Times of Tunbridge Wells September 1, 2021

Wednesday September 1 | 2021

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Villages join the rich club with million pound homes

By Richard Williams

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A NUMBER of villages around Tunbridge Wells have qualified as £1million property hotspots, according to new research.

Estate agent Knight Frank’s latest data shows that 19 locations in England and Wales now have at least a fifth of their sales fetching more than seven figures, meaning they join some of the most expensive neighbourhoods in the UK for buying a home.

Traditionally, town centre homes in Tunbridge Wells have attracted the largest values with the cost of an average three-bedroom home in the area having

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tipped over the £500,000 mark earlier this year. Detached four-bedroom homes often go for more than £1million.

‘A common thread in the list is the distance from London’ Now, in its analysis of property prices since March 2020, Knight Frank has found that more than 20 per cent of properties in the TN3 postcode area are going for more than £1million.

The area includes the villages of Lamberhurst, Goudhurst, Speldhurst,

Bidborough, Rusthall, as well as Southborough and High Brooms, where the average property price is more than £822,000 but has more than a fifth of homes fetching a million or more.

Earlier this year, recent house price figures suggested there are now 563,240 homes worth more than £1 million in Britain — the first time the number has grown since 2015.

Also making Knight Frank’s list are postcodes in London boroughs Hackney (E8), Ealing (W5) and Vauxhall (SW8, as well as a number of locations outside the

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ARTISTIC VALUE: Old Italian masterpiece unearthed in East Sussex home by local auctioneers.

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Wednesday September 1 | 2021

Thousands set to be called up as one in three get booster jab

By Richard Williams

Giovanni Antonio Canal called Canaletto (1697-1798) Venice, The Dogana from the Bacino di San Marco Estimate £100,000-150,000

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PLANS are being put in place for a major vaccination programme in the coming weeks that would see close to 40,000 people across Tunbridge Wells being called up for a third Covid jab. That’s one in three of the borough’s 118,000 population.

The move comes after the Government said that elderly and vulnerable people will require a third shot to ensure they have adequate protection against the virus during the winter.

It also follows on the heels of 16 to 18 year olds starting to get their first jabs last month.

The NHS proposes the rollout of the third doses of Covid-19 jabs from September 6 alongside flu vaccines.

However, no official decision has yet been taken.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) is expected to make an announcement in days on whether the UK will press ahead with an autumn booster campaign.

However, NHS officials have laid out in a report how the booster jab will be rolled out across Kent when they do get the green light.

The Kent and Medway Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) that oversees vaccine rollouts in the county, says the first stage will see the booster offered to all residents aged 70 and over, as well as the clinically vulnerable. Health and social care staff would also be included.

The idea is to offer the jabs at the same time as the seasonal flu shot.

According to research by the Times around 16,202 people aged over 70 in Tunbridge Wells are expected to be offered the third dose of Covid-19 vaccinations.

In the second stage, 20,900 people aged 50 and over in the Borough will then be recalled for a booster.

Villages in £1million house price market

SOLDIERING ON Vaccine programme will see boosters offered in places such as the Army Reserve barracks walk-in centre in St John’s Road This means more than 37,000 people in total will be offered the backup injection – nearly a third of the population.

Some 50,000 people in Tonbridge & Malling as well as similar number in Wealden are also likely to be called up for a third shot under the booster plans.

‘We have been advised that any potential booster programme should begin in September 2021’ Across the whole of Kent, more than a million people are set to be offered the third dose.

Paula Wilkins, Chief Nurse at the Kent and Medway CCG, said: “We have been advised that any potential booster programme should begin in

September 2021. In order to maximise protection in those who are most vulnerable to serious Covid-19 ahead of the winter months.”

Current walk-in centres, such as the site at the Army Reserve barracks in St John’s Road, are expected to remain active to offer the booster, along with GP surgeries and medical centres.

Pop-up clinics will continue to be held in mosques, churches, homeless hostels and travellers sites.

Ms Wilkins added: “Phase three will also involve encouraging the identified groups to take up second doses for those who have not come forward, in addition to providing booster doses in all the groups.

“This might require the inequalities team to work with GPs when contacting patients to encourage them to have the vaccination, and using specific skills to hold difficult conversations.”

What £1million in a TN3 village will get you

Continued from front page capital including Whetstone (N20) and Farnham (GU10), followed by Kingston Upon Thames (KT2) and Hartfield (TN7) and Reading (RG8).

“The pandemic has left its mark on the UK property market by magnifying existing trends rather than re-writing the rulebook,” said Tom Bill, head of UK residential research at Knight Frank. “Things won’t pick up from where they left off in March 2020 but the wider trajectory will feel familiar.”

He said a common thread in the list is the distance from London, highlighting the game of catch-up the rest of the country is playing with the capital in terms of house prices.

However, this process was underway before the pandemic due to growing affordability pressures in London.

Increase The average house price in England and Wales was 47 per cent of the London equivalent in March 2016, the lowest ratio since Land Registry records began in 1995. It has been rising since and stood at 54 per cent in June this year due to stronger demand outside of the capital.

The news comes after rival estate agent Savills, predicted last month that the average home in Tunbridge Wells is set to increase by 20 per cent over the next five years.

As reported last month, the house seller upgraded its 2021 UK house price forecasts to reflect the extended stamp duty holiday and the impact of repeated lockdowns on what home buyers want from their homes.

Its analysis forecasts that house prices in Tunbridge Wells are set to increase by 19.10 per cent, with values increasing by £64,500.

Sprawling This £1.3million home in Speldhurst and [below] properties in Bidborough and Langton Green THE TN3 postcode area includes dozens of properties that have recently come on the market for more than £1million.

These include a 1905 period property in the heart of the village of Speldhurst, complete with seven bedrooms and nearly an acre of garden, whcih is on the market for £1.3million.

In Bidborough, a four-bedroomed detached house will set you back a cool £1.2million, although you do get a swimming pool for that price.

A five-bedroom converted barn on Speldhurst Hill, which includes matching detached annexe and 4.5 acres of garden recently went up for sale at £1.27million.

However, if you want to live in one of the many converted Oast Houses that litter Kent, you can snap one up in Langton Green for around £1.1million. It features five bedrooms, three bathrooms and three reception rooms, or one has just gone on the market in Langton Green for a mere £1.8million.

Wednesday September 1 | 2021

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Afghanistan dog rescue criticised by local MP TONBRIDGE MP Tom Tugendhat has criticised British troops being used to rescue dogs in Afghanistan after his former interpreter’s family face death at the hands of the Taliban.

Commenting on the case of Paul ‘Pen’ Farthing who arrived in London in a privately-funded charter flight at the weekend filled with dozens of dogs from his charity in the country, despite having left his own Afghan staff behind, Mr Tugendhat said: “The difficulty is getting people into and out of the airport and we’ve just used a lot of troops to bring in 200 dogs.

Meanwhile, my interpreter’s family are likely to be killed. As one interpreter asked me a few days ago, ‘why is my five-year-old worth less than your dog?’”

Crowborough station A NEW Police Station in Crowborough is set to open next week.

The new station at the site of former Town Hall on The Broadway, will open on Wednesday, September 8.

It follows the impending closure of the town’s previous station on Crowborough Hill, which will shut its doors for the last time on Friday [September 3]. It is up for sale at a price of £1.2million.

Helicopter car chase A HELICOPTER hovering over Tunbridge Wells for more than 40 minutes last week was looking for a driver that hit a pedestrian in a Sussex town and sped off.

Last Wednesday [August 25], a helicopter was seen hovering over the town centre at around 4.30pm causing many residents to take tto social media, concerned that a major incident was underway.

However, Sussex Police told the Times that the helicopter was helping them in pursuit of a driver wanted in connection with a collision in St Leonards that left a pedestrian with serious injuries.

Search A spokesman for the force said: “The vehicle involved in the collision left the scene, and a search was carried out with the support of the National Police Air Service helicopter.

“A man was later arrested in Kent on suspicion of causing serious injury by dangerous driving; driving while disqualified; driving without insurance; driving while above the drug-drive limit; and being the driver of a vehicle involved in a road accident that failed to report the accident.”

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Villagers win reprieve after 40-mile diversion is halted

By Richard Williams A ROAD closure that created a near 40-mile diversion for villagers between Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells has been lifted following appeals by residents, traders and the area’s MP. The Sutton and East Surrey Water Company [SES] closed the B2027 Tonbridge Road between Edenbridge and Tonbridge on August 13 to lay new pipes.

Around 200 metres of the road were being worked on. However, residents and local traders were horrified to discover the diversion put in place was more than 35 miles long and took around two hours to complete.

Drivers heading to Chiddingstone from Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge found they were taken south on the B1288 to Penshurst, onto the A264 to Ashurst, north to Cowden Pound before heading to Edenbridge back to Bough Beech before finally arriving at Chiddingstone.

Petition The works were set to last for six months.

Gareth Nixon who runs the award-winning The Little Brown Jug in Chiddingstone says the diversion had led to a fifty percent loss of his trade.

While Alex Cottee from Tonbridge started an online petition that had gathered nearly 2,000 to demand SES reopen the road after discovering it took an extra two hours to visit her housebound mother in Bough Beech.

“It is an absolute joke,” she said.

“SES Water, have cut off a village with no shops and very little transport.”

AROUND THE HOUSES The near 40-mile diversion put in place by SES near Chiddingstone Causeway

SES Water said the road closure was needed to replace the current water mains, which date back to 1974 and that it was a ‘legal duty’ to close the road due to safety reasons as it was not wide enough to ensure the safety of its workers.

The planned works were scheduled to last until March 2022, but last week, following an appeal by local MP Tom Tugendhat, SES Water reopened the road.

A spokesman for the utility company said: “We have not under-estimated the concern from local people and businesses about the closure of the B2027 in Chiddingstone.

“Over the last few days, we have been at the site and spent many hours investigating alternative ways to still allow this essential work to continue, but to do so in a way that reduces the impact on the community.

“We have made good progress so far, having laid more than 200 metres of new pipes, but unfortunately it is not possible at the moment, due to the nature of the work needed in the road, to open one lane with traffic lights, which we recognise would be much less disruptive.

“We are a local company with a long history in the Bough Beech area and we always strive to be responsive and do what is right in

providing our essential public service.”

Tom Tugendhat said he was ‘delighted’ the works had been stopped.

He added: “They will start packing up so the road is re-open by the end of the week, ahead of school term time resuming.

“Given that the water main here does need replacing I will continue to speak to them about how to best manage this.”

Second runway means 100,000 extra flights might ‘blight’ town The proposals would see the airport’s ‘Northern Runway’, which has previously only be used in emergencies, brought into routine use for departing aircraft, by repositioning its centre line further north by 12 metres.

Crash driver named POLICE are continuing to appeal for witnesses and have named a 36-year-old father killed in a four-vehicle collision just outside Tunbridge Wells last month.

Andy Hoyle died after being involved in a crash on Wednesday (August 18) on the A267 Frant Road at 11.11am. The Dartford man’s two-year-old son, who was also involved in the collision, remains in a critical but stable condition in a London hospital.

The pair had been in a blue Ford Fiesta that was involved in an accident with a white Renault Master, a silver Toyota Estima and a silver or grey Honda car, which failed to stop at the scene.

Police later arrested a 76-year-old man from Tunbridge Wells who has since been bailed pending further enquiries, but officers say they would particularly like to hear from people who may have captured any dash cam footage to contact them.

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By Robert Forrester PLANS to expand Gatwick Airport with a second runway will see 100,000 extra planes over the skies of towns like Tunbridge Wells, campaigners have warned.

The UK’s second busiest airport has wanted to bring its existing emergency runway into routine use alongside its main runway for a number of years.

The airport said last week that it still plans to press ahead with the proposals, despite the fall in air travel caused by the pandemic, and it announced a public consultation will begin next week.

Gatwick s expansion will help secure the airport’s long-term growth, generating approximately 18,400 additional jobs by 2038 and bring an additional £1.5billion into the region.

This would enable dual runway operations with the airport’s main runway and allow an increase in passenger capacity to approximately 75 million passengers each year by 2038, up from 45 million prior to the pandemic.

Planes leaving Gatwick use a number of flight paths, with its easterly departures using the skies over Tunbridge Wells and Crowborough., and campaigners say the move would see flights increase from 280,000 in 2018 to 390,000 a year over the next decade and a half.

Tunbridge Wells Anti Aircraft Noise Group [TWAANG] said the plans could put a ‘blight on the prosperity of the town, its development as a tourist destination and threaten property values’.

A spokesman added: “Since 2013 Tunbridge Wells has suffered increased overflying at the busiest times – afternoon into the evening in the summer – when numbers forced arriving air traffic eastwards.

“Under Gatwick’s plans this effect would both be exaggerated and happen more throughout the day.”

The news comes as figures last week showed air travel to the UK continues to be severely affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

Stewart Wingate, Chief Executive at Gatwick, said he believes the airport will soon recover and unless it expands will find itself ‘constrained’ by its capacity limits and that ‘now is the right time’ to launch its consultation.

He said: “Our plans to bring our existing Northern Runway into routine use will not only help to secure that growth but will also ensure many thousands of additional jobs and a vital boost to the economy for our local region.”

The six-week consultation on the airport’s expansion begins on September 9 and can be found: gatwickairport.com/futureplans

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Wednesday September 1 | 2021

Thousands flock to music festival as it hits the high notes – again RETURN TO ITS ROOTS Local & Live was back in Calverley Grounds.

Photos by Nigel Martin and Sally-Anne Low

By Richard Williams THE Bank Holiday weekend played host to more than a hundred live music acts as Local & Live returned after a year’s hiatus.

The popular free festival drew more than 10,000 music lovers to the town from all over the UK and beyond for three days of entertainment, with the weather staying dry and the sun even putting in an appearance.

Local bands including Wake Up Leo, The Orange Circus Band and Marie White headlined the main stage in Calverley Grounds.

Other venues, including The Forum, Cassidy’s Sports Bar and The Royal

FACE OFF The festival is family friendly

Oak also played host to a range of bands and music acts.

Food choices over the weekend ranged from Indian and Thai to vegan, with beer tents and bars nearby to quench the thirst.

It was all so different to last year when the Covid pandemic forced the event to go online only.

Now Local & Live is back and has celebrated its fifteenth successful festival at the weekend.

Bands Organiser Paul Dunton said: “The atmosphere at this year’s event was something very special, perhaps the best yet, we felt so much support from the audiences, you could really sense how much the local community had missed live music and the social engagement and collective camaraderie that the festival brings.”

In 2019, the event officially became a charity with a remit to support, encourage and nurture local music and culture.

The festival costs about £50,000 to stage with the bulk of the money being spent on staging, PA systems, security and marshals plus insurance.

The annual event is designed to ‘showcase the leading original soloists and bands from the local area’. All the acts were invited to play and charged no fee, although some made money from royalties and selling their CDs.

GOOD TIMES The weather remained clear for most of the weekend

Wednesday September 1 | 2021

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NO STRINGS Marie White entertaining the crowds in Calverley Grounds

HITTING THE STAGE The main stage in Calverley Grounds

‘This was something very special..’

The man behind Local & Live Paul Dunton draws breath and tells us how he feels now it’s all over It felt fantastic to be back! Despite all the difficulties we faced over the past two years I really enjoyed organising it; what a blast!

Calverley Grounds again proved to be a wonderful location as a central point and I know all the musicians involved really enjoyed performing on such a wonderful stage to many thousands of people.

Thankfully, the weather gods gently smiled on us. I can’t express how relieved I was to see the sun shining even if it was in small doses!

Attendance hinges on good weather to a degree although saying that, come wind, rain or shine, Local & Live has a dedicated following that I

know would turn up no matter how inclement the conditions. It is this whole-hearted support for the event that gives me the confidence and belief to keep doing it every year and I am ever appreciative to everyone who came along and supported this year’s festival.

Missed The atmosphere at this year's event was something very special -perhaps the best yet. We felt so much support from the audiences, you could really sense how much the local community had missed live music and the social engagement and collective camaraderie that the festival brings.

And there were so many amazing performances right across the board especially from our headline acts, Marie White, The Orange Circus and Wake Up Leo. Two other performances that will have people taking for weeks to come was Code Marla and Dull Knife who both took Calverley Grounds by storm.

FUN FOR ALL Younger music fans enjoying the acts

BIG THANKS TO ALL THOSE WHO HELPED MAKE IT HAPPEN… Local & Live 2021 could not have happened without the help of my fellow trustees: Peter Taylor, Barney Jameson, Nigel Bent and Jason Dormon. Their collective support has been integral to the festival’s success.

Huge thanks are also due to our amazing volunteers, security team, sound crew and photographers who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to keep the event running smoothly.

Support

ROCKING IT Local act All Of The Above on the main stage

Plus a special thanks to the musicians and all the Local & Live Angels, our sponsors, Tunbridge Wells Borough Council, Sounds of The Wells, The BID and Tunbridge Wells Together, Lauren Brook, Charles Armstrong, David & Elisa Briers, Catherine Hazel, Sean de Burca, Friends of Calverley Grounds, BBC Radio Kent and last but not least our media partner the Times of Tunbridge Wells for all their support and assistance.

If you would like to support the festival in anyway or just say hello please visit our website www.localandlive.org

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Wednesday September 1 | 2021

Villagers give Post Office stamp of approval and save it from closure

By Richard Williams A PARISH council has stepped in and saved the village Post Office by buying the building - and the business.

The future of Groombridge Post Office was left in doubt after long-serving postmistress, Rosie Wyatt, announced she was to retire in October.

It was feared the Station Road Post Office, which is in need of a refurbishment, would be closed by Royal Mail. The group has been struggling to retain the size of its network for a number of years and closed hundreds of branches nationwide.

Withyham Parish Council conducted a survey to see whether the people of Groombridge wanted to keep the Post Office and found an overwhelming 98.9 per cent of responders said ‘yes’.

Around 94 per cent of people from the parish also said they would be happy for their council tax to be used to secure and staff the post office.

Following the survey, Withyham Parish Council bought the building and will continue to run Groombridge Post Office through a Community Interest Company set up for the purpose.

Volunteers will help to run a shop alongside the Post Office.

The premises are to undergo a full refurbishment, and to allow for the work to take place, the branch will temporarily close from October 1 to October 28.

Volunteers Parish Clerk, Debbie Siddle, said: “The survey showed overwhelming support from all ages for taking on the Post Office. This is a close-knit community and we hope to have lots of volunteers keen to work in the shop.

“The lovely people, who currently serve in the Post Office, will continue to be employed to work there as they have the knowledge and expertise.

“There are three shops in this parade of shops including a bakers and a village shop, so we were mindful that any new retail was not competing with the existing shops and their retail will complement. There is lots of free parking and we know that people travel from further afield to use these three shops.”

Emily Dobson, Post Office Network Provision Lead, added: “This is an exciting project working with Withyham Parish Council to maintain a muchloved Post Office and shop in Groombridge.

“We apologise for any inconvenience caused to our customers during the work.

The safety of our customers is of paramount, therefore, to allow for the building work to take place, it will be necessary for the service to close temporarily.

“The community will soon have a new-look Post Office and shop and the current Postmaster, Rosie Wyatt will have a well-earned retirement.”

RETURN POST Groombridge Post Office will reopen after being bought by the parish council

Bank criticised after it hikes account fees for charities A DISABILITY campaigner has criticised a banking giant after it started to charge monthly fees to keep a charity account open.

HSBC has always allowed charities and non-profit organisations to manage their finances for free, as long as they made no more than £100,000 a year.

Changes coming into force in November mean these small organisations will be charged £60 a year to keep their accounts open.

Charges The High Street bank has also introduced charges for branch transactions, including a 0.4 per cent fee to pay in and take out cash — £4 on a £1,000 donation — and 40p to deposit a cheque.

There is also a new 1.5 per cent fee when withdrawing change over the counter for fundraising events.

a self-funding charity, HSBC are asking you to hand over all your money by charging £5 just to have an account with them.

“We are a charity. We don’t have very much money but in just over two years it will be all gone ‘In just over two will have taken it all. years all our money as“Ittheis bank not right. We are not a will be all taken by business but a self-funding charity and having a disability the bank’ limits my fundraising abilities. I can’t afford to give it all away to the bank.”

Chris Jeffery is a disability He, along with other disability campaigner who ran campaigners have appealed to Shopmobility in Royal Victoria the bank to change their mind, Place shopping centre before it but HSBC says the new closed but is also ‘charitable bank chairman of accounts’ remain Mending the Gap, ‘very competitive’. which Rivals — including campaigns to Barclays, allow working Santander and carers paid NatWest —offer leave for free accounts to emergencies charities. instead of using CHRIS JEFFERY HSBC said: “We will holiday be increasing our charges entitlement. He says in a way that more accurately the changes mean the bank reflects the ongoing costs will swallow up all his charity’s associated with improving and money in two years’ time. maintaining [them].”

He told the Times: “If you have

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Wednesday September 1 | 2021

Covid help Auction house unearths rare More for small business old master in a family home Antique & Fine Art Auctioneers

By Richard Williams A PAINTING found in an East Sussex home is expected to fetch around £150,000 when it goes under the hammer later this month, an auction house has said.

The oil on canvas, titled Venice, The Dogana from the Bacino di San Marco, is by Italian master Canaletto.

The 11 inch high picture was found by auctioneers Gorringes, which has an auction house in Grosvenor Park in Tunbridge Wells, at a home in Lewes. It had hung in the property for about 50 years.

It is believed to have once formed part of a larger picture.

The owner of the picture who died last year, was given the piece by her mother and her family have now decided to sell the piece.

Philip Taylor, of Gorringes Auction House saw the picture while carrying out an evaluation of a number of goods at the late owner’s home.

He said: “It was the finest house I’ve seen in Lewes, the owner knew exactly what she had with this Canaletto and she had a great many other

BUSINESSES that have been severely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and the national restrictions have until next week to claim for the latest round of government help.

Tunbridge Wells Borough Council [TWBC] is taking applications for the fifth round of Additional Restrictions Grant aimed at small or micro enterprises in a number of sectors – defined as those with 50 employees or fewer.

To qualify, companies must be able to demonstrate an overall loss of revenue for the period May 1, 2021 – July 31, 2021.

antiques, about 80 of which we will be selling. But this is by far the most valuable.”

He said it is ‘incredibly rare’ to have a Canaletto for sale, and in recent years his works have sold for millions of pounds.

The 18th Century artist rarely signed his work, as he was so famous at the time it was unnecessary, Mr Taylor added.

Breakdown

Estimate The painting was bought in 1920 from London art dealer Arthur Tooth and Sons, for about £100 - £200.

With inflation that is about £5,000 - £10,000 today. Mr Taylor said: “In real terms that’s not a helpful estimate, given you could buy a family home for £50 in 1920.”

Before ending up in Sussex, the piece was once the property of Auguste Châtelain.

He was a 19th Century doctor, Rector of the University of Neuchâtel in Switzerland, and passionate historian who owned at least one other Canaletto.

The painting will go under the hammer on September 28.

VENICE: The Canaletto is to go under the hammer at the end of this month

Giovanni Antonio Canal called Canaletto (1697-1798)

Businesses must also be able to show a reduction in income of at least 30 per cent during the period 1 May 2021 – 31 July 2021, when compared with their average quarterly income for the financial year 2019/20.

To make an application, firms need to provide May, June and July 2021 business bank statements; a breakdown of income and expenditure for the period 1 May 2021 – 31 July 2021, and a breakdown of income for the financial year 2019/20or an electronic breakdown.

Businesses based in commercial premises, shared space premises and home based businesses, whether they are rated or non-rated are eligible to apply.

This scheme is available for all businesses in the qualifying sectors, including Leisure & Events, Hospitality, Accommodation, Travel, Education and Training, as well as some supply chain sectors.

Applications close on Friday September 10 and eligible businesses can apply via tunbridgewells. gov.uk/coronavirus/advice-and-support-forbusinesses

Venice, The Dogana from the Bacino di San Marco Estimate £100,000-150,000 Autumn Fine Sale, 28th September 2021

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Wednesday September 1 | 2021

FOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT: timeslocalnews.co.uk

RAPID The first on-street charger in Mount Pleasant Road

South East leading the charge on grants for electric vehicles

By Robert Forrester MORE householders in the South East have applied for a grant to install a home charger for an electric vehicle than anywhere else.

According to figures from the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles, 840 grants for the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme’s (EVHS) were awarded in the region per 100,000 homes in the year to 1 July, helping householders install some 31,000 devices.

The East Midlands was the next highest with 746 grants per 100,000 homes.

Devices This follows on from 2020 when almost 8,000 South-East electric vehicle owners took advantage of the scheme, a 48 per cent increase on 2019, and the highest number since the scheme was launched in 2014.

The EVHS provides 75 per cent of the cost of installing electric vehicle devices at domestic properties.

Across the country, over 44,700 grants for home charging devices were made in the last 12 months, worth nearly £15.75million and

representing over a quarter of the value of grants made since EVHS started.

The news comes as Tunbridge Wells Borough Council [TWBC] installed its first on- street electric vehicle charging point on Mount Pleasant Road outside the town’s train station following a grant. The charger was later damaged and put out of action within a couple of weeks of being turned on.

However, the installation of public charging devices has gathered steam according to the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles.

Of the 1,459 public charging devices installed since the scheme started in 2017, 778 devices were put in place in the last three months - up to 1 July - across 49 councils.

A further 88 councils have been awarded grant funding to provide 3,282 charge points under the ORCS. The figures come after the government plans to ‘invest more than £2.8billion in electric vehicles, lacing the land with charging points’ following the announcement in November last year that cars solely powered by petrol and diesel engines will no longer be sold in the UK from 2030 as part of the ‘green industrial revolution’ to tackle climate change.

Broadband provider secures £67.5million funding boost LOCAL Internet Service Provider Trooli has obtained more than £67million in funding as it aims to reach one million homes in the next four years.

The West Malling-based full fibre company has secured a £67.5million debt facility with the support of the Connecting Europe Broadband Fund (CEBF).

Launched The credit facility will enable Trooli to increase its gigabit-capable network from more than 100,000 premises today, to 170,000 by the end of 2021, 400,000 during 2022, and rising to one million by 2024.

The plans will see the company reach 300 towns and villages and it is expected to create more than 200 new jobs.

The company, which currently employs 170 people, has a growing customer base in Kent, East Sussex and Berkshire, has just launched in East Anglia where its network will start going

live this autumn. Categorised as ultrafast and up to 13 times quicker than the UK average, Trooli’s service takes a full fibre connection directly into a customer’s property with guaranteed speeds of 300, 500 or 900Mbps, depending on the product chosen.

Ashley Atkins, CFO of the Kent-headquartered company, said: “We are committed to growing our network and meeting the need for really fast, reliable internet connections, especially in underserved rural areas.

“Securing this level of funding not only underpins our ambitious growth plans but is also a vote of confidence in Trooli as a business and the product we offer.

“Demand for our full fibre broadband has been extremely strong over the past year and we expect that to continue into the future.

“Despite us running a small, targeted process, the offer has been many times oversubscribed. This fresh investment clearly demonstrates the banking community shares our vision.”

Local News

BUSINESS

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Community News

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Wednesday September 1 | 2021

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.

This month, Rico Dexiades, a lawyer from Thomson Snell & Passmore’s dispute resolution team, answers your questions about reputation management, defamation and privacy issues.

What is defamation? The term “defamation” covers two types of defamatory actions: libel and slander. Both concern the publication of defamatory material that adversely affects a person’s/company’s reputation.

The defamatory statement has to diminish or undermine the victim’s reputation in the eyes of right thinking members of society.

What is the difference between libel and slander?

The distinction between the two types of defamation are: Libel - where a publication is in writing or other permanent form such as print, online or a broadcast; and Slander - where a publication is spoken, or takes some other temporary form, such as gestures.

Can a company or other organisation be defamed?

Yes, it is not just individuals who can bring a defamation claim. In order to protect its business reputation, a company or other legal entity can indeed bring libel and/or slander proceedings.

However, for companies, it is not enough to show that a statement has merely caused reputational damage; a company will also need to show that the libellous or slanderous publication has caused serious financial loss.

Can I sue over defamatory publications on social media?

Yes, libel covers all written publications, wherever they are published, provided they have caused or are likely to cause serious harm to your reputation. Although social media is often less permanent than other forms of publication, as posts and comments can be deleted and removed, defamatory words published on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter or Instagram can be just as detrimental to reputation as words published in a newspaper or magazine.

Something defamatory is about to be published - can I stop it?

Obtaining an injunction to prevent a publication can be difficult, because of the long-established English law rule against prior restraint. However, it may be possible to prevent the publisher from going ahead with publication by securing an injunction in certain circumstances. If you cannot stop publication completely, you may be able to change what is published about you by engaging with the publisher before publication, outlining what the true facts are.

How can I stop private photos or videos appearing online or in the media? You may be able to get an injunction preventing publication, or get the agreement of the person threatening to publish not to do so, if you have not consented to publication and the publication would amount to an infringement of your privacy.

You also may own the copyright in photographs and videos, and as an individual you have rights under the Data Protection Act 2018 and GDPR to protect your personal data, including photographs and videos.

If you have any questions about reputation management, defamation or privacy law then please do get in touch with Rico at rico.dexiades@ts-p.co.uk.

SPICK AND SPAN ‘Penny’ with Mabel and Sarah Gray from MTW

Young cancer patient names hospital’s robotic cleaner… seeing her too when she visits the ward.”

Sarah Gray, MTW’s Assistant General Manager for Facilities, was instrumental in bringing the interactive robots to the Trust.

She said: “We thought it would be nice to ask our young patients who are undergoing treatment at each of the hospital sites to name the robots as during the summer months they will visit the children’s wards during the day a couple of times a week.

By Robert Forrester AN EIGHT-YEAR-OLD cancer patient at Tunbridge Wells Hospital has named a robot that has helped free up time to allow cleaners to keep working against the virus during the pandemic.

The robot has been used on at the Pembury hospital for several months allowing human staff to concentrate on vital touch cleaning to eliminate Covid-19 virus particles.

Mabel Baillieux, who is being treated for leukaemia at the hospital, was chosen by staff to give the mechanical cleaner a new name and chose ‘Penny’.

The device was named during a ceremony on Hedgehog Ward, where Mabel is being treated, last week [Wednesday, August 25).

Mabel, a Year 4 pupil at Ashdown Primary School, in Crowborough, East Sussex, said: “I was really pleased to be asked to name the robot Penny.

“Her jokes are quite bad but that’s what makes her funny.

“I think the other children will like

Smile “The best bit about the robots is that they can interact with people. They can say ‘Excuse me, you’re in my way’ and people can also press the centre button on the front of the robot for further interaction.

“They can even tell jokes, nursery rhymes and sing! We think they’ll be a great hit with the children and young people who use our paediatric services and hopefully they’ll help to put a smile on their faces.

“On a more serious note, the robots have been brought in to support our cleaners. They currently spend a lot of time mopping large floor spaces in the main reception areas and the corridors of hospitals on a regular basis during the winter months, but the robots will help to free them up so they can carry out vital touch point cleaning around the two sites which is essential during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“As the robots use 70 per cent less water than other floor machinery it means the floors will dry quicker, making them safer for patients, visitors, staff and guests.

They’re also programmed to stop if people or objects get in their way.

“The robots will work in the main corridors at night time. They will also be visible in the main entrances and corridors throughout the winter months cleaning the floor areas.

“The names chosen by the children will be placed on the front of each of the robots so visitors and patients can see what they are called when they are out and about and hard at work.”

TRUST WELCOMES NEW HEAD NURSE A new Chief Nurse has taken over at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust (MTW).

Joanna Haworth has joined MTW from King’s College Hospital in London and has held a number of senior nursing leadership roles in the NHS. She said: “I am incredibly proud to have been appointed as the new chief nurse for MTW and I’m looking forward to working with staff who, throughout the pandemic, have demonstrated a wonderful team spirit and a real desire to deliver the very best care to every patient who walks through the door.

“My focus for the first three to six months is looking at how we can attract even more talented staff to the organisation as well as how we can support and develop our current staff, through training and education, so they have all of the necessary skills to continue to provide outstanding care to our patients in their current role, as well as to develop them

professionally, and enable them to continue their NHS career with MTW in the long term.

“The health and wellbeing of staff is something I also feel very passionately about so I will be working with MTW’s Chief People Officer Sue Steen and the staff wellbeing team to ensure the health and wellbeing of our staff is central to MTW’s future and its recovery after the pandemic.”

Miles Scott, Chief Executive at MTW, added: “Jo brings a wealth of experience to the role and I know she will do a fantastic job supporting the incredible nurses and midwives working here at MTW. “I would also like to pay tribute to former Chief Nurse Claire O’Brien, who retired in June this year, for her exceptional service and the huge contribution she has made to nursing, here at MTW.”

HEAD NURSE Joanna Haworth

Wednesday September 1 | 2021

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Photographer focuses on walking Hadrian’s Wall for cancer charity

By Richard Williams

Newcastle-Upon Tyne on the Coast.

David said: “Working alongside the volunteers over recent years, I have been hugely humbled by the dedication and selflessness of the people who work to ease the journey that far too many, both young and old, suffer on their journey through cancer.

ONE of the town’s best-known photographers is to attempt to walk the 84-mile length of one of Britain’s most historic landmarks to raise awareness of the plight of cancer sufferers.

David Bartholomew, who is the current chairman of the Pickering Cancer Drop In Centre in Tunbridge Supporting Wells says he will walk the span of Hadrian’s Wall as the cancer “Through the support we have charity is today needed ‘more than received from other local ever’. businesses and the Council we have To raise money for Pickering as been able to continue supporting well as awareness of the difficulties those in need. The fact that cancer patients have to endure, sessions have been so well David will be walking alongside his attended, despite the fear of Covid daughter Kirsty Davies. Both are shows that there is a very real need celebrating ‘big birthdays’ this year, for the Centre to exist. and have decided to walk from “My aim is to continue to build on coast to coast along the 84-spans of the work carried by previous the iconic monument. chairman to ensure that the Hadrian’s Wall was built in AD 122 financial future of the charity is to defend Roman Britain from the secure so that those that need it can ‘barbarians’ of the north-west. continue to benefit from the With the support of local services on offer.” sponsors, David, Kirsty and a group Pickering, which is run entirely by of eleven other walkers and four volunteers, has an open house in support volunteers, will be Tunrbridge Wells where everyone departing Tunbridge Wells on whose lives have been touched by September 9 and will head to cancer is welcome. Each year Carlisle on the West Coast.

Pickering helps, free of charge, The aim is to walk the wall in just some 3,000 people. four days. On day one the team will To donate to the 30/60 Hadrian’s cover 24 miles, day two – 18 miles, Challenge, you can visit uk. and days three and four 21 miles virginmoneygiving.com/Team/ TW_FINAL.pdf 1 15/06/2021 11:53 ending at Wallsend, just outside of Hadrians3060Challenge

Community News

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Fund launched to keep children active in sport PARENTS’ views are being sought on ideas to keep young people active in sport in the wake of the pandemic.

Kent Sport – a Kent and Medway Active Partnership - wants to hear residents’ ideas for a new fund called Positive Activities for Young People.

The organisation says the Covid pandemic has had a huge impact on the ability for people to take part in and enjoy the sports they love.

The Partnership is concerned that about 55 per cent of young people are not meeting the Chief Medical Officer’s guidelines in being active for one hour each day.

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MADE FOR WALKING: David taking a break [picture Sarah Bartholomew]

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Sport can be perceived by some young people as boring, but others are reaping the social and therapeutic benefits of being physically active - research from a Kent project has revealed.

This new fund will continue to support groups of young people who are least likely to be active across the county, including those from ethnically diverse communities, financially deprived backgrounds, and children with long term health conditions or disabilities.

It will be funded by part of Sport England’s £200,000 National Lottery investment into various children and young people programmes in Kent and Medway.

Dick Fedorcio, Chair of the Kent and Medway Active Partnership, said: “Our aim is to get more people across Kent and Medway to be more active, more often, to enjoy healthy lives.

“These funded programmes are enabling young people to have an amazing choice of attractive activities - giving them the foundations for an active life.”

Those with ideas on how to spend the fund can submit it online at kentsport.org/ greatideas

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National News

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Wednesday September 1 | 2021

Taliban celebrates victory as America’s ‘longest war’ finally ends after 20 years TALIBAN fighters celebrated the end of US and NATO forces’ occupation of Afghanistan yesterday as the last flights left the Kabul airport.

It marked the end of a 20-year war – America’s longest that cost the lives of 454 British armed service personnel, more than 2,000 US soldiers, as well as thousands of civilians and Afghan fighters.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has said the number of UK nationals that remain in the country was in the ‘low hundreds’ after the western military presence came to an end in the country.

Marched The Cabinet minister said on Tuesday he was unable to give a ‘definitive’ figure on how many Afghans the UK had failed to airlift to safety after the Taliban seized power.

Mr Raab was also forced to deny a Pentagon leak suggesting the US wanted to close a gate to Kabul airport ahead of the deadly bombing, but kept it open to assist the British evacuation.

His words came as the Taliban marched into Kabul’s international airport, hours after the

final US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan that ended America’s longest war.

Standing on the tarmac, Taliban leaders pledged to secure the country, quickly reopen the airport and grant amnesty to former opponents.

Turbaned Taliban leaders were flanked by the insurgents’ elite Badri unit as they walked across the tarmac. The commandos in camouflage uniforms proudly posed for photos.

“Afghanistan is finally free,” Hekmatullah Wasiq, a top Taliban official, told The Associated Press on the tarmac.

“The military and civilian side (of the airport) are with us and in control. Hopefully, we will be announcing our cabinet. Everything is peaceful.

Everything is safe.”

Mr Wasiq also urged people to return to work and reiterated the Taliban’s general amnesty pledge.

“People have to be patient,” he said. “Slowly we will get everything back to normal. It will take time.”

Just hours earlier, the US military had wrapped up its largest airlift of non-combatants in history.

“After 20 years we have defeated the Americans,” said Mohammad Islam, a Taliban

MILITANTS The Taliban gather in Kabul Airport after US and British forces leave

guard at the airport from Logar province, cradling a Kalashnikov rifle. “They have left and now our country is free.

“It’s clear what we want. We want Shariah (Islamic law), peace and stability,” he added.

Getting the airport running again is just one of the sizeable challenges the Taliban faces in governing a nation of 38 million people that for two decades had survived on billions of dollars in foreign aid.

The Taliban faces what could be a series of major crises as it fully takes over the government.

The majority of the billions of dollars Afghanistan holds in foreign reserves is now frozen in America, pressuring its nowdepreciating Afghani currency.

Banks have implemented withdrawal controls, fearing runs on their deposits in the uncertainty.

Civil servants across the country say they have not received their salary in months.

Diana’s death remembered 24 years on

Doomed alpaca Geronimo finally put down Geronimo the alpaca has been killed after a court-ordered destruction warrant was carried out following the animal twice testing positive for bovine tuberculosis, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said.

The animal was rounded up on Tuesday morning as other alpacas watched on from a nearby field, before being loaded into a trailer, which then left the farm near Wickwar, South Gloucestershire.

Tested Defra said Geronimo was euthanised by staff from the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) in order to control the spread of bovine tuberculosis.

Geronimo had twice tested positive for bovine tuberculosis and a destruction warrant has been ordered for the animal, although owner Helen Macdonald believed the tests had returned false positives and thousands of members of the public backed her plea to halt his culling.

Downing Street has expressed sympathy for Helen Macdonald, with the Prime Minister’s official spokesman saying: “It’s obviously highly distressing for someone to lose animals to TB and that’s a situation that farmers sadly have to face.

“Our sympathies are with Ms Macdonald and any others that are affected by this terrible disease.”

Avon and Somerset Police officers attended the site in Wickwar, South Gloucestershire shortly before 11am yesterday [Tuesday] morning alongside a number of people dressed in blue overalls, masks and goggles.

The force later confirmed it was supporting the Animal and Plant Health Agency in executing a court warrant.

A spokesperson said: “We can confirm officers are in attendance at a farm in the Wickwar area of South Gloucestershire this morning to support the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), who are executing a court warrant.

“We’ll always support our partner agencies to carry out their lawful duties and our role is to prevent a breach of the peace and to ensure public safety is protected.”

Ms Macdonald has long argued that the Enferplex test is fundamentally flawed and says Geronimo tested positive because he had repeatedly been primed with tuberculin – a purified protein derivative of bovine TB bacteria.

The veterinary nurse, who farms alpacas at her home in Wickwar, South Gloucestershire, has received support from around the world – with more than 140,000 people signing a petition against Geronimo’s destruction.

Earlier this month, a High Court judge refused her lawyer’s application for a temporary injunction to stop the destruction order and reopen the case.

Supporters had been camping out at Ms Macdonald’s farm to try to prevent officials arriving to destroy Geronimo and some were seen talking to police as the animal was removed.

A Defra spokesman said: “While nobody wants to cull animals, we need to do everything we can tackle this disease to stop it spreading and to protect the livelihoods of those affected.”

TRIBUTES: Flowers left at the gates of Kensington Palace yesterday in London from people remembering the 24th anniversary of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales who died in a tunnel in Paris following a car crash on August 31, 1997 NEWS IN BRIEF

Ireland population Scotland no leader rises to record high on climate change

Joy as pet food firm opens new stores

IRELAND’S population has risen above five million for the first time since 1851, according to new figures.

Data published on Tuesday by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) shows that the Republic of Ireland’s population now stands at around 5.01 million.

PET food seller Jollyes will create around 150 new jobs as it opens 20 new shops to deal with increased demand from Britons who bought animals during the pandemic.

Century The 1851 census came amid the impact of the Great Famine, which devastated Ireland for several years in the middle of the 19th century.

The total population on the island of Ireland in 1851 was 6.6 million.

CLIMATE activist Greta Thunberg has said she does not believe Scotland is a world leader on climate change, as the Scottish Government claims.

Questioned by BBC Scotland on whether the nation was a world leader on climate change, she said: “No… I mean, there are some countries that do a bit more than certain others.”

The SNP has also just agreed a new powersharing deal with the Scottish Green Party, but the 18-year-old remained downbeat on the arrangement.

She said: “Of course there might be some politicians that are slightly less worse than others.”

Plans The company said that it had seen significant growth over the past two years and was accelerating its plans by opening the new sites within the next 18 months.

The retailer, which has 67 shops across the UK, saw its revenue shoot up by 21% in the last three months compared to the same period two years ago.

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NEWS

Education

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Wednesday September 1 | 2021

EDUCATION Times Unbridled success for young horseriders Triple team success for Mayfield’s talented equestrians MAYFIELD School’s Equestrian Team put in a strong performance at the NSEA (National Schools Equestrian Association) Show Jumping and Dressage Championships at Hickstead at the end of last month.

There was double success in dressage, with wins in both the National Team Dressage Championship and the Inter-County Dressage Team Championship, repeating their achievement of 2019.

Success The team comprised Eloise, Alice and Tatum from Year 13 alongside Year 10 students Isabella and Flo. There was also a win for the team in the National Show Jumping Championships (1m) with further success for Eloise alongside Evie, Daisy and Ella.

Jill Barker, Mayfield’s Director of Riding, commented: “I’m really proud of the girls’ performances.

“This is the culmination of three years hard

work for the riders - and coach Emily Baldwin - in developing their technique to get them to perform at Championship level.

“The icing on the cake is when they all perform well at the same time, which has enabled us to win three Championship team titles.”

“This is the culmination of three years hard work for our riders and coach Emily Baldwin” The private girls’ senior school’s Equestrian Squad regularly competes on the school equestrian circuit, winning frequently in show jumping, dressage and eventing classes, both as a team and on an individual basis.

“Our elite squad of riders supported by our in-house team has consistently surpassed both our and their expectations. To achieve this level of success requires hard work, courage, determination, team work and excellent support,” a Mayfield spokesperson told the Times.

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Weekly Comment

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Cllr Matthew Bailey Cabinet member for Sustainability Tunbridge Wells Borough Council

Wednesday September 1 | 2021

Matthew Bailey is a borough councillor for Paddock Wood West and the portfolio holder for sustainability on the cabinet. He is also a Chartered Tax Advisor and Chartered Management Accountant, and runs a software and accountancy business based in Tunbridge Wells

The Council is playing its part for climate change but we can do more We live in worrying times when every newspaper, and every TV news broadcast, brings details of another weather-related disaster. Over the last few months, we’ve seen floods in Europe, wildfires in Greece and a recordbreaking heatwave in Canada to name but a few.

The shocking regularity of these so-called ‘freak’ events has led to a sense of crisis and prompted the UN to describe the climate situation as ‘code red for humanity’.

Climate change is obviously a global problem requiring a global solution. But Tunbridge Wells Borough Council is doing its part to reduce CO2 emissions. Our latest carbon audit, for 2018/19, showed the Council’s carbon footprint has fallen by 43 per cent in only five years.

Part of this reduction was due to the use of greener electricity. But TWBC also reduced energy consumption through a series of environmental measures, including the installation of solar panels, the use of smart LED lighting systems in our car parks and more efficient heating systems in our buildings.

But there is much more to do. In July 2019 the Council declared a climate emergency and set an ambition to become carbon neutral by 2030. This will require further action to radically change the way we operate.

This is already underway. The new Amelia Scott building – the cultural hub being built on

the site of the library and adult education centre – will have 91 solar panels on the roof, powering the building itself and feeding green electricity back into the grid.

We also plan to renovate the Town Hall.

Measures to increase energy efficiency are a core part of the proposals, with the Council exploring ways to improve insulation, add more LED lighting, improve the heating system and install a solar farm on the roof.

Much is happening nationally too. According to the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, the UK’s total greenhouse gas emissions in 2020 were 49 per cent lower than in 1990, with the government targeting a fall of 68 per cent by the end of this decade.

any other country, and this capacity is expected to quadruple by 2030.

As a result, the turbines around our coast will generate enough electricity to power every home in the UK by the end of this decade.

So both your Borough Council and the national government are taking action to tackle climate change, but there is much more work that needs to be done, and many more investments that will need to be made, and there’s not a moment to lose.

Targets The biggest long-term driver of this downward trend has been the decarbonisation of the power sector. In 2020 more electricity was generated from renewable sources than from fossil fuels – the first time this has ever happened - and the average carbon emitted per unit of electricity was 66 per cent lower than seven years earlier.

The government is not resting on its laurels and continues to set ambitious targets to further revolutionise how we generate electricity. We already produce more offshore wind power than

CAPTURING THE SUN Cllr Bailey at TWBC Sports Centre with its solar panels

FOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT: timeslocalnews.co.uk

Wednesday September 1 | 2021

Letters

NEWS

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And another thing…

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

REMEMBERED Maurice Knights Editor’s note: Maurice Knights was a teacher at the former Tunbridge Wells Technical High School for Boys, which later became Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys. He was head of economics at the school until his retirement when Mr Knights became a Southborough town councillor for the Labour Party. He died last month aged 88.

Afghan families need your help I blame the Conservative led Tunbridge Wells Borough Council for many things, but national immigration policy is not one of them. Mike Tapp’s letter to your paper last week was misleading and unhelpful.

Afghans arriving in the UK as part of the evacuation will be housed as part of the Vulnerable Persons Relocation Scheme - a continuation of the scheme used to settle Syrian refugees and it caps the number of families in each local authority area.

I think this is a terrible policy. It throws refugees into a very alien environment without a support network – a sink or swim policy for people who had already been pushed beyond the limits of normal human endurance.

But we’re not helpless. You can lobby your MP. And as families arrive they will need support. You could give money to the UN Refugee Agency or the Sulha Network. Tunbridge Wells Welcomes Refugees (with whom my friend Martin Brice is affiliated) will be looking for second hand clothes, bikes, computers etc.. to help families settle in. But they will also need practical assistance.

Aqab Malik has offered to act as an interpreter where needed. I am a TEFL teacher so I will volunteer my time on that front, but I am working with Afghan veterans to see whether we can find driving instructors and people who can help them get into work.

We can help people but posturing and point scoring can often get in the way.

Cllr James Rands Culverden

Electoral change is dubious When any Tory council considers electoral system changes, particularly when the most recent elections have gone against it, its motives are dubious Here TWBC’s are probably the blocking of the

A funeral service for Maurice Knights, former teacher at Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys, will be held at St Augustine’s Catholic Church on Wednesday, September 22 at 12.30pm, followed by a wake at Salomons Estate.

Maurice was a truly inspirational master who taught me all I know about economics and history, and much more besides.

I also served as a fellow school governor with him for many years. We would like to welcome former pupils and staff at the service and reception afterwards.

Cllr Dr Alan Bullion Chair of Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys Alumni Society

Alliance. How about the present system with fewer councillors combined with one of proportional representation throughout the borough as a whole?

Local government is already top heavy and is assuming the same nasty characteristics of national party politics, which stink to high heaven.

James Robertson Pembury

What woke conspiracy?

John Humphrey [August 25] believes he has uncovered a dastardly conspiracy which, allegedly, involves the editors of ‘certain media outlets’ censoring letters that question ‘the ‘woke’ agenda’.

Has he infiltrated a network of spies into these ‘certain media outlets’? Is he psychic?

Or could there be a more mundane explanation for Mr Humphrey’s opinions failing to appear in print, and maybe he’s being a little paranoid?

I don’t quite understand what ‘woke’ means (apart from that it’s anything that annoys certain right-wing media outlets) so I’d be very interested to learn how Mr Humphrey defines the word.

I hope he’ll reply and tell us, provided you don’t no-platform him, of course.

Paul Stepto Tonbridge

Homeless mental health plight There is no question that the pandemic has had a real impact on people’s mental health right across the country.

We’ve had the anxiety and uncertainty around the virus itself coupled with isolating, being separated from loved ones and missing out on the daily interactions we probably took for

granted before.

For people experiencing homelessness, all this has come on top of having nowhere to call home.

Working as part of a team of Clinical Psychologists at Crisis, I see at first-hand how disproportionately people facing homelessness are affected by mental health issues. Many of these issues are linked to previous and devastating trauma and are only made worse by the circumstances they are forced to live in.

Part of our work at Crisis is to ensure our clients have the psychological support they need to establish a life away from homelessness. Keeping this going through the pandemic has been a real challenge and Crisis staff have been finding all sorts of creative solutions.

In the early days of the pandemic, our coaches worked rapidly to provide phones, tablets, laptops and data to our clients who needed it and adapted our services, including our psychological support, so we could provide a continued lifeline over the phone and online.

With lockdown and restrictions now eased, it is a relief for our clients to feel less of the added mental pressure that we’ve had from the circumstances of the last year and for face-to-face support to be more of an option again.

Whether in person or online, all our work is only made possible by the fantastic people and organisations who support us, meaning we can continue to help people across the country to leave homelessness behind for good.

On behalf of Crisis and the thousands of people we support each year, we would particularly like to thank the players of People’s Postcode Lottery, in the South-East and elsewhere, who have helped fund the vital work of our Clinical Psychologists in such difficult times.

Peter Oakes, Lead Clinical Psychologist at Crisis

PEPPY SAYS...

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

Teacher is to be laid to rest

households with access to cars in Sherwood and there are areas with elderly residents that rely on buses for hospital appointments and shopping.

1) 277; start earlier with more frequent buses and end the service later. This would suit staff in the retail & hospitality sector plus hospital staff, especially trainee nurses.

2) There was a clamour for 277 buses to go to the Sainsbury’s at West Station; at present the route stops at 2:30 pm during the week. A better service between 5 and 6:30 pm Monday to Saturday would help shop staff in town.

3) Many residents in Sherwood and neighbouring Pembury have children that attend the 5 schools in St, John’s Ward. A Pembury, Sherwood and St. John’s service is wanted by many residents. Moreover it would help limit emissions as there would be fewer car journeys.

4) A Sherwood , High Brooms and Southborough service has been cited by residents; it will connect High Brooms Station to both Sherwood and Southborough and will assist commuters and school/college attendees to Tonbridge.

5) Owing to Sherwood having a high density residential profile air quality and poor emissions are asked to be lessened by residents. Many are in keen on low emission/zero rated buses.

I believe there is a protocol set for 2025 with KCC and the bus operators.

Cllr Bob Backhouse Sherwood

Generational chance to get buses right Please find below my copy of a report to Kent County Council concerning the future of bus routes and, hopefully, augmenting them.It is a once in a generation chance as the Govt. are providing over £3billion to redraw routes: I am a TWBC Cllr. I use buses frequently (I do not have a car) and have done so for over 15 years.

I meet many of my residents, mainly on the 277 route, and I have had many conversations about what residents would like the service to become in the future. It should be noticed that there are fewer

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Wednesday September 1 | 2021

Life&Times xxx xx

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Art house

Joanna Harris on her creative journey ...

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HOMES • INTERIORS FOOD • DRINK • HEALTH WELLBEING • ARTS CULTURE • TRAVEL • BOOKS MOTORS and MORE...

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Homes & Interiors

Wednesday September 1 | 2021

21

Property Focus

New parents are no longer likely to be homeowners...

More young people are now living in private rented accommodation when they become parents as they are while owning their own home, according to a study just published

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esearchers from the Centre for Population Change (CPC) at the University of Southampton said their findings show a shift from previous eras when parents were more likely to be homeowners.

The study found that up until 2012 the likelihood of conceiving a first child was significantly higher for homeowners compared with private tenants, regardless of socioeconomic or demographic status.

But since 2013, the researchers found a ‘clear change’ in the relationship between owning a home and becoming a parent.

They suggest that the cost of

owning a home is now in direct competition with the costs of raising children.

Professor Ann Berrington, who led the research, said: “This disconnection between owning a home and becoming a parent has significant implications for parenthood in general.

“If it is the case, as we propose, that home-ownership is increasingly competing with the costs of having children, then it is likely that those who do manage to buy a home might well postpone or even forgo having children.

“So the families that people may have planned to have will be unfulfilled for many young people

’The private rental market remains unregulated and is not family friendly’

now reaching the traditional parenthood ages.”

Prof Berrington said more protection is needed for the growing number of families in rented accommodation.

She said: “The private rental housing market in Britain remains un-family friendly, unregulated, and insecure.

“Housing uncertainty among private renters might arise from the threat of evictions, unregulated increases in rental prices, and the lack of rights around property maintenance and enhancement.

“What is particularly concerning for the parents of children in a private rental home is that moving

house can require moving children from one school to another.

“With the rise in young people now more likely to be in private rental accommodation when they are of an age to start a family, it is vital that the Government implements policies to improve the quality and security of private rented accommodation.

“Policies need to recognise and address the large regional disparities in housing affordability; for example, by improving housing availability and affordability in high-cost areas, while encouraging job formation in areas of the country where housing is more affordable.”

House sales slump by 62 per cent following end of stamp duty break

House sales slumped by nearly two thirds last month as activity cooled after the end of the full stamp duty holiday, new figures have shown...

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M Revenue and Customs (HMRC) said an estimated 82,110 residential property sales took place in July, down 62% on June’s record levels.

It compares with a frenzied June for Britain’s property market, when HMRC reported 213,120 sales, the highest monthly UK total since the introduction of the statistics in April 2005 and more than double numbers seen a year earlier.

HMRC said that, following last month’s stamp duty deadline, “an expected but noticeable decrease has been observed within provisional July 2021 UK residential transactions statistics”.

In England and Northern Ireland, buyers raced to complete purchases before the temporarily increased “nil rate” band to £500,000 for residential

stamp duty land tax (SDLT) ended on June 30.

This relief has since been tapered to £250,000 and the nil rate band is set to revert back to £125,000 on September 30.

But despite the drop off in sales activity last month, the HMRC data showed that purchases were 1.8% higher than in July last year, when activity was still impacted by the near-complete closure of the market from March until mid-May. Property market experts said that while activity has passed its peak following the end of the full tax break, demand remains strong as the pandemic and homeworking trend continues to drive changes in demand.

Jeremy Leaf, north London estate agent and former residential chairman of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics), said: “These figures

for the period just after the withdrawal of the full stamp duty holiday are perhaps better than expected although reflect what we have been seeing, that buyers were still keen to proceed with their purchases, even though they were saving less than they would have done before the end of June.”

Rics reported earlier this month that house hunter inquiries started shrinking in July, brining to an end a four-month positive streak, while Nationwide’s house price index showed values dropping back by 0.5% in the first such fall since March.

Mr Leaf said: “The market is definitely calmer now, but many are taking advantage of staycations to keep in touch with market activity, with listings slowly beginning to rise again as prospective sellers return from holiday.”

Mike Scott, chief analyst at estate

agency Yopa, added: “Given the number of sales that were brought forward, this is a high number and suggests that the dip in the number of sales following the removal of many of the tax savings will be short-lived.

“We expect another very strong month in September, before the new deadline for the remainder of the stamp duty holiday, followed by another short-lived dip.”

A Treasury spokesman said: “Our temporary stamp duty cut helped protect hundreds of thousands of jobs reliant on the property market by bringing forward house moves.

“Those who missed the deadline in June can still benefit from the £250,000 stamp duty holiday until the end of September, smoothing the transition back to the normal thresholds.”

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Homes & Interiors

Stylish updates to channel Indian summer vibes at home Here’s how to bring home some free-spirited flair, says Sam Wylie-Harris

Wednesday September 1 | 2021

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Homes & Interiors

Wednesday September 1 | 2021

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F YOU’RE dreaming of a long-awaited 2. HENDRICK HIPPO TABLE LAMP, £68, getaway, or are lucky enough to have just Graham & Green returned from a far-flung escape, A rare beast, this handsome hippo will light chances are you’re not up your world and make a wow quite ready for the sun statement. to set on summer – especially if there wasn’t room to squeeze in 3. OSAKA SEAGRASS a last-minute souvenir, or you’re STORAGE BASKETS, on the hunt for a quirky piece from £85, Ella James to add to your collection of These seagrass baskets curiosities at home. can be grouped with While we can’t ethnic pottery or guarantee an Indian hand-painted vases, summer on the filled with greenery or weather front, we can vibrant silks spilling out, tell you there’s a wealth of like those you’d find in a 5 ways to kit out your pad for souk. Convenient enough for HOT PROPERTY some late-season glow, with decos general storage too.

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Wednesday September 1 | 2021

Local News

NEWS

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ADVERTISING FEATURE

policies in place and that those had been communicated effectively to staff, and training provided where appropriate.

What about harassment by a third party?

An employer can be liable for failing to stop a third party – a customer, client, supplier, for example – harassing an employee.

What changes are likely to result from the government consultation?

The government has said it will introduce a new duty requiring employers to prevent harassment. This will be an extension of the existing position in which employers may be liable for harassment if they failed to take preventative steps. The new duty would require employers to be far more proactive in stopping harassment happening.

Tightening up the law on sexual harassment

While sexual harassment in the workplace has been illegal for decades, in recent years, more people, primarily women, have felt empowered to share their experiences, demonstrating that there is still a real, concerning problem with sexual harassment at work and in other settings.

According to the TUC, one in two women have been sexually harassed at work. Two in three LGBT workers have experienced sexual harassment in the workplace. And four out of five people don’t report it. https://www.tuc.org.uk/campaigns/sexualharassment-has-no-place-workplacethisisnotworking Following a consultation in 2019, the government is now looking to reshape those duties and protections. The aim is to create a legal framework which supports employers in putting in place the right workplace practices and policies, and which further safeguards employees.

What is sexual harassment?

Sexual harassment is made up of two main elements: (a) unwanted conduct of a sexual nature, which (b) has the purpose or effect of violating the other person’s dignity, or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for the other person.

Harassment can be blatant, but it isn’t always. As well as unwanted touching or sexual comments about someone’s appearance, telling sexual jokes, asking about a person’s sex life, or even a look or a gesture can amount to harassment.

It could be a one-off incident, or it could be made up of a number of things that happen over time. And it doesn’t have to be face-to-face (harassment can happen online) or aimed at a particular person.

As Unison puts it: ‘Sexual harassment is not just a joke or banter or flirting – if it causes offence then it’s sexual harassment, whether or not the perpetrator says they meant to cause offence’. https://www.unison.org.uk/content/ uploads/2020/02/25965-1.pdf It’s important to note that the law is in place to protect not only employees, but also workers, contractors and job applicants.

What does the law currently say about sexual harassment in the workplace?

Sexual harassment is a type of discrimination and one for which an employer as well as a perpetrator can face a claim.

A defence is available, and that is where the employer shows that it took all reasonable steps to prevent the harassment happening (or that harassment didn’t happen in the course of employment).

Usually, that will involve the employer showing that it had the right workplace

An additional change would be the introduction of explicit protections from third-party harassment.

The government will also be looking closely at extending the tribunal time limit for bringing Equality Act claims (including for sexual harassment) from three months to six months. However, on the question of whether protections should be extended to volunteers and interns, the government has said that many interns are already protected and that extending protection to volunteers could have ‘undesirable consequences’.

What does this mean for employers?

There is no indication that the new provisions will come into being any time soon.

However, as we all continue to adjust to the different working landscape brought about by the pandemic, now is as good a time as any to check that your organisation’s policies and

Thomas Mansfield Solicitors Limited

practices are in the best possible shape.

First and foremost, are you legally compliant? Do your written policies suit your post-Covid business and ways of working? Have you communicated these properly to your staff, and provided the right training? Finally - and crucially does your organisation live and breathe the sentiments in your policies? (In other words, do you practice as well as preach your zero-tolerance of harassment?)

We have been working with a number of clients whose operations have changed significantly since the pandemic began.

Many have had to amend their policies and bring in new ones to cover the situations they now find themselves in. And while it may seem that it’s the practical details that are crying out for change (homeworking being the most common policy that our employer clients are looking to introduce or update), don’t forget about those policies that strike you as more ‘static’.

No policy should be left untouched for too long. I include in that ones that relate to your zero-tolerance of harassment in all its forms. And it’s not just about legal liability. Making sure your policies say everything they should may be the first step towards defending a sexual harassment claim (remember that employers currently have to show they did everything reasonable to prevent harassment happening), but it could also mean you don’t get to that point. Creating an environment in which employees know where the boundaries lie, treat each other with respect, and understand the consequences of stepping out of line is crucial if behaviour like harassment is to be avoided. It’s also important that employees know that their concerns and complaints will be taken seriously and dealt with properly. Ultimately, being crystal clear about what you expect of your employees and what they can expect of you can make for a happier, safer working environment for all.

First Floor, 121-123 Mount Pleasant Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 1QG - Telephone 01892 337540 London - Sevenoaks - Tunbridge Wells – Tonbridge – Maidstone

To speak to me about a workplace issue, or specifically about updating your policies, contact Neill Thomas.

Arts

arts

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Wednesday September 1 | 2021

“I love to bring joy to people’s creative work” During these uncertain times many have found creative pursuits to be a great form of escape. Joanna Harris who runs Art By The Yard workshop reveals to Eileen Leahy how her venture managed to finally flourish in the pandemic

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BOUT two years ago graphic designer and keen artist Joanna Harris took on a small studio at Town Court Farm. It’s an artistic hub on Bayham Road, Tunbridge Wells with lots of painters, ceramicists and sculptors renting creative space. Many regularly exhibit their work to the general public at events like South East Open Studios while others run courses and small workshops.

When Joanna, a mother of two, saw the space she knew that it was the right environment to immerse herself in her artistic endeavours.

“Working at my kitchen table had been a great place to nurture my graphic design and illustration business – and it definitely worked initially as I had two children to look after.

“However I personally found that not having the space or a suitable environment often inhibited the experimentation side of my ‘hands on’ creativity. I think everyone knows that feeling of having collected the necessary art equipment together, it’s

almost time to tidy it all away again, so sometimes I felt like ‘why bother?’ But with a designated space at Town Court Farm I felt like I had finally come home,” she says.

“Giving people enough skills to work through a technique enables children and adults to go home with something they have created that they are happy with” “I chose Town Court Farm as a base because as much as I love living in Tunbridge Wells I am a country girl at heart. If I can see some green and be inspired by a walk up the lane then this will definitely help the creative process for me. I can often be seen with my secateurs collecting plant samples from the

CREATIVE CORNER Joanna Harris

Arts

Wednesday September 1 | 2021

paint a few blooms but to be able to choose from a whole field of them?”

With the onset of the additional lockdowns however Joanna says she sadly had to close Art

By The Yard’s doors for a period of time.

“I had to do so for many months until I was allowed to open for children’s art workshops and after school clubs.”

Technique

hedgerows for my work!”

Joanna studied weaving at Middlesex University before going on to work as a graphic designer and also in the art department of a secondary school so it’s clear that art runs deep in her veins.

She says she decided to launch her artistic venture Art By The Yard as she knew ‘how much joy it brings’.

“I love to discover and practise a new technique. There’s that palpable magical moment as ideas start to take shape. It’s like discovering and finding a sort of child-like excitement and I wanted to bring that feeling to others. I’ve been really fortunate to have been in creative environments all my life,” adds Joanna.

Having acquired these various artistic skills over the years and combined with her love of teaching Joanna decided to launch Art By The Yard into the world.

“My timing was impeccable – I did it just as we entered into lockdown!” she laughs. But undeterred and when government guidelines allowed she took her classes outside.

“For printing work I use a Cyanotype which is a photographic printing process that produces a

cyan-blue print and actually harnesses UV light, so what better medium to use outside?”

Despite everything the alfresco lessons took off and Joanna started to add more to her Art By The Yard offering including painting.

“My water colour classes were also held in the picturesque setting of Town Court flower farm.

How fabulous to have the opportunity to not just

Yet despite the teething problems Joanna says that running Art By The Yard means that she can facilitate creativity for all ages and abilities, and absolutely loves bringing people together.

“Often we work around a large table which gives participants - young or old - the opportunity to engage in an activity that perhaps they wouldn’t do at home. I guess it’s about sparking ideas and processes that might lead to a continued hobby or even a career.

“Being together with other like-minded people is such a benefit, not only learning from each other but having time to talk with similar folk is equally important. I find that by giving people enough skills to work through a technique enables children and adults to go home with something they have created that they are happy with.”

As well as teaching various classes Joanna also produces her own work.

“I have a collection of illustrated cards for sale in Zavens gift shop in Mount Ephraim. And the have done signature illustrations of The Pantiles which can be found on limited editions prints, cards and tea towels online.”

Before having her children Joanna worked for an advertising agency in Tunbridge Wells. She says that she has always found that her graphic design, illustration and fine art based work feed off one other.

“My creative approach makes me a better designer and my skill for a good page layout helps give my illustration a commercial edge. It’s great to be able to earn a living using these different skills.”

29

Joanna took part in this year’s inaugural Fringe Festival, where she ran Cyanotype workshops at the Inside Cafeé and The Zero Waste Café. “It was very picturesque to have The Pantiles as a location.”

This autumn Joanna says she will be taking her creative workshops ‘on the road’.

“I’ll be doing my own after school club at Art

By The Yard and I will also be running one at The Wells Free School. I also have some new creative workshops in town which will be confirmed soon and at Christmas I will taking bookings for wreath making workshops in people’s kitchens.”

You sound like a very busy lady I say to which she replies: “Well as Maya Angelou said… ‘You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.’ So why stop here?”

For more information on Joanna’s art classes for all ages and abilities visit www.artbytheyard.co.uk

Eat In or Delivery and Collections Opening Hours: 7 days a week, 11:45 to 22:00 Sunday through to Thursday and 11:45 to 23:00 Friday, Saturday.

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Food & Drink

food & drink

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Wednesday September 1 | 2021

Say cheers to the native oyster season September is a marvellous month for all kinds of local produce, including seafood. With the new native oyster season kicking off today (September 1) our expert James Viner raises a glass to the bivalve delicacy with these snappy wines. They are all good catches - not just for seasonal oysters which are sold from now until April 30 - but also for shellfish and seafood dishes too. Enjoy!

1. TANGY, PALATECLEANSING ANDALUSIAN BEAUTY… A BENCHMARK, BONE-DRY, SHELLFISHLOVING MANZANILLA SHERRY Bodegas Hidalgo-La Gitana Manzanilla Sherry, Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Spain (15%, £8.90-£10, Hedonism Wines, Tanners, Majestic – 50cl; Waitrose & Virgin Wines, 75cl) A stunning aperitivo or accompaniment to tapas and all manner of seafood and meat, umami-rich dry sherries are not just for Christmas (or funerals). I offer you this old Andalusian maxim on matching sherries and food: fino and manzanilla if it swims, amontillado if it flies, and oloroso if it runs or walks.

Manzanilla is a fino (the lightest, driest and palest) sherry produced and aged in and around the humid Andalusian coastal town of Sanlúcar de Barrameda.

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There is a ton of character here, with a marine saltiness and wafts of chamomile, blanched almonds, green apples and freshly-baked sourdough. One for umami lovers and very keenly priced. Buy the most recent bottling and serve well-chilled, between 6°and 8°C, in a catavino or comparatively wide glass (just as you’d do with a still white wine). Dazzling with briny native oysters, sushi, sashimi, smoked salmon, barbecued sardines, pasta vongole, mackerel, green olives, Jámon Iberico …

2. A WAKE-UP CALL TO THE JADED PALATE: BRIGHT, MINERALLY, ZINGY, SEABREEZY PICPOUL 2020 Ormarine Villemarin Picpoul de Pinet, Eastern

‘This delicious

tangy, clean and bracing white has all manner of floral, citrusy, spiced tones’

Languedoc, France (12.5%, Majestic, £9.99/bottle, or £8.99 mix six) Green-gold Picpoul de Pinet from the low-lying parcel of land between Pézenas and the vast Bassin de Thau saltwater Med lagoon, France’s second-largest lake – itself renowned for its oyster (huîtres de Bouzigues)/mussel beds and seafood restaurants – just southwest of Montpellier is one of France’s rare varietally termed AOC wines. Ormarine, in partnership with Maison Jeanjean, is the leading producer of Picpoul de Pinet, the most widely made white wine in eastern Languedoc and a muchadmired vinous choice for summer drinking. Nab this outstandingly delicious tangy, clean and bracing white with all manner of floral, citrusy, spiced lemon-zest, subtle iodine and samphire elements at play, couched within a framework of saliva-inducing acidity, which works just like a squeeze of lemon juice with seafood. A whizz with seasonal native oysters on the half-shell, fish and chips, mussels and crab, it also

Food & Drink

Wednesday September 1 | 2021

makes a really first-class party or picnic white on a hot Indian summer evening.

3. CAPTIVATING ORGANIC BIVALVE-LOVING LEFT-BANK BORDEAUX WHITE 2020 Emigré Blanc, Château du Seuil, Graves, Bordeaux, France (12%, Virgin Wines, £14.99) South of the city of Bordeaux, Graves AOP – the only zone of Bordeaux where both red and white wines are produced by most châteaux – spreads like a sleeve hanging off the Médoc’s arm. Situated mostly on its eponymic gravelly soil (quarrying is also big business here), this is a racy and refined 75/25% blend of sauvignon blanc and sémillon that is unoaked and has a really pretty texture. Snappy, pristine grapefruit, passionfruit, lemon, honeysuckle, ocean spray and mineral flavours glisten as they shoot through the palate. The fine rinse of grapefruity acidity keeps it all taut, delivering a lengthy and racy finish. A compelling match for raw oysters (and much favoured by the Bordelais themselves).

Likewise a terrific aperitif, it’s also just the ticket for mackerel pâté and seafood such as lemon sole or cod with beurre blanc. Organic.

NUANCED & VERY STYLISH ONE INSTEAD 2019 Rimapere Single-Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand (13%, £16.95-£19, Waddesdon Manor Shop, Cheers Wine Merchants, Ocado & Harvey Nichols) Soak up the final days of summer with a glass of Rimapere Sauvignon Blanc, a fruitful collaboration between the Rothschild family and Terry Peabody, the American-born owner of the much-prized Craggy Range winery (Craggy’s ‘Te Muna Road’ SB from cooler-climate Martinborough’s one of NZ’s finest). Crystalline, multifaceted and undoubtedly ageworthy, it’s already a clear charmer and a gorgeous treat with seasonal native oysters. Gently fragrant, delicate, dry and very sophisticated, this beauty is an altogether superior, less exuberant version of a wellloved wine style. Hello oysters, especially when served with Asian flavours, seafood salads and brie.

Very classy. Most UK wine merchants will be transitioning to the superb 2020 vintage come October.

4. MOVE OVER BOISTEROUSLY AROMATIC, ‘TUTTI-FRUTTI’ KIWI SAUVIGNON BLANC – TRY THIS

A charming family run pub, with six beautiful boutique bedrooms, hidden amongst the woodland of The Common in Tunbridge Wells.

Whether you are having a lazy lunch, enjoying a cosy dinner or catching up with friends, we are the perfect place to relax.

so-called Brut champagnes, which can have up to 12-15 g/l of sugar, bone-dry Brut Nature ones – like this supreme oyster-friendly example from Winston Churchill’s favourite house – have up to just 3 g/l. Here that dryness and salty undercurrent, not to mention the bubbly aspect, provides the ideal textural contrast to the smooth and silky texture of the oysters.

Made from a third each of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, this is a spellbinding match for native raw/cooked oysters and also a great partner for dim sum, crab, kedgeree, tandoori chicken, sushi and sashimi. Zero dosage. Santé!

5) SVELTE, STRUCTURED, OYSTER-READY, COMPLETELY UNSWEETENED, TIP-TOP APÉRITIF CHAMPAGNE NV Champagne Pol Roger, Pure, Extra Brut, Épernay, Champagne, France (12.5%, £42.50-£52, The Champagne Company, Waitrose, Majestic, Berry Bros & Rudd & The Wine Society) The pop of a champagne cork is an eternal appetitesharpener. You’ve splashed out on native oysters so why not treat yourself to the best dry champagne? Unlike

Eat. Drink. Stay. Enjoy.

Tel: 01892 618854 Email: hello @themountedgcumbe.com Website: www.themountedgcumbe.com

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Don’t forget Oyster-friendly Muscadet, Chablis & beer!

· 2020 Domaine Gadais La Grande Réserve du Moulin ‘Sur Lie’ Muscadet Sèvre et Maine (£11.99, Laithwaites) · 2019 Jean-Marc Brocard, Chablis SainteClaire (£14.95, The Wine Society) · 2018 Tesco Finest Premier Cru Chablis (£15, Tesco) · Cantillon Gueuze Lambic beer, Belgium –rare as hen’s teeth now in this country

Some of the best remaining native oyster-producing areas in the UK: · Fal, Cornwall · Helford, Cornwall · Loch Ryan, Scotland · Maldon, Essex · Mersea (aka Colchester), Essex · Whitstable, Kent Simplyoysters.com offers the UK’s widest selection of fresh native, Pacific and Kumamoto oysters (27 different types at the last count) Follow James on Twitter @QuixoticWine

Over the last year we have adapted to prioritise both our customer and staff’s safety, whilst not compromising on experience. Our spacious heated marquee is perfect for any occasion come rain or shine. Take a look on our website for more details of our rooms, menus and how to book.

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Gardening

Wednesday September 1 | 2021

gardening

How to create memory pots with plants to spark thoughts of your happiest times Garden influencer Ellen Mary shows Hannah Stephenson how to plant containers to spark memories of special people, holidays, events and even your wedding day

S

O MANY memories can be stirred by plants – the lavender which grew in your grandmother’s garden, that special rose your husband gave you, the thyme your mother would pick for Sunday roast chicken.

Gardeners can also create happy memories of holidays and get-togethers by using plants and accessories to recreate a time and place, says top horticultural influencer and broadcaster Ellen Mary (ellenmarygardening.co.uk), who co-presents The Plant Based Podcast (theplantbasedpodcast.net) with her friend and fellow gardening expert Michael Perry (aka Mr Plant Geek).

Here she tells us why she began to create memory pots using plants , how to try it yourself and why it is a mindful activity.

HOW DID YOUR IDEA FOR MEMORY CONTAINERS COME ABOUT? “I was at a recent houseplant festival and had a lot of houseplants to create a tabletop container.

“It just occurred to me that as I was planting it up it was bringing back memories for me. I asked the audience what the plants reminded them of.

“We ended up creating a crate of houseplants which reminded us of having

cocktails in Las Vegas by the pool. We had a beautiful, bright orange orchid called ‘Las Vegas’, along with asparagus ferns, and we created this big botanical display of houseplants, including fittonia and little pilea, and when planted all together people were saying it reminded them of a cocktail.

“Then I started creating containers in my back garden for outside plants, picking plants which bring back lovely memories.”

‘The humble marigold reminds me of my uncle who got me into gardening’ HOW CAN I TRY THIS MYSELF? Ellen Mary suggests two approaches to try: Seek out happy memory plants: “Find plants which remind you of a happy memory and plant a container.”

Or use mindfulness to create that positive recollection: “Just collect some plants and mindfully plant them up while considering what each plant might remind you of.”

And she offers these three memories pot suggestions:

Gardening

Wednesday September 1 | 2021

1. Mini kitchen garden “I often talk about how the humble marigold reminds me of my uncle who got me into gardening when I was young. He had an organic kitchen garden, where the front half was laid to lawn and he used to plant masses of marigolds.

“I used to think, why does he only plant these orange flowers? I didn’t realise then that it was companion planting. I basically recreate that garden in a pot, with marigolds all around the outside, like he would, and then plant lettuces on the inside, creating a mini kitchen garden.

“I even have one that has one runner bean plant growing up a cane! Every time I go into that garden it reminds me of my uncle.”

flowers. You can create your wedding bouquet in a pot, because the majority of flowers which are in your wedding bouquet are available at that one time of year.

“You should be able to grow a peony or a container rose and add some foliage plants into it to make it look beautiful. Then every time you walk by it you will think of your wedding bouquet.

“The container doesn’t have to last a really long time. You could do it for an event or an anniversary and then plant the contents out in your border when you’ve really enjoyed them. It could just bring back a happy memory for a season.”

2. Wedding memories “A lot of people have happy memories from their wedding bouquet. The bouquet might have contained peonies or roses or other bouquet

3. Holiday fun “We can grow plants here which we have seen on holiday. For instance, thinking of the Mediterranean, you could grow bougainvillea here in a big container, along with lavender and sage – a holiday pot.

“Why not add the accessory of a cocktail stick or an empty bottle of tequila to remind you of that big night out on your holiday?”

ARE MEMORY POTS A KIND OF MINDFUL GARDENING? “For me, a lot of this isn’t just about planting up a display, it’s about remembering those happy memories as you are planting up and having that mindful time to touch and smell the plants and reminisce. When I smell marigolds, I literally feel like I’m in my uncle’s garden as a child.

“When I work with people on mindful gardening, you can almost guarantee that their memories go back to when they were a child. My mum always says that my dad took her daffodils when I was born, so when she sees daffodils she remembers the day I was born.”

Just make sure you place your memories pot close enough to your home to enjoy it, in a place where you’ll not only be able to admire the flowers but also be able to touch the leaves and smell those evocative scents, she advises.

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Health & Wellbeing

Wednesday September 1 | 2021

health & wellbeing

Not sure what to do about joint pain?

When to see a doctor, and helpful steps you can take at home

Liz Connor asks pharmacists to share advice and solutions for managing joint aches and pains

M

OST people will experience some kind of joint pain at some point in life – and according to Phil Day, superintendent pharmacist at Pharmacy2U.co.uk, musculoskeletal wear and tear is one of the most common health niggles.

Arthritis and other joint conditions affect millions of people in the UK and Ireland, causing aches, pain and sometimes swelling and stiffness, which for some people can have a severe impact on day-to-day life.

“The two most common types are osteoarthritis [OA] and rheumatoid arthritis [RA],” says Day. It’s important to seek individual advice from your doctor or physio, especially if you have an acute injury, flare-up or severe ongoing symptoms.

Generally speaking though, Day says there are lifestyle changes that can often help.

Here’s a closer look…

Why do we get joint pain?

While there are many

GET BACK ONBOARD SAFELY WITH YOUR CONCESSIONARY PASS Whether you’re out and playing with the grandkids or meeting up with old friends, it’s time to get back out there and explore all the places you love safely with your concessionary bus pass.

Contact your local council for eligibility information and to claim or renew your concessionary pass.

possible causes, Day explains that joint pain is usually a result of injury or arthritis. In older people, joint pain that gets steadily worse is usually a sign of osteoarthritis, associated with wear and tear.

“Osteoarthritis can affect any joint in the body, but is normally seen in the large weight-bearing joints of the hip, knee and spine, and in the smaller joints of the fingers,” says Day.

cells covering the joints, leaving them inflamed and sore,” says Day. Women are three times more likely to be affected than men, and RA most commonly tends to start between the ages of 40 to 50 years. If you suspect you may have RA, it’s important to see a doctor so, if necessary, you can be referred for tests and appropriate support.

On top of this, strains, sprains and other injuries can

‘Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that affects more than 400,000 people in the UK. “It may result from an inherited weakness in cartilage – the rubbery-type tissue that separates the bones – but lifestyle is important too, and there are steps you can take to protect your joints.”

Rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease, is much less common but still affects more than 400,000 people in the UK. “It’s an autoimmune condition in which the antibodies that normally attack bacteria and viruses target the

be a root cause of joint pain too, possibly interfering with your daily movement and causing issues with mobility.

WHAT CAN PEOPLE DO TO TREAT SORE JOINTS? If you are affected by OA, Day says painkillers like paracetamol are useful for handling any pain and discomfort. “If that’s not effective, try an NSAID [non-steroidal antiinflammatory drug] like

KEEPING YOU SAFE ONBOARD

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This advanced technology is designed to help the surgeon plan and perform your knee replacement surgery with a greater degree of accuracy than is possible with traditional methods.

Health & Wellbeing

Wednesday September 1 | 2021

Resulting in greater surgical precision, fewer complications and less time spent in hospital.

35

To find out more Call 01892 888199 Visit https://www.nuffieldhealth.com/hospitals/ nuffieldhealth.com/hospitals/tunbridge-wells/ tunbridge-wells/treatments treatments/knee-replacement

Surgical precision Diagnosing and in expert hands treating back pain

™Trademark of Smith & Nephew. ©2019 Smith & Nephew

Handheld robotic system for knee and partial knee replacement surgery.

ibuprofen,” Day suggests.

“Topical NSAIDs, such as ibuprofen gel, are often helpful for hand or knee arthritis, while corticosteroid injections into the joint are also sometimes prescribed by a GP to fight inflammation.”

Some research suggests that taking glucosamine and chondroitin supplements daily can be useful for joint pain. Both of these substances have anti-inflammatory effects and are the building blocks of normal cartilage, which helps to protect joints.

Lifestyle changes can be helpful too. It might sound counter-intuitive, but a bit of light exercise may help to relieve some of the annoying symptoms of joint troubles. Low impact movement, such as swimming, can be a great option – as it can “help to strengthen muscles around the joints” without putting pressure on the area, says Abbas Kanani, pharmacist at Chemist Click (chemistclick.co.uk).

Essentially, the water supports your body, meaning there’s less strain on the skeletal system as you exercise.

There can be benefits to switching between hot and cold therapies for joint pain too, according

to Kanani, who says: “Hot treatment can help to reduce stiffness, and cold treatment can help to reduce swelling and inflammation.” For an inexpensive home remedy, try applying a heat pack to any tender joint areas, followed by an ice compress.

Switching up your diet can sometimes be useful if you’re dealing with the pain on a regular basis. Healthily losing excess weight, if this is a factor, can help take the physical strain off of joints. Plus there’s a growing body of evidence that the active ingredient in turmeric, called curcumin, has soothing properties for arthritis. As Kanani explains: “It’s a natural anti-inflammatory that can be added to meals and help to reduce joint pain.” You could add the golden-hued spice onto curries, sprinkle it onto roasted sweet potato, or even create a hot drink with your choice of milk.

Finally, a physical therapist can develop a movement plan to help keep you active.

“Usually, they’ll give you tailored exercises to strengthen the muscles around a painful joint,” says Kanani.

WHEN TO SPEAK TO A DOCTOR It’s important to get medical help right away if the pain is so intense that’s it’s difficult to go about your normal life, or you feel like you can no longer use the joint. And always get things checked if you’ve had an injury that’s become very swollen and painful, or if you also have other worrying symptoms at the same time.

Book in with a GP if your joint symptoms last three days or more, or you’re experiencing multiple painful episodes in a month. You might need to see a specialist, and your doctor may refer you to a rheumatologist, who specialises in diseases that involve bones, muscles and joints.

A trained medical expert can give you the best advice and course of treatment for your joint pain.

With our highly experienced surgeons working in harmony with state-of-the-art equipment, the knee replacement surgery we offer has evolved. With Smith+Nephew NAVIOTM, handheld robotics-assisted knee surgery implants can deliver the ultimate knee replacement experience – a quicker, smoother recovery.

This advanced technology is designed to help the surgeon plan and perform your knee replacement surgery with a greater degree of accuracy than is possible with traditional methods.

Resulting in greater surgical precision, fewer complications and less time spent in hospital.

To find out more Call 01892 888199 Visit nuffieldhealth.com/hospitals/tunbridge-wells/ treatments/knee-replacement ™Trademark of Smith & Nephew. ©2019 Smith & Nephew

Back pain is extremely common in people of all ages - most people have an 80-90% chance of experiencing back pain in their lifetime. Mr Francesco Vergani, Consultant Neurosurgeon at Nuffield Health Tunbridge Wells Hospital, looks at the measures we can take to relieve and treat back pain.

Normally it will resolve itself within a couple of weeks or months but patients can also experience life-long symptoms of back pain. It can be felt anywhere in the back and can occur for various different reasons. There are many different ways to relieve and treat back pain but to also reduce it from coming back.

• Staying fit and healthy • Improving your posture • Knowing your limit and not performing over-strenuous activities • Being active and stretching your back and body.

This can be done by walking, running, stretching, swimming, yoga, Pilates and much more.

• Taking anti-inflammatory painkillers like paracetamol and ibuprofen • Using heat or cooling compressors to the area of pain • Using a supportive mattress If none of the above have worked and you are still experiencing pain and it is worsening and starting to affect your day-to-day activities then it may be worth a visit to your GP as there could be an underlying issue. Your GP will examine you, talk through your medical history and see if other therapies could help. You may even be asked to have a scan like an X-ray or MRI. The causes of back pain obviously differ but they are also very non-specific. It can be due to strain or injury, an accident or simply not being active enough. But

For further information on this service please visit https://www.nuffieldhealth.com/ hospitals/tunbridge-wells/treatments or call 01892 888199

there can be medical reasons like a slipped disc or even sciatica. These symptoms will be accompanied by more than just back pain, for example you may be experiencing tingling, weakness, numbness and pain radiating to the arms or legs. It is important to seek urgent medical advice if you are experiencing these symptoms: • Numbness or tingling around your genitalia or buttock area • Bladder or bowel incontinence • High temperature • Chest pain • Swelling or deformity in the back • If you have been in a serious accident • If your back pain is not improving or getting significantly worse Mr Vergani sees patients with all types of back-pain related problems and conditions.

Although it is common, there can be underlying issues that you may not be aware of. If your back pain and its symptoms are getting in the way of life and not resolving then it is important to get a second opinion and seeing a neurosurgeon with experience of spinal surgery will be appropriate.

Diagnosing your back pain Nuffield Health Tunbridge Wells Hospital offers a back pain diagnostic package at an all inclusive price. This includes: • Initial mini consultation - either face to face or virtually • MRI scan– one area only • Follow up face to face appointment Please note the back pain diagnostic package does not include any treatment, should it be required.

BOO K NOW

Food & Culture

Wednesday September 1 | 2021

37

travel

Edinburgh is a city renewing itself – go for the views, stay for the cocktails

FOOD FOR THOUGHT Edinburgh does brunch very well

Ella Walker catches the train for a weekend in the Scottish capital where she finds a city layered with history and alive with great food

W

HERE Edinburgh’s Waverley Station stands, and where seagulls and teenagers vie for chips in the long strip of Princes Street Gardens, there once was water.

Well, not just water. Called the Nor Loch, the artificial lake was carved out of the earth beneath Castle Rock in 1460. It was a show of strength and defence, but it also ended up being a roiling maelstrom of human waste. The stench must have been unfathomable.

That rather dank medieval period of history is over, but its sticky handprints are still found across the Scottish capital – and on our first city break since the Covid pandemic again, it feels a little like

we’re emerging from a period of bewildering murkiness ourselves. Just taking the train there after work is ridiculously exciting.

Edinburgh certainly feels like it’s starting to shrug off the last 18 months too. The jagged Scott Monument once again swirls with tourists, and the castle looms spectacularly, as if to say, ‘I’ve been waiting for you.’

Brunch The giddiness of being somewhere new propels us up Calton Hill. Shimmering grey, Edinburgh’s Old and New Towns unravel below, while the Acropolis-like pillars of the National Monument compete with the fuzzy green crags of Arthur’s Seat.

At brunch spot The Lookout (thelookoutedinburgh.co), the view is as good whether you look up or out. The restored observatory cantilevers out over the hill and has panoramic views that almost distract us entirely from the Breakfast Tray. We eat ours – fresh raspberries, smoked salmon, cured meats, sourdough pastries, daintily arranged in delicate bowls that feel very Japanese – as our eyes dance towards the interior ceiling; a towering wooden skylight.

Philip at Edinburgh Gin (edinburghgin. com) wonders if the raspberries were from Perthshire – “the best raspberries in the world” – which are also used in the distillery’s Raspberry Gin and Raspberry Gin Liqueur. He takes us through a tasting (“Don’t just say, ‘I can taste the juniper’ – they all have juniper in, and you’ll sound like an idiot,” he says with a grin), tests us on the flavours of Italian versus North Macedonian juniper (Macedonian is sweeter) and explains that tasting gin first thing in the morning is actually very wise, as that’s when your palate is clean and fresh.

He introduces us to their curvy copper stills, Flora and Caledonia, and dismantles the idea that Scotland is solely the land of whisky; there’s a legacy

of gin here too – in fact, it’s argued to be home of the gin and tonic (thank Edinburgh-born physician George Cleghorn). We sip ours and hear how craft distilling became legal in 2009, sparking an explosion in independent gin brands.

Edinburgh Gin launched their classic in 2010, but it’s their Edinburgh Gin 1670, which started with a “Tesco bag of suspicious looking herbs” from the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, that clings to my taste buds.

Shaking off the gin haze and heading

‘You are plunged below the surface of Edinburgh’s Old Town into a relic of a street’ into the rain, we dart in and out of Stockbridge’s many well stocked secondhand bookshops and charity shops. The district’s beautifully curated Oxfam bookshop sees me fritter away enough money that an Anthony Gormley bronze man (from series, 6 Times) silently judges me from the centre of the Water of Leith’s stony riverbed, as I hand over the now soaked, book-stuffed rucksack to my boyfriend.

The Real Mary King’s Close experience (realmarykingsclose.com) is a social history tour where you are plunged below the surface of Edinburgh’s Old Town and into a preserved relic of a street that dates to the 1600s and witnessed a plague outbreak peaking in 1645 – it’s like going through a trap door from present to past.

The close and its original narrow tenements have effectively been buried, and were used as the foundations for the Royal Exchange.

The close’s many ANCIENT former inhabitants Edinburgh and their mixes the old and the new

stories are preserved in limestone walls made out of crushed oyster shells, bound with horsehair and daubed in places with arsenic-laced paint. Our guide Adam – in full historical garb, aside from spritz bottles of antibac – leads us through the warren-like morass.

And then – after much sanitising of handrails – he takes us into a room dominated by the figure of Dr George Rae, Edinburgh’s official bubonic plague doctor.

Adam talks of quarantine and masks, and we all stand around, looking at each other over the top of our own, trying not to laugh grimly at how things have come round again on a carousel of disaster.

Interestingly though, the long hooked hollow nose of the plague doctor’s mask was stuffed with flowers back then, to dampen the stench of the sick and dying.

The echoes of it all are unnerving, and yet oddly comforting. We are part of a human pattern, a cycle and strand of life that overcomes. We build streets, homes, communities, that despite devastating plagues and pandemics, live on somehow – even in a street made subterranean by progress. And at least we have proper sanitation.

Fact box: Ella travelled from London to Edinburgh by train on LNER. Prices vary. Visit lner.co.uk.

Find out more about Forever Edinburgh, the official guide to the capital, at edinburgh.org.

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Motoring News

Wednesday September 1 | 2021

Motoring News

This week… n

Car theft rises

n

Skoda SportLine

n Genesis bespoke EV

The end of lockdown brought increased car theft in the UK

Skoda introduces all-wheel-drive 80x SportLine model to electric Enyaq line-up

SKODA has introduced a new all-wheeldrive model to the range of its electric Enyaq SUV Called 80x SportLine, it’s also the most powerful version of the model and will cost from £46,610.

Regular Enyaqs have a single electric motor on the rear axle, but the SportLine has a second motor fitted to the front axle.

It therefore delivers significantly more torque than others in the range – 425Nm to be precise – reducing its 0-60mph time to 6.7 seconds.

This version gets a large 82kWh battery pack, which results in a range of up to 303 miles between charges. It also has a charging capacity of up to 125kW, meaning it can go from 0-80% charge in 38 minutes when using a fast public charger. Using a 7.2kW home wallbox it takes 13 hours to go from empty to full.

Selector

THE easing of coronavirus-related lockdown restrictions brought with it a noticeable increase in car thefts, according to new data.

Stolen vehicle recovery experts Tracker revealed that the volume of theft activity was up 32% at the end of June, compared with the end of January, when lockdown was in full swing.

Tracker says it recovered over £4.2 millionworth of stolen vehicles during January to June, with 4x4s accounting for more than half of that at £2.6m.

A Range Rover Sport worth £94,000 had the dubious honour of being the most expensive vehicle recovered by the firm, with Range Rovers and Land Rovers accounted for 29% of all stolen vehicles in that six-month period.

May was particularly busy for criminals, who got back to work as soon as restrictions were lifted. In that month, thefts were three times higher than in January, with the average vehicle valued at just over £31,000.

Block Keyless cars are still the top target, accounting for 92% of the stolen cars in the first half of the year. Stealing these cars is relatively easy for criminals, who can simply boost the fob’s signal from inside the house to trick the car into thinking it’s nearby, which unlocks it.

Experts recommend leaving the key inside the house as far as possible from your car, windows

and doors, or placing it in a Faraday cage when not in use to block the signal.

Clive Wain, head of police liaison at Tracker, said: “Now that almost all restrictions have formally been lifted, all car owners need to be aware of the risk and take steps to protect their vehicles, beyond relying on a factory-fitted alarm.

“Visible physical deterrents that help dissuade many would-be criminals include alarm systems, wheel clamps and steering locks.

“Those with keyless entry vehicles also need to safeguard their key fob, for example, keeping them inside a metal container that blocks the key’s signal so it cannot be extended to remotely unlock and start the vehicle.”

Like the rear-wheel-drive Enyaq SportLine, a sports suspension system is fitted as standard, which sees the ride height reduced by 15mm at the front and 10mm at the rear.

This reduces the centre of gravity, improving cornering agility, while the drive mode selector lets the driver choose between sporty or more economical driving modes.

Equipment includes full LED Matrix headlights, 20-inch alloy wheels, heated front sports seats with black headlining and upholstery, and a three-spoke heated leather steering wheel.

It also gets extensive safety equipment and driver aids, tinted windows, tri-zone climate control and an integrated umbrella.

The new Skoda Enyaq 80x SportLine is available to order now with deliveries starting later this year.

Genesis GV60 crossover revealed as premium brand’s first electric car GENESIS has revealed the GV60, its first bespoke electric vehicle in the brand’s growing European line-up.

With the production car not due to hit forecourts until early next year, details are currently fairly thin on the ground.

However, what we do know is that it uses Hyundai’s E-GMP electric vehicle platform, with Genesis being the South Korean firm’s luxury division, meaning it can benefit from its technology.

That means it will have the same underpinnings as the highly praised Hyundai Ioniq 5 and the forthcoming Kia EV6, but where those cars have quite dramatic futuristic styling, the GV60 looks a little more restrained – if you ignore the lime green paint colour used for the launch photos, of course.

As such, it should have rapid charging capabilities of up to 350kW and a range of up to 300 miles.

Genesis says the GV60 is the next step in evolving its naming structure, where lower numbers will be more ‘athletic’ and higher numbers focus on a more premium, relaxing experience. This model will therefore sit below the GV70 and GV80 in the line-up as the most driverfocused car from the firm yet.

The GV60 takes design elements from the firm’s existing cars but adapts them for an electric vehicle. The huge grille that typically dominates Genesis front ends has been widened and placed lower in the front grille because electric vehicles don’t have the same cooling requirements as internal combustion engines.

Dashboard

CHARGING LOOKS The new GV60

The quad lamp design remains, while the bonnet has a ‘clamshell’ design that includes the front fenders. From the side profile there is a clear coupe-like swoop to the rear of the roof with a sporty spoiler.

Jump inside and there’s a pair of ‘floating’ displays that stretch from behind the wheel to the centre of the dashboard, which include the digital instrument binnacle and infotainment screen.

Small displays in the doors show the digital wing mirrors, and between the passengers sits a drive gear selector called a ‘Crystal Sphere’, which hides away when not needed.

The Genesis GV60 is one of three electric vehicles to come from the firm in Europe over the next year. Pricing and specification details have not yet been announced, but it is expected to go on sale in early 2022.

Books

Wednesday September 1 | 2021

The bookcase…

Many of us got into reading over the lockdowns. But whether you’re new to it or have read books all your life we hope you enjoy these top reads…

FICTION

A Line To Kill by Anthony Horowitz Published in hardback by Century, priced £20 (ebook £9.99). Available now

9/10

You’d expect Anthony Horowitz, who wrote for Midsomer Murders before reviving the Sherlock Holmes saga with two fresh 21st century novels, to know how to craft a good mystery. A Line To Kill sees Horowitz play the Dr Watson role alongside his Sherlockesque creation Daniel Hawthorne, a recalcitrant private investigator. They attend a literary festival on the tiny island of Alderney, and a gruesome murder rocks what had perhaps falsely appeared to be a tightknit community. With a colourful cast of characters, clever red herrings, a locked-room puzzle and chalk-and-cheese banter between the sleuths, Horowitz keeps the reader entertained and guessing throughout, in a wonderful modern take on the classic crime thriller.

(Review by James Cann)

Times book reviewer

Unholy Murder by Lynda La Plante Published in hardback by Zaffre, priced £20 (ebook £9.99). Available now Detective Jane Tennison has been taking a no-nonsense approach to solving cases for more than 30 years, and her exploits in Lynda La Plante’s latest page-turner are no exception. Unholy Murder is part of the Tennison series, chronicling the early career of the police officer made famous by Helen Mirren in 1990s TV series Prime Suspect. The novel, set in the 1980s, begins

when a coffin containing the body of a murdered nun is unearthed at a building site. Our intrepid investigator sets to work, her razor-sharp judgment only faltering with the distractions of an attractive property developer and a handsome priest. The book provides everything fans of detective dramas would want, but it lacks depth (Eleanor Barlow)

8/10

Orphans Of The Storm by Celia Imrie

7/10

Published in hardback by Bloomsbury Publishing, priced £14.99 (ebook £10.49).

Available now In Nice, France in 1911, Marcela Caretto finally files for divorce from her cruel and controlling husband. But as she awaits the judge’s final decision Michael flees the country with their two children, bound for a new life in America onboard the RMS Titanic. On the doomed steamer the family’s path crosses with that of New York socialite Margaret Hays. Based on the true story of the orphans of the Titanic, the book is a gripping read. After a somewhat slower first half, the pace eventually picks up and the novel races towards a beautiful and poignant conclusion. The section onboard the ship has some of the strongest writing in the book and could have been longer, but overall the emotional draw to the character of Marcela keeps the reader invested throughout.

(Review by Megan Baynes)

ONE YOU MAY HAVE MISSED

Music & Silence by Rose Tremain

HANNAH KIRSOP

COMING OF AGE

Three Summers by Margarita Liberaki

(published by Viking Books, priced £8.99)

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 baindenbookshelf.com online or on Instagram: @baindenbookshelf

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Newly republished in July, this lovely coming-of-age novel follows three sisters over the course of three summers in the Greek countryside as they grow up, fall in love and set out on their life paths.

Through Liberaki’s gentle and engaging prose, you will be drawn into both the sweltering, fragrant and colourful landscape and culture of Greece, and the burgeoning lives of flirtatious Maria, beautiful but reserved Infanta, and stubborn, forthright Katerina who is our narrator for much of the piece.

With a very similar feel to Dodie Smith’s ‘I Capture the Castle’, this is a must read for those who love coming of age novels with strong female characters. A hugely atmospheric novel about families, first love and the beautiful Greece.

(published by Vintage, priced £9.99) Set in and around the court of Christian IV of Denmark, the year 1629 sees a young English lutenist, Peter Claire, arrive at the Danish Court to join the King’s Royal Orchestra.

Claire quickly becomes embroiled in court life, falls in love with Emilia, the Queen’s companion, and finds himself torn between love and responsibility.

This, however, is only one strand of the book. Told by many narrators with some flashbacks, this novel has a love story at its heart but is filled with the tales of many other characters and their varied relationships. It is beautifully written, authentic and a joy to read - you will find yourself swiftly swept into the world of the well-drawn characters such that you will feel bereft to say goodbye to them when it comes to its end.

GREEK MYTHS MEET HUNGER GAMES

Lore by Alexandra Bracken (published by Quercus Children’s Books, priced £8.99)

The Agon is a brutal and deadly set of Death Games, designed to offer an opportunity for mortal descendants of ancient bloodlines to become Gods. Following the death of her parents at The Agon, for seven years Lore shuns the games until a wounded Athena comes to her home seeking her help. Her mission? To help destroy Athena’s mortal enemy and her own parents’ killer, Wrath, a God with the power to destroy all of humanity.

To help Athena and avenge the death of her parents, Lore must risk everything by entering The Agon….

This is fast-paced and thrilling adventure as Greek mythology is brought to a modern-day setting. A must read for fans of Percy Jackson and The Hunger Games aged 12-15ish.

Antique & Fine Art Auctioneers

Giovanni Antonio Canal called Canaletto (1697-1798) Venice, The Dogana from the Bacino di San Marco Estimate £100,000-150,000 Autumn Fine Sale, 28th September 2021

WHAT WILL WE FIND IN YOUR HOME? BOOK A FREE VALUATION 0800 0142 744 clientservices@gorringes.co.uk Royal Tunbridge Wells