Times of Tunbridge Wells 17th November 2021

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Wednesday November 17 | 2021

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SILENCE: The people of Tunbridge Wells gathered outside the Town Hall on Remembrance Sunday. See page 2

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Big bold plan in pipeline to transform Town Centre

By Richard Williams TORY councillors are developing an ambitious blueprint to revitalise the town centre and boost Tunbridge Wells businesses.

The news comes in the same week that it’s emerged a property developer has made a ‘solid investment in prime Tunbridge Wells’ by purchasing 14 shops opposite the Royal Victoria Place shopping centre in Calverley Road.

In a wide-ranging interview this week with the Times, Council Leader Tom Dawlings, while outlining his blueprint for the town centre, also admitted that locally the Conservative party:

•

Is paying the price of the £108million Calverley Square theatre complex and the building of a garden village.

• Has been behind the curve when it comes to election campaigning, especially on social media.

• Needs younger councillors to help move forward.

“We have several of our senior members standing down so there will be new faces in May [council elections],” he explained.

And the message is that Conservatives have learned the lessons after losing control of the Town Hall.

“It is a completely different Council now and we certainly have a different approach. We are less autocratic, more

collegiate, far more wanting to hear and understand what the local issues are rather than just say here is the solutions to the problem,” he said.

The Tories are also drawing up a blueprint to revitalise the town centre after a visiting government minister was said to be ‘surprised that the prosperous town of Tunbridge Wells looked so shabby’.

The idea is to boost trade in the wake of the Covid pandemic and the changing face of the High Street.

Cllr Dawlings told us: “The top of the town is the area where I am most focused on at the moment.”

Full story page 4.

• Wealden MP Nus Ghani earns over £700 an hour in second job – page 3

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Wednesday November 17 | 2021

this week… Crowds return to pay respects to ALL CHANGE: Council Leader reveals that Tunbridge Wells town centre will be revitalised to boost business. P4

those who have given their all

By Richard Williams

EMERGENCY PROCEDURE? MTW Trust admits it could have to fire up to 600 staff who refuse Covid vaccines. P6

FINE TUNED: Crowborough Choral Society prepares to perform live at St Mark’s church for first time in two years. P29

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CONTACTS EDITORIAL DIRECTOR RICHARD MOORE richard.moore@onemediauk.co.uk | 01892 779615

THOUSANDS of people across Tunbridge Wells and the surrounding areas paid their respects to the fallen as Sunday Remembrance services returned to normal.

Last year socially distanced and scaled back remembrance services had to take place due to the Covid pandemic.

Following the lifting of all restrictions, Remembrance Sunday saw several thousand people

POPPIES: Wreaths were laid at the War Memorial [picture H McCarthy]

descend on the War Memorial outside the Town Hall in Tunbridge Wells to join the mayor, armed services and local dignitaries in paying their respects to the fallen.

Silence Joining Mayor Chris Woodward was the Royal British Legion, 128 Squadron Air Training Corps, Tunbridge Wells Sea Cadet Corps, the RTW Orpheus Male Choir, Salvation Army Band as well as Tunbridge Wells MP Greg Clark, Tom Dawlings, Leader of the Council, and Chief Executive of the Council, William Benson.

The service began at 10.50 am, leading up to the eleventh hour where the Last Post was played followed by the traditional two-minute silence.

After the ceremony, a service was conducted by the vicar of King Charles the Martyr, Reverend Laurence Powell, before the laying of wreaths.

This year’s service coincided with the Royal British Legion’s centenary, having been formed in 1921 before becoming the largest Armed Forces charity with 180,000 members,

SERVICES took place across the area on both Armistice Day and on Remembrance Sunday.

Thursday’s Armistice Day was also marked at the eleventh hour with a small service at the War Memorial in Tunbridge Wells.

Following wreath laying outside the Town Hall, the service moved to Dunorlan Park’s Victoria Cross Grove where John Cohen the Royal British Legion’s leader, Mayor Cllr Chris Woodward, along with the members of the public, all paid their respects.

In Cranbrook the Town Band

led the march down the High Street from the War memorial as the traditional church service and parade returned to the town.

Message Remembrance Sunday saw a full turnout of legion members led by Branch Chairman Dave Hazlewood and representatives of many town organisations, including police and fire services.

Wreaths were also laid in St Dunstan’s Church and at the War Memorial.

The Scouts in Hawkhurst also laid memorial wreaths on Sunday, while in Crowbrough, Remembrance services were led by the newly formed Crowborough and District Veterans and Supporters Association.

Members paid their respects at the War Memorial on Chapel Green which included a welcome message from the Town Mayor, Councillor David Neeves.

See how Crowborough school pupils remembered the fallen at the service in Education, page 14.

“Although slightly restrained over prior years, it was good to return to something more like those years, after the very quiet 2020 event – it lovingly represented our Borough’s deep respect for the serving men and women who gave their all for our nation and the freedoms it lives by today.”

WREATHS: Tributes laid at the War Memorial in Chapel Green, Crowborough

NEVER FORGET: Hawkhurst Scouts laying a memorial wreath

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The Mayor of Tunbridge Wells Cllr Chris Woodward, who led the service at the War Memorial, said: “It was a great honour to lead this year’s Remembrance Sunday event at the War Memorial – I fully appreciate the participation of all those involved.

How we remembered

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MARCHING ON: The Sea Cadets join the thousands gathered outside the War Memorial in Tunbridge Wells on Remembrance Sunday [picture TWBC]

VICTORIA CROSS: The laying of wreaths in Dunorlan Park on Armistice Day

Wednesday November 17 | 2021

NEWS IN BRIEF

Derby football match pulls in record crowds HUNDREDS of football fans flocked through the turnstiles at the Jockey Farm Stadium on Saturday (November 13), home of Rusthall FC, as the team took on Tunbridge Wells FC for the first match between the two sides since the start of the pandemic.

A record 679 fans attended the Southern Counties East League Premier Division derby match, the highest attendance seen at the derby game.

The game ended 1-0 to Rusthall, which pulled them out of the relegation zone, whilst leaving The Wells in ninth position of the Southern Counties East League Premier Division.

Rusthall manager, Jimmy Anderson said: “The players, the committee, my management team, all of the fans, they deserve it. ”

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Get your skates on as the ice rink is back for Christmas...

Unit remains closed THE minor injuries unit (MIU) at the Crowborough War Memorial Hospital is to remain closed until at least next year.

The unit was shut in August for eight weeks after the Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust (SCFT) that runs it decided to focus resources in Uckfield and Lewes in the wake of the pandemic.

SCFT has now decided to keep the unit closed until at least February 2022.

Kate Pilcher, Chief Operating Officer at SCFT, said: “The NHS is facing unprecedented challenges this winter and East Sussex is no different. We know how important the MIU is to the local community, and we are committed to reopening it as soon as we can.

“Taking this step means we can provide the best possible service to local people across our Uckfield and Lewes services and even increase what is available there to help us all provide the care that people need this winter.”

Knifeman is jailed A MAN who assaulted and threatened a woman with a knife during a three-hour ordeal has been jailed for two years.

Edward Luff attacked the victim, who he knew, at her Hawkhurst address, punching her several times before threatening to stab her with a knife from her kitchen.

The 41-year-old pleaded guilty to actual bodily harm at Maidstone Crown Court and on Thursday (November 11) and was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment.

PC Jonathan Short of the Maidstone Vulnerability Investigation Team, said: ‘This was a terrifying assault by a cowardly bully who is now, quite rightly, starting a prison sentence.”

600 NHS staff face axe THE Trust that runs Tunbridge Wells Hospital may have to fire more than 600 NHS staff, after new rules insist health and social care staff have to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19.

According to the NHS, Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust [MTW], which runs both the hospital in Pembury as well as Maidstone Hospital, has around eight per cent of its workforce that have not had two doses of the vaccine.

Of the 8,363 workers on the NHS Electronic Staff Record at the Trust, around 94.2 per cent [7,877] had received at least one dose of the vaccine and 91.9 per cent [7,687] had been double jabbed by the latest figures which cover up to September 30.

Full story page 6.

BREAKING THE ICE Young skaters pictured in previous years

By Robert Forrester TUNBRIDGE WELLS ice rink is to return for the eleventh successive year on Friday.

In previous years, Skate Tunbridge Wells has attracted around 40,000 people, although the skate season was cut short last year when the rink had to be closed after being open for just a couple

of weeks due to the Covid crisis.

This year there will be two ice rinks open seven days a week in Calverley Grounds from November 19 to Monday, January 3.

The main rink, and a smaller one dedicated to toddlers during the day and transformed into a Bavarian Curling rink by night.

Father Christmas will also be making his annual

appearance as will the eatery vans selling donuts, crepes and bratwurst. The official Skate TW rink photographer will be there too in order to capture all the action.

All details and tickets can be found at skatetw. co.uk and those who pre-book can save £2 on sessions, members also receive a 10 per cent discount.

Outside income for MPs with one earning over £700 an hour

By Richard Williams THE MPs that represent Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge and Wealden all receive income, in varying degrees, from outside sources, according to Parliament’s Register of Members’ Financial Interests.

One of them earns more than £700 an hour for a second job. None of the Conservative members have broken any rules.

Refused Issues around standards in public life have come to a head following the resignation of former Tory MP Owen Paterson after he was found to have lobbied for two companies paying him for than £100,000 a year.

Last week, MPs were ordered to vote for a new committee to consider an altered system of appeals and to review Mr Paterson’s recommended suspension.

Ministers backtracked hours later after opposition parties refused to co-operate.

Since then, a new row has erupted over second jobs after Sir Geoffrey Cox, the former Attorney General and MP for Torridge and West Devon, was discovered to be

earning hundreds of thousands of pounds as a top QC while also an MP. This included representing the British Virgin Islands in a corruption probe brought by the UK Government.

Since December 2020, Tunbridge Wells MP Greg Clark, who admitted it was ‘clearly a mistake’ for the Government to call the vote on the Owen Paterson suspension that he had backed, received around £4,770 for speaking at two dinner events and for an article written for a national newspaper.

Tonbridge MP Tom Tugendhat*, who last week abstained from the vote on the Paterson amendment, also earned around £3,100 for various media articles.

He also received $5,000 from the Center for Independent Studies in Sydney, Australia, for a paper on UK-Australia relations.

Maritime However, the highest local earner for outside work, and among the best-paid MPs per hour in the House of Commons, is Nus Ghani. She represents Wealden, including the town of Crowborough, and used to be the Minister for Maritime at the Department of Transport but left the post in a 2020 cabinet reshuffle.

Ms Ghani, who backed the Paterson amendment, has two outside roles according to the register of financial interests.

The MP for Wealden earns £60,000 a year for seven hours work a month for a role as Non-executive Chairman for the Belfast Maritime Consortium Supervisory Board of Artemis – a maritime technology company.

The Belfast Maritime Consortium is a group consisting of businesses, academics and the local government that has invested £27million to deliver net-zero ferries in the Northern Ireland capital.

Ms Ghani’s work as Non-executive Chairman equates to £5,000 for seven hours work, or £714 for an hour’s work – more than the weekly pay of most of her constituents.

In Wealden the average annual salary is £32,300, or £621.12 a week.

NUS GHANI MP for Wealden

Ms Ghani also earns £12,000 a year for six hours work each month as a Senior Fellow at a think tank called the Policy Exchange. She provides advice on trade, maritime, security and terrorism.

When approached by the Times Nus Ghani declined to comment. *Last week we approached Tom Tugendhat about his voting record in the Owen Paterson amendment vote. The MP did not respond but wishes to clarify that he abstained from the vote and did not vote for or vote against the government. We are happy to clarify his position.

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Town Centre to be revitalised as part of plan to boost business

By Richard Williams THE town centre in Tunbridge Wells is set to get smaller as part of plans to boost trade in the wake of the Covid pandemic and the changing face of the High Street.

In an exclusive interview with the Times, Council Leader Tom Dawlings has revealed proposals are being drawn up to boost business in the town by reshaping the area.

He admits the Royal town is facing challenges, following a shock response from a Government Minister after a visit in September.

Cllr Dawlings said: “The top of the town is the area where I am most focused on at the moment.

“It is the area I took the Secretary of State [for Communities and Local Government] around and he was very surprised that the prosperous town of Tunbridge Wells looked so shabby.”

Professionals The tour with former Minster, Robert Jenrick, came as the Times reported on how traders at the top of Mount Pleasant Road are struggling with footfall compared to their busier counterparts in the High Street and The Pantiles.

In particular, the town’s flagship shopping centre, Royal Victoria Place [RVP], has been plagued by empty units and a lack of footfall.

Cllr Dawlings, who represents Benenden and Cranbrook said: “We talk to [owners] British Land quite a bit, and in lots of ways we are very fortunate RVP was bought by professionals and not a pension fund or some other investment company, so having someone running it that specialise in it is good, but against that, life is not easy for them either TOM DAWLINGS right now.

Wants to boost business

“The advantages we have though are that most of the businesses and empty shops are national retailers, but local retailers and the locally owned businesses do seem to have survived the pandemic.

“We have the same problems other town centres have but we do have a lot of local business that are doing well.”

But he warned that Tunbridge Wells was ‘more vulnerable’ than other towns facing similar challenges, especially as the Borough Council is facing a near £2millon deficit in the next financial year.

Dependent He said: “First I want to say we have no plans to cut services yet but are looking to rationalise many of our assets. We have a lot of buildings that are not suitable for modern times and that are expensive to maintain, such the Town Hall.

“The co-working arrangements for the Town Hall, sub-letting two thirds of the building to co-working, could result in potentially 200-300 people coming into town on a regular basis.

“This Council is particularly vulnerable as we get three times more from fees and charges than we do in Council tax and we are providing a great deal more services than other councils like a theatre, like a crematorium, like the sports clubs.

“As we don’t get any money from Government and as our Council Tax is capped, our income is hugely dependent on people coming to the theatre or to town and using the car parks.”

He said the Council is now devising a town centre plan, which is expected to be published next year, where they hope to unveil proposals to drive more footfall to the area.

“The entire focus of our property planning in our Local Plan has been in the town centre and the Town Centre Area Plan is being worked on now,” he said. “The sort of things emerging are, we might shrink the town centre on the more extreme parts of the shopping areas to move to residential.”

Areas such as the top of Upper Grosvenor Road, have already seen commercial premises such as the old Job Centre being turned into residential properties.

But Cllr Dawlings wants to go further.

He continued: “Think of the far end of Camden Road. Moving the businesses closer into town is the sort of approach we want to work on.

“Town centres are going to be based on people so if you have more people living close to the town centre you have more people coming to the town centre to shop and work.

“And this is why we have put preservation orders on properties in the town centre to protect them as offices and business in the town.

“But we are very focused on understanding the issues of business such as British Land and other major employers in town.

“One thing we can do is to encourage further business growth because we are able to keep a higher percentage of business rates.”

CONTROL The Tories face being a minority party at the Town Hall

Wednesday November 17 | 2021

TORIES WRONG ON THEATRE BUT NOW A ‘DIFFERENT PARTY’ COUNCIL Leader Tom Dawlings has admitted the local Conservative group of councillors is facing challenges following a decline in support in the traditionally true-blue Borough of Tunbridge Wells.

The party now only has 23 councillors in the 48-seat Town Hall following the death of Julian Stanyer, whose seat is to be contested in a by-election on November 25. The result could see the Tories have to hang on to running the Council as a minority party.

Cllr Dawlings admits the party is paying the price for the £108million Calverley Square Theatre project [now abandoned] as well as its decision to build a garden village in the Local Plan.

He said: “There were two fundamental reasons [for the decline in support]. One was Calverley Square that created opposition and created different factions. Gradually, the main purpose of what it was intended to achieve was forgotten.

“And then there is the Local Plan, there is high worry about over development and congestion, but people forget the local plan is not just about housing.”

Focus

But he admits his party had been behind the curve when it comes to modern election campaigning, especially on social media.

“It took a lot of time for people in my party to realise that was something that we needed to get engaged with. We do now have younger councillors that are more engaged, and it is a clear focus that, come the election in spring, we must have a social media platform that is better,” he said.

He continued: “It is a completely different Council now and we certainly have a different approach. We are less autocratic, more collegiate, far more wanting to hear and understand what the local issues are rather than just say here are the solutions to the problem.”

He pointed to recent success with the crossparty group of councillors that came up with the town hall co-working office scheme that received unanimous support in the Town Hall.

“It was a great example of how the parties can work together, and it is something I want us to do more of,” he said.

Developer buys up 14 shops in heart of the precinct

By Robert Forrester A PROPERTY company has bought 14 units in Tunbridge Wells town centre, acquiring one side of Calverley Road.

Evolve Estates has purchased 2-46 Calverley Road, for an undisclosed amount from a single landlord – thought to be worth millions.

The 67,000 sq ft portfolio, which sits in the heart of the bustling town centre, includes high street names such as Waterstones, Fat Face, Nationwide Building Society, EE and Barclays Bank. There is also one first-floor residential unit.

Acquisition The Tunbridge Wells acquisition is the latest in a string of investments by Evolve, which is focusing on the regional convenience retail sector.

Joe O’Keefe, director, said: “This is a solid investment in prime Tunbridge Wells. We are already finding tenant demand for space and this high street parade is performing strongly, with robust footfall and diverse occupiers.

“Over time, under utilised and redundant ‘upper parts’ are likely to be converted to much-needed residential units, which the buildings lend themselves to physically and aesthetically.”

He added that Evolve is committed to seeking out assets it can add value to, both to its portfolio and also to the local communities in which it operates. It has significant funds ready to deploy for the right opportunities.

SNAPPED UP Evolve Estates has bought up one side [left of picture] of Calverley Road opposite Royal Victoria Place

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Trust is faced with firing 6OO NHS staff over jabs

By Richard Williams HUNDREDS of NHS staff at the Trust that runs Tunbridge Wells Hospital may lose their jobs, after the government insisted health and social care staff will need to have received the Covid-19 vaccine.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid announced last week that frontline NHS workers in England will need to be jabbed to continue in their jobs from April next year, unless exempt.

The Government has conceded that the policy could have a ‘significant impact’ on the health service, with estimates suggesting that as many as 123,000 could leave their jobs as a result.

Coronavirus update...

Covid rates falling but admissions on the rise

THE number of people that have tested positive for Covid-19 in Tunbridge Wells has dropped dramatically, although admissions to hospital have risen.

Tunbridge Wells saw nearly 700 people a week return positive tests for the virus at the end of the last month, but cases have been falling since.

Higher

Deadline It comes as tens of thousands of care home staff who have not had both coronavirus vaccine doses were told they could not continue in their role from last Thursday [November 11].

Figures published by NHS England show that more than 56,000 staff in care homes were not recorded as having received both doses four days before last week’s deadline.

A similar fate will apply to all unjabbed NHS frontline workers from April 1 next year.

According to the NHS, Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust [MTW], which runs both the hospital in Pembury as well as Maidstone Hospital, has around eight per cent of its workforce that have not had two doses of the vaccine.

Of the 8,363 workers on the NHS Electronic

Wednesday November 17 | 2021

Staff Record at the Trust, around 94.2 per cent [7,877] had received at least one dose of the vaccine and 91.9 per cent [7,687] had been double jabbed by the latest figures which cover up to September 30.

There were 486 staff members that had not had at least one dose of the vaccine, and a further 192 that had received only one dose.

By April next year, if the workers that have had just one jab or not been vaccinated at all still

have not received two doses, then MTW will be forced to either redeploy them or terminate their employment.

This could mean 678 staff members at MTW will lose their jobs, although the Trust says this figure does cover all its workers and a percentage of the unvaccinated will not be frontline workers so will be exempt from the rule changes.

Nobody at MTW was available to comment.

Recent figures for the seven days to November 8 show that the number of positive cases had dropped to 468 from 548 the week before.

This gives the Borough a rate per 100,000 of 393.5, which is slightly higher than the average in England of 352.5.

It comes amid a backdrop of falling rates across the country with 82 per cent [310] of the 377 local authority areas having seen a week on week fall in positive tests.

However, the most recent figures from the NHS show hospital admissions from Covid-19 have risen.

On November 2, there were 57 patients with the virus either in Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust [MTW], and four of these patients were on ventilators.

This is up from the same period in October when there were just 12 patients at either Tunbridge Wells Hospital or Maidstone Hospital with the virus, and just one patient was on a ventilator.

The figures remain around a fraction of the rates seen at the peak of the pandemic in January when there were more than 300 people with Covid in hospital beds at MTW.

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Chamber vows to fix the county’s skills shortage

By Richard Williams MORE students and apprentices are needed in three key areas in Kent, the chamber of commerce has said, as it draws up plans to plug the skills gap in the county.

The Times reported last month how Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce and its Further Education partnership had been appointed as one of eight national trailblazers by the Government.

The partnership secured £5.6million for Kent’s further education colleges to implement a pilot Strategic Development Fund and bring forward new courses tailored to the needs of business.

Now Chief Executive of the Chamber, Jo James OBE, has explained how the chamber plans to ensure the next generation of workers are being trained for jobs that are needed in Kent.

She said “We have been asked to write a report for the government on how we can make Further Education [FE] qualifications match the needs of business as part of their white paper Skills for Jobs: Lifelong Learning for Opportunity and Growth.

“For quite some time, employers have had insufficient influence on shaping FE provision, and I think the government is keen we take more of a European approach where employers have far more influence.”

Jo James

Wednesday November 17 | 2021

Plans to boost bus services announced A NEW plan has been published setting out how Kent County Council [KCC] hopes to sustain and improve bus services in the future.

As part of the Government’s National Bus Strategy, launched in March 2021, all Local Transport Authorities including KCC were asked to form ambitious proposals and submit them alongside a funding bid to central goverment.

The document, called the Bus Service Improvement Plan, sets out a vision to recover from the impacts of the pandemic and sustain existing services and then improve all aspects of service provision including; infrastructure, the impact of services on the environment, fares, ticketing and innovation.

Enhance

PLUGGING THE GAP Kent Invicta want Further Education to support jobs needed by industry She said the chamber had identified three key sectors that are of particular importance in both Kent and Medway.

Identifying “We are focusing on all sectors but in particular manufacturing and engineering, agriculture as well as construction are the three key sectors in Kent and Medway,” she said.

“I see three key problems that need to be addressed.

“Firstly, identifying that it is not necessarily a skills shortage but a labour shortage in some areas, where an organisation may need ned any specific qualifications but has short of staff, so

what does a business need to do make them more attractive to young people.

“Secondly, what are the immediate skills needs?

“And thirdly what are the long-term skills needs and how do we enable change to deliver it?”

Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce will report back to the government with its findings in February, but in the meantime, it has launched a telemarketing campaign where around 2,000 companies will be called for their views.

Organisations that wish to contribute their views on skills shortages in their industry can also contact the chamber via its website: kentinvictachamber.co.uk

It was drawn up following consultations with Kent’s bus operators and following public and stakeholder engagement. The Kent Bus Service Improvement Plan will now be assessed by Government against its own National Bus Strategy and used to decide how much funding the council gets.

Further work, which is also set out in the plan, will be done to enhance the relationships with bus companies and encourage more services for local people.

Kent County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, David Brazier, said: “This is an ambitious plan but we only want the very best for the residents of Kent.

“Whilst the majority of services are operated commercially in Kent, we have some fantastic relationships with our bus operators, and through our Quality Bus Partnerships we already work collaboratively and in a targeted way for the good of the bus network and its users.”

The plan that has been submitted to the government, is available to view by visiting letstalk.kent.gov.uk/busfuture

Wednesday November 17 | 2021

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Art gallery plans to rock The Pantiles with punk exhibition

By Robert Forrester AN NEWLY opened art gallery is bringing some iconic images featuring many of the well-known names in the music industry to Tunbridge Wells.

A private collection of rare, limited-edition photographs shot in 1970s in downtown New

York and in London’s Soho are to being displayed at The Design Gallery in the newly opened Pantiles Arcade in the Corn Exchange.

Iconic images of David Bowie, John Lennon, Iggy Pop, Andy Warhol, Patti Smith and Debbie Harry will be shown alongside The Ramones, The New York Dolls, The Clash, Sex Pistols and Lou Reed.

BOMBSHELL: Blondie AKA Deborah Harry as photographed by Leee Black Childers

Seminal

SPACE ODDITY: David Bowie shot in the 1970s by music photographer Leee Black Childers

The exhibition is curated by author and journalist Stephen Colegrave to celebrate the 20th anniversary of his and Chris Sullivan’s best-selling book ‘PUNK A Life Apart’.

The book is based on over 100 interviews with leading punk figures.

Over the last 20 years this has been recognised as a seminal work and studied in universities and colleges worldwide.

The important artefacts tell the inside stories of one of the most dramatic periods in music-making history and are rarely available for sale.

The works were originally created by the late Leee Black Childers (Photographer and The Heartbreakers Manager and Bowie Tour Manager), the late Warhol photographer Nat Finkelstein, and acclaimed American rock photographer Bob Gruen.

Talks hosted by Colegrave will be held during the weekends of the 7-week exhibition and are free to attend.

The prints, which are all for sale, although prices have to be negotiated with the gallery, are signed by the photographers.

Rock Stars: Punk to Pop is open Tuesdays to Saturdays 10am-5pm and Sundays 11am-4pm.

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Law firm ensures it’s just desserts for Cranbrook supplier A LEADING supplier of chilled desserts that has been operating for over 19 years, has been sold to private equity backed equity company.

Rhokett Limited, based in Cranbrook and Hawkhurst was established in 2002 by the late TV chef Gary Rhodes as well as Martin Dockett and Peter Le Voir.

The shareholders for the firm turned to Tunbridge Wells based Thomson Snell & Passmore to advise them on the acquisition by Palacios, a Spanish firm.

Palacios bought a majority interest in Rhokett’s shares, with the option to purchase all remaining shares at a later date.

The company was founded in 1960 as a family butchers. Today, it employs over 1,000 staff and has a turnover of more than $255 million a year.

Deal Joanne Gallagher, Partner and Head of Corporate at Thomson Snell & Passmore who led the legal team on the sale said: “We are delighted to have been able to harness our Mergers & Acquisition expertise, as well as our experience in the food and drink sector to complete this deal for the shareholders of Rhokett.

“We are sure that as part of a new enlarged international group, Rhokett, will continue to go from strength to strength.”

Peter Le Voir at Rhokett added: “We are very grateful to our advisers at Spayne Lindsay and Thomson Snell & Passmore for guiding us through the majority shareholding sale process to Palacios, who we have known for some years.

“We look forward to the partnership and tremendous opportunities with Palacios going forward who we believe will be strong custodians of the key elements of the business.”

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Wednesday November 17 | 2021

Homes set to bring wonder to winter with light display

By Taylor Catton MORE than 100 residents are planning to decorate their homes with artistic and inventive designs across the borough this month.

Wonder Lights started in 2017 in Tunbridge Wells.

The two-day event encourages residents to decorate and create displays in their front windows or gardens which in turn helps to light up their neighbourhoods.

There is no theme so people can create anything they like that is fun, creative and eye-catching.

The event takes place on Saturday, November 27 to Sunday November 28 from 5pm.

Last year’s Wonder Lights was cancelled at the last moment due to various lockdowns, but co-ordinator Mat Waugh wants to see more people take part this year.

He said: “With so much uncertainty in recent times, I wasn’t sure whether people were ready to see Wonder Lights return. But I asked everyone who had planned to light up for 2020 for their thoughts, and the answer was a definitive yes.

“People are often a little hesitant about signing up. What could I do? How much time will it take? But once people are on board and they have the seed of an idea it all becomes a lot easier.

“For those who can’t take part – perhaps because they don’t have a street-facing window

– then there’s always the fun of using the map to find nearby displays, so I expect many more to be out and about that weekend.”

He continued: “I advise people to keep it simple. I try to show on the website effective ideas can be very simple indeed.

“Some objects are beautiful already, they just need a bit of thought on how to illuminate them, such as musical instruments or perhaps children’s art on home-made easels.

Residents “Silhouettes using black paper and coloured tissue paper are always popular; others get technical with projectors and lasers. It’s about finding an idea that is fun to make and interesting to look at,” Mat added.

Wonder Lights started from small beginnings on Stephen’s Road, St John’s, but has grown over the years.

More than 100 houses have already signed up to take part across Tunbridge Wells, Hawkenbury and Southborough.

Previously, residents have stretched their artistic skills with elaborate silhouettes including a Jack & The Beanstalk display that wound its way in and out of windows as well as and about a dozen rockets when the event last took place during the 2019 anniversary of the first moon landing.

For more information on where you can find the displays, visit wonderlights.info/#map.

Competition aims to capture young people in lockdown

By Olivia Bridgen AN ONLINE competition of short films is hoping to help young people affected by the stresses of lockdown.

TWSocial, which is a community website launched by the Tunbridge Wells Borough Council [TWBC] last year, has run an online competition called ‘My Lockdown Companion’ to find the best short Stop-Motion animation films depicting the trails of lockdown.

It has encouraged young people to send in short stories about their personal account of what, or who got them through the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to an NHS Digital report, nearly 40 per cent of six to 16-year-olds, and just over 50 per cent of seventeen to 23-year-olds, in 2021, said they had experienced deterioration in their mental health over the last few years

‘This project is all about giving young people a voice and creatively expressing what they went through last year’ following various Covid-19 school closures.

My Lockdown Companion has been run with three age categories, (5-10yrs, 11-15yrs and 16+) where children can express how they got through lockdown.

Judges are currently compiling a shortlist from each category and winners will receive cinema vouchers and a unique opportunity to develop their video with the Tunbridge Wells based agency ‘Copper Leaf Media’ who

TO THE MOON: A lit window created in honour of the moon landing anniversary in 2019

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LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION: One of the short films submitted to TW Social

specialise in graphic, web design, animation and video production.

Many of the videos depict the angst young people have been feeling in lockdown using Lego characters and have been shot by painstaking shooting the films frame by frame.

The videos will be shared on the TWSocial community website as part of the ‘My Lockdown Companion’ film festival and on its social media platforms.

The winners will be announced on Wednesday, November 24.

Bethan Minter the Creative Learning Co-ordinator of Tunbridge Council Cultural team explained why this project is so important.

She said: “This project is all about giving young people a voice and creatively expressing what they went through last year.”

She added that local youth organisations have contributed to the project, including The West Kent YMCA, Tunbridge Wells Youth for Christ and lots more.

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Wednesday November 17 | 2021

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Charity seeks opinion on A return to the thin blue a new children’s service line for retired officers

By Connor Alldritt

A HOSPICE charity is inviting families of children with life-limiting illnesses to get in touch to help structure a new service that is planned for early 2022.

Hospice in the Weald, which provides care for patients who are in the last years of their lives, says the new service will care for children of all ages from 0-18, by providing treatment, appointments, care and activities, based within the comfort of the child’s home.

The programme will look to help families who are left to travel to London for treatment, appointments, and other support, due to the lack of service.

SUPPORT: The charity has helped residents and their families for over 40 years

BACK ON THE BEAT: Members of NARPO [picture Twitter]

Impact Due to the limited children’s services around the two counties, the number of children in need of hospice care in Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge & Malling, Sevenoaks, Maidstone and Wealden is estimated to be 1,415.

This population growth, combined with medical developments which increase the life expectancies for many of these children, means the need for hospice care will continue to grow.

Hospice in the Weald Chief Executive, Nick Farthing said: “We have cared for the adult population in the local area for more than 40 years, and now is the time to extend this outstanding care to families with children and young people who need our support.

“The care we provide for children is likely to look different to that which we provide for adults; typically, we care for adults in the last year of life, but we are likely to care for children for much longer periods.

“Our engagement sessions and conversations

FORMER officers and staff members at Kent Police paid a visit to Tunbridge Wells Police Station this week.

The team are a part of the National Association (NARPO) for Retired Police Officers who provide help and support for people after their

retirement from the service.

A spokesperson for NARPO said: “Our branch aims to support members and widows providing help and assistance with a variety of issues. We provide regular information on both national Narpo issues as well as those affecting Kent.”

Virtual auction raises £5,000 for West Kent Mind with families who will benefit from this type of support are key to us being able to design exactly what the service will look like and ensure it has the most positive impact that it can on our community.”

The charity will be holding a series of coffee mornings and visiting families in their homes to hear their feedback about the new service.

Families are invited to the charities next meet up to share their experiences and to help design the service which is pencilled in for November 23 at 11 am at the Hospice in Pembury.

MORE than £5,000 was raised to support mental health services in the area, thanks to an online auction that saw people bid on family photoshoots, a luxury mattress, children’s toys, and even a Spanish villa.

West Kent Mind, which has seen a 30 per cent increase in referrals since the pandemic, raised £5,245 from the auction which will help it continue to provide responsive and engaging support to people experiencing mental health problems in the community.

Fundraising Manager, Kate Barnes was delighted with the amount of money raised from

the auction after the charity was forced to cancel their fundraising programme last year due to covid.

She said: “The funds raised by the online auction will make a real difference. Every single penny that we raise we spend in ways that have the greatest outcomes for communities in West Kent.

“We are committed to reaching more people and providing effective, accessible, and meaningful support to anyone who needs us – we want people to know that we are here for them.”

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Wednesday November 17 | 2021

English cricket is ‘institutionally’ racist Azeem Rafiq tells MPs

CRICKETER Azeem Rafiq has told MPs he felt ‘isolated, humiliated at times’ due to the bombardment of racism he suffered during his time at Yorkshire County Cricket Club.

Rafiq, 30, told a Digital, Culture, Media and Sport select committee that racist language was ‘constantly’ used during his time at Yorkshire.

In an emotional testimony yesterday [Tuesday] morning, he also said the club gave him ‘inhuman’ treatment after his son was still born in 2017.

He added the issues he faced at Yorkshire are ‘without a shadow of a doubt’ widespread in domestic cricket.

Determined Rafiq said he had lost his career to racism, which is a ‘horrible feeling’ but that ‘hopefully’ by speaking out there will be ‘massive change in five years' time’.

"All I wanted was an acceptance, an apology, an understanding, and let's try and work together to ensure it never happens again," he said.

"I was not going to let this go, no matter how much damage it causes me - I was determined to become a voice for the voiceless."

He claimed the use of such terms was racist

and not ‘banter’ as the report had concluded, and the use of such words left him feeling ‘isolated’ and ‘humiliated’.

Yorkshire's former chairman Roger Hutton subsequently addressed the committee, followed by representatives from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), including chief executive Tom Harrison.

Hutton, who offered his ‘profound apologies’ to Rafiq, said Yorkshire's director of cricket Martyn Moxon and former chief executive Mark Arthur ‘failed to accept the gravity of the situation’.

"They have not wanted to apologise or take the recommendations of the panel going forward," he added.

When asked by Damian Green MP if he thought cricket was institutionally racist, Rafiq replied: "Yes, I do."

Downing Street described his evidence to the committee as ‘concerning’.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said Boris Johnson had been in meetings and had not watched any of the testimony.

But the spokesman added: “The evidence given this morning is concerning. There is no place for racism in sport.

“There is no place for racism anywhere in society.”

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BORIS Johnson has proposed banning MPs from acting as paid political consultants or lobbyists as he tries to stem the sleaze row that has battered the Tory party.

The Prime Minister also called for the Commons code of conduct to be updated and for MPs who fail to focus on their constituents to be “investigated and appropriately punished”.

Mr Johnson outlined the plans as Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer was due to detail his bid to force a potentially damaging vote for the

CALLS FOR INQUIRY INTO PM’S FATHER LABOUR has urged the Tories to launch an investigation after a senior Conservative MP and a journalist accused Stanley Johnson, the Prime Minister’s father, of inappropriately touching them.

Former minister Caroline Nokes first accused the elder Mr Johnson of forcefully smacking her on the backside at the Conservative Party conference in 2003, ahead of him running to be a Tory MP.

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Government on taking action to tackle sleaze.

Detailing his plans in a letter to Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the Prime Minister said they would ensure MPs who are ‘neglecting their duties to their constituents and prioritising outside interests would be investigated, and appropriately punished by the existing disciplinary authorities’.

“They would also ban MPs from exploiting their positions by acting as paid political consultants or lobbyists,” Mr Johnson added.

Her allegation prompted political journalist Ailbhe Rea to say she was “groped” by the former member of the European Parliament at the party conference in 2019.

Mr Johnson has declined to comment other than to say he has ‘no recollection of Caroline Nokes at all’ while the Conservative Party is

yet to say whether it will launch an inquiry.

Ms Nokes, chair of the Commons Women and Equalities Committee, suggested the Prime Minister’s father inappropriately touched her during the 2003 conference in Blackpool.

At the time, she was preparing for the campaign to represent the Hampshire constituency of Romsey during the 2005 election, during which Mr Johnson stood in Teignbridge, in Devon.

“I can remember a really prominent man smacking me on the backside about as hard as he could and going, ‘Oh, Romsey, you’ve got a lovely seat’,” Ms Nokes told Sky News.

“Stanley Johnson did that to me ahead of the ‘05 election, so it was Blackpool … 2003/4.

“I didn’t do anything and I feel ashamed by that … now I probably would.”

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Wednesday November 17 | 2021

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Tesco’s vaccinated Santa becomes most complained about TV advert

Terror suspect a Christian convert and asylum seeker

TESCO’S Christmas TV campaign featuring Father Christmas bearing a Covid vaccine passport has prompted more than 3,000 complaints, making it by far the most complained about ad of the year.

The ad, titled This Christmas, Nothing’s Stopping Us, shows the supermarket’s customers determined to enjoy a proper Christmas with family and friends after last year’s Covid-related restrictions.

However, in one scene a reporter appears on TV with ‘breaking news’ telling viewers that ‘Santa could be quarantined’.

Father Christmas is then shown presenting his Covid pass at border control, proving he has been vaccinated to a customs officer so he can enter the country without restriction.

THE suspected terrorist who blew himself up with a homemade bomb outside a hospital was a Christian convert who had reportedly had an asylum claim rejected in 2014.

Emad Al Swealmeen is said to have moved to the UK from the Middle East several years ago and been supported by a Christian couple who at one stage housed him in Liverpool.

The 32-year-old died after the device exploded in a taxi outside Liverpool Women’s Hospital shortly before 11am on Remembrance Sunday.

Police said it could take “many weeks” before they fully understand what happened in terms of planning, preparation and how things unfolded.

Motivated

Complicit The scene from the full 90-second ad, which is set to Queen’s Don’t Stop Me Now, sparked fierce debate on social media after the ad launched on Saturday night.

Television presenter and nutritionist Gillian McKeith was among them, tweeting: “#tesco has a new Christmas advert that celebrates #discrimination & #segregation via a fully jabbed Santa who shows his medical status!”

She added: “Who in their right mind in management thought this was a good idea? If you don’t #BoycottTesco then you are #complicit.”

Another added: “Did I really just see a Christmas TV ad on ITV for Tesco to Queen’s ‘Don’t Stop me Now’ hit with families having fun / flying abroad etc & then a guy smiling flashing up his smart phone with a COVID passport on it?? Omg I am NEVER shopping at Tesco again #boycottTesco not ok.’”

JABBED The Tesco advert featuring a vaccinated Father Christmas has received 3,000 complaints Another tweeted: “Unacceptable and despicable. HUGE mistake on your part.”

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said it was reviewing the complaints to see if they warranted an investigation for a potential breach of the rules.

A spokesman said: “We’ve received over 3,000 complaints regarding this ad.

“We are currently carefully reviewing these complaints to determine whether there are any grounds for further action.

“The large majority of complaints assert that the ad is coercive, and encourages medical

discrimination based on vaccine status.”

A Tesco spokeswoman said: “We respect everyone’s views and we know that Christmas is a hugely important time for many of our customers and, after last year’s events, that is truer now than ever.

“We set out to create a campaign which took a light-hearted view on how the nation is feeling and it has been well-received by colleagues and customers.

“We are still in the midst of a pandemic and the advert reflects the current rules and regulations regarding international travel.”

One unnamed source quoted in national newspapers said an issue being considered is whether the suspected attacker was motivated by an ‘unresolved grievance’ with the Home Office over a bid to become a UK resident.

Malcolm Hitchcott, who with his wife Elizabeth had taken Al Swealmeen in to live with them, said the suspect had first come to Liverpool’s Anglican Cathedral in 2015 and wanted to convert from Islam to Christianity.

Mr Hitchcott told reporters: “He was destitute at that time and we took him in.

“The UK asylum people were never convinced he was Syrian and he was refused asylum in 2014.

“He had his case rejected because he has been sectioned due to some mental health incident where he was waving a knife at people from an overpass.”

A spokesman for Liverpool Cathedral said Al Swealmeen was baptised in 2015 and confirmed in 2017, but lost contact with the cathedral in 2018.

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EDUCATION TimesVictoria White Conservative Cllr for Park Ward, Tunbridge Wells

Students and staff remember the fallen on November 11 Beacon Academy have paid tribute to all those who lost or have risked their lives in service of their country

Communication has not been th

By Eileen Leahy A SMALL group of Beacon Academy students were proud to play their part in Crowborough’s Armistice Service on Thursday November 11.

Members of the Academy’s Student Leadership Team, Sam and William (Year 11) along with Year 7 student, Willow, performed a poignant reading of In Flanders Fields, the poem by John McCrae that inspired the use of the poppy as a symbol of remembrance.

I WAS honoured and delighted to be elected as a new Conservative councillor for Park ward in May. Winning the seat showed that local residents understand and appreciate the hard work local Conservatives put in over the last 18 months during an incredibly difficult time for the Borough Council and for all of us.

But I believe the support I received was about more than just that. It was also recognition that the Conservatives in Tunbridge Wells are changing and that we are planning a new and exciting future for the town.

Support Year 9 student, Natasha, performed The Last Post and The Reveille to mark the beginning and the end of the two-minute silence, after which, wreaths were laid by students from the attending schools and local community groups.

Led by the newly-formed Crowborough and District Veterans and Supporters Association, which has taken on the role of the former Crowborough Branch of the Royal British Legion, with the support of Crowborough Town Council, the service at the War Memorial on Chapel Green included a welcome from the Town Mayor, Cllr David Neeves and an address by officiating Minister, Steve Rees.

To enable all Beacon Academy students and staff, parents and carers and the wider community to take part in a collective moment of reflection and remembrance from school,

TRIBUTE Students and servicemen on November 11 Residents home or work, the school also broadcast a short, pre-recorded online event via YouTube to coincide with Crowborough’s Armistice Day commemorations.

The online event featured a short talk from Headteacher, Anna Robinson, presentations from Teacher of History, Mr Alex Braidwood, and Head of Personal Development, Lorna Miller, as well as a reading of In Flanders Fields and a performance of The Last Post and The Reveille. There was also a display of Remembrance-inspired artworks and a two-minute silence.

Anna Robinson thanked those who were able

It’s fair to say that the Conservatives have a reputation for a certain ‘type’ of councillor but “This year is special the last election hasparticularly shown this is no longer true. I was able to add another because it marks 100female yearscouncillor since to the Conservative group, and I now work the nation’s collective alongside other new and younger Conservatives traditions –Remembrance such as Lance Goodship, Paul Robertswere and Harry Allen keen to bring a new perspective first- all brought together” and voice to local politics.

Together we want to deliver change. I believe to join the event commenting, “Some this needs to be remotely, focused around two things of you may know that held our first virtual – communication andwe cooperation.

Remembrance event inin2020 when we were With a background marketing, I understand limited by restrictions due to the pandemic.

This the importance of communication.

It’s

year, while we are really delighted to be able to take part in the Remembrance service for our town, we want to strongly be able tothat continue unde something I feel we, asthis a new tradition for our schoolhave and hold a whole school reside Conservative Council, not been good event remotely as well. This year is particularly comm enough at doing. special it marks 100 years since the We a With abecause town centre in need of rejuvenation, nation’s collective traditions were with t now is the time toRemembrance talk to everyone to understand first together. is a chance to keep media whatbrought they care about This and what they want our in mind andforward. sacrifice of those who e-new town to the lookcourage like going served countries, pay tributeimposing to the special And Gonetheir are the days of to the Council contribution families and forward of the emergency we ha policies fromofabove.

Going we must services and to acknowledge innocent civilians who have lost their lives in conflict and acts of terrorism. It is also a time to recognise that as future generations, we have a responsibility to work relentlessly for the peace that they fought so hard to achieve.”

In the absence of a poppy appeal organiser for Crowborough this year, a Beacon Academy said there are a number of other ways to support the Poppy Appeal if you would like to.

They include parents and carers of Beacon Academy students donating to the Poppy Appeal via ParentPay until this coming Friday (November 19).

Local craft group Sewing Crow-Bees have created a wall of knitted poppies for visitors to take in exchange for a donation to their GoFundMe fundraiser in aid of the Poppy Appeal.

And you can find out more ways to donate or get involved here: www.britishlegion.org.uk/getinvolved/poppy-appeal REJUVENATION: The Council wants to know what you want

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Greg Clark Conservative MP for Tunbridge Wells

Wednesday November 17 | 2021

Greg Clark was first elected MP for Tunbridge Wells in 2005.

He has held a number of positions in Government, including Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. He is currently Chair of the House of Commons Science and Technology Select Committe.

The security of women and girls needs to be addressed after this shocking case During my time as your MP nothing has shocked me more than the depraved crimes that David Fuller has admitted to committing against living and dead women and girls in places in Tunbridge Wells so familiar that I pass by them every week.

I was in Maidstone Crown Court for the opening of the trial, and it is hard to put what I heard out of mind, so pitiless were this man’s deeds and so tragic the consequences.

Unthinkable I want to turn to the murders of Wendy Knell and Caroline Pierce in a moment, but the appalling offences against dead bodies in our local hospitals’ mortuaries are causing heartbreak right now for many of my constituents.

Having gone through the trauma of losing a close family member, they were confronted suddenly and unexpectedly on a quiet Friday night a few weeks ago with a knock on the door from the police bringing the unthinkable news that Fuller desecrated the bodies of their loved ones.

Having met with some of the families I will do everything I can to stop others having to undergo such heartbreak. That’s why a public inquiry is necessary – because if a man like Fuller could evade suspicion and detection in

MURDERED Caroline Pierce [above] and Wendy Knell [right] were both victims of Fuller’s Tunbridge Wells for so many years, it could happen elsewhere. It is imperative that we act to prevent that. I, and my neighbouring MPs, were grateful that the Health Secretary agreed, and has established such an inquiry.

If any of my constituents reading this are affected, who I have not met with, I am available to give you all the support I can – just get in touch.

Fuller’s convictions for the murders of Wendy and Caroline has also had a big impact on our community. Even after more than 30 years, the brutal ending of these young women’s lives fill us with sadness and anger at the loss of the lives

they would have led.

It is depressing in another way too: the recent killing of Sarah Everard and Sabina Nessa show that violence against women and girls, even murder, is not a thing of the past. Even as crime rates – including violent crime – have fallen since the 1970s and 1980s, and even though mobile phones and CCTV make our movements much more visible than in years past, it is shocking that in a typical week in Britain two women are killed by men.

And that is to say nothing of the acts of violence – some recorded but most not – that are perpetuated each day, and even more

widespread the sense of intimidation and fear that too many girls and women experience just going about their daily lives.

Tunbridge Wells is not a notable place for violence against women and girls. In fact we are one of the safest places anywhere in the country.

But that comparative security is not good enough. The police regularly have to investigate actual or threatened attacks. Some of the things that are attractive about our area – leafy roads, lots of space, good transport connections meaning many people walk to and from our stations – make it worrying for people to walk alone, especially after dark.

We should not put up with that anxiety being felt. Frankly, it is outrageous that in 2021 any girl or woman should feel less secure in our streets than their male equivalent.

In Parliament, there is an increasing resolve to act on this. As a member of the Liaison Committee of senior MPs, I have asked for the Prime Minister to address the security of women and girls in his appearance before the Committee today.

Locally our police called an important public meeting to advance this as a priority. I will have more to say about this in the weeks ahead but I am determined to do all I can, working with the community and the police, to make Tunbridge Wells become as safe for women as it is for men.

y t da en ur m at nt o S pm oi y t .30 pp da 5 A es – by Tu m ay n 0a d pe .3 on O 9 M & ay nd Su

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Wednesday November 17 | 2021

FOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT: timeslocalnews.co.uk

Letters

NEWS

17

And another thing…

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

Female violence should be our priority following the David Fuller investigation

Parts of your paper were difficult to read last week due to David Fuller’s horrific crimes.

The thoughts of myself, and I’m sure all my fellow borough councillors, are with the families of Fuller’s victims at this traumatic time.

Tackling violence against women and girls is – and deserves to be - a key priority for our community. I recently attended a presentation by Kent Police on this issue and was pleased to see representatives from the local Labour and Liberal Democrat parties also in attendance.

It was clear that the police are taking this issue incredibly seriously and are dedicating

substantial resources to tackling and preventing gender-based crime.

I would also like to highlight the input the Domestic Abuse Volunteer Support Services (DAVVS) charity is having in this process. It not only offers support to victims of domestic abuse but also provides expert advice to the police on this complex issue.

We are very fortunate to have this charity in our town and I thank them for their important work.

Cllr Matt Bailey Conservative Borough Councillor for Paddock Wood West

Gatwick is a concern I was most amused to read Mr S Goodenough’s reply to my previous letter concerning Gatwick Airport expansion. It is patently obvious Sam hasn’t bothered to actually read my earlier letter, as his arguments are complete non sequiturs.

Either that, or he has simply not grasped the point I was making, which was that objecting to the massive expansion of Gatwick Airport is neither Nimbyism nor hypocrisy.

It is not hyperbole to state that Gatwick’s plan to utilise their emergency runaway will result in hundreds of thousands of extra flights flying low over residential areas over time.

Gatwick’s own PR machine has confirmed their intention to increase airport capacity by an extraordinary 65 per cent.

It is also disingenuous to state that night flights are ‘restricted’, as if this were some magic panacea for the problem of sleep deprivation and air pollution.

Goodness knows why Sam believes these flights are restricted when the only restriction is the reality of how many flights can actually be squeezed into the time available, without compromising safety.

Sadly, one plane flying low over Tunbridge Wells and surrounding areas every 5 minutes during the night is enough to wake up those on the ground trying to sleep…and this will be the ‘going rate’ if the expansion goes ahead.

Nowhere in my previous letter do I object to people flying, or suggest this is something that should be restricted to a favoured few, including myself – quite where Sam got that one from beats me!

As with everything in life, what is called for is just a little moderation, compromise, and restraint. Gatwick is perfectly big enough already and pre-pandemic those living in Tunbridge Wells, Rusthall, Langton Green and the surrounding villages were already suffering from the ill-health that comes with sleep deprivation, poor air quality and appalling noise pollution, 24/7.

As Sam says, the pandemic has brought us all some temporary relief from this horror, but his complacency that there is consequentially no problem going forward is breathtaking.

He appears to dismiss global warming as irrelevant and if he and others want to go ‘jetting off to sunspots in our hundreds of thousands just for pleasure’ they should be free to do so, regardless of the consequences, firstly for those of us on the ground trying to sleep and secondly for our planet! His woeful ‘I’m alright Jack’ attitude is the real problem here.

Norma Pinkerton Mount Ephraim

No sea-change in opinion Edward Baker [Times, November 10th], seems to have misread my previous letters.

First of all, Mr Baker conflates the content of my letters with Green Party policy and he sems to have missed my specific statement that I was articulating my own personal views and not those of the Party.

Secondly, I cannot see that there was any ‘sea-change’ in my opinions nor contradictions between my two letters. I referred to the risks on energy supplies from despotic governments and unstable markets but did not make any mention of sourcing fossil fuels ‘closer to home’.

I acknowledged that ‘we’ll need to continue to burn gas for a time’ but did not propose an immediate ban on oil and gas consumption.

I wonder if Mr Baker is perhaps unable to grasp that I could agree with some of the thoughts of his fellow fracking enthusiast Mr Moorhouse, without endorsing that gentleman’s other arguments?

Finally, I cannot see how Mr Baker can profess ‘dispassionate disinterest’ towards fracking, given his dogmatic zeal for this dirty and dangerous technology, his chauvinistic pops at ‘those overseas’, and his Soviet-style sloganeering.

Paul Stepto, Green Party Tonbridge

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Property News

Wednesday November 17 | 2021

Kent’s house prices set to rise by 10 per cent over five years

21

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Property Focus

HOW TO PROTECT YOUR INVESTMENT PROPERTY OVER WINTER

By Richard Williams MAINSTREAM house prices across Kent and the South East are expected to grow by 10.4 per cent over the next five years – with an increase of three per cent in 2022 according to latest research.

The latest figures from estate agents Savills show the average cost of a home in the region is predicted to rise to £485,553 by 2026 compared to the current average of £439,813.

The increase is slightly less than that forecast for the UK as a whole, with prices expected to rise by 13.1 per cent over the next five years and by 3.5 per cent in 2022.

It means the average cost of a home in the UK would increase from an average of £327,838 to £370,785 by 2026.

Vendors At the higher end of the market – broadly the top five to 10 per cent by value – prices in the region are predicted to grow by 19.3 per cent over the next five years and by four per cent in 2022.

The figures come after a raft of recent price indexes from lenders and vendors that suggest a similar pattern.

Last week the Times reported on the Caxton’s Kent Property Market Report that shows across Kent house prices increased over the last five years by 3.4 per cent, seeing properties in Tunbridge Wells rocket by an average of £75,000 over the same period.

David Johnston, head of residential sales at Savills in Sevenoaks, said while there was likely to be less urgency in the market next year, demand for property in popular towns and villages looked set to continue.

“After such intensity in the market and without the imperative of a stamp duty holiday, we know there’s likely to be less urgency from 2022,” he said.

Region

“As a result, coupled with the first anticipated interest rate rise, our researchers expect price growth in the near term to be somewhat more muted than we have seen of late.

“However, the number of homes coming to the market has also been constrained and this – combined with relatively low unemployment DAVID JOHNSTON rates and a robust economic performance coming out of a recession – means we simply expect to see softer growth rather than prices falling.

“It’s also worth bearing in mind that Kent has experienced above average increases in house price growth for the past decade or more – so it’s perhaps no surprise to see other parts of the UK now catching up.

“That said, the regional increases we are predicting remain greater than those forecast for properties in London, while we still expect changes in working patterns to underpin demand in more rural areas, albeit to a lesser degree than over the past 18 months.

“With its connectivity to London, excellent schooling, variety of high quality housing stock and access to lots of green space and open countryside, Kent has always been – and will continue to be – a popular choice for a wide number of buyers.

“A shortage of available properties on the market also means that homes in the most popular towns and villages will continue to be in high demand.

“There will always be areas that buck the trend and perform better than the wider forecasts.

However, setting a realistic asking price from the start will be key to maintaining momentum as we move into the new year.”

Current average Yr to Jul 2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

2026

Average 5 yr change value in 5 yrs

£229,572 £224,257 £212,912 £181,001 £252,943 £264,697 £198,998 £341,971 £439,813 £380,685 £676,124 £327,838

4.5% 4.5% 4.0% 4.0% 4.0% 4.0% 4.0% 3.5% 3.0% 3.0% 2.0% 3.5%

4.0% 4.0% 4.0% 3.5% 3.5% 3.5% 3.5% 3.0% 2.5% 2.5% 1.5% 3.0%

3.5% 3.5% 3.5% 3.5% 3.0% 3.0% 3.0% 2.5% 2.0% 2.0% 1.0% 2.5%

3.0% 3.0% 3.0% 3.0% 2.5% 2.5% 2.5% 2.0% 1.5% 1.5% 0.5% 2.0%

2.5% 2.5% 2.5% 2.5% 2.0% 2.0% 2.0% 1.5% 1.0% 1.0% 0.5% 1.5%

18.8% 18.8% 18.2% 17.6% 15.9% 15.9% 15.9% 13.1% 10.4% 10.4% 5.6% 13.1%

North West Yorkshire & Humber Wales North East East Midlands West Midlands Scotland South West South East East of England London UK Source: Savills Research, ONS

£272,732 £266,417 £251,662 £212,857 £293,160 £306,784 £230,639 £386,769 £485,553 £420,276 £713,987 £370,785

A recent poll has shown that the average rental void period (when the property is empty) has continued to decrease month on month since May to 2.1 weeks, and the average tenancy time continues to rise. It is therefore a very attractive time to be a landlord. However, the leaves are falling, temperatures have dipped, and the windscreen scrapers have been dusted off. Winter is coming!

Avoiding expensive call out charges and unexpected remedial works is therefore crucial.

James Richards of Maddisons Residential has compiled his top tips to ensure a trouble-free winter – perfect for landlords (and indeed all homeowners) whether the property is occupied or not.

INSIDE Bleed radiators: Simple yet effective home maintenance that will keep them working as effectively as possible.

Service the boiler: This should be done annually by a professional and could save you an emergency call out and costly repair bills, and potentially being without heat and water on the coldest days!

Lag the pipes: To help prevent pipes freezing and increase efficiency insulate! This can be cost effective, and by avoiding burst pipes, could prevent an expensive repair bill.

OUTSIDE The winter weather can greatly affect the exterior of your property, so it’s important to check for issues here too: Start at the top: Check for missing or slipped tiles on the roof and repair and clean gutters; leaky rooves or gutters can cause serious issues, including mould, structural and water damage.

Secure boundaries: Rotten fences are prone to blow over in winter storms, so replace or secure them now.

Check your windows: Repair or replace as necessary to improve energy efficiency and prevent issues such as condensation.

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

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

22

Homes & Interiors

Wednesday November 17 | 2021

Branch out by investing in some stylish reusable Christmas trees and all their trimmings

JOHN LEWIS & PARTNERS BRUNSWICK BLUE SPRUCE UNLIT CHRISTMAS TREE

Homes & Interiors

Wednesday November 17 | 2021

These fabulous faux festive finds will make decking the halls extra special, this year says Sam Wylie-Harris...

O

CHRISTMAS tree...! While many of us love the scent of fresh pine needles and thoughts of heading home with a freshly-cut tree, it’s not always practical or penny-wise to have a real tree.

Which brings to mind reusable or artificial Christmas trees – and there are some super options these days. Simple to transport, put up and take down and box away until next year, with the added bonus of branches that never droop and a tree that looks as beautiful on Boxing Day as the day it landed on your doorstep, there’s a lot to love. Plus they can take the weight of all the darling decos and tasteful trimmings (some tacky too!) you want to hang here, there and everywhere.

Artificial Christmas trees are also often touted as a more sustainable option than the real thing too. But this isn’t black and white, of course – and it certainly only applies if you buy a tree you do actually use year after year.

From trees to trimmings, here’s what we’re pulling out of our Christmas hat this year, that we hope will live on merrily ever after…

1. John Lewis & Partners Technicolour Supernature Unlit Glacier Christmas Tree, 7ft, £229, John Lewis A winter-white fluffy tree is the perfect blank canvas for all the doodahs and can by styled to suit any setting, from kiddies’ corner to city chic.

2. John Lewis & Partners Neon Angel Light, Large, Ice White, £35, John Lewis A halo and wonderful wings of everlasting light.

3. Three Glittered Beaded Garlands – Blush, £20, Cox & Cox Sweet and sparkling, these rose gold glittering baubles will even charm the pants off Jack Frost.

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4. Wilko 7ft Midnight Luxe Dream Christmas Tree, £80, Wilko Finished in green with touches of golden sparkle, this dreamy ‘pine’ looks plush enough for the highest of ceilings.

5. Set of 3 White and Pink Ringlet Trees, £7 (other items from a selection), Dunelm These paper Christmas ringlet trees love a cosy corner or shelfie.

6. John Lewis & Partners Brunswick Blue Spruce Unlit Christmas Tree, 7ft, £229, John Lewis Luxuriant and well padded, the branches in this beautiful artificial blue spruce can be layered and topped with twinkly decos to your heart’s content.

7. Blue Hydrangea Advent Wreath, £95, Berries & Baubles An advent wreath with pillar candles not only

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looks luxe, but you can colour-coordinate its blue hydrangeas with blue tinsel and trimmings on your tree.

8. Wilko Luxe Navy Quilted Velour Stocking, £8, Wilko A velvet stocking studded with sequins and topped with faux fur can adorn your fir before the sleigh bells ring out – and its time to pad it out with pressies.

9. Sloe Berry Foliage Christmas Garland, £22.99, Ginger Ray A sloe gin in one hand, while you tweak your sloe berry garland and go for more brambly garnish… We’re in.

10. Silver Christmas Tree, 6ft, £110, Next Simple style tip for your silver tree…

Sometimes, less really is more, and fairy lights are all it takes to show off those twinkly twigs and tips.

11. Silver Foliage Christmas Wreath, £27.99, Ginger Ray A wonderful wreath styled with silver candles and cones, hung in a prime place close to your silver tree will make everything sparkle, shine and look that much more sumptuous.

12. Faux Fur Tree Skirt, £30, Next We adore this luxurious tree skirt with ribbon detailing. Especially if you’ve been a little bit ‘naughtier’ than nice and the pressies are a bit thin on the ground this year. Santa who?

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Arts & Antiques

antiques

24

Wednesday November 17 | 2021

Royal snapshots ...

Gorringe’s Joseph Trinder reveals some regal photographs are among the latest objects set to go under the hammer

I

N THIS vocation, we are blessed to be able to deal with historic, beautiful and unusual objects on a daily basis – the fact that you never know what today might bring, each morning as you leave the house is one of the things I find most exciting about my role.

With this in mind, we become accustomed to handling important objects, yet every once in a while, something comes along which really takes your breath away and that you know you’ll never forget handling.

One such object is consigned for auction in our December 7 Winter Fine Sale.

Here we see a collated album of

YOUNG PRINCE Charles as a schoolboy

TURNING THE PAGE Gorringe’s auctioneer Philip Taylor with a royal family album

Joseph Trinder the death of King George VI, The Queen’s engagement and the death of Lord Mountbatten in 1979.

Steward

correspondence and photographs, entitled ‘Papers concerning H.M The Queen & Her Family’. Elegant in the simplicity of its binding, this book reflects 40 years of chronologically presented correspondence between principally Her Majesty The Queen and Michael Farebrother.

Important The late Michael Farebrother was a former officer in the Grenadier Guards who became a private tutor to The Prince of Wales in his early life – an important figure in education,

he was also schoolmaster of the renowned St Peter’s School, Seaford, which closed in 1982 – with Gorringe’s facilitating the sale of selected contents at the time.

This unique and historically significant album of candid correspondence reflects an utterly fascinating and vanishingly rare insight into the lives of the world’s most famous family.

Numerous letters from Her Majesty The Queen discuss matters of both private and public life – reflections on key events in the life of our sovereign and important dates in the modern history of our nation, to include

Also included in the album is a charming selection of never before seen or released photographs of HRH The Prince of Wales as a young boy at play together with several of the Queen and the Queen Mother, taken at Windsor, Sandringham and elsewhere - we even see a painting of a teddy bear completed by Princess Anne as a child.

Overseen and catalogued by my colleague Philip Taylor, it is a privilege for us all at Gorringe’s to steward such an important archive to sale.

I will not forget an evening spent being guided through the album – after a busy day of valuation appointments, to have a private viewing of such an archive in quiet contemplation is something I count myself very fortunate to have experienced.

The Farebrother album is estimated at £50,000 - £80,000. If you would like more information about this or any lots in our upcoming December 7 sale, please do not hesitate to contact me directly via: josepht@gorringes.co.uk

Wednesday November 17 | 2021

From salerooms to the big screen

Arts & Antiques

25

TV antique expert Eric Knowles talks about the lengths filmmakers go to create a Napoleonic drama ...

H

ELLO everyone - trust you’re all well? One of my preferred ‘sales pitches’ when walking the floor of our emporium down here at The Pantiles Arcade is to espouse our preference for keeping items which we sell ‘in circulation’, as it were. This is quite contrary to the once-held consensus that antiques should be stored away in glass fronted cabinets and regarded in awe from a safe distance, consigned to redundancy, shrouded in a growing accumulation of dust and dead flies.

Liberated ScottishAntiques.com have never ascribed to this reverential approach, and much prefer to hear that customers intend to put their new acquisitions to good use once liberated from our display cases, breathing some new life in to pieces which may have previously lain dormant for decades. Clearly when glasses, dining services, candlesticks, stilton cheese scoops and the like were produced, they were intended for immediate and vigorous employment, and if they’ve survived the rough and tumble of day to day use then why on

earth should they now be destined for an undignified retirement, sullen and inanimate on a velvet cushion?

Pleasingly, we do occasionally come across other enthusiasts who share our somewhat alternative view of more purposefully extending the life expectancy of artefacts, some of whom come from unexpected backgrounds and who take our lust for revivescence to new levels.

We’ve recently been fortunate enough to have attracted the attention of a film production company who are intent on producing an ‘epic’ movie exploring the life of Napoleon Bonaparte. One of their researchers gave us a call and expressed an interest in numerous pieces of period glass and porcelain which we had available. Down came the gentleman in question to spend an afternoon poring studiously over any number of different bits and pieces, before shuffling off with nothing more than a complementary book in his hand.

Replicas Fair enough, we thought, diligent research looking at original articles which will presumably lead to replicas being produced by 3D printing or some

other technical wizardry – but we were glad to be of assistance nonetheless.

Imagine our surprise a few days later when an order turned up, for dozens of the original pieces which were all going to be used on the film set – talk about being sticklers for authenticity! I wonder if it would even be possible to differentiate between genuine and reproduction pieces on film – a futile pursuit to try and make the distinction for Mr Kermode and his eager chums in this instance…

Wine I have resolved to give the cinematic saga the once-over on release, as not only will I be able to impress folk with the knowledge that the characters are using – for instance – period Liégeoise fraise wine glasses, but that they were once our very own period Liégeoise fraise wine glasses – part of our extensive collection of genuine wares at ScottishAntiques.com. Still, more power to the producers’ collective elbows, as long as Wellington’s army don’t burst in on the Emperor’s soiree and upturn the dining table in the climactic scenes – I’ll be properly cringing at any breakages!

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To book please email reservations@salomons-estate.com call 01892 515152 or visit www.salomons-estate.com

Wednesday November 17 | 2021

Supper time souvenirs

Arts & Antiques

27

Alexander Pushkin, of Pushkin Antiques in Tunbridge Wells High Street, talks about some of the collectible items that were created for dinner parties and social gatherings.

D

URING the reign of Queen Victoria, the dinner party became an important part of social life, especially so for the Upper and emerging middle-class families, they began to pay great attention not only to the meals but also to the ceremony and theatrics surrounding them.

Once accepted, the invitation to the dinner could not be ignored or cancelled. “Death or infectious disease is the only justifiable excuse for failing one’s host and hostess” (Etiquette for Women: A Book of Modern Modes and Manners, G. R. M. Devereux, C.A. Pearson, 1902, p.52).

The fine dining etiquette was elevated to a true art form. At the host’s house, the guests were invited firstly to the reception room and later escorted to the dining room.

The dining room became one of the main rooms in the house. Furnished with the large table set, buffets and sideboards, usually the room was generously decorated

with mirrors and paintings on the walls.

The hosts sat at the opposite ends of the table, while the guests would take their places, according to the cardholders near every seat.

Women sat first, followed by the gentlemen. If the hostess or another lady would stand up, all the gentlemen should stand up as well. Once sat, the guest should place the napkin on his or her knees, as the sign of starting the dinner.

When the dinner was over, all the guests were accompanied to the drawing room to continue the conversation, play cards or even dance.

SILVER SERVICE: Dinner plates are highly sought after

Impeccable In the 19th century, the service a la Russe (service in the Russian style) came in practice. This manner of service meant that the courses had been portioned and arranged on the plates in the kitchen beforehand, the servants brought them to guests in a strict sequence. The dinner could consist of 14 courses and last at least an hour. This fashion allowed to clear up space at the centre of the table and led to the tremendous growth of table

CENTREPIECE: A Victorian bottle holder

decoration importance.

Impeccable centrepieces, accompanied by gilded candelabras or flower arrangement at the sides, had become very popular articles for table setting at the Victorian dinner.

Prominent silversmiths such as Paul Storr, Stephen Smith, George Fox and many others offered a wide range of impressive sculptural pieces, usually characterised by highly ornamental designs and decorated with peculiar reliefs, these stunning objects were elaborated to adorn every formal ceremony.

Essential During the Victorian era, silver flatware and cutlery had become the essential part of a fine dining table. The serving utensils, such as a vast variety of different spoons, carving knives, gravy ladles, meat forks, and many other specialized pieces, were also demanded to be

made of silver with intricate carvings and scrollworks. The Victorian silver flatware sets could include up to 100 pieces.

The 19th century had become the era of the finest silverware in British history, companies such as Garrard & Co, Hunt & Roskell, Sibray Hall & Co, Mappin & Webb produced extraordinary silver table and tea sets, cutlery and decorative table accents, such as silver napkin rings, coasters and cardholders.

Each of the numerous courses were served not only with their own silverware set but also with a dedicated drink. Sherry was served with the soup, the sweets and the desserts; Chablis – with fish meals; champagne, hock or claret with the entrees. Most of these drinks were assigned to their own special jugs and glasses.

Silver and crystal drinkware was designed to satisfy the needs of every wine.

Such impressive ewers and claret jugs, like those made by Charles Fox and W & G Sissons, are very sought after by collectors today.

While the excessive table setting and many of the Victorian utensils become slightly outdated nowadays, the outstanding silverware is still highly valued and recommended for the fine dining setting.

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Arts

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28

Wednesday November 17 | 2021

In the chic midwinter . . .

The Wealden Times Midwinter fair is one of the most anticipated on the social calendar and after a hiatus last year due to Covid it’s back - and happening from November 18-20

T

HE SOUTH EAST’S largest and most prestigious Christmas shopping event returns to The Hop Farm this coming weekend. With over 200 handpicked exhibitors selling everything from handmade jewellery and artwork to vintage treasures and delicious condiments there truly is something for everyone.

“After so much time apart, we all appreciate the small pleasures in life: a day out with friends, buying gifts for others and a few treats for ourselves,”

Wealden Times editor Lucy Fleming told the Times ahead of the fair taking place from this Thursday November 18.

Luxury “There is something special about buying from independent retailers. People who put so much thought and passion into designing and sourcing their products,” continues Lucy.

“The Wealden Times team take great care curating the show, creating the perfect blend of favourites and newbies that they know visitors will love. They also plan just

the right amount of fashion, jewellery, homeware and gifts – delicious food and drink too – among the 200+ exhibitors.”

Taking place over three days from Thursday November 18 to Saturday November 20, visitors can enjoy browsing luxury gifts for all the family as well as some exquisite Christmas decorations and a delicious selection of gourmet goodies such as charcuterie, cheeses and oils.

After having a baby a few months ago, the event’s director Flo Simpson says she will be on the lookout for clothes and accessories for her baby, alongside choosing Christmas gifts for her growing family: “Having just had my daughter, Bella, I’m very excited to be able to shop some of the gorgeous baby products that’ll be on show at the fair. If you’re doing the same, keep an eye out for Little Hands

“We love that you don’t have to travel to London to get an amazing choice of retailers all under one roof” Learning, Gray & Grace and Bubba & Me who I’ll certainly be making a bee-line for.”

The Midwinter Fair is following current Government guidelines regarding Covid and if visitors wish to wear a mask when they visit they should feel free to do so.

There will be hand sanitiser readily available, and additional cleaning to ensure the best possible hygiene. You may need your wellies for the carpark, too!

Wealden Times MD Vivien Cotterill-Lee adds: “We are so proud of our beautiful pop-up event space which we build at the Hop Farm. There are seven fresh-air heated marquees with lovely wooden floors so it’s a perfect indoor shopping experience. We love that you don’t have to travel to London to get an amazing choice of retailers all under one roof. Keep it local.

It’s the perfect place to start (and maybe even finish) your Christmas shopping.”

Limited tickets are available on the door or book your timed tickets at wealdentimes.ticketsrv.co.uk/tickets/

Arts

Wednesday November 17 | 2021

29

“This evening of Handel’s choral music promises to be one of great excitement and enjoyment” This coming Saturday, November 20, the Crowborough Choral Society will perform their Music of Handel Concert in Tunbridge Wells. Its spokesperson Beverley Worthington tells Eileen Leahy more about the event which sees the choir reunited after two years

A

FTER two years without any performances at all due to the pandemic, Crowborough Choral Society is very much looking forward to performing Handel’s sensational music on Saturday November 20. The event will take place at St Mark’s Church, Broadwater Down in Tunbridge Wells, where we have been made very welcome.

The concert starts with the anthem Zadok the Priest, composed by Handel in 1727 to celebrate

“This will be Crowborough Choral Society’s first concert since November 2019” the coronation of George II. Handel was influenced by the work of the Venetian composer Vivaldi and our programme continues with Vivaldi’s Concerto for Two Trumpets.

The main item of the concert is Part One of

CHRISTMAS PAST: Crowborough Choral Society and the Rellinger Kantorei performing Bach’s Christmas Oratorio two years ago Handel’s masterpiece Messiah which describes the Nativity of Christ. The final item is the well-known favourite, the Hallelujah Chorus.

Sensational The vocal soloists are from the Royal College of Music and the choir is accompanied by the Sussex Sinfonietta under the leadership of Christopher Phipps. Christopher Harris plays continuo organ and harpsichord. The concert is conducted by choir Music Director, Mark Beesley.

This will be Crowborough Choral Society’s first

ON SONG: Crowborough Choral Society rehearsing Handel’s Messiah

concert since November 2019 when they sang J.S Bach’s Christmas Oratorio at All Saints Church in Crowborough with members of their German partner choir, the Rellinger Kantorei from near Hamburg also present.

For over forty years there has been a warm association between the two choirs and the Kantorei also joined Crowborough Choral Society for our last performance of Messiah in 2015. This evening of Handel’s choral music promises to be one of great excitement and enjoyment.

Tickets are available from the choir’s website: crowboroughchoral.com

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SELLING EXHIBITION ROCK STARS: Punk to Pop A retrospective selling exhibition of rare photography from the 1970s curated by Stephen Colegrave at

THE DESIGN GALLERY Pantiles Arcade, 49 Lower Walk The Pantiles, Royal Tunbridge Wells TN2 5TE

Until 31st December (closed Mondays)

Debbie Harry Photograph by Leee Black Childers

Limited edition, framed images of

Bowie The Trans-Siberian Express Photograph by Leee Black Childers

DAVID BOWIE JOHN LENNON IGGY POP ANDY WARHOL PATTI SMITH THE RAMONES LOU REED THE NEW YORK DOLLS THE CLASH SEX PISTOLS and more. Signed by the photographers.

THE DESIGN GALLERY

01959 561234 sales@designgallery.co.uk www.designgallery.co.uk

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Food & Culture

food

30

Wednesday November 17 | 2021

A true taste of Kent

The Little Kent Cook Book has just been published and it celebrates our county’s rich plethora of seasonal and indigenous ingredients. Here its author Kay Coombs tells Eileen Leahy why she decided to create a variety of recipes using eight key home grown products for a charity that’s very special to her...

Advertise with us...

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

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

LOCAL NEWSPAPERS

Food & Culture

Wednesday November 17 | 2021

W

E ALL know that Kent is referred to as the Garden of England thanks to the bountiful produce that can be sourced in the county. From apples and asparagus to the freshest seafood and delicious honey, Kent boasts a rich offering of various ingredients to help you create some culinary magic in the kitchen.

And now one keen cook with a background in the food industry has decided to take eight classic products from the region in order to make 24 unique delicious recipes which she hopes foodies will enjoy – but also raise lots of money for a charity that’s very special to her.

“All profit from The Little Kent Cook Book goes to the Marjorie McClure School in Chislehurst,” explains the book’s author Kay Coombs, a former employee of Marks and Spencer’s food team.

Inspiration “I was born in Tunbridge Wells but I now live in Chislehurst and volunteer at Marjorie McClure which is an all age special school catering for pupils with a wide range of different complex needs including physical, medical and sensory. I have been volunteering there for a few years and all the amazing children and staff gave me the inspiration to start this project.

“Some people run marathons for charity which is incredible but they say there is a book in everyone and for me that had to be a cookery book! I wanted to help support the school’s plans as they move to a new site with better facilities. By doing this all the staff will have the opportunity to continue to maximise the potential of every child for the future.

Kay admits that it was her time working for Marks and Spencer’s food department which ignited her love of food and discovering new ingredients and recipes.

“I travelled the world with the Marks and Spencer food team researching new food trends for product innovation and was lucky to meet so

many talented chefs, bakers and artisan producers. I always returned home to Kent and had lots of ideas to feed my family and friends too, using local Kent seasonal ingredients.”

Kay, who still visits Tunbridge Wells regularly, says that the process of taking the book from the germination of an idea to publication took longer than she had originally envisaged because she wanted to be thorough in her approach to researching and curating.

“It took me longer than I thought because I wanted to travel all over Kent and visit the best farm shops and food festivals and eat in independent restaurants, local pubs, bakeries and cafes,” she continues.

“I did that over a full year so I could really reflect the seasonal produce. I took all the photographs myself so there was a lot of recipe testing then catching the natural light in each photo. I had so much help from my family and friends who assisted me with everything from the design of the book to recipe testing and proofreading!”

All the recipes in the book are Kay’s own creations which she says are inspired by both her time in the food world and within her family.

“There are lots of family recipes too such as the hot chocolate and honey sauce which my lovely mum made on a regular basis for serving warm over ice cream. It’s so simple but delicious and keeps well in the fridge. We all need to support all our local bees and honey producers. We support the Kent Wildlife Trust who keep us updated on lots of local initiatives to protect our wildlife.”

Kay says what she enjoys most about working with local and seasonal produce is the sheer

CHERRY & AVOCADO SALAD with toasted grains and nuts

31

DELICIOUS DISHES The Mount Edgcumbe menu is very varied

“I wanted to travel all over Kent and visit the best farm shops and food festivals and eat in independent restaurants, local pubs, bakeries and cafes”

Notes

When the Kent cherry season is over, I make this s O V Eor R 2black 5 0 B Egrapes.

E R S | TA S T Y W I N E S | C I D E R S with red DRA U G H T Balso E E R go F I Lwell L E D Fwith RESH O Ncider S I T E roast The nutty grains the C O C K TA I L S 46 | T instead E A , C O F of F E Ethe & M ORE chicken recipe page croutons.

I a some fried chopped mushrooms or roast vegetables t grains. See the notes for roasting nuts on page 27

N OW

O P E N

SHOP INSTORE OR ONLINE C L I C K & CO L L EC T | D EL IVERY

EARN FUGSPOINTS G E T R E WA R D S & D I S CO U N T S

fugglesbottleshop.co.uk 1 6 C AMDEN ROAD, TUNBRIDGE WELLS

Kent

DIZZI PERSIAN CUISINE

Why not come and try our delicious Hot & Cold Starters, Stews, Seafoods, Grills and Kabobs?

We are open 7 days a week from noon until midnight.

Please book early to avoid disappointment!

01892 520 220 37 Mount Ephraim, Tunbridge Wells TN4 8AA

Food & Culture

Wednesday November 17 | 2021

variety that’s available. “We are so lucky in Kent to have such top quality ingredients on our doorstep and I had no idea before writing this book how many new and exciting producers were based in Kent! I planted a kitchen garden at home over 25 years ago and bought all Kent stock from local nurseries and garden centres.”

Kay says you can either order The Little Kent Cook Book online or buy it at Groombridge Farmshop. “They have been big supporters of my book and offer it for sale in the shop. They sell fantastic seasonal produce to make all the delicious recipes in the book. And all the Kent seafood recipes I feature in The Little Kent Cook Book were made and photographed with the excellent fresh fish from Botterells who have a stall at Groombridge Farm Shop every Friday.

“They are my favourite local fish supplier as the produce is so fresh and the quality fantastic.

I used their crab, brown shrimp and scallops in all my recipes in The Little Kent Cook Book.

Jasper from Botterells introduced me to the Groombridge Farm Shop and it’s their locally grown asparagus which I’ve also used in the tomato and sweet onion tart recipe in my book.”

Kent The Little Cook Book

Seasonal Fresh Local

33

RECIPES FOR SUCCESS HOT CHOCOLATE & HONEY SAUCE Serves 3-4 100g dark chocolate, chopped small 60ml double cream 2 tbsp Kent honey 2 tbsp hot water 50g butter

½ tsp vanilla extract Pinch sea salt To serve Your favourite ice cream; try with coffee, cherry or salted caramel ice cream

Method • Put the cream, honey & chopped chocolate in a small saucepan on a low heat.

• Stir until the chocolate has melted, then add 2 tbsp hot water & stir until smooth & shiny.

• Remove from the heat & add the butter, vanilla & salt. Stir well & pour into a jug to serve warm.

• Can be made in advance & stored in the fridge for a week.

CHEESY CRAB PIKELETS

Serves 8 For a pre dinner nibble;an easy recipe to halve or double for a crowd 8 pikelets 80 – 100g white crab meat 50g / 4 tbsp best mayonnaise 1 tbsp lemon juice 50g Kent hard cheese Tam’s Tipple / Winterdale Shaw or a gruyere / cheddar like cheese

To reheat • Add 1 tbsp cold water & reheat in the microwave in 15 second bursts or in a small saucepan on the hob.

• Stir well until smooth & serve warm.

10g / 4 tbsp chopped chives Pinch cayenne pepper Salt & black pepper Lemon wedges to serve

Method • Grate the cheese & finely chop the chives.

• In a bowl mix the crab, cheese, chives, mayonnaise & lemon juice.

• Season with the cayenne pepper, salt & black pepper & mix well.

• Mixture can be made a few hours or a day in advance & chilled.

• Toast the pikelets then top each one with 1 heaped tbsp of the crab mix.

• Spread to the edges.

• Place on a baking tray & pop under the grill until the cheese has melted & turned golden brown.

• Serve hot with some lemon wedges.

If you would like to buy a copy of the book, priced £7, please visit Groombridge Farmshop or go online to chislehurst-society.org.uk

Think – and drink – outside the box Notes

Delicious with Kent Ice cream.

We love it with Taywell’s white chocolate & honeycomb or Simply’s stem ginger & marmalade ice cream.

This is also delicious with the brown sugar pavlova & cobnuts page 26, instead of the apple sauce.

These days we are spoilt for choice when it comes to interesting wine varieties but many of us end up drinking the same old vinos. So forget Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc as the planet has so many other tasty grape varieties to toast, says Times Drinks Editor James Viner...

I

HAVE constantly savoured the frisson and sense of exploration I associate with discovering a little-known area. Last year it was high-acid Txakolí/Chacolí from Spain’s Basque country, and more recently I was truly amazed recently by Tillingham’s fascinating, Qveri White 2020, which is made from partially skin-macerated grapes fermented in Georgianstyle clay vessels buried underground in Peasmarsh, East Sussex.

Granted, it’s a wholesome (if expensive) undertaking to understand the ‘classics,' but it’s also vital to think outside the box, rejoicing in and savouring - the unfamiliar. This week, having worked hard on my ampelography skills (and at the spittoon in the capital), I give the lowdown on three impressive wines made from lesser-known grape varieties. They are mainly from less well-known places, that are guaranteed to help you break out of your wine rut. These superb out-of-the-ordinary bottles outshone many of the usual suspects at last month’s portfolio tastings and are well worth getting to know. Cheers!

James’ picks: 1) Full-flavoured Gascon white that’s very much worth a place in your weekend trolley Tesco Finest* St-Mont 2019, Southwest France (Tesco, £6.50, Alc 13%) One of the finest facets of my ‘job’ is finding unusual bargains, affordable vinous gems that stand out from the crowd. This superb, unusual Gascon white is made from a scintillating mix of

the mouth-filling grapes Gros Manseng, Petit Courbu, Arrufiac and Petit Manseng and is unoaked, so it also has a freshness and ease about it. Think pink grapefruit, quince, white peach, Cox’s apple, beeswax and marzipan. A lovely accompaniment to roast chicken and light fish/seafood dishes, it’s produced by the ever-impressive dynamic co-op, Producteurs Plaimont, which straddles the under-the-radar appellations of Côtes de Gascogne, Madiran, Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh and Saint-Mont in southwest France like a titan. It’s fresh, juicy and tangy, with a good texture. Top notch buying from Tesco, the country’s largest wine supplier.

2) Lip-smacking Chilean red from old-vine Carignan Viña Indómita Gran Reserva Carignan 2019, Maule, Chile (Co-op, £8, Alc 14%) Carignan is a thick-skinned, late-ripening variety – with a VERY long growing cy¬cle – that retains high levels of acidity even when harvested in late autumn and it can make interesting wines when yields are kept in check, especially from older vines. Unsurprisingly, it is grown most successfully in warm, dry climates – it’s widely planted in Languedoc (ACs Fitou and Corbières have lots of it) and, to a lesser, extent in Spain, especially in Cataluña (in DOs Monsant and Priorat). It’s also a top performer, as with this fabulous Co-op red bargain, in Maule, Chile’s breadbasket. With crisp acidity, beautifullymanaged, polished tannins, aromas of violet, liquorice, lavender, prunes and rich black-and-red

Kent Honey 6 cherry fruit all working seamlessly together, this lip-smacking old-vine Carignan gets my vote. I urge you to track it down and try with a burger, chicken Balti, cassoulet, or Poulet Basquaise (Basque-style chicken). Decant for fifteen minutes to release flavours. See you at the Co-op…

3) An eruption of flavour from a Sicilian grape that’s often quite neutral-flavoured Planeta Eruzione 1614 Carricante 2018, Sicily, Italy (The Wine Society, £18.60, Alc 12.5%) If you cannot go to Sicily this autumn, bring Sicily to you. When did you last drink a high-altitude Carricante? This stunning example of the crisp, late-ripening, Sicilian white variety, is an absolute joy and one that bowled me over at the recent press tasting at 67 Pall Mall. It’s a spectacular rendition from one of Sicily’s premier producers and made from Carricante grapes (with a soupçon of Riesling) planted at 800m in the Sciaranuova vineyard on volcanic sandy soils derived from lava flow deposits laid down to the north of Mt Etna in 1614 (the longest ever eruption recorded, lasting ten years no less). A very distinctive and utterly delicious Carricante with lime and orange blossom aromas, a mineral-accented palate

and touches of pear, aniseed and green apple.

Long, pristine and exquisitely formed, this is classy stuff. Consider me suitably impressed.

One for Arancini, sashimi, herb-focused dishes (hello pesto) and oily fish such as mackerel and sardines.

1

3 2

Christmas Menu 2021

Goats Cheese, Melon and Beetroot Salad with Toasted Pumpkin Seeds and a Honey & Balsamic Dressing Seafood Bisque topped with Croutons served with a Saffron Aioli and Crusty Sour Dough Bread Lamb, Pea and Mint Croquettes served with Tzatziki and Dressed Leaves Smoked Salmon and Spinach Mousse served with a Lemon & Lime Dressing and Melba Toast 'Bayham Estate' Venison Brochette served with an Apple & Blackberry Chutney and Toasted Sour Dough

✼✼✼✼✼✼ Turkey, Parma Ham & Emmental Parcel with Dauphinoise Potatoes, Seasonal Vegetables and a White Onion Sauce Rainbow Chard, Spinach & Red Lentil Stirfry served with Saffron Rice, Piccalilli and a Garlic & Coriander Flat Bread Medallions of Pork Fillet with Prunes & Kentish Blue Cheese served with a Rosti Potato and Seasoned Spinach 8oz Rib-Eye Steak served with a Field Mushroom, Grilled Tomato, Hand Cut Chips and a Green Peppercorn Sauce Baked Salmon Tail served with New Potatoes, Pak Choi and an Olive, Lemon and Tomato Butter

✼✼✼✼✼✼ Baked Lemon Tart served with a Raspberry Sorbet Profiteroles filled with a Baileys & Almond Cream with Chocolate Sauce Baked Fruits of the Forest Cheesecake served with a Mango Coulis Christmas Pudding topped with Brandy Butter with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream Kent & Sussex Cheese Selection served with Walnut & Raisin Bread

2 Courses £29.00 3 Courses £33.00

Books

Wednesday November 17 | 2021

Times book reviewer

HANNAH KIRSOP

SHAKESPEAREAN GRIEF

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

Ken Follett is back with another epic novel, this time a weighty contemporary thriller exploring just how easily we could descend into World War Three.

Never spans the globe with a host of authentic characters and evocative locations; from the first female US president juggling global diplomacy and domestic opposition, to a CIA agent deep undercover in the Sahara Desert, and a young senior government official in China trying to drag old Communist traditionalists into the present day. A master storyteller, Follett has a special talent for creating a tale that’s vast in scale, yet richly detailed. Each character arc could be a standalone novel – together they make an ambitious and compelling narrative, exploring the consequences of international power plays and the chilling imminence of global catastrophe.

(Review by Rebecca Wilcock)

9/10

(published by Penguin, priced £8.99)

This is the story of the untimely death of Shakespeare’s son, Hamnet, who inspired his father’s famous tragedy, the two names being interchangeable during the 16th century.

Set across two timelines, we witness the past development of William – who is omnipresent in the book but never named – and Agnes’ relationship whilst also watching their son Hamnet seeking care for his twin sister, Judith, who has fallen ill in the ‘present day’.

This is a quite brilliantly intoxicating yet unnerving and devastatingly sad book with wonderfully detailed storytelling – the chapter about the journey of the disease, which struck the twins, from Venice to Stratford via a flea is exceptional.

Prepare to be drawn in by the story with its beautiful language and imagery whilst simultaneously wanting to bury the book at the bottom of a big pile and hide from the burgeoning sadness, the inevitable fate of Hamnet and the waves of grief.

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

Published in hardback by Macmillan, priced £20 (ebook £9.99). Available now

Nora Webster by Colm Tóibín

(published by Tinder Press, priced £8.99)

The bookcase…

Never by Ken Follett

IRISH GRIEF

Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell

9/10

35

Recently widowed Nora Webster is trying to understand the new fabric of her life without her husband Maurice.

Suffused with grief, the book is grounded by the real and practical consequences, and considerations for Nora – their four dependent children including two young boys; money worries which necessitate selling a much-loved family home; the supportive and yet sometimes unhelpful family she has nearby – yet despite this the narrative floats above the mundane and everyday events, and the reader is drawn into Nora’s innermost thoughts, feelings, fears and worries on how to move forward.

With astute and beautiful detail in the characterisation of Nora, this is a touching book about the all-encompassing grief and loss felt on the death of a loved one as well as the regenerative power of one’s inner strength to live on to find happiness again.

7/10

The Dark Hours by Michael Connelly Published in hardback by Orion, priced £20 (ebook £9.99). Available now Los Angeles detective Renee Ballard is sitting in her unmarked car on New Year’s Eve when she’s called to a shooting at a street party, with the victim associated with a local gang.

The incident is linked to an unsolved murder investigated by retired detective Harry Bosch, who Ballard turns to for help.

The two join forces on both cases, against the backdrop of the pandemic, social unrest

and the storming of the US capitol.

Michael Connelly is a former police reporter, and he impresses with his specialist knowledge of the force – as well as ingenious storylines on how criminal minds work. This is very telling when reading the details he outlines in the book.

It will keep readers gripped from the opening page to the dramatic conclusion.

(Review by Alan Jones)

8/10

Carnival Of The Animals by Michael Morpurgo, illustrated

by Michael Foreman

Published in hardback by HarperCollins Children’s Books, priced £14.99 (ebook £8.99). Available now

Michael Morpurgo’s latest offering is a collection of children’s poems inspired by 19th-century composer Camille Saint-Saëns’ musical suite of the same name, celebrating nature and the magnificent animals who share our planet.

Each poem is witty and buoyant, giving voice to creatures great and small – from a spiteful Camel and sentimental mother Elephant to a pair of misunderstood Giraffes and a humble Bumblebee. A personal highlight is Mammoth, detailing the scientific endeavour to revive this extinct creature with heroically charged overtones about the will to succeed. With stunning illustrations and foreword by Michael Foreman, this delightful book would make a charming keepsake and welcome addition to any burgeoning bookshelf – or maybe the perfect timeless gift for any child, just in time for Christmas.around her brings this book to life. (Review by Holly Cowell)

9/10

36

Travel

Wednesday November 17 | 2021

travel

The great escape - we find the best places to spend the festive season in

NETHERBY HALL

It’s not too late to book a seasonal escape with your nearest and dearest, says Sarah Marshall.

The cancellation of last year’s Christmas festivities marked the lowest point of the pandemic for many.

Eager to make up for time lost with friends and family, perhaps the biggest gift anyone could offer – or receive – is a multi-generational short break. Here are just a few places to consider getting away to...

S

HARE costs and it’s possible to book some fantastic spaces – ranging from converted hunting lodges, to country cottages and stately homes. Some stays even come with the inclusion of a chef, meaning everyone can sit back and enjoy the holiday.

Take a look at these standout properties which still have availability over Christmas and New Year.

Albert Lodge, Herefordshire

Sit back in a hot tub or barrel sauna toasting the New Year with a glass of Champagne in magnificent surroundings. This sandstone gatehouse lodge sits within a country estate, with a lake and woodland views. A large open-plan kitchen invites convivial cooking and dining for up to eight guests, if booked in conjunction with neighbouring Victoria Lodge.

Set between the Herefordshire, Shropshire and Worcestershire borders, just an hour’s drive from the Cotswolds, the area has plenty of walking trails.

How: Luxury Cottages luxurycottages.com offers a seven-night stay over Christmas from £2,468.

‘Sit back in a hot tub or barrel sauna toasting the New Year with a glass of Champagne in magnificent surroundings.’

Cromwell House, West Sussex

Oliver Cromwell famously tried to clamp down on festivities back in the 17th century. Show revenge with a stay at the military and political leader’s former Hunting Lodge in West Sussex.

Sleeping up to 12 guests, the Grade II listed building has a large sitting room, games room KEYTHORPE HALL

and enormous kitchen. Outside, there’s a hot tub, grass tennis court, croquet lawn and a combined sauna and steam room.

How: The Wow Company thewowhousecompany.co.uk offer a week’s self-catering stay over Christmas (beginning December 24) from £9,495.

Weatherstone House, Croyde, North Devon

During the summer, the west country’s beaches were heaving with crowds. But there are plenty of good reasons to be beside the seaside in the winter. Recently refurbished by A-list designer Katharine Pooley, this nautical-themed

Travel

Wednesday November 17 | 2021

37

WESLEY HOUSE

THE GARDENER’S HOUSE, WREST PARK

‘Immerse yourself in another era, by spending a few days in The Gardener’s House, built

by Earl de Grey in the 1830s.’

How: From £14,000 per night (minimum two-night stay) including all meals, drinks and service, and the full use of the house and the wonderful grounds. Visit keythorpehall.co.uk.

Netherby Hall, Cumbria

Although the three kings found their way to Bethlehem by following a star, astro-navigation isn’t so straightforward in the light polluted skies of England. But there’s a good chance of observing constellations at Kielder Forest Park, close to this collection of nine luxury cottages and suites on the 36-acre grounds of Netherby Hall in Cumbria. The coach house and stables have been refurbished along with a gatehouse and gardener’s cottage.

How: A three-night stay over New Year starts from £858. Visit netherbyhall.co.uk ALBERT LODGE

Wesley House, Shrewsbury

Shrewsbury’s Tudor mansions, medieval passageways and historic lanes served as a backdrop to the George C Scott film version of a Christmas Carol. Get set for a fairy-tale festive period by staying at the four-person Wesley House, a listed medieval timber-framed house with original wooden beams, a cosy wood burner and a cast iron range for cooking the Christmas lunch. One bed, carefully concealed behind a secret panel, could accommodate an extra child. Dogs are also welcome.

How: A three-night Christmas stay costs from £1,185. Visit stayinshrewsbury.com property is in Croyde, one of North Devon’s most popular villages. Cosy pubs and breezy beaches are within easy reach, but there’s enough to keep visitors entertained inside the 10-person home. A pizza oven, BBQ and hot tub invite wining and dining al fresco.

How: A week costs from £2,450. Visit weatherstonehouse.co.uk

WEATHERSTONE HOUSE

The Gardener’s House, Wrest Park, Bedfordshire

View this post on InstagramA post shared by Michael Turner (@gardensandtheantique) Stepping back in time is the perfect way to disconnect at Christmas and New Year. Immerse yourself in another era, by spending a few days in The Gardener’s House, built by Earl de Grey in the 1830s. Spread across three-storeys, rooms can sleep up to eight guests, with a snug providing a perfect hide-out for kids. Once English Heritage property Wrest Park has closed to the public, guests have exclusive access to the gardens.

How: English Heritage english-heritage.org. uk offers a seven-night stay from December 27 for £2,500 on a self-catering basis.

Keythorpe Hall, near Uppingham

More a country home than a cottage, this Grade II Listed Georgian house opened its doors to the public on October 1 as an exclusive-use retreat. Available for up to 20 guests, it’s the ideal solution for big families or groups of friends looking to reconnect after the pandemic.

Best of all, it comes with a chef who can prepare meals using ingredients from the property’s Walled Garden. Find it on the border of Rutland and Leicestershire, near Uppingham.

CROMWELL HOUSE

38

Motoring news

Wednesday November 17 | 2021

Motoring News

This week… n

New Toyota Aygo X

n

Vauxhall Astra on sale

n Portable EV chargers

Toyota’s latest Aygo X shows how petrol city cars can remain relevant TOYOTA has revealed the latest generation of its city car – the Aygo X – which boasts a striking SUV-inspired design and claims impressive levels of technology.

Though the previous Aygo was built on the same platform – and rolled off the same production line – as the Citroen C1 and Peugeot 108, Toyota is now going alone with it.

Now called the Aygo X – the ‘X’ pronounced ‘cross’ – it shows Toyota’s commitment to more affordable petrol city cars at a time when many are only investing in EVs. A model explicitly designed for Europe, the new Aygo sits on Toyota’s GA-B platform, which also underpins the Yaris. First previewed by the Aygo X prologue concept car, the production model is largely unchanged.

CITY CAR Toyota’s Aygo X

Personalisation It’s available with a broad range of personalisation as well as two-tone paint schemes, and Toyota says the colour palette is ‘inspired by different spices’, with shades on offer including Chilli, Ginger and Juniper.

Alloy wheels of up to 18 inches are also fitted,

while the bold colours carry through to the interior as well, thanks to a bright dashboard and centre console.

At 3.7m long, the Aygo X is 24cm longer than its predecessor and 13cm wider, allowing for greater space inside, while the boot increases in size by 60 litres to 231 litres. As with the outgoing Aygo, an electric canvas roof can also be optioned.

Despite the vehicle’s compact size, Toyota is kitting out the Aygo with a raft of technology, including full LED lighting and a large touchscreen offering cloud-based navigation services plus wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Featuring a 71bhp 1.0-litre petrol engine available with either a five-speed manual gearbox or new CVT automatic transmission, its efficiency has been enhanced further with Toyota aiming for a 60mpg fuel economy figure and CO2 emissions of 109g/km.

Toyota hasn’t announced pricing yet, but the Aygo X aims to be a more affordable option in this class, with models likely to start from around £14,000. The Aygo X will arrive in showrooms in 2022.

The new Vauxhall Astra has gone on sale from £23,275 THE new Vauxhall Astra has gone on sale, with the popular hatchback debuting a new and simplified trim line-up that will be rolled out across other models in the firm’s range. Starting at £23,275, there will be just three trims, called Design, GS Line and Ultimate.

The range begins with Design, with standard features including 16-inch alloy wheels, Vauxhall’s ‘Pure Panel’ infotainment and navigation systems that includes a 10-inch colour touchscreen and 10-inch digital instrument cluster, and extensive driver assistance technology.

Other standard features include Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, LED headlights, front and rear parking sensors, and climate control.

GS Line models are designed to incorporate more sporty styling, with prices starting at £26,170. Standard kit includes 17-inch black alloy wheels, 360-degree parking camera, adaptive cruise control, heated steering wheel and front seats, and sportier seats.

The Ultimate specification brings the highest

ON THE MOVE The portable charger is the same size as a suitcase

levels of equipment and starts at £29,285. Added kit includes 18-inch alloy wheels, adaptive LED pixel headlights, head-up display, wireless phone charger, Alcantara seat trim and improved driver assistance.

Speed At launch, powertrains will include a plug-in hybrid unit that uses a petrol-electric setup making 178bhp, with a 222bhp version coming later next year. Vauxhall says both can provide a range of up to 35 miles with emissions as low as 24g/km.

There is also a 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engine as well as a 1.5-litre diesel, with both available with a six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic.

The new Astra hatchback is available to order now ahead of deliveries in the first quarter or 2022. The Sport Tourer (estate) version will follow later, with the electric Astra-e joining the line-up from 2023.

NEWEST RANGE Prices start from £23,275

Portable EV charger to give city electric car owners a boost A NEW portable electric car charger could help to give EV drivers without access to home charging a way of adding power to their cars.

The ZipCharge Go is around the same size as a compact wheeled suitcase and can be charged at home or elsewhere via a three-pin plug, bringing savings when compared with charging an EV via a public charging point.

Using a retractable handle, users can then wheel the Go to their car and plug it into the charging port. Once connected, the Go will provide up to 20 miles of range in just over 30 minutes – enough, according to ZipCharge, for

the average daily commute in the UK. The ZipCharge Go can then be stored in the car’s boot.

Electricity The charger also comes with bi-directional AC/DC charging, allowing it to store energy when electricity prices are low and feed it back to the grid at peak times. Revealed at the Cop26 event, the first ZipCharge Go examples are expected to reach customers in Q4 next year.

The Go comes with 2G/4G connectivity as standard, allowing users to remotely manage their charger via an app and

schedule charging to ensure that it’s always ready to go when needed.

Chargers will be available to purchase outright – though this price has yet to be confirmed – or via a subscription service costing £49 per month.

ZipCharge has set a target of making the Go comparable in price to a fully installed Level 2 home charging point.

Jonathan Carrier, ZipCharge co-founder, said: “One of the key barriers to wider uptake of EVs is charging anxiety; the inability to charge near or at home. ZipCharge removes that hurdle and in doing so, will democratise EV ownership.”

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Wednesday November 10 | 2021

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