Times of Tonbridge 29th March 2017

Wednesday March 29 | 2017

All the news that matters

Local, National and International Tonbridge Castle

YOUR

OF TONBRIDGE

FREE PAPER

TWO WOMEN RECALL THEIR YOUTH IN SOVIET RUSSIA FOR CHARITY

JUMP FOR JOY AS THIS BALLET EXTRAVAGANZA COMES TO TOWN

Page 16

Page 92

MP commends the ‘hundreds of heroes’ after terror attack TOM TUGENDHAT praised the defiance of the British public in the face of the terrorism seen at Parliament last week [March 22] and said he will ‘remember the hundreds of heroes, not the crazed jihadi’.

He continued: “One extremist may kill an MP in Batley or a policeman in Westminster and bring grief to hundreds. But fundamentally he can change nothing. Because he was nothing.

“Jo Cox MP and PC Palmer and the many others who quietly defend our precious freedoms are everything. That is what we saw last week.”

Murderer The killer, Khalid Masood, 52, grew up in St James’ Park, Tunbridge Wells where he attended Huntleys from 1976-81.

The school, which was situated on Culverden Down close to Bennett Memorial Diocesan School, closed down in 1992.

One former classmate, Kenton Till, recalled: “He was one of those kids who was very popular. He had a big personality and everyone liked him.”

Another school friend, Stuart Knight, said: “He was a very nice guy, down to earth, liked by everyone around him.”

The 52-year-old was responsible for the deaths of three people when his car mounted the pavement on Westminster Bridge. He then stabbed a policeman outside the Houses of Parliament before being shot dead by armed police.

MONSTER Khalid Masood

For Tom Tugendhat’s full thoughts on the incident, see his regular column, page 28

FOOD BLOGGER ALIDA ZAMPARINI SHARES HER ITALIAN IDEALS Page 71

JUDDIANS EDGE CLOSER TO THE TITLE WITH HOME WIN Page 95

Tonbridge gets out of jail INSIDE everyone who has voted so far and have made it all possible.

“We chose Tunbridge Wells as it is the quintessential British Royal town with beautiful landmarks.

“I urge people to keep voting and for those in neighbouring Tonbridge to support their sister town because maybe, in the years to come, they will feature in a set of their own.”

Voting closes this Friday [March 31].

A game of monopoly themed around Tonbridge School was released by the same company in 2011. It includes school landmarks such as the EM Forster Theatre and the sports field – with the famous premium Mayfair spot reserved for the school chapel.

By Jonathan Banks

newdesk@timesoftonbridge.co.uk THE COMPANY behind the worldfamous Monopoly board game have dropped the idea of players being sent to Tonbridge as a punishment.

The U-turn comes after wholesaler Winning Moves UK faced some ‘backlash’ to the idea to replace the traditional ‘go to jail’ corner square with a Tonbridge zone in the upcoming Royal Tunbridge Wells edition. The firm were keen to emphasise the original idea had come from the public.

A spokesman for Winning Moves UK said: “We would like to thank

Young people face a ‘catastrophe’ with online gambling addictions

By Murray Jones

newsdesk@timesoftonbridge.co.uk A FORMER army Major who lost his marriage, his job and his house to an online betting addiction has warned of the gambling industry’s impact on the smartphone generation.

Justyn Larcombe, 48, told an audience at the Old Fire Station how he squandered £750,000 over three years but was able to pick himself up from rock bottom, after moving back in with his mother in Tonbridge.

Now running Rethink Gambling, a non-profit research group, he believes young people face a ‘coming catastrophe’.

“What I’m worried about is our young people. Gambling is so easy now, you do it on your smartphone. And who are

‘under the radar’ methods, such as introducing the concept of gambling into children’s games.

He told of finding his seven year old son playing fruit machines on his iPad. the most adept at smartphone The only thing at stake was virtual technology? Young people. points within the game, Rollercoaster “I recently went to Tonbridge School Tycoon, in which the player builds to tell my story. Of the 150 Year 12 fairground rides to attract more people pupils [16-17-year-olds] I spoke to, 80 in and earn money. per cent of them are gambling “One of the things you can buy in already – two years before the game is a casino. So you go in, they are legally allowed to. put in some of your coins and “If you are between the ages generally you’ll win. of 16-23, you are three times “They’re learning risk and more likely to have a problem reward at a very young age,” with gambling than he said, adding that someone who gambles if what he found most they’re older.” disturbing was that The blame, he the game is owned by argued, lies with Atari, a company TAILS I LOSE advertisers who are which also produces Mr Larcombe bombarding young and profits from speaks to the people with online casino games. audience at the glamorous imagery Old Fire Station of betting. But he Continued on page 2 also pointed to more

WORLD IS WATCHING We review the finest watches on show at Baselworld Page 76

THE EXTRA MILE

Castle Cars on how they stay streets ahead Page 9

MANAGER’S BLAST

McKimm criticises players as Angels are beaten Page 94

BREXIT BOOST

Remainer finds business success despite the EU defeat Page 5

2

NEWS

Local News

Wednesday March 29 | 2017

Spate of feline The woman who believes knitting fatalities brings is not simply about spinning a yarn police warning

By Murray Jones

newsdesk@timesoftonbridge.co.uk

By Jonathan Banks

newsdesk@timesoftonbridge.co.uk POLICE have warned pet owners to be extra vigilant over what their animals are drinking after a series of deaths in the Lambs Bank area.

At least four cats have died in the area since March 11 after appearing to have ingested a toxic substance. Three belonged to a single owner.

‘It seems likely given the symptoms that these deaths were caused by some kind of poisoning’ Several other anecdotal accounts of fatalities have been reported since the turn of the year, the RSPCA have confirmed.

An inspector for the charity, Laura Bryant, said: “We do not know for sure what is causing these deaths but it is concerning that there have been so many in such a short space of time.

“It seems likely given the symptoms that these deaths were caused by some kind of poisoning but we do not know from what, or whether it was deliberate or accidental.

“In the meantime we would ask for everyone in the area to check where they keep their pesticides and chemicals including antifreeze and make sure it is secure and out of the way of cats.

“People should check their car radiators for leaks too.

Signs of poisoning can be seen from 30 minutes after a cat has ingested the chemical and can include one, or several of the following: vomiting, seeming depressed or sleepy, appearing drunk and uncoordinated, seizures, and difficulty breathing.”

Although Sergeant Jo Mott of Kent Police said: “There is no evidence at this stage to suggest that these cats may have been deliberately poisoned, however, we would urge owners to be vigilant about what their animals are drinking.”

CONTACTS EDITORIAL DIRECTOR RICHARD MOORE richard@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk | 01892 779615 REPORTER MURRAY JONES newsdesk@timesoftonbridge.co.uk DESIGN/PRODUCTION LEE SMITH lsmith8@markerstudy.com SALES ENQUIRIES sales@onemedia.co.uk | 01892 779580 GENERAL INQUIRIES newsdesk@timesoftonbridge.co.uk 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

16 Lonsdale Gardens, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 1NU

CLARIFICATIONS AND CORRECTIONS HERE at the Times of Tonbridge 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@timesoftonbridge.co.uk

Markerstudy Leisure is a trading name of One Media and Creative UK Limited registered in England and Wales under company number 5398960 with registered office at 45 Westerham Road, Sevenoaks, Kent TN13 2QB.

PRINTED BY NEWBURY NEWS LTD

Newspaper House, Faraday Road, Newbury, Berkshire RG14 2DW

AN AMERICAN woman is hoping to show Tonbridge that knitting is not just an old granny’s game.

Laura Olley, 32, was originally from Washington DC but has lived in Tonbridge since 2014 after following her husband Jonathan back to his homeland.

While she has settled into the area well, there is one element that she felt was wanting.

“There is no wool shop in Tonbridge, or even nearby. The closest one is in Faversham, which is about 45 minutes away and not accessible by train,” she said.

So after seeing a gap in the market, Mrs Olley decided to quit her nine to five marketing job in London and established her online Yarns of Anarchy store earlier this month.

“The idea is not to make knitting cool, well maybe a bit, but we want to show that it is not just for your Granny,” she said.

“I aim to have a physical shop by the end of the year – wool is something you need to touch to know if you want to spend your money.

“What you buy at other places is not nice, I have

Larcombe hid his addiction from his wife as he put down thousands Continued from page 1

Support More locally, he has helped give talks for West Kent Debt Advice based in Derwent Road and has established RecoveryTwo – a Christian based addiction and mental health course run in a similar style to Alcoholics Anonymous.

Set up by five trustees who have all suffered from addictions in the past, the course runs for 15 weeks from Tonbridge Baptist Church.

“They have all been through it so they know what people go through. In that way I think they can be a real help,” he said.

“I love to see people being able to make the right choice and recover. I’d say to anyone who knows someone in this position: ‘Don’t judge them, love them’.”

Road to ruin Thirty years ago, Mr Larcombe’s life was on a very different trajectory. Awarded the Sword of Honour by the Queen for his excellent performance at Sandhurst Royal Military Academy, he

no interest in that. So, with Yarns of Anarchy I am rebelling against the cheap and cheerful.

“It actually squeaks on your needles. To me this is like nails on a chalk board. You can call me a yarn snob. That’s ok.”

To complement the business side of things, Mrs Olley has established knitting sessions to take place every Thursday morning at the Old

Fire Station, starting at 10am tomorrow [March 30].

She said she has had a lot of requests for evening slots, evidence that there are plenty of ‘working knitters’ out there.

“I want to add the social element to these sessions, for like-minded wool enthusiasts to get together and share tips and advice and to make friends.”

WOOLLY Laura Olley with her supplies

rose through the ranks, and was the youngest Major in the British Army for a ‘couple of months’.

After serving in Northern Ireland and Kosovo, he left the forces but quickly found success in the City. By 2006, he was engaged to his now ex-wife Emma in Derbyshire, on a six-figure salary and driving a Porsche.

But one Sunday in 2009, he was watching a game of Premiership rugby when he saw an advert for a £5 free bet and decided to sign up ‘for a bit of fun’.

‘I’m not anti-gambling, but it is that 0.9 per cent of people with a pathological addiction that we need to be worried about’ But, as is the case for those who end up with a gambling addiction, the illness is progressive.

As debts started to spiral, he began to take more risks to recoup his losses, putting down £17,000 for the strong favourite on a single tennis match. He lost.

All this time he was hiding it from his wife – even after he lost his job for spending £27,000 on his corporate card.

Although, reading through bank statements she

eventually found out and left with the children.

Within three years of that first bet, he had gone from a city high flyer with the perfect family life to an alone gambling addict with £70,000 worth of debt. In his most desperate moment he sold his Sword of Honour to a pawnbroker for £200.

His mother, from Tonbridge, came up to Derbyshire and brought him back home. From his childhood bedroom he worked on paying off his debt and getting his life back on track.

“I’m not anti-gambling, but it is that 0.9 per cent of people with a pathological addiction that we need to be worried about,” he said.

Online gambling in the UK £4.5billion is spent (or lost) annually, meaning it is a considerable contributor to the UK’s GDP. The majority (£2.6billion) of this comes from casino games such as roulette and blackjack and £1.6billion is lost on sports betting.

Mr Larcombe said the government takes around £450million in tax from gambling companies, ‘so are in no rush to scale them back’.

The law states that in order to gamble online you must be 18-years-old or over.

Solicitors celebrate decade at Bank House PROMINENT law firm Warners Solicitors marked its tenth anniversary of being based in the historical Bank House last week [March 21].

Mayor Mark Rhodes was in attendance to congratulate the firm on the milestone. In 2007, they moved a few yards down the road from 180 High Street.

Bank House has a long and chequered history. Originally built as a Poor House in the 1720s, it served to support the poor for over a century. Women would sit outside producing flax thread whilst men worked inside.

A 1777 parliamentary report shows there were up to 130 paupers in the workhouse.

In the 1830s the building was adapted for use by the National Society for Educating Children and it remained a school until the 1960s. In fact, the Mayor was a pupil there himself.

In 1966, it was closed and, in the early 1980s, it was refurbished and converted to office use while keeping its external appearance.

Warners have an equally lengthy history, as they were established in 1785.

MILESTONE Mark Rosser, Mayoress Julie Rhodes, Mayor Mark Rhodes and David Wilson

Local News

Wednesday March 29 | 2017

NEWS IN BRIEF

Widower’s anguish at wife’s ‘inevitable death’ THE HUSBAND of a young mother who died just hours after giving birth to their second son, as a result of medical blunders has criticised the Tunbridge Wells Hospital staff responsible for her care.

Frances Cappuccini, a 30-year-old who used to teach at the primary school in Offham, where she lived died, in October 2012 as a result of ‘failures, inadequate diagnosis and treatment’, a coroner said earlier this year.

The Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust have admitted that Mrs Cappuccini’s death was ‘avoidable’.

But her husband, Tom Cappuccini, speaking publicly for the first time about the family’s ordeal, dismissed the Trust’s response: “I think it is the wrong word to use. It wasn’t avoidable, it was inevitable.

“Someone was going to die, it’s just unfortunate that it happened to us.”

Outdoor pool reopens WARMER times are just around the corner as Tonbridge Swimming Pool have announced the opening of the heated outdoor pool for the April school holiday.

From Saturday [April 1] the venue will be available for casual visits, early morning swims and private hire.

At the same time, the games hut will be reopening, giving access to a nine hole mini-golf course and tennis games.

TM Active, a branch of Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council, are also launching monthly Family Afternoons at Poult Wood Golf Course, to allow people of all ages and abilities to give the game a go.

Scout and Guide Concert THE 17th Tonbridge Scout and Guide Band will be in concert this Sunday [April 2] at Kent College in Pembury.

After many years as the premier youth bugle and fife band in the UK, the 17th now use a full range of chromatic instruments and an expanded repertoire of military and popular music. The will be performing alongside the Romford Drum and Trumpet Corps.

Tickets are available via email from bandmaster@17th.org.uk. Adults are £6, children £4.

3

A21 improvement project comes under fire for spiralling costs…

By Adam Hignett

adam@timesoftonbridgewells.co.uk

He added: “It is the civil servant version of a justified character assassination. This whole scheme is late and over-budget.”

In addition to the extra cost, the report notes the scheme which began in April 2015 has ‘experienced delays’ and will open later than expected.

A six month delay in widening the 2.5 mile stretch of road between Castle Hill and Pembury was incurred in November following the discovery of asbestos and heavy metals in the excavated earth.

The discovery of these potentially toxic substances meant around 30,000 tonnes of earth could not be reused elsewhere on the scheme, as is standard practice.

November also saw the demolishing of earth-

THE cost of dualling the A21 is expected to run almost 74 per cent over its estimated budget, official figures released last week have revealed. That would amount to an additional £47million.

The project has the highest overspend of 19 individual schemes highlighted in a report by the National Audit Office (NAO) which have, ‘begun construction [and] are forecast to run on average 5.5per cent over budget.’

However the report, titled Progress with the Road Investment Strategy, adds there are ‘large variances on some individual projects such as the A21 Tonbridge to Pembury, which shows an increase in the latest forecast of 73.7 per cent.’

With an original budget of £69.7million, the total cost factoring in these overspends is expected to reach £121million.

The soaring costs of the A21 project and others contained within the report was blamed on The Department of Transport by Liberal Democrat MP for Southport John Pugh who described the NAO docuMP Greg Clark ment as ‘damning’.

COSTLY A21 is over-budget and delayed

Goodbye Mr Toad? Locals urged to keep eyes peeled to protect our hopping friends ENVIRONMENTAL activists are asking the people of Tonbridge to report sightings of toads, so that special road crossings can be set up for them.

At this time of year, they are thinking about romance. Or, at least, their version of it. From February to early April, toads start their annual migration to their ancestral spawning grounds to mate and lay their eggs.

The trouble is, all too often, this brings them slap bang into conflict with the twenty first century.

Toads always spawn in the same place but increasing traffic means a huge number are killed each year.

Over the last 30 years, common toad numbers have fallen by 68 per cent, with the sharpest

decline in the South East.

This is why Tonbridge and Malling Friends of the Earth have teamed up with the Kent Reptile and Amphibian Group [KRAG] to set up toad patrols to help them cross the road safely.

This can involve anything from installing signs to volunteers directing traffic around the toads or even closing roads entirely during the migration season.

Anthony Bales, coordinator of Tonbridge

works which had been planned as bridge supports for the flyover near the entrance to Longfield Road after they failed ‘routine strength tests’.

In 2015 work was also halted when a Victorian brick kilns was unearthed on Castle Hill but these were later destroyed when construction was resumed.

A spokesman for Highways England acknowledged the scheme is expected to ‘cost more’, but added: “At this stage these costs have not been confirmed.”

When questioned on the issue of delays, he said: “Our Delivery Plan committed us to complete this scheme by the end of March 2017. Due to the amount of contamination in the soil we are running behind schedule and are now due to finish the improvements in summer 2017.”

MP Greg Clark, who has supported the project since its inception, praised the progress made so far as an example of what can be achieved ‘by everyone working together’.

But he acknowledged the delays and rising costs due to the discovery of asbestos, adding: “Leaving the dangerous material was not an option – nor was cancelling this important upgrade – and our environment is improved for its removal. Both I and everyone I speak to looks forward to the upgraded road opening.” and Malling Friends of the Earth said: “We need people to report sightings and help us take them across roads once migration routes have been confirmed.

“Toads and other amphibians such as frogs and newts are under threat for a number of reasons such as habitat loss, death on the roads and climate change.

“For that reason, toads are now designated a Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) species so we are helping to build a picture of their number and where they live.”

So far there have been sightings in the Waveney Road and Darenth Avenue area.

Although the migration route is yet to be confirmed, it is thought that their destination might be the pond near Coblands Nurseries in Trench Road.

SIGN OF THINGS TO COME? A toad crossing warning in Wales

Rifling through history

Conservative manifesto THE Conservative group on Kent County Council announced their manifesto ahead of May’s county elections on Monday.

Leader Paul Carter unveiled the party’s plan for the next four years in Kent, stating the party will be standing on their record of ‘transforming the way the council is run to protect the level of services through four financially stringent years’.

Labour and UKIP have already launched their campaigns for the May 4 election.

NEWS

BARREL OF A GUN Visitors enjoyed an evening of shooting

MEMBERS of the British Legion and the Tonbridge Rifle and Pistol Club gathered together to try their hand at a spot of shooting last Friday [March 17].

The club, which is located between Hildenborough and Sevenoaks Weald, organised the event inviting Legion members past and present.

The evening featured shooters dressed up in World War One outfits as well as a number of historical weapons. Attendee Steve Mills, who served in the army for nine years until 1990, was able to inspect a Lewis Gun, which his grandfather used a century ago during the Great War.

4

NEWS

Local News

Wednesday March 29 | 2017

Cinema site plans released for screening by the council CRITICAL Former Council Leader Lorraine Braam

By Murray Jones murray@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk

Funding Kent Police and Crime Commissioner [PCC] Matthew Scott stated earlier: “Police forces are not responsible for funding CCTV schemes, and Kent Police does not fund any at present. Due to financial pressures, this policy will not change, but I will look at ways CCTV might be used more flexibly to target antisocial behaviour.”

A spokesman for Mr Scott added: “The PCC has given the Tunbridge Wells Community Safety Partnership £28,484 for the financial year 2017/18 for it to use towards preventing and reducing crime and antisocial behaviour.

It up to the Tunbridge Wells Community Safety Partnership how it wishes to use this money.”

The review of CCTV provision was presented to the Communities Cabinet Advisory Board last week [March 22], which has recommended rejecting the change.

The full Cabinet will consider their advice before making a final decision at a meeting on April 13.

NEW images of what is being planned for the old cinema site were released last week by developer Altitude UK. Members of the council’s planning committee were given a preview on Monday (March 20) of updated plans for the 1.3 acre site following a public consultation in October.

Named The Belvedere – which means ‘fair view’ in Italian – the proposed development will see between 80 and 100 residential units built on the site, alongside an mixed retail and leisure units.

Deliverable

A former Council Leader speaks out against CCTV plan PROPOSALS to end the live monitoring of CCTV cameras in the borough have been criticised by a former council leader. They have also been rejected by the council’s own Cabinet Advisory Board.

Liberal Democrat Lorraine Braam headed up the council from 1995-97 when the cameras were first introduced.

She dismissed the suggested ‘passive’ CCTV model as a ‘waste of time’ arguing: “It is all about perception, people like to feel that they are safe.”

Currently, personnel monitor 39 cameras around the borough 77 per cent of the time [129 of 168 hours a week] from the Town Hall.

Under the new system, cameras would still record incidents, but no one would observe events as they happen.

“I know money is tight but the council do have a balanced budget this year. But to finance grand future plans, they are looking to save money,” said Lorraine Braam The proposed rollback, is expected to save up to £100,000.

Kent Police have warned that the plan ‘will have a detrimental impact upon the ability to respond to live incidents, crimes in progress or any security concerns and deploy officers in the most appropriate manner’.

By Adam Hignett adam@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk

THE BELVEDERE: Architects’ image of proposed building

Developer money goes towards the road master plan MONEY collected in ‘developer contributions’ from businesses on the Tunbridge Wells commercial estate goes into a ‘pot of cash’ likely to be used to fund a North Farm Master Plan.

The five stage programme was developed in 2012

by Kent County Council [KCC] following consultations with local businesses, with the aim of tackling congestion in the area. Phases one and two - the dualling of Longfield Road between A21 and Dowding Way, has already been completed.

Future plans, which KCC intends to implement by 2026, include introducing a one way system incorporating the southern end of Longfield Road, Lambert Road and Dowding Way and connecting North Farm Lane with Kingstanding Way. The final phase involves the widening of High Brooms Railway Bridge on North Farm Road to allow vehicles to pass side by side and allow access to buses, pedestrians and cyclists – estimated to cost between £5-10million.

Leisure Council documents state: “A costed master plan will allow contributions to be collected from 106 developer contributions, Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) and central government funding bid opportunities.”

A spokesman for KCC said it was ‘likely’ the £52,000 requested from Markerstudy Leisure for their abortive proposal to build a go-kart track and laser tag centre on Chapman Way would have gone into ‘a pot of cash’ for future phases of the master plan.

Markerstudy Leisure had objected to the section 106 request from KCC on the basis that similar leisure developments had not been required to make developer contributions.

Alongside the issue of Section 106 payments, the council said the new leisure complex would not create the right sort of jobs, before refusing the company planning permission on March 8.

In addition, a cinema will be reinstated within the premises for the first time since ABC closed its doors in 2000 and a water feature has been proposed for where the building intersects with Church Road and Mount Pleasant Road.

It is hoped that a detailed planning application will be submitted during May of this year Altitude Director, Stephen Tillman said: “Whilst the design process on this important site for Tunbridge Wells has taken a little longer than expected, we believe it has been time well spent in engaging with interested parties to produce a scheme of high-quality design that is not only something for local people to be proud of but, crucially, is also viable and deliverable.

“This will enable us to bring forward this site that has lain empty for so long, and repair this important part of the fabric of the town.”

Admin error is blamed for Sankey’s low hygiene score AN ADMISTRATION error has been blamed for Sankey’s Bistro on Mount Ephraim scoring just one out of five during its latest food hygiene inspection.

Restaurant owner Matthew Sankey has claimed it was one wrongly ticked box that led to the low overall rating, despite hygienic food handling and the cleanliness of facilities scoring five out of five.

He expects to get the maximum rating of five at next review The mix up came after a chef told the inspector from Tunbridge Wells Borough Council that, if requested, the kitchen would serve rare burgers.

A practice Mr Sankey denies takes place.

Mr Sankey explained: “When we were visited the inspector asked the chef if we serve rare burgers, which we don’t as indicated in our food safety management system. But on that occasion our chef replied ‘yes’ and that landed us with a zero in the ‘management of food safety’, dragging our score down overall.”

The restaurateur, who also owns a Champagne and Oyster Bar on The Pantiles and a fishmon-

RESTAURATEUR Matthew Sankey at his Oyster Bar

gers on Vale Road, has requested an immediate re-inspection, but will be forced to display the current rating for three months.

He added that he expected to get the maximum rating of five on the next visit during the reassessment.

It is not the first time a well-known establishment in the town has received a rock-bottom hygiene rating.

The restaurant at one of Tunbridge Wells’ flagship hotels, the Spa, was inspected last April and received a zero rating for ‘administrative errors’ despite its good scores for food standards.

The hotel was later given a five in a reassessment several months later.

A spokesman for the council said: “The council’s role is to protect the public and enforce food safety legislation when needed.

“The food hygiene rating is a way of letting customers know the rating the premises has been given by a qualified food safety officer, assessed against the national standard. It is a very open scheme and people can look up ratings on the Food Standards Agency website and see when the most recent visit was made and if the rating has changed since then.”

Local News

Wednesday March 29 | 2017

NEWS

5

Remain voter finds a unique way to turn defeat into a business

By Adam Hignett adam@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk WHEN life gives you lemons, make some lemonade. That was shopkeeper Peter Lamb’s philosophy when he woke up on June 24 to discover the majority of people in Great Britain had voted to leave the EU and discovered his world had been turned upside down.

A vehement supporter of the EU, Mr Lamb was shocked by the result. But the owner of Lamb’s Larder, next to Frant Station, has an entrepreneurial streak.

‘It was quite a kneejerk reaction to the result of the vote’ Within two days, the 55-year-old father of three had designed and begun to manufacture polo shirts embroidered with the words ‘48 per cent’ and the stars of the European flag. The figure represents the proportion of people who voted Remain; 52 per cent voted Leave.

Since then, he has sold around 2,500 articles of clothing. The range was soon expanded to include

jackets, beanie hats, scarves and hoodies.

“It was quite a kneejerk reaction to the result of the vote, but I set up the clothing business as a way to make some money out of what I think is a bad thing.

“As stupid as it sounds, I also found the process of designing and then selling the clothing therapeutic as I needed a way to vent my anger.

“Each one I sold made me feel like I was giving Boris Johnson a good kicking. It is my way of fighting back.”

Many of his items of clothing have actually been bought by individuals overseas, while a large amount are also being purchased by Londoners, and on occasion ‘the odd passer-by’.

When talking to Mr Lamb, it is hard not to notice a strong Australian accent, which may lead some to wonder why he is bothered by the result.

But the shop owner and his family have been permanent residents here for 11 years and, as a dual citizen, Mr Lamb himself has travelled between his native Tasmania and the UK since 1980.

What Mr Lamb finds particularly distressing is that the whole reason why he moved to the UK was because he wanted to be around ‘European values’.

“We moved because we wanted to be part of

REMAIN OR LEAVE? Peter Lamb faces his own Brexit decision. Inset: His popular shirt design Europe. If I was a native French speaker, I may have ended up in France. I did not move here with the intention of ever leaving, though.

“I have opened a business, I employ local people, and two of my three children go to private school, so I am hardly a drain on the state.”

He now fears the UK is heading for an economically disastrous Brexit and the only beneficiaries will be the well-off.

“If May goes ahead with the plan for a very low tax economy it will be the man on the street who will suffer. The poor will be hurt greatly and the rich will benefit greatly.”

Depending on visa arrangements, Mr Lamb has now resigned himself to leaving his adopted country and moving to the continent when his children

Historic appointment at boys’ grammar school

By Eileen Leahy AMANDA SIMPSON [left] has been named as the first female Head Teacher at Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys [TWGSB]. She will take up her role from the start of September 2017 at the St John’s Road school, which boasts nearly 1,200 pupils.

News of the appointment was announced last week after the school’s current head, John Harrison, retired at the end of last year. Mr Harrison left in

December 2016, after ten years at the helm. The school’s Deputy Head, Simon Marsh, stepped into the role of Acting Head Teacher in the interim period before Mrs Simpson’s appointment.

Standards Mrs Simpson said she was ‘delighted’ to be taking on her new job: “The school is a forwardthinking and modern school with tradition at its core. My absolute focus moving forward will be teaching and learning and enhancing the standards of outcomes for students.”

She added: “I will look to ensure resources are available as part of preparing students

academically and as young people living in the 21st century. I look forward to September.”

Mrs Simpson, who was a former PE and dance teacher at Crowborough’s Beacon Community College from 1997-2000, has spent the past four years working as Head Teacher of Lea Manor High School, a mixed comprehensive in Luton, Bedfordshire. Prior to this, she worked in the role of Deputy at The London Leadership Strategy – the leadership arm of The London Challenge.

Mrs Simpson’s appointment was welcomed by the school’s Chair of Governors, Philip Drew, who said she brought with her a ‘highly successful track record of leadership, people development and improving students’ outcomes’.

leave school within the next ‘three to five years’.

He believes France will be a good fit for his family, and would only consider returning to Australia as ‘a last resort’.

“People wonder why I don’t want to return as everyone thinks it’s such a fantastic place, but it’s quite introspective, mainly because it is so isolated.”

However, five years is a long time, and perhaps Mr Lamb’s worst fears will fail to materialise – in which case, will he change his mind?

“I could change my mind I admit. But at the moment I cannot see any benefits of Brexit at all.”

6

NEWS

Local News NEWS IN BRIEF

Waste management firm spends £1m on depot A NATIONAL waste management firm has invested £1million in a new operation to be run from a depot at Leys Industrial Park in Paddock Wood.

The new base will allow Lili Waste to serve a large part of Kent, including Tunbridge Wells, Paddock Wood, Sevenoaks and Tonbridge. Managing director Matt Miles, said the firm was ‘completely committed’ to the recycling of dry mixed recyclable commercial waste, and totally opposed to the use of landfill.

Wednesday March 29 | 2017

New mural maps the town’s long history

New Kent tourism plan VISIT Kent is launching a new project aimed at helping small and medium businesses to be more innovative in their methods of attracting additional visitors to the county.

The scheme, called Profit, will be rolled out across the county over the next three years, with its initial phase taking place in the Medway region.

Profit stands for Professional Framework for Innovation in Tourism and is partly financed by £308,000 from the European Regional Development Fund.

THE new mural on the wall of Platform Two at Tunbridge Wells station was officially unveiled on Monday. It replaced one accidentally damaged during repair work.

The new illustrated timeline was produced by local artist Chris Burke and begins with the iron age – when there is believed to have been a settlement in the town.

The centrepiece features King Edward VII who, in 1909, officially granted the town its ‘Royal’ prefix.

Next to the mural, a display has been erected, paying homage to the former mural, which was produced by Brian Barnes in 1989.

Speaking at the unveiling, Mr Burke said it had been 57 days since he was first asked to produce the piece, and added: “To be here now is quite amazing. But it has been a group project and a real community thing.”

‘What we have now is something that really adds to the town’

Real Bonafidee winners TUNBRIDGE WELLS firm Bonafidee won the Digital Innovation of the Year category at a Motor Finance Europe awards ceremony in Frankfurt on March 16.

Based in Lonsdale Gardens, the anti-fraud solution company specialises in online identity checks and e-signatures.

By Phil Spacey newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk

MURAL OR LESS: Artists Elaine Gill and Chris Burke, Mayor David Neve, Southeastern’s David Wornham and Town Crier John Scholey

Micahel Holman, Chair of Tunbridge Wells Refresh, who first raised the issue to the Town Forum and Southeastern said he was ‘surprised’ that the project actually came to fruition.

“What we have now is something that really adds to the town. After protesting the loss of the mural we realised it was time to stop the protest and do something positive,” he said.

Southeastern Passenger Service Director David Wornham said: “We could’ve perhaps treated the previous mural a bit better. But we put our hands up and more importantly in our pockets to the tune of £10,000.”

Mayor David ‘Pun’ Neve said: “I think we can all see that what has been produced is just the ticket and definitely first class.”

8

BUSINESS

Times Awards

Wednesday March 29 | 2017

A big thank you to all our awards sponsors The Times local papers would like to reiterate its thanks to those companies that have chosen to sponsor the event itself and the various categories within it. These businesses represent some of the most dynamic, enterprising and respected firms in the area. Below is another list of those companies whose support has allowed these awards to happen

Handelsbanken

John Bullock Design

PROUD SPONSORS OF:

PROUD SPONSORS OF:

OUTSTANDING BUSINESS OF THE YEAR Handelsbanken, formed in 1871, is the oldest quoted company on the Swedish Stock Exchange and has operated in the UK since 1982. As one of the largest Nordic banks, its long-term prudent approach has led the business to being named the world’s fourth safest commercial bank (Global Finance Magazine, November 2016).

Customers, whether corporate or individual, value local personal relationships with people who make the decisions from the branch. Built on close relationships and traditional values, the bank has no sales targets, product campaigns or bonuses, instead deciding to focus on straightforward bespoke banking facilities, delivered to meet each individual customer’s own personal needs. www.handelsbanken.co.uk

CREATIVE BUSINESS AWARDS John Bullock Design is a dedicated and awardwinning architectural practice working on projects throughout the South East and London and seeking to create beautiful, unique buildings and spaces which are site specific and fulfil each client’s unique brief.

Formed in 2003 by Creative Director John Bullock, the company has since worked to establish a solid reputation for design excellence, built on a core understanding of individual requirements.

Based in the heart of Tunbridge Wells, the friendly and dedicated team of architects, technicians and designers assist clients throughout every aspect of a project.

Building an enviable reputation of a high success rate of planning application approvals, John Bullock works closely with planning officers and authorities to find effective solutions that achieve the very best outcome for clients. www.johnbullockdesign.com

Russell Fewins Commercial Facilities Solutions PROUD SPONSORS OF:

YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR Established in 1998, Russell Fewins provide relocation, storage, archiving and office furniture supply and installation services to a diverse group of companies in Kent, Sussex and across the South East.

Independently owned, and operating from purpose-built premises in Dartford, Kent, Russell Fewins have been servicing the facilities and office removals market across London, Kent, Essex and the M25 area for almost 20 years.

Russell Fewins offers vast experience across office removals, plus a range of other facilities services, including office furniture supply and installation, alongside office clearance, commercial storage and archiving. www.russell-fewins.com

The Pantiles Chambers PROUD SPONSORS OF:

SERVICE EXCELLENCE AWARD Operating for over 30 years, The Pantiles Chambers specialise in offering serviced offices, meeting rooms and virtual office facilities in the town centre of Tunbridge Wells.

As the concept of flexible working continues to gain traction and popularity, virtual offices provide many of the desired benefits of having an office, without the physical space or costly accommodation.

The Pantiles Chambers work to portray a fully equipped professional image through their virtual packages, alongside their 20 fully furnished offices, equipped with new telephone systems and high-speed internet access.

Conveniently located, these facilities reside in a prestigious building on the High Street, minutes from the railway station. With offices from 1 to 12 workstations, layouts can be altered to fit specific company needs, meeting the demands of the ever-evolving modern business. www.pantileschambers.co.uk

Times Awards

Wednesday March 29 | 2017

Castle Cars goes the extra mile in bid to win at this year’s awards LIFE IN THE FAST LANE: Castle Cars were runners-up at last year’s Times business awards. (L-R) Terry Hill, Alyson Hill, Nick Rushby and Eric Baldock SMALL businesses are the lifeblood of the UK economy. And while the large conglomerations and multinationals may get the headlines, it is often overlooked that there were 5.5 million private sector firms at the start of 2016 – accounting for 99.3 per cent of all private businesses in the UK. It is only right that these companies are recognised, as they are the ones which often have to go the extra mile to stay competitive and remain profitable. One way of doing this is to ensure you offer exemplary service in order to get customers returning again and again.

Terry Hill, the proprietor of Tonbridge-based taxi firm Castle Cars, has done just that, leading to growth of 50 per cent in just two years. He is also expecting to double the profits

his company achieved last year.

Mr Hill said: “Since we moved to our new larger premises almost two years ago, we have grown by over 50 per cent, and as a result of the increased turnover have made some exciting changes.”

He said keeping the vehicles clean at all times has always been a ‘major demand’ he has made on the drivers, and he recently invested £8,000 into a new purpose-built, triple-bay valeting area that allows multiple cars to be cleaned at once, whatever the weather.

The majority of Castle Cars vehicles are company owned, with a fleet of 22 vehicles ranging from 4-seater saloons and estates to 8-seater basic and luxury minibuses.

The firm currently has 35 drivers,

The Tonbridge taxi firm is hoping to go one better than last year with a victory in its category of Best Small Business in 2017 but since being founded in 1995 staff turnover has remained low.

“Some drivers have been here up to 19 years,” Mr Hill said, adding: “We set high standards for any potential drivers, with their attitude and belief in the company ethos of reliability being our No 1 selling point.

‘We still pick up many of our original customers from 1995’ “We do not take on any drivers that cannot speak English, and this is appreciated by our wide customer base, which includes businessmen, elderly, and occasionally vulnerable persons.”

Castle Cars is also steered by a

sense of civic duty that has seen the business work alongside the borough council, Dementia UK and Tom Tugendhat, MP, on a scheme to try and protect the elderly from falling prey to scammers – an area of fraud that often unwittingly involves taxi drivers. This proactive approach has already prevented several potential scams, some of which have been reported in the press.

Mr Hill, who ensures he rewards staff who go ‘beyond the call of duty’, said: “I continually look for ways to keep not only my staff happy but also our customers. In our 21 years of business, not only have we kept most of our drivers, but we still pick up many of our original customers from 1995, their kids, and now often their grandkids, too.”

BUSINESS

LOCAL NEWSPAPERS

Don’t miss out on this opportunity

Enter for FREE now at: timesbusiness awards.co.uk Ten categories...

Ten chances to win...

In association with

Castle Cars hopes for podium finish at the business awards

Sponsored by

9

10

BUSINESS

Local Business News

Wednesday March 29 | 2017

You can still buy and make a WITH around 40 years in the property business, and a career that spans development, conveyancing, buying and selling, Heather Cernis has an encyclopaedic knowledge on the subject.

Over that time she has seen fundamental shifts in the way the housing market functions, and this experience has given her a thorough insight into both its present state and where it is heading.

Although candid about many of the challenges the market faces, Mrs Cernis is also optimistic that property remains one of the safest investments a person can make, especially in Tunbridge Wells.

But she is not afraid to give a blunt assessment of where things currently stand: “Even the government has acknowledged that the property market is broken in the UK, in its White Paper ‘Fixing our broken housing market’. I believe we should take a positive and proactive stance and consider ways of making it easier for people to get on the property ladder and move home in general.”

Some of the solutions starting to emerge appear quite radical, with Mrs Cernis saying lenders are not just looking into providing extended term mortgages but intergenerational products.

To many, the idea of a multi-generational mortgage may seem quite ominous. But Mrs Cernis is more sanguine.

“High Street lenders are increasingly offering them; they are just not necessarily widely known or available yet. People do tend to be put off by the thought of being tied into a mortgage not just for their lifetime but possibly for the next generation.”

Tunbridge Wells, it is often said, exists in a bubble. This is particularly the case when people are talking about property.

Heather Cernis of Jackson-Stops & Staff speaks to Adam Hignett about where the market in general is at and where it is heading REALISTIC Heather Cernis

Part of the problem has been the almost complete absence of interest only mortgages since the credit crunch. This used to be a way, she said, of helping many on to the housing ladder. Some people wouldn’t otherwise have been able to afford to buy.

“Lenders are less keen to entertain the idea now

because of the deemed high risk that borrowers would not be able to repay their debt at the end of the term, or if forced to sell.”

She said this had the ‘instant effect’ of making property more difficult to afford, with the majority of first-time buyers required to take out a more

expensive repayment mortgage.

“Anything that can help to reduce the cost of monthly repayments would be attractive to borrowers. Already, mortgage terms, which used to be 25 years, are increasing to 35 or 40 years. Who’s to say they shouldn’t go up to 100? In future, householders may choose to pass on a house with an outstanding mortgage to their children, who will continue where they left off.”

Rising house prices, improved longevity, and the prospect of working into our 60s and 70s point to extended terms becoming a practical and viable option for making home ownership more affordable for more of us.”

Mrs Cernis acknowledges that many young people are struggling to get a toehold on the property ladder and the obstacles in the way of them doing so are harder than for past generations.

But lenders are adapting to this situation, too, she said.

“Young people are now more reliant on parental help. It used to be that when parents helped their children purchase by taking out a joint mortgage, the property title was in joint names.

“This became a problem with the introduction of the three per cent stamp duty land tax [SDLT] surcharge, as parents were effectively becoming second home owners. But there are lenders who will allow the mortgage to be in joint names, with the title in the child’s name.”

Changes to SDLT, which benefitted those on the lower end of the ladder but hit those at the top with higher marginal rates, has meant the number of homes being marketed over £1million has ‘fallen away’, she acknowledged.

“In an affluent area like Tunbridge Wells it has had an impact, especially at the very top end, where SDLT is quite punitive,” she said.

Local Business News

Wednesday March 29 | 2017

return with property

For those wishing to move from London to Tunbridge Wells, for its commutability and excellent educational choices, the increased costs of moving are making them reconsider their options.

“People are now thinking, ‘do we want to move?’

It used to be a whim or desire. The reality is it is now a serious financial consideration. The heady days of the 70s and 80s are over,” Mrs Cernis admits, adding: “The property market used to be fluid. People bought, improved and sold property more frequently, confident that chains would complete.”

Mrs Cernis said that, since the crash, the culture of buying, improving and selling to make a profit has almost disappeared, particularly in the South East, as manifested by the decline in the number of DIY and property makeover programmes on TV. A less fluid housing market has led to the rise of ‘generation rent’, as home ownership continues to decline from its peak of 71 per cent in 2003 to just over 60 per cent today.

Among the younger generation the figure is markedly lower.

Two decades ago, the number of 25 year olds with some form of home ownership accounted for 46 per

cent of their age group. It is now just 20 per cent.

“It is falling year on year. The younger generation, without realistic intervention, may be facing a future of renting for life, never knowing the benefits of home ownership enjoyed by previous generations.”

Mrs Cernis added that in itself lifetime renting is ‘not necessarily a bad thing’ and is the norm in many continental countries, but acknowledges it does go against the traditions of the UK. “With the difficulties there are now of building up a deposit, and without some sort of tax incentive for parental help, it is hard to imagine a sea change in the immediate future. Yet culturally, home ownership remains desirable and aspirational.”

Previous government schemes to increase ownership among the young, such as the ‘help to buy’ mortgage guarantee scheme which finished last year, have been controversial. There were fears of

‘People are now thinking, ‘do we want to move?’ It used to be a whim or desire’ creating unsustainability by boosting demand without raising supply. It is not clear whether the government intends to replace this, given their published desire to close the homes deficit.

In addition to the well-publicised acknowledgement that there has been far too little house building in the country for many years, strain on the supply chain is also coming from other areas.

One is the reluctance of older homeowners to sell their long-held family homes, uncertain when to capitalise on an appreciating asset. Another is continuously low interest rates since the crash, which have led to a sharp decline in people needing to sell. Both have had the effect of limiting supply.

“Analysts used to speak of 3Ds, which were constants in the property market – death, debt and divorce. Some added a fourth – downsizing. Debt and downsizing are currently missing from this list.”

A major ongoing factor to be taken into account is the effect of Brexit, but in terms of its effects on the broader market, Mrs Cernis does not pretend to be a clairvoyant, simply stating ‘nobody knows what effect this will have in the longer term’.

“Our sellers and buyers are not particularly concerned about Brexit unless they work in an industry which is directly affected. It will take a long time to extricate ourselves from the European Union. In the meantime, it is very much business as usual.”

But she is more confident in the town itself, which has a well-earned reputation for being in a bubble of its own.

“Luckily, in Tunbridge Wells, which some have described as ‘Notting Hill in the countryside’, we have had a sustained period of house price growth and the area has always seemed to weather any negativity.

“It is a very pleasant part of the world to live in and there is huge demand with a shortage of supply. We have a lot of buyers on our books looking for central Tunbridge Wells property and we cannot get it fast enough.”

Despite some acknowledged uncertainties with the property market in its present form, Mrs Cernis is confident people can still get on the property ladder and prosper from property, if they take a pragmatic and proactive approach.

“We are constantly trying to help people ride the challenges. Generally speaking, we see far more optimism than negativity, with both sellers and buyers seeing the bigger picture and the brighter side of things.

“In Tunbridge Wells and the local district, property is a still considered a sound investment. My experience, based on the number of enquiries we are receiving and our transactional levels, is that there is confidence in the property market and a continuing mood of optimism.”

BUSINESS

11

A VIEW FROM THE TOWN Natasha Selbie, Associate Director of Savills in Tunbridge Wells, gives her view on how the town’s housing market is coping almost four months into 2017: In your opinion, how is the Tunbridge Wells housing market faring? We are seeing a traditional start to the year; having seen many potential sellers in the last few months of 2016 and the first few months of 2017, we are now seeing that these visits have turned into healthy levels of stock for the first quarter and successful sales. Currently, demand is outweighing supply, particularly in the town, and this is creating a positive and competitive market place.

Which aspects of the market are outperforming expectations, and why is this the case? Tunbridge Wells ranks as the second highest local authority in England for percentage of pupils in high performing state schools, according to research by Savills.

The town market has remained the most resilient to the political and economic changes that we have experienced in the last few years, and because of the amenities here in the town, and the communication links to the City, there has been steady and sure progress with measured price increases.

Which parts of the market are underperforming or slowing, and why is this the case? I do not consider there to be any parts of the market that are underperforming, but it is important to recognise that the market outside of the immediate town is more price sensitive. If realistically priced in line with the competition, a property is unlikely to underperform.

In the medium term, how will the market perform? This year is going to be incredibly difficult to forecast; if only there was a crystal ball!

Natasha Selbie

12

BUSINESS

Local Business News

BUSINESS IN BRIEF

Knights Wood project enters its next phase A FURTHER 62 homes have been released for sale at Dandara’s Knights Wood development this month.

The latest tranche of houses forms part of a phase of the ongoing housing development known as ‘The Lanes’.

In total, around 550 contemporary plots comprising houses and apartments are being built as part of the project, which has also included the provision of a new primary school and community area.

Prices of houses released in the latest phase range from £341,000 for a twobedroom home to over £510,000 for three bedrooms.

Wednesday March 29 | 2017

Shipping firm goes full circle with return to Kings Hill site ON THE MOVE AEL Managing Director David Moreau (right) with Finance Director Tom McKenzie

Sussex business boost WEALDEN MP Nus Ghani has welcomed news that businesses in East Sussex are being given a £1million funding boost thanks to new council funding.

East Sussex County Council has allocated the extra cash to help new companies set themselves up, or existing firms to expand, over the next three years.

Since May 2013, the council has supported 210 businesses, and hopes the extra funding will fuel a further boost to the county’s economy.

‘The move comes at an exciting time for AEL’

Adam Hignett adam@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk A SHIPPING company which brings in much of the UK’s fresh fruit from Africa is moving its headquarters to Kings Hill, returning to its original ‘dock’ after a ten years of being based in Paddock Wood.

Africa Express Line operates a fleet of eight state-of-the-art refrigerated cargo ships on a num-

ber of weekly services to and from West Africa and Europe and the Mediterranean, handling and transporting time-sensitive perishable fruit cargoes.

The company was founded in 2001 and was based at Kings Hill until 2007 before its move to Paddock Wood.

It has now decided to return to its original home where it is taking 4,733 sq ft in 30 Tower View – the same building it occupied previously.

“Kings Hill is a great location for us,” said Man-

aging Director David Moreau. “Not only is it very easily accessible for our staff with plenty of free parking, but its high quality environment makes it an attractive place to work.

“We moved to a distribution centre in Paddock Wood when Compagnie Fruitiere had located a sister company there and it was a logical move to share office space, but as that lease is now ending, we have decided to return to Kings Hill.

“The move comes at an exciting time for AEL and the wider Compagnie Fruitiere group as we look to replace some of our older vessels and expand our West African plantations and commercial activity. Our new office also gives us potential to expand.”

Andrew Blevins, Managing Director of Kings Hill developer Liberty Property Trust, which owns the offices, said that it was always good to welcome a former tenant back.

“Since AEL left Kings Hill ten years ago, a great deal has changed here,” he said. “We now have extensive sports and leisure amenities, more shops and restaurants, including Waitrose, hairdressers, a doctors’ surgery and many other outlets you would expect in a high street – which we hope they will take advantage of.”

“We are also taking Kings Hill to the next stage and are working on a landscaped public park, new housing neighbourhoods and extending various leisure and community amenities.

“All this is helpful to our tenants in attracting and retaining new staff, which will support their expansion plans.”

Wine dealer admits to defrauding the elderly TUNBRIDGE WELLS based wine broker who defrauded investors out of hundreds of thousands of pounds pleaded guilty to two offences of conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation last week.

Harry Mosley, of Bradbourne Vale Road, Sevenoaks, had initially denied the offences but changed his pleas on the seventh day of his trial at Maidstone Crown Court. He also admitted two other fraud conspiracy charges on ‘a limited basis’.

Judge Charles Macdonald QC subsequently directed the jury to return guilty verdicts.

The 25 year old is said to have enjoyed a luxury lifestyle by defrauding investors out of more than £430,000. Mainly targeting the elderly, Mosley would promise them a profit in return for buying, swapping or selling wine through his Tunbridge

Wells-based company Optimum Fine Wine, which was located in Church Road.

‘Cut and Run’ One victim, aged 84, lost £205,460 after handing over the money to purchase wine to be held in warehouse storage at London City Bond.

But Mosley never bought the wine and failed to refund the money.

Prosecutor Dale Sullivan said Mosley had ‘cut and run’ and used the money to fund a luxury lifestyle which included spending about £100,000 at bars, restaurants and hotels and on designer clothes.

The prosecutor also said Mosley gambled £57,300 on spread betting and gave his girlfriend £23,320.

The evidence showed he paid himself £112,000 and sold a luxury Bentley car.

In total, Mosley’s firm, Optimum Fine Wine, duped 15 customers into handing over money to invest in wines, or in the belief they were swapping their portfolios, between September 2012 and May 2014. At least two of the victims had since died.

Mosley was granted bail and will be sentenced at the end of the trial.

The case is continuing with two co-accused people alleged to have been his cold-calling team.

Bradley Deadman, 23, of Lodge Road, Tonbridge, and Lewis Hearson, 22, of Dowgate Close, Tonbridge, deny four charges of conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation.

Local Business News

Wednesday March 29 | 2017

BUSINESS

13

BREXIT STORMS WILL NOT PUSH CRIPPS OFF COURSE

STANDING ON CEREMONY: Mike Scott (head of real estate), Gavin Tyler (managing partner) Clare Hyland (senior partner), Greg Clark, Mayor David Neve, Mayoress Jill Neve, Myles McIntosh (head of private client), James Beatton (head of corporate)

New Cripps offices hailed as a vote of confidence in the town REPRESENTATIVES of local businesses and town officials gathered with MP Greg Clark at Number 22 Mount Ephraim on Friday [March 24] to mark the official opening of the new Cripps offices.

The 40,000 sq ft state-of-the-art building, which is on the site of the former Kent & Sussex Hospital, was built by Berkeley Homes as part of its major Royal Wells Park development, and is occupied by around 300 of the law firm’s staff over four floors.

Its opening marks one of the largest additions to office space in the town ‘in decades’ and was hailed by Mr Clark, the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, as a ‘significant investment’ in Tunbridge Wells.

Mr Clark added: “It is securing jobs and continuing to benefit the local economy. Cripps has been in the town since the firm was founded in 1852, and in that time has become one of the most highprofile law firms in the South East. I am delighted this large and significant local employer has shown such dedication to remaining in the town.”

The firm’s Tunbridge Wells offices were previously based in five different buildings in Mount Ephraim Road, which were increasingly unsuitable for its expansion. It took more than ten years to find an office building capable of accommodating all its staff under one roof.

“It has been a very long search, but things had to be right,” said Gavin Tyler, Managing Partner at Cripps. “The way we work has changed significantly over the years. Modern business requires

modern premises, and we have made very significant investments in the latest technology and office systems to ensure that we can operate as collaboratively and efficiently as possible as well as ensuring that the client and visitor experience when visiting the offices is memorable.

He added: “As a business we are committed to Tunbridge Wells, so we are delighted to have been able to find such wonderful offices at the heart of the town.”

Council Leader David Jukes said the new building is of the sort he seeks to ‘replicate’ when it comes to developing the new civic complex, particularly its high level of energy efficiency.

In addition, he welcomed a ‘well-known company’ committing to building more office space in the town, a view shared by the council’s Chief Executive William Benson, who said: “I am thrilled by this development. It is the first new offices to be built in Tunbridge Wells in decades and I am delighted that Cripps continue to invest and thrive in the town.”

Speaking to the Times following the opening of their new offices, Cripps Managing Partner Gavin Tyler explained why his firm had pushed ahead with relocating, despite the uncertainty of Brexit.

“We could have pulled back and deferred investment because of Brexit but said no.

Confidence is everything. As a firm, you cannot compete unless you do something a bit different, and this building manifests that outlook.

“Furthermore, we think the UK economy is in good shape and will not be in bad shape just because of Brexit. That is why, as a firm, we are continuing to see annual growth, invest and take on new people. But in order to grow we know we will have to be incredibly agile and continue to identify opportunities quickly.”

However, Mr Tyler’s confidence in the ability of Cripps to thrive and his general optimism over the state of the UK economy does not mean his firm is not taking an interest in what other businesses think of Brexit. To this end, the firm is carrying out its second survey of businesses within the South East to gauge sentiment after carrying out a similar study in the aftermath of the referendum.

“Last time we did the survey, the overwhelming demand from companies was for continued access to the single market. I do not envision much has changed,” he said.

NEWS

Community News

Wednesday March 29 | 2017

Lightning strikes for Sevenoaks gymnasts

PHOTO: Sean Aidan

14

THE Lightning School of Gymnastics in Sevenoaks is celebrating after successfully taking part in the South East Acrobatics Regional Championships.

The boys and girls returned with many regional titles, and are now preparing for the National Championships in Stoke in May. Gold medals went to Erin Snyder and Toby Hards in the mixed pair; Oliver Brand and Eric Wood, and Ruben Skeen and Adam Carr in the men’s pair; and William Chadwick, Jem Zorbazan, Callum Snyder and Cameron Warnock in the men’s four.

There were also silvers for Ninie Lampitt and Jodie Steel in the women’s pair; and Eleanor Tester, Chloe Tester and Rose Covovini in the women’s trio.

HIGH ACHIEVERS: Members of the Lightning School of Gymnastics in action

Chairman Mo is named Kent Trustee of the Year MO TUTTY, Chairman of the Board of Trustees at ellenor, was named as Trustee of the Year at the Kent Charity Awards.

Mr Tutty, who has been a trustee at the charity for seven years, said: “I was very surprised, but felt incredibly proud to be recognised in this way.

“I think this award is recognition of the fantastic work we all do and should be shared with everyone at ellenor.”

During his acceptance speech, he paid tribute to the care his father received from ellenor 20 years ago.

“I will be eternally grateful for the care, dignity and consideration afforded to him and the rest of the family during his final few days,” he said.

The judges noted that, in addition to his role as

Trustee, Mr Tutty also supports ellenor in a practical way. Last year, he took part in five challenging days of hiking in Iceland to raise money for the charity.

“We are very proud that Mo has been named Trustee of the Year – it’s an accolade which is very well deserved,” commented Claire Cardy, ellenor’s Chief Executive.

“He works tirelessly in his role heading up our board of trustees and is endlessly supportive of the work we do as a charity.”

Ellenor offers care and support to families and people of all ages who are facing terminal illness in Kent and parts of south-east London.

RECOGNITION (l-r) Hazel South, ellenor’s Head of Information, Mo Tutty and Cheri Strudwick, Head of Marketing

For more information, visit www.ellenor.org

Lord De L’Isle says Kent youth organisations are desperate for volunteers THE Lord-Lieutenant of Kent has called for more volunteers in the county – especially adult instructors for youth organisations.

“The philosophy and motivation behind volunteering appears to have lessened in recent times,” he claimed.

‘You are doing a great job, but we need to encourage more people to join you’ He was speaking at the Service of Thanksgiving and Celebration for Public Service to Kent in Rochester Cathedral, attended by more than 400 volunteers.

Lord De L’Isle (right) paid tribute to the contributions made by the voluntary sector across the county, saying: “On our own, we cannot end wars or wipe out injustice, but the cumulative impact of thousands of small acts of goodness can be bigger than we imagine.”

A former solder

himself, he praised volunteers in the Armed Forces and the Reserves for ‘often putting themselves in danger in the face of The Queen’s enemies’ and ‘our emergency services, who work year round saving lives’.

He also commended the KM Charity Team and Kent Community Foundation for raising money for good causes like the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme. Kent now has the largest number of Gold Standard Award winners in the UK. But the Lord-Lieutenant, who lives in Penshurst Place, added that more help was needed, saying: “Kent youth organisations are desperate for more adult instructors and we all need to encourage people to take up this type of volunteering.”

He said he wished to see more nominations for the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service [QAVS]. “You are doing a great job, but we need to encourage more people to join you. The larger our numbers the less the burden, and more good works can be achieved.”

Community News

Wednesday March 29 | 2017

STEPPING UP St George’s staff in Chilston Road

Lottery allows St George’s to improve its IT provision LOCAL charity St George’s Community Children’s Project has benefitted from an upgrade to its technology thanks to a grant from the Big Lottery Fund.

The sum of £9,840 has been used to buy new desktop computers and tablets and install faster Wi-Fi. This IT overhaul will help to track children’s learning and development and improve communication with parents.

St George’s, a not-for-profit organisation which was rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted, provides high quality childcare for children aged three months to 12 years.

It is the only nursery in Tunbridge Wells that offers affordable and free day care for vulnerable

local children who live in difficult circumstances and those from underprivileged backgrounds.

Morgane Glew, Business Manager at St George’s Community Children’s Project, said: “This grant gives us a fantastic opportunity to upgrade our IT and really bring us into the 21st century.

“We are so grateful for the generosity of the Big Lottery Fund,” she added.

“The grant will help to benefit all the children who attend St George’s.”

For more information, visit www.stgeorgesproject.co.uk or contact eleanor.stewart@stgeorgesproject.co.uk

NEWS

15

Saddle up in the Downs to raise £9.5k for Demelza CONSTRUCTION company Osborne’s are taking part in a Chairman’s Cycle Challenge to raise funds for Demelza Hospice Care for Children.

The riders undertook sprints of either 25, 50 or 75 miles through Sussex and the South Downs and have raised £9,500 for the charity.

The company was founded 50 years ago by Geoffrey Osborne and has grown to become one of the country’s leading construction companies.

Chairman Andrew Osborne said: “We see our 50th birthday as the perfect occasion to give something back and leave a legacy for the communities within which we work.”

Demelza has two hospices, in Sittingbourne

and Eltham, and also supports families in Kent, East Sussex and south-east London.

It is reliant on fundraising and donations to raise £10.5million needed every year to provide care to seriously ill children and their families.

Demelza’s Head of Fundraising, Claire EllisWaghorn, said: “We are delighted at the amount raised by Osborne employees for Demelza – particularly as they took up this challenge on a nasty day. Our corporate supporters are vitally important to the work we do with our families.”

For more information, visit www.demelza.org.uk To make a donation, go to www.justgiving.com

BESPOKE SERVICE (l-r) Gary Scott, Jamie Harrison, Ben Potts, Andrew Osborne, Colin Brewer and Simon Kilshaw prepare for their 50-mile challenge

16

NEWS

People

Wednesday March 29 | 2017

From Russia with love…

By Murray Jones murray@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk TWO local women who grew up in Communist Russia and lived through the fall of the Soviet Union have spoken about their time under the authoritarian regime.

Elena Lewis-Grey and Elena Gente both now live in Tunbridge Wells. They held a talk at St John’s Church Hall about their experiences, raising more than £1,000 for the town’s Choral Society, of which they are both members.

Mrs Lewis-Grey has been in the town for over 22 years since marrying her husband Alexander in 1995. He was born in Tunbridge Wells, but they met in Russia, where he was studying the language.

She now works in the International Department at AXA Insurance and has two teenage children.

‘I remember a big bin filled with what was history last year but now was a worthless pile of print’ But Mrs Lewis-Grey’s life began in a very different way. Born in 1972, in Voronezh, a town 500km south of Moscow, she entered a family of academics – her parents, brothers and their wives were all scientists, researchers and professors.

She started school at seven years old, and spent the next ten years with the same class of students.

She remembers enjoying summers in the family’s ‘dacha’, or second home, which the ‘majority of people have and still have’.

Despite growing up surrounded by propaganda, singing ‘youth communist’ songs at summer

camps, she said: “Soviet people were not a differ- people were unemployed and also unemployable. ent breed, we shared the same aspirations and the “New capitalist life required a new set of skills, same love for our family and friends. There were you had to become enterprising, profit-making, good people trying to do good things for their adaptable and fast. neighbours and the community.

“It was hard for people to adapt, especially for “Private lives and relationships were very differ- the older generation who gave their lives and their ent to the official ideological façade: Mothers health to build the Soviet Union, which was colloved their children, teenage girls gossiped and lapsing before their very eyes.” grannies were always ready to waggle their finger Mrs Lewis-Grey did not stay in post-Soviet Russia at the youth.” for long. In 1995, aged 22, she followed her husAs she grew older and Mikhail Gorbachev’s pol- band back to England, settling in Tunbridge Wells icy of liberalising information [glasnost] was ‘straight away’. introduced in the latter half of the 1980s, things Recalling driving along Mount Ephraim for the started to change. first time, she said: “I asked my “We came to school one day to the husband: ‘What is this beautiusual modern history lesson, with ful place?’ And he said that our ordinary text books and we were he was born here. asked to throw them in the bin.

“We were both young “I remember a big bin filled with graduates, so we decided what was history last year but now to stay in Tunbridge was a worthless pile of print.

“Our teacher produced a freshly published newspaper and, together with her, every lesson we were discovering facts about what happened in my country in the not-sodistant past.”

Then came the 1990s, the collapse of the Soviet Union and the fall of communism in Europe.

“Life suddenly became very FRIENDS hard, we even had some Mrs Lewis-Grey rationing introduced, and Mrs Gente I remember the empty shops.

Lots of factories closed, so

BY THE BOOK A display of Soviet literature

Wells and make it our base. We are still here after 22 years, and I am not regretting one minute of it.”

Mrs Lewis-Grey now has a teenage girl and boy, and when they were younger she met Mrs Gente, who had moved to the UK in 2007.

They connected over their similar upbringing, and after Mrs Lewis-Grey introduced Mrs Gente to the choral society they have been able to ‘share their passion for classical music’ as well as their lives in Tunbridge Wells.

TRINKETS Items from the ladies’ youth

18

NEWS

National News

Wednesday March 29 | 2017

Brighton’s i360 reopens today after latest spate of technical issues BRIGHTON’S i360 vertical cable car will reopen today (March 29) after technicians completed their investigations and checks following technical problems.

The operators had shut the 531ft-tall British Airways i360 attraction on the seafront on Sunday.

The latest closure comes less than a month after the last incident, during which a damaged data cable caused passengers to be stuck for more than an hour.

The tower, dubbed a ‘vertical pier in the sky’, broke down three times in the space of

five days in September after being beset by a series of faults.

On one occasion, a load imbalance caused 180 passengers to be stuck inside the panoramic glass observation pod for more than two hours.

The i360, which opened last October, allows visitors to ascend 450ft and look across 26 miles of the south coast.

The structure, which was designed by the same team behind the London Eye, holds the Guinness World Record for the most slender tower with a diameter of 13ft at its widest point.

Marine Blackman to be released ‘within weeks’ THE wife of Royal Marine Alexander Blackman, who fatally shot an injured Taliban fighter in Afghanistan, said she was ‘overjoyed’ at the prospect of him coming home within a few weeks.

Judges at London’s Court Martial Appeal Court sentenced her husband to seven years for diminished responsibility manslaughter. Because of time already served he could be freed next month.

Claire Blackman said: “We are overjoyed at the judges’ decision to significantly reduce Al’s sentence, such that he can be released imminently.

“This is the moment that we have all been fighting hard for. It is hard to believe that this day is finally here.”

A panel of five judges, headed by Lord Chief Justice Lord Thomas, sentenced Blackman, 42, from Taunton in Somerset, to the term of seven years following the recent quashing of his murder conviction for the 2011 killing.

Lord Thomas said: “As with any person sentenced to a determinate term, his release will ordinarily be at the halfway point of the sentence.”

Blackman, who watched proceedings via video link, has already spent almost three and a half years in prison following his original conviction in November 2013 after the death of the insurgent.

The court had ruled previously that Blackman was suffering from an ‘abnormality of mental functioning’ at the time of the 2011 killing when he was serving with Plymouth-based 42 Commando.

It found the incident was not a ‘cold-blooded execution’ – as a court martial had earlier concluded – but the result of a mental illness, an ‘adjustment disorder’.

The judges said Blackman was ‘an exemplary

soldier before his deployment to Afghanistan in March 2011’, but had ‘suffered from quite exceptional stressors’ during that deployment.

They found his ability to ‘form a rational judgement’ was ‘substantially impaired’.

Blackman shot the insurgent, who had been seriously injured in an attack by an Apache helicopter, in the chest at close range with a 9mm pistol before quoting a phrase from Shakespeare as the man convulsed and died in front of him.

The judges said in their sentencing remarks that ‘this was a deliberate killing of a wounded man’.

Although Blackman’s responsibility was diminished, he ‘still retained a substantial responsibility for the deliberate killing’.

BATTLE WON Supporters celebrate outside the Royal Courts of Justice

National News

Wednesday March 29 | 2017

NEWS IN BRIEF

Nestle to cut down on sugar in KitKats A NEW KitKat is to appear on shop shelves from next week containing more milk and cocoa as part of efforts to reduce sugar, Nestle has announced.

The confectionery giant’s flagship brand will see a ‘small’ sugar reduction in the reformulation being introduced across the KitKat milk chocolate range.

Nestle said it would cut more than 1,000 tonnes of sugar and three billion calories from the UK’s diet.

Cans ‘contaminated’ POLICE are investigating reports that a consignment of cans due to be used at a Coke factory were contaminated with suspected human waste.

The incident involved a shipment of empty cans that were delivered to a Coca Cola plant in Co Antrim ahead of being filled and sealed.

Coke insisted the issue at the Lisburn factory was identified “immediately” and had no impact on its products on sale.

Booze Cruise criticised PLANS for 3,000 people to float on inflatables down the River Tyne while drinking beer have been criticised by police.

The event, which has been publicised on Facebook as the River Tyne Booze Cruise, is planned for July 1 starting in Newcastle.

Organisers insist the idea is not a hoax and said it was based on a Finnish event.

NEWS

19

Masood’s wife ‘saddened Kent landlord and shocked’ by terror act faces action for THE wife of Westminster attacker Khalid Masood has said she is ‘saddened and shocked’ by the atrocity, saying she ‘condemns’ his actions.

Rohey Hydara spoke out after Masood’s mother, Janet Ajao, said she had ‘shed many tears’ for her son’s victims.

In a statement released through the Metropolitan Police, Ms Hydara said: “I am saddened and shocked by what Khalid has done. I totally condemn his actions.

“I express my condolences to the families of the victims that have died, and wish a speedy recovery to all the injured.”

She added: “I would like to request privacy for our family, especially the children, at this difficult time.”

Bravery Masood killed four people in an attack on Westminster last Wednesday. Separate inquests into the deaths of the killer and his victims will begin this week.

Masood shared a series of short-term homes in the London area and Luton with the 39-year-old Ms Hydara.

Tobias Ellwood was praised as he made his first ministerial appearance in the Commons since battling to save the life of PC Keith Palmer in the terror attack.

MPs erupted into loud cheers of ‘hear, hear’ as Mr Ellwood, a Foreign Office minister who was appointed to the Privy Council in recognition of the bravery he showed, rose to answer questions about international affairs.

Politicians from all sides of the chamber prefaced their questions by paying tribute to the heroism of Mr Ellwood, who ran towards gun shots to give first aid to the stricken policeman.

The Conservative MP for Bournemouth East was introduced by his new title of ‘right honourable’, which is reserved for members of the Privy Council – a group of senior politicians who advise the Queen and receive top secret national security briefings.

After he was praised for his actions by shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry, Mr Ellwood said: “I am very grateful for your kind remarks and I make it clear that I was one of many that stepped forward on that dark day, and our thoughts and prayers remain with those families and friends of the victims, including our own PC Keith Palmer.”

RIGHT HONOURABLE MP Tobias Ellwood

‘coloured’ ban

A KENT property tycoon who banned ‘coloured’ tenants from renting his homes because he claims they make the premises smell of curry faces the prospect of legal action.

Fergus Wilson, 69, insisted he was not racist and that it was an ‘economic decision’ after he lost out on around £12,000 over a six-month period to rid a home of curry smells.

Mr Wilson, long regarded as Britain’s biggest buy-to-let investor with hundreds of properties in the county, faced a backlash after an email surfaced setting out his ban to a letting agent.

The email listed his requirements for potential tenants, including: “No coloured people because of the curry smell at the end of the tenancy.”

Now the Equality and Human Rights Commission has pledged to investigate and ask Mr Wilson to explain his actions.

Its Chief Executive Rebecca Hilsenrath described Mr Wilson’s remarks as ‘truly disgusting’ and added: “Unless we are satisfied that he will not commit unlawful acts in the future we will take legal action.”

Mr Wilson admitted he ‘probably must have’ sent the email, and that he would send it again to avoid being saddled with the cost of removing curry smells from one of his homes.

He said: “The problem is the smell gets in the carpets, particularly the bloody carpets. It’s the cost of recarpeting, which in a decent detached house can be rather expensive.

“So all your profits for maybe a year or more is now going on new carpets.”

20

BUSINESS

National Business News

Aviva attempts to sell off FPI INSURANCE giant Aviva is reportedly looking to offload Friends Provident International (FPI) in a deal worth up to £596million.

The company announced earlier this month that it had seen lower profits from the business – which serves high net worth clients in the Middle East and Asia – and was placing it under ‘strategic review’.

Two Chinese conglomerates – Fosun Group and HNA Group – are believe to be interested in the division, though the formal bidding process has not yet started, according to The Wall Street Journal. Aviva’s London-listed shares were up 1 per cent following the report.

A disposal would come after the UK insurance firm acquired FPI as part of its £5.6billion takeover of Friends Life Group in April 2015.

Pound proves tight fit for Moss Bros MEN’S suit retailer Moss Bros has said it is preparing for a tough year ahead as the collapse of the pound adds to ‘significant’ cost pressures.

It said the national living wage increase and the apprenticeship levy as well as the ‘combined effects of a devalued pound’ would weigh on the sector, which already faced ‘one of the most highly competitive’ trading environments in recent history last year.

The group said: “The retail landscape in 2017 will undoubtedly be tough, with an uncertain ­consumer environment set against the wider political backdrop and alongside rising costs of operation and a weaker pound.”

Wednesday March 29 | 2017

Tesco faces bill of £235m over accounting scandal TESCO will take a £235million hit after reaching an agreement with authorities over its accounting scandal that will see it make a hefty compensation payout to investors.

The UK’s biggest supermarket said its subsidiary, Tesco Stores, had entered a Deferred Prosecution Agreement (DPA) with the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), which could see it escape prosecution but pay a £129million fine and costs.

The agreement, which will face court approval on April 10, came as Britain’s financial watchdog concluded that Tesco had committed market abuse when it inflated profits by £263 million in a trading update on August 29 2014.

In an unprecedented move, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said the supermarket chain

AISLE BE DAMNED Tesco wants to ‘restore trust’

would pay £85million in compensation to investors who bought shares and bonds on - or after – that date and had held stock when the financial statement was corrected on September 22 2014.

Tesco suspended eight directors, and the SFO charged three former executives with fraud, after the black hole was discovered in the firm’s accounts in 2014.

The scale of the problem was later revised from £263million to £326 million, helping drag the Big Four grocer to a £6.4billion loss in 2015, one of the largest in corporate history.

Dave Lewis, Tesco’s Chief Executive, said the company was doing everything it could to ‘restore trust’ after seeing the brand suffer following the accounting scandal.

He said: “What happened was a huge source of regret to all of us at Tesco, but we are a different business now.

“The decisions over the last years are evident to all and the job now is to keep this momentum.

“I am pleased with how our colleagues have responded and that has allowed us to rebuild the business since 2014. The brand was affected by the announcement back in 2014, that is clear.

“I think everyone will recognise that there is nothing here to proud of, but I am proud that we faced into it.”

BUSINESS IN BRIEF

Virgin Atlantic braced for post-Brexit losses VIRGIN ATLANTIC has warned that it expects to nosedive into the red in 2017 with its first loss for four years as it struggles with the fall-out from the Brexit-hit pound.

Craig Kreeger, Chief Executive of the carrier backed by Sir Richard Branson, predicted the losses as he revealed a £50million hit in 2016 from factors including the plunge in the pound since the Brexit vote and the impact on consumer confidence.

Transparency concerns PRICE comparison websites are to face deeper scrutiny around their transparency as part of an ongoing investigation by the competition watchdog.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said it had found four areas ‘of possible concern’ in the first stage of its review of the sites.

The CMA added it would now be focusing on their transparency around market coverage and treatment of personal data.

Ladbrokes merger costs BOOKMAKER Ladbrokes has revealed bottom line losses of more than £200million after it was hit by the costs of its merger with Coral, but said it was ramping up savings targets from the deal.

Ladbrokes Coral said one-off costs of the £2.3billion merger in November pushed it into the red by £213.3million in 2016, against pre-tax losses of £46.5million in 2015.

22

NEWS

World News

SPORT IN BRIEF

Murray out of Davis Cup following elbow injury GREAT BRITAIN’S hopes of reaching tennis’s Davis Cup semi-finals suffered a major blow after Andy Murray was ruled out of next month’s encounter with France.

The world No 1 withdrew from the Miami Open with of an elbow injury and confirmed he will not be part of the team in Rouen.

Team captain Leon Smith said: “There’s no doubt he played unbelievably well last year, especially in the second half of the year, with so much tennis that maybe the effects of that are taking place.”

Dan Evans, Kyle Edmund, Jamie Murray and Dom Inglot will take on the French on indoor clay at the Kindarena from April 7-9.

Messi banned for insult LIONEL MESSI has been banned for four international matches for abusing an assistant referee.

The Argentina forward was also fined £8,100 for ‘having directed insulting words’ at the official during his side’s World Cup qualifier with Chile last week.

The Barcelona star was caught on camera venting his fury at a linesman who signalled he had committed a foul late on in Argentina’s 1-0 win.

Toon tea lady dies at 90 TRIBUTES have been paid to Newcastle United’s tea lady Kath Cassidy, who has died aged 90.

The club issued a statement saying: “Everyone at Newcastle United is deeply saddened by the passing of the club’s legendary tea lady, Kath Cassidy.

“Our beloved Kath loyally served the club for half a century and was adored by managers, players and staff alike.”

Wednesday March 29 | 2017

Europe vows to deal in Claim of GCHQ link to Obama: ‘fair and friendly’ way No harm done won the vote following an extended debate thanks to support from the Scottish Green Party.

The debate was called off last week after the first day because of the terrorist attack on Westminster.

“Scotland, like the rest of the UK, stands at a crossroads,” Ms Sturgeon told MSPs. “When Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty is triggered, change for our country at that point becomes inevitable.”

POLES APART She added: “It is change that Campaigner Lorna will impact on our economy, not Taylor celebrates just in the here and now but in the long-term.

AS PRIME MINISTER Theresa May prepares to “There will be an impact on trade, on investtrigger Article 50 and begin the process of Brexit ment and on living standards, and an impact on today (March 29), the European Commission has the very nature of the society we live in.” said it wants to negotiate the terms of Britain Meanwhile Mrs May said Britain will seek an leaving in a ‘fair and friendly’ way. ‘ambitious’ new trade deal with the Gulf region.

The Commission’s President Jean-Claude She welcomed a commitment of £5billion of Juncker reassured the Mayor of London, Sadiq investment from Qatar as a ‘bold statement of Khan, as he held a day of talks with EU powercontinued confidence’ in the British economy. brokers in Brussels.

Speaking at the UK-Qatar Business Investment Forum in Birmingham, she said a ‘global Britain’ would be the ‘most committed and most ‘He restated that the EU passionate’ advocate for free trade in the world.

will negotiate in a friendly and fair way’

A spokeswoman for Mr Juncker said that he conveyed his solidarity with London after the Westminster attack.

He added: “President Juncker also listened with interest to the Mayor’s views and concerns in the context of the Brexit process.

“He restated that the EU will negotiate in a friendly and fair way.”

Scotland’s Parliament backed Nicola Sturgeon’s call for the power to hold a second independence referendum in the wake of the Brexit vote.

MSPs voted 69 to 59 to mandate the First Minister to seek permission from the UK Government for a ballot to be held between autumn 2018 and spring 2019.

Ms Sturgeon’s minority Scottish Government

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER ARTICLE 50 IS TRIGGERED March 29: UK invokes Article 50, beginning the two-year countdown to leave the EU. April 29: EU holds summit (without UK) to agree plan for negotiations.

May 7: France elects new President.

May: European Commission publishes plan for negotiators.

June 22-23: EU summit likely to formalise timetable for negotiations.

Sept 24: Germany elects new Parliament.

Autumn: Detailed negotiations likely to begin, led by EU Chief Regulator Michel Barnier.

March 29 2019: UK will leave EU – unless an extension period is agreed by all member states.

ACCUSATIONS that British intelligence was asked by the Obama administration to spy on Donald Trump will not make any difference to the special relationship between the US and UK, according to Boris Johnson.

The Foreign Secretary said the damage done by the allegations, described by GCHQ as ‘nonsense’, would be like that inflicted by a ‘gnat against a rhinoceros or an elephant’.

But Tory MP Keith Simpson criticised Mr Johnson’s characterisation of the fallout from the remarks as he said the accusations repeated by the White House were ‘deeply damaging’.

The issue was raised by Labour former minister Ben Bradshaw, who asked during Foreign Office questions: “What damage is done by fantastical and ridiculous outbursts like those of President Trump levelled at GCHQ? “Can the Foreign Secretary assure this House that the invaluable intelligence relationship between us and the United States is not compromised by the current incumbent of the White House?”

Mr Johnson replied: “The damage done by such remarks I think can be likened to that of a gnat against a rhinoceros or an elephant.

“It is not something that will make any difference to a fundamental relationship that, as I say, is of great international importance.

“As for the assertion that there was some sort of collusion by GCHQ to bug the Presidential candidate, I think that has been accurately described as absurd and ridiculous.”

A diplomatic incident was sparked when White House press secretary Sean Spicer mentioned claims that British security agency GCHQ had spied on Mr Trump when he was a presidential candidate at Barack Obama’s request.

OUTBURST Donald Trump’s allegation was ‘ridiculous’

24

NEWS

Letters

Wednesday March 29 | 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 The sinister side of those popular smartphones Bravo to Benenden School for getting their pupils off their smartphones.

You can tell by the reaction of the children, who describe

the ban as an actual relief.

This is perhaps the more sinister side of smartphone use – not that it is their fantastically entertaining features which are keeping children glued to their screens WHAT’S ‘APPENING? To children who can’t leave their phones alone

How can we simply ignore the homeless?

It was heartbreaking to read about The Bridge Trust’s inability to find emergency accommodation for Giles Metcalfe, the homeless man who was apparently murdered in the town on his first night sleeping rough.

It comes to something when your borough council is prepared to spend £72million on building itself some swanky new offices and a theatre, but Kent County Council [KCC] can’t stump up to put a roof over the heads of our relatively few homeless people.

It’s not completely Tunbridge Wells Borough Council’s fault, since they are very supportive of the Tunbridge Wells Churches Winter Shelter project and the Street Scene year-round service.

But just imagine how the Winter Shelter organisers feel, and how John Handley of The Bridge Trust feels, when one of these local vulnerable people falls through the net and pays for it with his life?

I remember chatting to the good folk at The Bridge Trust, and they told me there is no provision of ‘direct access hostels’, ie an immediate roof over your head, anywhere in West Kent.

They said they had looked into providing such a service but there was no funding available at all.

KCC has a budget of £1.89billion per year, and 72p in every pound of your council tax goes straight to them. They should be ashamed they don’t do more to help those who don’t have any kind of home to pay council tax for.

William Petersen, via email

Our Wetherspoons is better than yours Interesting take from [columnist] Calverley on Crowborough being boring [March 22]. I don’t think the residents of Crowborough would prefer to visit the Wetherspoons of Tunbridge Wells, where maybe the bouncers aren’t bored! I for one would prefer to

but that they are actually developing psychological compulsions to be on them.

I believe that the way our social media apps constantly light up our phones with reminders gives us this sense that important things are constantly occurring – if only you would look beyond the lock screen.

This fear of missing out is becoming engrained in our children at such a young age that I truly believe we are witnessing the beginning of widespread neurosis.

If you don’t believe me, look up Nomophobia…

Vanessa Winterburn Via email

frequent a place where there is little risk of a fracas.

Jerry Edey, via email

Are developer fees ‘legalised bribery’?

Section 106 arrangements [that require a financial contribution from a developer] are nothing but legalised bribery.

There are endless examples of developers getting away with not fulfilling their statutory obligations for a price. Many should build affordable housing as part of the projects but do not, as they pay the council to make the issue go away. Others should build schools but again, they do not.

This would be all well and good if the council (be it borough or county) then spent the money collected from the 106 on what the developer has paid not to deliver. But I cannot remember the last time Tunbridge Wells Borough Council built a raft of council homes from 106 payments. In fact they have no council homes at all. Likewise, what is the point if the payments are so easy to renegotiate?

I recall a story in 2012 of the Town & Country Housing Group being asked to hand over £500,000 to expand the number of local school places as it was placing more housing in the area. But then the council said it actually only needed to pay up £50,000.

So either the council grossly over-estimated the cost of providing additional school places by a factor of ten, or they were wilfully underfunding schools.

The entire 106 issue is a mess and should be scrapped.

John Penford, via email

Relegating murder to page three is wrong Whilst the incredulous decision of the council [March 15] to leave a large warehouse empty instead of allowing the creation of a fantastic leisure facility together with a good number of jobs beggars belief, to lead with this on your front page and not the murder, potentially by fire, of a person on our streets is highly questionable.

Markerstudy, which you rightly highlight owns your paper, have put a phenomenal amount of money into Tunbridge Wells and the surrounding area, but the relegation of the murder to a couple of paragraphs on page 3 brings your objectivity into question, I would suggest.

It is newsworthy, but the loss of life in those circumstances should always supersede a planning decision.

Graham Naismith, via email

European Parliament merely a fig leaf Andrew Wilcox [March 15] clearly has no understanding of the workings of the EU. Before we joined this organisation, the democracy, which we spent centuries evolving, meant that the people elected representatives at Westminster whose responsibility was to govern the country, whereas the EU is a bureaucratic dictatorship whose real master is the unelected European Commission, generally comprised of failed politicians from nation states.

The European Parliament is merely a fig leaf as its members cannot initiate primary legislation and must either just accept, or reject in its entirety, that emanating from the Commission.

Members may only speak for 90 seconds on any matter and have absolutely no chance of effectively defending the interests of the massive constituencies they supposedly represent.

It would be as if we allowed the permanent secretaries of the Civil Service to run the UK without input from those elected to decide such matters.

As far as the idea of proportional representation espoused by Andrew Wilcox is concerned, this – as we have seen in countries such as Italy – inevitably leads to endless coalitions of parties who stitch up policies to suit themselves – the wishes of the electorate being ignored in order to arrive at a compromise the politicians can agree upon, at least temporarily.

Such governments also see the tail wagging the dog as, so often, the smallest members, usually of the soft centre, are promiscuous with their favours in order to remain at least partly in power.

It is a recipe for instability and weak governance.

Colin Bullen, Tonbridge

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

Calverley

Observations on life and more important things

THERE are few real characters left in this town so it’s a joy for Calverley to come across his old friend Richard Burrell. He’s making his mark with the culinary delights at his country pub that is the Abergavenny Arms in Frant.

And, of course, he can’t resist having his very own burger bearing his name. Naturally, at £16.95, Burrells Gourmet Burger comes with fresh crayfish tails and all the trimmings. There’s no truth in the rumour it is ‘old and tough’. All this from a publican who produced a Burrell’s ale that he proudly declared was ‘bitter just like the man himself’.

Cheers, Mr Burrell.

TALKING about pubs, Mother’s Day is always a big deal in the hospitality business. And quite rightly so, with many venues vying for business and offerings loads of extras.

Himself is reminded of the time a local establishment offered a ‘free’ meal to every mum who came in with their family. There were numerous raised voices when said mums were handed the menu from which to pick their meal – it was a children’s menu.

That business didn’t last long.

OVERHEARD in the High Street. Man One: “I spotted an undercover policeman near Royal Victoria Place yesterday.” Man Two: “How did you know he was undercover?” Man One: “Because he was wearing a uniform.”

ANOTHER interesting conversation was overheard by one of Calverley’s field agents standing in the queue at Greggs (what on earth were you doing in Greggs?) Anyway, First Woman: “I’ve got three children now and all with the same father.” Second Woman: “That’s unusual nowadays”. It certainly is.

CALVERLEY stands back in admiration on hearing about the local businesswoman who beat an Austrian hotel at their own game. She walked in late one night looking for a room while on a business trip. She was quoted £395. Wily woman then took out her laptop, asked for the hotel’s Wi-Fi link, went online and managed to book a discounted room at the same hotel for £175. Result.

Chin, chin readers

Wednesday March 29 | 2017

EDUCATION Times

Education

NEWS

25

WITH THE

One of our oldest schools makes history – with the appointment of its first female head teacher Emma Neville will take charge of one of Tunbridge Wells’ most famous preparatories on April 1. She tells Eileen Leahy all about her educational ethos and reveals whether she is set to revolutionise Rose Hill Established in 1832, Rose Hill Preparatory is one of the area’s most prestigious and long-standing schools. It has nurtured thousands of happy and successful pupils from both its original site on the Tunbridge Wells’ Lower Common to the purposebuilt location in Culverden it moved to in 1966.

For the past two decades, David Westcombe was at Rose Hill’s helm as Head Teacher, but when it was announced earlier this year he was set to retire, the search began for someone to succeed him.

That person was recently revealed to be Emma Neville, the school’s first female Head, who was previously Deputy Head of Caterham Prep school in Surrey.

Emma officially starts her new role on April 1, but before doing so she agreed to talk exclusively to the Times about her plans for the future of Rose

Hill, a private co-educational establishment which is home to 300 students aged between 3 and 13 years.

She begins our interview by saying how ‘very excited’ she is about her new job, and how she was afforded the ‘totally unique’ opportunity

by Caterham Prep to spend time at Rose Hill in order to get to know the place.

“Caterham have been so supportive,” she reveals.

“They have been completely brilliant in allowing me to have some transfer time in order to get me on to the best

footing at Rose Hill. I am in a very fortunate position.”

Emma, who has a Masters in Leadership and Management from Clare College, Cambridge, was at Caterham, another co-ed private school, for just over five and a half years, and before that taught at the renowned independent day and boarding school Bishop’s Stortford College in Hertfordshire. So what was it that attracted her to Rose Hill, a far smaller educational establishment in comparison?

“There was something very magical about it that immediately drew me in,” says Emma.

“The school’s whole ethos about individuals coming first is so TOP JOB true. It’s very much Emma Neville about the children joins Rose Hill here, and then of course, on top of

that, the facilities are just phenomenal. It’s so well catered for.”

When I ask her how it feels to be making history as the school’s first female Head Teacher, she is quick to respond.

“It’s a great, great privilege to be appointed as Head, but being the first female one is a little bit unimportant to me in the great scheme of things.

Leading the school is my primary objective.”

It’s clear Emma believes that being a woman shouldn’t be a stumbling block to anything: “I want to make sure that there are equal opportunities for pupils here, and for them to realise that regardless of their gender there are so many things for them to achieve.”

She cites getting more girls into the school’s science labs, and the Design

Continued on page 26

26

NEWS

Education

Wednesday March 29 | 2017

is that you are enabling some pupils to make choices they wouldn’t ordinarily have, and to support them academically, musically and in sports – we want to take away barriers, really.”

For someone who has such an obvious passion and razor-sharp focus on children’s education, it’s surprising to learn that Emma wasn’t originally thinking about going into teaching.

“I have a massive passion for the arts and I really thought that would be my career,” she says. “I wasn’t anticipating teaching at all before I started my degree, but I ended up helping in a primary school teaching art and skills that the children wouldn’t necessarily have had access to until they were in secondary school.”

That’s when everything changed for her: “I was completely immersed, and it encouraged me to reflect on my own education and the inspiring staff who taught me. They were so driven, enthusiastic and really passionate about their teaching, and what a difference that made to our lives. That brief experience really changed my my path.”

This led to Emma working at Bishop’s Stortford College, where she taught ‘right across the campus up to GCSE level’. She admits this gave her something of an advantage.

“I think having that knowledge and understanding of how children tick as they grow up is a bonus, but having said that, the staff at Rose Hill really know their business and are very dedicated.”

When I broach the subject of whether she will SCHOOL OF THOUGHT Pupils at Rose Hill enjoy a varied curriculum

and Technology facilities as good examples. “We’ll be making sure we open up those opportunities.”

Emma is also keen to keep the school’s scholarship scheme in place for those who might not have the means to access a private education but would benefit from it.

‘Obviously we’re aiming for academic success, but that’s not at the expense of having happiness and fulfilment’ “As we move on, I think all types of diversity are going to be fundamental in this school’s future,” she states. “Rose Hill already recognises that not everybody can afford school fees, and there is already a good bursary scheme in place, so we would want to continue to support that. The idea

make any sweeping reforms, Emma says that it will be more of a slow-burn process.

“It’s too early to talk about any fundamental changes as Rose Hill is in such good order.

“My first impressions were that it was really exciting and had a real educational fizz to it. So I think it’s more about changes over time and tweaks, but nevertheless we need to keep pace with change and development in education, as well as the world around us, to ensure that Rose Hill is right at the top and delivering the highest possible standards to all aspects of school life.

“The ability to remain agile and responsive are really necessary parts of the process, too.”

How would Emma describe her personal educational ethos? “Fundamentally, schools have got to be a place where children feel safe and where they can learn through a variety of different activities and are having fun.

“I think taking risks and occasionally failing are essential parts of learning. This allows pupils to leave confident but not arrogant and ready to build on their successes and their achievements.

“Obviously we’re aiming for academic success, but that’s not at the expense of having happiness and fulfilment. It is about finding that right balance, and the staff here provide pupils with a really varied and rich programme with ample opportunities for them to develop their confidence, resilience and own personal leadership skills, and ultimately that is what I believe leads to your academic success.”

Emma, who tells me she would have probably become an architect, curator or milliner if she hadn’t gone into teaching, says that she and her ‘incredibly and supportive’ husband Reza are currently in the process of moving to Tunbridge Wells.

“We feel it’s an important part of this exciting challenge, and we really want to be part of the local community. It’s such a warm and vibrant town with a rich heritage, so we’re really looking forward to being here.”

NEWS IN EDUCATION

Pupil has the last word in public speaking Sixth former Clarissa Mondeh from St Gregory’s Catholic School has won the regional South East final of the Catenian’s Public Speaking Competition which helps students develop the necessary confidence and skills both universities and future employers look for.

Clarissa’s impressive speech impressed the judges at the regional finals in London on March 22. The 16-year old student will now go on to compete in the national finals in Manchester on September 10. St Gregory’s will be hosting next year’s Catenian Public Speaking Competition with schools from across the South East competing. Áine Lyons, Assistant Head of Sixth Form at St Gregory’s said: “We are so proud of Clarissa and are looking forward to hosting the competition and encouraging more students to take part.”

Players are on the ball Year 6 students from St Augustine’s primary school are celebrating after being crowned champions and runners up of the Tunbridge Wells Netball tournament. Held at Skinners’ Kent Academy on Saturday [March 25] the B team beat off stiff competition from schools including Speldhurst, St Matthew’s and St James’ in order to clinch victory while the A team came joint second. The winners’ netball coach Mrs Tami Berry said: “They really pulled it out of the bag. We’re very proud of both our teams.”

Advertorial Feature

Wednesday March 29 | 2017

Cranbrook’s Combined Cadet Force opportunities

By Cadet Warrant Officer Pip Lupton Year 13 Student THE Combined Cadet Force (CCF) at Cranbrook School is a unique part of the school; it is one of the few activities in school where you will find the youngest students interacting with the oldest students and genuinely become friends. You get a chance to sign up for the CCF when you join the school in Year 9 and you progress through the rank starting from Cadet and possibly ending up as a Senior Cadet which has a pivotal role within the section. We have an Army and an RAF section, both with slightly different training and qualifications; however both give students the chance to learn the basics of leadership, teaching and first aid.

All of the cadets in the CCF have a chance to go

NEWS

27

Headmaster Mr Lennon with his students

on multiple field days, including shooting weekends, an Adventure Training week, which includes 2 days of fun activities such as Climbing and Mountain Biking and a 3 days 2 nights expedition including wild camping, and an annual summer camp to a working military base.

Personally, I have got a lot out of CCF; having been a member of the RAF section for a little over 4 years and gained numerous qualifications from it, including a Method of Instruction qualification and St Johns First Aid certificate. As part of the RAF section, I have also had the chance to participate in various flying days, including flying a Grob Tutor.

As I stayed in the cadets for my full time at Cranbrook, I have also had the chance to attend some very prestigious course and camps, including a Flying Scholarship in Scotland and the International Air Cadet Exchange where I went to Canada for 3 weeks.

Pip is pictured third from left front row with fellow cadets

Beechwood’s unique education experience YOU might have passed Beechwood on your way into Royal Tunbridge Wells along Pembury Road and wondered what lay behind the verdant boundary.

What you will find is a wonderful mid-nineteenth century Victorian villa and later buildings set in extensive park like grounds with a view over the High Weald. We educate 400 boys and girls aged 3-18 on the campus in the Nursery, Preparatory, and Senior parts of the School. We offer an outstanding education that promotes the personal development and achievement of the pupils and our senior pupils go on to study a range of courses at prestigious universities. Fulltime and flexible boarding is also offered at Beechwood in the Senior School. Beechwood pro-

vides a unique educational experience where the welfare and well-being of the pupils is paramount to the success of the School. Academic standards are important and in our small classes, teachers inspire pupils to excel. We also encourage our boys and girls to participate in a wide range of extra- curricular activities, trips and visits. Beechwood is a popular, friendly school where standards of conduct and behaviour are exceptional.

To find out more about the benefits of an independent education at Beechwood for your child, or to book a place at our Open Day on Thursday 4 May 2017, please contact our Admissions team at: registrar@beechwood.org.uk or visit our website: http://beechwood.org.uk/

28

NEWS

Weekly Comment

Wednesday March 29 | 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 acts of terror will not divide this nation EVENTS reveal who people truly are.

Last week, we saw who we truly are as a people. The brutality of one man exposed not the weakness of our nation but its strength.

We saw clearly the heroism of the police, the courage of bystanders and the kindness of strangers. On dark days, such knowledge is a great comfort. It gives us hope for the future.

‘These islands have shown, even at their darkest hour, that liberty and human rights are not just words’ Terrorism is done to frighten. It tries to make us scared to hold the values that have shaped our liberties for centuries. Rights we cherish, free speech, free association, and the questioning of authority, that are expressed daily in Parliament. From those green benches anything can be said and any decision that commands the support of the

majority becomes law. It is the most peaceful battleground I have ever known, but one where the victorious and defeated understand that they will have to justify the actions they took to those who sent them.

That is why the attack was not an assault on a building or on a few individuals, but on our nation itself.

But, like Westminster Hall, which has stood on the site for almost a thousand years, our nation was unmoved. We were not frightened.

People did not run away. Businesses did not close, nor markets panic.

Schools, and even Parliament itself, began again as normal the next day.

Britons recognised the violence for what it truly was – the solitary act of a man who represented no one but himself. A deranged individual whose inspiration may have been religious but whose understanding was satanic. The terror failed, as it always will.

But more than that, it revealed our strength. In the hours and days after we recognised, together, that we are one

HERO REMEMBERED People come to Parliament to pay tribute to murdered PC Keith Palmer

people. That the elements that divide us, the political debate, the questions over planning, taxes, migration, transport, and so much more, are questions that can be reasonably asked and reasonably challenged. Over the centuries,

Robert Ayley Director of Professional Solutions Wealth Management Ltd

we have proven that, as Abraham Lincoln put it, government of the people, by the people, for the people, can defeat tyranny and create rule justly. We proved it again, in a small way, last week.

These islands have shown, even at

their darkest hour, that liberty and human rights are not just words. We have shown that power comes from the ground up, not the top down. We have seen the composure of so many as they go about their lives and the quiet resistance that will oppose extremism from whichever direction it comes.

We celebrate PC Keith Palmer, policeman, soldier, husband, father, hero. He was not a celebrity, nor a millionaire, he reminds us that a good man, quietly doing his duty, can make a difference.

And that we all have a duty to defend our democracy and our values.

That is why when I remember the attack on Parliament last week, I will remember the hundreds of heroes, not the crazed jihadi. One extremist may kill an MP in Batley or a policeman in Westminster and bring grief to hundreds. But, fundamentally, he can change nothing. Because he was nothing. Jo Cox MP and PC Palmer and the many others who quietly defend our precious freedoms are everything.

That is what we saw last week.

Robert Ayley has lived in the Tunbridge Wells area for most of his life and has more than 30 years’ experience as a Financial Adviser; two reasons why the Times has invited him to provide regular comment on ’matters financial’ that are relevant to our community

The tricky business of managing trust funds IN MY most recent piece, I promised to return to the investment of trust funds.

So, having set up a trust and gifted some capital into it, the next question is how to make the available capital work hard for all those that will benefit.

Keep in mind that trustees have certain legal responsibilities under the Trustee Act 2000, not least of which is they should seek investment advice from someone competent and experienced to give it. Again, this is one area where DIY is not a safe or sensible option. In such circumstances, experienced financial advice is vital. Such advice will look at safeguarding the capital whilst maximising returns and avoiding unnecessary tax – for trusts are taxable too, sometimes as high as 45 per cent, so getting the right tax structure in place is equally important. For example: 1. Some investments can defer tax on growth and

income until the beneficiaries (those who will benefit under the trust) receive it, in which case such taxes can be reduced to little or nothing.

2. Trustees have a responsibility not to hold cash for the medium to long term.

3. In some instances, the person setting up the trust might want someone (often a spouse or civil partner) to benefit from investment income only, with all the growth going to others, such as children and/or grandchildren. This brings its own investment challenges as the trustees will have a responsibility for ensuring those in receipt of income don’t benefit at the expense of those who will receive the capital later.

Therefore, ordinary interest-bearing accounts cannot usefully serve in such a situation.

The above is nothing like an exhaustive list of responsibilities, yet there is no good reason why

GUARDING YOUR SAVINGS Best to get expert advice with the proper advice you should not seek to use legitimate legislation to achieve favourable outcomes for tax planning.

It is possible to significantly reduce inheritance tax through the use of trusts. Remember, every pound suffering inheritance tax becomes 60 pence. Such steps, if taken in a timely fashion, can save a lot of time and distress later.

On a final note, it is remarkable that few, if any,

pension scheme members take any steps to prevent their accumulated pension ‘pot’ from returning to their estate when they die.

This typically happens when a Will leaves assets to a spouse or civil partner. Such steps when taken could avoid 40 per cent IHT. Given that a pension fund may run into six figures, this step alone could avoid a significant amount of tax. I will return to this in future.

The value of an investment with St James’s Place will be directly linked to the performance of the funds selected and may fall as well as rise. You may get back less than the amount you invested. The levels and bases of taxation, and reliefs from taxation, can change at any time. The value of any tax relief depends on individual circumstances. Wills and trusts are not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. The Partner Practice represents only St James’s Place Wealth Management plc (which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Conduct Authority) for the purposes of advising solely on the group’s wealth management products and services, more details of which are set out in the group’s website at: www.sjp.co.uk/products. The ‘St James’s Place Partnership’ and the titles ‘Partner’ and ‘Partner Practice’ are terms used to describe St James’s Place representatives.

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

The Times is proud to work with:

Available in Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge and Sevenoaks

WITH THE

MOVE&IMPROVE bracketts

est. 1828

Intriguing rural retreat Full of tempting promise

30

FEATURES

Advertorial Feature

New starter for a new start

Lawson Commercial is thrilled to welcome Simon Lawson to their team of experienced surveyors and estate agents in East Grinstead.

Following the addition of a new Team member Lawson Commercial have refreshed the Team photographs on their website so take a look at www.lawsoncommercial. co.uk with details of new Chartered Surveyor Simon Lawson who joined the Firm in January.

Simon (no relation to Chartered the Firm’s Surveyor partners Simon Lawson Chris & Julia Lawson) has an Honours Degree in Estate Management and is both an RICS Chartered Surveyor and a Registered Valuer. He has over 25 years experience in commercial property including the proactive asset management of portfolios in the retail, healthcare, leisure, office and industrial sectors. Simon has worked for a number of property companies, funds, occupiers and agents including Christie

& Co, Matthews & Goodman and more recently Leaders where he was Head of Estates for the merged Leaders & Romans Group.

Lawson Commercial partner Chris Lawson said: ‘We are delighted to welcome Simon to the Team and it is an amazing coincidence that he has the same surname. We have taken this opportunity to refresh our Team website page with new photographs - apart from Canine Team members Cleo & Toffee who it is difficult to get to stay still long enough. Simon will be heading up our Professional Department.’

TOWN CENTRE OFFICES TO LET Lawson Commercial have just been instructed to market Caxton House right in the heart of Uckfield High Street which is in the process of being refurbished.

There are some 1,800 sq ft on 2 floors with rear access and a rear car park with space for 5/6 cars. Lawson Commercial partner Chris Lawson said: ‘it is unusual to have an office building right in the heart of a High Street amongst all the shops and this building lends itself for a variety of studio/ office type uses. it is in the process of being refurbished so any tenant’s specific requirements can be incorporated subject to negotiation. The building is available on a new 5 year lease at a rent of £17,000 pa”.

For more information call Lawson Commercial on 01825 764488.

SMALLER SITES NOW AVAILABLE AT ASHDOWN BUSINESS PARK, MARESFIELD Agents for the Ashdown Business Park development at Maresfield, Lawson Commercial, report that two of the ten sites are sold and two more are in solicitors’ hands. This superb development has planning for industrial and office space. Lawson Commercial partner Chris Lawson said: ‘The marketing is going well with a lot of interest and as the landscaping is coming to completion one can see how really good this new Business Park is going to look. However a lot of the enquiries are for smaller buildings than currently planned so it has been decided to split Site 9 into two smaller plots with the Vendor constructing the service road required to give access to the Development’s adopted access road.

Thus Site 9.1 comprises a plot of 0.40 acres with planning consent for 2 buildings, each of just under 4,000 sq ft of which the production area is just on 2,000 sq ft. This is available for £325,000 + vat and we already have strong interest. Site 9.2 is 0.42 acres and has planning consent for 2 buildings of just under 3,000 sq ft of which the production area is around 1,500 sq ft. This is available for £335,000 + vat.’

For more detail contact Lawson Commercial on 01826 764488 or visit www.ashdownbusinesspark.com

Wednesday March 29 | 2017

Advertorial Feature

Wednesday March 29 | 2017

PROPERTY

31

Ushering in the age of leisure OUR High Streets have changed greatly in recent years with the disappearance of many household names such as Bhs, Woolworths, Athena, Dewhurst, Adams, Comet and Blockbuster. Changing shopper habits and especially the rapid and continuing growth of e-commerce has had a major impact on retailing.

This change appears set to continue, with some major high street retailers seeing online sales growing by over 30% year on year. As a result, many high streets and shopping centres have seen

Keith Nelson BSc (Hons) MRICS RICS Registered Valuer

an increase in vacant property.

The leisure industry has been quick to take advantage of this change. Where once restaurateurs could not compete for town centre sites, they are now seen on many high streets and actively encouraged by landlord’s who have finally seen the benefits that leisure brings to the high street and shopping centres.

A vibrant night time economy has become important for many of our town centres and leisure uses including cinemas, bars, restaurants, gyms, clubs and hotels are one again established occupiers. Traditional cinema brands, Odeon, Vue and Cineworld are being joined by The Light, Everyman and Picturehouse. Established casual dining restaurants such as Pizza Express, Jamie’s Italian, Nando’s and Wagamama are facing increased competition for sites from more contemporary outlets such as Wahaca, Tortilla, Caffe Fego and Franco Manca. Many former street food brands are now opening full service restaurants.

It is not just cinemas and restaurants opening in town, but microbreweries, coffee shops, hotels, new concept gyms and health clubs are appearing in many town centres. Demand from operators is especially strong in the south east, a response to changing demographics and changes in consumer lifestyle. As more

people return to town centre living, with what appears to be a never-ending stream of new apartment blocks appearing on the skyline, demand for a wider range of leisure facilities in town centres will continue.

As consumers become ever more demanding, leisure operators have been quick to see rejuvenated town centres as the perfect location to meet the challenge of their customers. Who will be the next leisure operator to open in your town?

Salisbury and Co. 149 High Street, Sevenoaks Kent TN13 1XJ 01732 463 205 Email: info@salisburyand.co

Advertorial Feature

Home – and away garden and inspires a desire to explore the space.

The Mary Mary team use natural products wherever possible and as imaginatively as possible. Chestnut posts screen the elegant circular seat around the willow tree providing an escape into the cool shade. Sculpted wildflower borders extending into the garden provide natural divisions, whilst also providing habitat and forage for wildlife.

‘We feel like we are on holiday every day!’

A steeply sloped area in the western corner, where the last of the sun always falls, was crafted into an entirely separate space by dropping the level to flatten it. With a bespoke pergola fitted over the space, it has become perfect for daytime sun-lounging or late-afternoon gin and tonic-ing.

Thoughtful lighting installed around the garden illuminates key focal points and lengthens the hours the garden can be admired and enjoyed.

It’s so easy to be limited by what is around us.

But living in the middle of a town doesn’t mean

BE FO RE

O

NE dreary February afternoon, the Mary Mary team stand in the garden of a quiet cul-de-sac in Tunbridge Wells with a family who need inspiration for their garden.

Over the years, the garden had accommodated the usual family life with swings, trampolines, playhouses and sand pits, however the children are now older and the playthings have gone. The garden is largely empty and neglected.

Everyone watches with mild amusement as the family’s rescue dog races in circles around the scruffy grass.

“I like walking him on the beach,” mused our client. From this simple statement, a flicker of an idea sparked in the Mary Mary creative mind.

Using ingenuity within design to blur boundaries and divide space, the Mary Mary design team created three distinct areas: Woodland under the willow, entertaining on the terrace and relaxation under a private pergola.

Creating a curved terrace adjacent to the house, enclosed by a simple cobbled border with low post and rope, instantly evokes a seaside feel.

Artistic planting obscures the view of the

Wednesday March 29 | 2017

TE R

PROPERTY

AF

32

your garden must be urban. The team at Mary Mary like nothing more than taking a client’s dreams and turning them into reality.

The Mary Mission is for their clients to feel that their garden is personal to them, a space where they can really be themselves, and truly feel at home (or away!)

The delighted family have provided many photos of their now-loved garden since the project was finished, and still comment to this day at their delight with it, even during winter.

“We feel like we are on holiday every day!”

If you want to love your garden, Mary Mary can help.

Telephone: 01732 362982, or visit: www.marymarycreatesgardens.co.uk

Advertorial Feature

Wednesday March 29 | 2017

‘I believe the garage was good value as the quality of the oak doors and workmanship in the structure was very good’

Another happy customer THIS one-and-a-half-bay oak-framed garage is a recent example of a building supplied by local company Round Wood of Mayfield that has received a ringing customer endorsement.

Round Wood, who operate from their base just outside of the village, were contacted by A & M Kitchen and Joinery. They had a client who was looking for secure parking for one vehicle, an area to store firewood and additional storage.

One of the oak-framed garage kits from the ‘Chippy’ range fitted the bill, with the addition of a log store, partition and doors. As with many of the kits supplied by Round Wood, the customer opted to assemble the frame themselves.

All frames are dry-fitted in the workshop to ensure

ease of fit on site, ensuring a smooth build.

“I believe the garage was good value as the quality of the oak doors and workmanship in the structure was very good. I would recommend your company to others,” Adrian Brooks, MD of A & M, told Round Wood. He also praised the purchasing and delivery process. “I found your sales team very helpful,” he added. “The oak frame was delivered on time and in perfect condition.”

For more information on the Chippy range of oak-framed garage kits, call 01435 860 260 or visit www.oakframedgarages.co.uk.

Frames can be self-assembled or erected by Round Wood’s own team of nationwide fitters.

PROPERTY

33

34

PROPERTY

Architectural Advice

Wednesday March 29 | 2017

DESIGN WITH THE TIMES

John Bullock

Architectural services

Having studied at Edinburgh College of Art and The Royal Academy of The Hague, John Bullock launched John Bullock Design in 2003. With offices in Tunbridge Wells High Street, John has won awards for his work and is committed to delivering the best outcomes for clients. www.johnbullockdesign.com

Shining a light on the benefits of extending with an orangery The Jones love their Tunbridge Wells home, but need more living space – preferably with good outlooks over the garden.

Rather than a conservatory, John Bullock recommends a grand old tradition that you don’t have to be grand to enjoy…

YOUR QUESTION: Dear Design with the Times, We live in central Tunbridge Wells and have a typical 1970s Georgian-style house set in completely private gardens.

We have been here for 11 years and the house is a great location for our children, with good access to their schools, and an easy walk to the train station for commuting to and from London.

We like it here, but the only downside is the downstairs accommodation is now a little too small for us as a family of five.

Rather than move, we would like to find a way of extending, and ideally creating a really wonderful family space which would incorporate the kitchen/sitting and dining room.

We would like this space to overlook the garden so we can make full use of the external areas in the summer months and have the benefit of its privacy. We would also like the new extension to match and blend with the existing house so it looks like it’s always been there.

Because our garden is so private, we feel that we could incorporate a lot of glass and would like to have the space filled with natural light – maybe a conservatory? The house isn’t in the conservation area, and we wondered if this is something we could do with permitted development or whether a planning application would be required?

Also, would you be able to offer any advice on how much something like this would cost to build? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Alistair and Lisa Jones OUR ANSWER: Dear Alistair and Lisa, The large open-plan kitchen/living and dining space or ‘hub’ has become a must-have for many families, and it will certainly transform the way you live and entertain in your home. The key to creating this kind of large open-plan space is to ensure that there are sufficient additional and separate rooms which will allow family members to break out and have some privacy or quite space.

The ideal layout, depending upon the way your family lives, would be to have the main open-plan area and then a separate TV room, and also a study. It’s just a case of ensuring the ground floor accommodation is well balanced and versatile.

A light-filled space can be an uplifting one to inhabit, and it is important to create the right level between glazing and solid walls and ceiling areas. For habitable spaces, we wouldn’t usually recommend a traditional conservatory as these generally can be difficult to control the heat loss and gain, and often become cold in the winter and hot in the summer. A conservatory is fine for a garden room, but they never really satisfactorily lend themselves well for everyday living.

Architectural Advice

Wednesday March 29 | 2017

‘Owners would conduct their guests on tours of the garden to admire not only the fruits within but the architecture without’ As an alternative, we would suggest an orangery-style extension.

An orangery sometimes conjures up images of grandeur, and traditionally an orangery (or orangerie) was a room or a dedicated building in the grounds of grand, opulent and fashionable residences from the 17th to the 19th centuries.

This was the place where orange and other fruit trees were protected during the winter, and the orangery originated from the Renaissance gardens of Italy, when glass-making technology enabled sufficient expanses of clear glass to be produced. In the north, the Dutch led the way in developing expanses of window glass in orangeries, though the engravings illustrating Dutch manuals showed solid roofs, whether beamed or vaulted, and providing stove heat rather than open fires.

This soon created a situation where orangeries became symbols of status among the wealthy.

The glazed roof, which afforded sunlight to plants that were not dormant, was a development of the early 19th century. The orangery, however, was not just a greenhouse but a symbol of prestige and wealth and a feature of gardens, in the same way as a summerhouse or folly.

Owners would conduct their guests on tours of the garden to admire not only the fruits within but the architecture without.

Today the orangery has evolved and is very much more part of our everyday architectural language, and often a way of adding to the living space of a home whilst creating a light-filled space with the added benefit of being able to control the heat loss and gain in a more efficient way. You don’t need orange trees to have an orangery!

With your home, we would recommend taking the design lead from the existing house and incorporating a series of long sliding sash windows over a brick plinth to match the brickwork of the house.

Your house has a yellow brick that was used a lot during the development of Tunbridge Wells in the 1970s, and can be matched relatively easily.

In the centre of the long run of sash windows and overlooking the garden, a long set of french doors could be added which would be openable in the warmer months and make a physical connection between the inside and outside spaces.

The roof could be punctured with three really good-sized lanterns which would flood the space with top light which in turn would effectively ‘dance’ around the room during the daytime.

It is important to consider carefully the detail of the extension, and we would suggest purpose-built timber windows, doors and lanterns with high efficiency doubleglazed units which will enable the temperature to be controlled.

On the roof glazing, an option would be to have self-cleaning glass, which cuts downs a significant percentage of external cleaning.

The flat roof areas would incorporate thermalefficient insulation as would the walls and floors.

It would also be worth considering underfloor heating in this space, which would offer a more consistent temperature and heat level, and also have the benefit of negating the need for radiators which could take up valuable wall space.

Another option worth considering is a series of inset roller blinds hidden in the ceiling, which could be electronically-controlled and offer sun protection, and also add a degree of visual warmth during the winter months when the nights draw in. The problem we are always trying to resolve here is that at night, large areas of glazing become black and reflective.

Another consideration would be to take light out into the garden, which would detract from this and take your view out beyond the orangery at night.

Most houses have ‘permitted development’ [PD] rights, although these rights are sometimes removed when planning permission is originally granted for the house, so it is always necessary to check whether this has occurred at an early stage.

Your house still has the benefit of PD rights, but it is worth checking your title deeds to ensure that there are no restrictive covenants which would restrict development.

The conditions and limitations (for example in terms of height, depth, etc) of permitted development are used to control impact and to protect local amenity, and vary if a building or land is in a Conservation Area or an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The best starting point to find out more about these conditions and limitations is to take a look at the Planning Portal website at www.planningportal.co.uk This website provides general information on whether common projects require permission, and also has very useful ‘interactive houses’.

You could also follow the parameters set out below: 1. The extension cannot extend more than three metres from the rear wall of the original house.

2. If the extension is within two metres of the garden boundary, then the eaves cannot be more than three metres high. The overall height of the extension (including any ridged roof) cannot be more than four metres.

3. The extension cannot exceed 50 per cent of the total garden area, and materials used in any exterior work (other than those used in the construction of the conservatory) must be of a similar appearance to the main dwelling house.

PROPERTY

35

If any of these conditions and limitations are exceeded, then planning permission would be required. This will require the submission of a planning application that would be assessed against local and national planning policy.

If the proposed works meet the conditions and limitations in the GPDO, then there is usually no requirement to apply to the council for permission to carry out the work.

However, many people now would prefer written confirmation that works can be carried out as ‘permitted development’, as this is often asked for by solicitors when the owners go on to sell their houses in the future, and not having this paperwork can cause delays to house sales and purchases.

As a general rule of thumb, we would suggest budgeting somewhere in the order of £2,000 per metre for construction of an extension like this, so if it is 3 metres deep by 8 metres long the budget for extending only would be around £50,000. In addition to this, there would be a cost for joining the internal spaces together, the kitchen and any external works.

For further advice, please call us: 01892 525732

36

PROPERTY

To suit your budget

Wednesday March 29 | 2017

Your at-a-glance guide to

BISHOPS DOWN ROAD TUNBRIDGE WELLS

£235,000

UNDER £350,000 GROVE AVENUE, TUNBRIDGE WELLS LEASEHOLD WITH SHARE OF FREEHOLD £265,000 A first-floor, one-bedroom apartment in the highly desirable ‘village’ area beside Grove Park.

The property has had extensive modifications by current owners and enjoys high ceilings. The kitchen has laminate flooring and a

fridge/freezer, the lounge has a sash window to the front and there is a feature fireplace in the bedroom. There is a communal entrance, a small monthly fee is payable towards the maintenance of the road, and a gate from the property leads into the park.

CONTACT Connells 01892 547966 www.connells.co.uk

UNDER £450,000

period fireplace in the first bedroom, and a sash window in the second. The front garden is bordered by picket £415,000 fencing and mature shrubs with a A semi-detached house in a popular path leading to the front door and village just outside Tunbridge Wells. It rear access. The back garden includes comprises a lounge with a wood tiered decking with steps down to a burner, a dining room, a kitchen, four paved patio. bedrooms and a family bathroom. The kitchen has windows to the side and CONTACT French doors, and there is also a KMJ 01892 515188 garden room. Upstairs, there is a www.kmjproperty.co.uk MEADOW ROAD, RUSTHALL

To suit your budget

Wednesday March 29 | 2017

PROPERTY

37

great properties by price range…

Under £600,000 PINEWOOD GARDENS, SOUTHBOROUGH GUIDE PRICE

£575,000

This four-bedroom family home has been extended and redesigned to now enjoy a contemporary interior with living space arranged over two floors.

There is also further potential to extend to the side of the property or into the loft. The living room features a bay window and gas effect fire with granite surrounds. There is also a conservatory and a modern kitchen with views across the low-maintenance garden, which includes a lawned area, block brick terrace and a wooden cabin.

CONTACT Flying Fish properties 01892 514189 www.flyingfishproperties.co.uk

UNDER £800,000 BLUE HOUSE, EAST SUTTON GUIDE PRICE

£795,000

A Grade II listed, medieval Wealden Hall house dating from the 15th century or earlier, with the benefit of south-facing gardens. Amid an array of exposed timbers, beams and oak wall panelling, the accommodation includes a drawing room with an inglenook fireplace, and a ‘farmhouse-style’ kitchen/breakfast room with a range of granite work surfaces. Upstairs, there are five bedrooms, including a master bedroom. Additionally, it is understood there is planning permission for a rear extension.

CONTACT Savills 01580 720161 www.savills.co.uk

UNDER £250,000 BISHOPS DOWN ROAD TUNBRIDGE WELLS

UNDER £1MILLION

£235,000

PRINCES STREET, TUNBRIDGE WELLS

A one-bedroom ground floor apartment in Chartwell Lodge, a development for the over-60s.

There is a communal owners’ lounge and laundry as well as gardens. The accommodation comprises an entrance hall with SOS alarm system, a lounge/ diner with access to a small balcony, a modern fitted kitchen,

A semi-detached Victorian house which has been extended and refurbished to include period-style internal wooden doors and hand-made wooden doubleglazed windows. The modern kitchen is part of an open-plan layout leading to the dining room, which has limestone flooring and underfloor heating. The drawing room has three sash bay windows and a feature iron fireplace. There are two double bedrooms on the first floor, both with bay windows, and a further two double bedrooms on the second floor.

GUIDE PRICE a double bedroom with fitted wardrobes and a modern fitted bathroom. There is also both a step-free route from the car park to the communal entrance.

CONTACT KMJ 01892 515188 www.kmjproperty.co.uk

£850,000

CONTACT Hamptons 01892 516611 www.hamptons.co.uk

Interior Design

Wednesday March 29 | 2017

PROPERTY

Start by deciding on your new staircase

Do you want a similar style and materials to your existing staircase, or something different? While most of us have wooden staircases, don’t overlook other materials, such as metal, glass and concrete, which can work well in a modern property.

By Julia Gray

When installing a new staircase, we always recommend working with an expert builder or joiner, because there are a number of building regulations homeowners must comply with Scott Storey, MD of staircase specialist James Grace

There are, of course, different types of staircase, including straight, spiral, curved and cantilevered, where just one side is attached to the wall.

Some staircases have a wallmounted handrail, which can be a nice feature in its own right.

Changing one part of the staircase may be something you can do yourself – if the original period spindles have been replaced by modern ones that aren’t in keeping, for example.

Although you’ll probably want to stick to the same type if you’re keeping the staircase in the same place, you may want something different if you’re repositioning it.

Moving a staircase is a big and expensive job, but can dramatically improve your home’s layout and flow, so it’s something to consider if the stairs are in the way where they are, or could work better elsewhere.

Alternatively, a fresh coat of paint can do wonders, and is the perfect solution for those who need to refresh their space but don’t want to completely change their current staircase.

If your home is listed, changing the staircase is likely to require listed building consent from your local council, so check before doing any work. And in a leasehold property, you may need the permission of the freeholder (or the other freeholders, if you own a share of it), to significantly alter the staircase.

A new staircase can blend into the room or stand out and make a statement, and it can cost thousands of pounds, so getting the look right and ensuring it’s practical is vital – stairs without a carpet or runner aren’t ideal for young children, for example.

45

50

PROPERTY

Cross Lane Cottage

Wednesday March 29 | 2017

Newly improved country cottage close to a village

AT A GLANCE CROSS LANE COTTAGE CROSS LANE, TICEHURST

n Laundry room

n Family bathroom

n Kitchen/dining room

n Entrance hall

n Master bedroom with en-suite shower and dressing room

£850,000

n Drawing room n Inner hallway n Sitting room n Cloakroom

n 3 further bedrooms (one with en-suite shower room)

Available for sale through The Country Property Group Goudhurst 01580 211888 www.countrypropertygroup.com

Wednesday March 29 | 2017

Advertising

PROPERTY

51

54

PROPERTY

Advertising

Wednesday March 29 | 2017

Interior Design

Wednesday March 29 | 2017

PROPERTY

55

LIVING YELLOW “Always regarded as a ‘Marmite’ colour for clothes, yellow can be a winner if you need a pep of sophisticated sunshine for an interior,” says Peter Thwaites, of hand-painted fabric and wallpaper specialists, Rapture & Wright.

“In the past, it was often used with blue and white. The latest incarnations of this colour tend to be the tertiary yellows, which are either the earthy ochres, ideal for beautiful, sophisticated schemes when mixed with dark browns and greys, or the more acid hues – think Chinese yellow with a smidge of green/black.

“This sharper, straw yellow works beautifully with a contemporary palate of greens, grey/blue and pinks or reds. For an interior that works beautifully throughout the day and night, lacquer your walls in yellow.”

GET THE LOOK: Style windows with yellow curtains, or custom made Golden Yellow Vintage Patterned Roller Blinds, from £38.78 per square metre, English Blinds (available end of March).

Add a punch of colour with one statement piece of furniture upholstered in yellow. For classic style, opt for a Chesterfield-esque Matlock Sofa, in Designers Guild Primrose Yellow Velvet, from £1,656, Sofas & Stuff, or a Duchess Armchair in Wattle Mustard Yellow Velvet, from £1,395, Content by Terence Conran.

Mid-century modern enthusiasts need look no further than a Tallulah 2 Seater Sofa in Mustard Yellow Velvet and Linen, £599, Atkin and Thyme, and Very has a fab Papillion Contour Fabric Accent Chair, £229.

SUNNY SIDE UP

Even a hint of sunshine peeping through grey skies instantly lifts our spirits, and the good news is yellow shades can work that same magic indoors.

A yellow palette – from bright daffodil through to custard or zingy citruses – is guaranteed to bring a whole lot of cheer to any room, and will have an uplifting quality that sings spring has arrived.

“

“Yellow cannot fail to add a little sunshine to any setting. It evokes energy, and creates a sense of warmth and zest,” promises Laura Kelway-Bamber, creative director at The Headboard Workshop (www.theheadboardworkshop.co.uk).

SUNNY SNIPS: A Bluebellgray Saffron Pom Pom Cushion, £58; Orla Kiely Tealight Lantern, £12, and Orla Kiely Sicilian Lemon Reed Diffuser, £32, all Amara.

Bright Blue and yellow Hydrangea Melamine Tray, £33, Emma Britton.

Yellow cannot fail to add a little sunshine to any setting. It evokes energy, and creates a sense of warmth and zest,” promises Laura Kelway-Bamber, creative director at The Headboard Workshop (www.theheadboardworkshop.co.uk).

“Team yellow with a bold black or navy feature wall for drama and you’ll also conjure a sense of sophistication and elegance. In a bedroom, subtle, softer yellows are a wise choice, and this will avoid the colour dominating or feeling overbearing. Yellow tones are great for details such as accessories, as they’ll stand out and act as visual focus points in a scheme. Yellow’s also brilliant in smaller rooms, as it can help create a sense of space and warmth.”

So banish those winter blues and welcome spring’s signature shade into your home...

SPLASH OF SUNSHINE “Yellow’s known to have a positive effect on our mood, so why not incorporate it into your interior design?” says Laura McDonald, upcycling expert for paint specialists, Rust-Oleum.

“This optimistic hue is ideal for brightening rooms, and can be used to make a statement or add a complementary hint of colour to existing home decor.

“Darker shades are particularly striking in a living area or bedroom when teamed with blue, while citrus lemons suit a kitchen or dining area. Grey, pale green and creamy hues work well around the home alongside yellow, and are more interesting alternatives to white.”

GET THE LOOK: Make light work of revamping anything from furniture and light fittings to kitchen units, with Rust-Oleum’s spray paint range. Try a sunflower shade in a Mode Spray Paint, £14.99 for 400ml, Homebase, or a marigold gloss Painter’s Touch Spray paint, £7.00 for 400ml, Wilko.

If you’re dreaming of a new kitchen, Crown Imperial’s Rococo collection in matt yellow and white makes a stunning combo; a full kitchen from around £10,000. And don’t overlook the floor; new carpet can totally transform a room and Carpetright’s Kosset Major Twist Plus Carpet, £29.99 per square metre, comes in a saffron shade.

Next has embraced yellow, making it easy to give a facelift to a bedroom, with their Retro Floral Bed Set, from £22; matching Curtains, from £45, and a Quilted Circles Throw, from £40. For a fun touch, add a Vegas LED Plastic Fun Light - Star Yellow, £19.95, Boutique Camping.

SUNNY SNIPS: Hay Autumn Yellow Towels - bath towels, £25 each, and guest towels, £13 each, Amara. The Andromeda Clock in citrus yellow, £60, Newgate Clocks.

”

56

PROPERTY

Advertising

Wednesday March 29 | 2017

60

PROPERTY

Shirley Lodge

Wednesday March 29 | 2017

A fine Victorian lodge with countryside views and a home office in the garden ‘ The property has been substantially extended and includes a lower ground floor with its own entrance’

AT A GLANCE

SHIRLEY LODGE LEGGS LANE, LANGTON GREEN n Reception hall n Cloakroom n Drawing room n Family room n Sitting room n Dining room n Kitchen/breakfast room n Utility room n Principal bedroom with en-suite bathroom n Five further bedrooms n 2 bathrooms n Gas-fired central heating n Home office/summerhouse n Double car port n Partly walled gardens n About ¾ of an acre

£1,650,000 Available for sale through Hamptons Tunbridge Wells 01892 516611 www.hamptons.co.uk

64

PROPERTY

The White House

Wednesday March 29 | 2017

AT A GLANCE

THE WHITE HOUSE NELSON ROAD TUNBRIDGE WELLS n Detached Victorian home n 2 reception rooms n Kitchen/breakfast room n Dining/family room n Utility room n Cloakroom n 4 bedrooms n Family bathroom n Off-street parking n Garage n Annexe

GUIDE PRICE

£700,000

Available for sale through Flying Fish Southborough 01892 514 189 www.flyingfishproperties.co.uk

Pretty double-fronted family home with garage and annexe

‘The White House is nestled quietly down a driveway away from the road’

70

FEATURES

Food & Drink

Wednesday March 29 | 2017

On the Menu

Lemon Posset with lavender shortbread

Crowborough Farmed Rack of Lamb

Full Plate Breakfast

Tomato Toast

Overnight Oats Cappuccino

FRAMPTONS 2 The Pantiles, Tunbridge Wells TN2 5TJ www.framptonsbar.co.uk

Framptons Pancakes

Latte

Champions Breakfast

Croissants

Food & Drink

Wednesday March 29 | 2017

FEATURES

71

Experience a true taste of Italy – on your doorstep Tunbridge Wells is home to successful food blogger Alida Zamparini. Here she tells Eileen Leahy why she wants people to experience genuine Italian cooking and to realise that there’s more to it than pizza and pasta

T

UCKED down a quiet little side street in Tunbridge Wells lies a little corner of Italy. It is the home of Alida Zamparini, an Italian who has been living in Tunbridge Wells for 17 years and for the past six of those she has been running the successful food blog My Little Italian Kitchen.

As I side step the numerous terracotta pots of fragrant herbs which are perched on her little terrace, I wonder whether Alida’s own kitchen and its contents will mirror the delicious appeal of her virtual one online.

Thankfully I’m not disappointed when I step inside her smart townhouse which boasts a beautiful handpainted mural which wouldn’t look out of place in a Tuscan villa and breathe in the smell of rich coffee brewing away.

Passing by a stack of exotic looking bottles filled with olive oil and spying a tray of delicious looking little pastry

bites topped with passata, parmesan and herbs it definitely seems like the real deal.

“I have always loved cooking,” explains Alida as she pours two dinky cups of super strong espresso and offers me a chunk of cantuccini biscuit.

“Of course it’s part of the Italian culture to see your mother and grandmother cooking but I started cooking myself when I was 15.”

This she says was in her home town of Udine near Trieste, in northern Italy. The food there she says is ‘traditionally rustic’ with soups, stews and hearty pasta dishes making up the lionshare of culinary basics. Although her particular take is on creating ‘lighter and healthier’ food.

Alida got into blogging after she had her children, Sofia, now 10 and Luca, eight. “When you have children you are always cooking. I started putting recipes on a blog six years ago and now I can’t

stop – I love it! I update the website two to three times a week and take all my own pictures. I’ve developed a real passion for food styling and love photography.”

It certainly shows on her website because as well as a raft of mouthwatering recipe ideas, including pea mint and ricotta balls and spinach and gorgonzola risotto, there are lots of gorgeous images of Alida’s numerous trips back to her homeland.

‘In Italy things are changing, there is a lot more organic food, more vegans and gluten free foods’ “I like to visit at least four times a year,” she says. “I usually return to where I am from as there are so many artisan producers and small farms making honey, vinegar and cheese - and obviously I know lots of people. I’m friends with a dairy farmer who last summer took me up to the Alps to see how ricotta was made. I took lots of photos because people just don’t see that kind of thing anymore and I want to remain genuine.”

On her blog, which attracts around 18,000 followers, the lighter, less obvious Italian dishes take centre stage to that of the traditional fare of pizza, pasta and lasagne.

“I try to be on the healthy side of things,” adds Alida. “In Italy things are changing, there is a lot more organic food, more vegans and gluten free foods.”

What are her favourite things to eat? “I like a bit of everything. Why not? Sugar is being demonised but a little is good for you. It’s all about eating sensibly.

There are too many food fads.” She says she describes her cooking as being ‘modern Mediterranean’.

Alida has also published her adventures with some very famous Italian chefs such as Giorgio Locatelli and

Antonio Carluccio whom she deems as ‘so lovely’. She’s also a big fan of Jamie Oliver: “His recipes are so authentic,” she says. “I’ve appeared with him twice on [his Channel 4 TV show] Friday Night Feast.”

Given her ability to cook, blog, take photos and do the odd turn in the kitchen of a celebrity chef Alida is now keen to move forward with things. Does she perhaps think writing a recipe book is on the cards I ask?

“I haven’t thought about that really but I’d like to start doing cookery classes in small groups, teaching people to make healthy, light and easy meals for any day of the week.

And obviously for the blog to keep going and get bigger to do more photography and continue with my food writing. My dream is to use all those skills locally.”

On the subject of her adopted home town, where she lives with her two children and husband Mark, Alida says she is very impressed by

the quality of the produce and specialist shops on offer in Tunbridge Wells.

“The local food is really good. I use quite a lot of the shops here such as Chegworth on The Pantiles and Locality on Camden Road – their bread is amazing. I also go to Sankey’s for fresh fish and The Organic Health Shop on the High Street, too. I buy mostly organic and I spend a lot of money on food but I never waste anything.”

Not surprisingly Alida’s children, whom she always speaks to in Italian, love their mama’s cooking.

“Their favourite foods are soups like minestrone and they also love slow cooked polenta which I make often, especially in winter to accompany my stews. They also like fresh squid stew cooked in tomato sauce and my own version of British fish and chips.”

Lucky children - and lucky Tunbridge Wells to have such a genuine Italian gem right on the doorstep.

PUFF PASTRY MINI PIZZAS Prep time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 12 to 15 minutes Makes: 15 mini pizzas What you need: 1 sheet of puff pastry 50 g tomato sauce (passata) 80 g mozzarella or cheddar cheese 1/2 tbsp dried oregano

What you do: Using a glass or a pastry cutter (measuring approx 8 cm diameter) cut out some circles of pastry.

Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper; prick the middle of each circle

with a fork.

Spread a teaspoon of tomato passata on each circle, sprinkle with dried oregano and place a piece of cheese on top.

Cook at 200C for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden. Serve warm or cold.

72

FEATURES

Promotional Feature

Wednesday March 29 | 2017

A man of good tasting Chapel Place has always been stylish, but Laurence Warburton, owner of Holme, believes it is time for something more refreshing.

Hannah Patterson meets with him to ask what he has in mind...

L

AURENCE WARBURTON certainly knows about wood. His gallery-style store, Holme, on the characterful Chapel Place in the heart of Tunbridge Wells, was originally unveiled as an addition to his already successful group of companies, Timbered, that specialise in all elements of wood flooring across the south east.

For those who haven’t been, Holme is well worth a visit. It is here where you can admire the unique products they have to sell.

The wood you find at their showroom has been put through a special chemical process to recreate the natural ‘wear and tear’ that occurs in nature over time.

Samples have been tastefully hung around the showroom, giving more of a feel of an art gallery rather than a furniture store, and Laurence is deservedly proud of his offerings.

“It’s a whole different product by the end of the process. It’s simply new, high-quality wood, that’s been given THE WOODSMAN more of a Laurence Warburton character.

We have created some truly bespoke and original furniture from this oak. It’s really great to be able to have the luxury of creating products like these for fun!”

Surprisingly, he sells wine, too. But where has the idea of incorporating wine into a business that specialises in oak come from?

For many, it would appear to have come completely out of left-field, but when you see the space the showroom has to offer, you begin to understand.

“The wine is a new addition to Holme,” says Laurence. “Originally, in 2014 when I bought the shop, we were selling and sourcing mid-century furniture, but the idea came to me while I was in New York.”

Laurence had been on a trip to the buzzing American city on a buying trip, visiting a midcentury furniture warehouse. It was here that he found himself sitting in an

Eames chair, being handed a glass of Californian Pinot Noir.

“The chap then revealed a huge wine rack wall of fine wine, offering me tasters of various wines right there in a furniture warehouse.

When I returned to the UK, I visited a wellknown, upmarket salvage yard in London and they were holding cocktail parties in front of the Victorian fireplaces and reclaimed materials. It was so atmospheric.

“Following this, on a trip to Carcassonne in France, I went into an off-licence. The lady who served me thought nothing of it to open the bottle I had purchased and gave me a glass to sit down with. It’s a real spin on the traditional off-licence.

“The whole concept of bringing wine tasting to Holme came from this accumulation of events.”

Laurence wanted to bring this unique idea to Tunbridge Wells with a focus on the English wine industry – one that he feels needs a definitive local platform to promote from.

“We are really lucky to have such a booming industry, and there are so many spectacular vineyards nearby.

“I’m offering them the platform at no cost. This is a free opportunity for extra promotion. In my opinion, now, more than ever is the time to support local businesses.”

Thus the idea did not come to Laurence recently. The concept had been brewing for a while, but the journey was not as smooth as he had originally hoped for.

“I think there was a big misunderstanding about what I was trying to achieve,” he says. “A lot of people believed I was hoping to open a new wine bar, or something that would cause a disturbance. But wine-tasting events sponsored by vineyards from the South East was always the idea. It’s an opportunity to sit back and enjoy the surroundings while tasting fine wine. This is not a nightly occurrence or a loud party until 1am.

They are relaxed events for those who want to experience quality local wine.

“But getting the permission to proceed with the

ON THE RACK Wine fills the walls events was a lot harder than I realised.”

In his own words, Laurence felt that the amount of road blocks, like ones he encountered, is a contributing factor to businesses shutting up on the high street or moving elsewhere – and it’s something that needs to be tackled urgently if local the local economy is to thrive.

“It’s the kind of red tape I encountered that needs removing if the town is going to get HOLME FROM HOME Wood mixed with wine

Promotional Feature

Wednesday March 29 | 2017

FEATURES

HAPPY CUSTOMERS The tasting events have gone down well

through the next few years,” he comments.

“Jamie Oliver leaving the High Street was no reason for celebration, in spite of what many thought. Whether you liked the food or not, it was a huge vote of ‘no confidence’ in the local economy. This is certainly not something we should be cheering for.

“We ran a pop-up event in December to tackle the prejudice and smear campaigns we were

‘We ran our first event in February with Sedlescombe Organic Vineyard being our launch host. It was a great success and really set high standards for the next event’ subjected to, which was well received but still indicated mixed opinions.

It seems to be a case of either you understand the concept, or you don’t.

We ran our first event in February with Sedlescombe Organic Vineyard being our launch host. It was a great success and really set high standards for the next event.”

The next event at Holme, scheduled for this Friday [March 31], will be hosted by the award-

winning Bolney Wine Estate, one of the longest established English vineyards.

Although the estate began with producing white wines, they soon saw the opportunity to produce a lighter red in a similar style to some of the very best Pinot Noirs from New Zealand.

Bolney now has a delicious range of whites, reds and sparkling wines.

“We will be offering the full range for tasting on March 31, including the sold-out 2014 Pinot Noir.

Bolney have become an international wine player, along with Chapel Down. It’s the mix of the understated and the unknown, such as Sedlescombe and Westwell, that make the range of English wines we stock so complementary.”

Following Bolney, Holme will be featuring a range of wines from Westwell Vineyard on April 29, and Chapel Down in the last week of May to celebrate English wine week.

“I’m really happy with the response I’ve had from the vineyards, and I’m expecting to host many more events in the upcoming months, but I’d also like to hire the space out for private events,” adds Laurence.

“The space is so unique, and the wine is so delicious, it would certainly be a waste not to share it with everyone.”

There are very few tickets remaining for the upcoming Bolney event at Holme in Tunbridge Wells, so you have to be quick to get your taste of the unique.

For those looking for more information on upcoming events, or who would like to hire out Holme for a private gathering, please email events@holme-uk.com 7 Chapel Place High Street Tunbridge Wells Kent TN1 1YQ +44 (0) 1892 527926 www.holme-uk.com

73

74

FEATURES

Advertising Feature

Wednesday March 29 | 2017

HVAR ISLAND Overhead view

Going dotty for Dalmatia Pristine beaches, idyllic islands, UNESCO-protected cities, rustic villages and incredible natural beauty – Croatia is a fantastic destination and the perfect choice whether you want to relax at a great hotel, spend your days sightseeing, immerse yourself in history or go for long walks amid the picturesque countryside. Here are just a small handful of the delights this Eastern European country has to offer Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik

One of the most beautiful cities in the world can be found in Croatia. It is, of course, UNESCOprotected Dubrovnik; aptly named the ‘Pearl of the Adriatic’.

Although severely damaged during an earthquake in 1667, the ancient city managed to preserve its striking Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque churches, monasteries, palaces and fountains.

It holds the title of one of the most photographed cities in the world, and is a must-see attraction for any explorer of Croatia. You can’t help but be charmed by the Old Town, which is surrounded by huge stone walls and paved with limestone.

If you time your trip just right, you’ll witness the

spectacular Dubrovnik Summer Festival – the centrepiece of the season.

This huge event has been running for the past 67 years, and excited spectators will witness performances cropping up all over the city.

There are classical performances by acclaimed orchestras, exciting plays by both domestic and international theatre companies, and open-air cinemas where you can watch award-winning films under the summer night sky.

For those amongst you who prefer their trips more physically challenging, you can set your sights on Mount Srd, which looms behind the city.

The walk is an estimated 90 minutes and is sure to get those thighs burning. It’s certainly worth it though, as the peak offers panoramic views that are breathtaking enough to satisfy even the most reluctant hiker.

Split

Croatia’s second largest city is also protected by UNESCO. Split has an interesting history, and today evidence can still be found from its occupation by the Romans.

Emperor Diocletian built a vast Imperial Palace here, thanks to its proximity to the large Roman settlement of Salona [known today as Solin]. The

great estate was built between 295-305 AD, and you can still see the walls of the outer perimeter.

It remains one of the top sights to see, complete with guides in English.

The Cathedral of Saint Domnius is also of particular note, and was originally built at the same time as the palace in order to serve as a mausoleum for the emperor, although his remains vanished after he died in 313 AD. If you are not daunted by heights, you can climb the cathedral’s bell tower for both inland and coastal views.

If you prefer to keep your feet firmly on ground level, you can wander a variety of wide and pretty streets lined with boutique shops, restaurants, bars and medieval houses.

Split

Krka National Park

This famous park is located around 10km from Sibenik along the Dalmatian Coast. It’s named after the Krka river and covers just over 142 sq km of land, including two thirds of the river itself.

Most visitors come for the attraction of its famous waterfalls, including including Skradinski Buk – a collection of 17 falls ranging in height and easily one of the most recognisable sights of the country.

One of the best ways to view the park is via one of the many boat excursions it has to offer. This is an ideal choice for most visitors, as not only are you able to take in the beauty of the surroundings in a relaxed environment with an informed guide, but you get the chance to hop off and explore the various footpaths and waterfalls along the way.

Islands

The Croatian coast encompasses over a thousand small islands, each with its own character. If you get a chance to take a boat to some of these little gems you’ll be in for a treat.

Mljet

Mljet is known for being Croatia’s greenest island, filled to the brim with Mediterranean vegetation, and surrounded by clear and clean ocean. It is

Advertising Feature

Wednesday March 29 | 2017

Krka National Park generally considered to be the most beautiful of the islands and is well-known for red and white wine, olives and goat’s cheese, which makes it an ideal location for any foodie or wine lover.

The national park, located on the western tip of the island, is particularly lush and houses saltwater lakes which are exceptionally scenic.

According to legend, Odysseus was captivated by the seductive island for seven years, and a visit here would certainly explain why!

Korcula Island

Korcula Island is the sixth largest of the islands, stretching over 47km in length. Rich in vineyards, olive groves and idyllic villages, the island has something to quench all explorers’ thirsts.

Dubbed ‘Little Dubrovnik’ due to its medieval squares, churches and palaces, there are plenty of architectural wonders to explore. One example is St Mark’s Catherdral, which dominates the little square at the heart of the island.

The 15th-century building was constructed in Gothic-Renaissance style by Italian and local artisans, and boasts some unusual sculptural detail – including a two-tailed mermaid and an elephant – on the triangular gable cornice.

Hvar Island

Hvar is so perfect for holidaymakers, it would be easy to believe that it was designed with tourists in mind.

FEATURES

75

As the sunniest spot in the country (approximately 2,724 hours of sunshine a year), this island is the most desirable beach destination.

Hvar Town offers a vast collection of swanky restaurants, glamorous hotels and plenty of elegant locations you can go to see, and be seen.

Be prepared to share the space with wealthy yacht-owners and young party people who will be dragging you on to tables to dance till dawn.

Fancy something a little more subtle?

The island’s interior hides abandoned ancient hamlets, craggy peaks, vineyards and Croatia’s infamous lavender fields.

Brac Island

If the name of this island sounds familiar, that’s because it’s the largest of the Dalmatia isles, and famous for its white rock and a pebble beach.

If that doesn’t sound too impressive, you may like to know the white rock was used to build both Emperor Diocletian’s palace in Split and the American White House – yes, the one currently occupied by President Trump in Washington DC. Bracc Island

Then there’s Zlatni Rat, which you may have seen upon most of the country’s tourism material.

It is a striking and very long pebbly beach that extends into the Adriatic ocean.

Don’t head home without snapping yourself staring out to sea upon the grey pebbles – no trip to Croatia is complete without it.

76

FEATURES

Advertising Feature

Wednesday March 29 | 2017

BASELWORLD 2017: The world watch and jewellery show There is no marketplace more significant in trendsetting than Baselworld. The show itself is considered worldwide as the most important in the world’s watch and jewellery industry.

It distinguishes itself amongst other events of the same nature by regrouping key players from across the world from watchmakers to jewellers, from diamond, pearl and gemstone dealers through to the machine and supply industry.

This year, Baselworld exceeds itself once again by hosting the unveiling of the most magnificent watches from the top brands, and we are bringing the event to you by presenting just some of the new designs that you can purchase here in town CHOPARD Mille Miglia Classic Chronograph The new Mille Miglia Classic Chronograph is a sporty, yet sophisticated, model with a vintage touch available for both him and her. For men, it boasts a black or silver dial with large luminescent numerals, whilst the more feminine version is in a silver colour or crafted from white mother-ofpearl and studded with diamonds. With a retro feel, these models hum to the beat of a COSC-certified high-precision ‘engine’. Available in both 42 mm and 39 mm versions, these striking new models boldly demonstrate the classic racing spirit cherished by Chopard.

G Collins & Sons, Tunbridge Wells, say:

“As official timekeeper of the world’s most famous regularity race for classic cars, Chopard has created the Mille Miglia Chronograph self-winding watch in stainless steel for her.

Inspired by the beauty of classic cars, its elegant curves with an open back case, silver dial inspired by vintage car bodies and chronometer-certified engine express a perfect pairing of automobile design and mechanical watchmaking. With an emblematic rubber strap evoking 1960s Dunlop tire treads, this bold timepiece adapts flawlessly to the wrist.”

Price: £3,850

CHOPARD L.U.C XPS Twist QF Fairmined The L.U.C XPS Twist QF Fairmined exudes an aura of rare elegance and cultivates signature tokens of authentic character.

It stems from an ambitious aesthetic, ethical and technical approach and is intended for connoisseurs who wish their watch to be unlike any other in terms of material, its appearance and its slimness. It is distinguished by a dial with a stamped sunburst texture featuring a slate grey colour that stands out against the rose gold case. The 7.20 mm case makes this a delightfully slim watch featuring satin-brushed finishes on the sides, complemented by a polished case-back and bezel. Its slender, elongated profile ensures a remarkably comfortable fit on the wrist. The alligator leather strap is hand-sewn and dyed with plant-based pigments in matt black for the main part and cognac-coloured for the lining.

G Collins & Sons, Tunbridge Wells, say:

“One of the stand out pieces at Baselworld for us was the Chopard LUC xps Twist, with its fairmined gold. A pioneer in the development of sustainable luxury, Chopard launches a new L.U.C watch made of ethical pink gold. The ultra-thin case radiates a subtly off-centred expression of elegance, with the 4 o’clock crown echoing the asymmetry of the small seconds appearing at 7 o’clock on the dial.

The latter is swept over by raised sunbeam motifs evoking the texture of a soft silk. The movement has a Fleurier Quality Foundation label, the most demanding certification testifying to the precision, and reliability, of which each component must be manufactured in Switzerland. One of only 250 limited pieces.”

Price: £14,500

PATEK PHILLIPE Ref. 5320G Patek Philippe’s Ref. 5320G is a new perpetual calendar for the wrist that has been crafted for eternity. It automatically indicates months with 28, 30 and 31 days and every four years also recognises February 29 as a leap day. It stands out with a timelessly sleek design, affording a glimpse into the past, present, and future at the same time. Rarely has a perpetual calendar demonstrated its function so aptly. In fact, it is easy to forget that in 2100, a secular year according to the Gregorian calendar, the date display must be corrected by hand.

G Collins & Sons, Tunbridge Wells, say:

“The Ref. 5320G is this year’s new Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar model. Patek Philippe had a challenge with this new model to create a watch that was appealing to both younger and older generations. The style of this dial has been Patek Philippe’s archetype for perpetual calendars since 1941. The 18ct white-gold mono-block case (stamped entirely from one piece of gold) echoes design elements from legendary 1950s watches bringing a wonderfully retro feel to the collection. This new model is the favourite in this year’s collection of Patek Philippe President, Mr Thierry Stern, and we quite agree it’s a beautiful looking watch.”

Price: £60,090

PATEK PHILLIPE Ref. 5168G The new Ref. 5168G is the first men’s Aquanaut wristwatch in 18ct white gold. With its somewhat warmer hue, it clearly sets itself apart from stainless steel but as with the other Aquanaut models (and the Nautilus watches), the design of the gently rounded octagonal bezel with vertically satin-finished flats and chamfered polished flanks remains unchanged. Moreover, with a diameter of 42mm, it is the largest model in this line. The format pays tribute to the original 1976 Nautilus of the same size that was nicknamed “Jumbo” and today is still referred to by that name among collectors.

G Collins & Sons, Tunbridge Wells, say:

“This year we are celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Aquanaut collection with the very special Ref. 5168G in 18ct white gold. With a diameter of 42 mm, it introduces a new “Jumbo” size in Patek Philippe’s sports chic segment in a stunning blue dial. An elegant and versatile watch suitable to take you straight from business to holiday. In our opinion this is definitely a model to be added to any watch collection.”

Price: £27,990

PATEK PHILLIPE Ref. 4947G-010 This beautiful ladies’ white gold ‘Complications’ timepiece boasts a mechanical self-winding movement as well as an annual caldendar. The date is in an aperture and it is water resistant up to 30 metres. With its case set with 141 diamonds, a sapphire-crystal back and alligator strap it is the last word in luxury. Its silvery dial with satin finished, gold applied numerals results in a most elegant timepiece.

Price: £36,220

For more on Baselworld see page 78 G Collins & Sons 76–78 High St, Tunbridge Wells Kent TN1 1YB 01892 534018 www.gcollinsandsons.com

78

FEATURES

Advertising Feature

TUDOR Heritage Black Bay Chrono

Wednesday March 29 | 2017

THE BREITLING Avenger Hurricane Military

Since the presentation in 1970 of the Prince Oysterdate Chronograph, its first chronograph, Tudor has always produced watches that are closely tied to the world of motorsports. The new hybrid Heritage Black Bay Chrono chronograph dares to combine the aquatic heritage represented by the Black Bay family with the queen of the racetrack, the chronograph. It features a column wheel mechanism and vertical clutch. In keeping with the Tudor philosophy of quality, it presents extraordinary robustness and reliability, guaranteed by an array of extreme tests applied to all Tudor products.

The Avenger Hurricane squadron now welcomes a new member. This exceptional model retains the 50 mm diameter, however, the major new element lies in the fact that Manufacture Caliber B12 with its 24-hour militarystyle display is replaced by Manufacture Breitling Caliber 01. This indicates the time in a more conventional 12-hour mode, yet with the same precision and superior reliability guaranteed by the chronometer certificate, delivered by the COSC.

Burrells Jewellers, Tunbridge Wells, say:

“Our Breitling highlight from Baselworld was the updated Avenger Hurricane Military, crafted from Breitlight, a light and sturdy material that is a trademark of the historic manufacture. On this new version of the superlativecharged chronograph, issued in a 1,000-piece limited edition, Breitling has equipped the black dial with luminescent hands and numerals featuring a slightly patinated yellow-beige colour, evoking the instruments produced by the brand from the 1940s to the 1960s – a nod to Breitling’s longstanding heritage in the aeronautical and military field.”

Price: £7,850

Burrells Jewellers, Tunbridge Wells, say:

“A huge talking point at Baselworld was the collaboration between Tudor and Breitling, culminating in the Black Bay Chronograph, the first watch in the Black Bay line to exhibit a chronograph movement. Featuring the new column-wheel chronograph caliber MT5813, the watch was born out of Tudor’s desire to create a modern, robust, and reliable chronograph caliber that it could offer at an approachable price. We think it was one of the most intriguing stories at Baselworld this year. The Tudor Black Bay Chronograph will be available this summer.”

Price: £3,430

TAG Heuer Autavia OMEGA Speedmaster 60th Anniversary Limited Edition This outstanding design is recognised and coveted around the world, which explains why the very rare remaining Omega Speedmaster reference 2915 currently trade hands for considerable amounts. The case is the same hefty 38mm one with straight lugs, but the movement is not the original caliber 321 but the modern evolution of the chronograph caliber 1861.

Burrells Jewellers, Tunbridge Wells, say:

“To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the iconic Speedmaster, Omega is offering a perfect re-edition of the original, and there is no doubt that collectors will fall head-over-heels in love. The proportions and design match those of the first model launched in 1957, the ‘Broad Arrow’. One of the talks of the town in Basel, this commemorative piece is also part of a special limited edition trilogy set, featuring remakes of the original 1957 Speedmaster, Seamaster and Railmaster.”

Price: approx. £5,370

It has come as no surprise that the much-admired Autavia Ref. 2446, has been re-imagined for a new generation of watch lovers. The 2017 Autavia will be presented in a 42mm stainless steel case, with a bold and large 12-hour bezel. The movement is named Caliber Heuer 02, and it takes the place of the Valjoux 72 which was in the original model.

Burrells Jewellers, Tunbridge Wells, say:

“For 2017 TAG Heuer has brought back the public’s favourite Autavia after announcing it would revive one of 16 first generation Autavias – the watchmaker’s iconic chronograph – and let online users vote for their favourite in the ‘Autavia Cup’. The winner was the hugely popular Autavia Ref. 2446 with Mark Three dial, designed in 1966 and famously worn by Formula 1 champion Jochen Rindt. It beat other popular three-register (ref. 2446) and two register (reference 3646) models.”

Price: From £3,900

TAG Heuer Carrera Heuer-01

THE ZENITH Defy El Primero 21 Chronograph Zenith is back with a new El Primero – the Defy El Primero 21. This new addition to the collection is a contemporary twist on an old classic with a titanium case, a skeletonized dial, and a new movement. It is housed in a 44mm case, with stepped chronograph buttons. The dial is open-worked in the aluminum version, with two registers and chronograph power reserve. The titanium version comes with either an open or closed dial. It is powered by a brand new caliber, the El Primero 21 with COSC chronometer certification.

This year, the famous proprietary chronograph is being unveiled with a slightly smaller diameter of 43mm, in a choice of three versions: intense black, deep navy blue and an elegant cognac brown.

The brilliance of the polished ceramic tachymeter bezel echoes the polished, satin-finished steel of the iconic 12-part modular case. The skeleton dial – the trademark of the Heuer01 – and the sapphire case-back reveal the beauty of the mechanism.

All of the movement’s Chrono functions are identified by the colour red, in a nod to the world of motor racing: the central seconds, the 30-minute counter, the 12-hour counter and the Start/Stop push-button.

Price: £4,100

Price: From approx. £9,100 Burrells Jewellers Level 2, Royal Victoria Place Shopping Centre Tunbridge Wells, TN1 2SS Tel: 01892 519840 www.burrellsjewellers.co.uk

80

FEATURES

Advertising Feature

Wednesday March 29 | 2017

Southborough has got a lot of bite With plummeting NHS funding reported nationally, and Brexit underway, we catch up with Ramona Fathi Saffar and Dr Romulo Greco of the Southborough Dental Practice to see if the future is looking bright…

Tell us a little of the history of the Southborough Dental Practice…

Established over 70 years ago, Southborough Dental Practice has been providing dental care for over three generations of families.

Thanks to diligence, continuous hard work and the dedication of our staff members and associates, we have been able to provide our services both as NHS and independent services without any interruptions, even when we moved to our new premises in 2014. This move has allowed us to offer a higher level of service and deliver a wide range of treatment, including a number of cosmetic options such as whitening and straightening. At our practice, we believe a smile is one of your greatest assets and is worthy of the best care.

How has business developed since your arrival in 2014?

Our focus has always been on improving services to our patients, and we continue to grow our services. Following our successful move to our new premises, we have been able to install two new surgeries with the latest technology

available to provide only the best and latest treatment options for our patients. This has enabled us to expand our team to include specialists in implants, orthodontic work and cosmetic dentistry in-house.

Our new patient services now include:  Permanent Dental Implants: Providing quality replacement for missing teeth in-house  Rx Aligners: An invisible alternative to traditional braces transforming your smile  Oral Surgery: Our latest addition to our professional dental team  Complete Smile Makeover: Using the newest non-invasive porcelain veneers, full ceramic crowns, inlays and white fillings.  Bright Smile Tooth Whitening: A whitening package at affordable prices  Self-Referral Hygienist Appointments: Experienced hygienists available every day What should people be looking for when choosing a dentist?

Our teeth play an important role in our health and livelihood. They

help us to bite, chew and digest food. They help us to talk and make different sounds, and they are an important part of our facial features. Unfortunately, tooth decay can start from a very early age in our lives. If untreated, it can potentially lead to infection and eventually loss of teeth. Therefore, choosing a dentist must be an early decision in our lives, hence we must choose a dentist we can trust who is able to cater for all the changes happening to our teeth from a very young age to the time we grow old.

We thrive from our long-standing successful patient care and positive feedback. Word of mouth is our greatest asset as we make the welfare of our patients our top priority, and that’s never up for negotiation.

SMILES ALL ROUND Dentist Ramona Fathi Saffar and Dr Romulo Greco

Advertising Feature

Wednesday March 29 | 2017

How do you deal with people who are scared of the dentist?

Based on our patients’ admission, we have a very caring team in place, our receptionists and nurses, as well as dentists, make our patients feel very comfortable from the moment they walk into the practice to the time they are making their next appointments. Our dentists always ensure that they go at a pace that makes the patients feel comfortable. We explain any procedure very clearly, step-by-step, to ensure that they know what to expect, so there are no surprises. It’s a priority of ours to make sure our patients have a pleasant and stress-free visit.

Do you have a lot of patients who have been with you long term?

At Southborough Dental Practice we have many patients who have stayed with us for many years.

Over that time, they have brought in their partners, children and grandchildren. Our patients stay with us because we always put them and their needs first. It’s a real privilege to see families grow through the generations.

What are your thoughts on the growing concerns for NHS funding?

We view ‘change’ as a fact of life, therefore – whilst it would be unfortunate to see a reduction in our funding resources – with the help of our patients and some innovative financing solutions we would be able to keep up our services.

Nevertheless, we are forever grateful that we have the NHS in our country, and it’s something to be both valued and preserved.

It’s been a turbulent few months on a national and international scale. Have hot topics such as Brexit affected your practice at all?

Yes, our practice has suffered Brexit to some extent; we have had associates leaving us because they lost confidence in working in the

UK. We are also finding it more and more difficult to source professionals from Europe, which could be a concern for the entire healthcare industry in the UK.

FEATURES

81

MEET THE TEAM: Ramona (second from left) with some of the 13 members of staff working at the Soutborough Dental Practice

What are the most common problems you find you are dealing with in regard to dental health?

We actually find that the problems are decreasing. Now people are a lot more aware and conscious of their oral health and dental hygiene thanks to education, advertisements, campaigns and social media. There are the usual issues, such as decay and gum disease due to smoking, drinking and high-sugar diets, but overall dental health is improving.

How many staff do you currently have?

Our team consists of 14 members of full and part-time staff. Ramona Fathi Saffar is our principal dentist, who owns the practice. She has built it up and has been seeing our patients for over 18 years. Dr Romulo Greco is our implantologist and full-time general dentist. Dr Amir Tarki is available on Fridays for advance cosmetic and general dentistry. Mr Munim Habib is our full-time general dentist, and Dr Michalis Kyrtsos specialises in oral surgery. We have two hygienists working full-time hours who have been working with us for a combined 16 years. Additionally, we have three fantastic, qualified nurses, and brilliant reception staff welcoming our patients into the practice.

How do your NHS and private services differ?

We provide the same quality of care both for our NHS and independent patients; however, unfortunately, with limited NHS funding, not all treatment can be provided, therefore our patients always have the option to choose our independent services, such as implants, and all cosmetic treatments, such as teeth whitening.

What proportion of your patients are private?

About a quarter of our patients have chosen to go independent, although our NHS patients also have the option to choose independent services if they are not available within the NHS. Why choose Southborough for the practice?

The town is a great area of Tunbridge Wells. There is a real sense of community here, and we hope we are considered a part of that. We are situated on the main road running through Southborough, offering great access for all our patients.

What does the future hold for you all at the dental practice?

The future is bright for Southborough Dental.

Every day we continue to grow, introduce modern

technology and continue to develop our services, and we hope to be able to provide an excellent service to existing and new patients for many years to come.

Describe Southborough Dental Practice in five words Care, health, professionalism, modern and accessible.

SOUTHBOROUGH DENTAL PRACTICE 77 London Road, Southborough, Kent, TN4 0NH Tel: 01892 528048 Email: southboroughdental@btconnect.com

82

FEATURES

Motoring

FIRST DRIVE:

Jaguar F-Type SVR Powered by a 5.0-litre V8, the F-Type SVR is the most powerful Jaguar currently on sale. How does all that power feel on the road? Darren Cassey finds out…

Wednesday March 29 | 2017

‘This car manages to tread the line between ramping up the drama while adding composure in a way that beggars belief’

Motoring

Wednesday March 29 | 2017

WHAT’S NEW? This is the Jaguar F-Type SVR, and those three letters at the end of its name signify that this is the fastest, lightest and most focused F-Type to date.

It’s the work of Jaguar Land Rover’s Special Vehicle Operations division, which works on special versions of the company’s cars.

However, far from being a strippedout, lightweight track day hero like a Porsche 911 GT3, the SVR is actually about being ludicrously fast, but totally usable in the real world. That’s why most of the weight savings are in places you won’t notice – forged alloy wheels save 13.8kg, while carbon-ceramic brakes save a further 21kg, for example.

Other changes are more visual, though.

There are louvres on the bonnet to aid engine cooling, vents in the bodywork to improve airflow and there’s a prominent wing out back for increased downforce. This is a serious bit of kit.

LOOKS AND IMAGE Looks might be in the eye of the beholder, but there can’t be many people who’d refute the fact the F-Type is one of the best-looking cars out there.

Its pretty lines wear the more aggressive aerodynamic addendum well and transform the car. Couple that with the gorgeous V8 wail from the exhaust pipes, and the SVR’s driver-focused attitude is immediately apparent.

It’s exciting before you even pull away.

However, all of that drama is not at the expense of too much comfort.

Sure, the bucket seats are more cosseting, but they’re also leatherwrapped so won’t leave you sore on a long journey – quality materials are present throughout the interior and add to the classy feeling.

SPACE AND PRACTICALITY The F-Type SVR is a low-slung, two-seater sports car, so space and practicality are naturally not its forte.

That said, the cabin is not claustrophobic and the boot is big enough to fit a few bags for a weekend away – in coupé form, it has up to 408 litres of space, while the convertible has about half that.

There are plenty of driver aids that come as standard to help keep the car (and driver) out of trouble, such as dynamic stability control, emergency brake assist and low-grip drivetrain modes.

FEATURES

83

FACTS AT A GLANCE: MODEL: Jaguar F-Type SVR Coupé ENGINE: 5.0-litre V8 petrol TRANSMISSION: Eight-speed automatic PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph in 3.5 seconds, 200mph top speed ECONOMY: 25mpg (combined cycle) EMISSIONS: 199g/km CO2 PRICE: As tested: £132,790

BEHIND THE WHEEL

VALUE FOR MONEY

The F-Type R, on which the SVR is based, is quite a frenetic experience. But this car manages to tread the line between ramping up the drama while adding composure in a way that beggars belief.

Gears slam home in an instant thanks to the software-tweaked, eight-speed automatic transmission, while the four-wheel drive system has been given more rear bias to improve agility.

Aside from the glorious assault on the senses handed out by the engine, the other driving highlight comes from the revised chassis. Spring rates remain unchanged, but there are new dampers and anti-roll bars, wider, lighter wheels and stiffened rear knuckles.

It all combines to make the SVR feel more planted than ever before without losing the F-Type’s aggressive character.

When buying a high performance coupé that costs in excess of £100,000, value for money needs context.

That can be given to us by another car with a stunning exhaust note. The V10-engined Audi R8 comes with similar drama and, as far as mid-engined supercars go, is fairly practical.

The entry-level model starts at £120,645, while the bewinged, full-fat version is about £10,000 more – the F-Type SVR’s power output sits between these two models. Here, the F-Type looks like good value.

WHO WOULD BUY ONE? The Jaguar F-Type SVR is designed to grab a slice of the pie dominated by the likes of the Porsche 911. Its German rival has become the go-to option for fast and fun coupés, but the 911 has an excellent rival here.

Puzzles

Wednesday March 29 | 2017

3

4

5

6

14

15

16

17

18

19

R

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

G

2

5

2

24

24

20 2

25

G

2 19

R

13

2

24

2

19

4

22 23

21

17

19

R

21

22

24

6

9

24

19

R

3

24

2

R

9

4

4

4

26

17

R

21

17 21

7

2

2

R

3

16

10

10

14

2

19

19 19

R

R

21

R

11

19

R

23

17

24

2

23

12

21 11

1

16

1

24

16

16 2

21

7

24

24 19

R

22

24

24

23

19

R

26

R

6

10

6

10

1

8

9 7

8 3

7

2

6 1

8

4 5

24

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.

Codeword:

3

4 5

7

I N D E P T H

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

5

6 7 2

V E I N S

8

5 4

17

20 2

9

22

17

8 6

19

23 10

7 9

5

24

21

22

7

23

11

4

23

6

1

17

19

19

10

18

14 21

14

2

21

15

10

R

2

2 9

26

19

2 4

5

A B C D E F G H I J K L MNO P Q R S T U VWX Y Z 24

3

DIFFICULTY RATING: ★★II

2

© 2016 Syndicated Puzzles, Inc.

1

11

SOLUTIONS (FROM LAST WEEK)

SUDOKU & JIGSAW SUDOKU

1 4

8 3 6

3 7 9 3 2 3

2 7

© 2016 Syndicated Puzzles

CODEWORD

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

D E A S K E V I I I A G R A M D O N E U MON I U O O A R S E H C S J A T O V E R U L W R A Q I I N R N S T Y L I S H

3 7 9 4 8 5 2 6 1

6 2 5 1 7 3 8 9 4

P F O R O L I S X H

E A R S U R I O N EW

I T H N Y M C E A M O R D E E S T L Y

Jigsaw Sudoku:

Sudoku:

4 1 8 2 9 6 3 5 7

E L I Z A B E T H

2 9 1 8 5 4 6 7 3

5 3 7 9 6 1 4 2 8

8 4 6 7 3 2 9 1 5

7 5 2 3 4 9 1 8 6

9 6 4 5 1 8 7 3 2

1 8 3 6 2 7 5 4 9

9 6 1 5 3 2 7 8 4

8 7 3 2 4 5 1 9 6

2 4 7 6 8 9 3 1 5

3 1 6 9 2 8 4 5 7

5 8 4 3 1 7 2 6 9

6 2 5 7 9 4 8 3 1

1 9 8 4 7 6 5 2 3

4 5 2 1 6 3 9 7 8

7 3 9 8 5 1 6 4 2

© 2016 Syndicated Puzzles

FEATURES

DIFFICULTY RATING: ★★★★

84

Life & Style

Wednesday March 29 | 2017

FEATURES

85

PENSHURST VINTAGE & ANTIQUES FAIR

THE FREESTYLE YOGA PROJECT A YOGA company in Tunbridge Wells known as the “hidden gem” of the town’s High Street is celebrating its 4th birthday with a host of events for everyone in the community.

The Freestyle Yoga Project, which was launched by husband and wife team Mark and Anna Freeth in 2013, are offering new and existing clients a string of classes and workshops for young and old, novice and experienced.

Unusual courses at the studios include Mat and Page – a lesson blend of yoga and journal writing with local novelist and poet Sarah Salway at the helm, handstand training sessions and Crowd Crochet – a yoga lesson followed by a crochet blanket making for the charity SANDS. A fun lesson in yoga for the over 55s is also on offer at the studios as well as a weekly Feminist Book Club meet-up for both men and women….

And after the success of their classes in-house they have now launched a global coaching service with Mark offering online tuition for clients who have moved overseas.

As well as sending lesson videos online to those who can’t make it to the Tunbridge Wells sessions, the talented instructors are also offer on-line interactive coaching service straight to people’s inboxes.

Anna said: “It’s been a fantastic four years in Tunbridge Wells, we have achieved what we always wanted to do which is bringing yoga to everyone of all ages and abilities in the community, and more.

“In our fourth year we’ve also created some amazing partnerships with some seriously talented and creative people in Tunbridge Wells to complement our yoga classes like the novelist Sarah Salway and creative genius Laura Parker who hosts the Crowd Crochet sessions.

“And even if you move away from Tunbridge Wells we’ve got it covered with interactive online coaching! Although we’ve been here since 2013 we’re still evolving and getting to know exactly what makes our interesting mix of clients tick.”

Yoga-goer Ashley Turner of Langton Green said: “FYP has something for everyone and is a true hidden gem in the High Street. Mark and Anna have done a great job since opening their doors four years ago and the variety of classes and courses are getting more creative year on year… I’m a very happy customer and there’s a lot of us!”

Address: 42 High St, Tunbridge Wells TN1 1XF 01892 526938 www.freestyleyogaproject.com

EXCITING RE-BRAND SEES LOCAL BUSINESS SMALL LOADS OFFER A WHOLE LOT MORE TO GARDENERS THIS SPRING...

If you love gardening and enjoy dealing with local family businesses, then you couldn’t find a more inspiring one right here in Kent. Small Loads, a landscape and outdoor living supply business, based near Paddock Wood, was set up over 16 years ago

by Mick and Alice Corkery. The company is now run successfully by Mick and Alice, along with their two sons Oli and Harry, girlfriends, close friends and of course, their two striking dogs, Wallace and Boris. They operate the business from old-fashioned values of outstanding quality products, coupled with a relaxed and friendly customer service.

2017 is an exciting year for the family business as they embark on a re-brand, which officially sees the new name of Corker unveiled, replacing their previous name of Small Loads. Along with this is the dramatic development of their brand new 3-acre site, situated on the A228 near Paddock Wood. The new 3-acre site is currently being completely transformed with the introduction of 13 inspiring show gardens, allowing the public to wander through and gain ideas and inspiration.

The gardens are all being created by local landscape designers and showcase an array of exciting designs certain to enthuse. As well as offering the innovative show gardens Corker supply all the products you need to then create your own masterpiece. This includes a wide range of paving, turf, soil, sleepers, outdoor furniture and more.

Mick Corkery says “We are all so excited to be moving into a new stage of creating a public friendly site where people can be truly inspired to create their own dream garden. The whole team have been working on the development of the new site for the past 6 months and can’t wait for the final reveal at our launch event on Good Friday”.

Corker are situated on the A228 near Paddock Wood and the show gardens will be open from Friday 14th April when a celebratory launch event is taking place from 10am. In the meantime head to the new Corker website; www.corker.co.uk or give the team a call on 01892 833 325.

Penshurst Vintage & Antiques Fair is being held at the Penshurst Village Hall, TN11 8BP, on the 15th-17th April. Trade entry is available Saturday 9.30am, with public access running from 10.30am-5pm. Entrance is £2.00 and will be opening by Fixing Dad in association with the BBC and Prudential Ride London. Come and find fashionable vintage, French brocante and decorative antiques for the home and garden in beautiful Penshurst!

As well as our regular favourites to this charming long running fair, such as Tara Franklin Antiques, Hoof Brocante from Brooklands near Rye and Barnstar Vintage Store, we have some new exciting dealers: Marina Adinolfi from Church Hill Lewes will be there with an eclectic mix of antique prints, apothecary bottles and haberdashery, Caroline Bloomfield from Midhurst with beautiful clothing and Little Wren Vintage with gorgeous antique textiles will be joining us.

Blackstem Plants from Lamberhurst and beautiful bouquets from Flowers and Daughters will be filling the forecourt with spring colour – you can also relax and enjoy delicious homemade cakes and teas from Rose & Olive. Help to raise money for the community!

Follow us on Facebook at Penshurst Vintage & Antiques Fair or on Instagram at tara.franklin_antiques. Contact Tara on 07507876637.

A NEW AND ELITE HOUSEKEEPING/CLEANING COMPANY We are a new and exciting company based in Tunbridge Wells. We offer experienced, dependable, friendly cleaners, fully trained to deal with your personal needs. The same cleaner will visit, who will become familiar with cleaning your home as thoroughly as possible and take great care of it. This will ensure that you have total peace of mind in the knowledge that your home is in safe hands. As a professional cleaning company we offer clients cleaning services for both domestic and commercial needs. We will undertake every cleaning job. No job is too big or too small for us at TW Housekeepers. Our team of devoted cleaners will always deliver a gold class job!

Every business needs to maintain a prestigious image and part of this requires a clean and tidy office environment. TW housekeepers can easily adapt all cleaning services to suit the client’s needs by working daily or weekly during or after office hours. We will achieve and maintain a superior standard of cleanliness throughout your building, including reception areas, showrooms, offices, toilets, kitchens, board rooms/meeting rooms.

We specialise in providing our clients with a highly personal service. For a tailor made package for your household please contact us on 01892 540918 for an informal chat regarding your requirements.

LIFE JUST GETS EASIER WITH TW HOUSEKEEPERS

01892 540918 info@twhousekeepers.co.uk www.twhousekeepers.co.uk

Beauty

Wednesday March 29 | 2017

FEATURES

87

Get in full-swing for spring With lighter, brighter days ahead it’s time to overhaul your beauty regime says Eileen Leahy. That means giving your complexion some proper attention so it’s radiant looking, swapping heavier fragrances for fresher ones and prepping your body so it’s good to go when the time comes for the big reveal…

During the winter months the easiest option has been to cover up your body with plenty of layers and simply ignore those dry patches and flaky skin but with spring now in full swing and summer just around the corner it’s time to get to work.

Start your prep by investing in a really good cleanser that will get rid of any dead layers and dig deep below the skin’s epidermis to ensure your skin is dewy and radiant once more.

After months of slathering on heavy creams to protect your skin from the winter weather now it’s time to expose its vitality. Step forward Time Bomb’s Instawow Sparkling Facial Mask (£39 www. timebombco.com.)

Described as ‘self-bubbling’ this face mask’s principal aim is to purge and clarify pores to reveal a brighter more luminous looking you. Formulated with citrus extracts and sparkling humectant-rich glycerine it deliver on both nourishment and moisturise so you can dare to go bare.

When it comes to looking good French women know a thing or two so take a leaf out of their beauty bible and try out the Bioderma range – a gentle and inexpensive range of products from France and now available here that reap great results. For a thorough cleanse without stripping the skin try the Sensibio foaming cleanser (£10.50 www. feelunique) which contains an exclusive DAF complex – a group of active ingredients which clean and condition the skin.

Apply onto wet skin, lather up then rinse and pat dry.

BEAUTY SPOT - A LOOK AT WHAT’S NEW FOR SPRING Hair raising idea On that subject, it’s time to start exfoliating your body at least once a week from now on so it’s prepped and reading to reveal. Try Oblepikha & Honey Body Scrub (£6, www. naturasiberica.co.uk) Not only will its packaging prettify your bathroom shelves its Altai sea buckthorn oil nourishes while buckwheat honey extracts improve the skin’s elasticity. Organic sage extracts firm and help eliminate toxins.

Finish your home spa pampering session by showering with some Spa Magik Organiks Crème to Oil Coconut Body Wash (£12.50 www.shopforspa. com) which does the double job of cleansing, refreshing and nourishing limbs to leave them silky smooth.

Hands on

Ensure your hardworking hands are kept smooth and cha p-free by treating them to regular doses of these lovely balms which are packed full of active ingredients and essential fatty acids. Available in soothing Lemongrass (£14) and perfumed Wild Rose (£14.50 www. botanicals.co.uk) every handbag needs one!

Want to emulate that just got out of bed tousled supermodel vibe? Then reach for a can of Lee Stafford’s Lived In Spray (£5.99 www.Boots.com).

Spritz this lightweight finishing spray on your locks for effortless looking undone texture which is soft to touch and still boasts shine.

Stick your neck out

New from Budapest based beauty brand Omorovicza is this luxurious firming neck cream. Most women make the mistake of missing out on moisturising their neck when applying lotions and potions to their face. This is a big mistake as the skin on the neck and decollete area is thinner and less hydrated so needs extra TLC. This triple action cream (£90 www.omorovicza.com) is rich and sinks in deeply to plump and protect and make the jawline appear more sharply defined.

Making Scents

It’s time to pack the pungent perfumes away and opt for lighter, more floral varieties for the months ahead. Michael Kors Sexy Blossom Eau de Parfum (from £39.50 www.thefragranceshop.co.uk) is perfect as it opens up with sweet, smooth lychee notes which complement the hints of rose petals. At its heart is a beautiful bouquet of peony, muguet and freesia which complement hits of warm pink orchid

The silk trail The eyes have it

If you want utterly flutterly lashes then you have to do the prep. Use this gorgeous on-trend copper set of curlers to ensure your mascara does its job properly and makes the most of your eye lashes. It’ll also look super cool nestled in your make up bag. (£7, www.thevintagecosmeticcompany.)

Transform dry, tired stresses with this innovative product from Percy & Reed. Wonder Treatment Oil+ (£25 www.percyandreed.com) can be used on both dry and wet hair and delivers a boost of shine and moisture quicker than you can say ‘Rapunzel.’ The other bonus is it can be used on all types of hair.

Brush through from root to tip and let it work its magic.

NEWS

Recruitment

Wednesday March 29 | 2017

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

88

OF TUNBRIDGE WELLS AND TONBRIDGE

Wednesday March 29 | 2017

Recruitment

NEWS

89

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

90

FEATURES

Arts & Culture

Wednesday March 29 | 2017

The small music festival with very big ambitions

MY WAY Sir Willard White sings Sinatra

One of the world’s most famous bass baritones, Sir Willard White, will be performing at Frant Church this Friday. Here, the concert’s founder, Paul Barber, tells us how this small village came to welcome such a big star “WE HAVE been very fortunate over the years to have had many world-class singers and acclaimed musicians perform in our church in Frant,” says Paul Barber when discussing the success of the village’s annual music festival, which he started ten years ago.

FOUR FOR THE FESTIVAL: The Brodsky Quartet

He goes on to list a stellar line-up of stars who have visited the small but impressive and historical St Alban’s Church, which is home to the Frant Music Festival. Dame Felicity Lott, Sir Thomas Allen and Nigel Kennedy are just a few of the big names Paul mentions before adding that this year may well be the ‘best one yet’.

“We have one of the world’s finest singers, Sir Willard White, performing this year, as well as the UK’s number one jazz singer, Claire Martin, with jazz piano star Joe Stilgoe, British clarinettist Emma Johnson and guitar virtuoso John Williams, who will be playing here for the third time.”

This coming Friday [March 31], Sir Willard White – the Jamaican-born British baritone who made his professional debut at the New York City Opera when he performed in La bohème in 1974, and has since gone on to perform in the world’s most famous and prestigious opera houses – will be singing at St Alban’s along with the Brodsky Quartet.

Paul explains that the concert will ‘pay homage’ to the working relationship between the Hollywood Quartet and Frank Sinatra during the 1950s, which

‘We have been very fortunate over the years to have had many world-class singers ’ resulted in the classic ‘Close to You’ album.

“The programme has a strong American theme,” explains Paul. “There will be songs by Aaron Copland, George Gershwin, Jerome Kern and Kurt Weill, including ‘Summertime’, ‘Honey Man’, ‘P.S. I love You’, ‘Close to You’, and many other beautiful songs from ‘The Great American Songbook’.

It was Sir Willard himself who asked if he could perform at this small but obviously much respected festival.

“He actually asked to be included in this forthcoming concert,” Paul reveals. “I believe there are more of these [Close to You] concerts around the UK, and as I had already invited the Brodsky Quartet, and Sir Willard was looking to perform the ‘Close to You/Sinatra’ repertoire with the quartet, it led on from there!”

It promises to be a very entertaining evening…

The Sir Willard White and Brodsky Quartet concert takes place at St Alban’s Church, Frant, this Friday [March 31]. Doors open at 7.30 pm and the concert starts at 8pm. To buy tickets, which cost £30, visit Frant Stores, Brittens music shop in Tunbridge Wells or call 01892 864304 or visit www.wegottickets.com

Arts & Culture

Wednesday March 29 | 2017

An illuminating performance from this theatrical group…

FEATURES

91

PRACTISE MAKES PERFECT The troupe have fun rehearsing The Mikado, here set in 1910

The Local Amateur Musical Players – or LAMPS as they’re known – are staging a new production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s famous opera The Mikado, which they first performed 45 years ago. Chairperson Andrew Swann tells Eileen Leahy a little more about the show and the theatrical troupe’s history

P

OPULAR local theatre group LAMPS originally formed in 1927. Initially, the group was launched as an all-male cast of ex-students from the Judd School Rugby Club, who performed a musical revue to raise funds.

Pupils from Tonbridge Grammar School [for girls] joined in 1930, and a year later a committee was formed.

Rejecting the name Tonbridge Operatic and Dramatic Society [TOADS], the name Local Amateur Musical Players – or LAMPS – was decided upon.

The players performed in various theatres in Tonbridge, including the Medway Hall, which is where Poundland’s car park now stands, and the Repertory Theatre on Avebury Avenue.

In 1955, the Repertory Theatre closed and forced LAMPS to look elsewhere. Its cast, now averaging at least 50 people per production, found a new home at the Royal Victoria Hall in Southborough – and remained there almost exclusively for 59 years, until it closed in January 2015.

Now they have come full circle back to Tonbridge, performing The Mikado at the EM Forster Theatre – a production they first put on in 1972 but are revisiting to celebrate the LAMPS’ 90th birthday.

Why did LAMPS decide to stage The Mikado?

We are always keen to give our audiences something fun, interesting, and quirky to watch.

And you don’t get more quirky than a Gilbert and Sullivan classic like The Mikado. It’s a musical farce full of impromptu marriages, forged death certificates and the revelation of a prince in disguise – all with the threat of execution hanging over

their heads. It’s a classic production with scope to bring in some modern comic twists, and ours is no different.

Who is directing the performance?

Helen Thorpe. She is recognised throughout the Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells theatre scene thanks to her work with various local venues, including The Oast, TWODS, Trinity Theatre Club and The Pantiles Players. Helen has won awards for her productions of The Pajama Game (for LAMPS) and TURNING The Pirates of Penzance (for JAPANESE TWODS), and is well-known for her LAMPS first quirky twist on theatre classics. performing She brings a wonderful energy, The Mikado passion and dedication to any in 1972 production she works on.

What appealed most to you about The Mikado?

Helen proposed bringing the Victorian script by Gilbert and Sullivan slightly more up to date by setting it in 1910. The twist comes as we are pretending to be a band of Edwardian music hall performers putting on a production of The Mikado.

So there’s a little bit more interaction with the audience – but it’s definitely not pantomime!

members of the society, whilst several others have actively been a part of the LAMPS since the early 1960s. We’re proud of our all-welcoming nature, and our diversity of age brings with it great amounts of fun. Auditions usually follow a help night where the director, musical director and choreographer go through their concept for the show, sing some of the songs the prospective cast will need for their auditions, and teach what we amusingly call ‘movement to music’ (otherwise known as dance). It’s a very collaborative process to see what people are capable of in a friendly way rather than testing them.

With a production like this, the costumes are of great importance. Do you have a big team behind the scenes making them?

We’re very lucky to have talented people working in all areas backstage for this production. Our small team of costumers, prop makers and set builders number about half a dozen in total. Some of the costumes have been borrowed, most have been modified, hired or made from scratch, which

How long have you been rehearsing it?

We had our first read and sing-through just before Christmas, with rehearsals beginning properly at the beginning of January. It’s fairly common to rehearse a musical of this kind for around three months, and we generally meet twice a week for the first six weeks and then add in longer Sundays.

People are more focused and less tired from work then – but it’s a big commitment for everyone – the cast, the crew, the props and costume designers, and all our associated families!

How big is the cast, and can you tell us about the audition process?

There are 28 people in the cast, some are new

THE LAMPS ENSEMBLE Fanning the flames of Gilbert & Sullivan fun

gives the show a definite and consistent look. The wigs and make-up are just as important a part of the characters, and once they’re all put together we have the most amazingly striking physical beings to go with their characters from the script.

What can the audience expect from seeing this show?

I hope a rip-roaring night of musical entertainment!

We have wrung every ounce of comedy from Gilbert and Sullivan’s wonderful original script, and added some more in, to boot. It’s a brilliant piece of physical theatre, and we’re blessed to have some very versatile actors, dancers and singers who really do give their all on stage.

The Mikado runs from Saturday-Wednesday April 4-8 at the EM Forster Theatre at Tonbridge School. Tickets start from £13, and performances are at 7.30pm, with a matinee at 2.30pm on the Saturday. For more information, visit www.boxoffice.tonbridge-school.co.uk

92

FEATURES

What’s On

Wednesday March 29 | 2017

SEVEN DAYS OF SOCIAL ACTIVITIES AT A GLANCE

WHATS ON WITH THE

Eileen Leahy Local events

MARITAL MISS Madama Butterly on screen at Trinity

>> WEDNESDAY Starting tonight there will be an exciting new production by the Oast Youth Theatre in Tonbridge. Oast Made: After Show is a new play that’s been completely created by this young theatre troupe. It’s about ‘growing up, the fear of failure and Capri-Suns as the curtain goes down on a show’. Sounds interesting, and therefore promises to be an entertaining watch. Running until Saturday, the show starts at 8pm each evening and tickets cost £10. See www.oasttheatre.cloudvenue.co.uk Over at Trinity Theatre, you can see the criticallyacclaimed Manchester by the Sea, which stars Casey Affleck and Michelle Williams. It’s a hardhitting drama about a reclusive janitor who has to face his painful past when he returns to his Massachusetts hometown after the sudden death of his older brother. Affleck, who won a BAFTA and Oscar for his role, plays Lee Chandler, who has been appointed the legal guardian of his brother’s outgoing teenage son, Patrick. As the mismatched pair stumble through the mundane details of estate planning, Lee is forced to confront his past, which includes having to face his ex-wife Randi again (played by Michelle Williams). The screening starts at 8pm and tickets cost £10.50. Visit www.trinitytheatre.net >> THURSDAY The Kent High Weald Partnership is hosting Springboard the Walk 2 today at Grosvenor & Hilbert Park. Starting at 10am and running until 3pm, the environmental organisation hopes that

volunteers will pitch up to help them give some of the more neglected and overgrown areas of the park a little horticultural TLC. For more information, call: 01580 212 972.

There will be live screenings of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, performed at the Royal Opera House, happening at the Odeon and also Trinity Theatre this evening at 7.15pm. If you’re unfamiliar with the story of this poignant East-meets-West opera, then the story goes like this: Cio-Cio-San is a young Japanese bride who has just married the handsome American officer Lieutenant Pinkerton. Yet her marital bliss is quickly shattered when her new husband deserts her shortly after their marriage.

Cio-Cio-San lives in hope that one day he will return… This particular production, by Moshe Leiser and Patrice Caurier, is both dramatic and beautiful in equal measure. Tickets cost from £18. >> FRIDAY A Village Romeo and Juliet is being performed at the Stag

BALLET CENTRAL in Tonbridge

Theatre this evening at 7.30pm.

It is 19th-century composer Frederick Delius’s take on the classic Shakespearean tale, but has a darker, more sinister feel to it. Go along to experience this impressive drama and immerse yourself in the play’s wonderful musical score. Tickets cost from £26 and can be ordered at www.stagsevenoaks-tickets.co.uk The Forum will be welcoming the Burlesque Fever Show from 7.30pm. Featuring the best award-winning cabaret, circus and burlesque performers, the evening promises to be a fun one of vaudeville variety. Comedienne Miss Jones is your compère, and there will be showcase turns from dancers Chantilly Lace and Ruby Deshabille and magician Adam Smith. Tickets cost from £10. For more details, see www.twforum.co.uk

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

>> SATURDAY From 10am until 1pm, there will be a Spring Fair at King Charles the Martyr Church in Tunbridge Wells. Games, books, toiletries and toys will all be on sale, with all proceeds going to the Barnabus Fund and the Open Doors charity for persecuted Christians in Syria and Iraq.

This morning from 11am, Four Winds Farm in Bidborough will be holding a Spring Lambing Day. As well as newborn lambs, there will also be tractor rides, a BBQ, a sheepdog demo and local produce for sale. The event is great fun for all the family and runs until 4pm. Tickets cost £5 for adults and those under 16 only pay £1 for entry.

The Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour comes to the Assembly Hall at 7.30pm. It’s an evening of adventurous, adrenaline-driven celluloid offerings from some of the world’s most prestigious and talented film-makers in this genre.

You’ll see plenty of short films which follow the expeditions of incredible thrill-seekers and adventurers. Tickets cost £13 and can be ordered via www.assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk Ballet Central will be in action over at the EM Forster Theatre in Tonbridge. The group boasts a diverse range of young, dynamic dancers who will perform works by the likes of Sir Matthew Bourne and the English National Ballet. Now under the guidance of new Artistic Director Christopher Marney, this familyfriendly show is ideal for anyone who’s passionate about dance – or who wants to discover a little more about it.

Tickets cost from £15, and can be purchased at www.boxoffice.tonbridge-school.co.uk >> SUNDAY Trinity is hosting Easter Bunny’s Eggs-ellent Adventure. The team behind Marty MacDonald’s Farm and Santa’s Christmas Cracker is now hosting this seasonal treat for young children to enjoy. As well as including lots of interactive fun and plenty of songs to join in,

AMAZING FEATS In the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour at the Assembly Hall

such as Wheels on the Bus and If You’re Happy and You Know It, little ones will also have the chance to meet the Easter Bunny, who’ll give them a special present. The show starts at 2.30pm and tickets cost £9.

A lot of our local attractions have launched their Easter activities this weekend. Penshurst Place is putting on Rabbits, Riddles and Rhymes in its grounds for the next two weeks from 10.30am until 6pm daily. Visitors both young and old will be encouraged to seek out their sleuthing skills in order to help unravel the riddles left by the Easter Rabbit. If the weather’s not too great you can make your own pair rabbit ears, write a riddle or colour in

PICK OF THE WEEK Beauty and the Beast

Moonlight Drive-in Cinema, The Hop Farm, Paddock Wood, March 29-April 13 (times vary)

One of the year’s biggest blockbusters so far is Beauty and the Beast, which stars Emma Watson and Dan Stevens in the lead roles. But if you missed it first time round, the good news is you can catch it at the Hop Farm’s Moonlight Drive-in Cinema every day until April 13. Tickets cost £25 per vehicle and show times vary. For specific timings visit www.moonlightcinema.com

What’s On

Wednesday March 29 | 2017

FEATURES

93

A ROUND-UP OF THIS WEEK’S MUSICAL HIGHLIGHTS

WAVES OF EMOTION In Manchester by the Sea at Trinity a giant Easter poster in The Old Coach House. For more information visit www.penshurstplace.com >> MONDAY Groombridge Place has also just launched its special Easter attraction, and this year’s theme is Alice in Wonderland. On from 10am to 5pm daily until Sunday April 16, the event – inspired by Lewis Carroll’s classic tome – includes lots of fun-filled activities with a circus-themed twist.

Children are encouraged to look out for the Rabbit Hole and Queen’s Lair, and to also enjoy watching the Alice characters performing circus tricks, which include walking along an aerial trapeze in the forest. There will be croquet on the lawn and a photo booth with giant and miniature mushrooms to pose alongside. For ticket prices and further details, head to www.groombridgeplace.com >> TUESDAY Hever Castle’s holiday fun this Easter focuses on the trail of the Lindt Gold Bunny, which children can follow in order to earn a chocolate treat. There will also be plenty of family entertainment up until April 17, which includes Easter bonnet craft workshops followed by a traditional Easter parade.

In the castle, meanwhile, there will be lots on the history on Easter and its traditions. For more information on activities and prices, take a look at www.hevercastle.co.uk

Paul Dunton

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

Live music There are so many wonderful live gigs and concerts on offer this week across the local scene, so make sure you venture out to check out some great live music…

THE ASSEMBLY HALL THEATRE

Crescent Road, information on times and tickets at www.assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk THURSDAY Sensational 60s Experience SUNDAY RTWSO – Mozart & Mahler (3pm start) TUESDAY At Last: The Etta James Story

THE SPA HOTEL

THE RUSTHALL CLUB

Mount Ephraim, free entry, music from 8pm to 10pm Dinner reservations@spahotel.co.uk FRIDAY Live Jazz: Fred Clark

5 St Paul’s Street, Rusthall, open all day, free entry, music from 8.30pm onwards SATURDAY The 6Ts

THE CROSS KEYS

St John’s Road, open all day, free entry, music from 8pm, website www.crosskeystw.co.uk WEDNESDAY Jazz Funk Giants MONDAY TWUNT: Ukulele Jam Session THE ROYAL OAK

THE GREY LADY MUSIC LOUNGE

The Pantiles, doors 7.15pm, entry £6/£7, websites www.pdag.co.uk + www.thegreylady.co.uk WEDNESDAY Jill Lucas, Lucy Jarrett, Arcelia, The Breretons THURSDAY The Floodgates EP Launch with support from Hannigan FRIDAY Son Guarachando SATURDAY Swinging Little Big Band SUNDAY Silent Crowd, Steve Hewitt, Hannah Richards THE TUNBRIDGE WELLS FORUM

Doors 7.30pm, entry price variable, event information and tickets at www.twforum.co.uk THURSDAY TEDxRoyalTunbridgeWells Launch FRIDAY Burlesque Fever Show

Prospect Road, open all day, free entry, music from early evening onwards SATURDAY Rock Formation MONDAY Open Mic Night

THE PUNCH & JUDY

11 St Stephen’s Street, Tonbridge, open all day, free entry, music from 8.30pm TUESDAY Fate the Juggler (trio set) TONBRIDGE FOLK CLUB

Ye Olde Chequers Inn, 122 High Street, Tonbridge 8pm-11pm, £7 suggested donation. More details at www.tonbridgefolkclub.org MONDAY Chris Green & Sophie Matthews

THE KING WILLIAM IV PUB, PEMBURY

Open all day, free entry, music from 7.30pm onwards THURSDAY Open Mic Night FRIDAY Kylie Minogue Tribute THE BEAU NASH TAVERN

Mount Ephraim, open all day, free entry, music from 8.30pm till late SATURDAY Frank States Boro SUNDAY Open Mic Night

Fred Clark

The Floodgates

NEWS

Sporting Times

CONTACT US:

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

Sonko’s double leaves Angels in tight corner

Wednesday March 29 | 2017

PHOTO: Brandon Begg

94

Tonbridge Angels 0 Harlow Town 3 FOOTBALL: HARLOW TOWN put a dent in the Angels’ play-off hopes while also helping their own aspirations of joining the end-of-season shake-up with a comfortable victory.

The visitors took the lead after just two minutes when Ibrahim Sonko rose unopposed to head the ball home via the underneath of the crossbar.

The home side had a couple of chances on the half-hour. Alex Akrofi’s shot grazed the upright and Nicky Wheeler’s close-range effort was well held by Harlow keeper David Hughes.

Sonko nearly repeated his earlier feat but his header right on half-time crashed against the bar.

The same player scored his second in the 79th minute, latching on to a loose ball after the Angels failed to clear a corner.

The Hawks’ triumph was confirmed in the 84th minute when Fabian Simms scored – again as a result of a corner Tonbridge failed to deal with.

Angels manager Steve McKimm said: “We went to look at Harlow play Burgess Hill midweek and identified their strength at set-pieces.

“This information was given to the players, and what happens? They score from three set-pieces.”

He added: “Such is our form, at this rate we will

UNDER PRESSURE Angels feel the heat against Harlow

REACHING OUT David Judge puts in a timely tackle PHOTO: Wesley Filtness

By Jim Rowe

be lucky to finish in the top eight.”

Tonbridge stay in fifth position thanks to defeats for Dulwich Hamlet and Wingate & Finchley. But the play-offs seem a distant goal.

Veteran Constable to the rescue Rusthall 1 Meridian VP 0

By Richard Smith FOOTBALL: A GOAL from reliable striker Andy Constable kept Rusthall’s promotion dream alive in their last home game of a remarkable season in Southern Counties East League Division One. The contest was adversely affected by the strong winds and chances were few and far between.

Neither side created a clear-cut chance in a scrappy first half until the ball fell kindly to leading scorer Constable in the 45th minute. The veteran

forward made no mistake from eight yards out.

The second half followed much the same pattern, which made for a nervy final 10 minutes as Meridian committed more players forward.

Rusthall now finish their season with three away games, the first of them at promotion rivals K Sports on Saturday. They lead by a point so if they win them all they are guaranteed promotion.

The Rustics have also seen a big increase in support at the Jockey Stadium this season with an average attendance of just over 100.

In the Premier Division, Tunbridge Wells lost 2-0 at home to Erith & Belvedere but they remain safely clear of the relegation zone.

Wells made to wait for title after losing 11-goal thriller Tunbridge Wells Men 5 Gore Court 6

By Brandon Begg HOCKEY: TUNBRIDGE WELLS knew that a win over Gore Court at Tonbridge School might hand them the title in South League Kent and Sussex Regional Division One. But despite going three up in the first quarter of an hour, they were pipped in what proved to be a thrilling 11-goal contest.

Ben Allberry netted the first goal inside three minutes, and soon afterwards a great team move resulted in Ben Brandt laying it on a plate for Callum Wood to tap in.

Then an unconventional short corner resulted in Allberry netting his second following a deflection from David Judge, and the hosts had already raced into a 3-0 lead.

But two breakaways, two defensive turnovers

and a well-taken short corner saw Gore Court go 5-3 up before half-time.

After this wake-up call Wells responded quickly, building up pressure again. A trademark Allberry reverse went through the keeper to make it 5-4.

Another defensive error saw Gore Court win the ball in the D and finish ruthlessly to take it to 6-4.

Callum Wood eventually put Wells within one strike of equalising after unrelenting pressure and possession in the Gore Court half.

But with resolute defending Gore Court hung on to win 6-5, with the more clinical and ruthless side on the day coming out victorious.

Despite the defeat, Wells can now win the league next week away at Ashford, the day before a home cup semi-final against Canterbury.

All support will be hugely appreciated for a rematch of last year’s semi-final, and Wells hope to exact some revenge for that last-minute defeat.

Simla left to rue Dormansland defeat Hunt on hand to provide late leveller FOOTBALL: SIMLA lost their chance to become champions of the West Kent Sunday Football League for the eighth time in ten seasons when they lost their ‘must win’ game at Dormansland.

Artois United win the WKSFL title on goal difference ahead of Tonbridge Origin, with Simla just a point behind in third.

It was the closest finish for many seasons, as the league celebrates its 50th anniversary.

Dormansland Rockets have been in poor form in the league this season despite their run to a County Cup final and the semi-final in the WKSFL Senior Cup. But the Rockets recorded only their second

victory in the league – playing with only ten men.

At times it was like defending the Alamo but they held on and the final score was 2-1.

Dave Heaton and Ben Burns scored for Dormansland, while John Phillips provided Simla’s only goal.

The season’s WKSFL honours go to: Division One winners Artois United, runners-up Tonbridge Origin; Division Two winners Gardener’s Arms, runners-up Pembury Sunday; Division Three winners Bricklayer’s Arms, runners-up Green Street Blues; Division Four winners Tunbridge Wells Foresters Reserves, runners-up FC Grinstead.

Tunbridge Wells Ladies 2 Chelmsford 2nd XI 2

By Brandon Begg HOCKEY:

TUNBRIDGE WELLS Ladies earned a deserved point to provide them with a fifth-place finish in East Region Division One South at the end of the campaign.

The home side dominated the first half-hour at Hawkenbury but despite numerous short corners and attempts on the Chelmsford goal their finishing proved fruitless.

Wells were distributing the ball well but against

the run of play Chelmsford were able to score on a counter-attack.

The home side came back from the break with more fight and quickly found an equaliser to show for their efforts through Amy Hare.

Both teams tried relentlessly to score the winner, making the game end-to-end and nailbiting.

Chelmsford scored their second goal to take the lead after an excellent passage of play.

But Wells worked tirelessly to get back in the game and the equaliser finally came from Jen Hunt with five minutes left.

Sporting Times

Defeat leaves play-off ambitions in jeopardy

PHOTO: Adam Hookway

Wednesday March 29 | 2017

Tunbridge Wells 12 Brighton 17

NEWS

95

POWER PLAY Stephen Neli dives over for TJs’ fourth try

HAIR RAISING Jake Thompson goes on a break

PHOTO: Bruce Elliott

Forward momentum keeps Juddians on course for title

By Roger Clarke RUGBY: AFTER this defeat at home to Brighton, and with Havant getting past CS 1863 by a point, the gap between them in second place and Tunbridge Wells in third widens to six points.

So the advantage swings back towards the Hampshire side in the quest for a play-off place in London One South.

In the first minute, the visitors went down to 14 as No 7 Joe Hoare was given a yellow card for a head-high tackle.

This did not seem to hamper their game and inside five minutes Brighton’s left wing Zac Alldred-Downey sped 80 metres for the first touchdown.

The hosts themselves went down a man on the quarter-hour after a yellow card for another head high tackle.

Three minutes later, Wells were 12-0 down when they conceded a penalty try under pressure at a 10-metre scrum.

Then the blustery wind further added to Wells’ woes as a missed ball in the air saw

Brighton’s lead stretch to 17-0.

In the second half Wells needed to get back into the game quickly and were playing with the wind this time. They duly set up camp on the Brighton 22.

This brought dividends quickly as Brighton fly-half Lewis Evans kicked the ball straight at a Wells player at waist height.

Several pairs of hands later and centre Fionn McLaughlin got the try under the posts but Frank Reynolds could not convert it.

The town side just could not find the cohesion or the patience to build winning platforms as Brighton defended ferociously.

It took the Wells until the 64th minute for a thumping tackle from centre Dylan Barkas to dislodge the ball, and skipper Lee Campion powered over close to the posts for a try converted by Hayden Pope.

Wells could still get back in the game with 18 minutes remaining but Brighton worked furiously to slow the ball.

It appeared that on the day the visitors wanted the win more than the injury-ravaged hosts.

The Wells now travel to bottom side Gosport & Fareham on Saturday.

TOP OF THE RANGE Christian Earle wins a lineout

Tonbridge Juddians 28 Dorking 7

By Adam Hookway RUGBY: TONBRIDGE JUDDIANS knew that a bonus point win over Dorking would be another big step towards the National Three London and South-East title and promotion.

TJs currently need 15 points from three games, with 20 on offer.

But Dorking had other ideas and scored first with a well-worked try and conversion.

Will Colderick broke through for TJs and after a few charges at the line Michael McBeath scored.

A similar passage of play followed soon after with George Lawson smashing through under the posts. Liam Prescott converted to increase the lead to 12-5 at half-time.

The strong wind was playing havoc and a Dorking spillage allowed the ball to be worked right for Murray Galbraith-Lowe to go over.

The forwards got in on the act again as Stephen Neli went on the charge and with a little help he also crossed for a try – and secured a bonus point.

The win maintains TJs’ five-point lead over Wimbledon intact at the top of the table. They travel to Sutton & Epsom on Saturday.