Times of Tunbridge Wells November 3rd 2021

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Wednesday November 3 | 2021

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By Richard Williams THE man accused of killing two women in Tunbridge Wells in the 1980s engaged in ‘a bizarre and disturbing activity’, a court heard this week.

David Fuller, a 67-year-old electrician from Heathfield, East Sussex, is accused of strangling the women in a case that went on to become a high-profile unsolved crime branded the Bedsit Murders after appearing on BBC Crimewatch at the time.

Fuller, who had admitted killing the two women at an earlier hearing on the grounds of diminished responsibility, has denied murder.

In opening the case on Monday [November 1], Prosecutor Duncan Atkinson QC told the Judge at Maidstone Crown Court that Fuller, who is charged with murdering Wendy Knell, 25, and Caroline Pierce, 20, had a ‘clear sexual interest in a bizarre and disturbing activity’.

Strangled: Wendy Knell was found dead in her Tunbridge Wells bedsit The court heard that Fuller, who was 32 at the time of the killings, had ‘worked for some time at two hospitals in Kent where he had access to mortuaries’.

‘What links these two women is this defendant, David Fuller’ Mr Atkinson said that photographs and images on hard drives found during a search of Fuller’s home showed that he had abused women’s corpses at Tunbridge Wells Hospital when it opened in 2010 and its forerunner the Kent and Sussex ho spital where he worked from 1989.

It showed that Fuller had a ‘particular interest’ in the sexual assault of dead women.

He said that at the time of the two women’s deaths in 1987, Fuller lived with his then wife in a staff house of Broomhill School, Tunbridge Wells, two

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ACCUSED: David Fuller from Healthfiled has denied murder and a half miles from where the victims lived.

Shop manager Wendy Knell was last seen on June 22 of that year after she had been dropped home on Guildford Road in Tunbridge Wells by her boyfriend.

“Her body was found in her flat the next day lying on the bed naked but covered with a duvet,” Mr Atkinson said.

She had sustained blunt force trauma to the head and had been ‘asphyxiated by application of pressure to the neck’.

The court was then told that Caroline Pierce’s almost naked body was found in a water-filled dyke at St Mary in the Marsh at Romney Marsh on December 15.

Mr Atkinson said that both women had been sexually assaulted after they had died.

The prosecutor added: “What links these two women is this defendant, David Fuller.”

Full story page 4

• Covid rates fall by a third, page 2. • Foodbank launches Christmas appeal for needy families, page 3

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Wednesday November 3 | 2021

this week… Face-to-face GP appointments Coronavirus BUDGET: Local business leaders have welcomed Rishi Sunak’s Treasury changes but believe more could have been done. P7

on the rise but so are no-shows update ...

Signs winter virus spike has peaked as Covid cases fall

By Richard Williams

FEMALE VIOLENCE: Kent Police are looking to hear from the public relating to violence against women and girls.

P10

PHYSICAL EXAMS The number of appointments in surgery offices has increased

UNMASKING: TV Antiques expert Eric Knowles talks about the historical faces behind collectible masks.

P23

RAISE A GLASS: Victoria Aldwinckle reveals the right choices when buying wine from supermarkets and specialist suppliers. P28

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By Robert Forrester MORE people are now able to see their doctor in face-to-face consultations, latest figures show, although the number of people failing to show up for GP appointments has also increased.

According to the latest national NHS data, GPs across Kent and Medway carried out more than 843,000 appointments in general practice in September.

Of these, 58 per cent [478,897] were conducted face-to-face, up from August’s figures when 53 per cent [373,424] of all appointments were a physical consultation. The latest figures are lower than the national average.

NHS Digital data shows that 28.5 million appointments took place in England during September. Of these, some 61 per cent were in-person.

Conducted Before the pandemic, around 80 per cent of general practice appointments were conducted face-to-face.

GPs have come under fire over allegations they are not offering enough in-person appointments, with the Government planning on naming and shaming those practices that fail to deliver more.

The Kent and Medway Clinical Commissioning

Group [CCG], the body responsible for delivering GP services across the county, say a further 344,398 telephone consultations and 3,605 video appointments also took place in addition to the face-to-face consultations.

The CCG also said of all appointments, 373,179 were with clinically trained staff other than GPs such as practice nurses, advanced nurse practitioners and pharmacists.

Dr Navin Kumta, Clinical Chair of Kent and Medway CCG, said: “These latest figures continue to demonstrate how hard general practice teams are working. It’s good to see the number of face-to-face appointments is rising but it’s also important to remember how convenient many people find telephone appointments.

“We do understand that the current pressures raise frustration levels, but we would also make a plea for everyone to recognise that general practice teams are working hard both to see patients and make improvements to ease the pressures.”

According to the NHS data, the number of no shows – where people fail to attend GP appointments – has also increased from around 32,000 in August up to 42,592 in September.

The CCG is urging anybody that can’t make their the ‘incredibly precious’ appointment to make every effort to cancel in advance.

Where to find… SO MAGAZINE FOURTEEN years ago our sister publication SO Magazine was launched. Today it is recognised as a leading local lifestyle magazine for the area.

Usually distributed within the Times of Tunbridge Wells, we are now delighted to announce SO will revert to being a stand-alone publication. You will be able to pick it up at multiple locations across Tunbridge Wells, Crowborough and Cranbrook – starting from this Saturday [November 6].

Those locations range from street stands to coffee shops. Plus, we will be door dropping 5,000 magazines. Wherever you are you should be able to find your very own copy.

This newspaper will continue to be available every Wednesday.

SO Magazine will be published, and distributed, on the first Saturday of every month. It is still free and, like the Times, we expect every copy to be snapped up so grab yours at the first opportunity and enjoy the read!

Here’s where you can find your copy of SO Magazine…

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TALKING SHOP…

THE number of people that have tested positive for Covid-19 in Tunbridge Wells has fallen by more than a third over the last week, after reaching an all-time high.

As reported in the Times [October 27], cases in the area had risen to more than 760 for a seven-day period – the highest recorded since the pandemic began.

The rise in incidents of the virus, however, had not translated to a rise in hospital admissions, with the number of people at the two hospitals run by Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust at only around a quarter of the levels seen during January’s peak of the virus.

‘Of the 377 local areas in the UK, 313 [83 per cent] have seen a fall in cases while just 64 (17 per cent) have seen a rise in rates’ Around 35 patients are currently taking up a bed at either Tunbridge Wells Hospital or the facility in Maidstone.

Now virus rates in Tunbridge Wells have begun to fall, with 530 positive cases recorded for the seven days to October 28, giving the Borough a rate per 100,000 of 445.6.

The average rate across England is 422.5.

Elsewhere in the area, cases are falling in Wealden where 642 cases were recorded last week, down from 709 the week before.

Rates of the virus per 100,000 in the district that covers towns such as Crowborough are now standing at 395.5.

Tonbridge has also seen a fall in cases from 660 to 577, with the rate per 100,000 now at 435.2.

There had been fears that a seasonal spike in cases combined with flu cases could push the NHS to breaking point, but recent figures suggest the peak of the latest wave could be starting to flatten.

Of the 377 local areas in the UK, 313 [83 per cent] have seen a fall in cases while just 64 (17 per cent) have seen a week-on-week rise in rates.

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.

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Wednesday November 3 | 2021

NEWS IN BRIEF

Council tributes after former mayor dies A FORMER Mayor of Tunbridge Wells and a Borough councillor of 20 years has died.

The Paddock Wood West Councillor for the Conservatives, Elizabeth Thomas, passed away on Sunday, October 24.

She had been Mayor of the Borough in 2011-2012 and also served as a Paddock Wood Town councillor.

During her 19 years’ service she held a number of positions including Cabinet member with responsibility for Planning from 2005 until 2011.

Current Mayor, Cllr Chris Woodward said his colleague would be ‘greatly missed’.

The death comes after another former Mayor, Julian Stanyer, died in September.

His death has sparked a by-election [see page 5].

Plan goes to Inspector THE Council has submitted its Local Plan to the Secretary of State for approval.

The plan, a document outlining where Tunbridge Wells Borough Council is going to build houses for the next 15 years, has proved controversial after it included proposals to build a garden village in the parish of Capel.

The document will now be assessed by an independent inspector who will present a report as to the soundness of the plan and its proposals.

The examination is likely to take place in March and April 2022.

MPs branded ‘crooks’ THE Leader of Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council [TMBC] has criticised a fellow councillor for branding MPs ‘crooks’ at a Town Hall meeting.

Cllr Matt Boughton who took over the reins of the Council earlier this year, said the comments by Cllr Mark Hood, who represents the Greens at both the Borough Council and County Hall, had made him ‘feel physically sick’ in the wake of the death of David Amess.

Cllr Hood had been discussing Extinction Rebellion and their attempts to get a Bill approved in parliament before referring to parliament as ‘full of crooks’.

Following the meeting, Cllr Hood told the Times ‘that the Government and the Conservative Party are guilty of ecocide’ and ‘should be hauled before a court as the environmental criminals that I believe they are’.

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Citizens Advice need volunteers with demands now ‘rocketing’

By Richard Williams

THE Citizens Advice Bureau [CAB] in Tunbridge Wells has had to launch a campaign to recruit more volunteers to meet the demand from struggling families hit by rising fuel costs and benefit cuts.

The charity, which provides all types of help from legal advice to assisting people with benefit claims, say they need around 25 extra people to handle ‘the surge in enquiries’ they are currently experiencing.

HELP WANTED CAB needs new recruits

Furlough Last year the service assisted over 5,000 local people who were struggling during the pandemic.

Liz de Villiers, Chief Executive for Citizens Advice Tunbridge Wells & District, said: “With rising fuel and food costs, the end of the government’ furlough scheme and the significant reduction in Universal Credit many local residents are experiencing challenging times, sending the demand for our services rocketing.

“As we head towards winter, we expect to see the number of people needing our help rise yet further.”

She added that volunteers, for the first time in the charity’s history, are working remotely from the comfort of their own homes whilst receiving training and support online.

Those looking to volunteer will ‘need to have access to the internet, be computer literate, have time to spare and a willingness to learn’.

The charity is holding a remote information session on Wednesday, November 17 to enable potential volunteers to discover more about the volunteering opportunities available to them.

Those interested should email volunteering@ catwd.org.uk to receive the Zoom link and an information pack.

Foodbank launches campaign as referrals are expected to double by Christmas time

By Robert Forrester THE foodbank in Tunbridge Wells has launched its annual Christmas campaign aimed at helping needy families in the run up to the festive period.

Nourish Community Foodbank’s 12 Days of Christmas has been launched after the foodbank saw the number of people needing its service more than double during the pandemic.

Referrals The charity says they believe the number of people requiring help could double again by Christmas, with up to 200 per cent more referrals than before the pandemic.

The foodbank is reaching out to schools, individuals, businesses, places of worship and groups to support those who are struggling in the community.

The campaign asks people to collect one essential item a day for the 12 days of Christmas from Nourish’s list of items that they need.

Once you have all 12 items, they can be dropped

off at the Nourish pop-up shop in Royal Victoria Place on Saturday, December 11 or Sunday December 12 between 10am – 5pm.

Dawn Stanford, Operations Director, said: “We have seen an increase in demand for our services of over 100 per cent since the Covid-19 pandemic, and we are seeing more and more referrals due to increases in fuel and household bills, furlough ending and the reduction in universal credit.”

She added: “The sad reality is that numbers are rising week on week, and we are preparing to deal with a peak at Christmas where we may be delivering to around 150-200 per cent more people than an average week pre-Covid 19.”

DAWN STANFORD

BUY SOMEBODY A CHRISTMAS DINNER NOURISH is also launching a campaign to ensure those in need have a Christmas dinner this year.

The ‘Text FOOD £20 to 70085’ campaign allows people to make a donation by text.

The money will be spent on a Christmas dinner for families unable to afford one.

Nourish say people may find it an ethical alternative to gifts at Christmas.

Fortunate Dawn Stanford said: “In launching these two campaigns, which are easy to get involved in, we hope that they will capture the hearts of our community, to help those less fortunate this Christmas. To find out more about what we do, please visit: nourishcommunityfoodbank.org.uk

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Wednesday November 3 | 2021

DNA advances caught a murder suspect after more than 30 years

By Richard Williams A BREAKTHROUGH in DNA evidence led to the arrest of the electrician charged with the double murder of two women in Tunbridge Wells 34 years ago.

This week a court heard how David Fuller was caught when advances in DNA profiling linked him to the killings. He was arrested in December.

In his trial, Maidstone Crown Court heard how Fuller, a former hospital worker and electrician, was arrested after advances in DNA forensic techniques were able to identify him through his brother.

The 67-year-old electrician from Heathfield, East Sussex, is accused of strangling Wendy Knell, 25, and Caroline Pierce, 20 in 1987.

Evidence The case went on to become a high-profile unsolved crime branded the Bedsit Murders after appearing on BBC Crimewatch at the time.

Fuller has admitted killing the two women but has pleaded not guilty to their murder on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

Evidence emerged in his trial, which began on Monday [November 1] how he was tracked down by forensic officers who used a sample was extracted from the clothing on Caroline Pierce, whose body was found in water in a dyke in Romney Marsh.

While immersion of the body removed much of the evidence on the body, following advances in forensic techniques in 2019, tests found a trace of DNA on the young woman’s tights.

Another sample was also found on the duvet in which Wendy Knell’s body was discovered.

Home Office Pathologist Nathaniel Carey considered there to be compelling evidence that the same man was responsible for both killings.

Although David Fuller’s DNA evidence was not on file, in October 2020 officers decided to conduct ‘familial DNA elimination’ and found the sample was similar to the DNA of Fuller’s biological brother, which was on the police system.

After identifying Fuller as a possible suspect through his brother, he was arrested on suspicion of murder on December 3, 2020, and the DNA was identified as being just a 1 in a million chance of it not being his.

ARRESTED David Fuller was tracked down by DNA

Accused bedsit killer lived within three miles of victims THE trial of the man accused of murdering two Tunbridge Wells women in the 1980s heard how David Fuller lived two and a half miles from the two victims’ bedsits at the time of their death.

The jury heard this week how Fuller, who denies murdering Wendy Knell and Caroline Pierce in 1987 on the grounds of diminished responsibility, was born in Deal but moved to Portsmouth where he had been convicted of committing three burglaries in 1973.

He then moved with his wife, who worked at a school for children with learning difficulties, to Tunbridge Wells.

Fuller and his then wife lived in a staff house of Broomhill School, less than three miles from the bedsits where the two women were thought to have been attacked.

The body of shop manager Wendy Knell was discovered by her boyfriend the night after he ELECTRICIAN Fuller had worked at the Kent and Sussex Hospital

last saw her in June, 1987. She had been strangled.

"Her body was found in her flat the next day lying on the bed naked but covered with a duvet,” Prosecutor Mr Atkinson said.

Concerns Caroline Pierce, whose body found in Romney Marsh,had also sustained blunt force trauma to the head and had also been strangled.

She had been a manager at Buster Browns in Tunbridge Wells, a locally owned restaurant chain where her then manageress had expressed concerns about a prowler reported by a previous tenant at the Grosvenor Road bedsit.

Neighbours had also reported hearing screams on the night she vanished on November 24 after she was dropped off home by a taxi.

Jacqueline Warner, whose bedroom overlooked the cemetery in the same road that Caroline had lived, told police that she was in bed when she heard screams that lasted a couple of seconds.

Later she heard a second scream which was louder, the same female voice, and lasted some ten seconds.

Sandra Andrews, from Woodbury Park Road, also heard screams coming from the direction of Upper Grosvenor and Park Road. She had told investigating officers there was a long scream followed by a short one, which sounded like a female who was very frightened.

Caroline Pierce herself was concerned about a prowler – some eight weeks earlier locks were fitted to her windows because she did not feel safe in her home.

Police had found no signs of a disturbance at her flat, which suggested she was attacked before she got into the flat.

Mr Atkinson said that both Ms Pierce and Ms Knell had been sexually assaulted after they had died.

The prosecutor added: "There was no connection when they were alive between Wendy Knell and Caroline Pierce – what links these two women is the circumstances and manner by which they died.

“Each died in a strikingly similar fashion, which leads to a safe conclusion that they died at the hands of the same man."

He also told the court that Fuller had denied that he had killed the women when he was first arrested.

However, the court heard that after learning of the DNA evidence he has since changed his plea to that of one of diminished responsibility.

“His account has now changed,” said Mr Atkinson. “He now asserts he was suffering from an abnormality of mind.

“If that is right then the defendant is guilty of manslaughter not murder.”

Fuller – balding, bespectacled and wearing a black Covid mask – arrived in the dock dressed in a grey tracksuit.

He answered only to acknowledge his name and sat with his head down during the opening of his trial.

Addressing the jury, Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb QC said they should focus ‘not on whether he did what is alleged, but if he should be held responsible for it’.

The judge had earlier told the jury that at the end of the trial – which is expected to last two weeks – they will be offered counselling because of the nature of some of the evidence.

The trial continues.

BOYFRIEND DIED BLAMING HIMSELF The boyfriend of Wendy Knell went to his grave blaming himself for his girlfriend’s death, a court has heard.

The jury in the trial of David Fuller, who is accused of murdering Wendy Knell and Caroline Pierce, was read a statement by Ian Plass, who had been going out with Ms Knell since December 1985.

Cried

Mr Plass, who has since died, wrote in a statement, how he was planning on proposing to the Tunbridge Wells Supasnaps manager, and they had discussed getting married and having a family.

He had been the last person other than her killer to see Ms Knell alive after he kissed her goodnight when he dropped her home.

"That was the last time I saw Wendy alive," he said. "Not a day goes by when I don't feel guilty about her death. If I'd stayed the night she would be alive today."

He added that the following day he went to work but just before 11am he received a call from Wendy's mother telling him she had been unable to contact her.

After leaving work, he went immediately to the flat and looked through a window and saw a mound at the end of the bed.

He then broke into the flat and pulled back the duvet.

“I lifted her left arm up, she did not move,” he said. “I could not believe that she was gone.”

He left the flat and made his way to a local fire station to report her death. “I sat down and I cried my eyes out,” Mr Plass said.

Wednesday November 3 | 2021

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5

Candidates named Council lobbies for extra for the balance of cash on flagship project power by-election

By Robert Forrester THE prospective councillors hoping to take the Borough Council seat in a by-election in Speldhurst & Bidborough later this month have been announced.

The ballot could see the balance of power at the Town Hall swing to the opposition.

The by-election, due for November 25, was called following the death of Conservative councillor and Town Hall stalwart Julian Stanyer.

Before Cllr Stanyer’s death, the Tories who control the Council had 24 councillors and the opposition parties also had 24.

While the Conservatives will remain in charge of the Council if they lose, albeit as a minority party, a by-election defeat will see their councillors outnumbered in any vote, making it difficult to pass policy.

FAMILY TIES The late Cllr Stanyer and daughter Rowena

By Richard Williams

Community As revealed in the Times last week, Cllr Stanyer’s daughter, Rowena Stanyer is hoping to take over her father’s position at the Borough Council as the Conservative candidate.

The communications specialist told the Times: “I love living in such a wonderful, beautiful community.

“I want to protect what is already a special place and fight to make it even better: to be a local champion for a cleaner, safer place to live.

“I will bring energy and a fresh, young resident’s perspective to our Borough council.”

Also standing in the by-election is Alek Klimanski for the local Labour Party.

The long-time Tunbridge Wells resident is a Production Manager for a local printing company.

He said: “Voters can give their verdict on the performance of a poorly run, wasteful Conservative Council that has let us all down.

“If the Conservatives lose this seat, and with it control of the Council, Labour and other opposition parties will work together to give a new direction for our town.”

Restaurateur Matthew Sankey will also be standing for the Speldhurst seat for the Alliance party. He runs the Sankey’s fish restaurant and pub in Mount Ephraim and The Old Fish Market on The Pantiles.

CULTURE HUB The Amelia Scott on Monson Road

He was also the author of the controversial Facebook page, What’s Wrong with Tunbridge Wells that was taken down by the social media giant for breaching rules on offensive and abusive posts.

On his candidacy, Mr Sankey said: “More of the same? Or time for change?

“That’s the very simple decision for the residents of the Speldhurst & Bidborough ward in this by-election.

“As the independent candidate I can represent everyone in the ward, where I live with my young family, no matter their political allegiances.”

The local Liberal Democrats will not be fielding a candidate in Speldhurst.

A spokesman for the Tunbridge Wells branch of the party said: “The local Liberal Democrats decided to be adults in the room and not contest the seat this time.

“As well as rural and farming issues, we expect the election to focus on the Conservative record controlling Tunbridge Wells and its continued dereliction on sorting out the old cinema site, town centre regeneration, electric vehicle charging points, and bin collections.”

The by-election will take place on November 25.

TUNBRIDGE Wells Council has lobbied a local non-governmental body for £1.4million after attempts at fundraising for its new museum and art gallery facility fell short.

The Amelia Scott cultural hub, which is currently under construction on Monson Road to replace the former art gallery and museum, has already gone over budget by more than £6million.

The Times revealed last year how the original cost of £13.2million when the project was first conceived in 2018, had risen to £19.3million in August 2020 due to a number of challenges faced by builders Willmott Dixon.

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

Funded After the spiralling costs were announced last year, councillors at Tunbridge Wells Borough Council [TWBC] voted in September to contribute a further £2million to the project.

The project is being jointly funded between TWBC, who were contributing around £8million; Kent County Council who are providing £1.7million; the Arts Council England, who are contributing £886,000; and the National Lottery Heritage Fund, which is providing nearly £5million.

HOLLIE EVANS AS RAPUNZEL

It had been planned that fundraising would pay for the remaining amount but due to the Covid crisis, doubts were raised last year as to whether that will be achievable.

The Times has learnt that the fundraising has indeed fallen short by two thirds, leaving more than a million still needed for the project.

To make up the shortfall, the Council is appealing for the extra cash to SELEP [South East Local Enterprise Partnership] – a local authority and business group that channels government grants into projects.

Last month, Leader of the Council Tom Dawlings, lobbied the group about the Amelia project, and SELEP is expected to make a decision on whether to supply the funding by November 19.

If the money is not forthcoming from SELEP, councillors will likely again be asked to increase the amount TWBC will be contributing to the project, money that will have to be taken from Council’s capital fund.

Cllr Jane March, head of Culture and Leisure at the Council told the Times: “We are already more than a third of the way to meeting our fundraising target which is quite an achievement given the significant impact the pandemic has had nationwide on the ability of Trusts and foundations to provide capital funds for new projects.

“Support from the South East Local Enterprise Partnership would help to mitigate this issue and we are hopeful that this will be available. This is a flagship project which we are committed to delivering for the residents of the borough.”

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7

Business welcomes budget but Rishi could ‘have tried harder’

By Richard Williams THE Government’s budget has been broadly welcomed by local business leaders although they believe more could have been done to help struggling firms in the area.

Last week, Chancellor Rishi Sunak delivered his annual tax and spend plans for the coming financial year.

The Budget, Mr Sunak’s second since taking over at Number 11 Downing Street, will see the tax burden reach its highest level since the early 1950s, but the Chancellor also pledged tax cuts for businesses – including a fifty per cent reduction in Business rates for most retail, hospitality and leisure businesses.

Jo James OBE, head of Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce, told the Times that if she were marking Mr Jo James: Head of Kent Invicta Sunak’s Budget Chamber of Commerce she would rate it

RATE RELIEF Local hospitality welcomes the 50 per cent cut in tax

‘as a good effort but he could have tried harder’.

She told the Times: “Overall there were a lots of positives announced but as with most budgets, things are sometimes not as generous as they first sound.

Outdated “There were lots of giveaways and investments announced in this Budget but when you look at the finer detail many of these are not for three or four years. Businesses need help now and not in 2024 and 2025.”

She added that the business rate cut was particularly welcome but that the rates system needed a major overhaul.

“The fifty per cent cut for hospitality was good to hear and will be welcomed by an industry that was the first to close in the pandemic and last to reopen.

“But we have a very outdated business rate system and while it is a step in the right direction it hasn’t gone far enough. We need a more flexible system that can adapt to the demands of the economy.”

Ms James also said offering businesses better access to finance was ‘fine but added: “Most businesses have borrowed enough already to see them through the last 18 months and most are not in a position to borrow more.”

FINANCIAL CASE Rishi Sunak before the budget last week

Rate relief ‘fantastic and welcome’ THE hospitality industry has embraced the Business Rates cut announced in the budget.

Julian Leefe-Griffiths who runs the Tunbridge Wells Hotel and the popular Jazz on The Pantiles event, told the Times: “The cut in Business Rates is really, really fantastic and welcome.

“Myself and a number of businesses in the town have been petitioning local MPs Greg Clark and Tom Tugendhat during the last year to see what they can do about Business Rates.

Welcome “It is an antiquated and outdated system and needs a complete overhaul but the 50 per cent cut for hospitality businesses over the next 12 months is very welcome and will have a massive effect on us.”

But he was less Julian Leefe-Griffiths enthusiastic about the 3 pence cut on draught beer.

“It will make absolutely no difference,” Mr Leefe-Griffiths said. “Sure we’ll save about £4 on a barrel of beer but it is giving with one hand while taking with three other hands. Electricity has increased, labour costs more and food costs have increased so the small amount you save is swallowed up by these extra costs.”

More budget repsonses over the page...

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BUSINESS

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Wednesday November 3 | 2021

Legal experts give their view on the 2021 budget

Wealth managers breathe a sigh of relief over pension tax

Also welcoming the cut to Business Rates for the hospitality industry was Oliver Butler, Senior Associate for Food and Drink at Tunbridge Wells firm Thomson Snell & Passmore.

LOCAL financial advisors have said they are ‘relieved’ pension tax relief was not reduced and capital gains tax was not increased.

Lee Clark, financial planner at Tunbridge Wells-based Brewin Dolphin, said: “We’re relieved that the chancellor has left pension tax relief untouched, meaning higher-rate taxpayers can continue to benefit from tax relief of up to 40 per cent.

“The pension annual allowance remains at £40,000 for many, so we’re advising our clients to use this if they have the means.”

He added: “By Christmas 2022, we’ll have seen a 7 per cent reduction in real terms for all frozen tax-free allowances as inflation is 3 per cent this year and 4 per cent next.

M0ratorium He said: “With various rising costs across the sector, including rises in VAT (for hospitality), and the impending Oliver end to the Butler moratorium on rent claims, the food and beverage and retail sectors will very much welcome a reduction in business rates which, even pre-

pandemic was inhibitive to many businesses.

“The reduction in the duties on alcohol will only be likely to have a benefit to larger corporations rather than the smaller independents but any reduction is likely to be welcomed.”

Susi Gillespie, head of family at Thomas Mansfield Solicitors was less buoyant on the effect the budget will have on struggling families.

She said: “The Autumn budget was never going to be good news on the back of years of austerity, Brexit and then the coronavirus pandemic.”

She continued: “The budget saw the chancellor cowing to pressure to reverse the universal credit cuts and he has announced measures to tackle the big squeeze on households hurtling towards us this winter.

“Regrettably not much was offered that will mitigate the rising costs households face but there has been a fuel duty freeze, no doubt prompted by the recent fuel crisis.”

She added: “Those that like prosecco should be pleased as duty on sparkling wine is reducing.”

Thresholds “This makes it all the more important to use the allowances you’ve got and plan efficiently for any money over and above those limited thresholds.”

Peter Lane, Senior Tax Manager at Handelsbanken, Tunbridge Wells, added: “Savers and investors, together with owners of

small businesses, may heave a huge sigh of relief – at least for now. The long-rumored increase in capital gains tax did not materialise.

Business owners preparing for a sale will still be vigilant but can relax at least until March next year.

Whilst this tax is paid by fewer than 300,000 individuals each year it potentially has the greatest impact on those selling businesses that have been built up over decades.”

He continued: “Those selling a residential property now have slightly longer to pay any capital gains tax due.

Capital gains tax is usually payable Lee Clark on 31st January following the tax year in which the gain is realised, but the rules changed in 2020 for the sales of residences when tax became due 30 days after the sale.

“The Treasury appears to have taken note of the impact of the tight deadline which has now been extended to 60 days following disposal.”

FOODBANK SAYS UNIVERSAL CREDIT CHANGE A ‘POSITIVE STEP’ AFTER CUTS THE foodbank in Tunbridge Wells has welcomed the change to Universal Credit announced in last week’s budget, which the charity says they hope will reduce the ‘huge impact’ caused by the cut to the £20 uplift.

The government had introduced a ‘temporary’ increase to Universal Credit during the pandemic, but this was cut last month.

Nourish Community Foodbank had previously told the Times it was ‘concerned’ the benefit cut

would plunge more working families into poverty.

It came after the foodbank saw the number of people needing its service more than double during the pandemic.

While many had hoped Rishi Sunak would cancel the uplift cut, instead the Chancellor announced a decrease in the taper – the amount of benefit that is cut when people earn money.

The taper rate will be reduced to 55p, which

would mean that workers would take home 8p more of an extra pound earned.

Following last week’s budget, Dawn Stanford BEM, operations manager at Nourish Community foodbank said: “As you would expect, the reduction in Universal Credit has had a huge impact on our clients.

“Typically, around 90 per cent of our service users work but fall into the low-income category and so are also in receipt of Universal credit.

“We are seeing referrals coming in where households just cannot manage the huge fuel bills thumping onto the doorstep at the same time as a reduction in income and many still suffering from reduced work and income due to the pandemic.

“Last week’s announcement is a positive step that we hope will go some way to reduce the impact on those living in food poverty in our community.”

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Community News

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Wednesday November 3 | 2021

Police to hold public meeting in fight against violence to women

By Taylor Catton KENT Police are hosting a public meeting tomorrow [Thursday] to hear feedback relating to violence against women and girls. The number of reported cases in the county last year jumped 10 per cent to around 36,000.

Assistant Chief Constable Peter Ayling will be coming to Tunbridge Wells to discuss physical abuse towards females.

The meeting will run from 6pm until 8pm and will be held at Tunbridge Wells Girls Grammar School. It will consist of presentations as well as opportunities for the audience to ask questions and give feedback.

A number of local groups and organisations will be in attendance such as women’s charity DAVSS which supports victims suffering from domestic abuse in West Kent.

The meeting comes after a number of highprofile incidents involving violence against women such as the recent murder of Sarah Everard by former police officer Wayne Couzens.

Kent’s Chief Constable Alan Pughsley, explaining the purpose of the meeting, said: “Recent high-profile cases have led to a renewed focus on tackling violence against ASST CHIEF CONSTABLE PETER AYLING

ASK FOR ANGELA IF YOU’RE AFRAID

TIME TO TALK The meeting will be at TWGGS

women and girls.

“However, it is important to remember that this is sadly not a new phenomenon and is something we at Kent Police have always taken very seriously”

Crime He added: “Violence against women and girls covers many different crime types including domestic abuse, rape and other serious sexual offences, stalking, honour-based abuse and exploitation, and we have comprehensive plans in place to deliver the best possible service for victims.

“Whilst my officers work very hard to ensure Kent is a safe place to live, work and visit, it is

understandable that members of the public and women and girls in particular may feel unsafe in certain locations and at certain times of the day or night.

“That is why each of our 13 policing districts have dedicated Community Safety Units consisting of officers and staff who work to prevent and deter criminal activity in public places, such as through licensing officers who help to improve safety in pubs, clubs and bars.”

Since March 2020, when coronavirus first struck the UK, Kent Police has seen nearly a ten per cent rise in incidents of domestic violence, with 3,233 more victims coming forward than in the previous year.

The force handled nearly 36,000 reports in 2020 compared to just over 32,000 in 2019.

KENT Police has launched a scheme to encourage women who feel threatened and need help when in licensed premises to ‘Ask for Angela’ as a way of alerting members of staff.

The scheme conducted in conjunction with licensed premises across Tunbridge Wells and the rest of the county allows women feeling afraid to inform the police using a code word.

Kent’s Chief Constable Alan Pughsley explained how the scheme worked.

He said: “We support and promote the ‘Ask for Angela’ scheme where women can discreetly alert staff at licensed premises by asking to speak to Angela. “We are also involved in a number of ongoing community projects that will help to reduce instances of violence against women and girls such as providing an increased police presence in those areas of Kent that are particularly popular for their pubs, clubs and bars.

“Tackling violence against women and girls is a shared responsibility and we therefore look forward to working with the Police and Crime Commissioner to translate the Government’s recentlypublished national strategy into an improved offer of support for victims here in Kent.” For more on this issue see p16

Community farm working with disabled people has been saved

By Robert Forrester A MUCH LOVED farm that works with disabled people has been saved from shutting down after a new provider stepped in.

Princess Christian’s Farm in Hildenborough has been bought by KASBAH (Kent Association for Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus) who took over management from Monday [November 1], according to Kent County Council (KCC).

The charity will continue to provide a wide range of support services for disabled people that aim to meet individual needs and promote independence.

Administration Previously owned by Hadlow College, the farm’s future was plunged into doubt after the Hadlow Group that ran the college became the first in the UK to be entered into educational administration in 2019-2020.

The site was eventually taken over by North Kent College which decided to concentrate its efforts on

providing education rather than adult social care, which included the management of the Princess Christian’s Farm.

But now a new contract has been signed with the spina bifida charity, securing its future.

Chief Executive Officer at KASBAH, Emma Carver said they were ‘thrilled’ to be taking over Princess Christian’s Farm.

She said they intended to ‘enhance all of the great work already in place’ and added: “Please watch this space and if you would like to get involved in the Farm’s future development, please do give us a call’.

KCC Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health, Clair Bell said: “I am delighted that KASBAH has been successful in its bid to manage Princess Christian’s Farm.

“I know how much our residents supported the farm and I am confident that KASBAH will continue to build on the success of this service and help those who attend the facility to learn new skills and become more independent in these unique surroundings in the future.”

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Wednesday November 3 | 2021

Lifesaving equipment donated for use at Hawkenbury field

By Connor Alldritt A DEFIBRILLATOR has been donated for use at a local recreational field and could save the lives of people that suffer cardiac arrest while playing sports.

Located at the cricket pavilion wall on Hawkenbury Rec, the equipment was provided

by Berkeley Homes who are currently building the new Hollyfields Estate. The rec is regularly used by residents and schools.

The move comes after high-profile cases of athletes who have suffered from a cardiac arrest. One such incident involved footballer Christian Eriksen who collapsed when competing in a Euro 2020 group stage match for Denmark in the summer.

A defibrillator is a portable device that is used by placing pads on the casualty’s chest and works by giving a high energy electric shock to the heart of someone in cardiac arrest. They

Community News

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SHOCK IN STALL Valerie Le Moignan (left), Andy Lewis and Geena Ellison (right)

‘Training lessons on how to use the apparatus will be arranged, with dates posted on our website’ can be used on adults or children over one-year old.

Chair of the Friends of Hawkenbury Rec, Valerie Le Moignan said: The defibrillator is considered an essential piece of life-saving equipment to be close to a sporting facility.

“We are very grateful to Berkeley Homes for their generosity as the rec is regularly used by local football and hockey clubs as well as schools and residents.”

She added: “Training lessons on how to use the apparatus will be arranged, with dates and times posted on the FOHR website fohrec.org.”

Penshurst market

CONSULTATION INTO CARDIOLOGY CHANGES THE Trust that runs Tunbridge Wells Hospital is asking people about how it can improve its cardiac department.

Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust [MTW] has launched a consultation over a 12-week period on proposals to improve cardiology care.

The current service for patients with heart conditions are split between the two main hospital sites which can lead to individuals being transferred from one to another.

This also means that specialist heart doctors and nurses are spread across two hospitals

NEWS

which impacts the Trust not being able to provide a seven-day service.

Around three patients are transferred between the two hospital sites each week after being admitted, to get the treatment they need.

The heart specialist team have looked at potential ways to improve care, including changes in how services are organised and delivered, along with bringing together specialist inpatient cardiology services on one site.

Consultant Cardiologist at the Trust, Dr Laurence Nunn, said: “We are determined to

provide the very best care for our heart patients. These proposals would allow us to do this.

“I would like to encourage people from Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells and surrounding areas to tell us what they think of our proposals, which will help us to shape and firm up our plans.”

Members of the public can view information online at the Trust’s website at mtw.nhs/uk/ cardiology-engagement .

Call for a hard copy on 01622 225771 or email mtw-tr.cardioreconfig@nhs.net

A VINTAGE market is to take place this weekend where shoppers can browse through a wide range of antiques and jewellery.

The Wealden Bazaar Vintage Market at Penshurst will be held at the village hall on Saturday [November 6].

The event takes place between 10am and 3.30pm where visitors can shop for a variety of gifts.

People will be able to browse through vintage homewares, French finds, antiques, decorative, fabrics, clothes, jewellery, furniture and gifts.

Entry is £2.00. For further info please contact Julia on 07885 610912.

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National News

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

Wednesday November 3 | 2021

Met must ‘get the rot out’ after officers shared murder images MOTHER Mina Smallman outside the Old Bailey in London after two Metropolitan Police officers pleaded guilty to sharing photos of her daughters’ bodies

What is a digital asset?

Digital assets are the norm and many people have access to photos, videos, music, e-books, blogs, movies, emails, conversations, social media, games, bank accounts, medical records, cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin to name a few, and even maintain their identity all online. Collectively these are referred to as ‘digital assets’. These may be of a financial, sentimental, intellectual and/or social value to you, your family and friends.

Why are digital assets important?

It is important to plan for what happens to your digital assets when you die or if you lose mental capacity as they may have:A financial value such as online bank accounts, online gaming accounts, Bitcoin, photograph sharing accounts, popular domain names and websites.

A sentimental value to your family and friends such as photos or emails that can be stored on a smart phone, on an online photo sharing website, cloud storage or social network account will need to be considered. Preserving these treasured memories can be significant.

Intellectual values such as domain names, website content, blogs, copyrights and trademarks, art and manuscripts. These are difficult to value, and specialist advice is needed.

A social value that would relate to social media and gaming accounts.

How should I organise my digital legacy on death?

It would be advisable to make an inventory of all digital assets, where to find them with usernames. Make sure these are updated when they change and provide this to your personal representative or attorney. Take legal advice to ensure that what you decide is effective.

Are there any security issues to be aware of on death?

Confidentiality regarding email and Facebook accounts which may reveal the existence of relationships or interests that were unknown.

Identity theft needs careful consideration where identities can be stolen through online hacking.

It may be preferred for the individual to decide before death whether their profile is to be memorialised or shut down.

What can be gifted under a will?

Care should be taken when deciding who receives your personal possessions. This would include devices such as a laptops and mobile phones. Whilst your personal possessions to include these items may be gifted to one person, the definition does not include digital assets. There may need to be a separation between digital devices and the information stored on them.

The deceased’s ownership of the device does not necessarily mean that they also own all the rights associated with the information stored on it. For example, an iPhone device, owned by the deceased that has an active iTunes account, a gift of the device under the deceased’s will does not mean a gift of the iTunes account. The music on the iTunes collection is only a personal licence to use the music according to Apple’s terms of business.

This licence is not transferrable and terminates on death.

If you have any questions regarding the above, please contact Helen Maddison-White on 01892 701342, email helen.maddison-white@ts-p.co.uk or Helen Stewart on 01892 701398, email helen.stewart@ts-p.co.uk

A MOTHER has called on Dame Cressida Dick to ‘get the rot out once and for all’ after two Metropolitan Police officers admitted sharing photographs of her murdered daughters’ bodies on WhatsApp. Pc Deniz Jaffer and Pc Jamie Lewis were assigned to protect the scene overnight after sisters Bibaa Henry, 46, and Nicole Smallman, 27, were found dead in bushes in Fryent Country Park, Wembley, north-west London.

Instead, they breached the cordon to take ‘inappropriate’ and ‘unauthorised’ photographs of the bodies, which were then shared on WhatsApp. Jaffer took four photographs and Lewis took two, one of which he superimposed his own face on to with the victims in the background.

Doctored He sent the doctored image to Jaffer, who forwarded it to a female officer at the scene.

Jaffer showed one of the photos to a male officer as they left the park and sent others to three friends on WhatsApp. Lewis also shared crime scene pictures with a WhatsApp group of 40-plus officers called the A Team, the Crown Prosecution Service said.

At a hearing at the Old Bailey on Tuesday, the officers admitted misconduct in a public office.

The pair, who were attached to the Met’s North East command unit, were suspended from duty following their arrests on June 22 last year and Jaffer has since left the force.

Jaffer, 47, of Hornchurch, east London, and Lewis, 33, from Colchester, Essex, were arrested as part of a criminal investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) watchdog.

Adjourning sentencing until December, Judge Mark Lucraft QC warned the defendants they faced ‘lengthy’ prison terms.

Speaking outside court, the victims’ mother Mina Smallman said: “You need to drill down and get the rot out once and for all.

“You are not above the law, you are not going to be protected.”

Asked if the Met Commissioner should resign, she said: “Kicking people out does not fix the problem. Keep her in the position and get her to do the job.”

She criticised the Met chief for her “shoddy” response to her officers’ actions, saying: “It’s now time for them to take the can for it.”

Mrs Smallman said that learning of the officers’ behaviour at a meeting with the police watchdog was the “last straw”.

IOPC regional director Sal Naseem called for change within the force, saying the officers’ behaviour was not a one-off.

Their actions were “sickening” and they treated the crime scene with “contempt and disrespect”, in turn insulting the victims and their family, he said.

Mr Naseem said: “Sadly, as today’s events highlight, police officers falling below the standards of behaviour expected of them are not one-off events.

“A culture where some officers do not see anything wrong with sharing deeply offensive messages and where others feel unable or unwilling to challenge has to change, and it has to change now.”

He added that recommendations to “tackle inappropriate behaviours and cultures” at the station where Lewis and Jaffer were based had been implemented.

As the defendants left court, they declined to answer questions but Jaffer nodded when asked if he would apologise to the sisters’ family.

Ex-FIFA president Sepp Blatter and UEFA chief Michel Platini charged with fraud FORMER Fifa officials Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini have been charged with fraud and other offences by Swiss prosecutors following a six-year investigation into a controversial two million US dollars (£1.5 million) payment.

The 85-year-old Blatter and 65-year-old Platini now face a trial within months at a federal criminal court in Bellinzona.

They could be jailed for several years if found guilty.

Swiss federal prosecutors said in a statement: “This payment damaged Fifa’s assets and unlawfully enriched Platini.”

The case from September 2015 ousted Blatter ahead of schedule as Fifa president and ended then-Uefa president Platini’s campaign to succeed his former mentor.

Swiss cases often take years to reach a conclusion.

The case centres on Platini’s written request to Fifa in January 2011 to be paid backdated additional salary for working as a presidential adviser in Blatter’s first term, from 1998 to 2002.

Blatter authorised Fifa to make the payment within weeks.

He was preparing to campaign for re-election in a contest against Mohamed bin Hammam of Qatar, where Platini’s influence with European voters was a key factor.

“The evidence gathered by the (attorney general’s office) has corroborated that this payment to Platini was made without a legal basis,” prosecutors said.

Both Blatter and Platini have long denied wrongdoing and cited a verbal agreement they had made, now more than 20 years ago, for the money to be paid.

Blatter has been charged with fraud, mismanagement, misappropriation of Fifa funds and forgery of a document.

Platini has been charged with fraud, misappropriation, forgery and as an accomplice to Blatter’s alleged mismanagement.

Fraud and forgery charges can be punished with jail sentences of up to five years.

“I view the proceedings at the federal criminal court with optimism — and hope that, with this, this story will come to an end and all the facts will be worked through cleanly,” Blatter said in a statement.

Wednesday November 3 | 2021

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Countries sign up to ‘gamechanging’ methane gas cut SCORES of countries have joined a pledge to cut their methane emissions by 30 per cent by the end of the decade as part of efforts to tackle climate change.

The global methane pledge, led by the US and EU, has been formally launched at the Cop26 climate summit in Glasgow, where countries are under pressure to increase their emissions cuts to avoid dangerous warming beyond 1.5C.

Committing Cutting methane, a powerful but relatively short-lived greenhouse gas which comes from sources including fossil fuel extraction and livestock farming, is seen as making a significant short-term contribution to climate action.

Half of the world’s top 30 methane emitters, including the US, EU, Indonesia, Pakistan, Argentina, Mexico, Nigeria, Iraq, Vietnam and Canada, have joined the pledge.

Speaking at the summit, US President Joe Biden thanked those who have signed the “gamechanging commitment”.

“Together we are committing to collectively reduce our methane by 30% by 2030, and I think we could probably go beyond that,” he said.

“Today it’s approaching 100 countries that are signing on. That’s nearly half the global methane emissions… It’s going to make a huge difference.”

Mr Biden said this would not only help fight climate change but also improve health, cut crop losses and reduce pollution.

He added: “One of the most important things we can do in this decisive decade to keep 1.5 degrees is reduce our methane emissions as quickly as

possible.

“It’s one of the most potent greenhouse gases there is. It amounts to about half the warming we are experiencing today.”

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said she is “proud and happy and grateful that over 80 countries have signed up”.

She added: “Methane is 80 times more global warming than CO2. And today, global methane emissions grow faster than at any time in the past.

“So cutting back on methane emissions is one of the most effective things we can do to reduce near-term global warming and keep 1.5C. It is the lowest hanging fruit.”

Clean energy think tank Ember’s global lead, Dave Jones, said: “The global methane pledge is a game-changing moment – it shows that the world is waking up to methane’s staggering climate impact.

“For countries to cut as much methane as possible, they must target all sources,” he said.

He added: “Coal mine methane is fairly quick and cheap to do something about and a massive contributor to global heating.”

Ember said some major emitters have not signed up to the global methane pledge, including China, Russia, India and Australia, but that other top coal emitters, including the EU, US and Indonesia, had done so.

The move was also welcomed by campaigners, with Dr Kat Kramer, Christian Aid’s climate policy lead, saying the pledge would be significant, if achieved, potentially reducing warming by 0.3C by the 2040s.

“Methane is but another reason why the fossil fuel industry has to end – and soon,” she said.

CLIMATE Prince Charles meeting President Biden at the Cop26 summit yesterday [Tuesday]

How to grow your email list and be GDPR compliant When the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) came into force in the EU in May 2018, it meant that many email marketers had to rethink their way of building an email list. No longer could you just add someone to it; you now needed their explicit permission to send them marketing emails. Here, we look at how you can grow your email list and still be GDPR compliant.

Double opt-in Customers must click on a link in an email to confirm that they wish to receive email and SMS marketing from you if they want to be included in your marketing database. An automatic confirmation email is sent to the email address entered by a customer when they subscribe to your online store through your website.

Obtaining more engaged subscribers through double opt-in is mandated by law in some countries, and it is also considered a best practice when it comes to getting more engaged customers. Customers that sign up for your mailing list before you enable double opt-in will not need to validate their subscription status with you.

Optimize your sign up formss

Woman forced to walk through dark park due to Cop26 POLICE have apologised after women were forced to walk through a dark park while part of Glasgow was cordoned off during an exclusive reception for world leaders and royals at Cop26.

Diversions were put in place around Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow on Monday evening as heads of state gathered for the Cop26 welcoming reception.

Many local residents took to social media to describe how they were forced to take long detours through the park to reach their homes due to road closures.

One person told how they had come across a young student in tears because she had to walk through the park alone.

Student She wrote: “We were sent away from one exit to the main gate, then told we had to do exactly that detour to get to Partick.

“On the way found a first year student in tears because she was in the same position and had had a man following her through the dark path; a male police officer.”

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince

Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall were among those who attended the reception.

Police apologised for the situation.

Assistant Chief Constable Gary Ritchie said: “Residents were diverted on their way home, including on foot through Kelvingrove Park, following real-time changes to operational plans on Monday night.

“While late changes and some level of disruption is inevitable when policing an event the size and scale of Cop26, we understand and apologise for the concern these changes caused and for the inconvenience to those diverted.

“We do, in particular, recognise and acknowledge the commentary from some women who had to walk through the park on their own last night, we want to keep everyone safe and we know that the onus is on us to recognise when we could provide some more support and visibility to reassure people in our communities.

“The diversion is no longer in place and there are no plans to reintroduce it. Should further diversions be required at short notice for operational purposes, we will look to establish patrols in the area to provide reassurance.”

Email sign-up forms must clearly explain what potential subscribers may expect from your marketing emails, how they will benefit from them, how their data will be processed and safeguarded, and what will happen to their data if they decide to unsubscribe. Pre-ticked checkboxes are not compliant with GDPR. Affirmative opt-in is all about ensuring that the recipient’s consent to receive advertising messages is clearly understood.

Ensure you are offering them value in exchange Consumers now expect firms to provide them with value in exchange for providing them with their data in the post-GDPR world of marketing.

Make it clear what people will receive from you if they subscribe to your email list. What benefit will they derive from becoming a subscriber?

Get in touch at simon.luck@hostmyoffice.co.uk or call on 01892 267200 today.

Create a lead magnet Collecting email addresses through the creation of a calendar, how-to guide, or eBook is a good strategy.

In exchange for marketing consent, make this content available for download.

Run a giveaway Always ensure that a separate, clearly defined action that allows the participant to give consent is included in the contest, giveaway, or prize draw. This could be something as simple as checking a box. To ensure that consent is taken into consideration and is explicit, it should be requested separately from other inquiries and not bundled together with excessive terms and conditions as a whole.

Do not attempt to perplex your viewers. It is counterproductive to have subscribers in your database who did not expect to be there, to begin with. Within your terms and conditions, you are not permitted to conceal entry requirements; one of which is being added to a mailing list. Doing so will simply serve to undermine your email marketing efforts.

By following these simple tips, you can keep your customers engaged without breaking GDPR. For help and support with your I.T. get in touch with Host My Office today.

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Education

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Wednesday November 3 | 2021

EDUCATION Times Designer teaches children how to be more sustainable in a very disposable world

LISTENING AND LEARNING Benenden girls Zooming TV star Patrick Grant (right)

Benenden students enjoy a virtual lesson with top fashion designer and Sewing Bee Star Patrick Grant who discusses the issue of sustainability in fashion...

By Eileen Leahy CONSUMERS should buy fewer clothes to save the planet, a leading TV fashion expert has told students at Benenden School.

Patrick Grant, a renowned clothing designer best known as a judge on The Great British Sewing Bee, said: “In the same way that everybody knows they should probably eat less meat, we probably just need to buy less fashion.”

In an interview with Sixth Formers at Benenden at the end of last month Grant said more work was needed to educate the public about the environmental harm of fast fashion.

Impact

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He said: “The simple truth is everybody needs to realise that the decisions they make about the clothes they wear have a really big impact on nature. That’s inescapable.

“For a long time we haven’t really considered the impact that fashion has on the planet but now we know an awful lot about it.

“According to some people’s estimates fashion might well be the second most polluting industry in the entire world – it’s certainly in the top four or five, no matter which calculation you do, and everything we buy has an environmental consequence.

“There are lots of different environmental consequences. Firstly, everything we make has an energy use so everything you buy is pumping Co2 into the atmosphere which is contributing to global warming.

“Secondly, almost all of the clothes the High Street retailers sell are synthetic – polyester or nylon or acrylic - and all of those are made from oil, and they have a huge energy use and create loads of fairly toxic waste in their processing.

Then of course they are shipped from the other side of the world over here and then half of them never get sold. Also, every time you wash them – if you do wash them, rather than throw them away – bits of polyester come out and go into the water and end up in the sea and end up in the air and end up in the food chain. Something like 25 per cent of all the plastic in the ocean is tiny particles of textile fibre from polyester and other clothing.”

Speaking to Benenden students from Leeds

‘More work is needed in order to educate the public about the environmental harm of fast fashion’ where he is filming the latest series of Sewing Bee, Mr Grant argued that the fashion industry should take a lead from the success in reducing the UK’s meat consumption.

He said: “Everyone now connects eating beef with Co2 and rainforest destruction and that’s a good thing because it’s true, but we have to also somehow make that same link between buying a polyester piece of clothing from a fast fashion store and that same outcome, which is environmental pollution, toxic waste, modern slavery, all of those bad things.”

He added: “It’s interesting to me that somehow the message has got through in the world of food but it hasn’t quite got through in the world of fashion yet and actually fashion is a much bigger polluter than food. Also, we all need to eat to stay alive but we don’t need to buy new clothes every week to stay alive. So if we think how we as individuals can make a contribution positively to the regeneration of the planet – and not just the reduction, we have to reverse everything we’re doing. There are choices that we all need to make and it’s surprising to me that over seven million people in the UK now don’t eat meat and a lot of those will be for ethical reasons but a lot of them also will be for environmental reasons.”

Mr Grant stated: “In the same way that everybody knows they should probably eat less meat, we probably just need to buy less fashion.

Instead of having meat every day you have it once every two weeks, or you don’t have it at all. It’s the same with fashion. Just buy a bit less – it’s okay to have a bit of fashion and we all like to dress well and we like to say things about ourselves by the clothes that we wear but we have to moderate it a little bit – well, we have to moderate it a lot. In theory, in order to meet the UK climate change goals, the fashion industry needs to reduce its carbon output by 90 per cent. That’s a big chunk.”

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16

NEWS

Weekly Comment

FOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT: timeslocalnews.co.uk

Rt Revd Simon Burton-Jones Bishop of Tonbridge

Wednesday November 3 | 2021

The Rt Revd Simon Burton-Jones is the seventh Bishop of Tonbridge. He has oversight and leadership of the education, youth and children, and community engagement work of churches across the Diocese of Rochester, which includes Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge.

Violence against women has shamefully been treated as a woman’s issue SOME figures make you wince and want to turn away. Here are a couple for the UK. Two women a week are murdered by their current or ex-partner.

One in five women has experienced sexual assault.

Violence against women still pervades society and in some ways it has got a lot worse.

With the emergence of social media in the last decade, a vista of threatened violence has been unleashed online. The power of words to intimidate and harass has never been starker.

VICTIMS Two women a week are murdered by their current or ex-partners

Modern In the modern era, most of the harm against women has been effected in private. In the more recent digital age, the cruelty is public.

It is also unashamed.

Women are being bullied in ways intended to frighten them away from public roles. This trend has only just begun, so we have to make up our minds where we stand on it. And what we are going to do.

The global White Ribbon campaign asks men not to commit violence against women. This should be an easy one to sign up to. But the pledge goes further than this.

It asks men to promise they will never excuse or remain silent over violence or threats of

violence against women. This is harder.

We rarely anticipate when the moment comes to stand up for truth and justice. It catches us by surprise, like a lightening strike we see before we are able to respond to it.

This makes an adequate response even easier to flunk. To turn a deaf ear to what has been said - even a blind eye to what has been written

Matthew Scott Police and Crime Commissioner for Kent

– because it is convenient or we are afraid.

There is a story in the life of Jesus where a woman, apparently caught in adultery, is hauled into his presence by religious leaders. She is surrounded by men making the accusation against her in a very public place. If found guilty, she would meet a terrible, violent end.

But her alleged misdemeanour is not the focus

of the religious leaders. She is simply a pawn in a game they want to play with Jesus. Her predicament is used instrumentally.

Invisible Jesus, curiously doodling on the ground with his finger, draws attention away from her humiliation, puncturing the tension. And he saves her life by holding a mirror up to the men gathered around her: ‘let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her’.

The story is usually seen as a study in the vice of hypocrisy. But it is also about the averting of violence on a lone woman by a group of men, achieved by one man who stood apart.

Samantha Power, former Obama aide and current Administrator of USAID, said there are many bystanders in life, but she coined the term ‘upstanders’ to describe those who speak out against violence.

Violence against women has shamefully been treated as a woman’s issue. Men seem to be invisible, as if the problem lies with the victims, not the perpetrators.

Men, let’s make the pledge by White Ribbon Day on November 25. To be an upstander when it counts. To make the world a safer place for women to live and flourish in.

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

‘Levelling up’ is important but rural neighbourhoods need to be part of it RURAL neighbourhoods are a valuable part of our county and contribute to our rich culture and sense of community in Kent. That has continued thanks to the time given by many to support the villages they live in, including our brilliant parish councillors, Speedwatch volunteers, farms, businesses and community groups which all help our rural areas thrive.

And that is despite the generational change we have seen in this country with both public and private organisations consolidating their operations or facilities around more urban conurbations. The tragic closure of local facilities like pubs, banks and building societies or post offices adds to the sense of isolation that rural communities often feel.

As an elected person, I have a duty to make sure that everyone feels represented and that the changes I wish to make benefit our rural communities too. As the Police and Crime Commissioner, I set the priorities for Kent Police, and hold the Chief Constable to account for delivering against them.

My plan, called Safer in Kent, puts all of our neighbourhoods at its heart, and one of its guiding principles is that crime is important no matter where it takes place.

Over the last five years, in partnership with Kent Police, we have worked to improve the response to crime and antisocial behaviour in

our rural neighbourhoods. We now have more Police Officers in Kent than ever before and numbers continue to grow, with some of these deployed to support rural areas. The Rural Taskforce has doubled in size, with greater coverage now in Tunbridge Wells and the surrounding areas.

Funding Thanks to the wonderful work of our Special Constabulary, the Rural Taskforce has been boosted by the addition of eight Special Constables dedicated to rural policing, as well as our first mounted Special Constable. Two of our Special Constables have recently given up their own time to train as wildlife crime officers, taking the number trained in this important issue up to 16.

‘Levelling up’ is an important issue being driven by the Government to improve fairness and opportunities in all our communities, and I believe that rural neighbourhoods need to be part of that too. Many of the opportunities for extra funding tend to focus on areas where crime is highest and this does tend to be urban communities.

However, I believe that there would be an opportunity to make Kent even safer, and a “level up” opportunity, if the Government were

COUNTRYSIDE TEAM Members of Kent’s Rural Taskforce to establish a “rural premium” within policing and community safety, to support rural areas. A fixed amount of funding, per head of population, for each force would focus resources on rural areas and give Police and Crime Commissioners the opportunity to work with

their Police Forces and local councils to cut crime and antisocial behaviour in rural areas.

Forthcoming reviews of the police funding formula will be the opportunity to address this.

Until then, I will continue to speak up for rural communities.

Wednesday November 3 | 2021

FOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT: timeslocalnews.co.uk

Letters

NEWS

17

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

STONE FACED Wellington Rocks should have signs prohibiting damage

On October 27 at about 1pm I climbed up on to the flattish large area towards the back of Wellington Rocks and saw a father and his two children sitting down.

The father had a pen and an artist’s notebook in his hand and was overseeing his son (aged about 10) as he scratched and gouged deep graffiti into the rock.

They were discussing different types of font and artistic design that the graffiti could be written in.

I said: “I’m sorry but you’re not really supposed to do that on these rocks, they are protected.” His reply was: “You’re annoying me, go away.”

I persisted and replied: “Look, they really are protected and doing that is just graffiti.”

His reply was: “You are really annoying me now, go away.”

His younger son, aged about 7, said “p**s off”

A singular mistake In reporting a recent problem at the Premier Inn (Times, October 27), you state, correctly, that this ‘hotel … was forced to close … after guests blocked its water system’ but in the next sentence mention that the Premier Inn ‘closed their doors’.

Given that the Premier Inn is an entity and was being referred to as such, it should be treated as a singular, so using ‘their’ (rather than ‘its’) is incorrect.

May I suggest that you follow this convention – or at least be consistent rather than hedging your bets.

Nick Stanbury Tunbridge Wells Editor’s note: a very valid point – many thanks.

Lib Dems won’t stand Regarding your coverage of the forthcoming by-election in Bidborough, Speldhurst and Langton Green villages, the local Liberal Democrats decided to be adults in the room and not contest the seat this time.

As well as rural and farming issues, we expect the election to focus on the Conservative record controlling Tunbridge Wells and its continued dereliction on sorting out the old cinema site, town centre regeneration, electric vehicle charging points, and bin collections.

Dr Alan Bullion Lib Dem Town Councillor, Southborough

under his breath. The father then stared at me in a deliberately blank manner. I informed him that he was an ‘absolute a**e’.

He did not appear to be poor or roughly spoken and quite obviously believed he had some kind of artistic talent.

The man in his early 50s was clearly convinced that he could do what he damn well wanted.

Fortunately, two PCSOs were patrolling the cricket ground and they came over and spoke to him and he came down Hopefully he won’t return. Yes, the rocks have been defaced already but do we want children to have lessons in vandalism from their dads?

Harrisons Rocks have several signs warning miscreants not to scratch their names on them.

Why doesn’t Wellington Rocks?

Simon Holden Old Groombridge

No to fracking Oh dear! I seem to have rattled some cages [Times, October 20] in the fracking debate.

Michael Heath is not sure that John Ward Moorhouse’s letter expresses enthusiasm about burning fossil fuels. Perhaps he missed the zealous ‘Let’s get fracking!’ at the end of Mr Moorhouse’s piece?

He also doesn’t appear to have read my letter properly because he goes on to make a series of unfounded and prejudiced assumptions about what he claims I think and feel. I don’t recall that I’ve ever met him so I’m curious to know how he can see inside my head.

Mr Moorhouse flatteringly describes me as ‘a big wheel in the local Green Party’; personally, I would prefer to be seen as ‘a small cog in a well-oiled machine’.

I should point out that I relinquished my role as branch secretary in May when I was elected to Kent County Council, and I didn’t mention my Green Party or KCC credentials in the sign-off to my letter as I was writing in a personal capacity.

Interestingly, neither Mr Moorhouse nor Mr Heath have addressed my conclusions on the roots of our current energy supply problems.

I’m pleased that Mr Moorhouse has moderated his earlier anti-Green comments with a small nod to environmental concerns. I agree with him that we’ll need to continue to burn gas for a time, and that it is appalling that our gas supply is subject to the whim of certain despotic governments and the vicissitudes of the international energy markets.

Fracking, however, is not the way forward.

Paul Stepto Tonbridge Green Party In defence of councillors It is clear from Victor Bethell’s letter last

week that he seemed convinced that all Conservatives at Full Council would inevitably vote against reducing councillor numbers .

I certainly did vote against, but not for the cynical reasons he adduces. It may surprise him, but many of my Conservative colleagues did actually vote for a reduction of our numbers to 39.

If he had bothered to consult the actual votes cast, he would have discovered that the majority of the councillors in the other parties also voted, like me, against reducing our numbers. In his cynical view we did this for party political gain.

Let me make this clear. Two reasons underlay my vote to retain the status quo.

First , the democratic public consultation revealed the majority of residents were not in favour of a reduction. They voted 261( including those who opted for an increase to our numbers) to 255. Close, but not a victory for a reduction.

Secondly, some of us see the need to have enough councillors to service the 14,000 extra houses we are destined to build in the borough within the next few years.

That will produce at least 30-40 thousand new residents, still clamouring, probably, about the problems with the waste contract!!

As volunteers who receive a tiny honorarium we could end up with a workload that is so onerous, the role will never attract the talented, well-informed, committed people necessary to carry out the duties required of us.

Who in their right mind would take all the flack we receive, like Mr Bethell’s comments?

I would like to see him read over 200 pages of planning application appraisals within four days and spend a whole day from 10am to 5pm in discussion and argument about them.

Draining, yes, but that is what defence of the AONB and the Green Belt deserves, doesn’t it?

Cllr Dr Linda Hall, Conservative Tunbridge wells Borough Council

Cut councillors not services ‘Every little helps’ runs the catchphrase of a well-known supermarket and it certainly does!

It’s not just people living close to the edge who must look to make savings and reduce outgoings, even the middle classes find themselves squeezed, especially those who are retired and living on fixed incomes dependant on the State Pension and, possibly, supplemented by income from savings that pay a lamentably small interest rate.

Every customer-facing organisation I know cuts overheads and fat ruthlessly when things get tough; what they do not cut is service to their customers - ever, it’s commercial suicide.

TWBC whose avowed aim is to ‘run the council like it was a business’ has no such qualms; their mantra is to increase prices, council tax, and cut customer benefits; this happens year-on-year.

It has just announced yet another round of service cuts; brace yourselves for another local tax increase.

Opportunities to save money have been rejected: recently they commissioned a survey on a reduction in the number of councillors and a change to the voting system – a survey they commissioned themselves at some cost no doubt: each would save money.

The result showed a desire for both. If they were going to reject an outcome, why bother?

Unless they foolishly believed it was an exercise in democracy. Meanwhile they continue to

We do our best to publish letters in full. However, the Editor reserves the right to edit any letter. Please ensure that letters do not exceed 250 words

PEPPY SAYS

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

We need to protect our rocks

increase their own allowances.

Richard Heath Tunbridge Wells

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Property News

Wednesday November 3 | 2021

Mortgage approvals fall to lowest levels this year

Property Focus

By Richard Williams THE number of mortgage approvals made to home buyers fell to the lowest level this year in September, surpassing the lows set a month earlier, Bank of England figures show.

There were 72,600 approvals for house purchase, marking the lowest figure since July 2020 – the month that a temporary stamp duty holiday was put in place.

Approvals Despite the dip, approvals remain above preFebruary 2020 levels, the Bank’s Money and Credit report said.

The stamp duty holiday in England and Northern Ireland was tapered from July, reducing the potential savings that could be made, and ended completely on October 1.

As a result, the amount borrowed soared to £9.5

billion – the highest level since June this year.

This was up from £4.4 billion in August with the Bank saying “the increase was driven by borrowing ahead of the complete tapering off of lower stamp duty from October”.

Approvals for re-mortgaging rose slightly to 41,500 in September to the highest levels since March 2020.

Consumers also increased their spending levels on credit cards as the economy reopened following the easing of restrictions.

The Bank of England found consumers increased credit card debt by £600 million in September – the strongest net borrowing since July 2020.

Individuals also repaid £400 million in personal loans and credit – the first net repayment since February this year.

The amount being saved by households was also up, with £9.4 billion deposited with banks and building societies in September – compared to an average of £8.9 billion between April and August.

21

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HOW TO DRESS YOUR HOME FOR WINTER VIEWINGS

The shorter, cooler days haven’t dampened the Tunbridge Wells property market, with buyers continuing to move out of London and scale up locally. But winter viewings present additional challenges.

Deborah Richards of Maddisons Residential explains how to showcase your home to best advantage during the winter months to attract your dream buyer.

Developers facing levy to replace dangerous cladding LARGE construction companies will be charged an extra levy to raise a £5billion fund to remove unsafe cladding from high-rise buildings.

The Government has decided to charge property developers with profits over £25 million at a rate of 4 per cent.

It will help to create a fund that can be used to remove cladding put up on high-rise buildings across the UK but which was found to be unsafe after the Grenfell Tower disaster in June 2017.

Kerb appeal: A well-kept exterior means people enter your home in a positive frame of mind. A well-lit driveway, clean soffits and fascias and a newly painted front door (with shiny hardware to match) is the best way to welcome viewers. Despite it being winter, do not ignore your garden: remove any forlorn garden furniture and toys, tidy your planters and add some late-blooming flowers – a splash of colour can have a huge impact. Clear those leaves and if possible, try and cut your grass.

Ambience is key: Create a warm welcome for house hunters with soft, warm lighting and autumnal scents. Be sure to show off fireplaces or wood burners in all their glory – and make sure the heating is on when you have viewings, even if you’re not there. Cold homes are notoriously difficult to sell.

Finishing touches: Dressing your windows with heavier curtains can make a big difference to the interior of a room and the way the house looks from outside. Add tactile throws, cushions, and rugs to make your home feel so cosy that nobody will want to leave, potential buyers included!

Homes Speaking to MPs, Chancellor Rishi Sunak said: “We’re confirming £5billion to remove unsafe cladding from the highest-risk buildings partly funded by the Residential Property Developer Tax, which I can confirm will be levied on developers with profits over £25 million at a rate of 4 per cent.”

Many homeowners have been left facing potentially ruinous bills after they discovered that cladding on their homes could be dangerous.

Mary-Anne Bowring, managing director at the property management consultancy Ringley Group, said: “A blanket tax on developers is fairer than leaving leaseholders to shoulder the burden but it is still a blunt instrument to use to fix the cladding crisis.

“Fundamentally, accountability should fall squarely on those who overlooked the potential hazards of unsafe cladding in the first place.”

The Chancellor also announced £11.5 billion to build up to 180,000 affordable homes and an extra £1.8 billion to bring 1,500 hectares of brownfield land into use.

James Forrester, the managing director

of estate agent Barrows and Forrester, said: “Time and time again we’ve seen the government pledge to fix the housing market using recycled rhetoric and funding from previously announced initiatives.

“Today was no different and, reading between the lines, we can expect to see them continue to over-promise and under-deliver in their attempts to address the housing crisis.

“While Boris Johnson might not be a fan of recycling, his chancellor certainly is, and so the 180,000 new homes pledged today is certainly no step forward.

“The only bone thrown to a nation of ravenous homebuyers starved of housing stock has been a scrap of properties built on brownfield sites.”

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

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

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Arts & Antiques

antiques

Wednesday November 3 | 2021

23

Unmasking some oddly valuable items TV antiques expert Eric Knowles from the The Hoard at The Corn Exchange on The Pantiles reveals some of the historical faces behind collectible masks time it was made was a real star - Cléo de Mérode - a noted ‘danseuse célèbre’ of the Belle Époque, and about as big a draw in the theatrical emporia of Western Europe prior to The Great War as are Lady Gaga or Taylor Swift today.

Kinship Pâte de verre - for the uninitiated - is a form of sculpting, working with ground glass, colouring agents and a binding carrier to make a maleable paste; this is pressed into a mould and fired to melt the

mixture which then cools and solidifies, thus producing a three-dimensional rendering of the original design in coloured glass. It’s considerably more involved than my simplistic description might infer, and true mastery of the craft was reserved for those with a rare talent – such as Despret.

Nevertheless, I did feel a certain kinship with France’s ‘maître verrier’ as the outturn of his travails put me in mind of the old style Guy Fawkes masks that we used to decorate our guys with at this time of year – you remember – the orange

Eric Knowles

H

ELLO everyone – Eric Knowles here, settling into the role of shop assistant by way of my ongoing involvement with The Hoard at ScottishAntiques.com down at The Corn Exchange.

One of our recently acquired artefacts put me in mind of my childhood in Lancashire, where urchins such as my good self would endeavour to secure the odd penny here and there, scheming in the shadows of those renowned dark, satanic mills in their glowering pomp.

We’ve obtained a marvellous, early 20th century ‘pâte de verre’ mask by a French artist called Despret. It is highly likely that it represents someone who at the

or green papier-mâché ones, that fell to bits when they got wet, disintegrating in to a dispiriting mush? We’d wheel our amateurish mannequins up and down the cobbled streets of Nelson (Lancashire) in an old pram, acquiring a handful of coppers here and there with the intention of buying squibs, bangers and pin wheels.

Societies On a very similar subject, in these ‘ere parts – close to Tunbridge Wells albeit just over the county boundary in to Sussex – bonfire is a tremendously serious matter of which I’ve become increasingly aware over the last few weeks. Over an extended period from September to the end of November many of the local villages host their own events and the organising societies then attend others in turn; the main event being on the 5th itself, in Lewes, with everyone coming together for one enormous evening of festivities, which is an incredible thing to behold.

We are – I am genuinely thrilled to say – looking to bring a soupçon of this amazing atmosphere to our own doorstep and will be inviting numerous societies to bring their peculiar brand of revelry to The Pantiles in January of next year by way of a kind of ‘wassail’ event, along with live bands and other attractions. It’ll be very much something to illuminate the midwinter gloom – more details to follow in due course…

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A specialty steak menu runs along side the seasonal a la carte every Thursday! Championing superb local beef along with cuts such as venison haunch, veal T-bones.

To celebrate being shortlisted for ‘The Best British Sunday Roast’ The Eight Bells will be launching the new ‘Sunday Claret Club’ where you can enjoy a complimentary glass of vintage claret with every roast ordered after 6pm.

Why not pop in for a quiet drink next to one of the fires or try some of the fantastic food soon.

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Arts & Antiques

antiques

24

Wednesday November 3 | 2021

Off the rails...

I think I’d rather sit in the railway station,” she answered, a remnant of vexation still in her voice. “That’s the centre of the town life now. The cathedral has had its day!” “How modern you are!”

Thomas Hardy, Jude the Obscure, Part 3, Chapter 1

I

N 1830 Robert Stephenson inaugurated the first regular passenger service in the world, linking Canterbury to the seaside town of Whitstable six miles away.

By 1850 Britain had already 7000 miles of railroad connecting the country together.

During the following years the railroad system spread all over Europe and North America.

In London the first section of the Underground began its work in 1863 and by the turn of the 20th century trains were

BUSINESS CLASS This desk could collapse for travelling

dominating long distance land transport, connecting cities and countries; trains contributed to the growth of industry by reducing the freight costs of heavy materials and finished goods around the country.

Railways allowed people to live further from their places of work as the phenomenon of commuting took hold and enabled people to travel further; offering a quicker, safer and more comfortable alternative to actual roads, diminishing the risk of unexpected accidents and delays.

Available Trains also had the added appeal of enjoying the journey by absorbing the surrounding scenery while reading or chatting. Many people even to this day claim that train travel is the best form of transport.

Luxury trains became a fashionable way to travel. In 1883 the French Compagnie International des Wagons-Lit inaugurated the passenger train service called ‘OrientExpress’ connecting Paris to Istanbul.

The route changed several times, but among the traditional stops there were Venice, Vienna and Budapest.

Although it was created as a normal international rail service, its fame quickly grew thanks to the comfort of its sleeping car with permanent service and the quality of the cuisine, which was in line with luxurious service people came to expect from such a world class travel experience, serving delicacies such as oysters and offering the finest wines

Alexander Pushkin, of Pushkin Antiques in Tunbridge Wells High Street, talks about the valuable items brought about by the railways and champagnes. Royalties, diplomats, noblemen and businesspeople were frequent users of the Orient- Express and promoted its service.

Of course, the Orient-Express is one of the most iconic examples of the ‘transport revolution’ that started with the advent of the railway, a revolution that had its consequence in the way people travelled.

Emballeur Sleeping and baggage cars allowed people to carry with them much more than the minimum needed for long journeys.

The first to understand the change in traveling habits was a young provincial Frenchman named Louis Vuitton, who had travelled on foot from his hometown to Paris, more than 400km away.

Once in Paris he was hired as a malletier/ emballeur, a sort of butler that specialised in packing and trunk making for high-society travellers. His skills did not go unnoticed, and he was soon hired by Napoleon III to be the malletier of the Empress.

Thanks to his experience and entrepreneurship, in 1854 he opened his first trunk-making firm in Paris. His trunks immediately became very popular and by 1913 his shop on the Champs Elysées was the largest travel-goods store in the world.

This early 20th century Louis Vuitton wardrobe trunk was the must-have for any luxury journey. Covered in the worldfamous LV monogrammed canvas, it would have been the top of the line even at the time of purchase, some 100 years ago.

Thanks to its fitted interior it could carry

clothes and accessories any traveller could need over a period of several weeks.

A roomy wardrobe was not the only concern of the fashionable man or woman.

Over the course of a transatlantic journey, he or she may have passed the time reading, typing letters and manuscripts.

This library trunk could contain not only books but also a portable typewriter. It is one of the rarest among the Louis Vuitton trunks, produced upon request in a very small number.

This model was conceived by Gaston Louis Vuitton in collaboration with Ernest Hemingway whose original trunk was recently found in the Ritz basement in Paris together with the lost manuscript of his posthumous book ‘A Movable Feast’.

Arts & Antiques

Wednesday November 3 | 2021

25

Saleroom items under the hammer Gorringe’s Joseph Trinder reveals some of the interesting items coming up for auction...

Gothic arched brass cased carriage timepiece.

Again, a lovely quality object which has been cared for by generations seen in the preservation of its original felt-lined case. Of a pleasing architectural form, this very attractive time piece is estimated to fetch £150 - £250 – surely a more satisfying way of checking the time than glancing at a smartphone screen.

Joseph Trinder

Quality

A

People often ask me ‘what should I collect?’ my answer is always simple – just collect what you like and are interested in. lot 1339 in our November 8th sale would make a very good start to anyone interested in collecting high quality historic British porcelain. At around 200 years old, this scarce Chamberlain Worcester model of a recumbent cat is a characterful survivor. A prime

S ANOTHER Wednesday rolls around, so too approaches our next upcoming weekly sale at Gorringe’s on Monday 8th November. Read on to find out a little more about my hand-picked selection from our latest 700 lot sale.

Lot 1093 gives the opportunity to add a little style to your home office in the form of a late Victorian satinwood kneehole desk. Of economical proportions, this high-quality piece will fit neatly into a modern home. Unlike today’s flat-pack equivalent, this fellow comes with a beautiful colour and patina – the legacy of its history and past users. Again, unlike its modern equivalent, it will also still be here and look even better in 50, 80, 100 years.

Consigned through our Tunbridge Wells office, lot 1257 caught my eye – a late 19th century

Wood works The compact kneehole desk example of an object which would have fetched considerably more some years ago, estimated at just £80-120 it comes with an important collection provenance from Dennis G. Rice. The next name listed in its history of custodians could be yours.

Perfume

TIMEPIECE Gothic carriage clock

Another good lot to kickstart a collection is 1836 – two Victorian silver vinaigrettes from 1851 and 1857. Nothing to do with salad dressing – these decorative miniature boxes were once a popular indication of social ranking and wealth. Used to house scent or perfume, typically trapped in the case within a small sponge or similar material. Standards of hygiene and sanitation were far poorer than todays in the 19th century,

“Outstanding professionalism.”

“Peace of mind provided.”

“Efficient and courteous.”

“Certainly not your stereotypical letting agent!”

“Helpful and friendly.”

“Went above and beyond.”

EST 1900

even among the wealthy and ruling classes.

The vinaigrette was therefore a convenient and aesthetically pleasing way for a lady to carry a small quantity of scent – both as an exotic indication of her class and ranking but also as a fast remedy to any unpleasant odours that she might encounter throughout the course of the day in Victorian Britain.

Four lots from seven hundred or so that will be offered from the rostrum in Lewes on Monday.

One of the real perks of my role is being able to take to pick up the gavel and steward pieces such as these to new appreciative owners – the theatre and excitement of auction day is still my favourite element of this wonderfully varied role. You can watch all our sales live online at Gorringes.co.uk – a perfect way to kick-start the week!

26

Arts

Wednesday November 3 | 2021

“We hope to inspire audiences with tales of courage and resilience….”

The London Ballet Company returns to Trinity Theatre on Wednesday November 10 with a double bill. The company’s founder Sophie Wright tells Eileen Leahy what their shows Poppy, which is set during World War 1 and A Little Princess are all about. Sophie also reveals why she and her fellow dancers are so happy to be returning to Tunbridge Wells….......

W

HEN Sophie Wright established The London Ballet in 2010 her principal aim was to produce original and modern ballets which mirror and further develop news, cultural or topical stories in order to pique public interest and bring new audiences to the world of ballet.

“The troupe’s best known show to date is Poppy.

Now in its ninth year, it tells the story related to World War 1 and specifically a family affected by this time in history. Sophie and her fellow dancers always perform it around Remembrance Sunday at Trinity Theatre.

“2018 marked the centenary of the end of the First World war - the war, it was proclaimed, to end all wars,” explains Sophie.

“Our production starkly portrays the havoc wreaked by global war on ordinary people. Seen through the innocent eyes of the child Poppy, we follow a family struggling to come to terms with the cataclysmic turn of events of 1914, as they seek to do their duty and rally to their nations cause.

“The turmoil of family life forever changed, innocence lost, Poppy remains, like the flower for whom she was named, a symbol of hope and of remembrance. To this day it is the evocative power of the poppy which reminds and remonstrates the ‘civilised’ world with loss.”

Sophie adds that this year The London Ballet Company will be bringing a new show to audiences. Entitled A Little Princess it is an original production, created earlier this year which examines a range of current issues including migration and slavery.

Impressive It follows the story of Sara who is travelling from India with her mother onboard the SS. Jaipur, to a boarding school in New York.

Sophie explains more about the story: “When being shown around her impressive new school, Sara is keen to meet the other children. A little servant girl also catches her eye.

“Sara is upset when upon her mother’s departure her precious necklace is confiscated.

Jewellery is not permitted. Yet despite strict

“The pandemic has restricted our live performances over the last 18 months but we’re so excited to get back to our favourite theatre: Trinity” rules, the imaginative Sara soon makes friends, entertaining them with fascinating stories of India.”

And then, reveals Sophie, there is a phone call where we discover that Sara’s mother is seriously ill. This means school fees can’t be paid and so Sara is relegated to a servant’s role.

“She is consoled by the servant girl, Becky,” continues Sophie. “Her school friends do not desert her, they sneak up to the attic where Sara and Becky live, to comfort her and enjoy once more her stories of India.

“The bonds of friendship find the girls determined to retrieve Sara’s necklace. They

succeed but their teacher Ms Minchin finds out and Sara is branded a thief!”

Can there be a happy ending? Well, you will just have to come along and see says Sophie.

And what does she hope to achieve with both these performances?

“The London Ballet Company dancers really hope to inspire audiences with these tales of resilience and courage in adversity. We will have nine artists in total performing on the day.

Needless to say the pandemic has restricted our live performances over the last 18 months but we’re so excited to perform for the people of Tunbridge Wells.

“To have the support and appreciation of the arts back with us in live theatre performance is what I’m really looking forward to.

“Myself and the dancers are so eager to be back on stage, getting wrapped up in our original works, taking our audiences on an emotional journey.

“The Trinity Theatre to date has to be our favourite performance venue with its beautiful architecture and regal aesthetics. We can’t wait to return!”

Arts

Wednesday November 3 | 2021

27

Start spreading the news… Tori’s coming to town New York cabaret star and comedian Tori Scott rocks up with her latest stand-up show Welcome to the After Party on November 7 at Trinity. Produced by Robin Rayner, who’s from Tunbridge Wells, it promises to be one hell of a night out... much is unknown and changing daily. We have all been through a lot in the past eighteen months and it’s important to be able to take a moment and remember to laugh through the uneasiness.

You’ve toured all over the world but what do you enjoy most about doing your thing in front of British audiences?

There is a great appreciation for wit and sarcasm in the UK: We definitely have a similar sense of humour. Whether it’s hen parties in Cardiff, or groups of gay men in Newcastle, I connect with audiences here and can really be myself! I also love a challenge and British audiences can often be hard to please - when they laugh or clap or even give a standing ovation, you know they

So Tori how have you been? How has the pandemic affected life for you - especially as a touring performer?

All things considered, I’ve been ok! I am thrilled to be back on tour after a very long hiatus. I was completely out of work during the pandemic.

With music venues and theatres closed, I didn’t have any bookings for a long time.

Did you enter into the world of putting material online?

There were a couple of virtual shows online, but they were certainly not the same as performing for a live audience or travelling the world. It was a tough year and a half, but I have to count my blessings. I’ve been healthy and I’m even more grateful now for the opportunities coming my way since venues have reopened.

You’re back on the road now with your new tour Welcome to the After Party - how does that feel?

Incredible! I feel very fortunate to be performing again! Especially hearing the sound of an audience laughing - it’s heaven! This show feels like such a special moment for all of us. A lot has happened since we were last in the room together and I have missed it so much! The energy I get from the audience when I’m up on the stage… I wish I could bottle that feeling and use it to make the perfect martini.

Can you give us a brief idea of what the show involves and why you called it Welcome to the After Party?

I wanted to celebrate being able to do a live show again and that special relationship I have with the audience. I talk about life pre-Covid as the ‘Before Times’. It seems like a lifetime ago!

So, it felt right to call the post-vaccinated world the ‘After Times’. This show is my opportunity to share stories, belt out some tunes and host the ultimate After Party. And while we are not out of the woods yet, it’s a moment to share what I learned during the pandemic, to celebrate the fact that we have made it this far and think about what comes next!

“Therapy is very expensive in the United States, so being able to air all my dirty laundry to a paying audience is much cheaper than talking to a therapist... and a lot more fun!”

Can you tease us with a couple of anecdotes we can expect to hear on the night . . .

I always enjoy making fun of my mistakes in life and there have been... a lot! You will hear about the months I spent in lockdown back in New York, which consisted of a lot of vodka and one sided conversations with my cat. There will be stories of a rooftop wedding, daily walks in a local graveyard and a lot of daydreaming about life before the world almost ended.

Apart from Trinity where are you touring?

“Therapy is very expensive in the United States, so being able to air all my dirty laundry to a paying audience is much cheaper than talking to a therapist... and a lot more fun!”

Welcome to the After Party?

I opened my tour at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre in Guildford, which was so much fun! And I played Crazy Coqs in London October 27 and 29.

I also did the Town and Gown Theatre in Cambridge October 28. We also have more plans for 2022… but for now I am so excited to be bringing the show to the royal people of Tunbridge Wells.

What do you think audiences will enjoy most about seeing it?

I have a feeling they will particularly enjoy my song selections. There’s a wide range of genres from fun pop tunes and musical theatre to classic rock. We have songs by Elton John, ABBA, Gloria Gaynor, Celine Dion and Keane to name but a few. I will be supported by my house band The Shame Spirals led by my brilliant musical director Ben Papworth. It also feels so good to laugh! Especially during a time when so

mean it. I am thrilled to be back in the UK! And finally what do you like most about being up on stage and being so frank about your life?

There is a great sense of freedom when I am on stage talking about my life. It energises and makes me feel alive! That electric feeling, that thrill I get when performing was something I always felt. But having not been on stage for so long, that thrill is stronger than ever! I can guarantee you that I will not take being on stage for granted again. Plus, therapy is very expensive in the United States, so being able to air all my dirty laundry to a paying audience is much cheaper than talking to a therapist... and a lot more fun!

A QUICK WORD WITH ROBIN RAYNER – WHO HAILS FROM TUNBRIDGE WELLS AND IS PRODUCER OF TORI SCOTT’S WELCOME TO THE AFTER PARTY Robin, can you please tell us about your involvement with Welcome to the After Party?

I have been lucky enough to produce Tori’s shows in the UK for the past four years. Since our first one at Crazy Coqs in London in 2017, we have toured shows to Birmingham, Newcastle, Brighton, Cardiff and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Our last show was in London in November 2019, so it feels amazing to be bringing Tori Scott back to UK auditoriums at last with this brand new show!

What are you enjoying most about working on this show?

Collaborating with Tori again! She is just such a joy. I have really missed hearing her voice live and laughing uncontrollably. As a producer of Tori Scott shows, I get to work with so many people including musicians, special guests, lighting designers, sound technicians and venue managers. The audience is always having the time of their lives seeing Tori perform and I am so privileged to be part of the team that makes that possible.

Tell us a little bit about your company New Frame Productions....

Before the world shut down, I was working on the Olivier Awards and was the Producer at the Yvonne Arnaud in Guildford. With theatres closed, all my work completely stopped. During lockdown I began collaborating with James Quaife on the web series The Vicky Vox Project, which saw us work with freelance artists in four time zones and seven different countries, via zoom. The goal was to both embrace and defy the new boundaries that had been placed in our way.

So is this how you formed New Frame Productions?

Yes, it’s a live and digital production company based in London and collaborates with artists all over the world. In June this year we made our West End debut with Alyssa, Memoirs of a Queen! starring RuPaul’s Drag Race star Alyssa Edwards at the Vaudeville Theatre as part of the Rising Stars Festival. It was such an exciting time, with theatres just reopening.

What’s next for you and the company?

We are now producing Steven Bartlett’s show The Diary of a CEO Live, with more dates to be announced shortly. It’s certainly an adventure being a live events producer right now!

You’re from Tunbridge Wells - did you get into drama at school or was it at a local youth group?

I was first introduced to performing at primary school, when I played the lead role in a play about going to space. Soon after, I landed a part in the Southborough pantomime and apparently there was no turning back. At secondary school, there wasn’t much theatre apart from the annual Stars in Their Eyes competitions, so I joined amateur theatre groups, dance classes and a Saturday drama school in Tunbridge Wells. I produced shows in my garage and saw as many local and West End productions as I could. The area has always been a hub of creativity and it was during my time at Hillview Sixth Form that I made the decision to pursue a career in the arts.

How will it feel to be returning to Tunbridge Wells with this show?

Producing my first show back here after all these years is so exciting! There is nothing like live entertainment and after the last eighteen months, I think there is a real drive to get back in the theatres and support the industry as it gets back on its feet. This show is a joyous celebration of life with brilliant music choices, a three-piece band and genuinely hilarious true stories. Tori Scott is an exemplary performer and with her huge voice and sassy New Yorker commentary, she is sure to give you a fantastic night out.

Welcome to the After Party is sponsored by Kent Wines

www.newframeproductions.com

Food & Culture

food

28

Wednesday November 3 | 2021

Raise a glass to some grape expectations ...

The Kent Wine School’s co-founder Victoria Aldwinckle reveals why its aim is to educate people so they can make the right buying choices – whether that’s in a supermarket or specialist suppliers. She also tells us why they love having the Hotel du Vin in Tunbridge Wells as its main HQ Christmas Hampers are now available!

where quality comes naturally • Our butchery is modern in its provision but traditional in its values. very best service is assured whether it be whilst shopping • The instore or having a delivery to your door using our online services. skill of our butchers assures the very best cuts are created and • The using whole carcasses means that everything is available. of our sausages and burgers are homemade. We have many • Allvarieties including gluten-free.

• Our bacon is dry cured on the premises from free-range pork.

• We use paper packaging.

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Food & Culture

Wednesday November 3 | 2021

Can you briefly tell us what the concept of Kent Wine School is about?

It is really simple: it’s all about wine education.

Great, delicious wine is not about spending more money – it’s about the provenance of the grapes, the climate it’s been grown in, how the wine has been made as well as the care and attention that’s gone into the process. Is it a mass-produced drink or a quality focused product that has a story behind it? We never promote wines or sell wines. We very simply provide great quality wine education at all levels so that our students are armed to make better wine buying choices, in supermarkets, restaurants and wine merchants.

You are a co-founder along with Jonny Gibson, how, when and why did you get involved?

I started working as a freelance wine tutor for Jonny’s company, Sussex Wine School, which at the time operated in Tunbridge Wells. We

29

discovered we worked well together and had a similar approach and vision to wine education so, in 2018, we joined forces and launched Kent Wine School as a partnership.

What do you love most about the wonderful world of wine?

For me personally, it’s the variety in style that’s so interesting. Italy, for example, has over 350 native grape varieties – that’s not including the international names such as Merlot and Cabernet. From a wine explorer’s point of view, that gives you so much to learn about, discover and (most importantly) taste!

How often do you hold tastings at the Hotel du Vin and why did you choose this venue?

We hold our wine tastings several times a week on average, each one covering a different theme or topic. Hotel du Vin offers us a beautiful venue which has such synergy with our brand.

Currently, the Hotel has also been superb

A LOT OF BOTTLE Kent Wine School hold regular classes

TASTE TEST At the Hotel du Vin

“We provide great quality wine education at all levels so students are armed to make better wine buying choices” at making our guests feel very safe, welcome and comfortable. It’s been such a good partnership and one we hope will continue for many years.

Do you have plans to host events anywhere else locally?

Yes! We’d love to find a second, and maybe even third, venue in Kent. Watch this space!

How many members do you have and what else do you offer apart from tastings?

We don’t have ‘members’ as such, just a lot of wine enthusiasts who really love attending our events! There is no membership fee. Our

tastings range from one-off evenings, focusing on a specific country or topic such as a Spanish Wine & Tapas, our Saturday Introduction to Wine Day or Barolo & Barbaresco evenings. We offer longer courses of 4 or 8 week where we get time to offer more detail and focus on that particular topic. Finally, we offer a range of professional qualifications through the Wine & Spirits Education Trust and the Wine Scholar Guild. These are as much for beginners as they are for the seasoned pro!

Which countries are your favourite to take a wine flight in and why?

I’m torn on this! Can I choose two? The USA (particularly Oregon and Washington State) because I used to be a wine maker there.

However, I have also lived, studied and travelled extensively in Spain so I have a deep passion for Spanish wines. If I had to choose, it would have to be Spain.

Continued on page 31

Eat. Drink. Stay. Enjoy.

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Please book early to avoid disappointment!

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Food & Culture

Wednesday November 3 | 2021

31

Continued from page 29 How popular are the food and wine pairing events?

They are the most popular ones by far! We cover a huge range of topics from Cheeses & Wine to Steak & Wine and even Chocolate & Wine. Plus, we offer a series that focuses in on individual countries – our Italian, Spanish or French Food & Wine Evenings nearly always sell out.

English wine is experiencing a boom time right now – do you specifically cover homegrown varities?

We always host an English Wine Tasting each year which shines the spotlight on the newest vineyards on the wine scene in the UK. We also run a series of tastings focusing on Sparkling Wines of the World – and of course England takes centre spot in that one as we’re producing outstanding sparkling wines right now.

Do you have any personal English wine favourite tipples?

I love bubbles so I’m happy with nearly all English Sparkling! However, an outstanding wine I had not long ago was by a winery in East Sussex called Fox & Fox. They produced a sparkling Pinot Meunier (one of the classic Champagne grapes) and it was stunning.

You also offer gin and rum tastings - can you tell us a little bit about these?

Gin is, unsurprisingly, hugely popular. We focus on six gins each evening starting with one typically made in Kent. Then we branch out to further afield in England, perhaps tasting one from the Isles of Scotland, before heading overseas to try gins from far flung shores such as New Zealand and Japan. Rum tastings are new to Kent Wine School for 2021 and we’re really looking forward to hosting these. Rum is a very technical drink and one that is fast becoming the ‘next big thing’. We’ll be looking at it’s amazing history (often involving piracy and revolts!) before tasting the myriad of styles from white rum to dark, rich, aged rums. www.localwineschool.com/kent

Katherine Morgan is one of the tutors at Kent Wine School. Here she tells us about her role ...

How and when did you get involved with the Kent Wine School?

I started out around six years ago as a customer attending tastings. The signature 8-week World of Wine course was a turning point for me in realising that I wanted to take my wine knowledge to the next level. I then took my WSET (Wine & Spirit Education Trust) exams through the Kent Wine School and the rest is history.

Can you tell us about the qualifications you have which allow you to teach courses and help with events?

I have WSET level 2 and 3, the WSG Italian (prep)

Wine Scholar and I am hoping to undertake the full WSG Spanish Scholar this autumn. I buy and drink a lot of wine so I also have a lot of life experience!

What do you love about the world of wine most?

How incredible it is that the humble grape can make such a delicious and varied product. The world of wine is a fascinating one and I could talk about it all day.

What do you enjoy about teaching and participating in tastings?

I enjoy sharing my knowledge of wines with

others and getting people excited about wines they never thought would (or could) excite them.

I also enjoy the discussions I have with clients about wine and their experiences, you can never stop learning. A tasting is always a two-way experience and I consider myself to be a host rather than a teacher.

How often do you get involved with Kent Wine School events?

As often as my busy life permits (I have a young daughter and I am also a commercial property lawyer at Brachers LLP), but I try to do at least two events a month. Hosting the events is not like work for me!

Do you have any personal favourite wines or does your taste constantly change?

I enjoy a wide variety of wines, it very much depends on my mood, the occasion and the weather. My preferred style of white is a dry, fresh wine with complexity. A good quality Gruner Veltliner or an Italian Pecorino are good value, delicious drinking whites. In terms of red, I like a bold wine with a dark, jammy fruit flavour. My special treat wine is an Amarone from Italy.

And what about any enjoyable English wines - do you favour them and if so which ones in particular?

I try to be an ambassador for English wines. We produce some of the best quality sparkling wines in the world and the vast majority of vineyards are here in Kent and in Sussex. I also work for a tour company taking people on tours of English vineyards – it amazes me how little

UK residents seem to know about English wine.

We need to support what is now known as the ‘New New World’ wine and spread the word about this fantastic home grown (and made) product.

How do you demystify the world of wine to people who want to discover more but may feel a little out of their depth?

Start with the basics, encourage people to give their views without fear of ‘saying something silly’ and most importantly, get talking about wine. It is amazing how much you can learn from a good vineyard tour or having a chat with your local wine merchant.

Can you sum up a Kent Wine School event in three words that you would usually use to describe wines?

Intellectually satisfying (a term used by Robert Parker who is a very famous wine critic), refined and smooth.

Health & Wellbeing

health & wellbeing

32

Wednesday November 3 | 2021

Employees across the South East are hiding their health issues...

By Taylor Catton NEARLY half of workers across the South-East have admitted that they would not talk to their employer about their health issues, research has found.

Benenden Health, the private health care provider that has a hospital in Cranbrook, discovered that 42 per cent of employees would not feel confident in discussing health issues as they feel it could impact their career and relationships within the workplace.

The corporation has warned that fear and stigma in the workplace means millions of workers may not be getting the required support needed from their employers, which could lead to employees being absent or leaving their job.

The survey of 2,007 people, including 255 in the South-East, found that more than a third of employees (35 per cent) said that

‘Stigma is especially prevalent in the workplace, with businesses too often unable to identify issues’ they have lied to their employer about taking time off for an appointment which can make providing the right support to workers across the county difficult.

A third (31 per cent) of participants also said they would worry that people would think they couldn’t do their job.

The survey revealed the most common ailments that workers have not disclosed to their employer to be poor mental health, high blood pressure and arthritis – all conditions that could be exacerbated in the workplace.

It also found that 15 per cent of employees in the region believing that they have been overlooked for a job in the past due to a health issue, long-term condition or disability.

Absences Following the findings, Benenden Health is calling on business owners in the region to open communication channels with their teams and consider the health needs of their workforce to support positive wellbeing, increase retention and reduce unexpected absences.

Head of Organisation Development at

HIDING ILLNESS Employees are not speaking about health

Benenden Health, Naomi Thompson said: “It is disappointing that so many people still feel they can’t speak to their employers about their wellbeing.

“This stigma is especially prevalent in the workplace, with businesses too often unable to identify wellbeing issues, employees concerned about the implications of discussing them and a continuing lack of tangible support, all of which contribute to lost time and productivity for businesses as well as unaddressed poor employee wellbeing.”

She added that the organisation has now launched a report on the key health issues that are affecting the workplace and is

offering advice to companies on how to provide the right support to all employees - regardless of their background or health status.

“Healthcare support should be available to all employees – not just senior staff - and despite some misconceptions, this can be implemented at an affordable cost. ,” continued Ms Thompson.

“Tailored wellbeing programmes, developed with employee consultation and recognising the different needs of a multigenerational workforce, can increase productivity, support recruitment and promote a happier and healthier workforce.”

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2

NEWS

FOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT: timeslocalnews.co.uk

Local News

Wednesday November 3 | 2021

Wednesday September 29 | 2021

Health & Wellbeing

33

Trials of revolutionary blood tests could be way forward in detecting cancer early

By Connor Alldritt GROUND-BREAKING cancer trials have got underway in Kent that could detect early signs of cancer and save thousands of lives.

People from around the county have been invited by the NHS to join the largest trial around the world in a revolutionary blood test called Galleri, which can detect more than 50 types of cancer even before symptoms appear.

The tests will look for any early signs of the disease through patients’ blood such as head and neck, bowel, lung, pancreatic, and throat cancers – many of the types of cancer that are often diagnosed too late to treat.

STEP FORWARD: New blood tests can detect more than 50 types of cancer - before symptoms appear

Diagnosis Participants, who are all aged between 50-77, have been asked to attend appointments at a mobile clinic in Dartford to take blood samples.

Individuals included in the research, must not have had any cancer diagnosis or treatment in the last three years.

They will all be called back after 12 months, and again after two years, to give further tests.

The study is recruiting 140,000 participants, including people from different backgrounds and ethnicities.

Results of the study are expected by 2023 and if successful, the NHS plans to extend the rollout to a further one million people in 2024 and 2025.

Participants whose results suggest that they could have cancer will be urgently followed up by the NHS. Clinical Lead at Kent and Medway Cancer Alliance, Dr Henry Taylor, which is involved in

co-ordinating the trial locally, said: “The response to the NHS-Galleri trial in Kent and Medway has been incredibly impressive.

“These people are contributing to a study that could prevent cancer deaths not just here but across the UK and around the world. Diagnosing cancer as early as possible means patients can start treatment before their cancer progresses and improve chances of survival.”

The trial is the latest programme launched by the NHS to meet its long-term plan promise of finding three-quarters of cancers at an early stage by 2028.

ABOUT THE NHS-GALLERI TRIAL THE potentially lifesaving Galleri test checks for the earliest signs of cancer in the blood.

The test is a simple blood test that research has shown is particularly effective at finding cancers that are difficult to identify early – such as head and neck, bowel, lung, pancreatic, and throat cancers.

It works by finding chemical changes in fragments of genetic code – cell-free DNA (cfDNA) – that leak into the bloodstream.

The NHS-Galleri trial, the first of its kind, will assess how well the test works in the NHS and whether the technology can be used as a tool to screen people with no cancer symptoms.

The trial is being run by The Cancer Research UK and King’s College London Cancer Prevention Trials Unit in partnership with the NHS and healthcare company, GRAIL, which has developed the Galleri test.

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QUEEN’S INN CHRISTMAS DAY LUNCH 2021 £95 per person £35 children 12 & under (excludes, canapes & Lobster course)

CANAPÉS Smoked salmon cone, Tunworth & pear tart, Duck liver parfait, Marjoram STARTERS QUEEN’S INN FESTIVE MENU 2021

Coronation crab salad, cucumber gel, semi dried mango (Gf adapted)

Available from Friday 26th Nov-Tuesday 23rd Dec 2021 Lunch (Mon-Sat) 2 course £30.00pp & 3 course £32.00pp Dinner (Mon-sat) 3 course £38.00pp

Wild mushroom & black truffle Agnolotti, garlic & parsley foam (V)

STARTERS

Confit duck terrine, crisp gingerbread, ginger beer gel, apple (GF adapted) SECOND COURSE

Cod Salt cod scotch egg, chorizo & red pepper sauce

Lobster Thermidor tart Or Roscoff onion tart tatin, Old Winchester (V)

Cauliflower Roast cauliflower soup, thyme, toasted almonds, cheddar scone (V) (GF adapted)

MAINS

Beef Smoked brisket, warm onion puree, pickled vegetables, corn bread (GF)

English-reared roast turkey, confit leg, sausage meat, sage & cranberry ballotine wrapped in pancetta, bread sauce, gravy, slow roasted winter veg, thyme roasted potatoes & buttered Brussels sprouts (GF adapted)

Beetroot Heritage beetroot tart tatin, whipped goats cheese, candied walnuts (V)

Roast Turbot, devilled shrimps, baby fennel, potato fondant, caviar & seaweed sauce (GF)

MAINS Turkey English-reared roast turkey, confit leg, sausage meat, sage & cranberry ballotine wrapped in pancetta, bread sauce, gravy, slow roasted winter veg, garlic & thyme roasted potatoes, Brussels sprouts (GF adapted) Seabass Fillet of seabass, spiced carrot mash, buttered sprout tops, warm tartare (GF) Pheasant Cooked in white wine, garlic & smoked paprika, pearl barley, spinach & chorizo risotto (GF adapted) Aubergine Roasted aubergine, butternut squash, crispy sage, Bocconcini, fruit & nut pilaf (V) (GF)

Fillet, braised beef cheek, fondant potato, red cabbage, red wine jus (GF) Jerusalem artichoke, leek & spinach pudding, roast onion puree, winter kale (V) DESSERTS Christmas pudding, brandy & vanilla bean Crème Anglaise (GF adapted) Chocolate cremeux, toasted hazelnut, pear (GF adapted) Clementine Meringue pie, Mascarpone sorbet Selection of English Cheeses: Baron Bigod, Kentish Blue, Old Winchester (GF adapted) COFFEE, TEA AND QUEEN’S INN MINCE PIES If you have a food allergy or special dietary requirements, including vegan options please speak to a member of staff. £20 non-refundable deposit per person is required upon booking * Pre orders required

DESSERTS Christmas pudding, brandy & vanilla bean crème Anglaise (V & GF adapted) Mango cheesecake, passionfruit jelly Sticky toffee trifle

Please call 01580 754233 or email info@queensinn.co.u k to make a booking

Selection of homemade ice creams (GF) Selection of English cheese & biscuits (+£4.00 supp) (GF adapted) If you have a food allergy or special dietary requirements, please speak to a member of staff & advise at time of booking. Please make sure that if the guest is vegetarian, vegan or gluten free that this is specified within your preorder. £10 non-refundable deposit per person is required upon booking

The Queen’s Inn, Rye Road, Hawkhurst, Kent, TN18 4EY 01580 754233 | www.thequeensinnhawkhurst.co.uk

Books

Wednesday November 3 | 2021

Times book reviewer

HANNAH KIRSOP

COMPLEX CRIME

ONE YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED

Dead Ground by MW Craven (published in hardback

by Constable, priced £16.99. Paperback at £7.99 published on 25/11/2021) The most recent outing for MW Craven’s unlikely yet brilliantly conceived crime fighting duo sees Washington Poe and Tilly Bradshaw recruited by MI5 and the FBI. Their task?

To investigate the murder of Christopher Bierman, an ex-British soldier turned naturalised American who took a break from ferrying the great and the good to an International Trade Summit at local Scarness Hall to meet his – hugely brutal – end in a pop-up brothel in the back streets of Carlisle.

Battling against a myriad of indecipherable clues and the frustratingly censored closed shop that is the British secret service, Poe and Tilly must once again pool their complementary talents to work out how a ceramic rat at both the scene of this murder and a robbery three years earlier can provide the key to the investigation. Fast paced and gripping, this is another top-quality crime caper with great characters and attention to detail.

The book opens with Pearl Tull on her death bed, her favourite son Ezra sitting by her side, reflecting on her life and that of her family.

Having been dismissed as an old maid at the age of 30, Pearl had unreservedly and recklessly accepted a marriage proposal from Beck Tull only to be cruelly abandoned by him when the youngest of their three children was eight, never to see him again.

This, and other – both pivotal and minor – events, lead the narrative which interrogates the effect they had on her and how they shaped her three children, Cody, Ezra and Jenny.

Filled with Anne Tyler’s well-crafted and realistic characters, this loosely chronological set of Pearl’s reflections combine to make a sad yet engaging story about a family, labelled dysfunctional by some but, in many ways, just a family trying to deal with separation, secrets and life.

9/10

Hannah Kirsop grew up in Kent and now lives in Horsmonden with her family. She loves to read and share recommendations and runs Bainden Book Club for a group of local women to discuss interesting fiction and non-fiction in a range of genres. You can find www.baindenbookshelf.com online or on Instagram: @baindenbookshelf

35

The bookcase…

We hope you also enjoy these other books we’ve picked for you to read this week…

Metamorphosis by Penelope Lively

Published in hardback by Fig Tree, priced £20 (ebook £9.99).

Available now Penelope Lively’s latest treasure trove is a compilation of previously published stories, bookmarked by two new lengthier tales. Together, they map her journey as a friend, parent and lover – but most importantly as a writer. She asks the question: what does it all amount to? Lively has mastered the art of her craft with each story encapsulating its own vividly imagined universe, leaving the reader with a sometimes sombre, often challenging moral sentiment.

Tales range from one set in the Devonshire countryside to an Egyptian airport, a bus ride through central London and a journey back to ancient Rome.

Metamorphosis covers such a wide range of locations, characters and styles with ease and elegance. A witty and grounding collection of 26 stories that inspire you to embrace life’s teachings and everything we leave behind.

(Review by Scarlett Sangster)

8/10

Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant by Anne Tyler (published in paperback by Vintage, priced £8.99)

7/10

The Book Of Hope: A Survival Guide For An Endangered Planet

by Jane Goodall and Douglas Abrams Published in hardback by Viking, priced £16.99 (ebook £9.99).

Available now extinction, political Can hope save our planet? Dr turmoil, prejudice and Jane Goodall, the naturalist, the effects of Covid-19, conservationist and UN Goodall presents hope Messenger of Peace, suggests so. Since 1960, when she first not just as wishful set off to the forests of Gombe thinking, but as the impetus in Tanzania at age 26 to make to act. Abrams challenges her largely positive message with revelatory discoveries about a healthy dose of scepticism chimpanzees, Goodall has – the book might lack devoted her life to nature. suggestions for how to get This vast breadth of world leaders to make real knowledge and experience change rather than empty undoubtedly shines through promises, but it certainly in The Book Of Hope – a succeeds in instilling you series of conversations with co-author Douglas Abrams. In with enough hope to consider the power of your own actions a time where many feel more. hopeless about the ice caps melting, fires blazing, animal (Review by Hannah Millington)

8/10

Are We Having Fun Yet? by Lucy Mangan Published in hardback by Souvenir Press, priced £16.99 (ebook £13.01). Available now£9.99). Available now

Guardian TV columnist Lucy Mangan’s debut novel is written in diary form over the course of a year, seeing Liz deal with her 40th birthday, a dishwasher on the fritz, the potential break up of a friend’s marriage and the perils of motherhood – along with a lawyer husband who truly thinks he pulls his weight. Liz battles a young boss, her nemesis in the PTA and her own self-doubt while nurturing her children: selfpossessed and potential

8/10

sociopath Evie, five, and sweet Thomas, seven. Her eternal goal is for a little peace and quiet. Mothers will smile with recognition at the dilemmas, rotas and pitfalls of modern parenting. Mangan’s trademark wit runs through the book, with the children at the heart of it. If you’re the target audience, you will love the humour and humanity – let’s hope you can find a moment to yourself to actually read it.

(Review by Bridie Pritchard)

36

Travel

Wednesday November 3 | 2021

travel

No more trouble in paradise – how Indian Ocean island Mauritius is bouncing back from the pandemic

It’s been a tough 18 months, but the idyllic holiday escape has lost none of its sparkle, says Josh Payne

T

he warm glow of an African sunset sweeps the skies of Indian Ocean gem Mauritius.

Sat on the beach at the Sands Suites Resort on the island’s west coast, it is easy to get distracted by the dipping sun’s reflection off the clear, calm ocean water.

A beautiful backdrop of mountains, accompanied by the soothing sounds of birdsong and gentle waves help any traveller forget about two years of relentless restrictions on our freedoms.

Spirits But the island republic takes the pandemic as seriously as any other country, with governmentenforced facemasks being worn indoors and outdoors by the vast majority of locals – and indeed, tourists.

When I arrive into the country, a traditional welcoming Sega dance performance immediately uplifts my spirits. Bright bluecoloured costumes and lively chants instantly quash any hesitancy I might have had about visiting the island during a pandemic.

Mauritius had been eagerly anticipating the reopening of its borders to travellers on October 1, with many islanders telling me that tourism was their only form of income before the pandemic kicked in.

Not too long ago, the thought of travelling halfway around the world to catch a glimpse of some winter sun seemed like a far-fetched dream.

But the collective goal of Mauritian hoteliers is that tourists will feel safe at their sites and that’s certainly the case at Preskil Island Resort in the south east of the island.

I’m greeted by white-suited hotel staff in surgical facemasks, who immediately take my temperature and whisk me off into a private medical clinic for a Covid test, which the government has made mandatory for day one

‘The island boasts a population of over one million people, embracing different religions, cultures and nationalities’ and five of a tourist’s trip.

With the health admin taken care of, I can take the winding path towards my room, with birdsong greeting my every step and the endless wall-climbing plants instantly confirming my arrival at a tropical paradise.

My arrival at Preskil is a small taste of what’s to come as almost every hotel, market and shopping centre hints at constant temperaturegun checks becoming the new normal.

But the beaming smile of the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation tour guide, Rose Marie Pierre, tells us all we need to know about how happy locals are to see tourists return to popular sites such as south east coast wildlife haven Ile aux Aigrettes.

“Covid was a big problem,” she says. “We were scared to lose our jobs, lose our income. But we are so happy that people can come here again.”

The breath-taking sights of a critically endangered songbird, the Mauritian Fody, and an 110-year-old Aldabra giant tortoise on Ile aux Aigrettes lure me in to the magical world of incredible wildlife scattered all over the country.

There’s plenty to see underwater, too. I have never been snorkelling, but my first experience in the Blue Bay Marine Park makes me wonder why it has taken me so long.

As I dip my head below the surface, a vibrant array of tropical fish emerges from the coral reefs, which are clearly visible in the turquoise waters surrounding the island.

Ile aux Aigrettes and snorkelling in Blue Bay

BEACH LIFE Mauritius has many sandy beaches

CULTURE The island inhabitants come from a range of religions and cultures

Travel

Wednesday November 3 | 2021

Marine Park are just two examples of the variety of activities on offer to complement a luxury beach holiday.

Tourism As I make my way around, it becomes clear the pandemic has hit the island harder than most places. Tourism is an important source of income for the country and many businesses have suffered financial losses.

But there are some who have used the downtime constructively. Lagoon Attitude hotel in the northern village of Cap Malhereux has invested money in becoming a sustainable, plastic-free site without compromising on luxury.

“It’s an investment,” general manager Rubens Maureemootoo acknowledges. “We want to promote responsible tourism, and reduce the negative effect tourism can have on the environment.”

Maureemootoo says he felt it was his “responsibility” to help protect an island, where the effects of climate change are acutely felt through fluctuating rainfall, rising sea levels, and an unpredictable anticyclone season.

The island boasts a population of over one million people, embracing different religions, cultures and nationalities – something which is clearly conveyed through the food.

Curries, seafood and barbecues are all on the menu at luxury hotels – but perhaps the most surprising offerings are all-you-can-eat buffets.

I assumed buffets were a thing of the past, but the Constance Belle Mare Plage hotel reminds visitors of pre-Covid times – with Indian, Mediterranean, Asian and locally-sourced seafood all on offer.

As I continue my travels, it becomes clear golfers received the memo about the country opening its borders before other tourists.

Every other hotel guest I come across at both Constance Belle Mare Plage on the east coast, and Heritage Le Telfair on the south west coast, appears to be carrying clubs on their backs.

It’s easy to see why though, with almost all the luxury hotels boasting their own customdesigned 18 holes.

With the gentle breeze rustling through the palm trees and the sun beaming down on the

first tee at Heritage Le Telfair’s main course, I’m pleasantly surprised to only lose two balls in the impressive water hazards.

Even for an amateur golfer, it is easily one of the most enjoyable rounds I have ever had – although I’m sure the weather and the magnificent tropical backdrop play a major part in that.

Other than the sandy beaches all around the island, any tourist’s head would be turned by the jaw-dropping mountainous views at the Ebony Forest Reserve, the colourful volcanic sands of Chamarel and the spectacular Black River Gorges National Park.

It has been a difficult 18 months for Mauritian communities, but they have found a potentially profitable new focus in eco-tourism.

Trying the taste bud-tingling food, exploring the wonderful wildlife the country has to offer, and speaking to the incredibly welcoming Mauritian people can turn a great holiday into a truly memorable experience.

37

LANDSCAPE Forest canopy covers much of the island

HIKER’S DREAM Yellowstone is America’s most popular national park

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STUNNING SCENERY Unforgettable views as you travel through the Colorado River

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38

Motoring news

Wednesday November 3 | 2021

Motoring News Mini’s Shadow Edition now available across entire range

MIDNIGHT BLACK The new Shadow Edition range MINI has announced that its Shadow Edition trim line will now be available across its entire line-up.

Initially launched for Clubman and Countryman models earlier in the year, the new Shadow Edition is now available to order on the firm’s Hatch, Convertible and Electric models.

The Shadow Edition brings a ‘Midnight Black’ exterior colour with a contrasting silver roof and mirror caps. Special edition graphics are applied to the bonnet, scuttle trim and A-panel, while Mini Hatch versions also get a Shadow Logo on

the lower roof.

All cars boast an 8.8-inch infotainment system with Bluetooth and USB audio, while rain sensor and automatic headlight activation are included too.

Hatch The Shadow Edition for Hatch and Convertible models is based on the regular Sport trim, which includes 18-inch John Cooper Works Course alloy wheels and a full John Cooper Works aerodynamic kit that includes a spoiler.

Full-LED front and rear lights are included too.

The Mini Electric Shadow Edition, meanwhile, is based upon the Level 3 model and, as a result, comes with 17-inch alloy wheels and a Piano Black exterior pack.

The Shadow Edition can be specified on the Mini Hatch with Cooper and Cooper S engines and there’s the choice of either manual or automatic transmissions, too.

Available to order now, the Shadow Edition starts from £22,340 on the three-door Hatch, while prices for the Electric version start from £35,050.

Seat creates special Ibiza with built-in nightclub Seat has captured some of the excitement of an Ibiza nightclub within its compact supermini.

Billed as the world’s smallest nightclub, the bespoke Ibiza has been fully kitted out with a range of features over the standard car. This includes a full DJ setup, with mixing decks powered by one of the car’s USB-C ports and connected to the Ibiza’s infotainment setup.

Audio Sound is then played through the car’s 300-watt, seven-speaker Beats Audio system, while the current track is displayed via the central 9.2-inch infotainment system.

Plus, in addition to the car’s standard-fit ambient lighting, the nightclub Ibiza utilises a variety of strobe and LED lights to boost the night-out feel. In the back, the Ibiza’s 355-litre

boot has been converted to incorporate a mocktail bar with a variety of drink-making equipment.

The car’s opening night took place at Brighton Beach, where guests were met with a red carpet leading the way to the entrance to the Ibiza.

Behind the decks was DJ and TV reality star Woody Cook, who said: “It may not be the largest crowd I’ve ever seen, but the ability to DJ in any location at any time means the possibilities are endless! From Brighton Beach to the Scottish Highlands, the only limiting factor is your imagination.

“Having a car is one of the most liberating experiences to begin with and having it kitted with such an awesome setup brings the musical experience to that same level of freedom and expression. Ibiza has never been so portable!”

VIP TREATMENT The new Ibiza with its 300-watt speaker

This week… n

Mini’s Shadow

n

Seat’s new Ibiza

n Updates to C3

Citroen announces updates to its C3 supermini range

Citroen has revealed updates to its popular C3 supermini for 2022, with key changes including tweaked trim levels.

The main change is the removal of the ‘Shine’ trim level to offer a more streamlined line-up to customers, says the French firm, with the recently-introduced Saint James special edition now playing a more important role in the C3 range.

Inspired by the French fashion brand it’s named after, the Saint James gets more equipment than the outgoing Shine, but at only a £400 increase in price. Additional kit includes a reversing camera, 16-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels and Citroen’s acclaimed Advanced Comfort seats, which feature additional padding and special materials to maximise comfort.

The Saint James also comes with a bespoke styling pack, including logos and a special roof pattern.

Other trim levels available include the Sense, C-Series and Shine Plus, with the Saint James slotting between the latter two.

The engine range remains the same as before, with an 82bhp 1.2-litre petrol kicking off the range, followed by a 108bhp turbocharged 1.2-litre petrol that’s available with both manual and automatic gearbox options. A 99bhp 1.5-litre diesel is also offered, helping to bring down the model’s running costs.

Changes to the Citroen C3 line-up have already come into play, with prices for the revised range starting from £14,180.

H ENGINEERING PROUDLY UNDERTAKE THE RESTORATION OF CLASSIC & VINTAGE VEHICLES.

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HAPPY SPORT

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