Times of Tunbridge Wells 22nd June 2016

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Wednesday, June 22, 2016

OF TUNBRIDGE WELLS LEAVE

“Polls are going the right way”

TED VOTE EXPEC RECORD EU

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ONE ADDRESS GRAND OPENING F r i d a y, 1 s t J u l y 2 0 1 6

REMAIN

“It’s swinging in our favour”

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OF TUNBRIDGE WELLS

PAPER

DAME KELLY OPENS THE SOUTHBOROUGH LIONS GALA DAY

LAWYER LEAVES TUNBRIDGE WELLS FOR TOP ROLE DOWN UNDER

Pages 88-89

Page 8

TIM PEAKE WOULD RETURN TO SPACE IN A HEARTBEAT

44 PAGES OF THE FINEST PROPERTY ON THE MARKET

Page 14

Page 25

Record turnout predicted

Both sides claim they are on track for victory

INSIDE FOOD & DRINK

Top chefs help make pop-up restaurant a hit. Pages 70-71

By Jonathan Banks

newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk TOMORROW’S EU Referendum is expected to see one of the biggest turnouts on record across the borough, with some 84,000 people likely to be making their views known.

There are just over 105,000 people eligible to vote and this newspaper is estimating that around 80 per cent of that electorate will actually put a cross on a ballot paper.

Since the 2001 General Election, when 62 per cent voted, there has been a gradual increase in the turnout resulting in 70 per cent for the 2015 election at just over 73,000 people.

And the Referendum has led to an unprecedented level of political activity by the Remain camp and the Brexiteers which is expected to push that percentage even higher.

EDUCATION

Austrian trip follows Bennett Music Academy win. Page 19

THE PANTILES

Three pages of news, events and a website launch. Pages 21-23

‘It’s swinging in our favour compared with two weeks ago’

For more on the Referendum pages 2-4

HOSPITALITY

Queen’s jeweller and Savoy MD open new hotel. Pages 6-7

FINAL FLURRY Pressing home the mixed message in Tunbridge Wells

PHOTO: Sarah Bond

Both sides have been out in force over the last couple of days and both believe they are on track for victory.

Leave campaigner Thomas Pritchard said: “The polls are all going the right way. We have been working hard to spread the word in Tunbridge Wells itself as well as online on social media and we know that has been working.”

Remain campaigner Husnara Begum said: “It’s definitely swinging in our favour compared with two weeks ago. We have been on the stalls and we feel there has been a definite change. Maybe it’s the ‘undecideds’ who are starting to think that it’s better to remain in.”

2 � LOCAL NEWS

Weather Wednesday Small chance of potentially intense thundery downpours

June 22, 2016

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20 C

Visibility: Good

Pollution: Low

Humidity: 86%

Sunrise: 04.44am

Sunset: 21.18pm

Wind: 10mph

Thursday

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BLUE SKY THINKING Looking towards the Town Hall sent in by Val Bridges Send your weather pictures into... newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk

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CLARIFICATIONS AND CORRECTIONS HERE at the Times of Tunbridge Wells 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 16 Lonsdale Gardens, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 1NU, or email newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk

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QUOTE UNQUOTE ‘The difference between a democracy and a dictatorship is that in a democracy you vote first and take orders later; in a dictatorship you don’t have to waste your time voting’ Charles Bukowski

Wednesday 22nd June 2016

Town pays tribute to murdered MP SCORES of people gathered at Tunbridge Wells’ Millennium Clock on Friday evening for a candlelit vigil in memory of murdered MP Jo Cox. Members of the public joined people from across the political divide to pay tribute to the Yorkshire MP, attacked outside the library where held her surgery.

Andrew Sharp, Chairman of the Tunbridge Wells Constituency Labour Party laid a white Yorkshire rose and led the tribute along with Vice Chair Carol Wilson, who also represented Tunbridge Wells’ Women’s Forum.

Stressing the importance of the kind of unity Jo Cox believed in, Andrew Sharp later told the Times: “It’s an enormous shame when our politics just goes too far and we start dividing the nation, we start dividing people.

“It’s fine to have a robust discussion but the kind of nasty personal politics that has crept into British politics is something that is very unwelcome, and I hope that out of respect to Jo that one of the things

A MOVING MOMENT Andrew Sharp and Carol Wilson led the vigil

that will come out of all of this is that we step back and think about the way we conduct our politics, and to think about how we best represent people.”

Carol Wilson said: “I feel devastated and so angry that the reason I am having to do this is because of Jo’s death, because of her murder, not because of the many things she has been doing and would have continued

to do in the future. And I feel so angry our democracy has been assaulted in that way.”  Local MP Greg Clark took the unusual step of holding his Saturday surgery in the open air in Calverley Road precinct to show that despite what happened he is determined to carry on being accessible to his constituents.

He stood alongside his usual giant A-board bearing his picture saying: ‘Can I help?’

How it should all work on the day FORTY SIX local polling stations will be open from 7am ‘til 10pm on Thursday for those eligible to vote in the Referendum. When they close, the sealed ballot boxes will be taken to Putlands Sports and Leisure Centre in Paddock Wood where the count is likely to get underway around 1am.

The Local Counting Officer William Benson, Chief Executive of the Borough Council, is expected to announce the local result between 3am and 4am Friday morning.

He will give details of the number who voted to Leave Europe and the number who voted to Remain along with the turnout. There will not be a breakdown of figures to show how each ward in the Borough voted.

The count will be one of 382 taking place throughout the UK. Declarations will be tallied at regional and then national level. Unlike normal constituency elections which are a series of local contests, the EU vote is a national contest.

What really matters in each area is not which side won but how many votes each campaign banked. The winning campaign will be the one that banks the majority of votes in the UK. And there are likely to be no exit polls for this election where the outcome can sometimes be predicted

soon after polling stations close.

The Kent results will be relayed to the south east regional count, one of 11, that is taking place in Southampton, to be validated. This will give us a result for the region that will be passed to the national counting centre in Manchester where the final result will be declared.

The Electoral Commission believes we will probably find out the result ‘at breakfast time’, but will be no firmer than that.

FAILURE TO VOTE MEANS YOU FORFEIT YOUR RIGHT TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE RESULT THE day of the vote is upon us. Tomorrow, Thursday June 23, is a date that will live with us forever, whatever the outcome of the Referendum.

This writer has covered many elections but nothing quite like this one with its continuing claims and counter claims. There has been much rancour and ill will on both sides.

Novelist Robert Harris summed it up thus: “The most depressing, divisive, duplicitous political event of my lifetime. May there never be another.”

It’s 41 years since the last EU Referendum when Harold Wilson’s Labour Government asked if we should remain in Europe. More than 67 per cent said ‘yes’.

But it was a different media event then. For a start, most of the big hitting newspapers were on the side of the ‘yes’ vote with a few exceptions, such as the communist Morning Star (formerly the Daily Worker).

Today the media is more evenly split between the Remainders and the Brexiteers

as is the ruling party, the Conservatives.

Passions have been stoked and wounding words have been uttered. And that’s just in the public arena; imagine what has been said behind closed doors at Westminster?

That’s why one hides a smile when others say: “I’ll be glad when it’s all over and things can get back to normal.”

The fear is that it will be some considerable time before we get back to normal, before scars disappear and supporters of the losing side graciously accept defeat. For all our sakes let’s hope the healing process does not take too long and is not further aggravated by the fight that will surely ensue for the soul, and leadership, of the Conservative party.

Happily, away from Westminster, the debate has been more civilised with local MPs (all Tory but not on the same side) making it clear they would not go head to head and would not be taking cheap shots at each other.

Instead the debate has been more reasoned and refined, as should be the case.

This newspaper itself has sought to publish balanced comments and reports. Even though our parent company Markerstudy is of the firm opinion, along with most employers, that we must remain in Europe, there has been no pressure from any quarter for the Times to take a hard line approach one way or another.

And that makes us fortunate because a truly ‘local’ newspaper is there to represent the community it serves and where that community is divided it should offer an equal platform for both points of view. To do otherwise would undermine the integrity of such a paper that, unlike the nationals, interacts on a daily basis with local people and businesses.

Whatever your position on Europe you should do at least one thing tomorrow – vote.

To stand on the side lines means you can never complain about the result or its impact on your life.

Richard Moore, Editorial Director

LOCAL NEWS 

3

IN OTHER NEWS…

Four arrested after Mayfield man killed POLICE have arrested four people on suspicion of the murder of Mayfield resident Sam Caulfield, killed in Crawley on Saturday.

Emergency services arrived at the scene on Spencers Road to find the 20 year old suffering from a serious injury. He was taken to hospital, where he died.

Two women, one 24 the other 22, along with two 20-year-old men have been bailed until August 9. All four are from Crawley.

New theatre to open THE town’s new theatre, set to replace the Assembly Hall, will stage its first performance in November 2020. The proposed site is the Great Hall car park. It would have a capacity of 1,300, and would feature restaurants and bars with raised terraces overlooking Calverley Grounds.

The current site of the Town Hall and Assembly Hall could then be used for retail, residential or leisure purposes – or be turned into a university.

Fish bar shortlisted THE OLD FISHMARKET on The Pantiles has been shortlisted for the 2016 Seafood Restaurant of the Year award. The winner will be announced on September 7.

Owner Matthew Sankey said: “Being nominated for this award is epic. It’s fantastic to be recognised for our commitments towards a more sustainable fishing industry.”

Pembury traffic gridlock TRAFFIC on the Pembury Road was held up for two hours on Monday morning after a car collided with a lorry at the junction of Hall’s Hole Road at 5.45am. Firefighters had to cut the driver free, although his injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.

Online lucky escape A WOMAN had a near miss with a train at High Brooms station on Monday morning and was taken to hospital with minor injuries. It is reported she ‘fell in between tracks and a train passed over her’. The incident is not being treated as suspicious.

Two ambulances, three police cars and a helicopter attended the scene.

Wilko launch date TUNBRIDGE WELLS’ new Wilko store will open on August 24 on the premises formerly occupied by HMV in Royal Victoria Place.

Until now the nearest location of the bargain homeware store had been 18 miles away in Maidstone. There was speculation that the chain might open an outlet at the former Morrisons store after the supermarket closed in April, but it was confirmed last week that The Range would be taking over the Vale Road site.

Frontline campaigners give their final verdict as polls set to open

By Sarah Bond newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk

THE TOWN is on a knife edge as we head towards the biggest decision of a generation tomorrow, with both sides convinced they are on target to win the EU Referendum – in Tunbridge Wells and nationally.

Leave campaigner Thomas Pritchard said: “I am rather positive and believe the polls are all going the right way.

“I also know our social media management has been working, and I would ask people to watch Brexit the Movie. It’s on YouTube and it’s very informative.”

For the Remain LEAVE campaign Thomas Husnara Begum Pritchard said: “We have

been on the stalls and we feel there has been a definite change.

“What I would say to the swing voters is that if you fear the unknown, then don’t wilfully send us into the unknown by voting to exit the EU.” Both Mr Pritchard and Ms Begum have been working on their respective campaign stalls in Calverley Road shopping precinct.

Said Mr Pritchard: “My main reason for wanting to leave is sovereignty. Up to 75 per cent of British law is now made in Brussels and I think that’s disgraceful. We need to bring back democracy into our own sovereign Parliament. Quite a lot of people have stopped voting in elections now and I think that’s because of a lack of sovereignty.

“And obviously immigration is a big issue. It’s absolutely atrocious how we have an open door to 510 million people across the European Union.

“At the top of our passports it says European Union and anyone in the EU who has that on their passports has the right to come to this country, settle, work, use the NHS and use education – and I say ‘no’.”

Said Ms Begum: “The economy is really dependent on remaining and uncertainty would be created by a possible exit. Although a lot of people view that as an issue affecting City fat cats,

I think a prosperous economy is what we need to ensure we have funding available for important services like the NHS and education.

“I think all these claims about the EU being a drain on the NHS are scaremongering and misleading because the issues with the NHS go far deeper and without a strong economy it would be on its knees.

“The EU is for everyone, and a REMAIN buoyant economy Husnara feeds through to the Begum hard-working people as well as the rich.

“I don’t think the EU is perfect as an institution, and I think sovereignty is one of our weakest points, but ultimately surely it is better to be part of it and try and change it from within.”

A tale of two families sharing the same neighbourhood but with different views The Sullivans and the Davisons, two families that sum up the way the town is split on the big question of the EU. Both live almost side by side in High Brooms but are in opposite corners THE REMAINERS CRAIG SULLIVAN lives in High Brooms with his wife Helen, their children Cerys, 12, (Tonbridge Grammar School) and Isabella, 10, (St John’s CoE Primary School). With them are their cousins Caitlin, 10, (St Mark’s CoE Primary THE SULLIVANS

School) and Bethany, 12, (TWGGS), plus Helen’s parents, Haydn and Elaine Jones.

“We are all for Remaining,” said Mr Sullivan.

“Yes, I definitely want to stay in the EU,” added his eldest daughter, Cerys. “We had a class debate about it at school.”

Mr Sullivan, a teacher, said: “We took a few girls from our school up to one of the debates in London. It was very interesting. There were a few who were against and a few who were for.”

THE BREXITEERS TREVOR DAVISON lives in High Brooms and is pictured with his daughter Emma Porter and her youngest son, Ryan, aged two.

“My heart says leave. My dad’s a little bit on the fence but me personally – I’m out,” said Mr Davison, a former hospital worker.

His daughter Emma, a mother of three, admitted that although she had been undecided she was now also inclined towards ‘Leave’ – largely because of government cuts to vital services, because her middle son, Josh, 13,

THE DAVISONS has to attend a special needs school.

“I’m thinking of finances and what money goes where. I have a lot to do with mental health and special needs and all services are being cut, and I am thinking if they get more money then these services wouldn’t be cut,” she said.

Wednesday 22nd June 2016

4  LOCAL NEWS

PERSONAL VIEWS ON EUROPE The business leaders During the run-up to the Referendum vote this newspaper has interviewed a number of business leaders in Tunbridge Wells on various issues including the EU. Here we recall some of the more relevant comments from both sides of the debate HARVEY WETHERILL – Chairman of United Brokers International “We wouldn’t be able to establish our business without the Freedom of Services legislation within the European market. [The freedom to operate in any other EU member country without having to create an office there].

“We only exist because Europe has existed in the way it has. From our point of view, it is probably best to embrace the opportunities out there rather than shy away from them.

“There is a lot of business to be had in Europe, and to access that is good for all of us.

“The upcoming vote does create uncertainty for us but we are ploughing on and will cross that bridge when we come to it.”

ANDY BELL – Chief Executive of brokers AJ Bell “As a UK-regulated financial service, the further away we can get from the EU the better. So much of their regulation is nonsense. It does very little good and it is expensive.

“If I was voting purely for selfish reasons I would vote to leave, but perhaps I would need a moment of reflection as some of my friends are in industries which may well be decimated by an exit.”

RICHARD PHILBIN – Director of Wellian Investment Solutions “I can see companies such as HSBC relocating if we leave. The financial services sector is likely to be impacted in a big way.

“I don’t think it would be an easy or painless divorce.

Investment-wise we would have to get defensive, look more internationally, because the stance of Britain in the global economy will massively change.

“The volatility will massively increase. Markets are likely to take a five or ten per cent step backwards.

“There will be a lot of upset and pain for a lot of businesses, because stock markets and capital markets like certainty.”

CRAIG STRONG – Head of Capital Currencies “It will be carnage for the foreign exchange markets if we leave. There will be an increase in volatility, rumours and speculation, but it is unprecedented, so all I can do is guess.

“Sterling could devalue overnight, but there will be a run on the pound for sure by the speculators before a rebalancing.

“But sooner or later something else will happen in the world and the market focus will shift on to that.

“If we could get rid of some of the pointless EU directives that would be fabulous, and make our own sensible ones for our own banking and financial markets.

“I don’t think you need to be ‘in it’ to be compliant with their regulations. We are not part of the US but we have to follow some of theirs.

“Personally, on a selfish basis, I think leaving will be good for business.”

The sheep farmer and the pensioner Much has been written on the likely voting breakdown between younger and older people. Received wisdom suggests that the younger you are the more likely you are to vote Remain. In elections, though, it’s not so predictable. We talk with two older voters, you might be surprised JONATHAN HOWARD has been a lifelong sheep farmer in Ticehurst, where his family have also grown fruit since just after the war. Unlike many farmers, the father of five wants out of the EU. Mr Howard believes that more farmers are now coming round to the Leave side.

“Opinion has changed. When the Referendum was first announced most of the farmers wanted to stay in because of the subsidies. But I get the feeling it’s now about 50/50.

“The subsidies do keep a lot of them from going bankrupt, but it would be nice to go back to the 70’s when the British Government supported agriculture. Now they don’t care.”

As to not having European workers to pick fruit, Mr Howard’s answer is to get unemployed British youngsters out to work again, and call in extra people if needed.

“It’s a bit like sheep-shearing,” he said. “We have always been able to have special dispensation to get people from other parts of the world to come and get the fleeces off.”

He doesn’t think leaving will affect him as a French property owner, either, having owned a house in Portugal before the Maastricht Treaty.

“I am not the slightest bit worried,” he said. “I pay the French taxes. I can’t see that there’s going to be any difference.

“I love Europe but I want England out because of the rules and regulations coming from Brussels.

They have taken too much for granted. They’ve been warned people are unhappy and haven’t taken a blind bit of notice.

“If you run your own business you know what good legislation is and what is bad. The ones who want to stay are people in jobs who turn up at 9am and go home at 5. There’s no oomph and they don’t want to rock the boat.

OUT

Wednesday 22nd June 2016

ROBERT FRANCK was born in France but is a UK citizen, having lived most of his life here, and he now resides in Tunbridge Wells. He wants to stay in Europe.

The father of four and former ICI textile expert agrees a lot of seniors will vote to leave.

“But a lot won’t,” he said. “Older people have more time to think. There are very few in my circle who want to leave. I can only think of two.

“In my view staying in the EU beats leaving it. People talk about immigration, but it’s a complete red herring. It’s not a bad thing – just badly organised. This country has always lived on immigrants.

“It would only be bad if entire populations came to England, and that’s ridiculous. Most people come for three or four years to earn some money then go home again.

“As for complaints about the lack of surgeries and schools, that’s because we don’t have enough surgeries and schools, or housing.

“If we leave Europe everyone in Germany and France will be rubbing their hands. The Germans will welcome all the bankers to Frankfurt and the French will dig away at our customers all over the

world. I know these people. It would be a big bonus for them. We would lose out, and quite quickly.

“There are issues, including the bureaucracy in Brussels, but it’s not important enough for us to run the risk of a huge economic fallout, and if we do leave nobody knows what is going to happen. It’s all emotional.

“People of my age say it was much nicer 40 years ago, we want to go back to that. But you don’t go back in history, ever.

“We are much better in because we can help make policy so we all get richer and richer, and stop others’ policies if we don’t agree with them.

“If we are outside Europe we have no power at all.”

IN

6  LOCAL NEWS

Hotel’s night to remember ‘We should be grateful for the stewardship of these magnificent buildings’ THE QUEEN’S personal jeweller, Harry Collins, and the Managing Director of The Savoy, Kiaran MacDonald, last week officially unveiled the town’s newest hotel… One Warwick Park.

The hotel will open its doors to the public on July 1. Close to The Pantiles and combining the former Brew House Hotel, the Old School House, neighbouring buildings and a new building, One Warwick Park has 39 bedrooms, including one suite.

There is also a main restaurant, L’AMORE, serving regional Italian cuisine – which will be open to non-residents – plus a Grade II listed function space.

On Thursday 200 guests attended a launch party, hosted by Markerstudy Leisure, the hotel’s owners, when the opening date was confirmed as Friday, July 1.

Work on the hotel started three years ago.

Cutting the ribbon to formally open One Warwick Park were Harry Collins, the Queen’s personal jeweller since 2000 and Crown jeweller since 2007, and Kiaran MacDonald, Managing Director of The Savoy, London.

A tunnel connecting the former Brew House building and the Old School House doubles as a permanent gallery, displaying some of Harry Collins’ jewellery along with the work of local artists, currently featuring Melanie Berman from East Sussex.

Wednesday 22nd June 2016

ARTISTIC APPROACH MP Greg Clark, artist Melanie Berman and MD Louise Clark

‘All of us are proud of the way the historic elements associated with the King Charles II School have been incorporated ’ MP Greg Clark told guests the new hotel continued the tradition of providing a place to stay for visitors close to The Chalybeate Spring that is the reason for the town’s existence.

He added: “On behalf of the whole community, I would like to thank Markerstudy for doing a major service to

Tunbridge Wells in restoring these buildings and making them so magnificent.

“The company does an awful lot for the town, it gives a lot of people opportunities and attracts many visitors.

“The history of Tunbridge Wells is defined by its character, and we should be grateful for the stewardship of these magnificent buildings by people who love the town.”

The Managing Director of Markerstudy Leisure Louise Clark said: “After a demanding construction and fit out programme, we’re incredibly excited about opening.

“A lot of time and effort has gone into ensuring every element of the hotel has been carefully crafted and designed to the highest standards and with the enjoyment and comfort of our guests in mind.

“All of us are proud of the way the historic elements associated with the King Charles II School have been incorporated into a building featuring modern design features such as the spectacular double height atrium at the heart of the hotel.”

RIBBON CUTTING The Queen’s personal jeweller Harry Collins (left) and Savoy MD Kiaran MacDonald

LOCAL NEWS 

Many of the 50 staff have been recruited locally, including Bryony England previously of the Brew House Hotel and Salomons Estate, who oversees the Front of House experience, and Melissa Brooker who has a two-year career in events management with Markerstudy Leisure, and who is Group Events Manager.

“When we open on July 1, we will be an exceptional addition to the Tunbridge

Wells tourism sector,” said Louise Clark.

“Equally, we look forward to welcoming local people for a drink in our bars or to enjoy the fine Italian food at L’AMORE. “We aim to become a ‘can’t miss’ venue in the town’s social landscape.”

7

IMPRESSIVE DISPLAY Josh Collins of jewellers G. Collins & Sons

For more details visit www.onewarwickpark.co.uk

Wednesday 22nd June 2016

8  LOCAL BUSINESS NEWS

Handelsbanken recruits to meet growing demand HANDLESBANKEN in Tunbridge Wells has brought in two new members of staff in response to increasing demand for its local relationship banking services.

Dan Batchelor, who has 15 years’ experience in the sector, is appointed as Corporate Banking Manager while Kerri Gibbons joins as Account Manager Support.

Nick Green, Branch Manager of the Swedish bank on Mount Ephraim, commented: “Their appointment means we can continue to meet the growing needs of both existing and new customers in Tunbridge Wells whilst maintaining the high levels of service for which we are renowned.”

Mr Batchelor said: “What attracted me to Handelsbanken was its decentralised model, which allows us to deliver a bespoke service to our customers.”

FRESH FACES Nick Green (centre) with Kerri Gibbons and Dan Batchelor

Wednesday 22nd June 2016

Leading lawyer to leave for top role Down Under Jonathan Smithers appointed head of Law Council of Australia Andrew Tong

newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk ONE of the UK’s leading lawyers, Jonathan Smithers, is leaving Tunbridge Wells company CooperBurnett to take up a senior position in Australia.

Mr Smithers, 54, has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of the Law Council of Australia.

He is currently President of the Law Society of England and Wales, but his tenure ends next month and he will start his new role in September.

‘After 32 years at the firm, I will miss the friendship and cameraderie of so many’ A senior partner at CooperBurnett, he was educated at the Beacon School in Crowborough and then studied at Nottingham Trent University.

He retires as head of the property and private client department at CooperBurnett, having spent 32 years at the legal practice since taking his articles there.

A well-known figure in the town, he is a member of the Oriana Singers in Tunbridge Wells, and has sung in more than 40 cathedrals around the country.

“After 32 years at the firm, from articled clerk to senior partner, I will miss the friendship and camaraderie of so many with whom I have been privileged to work,” Mr Smithers said. “I am looking forward to taking up my new post and to be able to utilise the knowledge and skills which I have garnered both at the Law Society and at CooperBurnett.”

Fellow partner Victoria Sampson said: “Whilst we are really sorry to see Jonathan go, this is an important international role into which I know he will put energy and enthusiasm.”

Criminal court fees, cuts to legal aid and cyber security are among the issues he has been addressing during his term of office at the Law Society.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed the strategic challenges and delivery aspects of my current role as President of the Law Society,” he said.

“Moving to Australia is something I have obviously thought long and hard about, but the lure of a fresh set of issues to tackle was an opportunity too good to ignore.”

The Law Council of LEGAL EAGLE Australia’s PresiJonathan dent, Stuart Clark, Smithers paid tribute to his new recruit, said: “Jonathan has established a reputation throughout his career as being both courageous and strategically sound.”

Mr Smithers has been representing the interests of all Kent lawyers on the Law Society Council since 2007.

NEWS IN BUSINESS

Solicitors appoint two new equity partners TUNBRIDGE WELLS law firm Thomson Snell & Passmore has appointed two new equity partners, Nicola Plant and Helen Stewart.

Ms Plant, a specialist in tax planning, rejoined the firm as a partner last year, having qualified there in 2000.

Ms Stewart, a partner and head of the probate team, has been at the practice for more than 15 years.

Property finance expert Matthew Grogan was also made a partner.

EU vote hits planning A POLL of business leaders in Kent has revealed that 65 per cent want to remain in the EU, while 27 per cent admitted that uncertainty over the outcome of the referendum was affecting their planning in either the short or long term. It was organised by accountancy and financial services firm Kreston Reeves and Furley Page.

Ten make a Stiletto mark TEN Tunbridge Wells businesses were victorious at the inaugural Kent Muddy Stilettos awards.

The winners: Best Art Gallery: Fairfax Gallery.

Best bakery: The Bicycle Bakery. Best Bar: Fuggles Beer Café; Best Beauty Salon: No 6 Clinic; Best Deli: Fromage & French; Best Fitness Instructor: Laura Ansell, TriSwim; Best Hair Salon: Morgan Hodges Hair; Best Large Hotel: Hotel du Vin; Best Womens Boutique: Kitch; Best Yoga/Pilates Studio: Sandrine’s Pilates.

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10  COMMUNITY NEWS

A chance for smaller charities to receive a £1,000 donation…

OF TUNBRIDGE WELLS

Shuttle bus launched for Knights Wood COMMUTERS living at the new Knights Wood development in Tunbridge Wells can now enjoy an easier journey to work, thanks to the launch of a new shuttle bus service.

A joint initiative between developer Dandara and the charity Compaid, journeys from the development to High Brooms Station will cost as little as £1 each way for residents. Non-residents without an eligibility card can expect to pay £5 each way.

The daily service commences at 6am, running every 20 minutes until 7.40am. In the evening, pick-ups from High Brooms Station start at 6.00pm, running with the same frequency until 7.40pm.

Speaking about the new service, Susie Bennett, Dandara’s Sales Director for the South East, said: “Knights Wood is a fantastic place to live if you commute to London for work but want to come home to peaceful woodland surroundings.

“We appreciate that commuting can be stressful at times, so we hope that the shuttle bus will help make the journey a little more agreeable for our residents.”

OUR part of the world is rich in charities doing good things for people. Many of them are fairly robust with healthy income streams. And that’s great. Others are smaller affairs where a few pounds can make all the difference.

That’s why this newspaper has teamed up with the Vodafone store in Tunbridge Wells to find a local charity that most deserves a £1,000 donation.

The winning cause could be anything from a new oven for a kitchen that feeds homeless people to books to help young people learning to read.

Polly Taylor is co-founder of one of the most successful charities in area, Pickering Cancer Drop-in Centre in Tunbridge Wells. She told the Times: “This is a wonderful idea because £1,000 can make such a difference to small charities or ones that are just starting out. It’s lovely to recognise the important role these organisations play in the life of our town. I wish all of those who enter lots of luck.”

The funding forms part of the Vodafone Community Connection Awards, which was launched nationwide in 2014 to mark the ongoing expansion of the telecoms company.

Southborough residents enjoy moments of pure Bliss Andrew Tong newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk CAFÉ BLISS in Southborough is a prime example of a small but vital organisation which would benefit from Vodafone’s funding (see above).

COUNTER CULTURE Paul Sullivan, Elaine Lawrence, Kirsty Goldsmith and Ian Lawrence at Café Bliss

Wednesday 22nd June 2016

It is currently applying for charitable status in order to help maintain the multitude of services it provides to the local community, entirely on a non-profit basis.

The venue, at 142 London Road, is not just a place to eat but, more importantly, a drop-in centre providing free information and assistance

Previous winners of £1,000 have included Homestart in Broadstairs, which connects volunteers with families whose children are going through times of stress, and Brixington Lunch Club in Devon, which offers a social environment for the elderly, among others.

Robert Apps, Vodafone Store Manager in Tunbridge Wells, said: “We’re delighted to team up with the Times of Tunbridge Wells and the Times of Tonbridge to offer the award.

“We’re keen to play our part as members of the local community and we know there are some really deserving causes out there, working hard to make a difference – we hope they will put themselves forward.”

THE CRITERIA… Any charity that wants to be considered must meet the following five criteria:  It should be a local charity that makes a significant impact on the local community  It cannot be a personal or individual plight, nor a government-funded organisation  The award must also be for a specific project or purpose, rather than just to cover operating costs  The award must be stand-alone rather than form any part of a larger contribution or bigger appeal  Nominees must have a registered charity number for local people who need help.

The brainchild of Elaine Lawrence, who set up the Better Living in Southborough Society (BLISS), the café opened in 2009 ‘to promote a sense of community locally and give the residents a voice on local issues’.

Mrs Lawrence set up a residents’ association after problems arose in the neighbourhood.

“People began pouring round to my house for cups of tea,” she said. “It was getting more and more busy.”

She has three children with her husband Ian, who now works in the café with her. “I wanted to get it out of my house and find some more room,” she admits.

So they secured a lease on the old Bang & Olufsen shop and Café Bliss was launched with help from all sides. Pizza Piazza sent equipment and staff to help out, Mears of Tonbridge donated a kitchen and Connaught gave them a bathroom.

But it’s certainly not just a matter of providing fresh, healthy food. There are 20 volunteers working on the premises, which includes offices and a meeting room.

Café Bliss has been widely praised for a work experience programme it runs with the Job Centre ‘to get people’s confidence back and get them back in work’, says Mrs Lawrence.

This scheme, which is also available to people with disabilities, is run in partnership with local schools and the Prince’s Trust.

The initiative led to them receiving a Job Centre

HOW TO ENTER… All you have to do is send us full details of your charity, with its registered number.

Those details must tell us when the charity was founded, who runs it, why it was established and what approximately its annual income stands at. And in no more than 100 words tell us why you feel your charity should receive £1,000 and what you will do with the money.

Closing date for entries is Friday July 22, 2016 Entries should be sent to: Charity Award Times of Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge 16 Lonsdale Gardens Tunbridge Wells TN1 1NU You can also email the details to: info@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk The winner will be chosen by the Times and Vodafone. Their decision will be final.

Employer Partnership Best in Kent Award in 2012, beating the likes of Asda, Morrisons and Shepherd Neame.

That year they also won Tunbridge Wells Borough Council’s Love Where We Live Ethical Business Award.

So how did word get around? “My loud mouth,” laughs Mrs Lawrence. “I’ve lived here for 25 years and I’m the sort of person who works on the ground with people.

“For example, a little old lady came in with a Lottery ticket she wanted me to check for her. She said, ‘I’ve been told that you’re the person to trust around here’.”

There are regular surgeries at the café with the Citizens Advice Bureau and Insight, a free NHS talking therapy service, and there’s a youth club one evening a week.

Southborough councillor Joe Simmons comes in every Friday to talk to residents, while local charity Pepenbury organise social events for those with learning disabilities.

“It’s all about giving people an opportunity without putting them in a category,” says Mrs Lawrence. We don’t see anyone’s disabilities.

What is ‘normal’, after all?”

Recent workshops included compiling recipes based around Food Bank parcels and a five-day ‘energy pop-up shop’ offering advice on how to cut electricity bills.

The Bliss Café is open Monday to Friday, 9am3pm. Visit: cafebliss.co.uk

UP TO 50

OFF*

12  COMMUNITY NEWS

Patients give ‘under pressure’ hospitals a clean bill of health A NEW survey shows that overall patients rate Tunbridge Wells and Maidstone hospitals ‘highly’ when it comes to staff and care.

A record number of men and women (709) shared their views about the care they received from Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust. It was part of a national survey and they were all discharged from hospital in July 2015, a year that saw demand for care reach ‘unprecedented’ levels.

‘Our patients have indicated that our staff are caring and attentive’ Despite the pressures faced by the NHS, the trust received an overall good response from patients who were asked by the Care Quality Commission to rate over 70 areas of their care, covering eight key standards.

Overall patients rated their care, and staff, highly and found the local hospitals to be clean and safe.

The majority of patients said they felt well looked after while in hospital, and had trust and confidence in the doctors and nurses, who treated them with respect and dignity.

Avey Bhatia, Chief Nurse, said: “Our patients have indicated to us once again that our staff are caring and attentive to their needs and treat them with respect and dignity.

“We are also delighted to see improvements in areas such as hospital food - something we have been focussing on in response to patient feedback.

“We are grateful for their comments and we will

Wednesday 22nd June 2016

continue to focus on improving the experience our patients have with us.”

Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells was rated among the better trusts nationally for ensuring patients are not bothered by noise at night from hospital staff.

However, it was in the bottom 20 per cent for explaining to patients how they could expect to feel after having an operation or procedure.

The trust said it has already made a number of improvements since the survey that are ‘helping to enhance overall patient experience’.

This year it has opened a new urgent medical unit and a dedicated children’s A&E department at Tunbridge Wells Hospital.

PATIENT FEEDBACK… The trust was given marks out of 10 for the following sectors – the 2014 ratings are in brackets.

Hospital and ward 8.4 (8.2) Doctors 8.7 (8.4) Nurses 8.6 (8.5) Care and treatment 8 (7.7) Operations/procedures 8.2 (8.2) Leaving hospital 7.3 (7.3) Overall care/service 5.6 (5.6) Overall experience 8.2 (8.1)

CARING STAFF Chief nurse Avey Bhatia

Golf day all adds up for the accountants CHARTERED accountants Perrys has raised £4,500 for the Kent Cancer Trust at their fifth annual charity golf day held at the Chart Hills Club in Biddenden.

The practice, which has five offices including branches in Tunbridge Wells and West Malling, hosted golfing enthusiasts from across the county who came together to raise funds for the innovative research charity.

Kent Cancer Trust was established in 2004 to help relieve the suffering of cancer patients and improve the provision of cancer care throughout the county. The funds raised will go towards helping the charity to continue its essential research programmes.

During the day 26 teams competed for the honours with the overall winners being Clarkson Wright & Jakes Solicitors and friends, captained

by Amanda Mehlin. Just four points separated the top three teams.

CEO of Perrys Chartered Accountants Stewart Pope said: “The work that the Kent Cancer Trust does is phenomenal and we are absolutely delighted to be able to make this donation to them.”

WINNING TEAM Captain Amanda Mehlin and colleagues

COMMUNITY NEWS 

13

Bar manager takes to the skies

VOLUNTEERS Adaptive staff with groundsmen

A ST JOHN AMBULANCE volunteer from Tunbridge Wells has completed a sponsored tandem parachute jump to raise money to buy an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED).

Ben Crossan, 27, is the unit manager for Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge adult unit and took to the skies to raise more than £1,200 for a new AED for the unit’s volunteer first aiders to take to local events. It was his first parachute jump.

Ben, whose day job is as the assistant manager at The Beau Nash Tavern, said: “The jump was totally exhilarating but I’m glad it’s over.

Recruiters put to work at Pepenbury STAFF from the local recruitment agency Adaptive Globalization volunteered their day to a good cause and ended up helping to build a maze in the children’s area at Pepenbury.

The charity, which helps adults with learning difficulties, is based in 100 acres of countryside just outside Tunbridge Wells.

Pepenbury not only houses adults with learning disabilities who are unable to live independently but also supports education and work. It holds numerous activities, including pottery, arts and crafts, cooking and the teaching of important life skills to all residents.

Adaptive Globalization’s Victoria Bates said: “Pepenbury is a hidden treasure that is open to the public.

It boasts a fantastic café and plant nursery, over 100 acres of woodland walks, an outside gym, children’s play area and lots of animals!”

Besides managing the woodlands, Pepenbury also runs a small farm, where residents care for animals including donkeys, pigs, goats, chickens, rabbits and guinea pigs.

THE MAZE Work in progress

Wednesday 22nd June 2016

‘The jump was totally exhilarating but I’m glad it’s over’ “I’ve been overwhelmed by people’s support and it’s amazing to know the money I’ve raised will potentially help to save someone’s life in the future. I’d like to give a huge thank you to everyone who’s donated money – my friends, fellow volunteers and all the staff and customers at the pub.”

When someone suffers a cardiac arrest, their chance of survival falls by 10 per cent every minute they go without first aid. With CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and the use of a defibrillator within three minutes, their chance of survival could be as high as 70 per cent.

HIGH-FLYER Bearded Ben with instructor That’s why St John Ambulance wants to make sure its volunteers have defibrillators available when they are needed most.

Ben became a St John Ambulance volunteer around four years ago after completing a first aid

at work course with the charity whilst working as a teaching assistant in a local primary school.

He has had to put his first aid skills into practice when a male pedestrian was hit by a car just outside the Beau Nash.

Rain fails to dampen spirits at Demelza charity run FUN RUN The winning smurf

THREE hundred supporters braved the rain to take part in the Demelza Run, raising £10,000 for the charity that provides hospice care for children across the region.

Runners had a choice of taking on the 2.5k, 5k or 10k course at the event, which was held for the first time in the grounds of Groombridge Place near Tunbridge Wells.

The charity’s mascot, Dotty, was there to spur competitors on and to pose for selfies. Drum band Bloco Fogo entertained the runners and supporters before the race.

The 10k race was started by Demelza child Millie De Vere, who also won the 2.5k wheelchair accessible award. The winner of the 10k race was Aaron

Wright, while Sally Norris was the first female over the finish line.

The 5k race was won by Simon Parrin with Leigh Mitchell second. Karen Ponte was the first female over the line and Daniel Rowe was the fastest under-16 runner.

The prize for the best costume went to Jane Lowe, part of the Kent Police training school team, who ran the 10k dressed as a smurf.

Gemma Murray, Demelza’s Events Coordinator, said: “Thank you so much to everyone who braved the damp conditions. Your support really does help us care for those who may not live a long life to live a full life.”

For more information, visit www. demelza.org.uk

14  NATIONAL NEWS NEWS IN BRIEF

Associate nurse role will confuse patients PLANS to create a new nursing support role risk diluting the profession and confusing patients, delegates at the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) congress in Glasgow have been told.

The government announced proposals in December to introduce nursing ‘associates’ to bridge the gap between healthcare support workers, who have a care certificate, and registered nurses.

Children win damages TWO children who were taken into care have won a family court damages fight after a judge criticised the way a council had handled their case and ruled that social services bosses had breached the youngsters’ human rights.

Judge Stuart Farquhar said the youngsters – a boy, 12, and his 11-year-old sister – should each receive £20,000 from West Sussex County Council.

He said their mother should also be awarded £5,000 in damages because her human rights had also been breached.

Difference of opinion A FORMER chairwoman of the Royal College of General Practitioners, Dr Clare Gerada, has come out in favour of assisted dying as delegates at the British Medical Association’s (BMA) annual meeting in Belfast voted to remain opposed to the controversial practice.

Wednesday 22nd June 2016

Spaceman sets his sights on the moon BRITISH astronaut Tim Peake has given a vivid account of his ride back to Earth and said he would return to space in a heartbeat.

Speaking at his first press conference since leaving the International Space Station (ISS) and landing in Kazakhstan on Saturday, he also said he was ‘feeling fantastic’.

He also spoke of his dream of going to the Moon, his hope that the UK continues to fund manned space missions and his relief at using a gravity-assisted Earth toilet at last.

The 44-year-old father of two returned to Earth from a six-month European Space Agency (ESA) mission on the ISS with American Nasa astronaut Colonel Tim Kopra and Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko.

Their descent module – the only part of the three-section Soyuz TMA-19M spacecraft to complete the journey – parachuted down on to a remote spot on the vast Kazakhstan steppe at 10.15am UK time on Saturday.

All three men are now undergoing an intense programme of rehabilitation and tests to help them re-adjust to Earth gravity and show scientists how their bodies have stood the strain of 186 days in space.

Major Peake spoke in a packed briefing room at the European Astronaut Centre in Cologne, Germany, where the ESA’s astronaut activities are based.

He was treated to a standing ovation when he made his appearance as members of the audience clapped and cheered.

Former helicopter test pilot Major Peake related the story of his journey home from the space station in dramatic detail.

One of the most dynamic moments came after undocking when the still-orbiting Soyuz was literally blasted apart with explosive bolts.

Major Peake said: “The spacecraft really does blow itself apart, which is really quite exciting. The pyrotechnic bolts are only a few millimetres of metal away from your ear when they go off.”

The British astronaut described how he was treated to a firework display as he looked out of the window beside his head.

He said: “It’s great being sat next to the window because you’re able to look out ... I started seeing sparks and flames coming off because all the multi-layer DOWN TO insulation around EARTH the spacecraft is Tim Peake burning away.”

SHACKLED Sandford being removed from the Las Vegas casino

Briton is charged over Trump attack A YOUNG Briton accused of attempting to grab a police officer’s gun in a bid to kill Donald Trump has appeared in a US court in shackles.

Michael Steven Sandford, from Dorking in Surrey, was arrested at a Republican rally in a Las Vegas casino last weekend after going for the weapon as he was asking for the presidential hopeful’s autograph.

The 20-year-old, who was in America without permission, later told police he wanted to kill the presumptive Republican nominee.

Sandford, who is said to have autism, told investigators he expected to die in the attempt, which he had been planning for a year.

On Monday, Sandford was denied bail at a district court in Nevada, where he was charged with an act of violence on restricted grounds.

Federal Magistrate Judge George Foley declined to release Sandford, who appeared before him in leg irons, over concerns that he was a potential danger to the community and a flight risk. He will appear in court again on July 5.

NATIONAL NEWS �

Commuters hit by rail strike RAIL services from Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge to London and back were busier than normal yesterday as commuters who usually use Southern railway services attempted to find ways around a 24-hour strike.

Although other rail operators were still running services into the capital, there were no trains between Tonbridge and Redhill.

The bitter dispute between unions and rail firms has broken out over plans to transfer responsibility for closing train doors from conductors to drivers.

Southern Railway and ScotRail intend to implement a new role for conductors which focuses on helping passengers rather than operating doors.

The Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union has raised safety concerns over the issue and fears that it will eventually lead to job losses.

ScotRail and Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), which owns Southern, have insisted there will be no job cuts as a result of the switch in responsibility.

But the RMT says drivers will be the ‘only guaranteed member of staff on the train’ and hundreds of guards could lose their jobs.

The union has warned that drivers will be expected to have responsibility for passenger safety, whereas currently both the driver and the guard ‘protect the safety of the train’.

It also claims rail companies are putting profits before safety.

Train doors are operated by drivers on 60 per cent of services on the GTR network and around half of ScotRail trains, according to the companies.

The Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) said a number of studies over the past 15 years into Driver Only Operation (DOO) trains have not

IN DISPUTE Safety concerns

identified any increased risk from dispatching a train without a guard being present as long as the correct procedures are followed.

A spokesman for the organisation even claimed that the removal of any possible miscommunication between a driver and a guard ‘could potentially deliver safety benefits’.

The industry’s regulator, the Office of Rail

and Road (ORR), noted that DOO has been in operation in Britain for more than 30 years and its inspectors are satisfied it is a safe method of working.

But the RMT dismissed the comments and insisted that the RSSB and ORR are not independent because they are funded by train companies and the Government respectively.

15

Protect your valuables at music festivals WITH more than 135,000 people expected to descend on Glastonbury this week, festival goers are being reminded to look after their possessions.

Recent research found that one in ten people have had something stolen in the past and that the average value of an item stolen or lost is £122.

Mobile phones top the list of items most likely to be stolen, followed by cameras.

Tablet devices are also popular with thieves but the list also includes food, alcohol, clothing, sleeping bags and tents.

Opportunists are always on the lookout with 46 per cent of items disappearing from tents, 31 per cent from pockets and 30 per cent from rucksacks.

It’s not always thieves that spoil the fun though, as 23 per cent of people said they had lost their own valuables including house or car keys.

Alan Gairns, Product Manager (Motor and Home) of Allianz Insurance, which carried out the research, said: “Seeing your favourite musicians perform live is a great experience but the memory will be spoiled if you have something stolen or you lose something valuable.

“You can take simple steps to help reduce the likelihood, the most important of which you can put in place before you leave. Look at what you’ve packed and ask yourself if you really need it. Unnecessary valuables will attract attention so consider what gadgets or accessories are actually vital for your trip.”

Wednesday 22nd June 2016

16 � BUSINESS NEWS SPORT IN BRIEF

Olympic athletes face evaluations ATHLETES from Kenya and Russia, acr0ss all sports, will only be able to compete at the Rio Olympics if they have passed an ‘individual evaluation’ to prove they have not been doping.

This unprecedented step was unanimously agreed following an emergency summit convened by the International Olympic Committee in Lausanne.

With the World Anti-Doping Agency declaring that both Kenya and Russia had been ‘non-compliant’ with its rules, IOC president Thomas Bach said athletes from those countries could no longer be ‘presumed innocent’.

Dibaba coach arrested SOMALIAN Jama Aden, coach of the reigning female athlete of the year Genzebe Dibaba, has been arrested as part of a joint antidoping operation by Catalan police, world athletics’ governing body and the Spanish anti-doping agency.

Aden and a Moroccan physiotherapist were arrested at a hotel 20 miles north of Barcelona after the blood-boosting drug EPO was found in the physio’s hotel room.

The raid was carried out after Dibaba arrived at Aden’s training camp.

Deeney offer rejected WATFORD have rejected a £25million bid for their captain Troy Deeney from Leicester.

The Premier League champions have held a long-time interest in Deeney, who turns 28 next week, and say he is not a replacement for Jamie Vardy who has been the subject of transfer speculation.

Leicester will sign defender Luis Hernandez on a free transfer from Sporting Gijon.

Wood waves goodbye GLOUCESTER’S record-breaking prop Nick Wood has left the Aviva Premiership rugby club after 15 years. Former England Saxons forward Wood, aged 33, made a club record 278 first team appearances and was the first Gloucester player to feature on 200 occasions in the Premiership.

Wednesday 22nd June 2016

Uncertainty fears see investors turn to gold THE ROYAL Mint has seen demand for gold rocket in the run-up to the EU referendum as investors seek sanctuary in the safe haven metal amid increased volatility in stock and currency markets ahead of the vote.

Gold transactions on the Mint’s trading platform have soared 32 per cent in the month to date, with revenue seeing a 150 per cent boost as a result.

Director of Bullion at The Royal Mint, Chris Howard, said: “As we head towards the European referendum vote this week, our royalmintbullion.com trading platform has seen a significant upsurge in traffic – with a 32 per cent increase in transactions compared to the same period the previous month.”

Mr Howard added that its Sovereign and Britannia bullion coins, and Signature Gold bars, have been snapped up by investors in increasing numbers since the beginning of the year.

Last month, figures from the World Gold Council also showed that demand for the precious metal spiked by a record 21 per cent in the first three months of the year, driven by Brexit fears and the growing use of negative interest rates.

GOLD FEVER Safe haven The council’s report said that investors in Europe have been ‘plagued’ by lingering Brexit fears, driving demand across the continent.

Stock markets and the pound have seen wild fluctuations over the past week, driven down and then up again by a series of opinion polls – first showing voters favouring Brexit and most recently Remain.

Mr Howard added that more turbulence could be on the way. He said: “While we are uncertain at this stage on what impact the results of both the European referendum vote and the US elections will have on the gold market, we have ensured that, with The Royal Mint’s trading platform and our significant gold holding, we are prepared for possible market turbulence.”

BUSINESS NEWS IN BRIEF

Coffee sales recover

Support for farmers

Overseas boost

PREMIER Inn owner Whitbread has seen sales at Costa Coffee enjoy a ‘good start’ to its financial year with the coffee chain posting a 2.6 per cent rise in like-for-like sales for the 13 weeks to June 2, marking a recovery after sales were hit in the previous quarter.

It said that Premier Inn like-for-like sales lifted by 2.1 per cent in a ‘weaker than expected’ hotel market, while comparable sales edged 0.2 per cent higher across its restaurant brands Beefeater, Brewers Fayre, Table and Taybarns.

Like-for-like sales across the Whitbread group rose 1.8 per cent, while total sales were 8 per cent higher.

LIDL has signed up to a national ‘fruit and veg pledge’ to support British farmers.

The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) drew up the pledge to protect fruit and vegetable growers and improve relations between producers and retailers.

The chain has also committed itself to treating all suppliers fairly, offering greater price certainty to growers, paying them on time and reducing waste.

Lidl, who along with Aldi is only the second supermarket to sign up to the pledge, says it will increase the proportion of British fruit and vegetables available for consumers when they are in season.

FASHION brand Joules has posted a 12.7 per cent rise in annual revenues to £131.3million as the newly listed retailer benefited from a sharp rise in international sales.

Overseas turnover increased 24.7 per cent to £13.2million, now representing over 10 per cent of overall group sales. Joules has a strong presence in Germany and North America.

Retail sales rose 11 per cent to £93.7million and wholesale revenue was up 17.6 per cent to £37.2million.

Tom Joule founded the fashion retailer in 1989 and today it operates 98 stores in the UK and Ireland. The company floated on London’s junior market in May.

WORLD NEWS �

NEWS IN BRIEF

David Bowie’s hair goes under hammer A LOCK of David Bowie’s hair is expected to fetch more than $4,000 (£2,720) when it is put up for auction in Beverly Hills, California this weekend.

Heritage Auctions said the lock comes from a former employee at Madame Tussauds Wax Museum in London.

She snipped some of Bowie’s hair in the 1980’s to create a wig for a wax figure of the singer and kept it as a souvenir. The rock superstar died in January aged 69 after a battle with liver cancer.

Bye, bye Mrs McLean AMERICAN Pie singer and songwriter Don McLean and his wife have finalised their divorce, agreeing to a $10million (£6.8million) settlement.

McLean’s wife Patrisha, an author and photographer, filed for divorce citing ‘adultery, cruel and abusive treatment, and irreconcilable differences’ in legal papers.

The couple had been married for about 30 years. They have two adult children.

McLean, who lives in the coastal town of Camden, was arrested in January on charges including domestic violence assault. He has pleaded not guilty.

Brussels security alert A MAN has been arrested in Belgium after a pre-dawn security alert closed the City 2 shopping centre in Brussels yesterday.

The security operation was launched after a man had called police threatening to blow himself up outside the mall. Brussels prosecutors confirmed a man had been taken into custody, but that no explosives were found.

17

Gun control stalemate despite mass shooting A DIVIDED US Senate has blocked gun control measures, eight days after Orlando’s mass shooting intensified pressure on senators to act.

Senators rejected one proposal from each side to keep extremists from acquiring guns, and a second aimed at shoring up the US government’s system of required background checks for many firearms purchases. Each measure fell short of the 60 votes required to progress.

‘No-one wants terrorists to be able to buy guns’ The chamber’s visitors’ galleries were unusually crowded and included relatives of victims of past mass shootings, some of whom wore orange T-shirts saying ‘ENOUGH gun violence’. Democrats called the Republican proposals unacceptably weak, while Republicans said the Democratic plans were too restrictive.

The stalemate underscored the pressure on each party to stand firm on the emotional gun issue going into November’s presidential and congressional elections.

It also highlighted the potency of the National Rifle Association (NRA), which urged its huge and fiercely loyal membership to lobby senators to oppose the Democratic Bills.

“Republicans say, ‘Hey look, we tried,’” said Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid. “And all the time their cheerleaders, the bosses at the NRA, are cheering them.”

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said

the Orlando shootings – in which the FBI says the American-born gunman swore allegiance to an Islamic State group leader – show that the best way to prevent extremists’ attacks here is to defeat them overseas.

“No-one wants terrorists to be able to buy guns,” Mr McConnell said.

The 49 victims who died in Omar Mateen’s June 12 rampage at a gay nightclub made it the worst mass shooting in recent US history, topping a string of such incidents in recent years.

The FBI said Mateen – a focus of two terror investigations that were dropped – described himself as an Islamic soldier in a 911 call during the shootings. This allowed gun control advocates to add national security and the spectre of terrorism to their arguments for firearms curbs.

After the votes, presumptive Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton issued a one-word statement, ‘Enough’, followed by the names and ages of Orlando’s victims.

On Fox News Channel’s The O’Reilly Factor, Donald Trump said he ‘absolutely’ agrees that people on the government’s terror watch list should be barred from owning guns.

The presumptive Republican presidential nominee did not say if he supported the Republican or Democratic versions of the rejected bills.

Only a handful of politicians changed positions from votes cast last December on similar proposals, highlighting each party’s enduring stances on guns. There is little sign that the House’s Republican leaders will allow more votes.

Forest fire fatality A SECOND firefighter has died tackling a huge forest blaze raging out of control for a third day in the mountains south-west of Cyprus’s capital, Nicosia. Authorities confirmed the death of firefighter Marios Aristotelous a day after another colleague died. Both were killed when their trucks overturned in separate accidents.

Wednesday 22nd June 2016

18 � LETTERS

And another thing…

The Times of Tunbridge Wells and the Times of Tonbridge always want to hear your feedback, whether on reports we have printed or any other issues you think we should know about. Email us at newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk or write to the Editor at 16 Lonsdale Gardens, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 1NU

RELAXING Outside enjoyment spoilt

Smoking: Sitting outside cafés and restaurants is ruined AM I the only person who loves going to one of our multitude of

cafés in Tunbridge Wells and sitting outside to then have to sit with all around me smoking their disgusting fags?

Why should we have to accept

EU debate: Conflict continues

Peter Bayliss (June 1) claims that I said “Europe has only been preventing wars since 1993”. I said no such thing because the EU hasn’t succeeded in preventing any conflict in Europe at any time: not the Balkans; not Georgia; not the Ukraine. Baylis gives us a history lesson in the foundation of the EU detailing its beginnings in the Iron & Coal Community and then its various mutations as a trading partnership, but that’s not a military union capable of intervention, that’s a trading bloc.

An EU military force remains a dream of the French and a very dangerous one because if France succeeds in this – for all the wrong reasons, but mainly political – NATO will die.

Mr Bayliss then goes on to second-guess my thinking post Brexit and believes that our fellow Europeans will stand by idly if we are attacked, but we are and will remain members of NATO, the guardians of European peace post WWII. Pas de point, Monsieur Bayliss.

John Ward Moorhouse Tunbridge Wells

EU debate: Grasp of history

The military knowledge of your correspondent Pater Bayliss (June 1) is clearly as shaky as his grasp of history. Why on earth should he think that, in the unlikely event of the UK being attacked, we would be ‘beaten up’ without the dubious aid of other EU member states? We are the fifth largest military power in the world and one of only two western European nations to possess nuclear weapons. Any country attacking us would receive a very bloody nose, particularly as the UK leaving the EU would not affect the commitments NATO members have to defend each other.

Colin Bullen Via email

breathing in their cancerous fumes whilst trying to enjoy a coffee, snack or lunch.

In the US it’s illegal to smoke within 20 feet of someone else.

Why can’t we have that law here? It’s the same when you go to a pub and have to walk through a tunnel of smokers at the entrance. Why are we so daft to think this is OK? Why are the owners of these establishments blind to the problem? It’s not OK. Are there any cafés, restaurants and pubs that ban smokers from indulging in their unpleasant habit where it can effect others around them?

Kip Ims Via email

EU debate: End a delusion

I am writing to try to do what I can to put an end to a delusion about a leave vote. There seems to be a view among some that we can define other countries’ interests for them, despite what they say.

Some seem to believe that if the UK left the EU, it would become more like us and Europe would jolt to the right.

It is akin to the idea that Scotland voting to leave the UK would result in the English wanting higher taxes.

It sees the EU as a monolith, not a complex network of nations and institutions whose national interests will endure. Those who “vote leave, to stay in” are playing fast and loose on a delusion.

Gavin Barrass Rusthall

Volunteers: Charity needs help

On behalf of Marie Curie in Tunbridge Wells I am grateful for the fundraising efforts of your readers which enable the Marie Curie nursing services to help more people living with a terminal illness, and their families.

I want to ask if your readers will consider supporting Marie Curie by volunteering as part of the new Tunbridge Wells Fundraising Group.

Being part of a fundraising group can help you learn new skills, share your experience and meet other people living or working in Tunbridge Wells. It is a lot easier to fundraise within a group as you will always have the support of your fellow members and it is certainly more fun! There is no set time commitment, each group is different but on average they meet once a month for an hour or two. This year, the people of Tunbridge Wells have raised over £4,889 from collections in the centre of town, local garden centres and from boxes of daffodil pins in shops. If you are interested you can email Georgia.paton@mariecurie.org.uk Georgia Paton Marie Curie Via email

EU debate: Funded programmes

Following continued pressure from farmers, universities and regional development organisations, Vote Leave half-heartedly announced that they would continue allocating money to EU-funded programmes in the UK until 2020.

Leaving aside the fact that any ‘savings’ would be wiped out by the self-inflicted recession caused by leaving the single market, when it comes to farming, our universities and rural communities Brexiteers have proven they are in the dark.

For a start, the vast majority of the most prominent Brexiteers have spent many years calling for subsidy-free farming in Britain, a policy that experts believe could wipe out all but 10 per cent of UK farms in the medium term.

When it comes to the billions we receive in university funding, there is a lack of understanding of how research grants are allocated. The UK does not get a set amount per year, rather our scientists apply directly to the EU for money. After Brexit, our R&D depends entirely on whether Boris and friends deem a project worthy.

Lastly, with regards to the billions of regional development funding allocated by the EU, this government’s record is suitable enough evidence to show that they would simply not be interested in financing public services and projects.

The only way to guarantee our farmers, universities, cities and rural communities continue receiving funding is to vote Remain.

Dr Alan Bullion Tunbridge Wells

Junior doctors: More exchanges

How lovely of Hugh [Masters] to respond [June 8] to my letter [May 18] and to mention my acupuncture practice! I’m not sure how acupuncture relates to the argument in question but I am sure Hugh’s logic is infallible.

I’m sorry to hear about Hugh’s aneurysm. I’m sure he’s grateful that in the current NHS not only is this condition screened for (in one of the most fantastically successful screening programs of all) but that the operation itself, unlike the US system favoured by [Jeremy] Hunt, won’t bankrupt Hugh or his family. In fact it will be free, performed by some of the best trained doctors in the world and delivered with a smile... possibly.

Hugh thinks this was all about money? Bravo!

He’s a smart cookie!. Last time I checked the reason everyone staggers into work in the morning (or at 10pm or 4am – although hopefully less of the staggering with docs) was for the money. If Jeremy Hunt really believed in ‘we’re all in it together’ he could have acted like a leader and voted himself a 20 per cent pay cut too, rather than the 10 per cent rise he got last year.

Dr Dan Keown (Ex-junior doctor and acupuncturist) Via email

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.

Wednesday 22nd June 2016

Calverley MEDIA releases galore arrive at the office on a daily basis and we are always grateful to those who send them. One in particular caught Calverley’s eye the other day. It came from the marketing and public relations department of a well-known national chain.

The headline stated: “Tunbridge Wells funeral director digs deep for charity.” Being a sensitive soul (oh yes he is) Calverley will never reveal the identity of the sender, who is known to be so co-operative with people.

TO that fun-filled attraction Center Parcs in Elveden Forest, Suffolk, for a bit of family bonding.

Exiting the tropical paradise that is the inside pool the notice pictured here catches the eye. Ever curious, Calverley watches the spot until moved on by security.

Even so, the imagination boggles.

CALVERLEY is known to sip the odd glass of port or two at his favourite local hostelry.

Last week he sat on a bar stool next to Mr Gregory. The fellow regular had clearly been in place for some time. Lifting another pint of Spitfire to his lips, Mr Gregory leans backwards and promptly falls flat on his back onto the floor. The poor chap had completely forgotten that the old style bar stools had been switched to modern new ones with no back rest. Happily next day Mr Gregory remembered not a thing.

MUCH rejoicing among my colleagues in the news room last week – they actually got something right. Well, hold the front page. Several weeks ago they came up with a splash about the discount chain The Range coming to town. Problem was next day the company issued a statement denying the whole thing. Much gloom ensued. How could a reporter get something wrong? They didn’t. Last week The Range issued another statement telling the world they are opening in Tunbridge Wells. Pass that media award!

MEANWHILE, whispers reach Calverley that the head honchos of a national chain of pub/restaurants are thinking about pulling the plug on their local operation, so bad are the books. And we’re not talking about ’Spoons.

Chin, chin readers

Education in association with:

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EDUCATION ■

19

EDUCATION Times WITH THE

New state of the art school closer to completion

Star of the silver screen

BEST IN SHOW Bennet Music Academy students are heading to Austria

SIXTEEN year old St Gregory’s Sixth Former Connor Rowland, has won ‘Best Story’ in a film and animation competition run by Elstree Film Design for his short film animation entitled House War. The competition, which is open to young people aged up to 25 from the South East, asks entrants to develop, shoot and edit an original 90-second film or animation from scratch on a specific them. This year’s was A Sense of Humour.

Connor’s winning animation also made it to the final of other categories including Best Idea, Best Sound and Best Design and was premiered at an awards ceremony on June 2 at the British Film Institute in London.

THE new Skinners’ Kent Primary school at the Knights Wood development in Tunbridge Wells is nearing completion with a handover from the construction company Baxall to Kent County Council taking place on July 1.

On Monday Baxall hosted a special tour of the new school for the Skinners’ Governors and staff members along with representatives from Kent County Council.

‘The very nature of this off-site design means that production and assembly were rigidly controlled’ Some of the pupils who will be starting there in September have also been invited for a look around their new classrooms and to try out the sport facilities over the next couple of weeks.

According to a spokesperson for Baxall, the Skinners’ Kent Primary school is ‘a particularly innovative and sustainable example’ for the town thanks to the fact it has delivered on its cost, scheduling, and sustainability goals.

The construction of the two-storey state of the art teaching facility involved an offsite ‘fabricated approach’ as opposed to a traditional on site build. The thinking behind this was to achieve a high quality building within budget with the minimum impact of the construction process on the local environment and Tunbridge Wells community.

“The very nature of this off-site design means that production and assembly were rigidly controlled,” said Baxall’s spokesperson.

“This, coupled with further sustainable design features such as photovoltaic solar panels, has created an energy efficient building which will generate whole life cost savings for the school.”

Competition win is music to Bennett Memorial pupils’ ears THE Bennett Music Academy is currently preparing for an exciting tour of Austria, following an outstanding success in a national music competition.

On Sunday March 13 students belonging to the Bennett Brandenburg Sinfonia made their way to Pamoja Concert Hall, at Sevenoaks School, to perform in the finals of the National Pro Corda Music Competition.

Competing against them were music ensembles from Eton, Uppingham, Charterhouse, Brighton College, Sevenoaks School and Perse. Bennett Memorial was the only state secondary school to go through to the final of this prestigious competition.

Two pieces were performed - a version of Eleanor Rigby by The Beatles and then a selection of songs from West Side Story by Bernstein. In the final

moments of their performance the audience broke into huge applause for the young musicians.

After some deliberation by the judges, the Bennett Music Academy were pronounced to be the winners. Paul Showell, Director of Music at Bennett, said, “It was a truly magnificent achievement by such brilliant musicians. Well done to them all.”

The Brandenburg Sinfonia will be joining with other music students from the Bennett Music Academy to undertake a tour of Austria in the last week of the summer term. Together with the Bennett Chamber Choir, they will be performing a series of open air concerts in Salzburg and Zell Am See, as well as enjoying visits to historical and cultural sites such as Mozart’s Residence, the Hohensalzburg Fortress and the Salt Mines at Berchtesgaden.

Life-saving skills PRIMARY schools across the town took part in an hour long interactive lesson all about first aid on Friday June 17. Hosted by celebrity medic Dr Ranj, who presents on CBeebies, the free, interactive programme was streamed directly to classrooms via the internet.

The event was supported by St John’s Ambulance.

Ahead of the game A BRILLIANT memory has won Mead student Alfie Phillipson a top prize at the final of the National Junior Memory Championships. Alfie came second at the competition which was held on Sunday June 12 at ZSL London Zoo. Alfie, aged 11, was one of 20 finalists who were selected from a group of around 30,000 children around the UK. The Junior Memory Championship is an educational project from The Learning Skills Foundation, promoting memory techniques and learning strategies.

Wednesday 22nd June 2016

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THE PANTILES NEWS 

21

IN ASSOCIATION WITH: Targetfollow Group Ltd and The Pantiles Traders Association

PANTILESNews

The

Future looks bright for the historic promenade

Events on The Pantiles

If you want to find out if there’s a food market happening this weekend or when the next vintage fashion fair is taking place in Tunbridge Wells’ popular Pantiles area then all that essential information is now just a few clicks away

I

T MAY date back to the 17th century but Tunbridge Wells’ beloved Pantiles area has set its sights firmly on the 21st century thanks to the recent launch of its new, stateof-the-art website.

ThePantiles.com has been designed to provide the ultimate user-friendly experience and encourages its visitors to explore and discover everything The Pantiles has to offer.

Features of the site include a store directory to aid guests in their exploration as well as news and blog pages to keep people up to date with the latest Pantiles events. There’s also a ‘What’s On’ section which means people won’t miss a moment of the wide range of fantastic events that are lined up in the town’s famous promenade.

There is also a history section where visitors can learn all about The Pantiles’ fascinating past. This includes a free, downloadable copy of a specially commissioned book on the history of The Pantiles, entitled ‘A small corner of England; a huge chunk of history’.

As anyone who has been there will know, The Pantiles is not only a fabulous place to hang out or go shopping, it also has a strong,

vibrant community. And some of the features of the new website have been designed to build upon that community.

Each business at The Pantiles has its own page, accessed via the store directory, where they display information about themselves as well as their opening times, contact details and special offers. There’s also a section for advertising any job vacancies that may arise.

The new site will run alongside The Pantiles’ social media feeds on Facebook and Twitter.

Corin Thoday of Targetfollow, owners and managers of The Upper Pantiles, said: “We are delighted to be launching ThePantiles.com.

We have been thrilled to see such a massive response to our Pantiles Facebook and Twitter campaigns. Naturally, the next step was to launch the website.

“Our aim was to create an online hub for everything Pantiles-orientated, where visitors could learn a little bit more about the venue and its traders, get the latest news and maybe pick up a few exclusive offers too. We have further exciting things planned for The Pantiles. This is just the beginning.”

THERE are always plenty of interesting markets and specialist fairs happening on the famous promenade in Tunbridge Wells. Here’s a round-up of what’s coming up over the next few months…

WEEKEND MARKETS The usual Pantiles Market continues on the first and third weekend of the month. Shoppers will be treated to an array of locally produced food and drink and inspiring interior finds for the home.

JAZZ ON THE PANTILES This hugely popular event has been running since the beginning of May and will continue every Thursday night until the end of the summer. So sit back, relax and listen to lots of great music while feasting on fabulous food.

A GOOD VINTAGE On Friday June 24 from 6.30 to 9.30pm The Secret Cellar is hosting its annual celebration of wines in The Pantiles’ Corn Exchange. So if you’re a wine buff then this is definitely the place to start your weekend as it boasts over 120 specialist wines, champagnes and spirits to sip and savour.

The shop’s staff and their suppliers will be on hand to talk visitors through the products on show.

ART ON THE PANTILES On July 9 and 10 SEEART Gallery will be hosting an art fair showcasing some of its favourite painters, sculptors and ceramists. So if you’re looking for that special something to enhance your home make a date in your diary for this event.

ONE OF A KIND The Vintage Fair rolls into town on the final weekend of July (30 and 31) so if you love quirky, unique and antique items then this is the perfect place to spend a morning or afternoon browsing the gorgeous goods on display.

Wednesday 22nd June 2016

22  THE PANTILES NEWS

A piece of ‘We offer an opportunity to drink exceptionally good beers’ PANTILES history The Pantiles Tap is situated in the Grade II listed beer cellar of one of Tunbridge Wells’ oldest buildings, the former Gloster Tavern, in the Lower Walk. Geoff Wentworth is the proudly independent proprietor – and a man on a mission to bring the best beers to Tunbridge Wells WHAT ARE YOUR MOST POPULAR LINES? The more cider we get in, the more we sell, and we do sell an incredible amount of it. It’s an expanding market. Thistly Cross, a whisky-cask cider from Scotland, is popular. We only sell one lager, Curious Brew, which comes from Chapel Down in Tenterden, and that’s very good and sells well. And the Gun Brewery beers from Gun Hill are popular too.

Water, water everywhere…

In an occasional series the Times looks at the fascinating history of The Pantiles. In this issue we focus on the heritage of the Chalybeate Spring.

HOW DO YOU CHOOSE YOUR BEERS? We never buy them in without knowing a lot about them. Normally we like to try them ourselves. Myself and Jo, who is also my business partner, went to Italy to check out the breweries there in May. We also visit many of the conventions and festivals, like the Independent Manchester Beer one and Craft Beer Rising in London.

YOU OPENED IN THE PANTILES IN NOVEMBER 2014. HAD YOU RUN PUBS BEFORE? Yes, I’ve been running them all over the country for 40 years, in Scotland, the North-East, the Midlands and the South. I’m originally from Darlington but my wife Jo and I have been in the south since 1986. This is the first pub I’ve owned, though.

WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF RUNNING YOUR OWN BUSINESS? It enables you to buy beer from wherever you want, you know how much money you have to spend, and you’re not feeding a faceless head office.

Wednesday 22nd June 2016

HOW IS THE BUSINESS DEVELOPING? We’re increasingly buying better beers. We have six keg beers from places like the US, Italy, New Zealand, and six cask beers which are generally more local.

One of them is very interesting, Rother Valley’s Keyworth. It’s made using an old hop, Keyworth’s Early, which was lost because it wasn’t very productive. In the past they didn’t want to use hops that were too intense either. But that’s changed now and this one is incredibly flavoursome. And we only sell two ciders but we won the Campaign for Real Ale’s West Kent Cider Pub of the Year award.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO SET UP IN THE PANTILES? We looked at various towns in the South-East.

Tunbridge Wells is close enough to London to import craft beers easily, because it’s an expensive business. And the public here, who work in London, have experience of drinking craft beers. It’s an affluent town, and the council is encouraging The Pantiles to be a destination to eat and drink.

ARE YOUR STAFF LOCAL? Yes, two of them are actually from The Pantiles.

WHAT SETS YOU APART FROM OTHER PUBS IN TUNBRIDGE WELLS? We offer an opportunity to drink exceptionally good beers. We’re not a restaurant, we don’t do any hot food. Basically we are a proper pub.

It’s going back to what pubs used to be like.

You could say it’s a hybrid.

THE PANTILES are Tunbridge Wells’ most enduring landmark, a major tourist attraction – and a haven for local business. This is entirely appropriate because the area is literally the source of Tunbridge Wells’ existence. Since the earliest times, it has been a flourishing area for commerce. The reason? A simple hole in the ground…

The town’s Chalybeate Spring was discovered on the site in 1606 when Dudley, Third Baron North was returning to London after convalescing at the Abergavenny Estate in Eridge.

En route he saw a reddish liquid seeping out of the ground and decided to have a drink of it. The distinctive flavour reminded him of the Chalybeate water he had discovered at a spa in Europe.

The name Chalybeate means rich in iron, which characterises the taste and colour of the water.

THE PANTILES NEWS 

Not immediately marketable, you might think.

However, noting its reviving properties, Dudley collected samples of it to bring to London and soon enough many doctors were in agreement.

They hurried back to investigate the properties of the water properly and two years later Lord Abergavenny sunk the first well.

“Taking the waters”, according to Dudley’s physician, was a cure for “the colic, the melancholy, and the vapours; it made the lean fat, the fat lean; it killed flat worms in the belly, loosened the clammy humours of the body, and dried the over-moist brain”.

Dr Rowzee of Ashford recommended drinking 10 pints a day – followed by a stroll.

Word soon spread about the restorative powers of the Chalybeate spring and many others started to flock to it. The small settlement that grew up developed into the town we know as Tunbridge Wells.

Dudley lived to the impressive age of 85 – quite a feat in those days where the average person survived no longer than 40 years.

The lady from the cottage next to the waters, Mrs Humphreys, became known as the first “dipper” – a title she held until her death.

The dipping tradition is still kept to this day by generations of “dippers”, although not all of them have lived to the ripe old age of 102 like Mrs Humphreys.

The Chalybeate Spring is situated in the heart of The Pantiles and open from April until September from 10am to 3pm on Wednesdays to Sundays and also on Bank Holidays.

23

A reputation for quality Alan Wood, co-owner of the multiple award-winning Trevor Mottram cookware shop, looks back on 40 years of life in The Pantiles TELL US THE BACKGROUND OF TREVOR MOTTRAM Trevor Mottram himself opened the shop on December 7 1975. He’d previously owned Ellis Brothers in Rye, which was a hardware store and ironmonger that he converted into a cook shop. He then moved to Tunbridge Wells and opened Trevor Mottram, which was in the front half of the cook shop at number 37 in The Pantiles.

took on what had been an antique shop at numbers 33 to 35, so doubled the size of the cook shop.

My wife is Trevor’s niece, so when we moved to East Sussex in 1996, we agreed to buy the shop from him within a year. We bought the shop at the beginning of April 2000, and then expanded into numbers 39 to 41 in the summer of 2002.

WHEN DID YOU GET INVOLVED? In 1993, the building went through considerable refurbishment and Trevor

WHAT APPEALED TO YOU ABOUT WORKING IN THE PANTILES? It was fairly unique and recognised as high-

quality and independent. There was everything here that you could want, so it became almost a one-point destination shopping area.

IN WHAT WAYS HAS THE SHOP DEVELOPED SINCE YOU TOOK OVER? We’ve got a reputation for the amount of stock, brands and selections we carry, and people come from across the country to visit the shop. We routinely get our staff refreshed in their training so that they’re aware of the product quality and can give superb advice to the customer. That’s part of the reputation we’ve continued to develop, which is second to none.

TALK US THROUGH SOME OF YOUR BESTSELLING ITEMS We continue to sell SCANPAN ranges of cookware fairly well. We’re always selling kitchen knives and have one of the best ranges in the country, plus we’ve brought in a selection of tablemats last year by two British manufacturers, which seem to fly out of the door.

HOW DID YOU MARK YOUR 40TH ANNIVERSARY LAST YEAR? We’re quite proud to have been part of it for a considerable period of the 40 years, and it’s good that it’s still going strong. We celebrated with our customers by creating an offer every week for 40 weeks, with 40 per cent off our range of stock, so shoppers could benefit as well. We’re looking forward to being here for a bit longer.

WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO TAKE THINGS GOING FORWARD? We’re beginning to see a bit of an improvement coming out of the recession, and we hope that continues. We’ll keep developing the shop, changing and improving the offering as much as we can, and will continue to strive to provide what we can for our customer base.

Wednesday 22nd June 2016

www.lifestyleford.co.uk

Tunbridge Wells 01892739131

Tonbridge 01732 758 726

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The mpg figures quoted are sourced from official EU-regulated test results, are provided for comparability purposes and may not reflect your actual driving experience. Based on limited stock vehicles only and must be ordered and registered between 01.04.16 and 30.06.16. *Finance example shown available over a finance period of 49 months with £2,000.00 customer deposit.

Amount of credit £26,825.00. Charge for credit £2,163.88. Finance Facility fee £10. Purchase Fee £10. Total amount payable £31,008.88. Optional final payment £10,518.00. 2.9% APR, 6,000 miles per annum, excess mileage charged at Bp per mile. When financed with Ford Credit. Finance subject to status. Other charges for metallic paint and extra factory options. Must be over 18 and a full UK resident. Guarantees/indemnities may be required. Freepost Ford Credit. Prices correct at time of going to print and are subject to change without notice. Subject to availability at Lifestyle Ford. Lifestyle Ford reserves the right to amend or withdraw offers at any time and without notice. Lifestyle Ford Head Office 3 Mount Ephraim, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN4 BAG. Images for illustration purposes only, metallic paint available at an extra cost.

WEST KENT’S ULTIMATE PROPERTY GUIDE – FREE EVERY WEDNESDAY A MUST READ FOR THOSE LOOKING TO BUY, LET OR SELL

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Wednesday 22nd June 2016

 PROPERTY SECTION

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

In my view…

Richard Smith Associate, Strutt and Parker Sevenoaks

Whether you have decided to vote in or out, or still can’t make your mind up, the result will be the result. In less than 48 hours we will know the outcome of this once in a lifetime vote.

Your at-a-glance guide to CHINE FARM PLACE KNOCKHOLT

£595,000

Life may end up looking a little different for us Brits, especially with the possibility of an uncertain future if we are to leave the EU. However, Planet Earth will continue to spin and life will go on!

The housing market has reacted in its usual way to any possible uncertainty and in the past few days, come to what can only be described as a grinding halt. Great houses have come to the market and sadly excited very few willing buyers. Life seems to be hold for many, at least just for a few more days.

However, the market will pick itself back up whether we are ‘in or out’.

We are lucky enough to live in a convenient, beautiful, safe area of Great Britain; a place many people from other parts of the world could only dream of living in.

Before long the market will be back to surprising us all; families will expand and look for larger homes, the newly retired will look to downsize and first time buyers will struggle to get on the first rung of the ladder: this is the way it has always been. With transaction levels at such a low level and an ever increasing demand for housing, the local property market will ignite once more.

More than ever before, the enthusiasm, experience and well researched strategy of your chosen agent will achieve the best result no matter what the future holds.

For more information, contact sevenoaks@struttandparker.com or 01732 807801

UNDER £250,000 HORIZON CLOSE SOUTHBOROUGH

£249,950 newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk

DO YOU HAVE A STORY? Wednesday 22nd June 2016

This modern ‘back to back’-style house is situated in the small town of Southborough, and lies just over half a mile from a mainline station.

The accommodation comprises an entrance hall, an open-plan

lounge/dining room with underfloor heating, a modern fitted kitchen, two bedrooms and an upstairs bathroom. The property benefits from double glazing and a parking space. Storage heaters provide the heating.

CONTACT KMJ Property 01892 515188 www.kmjproperty.co.uk

UNDER £350,000 OLIVERS COURT, HORSMONDEN

£280,000

A unique link-detached house with the benefits of a maisonette but without neighbours above, below or at the sides. The ground floor has an entrance hall, single integral garage, double doors to a suntrap garden and stairs up to the rest of

the accommodation. This includes an open-plan living room/kitchen/ dining room with vaulted ceiling and Juliet balcony, two bedrooms (one en-suite) and a bathroom.

The rear garden is decked with a flagstone patio and flowerbeds.

CONTACT Barnes Kingsnorth Pembury 01892 822880 www.bkestateagents.com

PROPERTY SECTION 

great properties by price range…

UNDER £450,000 FARM LANE, TONBRIDGE

£425,000

This three-storey, mid-terrace townhouse lies on the Tonbridge/Hildenborough borders. On the ground floor is a hall, study/bedroom, utility room, cloakroom and kitchen/dining room. The first floor has a large sitting room, two bedrooms and a bathroom, while the top floor has two more bedrooms, one en-suite. Plus there is off-road parking and a garden.

CONTACT Barnes Kingsnorth Tonbridge 01732 771616 www.bkestateagents.com

UNDER £800,000 ST MARY’S ROAD, TONBRIDGE

£775,000

This is an attractive, bay-fronted detached family home originating from the Victorian era with later additions in the 1990’s. The well-proportioned accommodation includes an entrance hall, sitting room with log burner, dining room, kitchen/breakfast/family room, utility room and cloakroom on the ground floor. Upstairs there are five bedrooms, a bathroom and a separate shower room. To the front is off-road parking, with an integral garage. There are good-sized, attractive gardens.

CONTACT Barnes Kingsnorth Tonbridge 01732 771616 www.bkestateagents.com

UNDER £1MILLION CHIPSTEAD PARK CLOSE, SEVENOAKS

UNDER £600,000

£945,000

CHINE FARM PLACE KNOCKHOLT

£595,000 Set within a former silk mill in the sought-after village of Knockholt, this duplex apartment provides a blend of character along with contemporary interior specification and décor.

Chine Farm Place offers great communal living in a peaceful setting. The accommodation comprises an entrance hall,

cloakroom, open-plan sitting/ dining room/kitchen and bedroom with en-suite. Upstairs is a further en-suite bedroom as well as a study/bedroom. There is also the benefit of private parking and communal gardens.

CONTACT Knight Frank Sevenoaks 01732 809379 www.knightfrank.co.uk

Built on a generous plot, this beautifully presented bungalow has been updated to create a striking contemporary home with a high specification. There is an entrance hall, sitting room, playroom, impressive kitchen/breakfast/family room and utility room, along with four bedrooms (one en-suite) and a family bathroom. There is plenty of parking and a garage, and a private courtyard garden to the front, with a large lawned garden to the rear.

CONTACT Knight Frank Sevenoaks 01732 808998 www.knightfrank.co.uk

Wednesday 22nd June 2016

. . Knight . . Frank

. . Knight . . Frank

•• K • • Franl

� PROPERTY SECTION

Unique design surrounded by delightful gardens

WOODSIDE PENSHURST ROAD, PENSHURST

£2,350,000 Wednesday 22nd June 2016

PROPERTY SECTION 

W

OODSIDE is a stylish and spacious family home set in wonderful landscaped gardens.

The property is situated in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty on the edge of the picturesque village of Penshurst.

Designed, built and finished to a high specification by Durtnells for the current vendors, special features include bespoke kitchen units, contemporary bathroom suites, an audio system, exposed oak ceiling timbers, oak frame windows and some exposed brickwork.

A huge roof extends to provide covered terraces and verandas to connect the living spaces directly with the landscape.

The generous accommodation comprises an entrance hall, with a cloakroom. The hall leads into a magnificent drawing room with an orangery, a dining room, a superbly fitted kitchen/breakfast room and a utility room.

A door from the entrance hall also leads into a wing containing four ground floor bedrooms, two bathrooms, a study and a sitting room/kitchen.

With a separate entrance, part of this could form an au-pair’s flat.

Stairs lead to a lower ground floor with games room and changing room, a shower, a cloakroom and a boiler room. Plus an entrance to the garden.

The first floor has an outstanding master suite with a large bedroom, fitted dressing room and excellent en-suite bathroom. There is also a vast boarded attic space.

The delightful landscaped gardens provide an attractive backdrop to the house and are subtly designed to enhance the surroundings, maximising the panoramic views.

Externally there is a swimming pool, tennis court, private parking, an open garage and just over four acres of land.

AT A GLANCE ■ Excellent detached family house ■ Stunning semi-rural setting near popluar village ■ Individual design ■ Character features ■ Flexible accommodation ■ Entrance hall ■ Cloakroom ■ Drawing room ■ Orangery ■ Dining room ■ Kitchen/breakfast room ■ Utility room ■ Ground floor bedroom wing with three bedrooms and a study ■ Potential ancillary flat with kitchen/ sitting room and bathroom which could suit an au pair ■ First floor master suite with bedroom, dressing room and bathroom ■ Lower ground floor with games room, changing room and shower room ■ Swimming pool ■ Tennis court ■ Beautiful landscaped gardens ■ Open garage and parking ■ In all 4.2 acres

£2,350,000 For sale through Knight Frank Sevenoaks 01732 809379 www.knightfrank.co.uk

Wednesday 22nd June 2016

TUNBRIDGE WELLS,

KENT

TUNBRIDGE WELLS,

KENT

Sought after Camden Park area + 3 bedrooms + 2 bathrooms + 2 reception rooms + off-street parking + communal gardens + Council Tax=G + EPC=D

2 double bedrooms + 2 bathrooms + study area + spacious kitchen/dining room + sitting room with views + communal gardens + allocated parking + Council Tax=D + EPC=F

£2,800 pcm + £282 inc VAT tenancy paperwork fee. Other charges may apply* Contact: Louise Minifie

£1,600 pcm + £282 inc VAT tenancy paperwork fee. Other charges may apply* Contact: Louise Minifie

TUNBRIDGE WELLS,

TUNBRIDGE WELLS,

KENT

KENT

Open plan kitchen + 2 bedrooms + bathroom + entrance hall + allocated parking space + communal garden area + bicycle store + Council Tax=C + EPC=C

2 double bedrooms + bathroom + kitchen/breakfast room + sitting room + allocated parking + single garage + communal gardens + Council Tax=C + EPC=C

£1,300 pcm + £282 inc VAT tenancy paperwork fee. Other charges may apply* Contact: Louise Minifie

£1,250 pcm + £282 inc VAT tenancy paperwork fee. Other charges may apply* Contact: Louise Minifie

*£36 inc VAT for each additional tenant/o ccupant/guarantor reference where required. Inventory check o ut fee - charged at the end of o r early termination of the tenancy and the amount is dependent on the property size and whether furnished / unfurnished. For more details including example inventory fee, visit

www.savills.eo.uk/fees.

BRENCHLEY,

TUNBRIDGE WELLS ,

KENT

KENT

Newly-built detached house + Paddock Wood MLS 2.3 miles + 2 reception rooms + kitchen/dining room + 6 bedrooms + double garage + South-facing garden + driveway parking + 2,424 sq ft + EPC=B

Well-placed for schools, town and station + 2 reception rooms + study + kitchen/ breakfast room + 4 bedrooms + 2 bathrooms + double garage + driveway parking + garden + 2,218 sq ft + EPC=C

Guide £995,000 Freehold

Guide £900,000 Freehold

LANGTON GREEN ,

Contact: Liz Devall

SPELDHURST,

KENT

Contact: Becky Card

KENT

Modern family house in centre of village + Tunbridge Wells MLS 2.7 miles + sitting room + study + kitchen/ breakfast room + 5 bedrooms + double garage + garden + shared tennis court + 1,714 sq ft + EPC=D

Stylish contemporary home + popular village location + sitting room + kitchen/dining room + 4 bedrooms + 3 bathrooms + integral garage + 1,764 sq ft + about 0.25 acres + EPC=D

Guide £825,000 Freehold

Guide £775,000 Freehold

BRENCHLEY,

Contact: Becky Card

TUNBRIDGE WELLS ,

KENT

Contact: Becky Card

KENT

Sought-after village location + 2 reception rooms + conservatory + 3 bedrooms + 2 bathrooms + delightful garden and views + garage and off-street parking + 1,939 sq ft + about 0.21 acres + EPC=D

First floor apartment with views + MLS 0.6 miles + reception room + sun room + kitchen + 3 double bedrooms + 2 bath/shower rooms + 1 ,739 sq ft + EPC=D

Guide £750,000 Freehold

Guide £685,000 Share of Freehold

Contact: Becky Card

Contact: Becky Card

� PROPERTY SECTION

AT A GLANCE

‘An attractive village house with many character features’

MANOR DEN THE BROADWAY, LAMBERHURST n Grade II listed village house n Character features n Updated and improved n Entrance hall n Cloakroom n Drawing room n Sitting room/family room n Kitchen/breakfast room n Utility room n Two staircases n Master bedroom with en-suite n Two double bedrooms on first floor n Single bedroom/study n Family bathroom

A cosy Lamberhurst Den complete with inglenook

L

ISTED Grade II as a building of historical and architectural interest, Manor Den is an attractive village house with many character features, and it has been sympathetically and tastefully updated in recent years.

Along with an inglenook fireplace, exposed timbers and ceiling beams, it also now benefits from secondary double glazing throughout and modern kitchen and bathroom suites.

A side door leads to an entrance

Wednesday 22nd June 2016

hall with cupboards, wood floor and rear door to the garden. There is a drawing room with double-aspect windows to the front and side, a magnificent inglenook fireplace with wood-burning stove and door to the sitting/family room – which is also double aspect, with an inglenook fireplace.

The kitchen/breakfast room has a range of painted cream floor and wall units with wood work surfaces over. There is a Rangemaster oven

and two bay windows to the front.

The ground floor is completed by a utility room and cloakroom.

There are two staircases to the first floor, creating a great deal of flexibility.

The master bedroom features built-in wardrobes, a working fireplace and en-suite shower room.

There is a further double bedroom, a single bedroom/study and a family bathroom.

A third double bedroom on this floor, which shares access to the bathroom, has its own staircase down to the ground floor. T he accommodation is completed by an attic bedroom with en-suite shower and large eaves storage area.

To the front of the house is a drive leading to white painted gates at the side, opening to an area of further parking for several cars.

The rear garden has a large area of lawn, an attractive patio area and a further smaller patio in the far corner. There is also a good sized, useful timber shed with additional smaller shed to side.

n Attic bedroom with en-suite n Eaves storage n Drive and gated parking area n Rear garden

£885,000 For sale through Jackson-Stops & Staff Tunbridge Wells 01892 521700 www.jackson-stops.co.uk

Let's foe soctt1.l: []] facebook.com/flyingfishproperties

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FLYING properties FISH

www. flyi ngfish properties .co.u k

making a splash in the property market

Applebrook, Collier Street, Kent (With 3 Acres of Land) Charming 4-bedroom period family home with 3 acres This charming 4-bedroom house generously arranged over 3 floors with 2,243 square foot it is brimming with character. Dating back to the 1640s, the impressive inglenook fireplaces with an original bread oven gives a historical nod to its probable origin as the Old Bakery.

Four bedrooms• Two reception rooms with exposed brick inglenook fireplaces • Large double aspect kitchen/dining room • Master bedroom with oak fitted wardrobes• Double car port, garage and off street parking• Approx. 3 acres of mature gardens

Guide Price: £850,000

s FLYING properties, making a splash in the property market

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Independent Family Estate Agent 01892 514 189 I flying properties.co.uk 55 London Road. South borough. Kent. TN4 OPB

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FLYING FISH properties

Selling or letting, let us put a smile on your face

www. lambertandfoster.co.uk

(i)nTheMarkefcom

t rightmove

Property professionals for over 100 years

Matfield

Monthly rental of £2,150

Brenchley

Monthly rental of £1,695

Spacious and well presented four bedroom house • Sitting room open to study/family room • Dining Room with double doors to sitting room • Boot room • Kitchen / breakfast room • Utility room with shower cubicle & WC • Cellar • Unfurnished

Detached four bedroom house • Fitted Kitchen/Diner with integrated appliances • Cloakroom • Study • Sitting / dining room and garden room • Master bedroom with en-suite • Double bedroom with balcony • Two further double bedrooms • Unfurnished

• PADDOCK WOOD OFFICE 01892 831 606

• PADDOCK WOOD OFFICE 01892 831 606

Letting properties throughout Kent With our in-depth experience, wide geographical coverage and use of modern marketing methods, we are in an excellent position to find a suitable tenant quickly and effectively.

We offer the highest standards of professional service for landlords and tenants as follows: • Let only, Let and Rent Collect or Full Management services

• Prompt transfer of rent with monthly statements

• Accompanied viewing and thorough tenant references

• Professional and friendly service

• Regular property inspections • Specialist rental insurances, including rent guarantees

I

• Competitive rates • All deposits registered with The Tenancy Deposit Scheme

FREE ADVICE AND APPRAISAL - NO LET, NO FEE Paddock Wood 01892 831 606

Cran brook 01580 712 234

Mayfield 01435 873 999

Please note that for tenants only, an admin fee of £300 per property will apply.

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www. lambertandfoster.co.uk

(i)nTheMarketcom

t rightmove

Property professionals for over 100 years

Horsmonden

Guide price £975,000

Five Oak Green

Guide price £895,000

Four bedroom detached farmhouse with flexible accommodation providing up to four receptions • Semi-rural position on the outskirts of Horsmonden bordered by countryside • Total plot of about 7 acres which includes; formal gardens, paddocks and woodland • Multiple detached outbuildings offering potential to develop (subject to PP) • Business opportunity with a purpose built cattery on site (currently not trading) • EPC: F

An impressive five bedroom detached period country home • Four reception rooms with a kitchen breakfast room, pantry/boot room and cloakroom • Grade II listed with an abundance of character and charm throughout Approx. 3663 sq.ft of accommodation including unconverted attic space • Semi-rural location with a southerly aspect over open countryside • NO FORWARD CHAIN • EPC: N/A

• PADDOCK WOOD OFFICE 01892 832 325

• PADDOCK WOOD OFFICE 01892 832 325

Watering bury

Guide price £875,000

Paddock Wood

Guide price £650,000

Four double bedroom detached country cottage • Situated in a tucked away semi-rural position with far reaching views • Total plot of just under three acres including paddocks with outbuildings • Southerly open aspect rear garden surrounded by orchards and farmland • Detached quadruple bay timber garage and carport • NO FORWARD CHAIN • EPC: F

Four double bedroom detached bungalow • Sitting room with a wood burner inset to a central fireplace • Double aspect open plan kitchen diner • Situated on a one acre plot in a semi-rural location • Offering potential to develop and extend subject to permissions • Short drive to local amenities and mainline railway station • EPC: E

• PADDOCK WOOD OFFICE 01892 832 325

• PADDOCK WOOD OFFICE 01892 832 325

Horsmonden

Guide price £550,000

Collier Street

Guide price £450,000

Immaculately presented four bedroom detached bungalow· Situated in a sought after cul-de-sac in the heart of the village • Large 'L' shaped sitting/dining room with a central wood burning stove• Master bedroom with en-suite shower room • Secluded rear garden with an open southerly aspect • Driveway and integral garage with power, light and workspace to the rear • EPC: D

An extended semi-detached family home providing versatile reception rooms • Four bedrooms with the potential to convert the loft subject to permissions • Open plan kitchen/dining room with a sitting room, utility room and a study • First floor balcony enjoying a fabulous panoramic countryside view • Set within a rural, yet not isolated hamlet only a short drive to a mainline station • Attached garage with a driveway providing ample off road parking • EPC: C

• PADDOCK WOOD OFFICE 01892 832 325

• PADDOCK WOOD OFFICE 01892 832 325

Paddock Wood 01892 832 325

Mayfield 01435 873 999

Cranbrook 01580 712 888

-S'f ARLA

(~ RICS

� PROPERTY SECTION

LANCERS SUMMERSALES HILL, LYE GREEN, CROWBOROUGH

£1,325,000

Perfect for family living with walled pool and tennis court

Wednesday 22nd June 2016

PROPERTY SECTION �

AT A GLANCE n Imposing family home n Lovely rural location n Flexible accommodation n Reception hall n Inner hall n Cloakroom n Drawing room n Dining room n Family room n Garden room n Kitchen/breakfast room n Utility room n Master bedroom with en-suite and dressing room n Six further bedrooms n Family bathroom n Shower room n Driveway and double garage n Large detached games room/home office n Swimming pool n Tennis court n Gardens and grounds of 2.3 acres

£1,325,000 For sale through Hamptons Tunbridge Wells 01892 516611 www.hamptons.co.uk

‘It is surrounded by woodland and close to Ashdown Forest’

A

SUBSTANTIAL detached house, believed to have been built around 1948, which enjoys attractive views over its own grounds and beyond. Arranged on two floors, the accommodation is both spacious and versatile.

Set just over a mile from the centre of Crowborough, it is surrounded by woodland and close to the Ashdown Forest.

On the ground floor there is an entrance hall, inner hall and cloakroom, opening to a range of well-proportioned reception rooms. The drawing room has a triple-aspect outlook along with an open fireplace with a Jetmaster fire and double doors to a terrace. The double-aspect dining room features an arched opening to the reception hall, and the family room has parquet flooring and an open fireplace. There is also a garden room, a utility room and a well-fitted kitchen/ breakfast room with four-oven Aga. On the first floor, the principal bedroom has a dressing area with a range of wardrobes and a very well-fitted en-suite shower room. There are six further bedrooms, all with fitted cupboards and served by a family bathroom and additional shower room.

From the road, a five-bar gate leads to the driveway which provides parking for several vehicles as well as access to a double garage and an excellent detached games room/home office.

A terrace wraps around the rear of the house and a pathway leads through the garden towards the walled swimming pool and the newly resurfaced tennis court.

The majority of the land is laid to lawn with a large selection of mature plants, shrubs and trees, and a paddock. In all there is nearly two and a half acres.

Wednesday 22nd June 2016

TRUSTED TO AC RESULTS FOR 0

Robinson Jackson has over 50 years experience as a leading High Street estate ager and London. Our reputation has been built on our ability to achieve the best results to suit their plans. Whether it's an apartment or family home, contact us today for a advice about the Tonbridge property market.

01732 757300 Available until late, even on Sundays

HIEVE THE BEST UR CLIENTS

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1t - with 24 branches in Kent for our clients in a timescale free valuation or for general

ROBINSON·JACKilN Our service will move you

24 Branches in Kent & London 119 High Street, Tonbridge, Kent, TN9 1DL

� PROPERTY SECTION

L

ANTERN COTTAGE is a charming detached house of character with wellproportioned accommodation and offering scope to update and refurbish. The property occupies a beautiful established plot approaching one acre which features a Grade II* listed Japanese garden.

On the ground floor there is an entrance hall, double-aspect sitting room with an open fireplace and a dining room. The kitchen has an outlook to the front and is fitted with a range of wall and base units with space for appliances. Completing the ground floor is a cloakroom and a rear lobby housing the boiler.

There are three bedrooms on the first floor, two of which have a double aspect and wardrobes. Two bathrooms can also be found on this floor, and there is a fourth bedroom on the top floor.

To the front of the house is a drive providing parking. Plus an attractive ragstone wall running along the front perimeter with a pedestrian gate and path leading to the front door.

The rear garden is predominantly laid to lawn with a path leading around the house to an area comprising a greenhouse, two sheds, cold frames and composters.

The Grade II* listed section of the

Wednesday 22nd June 2016

Ripe for improvement and boasting a superb listed Japanese garden garden is an enchanting Japanese garden stocked with many varieties of trees, shrubs and plants of Japanese origin. A gate opens on to a stepping stone path which leads down through the garden to a timber Tea House with a decked veranda that overlooks a pond flanked by structural plants.

Added to this are areas of undulated lawn, rock pools (currently not in use), bridges and a reed parasol.

The layout and features of the garden were designed by Raymond Berrow in 1919. Originally part of a 25-acre estate owned by Kentish fruit farmer Hugh Micklem, the garden

was created to give work to former employees returning from the First World War. Mr Micklem travelled to Japan to source trees, plants, rocks, large stepping stones, the Tea House and garden ornaments, which were then all shipped over to the UK.

AT A GLANCE

LANTERN COTTAGE BITCHET GREEN, NR SEVENOAKS � Detached character cottage � Semi-rural location � Scope to update � Entrance hall � Sitting room � Dining room � Kitchen � Cloakroom � Rear lobby � Three bedrooms on first floor � Two bathrooms � Fourth bedroom on top floor � Driveway parking � Stunning gardens � Grade II* listed Japanese garden area

£1,450,000 For sale through Savills Sevenoaks 01732 789700 www.savills.co.uk

Tunbridge Wells

Andrews >

andrewsonline.co.uk

Kings Road, Tonbridge, TN9 2HD

Guide £400,000-£425,000

This semi-detached 2 bedroom bungalow is set on the popular south side of Tonbridge, with convenient access to the A21 and within 0.9 mile of Tonbridge mainline station. 2 receptions, a fitted kitchen, bathroom with bath and shower cubicle, separate we. A pretty enclosed garden with patio and lawn is to the rear and there is a driveway and detached garage to the front.

Energy Efficiency Rating: D

Tunbridge Wells Sales 01892 515 11+1+

LANDLORDS WANTED

To view more properties available from all 85 of our offices, visit andrewsonline.co.uk

Andrews

Required for properties in

• ROTHERFIELD •FRANT • CHIDDINGSTONE • GOUDHURST • LAMBERHURST • MAYFIELD

Contact us on: 01892 51511.tlt

lettings@andrewsonline.co.uk

� PROPERTY SECTION

Enchanting country house enjoys echoes of history

S

PRING PLACE is a well-preserved country house dating mainly from the late 16th and early 17th centuries, with a late medieval section dating from the 15th century. The hall bay window in the drawing room and external gable are dated 1634.

Formerly known as the Old Manor House, the quality of craftsmanship is high and it is a fine example of a Grade II* listed home.

The current owners have thoroughly and sympathetically restored the property.

There are many character features throughout, with exposed timbers, oak doors, Crittall windows and some beautiful fireplaces with carved rosettes and inglenooks. Most notably, the dining room contains a window from the old Hadlow Castle.

On the ground floor there is an entrance hall, drawing room, sitting room, study, dining room, cloakroom and kitchen/breakfast room with Aga. The drawing and sitting rooms both have woodburning stoves.

Upstairs, the bedroom accommodation is ideally arranged for family living. On the first floor are four bedrooms and two bathrooms (one with an en-suite), while the second floor has a large

bedroom suite with bathroom and seating area.

Externally, there is a useful outbuilding incorporating a utility room and wet room, which is just off the kitchen. There is also a large timber garage block with barn.

Immaculately-maintained gardens surround the house with a south-facing terrace at the rear, a heated swimming pool and a tennis court with pavilion.

A ha-ha separates the formal garden and the grounds to the south and leads to a spring-fed lake with island. The property is surrounded by farmland and enjoys a pretty rural outlook on all sides. The plot totals just over five acres.

AT A GLANCE SPRING PLACE CARPENTERS LANE, HADLOW � Grade II* listed country house � Parts dating back to the 15th century � Updated in recent years � Character features � Reception hall � Drawing room � Dining room � Sitting room � Study � Kitchen/breakfast room � Cloakroom and utility room � Outbuilding: Utility room and wet room � Four first floor bedrooms, one en-suite � Family bathroom � Top floor master suite � Swimming pool � Tennis court and pavilion � Lake and pond � Stunning gardens and grounds totalling around 5.3 acres � Garage and barn

£2,395,000 For sale through Knight Frank Sevenoaks 01732 744477 www.knightfrank.co.uk

Wednesday 22nd June 2016

we open doors for you ...

BarnesKingsnorth

RUSTHALL, TUNBRIDGE WELLS

GUIDE PRICE £350,000 - £375,000

STUNNING GROUND-FLOOR APARTMENT conveniently situated on the Tunbridge Wells side of the village. Well presented with generously proportioned rooms and period features including high ceilings. Own entrance opening to superb sitting room with exposed brick chimney-breast with inglenook fireplace and wood-burner, fitted kitchen/ dining room with door to the secluded shared courtyard, 2 double bedrooms (one 16'11 x 14'7) both with fitted wardrobes, modern bathroom with marble wash hand basin and marble tiling. Share of Freehold. EPC: D

Apply Pembury

TONBRIDGE

GUIDE PRICE £1,500,000

Individual and substantial family residence in delightful gardens with superb, well planned and spacious family accommodation including 8 bedrooms, 4 reception rooms and 4 bathrooms all with generous proportions. Located on the borders of Tonbridge and Hildenborough within easy access of the town centre, mainline station and renowned state and independent schools. EPC: D

Apply Tonbridge

SOUTHBOROUGH

OIRO £450,000

NO ONWARD CHAIN - TOWN CONVENIENCE WITH RURAL OUTLOOK. Modern, 3 double bedroom link-detached house set in a cul-de-sac on the edge of Southborough but with a surprising outlook over fields and woodland to the rear. Large living room with doors onto the garden, a separate study and room for a dining table in the modern shaker-style kitchen. It has a bathroom upstairs with a further shower room downstairs and a utility area in the integral garage. Driveway parking for two cars. The rear garden has a large patio and being west-facing, enjoys the sunshine into the evening. It has a large timber workshop/ studio as well as a further shed for storage, with the lawn providing plenty of space for children to play. EPC: D

Apply Pembury

'B)Primelocatior

Residential

t f rightmove.co.uk Sales & !Lettings

Pembury: 01892 822880 e.pembury@bkea. co.uk

Tonbridge: 01732 771616 e.tonbridge@bkea .co .uk

Lettings: 01732 771616 e. Lettings@bkea.co.uk

www.bkestatea1ents.com

� PROPERTY SECTION

Extensively updated detached house offers views and a multi-level garden

AT A GLANCE

LEIGHSIDE BISHOPS DOWN PARK ROAD TUNBRIDGE WELLS � Attractive detached house � Elevated position with views over town � Desirable road � Well presented � Entrance hall � Cloakroom � Family room/cinema room � Sitting room � Study � Kitchen/breakfast room � Utility room � Master bedroom with en-suite � Three further bedrooms � Family bathroom � Integral double garage and driveway � Attractive gardens

£900,000 For sale through Savills Tunbridge Wells 01892 507000 www.savills.co.uk

L

EIGHSIDE was constructed in the 1970’s and has been extensively updated by the current owners to provide a stylish and comfortable family home.

Situated in an elevated position in this popular residential area, the property is arranged over three floors and benefits from high ceilings, generous windows and good room sizes, which – coupled with all the modern fittings and finishes – create a contemporary feel.

On the ground floor there is an entrance hall, cloakroom and a family room/cinema room with French doors out to the side garden.

The first floor features a triple-aspect sitting room with sliding French doors to a balcony at the front and further French doors that lead out to a rear garden terrace.

Also on this floor is a study which overlooks the garden and a dual-aspect kitchen/breakfast room with lovely views over the western edge of Tunbridge Wells.

The kitchen benefits from Welsh slate flooring with underfloor heating, painted wood units, an island unit, a dresser and integrated appliances.

There is a separate utility room.

Upstairs is a master bedroom with a delightful outlook, extensive fitted cupboards and an en-suite shower room. There are three further bedrooms plus a well-appointed family bathroom.

The property is approached from the road over a brick-paved driveway providing off-street parking and leading to the integral double garage.

The attractive, mature rear garden is a good size for a town property, with a paved terrace spanning the back of the house that can be accessed from the sitting and utility rooms.

Steps rise up from here to an area of lawn with an elevated seating area to the south-eastern corner of the garden, which you reach via a decked walkway.

Wednesday 22nd June 2016

‘The kitchen benefits from Welsh slate flooring with underfloor heating and painted wood units’

ELLIS&CO

01732 770077 tonbridge@ellisandco.co.uk

j[f - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -r

,- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

WOOD & PILCHER

Wadhurst

Offers in Region of £695,000

Tonbridge

Offers Over £600,000

An attractive three storey detached home constructed less than one year ago situated close to the sought after village of Wadhurst. close to the border between East Sussex and Kent. Energy Efficiency Rating: B

Five bedroom detached home with impressive accommodation in a peaceful cul-de-sac location within a mile of outstanding primary schools and amenities. Three reception rooms. two bathrooms. cloakroom. kitchen/breakfast. utility room. conservatory, lovely gardens. plenty of parking. Energy Efficiency Rating: D

Frant

Tunbridge Wells

£699,950

£485,000

The Old Police House is an especially well presented detached property offering tremendously flexible living space. situated across from the green in the permanently popular village of Frant. Energy Efficiency Rating: D

A well presented and thoughtfully designed four bedroom semi-detached property in this convenient Tunbridge Wells location with the advantage of a garage en bloc with a further parking space in front.

Energy Efficiency Rating: C

Wadhurst

Tunbridge Wells

£425,000

A well presented two/three bedroom detached house in a peaceful. "edge of village" location and within easy reach of village amenities. schools. main line station and good areas of open countryside.

Energy Efficiency Rating: D

Situated within the extremely sought after area of St Johns. is where you will find this 1960's built three bedroom semi-detached family home which offers a wide range of features. Energy Efficiency Rating: D

Tunbridge Wells Office I 01892 511211 tunbridgew ells@w oodandpilcher.co.uk Southborough Office I 01892 511311 southborough@woodandpilcher.co.uk Tonbridge I 01732 351135 tonbri dge@w ooda ndpil cher. co. u k

(i)nTheMarketoom

Guide Price £495,000

woodandpilcher.co. uk

r•M

Other offices in Crowborough, Heathfield & associated London Branch

PROPERTY SECTION �

l@wns -

of Tonbridge -

BATHROOM SHOWROOM

It's more than our outstanding knowledge and product range that makes us so attractive.

Unit 4 Orchard Business Centre Sanderson Way, Tonbridge KentTN91QG

01732 350 911

8

e

showroom@townsbathrooms.co.uk www.townsmerchant.co.uk

@

AQUALISA

ashton@bentley

IMPER IAL KOHLER. LAU FEN ~~

The Willows is an exclusive development with a selection of 3 and 4 bedroom detached

Vi trA GSr

For viewings or more information please contact one of our selling agents:

houses set in the village of Rusthall, under two miles west of the historic Spa town of Royal Tunbridge Wells. Each property benefits from excellent design and specification , gardens, garaging and further off-street parking .

Prices from £520,000

~

~MJProperty

01892 511211 www.woodandpilcher.co.uk

01892 515188 www. kmj prope rty.co.u k

WOOD & PILCHER

viewings by appointment.

SAT NAV: TN4 SSU

Prices correct at time of going to press

WWW.CUBED HOMES .CO.UK Wednesday 22nd June 2016

Rural Horsmonden £1,250,000 Grade II Listed handsome and quintessential Kentish farmhouse with characterful period features and offering fine rural views. 4 reception rooms, 6 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, garage, beautiful mature ground of approx. 3 acres.

Tunbridge Wells Monthly Rental Of£ 1,595 Stunning & very spacious 2 bed ground floor apartment in leafy Broadwater Down. Modern kitchen, 20' living room, 2 large bedrooms, bathroom & large cellar. Gas central heating.

Original features & high ceilings. Garage, off road parking, large lawn garden. EPC: D

Tunbridge Wells £385,000 Top (2nd) floor apartment, with 2 balconies, situated on the south side of town. Lift, 18' 11 reception room, 2 double bedrooms, en suite shower room, large family bathroom.

2 undercroft parking spaces, communal gardens/terrace. No onward chain. EPC: C

Tunbridge Wells Monthly Rental Of£ 1,295 A spacious & well-presented 3 bed detached bungalow. Modern kitchen, large living room,

Tunbridge Wells Immaculately presented, purpose-built top floor apartment situated in the Culverden area of the town. Open plan living/kitchen/dining room, 2 bedrooms (one en suite), bathroom.

Undercroft parking space, communal gardens. No onward chain. EPC: C

Rusthall Monthly Rental Of £2,500 Immaculately presented 6 bed detached family home. Kitchen/breakfast/family room, living room, study, ground floor bedroom with en-suite wet room, 5 further double bedrooms & 3 bathrooms. Gas central heating. Low maintenance garden & off road parking. EPC E

conservatory, 2 double bedrooms, I single bedroom, shower room & separate WC. Gas central heating. Beautiful south facing garden, driveway & single garage. EPC: D

Your local independent Estate Agent

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~

...contactable 7 days a week

Modern 2 bedroom " back to back" house, open plan Lounge/ dining room with under floor heating, modern fitted kitchen, upstairs bathroom, allocated parking space. EPC D

2 bedroom terrace cottage in an elevated position in Denny Bottom. Living room, open through to dining room, fitted kitchen, rear porch/ utility space, 2 double bedrooms and a family bathroom with separate shower.

Double glazing, gas fired heating and a stunning terrace garden with a garden room and sun deck above. EPC D

This 2 bedroom terrace house requires some refurbishment . The accommodation comprises; Lounge, kitchen/ diner, 2 double bedrooms and an upstairs bathroom. The property benefits from a courtyard garden, double glazing to front and gas fired heating . EPC D

End of terrace house in need of updating. The accommodation comprises; Lounge/ diner, kitchen, 2 bedrooms and upstairs bathroom. The property also benefits from double glazing, front and rear gardens & driveway and has storage heaters. EPC tbc

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� PROPERTY SECTION

AT A GLANCE

Tucked away in popular Warwick Park with views of cricket ground

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OCATED at the top end of highly sought-after Warwick Park, this beautifully presented family home overlooks the prestigious Nevill cricket ground to the rear, and is not far from The Pantiles, the mainline station and Tunbridge Wells High Street. Sympathetically extended, with wellproportioned accommodation, it also backs on to parkland.

The ground floor features an entrance hall, cloakroom, dualaspect drawing room, kitchen/family/dining room with Aga, utility room and storeroom. Upstairs there is a master suite comprising a bedroom and bathroom, four further bedrooms, a family bathroom and a shower room.

The house has is gas-fired central heating, some underfloor heating, and new Accoya sealed unit windows throughout.

Set back from the road, within lovely landscaped gardens, it has driveway parking and a double carport, as well as a large detached summerhouse and terraces to both the front and rear. The property is tucked away in a secluded spot and not overlooked. The plot extends to a quarter of an acre.

‘Set back from the road, within lovely landscaped gardens, it has a large summerhouse and terraces to both front and rear’ Wednesday 22nd June 2016

WARWICK PARK TUNBRIDGE WELLS n Extended family home n Tucked away location n Elegant road n Well presented n Entrance hall n Drawing room n Cloakroom n Kitchen/family/dining room n Utility room n Storeroom n Master bedroom with en-suite n Four further bedrooms n Bathroom n Shower room n Driveway and double car port n Private gardens to front and rear n Summerhouse n Backing on to parkland and overlooking Nevill cricket ground

£1,395,000 For sale through Brooks Peacock 01892 531199 www.brookspeacock.com

... USE A

DIFFERENT

IF YOUR PROPERTY REQUIRES:

WE OFFER:

• • • • •

• • • • •

REDECORATION REFURBISHMENT RENOVATION REPLACEMENT REDEVELOPMENT

KIND OF AGENT.

NO FEE - WE CHARGE THE BUYER A LARGE DATABASE OF DEVELOPERS AND INVESTORS PREDOMINATELY CHAIN FREE+ CASH FUNDED BUYERS A HIGHLY BESPOKE SERVICE PROFESSIONAL+ EXPERIENCED STAFF

BROADLANDS Commercial Property Agents

www.broadlands.co.uk

ADVERTISING FEATURE 

Commercial rentals boom THERE continues to be strong activity in the commercial property market across all sectors. Demand continues to be strong for office, industrial, warehouse and retail space despite the short supply of good quality stock. Here at Broadlands Commercial Property Agents, we have been actively undertaking a number of transactions in and around the Tunbridge Wells area and continue to seek opportunities for both clients and applicants. Recent activity has seen us let 4000sq.ft of good quality fifth floor offices at Wellington Gate in Church Road to Bookatable Ltd. The building is now fully let

and producing income. We have also recently acquired, on behalf of private clients, Merevale House and Vale House in Vale Road and Clarence Road respectively. Both buildings were let and producing income with leases to expire within the next couple of years. The properties were purchased with future development in mind. Currently, we are offering 5400sq.ft of prestige ground floor office space together with 18 car spaces at Oakhurst House 77 Mount Ephraim on behalf of BlackRock.

We are quoting £150,000pax. We have just let retail premises at 53a Calverley Road to Indigo Furniture.

For further information on these and other properties please contact SHANE RAGGETT on 01892 512422 or email me at shane.raggett@broadlands.co.uk

63

Rates advice is just part of the service PORTERS CHARTERED SURVEYORS are a Maidstone based firm serving clients throughout Kent and the South East. They are a service provider in all aspects of general commercial property practice including the specialist field of licensed property.

Established for over 25 years, the firm has a team of dedicated professionals who offer the highest quality service to a wide range of clients from private individuals to national companies.

Porters are uniquely qualified to advise clients on all aspects of commercial property from agency, valuations, rent reviews, lease renewals, rating appeals to the management of their commercial premises.

As well as more specialist services, Porters also act as a traditional estate agency, helping our clients sell, buy and let their commercial properties. We have the necessary knowledge and experience to provide an effective and highly efficient agency service for commercial and licensed properties and we are uniquely placed to sell leaseholds and other premises as going concerns.

Porters also have the expertise to advise commercial property occupiers over the forthcoming rate revaluation that may increase many occupiers business rates liability.

As with all their services, the emphasis is on their clients rather than the bottom line and they will always strive to optimise the sale, letting or purchase to the fullest benefit of the clients.

The bespoke nature of Porters’ offerings and the expertise of their staff will set them apart in terms of quality and potential returns.

As such, Porters always recommend a non-commital consultation in the first instance in order to help them determine the best course of action.

If you would like to arrange such a consultation or find out more about any of our services, please contact Shahan Lall or Nigel Thirkell on 01622 685261 or through our website, www.porterssurveyors.com.

Wednesday 22nd June 2016

� PROPERTY SECTION

Period property to let in St John’s with off-road parking and a garage

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VAILABLE to let from the beginning of August, this superb semi-detached house retains many period features and is located in the popular St John’s area of Tunbridge Wells, which is very convenient for the schools.

The versatile accommodation is arranged over three floors and provides good, well-proportioned family living space.

The ground floor opens to an entrance hall as well as a dining room with a fireplace and bay window to the front.

The kitchen/breakfast room has windows and a door to the side, with a lovely fitted kitchen that includes integrated appliances.

At the rear of the house is a bright living room which features a fireplace, exposed wooden floors and double doors opening to the garden.

The first floor has a master bedroom with en-suite shower room, a guest bedroom with a bay window to the

Wednesday 22nd June 2016

front and a family bathroom. A further two double bedrooms are accessed off a large playroom/study on the top floor of the property.

To the rear of the house, and accessed from the living room, is a patio and a rear garden laid to lawn, which is ideal for a family.

The front the property benefits from a garage and a driveway offering ample parking.

YEW TREE ROAD TUNBRIDGE WELLS

£2,500 PER MONTH

PROPERTY SECTION �

AT A GLANCE

n Period semi-detached family home n Sought-after location n Very well presented n Spacious accommodation n Set over three floors n Entrance hall n Dining room n Kitchen/breakfast room n Living room n Master bedroom with en-suite n Guest bedroom n Family bathroom n Two double bedrooms on top floor n Large study/playroom n Rear garden and patio n Driveway and garage n Available to let from August 2 n Unfurnished

£2,500 per month To let through Alexandre Boyes 01892 525522 www.alexandre-boyes.co.uk

Wednesday 22nd June 2016

HARTFIELD, EAST SUSSEX

£1,295,000 Freehold

FOUR ELMS, KENT

£1,500 pcm

An impressive and well-proportioned family house available with early possession. Bright and spacious rooms throughout with many original features and an impressive staircase to all three floors. The house has been well maintained and sympathetically restored ; the perfect house for a large family with a separate annexe creating space for guests or an au-pair. The house nestles within a secure garden with a gated entrance to the driveway with parking for several cars. To the rear the property benefits from having a heated swimming pool and large terrace area perfect for outside dining. EPC - E49. NO ONWARD CHAIN

A handsome three bedroom Edwardian detached house situated close to Four Elms Village with far reaching views of the Kent countryside. This spacious detached house with large surrounding gardens overlooking the Kent countryside makes a wonderful family home. The double aspect living room with open fireplace is a lovely light room for any time of the day and the perfect place for the family to retreat to. The large kitchen/ dining room overlooking the gardens is fantastic for family dinners and entertaining alike. The ground floor also benefits from a dining room which could also be used as a study or playroom , a cloakroom and plenty of storage space. To the first floor are three double bedrooms and a bathroom with bath and shower. Oil central heating , large gardens, shed , parking for two cars. EPC - F27.

BRENCHLEY, TONBRIDGE

WITHYHAM, EAST SUSSEX

Fir Tree Cottage is a beautifully presented family home arranged over three floors with a wealth of character.

The property has been sympathetically improved and extended by the current owners and offers spacious accommodation throughout. A delightful rural location with lovely views over the countryside and attractive gardens and grounds approximately 1.75 acres. EPC - F37

Beautifully presented three bedroom house situated in a rural location close to Withyham with stunning views of the surrounding countryside. Downstairs the modern kitchen/diner is perfect for creating culinary delights for family and friends , the sitting room with open fireplace overlooking the garden and views beyond is the ideal retreat for all the family to relax in after a busy day. There is also a good size utility area and a cloakroom off the kitchen with a door from the utility room to the garden. On the first floor are two good sized double bedrooms, a single bedroom and a family bathroom with shower over bath. Outside, the property is set in large gardens , with a classic Sussex country view across traditional farmland. Large driveway plus parking to the front of the property. EPC - E49

£1,750 pcm

A beautiful Grade II listed detached period residence with a third of an acre garden , occupying a rural position with far reaching views of the surrounding countryside. The accommodation comprises Open plan Kitchen / Diner with AGA, Quartz worktops and solid oak flooring , Triple Aspect Sitting Room with Inglenook Fireplace and log burning stove and French doors to the sun terrace, Cosy snug with inglenook fireplace and wood burning stove , 3 Bedrooms , Bedroom 4/Study/Nursery/Dressing Room , Family Bathroom with modern roll top bath and separate power shower, Cloakroom , Oil Fired Central Heating , Detached Double Garage, Formal Garden of approximately a third of an acre.

(~ RICS -ACOU TRY LIFE

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70 ■ FOOD AND DRINK

Former fire station sets the culinary world alight with its hot new pop-up restaurant An ever-changing coterie of chefs hosting their own pop-up restaurant in one of Tonbridge’s most historical buildings sounds like a unique idea. We find out all about this fun place to eat WHEN planning a night out it’s fair to say the last place you’d think of spending it would be with one of the emergency services but all is not what it would appear to be behind the ruby red doors of Tonbridge’s former fire station in Castle Road.

The brick building, which dates back to 1901, hasn’t operated as the town’s fire brigade HQ for years but over the past eight months it has been reignited and transformed into a hot new eaterie and social space that is currently setting the culinary world alight.

“We were supposed to trial out the concept of running The Old Fire Station as a pop-up

ALL FIRED UP Richard Collins and Sam Goode

Wednesday 22nd June 2016

restaurant for three months,” explains Sam Goode, who is behind the project with his business partner Richard Collins, who owns the building which also houses his insurance company Medischeme on the top floor.

“We decided Tonbridge really needed something like this; a creative site where we could indulge our love of food but would also double up as an area people could hire out for events or meetings.”

The initial plans to try it out for three months were quickly scrapped as pretty much every event they have hosted so far has sold out.

Sam puts this firmly down to the coterie of top quality chefs who have treated the tastebuds of lucky diners from day one of The Old Fire Station’s launch.

Since its shiny

scarlet doors were opened Sam and Richard have hosted the likes of Adam Handling, who was a finalist on Masterchef the Professionals in 2013 and has appeared on BBC2’s The Great British

‘Each chef is different, and brings something unique to the culinary table’ Tony Rodd

Adam Handling

Menu. He debuted with an impressive ten-course tasting menu.

“Adam’s night sold out within three days of going online,” says Sam. “And then it snowballed from there really. We invited locals to participate in popups like Matt Sankey and Fuggles Bar and then we had the likes of Dan Hatton, who won a Michelin star when he was at Thackeray’s, coming down.”

Hot on the heels of this homegrown gourmet talent came star names such as Stephen Edwards, who runs i360 in Brighton, and Justin Brown, who trained at The Landmark Hotel in London and has worked for Jamie Oliver. Brown has launched a similar concept – Verzet – in Amsterdam and ran his Old Fire Station pop-up for three nights in May. Last year’s Masterchef finalist Tony Rodd, who describes himself as a ‘cosmonaut and cook’, has

FOOD AND DRINK ■

Justin Brown

also done a two-night stint in the area that can cater for at least 55 covers.

“Each chef is different, and brings something unique to the culinary table,” confirms Sam, who clearly couldn’t be happier about the buzz that’s building, mainly through social media, around the calibre of chefs that come along to the pop-up project.

“Instead of me chasing people,” continues the PR and marketing executive, “they have started contacting us, which makes life a lot easier.

‘The important thing about our food pop-ups is that the chefs, guests and food are all together in one room. Everything’s prepared and cooked in the same space’ “Ben Spalding, who has worked under Heston Blumenthal at the Fat Duck in Bray and for Raymond Le Blanc at Le Manoir Aux Quatre Saisons, is coming in this weekend so we’re really excited about that. Then in September we have Michelin starred chef Alex Bond coming.

“To be honest we haven’t really got any competition around us in terms of the level of good quality food we’re offering.”

But the concept of The Old Fire Station isn’t just about giving its customers a fine-dining foodie experience twice a month. It’s also focused on providing local businesses and groups with a flexible room they can hire out for everything from meetings to events.

“We said from the start that 25 per cent of The Old Fire Station would be given over to community and charity events. We recently hosted the Dementia Society over four days, where they ran a café and put up lots of pictures and memorabilia from old Tonbridge.”

This event chimed in perfectly with the look and feel of The Old Fire Station, which has been restored to its former glory thanks to layers of plasterboard and paint being stripped back to reveal the original brickwork and glazed tiles.

“We took it right back to how it would have looked in 1901 when it was a fire station,” reveals Sam. “All the furniture has been custom made by a local builder so it can be easily moved about.

Our bar is on wheels so can be put away when not needed and all the tables and chairs can be moved around too. The whole thing can be turned

around in about half a day.”

Do they have any plans to expand their brand, which now includes a selection of bespoke beers and ciders commissioned by local brewers with labels that boast a picture of ‘Bradley’, the first fireman stationed there in 1901?

“Not unless we can find an old fire station,” laughs Sam. “The important thing about our food pop-ups is that the chefs, guests and food are all together in one room. Everything’s prepared and cooked in the same space – it’s just like one big chef’s table really.”

PHOTOS: MARCUS WARREN

Jamie Halsall

71

FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED Prebooking is essential

Wednesday 22nd June 2016

72 n LIFE AND STYLE IMAGO WEST KENT VOLUNTEER CENTRE This year, the national Volunteers’ Week, 1-12 June, was extended to coincide with the Queen’s Patron Lunch which celebrated the valued support and service our Monarch has given to the community during her 63 year reign.

Throughout Volunteers’ Week, we championed volunteers and celebrated their contribution to local charities and community groups; a real highlight was the Volunteer Street Fair organised by Imago West Kent Volunteer Centre, supported by Tunbridge Wells Borough Council.

Sharon Overy, Imago Volunteer Development Manager, said ‘We are thrilled that so many local charities and community groups wanted to celebrate with us; It has been a brilliant day and it was great to see Greg Clark MP supporting the event, listening to the various organisations talk about their amazing volunteers.’

To find out about local volunteering opportunities, contact the West Kent Volunteer Centre on 01892 530330 or e-mail volunteering@imago.community

CAVENDISH Cavendish, who were established in Sevenoaks over 20 years ago, are celebrating their first year at their second branch in Tunbridge Wells.

Cavendish was started by Sandie Robbens, when she was 21 in Sevenoaks, continuing The Robbens family tradition who have had businesses in Kent since 1959. Cavendish growth in Sevenoaks excelled as John Thursby joined as a Director and grew the business rapidly. Now with their branch in Tunbridge Wells they are looking forward to another successful year.

“It has been an interesting and fun time building on contacts in a town I grew up in. With 2 of my 3 daughters at school here now, it is an ever expanding social and professional network for me.” Sandie explained.

TABLEDON (IT’S LIKE WIMBLEDON, ONLY SMALLER!) Fit4Less launch a unique, fun table tennis tournament to support Dame Kelly Holmes Trust TABLEDON, is a new, fun table tennis tournament that is launched this week at Fit4Less, to raise money for the Dame Kelly Holmes Trust. It is timed so that the final will coincide with the Wimbledon finals and is being seen as “like Wimbledon, only smaller!”

Fit4Less is the low cost gym just along from High Brooms Station that opened at Christmas. Club owner Charlie Foulkes commented “Our aim is to make fitness affordable and accessible to everybody in Tunbridge Wells to get people into healthy habits, who maybe are not used to the gym environment, we are also bending over backwards to make it a fun experience with lots of opportunities to meet other members.

We added a table tennis table to help with this and it has been so popular, we thought TABLEDON would be a great idea to promote a little competition. It has proved more popular than we anticipated, with dozens of members signing up. We will see who wins the trophy and bottle of Pimms up for grabs when we reach the final on July 10th” On the charity aspect, Foulkes added “The Dame Kelly Holmes Trust does fabulous work helping disadvantaged young people get their lives on track through sport. Of course the founder and patron is a local sporting hero, so we try to support them in whatever way we can”.

Unit 5, Tunbridge Wells Enterprise Centre, North Farm Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN2 3DR www.f4l.com and www.facebook.com/Fit4LessTunbridgeWells

Wednesday 22nd June 2016

“It has always been my upmost priority to offer an outstanding service at a fair price, with all fees being disclosed upfront and openly. All too often I still hear from Landlords who are surprised by the fees that agents add on to their selected service.” Sandie continued “a happy Landlord will return and a huge proportion of our business is from recommendations”. Being members of ARLA is hugely important to Cavendish. They feel it gives Landlords and Tenants the security they deserve when choosing an agent and are assured that they are dealing with a competent and professional company.

“As the branch grew it was important to find a branch manager who held the same principles of business as I did. John Mackenzie joined us having previously worked for corporate and independent agents in London Docklands and the Home Counties. We work well together and complement each other’s strengths (and share a similar sense of humour!). John is front of house at Tunbridge Wells and has an extensive knowledge base in lettings and management.” John has acted for a range of investment clients from accidental landlords who have inherited property or been relocated abroad to investment clients converting and letting entire blocks of flats.

Call John or Sandie for an informal discussion of your property requirements or call in and see them at their Tunbridge Wells office on Crescent Road just along from the Hotel Du Vin.edgeable and that you can trust in their ability to sell your home.

HANDELSBANKEN TUNBRIDGE WELLS BOLSTERS LOCAL TEAM TO MEET GROWING DEMAND Handelsbanken Tunbridge Wells are delighted to have appointed two new members of staff in response to the increasing demand for their local relationship banking services.

Dan Batchelor (Corporate Banking Manager) and Kerri Gibbons (Account Manager Support) have joined the fastgrowing relationship bank. Dan, with over15 years of banking experience, will specifically be involved in developing existing corporate customer relationships as well as welcoming new corporate customers to Handelsbanken’s bespoke approach to local banking. Kerri will provide additional support for customers and the team, with the chance to learn ‘banking’ from the ground up.

A strong focus on long-term relationships and high levels of personal service has seen the bank rated top for customer satisfaction seven years running in an independent survey of British banks’ personal and business customers*. Branches are responsible for making all day-to-day banking decisions based solely on their customers' requirements, free from product and lending targets or bonus incentives.

Dan commented: “What attracted me to Handelsbanken was its decentralised model which allows us to deliver a bespoke service to our customers. As experienced local bankers we have the power to make all the decisions that matter to our customers, swiftly and sensibly here in the branch” Kerri commented: “I am really enjoying taking this new opportunity, am excited about the challenge and working for a company that truly has customer service at its core” The branch, established in 2009 and located at 77 Mount Ephraim, has developed a reputation for traditional banking, financial strength and high standards within the local business and professional services community.

Nick Green, Branch Manager, added: “I am very pleased to welcome both Dan and Kerri to our team. Their appointment means we can continue to meet the growing needs of both existing and new customers in Tunbridge Wells whilst maintaining the high levels of service for which we are renowned.”

Originally from Sweden, Handelsbanken now has over 850 branches in 25 countries, and has been judged one of the world’s strongest banks by financial information provider Bloomberg**. At a time when strength and stability is of particular importance to customers, the bank enjoys the highest credit ratings of all the major UK-based banks. This reflects Handelsbanken's strong financial position, longterm focus and prudent, consistent approach to banking through all economic conditions.

WITH THE

THE TOWN’S TOP MOTORING GUIDE – FROM EVERYDAY DRIVES TO LUXURY SUPERCARS

FIRST DRIVE

By Matt Joy WHAT’S NEW? Some things haven’t changed, namely the fact the Nissan GT-R is a combination of brutish power and sophisticated electronics delivering spectacular driving thrills - at an impressive price. But the R35 generation first appeared in 2007, and although there have been tweaks in the past, this 2017 modelyear version brings the most comprehensive update so far.

There are discreet, but worthwhile, changes to the exterior, including improved aero and sharper detailing, while inside, the fascia has been substantially revised to make it more comfortable and easier to use. Under the skin there are a host of revisions including more power, revised suspension and a stiffer body for improved handling.

LOOKS AND IMAGE The basic shape of the GT-R remains broadly unchanged, although there has been a subtle change to the C-pillar to reduce turbulence which only the nerdiest of eyes would spot. More obvious tweaks are made elsewhere, with the front end benefiting from a version of the Nissan family ‘V-grille’ and a re-profiled lower bumper. The same goes for the side skirts and rear valance which look sharper as well as managing airflow better, and the influence of the hottest Nismo GT-R model is clear to see.

There’s some new colours to choose from too including a vibrant orange, plus a new alloy wheel design, all of which adds a dose of freshness. It is still unmistakably a GT-R and not a million miles from the previous generation, but this is the bestlooking R35 to date.

OF TUNBRIDGE WELLS AND TONBRIDGE

NISSAN GT-R

SPACE AND PRACTICALITY More urgent changes were required in the cabin, and the 2017 GT-R is all the better for a new dashboard layout. There’s a new display screen sitting up top while the climate controls have been grouped in their own space just below, as well as more sensibly-placed air vents. There’s a new steering wheel too which carries audio and cruise control buttons more sensible.

Nissan also claims improved materials, and there’s no doubt that the leather trim is of a better quality. The design is sensible and plain rather than eye-catching, but it works well and is easier to use. The bucket seats on the standard model are a little narrow across the back, but the Recaro model brings with it a pair of seats which are far superior in comfort and support.

BEHIND THE WHEEL The 2017 GT-R has an additional 20bhp compared to the outgoing model as well as a slight increase in torque, although more crucially maximum torque is available across more of the rev band.

From the driver’s seat, you might not notice this increase, just that the GT-R is a ferociously fast machine. With drive distributed between all four wheels depending on the grip available and the fast-shifting dual-clutch transmission, acceleration is always available and relentless with it.

The changes to the suspension and body are subtle too, but the upshot is that the 2017 GT-R feels more stable and more responsive, particularly on bumpy roads, and as a result is even easier to hustle along challenging roads.

It’s the combination of the steering accuracy, the unflappable suspension (providing you’ve selected the right setting for the road) and the sheer

cars with equivalent performance and spec will cost you over ¬£100,000. It’s worth investing an extra ¬£2,000 to get the Recaro model with its superior seats.

WHO WOULD BUY ONE?

‘As a result it is even easier to hustle along challenging roads’

Apparently current GT-R owners are keen on having the latest thing, and the improvements to the 2017 version are enough to warrant a return visit. It might be more of a GT than ever, but in truth, the GT-R has the performance to qualify as a supercar, getting as close to 200mph as makes no difference and a 0-62mph time nudging three seconds dead. It’s not the youngest kid on the block, but it’s still a special car to drive, and now more easy to live with.

THIS CAR SUMMED UP IN A SINGLE WORD: Honed

IF THIS CAR WAS A...: getaway car you’d escape with the Crown Jewels.

balance and stability that makes it not only hugely capable, but also a joy to exploit on the open road.

Our time with the car included many laps of Spa-Francorchamps, one of the most thrilling and challenging tracks anywhere in the world and the GT-R mastered it in style. It’s perhaps heavier and more comfortable than a typical track car, but it stood up to the extreme speeds and abuse as well as doing what it does best; flattering the driver without feeling artificial.

VALUE FOR MONEY In the grand scheme of things, the GT-R remains something of a bargain. The ‘entry-level’ Pure model is a fiver under ¬£80,000 but the reality is,

FACTS AT A GLANCE PRICE: Nissan GT-R Prestige, £82,495

PERFORMANCE: Top speed 196mph, 0-62mph in 3.2 seconds (est)

ENGINE: 3.8-litre unit producing 563bhp and 470lb/ft of torque ECONOMY: 23.9 mpg combined TRANSMISSION: Six-speed dual clutch gearbox EMISSIONS: driving all four wheels 275g/km of CO2

Wednesday 22nd June 2016

74  ADVERTISING FEATURE

Maserati makes it mark again diesel engine also provides impressive levels of performance. The 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6 produces all the sound, refinement and driving pleasure typical of Maserati while delivering unprecedented fuel consumption of 48mpg.

By John Silcox WHAT IS IT? When the Ghibli was unveiled at the Shanghai motor show in 2013 it marked a turning point in Maserati’s history. The Italian manufacturer was broadening its appeal to the wider market by building its first ever executive-class car, while at the same time producing its first ever vehicle to feature a diesel engine variant.

The result is a smaller, shorter, lighter, more dynamic, less expensive and more economical vehicle than the flagship Quattroporte. It’s also a fantastic alternative for buyers wanting something that will standout more than a BMW 5-series or a Mercedes E-Class, but still offers the same level of performance, refinement and build-quality.

WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? For this car, the Maserati design team was challenged to produce a saloon that emphasised its more dynamic driving characteristics through a more aggressive visual personality, yet still maintained discernible visual links with the Quattroporte.

The outline of the body reflects a coupe-like stance, while there are strong feline hints around the Ghibli’s grille and headlights.

Fundamentally it shares much of its core architecture with the larger Quattroporte, which includes crash safety, chassis, suspension and LED headlight technology, However, it is 50kg lighter and 291mm shorter overall. Despite these more modest proportions, the Ghibli offers a large and spacious cabin, with a unique dashboard design and the quality finish you expect

Wednesday 22nd June 2016

HOW DOES IT DRIVE?

On the road the Ghibli delivers exquisite

from a Maserati demonstrating a high level of craftsmanship and attention to detail. It includes a wide number of luxury features such as the Maserati Touch Control screen, Poltrona Frau leather interior and the 15-speaker Bowers & Wilkes audio system.

WHAT’S IT GOT UNDER THE BONNET? The Ghibli’s petrol range provides plenty of punch from both of the power outputs of the twin turbo-charged 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine

and it also offers customers the choice of rear- or all-wheel drive. The model we tested was the strong 325bhp variant, but for those wanting more, there is the Ghibli S, which boasts 404bhp. It can sprint from 0-60mph in 5.0 seconds and reach a top speed of 176mph.

Despite most people’s preconceptions the

handling thanks to perfectly balanced weight distribution, a double-wishbone front suspension and state-of-the-art five-link rear suspension. Its acceleration feels brisk and the eight-speed automatic transmission delivers, providing seamless comfort with fast gear-shifting.

To maximise the Ghibli’s potential, you’ll need to engage Sport mode, which sharpens the throttle and gearbox, while adding weight to the steering and raising the volume.

However, for everyday driving you wouldn’t need to change from comfort mode, where it still delivers an engaging drive but retains all the poise of an accomplished cruiser.

FACTS AT A GLANCE PRICE: from £53,580 OTR ENGINE: 3.0-litre petrol TRANSMISSION: eight-speed automatic PERFORMANCE: 325bhp, 0-62 in 5.6 seconds, top speed 163mph FUEL ECONOMY: 48mpg combined CO2 EMISSIONS: 158.6g/km

MASERATI GHIBLI DIESEL. FROM £399 A MONTH +VAT.* You kno w you ha ve always wanted to own a Maserati. Now there is absolutely nothing to hold you back.

The Ghibli Diesel is every inch a Maserati, featuring a gorgeous, coupe-like silhouette, luxury leather interior and with its economical yet potent diesel engine, 8-speed ZF automatic transmission, there are also plent y of rational reasons to justify your decision.

MASE RAT I

MOTORLINE MASERATI MAIDSTONE BIR CHOLT ROAD, MAID STONE, ME15 9XY Phone : 0162 2 616 LQL,

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Web : www. motorline .eo .uk / ma s erati

www. ma s erati .co .uk

Offi cial fuel cons umpti on fi gur es for t he Mase rati Gh ibl i Di esel in mpg llitres/100 km] : Urban 36 .7 17.71, Extr a Urban 57.6 li.j .9], Comb ined l.j7_9 15.91. C0 2 em iss ions on comb ined cycle : 158 g/km . Fuel consumption and CO, figures are based on standard EU tests for comparative purposes and may not reflect real driving results. *BUSINESS USERS ONLY. Model shown is Maserati Ghibli Diesel MY16 V6d ljdr Auto. Contract Hire payment profile of £/j,788 +VAT in advance, followed by 35 monthly rentals of £399 +VAT. Rentals shown above exclude maintenance and are based on 8,000 miles per annum. Excess mileage charge apply. Finance subject to status. Guarantees and indemnities may be required, we work with a number creditors including Maserati Financial Services. Vehicles must be registered with FCA Fleet Services UK Ltd by 30th June 2016. PO Box lj590, Slough, Berkshire SU OWU.

Porsche recommends Mobil D and ~

If history is any indication, you're looking at the future of sports cars.

The new 911.

Ever ahead.

For more information call 01732 361222 or visit our Centre.

Porsche Centre Tonbridge Scan to witness the 911 in action

Brook Farm, Five Oak Green Road Tonbridge TNll OQN info@porschetonbridge.co.uk www.porschetonbridge.co.uk

Official fuel economy figures for the 911 Carrera 4S Coupe in mpg (1/lOOkm): urban 22.8 - 27.4 (12.4 - 10.3), extra urban 41.5 - 42.8 (6.8 - 6.6), combined 31.7 - 35.8 (8.9 - 7.9). C0 2 emissions: 204 - 180 g/km. The mpg and C02 figures quoted are sourced from official EU-regulated tests, are provided for comparability purposes and may not reflect your actual driving experience.

MOTORING n

77

INVICTA HONDA Tunbridge Well s Business Park, Dowd ing Way, Tunbridge Well s, Kent TN 2 3DS Call 01892 598875 or visit www.tunbridgewell s-honda.co.u k Fuel consumption figures for the Civic Sport 1.4 i-VTEC Manual mpg (11100km): Urban 42.2mpg (6.7), Extra Urban 60.1mpg (4.7), Combined 52.3mpg (5.4). C0 2 emissions: 129g/km.

Fuel consumption figures sourced from official EU-regulated laboratory test results, are provided for comparison purposes and may not reflect real-life driving experience.

M od el Shown: Civic Sport 1.4 i-VTEC Manual in Milano Red at £18.360 On The Road (OTR) including £2,000 customer saving applied to the original OTR price of £18,360. Term s and Conditio ns: New retail Civic Sport 1.4 i-VTEC petrol ordered from 01 April 20 16 to 30 June 2016 and registered by 30 June 2016. Subject to model and colour availability. Offers applicable at participating dealers and are at the promoter's absolute discretion. Not to be used along with any other offers currently available . *Custo m er Saving : £2,000 customer saving off the On The Road price. Customer saving of £2,000 inc VAT will be applied to the retail invoice. Applicable to Civic Sport 1.4 i-VTEC models. Honda Aspirati o ns (PC P): Minimum customer deposit 0%, maximum customer deposit 30% . You do not have to pay the Final Payment if you return the car at the end of the agreement and you have paid all other amounts due, the vehicle is in good condition and has been serviced in accordance with the Honda service book and the maximum annual mileage has not been exceeded. Indemnities may be required in certain circumstances . Finance is only available to persons aged 18 or over, subject to status . All figures are correct at time of publication but may be subject to change. lnvict a M ot o rs (M aidsto ne) Limited are c redit b rokers , not lenders . Credit provided by Honda Finance Europe Pie. Cain Road, Bracknell, Berkshire RG12 1HL. Honda Finance Europe pie is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, Financial Services Register number 312541. ** 5 Years' Servi c ing inc ludes: All scheduled servicing, as detailed in the vehicle's service book, will be covered for 5 years or 62,500 miles, whichever comes first. 5 Years' Servicing is optional. It is being offered for £555 including VAT (usual value £1,200 including VAT, resulting in a £645 saving for the customer) and is available to finance or non-finance customers . Please note, should you sell the vehicle during the period of cover, the package remains with the vehicle.

Our premises are lacated at Kingstanding Way Business Park in Tunbridge Wells.

We invite all new and seasoned enthusiasts to visit us today to find out more about our classic car restoration services.

We will use our experience to advise you on the best way to restore your classic, vintage or collectible car, and help you to revive its past glories.

• Fram full graund up reslaralian la summer check aver • Specialist mig and lig welding • Full engine and gearbax rebuilds • We can lacale hard la find parts, • In hause machining facilities • Vapaur blasting • Everything yau need la care far yaur classic car ...

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• Baak yaur

anline

with us

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Contact details: H-Engineering Unit 12, 2, Kingstanding Way, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN2 3UP 01892 549 042

I

www.h-engineering.com

Wednesday 22nd June 2016

78 n MOTORING

Model shown is New Alfa Giulietta 1.4 TB 120 hp at £18,975 OTR incl. Stromboli Grey Special Paint at £525. Range of official fuel consumption figures for the Alfa Giulietta range : Urban 29.7 - 60.1 mpg (9.5 - 4.71/lOOkm); Extra Urban 54.3 - 88.3 mpg (5 .2 - 3.2 1/lOOkm); Combined 41.5 - 74.3 mpg (6.8 - 3.8 1/lOOkm) . C0 2 emissions 157 - 99 g/km. Fuel consumption and CO, figures are obtained for comparative purposes in accordance with EC directives/ regulations and may not be representative of real -life driving conditions. ' Customer deposit is £1,359.

Optional Final Payment is £5,793. Contract Term is 48 months. Promotion available on New Alfa Giulietta 1.4 TB 120 hp at £18,975 OTR registered between 4th May and 30th June 2016. Alfa Deposit Contribution only available in conjunction with Alfa Romeo Preferenza PCP. With Alfa Romeo Preferenza you have the option to return the vehicle and not pay the final payment, subject to the vehicle not having exceeded an agreed annual mileage (a charge of 6p per mile for exceeding 6,000 miles per annum in this example) and being in good condition. Finance subject to status. Guarantees may be required. Terms and Conditions apply. At participating Dealers only. Alfa Romeo Financial Services, PO BOX 4465, Slough, SL! ORW. We work with a number of creditors including Alfa Romeo Financial Services.

CITROEn

TH t~[S ON t THAT SU TS YOU . ..

CITROEN C1

4.9% APR REPRESENTATIVE FINANCE•

This fa ntastic offer en ds 30 June 201 6.

CITROEN

SIMPLY DRI

CReATiVe TeCHNOLOGie

FOR 18 YEARS AND OVER WITH TELEMATICS

3 YEARS'

INSURANCE+ ROUTINE SERVICING CARTAX 00 WARRANTY BREAKDOWN COVER

~ W iii citroen.co.uk

Offer appUes to retail sales of qualifying models ordered & delivered 01/04-30/06/2016 or until such time as offers/prices may be withdrawn by Citroen at its complete discretion & include VAT, deUvery to dealer& number plates, Government Registration Fee & 12 months' graduated vehicle excise duty. 'Citroen SimplyDrive 3 year Personal Contract Purchase offer available on all Citroen C1 models. A deposit is required followed by 35 monthly payments, with an optional final payment at the end of the contract. Excess mileage charges will apply if you exceed the agreed annual mileage. A guarantee may be required. Over 18s only. Finance provided by & written quotations available on request from PSA Finance UK Limited [company registration number 0 1024322) t/a Citroen Financial Services, Quadrant House, Princess Way, Redhill, Surrey, RH1 1QA, UK. Citroen Financial Services is authorised and regu lated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Thames Motor Group (Tunbridge Wells) Ltd is acting as a credit broker & is not a lender. To finance you r purchase we will only introduce you to Citroen Financial Services, the exclusive provider of SimplyDrive. ooThe first year's Road Fund Licence (RFL) is provided with the car. Vehicle tax is charged at a rate of £0 for Citroen C1 as it falls within vehicle tax band A. The customer must apply for years 2 & 3 RFL. Citroen SimplyDrive is subject to status. +Minimum age 18, maximum age 75. DRIVERS ARE REQ UI RED TO INSTALL THE TELEMATICS BOX & CONSENT TO DATA CAPTURE & TRANSMISSION TO QUALIFY FOR INSURANCE. All drivers must hold a full UK ~cence & meet e~gibility criteria including ~mits on driving convictions & claims. INSURANCE SUBJECT TO CANCELLATION IF YOU RECEIVE FOUR WARNINGS FOR POOR DRIVING. Excesses a pply. 3 years motor insurance is provided and underwritten by U K Insurance Limited, which is authorised by the Prude ntial Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Payments will vary according to age, post code & annual mileage. The costs of insurance, servicing & Roadside Assistance are included within the monthly cost of Citroen SimplyDrive but are provided on a monthly pay-as-yoirgo basis & can be cancelled at any time without penalty or affecting the remainder of the Citroen SimplyDrive contract. Routine servicing included, excludes wear parts. Offers & specification correct at time of going to press from participating Dealers. Terms & conditions apply. Please ask us for details. Subject to stock availability.

CITROEN prefers TOTAl.

Official Government fuel consumption figures {Range): Urban cycle, Extra urban, Combined {litres per 100km/mpg) & C0 2 emissions (g/ km); Highest: Citroen C1 PureTech 82 manual 5.4/ 52.3, 3.7/ 76.3, 4 .3/ 65.7, 99. Lowest: Citroen C1 VTi 68 S&S manual 4 .5/62.8, 3.4/83.1, 3.8/74.3, 88. MPG figures are achieved under official EU test conditions, intended as a guide for comparative purposes only, and may not reflect actual on-the-road driving conditions.

THAMES MOTOR GROUP 01892 549766 NORTH FARM INDUSTRIAL ESTATE, TUNBRIDGE WELLS, KENT, TN2 3EY www.thamestunbridgewells .citroen .co.uk

Wednesday 22nd June 2016

ADVERTISING FEATURE 

79

Abarth: Small but perfectly formed

By John Silcox WHAT IS IT? The all-new Abarth 595 shares its core design with the Fiat 500 but don’t be fooled by its cute face, this small car can really deliver a very meaty performance. It’s a natural heir to the Abarth racing cars of the 70’s and 80’s but also offers the practicality and comfort of a modern high quality city vehicle.

For 2016, the Abarth is now available in three different trim levels and features three different engines. Customers can choose between a hatchback or convertible as well as the three trim levels: 595, 595 Turismo and 595 Competizione. There are also three power levels to satisfy the requirements of increasingly demanding and competent drivers. The model we tested was the entry-level 595 with the base 1.4 T-jet 145bhp engine.

WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?

On the outside the 595’s body looks more

assertive than ever thanks to a new front bumper with large air intakes and a reworked rear bumper, which boasts new air vents. The front end is enhanced with halo-like daytime-running lights that are borrowed from the new Fiat 500 – or classic 1950’s Fiat 500, depending on which way you look at it.

Like before the 595 is mounted on relatively beefy alloys compared to its small size that give it an aggressive and muscular stance. As standard owners will get 16-inch wheels but for people opting for the rangetopping Competizione models they will get 17-inch alloy wheels that are lighter than before, as well as a showy Monza sports exhaust system with four tailpipes.

Inside the new Abarth 595 boasts some novel features. New technical materials, like Alcantara and carbon fibre, cleverly reassert the sporty character of the model. Additionally new upholstery is available on the entire range and a new flat bottom steering wheel with centre detailing was designed to ensure effective sporty driving.

WHAT’S IT GOT UNDER THE BONNET?

One of the biggest innovations is the

increased power of the 1.4 T-jet engine installed on the 595 and 595 Turismo versions. In the entry-level model it delivers a hair-raising 145bhp and 206 Nm of peak torque. And in the Turismo this is inflated to 165bhp and 230 Nm with the help of a Garrett turbine. For drivers who crave racing adrenalin in terms of both performance and technical features, the 180bhp 595 Competizione is what they need.

WHAT’S IT LIKE TO DRIVE? On the road, the 595 delivers a satisfying sporty experience with accurate steering and a snappy five-speed gearbox that gets the best out of the engine. The short wheelbase and firmly sprung chassis combine well to make handling direct and fast, enabling lightning quick direction changes.

It is the only car in its segment to fit a truly exclusive mechanical limited-slip differential, for outstanding performance.

Available on demand, the Abarth mechanical limited-slip differential features on the 595 Competizione with manual transmission and derives directly from the experience acquired on the 695 Biposto – the 595’s cousin, which is often called the world’s smallest supercar.

Such development is firm proof that Abarth is moving away from its Fiat sister company and this car feels like an individual offering and not simply a Fiat 500 with a Scorpion badge stuck on its nose.

‘New technical materials, like Alcantara and carbon fibre, cleverly reassert the sporty character of take over the model’

FACTS AT A GLANCE PRICE: from £15,090 ENGINE: 1.4 turbocharged petrol TRANSMISSION: five-gear manual PERFORMANCE: 145bhp FUEL ECONOMY: 47.1mpg combined CO2 EMISSIONS: 139g/km

Wednesday 22nd June 2016

80 ■ MOTORING NEWS

Honour for Sid the ‘Prof’ The awards ceremony was held at the Royal Automobile Club’s Woodcote Park country estate. More than 25,000 votes were placed by the public across the categories of rallying, sports cars, motorcycling, US racing and F1.

Rossi, modern motorcycling’s most successful competitor, sent a video message from the Spanish MotoGP race saying: “Hi to everybody and I am very happy and very proud to enter into the Hall of Fame. It is a great shame that I cannot come over there with you, but I wanted to say thank you, thanks a lot.

I am so happy – I will put the prize in my bedroom so we can sleep together!”

Dan Gurney, the first driver to win races in sports car, F1, Nascar and Indy Car series, also sent a heartfelt message, saying: “Well, certainly I am touched to be considered to be a part of this group listed on the trophy – people that I have looked up to all my life, some that I raced against.

I want to thank everyone from the bottom of my heart.”

The awards were presented by luminaries including Sir Jackie Stewart and McLaren boss Ron Dennis.

DRIVING FORCE (L-r) Jackie Oliver, Sebastian Loeb, Damien Smith, Derek Bell, Mat Oxley, Tom Kristensen and Jennie Gow

Wednesday 22nd June 2016

Schmitz’s track record WORLD Touring Car star and frequent Top Gear guest Tom Chilton has given his support to fellow racer Sabine Schmitz, who is presenting on the new incarnation of the globally successful show.

Speaking at the Nürburgring 24-hour race, where he took on the ‘Ring Queen’ in a three-lap sprint of the 14-mile track, Chilton said he loved the show and wished her well.

He also predicted the experienced racer would win a whole new fan base in the UK. “I absolutely love Top Gear. I’ve done nine episodes for

them and every single time I’ve had an absolute laugh,” he said.

“Sabine is the ‘Ring Queen’ and she’s done an excellent job this weekend,” added Chilton (below).

“I’m really happy she got the job, I think she’ll be really good. She has a huge following in Germany and soon she’s going to have a huge following in Britain.”

Photo Credit: Team Aon

FORMULA One doctor Sid Watkins was among five racing legends to be inducted into the Motor Sport Hall of Fame this week.

“Professor” Watkins, who lived in Ivyhatch near Sevenoaks, received the posthumous tribute in recognition of his 27 years as F1 race doctor. A hugely popular figure on the circuit until his death in 2012 aged 84, he also worked as a neurosurgeon.

Rally ace Sebastian Loeb and motorcyclist Valentino Rossi were also inducted into Motor Sport magazine’s pantheon, while Derek Bell took the sports car prize and Dan Gurney won the American category.

BEAMING SMILE Sabine Schmitz, the ‘Ring Queen’

PUZZLES 

DOUBLE CROSSWORD

14. Alice changes her name (5) 18. An extremely long time coming back for the ring (5) 19. Anxiety about horse slaughter (7) 21. Unfavourable effect created by faulty printing! (3,10) 22. The odour of southern fish (6) 23. Diminishes the growth of gimmicks (6)

Down 1. Churchman has company when the theologian comes round (6) 2. Receives an injection and is annoyed (4,3,6) 3. Paint brush used for black on the coat-of-arms (5) 5. Headquarters of the flying squad? (3-4) 6. Is this a matter of putting on airs extemporaneously? (13) 7. They speak the name of a mystery writer (6) 8. Provoke disagreements, we hear (5) 13. A cinema could be in a sickly state (7) 15. They have a deadly bite Sam comes back to get a doctor in (6) 16. Points total starting from scratch? (5) QUICK CLUES: 17. The lad did wrong on Across return (6) 20. Transplanted trees will be! 1. Elf (6) (5) 4. Swordsman (6) 9. Absolute (13) Scribble pad 10. Most sacred (7) 11. Happening (5) 12. Nip (5) 14. Condition (5) 18. Big (5) 19. Antiquated (7) 21. Disobedience (13) 22. Gives up (6) 23. Risky (6)

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

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16 13

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Down 1. Looked for (6) 2. Unmanageableness (13) 3. Strained (5) 5. Obvious (7) 6. Fixed attention (13) 7. Tell (6) 8. Unclean (5) 13. Enheartened (7) 15. Brave (6) 16. Bisect (5) 17. Sparse (6) 20. Certainty (5)

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Part of speech Projecting edge Communion Precipitation Direction Streetcar Mutilate Post Make secure

Bird Notion Female relative English river Hotpot Lash Ceremonial splendour

Keyword clue: An American city

SUDOKU

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1. Who showed us his Bottom in Russell T Davies’ recent adaptation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream?

2. Which serial recently won Best Soap for the first time at the British Soap Awards?

3. Barbadian singer Rihanna features on Too Good, a top ten hit from which Canadian rapper?

4. Sam Claflin is playing paralysed businessman Will Traynor in which movie, based on a book by Jojo Moyes?

5. The Lightning Tree by The Settlers was the theme to which equestrian kids’ show from the 1970s?

6. What is the title of the third studio album from Ariana Grande, which topped the UK charts at the end of May? 7. In which film does Ben Stiller play Robert De Niro’s character’s hapless future son-in-law?

8. Richard Jones was crowned the tenth winner of Britain’s Got Talent - what was his act?

9. The Boys are Back in Town was a UK Top Ten hit in 1976 for which Irish rock group?

10. Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling star as mismatched PIs investigating the murder of a porn star in which recently released movie?

SOLUTIONS

11. Who joined Gordon Ramsay as a “Star in a Rallycross Car” in the first episode of the revamped Top Gear?

12. With which song did Robson & Jerome have their first UK number one, back in 1995?

13. Over the Rainbow and If I Only Had a Brain are songs from which classic musical movie?

14. Helen Skelton presents which BBC show, where Danny Clarke and his team provide quick and crafty makeovers?

15. What was the name of Andy Pandy’s rag doll pal, who only came to life when he wasn’t around?

11 Idea; 12 Aunt; 13 Tees; 14 Stew; 15 Whip; 16 Pomp.

Keyword: MEMPHIS CODEWORD: 1=W, 2=C, 3=D, 4=T, 5=B, 6=Z, 7=X, 8=K, 9=F, 10=S, 11=Y, 12=N, 13=H, 14=O, 15=E, 16=A, 17=M, 18=J, 19=Q, 20=L, 21=V, 22=I, 23=U, 24=P, 25=R, 26=G ENTERTAINMENT QUIZ: 1 Matt Lucas; 2 Emmerdale; 3 Drake; 4 Me Before You; 5 Follyfoot; 6 Dangerous Woman; 7 Meet the Parents; 8 Magician; 9 Thin Lizzy; 10 The Nice Guys; 11 Jesse Eisenberg; 12 Unchained Melody; 13 The Wizard of Oz; 14 The Instant Gardener; 15 Looby Loo SUDOKU:

Codeword is the crossword puzzle with no clues. The number in each square corresponds to a letter. Work out the words in the grid using the letters provided. Fill in these known letters first, then use skill and judgement to work out the others.

2

Starting from 1, fill in the grid clockwise with four-letter words. The last letter of each word becomes the first letter of the next to reveal the key word in the shaded boxes.

ENTERTAINMENT QUIZ

CODEWORD

1

WORD SPIRAL

DOUBLE CROSSWORD: Cryptic: Across: 1 Digest; 4 Matins; 9 Autobiography; 10 Ostlers; 11 Amour; 12 Relay; 14 Celia; 18 Arena; 19 Carnage; 21 Bad impression; 22 Stench; 23 Stunts.

Down: 1 Deacon; 2 Gets the needle; 3 Sable; 5 Air-base; 6 Improvisation; 7 Sayers; 8 Rouse; 13 Anaemic; 15 Mambas; 16 Score; 17 Dennis; 20 Reset.

Quick: Across: 1 Sprite; 4 Fencer; 9 Unconditional; 10 Holiest; 11 Event; 12 Pinch; 14 State; 18 Large; 19 Archaic; 21 Contravention; 22 Yields; 23 Chancy.

Down: 1 Sought; 2 Recalcitrance; 3 Tense; 5 Evident; 6 Concentration; 7 Relate; 8 Dirty; 13 Cheered; 15 Plucky; 16 Halve; 17 Scanty; 20 Cinch.

WORD SPIRAL: 1 Verb; 2 Brim; 3 Mass; 4 Snow; 5 West; 6 Tram; 7 Maim; 8 Mail; 9 Lock; 10 Kiwi;

CRYPTIC CLUES: Across 1. Diana gets incorrect summarised version (6) 4. Mother’s holding the money for the service (6) 9. Literally, a self-portrait (13) 10. Grooms the first of the ladies in various stores (7) 11. Romance three-quarters of an hour mother returns (5) 12. Race broadcast (5)

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Wednesday 22nd June 2016

82  ADVERTISING FEATURE

New ports of call…

F

ROM May 2017, The Norwegian Jade sails straight for Southampton where, for the first time since 2010, it will be beginning its voyages in and out of the port to Western Europe and the Norwegian Fjords; visiting a selection of brand new ports of call with brand new itineraries for 2017. The Jades previous destinations have definitely not been forgotten, with these new ports of call only adding to the abundance of destinations already available for you to visit and enjoy whilst on your cruise. Leaving from the port of Southampton, these cruises offer the convenience of driving to the port, taking the coach or taking the train to the city from a wide variety of locations around the UK. Not only is this the perfect option if you prefer not to fly, but it takes away the worry about airline baggage allowances or parking restrictions, making your journey even more stress free.

Whether you’re beginning or ending your journey in Southampton, the city has excellent links to London, making this a great and easy opportunity to explore the capital.

For nine nights, from mid-May to September 2017, hop on-board the Norwegian Jade on her first voyage of the year out of Southampton. After a relaxing day at sea, spend the day in Hamburg, the second largest city in Germany. Whether you’re exploring the authentic local culture, admiring the modern architecture or taking a wander along the Elbe River, there’s something for everyone, there’s no question you’ll have a guten tag in Hamburg!

The Jade will then visit Amsterdam, known as the “Venice of the North” due to its canals and beautiful architecture. With sights and activities such as visiting The Anne Frank House, The Hague or cycling along the canals before stopping for lunch; you’re spoilt for choice! Pick from a wide range of shore excursions at this port of call, available to book before you board!

The Jade then sails south wards to Zeebrugge, a historical port with shore excursions available to

Wednesday 22nd June 2016

‘The Jade will visit Amsterdam, known as the “Venice of the North” due to its canals and beautiful architecture’ Bruges and Brussels. Known as the ultimate European city, Brussels has plenty of museums, fountains, gardens and great shopping. On the other hand, if you decide to visit Bruges you will not be disappointed. With its medieval history well preserved, step back in time as you begin your guided tour through the town, often called “Die Scone” or “the beautiful”. You will be captured immediately by the picturesque ancient buildings, tree lined canals and gabled facades.

As well as enjoying a 30 minute canal tour of the serene waterways, enjoy time on your own to explore Bruges and pick up those last minute souvenirs with authentic lace and chocolate shops on every corner.

Next stop Le Havre! If you don’t fancy travelling too far, visit Le Havre and explore the city by foot, discovering countless architectural gems such as the Town Hall and the Saint Roch gardens.

At the end of your tour, you can stay in the city centre to shop or explore further, and later return to the ship on your own. If you want to journey further, take part in one of the three different Paris excursions including sightseeing and orientation tours, a lunch cruise on the Seine or, if you prefer to make your own adventures, explore Paris on your own with sightseeing plans and information about locations available for you on request.

If you fancy something a bit different, a scenic drive will take you from Le Havre via the Normandy Bridge to the city of Honfleur. This colorful port on the Seine estuary has remained a major centre for the arts for centuries. The history

HOLLAND Typical Dutch houses

of Honfleur, which has been sung by many poets and painted by famous artists, follow in their footsteps as Honfleur offers visitors a unique heritage which can be best seen by strolling along the picturesque narrow streets lined by timberframed houses. The guided walking tour of the town includes St. Catherine’s Church and its bell tower, the Salt Warehouses, the Lieutenancy, residence of the former Governor of the town and the old port.

The Jade will make her final two stops in Portland, UK and Brest, France. Located along the English Channel, Portland is divided into two areas: north and south. The south end is where extensive stone quarries lie, a resource important to the region. Unique to the city is the Weymouth

and Portland National Sailing Academy, which hosts world sailing championships. Brest is a historic naval port has many military landmarks for you to explore. View the heavily fortified Chateau de Brest and the rotund 14th century Tour Tanguy tower. The tower contains a museum with dioramas depicting the town on the eve of World War II. But Brest is so much more than a military town. It is the gateway to enchanting medieval villages and abbeys, the mythical Abers Coast and elegant chateaux. Instead of recapping your day over seafood, opt for Breton crêpes made with buckwheat – they are a specialty here.

Alternatively, in 2017 join the Norwegian Jade on one of her two journeys to the Norwegian Fjords. After a relaxing day at sea, the Jade docks

ADVERTISING FEATURE �

LAKE SIDE Hamburg at sunset

in Hamburg giving you a day to explore the city before sailing north towards the Norwegian Fjords where your real adventure begins. The first port of call of the Fjords is Skjolden, located at the innermost point of the Sognefjorden, Norway's longest fjord. This quiet village is surrounded by mountains and waterfalls and you’ll want to snap a picture of the Lusterfjord – so don’t forget your camera! Next, the Jade docks at Bergen, before you even disembark at this port, from the ship you'll see how this city is nestled between seven mountains, seven fjords and the North Sea. This port is filled with history with links to the Norwegian King and other historical events which come alive when you amble down the old streets of Bryggen, past picturesque, wooden buildings and the Romanesque-style St. Mary's church. As you cruise further through the Fjords, why not visit Ålesund

83

which is not only the fishing capital of the country but also one of Norway’s most beautiful towns with scenic views of the Sunnmore Alps.

On day eight of your journey, find yourself spoilt with fantastic views and quaint villages as you go ashore by tender to visit Hellesylt and Geiranger. Looking for natural wonders that are truly wondrous? Look no further than the Geiranger Fjord. Emerge from a fairy tale pine forest and gaze at the fjord and surrounding mountains. You'll find much more to amaze here, from a central waterfall to the winding roads and streams of the Moldskreddalen Valley. Next visit the village of Geiranger, nestled in a valley in western Norway. Geiranger grants a respite to remember and visitors come from all over to explore the fjord and its gorgeous views of nearby waterfalls, mountainscapes and charming farms.

THE JADE Out of Southampton

Wednesday 22nd June 2016

84 n RECRUITMENT

WITH THE

FIND YOUR PERFECT JOB TODAY â&#x20AC;&#x201C; A MUST READ FOR THOSE LOOKING FOR WORK LOCALLY

Wednesday 22nd June 2016

OF TUNBRIDGE WELLS AND TONBRIDGE

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FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO PLACE AN ADVERT CONTACT OUR SALES DEPARTMENT ON 01892 779624

Wednesday 22nd June 2016

86 ■ ARTS & CULTURE

Weaving a theatrical tapestry out of life’s rich abundance of emotional material Fabric starts its run at the EM Forster theatre in Tonbridge this Wednesday. Eileen Leahy spoke to its writer Abi Zakarian and director Tom O’Brien about what audiences can expect from this new piece of contemporary theatre which examines some very personal issues

Photos: Pamela Raith

TABLE TALK The TREMers team in rehearsals

Wednesday 22nd June 2016

“FABRIC came out of a desire to write a one woman play that examined the myriad of roles and expectations women have to fulfil in today’s society,” says its author Abi Zakarian as she chats to the Times all about her latest work.

The play, which is being previewed at the EM Forster theatre from Wednesday until Saturday before it tours a further seven venues in the South East prior to heading to the Edinburgh Festival, looks on a wider scale at the ‘endemic inequality’ that still exists for women.

“It tells the story of Leah as she is packing up boxes in her flat with a view to moving,” continues the play’s director Tom O’Brien. “She reflects on experiences in her life and how she has become isolated and alone with her past drifting away.”

Tom and Abi, along with actress Nancy Sullivan who plays Leah, have been working on this production for the past year and a half.

The initial idea for doing something along these lines came from Tom and Nancy who had collaborated together before in plays such as Jonathan Neill’s Judy, The Righteous and The Fastest Clock in the Universe by Philip Ridley.

“We’d done a couple of projects and knowing how we push each other artistically we were keen to challenge ourselves,” says Tom.

‘Tom and Abi, along with actress Nancy Sullivan who plays Leah, have been working on this production for the past year and a half’ Once they had brought on board Abi, who has written plays for the RSC, the trio decided to specifically focus on gender equality. “We looked at the structures that are in place to hold back true equality and over the course of a year and a half we developed the play into the script we have now,” adds Tom. Abi says the primary reason she wrote the one woman piece was due to anger. “I am so tired

ARTS & CULTURE 

of reading about case after case of women who have suffered appalling assaults only to be scrutinised as to how they are apparently somehow partly responsible for what’s happened to them.”

The writer, who cites Samuel Beckett as one of her literary inspirations, admits that audiences will not find the play an ‘easy watch’ but hopes they will come away questioning things in their own lives a little more. “It’s alright to feel uncomfortable about things we have always accepted as the norm,” says Abi. Tom affirms this: “Audiences can expect to be taken on a journey with a character that we can all identify with. Hopefully they will take away from the theatre a real sense of what Leah experiences and question their own understanding of gender inequality.”

Although technically Fabric is a one

woman show there are numerous other characters within the story of the play but you won’t see them appearing on stage as their stories are told through Leah’s eyes and experiences.

“We get to hear the voices of many different people and their perspectives,” reveals Tom. “So we really get to ‘meet’ them. Nancy is doing such a brilliant job as Leah.”

The TREMers production company responsible for touring Fabric was founded in 2011 by former Skinners’ student Robin Rayner so there is a nice link to one of his works being performed at the theatre he used to tread the boards on as a boy.

“I am very excited about that link” adds Tom “and that the play is going out to many different audiences from various demographics. Leah is very relatable so my hope is that Fabric will be seen by everyone.”

FABRIC will preview at the EM Forster Theatre Studio 22 – 25 June prior to a tour which includes The Marlowe Theatre Canterbury, New Wimbledon Studio London, Hawth Crawley, Theatre Royal Margate, Mercury Colchester, Old Fire Station Oxford and Hawth Crawley prior to showing at the Edinburgh Festival at Underbelly.

For tickets, priced at £12, to the performance at the EM Forster theatre visit: www.tonbridgearts.com or call 01732 304241. To find out more about Fabric visit: www. fabrictheplay.com.

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Turn on, tune in and rock out with The Bay Rays at Glastonbury

This talented trio from Tunbridge Wells have gone from being a local covers band to one of the brightest young things in the indie music world – in the short space of just twelve months. Eileen Leahy caught up with The Bay Rays to find out how they came to be performing on the BBC Introducing stage at this weekend’s Glastonbury festival PLAYING at what is easily the world’s most famous music event is no small feat for any group. But for one that was touring pubs around Penshurst and Chiddingstone as a covers band only a year ago The Bay Rays’ ascent into the cool world of indie rock music is nothing short of remarkable.

“We didn’t start writing our own material until last autumn,” reveals the band’s bassist Anthus Davis, 25.

“Max Oakley our drummer and Harry Nicholl, guitarist and lead vocalist, did a trip along Route 66 in the US and decided they wanted to start playing music as a band again.”

When the boys returned to Tunbridge Wells they recruited bassist Anthus who had to ‘learn about 30 covers in a day’ before their first gig.

Once the boys were regularly playing music together they decided to drop doing other artists’ material and start penning and performing their own songs.

But first they had to find a name for themselves and inspiration came courtesy of the veteran indie band the Dead Kennedy’s whose guitarist is called East Bay Ray. The trio cite him along

FESTIVAL FEVER (L to R) Max, Harry and Anthus with The Clash, Iggy Pop, Pixies, Bruce Springsteen, The Beatles and John Cooper Clarke as big musical inspiration for them.

With a few songs under their belt The Bay Rays performed their first official gig at The Forum earlier this year. “I think there were about 15 people there – and half of them were our mums and family!” jokes Anthus.

“The Forum can feel very empty when there aren’t many people there” says Max, 24, who also runs the Ninety One Barbers in town. “But it was fun and it was nice not playing a load of covers.

We’ve played there twice now. Recently we supported Slaves there for a charity gig for Nordiff Robbins.”

What did it feel like when they first heard themselves on the radio? “We were in shock and it was a bit odd. Abbie McCarthy at BBC Introducing in Kent helped us get exposure by playing our very first demo on the radio. We all huddled around a car stereo in a pub car park before playing a covers gig. That was a fun night!”

So to go from a relatively tiny musical platform to the industry’s biggest one down at Worthy Farm in Somerset this weekend courtesy of being spotted by BBC Introducing will surely be a pinch yourself moment for the band?

“Glastonbury is the best festival in the world, it is legendary,” says Harry. “To be asked to play is an honor as so many acts who have played on the Introducing stage have gone onto bigger things.

“We’ll be playing Leefest at the end of July but most of our time this summer will be taken up with a Sunday residency at the Sussex which starts on July 22nd . We’ll be there once a month until September. Then we’ll be writing and going back into the studio with our producer Jolyon Thomas to record our first EP which will be released later this year.”

Wednesday 22nd June 2016

88  WHAT’S ON SEVEN DAYS OF SOCIAL ACTIVITIES AT A GLANCE

WHATS ON WITH THE

Eileen Leahy

Local events >> WEDNESDAY From today until June 30 local artist Agatha O’Neill will be exhibiting her One Picture Every Day show of ink and paint collages at Perk and Pearl in Tunbridge Wells. Dubbed ‘the smallest gallery in Kent’, it’s the perfect launch pad for artists looking to get off the ground. For more information on exhibiting there visit www.perkandpearl.com.

Agatha’s private view is on from 6-8pm tonight and all are welcome. For more info see: Instagram @agatha_draws.

At 8pm Ed Watts will be tinkling the ivories at the Scallwag Café in a Naked Jazz Jam Evening. Tickets cost £5 on the door but admission is free for participating musicians.

Fabric starts its four night run at the EM Forster theatre in Tonbridge this evening. Written by Abi Zakarian it is the story of one woman’s life unravelling. (See our Arts and Culture section on p88-89 for an exclusive interview with the team behind this production.) >> THURSDAY At 10.30am there will be a guided walking tour of The Pantiles. Meet at the Tourist Information Centre in the Corn Exchange in order to learn all about our historic spa town and why it attracted the likes of Samuel Pepys and Queen Anne to visit.

Rusthall library will be hosting a talk tonight with the writer and historian Hugh Gault and Jane Gallagher from the University of Kent on the life of Kingsley Wood MP. The former Conservative Cabinet Minister and Churchill’s Chancellor of the Exchequer in WWII worked alongside some of the political greats including David Lloyd George and Neville Chamberlain and also lived locally in Broomhill Bank. To find out more about his fascinating career pop along to the library at 6.30pm. Tickets cost £3.

To book call: 03000 41 31 31.

Literary fans should drop into Waterstones in

Wednesday 22nd June 2016

If you would like to see your events featured in our weekly What’s On pages please email info@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk

Tunbridge Wells at 7pm where they can catch a talk by novelist Erica James on her latest tome Song of the Skylark.

Tonight at the Abergavenny Arms in Frant chef Giles Fulcher will serve a five course Culinary Extravaganza of local and seasonal produce.

The food will be complemented by a selection of fine wines from Ellis of Richmond chosen by its sommelier Mike Kard. For more details visit: www.abergavennyarms.co.uk Jazz on The Pantiles continues this evening with performances from Anita Wardell and the Roger Beaujolais Sextet. >> FRIDAY Moonlight and Magnolias starts its week-long run at the Oast House Theatre in Tonbridge at 8pm. Penned by Ron Hutchinson and set in 1939 it dramatises the infamous story of the making of Gone With the Wind when its producer David O Selznick fired the director and called a halt to filming.

The chaos that ensued behind the scenes of the biggest movie of all time is captured to brilliant comedic effect in this production. For ticket details please click through to: www.oasttheatre.com From 6.30 until 9.30pm The Secret Wine Cellar will be holding a showcase

of over 120 of its wines. There will be tastings of everything from rare rosés to unique spirits and classic champagnes at the event which will take place in the Corn Exchange.

Tonight Trinity theatre will be showing Hologram for the King. Starring Tom Hanks it’s based on the best-selling book by Dave Eggers which focuses on the life and career of a jaded American salesman who goes out to Saudi Arabia in order to secure the IT contract for a new complex based in the desert. Could Hanks’ character Alan Clay finally get something right in his life? Go along for 8pm to find out.

Today there will be an Open Gardens event in Rotherfield. Running from 11am to 6pm visitors will be able to explore around a number of the village’s gardens. Tickets cost £5 and are available from the village hall with proceeds going to St Denys’ church.

Step away from the stresses of everyday life by going along to the choral evensong performance by the Cantiaci group this evening. Starting at 6pm at St Peter’s Upper Church in Pembury, it promises to be a very tranquil way to ease yourself into next week. For ticket details please email: info@ cantiaci.org.uk

>> SATURDAY This is the final weekend to catch Leon Morocco’s What The River Knew exhibition at Mascalls Gallery in Paddock Wood. It comprises a series of interesting paintings that are inspired by the ‘gutsy, vibrant, edgy and sometimes grungy’ aspects of London’s famous river. For more information visit: www.mascallsgallery.org Burrswood in Groombridge is hosting Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream at 7pm (doors open for picnics from 5pm). The production by the renowned Illyria Theatre Company will be performed in Burrswood’s stunning grounds – whatever the weather! So bring a picnic, a rug and possibly a brolly and enjoy this classic comedy by the Bard.

Tickets cost £17.50 per adult, £10 for children or a family ticket for two adults and up to three children costs £50. To book call: 01892 865985 for tickets or email: fundraising@burrswood.org.uk The Tunbridge Wells Male Orpheus choir will perform their unique blend of classic, contemporary and folk songs at 7.30pm at King Charles the Martyr church.

The Primavera Chamber Ensemble will be playing from 7.30pm in the Baron’s Hall at Penshurst Place. So if you’re a lover of classical musical masterpieces ensure you book tickets. For more details visit: www.primavera-ensemble.co.uk

>> SUNDAY Dame Kelly Holmes will officially open the Southborough and District Lions Club’s 35th show at the Meadows School, Southborough Common, at 1pm today.

Visitors can enjoy a range of attractions including birds of prey demonstrations, classic cars, heavy horses, skittles and a Punch and Judy show. Entrance costs £1 and parking is free. Donations will go to Kelly’s Charity Heroes which includes local causes like The Hospice in the Weald and the Pickering Drop In Centre.

>> MONDAY Showing at Trinity, the Odeon cinema and the Uckfield Picture House tonight is a live performance of the Royal Opera House’s production of Werther. Based on Goethe’s famous novel entitled The Sorrows of Young Werther, this operatic version tells the story of the poet Werther’s doomed love for the beautiful Charlotte, who is sadly promised to another man.

A STORMY RELATIONSHIP Werther is on this week An exhibition entitled Dear Diary by Nat O’Millervan starts today at Trinity and runs until Sunday. The artist’s work, which comprises pages of her personal hand written diaries, encourages the viewer to reconsider how we connect and express ourselves without resorting to social media.

WHAT’S ON 

A ROUND-UP OF THIS WEEK’S MUSICAL HIGHLIGHTS >> TUESDAY Tonight at the Odeon cinema there will be a screening of Richard II. The first of Shakespeare’s history plays centres around the fractious relationship between King Richard and his rebellious aid Henry Bolingbroke. A story of power and plotting ensues in this dramatic performance by the Royal Shakespeare Company. Starts at 7pm.

For ticket details visit: www.odeon.co.uk The Tall Tales, Tiny Tavern Exhibition at Tunbridge Wells Museum & Art Gallery continues.

Artist Alec Stevens and writer Jo Kimber have been commissioned to work collaboratively on this exhibition which reinterprets the museum’s collection of dolls’ house furniture, developing new stories which will be presented in a gallery installation.

DESERT STORM Tom Hanks stars in Hologram for the King

PICK OF THE WEEK Tunbridge Wells Arts Fair Assembly Hall June 24 – 26

Paul Dunton

The must-read guide to what’s on musically for the week ahead… www.paulduntonandguests.com

Live music Join popular local Classical duo Lyrae this Thursday for a wonderful evening of great music, food, and the warm hospitality of Maria and Franco at Il Vesuvio restaurant. Lyrae will accompany your dining experience with a mixture of easy listening song, piano and violin music at a cost of £5 supplement per head.

The Forum has an amazing week of alternative music ahead with British Sea Power playing this Wednesday and look out for Bombay Monkey on Friday night who will be joined on the bill

by Men Imitating Machines, Durians, and DJ Karl Quinn. There are also some great local rock bands performing there on Saturday including The Days We Don’t, Renegade, Silent Crowd and Sleep In Solitude.

The Cross Keys will be serving up another feast of fine blues music with the excellent Debbie Bond performing live this Friday night. On Saturday night at the Beau Nash Tavern you can catch the Emily Duo who will be performing a vibrant mix of covers from the 60s to present day.

The popular Local & Live Sessions return to Trinity Theatre this Saturday night with The Reckostacks who are fronted by singer-songwriter Alex Beharrell. They will be joined on the bill by the soulful sounds of ‘McCrei’ who are led by siblings Leanne & Shannon McCrei.

SUNDAY Gronk, Milly Rusling, MODL, Bison TUESDAY Amber Anderton, The Paul Dunton Orchestra, Drifting Embers, The Orange Circus WEDNESDAY MusicStation Presents, Abi Hudson, Jack Burns, The Ackerleys THE SPA HOTEL, MT EPHRAIM

Open all day, free entry, music from 8pm, for dining bookings call 01892 520331

FRIDAY - Fred Clark NO.9 SMOKEHOUSE, 9 NEVILL STREET

Open all day, free entry music from 8.30pm till late

FRIDAY Duvet Dogs SATURDAY Big River

THE TUNBRIDGE WELLS FORUM

The Tunbridge Wells Arts Fair begins on Friday June 24 at the Assembly Hall. Beginning at 11am visitors can drop in until 8pm this evening free of charge in order to view the varied work of some of the South East’s most talented artists. There will also be an exhibition of local schools’ art projects. Tickets for the rest of the weekend cost £6 and the event runs until Sunday. For more details visit: www.tunbridgewellsartfair.com

TRINITY THEATRE, CHURCH ROAD

Tickets £10 available on the door or from www.trinitytheatre.net or 01892 678678

Doors open 7pm music from 8pm SATURDAY Local And Live Sessions: The Reckostacks, McCrei, Paul Dunton Orchestra CASSIDY’S SPORTS BAR, CASTLE STREET

Open all day, free entry, music from 9pm till late

FRIDAY The Cover Ups SCALLYWAG, 45 MOUNT EPHRAIM

Open all day, music from 7.30pm, entry charge for music may apply, more information at www.scallywagcafe.co.uk

WEDNESDAY Naked Jazz Jam FRIDAY Ed Watts (Jazz Piano) SATURDAY Blues, Roots and Country with Dave Beckett and Kathryn Anderson

IL VESUVIO RESTAURANT, CAMDEN ROAD

THE ROYAL OAK, PROSPECT ROAD

Open all day, free entry, music from 8pm onwards

SATURDAY Toxic Rock Disco MONDAY – Open Mic/Jam Session THE BEAU NASH INN, MOUNT EPHRAIM

JAZZ ON THE PANTILES

Open all day, free entry, music from 8.30pm till late

8pm - 10pm live music on The Bandstand, free to attend, donations welcomed

FRIDAY Soul Night SATURDAY Emily Duo

THURSDAY Anita Wardell, Roger Beaujolais Sextet

THE PUNCH & JUDY THE CROSS KEYS, ST JOHNS ROAD

Doors 7.30pm, entry price variable, event information and tickets www.twforum.co.uk

WEDNESDAY Sonny’s Jazz: June Beckles & Roger Lewin FRIDAY Sonny’s Blues: Debbie Bond MONDAY TWUNT Ukuklele Jam Session WEDNESDAY Sonny’s Jazz: Charles Alexander & Andy Robinson

7.30pm, £5 dining supplement, under 12s listen for free! Booking recommended 01892 534420

THURSDAY - Belle ragazze music night: LYRAE Duo - voice, violin & piano.

89

Open all day, free entry, music from 8pm, website www.crosskeystw.co.uk

11 St Stephens Street Tonbridge Open all day, free entry, music from 8.30pm till late

TUESDAY Atlantic Currents

WEDNESDAY British Sea Power FRIDAY Men Imitating Machines, Bombay Monkey, Durians, DJ Karl Quinn SATURDAY The Days We Don’t, Renegade, Silent Crowd, Sleep In Solitude SUNDAY Unfest Sunday Sessions THE GREY LADY MUSIC LOUNGE, THE PANTILES

Doors 7.15pm, entry £6/£7, websites www.pdag.co.uk + www.thegreylady.co.uk

WEDNESDAY All The Above, Dan Sumner, James McMaster FRIDAY Salsa Camina SATURDAY Funkin Function

TWO’S COMPANY Hear McCrei at Trinity

Wednesday 22nd June 2016

90 ■ THE GREAT OUTDOORS

Kent Barker Country matters

After taking a leap from London, the plan was to start a new life in the countryside and a career as a famous author. Instead I acquired a dog and part-time work managing a community orchard. You can read these experiences on my blog: www.kentcountrymatters.blogspot.co.uk

Ducklings end up in the soup

T

HE sun is shining, bees are flying and if further proof were needed that all’s well with the world, just look at the ducklings on the pond. Not that it’s too easy to spot them among the layer of green algae that covers most of the surface.

I believe I mentioned before that for some time after my father, Felix, constructed what he insisted on referring to as a ‘lake’, the water was clear as a bell. Actually that’s a lousy analogy, referring to sound, not the opacity of water. So please just accept that the water was so crystal clear (that’s better!) that you could see the house reflected in it. In fact there’s a photograph somewhere in the archive of two ducks swimming around contentedly, spreading ripples across the surface and disturbing the mirrored image.

Once he’d constructed his ‘lake’ father decided it needed waterfowl. Books on the subject were bought and experts consulted. What he really wanted was swans – preferably black swans – but there was some concern that all swans are owned by the crown and that stealing them could amount to treason. Since the last man tried for treason in the UK, William Joyce aka Lord Haw Haw, was executed in 1946 there was some reluctance to risk purloining a breeding pair – even had he been able to capture them.

Wednesday 22nd June 2016

So it was decided that geese would have to do instead, and a gaggle of four duly arrived and took up residence. Now, had they remained on the water, all would have been well. But they would insist on climbing out of the pond and waddling into the garden. This created two problems. First the mess. I don’t want to go into the toilet habits of geese in too much detail, but let us just say that their excretions are copious and extremely unpleasant underfoot. But worse – if anything could be worse – was their habit of

attacking anyone who came within range and nipping them painfully. Coupled with their incessant noise, this rendered the garden pretty much uninhabitable.

Finally the geese departed – I can’t recall if voluntarily or not – and father and I set off to buy some ducks from a man over near Goudhurst.

Two pairs were selected, had their wings clipped to prevent them from flying away and were brought home and ceremoniously released from their cardboard box. They took to the pond like ducks to… erm… water, swam smartly ‘Not that it’s too easy to spot them across to the other among the layer of green algae side, climbed out, crossed the bank, that covers most of the surface’ descended into the river and immediately paddled off, never to be seen again. Father declared that it was the most expensive 30 seconds of entertainment he’d ever had. But it didn’t stop him trying again.

This time the birds were imprisoned in a

soundly constructed cage of chicken wire and provided with an old tin bath in which to paddle – which seemed a shame as, on the other side of the wire, lay the glistening expanse of the pond.

Anyway it was deemed a success and after a while, eggs were laid and ducklings hatched.

Father had invited an old buddy named Julian to stay for the weekend and together, whiskies in hand, they sat on the edge of the lawn monitoring the ducklings’ progress. As night fell along with the temperature and the level of the whisky, Julian expressed concern about ducks’ ability to withstand the cold. It must have preyed on father’s mind because, shortly after dawn, he left his bed to check on the newborns, only to find them immobile.

It was Julian who retold the next part of the tale: how he’d come downstairs for breakfast to find Felix crouched over the stove. (This itself might have given rise to some suspicion since father had never in his life been known to cook anything more complicated than toast – and even that he generally contrived to burn.) Julian was somewhat short-sighted and thus it was a few moments before he focused on what father had in the pan of water which was starting to steam gently on a hot ring. “Felix,” he asked eventually, “why exactly are you boiling those two ducklings alive? I would rather prefer an egg if it’s all the same to you.”

You’ve probably guessed the answer. Father was adamant he was simply rescuing the freezing youngsters before hypothermia set in. The rest of the family tried to persuade him that ducks are generally well adapted to surviving in low temperatures. But he would have none of it and remained convinced he’d saved their tiny lives.

And they did survive.

For myself, I’m happy to let nature take its course and I neither buy my waterfowl nor, indeed, seek to intervene if the wild ones that visit look a bit peaky or, indeed, chilly.

Concerned about your home being sold to fund your future care fees?

The Issue You probably own your home as joint tenants if you are a couple and solely if you are single. For couples this means you own it wholly, jointly and severally. Ultimately therefore you do not own it 50:50 as you might have assumed. You actually own all of it together and when one partner dies the surviving partner owns it solely and absolutely.

It is sole and absolute ownership that enables a whole property to be taken into consideration as an asset by the local authority and puts the property in danger of needing to be sold to fund care.

The Reality Today The care Act 2014 introduced in April 2015 allows local authorities to assess your assets to determine if you need to pay for your own care under the new charges and assessment of resources regulations.

Currently if you have assets above £23,250, you are on your own and require care, you will probably have to pay for it all - currently averaging around £1 ,OOO per week.

Savings, cash and income would be used first and then your property would need to be taken into consideration. You would be expected to pay for all of your care until such time as your assets were depleted to below the £23,250 threshold.

You would then pay for a proportion of your care until your assets were below £14,250 - at which point all your future care would be paid for after any relevant income was taken into account.

The Solution For couples, simply by changing the way you own your property well in advance of any care considerations i.e. from joint tenants to tenants in common and by setting up two property Trusts either immediately or within a properly structured Will at the same time will in most cases, protect the integrity of your home should you ever require care in the future, so long as avoiding care fees was not a primary motivating reason behind the implementation fo the strategy - i.e. you should be looking to protect your half of your property should your spouse remarry after your death, or you should be looking to ensure that your children would not lose 50% of their inheritance should they be made bankrupt or divorce or for example you should be looking to prevent a generational inheritance tax burden in the future. These are all sound reasons for implementing this strategy which in themselves are not deliberate deprivation of assets, but the implemantation of which protects the integrity of the property.

For sole owners the process is simply to set up a Trust now and convey your property into it which will produce the same result again this must be well in advance of any care considerations and the motivation must not solely be for the purpose of preventing your home being used to fund your care.

surviving partner is the Trustee of that Trust and also the Primary Beneficiary which mea'!l that as they own half and are Trustee of the other half they have complete control over the property and what happens to it. The children and/ or whoever else is also nominated as ultimate Trust Beneficiaries will have access to that half of the property when the surviving partner dies. The first half of the property then is 100% securely in Trust for the beneficiaries and will not be at risk. As a result of this simple strategy and because it is not possible to sell just the survivor's half of the property, the integrity of the property is protected. While the "market value" of half a property is negligible, The Care Act 2014 guidelines do allow for this half to have a charge placed on it under a deferred payment arrangement for care fees which is why this package includes a Lasting Power of Attorney grant for Property and Financial affairs which will enable a pre-appointed Attorney to act on behalf of the survivor should they be unable to themselves and negotiate with the Local Authority for the property to be rented out and a percentage of the income given to the Local Authority instead of a charge being placed. The second half of the property would then ultimately go into the Trust for access by the nominated beneficiaries when the surviving partner eventually dies.

With our Whole of Life and Post Death Complete Property and Family Protection Package both halves of the property are conveyed into Trust IMMEDIATELY. This means the whole property is protected straight away and not just after the first party dies. The benefits of this package are that it then protects the property even if both parties go into care before the death of either. It also means that if the survivor goes into care the property does not have to be rented but if it is 100% of the income goes directly into the Trusts for the benefit of the survivor or any of the other Trust Beneficiaries and does not have to be given to the Local Authority. The most important benefit of this package though is the property can be sold at any time and the resulting proceeds be fully protected for the whole family within the Trusts and no negotiation with the Local Authority is required.

Sole owners and couples who have immediately conveyed their properties into Trust well in advance of any care consideration and not solely for the purpose of preventing their home being used to fund their care (deliberate deprivation of assets) secures the integrity of the property (so long as entry into care is not within 6 months of setting up the strategy) as the property is not absolutely owned by an individual anymore and it is not legal to force a Trustee to do something that is not in the ultimate best interest of the Trust Beneficiaries.

Call us now for a friendly chat about which package would be of best benefit to you and your family.

TONBRIDGE: 01732 605411

The Reasoning When you own your home as tenants in common you actually own half each. With our Post death Property Protection Package when the first partner dies, they leave their half into their Trust. The

E

TUNBRIDGE WELLS: 01892 278171

www.thywill.co.uk

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