pippin (Malus Domestica) earlier this month. “This apple tree is a wonderful symbol of

growth and optimism as we start the new year,” said Nick Farthing, the new chief executive of Hospice in the Weald. The Wealden hospice was one of four hospices across East Sussex planting trees for the planned canopy, and Lord Abergavenny has also planted a pair of elms for the canopy on his estate at Eridge, near Crowborough. The project began in October 2021, start of the tree planting season, and will continue until March 2022, in time for the four-day platinum jubilee bank holiday weekend, on June 2-5. In addition to the new trees, QCG also plans to dedicate a network of 70 ancient woodlands and identify 70 individual ancient trees, to symbolise the Queen reaching her own 70 year milestone. The QCG website at queensgreencanopy.org also has advice about tree planting and a link to donate trees. You can also order your own QGC plaque, as well as a map where you can ‘pin’ your own tree and see the canopy spread.

“Thankfully, Isaac doesn’t remember the crash anymore, but he knows how much KSS helped him and understands what the charity does for people. We always wave and say thank you when we see the helicopters flying past,” added his mother, Olivia. Charitable donations account for 86 per cent of the £15.2million annual cost of the service, according to KSS community fundraiser Sarita Taneja, adding that 2021 was the busiest year in the charity’s 32-year history, with over 3,000 missions flown. For more information on the work of KSS please visit aakss.org.uk

CASH HELP: Lorraine Ash receiving funds from Cllr Matt Bailey last year for the Jabs for Cabs scheme

who launched the Cabs for Jabs campaign along with fellow Conservative Councillors Lance Goodship and Victoria White. CCS has already spent almost all of the original £3,200 Cabs for Jabs funding, with 942 trips getting people to their first and second vaccination appointments, regional manager Lorraine Ash told the Times. CCS was continuing to take people for booster appointments, but had not yet tabulated the numbers of car trips, she said, adding that the Paddock Wood funding had already been partly spent. People can donate to the Cabs for Jabs Tunbridge Wells fundraiser at gofund. me/47b3fb86. Drivers with their own car who are interested in volunteering with CCS can call 01892 540131.

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National News

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Wednesday January 26 | 2022

Met Police opens an investigation into parties at No 10 Downing Street SCOTLAND Yard has launched an investigation into a ‘number of events’ in Downing Street and Whitehall in relation to potential beaches of coronavirus laws. Metropolitan Police Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick said on Tuesday that officers were now investigating after being passed information from the Sue Gray inquiry. The move plunges Boris Johnson into deeper jeopardy ahead of the publication of the investigation by Ms Gray, a senior civil servant in the Cabinet Office, which is now set to be delayed due to the police’s involvement. Dame Cressida told the London Assembly’s Police and Crime Committee: “We have a long-established and effective working relationship with the Cabinet Office, who have an investigative capability.

potentially criminal acts will be paused after the Metropolitan Police announced on Monday that officers had launched an investigation. Boris Johnson has signalled he is willing to speak to officers but believes he has not broken the law.

Information

Breaches “As you well know they have been carrying out an investigation over the last few weeks. “What I can tell you this morning is that as a result of the information provided by the Cabinet Office inquiry team and, secondly, my officers’ own assessment, I can confirm that the Met is now investigating a number of events that took place at Downing Street and Whitehall in the last two years in relation to potential breaches of Covid-19 regulations.” Dame Cressida declined to say which alleged parties are being investigated, nor would she put a timeline on when officers could detail their findings. “The fact that we are now investigating does

not, of course, mean that fixed penalty notices will necessarily be issued in every instance and to every person involved,” she said. “We will not be giving a running commentary on our current investigations.” But there will be updates at ‘significant points’, she added. Downing Street acknowledged aspects of Sue Gray’s Cabinet Office inquiry that touch on

UK troops could be sent to protect NATO allies if Russia invades Ukraine BRITAIN is prepared to deploy troops to protect NATO allies in Europe should Russia invade Ukraine, Boris Johnson said, as he warned Vladimir Putin faces ‘ferocious’ Ukrainian resistance. The Prime Minister also said the UK and its allies stand ready to impose ‘heavy economic sanctions’ on Russia and voiced fears that any invasion would result in ‘bloodshed comparable to the first war in Chechnya or Bosnia’.

Condemnation Mr Johnson told the House of Commons: “If Russia pursues this path, many Russian mothers’ sons will not be coming home. “The response in the international community would be the same and the pain that would be inflicted on the Russian economy will be the same.” He made an appeal for diplomacy to resolve the tensions and avoid a war that would “earn and would deserve the condemnation of history”. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said his party “stands resolute” in supporting Ukraine’s independence and sovereignty. Earlier, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss failed to rule out UK combat troops being sent to help defend Ukraine – but told MPs such a scenario is ‘unlikely’. Mr Johnson, making a statement to the Commons, went on to say: “The British Army leads the NATO battle group in Estonia and if Russia invades Ukraine, we would look to contribute to any new NATO deployments to protect our allies in Europe.” He also told MPs the UK could not ‘bargain away’ the vision of a free Europe which emerged between 1989 and 1991, adding: “We will not reopen that divide by agreeing to overturn the European Security Order because Russia has

placed a gun to Ukraine’s head, nor can we accept the doctrine implicit in Russian proposals that all states are sovereign, but some are more sovereign than others. “The draft treaty published by Russia in December would divide our continent once again between free nations and countries whose foreign and defence policies are explicitly constrained by the Kremlin in ways that Russia would never accept for herself.” He went on: “There is nothing new about large and powerful nations using the threat of brute force to terrify reasonable people into giving way to otherwise completely unacceptable demands. “But if President Putin was to choose the path of bloodshed and destruction, he must realise that it’d be both tragic and futile, and nor should we allow him to believe that he could easily take some smaller portion of Ukraine – to salami-slice – because the resistance would be ferocious.” Russian troops have massed at the border with Ukraine and intense diplomatic activity has failed to ease tensions. Sir Keir said: “For too long the implicit message to Moscow has been that President Putin can do what he likes and the West will do little to respond. “We must now change course and show Russia that any further aggression will result in severe real-world consequences.” Tobias Ellwood, Conservative chairman of the Defence Committee, said the threat of sanctions will not deter Russian aggression. He added: “It is not to late to mobilise a sizeable NATO presence in Ukraine, utilising the superior hard power the alliance possesses to make Putin think twice about invading another European democracy.” Mr Johnson replied: “I have to tell him that I don’t believe that to be a likely prospect in the near term. Ukraine is not a member of NATO.

He told MPs on Tuesday: “A few weeks ago I commissioned an independent inquiry into a series of events in Downing Street, in the Cabinet Office as well as some other Whitehall departments that may have constituted potential breaches of the Covid regulations. “That process has quite properly involved sharing information continuously with the Metropolitan Police, so I welcome the Met’s decision to conduct its own investigation because I believe this will help to give the public the clarity it needs and help to draw a line under matters.” The Prime Minister’s official spokesman earlier told reporters: “The PM fully acknowledges the public’s anger and concern about what has been reported, he has taken responsibility for his judgments made and it is right the Met should be now given the time and space to undertake their investigations. “It will provide the public with welcome clarity and help draw a line under these events and everyone required will fully cooperate in any way they are asked.” Pressed if the Prime Minister is willing to be interviewed by officers, his spokesman responded: “Anyone asked to will co-operate

fully as you would expect.” Asked if Mr Johnson thinks he has not broken the law, the spokesman said: “I need to be cautious about what I say but I think that’s fair to say that he does not.” The Met had been under pressure to launch an investigation for weeks, with the Daily Mirror first reporting allegations of parties breaching coronavirus regulations taking place in No 10 two months ago. Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner questioned how Mr Johnson can remain Prime Minister with Downing Street under police investigation. “Boris Johnson is a national distraction. Conservative MPs should stop propping him up and he should finally do the decent thing and resign,” she added. Commons Leader Jacob Rees-Mogg sought to defend the Prime Minister’s record after the police investigation was launched, saying he was “honoured to be under his leadership”. After leaving a Cabinet meeting, he told reporters in Downing Street: “The leadership of Boris Johnson this country has had has been so brilliant – that he has got us through this incredibly difficult period and he’s got all the big decisions right.” The Met had been under pressure to launch an investigation for weeks, with the Daily Mirror first reporting allegations of parties in No 10 during Covid restrictions two months ago. Since then, a steady stream of new allegations have continued to surface, including allegations the PM attended a garden party organised by his Principal Private Secretary, Martin Reynolds.

Zoo undertakes a stock take with a difference

HIGH NUMBERS One of Marwell’s keepers ensuring all the giraffes are present

THOUSANDS of animals from stick insects to white rhinos are being tallied up for a stocktake at Marwell Zoo. Keepers at the Hampshire conservation charity are required by law to complete an audit of the 2,500 mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrates in their care. Species such as Caribbean giant cockroaches and stick insects are counted in groups, but all others are recorded individually. Among the latest arrivals to be included in the count is four-year-old white rhino Zahra, which was born as part of an endangered species breeding programme and has joined the zoo’s “crash” of rhinos, Kiri, Sula, Pembe and Jabari. A zoo spokeswoman said: “It is hoped one day she may mother calves to secure the future of the species. “Southern white rhinos were previously

hunted to near extinction, leaving only approximately 20-50 individuals at the end of the 19th century.” Other recent additions include a third endangered banteng calf born on Saturday, joining two youngsters born in December.

Species Banteng, which are a new species for Marwell, are found throughout south east Asia including Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. Other arrivals since the last stocktake include parma wallabies, the smallest species of the Macropus family, coppery titi monkeys, a male Linne’s two-toed sloth, a Humboldt penguin chick, a bearded emperor tamarin, a male tapir and red river hogs.

Wednesday January 26 | 2022

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National News

NEWS

Around 700 Royal Mail managers face the sack in cost cutting plans ROYAL Mail is set to axe around 700 management jobs as part of cost-cutting plans, the company has announced. Bosses said the plans will reduce costs by around £40 million a year and they will start negotiations with unions over the proposed job losses.

Surge The move came as the company revealed that staff absences peaked at 15,000 in early January due to the spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant, which left some postal services struggling. Royal Mail was one of the big winners from the Covid-19 crisis, with a huge surge in online shopping and deliveries. However, the company revealed that the high peaks of last year eased off over the Christmas period as more shops were open, leading to falls of 4.9% in parcel revenues and 7% in volumes in the final three months of 2021. However, this was still well up compared with pre-pandemic levels, at 43.9% in revenues and 33% in volumes, Royal Mail added.

Royal Mail chief executive Simon Thompson said: “With the rise of Omicron, absence has been around twice pre-Covid levels, with around 15,000 staff off sick or isolating in early January. Thankfully, this is now improving. “We are resolutely focused on addressing these issues which have affected our service in some parts of the country.

Consultation “Year to date we have spent more than £340 million on overtime, additional temporary staffing and sick pay, as well as providing targeted support for the offices most impacted.” On the planned job cuts, he said: “We have today entered into formal consultation on a management reorganisation to further streamline our operations and, at the same time, improve focus on local performance. “We are committed to conducting the process sensitively, working closely with our people and their representatives. “We have a track record of delivering change through natural turnover, redeployment and voluntary redundancy wherever possible.”

Children injured as bus crashes into shop front

Travel is going ‘back to the good old days’ REDUCED testing and self-isolation requirements for people arriving in the UK will bring international travel “back to the good old days”, according to Transport Secretary Grant Shapps. The Cabinet minister announced on Monday that the requirement for fully vaccinated arrivals to take a coronavirus test will be dropped from February 11. Mr Shapps told LBC: “You will be able to come to this country, and if you’ve been fully vaccinated, in other words two vaccinations, you will not need to take any tests at all, either before you leave to come here or when you get back here. “Of course, no quarantine. “In other words, kind of back to the good old days.”

Isolate

THREE children and two adults have been taken to hospital after a bus crash in north-east London. Witnesses said “scared and crying” schoolchildren were among the passengers injured after the double-decker collided with a repairs shop in Highams Park on Tuesday morning. At least 19 people were injured and treated at the scene by the London Ambulance Service (LAS), including a trauma team from the capital’s Air Ambulance. Of these, five people were taken to hospital. Katriye Osman, who dialled 999 after hearing what sounded like a “really loud explosion”, described the incident as ‘traumatising’. Ms Osman, who witnessed the aftermath from outside her beauty salon, said around 50 or 60 schoolchildren were standing around the vehicle after the collision. “It was absolutely awful,” she said, adding that she was “really shaken up by it”. Cafe owner Eric Garip, 38, said he rushed out of The Corner Cafe after hearing a “big bang” on the opposite side of the road and began trying to carry people out through the emergency door of the bus. Mr Garip said: “We were trying to take the kids out and they were panicking.”

“It was very bad,” he added. “They were all scared and crying.” Mr Garip also said some parents in the bus were crying as well and that the driver was stuck in the wreckage. He said he believed the driver of the vehicle was eventually rescued by emergency services after becoming “squashed” behind the steering wheel.

Ploughed Mr Garip shared a clip of CCTV footage showing the bus nearly hitting a woman as she crossed the road moments before the crash. The pedestrian, who was seen running to escape the path of the vehicle as it ploughed across a zebra crossing, was said to have had “an awful shock”. Waitress Tina Hogan, 58, told the PA news agency: “She was saying ‘Oh my god, he nearly ran me over. I can’t believe it. I had to run out of his way.’” Another witness, who did not want to be named but identified himself as a former police officer, described seeing ‘a lot of blood’ coming from what appeared to be a head injury suffered by one of the schoolchildren.

Travel rules are also being eased for arrivals who are not fully vaccinated. They will no longer need to self-isolate from February 11, and the testing requirements they face are being reduced. Mr Shapps noted that having two doses of the vaccine and no booster is currently enough to be categorised as fully vaccinated in the UK. But he said: “Increasingly countries elsewhere are requiring the booster for you to go there. “So an important message for people listening to your show, particularly perhaps younger people who maybe think ‘Oh, I haven’t bothered with the booster, I’ve been jabbed but I haven’t bothered with the booster’, get the booster because this summer, from talking to my counterparts around the world, in Europe and elsewhere, if you want to travel, say go to Spain on holiday this summer, they are almost certainly going to require that booster jab. “So you want to get that.” Heathrow Airport chief executive John Holland-Kaye welcomed the easing of restrictions for people arriving in the UK, but warned many destinations still require travellers to take tests. He told Sky News: “We need to get the tests lifted at the other end of the journey, because for most countries you might need to go to you will still need testing before you’re allowed into those countries. “So that’s something we’ll work on.”

GREG CLARK MP ADVICE SURGERIES

If you have an individual problem which you think I can help with or you would like to have a chat about a more general issue, please do get in touch. To make an appointment for one of my regular advice surgeries, please call

01892 519854 or email:

greg.clark.mp @parliament.uk

“This is a peaceful, nonpolitical community event: a coming together to reflect, pause, reclaim the night, and exchange ideas around safety, fear and the night sphere

Wednesday January 26 | 2022

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EDUCATION Times

Education

Students are on song…

Opportunities Which is exactly why West Kent Youth Voices (WKYV) was founded three years ago and despite proving very successful so far the group is looking to recruit even more members to its choir. Earlier this month it held a taster event at The Judd School in Tonbridge which saw a number of new recruits from local secondaries join but there is still the opportunity to join the WKYV ranks as they regularly hold auditions. The youth choir began in 2019 as the brainchild of well-known music teachers Adrian Pitts and

Rachel Balcombe, who both boast a wealth of experience between them. Adrian founded the award-winning Tonbridge Gramamr School Motet Choir who were gold medalists in the European Choir Games and made frequent TV appearances. While Rachel, is a member of the National Youth Choir and current Head of Music at The Judd School. “It’s a new term and a constant joy for West Kent Youth Voices to meet each week in person to sing together,” said Adrian, who is artistic director and principal conductor of WKYV. The group for young singers aged 14-19 in the West Kent area obviously had to disband during lockdowns and Covid restrictions but the good news is they came back together in September 2021 and are now enjoying rehearsing and performing once again. “Despite the huge disappointments we have all experienced over the past couple of years, West Kent Youth Voices continues to celebrate all that’s brilliant about being part of an aspirational choral team,” Adrian added. “We had an amazing Christmas Concert with

“West Kent Youth Voices celebrates all that’s brilliant about being part of an aspirational choral team” the Kent Police Band which really got everyone enthusiastic again and the choir was also featured on BBC Radio Kent’s Community Carol Service on Christmas Day.” Adrian also told the Times that WKYV is forging ahead with exciting plans for the coming year, including potential performance opportunities. “This term we hope to have a workshop with international maestro Paul McCreesh and we are planning a collaboration with newly formed St Cecilia Wind Orchestra in the autumn. Associate WKYV Conductor Rachel Balcombe said: “We hope as many talented West Kent singers as possible will audition for this exciting programme for young singers in Kent.”

The choir hosts regular open rehearsals where students can try out the choir and sing as much or as little as they wish. “If they like it they can sign up for a friendly constructive audition – which is really helpful if you don’t know which voice part you should sing,” explained Adrian. “If a student’s audition is successful and they are able to join West Kent Youth Voices, they will be able to participate in a year-round performance programme alongside professional musicians, with the opportunity to be part of local and national concerts.” But it’s not all work though as Adrian told us the choir also likes to relax together. “At Christmas we all went for a celebration pizza after the last rehearsal!” Sounds like music to our ears! Find out more on the West Kent Youth Voices by visiting the FaceBook page @wkyvoices Anyone interested in auditioning can email Wkyvoices@gmail.com

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GROUP EFFORT West Kent Youth Voices Choir

West Kent Youth Voices is calling upon any keen singers aged between 14 and 19 – male and female – currently attending a local school to join their youth choir. Eileen Leahy finds out more from the successful choir’s Artistic Director Adrian Pitts AFTER a very difficult couple of years due to the pandemic, young people need more of an extracurricular boost than ever and what better way to do so than singing as an ensemble? It’s well known that being part of a choir not only gives you the opportunity to meet others and forge new friendships, it can also help improve your mental and physical health thanks to the natural endorphins – or feel good factor – singing releases. It’s also a lot of fun!

NEWS

Bringing learning to life

NEWS

Weekly Comment

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Matthew Scott Police and Crime Commissioner for Kent

Wednesday January 26 | 2022

Matthew Scott was first elected the Conservative Police and Crime Commissioner for Kent in 2016 and re-elected in 2021. He sets policing priorities, commissions services to support victims, sets the council tax precept, manages the force’s budget, and holds the Chief Constable to account. He serves as the national PCC lead for Mental Health, and is chair of the board for the BlueLight Commercial organisation.

Tunbridge Wells will benefit from extra officers brought into Kent Police IT IS the time of year when I must submit my budget proposals for the next financial year. Over the last five years, you and I have worked together and built a stronger police force, with more officers than ever before. We will welcome another 195 by March 2023, over and above those who leave or retire. With this extra recruitment, I believe we will have caught up with population changes in our county too. Tunbridge Wells has benefited from this progress already with town centre Officers, rural officers and expanded teams that are dealing with violence against women and girls. And these teams are delivering good results.

local schools to work with children, teachers and parents.

Relentless

Caught We have special squads working in rural and urban areas dedicated to reducing burglaries and antisocial behaviour: in the last 6 months there has been a 6.2 per cent fall in residential burglaries and the team caught three repeat offenders stealing car keys in Tunbridge Wells. Our specialist gangs unit has halved the number of drug dealing gangs operating in our county towns. But I don’t want to stop there. I want to make our force fit for the future and so I’m asking for

PASSING OUT: Chief Constable Alan Pughley congratulating new recruits last year your help. To ensure that we can deliver the extra Officers, invest in new much needed new projects like digital evidence submission and deal with cost pressures that policing faces I’m proposing to increase the council tax precept by £10 a year for a Band D property, or just 84 pence per month.

I do not do this lightly. You have placed your faith in me to do the right thing and I continue to deliver for local residents. And I do appreciate times are tough, but this will protect the investment we’ve already made, and deliver the 195 extra officers to Kent. It will make it possible to expand our Schools Team, which is seeing Police Officers again linked with

Alongside this, my new Police and Crime Plan, which will be published next month, will see a greater focus on tackling violence against women and girls, supporting victims of crime and dealing effectively with road danger, whilst continuing the relentless focus on reducing burglary and shutting down county lines. All of this work has carried on during the continued pressure that Covid-19 has placed on our country. I believe that locally, Kent Police has got the balance right on the pandemic, whilst making extra effort to make contact with and protect vulnerable people from harm. One of the team at Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary remarked that they believed the Force’s response to the pandemic had been ‘exemplary’. I add again my thanks to Kent Police’s Officers, Staff, volunteers and those who have supported the Force for all of their efforts. I hope that you can endorse my plans, which I believe will make Tunbridge Wells, and our county safer. Thank you for your ongoing support.

OPEN MORNING

29th January 2022 - 10am to 1pm Hadlow Main Campus & Royal Borough of Greenwich Equestrian Centre

Pre-register at hadlow.ac.uk/events

Wednesday January 26 | 2022

Letters

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NEWS

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

A party cannot run the Council if it cannot hold itself together Councillor Ben Chapelard claims that he and the Liberal Democrats are the only opposition party capable of realistically holding power in Tunbridge Wells [Times, January 12], which from the events of this week proves the point I made in my letter of

December 15. As if they can’t coherently keep their own party together, how on Earth do they plan on holding the Council?

Aaron Brand Tunbridge Wells

Our friends live in Rajasthan and have previously visited us in Tunbridge Wells so are familiar with the area and I was amused but saddened by their reply – see the extract below - which sums up the neglect of this country at the expense/wastage of money on many dubious projects. “I am sharing this link with you of a heritage stadium in Chennai (South India), established in 1846, as reminder of your clipping on TunbridgeWells’ Stadium. “Strange that this one is receiving attention as per needs, in India, while the Brits yet have so much more to do. Thanks, I enjoyed the item.”

Calverley

Observations on life and more important things

LAUGHING all the way to the borough council elections in May. That’s the Alliance Party watching as the Tories and now Lib Dems tear themselves apart. There is Labour, but this IS Royal Tunbridge Wells. Remember no single party controls the Town Hall. All Alliance activists have to do is lay low and organise troops on the ground which is exactly what they’re doing. Maybe Calverley should make friends with the party’s keyboard warriors in case they win big time, or leave town. Yep, leave town it is then.

HYPOCRITE of the week award goes to green campaigner Angela Terry. She went on breakfast TV calling for curbs on conservatories. Something to do with this climate thingy. She made the plea from the conservatory of her own home. Calverley nearly choked on his kedgeree.

WOKE ALERT: It was a joke when Bake Off Buck stops with Lib Dem leader As an older disabled person, I can echo the critical comments cited in the Times about the lacklustre local Lib Dem leadership. The buck stops firmly with Cllr Ben Chapelard, one of the main reasons why former Cllr David Neve left the local party to go independent. As an older disabled member of the community, I felt increasingly side-lined by a small clique of white, middle-aged, middleclass men living in the town centre. There is a distinct lack of wider diversity within the local Lib Dem borough council group. I tried to help them recruit more female and minority candidates for target seats, but there was a total lack of interest from the leader and the little cabal around him. In marked contrast, the local Labour Party have made me most welcome and I feel much more at home with them. On Southborough Town Council, for example, we have women as both leader and deputy leader. This is both more representative of our modern society, and more progressive for a positive future for all in Tunbridge Wells and beyond. Dr Alan Bullion [Labour] Southborough Town Councillor PM should have resigned If Boris Johnson had any sense of doing the right thing he’d have resigned, so that was never going to happen. If Conservative MPs had any sense of doing the right thing, they’d have sacked him. What we have is their collective hiding behind nanny’s skirts waiting for Sue Gray to do it for them. We can imagine the weasel words if her report goes against him: ‘We were left with no choice...’; ‘The report makes it clear so we had to act’; ‘We regret that, given the circumstances…’; ‘I knew all along that... but we had to wait...’, and the trail of crocodile tears will stretch from Ashford to Yeovil. Clutch and brood, both collective names for

chickens – somehow they just don’t catch the sense of it do they. Robert Moore Tunbridge Wells No sense of decency I wrote last week that if the PM was still in office when my letter was printed then the Conservative Party and its MPs had lost any sense of decency. Well, he was, and they have, and best summed up by Greg Clark’s semi-exculpatory statement. Why is it that I found myself agreeing with much that Hugo Pound [Labour] wrote in the same issue of the Times? Edward Baker Tunbridge Wells MP’s remarks no surprise Why are we not surprised that Greg Clark remains mute on the subject of the Prime Minister. Mr Clark states that he wants to wait for the Sue Gray report and to ‘consider it in its totality’. This is absurd, Ms Gray has no legal jurisdiction, she cannot requisition emails or mobile phones, there will be no ‘totality’. She has been commissioned by the PM to submit a report on him; she will not censure him because she lacks the authority to and, despite her fierce reputation for independence, as he is her boss. Serious reports in the press have described non-committal MPs in very unflattering terms and Clark is a notorious fence-sitter. As Lloyd George said of John Simon: “He has sat so long on the fence the iron has entered his sole.” At least [former] Cllr Jukes has shown some mettle. John Ward Moorhouse Tunbridge Wells It is just not cricket I recently shared the article of the Bollywood film 83 about the India v Zimbabwe game which featured in the Times [December 8] with our cricket-mad Indian friends, which also mentioned the state of The Nevill Ground.

Karen Bryant Tunbridge Wells New Year but same worries for some The start of a new year is usually a time of celebration and anticipation. However, as the coronavirus pandemic continues to impact everyday life the arrival of 2022 may not be the fresh start we’d all hoped for. At Macmillan, we know this continues to be a particularly challenging time for people with cancer or those seeking a diagnosis. They may be shielding, feeling isolated or experiencing treatment and care disruption. It is understandably a period of uncertainty and anxiety for many. So, even though it’s a new year, you may be faced with many of the same worries. That’s why we want people living with cancer across Kent to know that Macmillan will continue to do whatever it takes to give people the physical, emotional and practical support they need. Our cancer experts are available via phone 7 days a week, from 8am to 8pm, to offer advice, support or even just a friendly listening ear. If you, or a loved one, are living with cancer you can call free on 0808 808 00 00. Also, our website is available 24hours a day, www.macmillan.org.uk, where you can access a wealth of information resources, as well as the option to chat online to an expert. You can find our online community on the website too – where people share their cancer experiences, ask questions, and talk to others who understand what it’s like to have cancer. In addition, you can find local support by visiting the ‘in your area’ section of the Macmillan website. And if 2022 is the year you’re planning to give something back or you want to take on a fresh challenge for a good cause, our website has a huge range of inspirational ideas – from taking on a Macmillan Mighty Hike to volunteering in your community. Everyone at Macmillan Cancer Support wishes you a peaceful year ahead and we are here. Whenever you need us. Emma Tingley Macmillan – South East Region

judge Prue Leith asked of those making sugary bakes ‘is it worth the calories’. Eating disorder campaigners erupted and now she’s had to stop saying it ‘because everyone gets so upset’. They want people not to use food related language that is ‘triggering’. She’s 81 years old and a Dame, with not a mean bone in her body, who now fears being ‘cancelled’. At this rate we’ll soon be back to silent movies.

ONE has to laugh. When Government revealed overdue plans to cut BBC funding the first to man the barricades (sorry, ‘people’ the barricades) was soccer pundit Gary Lineker. By coincidence he happens to be just about the biggest earner at the Beeb on around £1.3million a year. That’s more than 8,000 license fees. So, there’s an easy way to save £1.3million.

TO THE bookies where Calverley puts a monkey (£500 to you) on the MP for Tonbridge becoming next Prime Minister. Sorry Boris, old friend, but odds of 33-1 on Tom Tugendhat are too much to resist a wee flutter. Tom has never been a Government Minister which has to be a huge advantage. The £16,500 winnings would be put to a good cause: a skiing break.

FINAL THOUGHT: Tony Blair is happy to be known as just that; not newly honoured Sir Tony. Plenty of other things one might call him… 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

BRAND NEW PHASE LAUNCHING SATURDAY 29TH JANUARY

Join us between 10am and 6pm at the launch of our brand new release of homes at Hollyfields in Hawkenbury, Tunbridge Wells. All properties feature high specification kitchens and bathrooms, generous living and dining areas and many with private outdoor space.

3 newly created ponds, enchanted wetlands and hedgerows

Excellent local schools – St Peter’s CEP School located on the development†

To book an appointment, please call 01892 883 912 or visit hollyfields-hawkenbury.co.uk 2 bedroom coach houses starting from £410,000* 3, 4 & 5 bedroom houses starting from £643,000*

Exclusive shuttle service delivering residents to and from their new home to Tunbridge Wells station††

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

Photography depicts Hollyfields and is indicative only. *Prices correct at time of printing. †Details correct at time of print. St Peter’s CEP School built by Kent County Council. 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).

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

HYFD-00007_Hollyfields_Times of TW_340h x 264w_AW.indd 1

12/01/2022 16:01

Wednesday January 26 | 2022

Life&Times

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

Food - Page 24

Antiques - Page 34

Travel - Page 36

Music to your ears

Royal Tunbridge Wells Symphony Orchestra tunes up for its centenary P20

Arts

Wednesday January 26 | 2022

arts

Tuning up for a big birthday celebration On Sunday February 6 the Royal Tunbridge Wells Symphony Orchestra celebrates its centenary birthday with a special concert at the Assembly Hall. Here its Chair Frances Armstrong tells Eileen Leahy how it feels to have reached such a noteworthy milestone and reveals the show’s running order

HE ROYAL Tunbridge Wells Symphony Orchestra (RTWSO) is one of the town’s most treasured musical collectives attracting hundreds to its frequent concerts and next month sees it celebrate its 100th birthday. Despite not being able to perform as regularly as members would have liked to due to the various lockdowns, the orchestra has certainly not been resting on its laurels when it comes to curating a fabulous celebratory centenary concert which takes place on February 6.

“The RTWSO is a fantastic pro-am (professionalamateur) orchestra, consisting of a unique 50/50 mix of local and professional players” The orchestra is currently tuning up for its special Civic Concert at 3pm sharp next Sunday at the Assembly Hall. Conducted by Rod Dunk, the programme will include classic orchestral pieces such as Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man; Smetana’s Dance of the Comedians; Svendsen’s

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Arts

Wednesday January 26 | 2022

FRANCES ARMSTRONG RTWSO’s Chair

“There will also be a retiring collection in support of the Mayor’s Charity, Mental Health Resource.” As well as acknowledging a century of music-making, Frances says this unique concert heralds a renaissance of the orchestra but also looks forward to the next 100 years of RTWSO concerts in Tunbridge Wells.

NOTEWORTHY Conductor Rod Dunk

Experience

Romance for Violin & Orchestra; Johann Strauss’s Romance for Cello & Orchestra and Elgar’s Symphony No2. “Taking place one hundred years after the very first performance by the Tunbridge Wells Orchestral Society, this unique celebration of the town’s flagship orchestra is supported by the Mayor’s Office and is presented as a Civic Concert,” explains Frances Armstrong RTWSO’s Chair.

In terms of what audience members can enjoy hearing next Sunday afternoon she says there is a little bit of something for everyone. “The first half of the concert is slightly lighter and reflects the joy of the occasion, and features some of our own principal players as soloists. In contrast, the second half follows with Elgar’s mighty 2nd Symphony, a work dedicated by Edward Elgar to the memory of His late Majesty King Edward VII.” Frances says that if readers haven’t been to an RTWSO concert before then this is the perfect time to go along. “Those who haven’t experienced an RTWSO concert might be forgiven for thinking we are

‘just another local orchestra’. But not at all! “The RTWSO is a fantastic pro-am (professional-amateur) orchestra, consisting of a unique 50/50 mix of local and professional players, and is proud to have been widely recognised as one of the finest and most ambitious community orchestras in the UK.” She adds that post an RTWSO concert they regularly receive glowing praise and positive comments – especially from people after they’ve heard the orchestra for the first time.

Passionate The reviews include quotes such as: “The quality of playing was stunning,” “The whole afternoon was a great joy,” “I wasn’t expecting such a professional sound – it was just like being in London.” “So with praise like this I would urge Times of Tunbridge Wells readers – and residents of the borough in general – to come and experience it for yourself. This orchestra really is far more than just a local band!” Given that Covid restrictions are now easing

More than just words

As part of Holocaust Memorial Day, a special poem has been written by local poet Sonia Lawrence to commemorate the young Jews who fled to England and found a new home here in Tunbridge Wells

Nigel Chadwick

TOMORROW (January 27) the Mayor of the Borough of Tunbridge Wells, Cllr Chris Woodward, will lay a wreath at 11am on in order to mark Holocaust Memorial Day. The event will take place at the War Memorial in Tunbridge Wells and will be a symbol of commemoration for all the victims of the Holocaust - and the more recent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur. The theme for this year’s Holocaust Memorial Day is One Day.

Remembering Members of the Jewish community in Tunbridge Wells lost family in the Holocaust and have relatives who came to Britain as refugees. Among them is local resident Annette Sinclair, whose Czech mother Liesl, as a young woman, was on holiday at a continental spa resort before World War II. There she struck up a conversation with an elderly Christian woman, Mrs Ferguson. As Liesl wanted to practise her English they became penfriends. Mrs Ferguson later helped Liesl escape to safety in Britain by sponsoring her as her domestic servant at her home in Banbridge, Northern Ireland. Liesl remembered 3 September 1939, in Mrs Ferguson’s house, when she heard Neville Chamberlain’s broadcast on the declaration of war with Germany. It was ‘One Day’ when her life changed. She feared for her parents and

One Day By Sonia Lawrence The valley echoes to your song Your dreams and wistful thoughts of home The friendships forged so long ago flicker as the sun between the trees. Great grandmothers now we stroll the paths Remembering all our friends at school Wrenched from their terror-stricken land to find a refuge in Rusthall. The village opened up its heart. Rusthall mothers laid another place at tables. We cuddled close in air raid shelters trembling until we heard the All Clear sound. It is a Happy Valley, and was then, although our village boys were lost in the same war that brought you here. One day, we hoped, one day – maybe. Uneasy peace at last returned to the wilderness of Europe, you left to go your separate ways believing we would meet again some day.

Happy Valley brother in Czechoslovakia. By 1942, their messages stopped, and she never heard from them again. Annette, who now volunteers for a local organisation which works with refugees, said, “I understand the refugee experience and how they need support.” For the Jewish children who came to Tunbridge Wells as wartime refugees with the Kindertransport, arriving at The Beacon hostel

audience confidence is slowly returning as people are encouraged to venture out and enjoy live music and theatre again. But Frances stresses that if anyone has any worries about safety then the Assembly Hall’s ‘See It Safely’ certification should make them confident that their visit will be a safe and positive experience. “The venue is fully compliant with all the latest Government and industry Covid-19 guidelines, this ensures that safety of staff, performers and audiences is paramount.” And as for the orchestra reaching its centenary milestone, Frances says it has survived for a century despite wars and pandemics because as well as RTWSO musicians being absolutely passionate about what they do, the town has given them so much support over the years. “The fact that Tunbridge Wells has supported and maintained its very own orchestra for 100 years really is a truly momentous achievement. If you have never been to an RTWSO concert before, there’s never been a better time than right now to come and experience it!”

in Happy Valley, Rusthall was ‘One Day ‘that changed their lives. The residents of The Beacon became their family, while many of their own families perished. Rusthall resident and poet Sonia Lawrence, a member of Kent and Sussex Poetry Society, has penned a special tribute entitled ‘One Day’ to the children and the community that welcomed them. You can read it here on the right...

Years elapsed before our promise was fulfilled, friends reunited with their friends in celebration, our shared experience brought to mind we walked again through Happy Valley, where the air is kind.

Going out

Wednesday January 26 | 2022

going OUT

Culture vulture Victoria Roberts provides a round-up of the live events over the last seven days and explains where to go and what to do in the coming week…

ast week saw The Forum host ‘The Howl and The Hum’ featuring singer-songwriter Sam Griffiths, bassist Bradley Blackwell, drummer Jack Williams and guitarist Conor Hirons, as part of the Music Venue Trust’s #ReviveLive campaign, supporting live music in venues across the UK. The buy-one-get-one-free ticket deal is funded by the National Lottery (with proof of purchase of a lottery ticket). Hawkhurst Kino cinema last week went back to 1938 in ‘Munich: the Edge of War’ in 1938, about a British civil servant and a German diplomat on their way to the famous historical conference, trying to avert war while Adolf Hitler was preparing to invade Czechoslovakia.

Taking to the Assembly Hall Theatre’s stage last Wednesday, was cheeky comedian Jimmy Carr and audiences, all too easy to offend these days, were warned in advance that his jokes were about the ‘terrible things that might have affected you or people you know and love,’ but they were ‘only jokes’. This coming week will see something for everyone with the National Theatre’s production of Tom Stoppard’s play ‘Leopoldstadt’ being shown at Trinity Theatre, while folk sensation John Francis Flynn is live at The Forum, as are Welsh funsters Goldie Lookin’ Chain. Here’s a glimpse of where to go and what to do over the next seven days ….

FUNNYMAN Jimmy Carr was in town last week to enteratain audiences at the Assembly Hall Theatre

on stage and screen

going live

LOOKING at screens and stages big and small, The Times of Tunbridge Wells presents a selected guide to the week ahead. A screening of Tom Stoppard’s play Leopoldstadt, originally filmed at the National Theatre, is a topical choice for the week of Holocaust Memorial Day (on Thursday). His play tells the story of an Austrian-Jewish family’s experience over 50 years from the turn of the century to World War II. Trinity Theatre. Thursday, 27 January, 7pm. Also on the Holocaust theme, the 2002 Roman Polanski film The Pianist (15) tells the story of Jewish pianist Wladyslaw Szpilman, played by Adrien Brody, hiding and trying to survive in wartime Warsaw. Rusthall Community Cinema & Film Society. Saturday, 29 January, 7pm. West Side Story (12A) matinées. The Matrix Resurrections (15) evening showings. The King’s Man (15) evening showings. These films and more, at the Odeon. For some light-hearted relief, comedian Katherine Ryan recently married her first love – ‘accidentally’, or so she says. We hope the show will explain HOW she went from denouncing “partnerships” to becoming a “Missus”! Assembly Hall, Saturday, 29 January, 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

The RTE Folk Awards Best Singer & Best Emerging Artist of 2021, John Francis Flynn, is singing and playing folk songs at The Forum Basement, Sussex Arms Thursday, 27 January, 7.30pm. Country fans nostalgic for classics from one-name-famous Johnny, June, Dolly and GOLDIE LOOKIN CHAIN Hank, as well as Garth Brooks, Carrie Underwood, Kacey Musgraves and Chris Stapleton, might like to mosey along to the Soul Street Productions Made In Tennessee gig. Assembly Hall. Friday, 28 January, 7.30pm. Goldie Lookin’ Chain, the pranksters from Newport, Wales will play The Forum. Friday, 28 January, 7.30pm. To make the music yourself, with an antipasti board (meat or vegetarian) to go with your cockney songs, head to Carradine's Cockney Sing-a-long at the Green Duck Emporium, Grosvenor Rd, Friday, 28 January, 7-11pm. Tickets from Eventbrite. Although they’ve appeared across cinema screens and gaming screens, the Dub Pistols will bring their dub artistry live to The Forum, Saturday, 29 January, 7.30pm. Paul Dunton & Guests will present the Harry Whitty Band and the Rob Picazo Band at The Grey Lady Music Lounge, The Pantiles. Sunday, 30 January, 7-11pm.

family fun WHETHER your family is young or old, big or small, there’s plenty to do both indoor and outdoor over the coming week - and some very active ideas too. There’s a last chance to get ready for the town’s Lantern Parade in February, with this lantern-making workshop at Church of Christ, Commercial Rd. Saturday 29 January, 10-12.30pm. JOE’S BOWS Participants are asked to make a small donation, to discourage no-shows. Tickets from Eventbrite. Parkrun is an international weekly community event, free to enter, whether running the 5K or walking it. Dunorlan Park, Saturdays, 9am. Register at parkrun.org. From secondary age (over 11), why not try active stress release LANTERN PARADE

with Joe’s Bows, taking aim at targets with bows and crossbows, throwing axes and handling falcons? Penshurst Place, Thursdays to Sundays this winter. Tickets from Bookwhen. For a slower pace, try guided mindful walks at Bedgebury Pinetum, Thursday, January 27, 11.15-12.15pm. Tickets from yoga guru lisawhitehouse.co.uk.

Books

Wednesday January 26 | 2022

Times book reviewer

HANNAH KIRSOP

1920S TROLLING

TOPICAL NON-FICTION

Tension by E. M. Delafield

Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup

(published by British Library Publishing, priced £9.99) TENSION is another of the brilliant British Library series which focuses upon fictional heroines of the (early) 20th century and often showcases ‘historic’ versions of modern-day issues – in Tension, the devastating and cruel effect of unkind gossip on someone’s reputation is unpicked. When a Miss Marchrose is recruited as the Lady Superintendent of a small community secretarial college, she is known to the college director’s wife, Lady Rossiter, as the fiancée who jilted her cousin. Blinded by this yet in complete confidence she is respecting her mantra ‘is it kind, is it wise, is it true’, Lady Rossiter – a particularly mean-spirited wolf poorly disguised in sheep’s clothing – plays the role of officious troublemaker. More famed for her largely autobiographical ‘The Diary of a Provincial Lady’, Delafield has another good outing with Tension and her characterisation of the villainous Lady Rossiter is excellently done. A bit of a slow start but another good choice from this excellent series.

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

(published by Picador, priced £9.99)

WHEN Elizabeth Holmes was found guilty of four counts of defrauding investors in a US court earlier this month, it marked the end of an incredible fall from grace for the tech entrepreneur who had founded the blood testing company Therenos at the age of 19 and, at one point, seen the company valued at USD9 billion. Bad Blood is written by the Wall Street Journal reporter - John Carreyrou who uncovered the fraud that lay at the heart of the company’s meteoric rise and chronicles the pressure that he and his sources came under as they sought to bring the truth to life. With some tragic elements – notably the suicide of Ian Gibbons the company’s chief scientist who played a key role as a whistleblower – the book reads like a thriller and highlights the bravery and determination involved in investigative journalism.

9/10

White Debt: The Demerara Uprising And Britain’s Legacy Of Slavery by Thomas Harding

The bookcase… Here are some more reads to inspire you this week …

Published in hardback by W&N, priced £20 (ebook £11.99). Available now Around the time slave trader Edward Colston’s statue was toppled in Bristol, Thomas Harding discovered his family’s involvement in the slave-dependent tobacco industry in the 19th century. This sparked him to write White Debt, a history of the 1823 slave uprising in British Demerara (modern Guyana), but also a reflection on the question of national guilt and the legacy of British slavery. The uprising is remarkably welldocumented and Harding gives a simple but engaging account of

Free Love by Tessa Hadley Published in hardback by Jonathan Cape, priced £16.99 (ebook £9.99) Free Love is a sensual story contrasting middle class suburban life with the freedoms of London’s Swinging Sixties. Phyllis Fischer seems settled in her quiet life with a sensible husband and two children – but, when she unexpectedly kisses the nonconformist son of a family friend who has joined them for dinner one evening, her eyes are opened to a new world and she begins to question her life – which now seems like a relic in 1967. Her affair with Nicky shakes the

foundations of her family, and fundamentally contradicts what is expected of her – but is this love, a phase or a new era? With astute psychological awareness of her characters, Hadley presents a visceral and engaging picture of a bygone time. Unexpected twists and unclichéd characters support the luscious language, making this a real pleasure of a read. instantly take to heart. Review by Holly Cowell

9/10

Published in hardback by Faber & Faber, priced £14.99 (ebook £8.99)

Published in hardback by HarperCollins, priced £14.99 (ebook £8.99)

9/10

A Terrible Kindness by Jo Browning Wroe

The Maid by Nita Prose Nita Prose’s debut novel has already been snapped up by Universal Pictures – with Florence Pugh cast in the lead role – and it’s easy to see why. The Maid is a mystery thriller that will sweep you along with a story of love, loss, manipulation, and murder. Molly Gray enjoys the simple pleasure of obsessive cleaning, taking her job as a maid at the Regency Grand Hotel extremely seriously – and then she discovers a guest dead in

events, while also reflecting on the historian’s role in shaping history. In between the narrative, Harding thoughtfully relates his family’s story, his own feelings and those of Guyanese interviewees on the subject of slavery’s legacy. He does not set out with an agenda, but a desire to understand events and emotions that are not easily discussed. His conclusion – that there is a debt owed to address the wrongs of slavery – is powerfully and plainly made. Review by Joshua Pugh Ginn

his bed. Molly’s neurodivergent eccentricities make her a beguiling protagonist, and through her unique view of the world, we discover the power of human connection. From her beloved late gran to the kindly Mr Preston, the hotel’s doorman, and beautiful trophy wife Giselle Black, The Maid has a multifaceted cast of supporting characters. At its core, Molly Gray has a personality readers will instantly take to heart. Review by Rebecca Wilcock

Writing a story based on the dreadful Aberfan coal disaster and emotional aftermath for those involved might not seem like an obvious subject for a debut novel. But that’s what Jo Browning Wroe has done in A Terrible Kindness, a moving and superbly written tale of families, friendships and communities, against the backdrop of tragedy. The story revolves around young William Lavery, who has a special gift as a choral singer but shuns a musical life to follow his family’s embalming business.

8/10

While attending an awards evening with Gloria, the love of his life, news filters through of the landslide which engulfed a school, claiming the lives of over 100 children. William volunteers to help embalm the young bodies, little knowing how the trauma would affect his life. The writing is compelling, drawing you into the work of a profession you’ll likely know nothing about. The characters display warmth, courage and frustration, with a final message that pain can be followed by hope. Review by Alan Jones

Food & Culture

Wednesday January 26 | 2022

Restaurant’s new chef proves he has what it takes to be at cutting edge... Last week STEAK announced it had appointed Dan Yardley as its new Executive Chef. Eileen Leahy met him to discuss what special ingredients he will be soon adding to the popular restaurant’s menu and how he’ll juggle his new role with also running Salomons

ESPITE having its official opening delayed due to various Covid lockdowns, STEAK restaurant finally got to throw open its doors last year and since then the flagship eatery at One Warwick Park Hotel has become one of the area’s most popular. Specialising in quality cuts of rump, sirloin and filet, it is further buoyed by its chic interiors, excellent service and scenic location in trendy Chapel Place.

“Running big busy kitchens is something Dan knows all about thanks to working for the legendary chef Paul Gayler” Last week it was announced that Dan Yardley, Head Chef at Salomons Estate, was taking over STEAK’s kitchen too - a move he says he’s ‘very excited’ about. He now becomes Executive Chef of the Elite Leisure Company who also run Bewl Water and own the Times of Tunbridge Wells. “I see it as a big career opportunity and a natural development. I’m very excited and looking forward to the challenge. It’s been my natural desire and goal to become Executive

ON-LINE LIVE BIDDING

RECIPE FOR SUCCESS Dan Yardley is Executive Chef

BENTLEY ’S

ANTIQUES & FINE ART AUCTIONEERS

ON-LINE LIVE BIDDING

ON L BID

SATURDAY 5TH FEBRUARY 10AM (Please note earlier starting time 10am for Smalls & 11am for Furniture) Full Catalogue & Images Available Online Friday 28th January

Viewing: Thursday 3rd February 9.30am – 5.30pm - Friday 4th February 9.30am-5.30pm - Saturday 5th February 9.00am-10.00am (10am Sale Starts)

COVID 19 – UPDATE:

ANNE MAGILL (B.1962), ‘AFTERNOON LIGHT’, ACRYLIC ON BOARD, 21CM X 17CM, LADIES CARTIER DEMOISELLE C.2012, INSET QUALITY WRISTWATCH, SERIAL DARBYSHIRE FRAME, NUMBER 2698621586 PROVENANCE: HEARTBREAK EST: £600-£800 GALLERY, BULSTRADE STREET, LONDON EST: £800-£1200

EARLY MOORCROFT MACINTYRE PEDESTAL TWINHANDLED VASE WITH COVER, DELICATE FLOWER DECORATION ON A CELADON GROUND, C.1905/1910, 22CM HIGH EST: £200-£400

A PARTICULARLY GOOD EXAMPLE CHARLES II CARVED, PIERCED & PANELLED OAK BABIES CRADLE ON ROCKERS, DATED 1674, AND INITIALLED ‘A K’ EST: £200-£400

RARE HAND WRITTEN LETTER BY CAPTAIN LAWRENCE OATES (1880-1912), BRITISH ARMY OFFICER & POLAR EXPLORER AND PART OF CAPTAIN SCOTT’S EXPEDITION TO THE SOUTH POLE, THIS LETTER OF REFERENCE REGARDING PRIVATE J. STANFIELD OF THE 6TH INNISKILLING DRAGOONS, DATED 28TH SEPTEMBER 1908 EST: £300-£500

BAROQUE REVIVAL GILTWOOD CONSOL/CENTRE TABLE WITH MARBLE TOP EST: £300-£500

SALVADOR DALI (1904-1989), ‘WOMAN AFLAME’, SIGNED LIMITED EDITION BRONZE FIGURE PRODUCED AT THE ARTE VENTURI FOUNDRY, NUMBER 159/350, 85CM HIGH EST: £3000-£5000

FINE & RARE PAIR OF LARGE 19TH CENTURY HANDWOVEN TAPESTRIES, DEPICTING CLASSICAL FIGURES, PUTTI, & SYMBOLISM, EACH APPROX 300CM X 89CM (9’10” X 2’ 11”) EST: £800-£1200

19TH CENTURY REPUBLIC OF CONGO SONGYE POWER FIGURE, CARVED WOOD & APPLIED METAL, 40CM HIGH EST: £800-£1200

JUDITH BRIDGLAND (AUSTRALIAN/SCOTTISH, B.1962), ‘LOCHRANZA ARRAN’, OIL ON CANVAS, 80CM X 120CM EST: £800-£1200

JOSE ROYO (SPANISH, B.1941), ‘TWO FEMALE BEAUTIES WITH A PARASOL’, MONUMENTAL OIL ON CANVAS, APPROX 114CM X 145CM (3’9” X 4’9”), WITH HALCYON GALLERY LABEL EST: £3000-£5000

PLEASE NOTE THAT FOLLOWING THE GOVERNMENT’S ANNOUNCEMENT ON JULY 19TH REGARDING THE LIFTING OF RESTRICTIONS, WE WILL NOW REVERT TO OUR NORMAL PROTOCOLS, WITH VIEWING AS NORMAL ON THE THURSDAY AND FRIDAY PRIOR TO SALE DAY, AS WELL AS BIDDING IN PERSON IN THE SALEROOM ON SALE DAY, AND OF COURSE LIVE INTERNET BIDDING, PHONE BIDDING, AND LEAVING COMMISSION BIDS. WE DO REQUEST THAT YOU STILL WEAR A MASK IN THE BUILDING TO HELP PROTECT OUR STAFF AND OTHER VISITORS AS WE ARE NOT OUT OF THE WOODS YET! PLEASE CHECK OUR WEBSITE OR CALL US FOR COVID AMENDMENTS AND UPDATES.

ANNE MA ‘AFTERNOO ON BOARD C.2012, DARBYS PROVENAN GALLERY, BU LONDON E

EARLY MACINTYRE HANDLED V DELIC DECORATIO GROUND, C HIGH E

PARKING ON DAY OF SALE IN CRANBROOK SCHOOL CAR PARK (OPPOSITE) COURTESY OF CRANBROOK SCHOOL

The Old Granary, Waterloo Road, Cranbrook, Kent TN17 3JQ Telephone: 01580 715857 E-mail: enquiries@bentleyskent.com Visit us @ www.bentleysfineartauctioneers.co.uk

Food & Culture

Wednesday January 26 | 2022

A CUT ABOVE The restaurant’s chic interior

TABLE TALK Tasty treats at STEAK

NO PRESSURE – HOW TO COOK THE PERFECT STEAK: Steak is a real treat for most of us, which we usually enjoy whilst dining out. However, you can also enjoy it at home. Here are our tips for creating a mouth-watering homemade steak: 1. Finding the perfect butcher If the steak isn’t tender, it won’t be enjoyable regardless of how you cook it or what it’s seasoned with. Here at STEAK, we use Southborough Butchers, a traditional butcher only stocking free-range meats of fantastic quality, all sourced locally.

“I’m very excited and looking forward to the challenge of running STEAK restaurant” kitchens at STEAK? “Initially it will be about good planning,” explains Dan. “I will have to see where I am needed most and then determine where the pinch points are. “But I have a great team at both establishments and I’m delighted that some of our chefs now have the opportunity to step up.” Running big busy kitchens is something Dan knows all about thanks to his time working for the legendary chef Paul Gayler MBE at the five-star hotel The Lanesborough on Hyde Park Corner in London at the end of the nineties and early noughties. “London iwas just a different world then but I learnt so much from Paul. He’s an amazing chef and I have a lot of respect for him,” says Dan. The newly appointed Executive Chef also counts the likes of Michelin star chef Tom Kerridge as a culinary inspiration but he says

Chef,” Dan told me last week. Over the past few years the chef, who has worked in the industry for well over 20 years, has brought his culinary magic to the menu at Salomons providing the establishment with a tempting lunch and dinner menu, a popular afternoon tea offering all of which has put the country estate firmly on the foodie map.

Quality Dan is also in charge of curating the menus for the many weddings and social events held at Salomons – something his experience working as a chef at prestigious events like Wimbledon, Chelsea Flower Show and Henley Regatta has proved to be invaluable. So how will he juggle running the successful operation at Salomons with overseeing the

he’s constantly inspired by his own team too. “I get inspiration from them every day. They always bring something to the table. “As a chef you are always learning – no matter how much experience you have – and I love that.” And in terms of the menu at STEAK will Dan be doing anything different? “Well at the moment there is a great set up working really well there with returning customers and very good feedback on the food. It will therefore be a slow transition in terms of bringing in some of my signature dishes. “And afterall it is a steak restaurant so the main focus will be on that but I will continue developing the menu and incorporate some new dishes and bring in some seasonal specials too. “It’s a great place so we just need to ensure that people are visiting and talking about it too.” For the rest of January STEAK is offering 50% off desserts or starters. Just quote “JAN22” on arrival at the restaurant. To book a table you can call 01892552592 or email info@steaktunbridgewells.co.uk

2. Choose the cut of steak right for you There are plenty of different cuts of steak to choose from, your butcher will be able to advise you on this. Our personal favourites are rib-eye, sirloin, and fillet steaks. Rib-eye steak comes from just behind the shoulder, the rib section. It is well-marbled and therefore, very flavoursome. Sirloin steak is a delicious cut of meat, located directly behind the loin. It is very important to ensure the steak is well rested. Fillet steak is a remarkably tender steak, which is from the lower middle of the back, forming part of the sirloin. It is so tender as it is the muscle that does the least work. 3. Cook your steak correctly Leave your steak to rest at room temperature for an hour before grilling it, this will ensure your meat cooks evenly. Pat your meat dry before you season and cook it. Season like your life depends on it! We suggest using rock salt. Finally, make sure the pan is very hot before cooking. The fattier the cut of beef, the hotter you will want the pan to ensure the fat renders down.

2 om 15 te.c 15 sta 2 5 s-e 89 on 01 alom s w.

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Wine

Wednesday January 26 | 2022

Join the green party….

Plant-based drinking and eating are becoming more and more popular – so much so there is now the annual Veganuary event which runs during January and aims to get people trying a plant based diet. This week Times drinks editor James Viner toasts his favourite vegan friendly wines and beer. So why not sample a few of these suggestions?

ID YOU know that The Vegan Society guesses that, since the beginning of the pandemic, one in four of us has slashed the proportion of animal foods we have in our diet? Many people question how can wine not be vegan given that grapes are at their heart but the fact is many producers use animal-based products for fining (clarifying and stabilising) their products. However many producers are now moving away from including animal-derived substances such as isinglass (fish bladders) and casein (derived from milk) in their wine making process with makers and brewers either using alternative plant-based products to fine their products – or they don’t fine (and filter) at all.

Quality Such is the great choice and extensive range of vegan alcoholic drinks available today that you have most likely already drunk vegan beer, cider and wine without knowing it. Indeed, all the new wines listed at M&S are vegan-friendly (of course there is lots of old stock left) and the vegan filter for Waitrose lists 538 bottles. So, whether you’re avoiding animal products but still want a glass of wine or you’re a non-vegan merely wishing to try a delicious bottle or can that you may not have tried before, read on to discover my vegan-friendly drinks selection. Try these… they’re the cream of the vegan drinks crop.

1. New-wave vegan red Bordeaux supermarket bargain

Tesco Claret 2020, Bordeaux, France (13.5%, Tesco, £5) Punching above its weight, this juicy, plummy, fruit-forward, medium-plus-bodied veganapproved claret is a gem. Buy it then pair with charcuterie, sausages with chips, Sunday roasts and shepherd’s pie. An extremely useful red wine to have around.

2. Must-try Barolo

Ascheri Barolo 2017, Piedmont, Italy (14.5%, Tesco, £23) Trust Tesco to also to sell one of the high street’s most aristocratic Barolos – the renowned Piedmont “King of wines and wine of kings” –

made from the late-ripening, sun-loving Nebbiolo grape. From an early vintage but still in the first flush of youth, this 2017 DOCG is all undergrowth, leather, cherry-kirsch, rain-soaked earth, dried flowers and tobacco leaf. Very elegant, with fine, chalky tannins. One for risotto with white truffles/fungi porcini – and indeed mushrooms in most culinary contexts. Non-vegans will be able to relish it with vitello tonnato, osso buco, stroganoff, veal saltimbocca, pork belly, ribeye/tomahawk steak, feathered game, roast goose and such cheeses as Parmigiano Reggiano and Castelmagno.

3. Uplifting, silky-smooth vegan red Beaujolais

Domaine La Chapelle Bizot Chiroubles 2019 Beaujolais, France (13.5%, Co-op, £10) Comprised of light, sandy soils and located on the western side of Fleurie, Chiroubles is the highest Beaujolais cru (from one of the district’s ten villages that are permitted to use their names on the label) creating superior, fragrant, light refreshing red wines from the Gamay grape. Its south-east-facing vineyards are located as high as 450 metres (1500 ft) above sea level – that’s higher than Betsom’s Hill in the North Downs, Kent’s highest point at 251 metres (823 ft). A joy to drink in mid-winter, this is my kind of granitic, tangy plum-perfumed Beaujolais, crammed with delicious, juicy, floral, red fruit (think cherries, raspberries and plums) and soft, fine, filigree tannins.

“Such is the great choice and extensive range of vegan alcoholic drinks available you have most likely already tried some of them” 4. A must-try enthralling local vegan and organic white wine

Davenport Vineyards Organic Horsmonden Dry White 2019 Kent & E. Sussex (11.5%, Davenport Vineyards & Grape Britannia, around £15.95) This is Davenport’s benchmark white wine, a stellar organic and vegan-friendly blend from vineyards in the Weald of Kent. It has been made

every year since 1993 and it’s rather special indeed, with stone fruits melding with hedgerows, freshly-cut grass and citrus. It has a gently creamy texture and is a fabulous wine to sip with food. Vegans look away now as winemaker Will Davenport, winner of the Amorim Sustainability Award (2018), told me that “it matches well with the obvious options such as seafood and white meat dishes, but also can cope with mild spices like lemongrass and chilli, so Thai food is a good combination.”

5. Vegan rosé sparkling wine

Hambledon Vineyards Classic Cuvée Rosé NV Hampshire, England (12%, The Champagne Company/Berry Bros & Rudd/ Selfridges, £27.95-£40) Established in 1952 – with its first vintage in 1955 – by Francophile Major-General Sir Arthur Guy Salisbury-Jones, Hambledon is the UK’s oldest commercial vineyard. It was acquired in 1999 by Ian Kellett and winemaking since 2011 has been directed by Frenchman Hervé Jestin at the state-of-the-art, gravity-fed winery in the Hants village reputed to be the cradle of cricket. Aged for a minimum of 45 months on yeast lees, this zingy 90 per cent Chardonnay and 10 per cent Pinot Noir blend – mostly from the 2015

harvest, with tank-aged reserve wines added – is a dynamo of delectableness. It’s brisk and extremely persistent with pure forest/red fruit and some leesy, toasty autolysis flavours; the elegant, creamy texture and bright acidity are part of a seamless whole.

6. Viner’s local vegan beer recommendation, available at Fuggles Bottle Shop Floki Kveik IPA, Only with Love Brewing Blackboys, Uckfield, E. Sussex (5.9%, Fuggles Bottle Shop & direct, £4.20, 440ml) Brewed with Citra, Magnum and Amarillo hops, this first-rate E. Sussex vegan beer is a blast of pineapple, grapefruit and mango, with a little pine and tangerine. And what’s in the name? Roger Warner, co-founder of Only with Love told me “He’s the Norse god. It’s a Kveik IPA… a Norwegian farmhouse yeast and it does some amazing fruity things to the flavour. All our beers are one hundred per cent vegan.” A brewery to watch. Some great kombucha too! Their beers are often on tap at Fuggles Beer Café(s), The Ragged Trousers, Sankeys, The George, Pantiles Tap and The Royal Oak. Cheers Rog and team. Follow James on Twitter @QuixoticWine

2 3

5 6

OF INTEREST TO OWNER OCCUPIERS OR POSSIBLE REDEVELOPMENT [STP] CAUSEWAY HOUSE

CHIDDINGSTONE CAUSEWAY TONBRIDGE TN11 8JP

FREEHOLD FOR SALE WITH VACANT POSSESSION SITE Of CIRCA 1.2 acres (0.49hectares)

WAREHOUSE AND OFFICE COMPLEX 26,000sq.ft approximately EXTENSIVE ON SITE PARKING OIL FIRED HEATING RATEBLE VALUE £85,500

OFFERS IN EXCESS OF £2.5m [TWO MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND POUNDS]

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Property News

property news

Wednesday January 26 | 2022

The best and worst places to get onto the property ladder although average prices are only around four times average earnings, so this is still relatively affordable compared to some of the other locations in our list. “The North East region also has the smallest gap between the least and most affordable authorities… “In the North East, County Durham has the lowest house price-to-earnings ratio at 3.1.” In London, Bromley is the most affordable borough, with a house price-toearnings ration of 7.4. Here are the least affordable local authority areas for first-time buyers in Britain’s nations and regions, according to Nationwide Building Society, with the average house price-to-earnings ratio:

FIRST-TIME buyers face spending at least six times their annual wages to get on the property ladder in nearly half (45 per cent) of Britain’s local authority areas as affordability becomes more stretched. Back in 2016, just over a third (35 per cent) of local authority areas had average house price-to-earnings ratios of six or more, according to the analysis by Nationwide Building Society. The London borough of Kensington and Chelsea is the least affordable place for those trying get on the property ladder, while East Ayrshire in Scotland remains the most affordable, Nationwide’s report found.

Earnings First-time buyers face paying nearly 15 times their earnings to buy a home in Kensington and Chelsea, compared with just under two and-a-half times earnings in East Ayrshire. The report used official house price and earnings data from 2021. The race for more living space during the coronavirus pandemic as people relocated may have priced some first-time buyers out of the market in more rural areas. Andrew Harvey, a senior economist at Nationwide, said: “Most authorities in the South West (of England) have seen a deterioration in affordability over the last year, but Cotswold replaced Bath and North East Somerset as the least affordable area, with a house price earnings ratio of 8.6. “This district includes sought-after towns such as Cirencester, Tetbury and Moretonin-Marsh.” Swindon remains the most affordable area in the South West, with a house priceto-earnings ratio of 5.4, he said. He continued: “Rutland, the smallest historic county in England, remains the least affordable authority in the East Midlands, while in the West Midlands it is Malvern Hills. “In Yorkshire and the Humber, the district of Ryedale in North Yorkshire continues to have the highest house price-to-earnings ratio, despite seeing weaker price growth over the last year than most of the region. This predominately rural area includes towns such as Malton and Pickering.” Barnsley has replaced North East Lincolnshire as the most affordable area in

Least affordable areas by region: • London, Kensington and Chelsea, 14.7 • South East, Oxford, 10.1 • East of England, Hertsmere, 10.0 • South West, Cotswold, 8.6 • East Midlands, Rutland, 7.3 • Yorkshire and the Humber, Ryedale, 7.0 • West Midlands, Malvern Hills, 6.8 • North West, South Lakeland, 6.7 Yorkshire and the Humber, he said. Affordability in Craven, which includes the market town of Skipton in Yorkshire, has improved since 2016, with the average first-time buyer house price-to-earnings ratio decreasing from 6.5 to 5.5. Mr Harvey added: “The least affordable area in the North West government region is South Lakeland in Cumbria, which includes parts of the popular Lake District national park, including Ambleside and Windermere.”

Affordable Copeland remains the most affordable area in the North West of England, despite average prices rising 11% over the past year, he said. In Wales, Mr Harvey said the Vale of Glamorgan has replaced Cardiff as the least affordable area. He said: “Prices in the Vale, which includes Barry, rose by 17% year-on-year,

reflecting a trend in Wales of stronger price growth in areas outside of the major cities.” Merthyr Tydfil remains the most affordable local authority in Wales, he added. In Scotland, Edinburgh continues to have the highest house price-to-earnings ratio. “East Ayrshire, in Scotland, continues to be the most affordable authority in Great Britain, with average first-time buyer house prices just 2.4 times average earnings,” Mr Harvey said. “East Ayrshire covers a large geographic area to the south of Glasgow, but its main towns are Kilmarnock and Cumnock.” He said that, in Scotland, Aberdeen has seen the biggest improvement in housing affordability since 2016, largely due to house price falls there. The average first-time buyer house priceto-earnings ratio has declined from 4.6 to 3.4. Mr Harvey added: “North Tyneside is the least affordable area within the North East,

• Wales, Vale of Glamorgan, 6.4 • Scotland, City of Edinburgh, 5.9 • North East, North Tyneside, 4.3 Most affordable areas by region: • Scotland, East Ayrshire, 2.4 • North West, Copeland, 2.8 • North East, County Durham, 3.1 • Wales, Merthyr Tydfil, 3.4 • Yorkshire and the Humber, Barnsley, 3.7 • West Midlands, Stoke-on-Trent, 3.8 • East Midlands, Bolsover, 4.0 • East of England, Great Yarmouth, 5.0 • South West, Swindon, 5.4 • South East, Southampton, 5.6 • London, Bromley, 7.4

Homeowners sitting on £791billion of spare room value HOMEOWNERS with a spare room could be sitting on more than three quarters of a trillion pounds, according to research. Property platform, Boomin has found that 50 per cent of homeowners have a spare room within their homes, which could be worth at least £791.5billion if they were rented out.

Expensive This spare room space is currently valued at £42,000 per room in the current UK market, the equivalent value of 1.3 Bitcoins or just over the average annual London salary. London is home to the most expensive spare room value at £76,476, followed by the South East with spare rooms in Tunbridge Wells and elsewhere in the region worth up to £54,346.

INCOME: Empty rooms have value Even in the North East where this value is at its lowest, homeowners are still sitting on a spare room value to the tune of £21,881 per room. However, statistics from the English Housing Survey by the Office for National Statistics show that 38 per cent of homes in England are under-occupied - meaning they

have two or more spare rooms. With 24.7 million homes across England, that’s 9.4 million homes boasting two or more rooms that are largely surplus to requirement, Boomin claims. One way to get your spare room generating value rather than wasting it is via the government’s rent a room scheme. This allows you to generate rental income up to a maximum threshold of £7,500 per year without paying tax. That’s £625 per month in rent for a room you may otherwise rarely use. Michael Bruce, CEO and Founder of Boomin, said: “Many of us have a spare room and during the pandemic, they’ve been used as home gyms, offices, art studios and more, as we’ve tried to maintain some sense of normality both professionally and personally. “However, for many of us our spare room

or rooms will generally sit untouched besides the odd visit from friends or family and they tend to double up as an overflow storage space for our old clothes, kids toys or other obsolete household items.

Income “This is quite amazing when you consider that this underutilised space is worth over £40,000 per room and it certainly begs the question as to whether some homebuyers could save a considerable sum by being more realistic about how much space they actually need, compared to how much they would like. “Alternatively, the government’s rent a room scheme provides the potential to generate some additional income from your spare room and you could earn up to £625 a month tax-free.”

Spotlight on Crowborough

Spotlight on:

Crowborough

Wednesday January 26 | 2022

As the highest point of the High Weald, Crowborough holds a lofty position in the local area. Victoria Roberts takes a look at its history and speaks to some of the traders about what makes the East Sussex town such a delight to CROSS live and work in… THE Crowborough Town Centre THE ORIGINAL source of wealth for Crowborough was its location in the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), lying to the west of Ashdown Forest, which A.A. Milne used as the setting for his Winnie the Pooh stories in the 1920s. Traditionally, it has been promoted as the ‘Scotland of Sussex’, for its hills and healthful breezes, and even a golf course from 1895. By the time the travel writer E.V. Lucas came to write his Highways and Byways in Sussex in 1903, there was so much demand for housing in the area that the lovely location was all ‘be-villa’d’ with the Edwardian equivalents of newbuilds, with scaffolding and heaps of bricks indicating more new houses to come.

Author There was plenty for existing and future residents to do, too, with touring entertainers advertised all over the town’s hoardings, and ‘shops that would not disgrace Croydon’! This growth saw Crowborough become a civil parish in 1905, and the parish council became a town council in 1988. Sherlock Holmes author, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, moved here in 1907, and lived with his second wife until his death in 1930. The couple’s three children were born and brought up in Crowborough. More recently, the ‘Fourth Doctor’, Tom Baker, also lived here, followed many years

“Crowborough has been promoted as the ‘Scotland of Sussex’, for its hills and healthful breezes and even golf course from 1895”

later by actress Cate Blanchett. Atomic Kitten singer and Big Brother personality Kerry Katona also lived here for many years before downsizing during the lockdown. And with a number of great schools including the Beacon Academy, Jarvis Brook Primary, Ashdown Primary and

Grove Park School, if you have a family, there is really no reason for you to ever leave. Crowborough is not just a dormitory town for commuter living, either. There is no shortage of supermarkets, banks and services to manage your financial and personal affairs, and a major

Spotlight on Crowborough

Wednesday January 26 | 2022

“The town’s bonfire tradition is a very special event, with carnival night in September featuring the eeriness of marching masked figures lit by flames”

IN BLOOM Crowborough ‘s popular floral displays

“We provide personal Training to Crowborough and Tunbridge Wells residents in small groups of up to six” housed premium equipment and supported many in their pursuit of a better quality of life. SweatIT evolved into a personal training gym with the intent to only strive for greatness. The gym has proved successful in the area because of the personalised service they can offer clients. “We provide personal Training to Crowborough and Tunbridge Wells residents in small groups of up to six,” said Tom Burgess. “This still enables us to keep things personalised and structured for everyone while adding in a social aspect. If you’ve never tried

cluster of independent shops. There is even flexible and co-working office space at Pine Grove (Regus/ Base Point) and Stone’s Throw. Sport is a big deal for the town, too, with the golf club, two football clubs, a tennis and squash club, netball club and a rugby club. One former local rugby player, Matt Weston, has even been selected to compete in the Beijing Winter Olympics this month, in the skeleton

bobsleigh event. Good luck, Matt! Beyond the town’s leisure, shopping and services, it is the events and traditions which truly set Crowborough apart.

Leisure

LASTING TRIBUTE Sherlock Holmes’ creator Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s statue is in the town centre

The town’s bonfire tradition is a very special event, with carnival night in September featuring the eeriness of marching masked figures lit by flames. There’s also a torch-lit Remembrance service in November and a bonfire carol service at Christmas time. Like other Sussex bonfire societies, the Crowborough Bonfire and Carnival Society collects money for local charities. The town council puts on separate summer and Christmas fairs, while the Chamber of Commerce organises a summer fun day and Crowborough Hospital holds an August Bank Holiday fête. Can you see yourself here yet? Come with us as we chat to some of the local businesses which have planted their beacons on the High Weald…

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

ost of boards games and everything you need to With a huge range Crisis of stock from Games Workshop, Starwith Legion, Protocol, and Infinity, along nt 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. ww.ashdowngaming.co.uk everything tabletop hobby related.

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

It’s working out for fitness fans TOM BURGESS has been running SweatIT gym near the town centre for nearly six years. Mr Burgess says that the Crowborough’s biggest strength is the number of independent businesses in Crowborough, which makes it a great town to both shop and trade in. “For anyone who hasn’t visited Crowborough, we’d say come and visit us and others businesses on show,” he told the Times. “We’re a little smaller than other towns but still have some great independent businesses on offer.” From humble beginnings in a school hall, SweatIT transitioned a wonderfully appealing farmhouse, ‘the cow shed’, into a facility that

This Valentines Day SAY IT WITH DINNER

Enjoy an evening to remember this upcoming Valentines Day at The Blue Anchor. Treat a loved one to a romantic meal for two at our award winning country pub this Valentines. Join us and sample our mouth watering menu whilst sipping on cocktails, local ales or perhaps a bottle of bubbly! Reservations recommended.

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

TOM BURGESS

FOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT: timeslocalnews.co.uk 2 32NEWSSpotlight Local News on Crowborough the gym, feel like you’ve failed in the gym or are looking for a little more in terms of the direction we have an approach for you.” THANKS to its location in the High Weald, Crowborough has no shortage of pubs and great places to eat.

Drop anchor at a scenic spot s

TUCKED away on the A26, near the Ashdown Forest in the High Weald lies The Blue Anchor, which has been providing beers, wines and good food to both the people of Crowborough and those just visiting the area for several years. Director Amy Glenie, says it is the variety of people that come through the doors that makes it such a joy to work in Crowborough. She told the Times: “The pub is full of character and charm for a relaxed or intimate visit or celebration which is why we see such a diverse range of people including local families, friends and couples looking for a romantic evening out.

Wednesday September 29 | 2021 Wednesday January 26 | 2022

Protocol, and Infinity. We also stock a large range of board games from quick games to entertain the kids to some truly epic games that need a full day. “If board games aren’t your thing we also stock Pokemon and Magic the Gathering trading cards, and if you are more about the painting side we also print our own miniatures, from designers like Cast ‘n’ Play and TytanTroll. “We are all hobby fans so if people have any questions feel free to get in touch, we love to get to know our customers, and can often order in bits we don’t currently stock.” You can find Peter’s gaming store at ashdowngaming.co.uk

“Our team are here to provide a relaxing environment in which customers can unwind and chat to our friendly and knowledgeable staff who bring a wealth of experience with them. “A home-from-home feeling, our pub is cosy with two roaring fires inside to keep everyone warm in the winter months.” She added that the pub also benefits from a large, secluded garden, equipped with an outside kitchen for the warmer months for alfresco dining and a play area to keep little ones entertained.

Not board in the lockdown

WHERE TO GET YOUR COPY OF THE TIMES IN CROWBOROUGH

PETER Randall originally set up Ashdown Gaming to buy and sell second hand mini gaming figures on online websites such as Ebay. The Covid lockdown in 2020 gave him the time he needed to build a devoted

WAR GAMES Models sold by Peter Randall

If you are unable to find yours, copies are available at town centre newsagent C V Fieldbus at 5 London Road. Pop in and ask about their delivery service...

“We are all hobby fans so people have any questions feel free to get in touch, we love to get to know our customers, and can often order in bits we don’t currently stock”

SCENIC The Blue Anchor

webstore of his own. Since then, he has have moved away from the second-hand market, and opened his own web store based in Crowbrough, which has proved a hit with gaming fans across the UK. The online store now lists over 2000 products. In explaining his business, Mr Randall told the Times: “We stock a huge range of products from all the big names in the industry like Games Workshop, Star Wars Legion, Marvel Crisis

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Antiques

Wednesday January 26 | 2022

antiques

A look back to the best of the lots of 2021

Nick Hall is from Bentley’s Auctioneers & Valuers based in Cranbrook. He is one of two BBC Antiques experts (along with Raj Bisram) and is part of the management at the auction house. Here he explains the sort of exciting items that went under the hammer last year ....

S WE reflect on a year that threw up many challenges, we’re reminded of some of the highlights of 2021 too... January to March had us observing lockdown protocols, doing our bit to help stem the pandemic we made the decision to send our staff to the safety of their homes, and furloughed them. Re-emerging in April, one of the many lots that stood out was a pretty topaz necklace, with modest hopes around £800 if caught the eye of two determined bidders that battled away up to a glittering £4,800. May’s most interesting lot was a particularly rare example of a muchoverlooked collectable, a Sampler, made in 1868 by Amelia Fox. Most samplers of this date generally fetch very little, often around £50 to £150, but this example had the

collectors excited as it was a rare and fine example made at the New Orphan House, Ashley Down, Bristol, and fetched a staggering £5,500, surpassing most other similar examples!

Discovery

As we hit June and people started to think about a summer vacation, a travel related lot caught bidders’ attention, a pair of damaged mid-19th century terrestrial and celestial table globes, by Maltby & Co, c.1850, discovered by the auctioneers on a routine house call in a spare bedroom cupboard, and on sale day they set off on a new voyage, selling for £2000! July brought a great discovery of international importance, and once alerted by Bentley’s very own BBC experts, the BBC sent a film crew along to MAKING A MINT: The medallion film proceedings, a client commemorating the Northern Belle rescue had brought in a box full of odds & ends, cleared from a relative’s home, and were shocked but very pleasantly surprised when the auctioneers spotted a small medallion amongst the coins. At just over 6cm long it didn’t stand out as being anything exceptional to most people, but its history told a startling story of the bravery of Kentish men

saving the lives of the crew of an American trade ship ‘Northern Belle’, in a bleak January storm of 1857. There were 21 of these medallions produced at the instruction of President Franklin Pierce, a rare object, and an important discovery by Bentley’s, it sold to an American collector for what is thought to be a record price of £7,200. August saw Raj Bisram and myself contributing to the annual extravaganza that is the BBC Children in Need fund raising event and auction, whilst back in Cranbrook, a 2ct diamond single stone ring shone out at £7,000. Nick Hall and Raj Bisram

Collector September’s intriguing little lot was a group of Persian Dallah’s (coffee pots), which caused an international bidding war, ending up at £6,000. October was also full of eastern delight, when a Chinese cabinet made from the highly prized Huanghuali wood sold above estimate, online to a Chinese collector, for £7,100. November saw a small pencil sketch of a streetlamp and railings turn up at Bentley’s, which I spotted Hall as being most likely the work of the highly prized Manchester Industrial artist L S Lowry. I had previously appeared on an episode of the BBC’s Fake or Fortune, with renowned art expert Philip Mould, who was trying to authenticate some works by

Lowry, after careful marketing this small, plain, and damaged pencil sketch fetched £3,200. December brought another piece of art to Bentley’s, this time a more contemporary work, by Anne Magill (b.1962), which had been exhibited in London’s Medici Galleries in 2001, and sold again here, over-estimate, for £3,200. Bentley’s Auctioneers & Valuers hold a 1000 lot auction on the first Saturday of every month, held at our showrooms and offices at The Old Granary, Cranbrook. Bentley’s next sale is to be held on Saturday February, and will include items from a prestigious Kentish Country House. More details available at: bentleysfineartauctioneers.co.uk

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Antiques

Wednesday January 26 | 2022

Reflecting the history of New York’s finest...

Alexander Pushkin, of Pushkin Antiques celebrates the Big apple’s Tiffany & Co that was set up in 1837 Co. Beyond jewellery, Tiffany met the growing demand for luxury items from affluent Americans. Solid silver snuff boxes, polished stationery, purses, bouquet holders, perfume bottles and French cosmetics could be found at Tiffany’s.

Silverware

Alexander Pushkin

NE OF f the most iconic jewellery brands, Tiffany & Co’s history begins from a small store that was opened on Broadway, New York in 1837. Two school friends Charles Lewis Tiffany and John B. Young started to sell stationery, fancy souvenirs, china and haberdashery. In 1841 the company got a new partner, J.L. Ellis, who suggested selling silverware, jewellery and clocks. The firm changed its name to Tiffany, Young and Ellis. Charles Tiffany decided to move away from the classic Victorian style that was popular at that time. The owners of the company set up designers to seek inspiration in nature and interpret it in clean and harmonious forms. This innovative approach became known as the “new American style”. In 1853, Charles Tiffany bought the shares of his partners and renamed the company to Tiffany &

In 1851, the company hired New York’s prolific silversmith John C. Moore to design its silverware. Moore’s silver designs won numerous awards at world exhibitions in the late 19th century. In 1878 Tiffany was awarded the Grand Prix for its Japanese-influenced silverware at the Paris World Exposition. The company became the first American jeweller to be presented with this prestigious award. Because of the California Gold Rush in the 1850s, Tiffany started to use gold and silver, extracted within the country. Alongside with the introduction of American gemstones to its jewellery, this appealed to the patriotic customers. Tiffany’s exquisite designs with native tourmalines, lapis lazuli, amethysts, aquamarines, rose-quartz and zircons brought these gemstones to worldwide recognition.

in a mouth-watering Sunday lunch at STEAK, for all the family to enjoy. Children have an exciting colouring competition to keep them entertained, and a prize for the winning family!

In 1861, President Abraham Lincoln purchased a set of pearl jewellery for his wife. After that, the company gradually became popular amongst the state officials, affluent families, popular actors, businessmen, etc. At the turn of the 20th century, the company opened several branches at London, Paris, Geneva and their clientele included almost all the Royal families of Europe, as well as the Russian and Ottoman Empires. Tiffany & Co had become the most important American silversmith and supplier of fine jewellery, silverware and objects of vertu.

Redecoration After Charles Lewis died in 1902, his son Louis Comfort Tiffany succeeded the firm and became Tiffany’s first art director. By that time he had already been the celebrated designer after major redecoration of the White House in 1882. His first designs of jewellery were successfully displayed at the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis. Louis Tiffany organised the Tiffany Art Jewellery Department, which quickly became famous for its extraordinary jewellery designs,

DESIGN Some of Miller’s work can be found at Pushkin

inspired by the Art Nouveau style and Arts and Crafts Movement. Tiffany & Co presented exquisite colourful brooches, necklaces, earrings and tiaras usually generously enamelled and inlaid with precious stones in combination with the glass details. Their forms were based on American flowers and plants. As the 20th century progressed, Tiffany was always at the forefront of fashion. From luxury 20s to geometric Art Deco in 30s and aerodynamic age in 40s and 50s. Visionary designers, such as Jean Schlumberger, Elsa Peretti, Paloma Picasso cooperated with the company during the century. Their iconic jewels adorned Elizabeth Taylor, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Diane Vreeland, Audrey Hepburn and many more significant persons. The title “pioneer” could be applied to Tiffany in many aspects. The first 925 sterling silverware of American origins, the first mail-order Blue Book catalogue, the first American school of design, the first engagement ring as we know it today - these are only a few of innovations that cemented Tiffany & Co’s name in the history books. pushkinantiques.com

Travel

Wednesday January 26 | 2022

travel

Go on an alpine adventure...

As the French ski season resumes for British tourists, Hannah Stephenson finds La Plagne a cool choice for families - and also for piste pleasure seekers in need of a thrill

’M TRYING to remember at what age our children started losing interest in coming on holiday with us. Inter-railing to exciting cities, or weeks in the sun-soaked clublands of Zante and Ayia Napa seemed much more tempting to my son Will and daughter Grace in their late-teens, when the thought of spending leisure time with their parents left them reaching for the tequila shots. We wondered if ski-ing would tempt them back to a holiday with the old fogies. Now France has reopened to British tourists, there’s been an avalanche of bookings – but there are still holidays available for those who don’t want to miss this year’s season. We first introduced them to ski-ing when they were seven and eight. Back then, they didn’t care about the accommodation, the food or entertainment, so absorbed were they in the prospect of snow-ploughing down any slope they could tackle, and enjoying chips, crepes and hot chocolate on the mountain at lunchtime. But how would they feel holidaying with their parents aged 20 and 21? Indifferent, was the immediate knee-jerk

reaction, until a suggestion of ski-ing prompted them to pause TikTok and jump at the offer. They’re both single, love sports and get on well, so it seemed an ideal chance to reconnect.

This is how we came to be in Belle Plagne – shortly before the first lockdown in 2020, when no masks or health passes were required unlike today’s restrictions (detailed at en.la-plagne.com/coronavirus-

information). It was a resort we’d visited as a family years ago, when, as little ones swamped in oversized salopettes and brightly coloured ski jackets, the kids were duly enrolled in ski school, but had more fun in the afternoons with us, taking on easier blues before progressing, with great gusto and zero fear, to the reds.

Dominated Belle Plagne is among 11 self-sufficient base villages which make up La Plagne, in the south-eastern region of Savoie in the western Alps and dominated by Mont Blanc. Each village is its own ski-in ski-out mini-resort. If you don’t want the hassle of carrying skis to buses to get to the lifts, as we didn’t when the kids were little, La Plagne is ideal. With six resorts at high altitude of 1800m and above – Plagne Aime 2000, Belle Plagne, Plagne Soleil, Plagne Bellecote, Plagne Centre and Plagne 1800 – the season can run to the end of April and it’s an intermediate’s paradise.

Travel

Wednesday January 26 | 2022

‘There were mobile charging boxes and digital maps on the mountain’ Its vast terrain and lift network enable you to ski to a variety of villages, while the Vanoise Express cable car connects to Les Arcs, forming the vast ‘Paradiski’ ski area with La Plagne, incorporating a total of 425km of slopes and 264 pistes. As an inter-generational group, our holiday expectations were flipped on their head a little. Eleven years ago, there were times when we grown-ups yearned to escape for a bit of serious apres ski to sample the Savoie beers and local wine. Now, we’d rather enjoy a leisurely raclette with a bottle of local red quaffed in front of a fire before bed, turning in just as the kids get ready to go out. One of our family friends from home quipped that grown-up kids only go on holiday with their parents for the free drinks, but in a French ski resort where the price of a beer ranges from about 5-9 Euros, we weren’t going to be funding their bar crawls. On the slopes, I felt we would be more in sync. We had a family lesson on the first morning to get our ski legs back. It had been some years since the children had skied, whereas I’d been for many years, rather confident in my ability, trying to ignore my advancing age and diminishing fitness levels. We met our ESF instructor, Jean-Louis, on the slope outside the Hotel Belle Plagne 2100. While

I reminisced nostalgically about those early days of family ski holidays, corralling the kids down the nursery slopes as they attempted snowploughs, lifting them up and dusting them off as they tumbled, today’s reality turned out differently. Within an hour, Will and Grace had found their ski legs. By lunchtime they were waiting for us at the foot of each slope we tackled.

Attractions That pretty much set the tone for the ski-ing, except that the kids began to assume a carer-like presence around me, ensuring I negotiated each chair lift successfully. They even started to high-five me at the bottom of each slope I skied without mishaps. Oh, the humiliation. The digital revolution had not been lost on La Plagne since our last visit. There were mobile charging boxes and digital maps on the mountain to indicate which runs were open. A handy app, Yuge (paradiski.com/ yuge/?lang=en), will locate the busiest slopes, give waiting times for lifts, offer route suggestions and track your position in real time, which is handy if you get lost. I was on a digital detox, but my brood had it covered. We had one white-out day when we couldn’t ski. While once we may have nudged ourselves away from a family-orientated spa, fearing that our young children would disrupt the peaceful ambience by practicing their dive-bombing skills in the pool, now they’re older the four of us were able to venture to the adults-only section of the Deep Nature Bains and Spa La Plagne (deepnature.fr/en/spa-la-plagne-bains-et-spa) in Belle Plagne (check online for Covid-related admission requirement updates). We quietly soothed our aching muscles in an almost deserted outdoor 35-degree heated pool and Jacuzzis, ventured into the sauna, and sampled a cup of herbal tea in a relaxation room overlooking the mountains. It was one of many moments on the trip when none of us were looking at our phones.

Vibe New attractions have also sprung up to tune into the wellbeing zeitgeist. In nearby Montchavin-Les-Coches, you can take up ski sophrology, reputedly a fresh, more serene approach to learning to ski, which encourages you to be at one with nature and fuel positivity (wish I’d known about that earlier). And what about the social reconnection on a ski trip? As parents, we may be too old for the late-night circuit, but as a family we still found some cool hangouts to down apple cider and take in a party vibe on the mountain. Catching the double decker Vanoise Express cable car to Les Arcs one day, we skied down to La Folie Douce (lafoliedouce.com), a hipster party addition to the chain of French mountain restaurants, complete with house DJs, singers, acrobats and dancers. It was like upmarket Ibiza, but colder.

You won’t find anything like this in Belle Plagne, but there were several less showy but equally eclectic apres ski bars in the village acceptable to the four of us. And they both had happy hours, with beers starting from around three Euros. A true bonus. We drank local beer at La Tête Inn, a ski instructors’ pint-sized hideaway where milk vats have been turned into bar stools, and sampled the artisan cider at Bar Cheyenne, which sports eye-catching yellow crime scene tape around the bar. I hope we are all ski-ing together a decade from now, even if by then my children have their own families and I am once again negotiating snowploughs – with the next generation. How to plan your trip Crystal Ski Holidays (crystalski.co.uk; 020 8610 3123) offers a seven-night half-board holiday at the three-star Hotel Belle Plagne 2100, Belle Plagne from £740pp when booked online (based on two sharing) including flights from London Gatwick to Geneva and transfers. Based on departure March 26, 2022. Direct flights available from all major UK airports. For full details on entry requirements visit gov. uk/foreign-travel-advice/france/entryrequirements

Wednesday January 26 | 2022

Motoring News

This week… Taycans outsell the 911

Specifications for Citreon C5 X

SsangYong’s partnership

Porsche sold more electric Taycans than 911 sports cars last year PORSCHE sold more electric Taycan models in 2021 than its iconic 911 sports car as the German firm resisted supply difficulties seen elsewhere in the industry. The Taycan is the first of the firm’s nextgeneration electric vehicles and was introduced in 2019. In its first full year on sale about 20,000 units were shifted, but that more than doubled to 41,296 in 2021. This meant that it sailed past sales of the 911, which were at their highest level ever with 38,464 deliveries. These positive figures were reflected across the business, as Porsche’s sales increased 11% on 2020, with 301,915 vehicles sold.

pandemic we have been working hard to enable more customers than ever before to fulfil their dream of owning a Porsche. “Demand remains high and our order books are looking very robust, so we start 2022 full of momentum and confidence in all regions of the world.”

Strong Porsche says its sales increased in every market it operates, with growth particularly high in the USA, where sales topped 70,000 units, up 22%. However, China remains the largest market, with an increase of 9% taking deliveries over 95,000. Demand in Europe was strong with an increase of 7% to 86,160. However, Porsche says this region is particularly interesting because of the amount of electrified models – 40% of European sales were either electric or plug-in hybrid. Detlev von Platen added: “The overall result is very promising and shows the strategy to further electrify our fleet is working and is in line with demand and the preferences of our customers. At the same time, unit sales are not the decisive factor for us. Rather, we want to stand for exclusive and unique customer experiences and will continue to expand these worldwide.”

Disruption While 2020’s sales were hit by the pandemic, all car manufacturers have been struggling with supply issues surrounding semiconductor computer chips, with very few seeing sales increasing last year and many customers facing months of delay on new cars. Detlev von Platen, board member for sales and marketing at Porsche, said: “Despite the challenges posed by the semiconductor shortage and the disruption caused by the Covid-19

Citroen announces prices SsangYong announces an EV and specs for flagship C5 X partnership with EO Charging SSANGYONG Motors UK has signed a partnership with EO Charging to offer preferential prices to fit a home charger. Buyers of the South Korean firm’s Korando e-Motion electric vehicle will be given a discount on 7kW smart charger units and installation. It means that, when the Government’s £350 OZEV Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme (EVHS) grant is taken into account, the EO Mini Pro 7kW home charge point costs from £595, against the RRP of £945.

Expensive

CITROEN’S NEW C5 X has gone on sale priced from £26,490 ahead of first deliveries commencing this spring. Designed to offer the look and feel of an SUV but with the practicality of an estate, the C5 X can be equipped with a variety of powertrains including a plug-in hybrid setup capable of delivering up to 34 miles of electric-only driving.

Combine As with other Citroen models currently on sale, the C5 X has a real focus on comfort. As a result, it has been equipped with Advanced Comfort Active Suspension in plug-in hybrid models and Advanced Comfort Seats which combine to provide a refined experience inside the cabin. Standard petrol-powered models still get Advanced Comfort Suspension, which uses hydraulic stops to even out the car’s ride when travelling over broken surfaces. The interior also features Citroen’s latest infotainment system. Accessed via a 12-inch high-definition touchscreen, it incorporates Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, while a new head-up display system relays key information

back to the driver. Compared with the previous C5, the new C5 X provides six centimetres more legroom as well as a 545-litre boot – or 485 litres in plug-in hybrid models – which can be increased to 1,640 and 1,580 litres respectively by folding down the rear seats. From launch, the C5 X will be available with the choice of either 1.2- or 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engines linked with an eight-speed automatic gearbox. The plug-in hybrid, meanwhile, combines the 1.6-litre engine with an 81.2kW electric motor and 12.4kWh battery. Three trim levels are available – Sense Plus, Shine and Shine Plus – with even base-level cars boasting LED headlights, 19-inch alloy wheels and front and rear parking sensors, among other features. Shine cars, meanwhile, gain satin chrome exterior trim elements, leather-effect seats and a heated multifunction steering wheel. These models start from £27,990. Range-topping Shine Plus – priced from £29,980 – cars receive extra tinted quarter panel windows as well as leather seats and acoustically insulated windows for an even quieter experience.

The charger has smart functionalities that are managed through the ‘EO Smart Home’ app, which gives you the ability to schedule charging for less expensive times of day, such as overnight. An optional feature is offered that can safely manage electric loads, while a lock ensures no one but the owner can plug in.

SsangYong customers get a seven-year warranty with their charger, which lines up with the warranty offered on the vehicle, while EO offers 24/7 support. Kevin Griffin, managing director at SsangYong Motors UK, said; “With the arrival of our new pure electric Korando e-Motion, it’s important that our customers have access to quality charging solutions at home to ensure they are able to charge frequently, quickly and economically.” The SsangYong Korando e-Motion was launched this month in the UK, with the SUV offering a range of 210 miles and a starting price of £30,495 including the Government’s plug-in car grant. Its performance puts it on a par with similarly priced rivals from more established manufacturers, such as the Mazda MX-30 and the Hyundai Kona. It’s also closely aligned with the MG ZS EV, another affordability-focused EV. All buyers of SsangYong cars can now also get a 12-month complimentary membership for RAC roadside assistance.

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