Times of Tunbridge Wells 8th February 2023

It’s carry on nursing as ambulance staff and teachers strike over pay

Nurses report for work while other colleagues join walk out

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By Lilly Croucher

AMBULANCE workers serving Tunbridge Wells walked out on Monday as local teachers prepared for their second strike next month. Both are looking for improved pay and conditions.

However, NHS nurses at the hospital in Pembury carried on as normal, unlike their colleagues in other parts of the country who supported action.

Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust (MTW) confirmed that their nurses are not striking after they voted not to take part in any industrial action.

Conversely, 3,500 ambulance workers from southern ambulance services went on strike on Monday (February 6) along with nurses around the country as part of the biggest health strike in NHS history.

GMB union members from South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb) voted in favour of industrial action and walked out on Monday from 12pm to 2am on Tuesday (February 7) morning.

Workers are ‘furious’ with the government’s pay offer after the events of the Covid-19 pandemic

Workers staged picket lines outside ambulance centres across Kent, including Paddock Wood Make Ready Centre, Eldon Way following previous demonstrations on January 11 and 23. Ambulance staff were offered a four per cent pay rise by the government – an

additional £1,400 per worker – but the union rejected this and is demanding a pay rise closer to the rate of inflation, which is currently at 10.5 per cent.

Workers are ‘furious’ with the government’s pay offer after the events of the Covid-19 pandemic and the queues of ambulances outside of A&E departments over Christmas.

More ambulance strikes are scheduled for SECAmb staff on February 20, March 6 and 20 by the GMB Union.

Meanwhile, teachers are also getting ready to walk out again on March 2, 15 and 16 and the action is expected to impact more than 7,000 students from primary and secondary schools across Tunbridge Wells.

See also page 3

INSIDE: Lantern parade lights up the town as it makes a comeback: Page 4

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MARCHING ON Over 200 teachers took part in last week’s Tunbridge Wells protest

Theatre gets over ‘bump in the road’ and is now set to hit target

TRINITY Theatre is on track to raise £100,000 by the end of this month and save the venue from closure.

As of yesterday (February 7), the total stood at over £42,500, with nearly £9,000 in Gift Aid.

“We look very, very likely to get over this bump in the road,” said Chief Executive Nick Mowat stressing that Trinity’s shortfall was a result of poor box-office takings and problems which were now being addressed.

He believed the management now knew the

full extent of all the debts and costs which had to be met, specifying: “We have now paid for Christmas.

“We have tried principally to look after local businesses in the first instance, but we are now at the point of the next tranche [of bills] being sorted out.

“We are managing our finances with an incredible amount of detail – we go through our creditors list probably twice a week now.”

But he said: “I want to be very clear this is a bump in the road, and we have a very robust

TRINITY has three sources of income –supporters, sponsors and the box office.

“The biggest of the three is the box office – or it should be,” said acting chief executive Nick Mowat.

However, in the wake of Trinity’s fundraising call in January, which revealed box office takings were 60 per cent down since 2019, he laid out more detail on the arts centre’s plan to make its cultural programme more attractive and more profitable.

One thing the centre currently lacks is space – or ‘spaces’ to bring in more income from the 200-year-old building, he told the Times “I can’t say we are working to capacity, but we are to the capacity of the resources we currently have (including staff).”

However, he added: “We are in the last stages of taking over the lease to the Pump Room (on

budget for next year – and a programme.”

Management changes had played their role in the arts centre’s troubles, he acknowledged.

When Mr Mowat became acting Chief Executive he ‘started to lift stones to look underneath’.

And he added: “The board only in December properly discussed [the situation] for the first time.”

He defended former Artistic Director Sean Turner – who resigned at the beginning of

TRINITY LOOKS TO THE FUTURE

The Pantiles). This gives us visibility at that end of town. It can be a satellite.

“I’ve got designs on it for Christmas,” he added.

A new Trinity logo – currently in the works –will be applied to every production or Trinitystaffed programme in order to raise the arts centre’s profile outside its Church Road location, he said.

“Everything we are involved with will have that recognisable logo, and people will say: ‘It will be good because it’s Trinity’.”

Even the retirement living complex planned for the former cinema site opposite Trinity, which will have a community space, could eventually become another Trinity site, he added.

The clocktower of the church building will open ‘toward the end of April’, with a plan to ask for voluntary donations but keep the access free for

January – pointing to the management vacuum which had left Mr Turner, a Theatre Director, covering the business side of Trinity.

“As a director, I can’t fault him at all,” said Mr Mowat. “It was a case of a square peg in a round hole.”

When the Annual General Meeting was held 12 days after the New Year, he said: “That was when the fundraiser was launched. But the writing was on the wall.”

as long as possible, to bring people in for other activities, he confirmed.

“The café is starting to really find its feet. There have been three ‘versions’ since the pandemic, but now we have got a terrific chef and it’s a comfortable, friendly environment.”

The rest of the programme will focus on ‘quality’, whether it is populist or niche, he explained.

“Thirty minutes’ drive-time is kind of our catchment. But we will probably attract an audience from a wider area if we are possibly the only date for a show in Kent or maybe even in the South East.”

And he told gig-goers to look out for the Scottish folk-rock band Skerryvore and the Australian acrobatic theatre show the Splash Test Dummies, whose dates Trinity is currently negotiating.

Residents waiting for ‘pothole blitz’ as reports more than quadruple

By Alice Reece

MOTORISTS will be unsurprised to learn that a record number of potholes in the county were reported to Kent County Council (KCC) last month – with numbers increasing more than four-fold from this time last year.

New data from KCC revealed the council had received 9,241 reports of potholes between December 2022 and January 24, 2023, compared to 2,018 reports in the same period last year.

Frustrating

Despite KCC’s claims to have fixed 26,000 potholes in response to over 14,000 reports, the numbers have increased 4.5 times from last year. With the alternating ice and thaw, many residents worried that Tunbridge Wells could become ‘plagued by a plethora of potholes’.

The RAC’s Head of Roads Policy, Nicholas Lyes, said: “We fear that by the spring, drivers will be plagued by a plethora of potholes across the country’s roads, which makes journeys uncomfortable and frustrating or, worse still,

could lead to very expensive garage repair bills – the last thing anyone wants in a cost-of-living crisis.

“We seem unable to get on top of an age-old problem when roads play such an important role in people’s everyday lives.

“Councils are crying out for more funding to do a proper job in getting their roads up to a decent standard,” he stressed.

Last year, KCC said they would continue fixing

potholes across the county as part of a £7 million ‘Pothole Blitz’ set to cost £21 million over the next three years.

The Department for Transport’s (DfT) highways grant to KCC has been slashed by 20 per cent for 2022-2023, by £9 million per annum, and £27 million over the next three years.

A Kent County Council (KCC) spokesperson told the Times: “We know the disruption that can be caused by sub-zero weather conditions, which can have a damaging impact on the road surface.

“As soon as defects are reported to us, we work quickly to complete temporary repairs to remove immediate dangers.

“Separately, we have invested £7 million this current financial year in our Pothole Blitz programme as well as other planned road maintenance.”

Potholes have become a sore subject in Tunbridge Wells after Kent was declared as the ‘UK Pothole Capital’ in 2021 by Go Compare. The comparison website reported there were 13,554 potholes in Kent in 2021, covering 10,000 metres of road.

‘We are managing our finances with an incredible amount of detail – we go through our creditors list probably twice a week now’

HAZARD Pothole numbers are on the rise

Teen pleads guilty to murder and robbery

A 17-year-old has pleaded guilty to the murder of Thomas Waugh, 20, at a hearing in Maidstone Crown Court on January 27.

The youth stabbed Mr Waugh to death by puncturing his left lung shortly before 1am in Tonbridge on August 19, 2022.

The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, also admitted to attempted robbery of Mr Waugh and robbing two men with him of a gold chain, a packet of cigarettes and a £5 note.

The 17-year-old from Coulsdon, Surrey was remanded in custody and will be sentenced after the trial of a 16-year-old who has pleaded not guilty to the same charges.

A 47-year-old woman from Surrey is also expected to stand trial, accused of assisting an offender.

NHS Trust Star Awards 2023 open for entries

Nominations are now open for Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust’s (MTW) Exceptional people, outstanding care Star Awards which recognises the hard work of their staff, volunteers and teams.

The Trust is asking members of the public to nominate their ‘hospital heros’ who they feel have made a difference to patient care over the last year and should be celebrated at the Star Awards event in April.

The eight categories are: Patient First, Respect, Innovation, Delivery, Excellence, Team of the Year, Volunteer of the Year and Hospital Hero.

The deadline for nominations is 11.59pm on Saturday, February 28 and can be made at mtw. nhs.uk/awards/

Police seek van driver after fatal collision

KENT Police are looking to find a van driver who may have information about a road collision on Culverden Down which led to the death of a 75-year-old man in hospital.

Authorities say the vehicle is a van or minibus that was parked near Tunbridge Wells Football club, close to the scene of the collision which happened on Saturday January 7 around 5.15pm.

The victim was struck down by a driver in a white Volkswagen Transporter van who was later arrested at the scene and remains on bail until March 28.

Detective Sergeant Chris Wade said: “The vehicle we are still looking to trace was parked immediately next to where the collision happened.

“It is important we establish who it belongs to, as it may contain dashcam footage which could be important to the investigation.

Any information, please contact SCIU on 01622 798538 quoting reference 003/23 or email sciu.td@kent.pnn.police.uk

Events to mark war memorial centenary

The town will mark 100 years since the unveiling of the Tunbridge Wells War Memorial this Saturday (February 12) at an event led by The Mayor, Cllr Godfrey Bland.

An event will take place at the War Memorial at 11.55am on Saturday and will be attended by Leader, John Cohen, and members of the Royal British Legion to pay tribute to those who fought in both world wars. The Mayor will lay a wreath and a minute’s silence will be observed.

All are welcome to attend a display in the Welcome Hall, The Amelia Scott, which will tell the story of the memorial and will include the original artist’s model and other objects from the collection.

Second strike set to hit thousands of primary and secondary students

By Lilly Croucher

TEACHERS are planning further walkouts next month following a strike last week that saw thousands of students in Tunbridge Wells impacted by the action.

A second strike is set to take place on March 2 after members of the National Education Union (NEU) took to the streets of Tunbridge Wells last Wednesday (February 1) to demand better pay and conditions.

The strike is estimated to have affected over 7,000 students from secondary and primary schools across Tunbridge Wells.

Liz Hawker, an educator for children with Special Educational Needs and a parent, said: “I am 100 percent behind the teachers striking. What parents experience during the strikes is a drop in the ocean in comparison to what the teachers face every day.

“My son goes to Tunbridge Wells Boys Grammar School and had classes from home and the day went very smoothly.”

Around 200 teachers marched from Calverley

Grounds, up Mount Pleasant Road and through the town centre holding placards and chanting ‘No ifs, No buts, No education cuts’.

There were members from secondary schools Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar School, Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys, Skinner’s School, St Gregory’s and Bennett Memorial Diocesan as well as Claremont, St Marks, St Matthews and Holwood primary schools.

Members from Tonbridge and East Sussex schools travelled to join the rally.

Tom Hoskins, NEU Joint Secretary for West Kent told the Times: “Teachers pay has risen a little bit but it’s coming out of the school budget which the government is not increasing. We think this is unacceptable. Teacher recruitment levels have fallen off a cliff.

Value

“We are asking for an investment for our future because our kids are our future. You invest in the kids, you will have better educated, better chances, better monetary value to the future economy.”

He added: “We are contracted to work 31.5 hours a week, that’s what we earn our money for, but the average secondary school teacher works 50 hours a week, with primary school teachers working 60 hours a week, so we are putting in a lot of overtime and not getting any more pay.”

Members of the NEU union voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action.

The NEU has said that teachers were offered on average a five percent pay rise, seven percent behind inflation, which is why it’s asking the government for a fully-funded, above inflation pay rise that is not coming out of the school budget.

The next day of strike action for schools in the town is expected to go ahead on March 2 with more strikes planned for March 15 and 16.

WHY WE ARE ON THE MARCH…

THE TIMES talked to a random selection of teachers about why they were on the protest march. Here’s what they said:

‘We have had to put off having another child’ Will Downing, English Teacher earning £34,000.

“I have a young family and we are financially breaking even at the moment, but I can see it getting worse and wanted to deal with this now by coming on strike, rather than in five years when we really are in trouble.

“One impact already is that me and my partner have decided that we are not going to have another a child because we can’t afford it.

“I hope the strike resolves the issues but in reality it will hopefully get the ball rolling and get the government to plan better, think ahead and hopefully the next government will act on it.”

‘We are struggling to pay for our wedding’ Nathan Von Fraunhofer, History Teacher at Bennett Memorial on £29,800.

“I am a new teacher and despite having a

degree am making considerably less than my friends who are not teachers and some that don’t have a degree.

“I am trying to get married this year and am struggling to find the money to pay for it.

“I get paid from 9 to 4 but in reality, I start my day at 8am and leave at 5.30pm, maybe even 7pm and I am not paid for those extra hours.

“Teachers will work at the weekends and on holiday to get ahead of marking and make lesson plans.

“Our wages are no longer competitive and as a result no one wants to become teachers anymore, that means teachers are having to work harder and we can’t provide good education for our children.”

‘Morally corrupt pay taken from school budgets’

Mercedes Davis, Drama and English teacher at Tunbridge Wells Girls Grammar School.

“Education is at a crisis point, and I feel like the Government needs to pay attention, they need to listen to teachers and kids and parents

and they not doing that.

“I want a more sustainable plan for the future because schools are currently struggling to recruit and retain staff, so we have to think much more strategically to safeguard education.

“It is morally corrupt that wages are taken from school budgets and its unsustainable for the future of education. For me it’s about how we think of and value education.”

‘Workload forced experienced teacher to quit’ Primary School Teacher, Tunbridge Wells, who asked not to be named.

“For me it’s the long working hours with little to no compensation, I’m working till 8pm at night then I come home put the kids to bed and go to sleep and then I’m working on the weekends so I’m not seeing my family.

“Yes, you get holidays, but you have to work during the holidays too.

“There have been highly experienced teachers who have left because they can’t deal with the workload.”

‘Teachers’ pay has risen a little bit but it’s coming out of the school budget which the government is not increasing. We think this is unacceptable’

HAVING THEIR SAY Teachers march through the town centre

Photo: Alice Reece

ALL OUT Staff at Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar School get their point across

Flower power illuminates the town as popular lantern parade returns

BRIGHT figures of birds and flowers filled the winter-dark streets this weekend, as the Lantern Parade followed its now-traditional route through the north-east of town to Grosvenor & Hilbert Park.

The event, organised by the Camden Road Education Arts and Theatre Enterprise (CREATE), has been an annual fixture of the town for over a decade now, despite the need for a virtual event in the pandemic year of 2021.

Community

This year’s ‘Secret Garden’ theme was taken up by local families and artists, who designed and made a vast array of colourful lanterns both large and small.

The celebration of community and creativity features music from Paddock Wood-based samba band Bloco Fogo and the Tunbridge Wells Sea Cadets’ TS Brilliant band.

The RTW Round Table fundraising organisation and Royal Victoria Place (RVP) supported the event which started in Calverley Precinct outside RVP at 5.30pm on Saturday (February 4) and wended its way to Grosvenor & Hilbert Recreation Ground.

Lucy Edkins, part of the Winter Lantern parade organisation team, said: “The Winter Lanterns festival is funded by donations each year with both CREATE and the parade being run by local volunteers.

“We are a purely community driven and organised event which is funded through donations from our local community.”

How are you developing your team?

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Our tips to develop your staff.

1. Provide a thorough induction and training programme which is varied to accommodate different types of learners. Some people prefer classroom style training sessions whilst others favour osmosis learning- learning by proxy, or being exposed to others which can naturally achieve an unconscious assimilation of ideas, knowledge and even technical skills. Osmosis learning with the current work from home and hybrid scenarios has its challenges, which is one of the reasons we are seeing a number of companies

insisting their teams are 100% back in the office.

2. Ongoing training is equally as important. With the rate of change in the recruitment industry, even our most experienced consultants at TN Recruits are constantly challenged with new ways of working in the form of weekly training sessions.

3. Create a learning culture. It’s very short sighted to assume you know everything about your sector and the best ways of working. There are some fantastic business coaches out there offering external training sessions, both generalist and sector specific. Lead from the top, when directors and managers are seen to be coachable, it sends the right message to the rest of the company.

4. Review career development opportunities by putting competency frameworks in place. This is simply setting goals or targets which are long term and rewarded with promotion. When your team know they have something to work towards, the motivation remains high as they can see future promotional opportunities.

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Photographs by Basia Wesolowska

Castlemas blames the media for loss of investors after failing to pay workers

By Lilly Croucher

DIRECTORS of Tonbridge Christmas event, Castlemas, who failed to pay their staff, performers, and the borough council, have broken their silence.

The event organisers have issued a public statement after Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council (TMBC) told organisers they can no longer use council land after it had not paid any of its workers and suppliers.

Disappointing

After a ‘disappointing’ turnover, the event organisers looked for investors to bail them out but claimed the press coverage of the issue for causing investors to pull out.

In a statement, Castlemas Ltd said: “Directors have been collating the financial information to establish the outcome of Castlemas.

“Unfortunately, the results of the event were disappointing, but this did provide the information to allow the Directors to approach potential investors.

“There was a positive response from investors and a rescue package was being pulled together. However, sadly, recent events and, in particular,

the press coverage, has caused the investors to withdraw.

“The Directors are now taking further advice to assess the options available and the steps to be taken.”

The event has been widely criticised after Robert Styles from TMBC wrote a public letter last week.

In it he detailed the ‘high number of complaints/ enquires from suppliers, staff and performers’ who are yet to be paid.

Of those still waiting for payment of donations is children’s’ Hospice, Demelza, which provides hospice care for children and young people and was the event’s charity partner.

In his letter, Mr Styles told the organisers that because of their unsettled debts, the council will no longer permit Castlemas Ltd ‘to use our (TMBC’s) land for any future events’ even if they clear their debts.

He added that some council invoices remained and they ‘expect to be paid in full too, being taxpayers’ money.’

According to Companies House, Castlemas Ltd directors, Oliver Tourle and Hannah Rotchell, who were also directors of Bravo Productions, which hosted Castlemas in 2021, went into liquidation last year and owes £150,000.

Funding cuts see bus route changes

By Alice Reece

BUS passengers will see services slashed again as six routes in Tunbridge Wells are withdrawn by Kent County Council (KCC).

From Sunday (February 12), bus routes 6, 255, 277, 293, 296 and TW9 will see services cut down or withdrawn after KCC voted to cut subsides to 38 bus routes across the county.

The six routes are part of 23 bus services in Tunbridge Wells that have been withdrawn over the last ten months due to cuts by operators.

Impact

Route 255 services Benenden to Tunbridge and connects the rural villages of Hawkhurst, Lamberhurst, and Filmwell to the town, whilst route 296 links the remote areas of Horsmonden, Brenchley and Kippings Cross, between Tunbridge wells and Paddock Wood.

Cllr Suzanne Wakeman (Alliance) of Paddock Wood East said: “I am upset and concerned about the removal of many buses and routes from Paddock Wood and the surrounding areas.

“At a time when so many houses are being built it is more important than ever that we have the supporting infrastructure.

“Our roads are already struggling with the increased traffic which will only become worse increasing the damage to our climate contrary to KCC's climate change targets.

“These cuts will massively affect older people and school children including young women travelling home at night who don’t feel comfortable using taxis.”

GREG CLARK MP ADVICE SURGERIES

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

Changes taking effect on Sunday will see routes that service some of the most rural areas in the borough, such as the 255 and 293, being suspended indefinitely.

Other routes such as the 6, 277, 296, and TW9 that service will see services diverted or cut down by one day a week.

Initial plans by KCC were to stop funding to 48 services by 2022 but following public consultation, the cull was reduced to 38 services saving the county council £2.2million.

The defunding of the routes will impact services operated by Arriva, Autocar, Stagecoach, Go Coach, Regents, Nu-Venture and Chalkwell with the six discontinued routes in Tunbridge Wells expected to save KCC £120,403 a year.

The plans by KCC have received widespread backlash after fears it will cut off and isolate residents in rural communities including women using the services at night.

In October 2022, KCC councillors voted 37 for, 15 against with one abstention to the cuts following an extensive public consultation between February 2022 – April 2022 which received 2,562 responses.

The council also received three petitions, surveys by Kent Karrier operators and a parish council plus four letters from MPs.

Kent Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, David Brazier, had previously defended the cuts, saying: “The council is under no obligation to support unviable bus services.

“This is subject to the availability of funding,” adding: “Effectively the £2.2m is no longer in my budget and I cannot spend money I do not have.”

I am holding regular advice surgeries – by zoom or telephone. To make an appointment, please call: 01892 519854 or email: greg.clark.mp @parliament.uk

I am holding regular advice surgeries – face-to-face, online or by telephone. To make an appointment, please call:

Beat the awards deadline to become a business winner

THE COUNTDOWN is on to enter the Times Business Awards by the end of this month, when the judges will weigh up the merits of companies and individuals across ten different categories.

The deadline for this year’s entries is 11.59pm on February 20 – allowing enough time for the five judges to go through all of the entries and publish their shortlist by March 15. The gala awards ceremony is on March 30.

Visit timesbusinessawards.co.uk to find your category or categories and download a form to complete offline at your leisure.

There are two new awards for 2023.

The Green Business category will recognise companies for their commitment to the environment, whether through reducing energy usage, localising their supply chains or any other green initiatives.

Imagination

In the Charity of the Year award, we will be honouring the charities and not-for-profit organisations which play such a positive role in the life of our area. Judges will look for impact, sustainability and imagination.

The Business Award categories are designed to serve businesses big and small, with separate categories for 1-25 employees and 26+ employees. Entrepreneurial spirit is also acknowledged, with two separate categories for Start-Up Business of the Year and Entrepreneur of the Year

Other awards celebrate the strengths of the local economy, from family-oriented and creative companies to the food and drink sector.

The awards culminate with the Outstanding Business of the Year

Although sponsors do not have any say in the judging, they do have an active interest in their chosen category. For example, property management company Integra is sponsoring the Creative Business of the Year award.

Integra’s Chief Operating Officer Michael Puszyk told the Times that his company ‘relied on creatives and he wanted to see their contribution to local business recognised’.

Having been around since 2005, Integra was very sensitive to the choice of visual, PR and marketing services available locally, he added.

YOUR QUESTIONS:

Times

business awards 2023

THE most frequently asked question from prospective entrants is about the geographical area that is covered by the Times Business Awards Times editor Richard Moore said: “The Awards are a chance to celebrate the ‘cluster’ effect we see in and around the Tunbridge Wells area.

“This is a place in which the private, public and charitable sectors all work together to make this a great place to live, and we want to recognise that.

“You don’t have to be headquartered here, just work in and around the whole borough, or benefit people living and working in this area.

“Just read the Times of Tunbridge Wells, and you will see that even areas as far away as Paddock Wood, or Crowborough – which is part of East Sussex – are a part of our catchment area.”

Another frequent question is whether very small businesses and sole traders have a chance of winning.

Yet these small businesses can be surprisingly big players in the Awards, which is why there is a separate category dedicated to businesses of 1-25 employees.

And there are chances in other categories, too.

Last year’s Resilient Business Award was won by Eridge-based IPT Fitness, whose owners Aimee Stevens and Mase Leuluniu went ahead and entered their gym, nutritional expertise and personal training business.

“We were definitely not expecting to win –we’re so small,” they told the Times at the ceremony last March.

“We have seen a marked growth in the creative services in Tunbridge Wells and the surrounding areas over the past decade.

“We work closely with our creative partners to engage with our clients through social and digital platforms, so this category is very close to our hearts.”

Innovative

He also urged the judges in the creative category to think about the eventual winner’s clients.

“We look to be an innovative and creative leader within the property management community, and a particular interest for us would be a business that is in the vanguard of the creative marketing industry, raising

standards and ideas.

“We are very much inspired by all things creative, so we are delighted and excited to be sponsoring this year’s award.”

Meanwhile, Lexus Tunbridge Wells, last year’s headline sponsor, is supporting the Charity of the Year award – new for this year.

This category is intended to allow charities and not-for-profit organisations to spread the word about their work, as well as explaining what they are doing to ensure their positive impact is financially sustainable.

Meanwhile, local wealth management firm Brewin Dolphin is to sponsor the drinks reception before the Times Business Awards on March 30, where guests will have the chance to network, after which they will sit down at their tables with colleagues for the gala dinner.

“But we’re so happy with the award – thank you!”

Entering the Times Business Awards is free of charge at timesbusinessawards.co.uk

ENTER THE AWARDS AND RAISE THE BRANDING AND PROFILE OF YOUR BUSINESS FOR FREE

Below are the ten categories in which you can enter your business, whether you’re a start-up or an established company. Winning an award could change your business and your life. Visit timesbusinessawards.co.uk to find entry forms, which can be downloaded and completed at your leisure. But hurry, the deadline of 11.59pm on February 20 is approaching fast

In association with the Headline sponsor Berkeley Homes and drinks reception sponsor Brewin Dolphin

Start-Up Business of the Year (Sponsored by Cornerstone)

Companies founded since January 2021, which have really been attracting notice.

Creative Business of the Year

(Sponsored by Integra Property Management)

This is a strong sector for Tunbridge Wells, covering the creative, design, marketing and PR sectors which have made our town their home.

Entrepreneur of the Year

(Sponsored by Charles Stanley)

An entrepreneur is more than just a business person. Entrepreneurs turn their ideas into business opportunities and may run more than one company.

Charity of the Year (Sponsored by Lexus)

In this new award category, judges will analyse

the charities and not-for-profit organisations which play such a positive role in the life of our area, looking for impact, sustainability and imagination.

Green Business of the Year

(Sponsored by Clarity Homes & Commercial)

This new award category will recognise companies for their commitment to the environment, whether through reducing energy usage, ‘localising’ their supply chains or any other green initiatives.

Best in Food and Drink

(Sponsored by NFU Mutual)

This award is for the local companies producing or serving truly remarkable food and drink. Entries are welcomed from fine dining restaurants, gastropubs, simple cafés and food

and drink producers – any company which can demonstrate how it puts Tunbridge Wells or the local area on the map with its gastronomic excellence.

Best Family Business of the Year (Sponsored by Childrensalon)

The judges will be looking for the business that best demonstrates how running a family business has added significantly to its competitive advantage. The winner will need to show how being a family business has had a positive impact on its achievements.

Best Business 1-25 Employees

(Sponsored by TN Recruits) This award category is for the companies with a workforce of up to 25 which has maintained consistent growth and strong financial performance, both meeting its

customers’ expectations and supporting its employee’s welfare and growth.

Best Business 26+ Employees

(Sponsored by The Finance Hub)

Consistent growth, financial performance and an engaged, positive workforce are just some of the criteria that set these companies apart other medium to large businesses in the area.

Outstanding Business of the Year

(Sponsored by Thomson Snell & Passmore)

This award will reveal which company demonstrates the best combination of growth, ambition and quality of management in the area. The ‘outstanding’ company has delivered on a compelling business strategy, while developing its employees’ skills and looking after staff.

WINNERS IPT Fitness with Eamonn Holmes (left) at the 2022 ceremony

Free Consultation

Throughout February we are offering a free 1-hour consultation for new clients, at our offices in Tunbridge Wells, London and Guildford or online.

Learning is magic for local animator

Crowborough film-maker uses skills from Aardman course for award-winning short

Aardman Academy’s 12-week stop-motion animation course in 2021. The Aardman Academy is run by Aardman Animations, creators of Wallace and Gromit.

“I hadn’t done anything like stop-motion animation for 20 years,” he told the Times Neil created ‘The Great Handini’ from script to screen during the Aardman course, and it has now finished doing the rounds of festivals, winning awards in three, most recently the Covent Garden Film Festival.

By Victoria Roberts

IT’S NEVER too late to try something new or add a different skill set to your career or interest, according to a Crowborough-based animator, whose 39-second film ‘The Great Handini’ has just finished a run of festivals and picked up three awards.

Neil Whitman graduated in animation and film in 2001, before pursuing a career in TV graphics production for the likes of Sky Sports and BBC South East. Neil came back to animation as a freelancer years later.

Stop-motion

Initially he produced corporate animations and work for artists whose works predated music video – the likes of Nat King Cole and The Supremes. But in 2021, he took the plunge properly, graduating in the first cohort of the

‘You’re never too old to learn new tricks. When I was doing this at college 20 years ago, we used wind-up cameras!’

The 39-second film uses an ingenious visual trick to portray a magician reaching into his hat to pull out a mini-magician – just as a big hand reaches into the scene to pull him out of the hat. Working in a blacked-out garage studio at home, Neil works alone but is happy to offer encouragement to aspiring animators.

“Many animators start in garages or sheds. Famously, [children’s animated classic] ‘Bagpuss’ was filmed in a barn near Canterbury,” he said.

“You’re never too old to learn new tricks, especially in a [highly technical] industry like this. When I was doing this at college 20 years ago, we used wind-up cameras!”

For more information about Neil and his work, visit: neilwhitman.co.uk

IN THE FRAME

Neil working on ‘The Great Handini’

NEIL WHITMAN

HAT TRICK

A still from Neil’s award-winning film

Foodbank donates slow cookers to help its customers stretch supplies

By Sarah Carter

SLOW cookers have been included in foodbank donations this year, as a Tunbridge Wells organisation begins giving out the appliances to help those struggling with inflation.

Nourish Community Foodbank is providing 100 slow cookers in a pilot project to offer an energy-efficient way to prepare hot, nutritious meals with low-cost and readily available ingredients.

Nourish is funding the purchases itself, out of income from grants, trusts and donated funds, confirmed Operations Director Dawn Stanford.

“We have seen an increase in referrals stating ‘no root veg’ or ‘limited use of oven’ due to the cost of energy,” she told the Times.

“And we looked at the comparison cost of using a slow cooker and the benefits of using cheaper cuts of meat, beans and pulses to bulk out meals.”

The one-off donation of a slow cooker

Charity fund calls for more applicants

boosts people’s ability to manage, stressed the charity – whose parcels represent an emergency three-day supply of food and other items when a household is in crisis.

“This enables individuals and families to eat and manage better within a tight budget and reduce their dependence on food parcels,” said Nourish. Outlining the initiative, Dawn explained: “We provide a slow cooker, a cookbook with budget slow-cooker recipes and a pack of slow cooker essentials that the recipes ask for, like stock pots and cornflour.

Resource

“These, alongside our food parcels, give those struggling to cook a welcome resource to last long after the referral.” One recipient, ‘Jane’, told Nourish: “Thank you so much for the slow cooker.

“We have wanted one for ages but just couldn’t afford one, or the stock and cupboard bits to get us started.

“It has been used every day and I’ve found so many discounted foods to go in there. It’s my new favourite thing to do.” Although early indications show the pilot project has been a success, the charity’s priority remains food donations.

NUTRITIOUS

Slow cooking is an energy-efficient way to make meals

Food and other supplies can be dropped off at points all over town, while those keen to fund parcels can contact: office@ nourishcommunityfoodbank.org.uk

Lottery award signals boost for community radio station

WEST Kent Radio (WKR) has received National Lottery funding for the second time in two years, in a clear signal of the community station’s value.

The funding body put up the original grant to help WKR buy its two FM transmitters in Tunbridge Wells and Bidborough, and is now providing another £8,000 to further boost the FM signal with upgrades and a third transmitter.

The trustees of the station said: “We are delighted that The National Lottery Community Fund has once again recognised our work in this way.” WKR received its broadcasting licence from the regulator, Ofcom, in March 2020, but did not start broadcasting until October 2021.

A spokesman involved with the project told the Times that WKR would have to apply for planning permission for the

third transmitter, but that ‘we hope to finish everything within six months’.

The programming is aimed at listeners aged 45 and over in Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge, Southborough and surrounding areas, but the volunteers and presenters who run the station are of all ages and backgrounds.

Audience

As well as allowing airtime for local charities to put out the word about their good causes, it also provides showcases for local musicians and their work.

The trustees added: “Thanks to National Lottery players, we will be able to improve our service on FM, expand our coverage and provide quality programmes, news, entertainment, sport and good advice to a wider audience. We hope we can continue to enrich the lives of our listeners in West Kent.”

Since it began broadcasting in 2021 it has supported local events such as the Bidborough Platinum Jubilee celebrations, the Southborough Lions Gala Day, and the recent Christmas light festivals in both Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells.

Presenter Alex Hake, was shortlisted in the Speech and Journalism category at the 2022 Community Radio awards, for her feature on the Tunbridge Wells Ukraine Refugee Support Group.

West Kent Radio is on air at 95.5 and 106.7 FM, online at westkentradio.co.uk and on smart speakers.

TWO philanthropic funds connected to Gatwick Airport are calling for more applications for money before their deadlines in February and March.

A total of £233,000 is available across Kent through the Gatwick Foundation Fund and the Gatwick Airport Community Trust.

The Gatwick Foundation Fund (GFF) provides support to organisations which tackle social isolation and disadvantage, raise aspirations and improve skills, promote health and wellbeing, and support children and young people.

Meanwhile, Gatwick Airport Community Trust (GACT) encourages and supports schemes benefiting diverse sections of the community.

Tunbridge Wells-based organisation, Imago Community has benefited from the GACT.

Imago Community’s director of children and young people services, Angela Holland, said: “Thanks to funding from the Gatwick Airport

Community Trust, young carers were able to enjoy an action-packed team-building day.

“Activities included rock climbing, archery and bush craft skills.

“Funding makes events like this one possible, making memories, meeting others in similar situations and most importantly – having fun!”

Grassroots

Melanie Wrightson, Stakeholder Engagement Manager at Gatwick Airport, said: “We have been working with grassroots organisations in the Kent region for many years. We want to urge these important groups to apply for funding.”

The Gatwick Foundation Fund is deadline is February 10 at: GatwickAirport.com/businesscommunity/community/oursupport/foundation-fund

The Gatwick Airport Community Trust deadline is March 31 at GACT. org.uk

OUTSIDE BROADCAST WKR in Tonbridge for the 2022 Christmas lights switch-on

Picture: Shutterstock

Countries pledge thousands in aid as earthquake death toll exceeds 5,000

SEARCH teams and emergency aid from around the world poured into Turkey and Syria on Tuesday (February 7) as rescuers in freezing temperatures dug – sometimes with their bare hands – through rubble left by a magnitude 7.8 earthquake.

At press time, the death toll had soared above 5,000 and was still expected to rise.

Pascale Harvie, president and general manager at JustGiving said: “Since this dreadful news, we’ve seen an outpouring of generosity from people across the world wanting to help.

Destruction

“In one day, over £750,000 has been raised through JustGiving to support with immediate relief, food, shelter as well as long term recovery for survivors.”

But with the damage spread over a wide area, the massive relief operation often struggled to reach devastated towns, and voices that had been crying out from the rubble fell silent.

The destruction from Monday’s quake stretched hundreds of miles across southeastern Turkey and neighbouring Syria, toppling thousands of buildings and heaping more misery on a region shaped by Syria’s 12-year civil war and refugee crisis.

Aftershocks also rattled tangled piles of metal and concrete, making the search efforts perilous, while freezing temperatures made them ever more urgent.

More than 8,000 people have been pulled from the debris in Turkey alone, and some 380,000 have taken refuge in government shelters or hotels, said Turkish vice president Fuat Oktay.

The Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said 13 million of the country’s 85 million were affected in some way — and declared a state of emergency in 10 provinces in order to manage the response.

For the entire quake-hit area, that number could be as high as 23 million people, according to Adelheid Marschang, a senior emergencies officer with the World Health Organisation. Teams from nearly 30 countries around the world headed for Turkey or Syria.

As promises of help flooded in, Turkey said it would only allow vehicles carrying aid to enter the worst-hit provinces of Kahramanmaras, Adiyaman and Hatay in order to speed the effort.

The UN said it was “exploring all avenues” to get supplies to rebel-held north-western Syria, where millions live in extreme poverty and rely on humanitarian aid to survive.

Turkey has large numbers of troops in the border region with Syria and has tasked the military to aid in the rescue efforts, including setting up tents for the homeless and a field hospital in Hatay province.

Defence minister Hulusi Akar said a humanitarian aid brigade based in Ankara and eight military search and rescue teams had also been deployed.

In northern Syria, meanwhile, Sebastien Gay,

Sunak Cabinet shuffle focuses on energy policy and inflation

PRIME Minister Rishi Sunak said a new Energy Security and Net Zero department, created in yesterday’s Cabinet reshuffle would ‘reduce people’s energy bills’ and help deliver on his five-point plan.

Legislation

Tasked with securing long-term UK energy supply, the new department will be headed by Grant Shapps, previously business secretary.

Kemi Badenoch, formerly international trade secretary, will lead the Department for Business

and Trade.

Lucy Frazer joins the Cabinet as Culture Secretary, in a department now responsible only for creative arts and sport.

Michelle Donelan moves from culture to the new Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.

Responsibility for the Online Safety Bill, a major piece of Government legislation currently being debated in the House of Lords, will remain with Ms Donelan.

Former trade minister Greg Hands replaces the sacked Tory party chairman Nadhim Zahawi.

the head of mission in the country for Doctors Without Borders, said health facilities were overwhelmed with medical personnel working around “around the clock to respond to the huge numbers of wounded”.

Refugees

The affected area in Syria is divided between government-controlled territory and the country’s last opposition-held enclave, which is surrounded by Russian-backed government forces.

Turkey is home to millions of refugees from the Syrian civil war.

The rebel-held enclave is packed with some four million people displaced from other parts of the country by the war. Many live in buildings that were already damaged by military bombardments.

Erdogan said the total number of deaths in Turkey had passed 3,500, with some 22,000 people injured.

The death toll in government-held areas of Syria climbed over 800, with some 1,400 injured, according to the Health Ministry.

The country’s rebel-held northwest also saw at least 800 die, according to the White Helmets, the emergency organisation leading rescue operations, with more than 2,200 injured.

The region sits on top of major fault lines and is frequently shaken by earthquakes. Some 18,000 were killed in similarly powerful earthquakes that hit northwest Turkey in 1999.

Google’s artificial intelligence bot to rival Microsoft’s ChatGPT

GOOGLE is launching its own artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot following the success of Microsoftbacked ChatGPT.

The company said the product, named Bard, will be released to the public in the coming weeks and will provide written answers to questions in split seconds.

Integrated

AI will also ‘soon’ be integrated into the company’s search engine to provide written answers to search queries in addition to links to

relevant webpages, images and videos.

Google’s chief executive Sundar Pichai said the tool would allow Google to answer questions in a more intelligent way that went beyond just providing basic factual information.

“Bard seeks to combine the breadth of the world’s knowledge with the power, intelligence and creativity of our large language models,” he said.

“It draws on information from the web to provide fresh, high quality responses.”

Husband updated gun licence before Epsom College killings

A MAN found dead in the grounds of Epsom College on Sunday (February 5), along with his private school headteacher wife and seven-yearold daughter, legally owned a gun that was discovered at the scene of the tragedy, police said.

George Pattison, 39, had been in contact with Surrey Police just days before the killings about his gun licence in order to change his address after the family moved to the school site from Caterham.

He was found dead with his wife Emma Pattison, 45, and their daughter Lettie at their home in the grounds of Epsom College in Surrey on Sunday. Their deaths are being investigated as a possible murder-suicide.

Investigation

The Times of London reported that Mrs Pattison had contacted a close relative with concerns about her husband in the hours before the killings, and when they arrived at the house they found all three members of the family dead.

On Tuesday Surrey Police confirmed that officers have launched a homicide investigation. While a gun was found at the scene the force said causes of death will not be confirmed until post-mortem examinations are carried out later this week.

A statement from the force said: “We had contact with George on Thursday February 2 after he notified us of a previous change of address, as is routine.

“Due to the short period of time between that contact and this incident, we have made a referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.”

The IOPC said it is assessing the information available to decide if any further action is necessary.

Senior investigating officer Detective Chief

Inspector Kimball Edey said: “This is an incredibly traumatic incident and we are working around the clock to investigate and understand the exact circumstances which led to this point.

“We understand the public concern and upset, and we will clarify what we can, when we can, while respecting the right to a level of privacy for the families of those who have lost their lives.”

Mr Pattison had held a gun licence for a number of years and it was up for renewal early last year,

Case of Met police rapist revealed ‘systemic failings’

according to the Times.

The newspaper said he had not been reported to Surrey Police before, but in 2016 had contacted them to allege that his wife had hit him, before withdrawing the claim.

Changes were made to gun licencing systems in the wake of shooting tragedies in Plymouth and West Sussex with new digital markers put in place to flag up to GPs relevant medical changes in patients with firearms licences.

Father of ‘morbidly obese’ teenager convicted of gross negligence for death

‘SYSTEMIC failings’ led to a serial rapist being a police officer when he should have been sacked, the head of the Metropolitan Police has said, after David Carrick was sentenced yesterday (February 7).

Allegations

Sir Mark Rowley said: “We had opportunities where warning signs were seen by the Met – records, allegations- and we didn’t follow through on those and that’s why he was still a police officer when he shouldn’t have been.

“We have to repair those systemic failings.

“I understand people’s confidence will be shaken, but I absolutely promise that we will rebuild it, we are determined to do that, both myself and the tens of thousands of good men and women who were equally horrified about these ghastly offences.”

Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb handed Carrick a life sentence with a minimum term of 30 years, for 49 offences, including 24 counts of rape, against a dozen women over 17 years.

A MAN has been found guilty of the manslaughter by gross negligence of his obese teenage daughter who was found dead in ‘squalor’. Kaylea Titford, 16, was found in conditions described as ‘unfit for any animal’, in soiled clothing and bed linen, following her death at the family home in Newtown, Powys, Wales, in October 2020.

The 16-year-old weighed 22st 13lb, with a BMI of 70, at the time of her death, a trial at Mold Crown Court heard.

Her mother, Sarah Lloyd-Jones, 39, pleaded guilty to manslaughter by gross negligence last year but her father, Alun Titford, denied the

offence along with an alternative charge of causing or allowing the death of a child.

A jury found the 45-year-old guilty of manslaughter by gross negligence.

Suffering

Asked during his evidence why he had let his daughter down so badly, the removals worker said: “I’m lazy.” The court heard that Kaylea, who had spina bifida and used a wheelchair, died after suffering inflammation and infection from ulceration, arising from obesity and immobility.

IN MOURNING Epsom College’s flag at half mast

MRS JUSTICE CHEEMA-GRUBB

ALUN TITFORD

Geoff

Green Party

Mason

Geoff Mason lives in Goudhurst & Lamberhurst Ward and is on the Amenities and Finance Committees of Goudhurst Parish Council. He recently became Chair of Tunbridge Wells Green Party.

A Green in the room makes a difference

WITH less than three months to go to the May local elections, this year you’ll need to show photo ID before you can vote.

The Government insists that this is to prevent ‘personation’, or voter fraud, and yet, according to the Electoral Reform Society, there were only 33 cases of personation in 2019 which is 0.00000057% of the 58 million votes cast in the various elections that year.

Demographics

Call me a cynic but it couldn’t be a deliberate attempt to depress turnout among demographics less likely to vote Conservative, could it? You can check the list of acceptable ID on the Electoral Commission website (electoralcommission.org. uk/i-am-a/voter/voter-id), and if you don’t have anything on the list, make sure you leave enough time to apply for a Voter Authority Certificate instead.

In November, I was co-opted onto Goudhurst Parish Council and after joining three committees and attending my induction last month, I’m fully immersed in parish business which is incredibly rewarding.

Whilst many councillors are not politically affiliated, it struck me straight away that there was a positive impact I could have as a Green in the room. I’ve already had the chance to start

work on a rewilding project around the village by making plans for wildflower meadows, native hedges and fruit trees, along with other initiatives which will help improve our biodiversity in line with Kent’s ‘Plan Bee’. But the Green Party isn’t just a party for the environment. At Borough Council level, fantastic work is being done in nearby Tonbridge & Malling by Green Councillors who are holding

Rodney Atkins

their administration to account, suggesting positive alternatives and working hard in their communities.

Having a Green in their room is making a real difference to people’s lives.

One of the things they did in January to represent local people and sort local issues was to arrange a community litterpick. This event started under the boughs of a tree that the

Conservative administration were determined to see felled as a first step to concreting over River Lawn – a plan foiled by the Keep River Lawn Green campaign, whose supporters include many Tonbridge Greens.

They also made the case for speeding up the process of delivering new floodlights for the community basketball/football/skatepark area and improving drainage on Tonbridge Racecourse, where broken lights and flooding have made the facilities inaccessible.

Campaigning

They have supported striking teachers and education with a rally at River Lawn, worked to resolve recycling issues and fly-tipping on the Longmead Estate and cleared blocked drains –collecting 15 bags of debris.

They have also worked on allocating £1,000 towards Warm Spaces provided by Tonbridge Area Churches Together and visiting and being on hand to talk to people and help with council tax and housing issues. They have been campaigning to reverse the decline in bus services.

Wouldn’t it be great to have some of this in Tunbridge Wells? Isn’t it time for our Borough Council to have a Green in the room?

Think about it when you’re in the voting booth on May 4th – and don’t forget your photo ID.

Rodney Atkins has been an Independent Councillor for Paddock Wood East since 2019 and a town councillor for Paddock Wood Town Council since 2015. He worked in financial services for 35 years and has lived local to Paddock Wood for 33 years.

A true asset to the community

IN MY ward of Paddock Wood is the Wesley Centre, sitting on Commercial Road.

It is one of the oldest Victorian buildings in Paddock Wood and is within easy walking distance of the town centre. Built in 1888 as a Wesleyan Methodist Chapel, this wonderful characteristic building is full of history.

It would have seen many baptisms, marriages and funerals during its time, with the final marriage taking place in September 1979.

xxxxxx

Inside the building is a War Memorial for local men who died during WWI and beautiful stained-glass windows. I am sure the Chapel could tell many stories.

In 1996 Tunbridge Wells Borough Council purchased the Chapel and its grounds as a result of work by former Mayor Mrs Ruth Baker and her husband, also the local GP, Dr John Baker, who campaigned to ensure it was retained for the local community.

A plaque on display inside proudly records the opening of the Wesley Centre as The Paddock Wood Citizens’ Advice Bureau and Community Hall on January 22, 1998.

Today, the centre still serves the community of Paddock Wood well.

It is home to The Community Storehouse –

which provides much needed assistance, especially during this cost-of-living crisis – as well as to Heritage Paddock Wood – who are keeping history alive in Paddock Wood and are hoping to showcase their vast collection for the community.

The hall is also hired by many organisations, for activities ranging from T’ai Chi classes to Scouts and Rainbows (young Brownies) and children’s parties. It has a fitted kitchen, hall space with a large high ceiling; and tables and chairs.

This is the hall that Paddock Wood Town Council used for their Neighbourhood Plan meetings, before Covid-19. The green space at the back of the centre is fully enclosed and provides a safe area for children to run around in.

It can be hired for just £12 per hour, with no additional charge for the kitchen, equipment or outdoor space.

It is not currently registered as an Asset of Community Value (ACV), the former application having expired – and it has now been listed as a ‘site to be reviewed for development and sale’ by Tunbridge Wells Borough Council.

At its January meeting, the Town Council agreed to explore the possibility of making the Wesley Centre an Asset of Community Value once more.

Many more organisations could utilise the facilities of the centre. Being centrally located in the town centre and walking distance to the railway station, this community hall has the potential to become a real hub of activity for the growing population of the town.

The Wesley centre has stood unscathed for over a hundred years, and I hope it remains so for at least another hundred.

Independent Counillor

‘Inside the building is a War Memorial for local men who died during WWI and beautiful stained-glass windows. I am sure this Chapel could tell many stories’

And another thing…

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

Piano demands respect

SIG Di Candido’s letter last week about the piano in The Amelia Centre (Times, February 1) just says it all about certain elements in our society and the indifference to bad behaviour of those who are nominally in charge of public assets.

Some weeks ago, this instrument, a quiet toned Boston from the Yamaha group – whose better known pianos are noted for their brightness of voice – was being fettled by an expert. As he carefully sanded down all the felt

coverings on the hammers, it was clear he thought very highly of the instrument. This is no common-or-garden ‘Joanna’ and should be better cared for.

Leaving it open to the mercies of passing ruffians is no way to look after public property, so lock it up, evict the louts and make the key available on request. It’s time we took a stronger line with this disruptive minority.

James Sommerville

Tunbridge Wells

0TG

All the town and county councils’ efforts and our money need to be put into repairing and maintaining the infrastructure we already have. Perhaps Cllr Lidstone would like to join me on one of my regular walks through the town to identify just where and how bad and dangerous the roads and pavements are?

Peter Cope Tunbridge Wells

Are cars ‘indispensable’?

I disagree with the assertion in Richard Bell’s letter that ‘motor vehicles are indispensable’.

Infrastructure in places like the Netherlands has proven Mr Bell’s point wrong, and the Low Traffic Neighbourhoods proposed in our town (which I believe would vastly improve St John’s, especially keeping many schoolchildren safe when walking or cycling to and from school) have proved a great success in London.

I accept that the government makes a large amount of money from motor vehicle taxation, but they spend almost £12billion on roads (according to the Department for Transport), and even more on other items needed to keep traffic flowing (e.g. highway patrol officers) as well as air pollution (costing NHS England up to £157million in 2017).

Mr Bell claims ‘roads are good to cycle on’, but St John’s Road only has a thin strip of paint to protect the cyclist from heavy traffic on the road, and at some points the lane is shared with buses which are certainly not kind to cyclists.

Calverley

Observations on life and more important things

OH THE IRONY! In London last week for lunch at the club. Walking down Whitehall, Calverley was amazed to see hundreds, if not thousands, of civil servants. Great. They were returning to offices? Not so. More than half of civil servants work from home (WFH). Many had left home that day to commute to the offices where they no longer work to join picket lines demanding more pay. Hang on. WFH means they are not now spending thousands a year on travelling to and from work and eating out at lunch time. Big savings. And yet they still want pay rises. It’s another Whitehall farce.

BEDSIDE MANNER. The local NHS surgery has full books and has closed the doors to any new ‘customers’ – which is what patients are. Tough luck on those buying the new properties being built next to the surgery. They might get nice new homes but they better not fall ill. This week, though, saw a new low. Calverley heard an updated recorded message for those phoning the surgery for appointments. It warns that people who are ‘unkind’ to staff risk being kicked off the GP’s list. How sad that times have changed so much. Pass the smelling salts.

Where are theatre’s posters?

It was good to see the front page article last week on the Trinity Theatre and I was pleased to hear it was out of financial trouble pro tempore.

However, I hope the new management will look at the theatre’s advertising tools a little more closely. I quite often pass by the Trinity and have yet to see any notice about its cafeteria or a calendar of upcoming events. The large poster billboard is quite often out of date.

The Repair Café that takes place there every so often does a brilliant job of advertising itself around the town – and good luck to it. Corporate sponsors and membership contributions are all very well, but I suspect many of the hundreds of people who regularly flow up the hill to and from the station and shopping centre see nothing but a church spire.

How about appealing more energetically to a wider audience, maybe with signage on the corner by the disused cinema site? The tower is soon to open to the general public and word needs to get out.

Not everyone gets their information from the website and I think the Trinity needs to up its game if it wants to remain financially healthy.

Tessa Worthington

Tunbridge Wells

Roads demand work

In his response to Linda Holman’s letter, Cllr Lidstone (Times, February 1) claims that spending our council tax on cycle lanes would reduce damage to roads.

This may or may not be the case as I suspect that most of the damage is caused by heavy trucks. I can’t see many residents switching from

cars to bicycles on a regular basis either. Even if he is correct, this would only be of benefit in the future.

Whatever the cause, the infrastructure (notably potholes, dangerous pavements and blocked storm drains) is already in a serious state of damage and needs immediate action. Only projects with an obvious financial benefit, such as the refurbishment of the Town Hall to enable it to be partially sub-let, should proceed, and other projects, including new bicycle lanes, paused or in some cases cancelled.

PEPPY SAYS...

This is the best infrastructure Tunbridge Wells cyclists get. Pedestrian and cycle infrastructure is also more welcoming to visitors, something the town is desperately in need of.

Think how easy it is to shop on the pedestrianised end of Calverley Road, being able to simply wander across to the next shop that catches your eye, without having to worry about watching for two-tonne chunks of metal whizzing past.

In conclusion, cars may be vilified, but perhaps with good reason.

Luke Breaban-Cook Hawkhurst

CASHED OUT. To Waitrose for the weekly shop with other affluent folks. (It’s over to Lidl end of each month.) Calverley still likes to carry cash. Handy for tips and paying tradesmen avoiding tax. Sadly, the cash machine at Waitrose was empty. No problem, he’ll get cash at the checkout. Not going to happen. “Sorry we no longer give cashbacks”. Why not? “Because people don’t give us cash and what cash they give we like to keep for ourselves.” So long as Waitrose is ok that’s fine, then!

HORROR BREAKFAST. Calverley accepts, with reluctance, that times and values are changing. Even so he was taken aback when staying at his favourite South Coast hotel and a couple on the next table sat down wearing onesies. Yep, those loose-fitting casual jumpsuits. And these carried a floral design. Thankfully, hotel management intervened. Even so, Calverley required a large brandy. On the house, of course.

FINAL THOUGHT. It’s the book buyers that demonstrate public support not the handful of woke warriors who have targeted J.K. Rowling for defending women’s rights. Accounts show last year the bestselling author was handed an £18million dividend by one of her publishers. Overall, her wealth is around £240million. So much for wokery.

Chin, chin dear reader…

LAST week, Kate Middleton launched her first major project as Princess of Wales, a campaign that has been dubbed her ‘life’s work’. She believes that: “As a society, we are all responsible for building a more compassionate world in which our children can grow, learn and live.” The Princess’s initiative, entitled ‘Shaping Us’, emphasises the vital importance of the first five years of a child’s life. Speaking at a BAFTA event, she said: “The way we develop through our experiences, relationships and surroundings during our early childhood, fundamentally shapes our whole lives. It affects everything from our ability to form relationships and thrive at work, to our mental and physical well-being as adults and

SHAPING US

The Princess of Wales has launched her early years campaign

the way we parent our own children.”

Like the Princess of Wales, I firmly believe that the early years are key to nurturing our children.

It is well known that children’s brains develop connections faster in the first five years than at any other time in their lives. It’s the time when the foundations for learning, physical and emotional health, behaviour and social skills are

established. In these early years, the nurturing of young people’s senses, and the relationships they form, create more than a million connections every second. The greatest influence of a child’s development are their relationships which need to come from warm, responsive, consistent and dependable adults (parents, carers and teachers) who are able to offer unconditional love. If emotional stability is missing in the early stages of a child’s development, their life’s journey is more likely to become a long, painful and circuitous road to reaching self-understanding and fulfilment. Encouraging self-love in children lays

strong foundations for emotional well-being throughout. In the early years, a child’s concept of self is intrinsically tied up with with a mother’s concept of herself, which means that self-love building is a mutual process.

Development

As infants develop, their parents remain the main source of their children’s sense of being worthy of love and they learn by watching and imitating them. Much of children’s self-perception and development of self-love comes not only from what they perceive

about themselves but how others perceive them. The messages children hear and receive from their parents readily translate into how they feel about themselves. Patience is definitely a virtue when it comes to nurturing self-love in others (‘Infinite patience produces immediate results’). By demonstrating forbearance when interacting with children, adults are modelling respect for themselves and others, encouraging a sense of safety and self-esteem. They are also showing children they are valued and valuable. Whatever adults are expressing, by consciously being aware of their own behaviour and self-regulating their emotional state, they are less likely to project their stress and inner discord onto children. When it was first published, I sent the Princess a copy of my book, ‘Let The Souls of Our Children Sing’, in which I write about the importance of these interests that we share. I am so pleased that she has decided to shine a light on this too often overlooked area, which is so in tune with the ethos of my book. Let The Souls of Our Children Sing is priced at £8.99 and available from Amazon and Austin Macauley. Also available as an e-book for £3.50.

‘Like the Princess of Wales, I believe early years are the key to nurturing our children’

Author Leonora Langley tells the Times about the importance of nurturing self-love in our children from a young age – and it’s something that the Princess of Wales agrees with…

‘It is well known that children’s brains develop connections fastest in the first five years’

Picture: PA

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Life &Times

Love, treachery, obsession and betrayal – Bizet’s passionate opera has it all…

For the first time in its history, on March 12 the Ukrainian National Opera is coming to Tunbridge Wells as part of a UK-wide tour, with the premiere of Bizet’s spectacular opera, Carmen. Here, its producer Alexej Ignatow tells Eileen Leahy what audiences can expect from this terrific show

Alexej Ignatow is the director of production company Amande Concerts, which looks after the Ukranian National Opera when it is touring in England.

Next month, on March 12, the talented troupe are coming to the Assembly Hall to stage a performance of Bizet’s classic opera Carmen – and Alexej wants Times readers to be in the audience…

“If you’ve never tried opera before you will love the full orchestra experience with brand new settings and fantastic costumes, along with exquisite singing and wonderful tunes that you will be humming to yourself all the way home,” he says.

“Our version of Bizet’s Carmen will help you feel the thrill of love, jealousy and violence of 19th-century Seville,” he explains.

Melodies

“It’s a mix of fierce passion, gorgeous melodies, nail-biting dramatic confrontation and musical wit which has found favour all over the world since its first performance in 1875.”

Alexej also adds that it doesn’t matter if you can’t understand Spanish, because although the opera will be sung in the original language, there will be English subtitles for audience members to read on stage.

The Ukrainian National Opera’s version of

Carry on volunteering: an award for actress and tennis chairman

Giselle, Romeo and Juliet, Sleeping Beauty and Don Quixote. The operas we have performed in addition to Carmen include La Traviata, Madame Butterfly, La bohème, Rigoletto and many more,” says Alexej.

He further explains that Carmen is a ‘fantastic’ piece to perform courtesy of its central themes of love, treachery, obsession and betrayal.

“These make Carmen a most dramatic, fantastic and passionate opera and one that audiences, even those who are not familiar with seeing opera live, will greatly enjoy.”

He adds that over the past few years The

Fostering agency seeks

Carmen is part of a national tour which kicks off in Billingham on February 9 and tours around the country until April 5, when its run ends in Darlington. Along the way it will also take in venues in places such as Shrewsbury, Crewe and Eastbourne, before coming to Tunbridge Wells on March 12.

Ukrainian Opera has worked very hard to improve its overall performance of the arts, despite the ongoing war.

By Lilly Croucher

A ‘CARRY ON’ actress and valued tennis club member from Tunbridge Wells has been nominated for a county tennis volunteering award.

“We are thrilled that for the first time ever, the Ukrainian National Opera is touring the UK,” says Alexej.

“We are really excited to be presenting this opera company to UK audiences in these difficult times,” states Alexej.

stage performances, including the 1972 slapstick comedy ‘Carry On Matron’.

On hearing of her nomination, she said: “I felt incredibly proud and quite emotional, not just for myself but for the whole club and our fantastic team.”

“The journey has been extremely challenging, but I am glad we have overcome the many extraordinary obstacles and have now received all the necessary visas and clearances for the Ukrainian artists.

Laura Collins, the Chair of St John’s Lawn Tennis Club is one of four nominees for the Kent Lawn Tennis Association (Kent LTA) Volunteer of the Year Award.

“Coming all the way from Dnipro, Ukraine, this opera company features an impressive cast and will be accompanied by a large live orchestra comprising over thirty musicians, when it premieres the passionate Carmen opera this season.”

Successful

Amande Concerts Ltd, is a UK-established production company dedicated to delivering the highest quality classical art to British theatres.

“We have presented many ballets as well as operas including Swan Lake, The Nutcracker,

Ms Collins has been a member of the club since she moved to the area almost 30 years ago and has been the Chair for six of those years. She has had a successful career as an actress and dancer, having studied at Italia Conti Drama School and featured in many film, television and

“The cast has been rehearsing vigorously over the last five weeks, and will continue to do so until the very moment when they will be leaving for the UK. We in the production office are now fully-focused on marketing these operas and raising awareness. We hope to see you very soon at one of our venues!”

Ms Collins has a history of voluntary work and was Chair of the Oast Theatre, Tonbridge for seven years and was National Chair of the now disbanded cricket charity, the Lady Taverners, in which she chaired the Kent and East Sussex region for 20 years.

Ms Collins is married to the after-dinner comic entertainer Bob ‘The Cat’ Bevan MBE and lives in Bells Yew Green.

Carmen will be performed at the Assembly Hall on March 12 at 7.30pm. Tickets start from £36.90. For more information, visit: ukrainian-opera-ballet.co.uk

The results of the award nominations will be announced at the Annual Awards Dinner, which will be held at the Tudor Park Country Club, Bearsted, Saturday February 11.

“Carmen is a most dramatic, fantastic and passionate opera that audiences, even those who are not familiar with seeing opera live, will greatly enjoy”

Drinks to adore on Valentine’s Day

Love is in the air, so with Valentine’s Day coming up on February 14 (next Tuesday), Times Drinks Editor James Viner has rounded up six enchanting wines and a luxurious creamy liqueur that are certain to put you in the mood for romance…

I love, love, love this refined, classicallyrestrained, luxurious pink champagne, the pale-salmon hue of which leads on to a hedonistic, floral, red fruit and creamy palate, which sashays with such precision thanks to minerally fresh acidity, delivering a quiet, almost understated grace. In persistence and purity, it is ravishingly magnificent, a dreamy Valentine’s Day deluxe ‘Champagne Rosé’ for those seeking both flavour and refinement. An exceptional, stunning aperitif (it’s fab with sushi, dim sum and wild salmon, too) from a revered family house founded in 1818. A mesmerising display of class – and pure romance in the glass. Go on, splash out and make it a Valentine’s Day to remember. Superlative!

7) It’s cream liqueur o’clock for lovers with a sweet tooth… Have your cake and drink it! Ballycastle Red Velvet Cream Liqueur (£7.49, Aldi)

Whether you’re planning to treat your loved one by celebrating at home with a romantic dinner for two or having drinks with friends on Valentine’s Day, make it one to remember with something delectable. And what better excuse for any singleton wine lover to pull the cork on an otherwise cheerless Tuesday evening? Fall in love with these seven Cupid-approved bottles for your Valentine…

1) Capture their heart with a handsome French still rosé Gérard Bertrand Côte des Roses Grenache-Syrah-Cinsault Rosé 2021, Languedoc, France (£9 Clubcard Price, Tesco, until 20 February)

Coming in a strikingly sculpted bottle –this Languedoc still rosé is a summer fruit, grapefruit, floral and red fruit star with a long, lively, flickering finish. Just the ticket for shellfish and mildly spiced Asian cuisine. More delicious than a dozen roses, this is a great alternative to Provence rosé from the former rugby French international and négociant whose wine empire now includes a £200 plus rosé (the ultra-premium Clos du Temple Rosé).

2) A bottle of adorable Moldovan fizz for a tenner Albastrele Blanc de Cabernet Sparkling Brut NV, Cimislia, Moldova (£9.99 mix 12, Laithwaites, Sunday Times Wine Club)

Bordering Romania and Ukraine, Moldova has more vineyards than South Africa (and also the world’s biggest wine cellar, Milestii Mici). Tony Laithwaite of eponymic Laithwaites has been shipping Moldovan wine since ca. 2000. This floral, peachy, fruity-forward, thirst-slaking Charmat (second ferment in the tank, like most Prosecco) sparkling wine is uncommonly made wholly from Cabernet Sauvignon. It would make a great Kir Royale. Rather impressive (and unusual) for a tenner. Works a treat.

3) Dry, spicy, aromatic white from Argentina’s signature white grape variety, Torrontés. Susana Balbo, Signature BarrelFermented Torrontés 2021, Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina (£19.95-£22.50, The Great Wine Co., The Champagne Company, Noble Green Wines)

Terrific, lip-smacking, medium-bodied (11.5% abv), floral, spicy, gently oaked Torrontés from a high-altitude vineyard – a little higher than Snowdon – all musk-peach, lime-citrus and rose-petal spice. Lovely drinking from the renowned, pioneering female winemaker Susana Balbo, rightly dubbed the ‘Queen of Torrontés,’ who was Argentina’s first female winemaker in 1981 (she also served three terms as President of Wines of Argentina). Bring on mildly spiced seafood, empanadas and fish ceviche! It’ll make you stop and meditate a little as you drink … a magnificent thing.

5) Woo your sweetheart with a ravishing fruit-driven sparkling rosé from Marden, Kent. Herbert Hall Rosé Brut English Sparkling Wine 2018, Marden, Kent (£39.50, Lea & Sandeman)

Gorgeous, fruity, floral and red berry fruit gem, all peach blossom, freshly picked redcurrants and raspberries, made from (organically farmed) 40% Chardonnay and 30% each Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier in Marden, Kent. It’s brisk and well-balanced with saliva-sapping energy. A very accomplished wine. Rather glorious with sushi too –get your order in at award-winning London wine merchant, Lea & Sandeman (or, for £44, from Herbert Hall). Great vibrant drinking.

6) Romantic and deluxe rosé Champagne Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé NV Champagne, France (£60-£77.50, Wanderlust Wine, Hedonism Wines, Fortnum & Mason, The Secret Cellar, The Finest Bubble, Champagne Direct)

MIX UP A VALENTINE’S DAY COCKTAIL

Cream liqueurs aren’t just for Christmas! Tasting like liquid cake and exhibiting an ambrosial melange of alcohol, double cream and red fruit cake flavours, it’s a scrumptious tipple that promises to be a luxurious hit once again. Fun drinking for lovers with a sweet tooth and sure to sweep Valentine’s Day imbibers off their feet. Try it poured over ice in a tumbler. Happy ‘Bally-tine’s Day’! For those looking to resume Dry January in February ardent Aldi shoppers can instead wow their Valentine with the brand-new Haysmith’s non-alcoholic (0% ABV) raspberry and redcurrant gin (£8.99, 70cl). What’s not to love?

Follow James on Twitter @QuixoticWine

4) Must-try supermarket Champagne made by Piper-Heidsieck. Les Pionniers Rosé NV Champagne, France (£22, Co-op)

Nothing says romance in a glass better than pink bubbly. Red-fruited, celebratory, zesty and racy, this is the finest sub-£20 own-label rosé champagne on the high street. Think rosehips, raspberries, red cherries and red apples. Made by top resurgent champagne house PiperHeidsieck for the Co-op, it has a spume of fine bubbles and is a joy with sushi or lightly poached salmon fillets. Sophisticated drinking for the price. Difficult to resist sipping another glass…It’s a special occasion, so don’t. Try it in a French 75 with a pink slant. À votre santé!

Bewitch your loved one with a Valentine’s Day cocktail:

Honey Bee Mine

15 ml honey syrup (3 parts honey to 1 part water)

60 ml light white rum

2.5 ml vanilla extract

30 ml brut champagne or dry sparkling wine (not Prosecco!)

Shake the first three ingredients with ice and fine strain into a chilled glass.

Top with your favourite champagne and garnish with honeycomb (optional).

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‘Nothing says romance like a glass of a gorgeous pink bubbly’

An unwelcome horror

Matthew

THE synopsis of this new horror flick is very straightforward – a couple flee an urban nightmare for the peace and tranquility of the Irish countryside. Having been left a house by a relative, the pair relocate to a setting of country scenery and fresh air, and look forward to a fresh start away from the urban jungle. Yet peace and tranquility do not last long, as they soon discover that there are malevolent beings – ‘the redcaps’ (these are no leprechauns, but Irish goblins) – living in the woods at the bottom of their garden.

I have to say that this was actually a hard film for me to review. Normally there is a good story or good characters, something that keeps me invested throughout.

Silliness

This film had none of that. What starts as a horror then tries to blend in comedy and general silliness.

Unfortunately, the comedy misses the mark and it feels as though the director had no idea what type of film he wanted to make.

This film is really a story of two halves. The first half is ok. There is a tension

that builds and a story that develops, moving at a good pace. You get a general sense that the film could be going somewhere interesting.

The problem is it’s not at all frightening – and there are also a lot of old movie tropes thrown into this film which, for

Douglas Booth respectively – are average at best and during the course of the film they somehow appeared to get worse.

The other actors were sadly just as dreary. Even screen legend Colm Meaney couldn’t save this film, and I was surprised to see Kristian Nairn (Hodor from Game of Thrones) and Jamie-Lee O’Donnell (who most viewers would recognise from Derry Girls).

Again, both of these actors were frankly quite poor. It was a shame, as this could have been a brilliant lowbudget horror.

me, made it feel cheap and nasty. When done right, a folk tale can both properly scare and entertain. This was not done right.

In the second half, the film just capitulates. The malevolent beings are revealed – and they just seem tawdry, as does the plot.

By the end, you can’t help but feel relieved the film has ended.

The main characters – Maya and Jamie, played by Hannah John-Kamen and

I am sure that Unwelcome will find an audience somewhere, and of course I would urge you to see the film for yourself to make up your own mind. However, for me, this was a film that I could have easily have gone without seeing. I saw Unwelcome at the Odeon, Tunbridge Wells.

Whether you enjoy afternoon tea with family, getting creative with arts & crafts or pulling up a chair with a favourite novel, there’s something for everyone. Plus you’ll have the added reassurance of help when you need it.

MATTHEW DANN

‘Unfortunately, the comedy misses the mark and it feels as though the director had no idea what type of film he wanted to make’

This Irish folk horror has a great cast, but it is let down by the use of too many tired cinema clichés – and it just isn’t scary, says Times Movie Reviewer

Dann…

View home launch at The Glade

Saturday 11th February 2023, strictly ‘by appointment only’

On Saturday 11th February, we open the doors to the view home at The Glade – an exclusive collection of five, 4 bedroon townhouses and four luxury 2/3 bedroom apartments surrounded by open space.

Buyers will benefit from

• A location within walking distance of all Royal Tunbridge Wells’s amenities

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Homeowners face mortgage hikes of up to £14,000 a year, says Labour

HOMEOWNERS could face mortgage hikes of up to £14,000 a year as they come off low fixed-rate deals, adding to the squeeze on living standards, Labour has said.

Analysis by the party shows predicted annual increases in costs for a median house purchase at 80% mortgage in every constituency in the UK. London constituencies top the ranking, with the highest rises expected in Kensington, where costs are set to soar by £13,980.

The cities of London and Westminster, and then Chelsea and Fulham come next, with possible rises of £11,730 and £11,480 respectively.

Richmond Park could see mortgages go up by £9,040, Hampstead and Kilburn by £8,740 and Westminster North by £8,450, according to the analysis.

Property Hub offers advice for investors

TUNBRIDGE WELLS-based investors looking for advice on architects, surveyors, insurance and everything else in the property industry now have access to a new one-stop-shop in town. Working to a similar model of The Finance Hub – where investors can get advice on many different aspects of their finances without shopping around for separate advisors – the Property Hub will bring together professionals from architects to builders, said its founder and serial entrepreneur Gillian Palmer.

Popular

The idea arose out of the Finance Hub’s free themed evening events, Gillian told the Times “People were always talking about property. They were so popular.

Conservative mismanagement and it’s families being asked to pay more on their mortgage once again.

more than 1.4 million households are facing the prospect of interest rate rises when they renew their fixed-rate mortgages this year.

“We found people needed an architect or an insurer – you wouldn’t believe the cross-over with the Finance Hub.”

Further down the list, Sheffield Hallam is predicted to see mortgages rise by £3,080, North East Derbyshire by £2,070, and Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport by £1,850.

Homeowners in Rhondda and Easington are to see the lowest increases, at £1,030 and £910 respectively.

Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves said: “The Tory mortgage penalty is devastating for family finances and is holding back our economy.

“The country is buckling under 13 years of

“People are asking themselves whether they or their family are better off under the Tories. The answer is no.

“By stabilising the economy, making it stronger and getting it growing, Labour will stop us lurching from crisis to crisis, and make Britain thrive again.”

Ms Reeves is due to visit estate agents in Finchley and Golders Green on Thursday – where the cost of a typical mortgage will go up by £7,490 a year – to discuss how soaring mortgages are impacting the business, homeowners and buyers.

The Office for National Statistics has predicted

A string of Bank of England base rate hikes have taken place over the past year, but borrowers on fixed-rate mortgages were cushioned from their immediate impact. Some may get a shock when they come to renew.

A senior Tory source said: “Under Labour, the number first-time buyers fell to the lowest ever, the number of homes built the lowest ever, and homeownership was put out of reach for millions.

“The Labour Party… offer no real change on the issues that matter to the British people. We have a real plan to half inflation this year and build a better Britain.”

And these free evenings – which have covered subjects from converting listed buildings to fitting green features – will continue once alongside both the the Property and Finance Hubs, she stressed.

“They will still happen on the first Thursday of the month from 5pm to 7pm on The Pantiles –that will still be property night.

However, those wanting more tailored advice can contact property@thefinancehub.money or 01892 280000, said Gillian.

“Or they can make an appointment with me to give me the full story about what they’re trying to achieve so I can find them the right Property Hub member or Finance Hub affiliate.”

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‘By stabilising the economy, making it stronger and getting it growing, Labour will stop us lurching from crisis to crisis, and make Britain thrive again’

Half Term fun

LASER TAGSOFT PLAY

The Brasserie appoints new Restaurant Director

Restaurant Director

TUNBRIDGE Wells restaurant The Brasserie, which is in a central location between The Pantiles and Chapel Place has brought in a fresh leader. Luis Alves has joined the team as Restaurant Director, bringing with him 45 years of hospitality experience with plans to expand the menu.

Part of the award-winning One Warwick Park Hotel, The Brasserie, which is already popular for its breakfast and brunch options, appointed Mr Alves last month to oversee the restaurant and work closely with the culinary team and Head Chef Ollie Funnell.

Portfolio

The Lisbon-born restaurateur said he’s keen to build on the existing brand and introduce a new evening menu that takes inspiration from his Portuguese heritage.

“One Warwick Park has an excellent hospitality portfolio and I look forward to bringing The Brasserie’s new Mediterranean-inspired dishes to Tunbridge Wells,” Mr Alves told the Times. Collaborating with Ollie Funnell, the Head Chef and Restaurant Director have been experimenting with classic Mediterranean dishes such as lobster ravioli, spiced chicken thigh and bouillabaisse – a classic French soup made with tiger prawns, mussels, and cod.

“The menu will focus on fresh ingredients sourced locally. I feel really passionate about this, it’s how we do it back home.

“I want to cook dishes that people only get to experience on holiday and bring them right to the heart of Tunbridge Wells – I feel our town is missing this,” Luis continued.

Born and raised in Portugal, Mr Alves grew up in the kitchen helping his father, who was a chef. Regular trips to local markets sparked the restaurateur’s passion for fresh food, which has seen him move from Portugal to the UK in 2001. He has since amassed an impressive culinary CV, working for the likes of The Ivy, Park Chinois, Bocca Social, Marco Pierre White’s Syon Park and The Spa Hotel.

Operations Director Nick Moore said: “With Luis and Ollie’s creative flare, it’s an exciting time for The Brasserie. We are delighted to have him on board and his knowledge and passion reinforce our commitment to continuously enhancing our

guest offerings and developing our restaurant.”

As well as evening dishes, there will be an expansive drinks menu featuring wines and cocktails crafted by The Brasserie’s mixologist. The restaurant says guests will be able to pair their chosen dishes with recommended drinks for the ultimate fine dining experience.

Bookings are available now for March 1, however, those eager to get a taste of what’s to come can reserve a table on Valentine’s Day, where the restaurant will be opening until late, serving a four-course menu that nods to future flavours.

The set menu costs £49 per person and guests

can choose from a selection of extraordinary dishes including seared scallops, wild mushroom pappardelle and baked Alaska. They will also be greeted by a complimentary glass of bubbles and amuse-bouche.

Bookings can be made at OpenTable.co.uk or by calling 0189 252 0587, where customers can also book for breakfast and brunch, which will continue as normal alongside the new evening menu.

We welcome schools throughout the year including summer stays.The groups arrive on a Monday and stay 3 or 4 nights. Their busy schedules mean they are out all day from 7.30am – 7.00pm.

Hosting suits everyone: single people, couples with or without children & retired people. We are seeking friendly and kind people who will provide the students with a warm, clean, safe and welcoming environment.

Hosting with ISE is a wonderful and enriching way to give young people the opportunity of a lifetime and to create unforgettable memories

One Warwick Park Hotel is owned by Elite Leisure Collection, which also runs One Media, publisher of the Times of Tunbridge Wells.

Molly Miller tells the Times about the Mediterranean-inspired menu at The Brasserie, as new

Luis Alves brings fresh influences to the One Warwick Park Hotel eatery…

LUIS ALVES

Picture: David Bartholomew

The facets of history in antique jewellery

Joseph Trinder from Gorringes talks about the stories behind some of his favourite pieces of jewellery that have come through the auction house this year…

missed deceased loved one.

The inscription and lock of hair give a deeply emotive, human aspect to this otherwise inanimate object, allowing a love story which is over 270 years old to endure – long after the individuals involved are gone.

Pieces of mourning jewellery are particularly warm illuminations of the past, and as such always tends to perform well at auction.

Although this piece weighed in at just 3.1 grams in total, we recently sold it for a feeinclusive hammer price of £1,100.

As a nation of dog lovers, it is perhaps not surprising that jewellery featuring man’s best

friend is always popular and hotly competed for when it surfaces at auction.

A rather charming Victorian gold-mounted, Essex crystal pendant brooch, decorated with the head of a boxer dog, is no exception.

Characterful

Fine goldsmithing meets a more representational artform in this characterful piece – perhaps originally commissioned to remember a favourite pooch in particular, so also a mourning piece of sorts – selling with us recently for £1,200 (including commission).

other environment.

Jewellery is one of one of the most fascinating and buoyant areas of today’s market, arousing acute interest and often appreciation in value over recent months and years.

Not only are buyers looking for alternative investments and areas to collect, jewellery represents a way of diversifying wealth into additional physical assets which also provide statement pieces which will be the envy of friends and family.

Recent examples of local finds which have gone on to perform well at auction include a rather humble mourning ring, dating from the reign of Charles II (1726 – 1760).

In gold, black enamel and rock crystal, it is so much more than an aesthetically beautiful piece of jewellery.

With an inscribed name and date of 1751, before a neatly trimmed lock of hair set beneath the crystal, this ring both documents and provides a physical connection to a dearly

Jewellery auctions often offer wonderful value to buyers and sellers alike.

Our upcoming March Fine Spring Sale already boasts a varied array of gorgeous pieces whose shine can dispel the winter blues, such as a rather exquisite platinum and single stone emerald-cut diamond ring, with brilliant-cut diamond set split shoulders.

With the central stone weighing in at an impressive 3.30ct, it is a statement piece in the truest sense.

Estimated at £8,000-£12,000, it represents a wonderful opportunity to purchase a diamond ring of remarkable quality, at a price which you would struggle to match in any

If you have items of jewellery at home and would like to discuss their current value or consign for our March fine sale, we would be delighted to hear from you.

Entries close for The Spring Sale on February 23. You can reach me directly on 07789979396 or at: josepht@gorringes.co.uk

HOUSE CALLS FOR FEBRUARY IN YOUR AREA

JOSEPH TRINDER

MOURNING RING

DIAMOND RING

PENDANT BROOCH

Take a breather and learn the flute…

and the bass flute is lower; and then there’s the contrabass, which is very low and quiet.”

Nicky holds a Masters from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, focusing on performance, which has had a huge and lasting influence on her teaching style.

The way a piece is interpreted and played makes it interesting and enjoyable to listen to.

“There are lots of elements involved in performance, from the tempo to the key. There are many ways you can add atmosphere, and even colour, into your playing.

“I talk through the dynamics of the piece with my students and we work out what is going on in

breathing and the movement of your tongue. You’re using your creative, analytical, and language functions all at the same time. There’s a lot of processing involved!”

One of the trickier elements of playing the flute is breath control. To help students develop their skills Nicky introduces mindfulness into lessons and runs mindfulness sessions where she focuses on extending breaths.

“Playing an Instrument is all about balance –physical and mental. In my mindfulness classes we run through different breathing, relaxation and posture techniques.

“It’s about students experimenting and finding what works for them,” she says.

If you’re thinking of learning an instrument, it is important to have a go and see what appeals to you.

NICKY Catterwell's relationship with the flute started over 40 years ago.

“My parents took me to a music centre and asked me to choose an instrument and I chose the shiny one!” she recalls.

Flautists have music for every taste at their fingertips, from the ‘floaty’ French romantics, like Debussy and Fauré, to more modern jazz concertos such as those by Mike Mower.

Flutes also come in all sorts of shapes and sizes.

“There’s the tiny piccolo, then the concert flute – the most common type,” according to Nicky.

“The alto is a more atmospheric instrument,

the music. Is it loud or soft, happy or sad?

“Sometimes I make up stories about the piece, which adds an extra layer to the performance. I find performance and storytelling amazing ways to engage students. It helps to make learning more fun.”

The benefits of learning to play an instrument are well-documented. Nicky believes it’s a great way to develop your neural pathways.

“The multi-tasking involved in learning to play is almost mind-blowing,” she says.

“You’re using the right and left side of your brain, engaging both hands, controlling your

Nicky recommends having a trial lesson with a teacher first, to see how you like your teacher’s style and whether your personalities ‘click’.

HUNGRY FOR A NEW JOB?

Your local music store, Brittens Music, has a range of instruments you can pick up and try. Just drop into the showroom on Grove Hill Road in Tunbridge Wells or visit their website for more information on instrument try-out days. BrittensMusic.co.uk

JOIN OUR AWARD WINNING TEAM

Elite Leisure Collection is an award-winning independent group of local companies operating across the hospitality, leisure and media sectors. Founded in 2008, we always aim to recruit, train, develop and support our team to consistently deliver a high level of quality and service. Following a probationary period, by joining our team, you’ll enjoy free gym membership, contributory pension, Healthshield, reward incentives and staff perks along with a competitive salary. Due to continued growth and internal advancements, we are now recruiting for the following roles across our venues in Tunbridge Wells:

• Chefs – £28,000 p.a

• Receptionist – £23,400 p.a

• Kitchen Porter - £9.50 p.h

• Housekeeper - £25,740 p.a.

• Food & Beverage Assistant - Up to £12 p.h

To apply, please send your CV and cover letter to emma.martin@salomons-estate.com

‘It’s about students experimenting and finding what works for them’

Nicky Catterwell is a Tunbridge Wells-based music lover and teacher specialising in woodwind instruments. She tells the Times about why it is the flute that holds the key to her heart

NICKY CATTERWELL

CHOICE There are several different flute sizes Pictures (above and below): Shutterstock

Motoring News

This week…

BMW’s new M3 saloon n Peugeot’s electric focus n Off-road concept from Audi n

BMW’s M3 CS arrives with 542bhp and all-wheel-drive

BMW has unveiled a lighter, more powerful version of its M3 performance saloon – the CS. Kitted out with a host of lightweight carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) panels, the M3 CS aims to be sharper and even more engaging to drive than the standard car.

Under the bonnet, you’ll find the same 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged six-cylinder engine as you’ll find in the regular M3, but it has had its power

raised significantly from 503bhp in the standard car to 542bhp in the CS. Torque sits at 650Nm and, when coupled with BMW’s xDrive allwheel-drive system, this results in a 0-60mph time of 3.2 seconds, while flat-out the M3 CS will manage 188mph.

It’s powered through an eight-speed automatic transmission, too, while drivers are able to tailor the all-wheel-drive system through the car’s

infotainment screen. Switching to 4WD Sport, for instance, sends more power to the rear wheels for a more engaging drive.

The M3 CS’s chassis has been specifically tuned for this model, too, with bespoke wheel camber settings and individually tuned dampers, springs and anti-roll bars all contributing to making this car even sharper to drive.

All cars get M Compound brakes as standard,

though these can be upgraded to ceramic versions as an optional extra. Forged alloy wheels in a V-spoke design come as standard too, with 19-inch versions at the front and 20-inch at the rear.

The exterior of the M3 CS is finished in a white ‘frozen’ paint, which is exclusive to this model, while exposed carbon fibre features on the roof, front splitter and front air intakes. Green, grey

and black paint finishes are all available as different exterior colours too.

Inside, there are full carbon bucket seats upholstered in Merino leather, while CS lettering is applied to the centre console. You’ll find that badging on the door sills, too. The M3 CS will be built in limited numbers and will go on sale from March 2023, with prices starting from £115,900.

Audi rounds out its series of ‘sphere’ concepts with the new Activesphere

PEUGEOT’S boss has ruled out introducing more affordable electric models, but will instead focus on making the cars it already has more accessible.

Peugeot offers a wide choice of electric models, including the e-208 supermini and e-2008 crossover, as well as a diverse line-up of batterypowered vans. Peugeot will be introducing EVs of its popular 308 and 3008 in 2023 too, and will offer a fully-electric derivative of every car it sells by 2025.

Subscriptions

However, despite Peugeot being adamant that it ‘won’t price customers out of the market’, smaller, more affordable city cars are not set to play a part in the picture.

Asked by the PA news agency if the firm would introduce electric models below its e-208, Linda Jackson, Chief Executive of Peugeot, said it was ‘concentrating’ on making the cars it already sells more affordable.

Jackson said: “I think at this stage, what we want to do is ask how can we make the current line-up [of cars] more affordable. And that’s Peugeot-as-you-go, subscriptions, offers and a variety of things.

“Quite honestly, right now we’re concentrating on our current range, because this is where we are. We’re all in this transition phase before full electric, so we want to make our existing cars

more accessible for our customers.”

‘Peugeot-as-you-go’ is a scheme currently operating in France, which customers pay a monthly payment of €150 (£131.82) for, and which includes the car and 500km (311 miles) of driving a month. If motorists need to do more miles than this, they can ‘top-up’ the mileage at €0.07 (6p) a kilometre.

Phil York, Marketing Director of Peugeot, added: “The cost of living is rising, and the cost of raw material pricing is going up – it’s really vital we don’t price customers out of the market. There are several options we’re working on that we’re trialling right now, and the first of those is like a mobile phone package, which is ‘Peugeot-as-yougo’.

“It makes it very easy, very accessible and very affordable for those customers that don’t do long distances.”

Flexible

York added Peugeot wanted to ‘expand Peugeot-as-you-go to other markets’ outside of France and to more cars, but wouldn’t add which countries would be included.

He also added that ‘subscriptions are well adapted to electric cars’ and that Peugeot was seeing ‘a lot of interest’ in this method of flexible all-inclusive ownership, which covers the cost of the car, along with maintenance, servicing, insurance and even charging.

FOLLOWING on from the Skysphere and Urbansphere concepts, the new Activesphere –which measures in at close to five metres long – can switch into a pick-up-like design at the touch of a button, opening a cargo bed that can be used to carry extra equipment, such as e-bikes or winter gear.

Created at Audi’s Design studio in Malibu, USA, the Activesphere is a fully electric vehicle with a range of over 372 miles and incorporates fast charging technology courtesy of 800-volt architecture. This fast-charging capability means that a 10-minute charge could be enough to add up to 186 miles of range.

Headsets inside the car provide a view of the real environment outside and the plotted route, but they can also show 3D content and ‘interactive elements’ for both driver and passengers. These headsets can also relay all key driving information, such as driving status and

navigation, while passengers will be able to ‘see’ control panels and other displays.

Clearance

The exterior features 22-inch alloy wheels and plenty of ground clearance to help it to venture further afield, while chunky tyres with ‘contoured tread’ aid off-road driving too. That ground clearance can be boosted by 40mm from the standard height of 208mm, too, or lowered back to make on-road driving more comfortable.

Glass makes up a large part of the car’s body, too, while the front end of the car incorporates Audi’s famous Singleframe grille. This is flanked by narrow headlights, which have been designed to reflect the four rings of the Audi logo.

The daytime running lights at the front and the lights at the rear both use ‘ultra fine’ LED technology, too.

Peugeot boss rules out introducing more affordable electric car models

‘Under the bonnet, you’ll find the same 3.0-litre twinturbocharged six-cylinder engine as you’ll find in the regular M3, but it has had its power raised significantly’