The Times of Tunbridge Wells 27th April 2022

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Wednesday April 27 | 2022

Comedian slammed for scathing attack branding town ‘arrogant and ignorant’

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Stewart Lee says Tunbridge Wells embodies ‘arrogance and ignorance’ and vows he’ll never come here again after planned Assembly Hall show in May EXCLUSIVE By Richard Williams NURSERY, PRE-PREP & PREP BOYS & GIRLS 2.5-13 YEARS

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A COMEDIAN has launched a scathing attack on Tunbridge Wells – despite trying to sell tickets for a show in the town.

Stewart Lee, who rose to fame as a double act with fellow comedian Richard Herring in the 1990s, is planning a performance at the Assembly Hall Theatre on May 12.

Mr Lee, who is a self-described ‘Champagne socialist’ and writes regular columns for the left-wing newspaper, The Guardian, was being interviewed by the Times about his forthcoming Tunbridge Wells show when he launched a vicious attack on the town and its people.

‘Tunbridge Wells is certainly unique but that doesn’t make us arrogant’ He said Tunbridge Wells embodied ‘both arrogance and ignorance simultaneously’ and that coming back to the town was like a ‘dog returning to its own vomit’.

The Times had simply asked the 54-year-old Oxford graduate, who had toured in Tunbridge Wells before, whether he enjoyed performing here.

He replied: “Not really. I enjoy most places though. After 33 years most towns are a done deal now, and it is a pleasure

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to go back year after year, but there are a couple of places in the UK that I always worry about.

“Carlisle just doesn't seem to have a playable venue; in Bromley there was a fight in the audience, after I finally went back there this year against my better judgement. And Tunbridge Wells obviously just has this reputation, doesn't it – for embodying both arrogance and ignorance simultaneously?

“I probably won't come here again after this tour. A man has to know his limitations.

“But I know coming to Tunbridge Wells is important to the people there that do like me, so one comes back like a loyal

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Wednesday April 27 | 2022

this week… Comedian criticised for Tunbridge Wells rant SNEAK PEEK The Times gets a tour of The Amelia Scott and reveals some highlights P6

Continued from front page

dog to its own vomit.”

He also added, presumably as a ‘joke’: “I believe Tunbridge Wells is the only town to have been twinned with a branch of Carluccios? The brilliant novelist Dan Rhodes is from here, of course, but he left.”

His words have not been welcomed by the Leader of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council and the local MP.

Reactionary

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Cllr Tom Dawlings said: “It’s disappointing to hear views seemingly based entirely on the stereotypical reactionary who signs off as Disgusted from Tunbridge Wells.

“I know the people who devote their nonworking hours to helping with their sports clubs,

volunteering to look after the parks and the common or are involved with the many and varied community activities in and around the Town.

“Last week I met some of those hosting Ukrainian refugees in Tunbridge Wells and groups co-ordinating and taking supplies to the Polish border to help with the refugees fleeing Ukraine.

“None of them embodied arrogance and ignorance simultaneously.”

While Greg Clark, MP, added: “Tunbridge Wells is certainly unique and famous for being vocal.

We don’t want to be the same as everywhere else.

“But, that doesn’t make us arrogant. In reality, we are generous and broad minded and don’t mind being teased about our famous stereotype.

It’s one reason I hope that Stewart Lee will come again – I’ve seen him perform many times and enjoy his creativity and originality.”

Stewart Lee, whose career has been on the wane since splitting with comedian Richard Herring, now struggles to fill small venues. His planned show for the 100-seat Assembly Hall on May 12 is yet to sell-out.

Antisemitism A spokesman for the venue, which is Councilrun, dismissed the comments as ‘tongue in cheek’. But it is not the first time the stand-up comic has courted controversy.

In 2020, Tonbridge & Malling MP Tom Tugendhat, who is of Jewish decent, accused the comedian of being ‘antisemitic’ after Lee mocked his name in a column in the Observer.

Mr Tugendhat, said at the time that it was ‘dog whistle’ for portraying Jews as foreigners, adding: “Antisemitism is now so mainstream this no longer surprises me.”

Residents find homes for 140 Ukrainian refugees

By Victoria Roberts

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PRESENTATION The URG talk and [inset] the Council’s translated handbook

GOVERNMENT figures show that Tunbridge Wells residents have opened their doors to 141 Ukrainian refugees, following the opening of the government’s ‘Homes for Ukraine’ scheme.

Under the scheme, people with a spare room in their home can provide it to those fleeing Putin’s assault in the Eastern European country.

As of April 19, Tunbridge Wells had been allocated 141 visas under the scheme, which does not include visas issued to family members who arrived on a different scheme.

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The government figures show that Tunbridge Wells is third in the county for the highest number of visas issued to refugees.

Sevenoaks is highest in Kent with 165 visas issued, followed by 145 in Maidstone.

Meanwhile, over the border, Wealden District Council beat all its Kent neighbours with 262 visas issued.

Many more have also arrived in the ‘Ukraine Family Scheme’ to stay with relatives in the Borough.

The news follows a Ukrainian cultural awareness presentation by the Ukraine Relief

By Robert Forrester A 53-YEAR-OLD Tonbridge man who left a woman suffering critical injuries following a violent assault in a nail bar has been sentenced to 28 years in prison.

Thuan Dinh was convicted at Maidstone Crown Court of attempted murder last week after he stabbed his former wife, Lien Ding, 50, after he followed her to the VCC Boutique in the High Street where she worked.

The court had heard how Dinh had armed

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pay bar, the fundraiser will be held at the Tunbridge Wells Masonic Centre at 6:30-11pm.

Meanwhile, TWBC and Kent County Council have published a Welcome Guide for Ukrainian guests.

The handbook includes a visual guide to UK money, and guideline food prices, as well as cultural and legal specifics such as the law on smoking.

TWBC’s guide is available at tunbridgewells. gov.uk/news/Ukraine

Man jailed for 28 years for trying to kill his ex-wife in Tonbridge nail bar

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Group (URG) to potentially host families earlier this month at the Town Hall.

Around 50 people turned up to the event where they were told the refugees will need two to three days to catch up on sleep, to shower, to have a tour of the house, and time to settle in.

Maryna Cole from URG said the group was now busy organising a fundraising event on Saturday, April 30.

Featuring Ukrainian cuisine, music and dancing, and with a raffle and auction, and a

JAILED Dinh [inset] and the crime scene in 2020

himself with a rope and took his ex-wife hostage as she arrived at work on the morning of March 11, 2020.

Dinh entered the Tonbridge High Street premises before it opened and lay in wait for his victim at around 9am.

A jury was told that he used the rope to try and strangle his former wife before stabbing her in the neck with a knife that was kept in the premises for cutting food.

During the struggle a member of staff entered the nail bar and immediately went back outside

to raise the alarm.

Several members of the public rushed inside to help and pulled Dinh away from his victim before restraining him until police arrived.

His attack left his ex-wife with serious neck injuries as well as significant trauma injuries to her head and eyes, which required urgent hospital treatment.

Restraining Dinh, of Rowan Mews, Tonbridge, pleaded not guilty to attempted murder but was convicted after a trial, having admitted a further charge of breaching a court restraining order.

A charge of possessing an offensive weapon in a public place was later dropped in court.

Jailing him for 28 years last Thursday (April 21), Judge Philip St John-Stevens gave Dinh an extended licence period of four years and told him he would have to serve at least 18 years of his sentence plus four more years once he is eligible for release.

Detective Chief Inspector Garry Cook, who led the investigation, said after Dinh was sentenced: “I hope today’s sentence will provide some comfort to the victim, who will hopefully be assured that Dinh will have to serve a significant time in prison before he can be considered for release.”

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Wednesday April 27 | 2022

NEWS IN BRIEF

Ex-Tonbridge School teacher to face trial A FORMER teacher at Tonbridge School and a sitting Kent town councillor is to stand trial charged with historic sexual abuse at the £45,000-a-year public school.

Russell Tillson, who is a sitting Conservative councillor for New Romney Town Council, has denied five offences of indecent assault on three boys at the school between January 1984 and October 2001.

The 72-year-old denied all charges when appearing at Maidstone Crown Court last week (April 19).

Judge Charles Macdonald QC told Tillson his trial, which is expected to last up to eight days, will not be heard until after June 19 next year.

Bin strike goes ahead A PLANNED strike by binmen in Wealden is to begin on Monday after it was postponed for a week after a pay offer by contractor Biffa was being considered by the GMB union.

The strike, which would have affected collections of waste in towns such as Crowborough, had been due to begin this week but was paused following the offer from the waste carrier.

But Union GMB has said that the pay offer, which has not been disclosed, had been rejected by 96 per cent of its workers.

The two-week strike will now begin on Bank Holiday Monday (May 2).

Gary Palmer, GMB Regional Organiser said: “The letter sent by the employer to staff really sealed the decision to go out on strike, as members were angered not just by what they consider a poor offer but by the lack of engagement and negotiation with their chosen representatives from the GMB Union.”

Bank reduces its hours THE Tunbridge Wells branch of Santander is one of 300 that will be cutting its weekend opening hours.

The bank said the branch would now shut at 12.30pm instead of 4pm on Saturdays.

A number of branches are also set to close at 3pm on weekdays instead of the current 4.30pm, but Santander has not confirmed if the Grosvenor Road branch will be among those reducing weekday hours.

The move is being introduced by the bank from July 18 to counter the reduction in people visiting its branches due to an increase in online banking.

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Charity delivers record number of food parcels as cost of living bites

By Victoria Roberts THE cost-of-living crisis has seen the number of emergency food parcels distributed to the local food bank reach record levels, while donations to the charity have plummeted.

Dawn Stanford, operations director of Nourish Community Foodbank, said emergency food deliveries are up around 50 per cent and that the charity is now relying on its own financial reserves to keep people fed after food donations have also dropped off.

FOOD LIFELINE Dawn Stanford

Plummet She is blaming the rise in fuel and energy prices, along with hikes to National Insurance, which is not only putting more people on the breadline but has also seen the amount of donations of food to the charity plummet.

“We are delivering about 120 food parcels a week. It had been ranging between 80 and 100, but in the last couple of months we have been doing 120-130.”

She added that when the charity first formed nine years ago, they were making just three to

four deliveries a week.

Earlier this month (Thursday, April 14), Nourish delivered 41 parcels in one day – representing three days’ worth of emergency food and supplies to people in crisis - the most ever recorded.

“We are doing fuel referrals as well,” said Dawn, adding: “Now probably one in eight of referrals are specifically to do with fuel bills.

“An emergency crisis or unexpected bill have always been our referral criteria, but people can’t pay what they were paying, for example a direct debit for electricity or gas might have increased 50 or 100 per cent.

“A lot more people need debt help for what used to be manageable outgoings.”

Meanwhile, food donations have fallen, which she said she understood as ‘people don’t have enough money to fill their own trolley’.

“Now I have to use funds [from financial donations] every week to fill up deliveries, and I don’t know how sustainable that is,” she admitted.

“We are very frugal, but our funding [from financial donations] isn’t a bottomless pit. All our costs are going up. We’re talking thousands spent on food.”

Another new noticeable trend was referrals from villages and rural areas.

“We cross Kent and East Sussex, including Ticehurst and Wadhurst, and villages have seen the biggest upsurge.”

Divorce changes see a ‘flurry’ of activity for town’s family lawyers

By Richard Williams CHANGES to divorce laws have seen enquiries from separated couples in Tunbridge Wells increase, according to the town’s law firms.

The biggest shake-up of divorce laws in half a century came into effect earlier this month and allow couples to end their marriage jointly,

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without pointing the finger of blame.

Law firms in Tunbridge Wells told the Times the change has led to a ‘pick up’ in the number of cases that followed a ‘lull’ in cases before the changes took effect on April 6, as separating couples hesitated in calling in legal help to take advantage of the changes.

SUSI GILLESPIE

Palpable

ALEX DAVIES

Alex Davies, head of family law and partner at Cripps, Pemberton Greenish, based on Mount Ephraim, said: “My observation is that there was a lull before no fault divorce came into force and there has been a pick-up in enquiries since.

“However, what is palpable for me is people’s relief about how much easier and less confrontational the process is.”

Meanwhile, Susi Gillespie, family lawyer at Thomas Mansfield in Mount Pleasant Road also welcomed the changes, which she says have put an ‘end to the blame game’ in the family courts

but has led to a ‘flurry of activity’ for the family law team.

She said: “We noticed a small downturn in clients commencing proceedings towards the end of March and several clients mentioned earlier on in the year that they wanted to start their divorce proceedings once the new legislation was in force.

“Therefore, we have had a small flurry of activity and so far, the applications that have been filed are sailing through the system smoothly towards a conditional order.”

In place of the usual Q&A, the following are some of the support packages that have I was a guest speaker at The Finance Hub’s property on invoices you receive. I have seen the latter cause been made available to help businesses deal with the Coronavirus: seminar last week and spoke briefly about some of the issues where VAT has been paid on supplier invoices at Coronavirus Retention Scheme: HMRC and will issues faced byJob property investors, developers, reimburse 80% of wages paid to workers who have contractors. As well as the usual considerations any be laid off due to the coronavirus crisis. This is capped business faces, such as what structure to choose and at £2.5k employee month. how toper extract profit,per there are the tax considerations.

TheseDeferral: can be slightly more complex for from property VAT The deferral will apply 20 March ventures as VAT can be even more confusing usual to 30 June 2020. There is a lack of clarity onthan the Gov. and there is also a separate tax regime called the uk website and we are interpreting this as payments Construction Scheme (CIS).ended It is a huge subject due by 30 JuneIndustry rather than quarters 30 June. and I want to briefly highlight two areas where it is easy This means that May quarter VAT Returns, where to make a costly mistake. payment is due by 7 July, will still be payable as StartingAny withpayments VAT, the rates can be 20%, 5%, 0%, exempt normal. deferred will become payable or the dealt with reverse charge scheme (which by end ofunder the taxthe year (31/3/21 Company or 5/4/21 means the contractor paying the invoice accounts for Unincorporated) the VAT, not the sub-contractor raising it). It is important

Income Tax Deferral: The self-assessment second to ensure that you are both charging the correct rate on payment on account, due by 31 July 2020, will be invoices that you raise as well as paying the correct rate deferred to 31 January 2021. No penalties or interest will be charged.

Cash Grants: grant of £10k automatically be the wrong rateA (20% rather thanwill 0%).

This was reclaimed provided to all businesses currently entitled to Small on a VAT Return but, on a subsequent VAT inspection, BusinessVAT Rates Relief.at Athe grant of £25k be claimed blocked. charged wrong ratecan cannot be for businesses the retail, industry reclaimed and in you will needhospitality to recover or theleisure overpaid VAT if their is between and £51K. from therateable originalvalue supplier, which £15k may prove difficult.

Business Rates Holiday: There is a 12-month The CIS requires contractors (typically a builderbusiness or rates holiday (April 20 tothen March 21) the for status all retail, developer) to register and check of hospitality andthey leisure in England. subcontractors paybusinesses prior to paying them. Payment may entail deducting 20% or 30% from the Time to Pay Arrangements: In addition labour to the element any invoice is submitted to deferral of schemes notedwhich above, if you havemonthly outstanding HMRC, together with a Return detailing all payments tax liabilities (Corporation Tax, VAT or Income Tax) made. Failure to submit a monthly Return, even if it is due to coronavirus, you may be able to agree a time nil, leads to a £100 penalty for each month that it is late. to pay arrangement. Arrangements will be agreed on So, a Return submitted 3 months late will generate a a case by case basis. To discuss your options, contact £300 penalty. Failure to comply with this can quickly HMRC on 0800 0159 559. generate significant penalties.

Further info and updates can be found here: https:// www.synergee.org.uk/press-releases/coronavirus-update

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Local Elections

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Wednesday April 27 | 2022

Parties target town centre as election battleground With the local elections on next Thursday (May 5), candidates and canvassers have been out in force, with many eying town centre seats as potential gains. The wards surrounding Royal Tunbridge Wells have gone through a political shift over the last few years, with Conservatives losing their grip on Culverden, Park, St James’ and Pantiles & St Marks.

This week, the Times looks at two town centre battlegrounds Park and Culverden wards and asks representatives of each party what issues they will be focusing on....

PARK

Once a former Tory stronghold, Park ward, which is the area around Calverley Grounds, saw the Tunbridge Wells Alliance win their first seat here in 2018 following opposition to the Council’s doomed theatre project. Now Cllr Nicholas Pope makes his first defence of the ward and has opposition from all the main parties.

CLLR NICK POPE

ANN LUXFORD

CULVERDEN

The area in Tunbridge Wells that sits behind St John’s Road has seen the Liberal Democrats take victories in the last few elections and the party are hoping for success again in 2022. The sole remaining Conservative councillor in the ward, the Council’s deputy leader, David Scott, also faces a challenge from Labour and Ukip.

CLLR DAVID SCOTT

STEPHEN BURGESS

‘We’ll form a partnership with all the other parties’

‘If you really want to effect change then vote Lib Dem’

‘I get things done and solve problems with new ideas’

‘Unlike the Lib Dems, Labour has the ambition to win’

What are the main issues you are campaigning on this election?

What policies will the Lib Dems introduce to help businesses in the town centre?

What issues are you campaigning on in Culverden?

What issues are you campaigning on and why should the residents vote for you?

We’ll be focusing on retaining the Town Hall to turn it into an income stream for the council.

We are also working to get a 'Meanwhile Use' planning policy adopted for sites under development and continuing focus on poorly performing contracts and procurement at the Council, as well as pushing for greater openness and transparency.

If I became Councillor in Park Ward, I would work with other Liberal Democrat Councillors on the Council to get business rents reduced in Tunbridge Wells, especially as we are going through a huge cost-of-living crisis.

The other thing would be reducing congestion by getting more cycle lanes in place, and lobbying the Country Council for better bus routes.

Taking action and achieving results to rejuvenate our town with grants, developments and enhancing local services while being cost effective and sustainable.

Working with the community, supporting the vulnerable (recently including the Ukrainians), keeping crime low, improving safety, and dealing with residents’ personal issues.

I am campaigning for a borough economic plan to move us on from the pandemic; vigorous action on climate change; greater ambition to build genuinely affordable housing to rent and buy; making our town a safer place for women and girls; and having a council that actually listens to residents.

As a party that can’t form a majority, is a vote for the Alliance a vote for a Lib Dems or Labour?

The Park ward seat is held by an Alliance councillor, isn’t he doing a good job?

As the encumbent councillor in the ward how would you describe your record?

The thing about the Alliance is that they are a small party who don’t have enough Councillors to get anything done.

So if you want to effect change—like getting a town centre that we’re all proud of—then you need to vote Liberal Democrats because they have enough votes on the Council to effect change.

I am happy with my reputation of being open, getting things done, problem solving and new ideas.

A reputation gained in business, private and public life. Combining it with the skills of the Leader and others (some, across parties), has created a string of great results for our town.

No one party will control how the council is run [if the Conservatives do not get enough seats], it will be a partnership between all parties. Residents fund and vote for The Alliance because they see the national ‘party first’ yah-boo politics doing them a great disservice at a local level.

SUE POUND

SEDAT ZORBA

MARTIN BRICE

‘Labour has real policies and will listen to businesses’

‘I have the credentials to turn town centre around’

‘People on the doorstep want an end to petty squabbling’

There’s a number of businesses in Park ward, what policies will Labour introduce to help?

What do you offer that the other candidates do not?

What issues are you campaigning on and why should the residents vote for you?

I am in love with this town and its glorious people. As a successful local businessperson in our town centre for the last 14 years [as owner of Zorba’s restaurant], I believe I have the necessary credentials and experience to help turn the town centre around to make it a vibrant and successful place. I will treat my residents as the first priority.

I am campaigning on the Lib Dem plan for a town centre that we’re all proud of. I am also personally very keen on balancing the Town Hall’s books after decades of Tory financial mismanagement.

I also want to look again at tackling people using ratruns through Culverden—safer streets are important to me.

What lessons has the Conservative party learnt after the Calverley Square project?

Members of the Alliance party have been distributing your leaflets in Culverden, is a vote for the Lib Dem a vote for the Alliance?

We need to listen to businesses’ ideas and concerns and work with them.

We must pedestrianise more of the town centre and the middle of the High Street, encourage small independents to take vacant retail space, actively promote the Amelia Scott and the new co-working space at the Town Hall.

Why should people vote for you and not the incumbent Alliance councillor?

Labour has real policies. We are already the principal party driving action on climate change and more genuinely affordable housing to rent and buy.

We will create a clear borough-wide economic strategy and make the town a safer place for women and girls, and ensure the Council actually listens to residents.

Honesty first is the most important thing. At the time, I viewed the project with the eyes of local businesses and town economy and thought it could have been a way to re-energise the town centre. However, it soon became apparent there was no consultation with the residents and the costs were spiralling which caused a lot of upset.

No it is not. The Alliance’s cooperation with the LibDem candidate in Culverden has been welcomed on the doorstep by the residents that I’ve spoken to.

Mostly, they want an end to petty squabbling between the parties. It also shows how different parties can work together for the greater good — something that we will have to do after the election.

Labour has not won in Culverden for a number of years, why would this year be different?

Labour is campaigning in Culverden because it has the ambition to win.

The Conservatives are a spent force on Tunbridge Wells Council and have already lost their majority. Nationally things are looking good for Labour.

Unlike the Lib Dems, Labour has candidates standing in every seat across the Borough.

VICTOR WEBB ‘Speed limits need to be cut to protect children’ What are you campaigning for in Culverden?

I am campaigning for the enforcement of speed limits imposed to protect residents and children particularly at opening and closing times of ‘Rosehill’ and ‘Bishops down’ schools.

Using my experience in the legal profession I will represent all residents and in particular small business having been a national councillor for the FSB (Federation of Small Business).

After Brexit how are UKIP still relevant?

Ukip is still relevant as Brexit is in name only and our justice system is still overarched by EU law and remote decision making.

I have previous experience as a Tunbridge Wells Borough Councillor for four years and I am on planning and licence committees among others and was also a conservator for Tunbridge Wells Common.

The Amelia Scott Public opening noon 28 April

Libraries Museum Exhibitions Café Adult Education Wellbeing & Support Services

Monson Rd

Mount Ple

asant Rd

Town & Country Housing

A264

Mons

on Wa

Town Hall

y

Assembly Hall Theatre

Crescent Road Car Park

The Amelia Scott, Civic Way, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 1JN

theamelia.co.uk 01892 526121 kent.gov.uk

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Wednesday April 27 | 2022

After decade in development the town’s

By Victoria Roberts THE long-awaited Amelia Scott cultural centre finally opens its doors to the public tomorrow [April 28], after almost ten years in the planning and over two years of construction.

Named after the town’s turn-of-the-century suffragist and supporter of working women’s rights, the Amelia Scott complex incorporates a new library, museum, archives, Tunbridge Wells Borough Council’s (TWBC) Gateway, Kent County Council’s (KCC) register office, the Tourist Information Centre and Kent Adult Education (KAE) centre.

The £21million complex, was first conceived back in 2013 with unanimous cross-party support at the Council.

Tomorrow’s noon opening will see the suffragist’s great-niece Helen Boyce cut the ribbon to open the new centre, accompanied by her daughter - who is named Amelia.

But the Times has been already been given a sneak preview inside the four-storey cultural centre.

ATRIUM LIBRARY Bookcases are on wheels and can be moved

New Museum, art gallery and library ON THE ground floor right next to the buggy park and on the same level as a café and gated courtyard, the children’s section of the town’s new library.

The adult and teen library section on the first floor, which also holds public access PCs, DVDs and audiobooks, and sits under the barrel vault of the Atrium, overlooking both the courtyard and Monson Road.

All the bookcases are on castor wheels, meaning the library’s 10,000 books can be cleared to make use of the space for functions.

Educational Kent Adult Education (KAE)’s new pottery studio on the ground floor has entrances from the KAE reception area and the courtyard. The education provider also has a large silversmithing studio on the first floor and a textile studio on the second floor.

TWBC also has an education suite for school groups in the basement of the building, and a digital digital suite on the ground floor, where digital creators can make short films, videos and

LITTLE BOOKWORMS The Children’s Library

other digital art.

The museum and art gallery was one of the major drivers for the rebuild and houses some of the town’s collection of 60,000 historical objects, twice as many that could be displayed in its forerunner.

‘In the old museum, we had about one per cent of the collection on display. In this museum, it is two per cent’ Curator Jeremy Kimmel told the Times: “In the old museum, we had about one per cent of the collection on display. In this museum, it is two per cent. However, the reality is that the most any museum will have on display is 10 per cent.”

He said in the former Tunbridge Wells museum, many of the town’s treasures, including rare examples of Tunbridge ware as well as paintings, including a Gainsborough, were at risk of damage.

“Things were too close for comfort for some

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Wednesday April 27 | 2022

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cultural centre is set to open its doors things. It was an alarm bell for those of us interested in preserving heritage.

“We can now get national-level exhibits and bring them to the people of Tunbridge Wells.

And it’s not elite because it’s free.”

As Amelia Scott’s namesake, the museum has a dedicated display case in the centre of the main hall, containing the campaigner’s famous picture, along with personal effects such as her ‘Easter Lily’ brooch – signifying purity, and her National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies badge, along with papers and other objects.

Conservation Most of the basement of the museum complex is occupied by storage and conservation areas, for example the special giant freezers where curators put all new acquisitions, in order to ensure there are no moths or woodworms which might destroy the whole collection, as well as slowly acclimatising all objects to a dry environment.

In a nod to the museum’s genesis as a natural history collection, the hall next to the library is called ‘The Origins of Collecting’, featuring glass

cases at child height containing stuffed animals posed as though interacting with one another, while glass-covered display drawers line the room, showing off rows and rows of preserved animals and insects.

Meanwhile, on the ground floor, the displaydrawer concept is expanded to fill an entire hall, called ‘Behind the Scenes’, where visitors can explore fans and gloves and a real set of stocks – where criminals would have been punished in public.

There are also new objects and new interactive displays for the historical rooms.

In ‘The Georgian Spa’ on the first floor, the collection of Georgian formal dress and accessories is back on display, along with eighteenth-century portraits, some of which could not be displayed in the old museum due to poor conditions. The paintings include portraits

by Thomas Gainsborough and Sir Joshua Reynolds.

The hall’s newest addition, likely to attract big queues, is ‘the Dressing Up Box’, an interactive panel with camera, which allows you to superimpose images of the Georgian costumes onto yourself, and even e-mail the picture to you.

In ‘The Story of the Wells’ on the ground floor, another interactive screen allows you to ‘swipe’ between historic pictures of the town and modern views.

Local crafts and products are in display in the ‘Work Room’ next to the adult and teen library, ranging from the intricate woodwork of Tunbridge ware to Pembury earthenware, which takes its rust-red colour from the iron-rich

“We can now get national-level exhibits and bring them to the people of Tunbridge Wells. And it’s not elite because it’s free.”

Wadhurst clay.

Meanwhile, amateur and professional researchers have access to local records and directories in the Local Studies room.

Or you can add your own records to the town’s history by registering births and deaths at KCC’s register officer onsite.

Thanks to being the hub of TWBC’s ‘Gateway’ to Council services, the complex will be open seven days a week, said the Council. “All the staff are integrated. You can pay a parking fine or ask a question about a council benefit – all with the same person.”

And best of all, you can pick up your copy of the Times from one of our stands that is placed at the entrance to the Amelia Scott.

NAME CONTROVERSY While the Amelia Scott project has been unanimously backed by all councillors at Tunbridge Wells Borough Council, regardless of party affiliations, it has not been without controversy.

Originally it was widely understood the centre would be named ‘Amelia Scott’ after the town’s famous social reformer and women’s suffragist campaigner.

But the Council revealed in March 2019 it was to be branded

as just the ‘Amelia’.

The news caused consternation among some councillors, members of the public, and the media, who accused the Council of ‘infantilising women.’

As much of the marketing and branding material was already produced, the Council came up with a compromise and has called the building The Amelia Scott, but the cultural centre inside is known simply as ‘Amelia’.

AMELIA SCOTT

OVER BUDGET BUT ON TIME

UPSTAIRS, DOWNSTAIRS High society (Georgian Spa) and craftwork (The Work Room)

The cost of the Amelia Scott project has spiralled since it was first conceived.

The original £13.2million budget for the Tunbridge Wells Borough Council (TWBC) project first crept up to £16.1m back in 2019.

By August 2020, due to a number of challenges faced by builders Willmott Dixon, the figure increased again £19.3million.

These challenges included an unexpected gas main that was not in the original plans, more asbestos than was expected, contaminated soil and the impact of Covid and Brexit on supply chains.

By March last year, the cost had again crept up by another £1.26million increasing the budget total to £20.6million, and by this year it had hit £21.27million.

The Council has also had to contribute an extra £468,000 due to a shortfall in fundraising for the project.

It had hoped to raise more than £1.2millon but found Covid reduced the local authority’s ability to raise enough money.

The Amelia Scott is jointly funded between TWBC who were paying around £11.6million, Kent County Council who are providing £1.7million.

The Arts Council of England are contributing £886,000, while other sources of funding equals £1.4million.

The National Lottery Heritage Fund is providing nearly £5million.

Despite the spiralling costs and pressures incurred due to Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic, the project has, however, been delivered on time.

TWBC say they hope that for every pound spent on the Amelia Scott, it will return around £4 of investment.

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

A partner for prosperity For Willmott Dixon Interiors, the fit-out specialist at national contractor Willmott Dixon, creating The Amelia Scott as a major new cultural centre in Tunbridge Wells was an opportunity to demonstrate their skills for heritage regeneration.

The team behind The Amelia Scott had previously refurbished well-known Grade II-listed landmarks such as the Old Admiralty Building at Horse Guards Parade and were able to deploy this experience to deliver what will become a popular local attraction and resource.

The project involved Willmott Dixon Interiors bringing together an existing four-storey library

“

dating from 1952 with an adjacent three-storey adult education centre built in 1904.

Importantly, many period features were retained to form a central part of The Amelia Scott, along with an impressively airy barrelvaulted central lobby that’s 15m high.

Duncan Booth from Willmott Dixon Interiors’ project team explains, “The Old Admiralty Building and the Amelia Scott are similar in terms of structure and materials. It was a complete strip back and refurbishment project where we had to retain much of the original buildings including doors, ironmongery and the plaster skirting boards.

Willmott Dixon Interiors is proud of its role in creating The Amelia Scott, a fantastic new cultural hub. Through our work to re-shape and re-purpose buildings so they enjoy an exciting new beginning, like The Amelia Scott, we aim to play our part in delivering a prosperous future for people in Tunbridge Wells.

www.willmottdixoninteriors.co.uk

“Because the original plaster was made from lime and horsehair, we had to employ a specialist to mix similar plaster for the replacement to meet the conservation requirements. Replastering the walls of lots of high-ceilinged rooms was a thorough process –the plaster needed months to dry properly.”

Now the attractive multi-purpose cultural hub is a facility for all, comprising an upgraded adult education centre and library, plus a museum, art gallery, archives including a very important historical photographic collection, a tourist information centre and a new café which opens out onto the courtyard at the rear.

Wednesday April 27 | 2022

BID produces film to promote the town centre’s attractions

By Victoria Roberts PROMOTERS of business in the town centre have a spring in their step as they release a new promotional video highlighting the area’s attractions.

Covering the area of the Business Improvement District (BID), the short film features Kent singer Miss Holiday Swing twirling through shops, arcades, and cultural venues, meeting sunny smiles and waving shopkeepers.

Addressing the issue of changeable spring weather head-on, the music chosen for the film is Miss Swing’s ‘April Showers’, and the singer deploys a series of whirling parasols, alternating between cherry blossom and fluffy clouds in a blue sky.

BUSINESS

Zero Waste Company offers a launch pad for ethical producers PLASTIC-free shop and café The Zero Waste Company in The Pantiles has opened up its shelves and shop floor to other ethical and sustainable producers wanting to test the local market for their wares.

With shopping habits having changed during the pandemic, the business had decided to concentrate on its ‘bestsellers’ and its café, while giving a platform to other plastic-free and sustainable businesses in a new ‘Ethical Emporium’.

SINGING TOWN’S PRAISES A still from the BID film RTW Together BID has scheduled a series of similar videos for the next year, to encourage tourism and town-centre shopping.

Stressing the value for individual businesses, BID director Sarah-Jane Adams said: ‘numerous business owners make starring appearances – featuring within BID videos is free of charge for the community of town centre businesses we represent.’

She added: “We know this time of year can be unpredictable when it comes to planning for a glorious sunny day or a downpour, but there’s always something to do in Royal Tunbridge

Wells town centre.

“We hope our new series of short films act as a creative way to drive footfall, encourage visitors to explore businesses they may not yet be familiar with, and to boast about our beautiful town.”

RTW Together BID is a not-for-profit organisation funded by and representing town centre traders, delivering projects and events to improve the economic environment, promote businesses and drive footfall.

The film is availble to view at: youtu.be/ MRd6wG8ToDc

“Two or three of the sellers [who have already signed up] do markets, but here, they don’t have to man the store themselves,” Zero Waste Company co-founder Holly Watson told the Times.

“We do have a no-plastic rule, but most smaller brands are already very aware of environmental impacts.”

Each brand will only pay a flat, weekly fee for the space it uses – whether shelves, clothes rails, jewellery racks or floor space – and keeps all the takings from its own till.

“We will staff it and we open seven days a week – that’s part of our promise,” Holly explained, noting that the seasonal, vegetarian café remained a mainstay of the business, bringing customers in.

“They will also bring their own audiences to us.”

In clearing space for the ‘Ethical Emporium’, the plastic-free retailer has streamlined its refill products, keeping its ‘bestsellers’, which are cleaning products, white rice, white pasta, red lentils and breakfast cereals, she said.

The Ethical Emporium opens on April 28.

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Shelves

Promotional Stressing that shoppers are never far from shelter, the video also highlights the variety of covered spaces in the town, from the skylighted arcades of Royal Victoria Place shopping centre to the covered walkways of The Pantiles.

Commissioned by RTW BID from local videographer and town centre resident Simon Cossons, the three-minute film features locations including the Tunbridge Wells Hotel, Royal Victoria Place and the Assembly Hall Theatre.

The vintage-style singer also swings by an art gallery, has her hair done and appears on the radio – looking on the bright side all the time.

This is the business group’s second promotional film, following its ‘Lightbulb Moment’ video released in time for Christmas in 2021.

Local News

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Wednesday April 27 | 2022

St George’s Day lunch returns and raises thousands for cancer charity

By Richard Williams AN ANNUAL lunch has returned after a three years’ absence and looks set to have raised more than £30,000 for charity.

The St George’s Day lunch at The Spa Hotel had to be cancelled during the Covid-19 pandemic, but it returned last Friday (April 22).

Organised by a group of Tunbridge Wells businessmen known as The Exiles, the lunch and charity auction in aid of the Pickering Cancer Drop-in Centre in Monson Road, was attended by nearly 180 guests, all eager to support the good cause.

THUMBS UP Polly from Pickering (inset) at the lunch (pictures by David Bartholomew)

Raffles A charity auction saw a range of items up for grabs, including Premiership football tickets, meals out and spa days.

While organisers say the final amount raised, including various raffles and cash donations looks set to have raised around £30,600 inlcuding Gift Aid. Co-founder of Pickering, which offers emotional support to people who have cancer and their families, Polly Taylor, said: “There were 176 wonderful, wonderful, lovely huggable people there on Friday.

“The whole event for me was stand-out. When I stood up to do my presentation and looked out over that room and saw all those smiling faces… it was worth waiting two and a half years for.”

Joining the guests at the luncheon was auctioneer and stand-up comedian, Asger Brown, who hosted the event, as well as comedy music trio ‘The Singing Waiters’.

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Wednesday April 27 | 2022

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Dunorlan Park to host Jubilee celebrations

By Joan Hamilton-Smith TUNBRIDGE Wells’ largest park is to play host for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations this year.

A series of events will take place at Dunorlan Park on Friday, June 3, starting at 12.45pm to mark Her Majesty’s 70 years on the throne.

At 1pm a military parade will be at the War Memorial attended by the Mayor and Vice Lord Lieutenant.

Colourful At 1.30pm a colourful carnival-style parade will head to Dunorlan Park’s events field via Monson, Calverley and Bayhall Roads.

The Big Jubilee Lunch is at 2pm.

During the afternoon there will be free attractions and performances for all the family including Caribbean music, some of the Queen’s favourite classical tunes from The Royal Tunbridge Wells Orpheus Male Voice Choir, jazz quartet The American Songbook, Kings of Bhangra dance display, a taste of musicals

provided by Beyond The Barricade musical theatre concert and so much more.

The Friends of Dunorlan Park who, along with Tunbridge Wells Borough Council which owns the park, maintain the park to keep it looking lovely for everyone, and will have a promotional stall.

For families to enjoy, there will be a car show with a car from every decade of the Queen’s

reign, face-painting, Punch & Judy shows, balloon-modelling, diggers and tractors to investigate and a full-size fire engine to explore.

Take a wander through the main body of the park and have a snack at the café which will be open until around 5pm.

Mark this historic day by joining the parade, take a picnic, visit the food stalls in the park and enjoy an afternoon of fun and entertainment.

Church warden’s ‘Lent in a tent’ raises £4,200 A WEEKLY ‘sleep out’ over the Lent period has raised thousands for an emergency shelter charity.

As revealed in the Times earlier last month, warden Richard Hunt was due to sleep in a tent in his own churchyard at St Thomas, Groombridge, to raise awareness about the disasters and emergencies charity Shelterbox and beat his own target by nearly £2,000.

Mr Hunt had been looking for a Lenten challenge when he heard about the work of Shelterbox, which supplies emergency boxes of tents, solar lights and cooking equipment to disasters around the world.

“I raised £3,650 for Shelterbox, with Gift Aid

boosting the amount to £4,378.75,” he told the Times.

Borders “I am very nicely surprised by this amount especially as my target was only £2,500.

“I am extremely thankful for my sponsors which has enabled the money to go towards Shelterbox supporting refugees especially those on the borders of Ukraine.”

Mr Hunt started sleeping in the tent on Ash Wednesday [March 2] and slept in the tent one day a week throughout the seven weeks of Lent.

Community News

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Aspens relaunches its job scheme for disabled A TUNBRIDGE Wells charity has relaunched its jobs initiative to help those with disabilities, complex needs and autism to find paid work, following the end of restrictions due to the pandemic.

With in-person meetings possible again, the charity is restarting its My Employment Passport scheme at its centre in Pembury.

The 30-week course covers material from creating a CV, to matching skills with potential jobs, preparing for an interview and guidance on appropriate workplace behaviour.

The course includes workbooks, skills cards and online resources, along with videos featuring real-life success stories from people on the autism spectrum and with learning disabilities who have found paid work.

Describes Aspens also helps its course leavers find employment afterwards, including support with making applications.

One past successful student of the scheme is Katie, 27, from Tunbridge Wells, who is neurodivergent and describes herself as being autistic.

She has been in paid employment at the Aspens Bluebell Café in Pembury since completing the charity’s employment course with the charity two years ago.

“Working at the café is amazing, it gives me a chance to meet the public.

“I just love it. It’s changed my life to be paid every month – I can save up for things that I want and buy them. People like me should have the opportunity to have a job and get paid.”

Aspens also runs the City and Guilds Skills for Working Life course, which takes approximately a year, and which allows students to specialise in business areas they are interested in, for example horticulture and hospitality.

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Wednesday April 27 | 2022

Ex-Radio 1 DJ Tim Westwood PM hints at plans for childcare accused of sexual misconduct support to ease cost of living take advantage of seven women who were in their late teens or early 20s at the time.

Three women have accused the 64-year-old DJ of opportunistic and predatory sexual behaviour, while four others allege they were groped by him at events.

A statement from a representative said: “Tim Westwood strongly denies all allegations of inappropriate behaviour.

“In a career that has spanned 40 years, there have never been any complaints made against him officially or unofficially.

Rejects

Tim Westwood

VETERAN hip hop DJ and radio presenter Tim Westwood says he ‘strongly rejects’ any ‘wrongdoing’ after he was accused of sexual misconduct and predatory behaviour by several women.

In allegations made in an upcoming BBC documentary, details of which were released yesterday (Tuesday) ahead of its airing on BBC Three, the former BBC Radio 1 DJ is said to have misused his position in the music industry to

“Tim Westwood strongly rejects all allegations of wrongdoing.”

The DJ, who is the son of Bill Westwood, the former Anglican Bishop of Peterborough who died in 1999, began his career with local radio before joining Capital Radio in London and was later given his own show by BBC Radio 1.

He was injured in a drive-by shooting in Kennington, South London, on July 18 1999, which left him in hospital.

In 2013, Westwood left BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 1Xtra after nearly 20 years and returned to Capital Radio.

He presents a regular show on Saturday nights on Capital Xtra, where he is referred to as “The Big Dawg”.

Often cited as an inspiration for Sacha Baron Cohen’s fictional Ali G character, Westwood presented the MTV UK car makeover show Pimp My Ride UK, which ran for three seasons from 2005 to 2007.

The women, who have remained anonymous, will detail their allegations in a documentary, Tim Westwood: Abuse of Power, which aired on BBC Three last night.

PARENTS could receive further childcare support, Boris Johnson has hinted, as he seeks cost-free measures to alleviate the cost-of-living crisis.

Downing Street said the Prime Minister would sign off on new support when he chaired a “domestic and economic strategy committee” in the “coming weeks”.

But No 10 suggested no new money would be provided in the coming months to ease the pain after Chancellor Rishi Sunak warned against rising public debt or inflation.

Innovative Ministers discussed “a number of ideas” at Cabinet on Tuesday after Mr Johnson asked them to bring ‘innovative’ schemes to tackle soaring costs.

He accepted Britons were facing “real pressures” but blamed external factors such as Russian president Vladimir Putin’s “crazed malevolence” in Ukraine and lockdowns in China.

The PM’s official spokesman said Mr Johnson told ministers ‘there was more to do, including in areas like childcare, to further ease pressures for those who need it most and to get even more people into high-skilled, high-wage jobs’.

He declined to give more details about the plan, saying it was “live policy work taking place and I’m sure we’ll have more to say in the future”.

Mr Sunak ‘underlined the importance of not feeding in to further inflation rises and emphasised that the UK is currently spending £80 billion servicing our debt’, No 10 said.

This meant no new money to alleviate the crisis until a further financial announcement from the Chancellor, Mr Johnson’s spokesman suggested.

He told reporters: “Certainly, the budgets for departments are set and there are no plans to go outside what’s been agreed.”It was understood

the Government was looking at measures that could be introduced quickly rather than those requiring new legislation.

Ideas that could be considered include cutting tariffs on food that cannot be produced in the UK, such as rice.

The spokesman said the committee was not new and its membership included the Prime Minister, the Chancellor and the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Steve Barclay.

“It will meet in the next couple of weeks, I don’t have an exact time frame for you”, he said when asked about the timing.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said he wants to see “an emergency budget, not a Cabinet meeting” to address the cost-of-living crisis.

He told reporters in Stevenage: “The cost-ofliving crisis has been staring us in the face for six months now and it’s a real problem for people struggling with their bills – and the Cabinet meeting this morning isn’t going to change any of that.”

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Wednesday April 27 | 2022

Primark warns of clothing price hike FASHION retailer Primark has warned that it will increase prices on its autumn and winter collection as costs go up for businesses around the world.

The budget chain will make ‘selective’ rises in the range, having avoided most pressures from inflation until now because global exchange rates fell in its favour.

But AB Foods, which owns Primark and Twinings and is also a major sugar producer, said the US dollar is strengthening and inflation is soaring, which will force the changes.

Chief executive George Weston said: “Inflationary pressures are such that we are unable to offset them all with cost savings, and so Primark will implement selective price increases across some of the autumn/winter stock.

“However, we are committed to ensuring our price leadership and everyday affordability, especially in this environment of greater economic uncertainty.”

Millions of businesses across the UK are having

to make decisions about their prices.

The cost of the energy they need to operate has rocketed in recent months, and the costs of the raw materials and staff they need are also rising.

It has meant some choosing to pass on these costs to customers, though many are wary as this is likely to discourage people from shopping with them.

Twitter founder backs Elon Musk’s takeover TWITTER founder Jack Dorsey has welcomed Elon Musk’s £34.5 billion takeover of his company as others questioned the future safety of the platform and some users threaten to leave.

The Tesla and SpaceX chief executive has reached an agreement to buy the social media platform for 54.20 US dollars (£42.20) per share – about 44 billion dollars (£34.5 billion).

Concerns Mr Dorsey, who founded Twitter in 2006, gave his blessing to the takeover in a series of tweets – hailing the decision to let Mr Musk take the social media platform into private ownership and away from the ad model and Wall Street, but others have raised concerns about online safety on Twitter going forward given Mr Musk’s belief in absolute free speech.

Critics of the takeover have said Mr Musk’s stance as a “free speech absolutist” could mean Twitter’s content moderation rules are loosened and more controversial content will be allowed on the site.

Mr Musk has previously said he wanted to buy Twitter because he did not believe it was properly serving the purpose of being a platform for free speech and too many people were being censored. of these districts are now given over to leisure and residential buildings.

From 1842, the railways made river shipping unprofitable, and today Tonbridge’s station remains an important junction between the South Eastern Main Line, the Hastings Line and the Redhill–Tonbridge line. The town also lies at the crossroads of the A21 road between London and Hastings, and the A26 between Maidstone and Newhaven on the south coast.

onbridge and Tunbridge Wells ria Roberts finds out, there is t a similar sounding name...

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GREG CLARK MP ADVICE SURGERIES

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

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

01892 519854 or email:

FORMED

greg.clark.mp The town was created after the building of Tonbridge Castle @parliament.uk

Elon Musk

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Adrian Thorne

Wednesday April 27 | 2022

Adrian Thorne is the Green Party candidate for Broadwater. He hopes to be the first candidate for the party to win a seat at Tunbridge Wells Borough Council.

Green Party

Conservatives are pushing through developments with Lib Dem support GREENS have been out in force in Broadwater recently and it’s clear why we are receiving so much support from local people. Our area is hammered in the council’s local plan, losing large areas of valuable green space to unsustainable houses, whilst services and roads already struggle.

Why are local people turning to the Green Party? Conservatives are pushing through the unpopular developments and that’s no surprise - but perhaps more disappointingly, when the LibDems had the chance to stop the plan in February 2021, seven out of nine of their councillors voted in favour of the plan including the LibDem leader. A real case of actions speak louder than words on leaflets.

Broadwater Down and the surrounding area faces more rat-running as the traffic piles up, with more construction lorries squeezing the road yet again.

Hazards

Organised In Broadwater it’s us Greens who has been left as the only party fighting the local plan on behalf of residents. We’ve been fighting hard and we’re proud of that. It’s myself and fellow Greens who are speaking at the local plan hearings, it’s Greens who are getting people organised and it’s Greens who have been setting the agenda on this since the start.

Getting elected as the first Green councillor will allow us to make a huge difference. There will be someone in council who can speak up,

without having to worry about what the party leadership will say. When we say we will fight for residents, we won’t go back into council and vote the other way.

The deputy leader of our national party, Amelia Womack, made the trip from South Wales to support us. We made her aware of the threat to the historically and environmentally

important Ramslye fields area and locals turned out to hear her words of encouragement. It’s Greens who are making the effort.

Broadwater is struggling with the overloaded and dangerous A26, we have lost our doctors’ surgery in Showfields - and yet the Conservatives and LibDems have voted to push nearly 400 new dwellings on the area, the largest outside Capel.

Showfields is in serious need of attention and basic cleaning, residents are fed up of litter and broken glass. The Conservative councillor has been in place for many years and yet when I walk round the area I am constantly reporting fly-tipping, broken glass and other hazards that make life a misery for locals. The local derelict factory and old BT site need to be turned into environmentally friendly housing that adds to the area - and not more unaffordable housing developments.

We know from speaking to many people on the doorstep that less people than previously are likely to vote Conservative, from an understandable combination of local and national issues. People will rightly be looking to vote elsewhere to send a message, and we’d like to remind them of the actions of the LibDems and not the words - over two thirds of their councillors supported the local plan, and now we locals are having to fight hard to protect our area. Greens are up to the challenge, and I am proud to be fighting for Broadwater.

Antique & Fine Art Auctioneers

Textiles, Vintage Fashion, Handbags & Luxury Luggage Valuation Days Tuesday 3rd May - Lewes Friday 6th May - Tunbridge Wells The market for designer items and textiles is ever-growing. With the power of the internet, our sale platform reaches clients across the world, yet our attractive galleries set a demand on a more local scale.

Regardless of age, names like Mulberry, Chanel and Hermés attract impressive results through the expertise of our experts.

Our own Annie Hartnett, a former specialist dealer in antique and Chinese textiles, costume and lace, has lifelong experience within the industry. Alongside her is Emily Bearn; a recent graduate who has extensive knowledge of vintage and modern design. Both fuse together in leading the impressive im textiles department with us here at Gorringe’s.

To book an appointment for a free appraisal email tw@gorringes.co.uk or telephone 01892 556860 A Chinese apricot embroidered silk ‘dragon’ formal court robe. Sold by Gorringe’s in 2021 for £24,000 Two graduated Louis Vuitton Alzer suitcase trunks. Sold by Gorringe’s in 2022 for £3,200

www.gorringes.co.uk

Wednesday April 27 | 2022

Letters

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And another thing…

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

Councillors should get on with job

Boycott facts are wrong There has been much comment recently in the Times about some councillors’ boycott of a meeting at which Cllr David Scott was present.

Most of them name me as the ‘ringleader’ of this boycott.

Fact: I am not a member (and never have been) of the advisory board that was not attended by others.

Fact: the week of that meeting, I was ill with Covid and sent my apologies to another meeting I could not attend.

Fact: I did read out, at Cabinet, a statement agreed by all opposition group leaders advising that our members would not work with Cllr Scott.

Fact: Cllr Scott was found to be in breach of the Code of Conduct.

Fact: he failed to apologise, as he was required to do.

Fact: the Leader of the Council took no action against him, ignoring his breach of the Code of Conduct.

Fact: the same report heard by the advisory board that was boycotted was then presented to the main committee, as is usual, at a meeting I chaired.

So, we have an elected representative who has breached the rules, ignored the objections, been found guilty, protected by his colleagues, and finally made a mealy-mouthed apology. Sound familiar?

I was going to let this matter drop but the lead letter last week (April 20) was riddled with so many inaccuracies I think I have to reply.

Cllr Hugo Pound Tunbridge Wells Labour party Abstaining on PM won’t cut it I thought – naively perhaps, that three-line whips were there to stiffen the backbone of a party’s MPs who were having the heebie-jeebies about a piece of the government’s proposed legislation passing through parliament, not to

strikers reneged on this responsibility as the Council discussed it’s approach to tackling violence against women and girls. This is a big issue for many residents and the Council’s response has - in my view - been disappointing.

So the strikers, most of whom waive the womens’ rights flag when it suits them, could not have chosen a more important meeting to boycott.

Another key principal for local residents is that people shouldn’t get paid for doing nothing. None of the strikers has given up part of their pay, or donated any funds to charity, to compensate for the time they’ve taken off.

It seems they feel entitled to squabble at our expense.

Cllr Matt Bailey (Independent) Paddock Wood West

save the miserable skin of a dishonest prime minister.

So I shall watch with interest how our local MPs vote in last week’s (Thursday, April 21) vote to set up an inquiry by the Commons privileges committee into whether he misled parliament about his belief that Covid rules had not been broken.

Abstentions will not cut the mustard and will

Green activists are arrogant We in this area, and across the South East have been unable to obtain petrol recently thanks to the illegal actions of arrogant Green extremists.

We live in a democracy.

If one has a cause in which one believes then one can do what we who wanted the UK to leave the EU did. Write and deliver leaflets, put up legal posters, hold meetings, organise marches, and stand for office in elections.

What one does not have the right to do is break the law, and disrupt the lives of one’s fellow citizens in the arrogant belief that one is occupying the moral high ground. These green fanatics have no right to act as if the law did not apply to them.

Even the briefest study of history proves that climates have changed before man discovered oil or invented the combustion engine. Our planet’s climate has a 4.5-billion-year history yet man has only recorded our weather since 1861.

The most likely culprits for the regular changes to our climate are variations in Solar output, eccentricities in the Earth’s orbit or the effects of the movement of the tectonic plates.

That the general public are probably unfamiliar with these theories only goes to show the power of the media who have, in the main, totally brought into a belief in man-made climate change.

We are being bullied by scientific illiterates, who base their argument on a totally false premise that Man’s actions are responsible for a natural phenomenon.

Colin Bullen Tonbridge

PEPPY SAYS...

Calverley

Observations on life and more important things

JACOB REES-MOGG is not the most popular man in Westminster, but he’s got it right this time round. The minister in charge of civil service reform (banishing WFH – working from home) patrols Government offices and where he finds empty desks leaves the message: “Sorry you were out when I visited. I look forward to seeing you very soon”. Fat chance of that. Most staff are still refusing to change out of pyjamas and play a more effective role in getting the country back on its feet and more Ukranian refugees rehomed. Scandalous.

AND on the subject of refugees, Home Secretary Priti Patel’s plan to redirect Channelcrossing illegal migrants to Rwanda saw blood vessels popping with anger in Whitehall. Some indicated they were embarrassed to be working for the Government. Fine. They should quit. But they won’t. Where else would they find such a cushy job. Mind you, Priti Patel herself could lose her own job this Autumn if she’s ‘demoted’ to Chair of the Tory Party, as rumoured.

TRANSGENDER author Gretchen Felker-Martin depicts JK Rowling’s nasty death in a fire as part of the plot in her latest horror novel. And what’s happened to her? Nothing. No reprimands, no burning of her books. Imagine if Ms Rowling reversed the roles in her next Harry Potter book and wrote of Ms FelkerMartins’ untimely demise. The Woke Warriors would be demanding her head. Talk about double standards.

COVID numbers are now determined solely by the Office for National Statistics with volunteers around the country being regularly tested. Calverley is doing his best to get on that list. Why? Because his married friends are on it and each month are given a free doorstep flow test and handed £50 for their trouble.

That’s a positive result.

ALEXA the robot has become part of everyday

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

I agree with most of Martin Coleman’s criticisms (Times, April 20) of the opposition borough councillors who chose to go on strike over a petty personal dispute.

I keep being told that their refusal to attend an important meeting on community safety was over “a matter of principal”. But the walk-out, organised unsurprisingly by the Labour leader, shows how out of touch the group is with the basic principals of the people they represent.

One important principal is that elected representatives should get on with the job they’re elected to do. This involves being grown-up enough to put personal disputes, and political point-scoring, aside to work for local residents.

It is particularly disappointing that the

stiffen my resolve in future elections.

Edward Baker Tunbridge Wells Editor’s note: Greg Clark, MP for Tunbridge Wells and Nus Ghani (Wealden) both voted for the inquiry. Tom Tugendhat (Tonbridge & Malling) did not vote.

life. Listening to Radio Four this week Calverley asked the virtual assistant to turn it off. She didn’t respond. He shouted louder. Still Radio Four blared out. Towering over the robot Calverley screamed for her to turn the ruddy thing off. Then into the kitchen walked Management (Mrs C). She smiled knowingly and pointed out the programme was coming from the portable radio standing next to Alexa.

Talk about feeling like an idiot.

FINAL THOUGHT: Back to those illegal migrants. What happens when the thousands of single men entering the UK via the channel self-identify as women. That’ll mean they can’t be rehomed in Rwanda. The proposed relocations, apparently, will only apply to single men. Priti good move.

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

Wednesday April 27 | 2022

Life&Times

ARTS • BOOKS • GOING OUT • FOOD • EVENTS • ANTIQUES • TRAVEL • PROPERTY • LIVE MUSIC and MORE...

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Going out - P26

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Celebrating a life in literature Arts P24

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LITERARY LUNCHES HARRIET TYCE AND JAMES OSWALD

JOHN WALSH

BOOKS: IT ENDS AT MIDNIGHT ALL THAT LIVES & NOWHERE TO RUN

TUNBRIDGE WELLS HOTEL | SAT 30 APR 12.30PM

TUNBRIDGE WELLS HOTEL | FRI 29 APR – 12:30PM

James Oswald: All That Lives ‘Oswald's writing is in a class above most' - Daily Express 'The new Ian Rankin' - Daily Record

BOOK: CIRCUS OF DREAMS: ADVENTURES IN THE 1980S LITERARY WORLD

‘Lifts the lid on the British literary revolution of the 1980s and recounts how a handful of game-changing writers attained the status of rock stars.’ -Waterstones

Harriet Tyce: It Ends at Midnight ‘Such a great pleasure to be back doing events in person and meeting readers, and I can’t imagine a more fun way of doing so than a lunch like this in such a great venue’

LLOYD LLEWELLYN-JONES BOOK: PERSIANS: THE AGE OF THE GREAT KINGS

TUNBRIDGE WELLS HOTEL | SUN 1 MAY 10.30AM

‘Clear, convincing, and meticulously researched, Persians is not just a timely reassessment of the world’s first superpower – it’s a wonderfully accessible page-turner to boot’ David Stuttard, author of A History of Ancient Greece in Fifty Lives

ALEX VON TUNZELMANN BOOK: Fallen Idols: 12 Statues that Made History TUNBRIDGE WELLS HOTEL | SUN 1 MAY 2PM

‘If you want to make sense of the statue debate, and the coming culture war over our history, this is where you need to start.’ -Dan Snow

‘I love being involved in the Tunbridge Wells Literature Festival because it is really important to invest in what makes the town great and good. Whether that’s a lovely new book festival, Jazz on the Pantiles, the Food Festival or the very naughty Gin Festival, if you want your town to be a thriving success, you have to support its rich cultural life. The Literary Lunches add a unique and intimate literary experience, and I can’t to wait welcome locals and tourists alike to the fantastic events that are going on around Tunbridge Wells over the sunny bank holiday this weekend.‘ Julian Leefe-Griffiths Owner Tunbridge Wells Hotel

Hello everyone, and welcome to the very first Tunbridge Wells Literary Festival.

THE LAST couple of years have presented us all with an unprecedented level of uncertainty and isolation, challenges that we will continue to contend with for the foreseeable future, and for the first time in a long time, in the midst of this peculiar stretch of our history, it has once more become apparent just how important reading, writing and storytelling are to the human experience.

For many, reading was a crucial escape from the relentless malaise of lockdown, while, for others writing offered opportunities for the cathartic release of swirling emotions, and a constructive way to channel build-ups of restlessness. In time,

I have no doubt that the stories written over the course of the pandemic will be forever entwined with our understanding of this singular period, and our shared experience therein.

With all of this in mind, alongside the opening of the brand-new Amelia Scott providing access to two wonderful libraries, it feels only appropriate to look to the future with a celebration of all the joys of literature, hence the conception of this extraordinary event, which brings together many of the UK’s finest authorial minds and offers up a truly exceptional catalogue of exciting new books. From stunningly illustrated picture books for the youngest readers to the most powerful

dramatic fiction for grown-up bookworms, there truly is something for everyone here, no matter your age, interests or reading level.

Nicky Carter Head of HR, Customer Service and Culture, Tunbridge Wells Borough Council

Literary Festival special

Wednesday April 27 | 2022

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Celebrating the world of books

FESTIVAL GUIDE Your four-page guide to what’s on at the first Tunbridge Wells Literary Festival...

C

REATED to celebrate the opening of the Amelia Scott cultural centre, the inaugural Tunbridge Wells Literary Festival looks set to be a bookish extravaganza featuring some of the UK’s leading authors in both fiction and non-fiction.

Taking place over four days during this bank holiday weekend from Friday, April 29 to Monday, May 2 over this bank Holiday Weekend).

THE AMELIA

ASSEMBLY HALL THEATRE

‘Spread across four days, each with its line-up of awardwinning authors, Tunbridge Wells Literary Festival promises something for everyone’ For those who may not know, literary festivals are celebrations of reading and writing, offering attendees the chance to meet their favourite authors, illustrators, poets, podcasters and journalists, see them talk live about the wonderful creative work that they do, and take a revealing, behind the scenes look at the inspirations and processes that drive them.

Not only is it a chance for readers to meet their favourite authors but as actor and bestselling author Robert Daws, who is at Tunbridge Wells Literary Festival on Sunday, May 1, explained: “They also give authors a chance to meet their readers and meet and listen to other writers. Writing is a pretty solitary affair, so it’s great to get out and meet others in the same profession.”

Spread across four days, each with its incredible line-up of famous faces and amazing, award-winning authors, Tunbridge Wells Literary Festival promises something for everyone.

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Celebrating the opening of The Amelia Scott TRINITY THEATRE

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Literary Festival special

Wednesday April 27 | 2022

What’s on at the Tunbridge Wells Literary Festival

Here’s your handy guide on who to see and where for the inaugural festival this weekend.

Some tickets are available on the day but it is recommended to book at theamelia.co.uk FRIDAY, APRIL 29 James Oswald and Harriet Tyce – All That Lives and It Ends at Midnight (Fiction: Crime) – Tunbridge Wells Hotel - 12:30PM

justice with Jews Don’t Count, a powerful, personal and justifiably angry polemic that highlights and condemns the rampant antisemitism that plagues otherwise progressive spaces. David will be joined by Orwell Prize winning journalist, David Aaronovitch, who will use his interviewing expertise to ask David the big, necessary questions.

Tickets: £20; Under 25 Tickets £12.50. Running time 90 minutes with limited book signing

experienced first-hand, and now divulged in shocking, sensational detail by esteemed literary industry veteran John Walsh, in his brand-new book Circus of Dreams: Adventures in the 1980s Literary World.

All Inclusive Ticket: £45 including lunch. Talk at 2pm, lunch at 12 noon. Book signing 3pm Pre-booking is essential.

Cate Douglas – Poppy’s Tail (Children’s: New Readers) – The Amelia Scott – 1:30PM

Alongside his 10:30AM slot, Carnegie award nominee and trailblazing LGBTQ+ YA author Simon James Green will be returning to The Amelia Scott at 4PM to discuss his hilarious and heartfelt new novel Gay Club!

All tickets FREE. Running time 1 hour.

Polly Toynbee and David Walker – The Lost Decade (Non-Fiction: History) – Trinity Theatre – 7:30PM

SATURDAY, APRIL 30 James Oswald, one of Scotland’s finest authors and creator of the bestselling Inspector McLean series, locked in conversation with formidable former barrister, and now Sunday Times bestselling author of Blood Orange, Harriet Tyce, as this prestigious pair discuss their respective new books, All That Lives and It Ends at Midnight.

All Inclusive Ticket: £45 including lunch.

Talk at 2pm, lunch at 12 noon. Book signing 3pm Pre-booking is essential.

Ed Patrick – Catch Your Breath (Non-Fiction: Memoir) – Trinity Theatre - 2PM

Strangeface Puppetry – Beached (Performance/Poetry) – The Amelia Scott - All Day

Join the award-winning master puppeteers of Strangeface, as they perform a series of special renditions of their short play Beached, the charming and powerful tale of Arnold, whose ordinary walk quickly becomes an adventure.

Tickets: not required. Running time 15 minutes

Cate Douglas will be at The Amelia Scott on Saturday, April 30th at 14:00PM to introduce new readers to her adorable picture book, Poppy’s Tail, a charming and colourful story that highlights the value of imagination and creativity.

All tickets FREE. Running time 1 hour.

Darren Shan – Reverse Career Retrospective: Archibald Lox, Zom-B Chronicles, The Demonata, The Saga of Darren Shan (Children’s: YA) – Trinity Theatre – 2PM

The Guardian’s star columnist and contributing editor duo of Polly Toynbee and David Walker look back on the tumultuous events of the 2010s, and their probable impact on the UK’s future, with The Lost Decade: 2010-2020 and What Lies Ahead for Britain.

Tickets: £15.50; Running time 1 hour plus book signing.

Jo Brand – Born Lippy (Non-Fiction: Memoir) – Assembly Hall Theatre – 8PM

Simon James Green – Sleepover Takeover (Children’s: Middle-Grade) – The Amelia Scott - 10:30AM Comedian Ed Patrick, whose new memoir, Catch Your Breath: The Secret Life of a Sleepless Anaesthetist, highlights the hectic highs, lamentable lows, and hilariously unexpected moments of life on the NHS frontline, all in Ed’s fantastically frank and funny signature style.

Tickets: £15. Running time one hour plus book signing.

Christina Patterson – Outside, The Sky is Blue (Non-Fiction: Memoir) – Trinity Theatre 4PM

Leading Young Adult author and Carnegie Award nominee Simon James Green will be talking about his latest middle-grade book, the fantastically funny Sleepover Takeover, a laugh-out-loud misadventure with friendship, kindness and inclusion at its heart.

Tickets: £5; Running time 1 hour plus book signing.

Nick Duerden – Exit Stage Left (Non-Fiction: Biography) – Tunbridge Wells Forum - 12PM

A live recording of Orwell Prize nominated journalist Christina Patterson’s hugely popular podcast, The Art of Work, after which Christina, accompanied by revered research psychologist and trauma expert Dr Sarah Woodhouse, will discuss her achingly emotional new memoir, Outside, The Sky is Blue, written in the wake of a cataclysmic family loss.

Tickets: £15. Running time one hour plus book signing.

David Baddiel – Jews Don’t Count (NonFiction: Social/Political) – Assembly Hall Theatre - 8PM

Hear saddening stories from the lives of some of the 80s music scene’s brightest stars, by prolific arts journalist Nick Duerden in his new book Exit Stage Left: The Curious Afterlife of Popstars.

Tickets: £15; Running time 1 hour plus book signing.

John Walsh – Circus of Dreams (Non-Fiction: History) – Tunbridge Wells Hotel – 12:30PM

Darren Shan has made horror fans out of generations of children with his gloriously grisly tales. In what is sure to be an absolute treat for not just his current readership, but also for those of us who grew up with his formative work.

Darren will be performing readings from, and answering questions about, all of his most popular series, starting with his most recent, the surreal and fantastical adventures of Archibald Lox. Tickets: £12.50; Kids £8; Running time 1 hour plus book signing.

Kate Humble – Home Cooked (Non-Fiction: Health/Wellbeing) – Assembly Hall Theatre – 2:30PM

For any food fans who love nothing more than cracking open a new cookbook, beloved presenter and wildlife expert Kate Humble comes bearing the gift of her brilliantly comforting new recipe collection, Home Cooked: Recipes from the Farm, covering ideal seasonal meals for any occasion.

Tickets: £20; Running time 90 minutes with limited book signing.

Simon James Green – Gay Club! (Children’s: YA) – The Amelia Scott – 4PM

David Baddiel, trailblazing comedian and author of six best-selling children’s books, aims to open your eyes and engage your sense of

The less wild world of the 80s literary scene is

For anyone seeking sincerity and candour, look no further than Saturday’s headliner, pioneering comedian and award-winning presenter Jo Brand, whose fabulously funny meditation on life and womanhood, Born Lippy: How to do Female, is a frank, unflinching and outrageously entertaining collection of life lessons and knowledge from the first lady of alternative comedy.

Tickets: £20; Running time 90 minutes with limited book signing.

SUNDAY, MAY 1 Melissa Fu – Peach Blossom Spring (Fiction: Drama) – The Amelia Scott – 10:30AM

Join Melissa Fu as she lifts the lid on her sensational debut novel, Peach Blossom Spring, a hauntingly beautiful portrait of the history of modern China, the significance of storytelling as a tool for preservation and the impact of being isolated from one’s heritage.

Tickets: £15.00; Running time 1 hour plus book signing.

Manjeet Mann – Small’s Big Dream (Children’s: New Rearders) – Trinity Theatre – 10:30AM

Literary Festival special

Wednesday April 27 | 2022

Manjeet Mann will discussing her first picture book, Small’s Big Dream, a stunning and lyrical ode to aspiration that encourages children to always dream big, no matter how small their world may seem!

Tickets: £12.50; Kids £5. Running time 1 hour plus book signing.

Lloyd Lewellyn-Jones – Persians (Non-Fiction: History) – Tunbridge Wells Hotel – 10:30AM

mental health.

Tickets: £12.50. Running time 1 hour plus book signing.

21

undeniable talent for fostering empathy, Sita Brahmachari will be debuting her Raven

MONDAY, MAY 2 Skye McKenna discusses her marvellously magical authorial debut, Hedgewitch, a fresh new take on a much-loved middle-grade formula, and the first of five books in a stunning fantasy series sure to take the world by storm!

Tickets: £8.00; Kids £5. Running time 1 hour plus book signing.

Kiran Millwood Hargrave – Julia and the Shark (Children’s: Middle-Grade) – The Amelia Scott – 10:30AM Treasure Box experience, a fantastic interactive and haptic event based around the plot of the phenomenal When Shadows Fall.

Tickets: £10.00. Running time 1 hour plus book signing.

Bobby Gillespie – Tenement Kid (Non-Fiction: Memoir) – Tunbridge Wells Forum – 2:30PM

Tom De Freston – Wreck (Non-Fiction: Memoir) – The Amelia Scott – 5PM For those hoping to step further back in time, famed academic and historian Lloyd Lewellynjones has you covered with Persians: The Age of Great Kings, a stunningly comprehensive and, in Lloyd’s words, an authentically ‘Persian version’ of the history of the world’s first superpower.

All Inclusive Ticket: £45 including lunch. Talk at 2pm, lunch at 12 noon. Book signing 3pm Pre-booking is essential.

Patrick Jones – Fuse/Fracture (Performance/ Poetry) – Tunbridge Wells Forum – 11:30AM

Children’s author Kiran Millwood Hargrave will talk about her most recent middle-grade release and winner of Waterstones Children’s Gift of the Year 2021, Julia and the Shark.

Tickets: £10.00. Running time 1 hour plus book signing.

Bobby Gillespie, frontman of psychedelia stalwarts Primal Scream, will be discussing his phenomenal memoir Tenement Kid, a chronicle of his formative years and an honest exploration of his journey from infatuated fan to psych rock figurehead.

Tickets: £15.00. Running time 1 hour plus book signing.

Graeme Thomson – Themes for Great Cities (Non-Fiction: Biography) – Tunbridge Wells Forum – 5PM

Join Patrick Jones as he performs a selection of personal favourites from his vast and varied repertoire, while also sharing the inner machinations that inspire and drive his endlessly creative process.

Tickets: £15.00; Running time 1 hour plus book signing.

Manjeet Mann – The Crossing (Children’s: YA) – Trinity Theatre – 2PM

For a more singular, in-depth take on a musical legacy, join acclaimed biographer Graeme Thomson for a thoroughly comprehensive deep dive into the career of one of Scotland’s greatest musical exports, the incomparable Simple Minds.

Tickets: £10.00. Running time 1 hour plus book signing.

Robert Daws – Breaking Legs (Performance/ Poetry) – Trinity Theatre – 5PM

Following her 10:30AM slot, actor, activist and multi award-winning children’s author Manjeet Mann will be returning to Trinity Theatre at 2PM to talk about her Costa Children’s Book Award 2021 winning YA novel, The Crossing.

Tickets: £12.50; Kids £5. Running time 1 hour plus book signing.

Alex Von Tunzelmann – Fallen Idols (NonFiction: History) – Tunbridge Wells Hotel – 2PM

Author and screenwriter Alex Von Tunzelmann offers, in her new book Fallen Idols: 12 Statues that Made History, a carefully researched and charmingly witty deconstruction of the debate around the toppling of monuments dedicated to slave traders and colonialists, that sprung up in the wake of the Black Lives Matter Movement in 2020.

All Inclusive Ticket: £45 including lunch. Talk at 2pm, lunch at 12 noon. Book signing 3pm Pre-booking is essential.

Skye McKenna – Hedgewitch (Children’s: Middle-Grade) – The Amelia Scott – 2:30PM

Bestselling author Robert Daws combines snippets of stellar acting with revealing anecdotes about Robert’s exemplary career, from his breakthrough days to the writing of his bestselling Sullivan and Broderick series, it’s sure to be an unmissable experience for long-time fans and newcomers alike!

Tickets: £12.50. Running time 1 hour plus book signing.

Patrick Gale – Mother’s Boy (Fiction: Drama) – Trinity Theatre – 10:30AM Acclaimed artist and author Tom De Freston e discusses the readable result of an internal, profoundly emotional struggle that begins with an obsessive fixation on Théodore Géricault’s The Raft of The Medusa, the harrowing and deeply cathartic Wreck: Géricault’s Raft and the Art of Being Lost at Sea. Tickets: £25.00. Running time 2 hours plus book signing.

Patrick Gale, award-winning author, screenwriter and the self-proclaimed ‘last novelist in England’, e explores the closely guarded personal life of poet and teacher Charles Causley in Mother’s Boy. Tickets: £15.00. Running time 1 hour plus book signing.

Adam Shaw – How to Grow Your Family (Non-Fiction: Health/Wellbeing) – Trinity Theatre – 1PM

Adam Shaw of At Dad’s Table(@at_dads_ table), along with Mark Woods, author of the bestselling Pregnancy for Men, discuss a delicious portion of the 110 incredible recipes present in Adam’s debut cookbook, How to grow your Family: From pregnancy to New Parents – One Meal at a Time.

Tickets: £12.50. Running time 1 hour plus book signing.

Journalist Sarfraz Manzoor will be using Monday night to shine a crucial light on the social divides between British Muslims and their fellow countrymen, beginning with a special screening of 2019’s critically acclaimed Blinded by the Light, adapted from Sarfraz’s dynamic debut memoir Greetings from Bury Park.

Tickets: £15.00. Running time 1 hour plus book signing.

Pat Nevin – The Accidental Footballer (Non-Fiction: Memoir) – Assembly Hall Theatre – 7:30PM

Olivia Poulet and Laurence Dobiesz – 12 Hours to Say I Love You (Fiction: Romance) – The Amelia Scott – 2:30PM

JJ Bola – The Selfless Act of Breathing (Fiction: Drama) – Trinity Theatre – 8PM Authors Olivia Poulet and Laurence Dobiesz discuss their terrifically tender, tear-inducing and hilariously heartfelt debut novel, 12 Hours to Say I Love You, an effortlessly charming tale about the nature of romance and the eternally unpredictable glories of love.

Tickets: £15.00. Running time 1 hour plus book signing.

UNHCR Ambassador JJ Bola, whose profoundly moving sophomore novel, The Selfless Act of Breathing, clears the mist of shame and secrecy that so often surrounds the subject of men’s

Sarfraz Manzoor – Blinded by the Light (Film) and They (Non-Fiction: Social/Political) – Trinity Theatre – 5:30PM (Screening) and 7:45PM (Q&A)

Sita Brahmachari – When Shadows Fall (Children’s: YA) – Assembly Hall Theatre – 2:30PM Award-winning children’s author with a resoundingly lyrical style of Prose, and an

If you’re a football fan, or your interests lie in the sporting world, why not join the brilliantly unconventional Pat Nevin as he discusses his storied professional career playing for the likes of Chelsea and Everton, all while remaining a passionately political, indie music loving individual off-field, as is candidly recorded in his electrically unique memoir, The Accidental Footballer.

Tickets: £20.00; Kids £12.50. Running time 1 hour plus book signing.

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Literary Festival special

Wednesday April 27 | 2022

The comedy duo turned authors

The inaugural Tunbridge Wells Literary Festival has attracted some of the book world’s well-known and best-selling authors, including headliners for the festival Jo Brand and David Baddiel, who, as Victoria Roberts finds out, are no strangers to the town...

D

AVID BADDIEL started out as one of the UK’s most successful comedians, selling out stadiums in the 1990s with funnyman partner Rob Newman, followed by another successful TV double act with Midland comic Frank Skinner with the wildly popular TV show Fantasy Football League. Oh and not to mention their hit single ‘Three Lions’ with Ian Broudie.

But the 57-year-old is now a best-selling author, - however becoming a writer was not something he had planned.

“There is nothing I’ve done in my life that has been a career-based decision,” he tells the Times. “I had an idea for a book one day after my eight-year-old said: ‘Why didn’t Harry Potter run away from the Dursleys and find better parents?’. He was talking about Harry’s adopted muggle family in the book. And I thought that was a good idea for a book.

‘I am looking to seeing the legendary Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells who I do hope come to my show’ “So I wrote the Parent Agency – a world in which a child goes through his bedroom wall to a world where he can choose his own parents.

“It has now sold more than million copies, and as I like children’s books and storytelling, I guess I am now an author.”

However, his latest literary work is non-fiction and ‘Jews Don’t Count’ tackles the far more serious subject of antisemitism.

“It happened in not too dissimilar a way to when I started writing children’s books, which I only did as I had children and that gave me ideas,” he explained. “As I was on social media, it became clear to me that antisemitism was on

the rise and much more vocalised.

“Being openly Jewish I was always aware about racism about Jews and had seen it anyway, but on Twitter I was getting a lot of it.

“One of the issues I felt strongly about was that there were Jews feeling ashamed for being Jewish, so I reacted and talked about it.

“Then three years ago I was asked to write an essay book and because I had a lot of energy devoted to talk about antisemitism, in particular coming from quarters you would not expect it and not just the far right, such as the Corbyn Labour party. But it has much deeper roots and a much wider malaise on why the Jews are left out when talking about racism,” he says.

But the former TV funnyman insists his Tunbridge Wells show will not be without humour.

“While antisemitism is a serious subject, that does not mean it cannot be funny,” he adds.

While he is in Tunbridge Wells to visit the festival it is not a town that is unfamiliar to the comedian turned author.

Gigged “I am pretty sure I have gigged here at the Assembly Hall, but I also used to live not too far in Sittingbourne,” he says. “We had a house there and we would always come to Tunbridge Wells as it was the posher part of Kent – well posher than Sittingbourne anyway – and I’ve always thought it a really nice place.

“So I am very pro-Kent even though I do not have a house here anymore, but I am looking forward to coming back. I like to think of myself as an honorary Kentish Man. “I am looking to seeing the legendary Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells who I do hope come to my show.”

You can see David Baddiel at the Assembly Hall on Friday, April 29 at 8pm.

J

O BRAND is a British comedian who came to prominence as part of the 1980s alternative comedy scene, where she became big enough to write and headline her own shows, as well as gaining a following as a writer, publishing half a dozen books.

The comedian is also a former Tunbridge Wells schoolgirl and is looking forward to returning to the town she says she is ‘very fond’ of to discuss her book ‘Born Lippy: How to Do Female’. But as she tells the Times, this is not a last word, and not even an authoritative word...

Brainstorm “I can’t speak from an academic point of view. It’s personal stuff, in terms of my experiences as a woman, I can only speak from my own perspective.

“There was a loose kind of structure when starting off and a brainstorm of issues I wanted to cover – the difference between me when I was a teenager and the different issues teenagers have these days.”

Ultimately, she said, ‘it’s not meant to be an intellectual tour de force. My purpose is to make people laugh.’

Her book tackles some dark themes, such as dysfunctional families, and physical and mental abuse.

“I don’t see why you can’t put those sorts of things in comedy. Most of my stuff contains something dark. Recently, there’s been an awful lot of very personal comedy, and the very difficult times people have been through,” she explains.

In the past, comedians’ material was not so personal, to the point that it was not even owned, ‘which is why jokes were passed around,’ she suggested, admitting her material

was not universal.

“I am very aware that there is a real

‘I really liked it at TWGGS. I had to travel a very long way but I had very good friends there. I was very fond of it’ continuum of different types of comedy and I’m an acquired taste,” she said. “But literary festivals are very different from comedy. It’s highly unlikely people will be heckling.”

Although Jo adds that a crowd at a literary festival in Frome, Somerset, had been drinking, which she described as ‘interesting’.

Memories “There was a holdup. People had been queuing for some time, and the queue was going past the bar. Their behaviour was interesting.

“Someone even sat in my lap – he walked right around the (book-signing) table,” she says, adding. “At least they didn’t hit me.”

Jo was a natural headliner for the Tunbridge Wells Literary Festival, having spent formative and happy years at Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar School (TWGGS), and she retains fond memories of the place itself.

Asked whether the organisers had to go begging to her agents or throw loads of money and flattery at her, she said: “Neither! I like Tunbridge Wells a lot and I agreed.

“I really liked it at TWGGS. I had to travel a very long way (to school) but I had very good friends there. I was very fond of it.”

You can see Jo Brand at the Assembly Hall on Saturday, April 30 at 8pm.

s t or p p u S

JAZZ les

i t n a P ON THE

in association with

Participating restaurants The T. Wells Hotel The Kirthon Indian The Casa Vecchia

01892 530501 07592 271151 01892 544700

An All Seated Event No Seat • No Service Entrance £5pp Reservations Essential Do Not Just Turn Up

5th May - Pollito Boogaloo latino 12th May - Paul Malson Trio 19th May - Trudy Kerr Quartet 26 May - Neil Richardson Trio

s t r a t S 7pm

Arts

24

Wednesday April 27 | 2022

arts

Celebrating the life and work of a muchloved father and talented local wordsmith Local writer and Friends of the Earth volunteer Steve Walter (right) tells the Times about Echoes of Orion, a book of collected poems by his late father, pictured below, on the tenth anniversary of his death. He also reveals all about a new local Friends of the Earth exhibition...

O

UR DAD Ted died on my birthday (April 14), ten years ago. I consider it a blessing that he chose the day, waiting for my American stepdaughter to arrive at the hospital, before he left this world.

He was a poet, and my brother and I have brought together a collection of his published poems in his memory: Echoes of Orion.

We used to visit Tunbridge Wells, from where we lived in Chelsfield, as children.

Ted ran a creative writing group in the town, and there are still many here that knew him.

Photograph: Ellen Montelius

“This book is a celebration.

It’s for all those poems our father wrote during our lifetimes, on holidays, in his study….”

We still miss our dad very much. Not just the immediate family, but those who were in his wider creative family too. And yet, at the same time the book my brother and I have put together is a celebration. It’s for

Y A M 22 TH 9 20

ÉRPEV A EN YTITRAHC AEPRSÉS CHARTITNYEV

£5225£

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IN AID O F CLAPA Cleft lip & palate associa brought tion, to you b y Markers tudy Gro up

Email to make a reservation, ram liamE ekmarketing@onewarwickpark.co.uk t i n g @ o n e w a r w i ro visit www.steaktunbridgewells.co.uk/whats-on/ isiv or nutkaets.www t n esaelP r-non et A .elbadnufe

t eto tah £ lluf eht in Please note that advance and non-refundable. A team member will be in contact before the event to take pre-orders and payment. All proceeds go to charity. p si 5is2payable ya£25 elbafull i the dna ecnavda n

Arts

Wednesday April 27 | 2022

all those poems he wrote during our lifetimes, which some of us witnessed as he put pen to paper on holidays, in his study, in class, or even in a quiet spell at work.

We held the launch of Echoes of Orion last weekend (on Saturday April 23) and were delighted that established and inspiring poet, Roger Garfitt, was kind enough to write a foreword for the collection.

Here’s a quote from it: “The Welsh have a term, the gwerin, literally ‘the folk’, that they use particularly for those who keep the culture alive through thick and thin. Ted Walter may well have known this term because in one of his first poems he celebrates the slate miners who ‘cabanned’ in their meetinghouse: ‘... talked philosophy and quoted poets here, by candlelight, each group of quarrymen at rest.’

Remarkable Ted grew up on a council estate in Swanley, Kent, with lots of books of philosophy on his father’s shelf. Among them was Huxley’s Lectures & Lay Sermons, whose geological perspective became central to our father’s poetry. He balanced that perspective with a deep religious belief and some of his poems in a church setting have a freshness that is quite remarkable.

The two visions of the world, the scientific and the religious, come together in one of his finest poems, ‘Gaia’, which begins with the hill holding its breath on a morning of frost and snow as though astonished by its own splendour and ends with the following: ‘So pure a bride deserves such tenderness. With the sun’s light touch fine snow dissolves. Hedgerows gleam and into waiting silence falls the whisper of her first undressing.’

‘Shoreham’ catches the essence of his parents’ marriage in a lovely short lyric while ‘Swanley’ recreates ‘Council house gardens, / each a small-holding, neighbours prodigal with plants,’ a sense of community he carried right through to ‘Wednesday Butterfly’, an astonishing poem that

25

NEW FRIENDS OF THE EARTH EXHIBITION AT TRINITY THEATRE

“The idea of this new exhibition is to celebrate artistic expression for the beauty and fragility of the earth...”

conjures up a neighbour’s caring presence during the Blitz on hearing of his death decades later.

Ted’s father died in a motorcycle accident in 1949 and six years later in 1955 Ted joined the Metropolitan Police, having been in Korea and Japan towards the end of the Korean war. He was famously a ‘Policeman Poet’ and appeared on Nationwide television in uniform, in 1976, being questioned by Sue Lawley as to what he was first: a policeman or a poet.

Creative In 1977 he started tutoring an adult education class for the WEA in Writing for Pleasure, in Sevenoaks and then had a creative writing class in Tunbridge Wells. He also became a prolific poet in schools.

In 2006, following treatment at St Thomas’ Hospital, he produced the pamphlet collection, Promptings of Saint Thomas, to raise funds for the hospital’s Cancer Care Unit. The poems were as he said all written during “those interesting seven weeks” of treatment.

Ted was married to Hazel, his artist wife, had two sons, three grandsons and an American step-granddaughter. And now great grandsons too.

If you would like a copy of Echoes of Orion, (£14.99) please email Steve Walter: steve@ makingconnectionsmatter.org

Steve Walter is also a volunteer of the Friends of the Earth Tunbridge Wells branch. Here he talks about the forthcoming show #TunWellsFOEArt at Trinity which will feature poems, paintings and writings in support of the planet and in response to the urgency of climate change: “We’re drawing together a variety of artworks from local people who have created many photographs, paintings, drawings, sculpture and poems. Most have been submitted over the last year or so, to mark the climate and ecological emergency and to also celebrate all that is nature.

The exhibition contains works from artists of all ages; entry is open to anyone and is not

limited to being a member of Friends of the Earth. Everyone is welcome to atttend.

“The works of art are in support of planet Earth and in response to the urgency of climate change. This concern, this care for the planet, is real and profound…the idea of the exhibition is to acknowledge and celebrate artistic expression for the beauty and fragility of the earth and the vulnerability of life in the face of ecocide and climate change.”

The #TunWellsFOEArt exhibition runs from Saturday April 30 until Thursday May 12. There will be a private viewing, by invitation, on Friday April 29. If interested RSVP to tunwellsfoe@gmail.com Some of the works of art can be viewed at www.tunwellsfoe.co.uk/tunwellsfoeart

26

Going out

Wednesday April 27 | 2022

MR FIX IT One of the Repair Cafe’s technicians

Victoria Roberts looks at some of the local events and activities set to entertain you soon…

Makers and menders at Trinity

L

OCAL loyalty scheme the TN Card has gathered some two dozen producers, for an evening of local independent shopping for unusual gifts, crafts and food, whether you’re buying for yourself or for someone you’re seeing this Bank Holiday.

Gifts range from jewellery to homewares to eco gifts, as well as food and drink, and the Trinity bar will be open.

“We’ve had a growing number of crafters in the directory so we’re hoping it is the first of many events where we can bring everyone together for a fun, social evening that supports local too,” said TN Card founder, Jess Gibson.

However, if you already have the unique object you want, but it is in need of renewal, the Tunbridge Wells Repair Café (TWRC) is open for you this Saturday [April 30].

TWRC’s policy is that owners must go along to the repair stations while their things are being mended, a guideline which can make some

people into menders themselves.

“It encourages people to have a go,” organiser Chris Murphy told the Times.

“We take some of the mystique away and they say, ‘Oh, is that it?’”

Meanwhile, he said, a woman who realised she could repair her own table had admitted to them: “I threw the matching chair away last year. I’m so annoyed with myself!”

Even non-skilled volunteers are welcome at the repair café to man the front desk and exit desk, or serve as ‘runners’ with requests and repair tickets.

Upcycling a noble old metaphor, Chris joked: “They really glue it together.”

Makers’ Market at Trinity, April 28, 7:30-9:30pm.

Free entry for TN Card and Trinity members, plus 10% off purchases with TN Card. Entry £5 for non-members.

The Repair Café at Trinity Theatre, Saturday, April 30, 10am-1pm. Last repair accepted at 12.30.

Tickets from Eventbrite for the three concerts on Saturday, April 23, at midday, 2:30pm & 4:30pm.

BALLET Central visits The E.M. Forster Theatre (Tonbridge) on its four-month tour, featuring original pieces choreographed for its up-and-coming dancers. See the Times’ interview last week with student dancer Eleanor Lewis, of Crowborough.

More dancing feet take to The E.M. Forster Theatre stage with the Firefly Dance School’s ‘Dance to the Beat’ SARFRAZ MANZOOR celebration of the school’s tenth birthday, featuring dancers between three and 18 years old. Proceeds to the Little Hearts Matter charity for single ventricle heart condition.

Trinity Theatre presents a recording of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of ‘A Winter’s Tale’, transposed into the mid-twentieth century.

Tuesday, May 3 at 7pm.

Molière’s ‘Tartuffe’ or ‘The Hypocrite’ has only been performed uncensored once before, at ELEANOR LEWIS

its première in 1664, before it was censored by King Louis XIV. Performed in French, with English subtitles, it also features a brief moment of male nudity. Trinity Theatre at Wednesday, April 27 at 7:30pm.

‘Blinded by the Light’, based on the memoir by journalist Sarfraz Manzoor, is onscreen at Trinity Theatre at 5:30pm. This is followed by a live Q&A with Sarfraz about his book ‘They’, at 7:45pm.

THE warm voice of Decca Records-signed Marie White fills The Grey Lady this Friday [April 29], joining the Paul Dunton Orchestra. Tickets from Eventbrite.

‘Punkulele’ band Bears in Trees appears at The Forum on Friday, April 29 at 7:30pm, supported by Beetlebug. Age 16 and older unless accompanied by an adult.

Folk rock and folk punk band Oysterband hits the stage in Cranbrook as part of their new MARIE WHITE album tour. Its ‘Read the Sky’ touring schedule started on April 22, and will take the band as far as Germany later in the year. The Queens Hall Theatre, Cranbrook, Saturday, April 30. Doors at 7pm. Tickets from WeGotTickets.com Indie band Spinn whirls through The Forum for one night, as part of its delayed ‘Out of the Blue’ tour. Guest acts are Spilt Milk, from Gateshead, and Kent’s A Year In Provence, with a new fifth band member. Saturday, April 30 at 7:30pm.

Country music singer and musician Anna Howie plays the The Grey Lady, playing with Kent-based American musician Shep! & Co. Sunday, May 1 at 7pm.

The Royal Tunbridge Wells Symphony Orchestra presents ‘Sounds of the ‘70s’ at The Assembly Hall on Sunday, May 1 at 7:30pm.

Original rock’n’rollers Marty Wilde, Eden Kane, Mark Wynter and Nancy Ann Lee get into the mid-century swing with ‘Dreamboats & Petticoats’ at The Assembly Hall on Tuesday, May 3 at 7:30pm.

OYSTERBAND

THE Spa Valley Railway is running over the Bank Holiday weekend, with departures from Tunbridge Wells West (Saturday, April 30 - Monday May 2). Tickets from spavalleyrailway.co.uk Now open after the Easter holiday, Crowborough Miniature Railway in the grounds of the Crowborough Leisure Centre opens every Saturday at 2-5pm. Tickets £1 per ride or £4 for multiple rides.

One- to four-year olds can enjoy Story Time with Out of the Bag Theatre at Trinity Theatre, on Fridays for the rest of term. Stories and interactive songs at 9:30-10:15, Fridays until July 8 (except half term).

CROWBOROUGH MINIATURE RAILWAY

Pre-schoolers and their grown-ups can enjoy creative play at Into the Space, another Trinity Theatre collaboration. Morning sessions (11-11:50am) at Showfields Library and afternoon sessions (1:30-2:20pm) at St Philip’s Church. Fridays until July 8 (except half term).

Keen conservationists are wanted to join the Kent High Weald Partnership at Sherwood Lake (TN2 Community Centre), to help make the ‘barley sausages’ which are the lake’s anti-algae treatments for the summer. Thursday, April 28 at 10am-3pm. The free event includes hot drink and biscuits at morning break and lunchtime (lunch not provided). Age 16 and over do not require adult supervision. Under-16s if accompanied by an adult guardian.

Under 18s are invited to hit the stage of The Forum for the latest Open Mic event this Thursday [April 28] at 5pm. Tickets £3 for under-18s (including a juice drink) and £5 for adults.

Mayfield Festival of Music and the Arts

23 APRIL - 8 MAY 2022

MAGNIFICENT MUSIC in a Beautiful Sussex Village - PLUS -

THEATRE • FILM • ART

PROGRAMME OF EVENTS DATE

EVENT

PERFORMING ARTIST(S)

Sat 23 April - Sun 8 May

Art Exhibition

Tom Hammick

Sat 23 April

A Shakespeare Sonnet Saunter

Wateryard Group

Sun 24 April

Festival Eucharist

St. Dunstan's Parish Church Choir

Sun 24 April

Choral and Orchestral Concert (feat. The Cantata of St. Dunstan)

Mayfield Festival Choir, Chelsea Camerata, Schola Cantorum of Mayfield School et al

Mon 25 April

Mozart, Schubert and Grainger

Primavera Chamber Ensemble

Tue 26 April

A Tribute to Jacques Loussier

Dominic Alldis Trio

Wed 27 - Fri 29 April

Tunbridge Wells International Music Competition Round 1

Various competitors

Wed 27 April

Leveret Folk

Leveret

Fri 29 April

Brahms and Schumann

Sam Haywood and Guy Johnston

Sat 30 April

Tunbridge Wells International Music Competition Semi-Finals

Various competitors

Sat 30 April

Joe Stilgoe

Joe Stilgoe

Sun 1 May

May Carols from the Parvis Tower

St. Dunstan's Parish Church Choir

Sun 1 May

Tunbridge Wells International Music Competition Finals

Various competitors

Mon 2 May

English Choral Masterpieces (feat. Tallis’ Spem in Alium)

Oxford Camerata and Mayfield Consort

Tue 3 May

Mrs Churchill - My Life With Winston

Liz Grand

Tue 3 May

Oz & Armonico Drink Again

Oz Clarke and Armonico Consort

Wed 4 May

Sound of Music sing-a-long

Mayfield Youth Band and Mayzing Community Choir

Thu 5 May

Mayfield School Lunchtime Concert

Music and Choral Scholars of Mayfield School

Thu 5 May

Choral Evensong - Music by Living Composers

Mayfield Consort

Thu 5 May

Russian Soul - The Story of Rachmaninov in Song

Ilona Domnich, Sholto Kynoch, Michael White

Fri 6 May

Metropolis - Film in Concert

Darius Battiwalla

Sat 7 May

Mayfair

Mayfield Band, Ashdown Forest Morris Men et al

Sat 7 May

Piano Recital

Joanna MacGregor

Sun 8 May

Vaughan Williams Orchestral Concert

Southbank Sinfonia

FOR FULL DETAILS OF ALL EVENTS AND INFORMATION ON HOW TO BUY TICKETS GO ONLINE AT MAYFIELDFESTIVAL.CO.UK Mayfield-Festival-2022_340x264-Ad_0322.indd 1

21/03/2022 15:17:30

28

Food & Drink

Wednesday April 27 | 2022

food & drink

Asparagus is top of the crops The asparagus season officially started on April 23. Eileen Leahy caught up with local farmer Stephen Barnes of Birchden in Groombridge to discover why it’s such a special crop - and also reveals some of the best ways to enjoy it...

I

n season for approximately eight weeks, asparagus heralds the start of the English summer vegetable season and it certainly enjoys its fair share of the culinary spotlight thanks to its great taste and versatility.

Dubbed the ‘Usain Bolt’ of the vegetable world, spears can grow up to 10 cm in one day. As such the plants need a lot of energy and can’t keep going for any great length of time.

The asparagus season usually begins on St George’s Day, April 23, but this year, according to local farmer Stephen Barnes of Birchden Farm, it has been a little mixed.

“Our early site started just before the Easter weekend which was much appreciated, but our later site is yet to start. The mild spell in March got everyone excited about an early season, but I think the lack of rain in recent weeks has brought the season back to a more normal time.”

Stephen, who has been running his farm which is situated on Broadwater Forest Lane, Groombridge for nearly 30 years, says that whatever the weather they always stop cutting spears on June 21.

“The season comes to an end on Midsummers’ day and then we leave the roots in the ground until around September, October time to rest and grow into ferns. This allows the leaves to capture and soak up sunlight, boosting the photosynthesis process and putting sugar

ESTABLISHED

garden produce farmers, says he is a purist.

“My preferred way of eating it is as natural as possible. Lightly steamed with butter and sprinkled with salt it is absolutely delicious.”

But whether you simply steam, dip it into a soft boiled egg, add it to rice dishes, griddle and scatter it with shavings of mature parmesan or snip its sheers into salads, it always tastes absolutely divine...

SEASONAL SPLENDOUR: Recipes and pictures courtesy of www.britishasparagus.com

back into the roots.”

Due to its slower, cooler growing climate Stephen says that native British asparagus has a more intense, earthy taste to that of its foreign rivals.

Birchden’s asparagus is available for sale seven days a week from the farm, open

‘Dubbed the ‘Usain Bolt’ of the vegetable world, asparagus spears can grow up to 10 cm in one day’ from 9am to 6pm Monday to Saturday and 9am to 4pm on Sundays.

The farm, which supplies to local foodie

pubs within a 5-mile radius of Groombridge and also a couple of restaurants in town, has 30 acres and produces 30 to 40 tonnes of asparagus a year.

Stephen, who also now grows pumpkins, says that he enjoys the ‘buzz’ around harvest time.

“It’s a time of year when spring is bursting out new life and colours in the countryside. It is a great time to be working outside. But the best bit is the buzz and excitement of a busy harvest and the joy we bring to our customers when they venture in to buy their first spears of the new season.”

Asparagus is the first real vegetable of the new season and tastes great however you choose to cook it. On that note, Stephen, who comes from generations of market

• Asparagus is very climate dependent - the soil temperature must be at least 10ºc before it grows • It’s only in season for 8 weeks (23 April: St George’s Day – June 21st June: Midsummer’s Day) • The proper way to eat it is with your fingers according to etiquette guide Debrett’s – even the Queen eats it this way • It is part of the lily family and was called “sparrow grass” in the 17th Century • It can help to cure hangovers, protects the liver against toxins and improves digestion • Asparagus is known around the world as the “Queen of Vegetables” and during the British season we eat an average of 4.6 million spears a day

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Food & Drink

Wednesday April 27 | 2022

BRITISH ASPARAGUS AND PEA SPRING MINESTRONE SOUP WITH FRESH HERBS Serves: 4 Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 20 minutes

mint, chives and parsley 100ml double cream A squeeze of lemon Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

INGREDIENTS 30g butter 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 medium-sized fennel bulb trimmed and thinly sliced 3 small carrots trimmed, peeled and cut into rounds 6 spring onions trimmed and cut into 3 150ml dry white wine 500ml good vegetable stock 250g British asparagus tips 150g fresh peas (podded weight) or frozen petit pois 5 tbsp finely chopped mixed herbs to include

DIRECTIONS: Melt the oil and butter in a large pan. Add the fennel and carrots and stir over a gentle heat for about 5-6 minutes being careful not to burn.

Add the spring onion and cook until softened.

Pour in the white wine and reduce by half.

Add the vegetable stock and cook for a further 5 minutes on a low to moderate heat.

Add the asparagus and peas and cook for a further 5 minutes until tender.

Stir in the herbs and cream and season well with a squeeze of lemon juice, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

29

ROAST BRITISH ASPARAGUS WITH SMOKED PAPRIKA AND THYME BUTTER Simply roasted British asparagus spears topped with a butter whipped up in moments.

Great for sharing…

Serves: 4 Preparation time: 5 minutes Cooking time: 7-8 minutes You’ll need: 100g butter, softened to room temperature 1 tbsp thyme leaves 1 tsp smoked paprika salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 bunches of British asparagus, trimmed

SHOP SMALL

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INSTRUCTIONS: Add the butter to a bowl and use a fork mash until smooth. Stir through the thyme leaves and paprika and season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper.

Trim the asparagus and spread out in a roasting tin. Drizzle lightly with olive and season with salt and pepper. Roast in a hot oven (180°C fan) for about 7-8 minutes until just tender.

When cooked immediately remove from the oven and place onto a serving dish. Top with the spiced butter which will melt over the cooked asparagus.

30

Food & drink

Wednesday April 27 | 2022

Perfect sipping for spring This week Times Drinks Editor James Viner says hello to spring with four snappy, bright and breezy wines, including a rocking Spanish rosé to sip with friends in your garden WITH THE new season’s welcome balmier, sunnier days and lighter evenings, it’s time to shift the mood and find refreshing, convivial wines for get-togethers.

It’s time to explore the many world-class wines on our doorsteps here in Kent. And if you want to taste and find out more about superb local wines then be sure to buy a ticket (£25 on Eventbrite) for the Wine Garden of England’s must-visit Summer Festival at iconic Squerryes Court in Westerham on May 29. Hurry though as tickets are selling out fast. Cheers to spring!

2

1. Fall in love with this charming bargain, unusual Chilean red from Aldi 2018 Valle Hermoso Reserva Chilean País, Maule Valley, Chile (£6.99, Aldi, 13%) Dark-skinned País is identical to the Criolla Chica of Argentina and the Mission grape of California and Mexico. It’s Chile’s most historic red grape (although not the most widely planted since Cabernet Sauvignon is still king), brought to the country by the Spanish conquistadores, and now being rediscovered. This silky, medium-bodied, vegan-approved, dry-farmed rendition will undoubtedly appeal to fans of Pinot Noir and gets my spring thumbs-up. Fab País (with

10% Carignan) for drinking now, all ripe, mellifluous red fruits, light herbs, spice and silky, amenably-layered tannins. Nicely developed and entering its peak, with some balsamic and minty touches, this drinks like an exotic delight. Lightly chill it and serve with both poultry and fish. Such a great find at last month’s Aldi tasting at The Tate. Even more of a bargain now it’s been reduced by a pound. Bravo Aldi.

2. Must-try pale pink rose to sip with friends at your first BBQ of the year.

2021 Ramón Bilbao Rioja Rosado, Spain (£8, Tesco, 12.5%) From crisp and fruity rosés to aromatic reds, there’s a decent selection for everyone’s taste, budget and occasion at Tesco this spring.

Scoop up this gluggable, crowdpleasing, pale Provençal-style Garnacha-dominant pink Rioja. Think honeydew melon, roses, grapefruit, blood orange and peach. Whilst not a heavy hitter, this delicate, juicy and fragrant Spanish rosé relies instead on its class through the gentle art of persuasion. Terrific drinkability. The tiptop grapes were sourced from high-altitude vineyard plots in the DO’s southwestern Alto Najerilla subregion. It’s properly dry and moreish with a dollop of white Viura.

Grilled fish/vegetables, niçoise salad,

light seafood, sushi, risotto primavera – bring it all on. It’s also the perfect bottle for the first barbie of the year. Salud to spring!

3. A brisk, fragrant Kentish alternative to Sauvignon Blanc 2020 Chapel Down Bacchus, Kent, England (£13.95, The Wine Society; 20% off, down to £12.79 until May 17, Waitrose; 12.5%) Chapel Down is a local success story. Named after the Roman god of wine and revelry, Bacchus is a highly aromatic, early-ripening, German-bred cross, and the country’s fourth most widely-planed grape variety (after Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and voguish Pinot Meunier).

Cooking steamed or boiled green asparagus with lemon or butter, prawn and asparagus tagliatelle, an asparagus and goat’s cheese tart, fresh trout or seeking a match for oysters? Look no further. England meets Sancerre in this clean-tasting, grassy, zingy liquid excellence, which has scents of grapefruit, hedgerow, elderflower, and nettles. Its cool climate refinement finishes long and lively. Difficult to imagine it will ever be more enjoyable than it is now. A real success. Seek it out again this spring.

Hush Heath Estate produces seamless, crowdpleasing, orchard-fruit flecked, floral and citrus-scented traditional method sparkling wines under the Balfour label. This one is made mainly of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, topped up with a soupçon of (very modish) Pinot Meunier.

It’s an appetisingly accessible and charming sparkler with fresh pear fruit, baked apple pie, hedgerow and toasty pizzazz. One for a decadent brunch plate of asparagus and eggs topped with Hollandaise – and equally heavenly with fish and chips, I might add. It has a copious bead and delectableness stamped all over it. Certain to perk up jaded palates and delight with seasonal asparagus too. Mouth-wateringly delish, this is a fine example of classic method local English sparkling wine and a standstill bargain to boot. I adore it for a treat. Discover more of Balfour’s wines at the Wine Garden of England’s Summer Festival on May 29.

Follow James on Twitter @QuixoticWine

4. Asparagus brunch anyone? Try this superb bargain ‘Wine garden of England’ bubbly Balfour Hush Heath Estate, 1503 Foxwood Classic Cuvée Brut NV, Kent, England (£17.50£19.99, Co-op & Majestic, 12%) Based in nearby Staplehurst, family-owned

SIP AND SAVOUR AT THE WINE GARDEN OF ENGLAND FESTIVAL The first Wine Garden of England Festival takes place in the historic gardens of Squerryes Court on May 29. Visitors can sample 21 of the finest still and sparkling wines from some of Kent's top wineries, listen to chilled out live music and brush up on their local wine knowledge by booking into one of the many workshops.

Find out more and buy tickets at: winegardenofengland.co.uk/festival

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32

Property

Wednesday April 27 | 2022

property news

New-build homes sell a month quicker than existing properties

COMMUNICATION LIES AT THE HEART OF SUCCESSFUL SALES PROGRESSION

A NEWLY built home will sell up to 28 days earlier than existing properties, new research has found.

The research looked at the average time to sell, breaking it down from first listing to sold subject to contract and then how long it also takes to reach completion.

The research by new-build sales platform, Unlatch, also shows that the sector is providing many buyers with a far quicker route to homeownership.

Unlatch found that it currently takes an average of just 49 days to reach completion on a new-build property, while the average existing home won’t complete until 81 days after being sold subject to contract.

Highlight The researchers sat because new-builds have no existing owners to complicate the purchase by, for example, changing their minds about the sale or allowing another buyer to gazump you by accepting a higher offer even after they’ve accepted yours.

Existing homes also take longer to buy because surveys often highlight issues with the property, such as damp or a damaged roof, which then require mending or negotiation to bring the price down.

While new-build homes do, of course, often come with snags, these can be addressed and fixed directly by the developer at no extra cost providing you are still within your warranty period. This period will generally run for two years for any

defects and up to ten for structural issues.

New home buying timelines are also much shorter because the new-build sector is making good use of cutting-edge technology to expedite the process.

While all areas of the property market have benefited from some degree of digital disruption, many archaic processes remain, particularly with regard to dealing with the final legalities of a sale.

However, many housebuilders and developers are now using tools and tech to maximise efficiency and reduce delays and this includes their relationship with the brokers and selling agents they work with to sell the homes.

This increased harmony between each stakeholder in the transaction process is seeing sales get over the line much quicker, ensuring the buyers aren’t left hanging around due to administrative aspects of a sale.

Lee Martin, Head of UK for Unlatch said: “Newbuild homes do carry a premium but this is often for good reason and they also offer a range of advantages from greater energy efficiency, to lower running and maintenance costs.

“What’s more, they also allow homebuyers to secure a foot on the ladder at a far greater pace and this speed and convenience is something that many value above and beyond a cost saving.

“With the new homes sector showing a far greater ability to adapt, evolve and utilise advancements in technology to benefit homebuyers, the gap in selling times versus the existing homes market is only likely to grow wider.”

Homes listings on the rise despite cost of living crisis THE number of homes being listed for sale has risen for the first time in a year as buying demand remains resilient despite the cost-of-living crisis, according to surveyors.

The latest RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) residential market survey said an increase in listings has helped drive a “modest” rise in sales last month.

RICS said the report showed a net balance of 8% of property professionals witnessed a rise in the volume of fresh listings coming onto the sales market.

Simon Rubinsohn, RICS chief economist, said: “It is encouraging that a little more stock appears to be returning to the market.

“This is still early days in that inventory remains not far off historic lows but if the trend continues, it could help to create a better balance between supply and demand.”

However, he said there is still a way to go until this become long-term enough to thwart price increases in the industry.

The new figures also showed a net balance of 9% of respondents reporting a rise in new buyer enquiries for the month.

Experts at the trade body said it was the first time

since the pandemic that supply of properties and demand from potential buyers had been so closely aligned.

Mr Rubinsohn added: “Despite mounting concerns about both the macro environment and the war in Ukraine, for now the feedback to the RICS survey shows the housing market remains resilient.

“Rising interest rates have begun to push up the cost of mortgage finance but debt servicing remains low in a historic context which helps to explain why the new buyer enquiries indicator remains in positive territory.”

In March, a balance of 74% of respondents saw a rise in house prices, almost identical to the average seen over the past 12 months, according to RICS.

This week Deborah Richards, founder of Maddisons Residential, shares how carefully managed sales progression from Estate Agents can minimise the number of sales collapsing before exchange of contracts.

One of the hardest aspects of my job is to tell a seller that their buyer has pulled out. At best this is a financial inconvenience, whereby money has been lost in abortive solicitor fees, but at worse, it is the devastation of hopes and dreams as the onward purchase that the seller had hoped to buy is placed in jeopardy. For years there have been calls to improve the conveyancing system in England, maybe more in line with the Scottish system, where there is more certainty from a very early stage. This reform is needed more than ever now, as the percentage of offers not reaching exchange of contracts is reported to be a staggering 41%.

I absolutely believe that agents can play a vital role in reducing this terrible statistic. Firstly, the right deal should be put together at the very beginning. Agents should be their clients’ trusted advisor, giving information that allows a seller to make an informed decision on which buyer to pick. They should also fully vet that buyer, ensuring that they have the funds needed to proceed, and equally that any chain that underpins the sale is robust, intact, and motivated.

Secondly, many agents believe that once the offer is agreed, the transaction should pass to the solicitors, with no further intervention needed from the estate agent. I fundamentally disagree with this.

Agents sit at the centre of the deal, and unlike the solicitor, can liaise with both the buyer and the seller, making suggestions against what may seem like an impasse. It staggers me that a lack of communication is the number one reason why a deal collapses.

Ultimately, you have a transaction where a buyer wants to buy the property, and the seller wants to sell. Your agent simply must keep talking to find the way through.

Meet the expert: Deborah Richards is the founder and Managing Partner of Maddisons Residential, a leading, award-winning independent estate agent based in Tunbridge Wells, offering expert advice on all aspects of sales and lettings, combined with excellent customer service.

www.maddisonsresidential.co.uk 18 The Pantiles, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN2 5TN Telephone: 01892 514100 Email: info@maddisonsresidential.co.uk

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Antiques

Wednesday April 27 | 2022

The Italian Godfather of decor and design

antiques

This week, Alexander Pushkin talks about renowned designer Ettore Sottsass...

Alexander Pushkin

E

TTORE SOTTSASS was an iconic Italian designer and architect, better known as the godfather of Italian design.

Hereditary artisan, he created a great deal of furniture, objects of décor, lighting pieces and office machines, that combined striking bold design and high functionality.

Sottsass is one of the most important design figures of the 20th century.

Degree Son of a skilful architect, Ettore Sottsass followed his father’s steps and in 1939 graduated from the Polytechnic University of Turin with a degree in architecture and worked with his father until 1947, when he founded his own studio of architecture and industrial design in Milan.

Endlessly creative and eager to experiment, the talented artisan tried out

Ettore Sottsass

lots of techniques and styles and created various items from ceramics to photographs, from jewellery to pieces of furniture.

In 1956, he started working for George Nelson, renowned American industrial designer.

'Ettore Sottsass is a key figure in the history of contemporary architecture and industrial design' In the same year he was hired as a design consultant for Olivetti, Italian manufacturer, founded by Adriano Olivetti.

It was there that Sottsass made his name

as a designer and became world-famous after having come up with outstanding typewriter designs that have become icons of 20th century design.

He also collaborated with Venini, Knoll, Alessi, Johanna Grawunder and CIRVA.

Inspiration In constant search of inspiration and new fresh ideas, Ettore Sottsass not only travelled the world and cooperated with experienced artisans but was also willing to collaborate with young professionals such as Archizoom Associati and Superstudio. In 1980, he founded The Memphis Group (active until 1987), which promoted the ideas of the Radical

movement in design.

Working for Olivetti, Sottsass developed the first Italian mainframe computer, the Elea 9003, which brought him the Compasso d’Oro, prestigious Italian industrial design award in 1959.

Among Sottsass’s other notable works of design are the Superbox cabinet and Ultrafragola mirror, created for Poltronova, Malabar bookcase and Tahiti lamp, designed during the Memphis period and the iconic 'Miss don’t you like caviar' chair. Nowadays stunning and extraordinary pieces

by Sottsass are part of the collections of the world’s biggest museums, including MOMA, the Design Museum in London, Musée National d'Art Moderne in Paris and the Vitra Design Museum.

Along with such iconic designers and artisans as Piero Fornasetti, Harvey Guzzini and Tommaso Barbi Ettore Sottsass is a key figure in the history of contemporary architecture and industrial design.

A vast body of work, created by the prominent masters, has forever changed public attitude to the concepts of beauty, functionality and compatibility in terms of interior design and décor.

Antiques

Wednesday April 27 | 2022

35

Hidden gems found in local homes Auctioneer Joseph Trinder discusses some of the items that have gone under the hammer...

I

HAVE written on chance discoveries in recent articles - one of the most exciting, unpredictable, and rewarding elements of the auctioneer & valuers’ role – the notion of never knowing what will be found each time you are welcomed into a client’s home for a valuation visit.

Yet sometimes, circumstances deliver exciting finds in even less likely places. Now – a disclaimer - as I cannot claim the following took place in Tunbridge Wells, or event Kent or Sussex – but it does wonderfully illustrate the opportunities which can be brought about by simply engaging in conversation with one’s fellow man (something which can be lacking in today’s age of emails and instant messages) the story ending with an opportunity to own a truly beautiful work of art being sold at Gorringe’s.

of Park’s work, this view in oil on canvas was painted for our vendor’s grandfather in the early 1930’s, himself a Cornishman and acquaintance of Park’s, who commissioned several works by the artist.

It is not believed to have ever been offered for sale or previously.

In my research of the artist to date, I stumbled across a quote given by Sven Berlin, an artist

Special During a recent visit to my ancestral home of Cirencester, Gloucestershire, I called into the Parish church.

If anyone reading knows the Cotswold town, its church is one of the largest of its kind in the country, dating back in part to the 12th century, it is a rather special place.

Whether prompted indeed by providence or just friendly curiosity, I was approached by a lovely couple, spending their Sunday afternoon volunteering as stewards in the Church.

We got talking and they enquired as to my vocation. We stayed in touch and serval emails later, I visited them again during my next trip home to collect this rather beautiful view of St. Ives harbour by the Cornish artist, John Anthony Park (1880-1962). A quintessential (and in my opinion rather exemplary) example

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contemporary to Park, 'He painted like an angel – simply cathedrals of light'*– a summary which I share and felt particularly apt given the story of how this piece found its way to sale at Gorringe’s. (*referenced from the Borlase Smart John Wells Trust website) Typically impressionistic in style, the painting is alive with colour, warmth and light, which cannot fairly be communicated through a

Joseph Trinder

' We have estimated this piece at £8,000 - £12,000 – with hopes it may well go further' photograph – a piece which so aptly represents the talent of the British painter and homage to this very special location which has been the muse of artists for generations.

At 60 x 70cm approx. (excluding the frame) it is a larger example of Park’s work.

We have estimated this piece at £8,000 £12,000 – with hopes it may well go further. It just goes to show what happens in life when you take time to speak to those around you and an experience I shall always think of fondly.

If you would like to discuss any pieces, whether art or antiques which you might like further guidance on, I would be delighted to hear from you – get in touch today.

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Antiques

Wednesday April 27 | 2022

Raising a glass to the British love of beers Eric Knowles talks about the various receptacles that have been used to for beer drinking....

H

much any ailment you care to mention in both humans and domestic animals, so sliding out for a swift pint or two with the intention of saving a bit in case you’re required to minister aid to an ailing cow or sheep on the way home would seem to be entirely reasonable.

Equally, beer was often used in a domestic environment, as a constituent of furniture polish, blacking for kitchen ranges and shoes, a detergent for fine materials made of silk or

ELLO everyone. Splendidly, we are in the midst of a run from Easter via the Spring Bank Holiday to the Platinum Jubilee which seems to demand numerous days off work.

These, of course, offer ample opportunity to visit your local hostelry to sample their wares, but I am aware that simply ‘nipping out for a beer’ may be viewed as a poor excuse to sally forth.

What’s needed are some more considered reasons to pursue this line of endeavour and fortunately history shall be our guide. The British love for ales and beers has been nurtured over centuries, woven in to the fabric of society - and not simply because of a boorish predilection for consuming them by the bucketful.

Its uses over time are manifold. In Shakespeare’s dramatized prelude to Agincourt in Henry V, French noblemen lament that their soldiers are ‘spirited by wine’ and ‘frosty’ while their adversaries are fortified by ‘barley broth’ and will emerge victorious. However, it’s unlikely that a call to arms will be deemed an acceptable

Eric Knowles

and beer means that there are a great many antique glasses still extant which were designed purely for its consumption; we have a multitude of examples dating back to the early 18th century on sale down at The Corn Exchange or on line via our website, ScottishAntiques.com. reason to nip out for a couple of halves in this more enlightened day and age, so we must look for alternatives.

Provident

Restorative The medicinal and restorative qualities of beer at all stages of life’s cycle are often celebrated in English writing.

It’s cited as a calmative for mothers during childbirth, a mollifying tincture for bothersome babies and disruptive children, a common ‘last request’ for those about to be despatched by way of capital punishment and at all junctures in between. It is also listed as a constituent of medicinal preparations intended to cure pretty

cotton, cleaning fluid for flagstones, a burnish for horses’ hooves, a coating for fishing lines and an internal dressing for bee hives – its uses knew no bounds.

From our perspective, the commonality of ale

That said, it was a bottle rather than a glass which was integral to my most favourite instance of beer providing an unexpected service to mankind. It is noted that in 1613 a play at The Globe theatre required the use of a cannon for realism; this set light to the thatched roof of the theatre and “one man had his breeches set on fire that would perhaps of broiled him alive if he had not, by the benefit of a provident wit, put (his blazing trousers) out with bottle’d ale”. To be fair, you may not get away with a visit to the pub on the basis of minimising the likelihood of your trousers catching alight, but it’s worth a go, isn’t it ?

Finding unwanted objects for sale Nick Hall from Bentley's antiques talks about some of the interesting finds he has come across

naively carved little object (pictured), of around 12cm high, I was instantly captivated by it and had that gut feeling and intuition that it was rare and potentially valuable, I could see that it was tribal, probably Oceanic, but what specifically was it for and who made it?

'We believe it was for ceremonial use, an offering hook, to offer gifts to the gods'

Nick Hall

A

S A seasoned Auctioneer & Valuer I'm lucky enough to see, sell, and handle lots of beautiful objects on a daily basis, lots of which can be quite similar if not near identical to other examples I've handled over the years, but every now and then something comes along that i haven't seen before, and that is a joyous moment, not only because of the opportunity to add something new to your arsenal of experience and knowledge, but also because of the fascinating historical learning curve of discovery you embark on when researching it.

Objects One such situation is happening as I write. Just this month a client made contact with a view to consigning some now unwanted objects to our next auction, and as he was unpacking the items my eyes fell upon this intriguing and beautifully

Some further research has now led me further down the path of discovery, there is a near identical example in the University of Cambridge Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology (exhibit number 1955.247) that is described as Fijian, probably late 18th or early 19th century, carved by Tongan craftsmen resident in Fiji, carved from a whale's tooth, it was collected by Sir Arthur Gordon, 1876, he wrote, 'it was a powerful image representing the double wife of the chief god of the Nadi district (Viti Levu)'.

Another similar example is in the University of Aberdeen, gifted by Sir William MacGregor, Chief Medical Officer in Fiji, 1875-1888, a gift to him from Ro Matanitobua of Namosi, Viti Levu, that said that it was venerated by 7 generations of his family, and thought to be one of only 3 or 4 known to exist! We believe it was for ceremonial use, an offering hook, to offer gifts to the gods.

But what is it worth? well, that's not so easy to answer, as of yet I can find no other examples that have been auctioned or offered for sale, my gut feeling is that it could and should trigger an international bidding war, and could fetch many thousands of pounds, we'll find out for sure on sale day!

38

Motoring

Wednesday April 27 | 2022

Motoring News

This week…

The new Ferrari 296 GTS

n

New Ferrari 296 GTS track car with hybrid power and retractable roof FERRARI’S new 296 GTS has hit the road, bringing V6 hybrid power and a retractable hard top.

Sitting alongside the 296 GTB coupe, the GTS brings a convertible folding roof that takes 14 seconds to raise or lower at speeds of up to 28mph.

When in place, a clear window section allows a direct view of the V6 engine, while when the roof is retracted a height-adjustable section of glass helps to reduce wind buffeting at speed.

Despite the change to a convertible layout, the overall look and feel of the GTS is remarkably similar to that of the GTB, with even the roofline silhouette maintained.

Outputs That V6 engine is the same as you’ll find in the GTB too, with the 3.0-litre-twin-turbo unit developing 645bhp. It’s also linked to a 164bhp electric motor, with final outputs standing at 819bhp and 740Nm of torque.

Thanks to a 7.45kWh battery, the GTS will manage up to 22 miles of electric-only driving at speeds of up to 84mph. Ferrari also claims a 0-60mph time of 2.7 seconds and also a top

speed of 205mph.

Ferrari also offers the 296 GTS with the more aggressive Assetto Fiorano package.

Designed to focus on track driving, the setup adds Mutlimatic shock absorbers and add-ons for the front bumper that can contribute an extra 10kg of downforce.

Additional carbon fibre is used across the exterior of the car too, as well as throughout the interior. A special livery inspired by the 250 Le Mans is also available with this package.

Compartment Inside, the 296 GTS features a redesigned central tunnel. So while there’s an open-style area in the GTB, the GTS has a closable oddments compartment.

The cabin in general is focused around the driver, with a large display sitting behind the steering wheel. There’s also a small screen ahead of the passenger, which allows them to see key performance information or even change songs.

Ferrari has yet to announce any prices for the 296 GTS, but expect a premium over the 296 GTB’s £241,550 starting price.

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Wednesday November 10 | 2021

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