Times of Tonbridge 28th December 2016

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Wednesday, December 28, 2016

Historic youth club to be demolished INSIDE and replaced by new medical centre SURVEY SURPRISE

Tonbridge better place to live than Tunbridge Wells. Page 5

End of an era for generations who met at the Teen and Twenty in Tonbridge

By Murray Jones

newsdesk@timesoftonbridge.co.uk A YOUTH club which has been a feature of the town for the last 50 years is to be bulldozed in order to make way for a new ‘state of the art’ medical centre.

The 23,680 sq ft site is currently owned

by Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council [TMBC] and has been leased out to the Teen and Twenty Club since 1966.

However, a deal has been struck to sell the site to Tonbridge Medical Group [TMG], which has announced the intention to build a new medical facility. This will replace their two current surgeries on Higham Lane and Pembury Road.

The practice says the deal is expected to be signed ‘any day now’, with approval from the TMBC Cabinet expected at a meeting on January 31. The Club is set to close by March,

with construction on the medical centre due to start in the second half of the year, for an estimated 2019 opening.

Dr Tim Palmer, Senior Partner of TMG, said the practice had been looking for a site for around ten years as their current small and ageing premises ‘can’t cope with current demand’.

“I’ve been with the practice since 1988.

In that time healthcare has changed out of all recognition – but unfortunately our buildings have not,” he said, adding that they have recently been forced to convert waiting room space into a makeshift consultation room to keep up with demand.

He explained that the new facility will ‘at least double’ the 12 consultation

YEARS GONE BY: The Teen and Twenty Club will close its doors by March 2017

rooms they currently have, allowing them to add an extra 5,000 patients to their books, meaning they can care for 20,000 individuals in Tonbridge.

‘Healthcare has changed out of all recognition – unfortunately our buildings have not’ As well as offering a GP surgery, they are leaving space for other community health services, such as a diabetes clinic.

Although exactly which services will use the space has yet to be confirmed.

To his current patients, who may be concerned about the move, Dr Palmer said: “We have always put our patients’ needs first, and we are convinced the new facility will be so much better for them. Most of our patients drive, and for those who walk the new site will be more accessible by bus.”

He promised that a consultation between staff and patients will be held in the near future.

The disappearance of the Teen and Twenty Club will come as a shock to many, as several generations have used the site for socialising.

Cllr Georgina Thomas, who was elected on a platform of improving the community facilities for young people, said: “It’s a shame that it is closing. The Teen and Twenty is iconic, I went to so many things there when I was younger.”

Robert Oliver, a history teacher at Tonbridge School, said he was saddened by the news, adding: “The club hosts a whole variety of youth groups and is an increasingly rare example of a public space where people can meet. Moreover, the decision was taken without any public consultation whatsoever.”

However, Robert Styles, TMBC’s Director of Street Scene, Leisure and Technical Services, said the authority’s Savings and Transformation Strategy had made it clear all council assets would be under review, and he was confident it represented ‘the best use of the public’s assets’.

The Leader of TMBC, Nicolas Heslop, said the council would work to ensure that displaced activity clubs would be relocated, adding: “We look forward to working with TMG on this exciting opportunity to transform the site with an attractive building which will be home to a ‘state of the art’ medical facility in the heart of Tonbridge.”

ALL CHANGE: Council Leader Nicolas Heslop is championing redevelopment

THE REAL APPEAL

Poppy collections break through the £30,000 barrier. Page 4

THAT WAS THE YEAR

Stories that made 2016 such a memorable time. Pages 18-19

HAPPY BEAR DAY

Author talks about Pooh’s big birthday book. Page 50

4 ■ LOCAL NEWS

Poppies have real appeal with record amount raised

Artists sought to replace lost murals

THE head of the Tonbridge Poppy Appeal has been left ‘flabbergasted’ after a record figure was raised over the Remembrance period this year.

Overall the appeal collected £30,592, almost a 70 per cent increase on last year’s total of £18,150. It also beat the previous record of £24,000. The money helps fund the Royal British Legion’s welfare programmes, providing health and financial support to those, past and present, who have served in the British Armed Forces and their families.

Organiser Carl Lewis said he was ‘ecstatic’ to have broken the record in his inaugural year but insisted that it was ‘entirely a team effort’.

“I have been blown away by the community spirit of Tonbridge. I’ve enjoyed meeting so many fantastic people along the High Street and I’m simply flabbergasted at people’s generosity,” he said. Mr Lewis took over after the closure of the Tonbridge branch of the Royal British Legion earlier this year. They had traditionally organised the fundraising.

A number of local organisations have stepped in to fill the hole left by the hard-working legion. These include the local cadet forces who, together with Sainsbury’s, raised £3,500.

Peak Fitness held an 18 hour sponsored ‘spinathon’ on Armistice Day, where participants spent hours peddling exercise bikes to raise more than £3,000.

Mr Lewis also commended the efforts of the Air Training Corp, staff at the Lloyds bank on the High Street as well as ‘every single volunteer’ who helped raise the money for the Royal British Legion, adding: “I’ve got about 150 thank you cards to write.”

Preparations are already underway for next year, with ‘lots of ideas’ being discussed.

INAUGRAL SUCCESS If you’re interested in Carl Lewis headed up the helping out call Jane Ayers on Poppy Appeal this year 01622 793194

By Adam Hignett

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Wednesday 28th December 2016

adam@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk

SOUTHEASTERN has called upon local artists to create an engaging and inspiring piece of work for Tunbridge Wells railway station after the original platform murals depicting the town in its Georgian heyday were destroyed.

The operator has set aside a £10,000 budget for the project after it came under fire for disposing of the murals on Platform 2 in August without any prior notice or consultation.

In a bid to make amends, they have now partnered with local stakeholders, including the Tunbridge Wells Town Forum, Refresh Tunbridge Wells, Royal Tunbridge Wells Together and passengers to commission the artwork.

They are seeking an artist, or art group, to design, project manage and deliver an original high-quality art feature to greet visitors on Platform 2, which is where trains from London usually stop.

Preference will be given to an artist who has experience of working with, and involving, the local community in projects. It is hoped the work will be in place by the end of March.

In addition to this, Brian Barnes –

LOST ART The murals were a much-loved feature of the station one of the artists behind the original murals, painted in 1989 – has been commissioned to provide a piece of work next to this. It will refer to the original mural and show landmarks of Tunbridge Wells.

Communities Southeastern Managing Director David Statham said: “Our railway stations are at the heart of the communities they serve, acting as a gateway to travel for hundreds

of thousands of people every day.

“It is great to be able to work with the local community in Tunbridge Wells to provide an inspiring and engaging work of art for our passengers to see when they use Platform 2 at the station.

“I am also very pleased that we have commissioned Brian Barnes to provide a work next to this. It is very good news.”

Michael Holman, Chair of Refresh Tunbridge Wells, added: “We are really excited to be work-

ing with Southeastern and others in the local community to select an artist for this work.

“We are looking forward to being involved in commissioning this significant piece of art for Platform 2 at Tunbridge Wells station.”

The deadline for applications from artists is January 13, 2017. For more details, and to find out how to apply for the commission, please visit www.southeasternrailway.co.uk/about-us/our-community

Police chief to stay in force’s top spot THE Chief Constable of Kent Police has had his contract extended by three years. It means Alan Pughsley will now head the force until 2022, having stepped up to the role in 2014 on a five-year contract.

With over three decades in the police force already under his belt, Mr Pughsley was honoured with The Queen’s Policing Medal last year.

He has overseen a run of ‘good’ and ‘outstanding’ ratings in recent reports reviewing Kent Police by the PEEL programme, which assesses police effectiveness, efficiency and legitimacy.

Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew

CHIEF OF STAFF Chief Constable Alan Pughsley (left) congratulated by PCC Matthew Scott

Scott said: “In the spring, I will be publishing my Police and Crime Plan, which sets out the priorities for the Chief Constable to deliver against. I have spoken with Mr Pughsley about the future on many occasions, and have total confidence in his ability to deliver against those priorities. That is why I have taken the decision to offer him the maximum contract extension available to me.”

Mr Pughsley said: “I am very proud of what the force has achieved, which has been delivered by outstanding, brave and utterly professional officers and staff.”

A BIG THANKS TO ALL OUR READERS AND OUR ALL-IMPORTANT ADVERTISERS What a year it’s been for our towns, and you can read about some of the highlights in our special feature on pages 18-19. Everything from the Civic Society warning that Tunbridge Wells is about to become a ‘dormitory of over-priced flats for commuters’ to the news that, after 16 years of false dawns, the old cinema site will rise from the ashes as part of a new development of restaurants, shops and… a boutique cinema.

In Tonbridge, we had businessman Danny Lucas bumping up against Facebook when he launched an app named LitterGram to help locate rubbish problem spots. The powerful internet kings at Facebook own the name Instagram and ordered him to back down. He didn’t. Eventually they did.

Good for him.

Traditionally, columns such as this are used to highlight the ups and downs of local life and the difference between communities.

Well, there’s one event that best sums up the difference between the people of both our towns – the way they reacted to the EU referendum. Tunbridge Wells voted Remain, one of the few south-east constituencies outside of London to do so. Tonbridge voted Leave. The Times newspapers remained neutral, reflecting the views of both campaigns, although after the Tunbridge Wells result was revealed we could not resist putting a cartoon on the front page showing the Town Hall proudly flying the EU flag.

We are publishing illustrator Chris Burke’s cartoon again this week as the year closes, to remind us what a turbulent, historic period of our lives 2016 turned out to be.

And the ride is not over yet.

Happy New Year to all our readers… however you voted. Thanks for reading our papers. And a big thank you to all our advertisers, without whom our newspapers would not exist.

Richard Moore, Editorial Director

LOCAL NEWS �

Turning hate into hope on Christmas Day

NEWS IN BRIEF

Vote for demolition gets the green light MEMBERS of Southborough Town Council voted by 10 to 6 at last week’s final meeting of the year to hasten the flattening of historic Royal Victoria Hall and their own offices. The successful vote will see £100,000 lent by the town council to Kent County Council [KCC] to fund the demolition and clear the site by spring.

It comes after a planning application for a proposed new hub was given final approval by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Sajid Javid, after he had to adjudicate on a Sport England objection to the loss of playing fields.

The loan will be repaid following the successful disposal of residential land associated with the hub scheme.

Triple arson attacks DETECTIVES are appealing for information after a spate of arson attacks in Tonbridge.

Three separate incidents have been reported between December 13 and 22, which Kent police believe are connected.

Two occurred on Crabapple Road, the other in Cannons Wharf car park.

Cars, wheelie bins and even Christmas wreaths were targets of the attacks, causing damage to nearby residential property.

Detective Inspector Simon Davy said: “Thankfully, no one has been injured as a result of any of these incidents. However, any fire started deliberately can easily endanger lives.”

If you can help with the police enquiries, call the West Kent appeals line on 01622 604100, quoting reference YY/28221/16.

Bridge rail impact SOUTHEASTERN has admitted it is ‘possible’ that work to repair Grosvenor Bridge next year will affect the rail service.

A spokesman said the project, which begins on January 3 and finishes in the autumn, could require trains to stop running.

However, he stressed that the franchise operator was in contact with Kent County Council to coordinate the operation and most of the work is planned to take place overnight and on the weekends.

5

A HATE-FILLED Christmas card sent to Tunbridge Wells Mosque prompted one local restaurant owner to give a true demonstration of what it means to turn the other cheek – by catering for the homeless in his Indian eatery free of charge.

Abu Sayed, owner of Mowgli’s on Mount Ephraim and a member of the Mosque, fed his guests on Christmas Day, some of them among the most vulnerable in our community.

Tonbridge Castle

Survey names Tonbridge as a better place to live than Tunbridge Wells

By Murray Jones

murray@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk TO SOME it may come as something of a surprise, to others it has been on the cards for years…

Tonbridge has been officially named as a better place to live than Tunbridge Wells, according to the 2016 Halifax Quality of Life Survey.

The borough of Tonbridge & Malling has been named as the 14th ‘best place to live’ in the UK. Tunbridge Wells came in at the much lower number of 91 as the third best in Kent, after Sevenoaks in 57th place.

Happiness In 2015, Tunbridge Wells was ranked at number 27 with Tonbridge in 29th place. In 2014, the boroughs were 31st and 42nd respectively.

With the gap closing each year, it was only a matter of time before Tunbridge Wells was surpassed by its neighbours.

The survey considers various factors, including residents’ health and life expectancy, employment and earnings, and high scores in personal wellbeing surveys.

Tonbridge beat Tunbridge Wells in a number of categories, with better average weekly earnings, a greater percentage of homes with central heating

and bathrooms, a lower burglary rate, lesser annual rainfall, greater access to high-speed broadband and higher scores on happiness surveys.

The Leader of Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council, Nicolas Heslop, said the result ‘reflects the fact that we have a rich blend of vibrant villages coupled with very beautiful countryside’.

He also pointed to the good transport links with London, as well as the range of leisure facilities and schools.

Tunbridge Wells Cllr Jane March, Cabinet Member with responsibility for Tourism, Leisure and Economic Development, said: “I’m very happy for Tonbridge & Malling as we work so closely in partnership with them in West Kent. Every district has something different to recommend it, and Tunbridge Wells perfectly complements Tonbridge & Malling. We’re very proud of our borough.”

Although she hinted that it was a recent change in the rules that had led to the changed disparity between the boroughs.

“While it’s a shame we don’t feature in the top ranks of this year’s survey, I see that the way the survey has been compiled has changed, so perhaps if it changes again next year we’ll be back at the top,” she said.

The overall winner was Winchester, with the Scotland’s Orkney Islands as runners-up, and Wychavon in Worcestershire taking third place.

‘Christmas is about giving, so that is what I wanted to do’ His decision to do so came after the Masjid Al-Noon Mosque on Camden Road received a Christmas card declaring ‘Allah is the devil’ and ‘Mohammed is a perverted killer’.

“I thought we needed to respond to the negativity in the letter and show we are part of the local community by giving something back to it and being positive,” said Mr Sayed.

To spread the word of his free meal offer, the restaurateur visited numerous organisations which help the homeless and those in poverty or suffering from ill health, such as Town & Country Housing, Pickering Cancer Drop-In Centre and the St Augustine’s Church Street Team.

“Christmas is about giving, so that is what I wanted to do,” he added.

GENEROUS Abu Sayed

Wednesday 28th December 2016

6  LOCAL NEWS

Companies drop £4.5m business rates clawback claim against the council

By Adam Hignett

adam@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk A MASS action by companies on the industrial estate – including John Lewis and Furniture Village – to claw back business rates worth £4.5million from Tunbridge Wells Borough Council has been withdrawn.

The 21 companies, all represented by the business rates agency CVS, were scheduled to have their appeals heard by a tribunal on the same date, December 14. The hearing did not go ahead.

Tunbridge Wells Borough Council [TWBC] is now concerned that a settlement could have been reached without their knowledge.

Cllr Paul Barrington-King, Portfolio Holder for Finance and Governance, said: “Apparently, all £4.5million of appeal listings have been withdrawn just before the hearing. We have not been provided with an explanation, and it could be that the agents were not ready, or that the Valuation Office reached a private settlement beforehand.”

However, despite efforts by both the council and the Times to get an explanation from either the Valuation Office Agency [VOA], which sets business rates, or CVS themselves, no response has been forthcoming. It means the council are yet to find out if they will have to refund the money at a time when they are preparing the final drafts of their 2017/18 budget, which is already constrained by severe government cutbacks to its revenue support grant.

The issue of the collective action by companies to get their business rates revalued first arose in November, leading the council to say its ‘worst fears have been realised’.

Total liabilities to the taxpayer from a successful revaluation would amount to £10million, however TWBC would only be liable for approximately 45 per cent of that.

The rest would be paid largely by central government, and smaller portions

by Kent County Council and Kent Fire & Rescue CONCERNED Service.

Cllr Paul Barrington-King

Wednesday 28th December 2016

Nourish campaigns to avoid empty shelves in the New Year SURGING demand for its services led the volunteers of Nourish foodbank to launch a fresh campaign to stockpile much needed supplies before the holiday season began.

The Tunbridge Wells-based organisation, which has recently expanded into neighbouring Tonbridge, set up a ‘reverse advent calendar’ system in order to ensure supplies last into the New Year.

During the campaign, which encouraged people to place a new item into a box each day, volunteers for the organisation set up a pop-up in Ely Court next to Royal Victoria Place where donations could be made.

Last year, the organisation fed 46 families and 21 individuals during the Christmas and New Year period, a feat Co-Chairman Olga Johnson described as a ‘challenge’. In total, Nourish provided enough food for 28,269 meals in 2015.

The feat regularly leaves the charity’s stockroom at Big Yellow Storage bare during the early part of each year, adding greater urgency to create a sustainable stockpile of food and essential items.

Mrs Johnson added: “We know people are extremely generous in the run up to Christmas and donating a reverse advent calendar means that we have enough to help those in need over the festive period and into the New Year.”

CHALLENGE Volunteers gather much needed supplies

Badly parked vehicles bring firefighters to a halt - again TUNBRIDGE WELLS firefighters have issued another warning about parked cars after they were delayed in reaching an incident in Granville Road on Thursday evening (December 22).

Two appliances were sent to a house shortly after 11pm but were prevented from getting to the property; they were unable to manoeuvre the fire engines safely between vehicles parked on the narrow road.

This resulted in crews having to lay out four lengths of hose reel down the road before they could

extinguish the fire.

A breathing apparatus team went into the property to find an item had been left too close to an electric hob and caught alight. The occupants were given oxygen therapy before being handed into the care of the ambulance service. Firefighters left the scene shortly after 1am.

The Times reported on the issue in August after two emergency responders were held up by vehicles that were double parked in Brookfield Court and Springfield Road. The fire service highlighted people parking on junctions as a

NARROW MINDED Springfield Road, where fire engines were unable to get through in the summer

particular problem, as it renders fire engines unable to turn into the road.

Following the latest incident a spokesperson for Kent Fire and Rescue Service urged residents to ‘think carefully about where and how you park vehicles especially during the festive period, when you may have extra guests’.

He added: “Please park as close to the kerb as possible and take simple steps like straightening your vehicle’s wheels, it really can make a big difference in allowing emergency service vehicles to get through tight gaps as quickly and safely as possible.”

8  COMMUNITY NEWS

Hospital Radio broadcasts an SOS as funding crisis hits after costs soar

By Robyn Bannister newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk

THE charity that operates Hospital Radio Tunbridge Wells is facing closure unless it can gain a fresh injection of funds.

Today [Wednesday] it launches an on-air appeal for help.

The news comes after the station was forced to move into rented accommodation, and the situation has now worsened since

it failed to win a grant of £4,000 from the Aviva Community Fund.

Chairman Chris Manser warned: “Sadly, we have just learnt that we were unsuccessful with the grant application, which means that unless we increase our income we could face closure in September 2017.”

The hospital radio service has been running since 1961, with the current team of 40 volunteers broadcasting to Tunbridge Wells Hospital at Pembury and

BEHIND THE VOICE Chris Manser helps boost patients’ self-esteem

Wednesday 28th December 2016

‘Hospital radios across the country are facing similar problems, as the NHS becomes much more businessfocused and space in the hospitals has to be more accountable’

Tonbridge Cottage Hospital.

Studies have shown that patients can benefit from hospital radio with song requests and name checks on air giving them comfort and boosting their self-esteem.

The volunteers come from a variety of backgrounds, including law, mental health and the Salvation Army.

The financial challenges for the station began in 2011, when they started renting studio space in Grosvenor Road following the closure of Kent and Sussex Hospital.

Costs have more than doubled and cash reserves have been hard hit.

Initially, their running costs were around £5,000 a year. Today, they are in excess of £12,000 with rent, insurance, electricity and water bills – all previously covered by the NHS Trust, thanks to being based within the hospital itself.

The station now needs an additional funding of £4,000 a year in order to stay on air, and is launching an appeal under the banner ‘Save Our Service’.

The main event will be a 100-hour Big SOS Broadcast, taking place from 12noon today [December 28] to 4pm on Sunday [January 1].

Chris Manser, 50, who is the Programme Controller as well as Chairman, said: “Our volunteer presenters will be broadcasting live, and we hope businesses and individuals will make donations via a ‘my

ROUND THE CLOCK Hospital Radio Tunbridge Wells is broadcast 24/7, with programmes going out live or being pre-recorded.

The majority are music request shows, with others covering sports, news and comedy. The ‘oldies’ are the most requested songs, typically Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley. The radio can be heard at patients’ bedsides and through speakers in some wards at Tunbridge Wells Hospital, Pembury and Tonbridge Cottage Hospital, covering a total of 526 patients. It is also broadcast online for friends and families.

donate’ page, which will be accessible through our website during the event.”

He explained how they have had to adapt their fundraising due to their financial predicament.

“Most of the money comes from collections at local supermarkets organised by our Fundraising Coordinator, Chris Woodward.

“We try to hold an event roughly once a month, but it’s in the hands of the stores we visit.

“We also regularly try and take part in schemes such as the Waitrose and John Lewis Community Matters project, where

COMMUNITY NEWS 

9

HELPING VOLUNTEERS WITH CAREER PATHS

VOLUNTEERS: The current team broadcasting the magic of Hospital Radio Tunbridge Wells shoppers donate their green tokens to a charity and the store donates a share of the funds to each charity at the end of the month.”

Hospital Radio Tunbridge Wells holds an outside broadcast on occasion, in which a shop is hired for the day, with the programme going out live to the hospital.

“We apply for many grants, and in the last 12 months have received support from the Red Nose Fund and Santander via their charitable giving schemes,” said Mr Manser.

A bedside guide is produced for them by Hospital Radio Publications each year, from which they receive a share of the advertising revenue.

The service also receives some support from local businesses who sponsor their shows and

features, such as Invicta Motors and Trinity Theatre.

Since running costs have increased, the charity has had to add more collecting events, including some members completing their own challenges.

Examples of this include Joe Mendell taking part in a sponsored broadcast, and Charlotte Evans completing a half marathon.

“Hospital radios across the country are facing similar problems, as the NHS becomes much more business-focused and space in the hospitals has to be more accountable,” explained Mr Manser, who has been a volunteer since November 1981.

Hospital Radio Tunbridge Wells provides volunteers with training in how to present and produce shows, develop their interpersonal skills and build a path into a broadcasting career.

In the last 55 years, more than 40 local volunteers have moved on to work in the media industry – among them, Matt Davison, currently an investigative journalist at BBC Radio Kent. He joined the hospital radio station at 15, before heading off to university in 1989.

Educated at Skinners’, and now 45, Matt told the Times: “Radio was something I really enjoyed, and I did have in the back of my mind that it was probably something I’d want to do for a job.”

For three years, he produced the Children’s Request Show on Sunday afternoons, and would visit the wards asking for music requests.

“What I found nice about that was you got to know children that were in there for quite a long time; you spent a lot of time actually talking to them, which I thought was really important.

“I would quite often do stories for the kids in the show, too. I’d gather all the other CAREER SUCCESS presenters to play the BBC Radio Kent’s Matt various parts,” he said.

Davison started in From Matt’s hospital radio

first-hand experience, he knew that the personal technique had an effect on the patients, despite not being able to see them as he was hidden away in the studio. But he was concerned over whether he’d have all the requests.

Skills “I was always really worried that they would ask me to play a song I didn’t have on record, as this was before the days of downloading. But it always worked out fine.

“There were always certain songs I heard every week – the theme tune to Postman Pat I heard every week for three years… but for the listeners the radio took their minds off things for a bit.”

Matt was able to transfer many useful skills from hospital radio to his career at BBC Radio Kent.

“Hospital Radio Tunbridge Wells taught me everything I know in radio, to be honest; how to interview, how to then edit that to make it interesting; and how to actually use the equipment.

“In particular, they taught me that when you’re on the air you’re talking to an individual person, even when a whole ward full of people are listening.

I would be very sad to see the radio station close.”

If you would like to make a donation, please email: info@hrtw.org.uk For more information on the charity, visit www.hrtw.org.uk

Wednesday 28th December 2016

10  COMMUNITY NEWS PULLING POWER: Status Appointments recruited their clients’ help

Southpaw raises funds and voices to help Tree of Hope

By Andrew Tong newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk

Hospice receives everything on its Christmas list – and more…

TONBRIDGE company Status Appointments is celebrating with the Hospice in the Weald this Christmas after helping to fulfil their wish list.

The recruitment firm appealed to all its clients to make donations to the hospice in Pembury – and received three times more donations than were needed.

Willing As well as helping to pay for Christmas dinners for patients at the Hospice, the clients donated presents, mince pies and mulled wine.

Managing Consultant Lucy Smith said: “We’ve always done charity stuff, but this year we wanted to do something different and do a local charity.

“We approached Hospice in the Weald, who asked us to help them with their wish list for Christmas Day,” she added.

“People were really willing to give, we got a lot more than we needed. We were asked for six boxes of mince pies but we got 20 in the end.”

The original wish list was worth £106 but they ended up with £300 worth of goods.

Ms Smith said it tended to be the small familyrun companies that donated.

TUNBRIDGE WELLS company Southpaw have teamed up again with local charity Tree of Hope to help raise much needed funds.

Following the success of their innovative and amusing Great Southpaw Pigs in Blankets Sprint, the creative communications agency hosted a free carol concert.

It was held at Southpaw’s offices at The Warehouse on Hill Street on December 22 with the help of The Camden Road Community Choi,raising £350. Mince pies and mulled wine were supplied by Fuggles and Bicycle Bakery.

The five pigs in blankets who raced over a 50-metre course at Oakland’s Farm in Rotherfield were each representing a different charity and the Tree of Hope entry, who was called Mary’s Boar Child, was the winner.

In addition to the £330 raised through social media, Southpaw also donated an extra £250 to Tree of Hope.

Claire Ashdown, Senior Marketing Manager at Southpaw, says: “We are always trying to think of ways to raise money for local charities, whether it involves getting knee deep in mud whilst taking part in The Major Series obstacle race, racing dragon boats at Bewl Water, hosting Christmas carol concerts or racing pigs in blankets! Every little helps and we are delighted to donate to such a worthy cause.”

Tree of Hope helps seriously ill and disabled children and their families in the UK who need specialist medical surgery, treatment and therapy in order to relieve their suffering and improve their quality of life.

Emma Bourne, Fundraising Manager at the charity,

says: “We are so grateful for all the different events Southpaw have put on for us this year in order to raise money. They have all been highly creative and great fun.

“Tree of Hope is extremely thankful to its corporate sponsors as they are an integral part of what we do. We couldn’t exist without them.”

Tree of Hope relies on partnerships with local businesses to be able to provide much needed help and support to children who need medical interventions for life changing procedures and therapies, which are not available to them freely.

If you would like to become a corporate partner call 01892 535525 and speak to Emma Bourne.

To find out more about Tree of Hope go to www. treeofhope. org.uk SNOUT SPECIAL Mary’s Board Child takes success in her stride

The feast of St Stephen’s A DONATION from local estate agent Martin & Co ensured the dinner table at St Stephens Church in Tonbridge was bursting at the seams this Christmas. Miriam Barker, Associate Vicar, said she was ‘overwhelmed

Wednesday 28th December 2016

by the generosity’, explaining that the gifts were used for a Christmas Day lunch for the homeless and elderly, feeding around 50 people. Any leftovers were given to the Tunbridge Wells Winter Shelter.

12  LOCAL BUSINESS NEWS

Tech entrepreneur celebrates first year after crowdfunding values company at £1million

By Adam Hignett adam@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk

COULD Tunbridge Wells soon be seen as the birthplace of the next Facebook, Twitter or Instagram?

It may appear a far-fetched notion, but one local start-up has already been valued at almost £1million, just 11 months after being established.

In July, the Times profiled Ben Jeffries, the founder of tech company Influencer.

The idea behind this new platform is to help brands promote their products to target audiences through the use of ‘influencers’ – celebrities, socialites and bloggers who have a far-reaching presence on social networking – in exchange for a service fee, a percentage of which is retained by Influencer.

At the time, the 20 year old had already secured a major win when the agency of football legend Ronaldinho signed up to the company to help him expand his reach into the UK. And although this was a huge milestone for such a young company, the future of the business was never a sure thing, with Ben juggling the

responsibilities of a university placement at Shell and running the platform alone. ess than a year on, and things are certainly Less looking up for Ben and his business. He successfully won this year’s Young Start-up Talent competition in Kent before going on to secure £154,000 from crowdfunding in just 24 hours at the end of October.

“It all happened a lot quicker than I expected,” Ben explained. “I thought it would take three weeks to raise that amount of money, and had put aside resources for a tough marketing campaign which I ended up not using at all.”

In return for the funding, Ben relinquished 17 per cent of the equity in the business, effectively valuing it at just over £905,000.

It is a figure that Ben admits may not reflect its true value at the moment: “I am a relatively modest person, and I think a lot of start-up values are quite inflated to reflect their potential.

“So I don’t necessarily believe it is worth that much right now, but once the platform is built and it kicks off I think it will be.

“The actual valuation itself Ben was not determined by me, Jeffries but by Crowdcube [an online investment firm] and

accountants. I didn’t just pluck a number out of the air, it was evaluated by people who know more about valuations than myself.”

In order to fund further growth in the future, Ben expects he will return to crowdfunding in around a year’s time, but for less equity and ‘a larger amount’ of capital.

‘I’m still a one-man band, but once it is developed the company will be able to grow extremely rapidly’ This, he hopes, will allow him to broaden Influencer away from Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and towards other social media sites, such as YouTube.

In the meantime, at least £60,000 of what he has obtained through crowdfunding so far will go towards developing the software that will allow Influencer to flourish.

At the moment, Ben has to manually pair those who want to advertise products with the people he believes will best be able to promote them.

To do so, he uses a very rudimentary system based on a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet which lists clients with ‘influencers’. This system, which is both extremely time-consuming and inefficient, very much hampers his ability to truly grow as only he can really operate it.

His new platform, which is currently under construction, is being developed by a team in Shoreditch – the heart of the UK’s tech scene –

and promises to be fully automated so clients themselves can match with the influencers they think will be of most value directly.

“At the moment, I am not taking on too many additional influencers until the platform is finished because I am cautious about taking on more than I can manage. I’m still a one-man band, but once it is developed the company will be able to grow extremely rapidly.”

Apart from the new platform, some of the crowfunding money will go towards an advertising campaign, which to start with will utilise posters in the London Underground.

He has been helped to get this far by his success at the Young Start-up Talent competition in Kent in September. By winning the Dragons’ Den-style event, against hundreds of other hopefuls, Ben secured £50,000-worth of products and services for his fledgling company.

These services include legal advice from Cripps and help with accounting from Crowe Clark Whitehill, as well as branding assistance from a host of creative enterprises.

Although he is wary of ‘closing any doors’ on his options, Ben said he is unlikely to return to the University of Bath after his year off, although he praised them for being ‘incredibly supportive’ of his project.

But with a business that is already paying the young entrepreneur ‘a reasonable’ salary, an office on The Pantiles and an offer by Google to also have a desk in their TechHub offices in London’s Old Street, the future is looking exceptionally bright for Ben.

Garage that trained FTSE up, pound apprentices forced down and oil flat to shut up shop A GARAGE business in Paddock Wood which offered unemployed young people the chance to train for a career in mechanics has closed, just three years after it was established.

Auto22 was set up by the national charity Catch22 to offer apprenticeships to disadvantaged young people.

The West Kent branch of the enterprise was the second to be set up following the establishment of the first garage in Gravesend, North Kent, in 2010.

The project for training young mechanics had been widely praised, and the Paddock Wood branch received a visit from Princess Anne in 2013 – its first year of operation.

However, continuing the business became unviable due to a ‘competitive’ local market and changes to the motor industry, leading those running the garages to make the tough choice to close in the week before Christmas.

WEALTH management firm Brooks Macdonald has set out its financial predictions for the year ahead.

The firm, which is based in Tunbridge Wells, said improving global growth prospects should benefit the FTSE 100 Index’s multinational constituents, although the current elevated valuations are being supported by a weak sterling and could be undone if the currency were to appreciate.

The uncertainty surrounding Brexit will weigh on the more domestically-focused FTSE 250 Index, although expectations of higher fiscal spending and looser financial conditions post-Brexit should benefit FTSE 250 companies more than the large global companies in the FTSE 100 Index.

Head of Research Richard Larner also said sterling was expected to remain ‘under pressure’ against the dollar next year, but improve against the euro if political populism gains momentum on the Continent.

Oil prices will remain region of 50-60 dollars a barrel as cuts from an increasingly less influential OPEC are balanced out by the ramping up of shale oil production in the US.

Design awards honour Tonbridge firm THIS year’s Kent Design and Development Awards has recognised Tonbridge-based Richard Hopkinson Architects for their input into a regeneration scheme in Broadstairs.

The architects won the Public Buildings Education category after they drew up the plans for the redevelopment of the seaside resort’s Yarrow Hotel, owned

Wednesday 28th December 2016

by the East Kent College Estate, which opened to guests in July.

The top award, Project of the Year , went to The Wing at Capelle-Ferne, a new building housing attractions to enhance the experience of those visiting the nearby Battle of Britain Memorial to World War II’s famous ‘Few’.

In total, 23 developments were shortlisted for the eight catego-

ries for the awards, which took place this month.

Andrew Metcalf of Tunbridge Wells PR firm Maxim, who was Master of Ceremonies at the event, said: “Some very interesting projects have been highlighted by this year’s awards, and all the finalists should be proud of the contribution they have made to the Kent landscape.”

14 � NATIONAL NEWS

ID trial for voters in local elections VOTERS in trial areas will be required to show proof of identification in an attempt to eliminate electoral fraud.

Pilots of the ID scheme will be carried out at a number of polling stations across England in the local elections in 2018.

A decision will then be taken on whether to roll out the measure for the whole country.

Meanwhile, election officials and police will be given new powers to tackle intimidation of voters by activists. And political activists will be banned from collecting postal votes for submission, a practice known as ‘harvesting’.

The reforms were among recommendations contained in a report in August by former cabinet minister Sir Eric Pickles, which was commissioned amid growing concerns about electoral fraud.

These include the mayoral ballot in the east London borough of Tower Hamlets, which was overturned in 2015 over a number of corrupt and illegal practices.

Constitution minister Chris Skidmore said: “The government’s view is that electoral fraud is unacceptable on any level. I want to protect the right of everyone to have their say and participate in our democracy.

“That is why the new measures we are announcing today will protect anyone who is at risk of being bullied, undermined or tricked out of their vote – and their democratic right.

If successful, the measure – long supported by the independent Electoral Commission – could be introduced for general elections and other polls.

The government will also consider measures for nationality checking that will prevent fraudulent voter registrations.

Reforms to improve the security of the postal ballot include requiring postal voters to reapply every three years; demanding legal proof for requests for a waiver from giving a signature for a postal vote; and extending offences protecting the secrecy of the ballot to cover postal votes.

Chief nurse calls for ‘personalised’ care in the home

FAR OUT Jeremy Corbyn is not ‘grounded in reality’

Corbyn shrugs off Obama’s criticism JEREMY CORBYN has brushed aside criticism from Barack Obama after the outgoing US president suggested Labour had lost touch with reality.

Mr Obama made the controversial remarks when asked if he feared a ‘Corbynisation’ of the Democratic Party after its surprise defeat to Republican Donald Trump in the race for the White House.

Challenge In a wide-ranging interview with political strategist David Axelrod, who advised Ed Miliband in the run-up to the 2015 general election, Mr Obama was asked if he feared the Democrats could ‘disintegrate’ like Labour had.

Mr Obama said: “I don’t worry about that, partly because I think the Democratic Party has stayed pretty grounded in fact and reality.”

He added that even the US left-wing senator Bernie Sanders was ‘pretty centrist’ compared with Mr Corbyn.

However, Mr Corbyn’s spokesman said the

Labour leader represented what most voters wanted, and was ‘grounded in reality’.

“Both Labour and US Democrats will have to challenge power if they are going to speak for working people and change a broken system that isn’t delivering for the majority,” he said.

“What Jeremy Corbyn stands for is what most people want – to take on the tax cheats, create a fairer economy, fund a fully public NHS, build more homes, and stop backing illegal wars.

“For the establishment, those ideas are dangerous. For most people in Britain, they’re common sense and grounded in reality.”

Mr Obama also seemed to compare Labour to the Republicans, saying the US party ‘started filling up with all kinds of conspiracy-theorising that became kind of common wisdom or conventional wisdom within the Republican party base. That hasn’t happened in the Democratic Party’.

“I think people like the passion that Bernie brought, but Bernie Sanders is a pretty centrist politician relative to…Corbyn or relative to some of the Republicans.”

THE NHS needs to spend more money looking after people in their own homes rather than in hospital, the Chief Nursing Officer for England has warned.

Jane Cummings of NHS England said too much cash was being pumped into caring for patients in ‘old and expensive’ hospitals, rather in a more efficient domiciliary setting.

In a letter to the Telegraph, she said: “With more care provided at home, the NHS can spend more cash on patients rather than maintaining old and expensive buildings.

“And more people can be better looked after, with care personalised to their needs.”

Her comments were followed by a warning from Labour that delayed discharges from hospital are costing the Health Service £455million a year.

Shadow Health Secretary Jonathan Ashworth said the delays soared from 58,362 in October 2010 to 134,221 in October 2016.

Ms Cummings admitted that refocusing the spending priorities towards domiciliary care would be ‘controversial’: “Whatever the merits of these plans, choices like these will always be controversial because we are talking about changes to strongly supported services that have served communities well for years. So this is not a moment to sit on our hands, nor to instigate big-bang changes. What we need is decisive but well-debated, locally owned improvements, doing things for which nurses, doctors and other health and care workers have argued for years.”

She said there was a real need to change ‘outdated models of care’ so that patients ‘don’t fall into the cracks between different parts of the system and ensuring that we provide care based around their needs, and not CONTROVERSIAL those of NHS Jane Cummings organisations’.

SPORT IN BRIEF

Real Madrid want to sign Courtois ahead of De Gea

Thornton injures knee celebrating 1,oooth win

CHELSEA goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, 24, is rumoured to be a target for Real Madrid ahead of Manchester United’s Spain No 1 David de Gea. The transfer window opens on January 1.

Antonio Conte is reportedly keen to keep him at Stamford Bridge but are lining up Manchester City’s Joe Hart, currently on loan at Torino, to replace him if he leaves.

Both Chelsea and City are said to be interested in signing Sevilla’s Steven N’Zonzi, with the French midfielder having a £25.5million release clause in his contract.

ANDREW THORNTON is to see a specialist to assess the damage to a twisted knee which tempered his 1,000th career success at Wincanton on Boxing Day. The veteran jockey turned sharply after dismounting from the Seamus Mullins-trained Kentford Myth in the winner’s enclosure following his landmark success.

Martial could go to Spain SPANISH newspaper AS says Manchester United forward Anthony Martial could sign for Sevilla after Spanish club made contact with his agent.

AS also claims that United target James Rodriguez will not be leaving Real Madrid in January, according to the midfielder’s agent.

Wednesday 28th December 2016

Giles rejoins Warwickshire ASHLEY GILES has left his coaching post at Lancashire to rejoin his old county Warwickshire as sport director.

The former England coach and spinner, 43, was previously Director of Cricket at Edgbaston and will oversee both the men’s and women’s teams as well as the club’s academy in his new role.

Giles was Lancashire’s Cricket Director and Head Coach for two years but he was keen to move closer to his family.

BUSINESS NEWS 

Clothing stores face struggle as Boxing Day shoppers drop off ALMOST half of all British fashion retailers are facing financial ruin as stiff competition, the fall in sterling and heavy discounting take their toll on the sector.

Figures from Opus Restructuring suggest that 3,991, or 43.6 per cent, of UK fashion retailers are at risk of failure, a sharp deterioration since the same time last year when 37.1 per cent of were deemed vulnerable.

The warning comes as statistics showed the number of people shopping in the Boxing Day sales fell 6.7 per cent on last year.

Hardware and technology stores particularly struggled, mainly because buyers do not need to inspect the products in person, according to UK Retail Traffic Index figures published by Ipsos Retail Performance.

However, the leisure and health and beauty sectors bucked the trend with year-on-year growth in stores.

Clothing and footwear shops only saw a relatively small drop in footfall of 3.2 per cent.

Nick Hood, Business Risk Adviser at Opus, said: “The UK fashion retail sector is under exceptional strain, with plenty of anecdotal evidence of sustained periods of discounting as consumers demand ever-lower prices and as the fall in sterling impacts their costs and profit margins.

MATERIAL LOSS BHS ‘failed to invest and stay relevant’ “The failure of BHS and Austin Reed earlier this year shows what fate awaits clothing retailers who fail to invest and stay relevant to a constantly changing market.”

Using data which was supplied by corporate health specialists Company Watch, Opus discovered that the at-risk fashion retailers were in its ‘warning area’ with a rating of 25 or less out of a 100.

Firms that fall within Company Watch’s warning area could face

either formal insolvency or a major financial restructuring during the next three years.

‘Smaller retailers face a truly bleak future’ Opus found that UK’s larger fashion outlets are in better shape than their thousands of smaller rivals, but even major chains are struggling to maintain profitability.

Total profits among big high street fashion names last year were £1.87billion, down 28 per cent from two years earlier. At the same time, their borrowings rose 11.6 per cent to £3.5billion, according to Opus.

Mr Hood explained: “Whilst it seems likely that the major outlets will be reporting sharply lower profits, the real pain is being felt by midsized chains and the thousands of smaller retailers who are facing a truly bleak future.”

17

One in three houses on market are being heavily discounted A THIRD of all homes up for sale have had their original asking price slashed, according to a property website.

Zoopla found 33.4 per cent of properties on the market have been marked down, with the average discount across Britain standing at £23,860.

In London, 33.3 per cent of properties for sale have had their asking prices reduced, with an average discount of £58,498 or 7.6 per cent.

The biggest price decreases can be found in the London boroughs of Kensington and Chelsea, at 7.9 per cent or £149,153, and Westminster at 7.4 per cent or £133,303.

The borough of Richmond upon Thames has the greatest proportion of reduced price listings in London, at 39.7 per cent.

House sellers in Blackburn, Lancashire are offering the biggest discounts typically – with those who have marked down their prices reducing them by 7.7 per cent on average.

Stockton-on-Tees has the highest proportion of homes on the market that have been reduced, with nearly half – 47 per cent – having had their prices cut.

Lawrence Hall, a spokesman for Zoopla, said: “There has been a lot of speculation over how the property market would perform in the face of the political and economic events that have made 2016 a milestone year.

“However, the proportion of reduced properties, and their average discount, have remained relatively consistent over the past 12 months.

“This is a reassuring sign that the market remains seemingly resilient, whilst also offering those looking to get on to the property ladder in 2017 a chance to find a bit of a bargain.”

Wednesday 28th December 2016

All the news that matters

Local, National and International

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Wednesday, March 9, 2016

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18  LOCAL NEWS

That was the year that was... 2016 OF TUNBRIDGE WELLS

With the year drawing to a close, the Times looks back at some of the stories that made headlines during a momentous 12 months that on the national scale saw the words ‘Brexit’ and ‘Trump’ attracting attention

By Adam Hignett THE heads of all-girl schools that draw pupils from Tunbridge Wells have strongly refuted the claim that single-sex education is bad for female students.

The debate has been ignited by the suggestion that female pupils who do not mix and socialise with boys at school are put at a ‘huge disadvantage’ in later life.

In comments aimed at parents of independently educated pupils, Richard Cairns, head of Brighton College, suggests that all-girl establishments are ‘outdated’ and ‘deeply unrealistic’.

LE

JANUARY 20: The first argument over how to educate our children began. ing column inches’ by using ‘outdated’ and ‘provocative’ comments.

The heads of three all-girl schools which draw pupils from Tunbridge Wells Her accusation of publicity seeking is echoed by Mayfield’s Antonia Beary, who became embroiled in a dispute with Richard Cairns, headteacher theto Mr Cairns’ said: “We are all of accustomed rather tiresome predilection for causing controversy by aggressively mixed-sex Brighton College, after he described their establishments astargeting his competitor schools.”

She goes on to say it is ‘curious’ that he ‘outdated’ and ‘deeply unrealistic’. should choose to do so ‘quite so lazily’ by

Mr Cairns comments have provoked a strong reaction from the heads of three independent girls’ schools around Tunbridge Wells.

Both Julie Lodrick, head of Kent College Pembury and Antonia Beary, head of Mayfield School, accuse Mr Cairns of using the debate to attack rivals

All the news that matters

Local, National and International Tonbridge Castle

rehashing an article he had already published last year.

Samantha Price, head of Benenden, also accused Mr Cairns of stoking ‘controversy’ and added: “One of the benefits for girls in a single-sex environment is that they have the space to have a go at things without having to worry about how they may be seen by the opposite sex.”

nbarston@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk

THE unacceptable state of Southeastern rail services is having a direct impact on family life in Tonbridge and the area’s economy, MP Tom Tugendhat has warned.

With the issue topping the list of letters sent by concerned residents to the Tonbridge & Malling MP, he has made it one of his personal goals to improve rail standards.

Repeated criticism over delays to London-bound trains has seen Southeastern services being voted second worst in the country, with a National Rail Passenger Survey revealing only 75 per cent of passengers were satisfied with the company’s performance.

Mr Tugendhat explained that while he was ‘not interested in bashing rail companies’, he is seeking action on the punctuality of peak trains.

He said: “Our economy is largely based on people being able to travel. Many Tonbridge commuters are working 40 hours a week and are sometimes wasting a further two hours getting to work and two hours getting home again.

“This means they are often forced to leave earlier in the mornings to ensure they get to important meetings and

French connection means High Street is complete

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Mr Clark wrote: “For us here in Tunbridge Wells, I believe we have benefitted particularly from this engagement with Europe. Many of our local employers operate across Europe.

WELCOME to the first issue of the Times of Tonbridge.

We have been overwhelmed by the endorsements we have received from local organisations, shops and businesses when they heard the announcement that the town now has its own new FREE newspaper.

The imes of Tonbridge is starting life as an edition of its sister title the Times of Tunbridge Wells, but with the help of readers and advertisers we can include more local news pages and features in the future.

We want to be YOUR voice.

appointments on time because they don’t have any faith in the trains running to schedule.

“And if they are always late returning home, they are missing out on their young children’s formative years and can’t help out with things such as school events and homework.

“You can’t plan your life when trains continually fail to run according to the timetable.”

Among the key priorities he identified for improvement were reliability of commuter services and greater recruitment of rail staff, as well as enforcement of the new Delay Repay passenger compensation system.

Mr Tugendhat said: “The rail service from Southeastern is not acceptable, but there is a fundamental problem in that Southeastern is working with track that is 150 years old.

“The single biggest thing that needs to change is the reliability of services, not whether trains are faster or slower. If that can be achieved, then people can plan their business lives MP Tom Tugendhat and their lives outside of

So make sure you keep us up to date with your news and views, events, activities and achievements. You’ll find our contact details on page 2.

Tonbridge has a rich history and is currently going through a period of considerable change and growth which will protect its future. This is being fuelled by the regeneration of the high street and a plethora of new property developments, both of which are attracting more people and retailers to the town.

By working with each other we can grow together and give the town the newspaper it deserves.

INSIDE ENJOY EASTER

24 pages of what’s on, where to go and gardening tips

PAGE 84 ONWARDS

FLIGHTPATH BATTLE Rift develops between aircraft noise campaign groups

PAGE 7

work. So we will have to demand more from both Southeastern and Network Rail on this.”

John Reynolds, Vice Chairman of Tonbridge Line Commuters, shared the MP’s concerns.

He said: “We feel that in West Kent we are being discriminated against by Southeastern. It seems they think people in Tonbridge are richer than everyone else, with the cost of an annual season ticket from here to the city, which is over £4,000, working out more per mile than the price travelling from Folkestone to London.”

Southeastern has acknowledged its services are not performing to passengers’ expectations but says it plans to invest millions in improving its performance.

Southeastern and Network Rail have been accused of blaming each other for the problems, but a recently released joint statement read: “We appreciate that since the start of this year the train service has not been as reliable as we want it to be, or as passengers rightfully expect it to be.”

Passengers quiz rail bosses.

See pages 8-9

ARTS & CULTURE

Tonbridge School’s EM Forster Theatre is open to all

FREE

PAGES 100-101

HOMES

48 pages of the finest homes on the market

See property section

PAGES 78-79

PROPERTY

Step inside some of the finest homes on the market

COUNTRY LIFE

Police chief takes ‘cheap shot’ at people’s gun hobby

impacted local services. It was the first of many stories on the same theme.

PAGE 5

FOOD AND DRINK

The new gin bar in town has to be the perfect tonic

Local, National and International

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MAY 4: Danny Lucas, a businessman who was tired of the amount of litter he saw blighting Tonbridge, developed an app named LitterGram to help locate problem spots on social media. The choice of name incurred the wrath of Facebook, which owns the site Instagram. It ordered Mr Lucas to drop the name LitterGram. He refused.

Retail chain takes over Morrisons INS LOCAL

FROM PAGE 21

Julie Lodrick, head of Kent College Pembury

APRIL 27: With junior doctors going on strike for

would be stronger, safer and better off remaining a member of the EU. “At a macro-economic level the business leaders concluded that leaving the EU would deter investment and PAGES 70-71 put the economy at risk.

“While our own UK businesses, and EDUCATION the people we employ, are unlikely to Parents advised about be impacted if the UK voters elect to rugby tackles at school leave the EU, AXA’s position is clear that the UK as a whole would be best served by remaining in the EU.” He added the company ‘already’ operates across a ‘number of countries and currencies’, and the UK market ‘remains attractive to the shareholder’.

Collin Bullen, a spokesman for thematters PAGES 17-19 All the news that Grassroots Out campaign in Kent, said the apparent contradiction BUSINESS between the wording of the signed From corporate fun guy letter and AXA’s statement to the to successful life coach Times ‘rather undermines their case.’

However, he also suggested that the company may have been ‘pressurised’ into signing.

He said: “This does rather undermine their case, and it has since come out that some of those who signed the letter felt pressurised to PAGES 8-9 do so.

MARCH 23: The Times of Tonbridge was Britain would be stronger, safer and better off remaining in EU launched. The Wednesday, May 11, 2016 sister paper to “The head of AXA – the biggest private sector employer in Tunbridge Wells – said the Times of that Britain leaving the EU would ‘deter Poor rail service has negative investment, threaten jobs and put the econTunbridge Wells YOUR impact on lives of ouromy families at risk’.”

The Times sought clarification fromsplashed the on the company, which employs over 2,000 people in Tunbridge Wells. ‘unacceptable rail PAPER AXA acknowledged the Chief Executive of AXA UK, Paul Evans, was one of theservice’ 197 affecting business leaders who signed the letter. commuters in the But a spokesman said while the company town – another theme that would prove significant throughout 2016.

adam@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk

Turn to page 4

‘He is using outdated but nevertheless provocative statements guaranteed to result in outrage’

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INSIDE

Pupils won’t be able to cope at work if they don’t mix with boys

He said he is ‘often perplexed’ that any parent should choose to put their daughter in a single-sex school.

Mr Cairns is not entirely alone in his views.

Ian Bauckham, the executive head of Bennett Memorial Diocesan School in Tunbridge Wells told the Times that his ‘personal preference’ is for mixed-sex education.

He said: “It is possible to argue that girls and boys should get used to being and working together as early as possible.”

He recalled ‘with horror’ the way young men and women who had attended single-sex schools behaved when they used mixed-sex university accommodation.

Wednesday, March 23, 2016

THE biggest employer in the town, AXA, morning has Good reassured staff it isTonbridge ‘unlikely’ a British to pay an extra 19p a week in exit from the European Union would have council tax for a significant an impact on their jobs.

T project ‘such as a new theatre The statement follows a reference to the worthy of the borough.’ insurance giant by MP Greg Clark, who in More than half (55%) of an article written for this newspaper two those asked gave a thumbs weeks ago quoted the head of AXA claiming down with just 32% offering BUSINESS to Rival to the Officewould, ‘deter investment, threaten a Post Brexit contribute. The ‘don’t knows’delivers great results jobs and put the economy at risk’. amounted to 13%.

Mr Clark made the reference as part of his When asked about off-street reasoning on why the country should Neill Barston parking nearly half (48%) of remain within the European Union. those polled want more while The quote he referenced was part of a joint one in three (33%) believe there open letter signed by nearly 200 of the UK’s are enough car parks. largest companies which included BT, Shell PAGES 6-7 and create publicity. and Marks & Spencer, alongside AXA. The In a robust attack on his motives Mrs Lodrick claims Mr Cairns See pageis4‘clearly chasFOOD letter attracted widespread media attention.

Heads hit back at claim all-girl schools are wrong for students BENENDEN GIRLS Single-sex environment

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WE ASK: IS THE HIGH COST OF LIVING IN TUNBRIDGE WELLS REALLY WORTH IT? See pages 14, 15 & 16

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Reassurance comes after an open letter stated an EU exit would ‘threaten jobs’ to reassure staff that MARCH 9: With Brexit debates raging, AXA was forced believed the UK ‘as a whole’ was betOFFICES off inside the EU, the impact on leaving the EU was ‘unlikely’ to impactHAWKENBURY their local jobs ter – this despite its Chief Group Chief Executive AXA’s operations in the country of AXA UK Paul Evans limited.

Executive being one of 200 business leaders nationallywould to be sign a letter saying He said: “The Group Chief Executive AXA UK, Paul Evans, wasMP one of Brexit would in fact ‘threaten jobs’. Two weeks earlier, ofTunbridge Wells one hundred and ninety seven busiGreg Clark had referenced the letter, and AXA in particular, to who launch ness leaders signed ahis letter published in The Times [national] newspro-Remain pitch in this paper. paper which indicated that Britain A

All the news that matters

AXA admits Brexit would not put local jobs at risk

the first time in history, the Times two papers INSIDE covered all sides of the debate and how it

S

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

SURVEY REVEALS JANUARY 6: WOULD PEOPLE We carried NOT an PAY FOR ANY exclusive front page NEW THEATRE interview with the

By Jonathan Banks Queen’s personal THE people of Tunbridge Wells believe it’s a good place to live. jeweller, Harry They feel safe on its streets, are with all the amenities Collins,happy following his and think the council is doing want more offnamingok… asbutathey Member street parking and they won’t pay for anyVictorian new theatre. of the Royal That’s the outcome of a survey carried Order inborough-wide the New out by independent researchers Year’s Honours List.They on behalf of the council.

Local, National and International interviewed, face to face, more The Tunbridge Wells than 1,000 residents.

The study is the first since 2012 jewellerandwas cost just under £19,000.

OF TUNBRIDGE WELLS Head of Policy and recognised forJanehis Governance Clarke said: “The borough survey forms part contribution to base thefor the of our evidence we will be making as a Duke ofdecision Edinburgh’s council going forward.

In December the council International Award, agreed in principle to the development of a new theatre which he chaired forHall. to replace the Assembly One of the survey questions three years. asked if people would be willing

MUSIC

Speldhurst violinist makes her Voice heard on TV

PAGE 3

Home, garden and leisure giant moving into empty town centre store Exculsive by Adam Hignett

adam@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk ANOTHER ‘mid-price’ retailer will be coming to Tunbridge Wells with the news that The Range is due to move into the former Morrisons site.

Council officers at the Town Hall were set to approve the transfer of the current lease to the homeware store late yesterday (Tuesday).

The Range was founded in 1980 by retail tycoon Chris Dawson, a former street vendor, and turned into a chain with more than 100 stores offering 65,000 home, leisure and garden products.

Any decision on whether the lease will be transferred will also have to be approved by site owners Canada Life Investments, an asset management subsidiary of the insurance giant.

However, while the Times understands this has yet to be granted, it’s clear that the company are ‘keen’ on the idea.

Jonathan MacDonald, Director of Planning & Development at Tunbridge Wells Borough Council, said yesterday in response to questions from the Times: “We received on Friday a request for approval to enable an assignment of the Morrisons’ lease.

“My understanding from my discus-

MAY 11: Despite endless denials from The Range, we reported that the home and garden store was to open at the old Morrisons site opposite Tunbridge Wells station. Sure enough it happened.

Also on that front page, we celebrated the historic victory by Tunbridge Wells RFC at Twickenham after an unbeaten season in their league.

sion with Canada Life is that they are keen but have yet to grant their own formal approval. The proposed assign-

‘Good for the local economy’ ment is to homeware store The Range.”

News that the Vale Road site is likely to avoid reverting to a disused ‘eyesore’ will come as a relief to residents who can remember when it was left derelict for six years after Morrisons first pulled out in 2006 before later returning. They also closed the store for a second time on April 2 this year.

The move coincides with the sale of the old cinema site 200 yards away,

which itself had been allowed to fester for 15 years, but could see development begin next year.

Reflecting the mood among councillors, Cllr Jane March, portfolio holder for Economic Development, said: “I was very pleased to be informed that the former Morrisons store will not be empty for too much longer.

“I am encouraged that businesses continue to see Tunbridge Wells as a place where they should be investing.

It is good for the local economy and shows confidence in the town and the borough.”

MAY 25: After months of build-up the Royal Tunbridge Wells Business Awards Continued on page 4 were held, honouring and recognising the companies which make the town and its surrounding areas such a vibrant and successful place to live. The event (pictured below) was organised by the Times. CELEBRATION TIME

We won the rugby cup

Organisers down bigg

PAGE 5

COUNC

Full results for Lib Dem

PAGES 8-

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Tunbridge Wells RC wins Twickenham cup final to remain unbeaten all season Turn to page 6

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Wednesday 28th December 2016

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OF TUNBRIDGE WELLS

MAYOR MAKES A BIT OF A SPLASH ON HIS DEBUT Page 6

FLOWER POWER REIGNS AT ROYAL VICTORIA FASHION SHOW Page 9

INSURERS TURN DOWN FINAL PLEA FOR PAY-OUT TO ACCIDENT VICTIM A FATHER of three who was refused an insurance pay out because he only lost one leg in a road accident, not both legs, has suffered another setback.

After being denied £120,000 worth of compensation, Hein Pretorius [pictured below] was hanging on to the hope that he would eventually receive compensation because of a ‘total and permanent disability’.

He has now been informed that he will not be paid any money and is putting his apartment in Madeira Park, Tunbridge Wells on the market to move into rented accommodation.

“The door has been shut by the insurers. They say it is a black and white case and won’t pay,” said 44-year-old Mr Pretorius.

He told the Times that one of the main factors appeared to be the fact he has made ‘too good’ a recovery.

See page 4 for more

EX-LANDLORD CRITICISES THE NATIONAL TRUST OVER PUB CLOSURE Page 11

JULY 27: Sharing the same front page, due to the significance of the story in THEATRE PLANS GRAMMAR SCHOOL’S THE ART OF both towns, each paper Tunbridge being FEWER TRIBUTE reported on MARATHON RAISES Wells Hospital MAKING MONEY placed BANDS AND MORE VITAL FUNDS FOR AND INFLUENCING WEST END SHOWS THEboard REFUGEES was deemed CROWDS OF PEOPLEof into Financial Special Measures as its incapable Page 90 Page 16 Page 12 dealing with a looming cash crisis.

HOW DO YOU BECOME A BUSINESS AWARD WINNER?

FINANCIAL CRISIS Shock news for Tunbridge Wells’ state-of-the-art hospital

Page 10

DECIDING VOTE The audience backs ‘Remain’

INSIDE

ENJOY ALL THE WEEKEND FUN DOWN ON THE PANTILES Page 27

INSIDE GARDENING TIMES

Why getting outside is good for you. See gardening section

CHILDREN’S A&E

Tunbridge Wells leads the way with new hospital unit

PAGE 7

BUSINESS RETURN

TEDx is back in town for another sell-out conference

CHARITY AWARD

Finalists in line for £1,000 donation are named. Page 15

PAGE 8

NEW CIVIC CENTRE

Council plans for £50million revamp move a step closer

Remain camp wins the night

It was a close run thing but residents vote to stay in Europe Adam Hignett

adam@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk THE campaign to stay in Europe carried the day at the Great EU debate as both sides went head to head to win over the people of Tunbridge Wells last week.

Andy Bell, Political Editor at ITN’s 5 News, mediated as the audience watched representatives from both sides put their case.

Topics covered the economy, sovereignty and immigration, and a panel of local business representatives also grilled both sides.

Economist Professor Philip Davis, Andy Bagnall of the CBI and former Conservative MEP Ben Patterson played on the ecomomy to encourage people to remain in the EU. Professor Davis said Britain’s economic future was ‘extraordinarily bleak’ if there was a Brexit, while Mr Bagnall warned of a ‘significant economic shock’.

The Brexit Panel, represented by Brendan Chilton of Labour Leave, economist Gerard Lyons and lawyer Anna Firth, emphasised the downsides of immigration and the loss of sovereignty to back their cause.

Mr Lyons told the audience it was ‘ridicu-

lous’ that we are declining visas from people outside of Europe in order to favour less well qualified migrants from within the EU. Mr Chilton, meanwhile, said successive governments ‘had no right’ to cede sovereignty to the EU ‘without the consent of the British people’.

Ultimately, however, the Remain camp won over the undecided people present, with a post-debate poll showing them extending their lead over their opponents to win the debate.

For the full story see pages 12-14

PAGE 5

What’s gone wrong with flagship hospital?

Pembury put in special measures as patients face ‘never-ending waiting time’

EDUCATION AWARD

Nursery celebrates ‘Outstanding’ status after Ofsted inspection

Adam Hignett

adam@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk

PAGE 23

JUNE 1: The Great EU Debate took place in the Assembly Hall, with local panellists comprising respected members of both the Remain and Leave camps battling it out and answering questions from the audience. Following the debate, the audience were asked to vote on whether they would Remain or Leave. In a sign of what was to come in Tunbridge Wells, they voted Remain.

A TEAM of specialists is to be parachuted into Tunbridge Wells Hospital in the coming weeks in an attempt to stop it losing so much money. They will work with senior management to come up with a viable plan to reduce overspending.

The move comes after the hospital was put into financial special measures in a last-ditch attempt to stop the board of Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust from overshooting its budget. It’s

likely to lose almost £24million this year.

Auditors Grant Thornton reported the trust to the Secretary of State because it had breached its duty to break even in the three years ending March 31, 2016.

There could now be worrying consequences for patients with the news that part of the latest initiative means a relaxing of waiting time targets.

Alongside four other trusts – Barts Health in London, Croydon Health Services, Norfolk and Norwich Hospitals and North Bristol – Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells will no longer be fined for missing the 62-day target for cancer treatment, the four-hour A&E target or the 18-week goal for routine operations.

Due to the poor state of their finances, these trusts will instead be incentivised to improve on their current performance

with extra funds from the money being invested into the NHS this year.

Patients Association Chief Executive Katherine Murphy said: “We do not support this move. This is the slippery slope back to the bad old days of never-ending waiting times and uncertainty – with patients left endlessly on A&E trolleys and waiting for life-changing operations.

Where is it all going to end?”

The organisation has already had patients call into their helpline ‘in desperation’ seeking advice and guidance, she said, adding: “Our own research has highlighted that for elective surgery, such as cataract operations, the mean average waiting time in days has increased from 64 days in 2010 to 93 days in 2015.

“This is a significant jump and we are very concerned that relaxing the rules on waiting time targets will only exacerbate an already unacceptable situation for patients. And, more worryingly, does this mean patients can expect to see services cut altogether?”

In addition to the relaxation of wait-

ing times, the external team, headed by an ‘improvement director’, will oversee reforms at the trust and help draw up the recovery plan.

The improvement director will be supported by NHS Improvement, with additional oversight provided by NHS England and the Care Quality Commission.

A spokeswoman for the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust said special measures were part of a drive to address problems throughout the health service.

“The NHS is tackling a £2.4billion funding deficit this year amid unprecedented demand for its services. These challenges are faced by the majority of trusts.

“We are addressing these shared challenges at a local level. Patients can be assured that we are doing our absolute best to drive down waiting times, are delivering quality improvements, keeping our patients safe, and welcome the opportunity to work with NHS Improvement to be even more cost-effective.”

AUGUST 31: The Times of Tunbridge Wells ran the story about an outspoken local vicar, Rev Dr Peter Sanlon of St Mark’s, threatening to form a breakaway branch of the Church ofthe England.

He and others were disillusioned with its ‘This is slippery slope Wednesday, December 14, 2016 backview to theof bad old days’ increasingly tolerant homosexuality.

Patients Association Chief Executive Katherine Murphy

See also pages 5, 6 and 7

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JUNE 29: Both editions of the paper ran stories on the EU referendum. Tunbridge Wells voted to Remain, while Tonbridge opted to Leave – contributing to the overall vote for Brexit.

Wednesday, September 14, 2016

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OCTOBER 19: The Times of Tonbridge raised the issue of whether those EDUCATION TIMES living in boats on the river Medway were being ‘unfairly’ treated by the OF TUNBRIDGE WELLS Billy Elliot star stages a YOUR masterclass in skills. Page 25 landowners of their moorings. The main Tunbridge Wells story focused on FREE the financial hit to PAPER businesses in Frant, and the inconvenience for thousands of commuters using the road through the village, after East Sussex County Council decided to close the road for two weeks – day and night – for repairs. The council backtracked within 24 hours and came up FAMILY AFFAIR Bishops celebrates years with a25 compromise which saw an alternative solution put in place. of being in business. Page 14

NOVEMBER Allrunway the2: news Local, National and International Third nightthat matters A bomb scare at– flights banned what about Royalbut Victoria Gatwick’s burden? Sealing off town centre could cost retailers £1million OF TUNBRIDGE WELLS PlaceBysaw Andrew Tong shoppers THE decision to award the runway expansion project to Heathrow seemed like a victory evacuated and D for those who want to protect O the skies over West Kent from G R E F U N'T B businesses lose further noise pollution.

R But one aspect of the deal, the pledge to outlaw ANRBISHIN UY FU £1million innight flights on SMA the third runway, has led to T S renewed calls for action to reduce AR S D G A N D U RNIT trade. it the TS N IVE noiseLuckily, pollution caused during EX 3 early hours by Gatwick.

S PDAT URE TF D The provision said that proved to be a there RI A A ING . would be no flights between DA Y Y P LE 11.30pm and 6am. There are 23 U falsecurrently alarm, restrictions on air rd B L S c at Heathrow, Gatwick and Gtraffi EP IC ! although most Ta S Stansted between these times, R no outright t1 A butA ban.

0 LE N The numbers of night flights AM ! businesses Dalready permitted at Gatwick and Se e Stansted outstrip the S tofarHeathrow. pthe – with agappliedA quotas e set ofLfigures are As the next 1 Ethe considered,1 the Department exception of ! for and stores were evacuated and closed for Transport (DFT) is warning that More than 100 shops in RVP and the preBy Murray Jones up to five hours. could rise at Gatwick. cinct were shut at 10.13am with custompubsnumbers where murray@thetimesoftunbridgewells.co.uk The shopping centre attracts thousands ers and staff being evacuated by police The MP for Tonbridge & of visitors every day. Initial estimates and security staff. It was originally Malling, Tom Tugendhat, raised TUNBRIDGE WELLS was brought to a from businesses and retailers thought the case might contain the matter with the Transport shoppers and explosives. standstill on Monday after police called in who talked to the Times indicate Secretary, Chris Grayling, when bomb disposal team to deal with a ‘suspi- that the loss in trade could run to announced the government’s One of the stores nearest to staff hedecision took refuge acious the phone box, Boots, was package’. It had been left by the side more than £1million. in the House of quietly evacuated five minof the phone box (right) on the pedestrian Commons on October 25.

– bemoaned utes before the fire alarm precinct outside Royal Victoria Place (RVP).

Mr Tugendhat said: the “Could he ‘It doesn’t seem like the kind was sounded throughout The army team used a robot to carry out please talk about the six-and-aof place people would bomb’ RVP, with a voice over the a controlled explosion on a small suitcase half hours’ relief he is, quite loss of revenue.

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PAPER

SEPTEMBER 14: The Tunbridge Wells edition published a story on the increasing struggle by Kent County Council to support unaccompanied child refugees arriving in the county. In Tonbridge, the focus was on plans for a £30million technology centre to be developed at West Kent College.

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16

of the public. Police later said that the contents were found to be harmless.

It is not thought there was any malicious intent behind the incident that saw streets around the precinct cordoned off. Shops

Traders described it as ‘a disastrous day’ with many shoppers having gone home by the time they reopened. Some spoke of a drop in takings of around 80 per cent.

RE-TENDERING for the Southeastern franchise begins in November and should be used as an opportunity to hold the current rail operator to account.

That’s the message from MP Greg Clark, who has asked for a meeting with Transport Secretary Chris Grayling. The request follows another spate of delays and disruptions for commuters.

Mr Clark accepts that signal failures can happen – ‘though after a major upgrade they are remarkably frequent’.

He went on to write: “But the poor response in terms of information, staff availability and general management of the disruption has caused real frustration.”

Mr Clark also said the franchise re-tendering should be used to ‘make it clear’ that the rail operator’s record will play a major part in deciding the outcome. He told Mr Grayling about the ‘dire’ service provided

by Southeastern, which he describes as a ‘daily diet’ of ‘overcrowding, cancellations, poor – and sometimes nonexistent – communications with passengers’. The reopening of London Bridge platforms had led to worse overcrowding and the new timetable had not provided the expected relief, he added.

A Southeastern spokesman admitted there were times when passengers experienced ‘frustration’ with the service, but said the operator was ‘committed’ to bringing about improvements.

Young people hoping for a new life in the UK

INSIDE

Council rejects its own pay cut

Undetected accounting of OCTOBER 5: After 16 years of false dawns and dashed hopes, the Times mistake across a decade eventually, Tunbridge Wells revealed the first sketches of what will hopefully, costsheadline police £10million be built on the old cinema site. The slightly tongue-in-cheek read ‘We willPLAN be monstered for this by our friends in the media’ RESTAURANT ‘Cinema site to include cinema’.

Army friends take over old

By Adam Hignett adam@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk

By Adam Hignett adam@thetimesoftunbridgewells.co.uk THE ongoing refugee crisis has left the county council close to ‘breaking point’ as it struggles to cope with the flow of unaccompanied children arriving on the south coast.

The warning comes from the Cabinet Member for Specialist Children’s Services, Cllr Peter Oakford, who represents Tunbridge Wells North on the county council.

He told the Times that currently the council has 1,400 unaccompanied asylumseeking children (UASC) in its care, that includes 550 aged over 18.

In total, Kent spent £33million looking after the youngsters last year, of which

£31million was reimbursed by central government, leaving local taxpayers to foot the £2million bill – a figure forecast to rise by up to 50 per cent this year.

The figure does not include additional costs incurred by the authority in providing such things as healthcare and education.

‘Kent’s current situation is unsustainable’ Many of the young people arrive here with the help of people smugglers. Once ashore, or rescued from a boat, the county council is obliged to take them into its care.

Most are aged 15 or over and can apply for asylum when they reach the age of 18.

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MEMBERS of the council – bank on The Pantiles Pageborough 3

which is under pressure to make savings after budgets were slashed – last week KENT POLICE has had to repay the Home voted against plans to reduce their perOffice almost £10million after an error in sonal allowance. the annual accounts went unnoticed by the The Joint Independent Remuneration force for nearly ten years.

Panel [JIRP] had suggested cutting the The news comes at a time when the basic allowance from £5,500 per annum force, like many others, is battling to to £5,000. The body was established in overcome budget cuts. Police finances, 2001 to make recommendations on Memthough, remain in a ’strong’ position. bers’ allowances for Tunbridge Wells TRAFFIC Because of a coding mistake, the Borough EXPERIMENT Council, plus Sevenoaks and Pilot scheme with 20mph limit police have been overclaiming from the Tonbridge & Malling councils. planned for St John’s Page 6 government’s pension top-up grant each If the cuts to the basic allowance were year since 2006. implemented, along with other changes in supplementary allowances, it would have shaved £20,000 from the current Under certain circumstances Continued on page 4 if it’s granted annual allowance budget of £360,000. their family members are entitled to come and live in the UK. Kent is currently responsible for one quarter of all unaccompanied child asylum seekers in the UK, a situation the council believes is unsustainable, and which Cllr Oakford is lobbying central government to rectify.

NEW HOMES SHOW “I have been campaigning for 18 months Times Portfolio Show 2016 to get the Government to trigger a mandatakes place next week See inside tory dispersal programme, but thus far they have been very reluctant to do so.”

Despite legislation on mandatory relocation of UASC, the Government has instead been relying on voluntary relocation, an approach Cllr Oakford thinks has failed as the county is still seeing a net growth in UASC.

However, in the final Full Council meeting of the year on December 7, the councillors, who are not obliged to accept the recommendation, voted in favour of keeping the current allowance structure.

Lib Dems and Labour voted in favour of reducing allowance Out of the 45 councillors eligible to vote, 26 opted for the status quo, 12 abstained and 7 voted in favour of a cut.

The debate proved divisive among the majority Conservative Party, while members of both the Liberal Democrats and Labour sought to reduce the allowance.

Concern over reputational damage to the council was evident, with several

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DECEMBER 14: We revealed that members of Tunbridge Wells Borough Continued on page 2 Continued on page 3 Council voted against a cut to their allowances, as recommended by an independent panel. Also on the Tunbridge Wells front page was a story about how Kent Police had failed to notice an accounting error spanning Rail operator must almost a decade, resulting in the loss of £10million. In Tonbridge, the be held to account BOUNDARY CHANGES Face of constituencywas could also on local politics, and the failure of a coalition of spotlight in franchise process dramatically Page 3 Flow of unaccompanied children pushes county to the limit change opposition parties who had united behind the Labour candidate to unseat

By Jonathan Banks CHRISTMAS: The time of year when parents, relatives and friends watch the children in nativity plays at schools and churches. We cannot publish all the wonderful scenes that emerge, but believe this one really capturesthe the moment.

It’s of the two to four at St Luke’s Nursery School in Tunbridge Wells taking part in the nativity play at the church Conservatives inyear a olds council by-election.

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councillors repeating a warning by Cllr Bob Backhouse that the council risked being ‘monstored by the media’ if it rejected the recommendation.

Others arguing for a cut said it would show ‘solidarity’ with council staff, who are facing a £292,000 reduction to their payroll in the next budget, and would be more in keeping with ‘austerity’.

Those voting in favour of maintaining the current allowance said it helped to attract a more diverse talent pool, ensures the council is not dominated by a self-funding elite, and accurately reflects the true working hours of Members.

Full story page 12

Continued on page 2

Wednesday 28th December 2016

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How to ta local food

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20 ■ BOOKS TIMES REVIEWS

Book some time off…

Time to unwind and relax, and what better way than with a great book? Here are a few suggestions for your seasonal reading…

Hardback, by Century, £20 (ebook £9.99) At 65, Phil Collins has been a drummer since he started playing along to the TV as a boy. Fast-forward to today, and he has sold out a run of shows in London, despite thinking he would not perform again due to ill health. For these concerts he will only sing, as a loss of feeling in his hand has left him unable to play his beloved drums properly. Everything in between these years is revealed in this no-holds-barred autobiography, which is a well-written and emotive read. Collins comes out the good guy and the bad guy – a lovable muso who learnt from the best bands of the 60s to create a string of hits, he was also an absent father with a drink problem and a trail of broken relationships. Collins’ honesty is touching and candid but he does not overshare, and some of the most difficult parts of his life are not related in great detail.

He laments how, at one stage during one marriage split, he went from Mr Nice Guy to Mr Hated in the press. It turns out he’s simply Mr Human. Just with a 100 million record sales more than most other humans.

The Word Detective: A Life in Words – From Serendipity to Selfie

by John Simpson Hardback, by Little, Brown, £18.99 (ebook £9.99) Writing an autobiography about spending 37 years with one company is a tall order – one man’s slow climb up to the top job is surely of little interest to anyone but himself? But John Simpson, former Chief Editor of the Oxford English Dictionary, pulls it off with panache. Back in 1976, he joined the quiet ranks of lexicographers unsure of what he wanted to do for a job. It turned out to be helping to take the OED from a hopelessly out-of-date scholarly work to a constantly updated online resource. Simpson offers a peek at the machinations of Oxford University Press, and also sensitively includes the challenges of caring for his disabled daughter, who grew up unable to speak in a family closely connected to language. But he livens up the research and bureaucratic battles by peppering his narrative with facts about common words and phrases – did you know juggernaut came from Hindi, or that selfie has been used since 2002?

7/10

(Review by Caroline Firth)

7/10

Today Will Be Different

by Maria Semple

(Review by Natalie Bowen)

Hardback, by Weidenfeld & Nicolson, £14.99 (ebook £7.99)

Midwinter by Fiona Melrose

Wife and mother of one Eleanor Flood knows she needs to get a grip on her life. Sleepwalking through her day until it’s time for bed is hardly conducive to a fulfilling existence. So she’s made a vow: Today will be different.

She will make the most of her experiences, breed positive relationships, and generally be the best version of herself she can possibly be –which is all well and good until her day veers off course. Charting a single day in Eleanor’s life, Maria Semple (also the author of Where’d You Go Bernadette?) delivers yet another quirky, unexpected jaunt of a novel, and another singularly drawn heroine. At its heart, the novel explores what it means to be the best wife, mother and woman one can be, often when the odds are stacked against you, and although Semple’s narrative oozes stylistic originality, unfortunately it all becomes rather meandering. It is a bit like a stained glass window with lots of fragments – some more vivid than others – but which don’t particularly combine into a compelling overall story.

Hardback, by Corsair, £16.99 (ebook £8.99) Landyn Midwinter and his son Vale work the land of their Suffolk farm in a haze of internalised grief, unaddressed since the death of Vale’s mother in Zambia a decade before.

But when Vale is involved in a near-fatal accident, he and his father must face their rift and spectres as winter bites.

It’s a fairly bleak premise, and Melrose does well to balance the dark topics of her debut with a dash of optimism. She expends much effort to capture the gruff language of farmers and exults in nature, finding a simile for her human protagonists’ every awkward feeling in the actions of an animal or the weather. Unfortunately, this technique is clunky, particularly as Midwinter’s first-person narration switches between Landyn and Vale’s frustratingly taciturn viewpoints. As a result, their beautiful, unspoken thoughts and observations simply come across as Melrose’s own – a pity, but a forgivable one.

(Review by Natalie Bowen)

Not Dead Yet: The Autobiography

by Phil Collins

7/10

6/10

(Review by Jade Craddock)

Of All That Ends

by Günter Grass

The Mistletoe Murder and Other Stories by P.D. James

Hardback, by Harvill Secker, £12.99 (ebook £9.49)

Hardback, by Faber & Faber, £10 (ebook £4.74)

When Günter Grass died in April last year, the Nobel Laureate left behind a diverse and formidable body of work. His finale is a melancholic anthology of musings, poems and sketches tracing the edges of ageing, death and the world we live in. Throughout, Grass’s writing is uncluttered and haunting, characteristically merging dashes of autobiography with more fanciful observation.

In their simple depiction of life and decay across nature, his sketches often provide literal illustration, but occasionally an image as surreal as dismembered fingers scattered beside guilty scissors provides an angry counterpoint – Grass is not going quietly. These tiny snapshots of mortality are more insightful than most novels could dream of, forming a work of real emotional substance. A fitting requiem for a true great.

9/10

(Review by Michael Anderson) ■ There

Wednesday 28th December 2016

This collection of four short stories, originally written for magazines, has been pulled together for the festive season. The titular tale, The Mistletoe Murder, is a window into author P.D. James’ past: A wartime Christmas gathering at her Grandmama’s country house, with a surprising twist. A Very Commonplace Murder has a murderous end to an affair, and we get two Adam Dalgliesh stories – The Twelve Clues Of Christmas and The Boxdale Inheritance. The strongest story is The Boxdale Inheritance, where the young detective delves into a case involving his godfather, who is torn between his own moral compass and his desire to accept a sum of ‘tainted’ money. This compendium is perfect for a cosy fireside read for fans of thrilling mysteries.

(Review by Rachel Howdle)

is no letters page this week and Calverley is away

7/10

Education in association with:

www.right-tuition.co.uk

EDUCATION ■

21

EDUCATION Times WITH THE

Why learning beyond the classroom is essential Sackville School in Hildenborough believes that taking students on regular inspiring trips is a core part of their education. Headmaster John Hewitt explains why extra-curricular activities are so important AS A mixed-ability school, Sackville offers an education which stimulates and challenges all of its students.

Key to this are the opportunities we provide outside of the traditional learning environment of the classroom, such as educational expeditions and theatre visits, and when it comes to exam results we can see these inspiring trips really work.

‘Some of our students travelled to Belgium to visit historic battlefields’ Earlier this month, some of our students travelled to Belgium to visit a number of historic battlefields. Our Year 9 GCSE history students had been studying World War I, so the visit to places such as Ypres in Belgium and The Somme in France helped to really bring home the impact of war-

fare, both on the lives of the people it interactive maths lecture. The show “The many mathematical references affected as well as on the landscape. explored concepts from the bestsell- and details in the book offer the basis Laying a wreath at the Menin Gate ing novel and play The Curious Inci- for what was a highly enjoyable and in Ypres during the moving Last Post dent of the Dog in the Night-Time, by accessible set of short explanations ceremony is a memory which will Mark Haddon, as well as some math- and demonstrations delivered by always stay with the students who ematical problems, using the set of some accomplished speakers. the West End production. witnessed it.

“All of them had clearly spent a In addition to visiting these two One of our Year wealth of time and effort tweaking famous sites, this year the itinerary 10 students, their presentations to be pitched was extended to include two other Nicholas Munro, at an ideal level for the mostly prehistoric battlegrounds: Agincourt commented in GCSE students in the audience.” and Waterloo. The reason for this the essay he Nicholas’s writing skills won him is because we believe that nothing wrote about it: first prize in the 12-14 category at the can bring history alive like West Kent Mind Awards. seeing the actual places where Of course nothing can replace quality teaching on a these well-documented historical events took place. daily basis but, as NichoAnother recent trip our las’s words and accolade students enjoyed was to prove, it is also important The Gielgud Theatre in to widen students’ horiLondon, where they saw zons by supplementing MOVING TRIBUTE The Curious Coincidence and enhancing the curricYear 10 Sackville students Isabelle Tolkien and Jake of Maths in the Day-Time, ulum with a programme of Elwood prepare to lay a wreath at the Menin Gate, Ypres educational trips. an inspirational and

AWARD WINNER Year 10 student Nicholas Munro receives a prize earlier this year at the West Kent Mind Saga Awards, with Tonbridge & Malling councillor Mrs Maria Heslop and Sir Richard Stilgoe

Wednesday 28th December 2016

22  WEEKLY COMMENT

Martin Betts Labour Party local campaign co-ordinator

Labour Party member Martin Betts lives in Southborough and has long been active in local politics. He is recently retired after a long career in the Civil Service, where his last job at the Department for Work and Pensions was in communications. He qualified at Leicester University in human resources and training and development. The Times also publishes regular opinions from Conservative and Liberal Democrat Party members

Let’s end the ‘national shame’ of rough sleeping MOST of us will have celebrated Christmas indoors, in the warmth, with our families and friends. Yet across the borough there are around 20 people whose experience of the festive season has been one of extreme loneliness and isolation. One of living on the streets – sleeping in car parks, on park benches or in shop doorways.

In 2013, the homeless charity St Mungo’s produced a report which identified underlying factors such as a traumatic childhood, problematic drug or alcohol use, and mental ill health. Additional triggers leading to a person sleeping rough are relationship breakdown, eviction, leaving prison and bereavement.

More recently has been the application by government of cruel benefit rules and financial sanctions.

Through the eyes of rough sleepers, St Mungo’s identified that living and sleeping on the street is tough. “When I was sleeping rough, I was vulnerable, scared, was spat upon and told I am a dirty tramp,” said one person.

Wednesday 28th December 2016

“Sleeping rough was horrible.

Waking up with frost all over me in the morning,” said another.

‘The council should support a day centre’ Whatever the reasons for rough sleeping, we know that it is getting worse. Since 2010, the number of rough sleepers in England has doubled – with 3,569 people recorded in 2015.

Charities say that the actual number is much higher than this, showing a rapidly rising level of need.

Locally, although the numbers might look small, they are also growing.

Tunbridge Wells has the highest number in West Kent.

For five years, Tunbridge Wells Churches Winter Shelter [TWCWS] has been working in collaboration with the borough council and other providers and agencies to help rough sleepers survive the cold winter months of January and February. On any evening

during these months they will be offering up to 12 guests a bed, food, warmth and support to help them move into a more positive and hopeful future.

This joined-up work of dedicated professionals and volunteers makes a big difference to those whose way of life puts them at the greatest risk. But all this is in jeopardy.

Government funding cuts are certain to reduce the number of professionals involved in helping rough sleepers, as well as the availability of housing options to help them move on and improve their lives.

Rough sleeping is an all-year problem.

Although there is some help available outside the winter months, we agree with TWCWS that the council should support a permanent day centre where rough sleepers can drop in and get the food, care and support they need.

We also believe that the council should step up its efforts to provide adequate social housing to help this group of vulnerable people.

Shadow Housing Secretary John

Healey, MP has said “Labour would put a stop to this national shame and provide homeless people with a place to call their home and rebuild their lives.” He has asked the Prime Minister

to back Labour’s plan to double the number of homes ‘ring-fenced’ for people who have slept on the streets, renewing a housing scheme started by the Conservatives in 1991.

HELP THE HOMELESS ‘Tunbridge Wells has the highest number in West Kent’

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

The Times is proud to work with:

WITH THE

Available in Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge and Sevenoaks

New homes for the New Year The estate agents who will be happy to guide you through 2017

Wednesday 28th December 2016

36 n FOOD AND DRINK

Be the host with the most this New Year’s Eve by handing out these delicious party pieces...

If you really want to impress your guests on December 31 then these appetising canapés will do the trick – we’ve even included some fabulous fizz ideas to get the party started PLUM TOMATO TARTLETS Dainty, subtly flavoured tartlets will make a sophisticated snack for any drinks part Makes: 24 n 150g/1 cup plus 3 tablespoons plain/allpurpose flour n 75g/5 tablespoons butter n 3 egg yolks n 200ml/scant 1 cup sour cream n 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon leaves, plus extra to garnish n 100g/3oz soft goat’s cheese, chopped n 12 baby plum tomatoes, halved lengthways n Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to season n One 4cm/1½-inch cookie cutter n 2 x 12-hole muffin pans, oiled First make the pastry. Blend the flour, a pinch of salt and butter in a food processor until they are well combined. Add one egg yolk and one tablespoon of cold water, and blend until the mixture comes together to form a ball.

Wrap in clingfilm and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) Gas 6. Roll the pastry out thinly on a lightly floured surface and cut out 24 rounds using the cookie cutter.

Line the muffin pans with the pastry.

To make the filling, whisk the sour cream and the remaining egg yolks together in a jug/pitcher.

Season with salt and pepper and add the tarragon. Divide the goat’s cheese evenly between the pastry cases, then nestle in two halved plum tomatoes in each case, skin side down. Carefully pour in a little of the sour cream mixture, then bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes until the filling has risen and is golden.

Garnish with tarragon if desired and serve warm.

TOMATO BLINIS These make the perfect canapé as they are both good-looking and tasty Makes: Approximately 26 n 110g/1 scant cup plain/all-purpose flour n ½ teaspoon fast-action dried yeast n ½ teaspoon white sugar n teaspoon salt n 150ml warm whole milk n 1 egg, separated n 20g/4 teaspoons butter, melted n 1 tablespoon tomato purée/paste n Sour cream, Parma ham and chopped fresh chives, to serve Begin by making the batter. Sift the flour into a warm mixing bowl. Stir in the yeast, sugar and salt. Whisk the warm milk into the flour mixture to form a thick batter. Whisk in the egg yolk, melted butter and tomato purée or paste.

Cover and set aside in warm place to prove for one hour.

Preheat the oven to 110°C (225°F) Gas 1⁄4. Whisk the egg white to stiff peaks. Gently fold it into the proven batter. Set a large non-stick frying pan or skillet over a medium heat. Drop spoonfuls of the batter into the pan, well spaced apart. Fry until tiny bubbles appear on the surface and the edges darken, then turn over briefly to lightly brown the other side. Transfer to a baking sheet and keep warm in the preheated oven. Cook the remaining batter in batches.

When ready to serve, top each blini with a little sour cream, a small piece of Parma ham and a sprinkling of chopped chives.

•Tomato blinis and plum tomato tartlet recipes courtesy of Appetizers, published by Ryland, Peters & Small (£14.99) Photography by © Ryland, Peters & Small

Wednesday 28th December 2016

FOOD AND DRINK �

37

SCALLOPS WITH BORLOTTI BEANS Makes: 12

If you buy scallops in their shells, then you have readymade little serving dishes and you can wash and reuse them time and time again n 12 scallops, cleaned and coral removed n 2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil n 1 teaspoon mild curry powder n Lemon wedges, to serve (optional) n 1 x 300g/10 oz canned borlotti beans, drained n ½ stick/rib celery, finely chopped n ¼ small fennel bulb, finely chopped n 50ml/3½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil n 1 garlic clove, finely chopped zest and juice of 1 lemon n A pinch of caster/granulated sugar n A handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped n Salt and black pepper, to season

Brush the scallops with extra virgin olive oil and dust lightly with curry powder. Brush a frying pan or skillet with a further tablespoon of oil and set over a high heat. Fry the scallops for two minutes then turn them over and fry for a further minute.

For the borlotti beans, put the drained beans into a large mixing bowl. Add the celery and fennel. In a separate bowl,

whisk the oil, garlic, lemon zest and juice together with the sugar until well mixed.

Pour the dressing over the bean mixture, stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper.

Divide the beans between the scallop shells or bowls and top each with a scallop. Serve immediately with extra lemon wedges, if desired, to squeeze over the top.

•Scallops and borlotti beans and drinks recipes courtesy of Cicchetti by Liz Franklin, published by Ryland, Peters & Small (£9.99). Photography by Mowie Kay © Ryland, Peters & Small

CHAMPAGNE COCKTAILS New Year’s Eve is the perfect excuse to splash out on some bubbles but how about taking your flute of fizz one step further by turning it into one of these tempting cocktails

BELLINIS Perhaps the most famous of all Venetian cocktails, the Bellini was invented by Giuseppe Cipriani at the celebrated Harry’s Bar in Venice around 70 years ago.

It’s a mixture of fresh white peach juice and Prosecco. Keep the ingredients and glasses as cold as possible. Cin! Cin!

Classic

Makes: 4 n 40ml/3 tablespoons freshly made white peach purée n 480ml/2 cups Prosecco Pour the peach purée into the chilled Champagne flutes then pour in the Prosecco and stir gently.

Serve immediately.

Strawberry & Basil

Makes: 1 n 5 ripe strawberries n 1 teaspoon white sugar n Small handful of fresh basil leaves n 120ml/½ cup Prosecco Whizz the strawberries and sugar together in a blender to make a purée. Pour the purée into a jug, add a little of the Prosecco and the basil – which should be bashed until lots of flavour has been released. Pour the mixture through the strainer into a chilled glass. Pour over the remaining Prosecco, stir gently then serve immediately.

Pear

Makes: 4 n 200ml/¾ cup pear purée n 480ml/2 cups Prosecco Pour the pear purée into the chilled glasses, pour in the Prosecco, stir gently and serve immediately.

Wednesday 28th December 2016

38  ADVERTISING FEATURE

Hampers, wine and all that’s fine: Business booms for Hattons Shop

If you have spent much time on The Pantiles over the past year, you will have noticed the appearance of the new Hattons, offering a blend of hospitality and retail. Chef Daniel Hatton has coffee with Hannah Patterson to discuss his first six months in this historic part of town How have you found the festive period this year? I see you have hampers on display…

It’s been great! Business has definitely been coming in for the hampers and they were doing really well before Christmas.

A lot of people who usually go for the more typical hampers were tired of the generic items inside, and were coming here for something more bespoke.

Here, we make sure it is all tailored for the individual. Each item in every hamper is handpicked rather than a standard selection. We do have lovely pre-made ones you can buy, but often I like to see people wandering around the shop picking the items themselves.

It certainly feels more personal.

How have you found business in general on The Pantiles?

It’s been really good and ha encouraging. We have only been here for six months, but the brand itself has been around for two and a half years. We are always growing, and the hampers

Wednesday 28th December 2016

have been perfect for keeping footfall high as winter set in.

Any plans to keep the hampers going into the New Year?

I think we will keep them going for Valentine’s and Easter as they’re proving so popular. Some places pride themselves on giving fantastic value for money, but we pride ourselves on giving you the bespoke items you really want, which is why we want to keep them going. The feedback we get on social media is great as well, particularly for the hampers.

What is the secret of your popularity?

The beauty of Hattons is that it’s not a one-trick pony.

The shop isn’t cluttered and we aren’t just trying to fill the space for the sake of filling it.

We are a balance of retail and hospitality.

Some say that I need more seats, but I know

that I don’t. I want the beautiful home product, not just a cramming of tables.

We are ten per cent café, but 90 per cent retail. What you see around you right now are all retail products. People come in for a £2.20 cappuccino and can then enjoy browsing. Come here for a bottle of wine, a sandwich, or buy some coffee beans. We do the lot.

We might not pull the most people in, but the average spend is far better as we offer so much. Staff costs are less, too, as a result of this. I can survive comfortably with one other staff member on shift.

How did the idea initially arise to combine retail and hospitality?

The concept came from a small restaurant I visited in Scotland. I was enjoying a nice salad and noticed that everything I was eating was for sale. The wine I was drinking was on the shelf for sale, as well as the ingredients to recreate the salad at home. It was refreshing. That was where the idea was born.

‘The beauty of Hattons is that it’s not a onetrick pony.

The shop isn’t cluttered and we aren’t just trying to fill the space for the sake of filling it. We are a balance of retail and hospitality’

PICTURED LEFT: DANIEL HATTON With one of his hugely popular hampers

As my wife has always worked in retail, we combined our various skills and expertise to create the shop.

The dual aspect of the business, both retail and café, is its success.

Tell us about your new wine collection.

What inspired that?

The Wine Company are now involved, which came about from the Hattons Event Company. We sold wine for our big events and weddings, so it was a no-brainer to have it available in the shop as well.

Does the wine sell well?

We have sold 160 cases in two weeks. It’s just flying out! There are 140 lines in stock so there’s a choice for everyone. Prices range anywhere from £6 to £60.

Traditional wines, such as Malbec or New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, sell very well, as do the more ‘exciting’ or ‘niche’ ones.

It’s mega now. Eighty per cent of our range is under £20, and it’s selling like crazy.

There are lots of knowledgeable customers who come in discussing types of grapes and the locations of vineyards, so I enjoy learning more about the wines myself. Giving advice starts with learning people’s tastes and then veering them on to something new, within whatever price range they’re interested in.

Do you have a favourite wine?

The Cannonball from California is probably my number one choice. It’s £19.99, but for a nice bottle of wine it’s worth it. People need to remember that these are retail prices, so half what you would pay in a restaurant. If you have a love of spirits, I would also recommend our Brooklyn Gin – that’s also flying off the shelves.

ADVERTISING FEATURE �

How do you think supermarkets affect the selling of wine nowadays?

Supermarkets have definitely killed off the success of off-licences. People tend to use supermarkets as a cheap supplier, but you get what you pay for. But in comparison to restaurants, it’s more affordable to buy your wine here.

What are your plans for 2017?

We are going to really ramp it up for the summer, especially when the Jazz Nights kick off again. I’m thinking a lot about how to best utilise our outdoor space.

I’d like to make it even more exclusive.

There are a number of options that I’m considering, especially things like heated umbrellas. The outside area should be a perfect hub for large groups to relax in a private space.

If you want people to buy serious wine, you’ve got to give them a serious place to sit. You need to allow people to feel cosy and relaxed in an area where they can hear the jazz but aren’t exposed to the mass of people.

Ideally, I’d like people to start booking the space to enjoy in the evening. We do amazing cheese boards, charcuterie boards and Camembert at the minute – all the good social food that can be casually picked at.

I’d like to change next year, though.

Currently, I’m looking at serving fish as well as the cheeses. I want to mix it up and keep people excited every week.

Maybe we can do one really lovely, warm feature dish, like confit duck, in the evening for the Jazz.

But first, New Year’s Eve is on the way, and we are looking forward to having a bar outside for it.

39

‘We are going to really ramp it up for the summer, especially when the Jazz Nights kick off again. I’m thinking about how to best utilise our outdoor space.

I’d like to make it even more exclusive’

Hattons 38 The Pantiles Royal Tunbridge Wells Kent TN2 5TN 01892 540 555 info@hattonsrtw.co.uk www.hattonsrtw.co.uk

Winter Opening Times Monday Closed Tuesday 8am - 4pm Wednesday 8am - 4pm Thursday 8am - 4pm Friday 8am - 4pm Saturday 8am - 4pm Sunday 10am - 4pm

Wednesday 28th December 2016

40  ADVERTISING FEATURE

It’s a piece of cake At the age of 22, it can be hard to believe what Hollie O’Callaghan of Hollie’s Little Cakery has achieved in such a short space of time, with over 4,000 ‘likes’ on Facebook, and the opening of her first shop. Hannah Patterson met with her in Southborough to discover just how she has done it, and what’s coming next…

Tell us, was baking always your dream?

Not at all! I only fell into it about four years ago. It was when I had finished my A levels at St Gregory’s Catholic School in Tunbridge Wells, and the plan was to study biology at university following a gap year.

It was during that gap year that I found cakes and baking. I am 22 now, and it was surprisingly late that I picked it all up perhaps compared to other success stories.

So you just fell into it?

Really, I should have known I would end up baking, especially as I’ve always liked making a mess! My mum will tell you.

During my year off, for no particular reason, I started making cupcakes with little flowers and basic cutouts.

A friend of the family tried one and asked me to make one for a friend. They

offered to pay me, which was fine by me!

It spiralled from there, really. One friend told another friend, and then told someone else… I owe a lot to word of mouth.

The barber on the High Street was actually the first to ask me to make a fullsized cake for his girlfriend. That was the first time I tried baking something other than a cupcake. Then, as they say, the rest is history…

suggest I go along to a craft fair with her and take some cupcakes.

I have to admit, I hated asking people for money, though. The business part definitely came later.

There came a point when I knew I needed a shop. Once I knew that, it became my dream and I worked hard to get it. All the time, I would tell myself “You will have your own shop,” and I was determined to make sure I did.

With well over 4,000 likes on Facebook, you’re becoming a local celebrity, aren’t you?

I honestly didn’t think it would get this far. My own shop and a social media following? Honestly, it’s mad!

I am very positive and determined, but I still didn’t know that I would make quite this much of it. Strangely enough, before all this, my friend’s mum happened to

And here we are in your shop in Southborough!

I’m so overwhelmed that people actually care. The shop is in a great location so everyone can see it and look in.

I love seeing people I’ve never met before discussing the shop, and that it’s open now and they want to visit me!

Even people far away in the north are saying they will come down to visit me in the shop one day! I see all their comments on social media and I can’t believe all the positivity.

The shop feels very homely and relaxed. Can people sit in and eat or just pre-order?

Everyone is always welcome to pop in for a visit.

At the moment, in particular, I’m focusing on weddings. It feels so great to be part of someone’s special day, and I feel like I can get really creative.

The little bags of things like peanut brittle are nice for people to come in and buy, though.

Once settled, I’ll serve cupcakes, brownies and things for people to pop in and have in the daytime with a cup of tea.

Wednesday 28th December 2016

ON THE RISE Baking queen Hollie O’Callaghan

ADVERTISING FEATURE 

‘I’m so overwhelmed that people actually care. The shop is in a great location so everyone can see it and look in. I love seeing people I’ve never met before discussing the shop, and that it’s open now and they want to visit me!’

It’s an amazing change from what it was before! How was the move itself into the new shop?

The shop was so dark before, and that had to change. Now people are always looking in and asking what I’m doing in here. It’s also different to your usual bakery – more homely.

I was quite lucky in that a family friend, Stuart Moore, was able to come in and do the floor. My Dad did a feature wall for me, which I love, and other family members and friends helped out. The sign outside is hand painted.

It’s been a long process – I got the keys on July 1 this year – and lots of tears have gone into making the shop into what you see here now.

It took so long to do I was worried the excitement was fading as time passed, but now I’m here, I am so excited again!

It doesn’t feel real after so long coming, but it does feel like my own home.

Why did this décor appeal to you over a more traditional set-up?

There used to be a cake shop here in Southborough when I was younger, and I used to go there every day to watch the lady make figurines out of icing. She’d always know I was coming, and I’d watch her make new things each day.

I have mirrored that atmosphere and sense of welcome here. I want people to feel it’s an open place where they can watch me bake, as opposed to baking out the back and bringing things through.

It feels a little warmer that way.

And what kind of bakes will your focus be on? What is your biggest demand?

I do a bit of everything. At Christmas, stocking fillers were popular,, but birthdays and weddings are the big cakes. And eople are starting to trust me people with the design now, instead of following their brief.

Are you booked up for weddings in 2017?

So far, including enquiries, I’m looking at about 50 weddings next year. I’d have to check the diary, but I think there are four in one

week in April! I only really started doing weddings about a year ago, so I’m so glad to have so much interest.

Have you got room for any more?

I’d say it’s always worth enquiring…

Is there a favourite cake you’ve made?

The wedding cake pictured on the wall of the shop is my favourite [also pictured below]. The bride came to me without too many specifics, but just said she wanted a cake inspired by her dress.

The dress had beautiful ruffles over the shoulder and some pretty lace detailing with a plain satin band in the middle.

I did each part on a separate tier. She later sent me a picture of her cutting the cake and it looked great next to her dress – and she loved it!

‘I should have known I would end up baking, especially as I’ve always liked making a mess! My mum will tell you’

And the most challenging?

There was once a brief for a five-tier cake that was about 40 inches tall with hanging diamantés. They booked it in when I first started, two years in advance!

The nerves sometimes got the better of me on that one. I certainly grew in confidence after that.

41

I did a speech and everything. Everyone kept saying how proud they were and my grandparents were crying.

They must quite enjoy having a baker in the family…

Yes. I had a jar of my peanut brittle at home for my dad’s Christmas present, but he’s already eaten half of it…

At the moment, it’s just you running the shop. With next year being so busy, have you any plans for staff?

Since I’ve opened the shop, I’ve had so many people sending me their CVs. I’d love to take everyone on and give them experience. But, as a new company, I need to focus on budget and who I need for what kind of help.

I may need help with baking or help with accounts. I can’t be sure yet. I’ve even had people offering to work for free, which I still can’t believe!

What would you say are the top three qualities needed to be a good baker or cake maker?

Creativity, passion and determination. I’d say patience if I could have four.

You have to breathe if anything goes wrong and just keep baking!

Where does all this creativity come from? Did you study art subjects?

Well, I did biology, chemistry, art and maths at A level. I emailed my art teacher the other day, as I had made him a cake for his leaving do. It was a nice artthemed cake, which he loved, and I think it was nice for him to see me using my creativity now, as oppose to doing biology at university.

There is a certain type of science in baking, though.

Is world domination next on the list?

London, Paris and New York.

They are the big three and the dream. However, at the minute at least, I am still overwhelmed by it all, as are my family and friends.

Are your family beaming with pride?

I had a soft opening last weekend, which they all came to. It was very emotional –

Hollie’s Litte Cakery 152 London Road Southborough Royal Tunbridge Wells

T: 07772 284 470 E: hello@hollieslittlecakery.co.uk W: www.hollieslittlecakery.co.uk

Wednesday 28th December 2016

42 � PUZZLES SUDOKU & JIGSAW SUDOKU

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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.

Wednesday 28th December 2016

7 1 8

Codeword:

1 7 3 4 1

6 5 7 9

9 8 1 4

2 4 9 8 5 4

3 2 5 4

O B L I Q U E

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

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H B O M B

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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 S E S J I I P E I N K A G E A V U I E S C E N T S X I L E S A N A A A D D I S P I F S S A M A I S N S Z E A T T I E

Sudoku:

5 6 8 1 4 9 2 7 3

1 4 7 3 8 2 6 9 5

3 9 2 7 6 5 4 1 8

T I M E T A B L E

T E N E D E M I A C

R S I R A E O V WH E

R Y E I A R E N U S O A L O L I S A T

Jigsaw Sudoku:

4 2 5 8 1 7 9 3 6

6 1 3 5 9 4 7 8 2

8 7 9 2 3 6 1 5 4

7 5 1 6 2 3 8 4 9

9 8 6 4 5 1 3 2 7

2 3 4 9 7 8 5 6 1

1 9 4 2 5 6 3 7 8

8 2 5 1 7 4 9 6 3

6 7 3 4 8 2 5 1 9

5 8 6 9 3 1 4 2 7

2 4 7 3 9 5 1 8 6

3 6 8 7 1 9 2 4 5

7 1 9 8 4 3 6 5 2

9 5 1 6 2 8 7 3 4

4 3 2 5 6 7 8 9 1

© 2016 Syndicated Puzzles

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DIFFICULTY RATING:

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© 2016 Syndicated Puzzles, Inc.

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© 2016 Syndicated Puzzles

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SOLUTIONS (FROM LAST WEEK)

DIFFICULTY RATING:

CODEWORD

44 ■ WEDDING FEATURE

The Pantiles adds When John Levey whisked Nicki Baker off for a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Thailand, she was thrilled to receive a perfect proposal – even if it did rain! Here, she tells us how they went from Phuket to The Pantiles to celebrate their nuptials with their friends and family…

HAPPY COUPLE Nicki and John

Describe your partner in five words: Loving, loyal, gregarious, patient, kind How did you and your husband meet?

As many couples now do, we met online. A modern-day fairy tale! Of course, it was after dating and spending time together that I realised John was the man I wanted to marry.

It’s amazing to think that we have come from the beginning, when I first stumbled across John, to where we are now – having recently shared the most beautiful wedding day.

Tell us about the proposal…

He pulled out all the stops! He flew me to Malaysia, which was the holiday of a lifetime – we even flew class which business class, was a lovely touch. It was superb. The actual proposal was meant to be on the beach, so I’m told, but it raining so the ended up raining, hotel staff relocated us inside. They must have been

Wednesday 28th December 2016

in on it because they all helped make it so special. Despite the change of setting and the bad weather, it was perfect.

Where did you get married and how did you choose the venue?

We chose The Tunbridge Wells Hotel on The Pantiles – we had been there several times for dinner and absolutely loved it. On top of the fabulous food and décor, we loved the location, too. But the quirkiness of the hotel was a major factor for us, as we really wanted something different that was special to us.

I’m so glad we chose a venue that could host the whole day. This was a second marriage for both of us, and we wanted to keep the wedding quite small, so the room where we had the ceremony and reception was just the right size.

Tell us about your big day and some of its key highlights…

It was a small and intimate wedding with just 35 people. We wanted the day to be about us and how much we love each other. It felt right to keep it all simple but elegant. The ceremony itself was lovely – my son gave me away, my

WEDDING FEATURE ■

45

a touch of history to a dream wedding daughter was bridesmaid and my husband’s son was the best man.

My husband’s daughters read the most beautiful poem and sang us a song as well. It was such a special day with a strong family feel.

MY ROYAL (TW) WEDDING At the Tunbridge Wells Hotel

We had a champagne reception in the lounge of the hotel and then went back upstairs for the wedding breakfast, and the food was incredible. After the meal we had the use of the room for the rest of the day, so we played music and danced with our guests.

As amazing as the wedding reception was, we actually ended up turning in early after all the day’s excitement!

Our guests remained dancing well beyond us, and I was glad they made the most of it.

How did you start your married life together? If you went on a honeymoon, where did you go?

We actually flew away immediately after the wedding, so it was a good job we weren’t up all night dancing, and had some rest. The flight left the morning after the wedding, so it was a quick turnaround from the big day.

We flew to Phuket, in Thailand. The island is famous for having some of the country’s nicest beaches and clear waters.

We spent an idyllic seven nights at the Dhusit Laguna, and I can’t recommend it enough.

The markets there were beautiful, as well as the wonderful weather and stunning views.

Tell us about your key suppliers…

Well, as the Business

Manager at Isabella Grace Bridal, I didn’t have too much trouble choosing my dress!

I went for a beautiful beaded Eliza Jane Howell gown. I fell in love with it instantly, so it was an easy choice for me.

Liz Bowers at Beautiful Hair did my 60s-inspired beehive with a gorgeous, detailed headpiece to match my dress.

And I went for a classic makeup look that I absolutely loved, thanks to make-up artist Louise Large.

We hired the men’s suits from Moss Bros and they were worn with Ted Baker handkerchiefs.

The cake was made by my friend and colleague Pippa Middlehurst.

Christina at Zavens was my florist, and seeing my bouquet for the first time was actually one of the most memorable parts of the day – she had interpreted what I wanted so well! The flowers in the room and the reception were equally as beautiful.

And, of course, I must mention the Tunbridge Wells Hotel again, as they provided us with firstclass service and wonderful food.

The wedding photography was the brilliant work of Claudine Hartzel, who was just incredible.

THE BRIDE’S TOP 5 TIPS

1 2 3 4 5

Be true to yourself and your fiancé and have the wedding day you want – not what others expect Don’t forget the wedding is just the start – the marriage is the most important thing of all Set your budget and stick to it – it’s so easy to get carried away Don’t sweat the small stuff – no one will notice any little things that go wrong on the day Choose your photographer wisely – they are capturing your special day for you, so you have to feel comfortable with them

Wednesday 28th December 2016

46 n MOTORING NEWS

Wednesday 28th December 2016

MOTORING NEWS ■

47

Ford’s new supercar shows off its ‘halo’ EXTRAS, EXTRAS… Read all about it – the new VW Polo Match

Make it the perfect Match VOLKSWAGEN has confirmed that the Polo Match Edition is now be available to order.

The car is set apart by a kit list that offers Car-Net App-Connect as an optional extra, which integrates smartphones with the on-board computer and allows apps to be displayed on the touchscreen. While Cam Connect permits the driver to connect a GoPro Hero 4 camera and send the video output to the screen.

The Match Edition also has goodies such as electrically-heated door mirrors, an auto-dimming rearview mirror and an LED rain sensor. Coming/ Leaving Home lights have been fitted, too, leaving the lights on for a short while after the car has been locked or unlocked to make the journey between the front door and the car safer on dark nights.

Other features include front and rear parking sensors, cruise control, manual air-conditioning and 15-inch alloy wheels.

The Match is offered with a choice of four engines – three petrols and one diesel.

The entry-level powerplant is the 1.0-litre, three-cylinder petrol engine, which comes with 59bhp and 108g/km CO2 emissions.

The more powerful 74bhp version boasts identical emissions but at a £525 premium.

The 1.2-litre, turbocharged, fourcylinder engine is offered with 89bhp and a choice of manual or automatic gearboxes.

The most efficient engine is the 74bhp 1.4-litre diesel, which emits just 97g of CO2 per kilometre and returns 74.3mpg.

Customers can also choose one of two body styles, with prices starting from £13,315 for the three-door and £13,945 for the more practical five-door model.

THE first example of Ford’s GT supercar has rolled off the production line.

The GT, which is designed to be Ford’s latest ‘halo’, is being built at Multimatic – a low-volume assembly facility in Markham, Ontario.

Raj Nair, Ford’s Executive Vice-President of Product Development, and Chief Technical Officer, said: “When we kicked off 2016, we had two primary objectives for our GT supercar – to excel at Le Mans, and to start deliveries before year end. We’ve achieved both.

“For everyone involved in designing and developing this car, including all of our employees and suppliers, this is a moment to celebrate.

“The all-new Ford GT is a showcase of our strength and innovation, and our commitment to delivering more for our customers – especially related to lightweight materials, aerodynamics and EcoBoost engine technologies.”

First unveiled in January 2015 at the North American International Auto Show, the Ford GT is an innovative new supercar.

With a 3.5-litre V6 EcoBoost engine, it produces more than 591bhp, and its entire body is crafted from carbon fibre which means it is incredibly light, with high-strength subframes maintain excellent levels of rigidity.

AERODYNAMIC The lightweight body is just one of the treats in store with the Ford GT

Wednesday 28th December 2016

48 n RECRUITMENT

WITH THE

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

Wednesday 28th December 2016

OF TUNBRIDGE WELLS AND TONBRIDGE

RECRUITMENT n

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Wednesday 28th December 2016

50 ■ ARTS & CULTURE

Happy 90th birthday to the world’s most famous bear Winnie the Pooh celebrated his 90th birthday this year and to commemorate AA Milne’s cherished character a new book entitled The Best Bear in All the World has been penned by four famous writers. One of them, children’s author Paul Bright, is from Tunbridge Wells, and here he tells Eileen Leahy how he became involved with the new book that brings one of literature’s beloved and iconic figures back to life again for a new generation of keen readers...

I

N 2012 Paul Bright, author of contemporary childhood tomes including The Bears In The Bed, Crunch Munch Dinosaur Lunch and Quiet! was asked if he would like to contribute to a new collection of Winnie the Pooh stories in order to celebrate 90 years since AA Milne created his beloved bear.

Paul, who also writes poems and regularly contributes to children’s television channels CBeebies and CITV, didn’t have to ponder his response too long when the Milne Estate approached him. He says it was a swift ‘yes’ to being involved in the project as he was such a fan.

“As a child I loved Pooh stories like When We Were Very Young and Now We Are Six. I think the Pooh characters were part of everybody’s childhood then,” he says.

“Much later I read the biography of AA Milne by Ann Thwaite, and realised the extent of his writing, his fame and success as a playwright in the period after the First World War. I think the most remarkable aspect of the Pooh stories is the multilayered humour, which means that the youngest child can enjoy the stories, while an adult finds other levels of amusement in the vocabulary and characterisation.”

Paul is one of four famous writers to have contributed a one-off story to the new book The Best Bear in All the World, which sees Pooh and his pals Tigger, Eeyore and Owl returning to the One Hundred Acre Wood.

The other writers include Brian Sibley, who brought Penguin, one of AA Milne’s forgotten characters, back to life for his story; the author of

The Best Bear in All the World is published by Egmont, priced at £7.99 and available from all good bookshops and online.

the Delilah Darling series of books, Jeanne Willis; and Kate Saunders, the 2015 Costa Children’s Book of the Year winner. The charming illustrations were done by Mark Burgess in the style of original illustrator EH Shepard’s drawings.

“Our brief,” explains Paul “was to write [as best we could] in the style of AA Milne’s original stories. It was rather daunting, but such a tremendous opportunity. I mainly write picture books for younger children, so this was a new area for me.

“The great thing about it was that the characters

and their personalities were already there, and most of the readers would be totally familiar with them so my job was to weave a story around those characters.”

Yet despite this, Paul admits that the project still posed a few challenges for him.

“The biggest was how well I could imitate the style and humour of AA Milne. The Pooh stories seem so simple when you read them, but they are very

‘As a child I loved Pooh stories. I think the Pooh characters are part of everyone’s childhood’ Wednesday 28th December 2016

cleverly written. I read and reread the stories and then jumped in, hoping some of the style had rubbed off on me.”

It clearly worked as Paul’s story is a wonderfully faithful reproduction of AA Milne’s trademark witty writing which ensured Pooh and his pals became such an enduring success.

Paul says this came about due to one key element: “It’s all down to the characters and Milne’s comic writing,” he states. “We can all think of acquaintances we might describe as an Eeyore or an Owl or a Pooh. For some of us Pooh’s hums are also firmly lodged in the memory. How many families will greet the first snowfall of this winter with ‘The more it snows’ followed by a chorus of ‘Tiddely-pom!’?

What does Paul hope readers of the new Winnie the Pooh book will take away with them after reading it?

“Well I’m sure some will say that it is a mistake to mess with classic stories by writing sequels – and I do have a lot of sympathy for that view. But I hope they will enjoy the stories, and maybe search out the original Pooh books on their bookshelves or in the library and reread them, to themselves, or their children and grandchildren.”

Paul admits that after feeling just a tad daunted at the prospect of recreating the magic penned by AA Milne he did actually enjoy the process of getting into character and writing a story for the 90th birthday book.

“It has been tremendous fun, especially when you feel you are getting a flavour of Milne’s style and humour, and the animals start to come alive on the page. Now the book is in print, and so beautifully produced, it’s rather gobsmacking to think that you have become a part of it, if only a Piglet-sized footnote, in the story of Winnie the Pooh.”

ARTS & CULTURE 

MUSICAL YOUTH Talentz cast members

51

WHAT MAKES THIS TALE SUCH A SPECIAL ONE TO DO FOR PANTOMIME? Aladdin is one of Britain’s best loved pantomimes and as Disney’s version is currently showing in the West End we were lucky enough to be treated to a musical theatre workshop before going along to meet the show’s cast and see Aladdin performed in the Prince Edward Theatre.

WHAT WILL AUDIENCES ENJOY MOST ABOUT YOUR ALADDIN? I hope they will see the passion that has gone into creating this wonderful production. With an age range of five to 18-year-old local performers, it has been a great privilege to see a cast of 70-strong, Talentz of all ages, seamlessly working together, doing what they all enjoy – performing.

A cast with this much energy and drive cannot fail to put a smile on your face and leave you excited to see what more Talentz has to offer.

The genius behind the genie

Aladdin is playing at the EM Forster theatre in Tonbridge from January 5-8 2017. Tickets cost from £15 for adults and £12 per child. www.boxoffice.tonbridge-school.co.uk

The Talentz is a youth musical theatre company based in Tunbridge Wells and it is staging a production of Aladdin at the EM Forster theatre in January. The creative director Debbie King tells the Times what will be making their interpretation of this classic pantomime so special CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR THEATRE TROUPE? We offer weekly classes, workshops, West End trips, and also put on full scale musicals, festivals and an annual showcase. We teach all aspects of the performing arts so our pupils, aged five to 18, develop a deeper understanding of the industry.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR APPROACH TO MUSICAL THEATRE? We pride ourselves on having a personal, nurturing, family feel at Talentz and are lucky to have the most amazing local talent involved.

Jack Bennett is our Musical Director and an accomplished, professional musician while Jessica Maple is our dynamic and gifted choreographer and our patron is Jamie Rickers – who is currently starring in Snow White at the Assembly Hall. Jamie often comes into classes and shares his professional expertise and energy.

We also have many guest tutors, who are amazing professional performers and passionate about the performing arts.

WHEN CASTING ROLES, WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR FROM ACTORS? The cast needs to work as a team, so we require skill and a strong personality. Preparation, passion and enthusiasm are also key to a good audition.

HAVE ANY OF YOUR STUDENTS GONE ON TO WORK IN THE INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALLY? Yes, and we have just set up our own agency, so we are looking forward to lots of them getting more professional work in the new year.

WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO PUT ON ALADDIN THIS YEAR? One of our guest tutors, Simon Sladen, who is Senior Curator of Modern and Contemporary Performance at the Victoria and Albert Museum, suggested it. He is also Panto Editor for the British Theatre Guide and has written this particular version of Aladdin for us. He also co-directed the production with me, which has been fabulous. It is so personal for us all and as a result gives the cast a larger sense of pride in performing the show.

Wednesday 28th December 2016

52  WHAT’S ON SEVEN DAYS OF SOCIAL ACTIVITIES AT A GLANCE

WHATS ON WITH THE

Eileen Leahy Local events

>> WEDNESDAY If you’re in need of working off a few extra pounds that you might have gained over the festive period or just fancy getting out of the house and blowing away a few cobwebs then what could be more enjoyable than participating in one of Hever Castle’s Winter Walks? Wrap up warm and explore the glorious grounds of Anne Boleyn’s former home before heading inside and indulging in a hot drink, tasty treat and a sit by the roaring fire. Open from 10.30am to 3pm tickets cost £13.10 per adult or £8.10 for children aged under 16. Family tickets for two adults, two children cost £35.90. www. hevercastle.co.uk If you haven’t managed to catch it at the cinema then Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, is showing today and tomorrow courtesy of the Moonlight Drive In Cinema at the Hop Farm. Screening times are at 6.30pm and 9.45pm. Tickets are priced at £25 per vehicle. >> THURSDAY Every day until January 2 there will be a Mince Pie Special on the Spa Valley Railway. Children only pay £1 to travel on the diesel and steam ended

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

January 2. Starring Ricky Norwood from EastEnders and 90s pop trio Cleopatra it’s a hugely enjoyable traditional panto with lots of great gags, fantastic sets and there’s even a live band – oh yes there is!

Tickets cost £25 and can be booked at www. stagsevenoaks.co.uk.

BY ROYAL APPOINTMENT Hever Castle

trains that chug up and down between Tunbridge Wells West and Eridge, where you’ll have the opportunity to see Santa’s sleigh just days after his busy gift-giving tour and enjoy locally made mince pies whilst on board. For more information

visit www.spavalleyrailway.co.uk Tis the season of the pantomime so if you’ve already seen the local offerings then why not head over to Sevenoaks where Sleeping Beauty is showing at the Stag Theatre every day until

>> FRIDAY If you haven’t been to see the Grunts and Grapples exhibition at the Tunbridge Wells museum then you only have two more weeks to catch it. Curated by historian Kerry Purcell it’s a nostalgic look at the bygone era of wrestling when names like Big Daddy and Giant Haystacks were hugely famous courtesy of their teatime tussles on prime time Saturday night TV. There’s also lots of original costumes, photographs and memorabilia on display. Entrance is free to this exhibition which runs from Tuesday to Saturday until January 14.

There’s still time to catch the St John’s Christmas Window Wonderland extravaganza which runs until January 3. The aim of the project is to showcase the area’s vibrant independent OH DEER! businesses and Follow encourage festive Knole’s trail shoppers to browse and buy from them.

New Year’s Eve What’s On Special Going out on December 31? Then let the Times be your guide to the best places to see in 2017 VIP DINING

One Warwick Park – Tunbridge Wells’ latest luxury hotel offering is going all out to make December 31st 2016 one to remember. It’s offering a New Year’s Eve tasting menu with champagne, which includes one night’s accommodation, – brunch and a late checkout the next day. Prices are from £320 which is based on two people sharing a club room.

The Spa Hotel – There’s nothing like getting all dressed up in your finery to celebrate the end of a year and the beginning of a new one.

The Spa’s annual black tie gala dinner allows guests to do just that so no wonder it’s enormously popular. Kicking off at 7pm the £120 per person price tag includes a delicious six course meal, dancing and a glass of

Wednesday 28th December 2016

Champagne at the stroke of midnight.

The Mercure – The Pembury-based hotel is hosting a Carnival Gala Ball this evening. Guests will be greeted on arrival at 7pm with a Kir Royale – but if you are really ready to party then there will be special drinks offers in the bar between 5 and 7pm. Dinner will be served at 7.45pm with dancing until 1am courtesy of a disco. Dress code is simply ‘dress to impress’ and no under 16s will be permitted. Tickets cost £85 per adult or you can pay £130 and stay the night. For those wanting to keep the party going they can stay two nights for £175 per person.

Hotel du Vin – Dining in the sumptuous surroundings of the Hotel du Vin is always an enjoyable experience but at New Year it’s even more so. This year guests can indulge in a four

course dinner in the elegant bistro during the lead up to the clocks striking twelve. Once the New Year is welcomed in glasses of Champagne will be offered with live music and fireworks providing the celebratory entertainment. Dress code is black tie and tickets cost £149 per person.

BEST BARS

Woods – one of The Pantiles’ most popular spots will be open from 6.30pm in order to accommodate all those heading down to the Hug-Many celebrations. Although they won’t be serving food they’ll have all three of their bars open. www.woodsrestaurant.co.uk Saint John’s Yard – There will be a free ticketed party happening in this busy bar from 8pm until

WHAT’S ON 

53

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

>> SUNDAY Shake off the excesses of yesterday’s celebrations by going for a bracing walk in the country. There’s plenty of enjoyable free roaming routes to choose from in our area but if you want something more organised then have a look at the variety on offer at the National Trust properties including Scotney and Bodiam Castles, Sissinghurst and Ightham Mote. For more information visit www. nationaltrust.org.uk Every day until January 2 there will be a Christmas deer trail to follow around Knole Park in Sevenoaks. If you’re in need of some fresh air or want to blow away the cobwebs from yesterday then today is the perfect time to visit it. Booking is not needed. www. nationaltrust.org.uk/knole-park Trinity theatre is offering a seasonal antidote to a traditional pantomime courtesy of its production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella. Running until January 2 it features a talented cast, mesmerising sets and a live orchestra. Tickets are priced at £20. To book visit www.trinitytheatre.net >> MONDAY If you haven’t seen it yet then you’ve

just got two more days to catch the last couple of days of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs pantomime at the Assembly Hall. On until January 2 it’s been a huge hit with audiences. Hi-deHi’s Su Pollard heads up the comedy cast, playing the Wicked Witch who is determined to bump off Snow White as she claims her spot as the ‘fairest of them all’. Oh no she didn’t, oh yes she did… Tickets cost £18 and are available from www.assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk >> TUESDAY As we head into 2017 a lot of the seasonal events are coming to a close.

Today’s the final day to visit the hugely popular pop-up ice rink in Calverley Grounds. Ticket prices start at £10.50 for adults and £7 for children. To book visit www.tunbridgewellsatchristmas. com Over at Emmetts Garden near Ide Hill it’s the last time visitors can participate in the Elf Trail Children can forage around the frosty grounds for hidden treasures including gifts for good girls and boys. Entrance to the trail costs £1 per child, in addition to the usual entrance fee. For further information visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk/ emmetts-garden

In the lead up to New Year’s Eve there are plenty of great opportunities to catch some fabulous live music across the local area.

My top pick for New Year’s Eve is the Hug-Many event on The Pantiles. This supports two local charities: Pickering Cancer Drop-in Centre and

ellenor. Hug-Many is family-friendly, open to all and features live music from Blues Brothers Little Brother, Jokin’ Apart and local singer Charlotte Bartholomew. A donation of £10 per adult on the night is suggested.

The Forum are hosting the Local & Live Christmas Party on Friday

The Blues Brothers little Brother

December 30 which features some superb local bands: Riff Raff, Sarah Tonin, The Floodgates, Higgs and the Bosons’ Alex Metcalfe. On New Year’s Eve you can dance the night away courtesy of the venue’s Boogie Nights spectacular.

For a rockin’ alternative party The Sussex Arms is hosting The Incredible Bert and you can catch the foot stomping sounds of The Orange Circus Band at The George.

The Grey Lady has a busy programme all week so look out for local groups Lights On The Mountain and The Alamo on December 28 and Noble Jacks on December 29. The superb Violet Jive will be performing on New Year’s Eve and booking is advised.

There’s also a great double headline show on January 3 with Youth and Dull Knife performing.

Other fantastic options for New Year’s Eve include live music from Emily Duo at The Beau Nash, The Harveys at The Royal Oak and Cover Up at The Black Horse Pub and a great DJ set from The Underground Originals at Cassidy’s Bar.

THE TUNBRIDGE WELLS FORUM

THE SUSSEX ARMS

THE BEAU NASH INN

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

Sussex Mews (nr The Pantiles), Open all day, free entry, music from 9.30pm till late

Mount Ephraim, Open all day, free entry, music from 8.30pm till late

SATURDAY The Incredible Bert

FRIDAY Soul Night SATURDAY Emily Duo

FRIDAY Local & Live Christmas Party: Riff Raff, Sarah Tonin, The Floodgates, Higgs and the Bosons’ Alex Metcalfe SATURDAY Boogie Nights: New Year’s Eve THE GREY LADY MUSIC LOUNGE

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

WEDNESDAY Natalia Gonzalez, Declan Foster, Lights On The Mountain, The Alamo THURSDAY Bella McKendree, Simon Crabb, Jack Burns and Noble Jacks SATURDAY New Year’s Eve Party: The Violet Jive TUESDAY Ed Jones, Dull Knife, Youth

THE CROSS KEYS

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

WEDNESDAY Sonny’s Jazz: Refer to venue website above MONDAY TWURPS Ukulele beginners Session

CASSIDY’S BAR

Castle Street, Open all day, free entry music from 8.30pm till late

SATURDAY The Underground Originals £5.00 per ticket TONBRIDGE FOLK CLUB

THE ROYAL OAK

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

SATURDAY The Harveys MONDAY Open Mic Night THE BLACK HORSE PUB

Camden Road, Open all day, free entry, music from 8.30pm till late

SATURDAY Cover Up

Ye Olde Chequers Inn, 122 High Street, Tonbridge. Free entry music 8-11pm Hat collection (£7 recommended). Full details at www.tonbridgefolkclub.org

SATURDAY Chris Harrison THE PUNCH & JUDY

11 St Stephen’s St, Tonbridge. Open all day, free entry, music from 8.30pm

TUESDAY The Steve Eggs Band

THE PANTILES

1am. The venue has hosted a number of New Year’s Eve events in the past and they are always very popular so make sure you reserve your ticket so you can dance into the early hours of 2017.

Sankey’s – The town’s trio of eponymously named bars and eateries will be doing brisk business on December 31. In Sankey’s Pantiles seafood restaurant there will also be a pop-up bar serving mulled wine and cider while in their Mount Ephraim premises there will be an end of year celebration party.

The Sussex Arms – This historic

pub will be open as part of the Hug-Many celebrations on The Pantiles they will also be hosting a set of live music from The Incredible Bert and be open until 2am.

The Ragged Trousers – The Sussex’s sister bar and bistro will also be participating in the HugMany celebrations until 1am.

The George – At this recently refurbished pub, located on Mount Ephraim, there will be a New Year’s Eve Hoedown with live music from The Orange Circus Band. And revellers can enjoy all the fun of December 31st until 2am.

The Annual New Year’s Hug-Many, The Pantiles from 7.00 pm - 12.30

am, SATURDAY Bandstand, Live music from Blues Brothers Little Brother and Jokin’ Apart THE GEORGE

Mount Ephraim, Open all day, free entry, music from 9.30pm

SATURDAY The Orange Circus Band

Wednesday 28th December 2016

54  SPORTING TIMES

CONTACT US:

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

Golden memories and bright futures HOCKEY:

HUDDLE CUDDLE Crista Cullen proves a big hit with the young hockey hopefuls

By Andrew Tong THE BEST of the old year met tomorrow’s stars at Kent College before Christmas when one of Team GB’s gold medal winning hockey players came to Pembury.

Crista Cullen, a member of the unbeaten squad who triumphed at the Rio Olympics last summer, came to the independent girls’ school to open the Astro Pitch facility.

She met Georgia Whitaker, a year 11 student and Tunbridge Wells Hockey Club player who has been recently selected for the England Under-16s training squad.

The GB team won gold for the first time in August, beating the Netherlands in the final after a dramatic penalty shootout.

Susannah Townsend, who grew up in Sevenoaks, was part of the triumphant side and was at Sutton Valence School with Ashley Jackson of the GB men’s team, while Sophie Bray and Laura Unsworth both play for East Grinstead.

The team narrowly missed out on the BBC Sports Personality Team of the Year award after being pipped GOLD STANDARD by the Premier Georgia Whitaker (left) sizes up League the Olympic medal with Crista and champions Headmistress Julie Lodrick Leicester City.

Plaudits keep rolling in for golden boy PARALYMPIC gold medallist Will Bayley has won a top award from the Sports Journalist Association (SJA). The 25-year-old table tennis player from Groombridge was a recipient of the Bill McGowran Trophy for excellence in disability sport.

Will’s gold came in the Class 7 – he achieved

Wednesday 28th December 2016

One of the best defenders in the world, Crista retired after the London Games, where the team won bronze, but made a comeback two years ago.

Having learned the game while growing up in Kenya, she has earned 185 international caps and scored 56 goals for England and Great Britain.

The 31-year-old led a coaching session for the school’s senior players and then spoke about her journey to the London and Rio Olympics.

Headmistress Julie Lodrick said: “I am delighted Crista Cullen visited us to open our new pitch and our girls have had the opportunity to train with one of the country’s leading sportswomen.

“At Kent College, we provide our girls with personalised training and development to help them become the best sportswomen they can be.”

The player-coach of the Tunbridge Wells Men’s 1st XI, Ben Allberry, who teaches PE at the school, will now be in charge of the school’s hockey teams.

Director of Sport Sam Clark said: “The new pitch and the recent appointment of Mr Allberry as Head of Hockey is a very clear indication that signals our

intent to become a leading hockey school.

“We now have the facility to allow all our girls to experience hockey as it should be played and I am confident that we will see more girls following in the footsteps of Georgia Whitaker and her England achievements.”

SHOT AT GLORY: Christa Cullen passes on expert advice to Francesca Reali of the Lower Sixth

notoriety for jumping up on the table to celebrate and then hugging the judge who gave him a yellow card. He also won a silver at London 2012.

He rose to prominence at the English Institute of Sport having joined Byng Hall Table Tennis Club in Tunbridge Wells at the age of 12.

Exuberant The award was introduced in 1963 and the SJA has been a pioneer in highlighting Paralympic sports for more than 50 years.

He was presented with the award by Britain’s most decorated female Olympian, the rower Katherine Grainger CBE, at a ceremony at the Pavilion in London.

RECOGNITION (L-R) Will Bayley with Katherine Grainger and Kadeena Cox

Kadeena Cox, who won gold in both cycling and athletics at the Rio Games, was the female recipient of this year’s award.

Dr Grainger said: “Will made a massive impression on the nation when he was beaten in the final at the London Paralympics.

“That reputation for producing extraordinary performances was only enhanced in Rio, when his gold medal was followed by a yellow card for his overexuberant celebration.

“He said, ‘It was the adrenalin that helped me jump. A couple of seconds later I thought ‘this is stupid but I’ve got to blag it and put my hands in the air’.”