Times of Tunbridge Wells 8th February 2017

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Wave of Light in memory of a ‘brave’ and ‘beautiful’ girl

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Wednesday, February 15, 2017

INSIDE POLICE PAY OUT

Informants handed £1m to help beat crime Page 5

By Jonathan Banks

newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk TRIBUTES have been pouring in this week for Florence Jackson, the two year old from Speldhurst whose battle against cancer touched the hearts of thousands around the world. On Saturday she lost that fight.

Flo, as she was known, died after being treated at the Royal Marsden Hospital, Sutton for some time. She had been diagnosed with stage four neuroblastoma in December 2015.

Parents Carolyn and Rodney Jackson are inviting people to support a Wave Of Light For Flo in memory of their daughter.

Always smiling

‘Florence sadly lost her fight with cancer at 1am this morning, she was such a brave beautiful girl who fought so hard…’

Flo’s father, Rodney Jackson, on Saturday February 11

They posted on Facebook: “At 7pm this Saturday February 18 light a little red candle for Flo, take a picture and post across social media tagging the photo #WaveOfLight for Flo… to let her know there will always be a light shining for her amongst us all.”

The family’s local pub, the George & Dragon in Speldhurst, will also hold a candle-lighting service this Saturday from 6.30pm, and General Manager Lucy Shilling is encouraging people to go along and write down their thoughts.

“The Jacksons are a lovely family, they come in here quite often, and Florence was always smiling, you know, despite everything that was happening,” said Ms Shilling.

The family launched an online campaign to raise money for potentially life-saving treatment in America after doctors in this country admitted there was nothing more they could do.

The target for Flo’s Fight was to raise £250,000.

That happened in just 11 days and the money kept rolling in, hitting nearly £300,000.

Almost 10,000 people made donations.

Flo and her family, including sister Charlotte, aged five, were due to fly to New York shortly for the start of the new treatment.

BUSINESS AWARDS THE FAMILY: Rodney and Carolyn Jackson with Flo and her sister Charlotte However, a complication in the last couple of weeks meant doctors were unable to administer chemotherapy and the tumour on her liver grew.

On Saturday her father Rodney (42) posted the news on Facebook: “Florence sadly lost her fight with cancer at 1am this morning, she was such a brave beautiful girl who fought so hard unfortunately neuroblastoma has won she has left a huge hole in our hearts that will never be filled, but at least she is at peace and the cancer is no longer killing her RIP Flo Flo 10.07.14 - 11.02.17 R, C and C xxx” Florence had undergone more than 20 rounds of chemotherapy as well as major surgery, a stem cell transplant and five weeks of radiotherapy, which had shrunk the mass by 80 per cent at first, but it began to regrow.

Her mum Carolyn (47) posted to the hundreds of people who paid tribute to her daughter: “Thank you for all your kind messages.

“Our first night without our gorgeous Florence, Charlotte wanted to sleep in Flo Flo’s room last night which was lovely.

“Florence touched the hearts of so many people which is beautiful. Even the angels were crying in the sky as it snowed.”

Tributes included one from Nurse Fee: “Oh beautiful Flo! It was a joy to meet you and your family. Rest in peace poppet love.”

See also Editorial Opinion on page 4

Celebrity broadcaster Ken Bruce to host gala night Pages 8-9

FOOD AND DRINK

Vittle and Swig makes its mark on culinary scene Pages 62-63

COUNCIL BUDGET

Officers praised for pulling rabbit out of hat Page 4

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NEWS

Local News

Wednesday February 15 | 2017

Despite being ‘blindsided’ by government, council achieves balanced budget Officers described as ‘beyond peer in the UK as they pull rabbit out of hat’

By Adam Hignett adam@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk

TUNBRIDGE WELLS will achieve ‘financial independence’ one year ahead of schedule despite the ‘fluctuating and disappointing legacy’ of central government interference.

Introducing the 2017/18 budget to the borough council’s Cabinet last week, Councillor Paul Barrington-King, Portfolio Holder for Finance and Governance, said the authority has faced ‘growing pressures’ in recent years that are ‘accelerating’.

He added ‘the journey’ undertaken in order to try and balance the budget has not been without ‘some extremely nasty surprises’, notably the impact of refunding businesses that have appealed their rates.

Cllr Barrington-King continued: “We have had the fluctuating and

IN HIS COUNTING HOUSE… Cllr Barrington-King

often disappointing legacy of the incentives to councils with business rates and the new homes cash bonus. All of this has left us in an increasingly worse position.”

In total, a £1.8million shortfall arose in the council’s net revenue budget due to falling government support and rising costs.

A significant part of this reduction comes from a £629,000 cut in its Revenue Support Grant, leaving just £200,000 available in the new financial year.

However, while this has been factored into spending for a long time, officers at Cabinet spoke of being blindsided by the government’s decision to suddenly change the way it rewards house building through the New Homes Bonus Strategy.

Originally, it was meant as a means to incentivise house building, but last year the government started to divert money from the scheme into social care funding.

Exacerbating the negative impact on the budgets of local authorities was the decision to retrospectively apply changes to the complex calculations used to reward house building, meaning previously assumed income going forward was reduced. This meant a further loss of £415,000 in net revenue for the council for 2017/18.

Other pressures came from higher spending commitments, such as the increased cost of refuse collection, rising demands for temporary accommodation and the revaluation of business rates, and other expenses.

In order to plug the resulting £1.8million

CONTACTS EDITORIAL DIRECTOR RICHARD MOORE richard@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk | 01892 779615 CHIEF REPORTER ADAM HIGNETT adam@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk | 01892 576051 DESIGN/PRODUCTION LEE SMITH lsmith8@markerstudy.com SALES GEMMA HAK ghak@markerstudy.com | 01892 779580 FIND US ONLINE facebook.com/timeslocalnews timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk twitter.com/timeslocalnews IF YOU HAVE A STORY WE WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU Contact details above

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One of the ‘extremely nasty surprises’ faced by the council last year was the prospect of having to refund numerous businesses which had sought a revaluation of their rates. In the most recent budget, the council has indicated it will pay £91,000 in claims. The Times first reported the issue of business rates in September, when B&Q successfully lodged a claim for a refund with the Valuation Office Agency to the dismay of council officers, who described it at the time as ‘grossly unfair’. black hole, the council is set to increase its share of council tax – on a Band D property this would be the equivalent of £4.98 – netting an additional £213,000 of income.

An additional £400,000 will be made through efficiency savings, while the council expects to get a further £474,000 from increased parking charges.

Other revenue-raising or saving measures include a reduction in the cost of pensions, the amalgamation of debt recovery services with neighbouring authorities, and a new banking contract.

The council has not had to rely on tapping into reserves to achieve a balanced budget. In addi-

Budget background: Overall, the borough council will have a gross expenditure of £65.9million in the 2017/18 financial year, of which just over half (£35.2m) is spent on the provision of benefits and effectively paid for directly by the government.

The remainder of the expenditure is funded by income raised from a mixture of sources, notably: Council tax, fees and charges for council services, and government grants – the latter of which has been greatly reduced since 2010.

tion, it is using the £200,000 Revenue Support Grant from the government – the final tranche before it is cut completely – to replenish reserves, which the council states will ensure ‘financial self-sufficiency’.

Concluding, Cllr Barrington-King added: “It is to the credit of the officers who have dealt with this, and I believe they are beyond peer in the UK. Once again, they have come forward and pulled a rabbit out of the hat when delivering a balanced budget. On top of that, we are 12 months ahead of the threshold towards financial independence.”

Full Council is set to vote on the budget next Wednesday [February 22].

Gross Revenue Expenditure 2017/18

Revenue Income 2017/18

 Housing Benefits & CT Support £35.2m

 Benefit Subsidy £35.2m

 Employees £13.7m

 Income, Fees & Charges £16.8m

 Premises £5.8m

 Council Tax £7.5m

 Supplies & Services £4.5m

 Government Funding £3.6m

 External Contracts £4.5m

 New Homes Bonus £1.4m

 Shared Services £1.6m

 RVP Rent £0.8m

 Transfer to Reserves £0.4

 Net Interest £0.5m

 Transport £0.1m

FLORENCE JACKSON AGED TWO, FROM SPELDHURST… AN INSPIRATIONAL STORY SELDOM has someone so young touched the hearts and captured the imaginations of so many people around the world. Florence Jackson was a remarkable little girl from a quite remarkable family.

She was diagnosed in December 2015 with a particularly nasty form of cancer and endured 20 rounds of chemotherapy, major surgery and five weeks of radiotherapy.

Initially, it seemed she was getting better.

But, tragically, a tumour that had to be left behind after the operations grew, and Flo’s mum and dad, Carolyn and Rodney, were told it was too dangerous to remove. It was tangled in her blood vessels.

But they were not prepared to give up hope, and found a New York doctor who has performed similar successful operations on

tumours in children. The only problem was the fact it would all cost around £250,000.

At the time, Carolyn said: “We owe it to Florence to fight on, just as she is bravely doing – but we have to act fast.”

So they did. They launched an online crowdfunding campaign asking individuals to donate.

Within 11 days they had raised the £250,000, and the money kept rolling in – reaching the £300,000 mark.

The family, including Carolyn and Rodney’s other daughter, Charlotte, aged five, were due to fly to America to begin Flo’s treatment when complications set in, and at the weekend Florence lost her fight for life.

Hundreds of people have gone online to pay tribute to a child who her father called

‘a brave beautiful girl who fought so hard.’

Of course, it’s a tragedy. A terribly sad tale of a toddler who fought and lost.

But it’s also a story about a little girl who kept on smiling, a little girl who inspired others, a family that refused to give up hope, and nearly 10,000 strangers who sent money to try and help out.

Those donations ranged from a couple of pounds to £45,000.

Such real-life events, in these days of Brexit wars and Trump tantrums, are what we should measure ourselves and our society against.

Stories about characters such as Florence Jackson aged two from Speldhurst are both humbling and inspirational.

Richard Moore, Editorial Director

Local News

Wednesday February 15 | 2017

Trader faces further sex offence charges A MAN charged with raping a woman in woodland at Tunbridge Wells in October has been accused of further sex offences involving four other alleged victims.

Chiron Hutchinson (19) from Cofield claimed on social media to be a trader on the London Stock Exchange.

He entered pleas to 15 charges at Maidstone Crown Court on Friday and will stand trial in August. He was remanded in custody.

By murray@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk

Sinkhole shuts road A THREE foot deep sinkhole has caused a Tunbridge Wells road to be closed for up to three weeks while repairs are carried out.

Beulah Road, off Camden Road, is expected to reopen at the end of this month.

Conviction is upheld

Tip to reopen Saturday THE TIP on North Farm is due to reopen on Saturday (February 18) after more work to repair damage caused by a fire in November. The site has been closed since the start of this month.

Night closure for A21 THE A21 will be closed between Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells in both directions from 8pm tonight (February 15) until 6am tomorrow morning.

Giant obstacle course A MASSIVE obstacle course is coming to Groombridge Place this summer.

‘The Beast’ will be installed at the venue for the Extreme Festival on April 29 and 30.

The 893ft extravaganza features 32 obstacles including inflatable walls and giant balls.

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Informants paid £1m to help police in fight against crime

NEWS IN BRIEF

DAVID SQUELCH (50) has lost his appeal against being convicted of the murder of his work colleague James Wallington (44) at Tunbridge Wells recycling plant. Last year Squelch, of Paddock Wood, was sentenced to at least 22 years in prison for the knife attack.

NEWS

POLICE RAID Informants used to take down organised crime

POLICE across Kent spent more than a million pounds over the last five years on paying for information about criminal activities. It was the third highest amount of any force in the country.

Only the Metropolitan Police, the largest force in the country, and the Police Service of Northern Ireland, handed out more money to informants at £5.2million and £2million respectively.

Kent spent £1,029,145 on ‘covert human intelligence sources’ between 2011-16, according to figures obtained by BBC Radio 5 live, via a Freedom of Information request.

Informants, also known in the criminal world as ‘grasses’, can get anything from a few pounds for basic information, up to several thousand for helping disrupt organised crime. There is no upper limit to the payments.

No statistics are available to show how many convictions have come about as a result of paying the money although Kent’s Detective Chief Superintendent Rob Fordham believes the tactic is ‘effective and legitimate’.

“The use of informants is a well-established

By-election boost for Hub scheme at a cost of £5,000 to rate payers SUPPORTERS of the Southborough Hub develop- with 444 votes, representing 60 per cent of the ment were buoyed by the result of a Town total. No other parties contested the ward.

Council by-election last Thursday (February Said Cllr Kinghorn : “The by-election came about 9) which saw the pro-hub Conservatives as a result of the resignation of estate agent retain the ward.

Bill LeGrys and need not have been held The by-election for Southborough until the May 2017 elections had it not North was seen as a proxy vote on the been for the Liberal Democrats. scheme, which will result in the “They forced a one off election demolition of the Royal Victoria Hall at a cost of £5,000 to Southborough theatre. rate payers which could have been Liberal Democrat Allen Lear had best spent on the Hub develophoped to capitalise on perceived ment.” It’s thought poor weather discontent in the town over the may have played a part in scheme, which received final planning the depressing turnout, approval in December. which was recorded at However, Conservative Ian 23 per cent of ELECTED Kinghorn retained the those eligible Cllr Ian Kinghorn traditionally safe seat, to vote.

and widely known technique, which is used by Kent Police.

“It helps us prevent and detect crime of the most serious nature, and is one of many ways that the police protect its communities.

“The use of informants is something that is closely managed and scrutinised to ensure that it is lawful, proportionate, ethical, justified,” he said.

Forces are audited on their use of informants and are inspected annually by the Office of Surveillance Commissioners to ensure they are not breaking the law.

Kent Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Scott said: “Use of police resources is an operational matter for the Chief Constable.

“My role as Kent’s Police and Crime Commissioner is to hold him to account on behalf of the people of Kent. I will be taking the opportunity to discuss this topical matter with him in due course to reassure myself that spending on police informants is effective and represents value for money.”

Nationally police paid out at least £22million to informants over the last five years. Payments are typically used to solve - or prevent - crimes including murder, terrorism and serious sexual offences, and can also be made to recover valuable stolen items.

Finely tuned talent

BBC Young Musician of the Year to play in Tonbridge see page 18

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NEWS

Local News

Wednesday February 15 | 2017

Doctor warns about danger of NHS GPs referring patients to their own private practices

By Murray Jones murray@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk SUGGESTIONS that family doctors working within the NHS should be allowed to refer patients to their private practices have been criticised by an NHS GP – who also runs his own private practice in Tunbridge Wells.

Dr Coonjobeeharry, 53, known by his patients as ‘Dr Harry’, has been a partner at the NHS-funded Old School Surgery in Cranbrook since 2003.

But in October 2013, he established his own private clinic, GP Consulting in Frant Road, Tunbridge Wells. He splits his week, working three days in Cranbrook and two with his private patients.

And it is this separation which Dr Harry considers fundamental to ethical practice, and why he is so concerned by recent developments from his fellow practitioners.

Plans are being discussed by local medical committees (LMCs) around the country to allow doctors to refer patients to their own private clinics.

Recently, an NHS GP surgery in Bournemouth set up a private service where patients can pay up to £145 to skip waiting lists to see a doctor.

The service will be operated by the same NHS doctors from 8am until 8pm Monday to Friday and 8am until 12noon Saturdays.

It offers same-day, ‘unhurried’ and ‘personal’ care ‘rather than the rushed NHS clinics that the cash-strapped service is encouraging’.

Under the terms set out in their contracts, family

DR HARRY GPs are firefighting

can’t offer it privately’. Because otherwise there is a conflict of interest.

“How can you trust a GP if they have a stake in you going private?” he asked.

As an alternative, he champions his own model of distinct patient lists.

“I only see patients who are not my NHS patients.

I keep it completely separate so it is not compromising. You have to be open about who you are and what hat you are wearing, your private or your NHS one.

“Don’t be on call at the same time because you could start to prioritise your private patients because it is more rewarding to you. That’s morally wrong,” he asserted.

Exodus

doctors are not allowed to offer private services to their own NHS patients as this would create a conflict of interest. They are allowed to do private work, but only for patients registered at another practice.

Dr Harry has 1,600 NHS patients on his books and agrees that it ‘frees up the NHS’.

He said: “If you want your ear syringed, for example, and you don’t want to wait weeks for it, if you have the money, some people will elect to pay.”

But he thinks allowing doctors to refer their own NHS patients to their private practice is ‘crossing the line’.

“As of now, the ethos of GPs who also work privately was: ‘If it’s available on the NHS then you

There is growing concern, particularly in affluent areas such as Tunbridge Wells, that more and more experienced doctors will choose to go fully private, leading to a brain drain from the NHS. “The exodus has already begun, and it’s accelerating slowly. Lots of GPs in their 50s are going a lot earlier than they would have done.

“A lot of them are just firefighting at the moment, and they are completely demoralised. The workload is just not sustainable and wages have dropped year on year,” he said, citing about a 30 per cent pay cut over the last ten years.

These changes have meant the next generation of doctors don’t want to take on a partnership role because they can earn the same money on locum or salaried contracts.

They will just offer consulting sessions, rather than being tied to a particular dedicated practice.

Dr Harry suggested that since partners take more responsibility in the management of the practice, this could make things ‘a lot worse’ for surgeries.

“For every two GPs that retire, you’d need to hire three salaried or locum doctors to do the same amount of work,” he said.

Screen star and former Skinners’ pupil dies

By Andrew Tong newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk RENOWNED actor Alec McCowen, who grew up in Tunbridge Wells, has died at the age of 91.

Mr McCowen, who was awarded the OBE in 1972 and received a CBE in 1986, had starring roles in Alfred Hitchcock’s Frenzy, as Chief Inspector Oxford, and George Cukor’s Travels with My Aunt, as Henry Pulling – both in 1972.

He was born in the town in 1925 and attended The Skinners’ School. He gave a vivid account of his childhood in his autobiography Young Gemini.

Mr McCowen’s father Duncan owned a pram shop in Tunbridge Wells and his mother Mary was a soubrette and dancer, while his grandfather was an evangelist preacher.

After attending the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, he made his West End debut in 1950, and went on to play the Fool in Peter Brook’s King Lear in 1962.

Films He came to fame in Hadrian the Seventh, which won him the first of many Evening Standard awards.

Mr McCowen also brought to stage and screen two notable one-man shows: St Mark’s Gospel, on Thames TV and Rudyard Kipling – A Celebration, which was shown on Channel 4.

He appeared in more than 30 films, starting with The Cruel Sea in 1953 and including The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner and The Witches.

He played Q opposite Sean Connery in the James Bond film Never Say Never Again in 1983, and worked with Martin Scorcese on The Age of Innocence a decade later. His final film role was in Gangs of New York in 2002.

Local News

Wednesday February 15 | 2017

Council finds the bottle on glass collection issue

WOODLAND DEVELOPMENT MP Greg Clark (second from right) at the launch

By Andrew Tong newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk

Affordable homes unveiled to tackle housing shortage

By Adam Hignett adam@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk THE latest stage of the Knights Wood development was unveiled at the beginning of the month when MP Greg Clark officially launched 163 new affordable homes.

Delivered by housing association Moat – in partnership with Tunbridge Wells Borough Council, the Homes and Communities Agency and developer Dandara – they form part of a larger project covering 205 acres on the edge of Tunbridge Wells, near the A21, which is surrounded by woodland.

The development will provide a mix of shared ownership (81 homes) and affordable rented apartments and houses (82 homes).

Mr Clark said he was ‘honoured’ to be chosen to open the new housing in an area where demand for affordable homes is high.

In Tunbridge Wells alone there are 1,010 eligible households registered to buy through shared ownership on the Help to Buy database.

Speaking after the ceremony, Mr Clark said:

“It was an honour to open these 163 new affordable homes. Finding a home in Tunbridge Wells as a first-time buyer or a renter has become very expensive, so these new homes are a real boost to local people.

“With a brand new primary school, sports facilities and wonderful views over both Tunbridge Wells and our surrounding countryside, no wonder Knights Wood is proving so popular.”

Three apartment blocks have already been completed, and a further 24 shared ownership houses and two blocks for affordable rent are due to complete during 2017, with the remaining homes programmed to be completed by 2020.

Steve Nunn, Moat’s Executive Director of Development and New Business, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Dandara and to work together to deliver such an exceptional project.

“We are providing a mix of shared ownership and sub-market rented homes and whilst we’re really proud of the quality of the buildings themselves, we’re equally proud to be building a community.”

TOWN residents will get the chance to leave their unwanted glassware on the doorstep for recycling – although they may have to wait another two years.

Tunbridge Wells Borough Council’s new contract for refuse collection is due to begin in March 2019.

The public has long called for glass to be included in the current arrangement along with other recyclable domestic rubbish and garden waste.

But at present unwanted glassware must be left at the 36 bottle banks in the borough or at North Farm Waste Recycling Centre.

In 2015-16, 2,075.29 tonnes of glass were recycled in this fashion, and the bill for this service is around £1.7million. Now the Town Hall has come under pressure from its own councillors to push for a kerbside glass provision in the agreement.

A report on recycling, which is available on the council’s website, was accepted by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on Monday [February 13] in a meeting that was open to the public.

Cllr Ben Chapelard, a Lib Dem representative for St James’, has been campaigning for the new service and set up a petition last year which was signed by more than 1,000 residents.

Prior to Monday’s meeting, he said: “TW Borough Council is one of the very few councils in Kent which does not offer this service to residents.”

“Currently, glass either doesn’t get recycled at all or residents drive to bottle banks, creating more pollution and congestion. It is such a waste.”

He added: “Tunbridge Wells residents are clear – they want better recycling.

“The Conservative-run council keep ignoring the issue and making excuses.”

NEWS

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BUSINESS

Business Awards

The award categories n New Business of the Year. You’ve come into business in the last three years (start date after January 1, 2014) with a bang and are really getting noticed. Tell us what makes you the best of a great new crop of companies. n Creative Business of the Year. This award category is for any company over two years old in any sector that can demonstrate creativity as well as adding value to your business’s success. n Family Business of the Year. The business must have been trading for a minimum of 12 months. Applicants must show the set-up, family members involved (past and present) and the financial success of the business. n Young Entrepreneur of the Year. This award is open to dynamic individuals aged 30 or under by the closing date of April 13, 2017 who are running their own business and are able to demonstrate great success and drive in growing their company. n Service Excellence Award. The winner of this category will give outstanding assistance and advice to those who buy or use their business or organisation’s products or services. n Business Person of the Year. The winner of this category will show they have a clear vision/strategy for their business and are committed to growing it. n Best Independent Restaurant of the Year. An award celebrating independent restaurants who source their food locally, demonstrate exceptional customer service and offer the very best all-round dining experience. n Best Small Business up to £2m turnover. This award recognises those who have maintained consistent growth and strong financial performance. n Best Tech Business. Innovation lies at the very heart of successful tech companies, and this award is given to recognise outstanding success in commercialising new technologies and making an impact on the local and wider community. n Outstanding Business of the Year. This is the ultimate award of all the categories and will go to the business that can show outstanding initiative, boldness and imagination in their enterprise, as well as sound management practices.

Wednesday February 15 | 2017

Celebrity broadcaster to present the business awards at gala night The Times Business Awards 2017 on May 18 will be, we’re delighted to announce, hosted by Ken Bruce.

Eileen Leahy caught up with the popular Radio 2 DJ to find out how he’s stayed at the top of his game for the past 40 years and why he’s such a passionate champion of small and independent businesses

H

aving broadcast on the BBC for the past four decades, 66-year-old Ken Bruce certainly knows a thing or two about career longevity and continuing success. The Glasgow-born presenter has been in charge of his eponymously named Radio 2 mid-morning show since the mid-1980s and recently signed another three-year contract, making him the network’s longest serving DJ. Ken’s appealing Scottish lilt, razor sharp wit and intrinsic knowledge and passion for music – not to mention the phenomenally popular Pop Master trivia quiz he hosts every weekday morning – have all ensured the presenter has stayed at the top of his game, despite various musical trends and presenting styles coming and going over the years.

So, with an impressive track record like that, a regular audience of over eight millions listeners and a sideline in running a small business, Ken is clearly an ideal candidate to host the Times’ 2017 Business Awards ceremony at Salomons Estate in Tunbridge Wells.

When we start our interview, Ken is as ­self-deprecating as ever. “I’m actually a failed accountant,” he chuckles when I ask him how he got into DJing in the first place. “I studied ­accountancy for two years but I knew my heart wasn’t in it.

AWARDS CEREMONY Guests enjoy the gala night “I didn’t attend classes and it didn’t end well.

After two years my bosses said ‘you’re not going to be God’s gift to accountancy’ so I just ran away to the circus as it were and got a job washing cars and then I started doing hospital radio and that’s where it all started.”

After applying for various jobs he eventually secured a contract at BBC Scotland as a staff

announcer. “I was married and had a mortgage by then so to give it all up for a three-month contract was a big risk,” he says. One that was well worth taking, though, as he has worked for the BBC ever since.

“This year is my 40th anniversary but I still think it could all end tomorrow.”

He says his route to Radio 2 was ‘mostly acci-

Business Awards

Wednesday February 15 | 2017

dental’, and he finds the fact that he has been anchor on The Ken Bruce Show for the past 33 years as ‘unbelievable’.

No one can doubt his determination to succeed.

When he wasn’t reading the news or being a station announcer, Ken was busy writing letters to those with influence.

His persistence paid off and he was given a daily show on BBC Scotland, then eventually a guest slot presenting a show on Radio 2. “I was then offered a Saturday night show a year later, and in 1984 I was given a daily show which I’ve been doing ever since.”

Ken clearly possesses those all-important attributes you need to succeed – determination and the ability to graft at something to achieve a positive end result – but what would he personally say was the key to his success?

‘I’m involved in a small business myself and know how difficult it is to make money in a competitive industry’ “Well if I knew that I’d have done a bit more of it,” he jokes. “I’ve never sought fame or success. I just wanted to do a good radio show on a station I felt comfortable with.”

As for the music side of things he’s very open to most genres: “I’m quite lucky that most of the music we play on the station is what I like. My own tastes range from opera to well, not quite grime but that kind of thing. I like to keep an open mind as there’s good in everything.”

Running such a successful show for 40 years means that Ken is often asked to appear at various corporate events and prize ceremonies but the fact is, he turns most of them down.

He explains: “I like to do my radio programme every day and if I do too many other things then I find that I’m tired in the morning and don’t do as

well as I should be doing on the radio, and that’s my priority.”

So what made him agree to join us in Tunbridge Wells? “The thing to remember is that for the people involved it’s the biggest night of their career and I’ll be very aware of the fact.

“I know it means a great deal to those receiving awards so although it’ll be lots of fun, I never treat it lightly. It’s a big event and wonderful for people to be recognised by their peers and organisations such as yours who encourage them to keep at it and keep doing their bit for the economy.

“A lot of businesses are small outfits with people working every hour God gives and they’re making a living and not a fortune. So anything that can give them that little

extra boost – a little word saying ‘well done, we’ve noticed what you do, so congratulations’ – is a good thing.”

Ken reveals he has an inside steer on what it’s like to run a small business and dealing with issues such as cash flow, attracting customers and generating publicity.

“I’m involved in a small business myself and know how difficult it is to make money in a competitive industry. I’m a partner in a heritage bus hire company called This Bus. We have old Routemasters which we hire out for weddings and things like that, but it’s a constant struggle to keep in business and we always have to look for ways of diversifying.

“You can hit upon a good idea and make money out of it but unless you develop that idea and keep moving it forward the business will die. You have to keep looking for other angles and other ventures – not necessarily just expansion but moving in a different direction and keeping yourself vibrant and vital.

“Every business has its problems and you never sit back and put your feet up and think ‘that’s great, we’ll just coast from now on’. I don’t know anybody involved in any business who feels that.

So encouraging the people who do well is a great thing.”

So is the Scotsman familiar with Tunbridge Wells?

“Yes, I know it slightly,” he says. “It’s a beautiful part of the country and I just love The Pantiles.

“It’s lovely and traditional England at its best, and as the Times is hosting its business awards, it obviously has a thrusting and vibrant economy as well.”

To enter, visit our awards website and follow the instructions that could put you on to a winning path: www.timesbusinessawards.co.uk

BUSINESS

NEWS IN BRIEF

Publisher receives its first overseas orders A TUNBRIDGE WELLS publisher is celebrating its first export order after its book ‘Speaking the English Language for Adults’, met with considerable success here in the UK. Written by Tunbridge Wells-based author and language teacher Gerard Lysaght, the book is based on the writer’s own experience of working in international companies and as a language teacher.

Mr Lysaght said his first order from Filigranes bookshop in Brussels shows the market for ‘high-quality English-language materials’ continues to grow internationally.

Council split criticised SIGNS that Kent County Council may end up being split apart have drawn strong criticism from the authority’s leader.

Shepway, Thanet, Dover and Canterbury councils are currently in discussions over merging into a ‘super district’ in order to save money. But Cllr Paul Carter said some council members in the relevant districts had let slip that this was merely ‘phase one’ in an attempt to become a unitary authority.

Locate recruits staff SIX key appointments have been announced

by Locate as it strengthens the team tasked with promoting investment in the county.

The new arrivals follow the signing of a three-year contract with Kent County Council and Medway Council late last year.

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BUSINESS

Local Business News

Crimson Tide looks overseas for growth opportunities

By Adam Hignett adam@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk SOFTWARE developer Crimson Tide has informed shareholders of its intention to push ahead with further expansion overseas following the success experienced with the company’s partnership in Ireland.

The Tunbridge Wells-based firm provides mobile data services for businesses via its mpro5 platform that effectively helps streamline their

‘Demand for our mpro5 service has grown from international sources’ client’s back office functions by feeding through real-time data.

Organisations as diverse as the Metro Newspaper, St James’s Hospital in Dublin, Tesco, Nestlé and local councils utilise the mobile-compatible software to track orders, file audits or monitor medication.

Crimson Tide is now seeking to implement changes that will help it grow its presence in foreign markets, namely western Europe, the United Arab Emirates, the US and Australia.

Executive Chairman Barrie Whipp said: “Demand for our mpro5 service has grown from international sources, and we have multiple, early-stage opportunities already in some of these markets.

“Rather than open overseas presences with

Wednesday February 15 | 2017

MOBILISED The mpro5 software

highly speculative plans at great cost, we are being much more tactical, taking advantage of specific opportunities with people we know and trust.”

Laurence D’Arcy, who previously managed the company’s operations in Ireland, has been charged with overseeing the company’s international expansion.

In a statement, the company said: “We have begun to invest in international expansion following the success of our partnership in Ireland.

“Similar to our model in Ireland, the strategic emphasis is on initiating growth through collaborative partnerships with known third parties, where there is a clear demand for mpro5, thereby creating considerable potential with limited risk.”

Erik-Jan Smulders, who previously worked for BlackBerry, has been appointed to expand the company’s sales footprint in Western Europe.

The AIM-listed company has also signed an agreement with British Centres for Business in Dubai, to take advantage of its Incubator Programme, while in the United States the firm will expand by joining the trade organisation RX360, which includes 18 of the world’s top 20 pharmaceutical companies.

Crimson Tide has also entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with Mobilise IT in Melbourne, which will see Mobilise IT include mpro5 in its business strategy, as well as offer first-line support.

TACTICS Barrie Whipp

Global network ambitions for world’s oldest law firm TUNBRIDGE WELLS law firm Thomson Snell & Passmore is scaling up its operation after announcing it joined the largest legal referral network in the world this month.

The firm, which will be celebrating its 450th anniversary in 2020, said the ‘strategic move’ will help boost its ability to provide access to highlevel specialist legal advice and support to businesses and individuals around the world.

By joining Nextlaw Global Referral Network [Nextlaw], Thomson Snell & Passmore will form part of an organisation which has more than 300 member firms, 19,000 lawyers and spans 160 countries.

Other UK member firms include Brodies, Shepherd BEST and Wedderburn, SERVICE Carson McDowell and Simon Mourant Ozannes.

Slater Simon Slater, Chief Executive Officer at Thomson

Snell & Passmore, said: “The key driver behind our decision was to continue giving our clients access to the best legal advisers around the world, whilst ensuring that the highest level of service is maintained. The only criterion for membership of Nextlaw is quality, and the only motivation is to serve clients better.”

Nextlaw, was launched by global law firm Dentons with the objective of improving client service by incorporating the benefits of the best traditional legal referral networks, implemented through an innovative technological platform.

The collaborative solution brings together hundreds of the world’s best law firms in order to provide their clients with the right lawyer in any region, practice area and sector within a single market. Although it is free to join, the organisation employs a detailed screening system to guarantee the quality of its member firms.

Jeff Modisett, Nextlaw Global Referral Network CEO, said he is ‘proud’ to welcome the world’s oldest law firm as part of our network.

He added: “We’re only as good as the quality of our member firms, and this addition makes us stronger and better able to meet the needs of our other members’ clients in the UK legal market.”

Cripps helps firm AdEPT with another ‘complex’ acquisition REWARDING CHALLENGE Nigel Stanford

AN EXPANDING Tunbridge Wells telecoms firm has completed its third acquisition in three months with the ongoing support of local law firm Cripps.

AdEPT Telecom, one of the UK’s leading independent providers of voice and data communications solutions, has bought Our IT Department, which has offices in London, Cambridgeshire and Newcastle.

Cripps also helped the company secure a £30million five-year revolving funding facility with Barclays and the Royal Bank of Scotland.

This latest acquisition is the eighth major transaction law firm Cripps has advised AdEPT on over the past four years, and follows the purchase

ON THE ASCENT AdEPT’s offices on Mount Ephraim

of sister businesses CAT Communications and Progressive Communications of Pewsey, Wiltshire, in November.

Ian Fishwick, Chief Executive of AdEPT, said: “Once again Cripps has responded swiftly and professionally, helping to bring a complex project to a successful conclusion, and more than punching their weight with London-based bankers and professional advisers.

“The advice their lawyers provide is timely, practical and of great value to us.”

Nigel Stanford, John Kirkwood and Julie Hughes led Cripps’ multi-disciplinary teams of corporate, finance, commercial, employment and real estate lawyers on the two deals, which had a strict completion deadline.

“AdEPT is a fast-growing company which identifies targets and completes deals at a demanding pace,” said Nigel Stanford.

“Synchronising the strategically important acquisition along with the highly complex banking documentation has been challenging and rewarding in equal measure for our team and the directors at AdEPT. “Once again, we have guided a client through a complex process to achieve the desired outcome.”

Cripps has offices in Tunbridge Wells, London, Kings Hill and Sandwich.

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NEWS

Community News

Pepenbury on shortlist for Kent Charity Awards

By Andrew Tong newsdesk@timesoftunbridgewells.co.uk PEPENBURY, based in Pembury, has been named a finalist in the prestigious Kent Charity Awards.

The organisation helps adults with learning disabilities, as well as those with physical disabilities and other conditions, such as autism.

It provides residential facilities with full-time care, supported living, a day services centre and a community team. It cares for 200 people and employs more than 250 staff.

One of the charity’s clients, Sue Owen, whose son lives at the Pembury residential site, said: “Pepenbury is just special. It gives my son a chance to have a life of his own.

“I get real peace of mind seeing him so happy and busy. I needn’t worry about his future, or security, or how he will manage if I’m not able to be there for him. Pepenbury is well thought out, managed and run.”

The recognition comes a week after the estab-

Wednesday February 15 | 2017

CARING ENVIRONMENT Service user Shane with Flick the guinea pig from the Pembury farm

lishment won recognition as the best learning disability support foundation in Kent, at the GHP Social Care Awards.

The main site, in Cornford Lane, is set in 100 acres of unspoilt countryside and the grounds, nursery, farm and café are open to the public.

After a recent fundraising initiative, there is also a children’s playground and woodland walk.

One of Pepenbury’s community support workers, Denise Bain, said of her role: “Getting to know the personalities of the service users at Pepenbury is a real privilege. Helping them to build relationships and achieve dreams and skills for everyday life is all part of our work.”

Pepenbury Chief Executive Sarah Stookes added: “We, as an organisation, invest in educating and supporting our care team to provide the best possible care for our service users.

“We are delighted to be a finalist in the Kent Charity Awards. It’s a fantastic recognition of the hard work and dedication of our staff.”

The winners will be announced on March 16.

For more information, visit www.pepenbury.info

Baby Memorial Service unites grieving parents A SPECIAL service is being held at Tunbridge Wells Hospital for parents and relatives who have experienced the death of a baby, or a miscarriage.

The annual Baby Memorial Service is being held at St Peter’s Upper Church in Pembury on Wednesday March 1 at 6.30pm. It will be led by the hospital chaplain, Reverend Stephen Baker.

He said: “The purpose of the service is to set aside a little time to share thoughts and light candles in memory of those babies who have

meant so much but who we no longer see.

“Some families will come to remember a recent loss. Others will come to remember a baby who died many years ago. All are welcome, whatever the circumstances.”

Following the short service, there will be an opportunity to have refreshments with other parents and relatives as well as chaplains and maternity staff. For further information, contact Reverend Baker on 01892 635438.

Volunteer celebrates 50th birthday by walking 50 miles to help ellenor ROBIN ROBERTS, a shop volunteer for the hospice charity ellenor, marked his 50th birthday on February 1 with a sponsored walk of 50 miles which took him nearly 24 hours and raised more than £1,000.

Mr Roberts began his journey from the Tunbridge Wells shop at 5am and headed north, taking in the majority of the charity’s 16 shops and ellenor’s Dartford office. He completed his walk at ellenor’s hospice in Gravesend at 2.15am the following morning, having left home at 3am the previous day. He was met there by his parents and Area Fundraising Manager Kate Barnes.

“I was unemployed and I wanted to get into charity work and put something back into the community, so I called into the ellenor shop,” said Mr Roberts, who works at the Bexleyheath shop.

“I found the managers Rita and Kay and all the team very friendly and passionate about what ellenor does and stands for.”

He added: “Because 50 is a landmark birthday, I wanted to do something different. As abseiling was unseasonal, I struck upon the idea of walking from Tunbridge Wells to Gravesend via the ellenor shops. When I worked out the total distance would be 50 miles, it seemed like fate.”

“A huge thank you to Robin for undertaking this incredible walk for ellenor,” said Ms Barnes.

“He smashed his £1,000 target and inspired not only our team, but our shop managers and volunteers and the local community. The money he raised will make a huge difference to families facing EARLY START terminal illness from Tunbridge Robin Roberts Wells to Gravesend.” sets out from To find out more about the Tunbridge Wells charity’s work, visit www.ellenor.org

Childrensalon charitable fund backs Nourish’s growing needs

FRAME FAME: Mayor David Neve at the Casino Night with (l-r) Marianne MacDonald, Lesley Darcy and Dawn Stanford of Nourish THE Nourish Community Foodbank has benefitted from being one of the first recipients of a donation from the new Childrensalon charity.

“We have been working in partnership with Childrensalon for the past two years organising our largest fundraiser,” said Paul Haines, Nourish Community Foodbank’s Co-Chair.

“During that time, we have been bowled over by

their passion and generosity for the work we do.”

In 2015-16, Nourish provided three days of emergency food to 3,141 people, a 34 per cent increase on the previous year.

“This donation goes a considerable way in helping us meet our running costs. On average it costs £3 for each meal we provide, and last year we donated over 28,000 meals,” Mr Haines added.

“The kindness of Childrensalon means this money makes a very real and immediate difference to people in crisis in our community.”

Childrensalon has helped Nourish and many other chosen charities through the years because the online children’s clothing store is passionate about helping people in need.

To do this more effectively, Childrensalon formed a charity this year and committed an amount that will help Nourish continue to offer their invaluable services to the local community. Every year Childrensalon also works with Nourish to organise fundraisers. Last October it held a Casino Night at the High Rocks which raised more than £6,000.

See www.nourishcommunityfoodbank.org.uk

National News

Wednesday February 15 | 2017

President Trump will be welcome to visit says Foreign Office US PRESIDENT Donald Trump will be extended the ‘full courtesy’ of a state visit to Britain later this year, despite a 1,850,000-strong petition against it.

The Foreign Office rejected the petition calling for Mr Trump’s trip to be downgraded, stripping it of the trappings of a state visit.

The Government responds to petitions on its website if they are signed by more than 10,000 people. Therefore it was compelled to reply alongside a rival 300,000-strong petition in support of the state visit. They have since both reached the 100,000 signatures threshold to be considered for discussion in Parliament.

Responding to the anti-state visit petition, the Foreign Office said: “HM Government believes the President of the United States should be extended the full courtesy of a state visit. HM Government recognises the strong views expressed by the many signatories of this petition, but does not support this petition.

“During her visit to the United States on 27 January 2017, the Prime Minister, on behalf of Her Majesty the Queen, invited President Trump for a state visit to the UK later this year. The invitation was accepted.

“At this stage, final dates have not yet been agreed for the state visit.”

The Stop Trump campaign has called protest rallies around the country for February 20 and are promising ‘the biggest demonstration in British history’ if the visit goes ahead.

A campaign spokesman said: “Nearly two million Britons called on their Government not to roll out the red carpet for a man who has instigated a travel ban on Muslims and whose bigoted racist and sexist statements are well known.

“Theresa May has shown her contempt for people asking for her to take a stand against racism – and sided with a bigoted megalomaniac instead.”

Queen opens £1.9bn cyber centre to help protect UK from hackers ALMOST £2billion has been invested in the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre with the aim of making the country the safest place to be online.

The London centre was officially opened by The Queen yesterday [Tuesday]. She was accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh and they were shown how even common domestic appliances and toys could be vulnerable to a cyber attack.

The threat from hackers has grown hugely in recent years and, as the controversy over Russia’s alleged interference in the US election illustrates, cyber attacks are not limited to criminals gangs.

The Obama administration said covert attempts to undermine Hillary Clinton’s campaign came directly from the Kremlin.

Denmark’s Centre for Cyber Security has also identified Russia as a ‘leader’ in hacking, and said it ‘has advanced capabilities to perform extensive cyber espionage against political and military targets in the West’.

UNDER ATTACK The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh at the National Cyber Security Centre

NEWS IN BRIEF

Give us more Tasers says Met police chief A GREATER number of police officers in Britain’s largest force should be armed with Tasers, the country’s most senior police chief has said.

In his final speech before retiring, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe told an audience at the Royal United Services Institute in Westminster that police are not ‘trigger-happy’.

He called for armed officers to be given more respect and more rank-and-file officers to be given Tasers.

He said: “I really want the public to get behind our officers, show their support for them, and ensure they get treated fairly after a shooting.”

Lawyer wins appeal A LAWYER and former UKIP parliamentary candidate has won a High Court challenge against professional misconduct findings over allegations he ‘pestered’ women at a work party at his former chambers in Leeds in July 2014.

Barrister Stephen Howd, who lost to Labour in Scunthorpe in the 2015 general election, was fined £1,800 last year by a disciplinary tribunal of the Council of the Inns of Court. But he appealed against the tribunal’s findings of guilt, and a judge ruled in his favour yesterday [Tuesday].

Blow for job hunter A MAN who attended a job interview for an IT support role at Greater Manchester Police was arrested, charged and eventually banned from driving for being over the legal drink-drive limit.

His interviewer alerted a traffic officer after he noticed an ‘overpowering’ smell of alcohol.

He was escorted out of the building and breathalysed. This showed he was over the drink-drive limit. Last week he appeared before Bury magistrates and was banned from driving for a year.

Full steam ahead A STEAM train has hauled passengers on a scheduled main line service for the first time in half a century.

Thousands of people turned out to watch the Peppercorn class A1 steam locomotive Tornado begin the first of three days of pulling the regular service between Appleby in Cumbria and Skipton in North Yorkshire along the famous Settle to Carlisle line.

Terrorism suspect held A 39-YEAR-OLD man has been arrested and detained in Stoke-on-Trent by officers from the West Midlands counter terrorism unit on suspicion of funding terrorism. It followed searches of two properties in the city. Officers said the arrest was intelligence-led and there was no risk to the public.

The UK’s Defence Secretary, Sir Michael Fallon, warned earlier this month that Russia is ‘weaponising misinformation’ in a sustained campaign of destabilisation against the West.

Sir Michael stated that Russia was using cyber weaponry to ‘disrupt critical infrastructure and disable democratic machinery’.

In 2015, the Government’s listening agency GCHQ dealt with 200 national security incidents per month – double the number it was handling in 2014. The £1.9billion new cyber security centre in central London underscores concern over the levels of threat the UK is facing.

But in a recent report, MPs on the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) criticised the Government’s ability to protect the UK from cyber crime, arguing that ministers had not acted quickly enough to consolidate the ‘alphabet soup’ of agencies tasked with safeguarding against cyber attacks.

NEWS

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National News

Wednesday February 15 | 2017

Health workers campaign to ban diesel from the road

PUBLIC TRANSPORT Commuters are exposed to up to eight times more pollution than car users

HUNDREDS of doctors, nurses and other health workers are calling on the Prime Minister to take action to get polluting diesel vehicles off the UK’s roads as soon as possible.

The recently formed Doctors Against Diesel group is campaigning for greater awareness of the health impacts of diesel emissions and for action to reduce the number of vehicles using the polluting fuel in towns and cities.

Air pollution from sources including factories and vehicles, particularly diesel engines, is linked to the early deaths of about 40,000 people a year in the UK - and causes problems such as heart and lung diseases and asthma.

London saw legal annual limits for pollution breached on some busy roads in the first week of January.

Nearly 300 health professionals have written to Theresa May, highlighting evidence of the impacts of pollutants including nitrogen dioxide and soot, particularly for children, and calling for a diesel reduction initiative.

Professor Jonathan Grigg of Queen Mary University of London and founding member of Doctors

Against Diesel said: “There is overwhelming evidence that locally generated sooty particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide is harming children’s health.

“In London, we know that diesel engines are a major and unnecessary cause of air pollution along our roads.

“Cutting diesel emissions would therefore have an immediate impact on children’s personal exposure, and improve their long-term health.”

Reducing pollution exposure for children and encouraging them to cycle and walk more would be a ‘major public health advance - and must be done as soon as possible’, he said.

The letter comes as research suggests commuters using public transport are being exposed to up to eight times more pollution than car users.

While motorists produce the most pollution per commuter, they are the least exposed to harmful particulate matter as they are sealed off from the outside, the study by the University of Surrey found.

Commuters on some underground lines are the most exposed to poor air quality, followed by those on buses, according to the research, published in the journal Environment International.

Police ask for a Valentine date with men on wanted list SUSSEX Police sent tongue-in-cheek love messages to a series of people on their most wanted list on Valentine’s Day. The messages asked for a date with five people they are looking to speak to in connection with various crimes.

The officers mocked up a card

featuring their mugshots surrounded by love hearts.

The force also published a series of short video messages on its Twitter feed inviting the five people to come ‘back into our arms’.

Those featured include convicted drug dealer Kyle Gilmore, 23, from

Hastings. Police said he had breached the terms of his licence since being released from jail after being convicted of possession of drugs with intent to supply.

Others on the wanted list include Lucia Biffi, 26, from Littlehampton, for alleged shoplifting offences and

John Casey, 18, from Burgess Hill, for failing to answer bail.

The love messages also went out to Aldo Oringa, 31, who has links to Littlehampton and Worthing, for breaching his licence terms, and Edward Stokes, 19, from London, for alleged burglary.

SPORT IN BRIEF

GB to line up against Romania in Fed Cup GREAT Britain have been drawn to face Romania in the Tennis Fed Cup World Group II play-offs on April 22 and 23 as they bid to reach the competition’s second tier for the first time in almost a quarter of a century.

Great Britain have not played at the World Group level since 1993.

Surgery rules out Willey YORKSHIRE’S all-rounder David Willey has been ruled out of England’s upcoming one-day cricket tour of the West Indies after undergoing surgery on a shoulder injury.

Middlesex player Steven Finn will replace Willey in England’s touring party for three One Day Internationals in the Caribbean next month.

Ford rejoins Leicester ENGLAND fly-half George Ford will be playing his rugby at Leicester again next season as he is leaving Bath to rejoin his former club. Freddie Burns will be heading in the opposite direction.

Ford moved to Bath in 2013, when his father Mike was head coach, and helped the club reach the 2014 European Challenge Cup final and Aviva Premiership showpiece a year later.

Brook defends title BRITISH BOXER Kell Brook will defend his IBF world welterweight title against American Errol Spence Jr.

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BUSINESS

National Business News

Wednesday February 15 | 2017

Rolls-Royce slumps to record £4.6bn loss after paying penalty for scandal ENGINE maker Rolls-Royce has posted the biggest loss in its history after it slumped into the red by £4.64billion after being hit by the pound’s plunge and a corruption scandal.

The blue chip giant said the mammoth pre-tax loss for 2016 came after it was forced to make a £4.4billion write-down from the collapse of the pound since the Brexit vote, as well as its £671million penalty to settle bribery allegations.

Profit warning On an underlying basis, it reported pre-tax profits of £813million - nearly half the £1.4billion recorded in 2015.

Rolls said it was on track with efforts to slash costs and is expecting a ‘modest’ performance improvement in 2017.

The huge annual loss follows a tough past few years for Rolls after a string of profit warnings and last month’s corruption fine to settle a case brought by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) and authorities in the US and Brazil.

Sir Brian Leveson said on handing down his written judgment in January that the long-running probe revealed ‘the most serious breaches of the criminal law in the areas of bribery and corruption’.

Rolls will pay the £671million fine over five years, with a £293million payment this year, but has taken the full cost as an impairment charge against 2016 profits.

Shares in the FTSE 100-listed firm fell 3 per cent after the scale of its losses was revealed, although its underlying performance was better than most analysts had expected.

EDF, which is building the Hinkley Point C power station in Somerset, said UK nuclear production reached its highest level since 2003 last year The company, which is 85 per cent owned by the French government, already produces electricity from eight nuclear power stations, though the Hinkley project will be Britain’s first new station in two decades.

It said the rise in nuclear energy generation in the UK came amid an ongoing investment programme that saw it pump £529 million into its existing stations last year.

Lloyds to create new European division LLOYDS Banking Group is on course to turn its Berlin branch into an EU subsidiary to secure its European business after Brexit.

The taxpayer-backed lender is expected to apply for a licence later this year that would convert its Bank of Scotland-branded site - which was acquired as part of its HBOS takeover in 2008 - into a separate European division.

Lloyds would be the first big bank to select Berlin for its EU subsidiary in the wake of the Brexit vote.

House prices higher LOOKING AHEAD Modest improvements expected

Nuclear power on a high but EDF sees UK earnings fall 29 per cent THE French owned gas and electricity supplier EDF has seen annual UK earnings slump by 29 per cent after suffering intense competition from rival suppliers and lower wholesale energy prices.

The Big Six provider, which is increasing electricity prices by 8.4 per cent next month, said underlying operating profits fell to £470 million last year, down from £664 million the previous year.

It lost 80,000 customer accounts over the year, but said its overall customer base was ‘broadly stable in an intensely competitive’ market, at 5.2 million.

BUSNIESS NEWS IN BRIEF

But the surge in production failed to offset a slump in nuclear prices, while EDF was also knocked by lower energy prices across the board in wholesale markets.

These prices have since risen, in particular for UK suppliers, due to the impact of the pound’s plunge since the Brexit vote, and providers are hiking tariffs as a result.

EDF is increasing its electricity prices in March, although it cut gas tariffs by 5.2 per cent in January. A raft of other suppliers have also recently announced price increases.

AT THE end of last year house prices were £15,000 higher on average than when the year started, according to an official report from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The typical UK property value was £220,000 in December.

An average first-time buyer in Britain faces paying 7 per cent more for a property than they did a year ago, with the typical price paid by this sector now at £184,973, the report said.

British boost for Tui LOSSES at Thomson owner Tui narrowed in the first quarter, helped by another healthy rise in British bookings. The travel giant said its net loss for the period came in at 81.6million euro (£69million) compared to last year’s figure of 138.7million euro (£117million).

World News

Wednesday February 15 | 2017

NEWS IN BRIEF

Power station still safe despite Toshiba losses JAPANESE electronics and energy giant Toshiba has said its chairman Shigenori Shiga is resigning to take responsibility for problems that will result in a 713billion yen (£5billion) loss in its nuclear business.

Toshiba said its net worth was in the negative, at minus 191billion yen (£1.3billion) at the end of last year, but it said it hopes to take measures to fix that by the end of March.

Despite the losses, NuGen, the company building a new nuclear power station in Cumbria, said Japanese giant Toshiba ‘remains’ committed; to the multi billion-pound project.

Leader’s brother killed THE older brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who fell out of favour in the country after being caught trying to enter Japan on a false passport in 2001, has been assassinated at Kuala Lumpur’s airport, according to media reports in South Korea.

They say Kim Jong Nam died after being targeted in the Malaysian capital by two women using poison needles who then escaped in a taxi.

Playboy ends ban NAKED women are back in Playboy magazine, ending a year-old ban on the nudity that made the magazine famous. Cooper Hefner, Playboy’s chief creative officer and the son of magazine founder Hugh Hefner, called the nudity ban a mistake.

Three candidates in the frame for security role A LIST of possible front runners have emerged for US President Donald Trump to consider as he begins his search to fill the vital post of national security adviser.

Michael Flynn stepped down from the position this week, ending days of speculation about his fate following reports that he had misled Vice President Mike Pence and other officials about his contacts with Russia.

Mr Trump named Keith Kellogg, a retired lieutenant general, as the acting national security adviser and a senior administration official said he was one of three candidates the president was considering to replace Mr Flynn on a permanent basis.

He had previously been appointed the National Security Council chief of staff and, along with Mr Flynn, advised Mr Trump on national security and foreign policy issues during the campaign.

Mr Kellogg was chief operating officer of the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq, the interim governing body following the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003.

He was previously executive vice president of research and technology for Virginia-based information technology firm CACI International, which works as a contractor for defence, intelligence and

homeland security agencies.

The other two possible contenders for the post, which does not require Senate confirmation, are former CIA director David Petreaus and Navy Seal Robert Harward.

Mr Petreaus is a retired four star general who was forced from his position at the intelligence agency in 2012 after it was revealed that he passed on classified information to his biographer, who had also become his mistress.

Mr Petreaus was briefly under consideration to become secretary of state before Mr Trump picked Exxon chief executive Rex Tillerson.

Mr Harward served as deputy commander of the United States Central Command when it was under the command of General James Mattis, who is now defence secretary. The retired vice admiral served on the National Security Council for President George W Bush and commissioned the National Counter Terrorism Centre.

In 2013 when he retired after a nearly 40-year career in the Navy, he took a post as a chief executive officer for defence and aerospace giant Lockheed Martin in the United Arab Emirates. Mr Trump has recently been in very public negotiations with Lockheed over the cost of its F-35 fighter STEPPED DOWN jet proMichael Flynn gramme.

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Thailand hands out pills on Valentine’s day to help women have more babies THE Thai government handed out pills to prospective mothers on Valentine’s Day in the hope of boosting the country’s falling birthrate.

Government employees took to the streets of Bangkok on Tuesday to distribute one million baht’s worth (£22,800) of prenatal vitamins containing folic acid and iron to women between the ages of 20 and 34.

The giveaway is part of a programme called ‘the campaign for red-cheeked Thai women to have children for the country using very magical vitamins’.

“Thai women are receiving higher education and the newer generation are placing a higher value on being single.”

Thai couples are getting married less often and later in their lives, meaning fewer children each year.

“The Thai way of life is changing,” said Dr Wachira Pengjuntr, director of the health department.

“Thai women are receiving higher education and the newer generation are placing a higher value on being single.”

Thailand’s population grew only 0.4 per cent in 2015, down from 2.7 cent in 1970.

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FEATURES

Arts & Culture

Wednesday February 15 | 2017

Meet the talented trumpeter who’s determined to make the most of her inherited musical gift Ahead of her concert with the Tonbridge Philharmonic at St Peter & St Paul Church on February 18, Matilda Lloyd – the local musician who was crowned BBC Young Musician of the Year in 2014 in the Brass Category – tells Eileen Leahy all about her journey from playing as a hobby as a child to performing at the Royal Albert Hall…

I

STARTED playing the trumpet 13 years ago when I was eight years old. I was a naturally curious child, and stumbled across my father’s old trumpet in a cupboard one day.

He had played the instrument at school, and I wanted to have a go on it, and discovered I could make quite a decent sound – so I started having lessons. Three years later, when I was 11, I was playing in my first concert with the Sevenoaksbased Lydian orchestra.

I really feel that music is enjoyed best through live concerts, by both the performers and the audience.

With live performance there can be

a real connection between the two which can add greatly to the enjoyment of a concert.

I played my first one as a soloist when I was 17, and once again this was with the Lydian Orchestra, at St Stephen’s church in Tonbridge.

I love how playing live gives you the sense of really being there in that special moment with the audience. It’s also wonderful that they can witness you pour your heart and soul into performing the music.

The most memorable concert I have done to date was at the BBC Proms in July 2016. I walked out on to the stage of the Royal Albert Hall to around 6,000 people, and the

atmosphere there was just incredible.

Knowing that many more people would see and hear my performance on radio and TV broadcasts was also amazing as it made my performance very special.

I hope it will have inspired lots of young children to take up brass instruments.

‘My dream venue would be somewhere like Carnegie Hall in New York or Musikverein in Vienna’ Playing well obviously takes a lot of dedication, and I generally try to practise for two hours a day – but I often play longer than that when I have to factor in rehearsals and concerts.

In terms of having a dream venue to play in, it would be somewhere like Carnegie Hall in New York or the Musikverein in Vienna.

I also play the piano in my free time, and used to play the cello and sing, participating in string orchestras and school choirs when I was younger.

I was home-educated for most of

my primary school years, which helped develop my love for music and my own individual creativity that is so important for my career now.

I then went to school at Walthamstow Hall in Sevenoaks and moved to The Judd School in Tonbridge for Sixth Form. I’m currently at university, and in my final year reading Music at Trinity College, Cambridge. After gaining a First in my second year exams I was made a Senior Scholar of the college.

After completing my degree, I will continue studying in September on the Masters in Performance course at the Royal Academy of Music in London. After graduating, I hope I can pursue a career as an international trumpet soloist.

To book tickets to see Matilda Lloyd performing with the Tonbridge Philharmonic Orchestra at St Peter & St Paul Church in Tonbridge on Saturday February 18 at 7.30pm, visit www.tonphil.org.uk She will be performing a variety of pieces, including Debussy’s Nocturnes and Symphony in B flat by Chausson.

Tickets cost £15 for adults, £14 for senior citizens and £7 for students.

MAKING A BIG NOISE Matilda

Arts & Culture

Wednesday February 15 | 2017

MONSTER OF A SHOW Frankenstein is a model Creature

To mark the bicentenary of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, acclaimed Blackeyed Theatre has created an intriguing new stage adaptation of the horror tale which is proving very popular with audiences around the country.

Ahead of performing at the EM Forster Theatre next Wednesday [February 22], Director MULTIPLE TALES Eliot Giuralarocca The actors face a big challenge tells us all about it…

FEATURES

19

How the art of puppetry is putting a spin on the Gothic masterpiece Frankenstein What enticed you to take on Frankenstein?

I didn’t need much enticing to be fair.

Adrian McDougall, the Artistic Director of Blackeyed Theatre, approached me with the idea and I jumped at the chance to do it! I knew the novel well and really loved it. It’s a cracking, gripping, classic story that has stood the test of time, and when you are presented with an opportunity to have a go at something like that you have to grasp it with both hands. I had directed Dracula for the company a couple of years previously and really enjoyed trying to meet the challenges that the Gothic horror genre presented.

What are the main tasks and challenges in directing this?

Five performers tell the story and it’s a busy show for them.

We’ve been quite ambitious with the vision for this piece with the inclusion of live music and sound as well as the challenge of puppeteering a 6ft 4in Japanese Bunraku-

style creature, so just getting the show up and ready in the short rehearsal time was challenging. But going for a bold form of storytelling focused on the actors’ ability to transform is the right way to go.

What’s the vision, and what do you hope to achieve in terms of theatrical style?

One of my touchstones for this piece was that the structure of the novel takes the form of a story containing other stories within it. We start with Captain Robert Walton’s story, recounting his journey to the North Pole where he meets an exhausted, half-dead Frankenstein.

He, in turn, proceeds to tell the story of his life, and within that story we find another story – the Creature’s story.

This Russian doll-style structure sparked my imagination. For me, Frankenstein suddenly felt like a dark Gothic fairy tale with a nightmarish and dream-like quality that seemed to flow from this.

Why did you cast the Creature as a puppet?

We set the play on the ship upon which Frankenstein clambers aboard, as that is the only thing that we know to be real, and the materials and crated furniture he finds there become what he uses, and we use theatrically, to help to tell his story.

The Creature too, therefore, has elements and accents of the ship; of cloth and rope and sack and stiches.

It is something that has literally been

brought to life by Frankenstein as if wrenched from the set. For me, the beauty and excitement of theatre is that it is live, unfolding in front of you as you watch, and having the Creature as a life-sized Bunraku-style puppet seemed to fit perfectly with this approach.

Frankenstein is obsessed with finding the spark of creation and bringing to life dead matter. I hope that we mirror this by bringing the Creature to life theatrically, animating and manipulating the puppet in front of the audience, giving them the illusion that it has a life of its own.

It seemed to me to be a lovely theatrical metaphor for the act of creation in the story and I hope audiences embrace it.

What else can the audience expect from this production?

A show that celebrates the excitement of live theatre using inventive, bold storytelling to bring Mary Shelley’s dark Gothic thriller to life using puppetry, live music and sound, and utilising all the skills and abilities that our company of five performers possess.

If audiences leave the theatre excited and entertained by what they’ve seen as well as being moved and challenged by the complex moral questions that this tale provokes, I’d be delighted.  Tickets cost £15. To book, visit

www.tonbridgearts.com

20

NEWS

Letters

Wednesday February 15 | 2017

And another thing…

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

Thank you for publishing [February 1] the new plans for The Pantiles. Granted, the current collection of buildings, which include the ghastly Union House, don’t exactly chime in aesthetically with the traditional ones dotted along our famous promenade, but it would seem that the proposed new ones don’t look much better either.

The Civic Society are quite right to protest about the plans put forward by property developers Dandara. They don’t look like they have made any effort to mirror the original facades of The Pantiles’ pretty buildings – they’re quite simply bland and boring. And the fact that they will mainly be apartments – which will more than likely be overpriced for most and cause further headaches re lack of parking, for both the new residents and for shoppers – makes me angry.

I am all for progress and improving the look and feel of a place that needs it, but surely we could have something a bit more interesting added to this historic site?

Gracie Davies Via email

Shameful go-ahead has been given

In 2013 we had the ‘So Create a Difference’ exhibition in Tunbridge Wells, supported by the Royal Institute of British Architects. The event

SOCIAL MEDIA

Some of the feedback from Times stories last week…

Ice-cream parlour replacing Cosmo…

What a fab idea because with our weather you need an enormous ice cream parlour! – Melanie O’Brien Should have been a Nando’s! – Matt May Charity call to cut foreign aid to fund social care…

Why shouldn’t last year’s foreign aid figure of £12b be cut by say 10 per cent… for those who need help in OUR country? – Jim Reid There are plenty of other areas that could be cut to fund this… Hinckley Point C for example… – April Clark MP Greg Clark defending his Article 50 vote after Tunbridge Wells voted to Remain…

Remainers always come round in the end – James Rigby We won :-) #TunbridgeWellsTwitteratiVote Dr Chris Haan @tw_people Winner of the #News category #twtwitteraticup Postponement of operations Tunbridge Wells Hospital: Cafe Baskerville @cafebaskerville So this is why my daughters laparoscopy was cancelled on 13th January. She is getting sicker by the day #soangry Facebook: @timeslocalnews Twitter: @timeslocalnews

was organised by enthusiastic local architects who recognised the need for some ‘blue sky thinking’ in developing our town.

RIBA’s Regional Director James Robinson said at the time: “Good design in itself is worth doing but also, it does have a regenerative effect.”

He went on to say: “Tunbridge Wells has a fantastic set of historical assets and a real character to the town, and all new design has to take into account this context.”

I was fortunate to have worked for some of the top architects’ practices in the UK. I joined the debate because I want to see iconic good buildings designed and built in our town for everyone to enjoy and to add to our heritage and future prosperity.

So, in 2017 what have we got to enjoy?

Buildings that are frankly so badly designed they ruin the town I once thought was different to others with regard to its architecture, history and heritage.

In this respect, it is shameful that The Pantiles redevelopment has been granted planning permission. The bunch of amateurs on TWBC [Tunbridge Wells Borough Council] who gave it the go-ahead know as much about architecture and being custodians of our historic town as a Tibetan Monk knows about buying a surfboard.

It is little wonder that there is a decline in footfall figures, a growing number of empty

Ice cream café would be so cool How exciting to read the news [February 1] that an ice cream café is heading to Tunbridge Wells.

However, I was surprised by the size of premises that it is moving into – the old Cosmo restaurant in Grosvenor Road. If I recall correctly, that was a rather spacious eatery with large self-service counters, so I am sceptical of whether it is going to be able to attract enough people to cover its costs.

Then, on a visit to Cardiff on the weekend, I was walking down quite a busy street with a number of restaurants, cafés, pubs and bars. You know which one was the most busy? The large gelato and dessert café, which didn’t even have any spare seats left. Perhaps it is not a promising sign for the public health, but it is certainly an interesting gastronomic trend.

Kevin Phillips Via email

New rail link would be a boon I was pleased to read [February 1] that the Wealden MP Nus Ghani is throwing her weight behind the Brighton Mainline 2 [BML2] project that would link up with Uckfield and maybe beyond. If it goes ahead it will be of huge benefit for her constituents, such as myself.

It will also help to alleviate pressures on the existing Brighton mainline.

SQUARE DEAL Artist’s view of how redeveloped Union Square may look

Calverley

Observations on life and more important things

OVERHEARD last week in Royal Victoria Place Food Court. Grandmother talking to grandson aged about ten while he was devouring burger with fries, of course. Her: “Are you getting on any better at school these days? You seemed to be causing a lot of trouble.” Him: “Yes Grandma, I really like going to school now.” Her: “That’s good, what’s changed then?” Him: “Well I used to be the only naughty one in class, always getting told off. Now there’s four us getting into trouble. It’s like being in a real gang.”

shops, and a failed Fiveways ‘piazza’, etc.

An overall Town Centre Planning Strategy and related road/transport infrastructure would encourage top developers to invest in our town with some beautiful buildings, public green spaces, pedestrian areas, streets, walkways and squares.

John Albiston Bidborough Whether or not proposals to make it connect with the West Station in Tunbridge Wells are realistic is another matter. Clearly this scheme would have large benefits for the people of Tunbridge Wells, but there are many obstacles to overcome, notably the massive Sainsbury’s and Homebase which occupy most of the site. I do not think you could realistically use the former rail shed as platforms for modern trains like the Spa Valley Railway lot do for their heritage locomotives. They are also unlikely to want to sacrifice decades of restoration work, and so may put up a challenge.

But with or without the addition of a Tunbridge Wells spur, I back BML2, and believe it will benefit our part of the world greatly.

George Haywood Crowborough

Thank goodness new murals are coming I was so pleased to read [February 6) about local artists Chris Burke and Elaine Gill working on new mural panels for Platform 2 at Tunbridge Wells Station. The dingy bare walls look so ugly since we lost the last paintings. I bet the artists will be overrun with ideas and enthusiasm when they host the drop-in session for the public at their Ely Court studio this Saturday. I can’t wait!

Fiona Baldwin Via email

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

TALKING of youngsters and getting things wrong, Calverley recalls a particular moment that really caused red faces. A certain mum worked as a shepherdess on a local farm, and when asked by her son what she actually did all day told him: “I look after the sheep, something people have done since time began.” He asked because the school wanted the kids to stand up and talk one evening about their parents. On the night, the son told the audience: “My mum works in the oldest profession in the world.”

WHO’S a lucky boy then? That would be the colleague of Himself who booked a short break in Dublin for him and his girlfriend. It was this week, Monday and Tuesday…

Valentine’s Day. He didn’t have a clue about the date and how relevant it was for all romantics. She reportedly was over the moon and hoping he might pop the question…

POTHOLES are today the curse of all drivers, so Calverley was much taken to hear the following tale. A motorist travelling along a Tunbridge Wells road hit a pothole seriously damaging his prized allow wheels. Thinking to claim from the council, he noticed the hole been marked out with white paint, meaning he should have seen it. Hence any claim would be invalid. The solution? A can of black paint used to spray over the offending white lines – after which photos were taken. The claim was successful. That’s terrible and probably illegal.

PIGEONS are not most people’s favourite birds, but they can be turned into a tasty starter in some good restaurants. Himself, then, was much surprised to find out last week that those who shoot and take our feathered friends into local hostelries are paid just 60p per bird.

Pigeon breast starters can cost £9.95.

Chin, chin readers

Wednesday February 15 | 2017

EDUCATION Times

Education

NEWS

21

WITH THE

Photo: Denise Warner

School staff run up a great total for charity

SEVEN members of staff at Hilden Oaks School & Nursery and two of their partners took part in the 2017 London Winter Run last weekend – and raised more than £700 for Cancer Research UK. The organiser of the team from the Tonbridge-based school was maths specialist teacher Suzi Fisher, whose enthusiasm for the event encouraged three novice 10k runners to join the team.

A total of 17,000 runners ran the Winter Run course, which started in Trafalgar Square, took in St Paul’s Cathedral and finished by the Cenotaph in Whitehall.

Delighted

WINTER WINNERS: (l-r) Leanne Sizer, Catherine Nicklin, Daniel Bailey (non-staff), Fiona Michie, Suzi Fisher, Helen Davidson, Greg Nicholls (non-staff) & David Johnston

A combined time of 7 hours and 4 minutes for the Hilden Oaks staff resulted in Deputy Head Sharon Wade winning the sweepstake organised by the school.

The team were delighted with their success, and with the total they raised for charity, which is still growing.

Ms Fisher said: “The staff at Hilden Oaks all get on really well, so we had a fantastic day out. There was a great atmosphere, and the team worked really well together, creating some wonderful memories in the process. We intend to do something similar again in the near future.”

This sporting life…

OWEN FOWLER, 13, is celebrating after he was picked for the Kent County Junior Badminton Development squad. The pupil (pictured right), who attends St Gregory’s School in Tunbridge Wells, will play during the rest of academic year.

The school’s Head of PE, Joe Cumber, commented: “Owen is a naturally gifted and athletic pupil who is a

pleasure to teach and has a wonderful positive attitude to all aspects of school life.

“He’s part of the successful St Gregory’s Football Academy, regularly representing the school, and his team won the West Kent district finals. He is also strong in other sports, including basketball, handball and athletics.”

NEWS IN EDUCATION

Poster power

A fine line?

THE winner of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council’s 20’s Plenty road safety poster competition has been announced. Children in Years 5 and 6 at St Augustine’s and St John’s schools were asked to create artwork that would display a clear message promoting the new 20mph restrictions in the area. Ten-year-old Lilia Oubridge from St Augustine’s was the winner, and her poster will appear in the council’s Local magazine.

FOLLOWING the Supreme Court hearing on the John Platt school fines case, a poll by travel insurance provider Holidaysafe.co.uk found 10% of its customers would move their child into private education or home schooling in order to gain flexibility around school holidays.

The company, which insured over 25,000 families last year, found that 28% of parents are still willing to face fines to get a better holiday deal.

22

NEWS

Weekly Comment

Wednesday February 15 | 2017

Ben Chapelard

There are three Liberal Democrats serving on Tunbridge Wells Borough Council and one of them is Ben Chapelard, who represents St James’ Ward, which is in the town itself. He was first elected in 2010.

Liberal Democrat councillor for St James’

MPs should represent the people who elected them LAST Wednesday, Tunbridge Wells MP Greg Clark voted again to trigger Article 50, giving the Prime Minister authority to start the process of the UK leaving the European Union. Amazingly, this is despite his own constituents, including himself, having voted to Remain by a clear majority!

During the first reading of the bill the previous week, 105 MPs voted against triggering Article 50 precisely because their constituencies, like Tunbridge Wells, voted to stay in the EU. So why did Mr Clark, unlike the 105, go against the very wishes of the people he claims to represent?

The difference is that Mr Clark is a member of Mrs May’s Government and his first loyalty is to her. No amount of spin or lofty words from Mr Clark will detract from the fact that he has abandoned his Remainer principles and forged ahead with a hard Brexit, all in the pursuit of his own ministerial career. This leaves us residents voiceless as the local MP puts his own party above his constituents.

Members of Parliament should represent the people who elected them. Whilst I accept that

MPs cannot consult on every decision, the referendum was a clear poll of local opinion.

We voted to Remain! Mr Clark should respect the opinion of his constituents.

For us Liberal Democrats, loyalty to our residents comes above party allegiance. Sadly, Mr Clark is a Westminster man in Tunbridge Wells and not a Tunbridge Wells man in Westminster.

Meanwhile, Mr Clark had done handsomely well out of Brexit. Having obediently wielded cuts to local government funding, including to our own borough council, his loyalty to the party was rewarded by the incoming Theresa May. The new Prime Minister duly promoted him to one of her top Cabinet jobs, Business Secretary.

In contrast, many local people, whose livelihoods depend on being part of the single market, are now facing an uncertain future as employers begin moving jobs to the Continent.

The Government’s subsequent desperation to keep major employers in the UK has been embarrassing. Look no further than the grubby sweetheart deal Mr Clark put together to prevent

ARTICLE 50 Remain principles abandoned

Nissan moving away. The decision to leave the EU has already started to undermine job security and we are still years away from leaving.

Let’s be clear: The Liberal Democrats respect the result of the referendum. We are leaving the EU. Whether we like it or not, we have all got to get used to it. But what does Brexit look like in reality? No voter knew last June. That is why the Liberal Democrats want the British people to have the final say to avoid a stitch-up by Westminster politicians which satisfies neither

Robert Ayley Director of Professional Solutions Wealth Management Ltd

Anyone under 45 will have little idea that property can fall in value I first became involved in the world of financial planning in 1985. In the intervening years, I have witnessed successive governments wrestle to control our national finances whilst trying to bring some rigour and order to the ‘financial advice’ arena – both tackled with, some would say, only limited success.

Over the past two decades, many of us will have observed soaring house prices – especially here in Tunbridge Wells. The cost of residential property has seen something like a fourfold increase since 1985. Yet anyone aged under 45 will have little idea that property can fall in value; indeed, they are

unlikely to have experienced property prices falling at all. According to the seasonally adjusted Nationwide Housing Index, property prices in the South East fell by over a third between the end of 1989 and the end of 1992. Many were unable to move home for years afterwards due to ‘negative equity’.

Further, and not without some alarm, especially in my early career, I read reports of stock market ‘meltdowns’ and ‘crashes’, and yet the FTSE 100 (the 100 largest companies listed on the London Stock Exchange) has risen from under 2,000 in 1985 to over 7,000 1n 2017; an increase of 350 per cent.

Taxation and pension regulations have

Leavers nor Remainers. On Wednesday, Mr Clark also voted against this Lib Dem amendment to give you the final say on the terms of Brexit.

Mr Clark, like many of his colleagues on the Conservative and Labour benches, hides behind the narrow referendum outcome as if it provided a mandate for the most extreme exit from the EU. It did not.

Mr Clark likes to call himself ‘a democrat’. So why not give the British people the right to vote on the final deal? What are you afraid of, Mr Clark?

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

morphed to the extent they can be barely recognised – all in an effort to alter the balance between personal and public finances.

This area alone is enough to make one’s head spin, and a key reason why I and many others in my profession are in demand. Indeed, our numbers have fallen quite dramatically in recent years.

According to figures released by the Association of Professional Financial Advisers in 2014, there were approximately 23,000 individuals authorised to provide financial advice. To put that in context, the Financial Reporting Council reported over 300,000 practising accountants in 2013.

Inheritance Tax is something on the minds of many here in the town, and this ties in with the potential for the huge and rising costs of longterm care to make such a tax redundant. Many will wonder how best to minimise tax on savings

and investments in order to maximise returns – especially those suffering from the lowest interest rates in living memory.

There are lessons to be learned from the last 30 years and, combined with experience and up-to-date knowledge, I hope to answer some of the conundrums with which the ordinary person is faced.

Robert Ayley is Director of Professional Solutions Wealth Management Ltd. The Partner Practice represents only St James’s Place Wealth Management plc (which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Conduct Authority) for the purposes of advising solely on the Group’s wealth management products and services, more details of which are set out in the Group’s website at www.sjp.co.uk/products. The St James’s Place Partnership’ and the titles ‘Partner’ and ‘Partner Practice’ are making terms used to describe St James’s Place representatives.

Source: FTSE International Limited [FTSE] ©FTSE 2016. ‘FTSE’ is a trade mark of the London Stock Exchange Group companies and is used by FTSE International Limited under licence. All rights in the FTSE indices and/or omissions in the FTSE indices and/or FTSE ratings or underlying data. No further distribution of FTSE Data is permitted without FTSE’s express written consent.

24

FEATURES

Tonbridge

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

Wednesday February 15 | 2017

WARNERS-SOLICITORS.CO.UK

TONBRIDGE

MODEL RAILWAY

Angel Centre, Tonbridge Saturday February 18 (10am to 5pm) Sponsored by

CLUB

36TH ANNUAL EXHIBITION

Exhibition captures the attraction of modern day modelling and offers a glimpse into days gone by IT’S FULL steam ahead for the Tonbridge Model Railway Club’s 36th annual exhibition at the Angel Centre in Tonbridge on Saturday February 18 (10am to 5pm).

The exhibition can now claim to be the biggest of its kind in the South-East and attracts exhibitors, enthusiasts and traders from far and wide.

Whether you’re a model railway fan or simply curious, there’s plenty at the exhibition to entertain and inform all ages.

Visitors will be able to marvel at more than 30 of the best layouts from individuals and clubs around the country.

International model landscapes will also be on show as well as hands-on displays and demonstrations galore.

Roy Prentice, Exhibition Manager of the Tonbridge Club, emphasised the fact that this show holds a broad appeal for the whole family.

“The days when every boy wanted a train set are long gone, but the nostalgic appeal of the layouts still manages to capture the imagination of children and adults alike,” he said.

“Children love to see the trains in motion and we have some hands-on layouts on display where

KEEP IT REAL Attention to detail is paramount

youngsters can have a go at moving the model engines around the track.”

Aside from the better known ‘OO’ gauge layouts, made popular by Hornby, there will be layouts featuring the smaller ‘N’ and larger ‘O’ gauge systems as well as many others.

Stand 21, ‘Harlyn Pier’, features an ‘O’ gauge layout depicting the terminus of an imaginary branch line on the north coast of Cornwall in the 1960s.

The majority of the locomotives and rolling stock have been constructed from kits by the layout operators, who try to feature stock that operated in the north Cornwall area during the period 1955 to 1965. The layout is run to a sequence which represents a busy summer Saturday.

For all the enthusiasts and exhibitors, attention to detail is paramount and regardless of your reason for visiting, you will be amazed at the skill and craftwork that goes into creating the many and varied layouts.

There’s also an international flavour. Stand 27, ‘Mers Les Bains’, shows the coast of Picardy in France whilst Stand 44, ‘Red Hook Bay’, depicts a fictitious port on the coast of Maine in the USA. Trade stands at the exhibition cover everything from products and demonstrations on weathering techniques – to achieve the most authentic finish – to models, lighting and illumination systems, specialist items for the UK, European and US modeller, and cardboard kits to build everything from station waiting rooms to city buildings.

As well as talks and demonstrations throughout the day, there will be new and second-hand items for sale from both well-known companies and smaller cottage industries.

All stallholders and exhibitors will be happy to chat about their displays and stock too. * Turn to the next page for a full list of exhibitors and attractions.

KEEPING TRACK A model of Westerham station, which closed in 1961

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

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PROPERTY

To suit your budget

Wednesday February 15 | 2017

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ELMHURST GARDENS TONBRIDGE

£525,000 – £550,000 To feature a property or to place an advert please call: Patsy Kelly 01892 774 781

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UNDER £250,000 CHENIES CLOSE, TUNBRIDGE WELLS GUIDE PRICE £200,000

Situated on the south side of Tunbridge Wells, and in a private cul-de-sac, this first-floor apartment is accessed via a communal lobby.

There is an entrance hall with three storage cupboards, two double

bedrooms, open-plan living/dining/ kitchen area, and bathroom.

Outside, there are large communal grounds plus residents’ parking on a first-come-first-served basis.

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

UNDER £350,000

front and rear gardens. The modern, fitted, painted oak kitchen has a range of wall, drawer and base units £345,000 with integrated appliances. There is Lying in a secluded location, this an en-bloc garage and the property semi-detached bungalow comprises is reached via a brick-paved path. a living room, kitchen, three bedrooms, bathroom and separate CONTACT WC. The property is also double KMJ Property 01892 515188 glazed, has gas-fired heating and www.kmjproperty.co.uk OLD BARN, TUNBRIDGE WELLS

To suit your budget

Wednesday February 15 | 2017

PROPERTY

27

great properties by price range…

Under £450,000 WELLAND ROAD, TONBRIDGE

£400,000-£420,000 This three/four-bedroom, extended, semi-detached house is in a popular residential area and accessed via a drive with room for several cars. The property includes a 24ft lounge/dining area with oak flooring, stained glass windows in the doors and patio doors to a conservatory, as well as an en-suite ground floor that could act as bedroom four or a family room. The kitchen has a large utility area off it and a door to the drive, while patio doors from the tiled breakfast room lead to the rear garden, which is mostly laid to lawn, and backs on to Hilden Grange School fields.

There is also an installed hive control system, a shed and a gazebo.

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

UNDER £800,000 CULVERDEN PARK ROAD TUNBRIDGE WELLS

£699,950

A four-bedroom house with bay and sash windows which is conveniently sited about 0.7 miles from the town centre. Adding to the character, the front door is approached via a wrought iron gate with decorative railings and a black and white tiled pathway. The sitting room has a wood-burning stove, and the well-equipped kitchen/ breakfast room has a roof sky lantern and bifold doors opening on to a rear, L-shaped, landscaped courtyard garden with railway sleeper borders, colourful shrubs and contemporary tiling.

UNDER £600,000

CONTACT Hamptons 01892 516611 www.hamptons.co.uk

ELMHURST GARDENS TONBRIDGE

£525,000-£550,000 An extended, four-bedroom, Gough Cooper-built, semidetached family home. The property includes an enlarged kitchen/breakfast room, three reception rooms, ground floor shower room, garage, driveway and 55-ft mature rear garden.

The resin-bonded driveway offers parking for several cars, leading to the integral garage. The front

UNDER £1MILLION TILLINGHAM HOLT, HARTFIELD garden is laid to lawn with some trees and shrubs. There is also a garden shed.

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

GUIDE PRICE £825,000

Formerly a coach house and stable, this attractive home is reached via a private drive in the desirable village of Hartfield by Ashdown Forest. The well-arranged accommodation is predominantly on the ground floor, and includes a sitting room, a dining room with doors to the garden, a kitchenbreakfast room, a guest suite, a study that could be used as further bedroom, and a large conservatory. There is also a large en-suite bedroom on the first floor.

In addition to the main house, there is a detached annexe with two bedrooms and a bathroom and a garage. The garden is spacious and laid mostly to lawn with well-stocked borders, mature hedges and views over the surrounding countryside.

CONTACT Knight Frank 01892 515035 www.knightfrank.com

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PROPERTY

Foxwell House

Wednesday February 15 | 2017

Stylishly designed and refurbished with separate one-bedroom annexe

FOXWELL HOUSE FRANT ROAD, TUNBRIDGE WELLS GUIDE PRICE

£2,299,000

Wednesday February 15 | 2017

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

GUIDE PRICE

£2,299,000 Available for sale through Knight Frank Tunbridge Wells 01892 515035 www.knightfrank.co.uk

Foxwell House

PROPERTY

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

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PROPERTY

Churchside

Wednesday February 15 | 2017

AT A GLANCE CHURCHSIDE LANGTON ROAD, TUNBRIDGE WELLS ■ Entrance hall ■ Drawing room ■ Conservatory ■ Dining room ■ Kitchen/breakfast room ■ Family room/study ■ Utility room ■ Cloakroom ■ 4 bedrooms ■ 2 bathrooms (one en suite) ■ Gas-fired central heating ■ Double garage ■ Attractive garden ■ In all about 0.5 acre OFFERS IN EXCESS OF

£1,100,000

Available for sale through Hamptons Tunbridge Wells 01892 516611 www.hamptons.co.uk

The perfect blend of the modern and traditional in this 1950s family home

‘The gardens include a long herbaceous border, a waterfall and a paved terrace’

Wednesday February 15 | 2017

Advertising

PROPERTY

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Wednesday February 15 | 2017

Park House Farm

PROPERTY

Large rural development plot with plenty of room for improvement

AT A GLANCE PARK HOUSE FARM HEADCORN n Entrance hall n Laundry room n Cloakroom n Kitchen/breakfast room n Rear entrance hall n Drawing room n Sitting room n First floor landing n Master bedroom n Jack and Jill en-suite bathroom n 3 further bedrooms n Shower room n Family bathroom n Full planning on agricultural farm buildings GUIDE PRICE

£2,700,000 Available for sale through The Country Property Group, Goudhurst 01580 211888 www.countrypropertygroup.com

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PROPERTY

The Old Institute

Wednesday February 15 | 2017

AT A GLANCE THE OLD INSTITUTE LANGTON GREEN, TUNBRIDGE WELLS ■ Entrance hall ■ Sitting/dining room ■ Kitchen/breakfast room ■ Utility room ■ Cloakroom ■ Cinema room ■ Galleried landing ■ Master bedroom suite ■ 2 double bedrooms with en suites, one currently fitted as a dressing room ■ Rear courtyard garden ■ Forecourt parking

GUIDE PRICE

£925,000 Available for sale through Savills Tunbridge Wells 01892 507000 www.savills.com

‘A luxurious house overlooking The Green which has been converted and extensively upgraded’

Both striking and distinctive, a period property with its own cinema room

Wednesday February 15 | 2017

The Old Institute

PROPERTY

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Wednesday February 15 | 2017

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

Tonbridge

WARNERS-SOLICITORS.CO.UK

FEATURES

57

Tonbridge Model Railway Club offers something for everyone THE Tonbridge Model Railway Club was formed in 1980 by a small group of modellers who met occasionally in a local pub.

Today, it has a membership of more than 50 – ranging in age from 12 to 93.

The club meets every Thursday evening at the Scout Hut in Lamberts Yard, Tonbridge from 7pm to 10pm.

‘There’s no pressure to join and everyone here is friendly’ The club’s Chairman, Ken Alder, explains that you can join even if you don’t own a train set.

“Some of our members don’t have the room at home to have their own layout,” he says. “So coming to the club gives them the perfect opportunity to get involved with building models and layouts and running stock on the test tracks.”

He urges anyone considering modelling as a hobby to come along to a few meetings to see what it’s all about. “There’s no pressure to join and everyone here is friendly as well as enthusiastic so they’re always happy to chat to newcomers,” says Ken. He acknowledges that while toddlers are often enthralled by model railways, it has in the past been harder to keep teenagers and older children interested in them.

“However, the advent of modern technology and new materials and techniques means the hobby can be a lot more interesting. This is something a lot of people probably don’t realise,” he said.

“You might be surprised to know that music icons Rod Stewart and Pete Waterman are keen model railway enthusiasts, proving that it can be a great hobby for people from all walks of life.”

Members typically spend club nights working on layouts, running their latest purchases on the test track or just having a chat and a cup of tea.

Occasionally, guest speakers hold informal presentations, sometimes on modelling topics or prototype matters.

Members also benefit from the club’s library, which features a good range of books, magazines and DVDs covering many aspects of modelling and prototypes.

Collecting and model-making are seen as different hobbies. Some people buy locomotives or rolling stock to simply add to a collection with no intention of using them.

Other model-makers prefer to build layouts and run stock, while some can follow both pastimes simultaneously.

As well as the general fascination of modelmaking, the nostalgia of railways and times past can also be an attraction.

Whatever aspect interests you, it’s all covered by the Tonbridge Model Railway Club.

Thanks: Tonbridge Model Railway Club would like to thank the following individuals and societies for their invaluable help in staging the exhibition: Folkestone, Hythe & District Model Railway Club Chatham Model Railway Club Bexhill Model Railway Club Chiltern Model Railway Association The Slade School, Tonbridge St Philip’s Church, Tonbridge St Thomas’s Church, Southborough 1st Tonbridge Scout Group Tonbridge Teen and Twenty Family & Friends of TMRC Members

Exhibition timetable THE exhibition at the Angel Centre is being staged in the Main Hall, the Medway Hall and the Jubilee Room. There are refreshments on site in an upstairs area.

Admission is £6 for adults, £1 for children aged

10 to 16 with children under 10 admitted free of charge. Disabled access and facilities are also available. Tonbridge mainline station is a short walk from the venue and there is plenty of off-road parking at the Centre and nearby.

Traders and Exhibitors

Contact: Further details can be obtained from Roy Prentice on 01892 527199.

Tonbridge Model Railway Club details can be found on the website at www. tonbridgemrc.com

1 TMRC Information and Club Sales 2 Dart Castings 3 Modelec – Model Railway Electronics 4 Golden Arrow Productions 5 SUPERCAST 6 DoubleO Scenics 7 KS Laser Designs 8 Squire’s Model & Craft Tools 9 South Eastern Finecast 10 Ray Morris 11 Roxey Mouldings 12 Boxfile Dioramas 13 ACE Products

14 Kent Garden Railways 15 Harrison=Brown models 16 David Wills 17 Plus Daughters 18 Roneo Models 19 Layouts4u 20 Rusbury Basin N Layout 21 Harlyn Pier O Layout 22 Maxwell N Layout 23 Bedlam Heath OO Layout 24 Srurmindster Halt N Layout 25 Aldermouth O Layout 26 Blackgang Gauge 3 Layout

27 Mers Les Bains 1/32 Layout 28 Hinksey Yard N Layout 29 Arigna Town OO Layout 30 Lindon Road OO Layout 31 Kunze Brucke HO Layout 32 Theobald’s Yard O Layout 33 Umbridge N Layout 34 RCTS Society & Sales 35 Coastal DCC 36 Severn Models 37 Jack Chalkley, Demonstrator 38 Steve Sharp, Demonstrator 39 Loco Doctors, Demonstrator 40 Railroad Trading 41 Carriage and Wagon Models 42 Llangerisech 2mm FS Layout 43 St Paddy OO Layout 44 Red Hook Bay HO Layout 45 Bottle Kiln Lane 009 Layout 46 Daconby Town 3mm Layout 47 Gneiss Cider 7/16.5mm Layout 48 Invicta Model Rail 49 Matthew Cousins Display 50 Drive Thomas O Layout 51 Mike Turner Display 52 DOW Scenics 53 Simply Southern 54 Liss Forest Depot OO Layout 55 BRANKSTONE OO Layout 56 Kyle of Lochalsh 2mm FS Layout 57 MEDWAY WHARF OO Layout 58 Hendricksville 0n30 Layout 59 Coney Hill Light Railway O Layout 60 Harpur Hill Quarry EM Layout 61 VIDEOLINES 62 Tonbridge Model Engineering Society Display 63 Spa Valley Railway Society & Sales 64 Modbury Torr 3mm Layout 65 TANNERS HILL N Layout 66 Wellmich am Rhein N Layout 67 Wisteria Collop 9mm Layout 68 TMRC Test Track OO Layout 69 TMRC Club Stand Display 70 Beaminster Junction OO Layout (under construction)

Health & Beauty News

Wednesday February 15 | 2017

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59

Be a smooth operator The harsh winter weather can wreak havoc on your skin so to avoid a wind-whipped complexion or hands that are drier than the Sahara Eileen Leahy picks out the essential SOS skincare products you’ll need to nourish your face and body until spring

Repair any damage by applying Exuviance Retexturing Treatment (£33 www. effortlessskin.com)

ALL THE RIGHT MOVES Mark teaching a class

Help to heal modern day stress courtesy of this ancient Asian art Tai Chi Chuan is a centuries old Chinese martial art form that is becoming increasingly popular as a practical method to maintain both mind and body.

Dr Mark Green who teaches it locally explains its origins and benefits TAI CHI is often described as ‘active are trained to adopt relaxation’. It blends slow motion during Tai Chi practice physical movement, breathing techrelieves stress and niques and mindfulness to combat stress anxiety, improves mental and build robust health. clarity and helps promote So how does it work? Much research a calm, balanced emotional has been done to investigate how Tai state. Traditional Chinese Chi affects the cardiovascular, Medicine has an nervous, respiratory and alternative view of immune systems. Your the body and blood becomes more describes the oxygenated, and your benefits of Tai circulation is improved.

Chi in a Bone marrow is different enriched and so way. Tai Chi immune function is said to improves. Breathing improve the techniques massage flow of Chi your internal organs. The slow energy through the and relaxed way of moving acupuncture meridians INNER PEACE assists venous return taking the of the body. There are Mark teaches Tai Chi loading pressure off your heart.

12 meridians in total, in Tunbridge Wells The state of mindfulness you each being linked to

an internal organ such as the heart, lungs, liver or kidneys. Blockages in the meridians are cleared, restoring balance to this energetic system and, consequently, good health.

These are unfamiliar concepts to Westerners but the explanation is simple. To understand the flow of Chi energy is to experience it. With training and practice all Tai Chi students experience a flush of warmth in their hands and feet. Tingling in their palms and fingertips. A magnetic sensation between their hands and a new-found sense of wellbeing and calmness. The Ancient Chinese Masters that crafted this art had the same experiences and described them as ‘the energy of the body moving’. Chi! So simple, why not try it for yourself?

To find out more about Mark’s Tai Chi classes visit www.greentaichi.co.uk

If you want a really good oil for your skin then try the new Beauty Sleep Elixir from Beuti Skincare (£42 www.lookfantastic. com)

This is quickly absorbed by the skin and gets to work immediately. With a blend of protein-rich amino acids, green tea and marine extracts it protects against UV damage and plumps your complexion.

Super Serum (£40 www.whitecompany.com)

Lips can easily become chapped and cracked if you don’t keep them regularly moisturised and what could be more indulgent than Jo Malone London’s Vitamin E Lip Conditioner (£23 www.jomalone.co.uk)

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FEATURES

Life & Style

Wednesday February 15 | 2017

HAIR SALON’S CUTTING EDGE MAKEOVER A LEADING hair salon in Tunbridge Wells has celebrated its 14th birthday using the very best of local talent for a private-members club-style refit.

The talented team hired by award-winning colourist Leigh Roberts, whose in demand salon has won a dedicated following of local and top London clients since opening its doors on Vale Road in 2002, included some of the community’s top builders, designers and local artists to achieve the salon’s new look.

HAVE A HOLIDAY THAT FEELS MORE PERSONAL Find a handpicked holiday, catered specifically to your needs, with the help of Julie Kenyon from The Personal Travel Agents.

Talented interior designer Justine Hodgson-Barker was chosen to oversee the impressive makeover, transforming the salon’s original understated look, with minimalistic white-washed walls and sleek lines, into an emporium of decadence and style reminiscent of the private members clubs in London’s Shoreditch and Soho.

Julie has extensive knowledge of Disneyland Paris, Disney Florida, Sandals Resorts, and Lapland Day Trips and short breaks. Also on offer is the Honeyfund scheme where wedding guests can pay directly towards the Bride & Groom’s Honeymoon. This includes the sourcing, booking and looking after of all aspects of your holiday from start to finish.

Tunbridge Wells artist Beth Fraser was also commissioned to create some giant paintings to grace the walls after her work was spotted in recently-shut High Street homewares store Love Inc. With black smoked mirrors, original 1930s lamps, a bespoke metal-dipped reception desk, bottle-green tiling and the most “rock and roll toilet you’ll ever see”, the salon has been designed to be a visually impressive and inspiring space for its clients and staff alike.

Designer Justine said: “The salon is not just a place to come and have your hair done but a great place to hang out, somewhere inspiring with a great atmosphere and interesting one-off furniture pieces.

“Places like Shoreditch in London are inspirational in terms of design, with the trend of using striking colours like the bottlegreen tiles we’ve used along with industrial materials, mixed with original design pieces and the vintage furniture we’ve sourced.”

Artist Beth, whose paintings stand nearly 2-metres tall, said: “I spent a lot of time with Leigh and Justine at the salon talking through different ideas - it really grew and developed on its own.

It’s been such a treat working on a large scale - I love seeing them up in their new digs!”

Leigh said of his decision for the ambitious refit: “Tunbridge Wells is changing, we’ve had 14 amazing years in the town and we’re really grateful to everyone that has supported us during that time and made us so successful.

“The best time to change is before you need to. We recognised there has been a huge shift in design and we wanted to lead from the front, to do something new, fresh and different - we think Tunbridge Wells is ready for that..

Based in Tunbridge Wells, Julie is supported by Mid-counties Coop Travel with ABTA and ATOL licences, which ensures she can offer the appropriate financial protection. Having worked in different areas of the travel industry for over 25 years, Julie has had experience that ranges from high street travel agents, specialist tour operators and overseas work.

PENTLAND HOMES LAUNCH BRAND NEW DEVELOPMENT OF 2, 3 AND 4 BED HOMES IN HAWKINGE In January, Pentland Homes launched the second phase of their Terlingham Village development in Hawkinge, near Folkestone. This new phase, Terlingham Rise, features forty-seven contemporary 2, 3 and 4 bedroom homes.

With roots stretching back to the 1970s, Pentland Homes is extremely proud of its heritage as a Kent builder, and a great deal of that history is embedded in Hawkinge.

“We are delighted to be launching a new development of family homes in Hawkinge,” says Pentland Homes’ Managing Director, Martin Hart. “We have been building homes in Hawkinge for the last 20 years and this is our last phase. I know we will miss it, as it feels like our home as well as our purchasers’.”

All homes at Terlingham Rise will feature a high specification throughout, built-in wardrobes to master bedrooms and underfloor heating to the ground floor. Subject to build stage, purchasers are able to choose from a range of designer kitchen, bathroom and flooring finishes, as well as ironmongery and emulsion colours.

“We used a lot of local talent to get the salon exactly how we wanted it and with Justine at the helm of its design we’re really excited about unveiling it to our clients.”

The development itself will feature attractive landscaping, a play area and ample visitor parking. Customers will be able to select from eleven different house types, from spacious, detached 4 bedroom family homes to well-designed 2 and 3 bedroom homes, ideal for ‘rightsizers’ and first time buyers.

Leigh Roberts has now re-opened following the refit.

A show home is scheduled to open at Terlingham Rise in the Spring.

01892 557718 www.leighroberts.co.uk

For more information on Terlingham Rise or Terlingham Gardens, visit www.pentlandhomes.co.uk or call 01303 893080 to speak to one of our Sales Advisors.

With the support of Coop Travel, all holidays and packages are sourced independently, without affiliation to any particular tour operator or hotel, providing the widest choice of holiday options to the customer. Working directly with Julie will not cost a penny more, but will allow you to avoid dealing with call centres and booking agents. It will also save you the hassle of trawling the internet looking for the right holiday choice.

Julie has a highly reputable relationship with partners such as Thomas Cook, Monarch Holidays, James Villa’s, Jet 2, Kuoni, and many more.

Available six days a week, from early morning to evening, Julie provides a service that can fit around your schedule.

You will always speak directly to Julie and won’t be passed round to different people who don’t understand your specific requirements. Home visits are available or alternatively a relaxed coffee meeting can be held to discuss all your holiday needs in detail.

Telephone or email Julie Kenyon today for a chat.

01892 516929 julie.kenyon@thepersonaltravelagents.co.uk www.thepersonaltravelagents.co.uk/julie-kenyon www.laplandexperiences.co.uk Lapland Experiences, Santa, Lapland 2017 www.laplandexperiences.co.uk Lapland Experiences specialises in Santa trips, both day trips and short breaks in Lapland, visits to Santa & Northern Lapland 2017, All Inclusive ski

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Food & Drink

Wednesday February 15 | 2017

Experience a taste of the unique and unusual at this experimental eaterie If you’re tired of dining out on the same kind of cuisine, then Eileen Leahy suggests you treat your tastebuds to the culinary delights on offer at the exciting and new Vittle and Swig DREAM TEAM Gerry Stevens and Alex Blaber (below) run Vittle and Swig

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ASTING an initial eye over the menu at the rather intriguingly named Vittle and Swig on Camden Road in Tunbridge Wells, it’s fair to say its dishes, which include Miso roasted squash, carpaccio venison lollipops and crispy lamb’s tongue, are not the typical culinary fare you’ll find on offer elsewhere.

The restaurant’s décor is equally unique, with its impressive hammered metal cocktail bar taking centre stage in a space where plenty of aesthetic attention to detail has been paid.

Black buttonback leather banquettes, zinc topped tables, glimmering mercurial candles, and lots of interesting contemporary artwork hung on the walls all help to create a pleasingly chic and relaxed atmosphere.

‘If the food tastes as good as this place looks, then my husband and I are in for a treat,’ I think to myself when we pay it a visit one Saturday evening in late January.

Occupying the two-storey premises that were previously owned by the popular Camden Quarter eaterie before its owners, Turners Fine Foods, went into administration last year, the quirkily branded Vittle and Swig definitely seems to be making a name for itself given the amount of people who tell me before booking they’ve really enjoyed feasting from the restaurant’s rather unusual menu.

The recently opened establishment is now owned and run by former Camden Quarter employees Gerry Stevens, who heads up the front of house operation, and her partner Alex Blaber, the chef responsible for the eclectic range of cuisine.

After Gerry seats us at our window booth table – one of the prime spots thanks to its cosy, intimate ambience – my husband, Steve, and I are offered the drinks menu to ponder. You’ll be pleased to hear this also reflects Vittle and Swig’s distinct take on things, as it boasts a list of

niche ales and lesserknown wine producers alongside a selection of unusual cocktails, which include the beguilingly named Corpse Reviver (£8) – a concoction of brandy, Calvados, salt, Martini and sugar syrup.

Gerry guides us through the extensive list by quizzing us on our palates, and even our current mood, in order to help us make a decision. After much deliberation we go for Mongozo Coconut Beer (£4.10).

Although I’m not so keen on it, Steve enjoys this refreshing Belgian beer’s exotic overtones and suggests that drinking it ice cold on a sunny day would probably change my mind… maybe.

‘I’m fascinated to see how an avocado, wasabi, pancetta and Granny Smith apple combination will work together’ I opt to start my eating experience with the salmon rillettes (£8) – primarily because I’m fascinated to see how an avocado, wasabi, pancetta and Granny Smith apple combination will work together, and to also taste the blue taco that accompanies the dish. Gerry tells us that the blue flour they use to make them is specially imported from South America, and although it ‘costs a fortune’ it’s their preferred choice.

When I taste my starter it’s beautifully fresh and zingy, with just the right amount of heat coming through from the wasabi – a type of Japanese horseradish – and a good crunchy texture courtesy of the expensive taco and salty pancetta.

Steve gets his tastebuds tingling thanks to the crab mayonnaise he’s ordered (£8.50), which again comes with a culinary twist; in this case sour chilli, aioli garlic mayonnaise, puffed rice and lime. As unconventional as it may sound, the puffed rice

Food & Drink

Wednesday February 15 | 2017

works surprisingly well with the creamy crab and the presentation is Michelin-star worthy.

It would appear that the importance of getting the aesthetics right – whether it’s in the décor or delivery of the food – is always a considered factor at the Vittle and Swig.

Ah yes, now on to that slightly odd name.

“Where did it come from?” I ask Gerry. “I liked the way the two words, which both relate to food and drink respectively, sounded together, and if you Google it our restaurant always comes up first,” she replies with a smile.

Another thing that comes over crystal clear after savouring our starters is that although there may

be lots of ingredients in the mix, the way they work with each other, highlighting their individual merits, means that lots of thought has gone into the creation of these imaginative dishes. Alex and his kitchen team are certainly a talented bunch, and thankfully aren’t charging the earth for their gastronomic gems.

As we await our main courses, the vibe continues to be easy and convivial, with most of the tables full and boasting groups of contented diners – not bad for a newly launched venture, especially given the fact it’s still that notoriously bleak post-Christmas time for business.

There’s also a steady stream of people drifting upstairs to the venue’s private entertaining area, which can be hired out for dinners, drinks or to sample a late-night cocktail. It now also hosts a monthly comedy night which is proving very popular.

To accompany my hearty-sounding braised beef shin main course (£17), I choose a glass of red Carmenére (£6), which is both spicy and aromatic, while Steve decides upon a fruity South African Chenin Blanc (£5.05) to complement his trio of cod, mussels and chorizo (£16.50).

When the beef arrives it’s positively melt in the mouth thanks to its tenderised meat, which has clearly been slow-cooked to perfection. The addition of braised baby onions and a rich wine sauce make it a perfect winter warmer which is further enhanced by crisp florets of al dente broccoli, giving the whole thing crunch and decent texture.

Steve’s fish offering also boasts herby olives and a fragrant

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A WORK OF ART Vittle and Swig’s stylish bar area lemon gnocchi in a barely there sauce which has been beautifully caramelised and reduced in order to let the fresh mussels and chorizo bites be the stars.

Once again, the foodie focus is on weaving in plenty of flavours, whether they’re a natural partnership like beef and sweet onions or something a little more different like fiery chorizo chunks and a citrus gnocchi.

By the time our plates are scraped clean, the thought of managing a dessert seems almost impossible, but after a brief break we’re convinced by Gerry to try one – or perhaps two.

Thinking it’s the lightest, and therefore healthiest choice, I plump for the

rhubarb and custard option (£7) which, once again, is beautifully presented in a sort of deconstructed version of the classic pud with shards of sweet and sharp rhubarb, quenelles of custard, medallions of spiced ginger and tiny bites of soft, crunchy meringues.

The chocolate fondant we also greedily order has a surprise accompaniment of peanut butter and jam ice cream (£7.50), which is as satisfyingly indulgent and tasty as it sounds.

A combination of feeling very pleasantly full and the appealing nocturnal allure of Vittle and Swig as it heads towards midnight makes it hard for us to leave, but do so we must, back into the driving rain.

For a brief spell we’ve been transported to a restaurant that offers its customers not only a relaxed dining and stylish experience but a highly enjoyable epicurean one at that – with a menu that’s as unique and memorable as its name.

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Travel

Wednesday February 15 | 2017

Merry time in Meribel

CHALET CHIC Alpine accommodation

By Peter Thompson

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LAMBERING up a sharp ascent, knee-deep in snow, the huge dump of white stuff I’d been wishing for becomes increasingly unwelcome.

There were reports of a crisis on the continent due to a lack of snow earlier in the season, but the weather gods have been kind for my maiden trip to charming Meribel.

A few days before I arrived, heavy snowfall coated the slopes, and there’s been bright

PEAK PERFORMANCE Revel on the amazing ski runs

sunshine ever since - perfect conditions to showcase this idyllic resort, which has been celebrating the 70th anniversary since it was created by Colonel Peter Lindsey.

Seeking a new site for winter sports, the ski fanatic born to Scottish parents and Eton educated was advised to visit the Meribel valley in 1936. Impressed by what he found, he purchased much of the land which is now Meribel town, and installed the first ski lift - a powered pulley line called the Red Dragon back in 1938.

It’s easy to see why he fell in love with this scenic area, located in the heart of the Three Valleys, which boasts the largest linked ski area in the world, with 600km of pistes and eight resorts.

Hurtling into Courchevel, St Martin and Meribel Village the past few days, I’ve revelled in being able to roam slopes which are anything but congested.

Right now, though, I’m looking for the quickest way down.

“You can either ski down to the restaurant for lunch or try out some snowshoes,” says Meriski founder Colin Mathews, one of our hosts.

I’d never tried snowshoeing before, so now seems like a good time to seize the moment on another crisp day beneath glorious clear blue skies.

Having unleashed my feet from the constraints of my ski boots, amiable guide Nicolas straps my trainers in for what I’m expecting to feel like a walk in the park.

But it’s much harder than I imagined.

Clumps of snow drop from branches as I clumsily amble along, wondering if it might have been easier just to ski downhill.

Soon, though, a waddle turns into a march and the welcome sight of Le Clos Bernard restaurant comes into view.

A succulent Côte de Boeuf, washed down with a couple of glasses of red wine, is my reward for taking steps into the unknown.

In fact, during my ski break, I discover a number of decent bars and restaurants in Meribel: Les Cretes restaurant is a quaint spot for a hearty lunch, live music accompanies diners in Le Rond-Point bar, and L’abreuvoir serves superb cocktails.

Of course, such establishments were not around when Colonel Lindsey first set foot here.

‘Hurtling into Courchevel, St Martin and Meribel Village the past few days, I’ve revelled in being able to roam slopes which are anything but congested’ What has undoubtedly changed is the variety of mountain of experiences on offer – with activities such as ski touring, telemark skiing (a combination of Alpine and Nordic techniques) and ski joering (being pulled along by horses) now among the options available.

But the resort remains unspoilt with more than a touch of class.

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Wednesday February 15 | 2017

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TRAVEL FACTS  Peter Thompson was a guest of Meriski

(www.meriski.co.uk; 01285 648518), the Meribel specialist, who offers luxury catered chalets for whole hire from £7,950 per week, and split bookings from £795 per person per week. Price includes luxury accommodation, breakfast and afternoon tea daily, and children’s high tea

(if appropriate), Crémant de Limoux and canapés before a four-course dinner on six nights, all wines, beers and soft drinks, the services of a host, professional chef and in-resort driver service from 8am to 10pm daily.  For further information on Meribel visit www.meribel.net

COLD COMFORT The luxurious interior of Le Grenier

WHERE TO STAY Chalet Kalliste Sleeping up to eight adults and two children, this stylish pad is spacious, but a roaring fire makes it feel cosy. An outdoor hot tub is a definite allure – as is the food served up by the chalet team.

Chalet Kashmir A tranquil option for those wanting to unwind away from main resort, this 12-person property features a huge homely living and dining area, as well as a massage room.

Chalet Le Pousse Caillou Located in a quaint cul-de-sac in the Mussillon region, this chalet sleeps 10 adults and up to four children. A ten-minute walk from the resort, it’s extremely well located.

Chalet Le Grenier Take a dip in the Jacuzzi or sweat it out in the steam room. This swanky six-bedroom abode, which sleeps up 12, also benefits from a games room, an exclusive concierge service and five staff to cater for your every need.

SNOW BUSINESS The spacious Chalet Kalliste

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FEATURES

Advertising Feature

Wednesday February 15 | 2017

Building Bora’s Brand

LIVING THE DREAM Anissa Germain

It’s been a busy year for Anissa Germain. Just six months after opening the Bora Studio for Pilates in Tunbridge Wells, she is now moving to bigger premises to meet demand, and is unveiling her own line of fitness wear with fashion designer Gabrielle Davies. Hannah Patterson meets the woman who is on her way to creating a winning brand…

You’ve been on quite a journey these past few months…

It’s mad to think how far we’ve come in such a short amount of time.

Bora came into existence in July 2016. I was working at another studio when I made the leap to self-employment.

With everything I had been taking on, like my degree in osteopathy, running my own business was the ideal way to work towards my goals.

Although I had loved my job and adored the people I worked with, it was time to step out on my own and bring my personal twist to Pilates.

It was a lot of hard work to make the dream a reality, and I was scared most of the time, but it’s paid off and I couldn’t be happier.

When did you first begin practising Pilates?

Sport has always played an important role for me – I’ve been dancing and skiing throughout my life.

When I came to the UK in 2009 (I’m originally from France), I took up Pilates and began working for a studio. That’s where my passion for it really began to grow, and I was in a position to witness the fantastic effects it was having on people’s bodies and minds.

For me, Bora was only a matter of time. I always knew I’d eventually branch out and start my own business, but it was important to do

it at a pace that felt right for me.

One-on-one Pilates really appealed to me, especially as I’m studying osteopathy and wanted to apply that knowledge to my classes in order to aide injury recovery and improve general fitness.

Are all your classes one-on-one?

No, we can have up to three. I prefer small classes. There are Barre, matt and reformer sessions available.

The reformer machines are particularly good. We have three in our current studio.

They look a little terrifying but are easy enough to use, especially with the right instructor. The design originated from a type of hospital bed. The machines work with your own body’s weight to increase resistance and strengthen your body.

They push you that little bit further.

Has it been busy from the day you started?

Yes. The business is currently enjoying a period of growth. It has been absolutely crazy. It started

TIME TO REFORM! The idea for reformer machines came from a type of hospital bed

FIT FOR FASHION Shown off by models

when I first opened, but during the last month in particular it has completely taken off.

There are now waiting lists for classes and I have employed two additional

instructors to help meet the demand.

Anna has been with us for two months now, and Eloise starts in March.

It’s not long now until Bora will be moving to a much bigger, three-floor place in an excellent central location.

That’s when we can start offering even more for our clients.

Why should a potential client come to you, instead of a class at the gym?

The instructors are held to exceptionally high standards. Their qualifications

have to accommodate the elements of osteopathy that are blended into the classes. I need everyone to meet a certain level or it just isn’t good enough for me or my clients. My instructors are of the highest quality.

The smaller class of three, I find, is a huge appeal. Overall, a class of that size is going to be a more enjoyable experience than being crammed into a room of 20. It also ensures that the proper amount attention is paid to each client, meaning they get what they need

Advertising Feature

Wednesday February 15 | 2017

out of the class. Essentially, it’s better value and better service.

In my opinion, three to four people is just right, and I don’t want to lose that intimacy, though we may get an extra reformer in the Studio.

When we move to the new premises, the top floor will hopefully be a clinic, too, with two treatment rooms.

Tell us more about the fashion side of Bora…

This is an incredibly exciting time, and the line of sportswear really is a dream come true.

I was amazed at how long the process took, but I love it! Gabrielle Davies is a very talented designer and, originally, a client of mine. We fast became friends and the idea felt like a natural fit.

Creating sportswear for women of all sizes and ages had been a life goal for both of us. We wanted comfortable clothes for real people!

Our models aren’t professionals either, they are local people modelling, and demonstrating the comfort and suitability of the range.

The clothes are also entirely made right here in the UK.

partner Maurizio Di Santo, I have really good people helping me – it’s as simple as that.

My marketing team are amazing, and Gabrielle Davies has been an unending source of support.

Everything is at full momentum, so I haven’t yet stopped. It’s exhausting, but worth it!

Tell us a bit about the line (to be launched online as well as on display at the studio) The aim is to be a high street range, but less expensive than some of the other brands you can buy in town. The quality will always come first, but we do want to be affordable, which so often gym wear isn’t!

How do you find managing your time with so many aspects of Bora?

In addition to my business

TEAMWORK: ‘I’m always looking to expand, in terms of both studio size and the brand’

What does the future hold for you?

Expansion. I’m always looking to expand, in terms of both studio size and the brand.

The fashion line will continue to evolve – involving new colours and shapes. Ideally, we

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want to work with local shops, which Gabrielle is looking at the moment. The samples are coming to Tunbridge Wells soon, and once happy we will go into production!

What advice would you give to anyone wanting to start their own business?

It’s very difficult to leave somewhere that’s comfortable for you, and take step out of the comfort zone. But, once you do it, you will never look back.

Get past the barrier, just jump, and see what happens.

I was constantly thinking ‘what if no one comes?’, but I was so determined to make it work that it has.

Starting a business is simply a case of believing in yourself.

Bora, 76 Mount Pleasant Road, Tunbridge Wells, TN1 1RJ 074 0266 6847 www.borastudio.co.uk

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FEATURES

Motoring

Wednesday February 15 | 2017

Latest Insignia offers more room all round

New law will end phone use courses MOTORISTS caught using a handheld mobile phone behind the wheel are more likely to be sent on an educational course than receive penalty points and a fine, says a report.

According to the RAC, the 32 police forces in England and Wales reported 85,564 instances of the offence in 2015, but just 13,984 fixed penalty notices were issued, while 53,614 motorists (63 per cent) were sent on a course.

In 31 of the 32 forces, more than half of all recorded offences resulted in a driver being sent on an educational course. The highest proportion of courses was found in North Yorkshire, where 87 per cent of offenders ended up avoiding points by attending police seminars.

Enforcement The only area where courses were less prevalent was in London, where 60 per cent of offenders were given fixed penalty notices.

However, the RAC did find that the number of offenders fell sharply between 2013 and 2015, with a 24 per cent reduction recorded over the two-year period.

The news comes after the Government announced plans to introduce stiffer punishments for those caught using handheld phones while driving. Under the proposal, offenders will face a six-point penalty and a £200 fine, with no option of attending a course.

GET THE MESSAGE 63 per cent of offenders were sent on a course RAC road safety spokesman Pete Williams said: “These new figures highlight just how popular educational courses have become for police forces and motorists, and suggest that the majority of forces believe that education can be effective at getting offending drivers to think twice about illegally using a phone at the wheel, rather than just prosecution.

“But the approach taken across much of the country is sharply at odds with the direction the law is taking. The Government has announced that from March 1, any motorist caught should not be offered the chance to go on a course – they should instead be offered a fixed penalty of six points and a £200 fine, twice what they would receive today.

“The RAC believes urgent focus is now needed to ensure as much is being done as possible to get drivers to change their behaviour.

“We support the much tougher penalties that will be introduced from March, and would like to see this backed by targeted enforcement by police forces across the country.”

VAUXHALL has revealed its all-new Insignia Sports Tourer, offering buyers a more practical version of the upcoming Insignia saloon.

Based on completely new vehicle architecture, the Insignia Sports Tourer offers a luggage capacity of 1,640 litres – more than 100 litres bigger than the previous model.

Not only is it more practical, but the Insignia Sports Tourer is lighter too – up to 200kg.

Rory Harvey, Chairman and Managing Director at Vauxhall, said: “Vauxhall’s best-ever product portfolio will get even better with

LOADS MORE Luggage capacity has increased by more than 100 litres

the launch of the new Insignia Sports Tourer.

“It has all of the elegance of its Insignia Grand Sport sibling, but with even more practicality, including a boot that is more spacious than its predecessor.

Motoring

Wednesday February 15 | 2017

“The Insignia Sports Tourer will set new standards for design, efficiency, technology and connectivity when it debuts next month at the Geneva Motor Show.”

Passengers are well catered for in the new car too, with headroom now increased by 31mm compared with the outgoing model. Shoulder room has also been raised by 25mm,

while hip space rises by 27mm.

New technology is very much at the forefront in the Insignia Sports Tourer, including a head-up display, adaptive cruise control and lanekeep assist with lane departure warning. This final system provides small steering wheel movements should it detect the driver straying out of their lane.

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‘Tough times’ as insurance premiums hit record high

NO PAIN NO GAIN Rising costs from whiplash injury claims have led to higher premiums

‘Vauxhall’s best-ever product portfolio will get even better with the launch of the new Insignia Sports Tourer’

VEHICLE insurance premiums hit a record high last quarter, rising by more than five times the rate of inflation in 2016.

The Association of British Insurers (ABI) said that tax increases, rising repair bills and increasing costs from whiplash injury claims were to blame.

According to the ABI’s Motor Premium Tracker – which measures the amount consumers actually pay for their cover, rather than quotes – the average price for private comprehensive insurance in Q4 2016 was £462.

The highest figure recorded before this was in Q2 of 2012, when the average

price was £443. The Q4 figure for 2016 was up 4.9 per cent over Q3, equating to a £22 rise in the average premium.

It was also found that the average premium for all of 2016 was 9.3 per cent higher than the equivalent for 2015.

Crisis ABI’s Assistant Director and Head of Motor and Liability, Rob Cummings, said: “These continue to be tough times for honest motorists. They are bearing the brunt of a cocktail of rising costs associated with increasing whiplash-style

claims, rising repair bills and a higher rate of insurance premium tax.

“While we support the Government’s further reforms to tackle lower-value whiplash costs, it must not give with one hand and take away with the other. The sudden decision to review the discount rate has the potential to turn a drama into a crisis, with a significant cut throwing fuel on the fire in terms of premiums.

“Insurers are open to a proper dialogue on how to reform the system and urge the Lord Chancellor to engage with the industry about setting a rate that is fair for both claimants and customers.”

NEWS

Recruitment

Wednesday February 15 | 2017

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

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OF TUNBRIDGE WELLS AND TONBRIDGE

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

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

John Haynes, Partner, Belvoir Tunbridge Wells

Wednesday February 15 | 2017

Recruitment

NEWS

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

Births, Marriages and Bereavements

OF TUNBRIDGE WELLS AND TONBRIDGE

Do you have a family announcement?

Times of Tunbridge Wells and Times of Tonbridge are pleased to receive announcements from readers for publication in the newspaper.

Visit: www.kmclassifieds.co.uk We try to publish reports as quickly as possible after receipt and when space allows.

Wednesday February 15 | 2017

Puzzles

Wednesday February 15 | 2017

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Numbers are substituted for letters in the crossword grid. Above the grid is the key with two letters solved. Try to complete the first few words to give you more letters, or look for a frequent number that might reveal a common letter. As you find letters, enter them in the key and into the grid. Cross off the letters in the A to Z list.

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J B T OM A T S R H I D E A F R C H A O O M U T E E G A N D H D O CO R P S W E

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

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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

R O D E O D

S F Q U S E F U N A A S A T I R O T F R I T Z A T N D E X P MO P E D E I E I D L A B V R E K E L V I D E E S

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© 2016 Syndicated Puzzles

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DIFFICULTY RATING: ★★★★

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© 2016 Syndicated Puzzles, Inc.

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SOLUTIONS (FROM LAST WEEK)

SUDOKU & JIGSAW SUDOKU

DIFFICULTY RATING: ★★II

CODEWORD

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FEATURES

What’s On

Wednesday February 15 | 2017

SEVEN DAYS OF SOCIAL ACTIVITIES AT A GLANCE

WHATS ON

Eileen Leahy

WITH THE

Local events >> WEDNESDAY As it’s half term week, there are plenty of special activities and events going on in and around the local area…

Hever Castle, the former home of Henry VIII’s second wife Anne Boleyn, is running an event in conjunction with the RSPB during the school holiday. To mark this week’s National Nest Box week, visitors will learn tips on things like how to encourage birds to build their very own homes and survive during the colder months. Activities on offer throughout the day include bird-spotting sessions, making your own wooden bird box, a castle quiz and a talk on nature. Ticket prices vary according to activities. For further details, visit www.hevercastle.com Over at Trinity Theatre, their Tin Man of Oz starts today and runs until Sunday February 19. Based on the book of the same name by L Frank Baum, it follows the story of one of the Wizard of Oz’s main characters. How did he become the Tin Man? What happened to him before Dorothy showed up from Kansas? What can he do now he’s been given a heart? To find out the answers, head along to the daily performances: Wed-Sat at 11am and Wed, Sat and Sun at 2.30pm. Tickets start from £7. See www.trinitytheatre.net >> THURSDAY If the rain puts paid to any trips to the great GOING ROUND IN CIRCLES See Circus Zyair

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

>> SATURDAY Keep fit by taking part in the weekly park runs which happen at both Dunorlan Park and the Castle Street recreation ground in Tonbridge.

They’re free to enter, all you have to do is register your details beforehand so you can participate in the 5k circuits, which start at 9am. For more information, see www.parkrun.org.uk Ightham Mote and Sissinghurst, Scotney and Bodiam castles are all holding a variety of childfriendly activities throughout the half-term holiday, including treasure trails and bug hunts. Each one will also be promoting the Trust’s ongoing activity 50 Things To Do Before You’re 11¾, which involves everything from identifying butterflies and building bird boxes to making mud pies. For more information, visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk

CHILD’S PLAY Enjoy Penshurst Place’s glorious grounds

outdoors, worry not, as the area’s only trampoline centre, located in Tonbridge, is the perfect alternative activity when the weather doesn’t want to play ball. Jump In, which can be found on Morley Road, offers toddlers to teens a variety of different packages, which include an hour’s jumping time from £7 (for the under-5s). For more details, visit www.gojumpin.com Penshurst Place has a special family outdoor trail running through its extensive gardens over the half-term holidays, featuring muchloved children’s book illustrations and a riddle or two. It is the first of a series of special events and activities the popular

their Simon & Garfunkel: Through the Years concert at Trinity from 8pm. Featuring Dan Haynes and Pete Richards, Bookends accurately recreate the American duo’s classic songs with imagery and interviews with Paul Simon & Art Garfunkel.

Having been performed at the Edinburgh Festival Theatre and The Lowry in Manchester, this concert, which includes classic hits such as Homeward Bound, Mrs Robinson and Bridge Over Troubled Water, is one not to be missed. Tickets cost from £16 and are available from www.trinitytheatre.net

IT’S WIZARD The Tin Man is on at Trinity Theatre

location has planned for 2017 on its theme this year of culture – art, literary and music.

For more information on tickets and times see www.penshurstplace.com

>> FRIDAY Wild Adventure Week will be happening every day at Groombridge Place until next Sunday. The event will run from 10am until 4.30pm and will offer plenty of fun activities, including jungle explorer shows, den building and wildlife crafts. Children will also have the chance to build a ‘bug hotel’ and explore the Enchanted Forest Adventure Playground. All the items listed on the special programme are free with admission price. For further information, visit www.groombridgeplace.com Labelled as one of the world’s greatest tribute acts, Bookends are performing

>> SUNDAY A collection of images from the prestigious International Garden Photographer of the Year competition are currently on display at Sissinghurst Castle. The exhibition, which runs until March 5, showcases portraits, panoramic shots of horticultural scenes and intricate flora and fauna details from both professional and amateur photographers. To find out more, visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk >> MONDAY This is the final fortnight you can see the Michael Glasspool exhibition at the Artspring Gallery in Tonbridge High Street. Running until February 27, it showcases the sculptor’s work, which mainly focuses on abstract and wildlife themes.

Every Monday morning from 10am until 12noon, the Tonbridge branch of the Knit & Natter group meets at the library. So if you’ve promised yourself you’re going to finish that baby blanket, or just fancy taking up a new hobby, why not pop along?

The Royal Oak pub in Prospect Road, Tunbridge Wells hosts an Open Mic night every Monday from 7.30pm. So whether you’re a keen musician who wants to try out some new material, or you simply enjoy getting up and singing a few tunes, then this is the perfect showcase.

What’s On

Wednesday February 15 | 2017

>> TUESDAY Every third Tuesday of the month (apart from in August), the Kent & Sussex Poetry Society hold meetings at the Camden Centre in Tunbridge Wells. At each event there is a reading by a major poet and discussion afterwards. All are welcome and admission is £3. The society’s members hold workshops every first Tuesday each month (except August) to discuss their poetry. They also hold an annual open poetry competition and publish an annual folio of members’ work. New members are always welcome. For more information, visit www.kentandsussexpoetry.com Creating Possibilities and About Talent will be running a taster coaching workshop this evening at The Royal Wells Hotel from 7pm until 9pm. The session, which is aimed at women, sets out to give them an insight into what a course of these collaborative workshops could achieve. Everything from promoting self-confidence and finding your inner strengths to useful resources will be addressed. The taster session costs £30 per person, which can then be used as a credit if you decide to sign up for a series of courses. For more information, visit www.creatingspacecoaching.co.uk

PICK OF THE WEEK Half-term activities at Bore Place Selected days 10am until 2.30pm DIP IN Enjoy Bore Place

Located in Bough Beech, near Chiddingstone, Bore Place is hosting a number of events this half term, which also include specialist activities for those with additional needs.

Suitable for those aged eight to 17, the classes they are hosting range from cooking to art and gardening to pond-dipping. Visitors will also have the opportunity to learn about Bore’s farming community. The aim is to help children develop skills, confidence and self-esteem. Sessions cost £12 per day, per child. Places can be booked at www.boreplace.org

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A ROUND-UP OF THIS WEEK’S MUSICAL HIGHLIGHTS

Paul Dunton

The must-read guide to what’s on musically for the week ahead… www.paulduntonandguests.com

Live music There is plenty to go and see mid-week with local acts Dull Knife, The Breaks, Lily Denning and Hamish Donald all showcasing their acoustic compositions at The Grey Lady this Wednesday evening. For fans of alternative/rock, local up-andcoming bands Inheaven, Freak and White Liars are all performing at The Forum this Thursday evening.

A further option for Friday evening is the Local & Live Electric monthly showcase, which returns to The Forum with renowned local bands Youth, Storm Engine and Black Gabanza all performing.

Velvet Goldmine are at The Royal Oak and Acoustic Atlas at The Beau Nash Tavern this Saturday.

Sunday night at The Grey Lady, you can catch local soloists Hannigan, Ian Knapp and Alana Hazzard.

THE TUNBRIDGE WELLS FORUM

Youth

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

THURSDAY Inheaven, FREAK and White Liars FRIDAY Local & Live Electric: Youth, Storm Engine and Black Gabanza SATURDAY Dreadzone, DJ Greg Dread and DJ Matty Dread

TUESDAY Niamh McSmith, Joanne Louise Parker, The Naming of Things

THE PUNCH & JUDY TRINITY THEATRE

THE GREY LADY MUSIC LOUNGE

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

FRIDAY Bookends – Simon & Garfunkel: Through The Years

WEDNESDAY Hamish Donald, The Breaks, Lily Denning, Dull Knife FRIDAY Soul Kitchen SATURDAY Into The Blue SUNDAY Alana Hazzard, Ian Knapp, Hannigan

SATURDAY Acoustic Atlas

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

TUESDAY Stone Junction MERCURE TUNBRIDGE WELLS HOTEL

THE CROSS KEYS

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

Tonbridge Road, Pembury Open all day, free entry, music from 8.30pm

SATURDAY Jersey Boys Trio, Dinner Dance 7pm booking on 0844 815 9074

MONDAY TWUNT: Ukulele Jam Session THE ROYAL OAK

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

TONBRIDGE FOLK CLUB

SATURDAY Velvet Goldmine MONDAY Open Mic Night THE BEAU NASH TAVERN

Velvet Goldmine

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

Hannigan

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

MONDAY Delta Ladies

Sporting Times

Wednesday February 15 | 2017

NEWS

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A marathon every day for a year Four days to go: – ‘Most people think I’m nuts…’ Planning for your Ben Rogers is close to covering 10,000 miles in 12 months as he takes part in this weekend’s race. Andrew Tong finds out why… challenge? “I wanted to do something to give back to the Pilgrims Hospice as they had been so good at looking after my family during my stepfather’s illness,” Ben explained.

“I thought I would run a marathon, but then I realised that anyone can do that, so then thought I’d try to do something longerterm to maximise the fundraising. ” It’s a remarkable feat for a man who had done hardly any exercise for a

ON YOUR marks… The countdown has started for the Tunbridge Wells Half Marathon, which starts at 9am on Sunday [February 19].

More than 1,750 runners from all over the country and overseas have put their names down for the 13.1-mile race, which is organised annually by the Tunbridge Wells Harriers running club.

The official starter for this year’s race is Ben Rogers, aka the ‘365 Marathon Man’, who has pledged to run the equivalent of a full marathon every day to raise money for charity.

His first outing was the London Marathon in April last year, and he will end his epic journey with the same race on April 23.

The Tunbridge Wells Half Marathon will be his 303rd race.

Ben, from East Malling, undertook the 9,563-mile endurance challenge following the death of his stepfather, Doug Chaffer, from cancer in November 2015.

The 46-year-old father of two is raising funds for two charities, Macmillan Cancer Support and Pilgrims Hospice.

But why such an extreme

be something that became a problem. It’s become ‘normal’ to me and my family.

“Most other people, including runners, think I am nuts...”

Even a plethora of aches, pains and injuries have failed to scupper his bid.

“Most have been incredibly painful but nothing has stopped me running. And I did have two months at the end of 2016 when I was pain free!”

Ben’s big worry is that he has been running so much, he has not had enough time to raise money. After more than 290 marathons he only has £3,500, having aimed for £100,000.

“However, I realise these last couple of months are going to be the ‘ramp-up’ of donations as people realise that I may actually complete the challenge!

To make a donation to Ben’s cause, visit www.365MarathonMan.com

Ben gets up at 3am to complete a full marathon before going to work

 Race Information

Running numbers and T-shirts can be collected from tomorrow [February 16] at Tunbridge Wells Fitness & Wellbeing Gym, Knights Way [TN2 3UW] between 9am and 6pm. On race morning, numbers can be collected from race HQ at Tunbridge Wells Sports Centre, St John’s Road [TN4 9TX] from 7am-8.30am. Headphones are no longer allowed.

decade. “I did the London and Paris marathons in 2003-04. Then I got into triathlons for a couple of years. But after that I did nothing, being too busy with work and the kids.”

Now, to fit in with his working life in the property market, Ben habitually gets up at 3am to complete the full 26.2-mile distance before going to work.

“It was hell for the first couple of weeks, but the body adapts,” he says.

Is it still difficult to stop the real world from intruding on his routine?

“Sometimes life is more important. I wanted the year of running to complement family life rather than

Penshurst

 Tea, Coffee – and Free Beer!

Opening at 9am, the Velo House bike shop and café in St John’s Road will be offering a free glass of beer to runners. There will also be live music.

Spectators will be able to buy tea and coffee in Fordcombe village hall (on the route after the exhausting climb up Spring Hill) from 9am.  Road Closures

There will be disruption to roads on the course between 9am and 12 noon. See www.twharriers.org.uk for full details.

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post-race recovery IF YOU’RE one of the 1,750 runners due to take part in this Sunday’s Tunbridge Wells Half Marathon, your thoughts are on the start line and getting around the 13.1 miles.

But thinking beyond the finish line now will help your body recover as quickly as possible.

Your recovery starts before the race. “Warming up properly will help prevent injury so you can get back out training again as soon as possible,” says Jane Dew, a fitness instructor at Tunbridge Wells Fitness & Wellbeing Gym in Knights Park and a run leader for Runtogether.

Nuffield Health Tunbridge Wells personal trainers will lead a warm-up before the race inside Tunbridge Wells Sports Centre at 8.40am.

“You need to mobilise then warm up your muscles and joints,” says Jane. “Prior to exercise, joints are quite dry. Mobilising releases synovial fluid, which lubricates the joint. The warm-up is a bit of fun to help ease some of your pre-race nerves too.”

If you can’t make it in time, a good routine is ankle circles, leg swings, lunges, bum kicks and high knees.

“Alternatively, you could walk briskly to the start line from your car, perhaps jogging the last half,” suggests Jane.

Having warmed up, it’s important not to cool down again, so jog from race HQ to the start line and then keep moving while you wait for the starter’s gun.

When you have crossed the finish line, the TLC you give your body over the following hour is crucial.

The first thing is to make sure you stretch properly. “Nuffield Health personal trainers will be leading stretch sessions after the race, while our physiotherapists will be offering massages if you need something a bit more intense,” says Jane.

FITNESS TIPS Jane Dew Post-race nutrition is also important. “You need carbs to replenish your energy and protein to facilitate muscle repair, ideally in a ratio of 3:1 or 4:1,” she says.

“A hot chocolate or chocolate milk has pretty much everything an expensive protein shake has, or a yoghurt with fruit is also ideal.”

As part of their sponsorship, Nuffield Health will be giving out fruit at the end of the race, as well as bottles of water. “Rehydration is key after the event,” adds Jane.

As the temperature is likely to be on the nippy side, you also need to put on layers to keep yourself warm, so make sure to pack some in your kit bag.

Your TLC should continue once you get home. “There are theories about having a shower and alternating between hot and cold water to help restore your muscles, and it works for some people,” says Jane.

“But personally, I think you can’t beat relaxing in a hot bath for half an hour with a chocolate milk.”

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NEWS

Sporting Times

CONTACT US:

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

Nisbet joins gold rush at County Championships

BUOYANT Erin Nisbet (left) and Caitlin Ebbage

Richardson slams the gate on Ladies

HIGH BROW Tom Phipp heads powerfully to open the scoring

Margate 4 Tonbridge Angels Ladies 0

By Jim Rowe FOOTBALL:

PHOTO: David Couldridge

SWIMMING: ERIN NISBET captured gold at the third consecutive weekend of the Kent County Swimming Championships at Crystal Palace. The 11-year-old from Tonbridge Swimming Club also scooped two bronze medals.

Erin began the meet by qualifying for the final of the girls 12 years 100m breaststroke by knocking two seconds off her personal best (PB), as did her team mate Caitlin Ebbage. In the final, Erin retained her fifth position and shaved another second off her heat time down to 1min 27.73sec.

Elle Nikhwai swam to a seven-second long course PB in the girls 14 years age group.

Dan Brice pulled an excellent effort out of the bag in the final of the boys 13 years 100m butterfly to collect a well-deserved bronze medal and a new PB. Dan was in fourth place with 15 metres to go before sprinting in to get his hand on the wall and give the Tonbridge boys their first podium finish of the championships.

In the 200m breaststroke heat Caitlin Ebbage recorded a 13-second PB. Erin was in the next heat and swam a perfectly paced race, taking six seconds off her PB and moving in to first place in her age group, with Caitlin now in second place. Erin went on to win the gold and Caitlin took silver.

In the final of the girls 12 years 100m butterfly Erin finished third and dropped her time by two seconds in a new PB and club record time of 1min 18.77sec.

Sarah Brown swam in the very competitive 16 years and over age group and swam a brave race, finishing with a nine-second long course PB. In the 13 years 100m freestyle Dan agonisingly missed out on a place in the final by one hundredth of a second.

Erin and Caitlin faced the gruelling 200m butterfly at the end of the meet. Caitlin managed a threesecond PB while Erin swam to a big nine-second PB and went home with another bronze medal.

Across the 11 events so far in the girls 12 years age group, Caitlin and Erin have featured in 10 podium finishes with Caitlin having won seven golds and one silver, and Erin winning a gold in the 200 breaststroke and four bronze medals.

This weekend sees the county swimmers travelling to the London Aquatic Centre for the final weekend of the championships.

Wednesday February 15 | 2017

Angels’ superiority leaves lowly Grays in the shade Tonbridge Angels 4 Grays Athletic 1

By Jim Rowe FOOTBALL:

TONBRIDGE ANGELS enjoyed a comfortable win over bottom-placed Grays to hang on to fifth spot in the Ryman Premier.

With winger Nick Wheeler suspended, Angels manager, Steve McKimm employed a midfield diamond formation.

Tonbridge dominated the first half with a masterclass in slick and incisive midfield play and were excellent value for their 3-0 lead at the break.

On 17 minutes a well delivered Luke Allen corner was perfectly met by Tom Phipp with a thumping header that gave Grays’ keeper no chance.

Then Angels skipper Tom Parkinson was brought down in the area and a penalty was duly awarded on 29 minutes.

Alex Akrofi dispatched the spot kick via the inside of a post to put the Angels 2-0 up.

Five minutes later Akrofi grabbed his second goal, reacting quickest to Allen’s cross.

There were numerous other first half chances for the home side. Allen hit the woodwork and then he and Phipp brought good saves from Tangara.

Grays improved in the second half and reduced the arrears in the 49th minute through Luke Wilson, whose scuffed shot seemed to deceive Tonbridge keeper Anthony di Bernardo.

This gave hope to the away side and Wilson in particular troubled the Tonbridge defence with his powerful runs.

A corner for the visitors on 64 minutes saw Luke

Blewden forced into a goalline clearance. And on 71 minutes Wilson hit the post with the ball rebounding away from the goal area.

The 76th minute saw a moment that was to gladden the hearts of all Tonbridge supporters with the introduction of Andre McCollin, who had been out of action after a leg fracture sustained in the very first game of the season.

He looked sharp on his return and on 89 minutes nearly embarrassed Tangara with a clever chip.

But the striker did not have to wait long to get on

‘We played some great stuff in a high temp0 first-half performance’ the scoresheet. In stoppage time the Angels were awarded a second penalty for handling in the area

by Barney Williams.

With the result no longer in doubt and Akrofi substituted, Phipp handed the ball to McCollin for a chance to score on his comeback, which he duly did.

It was a fine example of the togetherness that exists in McKimm’s squad.

The Angels Manager Steve McKimm said: “Supporters may want to discuss why we didn’t go on and score more in the second half, but I would prefer to concentrate on our high tempo first-half performance when we played some great stuff.

“Yes, Grays to their credit did raise their game in the second half but we continued to create chances – and what a great gesture by Phippo to give Andre the spot kick at the end.”

TONBRIDGE ANGELS Ladies made the long trip to Margate missing four key players through work commitments and injuries and they struggled from the outset.

An impressive Margate side set a high tempo and showed some outstanding pace in attack.

That pace was evident with the opening goal which came after eight minutes, Poppy Green on the right getting behind the Angels’ defence and powering a shot past goalkeeper Tracey Edwards.

The lead was doubled in the 20th minute when Gate’s top scorer Kara Richardson scored with a header at the far post.

The Angels’ best opportunity came in first-half injury time, Becky Janes sending an inch-perfect through ball with the outside of her boot to Abbie Skilton, whose shot was blocked by the keeper.

Angels continued to battle hard in a scrappy second half but the home side went further ahead on the hour-mark.

Jodie Coombes was adjudged to have brought down a Margate forward in the box and Beth Cooper fired in the spot-kick.

Four minutes later Tonbridge were again outdone by a move down their left side and the cross evaded everyone except Richardson, who was on hand at the far post to score again.

Rustics denied by injury-time leveller Bridon Ropes 2 Rusthall 2 FOOTBALL: RUSTHALL retained top spot in the Southern Counties East League Division One despite being held to a draw at Bridon Ropes.

John Woodcock put the home side ahead after 14 minutes, and Rustics had to step up a gear in the second half.

Parkinson equalised five minutes after the interval and then Ian Parsons put high-flying Rusthall ahead with 10 minutes left.

However, Rusthall’s hopes of forging ahead at the top of the league were dashed when James Doherty equalised in injury time.

Rusthall FC signed a contract last week to have renovations carried out on the main pitch at their Jockey Farm ground.

The project will involve levelling the main pitch and installing drainage to remedy the long-standing problem of the slope, the uneven surface and waterlogging issues. New paths and dugouts will also be installed.

The contractors are scheduled to start the development in mid-March with the expectation that it will be ready by September for next season.

It has been a long-standing ambition for the Rustics to carry out this scheme, the most ambitious and expensive in the club’s history.

It has only been achieved by the prudent management of club funds and a generous grant from the Football Stadium Improvement Fund.

Sporting Times

Wednesday February 15 | 2017

Pack keeps Wells in hunt while rivals Havant slip up

NEWS

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RUN AWAY WITH IT TJs celebrate Tom Nicoll’s second try

PHOTO: Adam Hookway

JUGGERNAUT Kyle McGarvie leads the forwards’ charge

Double quick from Nicoll as Juddians come out firing Tonbridge Juddians 32 Colchester 14

PHOTO: Bruce Elliott

By Adam Hookway

Tunbridge Wells 34 CS 1863 12

By Roger Clarke RUGBY: THERE was an extra warm-up routine for the home side as they wielded brooms to clear the lines from the morning’s snow. But Wells still suffered a cold start to this London One South game.

Wells were delighted to welcome back their skipper Lee Campion, who returned after having a shoulder operation to fix an injury he suffered against the same opposition in October.

The hosts were on the board with a Frank Reynolds penalty after just three minutes for a stray boot in the ruck.

Two minutes later Campion showed his customary injection of pace for a 25-metre incursion into the CS half.

But CS showed more accuracy in the pass for the wide game and scored a wellworked try on 10 minutes when fly-half Tom Hodgson put a delightful diagonal kick into the arms of right wing Will Sharp for a converted try.

It took until the 25th minute for Wells to finally adapt to the conditions and play with a narrower, more forward-orientated style.

Mike Hathaway held up CS’s No 8 Will Scott and forced a turnover to give Wells position in the 22. An ensuing penalty was nudged by Reynolds (right) to the corner and from the lineout Wells rolled the maul for Hathaway to score, Reynolds converting.

Pressure Wells continued to use this pressure tactic and on 35 minutes another turnover and penalty saw Player-Coach Matt Cook driven over the line.

The home side went in at the interval 17-7 in the lead, and within two minutes of the restart Wells had gone further ahead.

Chas Spence demonstrated delightful dribbling skills to make 40 metres before wing Adam Webb secured the ball.

It was moved infield to hooker Jake Thompson, who scored under the posts, Reynolds again adding the extras.

Open-side flanker Hathaway suffered a recurrence of a shoulder injury and was replaced, but Wells stuck to a more forwards-dominated game plan and a slower pace.

Reynolds kicked a penalty on 49 minutes as CS stayed offside.

CS continued to play their wider game and were rewarded with another try from right wing Sharp to make it 27-12 on 58 minutes.

But the visitors were made to pay for an error passing across their 22. The ball passed through several sets of forwards’ hands before prop Turi Uini crashed over by the posts with Reynolds converting the bonus try.

It was a good performance against a side who had put a dent in Wells’ promotion hopes early in the campaign.

With Havant in second place going down to Tottonians despite managing to pick up two bonus points, Wells moved to within five points of the play-off position with seven games to go.

RUGBY: TJs were at The Slade again on Saturday looking to back up their important win over second-placed Wimbledon last weekend in National League Three London & South-East with a convincing win over second from bottom Colchester.

Juddians quickly got the upper hand as first Sam Bailey and then Tom Nicoll crossed for tries. TJs were making indents into the visitors’ defence and creating the extra man in the backs time and again.

James Copsey added a third try and Nicoll added a fourth to give TJs a 20-0 lead and the bonus point before the break.

In slippery conditions it was not an easy day for kickers and as Colchester got a try back to make it 20-7 they were still in the mix.

The second half started brightly for TJs, and Murray Galbraith-Lowe provided the man over to make it 25-7.

At that point Colchester could have fallen away. But they kept the ball alive as much as possible and got their reward with a second converted try to make it 25-14.

TJs were a tad nervous but Sam Bailey settled the issue with an intercept and Liam Prescott at last had a kick in front of the posts to make it 32-14.

So Juddians hang on tightly to the top spot as they head south this weekend with a trip to Chichester.

Sevenoaks take advantage of lack of concentration Sevenoaks 2nd XI 7 Tunbridge Wells Ladies’ 1st XI 2

By Brandon Begg HOCKEY: TUNBRIDGE WELLS travelled to Sevenoaks on a snowy morning but the services of a tractor enabled the match to go ahead even with the constant flurries of snow.

The East Region Division One South game started positively for Wells, with aggressive closing down of the ball from the forwards and insides.

But a quick turnover from Sevenoaks allowed them to score an early goal.

Wells were quick to recover when Ele Cairns overlapped and struck a fierce shot from the edge of the D

which the goalkeeper parried only as far as Perdi Knight, player of the match, who smashed the ball into the backboard.

Oaks grabbed two more goals to go into half-time 3-1 ahead. But in the second half Georgia Whitaker’s through ball enabled Annie Wilson to round the keeper and slot the ball from a tight angle.

Despite the efforts of the tireless midfielders Bertie Organ and Ollie Garret with the defensive back up from Amy Hare and Pip Ross, it wasn’t enough to stop Sevenoaks scoring another four in quick succession as Wells’ concentration lapsed.