Times of Tunbridge Wells 9th June 2021

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Summer hits high note with return of live music festival

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Exclusive By Richard Williams HOPES of a summer of fun are boosted today [Wednesday] with the news that one of the most popular events in Tunbridge Wells is set to return – Local & Live.

The three-day music festival, which is free and was launched 16 years ago, had to be cancelled last year and replaced by an online event because of the pandemic. ret, comedy, dance, theatre, film and The festival can attract up to visual art to the town.

20,000 visitors to the town from Local & Live organisers yesterday across the UK and as far afield [Tuesday] told the Times they are as Europe for a long week‘confident’ the music festival will end of music, food, fun and return at the end of August this year. entertainment.

“We have booked three The news comes hot on days in Calverley the heels of the Grounds,” said Local & announcement in the Live founder Paul DunTimes last month that ton. a new two-week festi“We plan to open on val, TW Fringe, is Friday MUSIC MAN being planned for July. The Paul Dunton event is to bring opera, caba-

evening [August 28] on the main stage at Calverley Grounds and do all day Saturday and Sunday in the park.

“We’ll announce the headliners in due course, but visitors can expect more than 100 acts over three days.

“It will be all about local businesses and local musicians, and we believe this will be a shot in the arm the town needs after being numb for so long,” he added.

Some of the local bands scheduled to appear this year include the likes of Suncharmer, David Migden & The Twisted Roots, The Steffan James Band,

Tom Williams, Cyrano, The Breretons, Alana Hazzard, Harry Whitty, Alex Beharrell, Dull Knife, Steve Hewitt, Zoe Nicol, Hannah Richards and many more.

The festival, along with many other outdoor events, including the independent music festival Unfest put on by the Forum, had to become an online event last year due to the pandemic.

But in normal times, Local & Live attracts around 4,000 people on its

See more on Page 4 & 5

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this week… Tories accused of ‘jobs for the boys’ after failing to appoint women chairs

By Richard Williams

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Cranbrook Triathlon Club celebrates a decade competing with a race on the anniversary of the club’s creation P10

TIME TEAM: Rose Hill School looks to the future during its Wellness Week by burying a time capsule to reflect experiences of the pandemic P14 BEAT THE BOTTLENECK: How cash buyers could be the only way to bypass the property market congestion and sell your home quicker P20

SHOWCASING THE SOUTH EAST: Open Studios are back this year, with artists from all over the region opening their doors to their workspaces P34 CONTACTS EDITORIAL DIRECTOR RICHARD MOORE richard.moore@onemediauk.co.uk | 01892 779615 DEPUTY EDITOR EILEEN LEAHY eileen.leahy@onemediauk.co.uk.co.uk | 01892 576037 CHIEF REPORTER RICHARD WILLIAMS richard.williams@onemediauk.co.uk |01892 240626 DESIGN/PRODUCTION LEE SMITH lee.smith@onemediauk.co.uk.co.uk ADVERTISING 01892 779580 advertising@onemediauk.co.uk FIND US ONLINE facebook.com/timeslocalnews www.timeslocalnews.co.uk twitter.com/timeslocalnews

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CONSERVATIVES in Tunbridge Wells have been criticised after appointing just one female councillor to a key position on Borough Council committees.

Of the 26 senior posts at the Council, 25 have gone to Tory men.

The party lost overall control of the authority at the May elections.

They managed to wrestle back minority control earlier this month.

Currently 24 councillors at the Town Hall are Tory members and 24 come from opposition parties.

New Council Leader Tom Dawlings has appointed a new Cabinet as well as new chairs and deputy chairs of the Council’s committees.

In making the appointments, just one single female councillor has been chosen to chair one of the Council’s 12 key committees.

She is the long-standing Tory member Cllr Jane March who sits as a chair on the Investigating and Disciplinary Committee.

Cllr March had also been Deputy Leader until last week. That position has now gone to male councillor, David Scott.

Of the 48 councillors across all parties on Tunbridge Wells Borough Council [TWBC], just 12 are women [25 per cent].

The Labour and Alliance groups have two out of five councillors who are women [40 per cent].

Five of the Conservative group’s 24 councillors are women [20 per cent].

Three of the Lib Dems 13 councillors [23 per cent] are women.

The Labour Borough member for Southborough & High Brooms, Cllr Dianne Hill, who is also the current Mayor of South- SOLE ROLE borough, raised Cllr Jane the issue of a lack March of female repre-

sentation fellow borough councillors at a full meeting of the authority last week.

She said: “Where are the women?

We have a male mayor, a deputy mayor who is male, all the leaders are men, and every chair is a man where are all the women.”

The councillor currently shares the Southborough mayoralty with deputy Dariel Francis – the first allfemale pairing of mayors in the Borough’s history.

She told the Times, offering all male councillors the top positions at the Borough Council ‘smacked of jobs for the boys’.

She said: “We have a female mayor a female deputy mayor and two female chairs on committees in Southborough, so why can’t Tunbridge Wells Borough Council be as diverse?”

Competent “The number of women in the Council has gone down at the local election. There were 15 female councillors and now there are just 12. The Council needs more women on there, especially women with children, but the hours often put people off.

“But it absolutely smacks of jobs for the boys because the Conservatives still have some very competent female councillors who could sit on one of these committees.

“This is not about Conservative women or Labour women, it is about women!”

The Women’s Equality Party, who didn’t stand in the Borough elections in May in Tunbridge Wells, but did contest the London Mayoralty, say the lack of women in local politics was ‘frustrating’.

Tunbridge Wells r e p r e s e n t a t ive , Lizz Orr, said: “Not only should our councillors reflect the people

they represent, but a diverse council would bring so much more to the table and enrich our community.

“I can't speak for all councils, but I suspect Tunbridge Wells is pretty typical being populated with elderly, majority male and 'comfortably off' Councillors.

CHAIRING COMMITTEES BOOSTS ALLOWANCES Sitting as a chair on one of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council’s [TWBC] key committees can add thousands of pounds to a councillor’s basic allowance.

All elected representatives at TWBC get a basic stipend of £5,500, but the leader of the Council receives an additional £19,250 and the other five Cabinet members get an extra £11,000 -four of which are male.

The chair of the planning committee is also entitled to an additional £5,500 and the vice chair £1,320.

The chairs of five other committees: scrutiny, licensing, general purpose, and joint transportation – also receive an extra £1,375.

Train passenger numbers out of Tunbridge Wells drop by millions

By Robert Forrester AROUND 2.8 million fewer journeys are being taken out of Tunbridge Wells station according to industry figures, as national passenger numbers plunge to their lowest levels since 1872.

Official statistics from the Office of Rail and Road [ORR] show that nationally, 388 million journeys were made in 2020-21 (April to March), which equates to only 22 per cent of the 1.7 billion made in 2019-20.

Southeastern, which provides train services in Tunbridge Wells, Crowborough and the surrounding areas, has seen passenger numbers plunge to 22.4 per cent of pre pandemic levels.

This unprecedented fall in usage has been attributed

entirely to the impact of the pandemic.

Before coronavirus hit, there were 3.6 million annual journeys made to or from Tunbridge Wells station on Mount Pleasant Road.

Estimates According to estimates based on the ORR figures, this has now dropped to just 812,000 – a fall of more than 2.8 million.

At High Brooms, 975,000 fewer annual journeys are being made to the station at just 280,000, down from 1.2 million in 2019/2020.

At Crowborough, annual journeys to or from the Jarvis Brook station have fallen to just 80,000, down 277,870 from 2019/2020’s 350,000.

The ORR figures, which are for the 12 months to the end of March 2021 show how when the coronavirus pandemic hit, demand for travel collapsed to the lowest experienced by the rail networks since records began in 1872.

The period between April and June 2020 saw the lowest demand for train travel, with just 35 million journeys made across the UK. After coronavirus restrictions eased, 133 million journeys were made in the following three months, and 139 million between October and December 2020.

But the imposition of another national lockdown led to just 80 million journeys being made in the first three months of 2021.

“Working on a council discriminates against those who do not have the time, as they may be caring for their children or elderly parents. As women do the majority of caring roles, this stops women running for election.”

New Conservative leader of the Council, Tom Dawlings, has admitted there is a ‘a clear under-representation of women’ on the Borough Council but said the ‘May election reduced our number of female Councillors significantly’.

He added: “Of course, we would like to encourage more women to stand for election to the Council. In determining Committee positions I have sought to place our members where they have indicated a preference and where I assess we maximise the use of their skills.”

Of the five Conservative female councillors on the Council, he said all of them had ‘significant committee responsibilities’.

He continued: “There is no monopoly of virtue in this matter – at the Annual Council meeting when the opposition sought to take on as Chair and Vice Chair of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee, their proposal was for these positions to be held by male Councillors.”

Passenger revenue in 2020/21 totalled £1.9 billion, just 18% of the £10.4 billion figure generated 12 months earlier.

Graham Richards, Director of Planning and Performance at the Office of Rail and Road, said there were signs that rail usage was now recovering.

He said: "This unprecedented fall in passenger numbers, the lowest annual fall since the

time series began, has clearly had an impact on both rail usage and ticketing revenue.

“Despite this, recent estimates published by the Department for Transport show that rail usage has recovered to around 45 per cent of pre-Covid levels by the end of May 2021.

“ORR continues to work closely to support industry and help passengers back on to the railway safely.”

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Wednesday June 9 | 2021

NEWS IN BRIEF

Inquest opens into Cranbrook lorry death AN INQUEST into the death of a refuse worker who was crushed to death by his bin lorry outside a top school is to take place before a jury.

Andrew Betts, 61, died outside Benenden School near Cranbrook on November 25. He worked for the Council’s waste contractor Urbaser.

Mr Betts, who lived in Tonbridge, died from massive chest trauma.

A pre-inquest review at County Hall, in Maidstone heard police carried out a thorough investigation of the lorry after the tragedy and no defects were identified.

A four-day inquest is to be held in front of a jury later this year.

Boundary proposals PLANS by the Boundary Commission to alter the constituencies of members of parliament to make them more equal will see the ward of Hawkhurst & Sandhurst move to a new Weald of Kent constituency.

The rest of the parliamentary area of Tunbridge Wells will remain the same if the plans are approved in 2023.

The proposed changes will see the number of constituencies in the South East rise from 84 to 91. Wealden will be split into two new areas, with Hailsham & Crowborough joined by another new constituency called East Grinstead & Uckfield that will be span across both East and West Sussex.

Tunbridge Wells MP Greg Clark said: “I love representing the villages of Hawkhurst & Sandhurst and I would be very sad to lose them. But these are only initial proposals and are subject to change. ”

Homes for Crowborough NEARLY £10million for building new affordable homes over the past year has been invested in Wealden, the district council has said.

“We are on track to create 134 new affordable homes by 2025/26,” said Cllr Ray Cade, Wealden District Council Cabinet member for Housing.

“Over the past year, 11 new homes for rent and three shared ownership homes have been delivered at Greenleaf Gardens, in Polegate. This is alongside 12 new council homes for rent and two for sharedownership at Woodpecker View in Crowborough,” he added.

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Vaccine rollout soldiers on as site opens at army barracks

By Richard Williams A NEW vaccination centre has opened at the Army Reserve Barracks on St John’s Road, to ensure enough access to the Covid-19 jabs.

Phoenix House in Tunbridge Wells is usually home to the 579 Field Squadron of the Royal Engineers, but it has now also become one of a number of vaccine sites that has been rolled out by an online pharmacist.

Pharmacy2U has 20 other centres across England in venues such as cinemas and hotel chains and has provided the jab to more than 350,000 people.

Activities The new centre in Tunbridge Wells comes as NHS contracts at a number of vaccine hubs are coming at an end because leisure centres and other venues, such as the Angel Centre in Tonbridge, have started to resume their normal activities.

Patients contacted by the NHS via letter, text, or email are now able to book their jab at the barracks.

It comes as people aged between 25-29 have been invited to book their Covid jabs from today [Wednesday].

Recent figures by Public Health England show that 111,565 vaccinations – either first or second dose –

have been delivered in Tunbridge Wells. And data from the Office for National Statistics show that 34,850 people over 50 in Tunbridge Wells have had both doses of the vaccine – around 73 per cent.

Covid-19 rates are on the rise in Tunbridge Wells. For the seven days to May 30, 18 new cases were reported, more than double the previous week’s eight cases, and people are being urged to book their appointments once contacted by the NHS or GP. Phil Day, Superintendent Pharmacist at Pharmacy2U, said: “This is a vitally important service for people across the country, ensuring the most vulnerable in our communities get this vaccination and protect themselves against Covid-19.

“The NHS have been working above and beyond expectation for more than a year, and it’s important that they get the support they need.

“We’ve been working hard to make sure we can offer these sites and help our existing and new patients, whilst alleviating pressure off the NHS.” He added that all vaccinations will be administered by a qualified healthcare professional, and patients will be required to return for the follow up jab.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, Pharmacy2U has helped

JABS ARMY The barracks on St John’s Road patients avoid over 6 million trips outdoors by safely delivering over 14.5 million medicines directly to their door.

Pressures Mark Livingstone, CEO of the online pharmacy, added: “We are incredibly proud at Pharmacy2U to help play our part in protecting the most vulnerable people against Covid-19 and supporting the incredible effort the NHS has put into the vaccination programme.

“The continued launch of our sites marks a huge step in increasing the

number of people that will have access to the vaccine and we feel privileged to be able to do so and help ease some of the huge pressures that the NHS are currently under.

“Our vaccination centres and fully trained first aiders will be supporting pharmacists to give patients these vital vaccinations, providing an essential service to help prevent the spread of this terrible virus.

We’re working closely with the national and regional NHS teams to deliver further vaccination sites for patients in areas that need them most.”

Hundreds wait a year for hip or knee ops as call for hubs grows WAITING list backlogs caused by Covid-19 have left hundreds of people in pain as they wait for vital knee and hip operations at Tunbridge Wells Hospital, new figures show.

Nationally, the Covid pandemic has created a 21,000 per cent increase in the number of patients waiting at least a year for orthopaedic surgery such as hip and knee operations.

There are 92,165 orthopaedic patients on

hospital lists across England who have been waiting at least 52 weeks. In January 2020, there were just 436.

A study covering ten hospital trusts by Edinburgh and Newcastle universities found that 35 per cent of patients awaiting hip replacements and 22 per cent of those needing knee replacements are deemed to have a quality of life 'worse than death' on one international score.

At the Trust that runs

Tunbridge Wells and Maidstone Hospital, there are currently 3,526 patients awaiting trauma and orthopaedic treatment 282 of which have been waiting more than a year to see a surgeon or consultant.

Standard Less than half [43.7 per cent] of patients are now seen within 18 weeks – the NHS operational standard is 92 per cent.

In the latest figures for March 2021, Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust [MTW] admitted 254 patients to its trauma and orthopaedic wards, with around 125 having waited around a year or more for treatment.

MTW have said they are ‘working hard’ to get through the backlog and increasing the number of patients that can be seen with ‘staggered appointment times’ and ‘the use of virtual clinics’’

Surgeons though are calling for the government to create local ‘surgical hubs’ to deal with the backlog.

Professor Neil Mortensen, president of the Royal College of Surgeons [RCS], said hospitals needed Government support to reduce the ‘colossal backlog’.

He added: “The surgical hub model is the best way we can keep treating people who need operations, regardless of future pandemics.”

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Wednesday June 9 | 2021

Local & Live is back this summer Continued from front page opening night in most years, and around 6,000 people visit the town for the festival on both Saturday and Sunday.

Local restaurants and pubs will get involved providing food or indoor live performance venues. Depending on the latest Covid guidance they will include The Forum, The Bedford, Cassidy’s, The Royal Oak and Spa Hotel.

“We are hoping we can also do indoor performances in the ven-

ues around the town, but that will depend on the government guidance at the time,” Paul Dunton said.

Guidance “Of course, we are following closely any guidance and instructions from government and will come up with contingencies to accommodate any changes. If live music is banned, then we’ll do an online festival again.”

Tunbridge Wells MP Greg Clark was among those that welcomed

the news of the festival’s return.

He said: "One of the highlights of The Tunbridge Wells year is the Local & Live Festival.

“It is terrific news that it is going ahead and like so many I can't wait to be there to enjoy it."

And Jason Dormon, cofounder of the Tunbridge Wells’ acclaimed music venue, the Forum, added: “It is so fantastic that the local music community can come together and celebrate this town's rich musical culture for Local & Live this year.”

Charity status helps fund £50,000 festival LAST year’s Local & Live festival was not the first time the event had to be cancelled or scaled back.

The festival, which was first held in 2006, has suffered funding issues in the past, but organisers say the event’s new charitable status makes it much easier to secure the £50,000 gross cost of putting on the three-day festival.

The event was registered as a charity in early 2019 and Local & Live Music is now run by a board of trustees that includes organiser Paul Dunton, Forum co-founder Jason

Dormon, as well as local musicians and fellow board members Peter Taylor, Nigel Bent and Barney Jameson.

“We are confident we can get the funding now that we have the trustees on board, it makes things much easier,” said Paul Dunton.

“We are running fundraising events and we have grant funding, and there are lots of other ways we can fund the event such as selling advertising on the giant screen.”

To find out how you can help support Local & Live visit: localandlive.org/ about/local-live-charity

ORGANISER Paul Dunton

PARTY IN THE PARK Calverley Grounds in 2018

Wednesday June 9 | 2021

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Music event sees a return of outdoor entertainment

By Richard Williams LOCAL & Live is not the only festival lined up for the summer of 2021 in Tunbridge Wells.

Most social distance and coronavirus restrictions are scheduled to end on June 21, and four days later, popular Americana festival Black Deer returns to Eridge Park.

The three-day event on June 25-27 sees a line-up that was originally scheduled for 2020 until the festival was cancelled due to the pandemic, and includes Van Morrison, Saving Grace featuring Robert Plant and Suzi Dian, Jake Bugg, Imelda May and Band of Skulls.

On July 9-11, Tom Kerridge’s food festival, Pub in the Park, is set to return to Dunorlan Park, and July also sees the inaugural TW Fringe take part in Tunbridge Wells.

As revealed in the Times last month, the TW Fringe takes its influence from the Edinburgh festival of the same name and will feature music, opera, cabaret, comedy, dance, theatre, film

and visual art, as well as a host of workshops and other activities from July 5 to July 18.

The new event will see acts and performers appearing at scores of venues in the town ranging from local pubs to community halls, churches, the Forum and The Pantiles. There will be a mixture of free and feepaying attractions.

Celebration So far more than 62 acts and 43 venues have signed up to take part during the two weeks of July 5-18.

Later on in the year, the Tunbridge Wells Puppetry Festival is scheduled to return after a year’s hiatus.

The biennial event that sees puppeteers from across Europe entertain local crowds is scheduled for October 15-17.

It also looks like Tunbridge Wells Mela – the free celebration of global music, food and dance – is set to return to Calverley Grounds this year.

Organisers of the event announced

‘It is truly fantastic news that Local & Live is set to go ahead on the August Bank Holiday’

earlier this week on Twitter that they were ‘at an advanced stage of planning’ and ‘were waiting to see what the government says around easing lockdown in June’, adding ‘we hope to announce news soon’.

The popular weekly Jazz on The Pantiles event has also returned every Thursday, although the music night has become a booking only night out for the time being.

Ross Feeney, Chief Executive of the town’s BID [Business Improvement District] that promotes the town centre, said: “It is truly fantastic news that Local & Live is set to go ahead on the August Bank Holiday.

“It is a wonderful showcase of talent and this, together with the reopening of hospitality, Jazz on the Pantiles, the TW Fringe and the Puppetry Festival means the town is definitely back and buzzing as a destination, while also driving further performance and demand for our superb local businesses.

“Tunbridge Wells is firmly shaping up to be the top place to live, work and play post-pandemic."

PUPPET MASTER Tunbirdge Wells Puppetry Festival is to return in the autumn

DIVERSE The Tunbridge Wells Mela is also set to return this summer

CROWDS: Music lovers enjoying the songs and sun during August Bank Holiday 2018 CHARMING Local band Suncharmer have played both Black Deer and Local & Live

AMERICANA Black Deer returns this month

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KCC threatens Home Office over child asylum seekers

By Richard Williams LEADER of Kent County Council (KCC) Roger Gough has told the Home Secretary that ‘enough is enough’ after the county has been left to provide care for more than double the safe number of child asylum seekers.

The authority is threatening the Home Office with legal action as it warns its services for unaccompanied child migrants are at breaking point for the second time in less than a year.

Cllr Gough says it may no longer be able to accept new unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) within days and has served a formal letter before action to the Home Office.

The letter serves as a warning that the authority is prepared to request a Judicial Review to ask Home Secretary Priti Patel to use existing powers to direct local authorities other than Kent to receive their fair share of UASCs. A voluntary transfer scheme should see other authorities take a fairer share of the 3,000 UASC claims made each year.

Kent has nearly double the number of asylum seeker children in care that the Government says is safe to have.

The safe limit for Kent is 231, but last year, the county took on 477

UASCs and so far in 2021, 263 child migrants are being looked after by KCC. The director of children’s services at the authority has advised the leader of the council that the current pace of arrivals and strain on care services is likely to mean he will no longer be able to safely accept any new UASC arrivals in the county before the end of this week.

Pressure KCC have told the Times that while all authorities that care for UASC receive some funding from the government, this does not cover all of the costs and Kent’s taxpayers have to make up the shortfall.

The latest move comes after the Council announced last August that it had reached its capacity to care for UASCs arriving on its shores despite efforts to work with the Home Office and other local authorities.

KCC leader Roger Gough said: “I am deeply saddened that we are now seeing a repeat of the same crisis of nine months ago.

“While there have been a number of welcome measures from Government – to the benefit of the Kent council taxpayer – we have not seen what is most needed: a robust National Transfer Scheme that prevents port authorities such as

Kent coming under unmanageable pressure.

“Over this last year we have argued consistently and repeatedly that this must be done through a mandatory system.

“The Home Office consulted on changes to the National Transfer Scheme (NTS) in August and September last year and have yet to publish any new proposals or a response to the consultation.

“The scheme remains voluntary with insufficient incentive for other UK local authorities to transfer UASC from Kent.

“Kent residents deserve a resolution to this issue. We still do not have one. The wholly

disproportionate strain on Kent’s children’s services continues to be overlooked.

“We must ensure that all UK local authorities with capacity share in the support of these children.

“Enough is enough. A robust, long-term solution is well overdue and critical for the future welfare of all children supported by KCC, whatever their background, and the continuation of the excellent services that support them.”

The council said that in the absence of any substantive Home Office response to its proposal by June 17, it will proceed to issue a claim for judicial review against the Home Secretary.

Wednesday June 9 | 2021

Teenager charged after body found near Crowborough A TRIAL date has been set for a 19-year-old male charged with the murder of a teenager whose body is believed to be the one found in woodland in the Heron’s Ghyll area of Wealden last week.

Marc Williams disappeared on Saturday, May 29, after calling his family to say he was on his way home.

The 18-year-old, from Uckfield, went to the Maresfield area on Saturday but had not been seen since he contacted his family to say he was on his way back.

Lewis Ashdown, of Normansland, Fairwarp, Uckfield, East Sussex, appeared at Lewes Crown Court charged with the teenager’s murder.

Ashdown, who appeared by video-link, spoke only to confirm his name and date of birth during the short hearing.

Judge Christine Laing QC approved a request by Ashdown’s legal team for a psychiatric report to be prepared.

The judge adjourned the case for a plea and trial preparation hearing to be held on August 3 with a trial set for January 17.

She told the defendant: “You are going to be in court on August 3 and on that date I anticipate the indictment, which is the charge that you face, will be put to you and you would be expected to put forward a plea.”

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Bureau reopening a sign of change

Bed retailer’s staff can sleep easy following sale

By Richard Williams DREAMS the bedding store in Tunbridge Wells has been sold, in a deal set to secure the future of the chain.

The bed retailer has been bought by mattress maker Tempur Sealy in a deal worth £340million.

The deal comes after a tumultuous period for Dreams.

In 2013 private equity giant

Sun European Partners bought the bed seller out of administration.

Delighted Tempur Sealy said the 200 Dreams stores will remain operating as usual and the retailer’s 2,000 staff will keep their jobs.

Mike Logue, chief executive, said: “We are delighted to be

joining the Tempur Sealy family. Today marks a milestone for Dreams.”

The deal signals a longterm turnaround in fortunes for the retailer at the end of a 12-month period where many of its sites were closed due to lockdown.

Dreams fell into administration in 2013, which saw the loss of 400 jobs and the closure of 90 stores, but the

business was saved by Sun European Partners in a deal worth £35million.

Paul Daccus, managing director at Sun European Partners, said: “We are very pleased that our extensive experience in enhancing operations and capitalising on new opportunities allowed us to achieve this positive outcome for Dreams and our investors.”

SAINSBURY’S Bank has reopened its Travel Bureau at its Linden Park Road store amid the easing of travel restrictions.

The bank says it has reopened the foreign currency facility following a ‘recorded a boom in holiday sales’ by travel companies after the UK announced that Britons would be able to travel to several countries without quarantining on their return.

Following the announcement last month, travel firms described seeing the best day for sales in months.

Sainsbury’s Bank says customers will once again be able to buy and sell a range of currencies from Euros and US Dollars to the further flung, and transfer money abroad with Western Union at its Tunbridge Wells supermarket.

It is one of 226 change facilities reopened by the company.

The bank also says if holidays are cancelled due to these ‘unprecedented times’, customers can return their travel money at the exchange rate purchased, if they retain their receipt.

Abroad Jason King, Customer Director at Sainsbury’s Bank said: “We’re delighted to welcome back travel money customers to our Tunbridge Wells store.”

He continued: “Whether it’s buying currency for a holiday abroad, selling back any extra from your trip or sending money to friends and family overseas with Western Union, we’re open and ready.”

Food firm opens in department store A POPULAR food and drink outlet is set to open in a third location at a department store in Tunbridge Wells.

Macknade, which already has stores in Faversham and Ashford, will be joining forces with Hoopers on Mount Pleasant Road to provide a similar experience.

They will occupy a 4,000 sq ft area in the department store and can cater for around 100 dining customers at a time.

Debra Angus, managing director of Hoopers in Tunbridge Wells, said: “Living in east Kent, I have long been a loyal customer

of Macknade and have admired its ethos, passion and commitment in providing a fantastic food-based experience.

“The resonance of two family businesses joining in partnership with our customer at the centre is a very exciting prospect.”

S T E E R T S H YOUR HIG AFE AND S , N E P O E AR ! i H O T READY Say

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10

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SUMMER

OPEN DAY

Wednesday June 9 | 2021

Club turns 10 with celebratory return to its roots in Cranbrook

26 June 2021 2-4pm

BIRTHDAY BASH Triathlon club returned to Cranbrook for its anniversary

properly later on this year once Covid restrictions are lifted!”

By Lottie Bulmer

As lockdown restrictions begin to ease and the daylight hours get longer, we’re really pleased to be able to hold our Birchwood Care open day.

Come and meet the team and find out about our family-run residential home in Speldhurst and our home care service supporting people in and around Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge and Sevenoaks.

Our team of warm and friendly staff will be on hand to answer your questions and discuss the care options available to you from Birchwood.

We can’t wait to meet you.

To pre-register your attendance, please call us on 01892 341260 or visit us at birchwood.care

TUNBRIDGE Wells Triathlon Club has celebrated its 10th birthday by returning to its birthplace for a special race.

Competitors from the club lined up in Cranbrook last month to take part in the Sprint Triathlon which included a 300m swim, a 22km bike and a 5km trail run.

President, Eric Perrier, founded the club in Cranbrook on the May 10, 2011.

He said: “We have rocked the tri planet for 10 years and there’s plenty more to come.

“Hopefully we can celebrate

Groups Richard Bysouth, current club chairman added: “We’ve now grown to over 100 members, representing a diverse section of the multisport community, from first-timers to those competing for Team GB Age Groups.”

As part of the 10 year celebrations two founding members, David Bagge and Ken MacSporran, were made lifetime members for their ‘commitment, representation

and dedication’ to the club.

On receiving the accolade, Ken said: “I look forward to a lifetime of cold swims, race t-shirts, early morning bike rides, wobbly leg runs, and most importantly continuing to be hugely inspired and motivated by you lovely lot, my good friends and clubmates.”

Suzanne Brogan, a member who joined Tunbridge Wells Triathlon Club during the pandemic added: “Fantastic achievement Eric for creating this amazing club, also very grateful to everyone who has welcomed us to the club this year.”

Hospice offers invitation to raise a glass for charity BEER Buffs are being invited to use their discerning taste to raise money for charity.

A beer tasting event is taking place at The Crowborough Cross on July 15 in aid of Hospices of Hope, an Otford based charity which provides hospice care in Romania, Albania, Serbia and Moldova.

The drinks will be

“Money raised from the event will enable South Eastern European families with a seriously ill family member to make the most of the precious time they have together” provided by Three Acres Brewery, based near Uckfield and set up by childhood friends Jamie Newton Chester Broad and Peter Mayhew.

Anna Perolls, Managing Director at Hospices of Hope, said: “We are very

happy to be holding our first beer-tasting with the Three Acres Brewery.

“It’s going to be a great night out for ‘Beer Buffs’ families and friends! Money raised from the event will enable South Eastern European families with a seriously ill family BEER BUFFS Sally O’Connor, Jay Finch and Andy Read at a previous beer tasting

member to make the most of the precious time they have together.”

Hospices of Hope are the largest hospice and palliative care movement in South East Europe and is celebrating its 30th Anniversary this year.

The charity was founded in 1991 by

Graham Perolls, following a visit to a cancer ward in Brassov, Romania where he was shocked to see the low standards of care.

Tickets are £15 per person and include beer-tasting and food.

The event is restricted to people aged 18 or above.

Wednesday June 9 | 2021

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NEWS

11

day marks Crowborough centre has laid the Special the idea of Learning, foundations to welcome visitors Laughing and Loving

By Millie Sanderson

CONSTRUCTING THE COMMUNITY: Contractor ‘Kev’ from Constantine Construction and trustees Frank Lees, Chantal Wilson, Roger Bishop and Clive Wilson who formed a work party to prepare the car park for resurfacing as part of Crowborough Community Centre’s upgrading of facilities

A COMMUNITY centre has upgraded its facilities in preparation for the return of users and visitors.

Crowborough Community Centre has had a newly resurfaced and white lined car park, a new water heater and taps installed along with a drinks and vending machine.

Centre staff are hoping that people will be making a welcome by the end of June.

The drinks machine is taking the place of the café service which has not yet reopened.

Joint Centre

Manager, Brian Stockton praised the new installations and called the machine:“Mighty fine with just a hint of aristocratic arrogance”.

Welcome Chairperson, Chantal Wilson said: “We are very sorry that the counter service in the café will not be re-opening at the moment.

“However, everyone is very welcome to use the café space to socialise.

“We also hope people will hire the high-grade commercial kitchen for private events.”

THE first ever national U3A Day has taken place.

The group, which has the motto ‘Learn Laugh Live’, celebrated U3A Day on June 2.

U3A was founded in 1982 to bring people together in their ‘third age’ (active retirement).

In Tunbridge Wells, 26 members joined a ‘claret plaque walk’ to see some of the plaques that commemorate famous or important people connected with the town.

Since it was half term a ‘Spot the Toy Animals’ Treasure Hunt was organised for parents and children to join, and members of the Watercolour group painted wooden butterflies that were

then displayed around the town.

The World of Sewing on Camden Road allowed TWu3a to dress two of their windows to draw the attention of passers-by.

There are 1,039 U3As with over 430,000 members in the country.

To find out more go to tunbridgewellsu3a. org or call the chairperson on 07471190127.

WORLD OF SEWING

SERVING SOUTHBOROUGH Elly Obeney from Contain Yourself

JOG ON The inside of The Running Hub

Meet in the middle for this week’s treasure hunt SOUTHBOROUGH, the town which connects Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge, is the next location for Say Hi to your High Street’s Treasure Hunt.

The town came into being as the main place that visitors would stay during a trip to the nearby mineral water of the wells.

This weekend, you can tour the historic town and be in with the chance of winning some summer prizes.

These include a bird feeder from Pets Fayre, a kids’ cricket set from Kent Cricket Direct, a creative session with the art studio Arty Farty Retreat, a voucher to

spend with The Running Hub and a delicious day out with local chocolate specialists, Temper Temper.

All you have to do is visit Southborough this Saturday [June 12], find all 12 clues and then share a selfie showing your haul using the hashtag #sayhisouthborough either on Facebook, by tagging the profile @VisitTunbridgeWells, or on Instagram, by tagging the profile @tunbridgewellsvisitor.

If your social media accounts are private you can email your photo to business@ tunbridgewells.gov.uk instead.

PAWS FOR THOUGHT Sarah Baden from Pets Fayre

WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO BE BACK IN BUSINESS… Southborough businesses taking part in the Treasure Hunt include Pets Fayre, The Running Hub and Contain Yourself. Their owners tell us how it feels to be back to business after lockdown…

Sarah Baden opted for a career change from the investment banking world and put her love for animals first when she opened Pets Fayre.

She said: “I really wanted to take over a pet shop, as I felt there were many out there who weren’t providing customers with the correct information.

“I really disagree with the actual sale of animals in a pet shop — so it was important to me that we focused instead on giving local pet owners the proper support.

“We are also a part of the Pet Food Recycling Programme, working with TerraCyle to help minimise the packaging that ends up in landfill sites across the UK. “You can bring your pet food packaging back into the store after use and we will recycle it for you, helping to raise money for the Folly Wildlife Rescue charity. ”It’s great to be able to give back to our community and we are now working on making all of our packaging environmentally friendly.”

Former national middle-distance runner, David Castle founded The Running Hub back in 2010. He uses his wealth of knowledge of running to help the Hub’s customers go further.

He said: “We love our loyal customer base, so during lockdown we decided to do a virtual analysis.

“Customers could send in videos of themselves running and then we were able to make recommendations for them to come and collect. We knew we couldn’t let our customers down.

“I love being able to see our customer base grow; we work hard to provide this level of customer service, so it is good to see our hard work pay off!”

Elly Obeney set up Contain Yourself to combat plastic waste. It originally started in her mother’s conservatory in 2018 but due to high demand, was able to open her own shop in 2018.

Contain Yourself now helps the Southborough Community to shop more sustainably.

She said: “I was moved by the devastating scenes in Blue Planet 2, which encouraged me to research ways in which I could reduce plastic in my own life.

“After reading as many books as possible, a topic which kept coming up was zero-waste/refill shops. With nothing like this in my area, I decided to give it a go myself.”

She continued: “Although I had to shut my doors not long after launching due to Covid, I am so happy to be open again. If Contain Yourself can get through a global pandemic, we can get through anything.”

12

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National News

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Wednesday June 9 | 2021

India variant spike in Manchester threatens the lifting of restrictions GREATER Manchester and the county of Lancashire will be offered a ‘strengthened package of support’ to tackle a rise in the Delta variant of coronavirus, Matt Hancock has told MPs, as residents in the areas have been asked to reduce travel.

The Health Secretary told the Commons the Government faces a ‘challenging decision’ over whether to lift remaining lockdown restrictions on June 21.

As part of Government recommendations, people in areas affected by a rise in the Delta variant, first identified in India, are being urged to meet outside rather than inside where possible, keep up social distancing and minimise travel in and out of affected regions.

it was ‘very important to keep a sense of proportion’.

He said: “This is guidance, it is advice to the public. It is not a lockdown. It is not a ban… this is not about telling people to cancel their plans, it is about asking them to be careful in setting any new ones, to minimise non-essential travel.”

He added that it was a ‘sensible approach given the rise in cases that we’ve seen’.

The news also comes as the number of deaths involving coronavirus registered each week in England and Wales has dropped below 100 for the first time in nearly nine months.

A total of 95 deaths registered in the week ending May 28 mentioned Covid-19 on the death certificate, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

It is the first time the number has been below 100 since the week to September 11.

Certificate It is also the lowest total since the week to September 4.

The figures reflect the steady fall in Covid deaths since January, with the combined impact of social restrictions and the vaccine rollout continuing to drive down the spread of the virus.

Just 12 care home resident deaths involving coronavirus in England and Wales were registered in the week to May 28 – the lowest number since the pandemic began.

In total, 42,498 care home residents in England and Wales have had Covid-19 recorded on their death certificate, the ONS said.

These figures cover deaths of care home residents in all settings, not just in care homes.

Of all the deaths registered in England and Wales in the week to May 28, around one in 100 mentioned Covid-19 on the death certificate.

This is the lowest proportion since the week to September 11.

SHOT IN THE ARM Andy Burnham receiving his second jab on Tuesday

Proportion Mr Hancock said: “I can tell the House that today, working with local authorities, we are providing a strengthened package of support based on what’s happening in Bolton to help Greater Manchester and Lancashire tackle the rise in the Delta variant that we are seeing there.

“This includes rapid response teams, putting in extra testing, military support and supervised in-school testing.

“I want to encourage everyone in Manchester and Lancashire to get the tests on offer.

“We know that this approach can work, we’ve seen it work in south London and in Bolton in stopping a rise in the number of cases.

“This is the next stage of tackling the pandemic in Manchester and Lancashire and of course it’s vital that people in these areas, as everywhere else, come forward and get the jab as soon as they are eligible because that is our way out of this pandemic together.”

Following the announcement, Greater Manchester Mayor, Andy Burnham, who yesterday received his second dose of the vaccine said

NEWS IN BRIEF

Global blackout downs international websites

Report into 80s cold case Joey Barton case halted murder set for publication and new trial scheduled

A GLOBAL internet blackout took dozens of major websites offline yesterday [Tuesday] including Amazon, Reddit and the UK Government.

US firm Fastly, a content delivery network (CDN) which helps websites speed up loading times and present their content to users, has confirmed it is looking into an issue which had a ‘potential impact to performance with our CDN services’.

The UK Government’s website was among a number giving error messages on Tuesday morning in what appeared to be a worldwide internet issue.

Websites for several leading media companies – including the Guardian, Financial Times, Independent and the New York Times – were also down.

Anyone attempting to access the gov.uk site – was given the message “Error 503 Service Unavailable”.

A PUBLICATION date has been confirmed for the long-awaited report into the unsolved murder of private detective Daniel Morgan.

The father-of-two was killed with an axe in the car park of the Golden Lion pub in Sydenham, south-east London, on March 10 1987.

Despite five police inquiries and an inquest, no-one has been brought to justice over Mr Morgan’s death, with the Metropolitan Police admitting corruption had hampered the original murder investigation.

In 2013, then Home Secretary Theresa May announced that an independent panel was being set up to examine the case. It is now due to publish its findings on June 15.

The report was due to be released in May, but a last-minute intervention by the Home Office sparked a furious row with the panel and Mr Morgan’s family.

The report is said to address questions relating to the police handling of the case.

THE trial of Bristol Rovers manager Joey Barton, who is accused of assaulting a rival football boss, has been halted at Sheffield Crown Court.

Barton, 38, denies assaulting former Barnsley manager Daniel Stendel occasioning him actual bodily harm.

The trial of the former Manchester City midfielder began on Monday but was halted by Judge Jeremy Richardson QC on Tuesday due to difficulties with Mr Stendel giving evidence in German over a video link from Hanover.

Judge Richardson discharged the jury saying: “It is just not right to struggle on.”

He told the panel: “I became increasingly concerned that things are getting lost in translation.

“He is a critical witness in this case. It’s not fair to him and not fair to anyone in this case.”

Barton was given unconditional bail.

The case was adjourned to Wednesday for a new trial date to be fixed.

FOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT: timeslocalnews.co.uk

Wednesday June 9 | 2021

MET officer admits rape and the kidnap of Sarah Everard

DEATH Sarah Everard

A SERVING MET Police officer has accepted responsibility for the killing of a 33-year-old marketing executive who went missing in Clapham, South London, but has not entered a plea for her murder.

PC Wayne Couzens, 48, appeared at the Old Bailey yesterday [Tuesday], when he pleaded guilty to the kidnap and rape of Sarah Everard.

The Metropolitan Police officer was wearing khaki trousers and a grey sweatshirt as he appeared by video link from Belmarsh jail.

He pleaded guilty to kidnapping Ms Everard ‘unlawfully and by force or fraud’ on March 3.

He also pleaded guilty to a second charge of rape between March 2 and 10.

The court heard how Couzens also accepted responsibility for the killing of Ms Everard but was not asked to enter a plea to a charge of murder.

Lord Justice Adrian Falford said: “The defendant has pleaded guilty today to counts one and two of the indictment, the kidnap of Sarah Everard and the rape of Sarah Everard.

“Count three, the count of murder, has not been put to the defendant because medical reports are awaited in relation to that

allegation - although the defendant accepts responsibility for the killing.”

“It is hoped that the issue in relation to count three can be resolved at the plea and trial preparation hearing on July 9 - by which time it is the hope of the court that the psychiatric and psychological reports commission by the defence will have been completed and will be available.”

Witness Marketing executive Ms Everard went missing as she walked home from a friend’s house on March 3.

Her boyfriend reported her missing on March 4.

The body of Ms Everard was found hidden in an area of woodland in Ashford, Kent, on March 10.

A post-mortem found that she had died of strangulation.

The death of the young woman sparked protests and a vigil, which was attended by the Duchess of Cambridge.

Members of Ms Everard’s family sat in court to witness the defendant enter his pleas.

A further hearing before Lord Justice Fulford is due to take place on July 9.

Court appearance for man accused of PCSO murder A KENT man accused of murdering a female Police Community Support Officer [PCSO] appeared in court yesterday [Tuesday].

Callum Wheeler is charged with killing mum-oftwo by Julia James inflicting serious head injuries while she walked her dog in Snowdown near Dover.

Julia, worked with the domestic violence unit at Canterbury police station.

Her body was found with her Jack Russell, Toby, by her side,

Hunt She was discovered close to Akholt Wood, about 400 metres from her home.

A post-mortem investigation revealed she suffered “significant head injuries”, sparking a

widespread hunt for her killer.

Wheeler, of Aylesham, was charged with her murder almost a fortnight after the 53-year-old was found dead on April 27.

He appeared at the Old Bailey in London via videolink.

He did not enter a plea but is due to do so in the week of October 4. A trial date is set for November 29 at Canterbury Crown Court.

A slap in the face for President Macron FRENCH President Emmanuel Macron has been slapped in the face by a man during a visit to a small town in southeast France.

Mr Macron’s office on Tuesday confirmed a video that is widely circulating online.

The French president can be seen greeting the public waiting for him behind barriers in the town of Tain-l’Hermitage after he visited a high school that is training students to work in hotels and restaurants.

The video shows a man slapping Mr Macron in the face and his bodyguards pushing the man away as the French leader quickly leaves the scene.

French news broadcaster BFM TV said two people have been detained by police.

Mr Macron has not commented on the incident and continued his visit.

Speaking at the National Assembly, prime minister Jean Castex said “through the head of state, that’s democracy that has been targeted”, in comments prompting loud applause from politicians from all ranks, standing

up in a show of support.

“Democracy is about debate, dialogue, confrontation of ideas, expression of legitimate disagreements, of course, but in no case it can be violence, verbal assault and even less physical assault,” Mr Castex said.

Far-right leader Marine Le Pen

firmly condemned on Twitter “the intolerable physical aggression targeting the president of the Republic”.

Visibly fuming, she said later that while Mr Macron is her top political adversary, the assault was “deeply, deeply reprehensible”.

Less than one year before France’s

next presidential election and as the country is gradually reopening its pandemic-hit economy, Mr Macron last week started a political “tour de France,” seeking to visit French regions in the coming months to “feel the pulse of the country”.

Mr Macron has said in an interview he wanted to engage with people in a mass consultation with the French public aimed at “turning the page” of the pandemic and preparing his possible campaign for a second term.

The attack follows mounting concerns in France about violence targeting elected officials, particularly after the often-violent “yellow vest” economic protest movement that repeatedly clashed with riot officers in 2019.

Village mayors and politicians have been among those targeted by physical assaults, death threats and harassment.

But France’s well-protected head of state has been spared until now, which compounded the shockwaves that rippled through French politics in the wake of the attack.

National News

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Education News

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Wednesday June 9 | 2021

EDUCATION Times Pupils celebrate their annual Wellness Week in the great outdoors Every year the children at Rose Hill host a special week of events to promote mental and physical wellbeing and this year’s was a great success as the Times found out…

Just before they broke up for half term, pupils at Rose Hill School buried a special time capsule to mark a year of the Covid pandemic.

The capsule included items from all the children attending the co-educational prep school in Coniston Avenue. The pieces placed in the capsule reflect both the positive and negative experiences of the Covid pandemic and numerous lockdowns.

The time capsule project was part of the school’s recent Wellness Week, which is an annual event in the school

FEELING POSITIVE Rose Hill pupils during Wellbeing Week

calendar, taking place each May. During the week-long event, which promotes both physical and mental wellbeing, pupils and their parents got involved in a huge variety of activities including yoga, Maypoling, and a ‘danceathon’ Zumba. There were also online safety demos, LAMDA workshops and sessions on life coaching and healthy eating.

A Rose Hill spokesperson told the Times that one of the highlights of the week was a visit from David Atherton, winner of the Great British Bake Off.

Fresh beginnings for prep school as it opens new early years facility RECIPE FOR SUCCESS: Bake Off star David Atherton with Rose Hill pupils

‘The time capsule project was part of the school’s recent Wellness Week, which is an annual event in the school calendar, taking place each May’ “He talked to pupils about his journey and how all of his cooking focuses on the health benefits of food. Pupils tried his cakes and guessed the mystery ingredients!”

Rose Hill’s Head Teacher, Emma Neville, added “Wow. What a week we have had! The whole school community has been involved in so many activities.

For me the highlight was the visit from David Atherton, an amazing example of hard work and resilience, what a fantastic baker he is!”

Claremont Prep School has opened a brand new building, which will be the centre of learning for all children in their Early Years and Key Stage One (Reception to Year 2).

The new facility overlooks the 130 acre Prep School site, situated near St Leonards-on Sea. The new building has eight new classrooms, new playground areas, state of the art learning spaces and sits adjacent to Claremont’s Forest School, which is set in 30 acres of school woodland.

Impressive A spokesperson for Claremont, which accepts pupils aged 1 to 18 and has a senior students site in Bodiam, told the Times: “This is the latest chapter in an impressive period of growth and expansion for the school.

“Over the last 10 years the school has doubled in size with the opening of a new Senior School in Bodiam in 2010. With that growth has followed the development of fantastic facilities at both school

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sites. The Bodiam site has been completely transformed and the Prep School site is now following suit.”

The School, which was first established in 1925 and welcomes both day and boarding students, changed ownership in 2018 and is part of the International Schools Partnership (ISP), a group of 50 schools from all around the globe.

The spokesperson added that the collaboration with ISP is a key component of the co-ed school’s recent success.

Claremont’s Principal Giles Perrin added: “Over the last three years in particular we have really accelerated.

‘Back to back ‘Outstanding’ Ofsted inspections, wonderful new facilities at both sites, most notable a Performing Arts Centre, a multitude of new learning areas at Bodiam and now this great facility here in St Leonards.

“The opening of this amazing building is another tangible expression of the progress and growth of our school, which is getting better all the time.”

GREG CLARK MP ADVICE SURGERIES

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

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

01892 519854 or email:

greg.clark.mp @parliament.uk

A SUMMER EXTRAVAGANZA!

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04/06/2021 10:32

16

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Weekly Comment

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Cllr Tom Dawlings

Conservative Council Leader for Tunbridge Wells Borough Council

Wednesday June 9 | 2021

Each week we invite a representative from one of the major political parties to share their views and thoughts. This week, it is the turn of the Conservatives. Newly elected leader Cllr Tom Dawlings whose career was spent with the Bank of England, shares his thoughts and views

I will work hard on your behalf On May 26 I was elected as the new leader of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council. This is both an honour and privilege for me after a career with the Bank of England and having now served as a Borough Councillor for seven years.

It is a challenging time for our Council. We are still in a pandemic that has placed a huge strain on TWBC's services and finances. We all hope the end is now in sight, helped by the UK's world-leading vaccination programme and by the efforts of the NHS and local volunteers to get local residents vaccinated.

I am proud of how the Borough Council responded to the crisis. It has distributed over £50million in government grants to local businesses, and continues to offer financial support with government restart grants.

This assistance, and the

speed and efficiency with which it was distributed, has provided a lifeline to the local economy and kept many businesses afloat.

During the first lockdown, the Council moved quickly to help and protect our most vulnerable residents.

Programme The Assembly Hall Theatre was transformed into a wellbeing hub that distributed over 400 food parcels to those needing help. There was also close liaison with Parish Councils in the Borough to support their residents.

The Council also worked with various partners to provide emergency accommodation for nearly 150 people or couples under the government's ‘Everyone In’ programme for rough sleepers. And we played a part in the rollout of Covid

testing services and the vaccination programme, helping the NHS to find lateral flow testing sites and assisting local GPs to make thousands of vaccination appointments.

As we emerge from this national emergency, first and foremost my priority is for the Council to continue to do all we can to help local people and businesses. Claims for

government grants must be processed as swiftly as possible and we will provide guidance and assistance to help businesses reopen safely in line with government guidance.

We will also work to preserve the cultural and sports facilities in the borough. We've already secured government funding of £770,000 for the Assembly Hall Theatre and

museum, and a further £400,000 to safeguard our three leisure centres. We need these important community assets to survive and thrive.

We must also press on with the Amelia Scott building in the heart of Tunbridge Wells. This stunning cultural hub, due to open next April, will house our library, museum and adult education centre. The £21m project has received some £10m of funding from our partners (Kent County Council, Arts Council England and the National Lottery Heritage Fund) and from other fundraising.

Once finished, it will be a superb asset for our community for many years to come.

I also have some personal priorities I intend to pursue.

The environment must be at the heart of all matters addressed by the Council. I loathe litter with a passion and want our streets and open

spaces to be well maintained. I am also passionate about preserving our amazing countryside and in particular the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

We must also look for the best possible ways of providing council services, including better utilising local suppliers and insourcing. And I want to explore working with the private sector owners of the cinema site in the centre of Royal Tunbridge Wells to find a suitable long-term solution.

So there is much to do and my new Cabinet and my fellow Conservative councillors will all work hard on your behalf. I have also worked with opposition groups on certain matters and will continue to reach out to them. We now have a hung council, a less than ideal situation but one that we must make work for our residents and borough.

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Wednesday June 9 | 2021

Letters

FOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT: timeslocalnews.co.uk

17

NEWS

And another thing…

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

Bring an end to inset days

ON MONDAY of this week schools reopened after the half term break. Teachers returned but there was not a single child in any of the classrooms in East Sussex because it was something called an INSET day. This means in-service-training and is where teachers go into schools for ‘training, planning and other duties’ while kids stay at home.

No one disputes teachers play a vital role in the lives of children and most do a great job.

They get paid £31,000 a year if working in a primary school and £39,000 in secondary.

They also get about 10 weeks holiday a year.

With so much pressure now on the

education system to find ways of helping students make up for time lost during lockdown maybe INSET days should be suspended with teachers going back the Friday before pupils on the Monday.

There are five INSET days a year, they vary between schools, which would equate to an extra week in the classroom for all youngsters.

It would not solve all the problems, but it would be a start and the end of an outdated practice that was started more than 30 years ago.

Not all teachers would oppose such an idea.

Malcolm Rogers Crowborough

Thanks for covering Crowborough I have noticed that Times of Tunbridge Wells is now being circulated in Crowborough and that you are covering some stories from our area.

On a personal note, could I say how much I enjoy your newspaper and its professional coverage of issues and events.

I hope you may one day further expand into the northern part of East Sussex with towns like Crowborough, Uckfield, Heathfield, Mayfield, Wadhurst etc all badly in need of good print coverage.

Roger Bishop Director & Trustee Crowborough Community Association

A rocky road into town Why is Frant Road in the state that it is? I’m constantly seeing Kent Highways vehicles zooming around the town – do they just avoid Frant Road? It’s not wonder why.

As I drive past the speed camera and past The Bull pub, I am jarred by the potholes - uneven road surface and the lack of white lines everywhere.

Of course I try to avoid them, but sometimes with the congestion on the road along the drop off and pick up times at the school, it is unsafe to do so and I am resigned to having to add more wear and tear to my car.

It was only recently that I have returned to my office in the town, and while I love being back into working life, I can’t justify the expense that it is taking on my car as buses aren’t an option for me.

What are we paying road and council tax for?

It’s no wonder that the Royal Victoria Place is suffering so badly.

We are trying to encourage people to come back to the town and spend money in our shops, but the parking is extortionate and the roads are shocking. Something needs to change.

Alicia Jones Frant

House prices a joke With reference to your front-page story last week [June 2] and the shortage of family homes. It is an absolute national disgrace that we have allowed the property market to run away like this, leaving an entire generation unable to afford to buy their own home.

Even the cheapest family home in Tunbridge Wells will set you back £450-£500k so how on earth does a couple on a moderate income afford to live in this town anymore?

It is time homeowners put back what they have taken out and we start taxing people on the equity (profits) they have earned from being lucky enough to get on the property ladder at the right time.

David Williams Tunbridge Wells

RECHARGE: A new electric car charging point

Southborough is going green Southborough Town Council is also making great strides on environmental policies as well as on more balanced gender representation [Letters Times, June 2].

Recently new electric vehicle charging points and parking spaces were installed at Yew Tree Road car park.

Hopefully we can also get some commuter charging points at High Brooms station in the near future and help paint the town green.

Dr Alan Bullion Southborough Town Councillor Liberal Democrat

The state of the town is ‘appalling’ I took this photo during a recent visit to Calverley Grounds, the flagship park in centre of Royal Tunbridge Wells.

The build-up of debris and rubbish was appalling around the public toilets.

The streets in the area are also dirty with a lot of rubbish. Flower beds in the park are full of weeds.

Can you please do a report on the state of the park and the area around the station?

What a greeting to the town when our shops and businesses need customers to help recover from the effects of lockdown.

Lynne Clark Tunbridge Wells

Having been a resident of both Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge, I am perplexed by the desire of both Councils to keep introducing 20mph speed limits, especially when they cite of all things the environment as a reason for a reduction in the limits.

While I understand the need to reduce speeds outside schools or places where children are likely to be walking or playing for safety reasons, can we stop this nonsense about it being environmentally friendly?

Crawling along in second gear at 20mph along Quarry Hill Road in Tonbridge or one of the many reduced speed limit roads in Tunbridge Wells does not reduce pollution, it increases it.

The longer a car has to spend on any street the more pollution is being pumped out of the exhaust, regardless of the speed limit.

Robert Johnson Tunbridge Wells

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Homes & Interiors

Wednesday June 9 | 2021

Interiors

19

Going it alone

How one woman set up her own lettings agency

Page 20

Green with envy

Bring this summer’s coolest tones into your home Page 22

Homes & Interiors

Property Focus N EW S

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Wednesday June 9 | 2021

Why I chose to launch my own agency and go it alone...

LAST year, Director of TN Lettings in Tunbridge Wells Becky Moran, decided that she wanted to try her hand at being her own boss.

With over 20 years of experience in the industry, Becky shares with up decided to set up shop in the middle of one of the toughest years for the industry…

“I started TN Lettings this year as the result of a bad experience letting out my own property through a large London-based agency.

To cut a long story short, I was charged ten thousand pounds-worth of fees, with no tenants and

no rent to show for it.

“I’ve been personally letting properties for seven years, so I know this was an unfortunate, one-off experience.

But I also know I’m not alone in receiving this unacceptable service from agencies we expect more of.

“Having worked in property investment for over twenty years, I know the industry inside-out, and feel strongly that landlords and potential landlords shouldn’t be subjected to unclear terms and unfair practises. So, for this reason, right in the middle of lockdown, I

launched my own lettings agency!

“What makes us different is we’re not driven by profit. We have a genuine desire to do the right thing, by our landlords and our tenants. We are honest and transparent; our fees are listed clearly on our website and there are no hidden costs.

“We don’t add mark-ups to any property reports we arrange for you and we’re up to date with all the current legislation. What’s more, we know the area inside out and we provide a warm, friendly and personalised service.

ALL SMILES Becky Moran of TN Lettings “Fast forward a few months and I’m genuinely surprised at the situation we find ourselves in. We’re seeing lots of people moving to this area from London, with some buying up houses they haven’t even viewed, within hours of them going on the market, such is the demand.

“There are more families looking to rent homes with outdoor spaces than

“If you are thinking of letting a property, now is the time to do it. We live in a beautiful part of the world”

there are lettings available.

“The trend is set to continue, but my personal view is we could see a slight slowdown come Spring. So, if you are thinking of letting a property, now is the time to do it.

“We live in a beautiful part of the world, with fantastic connections to London, especially in Tonbridge, and many others are starting to

see the appeal too.

“Becoming a landlord can be an exciting adventure.

While the upfront costs can sometimes take some adjusting to, the long term benefits and regular income are well worth it.

“And property will always be a reliable investment. “it’s rare to see a property go down in value over many years.”

Could cold hard cash be the way to beat the bottleneck?

CASH buyers may be the only way to give house sellers a ‘fighting chance’ to dodge the market congestion.

With the Stamp Duty Holiday causing a surge in interest, there is a backlog of sales where buyers are rushing to make their purchase before the end of the

break on June 30.

Cash buyers can bypass the slog of having to wait for mortgage approval which takes an average of around one month to process, and can instead release the funds quickly and the sale can go through within the space of a few weeks.

According to research

by Yes Homebuyers, the top place to find a cash buyer is the South West, where 17,466 out of 52,187 sales from July 2020 to January 2021 were by cash buyers, making it 33 per cent of total sales.

The South East lags behind the South West, with only 26 per cent of

buyers paying with cash and is also behind England’s average of 27 per cent of sales.

Deadline Matthew Cooper, Founder & Managing Director of Yes Homebuyers, said: “The government continues to cling to a

buoyant housing market as their only real pandemic success story and they've achieved this by introducing yet another initiative, focussed on fuelling demand rather than supply.

“While there’s no doubt it has benefited those to have secured a stamp duty saving, it has also come at the expense of many homebuyers and sellers who are now stuck in the bottleneck waiting to complete with no hope of doing so ahead of the deadline.

The reality is, anyone entering the market now also has little to no hope of completing prior to either deadline extension, but a cash buyer could provide you with a fighting chance, or at least help you reduce an otherwise lengthy transaction process.”

National recognition for family run agency ONE of the area’s family-run estate agents has been invited to join a prestigious members association.

KMJ Property, based in Rusthall has received an offer to join the Federation of Independent Agents, based on it proficiency, skill and professionalism.

Membership to the FIA gives agencies access to a range of exclusive products and services that can help sell properties and provide a quality, professional service throughout.

David Johnson from KMJ Property said: “We were delighted to be invited to join the FIA and since joining we have grown our business exponentially.

“We have been selling homes around the area for over 20 years and have had fabulous local reviews but the FIA endorsement helps us in new areas where people may not

have already heard about us!

“Our son Marc, the ‘M’ in KMJ has recently joined us full-time in the business and we intend to continue to grow, helping as many people move with the least amount of stress as possible.

Genuine “At KMJ Property we offer genuine, professional advice, without needless gimmicks.”

The agency has also been recognised and shortlisted for the ESTAS industry awards for 2021, making great gains for a company which is only two years old.

ESTAS is a customer review and awards platform designed for agents, conveyancers, mortgage advisors and suppliers who deliver great customer service.

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Homes & Interiors

Wednesday June 9 | 2021

LIVING THE GREEN DREAM: 13 WAYS TO BRING HOME NATURE’S MOST CALMING COLOUR THIS SUMMER 3. Small Flagon Table Lamp in Thyme Green Vintage Linen, £135, Loaf With a clear base and linen shade in Mediterranean thyme green, not only does this lamp sit well next to a sofa in a similar shade, but you can ‘switch on’ to the herb’s medicinal benefits, with the soothing effects of ambient lighting.

4. Sage Green Linen Table Cloth, £89, Graham & Green Sage green is cited as the shade of the season and thanks to its versatility (it’s the neutral on the colour chart), it works like a dream in interiors. Made out of stonewashed linen, picture a bowl of avocados and some recycled glass tumblers artfully placed atop this table cloth, to pull it all together.

5. Gluggle Jug in Woodland Green, £39, Graham & Green If you’re a Jenny-come-lately to the joy of gluggle jugs, now’s the time to snap up one of these fish-shaped pitchers. Famed for making a gurgling sound – think how much better your Pimm’s will sound and taste – they also make brilliant vases for showing off those pink peonies.

6. Set of 4 Eucalyptus Green TruGlow Taper Candles, £29.99, Lights4fun (available from July) Whether it’s a rustic setting with cabbage-green earthenware plates or something more serene, tablescaping with LED tapered dinner candles is so much easier without the worry of wax dripping.

Sam Wylie-Harris shops a mix of forest shades which will make you go green with interior envy...

C

alming, optimistic and fresh, the colour green can steer us from summer meadows to manicured lawns, botanical gardens and olive trees.

And when we want to conjure that connectingwith-nature vibe, a variety of plants, green decos and furnishings is the easiest way to achieve that in our homes – and style up a favourite space in the process.

From minty accents to fertile ferns, everything ‘grows’ together with a healthy, grassy palette to play with. These are some of our favourite ways to go green at home this summer…

1. Betty Armchair in Olive, from £330, Sofa.com Fashioned on a mid-century cocktail chair with a curved, padded back, rounded edges and a plush seat, style Betty with hanging grasses and a trug of dried woodland flowers to weave it all together. Did someone say grasshopper cocktail?

2. Garden Trading Rive Droite Bistro Tray Table in Forest Green Steel, £30, and matching Bistro Chairs, £80 for two, Garden Trading (available from June 7) Practical and space saving, this foldable bistro table with detachable tray and matching chairs will pimp up a patio or tinsy lawn, plus we love the simplicity of steel.

“From minty accents to fertile ferns, everything ‘grows’ together with a healthy, grassy palette to play with”

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Homes & Interiors

Wednesday June 9 | 2021

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7. Magnolia Solar Smarttech Illuminated Plant Pot – Small, £135, Amara Suitable for indoor and outdoor use with four flash settings, your favourite fern will love basking in the spotlight.

8. Copper Cube Terrariums, from £69.95, The Urban Botanist Housed succulents make a stunning edition, especially when your trump terra has been hand-picked by a team of botanical experts. Each copper frame is designed to house a selection of three succulents resting on a bed of gravel, with the option to add lights. We’re in.

5

9. Sophie Allport Home Grown Mug and The Kitchen Garden Mug, £12 each (other items from a selection), Sophie Allport To turn your kitchen into a cottage garden setting, these sweet illustrated mugs evoke thoughts of vegetable patches, foxgloves and a wall of climbing roses.

10. Onism Moss Green Wallpaper, £85 per roll, Woodchip & Magnolia Larger than life, if you’re feeling brave, think about creating a wonder wall of wild flowers for maximum impact. The different colour combinations in this delightful paper can be picked

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up with an accent chair, scatter cushion or decorative piece of furniture.

11. Monstera Deliciosa & Helena Rose Pot, £56 (£48 Soho Home member), Soho Home A collaboration between Soho Home and Leaf Envy, what could be easier than festooning with foliage in your own ‘House’, with their carefully edited selection of real house plants and pots, similar to those you’ll find around Soho House members’ clubs.

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THE BANK OF MUM AND DAD (BOMAD) HELPING THE NEXT GENERATION ON THE PROPERTY LADDER

G

etting onto the property ladder has arguably never been harder nor more expensive.

The average house price has for the first time in history, hit £250,000 according to Halifax so is it any wonder that more and more are turning to The Bank of Mum and Dad for help?

Panoramic Wealth have been advising clients fully through the process for many years. This means we are dealing with both generations, from the parents (or grandparents) gifting the monies down, to advising the next generation with the purchase of their properties. Having multigenerational advisers and being a family owned business ourselves has ensured that advising families is a particularly strong area of ours at Panoramic.

The Bank of Mum and Dad is now the 11th largest lender in the UK with around 1 in 4 property prices being aided by them but why?

Buying a property, is often seen as a must in the UK when it comes the next step in progressing through life. However, often paying high rent, paying off student loans and credit cards can mean it is tricky to save enough for a deposit.

Where BoMaD is making the biggest impact, is when it comes to the deposit. The higher this is, the more availability of loans there are, the lower mortgage payments will be each month. Previously, this could have been as low as 5% of the purchase price but with lenders reacting to Covid-19, this has jumped to at least 10% and even then, the availability of these are few and far between.

This change in requirement for a deposit of 10% or more is where we are seeing parents step in to help out the next generation by way of gifting. There are, however, many implications to this gift but what are they?

Life expectancy is continuing to increase, meaning retirement is often lasting more years

than previously and therefore, the money has to too. The dangers of over gifting could result in those trying to lend a hand now actually running out of money in the future.

How can Panoramic Wealth help?

We can enable you to maximise the impact of this gift without falling into the trap of running out of money in the future. As it is usually it is more of a requirement to make

a gift rather than a loan and such gifts need to be taken into account in relation to potential inheritance tax and other liabilities. What we see with our clients is that when The Bank of Mum and Dad (or grandparents) works, the whole family benefit. Children get onto the property ladder and do not have to continue paying rent and parents are able to gift monies with a warm hand and not a cold one which ensures they are still around to see the benefits of doing so. Panoramic, in conjunction with Weald productions have recorded a series of podcasts, one of which on BoMaD so if that is of interest, head to our website – www. panoramicwealth.co.uk.

It may be that the Bank of Mum and Dad is not needed as there are various other routes to home ownership that few people are aware of:

Mortgages for Professionals are available to recently qualified Accountants, Actuaries, Barristers, Dentists, Medical doctors, Pharmacists, Solicitors and Pilots.

These use a multiple of 6X salary rather than the standard 4.49X. (Engineers, Vets and Optometrists have a ceiling of 5.5X.) n Joint borrower sole proprietor – This allows those moving into the property to combine their income with a supporting family member. Only those moving into the property are put on the property deed which avoids a SDLT surcharge of 3%. n Up to 4 friends can combine their incomes to purchase a property together. This ensures that together, the loan can be much larger and avoids the necessity of renting. n Individuals within the Armed Forces, Firefighters, Police Officers, NHS Nurses and Paramedics along with Teachers are heroes and are recognised by being able to borrow up to 5X. n

The information noted above is not deemed to constitute financial advice and should not be treated as such.

Any advice or recommendation given would be tailored to your own individual circumstances. It should be noted that your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up mortgage payments. Panoramic Wealth Management is regulated and authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Ross Jefferies & Gary Jefferies

If you would like to know more about how we can help you or your children get onto the property ladder, please call Panoramic Wealth today on 01892 559555 or email – journey@panoramicwealth.co.uk. If you would like to hear more about The Bank of Mum and Dad, please head to our website – www.panoramicwealth. co.uk – where we have recorded a podcast in conjunction with Weald Productions, delving deeper into BoMaD amongst other topics of note.

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Hilden Oaks Preparatory School & Nursery

Wednesday June 9 | 2021

ADVERTISING FEATURE

27

Nurturing a Lifelong Love of Learning

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mily joined the Nursery at Hilden Oaks at the age of three. In the warm caring environment, supported by a wonderful team of nurturing staff, she quickly settled and started to make friends. She loved playing with her new friends without realising that, under the guidance of our expert Early Years practitioners, she was also developing skills: the fine motor skills that she would need when she started to learn to write, the ability to count objects which would help her when she was introduced to maths and an inquisitive mind that would form the foundation for her study of science. She explored basic rhythms and tempos, which would become the foundations of music and through her outdoor play she was also

developing the physical capabilities and confidence that would help her to discover a love of sport.

During this time, Emily became familiar not only with the Nursery environment but with many other aspects of Hilden Oaks; so, when she was ready to move into Reception, the transition was seamless and in no way a daunting experience. In fact, she positively skipped into school on her first day in Reception!

Emily flourished throughout her time at Hilden Oaks, with each teacher recognising her unique talents and challenges, and creating a differentiated learning journey that stimulated, stretched, encouraged and nurtured her through her primary education. The team of subject specialist teachers opened Emily's eyes to the wealth

of knowledge that was available to her and helped to nurture a lifelong love of learning.

In Year 6, Emily took her eleven plus exam and achieved a place at her grammar school of choice. She left Hilden Oaks a happy, confident and capable girl with a rounded primary education, equipped with an enquiring mind and the drive and enthusiasm to make the most of everything her grammar school had to offer.

By contrast, Joshua had started in Reception at his local primary school.

Whilst initially he had settled happily into school life, it became apparent to his parents that he wasn't reaching his full potential.

He was clearly very bright, yet he was not engaged at school and seemed lost within a

“Emily flourished throughout her time at Hilden Oaks, with each teacher recognising her unique talents and challenges, and creating a differentiated learning journey”

large class. By the time he reached Year 2, it was obvious that he was unhappy, so his parents took the difficult decision to move schools.

Joshua was given a very warm welcome by everyone at Hilden Oaks when he joined at the beginning of Year 3 and, happily, he started to make some lovely new friends.

Supported by a talented team of experienced teachers it was soon recognised that Joshua was not only academically very capable but had also developed a passion for sports, something he had been unable to pursue at his previous school. He also enjoyed taking part in drama productions, which really helped to boost his confidence.

Joshua positively thrived over the next few years. His parents said it was the best decision they had ever made and were glad they hadn’t left it too late! They had made their choice based not only on the excellent academic reputation of Hilden Oaks but also because of the small class sizes, Values-based Education, extra-curricular activities and sporting opportunities.

Although Joshua passed the eleven plus, enabling him to move onto grammar school, he was also awarded an academic scholarship at one of the local independent senior schools, which, in the end, was his preferred choice.

Hilden Oaks are really proud of their reputation for both academic excellence and as a family-focused school that nurtures the emotional maturity and enthusiasm for learning, laying the foundations for a successful academic career in secondary school and beyond. If you are considering a new school or pre-school for your child, please get in touch to arrange a personal tour of Hilden Oaks with the headmistress, Mrs Katy Joiner. www.hildenoaks.co.uk/ bookings, email registrar@hildenoaks.co.uk or tel: 01732 353941

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Food & Culture

Open studios

Showcasing the best of the South East’s creativity

Page 30

Cooking for charity A local cook’s new book which combines favourite recipes with fundraising Page 32

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Food & Culture

Wednesday June 9 | 2021

Creative ways of celebrating our talented local artists…

South East Open Studios is on until June 20.

If you’re not familiar with this event then it’s an opportunity for artists to open their studio doors and showcase their work to the general public.

Eileen Leahy speaks to its chair Jamie Walsh to find out more…

CLAUDIA WIEGAND

26— 27 JUNE

HILDEGARD PAX

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ow in its 24th year, South East Open Studios – or SEOS as it’s more commonly referred to – has grown in size and popularity every year.

What started out as the West Kent Open Studios in 1997 with just a handful of artists participating, now boasts around 200 artists taking part.

“SEOS is one of the most established annual arts events in the South East,”

explains Jamie Walsh, the organisation’s chairperson.

“It is a non-curated event so gifted amateurs exhibit alongside professionals, and there is a real sense of adventure in the exploration of the artwork on display.

“The event is a fantastic opportunity to get out and meet local artists and find out about what they do.”

Jamie says that many artists run demonstrations throughout the

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Food & Culture

Wednesday June 9 | 2021

31

GLASS ARTIST CLAUDIA WIEGAND

IMAGE COURTESEY OF CHARLOTTE MOLESWORTH

“South East Open Studios is a non-curated event so gifted amateurs exhibit alongside professionals, so there is a real sense of adventure”

ANIL KUMAR

LIBBI GOOCH FRANCES FEATHERSTONE

KEITH SIDDLE

season which started last week (June 4) and runs until June 20.

“Everyone is excited to meet people who are interested in them and their process. All artists taking part are living or working in Kent and the fringes of East Sussex, which provides an incredible breadth of practice and wealth of talent.”

Creatives A few Tunbridge Wells artists who will be opening up their studios and exhibiting their work include: painters Keith Siddle, Louis Ryan and Suzy Phillips, glass artist Claudia Wiegand and ceramicist Marie Pearson.

While from Tonbridge you can see oeuvres by the likes of Hildegard Pax, Sarah de Mattos, Jill Goldsworthy and Nick Hebditch.

Jamie says that the SEOS locality stretches from Edenbridge to Ramsgate, Rochester to Hastings - and everywhere in between.

“Many artists get together to create group shows of like-minded creatives.

Our members practise painting, printmaking, pottery and ceramics, jewellery, glass and woodwork, sculpting, textile art, digital work, illustration and mixed media.

“As one of our art lovers said: ‘SEOS

is one of those events I really look forward to - you get to see so much creativity AND explore the most beautiful countryside - great fun for all the family.”

Jamie says the 2021 event is supported by a full colour high quality guide to the various exhibitions and shows.

“It can be sourced in local pubs, shops and some of the big supermarkets such as Waitrose and Tesco.

“If you can’t find it, check out our website for the online guide - you can plan your visits from there.”

He then adds that the main aim of SEOS is to ‘enable the art loving public to meet artists, engage with arts and crafts as an industry and artists as local business people’.

“We want to ensure that all of our visitors enjoy their experience of open studios as well as feeling safe,” continues Jamie. “We have provided our members with information to ensure they are Covid safe. This include the necessary social distancing, face masks, sanitising hand gel and keeping windows and doors open etc.”

For more information visit any of SEOS’s social media platforms: @seopenstudios on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, and also www.SEOS-art.org IMAGE COURTESEY OF SUZY PHILLIPS

Food & Culture

food

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Wednesday June 9 | 2021

“Food makes people happy and brings them together" Local cook Helen Hume has published her new recipe tome ‘The Go-To Cookbook’.

Here she tells Eileen Leahy about the inspiration behind it and why all proceeds are going to Macmillan Cancer charity in memory of her late daughter Vicki Cole So Helen, let's start by you telling us how you came to be a cook?

I enjoyed cooking as a child and quickly realised that food makes people happy and brings people together.

As I grew older I found, when I had the time that cooking was something I found relaxing. I know that some people find it all very stressful especially when entertaining. Hopefully The Go-To Cookbook will help them find delicious, impressive recipes that can be cooked in advance.

Are you professionally trained or is it something

HELEN HUME

you have enjoyed doing?

I am not professionally trained but cooking is something I have enjoyed for well over 50 years.

What inspires your cooking? Is it people, places, flavours, seasonal ingredients - or a combination of all these?

I am inspired by seasonal ingredients and do not like the idea of serving strawberries in December!

We are lucky enough to have a very productive vegetable plot and that influences what I serve on a day to day basis. However I am not adverse to buying

ingredients that have come from far and wide such as avocados and blueberries. I am always looking for ideas and inspiration whether that is from magazines, recipe books or travelling.

Which chefs inspire your cooking?

I love a new recipe book and am constantly on the look out for new ideas. I try new recipes all the time interwoven with the tried and tested recipes from my own book, some new recipes become new favourites. I still like a new recipe book each Christmas and look forward to new publications

PUBLIC NOTICE

LICENSING ACT 2003 An application has been made by: Fuggles Retail Limited for the premises 16 Camden Road, Tunbridge Wells, TN1 2PT On the date of: 01/06/2021 Summary of the proposed licensable activities and the proposed hours of opening:

Opening of a bottle shop & tasting room specialising in craft beers and natural wines.

Supply of alcohol for consumption on and off the premises.

Opening hours: Monday – Saturday 1000 – 2300 Sunday 1100 - 2200 Any person wishing to view details of an application may contact the Licensing Partnership on 01732 227004 Any person wishing to make representation about the application should make them in writing on or before the : 28/06/2021 Licensing Partnership, PO BOX 182, Sevenoaks, Kent TN13 1GP licensing@sevenoaks.gov.uk http://pa.sevenoaks.gov.uk/online-licensing It is an offence knowingly or recklessly to make a false statement in connection with an application. The maximum fine for which a person is liable on summary conviction for the offence is £5000.

LOCAL NEWSPAPERS

Advertise with us...

Times of Tunbridge Wells Largest circulated newspaper in the area Out every Wednesday Total weekly reach 57,000+

01892 779 580 or email advertising@onemediauk.co.uk

Food & Culture

Wednesday June 9 | 2021

from the likes of Yotam Ottolenghi, Anna Jones or Marcus Wareing. I love Ottolenghi's Middle Eastern flavours are delicious, and the food always tastes so fresh and interesting. Delia Smith has also been a big influence in terms of providing a common sense approach to cooking for friends and family.

Are you a full-time cook or do you have another career too?

Sometimes when you are feeding a family you can feel like a full time cook, especially during the pandemic when even I longed to be cooked for!

Prior to retirement I ran my own education consultancy company and I am still involved in a local educational grant making charity.

Have you had a book published before?

No I never envisaged that I would write a book let alone have one published!

Please tell us how The Go-To Cookbook came about?

There are three main reasons the book came about. As I have a record of everything I have cooked for family and friends for over 40 years I wanted to capture the best of recipes from this time and share them with my

grandchildren. I have always been asked for recipes from family and friends and also for advice on what is the best ‘Go-To’ recipe or ideas of what to cook. Once I had the idea I saw this as an opportunity to fundraise more money for Macmillan.

What's different about your book compared to the likes of Jamie Oliver et al's recipes?

The profusion of recipes around can be daunting for less confident cooks.

With 50 plus years of cooking and 40 years of planning family meals I wanted to share what I view to be the best recipes for all occasions. My interest in food has changed the way I have cooked and eaten over the years and this is reflected in the book.

What did you enjoy most about writing this book and seeing it published?

I have enjoyed the sense of achievement in bringing together my life in food and the ability to share my history and favourite recipes with others. I loved working with the photographer to create great images of my food.

The proceeds are all going to your late daughter Vicki Cole's Macmillan tribute fund. Why did

you decide to do this in her honour?

Cancer is a devastating diagnosis for patients and their families, whatever their age. We quickly realised when Vicki was ill that help and support is essential and we were lucky to have a great medical team and supportive friends and family. Macmillan offers essential support in all sorts of ways to patients and their carers and since Vicki’s death I have tried to raise as much money as possible for them, so that they can support others. It has also been important to me as a mother to keep Vicki’s memory alive and some of her favourite recipes are in the book, including sticky toffee pudding.

Why was the link with food and fundraising important?

When someone has a terminal diagnosis you feel so helpless, cooking for someone when they are ill is a way of showing love and care.

My husband Marc and I have walked, ran, swam, climbed, cycled and cooked to raise as much money as possible, this is just another venture ‘I have cooked up’. Over the last 12 years we have raised £41,000 and this does not include gift aid which would take the figure closer to £50,000.

33

Easy Tomato Sauce

One of my favourite meals as a child was a ‘Woman and Home’ recipe for grilled sausages on a bed of noodles covered in tomato sauce and topped grated cheddar before being grilled until golden. I no longer eat sausages, but I still love pasta and tomato sauce.

I make this recipe in bulk and freeze into portions that will feed two. The sauce is great on its own with pasta but can form the basis of several supper dishes. Kids love this sauce, too, so I add seasoning depending on who I’m serving it to.

n 140g tomato puree n 4 tsp dried oregano

Ingredients: n 3 tbsp olive oil n 750g chopped onions n 5 x 400g cans of tomatoes (the best quality you can afford – they are tastier)

This recipe forms the basis for: n Aubergines Imam Bayıldı n Gnocchi with tomato and basil sauce n No stir tomato and basil risotto n Puttanesca pasta n Easy veggie lasagne

Method: 1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan set over a low heat. Fry the onion for ten minutes until soft but not coloured.

2. Add all the other ingredients, cover the pan and simmer on a low heat for 1½ hours, stirring occasionally, until thick.

3. Leave to cool then blend until smooth. Divide the sauce into 400g portions and freeze.

Hazelnut Vacherin This is is a very impressive three-tier meringue dessert that can be filled with nectarines or raspberries in the summer or cubed mango in the winter.

Welldrained tinned pears also work well. This is a great dessert to use up egg whites and to make in advance. I have always found meringues to be far too sweet and as a child would call individual meringues headache buns!

7. Whip the cream until fairly stiff .

Stone and slice the nectarines.

Remove the paper from the meringue discs and layer with the cream and fruit, finishing with a layer to top.

Scatter over raspberries and hazelnuts if using. The meringues can be stored for a least a week in a well-sealed plastic container.

Serves 10 Ingredients: n 50g toasted hazelnuts n 6 egg whites n 350g caster sugar n 600 ml double cream n 6 ripe nectarines Method: 1. Place 3 x 23 cm silicone discs on baking trays and preheat the oven to 120 fan/140/gas1.

2. Very finely chop the hazelnuts or blitz briefly in a food processor.

3. In a clean dry bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff, then whisk in the sugar 1tbsp at a time until stiff and glossy.

4. Carefully stir in the nuts with a metal spoon.

5. Pipe or spread the meringue equally over the three discs. (This is easier if you use a small blob of the meringue to secure the disc to the baking sheet) 6. Bake in the oven for 60–75 minutes until crisp and dry. Leave to cool.

The Go-To Cookbook is available to buy from all good bookshops and online priced £23.99.

For more information visit http://www.austinmacauley.com

Food & Culture

Wednesday June 9 | 2021

Bake Off’s David Atherton shares his love of travel, living in the moment and how he feeds his gut

food

34

The former Bake Off winner tells Katie Wright about his new healthy cookbook, and the weirdest foods he’s sampled around the world

D

avid Atherton is remarkably upbeat for someone who was unlucky enough to catch Covid despite having had his first dose of the vaccine.

“Because I’m a Covid vaccinator, I’d had the first dose,” says healthcare professional Atherton, who lives in London with his fiancé Nik. “Then my partner and I both got Covid. He got it worse, so I obviously had some protection.”

Describing the experience as “three weeks of not-particularlypleasantness”, the 2019 Great British Bake Off Winner says the strangest thing was the way the virus dulled his sense of taste.

“At first it was kind of strangely interesting, and then it just became really frustrating. We got all the condiments out of the cupboard then my partner made me taste them all with my eyes closed. I couldn’t tell the difference between, say, vinegar and lemon juice, but I could definitely notice sour, sweet or salty.”

Illness aside, Atherton, who was born in Yorkshire, says his life has actually improved in some ways while working from home during the pandemic.

“Number one, it’s sleep. For me, the three pillars of health are good food, exercise and sleep. I’ve definitely benefited from being a little bit more relaxed with work, not having to wake up really early.”

The 38-year-old has also enjoyed “having loads more time to read and do crafts” and the arrival of a kitten called Rey, which he adopted from vet and fellow Bake Off contestant Rosie Brandreth-Poynter.

“She finished a night shift and someone had just dumped this

pregnant cat on her doorstep, so she took it in. Our kitten is one of only two of [the litter] that survived. He’s a bit scrawny, but he’s a delight.”

Known for being unflappable throughout his tenure in the famous white tent, Atherton thinks being crowned Bake Off winner a few months before coronavirus cases snowballed might help explain why he’s coped so well during this tumultuous time.

“My life had already got turned upside-down since Bake Off. And then Covid hit, so I’d already felt a very big – but positive – disruption to my life, which then just continued on, so maybe that helped.”

Now, the star baker is back with his second cookbook, Good To Eat, in which he combines his health and cooking expertise with recipes that are both delicious and nutritious.

“I think it’s been brilliant how things like Bake Off have got people back into the kitchen and got people excited about baking, but it’s definitely moved more towards the mountains of butter cream and very rich things like croissants, which use 50% butter,” he says, which is why in this book, you’ll find recipes for things like coffee cake enriched with grated sweet potato, and ‘Mum’s Yorkshire Parkin’ made with a portion of cooked quinoa.

“I just want to encourage people, because there are so many ingredients people always think are going to make them taste worse, like you’re having a compromise – you’re not at all.”

As well as upping the fruit and veg factor, Atherton extols the virtues of feeding your microbiome (the beneficial bacteria that resides in your gut) with fibre and fermented foods like pickles, chutneys and kimchi: “I just love the health benefits of fermented foods, and particularly over the last 10 years I’ve got a bit obsessed with the microbiome.

“We’ve always thought in the past that fibre is really good for just keeping you ‘regular’. Now we know people who have a more diverse microbiome are more healthy. It’s actually really good for your mental

Good To Eat by David Atherton, photography

by Ant Duncan, is published by Hodder & Stoughton, priced £25

health, it’s good for weight loss, it’s good for general health as well as, obviously, your bowel.”

Explaining that people with digestive health issues sometimes find sourdough bread easier to stomach, he devotes a whole chapter to what, as chance would have it, became a lockdown craze, and how to make it easy for beginners to have a go.

“Don’t make your own starter,” is Atherton’s rule number one. “If you’re getting into sourdough, go to a brilliant sourdough bakery. They will give you a tiny bit of their starter.

Sometimes they’ll charge you, but all the ones I’ve been to, they’ll give you some. And then you just grow that.”

With recipes for Filipino ‘tortang talong’ (a kind of aubergine omelette), Vietnamese ‘nouc mam cham’ (spicy salad dressing) and Bulgarian ‘banitsa’ pastry parcels, it’s clear Atherton was inspired by foodie adventures abroad when writing the book.

“Travel, for me; it’s always been an excuse to learn about new flavours and new ingredients, and then seeing if there’s dishes I can bring home,” he says. “The book definitely celebrates some of those things I’ve learned.”

The author decided against including some of the weird and wonderful dishes he’s sampled while working overseas, however.

“In Malawi, I ate goat’s testicles and mice. Goat’s testicles will be on the posh menus in a French restaurant.

They don’t have a strong flavour but they’ve got a really nice texture. Snake is very nice as well.

“When I lived in Ivory Coast, rat was a very famous dish there and they even had a rat stock cube. I did not like that.”

With an appetite for the unusual, this intrepid eater must be raring to get back on the road as soon he can?

“Yes I am,” he says. “But I also think it’s just good to look at the positives wherever you are, and at the moment I’m really enjoying being home.

“I look forward to the time I can travel – I’d be very sad if I didn’t think I could travel again for my work. But at the moment, I’m very happy just where I am.”

Food & Culture

Wednesday June 9 | 2021

35

Celebrate English Wine Week

June is the month of chilled rosé, eating al fresco, the summer solstice and the return of English Wine Week. EWW is the national WineGB campaign to promote English and Welsh wines and vineyards and takes place this year on June 19-27. Having marked his diary, Times Drinks Editor James Viner raises a glass to four especially flavoursome homegrown bottles...

1)MUST-TRY LIGHT-BODIED SUPERMARKET ROSÉ FROM A BOUTIQUE PRODUCER IN KENT – ULTIMATE HOT WEATHER DRINKING Simpsons Wine Estate Pinot Noir Rosé 2019, from Kent Majestic.co.uk, £11.99 mix 6 & Waitrosecellar. com, 20% off until 22 June, down to £11.99 (save £3); 12.5% Disease-prone, fickle, thin-skinned and muchcherished Pinot Noir is now the most widely planted grape in England, with around 33% of the total grape crush. Like Chardonnay, a little behind in second place, however, it’s mainly used to create top quality traditional method sparkling wine, yet there is a small but increasing number of impressive, bright, still rosé Pinot Noirs that are usually released earlier than the much-improved still reds. This is the best value premium English rosé. It has a charming intensity of peach, lychee, raspberry and strawberry fruit, with a gentle chalky salinity that complexes the palate. Super for summertime soirées or as sundowner with grilled/barbecued fish, light salads, sushi, niçoise salad or camembert. Outstanding Provençal-style pink from a leading boutique Kentish estate.

GREEN AND PLEASANT LAND: Stopham Vineyard in Sussex Great Britain is one of the world’s fastestgrowing wine regions.

There are around 750 vineyards in England and Wales with some 200 open to visitors, many located in some of the country’s most scenic spots. About 70% of the output (10.5m bottles in total for 2019) is sparkling wine.

EWW happens just as all legal limits on social

contact are expected to be removed (21 June) so it’s a felicitous time to underline the good availability of English wines and the opening up of cellar doors. The same week also observes Father’s Day (20), the longest day (21) and Midsummer’s Day (24), making it a particularly special celebratory week.

The English wine industry has come a

long way since 1951 when the first modern commercial vineyard was planted at Hambledon (now superbly recovered) in Hampshire by MajorGeneral Sir Guy Salisbury-Jones. So let's relish a summer of English wine and recognise the remarkable success story of wines produced on our own doorstep. We live in a

wine-making county; let’s support out local producers! Watch out for activities, events, tastings and promotions. Put it on your calendar and let the summer begin!

Head to winegb.co.uk for details of activities and offers during English Wine Week Follow James on Twitter@QuixoticWine & #EnglishWineWeek on social media

2) CLASSY DEVON RED FROM A PICTURESQUE VINEYARD ON THE RIVER DART, DEVON Sharpham Pinot Noir 2019, Ashprington, from Totnes, Devon Grapebritannia.co.uk/sharpham.com/ tauruswines.co.uk & others, £17.99-£19.99; 12% From Sharpham, one of the oldest vineyards in Britain, adjoining Totnes on sheltered slopes overlooking the River Dart, this sleek and tangy Devon Pinot Noir offers a top layer of red summer fruits, then a subtle spicy element, underscored with rosehip, and best of all a

1

3) POP SOME BRILLIANT FIZZ, YOU WILL NOT BELIEVE THE CLASS IN THIS E. SUSSEX SPARKLER! Court Garden Ditchling Quartet Brut 2014, from East Sussex Courtgarden.com/grapebritannia.co.uk, £33.99-£34.40; 12% From a south-facing, family-run, single-estate vineyard in Ditchling, East Sussex, this sophisticated sparkler knocks spots off many big-name Champagnes at the same or even twice the price. Expect red berries, green apples, brioche touches and melted butter; all reined in by a line of juicy, saliva-sucking acidity. Heavenly with fish and chips, this is a very attractive, tingly wine, jittering with energy. Kapow! Take a bow, winemaker Hugo Corney. Just 2000 multi award-winning bottles.

4) FLAGSHIP SPARKLING ROSÉ FROM KENT Hush Heath Estate, Balfour Brut Rosé 2017, from Kent Husheath.com/grapebritannia.co.uk, £39.99£40; 12% This is an absolutely delicious, citrus fruit and wild strawberry-stashed, vintage pink sparkler. Creamy texture and nicely-integrated brisk acidity form part of a seamless whole.

Outstanding length. Includes 54% Pinot Noir, 33% Chardonnay and 13% Pinot Meunier from Oast House Meadow, the oldest vineyard at Hush Heath Estate in Staplehurst. It passes the second glass exam with flying colours.

Great stuff.

3

Spotlight on Stopham: Stopham Vineyard’s story began in 2007 when winemaker Simon Woodhead planted 21,000 vines on south facing slopes in the South Downs National Park, just outside of Pulborough in West Sussex.

Each vintage from Stopham Estate tells the story of the changeable Sussex countryside, with all of its unique trials and tribulations. We only use grapes grown on the estate

gorgeous silky sense of sliding through the palate. Serve lightly chilled with roast duck, fillet of beef, tender pink salmon fillets or end-of-season grilled British asparagus perhaps? Proper job, me ‘andsomes!

and nurture our hand- picked vines to craft aromatic white wines that offer fruity flavours and a crisp natural acidity.

Sustainability, craft and passion are at the heart of our winemaking and in 2020, we were very proud to win the IEWA Trophy for Best English Still Wine for the 3rd year running, along with 2 gold medals. Our goal is simple, to make the best white wines England can offer.

YOUR CHANCE TO WIN A BOTTLE OF STOPHAM PINOT GRIS 2019 WINE To celebrate English Wine Week, Stopham Vineyard are offering one lucky Times of Tunbridge Wells reader the chance to win a bottle of their award winning Stopham Pinot Gris 2019 wine.

The wine is off-dry with aromatic peach and pear fruit.

Priced £17.99 it can be bought at Waitrose or online at http://

www.stophamvineyard.co.uk To be in with a chance of winning, simply answer the following question: Who planted Stopham vineyard in 2007 with the aim of making the best English still wines?

Answers should be sent to competitionttw@protonmail.com by June 16. The winner will be chosen at random.

2

4

Food & Culture

health & wellbeing

36

Wednesday June 9 | 2021

Catching up on Zzzs

With busy days often meaning that many are unable to switch off during the night, Lottie Bulmer finds out how you can improve your sleep so you can relax and feel recharged…

T

he feeling of lying awake staring at the ceiling, counting down the hours until you have to get up is a familiar one for many of us.

One in three of people suffer with poor sleep according to the NHS, with stress, anxiety and smartphones being the most common causes.

Take your first steps to vein free, pain free legs.

The UK’s largest varicose veins clinic is coming to Tunbridge Wells.

To find out more about our proven, effective treatments call us on:

01892 883 920 or visit www.veincentre.com

Getting eight hours of sleep might seem like an impossible task with juggling all the responsibilities that come with life getting back to normal.

Tiredness But not getting enough Zzzs can lead to more than just tiredness –the

chance of getting obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes are all heightened with bad sleep.

Benefits of sleep include slimming, boosting your mental health, preventing diabetes and warding off heart disease.

For more information on sleep and how to improve it, visit www.nhs.uk.

Wednesday June 9 | 2021

HOW TO SLEEP WELL Advice from the NHS says that winding down before going to bed it vital for getting the best night’s sleep possible. Here are the best ways to do it…

A warm bath (not hot) will help your body reach a temperature that’s ideal for rest. n

Writing “to do” lists for the next day can organise your thoughts and clear your mind of any distractions. n

Relaxation exercises, such as light yoga stretches, help to relax the muscles. Do not exercise vigorously, as it will have the opposite effect. n

Relaxation CDs work by using a carefully narrated script, gentle hypnotic music and sound effects to relax you. n

Reading a book or listening to the radio relaxes the mind by distracting it.

Food & Culture

37

Doctor’s orders…

With long hours and often gruelling shifts, being a doctor is one of the most tiring jobs...

WORN out junior doctors at Tunbridge Wells Hospital are benefitting from the installation of new ‘rest pods’ at the site.

The pods provide a quiet space for junior doctors to relax and recharge, while working busy shifts.

A spokesperson for Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust said: “As part of our staff wellbeing plans, three specially designed rest pods were installed - one in a room near the neonatal unit at Tunbridge Wells Hospital, the other two in the anaesthetics department.

n

There are a number of apps designed to help with sleep.

See the NHS Apps Library. n

Avoid using smartphones, tablets or other electronic devices for an hour or so before you go to bed as the light from the screen on these devices may have a negative effect on sleep. n

“31.5 per cent of doctors experience high burnout” “The rest pods provide a peaceful and relaxing space which doctors are encouraged to use so they can stay fresh and alert by getting extra sleep before a nightshift, taking a power nap during their break, or at the end of their shift."

Christopher Lindholst, MD of Restworks – the company which supplied the nap pods to the

Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust has reportedly said: "Research surrounding the sleep deprivation of NHS staff has revealed dangerous effects on patient safety, road safety and mental wellbeing.

"Long working hours impose a significant toll on the mental health of healthcare practitioners, whose rates of psychological distress and suicide attempts are higher than other professions.

"A survey carried out by the British Medical Journal found 31.5 per cent of doctors experience high burnout, while 26.2 per cent have high levels of traumatic stress."

The pods are now located near the neo natal unit and the anaesthetics department.

They cost £18,274.80 and were financed by the government, through £10 million funding, outlined by the Secretary of State in September 2018,

and was made available by Health Education England to NHS trusts across England to enhance facilities and the working environment for junior doctors.

All NHS trusts in England who employ junior doctors, received £30,000, and the remaining balance was shared between 120 trusts defined as having a greater need and these 120 trusts each received £60,833 in total, of which MTW NHS Trust a recipient.

38

Food & Culture

Wednesday June 9 | 2021

goingout 7 days of activities

JUST a few more weeks of more hard work until the freedom of the summer holidays.

While children have been able to spend a lot of time at home this year, it has rarely been such glorious weather, so make the most of it!

At the Times, we’ve got all sorts of activities to keep both you and your children entertained during the upcoming week…

BLOOMING MARVELLOUS The people of Tunbridge Wells are opening their gardens this weekend to raise funds for the Hospice in the Weald.

On June 13, Open Gardens is an annual community fundraising event where a number of properties in the town allow visitors to walk around their lawns to raise money for the charity.

The manicured plots will showcase the best

By Lottie Bulmer

blooms the Garden of England has to offer.

Homes taking part in the display include addresses in Dukes Drive, Royal Chase, Birch Close, Ivy Chimneys, Cumberland Gardens, Kingswood Road, Willicombe Park and Bayham Road.

Admission is £5 per person and children are free. 90p from every £1 goes directly to patient care. Advance ticket booking is advisable. Call Helen Timms on 01892 554036 to book.

FEELING WINE One for the grown-ups. Mereworth Wines offers group Vineyard and Winery tours with founder William Boscawen, or head winemaker Scott Gebbie.

On the tour, you will see the vines where Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier grow and CROQUET AT CALVERLEY Why not head down to the grounds this weekend?

FANTASTIC FLORALS: A garden at the last Bloom Open Garden event before Covid in 2019 (KMB 2019) learn about the qualities of each variety and the process it takes from grape to wine.

You will then take part in a fully tutored tasting of the estate’s sparkling wines. The tour includes a discount in the winery’s shop so you can continue the tasting at home, with a sixth bottle free with each purchase of five bottles.

Tours are private and exclusive to your own group of six and are dependent on Covid regulations.

To book and for more information, visit mereworth.co.uk BOBBING ALONG In need of a giggle? The team behind the sell-out show Planet Earth III are back with their latest family comedy Blue Planet III. On June 13, Blue Planet III is showing at Hever Festival in the grounds of the castle.

The show is a physical comedy and follows two BBC employees as they try to make another series of Blue Planet using only office supplies and their imagination.

Endorsed by The Scotsman, who said ‘Take the kids, take the parents, you will all have a laugh’ it is fun for the whole family.

Blue Planet III was developed at Theatre Deli and ONCA and was commissioned by Deer Shed Festival. It has performed at SOHO Theatre, Brighton Fringe, Deer Shed Festival, Bradford Literature Festival, Bookville Kilkenny and at festivals and venues across the UK and abroad, and it has also been nominated for the ONCA Green Curtain Award 2019 Tickets start at £12.50 for reserved covered seating, to book, visit Heverfestival.co.uk

PAY AND PLAY In Calverley Grounds this weekend you can give croquet a go.

On Saturday June 12, Royal Tunbridge Wells Croquet club is giving you the opportunity to pick up a mallet and try your hand at the traditional lawn game.

Equipment is provided and the park has championship quality flat lawns, hoops, balls and mallets. All you need to do is wear trainers or similar footwear and clothing for the changeable British weather.

Membership to the club costs £50 for the first year or £35 after August 1. Croquet is great for ages eight and above and the club’s oldest member is 90.

Tickets to ‘Pay and Play’ cost between £5 and £10. For more information or to book your place, visit Eventbrite and search for ‘Royal Tunbridge Wells Croquet Club Pay & Play Croquet!’

STEAK OUT If you’re looking for the perfect location for a midweek date night splurge, why not pay a visit to the town’s newest restaurant – STEAK, located in Chapel Place.

It is One Warwick Park’s new sister restaurant, and on Wednesdays you and a partner can enjoy two steaks and a bottle of wine for only £60.

The restaurant has been raring to go since December last year but has only opened in the last few weeks due to lockdown restrictions.

To reserve your table email info@ steaktunbridgewells.co.uk UNDER THE SEA Blue Planet III is showing at Hever Festival

VINEYARD VIEWS Mereworth Wines is offering tours of its estate

DATE NIGHT On Wednesdays at STEAK, you can get two steaks and a bottle of wine for £60

Wednesday June 9 | 2021

Local News

FOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT: timeslocalnews.co.uk

The bookcase…

From mammoths in the big city to time travelling through history, these new books are full of imagination…

FICTION

Lean Fall Stand by Jon McGregor published in hardback by Fourth Estate, priced £14.99 (ebook £9.99).

Available now

Jon McGregor’s previous novels concentrated on the build-up and aftermath of events, rather than the moment of drama itself. They also display a restless style of narration, refusing to settle on one lead character in events that affect whole communities – and Lean Fall Stand bears all these hallmarks. McGregor visited Antarctica in 2004, and the opening chapters draw on this experience. He describes not so much the strange grandeur of this frozen continent, as its danger and its effects on expedition members Robert, Luke and Thomas. Disaster strikes swiftly, and the majority of the novel traces its consequences.

The focus particularly shifts to Robert’s wife, Anna, and his fellow attendees at a speech therapy group. The changing viewpoint emphasises the various difficulties the characters experience in communication, and defies the idea of reaching a single resolution to all their different stories.

(Review by Joshua Pugh Ginn)

Both Of You by Adele Parks published in hardback by HQ, priced £14.99 (ebook £7.99). Available now Beloved wives Leigh Fletcher and Kai Janssen have gone missing – are their disappearances connected? DC Clements has a hunch they are. But the world has changed, everyone is obsessively daubing sanitiser on their hands and a lockdown is imminent. London in March 2020 is unrecognisable. Both Of You is sassy and intense, with twists hitting you thick and fast. It is Adele Parks’ 21st novel in 21 years

NEWS

39

8/10

and you’ll consume this one as quickly as she writes them, with every chapter ending on a cliffhanger. Although some readers might find it mildly predictable at times, the pandemic backdrop was a novelty and one enjoys playing detective as the lives of these two contradictory characters are played out. The glamorous Kai and loveable Leigh might not be all they seem…

(Review by Elspeth Keep)

The Kingdoms by Natasha Pulley

7/10

published in hardback by Bloomsbury Publishing, priced £14.99 (ebook £10.49). Available now What if Britain had lost the Battle of Trafalgar? The Kingdoms opens in this alternate history, where London is now Londres and part of the French Empire.

That’s perhaps the easiest conceit to follow in this twisty time-travelling tale

by Natasha Pulley.

The Kingdoms follows British slave Joe Tournier in his search for ‘home’, taking in the real-life mystery of the Eilean

8/10

Mor lighthouse in the Outer Hebrides, a postcard held for him by the Post Office for 91 years, apparent episodes of ‘epilepsy’ and ships that travel through time. Jumping between time periods can pose confusion, but Pulley’s deft characterisation sucks the reader into what is a very human story of searching for a sense of belonging.

(Review by Laura Paterson)

NON-FICTION

Belonging: The Ancient Code of Togetherness by Owen Eastwood

published in hardback by Quercus, priced £20 (ebook £9.99). Available now

7/10

Performance coach Owen Eastwood uses his many years of expertise and personal, heartfelt experience in his new work Belonging. Based around the ancient Maori term ‘whakapapa’, Eastwood tells of how he coaches teams – sports, military and others – in their collective mental strength, and how it is just as important, if

not more so, than physical strength. Combining elements of teachings from his Maori ancestors and even going back to the beginning of homo sapiens themselves, Eastwood delves into the very psyche of humanity to demonstrate exactly how people are stronger together. Its specificity means some of its more intricate points feel lost in translation, but it certainly is an eye-opening read. For anyone looking to explore the psychology of togetherness, and our inherent need to really belong, this is the book to read.

(Review by Sophie Hogan)

AUDIOBOOKS (FICTION AND NON-FICTION) 1. The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman 2. The Marriage

by K. L. Slater 3. The Guv’nor by Lenny McLean 4. Yearbook by Seth Rogen 5. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig 6. The Girl With The Louding Voice by Abi Dare

7. Atomic Habits

by James Clear 8. Noise by Daniel Kahneman, Olivier Sibony, & Cass R. Sunstein 9. The Distant Echo by Val McDermid 10. Left You Dead

by Peter James (Compiled by Audible)

CHILDREN’S BOOK OF THE WEEK

Mammoth by Anna Kemp, illustrated by Adam Beer

published in paperback by Simon & Schuster Children’s UK priced £6.99 (ebook £4.99). Available now When a woolly mammoth wakes up after thousands of years in a frozen cave, he is confused to find the world completely changed.

Setting off to find his herd takes him to the big city, but can he fit into this new way of life with shouty cavemen and petrol-powered ‘beetles’?

Adam Beer’s modern illustrations have a touch of Quentin Blake, and Anna Kemp’s writing is amusing and full of

joyful pop culture in-jokes. At face value it describes the frustrations of living in a society where no one seems to understand you. It is aimed at children over three, but is really a celebration of anyone who feels they don’t fit in and is looking for their herd – with rainbowhued trumpeting giving a subtle nod to the LGBT+ community.

(Review by Natalie Bowen)

8/10