Times of Tonbridge 4th January 2017

timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk @timesoftw

ANGELS’ MADNESS AS

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Wednesday January 4 | 2017

TOWN’S CALENDAR SELL S

OF TONBRIDGE

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Why separation and divorce can still be a civilised affair IF you are experiencing the anxiety and loss of a relationship ending and suffering sleepless nights worrying about the future, you are not alone

BY TERESA PAYNE

Almost 50% of all marriages end in divorce and for many it can be the most traumatic time in their lives. Months and sometimes years are spent deciding whether to separate and then, when the decision has been made, it can take an age to pluck up the courage to take action. Emotions run high and delays are usually down to fear of the unknown and what life will be like after the separation. Not to mention how you’ll cope financially and what you’ll tell the kids.

The truth is there is no easy way out.

However, the actions you take now and the choices you make will have a big impact on your new life.

Your future is in your hands. You can choose to be reactive to your situation or you can be proactive and take the lead and put a stop to the fighting, Hey! We‛re part of it too!

When families break up A young persons guide

anger and hurt.

Divorce and separation is a life changing event and mistakes can be costly both emotionally and financially and you must be prepared to invest in order to secure your future. To take control you need information and advice from an experienced and trusted advisor which will allow you to make informed decisions about your future.

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through and they can help ease the pain and will work with you to achieve the best outcome possible for you to move on with your life.

Our service is confidential, discreet and bespoke to each client and we will never disclose your information to others. Out of hours appointments are available if required.

For a limited period I am offering a selected number of potential clients an opportunity to meet with one of the family solicitors in my team for a free initial consultation to discuss the options available. Due to high demand I am only able to offer 20 appointments this month and I know that the appointments will book up very quickly. Choosing the right legal team is key to your emotional and financial future so contact us today to see how we can help you achieve the outcome you want.

The right legal team is key to your emotional and financial future. Family Law Solicitor Teresa Payne

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Children should always come first when a family separates When families break up, children can feel very isolated, puzzled and worried about why Mum and Dad are not getting on and what might happen to the family. It is easy to overlook how badly the children can be effected when you are caught up in the emotional hurt and turmoil.

Tunbridge Wells Law firm, Keene Marsland are only

too aware of these issues and challenges. They have produced ‘Hey! We’re part of it too!’, a children’s guide to help them understand what happens when their parents separate and divorce. It is so important to reassure the children that they are as important as ever and to help them realise that it is not their fault.

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SEPARATION & DIVORCE, FINANCIAL AND CHILDREN MATTERS, CO-HABITATION DISPUTES, INJUNCTIONS CALL FOR AN APPOINTMENT TODAY AT KEENE MARSLAND SOLICITORS ON 01892 526442 TUNBRIDGE WELLS, EDENBRIDGE, HAYWARDS HEATH, LONDON, READING AND WINDSOR Authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority no 71480

Keene Marsland is a trading name of Parfitt Cresswell. Parfitt Cresswell is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority . No 71480

Advertising Feature

LEGAL NEWS End of lease guide for business tenants What happens at the end of a lease can be more expensive to sort out than taking the lease in the first place!

You may or may not have ‘security of tenure’ depending on whether certain forms were served on you by the landlord before the start of the lease. Even if you have security the landlord can oppose the grant of a new lease if they can prove certain grounds for possession.

Sharing Property with the Elderly Sharing a property with an elderly relative may seem to be the perfect answer to rising property prices and concerns over care for the elderly, but people contemplating such an arrangement should be aware of the legal and practical problems which may arise. There are a number of different ways to share property, but an equal number of pitfalls, whether legal, financial or relating to tax.

Making an Inheritance Act claim to challenge a will or the Rules of Intestacy Generally, we are free to dispose of our assets as we want to. However, the law does provide protection for people who have been financially dependant on the deceased. This protection comes in the shape of the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants Act ) 1975, known as the Inheritance Act. The Act is there to help spouses, children, civil partners, cohabitees and other surviving dependants who have been left to cope without sufficient money to enable them to get by.

Only 1 in 3 Britons make a Will Statistics show that only 3 in 10 Britons have a Will and in 2011 the Treasury coffers gained a massive £53 million because of this. So why would so many people take such a risk by not having a Will? Perhaps it’s because there are many misconceptions, such as thinking everything will automatically go to your spouse or children when this is not always the case, or that it’s too expensive to make, or simply intending to make a Will but not getting round to it.

So why make a Will?

When considering writing a Will two of the main issues considered are: Who do you want your assets and money to go to?

If you do not make a Will then the rules of intestacy apply, which may not necessarily be consistent with your intentions. For example, following changes to The Inheritance and Trustees’ Powers Act 2014 which came into force on 1st October 2014, if your Estate is worth more than £250,000 and you have children, then your spouse is likely to receive the first £250,000 absolutely as well as all personal chattels and 50% of the remainder of the Estate, with the other 50% passing to your children. Previously the spouse would only have received a life interest in 50% of the remainder.

Will my Estate be liable for Inheritance Tax? The current Nil Rate Band for each person for Inheritance Tax is £325,000, after which the rest of the value of the Estate is charged at 40% rate. There are numerous ways to keep your Estate below £325,000, but if you are married and your spouse dies and transfers everything to you upon their death, your Executors may also use your spouse’s nil rate band in addition to your own to effectively double your nil rate band to £650,000 at today’s values.

These matters need to be considered carefully in light of one’s individual circumstances. There are also many other important factors to consider in the future that are not obvious at first. In addition to these two main points have any of the following crossed your mind? Cost to administer your Estate after you die. When making a Will you are potentially saving thousands of pounds after you die on wasted administration costs. For example, by simply stating your beneficiaries’ addresses in your Will you will save time and money instructing a professional to locate them.

This logic can be applied to other matters, for example if you have numerous investments scattered around, you could save time and money locating them by scheduling them ahead of time.

Who will look after my children?

Making a Will is an excellent opportunity to appoint the appropriate relatives or friends as guardians to look after your minor children and ensure they are provided with the care and security they will need in the future.

Your wishes being fulfilled after your death.

Do you have any specific wishes about where and/or what type of funeral arrangements you wish to have? If so, making a Will should ensure your wishes are fulfilled.

Who do you want to administer your Estate?

Appointing your Executors is extremely important as they are the people who you trust and are most able to make sure your wishes are carried out.

What if there is a dispute over my Estate?

Failure to provide for your family and dependents in an adequate manner can result in claims by beneficiaries against your Estate after you have passed away.

Need more information?

Keene Marsland’s team of experienced Estate Planners are ready to help if you have any queries or need advice.

For further information and to book a free initial consultation telephone us today on 01892 526442 or email us at enquiries@keenemarsland.co.uk quoting reference TWT0401.

Are we paying more Inheritance Tax than we need to?

Recently, there has been a significant increase in the amount of IHT people are having to pay from the estates of their loved ones Records show that the general public coughed up nearly £4.7 billion on IHT to HM Revenue & Customs - a significant increase of 22% and twice as much as ten years ago.

This dramatic increase could be put down to a number of factors, such as increased house prices. However, a less prominent theory is that families are not correctly utilising the financial estate planning tools to their full potential. Thus, resulting in significant loss to their inheritance.

With the Inheritance Tax Threshold currently stalled at £325,000 it may be advisable for families to start taking a closer look at their finances and begin to consider how best to utilise their assets in order to avoid paying out inheritance tax unnecessarily to HM Revenues & Customs.

Each person has what is known as the Nil Rate Band allowance (“NRB”) of up to £325,000. For married couples and those in civil partnerships the NRB for both individuals can be combined on the second death taking the NRB allowance up to a maximum of £650,000 depending on particular circumstances.

The NRB is essentially the tax free threshold and estates valued up to the current NRB of £325,000 are not taxed. The current threshold of 325,000 is set to remain until at least the end of 2020/21. Therefore, if the value of your estate at

death is £325,000 or under, there will be no IHT payable. However, for many people in Thames Valley, London and the South East this will not be the case and other methods of tax and estate planning will be necessary in order to get the most value out of their estate for their loved ones upon death, and this begins with careful and well thought out life time planning.

From April 2017, legislation will come into force providing additional relief for home owners in the form of Family Home Allowance (“FHA”). The relief will also be transferable between married couples and those in civil partnerships even if one spouse/partner dies prior to April 2017.

There are also other tax saving steps you can take such as gifting an asset, creating a trust and, gifts to charity to name a few. Making a tax efficient Will is key to ensuring your loved ones receive as much of your estate as possible and avoid the tax man getting more than his fair share.

To arrange an estate planning consultation or if you require assistance with probate or administering a Will after the death of a loved one telephone us today on 01892 526442 or email us at enquiries@keenemarsland.co.uk quoting reference TWT0401.

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Wednesday January 4 | 2017

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RECOGNISING EXCELLENCE IN LOCAL BUSINESSES Ten categories… ten chances to win… which award do you deserve?

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High Street success set to continue INSIDE in 2017 for ‘on the up’ Tonbridge ANGELS’ MADNESS Three are sent off as referee sparks controversy. Page 59

By Murray Jones

newsdesk@timesoftonbridge.co.uk THE year ahead will see ‘Brand Tonbridge’ come into its own. That’s the prediction from the Tonbridge Town Team and MP Tom Tugendhat who this week reflected on an ‘astonishing year’ for the area’s independent retailers.

From the renovation of the High Street, to new housing developments in the town centre as well as the appearance of several new small enterprises, 2016 was a period of fast paced development for Tonbridge.

Figures released by the Town Team show there was substantial growth in trade for local retailers, which is set to continue into the New Year.

Up to 500 people every month used their Tonbridge Loyalty Cards [TLC] to

shop at one of the 60 retailers who are signed up to the scheme, a significant increase from 2015, when the figure was consistently in the 300s.

The scheme encourages people to shop at their local outlets where customers must spend at least £30 in six separate visits to be entered into the prize draw for a £50 voucher.

Town Team Chair, Howard Porter, explained the project acts ‘as a basis for building a Tonbridge brand that will drive economic regeneration and prosperity, especially for the independent retail sector’.

Something the 12-member team have been working on since 2012.

The introduction of a new Love Local Card in the coming months is also expected to ‘bring another inducement to shop locally’. The card has already proved a success in Sevenoaks, where 160 local traders are signed up to provide exclusive discounts to cardholders. It is run as an independent venture but has the support of the Town Team.

Overall Mr Porter is optimistic for the future of the town: “Tonbridge is clearly on

Howard Porter

‘Being in Tonbridge means you have a strong chance of success’

the up. More and more businesses are looking to relocate here.

“There is a lot of uncertainty in the coming years, but being in Tonbridge means you have a strong chance of success.”

MP Tom Tugendhat echoed Mr Porter’s optimism. He cited the recent Halifax Quality of Life Survey, which ranked Tonbridge & Malling as the 14th best place to live in the UK, as evidence that the town is beginning to get the recognition it deserves.

He said: “To many of us, this is not news. We’ve always known what a great place Tonbridge is. Our town is on the up and the reasons are multiplying. Our high street has led the way with a range of fabulous independent shops.”  For more comment from Tom Tugendhat’s see his column, page 22

LIONS’ PRIDE

The club’s traditional musical appeal raises £3,000. Page 2

MARK THE DATE

Calendar proves to be a big hit after selling out. Page 3

Hospital Radio adds Cliff’s voice to fight

By Andrew Tong

newsdesk@timesoftonbridge.co.uk SIR Cliff Richard has thrown his weight behind a campaign to save the local Hospital Radio which is in danger of closing because of a cash-flow crisis.

Hospital Radio Tunbridge Wells [HRTW] has been running for 55 years and serves patients in the Tonbridge Cottage Hospital and Tunbridge Wells Hospital at Pembury.

It embarked on a 100-hour ‘Save Our Service’ continuous broadcast last week in order to bridge a £3,000 annual

shortfall in funding.

The legendary singer, who is renowned for his charity work, recorded a personalised message which said: “Hi there, this is Cliff Richard, and I’m asking you to please dig deep and help Hospital Radio Tunbridge Wells raise much needed funds to continue their vital broadcasting to local hospitals – something they have done since 1961, God bless them. Good luck to all concerned.”

Sir Cliff, 76, became involved with the radio station in 1973 when he was performing at the Assembly Hall theatre in Tunbridge Wells. He paid £19 to have a line installed for his concert to be

broadcast live on hospital radio.

The line remained in place until the closure of the Kent & Sussex Hospital in 2011.

It was used to broadcast a number of concerts as well as coverage of the town’s annual carnival.

The hospital closure also led to the financial difficulties for HRTW as they no longer had access to free accommodation. They were forced to rent out a studio on Grosvenor Road, paying their own

insurance and utility bills. This has caused running costs to soar from £5,000 to £12,000.

However, more than £3,000 was raised from the 100-hour SOS marathon, which began on December 28 and ended on 4pm New Year’s Day. A feat HRTW Chairman Chris Manser welcomed as ‘great news’.

If you would like to make a donation, please visit the charity’s link My Donate on its website, Cliff Richard www.hrtw.org.uk.

WINTER WONDER

Meander through the medieval Ightham Mote. Pages 56-57

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NEWS

Local News

Wednesday January 4 | 2017

Santa Express raises £1,000 for local charity GENEROUS passengers who took the Santa Express between the top and bottom of Tunbridge Wells in the run up to Christmas helped raise over £1,000 for charity.

With its first run taking place on November 19, followed by journeys every weekend until December 17 and then each day up to Christmas Eve, the land train carried approximately 2,000 passengers during the festive period.

Smiling faces Although the service was free, those enjoying a lift had the option of making a charitable donation, with proceeds going to the Pickering Cancer Drop-In Centre, which offers support and help to all those whose lives have been touched by cancer.

In total £1,083 has been handed over for the good cause.

Run by Markerstudy Leisure, the group owner of the Times, it was the fourth year of operation for the Santa Express, which has become a popular way of taking shoppers and families from The Pantiles to the top of town via the High Street.

Pickering co-founder Polly Taylor said: “Yet again, the Santa Express has brought a touch of magic to Tunbridge Wells at Christmas time.

“It really was wonderful to see all the happy smiling faces as the train ferried people around the town, and we are so grateful to all those who made donations to Pickering.”

Lions say ‘big thanks’ TONBRIDGE LIONS CLUB has thanked all their sponsors and supporters for help in raising a total of £29,650 last year for local good causes.

They included Nourish Community Foodbank, Kent, Surrey & Sussex Air Ambulance Trust and Chasing Connor’s Cure. The year was capped off with the group’s barrel organ Christmas collection, a tradition since 1952, which raised over £3,000.

The money went to providing 100 hampers to ‘deserving individuals and families’. A donation also went towards the Christmas party of homeless charity The Bridge’s Trust.

Tonbridge Lions Club President Bob Bartlett said: “Thank you Tonbridge for your support, long may it continue.”

CONTACTS EDITORIAL DIRECTOR RICHARD MOORE richard@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk | 01892 779615 CHIEF REPORTER ADAM HIGNETT adam@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk | 01892 576051 DESIGN/PRODUCTION LEE SMITH lsmith8@markerstudy.com SALES GEMMA HAK ghak@markerstudy.com | 01892 779580 FIND US ONLINE facebook.com/timeslocalnews timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk twitter.com/timeslocalnews IF YOU HAVE A STORY WE WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU Contact details above

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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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COLD COMFORT The homeless receive bed, dinner, breakfast and a takeaway lunch

Churches combine to offer homeless people shelter…

By Andrew Tong newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk

LOCAL homeless people were given a warm welcome and a helping hand this week as the Tunbridge Wells Churches Winter Shelter opened its doors again.

The project, which is now in its sixth year, consists of ten churches in the town which offer accommodation and food for up to a dozen people who are sleeping rough during the toughest weather conditions of the year.

The shelter, which runs for nine weeks until March 5, is a lifeline for the 15 people who are known to sleep rough in Tunbridge Wells – though the latest count doesn’t include others who might be sleeping on friends’ floors and elsewhere.

It offers 12 beds and provides a two-course dinner, breakfast and takeaway lunch. But in addition to the warmth and nutrition, it also tries to help the homeless find a place to stay permanently.

Project Manager Wendy Hogg said: “The first thing is to get rough sleepers off the streets at the coldest time of the year because

they can die out there. And you know how cold it has been in the last few days.

“Then we provide them with intensive support so that they can move on when the shelter closes in March. Nine weeks is not always long enough to get people into accommodation, so I carry on that work after the shelter closes, all year round, until we get a good outcome from that situation.

“Many of them haven’t seen a GP for ages so they may have health problems, for example with their teeth.”

The project is funded by the Churches for Tunbridge Wells group and also receives a contribution from the borough council.

“The shelter has been really embraced by the local community,” said Wendy. “People tend to be shocked that there is a need for a winter shelter in 2017.

“The next nearest shelters are in Maidstone and Bromley. There’s nothing in Tonbridge, Sevenoaks or in the Crowborough direction.”

The service moves to a different church hall every night, which provides a logistical challenge. But there are 180 volunteers who man the shelter in three shifts and provide feedback on the people.

Vulnerable This year’s initiative comes in the wake of an incident which shows just how vulnerable the homeless are.

Last month a man who was sleeping in the Great Hall car park on Mount Pleasant found his bedding and clothes had been set alight and destroyed.

The blaze was extinguished by the fire brigade and police attended the scene.

It is understood that the 30-year-old man, who is of Polish descent, has since been provided with new clothing and bedding after two local teenagers launched a campaign on social media to help him.

Olive names chef as Back into the swim of things as pool reopens swimming pool fully reopened by the manufacturer under guarantee. However, one to watch in 2017 TONBRIDGE last week after the £150,000 roof repair further structural damage was discovered which SOUTHBOROUGH chef Scott Goss has been named ‘one to watch’ in the coming year by prestigious food publication Olive Magazine.

He was singled out as part of the magazine’s 17 chefs to look out for during 2017 in their January edition.

The chef, who currently cooks in the kitchen at The Twenty Six establishment next to Southborough Common, has previously worked alongside Gary Rhodes and Anton Edelmann.

Mr Goss described The Twenty Six as his ‘test kitchen’, where there are ‘no rules’. The married father-of-one had appeared on Gordon Ramsay’s The F Word in 2009 and was formerly a head chef at the Swan in West Malling.

works were completed.

The 25-metre pool was closed from October 17, after structural damage to the building’s roof was discovered.

Run by Tonbridge & Malling Leisure Trust on behalf of the borough council, it reopened on December 27 with classes restarting yesterday [Tuesday].

The closure resulted in the cancellation of 68 classes a week, although some were able to take up places at Larkfield Leisure Centre.

Use of the pool by local schools and Tonbridge Swimming Club also had to be put on hold.

The council became aware of an issue with delaminating clay roof tiles ten years ago and they continue to be replaced on a phased basis

required extensive timber replacement and repairs.

SPLASH THE CASH Repairs cost £150,000

IF YOU’RE UNHAPPY WITH YOUR COUNCILLOR’S WORK RATE – DON’T VOTE FOR THEM A COUPLE of weeks ago we ran a front page story about borough councillors in Tunbridge Wells voting against a recommendation, from an independent panel, to cut their annual basic allowances by £500 to £5,000. During the meeting at the Town Hall one of the members indicated that they would be ‘monstered’ by their friends in the media for taking such a decision. He was right.

Naturally, we then became curious about how the councillors earned their money, which is why this week we publish the details of how anyone arrives at a figure of £5,500 as a basic allowance, and how hard councillors have to work to earn that money.

By the way, several more thousands can be added to that figure for extra responsibilities.

The simple answer to the question is that once elected by you, the voter, a councillor gets paid the full allowance regardless of the number of meetings he or she attends. And there’s quite an attendance variance between members.

Our table shows the best councillor attending 100 per cent of the 34 meetings she was required to go to. At the other end of the scale, a councillor went along to just 48 per cent of the 25 meetings at which he was expected to put in an appearance.

Now, no one is suggesting that an attendance record is the only indicator of the value of a councillor, but right now it’s one of the few value indicators that we do have, so make out of it what you will.

Much of the work by a councillor takes place out of the limelight, in committees and at meetings with officers. Take the council Leader, David Jukes, the highest paid member with an annual allowance of £24,750. His attendance record stands at 77 per cent.

On the surface not particularly impressive – until you hear that he ‘pops into the Town Hall most days’ and believes that in theory he ‘earns’ just about the minimum hourly rate for his work.

The point is most councillors do earn their keep – but if you are not happy with their actual attendance or performance, make a note of their name and remember them when the next local elections come round.

Richard Moore, Editorial Director

Local News

Wednesday January 4 | 2017

NEWS IN BRIEF

Locals recognised in New Year’s Honours FOUR residents of Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells have been included in the latest round of New Year’s Honours for services to their community, country or chosen profession.

The highest honour was bestowed on Peter Fish of Tunbridge Wells, who was made a Companion of the Order of the Bath for ‘legal services to the government’.

He has acted as Director General of the Government Legal Department since 2014.

Jonathan Tibbs, Chairman of Jon Tibbs Associates Ltd in Tunbridge Wells, received an OBE for ‘services to international trade and the sports sector’.

In Tonbridge Sharon Broome, Principal Forensic Investigator at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, received an OBE for ‘services to defence’, while Caroline Wake of the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority was given an OBE for ‘services to transport safety and the community in Kent’.

Groombridge’s Will Bayley, the gold winning Paralympian table tennis player at Rio 2016, received an MBE for services to his sport.

Drivers face months of delays as the rail bridge finally closes

By Adam Hignett adam@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk

Damage to charity shop THE British Heart Foundation shop on Tonbridge High Street will be closed for up to six weeks after suffering a water leak from the flat above on Christmas Day. The water caused damage to the ceiling.

Calendar proves a double hit

MANUEL CARVALHO, the owner of Manuel’s deli and bakery on St John’s Road, passed away over the New Year weekend.

Mr Carvalho, who was believed to be in his fifties, learned his baking skills in Venezuela and opened his St John’s shop in 2010.

Campaign support TUNBRIDGE WELLS journalist Louise Stewart has added her voice to Cancer Research UK’s Right Now campaign. The 44-year-old former BBC South East political editor was diagnosed with breast cancer in August.

The campaign aims to show the reality of people suffering from cancer, as well as the day-to-day lives of their family and friends.

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GROSVENOR BRIDGE Traffic congestion is now expected

MOTORISTS returning to work after the festive period had another headache to contend with on their commute yesterday (Tuesday) with the closure of Grosvenor Bridge – one of the main routes into Tunbridge Wells.

Following numerous delays the bridge was finally shut for structural repairs more than three years after the plans were first announced.

Residents and local businesses face a torrid period which is predicted to last until autumn this year, far longer than the four months that were first envisaged.

There is also the potential for disruption to train services, as some of the work needs to take place on the railway line beneath the bridge, although Kent County Council [KCC] plans to carry out most of this work at night, pledging to make ‘every effort’ to keep noise to a minimum.

Most of the traffic will be diverted along Upper Grosvenor Road, Grosvenor Road, Victoria Road, Camden Road and on to Quarry Road.

Work is being undertaken in order to replace the concrete piers supporting the bridge, which KCC

St John’s baker dies

NEWS

THE first Tonbridge calendar has been heralded as a ‘wonderful success’ after twice selling out and raising more than £3,300 for local causes.

Five hundred were originally printed and sold at £7 each in nine retailers as well as at the Tonbridge and Hildenborough Farmers’ Markets.

Such was the demand that an extra 200 were printed and sold.

The calendar was created by the online blog Tonbridge Daily, whose thousands of followers submit aesthetically pleasing shots of the town.

Funding was provided by Tonbridge Lions, who will receive the sales revenue to help them support local causes.

James Lark, a former Lions President who helped sell the calendars, said: “It was very much a toe-in-the-water exercise and it’s gone wonderfully.

“We’ve had great feedback from people and

say are now at the end of their serviceable life.

It is expected the project will cost approximately £850,000, and while the temporary supports will be able to handle pedestrian usage, they will not be strong enough for vehicles.

Delays to the start of the project were exacerbated by a breakdown in communication between KCC and Network Rail, and during the summer it descended into a blame game over who was responsible for the setbacks.

Network Rail had to divert a high-voltage cable to allow the work to commence, but during the summer claimed it could not do so because work on the wider power network at Hastings meant the cable was in use 24 hours a day.

The diversion of the cable was completed at the

we will definitely be doing one for next year,” he added. “It’s a win-win. Tonbridge folk gave us £7 for a calendar – and they will get it back if they are in need.”

The calendar had ‘gone international’ with copies sold to expats in New Zealand, Australia, Japan, North and South America.

end of last year, but there were then concerns over the negative impact the bridge closure could cause local businesses during the busy Christmas period, leading to another postponement.

KCC Cabinet member for Environment and Transport, Matthew Balfour, said: “These works are vital to ensuring the structural integrity of the bridge and the safety of the road.

“Grosvenor Bridge is supported by two abutments and four piers – two concrete piers and two brick piers – and over the years the condition of the concrete piers has deteriorated and they have now reached the end of their serviceable life.

“To ensure that the bridge remains safe and able to accommodate the amount of traffic that uses it, the two concrete piers need to be replaced.”

Inquest into mum’s death opens again AN INQUEST into the death of Frances Cappuccini has resumed, four years after she died while undergoing a caesarean section at Tunbridge Wells Hospital.

The 30-year-old Offham Primary School teacher suffered a heart attack during the delivery of her second son in October 2012.

This led to the first case of an NHS Trust facing corporate manslaughter charges.

Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust was accused of failing to check that the doctors treating her were fully qualified – allegations that were dismissed by a judge at the Inner London Crown Court in February 2016.

The legal proceedings meant the inquest into her death was put on hold. It has now been resumed by the coroner at Gravesend Old Town Hall and is expected to last for nine days.

NEWS

Local News

Wednesday January 4 | 2017

ENJOY YOURSELF Pickering’s Polly Taylor

SOUND OF MUSIC Blues Brothers Little Brother

Hug-Many event keeps on getting bigger and better THOUSANDS of people descended upon The Pantiles to see in the New Year with family and friends at what has been termed ‘the largest street party’ in the town’s calendar.

For the third year running, the Hug-Many celebration proved to be a hit, with around 2,000 people gathered on the Georgian promenade to welcome in 2017 with a firework display and the sound of bagpipes.

Music from Blues Brothers Little Brother, Joking Apart, the singer Charlotte Bartholomew and DJ Simon Padley kept the revellers entertained as the countdown to 2017 drew close. Although the event was free, guests were encouraged to make a £10 donation to cover costs and for charity upon

entering The Pantiles, with thousands of pounds in profits going towards the Pickering Cancer Drop-in Centre and ellenor children’s charity. Event organiser Julian Leefe-Griffiths said the latest Hug-Many was ‘bigger and better’ than ever before.

He added: “It was a fantastic evening and we were extremely lucky with the weather. The bands were great, the DJ was fantastic, the crowds were awesome and it was all rounded off with an incredible fireworks display.”

Organisers hope the success of the latest Hug-Many will cement it as a permanent fixture in the Tunbridge Wells social calendar so it becomes an annual tradition for people to look forward to.

PHOTOS: David Bartholomew

4

Local News

Wednesday January 4 | 2017

‘It was a fantastic evening…

The bands were great, the DJ was fantastic, and the crowds were awesome’ Julian Leefe-Griffiths

NEWS

5

6

NEWS

Local News

Wednesday January 4 | 2017

Council attendance records defended following rejection of allowance cut Last month we reported on the fact that members of the borough council in Tunbridge Wells voted against a recommendation from the Joint Independent Remuneration Panel [JIRP] to cut their allowances, which poses the question: “Are ratepayers getting value for money?” The Times decided to find out…

By Adam Hignett

adam@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk THE ability of councillors to claim their full allowance regardless of whether they turn up for any of their meetings has been defended by a member of the committee tasked with setting their pay.

Max Lewis, who chairs the Joint Independent Remuneration Panel [JIRP], said government rules ‘expressly state’ that councillors’ pay must not be paid according to the number of meetings attended.

His comments come shortly after a majority of Tunbridge Wells Borough Councillors voted at the end of last year against a cut to their basic allowance from £5,500 to £5,000.

The Times has subsequently discovered vast differences between councillors over the number of meetings they are expected to turn up to and those they fail to attend.

A study of the attendance records revealed several members managed to turn up to every meeting required of them during the course of 2016.

On the other hand, ten out the 48 councillors attended less than 80 per cent of their commitments, including one who turned up to fewer than half – leading to questions over whether the current system fairly reflects effort and reward.

However, despite the council rejecting the £500 pay cut, as recommended by the JIRP, Mr Lewis pointed out that councillors’ work ‘involves very much

more than attending council meetings’.

The Tunbridge Wells resident, who has no affiliation with the council itself, added: “Government rules expressly state that councillors must not be paid according to the number of meetings they attend.

“The remuneration is not an attendance allowance, but is designed by the government to foster local democracy by greater diversity.

‘Our job is to talk to residents and be out there in the community’ “With an attendance allowance, participants would, like the House of Lords, be paid just for showing up and signing in.”

Not every councillor claims their basic allowance, however the option to take it is open to all those who are elected to the council. Allowances are also subject to taxation.

Supplementary payments are available to those with additional roles, such as the Leader of the Council or those who chair committees and sit in the Cabinet.

These extra payments reflect their ‘special responsibilities’, such as: The extra time spent on preparation for meetings, additional skills required to ‘do the job properly’, further expertise, and a higher profile, Mr Lewis explained.

But the remuneration still fails to take into account the extra time spent by those councillors who sit on committees but do not chair them, leading many councillors

to get the same allowance regardless of what appear to be vastly different workloads.

Cllr Sue Nuttall, who attended 100 per cent of the 34 meetings she was expected to attend in 2016, also defended the status quo.

The representative of Pembury Ward, who juggles working on four committees but does not chair any of them, said: “I do not think it is unfair. It depends a lot on what else you are doing, and I do not think attendance is reflective of the total aspect of our job, it is just a small part of it. Our job is to talk to residents and be out there doing it in the community. That takes a lot of time.”

She added that, in her opinion, it would end up being more expensive to try to operate a system which ties allowances to specific attendance than the current banded system.

Cllr Nathan Gray was identified as having the worst attendance record of the year, going to just 48 per cent of the 25 meetings he was expected to be at.

One of the youngest borough councillors at 27, and a representative for Hawkhurst & Sandhurst, Cllr Gray defended his record, stating the figure was the culmination of ill health and work commitments.

He said: “I have not been massively well lately and the council are aware of that. I also work up in London for a marketing company and that does make it hard to get back for meetings, especially if the trains are not running on time.”

CURRENT ALLOWANCE STRUCTURE Basic allowance, which every councillor is entitled to, currently £5,500 List of extra fees in addition to the basic allowance: Leader of the Council – currently £19,250 Cabinet Member – currently £11,000 Committee Chairs: Overview & Scrutiny – £1,375

Licensing – £1,375 General Purposes – £1,375 Joint Transportation Board – £1,375 Planning – £5,500 Audit and Governance – £1,375 Planning Committee Vice Chair – £1,320 Opposition Group Leader – £275 per group member

West Kent comparison (authorities covered by JIRP) Authority

Basic allowance (2016)

Audit & Governance Co-optees – £800 Calculating the basic allowance – the formula The current allowance: 15 hours x £14.61 per hour x 48 weeks = £10,520 minus approximately 48 per cent (discount for voluntary public service) = £5,500 (rounded up)

Those who voted against a cut to council allowances Councillor

Ward

Percentage of meetings attended in 2016 (number expected to attend)

Barrington-King

Pembury

Basu

Culverden

90% (21)

Dawlings

Benenden & Cranbrook

87% (52)

Elliott

Southborough North

80% (20)

Hall

Benenden & Cranbrook

71% (17)

Hamilton

Paddock Wood (East)

89% (38)

Hannam

Frittenden & Sissinghurst

84% (19)

Hastie

Goudhurst & Lamberhurst

100% (9)

Heasman

Pantiles & St Mark’s

92% (36)

Hills

Paddock Wood (East)

75% (32)

Holden

Benenden & Cranbrook

Horwood

Pantiles & St Mark’s

97% (30)

76% (17) 100% (25)

Huggett

Rusthall

96% (25)

Mackonochie*

Capel

100% (15)

March

Brenchley & Horsmonden

96% (27)

McDermott

Brenchley & Horsmonden

97% (30)

Noakes

Goudhurst & Lamberhurst

93% (29)

Nuttall

Pembury

100% (34)

Palmer

Hawkhurst & Sandhurst

80% (25)

Reilly*

Pembury

86% (14)

Simmons

Southborough North

100% (13)

Stewart

Paddock Wood (West)

81% (16)

Thomas

Paddock Wood (West)

96% (24)

Uddin

Southborough & High Brooms

78% (23)

Weatherly

Sherwood

88% (26)

Woodward

Broadwater

77% (26)

Those who abstained from voting Backhouse

Sherwood

98% (44)

Bulman

Park

80% (20)

Jamil

St John’s

84% (19)

Jukes

Speldhurst & Bidborough

77% (31)

Neve

St James’

83% (12)

Oakford

St John’s

71% (5)

Podbury

Rusthall

94% (33)

Rankin

Park

92% (13)

Scholes

Pantiles & St Mark’s

90% (21)

Sloan

Culverden

97% (34)

Soyke

Speldhurst & Bidborough

100% (32)

Stanyer

Speldhurst & Bidborough

95% (20)

Those who voted for cuts to council allowances Chapelard

St James’

90% (29)

Hill*

Southborough & High Brooms

100% (15)

Lidstone*

St John’s

84% (15)

Lewis-Grey

Culverden

74% (19)

Moore

Park

77% (22)

Munn

Southborough & High Brooms

94% (33)

Williams

Sherwood

100% (19)

Those who were not present

Number of Councillors

Total cost per annum

Sevenoaks

£5,253

54

£283,662

Tonbridge & Malling

£5,283

54

£285,282

Tunbridge Wells

£5,500

48

£264,000

Bland

Hawkhurst & Sandhurst

85% (34)

Cobbold

Broadwater

84% (38)

Gray

Hawkhurst & Sandhurst

48% (25)

*Elected in May 2016

Key:

■ Conservative ■ Labour ■ Liberal Democrat

8

BUSINESS

Business Awards 2017

Wednesday January 4 | 2017

The business awards that recognise the outstanding achievements in our towns They’re back – the Times newspaper awards that ‘recognise excellence in local business’. And this year they promise to be even bigger with entries accepted from both Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge & Malling boroughs 2016 WINNER Larry Hardcastle, Managing Director of Larrytech – Creative Business of the Year

‘Winning generated leads for us and enhanced our credentials and visibility’

OUR Business Awards 2017 feature ten categories that will be reviewed by our panel of distinguishes judges, with the ultimate winners being announced at a prestigious Black Tie dinner on Thursday May 18. Last year saw more than 150 local businesses putting their names forward.

Since its launch in March 2015, the Times of Tunbridge Wells has believed business is one of the most important topics on which to report.

As a result, we are today recognised as the editorial voice of the town’s commercial core, and essential reading for anyone running their own enterprise or looking to invest in one.

The first business awards took place last year and were hailed as a huge success, with some of the most innovative and successful companies – both big and small – being recognised for their exceptional acumen and expertise. It culminated in a gala evening at Salomons in May which saw the work of local entrepreneurs, start-ups and established family businesses celebrated.

“It was a fantastic evening, and made even better for winning the Young Business Person of the Year,” recalled Jenny Kitchen of Yoyo Design.

The Times of Tonbridge was last year added to our local newspaper portfolio and is proving hugely successful with both readers and advertisers, which is why the awards have been extended into Tonbridge & Malling.

Winning one of the awards will not only raise the profile of your business, it will also boost its credibility and provide a valuable networking platform along with essential media coverage.

“Winning generated leads for us and enhanced our credentials and visibility,” said Larry Hardcastle of Larrytech, Creative Business of the Year.

Our judges JO JAMES (CHAIR OF JUDGES) IS… Chief Executive of the Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce, the county’s only accredited Chamber of Commerce that serves more than 1,300 members’ businesses across Kent. Jo James also represents business on the South East Local Enterprise Partnership. In recognition of her 25 years’ work at the chamber, Jo was voted a National Woman of the Year 2015.

Following Jo’s assistance in last year’s award ceremony as judge and co-presenter, we are delighted she has agreed to be chair of our judging panel for 2017.

DARREN AUSTIN IS… A partner/owner at Synergee, the chartered accountants and business advisers. Darren Austin is himself a chartered accountant with more than 30 years’ experience, most of which has been gained working closely with ownermanaged businesses covering all industries – although there have been one or two multinationals as well along the way. Darren’s main focus is business development, which involves working with clients on defining and achieving their business goals.

OUR CATEGORIES 1. NEW BUSINESS OF THE YEAR You have come into business in the last three years (start date after January 1, 2014) with a bang and are really getting noticed for what you do. Tell us what makes you the best of a great new crop of companies.

2. CREATIVE BUSINESS OF THE YEAR Is your business success based on innovation and creative thinking in your strategy and everyday business? This award category is for any company over two years old in any sector that can demonstrate creativity as well as adding value to your business’s success.

3. FAMILY BUSINESS OF THE YEAR The business must have been trading for a minimum of 12 months before the closing date of April 13, 2017. It must show how the company is set up, which family members are involved (past and present), and identify the financial success of the business in relation to the growth in turnover and profit and loss.

4. YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR This award is open to dynamic individuals aged 30 or under by the closing date of April 13, 2017 who are running their own business and are able to demonstrate great success and drive in growing their company.

5. SERVICE EXCELLENCE AWARD The winner of this category will give outstanding assistance and advice to those who buy or use their business or organisation’s products or services.

They will be able to provide customer testimonials to support their entry.

6. BUSINESS PERSON OF THE YEAR The winner of this category will show they have a clear vision/strategy for their business and are committed to growing it. Areas such as increasing headcount, developing and inspiring staff and involvement in the local business community are all good examples of this.

7. BEST INDEPENDENT RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR Celebrating independent restaurants who source their food locally, demonstrate exceptional customer service and offer the very best all-round dining experience.

RICHARD MOORE IS… Editorial director of One Media, publishers of the Times local newspapers and SO magazines. He is an award-winning journalist who has been news editor of the Sunday Mirror, a current affairs producer with BBC Radio 4, and financial journalist in Bermuda. He also ran a political lobbying company in London, has worked on US presidential election campaigns and, in 2008, helped launch SO Tunbridge Wells magazine.

DAVID JUKES IS… A successful businessman and Leader of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council. After completing an apprenticeship as an electrician, he joined a national contracting company as a junior engineer before going on to manage major construction projects, including hotels, airports and infrastructure projects in countries all over the world. In 1980, he started his own construction project management company and began his political career just a few years later.

Although officially retired, he still acts as a consultant for a number of national and international organisations.

BRIAN KEELEY-WHITING IS… Managing Director of Whiting & Hammond, the independent, award-winning pub and restaurant group which he established 13 years ago. Today, it has eight sites in the region. Its most recent accolade was the title of Best Small Group at the Employers in Hospitality Awards. Brian KeeleyWhiting started as a chef at The Savoy, then joined the Brunning & Price pub company as Manager and left as a Director.

2016 WINNER Jenny Kitchen, Managing Director of Yoyo Design – Young Business Person of the Year

8. BEST SMALL BUSINESS UP TO £2M TURNOVER This award recognises small businesses who have maintained consistent growth and strong financial performance, understand their customers, have an engaged workforce with effective leadership, and are continually innovating to support future growth.

9. BEST TECH BUSINESS Innovation lies at the heart of successful tech companies, and this award recognises outstanding success in commercialising new technologies and making an impact on the local and wider community.

10. OUTSTANDING BUSINESS OF THE YEAR This is the ultimate award of all the categories, and will go to the business that can show outstanding initiative, boldness and imagination in the enterprise, as well as sound management practices.

The winner must also be able to show they have a clear strategy to invest in the skills of their staff, and be expected to demonstrate sustainable growth combined with a degree of commercial success that is exceptional for the size of the business.

‘It was a fantastic evening, and made even better for winning the Young Business Person of the Year’ To enter, visit our website and follow the instructions that could put you on a winning path: www.timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk

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10

NEWS

People

Wednesday January 4 | 2017

Explorer aims to reach new heights: A million schoolchildren on Everest

He has travelled to the ends of the earth – and Tunbridge Wells – but Mark Wood says the real journey is to look deep inside yourself and take personal responsibility for the fate of the world

By Andrew Tong

newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk MARK WOOD turned 50 last month and says he’s ‘halfway through’. He is an explorer who pushes himself to the limits of human endurance. He has travelled to all three of the poles – the third one is Mount Everest.

He even managed to survive sharing a tent with Jeremy Clarkson. But his biggest adventure lies ahead.

The former soldier and firefighter has set himself a different challenge: to educate schoolchildren all over the world – literally. Next year he is aiming to hold a Skype session on Everest that will reach one million pupils in ‘the most extreme classroom on the planet’.

And he has been named as one of the top five communicators in the world on the Skype Microsoft platform, having effectively ‘travelled’ 26 million miles to reach his audience. “That’s what I’m most

proud of,” he says, “as well as my beige slippers with a polar bear on the side.”

On a more mundane level, he is in Tunbridge Wells to coach two local ladies who want to trek to Everest base camp, and also address a meeting of the Bayesian Society, a group of town business leaders, at the Spa Hotel. It’s a far cry from his usual surroundings.

So why does he go to the ends of the earth?

“The soul of why I do it is the pureness of the environment that I walk through,” he says. “Here we have phones, TV, cars, everything that occupies our lives. But to have nothing at all, so your mind is focused on the moment and yourself, that’s an incredible privilege.

“What I’ve really taken out of it over the years is that I understand myself a lot more.

It really does take away all the ego so you see the rawness of your own character.

A lot of people don’t like that. I’ve taken hardened types out there from the military and they haven’t liked who they are. People say ‘I want to go and find myself’ but when you’re faced with Mother Nature, it strips away all pretence.”

PEAK PERFORMANCE Mark crosses the Khumbu Icefall on Mount Everest

Sometimes, even Mark can push himself too far.

“My toughest trip was a 50-day solo trek to the South Pole. I had no real contact with anything, it was just white ice for 700 miles. That was tough.

“I had an iPod, but I lost that on the second day, so I had this white void that I walked through.

I’m a pretty black and white sort of guy but I had to become a bit more spiritual.

“It’s horrible. On the fifth day I broke down physically and mentally for 36 hours. I couldn’t move out of my tent, I was ready to jack it all in.

I was looking for an excuse so that my sponsors and my friends would say ‘at least you gave it a go’, but I couldn’t really come up with one.

‘We’re not the bravest or the toughest, we are who we are, we have flaws’ “I started to ski again and I closed my eyes and thought: ‘Where do I want to be?’ I transformed my mind to pine forests with my dogs and created a dreamscape in my head. I created about six or eight dreamscapes that got me through.”

The idea of reaching out to schoolchildren came as he tried to make sense of his calling. “I thought: ‘Hang on, there has to be a reason why I am doing this’. If not, I’m an adventurer. If I’m really an explorer I need levels.

“I took my education programmes to Skype and Microsoft and worked with them in the Himalayas.

In 2013, I linked to 10,000 children from Everest.”

The obvious topic for schools is climate change and global warming. “I talk about modern-day exploration and the environment, but also their responsibility for the world around them. I’m telling the kids to look at their own personal lives and space, to do COLD START COLD START Jeremy Clarkson and JeremyMay Clarkson James drive to the and JamesNorth May Pole Magnetic drive to the North Pole

the right thing, which will then encourage the next person to do the right thing. So it’s a mindset, a pride in yourself, just as you would tell your child to do the right thing. It’s a domino effect.”

He adds: “How we film these expeditions is pure honesty. We’re not the bravest or the toughest, we are who we are, we have flaws. Like Tim Peake, he had that normality about him so I thought I could be an astronaut, too.”

Next year Mark will broadcast live from Everest to 8,848 schools across the globe – the number is the height of the world’s highest mountain in metres. If you want your school to take part, visit: education.microsoft.com/mission8848 and register.

And what about Clarkson? Mark was a support guide when Top Gear raced a truck against a dog sleigh to the Magnetic North Pole. “He is what he is, very much the same person on and off camera.

For me that was good because at least they are honest. In that situation, if you’re cold and you say you’re not, you can die. They didn’t really enjoy the filming because it is really tough out there and there’s pressure on these guys to do well.

“I spent eight days with Richard Hammond as he was training with the huskies. It was just after his big crash so it was an interesting period of his life. He wrote in his book that those eight days were the worst he had ever spent on Top Gear, purely because there was nothing there.”

It also brought one of Mark’s most surreal moments, even with his considerable experience of the furthest reaches.

“I was in a tent with James May, and asked him if he wanted a hot drink, and he said: ‘I can do better than that’. He pulled out a Fortnum & Mason hamper and said: ‘Would you like a glass of port?’ I thought, I’m guiding, but why not?”

12

NEWS

National News

Wednesday January 4 | 2017

Motorway shooting was not related to terrorism say police POLICE who shot dead a man in a car on the M62 in West Yorkshire have revealed that they recovered a firearm at the scene.

West Yorkshire Police said the incident was not terror-related and happened during a ‘preplanned policing operation’.

A 27-year-old father-of-two, who was named as Mohammed Yassar Yaqub, died on an exit slip road of the motorway at Ainley Top, just north of Huddersfield, on Monday at around 6pm.

The silver Audi Mr Yaqub was travelling in was left with bullet holes in its windscreen. It was still surrounded by other vehicles at the bottom of the off-slip of the westbound carriageway of the M62 on Tuesday morning as police and forensic teams continued their investigation.

Yesterday (Tuesday), flowers began to arrive at the family home located in a cul-de-sac in the Crosland Moor area of the town. A number of relatives also arrived, some embracing as they went into the property.

People living near the scene of the shooting,

which took place at junction 24 at around 6pm on Monday evening, described the frightening sight of officers ‘swarming’ around a group of vehicles after the incident.

Shahnaz Malik, whose house in the village of Ainley Top was the closest to the scene and overlooks the slip road, said: “It was surreal.

It was like time had stood still, so many police buzzing around.”

West Yorkshire Police said its operation ‘related to information received about criminal possession of a firearm, as a result of which vehicles were stopped at two separate locations’.

Armed police arrived at Mr Yaqub’s home in Rudding Street in a number of vehicles, apparently to search the property.

Officers with guns could be seen at the front and back of the property as a large number of relatives left the house. More police went inside and at least five police vehicles were parked in surrounding streets. The Independent Police Complaints Commission is investigating the incident.

UNDER INVESTIGATION A forensic team at the scene

Nightclub killer made ‘selfie’ film NEW footage of a man believed to be the Islamic State gunman who killed 39 people at a nightclub in Turkey has been released.

The video appears to be a ‘selfie’ taken by the gunman who yesterday (Tuesday) was still at large. The 44-second film shows him circling Istanbul’s most famous square but it is not clear if it was taken before or after the New Year massacre at the Reina nightclub, or how the footage, shown

by Turkish media, was obtained.

Authorities have not publicly identified him and police have denied reports that Kyrgyz passport

information circulating in the Turkish media belonged to him.

Islamic State claimed the attack on Monday, saying a ‘soldier of the caliphate’ had carried out the mass shooting to avenge Turkish military operations against IS in northern Syria.

At least 14 people have been detained in connection with the attack.

The nightclub assailant, armed with a longbarrelled weapon, killed a policeman and a civilian in the early hours of 2017 outside the club before opening fire on about 600 people inside.

NEWS IN BRIEF

Charity race tragedy

Brexit ambassador quits

A MAN died yesterday (Tuesday) after suffering a serious head injury when he fell from a pram during a charity fundraising race in Kent on New Year’s Day. The 52-year-old was airlifted to a London hospital after the accident in High Street, Sutton Valence, near Maidstone.

Large crowds had gathered to watch the annual charity event. A Kent Police spokesman said there were no suspicious circumstances.

THE UK’s ambassador to the European Union, Sir Ivan Rogers, has resigned just months before tough Brexit negotiations are expected to begin later this year.

Sir Ivan, who was set to remain in the post until November, provoked controversy when he privately warned the Government that a postBrexit trade deal could take a decade to finalise, and that even then it may not be ratified by member states.

14

NEWS

National News

Wednesday January 4 | 2017

Campaigners protest at stations after ticket prices increase by 2.3 per cent PROTESTS have been held at railway stations as commuters hit by the annual rise in train fares returned to work after the festive break.

Campaigners Action For Rail called for the day of action after the average increase in Britain of 2.3 per cent came into force on Monday.

The trade union-backed group organised demonstrations at more than 100 stations across the country on Tuesday including Bromley South, Orpington and West Malling.

The Campaign for Better Transport (CBT) held a separate flash-mob protest outside King’s Cross Station in London.

A choir sang a song bemoaning the increasing cost of rail travel while holding banners calling for Fair Fares Now. CBT public transport campaigner Lianna Etkind said: “Many experienced a less frequent and more overcrowded service last year, and now they are required to pay more for the same this year. The whole fares system is completely unfair and it’s high time the Government overhauled it.”

The rise in fares, which is the highest since January 2014 when they increased by 2.8 per cent, has been criticised by public transport campaigners.

Figures vary between operators, with fares on Virgin Trains East Coast services up by 4.9 per cent.

The Government uses the previous July’s retail prices index (RPI) measure of inflation to determine increases in

regulated fares, which was 1.9 per cent.

These are around 40 per cent of all tickets and include season tickets on most commuter routes and some off-peak return tickets on long-distance journeys.

Train operating companies set the prices of other tickets but are bound by competition rules.

Bruce Williamson, of independent campaign group Railfuture, called on the Government to use the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) for regulated fare rises rather than RPI, claiming it is a ‘much more accurate figure’ for measuring inflation.

He said: “This is only 0.6 per cent,

which would be a much more reasonable fare increase.”

According to the Rail Delivery Group (RDG), which represents train operators, around 97p in every pound paid by passengers goes back into running and improving services.

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling commented: “We are delivering the biggest rail modernisation programme for more than a century, providing more seats and services.

“We have always fairly balanced the cost of this investment between the taxpayer and the passenger.”

PROTEST Campaigners at London’s King’s Cross Station

Mixed reaction to discounted starter homes PLANS to create thousands of discounted starter homes for first-time buyers must be put into action swiftly to boost the housing supply, experts have said.

Housing Minister Gavin Barwell said 2017 will see the first phase of starter homes being built on brownfield sites in 30 local authority areas around England.

But some commentators have argued the moves will do little to help those on middle and low incomes.

The houses will be available exclusively to first-time buyers aged from 23 to 40 at a discount of at least 20 per cent below market value, with a cap of £450,000 in London and £250,000 outside.

It is understood that the new starter homes will form part of the Government’s target to build 400,000 new affordable homes by 2020.

Calculations made by housing charity Shelter in 2015 suggested that, to afford a starter home with a 20 per cent discount on the price in 2020, a typical buyer in England would still need an income of £50,000 and a deposit of £40,000. In London, a buyer would need an income of £77,000 and a deposit of £98,000, based on average lending ratios, according to Shelter’s projections.

The average house price in October last year was £233,000 in England and £474,000 in London, according to Office for National Statistics (ONS) data.

Mark Hayward, Managing Director of the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA), said: “Today’s announcement may feel like a welcome start to the new year but, as always, we need to see these plans put into swift action.

“The Government has made promise after promise and pledge after pledge to help first-time buyers get on to the housing ladder, but until we see these houses built, we won’t hold our breath.”

Mr Barwell said: “This Government is committed to building starter homes to help young first-time buyers get on the housing ladder.

“This first wave of partnerships shows the strong local interest to build thousands of starter homes on hundreds of brownfield sites in the coming years.

It is hoped the new developments will support wider growth and regeneration, including in some town centres.

The first areas will begin construction on the starter homes later this year along with sites supported by the Homes and Communities Agency.

SPORT IN BRIEF

Gills manager sacked Sir Bradley jumps in

Happy darts Dutchman

JUSTIN EDINBURGH has been sacked as the manager of Kentish League One football club Gillingham.

The 47-year-old, who took over at Priestfield in February 2015, leaves the Gills 17th in the table following Monday’s 1-0 home defeat to Oxford.

His coaching team, including assistant manager David Kerslake, have also had their contracts terminated.

Gillingham, who finished ninth last season, have lost 11 of their 25 league games this campaign, winning eight and drawing six.

AN EMOTIONAL Michael van Gerwen admitted his relief at ending a twoyear wait to reclaim the PDC World Championship title at London’s Alexandra Palace.

The Dutchman produced another stunning performance to see off twotime champion Gary Anderson 7-3 and claim his 26th title over the course of a dominant 12 months.

Van Gerwen said: “I’m a really happy man at the moment. I fought all year for this, and won all the majors and made the clean sweep.”

EIGHT-time Olympic medallist Sir Bradley Wiggins, who recently retired from cycling, is to take part in Channel 4’s celebrity skiing competition The Jump.

The former Tour de France champion, 36, does not seem fazed by the show’s history of causing injuries to sporting stars such as rower Sir Steve Redgrave, gymnast Beth Tweddle and swimmer Rebecca Adlington.

“Skiing is a big passion of mine,” Wiggins said.

A start date for the programme has yet to be announced.

16

BUSINESS

National Business News

Wednesday January 4 | 2017

Three out of five workers want higher pay and better manager THREE out of five employees will consider looking for a new job this year, mainly to seek higher pay or a better boss, a study shows.

Research by Investors in People highlighted how poor management was, leading many workers to feel unhappy.

A survey of over 1,000 people found that one in ten believed the jobs market had improved since a year ago.

One in four were actively looking for a new job, with pay the biggest gripe, followed by poor management and not feeling valued.

Over one in three wanted more flexible hours ahead of a decent pay rise.

Paul Devoy, of Investors in People, said: “We were expecting to see British workers planning to stay put in the face of economic uncertainty, but we’ve seen exactly the opposite – a significant rise in people seeking to move employers in 2017, and a jump in jobs confidence.

“Workers are telling us they want to move for better pay, better management and flexible working. This sends a clear message to British business to invest in your people or risk losing them.

“With wages stagnating and a strong jobs market, there is a clear imperative to address workers’ pay and tackle poor management.

“Poor management, not feeling valued and no career progression are critical factors

UNDERVALUED Unhappy workers are ready to move on

for workers being unhappy in their jobs.

Employers need to really invest in their people in 2017 to attract and retain the best talent.”

A separate study by employment group Reed confirmed that many workers are preparing to switch employers in 2017.

A survey of 2,000 workers found that many wanted a better work-life balance or a chance to improve their skills.

James Reed, Chairman of reed.co.uk, said: “We’ve seen more new jobs posted this year than last. We continue to see growth in key sectors, including manufacturing and construction, and the signs for January are that people who are looking to make their next career move will have a wide choice of vacancies.

“But the medium to long-term outlook is much less certain. After the relief of seeing the jobs market show resilience after the Brexit result, we are seeing early warning signs that economic and political uncertainty, the falling value of the pound and turbulence in the financial markets are having an impact on the creation of new opportunities, with annual decreases in new jobs of 15 per cent in banking and 11 per cent in apprenticeships.

“Now is the time for the government to address this uncertainty to safeguard jobs and livelihoods, both now and in the future.”

BUSINESS NEWS IN BRIEF

FTSE 100 hits a new record on first day THE FTSE 100 rose to a fresh record high on the first official trading day of 2017 yesterday [Tuesday] as the year-end market rally continued into January. The UK’s blue chip index soared past last Friday’s all-time closing high of 7,142.83 to reach 7,205.21.

French connection bid EURONEXT has made a 510million euro (£434million) offer to the London Stock Exchange [LSE] for its French clearing business LCH as it bids to drive through a £21billion tie-up with Deutsche Borse.

UK oil company slump THE number of UK oil and gas companies going insolvent has reached an all-time high following the slump in prices, according to a study by accountancy firm Moore Stephens.

Britvic adds juice to mix SOFT drinks giant Britvic is to acquire Brazilian juice firm Bela Ischia for 218million Brazilian reals (£54.5million) as part of its international expansion.

Cab firm expands TAXI firm Addison Lee has snapped up US rival Flyte Tyme. The London-based firm has made the move to keep pace with the astronomical rise of Uber.

Businesses told to prepare for more ‘twists and turns’ ECONOMIC uncertainty remains the biggest threat to businesses as firms wait for information from the government about leaving the European Union, a study has revealed.

Research among 1,500 small to medium sized companies showed that one in five expect to increase prices in the next six months, while most were not planning to take on more staff.

Manufacturers reported a big rise in business confidence, largely as a result of the weaker exchange rates, the Lloyds Banking Group report said.

Confidence was highest in Scotland, the North East and the East of England, and weakest in the West and East Midlands.

Tim Hinton of Lloyds Banking Group said: “Business confidence definitely dipped a bit following the EU referendum result, but it has picked up again in the last few months, though is still below the long-term average.

“Confidence remains well above the lows of

THE WAITING GAME Uncertainty still dogs business following the EU referendum the financial crisis, driven by demand both in the UK and abroad.

“The banking sector also has a much stronger capital position to withstand any shocks than in 2008/09, which should give businesses more confidence that their growth ambitions can be supported in the year ahead.

“We should expect more twists and turns in 2017, but in the meantime business owners are resilient and continuing to do what they do best – getting on with growing their businesses while keeping an eye on the external risks.”

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NEWS

World News

Syrian rebels refuse to continue talks with government CITING continuing violations of a four-day-old ceasefire deal by the government as the main reason for their action, Syrian rebel groups say they are suspending talks ahead of planned peace negotiations later this month.

The agreement brokered by Russia and Turkey is to be followed by negotiations between mainstream rebel factions and government representatives in the Kazakh capital Astana.

But 10 rebel factions have said they are suspending any talks related to the Astana negotiations or any discussions related to the ceasefire ‘until it is fully implemented’.

The United Nations Security Council on Saturday unanimously adopted a resolution backing efforts

by Russia and Turkey, which support opposing sides of the Syria war, to end the near six-year conflict and jump-start peace negotiations.

However, a statement made by the rebels insisted that violations in the Barada Valley are continuing and ‘threaten the lives of hundreds of thousands of residents’.

The Barada Valley, which is controlled by rebels but surrounded by pro-government forces including the Lebanese Hezbollah group, is the primary source of water for Damascus and its surrounding region. Recent unrest there has resulted in a severe water shortage in the capital since December 22.

Images from the valley’s Media Centre indicate the Ain al-Fijeh spring and water processing facility have been destroyed, apparently in air strikes. The government says rebels spoiled the water source with diesel, forcing it to cut supplies to the capital.

Wednesday January 4 | 2017

PRESIDENT-ELECT Donald Trump

LEADER Kim Jong Un

North Korea will not develop a nuclear weapon says Trump DONALD TRUMP has insisted that North Korea will not be able to create nuclear arms capable of reaching the United States.

The President-elect addressed the issue on Twitter after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said in his annual New Year’s address that preparations for launching an ICBM have ‘reached the final stage’. He did not explicitly say a test was imminent.

Mr Trump later tweeted: “North Korea just stated that it is in the final stages of developing a nuclear weapon capable of reaching parts of the US. It won’t happen!”

It was unclear if Mr Trump meant he would stop North Korea or he was simply doubting the country’s capabilities. His aides did not respond to questions seeking clarification.

Mr Trump then berated North Korea’s most important ally, tweeting: “China has been taking out massive amounts of money & wealth from the US in totally one-sided trade, but won’t help with North Korea. Nice!”

Earlier this week President-elect Trump was

showing little sign of forgiving his critics as he prepares to move into the Oval Office.

The incoming president tweeted: “Various media outlets and pundits say that I thought I was going to lose the election. Wrong...”

He continued: “I thought and felt I would win big, easily over the fabled 270” electoral votes.

Mr Trump’s continued focus on his unexpected November 8 victory comes as he works behind closed doors to shape his new administration.

Meanwhile incoming White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer has defended cryptic comments by Mr Trump that he knows ‘things that other people don’t know’ when it comes to allegations of Russian hacking.

Mr Spicer said Mr Trump is getting national security briefings on a daily basis and ‘there doesn’t seem to be conclusive evidence’ Russians were behind the hacking during the election.

Mr Spicer dismissed a report released by the FBI and Homeland Security Department supporting the accusations against Russia, calling it a ‘howto’ manual on basic cybersecurity for Democrats.

WORLD NEWS IN BRIEF

Children killed by pest control poisonous gas FOUR children have died and six people are in hospital after a poisonous gas was released when someone tried to wash away a pesticide sprayed under a Texas home.

Fire officials said Phosphine gas was likely to have been released when water was mixed with the pest control chemical. One child died at the scene and three others died at a hospital.

Phosphine gas can cause respiratory failure and in severe cases a pulmonary edema, which fills the lungs full of fluid, the Fire Department said.

Ferry captain arrested MOHAMAD NALI, the captain of an Indonesian tourist ferry that caught fire on New Year’s Day resulting in the death of at least 23 people, has been arrested for alleged negligence. Seventeen people are reported as still missing.

He is accused of continuing to sail The Zahro Express with at least 247 people on board from Muara Angke port in northern Jakarta to the resort island of Tidung despite knowing that the number of passengers on the ferry far exceeded the 100 who were listed on the manifest.

Helicopter missing VENEZUELAN rescue teams are searching the Amazon rainforest for a military helicopter that went missing with as many as 13 people on board.

20

NEWS

Letters

Wednesday January 4 | 2017

And another thing…

This is the page where you, the reader, have your chance to express your views or comments on what’s going on in our part of the world. We like to hear from you. You can email us at newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk or newsdesk@timesoftonbridge.co.uk or write to the Editor at 16 Lonsdale Gardens, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 1NU

Some shoppers in supermarket dash fail to embrace the spirit of the season as tempers fray I was pleased to see the pre-Christmas appeal letter from the Usdaw union for shoppers to remember to be polite to shopworkers [December 21], but I’m mortified to say it didn’t work in Tunbridge Wells.

Having run out of milk, I was among those battling through the carnage in the big Sainsbury’s store by Tunbridge Wells West station the day before Christmas Eve, and I was aghast at what I saw.

For some unfathomable reason, lots of people had clearly left ALL their Christmas food shopping until the last minute, and were almost killing each other in a bid to get the vital ingredients for the big meal. They were gobbling them up faster than turkeys.

People were even grabbing items out of other people’s baskets, and the way the staff were treated was appalling.

A woman on one of the tills said the day was a total nightmare – she had never seen anything like it – and she had suffered awful

The proposal: Age of romance not dead I have to start with huge congratulations to the happy couple-to-be, Mr Alex Kelly and Miss Amy Lawrence [December 21]. Christmas is such a wonderful time of year to get engaged and know that you’re going to spend your lives together.

Alex, the unusual proposal you put up on the canopy outside the Assembly Hall Theatre was amazing and must have been extremely touching to Amy. Being a woman myself, I must admit I am quite jealous! Having a special and thought out proposal is nearly every woman’s dream, and it’s so nice to see that it isn’t just a thing of the past.

These days, people seem to get married later in relationships than even just a few generations back, so it’s lovely to see that early commitment in new relationships still exists.

I wish the pair of you all the best.

Rosemary Simmonds Via email

Pembury Road: Council merry-go-round Although it was unsurprising to hear [December 21] that David Juke’s grand announcement of a new roundabout on Pembury Road has come to nothing, I, along with many other motorists I suspect, am still incredibly disappointed.

abuse from customers. She said one man’s rudeness was so intolerable she was forced to refuse to serve him, and call her manager. Good for her, I say!

And it’s not only at Christmas when I’ve seen customers being abusive to staff at that Sainsbury’s when it was not the worker’s fault.

It really isn’t on. They are just doing their jobs, and Christmas must be one of the hardest times for them to do that.

Politeness – and even a smile – costs nothing, especially at this time of the year.

Peter Everett Via email

It would have gone a long way to make one of the most unpleasant stretches of road at least semi-tolerable.

The ill-thought-out traffic light system at the junction with Hall’s Hole Road and Blackhurst Lane has long been one of the major causes of congestion and its replacement would have been most welcome.

But even a roundabout would not be the be all and end all to solve that unpleasant journey.

What is required, at least up until that junction, but ideally further, would be dualling of the road.

There is ample space for the duration of that stretch to do this, especially if we scrap the most redundant and sparsely used cycle path in Kent that happens to run alongside it.

Of course, this would be too good to ever happen, even if funding could be found. The cycle lobby would have a fit and protest that it impacts the rights of the three people a month who use it.

It seems those of us who are forced to endure the rush hour on Pembury Road will have to grin and bear it for a while longer, and not make the mistake of getting our hopes up that things will ever get better.

Rupert Harmsworth Via email

Calverley: Music to the ears of parents It was nice to see [December 21] that the Friends of Calverley Grounds have managed to raise a £50,000 lump sum towards their target so the plans for a new children’s play park in that area of Tunbridge Wells can go ahead next year.

In a town where there are so many young children it has always baffled me that there is no decently sized, centrally-located play area. There is, of course, The Grove recreation ground, but to be honest it’s tiny, and once children reach school age they’ve all but outgrown the equipment there, so to know that the Calverley children’s park project has been given the go-ahead – thanks to the generosity of the donations given – will be music to most parents’ ears.

Up until now, if you live in the middle of town and have young children, then you have to travel out of Tunbridge Wells in order to take them to the swings – how mad is that?

I thought the picture you printed of some of the children who will benefit from this new recreational asset was the perfect way to sum up the campaign’s success, so thank you for putting it on your front page.

The Friends of Calverley Grounds campaigners have worked tirelessly over the past year, and we should applaud their efforts, and for taking the time to ensure all local children have somewhere safe and spacious to play.

Catherine Evans Via email

EU: Avoiding French goods for years All credit to Mr Baker [December 21], but I have been avoiding French goods for many years. In the past they have set fire to British sheep, illegally banned British beef, and farmers have gridlocked the roads. More recently, fishermen blockading Calais, and air traffic controller strikes have caused misery for many. Now it is bullying over our decision to leave the EU. For those who are thinking of joining us, be aware that there are products out there that don’t sound French but in fact are (eg Grey Goose vodka, Volvic mineral water and Granny Smith apples).

Croz Croswel Via email

Brexit: Spouting absolute nonsense Your correspondent John Hurst [December 21] is spouting absolute nonsense about Brexit, as the electorate has decided to leave the dysfunctional EU just in time – before the failure of the Italian banks and the reawakening of the migrant crisis propel the organisation towards its well-deserved collapse.

The [referendum] vote on the 23rd June was not, as Mr Hurst describes it, a coup, but a democratic vote in which the ordinary people

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

faced down the arrogant liberal elite to demand their country back.

President-elect Trump will not be in charge of our votes at the UN, any more than Barack Obama has been, and the welcome given to the restoration of British independence by our real friends around the world shows how bright our future outside this protectionist and demographically declining bloc will be.

Those of us who worked for the Leave campaign are not, as Mr Hurst asserts, ‘headbangers’, but democrats who wish to put an end to the gravy train of the politicians, bureaucrats and bankers who have profited at the expense of the working people.

Colin Bullen Via email

Santa Express: Such a big success One of the best things about Christmas in Tunbridge Wells is the free Santa Express land train! I just love it. As do hundreds of others, obviously, judging by the queues.

It’s such a brilliant way of zipping up and down between the top and bottom of town when doing your shopping, including steep Mount Pleasant.

And the children adore it, which makes for happy family outings all round.

And it’s also a great way to donate to charity if you wish to.

I just wish the council would fund it so we could have the land train all year round. I think they would be amazed at how much that would benefit the local economy if people (and tourists) could easily spread their shopping between Royal Victoria Place and The High Street and The Pantiles without having to lug heavy bags up and down that hill, and without having to worry about swapping car parks.

That would make it seem like Christmas every day in the town!

Barbara Mills Via Email

Tonbridge club: End of an era How sad that the Teen and Twenty in Tonbridge is closing down [December 28] to make way for a new medical centre after being the venue for much of the town’s social life since 1966. Think the World Cup win, that’s how long the place has been open.

No one can object to the opening of a new family doctors’ surgery, and all of us have noted that the Leader of the Council, Nicolas Heslop, has gone on the record to say they will make sure those activities that currently take place at the centre will be relocated.

Just to also place on the record the fact that we local residents will be watching developments with interest.

Peter Watkins Via email

Calverley is away

Education

Wednesday January 4 | 2017

EDUCATION Times WITH THE

NEWS IN EDUCATION

Now read all about it A NEW initiative has been launched by The Hayesbrook School, Tonbridge which aims to encourage all their pupils to get into reading.

The Whole School Book Club gives all students the opportunity to read a particular tome at the same time in weekly tutor sessions. The first one, which was started at the end of last term, was Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird.

The academy’s Principal, Daniel Hatley, explained the reason for introducing the initiative: “With the distractions of social media and online gaming, finding time and space to read for many young people is a challenge. With the advent of restructured GCSEs, we, as a school, need to ensure our young people develop the reading skills necessary to access language and ideas at the highest level.”

Other new programmes of support include a revamped learning resource centre which has been restocked with the latest texts, and workshops for parents detailing techniques to encourage reading at home.

New youth county councillor appointed A YEAR 11 pupil from St Gregory’s Catholic School has been elected as a Kent Youth County Councillor for Tunbridge Wells.

Over 24,220 young people voted across Kent to elect youth representatives in 11 different parts of the county.

David Wright, who campaigned for mental health awareness, education in politics and rights, and removing the restrictions on bus passes, was among those selected, and will attend ten meetings a year at County Hall in Maidstone to express the opinions of young people and try to bring about change.

After learning of his appointment, he commented: “Young people are the future of this nation. For the children of today will be the leaders of tomorrow.”

Jumping for joy Amelia Jeffery, a Year 6 pupil at St John’s C of E Primary School in Tunbridge Wells, is celebrating success after coming second in the South-East Regional Schools Under 11 Elite Trampolining Championships, held at the end of last month.

Amelia said: “I had great fun and have now qualified for the Southern zonal round in Somerset next month. If I succeed, I will go through to the school’s national final in Newcastle in March. I’m very proud to be competing on behalf of St John’s School.”

DON’T WORRY, BE HAPPY Children can learn from mistakes and defeats

The valuable lessons pupils can learn when they sometimes fail The start of the New Year is the perfect time for students to see how not achieving something can be turned into an essential life skill, says Samantha Price [below], Headmistress at Benenden School AS WE head into 2017, it is an opportune moment to reflect on a political year in 2016 that has been nothing short of seismic.

The UK has its second female Prime Minister and Donald Trump’s election shocked the world, while the political repercussions of Brexit continue to dominate the headlines.

I have been impressed at how politically engaged our students are: They have followed these historic events closely and have been passionate participants in the ensuing comment and debate. I will never forget the sight of girls in their pyjamas crowded around televisions watching the US election results come in. For them, Trump’s victory was one of their first ‘I remember where I was when…’ moments.

As a girls’ school, it certainly would have been inspirational for our pupils at Benenden to have seen a female President elected to the White House for the first time, especially as she would have been working closely with a female UK Prime Minister.

Yet the lessons that this generation, irrespective of political persuasion, can learn from Hillary Clinton did not end with her defeat in the US Presidential election.

Learning to deal with failure is an essential life skill that schools must ensure they are teaching young people. Life is not all plain sailing, as we all

‘Life is not all plain sailing and we must not suggest otherwise to pupils’ know, and we must not suggest otherwise to the pupils in our care. Very few people ever experience a setback as bruising – or one played out so publicly – as Hillary Clinton endured, yet how she responded was a lesson to young people everywhere in how to handle failure, and to realise that, in spite of it, you can still have made a significant difference, which in itself is a tremendous achievement.

Firstly, she demonstrated that it was okay to show emotion; in her concession speech the morning after the election, and then again a week later when she spoke at a charity event (when she looked tired and didn’t wear make-up) she was open about how emotionally bruising defeat had been.

Yet she was gracious in defeat and congratulated Trump for his victory and put her personal feelings to one side and focused on what the country needed to hear: She urged America to unite behind their new President, and in so doing offered firm leadership.

She showed that you should accept defeat; and urged young women around the world not to be put off by a fear of failure but to continue to strive for what they believe in.

Her words were inspirational to young women in particular.

Clinton also demonstrated that you must maintain purpose despite being knocked sideways. Because the country had rejected her as President didn’t mean she was going to change her beliefs in an attempt to appeal to the masses.

Instead, she insisted that the fight for liberal values would go on. She spoke of hope, she spoke of uniting the country, she encouraged her supporters to continue to campaign for their beliefs.

“Never stop believing that fighting for what’s right is worth it,” she said.

Above all, despite the outcome of the election, she has laid the path for credible female presidential candidates in the future to break through that particular glass ceiling.

Of all the memories that our students will take from 2016, I hope this is the overriding one.

NEWS

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22

NEWS

Weekly Comment

Wednesday January 4 | 2017

Tom Tugendhat

MP for Tonbridge & Malling

Tom Tugendhat, MBE, left the British Army in July 2013 after a career in which he served on operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and as the military assistant to the Chief of the Defence Staff. As a Territorial Army officer, he worked on everything from those ops to establishing the Armed Forces Muslim Association. He also worked for the Foreign Office.

He was elected as a Member of Parliament in 2015.

Why Tonbridge is on the up…

IF 2017 is as busy as last year, we’re in for a rollercoaster ride. But before we move forward, it is worth looking back on the past 12 months as our town can take great pride in the community’s achievements. The recent [Halifax] Quality of Life survey ranked Tonbridge and Malling the 14th best place to live in the country, making us the only place in Kent within the top 50. To many of us, this is not news. We’ve always known what a great place Tonbridge is.

Our town is on the up and the reasons are multiplying. People used to move here because we were so close to London with such great schools. Both are great and offer an advantage over others, but it’s not just the 50-minute train ride from one of the best cities in the world that makes us special, nor the amazing teachers.

Our High Street has led the way with a range of fabulous independent shops. Ian Chatfield’s award-winning butchers, cafés like Basil’s, The Bakehouse at 124, Beyond the Grounds and, of course, Finch House, are all gems in our town.

Then there are the many restaurants, from Havet’s great Turkish food to Saltwater’s fabulous fish, and many others in between. The change over recent months has been astonishing.

The range of shops has also widened. The new Marks & Spencer’s food hall will help cement our

reputation as a town where you can pick up whatever food you need.

But the work isn’t over. Our doctors’ surgeries need to expand to cope with growing demand, our swimming pool needs renovation as more and more people use it, and we need more school places. The work on our new High Street has made navigating the town easier for pedestrians, and there is work to be done outside Tonbridge station, too.

The new schools needed will build on a strong

base. Tonbridge Grammar School was recently voted one of the best in the country and it isn’t alone. Our schools offer a great education and opportunity. This year, our primary schools will be joined by Bishop Chavasse School, an offshoot of the Bennett Memorial School that has done so well to educate so many. The impact on our town will be felt for generations to come.

Education doesn’t stop at school, of course, apprenticeships are offering opportunities to students from across our town. Some I met are

now in finance, others in engineering and in a range of other professions. Together, this striving for a better future is what has seen our town improve. As always, there is more to do, but I’m confident that education will remain one of the biggest reasons to move to Tonbridge in the years to come.

There are many people and organisations who should take credit for the success of Tonbridge.

Businesses, voluntary groups, and our local councils have all played their part. But without the spirit and support of our community, Tonbridge would not be such a great place to live.

The challenge now, as we enter 2017, is to improve. I know we can do it.

GREAT EXPECTATIONS Tonbridge will have a good 2017

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PROPERTY

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Wednesday January 4 | 2017

Large rural paradise with own stables FACT FILE ST DENYS LODGE, ERIDGE ■ Two reception rooms ■ Family room ■ Kitchen/breakfast room ■ Walk-in larder ■ Utility room ■ Garden room ■ Shower room ■ Storeroom ■ Cloakroom ■ Log store ■ Garden store ■ Six bedrooms ■ Two bathrooms ■ Study ■ Two attic rooms ■ Cellar ■ Detached garage block ■ Greenhouse ■ Mature gardens ■ Stable block with enclosed paddock ■ Pastureland with borders of mixed woodland ■ About 17.85 acres in total

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Whispers

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WHISPERS, WADHURST ■ Entrance porch ■ Entrance hall ■ Open-plan living space ■ Family room ■ Study ■ Utility room ■ Cloakroom ■ Master bedroom suite ■ Bedroom with en-suite shower room ■ Four double bedrooms (two en suite) ■ Family bath/shower room ■ Enclosed garden ■ Driveway parking ■ About 0.21 acres

Guide Price £1,250,000 Available for sale through Savills Tunbridge Wells 01892 507000 www.savills.com

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Wednesday January 4 | 2017

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Wednesday January 4 | 2017

32

PROPERTY

Tamarind

Wednesday January 4 | 2017

Luxurious living promised in sprawling country estate

Majestic Stag with bronze finish £743

Cast Iron Statuary In their latest column, local company Round Wood of Mayfield talk us through their range of cast iron statues THE very first garden statues we offered here at Round Wood were cast in iron. Given our preference for high-end and traditional mediums, it was the obvious choice. Cast iron patinates delicately over time and will give many years of service.

It is a common misconception that the rust finish a cast iron statue develops will erode over time. Rust actually forms its own protective seal, so protects the base metal underneath, providing it is thick enough.

Over the years we have introduced other materials to our ranges, such as stone and various innovative composites. Cast iron, however, has remained a popular staple, particularly for those with a taste for grand, reclamation style features.

Stags remain our most popular cast iron statue. Our ‘Classic’ standing life-size model was the first, but has since been

joined by kneeling and half-size alternatives. The 1.6m ‘Majestic Stag’ has won most admirers in recent times, as its scale suits many different types of garden.

It is also available in a bronzed finish, designed to allow the rust to show through.

Other animals we offer include giant horses, dogs (including an impressive Rhodesian Ridgeback) and a fun Hippo. The latter has proved popular that just last month we introduced a mini version.

The subjects don’t end at animals. Classic busts and portraits feature in our collection, as do Buddha’s and Cherubs. If you are looking for something to make a real statement, we even offer a giant Rodin’s Thinker, which stands a whopping 2m and is almost 2 tonnes in weight.

Thankfully we have a vehicle with a crane for those tricky deliveries!

Round Wood offer a wide range of high-end products for the home and garden including oak framed buildings, quality decking, flooring, joinery, sleepers, planters and statues. Their flooring range also includes engineered walnut and thermo-treated boards. For more information please visit www.roundwood.com.

FACT FILE n Vaulted reception hall n Drawing room n Dining room n Study n Kitchen n Breakfast room n Cloakroom n Conservatory n Utility room n Cinema n Games room n Cloakroom n Boiler room n Master bedroom suite with private sitting room, balcony, dressing room and bathroom n Five further double bedrooms n Tank room n Integral double garage n Gardens to front and back n Flood lit tennis court n Garden store n Greenhouse n Pond n Approximately 10,400 sq ft

GUIDE PRICE

£3,600,000 Available for sale through Savills Tunbridge Wells, www.savills.co.uk, 01892 507 000

Wednesday January 4 | 2017

TAMARIND ETCHINGHAM GUIDE PRICE

£3,600,000

Tamarind

PROPERTY

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PROPERTY

Advertising

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FEATURES

Food & Drink

Wednesday January 4 | 2017

Experience the culinary allure of Asia in a restaurant to put a smile on your face Following a stylish refurbishment and impressive expansion project, does the Giggling Squid in Tunbridge Wells still please the Thai palates of its discerning diners? Eileen Leahy went to find out

OVER the years, 57 Calverley Road in Tunbridge Wells has been a number of things: A rustic Italian trattoria, a quirky Mongolian BBQ restaurant and an upmarket Indian, to name but a few of its numerous gastronomic guises.

Rather curiously, though, none of these had any real staying power, with most closing down within a year of opening. So what has its current occupier – the Giggling Squid, a Thai eaterie – got that has eluded everyone else?

Keen to find out, I booked a table for my husband, Steve, and I at the restaurant, which is part of a small but ever-expanding chain run by Pranee Laurillard and her husband Andy.

The couple, who came up with the quirky Giggling Squid moniker after a family fishing trip with their three children inspired the name, opened their first restaurant in Brighton in 2002. They now have over 15 in the south east, including the popular one in Tunbridge Wells.

Unlike a lot of businesses which have been hit by hard times, the Giggling Squid enterprise seems to have defied the current economic climate. Not only does it continue to open more restaurants – four more are planned for early 2017 – it is also enhancing its existing ones. The Tunbridge Wells branch has just undergone a costly refurbishment and extension in order to accommodate more diners.

As well as expanding upstairs and into the former premises of Calverley Dental Practice, the owners burrowed into the basement in order to create a superior dining experience and better facilities for its customers.

When we arrive one rainy evening in early January the place is buzzing. As well as the appealing aromatic smell of exotic spices wafting around, there’s the clatter of action going on in the small kitchen, just visible near reception, and also the loud chatter of the many guests having a great time despite it being the notoriously ‘bleak for business’ month post Christmas.

‘Sitting at our table in a cosy corner gives me the time to clock the cosmetic makeover’ Yet while the Giggling Squid may have that all-important ambience going on, has the quality of its food been compromised for the newly decorated premises?

As we squeeze past fellow diners happily tucking into dishes of spicy curry, or snacking on the tapas-style starters it is renowned for, it would appear not.

Sitting down at our table, which is located in a cosy corner, gives me the time to properly clock the cosmetic makeover.

The dining area is lighter and more attractive than before, and boasts hints of Asian heritage courtesy of its weathered wooden walls, exotic orchids and bamboo baskets artfully displayed about the place, but overall the mood is cool and contemporary. It’s a bit like it’s been styled on an OKA catalogue – in a good way.

We’re presented with a basket of prawn crackers and a petri of piquant sauce to snack on while we decide what we’re going to eat.

Unlike the anaemic looking ones served up in some establishments, these crackers are beautifully golden in colour, a little spicy and – as June, the Assistant Manager who showed us to our table attests – they really are ‘hard to stop eating’.

My only small criticism so far is that our menus are horribly sticky – mine even has a splodge of sauce on it – so perhaps a quick check on the state of them before each sitting wouldn’t go amiss.

Despite this minor blip, my husband and I enjoy reading founder Pranee’s informative introduction on page one. It recalls her childhood spent in Thailand, where she discovered a love of eating chillies and hanging out at food markets and being thoroughly absorbed by all the exotic smells and colours.

Most of Pranee’s restaurant dishes are Thai classics – think stir fries, dumplings, pad thai

and noodle soups – with some of the food descriptions accompanied by witty comments or culinary tips if you fancy trying the food at home.

When I read her blurb on the DIY Bundles (£7.95), and how they got their name due to husband Andy’s dislike for doing any home improvements, I decide that assembling little towers of chopped tiger prawns, shallots, lemongrass, lime and salad leaves sounds like a fun way to start our dining experience.

But then I spot the steamed mussels with mixed Thai herbs and green curry (£6.95) and decide to opt out of doing any DIY. Steve can’t make up his mind between the salt

MANAGING EXPECTATIONS Head waiter May and Assistant Manager June

CHEERFUL REFURB The Tunbridge Wells restaurant

Food & Drink

Wednesday January 4 | 2017

COOKING UP FLAVOURS OF THE EAST A selection of delicious dishes to savour at the Giggling Squid

and pepper squid (£7.25), the Tom Yum ‘addictive’ spicy vegetable soup (£6.95) and the Seafood Streetfood appetisers (£7.50).

Encouraged by our friendly waiter, May, he goes for the latter, which is the Giggling Squid’s version of the Thai staple ‘Lab’ – a confection of prawns and scallops in dried chilli, roasted rice, mint leaves and nam pla fish sauce.

He orders a traditional Thai Chang beer, and for me it has to be the exotic-sounding Hibiscus spritz gin-based cocktail – but these are downed pretty swiftly due to the onslaught of chilli and spice included in both starters.

I’m all for a little hit of heat, but in mine it’s quite overpowering and eventually defeats me. I’m suddenly guzzling glasses of water to

neutralise my taste buds. Steve is obviously made of far more robust stuff and finishes both dishes off – clearly enjoying the heat rush.

Thankfully, the two mains we order are a far more subdued and subtly aromatic affair.

Although I found it tricky to choose between the Stand Up Sea Bass (£15.50) – a crispy golden fillet enhanced with shallots, ginger and peanuts – and the Red Squid Curry (£13.50) – a traditional offering that makes Pranee think of ‘Grandma cooking for her family’ – I eventually decide I want something just a little bit different, so opt for the Red Duck Curry (£15.50) – Pranee says she ‘lives on this’.

The inclusion of sweet lychee and pineapple in this interesting seared duck dish tempers the

curry nicely, although there’s just a little too much sauce for my liking, and I’m not sure the cherry tomatoes work with it.

Steve’s main of Beef in Oyster Sauce (£10.50) served with sticky rice is a triumph, and rather impressively, when ordering, he gets to tell the chef how he likes his meat cooked.

The slender strips of perfectly stir-fried beef are coated in a delicious Thai spice-infused gravy and come with florets of crunchy broccoli and chunks of colourful peppers. The sticky rice absorbs most of the moreish sauce, which I can’t resist sampling.

The portions are very generous, and as a result we both struggle to finish everything on our plates, but we do feel pleasantly satisfied.

While we’ve been savouring our food, the restaurant has showed no signs of slowing down.

People are clearly enjoying the good quality, reasonably priced food and also that pleasant ambience here. And so are we, which is why – despite the fact both of us could roll out of the restaurant – we are still persuaded to take a cursory look at the dessert menu.

Fortunately, the majority of sweet choices are light ones, such as Lemongrass and Basil sorbet and the rather intriguing sounding Black Sesame ice cream (both £4.95).

They are unique to the Giggling Squid, made exclusively in a ‘tiny shop’ in Pranee’s home town Brighton.

Despite Giggling Squid becoming such a big success, its founder has clearly stayed true to her roots – both in Thailand and here in the south east.

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We finish our palate-cleansing desserts and head off into the early 2017 drizzle. For a couple of hours we’ve forgotten about the miserable New Year weather and experienced the magic of the Far East courtesy of some full-on flavoursome food – and that’s probably why such a success has finally been made of 57 Calverley Road.

THE GIGGLING SQUID 57 Calverley Road, Tunbridge Wells , TN1 2UY 01892 545499 www.giggling squid.com

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Travel

Wednesday January 4 | 2017

A taste of the Cape

By Katie Wright

A

WARDS aren’t the be all and end all, of course, but when it comes to gourmet gongs, the metropolis that lies at the foot of Table Mountain sure has garnered a lot recently.

The readers of Condé Nast Traveller voted Cape Town the number one food destination in the world in 2016. The revered annual Eat Out rankings state that 17 of the country’s 20 best restaurants are found within the city limits – and it is home to the best coffee shop on the planet, bar none.

With BA’s new direct overnight flight from Gatwick, a long weekend of non-stop scoffing is now a viable option.

Another bonus? The time difference is only two hours, so jet lag won’t rear its ugly head.

In need of a quick post-flight pick-me-up, I make the aforementioned coffee mecca my first port of call when I land.

Truth Coffee Roasting on Buitenkant Street was declared the world’s top coffee shop by the Telegraph in 2015, testament not only to the anything-but-average cup of Joe it peddles, but also its expansive industrial-chic café.

The open-front space, peppered with quirky curios, is ridiculously cool.

When I stop by, actor Johnny Knoxville is chatting with a friend at the ornate chrome bar. Yet it’s not at all pretentious – and the house Resurrection blend is extraordinarily smooth and satisfying.

The unbeatable bean juice is just one of many reasons foodies are flocking to the city.

“We have a lot of talented chefs. It’s where people come if they want to establish themselves,” Truth’s Assistant General Manager, Samantha Long, tells me. “And we all support each other,” she says of the burgeoning scene, citing toasted sandwich shop Melt on Long

Street as her current favourite hotspot.

A couple of blocks away, where Bree and Shortmarket Streets intersect, is the epicurean epicentre, where new eateries are springing up at such a rate even those in the know are struggling to keep up.

Want to lunch like a local? Take a stroll along Bree to pick up the ingredients for a DIY feast.

“Get your bread from Jason’s, your cheese from Culture Club, and your meat from Bacon on Bree, then go and have a picnic in Kirstenbosch gardens,” recommends Matt Fuller, who leads food-themed tours around the tastiest suburbs.

Over on Shortmarket Street, the third opening from celebrated chef Luke Dale-Roberts is one of the latest jewels in the city’s culinary crown.

Capetonians flock to the Shortmarket Club for tart, crispy octopus, fish specials that change daily, and orgasmic desserts.

As a puddingworshipper, I can say the gooey

WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFFEE Buitenkant Street, home of the world’s No 1 ‘bean juice’ bar

THE SLICE OF LIFE Katie Wright with cookery teacher Faldela Tolker, who specialises in Cape Malay cuisine

chocolate soufflé is nothing short of a religious experience.

But Brit Dale-Roberts isn’t the only out-of-towner who recognises the Cape’s potential.

“A lot of people are watching the city,” Chef Nobu Matsuhisa tells me over lunch.

“Since I’ve been here, people are looking for good food, the city is growing.”

The Godfather of sushi is visiting Africa’s only outpost of his wildly successful, upscale Japanese chain, housed in the plush One&Only resort.

Nobu’s sushi is second to none, which is why his two starry London branches command a pretty penny. But a visit here, thanks to the favourable exchange rate, costs about a third of what it would back in Blighty.

It’s not all high-end and haute, however, in this urban jungle.

I’m treated to a taste of home-cooked

Cape Town when I venture into the Nyanga township to experience Theatre in the Backyard, which takes place in a house borrowed from a local dweller.

Following an outdoor performance of Is He Mad? – a moving one-man monologue brought to life with boundless energy by actor Lamla Ntsakub – I sit down in the home’s cosy living room with the star and his director, George Mhlanguli. We chat over a hearty dinner of chicken wings, spicy chakalaka stew and savoury doughnut-like vetkoeks, washed down with tangy homemade ginger beer.

I’m ashamed to admit the only South African delicacy I could name before my trip was billtong, but there’s far more to the nation’s repertoire than that leathery dried meat, as I learn when I visit the suburb of Bo-kaap, where houses painted pea green, cyan, lemon and aqua are luminous in the fierce midday sun.

Travel

Wednesday January 4 | 2017

IN THE ROAR A view of Cape Town from the top of Lion’s Head mountain

‘We have a lot of talented chefs.

It’s where people come if they want to establish themselves’

In the kitchen of a violet two-storey property on Wale Street, Faldela Tolker, who has lived here for 26 years, teaches classes specialising in the melting-pot cuisine known as Cape Malay.

“You’ll find a little bit of Asian Malay influence in all our dishes,” she explains, flitting between motherly advice and delightfully cantankerous banter as we get to work whipping up a fragrant, seven-spice chicken curry and stuffing samosas.

We knead, twist and flatten a stretchy dough to make roti flatbreads, which Faldela fries to flaky, golden perfection.

Since we’re in a Muslim household, there is no alcohol served when we sit down to sample the fruits of our labours.

But you’re never far from a tasty tipple in the country famed for its world-class viticulture.

Hermanus, a 90-minute drive south east, is home to the so-called Wine Road, an 18km stretch where rolling hills patchworked with rows of verdant vines are framed in the distance by craggy terracotta peaks and an astonishingly vivid cloudless sky.

And just outside Cape Town proper, you’ll find the exclusive suburb of Constantia, with its ten vineyards and yet more tempting restaurants.

Truth be told, if you’re serious about hunting down the best eats South Africa has to offer, you’d do better to skip the Table Mountain tour and take your place at one of the city’s finedining tables instead.

Your taste buds will thank you.

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PICNIC PERFECT Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden

TRAVEL FACTS

‘GODFATHER OF SUSHI’ Chef Nobu Matsuhisa

British Airways flies from Gatwick to Cape Town twice a week (www.ba.com/capetown or telephone 0344 493 0787).

Prices start from £535 return, including all taxes and charges.  For more information on South Africa and Cape Town, visit www.uk.southafrica.net

Motoring

WITH THE

Wednesday January 4 | 2017

OF TUNBRIDGE WELLS AND TONBRIDGE

FEATURES

47

THE TOWN’S TOP MOTORING GUIDE FROM E V E R Y D AY D R I V E S T O LU XU RY SU P E R C A R S

FIRST DRIVE

BMW 5 SERIES

The new BMW 5 Series has a lot of expectation riding on it.

The outgoing car was immensely popular, so has the new one done enough to eclipse this? Darren Cassey finds out WHAT’S NEW? According to BMW, the 5 Series is the car most people associate their brand with.

So when it’s time for a new generation of the premium executive car everyone has to beat, it’s a pretty big deal.

Thus BMW has overhauled the car without changing its character much at all. The exterior styling is now more taut and muscular, while the technology on display in the cabin is second to none.

The chassis has been renewed and the extensive use of lightweight materials contributes to a weight saving of 100kg.

The front axle is a new double-wishbone set-up, coupled with a five-link system at the rear that helps give the kind of ride rivals can only dream of matching.

LOOKS AND IMAGE Minor changes turn the old bland styling into something more purposeful, with narrow headlights combining with more pronounced creases along the car’s profile to give a muscular appearance.

The interior is more functional than luxurious, but of great quality. The new touchscreen protrudes tablet-like from the dashboard and helps declutter the centre console by moving more

functions into its maze of menus.

Few cars ride quite as sumptuously, and there’s no wallowy cornering. The large leather chairs – a pricey optional extra – are instantly comfortable, and with a wide range of movement from them and the steering wheel, finding a driving position is easy. Even after a four-hour stint, we arrived at our destination feeling fresh.

SPACE AND PRACTICALITY The saloon has 530 litres of boot space – ten litres smaller than an equivalent Mercedes E-Class. Though we’re not sure many buyers would notice the difference.

And the interior is even more spacious than before, with marginally more headroom and legroom all around.

BMW is proud of the safety technology it has implemented. The most significant is in the Driving Assistant Plus package – a £2,250 option. Lane departure warning, traffic jam assist and adaptive cruise control are among those included here.

Some of these features can be annoyingly obtrusive in normal driving – but activate cruise control along with the lane departure system and the car becomes semi-autonomous. It’s really quite spooky.

WHAT’S UNDER THE BONNET? The most popular engine variant will be the 2.0-litre, four-cylinder unit in the 520d because it keeps both the taxman and the fleet manager happy. With 185bhp and 400Nm of torque, it’s no slouch, but comes with claimed economy figures of 68.9mpg and 108g/km of CO2.

However, those who can get away with it should go for the 530d. The 3.0-litre diesel makes 258bhp, but it’s the way the 620Nm of torque is so deliciously delivered that delights. Around town there’s not a great deal of difference, but find a fun road and the extra punch is welcome.

In fact, prod the drive mode selector into ‘sport’, and take control of the slick automatic gearbox via the wheel-mounted paddles, and we’d argue it’s actually more fun than the sportier 540i petrol.

BEHIND THE WHEEL For such a big car, the 5 Series doesn’t half handle well, and that’s down to improvements in the chassis. The new axle has been tuned to find the balance between driving dynamics and comfort – we reckon the engineers have nailed it.

The 5 Series’ bread and butter is devouring motorway miles, and the ride

FACTS AT A GLANCE MODEL: BMW 5 Series ENGINE: 3.0-litre sixcylinder diesel TRANSMISSION: Eightspeed automatic PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph: 5.2s, top speed: 155mph POWER: 258bhp, 620Nm ECONOMY: 56.6mpg EMISSIONS: 132g/km PRICE (AS TESTED): From £31,115

quality is unparalleled. Parking is made easy thanks to a suite of driver assists that use the central touchscreen to give both a bird’s-eye view of the car’s surroundings and a nifty rear-view camera.

VALUE FOR MONEY Series 5 packs better standard kit than before, including a fully digital instrument display, LED headlights and widescreen navigation. But the long list of optional extras our car came with are the best goodies, including automatic, four-zone air conditioning (£695), a brilliant head-up display (£995) and ‘comfort seats’ (£1,705).

The base car is hardly spartan, but you will have to tick a lot of boxes for the full experience. The infotainment system is one of the best around. The touchscreen is easy to use, while the widescreen display means a lot of information can be displayed without it getting too cluttered.

WHO WOULD BUY ONE? BMW is targeting business people who spend much of their lives on the road.

Series 5 can appeal to those who simply want safety, security and a relaxing drive, as well as those who want a little more dynamic capability from time to time.

‘The new front axle helps give the kind of ride rivals can only dream of matching’

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FEATURES

Motoring

Videos reveal more about mystery Kia KIA has previewed its new go-faster grand tourer vehicle ahead of its debut at the Detroit motor show this month.

The Korean company has so far released three videos of the car, which is thought to be a five-door hatchback similar to the BMW 3 Series GT and the current Ford Mondeo.

Fearsome The video footage confirms a 0-62mph time of 5.1 seconds and a top speed in excess of 150mph, as well as showing development work at the fearsome Nürburgring Nordschleife in Germany and at Kia’s high-speed test track in Namyang, South Korea.

This is the quickest 0-62mph time yet for the brand, which claims that: “The fastest-accelerating Kia to date represents a new paradigm of performance, its heart-pounding power encouraging you to grip the wheel a little more tightly.”

Power is expected to come from a turbocharged 2.0L petrol engine, although some European reports have suggested that the 3.8L V6 from the old Hyundai Genesis could also be used.

As a result, more has been revealed about the car’s exterior, with stills from the videos showing the brand’s tiger-nose grille, curved roofline and LED headlights.

The interior is expected to share much with existing Kia lines, as the videos appear to show a similar starter button and instrument display to the current Sportage and Optima models.

Wednesday January 4 | 2017

New Italian stallion LUXURY sports car king Lamborghini has unveiled its latest flagship supercar – the Aventador S. Powered by a V12 engine, the Aventador S is capable of reaching 60mph in 2.8 seconds and hitting a top speed of 217mph.

It also focuses more on aerodynamics than before, while the car’s suspension and electronics have been enhanced over the standard Aventador.

Stefano Domenicali, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Automobili Lamborghini, said: “This is the next generation Aventador, as well as the expression of new technological and performance milestones

OUT TO LAMBAST ALL RIVALS Lamborghini’s Aventador S

in super sports car development.

“The Aventador S is a visionary design – cuttingedge technology and driving dynamics in pure harmony – and elevates the concept of super sports cars to a new level.”

A larger nose and longer front splitter have been fitted, with the pair working together to redirect airflow for better efficiency, as well as better engine cooling.

At the rear sits a large black diffuser, which can be specified in carbon fibre as an optional extra. This helps to reduce drag and generate downforce.

The Aventador S is also fitted

with four-wheel-drive and four-wheel steering.

The new steering system allows the rear wheels to face in the opposite direction to the steering angle when travelling at low speeds, essentially reducing the length of the wheelbase.

This gives greater agility and decreases the car’s turning circle.

The first cars will be delivered in spring 2017.

The suggested price excluding taxes is 218,555 Euros (circa £235,935).

Motoring

Wednesday January 4 | 2017

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49

BMW 5 series hybrid is equipped to balance efficiency and performance BMW has unveiled the plug-in hybrid version of its new 5 Series – the 530e iPerformance.

Priced from £43,985, the 530e combines a 2.0L turbocharged petrol engine with an electric FEEL THE CHARGE The new 530e iPerformance

motor to offer a claimed 141.2mpg, 46g/km CO2 emissions and a zero-emission range of 29 miles.

Despite this efficiency, the car manufacturer still says the 530e is capable of a six-second 0-60mph

sprint and a 146mph top speed.

Like its more conventionally fuelled stablemates, the 530e is fitted with a Driving Experience Control switch, which allows drivers to choose between Sport, Comfort,

Eco and Pro settings, but the hybrid also gets an eDrive option.

This setting allows the driver to control the car’s deployment of electrical power, choosing Max eDrive to run on electric power alone. This will offer a top speed of 87mph, but the car will engage the petrol engine if it is required to go faster.

The Battery Control setting, meanwhile, allows the driver to pick a charge level and maintain it, conserving energy for later innercity driving, for example.

For other eventualities, the 530e has an Auto eDrive mode, which is automatically selected on start-up and balances petrol and electric power for optimum efficiency and performance.

From the outside, there’s little to discern the 530e from its brethren, apart from some blue slats in the grille, the charging socket in the front wing and the eDrive emblems on the C-pillars.

The interior is similar, too, although the eDrive lettering on the door sills and the eDrive button on the centre console set it apart.

The 530e iPerformance will be available to order from the middle of this month.

Shining revived light on cyclists VOLVO has reintroduced its innovative LifePaint reflective spray, once again giving cyclists a different way of staying visible at night.

The spray is capable of reflecting light, allowing drivers to see cyclists on the road in the dark more clearly. It is best used on fibrous materials, such as cotton, fleece and linen – though it can also be sprayed upon shoes, helmets and even dog leads.

Joe Wakefield, Managing Director of Volvo Car UK, said: “LifePaint is another example of Volvo’s human-centric approach to safety. Not only are we a world leader in safety technology for our cars by offering this innovative spray online, we’re helping to protect more people on our roads than ever – whether they drive a Volvo or not.”

With more than 19,000 cyclists injured on UK roads each year, the Swedish manufacturer was keen to promote greater levels of visibility for those on bikes at night.

Volvo has collaborated with the makers of LifePaint, Swedish start-up company Albedo100, to sell the product via its dealer network.

Each can of LifePaint is priced at £13, with post and packaging at £7 per order.

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Life & Style

Wednesday January 4 | 2017

BURRSWOOD Burrswood Health and Wellbeing is about transforming lives through whole person care. They support individuals, families and carers to recognise the importance of all aspects of their lives, body, mind and spirit. Set in tranquil grounds, they offer a range of therapeutic health and wellbeing services, the aim of which is to further promote resilience, independence and an improved quality of life for their patients. Areas of focus include: reablement care for those needing short term bed based care before returning home, respite care, and palliative care for those who may wish to spend time in a supported environment while their condition is stable.

KNOWLE GRANGE After the excesses of the festive period, January is the perfect time to plan your goals and bring your body and mind back into balance for the year ahead. Set in beautiful Victorian gardens with a heated swimming pool, sauna and spa, Knowle Grange provides the perfect tranquil environment. The fantastic fitness team there will help you achieve your fitness and weight objectives or you can rejuvenate with one of the many massage or holistic spa treatments provided by the experienced therapists.

When it comes to treatment of the month, therapists at Knowle Grange voted the new Optimum Hydration Facial the best facial they have experienced based on results. It minimises wrinkles, increases hydration levels by 95% and leaves a silky radiant skin. A gentle enzyme peel gently dissolves dead skin cells, allowing the caviar, vitamin C or collagen ampoules, which are massaged in, to penetrate even deeper. A secret formula mask takes the absorption to another level, and a rejuvenating elixir completes the experience with a divine facial and neck massage.

Burrswood are also offering assisted stays for those who would like to take a break but require a little additional support such as specialist equipment, hospital bed, hoists or personal care.

There’s also the option of independent stays for guests who are accessing the chaplaincy led wellbeing events or outpatient services such as hydrotherapy, counselling and physiotherapy.

And, Burrswood are extending their range of outpatient services to support people with chronic conditions.

As an organisation founded on Christian principles, Burrswood has a distinctive ethos. Their Christian faith perspective is offered but never imposed upon those who come to seek their support and guidance.

For more information, membership or to book a treatment call 01892 750 550, email enquiriesknowle@gmail.com or visit www.knowlegrange.co.uk

www.burrswood.org.uk

BATCHELLOR MONKHOUSE As a company Batchellor Monkhouse are well known for their estate agency services, with long established sales and lettings teams.

For them, Kent, Sussex and Surrey aren’t just options on a property search list. All who work there, choose to live here too, and as a result, when it comes to selling the local area, they do it with knowledge and passion. Years of specialised experience in the south east mean no-one is better placed to champion your property, promote its location, and communicate its unique appeal.

THE TOWNHOUSE The Townhouse in Tunbridge Wells celebrated its second anniversary and said a big thank you to all its regular patrons by hosting a casino and charity night with a black and white dress theme. Over 100 people attended the celebrations with a complimentary house drink and delicious homemade canapés served throughout the evening.

The first floor gallery room was completely transformed into a casino with blackjack and roulette to entertain the guests and the night was a great success with many fantastic comments.

The Townhouse also held a charity event and raised £500 for Alzheimer’s charity which is now the adopted charity for the venue.

They would like to thank their customers for their support, and promise to keep The Townhouse the place to come in Tunbridge Wells, doing bigger and better things in 2017.

www.townhousetwells.com

What may come as a surprise is that as well as selling and letting houses the office in Tunbridge Wells can provide a wide and all-encompassing range of services for land and property related enquiries: • Property Sales • Lettings • Equestrian and Rural Agency • Estate Management • Planning and Development • Professional Valuations •Telecommunications Batchellor Monkhouse are the largest independent firm of this type in the south east and as well as being members of the RICS and ARLA our range of services is unrivalled. Their offices in Battle, Haywards Heath, Pulborough and Tunbridge Wells, with an associated London office, they have the south east covered with property and land experts all under one roof.

To find out more please call into their office at 1 London Road, Tunbridge Wells TN1 1DH telephone 01892 512 020 or visit the website www.batchellermonkhouse.com

MUSIC SOOTHES THE SOUL Pianist Peter Donohoe makes another welcome return to Tunbridge Wells to play the Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, one of Rachmaninov’s last but most popular works, on Sunday, 5th February 2017 at the Assembly Hall Theatre.

It is a brilliant set of variations for piano and orchestra on a violin solo by Paganini that has been used as the basis for sets of variations by many composers.

The show opens with Shostakovich’s very lively and exciting Festival Overture and ends with Tchaikovsky’s monumental Manfred Symphony.

With ticket prices still representing the best value for quality orchestral concerts in the south east, the Royal Tunbridge Wells Symphony Orchestra hope for your continued support.

For more information, check out www.rtwso.org

Puzzles

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

3

8

2 5 4 9 1 7 2 3 5 8 4 9 5 7 2 1 5 1 4

Codeword:

7 2 8 6

G Y P S U M H O E E E S R E E M E R S T E M O M I S M I M I P R EWA R T R B E N V I E D F X O L I D I P R I M S N O R A I NWA S G E L E Q U I T Y S

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

2 5

8

4 19

24

9

4 3 8

1

6

5 8 3 8 2 4 5 9 6

4

4 1

8

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

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

Puzzle solutions will be published in next week’s paper

Sudoku:

4 2 9 3 7 5 1 8 6

8 5 1 4 6 9 2 7 3

3 6 7 1 2 8 4 9 5

I P L G E A C O L C O S A J T E E T R

H O P O S T U R A P T E D O R S I L T I A Z Z R Z I O K E

Jigsaw Sudoku:

7 9 3 2 4 1 6 5 8

2 8 5 6 9 7 3 1 4

6 1 4 5 8 3 9 2 7

5 4 6 7 1 2 8 3 9

1 7 8 9 3 4 5 6 2

9 3 2 8 5 6 7 4 1

6 4 9 5 3 7 2 1 8

2 3 1 4 6 8 5 7 9

5 8 2 6 7 9 3 4 1

7 1 8 9 5 6 4 3 2

1 2 7 3 8 4 9 6 5

3 5 4 8 2 1 7 9 6

4 9 6 7 1 2 8 5 3

8 7 3 1 9 5 6 2 4

9 6 5 2 4 3 1 8 7

© 2016 Syndicated Puzzles

14

4

DIFFICULTY RATING: ★★II

3

© 2016 Syndicated Puzzles, Inc.

2

© 2016 Syndicated Puzzles

1

SOLUTIONS (FROM LAST WEEK)

SUDOKU & JIGSAW SUDOKU

DIFFICULTY RATING: ★★★★

CODEWORD

51

FEATURES

NEWS

Recruitment

Wednesday January 4 | 2017

FIND YOUR PERFECT JOB TODAY – A MUST READ FOR THOSE LOOKING FOR WORK LOCALLY WITH THE

52

OF TUNBRIDGE WELLS AND TONBRIDGE

Recruitment

Wednesday January 4 | 2017

NEWS

53

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO PLACE AN ADVERT CONTACT OUR SALES DEPARTMENT ON 01892 779624

“

After just one day of the newspaper being out, our recruitment advert had received a great response from potential candidates; three of which we had at interview stage.

We will certainly use the Times of Tunbridge Wells for future recruitment adverts.

“

John Haynes, Partner, Belvoir Tunbridge Wells

54

FEATURES

Arts & Culture

Wednesday January 4 | 2017

Sanctuary

Golgotha is a Mountain

How the beautiful and damned inspired this contemporary collection of paintings

Following the Times’ interview with Ross Lockhart in November, we talk to the artist again about his specially commissioned art show, Prohibition, which is currently showing at the new speakeasy-style bar Vale Vault in Tunbridge Wells dimly lit alleyway and knock on a set of metal fire doors. It instantly reminded me of those illicit American bars people would steal away to in the middle of the night just to enjoy a Negroni or two. All of that inspired me to create my latest body of work, Prohibition, which I am currently exhibiting there.

What did you want to achieve with the paintings you produced as a result of being inspired by this special place?

I wanted to create work that helps CHEERS TO PROHIBITION Ross Lockhart (left) at his art show launch

transport the viewers back to that unique era, and give them an insight into the social, political and economic climate of the 1920s and 30s. Quite simply, prohibition changed the 20th century. But it wasn’t just the banning of alcohol that did it. With an economic boom surging through the United States at the same time, there was also huge social upheaval and immigration soared.

Chicago experienced terrible race riots as result of its residents protesting against the huge influx of black immigrants settling in the city. Women, who were never permitted to drink in public prior to the Prohibition Act, were now liberated. But as everyone was banned, they could now drink as equals.

Would you say this explains why your exhibition features mainly female portraits, then?

Yes. The glitz and glamour of the femme fatales on the silver screen of that particular time, and the fashions coming in from Europe and Great Britain which spawned various looks, including the Flapper girl, were hugely inspiring for me. They were stylish and rebellious young women, free to indulge in taboos and push social restraints well beyond their breaking points. Then, of course, there were other elements that interested me, including crime becoming organised, the influx of European poets and writers to New York, and jazz being at its zenith.

The Weary Blues

So Ross, tell us a little bit about your show, Prohibition, and why you were drawn to the Vale Vault as the perfect backdrop to showcase your most recent work?

When I first visited the Vale Vault I was inspired by the venue’s distinct ambience. Cocktail bars in Tunbridge Wells are a dime a dozen, but this felt different. I loved that it was focused on recreating a classic, clandestine ‘speakeasy’-style bar of the 1920s. To enter into it, you have to creep down a

Arts & Culture

Wednesday January 4 | 2017

FEATURES

55

The village with an artistic outlook on life

The Rusthall Arts Festival proved to be such a success last year it’s now going to be a year-long event in 2017.

Here, one of its organisers, Lisa Beaumont, tells Eileen Leahy what the new creative collaboration involves…

And how do you feel that this period in early 20th-century history can resonate with people viewing the exhibition in 2017?

While I was thinking about the whole prohibition era, I began to realise that we, as Britons, are experiencing something quite similar: Immigration is at record levels and the ramifications of Brexit could threaten an economic crisis.

However, there is light at the end of the tunnel. For all the hardships and turmoil people went through in the 1920s and 30s, we now look back at it as a ‘Golden Age’ of modern culture. But will future generations look back in a 100 years and say the same about us now?

Ross Lockhart’s Prohibition exhibition is currently on at the Vale Vault, located underneath The Bedford pub in Vale Road, Tunbridge Wells. For more information on Ross and his work visit www.facebook.com/ austinlockhartfineart or Twitter: @RPALockhartArt

encourage onlookers to take a fresh look at their surroundings, and themselves, to consider hidden potential,” says Lisa. “The collaborative nature of the tree decorating will give all participants the opportunity to contribute to this piece of visual art.”

The tree will then be revisited at various times during the year – in the summer, for example, once the leaves have grown again, and will act as a centrepiece for the rest of the village’s artistic activities.

But as well as showcasing an enormous amount of local talent, Lisa and her fellow organisers have another main aim: “We want to demonstrate what it is possible to achieve with minimal funds using inventiveness and goodwill as our currency instead of money,” she says.

“The absence of ticket fees will ensure that the project is truly inclusive for all sectors of the community, including the elderly and the homeless.”

Add to this feelgood mix more exhibitions, expert-led crafting and writing sessions and important communal bonding, and it’s clear that Rusthall looks set to be the focal point for artists of all kinds to show their work, and teach and inspire others, in 2017.

To find out more about how to register for a course, workshop or to contribute, please email: hello@rusthallcommunityarts.org.uk

To John Keats, at Spring Time

How difficult was it for you to encapsulate all of those elements into your series of Prohibition paintings?

Very. But what I wanted was to represent the actual mood more than anything.

The works themselves are of silent film actresses, rendered in charcoal and gouache and superimposed upon replica propaganda posters of the time.

The titles of each painting come from the numerous poems written in New York during the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s. Essentially, each piece is layers of lies and glamour worked up to create something beautiful that’s worth more than the sum of its parts.

weekend but several one-day events. All of them will maintain the popular aspects and key messages from last year, from the focus around Rusthall Common to the involvement of our high street’s shops.

“In other words, we want to create a living gallery which will hopefully also attract new visitors to explore the village.”

Lisa goes on to add the festival’s mission statement is ‘to inspire a community through the arts’, so they intend to ‘bring the residents together, raise aspirations, provide platforms for activity and develop a distinct identity for the parish of Rusthall’.

As it’s a year-long festival this time round, most of the workshops will be starting this week, with the first public event happening on February 25 on Rusthall Common.

“This will involve a tree known locally as the ‘quirky tree’, and it will be the focus for craft, creativity and community,” explains Lisa. “The tree will be decorated by children and local residents and will represent, amongst other things, growth and renewal.”

The idea behind the ‘quirky tree’ is simple: It’s an adaptation of the ancient Celtic tradition of creating clootie trees, where pieces of cloth would be attached to symbolise long life and good health throughout the year.

“We hope that the unexpected sight of a decorated outdoor tree in February will

The City’s Love

DURING April and May last year, the villagers in Rusthall – located just a couple of miles outside Tunbridge Wells – showcased a raft of inspiring exhibitions, creative workshops, quirky installations and artistic private views.

The idea was to celebrate the wealth of painters, photographers, illustrators, ceramicists and sculptors living in the area.

The organisers’ second aim was to encourage others to embrace taking up an artistic pastime, whether that be taking arty pictures, fashioning something out of clay, learning to play the guitar or penning poetry.

So great was the response to this creative clarion call that it saw lots of people – not just from Rusthall, but from all over the surrounding area – taking part in the first month-long Rusthall Arts Festival.

And that’s precisely why the event’s organisers decided they needed it to come back bigger and better in its second year.

“Due to the very positive feedback we received after 2016, it became clear there was an appetite for creative activity in the village,” says Lisa Beaumont, one of the festival’s organisers.

“We decided that it would be best satisfied by continuing to offer a range of popular workshops, but this time for different age groups. They will be used to prepare work which can be contributed to various events during the year, not only for a single festival

BRANCHING OUT The Rusthall arts festival starts with a tree project

56

FEATURES

What’s On

Wednesday January 4 | 2017

SEVEN DAYS OF SOCIAL ACTIVITIES AT A GLANCE

WHATS ON WITH THE

Eileen Leahy Local events

BREATH OF FRESH AIR Enjoy walks and children’s adventures at Ightham Mote

ART ATTACK Late-night showing at the Artspring Gallery

>> SATURDAY Shake off the excesses of the season by going for a bracing walk in the country. There are plenty of enjoyable free roaming routes to choose from in our area, but if you want something more organised then have a look at the variety on offer at the National Trust properties, including Scotney and Bodiam Castles, Sissinghurst and Ightham Mote. For details, visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk Tunbridge Wells FC take on Erith Town today at their stadium in Culverden. The match kicks off at 3pm, but always check the team’s website in case of any changes to fixtures due to the weather. Find out more at www.tunbridgewellsfc.com

>> WEDNESDAY If you want to get your New Year off to a good start, then why not volunteer for the Kent High Weald Partnership’s Laurel Quarrel, happening today and tomorrow? The environmental organisation aims to get as many people as possible linked up with the countryside and raising awareness of their green surroundings through various initiatives.

This one will be helping to tidy up the area around Sherwood Lake from 10am until 3pm. For more information, visit www.khwp.org.uk The Tonbridge Philharmonic choir commence their weekly meetings tonight from 7.45pm until 9.30pm. New members are always welcome. For more information, visit www.tonphil.org.uk >> THURSDAY If you haven’t caught a festive pantomime yet, there’s still time. The Talentz production of Aladdin is on at the EM Forster Theatre, Tonbridge until Sunday, with two showings a day. Tickets cost £15 per adult and £12 for children. To book tickets, visit www.boxoffice.tonbridge-school.co.uk Another event happening over in Tonbridge is the Artspring Gallery’s late-night opening. On the first Thursday of each month this venue opens its doors until 8pm in order to showcase its talented array of artists. Pop along for a glass of Prosecco and a browse around. For more information, visit www.artspringgallery.co.uk >> FRIDAY This is the final weekend to see Sleeping Beauty, which is showing at the Stag Theatre in Sevenoaks every day until January 8. Starring Ricky Norwood from EastEnders and 90s pop trio Cleopatra, it’s a hugely enjoyable traditional panto with lots of great gags and fantastic sets, and there’s even a live band – oh yes there is! Tickets cost £25 and can be booked at www.stagsevenoaks.co.uk

If you would like to see your events featured in our weekly What’s On pages please email eileen@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk

>> SUNDAY The Tonbridge Farmers’ Market is held on the 2nd Sunday of the month in Sovereign Way between 9.30am and 1.30pm. With over 70 stalls selling all manner of gourmet goods, there’s plenty of please all types of palates. Make sure you pop along to find your culinary nirvana for 2017.

Streaming live on to the cinema screen at Trinity Theatre this afternoon at 2.30pm is the National Theatre’s production of No Man’s Land. This classic Harold Pinter play stars two stalwart actors: Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart, fresh from their successful stint on Broadway.

Rumours of Fleetwood Mac play the Assembly Hall tonight at 7.30pm. Considered to be one of the world’s biggest tribute bands, they’re currently performing their Hits to Blues tour. Audiences can expect a wealth of classic Fleetwood Mac tunes at this concert, including Don’t Stop, The Chain and You Make Loving Fun. Tickets cost from £23.50. To book visit www.assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk >> MONDAY If you’d like to see the Grunts & Grapples exhibition at Tunbridge Wells Museum, then you only have ten more days to catch it. Curated by historian Kerry Purcell, it’s a nostalgic look at the bygone era of wrestling, when names like Big

Daddy and Giant Haystacks were hugely famous courtesy of their teatime tussles on prime time Saturday night TV. There’s lots of memorabilia on display, including original costumes and photographs. Entrance is free and it runs from Tuesday to Saturday until January 14. >> TUESDAY If your children are still on their school holidays, then why not take them along to any National Trust property to participate in the organisation’s 50 Things To Do Before You’re 11¾? Collect one of the special packs on arrival and have fun hunting out clues and challenging your little ones to do different activities. See: www.nationaltrust.org.uk PLENTY OF TALENTZ Enjoy Aladdin at the EM Forster Theatre

What’s On

Wednesday January 4 | 2017

FEATURES

57

A ROUND-UP OF THIS WEEK’S MUSICAL HIGHLIGHTS

Paul Dunton

The must-read guide to what’s on musically for the week ahead… www.paulduntonandguests.com

Live music HAPPY NEW YEAR to you all! With many venues traditionally having a break in early January, there is still plenty of great live music to be enjoyed across the local scene. My top recommendations are as follows…

If you fancy a midweek outing, this Wednesday evening you can catch the brilliant Paul Malsom & The NoCasters at The Cross Keys pub performing a vibrant mix of jazz and blues standards. For fans of acoustic and alternative pop/folk, look out for local acts The Breretons, Poppy Raine, Zeffyr and James and Grace Carroll, who will all be at The Grey Lady on the same night.

Local acts, Matt Falloon, Annie Lees and Andy Twyman will be performing at The Grey Lady this Thursday night.

There are some great options for the weekend: On Saturday night you can catch popular local group The Harveys at The Royal Oak pub, while at The King William IV pub there is Listen 2017 – a live Music event in aid of Kent, Surrey & Sussex Air Ambulance Trust featuring Matt Bridle, Amber Anderton, Meg Garner, Ash Evans, Frankie Swaine and many more acts.

This Sunday evening, The Forum will be celebrating the life and work of David Bowie. The event will feature a house band and special guests with many of his hit songs being performed live by numerous local musicians.

All proceeds from this event will go to support the work of the Rhythmix charity, bringing music to people in healthcare through their Music in

Mind and Wishing Well programmes.

If you are a fan of Fleetwood Mac, then excellent tribute act Rumours of Fleetwood Mac will be live at the Assembly Hall, also on Sunday night.

THE ROYAL OAK

Prospect Road, open all day, free entry, music from early evening onwards

SATURDAY The Harveys MONDAY Open Mic Night

THE TUNBRIDGE WELLS FORUM

Doors 7.30pm, entry price variable, event information and tickets at www.twforum.co.uk

SUNDAY Bowie Night

MONDAY Open Mic Night

THE GREY LADY MUSIC LOUNGE

The Pantiles, doors 7.15pm, entry £6/£7, websites www.pdag.co.uk + www.thegreylady.co.uk

WEDNESDAY James & Grace Carroll, Zeffyr, Poppy Raine, The Breretons THURSDAY Andy Twyman, Annie Lees, Matt Falloon SUNDAY Jenni and Peter Mercer

Trust, featuring Matt Bridle, Amber Anderton, Meg Garner, Ash evans, Frankie Swaine and many more.

KING WILLIAM IV

Pembury, open all day, free entry, music from 7.30pm onwards

SATURDAY Listen 2017: A live music event in aid of the Kent, Surrey & Sussex Air Ambulance

THE ASSEMBLY HALL THEATRE

Crescent Road, information on times and tickets at www.assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk

SUNDAY Rumours of Fleetwood Mac THE CROSS KEYS

St John’s Road, open all day, free entry, music from 8pm, website www.crosskeystw.co.uk

WEDNESDAY Sonny’s Jazz: Paul Malsom & The NoCasters + guests MONDAY TWUNT: Ukulele Jam Session

Matthew Falloon

THE DUKE OF YORK

The Pantiles, open all day, free entry, music from 8pm onwards

The Breretons

THE PUNCH & JUDY

11 St Stephen’s Street, Tonbridge, open all day, free entry, music from 8.30pm

TUESDAY Fran McGillivray & Mike Burke

58

NEWS

Sporting Times

CONTACT US:

Please send your sports stories to newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk or newsdesk@timesoftonbridge.co.uk

Wednesday January 4 | 2017

Juddians sitting pretty at the top – both men’s and women’s sides

By Adam Hookway

TURN THE TABLES Graham Martin (left) and his son Liam have revitalised the Victoria Snooker Hall

PHOTO: Craig Matthews

RUGBY:

TONBRIDGE JUDDIANS ended last year on a high, with the men’s 1st and 2nd XVs and the Pink Ladies all top of their respective leagues.

The Firsts lead National Three London & SouthEast by a point from Wimbledon and have lost just once while their rivals have suffered two defeats.

Wimbledon have to go to fourth-placed Hertford this Saturday, which will prove a stern test for them, and then face TJs on January 21. The season looks set to go right to the wire.

Tonbridge Juddians can also look forward to contesting the Kent Cup Final against Blackheath at Canterbury RFC on April 30.

The Seconds have also been defeated just once in his campaign and sit on top of the Zoo Sports Shield and Division Three South this season after winning back to back titles in Kent Invicta One.

By Adam Hignett

SNOOKER: RONNIE O’SULLIVAN will be returning to Tunbridge Wells in May to play at the Victoria Snooker Hall, but a question mark hangs over the future of the club.

Owner Graham Martin fears 2017 could prove make or break for the popular venue as the £70million expansion plans for the neighbouring Royal Victoria Place shopping centre go ahead.

Having taken over the Camden Road premises six years ago, Mr Martin and his son Liam have turned round a loss-making enterprise with 86 members into a viable business with nearly 400.

The hall, which also has around 1,800 visitors each year, is the only tournament-ready snooker venue between Petts Wood and Bexhill, hosting three large events each year.

But Mr Martin is not going down without a fight and says he will have to be ‘forced out’.

The hall attracts the biggest names in the sport, including Stephen Hendry, Jimmy White and Steve Davis, and five-time world champion O’Sullivan actually asked if he could come back.

“His visit was a massive success last year, and this year it was his agents Snooker Legends that approached us and said ‘we want to come back to your place’,” he says. “Now we have been given exclusivity to host him in Kent.”

In order to make the Victoria Snooker Hall commercially viable, the Martins tried to make the place more attractive to non-members.

Mr Martin said: “We introduced a social membership, so people can just hang out at the bar, play pool or darts and have a drink. That boosted our beer sales by around 40 per cent.

“We had to get the right balance between it being a snooker club and a business.”

He added that the idea of a social membership is to avoid it becoming too much like a pub and having a ‘Wetherspoons mentality’ – and the agitation that it may cause full members.

They also introduced a corporate membership scheme to encourage work colleagues to come along – AXA holds four events there every year.

Mr Martin admits snooker is an ‘older person’s game’ and can be resistant to change. But he is keen to introduce younger people to the sport.

One idea to encourage fresh blood was to set up a snooker school, but this had to be put on hold after the shopping centre plans were unveiled.

But other projects, such as inviting professional darts players to attend and hosting exhibitions on the venue’s stage, are still going ahead.

Mr Martin said: “I could stop making plans now and say let’s wait to see but we lose thousands by waiting. We have to remain positive, but I know in the back of my head there is a massive question mark as to what will happen.”

The venue is on a leasehold until 2019, and Mr Martin bemoans a lack of communication from those behind the redevelopment. “I have never had anyone get in contact with me or send me a letter telling me what’s happening.

“All we got was a set of plans come through from the council like every other unit nearby.

Before that, I learned everything from what my customers were saying.”

He stressed: “We are still a viable business with our membership growing and I wonder why there is no room for us in their redesign.

“I am not just going to walk out of the door. I will fight to save this club, whatever it takes.”

MAKING HAY Hayden Pengelly (left) tries to break through Tottonians in September

PHOTO: Bruce Elliott

This was our ‘Rocket’ in the pocket but greatest ever hall fights to stop eviction year... Now for the hard part

TJs’ Pink Ladies lead Old Albanians by a point in the Women’s Championship SE2 and they travel to St Albans next weekend for what should prove to be a crunch game.

The squad have benefited from additional sponsorship this season, with Pink Lady Apples joining Ellis & Co with their backing.

This has also encouraged the development of a girls’ section for players aged from 10 to 18 as the club look to the future.

The senior Men’s Third XV are also faring well, and currently lie in second place in Kent Premier Two, just two points behind leaders Thanet with a game in hand.

TJs will be hoping that this one goes to the wire as they do not face Thanet until the penultimate fixture of the season.

There are plenty of hurdles to overcome before then as each week sees at least one side throw the form book out of the window.

RUGBY: LAST YEAR was the most successful in the history of Tunbridge Wells RFC. National Intermediate Cup winners at Twickenham, undefeated London Two South-East league champions and voted Men’s Team of the Year at the National Rugby Awards.

Throw in a club record 40 consecutive wins and 2016 was certainly a year that will never be ­forgotten by all at St Marks.

As 2017 begins, the 1st XV sit third in London One South after 14 games. Wells are 12 points behind the pace-setting Sidcup and four adrift of second-placed Havant.

Only the winners are promoted automatically while the runners-up go into a play-off with the London One North runners-up. With 12 games left, Wells’ fate is very much in their own hands.

“This has been a huge step up this season” said the club’s Chairman, Graham Withers. “I think we knew it would be but the intensity of the opposition defences and the attritional nature of the rugby has been something of a wake-up call.”

“We are not ‘clicking’ like we did last season but that’s as much down to the quality of the teams we are up against as anything else.

“We hit a flat spot in late autumn as injuries mounted and we lost four games in five – ironically starting with a fiercely competitive one-point loss in the Kent Cup against TJs.” This was followed by three league defeats in four games but they were all narrow, by one score – ­including a highly significant 22-17 loss at home to Sidcup when playing nearly an hour with 14 players after a controversial red card.

Key personnel remain unavailable but a fine run of form has witnessed four successive victories culminating in a season’s best performance at ­ ­Sevenoaks before Christmas. Mr Withers believes consistency has been a major positive.

“We are now entering a pivotal phase for our promotion campaign,” he said. “This Saturday we host Tottonians, who gave us all sorts of problems back in September when we only really secured a 27-15 win after they suffered a crucial yellow card.

“We had a lot of supporters at Twickenham and it would be great to see a few of these on the touchline this week at St Marks.”

Sporting Times

Wednesday January 4 | 2017

Worthing 3 Tonbridge Angels 0

PHOTO: Adam Hookway

By Jim Rowe

FLYING HIGH Crows’ Sam Crabb celebrates his goal early in the second half

Wells rue defensive frailty

FOOTBALL: THE ANGELS spent a miserable New Year’s Eve on the south coast in their Ryman Premier encounter with improving Worthing.

Not that the Rebels had much of an opportunity to show off their skills. Refereeing decisions basically determined the outcome with three penalties awarded to the hosts and four red cards brandished – three of them for the visitors.

Debate will rage over some of those decisions, but Angels’ hopes of reaching the play-offs become increasingly far-fetched. The results of this month’s run of home games will be crucial.

There wasn’t a single vicious challenge during the match but with only nine men for the entire second half it was always going to be a struggle for the visitors, despite the fact that Worthing could only find the net from the spot.

In the early exchanges there were chances at both ends – Aaron Hopkinson shot straight at Anthony Di Bernardo in the Tonbridge goal when through after just five minutes.

And on 16 minutes Angels skipper Tom Parkinson saw his header from Nick Wheeler’s corner go just wide. A large crowd of 752 settled back to enjoy some festive football.

It was not to be. On 25 minutes Omar Bugiel

RISING TIDE Luke Blewden challenges for the ball

But the Crows’ clearance sent Sam Carrington clear to tuck the ball past the advancing Steve Lawrence at the other end after four minutes.

The home side gathered momentum from the opener. After 16 minutes Dan Perry struck a post and, on the half-hour, Lawrence saved bravely at Perry’s feet as the winger broke clear.

The Wells were on the wrong end of a harsh decision after 38 minutes when a penalty was awarded for handball against Jake Hampson after the ball reared up off the turf. Zak Attwood coolly converted the spot kick into the bottom corner.

Within five minutes of the restart the home side had made it 3-0. An Attwood cross was deflected on to his own post by Jake Hampson and the rebound fell handily at the feet of Sam Crabb, who picked his spot into the bottom corner.

Thereafter it was all about the hosts. Bradley Large, who came on as a 61st-minute substitute for Crandley, did manage to produce a cross for Josh Biddlecombe but he blasted over the bar.

PHOTO: David Couldridge

Crowborough Athletic 3 Tunbridge Wells 0 FOOTBALL: THE DIFFERENCE in mood at the final whistle was as stark as the result itself.

While Jason Bourne led his side in a sombre warm-down, the exuberant Crowborough ­announcer was exclaiming that the home side had now gone a club record 27 games without defeat.

Heading into the new year, Crowborough moved up into the top spot in the Southern Counties East League but Tunbridge Wells remain in a precarious position down among the relegation places.

They have three games in hand over Erith Town and Beckenham but defensive frailty means they may struggle to pick up enough points from these games to reach the calmer waters of mid-table.

In front of a bumper crowd of 503 for the A26 ­derby, Tunbridge Wells started well and had good chances. Charlie Cornford and Ryan Crandley were both thwarted by Crowborough keeper Dan Ellis.

59

Mayhem down on coast as Angels see three sent off

FRONT LINE (L-R) TJ Pink Ladies’ Angela Ray, Stephanie Rukin and Katie Hall scrum down

By Scott Bartlett

NEWS

bore down on the Angels goal but he appeared to push the ball slightly too far forward into the arms of the grateful Di Bernardo.

But the referee pointed to the spot and showed Ugo Udogi a red card. He had made a challenge but the sending-off, under new FA rules, was harsh since he seemed to make a genuine attempt to play the ball – a yellow card at worst. Bugiel stepped up to slam the ball past Di Bernardo.

Two minutes later Mitchell Nelson had a decent chance to level the scores but produced a good save from Rebels keeper Jack Fagan.

On 36 minutes an off-the-ball incident between Wheeler and Hopkinson eventually resulted in Wheeler being shown a straight red and Hopkinson receiving a caution.

The altercation took place in front of the dugouts, the officials became embroiled and the referee showed his red to Angels boss Steve McKimm and Worthing sub Brannon O’Neill.

Despite having only nine men Tonbridge almost equalised with Will Hendon clearing off his own line after a mistake by Matt Boiling. There were then seven minutes of first-half stoppage time.

As a spectacle, the second half was predictably disappointing. Tonbridge defended in numbers, hoping for a miracle on the break, while Worthing had a lot of possession but could not penetrate the Angels back line. The game might well have drifted to a 1-0 conclusion but for the referee’s further interventions.

Depleted Angels fashioned the clearest chances, mainly by using the electric pace of Alex Akrofi against a defence who seemingly thought they could enjoy the luxury of playing a high line given their numerical superiority.

In the space of a minute there were two chances for the visitors from corners, George Beavan’s header in the 62nd minute being the closest.

But Luke Blewden brought down Hendon in the area for another Worthing penalty – his striker’s tackle perhaps brought on by sheer exhaustion – and Bugiel duly stepped up to score his second.

Then in the 80th minute the referee pointed to the spot for the third time after an innocuous coming together in the area involving Parkinson and Zack Newton.

Up stepped Bugiel for what should have been the easiest hat-trick he will ever score, but this time Di Bernardo saved the penality, only for Newton to score from close in.

Angels Boss Steve McKimm said: “Rather than discuss the performance of the referee – I know everyone will – I would rather concentrate on the players, who I thought were magnificent, in particular after we had gone down to nine men.”

He added: “The fact that we managed to create some clear-cut chances and we restricted Worthing to strikes through penalty awards speaks volumes for the character and determination of my players.”

Advertising Feature

Executors risk potential claims using DIY probate applications Whenever we think of solicitors one of the first thoughts that springs to mind are expensive fees and processes that seem to go on forever. Perhaps this is the reason why some choose to take the DIY route when dealing with the Estate of a loved one. Although this route is not for everyone - the number of personal applications being made to the probate registry are on the increase.

So what are the benefits and disadvantages of instructing a solicitor?

The most obvious benefit when dealing with the matter yourself is the saving on legal costs to the Estate. For many, this is the main reason for the Executors or personal representative (if the deceased died without a valid Will) making the probate application themselves. The DIY route is fine for many if the Estate is a straightforward, non-taxable Estate. The downside for the DIY Executor/personal representative is that, firstly, the Executors are personally responsible to the Estate and beneficiaries, which means they must accept any liability if things go wrong.

Secondly, they have to be willing to invest the time it takes to prepare the probate papers, possibly attend an interview at the probate registry to obtain the grant of probate and then collect in all the assets and distribute them in accordance with the Will or letters of administration. There is also a risk of not dealing with certain things such as the income tax of the deceased with HMRC and protecting the Estate by advertising notices if required and minimising any tax payable.

So it’s clear it is possible to complete the process yourself, but when should you consider getting expert advice and instructing a solicitor, rather than doing it yourself?

There are a number of reasons to instruct a solicitor. One of the common reasons is simply when you don’t feel able to do it yourself or if you’re not willing to accept the risk if a mistake is made. However, there are also a number of lesser known reasons why instructing a solicitor is a good idea. Did you know that instructing a solicitor, who is a specialist in Probate, taxation and administering an Estate could actually save the Estate money and on many occasions it can even pay for itself and leave more in the Estate to be distributed.

‘We saved one of our clients over £115,000 in tax, so even after the payment of our fees the beneficiaries received more by instructing us than if they had done it themselves’.

Teresa Payne, Senior Partner at Keene Marsland.

Solicitors who are experts in this field, not only know the process of obtaining the grant of Probate and administering the Estate, they know when to challenge inheritance tax calculations. This ensures the minimum amount of tax on the Estate is paid and the savings can be substantial - in a recent case we saved one of our clients over £115,000 in tax on the Estate, so even after the payment of our legal fees the beneficiaries of the Estate received more inheritance by instructing us than if they had done it themselves. In addition, they didn’t have the inconvenience and loss of their time in dealing with it themselves.

We also look to see that the Will is as tax efficient as possible at the time of death, even though it may have been prepared many

years earlier. If it isn’t, we will look at options available to minimise the amount of tax paid. This again often results in tax savings to the Estate which can be substantial and frequently amounts to tens of thousands of pounds saved which in turn is passed on to the beneficiaries.

So when is it advisable to instruct a solicitor?

In addition to the examples set out above. You should always get legal advice if: n The Estate is a taxable Estate n The terms of the Will are not clear n The person who died has left money or property in a trust n Part of the Estate is to pass to children under the age of 18 n There is land or property abroad n There is a business n Anyone is likely to dispute the Will.

Instructing a solicitor to deal with the Probate and administration of an Estate is an investment both emotionally and financially. You need to make sure that the person you are instructing is an expert in this field and is able to demonstrate to you that they offer a service that is tailored to your needs and that all tax implications are fully considered and challenges are made when appropriate.

There are many Probate services that offer low fixed fees and promise to turn your Probate and administration around in record time. The real reason for instructing a solicitor to deal with the Probate is to ensure that the taxes that are paid by the Estate are kept to a minimum and that the Estate is protected from any future claims. It is not just about offering a conveyor belt Probate process.

My team of Probate lawyers are all qualified solicitors and legal executives with many years experience of dealing with not only the application process, but also with taxation issues, HMRC and other third party offices. They fully consider the tax implications of the Will at the time of death and ensure that you are advised of any tax saving measures available which will provide a more tax efficient outcome for the Estate meaning that the beneficiaries may actually receive more.

So before you decide to instruct a solicitor or not, make sure you make an informed decision. The mistake could be a very expensive one and if you are the Executor/personal representative, the beneficiaries would be entitled to pursue you for any loss to the Estate caused by unnecessary tax payment or failure to carry out a relevant step in the process. Just imagine if the Executors of the Estate that received the tax savings of over £115k had failed to get this benefit for the Estate. The beneficiaries could well be knocking on the door demanding payment!

Each month I offer a limited number of potential new clients an

opportunity to apply for a free consultation with one of my expert Probate and administration team. This month we have 10 free consultations available.

If you wish to be considered for one of the consultations just complete the coupon and return it. Alternatively, telephone 01892 526442 or email enquiries@keenemarsland.co.uk quoting reference TWT0401.

For further information and to apply for a free consultation just complete the coupon and post it to the address below.

Alternatively call or email us today quoting reference TWT0401 Telephone: 01892 526442 or Email enquiries@keenemarsland.co.uk Name: ................................................................................................

Address: ............................................................................................ ............................................................................................................. .............................................................................................................

Tel No: ................................................................................................

Email: ................................................................................................

Keene Marsland Solicitors, 6 Clarnricarde Gardens, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 1PH www.keenemarsland.co.uk Appointments available in Tunbridge Wells, Edenbridge, Haywards Heath, Reading, Windsor and London

WILLS, PROBATE, POWER OF ATTORNEY, TRUST & TAX AND ELDERLY CLIENT SERVICES CALL FOR AN APPOINTMENT TODAY AT KEENE MARSLAND SOLICITORS ON 01892 526442 APPOINTMENTS AVAILABLE IN TUNBRIDGE WELLS, EDENBRIDGE, HAYWARDS HEATH, WINDSOR, READING AND LONDON Authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority no 71480

Keene Marsland is a trading name of Parfitt Cresswell. Parfitt Cresswell is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority . No 71480

Advertising Feature

Thinking of Moving Home in 2017?

You’ve made the decision to move, found your dream home and your offer has been accepted. Feelings of excitement and apprehension set in and all you want is the whole process to end with you safely ensconced in your new home. So what steps can you take to ensure that the process will run smoothly and costly mistakes are avoided? Well, skimping on surveys and conveyancing can cost you dearly in the long run. So here are some top tips to help your move go as smoothly as possible. understand what is happening at each step of the move. If you are not sure, ask!

One further point to bear in mind is that your conveyancer will not visit the property themselves, so should there be something you feel uncertain about bring it to their attention and they will provide you with the options available in order to try to resolve the issue.

5

REMEMBER TO ARRANGE BUILDING INSURANCE FROM THE DATE OF THE EXCHANGE OF CONTRACTS. From exchange of contracts you will be legally responsible for the structure of the property. This is often overlooked and can potentially have serious consequences.

Make sure you have buildings insurance cover in place from this date.

With this being said and the potential risks of buying a home with hidden problems amounting to thousands of pounds in potential outgoings, why would you cut corners for the sake of a few pounds when the risks are so large?

1

GET YOUR MORTGAGE AGREED FIRST Although borrowing from banks and building societies has improved recently, it is not a given. So to avoid disappointment, check you can get the mortgage you need before starting the process. You can get a mortgage agreement in principle secured first, but remember that this is an indication and not a legal agreement.

2

DECIDE WHETHER YOU ARE HAPPY TO RELY ON THE MORTGAGE LENDER’S VALUATION OR DO YOU REQUIRE A FULL SURVEY A lender’s valuation is an assessment carried out by and for the benefit of the lender in order to check that the property presents adequate security for its loan should you default and the property has to be sold. However, it does not report on actual faults in the property. For many, a Home Buyer’s Report, which will expose problems such as damp, dry rot and subsidence, is adequate but if you are buying an older house or unusual home a full structural survey will be a wise investment. You wouldn’t buy a car

For your FREE copy of The Kent Guide to Buying and Selling your Home, or for further advice regarding your buying/ selling experience, contact Keene Marsland Solicitors in Tunbridge Wells today and speak to one of the property team on 01892 526442 or email enquiries@keenemarsland.co.uk without the knowledge of a service history, so why would you run this financial risk when buying a house?

3

REMEMBER TO FACTOR IN THE TRUE COST OF MOVING

Mortgage arrangement fees, survey fees, legal costs and removal costs are all substantial costs of moving. However, the often overlooked but most expensive cost is Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) which varies dependent on the value of the property purchased. If you purchase a property above £125,000 SDLT becomes payable. Recent changes to SDLT have been introduced to try to make the tax fairer. Under the old regime the SDLT percentage rates increased at various thresholds. Under the old rules SDLT was payable at a single rate on the whole transaction value. From 4th December 2014, SDLT is payable on a sliding scale depending on the portion of the purchase price that falls within each rate band. There is no doubt that the SDLT changes will be of benefit to many home buyers. For example, under the old regime, Stamp Duty Land Tax payable on

a purchase price of £350,000 would be £10,500 and under the new regime it would be £7,500 - representing a saving of £3,000.

4

CHOOSE YOUR CONVEYANCING SOLICITORS WITH CARE

If you take the risk of buying without the support and guidance of an expertly trained legal conveyancer, you run the risk of walking into a financial booby trap which can seriously hamper your progression up the property ladder.

You should also make sure you know who you are instructing and that the firm is registered with a regulatory body such as the Solicitors Regulation Authority. There are bogus law firms out there who will take your money and then close up shop which means you lose the money and your dream home. That is why it is essential that you get the advice and guidance you need every step of the way from a known reputable law firm. They are there to help you avoid the pitfalls of what can be a murky area.

The cheapest option may not always prove to be the best. Remember, this may well be the biggest purchase you’ll make and you want to be sure that you know what you are buying. You should be able to contact your conveyancer and fully

H For a free copy of the Kent Guide to Buying and Selling Your Home or for further advice regarding your home buying/selling experience just complete and cut out this coupon and post to the address below. Alternatively call or email us today quoting reference TWT0401

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Telephone 01892 526442 or Email enquiries@keenemarsland.co.uk Name Address

Tel.No Email

Keene Marsland Solicitors, 6 Clanricarde Gardens, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 1PH

Keene Marsland is a trading name of Parfitt Cresswell. Parfitt Cresswell is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. No. 71480