Times of Tonbridge 8th March 2017

Wednesday March 8 | 2017

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CLASSIC CHILDREN’S TOME COMES TO THE EM FORSTER

NEW PRIMARY SCHOOL PROVES TO BE POPULAR WITH LOCAL COMMUNITY

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THE MAN WHO’S MAKING MONEY OUT OF THIN AIR – HONEST

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STRICTLY STARS TALK TO THE TIMES AS THEY HEAD FOR TOWN Page 20

INSIDE

Council leader defends strategy from ‘fire sale of assets’ accusation

SAD GOODBYES

Teen and Twenty Club finally shuts up shop Page 3

By Murray Jones

newsdesk@timesoftonbridge.co.uk THE sale of public assets in the town centre has been criticised as ‘short-sighted and unambitious’ by the local Green Party, prompting Council Leader Nicolas Heslop to defend the policy.

The criticism was drawn by news that Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council’s properties on River Walk and River Lawn Road are being sold to the private sector, with the move also called a ‘fire sale of assets to balance the books’, by the Tonbridge & Malling Green Party in a formal press release.

Sales include the former Citizens Advice Bureau on River Walk, as well as the Teen and Twenty Club and adjacent land.

A new ‘state of the art medical centre’ is set to replace the youth club in River Lawn Road, whereas the other two properties have been earmarked for residential development.

April Clark, the prospective Parliamentary candidate for the Greens, said: “The sale is going to help for now, but eventually you are going to run out of things to sell. There just seems to be no foresight or long-term thinking.”

However, Cllr Heslop dismissed the criticism, arguing the future of River Lawn is ‘exciting and ambitious’.

He pledged that the council are ‘taking a strategic

Continued on page 2 FOR SALE: The former Citizens Advice Bureau on River Walk will be sold

THE NIFTY FIFTY

Nathan Elder reaches half century in thriller Page 70

REUNITED Chief Constable of Kent Alan Pughsley, PC Steve Cole, Bradley Fretwell, High Sheriff of Kent, Kathrin Smallwood and PC Steve Pomfret

Hero commended for saving officer’s life after road crash

By Jonathan Banks

newsdesk@timesoftonbridge.co.uk A TONBRIDGE motorist who put himself in danger on a busy motorway to save the life of a police officer has received an award for his bravery.

Bradley Fretwell, 23, from Higham Wood, was travelling to Dover on the M2 last year when he witnessed a collision involving a police car and lorry.

PC Steve Pomfret, who was sitting in the front passenger seat of the police car, was trapped in the vehicle and had sustained life-threatening injuries from an arterial bleed.

The driver, PC Steve Cole, managed to get out of the car, but collapsed on the roadside.

Witnessing their plight, Mr Fretwell reacted immediately, calling 999, and running to the crashed police car to

give aid to the officers, putting himself in danger from the moving M2 traffic.

PC Pomfret was drifting in and out of consciousness and losing a considerable amount of blood from his arm, which was badly injured.

Quick-thinking The young driver used first aid equipment from the back of the police car to apply a tourniquet and bandages to the officer’s injuries, limiting the loss of blood. He was also able to provide him with oxygen from a tank in the car’s boot.

Since the accident, which happened on June 20, 2016 near Sittingbourne, Maidstone-based PC Pomfret has received significant medical treatment, including skin graft operations, and is continuing to rehabilitate his arm back to full use.

After the awards ceremony last week [on February 28], Mr Pughsley said: “Bradley’s actions managed to stabilise the rapidly deteriorating condition of PC Pomfret, and it is the overriding medical opinion of the attending paramedics and the consultant at King’s College Hospital that his actions saved an officer’s life that day.

“In order to recognise the courageous and life-saving actions of Bradley, the Royal Humane Society Committee – of which the patron is Her Majesty The Queen – unanimously awarded him an ‘Honorary Testimonial on Vellum’ which is signed by Her Royal Highness Princess Alexandra as the Society’s President.

“It was my pleasure to present Bradley with his award, and also to see him reunited with PCs Steve Pomfret and Steve Cole, who he went out of his way to help on that day last June.”

PLOT NOT LOST

Lions step in to preserve our twin town gift Page 2

HEDDA GABLER

Catch this classic play tomorrow night Page 68-69

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Local News

Wednesday March 8 | 2017

School gets thumbs up from community

Police watchdog warns force of ‘worrying’ trend

THE prospect of a new Church of England primary school in Tonbridge has proved popular with the town’s residents.

The results of a public consultation on Bishop Chavasse, which is set to open in Tudeley Lane in September, showed that 86 per cent of the 171 respondents felt there was a need for a new Church of England primary school in the south of the town.

The choice of location, adjacent to the Somerhill Green Housing Development, was equally as popular.

The allocation of 25 per cent of places to be given to children whose parents attend a Church of England proved to be more controversial, although the majority of respondents (76 per cent) favoured the prioritisation.

Report reveals victims of crime fail to support action by the Kent force in one fifth of cases

Vote of confidence The report highlighted one comment which read: “This is not a fair system. Parents lie to get their children into church schools and you are promoting elitism.”

Others disagreed, with one participant arguing that the allocation of 15 places should actually be higher ‘as there is no other Church of England school in Tonbridge’.

Ian Bauckham, Chief Executive of the Tenax Schools Trust, which will run the school, said: “This is an overwhelming vote of confidence in our plans for our new school that will serve south Tonbridge families and their children.”

Two weeks ago, the Headteacher for the new school was announced. Mrs Donna Weeks will POPULAR take charge from the beginning Tenax of the autumn term. She has CEO Ian previously taught at St John’s Bauckham Church of England Primary School in Tunbridge Wells.

The Tenax Schools Trust is also in charge of Bennett Memorial Diocesan Secondary School in Tunbridge Wells, where Mr Bauckham is Executive Headteacher.

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UNDER PRESSURE Police have faced serious cuts since 2010.

By Murray Jones

newsdesk@timesoftonbridge.co.uk THE police standards watchdog has warned that Kent Police has a ‘significant problem’ with how it works with victims of crime.

A report by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary [HMIC] noticed ‘worrying overall trends’ as more than one in five crime investigations (21.9 per cent) failed to progress due to the victim not supporting police action.

This is the second worst rate in the country and is significantly higher than the national average (13.8 per cent).

The report also notes a ‘considerable fall in victim satisfaction’ over the last five years (dropping from 88.2 per cent in 2011 to 82.4 per cent in 2016).

The document also warned that these figures

‘suggest that the force has a significant problem with how it works with and supports victims’.

When it came to cases involving domestic violence, more than half were assigned this outcome, the fourth worst rate nationwide.

Often, after a victim first reports a crime they may decide to not follow through with providing a statement. The reasons for which range from victims feeling intimidated by the judicial process to the less serious apathy towards finding the perpetrator.

Kent Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Scott responded: “HMIC said Kent Police needs to understand why so many crimes are not being progressed, either because the victim does not support police action or because there are difficulties in securing sufficient evidence, and so it is good to see that Kent Police has already begun looking at this issue. HMIC rightly says this is a positive step.”

Crime rates The number of recorded crimes also rose by 7.5 per cent from the previous year. Compared to 2011, it has increased 12.6 per cent, in stark contrast to the nationwide trend, which has seen crime fall by 3.4 per cent.

Overall, the force was deemed to be providing a ‘good’ service, scoring a consistent three out of four rating in all main categories.

Despite issues with victim support in cases of

domestic violence, the report notes that the force had ‘intervened positively’ to improve their arrest rate in cases of domestic abuse.

There were 17,642 domestic abuse cases in the year to June 30, 2016, a 41 per cent increase on the previous year. Of these, just under half resulted in an arrest. However, in response to the poor rate, that figure was improved to 67 per cent, between August and October last year.

Police cuts HMIC Lead Inspector Zoe Billingham has warned of the ‘potentially perilous state of British policing’ as 22 per cent cuts to budgets since 2012 have led to a loss of 32,000 personnel nationwide.

In the last five years, the number of officers and staff at Kent Police has fallen by 408 – more than half of which were frontline officers.

This is a result of cuts introduced by the coalition government, which saw funding for Kent Police reduced by 19 per cent between 2010-15.

Another £33.3million must be saved from the force’s £278million budget in the next four years, ‘just to stand still’, according to Crime Commissioner Matthew Scott.

“I don’t think there is going to be any extra money for police in the next few years, it’s something that we are going to have be very careful of.

It’s a big challenge,” he told an audience of Tonbridge business owners last month.

Lions save town from losing the twinning plot THE local Lions Club have stepped in to help avoid any red faces during future visits from members of Tonbridge’s twin town, Heusenstamm.

The group have made a grant of £500 to create a garden around a gift of friendship presented by the German town in 1994, to celebrate ten years of successful twinning.

In the past, the ancient relic from their Bannturm [castle] has been neglected, remaining sat amongst a patch of grass next to Tonbridge Castle’s Watergate.

Such an unremarkable display around the gift had been a source of embarrassment when dignitaries from the twin town visit.

However, last spring a small group of volunteers stepped in, planting a bed of colourful flowers. The team were made up of mem-

Council in ‘strategic approach’ Continued from page 1 view’ on how they manage their assets, with all capital generated from sales to be reinvested ‘with the aim of a maximum return to support the borough council’s revenue income’.

The council’s Annual Investment Strategy shows a definite preference for putting money into property funds, as opposed to the more ‘volatile’ ownership of individual properties.

The council document says: “When the economy is in decline (recession) the capital value of property can fall significantly (20 per cent in 1974; 35 per cent, in 1990 to 1992 and 40 per cent in 2007 to 2009).”

Property funds are mutual investment funds, which use capital from multiple parties to purchase properties. At the end of 2016, the

PRESENTABLE: Volunteers Fred Long, Suzannah Niklas and George Niklas at the relic last summer

council had a core investment fund of £23million, the interest of which had returned £177,800.

PORTFOLIOS: In the 2015/16 financial year, Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council [TMBC] owned £59million worth of property which is used in the day-to-day operations of the council. The value of these assets is determined by how much it would cost to replace them, rather than their value if sold.

Additionally, TMBC held £4.9million in ‘investment properties’, which are classed as assets which generate income for the council.

These properties provided £393,000 of income, with another £324,000 coming from the sale of surplus assets. However, the bill for maintaining all of the authority’s property, including operational buildings, was £520,000 in 2015/16.

It is a stark contrast to Tunbridge Wells and Sevenoaks, who appear to be buying up property to ensure long-term financial viability.

bers of the Heusenstamm Friendship Circle – an organisation that maintain close contact with the German town and encourage Tonbridge residents to travel there.

Unfortunately, due to a dwindling number of available volunteers, The Friendship Circle is unable to maintain the plot.

The group’s secretary, Eileen Best, said they were ‘anxious’ about the relic’s future, especially with a likely visit from Heusenstamm’s Burgermeister [council leader] set for next year’s Armistice commemorations.

Fortunately, the Lions Club awarded the £500 grant on Monday [March 6]. This is hoped to cover maintenance for the next two years.

Mrs Best said they are now looking for a gardener to also use the money to care for the site.

Tunbridge Wells Borough Council [TWBC] have recently bought Dowding House in Paddock Wood. The £2.2million purchase will allow them to provide accommodation for 16 homeless families, with another seven earmarked for affordable private rental.

TWBC have an asset portfolio of more than £100million, although the maintenance budget means that it earns less than £500,000 a year from rentals.

Meanwhile, Sevenoaks District Council have purchased three properties over the last three years: The Swanley Working Men’s Club, a petrol station in Swanley, and Suffolk House – a freehold suite of offices in Sevenoaks High Street.

The petrol station was bought for £2.45million, while Suffolk House cost £4million. In the light of expected reductions in government grants’, Cllr Peter Fleming, Leader of Sevenoaks Council, said the body is ‘passionate about becoming self-sufficient’ and will continue to borrow funds to purchase property.

Local News

Wednesday March 8 | 2017

NEWS IN BRIEF

Volunteers aim to turn Tonbridge Fairtrade

Do you recognise anyone?

Get in touch with us at 01892 240570 or newsdesk@timesoftonbridge.co.uk

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SWINGING SIXTIES Members at the 1963 Tonbridge Carnival

EFFORTS to turn Tonbridge into a Fairtrade Town were ‘kick-started’ at the weekend, as residents gathered to discuss the ethical trading scheme.

Saturday’s event, at Forsyth Hall in Bradford Street, featured a talk from Richard Anstead, the Managing Director of Twin Trading – a group which supports smallholder farmers – followed by a speech from the Chair of Tonbridge Town Team, Howard Porter.

Mr Porter said: “We are looking at the positive things we can do in the town.

Already, there is the Tonbridge Farmers’ Market, the largest in Kent, which puts shoppers directly into contact with producers.

“It is that kind of ethos which Fairtrade promotes on a global basis. It gives producers more power to get a fair price for their goods, and there are plans for Tonbridge to become a Fairtrade town.”

Jobs fair announced JOBSEEKERS in Tonbridge will have the opportunity to meet with more than 25 local employers and training providers at the end of the month.

The event at the Angel Centre will run from 10am to 2pm on Thursday March 30.

Free workshops will be offered on how to search for jobs, CV preparation and interview techniques, as well as information being given on different routes to employment, including starting your own business.

Generosity for Boatyard THERE WAS an outpouring of community support for the beleaguered residents of the Barden Boatyard, as the fund for their legal fees passed £1,000 this week.

The 14 members of the mooring have been faced with eviction by the owner of the land.

The dispute is expected to be settled at Hastings County Court on Monday March 13.

The fundraisers have been quoted £600 for the services of a barrister for the court hearing.

As of last night [Tuesday] the total stood at £1,160 from 50 donations. To donate, visit: www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/ savetonbridgeboatyard

Teen and Twenty friends bid final farewell to club Andy, 55, and Deborah Comben, 52, revisited the place where they first met in newsdesk@timesoftonbridge.co.uk 1978. The couple, who still live in Tonbridge, have now been married for 32 years and have IT WAS a sad day for Tonbridge as the historic two daughters, aged 27 and 24.

Teen and Twenty youth club closed its doors Standing in the spot where he first saw after more than half a century serving the his future wife, Mr Comben reminisced: “I community. was playing table football with my mates, Established in 1960, members of the I must have been 17 at the time, and I club would meet at various locations saw Deborah talking to a friend. I in the town before a permanent thought to myself, ‘she is quite home was built in River Lawn Road cute’ and, well, things moved – opening in 1966. on from there.

Since then, countless “Friendships that were friendships, and even marforged here have lasted riages, have been formed as a forever. We can’t walk massive range of sports, through the High Street activity clubs and social without seeing people who evenings brought the youth we first met here.

YOUNG ROMANTICS of Tonbridge under one roof.

“I could name four or five Andy and Deborah Comben On Friday, they held an couples that have met at the revisit the place they first open day for members past club, too.” met nearly 40 years ago and present to say goodbye.

Jean Munday, 82, who has

By Murray Jones

‘NOISY TEENAGERS’ The youth club did not originally have the support of older residents been on the organising committee for 35 years, said she would be ‘sad to see the club go’, adding: “I’ve got some very good memories here, and it’s been such a happy place.

“The hirers who use the club are friends more than anything, really, and I’ll miss them greatly.

“Things change, and I know you have to move with the times. The only tragedy is that we won’t have a community centre in Tonbridge any more.”

She warned that a number of the clubs that used the building are struggling to find replacement premises with affordable rents.

Teen and Twenty, which is a charity, always endeavoured to charge minimal prices. For example, a four-hour booking on a Wednesday night would cost the table tennis club just £45.

They have looked further afield in Tunbridge Wells and Southborough but have been quoted up to three times the amount for the same time slot.

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Local News NEWS IN BRIEF

Towns buck fly-tipping trend to record a rise REPORTS of fly-tipping surged in Tunbridge Wells last year, despite a decrease across the county as a whole.

The number of incidents in the borough rose to 696 in 2016-15 compared to 390 in 2014-15.

This was the largest increase in Kent, which recorded 19,547 cases of fly-tipping compared to just over 21,000 the year before. Tonbridge recorded a small uptick from 494 to 505 cases.

Final push for funds FUNDRAISING for the Calverley Adventure Grounds project will come to an end next week, but not until after one last event at the Assembly Hall.

Campaign organisers, who are looking to turn an unused bowling green at the far end of Calverley Grounds into a playground, are staging the Royal Tunbridge Wells Variety Performance on Sunday.

The group hope to raise £20,000 from the show, which will see more than 300 performers taking part.

A call to landlords THE West Kent Landlord Forum will be hosting a free event at Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council’s offices in Kings Hill on Wednesday March 22 in order to share advice on good practice.

A series of presentations on taxation, changes to legislation and electrical safety will be held between 7pm and 9pm.

Wednesday March 8 | 2017

Project plans to unveil the extent of our town’s hidden heritage

By Adam Hignett

adam@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk THE vast majority of objects belonging to the Tunbridge Wells Museum & Art Gallery are held in storage beneath the Civic Way building or, in some cases, are taking up entire offices previously used by staff.

This treasure trove of artefacts reflecting the extensive heritage of the town comprises 60,000 separate items, which range from portraits to tapestry as well as a large entomology collection.

However, with the aid of funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund, Tunbridge Wells Borough Council is pushing ahead with a scheme that will allow many of the objects currently hidden from view to be finally put on public display.

At the moment, 90 per cent of the artefacts are held in storage but, if given the go-ahead, the £12.3million Cultural & Learning Hub project could see this figure reduced by half as more are exhibited.

Additional funding for the project will come from Arts Council England and Kent County Council, which runs the Adult Education Centre and Tunbridge Wells Library – both of

which will be incorporated into the new complex.

Cllr Jane March, the Portfolio Holder for Tourism, Leisure and Economic Development, explained the

‘We have fantastic collections belonging to the museum and gallery’ reasoning behind the project: “The initial idea came around four years ago, when Council Leader David Jukes went to look at a series of paint-

ings by Joshua Reynolds called The Camden Collection.

“These are beautiful pieces, but we ended up having to store them in the office of Jo Wiltcher, the Museum Manager. She had to move out because there is no room and we do not have a proper portrait gallery.”

Cllr March said culture was one of the main ‘drivers’ of the local economy, and the town’s offering helps draw visitors from across the world.

“But we have fantastic collections belonging to the museum and gallery that we cannot show because of a lack of space,” she added.

Co-operation between the borough and county councils have since led to early blueprints of a unified building taking shape, incorporating all the separate elements of the site.

By utilising space currently occupied by huts situated adjacent to the narrow through road Monson Way, the centre will be able to accommodate a new art gallery – which will be capable of hosting visiting exhibitions – a visitor café, a tourist information centre and ‘interactive space’, under one roof.

In addition, work will be undertaken to ensure the hub is as open plan as possible to allow items of interest to be displayed throughout

the building and not just concentrated in a single part of it.

Work on the project is currently at RIBA [Royal Institute of British Architects] Stage 2, meaning it is at a concept phase.

Blueprints from architectural firm Purcell are now on display in the museum, and the council states it welcomes feedback on the plans.

Destination It is hoped the new complex will boost visitor numbers to around a ‘conservative’ estimate of 440,000 per annum in 2020, when the project is expected to be completed – 70,000 more than at present.

By reaching RIBA Stage 2, the two councils are able to demonstrate to the Heritage Lottery Fund and Arts Council that their plans are deliverable, which will allow them to start drawing on the £5.3million that the two organisations have earmarked for the scheme.

Speaking on behalf of Kent County Council, Cllr Peter Oakford said: “What this does is it creates a destination for Tunbridge Wells by bringing everything under one roof.

“It will be somewhere the whole family can come for a day out.”

Local News

Wednesday March 8 | 2017

Tunbridge Wells Museum & Art Gallery manages the borough council’s art and historical collection. This contains many treasures that cannot be permanently exhibited at present due to the current limitations on display spaces

Folk Art: this collection was lent to Tate Britain for their popular 2014 exhibition British Folk Art. The exhibition at the Tate featured the Crimean War Quilt, c 1850-1890, sewn by convalescing soldiers from about 10,000 coloured wool pieces used in their uniforms. This rare quilt measures approximately 2.5 x 2.5m.

Early British Photography: The museum holds a nationally important collection of early art photography, including items that have featured in international touring exhibitions. Particularly

significant are Henry Peach Robinson’s photographic works. The Lady of Shalott, 1860-1861, taken by the pictorialist, featured in Tate Britain’s exhibition Painting with Light and has appeared in temporary exhibitions at the museum.

Costume: The museum’s nationally significant collection of British costumes, accessories and textiles comprises around 7,500 objects, and is regarded by specialists who have studied it over the years as one of the most comprehensive in regional museums. This impressive collection

spans the period from the mid-18th century to the present day.

Where does the money come from?

The £12.3million Cultural & Learning Hub project is a joint enterprise by Kent County Council, which is fronting £2million, and Tunbridge Wells Borough Council, which is investing £5million.

In addition, a further £4.3million will come from the Heritage Lottery Fund and £1million from the Arts Council. There are also plans to gain another £800,000 through fundraising activities to help cover current expenditure.

Arriva boosts bus services CHANGES to Arriva bus services in and around the Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge areas are to be unveiled at a public meeting on Thursday, March 23.

Arriva’s local team will host the event at Royal Victoria Place from 9am to 8pm to explain the changes, which come into effect from April 2.

The overhaul includes an improvement of service 7, between Tunbridge Wells and Maidstone, to ensure a bus every 20 minutes during the week, later operating times and a better Sunday service.

In addition, the 402 service will run every ten minutes between Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge town centres.

Service 277, between Tunbridge Wells Hospital,

Knights Park, North Farm, Sherwood, the town centre and the Old West Station, will run every 20 minutes during morning peak times, alongside increased Sunday services.

The 218, 219 and 281 routes will also see improvements to their Sunday operations.

Andy Isbell, of Arriva Southern Counties, said: “We have been carrying out a thorough review of our operations throughout the Tunbridge Wells area to see how we can further improve the reliability and punctuality of our services.

“That review has identified a number of routes where simplifying and streamlining the service and re-routing some to avoid congestion bottlenecks will bring big benefits for our passengers.”

IMPROVED Changes take effect in April

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Local News

Wednesday March 8 | 2017

Financial expert is appointed as NHS Trust continues to struggle

By Andrew Tong newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk

Men sentenced over the armoured van robbery in Fordcombe last year

by Jonathan Banks TWO men have been jailed for an attempted robbery on an armoured car near the village of Fordcombe last year.

In July David Kirby and Sam Carlton targeted a courier van which was collecting money from premises on Fordcombe Road.

Wearing a balaclava, Carlton approached the driver of the vehicle, who was carrying a cash box, and threatened him with a metal weapon.

He stole the box, which contained £12,665, and the pair made their getaway in a red Volkswagen Polo driven by Kirby.

The Metropolitan Police’s Flying Squad were already tailing the men and gave chase.

The car crashed into a garden on Manor Road in Rusthall. The robbers ran away and the cash box was discovered nearby.

Kirby was arrested in Erskine Park Road, while Carlton was spotted hiding in a wheelie bin.

Carlton was involved in a similar failed attempt to steal a cash box in Dartford two months before.

The 31-year-old from Eridge was sentenced to four years and eight months at Croydon Crown Court while Kirby, 40, from Kemsing, near Sevenoaks, was handed a four-year term.

Detective Inspector Gary Scarfe said: “Both offences were brazen and took place in very public places, which must have been traumatic for both the victim and other people in the area.

“The nature of the offending shows both men to be dangerous individuals.”

AFTER one of its toughest winters, the embattled Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells (MTW) NHS Trust is facing upheaval as it races against time to meet the requirements of its budget constraints.

The Trust was placed in financial special measures last July after it was revealed that it had run up a projected budget deficit of £23million.

Since then MTW’s two hospitals have seen an 11 per cent increase in emergency admissions over the winter period compared to last year.

Clinical Director Laurence Maiden has compared the Trust’s Directorate to a cruise ship and said ‘the challenges regarding capacity and financial special measures’ are ‘analogous to a ship lurching in a tropical storm’.

MTW has appointed a new Chairman with wide-ranging financial credentials. David Highton is set to take up the post in May after Tony Jones stepped down last year.

It is also set to lose two more key members of the Directorate, Chief Medical Director Paul Sigston and Chief Nurse Avey Bhatia.

Since last summer it has agreed a Financial Recovery Plan (FRP) with NHS Improvement but it admits there is a ‘significant risk’ of falling short by £7million.

The Trust’s net deficit in the financial year up to the end of January was £14.1million against a planned ‘control total’ of £9.9million.

Unparalleled The Trust’s Board has noted: “The financial plans for the second and third quarters had been delivered, but quarter four had always represented the major challenge. There was the proverbial ‘mountain to climb’, and time was short.”

WINTER BLUES Tunbridge Wells Hospital saw an 11 per cent rise in emergency admissions

A chartered accountant by trade, the new Trust chairman Mr Highton is an NHS veteran but has been working in Qatar for the last six years The Board added: “Despite our best efforts, cancellation of planned surgery has been necessary when demand for emergency care reaches the kinds of unparalleled levels we have been experiencing.”

But it admitted: “The strain had however been considerable, and there had been occasions when patients had to be treated on trollies.”

A chartered accountant by trade, the new Trust chairman Mr Highton is an NHS veteran but has

been working in Qatar for the last six years, latterly acting as an adviser to the Ministry of Public Health.

He had previously been with the Hamad Medical Corporation, the main hospital provider in Qatar, and was Chairman of its Finance and Resources Committee.

He has also served as Chief Executive of Oxford Radcliffe and Chelsea & Westminster NHS Trusts.

In the Oxfordshire role he ‘delivered break-even in 2001 and 2002 after five previous years of deficit for the Trust’.

And in London, he oversaw the creation of the NHS Trust in 1994 after the hospital had opened the previous year, replacing four older facilities.

It was the last major hospital to be built before the introduction of Private Finance Initiatives.

A keen rugby fan and former player, Mr Highton has strong Kentish connections.

He grew up in Meopham and attended Gravesend Grammar School, and currently lives in Whitstable.

His predecessor, Mr Jones, stood down in November after serving as Chairman for eight years with two full terms.

Lib Dems call on Tory-run council to ‘come clean’ over cuts to fund new Civic Complex LIBERAL DEMOCRAT Councillor Ben Chapelard has called for the council to ‘come clean about tax rises and cuts to services’ to repay the £72million debt that will be incurred to build the new Civic Complex.

Cllr Chapelard’s comments come after Conservative Council Leader David Jukes revealed the council will need to find £2.4million every year for the next 50 years to pay back the loan to build the centre and theatre.

The Lib Dem for St James Ward said: “Soon the borough council will get no money from central government and, because of the cuts wielded by none other than Tunbridge Wells MP Greg Clark, they will actually be paying back £600,000 to the Treasury to be spent by other councils.

He questioned how the council could afford the proposed buildings and asked if council tax was going to rise in order to plug the shortfall.

Cllr Chapelard (pictured) added: “Some councils are moving to monthly bin collections. Is this being considered by the

Conservative-run TWBC to save money to pay for the theatre? Will the council charge for green waste collection? Or doorstep glass recycling to pay back the debt?

“Residents must have their say on whether these cuts and tax rises are an acceptable price to pay for these new public buildings. They have a right to know the price they will pay for these facilities.”

His concerns echo those of the nine Conservative rebels who voted against continuing to fund the project’s development during the most recent meeting of the full council.

Cllr Jukes said that at the current fixed rate of under three per cent, when the loan matures in 50 years’ time the £2.4million repayments will seem like ‘peanuts’.

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BUSINESS

Local Business News

BUSINESS NEWS IN BRIEF

Regalpoint chairman to boost company profile SEVENOAKS developer Regalpoint Homes have appointed Philip Clarke as their new Non-Executive Chairman.

A Fellow of the Institution of Chartered Surveyors, Mr Clarke has been in the property industry for many years, and subsequently set up his own property consultancy company, which later merged to become Fisher Property Solutions.

Mr Clarke will be working to develop investor funding and raise the profile of the housebuilder, which has developments in the town centres of both Royal Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge.

Top partner appointed THE Tunbridge Wells office of national audit, tax and advisory firm Crowe Clark Whitehill has announced the promotion of Mark Sisson to the position of Audit Partner.

Mr Sisson, aged 36, joined Crowe in 2004 as a trainee chartered accountant, after graduating from Loughborough University.

He specialises in owner-managed, AIM and Nex Exchange listed businesses with an annual turnover between £10m and £50m.

New home for web firm RAPIDLY expanding IT firm Onwave, launched in 2008, has moved from Westerham to Kings Hill. The new location will provide more space for the internet service provider to carry out its plans to double its headcount from 15 to 30 people by the end of the year.

Wednesday March 8 | 2017

The man who’s making money out of thin air…

By Adam Hignett adam@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk A FORMER Tunbridge Wells resident turned expat has launched a new venture that has raised eyebrows around the world.

John Green, who left Tunbridge Wells 20 years ago to live in Basel, Switzerland, believes there is a market for bottled alpine air – which he is selling for up to £200 per jar.

The 64 year old only launched the company during the last weekend of February, but it has gained the attention of news outlets not just in the UK and his adoptive country, but in the US, India and the Middle East.

In a promotional video on his website, Genuine Mountain Air from Switzerland, Mr Green plugs the business, stating: “If you’re sitting in some polluted town, which you probably are, gasping with diesel fumes, we’re at 3,000 metres, and we’ve just got new supplies of mountain air… so get yours.”

He goes on to add that one quarter of all profits will go to World Vision, an international charity devoted to improving the

SEEDS OF HOPE Claire and Guy Eckley

PLENTY OF BOTTLE John Green

lives of the most vulnerable children.

His website says the sealed jars of ‘magic air’ from Switzerland would make the ‘ultimate present’ for the man or woman that ‘has everything.’

‘Each jar of the air comes with a signed certificate of authenticity’ Each jar of the air, which is collected in a ‘secret location’, comes with a signed certificate of authenticity and the GPS coordinates of exactly where it was collected.

The amount of air the purchaser can buy comes in three volumes – a £78 pint, known as the ‘demi’, a one-quart ‘magnum’, and a threequarter gallon ‘Jeroboam’.

However, Mr Green admits he has yet to sell any jars of air as his company has only just been set up, but he has had a lot of publicity from the German and Swiss media, who describe him as ‘nuts’ but ‘in nice way’.

He added his girlfriend Sabina, while supportive, finds the idea ‘hilarious’.

Industry minister visits tech firm in his own back yard MATFIELD electronics company RVL celebrated its 25th anniversary by inviting MP Greg Clark on a tour of their facilities.

The firm specialises in supplying niche electronic equipment to companies across the globe, such as French tyre specialists Michelin.

Peter Smith, RVL’s Operations Director, gave Mr Clark his tour of the secure manufacturing facility as well as the electronic design and software development labs last month.

The Tunbridge Wells MP, who is also the Secretary of State for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, spoke at length to various team members about the innovative projects they are working on and watched a practical demonstration involving the assembly of circuit boards.

Mr Clark said: “I hugely enjoyed visiting RVL,

Local Business News

Wednesday March 8 | 2017

Friends back bee-friendly farming pledge A FARMING family’s commitment to helping Britain’s threatened bees has been welcomed

by Friends of the Earth.

Claire and Guy Eckley have pledged not to use three controversial honey bee-harming pesticides – imidacloprid, clothianidin and thiamethoxam – on their oilseed rape crops, even if current EU restrictions, introduced in 2013 but now under review, are lifted.

Their farm, near Staplehurst, is one of seven highlighted by Friends of the Earth in its new Bee-friendly Shopper’s Guide to Rapeseed Oil. Friends of the Earth bee campaigner Nick Rau welcomed the couple’s commitment to beefriendly farming.

He said: “We’re delighted Eckley Farms is standing up for Britain’s bees by pledging not to use these three bee-harming pesticides on their oilseed rape crops. They deserve our support.

“We hope more farmers and producers follow their lead and say no to these neonicotinoid pesticides. The scientific evidence of the threat they pose to our bees is now overwhelming.” meeting the team and celebrating the firm’s 25th anniversary. The creativity and expertise that RVL boasts in electronic design and manufacturing was fascinating to see in action.

“It is no wonder the firm is going from strength

to strength and exporting all over the world.”

Mr Smith said he used the minister’s visit as an opportunity to talk to him about some of the issues facing exporters, such as recruiting the necessary highly-skilled staff.

ON THE CIRCUIT (l-r) MP Greg Clark with RVL’s Peter Smith and Andrew Bucknell

BUSINESS

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Digital firm’s rounded view on hop production CREATIVE firm Digitom has ventured into the fledgling world of 360° video by releasing a new film in the immersive virtual reality format on behalf of their long-standing clients Shepherd Neame last week.

The video, which was filmed in September but underwent an extensive period of post-production, documents the hop picking process from the bines to the kiln.

Using technology similar to that utilised by Google to record 360° images on Google Earth, the format allows viewers to scroll through the motion picture and look in any direction they wish.

In the documentary, titled HOPS360, the former Chairman of the British Hop Association, Tony Redsell, OBE, explains the process of hop production on his farm in Boughton, near Shepherd Neame’s Faversham Brewery.

Exciting Digitom founder Tom Chown said the technology was ‘beginning to take off’, and his Tunbridge Wells firm had ‘learned a lot’ from the project.

The film was viewed by 20,000 people on Facebook within the first four days of release.

John Humphreys, Corporate Affairs Manager at Shepherd Neame, Britain’s oldest brewer, said: “HOPS360 gives viewers a unique opportunity to be part of the experience that we enjoy here in Kent every summer.

“Working with Digitom on this project using exciting new technology has resulted in a video that we’re pleased to share with a global audience.”

IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE 360° video is taking off. Left: Tony Redsell with Tom Chown

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Community News

Recognition for care assistant who goes that extra mile…

Wednesday March 8 | 2017

She added: “I know that I am part of a great team of care assistants here at Bluebird Care, and am grateful in addition for all the support that they have provided since I started.”

Bluebird’s Care Manager, Claire Stanley, said: “Claudia works very hard to make sure that all her customers’ needs are met, and she always goes that little bit further to make sure they are well cared for. She is a real credit to my team and our company.

“We have received so many compliments about Claudia’s excellent approach to her role. One customer in particular commented ‘Claudia gets on so well with my husband and makes everything look so easy. She is so happy, cheerful and always takes time for a chat as well as providing care’.”

Bluebird Care provide services that enable people aged 18 and over to lead full, comfortable and independent lives in their own home.

For more information, call 01732 373 024 or visit www.bluebirdcare.co.uk/tunbridge-wells

RUSTHALL resident Claudia Oliveira has been named Care Assistant of the Year for Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells by Bluebird Care.

The award was presented by the Mayor and Mayoress of Tunbridge Wells, Cllr and Mrs David Neve, at an afternoon tea at Bluebird Care’s office in Pipers Business Centre, Tonbridge.

The nominations give a welcome opportunity to recognise excellence in care and highlight the importance of all those in a caring role.

The award, given on February 23, follows Bluebird Care’s Every Visit Counts campaign, which raised awareness of the importance of the role of care assistants in combatting loneliness.

Ms Oliveira, whose name was put forward after a survey of the company’s clients, said: “I did not expect to be recognised in this way for a job that I enjoy doing every day.

“I am honoured to have TRUE BLUE been nominated Care Claudia Oliveira (right) receives her award Worker of the Year and from Mayor David Neve and his wife Jill, would like to thank everyand Bluebird Care’s Claire Stanley (left) one who voted for me.

Assembly Hall marketing guru ready to expand ellenor profile ELLENOR, the charity which offers care and support to families facing terminal illness across Kent, has recruited Cheri Strudwick from Tunbridge Wells as Head of Marketing and Communications.

Ms Strudwick has worked as Marketing and Development Manager at the Assembly Hall Theatre in Tunbridge Wells for the past eight years and also promoted the town’s popular Christmas ice rink.

Rachel Holweger, Director of Income Generation at ellenor, said: “Due to her work at the Assembly Hall, she is extremely well known in and around Tunbridge Wells, which is COOL HEAD a key area for our children’s Cheri Strudwick hospice at home care team. promoted the ice rink “With Cheri on board, we

look forward to raising our profile further in that area and others, where we know there are many more families ellenor could be supporting with our vital hospice care.”

Ms Strudwick said: “I am very much looking forward to working alongside the teams that provide care and support to patients, carers and their families.

“I took the decision to join ellenor as working locally and being able to see the immediate impact and results of everyone’s commitment and hard work is very important to me.”

If you would like to discuss ideas with Ms Strudwick, call 01474 320007.

Support for ‘valued’ midwives THE Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust [MTW] is working with the Royal College of Midwives to improve the support available for midwives and maternity colleagues.

West Kent maternity services were rated the best in the country in November following a review of 209 NHS maternity services nationwide.

MTW Maternity Services have signed up to the College’s Caring for You Charter, which aims to improve the health, safety and wellbeing of maternity staff.

Jenny Cleary, Head of Midwifery, Gynaecology

and Sexual Health at the Trust, said: “Our maternity teams do a magnificent job delivering 6,000 babies each year.

“We are committed to offering the right support for our staff, and working with the Royal College of Midives on this campaign will strengthen our resolve to make staff feel valued and looked after in the workplace.”

Claire Livingstone, the College’s Regional Officer, said: “This is a very positive move and I welcome their commitment to staff and the people they care for.”

Community News

Wednesday March 8 | 2017

‘She’s found it a nice feeling, it’s made her realise how many people care about her condition’

MARRIAGE Kate Burton with Elinore and Tim at their wedding last year

Mother’s trek to assist brain tumour research TUNBRIDGE WELLS mum Kate Burton walked 30 miles around the town last week to raise awareness and funds for research into brain tumours after her daughter was diagnosed with the disease.

In completing her Tunbridge Wells Challenge, Ms Burton joined forces with the thousands of people supporting The Brain Tumour Charity’s nationwide #WearItOut campaign to launch the Brain Tumour Awareness Month from March 3.

She is eager to promote the charity’s work after learning that brain tumours are the poor relation within cancer treatments. The survival rate is very low and the funding is wholly inadequate.

Devastating Each year, more than 10,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with brain tumours, but less than 2 per cent of cancer funding is spent on research into the condition.

Ms Burton’s 29-year-old daughter Elinore, a primary school teacher and former pupil at Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar School, was found to have a tumour last year.

She had a seizure in February 2016 after arriving home from work and was taken to A&E for treatment. It happened again a few weeks later and the condition was diagnosed as epilepsy.

However, an MRI scan then revealed a brain

tumour, which was initially considered benign.

After a more detailed scan caused concern, Elinore’s neurosurgeon decided that it had to be removed.

The operation was carried out three weeks before her wedding to Tim Madden last August, which had been one year in the planning.

The married couple then spent their honeymoon in Crete, believing that Elinore’s health was finally under control.

It came as a devastating shock in September when she was given the diagnosis of a malignant Grade 4 brain tumour with a very poor life expectancy prognosis.

In October, Elinore started radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatment, but she kept working until she had to stop teaching last month.

Ms Burton was accompanied on her marathon walk on March 2 by her son Alex, an Army reservist and former Skinners’ student, and has raised almost £4,000 for The Brain Tumour Charity.

She walked a seven-and-a-half-mile circuit from Rusthall, taking in Langton Green, Broom Lane and the High Rocks, four times.

She said her daughter has been comforted by the number of friends and acquaintances who have made donations to the cause.

“She’s found it a nice feeling, it’s made her real-

Dreadlock Bank Holiday as 10cc play Gig for Life

ise how many people care about her condition,” said her mother. “They can’t help practically but they can show their support.”

The next day, Ms Burton’s friend Sue BarrettAusten matched her feat by cycling 30 miles.

Geraldine Pipping, the The Brain Tumour Charity’s Director of Fundraising, said: “We receive no government money and rely 100 per cent on voluntary donations.

“So it’s only through the efforts of supporters like Kate Burton that we can continue to make a real difference. All of the money raised through #WearItOut will help fund our vital research.

“Brain tumours are the biggest cancer killer of the under-40s and survival rates have not improved significantly over the last 40 years.

“We are leading the way in changing this, fighting brain tumours on all fronts by funding world-class research as well as offering support and information.”

If you would like to make a donation, visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Kate-A-Burton

SPRING IN HER STEP Kate walks through Langton Green with her son Alex by her side

Alternative rockers Toploader and Americana group Los Pacaminos, featuring Paul Young – of Wherever I Lay My Hat fame – will also be performing on the bill.

They will be joined by a number of local bands including The Standard Lamps and the folky, harmonious Arcelia.

‘We’ve got a stonking good line-up which covers all musical tastes’

CHARTBUSTERS 10cc had three No 1 hits ROCK legends 10cc will headline Gig for Life, the one-day family music festival to be held at the Hop Farm on May 27.

The inaugural event is hoping to attract 10,000 people on the late May Bank Holiday and is

raising money for Cancer Research UK. The purveyors of No 1 hits such as Rubber Bullets, I’m Not In Love and Dreadlock Holiday will be joined by Brit Award nominee Maverick Sabre, the soul singer and rapper.

Event Director David Rivers said: “I’m absolutely thrilled 10cc is headlining Gig for Life.

Their music – like the festival – is all about having fun together.

“We’ve got a stonking good line-up which covers all musical tastes. It’s a family festival with something for everyone and we hope it will create some wonderful memories.”

Sharon Baldwin, the Cancer Research UK Fundraising Manager for Kent, said: “Gig for Life is a fantastic opportunity for everyone to enjoy a one-day family festival on their own doorstep.

Buy your tickets now, the money raised is vital, it could be life-saving.”

Tickets are on sale at www.gigforlife.co.uk with a limited number discounted by ten per cent.

NEWS

11

Community News

Wednesday March 8 | 2017

‘She’s found it a nice feeling, it’s made her realise how many people care about her condition’

MARRIAGE Kate Burton with Elinore and Tim at their wedding last year

Mother’s trek to assist brain tumour research TUNBRIDGE WELLS mum Kate Burton walked 30 miles around the town last week to raise awareness and funds for research into brain tumours after her daughter was diagnosed with the disease.

In completing her Tunbridge Wells Challenge, Ms Burton joined forces with the thousands of people supporting The Brain Tumour Charity’s nationwide #WearItOut campaign to launch the Brain Tumour Awareness Month from March 3.

She is eager to promote the charity’s work after learning that brain tumours are the poor relation within cancer treatments. The survival rate is very low and the funding is wholly inadequate.

Devastating Each year, more than 10,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with brain tumours, but less than 2 per cent of cancer funding is spent on research into the condition.

Ms Burton’s 29-year-old daughter Elinore, a primary school teacher and former pupil at Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar School, was found to have a tumour last year.

She had a seizure in February 2016 after arriving home from work and was taken to A&E for treatment. It happened again a few weeks later and the condition was diagnosed as epilepsy.

However, an MRI scan then revealed a brain

tumour, which was initially considered benign.

After a more detailed scan caused concern, Elinore’s neurosurgeon decided that it had to be removed.

The operation was carried out three weeks before her wedding to Tim Madden last August, which had been one year in the planning.

The married couple then spent their honeymoon in Crete, believing that Elinore’s health was finally under control.

It came as a devastating shock in September when she was given the diagnosis of a malignant Grade 4 brain tumour with a very poor life expectancy prognosis.

In October, Elinore started radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatment, but she kept working until she had to stop teaching last month.

Ms Burton was accompanied on her marathon walk on March 2 by her son Alex, an Army reservist and former Skinners’ student, and has raised almost £4,000 for The Brain Tumour Charity.

She walked a seven-and-a-half-mile circuit from Rusthall, taking in Langton Green, Broom Lane and the High Rocks, four times.

She said her daughter has been comforted by the number of friends and acquaintances who have made donations to the cause.

“She’s found it a nice feeling, it’s made her real-

Dreadlock Bank Holiday as 10cc play Gig for Life

ise how many people care about her condition,” said her mother. “They can’t help practically but they can show their support.”

The next day, Ms Burton’s friend Sue BarrettAusten matched her feat by cycling 30 miles.

Geraldine Pipping, the The Brain Tumour Charity’s Director of Fundraising, said: “We receive no government money and rely 100 per cent on voluntary donations.

“So it’s only through the efforts of supporters like Kate Burton that we can continue to make a real difference. All of the money raised through #WearItOut will help fund our vital research.

“Brain tumours are the biggest cancer killer of the under-40s and survival rates have not improved significantly over the last 40 years.

“We are leading the way in changing this, fighting brain tumours on all fronts by funding world-class research as well as offering support and information.”

If you would like to make a donation, visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Kate-A-Burton

SPRING IN HER STEP Kate walks through Langton Green with her son Alex by her side

Alternative rockers Toploader and Americana group Los Pacaminos, featuring Paul Young – of Wherever I Lay My Hat fame – will also be performing on the bill.

They will be joined by a number of local bands including The Standard Lamps and the folky, harmonious Arcelia.

‘We’ve got a stonking good line-up which covers all musical tastes’

CHARTBUSTERS 10cc had three No 1 hits ROCK legends 10cc will headline Gig for Life, the one-day family music festival to be held at the Hop Farm on May 27.

The inaugural event is hoping to attract 10,000 people on the late May Bank Holiday and is

raising money for Cancer Research UK. The purveyors of No 1 hits such as Rubber Bullets, I’m Not In Love and Dreadlock Holiday will be joined by Brit Award nominee Maverick Sabre, the soul singer and rapper.

Event Director David Rivers said: “I’m absolutely thrilled 10cc is headlining Gig for Life.

Their music – like the festival – is all about having fun together.

“We’ve got a stonking good line-up which covers all musical tastes. It’s a family festival with something for everyone and we hope it will create some wonderful memories.”

Sharon Baldwin, the Cancer Research UK Fundraising Manager for Kent, said: “Gig for Life is a fantastic opportunity for everyone to enjoy a one-day family festival on their own doorstep.

Buy your tickets now, the money raised is vital, it could be life-saving.”

Tickets are on sale at www.gigforlife.co.uk with a limited number discounted by ten per cent.

NEWS

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NEWS

National News

Wednesday March 8 | 2017

Trump’s Russian Brexit Bill suffers another defeat in Lords dossier spy as peers demand approval of Parliament breaks cover to return to work WALKING TALL Christopher Steele at Orbis’s offices

Trump’s Russian dossier source breaks cover to return to work THE former British intelligence officer behind a dossier of allegations about Donald Trump’s connections with Russia has broken his silence.

Christopher Steele, who runs London-based Orbis Business Intelligence, said he was returning to work and thanked people for their support.

Outside his firm’s office in Belgravia, he said: “I’m really pleased to be back here working again at the Orbis’s offices in London today.

“I’m now going to be focusing my efforts on supporting the broader interests of our company.”

He added: “I’d like to say a warm thank you to everyone who sent me kind messages and support over the last few weeks.

A former MI6 agent, Mr Steele went into hiding in January when he was linked with the report.

The entire 35-page file was published by BuzzFeed and despite efforts by UK authorities to protect Mr Steele’s identity, he was named the following day by the Wall Street Journal and quickly fled his home in Surrey with his family.

The 52-year-old, who founded Orbis with another retired intelligence officer in 2009, has reportedly been approached by the US Senate Intelligence Committee to testify in its investigation into the president’s alleged links with Russia.

Smiley comes in from the cold for Le Carre’s latest JOHN LE CARRE is to bring back one of his famous fictional spies, George Smiley, after 26 years.

Publisher Viking said the new novel, A Legacy Of Spies, will be released on September 5.

The book reveals how spymaster Smiley and his fictional peers such as Peter Guillam come under scrutiny over their Cold War service with British intelligence – and face a younger generation which knows little about their history.

The novel will refer to previous Le Carre classics The Spy Who Came In From The Cold and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. The 85-year-old last wrote about Smiley in the 1991 novel The Secret Pilgrim.

THE House of Lords has inflicted a second defeat on the Government’s Brexit Bill by demanding a ‘meaningful’ parliamentary vote on the final deal.

The voting was 366 to 268, a majority of 98, at the end of a passionate and sometimes bad tempered three-hour debate in a crowded House of Lords.

The amendment to the European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill was approved with Labour, Liberal Democrat and some Tory backing and greeted with cheers.

Ministers have already suffered a heavy defeat over the rights of EU nationals living in the UK to remain post-Brexit.

The latest reverse represents a double blow for Theresa May and could put at risk her timetable to start talks on quitting the EU later this month.

MPs will now have to decide whether to overturn both defeats when the Bill, which will allow the Government to trigger the Article 50 process of leaving the EU, goes back before them next week.

‘Parliament has a critical role in determining the future of generations of young people’ The Prime Minister’s spokesman had earlier said she will not call a snap general election after former Foreign Secretary Lord Hague had suggested that securing a bigger Commons majority would make it easier to deliver a successful Brexit.

A Number 10 source said the Prime Minister has been ‘clear and consistent in her position’, while another added: “It’s not going to happen.”

In the report stage debate on the Bill, independent crossbencher Lord Pannick QC said Mrs May had accepted the need to give Parliament a vote on the terms negotiated but was refusing to include the promise in the Bill.

Lord Pannick, who had represented Gina Miller in her successful Article 50 legal challenge, said:

STAYING POWER The status of EU nationals in the UK caused the first defeat

“The purpose of this amendment is very simple. It is to ensure that at the end of the negotiating process the approval of Parliament is required for the terms of our withdrawal from the EU.” He said the Mrs May’s commitment to such a vote should be written into the Bill ‘no ifs and no buts’.

Tory grandee Lord Heseltine said the UK was facing ‘the most momentous peacetime decision of our time’ as he backed demands for a ‘meaningful’ vote on the final Brexit deal.

He said it would ensure Parliament had a ‘critical role in determining the future that we will bequeath to generations of young people’.

But former Tory leader Lord Howard of Lympne said the change would give the Lords a ‘statutory veto’ on the Prime Minister’s decision.

Earlier, the Liberal Democrats failed in a bid to have the outcome of Brexit negotiations put to the public vote in another referendum.

Lord Newby, Liberal Democrat leader in the Lords, called for the people to be given a final say.

“This is a very straightforward amendment,” he told peers. “It would require any Brexit deal to be put to the people to approve or reject. It’s based on the principle that having asked the people whether they wished to initiate the Brexit process, only the people should take the final decision.”

Supporting a second vote, Tory peer Baroness Wheatcroft said: “Although I am not an advocate of government by referendum, in this situation, having started the process with a referendum, it seems to me the only sensible way to bring the process to an end is to put the terms to the public.”

But fellow Tory peer Lord Hamilton of Epsom said the prospect of a second referendum would encourage the EU to offer Britain the ‘most appalling deal known to man’ in the hope it is rejected and the UK stays in the union.

More than half of smokers have quit Councils will not have THE popularity of smoking has ‘dwindled’ across Britain as figures show the proportion of smokers is at its lowest since records began in 1974.

The new data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reveals that 17.2 per cent of British adults smoked in 2015 – down from 20.1 per cent five years previously.

There is currently the highest number of people giving up the habit – among former smokers, 56.7 per cent had quit.

Britons who do smoke are consuming the lowest number of cigarettes on average in more than four decades, 11.3 a day – 33 per cent lower than when consumption peaked in 1976.

More men than women were still smoking – 19.3 per cent compared to 15.3 per cent.

The data also found that among those aged 18 to 25, 20.7 per cent smoked cigarettes, down five percentage points since 2010.

Smoking was more common among those earning less than £10,000 a year and those seeking employment.

“The popularity of smoking in Great Britain has dwindled over the past 40 years,” the ONS states.

The report also examines use of e-cigarettes, and found that two years ago 2.3 million people in Britain used them. For half of these, ‘vaping’ is used as a means to quit smoking.

Dr Penny Woods, Chief Executive of the British Lung Foundation, said: “The fact that smoking rates are falling overall is good news.

“Those who quit live longer and feel better, no matter their age,” she added. “However, we must not be complacent.

“Smoking is still the number one cause of early preventable death in the UK, and rates amongst people aged 16 to 24 continue to remain stubborn, particularly amongst young women.”

PACK IT IN Five per cent fewer young adults smoke

to say if they can take in more child refugees

A POTENTIAL Tory rebellion has fallen flat after the Government defeated proposals designed to ‘bring back to life’ a scheme to transfer unaccompanied child refugees to the UK. MPs rejected moves seeking to require English councils to declare if they can house accompanied child refugees via an amendment to the Children and Social Work Bill by 287 votes to 267.

Heidi Allen, who tabled the amendment, said it would highlight the capacity of councils to accept more child refugees under the Dubs Agreement.

This project was controversially closed after just 350 unaccompanied children were resettled, short of the initial expectation of around 3,000 backed by campaigners and politicians.

It had been suggested that 30 Tory MPs might vote for the amendment. Ms Allen, MP for South Cambridgeshire, said: “Let’s just get that elephant out there, this debate for many of us is about Dubs, and whether we can bring that back to life.”

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National News

SPORT NEWS IN BRIEF

Football coach Bennell faces more charges FORMER football coach Barry Bennell has been charged with eight further counts of non-recent child sexual abuse following an investigation by Cheshire Police.

The 63-year-old is due to appear at South Cheshire Magistrates’ Court via video-link on March 13 to face the charges, which relate to two victims between 1980-87.

The ex-Crewe Alexandra coach pleaded not guilty to eight earlier charges in January and faces a further hearing on March 20.

Shakespeare is top Fox CRAIG SHAKESPEARE will be offered the Leicester manager’s job until the end of the season, according to BBC Radio Leicester.

Shakespeare was Claudio Ranieri’s assistant, and has acted as caretaker since the Italian was sacked last month.

The Foxes have since won both of their games with Shakespeare in charge. But the 53-year-old has never managed full-time.

KP returns for Surrey FORMER England batsman Kevin Pietersen has signed for Surrey again to play in this summer’s T20 Blast competition.

The 36-year-old will play his first game against Essex at The Oval on July 19 and will then be available for the rest of the tournament.

His last appearance in England was in June 2015. He recently helped Quetta Gladiators reach the Pakistan Super League final.

Wednesday March 8 | 2017

London Bridge is cleared after car abandoned A LARGE area around London Bridge was evacuated yesterday (March 7) as police investigated a security alert caused by a ‘suspicious’ abandoned vehicle.

Office workers were told to stay indoors and away from windows and the bus station and a section of the train station were emptied. The bridge itself was also closed to traffic.

The enforcement was in place for an hour from 1.40pm, while a bomb disposal robot was used to examine the damaged VW Polo found on London Bridge Street.

The incident was stood down at 3.30pm. It is

A friend arrives for musical cast SINGER Carole King has made a surprise visit to the West End production of the musical about her life. The Sixties singersongwriter treated the audience to a rendition of her hit song You’ve Got A Friend. King (right), 75, received a standing ovation as she appeared at the curtain call for Beautiful – The Carole King Musical at London’s Aldwych Theatre.

Coroner: Michael died of heart and liver problems STOP AND STAIRS The station escalator believed to have been caused by a stolen car that had been abandoned in a taxi rank.

Rail services in and out of the station were disrupted for the rest of the day.

Two men have been taken to hospital after they were stabbed outside Victoria Station.

Emergency services were called to Wilton Road at around 4.20pm and a cordon was put up around the scene.

GEORGE MICHAEL died of heart disease and a build-up of fat in his liver, a coroner has reported.

The singer, who was found dead on Christmas Day, died of dilated cardiomyopathy with NATURAL CAUSES myocarditis and fatty No inquest will be held liver, which can be into Michael’s death linked to drug andalcohol abuse.

The 53-year-old former Wham! star suffered health scares and fought drug addiction for years.

Oxfordshire’s senior coroner, Darren Salter, said inquiries into Michael’s death are now over.

There will not be an inquest because the Wham! star died of natural causes.

He added: “No further updates will be provided and the family requests the media and public respect their privacy.”

Michael’s boyfriend, Fadi Fawaz, tweeted a black and white photograph of him being embraced by Michael with the caption: “The Truth is out...”

Dilated cardiomyopathy, a disease of the heart muscle, affects how blood is able to pump around the body. Myocarditis, an inflammation in or around the heart, is usually caused by a viral, bacterial or fungal infection.

Different types of fatty liver disease can be caused by obesity or excessive drinking.

National Business News

Wednesday March 8 | 2017

WORLD NEWS IN BRIEF

ON THE RISE The average E.On bill will increase by £97 a year

Huge leak of classified intelligence documents WIKILEAKS published thousands of documents which it claims come from the CIA’s Centre for Cyber Intelligence last night.

One expert who examined the dump, Rendition Infosec founder Jake Williams, told reporters it appears legitimate.

“It wouldn’t surprise me that there are people changing careers - and ending careers - as we speak,” he added.

Beauty & Beast child ban CHILDREN under 16 will not be able to see the new Disney fairy tale film Beauty And The Beast in Russia because it includes a gay character, the culture ministry in Moscow said.

The decision for the 16-plus rating followed petitions by politician Vitaly Milonov, known for his ultraconservative views, who called for the live-action film starring British actress Emma Watson to be banned.

China upset by interview BRITISH TV host John Oliver has won rave reviews for his Last Week Tonight interview which showed the Dalai Lama in all his candour and wit on Sunday.

Beijing, however, was not amused. China’s foreign ministry said the exiled Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader’s comments ‘appear to be funny and humorous but they’re all lies’.

“Whatever they want to say, that’s their opinion. I have no negative feelings. I just feel a laugh, like that,” the Dalai Lama said on the show.

E.On to raise gas and electricity prices in April BIG SIX energy provider E.On has said it will increase its dual fuel standard variable tariffs by 8.8 per cent from next month.

Electricity prices will rise by an average of 13.8 per cent, and gas prices by 3.8 per cent.

E.On said that 2.5 million customers would be affected by the increases, which come in on April 26.

The average bill will rise by £97 a year. However it is the first such increase in three years.

The energy supplier blamed the social and environmental schemes which support renewable energy, but which customers have to pay for through their bills.

Wholesale energy costs had actually come down, it said, thanks to its hedging policy.

But the announcement was criticised by some energy bill experts.

“E.On delivered yet another bitter blow to households this morning as it announced a monstrous price rise,” said Mark Todd the founder of Energyhelpline.

“This massive increase will be very tough for customers to swallow and once again it’s loyal standard rate customers who are hit the hardest.”

Scottish Power, Npower and EDF Energy have announced price rises this year, while British Gas committed to a freeze until August.

BUSINESS

15

Just Eat delivers a double helping in tasty profits ONLINE delivery firm Just Eat has served up a 164 per cent hike in annual profits and said it is looking to take a bigger slice of the international market as UK order growth slows.

The company which announced a deal to buy rival Hungryhouse in December - posted pre-tax profits of £91.3 million, up from £34.6 million in 2015, with group orders up 42 per cent at £136.4 million.

It said it also expects another year of ‘material’ growth in 2017.

But it saw UK order growth slow to 31 per cent from 48 per cent in 2015 despite a move to hike the amount it charges restaurants in the UK by one percentage point last April.

The group said the slowdown was as expected, given its scale in the £6.1 billion UK takeaway delivery market, and it hopes to offset this by focusing on expanding its reach with more branded restaurants chains and driving extra fees.

Chairman John Hughes said the firm is also setting its sights on tapping further into overseas markets, after its international businesses were profitable for the first time last year.

Shares in Just Eat leapt six per cent higher after the full-year profits were announced.

Just Eat said it expects underlying earnings to soar by up to 41 per cent this year, as it forecast a rise to between £157 million and £163 million.

Just Eat now has 17.6 million customers and offers deliveries from 68,500 takeaway restaurants in more than 10 countries.

It saw its customer base rise by 31 per cent - or 4.2 million - in 2016.

TASTY FIGURES Just Eat’s annual profits rose by 164 per cent

16

NEWS

Letters

Wednesday March 8 | 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 A missed opportunity perhaps?

APPROVED PLANS New look Pantiles above left

Will people power win over Premier Inn? I had to write in order to say fair play to the residents and businesses located in and around London Road in Tunbridge Wells who are making themselves heard about the proposal to put a Premier Inn on the site of the town’s former law courts.

You state in your page three article of last week [March 1] that over 80 people have lodged a complaint about the plans to transform Merevale House into a budget hotel. And I say quite right, too! Firstly, because this type of establishment is not really in keeping with this historical part of town, and secondly, it will most possibly devalue the period properties dotted along this stretch of road – both financially and aesthetically.

Finally, where on earth are the hotel’s visitors going to park their cars?

I have friends who live in this area, and even they as residents struggle on a daily basis to find spaces, so goodness only knows what impact a 110-room hotel will have on this already squeezed space.

Premier’s people say the impact will be minimal, but I really think it will be a big problem in an already overly congested town.

Let’s hope there’s a rethink on the cards and that people power will prevail.

Carolyn Montgomery Via email

Children’s Court is a really great idea The novel approach that you wrote about [March 1] of getting drivers caught speeding in the new 20mph zone in St John’s to face the children their very actions could one day injure is a very good one.

Only the most callous individuals will fail to re-evaluate their approach to driving if they end up before a so-called ‘Children’s Court’.

Plus there is the added incentive for them in the fact that if they take that route they could avoid a

I thought a follow-up to my letter of February 15 would further explain why I am so disappointed with the planning permission being given to The Pantiles redevelopment.

I attach some examples of how, with some design flair, we could have had a redevelopment which could have set some precedent for future buildings in our town.

You can obviously see the Dandara standard of design which has been accepted, as this follows the ‘boxes’ they are building on the Knights Park housing estate, and that fall well short of accepted space standards.

John Albiston Via email

AN ALTERNATIVE VIEW How the development at the end of The Pantiles could look

fine or points on their licence.

Evidence of similar schemes in the places you mentioned, such as Manchester and Birmingham, shows the areas which adopt the idea do genuinely see a decrease in the number of offenders after a few months.

I only hope that the schools within St John’s can be persuaded to take part. Not only can it help increase the safety of their pupils, but, let’s be honest, it will be quite a fun exercise for the schoolchildren themselves.

So I congratulate Councillor Peter Oakford for putting the idea on the table, as well as helping to make this new 20mph zone a reality.

Dorothy Beatty Via email

amount of money on tarting up the Town Hall.

Why don’t they stay put, smarten up the theatre instead, and help the local economy by paying local professionals to renovate their offices at a fraction of the cost?

Bernard Frost Via email

Are we living in La La Land?

Serious shortage of GPs in Kent

Having read your report last week [March 1], I find myself increasingly baffled by the new Civic Complex. It’s certainly the right name for it. So, Tunbridge Wells Borough Council is taking out a loan of £72million to fund their pet project – I’m sure it was only about £50million a few weeks ago – and will be paying £2.4million a year in interest on it. Has our cosy little world gone mad?

Only recently I was reading how Tonbridge & Malling will receive funding of just £18.03 per head of population with their direct funding from central government, the lowest in Kent and less than half of what the people of Thanet receive.

Why is there this incredible disparity between two adjacent councils? I know Tonbridge has always been regarded as the ‘poor relation’, but this is ludicrous.

How can Tunbridge Wells afford to waste so much money on a new theatre and council offices? More to the point, given these latest figures, why is it going to cost £13million for our officials to stay where they are in the Town Hall?

Surely environmental regulations or whatnot don’t mean you have to spend such an obscene

A survey of EU doctors by the British Medical Association has found that more than four in ten are considering leaving the UK in light of the EU referendum result.

At a time when the NHS is struggling to cope with rising demand and growing staff shortages, this would be catastrophic for our health service and the quality of patient care that it is able to provide. With almost a third of GP practices in Kent unable to fill vacancies in the past year, and hospitals experiencing one of the worst winters on record, we cannot afford to lose any more doctors.

But it’s not just about the numbers. It’s about losing the experience and expertise that these doctors bring to the health system.

To ensure long-term stability for the NHS, the government must act now. If, like me, you don’t want to lose any of the valued and highly-skilled EU doctors that work in the UK, please contact your local MP and urge them to call for Theresa May to grant permanent residence to all medical professionals and NHS staff working in the UK. Dr Selwyn D’Costa BMA South East Regional Deputy Council Chair

Civic Complex doubters out in force Sad to see (March 1) that plans to give Tunbridge Wells an added boost with the building of a Civic Complex, to include a state of the art theatre, are bringing the sceptics out in force. Will they never learn that a town that stands still - dies.

Edward Bartlett Via email

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

Calverley

Observations on life and more important things

THERE’S something quaint and old fashioned about Crowborough and its high street.

Nothing wrong with that, although it can be a tad frustrating if you’re shopping on a Wednesday and looking for a nice piece of jewellery. Or if you’re out and about in your lunch break. The independent family jewellers W. E. Cro & Son, that first opened its doors in 1924, sticks to the tradition of closing on a Wednesday and at lunchtimes.

WHAT’S in a name? Not a lot, apparently.

Himself happened to be standing at a local bar (no change there, then) when a customer ambled in with friends, ordered a round of drinks, and asked if he could put it on a tab behind the bar and pay later. Staff advised him the owner did not offer customers the opportunity of running a tab. Customer: “That’s a shame.” Staff: “Well, we can open an account at the till, if you would like.”

Customer: “What’s the difference?” Staff: “Nothing, really.”

HIMSELF just cannot resist sharing with his band of (hopefully) loyal readers this image. It’s on one of the many posters plastered around the Odeon cinema on the outskirts of the town in a bid to associate itself with Tunbridge wells. Sorry, that’s a mistake, just like the one they have made. It should, of course, have been a capital letter in ‘Wells’.

Not to worry. It’s only the world of films where nothing is real. If they can muck up the Oscars, what’s a poster?

GROWING up can be quiet challenging, or so it is said. Calverley called in to see one of his (much) older friends last week. When the cordless phone suddenly started to ring, said chap picked up the device and kept shouting “Hello” without getting any response.

Eventually, Himself took pity on his friend and told him he had grabbed the TV remove control instead of the phone.

Chin, chin readers

Wednesday March 8 | 2017

EDUCATION Times

Education

NEWS

17

WITH THE

Pupils celebrate the power of words on World Book Day

SPLASHING OUT One of Marlborough House’s charity events

Fundraising year equals record results

A YEAR-LONG incentive which saw pupils at Marlborough House School, Hawkhurst, taking part in a talent competition, book sale, 42-mile swimathon and entrepreneurial business ventures has raised almost £20,000 for various charities.

On Monday, the school presented their final five cheques, which totalled over £12,000, to the grateful recipients.

These included Cancer Research UK, who received £7,296.10, and Kent, Surrey & Sussex Air Ambulance Trust, who were awarded £1,300.

Other charities who benefitted from the school’s fundraising efforts included Canine Partners, Imagination Library and Hospice in the Weald. The final total donated was £19,320.

A spokesperson for the school said: “Charitable, community initiatives are an important part of school life at Marlborough House, as they not only provide the children with wonderful opportunities to extend their learning, but they also instil in pupils a strong sense of their place in the wider community, and in doing so reinforce the school ethos of ‘Value Self, Value Others’.”

STOCK TACTICS Some of the challenges undertaken

DRESSED FOR THE OCCASION Children at St Augustine’s

Schools all over the globe encouraged both students and staff to attend class dressed as a character from their favourite tome to mark World Book Day last week. Here, Eileen Leahy speaks to local children’s author Philip Ardagh about why this annual literary event is so important when it comes to inspiring children to read THIS year, World Book Day – the globe’s biggest celebration of authors, illustrators and their imaginative creations – is 20 years old. And the event just keeps getting bigger and better, with more and more schools actively participating and making it both fun and educational.

Lots of our schools took part in the event with all manner of characters – including Harry Potter, Where’s Wally?, Sleeping Beauty and Horrid Henry turning up to school on Thursday [March 2]. Inspiring children to get into reading lies at the heart of this literary festival, which is celebrated in more than 100 countries across the globe.

Local children’s author Philip Ardagh, who has had over 100 books published in nearly 40 different languages, and has featured in previous World Book Day special edition book lists, is hugely supportive of the event.

“It’s fantastic,” he says. “I have done events in bookshops for it, and some of the children have never been inside one before. They say: ‘What, you can buy all these?’ and I respond: ‘Well, yes, if you have the money, and if you haven’t then you’ve got libraries.’ So for those reasons alone it’s fantastic.”

Another bonus, apart from actively encouraging young readers, is that every single schoolchild receives a £1 National Book token.

Fourteen million of these are given out to educational establishments to mark the event, and to inspire children to explore the pleasure of reading.

“That’s such a good thing,” continues Philip, who has penned titles including The Little Adventurers and The Grunts series of books.

“They can either buy one of the special £1 books

or put it towards another book.”

The £1 books are special editions of much-loved works which are available for a limited amount of time in March.

Each year, ten different ones are published, and the variety children can choose from this year includes Julia Donaldson’s Princess Mirror Belle, Francesca Simon’s Horrid Henry Fact Files and David Almond’s Island, to name but a few.

“I’m very fortunate because I grew up in a house where both my father and mother loved books – they were everywhere,” Philip reveals.

“But the very best way to get a child reading is for you to read to them when they are very little.

“Even if you are rubbish at it, or you find it difficult or you are dyslexic, just sharing a story with a child is a fantastic start.

“And then if you can extend that, and they see you reading, it becomes an instinctive thing.”

One school to get into the literary sprit was St Augustine’s Catholic Primary in Tunbridge Wells.

Their World Book Day was organised by English Leader Mrs Edwards, who requested children and members of staff come to school dressed up in ‘an impressive display of costumes’.

“The children looked absolutely marvellous!” said Headteacher Mrs Jackie Warren. “Throughout the day they took part in book sharing with pupils in other year groups as well in their own class. It was a wonderful opportunity for them to share their favourite stories from the world of books.”

Read next week’s Times for more on Philip Ardagh ahead of the Knole Children’s Book festival 2017

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18

NEWS

Weekly Comment

Wednesday March 8 | 2017

Greg Clark

MP for Tunbridge Wells

Greg Clark was elected to Parliament as a representative of Tunbridge Wells in 2005. The Conservative MP has since held a number of positions in Government and currently sits as a member of the Cabinet in his capacity as Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

In order to prosper we must promote technical skills TODAY the Chancellor of the Exchequer will present his first Budget. Philip Hammond will start with his presentation of the economic and financial context facing the country – how the rate of growth of the economy is fairing and how the public finances are being managed. But then he will do something unusual. He will take further steps to put into practice the recommendations that we have made in the Industrial Strategy.

When Theresa May appointed me to my role last July, it was to head the Business and Energy Department – newly combined. But it was also to lead the development of a new Industrial Strategy for the country. One of the major pillars of that strategy is a transformation in the level of skills in Britain. In an increasingly competitive world, we will only be able to earn a good living – as individuals and as a nation – if the skills that we have make us more productive than our competitors.

Yet for years now, we have been falling behind our rivals when it comes to the skills and qualifications of our workforce. England is the only country in the OECD group of major developed economies where 16 to 24 year olds are not more literate or numerate than 55 to 64 year olds. In fact, in 2011, 49 per cent of adults had numeracy

levels below those expected of an 11 year old.

The problem is decades-old and is particularly acute when it comes to technical skills. For too long, technical education has been the poor relation to university education. Students choosing to go to university can select from an enticing range of courses leading to degrees through a common UCAS application system. But people choosing a technical route are faced with a bewildering choice of thousands of different qualifications which are difficult to compare and sometimes of poor quality. Whereas other countries have long regarded engineering and technical

‘For too long, technical education has been the poor relation to university education’ qualifications as being especially prestigious, in Britain they have often lacked the same cachet.

Partly as a result of this, only 10 per cent of UK adults hold a technical qualification as their highest educational attainment.

For us in West Kent, we feel the impact. With an unemployment rate significantly below the national average – a major benefit – many of our

local employers struggle to find staff with the skills needed to meet the demands of clients. So it’s especially important for us to match skills provision through schools, colleges, apprenticeships and in-work training to what local businesses need to develop and grow.

Our Industrial Strategy sets us on a path to transform our standards of technical education.

To follow international exemplars like Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands and Singapore in establishing high quality technical alternatives to university courses for those who prefer them – leading to full professional competence in defined occupations. To establish Institutes of Technology to specialise in technical disciplines and be run jointly with local employers. And to make more opportunities for retraining available for people of all ages – rather than just for young people at the beginning of their working lives.

If we want to prosper as a nation we must make proper use of the talents of everyone in the workforce. The backing of technical education in today’s Budget will be one of the ways in which our Industrial Strategy is already being put into practice.

20

FEATURES

Arts & Culture

Wednesday March 8 | 2017

Making a song and dance out of life Two of Strictly Come Dancing’s biggest stars, Ian Waite and Natalie Lowe, are coming to sashay, samba and salsa their way into the Assembly Hall on Saturday with their new show Somewhere in Time. Here, Eileen Leahy talks to Ian and finds out what the audience has in store on this special night Are you looking forward to bringing your new show to Tunbridge Wells?

We’re very excited, and Natalie and I are really happy to be touring together again. We did our first one, An Audience with Ian and Natalie, last year which was very well received and sold out in most places. On the strength of that we decided to go do another one. This time round it’s going to be a bit of a marathon as we’re doing 68 shows over the next three months. Tunbridge Wells will be our second one so we’ll be very fresh!

Do you like touring?

Yes, we’ve toured a lot with the Strictly Come Dancing arena shows, but it’s a nice feeling when you’re actually doing it for yourself and it’s your name headlining. Although both Natalie and I gave the Strictly shows 100 per cent, this show is a very personal thing. It’s very intimate, which is why we’ve deliberately gone for smaller venues.

Can you tell us a little bit about Somewhere in Time?

It’s just me and Natalie, and we’re dancing and presenting throughout, going through different eras, genres and telling stories. We’ve created our own new choreography and have two singers who’ll be performing while we’re on stage. When the focus is just on you it makes it harder as we don’t have any additional dancers filling in, so we have to give it 100 per cent for every performance. But although it’s tougher it’s also very satisfying as we know that every performance matters.

What kind of dance content are you including?

It’s a collection of our favourite routines: Argentine Tango, an amazing Charleston and an American Smooth mixed with a Foxtrot which opens the second half and promises to be sensational.

What can the audience expect from the show?

To interact with us quite a lot! In some parts, Natalie and I will get some people up on stage and get them singing and doing all sorts of things, including a fun game… If you think you’re just going to sit back and watch dancing for two hours, you’re in for a surprise!

We like to get people involved and see their reaction to things.

Have you and Natalie always danced together?

Strictly put the two of us together about nine years ago and our partnership just works. Natalie is quite long-limbed and that suits me, as I’m 6ft 4in. We’re also very similar dancers – emotive and dramatic, and we get on very well, too. I was recently in Barbados on holiday while Natalie was holidaying in Antigua with her fiancé, and they surprised me with a special visit on my birthday. We spent a wonderful day on a boat snorkelling with turtles, so yes, we get on very well and try to socialise with one another.

How long have you spent rehearsing for Somewhere in Time?

Natalie and I have been doing it pretty much on a daily basis for the past month, and we’ve just done a

fortnight’s rehearsal with our singers and all the tech guys. By the end of that everything was pretty much secure and we now have a show, it’s exciting.

Where do you get your inspiration from?

Music – if it moves me it’ll result in a great piece of choreography. In terms of dancers, I’m particularly inspired by the likes of Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire.

I was very much brought up watching those guys with my grandmother. It’s funny because when I was competing I was known primarily as a Latin American dancer, but I really love the nostalgia of the 1920s and 40s, and our new show’s title certainly reflects that. It covers different eras and is full of nostalgia and audiences will definitely note that.

What do you think lies behind the perennial success of Strictly Come Dancing?

It’s moved with the times and uses a lot of modern music now. We also have a massive variety of celebrities, which also broadens the appeal. And whether the performance is bad or good, it captures the audience’s imagination. Look at Ed Balls [former Shadow Chancellor] for instance: It took him completely out of his comfort zone, but to see him do those amazing dances was just brilliant.

It’s much more than a dancing show and it can be brutally honest sometimes, but it’s also got old-fashioned roots in ballroom, and I think people like that as they can hark back to those nostalgic days.

Arts & Culture

Wednesday March 8 | 2017

STRICTLY IN STEP Ian Waite and Natalie Lowe

It sounds very much like Somewhere in Time – what do you hope the audience will come away feeling after the show?

I hope it will touch people and they’ll feel like they’ve had an experience. It would be lovely if in years to come people thought ‘Oh, remember seeing Ian and Natalie in that show all those years ago?’ We want to make an impression on people’s hearts.

Ian Waite and Natalie Lowe will be dancing in Somewhere in Time at the Assembly Hall on Saturday March 11 at 7.30pm. Tickets cost from £24. For more information, visit www.assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk

FEATURES

21

This comedian is seriously funny Ahead of appearing at Trinity Theatre on March 23, seasoned stand-up Mark Thomas tells the Times all about his latest show The Red Shed ANYONE who has seen my shows Bravo Figaro or Cuckooed will know that they are a mix of theatre and stand-up. The Red Shed, which is the final part of this trilogy, is set in the actual Red Shed – a Socialist shed in Wakefield – and is about how my mates try and help me find a memory.

It was the place where I came of age politically as a student involved with the miners’ strike. It is a place I have always gone back to, and I still have friends and comrades there. It is, in many ways, a talisman for me. So this story is about the mining communities and the Left – Labour, and what happened to those communities. It is a play or a monologue – depending on your point of view – but it is funny and original.

Being a socialist club, and being in the politically-charged environment and community at the time, it was only natural I would get involved. It was odd because one day I’d be at college in a leotard representing the wind in The Tempest, and the next I’d be taking part in a march.

Labour clubs like the Red Shed have always been important to communities that I’ve been lucky enough to be a part of.

I hope I’ve created something people have not seen before, which is original in the telling of working-class stories and their importance.

The thing I enjoyed most in creating this performance was hanging out with friends, and talking to people I was on nodding terms with, about their amazing stories. Everyone in the club has done something remarkable. The chap who collects pots, and always turns up to help move chairs, told

SIMPLY RED! Mark Thomas

me about his involvement in the 1972 builders’ strike, amazing.

People often ask what made me want to become a comedian, and I reply it was the only thing I could think of doing that didn’t involve physical labour or extensive study!

In terms of how I describe my comedy, I would say it’s a mix between stand-up, theatre, journalism and activism. You will not see stuff like this on TV any more.

Comedy is one of the few places where freedom of speech allows us to say what we want, indeed it encourages us and expects us to do that.

Mark Thomas is performing at Trinity Theatre on Thursday March 23 at 8pm. Tickets cost from £16 and can be bought at www.trinitytheatre.net

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

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WITH THE

Available in Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge and Sevenoaks

bracketts

est. 1828

The answer to a prayer Church House includes a period barn with its own entertaining room

24

PROPERTY

To suit your budget

Wednesday March 08 | 2017

Your at-a-glance guide to YEW TREE HOUSE ERIDGE GREEN

£995,000

UNDER £250,000 THE MALTINGS, HADLOW

£195,0000

An apartment in an over-55’s development set in a converted oast house in the village of Hadlow, and accessed via a communal hallway with lift. The accommodation consists of an entrance hall, living

room with arch to the modern kitchen/breakfast room, two bedrooms, one with an en-suite shower room, and a main bathroom.

There is also allocated parking for one car and communal grounds.

CONTACT Andrews 01892 515 144 www.andrewsonline.co.uk

UNDER £350,000 BOYNE PARK, TUNBRIDGE WELLS GUIDE PRICE

£325,000 (LEASEHOLD)

The living/dining room is open plan with a double-sided fireplace. There is a kitchen, plus two double bedrooms – one with access to a balcony – a bathroom and residents’ parking. Offered chain-free.

This top floor maisonette is accessed via stairs at the rear of the CONTACT building. The entrance hall has Andrews 01892 515 144 storage and stairs to the landing. www.andrewsonline.co.uk

To suit your budget

Wednesday March 08 | 2017

PROPERTY

25

great properties by price range…

Under £450,000 SHAKESPEARE ROAD TONBRIDGE

£410,000

Located in a quiet spot, this detached 1950s home is on the market for the first time. Still in the process of being completely redecorated, there is a recently fitted modern kitchen, a new bathroom and a cloakroom. The reception area features a living room with electric fire and side and rear double doors that open into the garden. There are also two double bedrooms. Outside there is a detached garage and driveway parking as well as a rear garden. There is scope for further development, and included in the sale is a refrigerator and dishwasher.

CONTACT Barnes Kingsnorth 01732 771616 www.bkestateagents.com

UNDER £600,000 DOUGLAS ROAD TONBRIDGE GUIDE PRICE

£525,000-£575,000 This house, situated in the Meadow Lawn area close to Tonbridge mainline railway station, the town centre and excellent schools, includes five double bedrooms and two reception rooms.

Set over three floors, there is also the potential to extend (subject to planning permission) to create a larger kitchen/family room. One of the five bedrooms is currently in use as a family/games room and has extensive views across Tonbridge.

There is also a larder adjoining the kitchen, and additional eaves storage on the second floor.

UNDER £1MILLION YEW TREE HOUSE ERIDGE GREEN

£995,000 A detached character home with self-contained one-bedroom annexe. Internally, the main accommodation comprises a reception hall, cloakroom, study, double aspect sitting room, dining room, kitchen/breakfast room, utility room and family room on the ground floor. The first floor has a master bedroom, guest bedroom (both with en suites), two further

bedrooms and a bathroom. The top floor provides a vaulted bedroom with en-suite shower room. The property is approached by electronically-controlled gates and a long driveway and includes a detached double garage. The grounds total about half an acre.

CONTACT Mansell McTaggart 01892 662668 www.mansellmctaggart.co.uk

CONTACT Ellis & Co 01732 770077 www.ellisandco.co.uk

UNDER £800,000 GOLDSMID ROAD TONBRIDGE GUIDE PRICE

£580,000-£615,000 Convenient for Tonbridge mainline railway station and the town centre, this three-bedroom detached house benefits from a conservatory and good-sized garden as well as a garage, car port and driveway. Internally, the ground floor has a porch, entrance hall, living room, dining room, kitchen and a cloakroom, while the bedrooms and a bathroom are on the first floor. There is potential to extend (subject to planning permission) due to the possibilities offered by its generous loft space and extensive garden.

CONTACT Ellis & Co 01732 770077 www.ellisandco.co.uk

28

PROPERTY

Saxbys

Wednesday March 8 | 2017

AT A GLANCE SAXBYS HORSMONDEN ROAD BRENCHLEY n Entrance hall n Sitting room n Cloakroom n Dining room n Kitchen/breakfast room n Laundry room n Conservatory n Master bedroom with en suite n Walk-in wardrobe n Three further bedrooms (one en suite) n Family bathroom n Balcony n Detached garage n Garage basement room Annexe: n Kitchen/breakfast room n Study

‘Enjoy views over acres of neighbouring apple orchards from the balcony’

n Sitting room GUIDE PRICE

£925,000 Available for sale through The Country Property Group Goudhurst 01580 211888 www.countrypropertygroup.com

This four-bed country house has rooms finished to a high standard

Wednesday March 8 | 2017

Advertising

PROPERTY

29

34

PROPERTY

Church House

Wednesday March 8 | 2017

‘Dating from the 16th century, this timber-framed property has a wealth of original features, including a bread oven’

A very special Grade II listed village house and period barn amid established gardens

Wednesday March 8 | 2017

Church House

PROPERTY

35

AT A GLANCE n Drawing room n Sitting room n Vaulted kitchen with Aga n Dining room n Utility room n Cloakroom n Master bedroom with en-suite shower room n Four further bedrooms n Two bathrooms n Double garage n Private parking n Substantial period barn with entertaining room, kitchenette and first floor storeroom n Heated swimming pool n Attractive period greenhouse n Ornamental pond with fountain n Landscaped gardens n Grounds approaching an acre

OFFERS IN EXCESS OF

£1,000,000

Available for sale through Jackson Stops & Staff Cranbrook 01580 720000 www.jackson-stops.co.uk

CHURCH HOUSE

THE STREET, SISSINGHURST OFFERS IN EXCESS OF

£1,000,000

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PROPERTY

Advertising

Wednesday March 8 | 2017

Wednesday March 8 | 2017

Royal Wells Park

PROPERTY

Best of modern luxury living: New show home unveiled at Royal Wells Park

‘The development has proved a highly popular choice among buyers with over half the properties now sold’

AT A GLANCE KINGS AVENUE ROYAL WELLS PARK MOUNT EPHRAIM ■ Show home ■ Regency and Kentish-style architecture ■ Living/dining room ■ Kitchen ■ Subterranean media room ■ Master suite ■ Guest suite ■ Three further bedrooms ■ Dressing rooms to both suites ■ Private garden ■ Indoor/outdoor entertaining space ■ Communal landscaped grounds ■ Communal water feature

PRICES START AT

£699,000

Available for sale through The Berkeley Group Tunbridge Wells 01892 532 011 www.royalwellspark.co.uk

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PROPERTY

Foxwell House

Wednesday March 8 | 2017

Stylishly designed and refurbished with separate one-bedroom annexe

FOXWELL HOUSE FRANT ROAD, TUNBRIDGE WELLS GUIDE PRICE

£2,250,000

Wednesday March 8 | 2017

AT A GLANCE ■ Reception hall ■ Cinema room ■ Study ■ Drawing room ■ Sitting room ■ Kitchen/breakfast room ■ Conservatory ■ Utility room ■ 2 cloakrooms ■ 6 bedrooms ■ 4 en-suite bathrooms ■ Games room ■ Sitting/study area ■ Double car port ■ Gym ■ 1-bed annexe ■ Double garage with workshop ■ Outside WC ■ Tennis court ■ Thatched breeze house ■ Established gardens ■ Approximately 0.69 acres

GUIDE PRICE

£2,250,000 Available for sale through Knight Frank Tunbridge Wells 01892 515035 www.knightfrank.co.uk

Foxwell House

PROPERTY

‘The house benefits from good ceiling heights and flexible accommodation over three floors’

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Interior Design

Wednesday March 8 | 2017

THE POWER OF

MY STYLE: “I’d describe it as modernist, clean and uncluttered but luxurious.

I always add a touch of humour, with poster art or unusual touches; my most treasured piece is a massive buffalo skull!”

TREND FORECAST: “We’ve waved goodbye to that harsh industrial look, and instead 80s style will make an impact – all fun,

freedom and a rock ’n’ roll attitude to colour, pattern and effects, using vibrant, bubblegum shades. The approach will be more luxe than in the past, and will feature beautiful finishes and materials, such as marbles and metallics, as well as plush fabrics like velvets.

MY ADVICE: “Be brave if you want to be your own interior designer.

Feel free to experiment, and inspiration can come from films, books, exhibitions and holidays.

If you want to step into summer fast, embrace ‘tropical’ with masses of leaf palm prints, which have taken the high street by storm.”

OLIVER HEATH, a designer who first found fame in BBC’s Changing Rooms in the late 90s, is an expert in sustainable architecture and interior design.

MY STYLE: “I take a human-centred approach to design, and focus on how the spaces where we live and work can benefit the way we feel. Spaces affect our mood, behaviour and energy levels, so I look to use design to enhance and improve our health and wellbeing.”

TREND FORECAST: “I think there will be a growing awareness about the importance of how our spaces suit us and enhance our lives. In my bedroom,

MOOD MAKER

WINNING DESIGN DANIELA TASCA YORK, 31, was recently named this year’s winner of BBC Two’s The Great British Design Challenge.

The mother of two is now running her own interiors business, with a range of wallpaper and accessories (www.danielatascayork. co.uk)

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Finding your way to a successful interior style can be a tricky journey as you navigate your way through countless decor looks and try to make sense of the blizzard of trends every year. But fear not, because we’ve asked three experts to reveal their insider secrets so you can create rooms that stun this year…

NATURAL HARMONY

By Gabrielle Fagan

PROPERTY

I’ve used an Icelandic shelter look – the Scandinavian trend is so strong – which is simple and conjures up a rich, warming, sensory feel for a space that’s like a big warm hug. Homes should always cosset and comfort us.”

MY ADVICE: “We live such fast-moving, technologyfilled, stressful lives that many of us have lost sight of the things which make us feel good, happy and healthy. Instead, we should be inspired by those things and organise our spaces so we connect, whether that’s opening up a room into a garden, creating somewhere the family can easily gather, or using materials and textures which help conjure up different moods.”

ABIGAIL AHERN is a designer renowned for her trademark dark, moody colour palette and glamorous settings.

MY STYLE: “Generally, it’s quite masculine – I’m not a feminine type – and it’s also glamorous, layered and edgy, as opposed to pretty.

I take inspiration from a range of different styles, so it’s eclectic.”

TREND FORECAST: “A strong tribal trend’s on its way, which is reflected in my new collection for Debenhams inspired by Africa’s colours and patterns (see www. debenhams.com, prices start from £20). It’s textural, with splashes of colour and features exotic animals. All things artisanal will be huge

this year, whether that’s beautifully carved furniture, giant handmade urns, or woven textiles. We’re living in exciting times in interiors, because people are now embracing the transformative power of colour and are prepared to take more risks with their spaces.”

MY ADVICE: “I believe in anarchy and not following the rules. It’s all about enjoying yourself, letting your rooms ‘wear’ your favourite colours, in the same way you wear clothes in favourite shades, because they make you feel good.

Follow that, and the effect will be edgier, cool, playful and a world away from a bland setting which looks like ‘decorating by numbers’.”

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FEATURES

Food & Drink

Wednesday March 8 | 2017

The humble pie rises to the occasion once again To celebrate British Pie Week, which runs until Sunday [March 12], Eileen Leahy speaks to a local producer of this much-loved classic food. Annabelle Padfield of Renhurst Farm, Mark Cross, tells us why they are such a popular part of her business – and why pies remain one of Britain’s favourite foods

W

HETHER it’s hearty steak and ale, rustic ham hock or a delicately spiced apple and cinnamon offering, you can’t go far without spotting a pie in Britain – whether it’s on a menu or a market stall.

So, given our penchant for pies, it won’t come as a surprise to discover they even have their own week of celebration (this year from March 6-12), which puts a foodie focus on all things pie related – including everything from promoting new fillings to artisan producers.

According to British Pie Week’s organisers, pastry experts Jus-Rol, recent research has revealed that 75 per cent of people enjoy a pie at least once a month, and that 79 per cent would be

willing to pay more for a homemade one.

Annabelle Padfield, of Renhurst Farm, who are based in Mark Cross and supply many local farmers’ and specialist markets, confirms the popularity of pies.

“We’ve been making them for the last 15 years,” she says.

Her family’s business, which is now run by the fourth generation of Padfields, farm native breeds of Sussex and Aberdeen Angus cattle as well as Suffolk and Romney sheep. Annabelle says they came up with the idea of making pies as a way of using up the less popular cuts and to ‘add value to the meat’.

“The most popular of our pies are the steak and ale and chicken varieties,” Annabelle

APPLE AND CRANBERRY PORK PIE

confirms. And the most unusual? “Our lamb and apricot or poacher’s pie,” she says, explaining that this is a combination of rabbit and venison. “In total, we do 21 different types, including three fruit ones.

“All the meat is produced from our farm apart from the pheasants we use, which come from a neighbouring one. Most pies are sold by ourselves in our farm shop here at Renhurst, and we attend many local farmers’ markets, including Tunbridge Wells and Shipbourne.”

All Renhurst’s cattle and lambs are grass fed, so the quality of the meat – and therefore the pie – is excellent.

So how about having a go at making your own in order to mark British Pie Week?

Remember, you can use shortcrust, filo or puff pastry and include pretty much any filling that takes your fancy. Why not try the following recipes to get you started?

What you need: For the pastry 300g/2 1/3 cups gluten-free plain/ all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons glutenfree Dijon mustard 1 teaspoon salt 140g/good ½ cup lard For the filling 200g smoked bacon lardons 1 cup thick-sliced back bacon cut into cubes 300g/10 ½ oz minced/ground pork 200g/7 oz fresh pork belly, rind trimmed

and very finely chopped 1 teaspoon ground allspice 2 tablespoons apple sauce Sea salt and ground black pepper For the topping 250g/2 cups fresh cranberries 2 tablespoons redcurrant jelly An 18-cm/7-inch round loose-based deep cake pan, greased Serves 8

FRESH FROM THE FARM Shipbourne market

Annabelle Padfield (pictured left) of Renhurst Farm

What you do: Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) Gas 4.

For the pastry, sift the flour into a large mixing bowl and add the mustard and salt.

Heat the lard in a saucepan with 130ml/½ cup water and bring to boil, then carefully pour into the flour and beat in with a wooden spoon.

Leave to cool for a few minutes, then, while the pastry is still warm, press it into the base and sides of the cake pan evenly so the pastry comes to the top of the sides. Press the edge into a fluted pattern with your fingertips.

For the filling, in a bowl, mix together the bacon, minced/ground pork and pork belly with the allspice and apple sauce.

Season well with salt and pepper and spoon the mixture into the pastry case, pressing in tightly with the back of a spoon until the pastry case is full to just below the rim of the pastry (you

may not need all of the meat).

Cover the top of the meat with non-stick baking paper and press down firmly. Bake the pie in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, then turn the temperature down to 150°C (300°F)Gas 2 and bake for a further 2 hours until the juices from the meat run clear, then leave to cool.

For the topping, simmer the cranberries in 100ml/scant ½ cup of water seasoned with salt and pepper until the cranberries are just soft and their skins start to split.

Strain the water from the cranberries, leave them to cool slightly, then spoon them on top of the pie.

Heat the redcurrant jelly in a saucepan with 1 tablespoon of water until the jelly has melted and is of a pourable consistency. Spoon over the cranberries and leave to cool.

The pie will store in a refrigerator for up to 3 days in an airtight container.

Food & Drink

Wednesday March 8 | 2017

FEATURES

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STEAK AND ALE PIE From start to serve: 5 hours | Preparation: 30 minutes | Bake: 3 hours What you need: 800g/1 lb 14 oz casserole/chuck steak, in chunks 3 tablespoons plain/all-purpose gluten-free flour 2 teaspoons salt 2 teaspoons white pepper 2-3 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil 1 onion, chopped 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 4 carrots, chopped

What you do: To make the casserole filling, toss the steak pieces with the flour, salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large lidded casserole dish or frying pan/skillet and fry the meat for a few minutes until browned on all sides. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Add the onion and garlic with a little more oil to the pan and sauté until the onion is soft. Stir in the remaining vegetables and cook for a few minutes longer, then lift out of the pan and set aside with the meat.

Deglaze the pan with a large glug of ale, scraping up any crusty bits from the bottom and stirring into the liquid. Add the remaining ale and bring to a simmer. Stir in the tomato purée and balsamic vinegar, then return the meat and vegetables to the pan. Pour over the stock and give everything a stir. Bring to the boil, turn down the heat, cover and simmer for 2 hours.

Remove the lid, stir the casserole and simmer for a further 30 minutes, uncovered, before removing from the heat and setting aside to cool for 1-2 hours. When the filling has cooled down and you’re ready to bake the pies, preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) Gas 6.

4 large celery stalks/ribs, chopped A 330ml/12 oz bottle of gluten-free ale 1 tablespoon tomato purée/paste 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 400g/1 2/3 cups gluten-free beef stock 1 batch homemade Hot Water Pastry, refrigerated 1 egg, beaten 4 x 500ml/17 oz pie dishes

Take the pastry from the fridge.

Divide into 8 pieces and roll each piece into a ball with your hands. Put all but one piece back into the fridge.

Lay a piece of clingfilm/plastic wrap on to the work surface. Put the pastry piece in the middle and lay a second piece of clingfilm/plastic wrap over the top.

Roll out the pastry to an oval or circle larger than the pie dishes, to a thickness of 2-3 mm/ 1/8 inch. Remove the top layer of clingfilm/plastic wrap and, using the layer underneath to help you, lift and turn over the pastry into the pie dish to line it. Press gently into the corners – try not to break it.

Remove the clingfilm/plastic wrap, set aside and repeat.

Fill each lined dish with the cooled filling.

Take the remaining pastry from the fridge and repeat the rolling-out process to create 4 lids. Press the lid on to the overhanging pastry lining the dishes and then trim the excess with a sharp knife. Cut a small vent in the top of each pie dish and then brush the tops with the beaten egg.

Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes until golden and the filling is piping hot. Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.

Apple and cranberry pork pie recipe courtesy of The Complete Gluten-Free Baker by Hannah Miles, photography by William Reavell. Steak pie recipe from This is Gluten-Free by Victoria Hall, photography by Adrian Lawrence.

Both books © Ryland Peters & Small and Times readers can purchase them for the special price of £11.99, including P&P (rrp£16.99), by telephoning Macmillan Direct on 01256 302 699 and quoting the references HT9 and KA3 respectively

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FEATURES

Food & Drink

Wednesday March 8 | 2017

A marital gem worth discovering The competition between wedding venues is fierce and every location is pushing to offer something bigger and brighter than the other. But what of the bride or groom that wants more of a say? Hannah Patterson sat down with John Anthony at the Masonic Centre in Tunbridge Wells to find out why he’s playing the wedding game…

T

HE rulebook for weddings has become irrelevant, and the day is an opportunity to not just celebrate a marriage, but also to exercise creativity in some spectacular ways. With the steady rise in popularity of DIY weddings and Pinterest, venues cannot so easily predict what the next couple will expect from their special day. There are trends, of course, but no one is the same, and the search for a venue that does not suppress the ever-growing ambitions of future newlyweds is not so very easy.

This is when John Anthony, resident Chef at the Masonic Centre, throws his hat further into the wedding industries’ ring. The centre, nestled quietly off St John’s road, can be easy to overlook if you don’t happen to know it’s there, but CARVING OUT A BIG CLIENTELE Chef John Anthony

it’s something of a gem for those not seeking to contribute a large bank loan to a billion-pound industry.

Marketed as a blank canvas – ‘your own venue… day and night’ – John believes the centre offers more potential than most.

“The venue is yours from 11am to 1am, and boasts a fully-licensed bar. There’s no need for your celebration to end at 11pm.”

Like most potential spots for a reception, the price is dependent on your choices. It is possible to hire just the centre for a significantly reduced price, and organise your own decorations and food.

However, if that all sounds like a little too much hard work, John also offers a number of options from his catering company, John Anthony Catering. His

new offering is a hog roast buffet, which has become a wedding favourite for a tasty, but less formal meal.

“We wanted to broaden our options,” says John, “although we offer what are considered more formal dinner set-ups, it’s important that it is the couple’s choice for what sort of atmosphere they want their day to have. It’s also ideal for keeping costs down if you’re trying not to break the bank.”

John acquired most of his chef experience from working in bustling London restaurants, so why come to Kent?

“I wanted to start my own business – it was always the goal. The flexibility to be imaginative in what I do and to be reliant on my own judgement was freeing. I knew what I wanted to do and I was ready.”

Aside from weddings, one of John’s most popular hostings is the Sunday carvery – a more reasonably priced option compared to some of the pubs in surrounding areas, without sacrificing the quality of his food.

“I think people find it a

more relaxed alternative, and not as costly. It also has a real feel of community. There are a lot of regulars here, and everyone says hello to one another. We have plenty of birthdays and people celebrating – there’s always a happy and bustling atmosphere.”

John invited us to experience the carvery for ourselves, and the atmosphere was just as he had described it. The welcome was warm and the bar is both comfortable and well stocked, with an array of plush chairs, most of which were already filled with eager guests waiting to be seated.

The drinks menu is varied enough to suit most tastes, although you may find yourself disappointed if you like a choice of IPAs. The price for the carvery is £25, inclusive of dessert, and is comparatively cheap to most of the other local venues who offer Sunday roasts, and although some might think that the centre doesn’t boast the same level of charm as a country pub, I can think of nowhere quite as friendly. The waitresses were smartly dressed in white shirts, black trousers and neat maroon ties, and darted amongst the ever-filling bar being excessively attentive

Food & Drink

Wednesday March 8 | 2017

‘If you have any room left, the dessert menu is enticing with profiteroles and warm pie’ to their guests.

The food itself was of a high standard, and you certainly get your money’s worth with the opportunity to have your plate filled to the brim with pork, turkey, beef and ham, along with roast potatoes – crisped to perfection – and all the usual trimmings, including stuffing. It would be difficult to imagine having any room remaining for dessert, but the menu is enticing with profiteroles and warm pie.

John can be seen darting in and out of his kitchen, and, considering the amount of food required to feed such a large number of guests, you have to wonder how he’s managed to do it all with such a small team?

“It’s a busy day. I get into work at 6am and work through to the early evening. You have to care about the guests’ experience to be able to do it.

“But I also have my attention on events that have the centre hired out – weddings being an example.”

John acknowledges the high level of competition with regard to wedding receptions,

but he believes his venue has what it takes to compete with reasonable costs and freedom of choice.

“We can serve up to 150 guests, more than the usual 120 you see in most wedding brochures. It’s such a large and adaptable space with so much potential. When you hire the venue, it’s your venue.”

Is that something other locations lack?

“I think so. Not all of them, but you’ll often find there are hidden expenses and excessive limitations on what you can do with the space.

Sometimes they can feel a little restrictive.

“Depending on what the couple wants, we can provide chairs, tables, linen, decorations, and all food and drink.

“The potential is what I want people to see when they visit the centre, and we are more than willing to help. I genuinely feel we should be on everyone’s list when visiting potential venues.”

The Masonic Centre really is a blank canvas for the creative bride or groom in an ideal location, and now is the time, for it is about to undergo a major redecoration. From fresh paint to new floors, the Masonic Centre is rebranding itself as the wedding venue of choice.

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FOOD FOR ALL At the town’s tasty Masonic Centre

SERVING UP A TREAT The friendly and attentive staff at the Masonic Hall

n The Masonic Centre is hosting

an open day on Sunday March 19 from 9am to 5pm n The next carvery is March 12 from 1pm For more information, contact John Anthony Catering.

Tel: 01892 512469 info@johnanthonycatering.com www.johnanthonycatering.com Masonic Centre, St John’s Road, Tunbridge Wells, TN4 9UY

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FEATURES

Weddings

Wednesday March 8 | 2017

A birthday surprise ends in a happily ever after When Doug Mackie proposed to Charlotte Errey on her birthday, she knew exactly who to call to help make their day extra special.

As a local business owner herself, Charlotte made sure to support local talent and suppliers. And the result? The wedding of their dreams featuring all the talent that Kent and Sussex have to offer.

FOUR IS THE MAGIC NUMBER The family enjoying the gardens after the ceremony

Describe your partner in five words…

Funny, kind, supportive, handsome, soul mate.

How did you meet?

We’ve known each other since we were four years old, believe it or not! It was in primary school when we first met and we obviously made an impression on each other. Our romantic relationship began as a coincidence, since we both ended up going on holiday to Barcelona at the same time in 2010. After that, we met up again with some mutual friends and it blossomed from there. The rest is history, as they say!

Tell us about the proposal…

Doug made plans to propose on my birthday. It was the best present I could have asked for. He brought out the most perfect, and very sparkly, ring and of course I said yes. The ring was purchased from Burrells in Tunbridge Wells and Doug can’t recommend them enough.

What was your wedding like?

The official ceremony took place at the registry office in Crowborough, with very close family in attendance. After all the papers had been signed, we headed straight for the Spa Hotel in the centre of Tunbridge Wells.

I have my own business, The Floral Workshop, so I had previously worked very closely with the Spa Hotel and knew them well beforehand, as I am often travelling to various wedding venues.

It was due to all my venue visits that I fell in love with the place. They have undergone a major

PERFECT VENUE The Spa Hotel, Tunbridge Wells

renovation and it looks absolutely spectacular. I would whole-heartedly recommend the venue to anyone looking to get married. The work that has been done to the organgery is worth particular note, as it truly is magical and we were lucky to have our wedding breakfast there.

We wanted to keep things quite private, so only invited very close family to the actual ceremony, which made it so exciting when we arrived at the hotel to see all the other guests waiting to greet us!

The weather had been awful all week but the actual day of our wedding had miraculously blue skies and was very sunny. It was just how we wanted it to be.

The following day we then had an evening party with 120 guests, when we danced the night away.

Did you go on a honeymoon?

We have two twin sons and wanted something relaxing to do with them. My father lives in the south of France, so it seemed like a no brainer when it came to choosing a destination.

Any suppliers you’d recommend?

All of our suppliers were fantastic.

We used my company, The Floral Workshop, for the flowers – although my business partner, Lucie, kept a lot of what we had a secret, which was really exciting. She did a marvellous job, as I knew she would!

My beautiful dress was from The Pantiles Bride – Maria was just great and so very helpful. The whole experience of finding my perfect dress was just a dream thanks to her.

Weddings

Wednesday March 8 | 2017

FEATURES

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5 TOP TIPS FOR FUTURE BRIDES AND GROOMS

1 2 3 4 5 For our besutiful photographs we went for WeddingsByProtech.co.uk, who are based in Buxted. They expertly captured every single magical moment from both days. Jo and Kevin, who we dealt with, were extremely professional and made it all so easy for us on the day – no complaints at all!

The Spa Hotel did a fantastic job with everything, and the food was absolutely delicious. Often wedding days can be stressful, and having a venue that go out of their way to make it stress-free are worth every penny. If there are any brides looking for a stunning and central venue, The Spa Hotel is well worth being on your list to visit.

The party on the following day was at Eridge Village Hall, which is a beautiful venue. Luan, our DJ from Fantastic LG Discos, played the music we wanted and kept everyone on the dance floor. He really did take our wishes and tastes into account when preparing

his sets for the evening.

The Crow Kitchen supplied magnificent macaroons, to everyone’s delight, and Light of my Life provided huge ‘LOVE’ lights that really topped off the setting of the party.

For drinks, we went for Tipsy Kiss. We had nothing to worry about on that front as they provided the whole bar. We had a marquee for the party from Ada Marquees, who set everything up and it looked wonderful.

Carl Leppard at Leppard Butchers put together a tasty hog roast for everyone, which went down a storm, and we even had a Coco photo booth.

I would recommend all these companies so much, I couldn’t believe how easy everything was in the end. I am really passionate about supporting local companies as well, so it was a great success!

Don’t lose yourself with all the planning.

Keep things as simple as possible. I had to be reined in a few times.

Spend the money on the important things, like a good photographer- photos are the only thing you’re left with when it’s all over.

Buy the dress of your dreams.

Choose a fabulous florist.

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FEATURES

Advertising Feature

Wednesday March 8 | 2017

Are you sitting comfortably?

No matter your age, correct posture matters a great deal. Whether in the office or sat at a school desk, SitSmart are tackling the lack of proper support found in a number of establishments throughout the community. We speak to Paul Fleming to find out how they have been taking steps to help prevent long-term problems For those who are unfamiliar with you, tell us about SitSmart…

At SitSmart, we are part of the larger TEK Group which includes TEK Seating and TEK Military Seating as well. Here at SitSmart, our focus is on seating in everyday life – particularly in a working environment. Our ethos is to provide support to anyone affected by the almost five million working days a year that are lost to back pain. That includes employers, employees, teachers, students etc. We particularly specialise in high usage 24/7 installations, such as control rooms and government establishments. We also have many specialist chairs for people with specific back issues. We service local schools a lot, such as Tonbridge School and Kent Grammar School, to try and provide preventative measures for the young – which is something we are really focusing on at the minute.

For preventative measures, what qualities should a suitable chair have?

Whether it’s preventative or to aid an existing problem, we believe all chairs need an independent seat tilt

mechanism and an adjustable lumbar support. These are the very basics, it’s when we meet an individual that we can cater to their exact needs. It’s important to us to get it right so we also encourage our ‘try before you buy’ scheme so that people can be sure that the chair is right for them.

Are there laws about providing adequate seating for employees? If so, how do these affect what you do?

Regardless of any legal obligation there may be, we always make sure that we are going the extra mile to ensure any employee is comfortable.

A supportive chair is a basic right – especially for those who have ongoing back or neck issues. For larger companies with HR departments, employees with specific issues have more sway because, ultimately, companies don’t want to pay long term sick leave. To abide by certain medical standards, we have formed close relationships with a number of local organisations, such as Wells Physiotherapy, the Manor Clinic Sevenoaks and Tunbridge Wells Osteopaths, which means we can be

assured we are providing the highest quality of care in our chairs.

What warning signs can people look out for if they suspect they might have back issues?

The most common signs are aches and spasms in the lumbar region.

However, in an ideal world and with the right supportive seating, preventative measures can be taken to avoid this as much as possible. That’s actually a massive part of the work we’ve been doing with schools and local communities – eight per cent of young people suffer from chronic or recurrent back problems and research shows this is still on the increase!

Adolescent back pain often persists into adulthood which makes our partnerships with schools invaluable.

You do a lot of work with local schools, and with the community in general Schools are now beginning to provide their pupils with more supportive, ergonomic seating during early development years. We work with and offer consultation to schools to help provide a seating solution to both staff and students, helping them to work, study and grow in comfort. It’s crucial to teach young bodies to sit in an ergonomically correct way, which we do through a range of stools and chairs designed for children and teenagers – available for both working and relaxing environments. With regard to local communities, we are proud to say we work closely with Sevenoaks, Tunbridge Wells and Dartford Councils to find them suitable chairs for their staff.

How do your chairs adapt for multiple conditions and different back issues?

A chair alone will not cure a bad back but it will enable someone with specific issues to remain seated for a longer period of time. We have products that specialise in alleviation but we always advise our clients to speak with a medical professional first, so that we can truly provide the right support. We have such a wide range of chairs that cover most back issues and disabilities, that with a little medical advice, we are confident in the support we can offer. This is really evident in Headley Court, where injured service personnel go as part of their rehabilitation and our role is to get them the best chair for their particular needs.

Paul Fleming CEO of the TEK Group

HOW TO GET SMART The new library at Tonbridge School with SitSmart chairs

How does TEK Group so successfully cover such a range of lifestyles and needs in the products provided – from military seating to teenager’s bedroom stools?

A number of the manufacturers we work with are physios, osteopaths and chiropractors, which means we are constantly working with the experts in the products we design. That’s why so many of our chairs are regularly revamped, altered or updated! Some of our distributors are Scandinavian – they have always been at the forefront of cutting edge ergonomic design! The amazing skill set we have behind our design, and the vast knowledge, means we are able to provide seats that range from forklift truck seating to office footrests – and specialised computer mice.

Advertising Feature

Wednesday March 8 | 2017

What does the future hold for SitSmart?

We are launching our brand new website any day now. It will be mobile-compatible, user-friendly and have a much sleeker look. A large amount of online sales are made via phones these days, so it’s important for us to move with the times and make life easier for our customers.

We are really keen to continue, and expand, our work with schools and local businesses.

We offer free fitting, and along with our ‘try before you buy’ service, we are confident we can provide the right chair.

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What would be your three top tips for any office worker who is regularly seated?

Firstly, it’s important to adjust your chair so the top of your screen is roughly at eye level, with your feet flat on the floor – don’t cross your legs!

Secondly, make sure your lower back is supported as well as ensuring your knees are slightly lower than your hips – an easily adjustable chair is crucial for this. Lastly, keep your computer mouse as close as you can to your body and make sure you avoid any kind of glare on your screen. As well as our extensive chair and stool range, we also provide a range of affordable accessories that can assist with any of these factors.

CONTACT DETAILS SitSmart 14 Decimus Park, Kingstanding Way

Tunbridge Wells Kent TN2 3GP 01892 510202 www.sitsmart.co.uk

ON A ROLL Back support is not just for work

SEAT OF LEARNING Weald of Kent School – practicality doesn’t have to limit design

TOP TIPS TO HELP YOU SIT CORRECTLY:  Reduce your risk of back pain by adjusting

your chair so your lower back is properly supported  Get a chair that is easily adjustable so you

 Your screen should be directly in front of you.

A good guide is to place the monitor about an arm’s length away, with the top of the screen roughly at eye level. You may need a monitor stand

can change the height, back position and tilt  Place your keyboard in front of you when  Your knees should be slightly lower than your

hips. Use a footrest if necessary  Adjust your chair height so you can use the

keyboard with your wrists and forearms straight and level with the floor. This can help prevent repetitive strain injuries  Your elbows should be by the side of your

body so the arm forms an L-shape at the elbow joint

typing. Leave a gap of about four to six inches (100mm-150mm) at the front of the desk to rest your wrists between bouts of typing.

Some people like to use a wrist rest to help  Position and use the mouse as close to you as

possible. A mouse mat with a wrist pad may help keep your wrist straight. When not using your keyboard, push to one side and move the mouse closer to you.  Your screen should be as glare-free as

BRIGHT IDEAS A conference table at SitSmart HQ

 Place your feet flat on the floor. If they’re not,

ask if you can have a footrest  Don’t cross your legs

possible. If there’s glare, hold a mirror in front of the screen so you know what’s causing it  Watch a video on improving your posture

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FEATURES

Life & Style

Wednesday March 8 | 2017

NEW PARTNER JOINS BRACHERS CORPORATE AND COMMERCIAL TEAM Firm attracts City high-flyer Erol Huseyin to bolster its commercial services offering The firm is delighted that Erol Huseyin has joined the corporate and commercial team at Brachers, having been a partner at Norton Rose Fulbright in the City for the past ten years.

Erol has a distinguished track record, having also worked at Magic Circle firm Allen & Overy for five years before joining Norton Rose in 1998 and becoming partner in 2006. He has some 20 years’ experience advising businesses and lenders on all aspects of commercial transactions, with a particular specialism in energy. His expertise includes advising on joint venture arrangements, business and share sales, product supply and sales & distribution arrangements, IP licensing, and loan and other finance structures.

Ranked in Chambers Global, which recognises lawyers as leaders in their respective practice areas, Erol has extensive experience of running and supervising teams of lawyers on projects and providing focused, risk-based advice to clients.

Erol was also attracted to Brachers by the firm’s ethos of supporting clients of all kinds throughout the business cycle as they grow, from family-owned businesses and SMEs to midmarket and larger corporates and publicly funded organisations.

Commenting on joining Brachers, Erol said: “I am thrilled to be joining Brachers and am excited about the new chapter opening up in front of me. Brachers deservedly has a high reputation for its wide-ranging work with businesses across the spectrum in Kent and indeed the South East more widely.”

Somerfield House, 59 London Rd, Maidstone ME16 8JH 01622 690691 www.brachers.co.uk

SPRING INTO PEAK FITNESS FOR ONLY £1 There are so many different reasons to be fit, feel healthy and look in shape. So why not take this opportunity to Spring into Peak Fitness, the leading Health and Fitness Club in Tonbridge.

It offers a centrally located, fully equipped and staffed health club just 100m from the station.

Come and take part in a wide variety of over 40 classes per week, including Zumba, Body Combat, Insanity, Yoga, LBT 80’s style and Spinning to name just a few. Classes are held in one of the two air conditioned studios and you could even bring a friend along with you with a ‘pay as you go’ option that is available for all classes.

Alternatively make use of our state of the art, fully equipped gym, that includes 3 free weights areas, a rig with battle ropes and suspension training that will provide you with all that you will need to help you achieve your goals.

Our friendly, fully qualified instructors are on hand to write you a personal programme as well as to guide and motivate you every step of the way during your time at the club. Take time to make sure that you relax and unwind afterwards in our sauna and steam room, an excellent way to take it easy after a long hard day and to help aid muscle recovery after a workout or training session.

What do you have to lose?! Simply contact the club on 01732 773512 or pop in to get started or you can join online at www.peak-fitness.co.uk

CRISTINA MARTÍNEZ ABOLAFIA PRIVATE CHEF AT HOME We are all busy bees but we don´t want to give up the time we enjoy spending around a table eating well.

Based in England since 2014, having completely fallen in love with our country, Cristina is offering a high standard cook service as your private chef at home. From gourmet lessons to catering for private parties and family receptions, her services are ideal to offer your guests the best of European cuisine.

She never realised herself as a top chef, but her life and her aptitudes have driven her to the best of the cooking world. In love with the basic ingredients and the colourful food of the markets and recipes she started to dream and create wonderful plates surrounded by the Spanish and French traditions.

Trained and with experience from all over Europe, over the last 15 years she has built her talented career through effort, discipline, research, creativity and lots of passion. She’s also been awarded Level 2 Food Safety in Catering, kitchen license and a 5 star Food Hygiene Rating.

Her second passion is travelling where she always finds time to receive cooking classes; in New York at the Ice Culinary Centre, or Mexico at Madrid Fusion. As her friends say, “she is never on holiday, she is always travelling for work!”

Taste, quality and beauty are her key elements to create; she turns every event into a very special moment. Seasonal and healthy food are her specialities to bringing a gourmet experience to your table.

Don´t miss your opportunity!

Feel the taste of good cuisine with Cristina.

07990 621 065 crismabolafia@hotmail.com Pinterest.com/crismabolafia

GO BRIDAL The new trend for weddings is to have a US style entourage with 6 plus bridesmaids. As the number of maids in the bridal party goes up what the bride is willing (or prepared) to spend often goes down. The Excel spreadsheet can explode as the average price of bridesmaid gowns is often over £200 to get just the exact colour and style to suit all of the bridesmaids – and that’s before alterations! Many brides are looking to High Street fashion chains or on line to source affordable bridesmaid dresses that don’t break the bank. What is gained on price may be lost on the experience as “that” special bridesmaid shopping trip isn’t quite the same in your back bedroom or in a communal fitting room as in the spacious and special surroundings of a bridal boutique!

Go Bridal in Tunbridge Wells now has the solution and has managed to source a fantastic range of bridesmaid dresses at the amazing price of £89 in sizes 8 to 18. This is in addition to their existing range from Dessy.

All sizes in the new range are available to try on (so your size 8 bridesmaids won’t drown in the dress and plus size bridesmaids won’t have to squeeze into a dress 3 sizes too small for them).

This makes it much easier to decide on a style that suits everyone. There also isn’t the added pressure of guesstimating sizes and waiting for the dresses to arrive as the dresses are in stock and can be bought and taken away on the day. Three stunning styles in chiffon are available in soft shades of nude, sage green, soft grey/blue and navy.

No matter your wedding style or size of your bridal party, Go Bridal has all styles, sizes and prices covered to help you find the right dresses for your girls.

Make an appointment by calling on 01892 513333 or e-mail info@gobridal.com. www.gobridal.com

Motoring

OF TUNBRIDGE WELLS AND TONBRIDGE

FIRST DRIVE

Seat Leon Cupra 300 ST WHAT’S NEW? Say hello to the new and very mildly improved Seat Leon Cupra 300.

There’s a small bump in power from 286bhp to 296bhp, but the more noticeable figure is the increase in torque, now 380Nm from 350Nm. The other major talking point is the move from front-wheel drive to fourwheel drive for the estate variant – a Seat representative tells us the system isn’t on the hatchback models because of ‘development costs’, but it’s probably also partly because VW-owned Seat doesn’t want to step on the Golf R’s toes (after all, that’s a 296bhp four-wheel drive hot hatch, too).

Elsewhere, changes are few and far between, but that’s no bad thing because the Seat Leon Cupra has always been a stonking little hot hatch.

Dynamically, there are some small improvements to the chassis, while the full LED headlights are also new.

LOOKS AND IMAGE As the fun-loving, youthful horse in the VW stable, Seat has long been known for having more interesting styling than

its more conservative relatives – something that’s continued in the angular, face-lifted Leon.

The Cupra can be specced with bright orange wheels, orange wing mirrors and an orange badge on the boot – imagine a Golf coming with that lot from the factory!

As Matthias Rabe, Seat’s Vice President for R&D, tells me: “If it wasn’t for access to VW’s shared components, we wouldn’t be capable of making such good cars.”

And that is immediately evident – the build quality is undeniably excellent.

Though the interior could do with less boring styling to match the brand image.

Sporty touches to the Cupra model, such as half-Alcantara seats, help make the Leon Cupra 300 an exciting prospect to drive the second you drop behind the wheel. And with the performance on offer, it more than delivers.

SPACE AND PRACTICALITY The estate variant offers much improved practicality over the hatchback models thanks to a superb-sized boot – 587 litres with the seats up, 1,470 litres with them down.

Driving down a fun road, there’s next-to-

FACTS AT A GLANCE MODEL: Seat Leon Cupra 300 ST DSG 4-Drive ENGINE: 2.0-litre petrol (296bhp, 380Nm) TRANSMISSION: Six-speed automatic PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph in 4.9 seconds, 155mph top speed ECONOMY: 39.2mpg EMISSIONS: 164g/km PRICE: TBA

FEATURES

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

By Darren Cassey

WITH THE

Wednesday March 8 | 2017

no difference between this and the three or five-door models, which makes the estate a more logical choice.

It’s only about £1,000 more than the hatchback if you stay away from fourwheel drive, which adds another couple of grand to the RRP. For families looking for an all-in-one, fun family car, the ST Cupra makes fantastic sense. Loads of boot space and plenty of room for the kids makes it ideal for the school run, while the performance on offer means the drive home won’t be dull, either.

BEHIND THE WHEEL To keep it simple, there’s only one engine with one power output. It’s a 2.0-litre TSI unit that makes 296bhp and 380Nm of torque. The only variations come in the form of the body styles – SC (three-door), 5 Door, and ST (estate) – and the choice of a six-speed manual or six-speed DSG automatic gearbox.

The engine’s an impressive unit, offering more than enough performance for road driving, while still being exciting during a brief, sodden stint on track. Its

FUN FAMILY CAR New and improved

only drawback is a slight lack of character, though in the sporty Cupra ‘driving mode’ this is made up for with a wicked soundtrack.

In front-wheel drive guise, torque steer is even less apparent than before – despite the hike in power and torque – thanks to the clever mechanical differential used by the Leon to put its power into the road.

We spent the bulk of our time in the four-wheel drive variant, which offers extra security when accelerating out of corners, but is way less characterful than the front-wheel drive version.

The system tends to err on the side of caution, resulting in occasionally unpredictable power delivery as torque is shifted between the wheels with the most grip – but this is only noticeable in more ‘spirited’ driving.

Its two-wheel drive sibling is much more fun, much more adjustable, and should be the car of choice for keen drivers.

Couple this to the mostly excellent DSG automatic – the manual gearbox’s clutch action taints the self-shifting experience, sadly – and you’ve got your perfect Leon Cupra.

The only complaint we could levy against the 300 is the fact that it just doesn’t feel as standout as some rivals.

For the money, it’s pitched against the likes of the Honda Civic Type R and Ford Focus RS, which feel infinitely more special.

However, the Seat wins as a daily driver, so the decision comes down to your needs and wants.

VALUE FOR MONEY As can be expected of a manufacturer’s performance halo model, the specification is admirable.

Driver-focused aids include a launch control mode for automatic, four-wheel drive cars, while the electronic stability aids can be fully switched off if the driver desires.

On the inside, the Leon Cupra 300 gets a sporty flat-bottomed Cupra-specific steering wheel, sports seats clad in black Alcantara and an infotainment system with an eight-inch touchscreen, DAB radio and mobile phone connectivity.

Bucket seats are a £1,290 option, while black leather sports seats can be specced at a cost of £1,370.

Other options include wireless charging (£165) and a high-resolution navigation system package that includes extra USB ports and a 10GB hard drive for £440.

WHO WOULD BUY ONE? Seat is pitched as the youth-orientated brand in the VW Group’s vast line-up, and as such the Leon Cupra has a slightly younger target audience than some rivals.

However, it sits in insurance group 33E, so expect premiums to be extortionate for the under 25s. That said, it’s still an utterly brilliant all-rounder.

Those keen for driving thrills might be better looking to the Civic Type R – but as a fun family car, the Seat Leon Cupra 300 is hard to beat.

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FEATURES

Advertising

Wednesday March 8 | 2017

Motoring News

Wednesday March 8 | 2017

The new Ferrari is even sportier than before

SUPERFAST This model will go more than 211mph FERRARI has revealed its replacement for the F12 grand tourer ahead of the Geneva Motor Show next month.

The 812 Superfast will get an updated aesthetic, as well as a new 6.5-litre V12 with 789bhp, permitting a 0-60mph time of 2.7 seconds and a top speed in excess of 211mph.

This is aided by the new dual-clutch automatic transmission, which has specific gear ratios and quicker gear changes to match the car’s sharpened throttle response.

As well as providing vast quantities of power, Ferrari also says the car offers ‘unparalleled handling and road holding’. It is the first Ferrari to get electric power steering, which integrates all

the car’s electronic driver aids, including the latest version of Ferrari’s Side Slip Control system.

In addition, the car is fitted with rear-wheel steering to improve agility, while the bodywork has been specially styled with aerodynamics in mind. At the front, the 812 gets active flaps on the underbody, while the rear flanks are adorned with an aerodynamic by-pass to increase downforce.

Ferrari claims the cabin is sportier than before, with a flat, horizontal architecture and new sports seats. It also has a new steering wheel and instrument cluster, as well as the latest air-conditioning and infotainment systems.

NEWS

63

Cost of UK being one of the most congested countries TIME lost in traffic jams and congestion cost UK motorists over £30billion last year, a report has found.

Inrix, a connected car services and transportation analytics company, analysed traffic in 1,064 cities across 38 countries as part of its 2016 Traffic Scorecard.

It found that the UK was the fourth most congested developed country in the world, and the third most congested in Europe.

Drivers in the UK spent an average of 32 hours stuck in traffic, with the direct and indirect costs of this congestion reaching £30.8 billion, or £968 per driver.

London was found to be the most congested city in western Europe, with motorists spending an average of 73 hours in gridlocked traffic during peak hours. This amounted to an average cost of £1,911 per driver.

London, Manchester, Aberdeen, Birmingham and Edinburgh then followed London to round out the ON THE ROAD TO NOWHERE Jams cost the UK £30billion last year

UK’s top five most congested cities.

Inrix Chief Economist Graham Cookson said: “Despite Brexit, 2016 saw the UK economy remaining stable, fuel prices staying low and employment growing to an 11-year high, all of which incentivises road travel and helped increase congestion, as the 2016 Traffic Scorecard demonstrates.

“The cost of this congestion is staggering, stripping the economy of billions, impacting businesses and costing consumers dearly. To tackle this problem, we must consider bold options such as remote working, wider use of road user charging and investment in big data to create more effective and intelligent transportation systems.”

Direct costs to motorists relate to the value of fuel and time wasted, while indirect costs are those relating fees from company vehicles idling in traffic that are then passed on to households through higher prices.

NEWS

Recruitment

Wednesday March 8 | 2017

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

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“

OF TUNBRIDGE WELLS AND TONBRIDGE

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

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

“

John Haynes, Partner, Belvoir Tunbridge Wells

Wednesday March 8 | 2017

Recruitment

NEWS

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

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

Births, Marriages and Bereavements

OF TUNBRIDGE WELLS AND TONBRIDGE

Do you have a family announcement?

Times of Tunbridge Wells and Times of Tonbridge are pleased to receive announcements from readers for publication in the newspaper.

Visit: www.kmclassifieds.co.uk We try to publish reports as quickly as possible after receipt and when space allows.

Wednesday March 8 | 2017

Puzzles

Wednesday March 8 | 2017

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

Z E S T M U S T A N G

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

4 6 8 5 3 9 7 1 9 6

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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

A C C E N T A P W L L I S E S L T L U B E N V E O I E A X I N E A S O L I L OQ U A U P P R O V E S L A E E S E K O

3 9 5 4 7 1 6 2 8

7 4 2 8 9 6 3 5 1

S T A N D I D J U S T R K Y R OC A O N E P I C S S N H S H E R

Jigsaw Sudoku:

Sudoku:

8 1 6 5 2 3 7 9 4

A C R E F U T ON I U L O P E

1 5 3 7 8 9 4 6 2

4 8 9 6 3 2 1 7 5

2 6 7 1 5 4 9 8 3

6 7 1 2 4 8 5 3 9

9 2 4 3 6 5 8 1 7

5 3 8 9 1 7 2 4 6

7 2 5 9 3 8 4 1 6

9 4 6 3 5 1 8 2 7

1 3 9 8 6 2 7 4 5

4 8 1 7 2 6 5 3 9

5 7 2 6 8 4 3 9 1

2 5 3 4 1 9 6 7 8

3 6 8 1 9 7 2 5 4

6 9 4 2 7 5 1 8 3

8 1 7 5 4 3 9 6 2

© 2016 Syndicated Puzzles

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SOLUTIONS (FROM LAST WEEK)

SUDOKU & JIGSAW SUDOKU

DIFFICULTY RATING: ★III

CODEWORD

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FEATURES

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FEATURES

What’s On

Wednesday March 8 | 2017

SEVEN DAYS OF SOCIAL ACTIVITIES AT A GLANCE

WHATS ON WITH THE

Eileen Leahy Local events

>> WEDNESDAY From 10am until 3pm you have the opportunity to roll up your sleeves and help volunteers from the Kent High Weald Partnership, who’ll be at Barnett’s Wood tidying, weeding and planting for spring as part of their Hedging Ever Closer event.

If you want to get your hands dirty and help improve the green environment, then turn up wearing appropriate clothing. For more information, visit www.khwp.org.uk The Philomel Singers are looking for altos and various other vocalists to join them at their weekly Wednesday music rehearsals. The choir meets from 2pm until 4pm every Wednesday at Tonbridge Methodist Church. For more information, please contact the Secretary, Sheila Burrow, on 01732 351651.

Showing at Trinity Theatre at 8pm is the multiaward-winning documentary Life, Animated. The film recounts the story of an autistic boy named Owen who suddenly went silent when he was little, but managed to reconnect with the world courtesy of watching Disney movies. Moving and engaging, this is not to be missed. Tickets cost £10.50 and can be ordered at www.trinitytheatre.net >> THURSDAY All day until 8pm, the Artspring Gallery in Tonbridge will be hosting its new Spring Art exhibition. Located in the town’s High Street, the gallery showcases the work of a number of artists, including local ones, and holds a late-night private view and Prosecco event on the first Thursday of each month.

The Oast Theatre in Tonbridge continues its run of The Country Wife all this week until Saturday. Described as a ‘bawdy’ restoration comedy, it’s penned

by William Wycherley and follows the tale of Horner, a notorious unmarried ‘rake’ who seduces women and falsely claims he’s impotent. The women’s husbands are delighted to have their demanding wives taken off their hands and agree to give Horner free reign of their houses, but the action truly unfolds when Horner meets the newly married yet naïve Country Wife…

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

Tickets cost £10, and £7.50 for members. Visit www.oasttheatre.com >> FRIDAY The much anticipated Women Work event takes place at The Assembly Hall today. Its goal is to inspire women, young adults and the men who support them from all over Kent by hosting a day of free advice and information workshops, followed by an evening of inspirational specialist speakers and entertainment for just £5. It’s also a fantastic opportunity to network and meet other like-minded individuals. To reserve your seats or book tickets for the evening event, visit www.assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk Trinity Theatre will be showing Noël and Gertie,

Association [WEA], will focus on Jane Austen’s novels, which interpreted and commented upon British gentry at the end of the 18th century.

Pre-booked tickets cost £12 per person, or it’s £15 on the door. The price includes refreshments and entry for a book prize raffle. For more details, call 01892 515460.

a ‘warm and witty’ musical based on the professional relationship and legendary friendship of composer Noël Coward and his muse – actress Gertrude Lawrence, with Julian Forsyth and Helen Power in the title roles. The live performance will feature plenty of Coward’s legendary numbers, including Dance Little Lady and I’ll See You Again, as well as scenes from Blithe Spirit and Private Lives. Tickets cost from £16 and can be booked through Trinity’s website.

>> SUNDAY If you’re a football fan but find running around the pitch a bit of a challenge, then the Tonbridge Town Walking Football Club could be for you. They meet every Sunday afternoon from 3pm until 4pm at Tonbridge School. Each session offers training by an official FA coach and costs £3.50 per person.

>> SATURDAY Anyone keen on vintage books, French crockery, retro postcards or general ephemera will enjoy the Collectors’ Fair, which is on at King Charles the Martyr Church Hall in Warwick Park today from 10am.

If the weather’s good, then why not take your family into the countryside to enjoy the Lambing weekend happening ALL ABOARD at Hadlow Room on the College today Broom at the and tomorrow?

EM Forster From 11am until 4pm Theatre on Saturday and Sunday, visitors will have the chance to pet the newborns. There will also be lots of stalls selling local and seasonal produce as well as tractor rides and birds of prey displays. Tickets cost £6 per adult and £3 per child, or you can buy a family ticket for four people for £15. To book, visit www. hadlow.ac.uk Literary fans will enjoy a talk at the Toc H Hall on Little Mount Sion entitled Why Do We All Love Jane Austen? which will be given today from 1.30pm-3.30pm by Elizabeth Allen, a former senior lecturer in Literature and Cultural Studies at Regent’s University in London. The seminar, which is organised by the Workers Educational

Hedda Gabler, Thursday March 8, 7pm Trinity and EM Forster Theatres and the Odeon cinema

PICK OF THE WEEK

This classic play by Henrik Ibsen is being streamed live into cinemas and theatres around the country from the National Theatre in London. The plot centres around Hedda, who has recently married her husband, Tesman, and is already bored with marital life. She longs for freedom and tries to control those around her – who include a troubled playwright.

This 19th-century classic’s eponymous character is played by Ruth Wilson, who stared in Luther and The Affair. Reworked by Patrick Marber, it promises drama and despair in equal measure. Tickets cost £14 and can be booked via the box office 01732 304241 or online at www.tonbridgearts.com The Odeon and Trinity Theatre in Tunbridge Wells will also be screening the performance at the same time.

What’s On

Wednesday March 8 | 2017

VINTAGE TREASURES Visit the Collectors’ Fair at King Charles the Martyr

FEATURES

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A ROUND-UP OF THIS WEEK’S MUSICAL HIGHLIGHTS

Paul Dunton

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

Live music

No need to book – just simply turn up. To find out more information, call 01732 304 111 or visit www.sportscentre.tonbridge-school.co.uk Julia Donaldson’s classic children’s tome Room on the Broom is being performed today at the EM Forster Theatre in Tonbridge at 1.30pm. If you love this bewitching tale of a witch and her cat and the numerous hitchhikers they pick up on their interesting mode of transport, then make sure you book tickets! They cost £11 from www.tonbridgearts.com >> MONDAY The Duke of York in The Pantiles will be holding an open mic night this evening from 8pm. So if you’re a keen singer or musician and want to get yourself heard, then just pop along to the popular pub. >> TUESDAY The Cross Keys pub in St John’s holds its weekly quiz night from 8pm. All are welcome to this event, which offers players the ‘chance to compete against each other for money, sweets, glory and the occasional smug point’. For more information, visit www.crosskeystw.co.uk

My top recommendations include… Tonight [Wednesday] renowned vocal troupe G4 at The Assembly Hall. Friday brings The Taylor-Made Dreams Memorial Gig at The Forum with Mainly Madness and The Sweeney. Saturday sees superb Sarah Jane Morris and Antonio Forcione live at Trinity Theatre, while The Violet Jive swing out at The Grey Lady, where you can also catch phenomenal James Kirby on Sunday THE ASSEMBLY HALL THEATRE

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

WEDNESDAY G4 live in concert TRINITY THEATRE Church Road, information on times and tickets at www.trinitytheatre.net

THE TUNBRIDGE WELLS FORUM

THE ROYAL OAK

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

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

THURSDAY Matilda’s Scoundrels + Molly’s Bar + The Sea Rockets FRIDAY Taylor-Made Dreams Memorial Gig: Mainly Madness + The Sweeney THE BEDFORD

2 High Street, open all day, free entry, music from 8.30pm onwards

SATURDAY Ska, Reggae, soul floor-fillers and R&B classics

THE BEAU NASH TAVERN

Mount Ephraim, open all day, free entry, music from 8.30pm till late

SATURDAY Grosvenor Road ST PETER & ST PAUL CHURCH THE DUKE OF YORK

THE GREY LADY MUSIC LOUNGE

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

WEDNESDAY Kathryn Anderson (headliner), Simon Crabb, Alice Rose FRIDAY Beat by Beat SATURDAY The Violet Jive SUNDAY James Kirby (headliner), Sam Firth, Miar Murphy

TONBRIDGE CALLING Winter Warmer at Tonbridge Angels Football Clubhouse Doors 7.30pm, admission £5, music from 8pm-midnight

SATURDAY Badflys

SATURDAY Sarah Jane Morris & Antonio Forcione: Compared To What

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

SATURDAY Lost Indecision MONDAY Open Mic Night

Tonbridge, Doors 7.15pm, tickets £22.50 (students £5) Details online at www.tmc.org.uk/ home-2/11-march-2017/

MONDAY The Schubert Ensemble

MONDAY Open Mic Night RUSTHALL CLUB

THE PUNCH & JUDY

5 St Paul’s Street, Rusthall, open all day, free entry, music from 8.30pm onwards

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

SATURDAY The 6Ts

James Kirby

TUESDAY Kent DuChaine

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NEWS

Sporting Times

Wednesday March 8 | 2017 PHOTO: Brandon Begg

Potter leads from front to climb out of relegation zone

INFLUENTIAL Kyle Mathieson

Tunbridge Wells 2 Rochester Utd 1

By Scott Bartlett

Allberry rescues high fliers after suffering sticky patch HEADMASTER Nathan Elder scores his 50th goal for the Angels

Title chance slips away after injury to keeper and red card Tonbridge Angels 3 Needham Market 4

By Jim Rowe FOOTBALL: THE battle at the top of the table was going so well for the Angels with a two-goal advantage and half an hour to go.

Needham Market then scored three goals in 22 minutes to win the game and reclaim third spot in the league, while Tonbridge drop to fourth.

In truth the danger signs were already in evidence with the team down to 10 men and having to make a goalkeeping substitution.

The Angels went ahead on 18 minutes when Nicky Wheeler’s short corner was collected by Tom Phipp and his angled cross was headed in by Ugo Udogi.

They went further ahead after Luke Allen’s perfect delivery from the left was met by the head of Nathan Elder, who scored his 50th goal for the club.

An injury to Anthony di Bernardo just before halftime saw goalkeeping coach Stuart Copeland take

over between the sticks, and at the start of the second half John Sands took full advantage to get a goal back for the visitors.

Tonbridge gave themselves a two-goal cushion again on 52 minutes with Mitchell Nelson’s header.

But with Copeland having gone walkabout just a minute later, right-back Udogi was dismissed for preventing a goalscoring opportunity and from then on the home defence were struggling.

The visitors scored on 63 minutes through Luke Ingram and Reece Dobson equalised on 77 minutes.

Their fightback was completed with five minutes remaining, Samuel Nunn scoring the crucial goal.

Deep in stoppage time, Angels’ Dan Thompson was denied when his shot was blocked on the line.

Angels manager Steve McKimm said: “We made basic errors with ball retention in all areas which meant we handed them possession far too easily.

“If we had won, it would have still given us an outside chance of the title.”

Rustics hang on as promotion looms Lewisham Borough 2 Rusthall 4

By Richard Smith FOOTBALL: RUSTHALL survived a frantic finish at Lewisham and then saw their promotion hopes boosted when they learned that title rivals K Sports had lost 2-0 to Holmesdale.

The deadlock was broken on 24 minutes when central defender Jon Lord headed home from close range following an Ian Parsons cross.

On 55 minutes a toiling Rusthall brought on the speedy Sam Jones.

He had an immediate impact, his pace taking him past two defenders.

His cross found Andy Constable, who lifting the ball over the keeper for a superb finish from outside the area.

Two minutes later it was 3-0 when Dan Mitchell forced the ball home from close range after a corner.

Lewisham pulled a goal back as Jerome Richards unleashed a vicious strike from 22 yards.

Then Rustics keeper Sean Ingleson spilled a shot and Bryan Zapo forced the loose ball home. But Lewisham were caught on the break in stoppage time and Parsons made it four.

MANAGING FINE: Denise Richmond, chair of the Southern Counties East Football League, presents Rusthall’s Steve Ashmore (left) and Steve Sands with their managers of the month award as the Rustics bid for promotion

PHOTO: David Couldridge

FOOTBALL: TUNBRIDGE WELLS produced the three points and performance that Manager Jason Bourne demanded.

After the team had been struggling to score recently, Wells captain Brad Potter and Ryan Crandley both found the net after the visitors had taken the lead.

The result lifts them one place in the Southern Counties East Football League and four points clear of the relegation zone with three games in hand on the teams around them.

Inspirational central midfielder Jamie Lawrence only lasted two minutes before being forced off through injury and was replaced by Under-21s player Ikeghe Eze. The hosts were disappointed to reach halftime scoreless after a strong first-half showing.

In fact it was Rochester who broke the deadlock after 50 minutes. Wells failed to clear a free-kick from the left and Chris McDermott scrambled the ball over the line.

Wells pushed hard for an equaliser and when Potter found himself unmarked in the area he calmly slotted the ball home after 61 minutes.

The hosts took the lead in the 71st minute when Crandley scored the goal of the match with a curling left-foot shot from 20 yards.

The game was now an entertaining spectacle with Wells committed to finding another goal.

Jon Pilbeam thought he had earned a penalty in the 75th minute when he was dragged back but the referee waved away the Wells appeals.

Manager Bourne said: “Given the spirit in the camp, our league position does not overly concern me as we have five or six big games with all the teams around us, which we are in total control of.

“Regardless of what has happened this season we have a great club and will pick up the points required to finish comfortably, I’m sure.

“In my limited managerial experience we faced a similar battle last season and finished strong, so I can draw from those experiences.”

Sevenoaks 2nd XI 3 Tunbridge Wells Men 4

By Brandon Begg HOCKEY: AFTER three impressive games against their main rivals for the title, the leaders were in confident mood travelling to local rivals Sevenoaks.

But they were made to pay for their lack of intensity as the hosts hit back with three goals.

Wells took the lead after three minutes, Kyle Mathieson dispatching Callum Hunter-Wood’s pass.

A sublime passage of play saw Ben Allberry make it two, then a well-worked short corner allowed James Beck to make it 3-0 by the interval.

Now Wells slowed and their marking was slack.

Oaks scored via a deflection and managed to haul the score back to 3-3 with 10 minutes left.

That spurred Wells back into action. At a short corner, Player-coach Allberry rounded the runner and scored between the keeper’s legs to steal the winner, leaving Wells six points clear at the top.

Stephenson keeps Ladies on comfortable run of form Wapping 2nd XI 0 Tunbridge Wells Ladies 2

By Brandon Begg HOCKEY: TUNBRIDGE WELLS saw their run of form continue as they visited the Olympic Park in Stratford.

The visitors won a short corner, and a quick one-two between Ollie Gerrett and Amy Hare saw the shot deflected and fall kindly for Georgia Whitaker to take the lead.

Strong passes across pitch from Jen Hunt to Jess Begg allowed Wells to pepper the opposing goal.

However, the visitors started

the second half shakily and Wells were indebted to well-timed tackles from Amy Hare and Pip Ross.

The away team had to work hard in defence and use transfers across the pitch to create space for the forwards to run into.

Wells won another short corner near the end following a powerful hit from Ross into the D hit a defenders’ foot. Jemma Stephenson (left) fired the corner into the net to ensure victory.

Sporting Times

Wednesday March 8 | 2017

Inspirational Cook lifts Wells to turn in brilliant team effort

NEWS

71

Guernsey give TJs a scare amid flurry of yellow cards Tonbridge Juddians 32 Guernsey 26

Tunbridge Wells 45 Chobham 10

RUGBY UNION: A LACK of discipline saw Juddians in danger of allowing Guernsey back into the game late on.

But the league leaders held on for the last five minutes to stave off the visitors’ hopes of stealing victory.

TJs started the game at full speed and scored in the fifth minute. A series of pick-and-drive moves led to Cole Campbell touching down when the maul crossed the line in the corner. Liam Prescott converted with a fine kick from near the touchline.

Guernsey shook off the effects of their journey, and a driving maul proved too strong and well-drilled, flanker Daniel Hill scoring their first.

On the half-hour, TJs winger George Lawson intercepted a Guernsey pass and fed centre Tom Nicoll who had the acceleration to get away from the cover and score.

But Guernsey kept up the pressure, and eventually scored a try through prop Cameron Craine to make it 20-12 to the home side at half-time.

From a lineout TJs produced a good driving maul for replacement flanker Adam Darracott to score.

Then Murray Galbraith-Lowe was

FAST REACTIONS Man of the match Matt Cook scores

held up at the line but flanker Richie Bent was on hand to dash through for the bonus point try.

TJs flanker Ben Ashmore received a yellow card for an offence in defending the lineout.

Guernsey’s close-quarter drives created space for scrum-half Adam Nixon to squeeze through for visitors’ third try.

Now TJ supporters’ nerves were becoming frayed as Bent was yellow-carded and the home side were down to 13 men.

From a scrum close to the Juddians’ line, Guernsey used their manpower advantage to shove TJs backwards.

The scrum collapsed in disarray and referee James O’Brien awarded Guernsey a penalty try, closed the gap to just 32-26.

The narrow win keeps TJs five points above second-placed Wimbledon, who had a bonus-point win at Guildford.

Next week Tonbridge travel to Cambridgeshire to play Shelford, and they will have to tighten up if they are to maintain their current lead at the top of the table.

PHOTO: Bruce Elliott

Pink Ladies return to top of table

By Graham Withers RUGBY UNION: WHEN Tunbridge Wells played host to Chobham they were not only looking to avenge a pre-Christmas defeat in Surrey.

At this stage of the season they have to win all of their remaining games in the hope that they can exert sufficient pressure on Havant – who are one place above them in the league – to beat their Hampshire rivals to the promotion play-off place.

Two players were making their First XV debuts – centre Fionn McLoughlin, who has joined from Old Elthamians, and prop Ciaran Lee, formerly of Old Alleynians and son of club stalwart Rob Lee. The visitors were in the ascendancy in the early phases and deservedly took the lead on 10 minutes via an Alex Seers penalty kick. But Frank Reynolds soon replied in kind.

From a McLoughlin break on the half-hour, Wells recycled the ball and after a couple of surges Hayden Pengelly forced his way over.

A couple of penalties by Reynolds made it 14-3 at the break. The second half was to be one of the most controlled team performances of the season.

The tone was set after 90 seconds. Nick Doherty burst from the back of the scrum, drawing in the

defence, and he popped a blindside ball to skipper Lee Campion who dotted down for the try.

On 53 minutes some highly skilled interplay between man of the match Matt Cook and new boy McLoughlin released John Rumsey, who cruised in from 30 metres.

Crucial From a lineout four minutes later, a Wells drive was thwarted but Doherty managed to force his way over for the crucial bonus point try.

A fine move sent the Chobham wing Liam Monaghan through for a deserved try that made the score 33-10.

But Wells’ reaction was almost immediate.

Doherty launched another attack from the base of a scrum and a weak defence could not stop him.

Finally Reynolds cleverly nudged the ball over the defence and Player-coach Cook gathered it in and charged over from 30 metres.

With Havant winning but failing to secure the bonus, the gap between second and third in London One South has been reduced to four points.

Next week’s game is now hugely important as Wells travel to champions-elect Sidcup for a contest they simply must win.

RUGBY UNION:

TJS PINK LADIES went back to the top of WCSE2 with a 53-13 win over Hammersmith & Fulham.

They are a point clear of Blackheath, who they face on March 19.

Two TJs, Anne Roberts and Rachel Marsh, were selected to represent the British Police against the RAF in a friendly at RAF Halton, which the Police 1st XV won 31-14.