Times of Tunbridge Wells 15th July 2020

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Wednesday July 15 | 2020

Face masks farce as law is not being enforced on buses Police say not their problem while drivers told not to get involved

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EXCLUSIVE By Richard Williams PASSENGERS refusing to wear face coverings on buses are not being fined because of confusion over the regulations introduced by Boris Johnson, the Times can disclose.

The law making it compulsory to wear masks on public transport to help prevent the spread of coronavirus is not being enforced in Tunbridge Wells – or any other part of Kent.

The news comes after the government has now decided to make wearing face coverings mandatory in shops and supermarkets from July 24 following days of confusion (see page 12).

Those who don’t abide by the rule are to also face £100 fines but the current law governing face coverings on public

transport is yet to be enforced.

From June 15, the UK government made it mandatory for passengers using buses, trains, and coaches to wear face coverings when travelling.

Failing to comply, unless a passenger

Government says bus companies have new powers is exempt through health reasons, should result in operators refusing a person a ride. Those not wearing a mask should be handed a £100 on the spot fine.

However, an investigation by this newspaper has revealed confusion as to who should enforce the law and issue

the fines. This means passengers are being allowed to travel without face coverings and no action is being taken for those refusing to wear one.

Arriva, the largest bus operator in the South East which runs services across Kent and East Sussex, including most of the popular routes serving Tunbridge Wells, has been under the impression enforcement lies with the police.

A spokesperson told the Times that bus drivers at the company merely inform travellers of the requirement.

She said: “Arriva bus drivers have been advised to inform our customers who are not wearing a face covering on boarding the bus, that they are required to do so by law, throughout their entire journey, unless they are exempt.

“If a customer is not exempt and

refuses to wear a face covering, then our drivers have been instructed to explain to the customer that they are breaking the law and that the police have powers to impose a fine of up to £100.

“Our drivers report all failures to comply with government policy to their Depot Management team to allow us to closely monitor the situation and advise the authorities.”

She added: “The powers to enforce/ impose fines for those breaking the law on face coverings reside with the police.”

However, Kent Police says the force has not issued a single fine and that responsibility for ensuring compliance

Continued on page 2

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Wednesday July 15 | 2020

this week… Councillors who voted themselves a pay SWITCHING SIDES? Lawyer who advised savers after bond firm collapse advising with man at centre of scandal p6

EMERGENCY RELIEF: How a local mother raised £20,000 for Intensive Care Unit with Reverse 999 appeal p10

TESTING TIMES: We examine how the 11+ test will work post lockdown p14

rise ask you what services you want cut

By Richard Williams KENT County Council [KCC] is to ask residents in the county what services the authority should prioritise as it prepares a new budget in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Council is facing an estimated £40-50million black hole for this financial year following the Covid emergency.

Despite this, as reported in the Times last week [July 8], the cash strapped authority still voted through a new members’ allowance scheme during lockdown, which will see county hall councillors receive a 4.2 per cent rise in their pay packets.

Services But now it is appealing to residents to ask their opinion on what services it should protect as it prepares to make swingeing cuts.

KCC is expecting to receive £10million in funding from the government, following an announcement earlier this month from Housing, Communities and Local Government minister, Robert Jenrick.

This is in addition to the £67million the authority has already received from Downing Street to cope with the Covid crisis.

But KCC says its additional spending during lockdown was around £96.6million and it lost more than £21million of income for this financial year, leaving a shortfall of between £40-50million.

It is not yet clear whether the government will further bail out councils, which means KCC are preparing a new budget and to cut services.

KCC Deputy Leader Peter Oakford, who is also the Cabinet Member for Finance and a Tunbridge Wells county councillor, said: “Local government still does not have certainty in relation to its financial position as we emerge

Bus face mask farce HAVING A BALL: Tunbridge Wells youth rugby club emerges from lockdown with socially distanced training p38 CONTACTS EDITORIAL DIRECTOR RICHARD MOORE richard@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk | 01892 779615 DEPUTY EDITOR EILEEN LEAHY eileen@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk | 01892 576037 CHIEF REPORTER RICHARD WILLIAMS richardwilliams@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk | 01892 240626 DESIGN/PRODUCTION LEE SMITH lsmith8@markerstudy.com SALES ENQUIRIES RSinger@markerstudy.com | 01892 739763 FIND US ONLINE facebook.com/timeslocalnews timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk twitter.com/timeslocalnews

Salomons Estate, Broomhill Road, Tunbridge Wells, TN3 0TF

CLARIFICATIONS AND CORRECTIONS HERE at the Times Local News we strive to deliver fair, accurate and balanced reports. When we don’t meet our own high standards we will accept the responsibility and publish clarifications and corrections.

If you would like to make a comment on any aspect of the newspaper, please write to the editor at David Salomons Estate, Broomhill Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN3 0TF, or email newsdesk@timesoftonbridge.co.uk Markerstudy Leisure is a trading name of One Media and Creative UK Limited registered in England and Wales under company number 5398960 with registered office at 45 Westerham Road, Sevenoaks, Kent TN13 2QB.

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Continued from page 1 of wearing face coverings on public transport ‘rests with service operators who have been granted enforcement powers within the legislation’ and ‘it is therefore not anticipated that police will be required to routinely assist’.

On announcing the introduction of the face covering legislation, the government said that ‘operators will be able to refuse travel or issue penalty fines for those who fail to wear a face covering, in a similar way to the rules on having a ticket for travel’.

Discretion But in its official guidance released by the Department of Transport and sent to bus companies, it says: “Operators and their staff have new powers to prevent access to a public transport vehicle, or to direct a passenger to wear a face covering or leave a public transport vehicle, if they are not wearing a face covering.

“Operators have discretion over how they use these powers.

“Where the above steps fail, the police and TfL [Transport for London] have the power to fine a passenger if they continue to refuse to comply.”

Due to the mix up, in the month since it became law, not a single fine has been issued in Kent for people flouting the face covering law on the county’s buses, and people are not being refused entry or asked to get off, putting fellow travellers at risk.

Arriva say from their observations, around 90 per cent of passengers are complying with the requirement and ‘the majority of people that are not wearing face coverings are exempt’.

CASH CRISIS Cllr Peter Oakford, County Hall’s head of Finance from the immediate impact of Covid-19, and that makes financial planning far more challenging than would usually be the case.

“However, we anticipate that we will have to cope with extra financial pressures to some degree.

“We are therefore launching this public consultation so that residents can outline their priorities and thereby help us formulate our plans for an amended budget, which the County Council will be considering at its meeting on 10 September.”

The four-week consultation, which was

launched on Monday July 13, is inviting residents’ views on spending priorities by visiting the website kent.gov.uk/budget and completing the online questionnaire.

Residents will be asked what out of the many services KCC provides they wish to protect.

These include services for children, young people and families, such as children’s centres, children in care, mental health services, social work cases, the KCC travel saver and special educational needs; services for all residents and communities such as public health and wellbeing services, highways, waste management, libraries, and community safety, as well as Services for older and vulnerable people.

Residents who are unable to take part inthe online survey can request a hard copy from County Hall in Maidstone.

DRIVERS TOLD NOT TO GET INVOLVED UNITE, the union that represents bus drivers, says it has advised its members ‘not to get involved with passengers who are not wearing a face covering’.

The national officer for passenger transport, Bobby Morton said: “It is not the responsibility of the bus driver to enforce the wearing of a face covering. Given the challenges and risks they have faced during the pandemic they already have enough on their plate.”

He continued: “Bus operators need to get a grip on this matter. They should be utilising other staff members to order passengers without face coverings to leave a bus. On routes where there is significant non-compliance the bus operator needs to ensure that the police are involved.

“It is vital that all passengers comply with the regulations in order to reduce the danger of transmission and to ensure that confidence returns to using public transport.”

Wednesday July 15 | 2020

NEWS IN BRIEF

Community service for railway ring thief AN ‘OPPORTUNISTIC’ Southeastern rail worker from Tunbridge Wells who stole a £15,000 diamond engagement ring dropped by a commuter has been ordered to do 100 hours of unpaid work.

Wayne Collins, of Longview Way was working at Tonbridge Station in June last year when he found the engagement ring.

Despite all staff being informed of the appeal for the ring to be returned by its owner, Collins did not come forward.

Appearing at Medway Magistrates’ Court last week, the 48-year-old was given a 12-month community order during which he must do 100 hours of unpaid work. He was also ordered to pay £170 in costs.

The magistrates said it was an ‘opportunistic theft’ but this ‘didn’t really help the victim who lost her ring’.

Dead pet appeal THE RSPCA are appealing for information after finding a number of dead animals in Chalket Lane, Pembury.

The pets, including three terrier type dogs, guinea pigs, a rabbit and a cockatiel were found in containers in the rural lane in June.

RSCPA inspector Laura Bryant said: “The bodies of the animals were too decomposed and therefore it is not known what the cause of deaths may have been or if they had died prior to being put into the containers.”

She continued: “I am appealing for information - someone somewhere may know what has happened to these animals or knows someone who owned them and now for some reason no longer has them.”

She urged anyone with information to contact the RSPCA.

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Police failed to answer teenager’s plea for help

Council charged with dragging its feet on returning to normal

By Robert Forrester

By Richard Williams

A TEENAGE boy found dead in a Tunbridge Wells park called police to tell them he was going to kill himself. He asked for help but nobody turned up.

Matthew Mackell, 17, was found in Dunorlan Park park in the early hours of May 7 – he had taken his own life due to pressures caused by lockdown, his family had said at the time.

Following the death, the Independent Office for Police Conduct [IOPC] was called in to investigate Kent Police.

According to documents sent from the IOPC to Matthew’s family, the teenager had called 999 on the night before his body was found and asked: “Can you send someone to pick me up?

I’m about to kill myself.”

OPPOSITION members have called on Tunbridge Wells Borough Council to restart its normal business following the easing of lockdown rules.

The Council had suspended many procedures and meetings due to the Covid pandemic and is just conducting ‘urgent business’.

And the Conservative-run Council is conducting these meetings during the day, which many opposition councillors say they cannot attend due to having to work.

Lib Dem Cllr Mark Ellis who represents St John’s ward said: “During the lockdown, I and my colleagues fully accepted that normal procedures had to be suspended but now that pubs and restaurants are open, I feel that it is time to return to more normal practice.”

He said that neighbouring authorities such as Sevenoaks, Maidstone and Tonbridge & Malling have all resumed normal Council meetings in the evening, albeit virtually.

Dunorlan He abandoned the call, and while police traced the location of the phone and made several other attempts to call him back – briefly speaking to the teenager who insisted he was ‘okay’ – they downgraded the incident from ‘immediate’ to ‘high’.

Despite calls for an officer to attend the scene, nobody from Kent Police visited Dunorlan Park, until the young man’s body was found in the early hours of the next morning, according to theIOPC report.

Matthew’s father, Michael Bond told The Sun newspaper that the initial phone call was a ‘a cry for help’.

He added: “He probably couldn’t have been saved - but it’s the fact they left a young boy in a tree all night and nobody went out to find him.

“They apparently managed to trace his phone to within a three-mile radius of where he might

MATTHEW MACKELL have been.

“That area was pretty much made up of houses and the park, and no one bothered to check there. If you’re dealing with someone who has told you they are going to kill themselves, surely you’d go there?”

He continued: “I’m not looking for anyone to blame but I am looking for answers. And I don’t want it swept under the carpet because he deserves more than that.”

A spokesman from the IOPC said that the investigation was ongoing.

A spokesperson said: “Following the nonsuspicious death of Matthew Mackell on 7 May 2020 a Kent police officer and two members of Kent Police staff are being investigated, as there is an indication they may have breached police standards of professional behaviour.

“We are examining their actions and decisions relating to their contact with Matthew, and whether these actions were in line with national and local policy.

“The investigation is in its initial stages and this development does not mean that disciplinary action will necessarily follow.”

A spokesman for Kent Police added: “Kent Police will support the IOPC’s enquiries but it would be inappropriate to comment further until such time as the investigation has concluded.”

Changes at the tip HOUSEHOLDERS can now visit the recycling centre in North Farm twice a month as part of changes introduced by Kent County Council.

From this week, the county’s recycling centres are open seven days a week between 8.30am to 3.45pm.

The recycling centre had been operating with limited opening hours during lockdown.

Residents will also now be able to book two slots a month in advance rather than the previous one visit using Kent County Council’s online booking portal.

TRIBUTES The location where Matthew was found was adorned with flowers following his death

Arrest is made following attacks on charity shops KENT Police say they have arrested a man in connection with a series of incidents relating to criminal damage to charity shops in Tunbridge Wells and across west Kent.

Hospices of Hope, which only opened on Mount Pleasant just before lockdown began, was targeted on Thursday July 2 when all of its windows were smashed during the night.

Kent Police say over the past month windows have also been deliberately broken at a number of other stores in Tonbridge and near Sevenoaks.

Shops were also targeted in Faversham and in areas outside of Kent, including Bexley and Pimlico in central London.

The charity raises money to provide end of life care in parts of

Eastern Europe, including Albania, Romania, Serbia and Moldova.

It was founded by Graham Perolls in 1991 after he visited Romania and discovered there was no hospice care in many parts of the region.

Hospices of Hope has reported damage in excess of £30,000 following the spate of attacks.

After an appeal for information, police arrested a 43-year-old man from east London in the Waltham Forest area last Wednesday night [July 8].

The man, who has not been named, has since been released on bail pending further inquiries until August 4.

Kent Police are appealing for any information which may assist the investigation and is urging people to call on 01622 604100, using reference 46/111918/20.

Scrutiny Council Leader, Alan McDermott, has said that ‘evening meetings raise a number of issues in terms of cost and complexity and I am also conscious that officers who have been working without a break for the last 100 days often use evenings to catch up on work or to catch up with their families’.

However, Cllr Ellis believes Cllr McDermott is using the situation to stymie opposition scrutiny.

“Recently the opposition has demolished the Conservative majority and we have young opposition members and therefore having an all daytime agenda makes it hard to continue effective scrutiny,” he said.

Council Leader Alan McDermott told the Times the only meetings not yet restored are the ‘non-statutory Cabinet Advisory Boards’.

He added: ‘We need to remember that there is very little ‘ordinary’ business going through the Council as we have focused our attention on the response to the pandemic and now on the recovery.

“Whilst remote meetings are working well, they consume more staff resources to run them. We have to balance the desire of some councillors to have more meetings with the realisation that they cost money and take a lot of staff capacity.

“My view is that staff need to be focused on helping local businesses and vulnerable residents. We also need to remember that they have been working flat-out round the clock for more than 100 days.”

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Wednesday July 15 | 2020

Mixed feedback from restaurants on government moves to boost bookings RESTAURATEURS in Tunbridge Wells have welcomed the cut in VAT introduced last week by theChancellor but remain sceptical of the half price meals planned for August.

In an announcement aimed to give the struggling hospitality sector a boost, Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced that from today [July 15] VAT will be cut from 20 per cent to 5 per cent on all meals and soft drinks bought at restaurants.

The VAT reduction is scheduled to last until January 12 next year.

Long-awaited Restaurant-goers will also be able to enjoy half price meals at cafes, restaurants and pubs from Monday to Wednesday – up to £10 a head per person – throughout the month of August, with the government footing the bill for the other half.

Mark Harper who runs French bistro RendezVous on Camden Road says the cut in VAT has been long-awaited.

He said: “We have been campaigning for this for a long time. It is massively welcome, and I don’t know why it has never been done before – you don’t pay VAT on shop-bought food so you shouldn’t be paying it to eat out.”

However, he remains cautious over the government’s ‘eat out to help out’ plan.

“Many of smaller, independent restaurants close when it is quieter to have a day off, so I won’t be rearranging my rotas to stay open.

“It may give some restaurants a boost and help out in the quieter days and might attract a different type of customer that doesn’t normally come out, but we will have to see.”

Gerry Stevens who runs the Vittle and Swig, also on Camden Road, says the VAT cut was ‘fantastic’ news.

She said: “We don’t pay VAT on our fresh produce obviously but then we have to charge on that, which is why so many restaurants struggle. Five per cent should be the norm.”

And she was more upbeat about the Chancellor’s August subsidy.

“If there’s an upsurge then I think we will open more and will probably do a set meal for £20 which will make it easier to work out the bill and easier for customers,” she said.

“August is normally a quiet month so it should really help. It is a good idea, and I have to say the government has been really good to hospitality during all of this.”

She added that since opening on July 4, the restaurant has attracted many new faces.

“We have been really busy and have been getting a lot of people aged between 40-60 coming from East Sussex and other places. I think Tunbridge Wells is seen as quite safe as we have had low Covid numbers, so it has been great so far.”

So what’s a night of freedom Local businesses have done really like following lockdown? all they can to keep you safe

By Richard Williams AFTER 14 weeks of lockdown, the first night out in Tunbridge Wells was eagerly awaited but with a touch of apprehension. Just how different will it be from now on as pubs and restaurants struggle to adapt to change brought about by Covid?

It seems everybody has their own approach.

First was a quick drink in Saint Johns Yard. The pub has introduced a number of measures in the wake of coronavirus, not least a one-way system [in one door and out the other] with floor markings to ensure social distancing.

While none of the staff are wearing masks, there’s no ordering at the bar to cut down on interaction – instead you download an app and drinks and meals are brought swiftly to your table.

Prestigious After my first pint of draught lager in 14 weeks slipped down effortlessly, and perhaps a little too quickly, after which it was off to the High Street.

At Sopranos, one of my favourite places for a nibble, things were a little more relaxed.

The narrow tapas bar would have found it impossible to open if social distancing rules had remained at two metres, but with a little spacing of the tables, owner Ivan Di Santo has ensured everybody is more than the required one metre plus away from one another.

There were no apps here, but the attentive staff kept a good safe distance when they took our order and delivered our drinks and plate of Patatas Bravas – delicious.

But we didn’t over-indulge, as a reservation done the road at The Ivy awaited.

The prestigious name has become a firm

STEAK NIGHT Food in the Ivy is never a disappointment

favourite for many people in the town since it opened two years ago, and it seemed a good a place as anywhere to break a lockdown fast.

Here too there was no PPE in sight or any hazard tape to ruin the décor, but that doesn’t mean the fine dining restaurant is taking chances.

A face scanner took our temperatures when we stepped inside, and we were invited to use the hand sanitiser placed at the entrance before being led to the table.

A bottle of not-inexpensive looking sanitiser also sat among the condiments and notably, a few tables had been removed since our last visit.

Staff were as attentive and friendly as ever, and the food as good as before the Covid hiatus.

A starter of smoked salmon, which tasted so fresh it may well have been hooked and smoked that morning, was soon wolfed down, and my guest’s duck salad, which looked crisp and delicious, disappeared almost as quickly.

Steaks for mains, and the meat was as good as anywhere you get in town, perfectly cooked, and washed down with the house lager.

While neither of us had much room for dessert, the chocolate bombe was too tempting not to indulge – and we left not only fit to burst but also with any fears we had of Covid-19 and coronavirus were completely allayed.

ROSS FEENEY, Chief Executive of Tunbridge Wells Together – the independent company funded by businesses in the town centre that promotes Tunbridge Wells – speaks to the Times about how the town has changed and what message he now has for people.

After three months of lockdown, it’s not an understatement to say local businesses are desperate for you to visit again.

As our town centre has gradually been re-opening,and the hustle and bustle of normal life has slowly started to return, you have been out and about, once again visiting your favourite shops, cafes and restaurants.

When you visit for the first time you will have noticed that things are a little different; store layouts have changed, staff are wearing masks and protective clothing, there are directional stickers on the floors, and most businesses would prefer you to pay be card.

All these changes have been deigned to keep staff and customers safe. I know first-hand that your favourite destinations have all worked incredibly hard over the past weeks to make their premises safe, whilst having as little impact as possible on your visit.

Great customer service and value for money are still their priority, and window shopping is still as enjoyable as it used to be.

More businesses will be re-opening in the

ROSS FEENEY coming weeks too, which means there’ll be even more places to spend those ‘lockdown savings’.

Some may say that encouraging you to come back into the town centre risks another spike in Covid cases, and it would be irresponsible to say there are no risks. However, our shops and restaurants have done everything they can, and if we all apply some common sense and adhere to the social distancing guidelines we can all once again enjoy a visit to the town centre.

If you have already visited, thank you for doing so. If you have been shielding, please be assured the town centre is still a warm and welcoming place and we look forward to seeing you soon.

TUNBRIDGE WELLS TOGETHER AND BID Town centre business improvement districts (BIDs) originated in North America and Australia, where local businesses directly fund an organisation to deliver events, activities and services, that are separate from (or compliment) those of the local council.

Tunbridge Wells Together is an independent company that runs the towns BID and through a levy paid by local businesses promotes the BID area, host events and encourages local residents to think of the town as their destination of choice, rather than one of habit.

If you see the Tunbridge Wells Together logo on adverts in this newspaper, or at events, it means that local businesses are supporting the initiative to encourage you to visit Tunbridge Wells rather than go anywhere else.

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Wednesday July 15 | 2020

Bizarre twist in the minibond saga as lawyer is accused of swapping sides “There were not many takers because she lacked clarity. Don’t get me wrong she seems to know her stuff but she never really gets to the crux of things.”

The Times has chosen not to name the bond holders.

In the exclusive interview with this newspaper Ms Sanders says she has received no money from Mr Hume-Kendall for introducing him to Mr Fender.

She has, though, admitted meeting the former chairman of Tunbridge Wells Conservative Party.

“Yes, I met him,” she said. “I wanted to ask him if he took the £237million. He said he did not.”

There is no suggestion that Ms Sanders is guilty of any wrongdoing.

EXCLUSIVE:

By Richard Williams A CLAIMS lawyer who offered help to savers hit by the collapse of a Tunbridge Wells investment firm has been advising Simon Hume-Kendall, the Times can disclose.

He is the local businessman being investigated by the Serious Fraud Office searching for £237million that has gone missing.

Last year, Jane Sanders, a claims management specialist, set up a Facebook group offering to help victims of London Capital and Finance (LCF), after it fell into administration in January.

The collapse saw more than 11,000 bondholders, many of whom had ploughed their life savings into the minibond investments, lose millions of pounds.

FRAUD SQUAD WIDENS INVESTIGATION

‘I always had my doubts about her and tried to report her to the Law Society and Bar Council but nothing happened.

I can’t believe she is now involved for her legal expertise, just her inside information’ The scandal hit company was originally set up in 2012 by Mr Hume-Kendall, a former Tunbridge Wells Conservative party chairman, under the name South Eastern Counties Finances.

He later went on to become the minibond firm’s largest borrower, through his company London Oil & Gas [LOG], which took out loans totalling £122million from LCF. That business also fell into administration last year – owing tens of millions it had borrowed.

Savers who purchased LCF’s minibonds thought the money was going to a range of start-ups, generating returns of eight per cent.

But according to administrators, millions ended up in the personal possession or control of just four men in what they describe as ‘highly suspicious’ transactions.

These include Mr Hume-Kendall, fellow LOG director Elten Barker of Hadlow Down, equestrian businessman Spencer Golding from Crowborough, and LCF director, Andy Thomson from East Sussex.

Ms Sanders had been offering victims of LCF help to claw back money through the Financial Services Compensation Scheme [FSCS].

The unregistered barrister is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority [FCA] under her trading name of JCSC. Her London Capital & Finance Action Group Facebook page immediately attracted more than a 1,000 followers as anxious bondholders joined up in the hope of getting back some of

ELTEN BARKER Was co-director of London Oil & Gas

SIMON HUME-KENDALL AND HIS WIFE HELEN As director of London Oil & Gas Mr Hume-Kendall borrowed millions from LCF, which he founded their life savings.

But it has emerged that Ms Sanders is now acting as an intermediary for Tunbridge Wells businessman Simon Hume-Kendall – the original founder of LCF and its principal borrower – who is in the process of putting two more of his businesses into administration.

They are London Power & Technology and LPE Enterprises, both of which have connections to the collapsed minibond company.

Ms Sanders, who used to live in Tunbridge Wells, has put Mr Hume-Kendall in touch with an administrator friend of hers, Andrew Fender.

Speaking to the Times, the claims handler denies any wrongdoing or conflict of interest.

FRAUD SQUAD The SFO are now looking into transactions as far back as 2013

She said: “I set up the group to tell them [what] services were available. But I have never taken any instructions from bondholders or any fees. I have also informed the FCA exactly what I am doing.”

She denies passing on any information handed to her by the 1,033 bondholders who joined her group, and claims she is an ‘insolvency specialist’ and is trying to ‘protect’ bondholders from ‘unfair treatment’ by the FSCS. “The only way I have of affecting anything to do with returns through insolvency is to be involved,” she said.

However, her actions have not gone down well with those who have lost their savings.

The Times has been in contact with scores of bondholders since LCF collapsed in 2019, and many have got in touch branding Ms Sanders a ‘turncoat’ and claim she has been sought out for ‘her inside information’.

One said: “I think the whole Jane Sanders defection is despicable.

“I always had my doubts about her and tried to report her to the Law Society and Bar Council but nothing happened.

“I can’t believe she is now involved for her legal expertise, just her inside information.”

Another told us: “I was in her group for approximately four months before I left. I found her communication style extremely unprofessional.

“Historically Jane promised people to get money back and asked those in the group to commit to appointing her as their claims manager on a percentage basis.

THE Serious Fraud Office [SFO] investigating the collapse of LCF has now widened its investigation to delve deeper into the affairs of Mr Hume-Kendall.

Following the collapse of LCF in January 2019, the SFO launched an investigation into all four individuals associated with the Eridge-based firm.

Now it has announced it is broadening its investigation to cover not just minibonds marketed by LCF, but also investments sold as far back as 2013 when the company was trading under the name Sales Aid Finance and was under Simon Hume-Kendall’s directorship.

He founded the business in 2012 under the name South Eastern Counties Finances, before changing the name to Sales Aid Finance in 2013.

It became LCF in July 2015. By which time the Tunbridge Wells businessman had stepped down from the board.

In a statement, the SFO said: “The investigation has been extended to cover investments made from 2013-2018. These investments were sold by Sales Aid Finance (England) Ltd [SAFE], which subsequently became London Capital and Finance Ltd.” They added that any members of the public who invested in LCF or Sales Aid Finance between 2013 and 2018 should contact them.

HOW IT ALL STARTED...

THE collapse of LCF in January 2019 was sparked after the city watchdog, the Financial Conduct Authority [FCA], froze the firm’s bank accounts after it was discovered they had been misleading investors with their marketing material.

The minibonds themselves were not regulated by the FCA so the vast majority of investors are not entitled to any compensation from the FSCS, although the body says it has found more than 100,000 emails on LCF’s servers that could hold information that may well mean more bondholders could receive some form of payout.

The marketing of minibonds has now been permanently banned by the FCA in the wake of the LCF scandal.

The FCA itself is also the subject of an independent inquiry into its handling of the collapse of LCF, while the auditing companies that signed off the firm’s accounts between 2015 and 2017, EY, PwC and Oliver Clive & Co, are also under investigation by the Financial Reporting Council [FRC].

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Local News

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Wednesday July 15 | 2020

Moving Forward campaign launch COUNTY HALL has launched a new campaign to ‘help get the Kent economy back on its feet’ after the coronavirus pandemic.

Moving Forward for Kent, which is supported by Visit Kent, Produced in Kent and Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce, is a marketing tool to help build confidence in Kent’s economic recovery.

Kent County Council [KCC] says the aim is to showcase how businesses are ‘Moving Forward’ following the Covid crisis.

The campaign toolkit, which available online for free, is designed to support any business in the county, large or small, and contains downloadable visuals as well as information and tools for social media marketing.

SAVED Frankie & Benny’s in Knight’s Park is set to reopen

Local Frankie & Benny’s safe from plans that will see more than 100 branches close

By Richard Williams FRANKIE & Benny’s in Tunbridge Wells will not be among the restaurants forced to close as the company restructures, it has been announced.

It was feared the Knight’s Leisure Park restaurant would close after owners The Restaurant Group [TRG] admitted around 125 of its outlets would not reopen after lockdown.

The popular American dining chain had already been struggling before it was forced to shut all its restaurants at the end of March due to the coronavirus pandemic, and had said earlier in the year that many leases would not be renewed.

But lockdown exacerbated the company’s problems and it confessed in June that it would

be taking the ‘the tough decision to close these restaurants now’.

Landlords have now approved a Company Voluntary Arrangement [CVA] with TRG, which will see permanent closure of 125 restaurants, but none of the chain’s eight Kent branches is among them.

Furlough TRG has already closed the majority of its Chiquito Mexican-style outlets as well as its Food & Fuel chain of pubs in London.

The company, which also owns Wagamama and Garfunkel’s, is one of the largest restaurant operators in the UK, but currently has around 22,000 staff on furlough.

A spokesman for TRG said: “The casual dining sector has faced enormous, well-documented pressures which have been exacerbated by Covid-19 and the lockdown.

“Unfortunately, we have had to take difficult but necessary decisions to ensure a sustainable future for our business.

“We have been in close contact with affected colleagues throughout this process and we are doing all we can to support them during this time.”

Around 3,000 jobs will go following the restaurant closures, but the news will be welcomed by Frankie & Benny’s Tunbridge Wells staff, whose jobs are now safe.

However, TRG is yet to announce when the branch will reopen following 14 weeks of lockdown.

Renewing Launching the Moving Forward for Kent campaign, KCC Leader Roger Gough said: “Kent residents, services and the environment have experienced rapid and fundamental change as a result of Covid-19.

“The huge changes to how people live, work and travel have had a significant impact on our everyday lives and we now need to adapt to the changes brought by this huge social and economic shock.

“The road to renewing the county’s economy will not be easy.

“As part of that road to renewal we are providing businesses with the tools to get involved and participate in the Moving Forward for Kent campaign.

“This will help us to work together to restore confidence, move forward and enjoy the benefits of a thriving local economy again.”

You can download the free toolkit at kent.gov. uk/forkent.

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Wednesday July 15 | 2020

McMuffins to stay off the menu in Tunbridge Wells says McDonald’s

By Richard Williams LOVERS of McDonald’s breakfasts will have to wait a little longer as the Tunbridge Wells branch has been excluded from the fast food giant’s plans to restart its morning menu.

McDonald’s began offering its popular McMuffins and other breakfast items in 1,300 restaurants last week, but the Longfield Road branch is one of only 28 in the country and the only one in Kent that is not offering them.

A spokesperson for the chain said: “Our people continue to adjust to new ways of working, given the new safety measures we’ve implemented.

Variation “This means there will be some variation in the services and menu options that our restaurants can offer at this time.

“We’re working hard to safely reopen in a wider capacity and would like to

thank our customers for their continued patience.”

The news will come as a big disappointment to McDonald’s fans, who caused gridlock last month when the restaurant chain reopened during lockdown.

Cars were backed up in High Brooms as people were anxious to get their first Big Macs in more than two months since the restaurant chain closed all stores on March 23 when lockdown began.

Local News

BUSINESS

9

A D V E R TIS IN G FE ATU R E

EMERGING FROM LOCKDOWN UNPREDICTABILITY IS INEVITABLE SO PLAN FOR THE ROAD AHEAD As we gradually emerge from lockdown and its unprecedented effect on our lives, we should take time to reflect on the past few months. This might be the impact caused to family life, the adjustment to new technologies and ways of working, or the impact that our activities have on the environment. However, one thing is certain, it truly highlights life’s unpredictability.

LONGER TERM TRENDS HAVE REMAINED UNCHANGED Life expectancy is increasing, and our population is aging.

Many people may soon be having to plan for 30 years of retirement. This raises questions about how much of a pension might be required in retirement and how much can be taken each year to avoid outliving it.

MCMADNESS Traffic in High Brooms was gridlocked when McDonald’s reopened in June

World ranking for Warners ONE of West Kent’s leading law firms has been recognised in the international guide to the world’s best lawyers.

Warners Solicitors, which is based in Tonbridge and Sevenoaks, has achieved top rankings in the 2020 edition of the Chambers High Net Worth guide, which is published every year in July.

In its profile of Warners’ Private Client team, Chambers reported: “The team at Warners is respected for the private client expertise it offers to wealthy clients.”

trusts matters,” it stated.

Philip Raggett is regarded as a ‘very sound lawyer’ and a ‘good technician’, while Gail Hall was recognised for her expertise with farming clients.

Mary Shaw, Head of the Private Client team, said: “Achieving a Band One ranking in Chambers HNW is hard to achieve, so these results are testament

to the quality of our staff and the advice we provide to clients.

“We are proud of the exemplary service that we provide. We believe in building very close, long-term relationships with our clients. I am delighted that this has been reflected in the comments and feedback that we have received from our clients.”

Experience

Savings advisory service will offer impartial advice on how you can save money on your overheads and direct costs.

Tunbridge Wells Together Chief Executive Ross Feeney said: “In our pre-ballot business plan we committed to providing services that would directly benefit your bottom line, and through our partnership with Meercat we are able to deliver on that commitment.”

Meercat can provide help with bills for

This can cause problems for many as insurance and pension contributions are often tied to jobs. It is important to consider what you might need to insure to mitigate this risk. Many people will have multiple pension pots throughout their career. It is important to keep track of these and how they are invested.

In the past months many have seen their incomes and expenditures fluctuate. It has been easier to see what is spent on essential and discretionary items. It may even have been the first time that people have budgeted.

“VICTORY AWAITS HIM WHO HAS EVERYTHING IN ORDER – LUCK, PEOPLE CALL IT.” ROALD AMUNDSEN Financial planning is all about setting long-term goals, expecting the unexpected, mitigating associated risk, creating a financial buffer, and making course adjustments on a regular basis. Start with the goal in mind.

PROUD Mary Shaw from Warners

It continued: “They appear very thorough, prompt with responses, and happy to discuss any matters where there are any queries.”

Three Partners, Mary Shaw, Gail Hall and Philip Raggett, have been singled out as ‘notable practitioners’ within the team.

“Mary Shaw is a respected figure in the private client market in Kent who has vast experience in handling wills and

TUNBRIDGE WELLS Together, the company that coordinates the town’s BID [Business Improvement District], has joined forces with a leading savings advisory service to offer free support to levy payers.

Meercat Associates work with BIDs all over the country, saving millions for levy-paying businesses each year.

The Meercat consultants are funded directly by Tunbridge Wells Together and

COVID-19 HAS HIGHLIGHTED THE FRAGILITY OF JOB SECURITY AND THE LIKELIHOOD OF NOT HAVING A REGULAR INCOME OR A JOB FOR LIFE

energy, merchant fees, pest control, insurance, telecoms, water, testing and safety.

He added that they will be hosting an online launch event in the coming weeks, with a Q&A session for those who want to know more.

Businesses keen to take advantage of the service can email their bills to savings@meercatassociates.com or call the savings team on 01444 416 529.

For further information about financial planning or to arrange a no-obligation meeting, please contact Richard Cox Wealth Management Ltd by phone on 07971 594647 or by email at richard.cox@sjpp.co.uk or visit www.richardcoxwm.co.uk Richard Cox Wealth Management is an Appointed Representative of and represents only St. James’s Place Wealth Management plc (which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority) for the purpose of advising solely on the Group’s wealth management products and services, more details of which are set out on the Group’s website www.sjp.co.uk/products.

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Community News

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Common ground: Photographs of our green spaces during lockdown

NATURAL TALENT: A chiffchaff taken on Rusthall Common by Mark Howden; and a dandelion with a spider taken in Rusthall by Joe Refet in the Junior category

By Andy Tong THE Tunbridge Wells Commons Conservators are calling for final entries to their inaugural photography competition.

The organisers are asking the public to send in images of ‘anything on the Commons that celebrates the magic’ of the open spaces in the town centre and Rusthall.

“Whether you capture a butterfly, a newt, a beautiful orchid, your dog running around, a smile or a fabulous view we guarantee it will brighten someone’s day.”

There are three categories for entries, for Juniors (12 and under), Teens (13 to 18) and Adults. The closing date is July 31, and prizes include nature kits for children, vouchers and wine.

Gemma Stapeley, assistant clerk of the Conservators, said: “This is the first time we

have run a photography competition, despite having being established in 1890.

“The fantastic work done by the Conservators to manage the Tunbridge Wells and Rusthall Commons has not really been shouted about.

She added: “The competition was planned before lockdown, and we have been sharing the images with those who have been unable to visit the Commons, hoping to raise some smiles during a difficult time.”

Surroundings “The Commons are loved by people of all ages.

Both Commons have fantastic walks, huge amounts of wildlife to admire, a vast range of plants and trees.

“They are incredibly popular with the community. There are very few people who haven’t climbed on Wellington Rocks! Our

Mother says thanks to hospital by raising £20k for intensive care A MUM from Langton Green has raised almost £20,000 for Tunbridge Wells Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit [ICU] to thank them for saving her son’s life on two occasions.

Caroline May started a fundraising campaign during the pandemic in April and within five days it had already brought half of her £30,000 target from more than 500 local people.

Her ‘Reverse 999 Appeal’ called on the public to donate £9.99 to the ICU via the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust Charitable Fund.

The mother of three explained: “My two-year-old son Arthur has a heart condition called myocarditis and a suspected immunodeficiency condition.

“Tunbridge Wells Hospital saved his life in May 2018 when he was struck by a viral infection of the heart and again in December 2019 when he had sepsis.”

Facebook group has a very active community of 700 - and we only started it in April.”

She said there had been a significant rise in visitors to the Commons during lockdown as they took their daily exercise in the ‘beautiful surroundings’.

“Since lockdown has eased there are socially distanced friends and families continuing to enjoy the space - it’s as if lockdown has enabled many people to rediscover the joys of nature and the natural world.”

But she added: “On the down side we have experienced a significant rise in use of our litter bins and dropped litter so would encourage people to take their rubbish home with them if they can.

To enter, send your pictures to info@ twcommons.org with your date of birth, address and details of where and when the photograph was taken.

GIVING BACK Caroline with her son Arthur

She added: “We take it for granted that we can call 999 when we want urgent medical help, so I started the Reverse 999 Appeal so people can type those numbers in a different way and help support our local hospital.

Delivers “As well as it being a chance for me to give back and say ‘thank you’ to Tunbridge Wells Hospital for saving Arthur’s life, I also wanted to do something to help others during the pandemic.

“I’m extremely grateful to everyone who has donated to the appeal so far, now I’m asking local schools and business as well as individuals to help me reach the £30,000 target.

So far the money has already been used to buy six Aerogens - a device which delivers drugs

REAL DIFFERENCE Charge nurse Fabio Fernandes (left) with an Aerogen device and sister Danielle King with the dementia clock

straight into a patient’s lungs via a ventilator - a rehabilitation chair and six dementia clocks, which can be used by patients suffering from delirium.

Jane Sansom, ICU Matron at the Pembury hospital, said: “The amount of money Caroline has managed to raise for ICU in such a short space of time is incredible.

“Importantly that money is already making a real difference to the care we provide patients with.

“The new rehabilitation chair means we now have three of them on ICU, allowing us to get more patients out of their beds and into an upright position.

“The dementia clocks are really helpful for patients, who may be disorientated due to their condition, to understand what time of day it is.

“And the Aerogens allow staff to get drugs directly into a patient’s lungs to help them breathe, so the impact these items are having on our patients is huge.”

To make a donation visit justgiving.com/ fundraising/tunbridgewellsicu

Wednesday July 15 | 2020

Council sets aside £1m to keep pools and gyms running TONBRIDGE & Malling Borough Council is to pump £1million into its Leisure Trust in order to help residents’ health and fitness during the pandemic.

Last week the governement that outdoor pools could open from July 11 and indoor pools, gyms and leisure centres on July 25.

A report has called for the emergency funding to compensate the council’s facilities and help them prepare them for reopening with social distancing requirements in place.

Their proposal was approved by full council because of the positive impact it would have. As the country emerges from lockdown, such services will be ‘essential’ to promote for general health and wellbeing.

The council said it was disappointed that the Trust is not eligible for government support other than the job retention scheme, and described it as an ‘extreme situation.’

The council has predicted a shortfall of up to £5million by the end of this year because of the impact of Covid-19 on the usual revenue streams such as parking fees.

The report admitted ‘there is currently no budget for these payments’ and the seven-figure sum will be put aside for the Trust to make claims upon.

Significant The offciers said: “It is important to stress that it is not in the council’s financial interests, nor that of its taxpayers, for the Trust as the council’s contractor to fail as a consequence of the measures imposed by the government.

“The financial implications falling to the council are significant and could put the council’s overall financial position under even greater pressure.

“In addition, the services to the public will be at risk at a time when health and well-being could not be more important.”

Poult Wood golf course, which is run by the Trust, had been fully booked on a daily basis since it was reopened in mid-May with demand for tee-times exceeding supply.

The Leisure Trust also runs the Angel Centre, Tonbridge Swimming Pool, the Games Hut at Tonbridge Racecourse Sportsground and bookings for sports pitches in the town.

Cllr Martin Coffin, Cabinet Member for Finance, Innovation and Property, said: “The pandemic has dealt a significant financial blow to both the Leisure Trust and the council.

“It is therefore disappointing that the government hasn’t allowed leisure centres to reopen as we believe with appropriate measures in place it is possible for them to operate safely.

“The government should be doing more to support these vital facilities which benefit the health and well-being of our community.

“Together we will be making the case to persuade the government to step up and provide the financial help this sector desperately needs.”

Martin Guyton, the Trust’s chief executive, said: “The Trust is a charitable organisation that provides services that improve the health and well-being of residents on a ‘not for profit’ basis.

“The pandemic has resulted in zero income whilst the costs of maintaining the facilities during lockdown and preparing for re-opening remains considerable.

“When allowed we intend to re-open in a safe and responsible manner strictly in accordance with government and industry guidance.

“This will result in reduced income for the foreseeable future and despite holding reserves, the financial impact of the pandemic cannot be borne solely by the Trust.

He said £1million ‘will ensure our sustainability’ and added: “We share the view of the council that government should provide ring-fenced financial support for public sector leisure provision consistent with government messaging around the importance of physical activity during the lockdown period and beyond.”

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National News

Heath Secretary told face mask rule is a ‘ministerial muddle’ FACE coverings can help to protect shop workers and restore the confidence of shoppers, the Health Secretary has told the Commons.

Matt Hancock formally announced in the Commons yesterday afternoon (Tuesday) that anyone failing to comply with the order in England from July 24 could face a fine of £100.

In a statement, he told MPs: “In recent weeks we have re-opened retail and footfall is rising. We want to give people more confidence to shop safely and enhance protection for those who work in shops.

Confusion “Both of these can be done by the use of face coverings.

“Sadly sales assistants, cashiers and security guards have suffered disproportionately in this crisis. The death rate of sales and retail assistants is 75% higher amongst men and 60% higher amongst women than in the general population.”

Mr Hancock had earlier said shopkeepers ‘can refuse entry’ to people not wearing coverings and said police enforcement would be the ‘last resort’ after the Police Federation of England and Wales pressed on the issues.

But Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth criticised the Government over its ‘mixed messaging’ on the use of face masks.

He said: “After days of ministerial muddle, we finally have a decision. I’ve long warned that this virus exploits ambiguity and that mixed messaging in a pandemic is so damaging.

“On Friday we had the Prime Minister say he favoured face masks. On Sunday we have (Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove) saying he didn’t favour face masks.

“It didn’t have to be this way. We didn’t have to have this confusion.”

Huawei technology must be removed from UK by 2027

CHINA SANCTION Oliver Dowden in the Commons yesterday CHINESE tech giant Huawei’s equipment will be stripped from the UK’s 5G network by 2027, adding billions to the cost and delaying the delivery of the high-speed mobile network.

The National Security Council took the decision - which will increase tensions with Beijing - after the impact of US sanctions raised concerns about Huawei’s continued involvement in the UK’s 5G infrastructure.

From next year, telecoms firms will be banned from purchasing new 5G equipment from Huawei.

They will also be ordered to shift away from the purchase of Huawei’s equipment for broadband networks over a period lasting up to two years.

The decisions were taken at a

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Wednesday July 15 | 2020

NEWS IN BRIEF

Virgin Atlantic secures a £1.2billion bailout VIRGIN Atlantic has unveiled a £1.2 billion bailout package involving private funds.

The plan to secure its future includes £200 million being provided by founder Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group.

Support has also been given by Delta Air Lines – which owns 49% of Virgin Atlantic – private investors and existing creditors.

The deal must secure approval from relevant creditors through a process introduced as part of Government reforms to corporate restructurings.

PC in court over crash meeting of the National Security Council, chaired by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, yesterday (Tuesday) morning.

It followed an assessment of the impact of US sanctions by experts from the National Cyber Security Centre.

Restrictions In January, before the tough restrictions imposed by US President Donald Trump’s administration, Huawei had been allowed to play a limited role in the 5G network despite concerns that it was a ‘highrisk’ vendor because of its links to the Chinese government.

The US then imposed sanctions on Huawei in May. Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden set out the revised

position on Huawei in the Commons, acknowledging that the moves could delay the rollout of 5G by two to three years and potentially add £2billion to the overall cost.

Mr Dowden said: “Today’s decision to ban the procurement of new Huawei 5G equipment from the end of this year will delay rollout by a further year and will add up to half a billion pounds to costs.

“Requiring operators in addition to remove Huawei equipment from their 5G networks by 2027 will add hundreds of millions of pounds further to the cost and further delay rollout.

“This means a cumulative delay to 5G rollout of two to three years and costs of up to £2 billion.”

A POLICE constable has appeared before magistrates charged with causing the death of a motorist while responding to an emergency call.

West Mercia Police PC Jamie Holloway was granted unconditional bail until August 12 when he appeared at Kidderminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.

The 49-year-old officer is accused of causing the death of David Shaw, 53, by dangerous driving on the A449 at Acton, near Hartlebury, on May 28 2018.

Ducks dodge traffic MORE than 60 ducks were stranded on the UK’s busiest motorway forcing an RSPCA officer to dodge cars to catch them.

RSPCA collection officer Kate Wright was called to the scene - close to junction 18 of the M25 near Watford – on Sunday.

Ms Wright said: “I expected to arrive to find a mother duck and a brood of ducklings – but when I got to the scene there were ducks everywhere!”

FOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT: timeslocalnews.co.uk

Wednesday July 15 | 2020

NEWS IN BRIEF

Four charged with £22m pension fraud FOUR people have been charged over an alleged £22 million pension fraud.

Two men and two women are due to appear at City of London Magistrates’ Court on August 17 in connection with the case, which involves 275 alleged victims.

Rikki Nicholls, 55, of Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, and Mark Kelly, 49, of Wilmslow, Cheshire, are both accused of conspiracy to defraud, fraud by misrepresentation, and money laundering.

Sharon Nicholls, 56, also from Bromsgrove, is charged with money laundering, as is Angela Kelly, 53, of Wilmslow.

DFS to axe 200 jobs RETAILER DFS Furniture has warned it may axe up to 200 jobs across its Sofa Workshop and Dwell chains as the group braces for annual losses after a £271million sales hit from lockdown.

The sofa chain, which employs 5,500 staff, said it is making a ‘targeted reduction’ of roles.

The warning came as it said revenues slumped to around £725 million in the year to June 28.

Retail bounce back UK RETAILERS have said they saw the biggest monthly sales jump in more than two years in June.

The BRC-KPMG retail sales monitor for June revealed a 3.4% increase, representing the highest increase since May 2018. It represented the first growth since the lockdown.

US executes a federal prisoner following Supreme Court ruling THE US executed its first federal prisoner in 17 years after the Supreme Court overruled the lower courts.

Daniel Lewis Lee received a lethal dose of the powerful sedative pentobarbital yesterday [Tuesday] morning despite a successful appeal against the use of lethal injection on Monday.

Lee, from Yukon, Oklahoma, was convicted in Arkansas of the 1996 killings of gun dealer William Mueller, his wife, Nancy, and her eight-year-old daughter, Sarah Powell.

But a court order issued by US District Judge Tanya Chutkan on Monday morning had prevented his execution.

Review Judge Chutkan said inmates had presented evidence showing that the government’s plan to use only pentobarbital in executions ‘poses an unconstitutionally significant risk of serious pain’.

A federal appeals court in Washington refused the administration’s plea to step in, leaving the stay in place, before the Supreme Court acted by a 5-4 vote.

The 47-year-old was then scheduled to be executed at 4am local time on Tuesday, and around

8am, his execution was confirmed.

Two more executions are scheduled this week, though one, Wesley Ira Purkey, is on hold in a separate legal claim. Dustin Lee Honken’s execution is scheduled for Friday.

A fourth man, Keith Dwayne Nelson, is scheduled to be executed in August.

Executions at federal level have been rare and the government has put to death only three defendants since restoring the federal death penalty in 1988 - most recently in 2003, when Louis Jones was executed for the 1995 kidnapping, rape and murder of a young female soldier.

In 2014, following a botched state execution in Oklahoma, President Barack Obama directed the Justice Department to conduct a broad review of capital punishment and issues surrounding lethal injection drugs.

The attorney general said last July that the Obama-era review had been completed, clearing the way for executions to resume.

He approved a new procedure for lethal injections that replaces the three-drug combination previously used in federal executions with one drug, pentobarbital. This is similar to the procedure used in several states, including Georgia, Missouri and Texas, but not all.

World News

NEWS

Judge rules Trump’s niece can publicise book about President

MARY Trump can talk about the highly critical book she wrote about her uncle, Donald Trump, despite objections from the president’s brother, a US judge ruled as he lifted an order which had blocked her from publicising her work.

State Supreme Court Judge Hal B Greenwald, in Poughkeepsie, New York, rejected arguments by Robert Trump that Ms Trump is blocked from talking about family members publicly by an agreement relatives made to settle the estate of her father after his death.

The judge said the confidentiality clauses in the 2001 agreement,

viewed in the context of the current Trump family circumstances in 2020, would ‘offend public policy as a prior restraint on protected speech’.

“Notwithstanding that the book has been published and distributed in great quantities, to enjoin Mary L Trump at this juncture would be incorrect and serve no purpose. It would be moot,” he wrote.

Judge Greenwald said the confidentiality agreement mainly concerned the financial aspect of the deal, which is not as interesting now as it might have been two decades ago.

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Education

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EDUCATION Times

Testing times for a place at grammar school post coronavirus lockdown Kent County Council will shortly announce whether it will be postponing the Kent Test, also known as the 11 plus exam, until October. Eileen Leahy reports on what this will mean for those hoping for a place at grammar school in 2021 LAST month Kent County Council (KCC) submitted a proposal to the authority’s Cabinet Member for Education and Skills in order to delay this year’s Kent Test exam due to the Covid crisis.

The idea is to move the test, also known as the 11+, from September to October of this year.

Matt Dunkley, KCC’s Corporate Director for Children, Young People and Education, said last month: “While the pathway to a return to normal school life is still not fully understood, we know it is important that schools, parents/ carers and children have adequate notice of any adjustments to the Kent Test process.”

The exam consists of English, maths and verbal and non-verbal reasoning papers and if passed successfully gives pupils the opportunity to attend a grammar school.

Approximately 20% of children in Kent are awarded a place at a grammar on the basis of achieving the necessary score in all parts of the 11+.

However simply moving the Kent Test is not without its complications.

Firstly, results will not be available until a month after parents and children have made their secondary school selections on the necessary Secondary Common Application Form also known as a ‘SCAF’.

Usually if a child has successfully passed the 11+ exam it can list its favoured grammar school as its first choice but students will still not know

whether they have passed or not.

Secondly there are the effects of lockdown on students and their ability to study to consider.

Nikki Clift, a volunteer at AIM a local charity which tutors 10 children a year from poorer backgrounds free of charge for the exam, has many reservations about how the pandemic has affected these pupils.

‘All children have suffered due to the closure of schools but we have witnessed the effects of the lockdown on the families AIM supports first-hand’ “The proposal (by KCC) to delay the test is particularly significant when the majority of the local private schools are now welcoming all year groups back into school,” she explains.

“Many of these children have been receiving face-to-face teaching via Google classrooms or similar since early in lockdown.

“All children have suffered due to the closure of schools this year but we have witnessed the effects of the lockdown on the families AIM supports first-hand,” continues Mrs Clift.

“Digital poverty can mean that families do not have the electronic devices for children to access schoolwork effectively or access other 11+

Wednesday July 15 | 2020

preparation resources online. It can also mean that families do not have the ability to print resources which can make schoolwork more accessible. Children are disadvantaged if they cannot find a quite space at home to concentrate.”

Pre-lockdown AIM had been successfully tutoring courtesy of volunteers like Mrs Clift and with support from The Right Tuition Company.

AIM also had the support of The Skinners’ School where it was going to host two mock trial exams in April and another in July.

Instead both AIM pupils and those who had paid to also sit the mock test at Skinners’ have had to do them at home, still not knowing when the actual 11+ exam will take place.

“The way children are assessed for their ‘suitability’ for these schools is problematic and especially so after the school closures this year,” adds Mrs Clift, who attended Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Girls and went to sixth form at The Judd in Tonbridge.

“Modern grammar schools were established in 1944 to aid social mobility and provide all bright children with access to high standards of academic teaching.

“In 2020, the reality is that the odds are heavily stacked against a child from a less advantaged background obtaining a place at a grammar.

And this year’s events have exacerbated a broken system that fails the children it was created to serve.”

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WITH THE

Wednesday July 15 | 2020

Site Team Member Starting salary KR6 £20,744 Reporting to Site Team Manager Start Sate: ASAP We are looking to appoint a Site Team Member to join Bennett Memorial Diocesan School, a large secondary school in Tunbridge Wells. The successful candidate is likely to have previous experience of building maintenance. The role includes, as part of a team, responsibility for site security and safety, cleanliness and general maintenance of the site as well as record keeping, and statutory testing and recording.

We are seeking applicants that can

act on their own initiative, deal with any unexpected problems that may arise, and willing to learn on the job.

This role is full time, 37 hours a week, 5 days per week, 52 weeks per year, expected to be 8.30am until 4.30pm (one day until 4pm) to include one hour for lunch unpaid. 25 days holiday Some flexibility is needed to meet demands of the site.

For application form and further details, please visit our website : www. bennettmemorial.co.uk Should you wish to discuss any aspect of the post before applying, please do not hesitate to email us at recruitment@bennett.kent.sch.uk Applications should be submitted on the correct Application Form, CVs will

Recruitment

NEWS

15

OF TUNBRIDGE WELLS AND TONBRIDGE

not be accepted.

Completed Application Forms should be sent via email recruitment@bennett. kent.sch.uk or posted to HR Department, Bennett Memorial Diocesan School, Culverden Down, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN4 9SH. The closing date for applications is Monday 27 July at 12pm.

The Tenax Schools Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All posts are subject to vetting checks and a satisfactory enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check.

A D VE R TISIN G FEATU R E

have received independent legal advice and have strictly followed recommendations made by the Law Commission.

By Toby Fountaine, head of private client department, and Susi Gillespie, head of family department at specialist law firm Thomas Mansfield Solicitors It has long been a concern of parents to protect their estate from the inheritance tax (IHT) and their adult children’s ex-spouses.

Sensible IHT planning can mitigate the first but how does one avoid the second? What do you do to prevent your child’s ex from walking off with part of what you left to

your son or daughter upon death or gifted during your lifetime?

When dividing assets on divorce the court is required to consider a checklist of factors set out in the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 s25 (MCA). The approach is a discretionary one and the MCA is supported by a wealth of case law. The MCA does not refer the court to the question of inherited assets, but these will be considered when making a final order.

Inheritances received pre marriage could potentially be ring-fenced.

Inheritances received during the marriage may be considered as an ‘unmatched contribution’ by one party. However, in the vast majority of cases, all of the parties’ assets will be required to meet needs.

Some parents would not gift funds during their lifetime to their child because they are concerned about their offspring’s relationship not lasting until the death parts the spouses.

Such parents can encourage their child to enter into a pre-nuptial agreement before they wed, or a post-nuptial agreement during a rocky marriage. It may well be that if an adult child can say to their partner or spouse that without a pre- or post-nuptial agreement (PNA) their parents will not gift much needed funds to them, this may be enough inducement.

Currently, PNAs are not binding in Britain but their existence will be one of the factors which the court takes into account when considering the MCA and exercising its discretion. PNAs have a greater chance of success where parties

INHERITANCE PLANNING Once the issue of the children’s marriages has been addressed, IHT comes to the forefront of the family admin. IHT planning is often divided into lifetime planning – what, as a parent, you can do for your family during your life – and planning for what happens on your death.

Lifetime planning often involves using the simpler IHT exemptions, the most common one of which is giving. If you gift money to your children, having a PNA in place is certainly much better than not, but to truly keep assets safe a trust structure must be used.

Here you give money to a trust (a vehicle a bit like a limited company) and the trustees (appointed by the person giving the money, i.e. the donor) look after the assets for your children, grandchildren or anyone else named in the trust.

Despite sounding complicated, this structure is rather straightforward and widely used. Not only does it keep the money out of the hands of ex-spouses, but it can also help to make significant IHT savings.

These very much depend on individual circumstances, but it is definitely worth an enquiry.

Planning for your family on your death and after often involves the use of a welldrafted Will in combination with one or more devices such

as good pension planning and other financial products like life insurance and a Will trust.

Will trusts come into effect on your death and work much like lifetime trusts. You can choose who runs them and what powers these people have, who the beneficiaries are and how much money (or other assets) end up in them. Discretionary trusts give wide powers of discretion for the trustees to distribute fund as they see fit. This has the advantage of keeping the funds entirely safe from children’s spouses or ex-spouses. Will trusts can also have IHT advantages so obtaining individual legal advice is essential.

A combination of matrimonial, tax and trust advice should give a comprehensive and holistic overview of a family’s arrangements; and the family and private client team of lawyers at Thomas Mansfield Solicitors can help with all of it as a one-stop shop.

16

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Local News

Wednesday July 15 | 2020

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 newsdesk@timesoftonbridge.co.uk or write to the Editor, Times Local News, Salomons Estate, Tunbridge Wells TN3 0TG changes in the way it operates to ensure that it provides residents with the services they need in an efficient and cost-effective manner.

James Tansley Via email

Let’s not forget about positives

MOVING OUT Shopmobility is leaving Royal Victoria Place

Thank you for lending a hand - our town is full of kindness THE other day when we were finally removing the last items from what was Shopmobility, I discovered - as I always hoped - that Tunbridge Wells has some kind people offering help to someone who probably looked like he was fighting a mobility scooter.

I was trying to deliver it to the bottom end of the town and very quickly it developed a fault of locking up and so I was regularly seen almost fighting to get it moving and I will say

that on several occasions right across the route many people generously offered to help.

This brief letter is my way of saying thank you to those kind people who offered help yesterday during my struggle, and may I also thank those customers who have supported Shopmobility during the length of its time in the town centre.

Chris Jeffery, Mending The Gap and former Shopmobility Trustee

Please smarten up - starting with bins

Use the squeeze to make change

EVERYTHING lately has been Covid-19 related but I would like to see the council get back to basics because the town is just looking a little shabby.

I returned to Tunbridge Wells in 2004 and one of my regular gripes is the bins not being picked up. After a long day working with clients with care and support needs, as well as their families and our caregivers, the last thing I want to spend my time on is reporting bins.

Tired of the situation, I put a Freedom of Information request into the council to provide me with the information of bins missed by street for the last decade. The council were unable to provide me with anything but the year 2019 because, they said, that’s when they changed contracts.

A quick viewing of the information tells me that some areas are worse hit than others. I can only think that, in their enthusiasm to gain the contract, the contractors decided to reduce the number of person hours needed to collect the bins.

I wondered how this would work in social care and pondered my situation. If I don’t have a caregiver to complete a call, I do it myself. How would this work with the bins?

Please please please don’t keep asking our residents to report missed bins. Above all, don’t tell the public to email somebody else to report something. Take responsibility. Save our sanity!

Gillian Douglass Tunbridge Wells Liberal Democrats

Your reports on the council’s reaction to the Covid-19 situation suggests that there is some very sloppy thinking going on in the Town Hall at the moment.

The Director of Finance [Lee Colyer], whose total remuneration last year was £126,045, claims that the council is facing an £8million hole in its budget, and that without a government bailout (the money for which would ultimately come from us, the taxpayer), local residents face a ‘disaster’.

Most organisations in such a situation would have begun serious cost-cutting by now. But the council appears to be carrying on spending as if nothing is happening. It has not revised its 2020-21 budget (which, inter alia, envisaged a hike of 4 per cent, or £615,000, in Town Hall staff costs); it has no plans to cut its excessive complement (48) of councillors; and it continues to print and distribute at great expense Outlook, its own self-congratulatory (and wholly unnecessary) glossy magazine.

Meanwhile, the chief executive [William Benson], 2019-20 remuneration £151,886, seems more interested in his offices than in the impact Covid-19 is having on the residents of Tunbridge Wells.

By all means, get all council staff working from home and sell the Town Hall - the money from this could be used to renovate the Assembly Hall.

Better still, the council should use the current squeeze in revenues to bring about meaningful

It was disappointing to read letters from opposition borough councillors criticising the local council [July 8].

One letter had already been sent to borough councillors. Many factual inaccuracies were pointed out, and the sender was forced to issue an embarrassing apology.

He was also asked to retract the letter but councillors (from all political parties) are still waiting for his response.

More importantly, let’s focus on the positive work the council has done during the Covid-19 crisis.

It supported the needy, housing 48 rough sleepers and delivering more than 400 food parcels to vulnerable residents.

It set up a 24/7 helpline, receiving 1,300 enquiries and making 150 well-being calls, and helped raise over £10,500 for local charities.

And it distributed £27million in government grants to 2,000 local businesses.

It also lobbied central government, including successfully urging support for local arts and music venues such as The Forum and Trinity Theatre.

And the good work goes on. Council staff continue to work tirelessly, and the Conservatives are working on a new five-year strategy to promote a green and sustainable recovery.

Many of these initiatives were enthusiastically supported by opposition parties. But it appears memories are short.

Matthew Bailey Portfolio Holder for Sustainability and Conservative councillor for Paddock Wood West

A poem: The day it all stopped As the sun awoke from its long trek, there was a problem boarding the English deck.

A silence descended upon the never-stopping city, nothing was happening in any community.

A few cars rumbled over the roads, looking at everything – all closed.

A sense of unease spread over the country, it all happened so very abruptly.

The doctors and nurses were applauded and celebrated, nothing, in this time, was going to be overrated.

Everything was valued so, so well, but we couldn’t go to the beach and pick up a shell.

The hospitals were full to the brim with patients, mothers had to take extra care of their babies.

The children were told they couldn’t go to school, everyone had to follow the new protocol.

The adults were told that we had the virus, everyone hoped that it would soon bypass us.

No one knows how long it will take, we’re all waiting to hear about the next update...

Annabel Rose Sims, aged 11 Via email

The lockdown is relaxing at last I was somewhat alarmed to see this [see picture below] at the entrance to Grosvenor & Hilbert Park the other day. After all, the public toilets have remained open throughout lockdown.

Helen Mills Tunbridge Wells

Leader is accountable to auditors Hugo Pound and David Hayward raised very serious concerns about the Tunbridge Wells Borough Council Leader’s conduct in their letters last week.

In a commercial environment company auditors are required to report any ‘dominant director behaviour’ in their annual audit report, where it appears to override and impede proper management procedures.

Cllr McDermot must tell us if he or his councillors claim privileges, to avoid answering important questions without giving proper reason. Describing important questions as ‘bullying and harassment’ is unlikely, I believe, to be accepted as a valid justification by the auditors. As Leader, he is responsible for the proper conduct of council affairs by councillors and officials alike, just as is any company chairman.

John Pickering Via email

Keeping up with the currencies In her letter [July 8] Alison Cole states that the government is about to hand the EU a ‘multibillion dollar present’. As far as I am aware, the EU currency is the Euro and in the United Kingdom it is the decimal pound. Where did the dollar come into it? And which nationality is it?

Victor Bethell Tunbridge Wells

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

Reopening Tunbridge Wells and welcoming you back Explore outstanding places close to home

Gardens, walks and cycle routes are all at their best right now. Restaurants, pubs and cafes are ready to welcome you too.

Know before you go – check in advance that places are open and whether you need to book.

?

Planning a day out?

The Tourist Information Centre office is ready to help you with information for your great day out. Contact the TIC touristinformationcentre@tunbridgewells.gov.uk or call 01892 554070, Monday to Friday between 10am and 3pm.

Our website visittunbridgewells.com has lots of information to help you too.

Open?

Check Before

A lot of tourism and hospitality businesses have reopened or are getting ready to reopen, but it will be a very different day out from what you are used to. The first thing to do, ideally well before you set off, is to check that where you want to go is open and find out if you need to book.

Reduced Capacity

Social distancing and safety measures mean that businesses are operating at reduced capacity so pre-booking is very important. If you haven’t booked and you see there’s a queue you might need to rethink your plans.

Hello!

On Arrival

Don’t be surprised to see staff greeting you on arrival, they’re there for safety and will ensure you don’t enter premises that are over-crowded. It will help if you carry ID, as staff may need to take your details.

Transport

Bus and rail services in the borough are operating, with hygiene and safety measures in place. If you are intending to use public transport please check the timetable as it may have changed in recent weeks. Avoid busy times, keep your distance and remember to wear a mask. Local taxis will be happy to help you too.

For shorter journeys please consider cycling or walking to your destination.

Finally, have a great time knowing you’re supporting the local economy. It may be a little different but if everyone follows the guidelines there’s plenty of space for everyone to enjoy themselves safely.

visittunbridgewells.com

for inspiration and great ideas for your local day out TWellsTourism VisitTunbridgeWells

tunbridgewells.gov.uk

18

NEWS

Weekly Comment

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Hugo Pound Labour Councillor for Sherwood

Wednesday July 15 | 2020

Hugo Pound is a Labour Councillor for Sherwood Ward on Tunbridge Wells Borough Council. He is a chartered psychologist specialising in corporate leadership and strategy. He has worked in the NHS, as a qualified social worker in a London borough, in industry, and latterly in consulting.

We have a council with no vision, no leadership and no ambition BERNARD JENKIN is the Conservative Chairman of the highly influential Parliamentary Liaison Committee that scrutinises the Government’s actions.

It is the only Committee with the power to call the Prime Minister as a witness. On 25th June 2020 he said on the radio, “scrutiny is what gives the public confidence that what is being done is being done properly”.

Tunbridge Wells Borough Council has an Overview and Scrutiny Committee. The job of its 12 members is to ensure that the public can have confidence that the Council’s work is ‘being done properly’.

At our most recent meeting, we scrutinised the Council’s financial performance, the waste collection service, the crime rates across the Borough and the actions to be undertaken to tackle priority issues.

At that meeting, not one of the eight Conservative members of the Committee, other than the Chairman, asked a single question about any agenda item under scrutiny.

Every single question of substance came from only three Councillors, (Labour, Alliance and Liberal Democrat).

We asked about the under performance of the Assembly Hall Theatre, we asked about the write-off of car parking fines, business rates, and overpayments of housing benefits – totaling over £1m.

We asked about the £3m set aside for affordable housing and it was confirmed there is still no strategy to address the shortage of genuinely affordable and social housing across the Borough.

What is the point in having an Overview and Scrutiny Committee packed with members unwilling or unable to challenge and test the Council’s leadership, its vision and its ambition?

Squandering Boris Johnson was given quite a rough ride by the Parliamentary Liaison Committee last month

by MPs from all parties.

In Tunbridge Wells, the Conservatives may challenge each other behind closed doors, (although I very much doubt it), but they certainly do nothing in public. And they do not like being challenged by non-Conservative councillors at all!

I have lived in Tunbridge Wells for 28 years. I feel that the town has been in slow decline through most of this time.

I became a local councillor to represent a different view of what the town’s residents want.

Voters said they didn’t want a new theatre, but this council barged ahead anyway, squandering £10.8m before it was stopped.

Residents say they want more pedestrianisation of the town centre but this

Nicolas Heslop

Leader of Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council

FLOURISHING Hoardings that are rightly viewed as a joke council won’t do it.

Businesses say they want more small, flexible offices in the middle of town, but this council won’t even discuss it.

Too many people are saying “Tunbridge Wells is getting a bit shabby!”, which is why the hoardings around town saying ‘Tunbridge Wells Is Flourishing’ are rightly viewed as a joke.

At a time when people across the country are

crying out for new thinking and a re-imagining of the future for Tunbridge Wells in a post Covid-19 world we have a council with no vision, no leadership and no ambition beyond ‘business as usual’.

Sadly, there are not enough of us people challenging our Borough Council leaders to do better, and when there are, they are not listened to. We all deserve better.

Nicolas Heslop has been Leader of Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council since May 2012, and has represented the Cage Green ward since 1998. His career includes working in Parliament, Whitehall and for campaign groups promoting vocational education and training, such as apprenticeships. He is a regular at the Tonbridge Parkrun, now completing over 200 runs.

We can learn from the benefits brought about by our enforced confinement WE HAVE all faced a massively challenging time since the start of the pandemic. Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council has been here to help manage the impact on families and businesses across the Borough.

The immediate response was fantastic, with the churches, community groups such as the Covid-19 support group, families, friends and neighbours assisting the most vulnerable in our communities.

Many of us clapped for our hardworking NHS staff and on my own road we made lots of noise in support of the doctors, nurses and other NHS workers.

The Borough Council rapidly opened up a Community Hub to help get supplies to the most vulnerable, and worked alongside the Kent Growth Hub, run by the County Council to provide business support.

Thanks to our previous investment in IT, we were able to react quickly. We were able to rapidly switch most of our staff to working from home and to hold virtual Council meetings, so services continued to be delivered and democratic decision making could take place.

As part of our review and reorientation process we will assess these and other changes, including the possibility of adjusting how we make best use of our buildings in future.

Further investment in our technology will underpin much of our thinking, while also supporting our climate change strategy aimed at making us a carbon neutral borough by 2030.

These are complex areas and any decisions will be determined on the grounds of practicality, efficiency and delivering value for money for local taxpayers.

Support The Government’s support for businesses has involved eye-watering sums of money. In Tonbridge & Malling, we have awarded just over £19million of grants to 1,300 small businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors. We will do all we can to help our economy prosper.

Working with local retailers, pubs and landlords, we are supporting the reopening of our High Streets. We devised an Action Plan in advance of non-essential retail opening and are delighted it was so warmly welcomed by retailers. We’re listening carefully to their experiences in the first few weeks, providing support to any business which needs it.

As we move slowly out of the pandemic and into what the future holds, we’ve also been working with Kent County Council on what we

SOCIAL DISTANCE Tonbridge councillors Michael Payne [left] and Nicolas Heslop

can achieve to travel more sustainably.

For the future, we wish to make permanent some of the benefits from the enforced confinement that we have all had to share.

The Government’s Emergency Active Travel Fund allows Kent Highways to trial schemes across Kent. As well as supporting more cycling and walking, we want to see town-wide 20mph zones trialled and from my own experience as a Tonbridge councillor for more than 20 years, this would be welcomed here by residents.

The pandemic has come at a cost to many and helping residents and businesses in need comes at a cost to the Council. Fortunately, our prudent approach in previous years has helped cushion the impact.

The financial losses are still significant, and it’s been necessary to limit our immediate future expenditure, to protect our core services and the most vulnerable.

None of us can predict the future and what our way of life will look. It won’t be ‘business as usual’ for the Borough Council either.

It’s our job to adjust to how we serve the citizens of our borough. This is not a time for knee-jerk reactions, rather a measured and pragmatic response to a profound and long-lasting change.

That’s what we will do.

Wednesday July 15 | 2020

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LATEST ON STAMP DUTY HOLIDAY

24

THIS WEEK’S BEST BUYS ON MARKET

Wednesday July 15 | 2020

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Post lockdown buyers are thrown a lifeline to boost property market

ON THE CASE Rishi Sunak’s stamp duty holiday could give the housing market a boost

Following the news that there will be a stamp duty holiday for those buying properties under £500,000 Eileen Leahy examines what it all means LAST week the Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced his plans to lift the threshold at which people start paying stamp duty on property sales from £125,000 to £500,000 in England and Northern Ireland.

The change, which is a temporary measure until next March, is intended to boost the housing market predominantly for young people likely to bear the brunt of the Covid-19 crisis.

Property experts have been saying since the pandemic began that a material cut in stamp duty or an extended holiday should be central to efforts to revive the market in the wake of the shutdown.

They also hope that last week’s news will lure buyers and sellers who have been missing from the housing market since the coronavirus crisis struck to come forward.

Housebuilders meanwhile hope the move will help to stimulate the economy and also importantly provide more jobs in addition to having an immediate impact on the housing market.

On delivering the details of the package the Chancellor explained that the average stamp duty bill will fall by £4,500. He said: “Nearly nine out of 10 people buying a main home this year, will pay no stamp duty at all.”

‘More movement among home movers and downsizers will free up much needed housing stock, so there’ll be more homes available for first-time buyers to move into’ The stamp duty holiday happened with immediate effect of Mr Sunak’s announcement last Wednesday [July 8], which means that anyone completing a property purchase before that date will still have to pay the full normal stamp duty.

The average house price in England is £247,000.

A spokesperson for Savills who have offices in Tunbridge Wells and Cranbrook said that the benefits would be multi-layered.

“The most significant saving is for

home movers, as first-time buyers already have tax relief if they buy a property worth less than £500,000.

But irst-time buyers will still benefit, even if they have relief from much of this tax already.

“More movement among home movers and downsizers will free up much needed housing stock, so there’ll be more homes available for first-time buyers to move into.

“Lifting the barriers to moving home will unlock more transactions. That means households can move to areas with stronger, more productive employment markets, which will help the economic recovery. It also means we can expect more spending on removals, furniture, and decorating, all of which will help boost the economy further.”

However, some industry experts

worry that a stamp duty holiday could encourage people planning to buy next year to accelerate their plans to take advantage of the tax break, leading to a potential property demand slump when the stamp duty holiday is over.

Others like Steve Bovis, director at Wood & Pilcher estate agents say that it’s an ‘opportunity’ for lenders to take advantage of the situation.

“Since the announcement was made things have certainly moved up a gear but there is a fear that lenders may well see it as an opportunity to stop lending as much and make money out of it, hoovering up the savings for themselves,” Mr Bovis told the Times last week.

“We were flat out anyway but this news means we’re going to be busier than ever. It’s going to be a very interesting and busy time ahead.”

WHAT IS STAMP DUTY? buying properties, although it varies slightly across the UK.

tax up to £300,000 and 5% on any portion between £300,000 and £500,000.

n In England and Northern Ireland

n For people who have bought a

stamp duty is paid on land or property sold for £125,000 or more.

home before, stamp duty rates are 2% on £125,001-£250,000, 5% on £250,001-£925,000, 10% on £925,001-£1.5m, and 12% on any value above £1.5m.

n Stamp duty is a tax paid by people

n The amount handed to the government depends on where you are in the UK, the price of the property and whether you’re a first-time buyer.

n However, first-time buyers pay no

n That means someone spending £248,000 - the average cost of a house - would currently pay £2,460 in stamp duty to move home.

HOW MUCH COULD A BUYER SAVE? n The more you pay - up to the new £500,000 threshold - the more you could save on stamp duty.

n Before the stamp duty holiday, if you bought a house for £275,000, for instance, the stamp duty you’d

have had to pay would have been £3,750.

n That’s based on 0% duty on the first £125,000, 2% on the next £125,000 (£2,500), plus 5% on the final £25,000 (£1,250).

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4 Bedroom Detached, Pinewood Gardens, Southborough • Guide Price £795,000

4 Bedroom Detached, Frankfield Rise, Tunbridge Wells • Guide Price £725,000

3 Bedroom Semi-Detached, London Road, Southborough • Guide Price £625,000

Stunning substantial 6-bedroom detached house in sought after road. This superb family home has benefited from some redesigning by the current owners, but its flexible layout and ample loft space give you the added opportunity to extend and remodel too.

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Bright and stylish 4-bedroom family home. This wonderful detached family home is a stone`s throw from the vibrant café culture of the Pantiles and within walking distance of the town centre and the mainline railway station.

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Substantial 4-bedroom family home in sought after cul-desac. This fantastic house is perched on an elevated plot at the end of a peaceful cul-de-sac, on the south side of Tunbridge Wells. It enjoys far reaching views and open countryside on its doorstep.

Substantial period 5-bedroom family home. Sitting on a quiet residential street with local shops and transport links on its doorstep, this fantastic home enjoys the best of both worlds as it is also opposite Southborough Common which is a peaceful area of outstanding natural beauty.

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4 Bedroom Semi-Detached, Prospect Road, Southborough, Tunbridge Wells

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3 Bedroom Semi-Detached, London Road, Southborough • Guide Price £550,000

Newly extended and renovated 3-bedroom period family home. A smart exterior entices you up to a grand entrance door which gives a nod to the true character and charm of the home that lies behind it.

3 Bedroom Apartment, London Road, Southborough Guide Price £480,000

Elegant spacious 3-bedroom apartment with spectacular countryside views. This immaculate apartment sits on the first floor of its impressive Millwood Designer Homes building, which is quietly tucked away down a private road.

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2 Bedroom Cottage, The Old School, Southborough Guide Price £395,000

Simply stunning 2-bedroom Victorian school conversion, designed by Decimus Burton. Nestled quietly in its woodland surroundings, this home enjoys the best of both worlds, with local shops, excellent transport links and first-class schools on its doorstep.

3 Bedroom Semi-Detached, Underwood Rise, Tunbridge Wells • Guide Price £395,000

3 Bedroom Semi-Detached, Underwood Rise, Tunbridge Wells • Guide Price £385,000

2 Bedroom Semi-Detached, Park Road, Southborough • Guide Price £285,000

1 Bedroom Apartment, Charles Street, Southborough Guide Price £185,000

Smart spacious 3-bedroom house in quiet cul-de-sac. Set in a quiet and friendly cul-de-sac, this home is perfectly located for commuters, as it is only a short walk to the mainline station, with fast and frequent access into central London.

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Perfectly positioned a stone`s throw from the Pantiles, the town centre and the station, this bright and welcoming home is tucked away on its quiet residential cul-de-sac, offering you the best of both worlds.

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3 Bedroom Apartment, Sandrock Road, Tunbridge Wells • Guide Price £299,950

Perfectly positioned 3-bedroom apartment with garage. This spacious apartment sits on the second floor of a neat and contemporary purpose-built block which itself is set back from the road by a driveway and leafy green garden.

Let’s be social: facebook.com/flyingfishproperties

Smart semi-detached 2-bedroom house. Arranged over three floors, this unique and deceptively spacious semi-detached house sits on a sought after residential street with first rate schools, commuter links and shops on its doorstep.

FLYING FISH Tunbridge Wells twitter.com/flyingfishuk

Bright spacious 1-bedroom apartment. This fantastic apartment is just a short walk from Southborough`s local shops, sought after schools and excellent transport links.

116 5-Star

Independent Family Estate Agent 01892 514 189 | flyingfishproperties.co.uk 55 London Road,Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN4 0PB

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Wednesday July 15 | 2020

This week’s best property buys…

Since estate agents were told they could start selling properties again after the government eased lockdown measures the housing market has experienced a bounce – both in terms of buyers and sellers. Here are our top picks of what’s currently on the market

17 Prospect Road

Southborough, Tunbridge Wells GUIDE PRICE

£585,000 CONTACT Wood and Pilcher, Southborough 01892 511311 This is a great example of how a Victorian property boasting classic period features can still be created into a modern family home.

In addition to the large open plan kitchen/ dining space, which opens onto a low maintenance garden, there is a also a superb loft conversion with walk in wardrobe and ensuite.

MAIN POINTS OF INTEREST:

n On the first floor are three bedrooms of which two are doubles n There is also a family bathroom, a downstairs WC and en-suite n The property is stylishly decorated throughout n Many of the original features have been enhanced such as cornices n On the top floor is the master suite which is double aspect and has a fitted walk in wardrobe area as well as an ensuite shower room. n In the sitting room there is an open working fireplace with tiled hearth. n The kitchen/diner has double glazed double doors to the garden, a breakfast bar, and white goods integrated into the smart fitted kitchen. n There is a downstairs cloakroom with tiled floor. n In the en-suite bathroom upstairs there is a thermostatic shower, with waterfall head and heated towel rail. n Outside the rear garden offers a patio, lawn, flower beds and boarders with mature shrubs, log store and shed.

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3 Mount Ephraim Court Molyneux Park Road Tunbridge Wells, GUIDE PRICE

ÂŁ675,000 CONTACT Savills, Tunbridge Wells, 01892 507 019 An impressive and stylish three bedroom apartment within a handsome Victorian mansion, close to the Common and conveniently positioned for the town centre and station. It is very well presented and boasts a spacious layout and feeling of grandeur.

MAIN POINTS OF INTEREST:

n Three double bedrooms n Generously sized and well-proportioned rooms benefit greatly from wooden floors and tall ceilings, typically over ten feet high, n Many period features including deep skirting boards, dado and picture rails and Victorian fire surrounds. n The 25ft sitting/dining room is of particular note with triple sash windows, a marble and tiled Victorian fireplace and marvellous roof lantern, set into the dramatic coffered ceiling, n The master bedroom also features a trio of south-facing windows with a wellmaintained leafy outlook n Wonderfully spacious family bathroom. n This property comes with the security of a share of the freehold and an extensive and recently completed external renovation project is expected to be followed by updating and redecoration of the communal areas. n This attractive apartment will appeal to buyers of all ages

DA TO Y B

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IVATE AP PR

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INTMEN PO

18-19 JULY TH

Wednesday July 15 | 2020

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ONE TIN WONDERS

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Simply child’s play

GET AWAY FROM IT ALL

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Pay a visit to Hever’s adventure playground Page 28

LOWER LEAGUE FUNDING

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Out & About

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out&about 7 days of activities

By Eileen Leahy

A ROYAL DAY OUT Penshurst Place is now open

With the school holidays just around the corner we’re including a few newly opened attractions that are sure to please children of all ages as well as a few more favourite places that have reopened...

A TASTE OF HISTORY Penshurst Place Penshurst Place has announced that its children’s adventure playground and woodland trail have now both reopened today and will run throughout the summer until early September. Open from 11am until 6pm (last entry is at 5pm), there’s lots of fun to be had for all the family at this palatial place in the

glorious countryside. To find out more, visit www. penshurstplace.com JUST THE TICKET Groombridge Place has just launched a new Flexible Family and Friends Ticket. Costing £25, it allows a group of 4 to visit the historic house and gardens which featured in the 2005 film

adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.

Only one of the group has to be under 12 which makes it easy for friends and families to visit together and save money on admission.

The delightful attraction has lots of things for children and two of its special play areas have just reopened. Crusoe’s World has wooden rope bridges, a giant wooden ship and a new slide for children to enjoy while the raised Board Walk is boasts rope swings and a zip wire.

You can also catch birds of prey displays take place twice daily at 12 noon and 3.30pm and take in some of the picturesque walks around the estate. See www. groombridgeplace.com SIMPLY CHILD’S PLAY Hever Castle has reopened its popular play areas and also the inside parts of the castle.

Both areas will be operating under social distancing guidelines and there will be new safety measures in place to protect both visitors and MINI ADVENTURE staff.

Hever Castle’s Everyone, including the children’s playground castle’s members, will be required to book tickets before visitors returning to the gardens and exploring visiting the famous attraction which is the former areas of the grounds that they had not discovered home of Anne Boleyn. before. Many are trying out the new picnic spots The water maze and a more extensive food and created on 16 acre Island and around the lake. drink offering will follow next.

Spots in the sun, in the shade, looking over Hever Castle’s CEO Duncan Leslie said: “We are the river or the lake, all beside beautiful mixed delighted that we can welcome visitors back to grass and flower meadows – bird song has never the castle and our popular play areas. Since the sounded clearer.” Visit www.hevercastle.co.uk 1st June, it has been delightful to see so many

M s p a c e

serviced and Managed Offices

Newly refurbished serviced offices comiNg sooN TuNbridge wells TowN ceNTre

1 – 20 workstations available from just £250 per month Show suite available to view

01246 223 038

Wednesday July 15 | 2020

www.mspaceoffices.co.uk

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Out & About

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IN THE SWING OF THINGS Groombridge Place is great for kids

LIVE THE HIGH LIFE Go Ape at Bedgebury ARTISTIC ENDEAVOURS The Art Hub Gallery on Mount Ephraim is back in business again with an exhibition entitled Resonance by its owner Iaysha Salih. The show consists of a number of beautifully etheral oil on canvas paintings called Echoes of the Infinite, Isolation and Element of Play. If you want to go along and see it then the current opening hours, until further notice, are Thursday to Saturday 10am to 5pm or you can arrange a private viewing for the rest of the week by contacting iaysha@ iaysha.com. More details about the current expo and forthcoming ones can be found at www. arthubgallery.co.uk THE MAGIC OF THE MOVIES Odeon cinema in Tunbridge Wells reopened its doors last week and has implemented many changes in order to comply with the necessary social distancing and safety distancing measures.

Its manager Emma Campbell says: “We have made lots of changes to create a new safer cinema experience for you, and we look forward to welcoming you back.”

Films they will be screening over the coming week include recent releases such as 1917, as well as some classic films including Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back and La La Land. Visit www. odeon.co.uk IT’S GREAT OUTDOORS Go Ape at Bedgebury is also now up and running once more, with all the necessary safety and social distancing measures in place. It is great for thrill-seekers to get stuck into with its tree top walks, swings and zip wires.

Children must be aged at least ten years old to participate and be a minimum of 1.4m tall in this external adventure. For tickets and timings, visit www.goape.co.uk

reception@salomons-estate.com

MOVIE NIGHT Odeon Cinema is showing classics like La La Land

Of course all our local parks including Dunorlan and Grosvenor and Hilbert are now open to the public – with social distancing in operation – so there’s plenty to enjoy without having to pay or book. As other attractions begin to reopen we will of course provide you with all the details on these pages.

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Wednesday July 15 | 2020

Why one female journalist’s extraordinary life is being celebrated beyond the grave A new memorial has been unveiled to commemorate Britain’s first female newspaper editor Rachel Beer who lived in Tunbridge Wells. Here Caroline Auckland tells Eileen Leahy why it was so important to celebrate Rachel’s life

R

ACHEL BEER was England’s first female newspaper overseeing the running of The Observer and The Sunday Times during 1893.

And although she was born in India and lived most of her life in London, she moved to Tunbridge Wells when her husband died in 1903.

Rachel lies buried in the town’s cemetery, just south of the Victorian Twin Chapels, and for years her grave’s inscription simply stated that she was the daughter of David Sassoon.

There was no reference to her illustrious and pioneering career as a journalist or indeed her achievement on

RACHEL BEER Fleet Street’s first female editor

‘We are delighted that the contribution of Rachel Beer to Victorian news reporting as the first female editor of both The Sunday Times and The Observer in the 1890s has finally been commemorated’

GRAVE ERROR Rachel’s original tombstone (far right) only acknowledged her parents but the new one (below) details her professional accomplishments

becoming the first female editor on Fleet Street.

But thanks to a campaign by Times newspaper columnist Ann Treneman supported by the Friends of Tunbridge Wells Cemetery that has recently changed. One of its members, Caroline Auckland picks up the story: “A few years ago Times columnist Ann Treneman became interested in Rachel Beer after writing her book Finding the Plot: 100 Graves to Visit before you Die. Ann wrote about Rachel in her column in 2018 remarking on the absence of information about Rachel’s journalistic achievements and records that her grave identifies her only as the ‘daughter of the late David Sassoon’.

“After reading Ann’s piece The Friends of Tunbridge Wells Cemetery contacted Ann and guided her on how to go about finding out who owned the grave and how to liaise with the Registrar.

“We were also able to obtain a copy of the burial grant awarded to Rachel’s nephew Michael Sassoon (elder brother of Siegfried Sassoon) and advised on contact with the Siegfried Sassoon Fellowship.

“Thanks to Ann’s campaign the restoration of Rachel’s grave marker in white Carrara marble was paid for by The

Sunday Times and The Observer. The retoration work was carried out by local stonemason’s Burslem Memorials of Frant, East Sussex.”

Caroline goes on to say that The Friends of Tunbridge Wells Cemetery had already identified Rachel Beer as being a woman of importance and influence when researching women’s graves for hidden stories for its International Women’s Day event in 2018.

Recognised “This celebrated the centenary of women over 30 being given the vote and Rachel’s story was told on our group’s walking tour at the time.

“Since the story has come to light the authors of First Lady of Fleet Street, Eilat Negev and Yehuda Koren have been in contact with the Friends of Tunbridge Wells Cemetery and have told us they are delighted with the news that Rachel’s place in history has been recognised by the work undertaken by Ann Treneman.”

The organisation has also been contacted by the Siegfried Sassoon Fellowship and family members in Australia.

“Joanna Sassoon has informed us about an oak tree that was planted by Rachel Beer’s sister in law Theresa Sassoon on Matfield Village Green in order to commemorate the signing of the Armistice in 1918,” adds Caroline.

“We are delighted that the contribution of Rachel Beer to Victorian news reporting as the first female editor of both The Sunday Times and The Observer in the 1890s has finally been commemorated. This is especially fitting in the year that the second female editor of The Sunday Times, Emma Tucker, has been appointed.”

Caroline says that the group hopes to carry out an official event to celebrate the restoration of grave at some point but obviously this will be dependent upon the current health crisis restrictions being lifted.

“We very much hope that Ann Treneman and a family representative will be able to attend plus many of the other people who have expressed an interest in Rachel’s story,” states Caroline.

The Friends of Tunbridge Wells Cemetery welcome new members who may be interested in researching the rich history of Tunbridge Wells residents who are buried in the cemetery. Please contact us via our website https://foftwc. wixsite.com/foftwc

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Who was Rachel Beer?

BORN in India in 1858 to David Sassoon and Farha Reuben Rachel was part of a very prominent Jewish family who traded in cotton and opium, a legal drug at the time which was used as a painkiller, for fever and other conditions during the Victorian period.

The family moved to England in the 1860s and were quickly assimilated into influential Jewish society. Rachel, who was the couple’s only daughter, was educated at home by tutors while her two brothers went to Oxford. A typical scenario for a young woman during this period of history.

Rachel’s brother Alfred, married the artist Theresa Thorneycroft, who was not of the Jewish faith, and their youngest son Siegfried Sassoon – who was baptised in St Barnabas Church, Tunbridge Wells – went on to become a celebrated posthumous war poet.

In 1887 Rachel married Frederick Beer, the son of Julius Beer an Ashkenazi Jew from the Frankfurt ghetto. They were a rich banking family who invested in the railways and transatlantic cables.

Frederick had been baptised as an Anglican and Rachel converted to Anglicanism the day before their wedding. However due to her conversion Rachel’s mother would sadly no longer speak to her.

A devoted couple, Frederick owned The Observer newspaper and The Sunday Times, which he gifted to Rachel. She wrote a weekly column for the paper entitled ‘In the Witness box’ and interviewed many prominent people of the time.

In terms of her professional career as a journalist and editor Rachel is probably most famous for bringing the Dreyfus case to the attention of British readership in 1898.

Jewish Captain Dreyfus was falsely accused of espionage and sent to Devil’s Island and Major

Esterhazy’s confession involving the forgery of documents to Rachel eventually led to a huge campaign by The Sunday Times for Dreyfus’s release.

As well as this scoop Rachel used her column to champion many causes she deemed to be important. They included unisex colleges, pensions for the over 60s, Sunday openings of museums and art galleries. She was also a huge champion of women’s rights and supported them in her profession too.

Commenting on when the very few female journalists would leave her paper to work elsewhere she once said: “I am not sorry when they leave me, for it generally means that they are making progress; and all this is for the benefit of women. Further, I believe in not standing still.”

After six years of marriage, Rachel’s husband Frederick succumbed to illness but during this time Rachel continued to run the papers while she nursed him Frederick died in 1903 and was buried in Highgate Cemetery in the Beer Mausoleum.

After her husband’s death, Rachel moved to Tunbridge Wells that same year and leased Chancellor House in order to be near her sister-inlaw Theresa Sassoon. Rachel became a patron of the Rusthall VAD Hospital where later there was named a ward after her. She also financed many entertainments for recuperating soldiers.

Sadly though following her husband’s death Rachel experienced a breakdown, and was committed ‘to the care of the commissioners of lunacy’. A year later in 1904 her trustees sold her beloved newspapers.

Rachel Beer died in 1927 and was buried in Tunbridge Wells cemetery with a simple headstone that bore no mention of her dynamic career as a journalist, just simply that she was David Sassoon’s daughter.

WHAT THE SUNDAY TIMES AND THE OBSERVER HAD TO SAY ON HELPING TO RESTORE THE HEADSTONE OF RACHEL BEER’S GRAVE: “Rachel Beer is a hugely important part of Fleet Street’s history and I’m pleased this new grave marker notes her pioneering contribution to journalism,” said Emma Tucker, editor of The Sunday Times.

“The remarkable achievements of Rachel Beer have been fittingly celebrated with the

addition of a beautifully designed marker to her restored resting place in Tunbridge Wells. The Observer remains proud of this extraordinary woman’s accomplishments and is grateful that she now has a fitting memorial,” Paul Webster, editor of the Observer.

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Food & Drink FOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT: timeslocalnews.co.uk

Please all rise for the fabulous baker boy...

Struggling to find inspiration in the kitchen after weeks of lockdown? Well Edd Kimber, Great British Bake Off’s first winner and now a successful chef and blogger has plenty of delicious ideas courtesy of his new book that’s packed full of easy, fuss-free tasy recipes This grapefruit meringue pie recipe is sure to impress your guests

STAR BAKER Edd Kimber was the first winner of the Great British Bake Off

Grapefruit meringue pie Ingredients: (Serves 10-12) n 1 fully baked 23 x 33cm tart case (see below) n For the custard filling: n 350g caster sugar n 50g cornflour n Finely grated zest of 2 ruby grapefruits n Finely grated zest of 3 limes n 360ml ruby grapefruit juice (from 3-4 large grapefruits) n 90ml lime juice (from about 4 limes) n 4 large egg yolks n 160ml double cream n 30g unsalted butter For the meringue topping: n 4 large egg whites n 300g caster sugar n 1/4tsp cream of tartar n 1tsp vanilla bean paste n 1/4tsp grapefruit (or other citrus) bitters For the pastry case: n 300g plain flour n 50g icing sugar n 1/4tsp fine sea salt n 185g unsalted butter, diced and chilled n 1 large egg

E

Wednesday July 15 | 2020

DD KIMBER’S latest cookbook, One Tin Bakes, features traditional cakes and bakes like brownies and cinnamon buns alongside some rather grand treats, including a giant Portuguese

custard tart, a slab of an Eccles cake, and entire tray of burnt Basque cheesecake.

Kimber, 35, says his time is usually spent 50% in the kitchen, 50% writing things up, but during the last few months of lockdown,

he reckons he’s probably baked more than he has ever have done in his life.

And yes, in the early days, when flour was basically gold dust (he had to ‘hustle’ for his stash) and bananas were left in fruit bowls to deliberately gather bruises, he too got involved in the sourdough and banana bread phase.

Kimber has now moved on from those original pandemic baking clichés. And as One Tin Bakes goes out into the world, he hopes it can exist as a similarly ongoing and enduring guide for bakers.

“Say this is the first baking book you ever buy, you will be able to bake from it for years as you get better and better and better, and you’re willing to try harder and harder things,” he says, enthused. “I like books to be able to live with you for a long time.”

Method: 1. For the pastry, place the flour, icing sugar and salt in a food processor and pulse briefly together to combine.

Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs, then add the egg and pulse until the mixture starts to clump together. At this point, you can either use the dough as a press-in crust or chill it and roll it out. If rolling it, tip the mixture on to the work surface and bring it together as a dough with your hands. Form into a rectangle, wrap in clingfilm and refrigerate for at least an hour before using.

If using as a press-in crust, tip the mixture directly into the baking tin and loosely spread evenly to cover the bottom of the tin. Press up the sides of the tin to create the tart sides, then firmly press the remaining pastry over the base. Dock with a fork and refrigerate for at least an hour before baking.

If rolling, roll out between two sheets of parchment paper into a rectangle, roughly 30.5 x 40.5cm. Transfer to a baking tray and refrigerate for another 30 minutes to firm up. Lightly grease the tin and line the base with parchment paper.

2. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), Gas Mark 4.

3. Peel the parchment paper from both sides of the pastry and carefully drape the pastry into the baking tin, gently pressing it into the corners and

up the sides. Trim off the top edges then line with a piece of crumpled parchment paper and fill with baking beans or rice. Bake for 25 minutes, then remove the paper and beans/rice and bake for a further 10 minutes or until the base is set. Set aside.

4. To make the custard filling, place the caster sugar and cornflour into a large saucepan and whisk to combine.

Add the remaining ingredients, except the butter, and whisk to combine. Cook over a medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture comes to a simmer, then cook for a further two minutes until thick.

Remove from the heat, stir through the butter until melted and smooth, then pour the custard into the baked tart case. Press a sheet of cling film on to the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming. Leave at room temperature for an hour, then transfer to the refrigerator for at least four hours.

5. For the meringue topping, place the

egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar into a large, heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water (ensuring the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water underneath) and whisk until the sugar has dissolved. You can tell when this mixture is ready by rubbing a little between your fingers. If it feels smooth it is ready, if you feel grains of sugar cook for longer. Remove the bowl from the heat and, using an electric mixer, whisk until the meringue is stiff and glossy. Add the vanilla and bitters and whisk briefly to combine. Scrape the meringue on to the tart and spread evenly over the filling. Using a blowtorch or under a preheated hot grill, burnish the meringue until toasted.

6. Kept in the refrigerator, without the meringue, this tart will keep for a couple of days, but my preference is to serve it as close to making as possible to keep the pastry at its crispest.

WHIP IT UP This meringue tastes as good as it looks

Wednesday July 15 | 2020

SUGAR COATED Brioche buns are the perfect mid-morning treat

FOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT: timeslocalnews.co.uk

Food & Drink

Brioche buns Ingredients: (Makes 6) n 1 batch of brioche dough (see below - made with just 75g unsalted butter) n Plain flour, for dusting n 1 egg yolk, beaten, for glazing For the coffee butter: n 150g unsalted butter, at room temperature n 1tbsp (heaped) instant espresso powder For the coating: n 100g caster sugar n 1tbsp cacao nibs n 1tsp instant espresso powder For the brioche dough: n 265g plain flour, plus extra for dusting n 25g caster sugar n 3/4tsp fine sea salt n 5g fast-action dried yeast n 60ml whole milk n 2 large eggs n 75g unsalted butter, at room temperature, diced, plus extra for greasing NOTE: The brioche dough needs to chill overnight, so start this recipe the day before you want to bake it.

Method: 1. Make the brioche dough. Place the flour, sugar, salt and yeast into the bowl of an electric stand mixer with the dough hook attachment and mix briefly to combine. Pour in the milk and eggs and mix together to form a shaggy dough, then on low-medium speed, knead for 10-15 minutes until smooth and elastic. With the mixer still running, add the butter, a piece or two at a time, working it into the dough, then knead for a further 10-15 minutes until smooth and elastic and pulling away from the sides of the bowl. Press into a flat disc, cover with cling film and refrigerate overnight.

2. For the coffee butter, beat the butter in a bowl using an electric mixer or a wooden

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spoon until soft and creamy. Mix in the espresso powder. Draw a 20cm square on a piece of parchment paper and turn it over.

Scrape the butter into the middle of the square and spread into an even layer within the lines.

Fold the parchment paper over to enclose the butter and neaten with a rolling pin.

Refrigerate overnight.

3. Remove the espresso butter from the refrigerator 10-15 minutes before the brioche dough to soften it slightly. Roll out the brioche dough on a lightly floured work surface into a 20 x 40cm rectangle. Place the espresso butter on one side of the dough and fold the second side up and over the butter. Pinch the seams together to enclose the butter. Gently press the dough with a rolling pin to flatten it a little before rolling out into a 20 x 50cm rectangle.

4. Fold the dough in thirds like a business letter, then wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Repeat this rolling, folding and chilling twice more, refrigerating for a final 30 minutes. Meanwhile, line the base of the baking tin with a piece of parchment paper.

5. Roll out the finished dough into an 18 x 28cm rectangle. Trim the edges and cut into six even squares. Place the buns into the prepared baking tin, cover with cling film and set aside in a warm place until the buns have almost doubled in size, about one hour.

6. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F), Gas Mark 6.

7. Brush the top of the buns with the beaten egg yolk, then bake for 15 minutes or until golden. Pulse the sugar, cacao nibs and espresso powder in a food processor until finely ground.

8. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, before tossing in the cacao nib sugar. Best served warm on the same day, but these buns will keep for one to two days in a sealed container.

One Tin Bakes by Edd Kimber is published

by Kyle Books, priced ÂŁ17.99.

Photography by Edd Kimber. Available now.

travel

Wednesday July 15 | 2020

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A breath of fresh Eire

LIVING IN A BUBBLE At the Finn Lough resort

Now lockdown has lifted, Sarah Marshall discovers the natural beauty of Lough Erne in Northern Ireland

and lodges spread along the water, and bubble domes occupying their own forest niche, it’s a natural fit for a remote, secluded retreat.

Complying with the new normal has demanded some compromises, admits co-owner Gillian Beare. Cushions and bed throws, have been removed from rooms; crockery is wrapped in tissue paper), and meals are more regimented.

Immense

SPA DAY Relax as you take in the scenery

D

Travel

ESPITE being one of the most in demand items of 2020, it’s still hard to get excited about hand sanitiser.

But the Boatyard Distillery in County Fermanagh has done it’s best to beautify the cleaning product set to become as much of a holiday staple as a bucket and spade.

Like many producers of spirits, they switched to creating the product early in the pandemic, taking the noble decision to supply hospitals and care homes in Enniskillen with 10,000

litres free of charge.

“We had to take on extra staff; students, family friends who were stuck with nothing to do,” says founder Joe McGirr, exemplifying the kind of wartime zeal that’s welded communities at a time when they’ve been forced to physically function apart.

On July 3, bars, restaurants, hotels and attractions reopened in Northern Ireland, and after more than 100 days of rumbling behind closed doors, the Boatyard’s gleaming copper stills are once again welcoming public tours.

When I arrive at the marina on the banks of Lough Erne, visitor ‘bubbles’ are huddled around wooden sherry barrels (used as casks to age the Boatyard’s Old Tom Gin), spread comfortably throughout the room. Of course, tours have been tweaked in line with new regulations: numbers have been reduced from 25 to eight; surfaces are cleaned between sessions; and there’s no more touching and sniffing of botanicals.

A similar scene greets me at the Finn Lough resort, a 25-minute drive away.

With a collection of standalone suites

Hospitality and service, however, remains the same. If anything, staff are more attentive than ever - albeit from a distance.

A transparent, plastic igloo erected by air pressure, my bubble dome is HOW TO PLAN YOUR TRIP Stay in a bubble dome at Finn Lough (finnlough.com ; +44 (0)28 683 80360) from £245 per night based on two people sharing, including breakfast. Stays in the catered suites start from £120 per night (two sharing), including breakfast and mountain bike hire.

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irresistibly cosy; a mood shaped by a bathtub, four-poster bed and Otis Redding spinning on a portable turntable. Not that it really matters.

Simply being in the forest is enough for me.

Dinner is another novelty. Aside from the immense delight of not having to cook or wash up, it feels special to dine in the company of others, listening to the hushed voices of strangers and the clatter of cutlery.

Gillian laments it was necessary to swap fine-dining tasting menus for a stripped back selection of pizzas, burgers and tasting bowls.

Nethertheless, every dish is freshly prepared and homemade.

The greatest post-lockdown treat, however, is delivered by Finn Lough’s forest spa. Connected by a woodland trail, five sensory areas include a floatation room, saunas and a hot tub.

The two-hour journey (aided by rubber slippers and a warm robe) is limited to two people at a time, making Finn Lough one of the few properties eligible to reopen its spa.

A short drive from Finn Loch, the Marble Arch Caves Geopark is a highlight attraction in Fermanagh.

Operating with smaller groups, tours of the limestone caves have reopened, and a new guided interpretation above ground is being offered.

A 90-minute tour costs £45pp at the Boatyard Distillery (boatyarddistillery. com), including cocktails and a bottle of 70cl Double Gin to take home. a 75-minute guided tour of Cladagh Glen Walk costs £5.50. Visit marblearchcaves.co.uk For more information on the destination, visit Ireland.com

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Puzzles

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The bookcase…

Life in lockdown has given many the chance to fall in love with reading again. Here’s our pick of this week’s top tomes to enjoy…

The Shelf

by Helly Acton

Published in hardback by Zaffre, priced £12.99 (ebook £6.02).

Available July 9

9/10

EVERYONE in Amy’s life seems to be getting married, and she feels like she’s falling behind.

Her dream of a surprise holiday, where her boyfriend is going to propose, quickly turns into a nightmare when she finds herself brutally dumped on live TV for a new reality show called ‘The Shelf’. Along with five other women, she must compete in a series of humiliating tasks, with the hope of being crowned ‘The Keeper’ and winning a million dollars.

Funny, feminist and utterly addictive, this is the kind of novel you will race through in one sitting. The Shelf is Love Island meets Bridget Jones, with a relatable story and a group of highly engaging female characters. The plot is original and fresh, and plays on some of the best and worst facets of reality TV. A perfect heartwarming read for this summer.

(Review by Megan Baynes)

Small Pleasures

by Clare Chambers

Published in hardback by W&N, priced £12.99 (ebook £7.99).

Available July 9 SET in 1957, Small Pleasures follows Jean, a reporter for the North Kent Echo, who is tasked with investigating a rather unlikely claim - a woman who believes her 10-year daughter was the result of a virgin birth.

Following up on the story, Jean discovers an unlikely friendship in the sensible Gretchen and finds herself increasingly absorbed in her life and family, including Gretchen’s ‘miracle’

daughter and husband Howard.

However, when Jean begins to develop romantic feelings for Gretchen’s husband, her relationship with the family becomes more complicated.

As she continues to delve further into the tangled web of Gretchen’s past, Jean discovers that love and loyalty come at a higher price than she could ever have imagined.

Part mystery, part love story, part reflection on changing attitudes to sexuality in postwar Britain, Small Pleasures is a gentle read that quietly builds to a devastating conclusion.

(Review by Scarlett Sangster)

7/10

Out Of Time by David Klass

Published in paperback by Penguin, priced £7.99 (ebook £4.99). Available now

6/10

NON-FICTION

Outraged: Why Everyone is Shouting and No One is Talking by Ashley ‘Dotty’ Charles

8/10

Wednesday July 15 | 2020

Published in hardback by Bloomsbury Circus, priced £14.99 (ebook £7.13).

Available July 9 BROADCASTER Ashley ‘Dotty’ Charles was directed by a Twitter mob to be outraged after the retailer H&M put a black child in a hoodie emblazoned with the phrase: ‘Coolest monkey in the jungle’. But she couldn’t quite see the point of being enraged by such a ‘clumsy marketing technique’.

She wrote an opinion piece for

INSPIRED by conversations with his teenage daughter about climate change, David Klass’ political crime thriller perches on a precipice of global environmental destruction beyond repair.

Out Of Time cleverly positions political and environmental issues alongside the need for change, championing the cause as well as demonstrating the power of consequences.

Instead of the rigid traditionalism that law enforcement and politicians are doing the right thing, Klass’ good guys vs bad guys trope is completely fluid: Green Man the eco-terrorist is both heroic climate change activist and extremist criminal, while his targets represent both victim and major environmental threat.

A dual-narrative switching between Green Man and young FBI computer analyst, Tom Smith, gives us insight into both sides of the story. However, the overall impact and intensity of the novel is diluted by superfluous plot lines and cliche-filled language, despite an unpredictable ending.

(Review by Rebecca Wilcock) the Guardian, tagged: “As a black, gay woman I have to be selective in my outrage. So should you.”

From that article springs this smart and timely manifesto for surviving the age of rage. Her thesis is that outrage was once reserved for deeply serious matters, not Jamie Oliver’s jerk rice or other fleeting causes.

Being permanently furious about nothing much allows us to forget to be angry about something deserving of our anger. Punchy, amusing, smartly written and worthy of a good tweet, perhaps. (Review by Julian Cole)

AUDIOBOOKS (FICTION AND NON-FICTION)

9. The Silent Wife by Karin Slaughter

1. Why I’m No Longer Talking To White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge 2. The Lighthouse by PD James

10. Mythos by Stephen King (Compiled by Audible)

3. Dead At First Sight by Peter James 4. Farewell My Lovely by Raymond Chandler 5. Becoming by Michelle Obama 6. Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens 7. Natives by Akala 8. Hidden Killers by Lynda La Plante

CHILDREN’S BOOK OF THE WEEK

The Great Godden

by Meg Rosoff

Published in hardback by Bloomsbury YA, priced £12.99 (ebook £6.36). Available July 9 MEG Rosoff returns with another astute and alluring YA tale, filled with intrigue, and the agony and humiliation of love.

Our narrator and her family are set to spend the long, languorous summer at their ramshackle beach house, reading, boating, sunbathing and playing tennis, alongside their dad’s younger cousin Hope and her boyfriend Mal, who are staying 100m down the beach and planning their wedding.

Then Kit and Hugo Godden arrive, shattering the peace; one by being wildly good looking and charming, the other by being thoroughly offish, and soon it becomes apparent they might just ruin everything.

The Great Godden is totally absorbing.

Rosoff perfectly captures the endlessness of summer, and the uneasiness of desire when it’s tangled up in hope. The dialogue stings with sharpness and truth, and the pace of it is electric. (Review by Ella Walker)

9/10

CODEWORD 3

4

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6

7

8

9

10

11

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13

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18

19

20

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A B C D E F GH I J K L MNO P QR S T U VWX Y Z 15

3

9 25

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13

3

24

25

25

26

10

1

9

3

8

14

17

3

23

26

9 10

12 17

8

1

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17

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18

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26

8

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20

12 26

26 1

3 16

9

8

17

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8

10 3

24

7

10

7

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26 25

12

16 15

1

26

16

3

8

11

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4 1

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11

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12 1

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22

21

3

12 5

16

12

8 7 8 6 1

5 3 7 1 5 1 3

18 12

6

4 1 6

Codeword:

6 4 2

3

9

6 4

To complete Sudoku, fill the board by entering numbers 1 to 9 so that each row, column and 3x3 box contains every number uniquely.

17

3 10

12

2

20 10

11

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17

12 18

3

8

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8

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18

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8 9

3

3 10

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6 12

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26

Numbers are substituted for letters in the crossword grid. Above the grid is the key with two letters solved. Try to complete the first few words to give you more letters, or look for a frequent number that might reveal a common letter. As you find letters, enter them in the key and into the grid. Cross off the letters in the A to Z list.

1 3 7 9 4 6 9 1 2 9

6 3 8

5

5

6 4 1 4 7

© 2016 Syndicated Puzzles

N

4

3

© 2016 Syndicated Puzzles, Inc.

2

DIFFICULTY RATING:★★★✩

1

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LAST EDITION’S ANSWERS

SUDOKU & JIGSAW SUDOKU

DIFFICULTY RATING: ★✩✩✩

CLASSIFIEDS

Life&Times

Puzzles

In this Sudoku, the normal 3x3 boxes are now strangely odd shapes – but all the rules and logic of normal Sudoku apply.

Fill the board by entering numbers 1 to 9 so that each row, column and box contains every number uniquely.

Puzzle solutions will be published in a forthcoming issue

G R E E C E A L H Z E A L O T E P R B A S Q U E O E S N I J T P R O B H A R L E Y R E L A F F A I R S I V H U X L E Y

E R U A D O A L F F O O T T A X E M A I N

R A N D N E O N I S E I E X I S E T A A L L OW K A B A R K L E D I A N

Sudoku:

8 1 2 7 3 5 9 4 6

7 3 5 4 6 9 8 2 1

9 6 4 8 1 2 5 7 3

2 7 9 6 5 3 4 1 8

1 8 6 2 7 4 3 5 9

5 4 3 9 8 1 7 6 2

6 5 1 3 9 7 2 8 4

8 7 2 5 3 9 6 1 4

7 9 6 8 2 1 5 4 3

5 6 8 3 4 2 9 7 1

3 2 8 5 4 6 1 9 7

4 9 7 1 2 8 6 3 5

Jigsaw Sudoku:

9 2 5 7 1 6 4 3 8

1 4 3 2 6 8 7 5 9

3 5 9 1 7 4 8 6 2

6 1 4 9 8 5 3 2 7

2 8 7 4 5 3 1 9 6

4 3 1 6 9 7 2 8 5

© 2016 Syndicated Puzzles

FOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT: timeslocalnews.co.uk

Wednesday July 15 | 2020

38

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Sport

FOR EVENstories MOREto: NEWS VISIT: timeslocalnews.co.ukor newsdesk@timesoftonbridge.co.uk Please send sports newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk

Wednesday July 15 | 2020

Town Malling key workers and pioneers of No Kent League women’s cricket are honoured by England despite restart PHOTOS: courtesy of BBC SE Today

as teams opt out

RAISE THE BAT: Debi Armstrong (left) and Anna Tunnicliff

By Andy Tong CRICKET: TWO NHS key workers who are coaches at Town Malling Cricket Club were honoured by England’s Kent players ahead of the First Test against West Indies last week as part of a national ‘Raise the bat’ initiative.

Anna Tunnicliff’s name was printed on the back of Joe Denly’s shirt as he warmed up for the opening international fixture of the summer at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton, while Debi Armstrong’s name was emblazoned on Zak Crawley’s jersey.

Anna is a sister in the Emergency Department of Maidstone & Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust while Debi is a specialist nurse in the Rubin Clinic for sexual health services.

The England and Wales Cricket Board said: “Marking the return of international cricket, the three-Test series taking place behind closed doors will honour and celebrate heroes within the cricket family, many of whom have been playing the innings of their lives to support those in need during the Covid-19 pandemic.”

The governing body added that the gesture was designed to ‘shine a light on their bravery and sacrifice’.

The key workers were nominated by their clubs and Town Malling CC in West Malling also put forward respiratory physiotherapist Katie Fawcett, social worker Anna Ramsay, police officer Jermaine Freeman and St John Ambulance volunteer Dawn Chandler.

Anna’s husband Malcolm was also nominated; he is a consultant and senior lecturer in Emergency Medicine and Major Trauma at King’s College Hospital in London and also flies with the charity Air Ambulance Kent Surrey Sussex.

Anna returned to action last weekend when the ban on playing cricket was lifted. A busy start to the season for the coach began on

WE’RE BACKING YOU: Joe Denly and Zak Crawley honour the key workers in Southampton

Saturday with games for the two women’s teams, known as the Swans and Pens, against Bells Yew Green near Tunbridge Wells.

Then on Sunday the girls’ team, who are called the Cygnets, took on Mote CC and in the afternoon Anna played in a softball match against Capel.

Anna began her coaching career with a mixed group of juniors at Town Malling and started up the women’s softball team as part of the ECB’s drive to get women involved in cricket.

The sporting pioneer completed her ECB Level Two coaching certificate two years ago, while Debi achieved the same level this year.

Community After two years of playing softball, Anna decided to set up the hardball teams, which were followed by the girls’ section in 2018.

In recognition of her achievements in the sport, she was named ECB Coach of the Year for Kent – and then for the whole country.

“We’re called the Swans because we are serene on the top but paddling furiously underneath,” Anna told the Times, “and there are the swans in West Malling’s Manor Park.”

She recalled: “When I was young I wanted to play cricket but I was told it was for boys. Then when we moved to West Malling 12 years ago my son Monty started playing for the club.

“There was one girl playing at the club but there were no female role models. Then someone made a sexist comment about making the teas.

“I thought if I started playing for them, my daughter Alexandra will play. I wish I had the opportunity when I was younger.”

Of the England players’ gesture, she said: “It’s an absolutely amazing feeling. It’s lovely for the cricket community to recognise what people are doing at grass roots level – and our key worker status.

“It was a lovely surprise. We were told our names would be on the advertising hoardings at the ground, then we were told about the shirts – and then we found out about which players would be wearing them.”

Each key worker will receive the shirt bearing their name, signed by the player who wore it, to thank them for their work during the emergency.

“The shirt is going to be sent to me once the Test series is over and my son has already bagged it,” admitted Anna. “So it will be framed and hung on his bedroom in the near future, much to his delight.”

As a sister in the Emergency Department at Maidstone Hospital, she said the Covid-19 crisis had created ‘a very different work situation’.

“What’s really stood out is the sense of camaraderie with my colleagues. We have always been very well supported by management and our team members.”

She continued: “Things were changing every day and we’ve opened new pathways. We’re open for business and if you need to visit the Emergency Department then you will be safe.”

Debi, from East Malling, is a qualified tennis coach who started playing softball and was swiftly recruited by Anna to help with cricket coaching.

She said: “As a woman player, to be picked to go on one of the men’s team’s shirts is amazing.

[Former Tonbridge School pupil] Zak also plays locally so it was really exciting to know my name was on the back of his training top.”

England’s Test captain Joe Root paid tribute to the nominees’ efforts during the pandemic, saying: “As we get back to playing the game we love, we want to take the time to honour the brave key workers who went into bat for their country under the toughest circumstances.

“It’s only fitting that we use this series as an opportunity to ‘raise a bat’ in their honour. We’ll wear their names with pride.”

CRICKET: DESPITE the restart of recreational cricket last Saturday [July 11], the Kent Cricket League was officially abandoned for the season two days before.

The England and Wales Cricket Board was advised by the government on July 3 that the sport had moved from Step Three to Step Four on the road-map to recovery.

This allowed competitive 11-a-side matches to take place with adaptations in place to reduce the transmission risk of Covid-19, such as the overall group size including coaches and umpires being limited to 30.

Step Four meant that all games should feature regular hygiene checks for players’ hands and the ball – every six overs or 20 minutes.

Players should remain socially distanced at all times including when celebrating the fall of a wicket and discussing tactics.

‘With an increasing number of clubs opting out, it has made the task of organising regional cricket a logistical nightmare’ For example wicketkeepers and fielders must be at least a metre apart, while batsmen must have running lines that keep them two metres apart.

No sweat or saliva should be added to the ball to ‘shine it’ at any time.

Players are instructed to arrive in their playing kit, and were advised to bring their own food since teas are not permitted becuase they are usually served as a buffet.

Kent Cricket League had proposed an option for teams across all five divisions to play each other once, rather than twice – the ‘half a season model’.

But this idea was dropped after a significant number of teams elected to ‘opt out’ – seven first XIs and eight second teams.

Brian Smith, administrator of the Kent Cricket League, said last week: “Having previously cancelled the ‘half a season’ model the management committee have spent the last few weeks exploring a number of avenues to get league cricket played across the county.

“However, with an increasing number of clubs opting out, it has made the task of organising regional cricket a logistical nightmare.

“As a result of this, we have now abandoned these plans for the remainder of the season. It is with great reluctance that the 2020 Kent Cricket League season has now been cancelled with immediate effect.”

Tunbridge Wells welcome local groups to use facilities as restrictions are lifted RUGBY: TUNBRIDGE WELLS Rugby Club is adapting to support its younger members and the wider community as the lockdown eases.

“We lost a huge amount of the 2019-20 season due to Covid-19, which was a real disappointment” said Mike Rigby, the club’s chairman.

“Now some restrictions within the lockdown have eased, we are looking at ways we can support our players across the club but also use the facilities for the wider community.”

Working within government and rugby guidelines, the club has started summer training for the youth sections, involving more than 600 young players.

“The training sessions are very different with limited numbers per coach, social distancing, alternative drills such as woggle tag rugby, hand sanitiser for players and

equipment sanitiser after each session” said Alex Nicholson, the Mini section chairman.

“But the kids are loving it and it’s amazing to see so many players across the Youth section enjoying exercise and team spirit after so long.”

Training Nick van Overstraeten, Head of House and Grounds, revealed that the club is also allowing schoolchildren to use the facilities and – continuing the youth theme – puppies.

“We’ve had the Mead School using the clubhouse as additional teaching space, and First Class Football are using our grounds to run socially distanced training sessions.

“We also have Yogi’s Dog Training running puppy classes here. Overall it’s really great to see the club being used by the wider community.”

HAND-OFF Tunbridge Wells Under-9s practise social distancing at their first training session

FOR EVEN MORE NEWS VISIT: timeslocalnews.co.uk

‘The community and our fans will be extremely vital for us’

Sport

39

BEHIND CLOSED DOORS WON’T WORK FOR LOWER LEAGUES

By Andy Tong Tunbridge Wells FC returned to training on Saturday [July 11], with each player having his temperature taken beforehand and the equipment being sanitised.

STRONG START Richard Styles wanted to create stability

Manager Richard Styles is looking to build on the solid ‘foundation’ he laid in his first season in charge but admits to frustration after the campaign was called off.

Styles took over at Culverden Stadium last summer and after a successful recruitment campaign his squad ended up in fifth place in the Premier Division of the Southern Counties East League before the season was cancelled in mid-March because of the coronavirus.

They also reached the semi-finals of the Challenge Cup but their last-four tie with Glebe was also scratched off.

They also had 14 league matches still to play, including 11 at home, before the lockdown was enforced.

With at least three games in hand on all of their rivals at the top of the table and home advantage, they had a realistic chance of achieving promotion to the Isthmian League.

The club has launched an appeal for funding because of the effect of the Covid-19 hiatus on their finances.

FOOTBALL: Non-league blogger Trevor Knell spoke to Tunbridge Wells FC manager Richard Styles as he prepares his squad for the new season.

It’s fair to say before football was suspended in March, Tunbridge Wells were enjoying their best season for many a year?

Yes, last season had a lot of positives. I think if I had been offered the way the season had unfolded before it stopped, I would’ve been happy with that for a first year at a new club and a new set-up. We were ultimately disappointed when the season came to an end because we felt we would finish the season strong and still had lots to play for in both the league and cup competitions.

How did you view the lockdown period – a chance to reflect or to take stock and plan to improve further?

The lockdown was initially frustrating because the season ended so quickly but understandably so, and safety is always the main concern. We stayed close to the players during the lockdown and had regular sessions delivered over Zoom as well as training plans set to allow the boys to tick over and recover.

As staff we had meetings to reflect on the season and to identify ways we felt we could improve and strengthen to progress when the new season begins. We haven’t stood still since lockdown came in and have very much been proactive.

With the new season set to start in September, have you been able to step things up a little and start to talk to potential new signings?

Yes, we have been in communication with all the current squad with a view to returning and they are fully aware of our plans going forward.

We have also spoken to several targets to improve on what we already have, and they’ve been very positive talks so far.

Given the financial struggles most clubs have suffered during the pandemic, how vital is it to get the local community fully behind what you want to achieve as a club?

It’s huge! The local community and our fans will be extremely vital in us getting back into it ahead of next season. Every club has been hit hard by this and we’re all in the same boat. We have a real good community behind us and a close relationship with the supporters here and we’re now looking for that more than ever to continue once we’re able to get back on the pitch once again.

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Is this the perfect time for football to maybe take a look at itself and work out a way to live within its means a little more?

There is an argument for that for sure, a lot of clubs will struggle and will have been hit very hard by what’s happened and some will be unable to commit to the playing budgets they had previously. Players will have missed not being able to complete the season and as a manager you can get a feel of a player’s value in terms of playing and see what’s important to them.

I don’t think that will happen next season personally because I think there will always be several clubs willing to have a bigger budget in chasing success.

Are you expecting a similar competitive league once we begin?

Yes, I’m expecting it to be as tough as last season. There are a number of teams who will feel they have some unfinished business, there are a lot of teams who will look to strengthen further and there will be a lot of players dropping down levels as teams higher up go with small squads. Some big budgets and aspirations will also be out there too.

What will be the expectations from the chairman and the board for Tunbridge Wells this season?

The vision and expectations going into the second season have always been the same. I’ve been in close communication with the chairman ever since the season ended and there’s a clear outlook from both sides. We want to progress each season and push on the best we can.

Last season we were on course to achieve what we wanted, which was to put some stability back into the club, the main objective. We kept ourselves in the top five all season and next year we want to build on that foundation we’ve made and hopefully have a successful season.

What would be your message to anyone wanting to attend a game next season but nervous about being out in a crowd?

I can fully assure anyone that Tunbridge Wells FC are working currently to put all things in place at the Culverden Stadium to ensure a safe environment and experience for all. By the time the season begins everything will be in line with the government regulations for our level. It will be great to have our crowd and families back to watch us again and I can’t wait to see that!

But they were also hit hard by a series of postponements of home matches before the lockdown due to waterlogged pitches.

Since the turn of the year, the Wells had won five league games and only lost twice – but there were also seven games called off due to the weather, which had an impact on ticket sales and matchday revenue streams like catering.

PHOTO: TWFC Instagram

Wednesday July 15 | 2020

ON THE HEAD: Richard Styles tests Ryan Cheek ahead of a training session It is understood that there is no prospect of the season restarting if matches have to be played behind closed doors because of the loss of admission money would be unsustainable.

The Football Association has envisaged a 38 per cent cut in funding which means that non-professional leagues will no longer receive FA Development funding, although they will still receive administration grants at the current level.

The FA has cautiously suggested the new season might begin in September, though the governing body has made no commitment to that date.

To contribute to Tunbridge Wells FC’s fundraising appeal go to gofundme.com and search for ‘Tunbridge Wells football’.