The Times of Tunbridge Wells 26th April 2023

Town plans right royal party for the Coronation

By Sharon Bruce

IN AN unprecedented show of unity, the Borough of Royal Tunbridge Wells has come together to produce a weekend of festivities to celebrate the Coronation of King Charles III, from May 6-8. Promising “a weekend of fun and celebration”, RTW Together BID, Visit Tunbridge Wells, The Pantiles, The Amelia Scott, Royal Victoria Place, King Charles the Martyr church and Tunbridge Wells Borough Council (TWBC) will be putting together a range of gatherings and activities that will not only offer a boost to the businesses of the town, but bring residents together to

As one of only four towns in the UK to be granted the ‘Royal’ prefix, it seems only fitting that Tunbridge Wells celebrate the King’s Coronation in style

foster community spirit.

On Saturday May 6, his Majesty the King will be crowned in a ceremony at 11am, and as one of only four towns in the United Kingdom to have been granted the ‘Royal’ prefix, it seems only fitting that Tunbridge Wells is going all

out to honour its rich heritage.

TW Together BID, on behalf of the levy-paying businesses of Tunbridge Wells, have collaborated with Visit Tunbridge Wells and the tourist attractions within the town centre to launch ‘A Right Royal Weekend’ for the King’s Coronation. On the Saturday, there will be almost 30 free activities on offer in which the public can take part. These include live shows; street performances; royal character meet-and -greets; selfie backdrops; art and crafts; a range of children’s activities, and two large screens on which to watch the

Continued on page 3

INSIDE: County Council admits traffic ban signs are faulty – Page 4

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Royal party plans revealed

Continued from front page

Coronation. In addition, a series of special events are being hosted across the weekend on The Pantiles, at the Assembly Hall Theatre and The Amelia Scott.

Alex Green, CEO of the BID said:

“We have installed more than 50 flags, 140 Coronation plaques and over 3km of bunting across the town centre.

“In addition, we have created a full programme of free, family-friendly activities for residents and tourists to enjoy throughout the day, centred around watching the Coronation on screens in Calverley Park, The Pantiles and at King Charles the Martyr Church Hall.

“It’s been great to work together for the town in partnership, to ensure there really is something for everyone.”

“We are so excited to see the town bursting with life and activity as we celebrate this auspicious day together. We hope that people will share their experiences from the day @officialvisittunbridgewells.”

Activities in the town centre will stretch from Market Square on Camden Road through the Royal Victoria Place Shopping Centre and Calverley Road, to The Amelia Scott, down Civic Way, to Calverley Grounds, along the High Street and Castle Street, through Chapel Place, and all the way to The Pantiles.

A full breakdown of locations and times of the events is available on the Coronation Map (printed on pages 20-21).

In and about town

At Royal Victoria Shopping Centre you can enjoy a royal show, a royal selfie station and themed face painting. Just outside the centre, Tunbridge Wells’ very own royalty will be brought to you by Once Upon a Wish Events, as well as a King Charles speed painting challenge. Look out for the spectacle of ‘Best of British Stilts’, dressed for the occasion in red, white and blue.

The Amelia team have organised a fun-filled day of drop-in family activities – dress like royalty and make your own crown to wear. Get creative with paint-your-own Coronation

souvenirs, create your own personalised clay stamp to commemorate the day, or follow the Coronation trail and discover lost royal objects from The Amelia’s collection.

Big-screen viewing

The coronation procession and ceremony will be shown on large screens at Calverley Grounds, where traditional garden games, such as giant Jenga, will be taking place. The public will even have a chance to try their hand at some circus workshop skills.

The ceremony will also be broadcast from The Pantiles bandstand and in the Church Hall of King Charles the Martyr, where craft activities will also take place.

Further celebrations will take place up and down Mount Pleasant, the High Street and Chapel Place. Spot costumed characters, enjoy selfie station stops and musical entertainment around town. The official ceremony will take place at 11am, and at 1:30pm, the Coronation of King Charles III will be announced by a special declaration from the Town Crier and Deputy Mayor. This will be followed by the singing of God Save the King.

In celebration, Local & Live will be playing music from The Amelia courtyard and in the Upper Atrium, while Fine Grind will be

offering a special afternoon tea deal where y ou can indulge in a selection of teas, sandwiches, scones, and cakes in the beautiful courtyard.

Visit the bustling Pantiles market and stroll through the local food and artisan stands. The Coronation ceremony will be displayed on the bandstand, along with a set of children’s activities and a Royal selfie station. Don’t miss this exclusive display of the King’s Bronze in the Beumee Gallery. For details and tickets visit: beumee.com

The map of Coronation happenings can be cut out of the ToTW this week, collected from local shops and visitor attractions or downloaded from: visittunbridgewells.com/ seasonal/coronation-weekend/

Enjoy jazz, swing and tea

On Monday May 8, from 3pm-5pm, the Assembly Hall Theatre is being turned backinto a dance hall for a special Coronation Tea Dance.

Be transported back in time to hear music ranging from the roaring 20s to the Wartime 40s and the swinging 60s.

Get your toes tapping to the sounds of timeless classics.

So put on your dancing shoes, or simply take a seat and enjoy the show with scones and tea, or maybe a bit of bubbly.

Featuring The Postmodern Jazz Cats, the trio will transport you across the eras. Dressing up is encouraged but not required.

There will also be opportunities to participate in a quick lesson with Lindy Hop dancers.

ROYAL CRAFTS: Get creative for the Coronation

REGAL COOL: The Postmodern Jazz Cats

Indulge in fine Coronation afternoon tea parties

ONE WARWICK PARK, the town’s iconic four-star boutique hotel is adorning its walls with red, white and blue flags and inviting guests to raise a toast to the King at its luxury lounge bar. Party hampers and free bubbles will also be on offer from May 1-8.

For the Coronation, One Warwick Park’s bar will feature a special, royal-themed cocktail list that has been specially designed to honour King Charles III. At only £12 each, sip on your choice from the host of flavourful creations, while enjoying the beautiful Art Deco surroundings.

Champagne afternoon tea at One Warwick Park

Thursday May 4-Monday May 8

Handcrafted by the hotel’s culinary team, kick off the Coronation celebrations with a

quintessentially British afternoon tea – with a twist. Served in the glass atrium, expect an irresistible assortment of treats including delicate finger sandwiches, freshly-baked scones and homemade cakes and pastries, perfectly accompanied by a glass of Champagne. Bookings can be made on OpenTable for £39.50pp.

Royal Afternoon tea parties at Salomons Estate

Sunday May 7 and Monday May 8

Salomons Estate in Tunbridge Wells will be hosting Royal Afternoon Tea Parties to celebrate the Coronation, with a menu that pays tribute to the King’s favourite dishes and those served at his very own wedding. Families looking to rejoice in the occasion can head to the 36-acre country house and indulge in sweet treats and savoury delights hand-crafted by the estate’s talented pastry team.

Adult bookings cost £28.50 and include a glass of Pimm’s. There’s a special menu for little ones, plus crown crafts and royal garden games to keep them entertained. This costs £18.50.

Upon arrival, guests will be greeted by the sight of far-reaching views of the beautifully manicured grounds, as they enjoy the quintessentially British tradition in the conservatory, setting the stage for an unforgettable day.

Adults can sit back with a glass of Pimm’s and indulge in three tiers of treats from an exquisite menu that celebrates the very best of King Charles III with fabulous cakes and sandwiches worthy of the occasion.

The afternoon will start with a savoury selection of delicate cucumber and mint cream cheese sandwiches, salmon mousse topped with smoked salmon and dill crème fraiche on granary bread and coronation chicken bridge rolls.

Then, guests can dive into delicious pheasant, bacon and sausage rolls with a parmesan crust

NEWS IN BRIEF

Len Goodman passes away in TW hospice

BELOVED former Strictly Come

Dancing head judge Len Goodman, 78, passed away from bone cancer at a Tunbridge Wells hospice on Saturday night (22 March).

Mr Goodman, who lived in Igtham, retired from television six months ago and would have celebrated his 79th birthday yesterday (April 25). He also ran The Goodman Dance Academy in Dartford.

Grants for events and attractions

INCREASED funding for events, markets, attractions and activities to bring people into town are available from the Business Improvement District (BID).

The grants of up to £5,000 toward events, and up to £3,000 toward the budget of attractions or street markets, will help increase footfall as well as “reminding and encouraging people to come to the town across the rest of the year,” said Alex Green, CEO of BID.

The new funding stream will support existing and potential cultural and tourist attractions to invest in upgrades and improve the town’s attractiveness.

Grants are match-funded, which means that projects must also be able to attract other investment.

The deadline for event grants and market support is May 1, while attractions have until June 5 to apply, at: tinyurl.com/RTWBID.

– a recipe inspired by the King’s favourite dish. There will also be smoked cheddar cheese straws with spiced tomato chutney, home-baked scones served with clotted cream and preserve, and a sweet selection of desserts.

Expect lemon posset, raspberries with chocolate meringue and a strawberry and cream layered sponge which pays tribute to the strawberries and cream served at King Charles’ wedding.

Children will also enjoy a selection of their favourite afternoon treats, such as ham and cheese sandwiches, sausage rolls, strawberry jelly and cream and royal cupcakes before moving on to an afternoon of fun and games. There will be crown crafts, biscuit decorating, croquet on the lawn, and a royal-themed treasure hunt. Reservations can be made on OpenTable, or by emailing the reception team at reception@ salomons-estate.com

Chaos for GCSE and A Level exams in latest teacher strike

By Lilly Croucher

THOUSANDS of students who are about to sit their final exams are expected to be impacted by the teacher strikes this week. Nurses at Tunbridge Wells Hospital, however, remain at work.

Teachers at schools across Tunbridge Wells will be walking out of the classrooms tomorrow, April 27, and again on May 2 in a dispute over pay and conditions.

It is estimated that about 7,000 pupils will be affected across the Borough, including those about to sit their GCSE and A Level examinations.

The National Education Union (NEU) says it recognises that it is appropriate to seek arrangements with head teachers that allow exam-year students, Years 11 to 13, to attend schools on strike days for revision activities and exam practice.

Arrangements

Some schools have started making arrangements for the strikes, with St Gregory’s School remaining open for Years 10, 11, 12 and 13.

The strikes follow the unprecedented rejection of the Government’s pay offer of a £1,000 one-off-payment and a 4.5 per cent pay rise next year, with almost 200,000 union members voting 98 per cent in opposition to the offer, the largest opposition in the Union’s history.

The Union has been asking for a fully-funded above inflation pay rise that does not come from the school’s budget.

Nick Childs, South East Senior Regional Officer said: “The Government’s ongoing failure to listen to educators about the damage that underfunding of schools and real-term pay cuts to teachers is

inflicting on education provision is deeply disappointing.

“To suggest a 4.3 per cent unfunded increase is acceptable when inflation is over 10 per cent and school funding is in crisis is insulting to our members and would force schools to make further damaging cuts to the education provision that we seek to protect.

“The Government still has time to avoid more damaging strikes, to ensure teachers are fairly paid, and to address the crisis in teacher recruitment and retention.

“We deeply regret the disruption caused to parents, but we cannot stand by while such damage is being inflicted on our schools and the profession. We have agreed to work with heads and employers to permit exam classes for Year 11 and 13 to go ahead on strike days to avoid further disruption to these cohorts.”

Rallies will be held across the South East, with a march planned for May 2 at 10.15am in Calverley Grounds.

As well as affecting exam year students, primary school pupils will also be significantly impacted

by the strikes, while one school will be offering a ‘wild’ alternative to the school day giving support to families during the strikes.

Ambleford Farm in Tunbridge Wells is giving local families the chance to ‘swap’ the conventional classroom for forest school, where children will learn den-building, fire-lighting and wildlife-spotting as well as games and storytelling.

The farm offers regular term-time sessions and sees the impending strike days as an opportunity for children to embrace nature and the outdoors.

Tiffany Morris , a parent of two children in Tunbridge Wells schools, said: “The strikes have been a source of stress for us, and we were worried about how we would manage with both parents working full-time.

As teachers join the picket line once again, nurses from Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust (MTW) will continue to work, after members at MTW voted ‘no’ to the industrial action called by the Royal College of Nurses (RCN) from April 30 to May 2.

OUT AGAIN: Teachers at TWGGS on strike last month

County Council admits traffic ban signs are faulty

Exclusive: By Lilly Croucher

CONTROVERSIAL traffic signs on the Mount Pleasant Road bus lane have been found to be non-compliant with regulations as Kent County Council (KCC) have confirmed the ‘fault with our signage’. Meanwhile, questions remain about the scheme’s safety for pedestrians and issues with warning letters.

According to the ‘Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016’ legislation, the road sign featuring the blue circle with the image of the bus, bicycle and word ‘taxi’ has been used with the incorrect wording underneath.

Last week, April 19, in the Times report on the confusion around the signs on Mount Pleasant Road, Tunbridge Wells Borough Council (TWBC) commented: “The signage at and approaching the restriction complies with the Department for Transport guidance.”

Regulations

However, Transport and Traffic Engineer, Chris Veasey told the Times: “The legend ‘Except for Access’ is not authorised to be used with that particular traffic sign – only with the likes of vehicle weight or width prohibitions.”

Where the sign currently reads ‘Except for Access’ it should read, ‘And Authorised Vehicles’ according to strict government regulations for the blue bus, bicycle, and taxi symbol.

On how this could have happened, Mr Veasey, from the Kent-based traffic planning company John Elliot Consultancy, said: “My guess is that somebody just didn’t check the regulations properly and got it wrong, which is not unusual.”

KCC, the authority responsible for all road signage in the town, told the Times: “We are aware of the fault with our signage and have raised this with our contractor to correct. “Despite these concerns, we believe signage in the area is sufficient enough to warn people in advance of arriving in the area.”

According to the TWBC website: ‘Except for access’ means that apart from public buses and taxis/private hire vehicles, only the following have an exemption to enter the bus gate restriction: “Goods delivery vehicles picking up or delivering to premises within the restriction [and] vehicles belonging to residents in the restriction, and their guests and visitors.”

Nathan Acheson, a Civil Engineering student, whose family live in Tunbridge Wells, also

noticed the current faulty signage and explained how the pre-2021 ‘No Motor Cars or Motorcycles’ signs with ‘Except for Access’ legends were in line with the regulations but the current signs are not.

On whether those with a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) can contest their fines on the current

signage being incorrect, the Traffic Penalty Tribunal told the Times: “As part of their appeal, motorists can raise concerns with the validity of signs or restrictions that are relevant to their penalty.

“The local authority should also consider these concerns at the earlier stages of the appeals process.”

In 2021, a man won his appeal against his PCN, for driving through the restricted bus lane, after an adjudicator ruled that the signs were not “sufficiently visible and legible” enough and were hard to see for motorists.

Following the ruling, the signs were changed to the current incorrect road signs, which is estimated to have cost “tens of thousands of pounds” on top of the £1.3million construction project to make the area more pedestrianfriendly.

“After the signs were found to be not clear enough by the notice appeal, the Council spent tens of thousands of pounds on changing the signs, but I think people are less aware of the restrictions than before,” Cllr Nicholas Pope (Alliance) Park Ward, told the Times

The Councillor explained how the restriction signage on York Road could be confusing, with the left turn using the red ‘no motor vehicles or motor cycles’ sign and the right turn using the incorrect blue bus, bicycle and taxi sign.

On their website, TWBC said the initiative “supports sustainable transport and reduces air and noise pollution in the town. It also makes the town safer for pedestrians and more attractive to shoppers and other visitors.”

When approached for additional comment, a spokesperson for TWBC told the Times: “Since its reimplementation earlier this year, the number

[of motor vehicles] has reduced by a further two-thirds.

“The bus gate is intended to promote the use of more sustainable transport, including bus travel, walking, and cycling, and to improve pedestrian safety.

“Informal surveys by the Town Forum show no significant change in vehicle numbers using Dudley, Newton and York Roads since the restrictions were implemented.”

However, Cllr Pope said: “The project was a nice idea, but after its compromises, it doesn’t seem to have worked and it is considerably more dangerous for pedestrians.

“Whilst it is safer that there are less vehicles on the road, the removal of the traffic island on Monson Road means its more dangerous for pedestrians, especially now that the restrictions mean you can’t turn right on Monson Road, and you have to do a U-turn.

“I think it is a combination of people being used to driving through the restrictions and the fact the area doesn’t look restricted. I think more thought should have gone into the road design.”

Further to the story on April 19, TWBC (the source of all figures published by the Times) added that when it came to the income generated, some penalties could be cancelled through the appeals process, or if an offender passed through the restriction twice or more in one day, and that others may pay a discounted rate.

HAVE YOU RECEIVED A WARNING NOTICE?

ACCORDING to TWBC, between February 20 and April 1, the Council issued out 18,000 warning notices to make drivers aware that further contravention of the restrictions could result in a £70 penalty notice.

However, residents have reported varying experiences, with one motorist telling the Times that they received a warning letter last week for an offence that happened over seven weeks ago.

Meanwhile, James Legon from Dream Doors, Tunbridge Wells, told the Times how he has been receiving warning letters from the Council after driving through the restricted bus lane once in late March.

“I think I’ve had about 10 notices now all for the same offence. I think it is an utter waste of money by the Council,” he said.

In response to these issues, a spokesperson for TWBC told the Times: “We endeavour to send out notices within a week. Sometimes it can take a little longer as we first have to get the vehicle keeper details from the DVLA.

“We experienced an isolated software problem which resulted in a small number of letters being generated twice.”

COUNTER VIEW with

K

Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme: HMRC will reimburse 80% of wages paid to workers who have be laid off due to the coronavirus crisis. This is capped at £2.5k per employee per month.

The 22/23 tax year finished on 5 April 2023. If you are a sole trader or partnership (including LLPs) your trading income for that year will be based on your accounting period that ended in the year. This method of taxing profits from trades is known as the ‘basis period’, and taxes profits on the accounts ending with your usual accounting date. This is changing with effect from the tax year 2024/25 to a ‘tax year basis’, so that a business’s profit or loss for a tax year is the profit or loss arising in the tax year itself (6 April xx to 5 April xx), regardless of its accounting date.

profit from the end of the aforementioned 12 month period to 5 April 2024.

In place of the usual Q&A, the following are some of the support packages that have been made available to help businesses deal with the Coronavirus:

Cash Grants: A grant of £10k will automatically be provided to all businesses currently entitled to Small Business Rates Relief. A grant of £25k can be claimed for businesses in the retail, hospitality or leisure industry if their rateable value is between £15k and £51K.

• The rest of the transitional part will be added evenly over the tax years 24/25 to 27/28, at 20% per year.

• If you have any overlap profits (profits that were taxed twice when you started to trade), these are deducted from the transitional part.

If you already have a year end of 31 March or 5 April, you will not see any difference. If not, there will be a transition year in 2023/24 where the basis periods are aligned. In straightforward cases, the profit to be assessed in the transitional year will be:

VAT Deferral: The deferral will apply from 20 March to 30 June 2020. There is a lack of clarity on the Gov. uk website and we are interpreting this as payments due by 30 June rather than quarters ended 30 June. This means that May quarter VAT Returns, where payment is due by 7 July, will still be payable as normal. Any payments deferred will become payable by the end of the tax year (31/3/21 Company or 5/4/21 Unincorporated)

Income Tax Deferral: The self-assessment second payment on account, due by 31 July 2020, will be deferred to 31 January 2021. No penalties or interest will be charged.

• The ‘standard part’ – the profit for the 12 months commencing when your previous accounting period ended - Plus 20% of the ‘transitional part’, which is the

Business Rates Holiday: There is a 12-month business rates holiday (April 20 to March 21) for all retail, hospitality and leisure businesses in England.

• It gets a little more complicated if losses are incurred rather than profits.

For the tax year 24/25, your profits will need to be pro-rated so that you are taxed on profits arising in the year 6/4/24 to 5/4/25. Rather than have profits pro-rated from 2 different accounting years, it is possible to change your year end to either 31 March or 5 April. This will then allow the accounting period to align with the tax year.

Time to Pay Arrangements: In addition to the deferral schemes noted above, if you have outstanding tax liabilities (Corporation Tax, VAT or Income Tax) due to coronavirus, you may be able to agree a time to pay arrangement. Arrangements will be agreed on a case by case basis. To discuss your options, contact HMRC on 0800 0159 559.

Further info and updates can be found here: https:// www.synergee.org.uk/press-releases/coronavirus-update

SIGNS OF THE TIMES: The incorrect signage (left) and the correct signs from 2021

‘After the signs were found to be not clear enough by the notice appeal, the Council spent tens of thousands of pounds on changing the signs’

Building on history

Service just next door.

As seen in the black-and-white street photograph submitted with the Laura Ashley’s planning application, 61 Calverley Road was a grim and closed-up building, and there was no sign of today’s trees, ‘period’ street railings and fresh façades.

Laura Ashley may have begun the renaissance of the building, sprucing it up and installing plate glass windows, but the retailer fell into administration during the pandemic.

The shop reopened after lockdown in June 2020, only to hold a closing down sale, and the building was put back on the market. It has since remained empty for three years.

Restored

By Sarah Carter

A GRADE II-listed building in the centre of Tunbridge Wells is to be given new life as part of a regeneration in the upper part of town.

Local architects Beau Property have taken on the Regency terraced building at 61 Calverley Road, promising a “sensitive” redesign.

Although the block between 57 and 79 Calverley Road is part of Decimus Burton’s largely residential ‘Calverley New Town’, and was Grade II listed in the 1970s, the street was not always treated as a prestige address.

In fact, when Laura Ashley filed for planning permission and listed building consent in 1982, the retailer was taking over from a meat wholesaler, with the Army Careers Information

Now acquired by Beau Property, the building is set to be restored and brought back to use, with commercial space on the ground and basement levels and residential space in the upper floors. Director Chris Hammond said: “We had been interested in acquiring the building for 18 months and, during this time, from our first offer, to completing the acquisition, the top quarter of Tunbridge Wells has seen a hive of new activity and buzz – with the (Retirement Villages Group) cinema site now getting going, the success of The Amelia and the much-anticipated Decimus Burton Museum.

“It’s a good time to be joining the refreshed story in this part of Tunbridge Wells, which together will benefit the whole town centre in terms of look, culture and experience.”

He added: “We are proud to be continuing the restoration of the building back to its original heritage from the Regency era, moving forwards the work started by Laura Ashley externally during its tenancy, retaining key features together with designing for a new period in the future.

“There are no heritage elements left inside the building, unfortunately, and it is part of our plan to work to add some features back in line with the original residential use of the building.”

‘Green’ grants offer businesses up to £8,000

BUSINESSES in Tonbridge & Malling focused on climate change mitigation, or even just trying to reduce their own carbon footprint, can now apply for green business grants of up to £8,000.

Partly funded by the central government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund, Section A grants of up to £8,000 are available to ‘green’ businesses in Tonbridge & Malling.

Investment

These can fund up to 40 per cent of investment by such climate change-focused companies to drum up more business.

Other companies and organisations – even sports clubs – can apply for Section B grants of up to £5,000 to cover as much as 40 per cent of the cost of reducing carbon emissions from their premises.

Past successful grant applications have partpaid for installation of more energy-efficient lighting, or planting trees to provide shade, thereby reducing cooling costs.

Applications close on May 31. For further details and to apply visit: tmbc.gov.uk/business/ apply-green-business-grant

HUNGRY FOR A NEW JOB? JOIN OUR AWARD WINNING TEAM

Elite Leisure Collection is an award-winning independent group of local companies operating across the hospitality, leisure and media sectors. Founded in 2008, we always aim to recruit, train, develop and support our team to consistently deliver a high level of quality and service. Following a probationary period, by joining our team, you’ll enjoy free gym membership, contributory pension, Healthshield, reward incentives and staff perks along with a competitive salary. Due to continued growth and internal advancements, we are now recruiting for the following roles across our venues in Tunbridge Wells:

• Sous Chef - £32,000 p.a.

• Housekeeper - £9.50 p.h. - £11 p.h.

• Food & Beverage Manager - £28,000 p.a.

• Trainee Operations Manager - £24,000 p.a.

• Seasonal Aqua Park Staff - Up to £8.50 p.h.

• Night Manager - £27,500 p.a.

• Restaurant Staff - £11 p.h. - £12 p.h.

dependant on experience

To apply, please send your CV and cover letter to:

emma.martin@salomons-estate.com

61 CALVERLEY ROAD TODAY (ABOVE) AND IN 1982 (BELOW)

Picture: Beau Property

Employers urged to deal with harassment issues at work as new legislation looms

By Victoria Roberts

A BILL to create extra legal provisions to prevent harassment at work could be “onerous” for employers but it contains much that employers should be doing already, according to a local employment law expert.

The ‘Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010)’, a Private Members’ Bill brought by two Liberal Democrats – an MP and a peer – is now with the House of Lords.

Opportunity

Critics of the Bill say it opens employers to legal action over harassment by “third parties”, such as suppliers or customers – from the very first instance, rather than giving employers a three-strike opportunity to prevent it from happening again.

Provisions in the Bill would cover sexual harassment, but would also apply to harassment on the grounds of the nine protected characteristics in the Equality Act.

Yet critics say the Bill does not specify “all reasonable steps” an employer must take to prevent harassment.

The scope of the Bill and its lack of clarity could be a concern for employers, says Tunbridge Wells-based employment solicitor Pam Loch.

“They will have to demonstrate – to avoid liability

– that they took all reasonable steps,” she told the Times

“That can be quite a wide range of things that they should be doing.

And of course, at the moment there is no specific guidance on what are

‘all reasonable steps’,” she said.

“But it’s an additional burden that’s going to be placed on employers and they’re going to have to then carry out risk assessments.

“They will have to take steps to try to prevent that from happening in the first place.”

Businesses that deal directly with customers – especially hospitality, retail and care – would have to treat customers as third parties and could be especially exposed.

“There are some sectors where it’s more challenging because of the interaction with the public, and also because of the public consuming alcohol,” Ms Loch pointed out.

Hybrid working could also make risk assessments extremely complex, she added.

“Nobody’s going to envisage hanging signs outside somebody’s house saying: ‘This is a workplace. Please treat me with respect.’ It could be taken to an extreme, but at the moment, we do have a lot of flexible working arrangements in place. I think that’s still going to be the case in the future.”

Measures

The Bill could still fail to be passed, and the UK’s Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) could issue guidance afterward, giving specific sectors the clarity that they need, said Ms Loch.

But even if the legislation does not go through, employers should still consider taking measures, either because of the “very tight recruitment market” or changes to working culture.

“In the past, people saw grievances as a last resort,” she said.

“What we’ve noticed over the last three to five years is an increase in people submitting formal grievances. It’s almost as though the stigma attached to it has disappeared.”

As for the Bill, Ms Loch said: “It’s going to affect all of us if it becomes law. But as I say, if you’re a good employer, you should be thinking about these things anyway and making sure you’ve got these steps in place to try to protect your employees.”

Picture: Shutterstock

The ‘sweet spot’ in town?

TUNBRIDGE Wells’ High Street comprises less than half a mile’s worth of retail and hospitality business, but its impact stretches far beyond its geographical location and into the wider local economy, tourism and online.

“The High Street is one of the cornerstones of the town,” said Alex Green, the new Chief Executive of the Business Improvement District (BID), which represents all businesses in the centre of town.

“It has a unique identity with a distinctive ambience and spirit.”

Landmarks

Some of the oldest landmarks of the High Street, such as Hall’s Bookshop in Chapel Place, founded in 1898, next to the King Charles the Martyr church, are still there.

Still, there are always changes, and others have closed their doors – most recently lighting shop Lumière, but also Hudson’s Kitchen & Coffee. There are familiar chains, including Mint Velvet, The White Company, Space NK and Caffè Nero. There are also cafés, bars and restaurants, from Pizza Express near the southern end of the High Street, to The Bedford and The Warren at the very top, overlooking Tunbridge Wells Station.

This variety is one of the High Street’s strengths, said Mr Green, explaining: “A mixed ‘ecosystem’ helps the street presence across [different] times of day, and one business activity will pollinate others.”

This is the strategy behind the BID’s promotional activities over the upcoming Coronation weekend, which are designed to move people around the town rather than to keep

people in one particular area, he explained. (Please see the Times’ Coronation coverage on pages 1-3)

Later this year, the Tunbridge Wells Fringe Festival will also use a range of High Street venues to host live performances. Fringe Festival committee member Aimee Cooper told the Times: “The High Street is a really great part of the Fringe – it’s convenient for those audience and acts travelling here on the train, and full of brilliant independent shops.”

The location is a real benefit, agreed Sophie Bland, Owner and Co-founder of independent womenswear shop, bod & ted.

“We’re in a kind of sweet spot,” she said.

“When tourists come off the train, they turn this way. They do us; they do The Pantiles.”

Her shop has been there for 12 years, and over that time she has seen other shops come and go, but she also sees the mixture of business as essential to the success of the area.

“We get a lot of customers who have eaten on The Pantiles and come up, and we’ve sent a lot of people down to The Pantiles for eating.

“There’s café culture, and for swankier meals The Ivy, Coco Retro (round the corner in Vale Road), The Warren… We’ve also got chain shops mixed in.

“Size of units is a factor. At the ‘top’ of town, units are quite large. Here, the buildings are quirky in their own way.

“We’ve had a good amount of footfall. It is a very beautiful High Street.”

A newer High Street business, The Cove, opened during the pandemic period in August 2020, which co-founder Amy Lethbridge acknowledged had been difficult.

“Footfall is huge for us,” she said.

The company sells a mixture of fresh and dried flowers, alongside wines, spirits and scents, while running workshops on the first floor.

“It’s an experience. We want to draw people in,” she explained.

Looking out of The Cove’s windows at the bottom end of the High Street, she added: “All the businesses down here are independent. They all need support.”

At the top of the High Street, Childrensalon has been in place since 1985, and has no intention of leaving, Chief Corporate Affairs and Communications officer Denise Hamilton told the Times

“We were in the London Road before that, but this really is the best location in Tunbridge Wells.”

Although Childrensalon is firmly established on the ‘virtual high street’, the physical shop is an important outlet. Ms Hamilton stressed: “We do get footfall from the High Street as people pass by, peeking in to see what’s in this ‘Aladdin’s Cave’.

“Our shop is our heritage and it’s very important to be a part of Tunbridge Wells,” she said.

Hair salon sweeping up its act to protect the environment

By Lilly Croucher

A HAIRDRESSER in Tunbridge Wells is clearing up its waste – and the oceans – as it puts sustainability at the heart of its business.

Dentons’s Art of Hair on Camden Road is looking towards a greener future as it aims to become a zero-waste salon, while making a positive impact on the environment.

Charly Denton, owner of Denton’s Art of Hair told the Times: “I am really passionate about clean energy, zero waste and sustainability and I wanted to make sure my hair salon has a small footprint.

Sustainability

“I was looking at ways to make the business more environmentally friendly, and I found the Green Salon Collective who promote salon sustainability in the hairdressing industry.”

Hairdressing as an industry can be damaging for the environment as it uses large amounts of

energy, water and toxic chemicals and generates more waste than other high street businesses.

The Green Salon Collective is a sustainable waste company aiming to clean up the hairdressing industry by recycling and composting used plastics, paper, chemicals and even hair.

On their website, the Collective said: “We transform every single piece of ‘rubbish’ into something useful.”

Salons sign up to a membership scheme where the company provides them with bins and

as making hair booms out of clippings to clear up oil spills.

In 1989, American hairdresser, Phil McCrory realised that hair clippings could help clean up oil spills and created special ‘hair booms’. Ms Denton continued: “Hair is really absorbent and can hold up to 10 times its own volume, so they tie the hair up into these things called ‘hair booms’ and they are put into rivers and oceans to soak up oil that has leaked into the waters.

Artwork

“The hair is also being used to grow food in agriculture, artwork, and in buildings and gardening.

“I chose the Green Salon collective because they are a B Corp company meaning they are held to a higher standard and regulations so I feel more secure using them because I know they will recycle the items properly.

“For my customers they also get the satisfaction of a high-quality hair experience whilst knowing that nothing from their appointment is wasted.”

CHARLY DENTON, ART OF HAIR

Picture:

The High Street has weathered its share of ups and downs, but it remains well-placed to thrive. Victoria Roberts takes a walk to check out the latest offerings…

‘The High Street is one of the cornerstones of the town, it has a unique identity with a distinctive ambience and spirit’

SOPHIE BLAND, bod & ted

AMY LETHBRIDGE, THE COVE

Bidborough resident and property boss cycles to Paris for charity

A TUNBRIDGE WELLS group, including the chairman of a property company. is to cycle 300km, from London to Paris, for the fourth time. Ian Playford of Kingsbridge Estates will be joined by two colleagues, Jeremy Sharland and Paul Butler, as they take part in the Duchenne Dash in aid of Duchenne UK, a charity that funds treatment for muscular dystrophy in children.

Committed

The trio aim to raise £16,000 for the London to Paris ride, but have also committed to the return trip so they can raise an additional £8,000 to hit their total of £24,000.

Setting off from Herne Hill Velodrome in South East London on May 12, the group will first cycle to Newhaven, where they will cross the channel by ferry to Dieppe, after which they will be back on the saddle, pedalling to the finish line at the Eiffel Tower.

They have said that if they exceed their higher target, they will set off again and finish the return leg at the Kingsbridge Estate office in Tangmere, near Chichester.

Riders in the event pay for all their own travel and expenses, so every penny raised goes to help children and families affected by Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD).

There is currently no cure for DMD, which affects mostly boys, and causes all the muscles in the body, including the heart and lungs, to gradually weaken.

It is a devastating condition but the number of children who are diagnosed with it is relatively small, so the research and clinical trials to find treatments are carried out through the charity, set up by mothers of affected children 10 years ago.

So far, the team has raised almost £3,500.

To support Ian, Jeremy and Paul, visit justgiving. com/fundraising/kingsbridgeestatesteam

Celebrating St George’s Day for a charitable cause

ON FRIDAY April 21, The Annual St George’s Day Luncheon took place at The Spa Hotel. More than 180 guests came together to enjoy a celebratory lunch, while raising money for the Pickering Cancer Drop-In Centre.

The luncheon was supported by The Exiles, a group of Tunbridge Wells businessmen, who put together an auction in aid of the Pickering Cancer Drop-In Centre in Monson Road.

This year, more than £30,000 was raised, providing a vital injection of funds to the charity.

On behalf of the Exiles, Simon Jones said: “I would like to thank local businesses and social groups for their continued support of this special lunch for a very special local charity.”

EASY RIDERS:

(Left to right) Jeremy Sharland, Ian Playford and Paul Butler

THE EXILES CELEBRATE ST GEORGE’S DAY

Local squash instructor named England Coach of the Year 2023

By Lilly Croucher

AN INSPIRATIONAL squash coach from Tunbridge Wells has been given the prestigious title of Coach of the Year after encouraging hundreds of children to take up the sport.

Zeb Young, who coaches at Tunbridge Wells Squash Club, as well as other clubs in Surrey and Kent, was presented the national award by Georgina Kennedy, Commonwealth Gold Medalist at the British Open Squash tournament.

The judges prised Zeb’s outstanding impact and effort to widen junior participation though his inclusive and quality coaching.

Encouraged

On winning the award, Zeb said: “It is great helping players improve their game but for me, just seeing people fall in love with the sport is amazing.

“I wake up every single morning excited about the day ahead and love the job I do. To win an award for that? I am completely over the moon.”

Zeb was nominated for the award by Tunbridge Wells Squash Club after he helped double their junior membership in the last year and encouraged more diversity within the maledominated sport, with 40 per cent of Tunbridge Wells junior players now girls. Working at clubs in Warlingham and Oxted, he has helped coach two players to number one in the English age-group rankings this season at The Limpsfield Club.

He is also credited with encouraging dozens of young people at Sevenoaks School who have never played squash to pick up a racket for the first time which now has around 100 regular players.

Zeb young said: “I love coaching. I am on court at

ZEB YOUNG, SQUASH COACH (WITH GEORGIA KENNEDY)

10am every day and lock up at 11pm. My whole life is built around squash; it is my absolute passion.” A talented junior player himself, he stopped playing as a teenager until Kent Squash asked him to get involved in coaching.

After realising the power of coaching, Zeb quit his day job to follow his passion to help young players realise their sporting potential and coaches everyone from five to 70, even running adapted session for players with learning disabilities.

“Squash isn’t as visible as other sports,” he said, “You don’t tend to walk past a squash court like you do a cricket pitch or tennis court, so a lot of the battle is just getting people to try it.

“It is such a brilliant sport and as well as being a lot of fun. it teaches children some important life skills, helps grow their confidence, and builds resilience.”

DONNA MARSHALL (CENTRE)

Woman living with Parkinson’s joins London Fashion show for charity

By Alice Reece

A LOCAL woman from Tunbridge Wells with a life-changing disease has joined a star-studded London fashion line-up to raise money for pioneering research.

Donna Marshall, 53, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2017 is taking to the runway to raise funds for Parkinson’s UK.

On Tuesday May 16, Donna will be taking in the glitz and glamour as she joins ‘Catwalk to a Cure’ at London cabaret club, Proud Embankment.

Future

The night will also star singer, Kele le Roc, comedian Jack Skipper, DJ Colin Francis and many more dance, magic and musical acts.

Parkinson’s affects around 145,000 people in the UK with most people having Idiopathic Parkinson’s, meaning there is no known cause. Parkinson’s can sometimes be hereditary or caused by genes.

Donna, who owns her own business and has a

nine-year-old child, Beau, is the third woman in her family to be diagnosed with the disease and worries about her daughter’s future.

She said: “I’m terrified that Beau will inherit Parkinson’s from me. So I’m determined to help Parkinson’s UK find a cure so she can grow up in a world where no one has to suffer from this horrible condition the way me and my family have.”

Since her diagnosis, Donna has committed to fundraising for Parkinson’s UK, from running multiple marathons, and taking part in Catwalk to a Cure 2021.

“Catwalk to a Cure is a fabulous event, and I’m really excited to take part again this year.

“Since I last took part, my health has deteriorated quite rapidly, but I’m still determined to take part and have fun! It’ll be a great night, and I’d encourage everyone to come along!”

Tickets are available from £30. To purchase a ticket, or to find out more about the event, visit events.parkinsons.org.uk/event/catwalkto-a-cure

RAF uses ‘volatile’ ceasefire to begin evacuating Britons from Sudan

SUDAN remains in a “dangerous, volatile and unpredictable” state as the RAF used a ceasefire to launch an evacuation of British citizens, the Foreign Secretary has said.

James Cleverly said UK nationals must make the risky journey to the airbase near Khartoum without a military escort and warned it is “impossible” to know how long the pause in the fierce fighting would last.

Factions

An RAF C-130 Hercules carrier capable of carrying around 100 passengers touched down at the UK’s Akrotiri base in Cyprus on Tuesday afternoon after leaving Khartoum following a 72-hour ceasefire agreed by the warring factions. The Ministry of Defence has not said whether the flight was carrying evacuees.

Rishi Sunak authorised the operation late on Monday night, Downing Street said, after facing criticism for failing to airlift more than the British diplomats and their families over the weekend.

Evacuees will be taken from the Wadi Saeedna airfield, believed to be being secured by German forces, back to the RAF Akrotiri, before being brought to Britain.

Priority on the flights open to British passport holders will be given to the most vulnerable, with more than 2,000 citizens having registered in Sudan with the Foreign Office.

Around 1,400 military personnel are understood to be involved in the evacuation effort.

Mr Cleverly warned the pause is fragile after speaking directly or through intermediaries with

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faction leaders as he called for them to allow British nationals to be evacuated.

“It is important to remember that ceasefires have been announced and have fallen apart in the past so the situation remains dangerous, volatile and unpredictable,” he told broadcasters.

“It is impossible to predict how long the ceasefire will last. It is impossible to predict how long any other route to evacuation will remain open.”

The Foreign Secretary told UK nationals that they must make their own way to the flights during the pause in fighting between two rival

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generals engaged in a power struggle.

“We have said that we are unable to provide escorts from where British nationals are to the airhead, they will have to make their own way there – as indeed has been the case for the nationals of other countries,” he said.

Mr Cleverly also defended the Government from suggestions it should have carried out evacuations of citizens sooner, as European allies had succeeded in doing.

“The circumstances for each individual nation are different. There are considerably more British nationals in Sudan than other countries have got,” he said.

The evacuation plan involves similar aircraft to those used to rescue diplomats from Sudan on Sunday, with a second flight possibly bound for Khartoum having left RAF Akrotiri.

The Prime Minister described the evacuation as “large scale” as he paid tribute to the armed forces, diplomats and Border Force staff carrying out the “complex operation”.

He said Britain will work to “end the bloodshed” in Sudan.

Later addressing his Cabinet, Mr Sunak said there had been a “specific threat” to the safety of diplomats before their evacuation on Sunday. Families with children or elderly relatives, or individuals with medical conditions, will be prioritised for the flights.

Risk

Only British passport holders and immediate family members with existing UK entry clearance are being told they are eligible.

Nationals have been warned that all travel within Sudan is “conducted at your own risk”.

Other exit routes were being considered, with two British military ships, RFA Cardigan Bay and HMS Lancaster, being lined up for possible evacuations.

A team of British troops is understood to have flown into Port Sudan to check out the options.

Shadow foreign secretary David Lammy said he was “extremely relieved to hear of the short but desperately needed ceasefire”, but “the Government must now work with great speed to ensure as many British nationals still in Sudan can be rescued as quickly and safely as possible”.

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RESCUE ME: An MoD commando brigade en route to remove UK nationals from Sudan

Biden seeks re-election in 2024 to ‘finish the job’

PRESIDENT Joe Biden has formally announced that he is running for re-election in 2024, asking voters to give him more time to “finish the job” he began when he was sworn in to office.

Mr Biden, who would be 86 at the end of a second term, is betting his first-term legislative achievements and more than 50 years of experience in Washington will count for more than concerns over his age.

He faces a smooth path to winning his party’s nomination, with no serious Democratic rivals. But he is still set for a hard-fought struggle to retain the presidency in a bitterly divided nation.

Anniversary

The announcement, in a three-minute video, comes on the four-year anniversary of when Mr Biden declared for the White House in 2019, promising to heal the “soul of the nation” amid the turbulent presidency of Donald Trump — a goal that has remained elusive.

While the question of seeking re-election has been a given for most modern presidents, that has not always been the case for Mr Biden, as a notable swathe of Democratic voters have indicated they would prefer he not run, in part because of his age — concerns that Mr Biden has called “totally legitimate” but ones he did not address head-on in the launch video.

Yet few things have unified Democratic voters like the prospect of Mr Trump returning to power.

And Biden’s political standing within his party stabilised after Democrats notched a stronger-

than-expected performance in last year’s midterm elections, as the president set out to run again on the same themes that buoyed his party last autumn, particularly on preserving access to abortion.

“Freedom. Personal freedom is fundamental to who we are as Americans. There’s nothing more important. Nothing more sacred,” Mr Biden said in the launch video, which painted the Republican Party as extremists trying to roll back access to abortion, cut Social Security, limit voting rights and ban books they disagree with.

“Around the country, MAGA extremists are lining up to take those bedrock freedoms away.”

“This is not a time to be complacent,” Mr Biden added. “That’s why I’m running for re-election.”

The president also has multiple policy goals and unmet promises from his first campaign that he is asking voters to give him another chance to fulfil.

“Let’s finish this job. I know we can,” Mr Biden said in the video, repeating a mantra he said a dozen times during his State of the Union address in February, listing everything from passing a ban on assault-style weapons and lowering the cost of prescription drugs to codifying a national right to abortion after the Supreme Court’s ruling last year overturning Roe v Wade.

Mr Biden plans to point to his work over the past two years shoring up American alliances, leading a global coalition to support Ukraine’s defences against Russia’s invasion and returning the US to the Paris climate accord.

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And another thing…

This is the page where you, the reader, have your chance to express your views or comments on what’s going on in our part of the world. We like to hear from you. You can email us at newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk or you can write to the Editor, Times of Tunbridge Wells, Salomons Estate, Tunbridge Wells TN3 0TG

Food waste remains a problem for us all

Wednesday April 26 is now recognised globally as Stop Food Waste Day. Started by Compass Group USA, it deserves our attention.

An estimated one-third of all the food produced in the world goes to waste. Some of it never leaves the farms; some gets lost or spoiled during distribution, and some food is thrown away. In the process, energy and water are also frittered away.

Consider how this wasted food supports methane production if it ends up in landfills and rots.

The challenge to us, as consumers, is to identify actions we can take to reduce food waste in areas under our control.

Some practical suggestions include:

• Plan ahead and buy only what you need.

• Use your freezer. Eating fresh food has lots of benefits, but frozen food can be as nutritious and stay edible for much longer.

Consider cooking and freezing produce before it goes bad to extend its shelf life.

• Treat leftovers as a spur to your creativity. Plenty of websites contain helpful recipes to encourage practical imagination.

As tenants in an apartment block on The Pantiles, we regret there is currently no food waste collection to encourage efforts to reduce the impact of food waste. We strongly urge the Council to provide food waste bins for apartment buildings.

George Randell Tunbridge Wells

TWBC can’t absolve itself of blame when it comes to traffic scheme

The council has generated £210,000 in a month on the idiotic traffic scheme in Mt Pleasant Road. Well, I suppose that’s one way to balance the books.

At this rate, we should get a reduction in Council Tax.

In your article last week (March 19), Cllr Lidstone referred to the “pedestrian crossing” at the top of Monson Road, so I assume this is the broad, cobbled strip outside the library.

If it’s a pedestrian crossing, then not many drivers are aware of it, nor are pedestrians entirely sure. There’s one at the exit of Newton Road which, too, is more honoured in the breach than the observance. These are future accident sites.

In his choice of words, he attempts to distance himself from the scheme. He criticises it, too, in an attempt to ride the wave of public antipathy, blaming it on the last administration and the KCC, but he’s in favour of it.

Don’t we rely on the likes of him to convey the sentiment of us grunts up the chain? Claiming “It’s not my fault, guv,” does not cut the mustard. TWBC had its hands in the proposal from the start and, if it is there to represent the views of the town’s inhabitants, should have refused its implementation.

Voters would do well to heed Edward Baker’s letter in last week’s edition (March 19).

John Ward Moorhouse Tunbridge Wells

Traffic system is shocking when there were other options available

I was shocked that local motorists have been fined £210,000 in a month for driving in the 50-yard stretch of road by the War Memorial (March 19, 2023).

The ‘surplus’ isn’t £14million. It looks like he just read the wrong line in the table.

James Rands Independent Councillor Culverden Ward

Early taxis are seemingly reserved for children

Although I have every sympathy with taxi drivers in the town, because they suffered greatly during Covid, I am in great difficulty now because apparently one cannot order or use a taxi until after 10am unless one is a child. They are all involved in the ‘school run’. I tried six taxi companies this week to no avail.

As someone who has no one to drive me anywhere and who wanted to catch a train to London before that hour: I ask, “What am I to do?” when I can neither walk a long distance nor have the time to, if I could.

Regarding a solution, to quote a line from the film Shakespeare in Love: “It’s a mystery.”

Judi Best Tunbridge

pedigrees, such as Ragdolls or Scottish Folds, while 47% (or 750,000 cats) were moggies (cats produced through non-selective breeding such as a domestic short or longhair). This is the narrowest gap that we have seen between pedigrees and moggies in memory.

As a result, Cats Protection is celebrating moggies this spring and encouraging would-be owners to look past a breed or current social media led trends.

Moggies have just as much personality and affection to share as pedigrees, they also tend to be less expensive both at the outset and over the course of their lifetime.

There are thousands of moggies needing new homes across Cats Protection’s network of branches and centres who are all vet-checked, microchipped, neutered if old enough, and arrive in their new homes with four weeks’ free insurance.

Wells

While a warning letter was sent to motorists for their first offence, I was told by TWBC that it could take up to a week for this warning letter to land on the motorist’s doormat.

This means someone who drives into Tunbridge Wells for work, and who travelled through that area twice a day, could have been fined NINE TIMES before they even received their warning letter.

Even if they paid their fines promptly, it would have cost them £315 in penalties.

The spokesman for the Liberal Democrat, Tunbridge Wells Alliance and Labour coalition running TWBC was keen, as always, to blame others. But it was his administration that chose this unfair and devious penalty system when other options were available.

Cllr Matt Bailey Independent TWBC

Figuring it out

Former councillor David Scott is at it again. Two weeks ago, Carolyn Gray wrote a perfectly straightforward letter asking: if the Conservatives left Tunbridge Wells Borough Council’s finances in such a good state, why are the Council’s own officers briefing the Town Forum the opposite? Scott’s reply is, as always, smoke and mirrors (March 19 2023).

The simple truth is that he, as the portfolio holder for Finance, left the Council with a deficit of nearly one million pounds in the budget his party released before being voted out. Moreover, he left no plan in place to address the issue. This is not open to interpretation. It’s just a fact borne out by our external auditors.

A cleverer man might contextualise these failures in terms of central (Conservative) government cuts and the pandemic, but instead Scott claims he was competent and ‘pragmatic’ by citing the ‘surplus’.

A few things to understand about the ‘surplus’: It’s intended to be a measure of the growth in value of the Council, so includes things like the appreciation of assets such as buildings.

I think we all know you can live in a big house which is gaining value, but not be able to afford to heat it. This is not good evidence of financial competence.

Accounts are always a snapshot in time, and when they were completed, there were millions in government Covid grants on the books, inflating the figures.

Opposition to traffic restrictions that help us is hypocritical

I used to drive a car and campaign against road building. The latter would bring more, not less, traffic into Tunbridge Wells, the Department of Transport’s documentation has shown.

Since my health changed for the better, I reduced my driving, walked to work and eventually got rid of my car. But I was criticised for my car use during the time that I was reducing my car use.

So I am pleased that Tunbridge Wells Borough Council is trying again to enforce the traffic restrictions in the town. This happened previously with this scheme, and also 30 years ago when parking restrictions had not been enforced by fines for years.

I observe that a lot of Councillors from parties who supported and brought these traffic measures in since 2000 to reduce traffic in Royal Tunbridge Wells and Southborough now oppose. These and other measures, it can be seen, have been and continue to greatly helped. That is despite the expected increase in traffic on the A26 after the A21 ‘improvement’ was made. Evidently, other plans were also developed as a consequence of objections at public enquiry and other consultation.

It is disappointing to see hypocritical opposition to the same traffic reduction measures, plus to parking charges to discourage car journeys. These charges do not harm people who have blue badges, mobility allowances and bus passes in any case. But it does seem strange to argue that you need a free car parking to exercise.

I think vehicles that cross on a red light, such as when a pedestrian is crossing on a green man should be prosecuted. There is a lack of enforcement when it matters rather than too much. If the driver does not see the social or safety benefits of the rule, then at least they fear being fined and will comply. But rules still remain and only applied when necessary.

Andrew Lohmann

Southborough Town Councillor

1995-2007

Car owner until 2009

Veteran cyclist since 2018.

More moggies need homes

I am writing to encourage your readers to consider a moggy when thinking about giving a cat a new home.

Our latest survey revealed 38% of cats acquired in 2022 (or 600,000 cats) were

Further details of the benefits of welcoming a moggy into your life can be found at www.cats. org.uk/morethanjustamoggy.

We also have lots of good advice about acquiring a pedigree cat including some potential pitfalls at www.cats.org.uk/pedigrees.

Dr Kit Sturgess Chair of Trustees Cats Protection

SAYS...

Observations on life and more important things

HEALTH MATTERS. The NHS might be on the ropes but it can still deliver when it’s really needed, as Calverley discovered this month. A couple of close family members visited their GPs after discovering unexplained lumps in various places. The pair were referred as ‘urgent’ to clinics at Pembury and Eastbourne. It was an anxious time for everyone. They were seen, screened and had anything ‘sinister’ ruled out within a couple of weeks. What a relief and what a health service. Don’t let it be undermined!

NOODLE NEWS. Much talk these days about the impact of AI (that’s Artificial Intelligence, nothing to do with pregnancies). This was brought home to Calverley when chatting to a teenager about to prepare a 500-word piece for an English presentation at school. What are you doing it on? “What’s better, regular noodles or super noodles?” Really! “Yeah, it could be fun”. What do you know about noodles? “Nothing.” Then how can you write it? “I’m asking this online platform (ChatGPT).” And a robot will deliver? “Just watch.” Disappears into room. Emerges 15 minutes later with a perfectly reasoned, grammatically correct presentation. That’s cheating! “Everybody does it.” Worry, not teachers won’t notice. They’ll probably be on strike.

BBC BIAS. Hardline Labour activist Oscar Bentley, who believes Tories should ‘never’ be trusted and that their MPs are ‘invertebrates’, has been appointed a political fact checker at the Biased Broadcasting Corporation. No, it’s not a joke. He’ll probably be working on political debates in the run-up to the General Election. The Beeb said: “Opinions expressed before working for the BBC… are completely irrelevant”. In what world do these people live? Bet Calverley would not be given a job.

OUT OF OFFICE. Holidays are coming and passports need to be renewed, which is how Calverley came to be on the phone to this very nice young (or maybe not) man (or maybe not) at the passport office. The office is in Docklands, which prompted Calverley to ask about the nearest railway station. Back came the reply: “Sorry I have no idea, I have never been to England”. That’s what you call working out of the office. Maybe he couldn’t get a visa?

JOY OF JOYS. Commercial TV channels are to be allowed to show more ads. Currently the likes of ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 are limited to seven minutes an hour and slightly more at peak times. Media regulator Ofcom wants it bumped to 12 minutes; an extra five minutes being bombarded by ads. Mind you, some ads are more entertaining than the actual programmes, aside from Naked Attraction that is (oh yes, you do).

FINAL THOUGHT. The fact Horrid Harry has agreed to honour us with his presence at the Coronation begs a question. Where on Earth will King Charles sit?

Chin, chin dear reader

Celebrate our King, but don’t forget to vote Greg Clark

NEXT week is a unique one – two bank holidays, the Coronation and, oh yes, a Borough Council election.

Amid all the festivities, I hope that people won’t forget to vote on the Thursday. In my experience, people who put themselves forward for election – whatever their party – do so because they really want to work hard for their neighbours, to make our Borough a better place.

Sadly, too often these days people who put their head above the parapet and stand for local elections become targets for personal abuse. That should never be the case – we should respect those who put themselves forward, and know that it is possible to disagree respectfully without denigrating people’s motivation.

I have always supported the good work of councillors regardless of party, and I meet regularly with the current Labour-Alliance-Lib Dem coalition leadership, as I did with the Conservative leadership. It is important not to let politics stand in the way of doing what is right for our towns, villages and Borough.

But elections are about a choice and, naturally, I hope you will support our local Conservative candidates. While I don’t doubt the sincerity of the intentions of the current coalition, I do think it is getting some things wrong and without a vigorous alternative, will cause damage.

The current council is not good at listening to

residents. In the last year I warned that the imposition of parking charges in areas where the first hour was free risked damaging trade in our shops and small businesses just as they were struggling to recover from Covid.

When people can shop online or park for free in places like Bluewater, it is counterproductive to put people off from shopping in our town. It literally costs the Council money in lost business rates and empty shops.

Threat

I sense the same threat in the Council’s current decision to put all of the car parks on a list of “assets for disposal”. If these car parks are sold off they will either be lost as car parks or see the fees racked up, leaving local businesses to suffer.

I think we also have to face the facts and recognise that the fines bonanza taking place on the road in front of the Town Hall will also be damaging. When fines of more than £200,000 are imposed in a single month it tells you something’s wrong.

People are being ensnared into paying for an offence they didn’t even know they were committing. That area is neither one thing nor the other – it is not a pedestrianised town square with pavement cafes, and yet some traffic is

Ben Chapelard

Liberal Democrats

fined, while buses and taxis use it constantly.

It’s an experiment that hasn’t worked, and I support Conservative councillors’ call to turn the enforcement cameras off, stop fining people and rethink the whole scheme.

It’s not just in the town centre that the Council needs to listen to residents. In our villages from Pembury to Hawkhurst, access to the A21 is vital and many are plagued by speeding and rat-running through rural lanes. Yet, outrageously, the coalition controlling the Council wants to reduce A21 access at the Kipping’s Cross roundabout from two lanes to one without even informing the parish councils.

Unbelievably, the proposal admitted that the move would increase waiting times at the roundabout by on average 39 minutes at the morning peak and 17 minutes at the evening peak!

This underhand change was slipped into the Local Plan in the hope that it wouldn’t be noticed. The Council is taking directly the opposite approach to the Local Plan of what is needed.

Whether it is the A21 or in Paddock Wood and the villages, we need more Infrastructure before any Expansion – a policy of ‘I before E’ that Conservatives want to see.

I am the first to accept that many decisions made by councils are not easy and genuine mistakes can be made. But a pattern of error –not listening to residents, fleecing people trying to park and shop in town, causing congestion and pollution rather that improving infrastructure, letting things slide through uncollected litter on our verges and unremoved graffiti on our buildings – all these need to be halted before the damage to our standing is irreversible.

We have vigorous, hardworking Conservative candidates who can help make sure that the Borough is run better and I hope you will support them – before enjoying a long weekend of Coronation celebrations.

Our Borough is a fantastic place to live

IT’S BEEN almost a year now since the Liberal Democrats took over the running of the Council from the Conservatives as the largest party in the Borough Partnership together with The Alliance, Labour and an independent councillor.

Our Borough is fantastic – we have stunning countryside, beautiful parks, thriving independent shops, businesses and restaurants, plus world-class schools, along with vibrant community organisations and grassroots sport. But there are problems, too. Many families are struggling to make ends meet; many people are in need of genuinely affordable housing. Our roads are congested and dangerous, which discourages people from walking or cycling and increases air pollution.

Funding

Running a local council is not easy. Budgets are extremely tight, as central government funding has gradually wound down to zero. Tunbridge Wells Borough Council only keeps 10p in every £1 of Council Tax you pay. This means we have to look for alternative sources of funding, mainly through income from car parking, commercial property and services.

A lot of ink has been spilled in this paper in recent weeks about the state of the finances we

inherited. Simply put, the budget we inherited from the Conservatives for this past financial year had a gap of £944,000 between income and expenditure. If this wasn’t bad enough, the gap for 2023-24 was forecast to be £2.6million. Using reserves to plug these deficits is not sustainable or responsible.

Next time you hear anyone say different, then ask them why, in December 2022, the Tunbridge Wells Borough Council’s auditors, Grant Thornton, stated: “With regard to the adequacy of the reserves, the Council must act within the

next 24 months to bring the cost and demand of providing local services to within the level of income that can be generated and to balance the day-to-day budget without reliance on reserves.”

Therefore, last summer, we initiated an In-Year Budget Review that is expected to close the gap by £600,000 during 2023-24.

Beyond this, the Council has balanced its books this financial year through a combination of vacant staff positions and exceptional investment returns.

We are proud of the Borough Partnership’s record of achievement over the past year. This includes delivering a £100,000 Community Support Fund to help our most vulnerable residents through the cost-of-living crisis; investing in a new vehicle fleet to improve our waste collections; expanding the popular Co-Wheels car club; growing our visitor economy; winning government grants to improve walking and cycling; and holding Cabinet meetings across the Borough, including

Southborough, Cranbrook, Sandhurst and Pembury, to meet – and listen to – more of our residents.

Next year we will bring forward our savings plan to balance the books; add new homes to our social housing stock; continue to reduce TWBC’s carbon footprint, including decarbonisation works at the Weald Leisure Centre and the North Farm depot; bring back a farmers’ market to Tunbridge Wells town centre; and invest our share of the UK Shared Prosperity and Rural England Prosperity Funds in a variety of community and business projects. We should also see the long-awaited development begin at the former ABC cinema site in Tunbridge Wells town centre and the reopening of the Chalybeate Spring on The Pantiles.

Change takes time, but it is happening. We will not always get things right first time, but we promise to be open and transparent about the decisions we take. This is especially important, we feel, in a time of challenging finances.

We hope that you will continue to put your faith in us on Thursday May 4 by voting Liberal Democrat – and please don’t forget to take your photo ID to the polling station!

For more information about the Tunbridge Wells Liberal Democrats candidates and manifesto, please visit: twlibdems.org.uk

Ben Chapelard has been Liberal Democrat Leader of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council since last May. He represents St James’, where he lives with his family

Conservative MP for Tunbridge Wells

Greg Clark was first elected MP for Tunbridge Wells in 2005. He has held a number of positions in Government, including Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. He is currently Chairman of the Commons’ Science and Technology Committee

Dariel Francis Labour Party

Vote to send the message: It’s time for change

LOCAL politicians learn a lot by knocking on people’s doors. Last week I met a young family with two children renting a one-bedroom top floor flat, who’d already been on the Council housing list for years. Just one family out of hundreds.

I believe a secure home underpins family life and good mental health, which is why providing more genuinely affordable housing to rent and buy is a top priority for Labour, particularly helping young families and key workers who want to live here.

Standards

Time and time again we hear about the soaring cost of living, with a 10 per cent inflation rate hitting everyone through rising taxes, increases in mortgages and rents, and food and fuel prices

During 13 years of Conservative government, most people have seen dramatic falls in their standards of living and many are now being forced to rely on food banks like never before. Queues at community larders are common.

And what about the NHS? People are asking will they be able get an ambulance, book a doctor’s appointment and get that much needed operation? Many of us are praying hard we don’t fall ill or suffer an accident.

Crime is high on people’s list of worries.

Across the country, in 94 per cent of crimes no one is charged. There is an epidemic of violence towards women and girls. And in every area we have seen a rise in graffiti, and damage to cars and property.

We then have concerns about the impact of unresolved strikes, childcare and education, queues to go on holiday, the ballooning cost of paying for care for elderly relatives, the list goes on.

Why is it that we have got into this state? It’s because the Conservatives have trashed the economy, hollowed out every public service you

can think of and are leaving us with the legacy of a broken Britain.

At all levels the Conservatives have failed and lost support. Kent County Council is verging on bankruptcy – and has had to make savage cuts to social care and children’s services. They can only afford to do the bare legal minimum. Cut, cut, cut.

Closer to home the Conservatives wasted nearly £11million on a theatre project that would have left us with massive debt. They can’t be trusted on a major project, let alone your everyday services.

Luckily, you resoundingly rejected that incompetence last year. Now you have the choice again who to vote for the Borough Council on Thursday May 4.

And we are asking you to vote Labour.

Action

Labour is proudly part of the cross-party Borough Partnership pushing for more genuinely affordable homes, help for those most hit most by the cost-of-living crisis, speedier action on the environment, and greater street safety for women and girls.

But local action is not the only thing at stake. To get out of this mess we need a change of government. There won’t be a Lib Dem government or a Tunbridge Wells Alliance government, but there will be a chance to elect a Labour government.

We need a Labour government to begin the task of restoring fairness and growth to our economy, repairing our public services, and rebuilding trust in politics.

Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden is predicting a loss of 1,000 Tory councillors at this election. Help make his prediction come true. Send back the message: “It’s time for change!” Let’s build a better Tunbridge Wells and a better Britain – with Labour.

Dariel Francis is the Vice Chair of Tunbridge Wells Constituency Labour Party and the Deputy Mayor of Southborough Town Council. She is the Labour Candidate for St John’s Ward in the upcoming Borough Council elections. During her career she was a senior Tax Inspector and worked for the Parliamentary Ombudsman

Students excel in the UKMT Maths Challenge

Beacon Academy pupils in Years 9 to 11 celebrate their impressive results in a global mathematical and problem-solving competition…

Maths students from Beacon Academy in Crowborough have been praised by the secondary school’s staff for doing so well in the recent UK Mathematics Trust (UKMT) Intermediate Maths Challenge. The national competition aims to further the learning and enjoyment of maths for children at junior, intermediate and senior levels.

UK Mathematics Trust is a registered charity that was established in 1996. It works with hundreds of volunteers across the UK to organise both national and global competitions that promote mathematical enrichment through problem-solving, teamwork and other activities.

Beacon Academy students in Years 9 to 11

volunteered to enter this year’s intermediate competition, which is designed to stimulate mathematical problem-solving skills at a high level.

Over 300,000 students in these year groups, from both the UK and around the world take part in the virtual challenge, which lasts 60 minutes and comprises 25 taxing multiplechoice questions.

One of the Academy’s maths teachers, Mrs Bigwood, commented: “Choosing to participate deserves recognition alone, and

we commend all students who took part.

“The top 40 per cent of all participants nationally are awarded a bronze, silver or gold award, with the highest-scoring students going through to the next round,” Mrs Bigwood added.

“Six students were among the 8,000 globally who scored highly enough to be invited to the follow-on ‘Kangaroo Round’. Two of our students then came in the top 25 per cent of these contestants and were awarded Certificates of Merit.”

The virtual maths competition lasts 60 minutes and comprises 25 taxing multiple-choice questions

LIVING BY NUMBERS: Beacon Academy students are proud of their achievements

Literature Festival set to offer a little something for everyone

The Tunbridge Wells Literary Festival returns this year from Thursday May 11 to Sunday May 14. As a community event that celebrates the love of literature, the Festival is set to showcase a broad range of talented voices from some of the nation’s favourite writers, to local up-and-coming authors – there is something for everyone to enjoy.

This year, there are range of events for all ages, from masterclass writing workshops to Q&As, book readings and talks with some well-known faces!

For young audiences, the festival will feature award-winning comedy performer, author and CITV host, Bec Hill, who will be discussing her

creeptastic new book ‘Horror Heights: Dead Ringer’ (ages 8+).

Former hosts of Fame Academy, Carrie and David Grant, will be talking about parenting in a neurodivergent age, while actor and author Russell Tovey, will tackle all things art-related. Renowned TV and radio presenter Melanie Sykes will be focusing on autism, ADHD and the impact of a late diagnosis.

For those with a love of sport, former Arsenal co-owner David Dein will be interviewed by Sky Sports host Matt Lorenzo about ‘Calling the Shots: How to Win in Football and Life’, the story of the life of the man who was the prime mover in the creation of the Premier League.

Sir Michael Parkinson will be in conversation

There is no obligation to sell, so call Clive Today to arrange a home visit at no charge and at your convenience. He will advise you personally on your items and absolute discretion is guaranteed.

with his son about his book, ‘My Sporting Life: Memories, Moments and Declarations’, giving you the opportunity to see and hear from one of Britain’s most revered broadcasters in person, and to be entertained by his tales of encounters and experiences with some of the icons of sport, from Shane Warne to George Best, and

CLIVE IS ALWAYS READY TO MAKE YOU A GENUINE NO OBLIGATION OFFER

Finally, for those with a taste for crime fiction, there are a range of writers seeking to captivate their audiences. Mark Billingham, bestselling author of ‘The Last Dance’ will talk about ‘The Murder Book’, while author of the British Book Award-shortlisted ‘The Ice Cream Girls’, Dorothy Koomson, will be joined by Nadine Matheson to discuss their dark thrillers.

Last but not least, Her Honour Wendy Joseph KC will be discussing what it was really like at the pinnacle of the British legal system, in her sold-out event, ‘Unlawful Killings: Stories from an Old Bailey Judge’.

For more information on this year’s festival, visit: theamelia.co.uk

Muhammed Ali to Fred Trueman.

CORONATION

AFTERNOON TEA

SUNDAY 7TH AND MONDAY 8TH MAY

CORONATION

AFTERNOON TEA

To celebrate King Charles III’s Coronation, we’re hosting a special afternoon tea party for all the family to enjoy.

To celebrate King Charles III’s Coronation, we’re hosting a special afternoon tea party for all the family to enjoy.

Guests can experience this delightful British tradition whilst enjoying the beautiful surroundings of Salomons’ gardens.

Guests can experience this delightful British tradition whilst enjoying the beautiful surroundings of Salomons’ gardens.

Keep the little princes & princesses entertained with our children’s activities, such as crown and biscuit decorating and a Royal Treasure Hunt within the grounds.

Adults £28.50 with a celebratory glass of Pimms • Children £18.50

Bookings available from 12pm-3pm 01892 515152 or via the website salomons-estate.com

Bookings available from 12pm-3pm • reception@salomons-estate.com

01892 515152 • salomons-estate.com

‘I’d sooner gig in Kent than in any other county in England…’

Let’s start by you telling us how you became of the stars of ITV’s The Chase?

I’d always been a keen quizzer at school, and on pub-quiz machines throughout my twenties. But it was only later in life that I discovered there was a shady quiz underworld, packed with people who took it far too seriously – my kind of people. After a couple of years rising up the UK quiz rankings, ITV made it clear they were looking for a fourth Chaser and I applied, like I might apply to any normal job. A few rigorous auditions later, I was hired.

You trained as a doctor. How did you go from working as a GP to appearing on national TV?

I never left medicine to become a quizzer, I ended up leaving medicine because my life as a travelling comedian was becoming way too busy. Medicine was always my parents’ dream, rather than my own and I consider myself incredibly fortunate to have found a way out.

How did you come to be involved in the world of comedy?

Like quizzing, I was into comedy at an early age, and watched an awful lot of student comedy at university and then as a junior doctor in London. Eventually, I plucked up the courage to book myself for an open-mic night and basically hung around, making very little progress for three-and-a-half years. Then in December 1998 I was booked to do a five-minute spot at the world-famous Comedy Store. And, as luck would have it, I was offered representation

IMPRESSIVE:

Hemsted Park, the Benenden School venue where Paul is appearing

by an agent the same night. From that moment on, I could justifiably call myself “a professional stand-up comedian”.

Who are some of the comedians that have been most influential for you?

I slightly shy away from the concept of influence, because I find it important that comedians find their own style rather than unconsciously ape that of their comedy heroes. Nonetheless, I’ve been privileged to work with many true greats. And if I take this chance to name Stewart Lee, Daniel Kitson, Milton Jones, Tim Vine, and Micky Flanagan, that would be just a small fraction of the people who’ve inspired me.

Can you tell us what your show at Hemsted Park will involve?

I’ve had a colourful life and I’ve ticked a number of demographic boxes. And my show will be me trying to have as much fun as possible while revealing a lot of autobiography.

What do you expect the audience will most enjoy about your show?

I don’t have any preconceptions about any audience, but I’d like to think they’ll be

pleasantly surprised at the degree to which I’m not just “that bloke in an ill-fitting white suit”. What do you enjoy most about doing your shows?

Being any kind of entertainer is a privilege. The idea that people might have actively chosen to spend their evening in your company is pretty mind-blowing, when you think about it. If there are any moments when I ever feel weary of this career, I remind myself that I chose it; that not everyone is lucky-enough to do a job they love and that I should just go out and make sure that I enjoy it as much as possible.

Are you familiar with Kent, if so, what do you like about it?

I could wax lyrical about rolling green hills, historic castles, heritage railways, and hops. But what I like most about Kent is that it borders southeast London, where I live. I’d sooner gig in Kent than in any other county in England.

Paul Sinha will be appearing at Hemsted Park on April 29 from 7.30pm. Tickets, which are available to those aged 18 and over, start from £25 per person. For more information or to book visit: hemstedpark.com

This Saturday, April 29, Paul Sinha, star of ITV’s The Chase, is doing a one-off comedy show at Hemsted Park, Benenden School’s new arts venue. The former doctor and now successful stand-up tells Eileen Leahy how he went from being a GP to starring on TV…

‘I’ve had a colourful life and I’ve ticked a number of demographic boxes’

CHASING LAUGHS: Paul Sinha on stage at The Comedy Store in London

Hundreds to make a splash as Aqua Park opens this weekend

THIS Saturday, April 29, Bewl Water’s Aqua Park returns to the reservoir after receiving more than a thousand pre-bookings so far.

The ‘Total Wipeout’-style obstacle course in Lamberhurst features a range of attractions.

Operations Manager Kevin Parker explains: “The Aqua Park is an impressive 3,000 square metres of floating, inflatable fun with an XXL action tower, springboard, balance bar, flip mattress, monkey bars, aqua slide, hurdles, and much more.”

Dubbed the “ultimate challenge to enjoy with family and friends”, more than 34,000 water sports fans took to the reservoir last year. According to Mr Parker, tickets are already selling fast for the opening weekend.

Dubbed the ‘ultimate challenge to enjoy with family and friends’, more than 34,000 water sports fans took to the reservoir last year

“There really isn’t just one kind of person taking part,” he said. “It’s not just for children. We get rugby clubs, groups of friends, parents, team days out. We’ve even had hen parties,” he said.

Safety need not be a worry either. “Our experienced lifeguards will be on hand to ensure everyone’s safety,” explained Aqua Park Manager Simon Anthony.

“Our staff have undergone refresher training

days and all lifeguards have completed a three-day Open Water Lifeguard course with the Royal Lifesaving Society.

“Lifeguard training then takes place once a month, and is ongoing throughout the season,” he added.

Sessions

The Aqua Park will return on April 29 throughout weekends, before opening for weekdays during the summer, with sessions running from 11am to 3pm. For those looking to refuel after their 50 minutes of inflatable fun, the dog-friendly Waterfront Café is open every day and serves

light bites, tasty snacks, and delicious lunch items like southern fried chicken burgers, loaded nachos and jacket potatoes.

And for those with a sweet tooth, Bewl Water has recently opened a brand-new ice cream parlour too, serving flavours such as triple chocolate, vegan vanilla, raspberry ripple, and salted caramel, alongside milkshakes and slushies.

Children must be aged six and over to use the Aqua Park, and visitors are advised to arrive 45 minutes prior to their park time to

watch a safety briefing and change into their wetsuit and buoyancy vest – both included in the ticket price.

Aqua Park tickets can be bought easily online at: bewlwateraquapark.co.uk. They cost £23 per person for a 50-minute session.

Can’t get to Japan? Have you heard of the other cherry blossom festival?

Goosebumps quickly replace numbness from the chilly night air as I tentatively make my way up the iconic steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC.

I’m among 10,000 or so Americans of all creed and colour who have congregated before daybreak to celebrate the Easter rising, and the atmosphere is spine-tingling.

As preacher Jimeka Jones Setzer addresses the masses, I look down and can just about make out the words: ‘I Have A Dream’ on the grey stone floor beneath me.

I realise I’m on the very spot where the civil rights leader Dr Martin Luther King Jnr made his famous speech 60 years ago, and feel his mighty presence about me.

Warming sunlight slowly edges above the horizon as gospel singer Todd Dulaney breaks into song. I gaze out along the National Mall to the towering Washington Monument and US Capitol beyond, with sprinkles of pink from the flowering cherry trees adding to the sense of wonder.

I then glance behind me and am met by the knowing gaze of another great reformer, Abraham Lincoln, staring down from his 19ft marble frame from within his memorial temple.

It’s little surprise that the Easter service features in the top 10 bucket list of things to do by the washingtonian.com website.

And it’s a treat to finally visit one of the world’s great cities.

I’ve made the eight-hour flight to the US capital not only to walk in the footsteps of political giants, but to savour the beauty of the city’s annual National Cherry Blossom Festival.

DC (District of Columbia) ranks as second only to Japan for blossom displays, and it’s all thanks to the Land Of The Rising Sun.

Back in 1909, Tokyo’s mayor, Yukio Osaki, gifted 2,000 cherry trees to the city, but they were infested with harmful insects and had to be destroyed.

No doubt mortified, Japan donated a further 3,000 trees, which were planted at the Tidal Basin opposite the huge neoclassical memorial to Thomas Jefferson, the third US president and

made the eight-hour flight to the US capital not only to walk in the footsteps of political giants, but to savour the beauty of the city’s annual cherry blossom extravaganza, and three-week spring festival’

principal author of America’s Declaration of Independence.

Many of those trees still remain, while thousands of others have been added across this clean and elegant city. Their delicate flowers attract more than a million visitors every year.

Spring is my favourite of the seasons, a feeling clearly shared by countless others, judging by the number of pink and white balloons, stickers and other paraphernalia that adorns shops and businesses.

Many come for the cherry blossom parades, the kite festival and the Sakura – a Japanese street

festival – which are all child-friendly, and all free of charge.

The website nationalcherryblossomfestival.org tracks the blossoms through its Bloom Watch programme. On average, the peak bloom is April 2, but climate change has brought the date forward in recent years.

My base for a few days, the Hotel Washington offers a brilliant vantage point from its rooftop cocktail bar, including views directly – and somewhat surprisingly – into the White House.

Many of the guests are in town for the annual Easter Egg Roll, with President Joe Biden hosting some 30,000 Americans on the White House lawns that weekend.

I make a beeline for the annual ‘Petalpalooza’, a day-long celebration of music and art along the Anacostia River, having tucked into a cherry blossom punch, burger and fries at the popular Silver Diner Navy Yard, opposite the Washington Nationals Baseball Stadium.

It’s great fun, with jugglers and entertainers mixing among children of all ages, and the likes of the Blacc Print Experience and the hightempo Go Go Gadjet providing music on outdoor platforms. It all builds towards a dazzling choreographed firework display, enjoyed by countless people along the river.

The following day I make my way to The Wharf, fresh from its multi-billion dollar makeover, for an altogether slower but no less impressive cherry blossom experience.

After ‘bottomless brunch’ at the Ambar (ambarrestaurant.com), a popular Balkan restaurant replete with cherry blossom ceiling, I enter the Artechouse DC (artechouse.com/ location/dc; from $17/£14) – the country’s first innovative art destination – for their topical Pixelbloom exhibition.

I’m the first to admit some modern art leaves me cold, but this is mesmerising. I only wish my one-year-old granddaughter was here to enjoy the immersive experience, with its kaleidoscope of colours, shapes and music.

A potent ‘Fleeting Moment’ cocktail from its futuristic cocktail bar adds to the enjoyment.

Just around the corner, Unlimited Biking (unlimitedbiking.com/washington-dc; from $54/£43) offers a brilliant way to visit the biggest and most impressive of the more than 100 monuments and memorials that litter the capital through their cycling tours, all on relatively flat terrain.

Our guide, Josh, leads us along the National Mall and Tidal Basin to nine of the sites over three hours, including the World War Two, Vietnam and Korean War memorials, answering questions and allowing us time to soak in the history.

Knowledge

It’s a treat to visit the Smithsonian Castle and learn more about the British scientist James Smithson, who left $508,000 in his will –equivalent to £50 million in today’s money –to “provide an establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge”, despite never having stepped foot in the US, never mind Washington, DC.

The city has 17 of the 19 Smithsonian museums and the national zoo, all of which are free to enter, in line with Smithson’s wishes.

The scale of the Smithsonian Institute is breathtaking, with 155 million artworks, scientific specimens, artefacts and other objects, only 2% of which are on display at any given time.

I head for the popular National Air and Space Museum (airandspace.si.edu), which has recently undergone a multi-million dollar facelift, and pore over the many treasures, including the flight pioneers Orville and Wilbur Wright’s original aircraft and the Apollo 11 command module, Columbia.

I’m also captivated by the 25-minute planetarium show in the IMAX Theatre, which also gives my aching feet a welcome breather.

With so much to see in this awe-inspiring city, it’s tough to know what to prioritise, but I take a friend’s advice and opt for the Library of Congress, the largest library in the world, with

more than 164 million books.

It’s not so much the size of the place that strikes me as the beauty of the great hall, marble sculptures and mosaics.

As Lincoln once said: “Be sure you put your feet in the right place, then stand firm.”

Doubles at the Hotel Washington (thewashingtonhotel.com) start from £289, room only). Further information on travel to Washington, DC and the National Cherry Blossom festival can be found at washington. org and nationalcherryblossomfestival.org

‘I’ve

The beautiful pink blooms of Washington, DC are a springtime phenomenon worth seeking out, discovers Chris Wiltshire …

PRETTY IN PINK: The Jefferson Memorial during the National Cherry Blossom Festival. Picture: PA Photo/Destination DC

Picture: PA Photo/Chris Wiltshire

Where to treat your dad this Father’s Day

JUNE 18 is Father’s Day, and with the promise of great weather just around the corner, it’s the perfect opportunity to get out of the house and to help Dad celebrate.

Two local venues: Salomons Estate and One Warwick Park’s The Brasserie, are ready and waiting to put on a lavish spread for foodenthused dads. Whether he’s more beer and burgers, or seafood and wine, each eatery is giving away a free drink – so it’s up to you whether you want to head towards the stunning 36-acre estate or keep it local in the centre of Tunbridge Wells.

treat Dad to a delicious, alfresco-style BBQ feast on Salomons’ terrace, where Head Chef Daniel Yardley has carefully selected the most succulent cuts of meat, incredible sides from around the world, and desserts that will leave your mouths watering.

Sharing

Think Thai coconut chicken thighs, 40z chargrilled rump steaks, Cajun fries and Jamaican slaw, plus Eton mess stack, and millionaire’s cheesecake.

The go to place for all things musical

Musical instruments

We offer a wide range of instruments including acoustic and digital pianos, acoustic and classical guitars, woodwind, brass, string and percussion instruments –so we’re bound to have what you’re looking for!

Sheet music

From standard examination publications to more advanced material and even the latest Disney classics, we hold it all! Come and view our extensive sheet music selection instore or browse our online shop.

Instrument rentals

Not sure if your child will practise? Want to try something out yourself? Talk to us about our low-cost rental scheme with an option to purchase at a substantial discount when you come to buy.

Servicing & repairs

All guitar and bowed string instrument repair, restoration, re-hair and servicing is carried out in-house and we retain a network of expert, qualified repairers for other selected instruments.

Brittens Music School

We offer lessons across a range of instruments (including singing) with experienced music teachers. We are also a certified examination centre for the ABRSM and Trinity College London. Talk to us for full details of our lesson options and availability.

For more information please call our team or visit us at: Russell House, Grove Hill Road, Tunbridge Wells, TN1 1RZ.

weather is fine, and all dads will receive a free pint. Adults cost £24.95, while children eat for half price.

If pasta and seafood are more his thing, then The Brasserie, a Mediterranean restaurant on Cumberland Walk, is also giving all dads a free pint, a bottle of beer or a glass of wine with their meal.

Choose from a range of options including lobster ravioli, courgette and butternut squash tagliatelle, herb-crusted lamb rack and citrus grilled swordfish. And for dads with a sweet tooth, there’s a delicious dessert menu too. Indulge in chocolate fondue, white chocolate and raspberry blondie, pistachio fondant, apple tarte tatin and passion fruit sponge pudding. Reservations for both The Brasserie and Salomons Estate can be made on OpenTable or via brasserie-owp.co.uk and salomonsestate.com

COUNTRY HOUSE: The view from the terrace at Salomons Estate

Six super Coronation tipples fit for a new King

Ahead of the Coronation of King Charles III on May 6, Times Drinks Editor James Viner suggests toasting the new monarch with some of these celebratory English bottles…

1: A supermarket vodka to mix a majestic Coronation cocktail to toast King Charles III

Haysmith’s English Vodka, England (Aldi, £14.99)

With the Coronation just around the corner, you’ll unquestionably want a cocktail assortment that’s suitable for any king, queen, or heir expectant. Get in the spirit with this full-bodied, creamy vodka, which was skilfully fashioned by master distillers in the Yorkshire Dales. Try it in this Grand Coronation cocktail:

· 40ml Aldi’s Haysmith’s English Vodka

· 20ml Grand Marnier

· 5ml Campari

· 10ml Lemon Juice

· English sparkling wine, such as The Wine Society’s stellar Exhibition Ridgeview Estate English Sparkling NV wine (£24) or Crémant/dry

Prosecco

Directions: Shake the first four ingredients with ice, then strain them into a champagne flute. Top up with sparkling wine. Garnish with orange zest cut into, yes, a crown shape. It’s also a good choice (much cheaper than Ketel One vodka) for two other majestic – Martini Royale and Royal Toast – cocktails. Cin cin King Charles III! Alc 40%

2: Bargain supermarket spicy and citrusy premium gin

Co-op Irresistible London Dry Gin, England (Co-op, £18)

Coronation G&Ts anyone? Craft gin can cost £30 upwards. Only room for a single, premium own-label bargainous gin? Make it Co-op’s extremely characterful and complex Tellicherry black pepper, lemon verbena, cumin, rowanberry and cardamom zip of a model London dry gin.

the gin industry’s biggest names – with the final blend of exotic 16 botanicals chosen by Co-op members. A spicy and citrusy treat of a gin steal. Just the ticket for a Royal Smile cocktail and ace in a negroni. Alc 40%

3: Must-try special London ‘bone dry’ gin

Bone Idyll London Bone Dry Gin, England (Majestic, £29)

Created by the established restaurateur husband and wife team Sam and Alex Berry in 2022, the Bone Idyll Distillery and Bar in Kingston Upon Thames sells premium small-batch spirits and cocktails. My kind of gin made from 100% British wheat and a botanical mix which includes cardamon, coriander seeds, grapefruit/lemon peel, orris and, of course, juniper. Punchy, bold

4: Mark the special Coronation Bank Holiday weekend in style with an X-factor NV sparkling rosé from Hampshire

Berry Bros & Rudd English Sparkling Rosé by Hambledon, Hampshire, England (Berry Bros & Rudd, £29.95)

Reputedly the cradle of cricket and the location of England’s first commercial vineyard (established in 1952 by Major-General Sir Guy Salisbury-Jones), Hambledon has a lengthy and intriguing history. Their sparkling wines are now in top form. Fragrant, elegant and dry with classy acidity, this Berry Bros & Rudd own-label Chardonnay-forward (with 12% Pinot Noir) bottling from Hambledon is a cracker and great value to boot, the seductive flavours capturing elements of

and blackberry fruit throughout the long, scintillating palate. Remains super-fresh with a bright acid tingle to close. Great for a pukka coronation Kir Royale. Total pleasure awaits. Kudos to head winemaker Hervé Jestin. Sublime. Alc 12%

5: Go big with something truly special – a stylish vintage magnum from W. Sussex Nyetimber Classic Cuvée 2010 magnum, W. Sussex/Hampshire, England (Grape Britannia, Berry Bros & Rudd and Nyetimber, £84.99-£88) There’s something delightfully celebratory about a magnum of wine. If ever there was a time to purchase a magnum or two of English bubbly, this is it.

Say hello to an impactful 1.5-litre bottle of rich, regal bubbly from W. Sussex’s Nyetimber. This refined vintage wine wears a subtle sheen of pungent autolysis with almonds, honey, shortcrust pastry, baking spice, bright red berries and poached pear. Layer upon layer of delicate flavour, texture and depth.

All in all, extremely smart. The wine is splendid now, but it will age charmingly too. Get a second bottle to revisit in a decade (the ratio of air to wine in a magnum is much less than in a standard 75cl bottle, meaning the wine ages far more gradually and tastes sprier).

Don’t be afraid to decant to bring out the subtle, secondary tastes. Not cheap, but a bullseye expression of a vintage English sparkler with some age on it. Bravo Nyetimber’s Canadian winemaker Cherie Spriggs. Crying out for a plate of royal oysters. Sheer joy. 51% Pinot Noir, 36% Chardonnay, 13% Pinot Meunier. Alc 12%

Follow James on Twitter @QuixoticWine

Created by star distiller Joanne Moore – one of

Turkish delights to thrill the taste buds

For an elegant meal with authentic Mediterranean flavours, Zorba Meze and Grill ticks all of the right boxes, writes Michelle Wood

Asuperb restaurant is all good and well, but if it is inaccessible, travelling to feast on your favourite indulgences can seem more like a chore than a treat. Zorba, however, ticked my first box: accessibility.

Conveniently situated on the corner of Upper Grosvenor Road, near the town centre, and literally within steps of the Meadow Road parking garage (should you have a need to travel by car) Zorba’s bold black-and-white signage, a cosy terrace overlooking the road (perfect for those warmer spring and summer days) are a beacon to the weary shopper looking for a shopping hiatus, or a spot to begin a night on the town.

Upon entering, my partner and I were pleasantly surprised by the contemporary décor and elegant charm. Greeted by our host, Manager Onur Sahin, the staff’s pride in their restaurant and its offerings was immediately obvious – we were treated like royalty. Hospitality: another tick.

Our meal began with cocktails: a passion fruit martini and raspberry gin fizz. The martini was the perfect balance of acidity and sweetness, while the raspberry gin fizz offered all of the promises of long summer days, again perfectly balanced and with a clarity of taste. The barman clearly knows his business.

For starters, we ordered a sharing platter of hot and cold meze. From the range of mouthwatering offerings, like dolma – vine leaves wrapped with steamed rice, dill, cinnamon, blackcurrants and pine nuts – to fried mussels cooked with white wine, double cream, tomato and garlic, making our choices proved difficult. After much debate, we opted for

…

hummus; tabbouleh (parley, fresh mint, spring onions and finely chopped cherry tomatoes); baba ghanoush (charred aubergines, skinned and blended with tahini, yoghurt, lemon, garlic and olive oil); deep-fried calamari served with tartare sauce; sigaro boregi (crispy tubes of filo pastry filled with feta and mint, served with a sweet chilli dip); and king prawns (butterflied and cooked in a sweet chilli sauce with white

Paired with a

wine and garlic). As if that table groaning with culinary delights wasn’t enough, the meze are served with a basket of warm, fresh flat breads. When it comes to flavours, Zorba can’t be beaten, and the meze is simply outstanding.

Paired with a South African Roos Estate rosé, we indulged in a sensory feast of colours, flavours and textures, we were blown away by the crispiness of the calamari, the juiciness of perfectly cooked prawns, and the exquisite balance of both the baba ghanoush and tabbouleh, which we completed in its entirety, mopping up the remnants with flatbread.

In retrospect, the generous portions of the meze would have been more than sufficient, but there was still more to come. Again, we opted for

‘When it comes to flavours, Zorba can’t be beaten, and the meze is simply outstanding.

South African Roos Estate rosé, we indulged in a sensory feast of colours, flavours and textures’

a sharing main: a mixed grill for two. This comprised a huge portion of lamb shish, chicken shish, lamb Adana, chicken wings, lamb ribs and lamb chops. Initially, I had been nervous about this option, since I am quite particular about how my meat is cooked, but the offering, cooked on the mangal (a Turkish barbeque, of sorts) was outstanding, and we gave it our best effort.

By the time it came to dessert, we were more than sated, but in the interests of the review, we decided to indulge ourselves with a shared portion of baklava, accompanied by a Turkish coffee. With the perfect flakiness, and ratio of honey and nuts, it was not overly sweet, but the perfect ending to an outstanding meal. For outstanding food, drink, hospitality and accessibility, Zorba ticks all of my boxes. I was particularly pleased to see that the restaurant catered to families, too. We had dined early in the evening, so were delighted to share the restaurant with several other young patrons. I will definitely be returning with our family.

ANYONE FOR BRUNCH?

Zorba is now open for brunch, too, from 12pm to 5pm daily. The menu includes the welcome addition of a range of walletfriendly brunch favourites, like eggs benedict (poached eggs, honey roast ham, hollandaise and a toasted muffin), steak and

onion sandwiches, grilled halloumi and Turkish chorizo and shakshuka (baked eggs, spicy tomato and red pepper sauce and yoghurt).

To make a reservation, visit zorbamezegrill.com

MIXED GRILL

Times Sub Editor Simon Mugford picks three new reads for the week

On this week’s bookshelf, another case for Strafford and Quirke from John Banville, a stark examination of the lives of young women in contemporary America by Monica Potts, and Stephen Buoro’s adolescent drama set in Nigeria…

The Lock-Up by John Banville

Published in hardback by Faber & Faber, priced £16.99

Part of the Strafford and Quirke series, ‘The Lock-Up’ is set in 1950s Dublin, where the body of an apparent suicide is discovered. The unlikely, and often at odds, duo of Detective Inspector Strafford and pathologist Dr Quirke suspect foul play. The victim’s sister, Molly Jacobs, a reporter from London, joins the duo to uncover the truth. At the heart of the deepening mystery is a wealthy German family with ties to Israel. As the body count increases, the relationship between Strafford and Quirke becomes strained, as it becomes apparent there are bigger issues at play. You feel intrigued from the start, and the only way forward is to finish the book. The flawed characters of Strafford and Quirke become intertwined, with past and present colliding – while they can be difficult to like at some points, they are believable and their individual life histories are elegantly

The Forgotten Girls: An American Story by Monica Potts

Published in hardback by Allen Lane, priced £20

Part-memoir, part-social commentary, ‘The Forgotten Girls’ traces the divergent paths of journalist Monica Potts and her childhood best friend Darci, who stayed in their impoverished Arkansas hometown. Reminiscent of Tara Westover’s ‘Educated’, it is the latest addition to the catalogue of books seeking to explain poor, rural America to the outside world. Where it differs is that, while also charting Potts’ quest to escape and her friend’s decline into addiction, it takes a broader view of struggles faced by young women in conservative, religious parts of America, where they can too often be written off.

It is a bleak account and avoids easy conclusions, but contains important lessons about the interaction of poverty, religion, drugs and educational aspiration.

Review by Christopher McKeon

The Five Sorrowful Mysteries Of Andy Africa by Stephen Buoro

Published in hardback by Bloomsbury Publishing, priced £16.99

Combining a coming-of-age tale of a 15-year-old boy in Nigeria with an examination of the legacy of colonialism and relations between Africa and the West, ‘The Five Sorrowful Mysteries

Of Andy Africa’ is an assured debut from Stephen Buoro. The titular Andy Africa – a resented nickname of protagonist Andrew Aziza – agonises over his teenage obsession with blonde girls in a way reminiscent of Adrian Mole, and borrows terms from A Clockwork Orange in hanging out with his “droogs” (friends). He falls in love with a blonde girl from England visiting his church, but his adolescent concerns are soon overtaken by a wave of religious violence as his family implodes, leaving him with stark choices. Buoro brings Andy’s world to life with such immediacy.

Review

by Laura

Paterson

Motoring News

Steve McQueen’s Ferrari 275 GTB is heading to auction

A 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4, first delivered to Hollywood star Steve McQueen, is heading to auction later this year.

The 275 GTB/4 by Scaglietti is already considered one of the most desirable classic Ferrari models around, but this 1967 model adds even further provenance as it was first delivered to Steve McQueen, who owned the car for more than four years.

Icon

McQueen is considered a motoring icon of the silver screen, best known for his work in the films Bullitt (1968) and Le Mans (1971).

The 275 GTB/4 was brought back to its original ‘McQueen’ specification by Ferrari Classiche – the supercar firm’s in-house restoration service – between 2010 and 2013. Since then, it has been displayed in Ferrari’s official museum in Maranello, as well as appearing at the Villa d’Este Concorso d’Eleganza.

It’s being sold by RM Sotheby’s at its sale coinciding with Monterey Car Week, in

California on August 18 and 19, with an estimate of $5m-$7m (£4m-£5.6m).

Other star lots at the Monterey sale include a rare Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Spider, one of just 121 made. Finished in its original black colour scheme, it is estimated to sell for $2.8m-$3.2m (£2.2m-£2.6m).

A collection of six cars from a private collector is also being sold, with the star model being a 1938 BMW 328 ‘Special Competition’ Roadster, one of only three supplied to the German national racing team, and considered to be one of the most historically important BMW racing cars. It has also been part of the same family ownership for 52 years, and is estimated to sell for $1.9m-$2.9m (£1.7m-£2.7m).

Gord Duff, global head of Auctions, RM Sotheby’s, said: “We’re thrilled to announce the former Steve McQueen 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 as our first major consignment – a perfect car to kickstart the coming lineup. But that’s just the beginning, as we’ve also secured a private collection of exceptional cars.”

MG’s new electric sports car is set for UK launch in 2024

Volkswagen expands electric car line-up as it reveals the new ID.7

SET FOR a launch in Europe this autumn, the ID.7 has been designed for long distances from the outset and, as a result, can deliver up to 435 miles between trips to the plug. This comes courtesy of Volkswagen’s largest electric car battery to date, with the 86kWh unit being joined by a smaller 77kWh version which will still return up to 382 miles of range.

Aerodynamic

The 86kWh version will be able to charge at speeds of up to 200kW, too, while the 77kWh version will max out at 170kW.

The exterior of the car uses many of the design themes that we’ve seen in the rest of the Volkswagen ID range, such as the full-width light bar at the front. However, as a ‘fastback saloon’ the ID.7 has a sleeker, more aerodynamic shape overall than other cars in VW’s stable of EVs. At 4.96m long, it’s slightly longer than Volkswagen’s current Arteon, while a long wheelbase means it’s able to offer plenty of interior space. There’s also the option to fit a new panoramic roof with ‘smart glass’ that can be made opaque or transparent at the press of a button.

The dials in the ID.7 have been stripped back to show only essential information, too, with the bulk of details displayed to the driver by a new augmented-reality head-up display.

Volkswagen says that this feature will be fitted as standard, too.

In the middle, there’s a large 15-inch touchscreen display, which houses all key functions such as media, navigation and phone connectivity. It also gives access to the main heating and ventilation functions, though these are located on a main ‘bar’ at the bottom of the display. There are also illuminated sliders to help adjust the temperature quickly and easily.

Some aspects of the interior are very similar to areas found in the current range of ID models, too, such as the steering wheel and headlight controls.

A new seat massage function will also be available with the ID.7, bringing front seats equipped with 10 air cushions in the backrest which deliver a ‘pneumatic pressure point massage’.

Volkswagen hasn’t stated what the ID.7 will be priced at, though it’s expected that this information will be revealed close to the car’s full launch this autumn.

MG IS returning to the sports car market with the Cyberster – an electric drop-top due on sale in the UK in 2024.

MG has a fantastic history when it comes to sports cars, with the former British brand producing the excellent MG Midget and MGB. The last MG sports car sold was the TF, which was stopped in 2011.

While MG was revived from the ashes by Chinese automotive brand SAIC, so far its focus has been on sensibly-priced hatchbacks and SUVs. This has helped it to become one of the UK’s fastest-growing car firms in the UK; it sold more than 50,000 cars last year, putting it ahead of firms like Skoda, Volvo and Citroën.

While MG has been teasing an electric sports car, called the Cyberster, for some time, the firm has now announced that it will enter production and arrive in the UK in summer 2024. Confirmed at the Shanghai auto show, the model has also been shown in what’s expected to be production spec. Taking a similar shape to past MG sports cars, the firm said it wanted to create a model that is “respectful of the brand’s

illustrious past”. The design also has supercarlike butterfly doors and a striking rear design.

Illustrious

Carl Gotham, advanced design director of the company’s Marylebone design studio in London – the firm’s only real UK link now –said: “Our intention was to create a completely new roadster ready for a new generation of sports car drivers and which opens a bold and compelling new chapter for MG.

“The focus for Cyberster was for the design to be respectful of the brand’s illustrious past and to bring back that sporting bloodline, while also being absolutely clear that it should be modern and forward-facing like the MG of today, completely in-tune with the rapid transition to electric vehicles.”

MG is yet to confirm any performance or battery details about its upcoming Cyberster, but more details are likely to be announced in the run-up to its launch next year.

Film icon’s Ferrari at auction n New VW ID.7 n MG’s electric roadster n

LEGEND: The ‘McQueen’ Ferrari

CHEF DEMOS

MIDDAY ON THE BANDSTAND

Over 500 products and flavours from over 30 local and national producers. There will also be special guest chefs cooking up a storm on the bandstand, with a range of locally sourced produce. What’s more, to help work off the calories, we have toe-tapping live music and entertainment to keep the whole family entertained. Visit our website and social media sites for more information.

NEW LATE NIGHT SATURDAY

Sponsored by:

COCKTAIL DEMOS 1PM ON THE BANDSTAND

Over 150 gins from over 30 local and national producers. Product sampling, sparkling wine, a special selection of Champagnes and street food. Plus, toe-tapping live music and entertainment! Visit our website and social media sites for more information.