Times of Tunbridge Wells 5th October 2022

House prices go through the roof with a £36k hike

But Tunbridge Wells growth flatlines as uncertainty hits market

By Richard Williams

HOMEOWNERS in Tunbridge Wells made an average of £36,000 on their properties last year, although increases in house prices have now stopped, industry figures show.

According to one of the country’s biggest lenders, prices across Tunbridge Wells shot up by 8.3 per cent in September compared to 12 months earlier.

This means the average house in the town and wider borough is now fetching £36,163 more than it was this time last year.

By contrast, the average wage in Tunbridge Wells is just £35,500 per annum, meaning the average homeowner made more money from their house than from their salary last year.

Snapshot

The most recent snapshot of the housing market by the Nationwide building society shows that across the UK, house prices rose by 9.5 per cent in September compared to the same time last year.

But the mortgage lender says that house prices have now stopped growing month on month and a stronger slowdown is expected in the coming weeks as surging inflation and mortgage rates take their toll.

According to Nationwide. the average home in Tunbridge Wells now costs £435,709, which is up from £399,546 in September 2021.

But other vendors say average house prices are higher, with Rightmove saying the average home in Tunbridge Wells now sells for £499,208, while Zoopla says it is £518,385, which means the average house in the area could have increased by as much as £40,000 over the last 12 months.

Despite this massive year-on-year hike in average house prices, the property market has now stopped growing.

Property values recorded 0.0 per cent growth month-on-month in September compared to August, following a 0.7 per cent increase last month, the mortgage provider has said.

market pauses while it sorts itself out.”

Meanwhile, Tom Snowdon from Kings

Estates said: “Over the last two years, we have seen unprecedented house price growth in the town.”

But he added: “Everyone knew the rapid house price growth had to stop at some point and the catalyst for this was the energy price hike, which was reported over the summer.

“The government’s mini-budget a week ago and the subsequent interest rate increases by lenders, has made it more expensive for buyers to borrow money, so this has certainly had a dampening effect on buyers.”

Robert Gardner, Nationwide’s chief economist, said: “Prices were unchanged over the month from August, after taking account of seasonal effects. This is the first month not to record a sequential rise since July 2021.”

David Johnson, from KMJ Property confirmed that house prices haven’t grown in Tunbridge Wells in September but added: “Whenever there is political or financial uncertainty, the housing

Deborah Richards from Maddisons

Residential on The Pantiles added: “Overall I do feel price growth is slowing, due mainly to the rising mortgage interest rate environment which is affecting buyer’s affordability. However, it will be interesting to see whether this affects Tunbridge Wells, which due to its excellent transport links and schooling options, plus beautiful architecture and green spaces, can often sit in a bubble.”

‘The average homeowner made more money from their house than from their salary last year’

Councillor pushes to scrap ‘anachronism’ of yearly Tunbridge Wells election cycle

By Richard Williams

THE Council in Tunbridge Wells is to meet tonight for an extraordinary meeting to discuss scrapping the current electoral cycle in favour of single elections every four years.

Currently, Tunbridge Wells Borough Council (TWBC) elects its representatives yearly, three years out of four, with no elections held on the fourth year.

This process has meant the Local Government Boundary Commission (LGBC), which is currently reviewing the electoral and boundary practices of the borough, has proposed changes that will see councillors and wards reduced, with three elected representatives in each ward.

Proposals

The LGBC says this is due to ‘electoral fairness’ as it means currently that some wards with only one councillor only get to vote once every three years while other voters get to choose a representative every year for three years out of four.

It is also wants to reduce the number of councillors in Tunbridge Wells from 48 to 39 and the wards from 20 to 13.

The changes are due to take effect in 2024.

But the proposals by the LGBC have alarmed a number of councillors, especially in rural parishes, who have found that their wards will now been merged.

A motion has now been proposed to launch a consultation in order to scrap the current electoral cycle for a more common four-yearly cycle to prevent the ward boundaries from being merged.

It has been proposed by Benenden &

Cranbrook councillor and former leader of TWBC, Tom Dawlings (Conservative), who told the Times: “The current system is an anachronism.

We are one of the only councils in Kent and across the South East that still holds elections this way.”

CLLR TOM DAWLINGS

Changing the electoral system to just one ballot every four years will bring other advantages too.

“It will save not an unsubstantial sum of money – around £195,000 every four years,” said Cllr Dawlings.

this week…

BEST FOOT FORWARD Tunbridge Wells runners joined thousands raising money for good causes in the London Marathon P6

He said the changes being put forward by the LGBC are only due to the current electoral cycle and will see parishes such as Cranbrook, Sissinghurst & Frittenden merged together, Hawkhurst merged with Benenden & South Goudhurst, while Rusthall & Speldhurst will also be merged.

“Five of the rural wards will become three and there is concern that people elected to represent these wards will be too removed from their patch,” said Cllr Dawlings.

Representation

“This is only being done because of the voting system. I want us to move to all-out elections every four years, and that way we can maintain some of the one-member and two-member wards.”

He added that one- and two-member wards meant ‘better representation’ for voters.

“When you have three councillors representing a ward, one of them can get away with leaving all the work to the others, but in a one-person ward there is nowhere to hide,” he explained.

Fuller charged with further offences

“And it will mean that unlike the current electoral system, where you are electioneering all the time and pretty much looking towards the next election as soon as the previous one is over, you can come up with a four-year manifesto of what you want to achieve and put it to the people.”

He added that the Conservative party was ‘united’ in attempting to change the voting system, and that there was ‘some’ support from other parties too.

“I think those members that represent single-councillor wards will be in favour and several others. So I will be spending this week lobbying them to see if we can get this change made,” added Cllr Dawlings.

If the motion is approved by the extraordinary Full Council meeting planned for tonight (Wednesday, October 5) at 6.30pm, a consultation would take place with residents.

A vote of two-thirds majority at the Town Hall would then be needed to make any changes to the constitution, which would come into effect in 2024, when the Council is to have an ‘all out’ election due to the proposed boundary and councillor number changes by the LGBC.

Hosepipe ban is for ‘foreseeable future’

RECOGNITION FOR RESILIENCE

Local retailer named Best Womenswear Independent by Drapers for perseverence and growth P8

TAKE NOTE The Tunbridge Wells International Music Festival season opens this Friday bringing world-class chamber music performers to the local audience P24

GENERATIONAL GOAL Lucy Pope has become a first-time author at 91 with a children’s book P28

By Victoria Roberts

CONVICTED killer David Fuller has been charged with 16 further sexual offences following investigation, police said yesterday (Tuesday).

Now 68, Fuller received two whole life sentences on December 15, 2021, for the murders of Wendy Knell and Caroline Pierce in Tunbridge Wells in 1987.

Unsolved

The crimes had gone unsolved for more than 30 years and had been dubbed ‘the bedsit murders’ due the accomodation the two victims were living in at the time.

The former electrician also received concurrent sentences totalling 12 years for sexual offences

against 78 deceased female victims, committed in the mortuaries at Tunbridge Wells Hospital and at the former Kent and Sussex Hospital, between 2008 and 2020.

Evidence had related to a total of 101 victims in the mortuaries, and it is the remaining 23 victims which the new charges relate to.

Police said they had been able to formally identify 13 of the 23 victims.

All were female, and the offences took place between 2007 and 2020.

The charges issued yesterday (October 4) included 12 charges under the Sexual Offences

Act 2003 and a further four charges related to extreme pornography in connection with the victims.

Fuller will appear via video link before Medway Magistrates’ Court tomorrow (October 6).

A TEMPORARY hosepipe ban introduced across Kent and the wider area in August will remain in place for the ‘foreseeable future’, South East Water has said.

The ban, imposed on August 12, affects at least one million people.

The use of hosepipes to water gardens, clean cars and fill swimming pools is not allowed and can result in a fine of up to £1,000.

It was introduced during August when the region was officially declared to be in drought.

Rainfall

But despite recent heavy rainfall, there is no sign of the ban being lifted.

South East Water said while there has been ‘much welcome rain’, the south east of England received less than half of the average rainfall during August.

Lee Dance, Head of Water Resources at South East Water said: "Water levels in some of our reservoirs and underground aquifers are currently much lower than normal after the dry, hot, summer led to record-breaking high demand for water."

"We will continue to monitor rainfall through the autumn and winter and evaluate whether changes can be made."

Last week, Thames Water announced that a hosepipe ban affecting 10 million people across the south of England is expected to remain in place until next year.

Lincolnshire

CHARGED

David Fuller faces 16 further charges and [inset] Wendy Knell [top] and Caroline Pierce

Funnyman takes time out to visit Amelia (and do a little dog sitting)

By Lilly Croucher

COMIC Ricky Gervais charmed his way into the hearts of Tunbridge Wells residents as he posed for photos outside the Amelia last week.

The ‘After Life’ actor and writer returned to the town for two nights of his latest stand-up show at the Assembly Hall Theatre.

After his first performance on Tuesday September 27, Gervais was seen outside the cultural centre posing for pictures.

Sharing

Sharing the photo on their Twitter page, Tunbridge Wells Borough Council tweeted: “Thank you to the very kind @rickygervais star of last night and tonight’s show @ahttw who didn’t mind having his pic taken @theamelia_tw Earlier this morning (and he looked after a lady’s dog while she went in to pick up a form!)”

A known dog lover and animal rights activist, Gervais replied to the tweet with a picture of the pup, amounting over 1,000 likes.

Some fans even spotted Gervais themselves, with Twitter user @djgwharrison admitting he was starstruck by saying: “I was just stood next

COMEDIAN

Ricky Gervais outside the Amelia and [above] the dog he was asked to watch

to him at a crossing and I melted. He just smiled.” Gervais is currently testing new material at his ‘Work in Progress’ shows ahead of his upcoming Armageddon tour.

Both of the popular comic’s performances at the Assembly Hall last week were a hit with fans, which came as no surprise after tickets sold out in just 11 minutes when they went on sale last month.

Many gig-goers expressed their adoration for the comedian’s new material on Twitter.

One fan @ConnieIsabella exclaimed: “Absolutely Brilliant night tonight watching @rickygervais at Tunbridge Wells testing out new material!”

@j_w_burton added: “Just watched @rickygervais at Tunbridge Wells working on new material for #Armageddon the bloke is the best in the world, it was brilliant, he had us in stitches!”

Organisers gearing up for next year’s soap box race

By Robert Forrester

TEAMS of friends and families are being invited for the first time to take part in the Tunbridge Wells Soapbox Stars Race when it returns to the town in 2023.

It is hoped the exciting new addition, which traditionally sees businesses and charities go head-to-head on a track through Dunorlan Park, will raise more funds for good causes and bring an extra twist of fun to the annual event.

The one-day extravaganza on Saturday June 24 has already gone on sale with early-bird tickets for anyone wanting to secure their spot in the crowd and to enjoy a jam-packed family fun day out.

Next year’s event will see over 40 teams – each made up of four adults – given a motorsport division-built chassis by the organisers as part of their entrance fee. They can then ‘pimp it up’ in whichever way they like.

They will then race as fast as they can in time trials round chicanes and over nail-biting jumps on a specially-made racetrack in the picturesque park.

Each team will be asked to reach a target of £500 for Hospice In The Weald – the event’s lead charity, which Soapbox Stars has raised tens of thousands of pounds for since its launch in 2018 – with the option of continuing to donate remaining sponsorship funds to them or a second charity or fundraising project of their choice.

The event – now in its fourth year – will include an exciting family zone alongside the races, with inflatables and a climbing wall as well as a music stage hosted by Tunbridge Wells music festival

Local and Live.

TV chef and local personality Rosemary Shrager will also be welcomed back as celebrity host and panto king Tom Swift of Wicked Productions, is to provide hilarious commentary of the wacky races to the crowds.

Traditional

Organiser Nicole Piesse Turner of media and marketing firm Chatty Hatter which hosts the event said: “Next year is an exciting one with a few new twists on the traditional set-up.

“The first of our announcements is that due to popular demand, we are opening up the races to teams of families and friends for 2023.

“We realise that it’s not just businesses and organisations who want to come together and raise cash for charity while having fun at this very bonkers event, but mums, dads, children, best friends, old work colleagues, uni pals – we want to open our doors to everyone who wants to be part of it.”

For further information and Early-Bird tickets visit: twsoapboxrace.com

Body found near to A21 not treated as suspicious

THE death of a 59-year-old man found in woodland near to the A21 in Pembury is not being treated as suspicious, police have said.

The man’s body was found by officers close to the junction with the bridge on the A264 Pembury Road on Wednesday at around 2.40pm.

The dead man, who has not been named, is said to be from London. His next of kin have been informed.

A spokesman for Kent Police said: “A report is being prepared for the coroner.”

Solar farms are planned

A PLANNING application has been made for a 171-acre solar farm near a village nine miles from Tunbridge Wells.

The energy plant would be built on farmland in Horsmonden and be spread out over the same area as 128 football pitches.

If approved, it is estimated the solar farm would provide enough power for 14,385 homes says the energy company Voltalia that submitted the planning application.

It comes after a planning application for the Sheepwash Solar Farm around 700 metres away at nearby Collier Street has been lodged at Maidstone Borough Council by energy firm Starkraft.

Hastings line to close

THE rail line between Tunbridge Wells and Hastings is to close for nine days for a billionpound track replacement project.

The line between Hastings and Tunbridge Wells will close from next Saturday (October 22) and will reopen on Sunday October 30.

During the half-term period, the track in Wadhurst Tunnel will be replaced and the embankments will be stabilised to prevent landslips.

The work forms part of an ongoing project under the £1.25bn South East Upgrade to help improve performance and reliability.

Replacement buses will be in service.

E-scooter Cranbrook crash

A ROAD was closed and the ambulance service called after a man suffered serious injuries when he crashed his e-scooter in Cranbrook.

The incident happened around 7.30pm on Sunday October 2, when a rider was injured in Hartley Road. Police say they believe no other vehicles were involved.

Officers attended along with South East Coast Ambulance Service and the man, who is in his 30s, was taken to a London hospital with serious injuries.

AS K

COUNTER VIEW with

Darren Austin at Synergee

Darren Austin is a director of Synergee Limited, a firm of Chartered Accountants & business advisers based in Tunbridge Wells.

If you have any questions you'd like to ask Darren he can be contacted on 01892 772960 | www.synergee.org.uk

In place of the usual Q&A, the following are some of the support packages that have been made available to help businesses deal with the Coronavirus: Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme: HMRC will reimburse 80% of wages paid to workers who have be laid off due to the coronavirus crisis. This is capped at £2.5k per employee per month.

VAT Deferral: The deferral will apply from 20 March to 30 June 2020. There is a lack of clarity on the Gov. uk website and we are interpreting this as payments due by 30 June rather than quarters ended 30 June. This means that May quarter VAT Returns, where payment is due by 7 July, will still be payable as normal. Any payments deferred will become payable by the end of the tax year (31/3/21 Company or 5/4/21 Unincorporated)

Income Tax Deferral: The self-assessment second payment on account, due by 31 July 2020, will be deferred to 31 January 2021. No penalties or interest will be charged.

The mini budget has confirmed that the planned 6% rise in corporation tax from April 2023 has been dropped. This will likely lead to renewed focus on moving from sole trades and partnerships into limited companies, driven by the potential overall reduction in ongoing tax costs. There are several practical considerations to work through before making a final decision. As a limited company is a separate legal entity, moving from a sole trade is achieved by gifting or selling the existing assets, including any goodwill, to the company. There are options to achieve this without triggering any taxable gains. One involves selling all assets, other than cash to the company, at least partially in return for new shares. Another involves gifting assets and claiming holdover relief. Gifting is more flexible than the ‘all asset option’ transfer requirement and can be useful if there are assets, such as cars, that are better from a tax perspective remaining outside of the company.

Cash Grants: A grant of £10k will automatically be provided to all businesses currently entitled to Small Business Rates Relief. A grant of £25k can be claimed for businesses in the retail, hospitality or leisure industry if their rateable value is between £15k and £51K.

As the company is a separate entity, existing registrations such as VAT and PAYE also have to be considered. If the sole trade is compulsorily VAT registered, the company will have to immediately register as well. If the transfer meets certain criteria, the company can request the transfer of the VAT number, although that also means it takes over the VAT history of the original business. With PAYE, you will need to contact HMRC’s employer helpline to see if the existing reference can be transferred or a new one issued.

Business Rates Holiday: There is a 12-month business rates holiday (April 20 to March 21) for all retail, hospitality and leisure businesses in England.

Once incorporated, the company will have to comply with additional compliance such as statutory accounts and corporation tax returns. In addition, some of the tax saving arises from careful remuneration planning, usually using a mixture of salary and dividends.

Time to Pay Arrangements: In addition to the deferral schemes noted above, if you have outstanding tax liabilities (Corporation Tax, VAT or Income Tax) due to coronavirus, you may be able to agree a time to pay arrangement. Arrangements will be agreed on a case by case basis. To discuss your options, contact HMRC on 0800 0159 559.

The above is just a small element of the overall considerations and you should take detailed advice from your accountant before changing your business structure.

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

Nine Day Line Closure

Tunbridge Wells to Hastingss

For nine days buses will replace trains while we renew the track in Wadhurst tunnel to improve reliability.

Work will also be taking place at other sites along the line to help preent landslips.

Please check before you travel.

out more at:

Runners put best foot forward for charity at London Marathon

By Victoria Roberts and Lilly Croucher

RUNNERS from Tunbridge Wells joined a crowd of over 40,000 in the London Marathon on Sunday (October 2), with most raising money for charity.

Cheering crowds lined the capital’s streets to help spur on those brave enough to take on the 26-mile course.

Among the runners taking part this year was a number of Tunbridge Wells runners.

James Phillipson, who ran for Nourish Community Foodbank, said: “The London Marathon was the biggest event I have ever been involved in.

“What struck me was the amount of people running for a cause. Really almost everyone I saw was fundraising for a huge range of worthy causes. Some local like me, some national and some global.”

Commitment

“It was not a quick run due to the volume of people and weaving through all the rhinos and men in tutus, but it was not about the time for me.”

James raised about £2,200 for Nourish, which he said ‘made it so much more worthwhile’.

Sian Evans was not only raising funds for the British Heart Foundation in memory of her father, who died of sepsis in 2010, but also trying to complete the marathon after she failed to finish in 2021.

“I passed out at 18 miles and woke up in the hospital,” she said. “My charity, The British Heart Foundation, kindly reached out

afterwards and asked if I wanted to run again in 2022 as I had raised almost double my promised amount for them.

“I was so grateful to be given the opportunity to run again as it’s a hard event to get into.”

Also running was Lizzie Hammond, raising funds for The Sick Children’s Trust, which her father Brian Atkinson helped to set up when Lizzie’s brother had leukaemia as a child.

Sophie Nutt ended up raising £2,680 for Pancreatic Cancer UK, after the disease killed her father in 2008.

Harriet Rowland was another who felt ‘fortunate and grateful’ to get a place running for the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation,

after a friend was diagnosed with lung cancer. She completed the race despite breaking the fifth metatarsal bone in her foot earlier this year.

According to the organisers, 40,927 participants started the race, and thousands more joined the ‘virtual’ event, confirming the London event as ‘the most popular marathon on the planet’.

The London Marathon will return to its traditional spring slot next year, after it was moved for the last few years due to the pandemic. It will return on April 23, 2023.

Applications, known as ‘the ballot’, for the next event closes at 9pm this Friday (October 7).

HAPPY TO FINISH

Sian Evans was raising money

KEEP ON RUNNING Sophie Nutt (centre) was running for Pancreatic Cancer UK

Town Centre plan

TUNBRIDGE Wells Borough Council is holding a consultation event outside the Millennium Clock in Fiveways next week to hear people’s views on the future of the town centre.

The event on Wednesday, October 12 at 11.30am-1.30pm in Fiveways precinct comes as the Council is preparing a Royal Tunbridge Wells town centre plan that will include a vision, strategy, masterplan and planning policies for the town centre to ensure its long-term prosperity and success. An online consultaton will be made available later in the month.

Cranbrook fly tipper fined

AN UNLICENSED waste contractor from Cranbrook picked up a bill for over £600, plus an order to perform unpaid work when he appeared before Sevenoaks magistrates last week.

Henry Mortimer, 29, from Hartley Road in the town, pleaded guilty to fly-tipping and was fined and ordered to complete 60 hours’ unpaid work.

Cllr Luke Everitt, cabinet member for Environment, Sustainability and Carbon Reduction at Tunbridge Wells Borough Council, said: “Fly tipping is completely unacceptable and I welcome the news that this offender has been prosecuted.”

Tonbridge stalker jailed

A STALKER from Tonbridge who burgled two victims’ houses has been jailed for two years.

Michael Cherry, 35, made persistent phone calls and left messages for a woman that he knew before breaking into her partner’s house and stealing a bank card and some car keys.

Cherry then targeted the woman’s house stealing a number of items and damaging a bed.

Officers arrested Cherry on June 27 and he was jailed for 24 months on September 23 for stalking, burglary as well as drugs charges.

Police criticised for ‘serious failure’ to hand over people’s information

By Richard Williams

KENT Police was one of a number of organisations called out by a government watchdog for causing people ‘anguish and distress’ after taking too long to respond to requests about information held on file.

The force has been warned by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) that it now faces ‘very significant fines’ for repeated delays.

A subject access request (SAR) gives the public the right to ask what personal information is held about them and must be responded to within one to three months.

Anguish

However, Kent Police was among seven organisations, including Government departments and local council bodies, that the ICO say have led to a ‘serious failure’ to meet the obligation.

Kent Police was reprimanded alongside the Ministry of Defence (MoD), the Home Office, the London Borough of Croydon, the London Borough of Hackney, the London Borough of Lambeth and Virgin Media.

Information Commissioner John Edwards said:

“These are really high volumes of noncompliance and they represent a lot of anguish and distress for people who have legitimate reasons for needing to access the personal information that is held about them by these organisations. The kinds of delays that people are experiencing are unjustifiable and need to be rectified.”He said it is important that individuals know what information is obtained, how it is being used and if they can have it deleted, to

‘correct the power imbalance’ between them and the organisation.

The seven organisations have been reprimanded, meaning they are ‘publicly held to account’, forcing them to ‘sit up and take notice’ or face further action.

Mr Edwards continued: “[The organisations] would expect an increased level of interest from us, perhaps a deeper dive into their business, they might see further regulatory action in terms of enforcement notices, in terms of information notices, there could even be very significant fines.

Kent Police said that was ‘committed to discharging its responsibilities under the Data Protection Act’ in a ‘timely way’ but added that Subject Access Requests had increased from 624 requests in 2019 to more than 1,300 in 2022 so far.

A spokesman added: “Following a significant increase in the number of SAR requests between 2019 and 2021, the force had already drawn up a comprehensive improvement plan which was ratified by chief officers and will include looking at ways to respond to Subject Access Requests in a more timely fashion.”

CHIEF CONSTABLE SIGNS OFF FOR GOOD

The most senior police officer in the county left work for the final time last Thursday (September 29), accompanied by applause and flashing blue lights.

Chief Constable Alan Pughsley has retired from the force after nearly 39 years to take up a role with the National Police Chiefs’ Council Review into the Operational Productivity of Policing.

Assistant Chief Constable Peter Ayling, responsible for local policing, said: “After nearly four decades of public service, Chief Constable Alan Pughsley QPM signs off. Thank you, sir, good luck for the next adventure.”

Mr Pughsley joined the Metropolitan Police in 1984 where he carried out a variety of roles, mainly as a detective developing his expertise in murder investigations, armed robbery, kidnap, firearms and drug-related crimes. He joined the force in 2009 as Assistant Chief Constable for Specialist Operations before being promoted to Chief Constable in January 2014.

CULTURE Justfor laughs

dishes

CULTUREJustfor laughs

Why some of the UK’s top comedians love coming to Tunbridge Wells

BUSINESS Sayyesto thedress Bridalboutique Isabella Grace celebrates

OF THE FUTURE

BUSINESS Say yes to the dress

Bridal boutique Isabella Grace celebrates 11 years in business

FOOD & DRINK What’son themenu Werevealwhat’scooking atsomeofourfavourite restaurantsforChristmas

CULTURE Just for laughs

FOOD & DRINK What’s on the menu

Why some of the UK’s top comedians love coming to Tunbridge Wells

We reveal what’s cooking at some of our favourite restaurants for Christmas

BUSINESS Say yes to the dress Bridal boutique Isabella Grace celebrates 11 years in business

FOOD & DRINK What’s on the menu

We reveal what’s cooking at some of our favourite restaurants for Christmas

FARMERS OF THE FUTURE

WHY HADLOW COLLEGE IS COMMITTED TO EDUCATING ITS STUDENTS TO BE SUSTAINABLE & INNOVATIVE GUARDIANS OF OUR LAND

WHY HADLOW COLLEGE IS COMMITTED TO EDUCATING ITS STUDENTS TO BE SUSTAINABLE & INNOVATIVE GUARDIANS OF OUR LAND

DEPARTURE Alan Pughsley leaving Kent Police for the final time (PIcture Peter Ayling Twitter)

Domino’s Pizza can go ahead in Cranbrook but Costa Coffee quits

RefugEase return with two vintage emporium shops

By Victoria Roberts

HUMANITARIAN charity RefugEase is opening a pair of shops in Tunbridge Wells selling curated vintage furniture and clothes to fund its philanthropic work.

Founded in Rusthall in 2015, in response to the Syrian refugee crisis, RefugEase is still operating in Syria, and now also works in France, Greece, Turkey and Ukraine.

The charity focuses on frontline evacuations, humanitarian aid and self-reliance.

The charity has adopted an agile approach to its vintage emporium shop locations, ‘always popping up and popping down’, explained co-founder Valentina Osborn.

Fundraiser

Meanwhile, the second shop, selling vintage and second-hand clothing and homewares chosen for Tunbridge Wells, opened last weekend (October 1) in the old Ann Summers unit on the ground floor of Royal Victoria Place.

Customers will also be able to pay for items from the RefugEase online shop, such as food and other survival items which are sent to the zones where the charity works.

“We are also taking donations of stock at the shops even if the items are not appropriate to sell here,” she said.

“We're on the lookout for volunteers, drop-in donations, and you can book a free furniture collection or house clearances on our website.”

Stock is placed in the shop or town where the retail manager thinks it will best find a market.

AN APPLICATION to turn a Cranbrook betting shop into a pizza takeaway is progressing, after permission was granted for signage on the listed building in the village’s conservation area.

Domino’s Pizza was granted permission in midJuly to convert the Coral betting shop in the Grade II listed buildings on Cranbrook High Street, but was required to submit details of the proposed signage.

Illuminated

Cranbrook & Sissinghurst Parish Council had recommended the application be refused due to concerns over the proposed illuminated digital screen inside the shop, and to prevent the business from putting up any illuminated

signage outside.

“The building is listed and within the heart of the Conservation Area. Any advertising and signage should be in keeping with and enhance the High Street,” said the parish council in its objection.

Permission was granted on September 21 for non-illuminated signs at the front of the shop, while the digital display screen inside will only be illuminated during working hours.

There are changes afoot further down the High Street, with the Costa Coffee closing last weekend (October 1).

A spokesperson for the chain said the branch was a franchise-owned business and that all team members have been offered positions at separate stores the operated by the franchisee.

“Profits from our pop-up retail outlets cover all of the administrative costs of the charity, meaning that whenever people donate or run a fundraiser, all of the money gets right to the cause.

“With huge thanks to all of our regular customers, the shops have even ended up being the main funding source for the life-saving projects themselves, too,” Ms Osborn said.

Although the charity is now headquartered in Tonbridge, where its warehouse and the first of its handful of vintage emporiums are located, Tunbridge Wells remains a special market for RefugEase.

“The idea is that we cycle stock between our shops. But we curate items from the warehouse and other shops for Tunbridge Wells,” she said.

Within Tunbridge Wells, each vintage emporium also has its own specialised stock, with the Mount Pleasant shop, next to Wagamama, selling curated furniture and antiques since last month.

“But you get in what you put out. If you put curated stuff out in the shop, you tend to find that people bring in their vintage dress collection, for example,” said Ms Osborn.

The Vintage Emporium at 62 Mount Pleasant is open Thursday to Sunday. The Vintage Emporium on the ground floor, Royal Victoria Place, is open every day.

For more details visit: refugease.org/aid-shop

PIZZA PERMISSION

An artist’s impression of how the new restaurant will look

Paddock Wood residents asked to name new community centre

By Victoria Roberts

PADDOCK Wood Town Council (PWTC) is asking residents for a name for the new Community Centre being built in Memorial Field.

The £3million mixed-use facility will include a 40-place nursery, hall, car parking, and a 300-seat theatre and community hall.

Designed with eco-friendly features such as electric car charging points, solar panels, an air-source heat pump and a ventilation system to reduce air conditioning use, the centre is being built by local firm Baxall Construction.

Improvements

Outside the building itself, the grounds will include two new Lawn Tennis Associationcompliant tennis courts, a new cricket wicket and improvements to the pavilion.

Construction is being partly funded by over £1million from developers and three housing developments being built in Paddock Wood.

MP launches Christmas card competition in local primary schools

THE MP for Wealden, Nusrat Ghani, has launched a competition for primary school children to create her official Christmas card.

Ms Ghani, who recently became a minister at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, is asking Wealden primary school children to submit a design reflecting the theme of Christmas in Wealden, or recalling positive stories and events from the last year.

The winning design will be featured on the front of the MP’s Christmas card, and two shortlisted designs will appear on the back.

Highlight

The Christmas cards will be delivered to hundreds of people across Wealden and right across the country, including to the Prime Minister in Downing Street.

Ms Ghani said: “The Christmas card competition has been a highlight of my seasonal activities since its first launch in 2015 and I hope that it will bring a little early Christmas cheer to Wealden pupils.

“I look forward to receiving all festive designs by Monday, October 31.”

Drawings must be submitted on an A4 sheet, but can be made using any medium (pencil, felt tip, crayon, paint).

Entries for the competition can be posted to: Nusrat Ghani MP, House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA. Please ensure that every submission has the child’s full name, school, and class or year group written on the back.

And on August 24, Tunbridge Wells Borough Council (TWBC) approved £361,435.46 of Section 106 planning obligation funding.

The facility has not been without local controversy, with petitions, a local non-binding referendum and even an application to Kent County Council to designate the Memorial Field a village green was lodged to get the development blocked.

But the project was eventually approved in October 2021 after planners at Tunbridge Wells Borough Council referred the application to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities after an objection to the project was lodged by Sport England Construction work on the new centre is due to finish in late autumn.

The deadline for name suggestions is October 14, after which a shortlist will be drawn up and put to a residents’ vote.

There is a box for paper responses at PWTC’s offices in St Andrews Road, or residents can use the online form at: PaddockWood-tc.gov.

uk/Community-Centre-Name

a crowd

Harvest

BIG IMPRESSION

The Pembury Church window

A PAINTING in the style of Vincent van Gogh’s harvest landscapes has become an attraction in its own right at Pembury Baptist Church, thanks to artist Patrick Gillan.

Mr Gillan, a Pembury Parish councillor, produced the canvas in the style of the Dutch painter for the harvest season, and had it reproduced at scale by a local business.

Interest

“My painting, done as a shout-out to Van Gogh is now installed, and is gathering interest in the village,” he told the Times.

“Green Hippo Large Print in Tunbridge Wells did a superb job enlarging it, and it’s quite an attraction.”

The canvas is on display in the church’s window in Romford Road, propped up with bales of hay to add some seasonal flair.

Although church harvest festivals have become a time for communities and congregations to gather donations of food for charity, it is always the season for gathering in at Pembury Baptist Church.

Its ‘Food Larder’ collects and discreetly distributes donations of non-perishable foods as well as baby nappies, all year round.

“As well as food we can also top up gas and electricity meter keys if needed,” said the Church.

For more information, or to offer or seek help, telephone the Church on 01892 825590 or email: office@pemburybaptistchurch.org

UNNAMED

In Bloom team ready to compete in national competition next year

THE FLOURISHING neighbourhoods, spaces and habitats of Tunbridge Wells could be judged nationally after the town won gold medals and a category award in the Royal Horticultural Society’s (RHS) regional competition.

As reported in last week’s Times, the Royal Town walked away from the South & South East In Bloom (SSEIB) with a gold medal in the Small City category, as well as of dozens of smaller specific prizes.

Royal Tunbridge Wells is now hoping for an invitation to compete in the national Britain In Bloom competition next year.

In addition to the prestige of being part of the UK-wide competition, participation would also include the opportunity to purchase affordable insurance cover specifically created for

community gardening groups and access to a range of seed giveaways, said Britain In Bloom.

‘In Bloom’ communities tackle everything from litter, graffiti and anti-social behaviour through to conservation, sustainability and improving horticultural standards.

Medals

Royal Tunbridge Wells In Bloom won dozens of medals at the SSEIB awards on September 23, with the judges praising how broad an effort gardeners, friends’ groups and the local authority had made.

“RTW has fantastic examples of horticulture from managing the more formal approach, such as bedding, together with the increasing

development across the town of more sustainable horticulture,” said the judges in their notes.

“There are increasing examples of herbaceous perennial plantings within the parks and open spaces that surround the town, which are excellent for nature and improve sustainability.”

Tunbridge Wells’ three largest parks, Calverley Grounds, Dunorlan Park and Grosvenor and Hilbert Park won gold medals, while Tunbridge Wells Cemetery won gold for the Large Cemetery/ Crematorium category.

Tunbridge Wells Common was awarded a silver gilt medal and won the category of Large Common and Open Space, while Barnetts Wood won silver for the Large Conservation category.

Woodbury Park Cemetery, the ‘Victorian gem’ that featured in the recent Heritage Open Days, won gold in the Churchyard category.

The SSEIB judges also recognised the benefit which volunteers and friends groups offer to park life, making awards to a number of the local friends groups.

Deserved

Cllr Wendy Fitzsimmons, Cabinet Member for Leisure, Wellbeing and Culture, said: ‘Such brilliant news and so well deserved.

“Thank you to all our contractors, council officers and the volunteers who have made our town such a lovely place to live.

Congratulations!”

Tonbridge conference aimed to help women in justice system

A CHARITY dedicated to women prisoners which recently opened a shop in Tunbridge Wells is now inviting potential employers and mentors to a conference in Tonbridge.

The #SheMatters Criminal Justice Conference has been in the planning since lockdown, but is finally set to take place at the River Centre in Tonbridge on October 21.

With sessions about young adults, families and accommodation, the conference is aimed ‘joining up’ all the issues affecting women in the criminal justice system, a spokeswoman for organisers Imago Dei Prison Ministries told the Times

Women make up only 4 per cent of the prison population, but in 2020, 58 per cent of their sentences were for less than six months.

Yet even short sentences matter, with as many as 73 per cent of women reconvicted within a year of leaving prison following a sentence of less than 12 months.

Struggle

Employment is one of the missing links reconnecting women to life after a conviction, one of the factors prompting Imago Dei to set up the #SheMatters shop in Tunbridge Wells.

“We support women not only in prison but also on leaving prison and in the community,” said the spokeswoman.

“Women in particular really struggle to get into employment after gaining a criminal record. There is a stigma. Part of the job of the shop is to help provide women with opportunities to develop their skills.

“#SheMatters has grown to become our key project that offers the local community a variety of ways to support women in the criminal justice system.

“This includes facilitating life skills courses in the community for women on probation, working with businesses to bridge the gap between potential employers and women leaving prison with our #SheMatters Employment Network,” the spokeswoman said.

For companies interested enough to take the next step ‘there will be chances for employers to network at the conference as well’.

Speakers include a deputy prison governor, prison managing chaplain, senior probation officer and various charitable organisations.

“The location in Tonbridge will allow prison and probation officials, charities and welfare organisations from Kent, Surrey, Sussex and London to meet in the middle,” added the spokeswoman.

The #SheMatters Criminal Justice Conference will be held at the River Centre, Tonbridge, on October 21, 9am-5pm. Tickets from Eventbrite.

Companies can join the employers’ network at shematters.uk/employmentnetwork

All aboard the award-winning bus

A RESTORED bus from Tunbridge Wells brought home a retro award from the last ever SHOWBUS display, held late last month in Hertfordshire.

The red DAF double-decker was named ‘Best 90s Bus’ at the 50th anniversary show on September 25.

It had been restored and returned to its former glory by a team at the Arriva, Tunbridge Wells depot in Kingstanding Way.

Daniel Hardcastle, a member of the engineering team at Arriva in Tunbridge Wells, told the Times

that keeping the buses on the road and getting them up to the show was a team effort between the Bromley Bus Preservation Group (BBPG) and South East Bus Preservation Group (SEBPG), “They are owned between members of BBPG –Neil Gardner and Stuart Boxall – and SEBPG –myself, but stored and maintained at the Arriva Tunbridge Wells garage.

“Neil and I both work in engineering at Arriva, so most of the work has been done by us, in our own time and at our own cost,” he explained.

Physicist to head British Institute of Radiology

TUNBRIDGE Wells-based medical physicist

Professor Stephen Keevil has been named head of the British Institute of Radiology (BIR).

Professor Keevil’s two-year term started last week (October 1), and he will be inaugurated in his new role on November 8.

He is head of medical physics at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust in London, and also professor of medical physics at King’s College London.

Professor Keevil said: “I am thrilled and

honoured to be the new President of the BIR.

There have been some fantastic accomplishments to celebrate over the last few years and I look forward to more milestones as the BIR embarks on a new five-year strategy.”

The previous BIR president, Dr Sri Redla, said: “I have thoroughly enjoyed my term of office and am immensely proud of the BIR and of what it has achieved in the last two years. I look forward to continue working with the BIR in my role as Past President.”

WINNER The Arriva team’s winning bus (left)

SUPPORT #SheMatters’ shop in Tunbridge Wells

Liz Truss refuses to commit to raising benefits to meet inflation

THE PM has hinted that she will not increase benefit payments in line with inflation.

Liz Truss told reporters on day three of the Tory Party Conference in Birmingham that she must take a ‘responsible’ approach to the public finances, refusing to rule out real-terms cuts to benefits as she faces a Cabinet split and a fresh battle with Tory rebels.

The Prime Minister is refusing to rule out a return to austerity or say whether welfare payments will be increased in line with soaring inflation.

Critics who forced a U-turn over the plan to abolish the 45p tax rate for top earners are now stepping up pressure on the Government to confirm benefits will be raised.

Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt has publicly backed increasing them in line with inflation so that people can pay their bills, warning many Tory colleagues have backed that before.

‘Critics who forced a U-turn over the plan to abolish the 45p tax rate for top earners are now stepping up pressure on the Government to confirm benefits will be raised.’

Downing Street has not denied suggestions that Ms Truss could resist rebels’ pressure to instead increase benefits in line with earnings, which are far lower than inflation.

Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng has already made a second change of course to reassure markets and Tory rebels by bringing forward his mediumterm fiscal plan along with independent forecasts.

Ms Truss has committed to increase pensions in line with prices but on benefits said ‘we have to be fiscally responsible’.

In response to Ms Mordaunt’s comments, the Prime Minister said no decisions had yet been made.

CONFERENCE Prime Minister Liz Truss and Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng during a visit to a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham

During a visit to a construction site in Birmingham, she told broadcasters: “On the subject of benefits we have not yet made that decision.

“Of course, there will be discussions about the way forward on commitments like benefits.”

Households

Asked if she was listening to the Cabinet minister, Ms Truss said: “I’m very clear that going into this winter we do need to help the most vulnerable.

“In addition to the energy price guarantee we’ve also made sure the most vulnerable households have an extra £1,200 and this Government will

Rebekah Vardy to pay £1.5million in ‘Wagatha Christie’ legal costs

REBEKAH Vardy will have to pay about £1.5million towards Coleen Rooney’s legal costs after losing the ‘Wagatha Christie’ High Court case she brought against her fellow footballer’s wife.

Mrs Vardy, 40, who is married Leicester City ace, Jamie Vardy, lost her high-profile libel claim against Mrs Rooney, 36, wife of former Manchester Utd star Wayne Rooney, in July when Mrs Justice Steyn ruled that Mrs Rooney’s viral social media post accusing Mrs Vardy of leaking her private information to the press was ‘substantially true’.

Costs

In an order made public on Tuesday, the judge ruled that Mrs Vardy should pay 90% of Mrs Rooney’s costs.

Mrs Rooney incurred total costs of

more than £2million, but £350,000 of those had already been racked up before the trial in May, so those were removed to produce a final figure of £1,667,860.

Mrs Vardy was ordered to pay £800,000 of the costs bill by 4pm on November 15.

Ordered

She will also have to pay costs incurred by seven journalists who were potential witnesses but did not give evidence – apart from a portion of their costs which Mrs Rooney has already been ordered to pay.

The judge ruled on various issues relating to Mrs Rooney’s costs after receiving written legal arguments.

The total amount of Mrs Vardy’s legal costs is not known but is expected to be of a similar level to those incurred by Mrs Rooney.

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

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

always help people get on in life, whilst making sure the most vulnerable are protected.”

Benefits are usually uprated in line with the consumer price index (CPI) rate of inflation from September, with the rise coming into effect the following April.

The Institute for Fiscal Studies estimates that each percentage point rise in CPI adds £1.6 billion to welfare spending.

The Prime Minister also did not rule out raising the state pension age beyond 67, telling reporters: “You’re asking me to speculate about all kinds of decisions that haven’t yet been made.”

Your

Funeral

Rosie Hamlyn, Partner in the Court of Protection team at Thomson Snell & Passmore answers your questions about Lasting Powers of Attorney.

What is a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA)?

We all hope to go on running our lives for as long as we can, but it is sensible to plan ahead for a time when we may need help in making decisions.

An LPA is a legal document where you appoint one or more people (the attorney) to act on your behalf, in circumstances where you no longer have capacity to make decisions yourself. You can decide who you appoint, what powers they have and specify any wishes you want followed.

Having an LPA in place can avoid the expense and the potential difficulties of Court of Protection Deputyship if you later need someone to act on your behalf.

How do LPAs work?

There are two types of LPA, one for property and financial affairs and one for health and welfare.

Under a property and financial affairs LPA, your attorneys can make decisions on your behalf such as buying and selling property, opening and closing bank accounts, dealing with your investments, managing your day to day finances and claiming benefits and pensions. This type of LPA can be used at any time, even if you still have capacity. In those circumstances, it should only be used by your attorneys with your consent.

A health and welfare LPA can only be used if you have lost capacity to make health and welfare related decisions. It enables your attorneys to make decisions about where you should live, the type of care you receive and day-to-day matters such as your daily routine, diet, visitors and the social activities which you participate in. Your attorney can also make decisions about your medical treatment. This could include making a decision as to whether or not you receive life-sustaining treatment, provided that you’ve given this specific authority to your attorney when making your LPA. If you choose not to give your health and welfare attorney this particular authority then decisions about life-sustaining treatment would be made by the doctors, other professionals overseeing your care at the time and anyone else with an interest in your wellbeing, in your best interests and subject to any advance decision you may have made.

You can create both types of LPA or just one type and not the other.

How do you go about putting LPAs in place?

These are extremely important documents and require careful preparation and sound legal advice.

The Office of the Public Guardian is a good starting point and has a lot of useful information.

Who can be appointed as an attorney?

You can appoint a friend, a relative or a solicitor as your attorney, but they must be over 18. You need to appoint at least one attorney and can appoint up to a maximum of four. If you choose more than one, you will need to decide whether you want your attorneys always to act together (a joint appointment) or whether they can also act separately (a joint and several appointment). A joint and several appointment is the most flexible option.

America goes to the ballot box with Biden leading the polls

unfit to lead a nation grappling with Covid-19 and facing foundational questions about racial justice and economic fairness.

Migrants that cross the Channel to be banned from claiming asylum

MIGRANTS crossing the Channel will reportedly face a ban from claiming asylum in Britain under plans announced by the Home Secretary.

As the Times went to press last night, Suella Braverman was using her first major speech since taking on the top cabinet role to set out the proposals at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham.

The new laws – which go further than the Nationality and Borders Act which came into force in June – would impose a blanket ban on anyone deemed entering the UK illegally from seeking refuge.

Mr Biden entered election day with multiple paths to victory while Mr Trump, playing catch-up in a number of battleground states, captures the White House to gain control of all of House was expected to remain under Democratic

MILLIONS of Americans went to the polls yesterday [Tuesday], adding their ballots to the more than 99 million already cast by early voters.

The announcement will mark the latest attempt by the Government to curb the growing numbers of Channel crossings after its flagship policy to send migrants on a one-way trip to Rwanda stalled amid legal challenges.

So far this year more than 33,500 people have arrived in the UK after making the journey from France.

Donald Trump, 74, is hoping to avoid becoming the first incumbent president to lose a re-election fight since George HW Bush in 1992.

Delegates

National polls show Democratic candidate Joe Biden, 77, with a broad lead, but the race is close in key battleground states needed to win the presidency.

Record early voting has been fuelled by the pandemic and the US is on course for its highest electoral turnout in more than a century.

Campaigners described the anticipated announcement as “further attacks on genuine refugees” and a “blatant breach” of Britain’s international obligations.

Birmingham: “It’s right that we extend the hand of friendship to those in genuine need.

The election comes after America’s worst-ever week for new coronavirus cases, with more than 1,000 people dying each day.

Ms Braverman promised delegates she would allow ‘the kind of immigration that grows our economy’ but has promised to ‘end abuse of the rules’.

The first polls close at 23:00GMT (18:00EST) in the eastern US, but will be open until 06:00GMT Wednesday in Alaska.

“This country has always done so. It did so for my father in the 1960s as a young man from Kenya. We have now welcomed hundreds of thousands of people fleeing Syria, Hong Kong, Afghanistan and Ukraine.

She will set out her intention to ensure that the UK’s policy on illegal immigration cannot be derailed by modern slavery laws, the Human Rights Act or the European Court of Human Rights.

Rules around processing mail-in ballots vary across the country, so in some states counting will not finish on election night.

“At the same time we should use our newfound control to deliver the kind of immigration that grows our economy, for example that helps projects that have stalled or builds relationships with our friends and allies.

Ms Braverman is expected to call for the French to stop more boats crossing the Channel and confirm she is considering other new legislation to make it easier to deport people from the UK.

During their final day of campaigning, each candidate declared the other fundamentally

“Parts of the system aren’t delivering. We need to end abuse of the rules and cut down on those numbers that aren’t meeting the needs of our economy.”

She is also said to be planning to make more use of detention centres to hold migrants.

Ms Braverman told the conference in

Officials estimate as many as 60,000 people could arrive by the end of 2022, more than double last year’s total of 28,526.

Vienna attack ‘hatred for our values’ says Austrian Chancellor

Covid victims will be at ‘heart’ of public inquiry

MONDAY’S attack in Vienna that left four people dead was ‘clearly an Islamist terror attack’ Austria’s leader said yesterday [Tuesday].

BEREAVED families and those who suffered will be at the heart of the Covid-19 public inquiry, its chairwoman has said, as she promised to be ‘fair’ and ‘thorough’.

The suspect in Monday night’s attack – a 20-year-old armed with an automatic rifle and a fake explosive vest – was identified as a young Austrian-North Macedonian dual citizen with a previous terror conviction for attempting to join the so-called Islamic State group in Syria.

Former Court of Appeal judge Baroness Heather Hallett opened the inquiry in London saying she planned to investigate the UK’s preparedness for a pandemic, the Government’s response, and its impact on patients, NHS and social care staff and the public.

Unverified video showed the suspect, dressed in white coveralls, firing off bursts apparently at random as he ran down the Austrian capital’s cobbled streets.

Potentially hundreds of thousands of people are expected to share their experiences via a formal listening exercise, while there will be a permanent tribute to those who died set up in the hearing hall.

Police searched 18 properties as well as the suspect’s apartment, detaining 14 people associated with the assailant who are being questioned, interior minister Karl Nehammer said.

A minute’s silence was held for those who lost their lives, with Lady Hallett saying: “There’s one word that sums up the pandemic for so many, and that is the word ‘loss’.

Two men and two women died from their injuries in the attack, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said. He added that a police officer who tried to get in the way of the attacker was shot and wounded, and another 21 people were hurt.

juvenile law.

Mr Nehammer told APA that Fejzulai had posted a photo on his Instagram account before the attack that showed him with two of the weapons he apparently used.

Lady Hallett said the inquiry would analyse how the Covid pandemic unfolded and would determine whether the ‘level of loss was inevitable or whether things could have been done better’.

“(The suspect) was equipped with a fake explosive vest and an automatic rifle, a handgun and a machete to carry out this repugnant attack on innocent citizens,” Mr Nehammer said.

She added: “My principal aim is to produce reports and recommendations before another disaster strikes the four nations of the UK and, if it is possible, to reduce the number of deaths, the suffering and the hardship.

He added that the evidence gathered so far shows no indication that there was a second assailant involved in the attack. People in Vienna were urged to stay at home if possible on Tuesday and children did not have to go to school. Some 1,000 police officers were on duty in the city on Tuesday morning.

“I have a duty to the public to conduct a thorough, fair and independent inquiry for the whole of the UK and I intend to do so.”

The former judge promised that the inquiry would ‘not drag on for decades, producing reports when it is too late for them to do any good’.

Punishment

She added: “I promised the bereaved during the consultation process on the terms of reference that those who have suffered will be at the heart of the inquiry and I intend to keep that promise.”

Vienna’s hospital service said seven people were in life-threatening condition after the attack, APA reported.

“Although there were positive aspects of the pandemic, for example, the way in which communities banded together to help each other and the vulnerable, millions of people suffered loss, including the loss of friends and family members; the loss of good health – both mental and physical; economic loss; the loss of educational opportunities and the loss of social interaction.

The shooting began shortly after 8pm near Vienna’s main synagogue as many people were enjoying a last night of open restaurants and bars before a month-long coronavirus lockdown, which started at midnight. Vienna police chief

perpetrators, those behind them and like-minded

“Those who are bereaved lost the most.

“Yesterday’s attack was clearly an Islamist terror attack,” Mr Kurz said on Tuesday. “It was an attack out of hatred — hatred for our fundamental values, hatred for our way of life, hatred for our democracy in which all people have equal rights and dignity.”

“They lost loved ones and the ability to mourn properly.”

The attacker, identified as Kujtim Fejzulai, was sentenced to 22 months in prison in April 2019 because he had tried to travel to Syria to join IS. He was granted early release in December under

Dozens of lawyers, making up teams representing more than 20 core participants, stood with their heads bowed.

the capital. Mr Kurz, President Alexander Van der Bellen and other leading politicians laid wreaths.

CHAIRWOMAN: Baroness Heather Hallett

PLOT

Art students receive praise and prizes for their grand designs

Two talented students from Skinners’ School in Tunbridge Wells have won a prestigious competition organised by a Kent-based homebuilding company...

K ent-based homebuilder, Millwood Designer Homes, has celebrated the achievements of two Tunbridge Wells secondary school students with its renowned ‘Encouragement Pack’ initiative.

Last month, Leo Kilner (pictured right) and Tim Wilson from Skinners’ School were joined by Rob Sisley, Finance Director at Millwood Designer Homes, to be presented with their prizes at the Assembly Hall Theatre.

Awarded for their outstanding contribution to art and design, Leo received the prestigious Millwood Designer Homes Prize for Excellence in Middle School Design, while Tim was awarded the sought-after Millwood Cup for Senior Design.

Winners

Now in their thirteenth year, the awards are popular with students and teachers alike. Leo and Tim were presented a trophy from Rob on behalf of Millwood and will receive a £50 cheque and £50 book token each, to celebrate their impressive achievements.

Edward Wesson, Headmaster at Skinners’ told the Times: “In a world which is crying out for technical innovation and commitment to STEM [science, technology, engineering and maths] we are enormously grateful to Millwood Designer Homes for their continued

SKINNERS’ WINNERS

sponsorship of design prizes at Skinners’ School. Tim Wilson and Leo Kilner were, respectively, winners of our senior and junior prizes.

“They are classic examples of what the industry is looking for: bright, industrious and always looking for sustainable solutions. They

are worthy winners and have great futures.

Tim is off to read Automotive Engineering at Loughborough University and Leo has just joined our sixth form,” Mr Wesson added.

Rob Sisley, Finance Director at Millwood Designer Homes, commented: “It is a great source of pride that we are able to

acknowledge the hard work of students across Kent and East Sussex each year. This year’s winners from Skinners’ School have performed exceptionally well and on behalf of everyone at Millwood Designer Homes, I would like to

congratulate Leo and Tim on their achievements and wish them all the best for the future.”

Since 1992, Millwood Designer Homes has specialised in creating luxury developments and the award-winning housebuilder currently has a wide range of properties available across Surrey, Sussex and Kent.

Millwood’s latest Kent development is located not far from Tunbridge Wells, situated in the charming village of Sutton Valence.

‘The Nurseries’ features a stunning collection of two to five bedroom homes, enriched with superb examples of Tudor-style architecture.

Further developments across the South East include ‘Lanthorne Place’ in Broadstairs, Kent and ‘Lillybank’ in Battle, East Sussex.

‘Tim and Leo are classic examples of what industry is looking for: bright, industrious and always seeking sustainable solutions’

Millwood’s Rob Sisley (centre), with Tim Wilson and Leo Kilner

Shadi Rogers

Tunbridge Wells Labour Party

Sherwood residents face a hard winter but the mini-budget has made it worse

SINCE I was elected in May there have been many changes. In Tunbridge Wells a cross-party Borough Partnership has replaced the failing Conservatives, Boris Johnson has been toppled, and we have a new Prime Minister ‘elected’ by just 0.3 per cent of the British population.

We are now in a terrifying period where yet another new Conservative Prime Minister is embarking on a reckless experiment with our finances, gambling with our future, and losing control of the economy.

Inflation is soaring, interest rates are rising, the value of the pound has dropped and the International Monetary Fund has issued dire warnings.

The NHS is in the worst position since I qualified as a doctor in 2008. Waiting lists have grown, staff vacancies are at a record high and staff morale is at an all-time low. Chronic lack of funding and a failure to plan for future needs are at the root of all these problems.

Locally, big concerns are getting GP appointments and the impossibility of finding an NHS dentist.

Our Borough is becoming a place where access to good medical and dental treatment is based on the ability to pay.

Sherwood is ranked as the ward in Tunbridge Wells with the highest levels of poverty in the Borough. Since the run up to May’s election and beyond I’ve spoken to hundreds of my residents and I know what they want – and it isn’t what the Conservatives are offering.

Flourish

They want to be fairly rewarded for their work. They want genuinely affordable housing, especially for their children. They want well-funded public services there when they need them. They want a country where the odds are not stacked against them to flourish.

The mini-budget was a last throw of the dice after 12 years of Conservative failure. Austerity, Brexit, lack of affordable housing delivery, slow pace of action on climate change - locally and nationally the Conservatives are consistent. Consistently getting it wrong.

David Hayward

Alliance

Amid this economic chaos, where is our MP Greg Clark in voicing the concerns of constituents? What is he doing to support the many thousands of residents in his constituency sick with worry about the rising cost of living?

Residents in my ward were already facing a hard winter with rising prices and utility bills doubling for most; the latest mini-budget has made it worse. We need to support the majority of working people who create wealth in this country, not those who siphon their wealth to off-shore tax havens.

At the Labour Party Conference last week Keir Starmer showed that Labour has the right priorities. He set out a plan to boost growth including a green prosperity plan to create a million new jobs across the country.

He promised a massive increase in medical places so we have the right number of doctors, as well as more nurses and midwives. And he set a target to boost home ownership from 65% to 70% of the population in the first five years of a Labour government.

This this is the sort of fresh start we need.

The Royal Town needs its own Town Council

A TOWN Council focuses solely on the town, on those big and small issues that matter to its residents, who want a better, brighter town that can be flexible and responsive to its residents.

Currently the Borough has Southborough and Paddock Wood with their own Town Councils with the rest, apart from the actual town of Royal Tunbridge Wells, covered by Parish Councils such as Cranbrook and Pembury.

Opportunity

Being independent of the Borough Council, a Royal Tunbridge Wells Town Council could take over a number of the services that the Borough Council currently undertakes, especially if these services could be at risk of cuts in the current financial climate.

As a local council, a Royal Tunbridge Wells Town Council would also have the opportunity to apply for grants; opening doors to new sources of finance for the town.

You can look upon a Town Council as an enabler, to provide enhanced benefits and services, especially for the currently un-parished areas and its residents.

Having a Town Council would cost money. Although the councillors would not be paid, additional yearly costs would be incurred for

hiring a parish clerk to manage the money, plus any extra staff, contracts and services, rent for offices and meeting rooms and day to day operating costs.

These additional costs would be charged as a 'precept' through your Council Tax bill. The average precept across the country is £57, but this varies a lot depending on the population, house values, and services provided. Royal Tunbridge Wells is large, which reduces costs per

head.

A Town Council precept is not capped. Many towns have a mechanism whereby they consult with their residents on what services they want. It should also be noted that people in Bands A, B and C pay less, and those on low incomes and/or benefits are entitled to an 80% reduction, depending on their circumstances.

You only have to have a quick scout around the internet to find case studies showing the

benefits. Having formed a Town Council in Aylesbury (population 40,000), they were able to form an agreement with the local county council to deliver minor maintenance to footpaths and road surfaces.

In addition, Aylesbury Town Council now maintains street furniture and signs and tackles what they call 'grot spots'. A funding package was also agreed with their county colleagues to match the spend of the Town Council, opening the door to investment in staff and equipment for maintaining and regenerating the appearance of the town.

Residents

I believe that a Town Council could open up great opportunity to really get behind Royal Tunbridge Well's community events such as Local & Live. Perhaps most importantly it also allows for residents to finally have a democratic say in helping to shape a prosperous and vibrant new future for the town.

It is bizarre that the residents of the unparished areas do not have an official say in such important matters as planning. Had there been a Council years ago perhaps we wouldn't have the eternal grot-spot currently gracing the town's centre.

Shadi Rogers is a doctor and works for an NHS Trust in London. She was elected as a Labour councillor for Sherwood in May 2022 where she lives with her young family.

David Hayward is the lead of the Alliance party in Tunbridge Wells. He was first elected councillor for the Pembury ward in 2019.

SIGN OF THE TIMES Royal Tunbridge Wells is unparished

LEADER Keir Starmer at conference last week

And another thing…

Plans to scrap free parking should be parked for good

Congratulations to all residents and councillors who overwhelming rejected and successful fought off the proposed introduction of new parking charges at Southborough, Paddock Wood, and Dunorlan.

Hopefully at a time of economic austerity and inflation for households with rocketing food and energy prices, these ill-advised parking fee proposals should now be shelved for good.

As has been said by many other members of the public, the borough council could make

savings in manifest ways.

I note from a recent visit to Crescent Road car park the Council Leader still enjoys a free dedicated car parking space.

Perhaps he should set an example to all from his recent trip to Holland by donating to a local charity what he would have had to pay to date for using a free parking space? And then getting on his bike in future.

Dr Alan Bullion

Southborough Labour Town Council

However the lack of good negotiation has resulted in the developer unable to broaden the classification from supported living for fear of the project becoming non-viable by the Council forcing additional changes.

Hence the Council is now faced with a ‘go’ or ‘no go’ decision. This will result in similar losses to the detriment of both the town and Council.

So Alistair Tod is right, the negotiation failed by intransigence and now, whatever the decision is made, it is not good news for RTW to achieve a solution where broad support could have been achieved.

We should proceed with cross party cooperation, public engagement, minimising risk to the public purse and a clear examination of the facts and detail – for the benefit of us all.

David Scott Former Deputy Leader, TWBC

Sympathies with train cancellation

I sympathise with Rosie Langdale-King (Times, September 28) concerning the cancelled train which prevented her from keeping an appointment in London, requiring her to pay £25 for rebooking it.

However, she should appreciate that no train operating company will accept liability for a consequential loss of this kind, whether or not a ticket had been bought.

We should proceed with cross-party support

It is engagement, negotiation and consensus that leads to successful council decisions. Hence my creation of the Cross-Party Group, the Town Forum review panel and new engagement software by the Council, all three have proven beneficial.

It is abrupt changes in direction that is costly. Calverley square initially progressed (with pre-build costs of around 10%) with strong support from both Labour and Liberal Leaders and their party members – at a time when I was not a Councillor (please note Richard Bellyour accusations in the Times last week are, quite simply, wrong).

During that time discussions should have seen timely amendments to achieve a positive result for RTW. The lack of this resulted in a ‘go’ or ‘no-go’ decision and a loss of the agreed to, pre-build costs.

Removal of the car park, splitting the project into several components, each judged on their merits with the private sector taking the risks, would have been beneficial.

Similarly with the Cinema site, the lack of flexibility has meant both sides unable to change components pushing the project towards failure. Yes, the design could be more attractive, the economics improved and the mix of residents for the building, enhanced.

It should be apparent that the passenger’s intended activities after a train’s arrival are completely outside the train operator’s control and could involve financial or other commitment of almost any extent.

A claim for loss arising from a delayed or cancelled train might run into thousands of pounds, e.g. if a holiday booking was lost.

The passenger should consider insuring against such an eventuality if the amount potentially involved justifies this.

The liability of the operator to a ticket-holder is normally limited to a partial or complete refund of the fare paid, according to the amount of delay.

Nick Stanbury Tunbridge Wells

BY PEPPY: ( Follow her on Twitter @Peppyscott)

Calverley

Observations on life and more important things

BLAME MPS What turbulent times this country is facing and it’s all down to Tory members who kicked out Boris and put Truss the Terrible in the frame for Prime Minister. Voters will surely remember them at the next General Election when the Conservatives could be wiped out. Yes, there is worldwide financial turmoil which meant this Government had a duty not to do anything stupid. But it did so, with tax cuts etc, throwing fuel on the financial fire. Is there time for them to make a comeback? Probably not. Calverley bumped into many sobbing Tories in the last week. One said, as he refilled the brandy glass: “You know, breaking lockdown rules at a birthday party, as did Boris, doesn’t seem such a bad thing looking back.” Quite.

ANOTHER EXAMPLE. Within a mile of Calverley’s pile, just outside Tunbridge Wells, are two GP surgeries. This week both stopped taking new NHS patients ‘due to unsustainable escalating patient list sizes and being unable to recruit salaried GPs’. That ban is to last a year. So, 12 years of Tory rule and this is the state of the NHS repeated throughout the country. And more developments are planned for the local area. Here’s an idea. Estate agents should be required to point out that when you buy your new dream home there are no local GPs to go with it... unless developers fund them.

BANK ON IT. To Eastbourne for a weekend break after returning from visiting the vineyards (winemaking can be hard work.)

Calverley was amazed to discover that the seaside retreat has no less than nine banks. That’s right, nine and when most towns are losing theirs. Seems a quarter of the population is aged over 65 and does not engage willingly with all the online stuff.

REALITY CHECK. BBC Woman’s Hour last week debated on Radio 4 allowing people a day off work for ‘heartache’. Just text the boss after breaking up from your girlrfiend/boyfriend/ themfriend saying: ‘Sorry can’t come in am too upset.’ Why bother with that just text saying: “Sorry have Covid.” Many seeking time off do.

SKY HIGH TREAT. Friends who celebrated a significant wedding anniversary held a big garden party complete with marquee. The weather was kind and time was spent sipping bubbly outside when three older aircraft, something like Spitfires, flew low overhead. They suddenly turned, came back and flew three circuits over the garden in tribute. What a nice thing to do. Thumbs up to them!

FINAL THOUGHT. Caverley assumes that with everything that’s going on we’re all done with levelling up? Then again who knows. Chin, chin dear reader … stay happy!

Festival

Tunbridge Wells charity launches appeal for World Mental Health Day

Monday (October 10) is World Mental Health Day and local charity, Mental Health

Resource is using the day to launch an appeal to raise vital funds and shine a light on the challenges that some residents face with access to mental health care…

This year’s theme for World Mental Health Day is, ‘Make Mental Health and Wellbeing For All a Global Priority’. It gives us an opportunity to talk about the importance of mental wellbeing and why we need to look after it.

The positive characteristics of an area like Tunbridge Wells can often mask health inequalities in the borough, and a recent needs analysis conducted by the Kent Community Foundation revealed there are significant pockets of deprivation in some wards. Tunbridge Wells is the third-ranking district across Kent and Medway for prevalence of serious mental health disorder, while levels of self-harm in Tunbridge Wells are the highest in Kent.

Support

Mental Health Resource, located in Grosvenor Park and established in 1993, is playing an active role in making wellbeing a priority for residents.

They provide a range of free wellbeing activities, support groups, outreach support for adults, wellbeing sessions for teenagers and an out-of-hours Sunday afternoon service.

They also provide community advocacy

Shutterstock

and advocacy for those detained under the Mental Health Act. Their projects supported 800 people last year, however, following the effects of the pandemic and with a rise in living costs,

the charity is seeing a steep rise in their client numbers.

Rachel Corry, Charity Manager, said: “We’ve seen a 48 per cent rise in clients to our Hub Project alone since last year, but we also know there are others in our borough who desperately need our support. We’re working hard to make our activities as accessible as possible, so we can tackle the mental health inequality in our town.”

Vulnerable

To coincide with World Mental Health Day, the charity has launched an appeal to raise vital funds so they can reach vulnerable people in the borough who need support for their wellbeing.

As part of this appeal, the charity are inviting guests to attend their charity auction fundraising event on Saturday, November 26 from 5pm to 8pm.

Supported by Alex and Olga Pushkin, the event will take place at Pushkin Antiques and guests will be invited to bid on lots in the auction, while enjoying champagne and canapes.

For details of how to register for the event, to make a financial donation or to donate for the auction, visit: mentalhealthresource.org.uk/ Event/charity-auction

The former BBC journalist who took to the road in a motorhome to ‘age well’

A DECISION to challenge ageism and champion positive ageing was the step that propelled one depressed woman out of Tunbridge Wells and into a motorhome for a new, happier life.

Former BBC journalist Siobhan Daniels recalled ‘feeling broken at work, looking in the mirror and seeing my emotions coming back at me’.

Some of the emotions were very old, there since childhood when she was beaten and locked in a cellar, while others were griefs and strains which had accumulated through life.

Lost

“It was survival in my mid-fifties. I was a single mother for years. I was feeling lost in my fifties.

I got to a point when I got so disillusioned with life,” Siobhan told the Times.

She retired in July 2019 at the age of 60, got rid of her flat and possessions, and set out in a motorhome in September 2019, ‘with no plan’.

Despite the hardships of life on the road – including a ‘very cathartic experience’ of crying and screaming next to Loch Morlich, and spending ‘five months in a field on my own’ during the second lockdown –Siobhan kept writing.

And when she started reaching out from that field, doing Instagram ‘lives’ to camera and being interviewed for podcasts, the responses she got – as a woman ageing freely –secured her a Guardian column and later, a book deal.

She now also gives talks at Womens’ Institute events and women’s luncheons as she travels, and far from being depressed by re-reading and re-telling all of the dark times, Siobhan said: “I like reading it. I see how far I’ve come.”

And she insists no-one has to sell up and take to the road as she did.

“I talk to a lot of women and they say, ‘I couldn’t do

that because of my job, my health, my elderly parents’ –elderly parents are a common theme – but you don’t have to do what I did,” she said.

“You can go and join a choir. Find an adventure.”

Family ties don’t have to be a burden, either, she stressed, revealing that her tie to her daughter had kept her going until she could see a way to change things.

“Having my daughter kept me going. Then, when she left home when I was retiring, everything aligned. I decided I was going to be mistress of my own destiny.”

Siobhan’s message about ageing well can help both old and young,” she explained.

“I feel strongly about inter-generational mixing for women because I know how I felt as both a younger and older woman and I think they both have valuable contributions to the workplace.

Marginalised

“Older women shoulder so much in their lives, both at home and at work. Often they do not want to go home and tell their family how badly they are treated and feeling in work – the way they feel voiceless and marginalised and disrespected.

“Their children have seen them seemingly succeeding in life and yet quietly inside they feel totally lost and do not know where to turn.

“I want women to open up about what is really

going on with an ageist workplace and wider society. If they talk about it, then younger employees may work to get things changed, so it does not continue happening. Especially as they have to work until nearly 70 before they can draw a pension!”

She added: “I also feel the same should happen for men and boys. I hope there is someone like me shouting from the rooftops for them not to be treated badly as they age.”

‘Retirement Rebel’ by Siobhan Daniels is published on October 20. You can meet her at her book launch at The Bull, Frant Road, on October 20 at 6:30pm or follow her on Instagram: @shuvovshuvoff

FABULOUS FESTIVE FEASTS

BREAKFAST

SANTA

CHRISTMAS PARTIES

THE MAIN EVENT

Seasonal trimmings & steaming puds... let us do the cooking (and washing up) for you!

Day

Noon - 2.00pm

- 5.00pm

drink,

course meal,

CREATIVE THERAPY

Siobhan at an art lesson on a farm

SIOBHAN DANIELS

Care home resident proves it’s never too late to become a published author

At the age of 91, Lucy Pope has fulfilled her lifelong wish this month to publish a book with the support of a Wellbeing Coordinator at the care home where she resides.

Lucy, a resident of Birkin Lodge Care & Nursing Home since 2021, was supported by Lizzie Penman to write her first book, which is aimed at children.

“It’s my lifelong wish to be able to leave something behind for my grandchildren,” said Lucy.

Her book: ‘Lucy and The Bear: A Vivid Memory’ follows the tale of a young girl named Lucy who stumbles upon a bear in her garden.

Message

The author hopes her debut book will help to spread her message that ‘you’re never too old to make your dreams come true’.

“I should know – I’m 91 years old!” Lucy said.

Birkin Lodge Care & Nursing Home would like to thank the local community for all their support creating the book.

A special thank you to Mesha Kneen who donated 20 illustrations, Michael Thame and Jo Price, without whom the book would not be possible and to Birkin Lodge’s Dawn Hann for helping with the illustrations.

Finally, a special thank you to Jem Authors Agency for publishing the book.

The owners of Birkin Lodge Care & Nursing Home, Country Court will be spreading Lucy’s message by sharing the book with all 36 of their homes across the UK to help inspire others to

also follow their dreams.

‘Lucy and The Bear: A Vivid Memory’ is now available to buy in paperback on amazon.co.uk

It is Lucy’s wish for all royalties to be shared with residents at Birkin Lodge to ensure they can make their wishes come true.

For more information about Birkin Lodge Care & Nursing Home or to make an appointment to view the home, please contact Jo Tenwick, Home Manager at josephine.tenwick@ countrycourtcare.com

NEWLY PUBLISHED

Author Lucy Pope

HELPING HAND Support worker Lizzie Penman with Lucy

A selection of what’s on this week around town

THE MUSIC scene is one of the most outstanding features of life in Tunbridge Wells, with a range of theatres, halls and other venues that play the best of the world’s music, promote original artists and support local talent.

In a programme bringing all of this together, at The Forum tomorrow (October 6) is blues, rock and soul-influenced artist Ben Poole, making a stop in his UK tour and providing the opportunity for local group Half Moon Panic to play support to an international star.

Concert

Meanwhile, Paul Dunton, the town’s promoter of local music, appears at Trinity Theatre this Friday (October 7), in a collaborative concert between his Paul Dunton Orchestra and singer-songwriter Marie White, whose work he has championed.

On the same night, the Tunbridge Wells Jazz Club (Masonic Centre, St John’s Road) keeps the outside musical and historical influences flowing into town, with a booking of London-based Doolally Tap, a group infused with the spirit of 1920s New Orleans jazz. Tickets from Ticketsource.co.uk

Comedy fans are treated to a turn this week by Sarah Millican, whose star quality was recognised a decade ago when she was named one of the 100 most powerful women in the UK by BBC Radio 4 Woman’s Hour. She is expected to pack out the Assembly Hall Theatre for two nights this Friday and Saturday (October 7-8).

For those who prefer their ‘going out’ to be more outdoorsy, the Friends of Grosvenor & Hilbert Park celebrate Apple Day this Saturday (October 8). The event starts at the Hilbert Gates/Oast House where there will be apple pressing and crafts for children. Stalls on the day include cake-sellers, the Woodland Trust and Nature Makers.

SUPERGROUP Marie White (top) and the Paul Dunton Orchestra play together at Trinity Theatre on October 7

Group sows the seeds for change

Last Friday members of the Tunbridge Wells Fairtrade Town Group planted seeds in Calverley Grounds in order to ‘sow their solidarity’ with climate-hit Fairtrade farmers. Mandy Flashman-Wells spoke to the Times about this project you can also support...

The campaign for Fairtrade Town status began in Tunbridge Wells in 2003 as an initiative of the Churches Social Responsibility Group. A steering group was formed and began working firstly with the churches in the area, then the Council and the wider community such as schools, community groups such as guides and brownies, cafés, shops and businesses. Tunbridge Wells then became a Fairtrade Town in 2007 when the Town Council passed a resolution committing to Fairtrade. Since then, the Fairtrade Town Group has grown into a diverse group of people hoping to make a difference to the lives of others by choosing carefully what they buy.

Last week the annual Great Big Green Week took place across the country, where local

grassroots activities taking place nationwide. The local group also took the opportunity to urge their MP Greg Clark to ‘sow his solidarity’ by ensuring farmers have a say in how climate funding is spent. It comes as UK ministers plan their next steps after hosting the 2021 COP climate conference in Glasgow.

Mandy Flashman-Wells told the Times: “This summer in the UK, we’ve had a glimpse into how hotter weather can make life harder for ordinary people. Right now, farming communities across the world who have done the least to cause the climate crisis are living with its worst effects, such as droughts, storms, food shortages and plant disease.

Struggling

“We took part in the Fairtrade Foundation’s Great Big Green Week campaign because we want to ‘sow our solidarity’ with Fairtrade farmers and workers in lower-income countries who are struggling to grow the food we love to eat in the UK, like coffee, bananas and cocoa, due to climate change. Planting our wildflower seeds in Calverley Grounds is a small action, but we hope it sends a big message to our government leaders.”

challenge governments of the countries most responsible for the climate crisis to, at a minimum, deliver on an unfulfilled promise to fund a $100bn climate investment package for communities most affected by climate change.

Stefan Donnelly, Campaign and Communities Manager at the Fairtrade Foundation, said: “We’re delighted that people here in Tunbridge Wells have come together this Great Big Green

“But many of these communities, including Fairtrade farmers and workers, are still waiting for any support to reach them and waiting to have a say in how that money is spent. From reforestation to protecting pollinators, Fairtrade farmers are already investing in the solutions needed to protect their communities and our food supply from climate breakdown.

“This Great Big Green Week, we call on our politicians to respect farmers' expertise, needs and ambitions. They must have a leading role in deciding how any climate funds are spent. We are running out of time to get this right. Communities here in Tunbridge Wells are playing their part – now our political leaders need to do likewise,” Mr Donnelly explained.

Commitment

communities participated in hundreds of events designed to protect the planet and to urge politicians and decision makers to do likewise.

To mark the week, the Fairtrade Foundation ran a ‘Sow Your Solidarity’ campaign, inviting members of the public to sow a packet of native British wildflower seeds in their neighbourhoods. The campaign was designed to give people of all ages a practical and easy way to tackle climate change locally and show solidarity with farmers in low-income countries who are already planting change in their own communities.

The Tunbridge Wells Fairtrade Group joined in on the campaign event, sowing wildflower seeds in Calverley Grounds, mirroring similar

“We also sent a packet of seeds to our local MP Greg Clark, asking him to keep the pressure on and sow their own seeds of change in Parliament. We need our political leaders to use their power to help ensure that farming households overseas, who struggle to make ends meet, have the support and finance they need to thrive. Together we want to show decision makers that people from all walks of life are stepping up to plant seeds of change in the face of the climate crisis – and we need them to step up too.”

The Fairtrade Foundation is an official partner of the Great Big Green Week, which is run by the Climate Coalition. Fairtrade’s ‘Sow Your Solidarity’ campaign is part its ongoing efforts to

Week to ‘sow their solidarity’ with farming communities overseas. Their seed-planting event in Tunbridge Wells was a reminder of the depth of grassroots support in this region for the 1.9 million Fairtrade farmers and workers who grow many of our favourite foods. Their communities across Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific are often already unable to earn enough for a decent life due to unfair trade and extreme global inequality. To make matters worse, right now they’re also struggling with rising living, food and farming costs.

“At the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow last year, the UK Government – along with other wealthy and high-polluting nations – reiterated a decade-old promise to give financial support to communities at the forefront of the climate crisis. Those who bear the most responsibility for the crisis have a duty to support farming communities at the climate coalface to invest in building more sustainable futures for themselves and for the whole planet,” Mr Donnelly said.

The Council in Tunbridge Wells declared a Climate and Biodiversity Emergency in July 2019, setting a commitment to become carbon neutral by 2030. They organised several events for the Great Big Green Week including a ‘Women in Sustainability Panel Event’ and ‘Going Green With Sustainable Business’, for any business interested in reducing their carbon impact.

The final event of the week was held at The Forum, organised by the local Friends of the Earth Group, and included local community groups such as the Repair Café, Soroptimists, 20s Plenty, Tunbridge Wells Bicycle Users Group, Friends of the Earth and the Fairtrade Town Group.

Speakers included Councillors who are members of Tunbridge Wells Borough Councils Climate Emergency Advisory Panel (CEAP) and there was a discussion on community and renewable energy. All of which is especially timely in light of the bid by Voltalia to build a solar farm to the North East of Tunbridge Wells.

For further information about the Fairtrade campaign, inluding how you can get involved, visit: fairtrade.org.uk

‘The Fairtrade campaign was designed to tackle climate change locally and show solidarity with farmers in lowincome countries who are already planting change in their own communities’

‘Planting our wildflower seeds in Calverley Grounds is a small action, but we hope it sends a big message to our government leaders’

Try a different kind of orange crush

Like red wines, these ‘orange wines’ –a term created in 2004 by UK-based wine merchant David Harvey – are white wines that are fermented and then aged in contact with the grape skins and juice, which imbues them with a deeper colour and a relatively pronounced astringency. While the most extreme can certainly be demanding to drink (tasting oftentimes like yeasty, funky farmhouse cider) there are now lots of engaging, drinkable wines made in the same style, all with relatively light alcohol and airy to medium tannins.

Mainstream

Though never very cheap, these wines are slowly becoming more mainstream – and not just a tipple for hipsters – with plenty of modern examples that are not oxidised, ludicrously quirky or have an acquired taste. Maceration extracts tannins and flavour compounds, which is why orange wines tend to have a clear textural character, light-medium tannins, a savoury edge, firm acidity and huge food-pairing appeal – perfect for a range of different fare as we usher in autumn. Here are three really good (and not feral or chewy) ones for more adventurous drinkers to toast tomorrow’s ‘National Orange Wine Day.’ Serve lightly chilled. Cheers!

1 A dark gold Georgian orange wine bargain from Marks & Spencer

M&S Tbilvino Qvevris 2020 Orange Wine, Kakheti, Georgia (£8, down from £10, Ocado and M&S, until 18 October, 12%)

Like its neighbour Armenia, Georgia has a very ancient wine tradition – dating back 8,000 years – and countless, singular, first-class, local grapes. Lively white Rkatsiteli grapes, the antique, cold-hardy, high-acid Georgian white grape variety, lend themselves well to skincontact amphorae-based fermentation, known as the Kakhetian method in eastern Georgia (also look out for orange wines made from white Mtsvane and Kisi). This charming bargain bottle is gloriously deep-gold in colour and full of flavour: dried orange peel, wild herbs, quince, pear, bruised apple and spices, as well as some tea leaf, with a chalky, flowing texture. Its name comes from ‘qvevri,’ the large, handmade, lemon-shaped Georgian clay vessels, lined with beeswax and buried entirely underground –requiring no temperature control (unlike Spanish tinajas and amphorae) – that are used to ferment and age red and white wines on their skins in Georgia. One to go with chicken tagine, tandoori chicken or seafood. Get it on the offer.

2 Must-try organic orange wine from Languedoc-Roussillon

Gérard Bertrand Orange Gold 2020 vin biologique, Languedoc-Roussillon, France (£18, Ocado, 12%)

Made from Chardonnay, Grenache Blanc, Viognier, Marsanne, Mauzac, Muscat and Clairette grapes, this luminous certified organic wine is a sunset-orange colour. The flavour profile here is the essence of spiced peach, apricot, tangerine peel, jackfruit, hay, white flowers and dried herbs. Both light tannins (from vinification and fermentation in whole

bunches), stone fruits and bright acidity wash cleanly through the finish. Pleasingly honed and refined, rather than brazen and forceful. A great bottle for those uninitiated in orange/amber wines, perhaps. Autumnal, buffed and modern are the words that come to mind as you smell and taste. Impossible to hold back pouring another glass. Chill very lightly (12-14°C) for lightly spiced Indian or Asian cuisine (hello Vietnamese noodles) and a cheeseboard.

3 An orange wine from Surrey

Litmus Orange Bacchus 2021, Surrey, England (£17.49-£21, Grape Britannia, Litmus English Wine and Harvey Nichols, 12%)

This is a tangy, pale gold, elderflower, kumquat, floral orange blossom and yellow peach of an English orange wine (made by Australianborn, Surrey-based winemaker John Worontschak) with a lengthy, gently smoky finish. Fresh, with a pleasing sprightly touch of astringency, it was fermented and aged on skins for four weeks without sulphur

dioxide and is unquestionably at the cleaner, less funky and grippy end of the orange wine scale. Sassy stuff here – it sings of currants, grapefruit pith, marzipan and elderflower. Not your usual soporific Bacchus. Try it with a green Thai curry.

FREELANCE GRAPHIC DESIGNER

property news

Homeowners in South East value volunteering‘Streamlined’ planning processes are now to be expected says Savills

THE Chancellor, Kwasi Kwarteng, has set out measures to stimulate economic growth. Planning and development featured prominently amongst the proposed changes, which should lead to a more ‘streamlined’ planning process, a leading estate agent has said.

As part of the Government’s ambition to achieve 2.5 per cent economic growth in the medium term, the Chancellor announced, ‘Investment Zones’ or IZs in 38 areas of the country, all so far in England, where planning and environmental restrictions will be relaxed, along with reduced business taxes, freeing up developers and local residents from ‘red tape’.

Measures

The Chancellor also made clear that in the coming weeks, announcements on planning reform would be made, notably a new Bill, which would include measures to speed up major strategic infrastructure projects, and which ensure an increase in housing supply.

Charlie Collins, head of planning in the south east, at Savills said: “It will soon become clear what measures in the present Levelling Up Bill will remain as part of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill.

“We now expect ‘streamlined’ planning processes especially in IZs, which may likely include the detail required for application submissions, and some deregulation.

“Where this leaves local plans, intentions for design codes, and environmental considerations remains to be seen. There is the prospect that some reforms may simply have taken too long to be within the scope

CHARLIE COLLINS

of the Government’s new timetable.”

Collins added: “It was also suggested by the previous administration that the forthcoming National Development Management Policy (NDMP) would gain primacy in decision making in the event of any conflict with Local Plans. Does the Government therefore intend for these to set the rules for decisions made in the new Investment Zones, rather than via Local Planning Authorities in the first instance?

“If so, the industry should be very keen to see the proposed NDMP as a matter of urgency, assuming it still features in the Planning Bill.”

A study of 2,000 British homeowners has revealed the top 40 factors which make up the perfect member of the community, with 21 per cent of those in the South East region believing they fit the perfect citizen model, compared to 15 per cent nationally.

Region

The research, commissioned by Redrow, a leading UK housebuilder with developments across the South East region, found that those living in the region think the top characteristics for a model citizen are volunteering (33 per cent), checking in on elderly members of the community (31 per cent) and picking up rubbish in and around your local area (29 per cent).

The Redrow study also found that 53 per cent of those living in the South East had become good friends with their neighbours as a result of helping out in their community.

Rachael Baillie, Director of Sales at Redrow said: “Far from nightmare neighbours, this research paints a picture of the model citizens

we’d love to live next door to.

“There’s a lot of conversation about community spirit and whether there’s enough of it in the UK at the moment.

“We strive to deliver a better way of living for people, and that means thinking about the whole development and the community. Our research gives some great tips on how you can be the best citizen possible and brighten up the lives of those living around you.”

The study also found a fifth would consider someone who is trusted to look after a neighbour’s keys, pets and plants to be a great citizen, with the same number citing shopping locally as a virtue.

It also emerged 36 per cent in the South East region feel ‘worthwhile’ when they do something they believe benefits their community, whilst 41 per cent (vs 30 per cent national average) are proud to help in their local community.

However, 44 per cent of South East respondents said they consider themselves to be ‘average’ citizens, who don’t go above and beyond in their local area and 29 per cent believe they could still be doing ‘a lot’ more. Only 14 per cent feel they’re doing as much as they possibly could.

*Images

HOMEOWNERS in the South East see

checking in on elderly

members and picking up rubbish

Nature Art Competition

Tcountryside.

The competition will comprise the following two categories, with the winners of each category awarded a professional arts materials bundle worth up to £150!

his summer saw the launch of Capturing Cranbrook, an art-led programme looking to celebrate the natural landscape of the treasured Kent town. Hosted by local developer, Berkeley, the initiative is calling creatives of all stripes to showcase Cranbrook through their eyes – through lens or on canvas – and have a chance to feature in a special exhibition.

The programme has kicked off with a photography competition in partnership with award-winning wildlife photographer, David Jenner, which has seen aspiring photographers capture everything from animals, flowers, landscapes through to woodland creatures.

Now in full swing, is the nature art competition, which is inviting enthusiastic artists of all ages to get creative and capture Cranbrook’s natural world, landscapes, fauna and flora. Berkeley has partnered with Claire Murthy, a Kent-based painter and illustrator, who specialises in capturing the wildlife residing in Kent’s gardens and local

The competition will be judged by a panel of three judges, including Claire Murthy herself, a Berkeley representative and a figure from Times of Tunbridge Wells.

CATEGORIES

Beginners – open to those looking to explore their artistic talents but are new to drawing Intermediate – open to those with experience in illustration looking to hone their skills and perfect their talent

HOW TO ENTER

Submit your entry via this dedicated website: https://www. berkeleygroup.co.uk/ developments/kent/cranbrook/ farmstead-at-tannersbrook/ capturing-cranbrook. Here, full competition T&C’s can also be found. The competition is open with final submissions to be sent by Wednesday 19th October.

PAINT WHAT YOU LOVE - LOVE WHAT YOU PAINT

Find your niche; whether that’s trekking through the jungle or the back-garden weeds – enjoy using artistic licence.

Know your subject’s anatomy, habits and habitats through workshops, interest groups, books and other resources.

Explore how wildlife is represented in art, including the mediums used – consider styles you can try out. Confidence in painting what you know will shine through your art.

BEFORE REACHING FOR THE PENCIL –STOP, LOOK AND THINK

Prepare a mental picture of the wildlife you want to draw and how to portray it. Observe its shape and how to simplify it for sketching. Note ways to present its significant colours in your finished piece. Consider how to manage your reference sketches – on loose sheets or perhaps in a nature journal.

Thinking ahead will help achieve your goals.

CAPTURING CRANBROOK: WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION

This week is the last chance to enter the ‘Capturing Cranbrook’ wildlife photography competition – so don’t miss out!

Local developer, Berkeley, is inviting you to take part in a brand-new wildlife photography competition celebrating Cranbrook. From buzzards, beetles and butterflies through to owls, Capturing Cranbrook will be asking local amateur photographers to pick up their cameras or iPhones and submit their best wildlife pictures.

David Jenner, as part of a panel of three judges, comprising a Berkeley representative and a figure from Times of Tunbridge Wells, will be selecting the best pictures with fantastic prizes up for grabs.

The competition will comprise the following categories, with the winners of each awarded a £300 voucher to Jessops, a leading UK photographic company specialising in printing and specialist photography equipment.

CATEGORIES

11-15 year olds: open to those with a fledgling interest in photography and/ or nature

16+: open to those with basic experience looking to develop this further

HOW TO ENTER

Submit your entry via this dedicated website, where full competition T&C’s can also be found. Final submissions are to be sent by Wednesday 12th October. https://www.berkeleygroup.co.uk/ developments/kent/cranbrook/ farmstead-at-tannersbrook/capturingcranbrook

BEWARE OF DISAPPOINTMENT – IGNORE DOUBTERS AND DOUBTS!

Work loosely and lightly to capture motion and form.

Quickly move between sketches; repeatedly update and refine gesture lines, shapes, proportions, and angles. Use techniques like hatching and colour for extra detail. Initial results may feel disappointing but each sketch will build a mental store of images, right and wrong – helping you create art you are pleased with.

MAKE IT REAL –

WHATEVER THE DETAIL

Decide how much effort and time to commit. Work loosely, blocking in areas, or slowly add layers and details with finer brushes.

Save time on individual hairs and feathers by painting or drawing clumps. Notice the direction of the fur and feathers. Ensure whiskers shine with a bold but delicate ‘swoosh’ and add a dash of white to bring the eyes to life.

Beyond the camera – the bigger picture

When a good photo doesn’t make for a good painting - try creating your own background. Use thumbnail sketches and other references for ideas - vary colour and detail to adjust depth, light and shade. A constructed composition may relate to the subject better than one photographed – and develop drawing skills.

Plenty of rests will help highlight any errors. Enjoy your art and create something you love!

Reminding all budding artists to pick up their canvas and capture Cranbrook

Pick of the lots from our September sale

antiques

ur September fine sale at Gorringe’s didn’t disappoint with excellent results across the board as always.

Today, I am pleased to take the reader through a few choice highlights as we once again turn the page on one sale, shifting our attention to welcoming consignments for our December 13 Christmas sale – often one of the very best auctions of the year.

It will come as no surprise that the Asian Art Department saw superb prices in Lewes on September 27.

Firstly, with lot 99, a small pair of Chinese blue and white dishes, with Kangxi sixcharacter marks and of the period (16621722) each finely painted with scenes from the ‘Romance of the West Chamber’, the underside with a river landscape, with everted rims and a circular foot.

The fact that both displayed hairline cracks didn’t seem to dissuade determined Chinese buyers participating from both

mainland China and the UK, with the gavel finally falling for an impressive hammer price of £33,000.

Scroll

The highest price of the day was also a Chinese work. Lot 183 – ‘Bee and Chrysanthemums’ by Qi Baishi (18641957) – an ink-and-colour on paper scroll painting, inscribed and with a seal mark. It came with a wonderful provenance. Once the property of a Hong Kong-based businessman from England who was living in Shanghai between 1947-1948 when he acquired this painting, thence by family

descent.

This piece wonderfully illustrates how it is not simply age alone that denotes value in the Chinese market, as this comparative youngster sold for £65,000.

Readers of previous week’s offerings will recall my enthusiasm for lot 59 – a rare William de Morgan ruby lustre dish, c.1880. I was not alone in appreciating this gorgeous object, with the 31cm-diameter dish fetching £6,000 against an estimate of £3,000-£5,000.

Within the fine art offered in our September sale, as is so typically the case today, the more modern and contemporary elements proved to be the stars of the day.

This can be seen in ‘Robert Buhler and Bill Michael at 3 Avenue Studios’ – an impressive work in oil by Ken Howard (b.1932). This piece again had a wonderful family provenance linking back to direct purchase from the artist. At £12,500 – a gorgeous piece and arguably a sound investment for its new owner.

As is typical today, signed prints by Laurence Stephen Lowry (1887-1976) proved as strong as ever, with a hammer price of

£3,000 seen for ‘Our Town’, an offset lithograph, signed and numbered 294/850.

Jewellery and silver proved to be as buoyant as ever also, with top names and fun, unusual pieces continuing to sell very well – such as in £3,500 being achieved for lot 464 – a Cartier 18k gold, platinum and six stone baguette cut, diamond-set novelty stick pin, modelled as a pistol and inscribed ‘Peacemaker’.

by TV’s Clive Attrell from

and

SOLD ‘Bee and Chrysanthemums’

Indeed, another similar piece with ‘dangerous’ subject matter was lot 399. An early-20th century French Chaumet & Co. novelty stick pin (again modelled as a pistol) in 18ct gold, natural saltwater baroque pearl, demantoid garnet, ruby and rose and cut diamond. It sold for an impressive £1,500 against an estimate of £500-£700.

If you have pieces which you might like to be considered for sale at Gorringe’s, I would love to hear from you – you can reach me directly at: josepht@gorringes.co.uk

Auctioneer and valuer Joseph Trinder talks about some of the items that went under the hammer at Gorringe’s auction house last month...

JOSEPH TRINDER

IMPRESSIVE ‘Robert Buhler and Bill Michael at 3 Avenue Studios’

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Get down to brass tacks when choosing your next instrument

Kim Thornewell, Senior Consultant at Brittens Music, explains the pros and cons of this fabulous, versatile family of instruments...

THE BRASS family consists of many different instruments covering high and low pitches, the most common are:

1. Trumpet

2. Cornet

3. French Horn

4. Trombone

What is a good age to start learning a brass instrument?

It is recommended that brass instrument learners have their adult (permanent) front teeth for at least a few months before they start to learn – usually around seven to eight years old. The front teeth help with the formation and production of the sound. Players who start before they have their permanent teeth have to deal with the issue of the gap at the front of the mouth after the ‘milk’ teeth have fallen out.

Also, the amount of pressure an inexperienced player puts on the lips can cause problems.

What is the right instrument to start on?

The size and weight of some brass instruments make them inappropriate for younger players.

Lower pitched brass instruments, such as the euphonium or tuba, are quite large and heavy, so not recommended for younger beginners. Even though you might think the trombone would only suitable be for someone with longer arms, it is also an option.

Beginners start off playing notes in the nearer positions. The notes in the furthest position on the slide (arms stretched!) wouldn’t normally be played until you’re a little more advanced. Often, the cornet can be a good option to start on as little hands are able to hold the instrument more comfortably and nearer the body, due to its

smaller size. A trumpet is also an option.

For older beginners the choice is yours. You may have a favourite artist, or just always fancied giving the trombone a go.

Ensemble

As a trombonist, I’m a little biased, but they’re great fun to play and can be played in any orchestra, brass band, pop or jazz ensemble.

The trombone suits any style!

In a brass or wind band, the higher register instruments (trumpet, cornet, horn) often play

the melody, while lower register instruments such as the trombone, euphonium and tuba more often play the bass parts and other harmonies in between.

If you’re still unsure about what’s right for you or your child come along to one of Brittens Music’s ‘Instrument Try-out Days’.

The next one is on Saturday October 22 from 11am-4pm at our showroom.

It’s a chance to try out all kinds of instruments, so you can see which instrument or instrument type is right for you. We show you how to blow or pluck your first note, so no previous experience required.

For information on any instrument, or to talk brass anytime, visit the Brittens Music showroom on Grove Hill Road, Tunbridge Wells, or visit the website at: brittensmusic.co.uk

KIM THORNEWELL

THE