Time of Tunbridge Wells - 23rd November 2016

Wednesday, November 23, 2016

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MEET THE TWEAKED VERSION OF THE FOLDING HARD-TOP FERRARI

WARNING THAT DRINKERS WILL PAY THE PRICE FOR PLUNGING POUND

Page 83

Page 13 P

PANTO PAIR TOUR THE TOWN AND HELP OPEN RVP GROTTO Pages 8-9

SANTA WINS SEAL OF APPROVAL FROM THE YOUNGSTERS

EVENT ENCOURAGES WOMEN TO ‘BE BOLD, BE YOU AND BE HEARD’ Pages 90-91

INSIDE BUSINESSMAN DIES Ripples Director Colin Payne has died at his home. Page 5

PALM OIL WARS

Rival raises the offer in a bid to sweeten the deal. Page 11

SILLY BLOGGERS

Fran Taylor wins Comic Writer of the Year award. Page 6

Dame Kelly Holmes joins Father Christmas in leading the parade as friends, family and children of the Pickering Cancer Drop in Centre celebrate naming the seals at the Tunbridge Wells ice rink.

Full story pages 8 and 9

Teenager guilty of murdering civil servant Mother left ‘dumbfounded’ after son told her what had happened Jonathan Banks

newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk A TEENAGER, described as a ‘quiet, unassuming’ person, has been found guilty of murdering a high-ranking civil servant at his country cottage in Mayfield.

Ben Bamford, aged 18 and from Crowborough, inflicted more than 40 injuries

during a ‘sustained attack’ on senior HM Revenue and Customs official Paul Jefferies, 52. Mr Jefferies, who reportedly advised former Chancellor George Osborne’s Treasury team, was found on his blood-covered kitchen floor in Coggins Mill Lane in March. The pair had met via the gay dating app Grindr.

Lewes Crown Court heard how Bamford had sought to rob Mr Jefferies after he had

built up drugs debts of around £400 which he was being pressurised to repay.

Bamford, of South Street, Crowborough, denied murder, claiming he was protecting himself from Mr Jefferies but jurors convicted him after deliberating for three hours. The former pupil of the town’s Beacon Academy stood emotionless, flanked by two dock officers as the verdict was announced by the jury foreman.

His mother Annmarie Bamford broke down in tears as she sat next to her husband Richard. Judge Mr Justice Spencer adjourned sentencing until today.

The judge said ‘a little time for reflection’ was needed to consider the sentence, partly due to the fact that Bamford was 17 when the murder took place. Mr Jefferies,

Full story page 4

THE TOY STORY

Mayor’s appeal to make sure no child misses out. Page 7

4 ■ LOCAL NEWS

Crematorium launches web-cam funeral services Adam Hignett

adam@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk CHURCH leaders have reacted with qualified enthusiasm to council plans that will see crematorium services broadcast to mourners over the internet.

Under proposals put forward by Tunbridge Wells Borough Council, which are due to be implemented in the new year, families who wish to have the service ‘live streamed’ will have £50 added on to their invoice.

In addition to bringing in extra revenue, the council say broadcasting the service over the internet will allow those who are unable to attend the cremation, due to distance or illness, the ability to feel part of the proceedings.

Cliff Allen, a minister at the Evangelical Church of Christ on Commercial Road and Secretary of Churches for Tunbridge Wells said, in his own opinion, that he saw several benefits to the scheme, but warned it could be misused.

“Personally I think it allows people who are distant or infirm to still participate in the celebration of life and that is important. But I wouldn’t want to see it become an alternative to the communal bereavement process.”

Reverend Allen believes it is ‘probably inevitable’ that the use of internet broadcasting would become more normalised in the future and could cover other services such as weddings.

He added: “It would be sad though if we ended up with a ‘pseudo community’ as opposed to a real one for events such as weddings and funerals.

There is a lot of value in face to face contact and being present in person.”

Clive Mansell, Archdeacon of Tonbridge, said ‘hopefully’ live streaming arrangements will be of ‘some help and comfort’ to individuals who cannot attend the funeral service, adding: “It may enable them to feel closer to the occasion itself and thereby more fully to join in the prayers at such a service.”

The idea is not novel to Tunbridge Wells and has been around for several years. A survey of funeral directors

across the UK carried out in October found 61 per cent of them had received requests for live-streaming of services and around a fifth of Britain’s 281 crematoriums already have webcams in place.

Nationally, leading funeral directors have warned that the option could ‘pander to people’s laziness’

CAUTIOUS SUPPORT Rev Cliff Allen and the crematorium

and ‘let them off the emotional hook’. However, Father Peter Stodart, of Saint Augustine’s Catholic Church in Tunbridge Wells, said he had ‘no problem’ with the idea, having conducted funeral services himself which had been live streamed ‘to the other side of the world’.

He also does not think it will lead to people opting to stay at home when they could otherwise attend, adding he assumed ‘anyone who could be there would be there’.

Ken Dry, Tunbridge Wells Borough Council Registrar, said: “The webcast is accessible through any device with an internet browser compatible with Microsoft Silverlight. After the funeral service it will be available to view on demand for a period of seven days.”

Mother told son: ‘We must go to the police’ Continued from page 1

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Wednesday 23rd November 2016

who was described by colleagues as ‘diligent, personable but very private’, moved to Sussex from London five years before his death following the breakdown of a relationship.

Bamford met Mr Jefferies some two years before the killing when he was aged 15.

Contact resumed in December 2015 following a break. Unknown to Mr Jefferies, by the time they met again Bamford was ‘desperate’ for money to settle drugs debts and was being pressurised by a dealer.

During his defence, Bamford told the court he had met Mr Jefferies in the hope he would give him money, as he had done so in the past.

Bamford claimed that he stabbed Mr Jefferies to protect himself.

After leaving Mr Jefferies for dead on the kitchen floor inside the Grade II-listed cottage, Bamford took his victim’s Audi TT car and picked up a friend en route to Eastbourne District General Hospital.

He was admitted claiming his injuries had been VICTIM caused by self-harming to Paul Jefferies avoid police involvement.

Mrs Bamford, a nurse, told the court how she had been left ‘dumbfounded’ after her son told her that he had killed someone. He was recuperating at home following an operation to treat his injuries.

Mrs Bamford told jurors: “I kept saying that I need to know what’s happening. And then he shouted, ‘I think I’ve killed somebody’.

“I had to ask him again because he was being very tearful and angry. I asked him again in disbelief, ‘What?’.

“And he said again, ‘I think I’ve killed somebody’. He then went on to his bed and laid there face down, very upset and very tearful.”

Shocked at his claims, Mrs Bamford went online to find anything to support what he was saying – and she found a report of a suspicious death in Mayfield.

“I said to Ben, ‘We need to go to the police’ and he said, ‘Yes, I know’,” said Mrs Bamford.

A Crowborough businessman, who asked not to be named, told the Times: “I met him [Bamford] a few times and he came across as a quiet, unassuming guy who was always very polite.”

ARRIVING AT COURT Ben Bamford

‘THIS EVENT WAS FREE TO ATTEND BUT I STILL FEEL CHEATED’ SOME people are never happy; always looking to moan and criticise. And they can be very vocal. Particularly on social media.

There was an event on The Pantiles over the weekend. It was billed as a Christmas Cracker and featured a kids’ disco, live music, festive food, roasted chestnuts and Santa.

Then came news of Storm Angus.

Organisers had a choice: Call the whole thing off or press ahead and do their best.

They decided to keep going. As expected, the heavens opened and not everything went according to plan. But the brollies went up, Santa arrived and the bands kept playing.

Then came the moaners on social media, perhaps best summed up by the chap who posted the following: “This event was free to attend but I still feel cheated. That’s how bad it was.”

So, you had a free event, which was hit by

the worst weather we’ve had so far this year, and you felt let down, although you could have left at any point.

Amazing.

It’s easy to sit on the sidelines, not put your own money at risk and complain. But if we all did that, what sort of town would we have?

Nothing is more guaranteed to get people talking, or rather arguing, than traffic problems and when you add cyclists into the mix the whole thing can become toxic.

One of the most notorious roads in and out of Tunbridge Wells is the A26 when it trickles through Southborough. Now comes news that the county council has joined forces with the borough council to turn a half-mile section into a route exclusively for cyclists.

The lane is currently restricted to buses, which means when the buses are ‘banned’

from the lanes, they will have to take their chances with other motorists and add to the number of vehicles on an already congested stretch of road.

That’ll make passengers happy.

The buses will also be using something described as ‘floating bus stops’ – whatever that might mean.

We’re sure those who take decisions and make recommendations have thought it all through and there is probably some logic.

However, we can imagine the frustration of motorists confined to traffic jams glancing with envy at an empty cycle lane.

The whole thing is now up for public consultation so if you have a few thoughts, one way or another, now is the time to make your voice heard.

Richard Moore, Editorial Director

LOCAL NEWS 

NEWS IN BRIEF

Cyclists to replace buses on busy A26

By Murray Jones murray@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk

Triple win for law firm at top awards ceremony THREE employees from the Tunbridge Wells law firm of Thomson, Snell & Passmore were honoured at an awards ceremony last week.

The Junior Lawyers Division’s Achievements Awards were held at the Spa Hotel on Friday as part of the local Law Society’s annual dinner. Faye Cook was named the Junior Lawyer of the Year, having won Trainee Solicitor of the Year last year, Jennifer Hawkes achieved Trainee Solicitor of the Year and Kirsty Hancock won Paralegal of the Year.

THERE has been mixed reaction to the news that the notorious stretch of A26 through Southborough is to switch the use of the bus lane into a route for cyclists.

As well as forcing buses into the densely congested half-mile stretch, Kent County Council’s (KCC) and Tunbridge Wells Borough Council’s (TWBC) plans will also impose a 20mph speed limit between Pennington Road and Holden Park Road.

Mandatory cycle lanes will be introduced in both directions. This means vehicles cannot drive or park in the lane, which is marked by a solid line. This restriction will apply 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Planning documents from KCC state: “Due to the volume of traffic much of the route is a designated Air Quality Management Area. A solution is therefore required to encourage more cycling use along the route which would contribute towards congestion relief, improvements in air quality and health.”

However, the plans have raised

concerns for some local businesses, who argue that the state of traffic on the road alongside Southborough Common has already been hindering their trade.

Shannon Russell, Assistant Manager at the Hand and Sceptre public house, described the proposal as ‘very silly’, adding: “We have already had one of our breakfast clubs cancel because it takes them too long to get here. If congestion gets worse, that could have a negative effect on our business.

‘Bus passengers will be stuck in congestion’ “It’s surprising they are changing it to a cycle lane when there are not many cyclists round here. If they made it another lane for motorists I think that would be much better.”

Department for Transport figures from 2014 do show that 0.5 per cent of daily traffic on the A26 is from bicycles, in comparison to 85.7 per cent from cars – an imbalance that KCC, in conjunction with the borough council, are wishing to address through cycling-promoting measures such as these.

‘Amazing’ Poppy Appeal

NORTH FARM tip reopened last week having been closed for more than three weeks after a fire caused £15,000 worth of damage on October 22. The reopening is only temporary, however. Kent County Council said that permanent repairs will still need to be made, resulting in further closures. Kent Fire and Rescue service said the cause of the fire was ‘spontaneous burning’.

Tonbridge gets an M&S A NEW Marks and Spencer is set to launch in Tonbridge next week. The M&S Foodhall will open in Cannon Lane, on December 7. The store will only sell food, both off the shelf and in its 48-seater café.

It signals a new direction for the retail giant, as they announced earlier in the month that they would be closing 30 stores across the UK and converting a further 45 into food-only outlets.

SOUTHBOROUGH STRAIN The bus lane is to become a cycle route Concerns have also been raised on behalf of bus users. Cllr Diane Hill, who represents Southborough and High Brooms at the borough council, said: “A lot of people use the services and it is going to be much worse for them if they are stuck in congestion.”

Nonetheless, Cllr David Elliott, who represents Southborough North at Town Hall and is a cyclist himself, is less convinced of the impact on traffic. He said: “I don’t think it will make much difference [for motorists]. It’s a really difficult issue. We are trying to encourage cycle use and

make the road safe but obviously the road is already really busy.”

The speed-limit pressure group 20s Plenty for Tunbridge Wells has welcomed the proposals. Its spokesman Tom Swarbrigg said: “This half-mile stretch of road has suffered dozens of crashes in recent years, including one fatality and four serious injuries and cyclists regularly report near-misses.”

A public consultation event will be held on November 28 at Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys, between 5pm and 8pm.

Squash-loving Ripples director dies after suffering heart attack

FUNDRAISING collections in Tunbridge Wells on behalf of the British Legion over the Remembrance period reached an ‘amazing’ total of £41,500 – surpassing last year’s effort by £4,500.

Poppy Appeal Organiser, Gaëlle Coyle, said: “It’s humbling to see that people are so supportive of the Poppy Appeal year in, year out. The money raised on behalf of the Royal British Legion is not only in memory of the fallen but also for the future of the living.”

Tip temporarily reopens

5

EVER CLOSER A contractor surveys the land

Positive signs of progress on town’s old cinema site CONTRACTORS were spotted on the old cinema site mapping out the 1.3-acre plot with a 3D laser scanner in preparation for development on Monday [November 21].

It is the latest sign of momentum following the removal of debris by workmen ‘to make the site safe’ and the unveiling of plans following a number of public consultations by the site’s owners Altitude UK. When contacted, Altitude Director Stephen Tillman confirmed the surveyors were employed by his firm,

adding ‘progress is being made’.

Laser scanners are widely used in the preparatory stages of development in order to accurately document certain aspects of a given site, such as elevation, gradient and other special aspects by collecting millions of individual point measurements within minutes.

Combined with GPS data, the results of the scan can then be used to create 3D models which can also be laid over information regarding pipes and cables running underneath the plot.

A POPULAR businessman in the town, Colin Payne, died at his home on Saturday morning, after a suspected heart attack.

The 54-year-old had been the Director of Ripples Bathroom showroom in Tunbridge Wells for the past nine-and-a-half years. He leaves a partner and two children from a previous marriage.

In tribute, his colleague Mark Joy said: “Known for his enduring patience and desire to see the best in everyone, Colin built up a successful bathroom business after achievements as a professional squash player. A very sad loss to all that knew him.”

After leaving Bexleyheath School at 16, Colin initially pursued a career in computing. However, at the age of 25, his dream of being a professional sportsman became a reality and he enjoyed a six-year career as a professional squash player.

Retiring at 31, he pursued his love of sports by managing fitness clubs for a further 10 years, including an eightyear spell at Charing Cross Sports Club in central London.

He briefly worked as General Manager at a friend’s builders’

merchant, before becoming the Director of the Ripples Showroom in Tunbridge Wells in 2007.

Determined to expand his business, he opened showrooms in Brighton and then Reigate.

The Tunbridge Wells showroom moved from its location on The Pantiles to St John’s Road last month.

Colin, who lived in Dartford, continued to be a keen sportsman after retiring professionally, making it through to the quarter-finals of the over-45s British Squash Open in 2012.

SAD LOSS Colin Payne

Wednesday 23rd November 2016

6 � LOCAL NEWS

Primary heads say 11-plus ‘causes huge amount of anxiety’ HEADTEACHERS in counties with a high proportion of grammar schools have spoken out against the selective system.

Almost 100 heads in Kent, Buckinghamshire and Lincolnshire participated in the survey, with 78 of the respondents coming from primary schools.

Of these, 71 per cent said comprehensives provided a better path for pupils. Many spoke out against the negative influence of grammars.

Respondents were concerned about the growing number of pupils who are being tutored to pass the 11-plus entrance exam, which is not needed for comprehensive schools.

They claimed that children suffer stress because of the pressure of taking the test, and the process can damage self-esteem and cause students to worry about their future.

The headteachers also believed that grammars have an adverse impact on the neighbouring comprehensives – a ‘secondary modern effect’.

Non-grammar schools in selective areas are described as lacking academic aspiration and are perceived as second rate from the outside.

The anonymous survey was undertaken by the Kent Education Network (KEN), an anti-grammar pressure group, and a so-called ‘education think-tank’ LKMco. It comes against the backdrop of the government seeking to expand the selective system under Prime Minister Theresa May.

Survey Fewer than one in ten responded to the survey of 1,000 headteachers in the three counties, but the findings were emphatic: � 78 per cent say the age of ten or 11 is inappropriate to judge a child’s ability � 92 per cent believe failing the 11-plus can impact negatively on a child’s self-esteem � 96 per cent claim that tutoring has a significant impact on pass rates � 80 per cent say children from low-income families are disadvantaged by the test � 79 per cent feel parents hold grammars in higher regard than other local schools

THREE SAMPLE RESPONSES “The pressure to pass the 11-plus from parents when pupils are in year four and five is causing a huge amount of anxiety in young pupils.

“Some children who could do very well at a grammar school in terms of ability are denied the opportunity due to the stress and pressure of completing the test.

“Many pupils mature and grow in year six following the test.”

“As a primary school, we have many families who believe that our sole purpose is to get their children through the 11-plus.

“Failing the test has social implications – particularly in middle-class and aspirational families.

“Some children are tutored for two years before their 11-plus and are placed under enormous pressure by their friends and family.”

“Grammar schools clearly take fewer children from vulnerable and disadvantaged groups.

“They encourage tutoring to pass a selection test which more wealthy parents can afford.

“They therefore discriminate against lowerincome families, regardless of ability.

“Grammar schools teach a minority of where they are situated.”

Wednesday 23rd November 2016

More wine than whine as local blogger wins top comedy award KEEP MUM Fran and Hattie on the London Tube

By Andrew Tong

newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk TONBRIDGE blogger Fran Taylor has been named Mumsnet Best Comic Writer of the Year.

Fran’s blog, Whinge Whinge Wine, received the accolade at the Blogfest 16 awards ceremony at Kings Place, London on November 12.

The 32 year old, who has two children aged one and two, describes her work as ‘surviving two small sleep thieves through wine, tea and sarcasm’.

She was judged the winner by comedian Sara Pascoe, who said at the presentation: “All of the finalist blogs were witty, warm and full of much to ponder and despair at.

“But Fran’s in particular demonstrated a fresh writing style and was so easy to read and cheerful.

“Reading her is like having a wonderfully restorative chat with a funny friend. What a welcome resource for new mums.”

Fran had to fight off competition from local rival Hattie Harrison of Southborough, the author of That Mum Blog, after they were both shortlisted in the top three for the award by the influential ­parenting website.

The pair have become friends since discovering they lived in the same area, sharing a glass of Prosecco or five, and they travelled up to the ­ ­ceremony together.

After they were whittled down from a shortlist of six by a public vote, their only rival among the comedy nominees was a blog called Eeh Bah Mum, by Kirsty Smith from Haworth in Yorkshire.

Fran said the award came as complete surprise.

“When Sara Pascoe started describing my writing style as ‘warm and friendly’, I didn’t think she was talking about me,” she said.

“I was very, very shocked. I’d gone through the whole day not thinking about it. I thrive on doing things at the very last minute. But I’d had a whole day of people asking me if I was nervous. That gets to you after a while.”

She was glad she didn’t have to make a speech.

“The last time I was at an awards do, I would have been too drunk to make a speech if I had won,” she confided. “I didn’t even notice I hadn’t won.

“It was a very long day this time, with lots of interesting talks. But there was no alcohol until after the awards, so I wouldn’t have given a very good speech. I’m not used to classroom situations.”

Fran was impressed by the quality of the ­speakers at the workshops, such as comedians Shappi Khorsandi and Meera Syal. “So it was a lot of note-taking and brainwork. I wanted to make the most of it.”

While we talked, Fran took time out to keep her children under control in the background. The interview was interspersed with exclamations like: “What are you doing? Get off that!” It added a ­generous spoonful of authenticity.

On the day, she met up with her online friends, called the Chucklemums. “They are a blogger ­circle I’ve been linking up with for the last six months. They come from all over and they’re a like-minded group.

“They are all into parenting humour like me, and that’s what I want to read at three o’clock in the morning when the kids are keeping me awake.”

They are not just there for the jokes, however.

Sometimes the dark side of the blogosphere can strike home when unwelcome comments are left by way of feedback.

Fran revealed: “The Chucklemums have been wonderfully ­supportive, they read through your blogs to make sure you’re OK – and they will stick

up for you when someone starts ‘trolling’ you.

“That’s where all this came from in the first place, me chatting to my friends on social media.

But once you start blogging, you realise there is so much more to it.”

‘The best days are the rubbish ones when you don’t think about it, you just bang it out’ Yet her talent appears to be something that comes to her naturally. “The best days are the r­ubbish ones, when you don’t think it about it too much, you just bang it all out and press ‘post’.”

One rather unusual aspect of the award was that there was no prize. “I didn’t win anything. Everyone kept asking me, ‘what did you win?’ I won kudos. I guess I’ll tell them that on the school run.”

But she is mightily proud of her achievement, and while she jokes that her husband Doug is forever telling her ‘Fran, you’re not funny’, she feels like she has proved herself.

“The day was a bit of a blur, to be honest. From a liberal feminist point of view, it made me feel empowered, like we can do anything, it’s all worthwhile, I’ve got a voice.”

Funnily enough, the day before the awards her computer broke down. “It’s horrible not having my laptop. I’d like to say it’s liberating, and that I’m playing with the kids on the floor and all that.

“But no, it’s like having a limb cut off.”

FRAN-TASTIC: (L-R): Davina McCall, Josephine Franks of Mumsnet, Fran Taylor and comedian Sara Pascoe

Businesses face £2m hike in their rates

By Adam Hignett

adam@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk THE agency which will be representing a number of Tunbridge Wells firms at a business rates tribunal next month has warned that the town faces a collective £2million hike in the next tax year.

Manchester-based firm CVS was thrust into the middle of an ongoing dispute between the council and the Valuation Office Agency at the start of November, when it was disclosed that the agency was helping 21 companies to have their rates re-evaluated. If successful, it would land the local taxpayer with a £4million bill.

The joint action has been described as the council’s ‘worst fears being realised’ by Director of Finance and Corporate Services Lee Colyer.

However, companies in Tunbridge Wells will be hit hard when the recent review of rates comes into force in April, with research revealing that the combined rateable value of the borough’s 4,003 businesses has risen from £127,071,493 in 2010 to £134,739,996.

As a result CVS, which specialises in securing re-evaluations for businesses, project this will add an additional £2,004,345 in payable tax on businesses within the borough, meaning the total rates bill next year is likely to rise to £66,870,234.

Mark Rigby, Chief Executive of CVS, said: “There’s no doubt that the new Rating List isn’t the best bit of news for businesses in Tunbridge Wells.

“The previous business rates assessments took effect just as the financial crisis turned the property market on its head. That meant that over the last seven years businesses here have

effectively been paying less than what they perhaps should have been.”

However, he noted the government’s proposal for a scheme called ‘transitional relief’ – currently under consultation – would help to cushion the blow by phasing in increases in rates bills.

The £2million hike is not likely to be spread evenly across the borough, as research undertaken by the Times in October revealed huge variations in the results of the recent re-evaluation.

It was found that out of 30 businesses checked at random on the High Street, 21 will have to find extra money – with the highest rise in rateable value being 21 per cent.

Meanwhile, retailers operating within Royal Victoria Place shopping centre will benefit from some of the largest cuts, which will fall on average by 23 per cent.

CHRISTMAS SPECIAL 

come from the many schools that organise toy-giving assemblies, churches that hold toy services, and businesses and staff groups who join forces to donate gifts.

All the presents are transferred from the collection points to the Big Yellow Self Storage depot in Longfield Road, Tunbridge Wells, where they are sorted by dedicated volunteers.

Karen Collins, one of the organisers of the appeal, said: “At Big Yellow we have around 20 volunteers working hard to make sure the children receive appropriate gifts that we know Father Christmas would approve of. Please help us by donating to the appeal.”

MAYOR’S LITTLE HELPERS Youngsters join Cllr Neve in Beavering away to help others

Mayor’s toy appeal is launched to try and ensure a very Happy Christmas for all our children

By Jonathan Banks

newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk CHRISTMAS is fast approaching and many people will be looking forward to spending time with their families, over-indulging on food and drink and, of course, exchanging gifts. But for others, it is a time of worry as they struggle to make ends meet.

So November 12 saw the launch of the Mayor’s Christmas Toy Appeal, which has been ensuring disadvantaged children in the borough receive presents for almost 30 years.

The appeal will run until December 15, and those involved are urging people to give generously this year, with donations accepted at designated collection points across Tunbridge Wells borough.

As well as individual donations, each year gifts

‘So many would love to give that magical experience to their youngsters but are unable to find a way to provide for it’

7

TOY APPEAL DROP-OFF POINTS  Baldwin’s Travel Agency, Tunbridge Wells  Barsley’s Department Store, Paddock Wood  Big Yellow Self Storage, Longfield Road  Bowlplex, Knights Park  Kent & Sussex Courier, Tunbridge Wells  Notcutts Garden Centre, Pembury  Pembury Library (Closed Mondays)  Sainsbury’s Local, Mount Pleasant  Southborough Library (Closed Thursdays)  The Camden Centre, Tunbridge Wells  The Town Hall, Tunbridge Wells  Town & Country Housing, Monson Way  Tunbridge Wells Museum & Art Gallery  Tunbridge Wells Sport Centre  Weald Information Centre, Cranbrook

Her plea for donations was echoed by the Mayor, David Neve, who said: “As a magical time of year draws ever closer, the Mayoress and I would ask you to look back at your childhood and how you viewed Christmas. Was it with awe and wonder of what might occur and what gifts you might receive?

“As adults, we know so many would love to give that magical experience to their youngsters but are unable to find a way to provide for it.

This is why we hope that you will get behind our appeal and keep the magic alive for so many young people.

“Wealth is not a God-given right, but hope for the future is. If you think you can make a little one smile then please contribute anything you can to the Mayor’s Toy Appeal this Christmas and help make a wish come true.”

Last year the Toy Appeal helped 205 children have a happier Christmas, and those organising the appeal will hope to exceed that this year.

 Weald Sports Centre, Cranbrook  Whirligig, Mount Pleasant

The Mayor’s Christmas Toy Appeal will be pleased to receive new or as-new gifts for children of all ages

Wednesday 23rd November 2016

8  CHRISTMAS SPECIAL

Crowds turn out for Santa… the ice rink… the festive lights… and The Pantiles party

OH YES THEY DID! The panto cast on the open-top bus

By Murray Jones murray@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk

TUNBRIDGE WELLS entered into the spirit of Christmas last week as thousands of spectators, both young and old, were treated to an array of festivities.

It was all coordinated by

Royal Tunbridge Wells Together. It began on Thursday afternoon but bouts of heavy rain could not put a dampener on the enthusiasm of this year’s pantomime cast.

They paraded around the town centre on an open-top bus along

Wednesday 23rd November 2016

with Father Christmas and his elves. The pageantry of the Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs cast drew waves, laughter and a fair bit of confusion from passers-by.

There was a moment of surprise for a London Road gentleman who, coming out of a shower wrapped in a towel, was understandably taken aback to be greeted by ‘Wicked Witch’ Su Pollard and Co waving through his second floor window from the top of their double decker.

The bus pulled up to Royal Victoria Place (RVP), to allow Santa’s Grotto to be officially opened by the man himself but not before he spoke to the many excited children about what’s on their Christmas list.

Everyone then went along to the walkway outside Boots as the stage was set for the lights switch-on.

Introduced by Heart DJ Jenni Falconer, the audience saw performances from the Tunbridge Wells Rock Choir, Britain’s Got Talent dancers Boogie Storm and X Factor singer Ben Haenow.

CHRISTMAS SPECIAL 

They all came together on stage, pushing a big red button to light up the town at around 7.15pm.

RVP Marketing Manager Marc Burchett applauded the performers and audience for making this year’s show ‘the biggest and best ever’.

COUNTDOWN BEGINS Boogie Storm surround Ben Haenow (L) and Jenni Falconer

Ice rink On Friday evening, the council’s ice rink on Calverley Grounds, now in its sixth year, was officially opened by Mayor David Neve. Crowds were wowed by displays of figure skating by the Gillingham Silver Blades before the Invicta Junior Ice Hockey Club, under-9s and 11s, showed off their sporting skills.

Afterwards dignitaries were permitted to head on to the ice before it was opened to the public at 8pm - a few slips and scrapes failing to put a dent in the evening’s festivities. The rink will be open seven days a week (apart from Christmas Day) until January 2.

Following the opening, more than 100 children, parents and friends from Pickering Cancer Drop-in Centre visited the rink on Saturday morning.

Each of the 35 youngsters had earlier been invited to name one of the rink’s ‘seals’ – an aid that less confident skaters can use for stability or to push children around on. Paxton, Mooking and Bert were some of the more unusual names, alongside the more traditional Snowball and Winter.

Hot chocolate came courtesy of Basil Café to warm up the crowd.

Santa Express It was then all aboard the Santa Express for its inaugural journey round town. During the lead-up to Christmas the train will ferry shoppers, free of charge, between the Assembly Hall and the High Street.

9

‘I can’t wait to get the audience going with the usual pantomime boos and hisses’ Snow White’s Wicked Witch Su Pollard

ALL ABOARD Young and old enjoy the Santa Express It is the fourth year that the train has run, with an average of 10,000 people being carried each Christmas. The train will operate on the weekends of November 26-27, December 3-4 and December 10-11, and then everyday in the week leading up to Christmas.

‘It was a truly magical day for all the children, family and friends.

Everything was perfect’ Pickering’s Polly Taylor (top right)

The Pantiles Despite the heavy rain, staff and volunteers worked wonders, and against all the odds, to bring some festive fun to youngsters and grown-ups alike with Saturday night’s Christmas Cracker. More lights were switched on along The Pantiles and a Kids’ Disco was followed by the Funk & Soul Machine.

DANCING IN THE RAIN The Pantiles on Saturday night

Wednesday 23rd November 2016

10  LOCAL NEWS NEWS IN BRIEF SPECIAL GUEST Hilary Steel

Dramatic decline in refugee children – but Kent can’t cope as they grow up

By Andrew Tong newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk

Mafia guests gather for winter warmer MEMBERS of the Muesli Mafia networking group gathered at One Warwick Park hotel for their Winter Warmer Special last week.

Around 50 guests, representing a wide range of industries based in West Kent, enjoyed afternoon tea and the opportunity to listen to guest speaker Hilary Steel on how she became a ‘comedy cook’.

Ms Steel, whose career had spanned banking, publishing and professional speaking before she found a vocation in cooking and entertaining, amused those present with anecdotes and tales of her antics in the kitchen.

The occasion coincided with the tenth anniversary of the networking group being established with the objective of breaking away from the formality of similar organisations while hosting ‘people of interests’ as guest speakers.

Graffiti pair charged TWO MEN charged with spraying graffiti over a number of buildings in Tunbridge Wells have been remanded into custody.

Kent Police was called at 9.42pm on November 17 to reports of criminal damage at different locations in the town, including in Calverley Road and Crescent Road.

Officers arrested two men in an area close to the train station. Sebastian Tancula, 26, of no fixed address, and Damian Filipek, 26, of Beech Street, Tunbridge Wells, were both charged with criminal damage.

Appearing before Maidstone Magistrates’ Court on November 19, the men were remanded in custody until their next court hearing, scheduled for December 19.

Wednesday 23rd November 2016

KENT has seen a dramatic drop in unaccompanied asylum seeking children arriving with numbers falling by more than a half compared to last year.

But now social services find themselves struggling to cope with the number of these children who have turned 18 and become ‘care leavers’.

The surprising fall in arrivals comes in spite of the priority given to helping young refugees in last month’s demolition of the Jungle camp in Calais.

Children were brought to the UK as a matter of urgency, and while most had family to join here, vulnerable youths without relatives in Britain could be admitted on humanitarian grounds.

This summer’s introduction of the National Transfer Scheme [NTS] on July 1 has seen Kent’s intake of young asylum seekers fall because the initiative redistributes them from overloaded authorities to those which have unused capacity.

The programme was brought in to ease pressure on social services in areas that suffered a disproportionate influx – such as Kent and Croydon.

By April this year more than 4,000 child refugees had been granted asylum. Many were brought directly from refugee camps in the Middle East.

FAR FROM HOME Volunteers play with child refugees in a French camp

But Kent County Council reports 357 unaccompanied asylum seeking children [UASCs] entering the county in the first ten months of this year, compared with 856 in 2015 – a fall of 58 per cent.

In October, there were 17 arrivals – the lowest monthly figure for two years – compared to 212 for the same month last year.

Meanwhile, 115 young people had been dispersed via the NTS – which is voluntary for local authorities.

UNACCOMPANIED CHILDREN REFERRED TO KCC Yet Kent still has 730 children in its care under the 2016 age of 18, which is 500 more 200 357 total than it should be accommodating under the estab2015 lished thresholds.

948 total And now there are more 150 than 600 who have reached their 18th birthday and are therefore excluded from the 100 dispersal scheme, which means they stay in Kent.

This issue has been exacerbated by the dispropor50 tionate numbers who were taken into care in the county aged 16 or 17 last year.

The author of KCC’s Unac0 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec companied Asylum Seeking Children Update is Emily Unaccompanied children referred to KCC in 2015 and 2016 (to October) Perkins, Executive Officer

for West Kent Specialist Children’s Services. She says: “In light of the NTS, it is predicted over the coming months and years that numbers of children who have sought, or are seeking, asylum in Kent’s care will continue to decrease.”

But she adds: “As a result of the unprecedented number of children who arrived into Kent’s care in 2015, the Care Leaving Service is currently seeing a rapid increase in demand.

“The numbers of 18-plus young people supported by the Council’s Leaving Care services is expected to grow to nearly 1,000 by the end of 2017.

The combination of accepting children beyond capacity and coping with the large numbers who are now ‘aging out’ has had further ramifications.

It has led to KCC negotiating with central government in order to gain exemption from the socalled ‘Dubs Amendment’.

This policy, which was also approved by Parliament in the summer, is designed to safeguard UASCs who do not have family links in the UK. The landmark agreement, which was forced through by the Labour peer and former child refugee Lord Dubs, committed the government to relocate vulnerable child refugees.

Ms Perkins said: “Due to the ‘legacy’ of both UASC children in care and growing numbers of eligible former-UASC care leavers we are already looking after and accommodating, the county is unable to support further unaccompanied children entering the UK under the Dubs Amendment.”

LOCAL BUSINESS NEWS �

BUSINESS IN BRIEF

Acquisition pays off as dividends get boost SHAREHOLDERS in the Tunbridge Wells-based firm AdEPT Telecom saw a 25 per cent hike in their dividends last week as half-year results showed the company continues to go from strength to strength.

Pre-tax profits at the Mount Ephraim firm rose to £1.5million in the six months to the end of September, up from £1.2million year-on-year, coupled with an increase in revenues from £13.9million to £16.5million over the same period.

The company said revenue was bolstered by its acquisition of Comms Group UK Ltd in May. The firm rewarded shareholders by increasing the dividend from 3p to 3.75p.

No cheers for our MP GREG CLARK was accused of a ‘whitewash’ last week as he became embroiled in a row over the pubs code. In a letter to Ian Wright, Chair of the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee, Mr Clark said he disagreed with the committee’s view that the appointment process for the pubs code adjudicator should be reopened.

Fears had been raised that the current adjudicator, Paul Newby, would not be able to command the trust of pub tenants because of his previous roles at the top of big companies including Enterprise Inns and Punch Taverns.

The pubs code is a regulatory framework that oversees the relationship between the UK’s six largest pub owning companies and their tenants.

Mr Clark’s refusal to review the position drew a stinging rebuke from Greg Mulholland, Liberal Democrat MP for Otley and Chair of the Parliamentary Save the Pub Group.

Mr Mulholland said the ‘whitewash of Paul Newby’s clear and disqualifying conflicts of interest is dishonest and sinister’.

Round two in takeover battle as MPE rival raises offer to sweeten the deal

By Adam Hignett adam@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk

THE battle to control M.P. Evans entered a new phase last week when board members of the palm oil producer called on shareholders to reject a second attempt by Kuala Lumpur Kepong [KLK] at a hostile takeover.

Directors at the Tunbridge Wells business, which is situated in Clanricarde Gardens, said the latest offer from the Malaysian firm ‘continues to fail to recognise the true value of the company and its unique position within its industry’.

The stakes had been raised after KLK had previously been rebuffed by the company’s board at the end of October, when offering to buy out M.P. Evans [MPE] for 640p per share.

This rejection led KLK to attempt a hostile takeover by approaching share- holders but, despite the offer sending the share price soaring by 45 per cent in one day, shareholders

took the advice of MPE to reject it.

Unperturbed, the Malaysian plantation giant re-raised its bid to 740p per share, valuing the company at £415.4million, and representing a premium of 74 per cent on the closing price recorded on October 24.

But their second offer met with the same response from the M.P. Evans board on November 16, who urged shareholders to reject the direct offer for the second time four days later.

HOLDING OUT (L-R) CFO Matthew Coulson, CEO Tristan Price, and Chairman Peter Hadsley-Chaplin

‘Shareholders’ interests are served by rejecting this offer’ The next day, the AIM-listed company announced it had received the ‘immediate and unequivocal’ support of shareholders representing in aggregate 40.85 per cent of the firm’s issued share capital.

M.P. Evans Chairman Peter HadsleyChaplin said the offer ‘very substantially’ undervalued the company, adding: “M.P. Evans is worth very substantially more than 740 pence

per share. The board’s view in this regard is corroborated by the early and unequivocal support of a large proportion of our shareholder base.

Shareholders’ best interests are served by rejecting this offer.”

KLK then responded by saying the increased offer is final and is

‘not capable of being increased’.

However, the firm left itself some wiggle room to try again by stating it ‘reserves the right’ to increase the price per share payable if the M.P. Evans board recommends a higher offer by KLK to its shareholders, or if another party also shows an interest.

Demand for offices and homes drives West Kent economy

Strength in self build DESPITE fears that Brexit would cause uncertainty in the property market, a recent survey reveals that 82 per cent of self-builders in the South East are continuing with their projects, and only 2.4 per cent have decided to cancel. The research, by The Homebuilding & Renovating Show, also found 66.5 per cent said that they have confidence in the housing market to remain stable post Brexit.

11

THE CONTRIBUTORS: (L-R) David Fitzsimmons, Chairman of Locate in Kent, Ron Roser, Chairman of Caxtons, KCC Cllr Mark Dance, Liz Hamson of Property Week, Mark Coxon and David Gurton of Caxtons

WEST KENT’S economy continues to thrive, with strong demand in key sectors, according to the Kent Property Market Report 2016.

Produced by Caxtons Chartered Surveyors, Locate in Kent and Kent County Council, the report reviews activity across the commercial and residential sectors in both Kent and Medway in the past year.

Released at the beginning of the month, the report found increasing demand for office space in the west of the county has translated into ‘substantive uplifts’ in rental growth.

Sevenoaks recorded the largest increase, up by 25 per cent year-onyear, while Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells both saw similar rises.

The report states: “Kent’s leasing activity remains buoyant despite the

result of the EU referendum. Town centres offering a quality environment and strong transport links are the focus of attention.”

In the residential sector, average house prices in the county rose by 13 per cent in the year to the end of June, ahead of London, with the average value of a home at the end of the second quarter valued at £266,870.

The report noted the ‘sharpest’ increases were recorded in coastal towns. However, West Kent continues to command the highest house prices.

The average price of a new build in Sevenoaks is now between £380 and £625 per sq ft, while in Tunbridge Wells someone purchasing a new build will pay on average £400-£575 per sq ft. New homes in Tonbridge fetch between £325-£450 per sq ft.

Wednesday 23rd November 2016

12  LOCAL BUSINESS NEWS BUSINESS IN BRIEF

Written complaints fall at Southern Water THE watchdog charged with overseeing water utilities in Britain has told Southern Water to ‘keep up the momentum’ after the number of customer complaints fell by 46 per cent between April and September, compared to the same time last year.

Consumer Council for Water (CCWater) had previously challenged the company to improve its standards after being named the industry’s worst performer for written complaints from customers during 2015-16.

Blaming colleagues TWO THIRDS of full-time workers in the South-East have become ill in the last year because of co-workers who refused to stay at home. This is a rise from just one in five (18.50 per cent) who blamed unwell colleagues for their illnesses last year, the annual Fisherman’s Friend Cold and Flu survey has found. It also found threequarters admitted heading into work when they should have taken time off.

New charity trustee CHILDREN’S charity Tree of Hope has appointed the boss of a Tunbridge Wellsbased research agency to its board of trustees. Tim Daplyn, Managing Director of Red Brick Research, has supported the organisation, also based in the town, for a number of years and the charity hopes to benefit from his expertise in branding, marketing and communication strategies.

Wednesday 23rd November 2016

Bottoms up: Traders warn drinkers will have to pick up tab for plunging pound

By Murray Jones murray@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk

IT’S bad news this Christmas for those who enjoy a festive tipple – the recent drop in the value of the pound means our favourite drinks will be considerably dearer. Traders warn that price hikes will inevitably be passed on to the consumer. In some cases that could be 50p a pint.

Since the referendum result in June, the value of the pound against the dollar has dropped by 16 per cent as the uncertainty of Britain’s economic direction has spooked the currency markets.

And for local pub owners such as Alex Greig of Fuggles Beer Café, on Grosvenor Road, the impact has been ‘twofold’, raising the price of both the ingredients needed to brew in the UK as well as popular beers imported from Europe and beyond.

“It has an impact on the ingredients we use,” he explained. “Whilst we grow hops in the UK, the varieties that are in the highest demand are imported from Europe and the US. This will at some point be passed on by most breweries to us, and then on to you, the customer.

“Aside from that, importing beer

has gone up – most of my wholesalers have now used up any cash reserves they had in euros and dollars, meaning they’re now getting much less bang for their buck when it comes to purchasing beer from Europe or the US.” Mr Greig points to a recent delivery of beer from the Netherlands, where prices have already gone up by 50p a pint, adding: “That exchange rate is key to the pub and beer industry. Until it recovers, I’d expect to see increases across the board over the coming months.”

Within this context, it might seem a good opportunity to start buying from domestic breweries.

Nationally, Wetherspoon’s Chairman Tim Martin, a Brexit campaigner, has suggested stocking fewer European products, but Mr Greig is not convinced of the UK’s current capabilities.

“We could solely buy from UK producers, but that’s not really our business model, and we’d be missing out on a lot of exciting beer from elsewhere,” he said. “Ultimately, I also expect a lot of the [UK]

A VINE LINE Price of imports will go up

LOCAL BUSINESS NEWS 

breweries we work with to increase their prices – they import 95 per cent of their hops, their brewing equipment is often made in Europe, and so are the kegs the beer comes in.

“Whilst we could focus on beers just using English hops, the supply and quality isn’t quite there yet, so it’s not a realistic option right now.

For example, we just don’t have the climate here to grow hops with the same flavour profiles as US imports.”

Despite the incoming price hikes, being located in affluent Tunbridge Wells means Mr Greig is optimistic for the future, as local economy and employment levels are both ‘strong’.

He added: “The pub and beer industry is in a good position at the moment. Demand is there and good brewers, distillers and licensees will continue to thrive as long as we focus on quality of product and service.”

Wine Despite the upcoming difficulties, Robin Wright, Co-founder of High Brooms’ Pig & Porter brewery, argued that ‘it’s not all doom and gloom’, explaining: “Hops may go up, but breweries are usually required to contract a large amount of hops at an agreed price for the year ahead, so these changes will take time.”

For those who are more partial to a glass of fine wine rather than a hearty ale, the fall in the pound is

equally troubling. Mike Watson, who founded the Secret Cellar on Church Road in Tunbridge Wells in 2005, has said he is already paying 15 to 20 per cent more to some of his European and American suppliers.

But he said: “Lots of suppliers have been understanding, and they’ve made agreements to hold their prices until Christmas. But once the New Year comes, there will inevitably be increases.”

His warnings were echoed by Niall Crook, owner of Crowborough-based wine merchants Cork & Keg, who said while escalations in costs had not been uniform, he had started to see £1 to £1.50 rises on midrange bottles of wine [around £12].

“I think a 10 to 20 pence

increase a year people can generally swallow. But once a product begins to hit a 10 per cent increase, you have to start considering if it’s worthwhile to keep stocking it.”

Mr Crook, who also owns The Sun pub in Covent Garden with his brother, explained that the most drastic rises, from the US and France in particular, have only really hit in the last month, as most suppliers hedge their currencies in order to soften the impact of foreign currency fluctuations.

When asked whether he thought the rising cost of foreign wines would continue into the long term, he responded: “Well I don’t think it’s going to get any better. There’s not going to be an upside to the drop in currency.”

13

‘Lots of suppliers have been understanding, and they’ve made agreements to hold their prices until Christmas’ Mike Watson, The Secret Cellar

‘Importing beer has gone up – most of my wholesalers have now used up any cash reserves they had in euros and dollars’ Alex Greig, Fuggles Beer Café

RAISING THE BAR Drinkers will feel the pinch [pictured, Fuggles]

Wednesday 23rd November 2016

14  COMMUNITY NEWS

Demelza’s Christmas wish: No presents please CHRISTMAS is a time for giving, but one Kent charity has taken the unusual step of issuing a plea not to receive presents this year.

Demelza Hospice Care for Children provides support for around 500 life-limited babies, children and young people across Kent, South East London and East Sussex and their families.

Sadly, many of the children they look after are unable to enjoy gifts such as toys, sweets and chocolates because of their conditions.

So the charity is asking for donors to give money instead of presents this year, so they can afford to provide the essential care on offer.

Demelza’s Chief Executive, Ryan Campbell, said: “We are constantly in awe of the tremendous generosity people show to our charity.

“At Christmas, their thoughts naturally turn to giving us toys, but sadly most of them are just not suited to our children’s very special needs.”

Most Demelza children also have special dietary requirements, which sometimes involves tube feeding.

Mr Campbell added: “The thing which most benefits our children – not just at Christmas, but all year round – is the special care shown to them by our team.

That’s priceless.

“As such, we would ask that those who wish to give a gift for Christmas consider making a donation instead, to ensure that we can continue providing the very best care and support to local families.

“As a charity, not part of the NHS, this is how we are able to provide the care and support that the families rely on.”

A donation of £10 would cover the cost of an hour’s music therapy session with a life-limited child or bereaved young sibling.

Or it might provide an evening meal for a family, so for once somebody else cooks for the child’s parents.

“It’s these things that make what we do so special,” said Mr Campbell.

Any businesses or individuals who do wish to purchase items for Christmas are asked to telephone the hospice beforehand for guidance.

“Obviously, we want our children to enjoy Christmas as much as anyone,” said Mr Campbell.

“Whilst we do not wish to appear ungracious or ungrateful, our care team – who know the children individually – are best placed to know what gifts would benefit each child the most.

“We can really only accept special sensory toys and books – and maybe art and craft supplies, which form a large part of our memory-making here.”

To find out more about the Demelza charity, or to make a donation, telephone 01795 845288 or visit www.demelza.org.uk

LITTLE HELPER Harry is one of many children who Demelza are for over Christmas

REQUEST TO DONATE INSTEAD Demelza Chief Executive Ryan Campbell

Find St John the bear on the festive treasure trail BUSINESSES in St John’s Road are aiming to attract families to their retail outlets over the Christmas period with the ‘St John’s Window Wonderland’ treasure trail.

A secret group are hiding a St John the Christmas bear in their window displays over a five-week period.

Children are invited to follow a quiz trail leading them around participating businesses, which have red bear posters in their windows, to find the bears and collect stickers.

Quiz sheets are available from www.tunbridgewellskidsonthego. co.uk, www.mytunbridgewells.com, www.peasinapod.org.uk and participating shops.

An awards ceremony will take place at paint-your-own ceramics and craft studio Glazy Daisy on December 21.

Families who

took part in the Window Wonderland are invited to book in at Glazy Daisy’s for fun activities with a chance to win prizes. These have been donated by participating stores and local businesses, including Mum’s the Word Events, Trinity Theatre and Story Sock children’s classes.

Sponsors St John’s Independents are aiming raise awareness and donations for the Kent charity Tree of Hope, for Tristan’s Fund.

Tristan, whose mother Nadine previously worked in St John’s as a specialist nurse, was born with spastic dyplegia, a type of cerebral palsy.

Tree of Hope are raising funds to pay for an operation which could see Tristan gain the use of his legs.

GRIN AND BEAR IT Organisers Kayleigh Minihane (left) and Emma Donovan of Small Fry marketing

Wednesday 23rd November 2016

COMMUNITY NEWS 

Paralympian goes back to his roots to raise money for Children in Need

PUBLIC SERVICE: Children in Need table tennis club fundraisers: (Back, l-r) Luke Marsden, Abbey Hurley, Connor McNamara, Matthew Davis, Will Bayley, Ross Wilson, Oscar Featherstone-Csillag, Nicola Dawson, Alison Webb, Isabel Webb; (front) Ruth Marsden, Noah Featherstone-Csillag

By Andrew Tong newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk

PARALYMPIC gold medallist Will Bayley returned to his childhood table tennis club in Tunbridge Wells last week to challenge all-comers to a match in aid of Children in Need.

More than 100 people, mainly from nearby schools, came along to Byng Hall Table Tennis Club and paid £5 to take on the 25-year-old champion.

They could also challenge Will’s bronze medalwinning Team GB team-mate Ross Wilson, who is also from Kent. The evening raised £1,600 for the Children in Need campaign.

Will’s Rio gold came in Class 7 – and he achieved notoriety for jumping up on the table to celebrate.

He also won a silver at London 2012.

He and Wilson were part of the three-man team that claimed bronze medals in Class 6-8 at the Rio Games in September, too – repeating their success of four years previously.

The Byng Hall event began with a demonstration match between the two athletes, followed by a doubles contest in which they were joined by club

members Abbey Hurley and Noah FeatherstoneCsillag, both aged 11.

The Children in Need event had a special significance for Will, who comes from Groombridge and attended the Beacon School in Crowborough.

The Byng Hall Table Tennis Club provided him with a sport that he could play despite his disabilities – and it also made him stronger and more physically able.

Will was born with arthrogryposis, which causes congenital joint contractures in all four of his limbs. It leads to muscle shortening, which prevents the muscle tissue from achieving extension and flexion in SHOW US the joints.

YOUR MEDALS Att the age of Will Bayley (left) seven, he was with Gary Howes also diagnosed with

Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. He underwent chemotherapy to treat the cancer at Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, which had also treated his disability with numerous reconstruction operations.

Whilst recovering, Will discovered he could play table tennis. His grandmother bought him his first table, and he joined the Byng Hall club aged 12.

Gary Howes, who has coached at the club since it began in 1989, coached Will from the start.

“We used to run taster sessions on Saturday mornings,” he said. “Will waddled in, he had just had some operations on his ankles and he could barely walk.”

Will became a Standard 6 senior champion while he was still a junior, and he was so talented that his disability was reclassified. He represented the able-bodied men’s team at the age of 17, then moved to the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield.

Mr Howes credits table tennis with helping Will fight the restrictions of his disability.

“Through his training his movement definitely improved, oh goodness yes,” he said. “But he has had a traumatic journey.

“When he first came he was slightly overweight given his size, because his movement was so poor.

He was looking for a sport that he could do, and obviously football and games like that were out of the question.”

Mr Howes said the difficulties Will has overcome make him the champion he is today.

“He always had that positive mental attitude. He had cancer when he was very young, and spent a long time at Great Ormond Street Hospital. So he had to deal with that, too, as well as his disability. And the hospital was so positive from the word go, because that’s the way they are. So he had the same attitude, and I think that’s the thing that makes him a champion.”

Further funds for Children in Need were raised from a raffle, with local businesses providing generous prizes, and an auction in which the Paralympians sold off their bats and shirts from Rio 2016 – impressively, Will’s jersey from the games fetched a price of more than £200.

15

Foodbank creates innovative ‘reverse Advent calendar’ NOURISH Community Foodbank is urging people to plan their Advent calendar with a twist this year.

Instead of waiting for your daily chocolate treat, Nourish’s ‘reverse Advent calendar’ campaign is asking residents to put an essential food item into a box every day up to Christmas.

Nourish is a volunteer-led initiative set up in response to the increasing numbers of low-income working households who cannot make ends meet once they have paid their bills.

It also helps individuals and families who have been hit by a range of issues, such as benefit changes, sickness, domestic violence, debt problems, low-paid work or unemployment.

“Christmas is an incredibly busy time,” said the charity’s co-Chair, Olga Johnson. “Last year we provided Christmas dinner and emergency food bags for 46 families and 21 individuals.

‘Christmas leaves our shelves quite empty during January and February’ She added: “We struggle to meet the challenge and it also leaves our shelves quite empty during January and February.

“We know people are extremely generous in the run-up to Christmas, and donating a reverse Advent calendar means that we have enough to help those in need, not only over the festive period but also into the start of next year.”

Royal Victoria Place [RVP] shopping centre will be supporting the Nourish campaign with a pop-up store in Ely Court from December 20-23.

“It’s a great idea and we are delighted to be involved,” said RVP Manager Nicky Blanchard.

Tunbridge Wells’ Tesco Metro and Tesco in Pembury are also backing the initiative.

“We have been supporting and working with the Nourish team throughout the year. Both stores will be helping to run a special food drive in RVP on December 1-3 to kick start the campaign,” said Graham Scothern, of the Tunbridge Wells store.

Supporters are being encouraged to share their calendars on social media using the hashtags #NourishFoodbank and #OurTownCares.

Completed calendars can be dropped off at the Nourish pop-up shop in RVP’s Ely Court on December 20-23 between 12noon and 5pm, or at any time at Big Yellow Self Storage, Longfield Road.

Wednesday 23rd November 2016

16 � NATIONAL NEWS

MPs mock Trump’s tweet calling for Farage to be US ambassador NIGEL FARAGE has accused Downing Street of putting its dislike for him ahead of the national interest, after aides to the Prime Minister dismissed out of hand a call from Donald Trump for him to be made the UK’s ambassador to the United States.

The interim UKIP leader said it was time for Number 10 to recognise that ‘the world has changed’, as he claimed he was ‘in a good position, with the US President-elect’s support, to help’.

‘There is no vacancy. We already have an excellent ambassador to the US’

NO VACANCY Nigel Farage

Mr Trump shocked Westminster with a late-night tweet declaring that Mr Farage would do a ‘great job’ and that ‘many people’ wanted to see him as the UK’s senior diplomat in Washington.

The property tycoon’s highly unusual endorsement was a fresh embarrassment for Theresa May, who was beaten to meeting the future president in person by Mr Farage.

Downing Street immediately retorted that there was ‘no vacancy’ and praised Britain’s incumbent ambassador, Sir Kim Darroch.

A No 10 spokesman said: “There is no vacancy. We already have an excellent ambassador to |the US.” Mr Farage said he was ‘very flattered’ by Mr Trump’s suggestion and was ready ‘to do anything I can to act in a positive way to help relationships between our two countries’.

Mr Farage described Mr Trump’s suggestion that he could be ambassador as ‘a bolt from the blue’, adding that it reflected the fact that the President-elect was ‘a very loyal man and supports those that stand by him’.

But following Mr Trump’s tweet, MPs used the Foreign Office questions time in the Commons yesterday [Tuesday] to mock his suggestion that Mr Farage should be the UK’s ambassador to the United States with Conservative MP Sir Simon Burns (Chelmsford) suggesting Hillary Clinton should be America’s top diplomat in London.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson praised Britain’s incumbent ambassador, Sir Kim Darroch and added: “We have a first rate ambassador in Washington doing a very good job of relating both with the present administration and with the administration to be, and there is no vacancy for that position.”

Tory Dan Poulter (Central Suffolk and North Ipswich) stressed the importance of diplomats displaying the quality of diplomacy in what is likely to be seen as a thinly veiled attack on Mr Farage.

He said: “Diplomats require diplomacy and would you agree with me that there should be no place for anyone who expresses inflammatory and what sometimes could be considered to be bordering on racist views in representing this country in discussions with the United States?”

SNP heavyweight Alex Salmond accused Mr Johnson of performing a ‘political pirouette of which Ed Balls would be proud’ in relation to his opinion of Mr Trump.

Woman rescued off Kent coast dies in hospital A WOMAN has died in Kent and police have resumed the search for a missing pensioner as parts of the UK faced further disruption caused by heavy rain and strong winds.

Folkestone and Dungeness coastguard, a Dover lifeboat and helicopter were scrambled at 6.54am after receiving reports that the woman was in the water off Folkestone harbour.

But a Kent police spokesman said the 39-yearold woman ‘sadly passed away despite efforts from emergency services to save her’.

The woman, who has yet to be named, had been spotted by the helicopter crew but the many rocks in the area and the lashing waves meant the lifeboat crew could not get close to her.

Footage shows her being airlifted by the helicopter before being taken to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Robert Bendhiaf, of the Dover RNLI lifeboat, who

described the conditions as “pretty bad”, said: “This is a tragic outcome and we are all very sad that she did not survive.

“As with many of our launches, we do not yet know the reasons why this woman was in the sea, but needless to say it is an awful outcome and the crews thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of this young lady.”

In South Wales, police said the search for Russell Sherwood, 69, of Neath, who went missing yesterday, would continue dependent on weather conditions.

Officers were focusing on the River Ogmore, where a bumper bearing the registration of Mr Sherwood’s vehicle was recovered on Monday.

Superintendent Simon Davies said: “This remains a difficult search in very testing conditions.

“The river is very swollen and fast flowing,

and as such specialist officers with specialist equipment are conducting the search.

“The conditions at the search area remain treacherous and while we understand that people want to assist in helping to find Mr Sherwood, we would strongly advise the public to stay clear of the area.”

Network Rail (NR) warned of ‘major disruption’ on some routes, as the Environment Agency said there were 23 flood warnings and 137 flood alerts in place.

The Environment Agency said the flood warnings, which demand immediate action to be taken, have been issued for parts of Yorkshire and the North East, South West and the Midlands.

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service had to rescue two couples from two ground-floor houses in Stalybridge when they became trapped because of flooding.

NEWS IN BRIEF

Wednesday 23rd November 2016

Anti frackers go legal

Dodo sold at auction

Touts anger Potter fans

CAMPAIGNERS demonstrated outside the High Court in London yesterday [Tuesday] at the start of a legal challenge against one of the first planning applications to carry out fracking in England.

North Yorkshire County Council granted the oil and gas specialists Third Energy permission for fracking in May 2016 but residents from the village of Kirby Misperton, Rydale, North Yorkshire, are fighting to block a decision to allow hydraulic fracturing near their homes.

In a joint landmark application with environmental group Friends of the Earth, they are asking Mrs Justice Lang to rule the decision ‘unlawful’ and quash it.

THE first near-complete skeleton of a flightless dodo bird to come up for sale in nearly 100 years has sold for a total of £346,300 at an auction in Billingshurst, West Sussex.

The 95 per cent finished composite skeleton was painstakingly constructed by a man who started buying bones from private collections and auctions in the 1970s.

The collector decided to part with the item and an auction house spokeswoman said the buyer was a private collector who successfully bid over the phone.

Dodos were first seen living on the island of Mauritius in 1598 and became extinct around 70 years after their discovery.

HARRY POTTER fans have complained that ticket touts and website problems prevented them buying seats for the franchise’s Cursed Child play at the Palace Theatre in London.

The latest batch of 60,000 tickets for the awardwinning West End production was released yesterday [Tuesday] morning.

However, fans took to social media to criticise ticket sellers Nimax and ATG and writer JK Rowling as the tickets, priced from £15, were quickly being offered on eBay and StubHub for hundreds of pounds above face value after they went on sale.

Earlier this year, Rowling said she wanted to make the theatre accessible to people from all backgrounds.

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18 � NATIONAL NEWS

Senior judge says keep criminals out of prison

Social care delays hospital operations

MORE criminals could be punished without being jailed, a senior judge has suggested.

The Lord Chief Justice warned the prison population is ‘very, very high’ and there are concerns that it could rise further still.

Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd told MPs more could be done to explore non-custodial options for some offenders.

His comments come as prisons in England and Wales endure a hugely turbulent period.

Earlier this month thousands of officers stopped work amid claims the system was ‘in meltdown’ following a rise in violence and self-harm behind bars.

Campaigners have repeatedly warned about overcrowding - while last week, former justice secretary Michael Gove warned that too many people are being sent to prison.

Mr Gove said the Government should be working ‘overtime’ to reduce the size of the jail population, which stands at just over 85,000.

Appearing at the Commons Justice Committee, Lord Thomas said there is an ‘awful lot we can do to avoid sending certain people to prison’.

He said: “I think there’s a lot more we should be doing to explore non-custodial options.

“The prison population is very, very high at the moment. Whether it will continue to rise is always difficult to tell but there are worries that it will.

“I’m not sure that at the end of the day we can’t dispose of more by really tough, and I do mean tough, community penalties.”

Last week, up to 10,000 prison officers stopped work in protest after talks with the Government over health and safety concerns broke down.

INADEQUATE social care funding is leading to delays in hospital operations, a leading surgeon has warned.

Delaying transferring patients from hospitals to social care means that there are not enough beds in hospitals to admit patients waiting for operations, the House of Lords Committee on the Long-Term Sustainability of the NHS was told.

Leading medics heaped pressure on the government to plough more funds into social care as they raised concerns about dwindling funds in the sector and the impact this dearth was having on NHS services.

Ian Eardley, Vice-President of the Royal College of Surgeons, told the committee: “I’m a surgeon and when I go to hospital I have got an operating list every morning. And it rarely starts on time because the hospital is too full of patients.

“Each morning we have got 70 more patients in the hospital than there are beds and at the same time we have got 90 more patients in the hospital who need to be in social care beds who can’t get into social care beds.

“So it is making me inefficient. Improved spending in social care would improve my efficiency of elective surgery.”

Dame Sue Bailey, Chair of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, said: “In the short term we need to urgently ensure that social care is properly funded because healthcare is totally co-dependent on social care and would be able to deliver better if the pressure was off social care.”

Professor Jane Dacre, President of the Royal College of Physicians, told the committee: “The

Wednesday 23rd November 2016

UNDER PRESSURE Hospitals cannot cope health service appears to those in the front line to be underfunded.

“But social care is in a worse position than healthcare, so any funding model has to put social care first.”

Izzi Seccombe, Chair of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, said: “This shows the unprecedented financial pressure both the health service and the care system are under.

“The two are interlinked: There cannot be a sustainable NHS without a sustainable adult social care system.

“This is why, in our Autumn Statement submission to the Treasury, we are calling on the Chancellor to address the growing funding crisis in social care to ensure a fair care system where everybody can receive safe, high-quality care and support, and not just those fortunate enough to be able to pay for it.”

SPORT IN BRIEF

Cricket captain escapes ban for ball tampering SOUTH AFRICA cricket captain Faf du Plessis has avoided a ban despite being found guilty of ball tampering during the Proteas’ victory in the Second Test against Australia.

The 32-year-old batsman pleaded not guilty but was charged by the International Cricket Council. The governing body said television footage appeared to show him ‘applying saliva and residue from a mint or sweet, an artificial substance, to the ball in an attempt to change its condition’.

Du Plessis has been fined 100 per cent of his match fee but remains free to play in the Third Test in Adelaide starting this week.

Defender denied entry PARIS ST GERMAIN’S Ivory Coast defender Serge Aurier has been denied an entry visa to travel to England for today’s [Wednesday] Champions League match against Arsenal because of a recent assault conviction.

Aurier has appealed against the twomonth prison sentence he received on September 26 for assaulting a police officer on May 30 outside a Paris nightclub.

Jockey breaks leg again JOCKEY Chris Meehan, whose leg was broken last July in a freak accident when an ambulance reversed over it at an Italian racecourse, admitted he was ‘heartbroken’ after breaking his leg again on a trampoline.

For local sports news turn to pages 94-95

20  BUSINESS NEWS

Taxpayers get more money back from Lloyds share sale

Pub chain links drop in profits to Brexit

THE government has reduced its stake in Lloyds Banking Group to less than eight per cent following a share sale.

UK Financial Investments, which manages the stake in Lloyds, cut its holding in the lender by one percentage point. It means the taxpayer’s stake in the bank now stands at 7.99 per cent, with more than £17billion being returned to government coffers since the lender’s £20.3billion bailout.

Chancellor Philip Hammond said: “Selling our shares in Lloyds Banking Group and making sure that we get back all the cash taxpayers injected into it during the financial crisis is one of my top priorities as Chancellor.”

All proceeds from the sales will be used to reduce the national debt.

The government has progressively sold down its original 43 per cent stake in Lloyds, and in October it ditched plans for a share sale to the public, opting instead to offload the holding to institutional investors.

Last month Lloyds said it had set aside another £1billion to meet compensation claims for the misselling of payment protection insurance (PPI) as it attempts to draw a line under the scandal.

A Lloyds spokesman said: “Today’s announcement shows the further progress made in returning Lloyds Banking Group to full private ownership and enabling the taxpayer to get their money back.

“This reflects the hard work undertaken over the last five years to transform the group into a simple, low-risk and customer-focused bank that is committed to helping Britain prosper.”

THE owner of All Bar One and Harvester has seen annual profits drop by a quarter and warned of a hit from the Brexit-hit pound and soaring wage costs.

Mitchells & Butlers, which also owns chains including Toby Carvery and O’Neill’s, said profits tumbled to £94million in the year to September 24 from £126million the previous year despite a turnaround in trading in recent months.

But the group said the plunging pound would impact the £100million of purchases it makes in foreign currencies each year, while the introduction of the national living wage has sent its employee costs surging.

Phil Urban, Chief Executive of Mitchells,

Wednesday 23rd November 2016

CHALLENGING TIMES Mitchells & Butlers are looking at new markets

cautioned over ‘external cost headwinds, notably from further wage inflation, the recent business rates review and exchange rate movements’.

“We are working hard to mitigate these headwinds wherever possible, both through building on our sales momentum and active management of our cost base,” he added.

Mitchells said like-for-like sales fell 0.8 per cent over the year after a challenging first half.

It returned to sales growth in the final six months thanks to heatwaves in August and September and sales are up 0.5 per cent in the first eight weeks of the new financial year in spite of a tough comparison from a year earlier when the Rugby World Cup had boosted trading.

The group, which employs more than 43,000 staff, has previously warned about the costs of the new minimum wage. But it said that one helpful side-effect of the living wage, which was introduced in April, is the recent slowdown in openings of restaurants.

“New restaurant openings are now broadly flat yearon-year, which gives us an opportunity to win back market share,” said Mitchells.

It is overhauling its pub estate, targeting more upmarket brands.

BUSINESS IN BRIEF

Morrisons aim for more convenience MORRISONS is to revive the Safeway brand as part of plans to branch out into the wholesale market.

The supermarket giant said it is to pilot a convenience food offer, Morrisons Daily, in 10 petrol station shops.

The move will see hundreds of Safeway products return to British high streets for the first time since 2005.

Banking group boost THE Glasgow-based Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banking Group has notched up its first annual profit in five years as a standalone business. It posted bottom-line pre-tax profits of £77million for the 12 months to September 30 against a loss of £285million the previous year.

A fillip for Philip CHANCELLOR Philip Hammond has been handed a boost in the run-up to his inaugural Autumn Statement as the Government borrowed a lower-than-expected £4.8billion last month. Economists had predicted a figure of £6billion.

Kingfisher in the swim B&Q and Screwfix owner Kingfisher has reported that like-for-like sales in the UK rose 5.8 per cent in the three months to the end of October, helping total revenue grow 1.8 per cent to £2.96billion.

WORLD NEWS 

Trump vows to put America first by quitting trade pact DONALD TRUMP has confirmed he will leave a key trade pact as he defended his worldwide business interests.

The US president-elect released a short video about his plans for his administration, which included the intention to quit the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).

“I am going to issue a notification of intent to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a potential disaster for our country,” Mr Trump said.

“Instead, we will negotiate fair, bilateral trade deals that bring jobs and industry back onto American shores.”

Mr Trump said in the video he is assembling a Cabinet made up of ‘patriots’ and that his agenda ‘will be based on a simple core principle - putting America first’.

He repeated a number of his promises for the first 100 days of his administration, including vows to negotiate new trade deals, remove regulations on businesses and establish a five-year ban on executive officials becoming lobbyists.

Notably missing from his promises is his pledge to repeal the Affordable Care Act and his vow to build a southern border wall with Mexico.

The president-elect later appeared to deny that he is using the powers of his future office to benefit his businesses worldwide.

He tweeted: “Prior to the election it was well known that I have interests in properties all over the world.

Only the crooked media makes this a big deal!”

Mr Trump has said repeatedly that he will leave his company to his children and have no interest in it - but three of his adult children are also playing key roles in his transition.

Some of the Asia-Pacific leaders attending a meeting in Peru at the weekend said they might try to modify the 12-nation TPP pact to make it more appealing to Mr Trump or seek to implement it without the US. But Japan’s prime minister Shinzo Abe said the TPP trade deal would be ‘meaningless’ without US participation and discounted the idea of going ahead without the AMERICA FIRST Americans being a part of Donald Trump the deal.

21

WORLD NEWS IN BRIEF

Disneyland expands

Motorway robbery

WALT DISNEY and Hong Kong are launching a $1.4billion (£1.1billion approx) expansion of the Chinese territory’s Disneyland resort that includes the company’s first themed areas based on the movie Frozen and Marvel superhero characters.

The Hong Kong government, which owns a controlling stake in the resort, said it had signed an agreement with Disney for the expansion, which also includes renovating the park’s castle and adding an attraction based on Disney’s new animated film Moana.

Work on the 10.9billion Hong Kong dollar expansion is scheduled to run from 2018 to 2023.

Hong Kong is striving to improve its competitiveness as an Asian tourism destination after the June launch of Shanghai Disneyland.

TWO Qatari women had valuables worth £4.5million taken by thieves on a motorway near Paris after their driver was forced off the road and all three were sprayed with tear gas.

The women, who are sisters, had just been picked up in a Bentley from Le Bourget airport and according to police reports the thieves took jewellery, clothes and luggage.

The incident comes shortly after the French Government announced that it was providing extra funds for surveillance cameras in the area to help protect tourists from this type of attack.

Motorways have become a favourite place for thieves to target luxury cars and wealthy looking tourists.

Help for the poor

AT LEAST 14 people have been injured by a strong earthquake that struck Japan’s north-east coast.

The Japan Meteorological Agency has warned that another large quake could hit in the next few days and urged residents to remain cautious for about a week.

Tuesday’s magnitude 7.4 quake triggered moderate tsunamis, but nothing high enough to cause major damage. It was the largest earthquake in the north-east Japan region since the 2011 quake, which killed some 18,000 people, and some large aftershocks the same day.

The quake sent residents fleeing to higher ground and triggered fears about the Fukushima nuclear power plant which was destroyed by the tsunami five years ago.

The operator of the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant said there were no abnormalities observed at the plant, though a swelling of the tide of up to 3ft (1m) was detected offshore.

THAILAND’s military government has approved a one-time payout for low-income people in an effort to stimulate the country’s weak economy.

People who make less than 30,000 baht (£680) a year will receive 3,000 baht (£68), while people who make up to 100,000 baht (£2,267) a year will receive 1,500 baht (£34).

The measure was approved at the weekly cabinet meeting, but no date was set for its implementation.

The payments are earmarked for 5.8 million people, excluding rice farmers, who will instead benefit from a recently approved multimillionpound government subsidy paying them to temporarily store their rice so supplies and prices remain stable.

The cash handout will be used alongside other measures to help low-income people, such as free public transport.

Earthquake warning

Wednesday 23rd November 2016

22  LETTERS

And another thing…

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

Slow-zones: What other methods of easing the congestion also support healthier lifestyles?

I would like to respond to Jonathan Albus Jones [November 9]. In questioning how to best implement 20mph limits in Tunbridge Wells, Mr Jones cites Brighton as a bad example, but fails to mention that road casualties there fell by 12 per cent in those areas where 20mph was introduced.

Mr Jones goes on to suggest that the money spent on implementing the 20mph zone ‘would be better spent… easing congestion around the St John’s area’.

The problem of congestion can only be successfully addressed by reducing the number of cars on our town’s roads. As 56 per cent of car journeys are less than five miles, many journeys currently taken by car could be done by other means – 20mph zones have been shown to increase active travel (e.g. walking or cycling) by 20 per cent, which means fewer journeys made by car, thereby easing traffic congestion.

Renting out driveways: A bigger story Your story [November 9] about people renting out driveways for parking should have been the splash.

National companies profiting from residents’ driveways in Tunbridge Wells due to a crisis in parking is far more interesting than businesses claiming rebates.

Richard White Via email

Having to pay for the VOA mess Your editorial [November 9] identifies me, as a taxpayer, as the one who must stump up for the mess the VOA [Valuation Office Agency] has got itself into. Equally, I am sure TWBC will not be demanding any increases in taxes to cover the £6million it has to find, because it’s sitting on over £20million in reserves – isn’t it?

John Ward Moorhouse Tunbridge Wells

Cycling is for crazy Europeans Cycle lanes are an ‘utterly daft idea’ writes your correspondent [November 9].

Of course they are. We should be solving the traffic and parking congestion in Tunbridge Wells by increasing road space and vehicle speeds, and doing away with the (few) pedestrian crossings we have. And the traffic-light pedestrian phase is a complete waste of my time.

Ever-larger cars no longer fit on the roads and have to drive on the pavements, so the pavements should be ripped up to create more road space, and speed limits should be abolished to recognise the reality of how people actually drive now.

As a resident of St John’s, I’m looking forward to joining the 15.5 million people in the UK now living on a street with a 20mph limit, and I support 20’s Plenty for Tunbridge Wells’ call for 20mph in residential streets in the borough.

Can Mr Jones suggest another method of easing congestion which is as cost-effective, supports a healthier lifestyle and increases safety on our streets?

Tom Swarbrigg Via email

And all of this despite the fact that our current Town Hall offices and Assembly Hall Theatre (with improvements or extensions, admittedly) are perfectly capable and adaptable for the running of our borough and the entertainment tastes of this area.

Also, thank you, Roy, for pointing out the implications of the municipality borrowing £67m, and thus burdening our future generations, on the whim that larger is more profitable, functional, efficient, better, entertaining, or in keeping with our proud heritage.

Reg Bandy Via email

Council Leader unable to vote I would agree that we need a borough-wide referendum [November 9] on the Master Plan proposed by David Jukes for Tunbridge Wells.

But I doubt whether the council Leader would have a vote for his own proposals – as he lives across the border, in Crowborough.

Alan Bullion Via email

New car park machines out of order Buses and cyclists are a major cause of traffic congestion and should be banned at busy times to stop them holding up car journeys.

New roads and car parks should be constructed on the Common.

This is the age of the car. Follow the government’s example and forget particle pollution and CO2 emissions. Climate change won’t affect me much.

It’s today’s children and future generations who will suffer that. And what have they ever done for me? Precisely. Nothing.

Cycling is for crazy Europeans, and with Brexit we can get rid of all that. There is absolutely no need to walk or cycle any more. Most children are already driven to school. Only ‘loopy’ greens and Europeans cycle, walk or use buses. Get over it.

John Telling Tunbridge Wells

Vote of thanks for Roy Bullock Three cheers for Roy Bullock, ex-Leader of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council, for giving insights [November 9] into how local government works, and how astute one has to be to keep abreast of what goes on, and how the hard-earned taxes we pay go towards financing the whims and dreams of certain individuals and political caucuses who assume they are acting in our interests.

Do we have a record of the time and resources so far spent by our borough employees in trying to justify the proposed Civic Centre and theatre adjacent to Calverley Grounds?

What have been the costs of feasibility studies, traffic surveys, architectural consultations, soil explorations, comparative studies, etc?

The much talked about new car parking machines have been installed at Royal Victoria Place, but on the two occasions I tried to park there last week I had to leave again as the machines – although brand new – were labelled up as ‘Out of Order’.

This was frustrating, to say the least, and unless you had the parking app on your phone (which I don’t), it was impossible to park there.

It’s put me off shopping in town for the moment as I am not phone savvy and preferred the oldfashioned coin machines. It’s all very well getting new technology in place, but please ensure it’s in working order as quickly as possible, otherwise people like myself will shop elsewhere.

Marjorie Simmonds Via email

Tiresome build-up to Christmas I know its a cliché, but Christmas does appear to be getting earlier each year, and your newspaper is sadly indulging this.

It is not just the odd bit of editorial you have been putting out over the past few weeks, but your advertisers are in full festive swing.

I am not one for overbearing government telling us what we can and cannot do, but if a political party had a manifesto pledge to ban all mention of Christmas before December, I would strongly consider lending them my vote.

People may accuse me of being a Scrooge, but on the contrary, I love the festive holidays, I just do not want to see them ever more devalued by the unnecessarily long and tiresome build-up.

Felix McFarlane Lamberhurst

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

Wednesday 23rd November 2016

Calverley READ into this what you will. The multi-talented, so they say, Russell Brand (comedian, actor, radio host and activist) opened a copy of the Times on stage at the Assembly Hall the other night with the intention of taking the Mickey out of something local. He didn’t find any stories out of which to extract the Mickey. Calverley believes that to be a good thing, confirming the quality of the stories carried in this august publication. Others might interpret it differently, but then they would be wrong. Surely?

CALVERLEY is delighted to note that Chris Dawson is a real family man. Who he? Well, he’s the boss of The Range discount retailer that next month is due to open on the site of the old Morrisons store opposite the station.

The former market trader, by the way, is known as Devon’s ‘Del Boy’ billionaire. Anyway, word is that last year he paid a £30million dividend to himself and his wife, Sarah. Then in August the pair managed a further £100million, funded through bank borrowings. How lovely.

HERO Nigel Farage is much in the news again as he attempts to build bridges between Theresa and Donald. What a challenge. And what a much-misunderstood man. Common belief has him living in a million-pound palace near Biggin Hill. But Himself has been reliably informed by a builder (if you can’t trust them, who can you trust?) that the UKIP chappie actually resides in a white-painted semi worth under half a million. Bring on Trump Towers.

ADMISSION: Banks are not top of Himself’s love list. So, much delight on being told of the chap who was so fed up with appalling service he closed his business account at one of the leading high street vaults, sorry banks, and asked for his money to be switched to his newly opened Nationwide account. When it arrived, they had overpaid him by £20,000. Sensible man kept quiet, put it into an interest- bearing account and waited. Six months later, the bank asked for the cash back. He readily obliged, but took it in a suitcase and insisted the manager count it out in front of him. He did, and asked if the man wanted to reopen his account? He declined, but put it a bit stronger than that…

Chin, chin readers

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EDUCATION SPECIAL ■

23

EDUCATION Times WITH THE

A golden opportunity for sports students as Olympian opens school’s new gym Double gold medallist Max Whitlock unveils the Weald of Kent Grammar’s upgraded PE facility LAST Friday, pupils at the Weald of Kent Grammar School were treated to a visit from five-time Olympic medal winner Max Whitlock.

The celebrated gymnast was invited to the school in Tonbridge to officially open its newly refurbished gym and sports hall.

Currently, Weald of Kent Grammar is only one of a few schools in the area to offer A Level PE, so the updated facilities will be crucial for helping any future star athletes hone their skills.

Councillor Mark Rhodes, Mayor of Tonbridge & Malling, and the borough’s MP, Tom Tugendhat, also joined Max to officially declare the new gym open.

The total cost of the project was around £2.7m and the students raised a lot of it through various fundraising activities, including doing sponsored walks and The Three Peaks Challenge. The new facility now includes a full

basketball-size sports hall; dedicated gymnastics area with fixed equipment and foam pit; changing rooms, dance studio and sports café.

The school was also lucky enough to receive a limited DFS edition Britannia Team GB sofa for their café area which was designed and made

TALENTED DISPLAY Max demonstrates his sporting skills

exclusively for the British athletes’ communal house while they were out in Rio. Max, who also gave the 1,300 students present a demonstration of his gymnastic skills, commented: “It’s so important for young athletes to have top quality training facilities, and I’m delighted to officially open the new gym at Weald of Kent Grammar School and gift them the Britannia sofa. For athletes, relaxation is as important as training, so I’m sure the pupils will put it to good use.”

The students asked Max a variety of questions such as: ‘What did you do on the evening you won your gold medals?’ and were fortunate enough to spend a lot of time with him chatting, having photos taken and getting his autograph.

Maureen Johnson, the school’s Headteacher, said: “We are all very excited to meet Max. It’s great to have a reminder for our budding young athletes that their hard work and dedication could one day lead to Olympic success.”

GROUP EFFORT Weald pupils helped raise the funds to upgrade the gym

Wednesday 23rd November 2016

24 � EDUCATION SPECIAL

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Pupils attempt to get some shut-eye sleeping rough – all in the name of charity, of course Sixth formers at Bennett Memorial held a sponsored external Sleep Out in order to raise money for the homeless charity Porchlight. Here, school chaplain Rachael Knapp tells the Times all about it A GROUP of 27 Bennett students, supported by nine staff members, braved the wet and cold weather on Friday November 4 to hold a sponsored Sleep Out in aid of the charity Porchlight, which works with the homeless in Kent.

We spent the evening constructing our ‘cardboard city dwellings’, which were to be our beds for the night. We were fortunate enough

‘Our experience, although cold and tough, was nothing in comparison to the dangers and challenges that a young homeless person faces’ to have plenty of thermal layers, thick sleeping bags, cardboard and waterproof covers to ensure that we didn’t get hypothermia. Most importantly, we had a safe place to sleep in, outside the Sixth Form Centre, and companions to be with.

As part of our evening, we had a workshop from Porchlight, where we learnt more about the realities of what it is like to be a homeless person in Kent. We soon realised that our ‘homeless’ experience, although cold and tough, was nothing in comparison to the dangers and challenges that a young homeless person faces on the streets.

This gave us even more motivation to raise as

Wednesday 23rd November 2016

OUT IN THE COLD: Sixth formers camp out for charity much money as we can for Porchlight, and to stick with the Sleep Out right until morning.

Our thanks to the school canteen for supplying us with baked potatoes for our evening meal, and our survivors’ breakfast of croissants and bacon butties, which was generously donated by Bliss,

the community café in Southborough.

Despite the cold, everyone who took part really enjoyed the Sleep Out, especially working together to construct our cardboard sleeping dens.

Samuel Gouldie and Zachariah King won

the prize for the best constructed two-person den, and Gideon Griffiths the prize for the single den.

I organised this charity event with Mr Nic Ramsden, our Duke of Edinburgh leader, and am pleased to say that so far we have raised nearly £3,000 in fundraising for Porchlight.

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EDUCATION SPECIAL n

25

A day to remember ON FRIDAY November 11, students, staff and guests of The Skinners’ Kent Academy held their annual Remembrance Day Assembly.

It was an opportunity for the whole school to gather together and remember all those who have fought and died for our country.

Among the invited guests were war veteran Guy Huntrods, CBE, the Royal British Legion’s Branch Liaison Officer, Dennis Homewood, and Deputy Mayor of Tunbridge Wells, Cllr Julia Soyke.

A spokesperson for The Skinners’ Kent Academy commented: “We were privileged to be in the presence of Guy Huntrods, CBE, who served in the

‘We were privileged to be in the presence of Guy Huntrods, CBE, who served in the Royal Navy and spoke very movingly’ Royal Navy and spoke very movingly about his role in the Second World War taking part in Arctic convoys, his involvement in the D-Day landings, and being present at the VJ Day victory parade in Singapore.”

SCHOOL DIG Every boy had a tree to plant

First World War tribute

Tonbridge School students plant almost 1,000 trees NEARLY a thousand trees have been planted in Tonbridge School’s grounds commemorating those who lost their lives in the Great War. Every boy in the school was given their own tree to plant, which will eventually help to form a native woodland at the far end of Knotts playing fields, at the border of the school estate.

The tree planting ceremony was also an act of remembrance for those who gave their lives in military service, and included the planting of 415 English oaks to represent the same number of Old

Tonbridgians who fell during the First World War. Other trees planted included hazel, maple, wild cherry, hornbeam, willow and gelder rose.

Tonbridge School Upper Master John Bleakley said: “This woodland will be enjoyed by the school community and our visitors for many years to come.

“It represents a major conservation and habitat project for the school, as well as being a thoughtprovoking tribute to those Tonbridigians who lost their lives in the First World War.”

Students of The Skinners’ Kent Academy with special guest Guy Huntrods, CBE, the Deputy Mayor of Tunbridge Wells, Cllr Julia Soyke, Royal British Legion Branch Liaison Officer Dennis Homewood and Principal of The Skinners’ Kent Academy Matthew Tompkins

Wednesday 23rd November 2016

26  EDUCATION SPECIAL

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The triumphant Italian job that made these boys world kickboxing stars

Hitting all the high notes with Harry Potter’s famous flautist

THREE local pupils have been crowned World Champions in a variety of kickboxing categories after a global competition in Carrara, Italy.

Alex Hook, 14, who attends the Beacon Academy in Crowborough, took two gold medals and one silver;

KINGS OF COMBAT (L-R) Tommy West, Jack Binns, Coach Lewis Pears and Alex Hook

Wednesday 23rd November 2016

Jack Binns, 13, a pupil at Uplands in Wadhurst, achieved triple gold, one silver and one bronze medal, while Tommy West, 13, from St Gregory’s achieved a gold and silver medal in the International Combat Organisation’s World Championships.

All three boys attend the Assassins Gym in Crowborough, where they train for an average of four hours a week and are coached by Lewis Pears, who says he is ‘over the moon’ with their victories, and puts their success down to ‘dedication, commitment and focus’.

SEVEN local schoolchildren had the chance to play for, and learn from, one of the country’s leading flautists, whose virtuoso flute solos feature in many CDs and films, including the Harry Potter and Bridget Jones franchises.

Karen Jones, who is Professor of Flute at the Royal Academy of Music, and a regular guest principal flautist with leading orchestras, ran a flute masterclass at King Charles the Martyr Church at the end of last month as part of the Royal Tunbridge Wells International Music Festival (RTWIMF).

Among the seven talented children, which included three gifted 10 and 11 year olds working towards Grade 7, was 15-yearold Hannah Roberts, who attends Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar School [TWGGS].

She delighted the audience at King

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Charles, a venue which is a focus for classical music in the Weald, with one of her Grade 8 pieces – a rendition of Poulenc’s melancholic Cantilena sonata.

Karen said she was struck by how quickly Hannah picked up her suggestions for improvements to an already impressive performance.

The TWGGS student also had the opportunity to play alongside Karen as they developed the piece together.

The masterclass marks the end of a very special community music festival, which has included orchestral and chamber concerts, the Crash Bang Wallop noisy introduction to classical music for 3-8 year olds, and a literary lunch.

MASTERCLASS Karen Jones (right) tutored talented TWGGS student Hannah Roberts

28  WEEKLY COMMENT

Rachel Sadler

Liberal Democrat Candidate

Rachel Sadler is the recently appointed Liberal Democrat Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Tunbridge Wells, who is currently employed in a pre-authorisation role for an established healthcare company. Her previous political experience includes party fundraising and campaigning, as well as running for positions within Kent County Council and the borough council.

Government must get a grip on increasing housing crisis AS WE enter the festive period, the UK housing crisis deepens. According to Shelter England, nine million people rent privately. In the long term, this will leave most of them out of pocket, and many vulnerable individuals at the mercy of unscrupulous landlords.

More and more people are struggling to pay their rent, even in more affluent areas. For example, between April 1 and June 30, 2016, local authorities in the Kent County Council area received 1,120 eligible applications for housing assistance under the Housing Act 1996. This is 12 per cent higher than the previous year.

Homelessness is also on the rise. Shelter England state that 120,000 children will be homeless this Christmas. It is my opinion that Conservative cuts are at least partly responsible for this horrendous statistic.

The Tory Government have tried to reduce the impact of the housing crisis through their Help to Buy equity loan scheme, but with only 91,759 properties bought through the scheme in its first

Wednesday 23rd November 2016

39 months, it’s like a plaster for a bullet wound.

What is more, the average sale price of £227,000 would make it a pipe dream for many, as the mortgage payments could arguably be difficult to manage.

This view is echoed by Shelter England, who explain in their excellent report ‘What is the housing crisis?’ that the average house price is now nearly seven times a person’s annual income.

The Right to Buy scheme, which gives council tenants the option of purchasing their home at a discount, is also not the best solution.

David Cameron promised that there would be a one-for-one replacement for every council house purchased, but the reality is that this promise was only kept for the first year – 2011-12. A plan was never devised to maintain the scheme longterm. This is another example of Tory lip service.

It is my view that the Government is merely trying to keep their core voters onside, rather than attempting to find a solution which will help the majority in the UK.

I would like to see May, et al, enabling houses to be built on brownfield sites, as well as investing in quality pre-fabricated accommodation, which could be produced efficiently and at a lower cost than other types of housing.

There are various companies in the UK who

HARD TO BUY A HOME House prices have soared compared with average incomes

produce these, such as Bright Build, so it would be a welcome boost to UK industry as well as a way of reducing housing shortages.

I would also like to see vacant properties being repaired and made available to those who need them.

Council tax records from last year show a total of 15,470 vacant dwellings in Kent, with a further 2,910 in the Medway Unitary Area.

It’s imperative we tackle this crisis now, before it’s too late.

If we don’t, more and more people will struggle, and we will see a further surge in instability, which will ultimately lead to an increase in homelessness.

‘Homelessness is also on the rise. Shelter England state that 120,000 children will be homeless this Christmas’

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TONBRIDGE CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL ď Ž

29

Lighting up time Festive season takes off in Tonbridge at Christmas Festival Sunday November 27

Your special 4-page pullout programme Sponsored by

Your 4-pag e Chris tmas pullo ut

Wednesday 23rd November 2016

30  TONBRIDGE CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL

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It’s party time

T Double panto fun with Cinderella and Wizard of Oz

CHRISTMAS would not be complete without a traditional pantomime and Tonbridge has two on offer this year.

The Tonbridge Lions Club is hosting its annual community pantomime at The Angel Centre on Saturday and Sunday December 10 and 11, with all proceeds going towards charity.

The cast of this wonderful family event includes several talented local actors and dancers, some of whom will be making an appearance on stage at the Tonbridge Christmas Festival at 3.45pm.

Richard Hill, who is producing the pantomime, said: “This will be our best production to date, so don’t miss out as we are only putting on four performances over two days. The event is suitable for everyone, so invite your aunties, uncles, grandparents, friends and neighbours.

“We look forward to laughing out loud with you and singing along to some great songs. Please spread the word and support this community event.”

Dave Mac, who is acting as compere at the Christmas Festival, said: “I always look forward to the casts of the pantomimes joining us on stage. I see the crowd’s faces light up with happy smiles. They really do help bring the Christmas spirit to the day and all proceeds go to local charities, so

Wednesday 23rd November 2016

I hope lots of people will go and enjoy this festive fun production and support them again this year.”

For tickets to Cinderella, call: 01732 359966 or pop along to the Angel Centre.

The cast of Wicked Productions’ pantomime version of The Wizard of Oz, which is being performed at the EM Forster Theatre at Tonbridge School, will also be making an appearance on stage at 5.55pm.

Tom Swift plays the lovable Scarecrow, while Southborough panto favourite Amanda Swift is feisty Glinda the Good.

Tom said: “We have chart-topping songs, colourful costumes and a ton of laughs and effects. I think this promises to be Wicked Production’s greatest panto yet.”

For tickets call 01732 304241 or visit: www. boxoffice. tonbridge-school.

CINDERELLA co.uk

HE festive season in Tonbridge will start getting into full swing on Sunday [November 27] with the switching on of the town’s Christmas lights in the High Street.

The ‘big switch on’ will be one of the main highlights of the Christmas Festival, organised by the Tonbridge Rotary Club, and there is a full programme of FREE entertainment and fun for all the family during the day. [Please turn to page 68 for a full list of events].

On Sunday, the fun will begin at 1.50pm with the TS Brilliant Reunion Band marching through the High Street. There will be stalls set up all along the street offering tasty treats and Christmas gift ideas, and a funfair will add to the party atmosphere.

The stage, set up by the Castle Bridge, will feature dazzling light shows and a feast of live performances through the day.

Performers include Shonna Damms, Razzamataz Theatre School, Hobo and The Hippies, Charlotte Lubbock and

London Dreamers, Tonbridge Community Singers and the band Roxxon.

At 4pm, the Mayor of Tonbridge & Malling, Cllr Mark Rhodes, will be joined by stars from the Angel Centre pantomime Cinderella to switch on the Christmas lights.

The music will continue until 6pm, when a spectacular firework finale will light up the sky over Tonbridge Castle.

Council Cabinet Member for Community Services, Cllr Maria Heslop, said: “I’m looking forward to this year’s festival.

With all the excitement of the lights switch on, live music performances and the fireworks spectacular, it is sure to be a great afternoon.

“Thank you to the Rotary Club of Tonbridge for organising such a wonderful event and the Times of Tonbridge, Shaw’s Leisure and KMFM, together with other High Street retailers for sponsoring the event.

“I hope people will join us all to enjoy the festivities on Sunday November 27 and throughout the weekend.”

‘At 6pm a spectacular firework finale will light up the sky over Tonbridge Castle’

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

The Times is proud to work with:

WITH THE

Available in Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge and Sevenoaks

Fabulous forest home

A palatial country house in which to hold Court

bracketts

INSIDE

est. 1828

Fine family home perfectly placed for golfing Page 36

Tucked-away barn with stunning rural views Page 55

Beautiful Victorian villa overlooking Common Page 58

Wednesday 23rd November 2016

32  PROPERTY SECTION PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

In my view…

Mark Sparrow MNAEA Sales Manager, Wood & Pilcher, Tunbridge Wells

Your at-a-glance guide to GREAT BOUNDS DRIVE SOUTHBOROUGH

£675,000 – £700,000

Now that the lights are up and the retailers are moving in to top gear, maybe it is time to talk about Christmas.

There is a common myth that properties don’t sell over the holidays and I wanted – once and for all – to dispel this.

Very simply. THEY DO! As a junior agent some – ahem - time ago I learnt this first hand: On an afternoon between Christmas and the New Year, I sold three different properties on three successive viewings.

It was the 28th December and I was delighted - you might say that Christmas had come late!!!

The Rightmove website tells us that festive house hunting saw a 20% increase in people looking for their dream home between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day in 2015 compared to 2012. Would you believe there were 14,000,000 viewings on Christmas Day alone? This figure jumped to an amazing 25,000,000 on Boxing Day and then to 38,000,000 on New Year’s Day 2016 itself. Frankly - as other houses withdraw for Christmas and your competition diminishes - now is the time to remain on the market and indeed consider calling us agents out to value so as to take full advantage of the Christmas period and very early 2017.

38,000,000 viewings on a day & you want to miss out? You don’t!

As an aside, do look out for our Christmas card and advertisements in the month of December, we hope they’ll make you smile!

23 High Street, Tunbridge Wells TN1 1UT

01892 511211 www.woodandpilcher.co.uk

newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk

DO YOU HAVE A STORY? Wednesday 23rd November 2016

UNDER £250,000 BULLION CLOSE PADDOCK WOOD

£169,995 LEASEHOLD A large, immaculately-presented, one-bedroom, ground floor flat within walking distance of the mainline station that would make an ideal investment purchase. It has a spacious entrance hall, a good-

sized sitting room, a modern kitchen and a contemporary bathroom suite. There is a communal garden and communal parking area. The property is being sold with no chain.

CONTACT Firefly Properties Paddock Wood 01892 838363 www.fireflyproperties.co.uk

UNDER £350,000 FOREST GROVE. TONBRIDGE

£300,000-£310,000 This attractively-presented, extended, two-bedroom, end-ofterrace family home is located in an enclosed cul-de-sac setting.

It includes the bonus of a 19ft loft room and a ground floor shower room in addition to a first floor

bathroom. The generous living room, modern, well-fitted kitchen/ dining room and generous garden also contribute to the appeal of the property, which additionally has off-street parking for two cars.

CONTACT Robinson Jackson Tonbridge 01732 757300 www.robinson-jackson.com

PROPERTY SECTION 

33

great properties by price range…

UNDER £500,000 ST ANDREWS ROAD, PADDOCK WOOD

£450,000

A detached chalet bungalow within walking distance of the station with two ground floor bedrooms. Also on this floor is a large, open-plan kitchen/ dining room with a butler sink and doors to the garden, a double-aspect sitting room with a fireplace and a bathroom. Upstairs there are two more bedrooms. There is also off-road parking and a courtyard garden. The property is offered for sale chain-free.

CONTACT Firefly Properties Paddock Wood 01892 838363 www.fireflyproperties.co.uk

UNDER £600,000 SUSSEX CLOSE, TUNBRIDGE WELLS

£525,000-£550,000

This improved and extended semidetached character bungalow is within walking distance of Claremont Primary School. It benefits from a quadrupleaspect reception room/kitchen with multifuel stove and patio doors to a deck and garden, two bedrooms (one with French doors to the garden), a bathroom and a second reception/ bedroom. Located in a quiet cul-de-sac, the property also includes off-road parking and a new, insulated log cabin.

CONTACT Sumner Pridham Tunbridge Wells 01892 516615 www.sumnerpridham.co.uk

UNDER £800,000

UNDER £1MILLION

GREAT BOUNDS DRIVE SOUTHBOROUGH

BRAMLEY HOUSE, MILL COURT BIDBOROUGH

£675,000-£700,000 This detached, extended, fourbedroom family house on the Southborough/Bidborough borders is handy for the A21 and comes to the market chain-free.

The ground floor comprises a triple-aspect L-shaped lounge/ dining room with wooden flooring and doors to the garden, a 22ft kitchen/breakfast room with further doors to the garden, a 17ft study/playroom and a cloakroom.

Upstairs are three spacious bedrooms, a smaller bedroom and

£895,000

a bathroom. Outside, there is an integral double garage and a drive with space for several cars, plus a rear garden mainly laid to lawn.

CONTACT Robinson Jackson Tonbridge 01732 757300 www.robinson-jackson.com

Boasting five bedrooms, this modern, chalet-style house lies in a semi-rural position on the edge of the village.

Features include wood panel doors, oak joinery and underfloor heating. On the ground floor there is a sitting room, dining room, study, kitchen/breakfast room, utility room and cloakroom. The bedrooms, two of which are en suite, are upstairs with a bathroom. There is also an integral garage and a garden.

CONTACT Savills Tunbridge Wells 01892 507000 www.savills.co.uk

Wednesday 23rd November 2016

36 � PROPERTY SECTION

Five-bedroom home in a secluded spot near Tunbridge Wells’ Nevill Golf Club AT A GLANCE

ACER AVENUE TUNBRIDGE WELLS n Sitting room n Dining room n Study/playroom n Kitchen/breakfast room n Utility room n Cloakroom n Master bedroom with en suite and dressing room n 4 further bedrooms including one en suite n Family bathroom n Driveway parking n Double garage n Gardens

£924,500 For sale through Bardens Tunbridge Wells 01892 527317 www.bardensestates.co.uk

L

OCATED in a secluded cul-de-sac on the rural fringes of Tunbridge Wells near the Nevill Golf Club, this property offers a spacious yet warm feel throughout.

The sitting room has a comfortable feel to it with a feature gas fireplace and a large window overlooking the front of the property with a southerly aspect. This room then opens into the dining room through stylish double French doors.

The dining room exudes modern elegance, with a large patio door leading to the garden area – perfect for summer dining and entertaining.

The study/playroom has views over the front of the property.

The light, airy and cheery kitchen/breakfast room is well equipped and has a breakfast bar as well as ample room for a table and chairs.

Upstairs, the large master bedroom suite hosts plenty of fitted cupboards and a wide window.

The well fitted en-suite bathroom has a walk-in shower and corner bath, and there is a sizeable dressing room with Hammonds wardrobes.

There is also a guest suite with a shower, three further double bedrooms and a family bathroom.

There is an attached double garage, and the garden comprises a low-maintenance lawn and a patio across the back of the house.

‘The light, airy and cheery kitchen/breakfast room is well equipped and has a breakfast bar as well as ample room for a table and chairs’ Wednesday 23rd November 2016

46  PROPERTY SECTION

A stunning country house that oozes luxury amid its 40 acres MOOR COURT BEACON ROAD CROWBOROUGH

£5,000,000

Wednesday 23rd November 2016

PROPERTY SECTION �

47

AT A GLANCE

n Grand, triple-height entrance hall n Drawing room n Sitting room n Dining/snooker room n Study n Kitchen/breakfast room n Utility room & storeroom n 2 ground floor cloakrooms n 2 galleried landings n Master bedroom suite with dressing room and large roof terrace

W

ITH the breathtaking accommodation spread over four floors, and set amid vast grounds on the edge of Crowborough with views towards Ashdown Forest, this palatial, contemporary country house offers a wealth of luxuries – from an indoor swimming pool complex to a gym, cinema room, separate staff flat and its own lake.

The property was built in the vernacular style in 2014, with high ceilings and concrete floors, some featuring marble flooring with underfloor heating. There is also a sophisticated Lutron lighting circuit and a Crestron Home Automation system to control services such as heat, light and sound from an iPad or hard-wired control panels.

The house also

has commercial-grade WiFi and Villeroy & Boch bathroom fittings.

The ground floor opens to a grand, triple-height entrance hall where a curved marble staircase with a glass balustrade rises to the first and second floors, with a lantern rooflight above. Bifold doors or windows on each landing give views across the rear grounds.

The drawing room has a stone fireplace and bifold doors leading out to the garden terrace, which has views to the lake and woodland.

An informal sitting room also has bifold doors to the terrace and doors to the dining room, which is currently used as a snooker room.

The stunning kitchen/breakfast room has a vaulted ceiling with exposed beams and further bifold doors to a terrace. The

oak cupboards and quartz worktops are arranged as three island units.

On the first floor, the superb master bedroom suite has a roof terrace and bifold doors which provide an uninterrupted view to Ashdown Forest, plus a fully fitted dressing room with a concealed kitchenette and an en suite with walk-in rainfall shower, slipper bath and ‘his and hers’ WCs. There is also a guest suite with dressing room and balcony and two further en suite double bedrooms on this floor, plus two more en-suite bedrooms on the second floor.

The impressive leisure suite – which has glass partitions and access to outdoor terraces – is on the lower ground floor.

Double glass doors open to the swimming pool, with a spa pool set into the marble flooring and curved steps leading down between elegant columns to the pool itself.

There is also a gym, a sauna and a steam room, with three shower rooms, plus a cinema room with feature lighting, a plinth allowing for tiered seating and a bar.

On the first floor, above the garage, is a separate staff flat accessed by its own entrance and staircase. It comprises a sitting room/kitchen, double bedroom and bathroom.

The property sits in just over 40 acres of grounds, with around 3.58 acres of landscaped gardens.

These include a terrace spanning the rear of the house, a further circular terrace, a timber barn, an ornamental pond and a lake with a wooden bridge and decked jetty.

A sweeping driveway leads to the house with a gravel drive off it which curves round the lake and leads to the property’s extensive woodlands and fields.

n Guest suite with dressing room and decked balcony

‘Set amid vast grounds with views towards Ashdown Forest, this palatial, contemporary country house offers a wealth of luxuries – from an indoor swimming pool complex to a gym, cinema room, separate staff flat and its own lake’

n 4 further en-suite double bedrooms n Indoor swimming pool and spa pool n Gym n Sauna n Steam room n 3 shower rooms, one with changing room and cloakroom n Cinema room n Plant room n Integral triple garage n Approximately 3.58 acres of gardens, including lake, woodland, pasture and timber barn with loft and cloakroom FIRST FLOOR STAFF FLAT: n Sitting room/kitchen n Double bedroom n Bathroom n About 40.65 acres in all

£5,000,000 For sale through Savills Tunbridge Wells 01892 507000 www.savills.com

Wednesday 23rd November 2016

� PROPERTY SECTION

Wednesday 23rd November 2016

PROPERTY SECTION �

55

A converted barn in private location offering glorious countryside views AT A GLANCE POSTERN BARN UPPER POSTERN LANE TUDELEY n Galleried main reception n Dining room n Study & cloakroom n Kitchen & utility room n Master bedroom suite n 3 further bedrooms n Family bathroom n Double garage n ¾ acre plot with gardens & pond

£1,100,000 For sale through Maddisons Residential Tunbridge Wells 01892 514100 www.maddisonsresidential.co.uk

‘This truly beautiful four bedroom family home, this 1985 barn conversion is both cosy and spacious. With original vaulted ceilings, exposed timbers, and three generous reception rooms, this is the ideal space for both living and entertaining’

A

TRULY beautiful, glass-fronted, fourbedroom family home which is both cosy and spacious. With vaulted ceilings, exposed timbers, and two generous reception rooms, this 1985 barn conversion is an idyllic property for both living and entertaining – boosted by wonderful views of the open countryside that surrounds it.

The bright, quarry-tiled entrance hall offers immediate access to a study and guest cloakroom to the right, as well as being open to a seating area to the left. A further door connects the hall to the sizeable principal

reception room, with its vaulted ceiling, exposed timbers and an open fireplace and brick chimney breast, as well as French doors to the rear terrace.

The large dining room has an archway leading through to the charming 17ft-kitchen with painted wood cabinetry and an Aga. A utility room with a door to the garden completes the ground floor.

A wooden crafted staircase leads up to the galleried landing, which overlooks the main reception room.

To the right is the en-suite master bedroom with fitted wardrobes, as well as three other bedrooms and a family bathroom.

Most notably, all of the bedrooms have vaulted ceilings and beams.

In addition, there is good under eaves storage off the long first floor landing.

Upper Postern Barn is accessed via a private road linking Tudeley and Tonbridge, and approached via a driveway which sweeps around to the front of the property and leads to a generous parking area in front of the double garage.

An expanse of lawn can be found at the front of the barn, with mature shrubs along the border.

To the rear of the property, a raised terrace overlooks the large garden, which is mostly laid to lawn with mature plantings and trees.

Beyond the lawn is a stream-fed pond which forms a natural boundary at the bottom of the garden.

Wednesday 23rd November 2016

58  PROPERTY SECTION AT A GLANCE SUMMERHILL HOUSE 73 LONDON ROAD TUNBRIDGE WELLS ■ Drawing room

Grade II listed villa with cottage in the heart of Tunbridge Wells

■ Dining room ■ Sitting room ■ Family room ■ Kitchen/breakfast room with pantry ■ Cloakroom ■ Games room ■ Cinema room ■ Laundry room ■ Shower room & gardener’s WC ■ Master bedroom with double dressing room and bathroom ■ 6 further bedrooms (two en suite) ■ 3 bath/shower rooms ■ Off-street parking INTERLINKED COTTAGE: ■ Private entrance & cloakroom ■ Sitting room ■ Kitchen ■ 2 bedrooms (one en suite) ■ Shower room

£2,600,000 For sale through Savills Tunbridge Wells 01892 507000 www.savills.co.uk

D

ATING back to 1860, this large, elegant, Grade II listed, doublefronted Victorian villa lies in a superb central location overlooking Tunbridge Wells Common, just under half a mile from the station.

Beautifully presented, Summerhill House enjoys the typical proportions of the period, with high ceilings and big sash windows. Decorative architraves and mouldings add to the grandeur.

The property has a high-quality contemporary finish which complements the many period features, which include wide stripped wood flooring, and the adaptable and spacious accommodation is arranged over four floors.

As a further benefit, there is an interlinked but self-contained two-bedroom cottage.

A canopied Tuscan porch with a cast iron balcony above opens to the striking entrance hall with its sweeping staircase.

The drawing room and dining room either side of the hall both boast deep bay

windows and feature fireplaces, one with a wood-burning stove.

The magnificent open-plan kitchen/ breakfast room features big multi-paned doors with folding wooden shutters opening out to the garden.

There is also a family room with doors to the garden, and a sitting room.

On the first floor, the master suite has a pewter fireplace with moulded surround, deep bay windows with a view to the Common and a double dressing room with a range of mirrored built-in cupboards, plus a bath/shower room.

There are two more en-suite bedrooms on this floor (one currently used as a study), with the remaining four bedrooms on the second floor.

Three further bath/shower rooms are also on the second floor.

The lower ground floor sports an unusual feature – a glass-covered brick well inset into the laundry room floor.

There is also a cinema room, a games

room and a shower. This level also has underfloor heating and access to two sides.

The self-contained cottage has a sitting room with a wood-burning stove, a kitchen, two bedrooms and two bath/ shower rooms. With its own entrance and parking, the cottage offers ideal private space but it can also be accessed from the family room in the main house if required.

The property is set back from the road behind a hedge-lined wrought iron fence, with off-street parking on the drive.

A side spur off the driveway leads to the front door of the cottage.

There is a sheltered, partly walled garden to the rear.

Beyond is The Coach House, which is under separate ownership and has a right of way for access over the Summerhill House driveway.

Planning permission and Listed Buildings Consent is in place to relocate the gateposts on the main entrance and to install two new gates.

‘Dating back to 1860, this large, elegant, Grade II listed, double-fronted Victorian villa lies in a superb central location overlooking Tunbridge Wells Common, just under half a mile from the station’ Wednesday 23rd November 2016

60 ď Ž PROPERTY SECTION

Charming Victorian family home overlooking village Common

R

OSEMEAD sits on the edge of Shipbourne Common with lovely views, climbing plants on the front elevation and a delightful, south-facing garden.

The extended Victorian family home boasts character features that include oak flooring, dado rails, double-glazed sash windows and fireplaces.

A pitch porch leads to a large reception hall with a cast iron fireplace. Ahead are doors opening to the staircase and a cloakroom, and either side of the hall are doors to the sitting room and kitchen.

The spacious sitting room has a pretty fireplace with decorative tile slips and double doors to the conservatory.

Also off the sitting is a double-aspect dining room to the front of the house, and

Wednesday 23rd November 2016

a study at the rear overlooking the garden.

The beautiful conservatory is a superb addition to the house, with double doors opening up to the terrace and garden.

The kitchen/breakfast room is fitted with a range of units including basket drawers and glass-fronted display cupboards, plus a fitted dresser and an ornamental cast iron stove. The breakfast area looks out over the Common.

Next to the kitchen is a useful utility room with a door to the garden.

On the first floor, the master bedroom has double-aspect views to the front and side and a stylish en-suite shower room with a double cubicle.

There are three further double bedrooms, all looking over the Common, and two with cast iron fireplaces.

At the rear is a small nursery.

These are served by a family bathroom with a roll-top claw and ball bath and a separate shower room.

The house is approached via a driveway, and an electricallyoperated gate leads to a further drive at the back of the house providing parking and access to the garage and garden/log stores.

The landscaped rear garden features a generous terrace and raised flowerbeds.

Particular features of the garden are a timber arbour with passion flower, honeysuckle and roses, plus a circular lawn flanked by herbaceous borders with pathways and a small ornamental pond.

PROPERTY SECTION �

61

AT A GLANCE n Porch n Reception hall n Sitting room n Dining room n Study n Conservatory n Kitchen/breakfast room n Utility room n Cloakroom n En-suite master bedroom n Three further double bedrooms n Nursery n Family bathroom n Shower room n Detached garage n Garden and log store n South-facing landscaped gardens

£1,350,000 guide price For sale through Savills Sevenoaks 01732 789700 www.savills.com

ROSEMEAD UPPER GREEN ROAD SHIPBOURNE GUIDE PRICE

£1,350,000 ‘Particular features of the garden are a timber arbour with passion flower, honeysuckle and roses, plus a circular lawn and a small ornamental pond’

Wednesday 23rd November 2016

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

WARNERS-SOLICITORS.CO.UK

RAZZAMATAZ THEATRE SCHOOL

Local talent on show THERE will be a fantastic range of local talent providing the entertainment at the Tonbridge Christmas Festival, both in the High Street and on the specially erected stage by the Castle Bridge.

Opening the entertainment will be the TS Brilliant Reunion Band marching

TONBRIDGE COMMUNITY SINGERS

through the High Street to the stage. Find a good vantage point and be ready to cheer them on as they put their best foot forward at 1.50pm.

The stage events will be compered by Dave Mac, who has more than 40 years’ experience in the entertainment business.

After leaving the Royal Air Force, where he helped run various radio stations, to pursue a career as a comedian, he worked as an entertainments manager with Pontins before performing at comedy venues all over the world.

His recent work includes taking on the role of Comedy Conductor in the new musical Six-Five Rock ’N’ Roll Express, which premiered at the Tunbridge Wells Assembly Hall in July.

Dave also runs the Razzamataz Theatre School in Tonbridge (www.tonbridge. razzamataz.co.uk) Young students will be entertaining the crowds at the Christmas Festival at 2.25pm this Sunday, and will also be at Penshurst Christmas Market on December 3.

To register for a free Razzamataz taster session, call Dave on 01732 364859 or email tonbridge@razzamataz.co.uk The Tonbridge community singers will be performing on stage at 2.50pm. They have been together for over ten years under the directorship of Helen Walker and accompanist Carolyn Cabrera.

TONBRIDGE CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL 

For a full programme of events please turn to next page

67

They perform a wide repertoire of music and are passionate about raising funds for worthy causes.

Singer Shonna Damms graduated from Royal Holloway University of London with a top honours degree in Drama and Theatre Studies. Don’t miss this fantastic performer on stage at 3.20pm.

Local vocalist Charlotte Lubbock and guitarist Charlie Sweet, aka London Dreamers, will be on stage at 4.05pm playing a selection of soul, blues, pop and rock music.

To book the duo, telephone Charlotte on 07723 020365 or email charlottelubbock@gmail.com Also appearing are Hobo And The Hippies at 4.40pm – a lively five-piece band from North-West Kent who create original British folk and country numbers.

You can be assured that a mix of songs is covered in your typical Hobos gig, with some banter and good British humour thrown in between songs Roxxon are a professional function band who provide a stunning variety of contemporary pop hits that will guarantee to get everyone up and dancing.

As well as covering songs by modern artists, the band also make sure there are plenty of golden oldies.

Make sure you are ready to sing along and dance with them at 5.15pm.

CHARLOTTE LUBBOCK

Wednesday 23rd November 2016

68  TONBRIDGE CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

WARNERS-SOLICITORS.CO.UK

Programme of events 1.50

TS Brilliant Reunion Band play and march down High Street to stage

2.25

Razzamataz Theatre School Tonbridge

2.50

Tonbridge Community Singers

3.20

Shonna Damms

3.30

Panto cast arrive in lower High Street and walk through to stage

3.45

Cast of Lions Club Cinderella panto

4.00

Mayor on stage to switch on lights

4.05

Charlotte Lubbock

4.40

Hobbo and The Hippies

5.15

Roxxon

5.55

Cast of The Wizard of Oz panto on stage

6.00

Mayor on stage to commence Firework Display

6.15

Close with Dave Mac

HOBO AND THE HIPPIES

St Peter & St Paul hosts Christmas carol service AFTER the last firework has lit up the sky on Sunday, people attending the festivities in the town are invited to attend a traditional carol service marking the start of Advent at the Church of St Peter & St Paul, located in Church Lane, Tonbridge

(behind the Rose & Crown Hotel).

At around 6.30pm, lanterns will light the way to the church, where mince pies and mulled wine will also be available.

For more information about the service, contact Jane Mata on 01732 352416.

All the fun of the fair The TS Brilliant Reunion Band will get the Tonbridge Christmas Festival off to a lively start when they march down the High Street

Wednesday 23rd November 2016

THE Christmas festivities start early again this year, with a Family Funfair in Sovereign Way. The funfair will be open on Friday [November 25] from 6pm to 10pm, on Saturday [November 26] from noon until 10pm and on Sunday [November 27] from noon to 8pm.

On offer will be traditional children’s rides, sideshows, arcades, plus toffee apples and candy floss.

Motorists should take note that Tonbridge High Street and other local roads will be closed during the festivities.

Thank you for your support THE Christmas Festival has been organised by The Rotary Club of Tonbridge with support from Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council, Tonbridge Lions Club, the Times of Tonbridge, KMFM and Nick Shaw’s Leisure.

The organisers are extremely grateful to the supporters and sponsors of this year’s event.

They include: Sainsbury’s; Design a Head; Saltwaters; Abbey Funeral Services; Warners; The Humphrey Bean; Nev’ll Fix It and Country Florist.

Brian Piner, President of the Rotary Club of Tonbridge, said: “I think it’s unbelievably generous and humbling that all the entertainers, bands, acts, Rotary Club of Tonbridge and Tonbridge Lions Club members, along with an array of other volunteers, are kindly donating their time completely free of charge to support us in bringing this extravaganza to the people of the town, all in aid of local charities.

“I hope everyone will mark this astonishing free festive day in their calendars because Tonbridge High Street will be bursting into life at 1.50pm. I would like to give my heartfelt thanks to all the above mentioned, as well as my gratitude for the invaluable support.”

70 ■ FOOD AND DRINK

’Tis the season to indulge in some glorious game Tunbridge Wells Farmers’ Market Manager Bruce McMichael marks the start of British Game Week by chatting to local suppliers who specialise in this rich variety of seasonal meats, and also showcases some delicious dishes to inspire you to get into the kitchen and cook them

L

ATE autumn is the time cooks casseroles and stews,” explains Simon. and foodies reach for recipe “As the taste grows on them, they books seeking inspiration for come back for steaks and joints, warm, comfortable welcoming particularly saddles,” he says. “I give meals. Casserole dishes and hotpots are them recipe leaflets for ideas on dusted down and given pride of place cooking our venison and pheasants. in the kitchen.

It’s all about giving our customers It’s also the season game comes into confidence to try new dishes.” its own, with the windows of specialist Simon has recently started butcher’s shops and stalls at farmers’ selling at Stonegate markets stocked with cuts of venison, Farmers’ Market. “It’s pheasants, rabbits and much more. where some of my family Simon Knight of Dundale Game lives, and our meat has is a seasonal stallholder at been popular with the Tunbridge Wells Farmers’ Market locals there,” he says. (outside the Town Hall), Master butcher Kieron and has regular Toole is also a keen customers shot, and combines returning year these two skills after year for into his his game, Penshurst especially company venison.

Kieron’s Simon Game. farms just His south of produce Tunbridge is sourced Wells at from farms Dundale across West Farm, which is Kent, including also home to Penshurst, Hever Fenton’s Rink, and Shipbourne, England’s only with the occasional dedicated ice trip further afield to curling rink. seek out wild boar.

“New customers Kieron is a regular usually try diced stallholder at IT’S A WRAP venison first, Shipbourne, Tunbridge Kieron Toole of Kieron’s Game putting it in Wells, The Pantiles

Wednesday 23rd November 2016

and Penshurst Farmers’ Markets.

During the game season Kieron has a good supply of fresh meat, such as venison, duck, pheasant, partridge and guinea fowl.

“Demand for game at this time of year is always strong,” he adds.

“This year, venison chunks for casseroles are very popular. Chefs such as Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver are beginning to use game again, and supermarkets are publishing more recipes with it, which gives people confidence to try different meats.”

He also makes venison sausages and burgers, and rabbit and pigeon breast marinated in red wine is one of his specialities.

In addition to this, the butcher raises guinea fowl alongside the hens on his farm, and finds people much prefer them to chicken. This is because they boast a stronger flavour, reminiscent of pheasant, but without any excessive gamey overtones.

The classic way of cooking game birds is to roast them in the oven and serve them with game chips, but with today’s availability of handy, ready-to-cook portions, they are just as good in pies, pâtés, casseroles, soups and sausages.

June Fuller, of Fuller’s Farm Shop in Eridge, says customers are asking more and more for game meat, particularly venison and pheasant.

“Our venison and cranberry burgers are really popular. People also like our cubed venison, which is great for making casseroles and ragu.”

PAPPARDELLE & WILD GAME MEATBALL RAGU

Serves 4 What you need: 1kg Venison mince 400g Minced pork 20g Chopped thyme 30g Chopped garlic 30g Grated Parmesan 400g Pappardelle pasta 200g Spicy tomato ragu 20g Fresh basil Olive oil Sea salt Milled black pepper

What you do: Place the game mince and pork mince into a bowl.

Add the thyme, garlic, Parmesan and season well and mix together.

Make into 16 small meatballs.

Place into a hot pan and fry in a little rapeseed oil.

Place into a hot oven for 5 minutes at 220°C. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes.

Heat the ragu sauce.

Cook the pasta and drain well, then fold through a little oil.

Place into bowls, add the meatballs, spoon over the ragu, and sprinkle a little extra Parmesan and the fresh basil over it before serving.

FOOD AND DRINK �

ASIAN SPICED PARTRIDGE What you need: 12 Boneless partridge thighs 50g Diced onion 50g Diced sweet potato 50g Diced butternut squash 50g Diced tomatoes 10g Fresh coriander Garam masala Cumin What you do: Season the thighs and fry in a hot pan for two minutes with the garam masala and cumin.

Remove from the pan.

Sauté the onion, potato and squash, add the tomatoes, place the partridge thighs back in and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add some stock if looking a little dry.

Add the fresh coriander.

Spoon the spiced partridge into the bowl.

Season and serve with rice, Indian flatbread and a spiced vegetable such as aubergine.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT WINES TO COMPLEMENT GROUSE Grouse is a full-flavoured bird that can cope with a robust red wine. As with all poultry, you need to opt for wines that aren’t heavily tannic.

The perfect choice is either a red from the northern Rhône or a top-class mature red Burgundy.

HARE Hare is another dark, gamey meat which is hard to match when served without a sauce.

Fortunately, it is most likely to be served in the ‘jugged’ or stewed style, with which a rich Amarone goes very well. For a lighter style of wine, look no further than a Côtes du Rhône.

PHEASANT Roast pheasant partners very well with light, fruity varieties such as Pinot Noir, especially those from North America or New Zealand.

Roast wood pigeon relishes mature but full-flavoured reds such as Claret or Rioja. Pigeon breasts served warm with a green leaf salad, meanwhile, will benefit from wines that complement the salad dressing rather than the bird.

VENISON Roast venison does not like too much tannin, so seek out a mature red Burgundy to go with it – although Pinot Noirs from New Zealand, Australia and North America make for worthy alternatives. (If Pinot Noir is not to your liking, a suitable

71

substitute here might be a Côtes du Rhône.)

PARTRIDGE A tannic wine can easily overpower roast partridge.

Syrah is therefore the ideal variety to seek out for this particular bird, although the optimum match would be a not-too-full-bodied version, such as a Vin de Pays.

WILD BOAR Wild boar is similar to pork, albeit more strongly flavoured.

For reds, you will again need to avoid too much tannin, so a Beaujolais Cru would provide the requisite balance, equally so a light Pinot Noir. For white wines, meanwhile, look to the Southern Rhône.

Source: Berry Bros

GAME ON n Game is wild, natural and

free range with a distinctive flavour, making it a great alternative to the traditional beef, lamb, pork and chicken n It’s also low in cholesterol

and high in protein, so one of the healthiest meats. For example, venison, with its

characteristically strong, gamey taste and extra lean meat, is great for anyone on a low-fat diet n Try it cubed for a healthy yet

hearty casserole, or try minced venison for a burger or sausages with a difference. For a curry with a twist, try a tandoori pheasant

n When selecting joints of

venison, make sure they are well fleshed and a dark brownish-red colour n Are you wary of handling

and preparing game?

Then why not buy ready to cook meat, which comes pre-seasoned and marinated.

Wednesday 23rd November 2016

72  TRAVEL CARIBBEAN CALM The island’s tiny capital, St George’s

Rum in the sun on Grenada

By Karen Bowerman

O

N MY first evening in Grenada, I sit on a dock overlooking a bay and order a ‘dodgy rum punch’, named – I’m assured – after the bar that serves it, rather than its ingredients. It proves a potent and very drinkable concoction, staving off jet lag, resetting my body clock and warming my soul, as if tuning me into Grenadian life ahead of my stay.

When Prince Harry visits at the end of the month, he’ll no doubt be sampling the island’s finest tipple. By royal appointment, of course.

In his honour, I order another, then flop into bed, listening to waves breaking gently over Grand Anse Beach – a three-mile stretch of pristine, coralline sand, said to be the most beautiful in the West Indies.

Grenada, together with its sister isles of Carriacou and Petite Martinique, form a tri-island state about 100 miles north of Venezuela. They’re in the southernmost part of the Caribbean – a good ten-hour flight from London.

But – as my guide, Roger, puts it – in my ridiculously short transfer to the Coyaba Beach Resort on the west coast (the drive is all of ten minutes): “If you’re looking for the very best mango, you need to climb to the top of the tree.”

Not that Grenada is known for its mangoes.

This is the Spice Isle, its volcanic soil giving rise to nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger, plus cocoa, various root vegetables – affectionately known as ‘ground

Wednesday 23rd November 2016

provisions – and, of course, sugar cane, hence all the rum.

At the River Antoine Rum Distillery on the east coast (Grenada is just 21 miles long and 12 miles wide, so nowhere’s far) rum is still produced as it was in the 1700s.

The distillery, a handful of stone buildings, is powered by the river, which drives an old waterwheel that was made in Derby.

Beside it, a chute feeds a decrepitlooking conveyor belt. Four guys are using it to play cards.

“Why aren’t you working?” I ask, mimicking the direct, but friendly, manner of most Grenadians.

“No more sugar cane,” one replies. “We’re waiting for the next lorry load.”

“Which won’t come ’til Monday,” his mate adds, nonchalantly (it’s presently Thursday).

Nearby, in huge cauldrons, rum-to-be bubbles like hot treacle.

A saucepan strapped to a long pole serves as a ladle.

The end product contains 88 per cent alcohol – too inflammable to take on a flight home. A special version, clocking in at 79 per cent, is distilled for visitors.

My friends and I head north to the Belmont agro-tourism estate for lunch, where everything served has been grown on site. I try soursop juice, which tastes a bit like frothy grapefruit; green banana soup, which reminds me of Thai green curry, and a

THE SLICE OF LIFE Karen and local celebrity guide Telfor, equipped with only a compass and machete, take a hike around the Grand Etang Forest

chocolate brownie that delivers a gloriously bitter kick.

But nothing can top the cacao-infused cheesecake we discover at the House of Chocolate in St George’s, Grenada’s small capital.

After learning about life on the plantations in the tiny museum, we perch on stools resembling giant chocolate chip cookies and, between us, order most of the cocoa-inspired menu. I choose a 100 per cent chocolate shot, an espressosized cup of melted indulgence.

Opposite is a batik studio, run by artists Chris and Lilo, who employ local women to make the garments they decorate and dye.

Their shop is in one of the oldest buildings in town, built from bricks used as ballast on a ship that sailed from England in the 18th century.

“What brought you here?” I ask Lilo, after learning she used to live in Switzerland.

“A sail boat,” she replies.

“I’m a gypsy, but when I came here, I never left.”

Down the hill is St George’s Market, where women sell ground spices in neatlylabelled

‘When Prince Harry visits at the end of the month, he’ll no doubt be sampling the finest tipple’ packets. We stroll from here to the harbour, the Carenage, before taking in the view from the cannons lining Fort George, a 17th-century hilltop battery.

Beyond the funky-coloured buildings surrounding the bay, a sweep of sand signifies Grand Anse beach, home to the Coyaba Resort. Barely ten minutes later, I’m there, my towel hanging from the branch of a knobbly sea grape tree as I take a dip in the sea.

One afternoon, I go kayaking; on another, a group of us take a catamaran to the island’s quirkiest attraction, its Underwater Sculpture Park in Molinere Bay. While divers sink to the ocean bed, there’s still plenty to see if you snorkel, since none of the sculptures are more than 25 feet deep.

A mermaid flicks her sinuous tail; a ring of children, cast from local youngsters, attract a shoal of parrot fish, and from a sun-dappled gully female figures gaze upwards, draped in coral and sand.

TRAVEL 

VAT’S LIFE The River Antoine Rum Distillery The park was the first of its kind in the world, forming an artificial reef to encourage marine life.

While Grenada has around 70 miles of coastline, inland there are mountains, rainforests and waterfalls.

A renowned hiker, 77-year-old Telfor Bedeau, shows me around.

We meet in the mountainous Grand Etang Forest. Telfor arrives on foot from his village seven miles away.

He’s wearing jelly shoes and is carrying a machete.

“It’s what I always take, along with a compass,” he says. “Nothing else!”

“No phone or GPS?” I ask.

“No, never. And I’ve only got lost once, in 1960, when I was 22. But I

didn’t have to sleep in the bush, I found a way out anyway.”

He has no need for his machete today – our walk is on a marked path through giant ferns, bamboo and bois canoe trees, their hollow trunks once used for rafts.

At one point, we see Mount Qua Qua and the crater lake of Grand Etang, along with the Caribbean Sea on our left and the Atlantic on our right.

Below, in Beausejour Valley, there’s the bark of mona monkeys.

Grenada is the only place they are found outside West Africa.

I spend my final days at

‘There’s a rum for every occasion, and then one just for the fun of it!’

True Blue Bay, a boutique resort with a small marina on the south coast.

The feel is ‘driftwood chic’ – buildings are yellow, lilac and pink, and the bathroom in my waterfront duplex has wrought iron turtles and a pebble-edged mirror.

After hearing talk of ‘liming’ (slang for taking life easy), it’s a chance to put it into practice. I relax by the pool and on my balcony, then head off for beginners’ yoga in a pavilion set high in the trees.

“Enjoy the breeze and the sound of the sea,” our instructor, Fay, whispers. The others close their eyes, but I can’t miss the spectacular view of the bay.

It’s surpassed only by sunset, which I enjoy from a traditional wooden sloop, the kind once used by smugglers who used to run rum between St Barts and Barbados.

As our skipper, Walter, unfurls the sails, owner Danny serves us punch, warning: “You won’t taste the rum straight away, but it’ll certainly hit you later.”

The sun disappears, the sky turns gold, then purple, then pink. But they’re not the gentle hues you find elsewhere in the world – these are bold, riotous and exuberant, as if reflecting the spirit of this lesserknown Caribbean isle.

Of course, it could just be the rum punch talking – Danny’s cocktail finally kicking in – but why worry when this is a country where even the Minister of Tourism says: “There’s a rum for every occasion, and then one just for the fun of it!”

73

WATERWORLD One of the three Concord Falls TRAVEL FACTS Karen Bowerman was a guest of the Grenada Tourist Board (www.PureGrenada.com) Best At Travel (www.bestattravel.co.uk) offers seven nights B&B at the True Blue Bay Resort from £999 per person (for two sharing). Prices include return flights from Gatwick and transfers.  Rooms at the Coyaba Beach Resort (www.coyaba.com) start from £212 per night (for two sharing).

Wednesday 23rd November 2016

74 ■ WEDDING FEATURE

How true love triumphed after seeing a face in the crowd…

When Jake Armstrong spotted Emma Wills in the audience at his teenage gig, little did she know they’d later be joined together for life in a perfect garden wedding, with all their personal touches How did you and your husband meet?

Jake used to be in a band with a guy I went to school with. Apparently, he spotted me in the crowd and asked a mate for my number (all very rock and roll!) We ended up dating for six months and then broke up, which broke my teenage heart a little bit. I went off to uni in Brighton and we reconnected towards the end of my second year there. I think we both realised we were right for each other all along, but the initial timings weren’t in our favour. Fast-forward seven years, and we couldn’t be happier.

‘We were blessed with the second hottest day of the year, and it was so lovely to see all our friends and family in one place’

Tell us about the proposal Jake booked a surprise trip to Dublin, and I remember being particularly excited as I was quite stressed at work during that time. When we checked in, he asked me to close my eyes because he’d got me an early Valentine gift. I

SHOWERED WITH LOVE Jake and Emma are sprayed with confetti as they leave church

Wednesday 23rd November 2016

WEDDING FEATURE ■

remember thinking: ‘Yes, he’s got me the top in Zara I wanted!’ Next thing, he’s standing there with a little box and asking if I will be his wife. I think I cried for a full minute before saying yes!

second hottest day of the year, and it was so lovely to see all our friends and family in one place. Our singer, Reuben Richards, was AMAZING and really got everyone off their seats and dancing.

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

A marquee wedding was the perfect way for us to add our own touch, as my parents had just moved into a beautiful oast house with a sizeable garden. Jake’s parents made most of the furniture and decorations from scratch – we were extremely lucky, as Jake’s dad is director of his own joinery business.

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

We spent a few days after the wedding with family, eating and drinking, and then we jetted off to the Athens Riviera for a week. It was so lovely and the hotel had the most amazing sushi restaurant with giant round swinging tables.

Tell us about your big day and some of its key highlights I know everyone says this, but it really was the best day of our lives (so far!) We were blessed with the

Talk us briefly through some of your key suppliers and brands and how they helped make the day special I got my dress made from scratch by a lovely dressmaker in London called Margo Stankova. She is super talented and created the dress of my dreams, which fitted like a glove.

Super Event, based in Heathfield, provided the marquee shell and the amazing catering service.

Our beautiful cake was made by the talented Hollie at Hollie’s Little Cakery. For the flowers, we used more family connections – Jake’s auntie is a talented florist, so she helped us source them and then we all got stuck in and made up the various boxes, bouquets and vases!

SIGN HERE! Emma and Jake put an official stamp on their nupitals – with a smile

75

THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS

1 2 3 4 5

Don’t worry, be happy. Don’t let stress get the better of you, breathe and try to enjoy every step – as it only happens once (hopefully!)

Be the best dressed, not in the most debt – putting yourself in financial debt for a garment that you will realistically only wear once just isn’t worth it Ignore the first dance fretters!

If you don’t have a song a week before the wedding, just pick something you both like and your Nan won’t be offended by and it’ll happen naturally on the day Use sites like Pinterest to craft things yourself; the ‘rustic’ and ‘homemade’ look is all the rage, which is great if you’re looking to save some cash and make your own decorations Remember to stop for a second as it’s so easy to get pulled here there and everywhere without taking a second to breathe. My biggest wedding regret was not getting a nice photo with my mum – so take five minutes to go through a mental checklist

RIGHT ON QUEUE Bring on the bubbly!

BERRY NICE The bride and groom cut the spectacular wedding cake

Wednesday 23rd November 2016

76 ■ WEDDING FEATURE

A match sweeter than Pick ’n’ Mix

When SO Magazine’s Editor, Charlie Bond, took up a temp job in her local Woolworths, she never imagined that co-worker Jamie Baker would one day be her husband. After he proposed, armed with imagination and a serious cut-back on sleep, she got to work on creating her very own DIY wedding How did you and your husband meet?

It doesn’t sound like the most romantic tale, but we actually met when we were both working at Woolworths. Our first conversation was about Pick ’n’ Mix! Jamie’s friend was having a party, and he said to me: “You can come if you want.”

I took this to mean he didn’t really want me there, but friends persuaded me otherwise so I went along – and the rest is history…

Tell us about the proposal…

We were due to go on holiday in a couple of days’ time. We’d had pizza for dinner and watched back-to-back episodes of Friends, and then I said to Jamie “I’m going to go up and paint my nails ready for the holiday.” He asked me to come outside and help him with something for a second, and I begrudgingly went outside. When I got into the garden he’d filled the trees with fairy lights, there were candles everywhere, and a bottle of champagne next to a card. I opened the card and he’d written lots of lovely things, JUST MARRIED And all perfectly paired

Wednesday 23rd November 2016

and at the end of the message he asked me to marry him. Then a ring appeared!

I was so excited, but still determined to paint my nails before showing off my ring to anyone!

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

We had both the ceremony and reception at The Great Barn in Rolvenden, which is a beautiful rustic country barn surrounded by an orchard and fields. It was one of the first places we contacted, but they didn’t have the date we wanted so we looked at others. However, nothing compared, so we ended up choosing a different date and went with our gut instincts! We loved the fact that it was a blank canvas so we were able to have the day exactly as we wanted.

Tell us about your big day and some of the key highlights We wanted our day to be really relaxed and fun for everyone, and also to reflect us as a couple, so we had pick ’n’ mix as a

‘I surprised Jamie by booking a mini golf course for people to play on during the drinks reception, as we’re partial to a game of crazy golf on Hastings seafront’

nod to our Woolies days, fish and chips, because it’s one of our favourite meals, and I surprised Jamie by booking a mini golf course for people to play on during the drinks reception, as we’re partial to a game of crazy golf on Hastings seafront.

We also love live music, so having a band was a must – and we spent the whole evening dancing. My feet were so painful the next day!

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

The morning after the wedding, a big group of us descended on the Lime Wharf Café in Newenden for breakfast, before heading to the venue to clear it.

Then, the following morning Jamie and I

headed off to Santorini in Greece for a four day ‘mini moon’, which was absolutely amazing.

Talk us briefly through some of your key suppliers and brands, and how they helped make the day special We were lucky to have lots of friends and family help with elements of the day, such as baking the wedding cake and doing the photography, but we also had lots of assistance from fabulous local suppliers.

My wedding dress was a stunning Stella York gown, which I purchased from the lovely ladies at Jodi Bridal in Maidstone, and the tweed suit jackets for the men came from Next.

My beautiful flowers were created by the amazing Sophie Hill from Astilbe & Sorrel

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in Hawkhurst, who did an amazing job.

Hair at 15 in Tenterden did mine and the bridesmaids’ fantastic up do’s, and our make-up artist was the incredible David Hynes from Tunbridge Wells.

We had pretty festoon lights in the barn and cool light-up letters outside, which were provided by Light it Up in Tenterden.

‘In the evening we had band Roxxon keeping the dance floor going, and a vintage photobooth, which created a lot of hilarious pictures’

APPLE OF MY EYE Jamie and Charlie enjoy the surrounding countryside

We had the wonderful Chicks That Chop doing our catering and making sure our glasses of fizz were always full, and our fish and chips were provided by Flo’s Fryer.

The barn being a DIY venue, we also had to hire in everything from tables to teaspoons, and these were all provided

by Jubilee Hire.

The mini golf course for the drinks reception came from All Hired Out. In the evening we had even more entertainment, with Tunbridge Wells band Roxxon keeping the dance floor going, and the fabulous Victoria Lily Events supplied us with a vintage photobooth, which created a lot of hilarious pictures!

We also had a delicious hog roast, which was provided by Jose at Moons Green Charcuterie.

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THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS

1 2 3

Delegate! I didn’t do this enough, and always found myself with loads to do when other people were offering to take things off my hands. A job shared is a job halved.

Be selfish! It’s harder to do than say, but this day really is about you and your partner, and the decisions you make should reflect this, rather than just doing things to make other people happy.

Don’t be afraid to DIY. I’m not the craftiest of people, but I still managed to create a few things for our wedding, such as the bunting, which we made from tube maps.

I think making things, however small, gives the wedding a personal touch.

4

5

Work out what’s important to you. We wanted our day to be really fun, so we spent money on a photobooth, a live band and Mr & Mrs mini golf to keep people entertained rather than spending lots of money on a cake or photographer. Just work out what your priorities are and spend your money on these.

Have fun! Lots of couples say they regret not making the most of their day, but we definitely did. For the evening reception, I let my hair down, had a few wines and spent my time on the dance floor with my husband. And I had an amazing time, so I don’t regret it at all!

Describe your husband in five words Thankfully, a fellow cat lover!

Wednesday 23rd November 2016

CHILDCARE FEATURE n

79

The Great Childcare Debate

Working parents face a multitude of options when it comes to sourcing childcare for their children. Preschool, nursery, nanny, childminder, state-funded playgroup or private prep? The choice is vast and can often be both daunting and confusing

T

O HELP you decide which type of provider will be best for your child – and suit your circumstances and finances – the Times talks to a variety of schools and independent businesses about the particular type of services they provide. So when the time comes for your precious toddler to become a little bit more independent and start interacting with others, you know you have made the right decision to ensure that their transition from the comfort of home to the big wide world is as successful and stress-free as possible.

Beechwood Sacred Heart School Mr Patrick Gush Head of Preparatory School www.beechwood.org.uk What is your childcare ethos/mission statement?

To provide an excellent service for the children and their families that makes a positive difference to their lives. We aim to support the emotional, social and academic development of children

Why then, as Head of a Prep School, should I provide anything less for other people’s children?

We care for every child like they are our own. As parents we all want our children to be safe, happy and stimulated. That is the starting point of our provision at Beechwood and from this pastoral security everything else grows.

We provide a unique opportunity for children to develop their individual learning styles. We support active learning through their play and guide appropriate challenges that stimulate their lively young minds.

Children begin their learning journey with us and we identify and nurture their learning behaviours so they never lose their ‘can-do’ attitudes: resilience, motivation, perseverance should be encouraged and supported as early as possible. That’s what our team of passionate professionals do every day, and they love it.

We provide outstanding childcare in an educationally stimulating and nurturing environment. We are determined to do it well, so we work closely with our parents providing regular information on progress and development and we always strive for improvement.

Being part of a school community enables our parents to appreciate the context of the learning journey and the benefits of our childcare provision, compared to any alternatives.

East Green Child Care Services Ltd Hazel Richardson Company Director www.eastgreenchildcare.co.uk

through a nurturing environment and a team of caring professionals. We aim to equip our children with the values, skills and habits of mind that will help shape their future. We will provide wraparound care in a happy, secure setting for parents and carers in an increasingly busy world.

Give us a breakdown of your service cost and what you get for your money.

At Beechwood Nursery School we offer your child a safe and nurturing environment led by our outstanding care professionals. The cost of this service varies depending on the number of sessions you would like.

All three and four-year-old children are entitled to 15 hours of free early education per week in term time, funded by the government.

Following this, the cost per day is £48.00 and the cost per morning session is £31.00. This covers all lunches and snacks for your child in addition to the incredible support, care and peace of mind that both you and your child will get from our fantastic nursery team.

What are the benefits of using your service compared to alternative childcare options?

Parents are trusting us with their most precious possession. So, I ask as a father first and foremost, what do I expect for my child?

What is your childcare ethos/ mission statement?

Every family has different needs and requirements, as does every nanny. Careful matching is vital.

This is where East Green Child Care Services excels with our vast experience in placing nannies, babysitters, maternity nurses and night nannies for both temporary, permanent, full and part-time positions for more than 20 years. We take great care to get the match right and create the perfect fit for every family and child-carer.

best. Having a nanny allows your child to develop a special relationship with their carer and allows parents to go to work free of worry, knowing their child is being cared for in their own home where they feel safe and secure.

There is no frantic rush to get your child to a childminder or nursery in the morning or worrying if the train is delayed when you are trying to pick up your child. A nanny will allow the child to attend classes or activities which would not necessarily be possible with other forms of childcare, and will spend time doing one-to-one activities with your child, developing their understanding of the world and preparing them for the next stage in their development Little Owls Preschool Amina Yardley Preschool Manager littleowlspreschool@hotmail.co.uk What is your childcare ethos/mission statement?

Little Owls Preschool places the local community at the heart of its ethos, which is to provide high-quality affordable childcare which is accessible to all families. The children learn to make sense of the world around them and gain a feeling of belonging and understanding. They leave prepared and ready for the next stage in their learning.

Give us a breakdown of your service cost and what you get for your money.

We provide morning and afternoon sessions at a cost of £12.00. Children are greeted with an inviting environment that enables them to develop in all areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage. This ignites their curiosity and inner ‘explorer’. The team of nurturing staff ensures that the children’s well-being and personal needs are well attended to. They are taught about healthy living and grow their own herbs and vegetables. The very popular cooking activities teach the children about the full process of growing, cooking and eating. We take on a

humanistic approach that values all children’s individual abilities to help them reach their full potential.

What are the benefits of using your service compared to alternative childcare options?

There are many benefits to using Little Owls Preschool Service. We pride ourselves on the children viewing the preschool as a home away from home. We have a small team which enables us to give a warm, personal service and allows real quality time with the children. They get to form valued bonds with not only the staff but with each other, with an emphasis on ‘Kind Hands and Kind Words’ – our very own strategy to promote tolerance and understanding.

As we are not profit-driven, we do not feel pressurised to have maximum numbers. We always ensure the children have a comfortable space to enhance their learning. Families really feel part of their child’s learning journey and our ‘open door’ policy means parents can volunteer to join in with the sessions or give highly valued feedback. The benefit of being in a small setting means that the feedback could influence practice or policies as the decision-making is solely our responsibility. Our true intent is to provide a caring, high-quality service to all children.

St George’s Community Children’s Project Mrs Morgane Glew Business Manager www.stgeorgesproject.co.uk What is your childcare ethos/mission statement?

St Georges’ aims to provide outstanding care and developmental support for children of all ages in our community, helping them learn through education, play and individual support in a safe and happy environment.

Each child is unique and we want to help each

Give us a breakdown of your service cost and what you get for your money.

For your fee we will source and place the most suitable childcare for each individual family. We interview all carers in person, undertake reference and DBS checks and provide assistance with payroll, OFSTED registration and contracts.

We will offer you a selection of carefully screened applicants to match your requirements.

East Green Child Care Services are one of the very few agencies whose fee structure is set and not calculated by multiplication of salary, making us extremely competitive.

What are the benefits of using your service compared to alternative childcare options?

Nannies offer total flexibility with all childcarerelated duties undertaken including washing, ironing and cooking, meaning that family time really is just that. A nanny is chosen 100 per cent by you, unlike in a nursery setting where staff are chosen by the manager – you know your child

Wednesday 23rd November 2016

80 ■ CHILDCARE FEATURE one to achieve his or her full potential. We encourage our children to be independent by engaging them in learning through play and enabling them to become effective, motivated learners. This ignites a passion for life-long learning, which promotes curiosity and enthusiasm.

Give us a breakdown of your service cost and what you get for your money.

Nursery Open Monday-Friday Sessions from 7.30am-1.00pm and 1.00pm to 6.30pm 51 weeks per year Squirrels Room (6 months-2 years) £30.50 per session, £61 per day Moles Room (2-3 years) £30.50 per session, £61 per day Badgers Rooms (3-5 years) £28.50 per session, £57 per day Includes breakfast, morning snack and two-course lunch/afternoon snack and two-course tea Term Time only Preschool Mornings 9am-12pm Afternoons 12pm-3pm Full day 9am-3pm Under 3s £17.50 per session, £35 full day Over 3s £16.00 per session, £32 full day Includes snack, a packed lunch required for afternoon and full-day sessions

Wednesday 23rd November 2016

After School Club Collection from school via minibus Until 6.30pm: £18.50 per session Dropped off directly Until 6.30pm: £18.00 per session Includes two-course tea Holiday Clubs Reception (Year 7) Full Day 7.30am-6.30pm £36 Morning 7.30am-1pm £19 Afternoon 1pm-6.30pm £19 Includes breakfast, snacks, home-cooked tea Packed lunch required What are the benefits of using your service compared to alternative childcare options?

St George’s has recently achieved an ‘outstanding’ Ofsted rating. With more than 30 years’ experience we’re very well-respected throughout Tunbridge Wells. We have a friendly, happy and highly qualified childcare team who provide the best possible care to our children.

As an independent not-for-profit organisation, we put all our funds back into St George’s so we can provide exceptional care and facilities. This also means that our childcare options can fit around the needs of families. With provision for babies from three months right through to after school and holiday clubs for those up to 12 years of age, parents can ensure their children are cared for in one location. Based in the St John’s area, we are easily accessible and our large car park makes drop-offs and pick-ups easy.

Our large Victorian building with its large, airy rooms and spacious garden including an adventure playground ensure children have the space to play, explore and learn both inside and out. We are also fortunate to have an allotment where the children love planting fruit and vegetables and learning about healthy eating.

In our large onsite kitchen our team use locally sourced, fresh food to create delicious, healthy, home-cooked meals for all our children. Our menus offer the children a chance to enjoy a balanced and varied diet and experience foods from different cultures. All of our meals are prepared and cooked daily by our cooks in our modern kitchen, which has a five-star Food Hygiene Rating, the top award from the government’s Food Standards Agency.

The Green Cave Day Nursery Beverly Davies Head of Nursery www.greencave nursery.co.uk What is your childcare ethos/ mission statement?

The Green Cave Day Nursery provides a safe, caring, stimulating, friendly and homely environment with the health benefits of the ‘Salt Cave’ for young children.

It is our purpose to provide care and education of the highest quality that allows children to express themselves through creative and imaginative play.

Our highly qualified staff plan exciting and varied activities including Montessori to support the children’s learning and development.

Give us a breakdown of your service cost and what you get for your money.

Open Mon-Fri 7.30am-6.30pm 51 weeks of the year Morning Session 7.30am-1.30pm £35 Afternoon Session 1.30-6.30pm £30 Full Day 7.30am-6.30pm £65 We are a small, friendly family nursery which is registered by Ofsted to care for 30 children daily from the age of one to five. We combine the nursery with the health benefits of the salt cave, which helps to boost the children’s immune system and eliminate cross-infections We also have an eco-friendly, organic environment and encourage children to eat freshly cooked organic food each day.

In addition to the children’s everyday routine we provide French, Spanish, yoga, dance, music, cooking and sport.

What are the benefits of using your service compared to alternative childcare options?

The Green Cave Nursery has a health-focused approach with fresh, nutritious, homemade menus prepared mainly with organic ingredients.

The majority of our resources are made from wood not plastic and the nursery combines natural light with soft furnishings and natural wooden floors.

Looking after the environment is very important to us. So it is in our children’s best interest to teach them to love and protect the environment in order to give them a healthy start in life.

We are also very aware of the health benefits of the Salt Cave, which is a common practice in eastern Europe. The salt cave helps to boost the children’s immune system and eliminate cross-contamination.

We have also recently started Montessori sessions with a trained Montessori teacher, and this has encouraged the children to work and play independently and confidently.

We facilitate the children’s outdoor experience by offering a daily routine of short walks to Grove Park or Calverley Park.

We have also recently encouraged woodland experiences with our older children which is similar to the Forest Schools ethos.

The nursery is situated very near to the mainline train station and also the town centre, which enables the children to have easy access to the local library and planned visits to the theatre and fire station.

Kent College Pembury Mr Nik Pears Head of the Prep School www.kent-college.co.uk What is your childcare ethos/mission statement?

Kent College aims to provide all pupils with a balanced and well-rounded education both in and out of the classroom.

Our care enables girls to grow and develop into courageous young women, equipped to make a

CHILDCARE FEATURE n

purposeful contribution as global citizens.

We aim to maintain a tolerant and supportive ethos based upon mutual respect whilst firmly grounded in Christian principles.

Above all, we strive to meet the individual needs of every pupil and to ensure they have the opportunity to gain confidence and excel.

Give us a breakdown of your service cost and what you get for your money.

Kent College is a Pre-Prep and Preparatory school for girls aged three to 11. In the nursery we offer the Early Years Nursery Grant and our nursery session fees are competitively priced against other local schools.

We provide delicious, nutritious meals and extensive wraparound care that supports busy families. Children can join us from 7.30am for breakfast and stay as late until 7.30pm (charges apply). Flexi-boarding for children aged nine and over is useful when parents have to work away.

Our 75-acre site offers girls a privileged setting in which to learn, explore and grow. We share superb resources with our senior school, including an astro pitch, sports hall, theatre, swimming pool and library, which means we can offer a broad and balanced curriculum full of opportunity with extensive extra-curricular activities including ballet, netball, music, hockey, choir, trampoline, Spanish, computing and gymnastics among others.

What are the benefits of using your service compared to alternative childcare options?

After the initial admissions and introduction period, our dedicated teaching staff and in-house Play Therapist continue to offer support through every developmental stage of a child’s growth.

Our high staff-to-pupil ratio ensures that each girl has plenty of individual attention and support.

We are very proud of our exceptional teacherpupil relationships. Kent College teachers prides themselves on understanding the individual needs of every child in their care. Every girl enjoys specialist teaching in the areas of French, dance, music, swimming and PE, as well as going to local places of interest and meeting visiting speakers, which all enhance the curriculum and their enjoyment of school life.

Kent College is set in a beautiful location and we encourage girls to spend as much time outside as possible, so that their awareness of the natural beauty around them is developed. Strawberry picking at the local farm, growing vegetables in the school’s veggie patch and Forest School days enrich girls both in and out of the classroom.

Our aim is that our girls move on to their next step in education as confident, caring and communicative young girls; and by equipping them intellectually, emotionally and socially our aim is that they can confidently deal with the challenges they will face in their future lives.

Above all, at Kent College we want the girls and their families to look back and reflect fondly upon their time spent here with us.

according to sessions and the age of the children.

Qualified, experienced and caring staff have the children’s interests at heart, operating from versatile, well-equipped rooms and a large, natural outside space. The purpose-built nursery is bright and airy on a single level, which promotes easy access and movement for all ages.

We follow a varied curriculum tailored to individual needs and interests, which follows the Early Years Foundation Stage, a statutory framework for formative education.

We also offer delicious, healthy and nutritious meals, freshly cooked on-site by our dedicated cook, catering for any dietary needs or religious preference. We hold a five-star Environmental Health Officer food safety and hygiene rating.

What are the benefits of using your service compared to alternative childcare options?

We offer an industry-leading settling-in policy with up to £750 worth of free and bespoke

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sessions to ensure your child is 100 per cent happy and settled. You can leave the nursery with complete confidence and peace of mind.

We use high-quality wooden furniture and resources from childcare experts Community Playthings and each room is designed and planned with age appropriate resources to stimulate, challenge and excite.

Among our amazing staff, we have an Early Years Professional on-site and we hold regular heuristic play sessions, allowing our younger children to investigate and explore their surroundings.

We have an amazing support structure from in-house personnel to train and mentor staff, as well as our own recruitment team to employ the very best people – we will never use agency staff.

Tonbridge Day Nursery also benefits from health and safety audits from Asquith’s dedicated Quality and Standards team as well as routine maintenance visits and access to a 24/7 help desk.

Asquith Day Nurseries & Pre-Schools | Tonbridge Day Nursery Janet Bellamy Nursery Manager www.asquithnurseries.co.uk What is your childcare ethos/ mission statement?

The safety and wellbeing of the children and staff is our number one priority Give us a breakdown of your service cost and what you get for your money.

Rated ‘good’ by Ofsted, we offer flexible childcare from 7.30am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday for 51 weeks of the year. We offer full days as well as morning and afternoon sessions. Prices vary

Wednesday 23rd November 2016

82 n LIFE AND STYLE THE ALTERNATIVE BREAKFAST CLUB – A DIFFERENT WAY OF PROMOTING BUSINESS THROUGH NETWORKING Almost 14 years ago, Andy Brett decided to set up his own networking group in Tunbridge Wells having become disillusioned with the club that he was attached to. His aim was to create a sociable and friendly group where members could meet for a great breakfast and promote genuine business amongst each other and with the contacts that they all had. The club has really flourished under Andy’s leadership skills and now has 40 members, all from different professions.

A GRAND OPERA GALA MUSICAL HIGHLIGHTS, ARIAS AND ENSEMBLES

Six other business people who were fed up with the regularity of meeting every week and the constant pressure to bring referrals to the meetings joined the group straightaway. The new group had to have a name and Andy came up with The Alternative Breakfast Club which is usually referred to in its shortened version as the ABC Club. Ironically some of the members call it The Andy Brett Club.

Our December concert is another departure from our traditional RTWSO programmes - a whole afternoon of favourite operatic excerpts with a line-up of top soloists. performing popular highlights from:

Meetings were and are still held every 3 weeks and for the first 13 years the meeting venue was the Mercure Hotel in Pembury. However, about a year ago the club found a new home at The Nevill Golf Club.

This sociable networking club with its illustrious “six” members grew steadily until it had 25 members and today it has virtually reached capacity with 40.

La Bohème, The Magic Flute, La Traviata, Aida, Fidelio, The Thieving Magpie and The Barber of Seville. There will be many popular arias: we will include ‘che gelida manina’ from Puccini’s La Bohème, the ‘Largo al factotum’ from Rossini’s The Barber of Seville, the famous Quartet from Act 3 of Verdi’s Rigoletto and Papageno’s aria from Mozart’s The Magic Flute.

Naturally over the years members have come and gone although it is testament to the club that a few of the original members still remain and have been there since the outset in 2003.

The orchestra will also feature a number of items, including the lively Bacchanale from Saint-Saëns’s Samson and Delilah, the Grand March from Verdi’s Aida and the rousing overture to Wagner’s Die Meistersinger.

The key was to create a fun and sociable environment with members looking forward to coming along to the meetings. The format hasn’t changed and all members have an opportunity to introduce themselves and elements of their businesses. There is a 10 minute presentation by one of the members, and at the end a chance to deliver testimonials and referrals, although there is no pressure, manufactured referrals isn’t the name of the game, genuine leads only!

Membership rates are more than reasonable and meetings are paid for 6 months in advance, plus a nominal administration fee twice a year. There is an array of talent on display from an Accountant, Estate Agent, Solicitor, Copywriter and of course Document Solutions / Telecommunications / Office Refurbishment services from Andy’s company, First Office Systems. Meetings start at 7am sharp and run for 90 minutes.

The club holds a Visitors Day about once a year and only if numbers are dropping, although that doesn’t seem to be happening to ABC. Andy Brett has created an Alternative Breakfast Club which is thriving.

If you would like to know more about the club, why not visit www.altbreakfastclub.co.uk

At the Assembly Hall Theatre in Tunbridge Wells, Sunday 4th December at 3pm – for more details visit www.rtwso.org

BEAUTIFUL THINGS FOR YOU AND YOUR HOME Artspring Gallery at the North end of Tonbridge High Street is showcasing work by eighteen artists and designers in a contemporary and stylish setting.

Come and discover inspiring artworks, dazzling jewellery, stunning glass and unique ceramics. The ‘Winter’ exhibition is now on display as well as a variety of gifts for Christmas – so there should be something to suit everyone’s taste and to find the perfect gift for a loved one.

The gallery is open every day except Mondays, and there’s also a late night opening until 8pm on the ‘First Thursdays’ of each month when customers can browse and shop while enjoying a free glass of Prosecco.

167, High Street, Tonbridge, Kent, TN9 1BX 01732 365924 | gallery@artspringgallery.co.uk www.artspringgallery.co.uk Facebook & Twitter: @artspringallery

MOOMOO & THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY Good morning starshine the earth says hello.. The MooMoo Chocolate Factory! Friday 25th November!

Indulge in a club full of candy. Join us in a world of pure imagination.. * Willy Wonka & Oompa Loompas Photos plus Meet & Greet * Free Wonka Bars & Chocolate Fountains in Boutique * Giant Sweets * Candy treasure Hunt in Kukui! * Fizzy Lifting drinks & Bubbles in Fever! * Spirit & Mixer £2.50 * 2 Bombs for £5 * 2 Bottles for £5 * 2 Cocktails for £6.95 Three Rooms / Three top DJs / One HUGE Candy Filled Night Doors open from.. 9:30pm-3:30am..

Pre-book your VIP booth with a special sweet surprise now!

Email; vip@moomootunbridgewells.com Contact 07484055900 Wednesday 23rd November 2016

WITH THE

MOTORING NEWS ■

OF TUNBRIDGE WELLS AND TONBRIDGE

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

FIRST DRIVE

Ferrari California T Handling Speciale

By James Baggott WHAT’S NEW? Meet the California T HS – the tweaked version of the manufacturer’s folding hard-top family Ferrari.

With two seats in the back for small children, and a V8 turbo-charged lump up front, this is the convertible Italian supercar for those that need to carry more than one significant other.

New for the Handling Speciale model are some stiffer springs, a louder exhaust and some ever-so-subtle design tweaks, which you’ll be charged £5,568 to add to an ever-expanding list of options.

LOOKS AND IMAGE The California is aimed at a certain type of buyer and, as such, it has the ability to disappoint behind the wheel, unless you drive it in context. This is a GT car designed for comfort, looks and kerb appeal before driving entertainment, unlike its thoroughbred 488 stablemate.

That means it’s more comfortable than exciting to drive. Even with the louder exhaust system on this HS model, on the road we found it just a little too quiet.

In fact, we found the California lacked a lot of the excitement you’d expect to find in a Ferrari – despite its impressive

performance credentials, it just didn’t feel as involving as we’d hoped. That said, it was certainly a comfortable companion over distance, and never failed to draw a crowd whenever we parked it up.

The quality of its build is without question, too – perfectly demonstrated by a wonderfully dramatic roof mechanism.

SPACE AND PRACTICALITY OK, so a Ferrari isn’t going to win any accessibility awards like a Citroen Berlingo might, however this is a sports car and comes with sports car compromises.

Put the front seats back to anything less than a knee-crushing position and you lose all rear legroom – which means even carrying a five year old requires the front seat passengers to perform some gymnastics for the journey.

The boot is pretty cramped, too. If you don’t want to use the roof, you get a little more space, but if you do, then you’ll be restricted to two small bags at best.

A weekly shopper, this isn’t.

BEHIND THE WHEEL For long-distance motorway journeys, the California T HS is a comfy drive. The 552bhp turbo-charged V8 has impressive breadth to its power delivery, and although

the feeling of acceleration is somewhat numbed in the cabin, it can hit 60mph in just 3.6 seconds.

Sadly, the turbo engine loses some of the charms of a normally aspirated unit – it may offer improved performance, but lacks some of the aural pleasure you expect from a Ferrari.

Those stiffer springs and the louder exhaust come into play when you select the ‘Sport’ setting on the manettino switch on the steering wheel. Hit the bumpy road button on the steering wheel, too, and you’ll be rewarded with a compliant ride that’s just about perfect for our rutted roads.

A parking camera makes backing the Ferrari into spaces a pretty simple affair and, despite its sports car credentials, the visibility isn’t too bad, either.

VALUE FOR MONEY The California T Handling Speciale costs £155,244 – pitching it against the Audi R8 Spyder and Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet.

But that base price soon increases once you start ticking some options boxes.

Two-tone exterior (£4,320), carbon fibre dash inserts (£3,744), Scuderia Ferrari side shields (£1,056) and front and

FACTS AT A GLANCE PRICE: £155,244.00 MODEL: Ferrari California T Handling Speciale ENGINE: 3.8-litre turbocharged V8 producing 552bhp TRANSMISSION: Seven-speed dual-clutch automatic PERFORMANCE: Max speed 196mph, 0-62mph in 3.6 seconds ECONOMY: 27mpg EMISSIONS: 250g/km

rear parking cameras (£4,032) are just a few of the options that can soon add up.

In fact, our test car had no fewer than 29 options added, including titanium wheel bolts at £1,810, which pushed the purchase price up to a staggering £215,011. That’s a whopping £59,767 on extras.

One well worth adding, though, is Apple CarPlay (£2,400). Ferrari’s standard system isn’t a match for the likes of Audi or Porsche, so the addition of Apple’s integrated software makes the infotainment system far more usable.

WHO WOULD BUY ONE? California buyers are family men or women who need the occasional flexibility of carrying more than one passenger. OK, so that might mean compromising on space for everyone, but at least there’s the option there should they need it.

COMFORTABLE CRUISING The laid-back California T HS

‘This is a GT car designed for comfort, looks and kerb appeal before driving entertainment’

Wednesday 23rd November 2016

84 n MOTORING

Wednesday 23rd November 2016

MOTORING NEWS ■

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Buying pre-owned Astons Now you can ask a car for a coffee becomes better than ever ASTON MARTIN has released the full details of Timeless, its new international, certified pre-owned sports car programme.

Timeless has been set up to ensure Aston Martin customers who purchase used vehicles through its 164-strong global dealership network are provided with ‘the very highest levels of quality, assurance and confidence’.

The new scheme builds on the brand’s existing used car programme and covers all Aston Martin models from the past ten years, including the rare V12 Zagato and One-77 models.

As part of the service, customers will receive benefits such as a comprehensive one-year warranty with full roadside assistance, a full technical inspection with hardware and software updates, and full verification of the car’s service history.

Christian Marti, Vice

President and Chief Sales Officer at Aston Martin, said: “I am very happy to see the launch of this new and improved pre-owned service.

‘Aston Martin rightly prides itself on its personal customer service, attention to detail and luxury’ “Additions such as the new inspection regime – which for the first time includes a comprehensive assessment and review of our cars’ software, as well as their technical condition – can only

add confidence for our buyers. Aston Martin rightly prides itself on its personal customer service, attention to detail and luxury, and with the debut of the Timeless pre-owned programme around the world, I know we are better placed than ever to continue to improve these elements of our business.”

Timeless is currently available in the UK, Europe and the Middle East, and will be launched in the Asia Pacific region and the Americas in the first quarter of 2017.

The Timeless programme will not be available in China.

TIMELESS What all Aston Martins yearn to be

THE Ford Kuga SUV has received a raft of updates for the 2017 model year.

With the new model, the American manufacturer has placed great emphasis on connectivity technology, which will enable owners to pair their smartphones with the car much more easily.

Central to this is the latest Sync 3 communications and entertainment system, which allows owners to control audio, navigation and connected smartphone functions through conversational voice commands.

For example, drivers will be able to use commands such as: “I need a coffee,” to instruct the car to programme its navigation to the nearest café.

A new eight-inch touchscreen can also be used to control the Sync 3 system. Similar to a smartphone, it features large, easy to operate buttons and also allows pinch and swipe gestures.

Apple Car Play and Android

Auto allow for more seamless smartphone pairing, while vehicle software updates can be carried out via a WiFi connection.

‘The redesign has given Kuga a fresh and modern feel’ Joe Bakaj, Vice President of Product Development at Ford of Europe, said: “The new Kuga offers cutting-edge new features and technologies that will help drivers stay connected, comfortable, safe and stylish on the road.

“The sophisticated redesign has given Kuga a fresh and modern feel, while Sync 3 enables drivers to communicate with their vehicle and connected devices in seamless ways that would have seemed impossible just a few years ago.”

SMART The new Ford Kuga SUV

Wednesday 23rd November 2016

PUZZLES �

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

5

9 4 5 2 9 1 8

8 4

6

Codeword:

7 2

L I M G A G M I N E G

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

2 6

9 17

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O S C F A L L E

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

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

Puzzle solutions will be published in next week’s paper

C E N S E E T Q R T E A U O X A D D N T R E E R E S S O A R I R I S I T C A N T H E R O E U C ON B R O

Sudoku:

9 6 3 8 2 4 5 7 1

4 8 7 5 3 1 9 6 2

5 2 1 7 6 9 3 4 8

H I D D E R O U C T W R P E C O K

I B S O J O B Z D E S A V A I G U N E L L Y

E S R N

Jigsaw Sudoku:

2 1 9 4 8 7 6 3 5

6 7 8 3 5 2 1 9 4

3 5 4 1 9 6 2 8 7

8 3 6 2 4 5 7 1 9

7 4 5 9 1 3 8 2 6

1 9 2 6 7 8 4 5 3

6 9 5 1 7 4 2 3 8

7 4 8 3 9 2 5 6 1

5 7 2 8 1 6 3 4 9

8 6 1 9 3 5 7 2 4

4 3 7 2 6 8 1 9 5

2 1 6 4 5 3 9 8 7

9 5 4 6 2 1 8 7 3

3 8 9 5 4 7 6 1 2

1 2 3 7 8 9 4 5 6

© 2016 Syndicated Puzzles

6

★★★★

5

DIFFICULTY RATING:

4

© 2016 Syndicated Puzzles, Inc.

J

3

★★II

14

2

SOLUTIONS (FROM LAST WEEK)

© 2016 Syndicated Puzzles

1

SUDOKU & JIGSAW SUDOKU

DIFFICULTY RATING:

CODEWORD

87

Wednesday 23rd November 2016

88 n RECRUITMENT

WITH THE

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

OF TUNBRIDGE WELLS AND TONBRIDGE

Fill your vacancy now in print or online.

For more information contact Jordanne Reville on 01892 576049

Wednesday 23rd November 2016

RECRUITMENT n

89

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

Wednesday 23rd November 2016

90 ■ ARTS & CULTURE

Meet the mentor who believes everyone has the potential to be positive and happy Career and life coach Ania Jeffries is on a mission to inspire individuals courtesy of her revolutionary Women Work event, which will take place at the Assembly Hall next March. Here she tells Eileen Leahy all about it and explains how you can get involved What does the Women Work day entail?

It is an innovative networking opportunity running on March 10 at the Assembly Hall for people to meet other like-minded, driven individuals. It’s an event that hopes to encourage people to ‘be bold, be you and be heard’. It aims to celebrate an alternative world where adversity is overcome in order for all – but especially women and the young – to succeed in a huge variety of fields, regardless of their background.

‘I am passionate about supporting others to find their voice and reconnect with life so they can excel’ How will you do this?

By showcasing achievable role models (both male and female), and demonstrating their power and ability to influence another individual to take that first and all-important step in transforming their life. The day will be split into two, with a morning and afternoon full of free workshops all run by expert volunteers where attendees can learn or develop multiple skillsets. The evening event, which costs £5 per person to attend, will be packed with inspirational speakers – with all proceeds donated to the Pickering Cancer Drop-In Centre.

How did you come up with the idea?

I run a life and career coaching business, and within this field I also work as a Progression Mentor for the Prince’s Trust. I am also an Ambassador for the Girl Rising initiative, and help deliver mentoring programmes in self-belief

Wednesday 23rd November 2016

and confidence in schools. I am passionate about supporting others to find their voice and reconnect with life so they can excel.

So you already have experience in this area?

Yes. Even though I work with people of all ages I have three passions: Inspiring women and young people, supporting entrepreneurs and raising awareness of mental health. The springboard for the Women Work event was that I felt all these areas could be explored and incorporated into a workshop which would inspire individuals to firstly believe they could achieve anything in life with the right support and network, and secondly provide them with the tools to take the next step to create positive changes.

Why do you think it is necessary to put on an event like this?

Quite simply to build strong relationships and partnerships within the community and to bring people together who would not normally engage.

Another of the Women Work aims is to raise awareness of the most fantastic wealth of services and skills we all have available to us in Kent. We also want to offer opportunities for women whether they want to retrain or return to work.

It’s about making them feel confident to know they can ‘walk the walk and talk the talk’.’

Who are you reaching out to?

We are supporting women and young people of all ages – those who are out of work, those who have never worked, those looking to change or return to their roles or start up a new business – and also recognising the men that support us in the process. It’s also crucial that this event raises awareness of mental health in the community. We have to stop living behind glass doors and reduce the stigma behind it.

LOOKING ON THE BRIGHT SIDE OF LIFE Ania Jeffries on The Pantiles

ARTS & CULTURE �

91

What Women Want

Some of Ania’s key mentoring beliefs BUSINESS BUZZ: Many people think that running a business is glamorous, but success is based on hard work, resilience, determination and self-belief.

In the USA, failing is a badge of honour. In the UK, failure is linked to shame. We all have to fail in order to grow, and I want to offer individuals the opportunity to network with other like-minded people, founders of businesses; individuals who can share their wealth of experience and offer tips for you to build a successful business, grow in confidence and self-belief in order to maximise your potential.

LOVE YOUR LIFE: Parents play a huge role in influencing their children to ‘Dream Big’, and sometimes with the pressures of daily life you begin to believe you are not good enough; not successful enough; not beautiful enough. Life is about loving who you are, maximising your potential and being the best you can be. Our event will provide you with the tools to take that next step.

How will you judge if Women Work has been a success?

If everyone just takes away one tip to create positive change in their life, then I will deem the event to have been a success and very worthwhile.

EMBRACE CHANGE: I’ve learnt over the last few years that transition is positive – especially if you have the right mindset. You can’t fight change, it will hit you whether you want it or not, so just embrace it. My three children, as well as my husband, have all inspired me to believe I can achieve anything if I choose to. The hardest step was taking the initial decision to do something out of my comfort zone, and reaching out to others for help.

HELP YOURSELF: I grew up believing that asking for help was a weakness, sometimes a potential MENTORING MATTERS: inconvenience to others, but organising this I was very lucky to have three mentors in my event has shown me that it is, in fact, a sign early 20s who impacted on my life hugely. of strength. Through this process I have met the most amazing people, built partnerships with BE WHAT YOU WANT TO BE like-minded individuals Encouraging achievement and grown in ways I could not have imagined before.

This might mean making a simple phone call I don’t really want to do, but know I have to – such as asking for sponsorship for this event.

‘If everyone just takes away one tip to create positive change in their life, then I will deem the event to have been a success’ How did you go about recruiting the experts who will be guest speakers at the event?

I went out and started the conversation about what I was aiming to do. The response has been phenomenal, with amazing people approaching me wanting to be involved. It’s quite unbelievable to think that something which started off as a seed – I was originally going to do a tiny workshop of approximately 100 people – has grown into an oak tree with a potential audience of 1,000 at the Assembly Hall, and lots of experts in their field participating.

I still have two to this day, one of whom, Chris Hughes, Chairman of Vistage.co.uk, was instrumental in advising me on my own business start-up, and I would not be where I am without them. They listen to me, share ideas, advise me on confidence, push me out of my comfort zone and, most importantly, never judge me. Not everyone is as lucky, but that’s where I want to step in…

Further information on Women Work: Tickets are now on sale from the Assembly Hall box office at Tunbridge Wells 01892 530613 or www.assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk Regular updates regarding the Women Work event can be found on the following social media sites: Facebook: Women Work Twitter: @womenworkevents Instagram: womenworkevents #womenwork #bebold #beyou #beheard

RISE TO THE CHALLENGE: We are all built the same: We all have the same insecurities and moments of doubt. The difference is simply in our approach.

I now have a daily mantra which is simply ‘do something each day which challenges me’.

Wednesday 23rd November 2016

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

WHATS ON WITH THE

Eileen Leahy Local events

SEASONAL FLAIR Ightham Mote celebrates Christmas >> WEDNESDAY This is the final week of the Royal Tunbridge Wells Art Society’s Winter Exhibition, so if you haven’t caught up with it yet now is your chance. On display is a wealth of art work by some of the society’s 160 members, including sculpture and paintings, with many items for sale. The exhibition runs daily from 10am til 5pm at its premises on the Lower Pantiles. For more information visit www.rtwas.co.uk The St John’s Christmas Window Wonderland extravaganza is now in full swing. The aim of it is to showcase the area’s vibrant independent businesses and encourage festive shoppers to browse and buy from them.

There is also a fun teddy bear treasure trail for young ones to follow which will culminate in the competition’s winner being announced on December 21 – the final day of the festival.

The Odeon cinema will be screening The Australian Ballet’s version of Cinderella at 6.30pm.

Alexei Ratmansky’s interpretation of this classic fairy tale is spellbinding and glamorous, and stays true to the story’s original romantic roots.

This is a perfect evening for ballet fans of all ages.

Tickets cost £16.50 and are available from www.odeon.co.uk >> THURSDAY The Hever Castle Christmas Fair is on today and will be brimming with gifts, gadgets and seasonal decorations to enhance your Christmas. Entry costs £3, with all proceeds going to Hever Primary School and the village’s St Peter’s Church. See www.hevercastle.co.uk Inkerman will be hosting an exclusive Christmas Shopping event from 10am until 7pm today and tomorrow at their HQ on Sham Farm, part of the Eridge Estate. Purveyors of posh pens and luxury leather goods, it’s a one-stop shop for all your luxury gifting needs. Call 01892 752211or visit www.inkerman.co.uk If you’re a fan of musicals, then make sure you have tickets booked for Beyond the Barricade, which is coming to the Assembly Hall Theatre this evening at 7.30pm. The cast is made up of lots of West End stars, including David Fawcett who starred in Les Misérables, and features songs from The Phantom of the Opera, Jesus Christ Superstar,

Wednesday 23rd November 2016

The Lion King and Miss Saigon. Tickets cost £22 and are available from www. assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk The Stag Theatre starts its run of Annie today. Running until Saturday, the musical focuses on the fortunes of the eponymously named orphan who escapes her guardian, the terrifying Miss Hannigan, to start a new life with the rich Daddy Warbucks.

It’s a must-see in the run up to Christmas, and includes hits such as Tomorrow and Hard Knock Life. Tickets cost £17 per person. For more information visit www.stagsevenoaks.co.uk Popular comedian Marcus Brigstocke performs at Trinity Theatre at 8pm. The Radio 4 star and sometime Have I Got News For You presenter brings his Why The Long Face? tour to town, which is a wry look at the state of the world and covers everything from global politics and the media to Brigstocke’s love life – or lack of it. To book tickets, which cost £17, go to www.trinitytheatre.net

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

place in Forsyth Hall, 5 Bradford Street, Tonbridge and entrance costs 50p per person.

The 15th Annual Tonbridge Baptist Church Christmas Craft Fair is also on today, with over 50 local craftspeople displaying and selling their work. Money raised will go to support Hospice in the Weald.

The young and talented producer and presenter Oliver Tourle performs his one-man show Live and Backstage tonight at the Assembly Hall. As the show’s name suggests, it will give the audience the chance to find out what happens behind the scenes of the theatre, courtesy of Oliver welcoming visitors in via the stage door and placing them on the stage instead of in the auditorium in order to listen to his songs and stories. Tickets cost £18.

>> SUNDAY The Ho Ho Hospice Fun 5K Run: Santa Vs Penguins takes place today at 10am. Pick your side and then battle it out to see who’s fastest. A free Santa or Penguin suit is included in your sign-up fee, as well as a much-needed glass of mulled wine after the race. Raising just £50 could fund a clinical nurse specialist for an hour’s patient care. So what are you waiting for? For more information contact Ben Greenstreet on 01892 820528 or email: ben.greenstreet@hospiceintheweald.org.uk Over in Tonbridge, the town’s Christmas Festival >> FRIDAY is on today. See our special four-page supplement Further afield at Bodiam Castle for more details on the events taking place, which this weekend there will be include an arts extravaganza at the Artspring candlelit tours of the historical Gallery, or why not follow the lanterns after National Trust property, where today’s fireworks display up Church Lane to a visitors can experience what the special 6.30pm Advent service at St Peter & St Medieval Christmases of old must Paul? All welcome, and mince pies and mulled have felt like as they tour around. wine will also be served.

There’ll also be the chance Ightham Mote gets the season off to a stylish to hear stories of past royal start courtesy of its special festive launch residents, and to indulge in a weekend, which unveils how the beautiful spot of seasonal shopping and property looked when dressed for Christmas by enjoy a glass of ‘wassail’ – both its American owners in the 1950s and its otherwise known as mulled wine. medieval ones. Wander around and see how The Spa Hotel will host an ‘cook’ prepared a typical Christmas dinner and evening with jazz singer Sue how the house was traditionally decked out for Rivers from 8pm. Enjoy a drink, December. Santa and his reindeers will also be or dine with friends until 9.30pm. present. For more information visit This free event runs until 10pm www.nationaltrust.org.uk/ and will get the weekend off to a great start. ightham-mote Paddock Wood also has its GET YOUR >> SATURDAY Christmas lights switch-on SKATES ON today at 2pm. There will The Chiddingstone Castle Calverley Christmas Fair is on today from be a special Grounds’ ice 11am to 4pm. With more than 60 performance by the rink is open stalls selling a range of panto cast of Snow classic and contemporary White and the festive gifts, decorations and treats, it’s a must visit for anyone wanting to host the perfect Christmas.

The castle’s tea rooms will be open and serving light lunches and sweet treats. Admission costs £4 per person. See www. chiddingstonecastle.org.uk The Tunbridge Wells Farmers’ Market is on today from 9am until 2pm, so make sure you pop along to stock up on seasonal ingredients, store cupboard basics and gastronomic treats.

Age UK Sevenoaks and Tonbridge will be holding a Christmas Fair from 10am to 12noon. It takes

PICK OF THE WEEK Jump In Morley Road, Tonbridge Open from 10am every day

If you want to check out the area’s hottest new attraction for children – and adults – then bounce along to the new trampoline centre Jump In, located on the industrial estate in Tonbridge. Boasting plenty of freestyle jumping areas, a dedicated enclosed space for toddlers, and fitness classes for adults, as well as children’s birthday party facilities, it pretty much covers all areas of fun and fitness.

For more information visit www.gojumpin.com

Seven Dwarves, and also market stalls and plenty of food and drink on offer until 6pm. >> MONDAY Get the week off to an ice cool start by meeting family or friends at the Calverley Grounds ice rink.

Don your woolly hat and waterproofs and prepare to have lots of fun skating around – by day or night. If you’re hungry, you can pick up a snack at Basil’s pop-up café, or enjoy a refreshing ale at the bar run by Fuggles. Tickets cost £9.50 per person.

Visit www.tunbridgewellsatchristmas.com The Tunbridge Wells Royal Retreat has just launched its new wine bar, so why not pop along and enjoy a glass of your favourite tipple while browsing their range of spa goods? Perfect inspiration for Christmas presents. >> TUESDAY Guys and Dolls starts its five-night run at the Assembly Hall. Put on by the Tunbridge Wells Operatic & Dramatic Society (TWODS), it’s one of Broadway’s most famous musicals, and follows the story of Nathan Detroit as he desperately tries to find money for an illegal dice game and appease his fiancée of 14-years – nightclub singer Miss Adelaide – whose patience is finally running out…

Tickets cost from £15.50 per adult, and shows start at 7.30pm, with a matinee on Wednesday and Saturday at 2.30pm.

ALL THE FUN OF THE FESTIVE FAIR Visit Chiddingstone Castle

WHAT’S ON 

A ROUND-UP OF THIS WEEK’S MUSICAL HIGHLIGHTS

Paul Dunton

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

Live music

THE ROYAL OAK

MONDAY Open Mic Night

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

THE SPA HOTEL

SATURDAY Shine MONDAY Open Mic Night

Mount Ephraim Open all day, free entry, music from 8pm onwards booking recommended on 01892 520 331

THE BEDFORD

THE TUNBRIDGE WELLS FORUM

FRIDAY Live Jazz: Sue Rivers

2 High Street Open all day, free entry, music from 8.30pm onwards

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

KING CHARLES THE MARTYR

SATURDAY TARC Saturday Showcase SUNDAY Second Helpin’

THURSDAY The Forum Winter Sessions at Calverley Grounds Ice Rink: Havelock, Ukelear Fallout, Steffan James FRIDAY Dreadzone and Ink Project

Nevill Street, near The Pantiles Ticket information and concert times at www.kcmtw.org

THE GREY LADY MUSIC LOUNGE

Church Road Information on times and tickets at www.trinitytheatre.net

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

WEDNESDAY Georgia Bickerton, Steve Hewitt, TYN, Bea Everett FRIDAY Salsa Camina SATURDAY Studio 54 SUNDAY MusicStation Presents, Count Bouncy and The Beat, Leanie Kaleido, Mistress and The Malts TUESDAY No More Vertigo, Roberto Picazo Trio, James McMaster

THE BEAU NASH INN

SATURDAY Michael Bacon (organ recital)

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

TRINITY THEATRE

FRIDAY Soul Night SATURDAY John Whitehorn VINYL REVOLUTION STORE

SATURDAY Local & Live Sessions: Son of Kirk, David Mumford, The Breretons THE CROSS KEYS

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

Camden Road Open all day, free entry, music from early evening onwards Visit www.vinyl-revolution.co.uk to find out who is playing

THURSDAY In-store acoustic show

MONDAY TWUNTS: Ukulele Jam Session CASSIDY’S BAR

THE ASSEMBLY HALL THEATRE

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

The Breretons

The Forum Winter Sessions at Calverley Grounds Ice Rink now run every Thursday, and each week you can see a great selection of local acts.

To kick things off in style we have Havelock, Ukelear Fallout and Steffan James performing this week.

On the same evening the new Vinyl Revolution record store on Camden Road is hosting another superb in-store musical show, so be sure to check it out if you can.

This Saturday, Trinity Theatre hosts the popular Local & Live Sessions. The night’s line-up is exceptionally strong with Son of Kirk, David Mumford and local sibling duo The Breretons all performing.

Some other options for the weekend include Show of Hands at the Assembly Hall on Friday night and Velvet Goldmine at Cassidy’s. The Varlies’ front man, John Whitehorn will be performing at The Beau Nash on Saturday night while The Acoustic Reverb Collective showcase are at The Bedford.

To close the weekend off in style, head to The Grey Lady on Sunday, which will have local acts Mistress and The Malts, Leanie Kaleido and Count Bouncey all performing a selection of their original compositions.

THE DUKE OF YORK

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

93

WEDNESDAY Turin Brakes THURSDAY Beyond the Barricade FRIDAY Show of Hands SATURDAY Oliver Tourle: Live and Backstage

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

FRIDAY Velvet Goldmine THE PUNCH & JUDY

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

TUESDAY Titus

David Mumford

Wednesday 23rd November 2016

94  SPORTING TIMES

CONTACT US:

If you have a sports story or you would like to see your club’s reports and results featured in these pages…

Watson makes sure TJs stay on top of the pile Tonbridge Juddians 27 Shelford 10 TAKE STOCK TJs grab a breather

PEAK PERFORMANCE: (L-R) JOTA Sport’s victorious drivers Alex Brundle, Rene Rast and Roman Rusinov

JOTA come from back of grid to win finale MOTORSPORT: JOTA Sport rounded off a highly successful year with a first-place finish at Six Hours of Bahrain on November 19 despite starting from the back of the grid.

A minor post-qualifying technical issue meant the team were forced to begin the race in 31st position.

But the exceptional skills and pace of drivers Rene Rast, Roman Rusinov and Alex Brundle quickly saw them moving up the pack.

However, it was not until the final quarter of an hour that the No 26 car managed to pass the

LMP2 class leader, the 43 RGR Sport machine driven by former JOTA driver Filipe Albuquerque.

The class win was the third

‘One thing I know is that no one on the team ever gives up’ straight FIA World Endurance Championship victory for the team, who this year have been operating under the banner of main sponsor G-Drive Racing.

It meant the Frant-based team finished their debut WEC campaign in third place

overall after coming first in the European Le Mans Series Championship title last month.

David Clark, JOTA’s Team Director, said: “What a great team effort. The team showed great fortitude after the qualifying disappointment and one thing I know is that no one on the team ever gives up.

“We showed real grit and determination to come from the back and it was a highly satisfying way to see the season out with three straight wins in the WEC, and of course the ELMS title which we claimed last month.”

RUGBY: TONBRIDGE JUDDIANS continued their good run of form with a hard-fought bonus point win over Shelford at The Slade.

Three first-half tries gave TJs the platform to go on and win the game in tricky conditions on a damp and dark Saturday afternoon.

The contest started brightly for TJs as they dominated the ball and territory, before Mike O’Sullivan, who was freshly returned from injury, drove over for the first try.

Shelford then hit back with a try of their own, which in turn prompted a swift counter that saw Liam Prescott add a penalty to restore TJs’ lead.

Zain van Rensburg repeated the O’Sullivan effort with a kick to the corner followed by a lineout drive that was well executed by the TJs’ pack.

Hugo Watson, who was involved throughout in many of TJs’ best moments, crashed over for a second try after a loose ball had been hacked through.

Prescott added the extras to send Shelford indoors 20-5 adrift – and TJs to a hedge for shelter from the elements.

TJs supporters might have expected the team to run in a few more tries in the second half,

PHOTO: Adam Hookway

By Adam Hookway

but they could muster just one more as chances went missing.

The Shelford defence held firm, especially around the tackle area.

Murray Galbraith-Lowe was the bonus point try-scorer as another hack through the lines took him right to the dead-ball line, where he was able to dot down before it went dead. Prescott added the extras again.

Shelford scored last right at the death to make it 27-10 to TJs. Coach Pete Dankert hailed the win as significant in ensuring that the team maintain their standing at the top of a particularly competitive division in the National Three London and South-East League.

He said: “I was pleased with

Sidcup grab win after Crickmay is sent off for dangerous tackle Tunbridge Wells 17 Sidcup 22

By Roger Clarke RUGBY: BOTH sets of supporters eagerly awaited the top-of-the-table clash between Tunbridge Wells and Sidcup in London One South despite monsoon conditions at St Marks.

It was the visitors who were dominant for the majority of the first half. They ruled in the lineout, set scrum and the loose, and racked up a lead of 10 points through a well-taken rolling maul try and conversion after 11 minutes.

This was followed by a penalty goal for Sidcup after 25 minutes – which was hugely significant to the course of the game because it was awarded for a dangerous high tackle.

As a result, the offending player, Josh Crickmay, received a red card and took no further part. Wells were now up against it having been reduced to 14 men in a tight game.

Strangely, this stirred a quiet Tunbridge Wells into a far more dominant display and they started to achieve parity and beyond in the loose, tighten

Wednesday 23rd November 2016

up their defence and show great spirit. They managed to notch 17 points in the next 30 minutes despite being a man down.

First Nick Doherty, returning after injury, scored under the posts after great footwork on 29 minutes, with Frank Reynolds converting to draw closer at 7-10. The score remained the same until half-time after some valiant defence from Wells and some penetrative break-outs.

Then early in the second half, Wells fell farther behind to a well-taken try from Sidcup No 6 Billy Williams, but this did not deter the home side as they occupied Sidcup’s territory and Reynolds calmly kicked a penalty for a high tackle to make the scores 10-15 in Sidcup’s favour.

Wells continued to attack and Alex Maynard, also returning from injury, latched on to a brilliant grubber kick from the scrum-half Chas Spence to score a try and level the scores. Reynolds’ accurate boot again notched the conversion for Tunbridge to snatch the lead at 17-15.

However, despite some strong defence and losing another man when uncontested scrums were introduced after an injury to Kyle McGarvie, Wells were unable to hang on.

Deep into injury time, Sidcup struck with a fine midfield try and conversion to push the game beyond a valiant Wells, who had to reflect on their discipline and their inability in the end to close a game out when they were in front.

Coach Matt Cook said afterwards: “There was a real mix of emotions over this game – we had lost Josh Crickmay after just 20 minutes, which didn’t help.

“In the second half the team played brilliantly, with a lot more spirit and precision, but Sidcup won it in the last minute. Our young squad are learning that you have to close games out and not lapse in concentration.

“But the team did well against the league leaders and we have shown the squad has the attributes to do well.”

the result but felt we should have exerted more pressure on the visitors with ball in hand.

“Fair play to them, though, as they came with a game plan to slow the ball down and they succeeded.

He added: “It was great to have Sully [O’Sullivan] and Will Ward both back from injury and the squad is looking good after a week off. We have got Dorking next and they are on a run so it should be a cracker of a game at their place.”

PHOTO: Bruce Elliott

REACH FOR THE TOP Michael Hathaway climbs high

SPORTING TIMES 

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Coach Allberry gives his team confidence to beat local rivals Tunbridge Wells Men’s 1st XI 4 Sevenoaks Men’s 2nd XI 2

Cool-hand Luke doubles up for well-deserved victory over Deal Tunbridge Wells 2 Deal 1

By Neill Barston FOOTBALL:

TWO GOALS from Luke Hackett sealed a valuable win for Tunbridge Wells against a determined Deal side in the Southern Counties East Football League.

With the injury-affected home side having picked up three points with their last match, there was a buoyancy about the squad before kick-off.

However, it was as Deal who found their rhythm first and tested Wells’ keeper Steve Lawrence on several occasions in the opening exchanges.

Their breakthrough came from Joe Anderson, who made the most of some slack defending. He decisively headed home a well-flighted free-kick

from outside the area after 17 minutes to give the away side the lead.

With the rain lashing down, Wells attempted to respond with some strong link-up play between the influential Ryan Crandley, who was returning from injury, and the team’s newly acquired striker Charlie Cornford.

But Deal still looked the most likely to score the next goal. Just before half-time, Wells’ hardworking keeper Lawrence scrambled a shot off the line to prevent the deficit from doubling.

In the second period, Wells played with far greater confidence and evened up the scores through Hackett, who headed home a corner served up by Brad Large.

The team now sensed the game was there for the taking, with Deal offering few attacks to trouble a defence that had earlier seemed indecisive.

With around 20 minutes to play, Hackett gained

the winning goal from a set-piece. He found space inside the penalty area and seized on a free-kick from 30 yards out to find the back of the net and claim the three points.

Jason Bourne believes the win offers a strong platform on which to build with cup fixtures and a challenging league match at Lordswood to come.

He said: “For the first half Deal dominated, but we came back in the second and we deserved the win as we took our chances when they came.

“We have been working hard in training and with Luke Hackett, we knew that if we were able to get balls forward to him, he would do well.

“As a team, we are nearly back to full strength now. With Ryan Crandley having been out for a while, we wanted to give him 60 minutes today, so that was a good sign for us.

“Tommy Bryant, who has also been out with injury, was also on the bench for us.”

Blewden and Elder keep Angels in contention for play-offs FOOTBALL: THE manager of Tonbridge Angels hailed an away win over Needham Market as a key push towards the promotion play-off place with a couple of games in hand over clubs above them in the Ryman Premier.

Steve McKimm said his side had put the disappointment of the cup replay loss against Kingstonian behind them.

He said: “We’ve had those couple of cup matches and we are back to focus on the league. It was a long way for them to travel but they all did well.”

STEALING IN Angels’ Damian Scannell (left)

PHOTO: David Couldridge

Needham Market 0 Tonbridge Angels 2

After just two minutes, Tom Phipp received a short ball from a corner, and his perfect cross deceived Needham’s goalkeeper Daniel Gay. Angels striker Luke Blewden was on hand at the far post with a simple header to take the lead.

On 20 minutes, the referee was hit in the neck with a full force of a clearance from Tom Phipp. It looked as if the match might have to have been abandoned, but a linesman took over.

Within a minute the Angels went further ahead.

Nick Wheeler floated a free-kick into the area, George Beavan got his head to it and Nathan Elder turned and volleyed into the corner of the net.

HOCKEY: TUNBRIDGE WELLS men’s 1st XI regained some vital league momentum with a win over neighbours Sevenoaks.

The visitors capitalised on early mistakes and took the lead within the first five minutes. This finally created some fire in the Wells players.

The response came from Dan Barnaby, who managed to slot home a perfectly executed short corner into the bottom left-hand side of the goal.

Unfortunately, Wells dropped back into first gear and conceded a very scrappy goal to go behind again on the stroke of half-time.

With the arrival of player-coach Ben Allberry for the second half, Wells gained some confidence.

With pressure building, Matt Wilson, a former Sevenoaks player, equalised for Wells.

Some strong forward play allowed Callum Hunter Wood to score a third, and after a foul in the D Allbery roofed the ball into the top left corner to ensure victory from a penalty stroke.

Stephenson dives in to snatch Wells last-minute winner PHOTO: Brandon Begg

HEADING HOME Luke Hackett scores from a corner to equalise

PHOTO: Victor Bethell

By Brandon Begg

Tunbridge Wells Ladies’ 1st XI 3 Folkestone Ladies’ 1st XI 2

By Brandon Begg HOCKEY:

A LAST-GASP strike from Tunbridge Wells Ladies’ first team earned a win over Folkestone.

The home side opened the scoring, captain Jen Hunt netting from a short corner with her classic straight strike. But Folkestone began to dominate after half-time and managed to take the lead 2-1.

A well-worked goal saw Perdi Knight dribble around three defenders and shoot, with Jemma Stephenson getting a touch to level the scores.

In the last minute Nelia Bekker sent a fantastic through ball to Hunt. She ran rings around the defence and passed on her reverse stick to the far post where Stephenson managed to get a touch by diving on the floor to seal the win.

Wednesday 23rd November 2016